FIRST STEP MURDER

by H. R. Whidden

  “Are you coming with me tomorrow to pick up Aunt Rachel?”

  “That may be a little uncomfortable, I mean she doesn’t even know about your husband, or the plot that got your parents killed. I think maybe that’s something you may need to do by yourself.”

  “I wanted you to meet her. She’s a lot like my father in certain ways. Maybe another time,” Harper said.

  When they pulled up to the entrance a doorman got the car door and Faxon got out first, he had warned Harper about her dress again just before he held out his hand to help her out. Not that she needed it but it was the proper thing to do. She took his hand and after they walked to the entrance he let go. Mr. Turin Holmes and his wife Penton were there just inside. It wasn’t strange to Faxon that the man knew immediately who she was.

  “Harper Lewis, I’m so glad to make your acquaintance, this is my wife Penton Holmes.”

  They shook hands. “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of Tempest Manufacturing Mr. Holmes, but I’m glad to have the opportunity to convince you Lewis Construction is the right choice for your project. This is my business partner, Faxon Bennett.”

  They shook hands then made their way to the dining room. After being seated and their drink orders taken Faxon was beginning to feel a little more comfortable.

  “Harper I wanted to give my condolences concerning you husband, when I asked Mr. Shepard if he would be attending he told me Richard had been killed in your home. I understand it was recent, you must still be in mourning.”

  Faxon remembered what she had told him about some people baiting her and he just knew a crazy curse laden tirade was about to start.

  “It’s a very private experience Mr. Holmes. But that’s not why we’re here tonight is it? I was told your project is a manufacturing facility for electronics and that you have Government contracts to guarantee success. That must be extremely fortunate, certainly takes all the risk out of the investment doesn’t it?”

  “It does, it certainly does, and those contracts are difficult, you wouldn’t believe the political contributions it takes to just be considered. You know I have a friend in law enforcement and when I heard about your husband I contacted him. Since I was considering doing business with Lewis Construction I wanted to know about the person I was going into a two hundred million dollar project with. Well I was shocked to hear that you, yourself killed your husband. That unfortunately he meant to strangle you. Is that right?”

  Faxon sat up in his chair and drank down the two fingers of Jameson Whisky, he was sure that was all it would take and expected Mr. Holmes to get a fork in his neck any minute.

  “Well Mr. Holmes there’s a lot of information about my husband’s death that is still being investigated. But if you want to know why you should do business with Lewis Construction you should know that my Father’s word was his honor and when he said the job would get done, and done on time, and within budget, then his handshake was enough. What you get with Lewis Construction is confidence and I am my father’s daughter.”

  “Well Mr. Bennett did you know you would be such a witness to this wit of words,” asked Penton.

  “To be totally honest Mrs. Holmes, as well as I know Harper this has been very civilized, but I’m afraid I don’t find it entertaining.”

  “Well Penton,” Mr. Holmes said to his wife “it’s just Mr. Bennett is much more suited to chasing around unfaithful husbands than making hundred million dollar business deals.”

  Faxon started to get up, but Harper reached over and put her hand on his leg.

  “Mr. Holmes, Faxon does much more than that, recently he was instrumental in the deaths of three men that were involved in a theft ring. And I can guarantee you not all that were involved have faced ultimate justice yet, but they will.”

  There was quiet as their dinner order was taken and there was no more uncomfortable conversation. The evening was nearly over Mrs. Holmes excused herself and Harper followed her to the ladies room.

  “Mrs. Holmes your husband reminds me so much of my father that I have to ask, was he in military service?”

  “He was, I think that’s why he likes pushing people’s buttons, and he’s always been in control. He was in the Marines.”

  The evening ended with Mr. Holmes not making a commitment, but Harper had found out more than she had expected. Faxon got into the limo after Harper and they drove away from the Ritz.

  “That son of a bitch, he knew who I was,” Faxon said. “He’s one of them. Shit I thought you were going to stab him in the neck with a fork, and I’d have been right there on top of him with you. They couldn’t find you, and he knows we’re on to them, so he knew if he proposed a project for Lewis Construction and asked for you personally you’d have to show up.”

  “I don’t think his wife is in on it, in the ladies room I asked her if he was in the military. He was a marine. So now we know someone that’s behind this, I don’t think he gave the order to kill my parents though.”

  “Yea but he knows we’re working together,” Faxon said.

  “Do you think he knows where we’re staying?”

  “I don’t know but we can’t have the driver deliver us to the door of Ned Devin’s just in case he has someone following us. You’re gonna have to be much more careful from now on too.” Faxon tapped on the divider and talked to the driver. “Take us to 130 Bowdoin Street, Boston View Apartments.”

  “Why are we going there?”

  “I have a friend that lives there, a client, she’ll give us a ride, she owes me.”

  The limo had been paid for but Harper gave the driver a hundred dollar tip from her clutch and they walked into the lobby of the building. Faxon was already calling Apartment 1202.

  “It’s Faxon. (Pause) I need a favor, you owe me remember. Do you have a customer? (Pause) I’m in the lobby.”

  “So you have a girlfriend that lives here,” Harper asked?

  “You did hear me, I called her a client?”

  The elevator doors opened.

  “Damn Faxon is that an Armani suit? You didn’t tell me you had someone with you.” Barbie was dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a half t-shirt without a bra, and flip flops on. “Is she a client? Damn is that a Versace? Well you can forget about fuckin’ him sweetie.”

  Barbie walked through the door that led to the parking garage from the lobby. “What if I had a client Faxon?”

  “You could always just pay me what you owe me Barbie.”

  “Did someone else cut your hair?”

  “Yea, a real barber,” he said.

  Barbie drove her Audi, Harper sat up front, and Faxon sat behind her.

  “Drop us off around back in the ally,” he said. When they got out Harper turned back before she closed the door.

  “I’m not a client,” she winked at Barbie and closed the door. She heard Barbie say, “Bitch” as she drove away. Upstairs they changed out of their evening wear, Harper changing first in the bedroom. She came back out wearing her night shirt and gym shorts yawning. Faxon changed into a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt and sat on the couch then turned the television to a late night movie.

  “I’m tired,” Harper said, and went to bed. Faxon kept thinking about the implications of Turin Holmes. Everything was now a lot more dangerous. Faxon ended up falling asleep on the couch with the television on. At about 3:00 am, Harper shook his shoulder and woke him up. He staggered into the bedroom and went back to sleep.

  In the morning Faxon woke to the smell of bacon again, he rolled over stretched and looked at the clock. It was 9:30 am. He said good morning to Harper standing at the stove and went straight to the bathroom. When he came out he sat at the small table and noticed she was already dressed and ready to go to the airport.

  “Listen, I couldn’t go to sleep last night thinking about Turin Holmes. We’re gonna have to be careful. It’ll be unexpected; you have to stay out of direct sight of tall buildings. Look at everybody as a potential threat. You have to be prepared for the unexpected. (There
was a short silence) I can’t let anything happen to you. I don’t have anyone that depends on me, but you have everyone that works for Lewis Construction depending on you. You have the Lewis legacy, the towers, and your father’s dream. I was thinking since your Aunts coming home maybe we should find a place for the two of you somewhere else here in the city.”

  “No, they won’t bother her as long as I’m alive. She can go back home even if I have to hire someone to stay with her. But after I explain everything about what’s been going on, if she wants to get away I’ll take care of it. And as far as you’re concerned, you’re not getting rid of me that easy. It looks like we’re in this together, and you do have someone that needs you. (Pause) I have a rental car coming to pick me up, I thought I’d stay the night at the house, I haven’t seen the horses in a while and it’ll give me some time with Aunt Rachel.”

  “I’ll go change, we should take the guns.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t want to go?”

  “I have to go Harper, I have to go. I’d go crazy here wondering if someone was going to try to kill you. If your Aunt doesn’t understand about me, well I think I can take her.”

  They waited just inside the front door at Ned Devine’s. Harper was talking to Lyn, one of the upstairs waitresses. Faxon thought it seemed out of character for her to be talking about fashion, dresses, shoes, scarfs, and stuff. Here she was, her hair in a ponytail wearing jeans, a t-shirt, tennis shoes, sunglasses and a Reds Socks ball cap. A white minivan pulled up out front and honked its horn.

  “Damn Harper, a minivan,” Faxon said.

  “It’s stealthy, who’s going to think we’d be traveling in a minivan?”

  They got in quickly. Faxon checked the front before Harper walked out and got in the back. At the airport they parked in short term parking and the driver left them with the keys. They rode the elevator down to the terminal with a couple talking about going on vacation. It reminded Harper of the last thing she had talked about with Richard. He had said they needed to get away, just the two of them, the whole time he had planned on coming back that night to kill her.

  Harper stood watching for the people getting off the plane and walking up the ramp. Faxon stood back and watched as a tall woman in good physical condition with long blonde hair dropped her carry-on bag and hugged Harper. He noticed a man about her age standing back watching the two women as people walked around them. He was about six foot five, slim, with black short hair and a little gray at the temples. He reached down to pick up Harper’s Aunt’s bag and Faxon started to interfere then he saw them both turn to the tall man.

  “Harper this is my friend Conner,” Rachel said. “He’s going to be staying at the house for a while, if that’s alright with you?”

  “We’ll Aunt Rachel this is kind of unexpected most people just bring home a t-shirt.”

  “You told me to have a good time girl, Conner and I have become close, there’s not going to be a problem is there?”

  “No, no of course not, there’s been some unexpected things that’s happened, but we can talk about that on the way home,” Harper said.

  Harper talked with Rachel about their cruise as they went down the escalator, the tall man, Conner was behind them carrying Rachel’s carry-on bag and one of his own, Faxon was a few steps behind.

  When they got to baggage Harper and Rachel stood together talking while Conner watched the carrousel for their bags. Faxon kept watching wondering if this was one of the Marine Groups men, he had to suspect everyone if he was going to keep Harper alive. Conner reached for a bag but missed the next one. Faxon stepped up quickly and easily pulled the bag from the carrousel.

  “Thank you sir,” Conner said.

  “I’ll be glad to carry it for you.”

  Rachel turned and looked at Faxon she saw the look between Harper and him.

  “Who’s the muscle Harper? And why do you need someone?”

  “Let’s get to the car and I’ll explain Aunt Rachel. Let me introduce Faxon Bennett, private investigator.”

  Faxon turned to Conner. “Were you in the service?”

  “No, I never had the pleasure.”

  “So you weren’t a Marine?”

  “No,” Conner said.

  “Then you want mind showing me your right arm and shoulder.”

  “I don’t mind at all but can you tell me what this is about?”

  “A tattoo, a certain tattoo, and I’m going to have to insist,” Faxon said.

  Conner lifted his short sleeve, there were no tattoos.

  Of course Rachel continued asking questions as the four of them rode the elevator up to short term parking. Faxon opened the back of the minivan and they put the bags in. Rachel and Harper sat in the back, Faxon drove and Conner remained quiet while Rachel asked one question after another.

  “Richards dead Aunt Rachel, he tried to kill me.”

  Over the next thirty minutes Harper explained what had happened, Conner understood the reason for Faxon asking to see his shoulder and arm to check for the tattoo. Aunt Rachel was as angry as Harper, and threatened to kill them all. Faxon saw were Harper got her hardness from it was in her Aunt too. He wished he’d known her father.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When they got to the house Harper told her Aunt Rachel that she had to go see her horses, Rachel showed Conner around the house. Faxon got in her truck with her and they drove down to the stables. Jose’ was mucking out a stall when Harper came running down the center aisle. She hugged his neck and told him how much she’d missed him, and the horses, even though it had only been a short time. Harper went from stall to stall, the horses were as happy as she was. She jumped on Neck Rider bareback and without a bridal, he pranced around the paddock while she laughed like a little girl, it was a side of her he hadn’t seen and it made Faxon smile. For the first time in a while the threat of her possible death didn’t weigh on his shoulders.

  He patiently waited until she decided it was time to go back and finish her conversation with her Aunt Rachel. She was still excited talking about wanting to go horseback riding with him, when Faxon protested Harper promised to put him on the gentlest line horse she had. She wanted them to go motorcycle riding, and said he could ride her Dad’s bike. Then it was the two of them going to hunt camp together, all before they got to the house, then she was quietly in thought. They stopped up under the carport beside the kitchen, Harper looked over at Faxon and they smiled at each other. Past Faxon through the kitchen window Harper saw Rachel standing in the kitchen her back against the counter, Conner stood in front pressed against her, his arms around her, and they were passionately kissing.

  “Well I guess they’re more than just friends,” she said.

  Rachel and Conner pulled apart quickly when they heard the truck doors close. Harper went into the living room to talk more with her Aunt about what had happened since Richard’s death. Faxon got a beer out of the fridge and a bag of chips from the pantry.

  “Funny I’ve only been around Harper for a little while but somehow I knew she’d have some chips in the cabinet.”

  Conner got him-self a beer and stood against the same counter where he stood a moment ago kissing Rachel.

  “Rachel’s a very special person, I too have only known her for a short time but I couldn’t stand to see her leave, so when she asked me to come with her I jumped at the chance. So Harper hired you to help her,” Conner asked?

  “No, I’m not an employee, but I’m going to make sure she doesn’t get herself killed.”

  “That has several different meanings.”

  “What is it you do for a living Conner?”

  “I own a restaurant on South Beach in Miami. It’s called the Sand Piper. My son runs it so it leaves me the time to explore my interests. My wife died six years ago, cancer, I still miss her. This is the first time I’ve been swept off my feet. Rachel’s different she’s tough, straight forward, passionate, and certainly addictive.”

  “I’m pretty sure you didn’t
expect to step into the middle of a murder syndicate,” Faxon said. “Conner if you truly love Rachel you’ll try to convince her to go back to Miami with you. These guys won’t stop until they get what they want I’m afraid. I’m just saying someone else is going to die, I have to make sure it’s them not Harper.”

  “I’ll try to convince her. So what’s up with you and Harper, I can see the way she looks at you, don’t tell me you don’t feel something for her.”

  “She’s a recent widow. I don’t think it’s appropriate or timely to be feeling anything other than respect.”

  Harper finished her story. Ending with their recent dinner with what they thought was maybe the man in charge. Because she had all but disappeared this man had called the office for a meeting under the ruse of a potential contract for Lewis Construction. He had confronted Harper flaunting his guilt in front of her.

  The two women came back into the kitchen where they found both Faxon and Conner five beers each into a drunk. They put two frozen pizzas in the oven and after finishing them and two more beers Faxon was laughing with Rachel describing some of Harpers tirades. Finally Rachel steered Conner out the back door and around the pool, making sure he didn’t stumble in. Rachel hadn’t tried to hide the fact that they were sleeping together. Harper had partially followed them to make sure Rachel didn’t need any help.

  Back to the kitchen she found Faxon eating another piece of pizza and downing another beer, he was leaning over the bar as if it was the only thing holding him up.

  “Shit Harper I hope you’re not as drunk as I am. Think you could shoot straight right now? Crap I’m not being very responsible am I? Bastard, that fucking bastard, I’ll find that son of a bitch when we get back, and kill him.”

  “You need to go to bed, if I can get your drunken ass up the stairs.”

  Harper put one of his arms around her shoulders and they both made it up the stairs laughing. She got him into one of the spare bedrooms and let him fall back on the king size bed. She unlaced his hiking boots and pulled them off, and then his socks, he was all but asleep. She got behind him, sat him up, and pulled his shirt over his head. Now he was lying on his back.