Marja McGraw - Bogey Man 03 - They Call Me Ace

by Marja McGraw

“He sang like a bird.”

  “He wants to stake out the old lady’s house with you,” I said.

  “Yeah, he mentioned that. I’ve got better things to do, and so does he. I think it was just a passing thought.”

  We made a plan to sic the twins on the white house with the blue trim and turned our discussion to Kimberly’s ex-boyfriend.

  “How are you going to approach him?” Chris asked.

  “Me? This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, but you’re a looker. He’ll open up to you before he’ll talk to me.”

  “Uh huh. You’re only calling me a looker so I’ll do what you want me to.”

  “Angel, you’re a knockout whether I want something from you or not. And don’t you forget it.”

  “Ah, you silver-tongued devil, you. Okay, I’ll accept the mission.”

  The corners of the Bogey Man’s lips turned upward. “I knew you would.”

  Arriving at the repair shop, we found only one man on duty. I hoped it was the boyfriend. “Say, did you get this guy’s name? How will we know if it’s him?”

  “His name is Ryan Gables. Don’t worry. We’ll figure out if it’s him or not.”

  Chris parked the car and we walked inside the service bay.

  “Be with you in a minute,” the young man said without turning around. He had his head stuck under the hood of a car.

  We waited patiently.

  He turned around, wiping his hands off on an old rag.

  “Yeah. What can I do for ya?”

  I glanced at the pocket of his shirt and the name Ryan had been printed with a marking pen. We’d found the right guy. A good match for Kimberly, at least in appearance, he had tattoos along both of his muscular arms and one on his thick neck. Although I’d only seen her lying on a floor, Kimberly appeared relatively tall. This young man was also tall, maybe six foot two or so. And, like Kimberly, he had a ring through his lip. The match ended there. His dark brown hair was spiked and messy. While she had a sweet face, his was pock-marked and kind of mean looking, and his eyes were distrustful.

  “The ol’ Chevy needs a tune-up. Any chance you could take care of it while we wait?” Chris asked.

  “Not today. If you wanna bring it back tomorrow, I can fix you up.” He didn’t sound mean, just disinterested. However, as he glanced out through the roll-up bay doors he caught sight of the green car and seemed to have second thoughts. “That’s your ride?”

  “Yeah, that’s my girl.”

  “You’ve taken pretty good care of her,” Ryan said, walking out to take a look at it. “Is this interior all original?”

  While the Bogey Man and Ryan talked about the car, I studied the ex-boyfriend. It was now or never. Maybe I could catch him unawares.

  I made a show of looking at the name on his shirt. “Uh, Ryan, if you can’t take care of the car today, we’ll come back in the morning.”

  He bent over to look through the windows, and didn’t bother to look up. “On second thought, I can take care of you today. This little girl needs the kind of tender, loving care only I can give ‘er.” He stood up and patted the door.

  I glanced at Chris and he winked at me.

  “Pull her into the second bay,” Ryan directed. “The other car can wait. They’re not pickin’ it up until tomorrow

  anyways. The boss went to lunch, but if he saw this baby he wouldn’t care about the other car either.”

  While Chris pulled the car in, I stood with Ryan.

  “That husband of yours reminds me of someone,” he said.

  “He hears that a lot. He looks like an old-time actor, or so I’ve heard.” I had a feeling Ryan wouldn’t have a clue who Bogey was.

  “Huh. My girl liked old movies. I watched them with her a couple of times, but they were boring.”

  He’d opened the door for me without me having to lift a finger.

  “Your girl? I’ll bet she’s a cutie.”

  His face dropped and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “She was. She died recently.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Was she ill?”

  “Nah, some son-of-bitch offed her. If I ever find out who it was – ”

  “You mean someone murdered her? Oh, how awful!” I put my hand on my chest and patted it. “You must be heartbroken. How long had the two of you been together?”

  He looked uncomfortable and his mouth drooped. “Actually, we broke up a while back. I was hoping we’d work things out though. I think we could have. We were workin’ on it.”

  “When was the last time you saw her? Oh, you poor man.” I reached out and placed my hand on his arm.

  “I saw her about a week ago, but I don’t think she was too happy to see me. In fact, she told me to get lost. I knew she didn’t mean it though. She was just playing hard-to-get. So I went back that night and we talked. She’d calmed herself down by then.”

  I played along. “Yeah, sometimes women do that. It makes a man want them more. Did she say anything that might help the police find her killer?”

  He stopped what he was doing and looked at me long and hard. “Say, who are you? Are you a cop or somethin’?”

  “Me? No, I’m just curious. I’ve never known anyone who had a loved one murdered before. I guess I’m just too nosey.”

  Chris stood behind Ryan and, eyes wide, shook his head with vigor. He wanted me to back off.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re just nosey. And I guess I’d better get to work. You and your husband can wait outside.”

  Chris took my hand and led me through the bay doors.

  “You weren’t exactly subtle,” he said.

  “I couldn’t be. We’re not going to be here that long, and I don’t think we’ll have a second chance to talk to him. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I walked back inside and tapped Ryan on the back. He hadn’t heard me and jumped. “What now?” he grumbled.

  “I just wanted to apologize. I guess I was out of line by asking you about your girlfriend’s death. I just felt bad for you. You looked so sad.”

  “Yeah, well asking me questions about it ain’t gonna bring her back, and it sure as hell ain’t gonna help her.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. My husband says I ask too many questions.”

  He didn’t reply, but the look on his face said he agreed with Chris. And yet, he gave me the feeling that he wanted to say something else. He turned back to the car and closed me out.

  “I tried,” I said, returning to Chris’s side.

  “I know you did, cupcake. I don’t know what we were thinking. Why would he talk to two total strangers?”

  I didn’t comment to Chris, but sometimes it’s actually easier to talk to strangers. Chances were you’d never see them again, and they listened, usually without offering advice you didn’t want to hear.

  Chris and I took a walk down the block and back,

  talking about Turnbal House, Kimberly, the twins, his parents and anything else we could think of, including Mikey.

  “You know, Chris, Mikey has a birthday coming up. I need to get the party invitations in the mail, and I need to do it soon.”

  Chris smiled. “Ace is growing up. He’ll be eight, and I have a feeling that he thinks that puts him a whole new category, age wise.”

  “Maybe that’s why he’s had a few more moments of acting like an adult lately. I’ll need to wrap his presents over the next couple of days. And I’ve got to find the time to go buy some party favors for the kids. I’m way behind on this.”

  “Uh, I got him a present. I hope he likes it.”

  I was surprised. I didn’t know he’d gone out on his own and bought something for Mikey. “What’d you get him?”

  “A couple of Hardy Boys books. You think he’ll like them?”

  My smile was instant and wide. “Are you kidding? He’ll love them. They’re mysteries.”

  Ryan had pulled the Chevy out of the bay and parked it in the lot by the time we returned.

  He stepped out o
f the garage and met us.

  “If you ever want to sell that baby, just let me know. I’m always here.” He stopped to admire the car again.

  “Maybe someday, but not now.” Chris is proud of the old Chevy, and he treated it even more gently than he treated me. Well, sometimes it seemed that way.

  “He needs that car,” I said. “He has an image to maintain.”

  Ryan looked at me, waiting for an explanation. I disappointed him and let it drop.

  “How much do we owe you?” Chris asked.

  While Chris fished in his wallet for his debit card, Ryan gave me a small nod, indicating he wanted me to follow him. We stepped away.

  “I just want someone to know, I didn’t murder Kimberly. She meant everything to me. I would never hurt her.” There were tears in his eyes.

  And that’s how you tell a stranger what’s in your heart. I nodded, believing him.

  “The last time I saw her she told me weird things were going on at the house next door. I heard that’s where they found her. She said there were noises and she saw someone inside the house once. Well, actually she said she saw a light moving around the house.” He looked into my eyes. “You’re not really just nosey, are you?”

  Perceptive man. “No, Ryan. We’re looking into her death, but we’re not coppers. If you think of anything else, please let us know.” I pulled a business card out of my purse and handed it to him.

  He stuck it in his pocket, and without another word he walked into the office with Chris following him.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Glancing at my watch I realized it was getting late. “We’d better head home and get ready for work, Chris.” The morning had flown by, but the reality was that we had a restaurant to run. Detecting would have to take second place behind earning a living.

  Judith and Chris Sr. were now keeping Mikey with them whenever we were at Bogey Nights, and I hadn’t talked to Constance in what seemed like a long time. My friend and babysitter loved the idea of Chris and me solving mysteries. I’d have to call her and fill her in on our latest caper.

  Since Turnbal House was only a few blocks from the restaurant, I asked Chris to drive by on the way so I could see Mikey for a moment. He agreed, and as we pulled up to the house Mikey came running out to meet us. He looked excited.

  “Hey, Ace, what’s going on?” Chris asked after I rolled down my window.

  Mikey looked from me to Chris and back again. Sometimes he could be a Drama King, and this was one of those moments. He was building up to something big, just like the night he and his grandmother had first stopped at Turnbal House.

  “Mom? Dad? We found the treasure!”

  “You what? You really found it?” I asked. Had we been gone long enough for them to search the house?

  My son grinned. “We found the treasure. I swear it.” He crossed his heart and held up his hand, palm facing us.

  I opened the door and climbed out of the car. “I’ve got to see this. Lead the way.”

  Chris and I followed Mikey into the house where we found Judith and the twins standing by the dining table, all talking at once, their backs to us.

  “Mikey said you found the treasure,” I said.

  No one heard me.

  “Ladies?” With everyone talking at once, they still didn’t hear me. Chris Sr. stood near the kitchen, apparently staying out of their way.

  Chris whistled shrilly, and the ladies turned in our direction. They took a step toward us, still all speaking at the same time. Chris held up his hand, much as Mikey had done, only his intent was peace and quiet.

  “Okay,” I said, “what did you find? Mikey says you found the treasure.”

  Judith stepped forward, looking quite proud. “We did, and it was thanks to my grandson.”

  “I don’t call this much of a treasure,” Carol said, “not to take away from Mikey’s find.”

  “You wouldn’t know a treasure if it bit you on the butt,” Coral said, punching her sister’s arm once again.

  “Will you quit that? My whole arm is going to be one big bruise by the time we leave here.”

  “Tell us what happened.” Chris was taking over.

  “I’ll tell it,” Judith said, giving the twins an I’m-in-charge-here look. “Carol and Coral were showing me a couple of hidden compartments upstairs, and Mikey was watching us. When we moved from the first one to the second one, Mikey stayed to examine the first one.”

  “I – ” Mikey tried to continue the story, but Judith cut him off at the pass.

  “He’s such a smart boy,” she said, patting his back. “Anyway, he remembered that the one we found in the basement had a false side, so he started looking for another false side. And, I’ll be darned, he found one.”

  She looked at the twins and they both nodded. “The one thing we couldn’t find when Mother passed on was her better jewelry,” Carol said.

  “We know where it is now,” Coral said, “thanks to your son.”

  “You mean the treasure is your mother’s jewels?” I asked.

  Coral nodded. “Judith said we could have them back even though we told her she could have everything in the house. I mean, they were our mother’s pieces. But in all honesty, although they’re worth some money, it’s not a fortune. They have more sentimental value to us. Carol and I have our own money. Mom and Dad left us a bundle and we’ve helped it grow over the years. We don’t need to sell the jewelry. We’ll just divvie it up.”

  “And Kimberly was murdered because of this? How much do you think the loot is worth?” Chris asked.

  “Maybe twenty thousand,” Carol replied.

  My disgust was almost palpable. “So Kimberly’s life was worth maybe twenty thousand dollars to someone? I sure hope we catch this guy. He should be hung by his thumbs and then laid out on an anthill.”

  “Pamela? That doesn’t sound like you.” Chris was surprised by my vehemence.

  “Can’t help it. Since when is someone’s life worth a pile of old jewelry?” I was furious about what happened to Kimberly. I wanted justice and then some. She was young and had so much life ahead of her. She had friends and a family who loved her. And it had taken all this time for her death to

  sink in. Had I been in denial? Well, I didn’t know her, but still…

  “People have been killed for a lot less,” Judith reminded me.

  “I know.” I looked from face to face around the room. My gazed ended with the shocked look on Mikey’s face. “I’m sorry, Son. I guess I got carried away.”

  He approached me and put his arms around my waist. “It’s okay, Mom. I understand.”

  I had tears in my eyes as I hugged Mikey back. “She could have had a son as great as you one day if someone hadn’t snuffed out her light.”

  I turned and studied the twins for a moment. They looked like I was making them uncomfortable. “Do you two still want to get involved in this case?” I asked.

  They both nodded without saying anything, eyes wide open.

  “Okay. Do you think you could keep an eye on the house next door to Kimberly’s without being seen? We need to know if a certain man lives there.”

  “No problemo,” Coral said. “I own Kimberly’s house. She was renting from me. I never met her though because I had a rental agency handling it for me.”

  “Yes, my sister snatched that house up as soon as she received her inheritance. I would have bought it, but I wasn’t quick enough.”

  “Oh, get over it,” Coral said.

  Carol made a face at her sister. It looked like a snarl.

  “Anyway,” Coral said, ignoring her sister, “I’ll get the key and we can watch from the house.”

  I described the man, and the twins said they’d run right over and pick up the key from the rental agency.

  Chris cleared his throat. “Come on, sweetie, let’s get moving. We’ve got to get to work.”

  To their surprise, I hugged each of the women before

  we left. What was wrong with me? This wasn�
��t me. I never reacted to things like this. Taking a deep breath, I followed Chris out the door. Silence followed us.

  “You okay, cupcake?” Chris asked, opening the car door for me.

  “Yeah, I guess the idea that she could have been killed for some old jewelry, no matter how much it was worth, just hit me wrong.”

  He walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in the car.

  “Well, keep one thing in mind. The legend of the treasure has been around for so long that people probably thought there was a lot more than jewelry in the house. And people will do anything when it comes to moola.”

  “You’re right.” I reached over and laid my hand on Chris’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be sorry.” He patted my hand before he pulled away from the curb.

  Things were busy at the restaurant that night, but nothing out of the ordinary happened – no odd neighbors showed up, no tires were slashed, and I didn’t have to worry about the dogs because we’d left them at home for once.

  Judith and Chris Sr. didn’t bring Mikey in, so I assumed they’d gone home. I knew they were probably tired and wanted to relax.

  ~ * ~

  Mikey and Chris slept in on Thursday morning, but I was up and dusting the house by five o’clock. Something was bothering me and sometimes I did my best thinking while I was alone and busy.

  Judith and Chris Sr. arose early and drove over to Turnbal House around six o’clock to do some work. I’d seen them step out of the motor home before they left and hurried outside to say good morning.

  Although the treasure had been found, it bothered me

  because of something one of the twins had said. One of them told me their mother said to read her books in order to find the treasure. Judith told me she didn’t remember a treasure or anything about valuable jewelry in any of Marguerite’s books, but she hadn’t read Summer’s Ghost yet. I’d started it, but just barely.

  I set my dust cloth aside and picked up the book, carrying it to the kitchen table with me. I decided it was time to find out what this story was all about.

  By the time Chris and Mikey came downstairs, I’d read several chapters. This wasn’t a typical gothic story. This one was more of a traditional mystery, and it included a ghost.