by V. M. Burns
“You look fine.” I put the dogs away, transferred my keys and a wallet into a small handbag and then got a lightweight jacket from the hall closet.
Red helped me on with my jacket and then turned me to face him. “Seriously, it’ll just take a minute for me to change my shirt and get a tie.”
“You look great.” I smiled.
His expression showed he didn’t believe me, so I reached up and kissed him.
We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Chattanooga which was known for its prime rib, although I was partial to the braised beef short ribs. The atmosphere was what I’d call urban casual with jazz music, soft lighting and a contemporary décor. We chatted and sipped cocktails.
Red leaned forward. “Are you going to tell me what’s up?”
“What do you mean?”
He stared at my dress and I was thankful the lighting was soft and hoped it hid the color I knew was going up my neck. “You’re acting like it’s a crime to wear a nice dress,” I teased.
He gave me a stare that caused more heat. “The way you look tonight just might be a crime.” After a few moments he said, “Seriously, what’s up?”
I sipped my cocktail. “I just wanted to look extra nice because I’m so thankful to have you in my life.”
He leaned across and kissed me. “I’m very grateful for you too, but…”
“I appreciate you getting security for Mrs. Huntington, even though I didn’t have proof. I’m grateful that you believed me, and I just wanted to look extra special, that’s all.”
He took my hand. “Lilly, I think you’re beautiful and I’m thankful to have you in my life. However, I assigned the guard to watch Mrs. Huntington because it’s my duty. If there’s the slightest chance that she could be in danger, it’s my job to do what I can to protect her.” He gave me a hard stare. “You visited with her two days ago. You spoke on the phone to her yesterday.” He paused while our waiter brought our salads. When he was gone, Red continued. “Something happened either when you saw her or when you spoke to her that made you concerned for her safety.” He took a deep breath. “You may not be able to put your finger on what that thing is right now, but you have good instincts. I’d be a fool if I didn’t listen.”
“So, you didn’t assign the security guard just because you’re fond of me?” I smiled.
He grinned. “I’m more than fond of you, but…” He shook his head. “I assigned the security guard because there’s a killer on the loose and I don’t think I could live with myself if I did nothing and something happened to Mrs. Huntington.” He got the faraway look in his eyes that came whenever he thought back on his military past.
I leaned across and kissed him. “Great. Is now a good time to ask for a favor?”
He came back to the present, shook his head and tried to stop his lips from twitching. “Go for it.”
I quickly told Red what we knew about Archibald Lowry’s will and did my best to explain a pour-over trust. He frowned a couple of times but seemed to get the gist of the concept. Now came the tricky part. “So, I was thinking it would be great if a CPA looked at Archibald Lowry’s bank account and the trust.” I scrunched my eyes and was almost afraid to look at him.
“The TBI has forensic accountants who are fully capable of reviewing Archibald Lowry’s bank accounts, and I don’t even know what would be involved in getting permission to review the trust.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Even if I wanted to have…” he used air quotes “an independent CPA.” He took a deep breath. “It’s not that easy. We would have to have probable cause that there was something fishy with his finances. Then, we would have to get a court order to look into his bank accounts and the trust, unless the estate voluntarily gave consent, which is unlikely.”
“Phooey.”
“Doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to grant that favor.” He shook his head. and started to eat. “Although, I’m still glad you bought that dress.”
I laughed. “Me too.”
We ate and chatted about things completely unrelated to murder until we finished our dinners. I ordered the chocolate molten lava cake with white chocolate raspberry ice cream while Red sipped coffee.
“Have you found out anything new?” I asked.
Red didn’t ask what the question was in reference to. Instead, he took a sip of coffee and said, “Actually, Joe helped me realize that I’ve been looking for a connection between Archibald Lowry, Paul Carpenter and the rest of that lot. He suggested I take Lowry out of the equation.”
I swirled the warm chocolate desert and ice cream together and took a bite. When I opened my eyes, I realized Red was laughing at me. “What?”
“Do you need a moment alone with that?” He pointed down at my dessert.
I took a spoonful of the chocolate ambrosia and fed it to him.
He moaned. “That’s good stuff.” He got the waiter’s attention, pointed to the dessert and indicated that he wanted one. The waiter must have understood his makeshift sign language because he nodded and headed toward the back.
“So, you took Archibald Lowry out of the equation. How did that help?”
He picked up a spoon and reached across and took another bite. “Bradington went to jail for the bank robbery. There were two other people involved who were never caught and Bradington never gave them up. I looked up the officer who worked the case and gave him a call.”
The waiter returned with another chocolate dessert, and Red took a minute to eat. After a few spoonfuls he continued. “Bradington wasn’t the brightest dog in the pack. He was known more for his brawn rather than his brains.” He took another bite. “However, there were two other men that Bradington used to spend a lot of time with. Clarence Darling, a cat burglar, and Oscar Goldstein, a jeweler and suspected fence.”
I stared. “Darling and Goldstein? Any relation?”
He nodded. “Fiona Darling is a niece and Eli is Oscar Goldstein’s son.”
I paused with the spoon midway to my mouth. “What does that mean?”
“It might not mean anything. It might just mean that Archibald Lowry knew a lot of criminals.” He shrugged. “Maybe Lowry felt sorry for them and wanted to help the offspring of a few men who made some bad choices. There’s nothing that directly connects Eli Goldstein or Fiona Darling to the robbery or murder.” He shook his head. “Heck, there’s nothing that connected Clarence Darling or Oscar Goldstein to the robberies, or they would have served time.”
“Where are they now? Clarence and Oscar?”
“Dead.”
I thought about this for several moments. “Did the policeman you talked to think the three of them committed the robbery?”
“He believed the three of them were in it together, but…he didn’t think they actually planned it.”
“So, there was someone else?”
He nodded. “The officer I spoke with never believed he got the brains behind the operation.”
Something flashed across my mind but was gone in an instant. I tried to catch it, but it was gone too quickly. Who had the brains to not only execute a bank heist, but the ability to keep the loot hidden for a long time?
Chapter 19
We enjoyed the rest of our evening. On the drive home, Red took my hand. “Did you really suggest Joe investigate Eli?” Red asked.
I avoided direct eye contact. “He’s a suspect in a murder investigation.”
He grinned. “He also happens to be dating your daughter.”
“Two completely unrelated incidents.”
“Careful, your nose might start growing.” He smiled. After a few moments, he hesitantly added, “So, you wouldn’t be upset if someone you know in law enforcement had…already done a full background check on him?”
I twisted in my seat to get a better look at his face. “Are you trying to tell me that you ran a background check on Eli G
oldstein because he was dating my daughter?”
“Maybe.” He gave a couple of quick glances in my direction. “I’m not admitting anything without my legal counsel present, especially if it’s going to make you angry.”
I tried to scowl but I couldn’t maintain it. Instead, I unbuckled my seat belt, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m going to accept that your heart was in the right place.” I refastened the seat belt and leaned back. “Although, I don’t think we should tell Stephanie that.”
He grinned. “Fine with me.”
When I got home, Stephanie was already asleep. I let Rex and Aggie out for a quick potty break before going to bed where I tossed and turned for a long time. Something was bothering me, but I couldn’t put my finger on what, exactly it was. I tried to relax and let my mind drift. However, nothing came to me. Eventually, I fell asleep and dreamed of a poodle running through a field of chocolate.
Thursday morning started much the same as the previous morning. When I woke up, Stephanie and Lucky were outside on the back deck. Aggie and Rex hurried to take care of their business.
“You were home early,” I said.
“Eli said he had work to do, so…” She shrugged. Then she turned her head and glanced at me. “While you, on the other hand, were out rather late.”
I couldn’t avoid smiling.
She leaned over and hugged me. “You and Red are so cute together. I’m really happy for you.”
After a few moments, I shared what I’d learned with her.
“I’m sorry Mom, but I think Red’s right. You can’t look at the books…not legally anyway.”
I smiled. “Well, there are other ways.”
“Mother, as an attorney, I can’t know anything about illegal—”
I waved away her disclaimer. “I’m your mother and a law-abiding citizen. I can’t believe you think I’d do anything illegal.”
She narrowed her eyes and stared, but after a few moments she said, “Good, because I think it would break Red’s heart to arrest his girlfriend.”
“Oh, you.” I gave her a playful swat.
Dixie and I planned to stop by the hospital later in the day to see Mrs. Huntington, but other than that, I was happy to get to spend a little time with Stephanie. I fixed breakfast and we sat on the deck and talked.
The doorbell rang, and I was surprised to see Joe and Turbo on the porch.
“Joe, what a nice surprise.” I stared. He looked tired as though he hadn’t slept much.
“Is Stephanie here? I need to talk to her.”
“She’s on the deck.”
He and Turbo walked back. The set of his jaw told me this was likely to be an unpleasant conversation so I decided now would be a good time to do housework. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I chose to start with laundry.
The washer and dryer were in the kitchen. By the time I finished loading the washer, I could hear raised voices from the deck.
“You were following me? I can’t believe you followed me.”
Joe’s voice wasn’t as loud, but I could easily make out what was said. “I wasn’t following you. I was following Eli.”
“Same difference.”
“No, it’s not, but the bottom line is while I was following him, I happened to see him making out with another woman, a redheaded—”
“I don’t want to hear this. You have no right to spy on me or Eli.”
I could tell by the edge in Stephanie’s voice that she was beyond upset, although I wasn’t sure if she was angry at Joe or Eli or both. I’m not sure it really mattered. I quickly got the washer started and decided now would be an excellent time to run the vacuum in my bedroom since that room was the farthest away from the back deck.
The sound of the vacuum cleaner was able to drown out their voices, and the vacuum’s long cord enabled me to move from my bedroom to the guest room without stopping. After a few moments, I heard a door slam and then a car speed away. I glanced out the front window and Joe’s car was gone. I vacuumed the two guest bedrooms and was about to wash windows when Stephanie came inside.
“Did you hear that?”
I thought about lying but didn’t think I could pull it off. “I heard some of it.”
Her face was red, and she was livid. “I can’t believe he followed us. He actually followed us.”
“Did he mention why?”
She paced across the floor. “Oh, he said he was tailing Eli, but I don’t believe him.”
“Well, honey, he is a policeman and he was probably just helping out with the investigation.”
She paused. “You knew about this?”
I was taken aback by the question, but decided honesty was the best policy. “I didn’t know he was going to follow Eli, but…I might have suggested he help Red with the investigation.”
She stared at me openmouthed.
“Actually, I might have suggested he specifically investigate Eli.”
“I can’t believe you did that.” She stared at me for several moments and then marched to the guest room and closed the door.
I thought about knocking on her door but didn’t have the courage or the nerve. Instead, I decided to give her a little space. One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that sometimes time and distance can heal much better than words. Stephanie was upset, maybe rightly so. However, when she calmed down, I prayed she would realize that both Joe and I had good intentions. I could explain and apologize later.
I ran some errands which involved picking up dog food, a stop at the dry cleaners, getting my oil changed and scheduling appointments for a manicure and pedicure for the next day. Optimistically, I scheduled appointments for both me and Stephanie. Even if she was still angry with me, she probably wouldn’t pass up a free mani/pedi. Dixie and I planned to stop by the hospital to check on Mrs. Huntington before dog class. However, when I got a call from Red saying she was asking for me, we changed our plans. I sent Dixie a message and she said she’d be by the house to pick me up in twenty minutes. That gave me enough time to drive home. I took the food and dry cleaning inside.
Stephanie was sitting on the deck with the three dogs.
“Red called and said that Mrs. Huntington regained consciousness enough to ask for me. Dixie and I are going to the hospital.”
She looked concerned. “Is there anything you need me to do?”
I scowled as I tried to come up with the best plan. I checked my watch. “I don’t know how long I’ll be at the hospital. I guess I should take Aggie and Rex with me, so we don’t have to drive back here before dog class. Although I’m not sure if Dixie is in the RV or her car.” I pulled out my cell phone to send Dixie another text.
“Why don’t I bring the dogs to the dog club?”
“That would be wonderful.”
The doorbell rang.
“That must be Dixie.”
I waffled for a few seconds until Stephanie said, “Go. I’ll be glad to bring the dogs tonight. I don’t have any other plans.”
I didn’t stop to think if there was another meaning behind those words. Instead, I decided to take her at face value and hurried to the door.
Dixie was driving her Lexus, so I felt much better about the decision to leave the poodles behind. I didn’t want to leave them in the car, although Dixie’s luxury vehicle had remote start and we could leave them with air conditioning, radio and treats, there was a huge difference between leaving them in a car versus leaving them inside of a luxury RV which has been custom designed as a poodle transportation haven.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, Mrs. Huntington wasn’t in a state that I would call conscious. Instead, she waffled in between a state of semi-consciousness and deep unconsciousness.
We sat by her bedside and waited for…I don’t know what to happen. After about thirty minutes, she began to toss and turn and mumbled, �
�Echosby.”
I hopped up and hurried to her side. Clasping her hand, I said, “Yes? This is Mrs. Echosby. I’m here.”
She tossed and mumbled so low I had to lean down to hear.
I bent my ear close to her mouth. Eventually, I heard. “Tea…bad…trust…Echosby.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
She became more agitated.
A beep came from one of the machines connected to her and within seconds a nurse flew into the room.
I stepped away from the bed.
The nurse looked at the pulse monitor and blood pressure and pushed another button. Five more people rushed into the room. One of them was wearing a white coat, which I assumed indicated she was the doctor. The group pushed us aside and barked orders. Something was injected into the I.V.
Dixie and I stood near the wall and held hands as we watched the frantic activity around the bedside.
Within seconds the machine, which had sounded like a frantic alarm earlier, returned to a soft beep and the stress level in the room went from DEFCON one down to DEFCON five. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and with the oxygen returning to the room I was able to breathe again.
The doctor turned to Dixie and me. “What happened?”
Dixie shrugged and I shook my head.
“I have no idea.” I replayed the scene over but still couldn’t figure out what had caused the huge commotion. When I thought of the fact that Mrs. Huntington could have died, I felt as if my knees would buckle from the stress. “Can I sit down?”
The doctor helped me to a seat and I flopped down. She was a petite African American woman with smooth dark skin and a small afro. She looked at me and then reached out and took my wrist and checked my pulse. She must have been satisfied because after a few moments she said, “You’re going to be okay, just take deep breaths.”
I followed orders and felt less shaky. “I’m sorry, doctor. Did I do something wrong?”