by Rose Pressey
“What do you think is going on?”
“That’s something we have to find out.”
When he said we, did he mean me and him, or did he mean the police? The former sounded like a better idea to me.
“You’ll let me know if you find out anything?” he asked.
“How do you know I’m going to pursue this?” I asked.
“I think I’m beginning to know you,” he said in a teasing tone.
“I’ll make sure to let you know.”
When I glanced over, I spotted Oscar staring at me.
“Marc, thanks for answering my questions. I have to go.” I hoped he didn’t think I was rude for cutting the call too short.
Haley had told me about the trust fund. Would that have anything to do with the murder? How could it? It wasn’t like the murderer could get his hands on the money. I was sure the only one who would benefit from Tim’s death would be his wife. I knew she wouldn’t want her husband dead. She looked terrified at the thought that someone was trying to kill her too. And she had hired me to look into this. If she was behind this then why would she hire someone to figure out she had done it?
Too bad I was stuck at the office. I really needed to be out looking for some kind of lead. But by the way Oscar was glaring at me, I figured he was losing interest in me solving the case. I knew his enthusiasm wouldn’t last long. Probably because I hadn’t answered questions about the case on camera yet.
Any investigating I wanted to do involving the case would have to wait for tonight after work. That didn’t mean I couldn’t slip in a few calls here or there while I was at my desk. I glanced in Oscar’s direction again. He looked over and caught me. I looked away quickly.
I decided to give Haley another call. She picked up on the first ring.
“I thought I’d check in and see how you’re doing,” I said.
There was a lot of noise in the background. “I appreciate that you called,” she said. “I’m okay. I was hoping you had good news for me.”
“Well, not yet, but I am working on some new leads,” I said.
It sounded way better than it was, but maybe it would ease her worries.
“There was another question I needed to ask if you have a second,” I said.
“Yes, yes, of course, what is it?” she asked.
“I wondered if I could have information about the trust find, possibly a lawyer, if there was one helping with the trust?”
Haley paused. “Sure. His name is Herb Travis.”
“Great. Do you have his number?” I asked.
“Sure. Let me look it up.”
After she gave me his number, I said, “I’ll call you with any updates.”
“That would be great,” she said.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.
She seemed even more anxious than when she’d first picked up my call. “No, everything is fine. I’ll talk with you soon.” And with that she hung up.
Something seemed off about her voice, but there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. I dialed the number she’d given me for the lawyer and waited for someone to pick up.
“Travis, Von Braun, and Lawrence,” a woman said when she answered.
“May I speak with Mr. Travis?” I asked.
Ruth cut a glance at me. I turned my head so that she wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop.
“Who’s calling?” the woman asked.
“My name is Chase Charley with WDSO-TV,” I said.
“Oh, hold, please,” she said.
After a couple seconds, Mr. Travis picked up. Being the media usually got me through a lot faster.
“How may I help you?” he asked.
“I’m working on the Tim Swanson case.”
“I thought you said you were with the TV station.”
“Yes, I am. I’m an investigative reporter,” I said.
“Oh, okay. What is your question then?”
“Mrs. Swanson hired me to work on the case. I just have a few questions about the trust.”
“I guess I can try to answer a few questions.”
“I know Tim and his sister have a trust fund. You probably can’t share much with me, but anything you can do would help a lot.”
“I’ll try my best,” he said.
“Who does the trust money go to now? After Tim’s death, I assume the money would go to his wife. Is that correct?” I asked.
“Yes, that is correct,” he said.
Just as I’d thought, it wouldn’t benefit anyone else. That put me right back where I had started. It all seemed straightforward. The things that involved Tim’s death and money were that Jeff and Anthony had wanted to borrow from him. Plus, Dangerfield and I had discovered the ledger. Apparently, that was only a few thousand dollars though. Now that I had Herb Travis on the phone, I wondered why I’d even thought to call in the first place.
“So there is no one else who would get the trust?” I asked again because I didn’t know what else to say.
“That’s right. Tim and Haley had no children.”
“What if something happens to Haley?” I asked.
“Then the money goes to Tim’s sister Kristine Michaels. I believe that was the way he had it set up in his will.”
Hmm. “Okay.”
“Is there anything else?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think so. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me,” I said.
“You’re welcome. Please let me know if I can help any other way,” he said.
“There was just one other thing,” I said.
“Yes,” he said.
“You mentioned the sister would get the money. Does she have the same share of the trust as her brother?”
“Yes, it’s the same. Though she has asked for more recently. It’s just not set up that way though.”
The words caught in my throat for a moment. His sister had asked for more money and then Tim had been murdered. That would explain why someone might be trying to kill Haley too, so Tim’s sister would inherit. But surely, Tim’s sister wouldn’t try to kill him. Though I supposed things like that happened all the time.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” His voice snapped me back to attention.
“Um, no, thank you for the help,” I said and then hung up.
So the call wasn’t completely useless after all. Now I needed to know what to do with this information. I should call Haley and ask her what she thought about it. Had she suspected Tim’s sister? I wondered if Haley knew that his sister had been asking for money. That was definitely a motive for murder. I wondered if the police had discovered this info yet. If they had, Marc hadn’t mentioned it to me. But I didn’t expect that he would share that kind of tip.
Haley had said that Tim’s sister was in Gulf Shores. It looked as if it was time for me to take a trip. I would have to call Courtney. We could go after work. Although that would be a little late to take the trip. I wondered if Oscar would let me go early—I could tell him I had an important meeting. If he was still interested in me solving the case, then I could get away. If he was already over it, then I would be out of luck.
I straightened up my desk and made my way over to Oscar’s office. I never liked going in there, especially when I had started the meeting. I knocked on the door, and he looked up. He frowned and motioned for me to enter. I left the door open in case I needed to make a quick getaway.
“What is it, Charley?” he asked with a frown.
“I need to take off early. It’s for the Tim Swanson case.” I looked over my shoulder.
He released a deep breath. “Just don’t get in any trouble.”
I smiled. “I promise I won’t.”
“Yeah, right,” he said as he waved me out of his office.
As I stepped out of Oscar’s office, Ruth was standing by the door. She glared at me. “Why do you get to leave? You have a segment to get ready for.” She placed her hands on her hips.
“That’s not until Monday. I�
�ve already recorded everything I need.”
Why did I have to answer to her anyway? It was none of her business.
“Don’t you have a segment to tape?” I asked.
She stared for a moment and then stomped away. Like I said, I would never make her happy.
I draped my purse over my shoulder and headed out the door before Oscar changed his mind. As soon as I got out of the building though, the feeling came back. I knew that the creepy guy could be lurking around the corner. I needed to get home as soon as possible.
But instead of heading home, I decided to visit Courtney. Lucky for me, it wasn’t dark yet. At least I would see if this guy was following me. I rushed my steps and headed toward her shop.
Chapter 20
As I stood at the counter of Courtney’s shop, I watched her sort through invoices. Not exactly an exciting event, but I was trying to decide what to do next. I peered around the store at her inventory. I had no idea what any of it was for even though she’d told me in the past. I spotted a few voodoo dolls. I knew what those were for. I picked up a necklace from the display at the register. After studying the gemstones, I placed it back.
“You’re not going to start asking what everything is for again, are you?” Courtney asked.
“Of course not,” I said.
I had thought about it, but since she asked, I would bite my tongue.
Courtney’s gaze was focused on me as she sorted through invoices. “Tell me what’s going on between you, Dangerfield, and Marc.”
I stared at my pink fingernails. “What do you mean? Both men are hot, okay? I can’t decide, so I think I shouldn’t date either one. I’ll just be alone.”
She scoffed. “Don’t make me set up online dating for you.”
I glared at her. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, wouldn’t I? Try me. Why don’t you make a pros and cons list for them?”
“Actually that might not be a bad idea… Marc said he likes eighties movies.”
Courtney quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. “Did he say he likes chick flicks? If yes, don’t fall for it. It’s a trap. Once you get serious he’ll be on the sofa drinking beer and watching prison movies or ten hours of football.”
“Won’t he still watch prison movies and football if he says he doesn’t like chick flicks?”
“Well yeah, but at least he’s honest.”
“Touché.”
The door opened and we both looked up. My stomach flipped when I saw who had entered. It was Anthony Knight. I hadn’t expected to see him.
I whispered, “Find out what he wants.”
I ran to the back room so that he wouldn’t see me. Maybe he’d already seen me. Now I worried about leaving Courtney alone with him. He may answer her questions if he didn’t see me there. Would he recognize her from the other night at Harbor Market? I’d watch her from the back room. One wrong move, and I’d let him have it. I rushed behind the curtain leading to the back room and peeked out.
I studied Anthony as he looked around her shop. It was him all right. Was he looking for me? Maybe he’d watched me come in. Courtney looked at me and shrugged. She didn’t know why he was there either.
Now that his back was facing us, she motioned that she was going to walk over to him. I nodded and waited for her to approach. I pulled the curtain closed a little more, hoping that he wouldn’t notice me watching him. He would probably feel my stare though. I knew that if I could see him then he could see me.
Courtney walked over to Anthony. “May I help you?”
He glanced over at her. “I guess I’m looking.”
So far he didn’t act as if he recognized her.
“Let me know if I can help with anything.” She glanced at me.
I motioned for her to ask more. She shrugged.
When he caught her still watching him, he said, “Do you have any other voodoo dolls?”
She pointed at the other side of the room. “I do have some over there.”
He followed her pointing finger and I ducked behind the curtain.
“Do you like to use the voodoo dolls or are they for looks only?” she asked.
He watched her for a moment and then said, “I use them.”
Who was he using them on?
He picked up a couple of dolls. “These are nice.”
“Have you been practicing long?” Courtney asked.
I had to hand it to her, she was being calm and trying to ask questions, even though she knew this guy could potentially be a killer. I waited with bated breath for his answer.
He placed a few of the dolls on the counter. “I guess for a couple years. I used to work at a voodoo tour,” he said.
Courtney stepped behind the counter. She didn’t look in my direction this time because he probably would have noticed. She was really good at this.
“Which tour?” she asked.
“The one on Bourbon Street. The owner was recently killed,” Anthony said.
Her eyes widened as if this was news. “Really? What happened to him?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I guess it was murder.” He sounded nonchalant.
“Do they know who did it?” Courtney asked.
Now I really was listening. He shrugged and took the bag she had just handed him.
“I don’t know. The guy had a lot of enemies, I guess. I didn’t keep up.” Anthony laughed. “I made a doll of him.”
“Wow, I guess he was a bad boss.” Courtney remained calm, but I knew she was freaking out inside. Rightly so because I was too.
“I didn’t like him,” Anthony said.
That was kind of obvious. Now I just needed to know why.
“Why didn’t you like him?” she asked.
I hoped he didn’t think she was asking too many questions.
“He made me mad. He wouldn’t give me a promotion. I guess he got what was coming to him, didn’t he?” Anthony flashed an evil grin that sent a chill down my spine.
Anthony walked toward the door. With his hand on the knob, he turned and a slow forced smile spread across his face.
“Thanks for shopping,” Courtney said.
I knew she was at a loss for words. The guy turned and walked out the door.
I was glad that he was gone because he gave me the creeps. As soon as I thought for sure he wasn’t coming back in, I would come out.
After a few more seconds, I stepped out from behind the curtain.
Courtney looked at me. “Well, that was weird.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I said.
“What do you think of him?” she asked.
I reached the counter and moved on to the front window. I wanted to make sure that Anthony was really gone. “I don’t know,” I said.
“Do you think he had something to do with the murder?” she asked.
I looked down the street both ways, but didn’t see him. Then I turned to face Courtney again. I didn’t want him to see me in case he came back in.
“I wish I knew what he meant, but I may never know. I should ask Haley more about Anthony’s relationship with Tim. Anthony acted as if he really hated him.”
“That would be enough for suspicion of murder,” Courtney said.
“Yes, it would. I wonder what he’s doing with those other dolls.”
Courtney’s expression darkened. “I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that.”
Of course I didn’t believe in voodoo stuff, but that had nothing to do with the fact that he could possibly kill someone. A voodoo doll could be his way of keeping track of his victims.
The door opened and I jumped. When I spun around, I was expecting to see Anthony again. To my surprise, Dangerfield stood in front of me.
“Did I scare you?” He smiled. Dangerfield waved at Courtney.
“Kind of,” I said, trying to calm myself again.
“What’s going on? Why am I scary?” he asked as he moved further into the shop.
“It isn’t you,” I said. “It was that guy
Anthony. He was just in here.”
“What happened?” Dangerfield asked.
“He didn’t like Tim,” I said.
“So that’s reason enough to be suspicious?”
My eyes widened. “Don’t you think so?”
Dangerfield picked up a voodoo doll. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
When he flashed his smile at me, I realized having Dangerfield here wasn’t a normal occurrence. In fact, as far as I knew it was the first time he’d ever been here. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
He placed the doll back on the shelf. “Glad you asked. I have news.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “What kind of news?”
“I was able to speak with a former friend of Haley and Tim’s.”
I motioned for him to hurry. “And what did you find out?”
“I found out that Tim had a fight with Haley right before he was murdered,” he said.
I stared at him. “A lot of couples fight.”
“But the fact that they fought right before he was murdered might mean something,” Courtney said.
Dangerfield smiled at her.
“How soon before he was murdered?” I asked.
“The day before.”
“Do you know what they were fighting over?”
“I heard it was money,” he said.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Any more specifics?”
“Haley could have discovered his other account. Maybe he moved the money from one bank account to another because of their money problems. Possibly it had to do with her spending habits.”
“As in she was spending more than they had?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Something like that, I guess.”
“This could just be hearsay,” I said.
“Yes, it could,” he said. “But the source seemed reliable.”
“If it is an ex-friend then how can we be sure? This person could say anything if they are mad at one of them,” I said.
Dangerfield leaned against the counter. “I’m just telling you what I heard. It’s something to go on.”
I nodded. “You’re right. Good job, Dangerfield.”
When I glanced at Courtney, she had that look on her face. I knew what she was thinking. She thought I was being nice to Dangerfield because I liked him. That was neither here nor there at the moment.