by Cindy Bell
“Look, I just need a day or two more,” Larry said gruffly. Bekki lowered her foot and crept closer to the door so that she could listen in. It didn't sound like there was anyone else inside with him. Instead, it sounded like he was talking on the telephone.
“How's it going to look if I suddenly disappear with all of this cash?” Larry said with a slight laugh. “I just need to let things cool down a bit, once I do, I'm out of this tiny little town. I'll be living the good life, and you'll be living it right along with me, sweetheart,” he chuckled.
Bekki was busy trying to figure out what money Larry was talking about when the knob began to turn on the back door.
Bekki bit into her bottom lip to keep from gasping as the door began to swing open. She dove for cover behind the dumpster, narrowly missing the door that was thrust into the bricks on the back wall of the store. Larry stumbled out, carrying a large trash bag as he did.
“Yeah I know, it's a pain to have to wait,” he grumbled into the phone as he headed towards the dumpster. “But it's going to be worth it in the end, trust me,” he assured the woman he was on the phone with. Bekki knew that if he looked behind the dumpster he would spot her. But she hoped he would be too distracted by the phone call to notice her.
Larry stopped suddenly in front of the dumpster. He tilted his head slightly to the side as he looked at it.
“I'm sure I had closed this,” he said quietly to himself. The woman on the phone must have said something, because he spoke quickly. “Oh nothing, it's nothing,” he promised. “Listen I need to finish closing up. I'll call you when I get back home, okay?” As he hung up the phone Bekki held her breath. He was only a few inches away from her. All she could think of was what Nick had said about putting herself in danger. Yet, just when she thought he was going to walk around the side of the dumpster to close the lid, he shrugged and tossed the trash bag into the dumpster. Then he headed straight back through the back door.
“Who cares if animals get in it, I'll be out of here soon,” he muttered and slammed the backdoor shut. Bekki released her breath in one quick burst, and then breathed deeply. She didn't realize her mistake until it was far too late. The scent of the trash overwhelmed her and she became dizzy. She stumbled to her feet and nearly tripped over some debris in the alley. As she walked towards the end of the alley she hoped she could make it to her car without passing out. Whatever chemicals he had tossed in the garbage certainly were not meant to be inhaled. As she reached the street she was finally able to see straight. She collapsed into her car and tried to get her mind to clear. Now she was certain that Larry had known exactly what he was doing when he killed John. The question remained, why? And where had all of that money come from? She sighed as she started the car.
Bekki waited until she was sure she was able to drive and then pulled slowly away from the curb. As she drove home she tried to piece together the evidence. The only thing missing from the scenario was John's role in all of it. Had he walked in on some kind of drug deal with Larry? Maybe all those chemicals that she was smelling were used to make drugs? Perhaps Larry felt it was necessary to kill John to protect his secret? That still didn't sit right with her, because John had been the one to declare that he was going to be rich. Had he somehow been partners with Larry? She dismissed that, because as far as she knew John had never even met Larry before the day coffee was spilled on his jacket. She was certain that somehow the key lay with John, the only person she couldn't question. Maybe he couldn't tell her what he had been up to in the days and hours prior to his death, but she might be able to piece together what had happened on her own. She decided that first thing in the morning she would do just that. As she pulled into her driveway the headlights of her car revealed Nick standing on the porch waiting for her. He had a key to her house, but he was still waiting.
Bekki was happy to see him. She parked the car and joined him on the porch. As she leaned in to kiss him, he scrunched up his nose and pulled away slightly.
“Bekki?” he asked with an arched eyebrow. “Why do you smell like that?”
Bekki's eyes widened as she had forgotten that the scent around the dumpster would likely cling to her as well.
“Oh, I spilled some hair dye at work…” she began to say and then looked into his eyes intently. “You know what Nick, the truth is, I was looking for something incriminating at Larry’s.”
“Looking where, in the dump?” he asked with a cough.
“No,” Bekki replied softly.
“In the dumpster behind Larry's store?” Nick asked with a sigh of disappointment.
“I thought he was gone for the day,” Bekki explained as she looked into his eyes. “I didn't expect him to be there.”
“Well, did you find anything?” Nick asked with a slight frown.
“No,” Bekki admitted. “But I did overhear a very interesting conversation between Larry and I'm guessing his girlfriend.”
“Oh?” Nick asked as Bekki unlocked the front door and let them both inside.
“Yes, he was telling her that he was leaving town in a few days. He said he had to wait for things to cool down, and that he couldn't just flaunt all of his money.”
“The money that bought him that watch,” Nick added thoughtfully.
“That's right, so you also noticed his expensive watch,” Bekki nodded and peeled off her sweater. “I'm just going to hop in the shower,” she said as she could smell the scent clinging to her shirt and jeans.
“Okay,” Nick murmured a bit distracted.
As Bekki turned on the water and listened to it splash against the floor of the shower, she smiled to herself. She loved the fact that Nick was in the next room. What she loved more, was the fact that she could invite him in. When she turned to do just that, she found him already standing in the doorway with a sheepish smile.
“Good, I want to talk about the case,” Bekki said as she stepped into the shower. Nick cleared his throat.
“Don't you think the case can wait until after your shower?” he suggested as he watched the water cascade down over her.
“Nope,” Bekki giggled in return. “I want to figure out what John was up to in the few days before his death. Do you think you could get some surveillance camera information? Maybe even get into his computer?”
“I'm not the FBI, Bekki,” Nick laughed lightly and leaned back against the tile wall. Bekki poked her head out from behind the shower curtain.
“Well, we'll have to work on that,” she winked.
“Ha, ha,” Nick winked back. “I can see if we can piece together some information from the local stores and gas stations in the area,” he suggested.
“Great,” Bekki replied.
“Do you think you could hand me a towel?”
Nick sighed as he reached for the towel on the hook behind the door. When he handed it to her, Bekki grabbed him suddenly by the wrist. She tugged him right into the shower with her, the still falling water soaking his clothes.
Nick laughed through their kiss and when he pulled away he looked deeply into her eyes.
“You never cease to amaze me.”
Bekki wiggled her eyebrows and kissed him again. As she pulled the shower curtain closed around them she felt some relief knowing that she had a plan to solve John's murder. She could focus her attention now, on a little romance with Nick.
Chapter Six
Early the next morning Bekki called Sammy to ask if she could open for her. Sammy agreed, and Bekki had the morning free. She had already made a plan as to who she was going to speak with and how she would track John's activities in the days leading up to his murder. She knew that he did a lot for Ms. Martin, so she was going to start with her. As a tool she had created a timeline of a forty-eight hour period that led up to the moment she had walked into the cleaners and interrupted Larry in the middle of the shooting.
When she arrived at Ms. Martin's home she noticed that her lawn was very well kept. Not only that but her trash cans had her house number painted on
them. Her flowers were watered, and her front door had a fresh coat of paint on it. She was sure that the woman who was fairly fragile at her age, had not done this on her own. When she knocked on the front door it took a few minutes before Ms. Martin answered. She was leaning heavily on a walker.
“Ms. Martin, are you okay?” Bekki asked as she wasn't used to seeing her with the walker.
“Oh yes,” Ms. Martin nodded. “I just use this around the house. I fell once, and John insisted that I have a walker to keep me safe since I live alone.”
“That's a wise choice,” Bekki nodded with a warm smile. “Actually, I'm here to ask you a few questions about John, do you mind if I come in?”
“Sure,” Ms. Martin smiled and stepped back from the door so that she could step inside.
“Did John paint your door for you?” she asked as they settled down at the dining room table.
“Yes,” Ms. Martin said sadly as she stared down at the lace tablecloth that covered the table. “He did so many things for me. It was like having a son of my very own,” she admitted. “I never told him that, but that's how it felt. That's why I know for certain he would never do what they have accused him of doing.”
“Well, that's what I'm trying to prove,” Bekki said with a firm nod. “I want to see if I can figure out some of the places that John was before he was killed. That way I might be able to figure out why Larry would want to harm him.”
“Oh Bekki, you're so clever,” Ms. Martin smiled and nodded. “I'll do anything I can to help.”
“Well, when was the last time you saw John?” Bekki asked and poised her pen above the timeline she had created.
“Oh, it was shortly after lunch, the day before he was killed. He came over to bring my trash cans up. He made sure they had my house number on them, because some of these unscrupulous neighbors took off with my last pair.”
“I'm sorry to hear that,” Bekki said sympathetically as she marked down the time that he was with Ms. Martin. “And that was the last time you saw him?” she asked again.
“Yes, I'm sure of it, because he said he would come to dinner the next night, and he never showed,” she shook her head a little. “I figured he had become tired of an old woman's company, I had no idea what was really happening.”
Bekki marked on the timeline that John had missed dinner with Ms. Martin. “He always wore his nicest jacket when we had dinner together,” Ms. Martin explained, reminiscing.
“Maybe that was why he was so determined to get his jacket,” Bekki said thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” Ms. Martin sniffled.
“Did John mention anything to you about coming into some money?” Bekki asked her and studied the woman intently.
“No, he didn't,” she shook her head. “In fact, from what I could tell he wasn't doing very well in that department. I offered to pay him for all of his help, but he wouldn't take a penny from me.”
Bekki nodded and patted the back of the woman's hand. “Thank you so much for your time Ms. Martin.”
“Oh wait!” Ms. Martin suddenly gasped. “I remember now. He called me later that day, it was in the evening. I was already tucked into my bed watching my shows so I just let it ring. In the morning I listened to the message. He said he had a big surprise for me, and couldn't wait to see me at dinner,” Ms. Martin frowned. “I guess I'll never know what that was. But maybe that will help?”
“It helps a lot,” Bekki nodded as she marked the time of the phone call down on the timeline. “Thanks again Ms. Martin, and if you ever need anything, please call me,” she handed the woman her business card. “I know that it is very hard for you to lose John, but you do have other people around you that care. Please don't be shy about calling, okay?”
“Okay,” Ms. Martin smiled with relief in her eyes. She was probably expecting she wouldn't have anyone to help her anymore.
“Please do let me know what happens,” Ms. Martin said eagerly. “I want to make sure that John's name is cleared.”
“I'm working on it Ms. Martin,” Bekki promised her. “The moment I know something, I will call.”
“Thanks, Bekki,” she called out as Bekki let herself out through the front door. Even though she had no idea what the big surprise for Ms. Martin was, something had changed in John's life just before he died, now she just had to figure out what.
***
After the talk with Ms. Martin, Bekki was even more dedicated to making sure she discovered the truth. The timeline was starting to come together and the next person she wanted to talk to was Hattie. She ran the local convenience store and was always suspicious of everyone. When Bekki walked into the shop, her eyes were glowing.
“Hi Hattie,” Bekki said with a smile and walked up to the counter.
“Oh Bekki, I'm so excited!” she squeaked out.
“What is it? Why?” Bekki asked with a slight laugh.
“I just got the news that the big winning lottery ticket was sold here! Here in our little town!” she was nearly giddy with excitement. “It means the shop will get a nice kick back for selling the ticket, and that we have a millionaire in our town!”
Bekki's eyes widened slightly as she processed that information. “When was the ticket sold, Hattie?” she asked and spread her timeline out on the counter.
“Oh, uhm,” Hattie glanced over the letter she had just received. “It looks like it was sold last week,” she paused a moment before adding, “Two days before all that nasty business with John and Larry.”
“Really,” Bekki murmured as she marked that down on the paper in front of her. She was starting to piece things together now, she was sure of it. “Do you remember selling the ticket?”
“Oh Bekki, we sell hundreds of tickets, especially when there is a big jackpot,” she pointed out.
“Well, what about John, or Larry, do you remember selling a ticket to either of them?” she asked hesitantly. She knew what she was thinking was just a hunch, but she was hoping it would pay off.
“Actually,” Hattie nodded slowly. “Yes, John used to buy one every week. He always used to enter the same numbers. He said they were his lucky numbers. He also mentioned how he barely had any money but he was feeling lucky so he was still going to buy a ticket.”
“You remember all of that?” Bekki asked with surprise.
“Well, I remembered it because I decided he needed to go on my list of people I need to watch for shoplifting. Everyone's hitting hard times, but that doesn't mean they can randomly steal from me,” she narrowed her eyes slightly. “Now does it?”
Bekki managed a smile and nodded in agreement. “Now, what about Larry? Did he buy a ticket?” she asked.
“Larry, no way,” Hattie shook her head. “That man was so cheap he would snatch pennies from the take a penny leave a penny cup, and then not use it! He would just put it in his pocket!”
“Wow,” Bekki said with surprise. “I've never seen anyone do that before.”
“My point exactly,” Hattie nodded with a slight smirk. “This is not the type of man to buy a lottery ticket, he wouldn't waste his money on it.”
Bekki frowned as she felt as if she was hitting a road block. “Do you remember what John did with the ticket he bought?”
“Bekki, my memory isn't that great,” Hattie laughed.
“What about your cameras?” Bekki asked as she glanced up at one hanging in the corner of the store.
“Sorry, I delete the footage each night. It's cheaper than having to buy extra hard drives for storage.”
Bekki sighed but smiled at Hattie. “Thanks for all your help, Hattie.”
“No problem,” Hattie replied with a shrug. When Bekki started to turn away she called out. “Aren't you going to buy something?”
Bekki hid a laugh and grabbed a bag of potato chips to snack on. As she reached into her pocket to pay for it, she remembered she had placed her wallet on the inside pocket of her jacket. When she slipped her hand inside her jacket, her mind flashed back to John's jacket. That was it! He
had put the ticket in his jacket! Bekki tossed down a ten dollar bill, way too much for the bag of chips and began running out of the shop.
“Bekki, your change!” Hattie called out.
“Just put it in the take a penny leave a penny cup!” she called over her shoulder. She had her phone out as she was running to her car. She dialed Nick, but only got his voicemail. She groaned and decided not to leave a message. She knew she still didn't have any real evidence, but she was certain she had unraveled at least part of the mystery.
Chapter Seven
Bekki was determined only to take a quick peek inside the cleaners. She presumed that Nick couldn't go in again without a warrant. She knew that if Nick found out what she was doing, he would not be pleased, but she was so close to solving the mystery that she simply could not resist. When she pressed on the back window, she found that it swung inward fairly easily. It was probably often left open to dispel fumes and rarely locked. As she slid through the window and into the back room of the cleaners, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The entire shop was dark, and she was sure that she was alone. Still she didn't want anyone on the outside of the shop to see a light on, so she pulled out her small penlight from her pocket. As she shined it around the room she was searching for something, anything, that would prove Larry had claimed the winning ticket. It was the motive she needed for Nick to be able to get a warrant, and for the forensic evidence to be re-evaluated. She didn't see anything unusual in the back room. She tugged at the drawers in the desk and found that they were empty. It seemed as if Larry was ready to leave at a moment’s notice. What she did discover was that his computer was gone.