Sharpe Mind, Hanging by a Thread

by Lisa B. Thomas

  It was her first time inside that room. A large oak table sat in the middle of the space surrounded by six chairs.

  He pulled the contents out of the bag and spread it out on the table. The fabric was matted with mud and gunk. The smell overpowered the musty odor of the office. “What is this?” he asked.

  Deena walked around to look at it from another direction. “It looks like a cape. Like from a costume or something.”

  “Check the edges.”

  When she spotted the ripped bottom corner, she held it up for Ian. “Ouch!” She pulled back her finger to see a sliver of glass sticking out. She leaned down to look closer at the fabric. Several small pieces of glass were stuck to it.

  Neither said a word. Ian walked out, leaving her there with the curious garment. He returned with something in his hand and turned off the overhead light. He turned on a black light and scanned the cape. When he got to the bottom edge, there was a faint glow.

  Deena had seen enough police shows to have a good idea of what they were looking at. “It’s blood, right?”

  “I think so.” He turned off the black light. “But how on earth did it get in the hands of Sandra’s uncle?”

  “Sandra’s uncle? Is that the man who was picked up for sleeping in the park?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Ian carefully folded up the cape and put it back in the sack. “Follow me.”

  Deena’s mind reeled with this new discovery. For one, she didn’t know Sandra had an uncle living in Maycroft. She thought she knew everything about her friend. For another, how would he have had a cape that might have been at the scene of Katy’s attack? She assumed Ian was wondering the same thing.

  They walked back to his office, and he stuffed the sack in the bottom drawer of one of his three file cabinets.

  Deena sat in the chair, afraid of what he might say. What if he asked her to get rid of the cape? Forget she ever saw it. She’d be an accessory to something. Murder? No. A cover-up?

  She held her breath.

  “What I’m going to tell you is strictly confidential. I don’t want you telling Rob or Amy about this.”

  “What about Gary? I tell him everything. If you don’t want him to know, don’t tell me.”

  “You can tell Gary, if you have to.”

  That was a relief.

  “Sandra has an uncle who lives here in town. He’s got some problems. You might say he’s...troubled. He lives in one of those old motels on the outskirts of town. As far as I know, he’s never hurt anyone in his life.” He looked down at his hands. “I realize that the cape may be evidence in a crime, and I fully intend to turn it over to the police. But before I do, I want to talk to Sandra’s uncle, Lester. That’s his name. Lester Culpepper.”

  “I see,” Deena said, wondering about the legality of sitting on critical evidence.

  “If it turns out he’s guilty of attacking Katy, so be it. But I need to hear his side of the story first.” He swallowed hard. “I need you to find him for me.”

  “Me?” She immediately realized the error in her question. He had hired her as an investigator, and that’s what he was asking her to do.

  “I don’t want you to do this alone. He hangs out in some pretty seedy areas. Do you think Dan would agree to help you?”

  “Probably. I can ask him.”

  “The sooner the better. I’ll make a list of the places you should look.” He glanced up from his notepad. “And Deena, thanks.”

  She nodded. After he handed her the paper, he gave her a physical description of Lester. She walked back toward the kitchen to call Dan. As she waited for him to answer, she looked at the list. Two bars, three bridges, the soup kitchen, and a motel.

  She called Dan and briefly explained the situation. He agreed to help her. As she picked up her handbag and walked out the front door, she decided it would be best not to tell Gary what was going on until she got home. Hoping for a quick resolution to this latest problem, she got in her car and headed for the motel.

  Although she knew she might “get her hands dirty” in this job, she never dreamed it would be literal.

  Chapter 29

  Back in the Sixties, the Pine Tree Motel was an oasis for families who loaded the kids in the station wagon to make that long trek across Texas. A swimming pool with a diving board and a slide ensured parents plenty of poolside relaxation while the kids burned off pent-up energy. Today, the old place was best known for its broken neon sign that, when lit at night, read, “P-ee Mo.”

  That’s where Deena waited for Dan to meet her Wednesday afternoon. She kept the car running and the doors locked, grateful it was still light out despite the overcast sky. She was relieved a few minutes later when he pulled up and parked beside her. She got out of the car, hoisting her umbrella against the light mist and pulling her raincoat tighter.

  They walked toward the motel’s office and passed a breezeway where several men were busy shooting dice and drinking from bottles in paper bags. Dan held Deena’s arm and stopped in front of them.

  Dan took the lead. “Hey, fellas. I’m looking for someone. Can you help me out?”

  “That depends,” the largest of the three said. “You cops?”

  “Nah. We’re looking for a friend. The name is—” Dan pointed to Deena.

  “Lester Culpepper,” she said.

  The man snickered. “Not much of a friend if you don’t even know his name.”

  Dan pulled a ten dollar bill from his pocket. “Would this help?” He held it up in the air.

  “Well now, I reckon so.”

  Slowly, Dan handed him the money.

  “He ain’t here,” the man said.

  Dan stood with both hands deep in his jacket pockets and stared.

  The other guy got the message. “He was headed down to the Oak Street Bridge last time I saw him.”

  Dan nodded. Deena started to say something when Dan pulled her toward the car.

  “Thank you,” she called back over her shoulder.

  He motioned for her to get in his Cadillac.

  Shaking out the umbrella, she put it on the floorboard next to a brown box. “What’s this?” she asked. “Cassettes?”

  He picked up the box and dropped it onto the floor of the backseat. “Eight tracks.” He started up the engine. “We’ll come back for your car later. And by the way, don’t get too friendly with strangers. Did you notice the guy next to the wall pull out a switchblade?”

  Deena’s mouth flew open. “I guess being an investigator can be pretty dicey.”

  Dan moaned at her bad pun and turned onto Oak Street. “Are you going to recognize this guy we’re looking for?”

  “I think so. Ian gave me a description and told me what to ask him to make sure we have the right man. I’ll do the talking this time. You watch my back.”

  When they reached the bridge, Dan pulled onto the shoulder and saw three or four men playing cards. “Give me your umbrella and wait here,” he said.

  “I thought real men didn’t use umbrellas.”

  He cut his eyes at her and held out his hand.

  Deena wanted to protest but could see the seriousness on Dan’s face. She watched him walk down the muddy bank and disappear under the overpass. Every second that ticked by made her heart beat a little faster. Where was he? Why wasn’t he back? She pulled out her cell phone and was just about to call him when the top of the umbrella rose up over the incline. Dan and a man that matched Lester’s description walked up to her side of the car. Deena rolled down her window.

  “Ask him,” Dan said.

  “Hi. Are you Sandra’s uncle?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, ducking down to get his head closer to hers.

  “What’s your favorite song?”

  His eyes lit up and he spread his arms. As he started to sing, he tapped his feet in the mud and danced in a circle. “I’m happy happy happy, happy happy ho—”

  Deena nodded to Dan, and he opened the back door. Lester danced his jig all the way into the back
seat.

  Dan got in and shut the door. He and Deena turned in their seats to face their new passenger.

  “Hi, I’m Deena. I’m friends with Ian and Sandra.”

  “Oh yes. How are they?” His face revealed a near toothless grin.

  “They’re fine. Ian heard you spent the night in jail and wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  “I’m right as rain!”

  “That’s good,” Deena said. She debated just driving him back to the office but decided to take a shot. “You didn’t happen to leave something behind at the jail, did you? Something black?”

  “Black? Now let me think.” He scratched his beard. “Black...oh yes. I remember, now. That new blanket. Warmest one I ever had. I told Rudy I needed to get locked up again so I could go back and get it.”

  Deena glanced at Dan then back at Lester. “So how long have you had that black blanket?”

  “Two days. Three days. Four. I don’t remember.”

  “Do you remember where you got it?” she asked.

  The man laughed and threw back his head. “I picked it up shopping.”

  “Shopping? Like in a store?”

  “No. Behind them. In the dumpster.”

  Deena was losing her patience. This was like pulling teeth. “Do you remember where?”

  “Oh sure. I’ll show you.”

  Now we’re getting somewhere. If they could figure out where he found the cape, she might be able to find more evidence from Katy’s assault.

  Lester whistled to Dan. “Go to that little store down by the pawn shop.”

  Dan headed that direction. It was only a mile or so away. He pulled into the store parking lot.

  “Is this it?” Deena asked hopefully.

  “Hmm,” he said. “I’m not sure. It’s hard to remember important things when I’m so thirsty.”

  “Beer or wine?” Dan asked.

  “A little red chianti would probably do the trick.” Lester’s eyes twinkled as Dan got out of the car.

  “Your boyfriend is a real nice fella.”

  “He’s not—” She stopped, realizing the man was crazy like a fox. Deena was learning a lot about getting information out of people. She still couldn’t get over the fact that Lester was related to her best friend.

  Dan returned with the bottle of wine in a paper sack and handed it to Lester.

  “Now I remember. Drive down this-a-way.” He pointed down a dark side road.

  Deena wondered if Lester was leading them on a wild goose chase.

  “Stop,” he said as they came up on an old office building with a “For Lease” sign in the window. “There it is.”

  Dan pulled around to the back of the building. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep. I like this one ‘cuz people get rid of stuff here, and it doesn’t get emptied very often.”

  “Did you notice anything else in there when you pulled out the...blanket.”

  “As best I recall, something was wrapped up in it but fell out. May still be in there.” Lester motioned toward the dumpster.

  Deena looked at Dan. She couldn’t ask him to do this on top of everything else he had done. She picked up her umbrella and got out of the car.

  “Stay here,” Dan told Lester, who seemed perfectly content to enjoy his beverage and watch the show. Dan opened his trunk and pulled out a flashlight.

  The dumpster lid was propped open, so whatever was inside would be soaking wet.

  “I’ll do it,” Dan said.

  “No way. Just give me a boost.” She laid the umbrella on the ground and felt the mist cover her face and hair. Luckily, this morning she had put on her low-heeled boots, which would make it easier to climb. She grabbed onto the edge of the metal container and tried not to think about the black slime touching her hands. She stepped into the saddle Dan formed with his hands and got her feet up on the side ledge.

  Dan handed her the flashlight so she could see to the bottom. Wet boxes and old tree limbs sat on top of the murky sludge across the bottom. She moved the light around the perimeter but didn’t see anything unusual. Breathing through her mouth to avoid the full impact of the stench rising to greet her, she wiped rainwater out of her eyes with a wet sleeve. She picked up one of the branches so she could push the boxes off to the side. When she did, something caught the light and reflected back. It appeared to be glass. She pushed again and it sank below the muddy surface.

  “I’m going in,” she said, handing the flashlight back to Dan. She put one leg over the top edge and pulled herself over, landing on top of a branch and turning her ankle. “Ouch,” she yelled.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” she said, rubbing her sore foot. “Flashlight.” She reached up and Dan placed it in her hand. She took two careful steps toward the area where she had seen the glass object. Slowly, she dipped her hand into the black water and felt around. Her fingers touched something smooth. She prayed it wasn’t an animal. She lifted it up. It was the handle to a glass pitcher. “I got it!”

  A clap of thunder applauded her effort, and she hurried to get out. “Careful,” she said, as she handed the flashlight and chunk of glass to Dan. She stood on the branches to get her leg back over, and Dan helped her out.

  He was grinning like a fool when she landed safely on the ground. “I’m proud of you kid. I wasn’t sure you had it in you.”

  “She brushed the wet hair out of her eyes and picked up her umbrella, puffing to catch her breath. “You know what that is, don’t you?”

  “Looks like the handle to the pitcher someone used to crack Katy on the noggin. The police never mentioned that they didn’t find it, but they like to keep details like that out of the news so they can use them later to catch the bad guys.”

  “Do you think Lester did it?”

  “Absolutely not, but let’s get him back to Ian before he’s too soused to talk. And if you don’t mind, will you sit in the backseat? I don’t want what’s all over you to end up all over my car.”

  AFTER DROPPING OFF Lester and talking to Ian, Dan drove Deena back to the motel for her car. It was almost five o’clock, and all she could think about was getting home to shower before Gary got there.

  “Tell me more about this cape you found.” Dan wiped the windshield with the back of his hand to clear away the fog.

  “Apparently, Lester pulled it out of the dumpster and used it as a blanket.” She leaned forward from the backseat so she could be heard over the beating of the wipers. “He got picked up for sleeping in the park and left it at the jail. They gave it to Ian to return to him. The black velvet matched the swatch found in Katy’s house and the edge had some blood and broken glass on it.”

  “So, whoever hit Katy wrapped the glass handle in the blood-smeared cape and tossed it in the dumpster.”

  “Right. And Ian is going to turn it over to the police.”

  Dan gave her a sideways glance.

  “He is,” she said.

  “He better not tamper with it, because we’re both involved now. I can hold off writing a story, but I can’t withhold key evidence.”

  Deena shook her head. “Don’t worry. He’ll do the right thing.”

  At least she hoped so.

  Chapter 30

  Deena slipped on her soft, thermal pajamas even though it was already March and the temperature outside had been steadily rising. She rubbed her wet hair with a towel after shampooing it twice to get rid of the sickening sewage smell.

  Hurley, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough of it. He lay curled up on the wet jeans she had tossed on the floor.

  Gary walked into the bedroom. “Going to sleep already? Must have been a rough day at the office.” His kissed her cheek and loosened his tie.

  “Actually, I had quite an adventure.” She told him about the search for Sandra’s uncle and her Indiana Jones foray in filth.

  Her cell phone rang. She had changed Ian’s ringtone to the theme song from Mission Impossible. “Hello?”

  She couldn�
�t believe he was asking her to meet him at the police station now. It was cocktail hour, not criminal hour. She listened to his request and reluctantly agreed.

  Gary frowned. “First dumpster diving, now late night rendezvous with the boss? I’m not sure I like this new job.”

  “It’s definitely different from teaching.” She grabbed the blow dryer and started on her hair. “You make dinner, and I’ll be home in an hour. Promise.”

  THE POLICE STATION seemed less scary now that Deena wasn’t a prime suspect in a murder case.

  Ian met her in the lobby. “I turned over the evidence to Detective Evans and told him the whole story.”

  “About Lester and Dan and me and the dumpster?”

  “Yes, everything.” He stammered to get his words out. “I want to thank you...for trusting me and helping out today. It means a lot to me...and Sandra.”

  Deena nodded. “Are they going to question me and Dan?”

  “Perhaps. If the evidence leads to a perpetrator and goes to trial, then you’ll be asked to give a deposition. For now, they took my word for it.”

  “So why am I here?”

  “They are going to need me for a while longer, and I wanted you to go talk to Roscoe. I called, and they said you can meet with him in the visitation room. Tell him that this new evidence is going to slow down his release. They have to check it for hair, blood, and fingerprints. Assure him that it will be worth the extra time since the evidence will further clear him of any suspicion.”

  “No problem.” Deena headed toward the door, but then stopped. “Tomorrow, I want to talk about my job. I’m not sure—”

  “You don’t have to say anything else. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  AS SHE WAITED IN THE cubby on her side of the glass wall, Deena thought about what she had just said to Ian. She hadn’t planned it. It just popped out. What was she going to tell him tomorrow? That she wanted to quit? Wasn’t it just a few days ago that she was thrilled with this new challenge? Maybe Gary was right. Maybe she was looking for something she wouldn’t be able to find.