by Cindy Bell
Bekki was just about to venture towards the front, when the beam of her flashlight revealed something surprising. In the corner, in the middle of dust and cobwebs, was a black duffel bag. It looked as if it was fairly new, so she doubted it had been sitting there for long. As she stepped closer to it, she could tell that it was stuffed full. Bekki crouched down in front of the duffel bag. She pulled out a handkerchief she kept in her pocket for moments just like this and began unzipping the bag with the cloth covering her fingertips. She was learning little by little what disrupted potential evidence. As she unzipped the bag all the way she was greeted by the distinct scent of new bills. The bag was stuffed to the point of the seams stretching, with stacks of cash. Bekki had never seen so much money in one place before, it was both dazzling and shocking at the same time. She was sure that this had to be the lottery winnings. If he didn't buy a ticket, that meant he had probably turned in John's, and claimed the prize for himself. She was reaching for her phone to call Nick and to snap a photograph of the cash, but before she could do that, she heard a slight shuffling sound coming from the front of the shop.
“Who's there?” Larry's voice called out from the front of the cleaners. Bekki froze. There was still no light on. Had Larry been sitting in there in the dark? She realized that if he walked in on her right now, he could rightfully claim that she had broken in. He might even get away with shooting and killing her the same way that he had gotten away with killing John. She was just about to hide behind the desk when the light in the backroom switched on. The sudden bright light caused her to wince and draw back against the wall.
“Bekki?” Larry asked incredulously from the doorway. “What are you doing here?” then his gaze swiftly shifted to the still open duffel bag in the corner. He stared for a moment at the money that she had revealed. Then he laid his hand lightly against his lower back. “You should have left it alone, Bekki,” he said quietly without looking up at her.
“How could I?” Bekki countered and cleared her throat. She wasn't going to show him that she was afraid. “I knew John would never try to rob someone. That wasn't what happened, was it Larry?” she asked, her tone growing more aggressive as she spoke.
“What does it matter?” Larry hissed in return, his own voice venomous. “You can't prove anything.”
“I can prove that you cashed a lottery ticket that didn't belong to you,” Bekki said firmly as she looked pointedly at the money. “I'm fairly certain that if we compare the time of John's purchase to the numbers that were printed from the lottery machine it will give us a definitive match.”
“So?” Larry shrugged with annoyance. “Just because someone buys a ticket, doesn't mean they won't misplace it, or give it to someone else.”
“Is that it then?” Bekki asked as she slowly crossed her arms over her stomach. “Did John give you the ticket?”
“I found it,” Larry argued as he glared at her.
“Finding and stealing are not the same thing,” she barked out. “You stole it from the pocket of John's jacket,” Bekki accused with confidence in her voice. “You found it in his pocket when you were cleaning his jacket, and you took it. How did you know they were the winning numbers?” she asked curiously, that was one piece of the puzzle she wasn't sure about. Larry didn't answer he only continued to glare at her.
“Let me guess, you just decided to check. You found the ticket, and figured why not take a look? You wanted to see if it was your lucky day,” Bekki suggested. “Is that why you got rid of your computer? Because it shows that you looked up the lottery website to check the numbers?”
“This is all nonsense,” Larry said sharply. “You have broken into my shop. You're the only criminal here.”
“Is that what you said to him?” Bekki asked in a whisper as she blinked back tears that were threatening to form. “When he came here to get his jacket, did you tell him that he had broken in, and that he was a criminal? All the while knowing that you had already turned in the ticket?” she asked breathlessly.
Larry looked up at her with surprise at her words.
“That day when you were closed, you weren't sick, were you? You'd gone to turn in the ticket before John could claim it,” she sighed as she stared at him. “You know it's strange because I was certain that John hadn't tried to rob you, but I also found it hard to believe that you would be so cruel and greedy. I guess I misjudged you.”
“You don't understand,” Larry sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I've got this girlfriend. I am head over heels in love with her. She's my everything. But she doesn't want some guy in the dry cleaning business. She wants a rich man. I lied to her. I told her that my business was a great success. But I was running out of money, the business was going under, and I knew if she found out she'd never want to be with me. I was going to have to close up the shop soon, and I knew I'd be losing her. So, when I found the ticket, it was like my own little miracle. I knew I could buy her anything she dreamed of,” his voice trailed off wistfully.
“So, you did all of this for a woman who only wanted you for your money?” Bekki asked with a slight scoff. “Larry, that's no excuse for killing someone.”
“I wasn't going to shoot him!” Larry insisted and shook his head. “I was going to return the jacket to him, and act like everything was fine. But he checked the pocket, and when the ticket wasn't there, he got angry. He asked me if I'd thrown it out, or if I'd kept it for myself,” Larry lowered his eyes, his hands trembling. “I tried to pretend that I didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't believe me. I asked him why he would leave a winning ticket in a jacket pocket. He said that I must have seen the ticket if I knew it had winning numbers. He said he didn’t check the numbers the night it was drawn because he was out and that he had only checked the numbers after he had given me the jacket. After he searched for the ticket at home he knew he must have accidentally left the ticket in the pocket and he knew he had won because he always selected the same numbers. I knew, I just knew that if I let him live, I'd never be able to have all of that money. We were alone in the store, I had my gun,” he pulled out the gun he had tucked into the back of his pants so that Bekki could see it. “And I just did it. I didn't plan it. I just wanted the money so badly. How could I have a fortune, and then just give it away? It's not possible, is it?”
“Yes it is,” Bekki replied, her voice growing heavier with disdain for the man. “It is possible, because a human life is worth far more than money could be worth, and especially John's. He spent his days doing good for others, while you decided to take what wasn't yours to begin with.”
Larry was silent for a long moment. It almost seemed as if his personality was shifting. His muscles tensed, his lips tightened, and his gaze became deadly when it returned to her eyes.
“You should be cautious how you're speaking to me. I didn't start out a murderer, I certainly never intended to be one, but now that I am, I suppose it doesn't matter how many people I kill.”
Bekki's jaw clenched as she prepared to defend herself. Even though she was well trained, she knew that a gun was a hard thing to defend against.
“It does matter,” Bekki said sternly. “Yes, you killed John, but you did so in the heat of the moment, like you said, overwhelmed by the idea of losing a fortune. That's something that a jury could understand, especially if you turn yourself in. Surrendering would make you look very good in the eyes of a jury,” she held his gaze boldly, hoping that her words were reaching him. When she saw a glimmer of emotion she thought she had made a connection, but his quiet laughter revealed that he was amused.
“Do you really think I'm that stupid?” he asked. “I've got more money than I could spend in a lifetime, do you think I'm going to languish behind bars?”
He held the gun in the air before him, the barrel pointing accusingly at Bekki.
“Now the way I see it, you barged in here, startling me. I was so frightened by the last attempted robbery that I just reacted, oops, no more Bekki,” his eyes twinkled a li
ttle. “I guess all of your snooping just got you into too much danger.”
“Put the gun down,” Bekki growled and shifted her stance subtly. Just a turn of her foot and bend of her knee eased her into the position she needed to be in to attack. Of course, Larry had no idea that was what she had done.
“I truly am sorry, Bekki,” Larry said hesitantly. “I know that what I did was wrong, and that this is wrong, too. But lucky for me, I've never cared much about ethics, rich men don't often have to worry about that,” he chuckled again and released the safety catch on the gun.
Bekki studied his expression, she could tell that he was drunk with power, that he believed she had no way to escape. What he didn't expect was how fast and high her foot could kick. When the toe of her shoe struck the inside of his wrist he yelped in pain, and the gun he held nearly jerked out of his hand. He didn't drop it though, instead his finger squeezed the trigger, and a shot was fired. It sailed right past Bekki and lodged itself in the wall behind her. She tried not to let it distract her as she slammed her fist forward into Larry's cheek. He winced as the pain burst through his cheek bone and up into his eye. She had landed quite a fierce blow. Far fiercer than he had expected her to be able to.
“Stop it,” he growled and raised the gun again. This time when Bekki kicked, she struck the right nerve in his wrist and his fingers sprung outward involuntarily, releasing the gun. The gun clattered to the floor as Bekki attempted to land another kick. It didn't reach its mark because Larry seized her by the ankle and jerked her leg hard. Bekki wasn't expecting much opposition and the tug of her leg knocked her off balance. She fell to the floor, striking her shoulder hard on it. With Larry looming over her she tried to reach the gun. She got it into her hands, but Larry's foot came down hard on her curled fingers making her cry out in pain. She lobbed her knee upward, striking him in the stomach as he leaned down to wrench the gun from her. She held fast to the gun as he buckled in pain and was able to get away from him. As he began to stand back up she raised the weapon and aimed it directly at him.
“You wouldn't…” he hissed, but before he could finish his words, the back door of the shop slammed open. Bekki was distracted by the sound and glanced over her shoulder. Larry seized the moment to attempt to wrestle the gun out of Bekki's hands. He couldn't quite get a grasp before Nick's muscular frame barreled into the man and sent him sprawling back against the wall. Larry pushed back, attempting to writhe out of Nick's grasp, but Nick easily overpowered him with a sweep of his leg against Larry's ankles, that left him kneeling on the floor. In the next moment Nick had him pinned on his stomach on the floor. He swung Larry's arms behind his back and snapped handcuffs on his wrists all before Bekki could even process that he was there. When Nick looked up at her, breathless, his cheeks flushed, and looking more handsome than ever, she didn't realize she was still holding the gun out in front of her.
“Put the gun on the floor, Bekki,” Nick said calmly. Bekki immediately put the gun down on the floor, out of Larry's reach. From behind Bekki several officers surged forward to take custody of Larry. Bekki stumbled to her feet, still in a bit of shock, and instantly Nick's arms were around her. “Are you okay?” he breathed as he held her close.
“I am now,” she murmured and looked up at him with amazement. “How did you know?”
“I didn't,” he replied and then murmured his next words. “Well, I didn't know for sure,” he amended. “When you turned me down earlier, I knew that you were up to something. I saw you near the shop earlier, and then you disappeared. I couldn't find you anywhere, so I walked down the back alley to see if you had decided to do some investigating. I heard the gun shot,” he added, his eyes showing a little fear. “He shot at you Bekki,” he said under his breath as he stared intently at her. “Do you have any idea what it would do to me if anything ever happened to you?”
Bekki was touched by his words, and only resisted kissing him because the room was flooded with police officers. She knew that Nick was waiting for an explanation, but she had to get everything out first.
“That money over there,” she pointed to the duffel bag that Morris had already found. “That's from a winning lottery ticket that John bought, and then left in the pocket of his jacket. Larry found it, he claimed the prize money, and when John came back looking for his jacket and the ticket, he shot him so that he wouldn't lose his fortune. John really was innocent, Nick,” she searched his gaze for his agreement. “Now we have the proof.”
“And was it worth it?” Nick asked as he tugged her gently away from the other officers around them. “Was it worth it to risk your life for a man's reputation, who's already dead?” he asked with growing frustration. Bekki thought of the way that John had helped people. She knew that Nick would never understand why it had been so important to her that she had put her life in danger. But John was a good man, he had lived as a good person, and he deserved to be buried as a good man, too.
“Yes,” she finally answered, drawing a groan of annoyance from Nick.
“This conversation is not over,” Nick warned, but his tone was loving. He kissed her forehead gently and then whispered against her skin. “Is it illegal to make you wear a bulletproof vest everywhere you go?”
“I don't think it would go with my purse,” Bekki smiled and kissed his cheek tenderly. “I'm safe Nick. Larry is going to be behind bars for a very long time. John can rest in peace now, and I have a feeling that he'll still be giving from the grave.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked curiously as he continued to hold her more tightly than usual. She knew that his protective instincts made him never want to let go.
“Just have Morris go to John's house and check through his mail,” Bekki replied mysteriously. “I think what's there will prove to be interesting and important to John's estate, especially once we prove that he was the one to purchase the winning ticket.”
“How do you know this?” Nick started to ask and then just sighed with defeat. “Never mind, I shouldn't ask,” he laughed quietly and then kissed her firmly on the lips. “The important thing is that you're okay,” he admitted in a whisper.
“Thanks to you,” Bekki replied and met his gaze with gratitude.
“You were doing pretty well yourself,” he smiled with subtle pride.
“It never hurts to have backup,” Bekki pointed out with a grin.
Chapter Eight
By the next morning the ticket purchase had been verified and the stolen funds were legally returned to John's estate. It was Christmas Eve and it seemed to be the perfect day for the memorial that was conducted in the center of town for John. The ladies of the Big Hat Club were there, each with a different large hat decked out in black lace, black satin, and lilies. Bekki had to wonder if these were simply hats they had on hand, or if they were made specifically for John's memorial. Ms. Martin had a balled up tissue in her hand and was wiping at her eyes before the ceremony even started. She was shivering a little in the cold air, the temperature had dropped yet again. Bekki tugged her wool scarf free from her neck and walked up behind Ms. Martin. She draped it gently around the woman's neck and shoulders.
“Oh thank you, Bekki,” Ms. Martin said in a trembling voice. “I still can't believe he's gone.”
“I know he cared a lot for you Ms. Martin,” Bekki murmured. “He may be gone, but I promise you, he's always with you.”
“That's a nice thought,” Ms. Martin nodded, but Bekki could see from the strain in her expression that she did not believe her words. The mayor was conducting the memorial which struck everyone in town as unusual, considering that John was just a real estate agent, and not involved in politics.
“Today we honor a man who acted with kindness, even when no one else noticed. His death is a great tragedy for our town, but even in his passing, he has offered our town one last act of kindness,” he said proudly. Everyone paid close attention to the mayor as he spoke.
“John came into a considerable amount of wealth just before his passing, w
ealth that he never even had the chance to enjoy. But he made sure he wrote a will so that his wishes for the funds would be honored. One of those wishes was for our town to have a program that would transform foreclosed or abandoned homes into places of refuge for those in need. Perhaps our time with John was too short, but I have a feeling the influence of his presence in our small town will last for quite some time. The remainder of his funds shall be distributed to his loved ones,” the mayor explained. Sammy had just stepped up beside Bekki as the mayor spoke. She offered a quizzical frown.
“But John didn't have any family,” she said with a slight shake of her head. “Where will all of that money go?”
Bekki smiled secretively. She had a pretty good idea, but she shouldn’t be the one to share that information. As Nick stepped up on the other side of her, she felt the wealth of having so many friends and family to care about her, and the security of being back home in a town where it truly did matter if a person made an effort to help others.
After the memorial Ms. Martin was struggling to get to her feet from her chair. She grasped the sides of the chair and pushed herself upward. Bekki offered her arm to help steady her.
“Thank you,” Ms. Martin said with a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude.
“Ms. Martin?” a man in a fine suit asked as he walked up to them.
“Yes?” Ms. Martin asked, still leaning heavily on Bekki's arm. “I have some information for you,” he said in a professional tone, would you mind joining me inside?” he gestured to Angela's Bakery which was catering the memorial.
“Of course,” Ms. Martin nodded, speaking in her normal soft voice. “Bekki, would you mind?” she asked as she looked up at her pleadingly.
“Not at all,” Bekki smiled and helped Ms. Martin into the bakery. Once Ms. Martin was settled comfortably in a chair, Bekki walked away to give them some privacy.