by Casey Mayes
“But you don’t believe that in this case, do you?”
“Savannah, I do my best not to jump to conclusions, no matter what I told Grady. Does it look bad for him right now? Of course it does. Does that mean he’s a murderer? I’m a long way from believing that. It will take more than an inkling or an instinct to convince me that a good friend of mine is a killer. I’m going to do my best to figure out who did it. Be sure of one thing, though. If it was Grady, I’m going to nail his hide to a wall.”
“But we’re hoping it’s someone else.”
“Of course we are,” Zach said.
“Any other clues?”
“Maybe, but I haven’t run across them yet. I’ve got to spend some serious time digging through those files.”
“Is Steve any help to you at all?”
“To be honest with you, he’s more like a puppy underfoot, but I don’t have the heart to throw him out. When he missed out on getting my job, he kind of fell apart for a few months. If I can help him, I will.”
“You recommended Davis, didn’t you?”
Zach nodded as he took a sip of water. “I had a hard conversation with Steve when I left, and I didn’t pull any punches. He’s got the makings of being chief someday, but he’s going to have to tame that temper of his. I told Grady the same thing and he made the final decision.”
“You don’t have to tell me about his temper. I heard him talking to his landlord, and he was really laying into him.”
“Then you know what I mean. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw him again, and I was relieved when he volunteered to help me. That’s a good sign, as far as I’m concerned.”
He yawned, and I matched it without realizing it.
As Zach stood, he said, “It’s been a big day, hasn’t it.”
“It’s hard to believe we were home this morning,” I said.
“Has coming back to Charlotte made you sentimental for the good old days at all?”
“It was great seeing Sherry and her girls today, but I can’t imagine living back here again. I love the mountains.”
“Believe it or not, I do, too. We’re close enough to Asheville if we need anything, but we’re still far enough away so it doesn’t feel like we’re closed in at all. I forgot what all this car exhaust smelled like, and I don’t even want to think about dealing with the traffic.”
“But a little excitement now and then is okay, too, right?”
“Everything in moderation, Savannah. Let’s call it a night. I’m going to get an early start tomorrow. What are your plans for the day?”
“I’ve got breakfast with Lorna in the restaurant, and then I’m coming back up here to create a puzzle. It’s not going to be a hard one; I can tell you that. My editor isn’t crazy about me sending him easy puzzles, but every now and then, I think the readers like them.”
“After you’re finished tomorrow, come to the station and we’ll grab some lunch. You’ll be done by then, won’t you?”
“I certainly hope so.”
As Zach headed for the bedroom, he asked, “Are you coming?”
“I think I’ll stay up a little, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Just don’t stay up too long. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Don’t remind me,” I said.
He kissed me, and then Zach disappeared into the other room to get some rest. I moved back to the window and stared outside again. Charlotte was at its most beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough of the view. Though I loved living in the mountains and had lobbied for the move for years, it was still nice to visit the Queen City now and then. The view from this height made the city look clean and safe, like no harm could befall me there. I knew better, though. There were more murders being committed in the city than Zach was worried about, and I knew that injustices were being done with alarming frequency, but I wasn’t about to let that bother me. There was a great deal more good in the city—and the world—than there was bad, and even though Zach’s line of work focused on the evil people did to one another, I liked to think instead about the countless acts of unselfish goodness that went unnoticed in the paper and on the evening news.
Chapter 7
EVERYTHING WAS BEGINNING TO FALL INTO PLACE. THE killer studied an unfinished puzzle taped to the wall, figuring where each number and letter should go. It was complicated, making up clues to match the final outcome, but a little pain was necessary. If it was easy, anyone could do it, and this was the most complex killing spree that anyone had ever seen. The former police chief was good, that’s why he’d been brought in, but he was no match for the murderer’s skill. Sending the picture of his wife had been a nice touch, one that would make the game a little more personal.
That would make the ultimate victory that much sweeter.
It was time to elevate the stakes.
Let them all have a taste of who exactly it was they were dealing with.
Chapter 8
I WASN’T SURE HOW MUCH GOOD THE SLEEP ZACH MANAGED to get did him since he tossed and turned all night, but I got enough rest to feel somewhat renewed the next morning. It wasn’t much of a shock to see that Zach was gone when I got up, and I found a note from him on the mirror.
Savannah,
I couldn’t sleep, so I headed over to the station. Have fun with Lorna, and good luck with your puzzle. See you at lunch.
Love you, babe,
Zach.
My husband wasn’t much for traditional romance. Last Valentine’s Day, he’d given me a dozen pencils tied together with a bright red ribbon. They weren’t just any writing instruments; they were my favorite kind, the only type I could use to create my puzzles. Coming from him, this note was overly gushy, and I folded it carefully and put it somewhere safe. If he had any idea that I cherished every note he’d written me over the years, he would have been surprised. He wasn’t all that sentimental, but that was fine. I was sappy enough for both of us.
I glanced at the clock, and I saw that I had half an hour before it was time to meet Lorna for breakfast. I could start a puzzle, but I knew if I did that, I’d never make it downstairs. In my own way, I was as bad as Zach when I was focusing on something.
“LORNA, I’M OVER HERE,” I SAID AS I ROSE FROM MY SEAT. I’d taken a table by the window while I was waiting so I could watch people as they scurried about their business. It amazed me how energetic they all seemed, but I couldn’t imagine any job or errand worth their harried efforts. I loved being a puzzle creator, and not just because of the intellectual challenge each puzzle presented me with. There was a great deal to be said for any job that allowed me to work in my pajamas.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said as she joined me. “I got tied up in traffic. Sometimes I think you and Zach have the right idea. Maybe we should all move to the country and be done with the rat race.”
“Don’t kid yourself. We have problems there, too; they’re just different than the ones you have here.”
After we ordered, she said, “I can’t imagine what rural crime must look like. Certainly it can’t be as exciting as Zach’s job was here.”
“He’s retired,” I said.
“But I heard through the grapevine that he’s working for the police again.”
“Where did you hear that?” I asked her.
“Oh, please; you should know better than anyone that the city’s not that big. I was at a party last night, and I overheard someone say that Davis was in over his head, and he had to call your husband in to help with a case.”
I knew Zach wouldn’t be happy that his presence in Charlotte had already been noticed, but there was no way to lock that particular barn door once the horse had escaped.
“Did you hear what case he was supposed to be working on?”
Lorna grinned. “I was hoping you could tell me.”
“I can’t talk about Zach’s work; I’m sorry.”
After they delivered our breakfasts, she asked coyly, “How about a little hint?”
I
suddenly remembered that Lorna’s name was on the police interview list. Would I really be breaking any family rule by discussing a case she was already involved in, no matter how far on the perimeter it might be?
“You were at the Black-Tie Ball this year, weren’t you?”
“You know I never miss it,” she said.
“Think about how I’d know that, Lorna.”
It took her a second, and then her expression widened. “You mean Zach is investigating Hank’s murder?”
“Funny, you didn’t use his last name.”
She waved a hand in the air. “Come on, everybody knows everyone else at those things. Sometimes it feels as though it’s the same party, year after year, with different themes and locales, but all of the same players.”
“You must have known Hank Tristan pretty well.”
She looked curious. “What makes you say that?”
“You danced with him that night, didn’t you?”
“Now you’re making me nervous. Were you and Zach there that night? I didn’t see you.”
“No, but I glanced at the police report yesterday,” I admitted.
“Whew, for a second there I thought you were psychic. Yes, I danced with Hank. What a mistake that was.”
“Why, wasn’t he a good dancer?” I might have sounded a little ditzy, but I was trying really hard to keep our conversation light and airy. If Lorna knew something, she might tell me if I played it right.
Lorna smiled. “No, that wasn’t it. He was marvelous, as a matter of fact. Somehow, Hank managed to dance with most of the women there that night. He was a little tipsy when he got around to asking me, and I thought it might make my date jealous enough to take me a little more seriously.”
“Did it work?”
She grinned at me. “As a matter of fact, it blew up in my face, just like it usually did before I straightened myself out. Peter wasn’t at all pleased with me. Was I actually in the police report? How exciting.”
“I don’t know how thrilling it is to be the subject of a police investigation, no matter how briefly.”
“That’s just because you’re used to crime. How are the puzzles doing?”
“We’re steadily increasing the number of papers they’re appearing in.”
“I know,” she said with a grin. “I’ve been subscribing to the Hickory Post just for your puzzles. Have you ever thought of putting them online?”
“My editor’s talked about it, but he’s afraid it might eat into our base,” I said. “I must say, I’m flattered.”
“Savannah, I love your puzzles. They have just the right amount of variation from easy to hard to keep me on my toes. I don’t finish all of them, but I’m up to doing three out of four most of the time.”
“I’d say that’s pretty successful,” I said. “You must be getting pretty good.”
“They calm my spirit, if that makes any sense. When my mind’s racing ten miles a minute, I pull out a puzzle and start working.”
“Are you working on anything new now?”
“I’m going to go create one right after we finish here,” I admitted.
“I don’t suppose there’s any way I could watch you do it, is there? I promise I’ll be so quiet that you won’t even know I’m there.”
“There’s nothing magical about it,” I said. “I sit on the couch, and start playing with numbers. It’s a lot like watching a kid do her homework, and just about as exciting.”
“You underestimate how wonderful what you do is. You make something out of nothing, and that’s an act of pure creation.”
“I suppose. I never really thought about it. It’s just what I do.”
We had finished our meal, and I’d delayed making my puzzle as long as I could.
“Speaking of which, I’d better get to work.”
“Thanks for making the time for me. Breakfast is my treat.”
“I’d be happy to get it,” I said. While I had no compunctions about taking a free room, I still had a little trouble allowing Barton Lane to pick up the tab for everything else.
“You can pay next time,” she said.
At least someone was paying. Lorna signaled the waitress for our check, and when the young woman came over, she said, “Your meals today were compliments of the Belmont. I hope you both have a nice day.”
Somehow I’d been expecting that, and it was no use arguing with the girl who’d served us so well. “Thank you.”
Lorna looked confused. “What just happened here? Did this meal go on your room tab?”
“I suppose you could say that,” I said. “Don’t worry, it’s all settled.”
“I honestly would be glad to pay.”
How on earth was I going to explain to her that the owner himself was handling it? There was no way I could do it without mentioning Barton’s name, something I knew he wouldn’t have liked. “You can get it next time,” I said. “But perhaps we should go somewhere else tomorrow.”
“Why? Breakfast today was lovely.”
“Let’s just say that it might be nice to get out of the Belmont once in a while.”
Lorna looked around the beautifully furnished restaurant. “I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“Trust me,” I said, allowing a slight laugh to escape my lips.
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hadn’t really agreed on meeting with her the next day, but she was fun company, and I heartily approved of the changes she’d made in her life, and her attitude about the world. “Tomorrow it is. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”
“Make it a good one,” she said.
I left her, nodding my thanks again to our waitress as I left. She smiled brightly, but there was also an air of curiosity to her expression. I couldn’t imagine why she thought the hotel owner was picking up every check in sight for me, but I couldn’t exactly tell her, either. For now, I was just going to have to remain a mystery for the staff. I liked thinking of myself that way, Savannah Stone, woman of intrigue.
I couldn’t stall anymore, though.
It was time to create a puzzle, and do it in time to have lunch with my husband at the police station.
AFTER I FINISHED THE LATEST BRAINTEASER, IT WAS TIME to write my snippet; a nice little addition to whatever puzzle I’d chosen to create.
Life is full of puzzles, some hard, some easy. Every now and then it’s good to revisit the basics, and that’s what I’ve done today. For those of you with Master puzzle-solving skills, remember your joy of solving your first puzzle, and take a moment to relish that sense of accomplishment. For those of you who have been waiting on the side of the puzzle pool, barely dangling your toes in the water, now’s the time to jump in and try one yourself.
That might mollify my die-hard fans, and still be enough of a nudge to get others to try a puzzle themselves. Either way, I was finished for the day, and I could see what Zach was up to, as soon as I faxed this to my editor. If I had time, I’d work on a harder one for tomorrow, but right now, all I cared about was seeing what my husband had come up with while I’d been playing with numbers.
“STEVE, HAVE YOU SEEN MY HUSBAND?”
The officer looked up at me as I walked into the hallway in front of the task force headquarters at the police station.
“He’s meeting with Davis,” he said. “The chief said to tell you if you showed up, to wait for him.”
“It must be odd having Zach back here. He was your boss a long time, and now you’re answering to someone else.”
“Davis is doing the best he can, but he can’t hold a match to your husband.” He realized how that must have sounded, because he quickly amended, “Not that I don’t respect my new boss, too.”
“Zach said you were up for the job yourself.”
He shrugged. “Sure, I took a stab at it, but I knew it was a long shot. I’m ten years younger than Davis, and he’s got more seniority on the force than me, too. My time will come.”
“That’s the spirit
,” I said.
Steve’s face brightened as he asked, “Did you finish your puzzle?”
“How did you know I was doing one?”
“The chief mentioned it before he had his meeting. I’m a big fan, you know.”
“Of my husband? Of course, I understand that. I’m a big fan of his, too.”
“No, I mean of you. I do your puzzles every chance I get. Those puzzles are great. I’ve tried a few others, but I like yours the best.”
“Thanks. That’s always nice to hear.”
“What is?” my husband said as he walked into the hall.
“He was just complimenting me,” I said.
“Was he, now? What was the topic?”
“It wasn’t anything like that, Chief,” Steve said quickly. “I told her how much I liked her puzzles.”
Zach frowned for another second, and then laughed. “Relax, I’m just pulling your leg. Savannah’s a real wizard with numbers, isn’t she?”
“Just like you are with clues,” Steve said.
“Not that you could tell that so far.” Zach looked at me a second, then added, “Would you mind if we had lunch here again? I’m not fit to be around people today.”
“Hey, as long as I don’t have to get it, that’s fine with me.”
“Steve, would you mind?”
“You’ve got it, Chief. Do you need to see any menus from around here?”
“I haven’t been gone that long,” my husband said with a smile. “I’ll have a cheesesteak from Greg’s.”
“Make that two,” I said, remembering the way the cheese melted into the sandwich, and the way the peppers and onions had a smoky, grilled flavor.