Teaberry Chase

by R A Wallace

  “Erica and Jerry are expecting me.” Megan waited while Martha called back to the main office. “One of them will be out soon.”

  “Thanks.” Megan was too antsy to sit.

  “Do you have everything ready for the baby?” Martha raised the tiny glasses that hung from her neck and perched them on her nose then lifted a pile of messages in front of her.

  “We’re getting there slowly but surely.” Megan glanced toward the hallway wondering how long it would be before someone came to get her.

  “I remember those days. Enjoy them while they last. Your little one will be all grown up before you know it.” Martha removed her glasses. “I did something with mine that I still go back and look at periodically.”

  “Yeah?” Megan leaned against the counter.

  “This was back when we had old videotapes. VHS, remember those? I used the same tapes each year, you know? All of their Christmas mornings over the years were all on the same handful of tapes. I’d keep using the same tape each year just for Christmas morning until it filled up then I’d put in a new tape. I used other tapes the rest of the year, of course. But now I have all of their Christmas mornings in one place. Eventually, I had the movies shifted over from VHS to something newer.” Martha chuckled. “Sounds old fashioned now with all of the electronics we have these days.”

  “The idea of organizing memories is good one no matter what technology is used,” Megan said as Jerry appeared.

  “There he is now.” Martha scanned the room again before returning her focus to her computer.

  Megan thanked Martha before following Jerry. She knew the way back to the office but preferred to have someone with her when moving through the hallways.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jerry said as they paused to let another group cross in front of them.

  “It wasn’t a problem. Martha and I were talking about technology,” Megan said as they reached the main office.

  “Technology?” Jerry paused for just a moment at the tone of her voice before crossing the room to Erica.

  Megan took the seat next to Erica. “Yes. You know what a fan I am of technology. Especially when it comes to designing web pages.”

  Erica’s eyes shifted from Megan to Jerry as he took a seat next to her.

  “The thing is, most code is pretty unique to the author. Wouldn’t you say?” Megan shifted her eyes to Jerry also.

  Jerry winced.

  Megan continued. “In fact, I’ll bet it’s very much like a, well, like a fingerprint. Even if someone gave an entire roomful of programmers the same assignment, I feel fairly certain that no two lines of code would be exactly the same. Each programmer has their own unique style.”

  Jerry looked down at his hands.

  “Or, you might even say It’s like comparing handwriting. Don’t you think?” She motioned to Erica as she spoke but didn’t wait for an answer. “It’s possible for someone in the same field to look at a program, or a web page, and figure out who wrote it. It’s like a signature. Isn’t that true?” This time, she focused on Jerry again.

  “I told you she’d figure it out,” Erica said.

  Jerry raised his hands and dropped them. “I needed the code and I knew hers was solid.”

  “You wrote the code for the gambling web site.” Megan rested her arms on her stomach. “Actually, I wrote the code for a gambling web site.”

  Jerry held his hands out. “This all fell into our laps quickly and I didn’t have time to build something from the bottom up. I borrowed your code, okay? And then a couple, or actually a few of us, expanded on it to make a gambling site. It was for a good cause.”

  “That’s actually why I’m here. The cause.” Megan looked from Erica to Jerry. “Gabe isn’t really a suspect. Is he?”

  She watched Erica and Jerry share a look.

  “You let his whole family suffer like this, and for what?” She heard her own voice getting louder. “His parents are beside themselves. Not to mention my husband and the rest of the people who love him.”

  Erica kept her voice calm. “And you know full well that we wouldn’t do that unless we had to.”

  Megan held her gaze for a moment. “Poor Gabe,” she murmured.

  Jerry let out a sigh. “I’m sure it’s been hard on him but he hasn’t complained. He’s the one who wants to do this, Megan. We suggested stopping when Ken Medina was killed.”

  Megan held up a finger. “You know for sure that Gabe isn’t guilty?” She had to know.

  “We’re positive,” Erica said. “We even had a wire on him the whole time.”

  Megan quickly ran things that she’d learned back through her mind with this new filter in place. “Tell me what the victim looked like.”

  Jerry glanced at Erica. She nodded.

  “About five ten. Blue eyes, blond hair that maybe leaned toward red in the sun,” Jerry said.

  “Talked a lot?” Megan asked.

  Jerry nodded.

  “That’s who Gabe has been following. Cole saw him doing it on the day of the Chase. And Bella saw them arguing. He’s helping you on some sort of case.” Megan looked from one to the other again. She could see in their eyes that she was right. “I have to tell his family that he isn’t a murderer. You know that. It wouldn’t be right to keep it from them any longer.”

  Erica shrugged. “Honestly? I’m surprised we kept it from anyone this long.” She pointed at Megan. “His parents and Dan. That’s it. We’re ready to move on the case for the original problem anyway. Either way, the cat may be out of the bag. But we still have a murder to solve and this charade might come in handy.”

  Megan pushed herself out of her chair. Jerry stood to walk her out.

  Megan turned back to look at Jerry. “Brad helped, didn’t he? With the code. I recognized his signature.”

  Erica turned around to face her computer and said in a low voice. “Busted.”

  Jerry laughed as he led Megan out.

  Chapter Nineteen

  He looked to his right to see if the bar side was any less busy. It was, but not by much. For a Thursday, the Station Pub & Grill was officially hopping. Ross McMann leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

  “You look beautiful.”

  A smile curved Susan’s lips. “Well, thank you. Irlene outdid herself today at the salon.”

  “You have hair?” He sounded surprised as he pulled back to examine her.

  She laughed as the hostess returned to seat them.

  Ross put his hand on the small of her back and wove through the tables behind her. As he did, he looked around the busy restaurant and realized that he now recognized several of the faces he saw there. He hadn’t been born and raised in Teaberry as Susan had.

  Instead, he’d met her son in Seattle and ended up following him east. Jackson, or Jax as he was known here, had been Ross’s protégé in Seattle. The two had grown close. When Jax had decided to ditch the corporate life and return home, Ross had opted to follow him to see what the appeal was. He’d found Susan.

  He moved behind her to pull out her chair, glancing around the room again before taking his own seat. Susan picked up her menu, seemingly oblivious to what he thought he was seeing.

  “You shouldn’t stare back. It just makes them talk all the more.” Susan’s menu remained in front of her face.

  Ross thought he misheard her. “Excuse me?”

  She lowered her menu a few inches to look at him above it. “The gawkers. You’re just fueling the gossip.”

  Ross willed himself not to look around. He leaned forward. “Who are they gossiping about?”

  “Us, of course.” Susan raised her menu back up.

  Ross forgot his own instructions and looked around the room. “Why?”

  “You’ve been away so often lately. They’re trying to decide if you brought me here to let me down easy.” Susan dropped her menu and set it on the table when a waiter appeared to take their drink order.

  Ross leaned forward again when the waiter left. “
Are you telling me they’re all taking bets on whether or not I’m going to dump you? In public?”

  Susan smiled. “Of course.”

  He sat back in his seat. “That’s crazy. Why would I do that?” His eyes widened. “You didn’t think I invited you to dinner to dump you, did you?”

  This time she laughed. “No. I know you better than that.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand.

  “Oh, you just skewed a lot of percentages.” She curled her fingers into his. “Everyone is madly reevaluating their initial bets right now.”

  “Let them. Listen, the only reason I’ve been travelling back to Seattle so often is because I’m trying to clear up what little was left of my business interests there.” He leaned back as the waiter reappeared with drinks.

  Ross shook his head when the waiter asked if they were ready to order. They both reached for their glasses as the waiter left.

  “You’re entitled to your privacy,” Susan reminded him before taking a drink.

  “What privacy? I figured you knew what I was doing and why.” He watched her face as she lowered her glass. “I’m just trying to get ready for Caitlyn’s wedding.”

  There was a flash of surprise in her eyes. “I don’t get the connection.”

  “You’re going to be covering for her while she’s on her honeymoon, right?” He set his own glass down. “Even before that, I imagine. She’ll be busy with her wedding plans.”

  She cradled her wine glass between her hands. “I’m still not sure I get the connection but I’m glad that you’re happy with whatever your plans are.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again as he ordered his own thoughts. A moment later, he tried again. “I’m hoping I’ll be helping you with whatever comes next. I’m hoping that we’ll be sharing the work and the joy that comes with it all as a team. I guess I was just thinking that it’s time for us to move onto the next phase of our lives. Caitlyn is getting married. You know Jax will be next with Trina. We’ll be busy as we’re caught up in all of that.”

  A corner of Susan’s mouth lifted. “Are you imagining grandchildren already? I think Trina’s adorable daughter Jasmine has whetted our appetite for more little ones.”

  He chuckled. “I confess, I am. I know I don’t technically have a right to, but I’ve grown to think of your family as mine. I don’t plan on going anywhere. In fact, just the opposite. I no longer have any ties to the west coast. In the not too distant future, I’m hoping we’ll be taking the same leap that Bev and Vince are enjoying now.”

  He reached for her hand again just as the waiter approached. Ross saw his hesitation and waved him over with his other hand.

  “We’d better order. I’m sure they’ll want our table with the crowd they have tonight,” Ross said.

  Susan placed her order and scanned the room while Ross placed his. “I do believe the gawkers have breathed a collective sigh of relief.”

  “No more betting?” He looked around the room. She was right. The stares and whispers were over.

  “I wonder who won?” She lifted her glass.

  “I already know the answer to that one.” He lifted his glass and gently tapped hers with it.

  ***

  Rhys listened to the chatter on the radio then reached for his mic. With a nod from Ian, he called for radio silence.

  “We’re ready to move,” Rhys said to Zeke and Roxie.

  Roxie put her hands on her hips. “You’re sure this is going to work?”

  “We’ve already alerted the other campers. Everyone has been notified to remain inside their own RVs until they get the all clear.” Rhys made eye contact with both of them.

  Zeke nodded his head once. “The longer you stay in here, the better the chance someone is going to realize something is going on.”

  Ian moved toward the rear door of the camp office. “Agreed. You two stay here, just like we discussed.”

  Rhys followed Ian. Both men stood poised at the rear door. Rhys reached for his mic again and gave the signal to move. It wasn’t a word. Instead, he made two clicks. Both men quickly moved through the rear door to join the other uniformed officers in the campground.

  The camp sites they passed were eerily devoid of activity for a warm summer evening. It was exactly what they hoped to see. The radio silence was broken with the sound of a single click. The first target had been apprehended without issue.

  Rhys and Ian positioned themselves at Dack’s camp site. They knew he was inside. They’d had eyes watching him. Ian reached the door first. He stood to the side and pounded on it.

  They could hear the movements inside. The RV rocked slightly as the person inside moved toward the door. It opened a moment later. The young man inside stepped down from the RV when he saw the uniformed men in front of him.

  “What’s up?” Dack held a tee shirt in his hands. He raised it over his head to pull it on.

  “Freeze,” Ian said.

  Rhys moved in to turn Dack around. He quickly searched the man before allowing him to pull the tee on. Dack was handcuffed and mirandized shortly after.

  Hours later, Ian and Rhys were back at the station doing paperwork. Ian reached for the phone and dialed Erica first. Jerry joined the conference call next.

  “How did it go?” Erica asked.

  “The arrests at the campground were made without issue,” Ian said.

  “What about the people above them?” Jerry asked. “The brains behind the operation?”

  “We got a call from the feds that they were apprehended also,” Rhys said. “There was a little more excitement with that operation, but no one was hurt.”

  “Always good to hear,” Erica said.

  “The feds seemed pretty pleased with us,” Ian added. “They thought the whole idea of tagging the bogus data you allowed the identity thieves to sell on the dark web was ingenious.”

  “I’m sure the attitude won’t last long,” Jerry said. “We’ll enjoy it while we can.”

  “They seemed impressed with your work,” Rhys said. “They were able to track the transfer of the bogus data from the group at the campground to the big guys who sell the information online.”

  “Some of the thanks should go to Gabe,” Jerry said. “If he hadn’t come to us about this group moving into to Teaberry to target our residents, a large percentage of them would be the victims of identity theft right now.”

  “You have to admit, it was a good way to steal someone’s identity,” Ian said. “You get them to willingly log into a web site and hand it all over.”

  “With the promise of fun and the possibility of helping your community with some of the proceeds,” Erica said. “It helped when the group from the campground made it seem like a community effort of some sort.”

  “Imagine them moving from community to community to do the same thing.” Ian leaned back in his seat.

  “Not going to happen now,” Rhys said.

  “Not with this group,” Jerry said. “There will always be another one to take their place.”

  “At least we can sleep tonight knowing that they weren’t successful here this time.” Rhys glanced at his computer. He had a lot of paperwork to do.

  “We still need to figure out who killed Ken Medina,” Erica reminded them.

  “Maybe our crew from the campground will be more willing to talk now that they’re looking at some other charges against them,” Jerry said.

  “We’ll hit them first thing tomorrow,” Erica said. “For tonight, good work both of you. Enjoy the accolades. You deserve them.”

  ***

  Megan waited until everyone was seated at the kitchen table. She’d opted to serve them in the kitchen, rather than the dining room. She knew Dan was surprised, but he hadn’t asked why. Not just about the room she chose to serve his parents. Also the fact that she’d invited them to dinner without telling him first.

  “This is nice,” Kelly Parker smiled at her daughter-in-law. “I’m glad you thought of this.” />
  “It helps to have family together when things become difficult,” Todd agreed. He reached his hand out toward his wife. She slipped hers inside. They rested their clasped hands on the top of the table.

  “That’s what I wanted to talk about, actually. Sometimes things aren’t quite what they seem.” Megan saw the confusion on their faces.

  “Have you learned something?” Dan asked quickly.

  Megan nodded. “It’s about Gabe.”

  Kelly closed her eyes. “How bad is it?”

  Megan saw their knuckles grow white in their clasped hands. “We owe Gabe an apology.”

  Kelly’s eyes flew open.

  “What?” Dan pushed his chair away from the table. “For what?”

  “Apparently some people he came across in his past showed up here in Teaberry,” Megan said.

  “They followed him?” Todd asked.

  “No. No, I don’t have all of the details yet but I didn’t get that impression. These were people that Gabe didn’t associate with. He suspected in the past that they were doing something illegal.”

  “I don’t understand.” Kelly’s voice was full of confusion.

  “Gabe was concerned that this group was going to target our community somehow. He went to the police.”

  Todd’s brows went up. “Gabe is working with the police?”

  “Megan, what are you telling us?” Dan sounded frustrated.

  “Gabe volunteered to go undercover to help catch these guys at whatever it was they were planning to do. In fact, he helped them.”

  The confusion in Dan’s eyes began to clear. “The online gambling?”

  “Pretty smart, right? How else do you get people to willingly hand over their sensitive information to you? And not just their bank or credit card information, but in a lot of cases their passwords too. For whatever reason, when people create accounts they often use the same login information for all of them. Once you know that, you can get into all of their accounts.”

  Kelly looked around the table. “I still don’t understand. If Gabe was conning people into giving up their sensitive information, how was that helping?”

  “That’s where the police come in,” Megan said. “They were actually running the web site. The information they got and the information that was later put up for sale wasn’t the same data.”