by Terry Odell
Even though deep down Ed knew it was too soon to hear anything from Paula’s Places, he couldn’t let ten minutes pass without checking his deadbeat dad email account, never mind that it would have alerted him when a message hit his inbox.
Tomorrow, he told himself. Tomorrow, he’d get to the station early, and whip his ducks into parade formation.
As Ed went through his morning routine, he attempted to convince himself that no news was good news. No messages from Paula’s Places reminding him his time was running out for his deadbeat dad email. Nothing from Sam Fischer or Detective Rosen in his work account. Not even anything from Colfax. The night reports included a storage shed with its door ripped off. Damage indicated the culprit was a bear. The address wasn’t far from Adele Menard’s house, and Ed hoped it was the same one that had absconded with her downspout. One bear roaming the streets of Mapleton was one bear too many. There was a note for Dispatch to follow up with the state wildlife officers. A quick check with Connie in Dispatch confirmed the information had been relayed.
“You see the pictures?” Connie asked.
“What pictures?”
“Adele Menard posted pictures of her chewed up downspout on her Facebook page.”
“Adele Menard has a Facebook page?” He clamped his open mouth shut.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Connie said.
“Not everyone,” Ed said, and continued to his office. Adele Menard. Flight instructor. Facebook page. Damn, he had her all wrong. What next? Maybe he ought to start listening for more zebras.
Ed had returned from crossing guard duty when Laurie tapped on his door jamb, a wide grin lighting up her face. “Vehicle computers will be here Monday.”
“Fantastic. I’ll get some training sessions on the calendar starting next Tuesday.” He did some mental calculations as to timing, since he didn’t have the overtime budget to have officers training after shifts. The county deputies used the same software, so he might be able to juggle things around so the deputies already assigned here could show his officers the ropes. It wasn’t like any of his staff didn’t know how to use a computer.
He spent the better part of the next hour with the duty rosters, then called Connie. “Ask Deputy Horacek to check in with me next time he’s in the station. I have a couple questions, nothing urgent, so no need to pull him off patrol.”
With Connie’s words about Adele Menard still buzzing through his head, Ed went to the Facebook website and plugged in the woman’s name. But in order to see her profile, he had to sign up for his own account. Facebook wasn’t somewhere he wanted to go. He had enough trouble keeping his life private. Once again, he called on Laurie.
“Sure, I have an account,” she said. “You don’t?” She looked at him as if he had sprouted little green antennae.
“No, I don’t, and I don’t want one. But will you go to Adele Menard’s page and see what she’s posting about the bear who visited her yard, please.”
Laurie clicked a few keys. “I’ll have to add her as a friend to see her profile. I don’t know how fast she’ll respond.”
“So, if Connie saw her pictures, that means the two of them are already friends, right?”
“Right. I think Connie’s friends with half the population of Mapleton.”
But Connie’s computer in Dispatch didn’t give her access to surfing the net. “It’s not important. I was curious.”
“No big deal.” Laurie clicked a button. “I’ll let you know if she approves me.”
He studied the monitor. “Wait. Is this your account?”
“Yes.”
“So you use a fake name? And a picture of your cat?”
“Given my day job, it seemed prudent.”
As he went to his desk and pulled up the mayor’s form, he toyed with a new idea.
Chapter 11
Shortly before five, Ed finished the last of the mayor’s questions and copied his answers onto the form. As soon as Laurie compiled the numbers, it would be ready to go. And early to boot.
Deputy Horacek had been eager to lead the computer training sessions, and holding classes over the next two weeks would give everyone time to get familiar with how they worked. Ed was ready to log out for the day, feeling he might have a handle on this Chief Stuff after all.
A knock on his private entrance stopped him before he powered off. Who would be dropping by at this time of day? And whose idea had it been to put the monitor for the security camera outside the door at the front desk? It would be faster to check the peephole than to call reception, so Ed pushed away from his desk and peered at the impatient face of Tyler Colfax. He let the detective in as his internal line rang.
“Someone’s at your door, Chief Solomon,” the receptionist said.
Ed thanked her and motioned Colfax to a chair. An unnecessary gesture, as the detective never waited on formalities.
“Last time you were here, you brought coffee,” Ed said.
“And you had cinnamon rolls, so we’re even on the no refreshments scorecard.”
“What brings you to our hick town?” Ed asked.
“You.”
“Me?”
Colfax exhaled a deep sigh. “Your damn Deadbeat Dad Killer case. We have another potential homicide that fits your pattern.”
“Where?” Ed had been following local homicides in between the Chief Stuff and hadn’t seen anything that fit his parameters.
“Houston.”
“And why would you be involved in a Houston homicide?”
“Because the deadbeat in question is my brother-in-law. Ex brother-in-law.”
Ed kept his mouth shut until his brain caught up. “My condolences.”
Colfax shrugged. “Thanks. The guy was an asshole, though. I told my sister the same before she married him. Hell, for all I know, she married him because I told her not to. At any rate, he’s dead.”
“And you think it’s connected because—other than he was a deadbeat?”
“Because he died in a boating accident, and the bum hated the water. Got seasick on theme park boat rides. You know, the kind that aren’t really boats because they run on tracks.”
Ed drummed his fingers on his thigh. “And you don’t think there’d have been a good reason for him to have been on a boat? A business meeting. To impress someone? There are pills and patches to combat seasickness.”
“I’ve told the M.E. to run a tox screen for those drugs. But—and maybe it’s because you put that damn bug in my ear—a boating accident doesn’t work for me. The guy might have been a creepazoid, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to kill him.”
“How can I help?” Ed didn’t throw out the a measly small-town cop crack this time. Colfax seemed genuinely upset. Could he suspect his sister of taking out a hit? “Would you rather continue this meeting at Finnegan’s?”
“Not smart in my current mood, since I’d have to drive home. I wanted to escape the job for a few hours.”
He was upset. “My house?”
“You have a family. I don’t want to impose.”
“If I thought it was an imposition, I wouldn’t have offered. I’ll let Mary Ellen know. Tonight’s lasagna night, and there’s always plenty.”
Colfax seemed to be weighing the pros and cons before he spoke. “As long as it’s all right with her. Family time is hard enough to come by in this job, and I don’t want you to cut back on any of yours.”
Ed knew nothing of Colfax’s personal life, other than he wasn’t married now. Whether he had been, or how it had turned out, was an area they’d never covered. He called Mary Ellen, who didn’t hesitate before saying yes.
“How’s Mitch doing?” Ed asked her. Not surprisingly, the boy had been moving slowly this morning and had skipped breakfast.
“Avoiding eye contact, went straight to his room, but he said he finished his lunch and was looking forward to lasagna. I had to push to get him to talk, though.”
“At least his appetite’s back,” Ed said. “See you soon.” Hav
ing an outsider at the table might deflect any awkward conversation about Mitch’s little adventure yesterday. Mary Ellen had left it to Mitch to decide if and what he’d tell Jeremy. This morning, Ed hadn’t felt any vibes that Jeremy knew anything, but eventually, it would come up. And when it did, Ed hoped whatever Mitch said to his brother would help to avoid the same thing happening when Jeremy reached that phase.
Good luck with that.
Dinner conversation was small talk, with football being the main topic of conversation. After they’d eaten, Mary Ellen shooed the men out. “The boys and I will handle cleanup. I’m sure you have important things to discuss.”
He and Colfax left the kitchen. “You want to work or talk?” Ed asked. “Either way, I’m sure Mary Ellen will relinquish the study. It’s more private than the living room.”
“A little of both, I guess.” Colfax followed Ed down the hall to the study. “You have a nice place. Nice family.”
“Thanks.” Ed waited for Colfax to start.
“You know I didn’t buy into your theory. Still not sure I do. But after I found out Rudy had died, and how, it’s making more sense. Or maybe I’m as crazy as you are.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Thought we might compare notes.”
Ed accepted the page. A spreadsheet with many familiar names, places, dates, and how they’d died. He sat at the desk and booted his laptop. “Most of what I was doing was correlating deaths with blog posts and comments from Paula’s Places.” Ed pointed out the two names he didn’t recognize on Colfax’s spreadsheet, and checked the dates. Both over six months old. “I don’t recall posts from these places. But I wasn’t following her blog then.”
He pulled up Paula’s Places on the laptop, then went back nine months and searched for locations near where the victims were found. When he got no matches, he said, “She doesn’t always post about the exact location, so not finding something doesn’t mean she wasn’t nearby.”
“So broaden the search. She mentions the states, right?”
“Oregon and Kentucky. I was getting to that.” Ed plugged in Oregon. “She’s got sixteen posts from Oregon. One victim was found in Shady Grove, wherever that is. How’s your geography?”
Colfax leaned over Ed’s shoulder. “Better when I’ve got Google Maps at my fingertips. Pull up Oregon.”
“You want to use the desktop for the basics?” Ed relinquished his chair and dragged the easy chair to the other side of the desk. “Log in as Guest. No password. You take Oregon, I’ll take Kentucky.”
While Colfax was determining whether any of Paula’s blog posts originated near Shady Grove, Ed did a search for Kentucky. “Now these sound like places I might visit.”
“Kentucky?” Colfax said. “You into horses?”
“No, there’s a bourbon trail. Paula’s blog mentions four stops in one post. But it doesn’t fit the timeframe.”
“No reason to expect every deadbeat dad who died from less than obvious natural causes fell prey to your so-called assassination ring.”
“You think there’s a chance Paula’s not involved? That she doesn’t know what’s going on?”
“About as much as a snowball has in hell,” Colfax said. “If your theory is true, that is.”
“Cut the BS, Colfax. If you didn’t think it had legs, you wouldn’t be here.” Ed checked Paula’s blog and the maps for a few more minutes. Colfax seemed engrossed in the computer. Or was he thinking about the implications of his ex brother-in-law’s death? When the detective hadn’t touched the mouse or clicked any keys in several minutes, Ed took a breath and broached the subject.
“You know, I was talking to Mitch yesterday, about how as cops, we can’t look the other way because someone’s a friend or family.”
“He ask you to fix a parking ticket?” Colfax’s tone lacked his usual sarcastic touch. Ed waited.
Colfax shoved away from the desk. “Yeah, I’m wondering if my sister did something stupid. I’m waiting for the tox screen reports, which could take days, maybe weeks, to get through the system. Meanwhile, my gut says it was homicide, and yes, my sister would be on the suspect list if it’s confirmed. Her kids—my niece and nephews—would be the real losers, because the bastard’s money should be helping keep them fed, clothed, and educated. I can’t think of a way to spin taking a hit out on one’s ex as justifiable homicide, and accidental death seems outside the realm of plausibility.” He slapped the desk. “I keep thinking the phone’s going to ring, that it’ll be her asking for my help, and what the hell do I say?”
“It’s a tough call. However, get the damn best lawyer you can afford comes to mind,” Ed said.
Chapter 12
Ed hated what he was going to say next, but he figured he had nothing to lose. “If, and I’m saying this as a cop, if your sister did go through Paula’s Places, do you think she’d tell you how she did it?”
“I’m answering as a cop, much as it pains me. If this is an opportunity to crack open an assassination ring, yes, I’d push her to get us inside.”
“You think you could work out some sort of a deal? Many’s the creep who’s gone free in exchange for blowing the whistle on bigger creeps.” His words sank in, and he added, “Not that I’m calling your sister a creep. I was speaking in a more generic sense, of course.”
“Of course.”
A knock on the door interrupted. “Come in,” Ed called.
Mary Ellen poked her head in. “I don’t want to disturb you, but the boys are ready for bed.”
“Be right there,” Ed said.
“Can I offer you a cup of coffee?” Mary Ellen’s question was directed at Colfax, but Ed knew what she meant was How long are you two going to be at it?
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love a cup,” Colfax said.
“I can make it,” Ed said.
“No, it’s no trouble. I’ll put it on while you see to the boys.” She left, and Ed wondered if Colfax’s detecting skills were honed enough to read the modicum of irritation behind Mary Ellen’s words. However, tonight was more like helping a friend than putting in extra hours on the job, so Ed refused to feel any guilt. And maybe Mary Ellen would let him make it up to her after Colfax left.
“They seem a little old for bedtime stories and tucking in,” Colfax said.
Did Ed detect a touch of longing in the detective’s voice? “But not too old to say good-night. Part of me wants to keep them kids as long as possible. I like to believe they appreciate the ritual, and if I’m home, I want to be part of it. Puts an end to the day. Be back in a minute.”
After going through the lights out routine with his sons, Ed returned to the study to find Colfax on his cell phone, pacing in front of the sofa. Ed waited outside the door, hearing one side of a heated discussion.
“I’ll do what I can,” Colfax said. A pause. “This isn’t the time.” Another pause. “I told you, keep your mouth shut.” A shorter pause. “I mean it. You have to trust me on this.” Colfax glanced Ed’s way, nodded him inside. Said, “I’ll be in touch,” and ended the call. He dragged his fingers through his hair. Sighed. Sat on the sofa.
Ed closed the door behind him and returned the easy chair to its usual position by the couch. He sat, leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees. “Anything you want to share?”
Colfax studied the floor, as if regrouping. When he raised his gaze, he snorted. “Guys don’t share. Anything about your lifestyle you need to tell me, Solomon?”
The tension dissipated like the first dusting of an early-autumn snow.
“I’m willing to discuss what went down. I went proactive and called my sister,” Colfax said. “Offered my condolences, not that she wanted them, given her feelings for her ex. However, she did tell me the cops had been by to see her.”
“Nothing unusual about that.”
“That’s because we’re already thinking of it as a homicide. If the cops there bought the accident theory, they’d have no reason to call on her. She’s not m
arried to him, hasn’t lived in the same community in years. She took back her maiden name, so it’s unlikely they’d have found her—or looked for her—this soon. The fact the cops came calling at all means they must be following up on the bug I planted in their ears.”
“So, they are investigating it as a possible homicide, and they’d be considering motive, which, as a disgruntled ex-wife, she might have. Would she collect any inheritance?”
“She doesn’t know if he left a will, or if the kids were even in it, although it’s possible the courts would award her whatever he owed in child support. I’m not up on the laws in Texas. Right now, I’m only thinking of her, and it freaked her out when the cops started asking questions.”
Ed tilted his head. “I’m assuming what I overheard was you telling her not to tell them anything.”
“Correct. I hope she’s listening to my cop advice and not my big brother advice, which she’s been ignoring since she was four.”
Ed chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Colfax asked.
“Seems strange, hearing you take the opposite side of things. Normally, it’s all about getting people to talk, trying to avoid them lawyering up.”
“Normally, they’re not my sister.”
“You think she’ll listen?”
“I damn well hope so. I told her I’d cover her expenses for getting a lawyer on board.”
“I’m sure the Texas cops won’t be as effective as you are when it comes to spouting all the reasons a suspect doesn’t need a lawyer.”
Mary Ellen’s “Coffee’s ready” halted their conversation. She brought in a tray with two steaming mugs of brew, offering it to Colfax, who lifted a mug. After putting the tray on the end table, she said, “I’ll leave you to your work.”
“Won’t be much longer,” Colfax said. “Your husband’s been kind enough to help me work through a small family matter, and I appreciate you letting me have his ear for the evening.”