Plymouth Undercover

by Pamela M. Kelley

  “I agree. We’ll cover all the bases,” Mickey said.

  “We have a skip-tracing job too. A tenant over at an apartment complex in Kingston up and left owing three months of rent. They want us to find where he went so they can get their money. He’s been gone for a month and they haven’t been able to track him down.”

  “That shouldn’t be too hard,” Mickey said. “There should be a trail by now online.”

  “Good. I told them we’d try our best.” Cindy also warned the property manager that they couldn’t guarantee they’d find the missing tenant, and they understood as they’d worked with Fred before.

  The front door opened and they all turned in surprise. They weren’t expecting anyone. Especially not a policeman. The officer was about Cindy’s age, with black hair that was graying around his temples and dark brown eyes. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

  He looked around the office and then held out his hand to Cindy.

  “Officer Gregory, Rich Gregory. You must be Cindy, Fred’s ex? I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  Cindy nodded. “Yes, thank you. That’s my daughter, Emma, and our associate investigator, Mickey.”

  The officer smiled and nodded. “I know Mickey. How are you?”

  “I’m good, Rich. How’re things at the department?”

  “Well, that’s why I’m stopping by.” He glanced at Cindy again. “I used to have a decent working relationship of sorts with Fred. He had cases now and then that we were also working on. We never worked together really, but Fred was good about keeping us in the loop and he was pretty effective, I have to admit. I didn’t think that would continue once Fred passed, but I understand that Belinda Russell recently engaged your services?”

  “She did. But that was before they found Nancy. She asked us to put our efforts on hold to see how things went with your investigation first,” Cindy said.

  “Right. So, that’s what I wanted to update you on. Figured I’d stop in and let you know that we have this under control. So, you don’t need to get involved.”

  “Does that mean you found who killed Nancy?” Mickey asked quietly. Cindy had never seen him quite so serious. She hoped that was the case and they could wrap things up quickly for Belinda.

  “Well, not quite yet. But we’re working on it. We have some leads we are chasing. We put a tracer on Nancy’s cell phone and the path it took the day after she disappeared might lead us to her killer.”

  “So, you really have nothing concrete yet though?” Mickey said.

  ‘“I’m sure we will soon. Anyway, just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page here. You all have a good day.” Cindy watched Rich leave, feeling irritated. She didn’t like being told by anyone what to do. And then it hit her where she knew him from. She wondered if Rich lived in the Pinehills too, as she’d once seen him heading out for a round of golf with Lee’s husband and a few others.

  “Well, that was annoying. Who does that guy think he is, warning us off?” Emma said indignantly.

  “He’s usually a good guy. Maybe this being more of a high profile case, he’s just letting us know they are on it and don’t want us getting in the way,” Mickey said as he reached for a second donut.

  “Maybe,” Cindy said. Before he’d gotten so bossy, she’d been noticing how handsome the officer was. He probably had a wife that didn’t work and cooked him dinners every night, though.

  “So, Emma do you want to work with Mickey to track down that tenant?” Cindy asked.

  “We’re on it!” Emma said.

  Later that night, Emma picked up a pizza from Monte Cristo’s on her way home. It was right around the corner on route 3A across from Luke’s Liquors and Manomet Point Road, which led down to Taylor Avenue. She stopped at Luke’s Liquors too and picked up some chardonnay as Tess and her daughter, Hayley, were going to walk over and have dinner on the deck with her.

  Tess had been over once already, the morning after Emma ran in to her at the gym. She’d brought Hayley then too, and they’d had coffee on the beach while Hayley played in the sand. They’d chatted for several hours and it had gone by so fast. They’d had so much to catch up on, and then it was like no time had passed at all. Emma was thrilled that Tess lived so close by.

  She brought the pizza, paper plates and napkins out to the deck and went back in for the wine and glasses, and a root beer for Hayley. She noticed that the bowl of dry cat food she’d left out was almost empty. Her friend, the orange cat, must have been by again. She’d seen him earlier that morning and gave him some food then, too. She’d tested out the name Oscar on him, and he didn’t seem to mind. Or maybe he was just hungry. It seemed to fit him, though. As she finished opening the wine, she saw Hayley and Tess walking up from the beach.

  “Emma, look what I found!” Hayley was all excited as she ran over to Emma and showed her the pretty blue piece of seaglass she’d found on her walk.

  “That’s beautiful, Hayley!”

  It was a gorgeous night, warm with a slight breeze and still light out. They all ate pizza and Emma and Tess sipped their wine as they chatted and watched the waves crash along the shore and people walking by.

  “So, you didn’t learn anything on the temp job? I thought that sounded exciting, going undercover,” Tess said. Emma had told her about the possible case and swore her to secrecy. She trusted Tess, though. She’d always been good at keeping secrets.

  “Not a thing. Except that Justin Powell might have a drinking problem. But that’s just my opinion.”

  Tess laughed. “He’s a huge flirt too, you know. I stop into Sushi Joy sometimes for takeout on the way home from the gym and he’s always there at the bar, every Thursday by four. He’s offered to buy me a drink almost every time, and I always explain that I’m just there getting takeout and have to get home. I felt like asking him where his wife was. You would never know that guy is married.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “Well, it looks like you two are up to no good,” Brady called out as he walked by. “Tess, good to see you.” He looked like he’d just gotten off a plane. He was wearing a shirt and tie and carrying an overnight bag and a suit jacket.

  “Why don’t you come have a drink with us?” Tess called back.

  “I’d love to, believe me. But I just got back in town and I’m running late for dinner with my mom. Have to jump in the shower and then meet her downtown at Cafe Strega.” He looked Emma’s way. “Another time, though. We still need to have that beer and catch up!” He waved goodbye as he stepped inside.

  “You still haven’t really talked to him yet?” Tess said.

  “No, I only ran into him once. We seem to have opposite schedules or maybe he’s been traveling, I’m not sure.”

  “Hmm. Yeah, he does travel a lot,” Tess said. “He comes into the gym when he’s here and he told me what he does but I don’t really remember, some kind of consulting, lots of flying to different towns for the week, home on Friday kind of thing.”

  “Does he have a girlfriend?” Emma asked.

  Tess raised her eyebrows. “Are you interested?”

  “No. Just curious. I knew him years ago, but we lost touch. I always remembered he was a good guy though and fun. We were never single at the same time. So, I doubt we are now, either. Just the way it goes.”

  “Hmm. He hasn’t mentioned anyone in a while. Not that he ever really did, but sometimes I’d see him around town with someone, or working out together in the gym.” She took a sip of wine and looked deep in thought for a moment. “Actually, now that I think of it. The last person I remember seeing him hanging out with at the gym, was Nancy.”

  “That Nancy?” Emma set her wine glass down.

  “Yeah. She was a few years older than him. I just assumed they were friends, workout buddies. They met up almost every week for several months, usually Tuesday or Wednesday mornings, and they came in together and left together. I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

  “That’s int
eresting. Maybe they were just workout buddies. He wasn’t mentioned as one of her exes. We had a few other guys on the list that her best friend Sheila gave us.”

  “Well, a best friend would know, right?” Tess picked up the bottle of wine and added a splash to her glass. She held it over Emma’s and Emma nodded.

  “Yes, I’ll take a bit more wine, thanks.” She took a sip after Tess filled her glass, and they both waved at Brady as he walked out of his cottage toward his car. She watched him drive off and wondered just how well he’d known Nancy.

  Chapter 10

  “Remember, head down and arms straight. One more basket of balls, ladies, and then we’ll call it a day,” Rob said. He was their golf instructor. Rachel had been trying to get them to take golf lessons together for ages. Finally, Lee and Cindy agreed to take a ladies eight-week beginners clinic with her.

  The class took place on Saturday morning and they spent the first day on the driving range, learning how to hit properly. Cindy had always been a little intimidated by golf, even though living in the Pinehills they had access to one of the nicest courses in Plymouth.

  “When we finish the course, we can join the ladies golf league. They play every Tuesday night and have dinner at East Bay after,” Rachel said.

  Cindy and Lee exchanged glances.

  “I think Cindy and I are a long way away from league level,” Lee said.

  “Someone told me they take all levels. Everyone has a handicap based on their skill level, so it doesn’t matter. It’s as much a social thing as anything else,” Rachel said.

  “Why are you so keen on this, Rachel?” Cindy asked and noticed with interest that Rachel’s face flushed.

  “I know why! She thinks it might be a good way to meet men,” Lee said.

  That hadn’t even occurred to Cindy.

  “Really? Is that why, Rachel? You’ve never shown any interest in golf until recently.”

  Rachel sighed. “Okay, that’s true, sort of. But, I do think it might a fun thing for us, too. We’ve lived here for ages and aside from the two of you, I don’t know anyone else in the Pinehills, do you?”

  “Not really,” Cindy admitted.

  “I know a few of Bob’s friends, but other than that, no. I suppose you’re right. It might be good for us. Good exercise too,” Lee agreed.

  And so they’d signed up for the classes. They met at the driving range at nine and finished up a few minutes before noon.

  “Anyone up for lunch at East Bay?” Rachel asked.

  Cindy and Lee quickly agreed, and they made their way over to the restaurant which was located at the golf club, and were seated outside. It was a pretty spot. The food was consistently good. Cindy and Lee ordered the steak tips over Caesar salad, and Rachel ordered a burger.

  They sipped iced tea and caught up on each other’s week while they ate. For dessert they decided to share a slice of cheesecake and linger for a bit over coffee. As they were finishing up, Cindy turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Lee’s husband, Bob, called out hello as he walked by on his way to get a golf cart. He was with three others, and one of them was Rich, the cop that had stopped by the agency.

  “Has Bob known that guy Rich long?” Cindy asked.

  “Rich Gregory?”

  Cindy nodded.

  Lee thought for a moment. “Not too long. I think he moved into the Pinehills maybe six months ago? He plays in the golf league with Bob. Seems like a nice enough guy. Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious. He stopped by the office the other day, introduced himself and basically told us to keep away from his case.”

  “The Nancy case?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes. He said they have a few leads and have it under control. He seemed afraid that we might screw things up.”

  Lee laughed. “He might have a point. No offense meant.”

  Cindy laughed too. “Well, true. But he was a little annoying about it. I mean, Emma and I are new at this, but Mickey’s not.”

  “Yeah, but Mickey’s not exactly a spring chicken. Maybe Rich thinks he is too old to be effective.”

  “Maybe he’s afraid you all might make him look bad?” Rachel offered.

  “That’s sweet of you to say, but I think Lee’s answer is probably closer to the truth. It just irritated me. He warned us off and none of us liked that.”

  “So, what are you going to do?” Lee asked.

  “Nothing, yet. We’re sort of on pause with the case until Belinda gives us the green light. She might never do that, if the police wrap this up soon.”

  “It doesn’t sound like they are close, based on what I’ve been reading. They just keep saying everyone they talk to says Nancy was well-liked. No one can imagine anyone wanting to hurt her. Maybe it was a random killing? That’s a scary thought,” Rachel said.

  “It’s possible, but unlikely,” Cindy said. “I’ve been reading up a lot lately on murder investigations, and random killings are actually very rare. It’s almost always someone known to the victim.”

  “Do you guys have any theories on who it could be?” Lee asked.

  Cindy shook her head. “No. No idea. We’d only just begun to question people when she was found and we put the investigation on hold. Mickey says if we talk to enough people, eventually we’ll find our way to the truth. I like his optimism, but it seems hard to believe. If the police can’t find the person, how likely is it that we will?” Cindy kept going back and forth about that in her mind. She was excited about the possibility that they might solve this case, but it also just seemed unlikely if the police couldn’t find the killer.

  “I think he might be single, you know,” Lee said as she waved to Bob and Rich as they drove by in their golf cart.

  “Really? What do you know about him?” Rachel asked.

  For some reason, Cindy found her interest annoying. “I don’t think he’s your type.”

  “Since when is tall, dark and handsome not my type?” Rachel said with a smile.

  “He’s a cop. Works with Andy.” Rachel had dated the police officer for a few months when she first joined a dating service and he was so controlling that she made Lee and Cindy promise to stop her from dating a cop ever again.

  “Oh, right. I did say that. Never mind then. Maybe you should go for him, Cindy.”

  “Yes, are you interested, Cindy? I could make an introduction happen?” Lee seemed excited by the idea.

  Cindy instantly regretted saying anything. “No, I’m not interested, at all. Even if I was, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to date him of all people. I mean, if we end up getting involved in the investigation.”

  Lee looked amused. “Right, probably not a good idea at all. Still, maybe I will have an appetizer party soon and invite our new neighbor. As a cop, he might be a good friend to have.”

  “Hey, Oscar.” Emma was sitting on her deck, drinking her morning coffee and eating her oatmeal and banana when the orange cat was suddenly there again, rubbing against her leg, and purring. She took her last bite of oatmeal, then scooped the cat into her lap. This was their new routine. He came by every morning and sat for two minutes in Emma’s lap, enjoyed a good scratching behind the ears, and then he was ready for his breakfast.

  Sure enough, after exactly two minutes, he jumped down and padded over to the bowl of dry food that was waiting for him by the front door. There was one of fresh water too. He ate his fill and then plopped down in a sunny spot on the deck and went to sleep. Emma knew he’d snooze for a while, then be on his way. She still wasn’t sure what his situation was, but she was starting to think he was a homeless kitty as he came every morning and ate quite a bit. She’d already had to pick up a second box of food. She only saw him in the morning, though. So, maybe he did have a home, or someone else fed him in the evening. At the moment, sound asleep with the breeze ruffling the fur on his belly, he looked quite content.

  Emma showered and headed off to drive by Owen’s house on her way into the office. They were in their second week now of watching Cl
aire’s deadbeat husband, Owen. Their efforts so far had been disappointing. When they’d gone by every morning so far, there hadn’t been any other cars in the driveway other than Owen’s. But her mother said that Claire called in and gave the update that she overheard Owen on the phone making plans to see his girlfriend, Amber, today and that she’d been out of town at a conference. So, they were hopeful they might actually see something useful soon.

  Emma was the first one into the office and had told Mickey the day before that she was bringing lunch for them. She’d made healthy turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread and had baby carrots to snack on. She and Mickey were developing bad habits between donuts in the morning and potato chips in the afternoon. He agreed that they needed to do better, and they’d quit it on the junk food for a while.

  Her mother and Mickey walked in at the same time.

  “Did you check the email yet, honey?” her mother asked.

  Emma nodded. “I’m looking at it now. We have two more workman’s comp cases coming this week, and there’s a note from Belinda Russell asking you to give her a call. Maybe there’s news on her case?”

  “Maybe. Hopefully. I’ll call her now.” Her mother made herself a quick cup of coffee first, then settled at her desk and called Belinda, but had to leave a voice message.

  “I’ll update you guys when I connect with her. Good luck today.”

  “Thanks, we’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll be out mid-day at the yoga studio, but I’ll be checking messages and will be back later this afternoon.”

  Emma and Mickey headed out and Emma noticed Mickey was carrying a big brown paper bag.

  “What’s that?” she asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

  Mickey finished buckling in and then opened the bag as Emma backed out of the lot. “So, I stopped at Clement’s this morning and I was going to get us a couple of healthy bran muffins. But they were just putting out a fresh batch of apple-filled jelly donuts.”

  “I thought we agreed no more donuts?”