Larkin's Landing_A Tombora Springs Mystery

by SK Wee

  Chapter Five

  Fee

  By the end of the weekend, I had all of the thank-you notes written and everything else taken care of. I’m sure it was more nervous energy than anything else. I had to stay busy constantly. I even developed an unreasonable fear of running out of things to keep me busy—if I didn’t have at least four or five duties in front of me, I began to panic and searched for more.

  On Monday afternoon, I began the unpleasant task of going through Lizzie’s room. I knew I wasn’t quite ready for this, but it was on my list and needed to be done. I found some boxes and started with her clothes. I decided to give most of her things to charity. Marsha had already asked for some clothes, but I couldn’t imagine seeing something of Lizzie’s worn by Marsha’s baby. I felt really selfish since someone else would be wearing Lizzie’s things anyway, but what can I say. I didn’t want Marsha to have anything of Lizzie’s.

  When I went through her chest, I found several items that had not been opened. These I set aside for Marsha, I guess I’m not a total jerk. I would give her items that I didn’t associate with Lizzie. My mind made up, the task took less time than I thought it would. My list of chores was getting shorter.

  After high school, I attended a technical college and received a degree in accounting. This was helpful in running the store up until Lizzie was born. Seldom in the last three years had I ventured down there to even check on the bookwork. I really didn’t even know who was in charge of it now, which was something I was going to find out. Rich would have something for me to do, even if it wasn’t office work.

  Thinking about all the various jobs I could fill, I was surprised when I heard the doorbell. I grabbed one of the boxes to take down with me and was even further surprised when I saw a sheriff’s deputy at the door. Looking from the badge to the face, I realized it was my old school chum, Calvin.

  “Cal, how good to see you! Come in, I was just going through some things.” I set the box down next to the door and accepted Cal’s embrace.

  “I’m afraid this is not a social visit, Fee.” Cal’s broad frame filled the doorway, but I pulled his arm and dragged him through the living room and into the kitchen.

  “I’ll put some fresh coffee on, it will take only a minute. Sit down, Cal. It’s been years since I’ve seen you, but you still look as handsome as ever. Are you settled down yet? You must have found the one by now.” When we were in high school, Cal had a different girl every month, it seemed. I had my own month, of course, but we knew by the end of the month that we were much better off as friends—much like most of the other girls. Cal was always looking for something but never found it.

  “Not yet, Fee. Thanks for the coffee.” Cal leaned back in the chair with a resigned sigh. “Now as I was saying, this isn’t a social call. I have a couple of questions for you. I know you are going through a terrible time in your life, I can’t even comprehend how horrific it has been for you and Rich. I hope you know how sorry I am.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot to me. Now, what possible help can I be to the sheriff’s department? Rich is the one who donates to all of your charity events.” I knew Rich was stingy with his donations, and he gave me little of my own to spend.

  “Nothing like that.” Cal seemed to struggle for words. “I’ll get right to the point. A young woman has gone missing. She was last seen leaving work at Larkin’s Landing.”

  I know I gasped, my friend Tara worked there and I automatically assumed he meant her. “Tara? Something has happened to Tara?”

  “Ah . . . No, it wasn’t Tara.” I could see the question in his eyes. He was probably trying to figure out how I would know someone like Tara. “Her name is Bonnie. She lives down the road from the Landing and usually walked home from work, yet no one saw her that night or since.”

  “I don’t know this Bonnie. I don’t know how I could be of any help, Cal.” I drew a deep breath. I was relieved that it wasn’t Tara, but then sent up a little prayer for the unknown Bonnie’s welfare.

  “I’ve interviewed several people in her area. It seems Bonnie had a frequent visitor to her cabin and he has been identified as Rich. Fee, I’ve spoken with Rich, and he informed me he was with you Wednesday night, exclusively. Unfortunately, I need you to verify his alibi.” Cal looked over at me with such compassion, as my mind tried to wrap around this information.

  “Rich? Oh, Cal, you must be mistaken. Rich would never do such a thing. Never ever. He just doesn’t have it in him.” One thing I knew about my husband was that he was never ruled by passion.

  “I’m sorry, Fee, really I am. However, he has already admitted to having an on and off relationship with Bonnie. He admitted to being there the Sunday evening before.” I heard the garage door open and knew that Rich was home. I felt like I was in shock, I couldn’t for the life of me get my mind wrapped around these allegations.

  As I sat there with my mouth open, I watched Rich come into the kitchen. He slipped off his shoes, hung up the keys, his coat, and scarf, got his slippers out of the cubbyhole next to the door—he performed all his routines with precision, just like every other day. Somehow that seemed odder than anything else. He glanced at us, I’m sure he knew what we were talking about. There might have been a hint of guilt, but it was covered up quickly with irritation.

  “Calvin, you could have waited until I got home to talk to her.” He was upset with Cal, but not himself?

  “How long have you been screwing around on me, Rich? How many times? Are there others? I’ve never denied you, never turned you out . . . how could you do this to me—to us?” It felt like he not only deceived me but also our life together, our child, our partnership, our friendship, everything about our life together was now a lie.

  “Let’s have that discussion in a more private setting, Fee. For now, have you told Calvin what he needs to know? Wednesday night was the night after Lizzie passed away. Your family was here along with me. Just tell him what he needs to hear and we’ll discuss personal issues later.” Rich sounded like it was just one more thing he needed to take care of. Like a business negotiation. There was more warmth in Cal’s face than in Rich’s.

  “Yes, he’s right, Cal. I’ll sign whatever you need to verify that he was indeed home all evening. My parents were also here along with my brother, Dave, and his wife, April.”

  “I don’t think we’ll need to drag them into it. If you could stop over at the office tomorrow, I’ll have something ready for you to sign.” Cal sounded more like the professional. Not cold, but unaffected or passive, but I had already seen the compassion on his face and knew that it was for me and not Rich.

  “I’ll be over tomorrow morning. Let me walk you to the door and thank you, Cal, for trying to leave my family out of it. I appreciate that.” After Cal left, I leaned heavily against the door and closed my eyes. How was I going to handle this? Where was my anger, my outrage? I’ve been betrayed, but I felt almost numb.

  “Are you all right, Fee?” Rich came out of the kitchen. “Let’s go to my office and I’ll make my confession.”

  “I’m not your true judge, Rich. You made vows before our Lord and Savior. How were you planning to justify your actions to Him.”

  “That’s between me and my God, Fee. You wanted to know certain things about my affair, and I’m willing to discuss the details. Let’s leave God out of it.” He was right, of course, what lay between him and God was none of my business.

  “Okay, Rich. Let’s hear of your betrayal, then.” I sat down on the winged-backed leather chair while Rich sat behind his large, dark mahogany desk, his elbows braced on top of the desk, with fingers formed into a steeple with both index fingers rubbing his chin.

  “It began nearly three years ago, Lizzie was just a baby and I went to the lake to fish like I normally do on Sundays during the summer. Bonnie was down on the pier when I arrived. She had tried to cast her line but got the hook caught in the back of her tank top. I assisted her in removing the hook and proceeded to help with her casting
skills. We had an enjoyable afternoon, and she suggested that we go to her cabin for sex. I wasn’t completely sold on the idea, even though she had already made numerous advances toward me throughout our lessons, which were making me slightly uncomfortable. But she basically seduced me, and I couldn’t seem to find the willpower to resist. That is how it first started.”

  “You couldn’t resist? Even though you made vows to me?” As dispassionate as I’ve always felt Rich was, that seemed unbelievable to me.

  “I can’t explain something I really don’t understand myself, Phoebe. She was there at the right place and the right time. The sex was surprisingly satisfying. Most times I would even call it phenomenal. I’m sorry if that upsets you, it’s just a fact and probably the biggest reason I kept going back for more. But it was always on Sundays when we both had the day off.”

  “Nothing like keeping the Lord’s day sacred, hey, Rich?” I really had nothing else to add. I was disappointed in him, but my heart seemed unaffected. It was almost like my heart had left with Lizzie, and he couldn’t hurt what was no longer there.

  The rest of the evening, I just went through the motions of preparing dinner and cleaning up afterward. Once I was finished getting the work done, I went back to his office where he was working.

  I had come to a few decisions while cooking and cleaning and one circumstance was glaringly obvious, I needed something to keep me busy. “Rich, I’ve decided that I no longer want to share a bed with you. My feelings may change in the future, but for now, I would prefer if you slept in the guest room. Also, I will be down at the store tomorrow afternoon, I would like to take over some of the office work to keep myself busy.”

  “Fee, I know you’re hurt, but shutting me out of the bedroom isn’t the answer. I will give you some room but don’t expect it to last very long. I’m still your husband, and I have needs. As far as the store, I’m sure you could find something to keep you busy. I think Lenore is planning to retire at the end of the month. She does the payroll and accounts payable.”

  “I’ll speak with Lenore then. By the way, if you think you can demand some husbandly rights from me, we can solve that problem in divorce court.” I turned and walked out the door. I really didn’t want to go through the process of divorce. I’ve seen what that did to people, but I couldn’t imagine having him alongside me in bed or even worse, on top of me.

  *****

  Cal had the coffee on when I got to the small office that the sheriff’s department used in Tombora Springs. We had a nice chat about old times, and then he produced a copy of a statement he wanted me to sign.

  “Read it through very carefully before you sign. I know how honest you are and I tried to repeat the exact conversation.” Cal was leaning back in his wooden office chair. For some reason, he seemed a good fit for this job. He always did have a curious streak and his attention to detail was unsurpassed.

  “This is all accurate. You did an amazing job. In fact, you have seemed to thrive in this atmosphere. I know we don’t have much crime in the area, but you seem to fit the mold for this role.”

  “I love the work, that’s for sure. My goal is to protect innocent people like you, Fee. Good, hardworking citizens of this county. Speaking of which, how is it that you know Tara from the Landing? She seems well removed from your normal circle of associates.”

  “Tara is such a sweet person. I know her through the beauty shop she works at. Why do you ask?” I couldn’t imagine that Cal would know her either—unless she was part of the investigation.

  “Just curious. I know she lives and works at the Landing and is engaged to Raine Larkin. I didn’t know that she also worked in town.” I noticed a spark of interest in Cal’s eyes.

  “I don’t think she has many clients, though she does an excellent job. If anyone ever asks me who to go to, I always recommend Tara. Looks like you could use a little trim, Cal. You’re getting a little shaggy.” He actually looked absolutely adorable with his shaggy mop, but I didn’t add that. One thing Cal had always known was how good-looking he was. Nobody needed to tell him that.

  “I got my own guy over in Hilltop. He would clip my ear if he thought I went to someone else.”

  “Hmm . . . well, if you ever need a change.” He looked back at me with a silly grin, clearly showing off his deep dimples. I had to wonder what I said that caused that particular reaction. I had an appointment with Tara the following day, but I noticed when I drove by the salon that her car was parked out front. I had to resist the urge to go in and talk to her. I would have my session in one more day.

  The rest of the day, I sat with Lenore becoming reacquainted with the ledgers and the newer version of the software that was installed. It was self-explanatory for the most part. Accounting was now done by placing the right number in the right spot. Balancing the books was a thing of the past. When the numbers were entered correctly, the program automatically generated any and every report known to mankind.

  Lenore left for home at four-o’clock and so I also started for the door. As I came to the end of the aisle, a man was just backing out of the adjacent aisle with a large pipe and as he turned, the pipe hit me square in the chest. If it hadn’t hurt so much, I would have laughed at his shocked expression. He was totally unfamiliar to me. He had a sort of dark dangerous look to him, scrubby beard growth, well-worn and extremely nice fitting jeans, and a faded leather jacket. I had to catch my breath and I don’t think it had anything to do with the pain. I had never seen anyone exude such sex appeal. I know I led a fairly sheltered life up to this point, but I have gone to movies and sometimes watch a little television, but this man was well beyond anything I had ever seen in my life.

  “Are you all right, miss?” The man immediately set down the pipe and stood next to me.

  “I’ll be all right.” His nearness took my breath away.

  “Logan, I told you to be more careful, now look at what you’ve done. I’m sorry, miss, my husband doesn’t know the word careful. It’s a wonder he hasn’t killed both of us by now. Are you all right?” The woman was completely opposite the man. She was certainly very beautiful—tall and slender like a model—but she was dressed in an elegant business suit with dress shoes.

  “I’m fine, don’t worry about it, accidents happen.” I don’t know why the fact that he was married upset me.

  “See, Vanessa, it’s okay.” When he smiled at me, my heart, which I truly thought had left me since Lizzie’s death, skipped a beat. Just before he turned back to his wife, he gave me a little wink. I just stood there smiling back at him. My God, he’s a married man and I’m a married woman, what am I doing? I stared after them until they got the pipe outside and were no longer in view.

  “I see you ran into the Tates. She’s the new director at the hospital. I have an appointment with her next week, she wants to support local business and hopes to supply the maintenance department through an account with the store.” Rich stood looking beyond the doors, though I’m sure his thoughts didn’t mirror mine at all. Mine were still mired in lust, something I don’t ever remember feeling, even on our wedding night. Right behind this particular thought was another—now I can understand how Rich could break his marriage vows. If Bonnie affected him even half of what this Logan Tate did to me just now, I believe I did understand.

  “Well, actually, he ran into me—with a pipe. Rich, I’m going home to start dinner, I’ll see you later.” I left without receiving any further comment, which was normal.

  The following day, I spent a couple of hours with Lenore and then told her I was taking the rest of the day off. I had my appointment with Tara to get my nails done and then I wanted to take her to lunch if she would let me.

  Tara’s chair was quite isolated, so when she started telling me about what was going on at the Landing, I wasn’t worried about adding what I had found out. Tara was probably the only person I could ever lay my soul bare to, and I had no real reason why I felt so confident that she would never abuse my trust. Because she believed
that Bonnie was a good friend to her, Tara was shocked to learn about the affair she was having with my husband.

  “Oh, Fee, how terrible for you! I don’t know what I would do if I found out that Raine was having an affair, and we’re not even married yet!” Tara seemed outraged for me and I could only smile.

  “Can you go to lunch with me, Tara? Or are you busy all afternoon?”

  “No, my two o’clock canceled so I’m free. I’m not scheduled at the Landing tonight, but I usually stop in and make sure everything is going all right.” We drove outside of town toward Hilltop. I didn’t want to see anyone from town or more importantly, from my family. I pulled in front of a small café next to the post office in Hilltop. I couldn’t imagine seeing anyone inside that either of us knew.

  We both ordered the BLT special, and Tara started asking me about how Rich explained himself.

  “Oh, he accused Bonnie of seducing him and claimed to have received the best sex of his entire life. I doubt if Bonnie felt the same way.” We both snorted in laughter at that. The camaraderie felt so good to me, I didn’t want it to end.

  “I’m just really surprised that Bonnie had so many secrets. I have to wonder what else she kept hidden. Maybe something that got her hurt or killed.” Since I had never met the woman, I really had no clue what could have happened.

  “Maybe. Have you heard from Raine? How’s he been doing? Any word on when he’ll come home?” I decided to change the subject when I noticed that Tara was back to looking concerned and worried.

  “Yes, I talked with him last weekend. He said they had a special task and may not be able to contact me for a week or so. He seems to really love the Air Force and all the guys he’s stationed with. He sounds so excited when he talks about the base he’s at and everything going on there. He said he would love to come home this summer but wants to save all his money for when he gets out. He’s been sending an allotment to the bank every payday and it’s beginning to add up.”