Rounding the curve through the dark pine trees that grew thickly around her own small home, Liz saw what she thought might be a light in one of her back rooms. That’s strange, she thought, I know I turned all the lights off when I left. Maybe Dorrie has come home. A brief feeling of panic moved through her body and she felt herself sobering as she quickened her step.
Dorrie had seen that jewelry too, Liz thought. I showed it to her when I first found it after last week’s storm uncovered that old wreck of a yacht. Liz recalled the wide-eyed stare Dorrie had when she saw the shiny pendant, ring, and earrings in the small tin box where they had been sealed for, most likely, decades.
Dorrie had been gone for a couple of days—probably on a bender. The young college dropout kept promising to stop her partying and go back to school but nothing had happened so far. Would Dorrie come back to steal her find? Liz didn’t think so but then one never knew. Liz knew Dorrie was broke—at least she owed her two- month’s rent money.
Liz stepped up her pace toward the house, inwardly cursing herself for her own loose tongue and her drunken bragging to others about how she was going to get money and use it to do something with her sorry life. She should have kept her mouth shut—at least until she had found a safe place for her find. That had been Mark’s argument for taking the jewelry to his store and locking it up for her. Perhaps she had been foolish to distrust him.
Now, thinking much more clearly as she opened her own front door, Liz called out, “Dorrie, is that you? Where have you been?”
There was no answer. The house was totally quiet and there was only one small light leaking from the door to the back bedroom—Liz’s room. She carefully approached the bedroom door flicking the switch to illuminate the living room as she went. Calling out for Dorrie once more, she cautiously pushed the bedroom door open.
A gloved hand grabbed her from behind as she entered the room, grasping her firmly across the mouth, stifling the scream that tried to come out. She tried to slip away but her assailant had a firm grasp on her head. Liz felt a knee in the small of her back and she was shoved face first to the floor—her assailant landing full weight on her back, twisting her arm behind her. Again she tried to scream—knowing full well there was no one close by to hear her. This time a heavy object smashed into the side of her head—momentarily stunning her. Liz tried to shake off the blow. She twisted violently trying to shift the weight from her back and catch her breath. Just as she thought she might be gaining on her attacker she felt a sharp, stabbing pain between her shoulder blades. She could almost hear the air seep from her lungs as she lost consciousness. She was totally unaware of the warmth of her blood gushing from the wound onto the pale gray carpet.
***
Deputy Pete Midgett picked up the phone in his Manteo office. It was after midnight, almost one a.m. Couldn’t be anything good at that hour! The caller id indicated it was the deputy out in Kill Devil Hills. He probably had drunks fighting after the beach bars closed down. Pete spoke sleepily, “Midgett here, what do you need Mike?”
“Better get a team out here,” Mike drawled. “Liz Frazier’s house is on fire and we think Liz might be in it. Tim saw the blaze from across the highway and called it in. Says Liz was so drunk he took her keys and sent her walking home. Looks like she might have been smoking or something and started a fire.”
“Be there in a few,” Pete responded, now wide-awake. He quickly called the other deputy on patrol to meet him out at Kill Devil Hills. Gathering up a crime scene kit, just in case, Pete headed for his patrol car, alerting the night dispatcher at the desk as to his destination.
No need to wake everybody up with lights and sirens Pete thought as he left town heading for the Baum Bridge. This is a fire; whatever has happened has happened already. Traffic was light enough given the late hour. His speeding toward the beach on the mostly deserted highway was not really a concern.
Pete thought about Liz Frazier as he crossed the moonlit sound toward the beach towns of the Outer Banks. A pretty girl, just behind him in school, but Liz was always looking for the next party. She had quite a reputation for taking up with almost any man who would buy her dinner and drinks and, even though she was no dummy, she seemed to never be able to find more than seasonal work at the beach—waiting tables, cleaning motel rooms, and the like. Spent most of her off time treasure hunting, always dreaming of finding something really valuable from one of the many wrecks that dotted the area and frequently were uncovered in the shifting beach sands after storms. Lots of folks did that but most only earned a few hundred dollars a year selling what they managed to salvage.
Looks like this time Liz had had one drink too many and maybe had a terrible accident. Pete felt sorry at this thought—he always liked Liz when they were growing up—but we reap what we sow, he reasoned.
As he approached the sandy road that led through the woods to the house where Liz lived, Pete noticed a crowd of folks gathered at Tim’s bar across the highway. He pulled in. Maybe some of these folks saw something. Better ask some questions before they all left.
Pete quickly spotted Tim the bar owner. At more than six feet tall and pushing three hundred pounds Tim was hard to miss. Pete was a big guy himself. The two of them had played football together in high school.
“Hi Tim, you call this in?” Pete asked.
“Sure did,” Tim responded, pointing toward the slight glow visible through the woods on the other side of the road. “Blaze looks like it’s almost out now but it was a humdinger! Heard a big “swoosh” and there it was! Had to be Liz’s place,” Tim hesitated, his voice cracking, “…and I had just sent her packing—made her walk home. Her car is still right over there.” Tim pointed to a battered old Ford at the end of the parking lot.
“I’m sure you did the right thing Tim,” Pete was reassuring, “not to let her drive drunk. It was a short walk anyway.”
“I’m just afraid she was in that house,” Tim said quietly. “ One group of firefighters just left, said they didn’t see anyone outside and it was too hot to go in when they arrived.”
Pete nodded, “Well, I’m sure they’ll check when it cools a bit.” They could hope that maybe she hadn’t gone straight home but then, where else would she go at this late hour? Her folks lived down in Nags Head; Pete remembered.
Noticing that the crowd was beginning to break up and drift away, Pete hastily called to a few of the onlookers. He got some names and phone numbers and asked what they had seen but no one had seen more than the view of the fire through the woods—no cars coming from the dirt road, no walkers other than Liz. A couple of the guys had seen her leave the bar apparently heading toward her home.
“Liz was pretty drunk,” one of the locals said. “ She was carrying on about finding some jewelry in an old wreck—said she was going to get some real money for a change. Drunk as she was, that might have been just braggin’ though”
Or it might have been a good reason to rob her, Pete thought to himself.
Leaving the bar, Pete headed down the dirt road toward the fire scene. There were still a few flames coming from the back of the house but the roof was already partially caved in. The small place was definitely a total loss, Pete thought. If Liz was in there… he didn’t finish his own thought.
The remaining fire crew was busy dousing the few flames at the back. One of the crew was talking to Mike, the deputy who had called for Pete. As Pete approached them, he noticed another patrol car pulling in. That was probably Jerry, the deputy he had called to meet him there.
“It’ll be morning before this mess is really cooled enough to sort through,” the fire team captain was saying. It was Dick Taylor, another of Pete’s school classmates. “Hi Pete,” he greeted the deputy, “ I hate to say it but we’re pretty sure there’s a body in the back bedroom. Hard to see but looks that way.”
Pete nodded soberly, “Was Liz alone here, sometimes she had boarders?”
Mike spoke up, “I think she was mostly alone these days. I saw her ea
rlier today and she was complaining that her latest boarder, Dorrie Jacobs, had been gone for a couple of days. Said she hoped Dorrie would be back soon, she owed her some rent money it seems.”
The last of the flames extinguished, the remaining fire crew began to load up their equipment. “We’ll leave one man here to watch for awhile, make sure it doesn’t flare up again. We’ll be back in the morning to start our investigation.”
“Can we look inside, at least,” Pete wanted to see for himself if there was a body inside.
“Sure,” Dick responded, “come with me.” He grabbed a large flashlight and led Pete around to the back of the house. Waves of heat were still rolling from the ruins and steam rose from puddles of black water.
“We think this is where the bedroom was,” Dick shined his light through the downed timbers into the smoky interior.
Pete leaned in as close as he dared and saw what he was dreading. A charred figured, grotesquely twisted, lay near what must have been the entrance to the room. A twisted charred timber from the roof lay across the remains. There was no way to identify the victim—too burned—but Pete saw something there that caused him to do a double take. Something was sticking up out of the remains. It was certainly charred but it still retained the familiar shape. Pete was fairly certain that what he was looking at was the end of a large knife. If this was Liz, as they thought, then she perhaps was already dead when the fire began. No way to get out and save herself.
Pete looked at Dick Taylor. He had seen the knife also. “It was too hot to get this close earlier,” Dick said, “but this looks like the fire was no accident. This looks like murder!”
***
October , 2011
The phone was ringing as Lin Hanna entered her condo laden with groceries. She hastily dashed to the kitchen to put down her load and then tried to grab the phone on the kitchen desk but she was too late—voice mail had already clicked in and she realized that the caller was her good friend Kate Johnson. Fortunately, Lin was able to grab the phone before Kate finished recording.
“Hi there Kate, what’s happening?” Lin was delighted to hear from her former graduate school buddy. The two of them had spent many long nights studying and reading each other’s papers. Their friendship had continued through the years when they worked as school administrators, seeing each other at association meetings and, sometimes traveling together to conferences. Their’s was the kind of friendship that picks up where it left off, even after long absences.
“I’m glad I caught you,” Kate responded. “It’s good to have you back in North Carolina. I saw Lucy in Raleigh last week. She said you had quite the adventure out west! How is the shoulder?”
“Much better,” Lin responded. “I’m still doing exercises but I’m almost 100% back to normal now.” Lin’s volunteer stint at Wupatki National Monument in Arizona had proved far more adventuresome than anticipated.
“Well, I want to hear all about it and I’m coming to UNC-Charlotte day after tomorrow for a one day meeting and hoped we could get together—maybe for lunch or coffee?”
“You are definitely on,” Lin was eager to see her friend. “Not only that but I know you are planning to stay overnight somewhere and it better be here with me—two nights actually—I know Charlotte is at least an eight hour drive from the Outer Banks.”
Kate protested that staying overnight would be too much trouble and she already had hotel reservations near the university but Lin would hear nothing of that. She insisted that her friend plan to stay with her in Davidson near Lake Norman—still less than half an hour from her meeting on campus.
The plans made, Kate ended the conversation with a subtle hint, “From what Lucy told me there is a new gentleman in your life! I plan to learn all about your handsome professor.” She hung up the phone before Lin could respond to that.
Returning the phone to its cradle on the desk, Lin turned to put away her purchases. She guessed the story of her months in Arizona was getting out among her friends. She had only been back home for three weeks but Kate had obviously heard all about it. Who else had her kids talked to?
Lin had certainly not planned for her stint as a national park volunteer to lead her into a murder investigation but that was exactly what had happened. The later part of her stay had been more peaceful though—and quite enjoyable. Lin found herself thinking, somewhat wistfully, about Neal Smith the handsome archeology professor who had become more than just a friend. Only three weeks back at home and Lin already missed Neal more than she cared to admit. Fortunately, they were already making plans for him to come east for the holiday season.
Shaking off her feeling of loneliness, Lin finished putting up the groceries and turned to the condo itself, which was in need of a little sprucing up. If Kate was coming tomorrow evening she needed to wash some linens and get her guest room ready for company.
***
“You shouldn’t have gone to the trouble of cooking,” Kate admonished Lin, “I had planned to take you out to dinner—but that stew was certainly delicious.”
“We can go out tomorrow evening,” Lin responded, “I thought you would be tired after your long drive from the coast and, besides, I wanted to try that green chile stew recipe anyway. Danielle, the law enforcement ranger at Wupatki, made it for my farewell dinner.”
“It was great,” Kate said, “just perfect for a cool fall evening.”
Lin poured coffees for the two of them and they moved into her living room. The reflection of the sunset in the lake waters gave an orange/pink glow to the view beyond the glass doors that led to her spacious balcony. Lin loved this view of the tranquil lake—it was what sold her on this particular condo at purchase time.
“I need to talk to you,” Kate was more serious now, “I need your help Lin and I have a plan—so please hear me out.”
Lin wondered what was coming next but she was ready to help Kate in any way that she could. After all, that was what friends were for, she thought to herself.
“I want…actually I need you to agree to come to Kill Devil Hills for the holidays—Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Kate raised her hand to silence the objection Lin was about to offer. “Just listen first,” she begged.
Briefly, Kate outlined her need. Her part time job as a supervisor of student teachers from East Carolina University had led to an invitation to accompany a small group of the students on an international student teaching experience in England. The students were to spend four weeks in English schools working with English teachers followed by spending about three weeks of their holiday break as tourists before returning to campus for their spring semester. It was a wonderful opportunity for them—and for Kate who would serve both as their teaching supervisor and chaperone.
“It’s the perfect chance for me to travel and have it paid for—plus earning my supervisor’s pay in addition!” Kate’s enthusiasm was infectious. “The only problem is that I need someone to look after my house—and Sparky, of course.” Lin remembered that Sparky was Kate’s lively and loveable “chowbrador”—a lab, chow mix who was great company. “My neighbor offered to care for Sparky but she really isn’t able to keep up with him and I don’t want to have to ship him to a kennel for seven plus weeks. I thought if you might enjoy spending the holidays at the beach we could make a plan,” Kate smiled hopefully.
“Oh, Kate. It does sound like fun but…” Lin started to protest.
“I already mentioned this to Lucy and she was most enthusiastic about coming to the coast for Christmas. She thought Ben, Jr. would enjoy it also. The kids would love it, I’m sure!” Kate had done her homework.
“I’m sure that’s true,” Lin said, “but I have invited Neal to come spend the holidays with me also—that would be eight of us descending on your home and…”
Kate cut her off again, “…that would be fine. I have plenty of room and I know everyone would have a great time.”
Kate continued to provide all the reasons why a coastal vacation would be the perfect family
holiday and soon Lin found herself agreeing to at least talk to Neal and her kids the next day and give Kate an answer when she returned from her meeting that evening.
“Good, do that and then we’ll decide,” Kate seemed more than confident that Lin would eventually agree to her plan. “Now it’s time for you to tell me all about your time in Arizona—including ALL the details about Dr. Neal Smith!”
It was well after ten o’clock when the two friends reluctantly ended their conversation and headed for bed. Lin had forgotten how good it felt to have such a good friend to share everything with. Kate was indeed that sort of friend. As Lin turned out her lamp and nestled down under her soft downy comforter, her thoughts began to focus on just how much fun it might be to have the whole family together for the upcoming holidays—at the beach!
Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 35