Trust Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Cindy Bell

  Jo began to feel guilty for invading Abe's privacy. If their suspicions were wrong, then she had just broken into an innocent man's home. She felt a strong desire to leave. With one more quick glance over the room she shook her head. There was nothing to find. She made her way back through the house and back out of the kitchen door. As soon as she was a safe distance from Abe's villa she texted Samantha.

  It's clean, there's no proof. I think we might have been wrong.

  Samantha looked down at the text that came through on her phone. Then she looked up at Abe who was winning at a hand of cards. He seemed comfortable in his wheelchair. If Jo hadn't found any proof of him faking his need for the chair, then maybe they really had been wrong.

  “What is it?” Eddy asked.

  “Nothing,” Samantha said. “She didn't find anything.”

  “Are you sure?” Eddy was perplexed. He was certain that Jo would find something.

  “Trust me, if Jo said there was nothing, there was nothing. You know how good she is at what she does.”

  “Used to do,” Eddy corrected.

  “Right.” Samantha frowned. “I'm sorry, Eddy. Maybe we need to rethink things.”

  “Maybe.” Eddy sighed. “I'm going to head to my place. I have a few more contacts I can reach out to.”

  “Okay,” Samantha replied. She decided to linger long enough to watch the end of the game. She felt a little silly for suspecting that Abe had somehow been able to break into her villa and Joel’s villa through a window, and commit murder. He was just a man, playing cards, and grieving for a friend.

  ***

  Eddy walked towards his villa with his mind on Jo's break-in. Without any evidence to prove that Abe was faking his disability, they weren't going to get very far with him as a suspect. Eddy was almost at his villa when Owen came jogging up behind him.

  “Eddy, wait a minute!” He called out. Eddy stopped and turned to face him.

  “Owen.” He was too troubled by the case to smile.

  Owen was a little out of breath as if he had been trying to catch up with Eddy for some time. “Listen, I have something to tell you.”

  “What?” Eddy paused outside his villa. “Do you want to come inside?”

  “That might be best,” Owen agreed. Eddy opened the door for him. Though Eddy and Owen had been getting close since Eddy had moved in, Eddy had yet to have Owen inside his villa.

  “A drink?” Eddy offered.

  “No, thank you.” Owen looked uncomfortable as he glanced around Eddy's sparsely decorated living room. There was one very old easy chair positioned in front of the television, while the other furniture in the room appeared to be untouched. “I did what you asked.”

  “What did I ask?” Eddy studied him.

  “I looked into Abe's medical history.”

  Eddy was silenced by Owen's admission. He hadn't really expected Owen to go through with it. The fact that he did, meant a lot to Eddy. “And?” he asked.

  “And, you were right to be suspicious. The doctor that both diagnosed and treated Abe has been involved in many disability cases and has a bad reputation for fraud cases. He has even faced jail time in the past, but managed to get out of it. I am surprised that he still has a license. I'm not saying that Abe's injury is fake, but knowing who his doctor is and the doctor’s history, I would be more inclined to believe it.” Owen looked downhearted. “I can't believe that he pulled the wool over my eyes for so long. When you first suggested it I thought it was impossible. Now, I see that it could very well be true. Unfortunately, the doctor’s criminal history is privileged, it's not going to help out in the investigation.”

  “Maybe not.” Eddy narrowed his eyes. “But it does make Abe the primary suspect. If he's lying about his injury then he is probably capable of killing Joel. I'm not going to let him get away with it.”

  “What are you going to do?” Owen asked. “Eddy, I don't want to see you get into trouble over all of this.”

  “Don't worry about that, Owen. Thank you for getting the information, I really appreciate it. You can be certain that I will keep your name out of this.” He grimaced. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do.”

  Owen nodded and reluctantly turned to leave. Eddy could tell that he wanted to advise him not to get involved. But Owen knew Eddy well enough to know better than to bother with that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Eddy called everyone together at Walt's villa to discuss the information that Owen had shared with him. His friends looked at him expectantly.

  “I spoke to my contacts, and it turns out that the doctor Abe used to qualify for disability has had several complaints against him. In fact he's had accusations of fraud. None that could be substantiated.”

  “I think there might be some proof that Abe was faking it if you look at his financial transactions.” Walt slapped a few papers down on the table between them. “I suspect that the weekly payments from Abe to Joel were for something devious.”

  “What are they?” Eddy asked.

  “Well, the more I thought about the payments, the more I realized how unlikely they were,” Walt stated. “Abe might be a fraud, but he's not stupid. So, I looked into it a little more. Abe was paying weekly instalments to Joel's checking account. Joel didn't shift that money to any business account.”

  “So, what were the payments for?” Samantha asked again. She couldn't imagine what Abe would be paying Joel for.

  “I've seen these types of payments before. They were almost always for the purpose of blackmail or extortion,” Walt said confidently.

  “You think that Joel was blackmailing Abe?” Eddy looked confused for a moment and then snapped his fingers. “Because Joel found out that Abe could walk!”

  “Exactly,” Walt confirmed. “Or at least that's my theory. I think that Joel found out somehow, and Abe agreed to make payments to him to keep his silence. But I don’t think Abe really had the income to support that, so he might have just decided to reduce his spending.”

  “That's a very cold way of putting it,” Samantha said

  “It's all checks and balances, Samantha.” Walt shook his head. “To think that Abe would go so far as to murder someone to protect his con, it's a terrible thing, but the money doesn't lie.”

  “We still don't know for sure though. How are we going to get him to admit to it?” Samantha sighed as she tried to sort through ideas in her mind. “If we accuse him and then he finds a way to convince people that he is disabled, we will look horrible.”

  “We need proof,” Jo agreed. “Solid proof.”

  “But you didn't find anything in his villa.” Samantha shrugged. “Could it just be a coincidence?”

  “That or he's a very skilled con artist.” Jo frowned. “Maybe I missed something.”

  “No matter what we need to find a way to prove it.” Eddy looked between his friends. “We need to know for sure.”

  “Maybe if we give him a reason to get up and walk.” Samantha smiled faintly. “If he murdered Joel he was motivated enough to get up out of the chair. So we just have to come up with something that will inspire him to do it again.”

  “We could make him believe we're about to find out the truth,” Jo suggested. “A con artist will go to any length to hide their con.”

  “Sage Gardens is hosting a memorial for Joel this afternoon. I heard about it at the recreation center. I'm sure that Abe will be there. It would be the perfect time to set the trap.” Samantha’s expression had a wicked edge. “I want to know if he has been breaking into my villa.”

  “Me too,” Eddy's voice was dark.

  “Then it's settled.” Walt nodded. “We'll set the trap at the memorial this afternoon. If Abe thinks we have something good on him from Joel’s financial records then he might just take a risk and get out of his chair. If we catch him in the act he might be shocked enough to confess to the murder.”

  “We can set the trap for my place,” Samantha declared. “He seems pretty familiar with how to ge
t in there.”

  “No,” Eddy and Walt both spoke up at the same time.

  Samantha narrowed her eyes. “And just why not?”

  “They're right, Samantha.” Jo drew the attention of all three at the table.

  “They are?” Samantha asked with surprise.

  “We are?” Eddy muttered with mirrored confusion.

  “Not for the reasons you're thinking.” Jo rolled her eyes. “Eddy, Abe knows you and Walt well enough to know that you would never leave crucial evidence in Samantha's villa. It would put her at risk. He’ll smell a trap. Besides, if we're going to trap him with Joel's financial records it's going to make more sense for that information to be at Walt's house. So, although I'm sure that Samantha is perfectly capable of protecting herself, it wouldn't be a good plan to set the trap in her villa.”

  “I guess Jo is right, just remember what she said boys, perfectly capable of protecting myself.” Samantha lifted her chin with a touch of pride. Eddy met her eyes and lifted an eyebrow just slightly.

  “So, how did Abe get your windows open? Weren't they locked?”

  Everyone else at the table fell silent as they waited for Samantha to answer.

  “Probably,” she shot back. “I mean, I thought they were.”

  “It's easy to get complacent in a place like this,” Walt spoke with warning in his voice. “But even the safest of neighborhoods can be dangerous. Statistically speaking, most home invaders will walk away if they find a locked door or window. They want an easy target, and won't take the risk of having to drill through or break glass.”

  “Even a locked window can be unlocked if you know how,” Jo said knowingly. They all looked at her but didn’t question her further.

  “So, maybe I should come check your windows for you?” Eddy suggested. “See if we can make them more secure.”

  “I'm sure I can handle it.” Samantha looked pointedly at Eddy. “Thank you, Walt, for that good reminder. Now, what about this trap we're setting? It's going to be at Walt's?”

  “I guess it would be best.” Walt looked nervous as he stared down at the top of the table. Samantha was sure that he was not used to having people in his own space. He invited people over, but having someone invade his home was a different story.

  “Don't worry, Walt, we'll make sure the situation is monitored,” Samantha assured him.

  “I think that we should have someone other than Walt in his home for the night,” Jo added. “Just in case things don't go exactly as planned.”

  “I will be close by to take him down.” Eddy leaned forward slightly. “If he sees me he'll flee. So, I will be watching from the outside.”

  “Then I'll be inside.” Jo nodded. “We can always put up some cameras to record Abe out of his chair. That way no one can argue the truth.”

  “What about me?” Samantha asked. “I could hide in the closet in Walt's room.”

  “What are you going to do if something goes wrong?” Jo asked. She offered a grimace of concern. “Samantha, Abe is a murderer.”

  “And he's been breaking into my house. Trust me, I want him to go down. Besides, I can handle myself.” She cleared her throat. Jo met Samantha's eyes. The two women seemed to exchange some kind of understanding.

  “All right. If Samantha says that she can handle it, then I trust her.” Jo looked between the two men. “Anybody have a problem with that?”

  Walt and Eddy looked at each other and then back at Samantha. “No problem,” Eddy agreed.

  “Okay, so Samantha will be in the closet, Walt will be in the bed, and Eddy and I will be outside.” Jo smiled at Eddy. “Do you think you can handle my company on a stakeout?”

  “I might be able to tolerate it.” Eddy offered an indifferent expression.

  Samantha tried not to smile. “So, it's a plan. What time are we going to meet?”

  “I'm thinking after eight. That way it's early enough that Abe shouldn't already be staking out the house, and late enough that it's believable that Walt will be in bed.” Eddy tilted his head towards Walt. “Does that work for you?”

  “Sure, I am in bed by eight fifty every night. That gives me ten minutes to fall asleep, so that I am asleep by exactly nine.”

  Jo raised an eyebrow.

  “I think that's great that you make your health a priority, Walt. Everyone knows sleep is the most crucial key to your wellbeing.” Samantha smiled.

  With the plan settled the friends parted ways. They each had their role to fill and none of it would work if Abe suspected any of them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When the time came for the memorial, Samantha walked towards the gathering. She could see that most of her friends and neighbors were already there. Sage Gardens treated death like a social occasion in many ways. There was always plenty of company, plenty of food, and plenty of alcohol. The square in the center of Sage Gardens was the meeting place for most events if the weather was nice, otherwise the recreation hall was used.

  Since it was a sunny and clear afternoon the square had been filled with lawn chairs, portable tables, and some umbrellas. Samantha noticed that a few of the residents had brought out their instruments to contribute to the memorial. It was a beautiful sight, but it occurred to Samantha that many of these people probably didn’t like Joel. If they found out the whole truth about him, she was sure that they wouldn't like him.

  “Samantha, hello.” Walt stepped up beside her and caught her elbow gently with his palm. “We're over here.” He gestured to one of the shaded picnic tables. Samantha saw that Eddy was already seated at the table with a beer bottle in his hand.

  “Where's Jo?” Samantha asked. She knew full well that Jo was setting up cameras in Walt's house, but she didn't want anyone at the memorial to wonder why the three of them were together without their fourth friend. She walked with Walt towards the table.

  “Oh, you know Jo, she's more of a loner than a joiner,” Walt said. “She said something about taking a nap.” He lowered his voice as they got closer to the gathering, “Eddy is already playing his role, so just be warned.” He furrowed an eyebrow.

  Samantha felt herself tense slightly. She knew that this wasn't about being social. They all had to be careful not to tip off Abe in any way. The thought of the man made her look for him. She searched through the faces in the crowd. She didn't see Abe anywhere. She did see Cynthia Doll and her husband, standing beside a huge wreath of flowers that were dedicated to Joel.

  Anna was sitting in a chair beside the wreath with a box of tissues on one knee and a plate of food on the other. She looked like she had been crying, but it could have been allergies from all of the pollen in the air. Samantha felt a pang of guilt for suspecting Anna in the first place. Whether or not she and Joel had been in love, she had still lost her husband to the hands of a ruthless murderer. Samantha and her friends had considered her a suspect instead of the victim that she clearly was. Samantha thought about going over to her to offer her condolences again, but she didn't want to get too close to Cynthia. She might end up saying the wrong thing. Cynthia seemed to be avoiding looking in Samantha's direction as well.

  Tommy was nowhere to be seen. Samantha imagined he had made himself scarce since Cynthia's husband was there. As she sat down at the picnic table, Eddy looked over at her. His eyes were rimmed red and his cheeks were flushed. He spoke loudly, directly into her face.

  “Samantha! So good of you to come!” He leaned close and planted a sloppy wet kiss on her cheek. Samantha drew back in horror and grabbed a napkin.

  “Eddy!” Samantha scolded him as she wiped her cheek clean.

  “What?” Eddy slurred his words as he spoke. “I'm just trying to have a good time. Don't be such a stick in the mud.”

  Samantha shot him a look of disbelief. She was honestly beginning to wonder if he was actually drunk instead of acting like it. Either way she was going to get him back for the slobber that he had left on her cheek. She shivered and crumpled up the napkin.

  “Did you hear a
bout it, Samantha?” Eddy asked, louder than he needed to. Walt handed Eddy another beer.

  “About what?” Samantha cleared her throat and remembered that she had a role to play.

  “What really happened to our dear friend, Joel!” Eddy glanced around at the people that were close to him. “We know the truth now.”

  Samantha wondered why Eddy was putting on such a show when Abe wasn't even at the memorial yet. She assumed he was hoping that word would spread to Abe.

  “What truth?” Samantha asked. She accepted a plate of food that Walt had put together for her.

  As she looked up she saw that Abe was wheeling down the path towards the gathering. Abe's expression was as filled with grief as anyone would expect. He wheeled right over to Anna.

  “Anna, I'm so sorry, again.” Abe looked at her with a frown. “I know this is just a card, but I hope it means something.” He held out an envelope to her. Anna refused to look directly at him. She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Just put it in the pile please.” She gestured to the pile of cards and flowers on the table beside her.

  “Anna,” Abe said. Samantha watched as he looked at her pleadingly. She wondered if Anna had her own suspicion about Abe and that was why she was acting so coldly to him.

  “Just put it there, please,” Anna hissed and looked pointedly away from him. Abe sighed and placed the card on the table. He turned his wheelchair around just in time for Eddy’s next rant.

  “I knew it! All along I knew it! That Joel was into some kind of illegal stuff.” He shook his head. “No one could prove it. But my buddy here, can.” He slapped Walt hard on the back.

  Walt gulped and spilled some of his drink on his sweater. He shot a look of absolute hatred in Eddy's direction. Samantha jumped up and grabbed a napkin to dab away the liquid. Walt frowned and took the napkin from her.

  “I'll do it,” he grumbled. Samantha knew that he had to be furious. She gave Eddy a look of warning. Eddy pretended not to notice. He seemed to be very involved in playing his role.