Exactly! If she could see that, then why the hell couldn’t this idiot in the white shirt and what he probably thought was a fashionable tie.
“Maybe you didn’t have time. And you couldn’t exactly start digging up the ground—not when it’s frozen with a foot of snow on top of it. This probably was the easiest way.”
“No!” she yelped. “It’s not like that at all!”
“Ace,” Angela interjected, a roughness to her tone.
Ignoring her, he used his hands to tell her to calm down. Todd hoped she possessed the temerity to stop this inquisition since it was going to get the overzealous agent nowhere.
Ace rubbed his chin, his eyes lighting up with a childish gleam. Planting himself down on Una’s desk, he stretched his long legs out, crossing them at the ankle. His hands gripping the underside of the edge, he spouted out his next question, the one that was delighting him so.
“So tell me, Melissa. What prompted you to go down in the basement in the first place?”
“What?” she blurted, sitting ramrod straight.
Catching her by surprise, she still hadn’t invented a reason. Avoiding the pertinent question, her eyes wandered around the walls of the room for a plausible explanation. Photos of Una in full dancing regalia lined the office, attesting to her supremacy over the dance world. She had been glorious, there was no doubt, but the testament to her long career did nothing to jog Melissa from the ditch she was stuck in. She couldn’t tell them the truth. When she’d run upstairs, Roger, the new guard, had immediately secured the door. The authorities had been the ones to unlatch it and search downstairs, but they found no one. If she said she saw Zoe, she’d look as if she were lying or just plain crazy.
Not eating anything since this morning, her stomach growled. Her stomach! Lunch! That was it!
“I had been practicing, rehearsing … I was hungry and went downstairs for lunch. I thought I heard someone—opening the door. I went to look, but there was no one there. I wanted to make sure, you know, given all that was happening. So I went into the basement and …”
“You tripped over the clothing?” he asked, his face registering suspicion.
“Exactly.”
“Had you been in the basement before?” he fired.
“No, sir. Never. I didn’t even know what was behind that door.”
“Then how did you see?”
Christ! Another question she hadn’t considered. It wouldn’t make any sense to go into a dark basement.
“The light was on,” she replied as coolly as possible.
“Really, the light was on? Then how did you …”
“Trip? I’m trying to explain. I was scared—so I backed up instead of looking where I was going. I didn’t know the suitcases were there.”
“No! Of course you didn’t! You’d only know if you’d placed them there. Isn’t that right, Melissa? Did you place them there?”
“Ace!” Angela said stepping forward and interceding. “That’ll be enough,” she said placing a hand on his chest. Pushing to his feet, he glared, but did as directed. Angie knelt down, placing a sympathetic hand on Melissa’s back. “It’s alright, Melissa. We’re all under a lot of pressure—especially with a colleague gone.”
Missy looked up sniffling, wiping at her face with a stretched out raglan sleeve. Grabbing Angela in a desperate embrace, she hugged the agent, her face pressed against her shoulder.
“It’s alright,” Angie comforted. Patting her head, she smoothed back her dark hair. “You did the right thing telling us. And you were a brave girl going down there by yourself.”
Melissa pulled back, her large luminous eyes oversaturated with moisture dripping down to her chin.
“Really?”
“Really, but next time, please call us,” Angela said, giving her a warm smile. “You can go.”
Melissa stood uncertainly, looking around to see if the offer would be rescinded. Ace held his ground, but did nothing to countermand Angela’s authority. Todd prevented himself from running to her and scooping her up in his arms. There would be plenty of time for that later. Right now, she just needed to leave so that he could get to the point of why he was here.
Taking a few shy steps, she reached the door, running quickly past the officers outside.
Closing the door, Todd wasted no time. Foster’s frantic urgings caught his attention, but were obliterated by the diminishing opening.
“What the hell is this about?” Todd snapped, well aware of his harsh tone. He was done being pushed around.
“You objecting to interviewing a person who seems to be a common denominator in a lot of what’s going on?” Ace responded, a look of superiority running a mile wide on his overconfident face.
“Actually, no. I wasn’t even referring to Ms. Solange,” he replied.
“Ms. Solange?” Ace mocked, raising his eyebrows and eyeing Angie. Angela remained passive and objective. She didn’t want to get in the middle of this heavyweight match. It happened a lot in investigations. The local boys often got bent out of shape when they were cut out of the action.
“Look, this isn’t about her! This is about you going against my direct professional opinion of treating the Grey Inn Lodge as a crime scene,” Todd said, his voice rising in volume and musical key.
Ace snorted, placing his hands on his hips. Trying to keep the huge grin to a minimum, he didn’t want to add a log to the kid’s fire.
“How is someone skipping out on a bill connected to anything going on here?”
“It’s not someone. It’s the man that Barbara Moore was supposed to have eloped with, but she didn’t. That’s why he came back.”
“And you know this how?” he asked, the grin getting wider.
“Because I talked to him and …”
“He told you?” Ace said, scratching the lobe of his ear.
“Yes,” Todd said, his vinegar dampened by a good dose of reality. He quickly realized how this sounded to someone looking at it objectively.
“Well, then it has to be the truth, doesn’t it?” he said, laughing while he threw his hands up in the air. He began to pace, stopping in front of Todd.
“When you put it like that, I suppose it doesn’t, but you weren’t there. I believed him. He was really broken up.”
Ace became conciliatory, putting a meaty paw on Todd’s shoulder.
“Look, if I had a nickel for every time I thought someone was telling me the truth, I’d be on the list of the wealthiest men in America. And would you be surprised that 90% of the time it turned out I was wrong? It’s how it goes. It’s why I rely on evidence.”
Todd’s resolve started to crumble. He was right, but Mulligan had been so sincere.
“No, you weren’t there. Plus there were drops of red on the backseat of his car. I think it was blood.”
“And I think it was ketchup. As for his story, consider this. Barbara runs off with him. They have a good marriage, but it runs its course. They start to argue. Maybe Barbara sticks around a few more years until she can’t take anymore. One day, he comes home and she’s gone. Now where do you suppose he’s going to look for her?”
“Holybrook,” Todd answered softly, his eyes on the ground. Humiliated that he hadn’t thought of that rationale himself, he’d been so sure.
“I appreciate the effort, and we did follow up. Angie spoke with Mrs. Moore. She seemed credible, but that guy that skipped out? He’s worrisome where the veracity meter is concerned. I mean, the fact that his last three checks bounced doesn’t generate a lot of confidence, does it?”
“No, but his car … and his guitar … he left them.”
“Guitar? Like he can’t buy another? And the car, the piece of junk is barely running. They tried to start it, and they finally got the engine to turnover, but it’s pretty much roadkill.” Ace patted him on the back, giving him a friendly shake. “Look, like I said the first time, I think it’s better if you stay out of this one. You’re letting your emotions get to you, and believe me, emoti
ons will kill an investigator’s instinct every time.”
Grabbing his jacket from the chair, he slipped into it. With a wag of his head, Angie fell in line and followed him out the door. Todd stood like a statue, Foster coming in to find out what happened.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure, I’m fine,” Todd replied, lifting his head, and slapping his thigh. “You know what though?”
“What?”
“I let that guy get to me. I actually started to doubt myself,” he said giving a derisive laugh.
“About what?” Foster asked.
“This investigation,” he stated flatly, his eyes burning with a renewed vigor.
“Oh, no, Todd, no. You can’t do this. You’ve got to end it here.”
“Says who? I’m telling you we’ve missed something. There’s a piece out there that needs to be found.”
“And you intend to find it?”
“Exactly. The only question is whether you’re going to help me?”
“I don’t know, Todd. I need that pension. Getting myself fired isn’t going to help anything.”
“No, but catching the real perpetrator will. You in or out?”
Foster hesitated, huffing and raising his head towards the ceiling. He ran his hand over his face.
“In,” he answered, disgusted with himself for being a good friend, but a lousy cop.
“Great. There’s somebody that we need to talk to. He’s been overlooked for way too long.” Throwing his arm over his shoulder, he escorted his friend out of the room.
.
Chapter Fifty-two
Having spent the past few hours trying to calm Melissa down, Todd was geared to do some real investigating. Headed to speak to a person who had been ignored, he was anxious to hear what he had to say.
Easing the cruiser behind Foster’s parked car, he was glad that his friend was smart enough to wait inside the sport vehicle. The motor running, Todd raced the few feet with his collar up and head down. Anticipating the warmth, he knocked on the passenger door, dancing in place until he heard the click of the lock. Wasting no time in climbing in, he swiftly shut the door, rubbing his arms to bring warmth to a body blasted by sub-zero temperatures.
“Damn it’s cold!" Foster complained bitterly, shivering in reaction to his car being invaded by frigid air.
“Yeah, well, it’s winter in Holybrook. You should know the drill by now.”
“You’d think, but it comes as a surprise every goddamned year. Another five years and it’s Key West here I come.”
“That where you’re headed?”
“Yup, sure am.”
“What are you going to do out there?”
“Fish mainly. And to supplement my pension, I’m thinking of starting a private security company, or writing a book. Lot of authors out there.”
“A book? You never struck me as that type.”
“No?” he grimaced, lifting his hand off his thigh, “I think I’d look good on the back cover. Sort of distinguished.”
“No doubt. Just remember to send me an invite to your new home once you get settled in. I’d like to see what life could be like after my tour of duty with this dog and pony show,” he responded, not taking his eye off the building they were staking out.
“Dog and pony show?” Foster asked. “Doesn’t sound like the rookie we hired.”
“Yeah, well, I hadn’t had the pleasure of working with any federal investigators back then.” Sitting up straight, his neck strained upwards, and then contracted. He hit Foster on the upper arm with the back of his fingers. “She’s finally leaving. Our person of interest is alone.”
“Looks like,” Foster agreed.
Both watching the woman battle the howling winds to get to her car, the engine sparked to life with the push of a button. Bonnie’s new SUV on its way home, the lights went off inside the metal-fronted diner. Seizing the moment, they trotted across the street, tapping on the glass of the door until Manny’s face appeared under the ‘Closed’ sign.
“We want to talk with you,” Foster shouted. His voice drowned out by the raging blizzard, Manny was able to get the gist. The cardboard notice swung back in place as an overhead light snapped on. The wind whipped through the down parkas of the two policemen—the sound of the deadbolt assuring them that they wouldn’t have to withstand it much longer.
The door opened to the sound of the familiar bell. The two officers rushing in, Manny stood to the side. His jacket on, his face wore a look of confusion.
Batting their arms against their bodies, they stomped their boots on the ground to dislodge chunks of snow entrenched in the ridges of their boots.
“Foster, Todd,” Manny greeted, “what gives? I was about to go home.”
Both well-acquainted with the diner owner’s habits, he was heading home to his wife, Frances. Marrying her right out of high school, they’d been together ever since.
“Hey, we’re sorry for keeping you,” Foster apologized, “but Todd and I had some questions.”
“Questions?” the owner asked, his hands springing to his hips in a defensive posture. “And they couldn’t wait until morning?”
“Not really. The sooner we get them out of the way, the sooner we can see if anything you know will help this current rash of disappearances.”
Manny moaned, placing his large hand over his face. Looking upward, he shook his head.
“I was wondering when this would happen,” he said, unfastening his coat. The chair scraped along the floor as he sat heavily at a large table. Seemingly defeated, it was an odd way for him to behave since they hadn’t asked him anything yet.
“This is unofficial, Manny—and off the record, if you want it to be,” Todd stated, taking the seat next to him.
The older man’s head continued to undulate as if he were an automaton programmed to do that simple action until infinity. His hand went to the top of his head, ripping off his old woolen cap.
“It doesn’t matter. I knew someone would be asking—although I expected the questions about forty years ago. When this stuff started, I just knew that mistake would be coming back to haunt me.” He hung his head like a dog caught robbing the trash.
Todd caught his buddy’s eye. Both sitting down as quietly as possible, it seemed as if Manny were on the verge of a confession. Not knowing about what, they didn’t want anything to sully the mood.
“Mistake? And what would that be?” Todd pursued.
“Joining that damned club. Stupidest thing I ever did in my life,” he answered with gravity.
“The Innocents?” Todd suggested.
“Yes.”
“And you think they have something to do with what’s happening?”
“Do I think?” Manny retorted, mulling over the question. “Hell, I don’t know what to think, but the papers sure do. They say that Laura Hilliard was involved with them.”
“Yes, that’s true. She was tapped for membership,” Foster answered.
“So I take it that you’re not a part of them anymore?” Todd followed up.
“No, no, and no!” he stated defiantly, his hands crossing to indicate his affiliation was severed and complete.
“And when exactly did it end?” Todd asked.
“When Barbara went missing,” Manny said without any hesitation, his eyes lifting and focusing on Todd.
Foster looked down at his hands. He’d been so sure that this was a waste of time, but from Manny’s statements and demeanor, they might have gotten here in the nick of time. One more week of holding old secrets in and he might have exploded.
“Went missing? So you don’t believe she left town to get married?”
“Hell, no!” he flatly rejected.
“And why is that?” Todd continued.
“Because I knew her. That girl was about as ready to get married as a honey badger is to join the priesthood. She had sex with me about a week before she went missing. Does that sound like somebody that was in love with someone else?”
Foster and Todd examined each other’s faces for confirmation they were thinking the same thing. They were. Todd cleared his throat ready to ask the next question.
“No, I don’t, but if she didn’t elope, what you think happened?”
Manny’s fingers pinched at the corners of his eyes, “I don’t know,” he admitted, his head resuming its motion. “I just know it had something to do with that … that … skeleton.” The last word barely audible, Foster and Todd weren’t certain that they’d heard it correctly.
“Excuse me?” Todd interrupted, wanting to make sure.
“Skeleton,” he confirmed, starting to get nervous. Fidgeting, the chair squeaked in response. The quiet in the diner made everything seem a little surreal, the bizarre subject only enhancing the vibe.
“Oh, I know you think I’m crazy, but I’m not. It’s what The Innocents were all about. We were young and rebellious, and the old legend about Death was kind of cool. ”
“You thought Death was cool?” Foster asked, not understanding the logic or reasoning.
“Sure,” he replied, scanning their blank faces. “I see you don’t get it. Look, Death was the great equalizer. After all, everyone is going to die—even people that think they’re these big shits and don’t have to answer to anyone. They’ll have to answer to him, won’t they?”
It made sense the way he was explaining it. Teenagers were all about resenting authority, and here was someone that not only resented authority, but rid the world of it in one fell stroke. They nodded in agreement.
“I can see that,” Todd conceded.
“Yeah, me too,” Foster agreed. “Rich guy thinks he’s above it all, but he’s not. And then there’s this poor suffering person that …”
“Death helps out by ending his suffering. Exactly,” Manny explained. “That’s what it was about—from my friend’s perspective anyway. For me, it was a chance to get together in the woods, dress up, and scare people. It was all so stupid.”
“And the sacrifices?” Todd pried.
Black Adagio Page 33