“Then you definitely need to find out what she’d been getting herself into,” Curt confirmed. “Didn’t she used to work in Carson City?”
“I believe so. She transferred down here about a year ago.”
“And don’t you have a friend who works up there?”
Jack smiled. “Yes…Jason. Well, he’s not really my friend. He’s a friend of a friend, but I did meet him on the cruise, so I know him a little...”
“You were in law enforcement,” Curt reminded him, “and he’s in law enforcement. Don’t you guys look out for each other?”
Jack looked skeptical. “I kind of…slept with his girlfriend.”
“You did what?”
“On the cruise. It was before they were an item, and I’m not even sure he knows, but if he does…it could be awkward.”
“Is that going to stop you from trying to solve Candy’s murder?”
Curt made an excellent point.
Jack picked up his phone and dialed. “Hey Jason,” he said. “This is Jack Harney. I don’t know if you remember me or not. We met on the Forever cruise through Scott Mitchell and his fiancée, Katherine O’Brian.”
Jason sounded friendly. “Sure I remember you, Jack. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I don’t know if Scott told you or not, but I left the Reno PD and opened my own detective agency.” Curt coughed. “With my friend, Curt.”
“No,” said Jason. “He didn’t mention it. That’s great.”
“I’m working a case down here—a murder. The family aren’t convinced the local police have the right guy and have asked me to look into it.”
There was silence at the other end. For a moment, Jack thought Jason had hung up. “Jason? Are you still there?”
“I don’t know how things are in Reno,” said Jason finally, “but up here, if a P.I. were second-guessing an investigation we’d done, he wouldn’t be very popular.”
Jack laughed. “That’s true. I’m not exactly Mr. Popular here. I’m trying to step on as few toes as possible, but it’s not easy.”
“Well,” Jason asked warily, “what can I do for you?”
“The murdered woman used to work for the Carson City PD. Her name was Candy Dashwood.”
“Candy Dashwood,” Jason repeated. “Yeah, I know that name.”
“Good. I was hoping you or someone you might know could give me some insight into her character prior to her move down to the Reno PD.”
“I can tell you myself: she caused a lot of drama up here.”
“Really?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. She was messing around with Chief…broke up his marriage. Big scandal. He transferred to Montana, she transferred to Reno.”
“Wow,” said Jack. “I hadn’t heard. I guess that’s a good thing though. I mean the move, she got to start over.”
“Looks that way. You say she was murdered?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a shame. She was so young…” His words trailed off.
“What is it, Jason?” Jack asked.
“Look—I didn’t know the woman personally, but she had a reputation well before she and the Chief hooked up. She liked cops.”
“So what? A lot of women get off on guys who wear the uniform.”
“Yeah, but this was different. She didn’t mind if they were married, just as long as they had money. The thing between her and the Chief wasn’t the only drama she stirred up. This is what I heard. She found out one of the guys who had turned her down was spending a lot of on-duty hours at a local nudie bar. First she tried to blackmail him, but he wouldn’t play ball. So, she ratted him out instead.”
Jack was shocked. “Did he press charges?”
“No…..He didn’t want everyone to find out. Translation, he didn’t want his wife to find out. But it was about that time that Candy transferred down to Reno.”
Just a few short weeks ago, if someone had told Jack that Candy had been involved in the break-up of a marriage, and an attempt at extortion, he’d never have believed it. But since her murder, he was beginning to realize, he hadn’t known Candy at all. “Thanks for talking to me, Jason. This gives me a lot to think about. So what about you? How have you been?”
“Good, real good. Thanks. Do you remember Marni? I think you might have met her on the cruise, at the reception.”
“Ah, yeah. I remember her.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Pregnant?”
“Yeah. We haven’t really spread the word yet. If you see Scott, maybe don’t tell him.”
Jack laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me. Are you guys thinking of getting married?”
“Already did—another secret. Neither of us wanted a big to-do, so we went down to city hall and got ourselves hitched.”
“That was quick.”
“Sure…but when you know, you know.”
“Well, congratulations on all of it.”
“Thanks Jack. Remember: keep all of this to yourself. I’ll be seeing Scott soon. I want to tell him. I can’t wait to see the look on his face.”
Jack laughed again and hung up the phone. He looked across at Curt.
“What did he say?” Curt asked.
“He sort of confirmed some things that we suspected.”
“Such as…?”
Jack sat and explained. “Jason said Candy had been involved with her boss up in Carson.”
Curt’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah. After Candy and I broke up, I heard things—she dated other guys, and I was fine with that. But every now and then, I’d hear things— innuendo, gossip that wasn’t flattering to Candy. I didn’t believe much of what I heard and we weren’t dating anymore, so it wasn’t any of my business. Now I’m wondering if the things I’d heard might not have been true.”
“An affair with her boss.” Curt shook his head.
“That’s not all,” Jack told Curt everything that Jason had said. “Between the scandal with her boss and the attempted extortion, she ended up down here again.”
“Jeez,” said Curt.
“I know. When we dated, she seemed really sweet. I would like to have thought that the move to Reno was like a new beginning for her. That maybe she’d changed and was trying to put the past behind her. But I can’t think that anymore—not after the first note found by Nolan and the one I found.”
“Yeah. The evidence is stacking up against her.”
“And there’s something else,” Jack said. “I found a receipt at her house for some work she was having done on her bike. She happened to have taken it to a shop owned by a friend of mine. So, with her mother’s permission, I went over to pick it up…my friend said her bike was likely worth over three thousand dollars.”
Curt whistled, then said, “Holy cow. And she was a secretary, right?”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “I’m no expert on what they’re paying civil servants these days, but it’s doubtful many can afford to drop three thousand or more dollars on a bike. I think it’s possible—even probable—she’d found out something big about someone important and was trying to extort money. It may be what got her killed.”
Jack looked up at the wall clock. It was nearly five-thirty. Visiting hours at the jail house were over at seven, and he was suddenly in the mood to talk to the only suspect the police had in custody. He’d need to rush.
He stood and put on his coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow, buddy.”
“You heading home?” Curt asked.
“No. I’m going to go see Mark. I have a few questions for our friend.”
***
In all the years Jack had been on the force, he’d always dreaded going into the county jail. It had a bleakness about it that got into his head and left him feeling down for hours after each visit. The walls were gray and the air slightly damp. The place reminded Jack of a dungeon from a medieval movie. If not for Mark having answers he needed, he’d had been happy to never set foot inside this particular buildin
g ever again.
A few of the officers he passed smiled and waved, though a few gave him a chilly stare. Word had gotten around that he was investigating a murder they already had a suspect for. While everyone liked Mark Barnes and wanted to see justice served, it was the principle of the thing that bothered them.
Jack was led to the first set of locked bars and told to sign in. He quickly looked over the log to see who else had been to the jail. It was no surprise to see that Mark’s mother had visited every day. But he was a little surprised to see that Yvonne had visited, too.
After going through a second entrance, he walked down a long hallway with empty cells on each side. Since he was a cop, Mark had been segregated from the other prisoners, for his own safely. Mark looked up as Jack approached his cell.
“Hey, Jack.” His voice was flat.
“Hey, Mark,” Jack said. “You doing okay?”
“Sure.” It was clear that he was not. He’d already lost some weight, and his blue eyes were blood shot. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “I’m glad to see you. Yvonne told me she’d asked for your help.”
“I’m a little surprised she came to see you.”
“I was, too. Yvonne’s a class act. She asked me straight out if I’d killed Candy. I told her I hadn’t. I think she believed me.”
“I believe you, too,” Jack hesitated. “I think Candy might have been involved in something shadier than just juggling boyfriends. I think she might have been blackmailing someone.”
Mark stood and walked over to the bars. Up close he looked even worse. He craned his neck and tried to look down the hallway.
“Where’s the guard?” he asked quietly.
“At the other end,” Jack answered.
“Candy and I had an unusual relationship. She had her flaws, she was far from perfect, but I did care for her. A lot. And she knew this. She said things to me that she knew I wouldn’t repeat.”
“Like what?”
“She said she had some dirt on someone at the department, and…someone much higher.”
“Something personal…or something criminal?”
“I didn’t get the sense of which, exactly. Seemed more a question of ethics.”
“Did she say who, or what she had on them?”
Mark looked down the hallway again and lowered his voice. “She didn’t come right out and say it, but she implied Pike was involved in something not completely on the up and up.”
“Christopher Pike, her boss? Head of homicide?”
“Yeah, the one and only, and someone else. She said she’d taken steps to get proof. That she was going to either get a piece of the action, her words, or blow the whistle on the whole thing. But when I’d press her for specifics, she’d get quiet.”
“So that’s it?”
“The most she said was that there was a lot of money involved.”
“What about the other person? You said there were two people.”
“No idea,” Mark told him. “She only said the other person was even more powerful than Pike.”
***
Gaga and Nene wrapped up the cupcake platter and cleaned off the counters in preparation for closing. Nene sighed as she worked.
“What’s wrong with you?” asked Gaga.
“Nothing,” answered Nene, staring down at the display case.
“Oh jeez,” Gaga chided. “Just have a cupcake.”
Nene closed the display case door. “No, I have to be strong.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a silver five-pound weight and began doing bicep curls. “Don’t worry,” she said to Gaga, “I won’t end up looking like a bodybuilder.”
Gaga looked at Nene’s skinny arms and smiled a rare smile. “Oh, I’m not worried,” Gaga said.
She and Nene both looked up as Mr. Bryan and Boris appeared at the door. “Keep that dog out of here,” Gaga barked. “He’s the reason we got that bad rating from the health department!”
They all looked down at Boris as he scratched at the door to Jack and Curt’s office.
“Come on, Boris,” said Mr. Bryan. “We know when we’re not welcome. Don’t we?”
“Yep!” Boris barked.
Gaga rolled her eyes. She and Nene watched out the window as Mr. Bryan walked Boris to the closest sidewalk and the grass nearby.
A boy on a skateboard rode closely past Mr. Bryan, knocking him to the ground. “Gaga!” said Nene, pointing.
They ran outside. The boy hadn’t stopped.
“Are you okay, Mr. Bryan?” they asked, helping him up.
“I’m fine…I’m fine,” he answered, sounding irritated by their attention. “Kids these days,” he said as Gaga and Nene helped him back inside. “This neighborhood is going down the crapper. A man can’t walk his dog without getting knocked down by some hooligan.”
Nene looked down the street into the darkness. Usually the neighborhood kids were so polite.
Things really seemed to be changing. Maybe it was time for them to leave after all.
Chapter Fifteen
“What’s that great smell?” Alex asked when Scott opened Katherine’s apartment door that evening.
“Something that’s guaranteed not to taste nearly as good as it smells,” said Scott, in a voice so low that only Alex and Sophie heard. “What ya got there?” he asked.
Alex was holding something that looked like a black fanny pack. “That bike that Jack picked up, this is the seat bag, it attached to the handle bars with Velcro straps.”
Alex plopped down on the couch, Scott handed him a beer.
“Not what I expected when you said she left her basket,” said Scott.
“What? You were expecting something plastic with a big flower stuck to it?”
Scott laughed. “Yeah…something like that.”
Scott dropped the bag on an end table, and sat on the couch next to Alex.
Katherine’s apartment was a pretty basic two bedroom. The front door opened into the living room; a small dining area and galley style kitchen were off to the right. Sophie walked over to Katherine as she stood at the counter tossing a salad.
“How’s the house hunting coming along, Sophie?” Katherine asked.
“Stressful,” answered Sophie. “I’d kill for a beer.”
“I could run out and get some,” said Scott. “If you want.”
“That’s nice of you,” said Sophie, “but not necessary. I’m trying to cut down.”
“Since when?” said Alex.
Sophie gave Alex an irritated look. “I don’t know. Recently. Does it matter?”
“Well I think she has the right idea,” Katherine said. She looked at Sophie. “I’ve been trying to eat more healthy, too.”
“See, I told you,” Scott told Alex. “Katherine threw out all the junk food, and filled the fridge with veggies.”
“So,” said Alex, “what’s on the menu tonight?”
“Tonight is all about good company.” Scott said. He laughed, then said in a low voice. “Because I can guarantee it’s not about good food.”
***
Curt grabbed his coat, locked up the office and walked out. He had just enough time to go home and shower before meeting Daisy at the fairgrounds.
Curt had dated his fair share of women and had even been in a few serious relationships. But at thirty-six, he’d begun to wonder if he’d ever find the right woman to settle down with. He was cautiously optimistic that whatever was brewing between him and Daisy might become serious. It has only been a week since she walked into the office, but from that moment, he’d hardly thought of anything or anyone else.
As he pulled into the parking lot, he could see Daisy out front. She was standing near two men and one woman, a group he assumed included her mother, father, and uncle. He parked and walked toward the foursome, his heart beating faster than normal.
“Curt,” Daisy said. “You’ve met my uncle, Charlie. This is my father, Burt and my mother, Minnie.”
Daisy’s mother was an attractive wo
man, of medium height with soft brown hair. He guessed her to be about fifty-three. Curt had already met her uncle—short, thin and balding, with a sad comb-over. Her father was distinguished-looking, about the same height as her mother, and had all his hair.
It was likely another sore spot between the brothers.
“Hello Curt,” her father said brightly. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Hello sir, ma’am,” Curt replied. “The pleasure is mine.”
Curt turned toward Daisy’s mother. She looked up at him, smiling, but didn’t say anything. He tended to have that effect on women.
“Let’s go in,” Daisy said.
Curt smiled as he followed Daisy. Her hair was pinker than usual, and she was wearing a loose-fitting tie-dyed dress. She contrasted drastically with his outfit of black jeans and a white button-down shirt. His attraction for Daisy wasn’t something he tried to explain, but considering the great differences between them, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was interested in him.
Curt followed Daisy and her family backstage. They soon arrived at a dressing room with both her parent’s names across the door. Inside, it was just as he’d expected: costumes hung from a long rack, covered chairs, and lay across an ironing board; a large mirror framed in round light bulbs took up half the far wall; a vanity and chair sat nearby. It was a relatively large room, but with all five of them inside, it was a tight fit. Uncle Charlie sat down on a small pink plush chair. Daisy’s mother took a seat near the mirror.
“So,” said Burt. “Daisy tells us you’re a detective?”
“Yes sir. A private investigator.”
“That sounds very exciting,” Minnie said.
Curt smiled. “Not really…not yet anyway. We’ve only been open a few weeks. Daisy’s store is our first case.”
“Case?” said Minnie. “I don’t understand…”
“Is there a problem at the store?” asked Burt.
“Yes, Daddy,” said Daisy. “I’ve had some disappearances that I can’t explain where the birds are concerned. I hired Curt’s agency to try to find out how they’re getting out.”
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