Marja McGraw - Bogey Man 02 - Bogey's Ace in the Hole

by Marja McGraw

  “Oh, you are,” Janet replied, “but right now I need your help more than they do.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Janet. She didn’t sound very friendly toward Victor, and I couldn’t figure that out. After all, he was the intended victim. I was surprised that she didn’t sound more diplomatic.

  “Do you want to go back to the lounge?” I asked. “I can make sure there’s still a table for you.”

  “No,” Janet replied. “We can sit right here in the entry and talk.” She indicated two chairs that were sitting side by side and waited for Victor to seat himself.

  Glancing at Chris, I saw that he appeared confused, too.

  We hung around the Reservation Desk, hoping we might pick up a word or two while Janet and Victor talked. Their voices were low and we couldn’t hear anything. So we watched for body language or any other sign of what was going on.

  Victor didn’t look happy. In fact, he seemed agitated and frustrated. After about ten minutes he rose from the chair and approached Chris and me.

  “Now you know why I didn’t want to call the police in the first place,” he said.

  “Oh? And why is that?” I asked.

  He tipped his head in Janet’s direction. She was busily writing notes on a small pad of paper. “She doesn’t believe that I don’t know who’s after me.”

  “Well, it is unusual for someone who’s being threatened not to have a clue about it,” I said.

  “Maybe so, but I don’t have any ideas. I wish we’d kept this just between the three of us.”

  “With Jackson being bumped off, we couldn’t do that,” Chris said. “The coppers had to involve themselves.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Victor said, grudgingly agreeing with Chris. “Well, I’m outta here. I want to get home and make myself safe behind locked doors.”

  He left and Janet came over to talk to Chris and me.

  “You know, there’s something that doesn’t feel right about that guy. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something odd about this situation. It’ll come to me after I study the facts for a while.”

  Chris rolled his upper lip under, but this time he didn’t pull on his earlobe or rock back on his heels. “Well, don’t keep us in the dark when you figure it out.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  We picked Mikey up around eleven-thirty on Wednesday night. He was asleep on Constance’s couch, and he didn’t wake up when Chris carried him out to the car. Constance said he’d conked out as soon as they arrived home. I had to practically hog tie the dogs to keep them from waking him up. I sat in the back with them while Mikey slept in the front seat.

  On Thursday morning he would have overslept if the dogs hadn’t been so excited to see him. I could hear him upstairs, laughing, and it was a good guess that the dogs were climbing all over him and licking his face. Considering their weight, I wouldn’t have found it too funny if I was the one they were climbing on.

  Chris and Mikey came downstairs together, ready for a homemade breakfast. In celebration of my son’s return, I’d prepared his favorite, pancakes with sausage.

  “It sure feels good to be home, Mom,” he said, forking a piece of sausage. “I feel like I’ve been gone forever.”

  “I’m glad to have you home, and maybe now things can go back to normal – whatever that is.” I walked around the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Those Church Ladies are kind of nosey, aren’t they? I mean, they wanted to know if I have a girlfriend! I’m only seven, for crying out loud. Danny and me have plenty to keep us busy without girls.”

  “I’m sure you do,” I replied. “But someday you’re going to be a heartbreaker, just like your dad.”

  Mikey turned to Chris and made a face that said, eewww.

  Chris laughed. “One of these days you’re going to wake up and think that girls aren’t so bad – Ace Michael Cross, lady killer.”

  Mikey turned back to his breakfast and studied his plate. He didn’t say anything, but I could see the corners of his lips turn up.

  “Speaking of lady killers,” Chris said, “I forgot to tell you. Last night Nate and I had a conversation about Lila.”

  “Lila?”

  “Yeah, he was impressed with her singing. He also wanted to know if she’s married.”

  “What’d you tell him?” I asked, smiling.

  “I said I thought she was a widow. I also told him she’s mostly tied up with her church friends.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “He didn’t care. He said he was just curious. I got the feeling he might be more than curious.”

  “Well, what a surprise.” Nate was interested in Lila. I smiled, wondering if Lila might like Nate if she met him.

  “I can see the wheels turning,” Chris said. “Let it go. Let nature take its course.”

  “Sure,” I said, thoughtfully.

  We finished breakfast and Chris helped me clear the table while Mikey ran upstairs to retrieve his backpack.

  “Come on, Ace,” Chris said. “You’re going to be late to school if we don’t hurry up.”

  The phone rang and Chris answered it. “Yeah.”

  I glanced at Mikey. “When you answer the phone, try to say more than yeah, okay? Don’t follow all of your father’s examples.”

  “Okay.” He stood and tapped his foot impatiently. Chris had told him he was going to be late, and yet now his father was on the phone.

  “Huh,” Chris said to someone at the other end of the line. “Was anything missing?”

  He listened to the reply.

  “Let us know if you find out anything. I’m going to be gone for a while, but Pamela will be here.”

  He hung up and before I could ask, he said, “That was Victor. Someone broke into his house while he was at the restaurant last night. It doesn’t look like they took anything, but he’s still checking. The police told him it was a clean break in. No prints or anything.”

  “How did they get in?”

  “They broke a window.”

  “That’s odd. If it was the killer, you’d think he would have waited for him and done the deed.”

  “You’d think,” Mikey said.

  Oops. Why did I always forget that my son listened to everything I said? I gave him a hug and told him to have a good day at school. He nodded and the two men in my life left.

  I walked outside and spent a little time with Sherlock and Watson, thinking while I threw a ball for them. Janet was right. Something just didn’t feel right when I thought about Victor. It seemed like he wasn’t really doing anything to help find his potential killer. That’s what was wrong. Was he really that dense or was there something else behind it? Was he protecting someone? He had to believe that the threat was real after finding out that John Jackson had been murdered. Maybe he was a fatalist – maybe he believed that whatever was going to happen was meant to be.

  Victor wasn’t a bad guy. He went out of his way to be kind and helpful to his elderly neighbor, Florence. She was such a nice old gal. I was glad she had him to help her out.

  I suddenly realized I was standing with the ball in my hand and I’d stopped throwing it. The realization came when Sherlock barked at me and Watson nudged my behind.

  “Quit that,” I said, “or I won’t throw it at all.”

  Labs can be very pushy when they want to be, and Watson nudged me again.

  I heard the phone ringing in the kitchen and threw the ball one last time before leaving the dogs to their own devices. Apparently I hadn’t closed the door tightly, because before I could reach the phone Sherlock raced past me and slid into the wall.

  “Idiot,” I said, answering the phone. He’d never raced me for the phone before.

  “What?” Jasmine asked.

  “Sorry, I was talking to the dog. What’s up?”

  I shooed the dogs back out the door and made sure it was latched.

  “The ladies and I are going to drive over to see Florence this morning and we thoug
ht you might like to go with us.”

  “Thanks for thinking of me, but – ”

  “She feels so lonely sometimes, so we thought we’d stop and buy an angel food cake to take over to her. We’ll only stay for an hour or so.” She was wheedling, trying to make me feel guilty. How unchristian of her.

  I smiled to myself. She was actually being every bit the Christian woman, wanting to help someone in need, even if she was only in need of company.

  “When are you leaving?” I asked. Another thought struck me. It would give me a chance to go over and talk to Victor to find out if he knew anymore than when he’d called Chris.

  “In about an hour. Is that okay with you?” I had a feeling that if it wasn’t okay with me, it wouldn’t matter.

  “How about if I pick you ladies up? I’ll drive.” I wasn’t sure I trusted Jasmine’s driving. It wasn’t because of her age, but she and her friends talk so much that I was worried maybe she wouldn’t pay enough attention to her driving.

  “That works,” she said. “Thank you, and God bless you. I know I can come on a bit strong sometimes, Pamela, but Florence is a special little lady. There’s something so trusting and childlike about her that she makes me feel protective.”

  “And what do you need to protect her from?” I asked.

  “Right now, loneliness. She seems to enjoy our visits so much. I promised her I’d bring her to church with us next Sunday. She was excited, and she’s already planning on what to wear, bless her little heart.”

  We hung up and I called Chris on his cell phone. “What do you want?” His voice came from behind me and I jumped.

  “Oh, Chris. You scared ten years off me. I didn’t hear you come home. I didn’t hear the cell phone ring either.”

  “I had it on vibrate.”

  “Ah. Well, I was calling to tell you that I’m going over to Florence’s with the Church Ladies. Jasmine was telling me how lonely Florence is, and we’re going to try to cheer her up.”

  Chris put his hands on my cheeks. “You’re a good woman, angel.”

  I looked into his eyes. “I wish I could take the credit, but it’s Jasmine. She’s the good woman.”

  “So are you. Trust me, babe.”

  Although I hadn’t heard Chris arrive home, the dogs had. They were scratching at the back door, wanting to come in. Chris walked back through the service porch and opened the door for them. “Come on, you two. Let’s go for a walk.”

  You’d have thought he’d offered them a million dollars each. The squirming and whining were almost unnerving. Their vocabulary was fairly large for dogs, and walk was right at the top of their Happy List.

  “You’re going to take them both? Alone? Don’t you want to wait for me to come home?” I asked.

  “No, I can handle them. I’ll keep them on a short leash.”

  “Good luck with that,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll be gone by the time you come home, but I’ll be back in time for us to ride to the restaurant together.”

  Chris left and I picked up my purse, ready to leave. I smiled to myself, remembering that Nate was interested in Lila. How cute! I decided to pick Lila up first and tell her about Nate without the other ladies listening. Having second thoughts, I decided I’d only tell her about our new lunch chef. I could invite her for lunch and they could meet, and then nature could take its course, as Chris had suggested. I just wanted to give Mother Nature a little nudge.

  I picked up the ladies and we headed for Florence’s house, stopping on the way to pick up an angel food cake. Lila mentioned she’d have to be home by one o’clock because she had an appointment that she didn’t want to miss.

  May bought frozen strawberries and readymade whipped cream.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Lila asked.

  “By the time we get to Florence’s house the strawberries will be defrosted. I’ll mix them with the whipped cream and cut the angel food cake in half. Then I’ll put the mixture between the layers and on top. It’ll be yummy, believe me.”

  “It sounds decadent,” Jasmine said. “But then, I guess sometimes it’s okay to go a little overboard with the sweets.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Lila said. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me, either,” I added.

  We pulled up in front of Florence’s house and I parked.

  “I hope she’s up,” Jasmine said.

  “Didn’t she know we were coming?” I asked.

  “No, we thought we’d surprise her.”

  “Oh, great. Let’s surprise an eighty-something-year-old woman into a heart attack. You should have called her first.”

  “Pamela, you’re being silly. She’ll be delighted to see us, bless her little heart.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I replied.

  With grocery bag in hand, we trooped up to the front door and rang the bell. I could hear noises inside, so at least I knew that Florence wasn’t a late sleeper.

  The front door opened and Jasmine said, “Surpri… ” Her voice trailed off into nothingness.

  Victor was standing there and not looking pleased to see us.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “Victor?” I said. “Is everything okay?”

  “You took me by surprise. Was Florence expecting you women today?”

  “No,” May said, “we thought we’d surprise her.”

  “I guess we surprised someone,” Lila said, under her breath.

  Jasmine didn’t say anything, and that surprised me.

  “Is Florence here?” I asked, waiting for him to move out of the doorway and let us in.

  “Yes. Just a minute.” Victor closed the door on us.

  Jasmine, not one to stand on formality, turned the handle and opened the door. “Come on, ladies.”

  We found Florence sitting at the dining table, and Victor was hurriedly picking up some papers and stuffing them in an envelope. I saw the top of the cover page before he could slide it inside. He’d been helping her fill out a Living Will so that if she couldn’t speak for herself, the doctors would know what she wanted. I wondered if she was giving Victor Power of Attorney for her health issues.

  “Oh, my,” Florence said, standing up and grinning. “What a pleasant surprise. Come in, come in. Victor was helping me with some paperwork. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, you know.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” May asked.

  “No,” Victor said. “We’re done here.”

  Florence smiled up at him.

  “I’ll put these papers away for you, Flo, and you can visit with your lady friends.” Victor had an odd look on his face.

  I couldn’t help but feel like there was more going on than met the eye.

  “This is a personal matter I’m helping Flo with,” he said, by way of explanation. He carried the envelope to a desk in the corner and slid it in a drawer.

  I couldn’t help but wish I could see what else might be in the envelope.

  “I’ve got to go now, so you can all jibber jabber, or whatever it is you do, and I’ll see you later.” Victor headed for the front door.

  I followed him. “Did you find out anything else about the break-in at your house?” I asked, quietly. One thing I had learned was that he tried to protect Florence from his problems.

  “Nothing. There was a twenty dollar bill missing from the top of my dresser, but that’s all. The police didn’t seem too interested.”

  “Well, they should be. I’ll call Janet and let her know. It seems too coincidental that someone broke into your house the day after that hood was killed.”

  “Don’t bother,” he said. “I’ve talked to my retired cop friend. At least he believes the things I tell him, which is more than I can say for your homicide detective. I called him this morning and he said he’d come stay with me for a couple of days. I’ll be safe now.”

  I could see he’d set his mind on not liking or trusting Janet, so I let it go. I’d probably tell her anyway, but he didn’t have to know.
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  Victor left and I turned to see that the ladies were in the kitchen, heating water for tea and preparing the angel food cake.

  When everything was ready we sat down and enjoyed a delightful dessert, along with our tea. I noticed Lila glancing at her watch, and vowed to make sure she was home in time for her appointment.

  Florence seemed very chipper, and it turned out that she was. “I’m so glad you all came over to see me,” she said. “What a happy surprise. Gosh, between you women and Victor, I feel so special. What a lovely day this is turning out to be.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” May said. “We all need lovely days from time to time.”

  “Yes, we do,” Lila agreed. “When I get up in the morning, I thank the Lord for whatever the day brings, good or bad. It helps to say my thank you before I know what’s headed my way.” She glanced at her watch again.

  “That’s so you,” May said. “I may have to follow your example though. That’s a great idea, thanking the good Lord ahead of time, no matter what happens.”

  “So Victor helps you with your paperwork?” I asked.

  Three heads turned and looked at me, surprise etched on their faces. I knew I was being abrupt, but I needed information from wherever I could get it. I shrugged at the ladies.

  “Oh, yes he does,” Florence said. “He helps me with so many things.”

  I waited, hoping she’d tell me what they’d been working on, but she took a sip of her tea and another bite of cake, letting the subject drop.

  This time I shrugged inwardly, knowing in my heart that the subject had just died a quick death.

  We spent about an hour and a half with Florence before I said we’d have to be leaving. She’d grown up on a farm and shared some of her stories with us, including the time a bull chased her into the barn, and the time her brother had built a small homemade roller coaster. It hadn’t been too safe and her father made her brother tear it down. It had certainly been a different life than I’d experienced.

  I had things to do before heading for the restaurant. One thing about the business we’d embarked on was that you generally didn’t have a lot of time to yourself. We were fortunate because our employees were so capable and helped us more than their job descriptions called for, and I appreciated every one of them.