by Ann Mullen
Cole bounced back by sticking out his hand to Billy. “Congratulations,” he said. “I hope the two of you’ll be very happy.”
However, the look on his face said differently.
“Let’s get back to the matter at hand,” Billy said.
“That’s Laura Westover,” Cole said. “You can’t be serious. Her husband’s one of the most decorated officers on the force. He’s gotten more awards than two people combined.”
“I can assure you that she is the woman I saw in my house,” Mom insisted. “I don’t make up stories. I only got a quick glance, but I’m sure it was her. I don’t care if her husband is the King of Siam... she’s the one.”
Chapter 14
It was five o’clock when Billy and I left the hospital. Mom had promised to stay in bed and do what Dr. Bryant said, but was determined to leave first thing in the morning, no matter what. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was adamant. Her beloved husband had died in that same hospital and she refused to stay a moment longer than necessary. I guess she was a little superstitious. I couldn’t blame her.
“Don’t worry about your mom, Jesse. She’ll be fine,” Billy assured me. “I talked to Claire. I told her that if your mom tries to get her to take her home before the doctor signs the release form, to give me a call. I’ll go right back to the hospital and sit on her if I have to.”
“My mom’s a determined woman. When she sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her.”
“Don’t forget, I’m a determined man. She’s not getting out of the hospital without me knowing about it.”
“You and she have much in common; you’re both stubborn.”
“Ah, ha... the pot calling the kettle black. It seems to me that you can be pretty persistent when you set your mind to something, too.”
“I must admit that I can be,” I said.
I wasn’t really paying much attention to our conversation. I was more concerned with the weather. Snow was falling and the wind had picked up. The Jeep rocked back and forth all the way to Mom’s house, and I could see Billy was having a hard time keeping it on the road.
“Why don’t you put the car in four-wheel drive?”
“It’s in four-wheel drive, but even that won’t do us any good against this wind.” He looked concerned. “I haven’t felt anything like this in a long time. As a matter-of-fact, the last time I experienced wind like this was when we had that blizzard in 1995. It was a butt-kicker. Now that I think about it, everyone in five surrounding counties were snowed in. We got eighteen inches in three hours one day, and seven inches the next. Six people died. It was a nightmare. Greene, Nelson, Madison, Albemarle, and Orange Counties were crippled. Charlottesville was like a ghost town.”
“Oh, that makes me feel good.”
“I’m sorry, Jesse, I wasn’t trying to scare you, but I think we’re in for a rough ride. We’d better take this storm seriously. We’ll go fix the hole in the wall the best we can, and lock down your mom’s house. We’ll stop by my apartment before we head home. I need to get a few things.”
“What about Laura Westover. Aren’t we going to go question her?”
“Not today, kid. It’s going to have to wait.” He shot a glance over at me as he drove up to Mom’s garage. “Don’t go and get any funny ideas about going to see her without me. I don’t plan on leaving you alone. The last time I did that, look what happened.”
“I remember that because of my actions, the case was solved.”
“And you were almost killed.”
“That was a close call. I thought for sure that I was a goner. Don’t worry, the thought never crossed my mind this time.” I opened the car door and got out, fighting against the wind as I made my way to the utility room door. “Besides,” I said as I shoved my key into the deadbolt, “Cole’s probably got her in custody by now.”
“No doubt in my mind. He’s so efficient at his job.”
I started to give Billy a dirty look, but stopped cold. Pieces of wood from the pie safe that once sat between the living room and the dining area was scattered about as if it had been smashed with a twenty pound mall. Its contents lay everywhere. Snow was blowing in through a hole the size of a basketball in the wall.
“I’ll fix the hole while you clean up the mess,” Billy instructed.
I picked up the pieces of broken wood and piled them in the corner of the kitchen, just in case Mom wanted to try and get the pie safe fixed. I had serious doubts about that endeavor, but you never know... anything’s possible. I found an empty box in the utility room and used it to store the endless supply of pill bottles, papers, pens, bills, and advertisements that I collected off the floor. As I swept, I heard Billy nailing something over the hole. A few minutes later, he walked in carrying a small piece of plywood. By then, I had everything cleaned up and had made a thorough search of the house. I found nothing out of the ordinary except an overturned vase of flowers in Mom’s bedroom. I was sure that had happened in Laura Westover’s haste to escape.
“You did a good job of cleaning up the mess. As soon as I get this piece of plywood nailed over this hole, we can get out of here. Did you find anything while I was outside?”
“Just a flower vase knocked over on a table in Mom’s bedroom. Everything else seems fine... except for that big hole in the wall.” I laughed.
“Not for long, my dear.” He placed the piece of wood over the hole and hammered several nails into it. “It isn’t pretty, but it serves the purpose.”
“I made sure all the windows were locked, the deadbolt was secure on the front door, and I set the thermostat on sixty-eight. I think that just about covers everything.”
“I’ll put the hammer back in the garage while you lock the back door.”
The house was secure. We hurried out of Dogwood Valley as fast as we safely could. The snow pelted the windshield as the wipers worked overtime to keep up. The car heater constantly churned out a flow of hot air. Fallen tree limbs made maneuvering a difficult task.
“This is going to be a rough ride. Tighten your seat belt.”
It was a harrowing ride. Cars were stalled along the highway; some in ditches. The police were out in full force, helping motorists and directing traffic. Tow trucks passed us at breakneck speed, in a hurry to make that all-American buck. Every inch of snow that fell was another dollar in their pocket. I knew that from past experience.
I had a friend back in Newport News who owned a wrecker business. I once asked him why he risked his life going out in dangerous weather, and he told me, the worst the weather, the more money he made. What a scary way to make a living, I thought to myself. Yet, the last I heard, his business was thriving, and he was getting ready to build a new home.
“I’ve changed my mind. We’re taking a detour,” Billy said after a long silence. “I thought we’d ride by South River Estates and check on our friends, Laura and Brad.” He handed me his cell phone. “Check caller ID and find the number for the hospital. Tell your mom the hole’s fixed and the house is locked down. Ask her about Claire and the kids. They don’t need to be up there in that house alone. They can stay with us until the storm passes.”
“What about Mom?”
“She’s not going anywhere.” He gave me a knowing look. “She’s right where she needs to be and this storm is going to keep her there.”
I made the call, and after a few grunts and groans from Claire, I convinced her it would be safer for her and the kids to stay with us. I wasn’t crazy about the idea, but she was my sister. I told her we would be there in about two hours. I figured that would give Billy and me enough time to have a chat with the Westovers, get to the hospital, and then back to our place before the storm reached its deadly force.
Within the fifteen minutes it took us to get to South River Estates, another inch of snow had accumulated on the ground. I feared we were in for a storm like the one Billy had described earlier, and I wasn’t prepared for the excitement. I had never lived anywhere that the weather could
shut you up in your house for a week, and cut you off from civilization. What did people do for a whole week without a television and a phone? I had a feeling I was about to find out.
South River Estates was a gated community of twenty high-priced homes. Each two-story house sat on a half-acre lot, surrounded by evergreen trees (according to the brochure I saw in a grocery store) and offered a place of refinement and seclusion in which to live. The starting price was three hundred and ten thousand dollars, which made me wonder how Roy and Mary could have afforded such a place. He was a cop, and she didn’t have a job. The upkeep alone must have been outrageous, and even a cop on-the-take couldn’t make that much, could he?
A thought struck me. I turned to Billy as we pulled up to the entrance gate and said, “I thought Roy and Mary once lived here. Are you also telling me that another Greene County deputy lives in this community?”
“I was wondering when you’d pick up on that little tidbit. The Westovers moved into the Keen’s place three days after they moved out.”
Billy reached in his pocket, removed his ID and flashed it at the security guard as we approached.
“What address, sir?” the guard asked.
“It’s number Seven, Pine Tree Lane,” Billy replied.
The guard’s eyes widened. “There’s nobody home at that address, sir.”
“Darn,” Billy turned to me, pretending to be disappointed. “We were told they were at home.” He looked back at the guard. “Do you have any idea when they’ll be back? We’re investigating a murder and had some questions for the Westovers.”
“A murder?” He examined Billy’s ID closer. “That’s what all the fuss was about. You just missed them. The police took Mrs. Westover out a few minutes ago, and Mr. Westover followed them. I knew those folks were going to be trouble. Every tenant who has lived in that house since the owner started renting it out has been nothing but a headache.”
“Who owns the place? Can you tell me? I wouldn’t want to get you into any trouble.”
“I don’t see why not. It was in the papers and all over the news about four years ago.”
“What was all over the news? I don’t understand.” Billy appeared to be intrigued. “Did something happen here?”
“Yes, people were murdered, sir.” The guard leaned closer to Billy’s window. “Clayton Tyler owns the place. Four years ago, his wife and two kids were murdered right in their own beds. Poor fellow. He was out of town when it happened. The police never did catch the guys who did it. But from what I hear, Mr. Tyler did. Word on the street is that he found the guys and had them killed. As far as I’m concerned, he did the right thing—they deserved to die. He rents out the place now. He says he just couldn’t live there anymore.”
The name sparked my memory. “Tyler—that name sounds familiar,” I said. I cast my eyes at Billy. “Do we know him?”
“You ought to recognize the name,” the guard boasted. “Mr. Tyler owns Imperial Distributors. It’s a big company in Charlottesville that serves as a distribution center for all sorts of stuff from furniture to exotic foods. Companies buy products from other companies, and Imperial takes care of the transportation and oversight of delivery. At least, that’s what Mr. Tyler said. I never did quite understand the operation, but hey, I’m no businessman either. Whatever he had going on sure made him a lot of money.”
“You think we could have a look around?” Billy whispered. “We won’t touch anything. I promise.”
“I don’t know. I could lose my job.”
Billy whipped out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to him. “There’s another one in it for you when we leave.”
The guy grabbed the money and waved us on through without making us sign the visitor’s log that he had in his hand.
“Boy, you’re slick,” I said, winking at Billy as we drove away. “He didn’t even make us sign in. That’s probably why the police didn’t catch the guys who killed Tyler’s family. They probably bought him off just like you did. And that’s probably how Clayton Tyler found out who the killers were—through the guard.”
“Money talks, honey. I’m just surprised I got by so cheap.”
Number Seven was an exact replica of the other houses we had ridden past. As with the rest, the number posted above the front door was not just a number, but was spelled out in its entirety. I found that to be so classy.
“We should do that to our place.” I pointed to the house number as Billy drove up and parked in the driveway. “I can see it now.” I spread my hands out in a sweeping motion. “Two.”
“If that’s what you want,” he replied, getting out of the Jeep and coming over to my side of the car. “It fits. You’re going to be my second wife and I’m going to be your second boyfriend since you moved to the mountains.” His smile was infectious.
I grabbed his arm and let him help me out of the car. “That’s fine as long as you don’t mean second-best.”
“Never,” he said. His eyes met mine for an intense moment.
He reached in his pocket and pulled out two pairs of latex gloves. “Here, put these on.”
I took the thin gloves and shoved my hands inside. “I’m ready,” I grinned. “Let’s get to work.”
Billy motioned for me to slip around the back of the house and check out the doors while he snooped around out front. Contrary to Billy’s instructions, it wasn’t necessary to sneak or slide. Unlike its neighbors, the entire house was surrounded from view by an endless grove of trees, yet to be pruned. Nobody was going to notice our presence. If the house had an alarm system, I figured it would alert the guard first, before the signal was sent to the police. That factor alone gave me the courage to rattle the windows and kick the sliding glass door.
The door slipped off its track. I reached over and grabbed the handle, pushing it aside. A gust of warm air from the heat inside rushed at me, making the curtains billow against my face. Suddenly, I was standing in the middle of what could only be the occupants’ party room. One complete wall was filled with every conceivable electronic gadget designed to enhance your musical pleasure or fulfill your viewing desires. Comfortable sofas and chairs consumed the center of the floor. A massive bar lined the opposite wall. In the back of the room, a staircase led up to the next level of the house.
“Wow!” I said out loud. “What a great room!”
Billy suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “You should see the rest of the house! It’s pretty nice.”
“How did you get in here?” I asked, forcing myself back down to earth.
“I have my ways.” He snickered. “I see you’ve learned how to bypass those cheap, crappy sliding glass doors.”
“Piece of cake,” I flung my ponytail across my shoulders. “It was nothing, my dear.”
Billy glanced down at my feet. “Jesse, look at your shoes. Haven’t you learned anything about leaving evidence at the scene? Go back outside and knock off that snow.”
I went to the door and kicked the snow from my shoes while he disappeared from the room and returned a few minutes later. He was carrying a handful of paper towels. Billy wiped the melted snow from the floor, and then passed the wad of wet towels to me.
“Dry the bottom of your shoes.”
I looked at him as if he was crazy. “Are you serious?”
“Please, just do it. I disabled the alarm. I’d say we have about ten minutes before the guard realizes the system’s down. Hurry up. We don’t want to waste any time.”
“What are we looking for?” I asked. I wiped my shoes and then tossed the wet paper towels outside. I would pick them up and take them with me when we left.
“I’ll let you know when we find it. There’s an office upstairs. I think that’s where we should start. I’ll search through the computer while you rummage through everything else. Let’s go.”
We ran up the stairs to the room Billy wanted to search. He sat down at the computer and began scanning through the files as I searched through the book cases and the file cab
inet. Finally, I came across a picture on the wall that looked as if it had tiny hinges hidden on one side. I pulled at the picture and discovered a hidden wall safe.
“Ah, ha!” I looked at Billy. “Know anything about safecracking?”
He stopped and glanced at the wall, examining my find. “Give me a minute. I think I’m onto something.”
“What did you find?” I walked over to the desk and peeked over his shoulder. “It looks like an address book.”
“It’s more than an address book. It’s a payment book,” he said. “Look around for a box of blank computer discs. I want to download everything.”
“Can’t you just download all this stuff to your office computer or to the one at home?”
“I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to leave a trail. It can be traced.”
I searched the desk drawers on both sides of Billy and came up with a usable disc. I handed it to him. “Here,” I said. “There was a whole box if you need more.”
He inserted the disc into the hard drive, clicked a few keys, and started downloading information.
“Okay, let’s have a look at that safe.” He walked over to the wall, turned the handle and the safe opened. “Somebody must have been in a hurry. They forgot to close the door all the way. What a streak of luck.” He stood in front of the safe with his back to me for a few minutes, and then turned with a strange expression on his face. He was angry. “You’re not going to believe this.” He stepped back for me to have a look. “Check it out.”
I stepped forward, and peeked inside. The safe contained a wad of cash, three plastic bags filled with white powder, and a gallon-size bag of pot. “Drugs… I should have known. What are we going to do?”
He closed the safe and walked back to the computer. “We’re getting out of here, shortly.”
“You mean we’re just going to leave the stuff?”
“Do you want to get caught with the drugs? I sure don’t. We can’t go to the police with our find. What would we tell them?”
“We could destroy it.”