“So I see,” I said, running my finger down the list. “Why is Aunt Mary offering to paint my fence?”
“Everyone wants to help out,” said Garrett with a shrug. “Mom and Dad will come by later and paint your living room. It needs freshening up. Traci and I already cleaned up your room and we took the sheets to wash since they got… Well, anyway, Daniel and Alice left some medical supplies for your arm, but you were sleeping and…”
“This is too much,” I told him, looking up from the list. It continued almost to the end of the page. “No one needs to do all this stuff for me.”
Garrett shrugged. “Everyone wants to.”
“But…” I started to protest.
“Let them,” said Garrett. He gathered his knife and fork and took them with his plate and coffee cup to the sink. “It makes everyone feel better to help. Well, I gotta go too.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Oh, what are you doing after lunch?”
“Nothing. I have a short shift at the gym… that’s my undercover thing,” I added when Garrett looked confused, “then I guess I’ll be at the agency.” I looked to Solomon for confirmation, but he appeared very focused on the bacon sandwich he was fixing. Too focused actually. I smelled a rat.
“So you’re free? Great! I volunteered you to talk to Chloe’s class later today. They’re all amped up to meet a real life lady detective.”
How sweet… “Wait… what?”
“All the details are on the notepad. Don’t be late!”
“Why can’t you meet them? You’re an actual detective.”
“I’m investigating an actual crime!”
I gaped at my brother. “What do you think I do? And before you answer that, calling me a lady detective is sexist. Why cares what doodahs I have so long as I get the job done? Two, I’m not a detective. I’m a private investigator.”
“Whatever,” said Garrett. “Be there at two. I squared it with your boss. You need a day off and something to distract you temporarily.”
I turned my narrowed eyes on Solomon, who took that moment to join me at the table, coffee mug in hand. “I can’t take a day off. Michael is waiting for me at the gym. I need to talk to him about the conversation I overheard.”
Solomon simply shrugged. “I thought you’d like spending some time with your niece. Take it easy for a few days,” he said. After a long stare from moi, he added, “Some light relief?”
“You call a class full of kids light relief?” I wailed, turning back to Garrett. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Can’t. I have your gun. Good luck! Don’t let all those kids down!” He edged out the door, laughing. I suppose this was his way of getting me back for some sibling infringement. Well, two could play at that game. This was something I would not forget.
“Argh!” I wailed, but it was half-hearted as my eyes moved to the notepad and the long list of things both my near and distant relatives had offered to do for me around my home. I felt a little overwhelmed as Solomon picked up the list and perused it. “You guys filled my fridge, made me breakfast, and are installing a security system?” I said in a low voice as tears prickled at my eyes. “And everyone in my family is pitching in to fix my house up.”
Solomon laid his hand over mine. “You’re very much loved,” he said simply.
I had to agree. I really, really was.
~
My colleagues were still installing the security system by the time I had to leave for the gym and my scheduled shift. Fortunately, my shift was a short one, which was lucky because 1) I got very little sleep and the idea of being in an energetic atmosphere was doing the exact opposite of making me feel perky; and 2) it was a lot duller being a gym employee than I thought it would be. The clients moaned about everything; no one tidied after themselves’ and the talc on the changing rooms floor… I couldn’t fathom why, beyond a vague idea, the members were striving so hard to preserve themselves in some way. 3) Most importantly, since the lead on the missing Simonstech employee, I thought we were barking up the wrong treadmill with the gym. And that was exactly what I planned to tell Solomon when I caught up with him later. Right after I mentioned annoying Carter Simons Junior, the man currently at the top of my list of potential attackers. Was his fury at my snooping after our interview enough to attack me? Given that I'd asked Maddox to take a closer look at the suspected butterfly mark Lorena's killer had left, a mark that I attributed to Junior's cufflinks, I had to concede it probably was.
Taking charge of the gym floor was not only a pretty safe place for me to be right now, but it gave me plenty of opportunity to think about the things I’d seen and heard here. The one thing I kept coming back to were the voices I overheard in the employees’ changing rooms. I needed to know exactly who the two women were so I could interrogate them further. Someone definitely paid one of them for the key, and if that person also committed the crimes, the mystery women might be able to tell me something that would lead to the killer. Of course, it didn’t escape my notice that if said person was the killer, after offing three people, perhaps four if I counted Avril, the murderer wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of anyone who might identify them. I had to get there first.
Another thing crossed my mind. Michael would be very pleased to have the gym cleared of any wrongdoing, but I didn’t think he’d be thrilled at the idea of an employee being involved, even if it were in only a minor way. All the same, I was sure he’d be glad to see me close the case; and I’d be pleased to return to my normal routine of not being attacked by madmen, wielding knives, and wearing nicer gym wear than my current cut-off polo shirt and leggings combination.
“Hey, can you man the floor for a minute?” I asked, the moment I spotted another employee. When I got a nod in the affirmative, I edged away. “Five minutes, okay? Maybe ten. Thank you!” I whipped through the doors and power-walked to the reception desk. The receptionist was talking on the phone so I took up position behind a monitor and logged in, using Michael’s special all access log-in. It was less exciting than it sounded, but it did give me a chance to look at the employee work rota. I called up the file and browsed through it, until I found what I was looking for. Fifteen employees were on staff the day I overheard the conversation. I knew the voices were both women, so I immediately discounted the men. That left nine. Three signed on a couple of hours after I’d taken my shower, so logic dictated it was unlikely to be them. Seven. Two were lifeguarding at the pool and could be discounted. Five.
I had five potential suspects.
Unfortunately, there was no way of narrowing it down to which two had the conversation. I noted the names on a piece of notepaper and closed the program, logging off the system. Checking my watch, I saw I only had a couple of minutes left before good will ran out, so with a sigh, I made for the gym.
“Lexi, do you have a minute?” Michael called as I stepped into his doorway and prepared to knock.
“Yes, lots,” I confirmed, lowering my hand. He beckoned me in and indicated for me to shut the door.
“Where are we?” he asked.
I looked up curiously. “Your office?”
“No, I mean, where are we on—” he stopped, and looked around. I looked around too. I had no idea what he was looking for. When I looked at him again, he mouthed, “the case.”
“I’m following up a lead, but I’m a little stumped.” I took the chair and sat down, uninvited. “I overheard a conversation that might be pertinent to the case, but I don’t know who was talking.” I pushed the notepaper with the names across the desk and Michael picked it up. “I checked the employee roster for the time I heard it, and deduced it has to be two of these people.” I explained how I knew they were women, and what I heard, and Michael’s face went from incredulous to furious in one quick step.
“Okay. How do you find out whom?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know any of them well enough to recognize them from voices alone.”
“Did you hear any accents?”
That w
as a good question. I thought back. Did I? Not really. No, that wasn’t true. One of the voices was vaguely Southern. “One of them was Southern, I think, but not a very strong accent,” I told him.
“That’s AnnaBeth. She’s on your list. She’s the only one from the South. The other four grew up in Montgomery.”
“Is she close to anyone? It’s the other woman I’m interested in mostly.”
“She’s tight with Kate, our deputy manager. She’s on your list too. What was their conversation about? Could either of them have something to do with the murders?”
“No. At least, not directly.” I thought back to the few times I’d heard Kate speak. It could be her. Now I thought about it, I was sure it was. “Let’s assume it was Kate. I overheard her tell AnnaBeth that she took money to leave the key in a safe place. She told AnnaBeth she needed the money and left the key as instructed, and it was returned to her a day later. She didn’t know what the person wanted it for so assumed it was for a prank.”
“Shit! You don’t give a key to someone you don’t know, for cash, and expect nothing bad to happen!” Michael ran a hand over his eyes and tipped his head back. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “That means someone has a key to this place,” he added.
“It looks that way. My guess is they got it copied and returned it before anyone could know it was missing. There might still be a copy out there.”
“They could have taken anything. Changing all the locks won’t be cheap. I know, I know. Bigger picture. My deputy manager hands out a key, and within days, two of my members get killed on the premises.”
“Kate said close to the same thing.”
“What do I do now? Kate isn’t due in until later when her shift starts.”
“I’d like to let Solomon know their names, then inform the murder squad working the case at MPD,” I told him, realizing how bad things could get for Kate and AnnaBeth. My sympathy was very faint. Kate did the deed, and now she had to deal with the consequences, harsh as they may be.
“What are you going to advise them?”
“To pick Kate and AnnaBeth up. Kate might have some other information that she didn’t tell her friend. AnnaBeth might know more than what I heard. There’s a possibility Kate could be in danger, especially if she knows anything that could identify the killer. Can I use your phone?”
Michael waved a hand at it. I called Solomon first and told him what I planned to do and he agreed it was a smart move. Next, I called Maddox; and after assuring him I was still alive and fine, I told him my assumptions, and he reminded me again to send him my interviewee list.
“It’s as easy as that, huh?” asked Michael.
“Yes.”
“What now?”
“Now I finish my shift. I could be wrong,” I told him, erring on the side of caution.
“Are you wrong?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I guess I’m looking for a new deputy manager. Let me know what happens with Kate, will you? And AnnaBeth too? I want to believe Kate wouldn’t do something too dumb, but then I’d like to believe two people weren’t murdered in my gym, and I know that happened. Why didn’t Kate come to me if she needed money? Why didn’t AnnaBeth tell me what Kate did?”
“I wish I could answer those questions, Michael, but I can’t. All I can say is, don’t do anything just yet. I could still be wrong and I don't want Kate or AnnaBeth alerted.”
Michael sighed. “No, you’re not.” He was quiet for a few long minutes and just when I got up to leave, he asked, “Are you coming back?”
“To work here? No, I don’t think so. I have other leads so I think the gym is a dead end, excuse the phrase, as far as this case goes. In the several shifts I’ve taken, I haven’t learned anything useful except this. I’d appreciate it if you kept my spot open, just in case, but I don’t think I’ll get the answers I need here.”
“Damn shame.” Michael opened his desk drawer and pulled out a couple of discs. “Here’s the surveillance footage I promised you. I haven’t watched it so I don’t know if it’s of any use.”
“Thanks.”
“If you ever think about leaving the PI biz and want to get into the fitness industry, give me a call. I could do with someone I trust. Someone who can shake things up for the members.” Michael stood and walked around the desk, offering his hand. I shook it. Even if I wouldn’t take up his offer, it was nice to be appreciated. “I could do with someone just like you.”
Michael’s words were still ringing in my ears as I threw my gym bag in the trunk close to an hour later. I called Solomon, gave him the names, then cleaned out my employee locker, changed into black pants and a nice blouse, and was just leaning in to retrieve the surveillance discs to slot them into my purse for viewing later, when an SUV drew up alongside me and stopped. Since several cars had entered and exited the lot in the minutes since I arrived, I ignored it in favor of searching for my phone, which I’d dropped in the trunk. It was only when I found it, and noticed a pair of legs a step back from mine, that I jumped, hitting my hid on the lid.
“Shit, sorry,” said Maddox.
“Owie,” I whimpered, reaching a hand to my hair. No wet spots meant no blood, which was good news since I’d seen enough of mine to last me several decades. I took in Maddox’s sharp suit and striped blue tie as I reeled back and asked, “Since when do you sneak up on a woman who just shot an intruder? My nerves are shot!”
“My bad. I’m really, really sorry. How’s your head?”
“I’ll live. What brings you here? I’m incognito, you know.”
“I came to check up on you.”
“You did that already. What’s the real story?”
“Maybe I’m just being extra nice?”
“In that case, I’d appreciate flowers.” We both looked down at his empty hands.
“Okay, I was checking to make sure you were okay and I came to give you the good news and the bad news. We picked up Kate Holm and AnnaBeth Chabot at their homes fifteen minutes ago. You came up good. Kate confessed the moment the cuffs were slapped on.”
“To the murders?” I asked hopefully, wondering who “we” was. Maddox was never dressed this smartly for work; plus, he’d gotten here way too quick after making an arrest.
“No,” said Maddox, ignorant of my silent questions. “She had an alibi for that. She told us she supplied a key and she still had the money and the note arranging the deal. We’re checking it for prints. It’ll take a while.”
“And AnnaBeth?”
“She took a little longer, but when we gave her the cliff notes of the conversation you overheard, she opened up. She’s got an alibi too. Looks like she was just a confidante. Neither of them are the killer.”
“Ugh. That’s disappointing, but not exactly unexpected.” I felt my head again. No lump. What a relief. It was hard enough covering up the bruise on my cheek.
“It’s one step closer than we were.”
“So that’s the good and the bad news covered.”
“Actually, that was the good news. The bad news is Carter Simons Junior filed a complaint against you. Apparently, you were caught trespassing on his home property, harassing him.”
“I was not!” I exclaimed.
Maddox raised his eyebrows. “Kind of funny, a guy from Simonstech files a complaint when you were just at that place.” He waited. I waited. Someone had to break the silence, but it wouldn’t be me. It was a technique I perfected during my many years of temping. Eventually, my opponent just told me whatever it was he or she wanted, or gave up. Maddox, however, was a tougher nut to crack. “Fine,” he said, after several long minutes and a no blinking competition that I wasn’t sure who triumphed over. “What were you doing on his property?”
“Taking a wrong turn.”
“Pure coincidence, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Didn’t think so. Whatever you’re not telling me… this guy is on my radar now. Would I be a genius if I guess
ed he was on your interviewee list?”
“No, you’re not a genius; but yes, Solomon and I interviewed him.”
“Assumed as much."
"For what it's worth, Junior is at the top of my list of potential attackers. Did you match the mark on Junior's cufflinks to Lorena's head?" I asked.
"No, because I don't have enough evidence to get a warrant." Maddox sighed as my face fell. "I will ask him where he was last night," he assured me.
"Great. And about the..."
"Listen, don’t worry about the complaint. Nothing will happen. Just do me a favor… don’t go back to Simons’ house and do not approach him.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. At least, I would if I’d done anything, which I haven’t! So… where are you going?” I asked, turning around to shut the trunk, and avoid Maddox’s devilishly handsome grin. He seemed pretty pleased with himself in semi-catching me in trouble while conducting an investigation. It was annoying that Junior filed a complaint, but I should have expected it. It was only a matter of time before Solomon found out. With a sinking feeling, I realized I had to tell him first.
“I have a date.”
I gulped, and blinked. What? Maddox had a date? And he thought I wanted to know about it? “Oh, I…” I stuttered, turning to face him.
“No, I shouldn’t have… I don’t have a date, okay?” Maddox flushed.
“It wouldn’t matter to me if you have a date.”
“Of course not. You have a boyfriend.”
“I have a boyfriend.” I paused, adding, “Solomon.” I don’t know why I felt the need to confirm it there and then, but I did and now it was out there. Talk about awkward moments as we stood there, facing one another. Maddox did a little toe kick to the dirt and I checked around us, for anything that would give me something else to talk about.
“I figured,” said Maddox, eventually, and very, very casually. Another long pause, then, “I have a job interview. The gym was on the way and I saw your car so I thought I’d drop by, just to check in on you.” Maddox looked at his watch. “I can’t be late. I thought you’d want to know your lead came up good.”
Weapons of Mass Distraction Page 21