Case of the Secret Life

by L C Lang

  Half an hour later, Detective Donovan paid our bill and we walked out of the diner. Then we got into his car. Five minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of Hannah Williams’ house and parked. The house is a two-story craftsman with a wide porch across the front of the house. Hannah’s car is in the garage, so we knew she is home. Before he got out, I turned and looked at him.

  “I have a request,” I said.

  Detective Donovan narrowed his eyes at me. “What kind of request?”

  “I want to be the one who tells her what happened and who did it.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  “Because I know more about what was really going on than you do.”

  His shoulders dropped. “More than what you told the F.B.I.?”

  I nodded. “About Benton Williams? Yes. She is not going to like it, but since I was the one who found the information, I should be the one who tells her.”

  Detective Donovan thought about this for a few moments and then blew out his breath. “Alright. You can tell her.”

  Great. Now the fun begins.

  We got out and approached the front door. I knocked. Then we waited. Didn’t take long. Hannah opened the door. She took one look at me and then glared at me.

  “What are you doing here?” Then she noticed Detective Donovan who is standing close-by. “Why did you bring her here? And why haven’t you arrested her?” She was still angry and determined that I killed her husband. Wait until she finds out what really happened.

  “Just listen to what she has to tell you,” Detective Donovan said.

  Hannah leaned against the doorframe, folded her arms across her chest and glared at me.

  I took a deep breath. “I am sorry for your loss.” Hannah rolled her eyes. I shook my head. Maybe I won’t be sorry for what I am about to tell her. “Have you contacted your lawyer yet about Benton’s will?”

  “Not yet. I have to finish planning his funeral first. They finally released his body. Why do you care if I contact my lawyer?”

  “Well, first of all, you need to find out what Benton’s wishes are. I was told by Joe Millhouse that Benton told him he would will him the hardware store.”

  Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “He told you that?”

  I nodded. “Yes, he did. So, you need to make sure that is correct.”

  Hannah slowly nodded. “Alright, I will contact him. Is that all?”

  I shook my head. “No, it is not. You are not going to like what I have to tell you, but you do need to know. Benton didn’t go fishing, he lived a double life. He not only had a house and business here in town, he also has a house and business in Indianapolis. If his will does not cover the second house and the second business, then your lawyer needs to find out if he filed a second will in Indianapolis.”

  “Why would he do that?” Hannah asked gruffly.

  “Because there is a woman living in the house in Indianapolis and the business was recently involved in illegal gemstones importing.” Nothing like coming out bluntly with the news.

  Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “He was living with another woman?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Since the illegal importing happened at his business in Indianapolis, I don’t know what is going to happen to it. You really need to contact your lawyer soon, tell him what I have told you and then let him sort this out.”

  Hannah numbly nodded. “I thought he just went out with other women. I had no idea he actually lived with another woman.” She paused a moment looking down. Then she looked up at me. “Who killed him?”

  “He was doing the illegal importing for two men who have jewelry stores in Indianapolis. I know which of the two men shot him. Benton held back two large shipments of rough gemstones and he wouldn’t tell them where they were. So, they shot him. They were the ones who broke into your house. They were looking for the missing gemstones. ” I did not see any point of telling her the two men’s names.

  Hannah nodded. Then she noticed the sling and bandage on my arm.

  “What happened to you?”

  “The two men who broke into your house broke into mine yesterday. They were looking for the lost shipments of rough gemstones and they knew I had some of it. There was a shootout. One of the men shot me. But, both of the men will be in prison for a long time.”

  Hannah was quiet for a few moments. “Do the gemstones have value?”

  “Yes, they do,” I said, nodding. “One of the gemstones was a pink diamond, which I was told has a value of ten to twenty thousand dollars per carat, depending on how deep the pink color is. Those I found have a vibrant pink color, so their worth will be more like twenty thousand a carat.” I watched as a greedy look came over Hannah’s face.

  “Do I have any right to them?”

  I shook my head. “No, they were illegally stolen from at least three countries where they were mined at. They will be going back to the countries they came from.”

  Guess I could not blame Hannah for being greedy. Unfortunately, that was what got Benton in trouble.

  “What is going to happen to the other woman now?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. The title is in Benton’s name, so she will probably have to move out. Talk to your lawyer, let him find out about Benton’s will and see what he can do to help you. He should be able to find the same information I did. If not, tell him to contact me and I will furnish him with what I found. Your lawyer will be the best one to advise you what to do.”

  Hannah nodded. “Alright. Thank you.” Then a worried look came over her face. “What about the break-in charges?”

  I smiled. “I can make you a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “If you will stop spreading the news that I was your husband’s girlfriend, then I will drop the charges. But it is your choice.”

  “Alright. I now know that you had nothing to do with my husband.”

  She did not apologize, but I didn’t think she would do that anyway. She is a proud woman. And she has been through a lot with her philandering husband. She numbly nodded. I am sure what I told her came as a surprise. I could have told her about the rental apartment and the fact that I was sure Benton and a different woman had slept in the bed, but she has suffered enough.

  I nodded. “Then I will have the charges dropped against both of you.”

  Hannah nodded. “Thank you.”

  We said goodbye and Detective Donovan and I headed back to his car. Then we got inside. He started the car and backed out of the driveway, while I watched as Hannah closed the front door. I am sure that news came as a shock to her. Even though she is not my favorite person, I hope everything works out for her.

  The car is now on the street. I suppose now we are heading for the police station. Then Detective Donovan interrupted my thoughts.

  “Benton really lived with another woman?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, he did. Even took her to a business club he belonged to. He owned the house for five years and she lived there with him for all that time.”

  “You didn’t tell Hannah that.”

  “No, I didn’t. Why add to what I had already told her. She seemed to take it well, but I have a feeling she is going to begin cussing Benton up one side and down the other in the coming days.”

  Detective Donovan laughed. “Yes, I am sure she will too. Guess she has every right to.”

  Ten minutes later, he pulled into a parking space next to the police station. Now the fun begins. I am dreading what Detective Donovan is going to ask me. I really don’t know how much Agent Danvers told him, so what I tell him might come as a surprise. How he takes me solving his case will be another story.

  We walked inside and, a few moments later, into an interrogation room. He told me to sit down. Then he stepped out momentarily and came back with cold drinks for both of us. He sat down across from me, putting a notepad and pen, and a tape recorder on the table. Then began the questions. He turned on the tape recorder, gave the date, who was in the room and then asked
me to tell him what I had found.

  I took a deep breath and then began from the beginning on what I had found each day of my research. Not that I can forget what happened each day. It took an hour to get the whole story out. Even explained about the rough gemstones. I stopped the story when Mike Peters and Nick Hanover came to my house. From then on, he knew the rest of the story. Detective Donovan was quiet during the entire time, did not interrupt with questions and wrote a lot of notes. When I finished, he thanked me and then shut off the tape recorder. Who else will hear it I have no idea, but there will be a few people.

  Then he laid down his pen and looked at me. “While I do understand why you didn’t tell me what you were doing, what you have found does make sense.” Then he shook his head. “No one had any idea what Benton Williams was doing. How much were those gemstones worth?”

  “In their current form, all of them range from a few hundred to ten to twenty thousand dollars per caret. Although once they are polished and shaped, and then put into a necklace, bracelet, or ring, the price goes up. I saw a couple of the gemstones in necklaces. One cost fifteen hundred, with one-half caret gemstone in the necklace.”

  Detective Donovan shook his head. “They made a lot money on those gemstones. And they got away with it for five years?”

  I nodded. “I found both men were partners in New York City and for twenty years they brought illegal items. Not just gemstones, but other illegal items. Things like wild animal parts, drugs that should never be here, and other banned items. There other things they imported, but I can’t remember all of them.”

  “How could they get away with that for twenty years?”

  “They moved around a lot. They were out in California for a while until they went back to New York City. Somehow, they managed to stay one step ahead of law enforcement. Then they came to Indianapolis. Not sure how they found Benton, but since he had an import rug company, my guess is they made him a deal. Agent Danvers told me both New York City and Los Angeles have standing warrants on them. They will be in prison for the rest of their life.”

  “That is a good place for them. And Benton kept some of the gemstones for himself?”

  I nodded. “Yes, he did. He had to have gotten more than what I found, but maybe that is how he purchased the house in Indianapolis. I couldn’t find a mortgage, so the house is paid off.”

  Detective Donovan nodded. “You could be right. Well, I wish I could say I am happy about what you did, but you did solve the case, so I am glad about that.” Then he paused a moment and looked at me. “How about next time, you telling me what you have found before you solve my case again?”

  I laughed and shook my head. He definitely has an ego problem. I would have eventually told him about this case, but it ended up being more than his department could handle. “Okay, you have a deal.”

  “Good. Okay, we are done here. I will take you home.”

  I am glad it is over. Wasn’t as bad as I figured it would be. I figured he would yell at me for interfering in his case. At least he admitted he was glad for what I had found. I knew he was at a standstill on the case and it was fast becoming a cold case. Now, the case is finished.

  I picked up my purse and we stood up. He escorted me out of the room, out of the police station and then we got in his car. Ten minutes later, he pulled into my driveway and parked. Then he turned towards me.

  “Now that this case is over, would you like to go out to dinner with me sometime? I would like to get to know more about you.”

  I looked at him. He is a good-looking man and I would love to go out with him and get to know him too. But, there is a problem.

  “Aren’t you married?” I asked.

  He glanced at the ring on his left hand. “We are separated. She moved to an apartment in Indianapolis two months ago. I know she is going out with other men.”

  “I see. No divorce?”

  “We are discussing it.”

  I nodded. Heard that story before. “Well, I will tell you what. When you get divorced and have the paperwork in your hand, then I will consider going out to dinner with you. Until that time comes, you are still married. I went through that once before and he told me the same thing. Right up to the day he told me his wife was pregnant with their first child. So, I will not go through that again.”

  Detective Donovan cringed, but then he nodded. “I understand.” He looked dejected.

  “Thank you for lunch. Maybe I will see you around sometime.”

  “I hope so. Thanks for your help with the case.”

  I nodded. Then I told him goodbye and got out of the car. I walked to the front door, unlocked it and walked inside, closing and locking the door. I peeked out the front window as Detective Donovan drove away. I blew out my breath. If only he wasn’t married. He has turned from a grouchy detective to a tolerable one.

  A few moments later, I heard a knock on the door. My office door. I headed into my office and went to the door. I have not advertised yet, so who could it be? When I opened the door, I was surprised to see a man in a suit standing there. I have no idea who he is.

  “Are you Sasha Harman?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, I am. Who are you?”

  “My name is Bob Wilson. You talked to my wife, Sandy?”

  “Oh, yes. Please come in.”

  He walked inside and I closed the door behind him. I walked over to my desk and sat down. He sat in one of the club chairs in front of my desk. Bob is a nice looking man. About my height, dark haired, brown eyes. He is dressed in a black suit, white shirt and dark blue tied. And he looks like a lawyer.

  “Sandy told me about what happened yesterday. Said she’d never seen so many police cars in one place. She was worried about you. Are you alright?”

  I nodded. “I will be. Took a bullet in my arm, but I was stitched up and it will heal. Did you hear about what was going on?”

  Bob nodded. “Yes, we heard about it today.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe Benton Williams was involved in illegal smuggling of gemstones.”

  “I know. Came as a surprise to me too.” I looked at him a moment. No way was this why he came to talk to me about. “This isn’t what you came to talk about, is it?”

  Bob shook his head. “No, you are right. After what you did to help Sandy the other day, she was grateful. But, after what happened yesterday, she is worried about you. So, the news that you are alright will comfort her. However, I do have a question for you. Sandy said you are a private investigator. Is that right?”

  I nodded, wondering where this conversation was going. “Yes, I am.”

  “For how long?”

  “I have five years of experience. I have a background checking program that I do research for five companies. I can do deep searches with the program I have. I just got my business license from the city offices here in town a couple of days ago. So, I will begin advertising soon.”

  He nodded. “Glad to hear that. Sandy said she told you my firm will be in need of an investigator.”

  I nodded again. “Yes, she did.”

  “Would it be possible for you to come in and talk to me and my partners? Maybe tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I can. Is there a problem?”

  He nodded again. “Yes, there is. A situation has come up and our investigator is leaving in a few days. I am afraid this case may take longer than that. So, we decided today to see about getting in another investigator. Since you helped to solve the case of Benton William’s death that was enough for us to believe we need to talk to you about hiring you, if you are willing to do that.”

  Was I? Would I be able to work cases that came to me along with working for them? Of course, working for lawyers would bring in more money. Maybe I should see what kind of deal they will offer me.

  “Yes, I would be interested,” I said.

  “Good. How about coming into our office tomorrow morning, say about ten o’clock?”

  “Sounds good. I will see you then.”

  We stood up and s
hook hands. Then I walked him to the door. He is on his lunch break, so he had to get home. I watched as he cut across the yard to his front door. I closed the door and locked it. Then I went back to my desk and sat down.

  Maybe things will now get better in my life. I think I am going to like living here, as long as I don’t have to find any more dead bodies.

  THE END

  I hope you enjoyed the novel. If you did, then I would appreciate it if you would rate the novel and leave a review. A few words are all that is needed. Thank you!!

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  Check out my Amazon author page to see all of the novels I have written. Hope you check them out!

  Here are titles of the books I have written:

  MYSTERIES:

  Marcie Jackson series:

  Book 1 - A Promise to Keep

  Book 2 - Deadly Secret

  Book 3 - Deception

  Book 4 - The Painting

  Book 5 - Easy Money

  Marcie Jackson Series, Books 1 - 5

  Marti Monroe and Sam Madison series:

  Book 1 - Pandora’s Box

  Book 2 - Checkmate

  Book 3 - Countdown: 48 hours

  Alex Watkins Series:

  Book 1 - The Enemy Within

  COZY MYSTERIES:

  Annie Hale series:

  Book 1 - Bones, Bodies and Books

  Book 2 - Murder, Mystery and Mayhem

  Book 3 - A Book, A Body and A Thief

  Sasha Harman series

  Book 1 - The Case of the Secret Life

  HISTORICAL FICTION:

  Book 1 - Dawn of a New Day

  FREE STANDING NOVELS:

  Missing

  The List

  Revenge: a novella

  Candy Christmas