Mink Too, All the Riches in the World Can't Buy Love

by B. L Wilson

  “I’m not sure what his reasoning is, but I think he figured Miss Drummond was unreachable, so he chose you,” Agatha Phillips responded and then added, “I know what happened out there at the lake, Sergeant.”

  Liz angrily interrupted, “Hell, no, you don’t, Lady! You don’t know the half of the shit! I was there and so was that son of a bitch!” Agatha Phillips’ implications annoyed her. She sighed and tried to calm down. She rubbed her temples again. She was trying hard to forget how it felt to lose the woman she loved and then try to kill the man who’d taken her away.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you with my statement.” Agatha hesitated and then added, “You’re right. There’s no way I could possibly know what you went through at the lake. If there’s any way you’d consider visiting my client…”

  Liz rubbed the bridge of her nose anxiously as she stared out the kitchen window. Where was Susan? She was no longer pulling the weeds where Liz could see her. God, it would be all she needed, to hear this conversation. Maybe it was what she needed to jump start the conversation about her brother and how he tried to kill her. She shrugged. “Ms. Phillips, why don’t I get back to you in a few days with my answer?”

  “Okay.” Agatha Phillips sounded disappointed. “I hate to ask, but do you think there’s a chance Miss Drummond would come with you?”

  “Jesus Christ, Lady, I can’t ask her that shit!” The throbbing in Liz’s head became more vivid. “I…Look, just be goddamned glad I didn’t hang up on you, Ms. Phillips,” she snapped and promptly hung up on Agatha Phillips.

  After Susan finished weeding the flowerbed, she sat back on her kneepads and smiled. She loved working the earth, as Lizzie called it. Putting her hands in the warm soil to plant seeds on a clear summer morning seemed so uncomplicated. Her actions were so simple now. She had no company to run. There was no father to bug her about finding a job. She stopped thinking about her brother’s behavior. She stopped going to the Blue Lake Country Club months ago. She couldn’t remember the last time she spoken to Delta, Maryellen, or Carolyn. Helen Nelson stopped by several times to see her and Lizzie, asking how they were doing. That was as much contact as she wanted from her old life.

  She sighed as she dug into the earth deep enough and then plopped the seeds in the hole she’d just made. All she had to do was water the green stubs as they poked through the earth, kill the weeds around them, and watch them grow. She smiled at her handiwork. There was no such thing as a bad plant. It produced delicious fruit or wonderful scented blossoms or it died. There was no muss, no fuss, and no mental illness, unlike her …brother.

  She frowned as she watered the flowerbed. God, it was so hard to think of Johnny Flint as her real brother, especially after what he had tried to do to her at the lake. When they were kids, they used to wish for nothing more than to be brother and sister. They tried to imagine what it would be like to sleep under the same roof and see each other all the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Her father should have told her about Johnny. Why didn’t he tell me? she wondered for the millionth time. She felt something cold and wet against her ankle and looked down.

  Skipper’s nose was rubbing her ankle.

  “Hey, Skip!” Susan said, leaning over to get her usual greeting of a sniff, a soulful stare, and a deep rumbling bark. She patted his head and then rubbed his body. “Come on, Boy. Let’s go find Lizzie.”

  Skipper barked again in a loud bass and then followed her, sniffing the ground as they walked toward the back porch.

  Liz was sitting on the steps with a pitcher of freshly made iced lemonade and two glasses next to her. She grinned at Susan and Skipper, then offered Susan a glass of the homemade drink. “Here, Love. I figured you could use something cool.” Her glance took in strong arms and shapely legs, browned by the sun. Does she know how amazing she looks? Liz mused as she studied Susan’s face.

  “Scoot over, Lizzie.” Susan kissed Liz’s forehead, then waited for her to move sturdy legs. She removed her gardening gloves and took a big swallow of the cold lemonade. “Oh, that’s good.” she remarked, licking her lips delicately. “It just hits the spot, Lizzie. Thank you.” She frowned. “You were on the phone for a while. Was it the stationhouse?”

  Liz quickly scanned Susan’s face. “No, it was nothing.” she said. Nothing that I can discus with you, she mused. She remembered the nightmares Susan had when she first moved in seven months ago. Thank God they’d finally stopped. She sighed inwardly. “Are you ready for dinner, Love?”

  Susan nodded. “Yes. I made some chicken salad. We can have it with the tomatoes and lettuce I picked from the garden.”

  “That sounds great,” Liz said. She leaned over to pet Skipper, ruffling his ears and hearing him rumble as he wagged his tail in delight. She rose to help Susan up the stairs.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN … County Lockup

  On the drive to the county jail’s facilities, Liz wondered why the bastard wanted to see her, since she’d come within a hairsbreadth of killing him. The way she figured it, Johnny Flint was trying to lighten his sentence or confirm his insanity by entertaining the woman who almost killed him at the lake that night. He probably thought the judge would think only a crazy person or an immensely remorseful person would do that.

  Once she entered the dreary-looking, three-story gray stone building, Liz produced her police ID. The jail provided a locker to secure her gun and equipment. A guard escorted her to the gray-colored, barren-looking waiting room. A guard escorted a short thick man into the visiting room as Liz found a seat among the hard, cheap-looking plastic chairs bolted to the floor and settled in one to wait for Susan’s brother. A second guard escorted a tall man into the visiting area.

  If Liz had to pick out Johnny Flint from a group of white men, she’d never be able to do it, and she was a trained observer. Flint had changed so much since that night at the lake. He’d grown a ratty-looking strawberry blond beard and had lost weight. He looked gaunt and pale. When he faced her, the beautiful blue eyes she found so attractive that day at the club were dull and listless. Prison was killing him better than any torture she could have devised for him.

  “You wanted to talk to me, Flint?”

  “Yeah,” he rasped hoarsely.

  The smirk was familiar and about the only thing Liz remembered from that night on the beach; that and that Flint still couldn’t manage to kill the one person who sealed his fate.

  “How’s my bastard sister doing, Lizzie?”

  “Look, you son of a bitch, you asked me to come, but I’m not gonna sit here and let you insult Susan!” Liz snapped angrily. “Either you get your shit together right now or this visit is over, Flint.”

  The second guard moved toward Flint like Liz needed his protection, but Liz waved him away.

  “Okay, okay.” Flint raised his hands in surrender.

  The guard nodded, stepped back, and returned to the corner where he could observe Johnny Flint from a distance.

  Liz’s eyes narrowed. She glared at him. “Well, Flint, I’m waiting.”

  Cold, ice blue eyes stared at Liz for minute.

  Liz remembered the look he’d given Susan on the sidewalk in front of the club.

  “Too bad you’re a dyke, Lizzie. We coulda had some fun in bed…you, me, and my sister,” Johnny hissed softly. Only she could hear him.

  “You filthy-mouthed asshole!” Liz yelled as she stood up quickly. She almost lunged at Flint but thought better of it. Instead, she motioned the guard to come over. “Get him the hell out of here!”

  The guard twisted Flint’s wrists roughly in front of him to reinstall the cuffs to the leather belt at his waist that also connected to the chains on his ankles.

  Johnny Flint laughed hysterically. The chains on his ankles prevented him from moving rapidly but that didn’t matter to his guard. The guard shoved him hard in the back with his nightstick to move him quickly back to his cell.

  Liz paced back and forth in the small waiting area as she watched the guards
escort Flint through the doors. She frowned and then walked out to the admittance area to pick up her gun from the locker. As she drove through the main gate, she wondered why she thought anything Johnny Flint could tell her would help Susan. If Susan would ever get better, she’d have to want it as much as Liz did. Still, she wondered why Flint brought her all the way to the county lockup just to start some sick incest shit with her. It didn’t make sense unless he really was crazy.

  When Liz returned to the stationhouse, she found that Flint’s attorney had called twice, saying she wanted to talk to her. She ignored the calls. When she arrived home, another urgent message from Attorney Phillips was waiting for her. She was pissed at Flint and so she erased the message. The kitchen phone suddenly rang, startling her.

  “Hello?”

  “I understand you saw my client today, Sergeant Gilmore. What did you think of him?”

  “I shouldn’t even be talking to you before the sentencing, Ms. Phillips.”

  “It’s okay. You’re not breaking any laws. John Flint…what did you think?”

  “Either he’s the best actor I’ve ever seen or he’s insane. I haven’t figured out which one yet.”

  “I hope this story I’m about to tell you will help you make up your mind.”

  “Why do you care what I think, Ms. Phillips?”

  “I think my client needs help, not a death sentence. I’m hoping you’ll speak at his sentencing hearing and that you can convince his sister to do the same.”

  “Christ! The man tried to kill her, Phillips! She still has nightmares about what he did to her. As it is, she’s having trouble understanding why her brother tried to drown her.”

  “Yes, I know, Sergeant. Just like you, I did a little investigation into my client’s family background.” Agatha Phillips sighed heavily. “Let me be honest here. I didn’t think his sister would testify at the hearing, but I figured you might want closure on this thing. I also thought it would help her as well. I know about you and her, Sergeant Gilmore. I know how much this whole business has affected both of you. I don’t believe my client wants to cause his sister more pain than he has already.”

  Agatha paused as she gathered her thoughts. “Johnny has lucid moments. When he does, he cries about Susan. He misses her immensely. He feels guilty and ashamed about what he did to her. It’s why he pleaded guilty to the murders.” The attorney paused, waiting for a response from Liz.

  Liz sighed, then rubbed her chin. “Go ahead with your story, Ms. Phillips. We’ll see.”

  “I’m sure you probably know most of the story. John found out a year ago that Susan Drummond was his biological sister when he was going through some of his father’s old papers.”

  Liz nodded. “Yeah, that part we figured out. I’ve seen the papers too.”

  “John had been running his father’s company for the last three years. He was in line to take over when the old man died suddenly. He was angry when he found the agreement among his father’s papers. That’s when he created a plan to keep possession of the company that he felt was his and his alone.

  “You already know John poisoned the old lawyer who drew up the agreement and made it look like a heart attack. Once he murdered the old lawyer, he knew he’d have to get rid of Owen Drummond too, since he was the only other living witness to his father’s agreement. He bided his time and waited for an opportunity.” Agatha sighed. “Opportunity presented itself when Drummond became embroiled in that shopping mall fiasco. He knew about Drummond’s penchant for conducting affairs with his personal assistants from Susan Drummond. It was a simple matter to find out where their next rendezvous was.

  “John thought if he hired someone to create a fire at the construction site to kill Drummond, the sheriff and his deputies would think it was an accident caused by a leaking gas line. Even if Reeves’ rather incompetent police force managed to find evidence of arson, he’d be the least likely suspect. Only four people knew about the agreement: Susan’s parents, John’s father, and the lawyer. They all died, except for Owen Drummond. When Mr. Drummond died, that would end it. He’d be free to keep Flint Industries and he wouldn’t have to hurt his sister.”

  Liz nodded in agreement with Agatha Phillips. “We assumed as much. Sheriff Reeves had the old lawyer’s body exhumed when we found the father’s copy of the agreement. There was still residue from the poison in the lawyer’s tissues. We were able to connect Howard Loomis with the arson at the mall site through DNA evidence and bank deposits to an account in his name from your client.”

  “I have to tell you, Sergeant Gilmore, my client may not have acted repentant today, but he expressed to me that he regretted two things. Your friend’s death was one. John hadn’t counted on Daniel Hanley being at the site that night. He’d paid ODC security to disappear that night. He didn’t think anyone but Drummond and maybe his secretary would be there. To prove how sorry he was, John sent Daniel’s widow a large sum of money anonymously as a life insurance settlement.”

  A look of acknowledgement flitted across Liz’s face as she listened to Attorney Phillips. “When my brother mentioned it in passing, I wondered how Danny could afford to keep up insurance payments when he was out of work for so long. I figured that ODC sent his widow the money.”

  “They did, but not all of it came from them. John sent $50,000. I understand Miss Drummond convinced the board to send another $50,000.”

  Liz frowned. “How do you know that? We didn’t uncover that.”

  “I have my sources too, Sergeant,” Attorney Phillips replied. “One of them told me your Miss Drummond also promised little Danny a full scholarship to any college he wants to enroll in when he graduates high school. That offer includes graduate school as well.”

  “I didn’t know about that either.” Liz frowned into the phone. “Did Flint hate Owen Drummond that much, Miss Phillips?”

  Phillips shrugged. “No. The attempted murder and the murders were about keeping Flint Industries in John’s hands no matter what he had to do. He was comfortable with the wealth, status, and power ownership of the company provided for him here in Woodsville. He was willing do anything to prevent it from going to anyone else. That included a woman that he considered a sister but still wanted as a lover.”

  Liz nodded as she watched Susan transplanting another series of rose bushes around the yard. “You said he regrets two things, Ms. Phillips. What’s the second one?”

  “He regrets trying to kill his sister. I don’t think I can begin to tell you how much he regrets his actions against Susan Drummond, but I don’t think he’ll be able to tell her either. Prison authorities hospitalized my client several times since his imprisonment. I’m sure you noticed how disoriented he looked and how inappropriate his behavior was today.”

  “Yeah, you could say that, Ms. Phillips,” Liz replied, barely hiding her sarcasm.

  “I know, Sergeant Gilmore. The guard told me he thought you were ready to beat the crap out of Flint today, not that the sons of bitches would have stopped you. According to my client, the guards take delight in using extraordinary physical force to restrain him. They love it when he refuses to take his meds and has to go to the infirmary. They like manhandling the ‘rich bitch,’ as they’ve taken to calling him. Being wealthy didn’t prepare him for life in prison. He’s catching hell inside, Sergeant.”

  “After the damage he caused his sister, don’t you think he deserves a little hell, Ms. Phillips? Shit! The man killed three people and tried to kill two more, Ms. Phillips.” Liz turned away from the kitchen window and gripped the phone tightly until her knuckles turned as pale as the beige kitchen countertop. She sat down at the oval-shaped table.

  “I believe he’s charged with the attempted murder of three people, Sergeant. The third one is you. It’s interesting that you didn’t include yourself in this business. That brings me back to the original reason we’re having this conversation. As much as you hate the man and would like to see him out of your life and Susan Drummond’s permanently, I
sense compassion or at least hesitation about what should happen to him.”

  Liz rubbed the bridge of her nose, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Sergeant Gilmore, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “I’m right, aren’t I?” Agatha Phillips asked quietly to confirm her suspicions.

  Liz sighed. “On the beach that night, when I thought he’d killed the one person that I loved, I was going to kill him. Shoot him at pointblank range and watch his brains splatter all over me. I didn’t care what happened to me after that, Ms. Phillips. Prison or death for me, I didn’t care. I just wanted to erase him from my vision. I couldn’t believe a brother would knowingly kill his sister in a way that would torture her so much before she died. I still can’t get my mind around that fact, Ms. Phillips.” She closed her eyes as she spoke. Her mind was racing back to that horrible night.

  “But you didn’t kill him, even after knowing what he’d done to Miss Drummond. You still couldn’t kill him. That’s why I want you to testify on his behalf at the sentencing hearing. You had more reason than anyone involved in the case did, except Susan Drummond, to want him dead. You had the chance to kill him, yet you couldn’t do it. John is a sick man, Sergeant Gilmore. Why else would a man place a higher value on things than people, including a woman he loves as much as you do? Why else would he commit three murders to keep those things?”

  Liz exhaled, letting out a heavy, tension-filled breath. “I’ll have to think about this. The last thing I want is to cause Susan Drummond more pain. If I do this, I don’t know what it will do to her.”

  “Then talk to her, Sergeant. You might be surprised about what she wants. Think about it, please.” Agatha Phillips added, “Good night.”

  “Good night, Ms. Phillips.” Liz frowned as she hung up the phone. One thing was certain, she’d have to tell Susan about the calls. More than that, they’d have to talk about Attorney Phillips, Johnny Flint, and plenty of other things as well. She rubbed her jaw in contemplation. Was she ready for this tonight? She turned at the sound of the screen door squeaking opening and smiled.