by Terri Reid
“Great,” Bradley said. “Let’s talk to Mary and then figure out how we can get into that building.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Bradley slowly opened the door to the Finder’s Mansion.
“Are you sure she’s in here?” Dave asked, peeking around Bradley’s arm to peek into the house.
“Katie said she came over here about ten minutes ago,” Bradley whispered back, pushing the door open and stepping inside the hall. They walked slowly forward, slightly hunched over, Dave at Bradley’s back, both men sweeping the area for any signs of paranormal activity.
“I don’t see her,” Bradley said softly. “I don’t see her anywhere.”
“Why are you whispering?” Mary asked, stepping out of the living room.
Both men jumped and smiled sheepishly at Mary. Bradley shrugged, turned to Dave, and then turned back to Mary. “I have no idea,” he said, a perplexed look upon his face. “It just seemed like the thing to do.”
Dave nodded. “I was right there with him. Maybe it’s the thought of all of the ghosts in the parlor.”
Mary grinned. “Well, the ghosts in the parlor aren’t going to bother with you,” she explained. “They are only interested in getting an appointment with Mr. Finders. So, you can speak in your normal tone.”
“Are there many of them in there?” Bradley asked.
She nodded. “All of the seats are filled,” she replied. “So, I think there must be a waiting area that we aren’t able to see.”
“That’s not what I wanted to hear,” Bradley said. “And, on the topic of things I didn’t want to hear, Harry confirmed that most of the unexplained deaths were members of his investment group.”
Mary slowly shook her head. “So, Alex was right about his hunch,” she sighed. “Do we have enough information to have an official police investigation?”
Bradley shook his head. “We have nothing, but Harry’s word,” he said.
Dave shrugged. “And, strictly speaking, we don’t even have Harry’s word,” he added.
“What?” Mary asked.
“Harry took an oath that he wouldn’t speak about the other members of the group,” Bradley explained. “So, I had him point to any names on the list that were members.”
“You are so sneaky, Chief Alden,” she said with a wink.
“Hey, it got me the information I needed,” he replied. “And now…” He paused for a moment.
“Yes?” she asked.
He winced slightly, hating himself for even suggesting what he was about to say. “I thought we’d check out the offices of the investment club and see if any of these men are still hanging around there,” he said.
“Breaking and entering?” Mary asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Unofficial police investigation,” Bradley countered.
“Should I be frightened that you did that so easily?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “I learned it from one of the best,” he said with a meaningful look in her direction.
“I never did that,” she protested, then she shrugged. “Okay, maybe a little. What building do they meet in?”
After Bradley told her the address, Mary was surprised to see Maybelle appear next to her. “That’s my building,” Maybelle said, then she put her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry for eavesdropping. I just happened to be…”
“In the area?” Mary finished for her.
Maybelle nodded. “Actually, I was on my way to the parlor,” she admitted hesitantly. “Just to have a look.”
Mary placed her hand on Bradley’s arm and glanced over to Dave, who nodded slowly as he focused on the ghost. “I think you’re both going to want to be part of this discussion,” Mary said. “Maybelle could you just repeat what you told me about the building?”
The ghost of the old woman nodded. “Yes, certainly, if it will help you,” she said. “The address you just gave is one of the buildings I own. My father bought it years ago, and now it’s part of my estate.”
“So, who handles the business of running the building?” Bradley asked.
“It must be my bank, they handle all of my estate dealings,” Maybelle replied, and she named the same bank that Mary had visited the day before. “But why are you interested in it?”
Mary looked at Bradley with a question in her eyes and Bradley, understanding, nodded.
“Maybelle,” Mary said. “We have some bad news for you.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Daphne Rudd tapped her pencil nervously against her desk as she listened to the man that sat on the other side of her desk.
“Listen, Daph,” Chuck Lynch cajoled, relaxing back in his chair. “This is not a big deal. No one cares. If you want, you can just open the page on your computer, go stretch your legs for a few minutes, and I’ll just hang around in your office and take a few photos.”
“You’re not listening to me, Chuck,” she replied, lowering her voice and glancing towards the door nervously. “I can’t give you any more inside information.”
Chuck smiled and nodded. “Right, right, I heard that,” he said easily. “And I totally understand your concerns. So, you know, just step away and let me help myself.”
She closed her eyes in frustration and then shook her head. “No!” she said emphatically. “You are not going to talk me into giving you any more information about blind trusts.”
He sighed softly and shrugged. “Well, I’m sorry about that Daph, because you’re forcing my hand.”
Then he slowly stood up, placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward.
Confused, she stared across the desk, up at him. “Forcing your hand?”
“As a licensed financial advisor, I have a legal responsibility to report any untoward or illegal activity,” he said, meeting her eyes. “So, if I walk out of this office without the information I need, I walk straight to your boss’s office and tell him about our little agreement.”
“But…but…you’re as guilty as I am,” she stammered.
He shook his head. “Oh, no, sweetheart, I’m not,” he said. “I didn’t divulge confidential information. I’m not an officer of the bank. I haven’t put the reputation of the bank at risk. All I did was take what you offered.”
Tears filled Daphne’s eyes as she realized she been played. “But you said you loved me,” she whispered, her heart breaking. “You said we had a future.”
He grinned down at her. “As I said, all I did was take what you offered.”
“You’re a bastard,” she whispered harshly.
He shrugged, acknowledging her word. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he said. “But I’m okay with that. The question is, are you okay with going to prison?”
“Prison?” she asked, her eyes widening with fear.
“Sure, sweetheart,” he said calmly. “Banks are federally regulated. You don’t think they’ve got heavy duty penalties for people who steal information and give it to someone else.”
“You’d get caught too,” she said.
“I’d just tell them it was pillow talk and I had no idea the information was confidential.”
He stepped away from his chair and walked to the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her over his shoulder. “I’ll give you a day to think about it,” he said. “But think hard, sweetheart. I don’t see you lasting a day in prison.”
Once the door closed behind him, Daphne buried her head in her arms and sobbed. She couldn’t go to prison. She couldn’t let her boss find out she’d shared the information about the blind trusts with Chuck. She couldn’t disappoint her parents. She couldn’t let down her community, her friends, and her siblings.
“I’m such an idiot,” she sobbed. “He never loved me. No one will ever love me.”
She sat up, wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath.
Pulling a piece of personalized bank stationery from her desk drawer, she picked up a pen and wrote, “I’m so sorry. I love you all.”
She
left the paper in the middle of her desk, opened her desk drawer to retrieve her purse and walked over to the hook on the door to retrieve her coat. Slipping it on, she pulled out her phone and texted her receptionist. “Meeting out of the office. Won’t be back…”
She hesitated with the next word. Today? Ever?
Taking another deep breath, she typed the words “this afternoon” and sent the text off.
“I guess they’ll all find out when they find my body,” she whispered.
Chapter Thirty-four
“Excuse me,” Gilbert said as he suddenly appeared in the midst of Mary, Bradley, David, and Maybelle.
“Gilbert?” Maybelle gasped. “You really are here.”
“Maybelle,” Gilbert stammered, his pale, ghostly countenance turning an obvious shade of red. “I didn’t know… I didn’t realize…”
“What did you want, Gilbert,” Mary asked, biting back a smile.
With her arm on Bradley’s hand, he was able to see the encounter too, and he smiled easily. “It’s okay, Gilbert,” he said. “We’re here to help.”
“Help, of course. Help!” Gilbert exclaimed. He shook his head and then turned immediately business-like. “Of course, I can’t believe I got distracted. The young woman at the bank, I believe she might be contemplating harming herself.”
“What young woman?” Maybelle asked jealously.
“Daphne Rudd,” Gilbert replied. “She’s one of the grandchildren of one of our investors. I was checking on her, and she just had the most terrible argument with a young man. She left a note on her desk, saying she was sorry, and then she said something about people finding her body.”
“That’s not good,” Bradley said. “Do you know where she was going?”
Gilbert shook his head. “She put on her coat and left the bank,” he replied.
Bradley picked up his radio and called into dispatch. “Hi, can you run Daphne Rudd’s information and let me know the make and model of her car? Then put out an APB on her – I just want her located. Thanks!”
“What do we do next?” Dave asked. “We can’t just stay here and wait.”
“The Rudds are in the waiting room,” Gilbert suddenly exclaimed. “Let’s ask them.”
As they hurried toward the parlor, Bradley turned to Mary. “Why would the Rudds know where their granddaughter is?” he asked softly.
“Because generally, our guardian angels are our relatives,” she replied. “That makes sense, doesn’t it? The people who love us the most are the ones sent to watch over us.”
He nodded. “Yes, it does,” he agreed.
They followed Gilbert into the parlor and Bradley was surprised by the number of people crowded into the small room. “You think there’s more?” Bradley whispered.
“Yes, unfortunately, I do,” she replied.
Gilbert walked to the corner of the room, where a husband and wife sat together holding hands. “Excuse me,” Gilbert said. “Aren’t you the Rudds?”
They nodded simultaneously.
Mary stepped forward, still holding Bradley’s hand. “Hi, I’m Mary, and I’m a friend of your granddaughter, Daphe,” she began.
Mrs. Rudd smiled widely. “She’s such a talented girl, isn’t she?”
“A beauty too,” Mr. Rudd added. “Takes after Genevieve here.”
“Yes, she is,” Mary agreed. “But right now, she’s in a bit of trouble. She received some bad news, and I’m afraid she might be feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed enough to harm herself.”
“No!” Mrs. Rudd exclaimed. “We have to stop her!”
“Where would you think she’d go?” Mary asked. “Where do you think we’d find her?”
They both stood up. “We’ll find her,” Mr. Rudd said. “And we’ll send word.”
Then they disappeared.
“Well, what do we do…” Bradley began to ask, but the Rudds reappeared instantly.
“She’s at Krape Park,” Mrs. Rudd said. “She just parked her car near the dam.”
They rushed out of the house, Bradley calling dispatch to send any officers in the area to Krape Park. Mary jumped in the cruiser with Bradley and David and in a moment, they had the sirens blazing, and they were speeding down the street.
“Um, Mary,” Dave called from the back seat.
She turned around to see Dave crushed against one door, while Gilbert and Maybelle took up the rest of the bench seat. Mary grinned and shrugged. “We’ll be there soon,” she promised.
Chapter Thirty-five
Bradley arrived on the scene before any other law enforcement and pulled in to the area next to the dam. They piled out of the car and Mary saw Daphne walked towards the bridge that crossed over the deep and fast-running river.
“Daphne,” she called out.
The young woman turned to Mary in surprise. “Oh, Miss O’Reilly, I mean, Mrs. Alden,” she stammered. “I um… I mean, I…”
Mary jogged over to her. “It’s a bit nippy for a walk,” she said with a smile. “But I love getting outside in any kind of weather, don’t you?”
Daphne nodded slowly. “Yes,” she agreed hesitantly. “I suppose I do.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Mary asked.
“Actually, I have someplace I need to go,” Daphne said, stepping around Mary.
“I know you’re thinking of killing yourself,” Mary said softly, but clearly enough for Daphne to hear her.
Daphne froze. “How could you…”
Then Daphne shook her head. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “You can’t stop me.”
“Did you know that your grandparents are your guardian angels?” Mary asked.
“What?” Daphne asked, confused.
“Your grandparents are your guardian angels,” Mary repeated. “They think that you are not only talented but also quite beautiful. Your grandfather said that you take after your grandmother.”
“Mrs. Alden, have you been drinking?” she asked cautiously.
Mary laughed and shook her head. “No, but I understand why you’d ask that,” she said. “That’s my secret. I can see and talk to ghosts. And do know what I’ve learned from them?”
“From the ghosts?” Daphne asked incredulously.
Mary nodded. “Yes, from the ghosts,” she replied pointedly. “I’ve learned that dying does not make anything easier. And those ghosts that I’ve interacted with, who took their own lives, regret it. They regret the pain they caused their families. They regret the things they miss out on, like weddings, birthdays, holidays and, mostly, family. And they regret thinking that whatever problem caused them to kill themselves was too hard to bear. Because, when they look back on things, they know they could have handled it, but they acted emotionally rather than rationally.”
Daphne shook her head, and tears streamed down her face. “That might be the case for them,” she sobbed softly. “But it’s not the case for me.”
“Why don’t you tell me about it,” Mary said. “Then, if you still want to kill yourself, I’ll leave.”
Daphne stared at her. “You will?” she asked.
Mary nodded and then shrugged. “Well, you know, after I give it one last chance to convince you not to do it,” she said.
Daphne choked out a spurt of laughter and nodded. “Okay, it’s probably a good idea that someone knows what happened,” she agreed and led Mary to a bench near the bridge.
Dave and Bradley watched from behind the cruiser. “Should we go and help?” Dave asked.
Bradley shook his head. “No, if anyone can talk her out of it, Mary can,” he said evenly, keeping his eyes on the two women.
“You have a lot of confidence in her,” Dave replied.
Bradley smiled. “I have every confidence in her,” he said earnestly. “She is the most amazing, resilient, compassionate, smart and resourceful woman I have ever met.”
Dave grinned. “Man, have you got it bad,” he teased.
Chuckling softly, Bradley nodded. “And I never want to lose it,” he sa
id. “She changed my whole life, and I never want to go back to who I was without her.”
They watched in silence for several minutes, as Daphne spoke to Mary. They couldn’t hear the words, but they could see Daphne’s hands moving as she spoke. Then they watched Mary’s facial expression change from merely listening to absolute anger.
“Whoa, I hate to be the person that brought that look on Mary’s face,” Dave whispered.
“Yeah, me too,” Bradley agreed.
A moment later, Daphne was embraced in Mary’s hug.
“She did it,” Bradley said with awe. “She did it again.”
The two women stood up, Mary’s arm around Daphne’s shoulders, and they started walking towards the two men. When they got closer, Mary called out. “Bradley, Daphne is going to help us with the case we’re working on,” she said. “The one with the Investor’s Club.”
“She is?” Bradley asked.
Mary nodded. “Yes, she is going to tell us how the Investor’s Club coerced her into revealing some of the names of the people who had opened blind trusts,” she said. “In return for a lighter sentence when it’s discovered that she revealed confidential information.”
“I think that cooperation in a murder investigation could eliminate any charges,” Bradley agreed.
Daphne’s eyes widened, and she stared at Bradley. “A murder investigation?” she asked.
Bradley nodded. “We have a list of elderly men who have died in the past few months, and the only thing they have in common is the Investor’s Club,” he told her. “How do you feel about wearing a wire.”
Daphne took a deep breath and wiped away the remaining tears. She glanced at Mary and Mary nodded with encouragement, then she looked at Bradley. “Good,” Daphne said. “I feel really good about wearing a wire.”