High Deceit

by C. E. Waterman

  “Where do you… meet?” The static grew worse. “Call…parking,” was all he made out.

  “I’ll call you back,” he found himself yelling. He waited a few minutes for Donovan to get out of the building. Then he called him back.

  “So, what’s up?” The crackle was less noticeable out here.

  Peter sighed with relief. He didn’t want to go all the way to the station, and he didn’t want the chief to be overheard talking to him. The diner, a small place halfway out of the mountain range where the cabin was located, would be a safe meeting place. “I have something I want to show you. Can you meet me at the diner?”

  “Sure. I’ll see you there.”

  Donovan sounded a little strange. Had he already found out? Hope flickered in his psyche. Don’t get too excited. Probably the bad connection.

  When he entered the diner, the place was crowded. His gaze roamed the tables. There. Donovan waved from a booth in the back.

  He passed two servers with bright red lipstick, dressed in fifties costumes. Dodging a child in the middle of the aisle, he finally slid into the booth across from his boss.

  “Before you tell me why I’m here, I wanted to let you know we found the green sedan,” Donovan said.

  “We did? Great! Where was it? Have they traced the owner?”

  “It was in the perp’s garage.”

  “You mean the guy from the other night?”

  “Yeah. He must have followed Robin home and wanted to scare her. I think he’s been keeping tabs on her since then, too, but in a different car. When we searched his place, we found what we think was part of the hit money locked in the glove compartment. The car has dents in the right places as well.” He sat back and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you dragged me out here?”

  Peter pulled his silverware out of a paper napkin and placed them on the table. Now that the time had come, he was nervous. Would he believe him? He saw the naked hope in the chief’s eyes. “Chief, I think the informant is Beth.”

  The hope flickered and died. Peter could almost read the chief’s mind. Coming out here—what a waste of time.

  “It’s not Beth.” Donovan’s shoulders sagged. “I’ve known her for years. I would have noticed.”

  The server showed up with water.

  “What led you there?” Donovan asked.

  “Her finances. She lives way beyond her means.”

  “Yeah, but you know why. Janice likes to spoil her. Her house is paid for, her car is paid for, and she has her whole salary to spend on herself. She doesn’t need the money.” He shook his napkin across his lap. “And I remember seeing some kind of trust or something automatically transfers her money. Remember when we were checking on everyone’s finances, we investigated her accounts, and they corresponded with her aunt’s.”

  Peter spread his hands on the table. “We didn’t look hard enough. The money for the car did come from Janice’s account, but I don’t believe Janice signed the check.”

  The server interrupted to get their order.

  Donovan put a hand to his head, as though it hurt. Peter didn’t blame him, Beth was the person he trusted the most.

  “You’d better start from the beginning.” He growled.

  Yeah, kill the messenger. Peter swallowed. He had one shot. He’d better make it count.

  “Yesterday morning after you left and we got some sleep, Mark started to remember pieces of that day. He and I replayed each step he took. He thought he remembered waiting for backup, and you know it’s not like him to go ahead without it. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he called it in.”

  “There were no calls logged from his number. I’m sure you don’t think dispatch was involved, too?”

  “No. He thinks he called you. Or tried to call you and got Beth. He doesn’t remember for sure. It’s an impression. She probably promised to get help to him and called someone else instead. When I focused on Beth, it made sense.”

  Peter stopped for a breath and a sip of water. “I want to investigate, but I’ll need your help with additional warrants. I checked on her as much as I could yesterday, and from what I can tell, she was never wealthy. Janice’s friends say her niece came and took her away, and they haven’t seen much of her since. They say she wasn’t sick, but Beth insisted. I find that a little strange, don’t you?”

  Donovan played with his water glass. “People don’t always let their friends and neighbors know how much money they have. And as far as Janice’s condition, I’d say she’s the type who wouldn’t complain. Maybe the friends don’t know how bad things were. I’m sure Beth just wanted to keep her aunt safe.”

  Peter bounced his leg under the table. “I thought so, too, so I called the nursing home. They said before she broke her hip, Janice was fine. They even wondered what she was doing in there. And if we can get her financial information, we might clear this up. If she had the money for years, we should see it.”

  “OK.”

  Peter stilled his leg. Was that it?

  Donovan pushed the food he’d just been given to the middle of the table.

  Peter felt sorry for him. It must be mind-blowing to consider that Beth, his trusted assistant, was listening to everything he said and passing it on.

  Donovan couldn’t ignore it now though. He had a responsibility to the department to check it out. “I think we can pursue it. Let’s go back to the station and question her. If we don’t get satisfactory answers, we’ll order search warrants.”

  Peter knew he didn’t believe it, but at least he didn’t dismiss it out of hand. He took a big bite of his burger. He was starving.

  34

  After getting Nurse Marlene to check in on the man in 508, Robin went up and down the hall looking for anyone who had seen a blonde nurse. Apparently, both on-duty nurses were brunettes. He could have been mistaken, or it could have been someone with a wig. It didn’t necessarily have to be a woman either. It didn’t sound like 508 got a good look at her.

  It was probably nothing, but Peter or Chief Donovan needed to decide whether to investigate. She dialed Peter and then Chief Donovan, but reached voicemail both times. Leaving messages on both of them, she felt better. On to the reason for her visit. It might even keep her mind off Mark for a little while.

  “How are you?”

  Janice glanced up with a welcoming smile. “If I was any better, I’d be in Heaven.” She pushed the button to raise her bed, and Robin helped her adjust her pillows.

  “Now don’t be too anxious to go there. We’d miss you too much down here.” Didn’t she used to go to the community church down on Vine? “So, how’s Trinity? Do you still go to church there?”

  “The home I’m in has a chapel connected to it, and I go there on Sundays. It’s so much easier than trying to catch a bus or beg rides. Sometimes my friends from Trinity pick me up if there’s a special program or something.”

  Robin smoothed the bedclothes. “I thought Beth went to church with you. Does she come over to the chapel then?”

  Janice adjusted her pillows. “I think she’s between churches right now. She used to go to Trinity at Christmas and Easter with me, but she’s so busy, she hasn’t had time.”

  Robin smiled.

  “It’s not that she doesn’t want to, you know,” Janice blurted. “She’s busy. In fact, nobody knows how good she is to me, because she won’t let me tell anyone. But I don’t want you to think badly of her, and I don’t think she’d mind if I told you. I know she likes you and Mark.”

  Beth wore expensive jewelry the other night. You’d think while she was spending Janice’s money, she’d at least take her to church. Ouch, that was judgmental. Good job.

  “You know she lets people believe my husband’s business was successful, and he left me well off. The truth is, although he was a great husband and a second father to Beth, he wasn’t a wealthy man. And Beth likes to tell everyone we live off a trust, but it’s Beth’s money. She pays for it all, even the home I live in.
” Janice lowered her eyes and picked at the blanket.

  “What’s the matter? Don’t you like the home you’re in?”

  “Oh, no, I don’t mean that. That would be ungrateful!” Distress clouded her face. “It’s a lovely place. It really is.”

  Robin stayed silent and patted her hand.

  “The rooms at Sunny View are nice, and the gardens are beautiful—you should see them in the summer,” Janice continued, as though frantic to make her understand. “It’s just…I’m not sick. Before I fell and broke my hip, I was as healthy as a horse. And I’m a lot younger than the people there. In fact, that’s kind of why I fell.” She laughed. “I saw Minnie coming down the hall. She hasn’t learned to lean into her walker yet, so she picks it up and swings it when she goes around the corner. I’m not even sure why she has one—I don’t think she needs it. But I was trying to get out of her way. I got too close to the edge of the three steps leading to the garden, and I fell off. It was the dumbest thing.”

  Robin laughed with her, and Beth walked into the room. “You guys seem to be having a good time.” She perched on the foot of the bed. “How are you feeling today, sweetheart?”

  Janice beamed. “I’m great. The doctor says I can go home soon.”

  It was time to go. Robin excused herself and headed for the elevator. They had dismissed Beth’s high living because of her inheritance. If there was no inheritance, where had she gotten the money? Robin stabbed the down button.

  Was Beth the leak? She knew everything Chief Donovan knew, because he trusted her. They’d been working together for years. And she was a blonde. Was she the nurse who gave Jack coffee? Why didn’t he recognize her? She obviously didn’t pull the trigger because they caught the guy who did. But she knew about it, and if she was the nurse, she had helped.

  Beth caught up with her at the elevator and stepped in behind her. A woman stood inside, so Robin and Beth remained silent as they rode down. Rage at the memory of Beth crying in the waiting room caused her to shake. She would probably have cried at Mark’s funeral, too. The elevator descended to the ground floor, and the three of them walked out together. Robin barely contained the force building from her toes and piling up behind her teeth. The woman passed them at the doors leading to the parking lot. Once she got out of earshot, Robin turned.

  “You!” She spewed. “You knew someone was trying to kill Mark, and you didn’t say a word. In fact, I think you helped them. How could you?”

  “I think we’d better go for a drive and talk about this.” Beth remained calm.

  Robin spun on her heel and pushed through the doors. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m going straight to Chief Donovan.”

  “I don’t think so.” Beth grabbed her arm and yanked her around. She slid a gun out of her raincoat pocket, hiding it between them. A silencer muzzled the end. “If I shoot you, no one will hear. You’ll collapse, and I’ll run back in to get help. At least that’s how it will look, and I’m pretty good at appearances, aren’t I?” Beth smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  How had Robin never noticed how cold those blue orbs were? She lowered her gaze and froze, staring at the gun. Beth pushed it into her ribs.

  “Walk in front of me. I’ll keep it in my pocket. But it’s still trained on you, and I will be plenty mad if I have to put a hole in my new coat. It took me forever to find one with pockets this deep.” She giggled.

  Robin frowned. How had she never noticed the irritating, high-pitched cackling?

  She started walking, looking for a way out. She turned left and right and left according to Beth’s directions until she spotted the bright yellow sports car. A couple of people stood talking by a car three rows over, but Robin was afraid to call out. What if in trying to save herself she got someone else killed? And what could they do when Beth had a gun? The risk was too great.

  The car backed out of its space and left the lot.

  Beth unlocked her car with the remote and waited next to the passenger side while Robin opened the door.

  “Get in, buckle your seatbelt, and open the glove compartment.”

  Robin obeyed.

  “Now take out the roll of duct tape and tear a large piece off.”

  Again, Robin complied, biting through the tape, which wasn’t easy. Beth had her hold one end in her hand while she took the other end and wrapped it once around her wrists. It went down her hand and around her wrists, and she winced as it pulled at the hair on the back of her arms.

  “There. That ought to hold you for a minute.” Beth went around the car, watching Robin, and then slid into the driver’s seat. She balanced the gun on her lap and wrapped Robin’s wrists even tighter.

  Beth whisked a cell phone out of nowhere and, still pointing the gun, began to speak, “I’m bringing Mark’s wife. It’s a long story, and I don’t have time. Be there.” She ended the call. “Speaking of phones, we’d better take care of yours.” She fumbled in Robin’s purse, pulled out the phone, and threw it out the window. Another avenue of escape destroyed.

  At least Beth hadn’t taped her mouth. Robin didn’t think she could stand anything over her face.

  35

  By the time Peter arrived at the station, he could see that Donovan had almost convinced himself it couldn’t be Beth.

  “This’ll make her mad,” he said, “but with her and Janice’s permission, we can clear it up quickly and move on. We won’t have to get any warrants.”

  Peter hurried to catch up as Donovan snagged Officer Daniels from desk duty to take notes, and then headed upstairs.

  Beth wasn’t around. There were flowers on her desk, but the picture she had of her aunt was gone.

  He had a feeling she wasn’t coming back.

  Donovan dialed her cell but got no answer. “I can see her with the headset she’d insisted I buy for her a couple years ago when she complained of neck pain. After all, it must have been torture listening to every phone call I made or received. It’s a wonder she got any work done.”

  He jerked open her top desk drawer and rummaged through it. “No wonder she came in early and stayed late. She didn’t want to miss anything. I was thinking of giving her a raise!”

  Daniels stood at the door with round eyes. “Do you want me to come back later?”

  Peter handed him a pad. “Here, take notes of what we’re doing and of what we find.”

  “Everything?” Daniels eyes grew even bigger.

  “Everything,” the chief replied.

  Donovan opened drawers and pulled things out, laying them on the desk. Officer Daniels recorded each thing, personal belongings as well as office supplies. Peter checked the credenza. She didn’t have many personal items, some crackers and a couple candy bars. When he got to the third drawer, Donovan stood back. “Here it is.”

  Peter leaned in. A hole had been drilled in the back of the drawer with a cord threaded through. Nothing was attached to it in the drawer, but the other end ran up to the phone.

  Peter didn’t know what to say. “I never noticed that her phone had multiple cords.”

  Finding nothing else, Donovan slammed the drawers shut and sent Officer Daniels to type up the report.

  Peter felt a letdown. What could have tipped her off? He concentrated, trying to remember his call. He couldn’t remember saying anything that would have given Beth any indication he suspected her. In fact, he was really careful not to. Maybe something in his voice gave him away. Plus, if a person was already suspicious, any small sign could send them running.

  Donovan dialed the phone and hit speaker.

  “Janice, this is Chief Donovan. How are you?”

  “I’m fine, Chief, but if you’re looking for Beth, you barely missed them.”

  “Them? Was she with someone?”

  Peter’s ears perked up. May she was with her accomplice. If they could catch them together…

  “Yes, she and Robin left a little while ago.”

  “Robin? She was with Robin Clayton?”

 
“Yes, Robin came to see me, and she and Beth left together.”

  Donovan hung up, his face ashen.

  Peter felt his mouth fall open. “Not Robin,” he said. “Not only is she in danger, but now they have leverage. They can try to get Mark out of hiding, and he’ll come. As soon as he knows they have Robin, he’ll come out.”

  Donovan held one hand up. “Now let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe her cell isn’t working, or she can’t hear it. We need to keep trying while we drive to the hospital.”

  Peter grabbed his keys and sprinted down the stairs. “I should have made her accept police protection.” What had he been thinking? She’d convinced him that since she didn’t go anywhere but home and the hospital she didn’t need it. How could he have been so careless? He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her.

  Donovan motioned for Officer Daniels to come along. They sped to the hospital then slowed in the parking lot, watching for either of their cars. They found Robin’s, but no sign of Beth’s.

  Peter and Donovan searched the hospital and had her paged while Daniels waited by her car in case she came out.

  Peter headed for the security office to have them check the security tapes, but he had a good idea what they’d find. On his way, he called in an APB for Beth’s car.

  Donovan waited with him. They leaned over the technician’s shoulder and peered at the monitor. There was Robin, leaving the hospital. Beth was behind her.

  “Is there another angle?” he asked. “I can’t see Beth’s hands.”

  The technician glanced back apologetically. “Sorry, Chief. This is the only angle.”

  Peter pointed at the screen. “I think they’re in her pockets.”

  They stopped at Beth’s car, and Robin got in the passenger side. Beth’s body obscured their view of Robin. Then Beth slammed the door, got in the other side, and drove out of the lot.

  Did Beth have a gun? Or did Robin go with her because she didn’t sense any danger?

  36

  Tony stared out the window at blue sky. It promised to be a beautiful day for a drive, although a full retreat was more like what he would do. He carried his bags downstairs and set them by the door. Mom rattled in the kitchen fixing breakfast. He went in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and she started loading a plate.