by Mike Faricy
“You strike me as the kind of guy who hasn’t spoken the truth in years.”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Dev. And no one has to know, it’s all yours. No taxes. Could buy a lot of women, one hell of a fun time.”
I sat up on the couch and stared at him in the dark. All I could really see was just his silhouette illuminated by the dying coals. He sensed my movement, then sort of shuffled his chair around as best he could and halfway faced me. The clock suddenly chimed, echoing two through the room.
“There, now I’ve got your attention. Yeah, all that money, and it’s in cash, just waiting. All you have to do is unhook these cuffs and let me walk out that door. Won’t take but a second or two. Key is right up there on the mantel, next to that clock.”
“About the only thing I’m going to do is gag you if you don’t shut the hell up.”
“Okay, I get it. Not a problem. It’s your decision after all. Thing is, what I’ve learned about Heidi, money is her aphrodisiac. Yeah. You mention money to her and she’s down on her knees ready…”
I flew off the couch and gave Hackett a solid uppercut to the tip of his chin, just as hard as I could. His lower jaw snapped audibly against his upper teeth, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he toppled over backwards in the chair. His head thumped loudly off the solid oak floor sounding like someone had just dropped a brick, and then he laid there, very still.
“I hope you didn’t kill him, it would ruin all the fun,” a voice said from the shadows.
I turned and watched a small woman emerge from the darkness. Her short hair appeared to be grey and seemed to stick out in all directions. Even in the dark, she appeared pale, thin, and frail looking. She wore loose fitting jeans and a nondescript blouse with what looked like a hand-knit sweater over the blouse. She kept her hands in the sweater pockets, sort of wrapping it tighter around her although it wasn’t the least bit cold.
“I’m Constance, but please, my friends call me Connie. I was married to that bastard once,” she said, sounding almost like she was in some other place. She glanced down at Hackett lying on the floor and her voice suddenly grew flat and listless. “Hard to believe now, but I actually loved that awful man. Believe me, I’ve paid for that mistake ever since.”
Chapter Fifty
“You’re Connie Adams, his first wife.”
“Yes, the infamous first wife,” she said, and smiled a smile meant to be anything but charming. “First in an ever growing line of unhappy wives. You’re Dev Haskell, the man who’s gone to all this trouble. The man who finally decided to do something about this abomination.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Heidi mentioned you had been here, but with all the excitement and activity, I didn’t think to ask much more.”
“I was really torn when I got the message from Nancy. On the one hand, I wanted to step in and stop him from destroying yet another woman’s life. And on the other hand, I was frightened to death at the mere thought of seeing him again.”
“Where did you go?”
“Oh, you mean when you arrived? Actually, the doorbell, well, and all of you on the porch frightened me. I wasn’t sure what to do, didn’t know if it was the police, or whatever, so I just ran. Still a bit on the crazy side, I guess,” she said, then smiled. Her thin lips seemed to almost disappear as she did so. “Not sure about you, but I could use a glass of wine right about now.”
“I’m not exactly sure where he keeps it, but if you know where we could find some, I’ll join you.”
“What do you say to setting him upright first, then I’ll show you?” she said.
“I suppose, just to get him off the floor.”
“I’m jealous you got to hit him that hard.” Then she took up a position on the far side of the chair and together we raised Hackett back into an upright position. He was beginning to regain consciousness and sort of sputtered and coughed. “What a pity, he still appears to be alive. Well, at least he’s not going anywhere. What are your plans? Take him back tomorrow and turn him over to the police?”
“Yeah, I’ll turn him over to the police along with the stolen jewelry. They’ll hold him, well unless he can make bail. But it sounds like he’s in a bit of financial trouble so he just might be locked up until his trial.”
“But you don’t know for sure if that will happen, do you?”
“With the court system, you can never be sure.”
She seemed to ponder that for a moment, then said, “Let me show you the wine. One thing about Austin, he knows his wine and he put in an excellent cellar in the basement. I’ll bring you down there, but then I’m going to trust you to choose. Fair enough?”
“More than fair.”
She led me out through the dining area, through the swinging door and into the kitchen. The plates from our pizza dinner were still scattered across the kitchen table along with a couple of empty beer bottles. She stepped around a corner, then opened a door and flicked on a light switch. “The cellar is down here. He was all about keeping things at a constant temperature and storing the bottles on unfinished wood racks. I tell you, it was enough to make you crazy,” she said as she headed down the steps.
The stairs leading down to the basement were some sort of industrial steel, painted grey with a raised surface on all the treads. The walls were poured concrete and the temperature clearly dropped a few degrees as we stepped off the stairs. “That’s the wine cellar back there, that black door.”
“You’re kidding; it looks like a bank vault.”
She half laughed, “That’s because it was a bank vault, at least the door was. Some old bank building they made into a hotel or shops or something. They were going to sell the door for scrap, Austin being Austin talked them into selling the door to him, then never bothered to pay the contractor for it. I can still hear the dunning calls asking for payment. Not that Austin ever took a call, or ever intended to pay for that matter.”
The door was a good seven feet high, painted black with gold embossing around the doorframe and the name “Archer Security” painted in an arc across the top of the door in gold letters. Just below that was a landscape scene, a valley with lots of trees and a river running through it. A bald eagle was in the middle of the blue sky, holding a banner in its beak with some motto in Latin.
“A little over the top,” I said.
“That’s Austin. The Latin probably says something like, “What’s yours is mine.” She took a key hanging from a hook and unlocked the door. The steel door looked about four inches thick and squeaked as she pulled it open. “Wait until you see this,” she said, then flicked on the light switch. The floor and ceiling were brick. The rounded ceiling was separated into four distinct bays, all coming together in the center where a star was carved out of stone. Hundreds, or more accurately, thousands of wine bottles lay on their sides in row after row of wooden racks.
“Oh God, it’s always the same. I never know what to pick. Why don’t you choose? Something perfect for almost three in the morning after an incredibly crazy day.”
I stepped into the wine cellar, not knowing where to begin. “I have absolutely no idea. I’m tempted to just look for the most expensive one and…”
The door suddenly slammed closed behind me and then the lock clicked.
“Connie, Connie? What are you doing?”
“There should be a cork screw and some glasses in there somewhere, at least there used to be.” Her voice was muffled coming through the walls and the heavy steel door. “I’ll leave them a note upstairs. Oh, and it was very nice to meet you.”
“Connie, Connie, wait a minute…”
Chapter Fifty-One
“Dev, Dev? Are you in there?” It was Heidi’s muffled voice, I think. It was hard to tell between the heavy steel door and the two bottles of wine I’d consumed. They had both been reds, in old bottles,1985 was the date on the label and I could only hope they were expensive. “Oh, my God, are you okay?” Heidi asked as she opened the door and saw me lying on the floor. She r
an over to my side, knelt down next to me, and cradled my head in her lap. Nancy and Marcia were right behind her.
I remained on the brick floor, slowly moving my head back and forth trying to get my brain working and wake up.
“God, what did he do to you? Oh no, is that blood on your shirt, sweetheart?”
“I think it’s just some wine I spilled.”
Heidi drew back, let my head bounce off the brick floor and changed her tone. “Wine! God, Dev, with all we’ve got going on, and you decide to end up in here.”
“It’s not what it seems, I…”
“And you could do with some tooth paste as well as a shower. What in the hell were you thinking of, anyway?”
“I got locked in, Connie was showing me…”
“Connie?” all three women said together.
“Yeah, did you see her, she…”
“Where’s Austin?” Heidi said.
“Last time I saw him he was still handcuffed to that chair in front of the fireplace. Then Connie sort of came out of nowhere, took me down here and locked me in.”
“Did she point that gun at you?”
“Gun?”
“Oh, you, God I should have known,” Heidi groaned.
“What? You mean she’s gone?”
“Apparently, and so is Austin.”
“Did you search the house?”
“Actually no, we just read the note taped to the kitchen door saying you were down here. Think they’re in one of the bed rooms?”
“I doubt it, but we better check,” I said then slowly sat up and groaned.
“Maybe find a tooth brush, while you’re at it. I mean your teeth are purple.”
Tom and Richie were in separate rooms up on the third floor. Tom wasn’t about to unlock his door until he knew for sure who was and wasn’t out in the hall. Woofy was asleep on a massage table in the workout room and Swindle was gagged and tied to the bench meant for sit ups. Everyone appeared to be okay, but there was no sign of Connie, or for that matter Austin Hackett, although the Jaguar was still parked out in front of the cabin.
Heidi called me into her room while everyone else gathered down in the kitchen. “Here, I found these in Austin’s suitcase this morning,” she said, then handed me a little blue box with a white ribbon. When I slid the ribbon the words “Tiffany & Co.” appeared across the top of the box. I took the lid off, turned the box upside down and a black box dropped into the palm of my hand. I snapped the lid open and there sat the diamond ring, still looking large enough that you could skate across it. She handed me a black velvet bag. “Here’s the bracelet and I put my necklace in there, too. You’ve still got the earrings, don’t you?”
“Yeah, right here,” I said indicating my front pocket.
“As long as you didn’t lose them.”
“Heidi, I’m sorry things worked out this way. All I wanted to do was make sure you were okay and the more I learned, the more it seemed you were really headed for trouble. I just wanted you to be safe.”
“I’ll see you downstairs in a bit,” she said.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Tom wore a long white apron over his shirt and trousers and was busily flipping a dozen pancakes on a large electric griddle. “I’d say all in all, despite Hackett getting away, it was a successful evening. We saved your sanity,” he turned round and nodded at Heidi.
“And we recovered that jewelry,” Nancy said.
“And hopefully put the fear of God in Austin, if he’s got any sense, and that’s an awfully big if, he’s in the process of fleeing the country right now,” Marcia said.
Swindle swirled her finger in a pool of maple syrup then licked it suggestively as she looked at everyone seated around the table.
“You’re sitting in the front seat on the way home,” Nancy said.
“Or the trunk,” Tom said setting a fresh stack of pancakes on the table. “Do you think we should call the cops?”
“And tell them what?” I said. “That we broke into Austin’s cabin? Kept him handcuffed to a chair and in the morning he had the bad manners to escape from us?”
“Yeah, I guess I maybe see your point.”
“I think we should all probably just head back home,” Richie said. “It’s gonna take a good three hours with the rush hour traffic we’ll hit once we get closer to the twin cities.”
* * *
Richie dropped Heidi off first. Her car was still parked in Hackett’s driveway up next to the front door.
“Are you gonna be able get in there?” I asked, the wrought-iron gates were still closed.
“I know the code. Maybe just give me a second, make sure he hasn’t already changed it. I don’t know what else to say other than thank you all for caring enough to save me from, well from just a very bad situation of my own doing.” Heidi started to tear up, but still managed to look everyone in the eye…except for me.
Everyone said thanks, and wished her well. Nancy and Marcia gave her a hug and told her they’d be in touch. Swindle grabbed her and gave her a long kiss on the lips then said, “Want me to come with?”
“No, no, that’s really sweet, but I think I just need some alone time,” Heidi said, then quickly closed the door and hurried over to the gate. She punched in a code on the keypad mounted on the stone pillar, then turned and gave a thumbs up as the gates began to swing open.
“I think we’ll maybe just wait and make sure she gets in that car and drives back out,” Richie said as we watched her hurry to her car. The taillights on the BMW flashed a moment later. She pulled the trunk open, set her suitcase in then turned to give us a final wave. She slid behind the wheel, then flashed her headlights once she made the loop in the circular drive, and headed out through the gates.
“Okay, next stop Il Corvo,” Richie said. With the construction on the interstate it took the better part of a half-hour to get there. Once we arrived, Tom Connelly said thanks and it would be just fine if we didn’t call him next time. Then he hurried out of the limo. Marcia and Nancy each gave me a kiss and told me to call if there was anything they could do.
“She’s gonna need some time,” Nancy said.
“A lot of time,” Marcia added.
Woofy and Swindle smiled then hopped out and tried to enter the restaurant, surprised to find the door locked at 10:30 in the morning.
“Dev, before you go, no hard feelings or nothing, but I consider myself paid up in full. We’re even, okay?”
“No, Richie, we’re not even. I owe you big time. You give my best to AJ and tell her I said she’s to be very, very good to you.”
“Oh, she is, man, she is.”
“Thanks, Richie, you’re really a true friend.”
“You ever need a limo driver or a lawyer, once I pass that Minnesota Bar exam, you be sure to call me.”
“It’ll be my pleasure, Richie, take care,” I said and climbed out of the limo.
“Can I give you two a lift somewhere?” I asked.
“Probably back to where you found me,” Woofy said.
“The Yuk Club? Woofy, they were gonna throw you out of there.”
“That was yesterday, besides I’m paid in full. Remember?”
“Sounds perfect,” Swindle said, then wrapped her arm around Woofy’s and ran her tongue along his ear.
Woofy smiled and sort of shrugged at me. I could only hope he knew what he was getting into.
Chapter Fifty-Three
I hurried home from the Yuk Club to Morton, wondering what sort of mess I’d find. I could have taken my time; he was still sound asleep up in my bed. I heard him groan as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. By the time I walked into the bedroom, he was on the floor stretching like he always did when he first woke up.
I took him for a long walk, then hopped in the shower once I filled his food dish. We were in the office before noon. Louie was gone, but he’d left a note taped to my phone.
“Dev, 9:25. Some guy named Detective Randolph called this morning. Everything okay?”<
br />
I phoned Randolph and left a message. He called back no more than ten minutes later.
“Haskell Investigations.”
“Times up, Haskell. What do you got for me?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Not sure? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve got the jewelry. I can get that to you right away. I had Hackett, the guy behind stealing the stuff, but he got away. To be honest, I don’t know where he is.”
“First things first. You said you’ve got the jewelry? All four pieces?”
“Yes.”
“Tell you what, you just bring those down here to us and let me worry about this Hackett character.”
“I can have them to you within the hour.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I thought about phoning Heidi, then almost immediately decided against it. I put Morton in the backseat and headed down to the police station. Randolph was in the lobby about sixty seconds after the desk sergeant announced my presence. He escorted me up to the third floor, then wheeled another desk chair into his purple cubicle so I could sit. His Formica desk was covered with stacks of files. One file was placed in the center of the desk and labeled with a six digit file number along with the name “Prescott” written in black marker.
Randolph sat down in his desk chair and said, “Have a seat.” It was more of a command than an offer and he didn’t bother to look at me as he spoke. He opened the file and seem to read for a moment, although I had the impression he was just making me wait.
“So,” he said spinning round to face me. “The jewelry.”
I’d placed everything in the black velvet bag Heidi had given me and I handed the bag to him.
“Humf, the Prescott’s never mentioned the bag. Let’s see,” he said more to himself than to me. He turned back to his desk and carefully pulled the jewelry out of the bag, one piece at a time, laying each piece next to the file. He stopped for a moment to examine the blue Tiffany ring box, but never opened it before he set it on his desk next to the other three pieces. He flipped a couple of pages in the file then pulled out the four sheets of paper with the jewelry appraisals and the images. “No mention of the velvet bag or the Tiffany box. Your guy must have added that as window dressing. So, exactly how is it you were able to acquire these items?” he asked. He was bent over the necklace at the moment examining it with a jeweler’s glass.