Book, Bludgeoning, & Beyond

Home > Other > Book, Bludgeoning, & Beyond > Page 21
Book, Bludgeoning, & Beyond Page 21

by H L Bur


  “Well, who do we know that knows the ins and outs of this town better than anyone and is likely the only person left that can shed light on this giant puzzle?”

  “I was hoping you weren’t going to say that,” I groaned.

  “You knew it was coming. We’ve got to at least try.”

  “I know you’re right, but whyyyy must you be right about this?”

  “I’m always right.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.” I sighed.

  I took a left and headed towards home. We had to figure out how to make Gigi talk or this investigation was officially dead in the water.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ξ

  By the time we got home it was past midnight, and of course Gigi was nowhere to be found. We decided it was best to get some rest and try to catch her in the morning. I quickly showered in an attempt to steam away the bad feeling that had crept up inside me throughout the day. I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened today. From the gossip mob at the bookstore to lunch with Joy Rhodes to Fletcher inviting himself into my car and thus, back into my life, to the discovery that Dawn and Rose were cousins, the Roberson family drama, dinner with my mother, and a meeting with the mysterious, yet spunky Beverly Mayfield, this day was just too much to process.

  Despite how tired I was from all of the happenings of the day, I still couldn’t fall asleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sofie’s big article and what she could have been on the brink of exposing. Is that what got her killed? In all likelihood, yes. Maybe I was stupid for getting involved in all of this. Maybe Fletcher had been right all along. Was I putting myself and those that I loved in danger by trying to figure this out on my own? I may fancy myself a clever amateur sleuth, but I was starting to feel in over my head. And where did the Mystery Man, or aka Drachen Noire disappear to all of a sudden. It was like he had vanished. Did the police ever get a warrant and search the sawmill?

  I tossed and turned for quite some time before finally succumbing to my much-desired sleep. Even then I slept fitfully, my dreams full of bad guys, fire breathing dragons, and death. I woke with a start while it was still dark outside and sat up in bed. I was drenched in sweat, but as soon as I threw off the covers I began to shiver with a chill. I heard a thud downstairs and I reached for my glasses. My clock read five a.m. I quickly pulled on my boots and threw a zip-up on and crept to my bedroom door. I slowly pulled the door open, thankful for well-oiled hinges. I listened intently, but didn’t hear any other noises or movement.

  Just when I thought I had imagined the thud, I heard a screen door slam shut. Without thinking, I grabbed my can of bear spray from my dresser and flew down the stairs. I flipped the light switch at the bottom of the stairs, which washed the living room in a yellow glow. I looked around, my eyes immediately landing on the side door that connected the living room to the wrap around porch. The large inside door was opened a crack. I readied my bear spray nozzle and walked slowly over to the door. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I reached to open the heavy inner door wider so I could get to the screen door. I counted to three and barged out onto the porch with my arms out in front of me, ready to spray any intruder with the potent pepper spray. I scanned to my left and right, my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. Hands still at the ready, I walked slowly toward the front of the house. All was quiet and I didn’t see any signs of activity. The morning light was just starting to be visible, but it was still too dark outside to see all the way across the yard, and the porch light only reached so far.

  Still peering into the darkness of the front yard, I walked back around the side of the house and suddenly collided with - who I was positive was - the serial killer, here to shut me up for good. Both the serial killer and I screamed. The killer swung a baseball bat at me, but I ducked out of the way and threw myself off the porch. I tucked and rolled, pushing myself up into a squatting position, bracing for the attack. I somehow dropped my bear spray during my fall and I quickly tried to remember my self-defense moves from the class Quinn and I took a few years ago. I couldn’t think of a single move and just as I realized I was going to die here today on the side of my house, I realized I had recognized that scream.

  The person who had emitted that blood-curdling scream hopped down from the porch and began to advance.

  “Quinn?”

  “What? Oh my God! Cady, is that you?”

  I dropped down to the ground with a sigh of relief and laid there in the wet, dewy grass trying to catch my breath.

  “Yes, it’s me. Thanks for swinging a baseball at my head.”

  “I’m sorry, but I thought I heard a noise.”

  “Yeah, I did, too.”

  “Well, you’re lucky you have those cat-like reflexes.”

  “Ha! Luckily you were never very good at baseball.”

  “Screw you.” She reached a hand down to help me up off the ground.

  We both stood there scanning the yard, allowing our heart rates to slow back down.

  “We should go back inside, but when it gets lighter out we can come back and look for any footprints,” I suggested.

  I picked up my bear spray that had landed a few feet away in the grass and we both hopped back up onto the porch. I stopped to examine the screen door latch.

  “I’m no expert, but it doesn’t appear to be tampered with.”

  “Maybe that’s not the door they used to get in,” Quinn suggested.

  “Let’s go check the other doors and windows and then look around to see if anything was taken.”

  We did a quick sweep of the house to see where the intruder had gotten in. Nothing appeared to be missing. The pile of tie downs and the small spade that I had hauled out to Aunt Liddy’s house last weekend still lay in a pile in the hallway where I’d left them. I bent and picked up the spade as we walked down the hall towards the back door in case I needed a weapon. As we got closer, I could see that sure enough, the back door was ajar. Upon closer inspection, there were scratch marks around the outside of the lock. It looked like someone had picked the lock. The mat on the inside of the door was slightly damp to the touch, as if the intruder wiped their dewy shoes before they went further into the house. There were no wet footprints going up the hall, which confirmed this for me.

  “I guess it’s time for that security system after all,” Quinn remarked.

  I nodded in agreement and shut the door, thankful that it still latched correctly. “Well, I guess I’ll call the police.”

  “I’ll make some coffee,” Quinn said nonchalantly and made her way toward the kitchen.

  I set the spade down on the counter in the hallway and followed her through the kitchen to make my way back upstairs to get my phone to call the police. That was one of the bad things about cell phones - sometimes it would be easier to have a landline around.

  Quinn stopped at the kitchen counter to start a pot of coffee and I headed past her.

  “Um…Cady.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You might want to look at this.”

  I turned around to see what she was talking about. She was looking down at the kitchen counter. I followed her gaze and saw she was looking at a piece of paper that was by the coffee pot. I leaned over her to read what was written. It was the same dark scrawl of the previous two threats. THREE STRIKES YOU’RE OUT.

  “Oh, how nice.” My voice was thick with sarcasm.

  “Where is our grandmother?” Quinn suddenly ranted. “We need her help and she’s nowhere to be found. When we just want her to leave us alone, we can’t get rid of her. Now that we actually need her, she’s nowhere to be found!”

  “To be fair, she is dead, Quinn. I don’t think we can count on her being here every time we need her.”

  “Can you just agree with me for once? I’m just venting.”

  I flung my hands up in the air in exasperation. “I agree with you all the time.”

  We both glared at each other for a moment before I turned to go get my phone. “I’
m going to call the police. The last thing we need to be doing right now is arguing.”

  I ran up the stairs and crossed my room to get my phone off my nightstand. I punched in 9-1-1 and waited for the dispatcher to pick up. I gave my name and address and told her there had been a break in. I assured her no one was hurt and that the intruder was gone.

  It was light enough out to see now, so I headed outside to look for any footprints. I hopped off the porch and examined the yard. I could see where I had tucked and rolled earlier, the grass trampled in the morning dew. I walked around to the front yard, but there were no clues to be found. Realizing I didn’t actually know for sure which way the intruder ran away from the house, I doubled back and did a loop around the back yard. Despite my best efforts, I still didn’t find anything useful.

  As I finished my loop around the garage, a police cruiser pulled up followed by a charcoal grey F150. I waited by the garage door and greeted the officer, directing him to the back door. Fletcher hopped out of his truck and jogged over to me, a worry line creasing his forehead.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing my shoulders. His eyes scanned my face to make sure I was okay before pulling me into a tight embrace.

  I started to protest. I wanted to tell him this was unnecessary and that I was fine, but the strength and the warmth of his embrace made me stop myself. Instead, with my head barely coming up to the middle of his chest, I melted into his arms, breathing in his musky scent. I stayed there a moment, savoring the feeling of safety I finally felt, but eventually I pulled back and looked up into his eyes. The rising sun made his intense green eyes shine like peridot gemstones, sparkling in the light. My breath caught in my chest and I had to look away.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” I managed. “You didn’t have to come. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Nothing? Cady, someone broke into your house!”

  I started to wave him off, but thought better of it. He was right after all. Someone had intruded into my own sacred space. This was so not okay. This was war.

  Fletcher must have mistaken the ice in my eyes for worry because he quickly rubbed my shoulders. “Let’s get you inside, it’s cold out here.”

  As we walked in through the garage, the bold, yet soothing scent of fresh brewing coffee filled the air. I poured Fletcher and myself a cup and we joined Quinn at the kitchen table. She had placed the new threatening noted in a sandwich bag and handed it over to Fletcher. “I didn’t touch it this time,” she said.

  I watched his facial expression as he glanced at the note, the set of his jaw hardening as he clenched his teeth together. It was a barely perceptible change in his demeanor and if I hadn’t been looking for it, I probably would’ve missed it. Although I had only known Fletcher a short while, I could already read his body language, and right now I could tell he was furious.

  He rose from the table and went to the back of the house to speak with the officer.

  After several minutes, both Fletcher and the officer came up to the kitchen. Quinn and I gave our accounts of what happened this morning as the officer made notes. When we were finished, the officer collected the note and went outside to look for any footprints.

  The three of us resumed drinking our coffee around the kitchen table.

  Fletcher rinsed his mug and placed it in the sink. “I need to head to the station and inform Chief Kowalski of the break in and the third threat, but after that I’m sticking to you two like glue. I’m not letting a crazed killer get to you so easily.” He tried to sound lighthearted, but I knew there was some truth to his statement.

  “No, Fletcher, you have more important things to do. You need to solve this case, that’s the best way to keep us all safe.”

  He rubbed his hand over his beard stubble. “Your safety is what’s important.” He sighed. “But, you’re right,” he finally agreed. “I’ve got to close this case. For more reasons than one,” he added. He was silent a moment, lost in thought. “Fine,” he said. “But I need you two to stick together. Don’t go anywhere alone. And for God’s sake, do not go snooping around into anything. In fact, this is a direct order…you are to go to the bookstore and nowhere else. And, you need to get an alarm service out here today to install a security system.”

  “Who needs an alarm when I have bear spray?” I teased.

  “You know that’s technically illegal here, right?”

  “Meh.” I shrugged my shoulders. As far as I was concerned it was a grey area at best.

  “Quinn, is there something you can do about her? She is borderline reckless.”

  “Hey, I’ve tried to rein her in. There’s no stopping her.” She held her hands up in defense.

  “Oh, whatever! I’m the logical one.”

  Quinn scoffed and Fletcher shook his head in dismay.

  “Hey, whatever happened with the warrant to search the sawmill?” I asked hopefully.

  Fletcher shook his head, looking discouraged. “Our attempts at a warrant have been blocked so far. I’ll give you one guess as to by whom. The chief is going to talk to the judge directly today.”

  “Clearly Rhodes is trying to hide something.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got a tail on him, so we are monitoring his every move closely.”

  “Yeah, it’s just too bad he’s got cronies doing all his dirty work for him.”

  “Agreed, and that is all the more reason for you two to stay out of this. All right, I’ve got to get going, but I will be checking in with you later and you better have behaved yourself today. Or else?” He winked at me and walked out through the garage.

  “What did Bright Eyes want?” Gigi suddenly appeared in the living room.

  I nearly choked on my coffee, but recovered and shot her a glare. “Sit.”

  The look on Gigi’s face exuded innocence.

  “Now,” I demanded.

  She sat. It was finally time for her to tell us everything she knew.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ξ

  I held the sawmill manuscript in my right hand, tapping it repeatedly on my other. I knew the answers were in here somewhere. Why else would Brent have been so eager to get it?

  “No more playing opossum. We need to know what is going on around this town and we need to know now,” I demanded.

  Gigi crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t know where your mother went wrong, allowing you to talk to your elders like that.”

  “Grandma, this is serious. Someone broke into our house this morning.”

  Gigi’s eyes widened in shock before turning to ice and fury. “Those sons of biscuits,” she cursed under her breath.

  “Who? Who are the ‘sons of biscuits’?” I made air quotes with my fingers. “What do you know?” I screeched in frustration, pulling at my hair. This woman, ghost, whatever you wanted to call her was maddening.

  “I already told you what I know. I help the newly departed cross over.”

  “But it’s obvious that you know more than you’re letting on.”

  Quinn cut in. “Look Grandma, we know about the Roberson family and their rift, how the brothers blamed their father and sister for the loss of the sawmill property. We know that Dawn and Rose are the granddaughters of Mr. Roberson. And, we know that Elias Rhodes bought that property and that he’s in cahoots with some Mystery Man who fancies himself Drachen Noire. Now, what we need to know is what is going on at the sawmill and why these girls are ending up dead. And you,” she said, pointing at Gigi, “are going to help us.”

  Gigi looked indignant, but slumped her shoulders and nodded her head. “You two sure have done your homework.”

  I absent-mindedly fanned the pages of the manuscript over and over again in my hands as I quietly admired Quinn’s effective tough love strategy.

  She sighed and folded her hands together, resting them on the kitchen table. “All I know is that good-for-nothing Elias Rhodes is mixed up in a drug operation in Northern Michigan and he is using the sawmill as a shipping base to move his p
roduct along the waterways. I always knew he was trouble.”

  “And how is that you know this?” I asked, astounded. For crying out loud, the woman was dead!

  “A little bird told me,” she said stubbornly, clearly not going to give up her source.

  I glanced at Quinn realizing we had been right about the drug smuggling.

  “Well…” I slid the manuscript over to Gigi and opened it to the page of the sawmill blueprints. “A little bird told me that you are going to help us take him down.” I eyed her with determination.

  Gigi looked down at the open pages and looked back up to meet my eyes. “What do you want me to do with that?”

  I stared at her for a moment formulating my plan. I nodded once, more to myself than anyone before answering her. “I want you to go spy on the sawmill and figure out exactly how they are using it to smuggle drugs and who all is involved. I need to know who this Drachen Noire character is. Then we need to come up with a plan to take them down.”

  She stood up and walked into the living room grumbling. I couldn’t make out what she was saying under her breath, but I thought I caught an ‘ungrateful kids’ and something about ‘respecting your elders’ moments before she vanished.

  “Do you think she’s actually going to go through with it?” I looked at Quinn, trying to judge her facial expression.

  “With her?” She thought for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s anybody’s guess.”

  Quinn stared into her coffee mug for a moment before suddenly standing up and grabbing her keys off of the counter. “I’ve got to check on something, I’ll be back later.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be back later,” she hollered back as the door slammed shut behind her.

  I rolled my eyes. She could be so dramatic sometimes. I suddenly got a chill and looked around. I had never been scared to be in this house alone before, but I felt like I was being watched. I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest trying to keep myself warm. I was sure it was just the break in this morning that had me on edge, but I was glad to change my clothes and head to the bookstore for the day.

 

‹ Prev