Beyond Secrets, The Art of Murder_A Madison Hart Mystery

by DB Jones

  Madison smiled. It was a side of Josh she hadn’t seen before. All she had ever seen was the cocky detective, but he was compassionate.

  Madison’s voice softened. “Yes, and, unfortunately, I don’t think this is going to end well. After the amount of time that’s passed and Cora’s closeness with her parents, I’m afraid this will not be a happy reunion.”

  For most of the ride back, they were quiet. They finally arrived at Madison’s office and spread the contents of the box onto the table. Josh and Madison donned the latex gloves and started going through each item.

  Madison stepped up to the board and wrote the new information on Cora under her name and then stood back. Josh scanned back and forth between Cora, Ms. Hill, and Lois Cramer.

  “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

  “I sure am. The pieces are starting to fall into place. Maitland Art Center is our connection.”

  Josh wanted to hug Madison but refrained. “I think we make a good team, don’t you?”

  “Not too bad.”

  Madison’s cell phone rang. It was Aspen. “Hi, Madison, this is Aspen. I hope I’m not bothering you. I was wondering if you could stop by today. I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

  “Sure. What’s a good time for you?”

  “Are you free for lunch? I just fixed a shrimp salad, and we could eat on the patio.”

  “It’s 11:30 now. I could come by in an hour.”

  “Great. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Madison turned to Josh. “Well, that was a surprise. Aspen is the woman I told you about who fell at the Art Center. She wants me to come over for lunch.”

  “Well, that might be a good thing. Maybe your friend has thought of something else since her fall. I’ve got a few things to do at the station. We’ll touch base later.” Josh started toward the door, hesitated just as he was opening the door. “Good day so far.” He grinned and then walked out to his car.

  Madison placed the items back into the box and slid it under the table. She was eager to see Aspen again, not only to find out what she wanted but to see how she was doing. It would be a good break from racking her brain crazy on this case. “Sometimes, it’s good to step away from it all and then come back with fresh eyes. I think I’ve been staring at the same evidence for so long that I’m not seeing what’s right in front of me. I need to clear my head.”

  She combed her hair and headed out the door. She drove down Park Ave, past the restaurant where Margaret Hill had worked. As she passed the outside tables, she noticed the waitress she’d talked to about Ms. Hill. Madison imagined Margaret waiting on the tables and wondered if that’s where she met the person she was supposed to meet the night she disappeared. “I think I’ll stop in there after my lunch with Aspen and talk to Margaret’s co-worker, Sandy, again.”

  Madison finally arrived at Aspen’s home. Everything was so neat and perfect, just like the first time she visited. There were several pieces of art in the house that looked like originals that she hadn’t noticed before. She hesitated to ask, but the investigator in her couldn’t help herself. “Aspen, I love the art pieces you have in your home. Are they from any artists in the area?”

  “Yes. I’ve been a collector of local art for quite some time. My mother was into art from around the world, but I prefer to support the local artists. I have our lunch ready. Are you hungry?”

  “I sure am. I was so busy this morning that I forgot to eat.” Madison followed Aspen out on the patio in the back yard. Aspen had a table set under the Camphor tree. It was the perfect amount of shade, and the camphor oils in the leaves kept the mosquitoes away. The table was set with small salad plates made by one of the local artists, and tumblers that matched each plate. Aspen had one design and Madison another. It had been so long since Madison enjoyed a nice lunch with a friend in their home. Aspen was the kind of person Madison could be friends with, but she still needed to keep her guard up. Until someone is eliminated, everyone was a person of interest, in this case.

  “This is lovely, Aspen, but you didn’t need to go through all this trouble for me,” Madison said as she reached for a roll.

  Aspen sipped her iced tea. “I don’t invite many people to my home, so this was a pleasure for me. I need to get out; I’ve been held up in here too long. That brings me to the favor I wanted to ask you.”

  “I just got a call from Tyler. He wanted to know how I was doing and to know if I was going to able to come to his exhibit. He knows I am still unable to volunteer that evening but was hoping I could come. Since I still can’t drive, I was wondering if you would like to come with me. Of course, that’s the favor part. Could you drive us?”

  “I’d love to come, and I’d be happy to pick you up. I was planning on attending, and going with you would be so much more fun.”

  Aspen jumped up and hugged her. “I was so hoping you would say yes. I’ll call him back later today, and tell him we’re both coming.”

  “You seem quite taken by this Kincaid fellow.”

  “I guess I am. I’ve taken several of his classes and have learned so much. I don’t think I would have stuck with my painting if it hadn’t been for his encouragement. Mr. Kincaid inspired me,” she said with a glow on her face.

  “Have you ever modeled for one of his paintings?”

  “Oh no. I don’t think I’m the type of woman for his art. He likes a petite woman, like you. The women in his paintings are almost dwarfed by the massive, untamed landscapes he paints, yet the women add a touch of class. The women he chooses are always perfect in his paintings.”

  “What do you mean, ‘perfect’?”

  “You know the kind…well dressed, manicured, not a hair out of place, but gorgeous!”

  Madison changed the subject so Aspen wouldn’t think she was grilling her for information. “I think you’re looking better. How are you feeling?”

  “I think I’m doing great. Every day I feel stronger, and I don’t have as many dizzy spells as I did right after my fall.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Madison took the last bite of her salad. “This was a wonderful lunch. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but sometimes a person needs to get away from the everyday stuff for awhile to clear the mind.”

  Madison smiled. “I do know what you mean, and this came at the perfect time.”

  They finished their lunch and then sat outside drinking their iced teas for awhile. Madison offered to help Aspen clean up, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I get bored sitting around here all day, and this will give me something to do later. I’m so eager to get back to the Art Center and finish my paintings.” I have a doctor’s appointment in a couple of weeks, and they’re going to do another MRI to make sure the swelling and bleeding has completely stopped. Then I’ll be able to drive again.”

  “I know you’re looking forward to that, but in the meantime, if you need me, just holler.”

  “Thank you, Madison. I appreciate the offer.”

  Aspen walked Madison to the door and out onto the porch and then reached out and hugged Madison. “I’m so glad you could come by.”

  It had been a long time since anyone other than family had hugged Madison, and it caught her off guard, but she felt the sincerity in Aspen’s hug. She hoped to be able to cross Aspen off the board as a person of interest. “Okay, you take care of yourself, and don’t forget to call if you need anything.” Madison walked down the steps and turned to watch Aspen go back into her house. She sat in the car for a moment, digesting the conversation she and Aspen had about Tyler Kincaid and the type of women he liked. She wanted to get to the restaurant and talk to Sandy again before her shift was over.

  Park Avenue was crowded, as usual, and parking was hard to find. Madison drove up and down in front of the restaurant trying to find an opening to park, but as soon as she would spot one, someone else would pull into the spot.

  Suddenly, she noticed Sandy coming out of the restaurant with her purse
and heading down the sidewalk. She pulled up as close as she could and hollered out, “Sandy!”

  Sandy looked around to see who was calling for her. She didn’t notice Madison in the car at first. Then Madison called out again, and Sandy saw who it was. “Have you got a minute?” Madison asked.

  Sandy ran across the street to the driver’s side of the car. Madison asked Sandy to get in, and without hesitation, Sandy ran around to the other side of the car and jumped in just as the car behind Madison started to honk. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee? I’d like to ask you some more questions about Margaret.”

  Sandy leaned back in the seat. “Yeah, I’m off work now. I was going to walk home and take a nap. A cup of coffee and someone waiting on me for a change sounds nice.”

  “Have you been to Bernie’s Coffee Kitchen down the street?”

  “Yeah, I stop in there a lot with friends. That’s fine,” Sandy replied.

  They drove up to Bernie’s just as a car was pulling out of a parking spot. “My lucky day,” Madison said as she pulled in. They walked across the street and got a cup of coffee. There weren’t a lot of people in the shop, so they had their pick of tables. Madison wanted one with not much foot traffic coming past them so they could talk. She grabbed the one against the wall by the front window. The view was nice, and people wouldn’t be brushing up behind them entering the shop.

  Madison motioned Sandy to have a seat with her back to the door so she wouldn’t be distracted by customers coming in and out while they talked. Sandy plopped down in the chair and took a deep breath of air. “I’m exhausted.” Madison waited until Sandy got settled. “What kind of coffee would you like?”

  “Oh, just plain old strong black coffee,” Sandy replied.

  Madison ordered their coffee and then took her seat across from Sandy. “Did you have a good day at work today?”

  “I did. However, we had a couple come in, and no matter what we did for them, they just were not satisfied. They didn’t even leave a tip, and that sucks.”

  “Do you keep your tips, or do you share them?”

  “We used to keep our tips, but then it became cut-throat over the tables so the management decided we’d split tips. That seems to work out better for most of us, and we end up helping each other more doing it that way.”

  “How did Margaret get along with the other waitresses?”

  “Margaret got along with everyone. She was a hard worker and always tried to help others when she had a free moment.”

  “Did she have any special customers? Were there any men that may have paid more attention to her than the other waitresses?”

  “Not really. We had our regulars, but nothing creepy or anything like that.” Sandy crinkled her nose and scratched her chin. “There is one who comes to mind, but he wasn’t creepy. He was an artist. He was always telling her that she ought to be a model. I think he even asked her once if she would pose for him.”

  “Did she?”

  “I don’t think so. Margaret never mentioned it to me. But come to think of it, she would get excited whenever she saw him at her table.”

  “Do you remember his name?”

  Sandy sipped her coffee. “Hmm, I don’t, but I can tell you one thing, the guy was gorgeous. He had jet-black hair, and his eyes were deep blue. When he stood up he caught the eye of many women, and men, in the room. I’m not sure how tall he was, but I’ll bet he was over 6 feet and built like a god. If she didn’t pose for him, she was crazy. I would have jumped at the chance.”

  They sat there until Sandy finished her coffee, and then they parted. Madison headed back to the office but couldn’t help but wonder if Tyler Kincaid was the artist Sandy was referring to. It sure fit his physical description.

  As Madison pulled up in the parking lot, Josh pulled in behind her. “Hey, I’ve been trying to call you.”

  Madison pulled out her cell phone. “Sorry, I guess I turned off the ringer. What’s up?”

  “Not much. I wanted to see if you were up to checking out the other missing women on the board in the morning and I wanted to see how your lunch with Aspen went. Did you learn anything?”

  “I had a nice lunch, but I didn’t learn much, other than Tyler Kincaid wants her to attend his exhibit. Since she still is unable to drive, she asked if I would take her and I said I would. I can’t help feeling that man knows something, and if I play my cards right, I might find out more at his exhibit. Also, I ran into Ms. Hill’s co-worker. We had coffee after her shift, and she told me something interesting. One of Ms. Hill’s regulars was an artist, and he had asked her to pose for him.”

  “That’s interesting. Did she?”

  “The co-worker didn’t know, but after that, every time he came into the restaurant, Ms. Hill got excited, and he always sat at her table. From the description, it could be our Mr. Kincaid.”

  “Hmm, that’s interesting. I hear your brain ticking again. Do you think Ms. Hill’s secret meeting might have been with this Kincaid guy?”.

  “I’m sure going to try and find out. This has been a long and exhausting day. You want to get something to eat?”

  Josh smiled at her. “Thought you’d never ask. But do you mind, I’m sick of sandwiches? Can we sit down to a real meal?”

  “That sounds perfect, but I’ve been in the same clothes all day, and would like to shower and change first. I have a few calls to make too, so how about I swing by the station in about an hour?”

  “My day hasn’t been any walk in the park, either. I’d like to change, too. I’ll come by here in an hour.”

  Madison watched as Josh left and then locked the door. She pulled back the curtain, dropped off her clothes on the floor, turned on the hot water, and climbed into the shower. She let the water beat against her aching muscles and pulsate over her body. The case was taking its toll on her, more than most cases. There were too many missing pieces that frustrated her.

  The more she stood under the soothing, hot water, the more the idea of just pouring a glass of wine and crawling into bed appealed to her. But there was still the fact that she was hungry, and Josh would be coming back soon. She forced herself out of the shower and dressed into something more casual and less official. She put on a little makeup and dried her hair so that she could let it down. It has been tied up on the top of her head all day. It felt good to doll up a little.

  While she waited for Josh, she made a few calls. The first one was to Martin Baines, a co-worker at the FBI. He had become one of the best profilers in the FBI, and she was fortunate to be able to work with him on several cases. He also worked directly with her boss, Special Agent Stratton Wells.

  She brought him up to speed on the case and of her frustration with the unsolved missing persons and murders. She hoped he would give her new insights on the case from his perspective.

  “Madison, you do realize that you’ve only been on this case a short time, and it’s a very complicated one. I know you have already presumed you’re working on the premise it’s a serial killer. What can you tell me about the unsub, so far?”

  “Well, he’s drawn to petite, well-dressed women, who are not too socially active. The women we’ve checked into were very organized and serious about their ambitions. We also know that each of them, so far, had planned on meeting someone the night of their disappearance. They were secretive about who they were seeing, which leads me to think he is controlling in a subtle way. Our unsub is charming, and the women trust him. He wanted the relationships to be kept a secret. I’m not sure why, yet. The same weapon was used to kill two murdered victims; a small .45 caliber at close range to the back of the head. I doubt our victims saw it coming. But I’m puzzled at the sites where we found the bodies. We don’t believe they were murdered there, which leads me to think our killer was strong enough to carry a body or had the means to transport them to the dump sites. Oh, and we believe the unsub knows the area well.”

  “It sounds like you’ve got this one under control, but let me know if you need as
sistance. How’s it working out with Detective Logan? I did some checking on him, and from what we have gathered, he has a great record for solving cases.”

  “He does seem to know what he’s doing. It’s going fine. I’ll keep you posted.” Then Madison hung up her cell phone.

  She was about to call Jim and update him but stuck her cell phone back in her bag. All she wanted to do was to end the day and take a break from work “A good dinner and early to bed is just what I need.” She unlocked the front door and then walked back to the board and tossed a sheet over it so no one could see the board from the window. “I need a fresh view of this case. I’m missing something, but my brain can’t take anymore tonight.”

  She was straightening the office area when she heard a horn honk. “What the hell?” Getting out of the car was Jessie. “Hey, girl. I just thought I would stop by for a minute on my way home. I was visiting your sister today. She’s doing great and that Cole, he dotes on Winter like a princess. I think he really loves her. Oh, how’s it going on the case?”

  “I’m glad you spent time with Win, you two have been best friends for a long time, and I know how she treasures your friendship. The case is plugging along. You know I can’t discuss much of it with you, I’m sure you understand.”

  Jessie chuckled. “I know you can’t, but I can’t help my curious nature,”

  “Come on in.”

  “So this is what you’ve done with the place?” Jessie glanced around at the sparse room. “And I suppose you’re living in that cubbyhole of a room in the back?”

  “It will do for now. Besides, there’s no need to try and find a permanent place just for this case.”

  Jessie lowered her head. “I guess. I was hoping, and so was Win, that you might change your mind and stay.”

  “To be honest, Jess, I’m not sure what I’m going to do when this case is over. The way it’s going right now, it might take a lot longer than I had anticipated. There are too many unanswered questions. It’s a real puzzle. Now that’s all I can say, and I probably said more than I should have already.”