DOWN COLDER: A Hallie James Mystery (The Hallie James Mysteries Book 3)

by DK Herman

  Passing a small waiting room, I peeked inside the door. It had one occupant. I recognized him from his Facebook pictures, Joey Kearn. I marched over and sat on a hard-plastic chair, next to him.

  "I'm Hallie James," I said. "This is Ben Gordon. We're helping with the investigation into who hurt Amanda and took Lexi."

  "I've heard of you," Joey said, looking me over. "If you find out who did it, let me know. I'd like to bash their head in with something." His eyes glittered with anger.

  "How is Amanda?" I asked.

  "In a coma," Joey replied. "They don't know if she'll come out of it or ever be the same if she does."

  I'm sorry." Now I wanted to hug him. But I didn't. "Hang in there. She's young and strong."

  He nodded and sniffled.

  "Is there anything you can think of that might help us catch the guy?"

  "I don't know what would help." He shrugged. "If I knew who did it, they'd be laying in a hospital bed of their own."

  "I heard you were at Darcy's Delights Friday night. But you told Amanda you had to work."

  "I was working for a guy who was going to a bachelor's party." He explained calmly. "Just before closing, Darcy called bitching about a case of that crappy, imported beer she drinks. It didn't show up with her beer order. So I took it to the bar just to shut her up. Sometimes I do stop in the bar for a drink. I know a lot of guys that go there."

  "It needs a pool table," Ben said with a smirk in my direction.

  "Yeah." Joey nodded. "I'll leave a note in the suggestion box." He and Ben snickered. "How'd you know I was there, Taylor?"

  He must know her secret. "Yes."

  "Did she tell you about her big fight with Jane?"

  "Nope, not a word." I slipped a hand into my purse and snapped on my voice recorder. "What was that about?"

  "Tuesday night, I met Amanda at Jane's. Taylor and Jane hadn't left for Darcy's yet, and I could hear them, upstairs screaming at each other. I mean, really going at it. Taylor called Jane a selfish, spoiled bitch, and Jane called her a greedy vulture, just like everyone else."

  "They were fighting over Jane's lottery money?"

  Joey nodded slowly. "Taylor asked Jane for money to get her own place. She wants to get away from Darcy and live with her girlfriend."

  "A girlfriend who's not Jane?"

  "Her girlfriend, girlfriend." Joey turned sideways to face me. "Taylor's a lesbian."

  "Oh," I said. That's her business, but it feels like Taylor hasn't been telling me everything. "Who's her girlfriend?"

  "Patty Rogers." Joey twisted in the seat to look at the wall clock. He stood up. "I gotta go. I can be with Amanda for another fifteen minutes."

  "OK," I said. "But, where can I find Patty Rogers?"

  "She works in the library." Joey started for the door. "By the way, did you know you smell like my grandmother's freezer- after it broke down while she was on vacation?"

  "No, I didn't. But thanks for talking to me," I called. Crap! I sniffed my arm. I didn't smell it, but I knew what he meant.

  He gave a little wave and kept walking.

  "That's why people are avoiding us," Ben said as we headed back to the elevators.

  The elevator doors opened, and we got in. An elderly woman gave us a startled look and hurried off.

  "I'm dropping you at your apartment, then I'm going home to shower and burn these clothes. I'll call you later," I said, sniffing myself again.

  I'd taken a hot shower, washing my hair three times. Now I soaked in a lilac scented bubble bath. My clothes were in a plastic bag twisted shut. I may just throw them away. Carrie was right, it was hard to vanquish the smell of rotting corpse.

  I blow dried my hair until it was just damp and put on mascara, loose powder, and tinted lip balm. After dressing in green denim shorts and a tan top, I stepped into my open back sneakers before going downstairs with the plastic bag of clothes.

  I tossed the bag in the kitchen trash can and looked inside the fridge for a cold drink. When I turned around, Liv had the plastic bag in her hands.

  "Don't open that!" I tried to take the bag from her hands. "I should have taken it outside and put it in the big can."

  "What is it?" Liv asked suspiciously.

  "I got stuff on my clothes that won't come out," I said and reached for the bag again.

  "I can get any stain out." Liv untwisted the bag and peeked inside. Her head whipped to the side, and she held the bag at arm's length. "That stink would knock a buzzard off a shit wagon. Take it outside."

  I took the bag and my bottle of water and went out the backdoor.

  Buddy and Princess greeted me with wagging tails and kisses. They followed me across the yard, making playful grabs at the plastic bag.

  "You don't want this," I told them. When they persisted, I let them sniff the bag. They bolted away from me, back across the yard. I continued to the garbage cans by the garage and tucked the bag inside.

  I went to my car that I’d left parked with all the windows down and gave the interior another blast of disinfectant. I would have to leave the windows down all night and hope the smell didn’t linger.

  Returning to the house, I washed my hands and joined George, Gram and Liv for lunch. Liv had made chicken salad to go with her sourdough rolls and fresh fruit salad.

  "Hallie, are you too busy to accompany George to the cell phone store," Gram asked. Her eyes looked very tired. "I'll take a nap while you're gone."

  "Sure, Gram." I smiled. "I'll get a ride in Ursula." I finished the last bite of my lunch. "Let me go brush my teeth and make a phone call."

  I ran upstairs to my rooms. After I finished in the bathroom, I called Jane. She hadn't heard anything and was getting more worried every hour. I promised to stop down later. Her mother had been spending most of her time there, but she was running errands this afternoon with Bob.

  Before going downstairs, I gave myself a couple spritzes of body spray. I'd rather smell like Lilacs than decomp.

  I ran into Gram and George at the top of the stairs. George gave Gram a tender kiss before she went down the hall towards their suite.

  "Ready?" George asked.

  "Yeah, let's go." I followed George outside to the Chevelle. Climbing into the passenger seat, I was relieved to see the car is equipped with three-point seat belts.

  I buckled up as George started the car. The duel exhaust sang a smooth, sweet bass when George revved the engine.

  "Sounds good," I yelled.

  George revved one more time before putting the Chevelle in gear, and we vibrated out of the driveway. Wildlife fled from us, all the way down the lane.

  "Do you want to drive?" George asked before pulling onto the highway.

  I shook my head. I was still uneasy driving the classic car. Mostly, because it had been years since I'd driven a vehicle with a stick shift.

  George has no problem driving the car. He drives Ursula with skill and familiarity. We made it to the mall with many people pointing at us as we passed. The car received a lot of attention, and the deep voice of its exhaust system demanded respect.

  George got an upgrade to the newest smartphone with a new number. The store associate did a great job explaining the phone's functions, and George left the store smiling.

  We passed the store where I buy my body spray and bubble bath. George didn't want to go inside. So he agreed to retrieve Ursula from the far end of the lot, and pick me up at the main entrance.

  I bought two bottles of each and the matching lotion. Then with my purchases, I went outside to meet George. I heard the car as soon as my feet hit the sidewalk. But so did a teenage boy. He came running in my direction. He held something in his hand, screaming George's name.

  George didn't see or hear him running alongside the car, and I was concerned, not knowing what was in the boy's hand. It was the same obsessed teenage boy, who's been trying desperately to con George out of his car for five hundred dollars.

  A wave of relief washed over me when I recognized the objec
t in the boy's hand was a cell phone. The relief turned to disbelief when the boy caught up with the driver's side door, and he tripped over his own sneaker lace.

  The boy landed on the asphalt on his hands and knees. His phone flew from his hand and landed in the path of Ursula's rear driver's side tire. There was a crunch of plastic, and the car rolled to a stop.

  "Are you alright?" I asked the boy. He was back on his feet, picking up the pieces of his phone.

  "Yeah, but my phone is... " The boy said.

  "Good," I interrupted and walked around the car and slid into the passenger seat. "Get us the heck out of here." I pointed at the teenager still looking at the smashed plastic in his hand.

  "Jeezus pieces!" George exclaimed and stepped on the accelerator. "That boy is a pain in my rump."

  I nodded, smiling. Now the boy would need to get a new phone, just like George. He was another victim of George's buddy Karma. If you mess with George, Karma will get you!

  We were at the red-light before starting towards town when my cell rang. My caller ID told me it was Jane.

  "Hello," I answered, hoping it was good news.

  "Hallie, please, can you come here. Jane's voice sounded on the edge of hysteria. "I'm alone, and something just came flying through my living room window. The glass is smashed, and I'm so afraid."

  "Call the police, and I'll be there in a few minutes." I hung up and yelled to George, "I need to be somewhere fast!"

  George grinned. "Tell me where to, and tighten your seatbelt, young lady."

  I gave him Jane's address, and after a squealing of tires and thick smoke, we rocketed up the highway. My head snapped back as George went through all four gears in half a minute, and Ursula's speedometer read eighty-five miles an hour.

  I clung to the dash and braced my feet against the floorboards. But George handled the car like a pro. He slowed as we neared town but still drove faster than usual. I was soon getting out of Ursula at Jane's front door. There was a police cruiser parked across the street.

  "Go on home. Gram will be waiting. I'll call Ben, " I said. "Thanks for the ride. Ursula is terrific!"

  "Anytime." George gave me a salute and sped off.

  One of the two front windows in Jane's row house was smashed. There appeared to be more glass inside, than on the sidewalk. I knocked on the purple front door and called Jane's name.

  Jane opened the door and beckoned me into the living room. Chief Woods' gloved hands held a brick, wrapped in a sheet of paper. He carefully peeled the paper away and examined it.

  He nodded grimly in my direction before speaking to Jane. "It's from someone who claims to have your daughter."

  Jane ran to read the note Chief Woods held. "Oh, my God!" She cried. "They want two million dollars, in cash. I have three days to get the money ready, or they're going to kill her."

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jane collapsed, sobbing wildly into my arms. I steered her to the couch before her parents walked into the house.

  "What's going on?" Gail looked at me accusingly.

  I nodded towards Chief Woods, who was talking to Bob near the broken window. But Jane recovered enough to speak.

  "Somebody threw a ransom note through the front window," she hiccoughed. "They want two million dollars in three days, or they're going to kill Lexi."

  Gail's mouth dropped open. "You're going to give it to them, aren't you?"

  " I don't have two million dollars," Jane sobbed.

  "But... you just got the money!" Gail exclaimed. Her eyes bugged from her head. "Did you give it away?"

  "No, but taxes took a lot, and I bought a better house for Lexi and me to live in." Jane buried her face in her hands. "It has a nice yard, and it's less than ten years old. A bargain at a little over a hundred thousand, but I don't want it without Lexi. I'll see if I can back out of the deal with the realtor and give the kidnappers every dime I have."

  "How much were the taxes?" Gail asked. Her brow was furrowed with worry.

  "Just the federal taxes were over a third," Jane sobbed. "I can't believe this. I wanted to use the money to give Lexi a good life."

  "After you get your money back from the house, figure out what you have. Then offer it all to the kidnappers. It will still be a lot of money," Gail said. She hugged her daughter. "There must be a way to contact them."

  "When I have the cash, they said to put an ad in the newspaper."

  "You have to listen to me this time," Gail said. She shook Jane lightly. "We have to get Lexi back alive."

  I got up and walked over to Chief Woods. "Can I read the note?"

  Chief Woods nodded. "Don't take it out of the bag." He handed me a clear evidence bag. The note was inside.

  I quietly read it out loud. “We have something of yours. You can have her back for two million in cash. Get the money together, then put an ad in the Herville Press. Make it say, 'Delilah's ready for Lexi to come home.' Then we'll give you further instructions. You have three days, or the kid's dead.”

  "'We have something of yours?" I raised my eyebrow at the Chief.

  "I caught that too." He looked out the broken window. "Here comes the Cavalry."

  I handed the note back, and someone knocked on the front door.

  "I'll get it," I called to Jane. I opened the door for Andy and Mike Krause.

  "Hallie," Andy said looking around the living room. "Come outside for a moment."

  I followed him out the door and onto the sidewalk.

  Andy looked good dressed in a blue suit, but he looked stressed. Agitatedly, he ran a hand through his thick blond hair. "The coroner just called. He isn't finished with the autopsy yet, but he found a wallet in the barrel with the body. The ID and credit cards belong to Noah Kelly."

  It sounded familiar, but I struggled to place the name.

  "Lexi's father," Andy said. "The coroner will check dentals to be sure, but the corpse's hair matches the driver's license photo.

  "Who'd want to kill him?" He abandoned Jane and his unborn daughter. Was that enough for someone to murder him? "Any idea what killed him?"

  "Yeah, the coroner also found a .38 slug in the barrel and there's a hole in the corpse's forehead, about the same size. We'll know more after the autopsy." Andy shifted his weight. "Neither Charlie or Darcy have a .38 registered to them, but I still need to talk to them. We were at the Detweiler home a few minutes ago, nobody's answers the door."

  "What about Bob and Gail, or Jane?" Jane wasn't as innocent as she let on, and I'm sure her parents have no affection for Noah Kelly.

  "None have a .38 registered, but that doesn't mean they don't have one." Andy walked back inside and I followed.

  Andy read the ransom note while I listened in on Mike Krause’s conversation with Bob, Gail, and Jane. "When was the last time you heard from Noah Kelly?"

  "Before Lexi was born," Jane said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

  "What about you, Mr. and Mrs. Kubicki?" Detective Krause asked.

  "I don't know!" Gail Kubicki cried.

  "Why are you worried about that loser?" Bob Kubicki added. "Why aren't you looking for my granddaughter?"

  "Yes, what if they kill Lexi while you're wasting time, asking us these insane questions?"

  Tears slid down Jane's face. "What if they already killed her? She turned and sobbed in her mother's arms.

  "Look what you did!" Gail hissed at the police detectives.

  "Jane, you need to get that ad placed," I interrupted. "The police can help you get it into the morning newspaper."

  "Are you crazy? She doesn't have the money ready," Gail snapped angrily.

  "I'm suggesting that Jane ask for proof of life," I said, ignoring Gail's outraged face.

  "What's that?" Jane said.

  "Proof of life is proof that Lexi is alive," Andy said. "It's usually a short phone conversation with the victim."

  "The kidnappers aren't going to do that!" Gail cried, startling Jane into more tears. "They have to know Jane's phone is tapped."

&n
bsp; "Actually, I’m surprised they haven't let you speak to her already. A proof of life call is almost always the first contact," I said. "Because, if they don't have a live victim, people don't want to pay them any money. And the money is all that matters to them."

  "Will they kill her when they find out, I don't have two million dollars?" Jane asked. Her turquoise eyes were swimming with tears.

  "I don't think so," I said. "Several times, I've seen the amount of the ransom successfully negotiated."

  "Place the ad," Jane said firmly. "I need to know if my baby is alive."

  Mike Krause nodded. "We'll take care of it."

  Andy and Mike dropped me at my office. Ben's truck was parked down the street, so I rang the bell to his apartment, upstairs from the agency. There was no answer, but I saw movement in the office through one of the front windows. I used my key and went inside.

  Following the voices, I found Poppy and Rayna at their desks. Ben sat in a chair, reading a file.

  "You guys do know it's Sunday?" I said with a smile.

  "Yeah, but we thought this information might help find the missing little girl," Rayna said, looking up from her keyboard.

  "What did you find?" I sat next to Ben.

  "Jane's ex bought an airline ticket to Pennsylvania. Ben said. "He landed at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport Wednesday morning."

  "And he has family that still live in Herville, his parents and a grandfather," Poppy added.

  "The police think Noah Kelly was the putrid body in the barrel." I helped myself to a strawberry donut hole from a box on Poppy's desk.

  Poppy grimaced. "Yuck, glad I missed it. We got the financials on Darcy and the perv, and Jane's parents."

  "Anything good?" I reached for the file and snitched another donut hole.

  "Gail Kubicki's business is solvent but it's small potatoes," Poppy said. "She has one employee, who isn't Jane or Taylor, and about ten clients. But, she runs it out of her home, so there's no overhead."

  "And Bob's due to retire in a few years. He's been with the school district for twenty-five years," I read aloud from the file. "He and Gail have been married for twenty. They haven't saved very much, and their house still has a mortgage." I sipped Bens iced tea. "Hmm, married twenty years, and Jane's twenty-three."