by Cindy Bell
“Exactly,” Mary agreed. They began walking through the trees, deeper into the woods. The trees were fairly widespread. In daylight they didn't provide a lot of cover. But in the dark they would have kept Daria hidden.
“Here,” Suzie called out with excitement. “Look at this,” she said and pointed to a branch that was half-torn from the trunk of a tree.
“It looks like someone was hanging onto it,” Mary said. She peered down at the ground. “Here look, there's a high, thick root and the dirt is disturbed. She probably lost her footing and grabbed onto the branch to steady herself.”
“This would be from her sweater then,” Suzie said as she pointed to a tuft of pink material that was clinging to the bark of the tree.
“That is evidence, don't touch,” Mary warned. “Suzie, I really think it's time we clued Jason in to what we suspect.”
“All right,” Suzie nodded reluctantly.
“I think it was time for that quite some time ago,” Kirk said from behind them. Suzie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound of the voice, one she still wasn't entirely familiar with. She spun around swiftly to face him.
“Kirk, what are you doing here?” Mary asked breathlessly, as she too had been startled.
“I'm the police officer, and you're asking me what I'm doing at the crime scene?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes and looked between the two of them. “I think I'd be better off asking the two of you that. Just what have you two been holding back about this case?”
“I think we'd rather speak with Jason about it,” Suzie said nervously. Kirk seemed like a decent man, but she didn’t want Jason to get annoyed about them keeping the information from him but telling Kirk.
“I think you should tell me, here and now, because until you do nobody is going anywhere. So, tell me,” Kirk said and folded his arms across his chest. “Everything,” he added and furrowed one brow. Jason had a boyish nature but Kirk had a naturally more forceful presence although they could both be very authoritative when they chose. Kirk seemed to be choosing to exercise his authority as he studied the two women.
“There's not much to tell,” Suzie stammered out. “We just overheard a few spats between Antony and Daria. We suspected that maybe Daria had something to do with the accident and had walked away from it unscathed so we wanted to see if we could find something to prove that, which led us out here to this tree, and this tuft of material,” she added as she pointed to the material on the tree bark.
“Why is it that you didn't tell us about the fights from the beginning?” he said with clear frustration. “That could have entirely changed the focus of the investigation.”
“I didn't want Daria to get into trouble,” Suzie admitted, realizing how foolish that sounded only after she said it.
“And?” he narrowed his eyes and looked from Suzie to Mary. “What else aren't you telling me?”
“Suzie thought that maybe the Gables were being followed,” Mary spurted out.
“Mary,” Suzie shot her a look of impatience.
“You think they were being followed?” Kirk asked, his expression becoming even more serious. “Why?”
“It seemed like someone might have been in their room, hiding in the closet,” Suzie admitted quietly. “And, the note they left, the handwriting did not seem to match Daria's even though the note was signed by her. It was just odd. When I first noticed it we didn't know everything that we do now.”
Kirk swept a hand back through his hair and looked away from the two before fixing them with a steady glare.
“Is there anything else?” he asked.
“Tell him about what you heard Daria say to Antony in the latest argument,” Mary said as Suzie scowled at her.
“I think I heard Daria threaten to kill Antony in the argument I overheard,” Suzie admitted. “But I can’t be sure what was said and people say lots of things in the heat of the moment.”
“I don't know what drove you to keep all of this information hidden. But you should both know that you have probably set this investigation back by keeping these details to yourself. Is there anything else I should know?” he demanded roughly.
“Nothing,” Suzie shook her head and shifted closer to Mary.
“Clear the area,” Kirk said darkly. “We're going to need to get a crime scene team in here to evaluate this evidence.”
“We're sorry, Kirk,” Mary said feebly. Kirk only shook his head and began barking into his radio. As Suzie and Mary walked away from the scene, Mary was beside herself with concern.
“Do you think that Jason is going to be upset?” she asked. “I knew we should have told them sooner.”
“Mary, it all comes down to finding Daria, right?” Suzie asked as she settled into the car.
“Yes,” Mary nodded and started the car.
“Then I say we find her,” Suzie said calmly. “Maybe Jason and Kirk will be able to find her first, but it can never hurt to have more people looking for her. Now they have evidence that she was at the crime scene and more than likely alive there, they should be able to get more resources.”
“Jason is going to be livid,” Mary sighed as she drove down the old country road.
“Jason will get over it,” Suzie insisted. As if sensing he was being spoken of Jason's number flashed on Suzie's cell phone. Suzie stared at it for a moment. She didn't know if she should answer it.
“Pick it up,” Mary said reluctantly. “We're going to have to fess up eventually.”
“All right,” Suzie sighed and answered the phone. “Jason, I can explain,” she began to say.
“Suzie, I don't know where you and Mary are but I need you at Dune House. The crime scene team is waiting there to get into the Gables’ room. How fast can you get there?” he asked.
“In about two minutes,” Suzie replied nervously.
“Good, thanks Suzie, I appreciate it,” Jason said before hanging up the phone.
Suzie felt her heart sink. His warmth made her feel even worse.
“I don't think he knows yet,” Suzie said with a frown. “We need to get back to Dune House, there's a crime scene team waiting.”
Mary nodded and sped up.
When Suzie and Mary pulled into the parking lot of Dune House there was a police car and a crime scene van. An officer that Suzie didn't recognize as well as two crime scene technicians were waiting on the porch.
“What a beautiful old place,” one of the technicians said as Suzie and Mary approached him.
“Thank you,” Suzie said politely. She unlocked the door and led the officer and technicians to the room where the Gables had been staying.
“It's right here,” she said as she pushed the door open.
“Has anyone besides you and Mary been inside?” the technician asked.
“I don’t think so,” Suzie replied. “We haven't had any other guests, and Mary and I do all of the cleaning, so there is no other staff to consider.”
“Cleaning?” the technician asked. “Have you cleaned it since they were in here?”
“Yes,” Suzie admitted. “Before we knew anything was wrong the room was cleaned.”
“Then there probably won't be much for us to find.”
“There's this,” Mary said as she appeared beside Suzie. She held out the passport that they had found left behind in the Gables' room.
“Good,” the technician nodded as he took the passport from her and bagged it. “We might be able to find some fingerprints on there.”
“Also, you might want to check the outside of the window,” Suzie said. “And the inside of the closet door. I thought perhaps someone had come in through the window, and might have been hiding in the closet.”
“That must have been frightening for you,” the technician said with a frown. “Thanks for the information. We'll make sure we check those areas very thoroughly.”
Suzie and Mary walked back down the hallway to the front desk.
“I hope you didn't mind that I gave him the passport,” Mary s
aid. “I thought that they might be able to find something in it.”
“Anything that can help find Daria,” Suzie said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell Jason about someone coming through the window and hiding in the closet but I thought I was just imagining it,” Suzie insisted with a frown. “You know how it is, once an investigative reporter, always an investigative reporter. I thought I was seeing more than what was actually there.”
“Maybe you'll trust your instincts from now on,” Mary suggested.
“Funny you should say that,” Suzie said. “My instincts are telling me to find out what I can about Antony and Daria. I want to go over to Parish and see if I can find out what they might have been involved in.”
“Don't you think that Jason is already making sure that's happening?” Mary questioned.
“Maybe he is,” Suzie admitted. “But people are often less likely to talk to police. I just think if I get a feel for what their lives were like in Parish, I might be able to figure out where Daria could be.”
“Well, I did tell you to start trusting your instincts,” Mary said grimly. “Just be careful.”
“I'm going to be,” Suzie promised her. “I looked up Antony’s business address so I'm going to go to his office and see if there's anyone there. Maybe drive around the neighborhood a little.”
“Keep your cell phone on,” Mary commanded sharply.
“I will,” Suzie smiled. “Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it.”
“I'll let you know if anything comes up from the crime scene investigation,” Mary said.
“Thanks,” Suzie nodded and then headed for the door.
Chapter 6
Before setting out on her journey into Parish, Suzie sent a text to Paul. She knew she might not hear back from him, but it made her feel connected to him just to send him a quick message.
Things are a little crazy in Garber, hope it is much calmer out on the water.
As she started her car she thought about the information that she hadn't given to Jason. She knew that he wasn't going to be pleased with her for withholding it. She only hoped that she would find something good to give him to help offset his frustration. She rather doubted he would be easily appeased.
Suzie typed Antony’s business address into her phone and let the GPS lead her in the direction she needed to go. Even though the towns were side by side the people who resided in them acted as if they were on opposite ends of the world. Garber was considered the touristy town, while Parish was thought of as the tougher, higher crime area. Whether either was true Suzie couldn't really say, but she knew that people from the two towns rarely mixed. Suzie was hoping that locating his business might give her a better idea of what had happened to them. Perhaps a receptionist could fill her in on some pesky clients that were harassing him.
When she pulled up to the building, Suzie stared at it for some time. Though it was obviously an office building which meant that Antony's office was likely locked up tight, Suzie hoped that she would still be able to find out some solid information about Antony and what might have put him in the sights of a killer.
As Suzie parked the car she noticed a few people standing at the corner of the block. They appeared to be having a casual conversation, but Suzie felt a tingle along the back of her neck. When she had worked as an investigative reporter she had learned to always trust her instincts. Though something might seem perfectly normal on the surface, if she felt strangely about it, she always used extra caution. She stared at them through the windshield, waiting to see if they would disperse. After a few minutes she grew even more suspicious. No one spent that much time standing on a corner talking. They might have walked together lost in discussion. They might have waited until the road was clear to cross. But there was nothing important enough to keep them in that exact spot for so long.
Suzie narrowed her eyes. She pulled out her cell phone, which had a camera. As she raised it to snap a picture of the gathering, one of the men cast a long glance in her direction. Suzie snapped the picture, but she felt a chill race along her spine. The man's eyes bore right through her windshield. She put the phone to her ear in an attempt to appear as if she was talking on it. The man turned away. A moment later he nodded to the others, then turned and walked along the sidewalk and around the block.
Suzie's heart was racing. As the other men went their separate ways Suzie had a moment of doubt. Had she seen more than what was really there? Sometimes her imagination found mystery, when there was really only normal activity. With a sigh she opened her car door and began to walk towards the building that housed the office she was looking for. As she walked, she felt the tingling on the back of her neck again. She closed her eyes briefly to calm herself, and then glanced over her shoulder. There was no one behind her. As she turned back towards the office building, she nearly walked directly into the man whose photograph she had taken.
“Excuse me,” he said quickly and took a step back from her. Suzie was too shocked to even speak. She stared at him, wondering if he intended to hurt her. “I got a little turned around,” he explained in halting English. “Can you tell me where the art museum is?”
Suzie felt her heart pound again. She had been waiting for him to pull a gun, or threaten her in some way. But the reality was he was looking for directions. He had probably asked the people on the corner for directions as well. Obviously, he hadn't understood them very well. Still, she thought his accent was a little forced. Could he be faking it?
“It's just around the corner and one block north,” Suzie said. She still felt a little numb from the fear she had experienced. She truly had no idea where the art museum was or even whether there was an art museum in Parish, but she wanted him to go away. She hoped that by giving him the wrong directions he would be gone long enough for her to disappear. He studied her intently as if he might say something more. Suzie clutched her cell phone tightly and stared back at him.
“Thank you,” he finally said and nodded. He walked past Suzie. Suzie had to force herself not to look over her shoulder to make sure that he turned down the street. She didn't want to give him any reason to try to speak to her again. Instead she walked towards the office building. As she stepped onto the sidewalk that ran the length of the front of the building, she tossed a quick look over her shoulder. There was no sign of the man anywhere. With a sigh of relief she headed for the office that belonged to Antony. As she had expected it was closed. The door was locked. There was a large front window. Suzie cupped her hands and looked through the window, but there was not much to see. There was a front desk, a few comfortable chairs in the waiting area, and some financial magazines scattered around. Nothing incriminating. Nothing revealing. With a sigh she lowered her hands.
She was considering breaking in, when she heard the sharp sound of something being dragged along the sidewalk. She looked to her right to see a woman in a very colorful dress sweeping the sidewalk in front of the adjacent office. Suzie was a little surprised by her appearance, as she wasn't exactly dressed like a business woman. Her hair was milky blonde and piled up on the top of her head with frizzy curls. She wore far too much make-up, and her drooping cheeks revealed that she must have been in her senior years. But when she smiled at Suzie, Suzie instantly liked her.
“Hello there,” Suzie said as the woman continued to sweep the sidewalk.
“I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you,” the woman replied.
“Not at all,” Suzie said with a slight shake of her head.
Suzie couldn't quite place what she liked about the woman, but she felt comfortable enough to ask her a few questions. “I was hoping to find Antony Gable,” she explained. “He operates out of this office.”
“Oh sure, I know Antony,” the woman nodded with a sheepish smile.
“Do you know what type of business Antony was in?” Suzie asked as she studied the woman intently. The woman picked up a bright yellow watering can and began watering a few potted plants that were lined up in front of the office window.
Suzie noticed that the lettering on the window declared her a massage therapist specializing in energy therapies. Suzie arched an eyebrow at that, and then looked back at the woman.
“Oh sure, it's accounting I believe. Well,” she sighed for a moment and cast an uncomfortable look in Suzie's direction. “I'm not exactly sure, but I know it had to do with numbers and money. Some of the characters that would come and go were a little bit on the seedy side,” she confided.
“What made them seedy?” Suzie asked as the woman set down her watering can.
“Oh, you know, slicked back hair, dark suits, dangling cigarettes, just a rough element,” she shrugged and plucked a leaf from one of her plants. “They never really caused any trouble so I did my best to mind my own business. But, I could feel how dark they were,” she added in an ominous tone. “I am sure there were many dodgy dealings going on in that office.”
Suzie looked at her quizzically. There was one thing she knew for certain. This woman was not in the habit of minding her own business. “Did you happen to catch any of his clients' names?”
Instantly the woman tensed up. She lifted her eyes to Suzie's. Suzie was startled to see genuine fear in her eyes. This wasn't a show she was putting on, or exaggeration for the sake of drama, this was actual fear. A woman with such a sunny disposition wouldn't be so quick to be afraid, Suzie thought.
“No, I don't think so,” she mumbled.
Suzie rested a hand lightly on the curve of the woman's shoulder and looked into her eyes. “It's okay, you can tell me. I'm only trying to help, I'm not trying to cause you any trouble.”
“I just don't want anyone getting the wrong idea,” the woman explained. “I'm not saying they're criminals. I wouldn't know. I don't know anything about their business.”
“But you know their names,” Suzie pressed and took a slight step closer to her.