by Cindy Bell
“Larry?” Suzie asked as she locked eyes on him. Larry started to jump up off the bar stool but before he could, Louis was standing on the other side of him.
“Relax Larry, we just want to talk,” Louis said with a slight frown.
“I've got nothing to talk about,” Larry said with a slow shake of his head.
“Maybe you would like to talk about Warren Blasser?” Suzie suggested. Larry popped another nut into his mouth.
“I have no idea who that is,” he shrugged.
“I don't believe you,” Suzie said.
“And?” Larry sneered. “I don't have to prove myself to you.”
“You will have to prove yourself to the police,” Suzie shot back.
“Police?” Larry said with a deep laugh. “I don't see any police here. Do you?”
Suzie grimaced. She knew that Larry was right. She did not have enough proof to get Jason to arrest this man.
“You're not going to get away with this, Larry,” Suzie said firmly.
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Larry scowled. “You're crazy.”
“So, you didn't forge a copy of a very rare and expensive book?” Louis asked.
“Oh, fans of my artwork,” Larry nodded a little. “Well, I can't say if I did or I didn't, but I can say, you've got nothing on me. If you don't mind, I'm trying to enjoy my beer.”
“You listen to me, Larry,” Suzie said and leaned towards him.
The bar tender wiped a rag across the bar top in front of her.
“Lady, if you and your boyfriend ain't buying, you need to get out,” he said sharply. Suzie sighed and backed away from Larry. The last thing she wanted to do was support a bar that harbored criminals and cigarette smoke and in addition she didn’t think she was going to get anywhere with Larry.
Just as Suzie was turning to leave she heard a familiar voice. Her gaze shifted to a booth. There, to her surprise sat Detective Brown. Her voice caught in her throat. She was tempted to alert him that she had seen him, to question him, or to demand that he help with the investigation, but she remembered what Mary had said. She didn't have a right to interfere. Detective Brown leaned forward to talk to the person in a trench coat across from him. Suzie couldn't hear what he was saying.
“Out, now,” the bartender said again and pointed towards the door.
“We better go, Suzie,” Louis said gravely.
“Fine,” Suzie nodded. As they left the bar, she wrote down the license plate number from the back of Larry's car. She was silent as she drove Louis back to his house.
“Do you want to come in for a minute?” Louis offered. “We could talk about what we’ve found out so far.”
Suzie nodded a little. She wasn't ready to face Mary yet after what she had seen.
Once she was settled in Louis' living room he handed her a bottle of water.
“So, what did you think of Larry?” he asked.
Suzie sighed. “I think he must have murdered Warren, but how are we going to prove it?” she shook her head. “I just feel like we’re getting nowhere with this,” Suzie admitted.
Louis had opened his laptop and was tapping lightly on his keyboard.
“We did get the book back,” he pointed out.
“I know,” Suzie admitted. “Which is a good thing. But can we really let Warren be buried with people believing that his death was an accident?”
“Unfortunately, we don't have any proof of Larry's involvement, if it was even Larry,” Louis pointed out. “Just because you saw a car similar to his at Dune House, that doesn't make him a murderer. We still have no idea how he did it, or why he would have done it.”
“Well, we know that he's a forger, that he may have been trying to protect himself from getting caught,” Suzie pointed out.
“But he didn't need to go to the extreme of killing Warren,” Louis stated. “Besides that, he didn't have the book. It was at my house. So, even if he killed Warren that wouldn't solve the problem of him not getting caught. Some other valuer would have detected the fraud.”
“You may be right about that,” Suzie said softly. “There doesn't seem to be a motive for Larry to kill Warren.”
“So, there you go,” Louis shrugged.
“No,” Suzie shook her head. “That's not what I meant. What I meant was there must have been a reason. Maybe that's what we're missing. Maybe there was some kind of personal connection between Warren and Larry. Something that would make Larry more prone to commit murder than just the fact that there was a fraudulent book.”
“Hmm, but what?” Louis shook his head. “I can't see their paths crossing for any reason.”
“Wait,” Suzie snapped her fingers. “Larry had just gotten out of jail right?”
“Yes,” Louis nodded. “I believe that is what Gerald mentioned.”
“What was he in jail for?” Suzie asked. “Can you look it up on the computer and find out?”
“Sure,” Louis nodded. He spent a few minutes typing things into the computer. Suzie's mind was slowly churning. She was beginning to formulate a theory.
“Looks like he did five years for fraud,” Louis said quietly. “It doesn't say what type of fraud.”
“Okay,” Suzie said. “That makes sense, as we know that he is a forger. But we also know that he's very good. So, how did he get caught? Does it list the witnesses who testified against him?”
Louis typed some more information into the computer. Suzie leaned forward so that she could see the results as well when they came up. “Anything?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” Louis said. “One of the star witnesses was Warren Blasser. He proved that the antique that Larry had been trying to pass off as a priceless object was in fact a very well designed copy.”
“There you go,” Suzie said and smiled as she sat back in her chair. “A personal connection. So, like Gerald said, he hired him to forge a copy of the book that his father intended to pass down to you. Once that was done he switched the books, which his father was not aware of in his ill state. So, I think that the book that you received was always the copy,” Suzie explained.
“That makes sense,” Louis grimaced. “Though, I hate to admit that I didn't realize it wasn't the original.”
“You would have no reason to suspect it, Louis,” Suzie pointed out. “You trusted Richard. You knew he would never give you a copy. It was really the perfect crime, until you told Gerald that Warren Blasser was coming to town to value the book. Then he called Larry in a panic. Larry gave him the plan to steal the copy and replace it with the genuine book. Then Larry found out it was Warren Blasser that was coming to town. He knew that Gerald might not follow through. He knew that Warren would see through his work, as he had in the past, and send him back to prison. So, rather than risk it, and perhaps to get a little revenge, he attacked Warren before he could ever even see the book.”
“Wow,” Louis shook his head. “If that's all true, then how did he kill Warren?”
“That is still a mystery,” Suzie admitted. “I don't know how he could have done it. Maybe Gerald helped him?”
“I still don't think he was involved,” Louis said. “He's a weasel, there's no question about that, but a murderer?”
“You may be right,” Suzie said. “I think the key here is Larry. He obviously had the most to lose if Warren had lived. Maybe he didn't care if another valuer looked at the book, as long as it wasn't Warren.”
“But we still have no proof,” Louis pointed out. “We can't prove that it was Larry's car at Dune House. We can't prove that he was ever even there. We can't even prove that he was involved in the forgery unless we can get Gerald to admit to the police that he hired him.”
“Which I doubt he will do,” Suzie agreed. “I think the only thing that we can do is go to Larry's house. Maybe there will be proof there. Or maybe if we talk to him, he will slip up about what he has done.”
“Maybe, but I still don't think it's a good idea to confront him,” Louis said grimly. “We're ta
lking about a hardened criminal here, Suzie, a killer.”
“I know that,” Suzie said in return. “But if we don't find something to implicate him, he's going to get away with it. That's not something I can stand happening. If you don't want to be involved, Louis, I understand.”
“There is no way you're going anywhere without me,” Louis said sternly. “I may not be the bravest man in the world, I may not be the most muscular, but I'm not about to run away from a dangerous situation. I just think we should go to the police with what we have, just so they know what we're up to.”
“We can't,” Suzie said gravely. “If Jason finds out that I still have my nose in all of this, he is not going to be happy. Trust me.”
“All right,” Louis nodded. “Then we'll go on our own.”
“Can you find his address?” Suzie asked.
“I already have it,” Louis said as he hit the button on his keyboard to print the document on his screen.
“Great,” Suzie nodded. “Then we should go as soon as possible, before he has the chance to skip town.”
“I'm ready when you're ready,” Louis said and snatched the paper out of the printer.
“In the morning,” Suzie said. “I'm exhausted, you're exhausted, and I feel better about doing this in daylight.”
“Okay,” Louis agreed. “Are you okay to get home?”
“Yes,” Suzie nodded. “Louis, will you pick me up at Dune House at seven tomorrow morning, that way Mary can have the car if she needs it. We’ll head straight out to Larry's house.”
“You got it,” Louis nodded.
***
On her drive home Suzie had a hard time staying focused on the road. She glanced in her rearview mirror and realized all of the party decorations she had bought were still in the backseat. She sighed and parked in the parking lot of Dune House. Everything looked dark, so she assumed that Mary was sleeping. She grabbed the bags from the back seat and headed inside. She was walking down the hallway when Mary flicked the hall light on.
“Where have you been, young lady?” she asked.
“Shopping,” Suzie said and hid the bags behind her back.
“Oh, I see,” Mary said with a sly smile. “Keeping secrets?”
“Only good ones,” Suzie replied. “Now off to bed with you, before you ruin the surprise.”
“All right, just remember, I'm not that fond of surprises,” Mary warned her. Suzie tried not to grimace. She wondered for a moment if the party was a bad idea altogether. Once Mary had headed back to her room, Suzie hurried into her room and tucked the bags into her closet. Then she collapsed onto her bed. All of the running around really had left her exhausted. But as she tried to sleep her mind kept filling with Larry's laughter. They might not have any proof, but she was sure that he was the killer. When she finally fell asleep she dreamed about pistachios.
Chapter Thirteen
First thing in the morning Suzie slipped out of Dune House. She didn't wait to see if Mary was awake. Mary might ask too many questions, and Suzie might not be able to lie well enough to her. She didn't want to risk Mary finding out that she intended to confront a murder suspect, or risk the possibility that Mary would follow after her. Louis was waiting in the driveway.
“Suzie?” she heard Mary call out as she reached his car. She was standing on the front porch still in her nightgown.
“I'm just going into town for a little bit with Louis,” Suzie waved to Mary.
“Okay,” Mary called back. She narrowed her eyes and then hurried back into Dune House. Suzie hoped that she wasn't upset with her. When she got in the car, Louis had already stopped for coffee and muffins.
“Thank you so much,” she said as he handed her a coffee. He settled into the passenger seat.
“Hey, we can't confront a killer on an empty stomach,” Louis said grimly. “Hopefully we can get him to confess something incriminating,” he added quietly.
“Hopefully,” Suzie nodded as she had a sip of her coffee.
“If only we knew something that might connect him to the crime.”
“I think I might,” Suzie replied in a murmur.
“What is it?” Louis asked eagerly.
“I'll let you know when I find out if I’m right.”
As they drove to Larry's house they were both fairly silent aside from slurping coffee and munching on the muffins. Suzie knew that Louis wasn't used to this kind of activity, in truth she wasn't used to it either, not any more. She had become much more used to renovating and decorating than investigating.
They parked a short distance from the driveway that led up to Larry's house. The driveway was empty when they arrived.
“Now what?” Louis asked.
“Now, we wait,” Suzie replied with determination. “Let's get closer,” she suggested.
The two left the car behind and walked to the end of the driveway. It was a corner lot that backed up to the woods, so there was a good amount of brush surrounding the driveway. Suzie and Louis crouched down behind it. Not a minute later they heard the rumbling of an engine.
“Is that him?” Louis asked and tried to stick his head out.
“He's pulling in now,” Suzie said and tugged Louis back into the bushes beside the entrance of the driveway.
“What are we going to do?” Louis asked with fear rising quickly in his voice. “He'll see us!”
“Shh,” Suzie insisted. “He won't see us if you quiet down and stay down,” she whispered. Louis tightened his lips and lowered his head. The car rumbled past them and up towards the house. The engine turned off. Suzie heard the squeak of the car door as it slowly opened. She closed her eyes for a moment and wondered if it was worth the calculated risk that she was about to take. She could hear the car door beginning to close once more. She knew that once Larry made it into the house, he would have the upper hand. She had to make her move before it was too late.
“Stay here,” she hissed at Louis.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded. Without answering she stepped out from behind the bushes.
Larry was just about to slam the door shut when Suzie called out to him. “Larry? Do you have a moment?”
He froze, the door still slightly open. Then he looked slowly over his shoulder.
“What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly.
“I'm sorry, I know this must seem strange to you. When we were at the bar the other day, I noticed that you were enjoying those pistachios so much. I was wondering if you knew where to find some, not just the run of the mill pistachios, but the best pistachios,” she said with a soft laugh.
“What are you talking about?” Larry demanded with irritation. “You stalked me, you followed me all of the way to my house, over pistachios?” he glared fiercely at her. “You need to get off my property before I call the police!”
“Would you, Larry?” she asked as she moved between him and the house. “Because I am here about the pistachios. I think the police would be very interested in the pistachios as well.”
“Have you lost your mind?” he asked sharply. “Why would the police be interested in pistachios?”
“Perhaps they would be interested in the pistachio shells that were found on the balcony that Warren Blasser stood on just before he died,” Suzie suggested. All of a sudden Larry's expression grew as hard as rock.
“What did you just say to me?” he asked in a wicked voice.
“You heard me,” Suzie replied daringly. “Is that what you used to coax him out of his room?” she pressed. “Did you throw your pistachio shells up against the window of his room until he stepped out onto the balcony?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he shook his head. “You are truly mental.”
“I don't think so,” Suzie said grimly. “I also think when the police test the DNA on those pistachio shells, they're not going to find Warren's. They're going to find yours.”
“Why would they test them?” Larry laughed. “It was an accident. A terrible tragedy
that occurred because of your negligence. Isn't that what everyone believes?”
“You forget one very important factor in all of this, Larry. My cousin, Jason, is on the Garber police force. All I have to do is ask him to test those pistachios and he will make it happen,” Suzie locked eyes with Larry to show him that she was not frightened by him.
“Oh, the Garber police?” Larry asked with mock fear in his voice. “How terrifying,” he rolled his eyes. “You need to move on before you get yourself hurt.”
“I'm not the one who is going to be hurt,” Suzie said as she narrowed her eyes. “You murdered a man on my property, and you have to pay for that.”
“I didn't do it, and you can't prove I did,” Larry nearly shouted back. “You don't have any pistachio shells with my DNA. I'm not stupid. I'm an artist,” he growled.
“An artist that has gone to prison for his crimes,” Suzie challenged. “That's where you're going back to.”
“I will never go to prison again,” Larry abruptly roared. His dominant demeanor suddenly became violent as he jerked the door of his car open. Suzie heard the squeak of the door and saw Larry's hand reach into the vehicle for something. She was too startled to do anything to defend herself. She could only watch as he moved swiftly. When he stood back up again he had something in his hand. Suzie was sure it was a weapon. “You should have walked away when I gave you the chance,” he shouted. “Now, you're going to have to be another unexplained fatality.”
Suzie started to take a step back. She heard a twig snap, and expected that Louis had come out from behind the bushes in an attempt to protect her. But before she could create distance between herself and Larry he had his arm around her waist. He jerked her body back hard against his and pinned her there. Suzie could barely breathe as his arm across her stomach was so tight. Then she felt a cold, hard object pressed against the side of her neck.