Tic Tac Toe (A Suspense Novel)

by Kel E. Mitchell

  Blake couldn’t hide his approving smile as he watched them. He had always loved Irene like a daughter. He was heartbroken when things hadn’t worked out between her and Max. As he observed them now, Blake felt that things would be different this time around. He knew that Max and Irene were meant for each other – he only hoped that they knew it too.

  Chapter 48

  Sarah Jane was absolutely beside herself. She tried to focus on her work but found it impossible. More than once today she’d become impatient and had looked out the window in an effort to keep herself from going crazy. She seemed completely unaware of the fact that her fellow clerk, Tim Clawson, was in the room and that he too was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate because of her incessant pacing. He looked up from his work to find her once again looking nervously out the window. “Everything okay, Sarah Jane?” Tim questioned.

  His voice caught her by surprise, and when his words finally registered, she said quickly, “What? Oh, everything’s fine.”

  “You seem restless.”

  She smiled and tried to appear at ease in an attempt to deflect his interest in the situation. “I guess I’m just ready for today to be over.”

  “Long day?”

  “And then some,” she responded lightly. Her words couldn’t have been more accurate. Today was the day that Luke planned to go snooping around Bryson Walker and Adam Higgs’ office to see what he could find. Luke had given Sarah Jane strict instructions that under no circumstance was she to follow him into Bryson and Adam’s office.

  She reflected on how many movies she’d seen where people didn’t do as they were told – and it always turned out to be a disaster. When someone ignored a warning and ended up being in the wrong place, the entire mission was often jeopardized. She wondered if they made people in the movies brainless – especially females – to make it more dramatic. She used to think that no one was stupid enough to behave that way in real life, but now that she was in that position herself, she decided it was much easier said than done to do as you’re told.

  Sarah Jane let out a sigh and walked resignedly back to her desk and sat down. Luke had told her not to come in after him unless he specifically told her to do so. With that, she pretended once again to be engrossed in her work, although she was anything but. The suspense was unbearable. As she sat there, she kept wondering how much longer it would be until she knew for sure whether Luke had gone prying – and if he had – had he gotten away with it?

  Chapter 49

  Luke looked nervously over his shoulder in the dark room toward the closed door. This was the first chance he’d been able to sneak into Bryson and Adam’s office without being noticed, and to make matters worse, they were due back from lunch any minute. Just then, Luke heard voices on the other side of the door. He knew that he couldn’t afford to stop investigating now because he may never get another opportunity. He didn’t want to involve Sarah Jane, but he knew that he didn’t have a choice. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and sent her text message that the subjects were back, and he needed a decoy right away.

  Sarah Jane was sitting restlessly at her desk when she got the text. She stood up and said to Tim Clawson, “I’m going to run grab something to eat. Is there anything I can get for you while I’m out?”

  “No, I’m good thanks.”

  “All right then,” she responded as she picked up her coat and handbag. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She left the room and walked hurriedly down the hall toward Bryson and Adam’s office. She found them standing outside their door talking with some fellow clerks. She approached the group of men with a large, disarming smile on her attractive face as she said, “Hey guys, I was just on my way to grab a bite to eat. Would any of you care to join me?”

  The group of men couldn’t help but smile – their astonishment from the unexpected invitation obvious. Sarah Jane had worked at the courthouse for several months and had never seemed remotely interested in doing something with any of them. Although most of the group had already eaten, they all readily agreed to join her. She and the group of men moved away from the office and began to walk down the hall. Luke heard retreating footsteps as well as fading voices and knew that Sarah Jane had successfully done her job – she’d bought him more time. Now it was his job to make the most of it.

  ***

  Luke worked quickly, despite the fact that the closed window shade made the room quite dark. He only had a flashlight because he didn’t dare turn on the light or open the blind in case someone happened to observe him from outside. After he finished sorting through all of the files, papers, and clutter in Bryson’s desk, Luke let out an audible sigh of discouragement. He began to feel that this risky maneuver would prove to be worthless.

  Although it seemed pointless, Luke decided to quickly search Bryson’s cabinet files. After going through the first drawer and carefully replacing everything as he found it, Luke pulled out another manila folder from the drawer. He began shuffling through the papers inside when a piece of paper that had been folded askew – revealing the logo of a prestigious hotel – caught his attention. He unfolded the piece of paper and moved his flashlight so that he could read it.

  For a moment, Luke could do nothing but stare at the information he was holding. He was in a state of disbelief. On the note were three cases that had recently gone to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Under each case, six of the seven Supreme Court justices’ names were written down along with a “y” or “n” next to their names. A dollar amount was also written next to three parties who were involved in the litigation. There was only one judge whose name didn’t appear on the note – none other than the late Judge William Duncan.

  Luke knew that he had tempted fate too long. He had to get out of Bryson and Adam’s office before getting caught. Knowing Bryson to be a paranoid individual, Luke decided it imperative to leave the note behind – in case Bryson should find it missing. He pulled out his phone, took a picture of the note, and proceeded to forward it immediately on to Max in the event that anything should happen to prevent him from doing so later. He hastily placed the note back where he had found it, closed Bryson’s cabinet drawer, and grabbed his cell phone and flashlight.

  Luke quietly opened the door and found the hallway empty. He walked out of the office and shut the door softly behind him. He walked swiftly down the hall and had just made it around the corner to his office when he heard the rambunctious group returning. Luke walked into his empty office, sat down at his desk, and let out a deep breath. His brilliant idea had nearly failed – he’d almost been caught – twice.

  Chapter 50

  “Hello,” Irene said as she picked up the telephone in the kitchen where she was making dinner for Max, Luke, and Sarah Jane. The four of them were meeting that evening at her home to discuss some information that Luke found at work.

  “Irene Matilda Duncan,” said the polished voice of her Aunt Phyllis over the phone, “When you decided to go home for a while, I didn’t think that would mean that I would never hear from you again.”

  “Aunt Phyllis,” Irene said delightedly, “it’s so good to hear from you. I’ve missed you. How are things in Paris?”

  “They’re fine, but I want to know how things are there.” There was a slight pause and then Phyllis proceeded with several questions, not bothering to wait for a response from Irene. “How’s the transition going – you adjusting okay? Are you sure that you’re getting enough rest – I do hope that Max isn’t wearing you out with all that investigating nonsense. Have you been able to find out anything – I trust that the two of you have been very careful?”

  Irene laughed at her aunt’s concern as she responded, “I’m doing fine . . . and yes we’ve been careful.”

  “So, any leads?”

  “There are a few that we’re looking into a little more closely right now. We’re trying to find out what we can about dad’s psychologist, a legal clerk at his w
ork, and some strange woman by the name of Mallory Grant who claims that she and my father were involved when he met Mom. She also had the gall to imply that they had been close ever since.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Phyllis questioned. “I must have misunderstood you. Did you say that your father was involved with another woman throughout his marriage? That’s rubbish. I don’t believe it for an instant,” she declared.

  “I know – me either. It’s just hurtful that someone would say that.”

  There was a moment when neither of them spoke – both of them deep in their own private thoughts. At last, Phyllis questioned, “So, what’s the plan now?”

  Irene let out a sigh, “We just have to keep looking and hope that something solid turns up.”

  “Promise me that you’ll be careful, Irene. It’s not worth knowing what happened the night your father was killed if it means placing yourself in danger. You’re all I have left.”

  “Please try not to worry. I promise that we’ll be as cautious as possible.”

  Satisfied, Phyllis responded, “Well, all right then, dear. Just make sure and keep me informed as to what you’re doing so that I’m not too concerned.”

  “I will. I love you.”

  “I love you too, darling. We’ll be in touch.”

  Irene said goodbye, hung up the phone, and went back to preparing dinner. Later that evening, the others showed up as expected for Luke to explain what he had found at the courthouse that day. None of them realized at the time just how startling this information would turn out to be.

  Chapter 51

  Max and Irene stacked the dirty dishes in the sink and returned to their seats at the kitchen table where Luke and Sarah Jane were waiting to discuss what had happened at the courthouse earlier that day. “Luke, why don’t you tell us what happened, and then we’ll decide where to go from there,” Max said.

  Luke nodded and then explained, “I was able to sneak into Bryson and Adam’s office while they were at lunch today without being noticed. I went through all the stuff on Bryson’s desk but didn’t find anything that seemed particularly interesting – so then I looked through his cabinet. I went through tons of files and finally found something that could be important.”

  Luke pulled out his cell phone and found the picture that he had taken. “I took a picture of a note I found – rather than taking the actual note – in case Bryson went looking for it and found it missing.”

  Max pulled out his cell phone as well and found the picture that Luke had forwarded to him as he said, “What do you think it means, Luke?”

  “I’m not exactly sure yet,” Luke responded. “Three cases are listed on the note. All of the cases went before the Massachusetts Supreme Court within the last year. I recall each of them, but I’ll have to do some research to remember all of the details. Under each case, the names of six Supreme Court Justices are listed with a “y” or “n” next to their respective name. There’s also a dollar amount by three of the parties that were involved in the legal action.”

  Luke paused and cleared his throat. “I can’t be certain, but it looks to me like someone made a list as to how six of the seven justices would probably vote on these cases. If you look carefully, you’ll notice that the judges are divided in half with a three to three split on each case.”

  Irene leaned over to look at Max’s cell phone as she said, “Which judge is missing from the list?”

  “Your father,” Luke responded. “He ruled on all three of the cases, but his name is nowhere on the list.”

  Irene looked at the picture of the note, and her eyes widened in surprise. She grabbed Max’s hand so that she could better see the picture on his cell phone. “I don’t believe it,” she said faintly.

  “What?” Max questioned.

  Irene looked from the picture to Max’s face as she said, “The note’s written in my father’s handwriting.”

  “Are you sure?” Max asked.

  “I’m absolutely positive. I’d recognize his writing anywhere.” Irene tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear as she questioned the group, “What does this mean?”

  Luke felt uncomfortable now that he realized Duncan was the one who’d written the note. At that point, Luke had a strong suspicion what the information he discovered really meant, but he didn’t want to say anything that would disillusion Irene’s feelings about her dad any further. So, instead Luke said, “I can’t say for certain.”

  “Just say it Luke,” Irene said. “We’re all thinking the same thing – so, just say it.”

  “Well, it appears your father was making predictions as to how the other justices would rule on each case.” Luke paused again, not wanting to say what he knew he must if they were ever going to figure things out. Reluctantly he continued, “Since there are dollar amounts listed by three of the parties involved, it appears that your father may have been accepting bribes.”

  Irene nodded solemnly as she said, “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  Max heard the heartbreak in Irene’s voice, and he put his arm on the back of her chair as she continued, “How could my father have done such a thing. It’s not like we needed the money.”

  “Let’s not try to understand why he did it,” Max said. “If it’s true, it’s very likely that some of the parties involved were far from happy about how things turned out – and as a result – perhaps got rid of him.”

  Max thought to himself for a moment and then continued, “I think we should look into these cases more carefully and find out who had the most to lose. If we find that, it just may point us to a murderer.”

  Chapter 52

  Irene had just finished her ballet practice and was walking out of the dance studio in her home when she heard the doorbell ring. She stopped abruptly, glanced down at her attire, and noted to herself that she wasn’t fit to greet anyone in her current state of readiness. She heard the door open, and Mrs. Lewis exchange muffled greetings with someone. Shortly after, Irene heard the door close once again and realized that whoever had been speaking with Mrs. Lewis was now gone.

  Irene walked through the doorway of the kitchen just as she saw Mrs. Lewis set down a crystal vase with an elaborate arrangement of flowers on the kitchen counter. Irene let out a gasp, her voice sounding out of breath as she exclaimed, “They’re beautiful!”

  Mrs. Lewis turned toward Irene when she heard her voice and a large smile spread across the housekeeper’s face, as she responded, “Aren’t they? They were just delivered for you.” She paused for a moment and picked up the card that had arrived with the flowers before she continued, “This came with them.”

  Irene walked over to her and took the card from her proffered hand. Not taking her eyes from the flowers, she broke the seal of the envelope. “I wonder who they’re from.”

  “I have my guess,” Mrs. Lewis teased. “If Max had half a brain, he would have sent flowers a long time ago.” She let out an exasperated sigh and then added, “Better late than never, I suppose.”

  Irene laughed and shook her head at that last comment as Mrs. Lewis walked out of the kitchen – leaving her alone. Irene opened the note – her smile vanished. She suddenly felt the skin on her arms prickling from the chill of fear that had swept over her, and her hands began to tremble so violently that she dropped the envelope. She moved quickly to the phone and hurriedly dialed Max’s number. She heard the phone ring several times, and each time it rang with no response, her panic escalated.

  Just when she was about to hang up, Irene heard his voice on the other end of the line, “Irene?”

  “Hi – I need to tell you something.”

  Max could hear the unease in her voice and asked, “Is something wrong?”

  “I just received flowers from Dr. Archibald.”

  “What?” Max exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief. “When?”

  “Just now – he sent a card with them.”

  “What does it say?”

 
; Irene fumbled with the note because of her shaking hands but finally managed to open it. She took a deep breath and then began, “It says, ‘I haven’t been able to take my mind off you since the night we danced together. I can still smell the fragrance of your perfume. You’ve consumed me – and have left me wanting more – much more. Steven Archibald.’”

  “Just try to stay calm.”

  “He just makes me uncomfortable.”

  “I know he does, but we still don’t have any solid evidence on him. All we can do is wait and see what happens.” Max waited for her to respond; and when she didn’t, he continued, “Just try and relax – okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said and then they hung up the phone.

  ***

  Max sat motionless for some time as he tried to absorb his conversation with Irene. Soon he couldn’t stop himself, and he began to pace back and forth in his office – the words of Dr. Archibald racing through his mind again and again.

  Chapter 53

  Sarah Jane tried to unlock her apartment door but struggled since she had her arms full. She fumbled for her key as her purse and several other bags kept sliding off her shoulder. At last, she unlocked the door – stepped inside – and then shut it behind her. She flipped on the light switch in her family room but stopped abruptly when she saw that her apartment had been ransacked. Furniture was turned over, and the cushions on her couch and chairs had the padding ripped out. Several pictures, mirrors, and photographs had been smashed and thrown to the floor. She walked swiftly to the bedrooms and then to the kitchen and found that her entire apartment was in the same vandalized state. It appeared to be a robbery, yet at first glance, nothing valuable seemed to be missing. In fact, several expensive electronics had also been thrown to the floor and were now broken.