The Good Die Twice

by Lee Driver

  “It is important, Lily,” Robert continued, “that no one, not my sons, my daughter-in-law, or any other employees know what you are looking for.”

  “I understand, Mr. Tyler. I’ll do my best.”

  He watched her leave, the one person who had grieved the most over Rachel’s death. Robert had spent too much time in denial, especially since Rachel’s body had never been found. And now he didn’t have the heart to tell her he was on his way to the morgue in Michigan City to identify Rachel’s body.

  Edie rushed into the hotel suite. “Where is it?” She looked from Luke’s hands to the coffee table. “You did get it, didn’t you?” Her eyes were large green orbs surrounded by thick lashes.

  Luke poured two glasses of cognac and motioned for Edie to sit down.

  Edie smiled. “Are we toasting our success?” She curled one shapely leg under her as she sat on the couch. The cognac was hot going down but she savored every drop.

  “It wasn’t there.” Luke’s eyes watched her reaction.

  “What do you mean it wasn’t there?” She set the glass on the coffee table and methodically went over a scenario in her mind. “My god, what if it fell off when those two goons were playing hide-the-body?” She set her fiery gaze on Luke. “I told you those two morons couldn’t be trusted.”

  Luke knew that unless Edie had followed Joey and Mince that night, there wasn’t any way she would know where the body was. And he had gotten pretty good at telling when Edie was lying. If Edie didn’t take the earring, then Joey and Mince did. Or maybe he wasn’t the only one Edie was entertaining. Maybe she was playing them all against each other.

  “What about the necklace? Our buyers will purchase only the entire set. That detective has one earring, someone has the other, and the necklace is god knows where.” Luke tipped back the glass and swallowed the hot liquid in one gulp. “We’re not exactly batting a thousand here.” He stared at Edie’s face, her long nails tapping on the back of the couch. She had an analytical if not sadistic mind. Eric was no match for her. Luke knew women like her marry only for money, rarely for love.

  “I tell you, it’s not in the house. I thought for sure it would be in that secret compartment.” Edie walked over to the window and stared down at Ogden Park eleven floors below. A horse-drawn carriage was taking passengers on a tour of some of the finer points of Cedar Point.

  Luke raised his heavy lids, turning the corners of his eyes down even farther. His voice was soothing, but deceiving because there was a threatening glare to his look. “And this is the first you have known of a secret compartment…after five years?”

  She turned and leveled an icy stare at him. “Don’t start. We both waited for Rachel to get her memory back. I’ve waited a long time to get my hands on those diamonds.”

  The door slammed shut and they turned to see Joey and Mince.

  “What diamonds?” the two men demanded.

  Joey snarled. “You two are full of surprises, aren’t you? I knew there was more to this job than just snatching some rich sister-in-law.” He sat his butt down on the arm of the couch and let his eyes drift down Edie’s frame.

  Mince circled the room, like an overgrown fly looking for a place to land. His gaze took in the large suite, tasteful furnishings, expensive Oriental carpeting. “Yeah, Luke. The dame has put you up in some nice digs while Joey and me, we’re crammed in a small room with two double beds. What gives? She offering you a hell of a lot more than sex, I take it?”

  Luke placed one beefy arm across the back of the couch. He stared at the two men, then at Edie. “I wouldn’t mind knowing about the other earring myself.”

  “What are you looking at me for?” Edie glanced at each of the three men. “Wait a minute. First you tell me you disposed of the body. Now I find out you were holding onto it. What’s going on here?” She sank onto the love seat and crossed her legs.

  “You tell us,” Mince sneered. He walked around the couch and crawled into a side chair. His skin was white, his fingers short and pudgy.

  Luke pulled open the drawer in the end table and tossed the floral scarf in Edie’s lap. “I didn’t find the other earring on the body, but I found this.”

  Edie held up her scarf at both ends. “You found my scarf there?” She stared over the scarf at three sets of eyes. “Oh no.” Her hands dropped to her lap. “I swear, Luke, I have no idea how it got there. I didn’t even know where these idiots put her body.”

  “I believe you,” Luke said simply.

  “You are kidding.” Mince stood and pulled a gun out from under his shirt. “I smell something fishy, Joey.”

  “Put the gun away,” Luke ordered.

  Mince wrinkled his pudgy face. “I don’t think so. There’s more going on here than just a pair of earrings. Talk fast.”

  Edie looked at Luke. Luke looked at the gun. “Okay.” Luke proceeded to tell them about the Williamsburg Collection. By the time he was done, Mince had placed the gun down and slowly sank into the chair.

  “Four hundred million?” Joey licked his lips.

  “Don’t get any ideas.” Edie draped the scarf over her lap, lit another cigarette, and dabbed a piece of tobacco off her tongue. “You’re not about ready to suck more money out of us.”

  Propping a foot up on the coffee table, Luke regarded the situation. His gaze shifted to Edie, whose determined look was a dangerous blend of greed and power. Joey and Mince, on the other hand, just reeked greed.

  Luke glanced quickly at Edie and then told the two men, “I’m sure if we’re successful there would be a nice bonus for you two.”

  “How nice?” Mince pressed.

  Edie took a long drag off her cigarette, staring at Luke through the smoke. “You guys can iron that out later. We have more pressing matters.” Setting the scarf aside, she said, “Let’s think this through. There are only two people who could have the other earring.”

  “The cops are one,” Luke said.

  The word cops brought a chill to the room.

  “Sweet jezzus,” Mince whispered. “I ain’t goin’ to jail. I can tell you that right now.”

  “Where the hell did you hide the body?” Edie demanded.

  “It’s in one of the new townhouse freezers at the Dunes Resort,” Luke replied.

  “Oh, lord.” Edie planted an elbow on the armrest and pressed a hand over her eyes. “That’s a sure way to lead the police right to me.” Shaking her head of auburn waves, she lit another cigarette, fingers trembling. Inhaling long and deep, she cleared her head and let the wheels churn. Taking another long puff, she let the smoke out slowly. Finally, Edie said, “No, I don’t think it’s the cops. Newspapers would have plastered it all over the front pages. I think it’s Dagger. It was his client who supposedly witnessed the murder. He would have been the one to comb the area, pick a lock or two, and find the body. “We have to find Dagger’s weakness.”

  Luke agreed. “What about his fiancée? Isn’t she the daughter of that rich guy?”

  Edie shook her head. “Dagger broke it off with Sheila. I don’t know him that well, but from what I could tell, he would probably throw her to the dogs before trading her for the earring.” She took a swig of cognac and smiled slowly. “One thing I do know—he is very protective of Sara.” Edie explained, “If you hurt any of Dagger’s friends you are his enemy for life. You can anger him by beating up his friends or even stealing his parrot. But Sara, she’s our key. I think he’d trade Sara for the earring.”

  “Sara.” Joey’s mouth turned up in a sadistic grin. “Oh, yeah.”

  CHAPTER 40

  “A part of me didn’t believe you, Dagger.” Robert’s hand shook as he dabbed at his eyes. Rachel had looked as if she were sleeping, accept for the blue tinge to her skin and the bloodstain on her dress. “It feels like it was a lifetime ago that she died. So much time has passed.”

  Robert followed Dagger down the hall to a waiting room. The grieving husband had just finished identifying his young wife’s body. Robert silently gaze
d out of the picture window. Next door was the county court house and beyond that, a large building circled by a high fence. It was a youth correctional facility.

  Robert lowered his body onto the hard bench and slumped against the backrest. “If I had only taken her call more seriously.”

  Dagger took a seat next to him, leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. “You have to quit beating yourself up.”

  Padre appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee, which he handed to Robert. “Thought you could use this.”

  Robert thanked him and set the coffee on the end table.

  Padre rolled a chair over to the bench and took a seat across from them. He pulled a notepad from his pocket and leaned forward. Dagger knew Padre’s routine by heart. He liked to lean close, speak in a soft tone, as if he were in a confessional. The tone was always congenial, understanding.

  Padre asked, “Did you pay the crew five years ago to say that Rachel sailed with them that night when she actually didn’t?”

  Robert sighed, closed his eyes briefly. “No. Where on earth would you hear such a thing?” He looked from Padre to Dagger. “I thought all the questions had been answered?”

  “You hired me to do a job, Mr. Tyler,” Dagger said. “And I’ve come up with some issues that contradict what was reported to the police five years ago.”

  Robert’s shoulders sagged, his face looked haggard. The county morgue was no place to interview a victim’s relatives. But they couldn’t do it at Robert’s home or the precinct without police or the press being curious. As it was, they didn’t have much time before the medical examiner’s report became public knowledge.

  “As far as I know Rachel boarded the yacht that night. If the crew were paid by someone to say she was never there, the money didn’t come from me.”

  Dagger thought back to Pete’s reaction to the woman on the yacht. For someone who supposedly was paid to lie about Rachel being on the yacht as Nick professed, Pete had some pretty vivid and fond memories. Dagger asked Tyler, “Were you aware that Edie knew Rachel before you two were married?”

  Robert shook his head. “That can’t be true.”

  “We have pictures of them together. But Edie had blonde hair back then,” Padre said. “I have a tail on Edie now. I wouldn’t bet my pension, though, that we would find a blonde wig or two in her room. If she’s as smart as I think she is, she got rid of all the evidence five years ago.”

  “Damn, what a stupid old fool I’ve been.” With a disbelieving shake of his head, Robert said, “That makes no sense. I could provide Rachel with everything. She had no reason to steal anything. And why would they keep it from the family that they knew each other?” His haggard eyes looked to them for answers, they had none.

  After a few moments, Padre turned to Dagger and said, “By the way, I ran those plates through the computer. The pickup was reported stolen two days ago. It’s a lousy way to lose your Mustang.”

  “Mustang, hell. They almost killed Sara.”

  Robert turned an ashen face toward Dagger. “Don’t tell me she was almost killed because of this case.”

  Padre nodded. “Afraid so.”

  Robert’s gaze drifted from Padre’s face down to the open collar of his shirt where portions of a bandage was showing. “I really feel bad that you were almost killed, too, Sergeant.”

  “There’s an upside to it.” Padre grinned, “It means we’re getting close.”

  Robert picked up his coffee cup and retreated to the window. Padre and Dagger exchanged unspoken signals. A lifting of his eyebrows meant Padre had no reason not to believe Robert.

  Dagger asked Robert, “And what about Rachel’s will? Maybe there’s something in it that mentions the kangaroo.”

  Robert shook his head. “We had our wills made up together. There were no surprises. She would have been well taken care of had I died first.” He left his cup on a cart next to the doorway. Shoving his hands in his pockets he slowly paced, shoulders slumped. “You know, gentlemen, I didn’t build a billion dollar business on stupidity. I know Rachel could have had any young man she wanted. I know money is a magnet for beautiful women like Rachel and Edie. I’m not that blind.” He studied the thread-worn carpet as he paced, wondering how many other grieving relatives had walked this same path. The worry lines in his forehead deepened. “I know there were rumors that Rachel and Eric had a quick fling but they both denied it and I believe them.”

  “Did Rachel leave any jewelry to your daughter-in-law?” Padre asked.

  Robert chuckled. For the first time since he had seen Rachel’s body, he actually displayed an emotion other than anguish. “Funny thing was, Rachel didn’t like the real stuff. She insisted on only costume jewelry. She knew too many friends who had their real jewels stolen either from their house or right off their bodies. Check our wedding pictures. Other than pearl earrings, all she’s wearing is a plain gold band and a gold cross necklace her mother gave her.”

  Dagger looked quizzically at Padre and after a few minutes, they wandered down the hall, leaving Robert in the waiting room with his anguish and memories.

  “You get the same impression I did?” Padre asked.

  “Maybe. I’m thinking Rachel may have been completely unaware she was being used to move the jewels from Australia. Who better than a model with suitcases full of costume jewelry? But once she got home and realized what she had, she could have camouflaged the earrings, hid the necklace, maybe threatened to go to the police.”

  They looked back at Robert, one of the richest and most powerful men in the state. He could buy just about anything he wanted and usually did, from his thousand-dollar suits to fancy cars and high-priced resorts. But all that power and all that money didn’t protect him from the one thing everyone experiences eventually, no matter how rich or poor…grief.

  CHAPTER 41

  Dagger was up early the next morning. Whenever he couldn’t sleep, whenever his head throbbed, whenever the angry side of him wanted to rear its ugly head, he practiced Tai Chi. If he had practiced it daily, the way he was supposed to, he wouldn’t be clenching his teeth at night.

  What had happened to Skizzy brought out feelings that had seemed foreign to him. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw a disturbed, phobic man, sinking even lower into his schizophrenia, not that Skizzy ever appeared to be improving.

  Facing the expansive living room windows, Dagger inhaled deeply, inspired by the daybreak peering through the trees. His arms moved slowly up, bringing the good Chi toward him. Exhaling, he slowly moved his arms down, while placing his weight on his heels and pivoting to his left. His movements were deliberate in a practiced rhythm. He wore white drawstring pants and a loose-fitting white shirt. His mode of dress coupled with the bandana around his forehead made him look like a martial arts instructor. Matter of fact, used properly, Tai Chi was an excellent method of self-defense.

  Just as on the other mornings he practiced Tai Chi, he felt eyes on him. Even in the winter when it was so dark at five in the morning that he could barely see one hand in front of the other, he could still feel eyes peering at the back of his head.

  “It’s called Tai Chi,” Dagger said softly, not wanting to break his concentration. From his peripheral vision he saw Sara rise from the top stoop outside her bedroom and descend the stairs. “It’s the ultimate exercise for body, mind and spirit. Reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and is actually a self-defense technique.”

  He broke his pattern briefly and turned to face her. When does she ever sleep? Sometimes he would go to bed before her yet she was up before him. Maybe it was youth that kept her looking rested, vibrant, no matter how little sleep she had. Maybe she napped when he wasn’t home.

  “Come.” He guided her in front of him, both facing the windows. “Dip your knees slightly, like when you sit on the edge of the bar stool.” He placed his hands on top of hers. “Hold your hands apart as if you are holding an imaginary ball. Don’t let the fingertips touch.”

  “
What does this do?”

  “Shhhhh. Don’t talk. Just feel the Chi. Turn slowly from the waist, first to the left.” Their bodies moved in unison. As they turned, their left hands slowly rotated to the top and their right hands to the bottom of the imaginary ball. As they turned back toward the center, their hands moved back to the starting position. “Exhale when we are facing straight ahead.” His voice was soft, soothing. “Slowly inhale again, moving the right hand on top as we turn to the right.”

  They continued the pattern for several minutes. “Do you feel it?” The heat pulsated, radiating between their hands.

  “Yes,” Sara gasped. “How does it do that?”

  “Energy.” As Dagger inhaled he realized he was smelling Sara’s hair, her skin. Not only was their heat between their hands, but they were generating a good deal of it between their bodies. He could hear Simon’s voice in his head, ‘Sooner or later, you be looking at her in a whole different light’.

  Dagger dropped his hands. “You keep practicing. I’m going to go take a shower.”

  “Sweetheart, you aren’t going to believe this.” Sheila’s voice gushed through the speaker phone.

  “WICKED WITCH, AWK.” Einstein recognized Sheila’s voice.

  “What did you do this time?” Dagger closed both doors to the aviary, while Einstein cranked his neck trying to find out where Sheila’s voice was coming from. Dagger checked the clock on the wall. “It’s nine in the morning, Sheila. Usually you aren’t up until the crack of eleven.” He sat down and propped his feet on the desk. He picked up outdated notes and dropped them into a trash can.

  “You’ll be proud of me. I actually checked this out on my own. That ingrate Worm. I’m going to fire his ass.”