A Killer Column

by Casey Mayes

  “Who’s been here?”

  “Who hasn’t? First there was Brady Sims, then Sylvia Peters, and then Cary came by with some man named Lassiter.”

  “What did they want?” I asked, not being able to see those as a team, unless they were actually having an affair after all.

  “They were asking questions about Derrick’s businesses that I didn’t have the answers to.”

  At least I wasn’t the only one she’d suspect of the theft.

  “Well in that case, I’ve taken up enough of your time,” I said as I headed for the door. The sooner I could dig into that planner, the better chance I’d have of seeing if it had any clues that Zach and I could use.

  I had one hand on the doorknob when Kelsey said, “Stop. Something’s wrong.”

  It was clear that I was busted.

  How in the world was I going to be able to explain this?

  “What’s wrong?” I asked Kelsey as I turned around.

  “Something’s missing,” she said.

  “You’ll have to give me a better clue than that.”

  “Derrick’s planner,” Kelsey said, and I felt the bottom go out from under me. “It was right here.”

  “Right where?”

  “Under the cushion of this chair.”

  I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of this, but I wasn’t ready to confess that I’d taken it just yet. I had one chance to muddy the waters, and I was going to take it. “When’s the last time you saw it?”

  She frowned, and then admitted, “It was last night. I was going through a few of his notes for the week, and I jammed it under there when Mindi Mills came to the door with some story about missing Derrick so much.”

  “Mindi was in here, too?”

  “For a minute. I got her a cup of water, and then she left.”

  “Did you look at the planner after that?”

  Kelsey paused for a second and then said, “No, I sort of forgot about it. I had so many other things to do, you understand.”

  “So then, it could have been Mindi, Brady, Sylvia, Cary, or Lassiter that took it,” I said, carefully leaving my own name off the suspect list.

  “I suppose you’re right, but why would any of them want it?”

  “Could there be something incriminating somewhere in the pages and notes?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so, but then again, anything is possible.”

  “Maybe it will turn up,” I said as reassuringly as I could.

  “I hope so. I’d be lost without it.”

  “I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” I said, and promised myself that I’d find a way to get Derrick’s planner back to her once I was finished with it. If she needed it, it was wrong of me to keep her from it, but for now, I didn’t have any choice.

  I finally got outside into the corridor, and Kelsey actually smiled at me as I left, something that made me feel that much dirtier about taking the planner, and then diverting suspicion away from myself at the expense of the other people on my list.

  As I started down the hallway, a voice called out behind me. “Savannah? Did you get the results you were hoping for?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. I’m glad I ran into you again, I had a few questions to ask you,” I said as I turned and faced her.

  Sylvia looked at me skeptically. “Why exactly do you want to talk to me?”

  “Do you honestly want to have this conversation in the hallway?”

  “It suits me,” she said.

  That was odd. I wondered what she might be hiding in her room. Or perhaps whom? Could Brady be in there, cowering behind the drapes? No, I had a hard enough time believing that Brady was fooling around with Cary Duncan. The idea that he was also having an affair with Sylvia Peters was just too much to believe.

  “To be honest with you, I’m asking everyone where they were when Derrick was murdered,” I said. I hadn’t yet, but it made sense to do it now. The killer knew Zach and I were investigating, so the time for being coy about it was over. My husband believed that whenever you are attacked, you step up the assault, and I couldn’t think of any other way to handle it.

  She looked bemused by my question. “I told you before that I was in my room when he was murdered, and I was alone. Are you honestly asking me for an alibi?”

  “Yes, I am,” I said, holding my ground. “And you’ve got to do better than that.”

  “It happens to be the truth.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself. I just thought you might like to get your name off of everyone’s suspect list.”

  “You really should leave detective work for the detectives.”

  “My husband was the chief of police for a major metropolitan city,” I snapped.

  “The key word there being ‘was,’” she said.

  “That doesn’t make his accomplishments any less impressive.”

  “No, I’m willing to grant you that point, but it does bring into question his standing in this investigation.”

  “Sylvia, it’s obvious, isn’t it? He’s working to clear my name.”

  “By throwing me to the wolves instead? I understand his motives, but you’ll forgive me if I choose not to supply any rope for my own hanging.” She pivoted and went back into her room, and as much as I tried to see if anyone else was there, my line of vision was limited to the square of carpet in front of the door, which at the time was sadly bare.

  Well, that had accomplished a whole lot of nothing. Maybe I should let Zach ask the hard questions. After all, he’d trained for many years to do it. I had a knack for seeing patterns—it was part of the reason I was so good at making puzzles. But what were the patterns here? So far, all I saw was a jumbled mess, chaos instead of order.

  I needed a key to figure things out further.

  And at that moment, I remembered something that Jenny and I had found in Derrick’s room. The ring of keys was still in the bottom of my bag. I wondered what Zach would make of them, and the planner I’d so rashly taken from Kelsey’s room.

  I wasn’t sure if he’d be pleased with me, or disappointed, but one thing was certain. I was bringing new facts to light, and with a case as murky as this one, any illumination had to help.

  I HAD A LOT OF NEW RAW DATA, BUT SO FAR, NO REAL INFORMATION. It was time to go somewhere and see exactly what it was I had, so I went downstairs, even going as far as heading to the parking garage when I remembered that Zach still had our rental car.

  I dialed Jenny’s number, hoping she was in her office.

  She picked up on the fourth ring, just as I was getting ready to hang up and try to come up with another plan.

  “Hey there,” I said. “Any chance you’re around?”

  “I’m just finishing something up in my office. I was going to head back home, but I’m flexible. Is there something you’d like to do?”

  “Truthfully, I was hoping to get a ride with you back to your place.”

  “What’s wrong with the rental car?”

  I didn’t really want to get into it at the moment, but it was a question that deserved an answer. “Someone slashed all four of the tires,” I admitted.

  “That’s terrible,” Jenny said. She lowered her voice as she asked, “Was it tied to the case?”

  “I certainly hope so,” I said.

  “That’s kind of an odd answer, isn’t it?”

  “Think of it this way. At least we’re making some progress if we’ve scared the killer into taking such a bold step. There was a note written on the back of a Chinese takeout menu.”

  “I can’t wait to hear what it said.”

  “Why don’t I tell you when you pick me up? I’m at the Crest Hotel.”

  She paused, and then said, “Tell me now.”

  “‘Stop digging or die,’” I quoted.

  “Hey, I was just asking. There’s no need to get melodramatic about everything.”

  “No, that’s what the note said. ‘Stop digging or die.’”

  There was silence on the other end of the
phone, and Jenny finally broke it by asking, “Is there any possibility you’re going to listen to that advice?”

  “Come on, you know me better than that. And even if I wanted to, do you think there’s a chance on earth that Zach’s going to be bullied off anything?”

  “No, I wouldn’t think so.”

  “So, we press on. Now, about that ride.”

  “I’ll be there in five minutes,” she said. “And Savannah, try not to get into any trouble between now and then.”

  “Hey, I’m not making any promises.”

  As I waited for Jenny, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to take out Derrick’s planner and start digging into it, but I had no idea who might be watching me, and I couldn’t afford to let anyone know that I’d taken it. I’d tell Zach of course, that went without saying, and Jenny had a stake in knowing as well, but that was it.

  Good to her word, Jenny showed up four minutes later. As she pulled into the garage, I was waiting at the door. Once I was safely in the front seat and buckled up, I said, “You wouldn’t believe what I did.”

  “Should I hear about it?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I can tell you, but then I can’t take it back, can I?”

  “On second thought, maybe we’d better not talk about what you’ve been up to.”

  “Okay, I can buy that,” I said. “How was your day?”

  She laughed. “I got some work done, but only after I convinced two of my partners that my vacation has been put on hold.” She smiled at me as she added, “They were under the impression that I still worked for them, not with them.”

  “I’m sure you did your best to set them straight.”

  “Oh, I believe they got the message.”

  When we pulled up to her driveway, I noticed that there wasn’t any activity next door at Charlie’s place. Where was Jenny’s own Neighborhood Watch Program? Maybe making another cake, like he’d told Zach he’d been doing. As we approached the front steps, Jenny pointed to the sidewalk.

  Just out of camera range, someone had left a stuffed animal, a golden teddy bear with sad brown eyes.

  And there was a letter opener plunged into its chest.

  Was this a warning for Jenny, or for me?

  Chapter 15

  JENNY LEANED DOWN TO PICK IT UP WHEN I GRABBED her arm.

  “Don’t touch it,” I snapped.

  “Why? Do you think it could be booby-trapped?”

  “No, but there might be prints on it. I need to call Zach.”

  He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Savannah. We’re now in possession of four new tires. It’s got to be cheaper than what the rental place would have charged us. I’ve got to tell you, Murphy may have his faults, but I like his tire guy.”

  “That’s great. How close are you to Jenny’s house?”

  He sounded confused as he said, “I thought I was picking you up at the Crest?”

  “Plans have changed. Get here as soon as you can.”

  “Did something happen?” he asked, his voice shifting into police mode.

  “We found a pretty mean little calling card on Jenny’s sidewalk. The only problem is that I can’t tell if it’s for her, or us.”

  “Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right there.”

  After I hung up, I said, “Zach is on his way.” I started to lean over the teddy bear when Jenny reminded me, “Hey, you told me not to touch it.”

  “I’m not about to,” I said as I got closer. “What’s that under him, though?”

  She looked with me, and then finally said, “It looks like there’s some kind of note.”

  I took a pen from my bag and moved toward the bear.

  “Savannah, what are you doing?”

  “I want to see what it says,” I answered.

  “No. We’re going to go back to my car and wait for your husband.”

  “Since when did you become so interested in following the rules?”

  “Since I have so much to lose,” she said.

  I shrugged, and we walked back to her car to wait on Zach.

  In nine minutes, he pulled up in front of her house, the new tires squealing as he stopped.

  “Hey, those are brand-new,” I said as he jumped out of my car.

  “Then there’s tread to spare. Do you think the rental place is even going to notice that we replaced the tires? What’s going on?”

  I pointed to the skewered bear. “Someone’s trying to warn one of us, but we can’t figure out who.”

  Zach nodded, looked at the bear, and then took out his cell phone.

  “You’re not calling Detective Murphy about the teddy bear, are you?”

  “Not yet,” he said. As he lined up his telephone, I suddenly knew what he was doing. “You’re taking a picture for the record, aren’t you?”

  “What can it hurt?” After he got his shot, he took his borrowed pen and nudged the teddy bear onto his side. Taking his bandana out, Zach gently pulled out the note from underneath it, and then laid the bear back down.

  Jenny and I looked at it at the same time he did. It said in block letters,

  DON’T BREAK MY HEART, JENNIFER.

  “It’s for you,” I said as I turned to Jenny.

  “Wonderful. It’s a shame whoever did it didn’t give us the courtesy of appearing on camera.”

  “How do we know he didn’t?” Zach asked. “We need to check the DVD.”

  “Should I get the bear?” I asked as he started toward the house.

  “Leave it right where it is,” he ordered, and I could see how he’d commanded a room full of cops. There was an air of unquestioning authority in his voice that made me want to obey. In our marriage, it was something I generally did my best to ignore, but this time, I decided he was right. Zach was a world better at handling evidence, while I tended to be better at putting seemingly unrelated pieces together until there was a complete picture. We were the perfect complement of each other.

  Zach placed the note on Jenny’s table, and two minutes later, came back with the bear. It was almost sweet the way he’d wrapped his bandana under it to carry it.

  I felt really bad for the bear.

  And worse for Jenny.

  She looked pretty shaken up by this latest discovery. “This is serious now, isn’t it?”

  Zach nodded. “I won’t lie to you, this isn’t a good sign.”

  Way to sugarcoat it, I thought.

  But he was right.

  We looked at the DVD, but the only trespass it had captured was a neighborhood cat running across the frame.

  “He’s smart,” I said.

  “A little too smart, if you ask me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s pretty clear that he spotted my cameras. Why else leave the bear on the sidewalk?”

  “You did a masterful job of hiding the cameras,” I said.

  “I think so, too. To spot them, you almost had to know that they were there.”

  “Do you mean like if someone saw you looking at them at the store?” Jenny asked.

  Zach nodded. “Mason Glade.”

  “Hang on a second,” I said. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. There’s someone else who might be able to spot a camera. Say someone with a cop’s eye for detail?”

  “Murphy,” Jenny said. She stared at the bear, and then said, “Yes, he could have done this.”

  “Does that take Charlie off our list? He wasn’t at the store, and he certainly doesn’t have a cop’s eye for detail. He couldn’t have seen you plant them, he was gone, remember?”

  “Sure,” Zach said, “but could he have been watching us from the corner before he came home? Did anyone notice anything?”

  None of us had. After a moment, I said, “Then we’re right back where we started from.”

  “Maybe not,” Zach said. He gently removed the letter opener, as if operating on a real patient. After examining the blade, he set it aside and started looking at the bear.

  “This wasn’t cheap,�
�� he finally said.

  “All the more reason not to butcher it,” Jenny said.

  “That’s not what I’m getting at. There’s a good chance a grown man bought it. We need pictures of the three of them so we can show some toy store owners in town.”

  “I’ve got photos of Mason and Murphy from when we were together,” Jenny said. “Charlie might be a problem.”

  “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  She retrieved a shoebox from her bedroom and opened the lid. Inside were an assortment of photographs, talismans, and other small reminders of lost loves. Jenny was a nester, and that was a good thing at the moment. After she pulled out two reasonable photos of her former boyfriends, she said, “Hang on. I have to have a picture of Charlie somewhere.”

  She frowned, and then went to one of the bookcases. Jenny took a photo album out, started leafing through the pages, and then suddenly stopped. “Is this good enough?”

  We both peered over her shoulder and saw a photo of a block party, clearly taken out front. It showed Charlie smiling for the camera, and Zach said, “It’s perfect. Now we’re cooking. Tomorrow, we’ll start looking for that teddy bear’s mates.”

  “In the meantime, there are some things I need to discuss with you,” I said to Zach.

  “Understood,” Zach said.

  “So, where do we begin? With the keys we found earlier?” Jenny asked.

  I’d been about to pull out the planner, but that could wait. “Sure,” I said as I retrieved them from my jacket pocket.

  I handed them to Zach, and as he took them, he asked, “Where did you find these?”

  “Jenny found them while we were searching Derrick’s hotel room.”

  “And you didn’t think to turn them over to his wife?”

  I recognized that tone of voice, and I wasn’t in any mood to hear it, especially from my husband. “Zach, we weren’t about to give her what could be an important clue. If we decide they aren’t going to help us, we can ‘find’ them someplace else.”

  “Okay,” he said, trying to appease me. “Let’s have a look.”