FIRST STEP MURDER

by H. R. Whidden

  “There’s not much beyond me Faxon, testing my honor it must be a certain challenge then, but it must be important to you or you would not ask it of me. Consider it done my friend.”

  “The man that was behind the deaths of Harper’s parents, he hired an ex-marine to kill them in a head on car crash also killing himself. The condition was that this man would care for his young wife and two daughters. The woman has come forward and has testified against the man and her life is in danger until this man is brought to justice. I would ask you to care for them until his capture and I would hope you would honor her as I did your young wife in the Hamptons.”

  “You know I love children so that is not a problem for me Faxon. This young mother she is pretty, yes?”

  “Very pretty and vulnerable,” he said.

  “A beautiful woman, my greatest weakness, as you well know, and this will certainly test my honor to give you my word that there will be no seduction, not even a kiss of the lips. I will accept the challenge my friend she is welcome here and I will keep them safe.”

  “This means a lot to me because I’ve sworn I’d take care of them and I’ve already grown attached to the girls. This will also mean a lot to Harper, although she doesn’t know it yet. I’ll bring them tomorrow and have their tutor meet them here if that suits you?”

  “It does, and I know just the right men to hire for security,” Landau said. “I think six should do it, and I presume spoiling the girls is not a problem?”

  “I’ll leave that up to their mother. They’ll be much different than you’re used too they’ve suffered terrible poverty and abuse.”

  The agreement was made and Faxon rode back to the apartment and took the girls and Linda out to dinner.

  * * *

  The next morning Rachel got up and got dressed, Conner was going into the city with her today. They knew the news conference was going to be this morning and a tentative time was set for 11:00 am. Harper had already gotten up and gone for her run, today she would stop at the stables before coming home. Rachel and Conner turned every television on World Cable News when they left. There was one in the kitchen, the living room, the office, and in every bedroom. Not long after they left the reporters were announcing that there was to be a joint news conference outside of the Boston courthouse at 11:00 am.

  When Harper came into the kitchen she went straight to the fridge, she had already prepared a protein drink and began to drink it down not enjoying the taste that much. Her shirt was wet from sweat, she had helped muck out stalls with Jose’ after her run. It was hard to ignore the television on with the volume turned up as high as it was. Rachel never left a television on or a light, she always said it was her father’s obsession and it had stuck.

  Walking into the office and looking up at the flat screen on the wall she noticed it was on the same channel with the volume turned up. She heard the reporter say they were all in anticipation of a joint news conference. She turned it off and walked into the living room where the sixty two inch flat screen was on the same channel. This was no coincidence Rachel wanted to make sure she saw that news conference and she almost got sick to her stomach.

  It looked like there were two hundred people standing out front of the Boston courthouse. At least a dozen microphones were clustered together at the top of the steps, camera men in a semi-circle around them. On time right at 11:00 am a man walked to the microphones, he waited until at least a dozen men and a couple women spread out behind him. They all wore expensive suits, Harper noticed one man in the back she knew. It was Detective John Walker.

  The man at the microphones turned around to make sure everyone was settled before he started.

  “For those of you that don’t know I’m Adam Shift, District Attorney, I’m here today with Agent Edward Burns FBI, Evelyn Hope, NSA, and Walter Riggs from the State Department. We’re here today to announce we’ve identified the man behind the murders of high profile Boston businessmen that include Clayton Lewis and his wife Lindsey, Martin Samuels, and Parker Doss. All of them were from old Boston families, and philanthropist that supported the arts, and the poor and unfortunate in the Boston area and they will be missed.”

  Harper fell back in the big leather chair in the living room and tears ran down her cheeks.

  “This man was behind the largest heroin drug ring on the East coast, a theft ring, and the deaths of truck drivers and the theft of their trailers with millions of dollars’ worth of goods. This man is wanted for recruiting ex-marines to train radical Islamic solders that have been implicated in the deaths of US soldiers and citizens overseas. This man is the most wanted man in America and is believed to be in the Boston area and considered armed and dangerous.”

  On an easel off to the side they had a large poster of several different pictures of the man.

  “We’re asking for any information that would lead to the whereabouts and arrest of former Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Brantley. We couldn’t have made this case without the testimony of witnesses that were encouraged to come forward and testify against Brantley. I want to thank Detective John Walker. Special thanks go to Private Investigator Faxon Bennett, without his tireless investigation, personal sacrifice, and expertise this man may have never been discovered and these crimes gone unsolved. The city of Boston and the families of the victims owe Faxon Bennett great thanks. We won’t be accepting any questions at this time, thank you.”

  Harper was shaking, she couldn’t stop crying. Faxon hadn’t stopped trying to find the wife of Jessie Walker and her two daughters. Linda Walker that’s who the pretty young woman was that was at the apartment. Aunt Rachel was tutoring the girls it was all a plan to keep her safe until she could testify against the man that had ordered her parents killed.

  She went and took a shower, she had to find Faxon, she had to tell him how sorry she was, how stupid she’d been. The pain of not getting the information from Ensign Ronald Beale had not been the end her hurt had clouded her reason. Faxon had continued to work to find the answer even though he wasn’t getting paid. He was doing it for her.

  * * *

  Rachel and Conner had arrived at the address given to them by Faxon. It was in a rural area outside of Boston, Instead of large horse farms this was an area of large estates, and this one must have been a hundred acres, the home couldn’t be seen from the road. Conner parked the car outside the gates.

  “Are you sure this is the address Faxon gave you Rachel? I entered it into the GPS just the way you gave it to me.”

  “Well he did say his friend had a lot of money, and said he was some Romanian Count or Duke or something. Faxon and Harper did some work for the guy and he said they’d become good friends. Maybe I should call him.”

  Just then the old Jeep pulled up beside them, Faxon had the top and doors off, and the girls were in the back laughing having a great time in the old army Jeep. Linda sat in the front bucket seat holding on to the side of the fold down windshield and the back of Faxon’s seat. She wore a ball cap and her hair was braided like Harper wore hers to keep the wind from blowing it all around while they were driving. Linda and the girls wore jeans and she wore a flannel long sleeved shirt tied in a knot in front.

  “Hi Rachel,” said both the girls from the back, they leaned over the side laughing. “Do you want to ride in the back with us? It’s a lot of fun.”

  “I’ll pass, thank you. I wasn’t sure I found the right place.”

  “You did, now I’m warning everyone Landau is a little extreme, so follow us in and don’t be surprised by the size of the mason.”

  Faxon had brought some of their things promising to bring the rest tomorrow. He had talked to Linda for thirty minutes about Landau explaining he was a womanizer and that he’d been married three times to European women and had three sets of triplets so she was somewhat prepared as much as anyone could be when meeting Landau.

  He pushed the intercom button and the large gates opened. Faxon drove down the winding blacktop tree covered driveway with Rachel
and Conner following. When they drove up to the front of the house around the circle drive Landau waited out front. There were six men wearing black standing out front with automatic rifles and bullet proof vest standing over to the side. Behind him were two men servants and four women servants, the men were older with gray hair and wore tailed suits. The women were younger and wore thigh length black servant skirts with black bib aprons and white shirts all lined up behind the two men servants.

  The girls looked up at the three story huge gray stone granite block manor and huge pained windows with their mouths open. Rachel and Conner got out of the Audi doing the same. Faxon got out and walked around the Jeep, Linda wouldn’t get out Faxon stood beside her.

  “I can’t believe you let me come here dressed like this Faxon, I could just die from embarrassment the way I’m dressed.”

  “Don’t be ridicules, Landau will love it crap he’s probably already bought you a wardrobe, besides I don’t want you looking too good for him.”

  Landau was introducing himself to Rachel and Conner.

  “You must be the tutor, please call me Landau, and you must be her consort. I’ll introduce you to the staff once we’re all together.”

  The two girls walked up beside Rachel and Landau knelt and shook Mindy’s hand first then Katie’s. “What beautiful girls, we will have lots of fun, I’m Landau, and I have nine daughters even three that are about your age Katie, but their all away with their mothers. We have a home theater, and a bowling alley, horses to ride, a swimming pool, and lots of other things for you to do here, now let’s go meet your beautiful mother.”

  The girls ran to their mother’s side and began telling her what Landau had said. Linda stood close to Faxon a little frightened, a little in awe of the mason and Landau’s wealth. Landau approached slowly and bowed reaching out and taking Linda’s left hand and kissing the back of it.

  “It’s my honor to meet you Ms. Walker. My only desire is to see that you and your lovely daughters are safe and properly cared for. Please accept my hospitality and all I have to offer.”

  Landau introduced the two men that were his personal servants, organizers, planners, and assistants, they bowed. Then he introduced the four women that tended to the manor, he explained they would take care of all their needs from washing their clothes, to dressing, bathing, linens, and any request they might have, the young ladies smiled and curtsied. Landau explained there was also a kitchen staff that they would meet later.

  “Now come we’ll have a quick tour of the manor and then the girls can start their lessons,” Landau said.

  Inside they toured the ground floor and all the rooms, just inside was a large open foyer the ceiling went up past the second floor and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the thirty five foot ceiling. There was a huge eight foot wide curving staircase that went up one side of the wall to the second floor. The rugs were silk and colorfully embroidered from Europe, they covered dark hardwood floors. There were several accent tables along the walls with expensive vases and fresh cut rosses, Landau chose two large red ones and handed them to Rachel and Linda, they smelled them and said thank you. There was a large banquet hall and a small banquet hall both with fireplaces tall enough to stand in, there were three bathrooms downstairs, and a not so formal living room that looked out over the rose gardens and the back lawn of the estate. Landau showed them the kitchen and introduced the cook staff, their living quarters were near but they didn’t view them.

  Landau took Rachel, Conner, Faxon, Linda, and the girls up to the second floor in the large elevator instead of the stairs to show the girls how to operate it.

  “This is the west wing, and your quarters,” Landau said. There was a ten foot wide hall with the same colorful silk embroidered rugs, accent tables with flowers and wall sconces. “There are six large bedrooms with full bathes that are fully supplied, each room has electronics, videos, laptops, and flat screens on the walls, intercom systems, and I took the liberty of supplying new cell phones. There’s a fully stocked kitchen, and anything you need please just ask, it’s my desire that you want for nothing.”

  There were two more wings that branched out from the center of the manor on the second floor, one was Landau’s, and three wings on the third floor where his ex-wives stayed when visiting with his daughters.

  “You live here all by yourself,” Mindy asked?

  “Sometimes little one, but I will enjoy your company, and do my best to spoil you so that you’ll never want to leave,” Landau told her.

  He had one of the bedrooms in their wing converted into a classroom complete with white board, fancy desks and leather chairs, there were bookshelves filled with great works of literature, and children’s books.

  “I had the theater stocked with the latest movie releases for children and adult appropriate, Katie is more mature than her years,” Landau said.

  They all spent the day at the manor the staff served lunch and Rachel taught the girls while Conner, Linda, and Faxon went with Landau to the stables and around the estate, the guards were always around but never too close to intrude. Faxon said goodbye to the girls and they ran off upstairs to the theater room with Landau. He stood outside the front doors and said goodbye to Linda.

  “Call me if there’s any problem, if you believe Landau is too forward we’ll find somewhere else. I’ll call later and make sure you’re alright, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To try and run down a led on Brantley, the sooner he’s caught the sooner you and the girls will be safe.”

  “Please be careful.” Linda kissed his cheek. “Don’t forget to call me later or I’ll worry.”

  * * *

  Harper went straight to Ned Devin’s. She parked in front on the street and went in the front not wanting to take the time to pick the lock on the back door. She took the steps two at a time up to the bar, William saw her right away.

  “Harper, I saw the news conference, does this mean you and Faxon are back together?”

  “I hope so William. Is Faxon in his apartment, I can’t get him on his cell phone.”

  “You can check but he left this morning with Linda and the girls, they moved out, that place was really too small, he must have found somewhere bigger but safe.”

  Harper went and checked the apartment just the same. She picked the lock, Linda and the girl’s things were mostly gone. Harper looked at a drawing that the smaller girl had made, and she left it on the front of the refrigerator. It was a little girl holding a man’s hand and written below it was “I love you.” She went back to the SUV and drove to the police station.

  When she walked in the desk Sargent hesitated, “haven’t seen you in a while, go ahead he’s in his office.”

  The door was open and John was looking at dozens of reports on his desk.

  “Well I was wondering how long it would be before I saw you again, but I thought it would be with Faxon.”

  “That’s why I’m here I was wondering where he is?”

  “I haven’t seen him, I thought for sure he’d come by today, I’m absolutely swamped with reports of sightings of Brantley, the FBI, and every available man are running down leads.”

  “I went by the apartment, he’s not there and he’s moved Linda and the girls, I don’t suppose he told you where he was moving them?”

  “Hell I didn’t know where they were, he’s kept it a secret. He showed up here the day before yesterday for the interview with the DA and we brought them into the underground garage, he was driving a black Audie. I could probably get the tag number from the video.”

  “Don’t worry about it I know whose car it was,” Harper said.

  She went back to the SUV and called Rachel’s cell phone. “Aunt Rachel, do you know where Faxon is?”

  “So you saw the news conference.”

  “Yes, and I can’t find him. I went to the apartment and William told me he moved Linda and the girls, and he hasn’t been to the police station, they’ve g
ot lots of leads. You know don’t you?”

  “He was here with us Harper but he just left.”

  “So you’re with them? Where are you?”

  “We’re at Faxon’s friend’s house, if a house is what you’d call it, we’re at Landau’s. Faxon talked to Linda before he left let me ask her.” Rachel spoke to Linda nearby.

  “Linda said to say hello. She said all he told her was he was running down a lead of where that Brantley guy might be. He did say he’d call later and come by tomorrow. He’s nervous about leaving Linda here with Landau, shit I’m thinking about getting rid of Conner.”

  “That’s funny, Landau likes young girls, and you’re an old lady, better keep Conner. If I don’t find Faxon would you ask Linda to tell him I’m looking for him if he calls?”

  * * *

  Faxon drove the old army Jeep down to the inner harbor dock area and parked outside the same bar that they’d been to before. He knew his chances were slim but he had a picture of Benjamin Brantley on his phone and he walked in and ordered a beer at the bar. There were no seats so he stood near two guys that looked like longshoremen.

  “I was looking for a retired marine, don’t suppose you’d look at a picture and tell me if you’d seen him in here?”

  “Sure buddy, you ex-military,” one of the guys asked? He had a long scar down one side of his face. Faxon could tell both men worked somewhere along the docks. He showed them the image on his phone.

  “Yea I was special forces,” Faxon said. “I’ve been looking for this guy for a while, you guy’s work on the docks?”

  “Longshoremen, no I never seen him, not in here or on the docks,” the other man agreed with his friend. “What makes you think he’d be down here?”

  “Well besides a lot of military guys that hang out here, this piece of shit is associated with some Saudi nationals, I know there’s a Saudi registered freighter docked down here.”