I cleaned some spilled coffee grounds from the counter top. “Well, I was never a big city journalist like you and never experienced life in the penthouse.”
Piper shot back. “I lived in an apartment smaller than this when I worked in Atlanta.” She paused and her expression changed. “I get your point, sorry. I know you grew up here and it will always be your home. I was just making small talk.”
“I know. Where’s Ida? We should start without her. I think the first step is to have Ida dig up the various business and personal dealings Jacob had over the last year.”
“If she can go back a couple of years, that’s even better.”
“That’s the first step. And then what? What else do we do?”
Piper closed her eyes for a moment, then they popped open. “Hey, didn’t you say he works out of Savannah now? We should make a road trip to check out where he lives and works. See what we can dig up.”
“That’s a good idea.”
There was a knock at the door, finally, and I let Ida in. She was on her cell phone. “Scooter, I’m at Ginger’s and need to go. I can call you back later, okay? Bye for now. Love you.” She was beaming as she clicked off.
Piper suppressed a grin. “So, sounds like the long-distance relationship with your hunky cameraman is still hot and steamy.”
Ida studied Piper for a tick. “Well and hello to you, too. Sounds like you’re jealous.”
“No!” Piper glared back.
I rolled my eyes. “Ladies, please!”
Ida put her phone in her pocket. “Sorry. Hey, so can I have some of that coffee?”
I poured her a cup. “Sure, glad you decided to join us.”
Ida shrugged. “Of course. I always want to help my friends.”
“Alright. So we were talking and think you should set up the hack shack again to look into Jacob’s background. But not in the pub’s office. It’s too visible. Can we set it up here in the apartment?”
Ida nodded. “I can set it up wherever you want. But it makes more sense for me to just work out of my place. Why move all the computers and it’s easier to keep out of sight that way.”
“That’s a great idea and thanks for offering. I want to keep this quiet, so please check on the last two years of Jacob’s life, discreetly. I’m not sure who or what we are looking for. But it’s something important enough to hurt or kill him.”
Ida chuckled. “Well, that’s vague. But I like a challenge.”
I sighed. “After that, I’m not sure. Piper thinks we should visit Savannah and see what we can dig up at his home and workplace. That may be a good idea. But what else?”
Ida cleared her throat. “I was thinking after you called and told me what happened that I really want a look at Jacob's car. See what was used to try and electrocute him. That might give us a clue on who or what we’re looking for.”
“Aunt Mae said the state techs are looking the car over. I can find out what they learn from her.”
Piper added, “I can also head over to The Fluffy Pillow and ask Dottie a few questions about Jacob’s stay. Maybe she saw or knows something that will help.”
I looked her square in the eye. “Be discreet. We don’t want anyone knowing we’re investigating this. Dottie has helped us before, so she can be trusted. But keep it hush-hush.”
“I understand, low profile. No throwing rocks through the windows.”
Ida laughed. “Dog Breath is not good under pressure. I’ll never understand why he threw a rock that day.”
I ignored Ida and took a deep breath. “So we all have things to do. Is there anything else you can think of?”
Ida raised her hand like a schoolgirl. “It’s a little early for dinner, but I’m hungry. What’s the special today?”
“Are you serious? Blue cheeseburgers.”
Ida scrunched her face like she was in pain. “Can I get a plate to go? I like to eat while I’m working.”
“I guess. Wait a minute, we should all have a bite in the pub. People know Jacob was hurt this morning and we can’t ignore it or just disappear. Everyone would know we’re poking around. So we should spend time in the pub getting a bite to eat where everyone can see us.”
Piper shrugged. “I could eat now.”
So we headed down to The Grumpy Chicken and took a seat at the table next to Potter’s Mill’s spinster sisters. Edith lit up when she saw us. “Ginger! So nice to see you. Were your ears ringing? We were just talking about what happened to Jacob. It’s just awful.”
“Yes, it is. I am hoping he comes out of the coma soon and fully recovers.”
Lily replied. “That is noble of you, considering how much of a louse he was to you.”
“After cheating on me, I have few good things to say about my ex as a husband. But he’s a human being and I would never wish him ill.”
Lily grinned and leaned slightly in my direction. “Not even a little?”
Guardrail saved me. He came over holding a mug of beer in his huge fist with Dog Breath in tow. “Ginger, where have you been. Everyone was worried about you.”
I smiled at the big guy. “Thanks, Guardrail. That’s nice of you to worry.”
Dog spoke as he sat with Lily and Edith. “Well, we’re worried, yes. But worried you’re investigating this without us.”
Ida laughed. “Well, that killed a tender moment. Thanks, Dog. At least you’re honest.”
Dog shrugged. “I’m always honest and to the point.”
Guardrail waved off Dog then looked at me. “We all know that the police questioned you today. And Digger told us he saw you down at your Mom’s grave. So we all came on over to offer help. But you weren’t here and we were concerned.”
“Thanks. I spent some time down at the cemetery chatting with Mom. Then Ida and Piper came over to the apartment to talk over some coffee. Seeing Jacob brought back a tough time in my life and I was just stepping back a bit to relax, unwind. I appreciate your concern and friendship more than you know.”
Dixie came over with Dad and they stood next to Guardrail. Dixie nudged Tom. “See, I told you they would get the gang together. Help keep Ginger from being dragged into this as a suspect. The police are good, but they move too slow.”
I raised my voice. “No. That’s not it Dixie. We’re all just talking. We were hungry and just wanted some dinner, so it’s just coincidence. But it’s a good chance to catch up since we’re all here together.”
Back at the bar, Digger finished his burger and eventually left his dinner plate to came over to us. “Not a coincidence at all. We’re here to help.” He sat at my table. “We know your Mom’s death hit you hard. And it happened during the divorce. It was the only time I ever saw you rattled. Then you turn up today at the cemetery after Jacob is hurt. It’s not hard to guess you’re upset.”
“Thanks Digger. I appreciate everyone’s concern, really. But I’m fine and just needed to clear my head.”
Bones finagled his way between Dad and Dixie. “I want to help too. I always get stuck in the kitchen and miss out on the real action.”
I looked at my nineteen-year-old jack-of-all-trades. “Who’s watching the grill. Are you burning something?”
He smiled broadly. “Nope, took everything off before I came out here.”
Dixie glanced over at the order window. “Chicken spit! You missed something because there’s smoke coming out of the kitchen!”
Bones sprinted for the swinging door into the kitchen. “I forgot about the...!”
I laughed. “He’s getting better. But he always forgets the cheese melting on sandwiches under the salamander.”
Chapter Five
IDA LIVED IN AN OLD farmhouse not far from Main Street. She bought it with her father ten years ago. Then after a long fight with cancer, her father died a couple of years ago, leaving Ida alone. She took it hard, and even though it seemed impossible, she became more cynical afterward.
She received a large inheritance and some life insurance money after he passed. With thi
s, she remodeled the house but kept her Dad’s bedroom as it was. Most of the rooms were upgraded to support her computer hobby, which included fancy wall jacks throughout the house with surge protection and Ethernet plugs. She also installed some special antennas, or some sort of technology I know nothing about, to make sure the wireless network is strong throughout the place. In her office, she keeps multiple monitors, a couple bigger than my television, and all kinds of black boxes with blinking lights that sit in banks of shelving. In one corner is a large device, which Ida told me was a battery backup, and was in addition to the generator installed out back. She made certain that electrical power would always be available to feed all her little toys. This was the real hack shack.
I took a seat. “Well, it’s only been a couple of hours, but I couldn’t wait. We thought we would come over to see if you got lucky before it gets too late tonight.”
Ida typed. “A couple of hours sometimes pays off.”
Piper held her stomach. “What kind of blue cheese did you use on that burger. My stomach is doing flips.”
Ida shrugged. “My stomach is fine. I thought the burger was good.”
Piper let out a loud burp. “Ahhh, that's better.” For you maybe Piper.
I pointed to a large volume of text on the screens. “Well? Did you find anything in all this?”
Ida clicked her mouse. “Look at this. I searched the past couple of years of Jacob’s life for keywords like will, bank, money, and insurance. And I already got some interesting hits under insurance. Seems in the last year, there were three insurance policies taken out by Jacob.”
Piper asked, “Is that normal? Three in a year seems like a lot for a normal person.”
Ida nodded. “I thought the same thing. When I sent out some web crawlers to learn about him, I found three policies. But it didn’t make sense. There were requests for Jacob to sign two of the insurance policies, but I couldn’t find payments made by him or a copy of those two particular policies. It’s very odd.”
I gasped. “Did you break into his bank files?”
Ida chuckled. “No. That’s too dangerous even for me. But Jacob set up notifications from his bank. Every time there was a transaction on his bank account, he was alerted. I hacked the messages the bank sent to him. They are less secure and easier to get into.”
Piper focused. “So, what are you saying? He signed three policies, but only paid for one.”
“That’s a little oversimplified. But about right.” Ida then clicked on file. “See this one? It’s the one he took out on himself and named his girlfriend as the beneficiary. Oh, I guess I should mention he is living with his girlfriend of two years. Her name is Nicole Carr.”
I laughed. “That makes sense. Last time I saw Jacob prior to this recent visit was a couple of years ago.”
Piper glanced over at me. “So he moved on from you. But why take a life insurance policy out and name your live-in girlfriend?”
Ida clicked again. “See these texts? They made an agreement to insure each other. Nicole got a life insurance policy as part of her employment package. Seems she has no family and named him the beneficiary. But she asked he return the favor. Jacob didn’t have a life insurance policy at work, so he simply bought one.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That sounds like a little overkill for two people just living together.”
Ida spun. “It did. So I looked a little more and it turns out Nicole and Jacob have been an on again off again item for years. But this time they committed to a more serious relationship. He was not keen on getting married and she understood. But she wanted some form of commitment and the insurance policies was one of the things she came up with.”
I snorted. “Please don’t tell me that this was one of the girlfriends he cheated on me with.”
Ida shrugged. “Okay. I won’t tell you. It’ll just make you mad.”
“Son of a ditch digger. That insect. And I was starting to feel so bad for him lying in that hospital bed.”
Piper chuckled. “Some wounds will never heal. But it’s of no use getting worked up about it. You knew he cheated and you divorced him.”
I pouted. “It doesn’t ever stop hurting. I’m sorry. So, Ida, go on.”
“Well, I had a bunch of questions about these other two policies he signed so I kept digging. The only thing I found was that his boss asked him to sign the policies. So it looks like they had something to do with work. That’s all I know for now about those two life insurance policies. But there were a few other things.”
I tried to moderate my voice to hide the anger still churning inside me. “Like what?”
“With work going well, he was making good money. But it seems that some of the deals may be a little shady. Nicole sent him emails sometimes telling him to be careful. Especially about this one ‘big’ deal. They talked about it a few months ago. Jacob told her it could make them a lot of money, make their lives better, but he said that he couldn’t say much about it per the client’s request. It’s odd and I am looking into it.”
Piper clicked into journalist mode. “Wait a minute, that sounds exactly like the kind of thing we were looking for. If there was money involved in this ‘big’ deal, it might be something worth killing over.”
Ida nodded. “Exactly, so it’s why I am searching for more about it.”
I fidgeted. “When do you think you'll find something.”
“Hard to say for sure. But give me until tomorrow morning.”
I sighed. “So the last two hours were productive for you. Thanks for the good work. And this all seems to be saying a trip to Savannah is definitely in the works. There’s something going on there that came to Potter's Mill with Jacob’s recent return.”
Piper took out her phone and clicked a few times. “I can’t go tomorrow, but the next day is fine. Can you leave the pub for a whole day, the day after tomorrow?”
“Sure. I will...” My phone cut me off. I took it out of my pocket and answered. “Hello?”
Aunt Mae spoke. “Ginger, so glad I caught you. Look something has come up. A detective from the Financial Crimes Unit of the Savannah-Chatham Police Department found something. It’s an insurance policy that Jacob took out. It names you as a beneficiary. The detective is here and wants to speak with you. Can you come in for a few minutes?”
“It’s getting kind of late. Can we do this tomorrow?”
“It’s only 7:30. You can give us a few minutes and still make your bedtime, sweetie. The detective wants to go back to Savannah tonight after he speaks with you.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in about twenty.”
“Thanks, honey. See ya in a few.”
I clicked off. “Guess one of the odd policies you found names me as a beneficiary. That was Aunt Mae. She asked me to go meet with a detective from Savannah to talk about it with him.”
Ida spun in her fancy desk chair. “How is that possible?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know what they found but it must be a mistake. I’ll let you know after I speak to the detective.”
So I said goodbye to Piper and Ida and headed over to the police station. I had some time to think as I made the walk. Why would there be a life insurance policy where I was named the beneficiary? When I was married to Jacob, neither of us had life insurance policies. So why now?
I arrived at the Potter’s Mill police station and the lights were on inside. It was after hours and the front door was locked, but Aunt Mae was waiting for me and saw my approach through the glass entry. She flipped the deadbolt to let me in. “Hello. I appreciate you coming so late.”
I entered. “Thanks for calling. Seems some interesting things are happening tonight. I hope you get the overtime rate for the extra hours.”
Mae griped. “Since when has our little station paid overtime? Did I miss the memo?” We both laughed. Then Aunt Mae’s face went long. “Sweetie, this is serious. I saw the policy and it was drafted and signed by Jacob only a few months ago. Then he shows up in town to talk to you
, and bam! He’s in the hospital. The detective is thinking those pieces all fit together. He sees you as a strong suspect. I told him we didn’t think so, but he insisted on talking to you.”
I again saw the man in plain clothes. It seemed liked a year ago, but it was only this morning when when I first saw him in the conference room. He came up behind my aunt. “Ginger, thanks for coming so late. We weren’t properly introduce this morning. I’m Detective John Eckart from the Savannah Financial Crimes division. Deputy Owens here told me you would be happy to cooperate. I hope so because the events of the day are telling me I should be taking a long, hard look at you. But your aunt here strongly disagrees, as does the Sheriff. I think they are being honest, but well you know, this is a small town. I grew up in a small town and I know everyone looks out for one another. So, a little distrust of what they’re telling me seems prudent.”
I shrugged. “I would have a little skepticism too if I was in your shoes. I understand.”
Aunt Mae relocked the front door. “I think we would be more comfortable back in the conference room.” She then led the way.
We all took seats and the detective started and slid a document across the table. “So, tell me about this insurance policy. Why did Jacob have one and name you, his ex-wife, the beneficiary?”
“I didn’t know this insurance policy existed until Aunt Mae called me a few minutes ago.” I picked it up and scanned the text.
“You mean to tell me this policy was drawn without your knowledge.”
“I don’t mean to tell you. I’m telling you point blank. I know nothing about it. But I’m really curious about it just like you, after learning it exists.” I went to the end and looked at Jacob’s signature.
The detective grimaced. “I find that hard to believe.” He glared at me for a minute, looking for something, but I don’t think he found it. “There is another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I hear stories about how talented you are in solving mysteries. How you have helped the local police in the past. Well, that’s all great, and all, but now you say you’re curious about this mysterious insurance policy that pays you in the event of Jacob’s death. So let me be crystal clear, if you interfere with my investigation I will arrest you for obstruction of justice. Do you understand?”
A Highball and a Low Blow (Grumpy Chicken Irish Pub Series Book 3) Page 3