by A. L. Jambor
“There is something you could check on,” Mark said. “He’s gonna be charged with animal cruelty. Talk to the state attorney about subpoenaing his bank records.”
Conner smiled. “To check his income.”
“If he offed the old lady, he probably didn’t tell Social Security.”
“And that would involve the feds.”
“At least you’d have probable cause to investigate. He’d have to produce Audrey Glenn.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to the state attorney.”
Conner would have to wait until Jason was charged before talking to them. Then he’d have to wait until he found out who’d been assigned the case. Animal Cruelty was a third-degree felony, but Jason might only be fined and given probation, not jailed. Conner wanted to pin his ass to the wall.
He got into his cruiser. He was assigned to patrol Clearwater and so far, he’d spent most of his time investigating Audrey’s disappearance. He had to spend some time on the road.
His phone rang. It was Mel.
“Hey,” he said.
“Did you get a call about Maurice?”
“Yeah. How did you know about that?”
“I found him. I had the old guy next door call you.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I was afraid I’d get arrested for trespassing.”
Conner laughed. “Wouldn’t that be something?”
“Did Jason do it?” she asked.
“I’m sure he did, but animal control has to find out what killed him.”
“Did anyone tell Marge?”
Shit, Conner thought. “I don’t know. I didn’t see Ben go to her house. Maybe he figured I’d go and tell her.”
“Can we go talk to Marge?”
“Do you really think she’ll want to talk?”
“I would if someone killed my dog. I’d want to tell the world who did it.”
“Would she think it was Jason?”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “I don’t know. I guess I would because of what we know about him.”
“We don’t know enough about him,” Conner said. “What did Joe say last night? Something about Jason delivering water. I wonder where he worked.”
“How many water companies are there that deliver water here?”
“Not many. Shouldn’t be too hard to find. But I really have to work today. I’m supposed to be in Clearwater.”
“I can go see Marge alone.”
“You’ve got to ask her how Maurice got out alone.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“If she knows of anyone who would want to hurt Maurice.”
“I can do that. Are you off later on?”
“At seven. Do you want to meet for dinner?”
Her heart began to beat faster. She’d love to, but she hadn’t seen Lisa yet. “I was going to my friend’s place today. I’ll probably go out with her later.”
“Oh.” Was that disappointment she heard? “Well, I’ll call you if I learn anything.”
“Thanks, Conner.”
After she hung up the phone, she fought the urge to call him back and say she would see him for dinner. She really had to visit Lisa. She went to her car and drove back to the park. The Mercury was there. She wondered why the cops hadn’t come to arrest him.
She walked up the driveway of Marge’s home and knocked on the side door. Sharon answered.
“May I speak to Marge?” Mel asked.
“Sure, honey, come in.”
“I need to tell you something,” Mel said softly. “They found Maurice’s body buried across the street.”
Sharon’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
“Who would do that?” she whispered.
“It’s being investigated. I just wanted to ask Marge if she knew of anyone who would want to hurt him.”
“We have to tell her. Oh, she’ll fall apart.”
“Maybe if we do it together it won’t be so bad.”
Sharon went to the living room and Mel followed. Marge was sitting in a recliner. She looked at Mel and narrowed her eyes.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“I was here the other day. I’m Audrey’s niece.”
“That’s right. I remember.”
“Marge,” Sharon said. “We have something to tell you.”
Marge moved the handle on the recliner and put her feet down.
“Marge, they found Maurice.”
“Where is he?” Marge asked.
“He’s dead, Marge,” Sharon said.
Marge’s face drained of color. She began to shake. “Oh, my God.”
“The police are looking into it,” Mel said. “Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt him?”
“Of course not,” Marge said. “Why would anyone want to hurt…oh, Maurice.”
Marge began to cry. Sharon went to her and put her arm around Marge’s shoulders.
“He was found behind Audrey’s home,” Mel said.
Now Marge looked angry. “That son of a bitch.”
“Who, Marge?” Sharon asked.
“That kid that lives there. He was always yelling at me to shut Maurice up. He hated Maurice.”
“Marge,” Mel said, “how did Maurice get out of the house?”
Marge started crying again. “It was my fault. I must have left the sliding door open when I went to the bathroom. He would have been able to slip through the rail and jump down.”
“When was the last time you saw Maurice?” Mel asked.
“This morning. We were up early. It was still dark. Oh, Maurice.”
“I’m sorry,” Sharon said. She turned to Mel. “I think you should go now.”
Mel nodded. “Thank you, and I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Mel left the home and walked down the driveway to her car. Jason was standing across the street with a cigarette in his hand. He looked at her and she felt a chill run up her spine. He kept staring as she got into the car. He was still staring when she drove away.
Chapter 14
The radio played nothing but Christmas songs. Mel wished she could plug her phone into the radio so she could listen to her own music, but the economy model only came with a radio and CD player. Who listened to CD’s anymore?
The Christmas decorations were getting to her. Everywhere she went there was some reminder of the season. Mel’s Christmases hadn’t been very uplifting. They were usually spent with her grandmother, who tried to make up for Linda’s neglect.
Mel thought about her mother as she drove to Clearwater Beach. She hadn’t heard from her in over a year. Laura tried to make light of it by saying Linda was busy, that her job took up all of her time, but Mel knew the truth. Linda just didn’t care.
She turned off the causeway and onto the road leading to Lisa’s condo. When she got there, she found a spot nearby and parked. It had a meter. She would have to see if there was a place to park that came with the condo. She dialed her number. This time, Lisa picked up.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“I’m outside the condo.”
“I’ll be right down.”
Lisa was in a bathing suit. She smiled when she saw Mel.
“Damn, how long has it been?” Lisa asked.
“At least a year.”
“Well, you look good.” Lisa noticed the parking meter. “You can park under the condo.”
Lisa pointed to a driveway leading under the building.
“Aren’t you using it?” Mel said.
“There are two spots for each unit.”
They got into Mel’s car and Lisa showed her where the parking spots were, then took Mel up to the condo. It was on the second floor of a four-unit building. Two condos were on top, and two were on the bottom.
“Dad couldn’t come this year,” Lisa said.
“Doesn’t he mind you missing Christmas?” Mel asked.
“He’s in Barcelona. He won’t be back until after the new year.”
Lisa’s mom had pas
sed away two years before from breast cancer. Lisa wouldn’t talk about her mother to anyone but Mel.
“So,” Lisa asked, “how long are you here for?”
“I’m supposed to leave tomorrow, but I still don’t know what happened to my aunt.”
“Did you talk to the cops?”
“There’s this cop who has been helping me, kind of on the sly. Not officially.”
“Is he young?” Lisa asked with a smile.
“He is. He’s cute, too.”
“Really? What’s his name?”
“Conner O’Keefe.”
“Conner is a nice name.”
Sandy walked in. She was a friend of Lisa’s from work. She had her suitcase in her hand.
“Sandy, this is Mel.”
“Hi,” Sandy said. “My taxi should be here soon.”
“Sandy has to go home for Christmas,” Lisa said. Sandy didn’t look happy about it.
“I wish I didn’t have to go at all,” Sandy said. “The whole family is going to be there. All the of them. It’s gonna be a nightmare.”
Mel wished she could have such a nightmare. “Sorry.”
“She’ll get over it,” Lisa said. “Anyway, do you have your bathing suit?”
“Yeah. I got one at Target.”
Mel pulled the two-piece suit out of her bag.
“Did you steal it?” Lisa asked.
“NO! I put it in there after I paid for it.”
“Good. I didn’t want to have to bail you out of jail.”
They heard a horn beep and Sandy picked up her bag.
“Well, it’s nice meeting you,” she said to Mel, then turned to Lisa. “I’ll call you when I get home.”
Lisa went to her and hugged her. “It will all work out.”
“Yeah, I know.”
After Sandy left, Lisa grabbed a towel. “Hurry up and change.”
Mel went to the bathroom and put on her suit.
“Do you have an extra towel?” she asked.
“In the closet in the bathroom.”
She found one and went to the living room. Lisa was looking at her phone.
“Do you have another pair of flip-flops?” Mel asked.
“In the bedroom. Hurry up.”
Mel ran to the bedroom and put on the pair of flip-flops near the closet. She also grabbed a bottle of sunblock off the dresser. When she went back to Lisa, they left the condo and walked to the beach. Mel forgot to take her phone.
The Cassidy Water Company was located in north Clearwater. Conner parked in the main parking lot and went to the front entrance. The receptionist smiled when he walked inside. He was in uniform.
“Hi,” he said. “I need to talk to someone from human resources.”
“That would be Jolene,” the woman said. “I’ll see if she’s available.”
Jolene came through a door adjacent to the receptionist and smiled.
“How can I help you, Officer?”
“I need to check the work schedule of one of your employees.”
“Come on back,” she said, and Conner followed her. She took him to her office. She sat behind the desk while he sat in a seat in front of it. “What’s the employee’s name?”
“Jason Frye. I don’t know if he’s still working here.”
“I remember Jason. Blue eyes. He liked to flirt.” She typed something into the computer. “He left us in September.”
“Why?”
“He quit. He didn’t give a reason.”
“What was the date?”
“September 15. He worked out the week.”
“Did you ever talk to him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Other than about work.”
“No. He didn’t talk to me about his personal life.”
“Was he friends with anyone?”
“Why do you want to know?” she asked.
“I’m investigating him.”
Jolene sat back in her chair. “I think he was dating one of the women who work in the warehouse. Susan. Susan Blaine.”
“Is she working today?”
“Yes. The warehouse works Monday through Friday.”
“Can I go back there?”
“I can call her to come here.” Jolene got on the phone and spoke to someone in the warehouse. “Thanks,” she said. She looked at Conner. “She’s coming. The office next door is empty if you want privacy.”
“Thanks,” Conner said.
Ten minutes later, a young woman with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail appeared at Jolene’s door.
“Susan, this is Officer…I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“Deputy O’Keefe,” Conner said.
“The deputy would like to speak to you about Jason Frye.”
Susan’s face hardened. “I don’t know what I can tell you.”
“Take the deputy to the office next door,” Jolene said.
Susan led Conner to the empty office and he shut the door.
“Jason is under investigation.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “He has shit for brains.”
“How well do you know him?” Conner asked.
“We went out for like six months. He was all right.”
“He was all right?”
“He was a nice guy, but he liked to scam people. He tried it with me. That’s when I dumped him.”
Conner wasn’t convinced Susan had dumped Jason.
“What kind of people did he like to scam?”
Susan leaned against the desk. “Old people. Old ladies. He’d turn on the charm and they’d tip him well.”
“That doesn’t sound like a scam.”
“One of them asked him to live with her. He told me he got her to sign over her car to him. He showed up here one day in this huge old car.”
“Is that all?”
Susan looked at her hands. “He told me his father had asked him to help him with something bigger. I didn’t like his father.”
“Why?”
“Because he was always drunk and would hit on me whenever he was around me. I got sick of it.”
“What was the something bigger?”
Susan shuffled her feet. “I really don’t know for sure. He told me some of it, but it seemed more like he was helping his father than doing it himself.”
“It was what?”
Susan sighed. “The old man wanted this woman’s house. He wanted Jason to help him get it. Jason wasn’t that smart, you know? He was cute and women liked him, but he did such stupid things.”
“For instance.”
“For instance he drove his old car into that water at the dog beach. It got stuck and had to be junked. He was an idiot.”
“That beach off the causeway?”
“Yeah. I had a dog and we took her there. She…was a good dog.”
“Was?”
“She got hit by a car.” Susan started to cry.
“I’m sorry to hear that. You haven’t asked me why I’m investigating him.”
“Why are you?”
“He killed a dog.”
“That son of a bitch.”
She wrapped her arms around herself.
“Susan, do you know anything about that woman he was trying to scam, the one with the house?”
“All I know is that Jason didn’t want to do it. He was stupid for sure, but he liked the woman. For some reason, he didn’t want to take advantage of her.”
Conner thought about something she had said. “What scam did he try on you?”
“I inherited five hundred bucks from my grandmother. He wanted me to give it to him so he could invest it in something. He wouldn’t tell me exactly what. Said he wanted me to trust him. I was kind of over him by then so I just told him to get lost.”
“Have you spoken to him since?”
“No.”
Again, Conner wasn’t convinced she hadn’t spoken to Jason.
“Does he have any other friends?”
“No. H
e’s kind of a loner. He doesn’t get along with guys that well.”
Susan was looking at the ground. She was still holding herself.
“Thanks,” Conner said. “We’re done.”
“Will he go to jail?”
“Probably not, unless the judge is an animal lover. Then he’ll probably get thirty days.”
“That sucks. He should go away longer for killing a dog.”
“Agreed.”
Conner got into his cruiser. He pulled up Jason Frye to see if he had been arrested. He had been picked up fifteen minutes ago and was being taken to the Pinellas County Jail for booking.
Conner drove to the State Attorney’s Office in Clearwater. He was looking for Sam Cannon, the son of the current state attorney. Sam was an assistant state attorney and had been assigned Jason Frye’s case. Conner wanted to see if an animal cruelty charge would give Sam a reason to get hold of Audrey’s bank statements.
Sam’s office was on the third floor of the criminal justice center. His secretary smiled when Conner walked in.
“Deputy,” she said.
“Ma’am,” Conner said. “Is Mr. Cannon in?”
“I’ll see if he has a minute,” she said. She got up and went to the door behind her. She went inside and when she came out, she waved to Conner.
“He’ll see you.”
The office wasn’t that impressive. Sam Cannon wasn’t very neat. There were files everywhere and when Conner walked in, Sam had his feet propped up on the desk.
“Deputy,” he said.
“Mr. Cannon.”
“Sit.”
Conner sat in the folding chair set in front of Sam’s desk.
“What can I do for you, Deputy?”
“You know that case you just got, the one with the dog killer?”
“What’s the name?”
“Jason Frye.”
“I haven’t really looked at the file yet. He’s on the docket for tomorrow. What about him?”
“I’m working a missing persons. The person is missing from the mobile home he’s living in.”
Sam’s eyebrows went up. He put his feet down and sat forward in his chair. He put his arms out and clasped his hands.
“And you suspect what?”
“Off the record?”
“Off the record.”
“I think he might have killed an old woman.”
“That’s interesting. Why do you think he killed an old woman?”