by Cindy Bell
“Hey!” He broke into a run as she pulled her door open. “Stop!”
She tried to get inside and close the door, but before she could, his meaty hand grasped the door frame and held it open. She held her breath as he leaned over the door and glared at her.
“Didn’t you hear me? I thought you wanted your tree delivered today?”
“Oh, yes.” Relief flooded through her. “Can we arrange it for the end of the week, now?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks. I’ll come see you to arrange it. I have to go now.” She tried to disguise the fear in her voice.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged, then turned and walked away.
Chapter 14
As soon as Joyce stepped outside with Detective Crackle right behind her, she felt her nerves rattle. Being alone with him was strange to her. It created a sensation that she couldn’t really identify.
“Now, tell me what you know.” She turned to face him.
“I don’t have to tell you anything.” He held her gaze.
“Then this was a waste of time.” She started to walk towards the parking lot.
“Wait.” He grabbed her arm and tugged her back. “I don’t have to tell you anything, but I’m willing to. Maybe that will help you to see that I’m not the enemy here.”
“Maybe.” She quirked a brow. “That depends on what you have to say.”
“I can only tell you this now because Jerry is dead and can obviously not be in danger anymore.” He frowned. “This doesn’t need to be spread around town. I can get in trouble if it is. Can I trust you to keep this quiet, please?”
“Yes.” Her eyes widened as she realized that was true. She wanted to protect him.
“Jerry was an informant on a case. He used to be part of a crime ring in a town where I used to live and work as a police officer. I caught him, and he agreed to help me bring down the ring. I assured him he would get police protection, that he would go into the witness protection program. I really thought he would. But once he turned all of his friends in, the District Attorney refused to approve him for protection. So, I took it upon myself to find him a place to go. I placed him in another state at first, but then I was transferred here. I never thought much about it, until he was attacked. I knew I had to get him somewhere safe, and this was the safest place I could think of, so I moved him here. I set him up with a new identity, got him started with the bakery, and assured him I would keep an eye on him.” His expression tensed as he shook his head. “Clearly, I didn’t do a good enough job.”
“Wait, so you’re saying Jerry was an informant? That’s the good thing he did?” She searched his eyes.
“Yes, he put a lot of dangerous criminals behind bars. I’m afraid, one of them has tracked him down.”
“But aren’t they in jail?” She frowned.
“Some are, but some have been released. Three that I know of.” He sighed. “It was a big ring and Jerry didn’t know how far-reaching it was. Some were never caught.”
“If you knew this, then why were you coming after Brenda?” She frowned. “You must have known it wasn’t her.”
“I wasn’t coming after her. I had to investigate all suspects. I thought Jerry was safe. I didn’t think anyone could find him here. I thought since it was her donuts that were poisoned whoever did this might be associated with her. Maybe her husband, or a friend, someone who had discovered who Jerry was or had managed to find him. But the more I investigate Brenda the more I think she wasn’t involved.” He sighed. “I’m no closer to finding the killer than I was when I started. And yes, Jerry was not a great person, but after years of trying to keep him safe, in a way he’d become family to me.”
“I can understand that.” She rested her hand on his shoulder and waited until he looked up at her, to speak again. “Detective…, Arthur.” She held his gaze. “This wasn’t your fault. Not any more than it was Brenda’s, or mine. Somehow someone found him, and you couldn’t have possibly known that. Whatever I can do to help you with this case, I will.”
“Thank you.” He reached up and touched the back of her hand that still rested on his shoulder. “I wish I could believe it wasn’t my fault. But I was the one who wasn’t paying attention. Now, the only thing I can do for him, and for this town, is to make sure that whoever killed him can never hurt anyone again.”
“And you will.” She pulled her hand away. “I’m sure of it.”
“I appreciate your confidence.” He studied her a moment longer, then glanced away. “Please, apologize to Brenda for me. I didn’t mean to frighten her.”
“I will.” She watched as he walked towards his car. Now she understood the intensity of his behavior. He wasn’t just trying to solve a crime, he was trying to find justice for someone he was trying to protect, someone he considered a friend, and protect the town that he cared about from men he was certain were quite dangerous. Perhaps her rush to judgment about him was shortsighted.
As she reached her car her cell phone buzzed with texts from Brenda. They were pictures of documents that indicated Gray’s farm was to be sold within a few days. Then another text came through from Brenda.
Gray is getting ready to leave town. The timing seems odd since he hasn’t been here that long. Remember how the day of the vendors meeting was the same day that Jerry bought cameras? We weren’t the only new vendors introduced that day. Gray was as well. I think it’s starting to add up. Don’t you?
Joyce stared at the text as her heart raced. If Gray had showed up in town recently, if he was ready to leave town again so soon, that would indicate he was leaving quickly for a reason. Could that reason have been Jerry? If that were the case, then he might just be one of the criminals that was involved in the crime ring, maybe Jerry even helped put him behind bars. She turned to call out to Detective Crackle, but his car was already gone. She thought about calling him to tell him her suspicions, but decided that before she could bring the theory to his attention, they needed some solid proof. If Gray got a visit from a police detective he might just leave town even faster. She texted Brenda back.
I’ll meet you at the house. I think it’s time for a fieldtrip.
Brenda was in the driveway when Joyce arrived. As they exchanged information that they’d discovered, Brenda climbed into the driver’s seat of her car, and Joyce settled in beside her.
“So, you think we should go to his house?” Brenda looked over at her. “Isn’t that risky?”
“It is, if he’s there. But I doubt we’ll get any proof otherwise. A man that lives that far off the grid keeps his secrets at home.” Joyce nodded. “The only way we’re going to find anything, is if we get inside.”
“All right.” Brenda drove towards the farm. She tried not to think about how hard her heart was pounding. Gray had frightened her enough earlier that day. Now the thought that he might be a hardened criminal and murderer made her even more nervous.
“Stop here.” Joyce pointed to a small side road before they reached the driveway that led to the farm. “We don’t want the car to be spotted when we go in.”
“Do you think going in is wise?” Brenda frowned as she glanced in the direction of the farm. “If he catches us there…”
“He won’t. We’ll make sure of it.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Detective Crackle’s phone number. To her surprise he answered on the first ring.
“Joyce, how can I help you?”
“I need you to look into someone for me. Gray Spruel. He owns a tree farm, and sells trees at the holiday market.”
“Sure, I have some locals investigating all the vendors and I was planning to speak to Gray today.”
“Now would be a good time.” She glanced over at Brenda, whose eyes widened. “Maybe you should call him down to the station for a conversation.”
“Why?” His voice grew stern. “Have you found something new?”
“I have good reason to believe he was involved in all of this. I suspect that he knew exactly who Jerry was, his re
al identity.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Wouldn’t you rather ask him?” She did her best to sound convincing as she spoke. “He showed up here, recently, and he is disconnected from the community.”
“So, he’s not friendly? That doesn’t make him a killer.”
“Wouldn’t you take any lead? This is my hunch. Don’t you think it’s worth looking into it just in case I’m right?”
“I think you might be barking up the wrong tree. I found a possible connection between Orville and Jerry from years ago. They lived in the same area. I just need confirmation it was at the same time.”
“So nothing has been confirmed?”
“No.”
“Well, I think you should look into Gray in the meantime.”
“All right, I’ll look into him more closely.”
After he hung up the phone, Joyce looked over at Brenda.
“I’m not sure if he’s going to do it, but I planted the seed. We might just have to wait at the car for a while.” She rubbed her hands together and shivered. “At least we can turn the heat on.”
“Good idea.”
As Brenda turned on the heat Joyce explained to her what the detective had said about Orville.
“Maybe we are wrong about Gray then,” Brenda said. They were both startled by the sound of an engine roaring not far behind them. Brenda pulled Joyce down behind the dashboard, just as Gray’s truck whizzed past. Had he noticed their car there? It was impossible to tell as he drove by too fast to see his face.
“Wow, I can’t believe that worked.” Joyce raised an eyebrow. “I guess Arthur trusts my hunch after all. Let’s go take a look before he comes back.”
“What if he changes his mind and turns around?” Brenda hesitated as she lingered behind the car. “What if Arthur finds out that we broke in? That’s just another reason I could end up in jail.”
“This is the best way to keep us both out. All we need is proof that Gray is connected to Jerry, if we get it, then Arthur will be able to make the arrest. If you’re too nervous you can stay out here with the car. Let me know if you see someone coming.” She turned and started walking down the long, dirt road that led to the farmhouse.
“No way!” Brenda jogged to catch up with her. “I’m not letting you go in there alone.”
“I didn’t think you would.” She winked at her. Despite the farmhouse being visible from the road, it took several minutes for them to traverse the driveway that led to it. “It’s getting chillier.” Joyce pulled up the collar of her jacket as an icy wind carried across her shoulders.
“It’ll be dark soon and even colder, so we should be as quick as we can.” Brenda stared at the front door of the farmhouse. “And have we considered how we’re getting inside?”
“Don’t worry, I can handle that.” Joyce winked. She pulled a small pouch out of her purse.
“What’s that?” Brenda peered at it closely as she unzipped it.
“I asked Davey’s old partner to teach me how to pick locks.” She pulled out a slender metal tool and began to work on the lock on the door.
“Why? In case you were kidnapped or held hostage?” Brenda’s eyes widened.
“Eh, I’m afraid not.” Joyce’s cheeks flushed as she glanced at her. “It’s because I keep locking my keys in the house. I thought about hiding a key outside, but the more I thought about it the more foolish I realized that was. So, I asked him to teach me how to break in.”
“So you pick locks often?” Brenda’s eyes widened.
“No, he just taught me last week. This is the first lock I’ve tried, besides my front door.” She grinned as the knob finally turned.
“Amazing.” Brenda shook her head as she stepped inside. She paused and listened for any evidence of a dog. The house was silent. It was small inside, with a combination living room and dining room, as well as a tiny kitchen. The only decorations were some paintings of landscapes on the walls. Everything was in place, but dusty. “Doesn’t look like he has much company.” She walked towards the kitchen while Joyce checked out the table beside the couch. Both women dug through every drawer and shelf they could find.
“There isn’t much to see, is there?” Brenda frowned. “Even the refrigerator is practically empty.”
“There’s still the bedroom.” Joyce led the way towards the bedroom. As she reached it, she grimaced and pulled up at her shoe. “Ugh, I think I stepped in something sticky.”
“Sap.” Brenda nodded. “From the trees.” She suddenly gasped. “Oh Joyce! It was him! I know it was!”
“What? How? Did you find something?” She spun on her heel.
“The sap! That’s what was sticky near the eggs. He must have trampled on them when he peered inside to make sure that Jerry was dead!” Her heart slammed against her chest. “We shouldn’t be here, Joyce, we have to go! If it’s him, there’s no way he went to the police!”
“Just calm down, Brenda I’m sure…”
Her voice was drowned out by the roar of an engine. It was Gray’s truck, returning to the farmhouse, that no one knew they were at.
“He’s here!” Brenda blinked back tears of panic. “We have to hide!”
“Okay, okay, let’s just try to be calm!” Joyce tried to control the fear in her voice.
“In here!” Brenda grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her into the small closet beside the bed. It was packed with thick shirts and heavy jeans, leaving not much room for her and Joyce to fit in. Brenda sucked in her belly as much as she could and swore she would get back into exercising after the holidays. As she shoved herself back as far as she could against the wall, she heard heavy footsteps in the hallway. Her foot brushed against something on the floor. A bottle. She peered down at it just as Gray turned on the bedroom light. Enough light flooded through the crack in the closet door to reveal that the bottle contained white powder. Her stomach twisted as she realized that it might be the poison that had been used to kill Jerry. It further proved the fact that he was the killer. And they were about to be discovered by him.
Chapter 15
“He knows we’re here,” Joyce whispered as he drew closer to the closet. Before Brenda could respond, the knob on the door twisted.
“Get out here! Now!” He slammed the door open so hard that it struck the wall behind it with enough force to knock down one of the pictures he’d hung on the wall. As the glass shattered, Joyce’s heart jumped up into her throat. She reached for Brenda’s hand, just as the door swung open and light poured inside to reveal them both. The massive man stood before them with fury in his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” He grabbed Brenda by the arm and jerked her out of the closet.
“Stop! Let me go!” She struggled against him, but she was no match for his strength. He easily tossed her down on the floor and reached for Joyce.
“Let you go?” He roared. “You’re in my house! Did you break in?” He was not as rough as he grasped Joyce’s arm, but he steered her out of the closet just as Brenda got to her feet.
“We were here to look for evidence to clear your name. To warn you. The police are coming after you!” Brenda gulped down a few breaths. “They’re on their way here, now.”
“The police?” He chuckled as he positioned himself between them and the bedroom door. “The police don’t have a clue, and I’m no idiot. I know you aren’t here for my sake. Now, what am I going to do with you?” He scowled at them both.
“Listen, you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re absolutely right. We’re the ones who broke in, right?” Joyce tried to meet his eyes, but he began to pace, making it impossible. “Just call the cops on us. They’re not going to believe anything we say. Trust me. That detective, he has a real problem with me. If you just call the cops, then all of our problems are solved.”
“Except that if I call the cops, they’ll know that you were digging around in here for something and the attention will be on me. They’ll work out that I took revenge on my father’s dea
th.” He shook his head, then paused directly in front of Joyce. “You shouldn’t have come here. You should have let me have my privacy.” He grabbed her hard by the arm, this time with far more pressure. “Now, I’m going to have to solve my own problems.”
“Don’t you touch her!” Brenda lunged forward and slammed her body into his. She knew that she wouldn’t do much damage, but she had no idea what else to do.
“Real smart!” He growled as she bounced off his thick frame and stumbled until she collided with the floor. “Stay down!”
As he gazed down at her, his eyes blazing, and his lips twisted into a frustrated grimace, she realized what his intentions were. He wasn’t going to risk letting them go.
“Gray, listen to me.” Brenda stared up at him. “You can’t do this. You’re not a killer. Jerry had it coming, didn’t he? You had a score to settle with him. But this isn’t you. Jerry betrayed you. But Joyce and I haven’t done anything to you.”
“You broke into my house.” He pushed Joyce down onto the end of the bed and kept one heavy hand on her shoulder. “You were going to turn me in to the cops. That’s enough.”
Joyce saw her opportunity. It wasn’t a good one, but it was the only one she had. As he turned towards Brenda, she grabbed his wrist and elbow and twisted. In the same moment, she positioned her leg against his knee, and pulled him towards it. As she had hoped, he was shocked by the sudden pain, and thrown off balance. As he stumbled in an attempt to regain his balance, he met her leg. When she tugged with all of her strength, he toppled over her leg and landed hard on the floor.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Joyce growled through gritted teeth, just as Gray started to scramble to his feet.