A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 10)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  “Dr. Amos, the dentist Meagan worked for.”

  * * *

  The office was located in a business condo unit on the first floor, Pediatric Dentistry, Lyle T. Amos, DMD. Upon entering the reception area, we noticed the waiting room was filled with toys, children’s books and a large screen TV mounted on the wall showing a Disney movie.

  Several kids were on the floor playing, as their parents zoned into their cell phones or watched the Disney movie on the flat screen TV.

  Carter told the young receptionist who we were and that we’d like to speak to Dr. Amos about Meagan Hart. I showed her my P.I. license and she examined it with great interest. She showed us to a room near the back with a round table and chairs, probably the lunch/break room for employees.

  “I’ll let Dr. Amos know you’re here. It might take a few minutes. Would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?”

  Both Carter and I kindly declined, and the receptionist left us alone.

  A few minutes later a young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, waltzed into the room wearing a white lab coat with cartoon animals all over it. He had a fair complexion with blonde hair that was practically white. I figured he had to be one of the dental hygienists, although I had never met a guy dental hygienist before. To my surprise, however, he introduced himself at Dr. Amos.

  When he saw the expression on our faces, he laughed. “I get that same reaction from everyone,” he said. “You can’t imagine how many times I’ve been called Doogie Howser.”

  “When did you become a dentist?” I asked. “When you were ten years old?”

  He didn’t seem the slightest bit offended. “I’m not that young. I’ll be thirty-two next month.”

  After Carter and I introduced ourselves, Dr. Amos took a seat at the table and donned a more serious expression of concern. “So, I understand you want to talk about Meagan Hart. Have there been any new developments?”

  Carter shook his head and said, “Unfortunately not, which is why a friend of Meagan’s hired us.”

  “I understand,” Dr. Amos said. “What can I do to help?”

  “First of all, do you know if Meagan had any patients that might have been infatuated with her?”

  “The detective asked me that same question last November and I’ll tell you what I told him. Meagan never complained to me about anyone but it wasn’t in her nature to complain anyway. She seemed to like her job and had a good rapport with all of her patients. The other hygienists loved her, too.”

  “Are you married, Dr. Amos?” Carter asked.

  He seemed a little taken aback by the question. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, I’m just wondering if you fancied Meagan?”

  “Well,” he cleared his throat and smiled nervously. “First of all, I’m happily married and, second, I was not interested in Meagan … in that way.”

  Carter made an apologetic expression. “Sorry to ask another uncomfortable question, but where were you on the night April 3rd?”

  “Home with my wife and her parents. They were visiting from Detroit, staying with us for a week.”

  “The in-laws for a whole week?” Carter teased. “I bet that was fun.”

  Dr. Amos laughed good-naturedly. “They’re not so bad.”

  Carter got back to business. “So, was Meagan friendly with the other hygienists here?”

  “Sure. Beverly and Meagan were pretty close.”

  “Is Beverly working today?”

  “Yes.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll send her in as soon as she finishes up with her patient.”

  “Thank you,” Carter said. “We appreciate your help.”

  “Certainly.” Dr. Amos rose to his feet and shook Carter’s hand and then mine.

  Within a few minutes, a very thin, elderly woman doddered into the room, wearing pink scrubs with baby bunnies on them. She had to be in her late sixties, her spine curved into a question mark. Her hair was like dandelion fluff, dyed a tangerine color and her skin resembled crepe paper.

  “Hello, I’m Beverly,” she said in a hollow voice that cracked. “You wanted to talk to me about Meagan?”

  I couldn’t believe this woman was still a dental hygienist, when she clearly should have been enjoying her retirement. I guessed the hump on her back was the result of decades of hunching over, cleaning people’s teeth.

  After Carter introduced us, Beverly took a seat and peered at us through sparkling blue eyes. Although she might have been up there in the age department, I could tell she had her wits about her. Those cool, blue eyes seemed sharp.

  “I’m glad somebody is still trying to find out what happened to Meagan,” she said. “I still can’t sleep at night, I worry so much about her. She’s like the daughter I never had.”

  Carter nodded in understanding. “The police haven’t given up but, without any leads, things have come to a complete stop. I know you spoke with a detective a few months ago but we’re still trying to find out if Meagan was having problems with anyone before her disappearance. Anything you can think of would help us.”

  Beverly exhaled and shook her head, the weary expression turning to frustration. “If Meagan was having problems with someone, she didn’t share that with me. She was always so positive, even when things got ugly with Mark. She never complained - even though she had every right to. That boy was unrelenting.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Carter asked. “My understanding was that she and Mark had an amicable break-up.”

  “Well, by ugly I don’t mean he was abusive towards her but, he was definitely on her case. He’d call her every day, begging her to come back. He clearly hadn’t respected her wishes. Of course, I told her not to take his calls but she just didn’t know how to put her foot down. I’m sure she was still in love with him.”

  “Yes,” Carter replied. “Mark is the one who hired us to keep looking for her.”

  Beverly’s eyes brightened. “Really? Well, at least he’s loyal to her, I’ll give him that.”

  “Did Meagan start dating other guys after Mark?”

  She narrowed her eyes in thought. “No, not that Meagan talked about.”

  “Did Meagan ever mention a guy named Cliff Collins? He’s a lawyer in town. She went to him for a consultation about getting a restraining order. Did she ever mention anything about that to you?”

  Beverly shook her head. “No and the name doesn’t sound familiar. Why, is he important?”

  “Apparently on the night Meagan disappeared, she had invited him back to her house to watch a movie. When he showed up an hour later, Meagan was nowhere to be found and there were clear signs a struggle had taken place. He called 911 and stayed until the police showed up. Mr. Collins claims that he’d only met Meagan that day.”

  “That’s funny,” Beverly said with a wistful look. “I always joked to Meagan that she should find herself a wealthy doctor or lawyer to date. After dealing with Mark’s money troubles, she deserved a guy who didn’t suck her dry, emotionally and financially. Sounds like she had taken my advice.”

  Carter rubbed his chin anxiously. I knew the next question he was about to ask would sting and potentially backfire. “Beverly, I hate to ask this, but do you think Dr. Amos had a thing for Meagan?”

  To Carter’s relief, and mine, Beverly only chuckled at the insinuation. “Not a chance. Dr. Amos is a big flirt but not just with Meagan. Heck, he flirts with me and I’m older than dirt.”

  Carter coughed nervously. “Well, you’re certain that he and Meagan never had a fling.”

  “As certain as the arthritis in my bones, Dr. Amos is a respectable man. Meagan never mentioned anything to me about getting a restraining order: if she had considered it, then it certainly had nothing to do with anyone at work.”

  The receptionist poked her head into the room. “Beverly, your next patient is here.”

  “Thanks, hun. Be right there.” Beverly reluctantly got to her feet, which seemed to take some effort. She looked straight into Carter�
�s eyes. “Please call me anytime, if you want to talk about Meagan some more. I’ll do anything to help you find her.”

  Carter nodded. “We appreciate that, ma’am.”

  It was almost 4:00 by the time we left the dentist’s office.

  “What do you think?” Carter asked me. “Is Dr. Amos a viable suspect, just because he tends to flirt with his employees from time to time? I don’t think so.”

  “I think Beverly would have sensed something going on with them. She seems like an observant lady.”

  When we got back to the Buick, Carter punched some numbers into the GPS.

  “Where are we heading now?” I asked.

  “I’d like to talk to Graham Taylor’s sister.”

  “Why?” I asked. “His name hasn’t come up at all.”

  “I know. I just want to cover our bases. She lives at the trailer park and it’s a quick ride from here. What’ya say?”

  “Fine with me, but I think we’re wasting our time.”

  Chapter 9

  “It looks like she’s home.” Carter pointed to the woman sitting on a rickety lawn chair with prematurely wrinkled, leathery skin. Her shoulder length hair had obviously been bleached too many times and looked dry and brittle in the late afternoon sun. She had her head tilted back, eyes closed, probably trying to get even more UV damage, not that she could afford any more. She was probably in her late twenties, but looked much older.

  Carter and I exited the Buick. At the sound of the doors opening and closing, the woman opened her eyes and regarded us with mild interest as we approached.

  “Ms. Taylor?” Carter said to her.

  She sat up straight, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Who wants to know?”

  “We’re here to talk about your brother.”

  An anxious look flashed across her face. “Did you find him?”

  “We’re not the police,” Carter said. “But we would like to speak to you about him.”

  The woman didn’t move from her chair, hands clenched on the arm rest. “Jesus, you scared me. I thought you were gonna tell me you found his body.”

  “No,” he said. “We’re here to talk about his disappearance. You reported him missing on April 4th, the day after Meagan Hart was abducted.”

  “Yeah, I read about her in the paper. Figures the media would care more about a pretty young girl than my low-life brother.”

  Carter nodded. “I’m really sorry about that. Maybe we can help. Can we ask you a few questions?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose. Pull up a chair if you like.”

  Carter unfolded two chairs for us. “Would you mind telling us a little about your brother?”

  She blew out a breath. “Maybe you should tell me what you know first.”

  Carter raised his hands as if to apologize for what he was about to say. “We’ve been told he’s a drug addict and a male prostitute.”

  She scoffed at his words. “Drug addict? That’s a nice way of putting it. As far as the male prostitute thing, well, that isn’t entirely correct. He gave a few blowjobs in return for drugs, that’s all. I swear, I never should have told the police that little tidbit.”

  Carter winced. “Do you know the names of these men who traded sexual favors for drugs?”

  “Just one guy. Graham never talked about him. The only reason I knew what he was doing is because he let me in on his plan. He said he was holding out for a big payday.”

  “Could you explain, please?”

  “Blackmail. Graham had taken a video of himself with this one particular guy and planned to release it on the Internet unless, of course, the guy promised to pay up. I just laughed. Graham didn’t have the balls to stand up to anyone like that. He talked a good game but I couldn’t picture him going through with it. I love my brother but he is about as sharp as a marble.”

  Carter and I exchanged a glance. I said to Karen, “Or maybe he did have the balls and that’s why he’s missing.”

  She gave me an eerie look. “Are you telling me I don’t know my own brother?”

  “No,” I said with genuine empathy. “But let’s consider the possibility for a minute. Did you ever find this video that he supposedly made?”

  “No. I looked through all his things and I never found anything like that. I figured he probably shot the video from his cell phone.”

  “Your brother must have said something about this guy who gave him the drugs. Was he married? Was he wealthy? What did he do for a living? Anything like that?”

  She made a grunting sound and shook her head. “All Graham ever said about him was that he had access to some great prescription meds. I assumed the guy had plenty of money or else Graham wouldn’t have tried to blackmail him.”

  My back stiffened. “Prescription meds? So he could have been in the medical field.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Probably some hot shot.”

  A thought occurred to me. “Let’s assume for a minute that Graham got up the nerve to blackmail this guy but the guy didn’t want to play ball. They have an argument that escalates and he threatens to kill your brother unless he leaves town.”

  “If Graham left town, he would have gotten in touch with me somehow to let me know he was okay. He knew I worried about him. I mean, sure, he’s gone missing before but only for a few days at a time. Not three months.”

  “Do you still have your brother’s things?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I have a box in the shed. Mostly music CD’s, clothing and other trinkets he held onto from when he was a kid.”

  “Do you mind if we take a look at them?”

  “Why,” she asked with a look of incredulity. “What does this have to do with your missing girl?”

  “Maybe nothing,” I replied. “But since we’re here...”

  She pushed herself up and out of the lawn chair, her bare legs sticking to the plastic seat. “Follow me. I’ll show you his things.”

  The cardboard box she procured from the tiny shed had water stains and reeked of mildew. When I opened the top flaps to look inside, sure enough, the contents were exactly as she described; music CD’s, clothing, some Hot Rod cars and a bong. “This was all he had?” I asked.

  “Pretty much. He could not care less about personal possessions. All he cared about was getting high. If he needed to use a computer, he used my laptop but he didn’t have much interest in Facebook, or stuff like that. He hasn’t had a job in years. Only reason I let him live with me is cuz he’s the only family I have left.”

  “After Graham went missing,” I said. “Did anyone call you or contact you asking about him?”

  She gave it some thought. “No, not that I can remember.”

  “What about Graham’s friends? Any of them come around asking about him?”

  “Friends?” she laughed. “I was his only friend. Sometimes he hung around with a group of deadbeats but I wouldn’t call them friends. One of the guys is named Fishhead. Don’t ask me why they call him that.”

  “Any idea where Fishhead hangs out?” Carter asked.

  “Sorry. I have no idea.”

  I repacked the box with Graham’s belongings and tucked in the flaps. “Thanks for letting us take a look.” I handed her my business card. “Will you call us if you remember anything else, or if you happen to hear from Graham?”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  On the ride back to Bridgeport, I said to Carter, “I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a drug addiction. I get stressed out just watching the show, Nurse Jackie.”

  Carter looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. “Never heard of that one. Is it any good?”

  “It’s actually quite engrossing, like watching a train wreck. This nurse who works in an ER in Manhattan is addicted to pain meds, takes pills several times a day, especially when she’s working. She tries to keep the secret from her family and friends but it eventually comes out. She would cheat her own best friend just to get high.”

  “Great,” Carter said. “Sounds uplifti
ng.”

  “Anyway, sounds like Graham might have pissed someone off. Blackmail has a way of backfiring.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “But does it have anything to do with Meagan?”

  It was almost six-thirty by the time Carter dropped me off at my apartment. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I wanted to invite him up but decided I would be poor company so I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “See you tomorrow okay? I’m gonna hit the hay pretty soon so I’m fresh for tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” he said, without a trace of disappointment. “I’ll call Mark tonight and give him an update. I’m sure he’s wondering what we’ve been up to. Then I’ll keep trying Meagan’s friend, Lizzy Walker. She hasn’t called me back in almost two days and I’m starting to wonder why.”

  “Okay. Call me first thing in the morning.”

  When I got up to my apartment, I didn’t bother to wash my face or even brush my teeth. I crawled into bed and conked out.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning I woke up to a case of bad breath and even worse hair. I jumped in the shower and stayed there for almost ten minutes. I brushed my teeth like a madwoman for about the same time. When I emerged from the bathroom, I felt like a new person.

  As I walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, my cell phone rang. The caller ID said private but when I answered the call, I knew exactly who the woman was by her southern accent.

  “You asked me to call you when Maria came to visit Mr. Hart. Well, she just got here. She’s in the room with him now.”

  “Thank you, Sue-Ann. I appreciate the call. I’m on my way right now.”

  I called Carter and, thankfully, he was already on his way to pick me up.

  Since I didn’t have time to blow dry my hair, I made a braid and put on my favorite baseball cap. Peeking out the window, I noticed the blazing sun and the temperature. Only 8:45 and it was already 80 degrees.

  I wriggled into a pair of loose fitting jeans, a cotton blouse and rubbed some blush into my cheeks. Carter arrived as promised at five minutes to nine.