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

by Cindy Bell

  “What are you talking about, Eddy?” Samantha asked through gritted teeth. “Are you going to get to the point or are you going to keep blathering on?”

  “Watch it, woman.” Eddy scowled at her. Samantha bit the tip of her tongue to keep from putting him directly in his place. She knew for certain that Eddy was taking full advantage of his opportunity to play drunk. He was going to regret it later, she would make sure of that. “The truth is that Joel's ledger is full of mysterious payments. As soon as Walt gets to the bottom of who was making these payments, the police will know who the killer is!”

  “Eddy, this isn't the time or the place,” Walt said reproachfully. Samantha was slightly impressed with his ability to be angry, but maybe the wine on his sweater helped make his acting more believable. She rarely had the chance to see him angry.

  “Walt's got all of the information,” Eddy boasted loudly. He knew that Abe was close enough to hear him. He took a swig of his beer to make it seem as if he was only being loud because of being a little drunk. “It's clear somebody was paying him money that didn't have to do with his business. I'm willing to bet that whoever was paying that money is the one who took Joel's life.” He shook his head and slammed his beer bottle down on the table. “I'm going to make sure that Anna gets justice for what that animal did to her husband.”

  “All right, Eddy, just calm down,” Samantha pleaded with him. “You're going to get everybody all upset.”

  “They should be upset,” Eddy said in an angry tone. “Someone needs to stand up for what's right here. Joel might not have been perfect, but he was a husband. He had responsibilities to take care of, and he was doing just that. Nobody should be killed in their own living room. From behind no less,” he muttered with disgust. “It takes a real coward to beat someone over the head when they don't even have the chance to defend themselves.”

  Samantha rubbed Eddy's back soothingly, as if she was trying to prevent him from exploding. “Eddy relax, the police will take care of it I'm sure.”

  “Not if I take care of it first.” He took another swig of his beer. “When I figure out who did it, and from those financial records we will be able to, that person is going to pay dearly. I have no patience for a man who will kill someone over money.”

  Eddy was doing such a good job of sounding drunk and belligerent that a member of the security staff began walking towards them.

  “Dial it back, Eddy,” Samantha hissed under her breath. Eddy might not have heard her, or he might have just ignored her, either way he didn't dial anything back.

  “Who's with me?” Eddy asked as he stood up from the picnic table. “Who's going to make sure the bastard who killed Joel doesn't get away with this?”

  “Sir, you're going to have to sit down.” The security officer fixed Eddy with a warning glare.

  “That's what you would like, huh?” Eddy stared back at the security officer with equal sternness. “For all of us to just sit down? To just pretend that Joel never existed?”

  “That's not the case at all. You're disrupting a memorial and making a nuisance in a public space. If you can't control yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

  The officer took a step closer to Eddy. Samantha rolled her eyes. She knew that Eddy was just pretending, but no one else did. It seemed to her that Eddy was putting on far too much of a show.

  “I'm not going anywhere. I pay to live here,” Eddy snarled and tossed his beer bottle down between himself and the officer. Luckily it was empty, or beer would have spilled all over the man's shoes.

  “That's it!” The officer grabbed Eddy's arm.

  “Eddy!” Samantha cried out with exasperation. “Cut it out!” She looked into his eyes. Eddy offered her a nearly imperceptible wink. His lips were twitching, she realized not with anger, but with an attempt to hold back his laughter.

  Before the officer could haul Eddy away Owen came jogging over. “What's going on here?” he asked. “Let go of him!”

  “He's drunk,” the officer stated flatly. He continued to hold onto Eddy's arm.

  “He lost a friend.” Owen stared hard at the security officer. “Just let go of him.”

  The officer reluctantly let go of Eddy's arm. “This is on you, Owen. You need to get him somewhere to sober up. Understand?”

  “I do.” Owen nodded and continued to stand close to Eddy. Samantha sighed and shook her head shamefully.

  “You'll see,” Eddy barked out. “Walt has the best mind for money around. He'll find the truth, and then whoever did this to Joel and Anna is going to pay!”

  “Eddy, enough,” Owen said through gritted teeth. “Please, come with me.”

  Eddy staggered a bit as if he was about to lose his balance. He leaned heavily on Owen's arm. Owen guided him down the path towards Eddy's villa. Once they were a good distance from the memorial Eddy straightened up.

  “Eddy, what are you thinking? I've never known you to drink this much.” Owen frowned.

  “I'm not drunk, Owen.” Eddy shook his head.

  “There's no point in denying it, Eddy. If you have a problem, I can get you help.”

  “I'm not drunk, Owen!” Eddy repeated with exasperation. “I was faking it.”

  “Why would you do that?” Owen stared at him. He squinted his eyes as if he was trying to tell for sure whether Eddy was drunk or not.

  “Because I wanted someone to overhear something, and I didn't want to just blurt it out randomly. Drunk people say anything, so I had a good excuse for blathering on.” Eddy patted Owen lightly on the back. “But I appreciate you having my back, Owen. Don't think I didn't notice that.”

  “You almost got yourself arrested.” Owen shook his head with displeasure. “I'm sure there was another way you could have gotten your point across.”

  “Maybe.” Eddy flashed him a grin. “But it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.”

  Owen looked at him with a stern expression. “Whatever you're doing, just be careful.”

  “I will,” Eddy assured him. Then he walked away. He sent a text to Jo to check on the progress with the cameras. She texted back right away.

  Everything is in place. See you at eight.

  Eddy smiled inwardly. He saw Samantha walking towards her villa. In the distance he caught sight of Walt nearing his villa. He was still scrubbing at his sweater. Everything was falling into place. Eddy could only hope that the evening would go as smoothly.

  Chapter Sixteen

  At eight o'clock on the dot Samantha knocked on Walt's side door. They were doing their best to keep their arrival under wraps. Walt opened the door almost right away.

  “Hi Samantha,” he said with a smile. Samantha noticed he had on crisp pajamas and his hair was perfectly combed. He pushed his glasses up slightly on his nose. “Come in quickly before anyone sees.”

  Samantha wasn't sure if he was more worried about Abe spotting her or a nosy neighbor assuming they were engaging in a tryst. Either way Walt was clearly nervous.

  “Did you see anyone on your way over?” Walt asked. He closed the door firmly.

  “No one. Not a sign of Abe at all. I'm not sure where Eddy is hiding, but he should be in position by now.” Samantha looked towards the kitchen window. “I'm sure he and Jo aren't far.”

  “I hope not.” Walt grimaced. “I have to be honest I'm a little bit nervous about all of this.”

  “Of course you are, Walt. We all are.” She reached out and took his hand in hers to offer him some comfort. However, the moment she touched his hand he pulled his away, almost as if she had pinched him. “Sorry.” She grimaced as she realized that she had probably taken him by surprise.

  “Oh, it's okay, I'm the one that should be sorry. You were just being kind. I'm just a little jumpy, and it makes my anxious behavior go through the roof.” He shook his head. “I have to make sure when I get like this that I concentrate and try to stay calm so my mind stays clear.”

  Samantha couldn't imagine Walt's mind ever not being clear. She consi
dered him one of the most intelligent people that she had ever met. But she understood his concern.

  “It's all going to be fine. Abe might not even show up,” she lowered her voice. “What we think happened is still just a hunch until we can prove it.”

  “I know you're right, but to be honest I'm not sure if I'm more scared of him showing up or not showing up.” Walt looked worried. “If he doesn't, then what will we do?”

  “Then we'll regroup. Let's just try to stay focused on tonight. I think I should get in the closet now and stay hidden. You just go through your normal bedtime routine, that way if Abe is spying from somewhere, he won't think anything is amiss.”

  “All right, I made sure it was tidy for you, and there's a little dressing bench in there that you can sit on.” Walt led her towards his bedroom. Samantha smiled at his accommodating behavior. While Walt might be a little stunted when it came to social behavior he certainly did know how to be a good friend.

  Walt certainly had set up his closet nicely. But she didn't imagine it was too hard to do since everything was perfectly in place. His clothes were arranged according to color. His shoes were lined up very carefully, and although they all seemed to be the same color Walt appeared to have put them in a certain order. Even his ties were hung up by shape and color.

  “Are you sure that you're going to be okay in here?” Walt asked with some concern. “I just worry that you'll get bored, or stiff, or what if you fall asleep?”

  “I'll be fine.” Samantha smiled at him. “I just had a cup of coffee and I am ready to spend a few hours with my thoughts.”

  “Okay.” Walt nodded. He looked at her as if he might say more, then he turned away from the closet. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Walt. I think I have everything that I need.”

  Samantha reached out and closed the closet door. There were slats on it just wide enough that she could see movement through. She heard the sink in the bathroom as Walt brushed his teeth. Then she heard the creek of the bed as he sprawled out in it.

  Samantha felt strange hidden away in his closet, as if she was spying on him. She knew that he had been feeling just as strange. As she waited for the minutes to pass by she did sink into her thoughts. She had been wondering if there was ever going to be an opportunity for her to write again. Of course she still wrote whenever she could, but she hadn't had an article published in a very long time. As she sorted through her thoughts time slowly passed.

  ***

  Jo shifted her foot slightly. It had fallen asleep and she was trying to get the feeling back into it. In the past she had done plenty of stakeouts of places she wanted to break into, but it had been a while since she had endured such a long wait.

  “Shh!” Eddy hissed at her. Her foot had rustled a few leaves.

  “You shh,” she shot back and glared at him.

  They were hunched down in a thicket of trees with some underbrush. It was beside the corner of Walt's villa. It was just large enough to be called a wooded area, though it really was just a patch of trees. It provided a good amount of cover, especially in the dark so that they could keep a close eye on what was happening. They could see most of the back of the villa and the side of the villa where the bedroom window was. If Abe attempted to come in the front door, they might not see him, but Samantha knew to alert them the moment that she thought someone was inside.

  “Listen, if you make too much noise you could scare him off,” Eddy cautioned her with a scowl.

  “If you keep talking about how much noise I'm making, you're definitely going to scare him off,” Jo admonished. It had been two hours since they got into position. Jo was starting to think that Abe was not coming at all. Eddy however was just as vigilant as he had been in the first few minutes.

  “You might think this is a joke, Jo, but I am responsible for the people inside that villa. If anyone gets hurt, it's going to be on me. So please, just stand still.”

  “I am standing still, Eddy. We all made the choice to be here, remember?” she softened her voice slightly. She knew that his nerves were likely on edge as he anticipated Abe's presence.

  “It doesn't matter who made what choice, if someone gets hurt, it will be on me.” Eddy stared at the villa. Jo could see the tension in his jaw. She could almost see what it must have been like for him to be in uniform. Because of her past Jo had always had an aversion to police officers, but now that she had the opportunity to get to know Eddy well, she could admire the bravery and backbone it took to wear a uniform and wield a gun. He didn't do it for any of the reasons that she suspected cops did. To her he did it because he wanted to help and to protect. There was definitely something admirable about that.

  Jo was silent as she too watched the villa. The night had grown cold as the minutes ticked by. Although most of the residents were sound asleep there was still a lot of noise surrounding them. The water splashed with playful fish and insects. The leaves above them fluttered now and then in the subtle breeze. In the distance traffic on the highway could be heard. Jo was listening so closely that everything sounded much louder than she was used to.

  “Do you think he's coming?” she spoke in a whisper.

  “I hope so.” Eddy's jaw rippled. “If he doesn't then we'll have a whole new set of problems.”

  “What if he didn't do it, Eddy?” Jo asked. “Everyone was so sure that Tommy did it, and it turned out not to be true. What if it wasn't Abe at all?” She studied him closely. Eddy did not look away from the villa and the grounds that surrounded it. He answered her under his breath.

  “Someone will show up tonight. If it's not Abe, then it will be someone. We might have pinned it on the wrong person at first, but we figured that out. Abe is clever. I should have suspected him from the start, but I made too many assumptions. When he came up to me shortly after Joel died and asked me for my help, he threw me off his trail completely. He's been too careful about this whole thing. I know he's not going to risk Walt finding something in Joel's accounts that will point at him. Abe has to know that we'll find out that the payments were from him to Joel, and that will only lead to suspicion. The police will figure it out eventually, we just got down to it a little faster than they could.”

  “Still, it all seems a little outlandish to me.” Jo crossed her arms as she stared at the back of the villa. “Why would someone go to such lengths? Just because Joel found out about Abe committing fraud? Sure, if Abe told the truth he would get in some trouble, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. It just doesn't seem like something that someone would kill for, you know?”

  “It depends on what matters to you I guess.” Eddy put a finger to his lips. He gestured to something beyond the villa on the walkway. As Jo looked she saw slow movement. At first it was just a shadow, then the figure moved under a streetlight. It was Abe in his wheelchair. As he rolled closer to the villa Jo could hear the grinding of his wheels against the pavement. It was the subtlest sound, but to her ears it was loud. Her heart began to pound. She realized for the first time that this was happening. There was no going back. Abe was going to break into Walt's house. Suddenly, Jo wondered if they had made a mistake.

  “Should we stop him before he goes in?” Jo asked.

  “Shh,” Eddy instructed.

  Jo glared at him. She was worried. Samantha and Walt were inside the villa like sitting ducks. What if Abe decided not to take any chances this time? What if he had gotten a gun? She felt very anxious as Abe left the walkway and started along the driveway that led up to Walt's villa. There was a pathway that sprouted off the driveway and around the side of the house. For a moment neither Jo nor Eddy could see Abe as he was in front of the house.

  Jo started to take a step forward to see where he was headed. She was worried that he would break in through the front. What if Samantha and Walt were sleeping? What if he was too quiet for them to hear him? She was almost out from the cover of the trees when Eddy grabbed her roughly around the waist. She gulped but did not cry o
ut as he pulled her back. Her hands curled around his instinctively and tried to break his grasp. Eddy held her firmly with one arm and used his free hand to point to the corner of the house. Abe had just rounded the corner and was nearing the bedroom window.

  “Stay still, don't blow this,” Eddy hissed in Jo's ear. Jo felt terrible as he released her. If she had stepped out like she intended to Abe would have seen her in a second. Their whole plan would have been ruined. But there wasn't time to dwell on that. She had to be ready to go as soon as Samantha gave the signal. She was going to be Eddy's back-up.

  Eddy was so tense that she could see sweat building on his brow. His eyes were fixated on Abe. He watched as Abe wheeled the chair beneath the bedroom window. Still, there was a slight doubt within him that what he suspected could be true. However, in the next moment Abe looked all around to make sure no one was watching. Then he eased himself up into a standing position in the seat of the chair. Eddy was stunned by the sight. After seeing Abe for so long in his wheelchair, to see him standing was a lot to grasp. Abe peered through the bedroom window.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Inside the bedroom Walt stared hard at the wall. He had been staring at the same chip in the paint for quite some time. He was racking his brain for the name of the color of the paint. He would have to go first thing in the morning and buy the paint so that he could fix the chip. He would never sleep again if he didn't. He just hoped that the paint would be the same shade. Sometimes people claimed it was, but then it turned out that it wasn't. That was so frustrating. Really there was no excuse for it. Suddenly Walt felt fear grip his spine. He wasn't sure why until he saw the shadow on the wall. It was the shadow of a head in the window. It moved back and forth slowly.

  Walt didn't dare to move a muscle. He was sure that it had to be Abe. If Abe saw him move then he might decide to call the whole thing off. It was hard not to move though, as Walt wanted to go running and screaming out of the villa. The very thought of someone watching him while he slept, even though he was just pretending, was beyond unsettling. He wondered if Samantha was okay in the closet. Was she still awake? Did she see the shadow on the wall? He didn't think that she could from her vantage point. He did his best not to squirm or scream as he watched the shadow on the wall. He held his breath for as long as he could.