Ford grabbed his helmet and ran out of the office to his motorcycle. It was now well after eight o’clock and he raced through the streets toward the Kingston house. Leaving his bike in the parking lot of a sandwich shop at the corner, Ford walked the half a block to stand in front of the house next to the Kingston’s. There were no lights on and the driveway was empty of cars. Walking slowly and quietly, Ford crept across the lawn to the flowerbeds. Grabbing a handful of the yellow plants, he yanked them out by the roots, and hid them inside his jacket as he jogged back to his bike.
Ford stored the flowers in his saddlebag and fifteen minutes later he was on the street and idling as quietly as he could until he was in front of Mike Andrews’s house. Frowning, Ford noticed that there were lights on inside. It was going to be tricky to get up close enough to the house to grab some of the flowers without being noticed or tipping off a neighbor. Two doors down, one of the houses was boarded up, so Ford took a chance parking in front of it. Scanning the area, he noticed that most houses were dark. Taking a chance, he sprinted to the front yard of Mike’s house and grabbed a couple of plants then raced back to his bike. No dogs barked and no one noticed him.
Back at the office, he carefully placed the flowers from Mike’s house into a Ziploc bag and labeled it, then did the same with the blossoms from the Kingston house. First thing in the morning, he would take the bags to the best chemistry buddy he had so he could determine if they were exactly the same. They sure looked identical to his untrained eye. But if his suspicions were correct, and he had no doubt they were, Ford felt confident he had the murder weapon in his hands.
Chapter 45
Ford pushed the motorcycle up to ninety miles per hour as he raced along I-696 on his way back to the office from his buddy Boyle’s place. He hadn’t understood a quarter of what Boyle said, but the way he explained it, Ford felt more hopeful than he had in days. The plants were a perfect match and Boyle was convinced that they could have been the flowers responsible for creating the poison that killed Jack. He was going to do some more tests, but when Ford got jumpy and wanted to go back to the office, Boyle had turned him loose.
Ford hated obeying the speed limits in the city proper, but did so. The last thing he wanted was to catch a ticket and further delay his arrival. As he pulled into the lot, he squealed the tires in his haste. Walking through the door, Hudson was sitting on the outer couch looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Where have you been?” he asked, his voice tired and surly. Ford thought it was probably how his own voice sounded much of the time, sealing their kinship yet again.
“I have been out solving the case.”
Hudson’s eyes bugged out. “What?”
“Well, sort of.”
Ford explained what had happened when he was looking through his surveillance photos. He couldn’t help but feel proud of himself that he’d finally been able to find something to make the case turn a corner.
Instead of getting a high five or words of praise, Hudson groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, this could be great news, except that you used a known drug dealer to do your dirty work. There’s no way this will stand up in court. We need to get the plants to a reputable lab as soon as possible. Did you bring them back?”
“No,” Ford growled. “I left them with Boyle. It doesn’t matter at this stage if it stands up in court because Tess hasn’t been charged. All we need to do is give the police somewhere else to look.”
“I see your point.” Hudson sighed and hauled himself up off the couch. “But it’s another added step if they don’t believe us. Just tell Boyle not to destroy those plants entirely in case we need to send more samples somewhere else.”
“Fine.”
Ford wanted to grumble some more but decided against it. Hudson was right, although he still could have given up an atta boy or thank you. He sat down behind the secretary desk and pulled out his phone to send a text to Boyle.
Looking up, Hudson stood over him. “Thanks, brother. You did good.”
Ford shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
While Hudson worked in his office, Ford remained at the front desk looking through Tess’s file again. While they most certainly had the murder weapon and a solid suspect in Mike Andrews, they still had to zero in on a motive. Why would Mike the nurse want to put poison into the brownies? Could Molly Kincaid have been a part of it all, since she baked the brownies? If it wasn’t some secret crush on Tess and a plot to get Jack out of the way, then what? Did he know Jack before he died? Did he somehow have anything to do with the adoption and inheritance? Since the flowers were at the Kingston house too, there had to be a connection. Did Mike know Roger or David and, if so, how?
Ford grabbed a pencil and began doodling on a legal pad. He drew circles all over the page and put the names of the players inside. Tess, David and Roger Kingston, Mike Andrews, Jack. He drew arrows back and forth between them all, jotting notes about connections between each person and every other person. The logical conclusion pointed to David or Roger. Or both. They could have done research on the plants to figure out a way to create the poison. Then, they could have looked for a connection to Tess. Maybe Andrews didn’t have a crush on Tess, maybe they paid him off to do it. If they hadn’t known about Jack’s will, poisoning him would have been the easiest way to keep his money in the family.
Hudson broke his concentration, as he came back into the room. “What are you doing?”
“Not sure.” Ford kept underlining and drawing lines. “It’s a good thing we got the weapon or poison, but things still don’t make sense. Jack’s money is the only motive anyone has. The only people to benefit from Jack’s death, had he not made a will, were the Kingstons. It has to be them.”
“But why are the flowers at Mike’s house too? Coincidence?” Hudson leaned in closer to read the notes and scribbles on the page.
“I don’t know. My gut’s all over the place.”
Ford tossed the pencil down and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “David and Roger are both huge assholes, but I can’t believe they would actually kill their brother and son. You saw them that day at David’s office. They looked as sick as anyone who’s lost a loved one. I don’t think either of them is that good of an actor.”
Hudson sat down on the corner of the desk and laced his fingers together behind his head. “Maybe we’re underestimating them.”
Ford shrugged, but then shook his head. “Think about it. They adopted that kid and raised him as their own. You can’t just turn that off, can you?”
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so. Money does crazy shit to people.”
Ford nodded. “Yes, it does.”
“We have to talk to Andrews.”
“I can’t get near him at work. And he knows what I look like.”
Hudson pursed his lips. “Maybe we could have Tess reach out–”
“No!” The shout that erupted from Ford surprised even him.
Hudson frowned. “Easy there, brother.”
Ford willed himself to calm down. “It’s too dangerous. If he is involved, it might spook him to see her.”
“But that’s exactly what we need!”
“No, if we let on that we know anything, he might bolt. Then we’re screwed. Besides, I don’t think Tess would agree to it, anyway.”
“Agree to what?” Tess asked.
Chapter 46
On a whim, Tess had decided to drive over to Hudson’s office. She couldn’t stand being in the apartment a minute longer. Even her beloved cats were driving her crazy with their incessant need for attention. She stood in the doorway to Hudson’s inner office, and her breath stopped when her eyes met Ford’s. He actually looked happy to see her and almost smiled. She could tell he stopped himself at the last moment by the way the smile died and then faded away.
“What are you doing here?” Hudson turned around to see her.
“I needed to get out of the house. What are you guys talk
ing about?”
Hudson pulled a chair from the other room so she could sit next to Ford. Tess was glad he didn’t notice when Ford shoved his own chair back a little bit, creating more distance between them.
“Do you want some coffee or water?” Hudson asked as she sat down.
“Water would be great.”
Hudson turned to the minifridge to get her drink and she looked quickly at Ford. He was staring at his folded hands resting in his lap. Tess smiled, but he didn’t see it. She wished she could be alone with him for five minutes. Unfortunately, Hudson was there and handing her a bottle of Aquafina.
“So what’s going on?”
Hudson looked at Ford and then smiled at her. Tess didn’t know whether to feel hopeful or sick.
“We have some good news. We may have traced the poison back to some plants that Ford found in the Kingstons and Andrews’ front yards.”
Hope soared through Tess’s body. “That’s great! Right?”
“Yes. We’re having it confirmed with an expert. Ford and I want to speak with Andrews, but we can’t do it on the work premises. And we think if he sees Ford, he might bolt.”
“Okay.” Tess crinkled her brow as she listened, wondering what they wanted her to do. She didn’t have to wait long for an answer.
“My thought was to have you reach out to Andrews for a meeting or something, and then we feed you some questions to ask. You could wear a wire and a camera so we could get a sense of his answers.”
“And my thought is you should stay out of it,” Ford said quietly, still not looking at her.
“Well that’s not going to happen,” Tess retorted. “If there’s any chance we can get me out of this mess, I’m all in. You just tell me everything you want me to do.”
Hudson quivered with excitement. “Good, now that it’s settled, let’s work out the logistics.”
Ford glared at Hudson and it wasn’t lost on Tess. Now that’s interesting, she thought. I really need to get him alone.
“Maybe you could show up to the doc’s office on Monday and ask him out to lunch or something?” Hudson suggested.
“Under what pretense?” Ford interrupted.
Hudson glared at him.
“He’s right.” Tess gave them both a sympathetic look. “But it just so happens I have the perfect excuse to stop into the office.”
The men stared at her, waiting for more. “Well?” Hudson asked after a few seconds. “You gonna tell us or make us play charades?”
Tess gave him a sour face, but then smiled. “I finally finished the last of the transcription I had. Usually I email it, but I could hand deliver it just to say goodbye to everyone.”
“Brilliant!” Hudson shouted. “Then, while you’re there, you can think of a way to get near him or talk to him. Maybe invite a bunch of them to lunch? Or drinks after work?”
Tess shrugged. “That might work. Those gals love to go to the Blue Goose Inn on Jefferson on Tuesdays for Mexican. Maybe he’ll come along, but I can’t guarantee it.” The hope she felt earlier dampened just a little. She couldn’t remember Mike ever having joined them before.
“Is there anyone there you’re particularly close with?” Ford asked. “Maybe you could tell her to make sure he comes or something?”
“I could try, but I’m not sure I trust anyone. Especially now that you’ve been there asking questions. They’ll be suspicious of me.” Great, more funny looks. First a widow and now a murderer.
“All we can do is try. Head over there Monday around lunch time and see what you can do. Then give me or Ford a call and let us know how it went. I’ll have my brother get started on getting the surveillance equipment together so you can be wired up.”
“What if they want to go to lunch right then?” Tess asked. “I could use my phone to record stuff, I guess.”
“If that happens, be prepared. Otherwise, set it up for whatever night and then we’ll make sure you have everything you need. And we’ll be listening.”
Chapter 47
Lilly wasn’t keen on Tess going alone to the doctor’s office. When she found out about the half-baked plan Hudson had convinced her sister to carry out, she had insisted on joining Tess on the mission. If this Mike person was really involved and capable of murder, then Lilly wasn’t about to let her only sister walk into a situation without some form of backup.
Sure enough, when they got to Dr. Guildford’s office just before lunch time, most of the staff was milling around, wondering where they would go and what they would do. When they saw Tess, they all surrounded her with supportive hugs and good wishes, leaving only polite nods and smiles for Lilly. She watched carefully to see if she got any sense of unease from the staff, but her internal radar wasn’t cut out for that kind of thing. Still, she kept her eyes and ears open just in case.
Lilly knew that Hudson was hoping the staff would be open to a night out for drinks after work so that he and Ford could follow along and listen in on whatever happened. But she knew that the abrupt appearance of Tess on the premises would likely encourage them to want to spend time with her right then, and not wait for another night. When Tess tried to suggest the Blue Goose for the next night, it was Molly Kincaid who insisted they all go out for lunch right then. El Charro was just down the street and they could all go there. Luckily, Molly cornered and convinced everyone to go, even Mike Andrews. Lilly expected him to be reluctant, but he seemed as excited as everyone else. She didn’t like the looks of him from the moment she saw him, with his excessive muscles and hipster ponytail.
Not knowing what else to do, Tess agreed and she and Lilly went out to the car to head off for the restaurant, promising to save enough spaces at the tiny eatery on Harper. “I told you this would happen,” Lilly admonished as they walked up to the car. “I’ll drive and you text Hudson and Ford. Let them know what’s going on.”
“Okay. Don’t sound so worried. It’s broad daylight on a Monday. What do you think’s going to happen?” Tess blew off her sister’s concern and Lilly wanted to smack her upside the head for it.
“And you don’t take things seriously enough. The fact is, we don’t know what might or might not happen. You need to be on guard, sis.”
“Okay, sis.”
Lilly drove them to the restaurant and parked in the closest spot she could get to the door. Tess was busy sending text messages when cars carrying the staff of Dr. Guildford’s office began to arrive, taking all the surrounding spaces. Mike Andrews’s little red Prius pulled in on the driver’s side in the only handicap space available. Lilly gave him a stern look as she exited her car and he shrugged his enormous shoulders.
“I had knee surgery a couple of months ago. I have a temporary tag.”
Lilly nodded but didn’t say anything. He hadn’t been limping earlier and he wasn’t now, but the red temporary handicap flyer was displayed predominantly from his rearview mirror.
All through the meal, her former coworkers peppered Tess with questions about everything under the sun while Lilly sat quietly beside her, eating her lunch. Tess did a good job of answering the questions and playing the part of grief-stricken widow and stunned suspect in her husband’s homicide. It wasn’t really that big of a stretch. Her phone was recording everything going on, just as Hudson had told her to do. Lilly kept her eye on Mike Andrews but he did nothing to set himself apart from the group. He didn’t ask any questions of his own though, but just listened and ate. He laughed when appropriate and shot Tess looks of sympathy when it was the right thing to do. Still, Lilly had glommed onto him because there was no one else she could put in her cross hairs besides Roger and David Kingston.
When almost an hour had gone by, Daphne Moore announced that it was time to get back to the office. There were groans from some of the nurses, but they knew they had patients to see. A hoard of bodies dressed in scrubs floated toward the door with Tess and Lilly behind them. Outside in the parking lot, Tess received hugs from everyone and they all filtered into their cars, departing in a line
. Only the red Prius remained.
“Where’s Mike?” Lilly whispered, looking around to survey the area.
“I don’t know.” Tess was busy looking at her phone, which had blown up with messages from Hudson.
Lilly frowned. “Get in the car. We’ll head over to Hudson’s.” She stepped off the curb and opened the car door. As she stepped around to sit down, the door was shoved hard, catching her head in between it and the frame of the car. Bright white spots of light filled her vision and she slumped to the ground. Her last thought was Fuck!
Chapter 48
Mike Andrews grabbed Tess by the arms from behind and wheeled her toward his car before she even knew what was happening. Her phone clattered to the pavement and she yelled, “Hey!” as it shattered and the pieces scattered all over the place.
He arced an arm around and punched her squarely in the side of the head. She slumped and stopped struggling, and he was able to dump her into the passenger side of his car.
Running around to the driver’s side, he hopped in and started the vehicle. He peeled out of the parking lot and headed north on Harper Avenue.
Chapter 49
“Something’s not right.”
Ford paced back and forth in the office, staring at his phone. “Tess isn’t responding to any of my texts. She said they were finishing lunch and would be here within ten minutes.” This is not good.
“Maybe she and Lilly stopped for coffee or something.” Hudson was watching his phone too, waiting for a message from his client. He didn’t sound convinced.
Just then, Lilly burst through the office door, blood pouring down the side of her head. She staggered toward Hudson, who caught her in his arms before she went to the floor. “He took her,” she whimpered. “Mike Andrews took her.”
The Widow and the Will Page 24