Amanda turned to Sarah. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that Natalie Hopski wants all of her father’s money for herself, and if her sister Teresa and her brother Brent helped her, they’re probably all planning to split the Hopski inheritance, right?”
“That's how it appears,” Sarah nodded.
“What about their biological parents, Los Angeles? Did we ever find out who they might have been? I mean, obviously they're either really old or maybe even dead by now, but I'm curious as to who they were.”
“I haven't gotten that far,” Andrew apologized. “My brain has been running on fumes, ladies. I've spoken to more folks today than I care to admit, and some of those folks weren't really happy to hear from me, if you catch my drift. You would not believe the kind of attitudes I heard today.”
“I lived in London,” Amanda reminded Andrew. “I've met my share of snobby Brits who hold their noses up above the fog.”
“Los Angeles isn't exactly a breeding ground for manners either,” Sarah pointed out. “When I lived there I suffered from road rage for so many years, I wore out quite a few horns.”
Andrew took a bite of apple pie. “Well, here in Snow Falls it's supposed to be nice and quiet. I don't like killers running loose in my town.”
“Don't worry,” Sarah said, “they’re not running loose anymore. I've painted a target on my back and they’re coming straight for me.” Sarah stood up. “Come on, June Bug, I think enough time has passed. We better get out to my cabin and catch us some bad guys.”
“You seem very confident,” Andrew stated in a worried voice.
“I am,” Sarah tipped Andrew a wink. “I have a secret weapon stashed in the woods.”
“A secret weapon?”
“A security vest,” Sarah explained and waved goodbye at Andrew, who just gave her a puzzled look in return. “Wait for my call. When I do call, you can come and scoop up the bad guys.”
Amanda shrugged her shoulders at Andrew. “Beats me what my friend here is talking about…I wasn't aware she had a secret weapon other than the journal.”
“I should have my head examined,” Andrew said in a worried voice. “Okay, get out of here and bring me the bad guys. I'll stay here just in case one of them tries to make a hit on our guests.”
Sarah took Amanda's hand and walked her out into the hallway. “Okay,” she said in a serious voice, “I was a little glib with Andrew because I don't want him freaking out on me and sending the army out to my cabin. The truth is, we're walking into a dangerous situation, June Bug. Natalie intends to kill the both of us.”
“I'm not leaving your side,” Amanda told Sarah and squeezed her hand. “We're partners, remember?”
“When we arrive at my cabin, matters are going to become very, very dangerous.”
“I know,” Amanda replied. “I’m used to the danger by now. Remember, I’ve handled some pretty tough bad guys myself.”
“Yes, you have,” Sarah smiled and hugged Amanda's neck. “Okay, June Bug, let's get moving. It's a quarter past ten. I want a little time in my cabin before Natalie arrives.” Amanda nodded her head and followed Sarah out into the stormy night.
On the way to the cabin, as Amanda navigated her truck out of town and down the rainy, dark street, Sarah explained the plan. Amanda listened carefully and tried to memorize every detail and remind herself that Sarah knew what she was doing. Still, they were both a little worried and the trip, though brief, was tense.
Sarah checked the gun in her ankle holster as Amanda’s truck reached the cabin. Sarah’s cabin was dark, silent, and saturated with rain. The black hand of night lay heavy on the cabin, and the two women steeled themselves. Sarah looked through the rain-soaked windshield of the truck and studied the night landscape. Somewhere hidden in the darkness were three killers. “Okay, June Bug, easy does it,” she said.
Amanda pulled up next to Sarah's Subaru, turned off her truck, and listened to the heavy rain fall. “Here we are,” she said in a voice that fought back worry and fear.
“Follow my lead at all times,” Sarah reminded Amanda, then crawled out of the truck and ran up to the front door of her cabin. Amanda bravely followed. Moments later, they were inside the cabin, shaking rain off their rain jackets. “Do you think she will really try to kill us?” she asked Sarah.
“No. She wants the journal,” Sarah replied, hanging up her sodden rain jacket on the wooden coat rack next to the front door. “She needs the journal, and we’ve promised half. She wants to kill us, but I think she’ll hold off for now because of that other half.”
“I guess I'll go make us some coffee while we wait,” Amanda said, worriedly. “I just hope you're right and Natalie Hopski plays by the rules tonight.”
“I'm confident that she will,” Sarah assured Amanda. “When she arrives, it'll only be the three of us. Andrew promised to stay guarding Chet and Milton, so he won’t interrupt us. We just have to keep to the plan.”
“Okay then,” Amanda said, “you're the boss.”
“Go make us some coffee and remember to control your temper when Natalie Hopski arrives. We can’t afford to antagonize her again. We need what she’s bringing us, badly. If she can come through, she might be our ticket out of this dump of a town.” Sarah winked silently at Amanda.
“Got you,” Natalie said, sitting in a gray van in front of an empty cabin four driveways down the road from Sarah’s cabin. She took the headphones from her ears with a satisfied smirk and looked over at the rough-faced man who was also listening in to Amanda and Sarah’s conversation through the covert audio transmitter they had planted earlier that evening in Sarah’s cabin. “Okay, Brent, once we deal with these two loose ends, we'll be in the clear. Think you can handle them?”
“Just make sure you get them to stand in front of the kitchen window,” Brent said and glanced at the high-powered rifle next to him. “Teresa, you stay in the van and pick us up when we call for you.”
Teresa nodded in understanding and looked at her siblings with satisfaction. For so long they had been separated, but now they were united by Natalie.
“Okay, then,” Natalie said with a dark grin, “are you ready? Because tonight we wrap up this mess, take back what was stolen from us, and walk off into the sunset.”
“Finally,” Brent snarled. “With the money we're getting, we’ll finally get payback. A lot of people are going to suffer.”
“Yes,” Teresa said, a kind of mad glee animating her features. She shifted in the shadows of the van. “Beginning with Milton.”
Chapter 8
Spring Flowers End Rainy Showers
Natalie walked up to the front door of Sarah's cabin holding an umbrella over her head. Before she knocked on the door, she studied the rainy night with careful eyes. Brent was in place. Teresa was in place. No one else was around in the desolate night under the rain of the spring storm. All that was left to do was tie up a few loose ends. “Your reputation concerned me,” she muttered, “but now I know you're just a dumb cop like the rest of them. Money talks to every cop.” Natalie raised her powerful right fist and knocked on the front door.
“Follow my lead,” Sarah whispered to Amanda, checked the gun in her ankle holster again, and then answered the front door. Rain and wind struck her face. “Right on time,” she told Natalie as she stuck her head outside and squinted in the darkness, searching the night. “I assume you came alone?”
“Of course,” Natalie snapped. “May I come in?”
Sarah hesitated as her eyes continued to search the rain-soaked darkness. She stood very still for a very long time; long enough to annoy Natalie. Finally, she spoke. “Inside.”
Natalie stepped through the front door, closed her umbrella with annoyance, and saw Amanda holding a gun. “What is this?” she demanded.
“She's alone,” Sarah told Amanda. “Go into the kitchen and get us some coffee.”
Amanda lowered the gun in her hand, stared at Natalie, and walked off toward the kitchen. Natalie waited until Aman
da left before speaking. “I have your money,” she said and indicated the hefty black briefcase that she carried. “Now where is my half of the journal?”
“Not so fast,” Sarah said, staring at the black briefcase with her eyebrows raised. “We need to talk. Sit down.” Sarah pointed at the living room couch. The thought of having a slimy criminal like Natalie in her home made her want to bathe the cabin with bleach. “Take off your rain jacket first, huh? I don't want my couch getting wet.”
Natalie reluctantly set the briefcase down on the floor, removed her jacket, and hung it up. “No games,” she said quickly and grabbed the briefcase up off the floor.
“No games,” Sarah assured Natalie and pointed at the couch.
Natalie nodded her head, walked over to the couch, and sat down. “I want this transaction to take place very quickly, Detective Garland.”
Sarah nodded her head, casually bent down as if she was going to scratch her ankle, and yanked out her gun. “First,” she commanded Natalie, aiming the gun at her, “show me your recording device. Right now.”
Natalie's face went pale. The expression in Sarah's eyes was intense. Natalie slowly reached under the bottom of the briefcase and pulled off a small black recording device no bigger than a dime. “I have to be careful, you understand,” Natalie explained in an accusing tone.
Sarah knew that Natalie felt clever. She wanted to make Sarah believe the hidden device attached to the briefcase was all there was. Sarah snatched the recording device from Natalie's hand. “Who is listening on the other end?”
Natalie swallowed. “I—”
“Don't lie to me,” Sarah growled. “I'm not a stupid woman, Ms. Hopski. I know you're not working alone. Now, who is on the other end? Your hired killer?”
“I...” Natalie swallowed again. She was prepared. “My employee, yes,” she finished, attempting to sound calm and strong.
Sarah lowered her gun a little but kept it trained on Natalie. “I said no games. That is strike one and two. Don't take a third swing, Ms. Hopski. If you do,” Sarah shook her head, “you will not leave my cabin alive. Now open the briefcase and let's see what you’ve brought.”
Natalie watched as Sarah slipped the listening device into the front pocket of the dress she was wearing. “Yes, of course,” she said and slowly opened the briefcase. “You can count the money if you want.”
Sarah stared down at the briefcase. The sight of the neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills made her sick. There had to be hundreds of thousands of dollars in the briefcase. “Amanda will count the money later. Close it.”
Natalie closed the briefcase. “Where is my half of the journal?”
“Not so fast,” Sarah stated. “First, I want some answers.”
“That wasn't part of the deal.”
“Then take your money and get out,” Sarah pointed to the front door. “I'll go see my friendly neighborhood judge first thing in the morning and let him take a look at the journal and get a court order for me to review your father’s will. Then I think I’ll find all the motive I need to convince him to issue a warrant for your arrest. For murder.”
Natalie’s cheeks turned an ugly red. “What answers do you want?” she hissed.
“Why did you kill your father, Ms. Hopski?” Sarah asked. “And why here in Alaska and not in Los Angeles?”
Natalie wrestled with emotions that contorted her face in a hideous way. Sarah could see that she badly wanted to reveal everything, because she believed that she was safe. She believed that Sarah and Amanda would never leave this cabin alive.
She finally spoke. “Los Angeles was too risky,” Natalie said. “I was forced to get that old man away from those two stupid monkeys he calls sons.”
“Why kill him? He was very old and would have died soon enough,” Sarah pointed out.
“Exactly,” Natalie hissed. “That stupid old man changed his will on me. I had to act or else. You see,” Natalie narrowed her eyes, “William Archie Hopski excluded me from his will. He was a miserly old man. I would have been left with nothing more than the pittance I get from the trust fund each month.”
“I understand you receive a large amount of money each month.”
“Pennies, mere pennies,” Natalie huffed. “I deserve far more. There was no way I was going to let Chet and Milton take my money away from me after our father’s death. Drastic measures had to be taken, Detective Garland.” Natalie leaned back into the cushions of the couch a little, clearly relaxing into her story.
“I see,” Sarah replied, swallowing her disgust. “Tell me, where is Mr. Hopski's green Subaru? I didn't see it anywhere near the cabin.”
“I drove the Subaru to a private parking garage. I had to make Chet and Milton believe that backstabbing old man went on another one of his hunting trips.”
Sarah paused, thinking over this. “Ms. Hopski, maybe it's the old detective in me, but I am very curious to find out how you discovered Mr. Hopski was, in fact, taking trips to his remote cabin instead of going on hunting trips?”
Natalie watched Sarah with the air of a spider waiting in her web. Natalie believed Sarah was fishing for answers that she would carry to the grave. “William Archie Hopski hated to fly, or so I always believed. But one day I found a repair bill for a private plane he owned. He was a liar, always hiding away from me, always turning everyone against me. Well, this was finally proof. Needless to say, I employed a private investigator to begin following my target.”
“I see.”
Natalie raised her chin almost proudly. “My...employee...took photos of William Archie Hopski making several visits to the office of his attorney. Now, he may have been old, but he was in terrific health and his mind was still sharp as a tack. I suppose his age would have taken its course soon or later, but once I found out about the visits to his attorney, I knew something was...amiss.”
“And drastic measures had to be taken.”
“Exactly,” Natalie grinned. “So, I had my employee take a few photos of the old man's attorney, photos that were...damaging...and then added a little pressure.” Natalie's grin widened. “The man broke and begged me to show mercy.”
“Your father’s attorney told you of the changes to the will, I assume?”
“Oh yes,” Natalie said. “William Archie Hopski had altered his will. And I was no longer in it. Not a penny, not a single cent.” Her eyes glazed over with rage at the memory.
“So, you devised a plan?”
“Yes,” Natalie stated proudly. “William Archie Hopski had to die, but not before bringing me back into his will, and of course, leaving me as the sole heiress.”
“Mr. Hopski's attorney had to be involved.”
“That low-life and I made an agreement,” Natalie said with disdain. “I was to have the old man write out a new will and he would make it official.”
“And let me guess…your father would end up dead before he could change the will again, right?”
“You're a very bright woman.”
“Maybe,” Sarah replied. “How did you find out about the cabin?”
Natalie rested her hand on the briefcase. “I got more out of that pathetic attorney than I expected,” she said in an arrogant tone. “It's amazing what a few damaging photos can do to a person, isn't it, Detective Garland?”
“Yes,” Sarah said and calmly moved forward. “You went through a lot of trouble to make it appear that your father’s death was accidental. Why? Why didn't you just kill him and bury his body somewhere near the cabin?”
“Ah,” Natalie grinned, “you see, Detective Garland, I had to kill three birds with one stone. Even though I killed that pathetic old man, three thorns remained. Three thorns that could delay me getting my money by challenging the will in a court of law and possibly even causing that weak, miserable attorney of his to change his song.”
“I see.”
“I had my father state in his will...my new version of the will...that if he was to be found dead, and his death was caused by murder, the
n his money would go entirely to me.” Natalie smiled almost beatifically, and Sarah resisted the urge to slap Natalie across her smug face. “Of course, that's the way I designed the will, but,” she admitted, “as I stated, I had three birds to kill. At the moment, some very damaging evidence is hidden in Milton and Chet's condominiums...maps of this area…photos of the cabin...photos of our dear, departed father with red circles drawn around his face...oh, delicious stuff.”
“I see,” Sarah said, feeling sick to her stomach. “You made it appear that Chet and Milton murdered Charlene and then you were going to frame them for the death of your father as well.”
“Yes,” Natalie said, poison dripping from her smile. “I wanted the autopsy to prove that William Archie Hopski died accidentally. At least, at first...and then I would lower the boom and finish off my prey.”
Sarah sat silent for a few seconds. “What about Milton's wife? Teresa?” she finally asked.
Natalie stiffened some. “She...is taken care of.”
Sarah nodded her head. “You do realize that traces of sedatives and hallucinogenic drugs were found in Mr. Hopski's system, don't you?”
Natalie grinned again. “Of course. And poor Milton, the same drugs that were found in our late father’s frozen corpse are now hidden under the mattress of his bed. All that is left to do, after our business is conducted, is to make a simple phone call. No loose ends, Detective Garland.”
Sarah fought back the urge to bypass slapping Natalie and simply shoot the woman. “Your plan was very well thought out.”
“Thank you,” Natalie looked into Sarah's eyes. “Natalie Hopski always comes out on top. No one crosses her and lives, Detective Garland. Now, I answered your questions. Let's continue with our business.” As Sarah watched, Natalie checked the watch on her wrist with satisfaction. “Perhaps we can have coffee in your kitchen?”
“Sure,” Sarah said and stood up and put her gun away. “Amanda can count the money while we have coffee.”
Sarah walked Natalie into the kitchen. Outside, hidden in the dark, wet woods, Brent stationed himself behind a tree, aimed his rifle at the kitchen window and waited. “Come on, come on,” he said impatiently, “let's get this circus act over with.”
Spring into Murder (Alaska Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 13