Mystic Falls

by Vickie McKeehan

  But Lando and Zeb were too focused on putting together the paperwork for a warrant to return a text message.

  Their police work had uncovered some interesting facts about Rance McIntire. For one, he worked for a crime syndicate out of Fresno with deep ties to Marshall Montalvo. McIntire’s rung up the ladder began two dozen years earlier at the age of eighteen when Marshall handpicked him to replace one of his other thugs whose life had ended suddenly from a violent shootout.

  McIntire’s most frequent partner in crime was a guy named Smitty Bernal, who had worked for the organization for almost a decade. As the younger associate, Bernal often acted as Montalvo’s grunt man and runner.

  Zeb pulled up Bernal’s mug shot from an arrest that had happened five years earlier. “According to your notes the guy who attacked Gemma was approximately five-feet-nine. Could it be a coincidence that Bernal is that same exact same height?”

  “Coincidences be damned. I’ll send Gemma a text with his photo attached and see if she recognizes him from that vision thing she had. Then we need to find out if Bernal’s in town with his buddy, and if he is, split up the surveillance team by sending Jimmy to keep track of him.”

  Zeb leaned back in his chair. “I’ll call the casino and see if he’s checked in there. Instead of pulling Jimmy off detail, I could get my guy on the reservation to keep tabs on him.”

  “Even better.”

  A couple of minutes later his phone dinged with a return text from Gemma. That’s the guy!! He helped McIntire bury Collette and Marnie.

  Lando let out a tired sigh. “Tell me something. In all your years of law enforcement, have you ever gotten a warrant based on a psychic vision before now? Gemma says he’s the guy she saw.”

  “I understand doubt, but think about it. Either these guys acted on their own and killed three women, or someone hired them to do it. They work for Montalvo. It’s in their police files. It makes sense that Montalvo’s involved too. For whatever reason, he needed those three women out of the way and that’s why they’re dead.”

  Gemma’s confirmation spurred them to dig deeper. By four o’clock, they’d gathered a block full of information and discovered that McIntire and Bernal were also suspects in the murder of a female engineering student who’d worked as an intern for Montalvo on one his construction sites.

  “I don’t get it. If McIntire and Bernal are the guys who attacked Marissa why didn’t the match come up in CODIS? The lab down in Fresno must’ve put his DNA in the system.”

  Zeb rubbed the back of his neck. “I once read about this case where there was some mix-up in the lab because one tech thought his partner had uploaded DNA while the other guy thought he’d taken care of it. Turns out, the sample got overlooked. Neither had uploaded it and that’s why no match popped up. You know as well as I do solving crimes isn’t like what you see on TV. We do have that whiskey bottle and the DNA from it along with what was found under Marissa’s fingernails. If we get a warrant, arrest these jokers, take their DNA and if it matches…”

  “It’s a big leap for me to trust anything but DNA,” Lando cited. “But I trust what Gemma saw. I know I didn’t before but I do now.” He picked up his cell phone to check in with his officers in the field. “Anything happening on your end?”

  Dale could hardly contain his disappointment. “Nope. All’s quiet. McIntire’s car is still parked in Mallory’s driveway. Looks like he got lucky and plans to stay put until morning.”

  “Good. But he has to leave sometime. When he does, surveil him from a distance. I want eyes on him at all times. Don’t approach him until I give the word. And for God’s sake, don’t blow your cover. Zeb and I are working on a warrant.”

  After hanging up, Lando rolled his chair around to face Zeb. “You ready to go wake up Judge Hartwell?”

  “You bet. I haven’t talked to that old man since he ran me out of his yard.”

  “You were throwing rocks at his windows because you wanted to take his daughter to the movies. On second thought, you should probably wait in the car.”

  “No way. I was in the sixth grade and it was a bunch of pebbles, not rocks. Besides, Rowena’s married with four kids. That old sourpuss is bound to be over it by now.”

  Lando grunted and grabbed his jacket. “Yeah, well, what I know about Hartwell is he’s a man with a long memory who’s keen on holding a grudge.”

  28

  Gemma’s Sunday morning began with the realization that Lando had crawled into bed with her sometime after she’d fallen asleep. While she was tempted to wake him to ask what he’d uncovered, she decided to let him sleep, tiptoeing out of the room to put on a pot of coffee.

  Leia joined her a few minutes later. “I thought I’d go to the farmers’ market and pick up some fresh produce for the cookout. Wanna come?”

  “Absolutely. As long as you’ll go back to the shop with me. I need to go in there and make sure everything is ready for Monday morning. Plus, I thought I could take a look around that pizza shop while I’m there.”

  “You aren’t going without me,” Lianne said as she veered straight for the coffee pot. “I want to get a closer look inside that place myself.”

  “Should we leave the guys a note?” Leia prompted. “Zeb’s still sleeping after the long night we all had.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Gemma offered. “Lando will read me the riot act if I don’t let him know where I am. I’ll pin a note to the fridge, that way they’ll all see it.”

  “You can’t blame him,” Leia noted. “Especially after what happened Friday. This town isn’t as safe as I once thought.”

  The women scattered back to their rooms to get dressed and ended up at the chocolate shop an hour later.

  Gemma took one look at the spotless floor and shiny stainless-steel counter, and said, “You won’t believe this but when I left here on Friday, this place was chaos. I’m impressed Lando did such a good job cleaning up. It’s as if that guy was never here.”

  Leia spun around in a circle before heading off down the hallway to check the back door. “Fixed this, too. I’d say it was past time. This is a brand-new door with a shiny deadbolt lock on it now.”

  “Come on,” Lianne prompted. “I want to get inside the pizza place.”

  “Well, it’s pretty barebones. There’s hardly any equipment left or tables or booths. Buddy sold it all off a long time ago on eBay or at auction. And what didn’t sell, he let the vultures pick over.”

  After Lianne used the key Kedderson had given her, she made a quick tour around the former eatery, even checking out the storeroom and restrooms with no fixtures. “Honestly, I don’t know what Collette was thinking. She certainly had her work cut out for her. If she and Marnie intended to turn this into a bookstore, I just don’t see the potential.”

  “I agree,” Gemma said, looking up to check out the ceiling. “They’d basically have to start from scratch, a lot of renovation involved, walls to put back. Just look at the adjoining wall where the booths used to be. See, you can tell by the outline on the floor where everything went.”

  “Eaten my share of pepperoni pizza sitting right here since I was old enough to walk,” Leia recounted. “Mom used to bring us in here sometimes to eat supper or maybe lunch on weekends, and then as a treat, we’d end up at the chocolate shop for dessert, maybe sit down and have us a chocolate soda. Marissa made the best in town.”

  Gemma nodded as she made her way into what used to be the kitchen. “This is where the oven used to stand. I remember old man Swinton standing there taking out the pies, sweat running down his face from the heat.”

  Out of nostalgia, she instinctively laid a bare hand on the brick wall. Initially, it felt cold to the touch. But soon that ordinary gesture turned her hand hot. Gemma felt a fiery jolt go through her body, so much that it knocked her back a step.

  Leia noticed her jump. “What the hell was that?”

  “Whoa, that was intense,” Gemma said. “Did you feel that? It was like sticking my finger
in a light socket.”

  “I didn’t feel a thing,” Lianne stated.

  Leia shook her head. “Neither did I. But the better question is what did you feel?”

  Gemma ran her hand along the bricks again. “There’s something weird about this wall. It’s been repaired, the bricks replaced before the oven was here.”

  Lianne took out her phone to search the Internet. “Google says there was an earthquake here back in the 1980s. There are photos that show damage to the downtown area.”

  Gemma looked up at the ceiling again over the hearth. “I don’t think this is from an earthquake. How thick would you say that wall is? Leia, any guesses?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe ten inches thick.”

  “Lianne? What about you?”

  “I’d say a full twelve. Why?”

  Gemma ran her hands along the rough brick until she found a new seam. “This part is hollowed out. Something’s behind here.”

  Leia and Lianne looked at each other. Leia tapped her shoulder. “Gemma, what’s behind there is your shop.”

  “Uh uh. No, I mean something else. I’m telling you this area has a hollow space between where the oven used to be and where my kitchen is on the other side.” Gemma’s shoulders slumped. “But you’re probably right. It probably doesn’t mean anything. Have you seen enough, Lianne?”

  “Yeah. I’m thinking this place is just too far gone to do anything with, at least for me. Would you guys be mad if I snapped up Montalvo’s offer?”

  Leia shook her head. “No one would blame you if you went with the money. Fifty grand is nothing to sneeze at.”

  “I don’t think I’m the visionary Collette was,” Lianne admitted as she locked the door.

  Standing on the sidewalk, Gemma linked arms with the women. “I didn’t want to say this before, Lianne. But I imagine Vince Ballard had planned on dropping some major bucks in here during the remodeling phase. My guess is, he was the financial backer.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Why do you suppose that is?” Lianne asked, waiting a beat before answering her own question. “Oh. They were lovers. It’s like Collette was sharing a man with Marnie and neither woman minded. How weird.”

  “If it’s any consolation I think Vince liked to keep his women happy. And he did have the cash to see it through. None of us can say what made Collette and Marnie go for Vince. Maybe Daryl was right. Maybe they were drawn to Vince’s money. Come on, ladies. We’re not getting anywhere standing here moping. Let’s head to the farmers’ market before the best stuff is gone.”

  Once they reached Lighthouse Landing where the vendors had set up their makeshift booths, the women split up. Lianne went in search of the handmade woven Indian blankets while Leia zeroed in on fresh herbs.

  Gemma headed for the fresh lettuce and heirloom tomatoes. While picking her way through the ripest fruit, Lucinda Fenton came up behind Gemma. “Are you all right? I heard someone attacked you in your own shop.”

  “I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” Gemma said, noticing how sad Lucinda’s face looked. “Don’t you worry about it.”

  “How can I not worry? Marissa always told me if anything happened to her I was to keep an eye on you. Now I can’t even do that. Things are certainly different in this town without Marissa. And all this violence lately is making me think twice about going to live with my son down in Redding. We haven’t had a crime wave like this since…well…since that other woman went missing.”

  Gemma stopped bagging tomatoes and turned to stare at Lucinda. “What woman?”

  “Marshall Montalvo’s wife. Sandy was her name. And just like Lando can’t solve these murders, neither could Reiner Caulfield locate what happened to Sandy.”

  “Reiner Caulfield, the former police chief?”

  “That’s right. I’m surprised that old coot is still around, lives out in the trailer park after Lando beat him out of the job. You ask me, Reiner should’ve tried harder to arrest that man when his wife disappeared.”

  “That man? Do you mean arrest Montalvo?”

  “Well, of course I do, honey. Reiner should’ve tried harder to find Sandy, beautiful girl with the biggest blue eyes you ever saw, long blonde hair down to her butt. She was so gorgeous that Sandy could’ve been a model, wanted to be if I remember right.”

  Gemma grabbed Lucinda’s arm. “When did Sandy go missing exactly?”

  “Decades ago. No one ever laid eyes on her again, no word from her either, not a letter or a phone call. We all thought that was strange. Speculation was all over town that Marshall got rid of her to be with Natalie Henwick.”

  “Natalie? The real estate agent is married to Marshall?”

  “Lord no. They lived together for almost thirty years though. Something you need to understand about Marshall, honey. That man is so tight with a buck he vowed never to remarry again. And he hasn’t.” Lucinda chuckled. “Let me tell you, Natalie tried some mighty fine tricks over the years to get him to the altar, but Marshall wouldn’t budge. He was steadfast he’d never put his fat bank account on the line again with a marriage that might end up costing him in divorce.”

  “What happened?”

  “Oh, Natalie finally wised up. She got tired of waiting around and dumped the old fart. But it took years before she saw the light.”

  “That’s interesting,” Gemma said, looping her arm through Lucinda’s. “You’ve lived here a long time, haven’t you?”

  “All my life.”

  “Let’s go grab a cup of coffee and you can tell me everything you know about Marshall and Natalie’s relationship.”

  “I’m telling you she was with us at the farmers’ market. I last saw her standing two aisles over from me, bagging a bunch of tomatoes. I looked around and she was gone.”

  “Then where is she now?” Lando demanded. “She isn’t answering her text messages. You should’ve stayed with her.”

  Zeb was about to get in Lando’s face to rearrange his attitude, when the front door burst open and Gemma strolled in, beaming with information.

  “Where the heck have you been?” Lando snapped. “I’ve been going out of my mind with worry, especially when you didn’t answer your phone. Someone tries to kill you on Friday and you don’t think to let me know you’re okay?”

  “Sorry. Sorry,” Gemma said in apology as she looked around the room. “I lost track of time because I bumped into Lucinda at the market. I found out quite a bit of history from her. Turns out, Montalvo did own those two storefronts. He’s the one who sold them to Roland and my grandparents.”

  “Not exactly a smoking gun,” Zeb conceded. “We already knew that much.”

  “Okay, if you’re so smart, then why didn’t either one of you tell me about Montalvo’s wife going missing, right here in Coyote Wells?”

  Lando stared at her. “What? No way. I don’t have an old case like that in the files. Lucinda is mistaken.”

  “Are you sure? Because Montalvo’s first wife was named Sandy and she vanished without a trace one night in the summer of 1975 and has never been seen or heard from since.”

  “I’m telling you that’s impossible. I know every old case that’s sitting in storage. There’s only a handful and Sandy Montalvo’s name isn’t one of them. Zeb, you ever heard of it?”

  “Nope. Can’t say it rings a bell.”

  Hovering on the fringes of annoyance, Gemma’s patience had little room to breathe. “Maybe that’s because Lucinda told me that Reiner Caulfield, the chief you replaced, never did much to try and find Sandy. Why do you suppose that is?”

  She waved the two men off and went on, “Lucinda says Sandy went missing and within a week, Montalvo calls up Marissa and Jean-Luc out of the blue and suddenly decides to sell them the property they’d been trying to buy for half a year, only to come up against a ridiculously inflated price tag. Suddenly Montalvo changes his mind and lowers his asking price. The same thing happens with Roland. Think about it. Montalvo decides to unload those two storefronts after his wife goes m
issing. If you ask me, the timing is odd. It’s not a coincidence.”

  “Maybe Lucinda is mistaken about the timeline,” Lando said, trying his best to convince himself.

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?” Gemma asked.

  “No, but I need to go out and discuss it with Reiner.” He glanced at Zeb. “Want to come?”

  “You bet. I’d love to see that old man squirm.”

  Gemma snagged Lando’s arm. “Wait a minute. What happened with McIntire and that other guy?”

  “Oh that,” Lando said, munching on an apple. “McIntire and his running buddy Bernal are sitting in jail. We also think Bernal is probably the guy who attacked you wearing his Halloween mask.”

  Gemma let out a gasp. “If only he hadn’t been hiding his face. Good thing I’m sure about him helping McIntire bury Collette.”

  She chewed her lip as if she’d just thought of something. “Oh no. I just figured out I won’t be able to testify if there’s a trial. Who’ll believe me about a stupid psychic vision?”

  “Zeb and I have that covered. We made those guys believe there was an eyewitness. We feel certain they’ll eventually take a plea deal, hoping maybe they’ll flip on Montalvo.”

  Gemma threw her arms around Lando’s neck. “You believed me enough to arrest them, that’s huge.”

  Lando wrapped his arms around her, but traded furtive glances with Zeb. “I told you before that I’d come around to your way of thinking. I meant it.”

  From across the room, Lianne cleared her throat. “But why? What did Collette ever do to these two thugs to make them want to kill her?”

  Zeb drank deep from his coffee mug. “We think these guys were employed by Montalvo to do his dirty work for him. They’re persons of interest in another murder case down in Fresno. Which means Gemma’s theory at the restaurant about those storefronts might hold water. They’re significant for a reason. We just don’t know what it is.”

  Lianne had been forming an idea, but hearing that pushed her to action. “Then I say we go knock down that wall in the pizza place that gave Gemma the willies this morning. We’ll consider it on my half of the property.”