Frozen with fear, I could only watch while the deadly vehicle backed away, then sped off, scattering dust and gravel in its midst.
“Denise? Are you all right?” From below, the staggering bounce of Justin’s flashlight glowed in the darkness.
Breathing heavily, I struggled to my feet and brushed myself off. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was trying to kill me,” I said. I turned to Justin who had just emerged at the top of the hill. My heart pounded with fear. “You didn’t get a look at the license plate, by any chance, did you?”
In the light of the moon, I noticed Justin’s pale face. He shook his head, then softly said, “No, I didn’t get a look at the plates. But I did get a good look at the car.”
My breath caught in my throat. My knees felt like spindles about to collapse from the weight of my body. “Don’t tell me.”
“You guessed it,” Justin said with a nod. “It was a red Toyota. It seems that we’re now being followed.”
Chapter Six
“Really, Uncle Bob, please don’t make a fuss. I won’t be here that long. I have the day off, so I just wanted to spend some time with you.” My pleas went ignored while my uncle continued tidying up the guest room.
Uncle Bob lived only about fifteen miles from my parents in an older neighborhood. Most of the houses in the subdivision were rentals. I always wondered why my uncle didn’t move to a more affluent section of town, but I figured that being a bachelor all his life, he wasn’t much for change. Uncle Bob and my parents rarely saw each other. I assumed it was because their work schedules seemed to conflict most of the time. Being a private investigator, Uncle Bob often worked odd hours.
I sat on the edge of the bed, plugging my laptop into a wall socket, while Uncle Bob tried prying open the air conditioning vent on the floor beneath the window.
“I’m afraid this room has been shut up for some time,” he apologized, smoothing back imaginary hair. “I don’t get visitors. This room is mostly used for storage.”
That much was obvious. The small room was dank and musty. The one twin bed looked out of place among one wall of stacked plastic containers. A portable exercise gym that appeared to have been put to pasture, took up another entire wall. One tall, scratched, upright dresser occupied the remaining wall.
I opened the closet door, and the stale odor of musty clothes filled the room. Holding my breath, I flung the door shut. I spun around and exhaled, just as Uncle Bob opened the vent.
“There,” he said, huffing and puffing. “Get some of that fresh air in here and the place won’t seem so bad.”
Already, I could feel the cool air seeping through the rusted vent. I smiled my appreciation and thanked him for allowing me to stay with him.
“Shoot,” he said. “I’m just glad you’re here. I don’t mind telling you that I was a little worried when I couldn’t reach you the other day. You really need to get that cell phone replaced.”
“I’ll do that this week,” I promised him. I wanted to ask why he didn’t bother to call the house phone, but decided against it. Cell phones were the method of choice for most people these days. Maybe he just assumed I’d have it on me all the time.
“I only wish I didn’t have to go into the office today so we could spend a little time together,” he said. “I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to these days. We haven’t had much time to talk since you’ve been back.” He raised an eyebrow. “Things going okay at the diner?”
That question hit a sour note for me. I bit my tongue to keep from spouting off a nasty retort. It was no secret to my uncle how much I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I still hadn’t forgiven him for not standing up to my parents when they nixed the idea of me working at his office.
But I also couldn’t really blame him. After all, I knew it wasn’t his idea. He’d always been proud of the fact that his only niece wanted to work with him. I couldn’t help but wonder how proud he’d be if he knew about Michael Black and the trouble I was in now. I wanted to confide in him. But I was afraid he’d want to contact the police. And right now, that wasn’t what I wanted to do.
“Maybe you can stop by the office later on, and I’ll take you to lunch,” he suggested. “It will give us a chance to talk.”
“That sounds great,” I told him. I followed him into the living room, where he picked up his briefcase by the front door.
“Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”
He meant it as a joke, but I couldn’t ignore the chill that swept through my body.
I waited on the front step until his Volkswagen exited the driveway, then went back inside. “I thought you’d never leave, Uncle Bob,” I mumbled, as I slumped against the door. Justin was meeting me here later this morning. I knew he was anxious to tell my uncle everything right away, but I wasn’t ready yet. For that reason, I didn’t want the two of them running into each other and taking the chance of Justin letting things slip.
After last night’s near miss, it had been easy for Justin to persuade me to spend time with my uncle. Thankfully, the damage to Justin’s bumper was minimal. We were able to drive home safely without any more incidents. Driving back at night across the rickety bridge didn’t worry me nearly as much as coming across the red Toyota again.
Once we’d arrived at my house, Justin had gone around double-checking the windows and locks. He’d even spent the night on the living room sofa, while I slept safe and snug down the hall in my own bed. I wasn’t sure what he thought he could do if someone did break in. He made it clear that he didn’t like guns, so I kept the loaded weapon by me in my own room. Still, I found his protective nature a bit charming.
This morning, I tossed a few belongings into a small suitcase, phoned Uncle Bob, and told him I’d love to spend some time with him. Naturally, he was pleased.
While waiting for Justin, I booted up my laptop and searched the Internet for information on Michael Black and Angelica Belmont. The search engine provided a lot of possibilities; however, I had to sift through a lot of sites until I found a newspaper article that mentioned Angelica’s death. According to the reporter, the death was still under investigation, although it was now ruled a homicide. The medical examiner had officially ruled the cause of death as cyanide poisoning.
That’s interesting, I thought. At least they now knew they were looking at a murder and not a suicide.
Next I typed in Michael Black’s name. Once again, I stumbled through a list of useless information before I finally hit pay dirt. According to the site, Michael William Black of Clayfield, Missouri, was a well-known businessman with various investments. I wondered how many Michael Blacks there could be in Clayfield. I started to do another search, when I heard Justin’s clunky Malibu pull into the driveway.
Justin stood on the front porch looking handsome in blue jeans and a button-up shirt. His blond hair accentuated the sparkle in his blue eyes. “Is everything okay?” he asked.
I opened the door wider. “So far,” I answered. “Come on in and have a seat. Uncle Bob doesn’t suspect anything yet.”
He shifted an eyebrow. “Well, that’s okay for now,” he said, taking a seat on the sofa. “But don’t forget you need your uncle’s help with this investigation whether you like it or not. Your life might be in danger, Denise. I’m not willing to risk losing you again.”
I sat down next to him. “I’ll tell him,” I promised. “I just want to wait for the right moment.”
His mouth dropped. “Denise, someone tried to kill you last night. Believe me, there is no better time than now.”
“I promise,” I said again with more force. “But he probably doesn’t know much about the murder yet. I don’t think he takes the newspaper, and I didn’t see a computer in here anywhere. Besides, I’m sure he has his own workload to worry about. So maybe I can do some of the preliminary legwork myself. Maybe I can figure out the connection between Angelica Belmont and Michael Black. That way, when I do tell him, I’ll be able to bring him up to speed.”
I straightened up and met his worried gaze. “I could check with some of the neighbors on Benton Street,” I suggested. “I’m sure a few of them would have some useful information about the guy.”
Justin leaned forward and laced his fingers, while he seemed to consider my suggestion. “Okay,” he finally agreed. “That sounds like a good plan. But I should probably be the one to do that.”
I started to protest, but he raised a hand. “It might not be such a good idea for you to be seen over there right now,” he explained, “just in case Michael Black is there. What if he sees you? He’s already tried to kill you once.”
I appreciated his concern, but I had one of my own. “But what if he is there?” I asked. “What if he recognizes your car? Remember, it was your car he hit last night. He must know we’re together.” Another chilling thought suddenly occurred to me. “What if he followed you here?”
He put his hand on mine. “No one followed me,” he assured me. “I was very careful after last night’s mishap. And when I get home, I’ll park my car in the garage so no one will see it. Then I’ll take my parents’ dog for a leisurely stroll along the street. That way, it won’t attract any attention. With any luck, I’ll see some of the neighbors in their yards. I’ll just strike up a friendly conversation and see if I can steer the topic to Michael Black.”
I had to admit it was a pretty good idea. But I hadn’t planned on getting Justin any more involved than he already was. I smiled at him and told him how I felt. “I appreciate the offer, Justin. But this is my problem. You shouldn’t have to insert yourself into a dangerous situation just to help me out. This isn’t a game. Someone has already been killed.”
He stood up and crossed the room, then spun around to face me. His expression softened. Moisture circled his eyes. “Don’t you get it?” he said. “I’d do anything for you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. There is no me without you.”
My own eyes filled with tears. “I love you too,” I said softly.
He knelt down beside me and took my hands in his. “Then let me do what I can,” he said. “I promise I’ll be careful. I’m sure the whole neighborhood is talking about what happened. My own parents were talking about it at dinner the other night.”
That caught my attention. “Did they know him?” I asked.
“Not really,” he said with a shrug. “Nothing more than the casual wave and hello whenever they saw each other.”
I nodded. “That’s the way it is in our neighborhood too. I guess everyone is too busy these days to get to know their neighbors.”
“I guess so,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t mean no one knew him. Maybe I can learn something useful.”
I finally agreed. “Okay,” I said. “That’s a good plan. But please be careful. And while you’re doing that, I’ll go by Uncle Bob’s office. We’re supposed to have lunch together. I’ll just casually bring up the murder and see if he does know anything about it.”
Justin raised his eyebrows and smiled. “I thought he didn’t want you at the office.”
“I’m pretty sure my parents talked him into saying that,” I said with a warm smile. “He’s always wanted us to be partners one day. Besides,” I added, “I won’t be working with him. I’m just meeting him there for lunch.” I tossed him a wink. “And if the subject of Angelica Belmont’s murder comes up during our conversation, well, there’s not much I can do about that, now is there?”
Justin stood up. “Any word on how she died?”
“Cyanide poisoning,” I told him. “I found it while I was searching the Internet this morning just before you got here. At least now the police know it wasn’t an accident.”
I looked up in time to see Justin’s worried expression. I tried to lighten the mood. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and Michael Black will turn himself in to the police, and this whole nightmare will be over.”
Justin took my hands, pulling me to a standing position. “Look, Denise,” he said, with a stern look in his eyes, “Michael Black probably thought he was getting away with murder until you stumbled into the crime scene. Your being there must have sent him into a panic. Maybe we’ll get lucky. Maybe, in his haste to be rid of the body, he left behind at least one important clue. All we’ve got to do is find it.”
I nodded and tried to look as hopeful as he sounded. But I couldn’t help thinking that the only clue he left behind was a witness. And if last night’s incident at the river was any indication, he was obviously trying to remedy that situation as soon as possible.
“Well, I have to work again tomorrow,” I told him. “I’ll check with Heather and see if the wallet is still there. If it is, it might give us some clue about Angelica Belmont. Maybe there’s a picture in it or something else that could connect her to Michael Black.”
Justin smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “I could give you a ride,” he suggested with a gleam in his eye.
“Thanks for the offer, but I drove Mom’s van here this morning. Besides, you have enough to do for now.”
“Okay, I get it,” he said, with a slight pout. “You’re a big girl. You can take care of yourself. But don’t take any unnecessary chances.” He kissed me on the forehead. “In the meantime, I’ll get home and take that annoying little dog for a walk around the neighborhood. I have to admit, he’s such a cute little thing, I just know that anyone who is outside will want to stop me to pet him. With any luck, I’ll be able to steer the conversation to Michael Black.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” I said. “Just be careful.”
“In the meantime, while I’m escorting the dog, you go spend the day with your uncle. Maybe he’ll be able to help. Because, right now, we need all the help we can get.”
Justin pulled me into a tight embrace. This close, in the comfort of his strong, protective arms, I felt safe and sheltered from all the evil of the world. If I tried hard enough, I could almost believe that he could truly protect me. But I knew it wasn’t true. Someone out there was trying to kill me. If I wanted to survive this nightmare, I knew I’d have to rely on my own instincts.
Realizing the irony of my situation, I began to laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” Justin asked. He pushed me away and stared into my eyes.
“It’s just funny how things work out,” I said. “My parents were so worried about me working with Uncle Bob at his agency because of the danger involved. But through no fault of my own, I’m suddenly in danger.”
He put his arm around my shoulder and walked me to the door. “Okay, I get your point. Life is dangerous. We can’t always change that. But, right now, let’s concentrate on removing you from this particular situation. Then we can concentrate on the rest of our lives.” At the door, he turned to me and raised my chin with his finger. “Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“I’m not kidding, Denise,” he stated vehemently. “You can’t do this one alone. I’ll do my part while you see what help your uncle can offer. And please consider telling your uncle everything. Because I promise you that if anything else out of the ordinary happens, I’ll tell him myself.”
“I promise,” I said.
“And call me when you get back if you have a chance. Hopefully, I’ll have some news for us.”
****
The Thomas Detective Agency was located about ten miles from Uncle Bob’s home. Most of the buildings in this section of town had been vacant for years, which was probably the reason Uncle Bob paid such a ridiculously low rent. The owner was glad to finally have a paying tenant to help absorb the cost of upkeep. I had visited the office a few times in the past, but only for brief periods. His office was one of only two buildings that were occupied at the moment. The other building was a tattoo parlor across the street.
I parked behind Uncle Bob’s banged up Volkswagen that had leaked oil onto the severely pot-holed street. Across the street, I noticed two disorderly, stringy-haired teenagers standing outside in front of the tattoo parlor. Their jeans holey
and cigarettes dangling from their mouths, they yelled numerous obscenities at me when I exited my mother’s van. I wrapped my purse over my shoulder, feeling the weight of my gun inside, then locked the van before entering Uncle Bob’s office.
It was just as I remembered it. Only one small sparsely decorated room, with a scratched up, second-hand desk greeted me when I stepped inside. A torn and soiled green sofa beside a water-stained coffee table occupied one wall. One metal filing cabinet claimed another wall. The plaster on the ceiling was cracked and peeling, while the sickening green-painted walls were woefully out of date. The only human touch I noticed was the one potted plant I gave Uncle Bob when he first opened his agency almost five years ago. By the looks of the brittle, drooping leaves, that was also the last time they had tasted water.
Uncle Bob sat alone in the office behind the cluttered desk. When he saw me, he looked up, beaming with something between pride and disappointment. “Hey, you made it!” he said. “I was afraid you might have forgotten how to find the place. It’s been awhile.” He leaned back in the swivel chair and made a wide sweep with his arms. “Same old place,” he acknowledged.
I thought I noticed a trace of sorrow in his voice. Being stuck out here where traffic was almost nonexistent, I wondered how he managed. Surely he must have an established clientele, I thought, or at least a good marketing plan. Otherwise, how would anyone find him in this god-forsaken place?
I made a mental note to check the phone book and the Internet to see if he’d been advertising that way. I certainly hoped he was. From the looks of this place, he’d need all the help he could get.
I reached for a dead leaf from one of the plants and sat in one of the two torn-cushioned chairs in front of his desk. “Is your client already gone?” I asked. I nodded toward the empty couch. “I thought you were meeting someone here this morning?”
Uncle Bob put his hands behind his head. “It’s kind of a slow day,” he said. “The private eye business is just like that. Sometimes you’re hot and sometimes you’re not.” He leaned forward and picked up a file from the desk. “Take this case, for example,” he said, waving the manila folder at me. He got up and walked to the metal file cabinet. “This guy thinks his wife is cheating on him, so he hired me to follow her. Come to find out, she’d been sneaking around taking cooking lessons from some good-looking student chef so she could surprise him. To tell you the truth, it would have been more profitable, and more interesting, if she had been having an affair.”
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