by Cindy Bell
Abe was one of the 'rollers' who was always out and about, which made it very easy to recognize the sound of his wheelchair. Abe was a younger resident compared to many. His short, brown hair didn't have a trace of gray. His light, brown eyes had yet to gain any wrinkles around them. He normally looked fairly healthy, but Eddy noticed something off about him right away.
“How are you, Abe?” Eddy squinted at the man who seemed much paler than usual. His expression was grave. “Are you ill?”
“No, I'm fine. But Joel Westons isn't.” Abe grimaced and looked over his shoulder up at the hill where the police cars had come to a stop.
“Joel?” Eddy frowned. The name was familiar, as just about everyone knew everyone in Sage Gardens, but he couldn't place a face to it. “Is that what the police and ambulance are here for?”
“I thought someone would have told you before I had the chance to, news travels so fast around here,” Abe lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “Joel's wife, Anna, found him dead on the living room floor this morning.” His eyes widened as he revealed the news. Eddy's did as well.
“Dead?” Eddy shook his head with a frown. It wasn't that unusual for residents to suddenly pass from medical conditions. But deaths of that kind, were rarely attended to by several patrol cars full of policemen. “I guess it wasn't natural causes?”
“Not unless there's a way to naturally get your head bashed in,” Abe replied gruffly. He coughed sharply once, and then shook his head. “Someone did him in with a candlestick.”
“Must have been a heavy one?” Eddy turned to look as another police car shot by them both. The siren made conversation impossible for a moment.
“Must have been. I can’t believe he’s dead,” Abe said grimly.
“Did you know him well?”
“He and I would get together now and then for lunch. His wife volunteers at the local library, so he's often alone during the day.” Abe sighed and rolled his chair back a few inches to get a better view of the hill. “It's a damn shame that he's gone. He was a decent guy, you know? I hope they figure out who did this.” He lowered his voice with disgust, “In his own home.”
Eddy's attention was focused on the crime the moment he discovered that it was a murder. He had worked as a homicide detective and had proved himself a vicious interrogator with good instincts over the years. He had worked many homicides and he knew that a bludgeoning death was one of the rarest, especially in home invasions. It was intriguing to him to think of, but that wasn't the only reason that he was interested. Eddy had a strong protective instinct, and any crime that took place in his neighborhood felt like a personal attack.
“Do they have any suspects in mind?” Eddy's interest was piqued at the idea of a new case to look into. He had begun to settle into his role as resident detective. Most of his neighbors were used to it as well.
“Not that I know of just yet, I mean he wasn’t found very long ago. But maybe you could find out more than I can.” Abe lifted an eyebrow. Eddy realized that Abe wasn't just being friendly, he wanted information. Eddy understood why. It was hard to discover that a friend had passed, it was harder when the loss was the result of a murder.
“I'll see what I can find out.” Eddy clapped his hand lightly on Abe's shoulder. “I'm sorry for your loss, Abe.”
“Thanks.” Abe looked up the hill in the direction of Joel's villa. “I don't know what happened, Eddy, but I do know he didn't deserve this. Neither did Anna.”
“I'm sure that they didn't.” Eddy tightened his lips. Murder was the type of crime that could tear apart not just a family, but an entire community. Though he had become accustomed to it over the years, it was always disturbing to him.
As Eddy ascended the hill in the direction of the Westons’ villa, he ignored the subtle aches in his hip and lower back. He was determined to stay in shape as he neared seventy, but it was a lot more difficult to accomplish that than it had been when he was twenty. His eating habits didn't exactly help either.
When he reached the crest of the hill he could see several police cars, as well as the coroner's van. He frowned and began to approach the villa. Before he could get too close, he noticed someone walking towards it from another direction. The woman was moving with a sense of determination that always made Eddy feel just a little tired, as if he was already exhausted by the fight that he expected to have. Her coppery hair was tightly braided as usual, but a few flyaway strands were being bullied by the light breeze. Even from a distance he could see her frowning.
“Samantha, of course,” he muttered and shook his head. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration for the woman. She was as determined as she was intelligent and she always had her nose in any kind of mystery. She also happened to be one of the few good friends he had made since moving to Sage Gardens. She smiled when she spotted him. Her smile transformed her from a force to be reckoned with to a friendly soul.
“Eddy!” She waved to him and immediately shifted direction to walk towards him. Eddy paused to wait for her.
“I heard all of the sirens,” Samantha explained as she reached his side. She offered a worried frown. “It's not good news is it?”
“I'm afraid not.” Eddy looked past her as a stretcher was rolled out of the house with a body bag on it. “Joel Westons from what I understand.”
“Poor man.” Samantha shook her head with genuine grief in her bright green eyes. “He and Anna were one of the sweetest couples I ever met.”
“You knew them well?” Eddy asked with some surprise. He had never heard Samantha mention them before.
“Not especially well. We shared a game of cards now and then with a few others. Not lately though.” She shook her head again as the doors of the coroner's van slammed shut. “I guess I should have checked in on them.”
“No way anyone could have known, I'm sure. A friend of Joel's, Abe, asked me to see if I can find out anything about it.” He gave a sidelong look in Samantha's direction. “I'm assuming that you're here to do the same?”
Samantha struggled not to smile. It wasn't appropriate to be smiling at a time of grief, but she couldn't help it. She loved having the chance to work with Eddy on a mystery. It made her feel like it was the old days when she would stock up on junk food and go on stakeouts to get to the bottom of a crime she was writing an article about. Although Eddy was a retired cop, and she was a retired crime journalist, their paths had actually been fairly similar.
“Maybe.” She managed to reply without breaking out into a smile. “You forgot your hat.”
He reached up and swept his hand back through his thinning, brown hair. He usually put on his fedora. If anyone asked it was because he was used to wearing it. But the truth was he was a little annoyed with the bald spots that were forming.
“I rushed out to see what was going on.” He swept his gaze over her simple pants suit which looked perfect. “I guess you were already awake for the day.”
“Awake? I already had breakfast, fed the ducks, walked by the water and…”
“Okay, enough.” Eddy felt that exhaustion kick in. Samantha had far too much energy for him.
Samantha smiled at the weariness in Eddy's dark blue eyes. She had decided not long after they met that it was going to be her duty to teach the far too serious man to lighten up and enjoy life. So far he wasn't the most willing student.
“I'm sorry. I am very curious about what happened to Joel. I hope they investigate it thoroughly even though Joel was elderly,” she stated.
“I’m sure they will, Samantha. Police treat every crime with the same respect,” Eddy said sternly. He and Samantha often argued when it came to the role of police in the community and their behavior. While Eddy knew that some cops weren't the most honest, he also knew just how much of their lives they invested in what others considered just a job.
“Fine, if that's the case then there should be no need for us to investigate.” Samantha smiled sweetly. Eddy narrowed his eyes. He knew that she had him there. He
wasn't about to stand by and wait for an investigation to take place. He wanted to get to the bottom of it just as much as Samantha did. He wanted Sage Gardens to feel safe again.
“It doesn't hurt to have a few extra pairs of eyes on the situation. I'll see what there is to know. You keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously.” He began to walk towards the villa. It was already blocked off with crime tape and cones. He ignored the yellow crime tape and walked right up to the nearest police officer. The officer looked up at him with a hint of recognition, as if he knew Eddy's face, but not his name.
Eddy still kept in contact with some associates in the police department, and his reputation was well-known.
“What's the situation?” Eddy’s tone implied that he deserved to know every detail.
“The situation is that a crime has taken place, and unless you're a police officer I don't have anything to say to you.” The officer narrowed his eyes.
“There's no need to play tough guy. I'm not asking for your badge, I just want to know what happened here.” Eddy narrowed his eyes right back. “I think if you check with your supervisor she would be fine with you sharing a few details. But then you'd have to explain why you didn't show a retired homicide detective more respect.”
“Oh, well I…” The officer looked down at his polished shoes for a moment and then back up at Eddy. “All right, but I can only tell you so much.”
“Whatever you're comfortable with.” Eddy smiled at him charmingly.
“Looks like someone climbed in through an open window and bludgeoned the victim from behind with a candlestick. According to the medical examiner it looks like it happened between nine-thirty and eleven last night. The wife found him on the floor when she woke up.” He leaned a little closer to Eddy. “It must have been horrific for her to see. It was a vicious murder.”
Eddy frowned. “How vicious could it have been? She didn't find him until she woke up? Wouldn't the commotion have woken her up?”
“She said that she is a bit hard of hearing and she didn't hear a thing.” He sighed. “It's possible I guess if the victim was knocked out by the first blow. Or maybe she is a deep sleeper. No one expects their spouse to be murdered while they sleep. Poor thing, she's really shaken up.” He nodded his head towards the woman who was huddled near an ambulance. Anna was a petite woman with delicate features. She looked to be in her fifties, but was likely pushing seventy. Her dark brown hair was cut just below her ears. She reminded Eddy of one of his favorite teachers at school and immediately he felt sympathy for her.
Anna just seemed too fragile to be dealing with such a difficult situation. Two EMTs were speaking to her. She had a blanket draped over her shoulders. From her ruffled hair it looked as if she had just gotten out of bed. Eddy could see the blood on her hands. She must have tried to revive her husband. Not only had Joel been killed, but he had been dead in his living room for several hours. To Eddy it was a dreadful thought that a death could go unnoticed for so long.
“Any suspects yet?” Eddy looked back at the officer.
“Not that I can say.” The officer tightened his lips with determination. “You know I could get in trouble just for telling you this much.”
“I appreciate the information.” Eddy nodded and patted the officer on the back. “You're doing a great job here. I’m sure you’ll do a very thorough investigation.”
“I will, Sir.” The officer turned and walked back towards the villa. Eddy turned towards Samantha just in time to see her walking into the yard of the neighboring villa.
“What is she up to?” he muttered so as not to draw the attention of the police officers. He was sure that whatever Samantha was doing had something to do with the investigation.
Chapter 2
Samantha picked her way carefully across the grass. She knew how hard the gardener worked to keep the grass green and lush and so she did her best to avoid trampling it. But she had spotted someone poking their head out from behind the villa and she wanted a closer look at who it was. As soon as she had begun walking towards it, the person ducked behind the villa. Samantha thought this was very suspicious. She crept closer.
Samantha noticed the person peering around the corner of the villa. She didn't recognize him right away, but his face did seem familiar. Slowly she crept closer to the villa. She had read enough crime novels to know that a murderer almost always returns to the scene of the crime. This man seemed to be very interested in remaining hidden, while still keeping an eye on what was unfolding next door.
“Hello there!” Samantha called out. She wanted others to hear her, so that they knew where she was. She wasn't about to become any murderer's victim. She heard footsteps falling behind her. The man who had been peeking around the side of the villa reluctantly stepped out from behind it. He looked annoyed as he greeted Samantha.
“Hello.”
Samantha looked over her shoulder in time to see Eddy walking towards her. She knew that he would want to share the details of the case with her.
“Are you a friend of the Westons?” Samantha asked. Then suddenly she realized who it was. “Tommy, I'm sorry I didn't even recognize you.”
“I got a haircut,” he muttered and ran his hand lightly over his closely cropped hair.
Tommy was known around Sage Gardens for his long, stringy hair. Many of the older folk addressed him as Hippie rather than Tommy, while some just complained about the way it made the neighborhood look. Tommy had always been determined not to cut his hair. Samantha was a little surprised that he had, and how much it changed how he looked. Tommy was a fairly large man with a little weight covering up his muscular frame. With his long hair he had seemed harmless, but now with his short haircut it was as if Samantha could now see his broad frame clearly.
“Tommy.” Eddy nodded to the man as he stepped up beside Samantha. “Did you hear about what happened?”
“Yes.” Tommy nodded. “How could I not?” he grumbled. “I was trying to sleep when all of these sirens started blaring.”
Samantha raised an eyebrow. She was surprised that Tommy, who was Joel and Anna's neighbor would be less concerned about their wellbeing and more concerned about his sleep being interrupted.
“Well, Joel's dead, Tommy,” Eddy spoke flatly. Samantha knew this trick. He wanted to see how Tommy would react when he first actually heard the news.
“And?” Tommy shrugged. “I already know that. I'd have to be blind not to see the coroner's van. But if the man is dead already what's with all the sirens? It's not like getting here any faster is going to save him. Is it?” He sneered. “I think there should be a rule about coming through here with sirens on. We all know what an ambulance showing up means. Someone is dead. If it's not an emergency, then why all of the noise?”
“Have you spoken to the police yet, Tommy?” Samantha asked. She did her best not to comment on what she thought about his view of things. It seemed rather cold to her for him to be so put off by the noise.
“I have,” he said with exasperation. “Not that they are going to do anything about it. What do they care? It's just another dead guy. He's not important enough for anyone to cause a fuss over.”
Samantha couldn't hold back any longer. The way he was speaking about Joel made her sick to her stomach. “I'm sure his grieving wife would argue that point,” she spoke through gritted teeth. In the next moment she felt Eddy's hand rest lightly on her shoulder. She knew it was more about restraining her than comforting her. Eddy had seen her temper flare before.
“Oh Anna?” Tommy snorted. “I'm sure she's not too broken up about the whole thing.”
“How can you say that?” Eddy asked incredulously. “She found her husband dead in a pool of his own blood.”
“Well sure, there are prettier ways to go, but she's probably just glad that he's gone. From the amount of fighting those two do, you'd think that they were enemies, not husband and wife.” He brushed his hand back over his hair yet again. “Glad I dodged that bullet. Never been married,
never had kids, never had a problem in my life.”
Samantha pursed her lips. She reminded herself that she would get more information with honey than with venom. “Were they fighting last night, Tommy?”
“I wouldn't know. I wasn't here.” He shrugged.
“Where were you?” Eddy pressed.
“I don't see how that is any of your business.” Tommy crossed his arms and settled his gaze on Eddy. “Playing detective again, Eddy?”
“I was just curious,” Eddy commented. “So, you didn't hear any kind of commotion when the murder took place?”
“Like I said, I wasn't here,” Tommy growled. “I don't need to be grilled by the likes of you, Eddy. If you harass me in any way I'll get you arrested faster than you can even think of a question.”
Eddy narrowed his eyes. “You know it's only people who have something to hide that don't cooperate.”
“No, it's people that know the difference between a real cop, and an old man who misses his badge,” Tommy said angrily. “You've got no right to even be on my property right now, Eddy. So, why don't you and your nosy little girlfriend shove off?”
Samantha was so furious by the end of his tirade that Eddy's squeezing hand on her shoulder did nothing to calm her. “Listen to me, Tommy Radner, if you're going to speak to Eddy or me that way you're going to face some serious consequences. This is not how you behave when your neighbor has been murdered.”
“Oh, what are you going to do, Samantha?” he spat out her name. “Are you going to write an article in the Sage Gardens' weekly gazette? Oh no, that's right. You can't even get a job writing for the neighborhood gossip rag, can you?” He stared at her with open hostility. “Get off my property.”