A Deadly Row

by Casey Mayes

  “You never heard from him, did you?”

  “No, but to be honest with you, I never expected to. We fought all of the time growing up, and your mom usually took his side. Looking back now, I can’t remember anything significant we ever argued about. Our personalities just didn’t mesh. I never really missed him, but I’m sure your mother did. I wonder.”

  “What?”

  He paused, and then said, “I can’t help speculating if Astrid knew where he was all along. No, that’s nonsense. She would have told someone. I’m sure that box is nothing more than old photographs and keepsakes she wanted you to have. I don’t have to tell you how sentimental your mother was.”

  I had boxes in storage at home with third grade book reports and macaroni artwork, so I didn’t need a reminder. “No, I’ve got all the proof of that I ever needed.”

  “She had a real fascination with things, didn’t she?”

  “I think it was more about the memories they evoked,” I said, surprising myself with the answer. The way Barton Lane had held that paperback had struck a chord with me, and I could remember my mom doing the same thing with the Christmas ornaments my grandmother had made for her.

  “You’re right. I never really put that together. You’ve grown into quite a woman, you know that, don’t you?”

  “Sometimes I wonder,” I said.

  “Well, you can stop. I’m proud of you, Savannah. I never told you that enough growing up, but I mean to do it now.”

  “I’m proud of you, too,” I said.

  That elicited a laugh. “And why is that?”

  “You’ve endured more than your share of hardships over the years, and yet you haven’t let any of it beat you down.”

  “Losing my Celia almost killed me,” he admitted.

  “But you pulled yourself through.”

  “With the help of family and friends and the Good Lord above.” He paused, and then said, “I’ll let you go, but thanks for calling me. I love you, Savannah.”

  “I love you, too, Uncle Thomas.”

  After we hung up, I nearly forgot about my other message. I hit the play button again, and was happy to hear Zach’s voice.

  “I don’t care what time it is when you get this, or what you think I might be doing. Call me. I miss you, if you can believe that. I know it’s just been a handful of hours since we saw each other, but what can I say? I’m kind of used to having you around.”

  I hit the save button on the phone so I could replay that sweet message whenever I wanted to. I’d been reticent to call him before, but with his blessing, I couldn’t dial my husband’s telephone number fast enough.

  “Can you talk?” I asked after he grunted his name.

  “Savannah. Hey, how are you?”

  “I’m well. Are you at a stopping place?”

  “Sure,” he said with a sigh. “That’s as nice a way as any to say I’ve hit a dead end.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Trust me, it’s not you. I keep pounding my head against the wall, but all I’m getting is banged up and bruised.”

  “Then maybe you should stop doing that,” I said with a laugh.

  “Could be. How did the meeting with Barton Lane go?”

  “We had dinner together after I gave him what I’d found in Cindy’s apartment, except for the skiing photograph, of course. You’re not jealous, are you?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “What did you have? I’m starving.”

  I laughed at his response. “You should order a sandwich.”

  “Yeah, I probably should before I collapse from hunger. Thinking’s hard work. Hang on.” After a minute, he got back on. “I sent Joe out. He’s a nice enough guy, but he’s not Steve.”

  “Any idea when your helper will be back?”

  “He’s supposed to pick me up tomorrow morning at the hotel, but we’ll see. You know I was just teasing you about the food. I trust you with my heart and my life, Savannah.” There was another pause, and then he asked, “Nothing happened, did it?”

  “Of course it didn’t. He made me pancakes.”

  “You mean he ordered them from room service,” Zach said.

  “No, he mixed up the batter and cooked them for me himself.”

  “Okay, now I’m jealous. It’s one thing to order room service, but I can’t imagine him waiting on you.”

  That was better. It was good to hear a twinge in his voice, regardless of how much I loved him.

  “Relax, he’s old enough to be my father.”

  “It’s not like that hasn’t happened before with rich, older men.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “Zachary Stone, I’m many things, but a trophy wife candidate is surely not among them.”

  “I don’t know about that. I think you’re a prize,” he said.

  “Right back at you. Have you had any luck so far?”

  The frustration in his voice was clear as he said, “Not that you could tell. We know these murders are connected, but other than through Grady, I can’t find a single common denominator between them. There has to be something else tying her to Hank Tristan’s life. Grady might know of something, but we can’t ask him, can we?”

  “He’s AWOL at the worst possible time, isn’t he?”

  “That’s right, I didn’t tell you. I found him. He says he had to get away from things, so he spent the day hiking on the parkway.” The Blue Ridge Parkway was a couple of hours away, and I knew Grady liked to hike, especially the loop trail around Price Lake. It was secluded up there, and Zach and I had joined him a few times in the past.

  “Is he being any nicer to you than he was before?”

  “He’s settled down some. He told me he’s had some time to cool off, so we’re getting together for breakfast. Sorry, but I’m going to have to bail out on you tomorrow.”

  “That’s fine. I’m eating with Lorna, remember? Should we make it a double date?”

  “I don’t think so. Their breakup wasn’t all that friendly, was it?”

  “Lorna seems to be completely over it,” I said. “But maybe you should tackle his honor by yourself.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing. Could we at least have lunch together? I miss you, Savannah.”

  “It’s a date,” I said.

  I heard a commotion on the other end of the line. “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s nothing. Joe just got back with our sandwiches.”

  “That was fast.”

  “He went across the street, and I doubt they’re very busy this time of night. It’s not pancakes fresh off the griddle, but it will have to do.”

  “You don’t mind, do you? Really.”

  “No, but you can’t blame me for wishing it was me making pancakes for you instead of a man I haven’t met.”

  “We’ll have to fix that then, won’t we? Do you have any idea when you’ll be back here?”

  “Not a clue. I might have to stay all night.”

  “Do whatever you have to,” I said. “Your work is important.”

  “Thanks, Savannah.”

  I thought of something. “Zach, did you run across a woman named Samantha in your reading?”

  He paused, and then said, “The name’s familiar, but I can’t remember where I read it.”

  “Could it have been in Cindy’s address book?”

  “How did you know that? That’s exactly where it was.” I could hear him leafing through something.

  I read her address to him off the information I’d been given in Barton’s apartment.

  “That’s it. Do you want to tell me how you know about her?”

  “Barton said she was Cindy’s closest friend. He believes that if Cindy was seeing anyone, Samantha would know about it.”

  “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

  “Is there any chance I could go with you?”

  “Why?”

  “Maybe she’ll be more likely to disclose facts about Cindy’s love lif
e if there’s another woman there.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe I’m right, or maybe I can go?”

  “Maybe both,” he said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

  After we hung up, I got out a pad and pencil and moved to the couch. I thought it might not be a bad idea to get a jump on tomorrow’s puzzle. Besides, I was too wired up from everything that had happened to get to sleep, and late night television usually bored me to tears.

  After half an hour, I gave up. I believed that I woke up brilliant, and got duller with each passing moment. My puzzle would have to wait until morning.

  There was something I’d put off, but I couldn’t postpone it anymore.

  It was time to open the box Uncle Thomas had given me from my mother. It would have been nice to have Zach there with me, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, and I had to face it tonight, or I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink.

  I retrieved the box, moved to a seat by the windows, and, after I took one last deep breath, I opened it.

  Chapter 14

  MY HANDS WERE SHAKING AS I PULLED OUT THE FIRST item from the box my mother had left for me. It was a photograph, and I recognized my mother and father immediately, though they’d been teenagers when it had been taken. My mother was wearing blue jeans and an old flannel shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail of ash blonde hair, while my father was wearing gym shorts and an old T-shirt. His hair was long, nearly touching his shoulders. It wasn’t the man I’d known growing up. Whenever his hair touched the tops of his ears, it was time for a haircut. In the photo, he had a cocky arrogance to his stance that showed me a little bit why my mother had fallen for him.

  The next photograph was older still. It showed two young boys and a little girl sitting around a campfire. My grandfather was behind them, the gleam in his eye apparent even across the years. When I studied the photograph closer, I saw that it was my mother’s family. Uncle Thomas was there, and eating a roasted marshmallow was my other uncle, Jeffrey. There was something about Jeffrey that looked familiar, but I couldn’t see all of his face in the poor light of the fire. From what I could make out, his resemblance was stronger to my grandmother, who sat quietly beside him. Uncle Thomas and Mom were more like their father. I kept staring at my unknown uncle, wondering where he was right now, or even if he was still alive.

  Setting it aside for a moment, I removed the next item. It was a heart-shaped locket, and I wondered if my mother had received it from my dad. It took a few seconds to get the locket open, and I was surprised to find another man’s picture inside, clearly not my dad. Why had she kept it all those years, and more importantly, why was she handing it down to me? He didn’t look at all familiar, and I didn’t have a clue how I might find out who he was. And then I realized that I’d just spent the day with my best chance of knowing. I’d have to go back and see Uncle Thomas to ask him if the man looked familiar to him. If he didn’t know, I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to find out.

  After the photographs, there was a stack of letters, all neatly tied together with a faded red ribbon. I opened the first one, and saw that it was a love letter from my father to my mother. It just took a few sentences for me to feel like some kind of voyeur, even though Mom had supplied them to me herself. I folded the letter back up and slipped it into its envelope. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever read them, but somehow, it felt good possessing a piece of my past before I even existed.

  Beneath the letters, I was getting to the bottom of the box. I wasn’t sure what I’d find, but a safety deposit box key was the last thing I imagined.

  Even more startling was the note that it was taped to.

  Savannah, if you’re reading this, I’m not around anymore. I didn’t know what to do with the contents of this safety deposit box, so I’m dumping it in your lap. I shouldn’t do it, I know that, but I plan to deal with it someday and hopefully you’ll never have to see this letter, or what I’ve hidden from you.

  I just can’t deal with it today.

  If you are reading this letter, I hope you are well. I often regretted not having more children so you’d have someone in your life once your father and I were gone, but I was thrilled to have you. In many ways, you were my greatest achievement, my legacy, my bid for immortality.

  Don’t think badly of me when you open the box.

  I didn’t know what else to do.

  I hope you do.

  Forgive me. I love you.

  Mom

  I picked up the telephone and dialed my uncle’s number, even though I knew that it was past his bedtime.

  “Hello?” he answered after several rings.

  “Uncle Thomas, it’s Savannah.”

  I could hear the weariness in his voice. “I was hoping you’d call. Just not this late.”

  “Sorry, but it couldn’t wait. Do you know anything about a safety deposit box my mother had?”

  There was a long pause, so I asked, “Uncle Thomas? Are you still there? I need you to wake up. This is important.”

  “I’m awake, trust me. I honestly never put the two things together.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I got a notice last year that a safety deposit box at the old Southern National Bank in your mother’s name had lapsed, and I was named as the other signatory. They asked me if I wanted to renew it, or collect the contents of the box. I went to the bank, and I paid fifty dollars to have them drill it, since I had no idea where the key was. When they got it opened, they put me in a room by myself, and I opened it. Inside was another box, with a note to me.”

  “What did it say?”

  “That I was supposed to hold it for you until you asked me about it, and not turn it over until then. I wanted to give it to you right away, but I didn’t want to break my word to your mother, either.”

  “So you’ve still got it.”

  “Not anymore.”

  I felt my spirit sink. “What happened to it?”

  “When I went to get the first box, I slipped out to your car and put the second one in the backseat under an old blanket. I kept trying to tell you about it, but your mother’s note haunted me. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “So, I’ve got it? What’s inside?”

  “I didn’t look in either box,” he said. “They were both for you.”

  “You shouldn’t have sneaked it into my car,” I said.

  “Darlin’, the list of things I shouldn’t have done would fill up a notebook the size of Texas. If I wronged you or your mother, I’m sorry, and that’s the truth.”

  “You did the right thing. I just wish you would have told me about it sooner.”

  “I’m truly sorry.”

  “You’re forgiven,” I said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another box to open.”

  “At least you won’t have to come back here and go to the bank.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you what I found.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I lost that right.”

  “Not on your life.”

  He sighed. “Then call me tonight.”

  “No matter how late it is?”

  “Not even if it takes an hour.”

  I hung up and grabbed my car keys.

  I was panting as I reached the car, and my hands shook as I retrieved the box. A part of me had worried that someone might have taken it since I’d arrived back in Charlotte, but it was still where my uncle had put it.

  I thought about opening it right there, but though the parking garage was well lit, it still didn’t feel very secure. Tucking it under my arm, I headed back upstairs to see what was so important that my mother had locked it away from the world.

  Back in my suite, my hands were shaking as I opened the box.

  Inside were stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

  My mouth fell open as I counted them, and I was shocked when I realized there were a hundred of them.

  My mother had stuffed ten thousand dollars in
a safety deposit box, and she’d asked me for her forgiveness when she dumped it into my lap.

  Beneath the money was a brief handwritten note.

  And as I read it, I was more shocked than I’d been when I’d found the cash.

  Astrid,

  I shouldn’t have left you, or the family. More importantly, I never should have taken the money.

  I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive this fool.

  Use this money to buy yourself a little happiness.

  You deserve it.

  J.B.

  J.B. had to be my uncle. After all, the note said as much, didn’t it? But why hadn’t she spent the money? Had she held a grudge that long over my uncle’s desertion of her and their family?

  I was more confused than ever, and I thought about calling Zach, but the man I really wanted to speak with was my uncle.

  “Good, you’re still awake,” I said when Uncle Thomas answered his telephone.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been dying to find out what I’ve been holding onto the last two years.”

  “Would you believe ten grand in hundred-dollar bills?”

  “Not likely. What was inside?”

  “Ten grand in hundred-dollar bills,” I said.

  There was a pause, and then my uncle said, “You’re not kidding, are you? What was she doing with that kind of cash?”

  “You didn’t get a packet of money yourself, did you?”

  “Not hardly,” he said. “Why, should I have?”

  “That’s not up to me to say. From what I can tell, your brother sent Mom that money and asked for her forgiveness.”

  I hated to tell my uncle that his brother hadn’t cared all that much for him, but it was pretty clear he wasn’t surprised by the news.

  “That makes sense,” he said. “They were always close.”

  “What am I going to do with all of this money?”