by Leah Burke
“Well, I guess I always wanted to be a hero,” he replied. What was that? he thought. That’s so stupid!
Marissa chuckled. “You will always be my hero, Thomas.”
Okay, I made her laugh, he thought. Should I lean in for a kiss? What is the proper procedure for this kind of thing? Suddenly, Marissa leaned in. Yes! he thought. It’s happening! She reached over and pecked him on the cheek. “If there is anything I can do, you name it. I mean it, whatever it is, I’ll be there.”
“Oh, um, it’s okay.” Thomas went red. Dang it. I was hoping for something more substantial than that. But it would have to do.
“No, it’s not okay. I owe you everything. Please, if there is anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask. Even if it’s three years from now, I’ll be there for you. I promise.” Marissa held out her hand to shake his.
“Deal,” he said.
Chapter 18
Marissa sat down on one side of the glass. She had always wanted to use one of these things. This isn’t exactly how she thought it would happen, but at least she could cross it off her bucket list. “Thanks for coming,” she said.
“Well, it was the least I could do,” Brand replied. He looked so handsome. His beard was starting to come in thicker.
“Still, you didn’t have to fly all the way out here.” She tried to play it smooth.
“Actually, I did. I have to make sure that you have a legal representative for your arraignment.”
“Any chance that Harlan is going to bail me out?” Marissa asked playfully.
“I think his exact words were: ‘she got herself into this mess, so she can get herself out’.” Brand smiled. “Our lawyers are willing to help you negotiate a lighter sentence, but that’s about it.”
“Well, to be honest, that’s more than I expected. I originally thought that you were here to tell me I’m fired.”
“Oh, no, Harlan doesn’t want to fire you. In fact, he wants you to write about life on the inside. Well, that and how you got arrested in the first place. He thinks this will make a great serial article.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Harlan.” Marissa smiled. At least she got to keep her job. “So what’s the news coming out of Atlanta? Have they found anything yet?”
“Well, they did announce that, due to some new evidence, they will be reopening the Burton murder case. So I guess that’s something.” Brand smirked.
“I’m sure that they’ll get their man.” Marissa winked back.
“You know, for being in jail, you’re awfully chipper.”
“Well, I’ve been in worse places than this, Brand. At least here I have running water and three meals a day.” Marissa decided that this was nothing compared to her time in the Philippines.
“That’s one way to look at it. I was talking with the lawyers and they think, given circumstances, you may be able to get a plea bargain. They said best case scenario is three years, but out in six months for good behavior.”
“Only six months? I can do that in my sleep,” Marissa joked.
“The office won’t be the same without you, though.” Brand looked at her.
“Well, I guess you’ll just have to think about me in your dreams, Brand.” Marissa winked.
“Who says I don’t already?” he asked playfully.
“Okay, now you’re gonna make it hard to last six months, you know that, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there when you get back.”
“You better be. And I better see you at that arraignment. Otherwise, I’ll tell them that you put me up to everything,” she joked.
“I’ll be there, too. I won’t leave you hanging.” Brand smiled. His teeth were so perfect. “Listen, I gotta go. But I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He stood to leave. He placed his hand on the glass. Marissa placed hers on it as well. They lingered for a moment, then he left.
Dang it, she thought. Now this is going to suck.
Three days later, at the arraignment, Marissa’s lawyers were able to negotiate her sentence to three years. The judge agreed to probation after six months, just like Brand had said. As she got the verdict, she started thinking about the title for her series. What about ‘Tales from Larkin’? No, that was too tacky. She would think of something. Already, Harlan was breathing down her neck about turning in pages. She hadn’t even been in jail for a whole week and he was chomping at the bit. Although, he did have a point. She never did finish her story about the birds.
The following month, Marissa watched on the news as the DA formally charged Teddy Brown with the murder of Robert Burton. Apparently, some “new evidence” linked him to the crime scene, as well as showed that he planted evidence to incriminate Nestor Chambon.
Soon after, Teddy Brown plead guilty to second degree murder, and would likely serve less than his twenty year sentence. Still, Marissa thought, at least they got the right guy this time. Plus, it would make a killer addition to her serial. She had finally thought of a clever name: “The Naked Eye with Marissa Larkin.” Harlan didn’t like it, but since he couldn’t come up with anything better, it stayed.
Prison life didn’t exactly agree with her, but it wasn’t as bad as she had feared. The worst thing was the boredom. Still, she managed to find some interesting people to write about, which made the time go by a little faster. Six months would go by in a heartbeat.
Just before her release, she stumbled across something that caught her attention. At the prison, they got a daily newspaper: The Atlanta Guardian. In the local news section, they had a write-up about a new development project at Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Center. Apparently, they were going to build a brand new multi-function space called the Burton Memorial Greenhouse.
So, she thought, even though Teddy was sitting in a jail cell, his plan was still coming to fruition. That’s justice for you. She continued reading, and came to a blurb that stuck in her mind like a splinter. The project is being headed by Mrs. Maureen Burton, widow of the late Robert Burton. Apparently, after Teddy’s arrest, Maureen took over as head of the company.
But, she thought, why would she continue with a development deal that got her husband killed?
Chapter 19
Six Months Ago
Robert checked his watch. It was shortly after 7:00 p.m. They had been driving for hours. “Are we almost there, Teddy?”
Teddy turned around from the driver’s seat. “Almost. You in a hurry, Bobby?” He smiled.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, Maureen and I have theater tickets.”
Maureen turned to Robert. “It’s okay, honey. It’s not like we haven’t seen the show before.”
“Still, we have obligations. And, Teddy, you haven’t even told me what this is about.” Robert sounded impatient.
Teddy looked at the two of them from the rear-view mirror. “It’s a surprise, Bobby. Don’t you like surprises?”
“You know that I don’t. How much longer?” Robert checked his watch again.
“We’re here.” Teddy pulled the car into the park. They were going in through the service entrance. A ranger stood by the gate. After they entered, he made sure to close it behind them.
“Where are we, exactly?” Robert looked around. They were surrounded by trees and greenery.
“Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Center, Bobby. You’ve heard of this place, haven’t you?” Teddy smiled at him from the mirror.
“Please tell me that this isn’t another development deal, Teddy. We’ve been over this. I don’t want to tear up natural landscape. Especially not if it’s on government land.”
“You haven’t even heard the pitch yet! I promise, you’re going to love it.” Teddy smiled again. He seemed a little too enthusiastic.
“Come on, honey. It can’t hurt to listen to the proposal, right?” Maureen chimed in.
“You guys both know how I feel about this.” Robert started to sulk.
“Please, sweetheart? For me?” Maureen flashed her winning smile. It always worked on Robert.
“Fine. Ten
minutes, and then we’re out. We’re going to be late as it is.”
“Will you stop worrying about the stupid play? This is far more valuable, trust me.” Teddy pulled up to an old, dilapidated building.
Robert looked at it with disdain. “Please tell me this isn’t it.”
“Come on, I’ve got everything set up inside.” Teddy parked and got out. He opened Robert’s door. Why was he so giddy all of a sudden?
Behind them, a ranger truck pulled up and parked to the side.
“Who’s that?” Robert asked.
“Oh, that’s my liaison here. He’s helping me with the proposal.”
Nash got out of the truck. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Burton. Lovely night tonight, huh?”
Robert nodded. They walked to the building. It looked like it hadn’t been used in years. “Can we make this quick, please? I don’t want to get my clothes all dirty, you know.”
Teddy opened the door, and they all shuffled inside. Teddy flipped a switch, and suddenly it lit up. There were posters and schematics drawn up and placed all around the room. At the front, there were several graphs and charts, as well as an artist’s rendering. The building looked new and sleek. One of the easels was covered in a white sheet.
“What is all this?” Robert looked around. He was impressed by what he saw.
“This is our next project, Bobby. I’ve been talking with some friends of mine, and we can get thirty-five million to turn this dump into a brand new event center slash office building. It will be perfect. We get everything up to speed and get it LEED certified. I know how much you love protecting the environment.” Teddy showed off his project with glee.
Robert sighed. “I don’t suppose you’ve done an impact survey already, have you?”
“We have. According to my buddy Nash—” Teddy pointed at Nash, who stayed by the doorway. “The project will have minimal impact on the local wildlife. Plus, being a ‘green’ building means that we will save a fortune on utility costs.”
“I don’t know, Teddy. You’ve brought this kind of stuff to me before, and we know how they work out. I can’t imagine that tearing up this land won’t cause damage to the local ecosystem.” Robert didn’t sound impressed.
“Trust me, it won’t.” Teddy smiled. He seemed much happier than usual.
“What’s the catch?” Robert decided to call his bluff. Why was Teddy so jubilant all of a sudden? It’s not like he could approve this kind of deal without him.
“You’re absolutely right, Robert. There is a catch.” Teddy looked serious for a moment. “But, before we get into that, do you want to know what we’re going to call this place?”
Robert sighed. “Not really.”
Suddenly, Teddy pulled a sheet off of the easel. Robert stared at the drawing, stunned. What did this mean?
“Bobby, I present to you the Burton Memorial Greenhouse!” Teddy was absolutely beaming.
“What the heck is this, Teddy? What do you mean by ‘Memorial’?” Robert started to get nervous.
“Well, you see, Bobby, this site will be dedicated to you! To your cherished memory. Gone, but not forgotten.” Teddy spoke with a mysterious tone.
Robert felt a pit in his stomach. This was all wrong. He turned to leave. “Come on, Maureen, we’re leaving.” He grabbed her hand, but she didn’t move.
“Sorry, sweetheart.” She looked him dead in the eye.
Robert turned to face Teddy, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Teddy plunged the knife deep, grabbing Robert to drive it in further. Robert stared into Teddy’s eyes. What was happening? Suddenly, another sharp pain, then another. Robert collapsed to the ground.
He reached up for Maureen, who backed away. She continued to stare at him, watching the life drain from his body. Why was she doing this? Robert started to crawl on his hands and knees. He slowly crept away from Teddy.
“Where are you going, Bobby?” Teddy just chuckled as Robert tried to steady himself.
With his remaining strength, Robert pulled himself up onto one of the old greenhouses that dotted the room. “Why…are you…doing this?” His breath was short and raspy. He felt cold and lightheaded.
“Oh, I have my reasons, Bobby. In fact, I have two hundred million reasons to be doing this.” Teddy stared at Robert with a sinister look in his eyes.
“What are you…talking about?” Robert tried to steady himself, but felt weaker by the second.
“I’ve stood by you for the last ten years, Bobby. Ten years and you’ve denied developments for what? Because they didn’t fit in with your moral code? Do you know how much you cost the company, Bobby? How much you cost me? If you had listened to me from the beginning, then we could be billionaires, Bobby. With a B!” Teddy got angrier as he spoke.
Robert collapsed to his knees. Maureen circled him and joined Teddy. “Maur-Maureen? Why?” Robert could feel the darkness seeping in. He was so cold.
“A girl’s gotta eat, sweetheart. And you don’t know how hungry I’ve been.” Suddenly, Maureen and Teddy embraced in a long, passionate kiss. “Finish him, baby.” She smiled at Teddy, then kissed him again.
In one move, Teddy reached back and plunged the knife into Robert’s chest. The world went black.
Thanks for reading Murder Exposed. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, it would be awesome if you left a review for me on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
The next book in the Naked Eye Cozy Mystery series is available for pre-order on Amazon for only $0.99. If you buy it now, it will automatically deliver when it releases on January 28.
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At the end of the book, I have included a preview of a book from my friend Stacey Alabaster, A Pie to Die For. It’s part of the popular Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery series. It’s available on Amazon at:
FairfieldPublishing.com/pie-to-die-for
I’m also including a preview of the first cozy mystery from my friend Miles Lancaster, Murder in the Mountains. I really hope you like it!
FairfieldPublishing.com/murder-in-mountains
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Now, turn the page and check out the previews of A Pie to Die For and Murder in the Mountains.
Preview: A Pie to Die For
"But you don't understand, I use only the finest, organic ingredients." My voice was high-pitched as I pleaded my case to the policeman. Oh, this was just like an episode of Criminal Point. Hey, I wondered who the killer turned out to be. I shook my head. That's not important, Rachael, I scolded myself. What's important is getting yourself off this murder charge. Still, I hoped Pippa had recorded the ending of the episode.
I tried to steady my breathing as Jackson—Detective Whitaker—entered the room and threw a folder on the table, before studying the contents as though he was cramming for a test he had to take the next day. He rubbed his temples and frowned.
Is he even going to make eye contact with me? Is he just going to completely ignore the interaction we had at the fair? Pretend it never even happened.
"Jackson..." I started, before I was met with a steely glare. "Detective. Surely you can't think I had anything to do with this?"
Jackson looked up at me slowly. "Had you ever had any contact with Mrs. Batters before today?"
I shifted in my seat. "Yes," I had to admit. "I knew her a little from the store. She was always quite antagonistic towards me, but I'd never try to kill her!"
"Witnesses near the scene said that you two had an argument." He gave me that same ste
ely glare. Where was the charming, flirty, sweet guy I'd meet earlier? He was now buried beneath a suit and a huge attitude.
"Well...it wasn't an argument...she was just...winding me up, like she always does."
Jackson shot me a sharp look. "So, she was annoying you? Was she making you angry?"
"Well... Well..." I tripped over my words. He was now making me nervous for an entirely different reason than he had earlier. Those butterflies were back, but now they felt like daggers.
Come on, Rach. Everyone knows that the first suspect in Criminal Point is not the one that actually did it.
But how many people had Jackson already interviewed? Maybe he was saving me for last. Gosh, maybe my cherry pie had actually killed the woman!
"Answer the question please, Miss Robinson."
"Not angry, no. I was just frustrated."
"Frustrated?" A smile curled at his lips before he pounced. "Frustrated with Mrs. Batters?"
"No! The situation. Come on—you were there!" I tried to appeal to his sympathies, but he remained a brick wall.
"It doesn't matter whether I was there or not. That is entirely besides the point." He said the words a little too forcefully.
I swallowed. "I couldn't get any customers to try my cakes, and Bakermatic was luring everyone away with their free samples." I stopped as my brows shot up involuntarily. "Jackson! Sorry, Detective. Mrs. Batters ate at Bakermatic as well!"
My words came out in a stream of breathless blabber as I raced to get them out. "Bakermatic must be to blame! They cut corners, they use cheap ingredients. Oh, and I know how much Mrs. Batters loved their food! She was always eating there. Believe me, she made that very clear to me."