Numbers Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 7)

by Cindy Bell

  “That is strange,” Eddy said.

  “I bet I know who is taking it and what happens to it.” Walt rubbed his eyes then looked back at the papers. “I bet Clive Hiller is keeping it. That way he can claim there’s a problem in the software, and that he’s clearly made the payments.”

  “Maybe,” Eddy said. “But that’s a lot of trouble for a wealthy man to go to for a few thousand dollars.”

  Samantha stepped up to them.

  “All right let’s regroup. Here, we have Jimmy.” She raised one finger in the air. “He has the most to gain from Magnus’ death. He will most likely get the CEO position, which he has been after for quite some time.”

  “And here.” Eddy held up a finger. “We have Kent, who claimed he was knocked out, but showed no injuries that would have been caused if he had been knocked out. He also had a problem with Magnus for keeping him on night shift. But as far as we know he wasn’t even at the office at the time of the murder, unless he killed him before or after he went to dinner. Maybe he was caught by Magnus and they got in a fight.”

  “Let’s not forget Madeline.” Jo held up a finger as well. “Never underestimate the power of a woman’s heartbreak. Maybe she was tired of waiting for Magnus to choose her.”

  “But the police believe the attacker was a man,” Walt explained.

  “That’s true.” Jo raised an eyebrow. “Maybe she hired a hitman. She could have been the one that let him into the building.”

  “Interesting.” Samantha nodded.

  “Let’s not forget Clive Hiller. Somehow he’s involved in all of this,” Walt said.

  “I know that you think that Walt, but I don’t necessarily agree with you,” Eddy said.

  “Something is off about the money between these companies. How would Jimmy or Madeline stand to profit from that?” Walt asked.

  “I don’t know. But we need to focus on them and rule them out first,” Eddy said. “I still can’t believe that Hiller’s motive would be a few thousand dollars a month.”

  “All right, I can’t figure out Hiller’s motive, yet. But it’s often about the money. I really believe that we should take a look inside Hiller’s home. Maybe we’ll find something there,” Walt said.

  “No, I have to say no.” Eddy shook his head.

  “What? Why?” Walt stared at him. “What gives you the final say?”

  Eddy narrowed his eyes. “Experience!”

  “Boys, calm down.” Jo lifted her hand to cut the tension between the two of them. “I am the one who gets the final say when it comes to breaking into someone’s home. I don’t think we should break into Hiller’s. At least not yet. Not unless we don’t have any other choice.”

  “Why not?” Walt frowned. “Because it’s my idea?”

  “No, don’t be ridiculous. I just would prefer not to break into Hiller’s house because it is so high risk. He must have very high security and I wouldn’t want to get caught. So, unless you plan on breaking in yourself, I think it’s time that we change the subject.”

  Walt sat back against the chair. He wasn’t happy that no one listened to his idea. But that was how it was from the start of the case. No one wanted to hear what he had to say. They believed that Walt needed to be protected and not openly involved in the investigation. He felt as if he was being treated like a child, when he should have been the one with the most insight into the case. Now that he’d been pushed aside yet again, he was sure that he had to find a way to prove his point. If Jo wouldn’t break into the Hiller residence, then he would just have to find his own way in. As everyone began to leave, Eddy walked over to Walt.

  “You know how much I value honesty, Walt, right?”

  “Yes.” Walt looked down at his hands.

  “So, when I ask you this, I want you to be honest.”

  “Of course, Eddy.” Walt looked up at him.

  “Did you get this information from Madeline?”

  Walt blinked slowly. His chest tightened. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to Eddy. “Yes I did, at least some of it. We had dinner last night.”

  “That shouldn’t have happened.” Eddy grimaced. “Now we can’t trust any of that information.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “So is making goo goo eyes at a possible murder suspect.” Eddy turned and walked away from Walt before he could say anything more colorful. Walt stared after him and bit his own tongue. He wasn’t a fan of losing his temper, but it certainly was boiling.

  ***

  After everyone had left, Walt stared at the paper in front of him. He knew that he was right. He couldn’t wait for Eddy to catch up and agree with him. Maybe he was an intelligent man when it came to detective work, but he didn’t understand numbers the way that Walt did. He decided that he had to take matters into his own hands.

  Although he had studied Jo’s behavior, and her habits, he didn’t think it would be enough to get him in the door. He could only hope that somehow he would get in. He knew he couldn’t wait much longer for more information. He had to do something. He chose the darkest clothes he could find as Jo always wore black. But his were just a dark shade of brown. They would just have to do he decided. He put on his pants, shirt and sweater and his usual polished brown shoes. He tried to steady his breath as he grabbed some gloves from the top drawer and put them into his pocket. He still didn’t know how he was going to get into the house. He had none of Jo’s tools or experience. All he knew was that he had to try.

  On his drive to Clive Hiller’s house he tried to steady his hands. A couple of times he thought about turning the car around and heading back home, but he had to keep going. He knew Clive Hiller was involved but he needed the proof. He parked down a side street close to Hiller’s house. From previous break-ins he knew he shouldn’t park too close to the house, but he needed to be close enough so he could run to the car if he needed a quick getaway. As he put the car in park Walt took some deep breaths. When he finally had the courage he walked down the street and up the driveway to Hiller’s house. There was no car parked in the driveway, but Walt noticed a garage to his left.

  Walt didn’t know what to do next so he decided to knock. If Hiller was home then he could talk to him and have a look around. He wasn’t sure what he would say. Maybe he would pretend he was lost. Would Hiller know who Walt was and hurt him? Before he could think about it further he raised his hand to knock on the door. As his hand struck the door the door swung open. Walt waited for an alarm to sound. When it didn’t he walked inside. Was Hiller home? Had Hiller left in a rush?

  Walt slowly walked down the corridor expecting someone to jump out at him at any second. The first room he came across was Hiller’s study. He slowly peered around the corner. He decided to go inside. Maybe he could find some documentation to prove that Hiller had wiped out his debt to Magnus’ company and kept the money himself.

  The moment Walt stepped in the room he heard someone approaching. He looked around for a place to hide. The only available space was a small closet with a slatted door. He ducked inside and pulled the door closed just before someone stepped inside the study. Walt held his breath. It was very difficult for him to do. The in and out pattern of breathing was a subtle routine that he counted on every second of every day. Now he held his breath in an attempt to keep his hiding place a secret.

  Through the crack in the door Walt watched the man walk over to a bottle of gin and pour some into a small glass. He couldn’t see his face properly, but he saw him swirl the liquid then sniff it. Walt had to breathe. He eased a breath past his lips as they trembled. No one knew he was there. No one would know if he disappeared.

  Walt tightened his hands into fists at his sides. More than anything he wanted to burst out of the closet and attack the man. But he wasn’t strong enough for that. He’d never been one for violence. The man turned, with the glass in his hand. To Walt’s surprise he recognized him right away. It wasn’t Hiller, as he had expected. It was Chad Hillwick. He lifted the glass to his lips and sw
allowed down every drop of the liquid. When Walt heard the clink of the glass being set back down on the silver tray his heart pounded so loud that he was sure that Chad heard it.

  Chad walked towards the closet, his gaze focused on the slats. Walt tried to convince himself that Chad couldn’t see him. He willed himself not to make the slightest sound. However, his throat began to tickle and he sensed a cough brewing. Just when he was sure he would burst out into a loud coughing fit, Chad turned and walked past the closet without even peeking into it. Walt exhaled and the cough began to bubble again. The closet door flew open and Walt dissolved into something between a scream and a coughing fit. Chad glared at him.

  “I thought I heard a rat. I guess I was right.” He grabbed Walt hard by the collar of his shirt and yanked him out of the closet. Walt lost his balance and crashed to his knees. As his hands met the carpet his mind raced with the amount of germs that he touched. But Chad demanded his attention with a swift kick to his ribs.

  “What are you doing here, Walter Right? You should be in jail right now. At least there you would be safe.”

  Walt struggled to breathe over the sharp pain that carried through his side. “I don’t know anything, Chad.”

  “Don’t lie, Walt. You know my name.” He rocked back on his heels as he looked down at Walt. “That’s enough reason.”

  “You have one death on your hands, Chad, you don’t need to do this.”

  “Actually, you’re wrong. Magnus’ death is not on my hands at all. It’s on Jimmy’s hands, or your hands, or even Madeline’s hands, but not on mine, Walt. So, really I have no choice but to handle this situation, or it will be on my hands.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You should know that I had no intention of harming you. Well, other than sending you to prison for the rest of your life if that meant I wouldn’t be a suspect. Really, how long do you have left anyway?” He chuckled. “I guess Madeline will have to take the fall for Magnus’ death and yours. You know what they’ll call her in prison?” He leaned down some and tried to meet Walt’s eyes. Every time Walt tried to get up he grimaced in pain. “A black widow. Every man she ever loved, ends up dead.” He laughed. “Or maybe not. It’s not like you two ever had the chance, did you?”

  Walt stared up at him with disbelief. He tried to move his feet beneath him to get up, but Chad pulled back his foot and threatened to kick him again.

  “How did you know about us?”

  “She told me.” Chad smirked. “I went to her, concerned about her because of Magnus’ death, and we had a lovely chat. She told me all about your little investigation, and how she was sure that you would figure it out. The strange thing is, she even told me that she felt so lucky to have found you again. Now because of that luck, you’re going to end up dead, she’s going to end up in prison, and I, well, I will still be rich.”

  “I think that you’re missing something very important, Chad. You should hear me out.”

  “I think you’re just trying to delay the inevitable, Walt. You’re going to die. Do you really want to tell me some story before you do?”

  “It’s not a story.” Walt narrowed his eyes. “It’s a warning.”

  Chad crossed his arms and shook his head. “It’s pathetic. You’re just trying to distract me.”

  “What would that do for me? It’s not as if it will save my life.”

  “Hm.” Chad crouched down some. “What is it, old man?”

  “I have friends.” Walt smiled and looked into Chad’s eyes. “And even when I’m dead, they will fight to find out the truth about what happened to me. They will seek justice.”

  “Oh please.” Chad chuckled. “They know nothing about me. You don’t think I noticed your surprise when you were hiding in that closet? I could see you the whole time. You weren’t expecting me were you?” He shook his head. “Don’t feel bad. That’s the story of my life. Always underestimated. People just don’t realize how smart I am. It’s usually their downfall.”

  “Was it smart to steal from your boss who gave you an amazing opportunity to run your own business?”

  “Oh sure. He threw me his scraps so I could beg at his feet. The moment Hiller Maximum met any trouble, it would have been shut down. Then I would be left with nothing, despite all of the effort that I put into getting that business off the ground.”

  “I guess you sensed your own failure when Magnus refused to work with you. Was that when you started to panic?”

  “I didn’t panic. Magnus wanted me to fail. He had set me up when I worked for him and then he thought I had failed him when I left his company. He wanted to buy Hiller Maximum out from under me and then eventually take over all of Hiller’s companies.”

  “That’s how you thank him for setting you up. By killing him?"

  “Shut your mouth!” He slammed his foot into Walt’s ribs once more. Walt groaned and tried to crawl away from him. Every movement caused pain. It occurred to him that these were the last moments of his life. He wasn’t going to make it out alive. Every chance that he ever passed up for the sake of the safe choice rushed through his mind. Had he ever really lived in his tidy, secluded space? Was there anything that he could have done to alter this final circumstance? Chad grabbed him by the collar again and swept one hand underneath Walt’s shoulder. He hoisted him to his feet as Walt screamed in pain.

  “Quiet I said.” Chad grabbed a towel from the small tray and shoved it in Walt’s mouth. “No last words for you, Walt.” He shoved him towards the hallway that led to the garage. “Can’t have a mess on Hiller’s carpet, now can we?”

  Walt wondered if his threat would come true. Would his friends be able to figure out what happened to him or would Chad end up rich and happy as he had predicted. Perhaps if Walt hadn’t been so stubborn, none of this would have happened. But it was too late to worry about that. The trunk of the car was open. Chad shoved him inside and slammed the lid shut. Walt hoped the journey wouldn’t be long. Dread was an awful feeling.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Eddy frowned as he heard Walt’s voicemail pick up yet again. Maybe the little spat they had earlier had more of an impact on Walt than he had thought. Was he too harsh? Walt had hidden his dinner with Madeline from him. It wasn’t as if Eddy made that up. However, maybe it was wrong of him to question Walt’s decision-making. Eddy cringed. He had a habit of questioning first and thinking it through later. He sighed and dialed Walt’s number one more time. When he got Walt’s voicemail again he gripped his phone so tight that he could have crushed it. He dialed Samantha’s number straight away.

  “Eddy?”

  “Have you spoken to Walt?” Eddy asked.

  “No. Have you spoken to him?”

  “No. So you haven’t heard from him at all?”

  “I’m starting to get a little worried. It’s not like Walt to go so quiet.”

  “Something happened between us. I think maybe I caused this silence,” Eddy said.

  “What happened?”

  “I found out that Walt had a dinner date with Madeline. He didn’t tell any of us about it. I confronted him about it. I was worried that he was being manipulated by this woman.”

  “Oh Eddy, so what if Walt had dinner with her? They’re old friends.”

  “So, maybe she was conning him.”

  “Eddy, I understand why you were suspicious of Madeline, but Walt has never given us a reason to doubt him. When you confronted him, you showed that you didn’t trust him. No wonder he’s not answering the phone.”

  “Now wait a minute, he’s not answering your calls either. I didn’t mention anything about you,” Eddy said.

  “I know he’ll answer for Jo. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll call you back.”

  “All right, I’ll be here.”

  Samantha hung up the phone then dialed Jo’s number. “What’s up, Samantha?”

  “Eddy and I are having a hard time reaching Walt. We thought maybe you could try to call him.”

  “Me? What difference would that make
?”

  “He’ll answer for you.”

  “Samantha, that’s silly. Walt would answer for you or Eddy, too.”

  “No, I don’t think he would. I think he’s annoyed with us. He respects you, Jo, and he worries about you. If you call, I’m sure he will answer.”

  “All right fine I’ll try, but I’m sure it’s all some misunderstanding.”

  “Call me right back and let me know.” A few minutes later her cell phone rang.

  “Just like I told you. I called him and he didn’t answer.”

  “That’s not okay. I know Walt, he never turns his phone off. There’s no reason for him not to answer any of us.”

  “Maybe he’s with Madeline.”

  “No. Something isn’t right,” Samantha said. “Can you come to my villa?”

  “Yes. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  Samantha hung up and dialed Eddy’s number. Before he could even speak she interrupted. “Eddy, get to my villa. We need to figure out where Walt is and fast. Something is wrong.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Once Samantha hung up the phone she sat down at the computer. With a few quick keystrokes she searched for a contact number for Madeline. She quickly dialed the number. Madeline answered after the third ring.

  “This is Madeline.”

  “Madeline, my name is Samantha Smith.”

  “Walt’s friend?”

  “Yes. Have you seen or heard from him?”

  The woman hesitated. Samantha could hear the heavy draw of her breath. She waited for a response.

  “Is he missing?”

  “He’s not answering anyone’s calls, which is very unusual for Walt. Did you speak to him today?”

  “Walt’s a private person,” Madeline said.

  “That may be, but not when it comes to us. I need to know if you hear from him, Madeline. I’m worried that he could be in some kind of trouble.”