Now You See Me

by S. Y. Thompson

  Sean grabbed the phone again and dialed a number from memory. It was fifteen years ago since he last called that number, and he hoped it didn’t belong to a pizza parlor now. Someone answered the call before the first ring stopped.

  “Thomas Detective Agency.”

  Sean recognized the voice immediately and his heart leapt. “Jim! This is Sean Donovan.”

  “Sean, you old dog! How long has it been?”

  “Oh, only about fifteen years!” Sean grinned.

  “Really? Wow. It’s been a while, but it didn’t feel like that long ago.”

  Jim Thomas sounded disconcerted, and Sean wondered if he suddenly faced his own mortality. Sean understood completely. After his wife died, he realized how quickly the years could slip away. Thoughts of Rita threatened to close his throat with sorrow so he rushed ahead into the silence.

  “Yeah, it’s been a while, but that’s not why I called.”

  “I thought you retired. Are you telling me you have a case for me?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised, and yes, I did retire. I do have a case for you, but it’s really for my daughter Erin.”

  “Oh yeah, I heard Erin is a senior partner now. You must be very proud of her.”

  Sean wondered if he was getting old when the tears threatened again. He cleared his throat and replied, “You have no idea. So, do you have the time to take on another case?”

  “You’re in luck. I just finished a case so I have some time open. Do you need me to handle this one myself?”

  “I’d prefer it,” Sean admitted. “At least until we know if there’s anything to go on.”

  “You want to explain that one?”

  Sean took quite some time detailing all of the events in the Holcomb Building, and led up to Erin’s idea that it was all somehow tied into the old case. He explained the two suspects, one a grieving father and one a man who was going to lose his wife.

  “Both men are clean,” he finally said, “but if I had to pick one I’d go with Eric Jacobs. I can’t imagine anything more painful than the loss of a child. It’s just human nature to feel that a parent shouldn’t outlive their offspring. On top of that, it looks as though Mary Adams might still be alive.”

  “And until she is dead there’s little incentive for her husband to go on a rampage. I get it. But, Sean, I don’t have to tell you how careful I’ll have to be here. These guys have been through a lot, and if the press were to get wind of any kind of investigation there could be hell to pay.”

  “True. It’s very likely they’re both innocent, and I don’t want to bring them any more grief. You’ll have to be discreet, but I need you to get back to me as soon as you find out anything.”

  “I will, but I have to warn you that my fees have gone up a little in fifteen years. It’s five hundred a day plus expenses.”

  “Done,” Sean said. “Let me know what you find out.”

  Sean sat back on the bed and considered whether he had covered all the bases. There was one more call he needed to make before he could enjoy a leisurely breakfast. He needed to speak to Erin to find out if either of the men was familiar to her.

  Erin’s secretary answered the phone. She said Erin was in a meeting, but she would be happy to take a message. Just then, he heard Erin’s voice in the background.

  “Oh, hold on a moment please.”

  Sean waited a few moments before Erin breathlessly picked up the extension.

  “Dad?”

  “I’m here, honey.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Of course. I just spoke with Josh Keyes and wanted to let you know what he found out. Do you have a minute?”

  “Actually, I have twenty,” Erin teased. “After that I have to meet with a client.”

  “Great. He found out there were two guys that sent letters to Marsters, but I’ve got to tell you they don’t sound very promising.”

  Sean quickly outlined what he learned from Josh. He deliberately downplayed the details so he wouldn’t get Erin’s hopes up that they had a lead. If he learned differently from Thomas, they would go from there.

  “Does either of them sound familiar to you?”

  “No, I can’t say they do,” Erin answered slowly. “I don’t suppose you know what they look like.”

  Sean realized that a description of the right man would be all Erin needed. Details of their lives would be meaningless compared to that. He should have asked Josh for their profile, but he hadn’t thought of it.

  “No, sorry.”

  “It’s all right. Frankly, I doubt it’s one of them anyway. The man who came after us would have to have a criminal record. No one could kill so easily without having some kind of violent background. It sounds like that idea was a bust.”

  “I agree. It is a long shot.” Sean chose not to mention the private investigator.

  Erin easily changed the subject, not eager to dwell on the feeling of disappointment. “How much longer are you staying in town?”

  “A few more days. I want to get home before the New Year so I’ll probably leave on Saturday.”

  Intrigued at the way her father phrased the sentence Erin suddenly had the feeling he might be dating someone special. Since her mother passed away, Sean Donovan hadn’t dated, and Erin secretly worried that he would spend the rest of his life alone. At the same time, she had worried that she might feel jealous of someone taking her mother’s place. To her surprise, Erin didn’t feel that way at all. Instead, she was delighted by the prospect that he might be involved.

  “Oh,” Erin teased. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

  “Well...I really didn’t want to say anything. We haven’t been seeing each other very long, and it’s too early to know how serious it is.”

  “Still, you should have told me. Now I understand your sudden interest in my love life. What’s her name?”

  “Cheryl.”

  “That’s it? Just Cheryl?” Erin was amused by the deliberate lack of detail, but wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “Fine, I’ll let it go for now. But I insist on taking you to dinner before you leave, and I’ll want to know all about Cheryl then.”

  “Let me guess...The RL?”

  “Of course.”

  “Will Carson be joining us?”

  Impressed with how he turned the subject back to her, Erin chuckled. “I don’t think so. I think I’d like to spend some time alone with my father before he goes back to Arizona.”

  The truth was, Erin still experienced a twinge of jealousy when she thought of Carson. An image of Joyce’s obviously expensive watch flashed in her mind again, and she didn’t want to spend a lot of time with Carson until she managed to work through her feelings. Carson was new to romance, and Erin didn’t want to come across as the jealous lover.

  “How about Friday night,” Sean asked.

  “Friday’s great. Six-thirty at the RL?”

  “Sounds good. And speaking of food, I’m starving. I need to get a shower before I head down to breakfast.”

  “I’ll let you go then. Thanks for letting me know what you found out. I’m a little disappointed with the results, but strangely, I feel a little relieved as well.”

  “I know, but it’s a matter for the police, Erin. You’ll just have to trust them to do their jobs.”

  “Right. Well, my client will be here in a few minutes so I should go.”

  “All right. I’ll see you Friday. Bye, honey.”

  “Bye, Dad.”

  ERIN SAT FOR a few minutes thinking about what her father had learned. It wasn’t much, but it had pretty much shot her theories out of the water. Now it really was up to the police to find the suspect, and unfortunately, she didn’t have much faith in them. She knew enough to know that if a case went unsolved for more than forty-eight hours, the trail usually went cold. It had been considerably longer than that, and with no other ideas to go on, there wasn’t much else she could do. At least Carson would be happy. She never wanted Erin messing around in
this in the first place.

  A knock sounded on the door and Erin automatically invited the person in. She expected Amy, and was surprised when Carson walked in. Inside Erin could feel her personal walls of protection slam into place and fought not to pull away from the woman she was starting to love. Another image of Joyce and Carson laughing together flashed through her mind and she inhaled slowly against the stab of pain in her midsection.

  “Hi,” Carson smiled from where she peeked around the door.

  “Hi yourself. Come on in.”

  Carson held a large cup with the Starbucks logo in one hand and placed it in front of Erin.

  “I thought you’d be due for a pick-me-up.”

  “Bless you,” Erin said and reached for the cup. She took a careful sip before she looked at her visitor. Carson had settled into the visitor’s chair, and looked a little ragged around the edges.

  “Long night?”

  Carson smiled tiredly. “You have no idea. Those three kept me out until almost two. I’m lucky I didn’t fall asleep driving home. Fortunately, I didn’t have that much to drink or I might not have been so lucky.”

  Erin remembered Carson told her something about good news, and wondered just what had prompted such a late night out. “I take it you had a lot to celebrate?”

  “Yes. You remember Jeremy? Well, he’s in charge of Delphi’s finances. He reported that we’ve had a twelve percent increase in profit since last year, and apparently our move into Holcomb has raised the company’s reputation considerably in only a few weeks.”

  “That’s great news,” Erin said, sincerely impressed. “The next thing you know Business Weekly will be knocking on your door.”

  “You think so?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  CARSON HATED SOUNDING so unsure, but Erin’s opinion of the company was important to her. That was especially true considering Carson’s idea to bring Erin into the fold, so to speak. Would Erin agree to become their exclusive legal representative? There was always the question of legal ethics. Technically Ray Eldridge still represented Delphi Technologies, and it was only assigned temporarily to Erin during his leave of absence. No doubt, Erin would feel she should decline the offer even if she was tempted to take it. If that happened, Carson would have to make sure Erin knew that no matter what, she would not continue to work with Ray.

  She had hoped to broach the subject this morning, but Erin seemed a little out of sorts. Carson didn’t think now was the time, and instead, brought up another topic from last night.

  “Joyce thinks Delphi should develop a game...a computer game.”

  “Really? I think that’s a great idea.”

  For the first time since she entered the room Carson thought Erin was genuinely enthusiastic, and began to describe the idea.

  “Of course I won’t sign off on anything cheesy,” Carson said. “It has to be a real mindbender, but not something so hard that people just throw their hands up at it and walk away.”

  “That’s true, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I still think it’s a good idea. Games are very popular, and a good source of income, not to mention the publicity they generate for the company.”

  “I think so, too,” Carson said. “At any rate I just wanted to drop off the coffee. I’ll let you get back to work.

  Erin glanced quickly at her watch. “That’s probably a good idea. I have to meet a client in a few minutes.”

  Carson walked to the door with Erin only a step behind her. “Will I see you tonight,” she asked at the door.

  “No, I have to work on that speech I told you about. Time has caught up with me faster than I thought it would, and I need to get serious about it. Oh, while I’m thinking of it, I’m having dinner with my father Friday night. He’s leaving on Saturday and I’d like to spend some time with him before he goes.”

  “I understand,” Carson said lightly. “What about Saturday? Are you still coming over for the New Year’s weekend?”

  Erin hesitated slightly, and Carson was sure she was going to make up another excuse. Something was going on that Erin wasn’t telling her, but Carson wasn’t sure she should push the issue. When Erin finally did respond she surprised Carson.

  “I’d love to. In fact, if it’s not too late on Friday when I finish with my father, I’ll drive over. Would that be all right?”

  “Perfect,” Carson said with a smile.

  Carson took the elevator back to her floor not really paying attention to the people around her. Quietly she tried to work through the confused jumble of her emotions after seeing Erin. Carson expected to start the day with a quiet moment with her lover. Instead, it was as though Erin really hadn’t wanted to see her. Erin felt distant, and uninterested. Even when Carson asked if Erin was still coming for the weekend, she thought that Erin didn’t really want to. She had been happily surprised when Erin said yes.

  Carson considered that she was just being sensitive. Chances were that Erin was just busy and had a lot on her mind. All of the undercurrents of a relationship were still new to her, and she had no frame of reference.

  The doors opened onto the tenth floor and Carson decided to let it go. It was very possible that she was just imagining things and that Erin really wasn’t trying to avoid her. If Erin had a speech to write and

  wanted to spend time alone with her father, she certainly didn’t need to ask Carson’s permission.

  Still, all that day she waited for Erin to call. Her phone remained stubbornly silent, and at the end of a long but productive day, Carson went home with no contact from her lover.

  RONALD LINDEN ADAMS drove his battered old sedan into the driveway and switched off the engine. Then he sat with his head in his hands and inhaled through the pain that threatened to split his skull. For almost ten minutes he sat motionless, except for the deep even breaths he took. When he first closed his eyes, it seemed as though his body swayed, but it was only his imagination. Nausea gripped him briefly and he clenched his teeth as starbursts of light went off behind his closed eyes.

  Eventually the nausea passed and so did the bright lights. Ron pinched the bridge of his nose to try to alleviate the headache somewhat before he finally opened his eyes. The pain was still there but not as intense. It was expected since he hadn’t really slept in three days, but he had been busy. There was still a lot of work to do, but now, rest was more important. If he didn’t take the time to rest now, the migraine would worsen and he would start to make mistakes.

  This close to reaching his objective, Ron couldn’t afford to get sloppy. There were only two more tasks to accomplish before he could join Mary, and they were crucial. First, he had to eliminate the two women who could identify him, and then he would finally destroy the original chemical research plant that had caused Mary’s illness in the first place.

  Mary, he thought, and a smile graced his cracked lips. He suddenly needed to see her and climbed unsteadily out of the sedan. He hitched his trousers up and realized that he had lost a lot of weight recently, and needed to take better care of himself. Mary wouldn’t like it if he got sick.

  Ron wasn’t delusional. He knew Mary was gone. It just made things a little easier to think of her as still alive. He also knew she wouldn’t be happy with the actions he had taken lately, but that was something they would have to discuss when they were together again. For now, his mission was the only thing that kept him going.

  Carrying out that mission kept Ron away for days at a time. Each time he left he made sure Mary was in her favorite chair, and each time he returned anticipation would gladden his heart because Mary would always be there waiting for him by the window. Even if she didn’t speak when he came home, Ron could still feel the connection that had always been between them.

  Maybe after a nap he would wash her hair. Mary had such blonde hair and he loved the scent of her strawberry shampoo.

  Out of habit, Ron checked the mailbox before he went in the house. Overdue bills and junk mail was crammed into the small box so ti
ghtly the mail carrier finally gave up and left the door open. When he finally had the mailbox cleaned out, Ron glanced across the street.

  Old Mrs. Fisher was bundled up against the cold and stood in her front yard waiting for her poodle to do its business. She waved at Ron in a friendly gesture. He smiled and waved back, but he wasn’t fooled by her behavior. The old busybody had always been terrified of him, and the only reason she looked at him now was to see what he was doing.

  Suddenly angry he slammed the lid on the mailbox and turned to go up the walk. Three steps up and then across the front porch and Ron was inside. As soon as he flung open the front door, the putrid stench of death assaulted him.

  The odor was made even worse by the heat blasting from the furnace, and Ron frowned. He couldn’t have the neighbors getting suspicious because of the smell, but he wasn’t overly concerned. With the cold weather outside, all of the windows were closed, and there wasn’t any reason for anyone to be snooping around. Still, he would have to bathe Mary before he took his nap.

  Ron couldn’t say why he hadn’t buried Mary yet. It just didn’t feel right. He’d always thought they should be buried together, and nothing had happened to change his mind. Sometimes he thought after all of this was done, he would lie down beside Mary on the bed and call her brother just before he did something so that he would join her. David would know what to do.

  He just couldn’t decide how he would do it. Poison?

  That was the best answer because it wouldn’t disfigure him, and he had heard it was painless.

  Ron walked into the bedroom and found Mary just as he had left her. The throw had fallen from her knees and he reached down to tuck it back in place.

  Squatted beside her, Ron looked up and smiled. “Hello, darling. You look beautiful.”

  Mary’s eyes were sunken back and glazed while trapped bodily gasses gave her a bloated appearance, but he meant every word. He gently cupped her face before he rose up to kiss her cheek.