Cracked to Death

by Cheryl Hollon

  Sandra stood. “I know the evidence looks overwhelming, but my gut is telling me that it’s not Amanda.”

  “I’ve arrested and gotten a conviction on less. Virtually anyone can be driven to violence, given enough stress.”

  Glancing back at him as she walked through the door, she said, “I think you’re wrong on this.”

  Detective Parker scooped up his cell phone and made his way to the front of the station. Williams was waiting in one of the distinctive green-and-gold-striped St. Petersburg Police Department patrol cars. Her small form was overwhelmed by the large sedan, but her fierce expression and alert posture demanded that she be treated like a cop.

  He got in the passenger seat and buckled up. “It’s Webb’s Glass Shop. Straight down Central to about Twenty-Third Street, on the right.”

  Williams nodded and a few minutes later pulled into the shop’s parking lot. The shop was locked, and the sign was turned to the CLOSED side. Detective Parker looked at a poster taped to the window, announcing the opening of Webb’s Studio.

  “They must be at the studio. The location is a few blocks down on Twenty-Second Street South. Let’s check there.”

  Minutes later, they pulled into the gravel parking lot and walked into the studio, Williams first.

  “Is Amanda Blake here?” Her voice was loud and authoritative. “We need to speak to Amanda Blake.”

  The reaction was immediate. Jacob, Arthur, and Helen all came out of their work areas.

  Helen challenged them immediately. “Why are you looking for Amanda? She’s not here. She’s the manager over at Webb’s Glass Shop.”

  Officer Williams responded in a calm tone. “We were just there. It’s closed. Do you know where she might be?”

  Jacob stood in the doorway of Savannah’s workshop with Suzy standing beside him. “She’s not here. She might be with her mother at the Abbey. Her mother has been very sick. You should check.” He turned around and closed the door.

  Officer Williams looked over at Detective Parker and raised her eyebrows.

  “Jacob is right. She’s more likely to be there, but let’s call first,” Parker said.

  After getting the news that Mrs. Blake had been sent to the hospital in the middle of the night, Williams drove them back downtown and parked in front of the hospital’s main entrance.

  “Stay here. I’ll bring her down.”

  “But, sir. Won’t you need help? I—”

  “I can manage. She won’t be able to escape this time.”

  Detective Parker asked for Mrs. Blake’s room and soon walked into a flurry of activity surrounding a frail form being reconnected to a breathing mask and tent.

  “Why does she do it?” cried a tearful Amanda. “It’s there to help her.”

  “She doesn’t know,” said a middle-aged physician who was watching the bank of signals on a monitor over the hospital bed. “It startles her when she wakes up, and she thinks her bad breathing is due to the oxygen tent. Not surprising when you combine pneumonia and vascular dementia.”

  The nurse finally finished connecting Mrs. Blake to all her sensor disks, then tidied her bedclothes and adjusted the pillows.

  Mrs. Blake looked up at her and said, “Are you my daughter? My daughter is supposed to be here.”

  “Here I am, Mother.” Amanda stepped close to the bed. “I’m right over here. I’m right here with you.”

  Savannah moved to stand beside Amanda and looked down at the frail creature who was looking calmly at them both through the plastic tent. “She’s better now. See? She’s calm.”

  Amanda turned her head. “But only until the next time she goes to sleep and wakes up in a panic. This is horrible. Thanks for being here with me, but you need to get back to the shop. I’m good to stay here for the duration.”

  “The next few hours will tell us if she will improve or decline,” said the physician. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but it is something you need to know since she has ‘do not resuscitate’ status officially established. If she stops breathing, we’re going to let her go.”

  “Can she recover?” Amanda asked in a tiny voice.

  “Absolutely. If she makes it through the next twenty-four hours, she should return to her usual self.”

  Parker realized that no one had noticed he was in the room. He cleared his throat. “Miss Amanda Blake, I’m here to take you in for questioning about the murder of Martin Lane. Please accompany me down to the station.”

  Amanda and Savannah turned in unison to stand openmouthed before Detective Parker. Savannah recovered first.

  “What are you talking about? This is no time for Amanda to leave this room. Her mother is critically ill. Besides, she didn’t kill Martin.”

  Parker looked at them. With a very quiet voice, he said, “I understand this is terrible timing, but nevertheless, Amanda, you need to come with me for questioning about your relationship with Martin Lane.”

  “But . . . ,” Amanda protested weakly.

  “Please don’t make me summon my officer to take you out of here in handcuffs, Amanda. That isn’t going to help the situation at all.”

  “But, David,” pleaded Savannah. “She’s innocent. You know Amanda. You can’t believe she would kill Martin.”

  Parker shook his head. “This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve arrested someone I considered to be a friend. But the evidence is compelling, and, of course, I won’t be sharing it with you, Savannah. Your consultancy is suspended.”

  “Suspended! I haven’t given you my results.”

  Amanda’s shoulders slumped. “Guys, it’s all right. I am innocent, you know. The quicker we get this straightened out, the quicker I can be back here with Mother.”

  Savannah nodded. “We’ll be looking into the case and doing everything we can to disprove any assertion of your guilt. I promise.”

  Amanda nodded absently. “I would rather have your promise that someone will be here with Mom while she’s still in danger.”

  “I’m not sure we can do both,” Savannah mused.

  Detective Parker stepped closer to Amanda. He took her gently by the elbow. “We have to go now.”

  Amanda looked at Savannah. “Promise me you won’t allow her to be alone. One more panic attack and she won’t recover. Promise.”

  “Okay, I promise that one of us will be with her at all times. Now go. We’ll manage.”

  Amanda walked alongside Detective Parker with her head bowed very low. At the door she turned to give her mother a teary look. “‘Bye, Mom. I’ll be back soon.”

  The room was ominously quiet, the only sound the hum of the oxygen.

  Chapter 29

  Saturday Morning

  Savannah sat in the intensive-care visitor’s chair, staring at her clenched hands. She was reeling from what had happened. Reluctantly, she agreed with Detective Parker’s assessment of the evidence against Amanda. The combination of Martin and Amanda’s lovers’ argument, the bloodstained bottle hidden in her mother’s closet, and Amanda’s lack of an alibi would require serious examination. The fact that she had withheld information and had also evaded a warrant made it a dire situation.

  There must be additional evidence for Parker to take steps to question Amanda downtown. Of course, he had probably searched her home. I wonder what else he has found.

  Mrs. Blake was sleeping peacefully. Her labored breathing had calmed and was less noisy. As soon as they had arrived in the intensive-care ward, Savannah had recognized a high school friend of hers whom she had kept in touch with during her glassblowing scholarship in Seattle. That her friend had turned out to be the head nurse was a distinct advantage. After a conspiratorial chat, they had agreed that Savannah would be known as Amanda’s long-lost cousin and would be permitted access to the room at any time. There were certainly benefits to returning home, where everyone knew you.

  Sitting here is not going to get Amanda cleared. I know I promised to take care of Mrs. Blake, but I can’t do it at the expense of Amanda’s life.r />
  Reviewing her options, she considered having Jacob or Edward come to Mrs. Blake’s bedside, but she didn’t think it would be an effective use of their time, either. Now that Amanda had been taken in for questioning, they had to work together quickly to find out what Martin had discovered when he found those bottles and to figure out who would kill him for that knowledge. It was the only way to stop Parker from arresting Amanda. Martin’s death had to be connected to the bottles.

  Rachel and Faith had told Savannah to call them once Amanda got arrested, but she needed their help now in a different way. The twins would be perfect as Mrs. Blake’s advocates in the hospital. They were energetic, socially engaging, and willing to take on new adventures. Another advantage was that since there were two of them, they could take turns sitting with Mrs. Blake if one or the other needed a break.

  Savannah immediately phoned them, and as expected, they were more than willing to help and promised to come right away to relieve Savannah. And sure enough, within fifteen minutes, the twins were sitting comfortably in two visitor’s chairs. On the walk to the hospital parking garage, Savannah phoned Edward and Jacob to arrange for them to meet her at the studio to formulate a plan for clearing Amanda.

  * * *

  As soon as everyone had assembled in the conference room, Savannah spoke. “We have to clear Amanda, but since Detective Parker is busy with her, we are severely limited. How can we work around it?”

  Jacob and Suzy were in their usual places at the end of the table. “Does she have a lawyer? They have to be given any evidence.”

  “You’ve been learning from your mother. Simply brilliant.” She looked at Edward. “I don’t think she has enough money for a lawyer. I may have to help.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t got my head around the basics of your legal system. It’s so different from the British, I find it impossible to follow.”

  “My mother can find out who her lawyer is,” said Jacob. “She’s a judge, you know.”

  Savannah smiled. “Points for Jacob again. Could you ask her for us? She knows Amanda.”

  “Would I have to call her?” Jacob’s voice rose an octave. “I’m not good on the phone.”

  “You have a cell phone, right?”

  Jacob nodded and pulled it out of the back pocket of his jeans. “Mother insists that I keep it fully charged and with me at all times.”

  “Do you know how to use it?”

  “Mother taught me how to call her, but I haven’t needed to.”

  Savannah sighed deeply and softened her voice. “We need you to call your mother and find out about Amanda’s lawyer. This is part of being a team. Each of us contributes important things in order for us all to work best.”

  Edward turned to Jacob. “Please, mate. We need you to do this.”

  Jacob pressed his lips into a thin line and placed the phone on the table, then reached over to take Suzy into his lap. He pressed the redial button. “Mom? This is Jacob.”

  An alarmed voice answered. Edward looked at Savannah, who closed her eyes and crossed her fingers on both hands.

  “This is not an emergency. My friend Amanda needs help to get out of jail. Detective Parker is questioning her for the murder of Martin Lane. I told you about my research for this investigation. Savannah asks if you will find out who Amanda’s lawyer is. We need to know.” Jacob nodded his head. “No, I won’t.”

  He pushed a button to end the call and put the phone back in his pocket without releasing Suzy. “Amanda’s lawyer’s name is Lindsey Gardner, one of my mom’s former interns. She’s had lots and lots of interns.”

  Edward walked over and gave Jacob a high five. “Great job, mate.”

  “Perfect. Thank you, Jacob. I know how difficult it is to overcome a fear.” Savannah stood up and looked directly at Edward. “I’m still afraid of heights.”

  “We need to get cracking.” Edward returned the gaze as he took a seat.

  Hands on her hips, Savannah circled the conference-room table. “We’re running out of time. Let’s cut to the chase here and ask Amanda’s lawyer for a summary of the evidence against her. Edward, use your fancy phone and find out where the lawyer’s office is. We need to bring her up to date on our investigations.”

  “Sure, sure.” Edward bent over his phone and thumbed in the search. “She works at an office quite near where Martin washed ashore.”

  “Great. As soon as we’re done here, we’ll go see her.” Savannah stared at the table. “It looks like we’ve completed almost every investigation we had going. I got my information from Dr. Smithfield. Jacob found those old maps at the library, and we’ve got an appointment with Paul and Julie to investigate possible sites for the bottles.”

  Edward stood and followed Savannah as she paced around the table. “Okay, we need to talk to Amanda’s lawyer and then—”

  Savannah returned to her seat. “Let’s meet with Amanda’s lawyer as quickly as she can see us. Jacob, I’d like for you to come with us to the lawyer’s. You pick up on things everyone else misses. We shouldn’t be long.”

  The wide grin on Jacob’s face reminded Savannah that her teenage years had been full of adventure, as well. This is precisely what he needs—a little adventure.

  Edward spoke forcefully. “Wait a tick. We also need to do some serious checking into Captain Collins. We stopped by his place that one time. Since then I’ve driven by twice, but he’s making himself scarce. We need to run that to ground.”

  “Yes, yes,” said Savannah. “We’ll tackle him after talking to Amanda’s lawyer.”

  After confirming that they could meet immediately with Attorney Gardner, they drove to the lawyer’s office. It was obviously a former residence and blended into the Park Street neighborhood. Only a small wooden sign next to the double front doors revealed that it was a professional office.

  They opened the door and entered the waiting area, which had probably been the living room. A few seconds later a pale red-haired young woman entered the waiting area from an adjacent office. She stretched out her hand to Savannah.

  “Hi. I’m Lindsey Gardner. Amanda told me I could count on you for information that might clear her completely. You must be Savannah.”

  Savannah nodded. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Gardner.”

  “Please call me Lindsey.” She turned. “You must be Edward.” She shook his hand, giving it a quick pump. “You must be Jacob and Suzy.” She didn’t offer her hand when Jacob nodded and picked up Suzy. “Take a seat in my office, and I’ll let you know what’s going on downtown.”

  They sat at a small, round conference table in her office.

  “First, let me tell you right up front, I recently graduated from Stetson University College of Law—this past May, in fact—and this is my first solo case.”

  Savannah’s eyes grew wide, and she looked at Edward and Jacob.

  “Before you panic, let me assure you I think Amanda is wrongly accused. I also graduated in the top five percent of my class. I was appointed by the court as her defense attorney, and I intend to get her cleared as quickly as possible. First things first. If we can’t come up with enough information to secure her release in the next”—she looked at her watch—“eighteen hours, she will be transferred to the county jail.”

  “We can’t let that happen,” said Savannah. “She needs to be with her mother, who is in the hospital.”

  “I know that. But if we can’t clear her quickly enough, we can at least post bail.”

  Edward, Jacob, and Savannah looked at each other. Savannah turned to Lindsey. “I think I’m the only one who could post bond.”

  “No, you can’t. You have already put yourself in debt to purchase the warehouse for the new studio,” said Edward.

  “You most certainly can’t finance her bail. Your business is barely in the black, and you rent a condo. I can still mortgage my house,” countered Savannah.

  Lindsey tapped on the table. “We don’t have to decide this minute. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to t
hat. However, I’m relieved to know that you are willing to go so far for Amanda’s sake.”

  Jacob looked directly at Lindsey and patted Suzy on the head. “Amanda is our friend. We want to help her.”

  He’s beginning to handle stress much better, thought Savannah. He didn’t pick Suzy up.

  “I understand, but in order to do that, I need to know everything you know about the case. I understand that as a group of amateur investigators, you have had some successes in the past.”

  Savannah cleared her throat. “You must also realize that Amanda may have exaggerated about our expertise.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t Amanda who told me about your successes. It was Detective Parker.”

  Chapter 30

  Saturday Afternoon

  Savannah stumbled into her house and plopped down directly onto the couch. Rooney decided she needed to be welcomed with a full body press and sloppy kisses as insurance.

  “Rooney, please.” She gave him a halfhearted shove, but it was a great joy to have him so excited to see her.

  Her confidence in her ability to act as a consultant for Detective Parker had surged after Lindsey had revealed that he had told her about their prior successes as investigators. His regard was important to her. If she didn’t act ethically in this investigation, he would close that door forever. That was something she wasn’t willing to give up.

  Savannah, Edward, and Jacob, who had held Suzy tightly, had all been expertly cross-examined by Lindsey on every point in the investigation. Savannah felt confident in Lindsey’s ability to defend Amanda in court, if it came down to that. They had agreed, again, that the best solution would be to clear Amanda before her defense attorney’s skills were needed.

  “Rooney, this heat saps the will out of me. You’ve been inside this air-conditioned bungalow, all cool and comfortable. I’ve been in and out of the car all day.” She cuddled his gray head and scratched behind his droopy ears and finally said the words he was waiting for. “Do you want to go outside?”