The Morelville Mysteries Collection

by Anne Hagan

  I managed to get into the house and get my gun belt off and stowed away before she showed up. She was out of the car and maneuvering toward the ramp to the front door on her crutches before I could even make it down the side door steps that I always used to go out and assist her.

  I watched her with admiration, “You’re getting pretty good with those things ma’am.”

  “I’m trying. I’ll be honest though, I might not have a lot of nerve feeling but the muscles are definitely sore from the therapy.”

  “Already?”

  “Well I’m supposed to do sets of flex exercises throughout the day and they increase daily. I’ve been trying to do them and I’m starting to feel the burn.”

  “Dana that’s probably a good thing.”

  “You’re right; I just wish it was a faster process.” “She reached for the screen door but it was locked from the inside.”

  “Oops! Dana I’m so sorry. I’ll go right on around. Hang on!” I scooted back around the side and went through the house to the front door.

  Our home is over 100 years old. The front door has an old fashioned skeleton key lock just below the handle and a bolt throw that are both only accessible from inside. The screen door had a simple thumb latch inside with no way to unlock it from the outside either if it was latched. Getting Dana access to the house now that school was going to be out for the summer was going to be a problem that I hadn’t considered.

  As she stepped through the door I asked her, “So how have you been getting in?”

  “The kids.”

  “I think I told you before that they won’t be here much over the summer and their keys won’t do you any good since they’re for the side door so we have a problem.” I showed her the locks.

  After considering it for a minute I told her, “Here’s what I can do. I’ll just take this slide bolt lock off of here and put a regular key lock dead bolt on like the one that’s on the side door. We’ll take the skeleton key out and put it up so no one accidentally locks the handle and we just won’t latch the screen. That’s no big deal.”

  “Mel, I don’t want you to go to all of that trouble. I’ll just use the side door.”

  “You’re not supposed to be doing stairs or bearing any weight outside of therapy yet.”

  “I’ve got my crutches. People have been using crutches on stairs since the dawn of time!”

  “You’re so hard headed!”

  “So are you!” She stuck her tongue out at me.

  “Seriously? What are you; five?” I laughed.

  “Nana-na-na-na!”

  “Okay, now you’re just being silly.” I moved toward her and gave her a light swat on the backside. “I’m going upstairs to change. Do you need anything before I go?”

  “Nope. I’ll do the same. Just make sure you change your attitude too!”

  “Me?” I laughed and then half jogged up the stairs.

  When I got back downstairs, Dana was already changed. She was standing in the kitchen doing her best to pour a gallon pitcher of Kris’s sweet tea into two glasses while she balanced on one foot. Her crutches were leaning against the counter.

  “Would you like a little help with that?”

  “I’ve got it. This is the easy part. Carrying everything around is the hard part!”

  When she was done pouring, I put the tea back in the ‘fridge for her.

  She pointed at the two glasses, “Would you like to take these to the deck?” She stepped back from the counter and started to reach for her crutches.

  “That would be nice but first, I’d like to give you a proper greeting.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  I moved in close and puller her gently toward me. I slid my hands up her back and tangled them in her long brown hair as I hugged her lightly. Her breath was hot against my cheek. She turned her lips to mine in a soft, almost chaste kiss. Almost...

  I parted my lips and instantly felt the slick heat of her tongue as it lightly skimmed my lower lip. The intensity of her exploration ratcheted up a notch and that was all it took. I claimed her lips with wanton abandon.

  From my aroused state, I came to realize that Dana was standing, putting significant pressure on the leg that she was supposed to be babying along in its recovery. I slid my hands down to her backside and cupped it firmly then pulled her upward. She moaned in response and wrapped her legs around me as I lifted her smaller form from the floor.

  I carried her into the den now turned into her room and laid her gently on the bed then followed her down there without ever breaking our kiss. As I lay beside her, I pulled her tighter to me. She laced her good right leg up over my left thigh.

  Though we were both fully clothed, the close contact set my spine tingling and touched off fireworks in my brain. I cupped her ass again and urged her forward creating a heady friction between our bodies.

  I dragged my lips away from hers and buried them in the curve of her neck. She smelled delicious, her scent sending me reeling even more. I kissed and nipped her neck and along her jaw line and then reclaimed her mouth.

  She surged toward me even tighter and flattened her chest against mine. Then, just as quickly, she pulled back slightly and replaced the pressure of her body with her fingers. They skimmed my breasts with only light pressure through my tee shirt but they sparked a surge of heat in my blood. I thought I just might combust. I was almost completely consumed in the moment.

  Somewhere in the far reaches of my brain I heard the sounds of a teenage argument brewing. I groaned and dragged my lips from Dana’s and glanced toward the wide open door to the room. I realized Cole and Beth had arrived home from school and were headed into the house.

  In my kiss addled state, it was all I could do to rise from the bed and push the door gently closed and then click the ancient thumb lock into place. I turned to Dana and raised a finger to my lips cautioning her to be quiet for a moment.

  She worked on sitting up while I did my best to compose myself. Once my breathing had slowed a little, I stepped out to go in search of Dana’s crutches and to face the maelstrom.

  Cole brightened when he saw me, “Aunt Mel, you’re home early!”

  “So are you buddy. What’s up with that?”

  “Oh Zach’s mom was picking him up since it’s the last day and all and she just gave us a ride too so we didn’t have to take the bus.” Zach was the kid down the street that was Cole’s friend and Beth’s not so secret admirer that she wouldn’t give the time of day to.

  Beth looked around, “Where’s Aunt Dana?”

  “She’s in her room changing.” I picked up the crutches. “I better get these to her.”

  Cole tipped his head and looked at me sideways. “How’d she get all the way to her room without those?”

  I hated lying to them but they had me on the defensive, “Oh, she must have walked. Part of her therapy is to put weight on it from time to time.” I smiled and shrugged. “Why don’t you two go play in traffic or something and I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner?”

  “I don’t play.” Was Beth’s haughty response. She turned and headed for the stairs and her room.

  “Aunt Mel, you know there’s no traffic in Morelville! Well, except during the Mushroom Festival.” Cole wagged a finger at me and shook his head at me in mock disgust and then he left.

  When I got back into Dana’s room she was still sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m so sorry that took so long.”

  “Mel we can’t do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Start a relationship right now. We can’t be physical with each other because we never know when the kids will be around...”

  “Dana, I think we need to tell the kids that we’re a couple. I’ll talk to Kris about it and...”

  “No Mel. It’s not just that!”

  “What then?”

  “Baby I can’t keep my hands off of you. Even if the kids know about us, I’m not comfortable being that way with you here and, as you’ve seen,
I’m going to have a hell of a time trying to hide it. And then, what about this boyfriend of Kris’s? I imagine he’ll be around at some point too?”

  “Yeah, this weekend. She said he’s due in Friday but he’s not a concern, trust me. You’ll see.”

  “Fine but there’s still all the rest...Oh, I don’t know what to do...”

  I took a deep breath. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.” I gave her a quick neck hug and then put a little distance between us while helping her up at the same time. “Right now, let’s think about dinner.”

  Chapter 29 – Kelly Did or Kelly Didn’t

  Thursday Morning, June 5th, 2014

  Holly beat me into the office again even though I was there just after 7:00 AM. I’d spent a sleepless night and I just wanted to get my day started with things that I felt like I did have some control over.

  Dana and I had talked until Kris came home about my cases and about hers but most of all about us. Afterward, I spoke to Kris upstairs privately about talking with the kids while Dana kept them occupied in the living room below. Kris was okay with the idea because she felt the fact that I had some sort of relationship with Dana might come out during the election anyway but she too had concerns about us being physical in any way with each other in the house and I understood that. It wasn’t bigotry on her part. She was cautious showing affection with the men that she dated in front of the kids too and they never stayed over. She didn’t want to send her children mixed messages.

  For my part, I really didn’t know what I wanted or didn’t want to come out during the run up to the election and I sure didn’t know what to do about Dana’s dilemma or, for that matter, my own. I wanted her just as much as she said she wanted me.

  I tried to put all of that out of my head when I stepped into the outer office that was Holly’s domain.

  “Holly, you’re at it early again, I see.”

  “Yes ma’am. I got those letters printed up last night and they’re all ready to go. Did you want me to put them in the boxes after all?”

  “No, no. I’ll just run down and do that now. It won’t take but a minute. Once I come back, I’ll release that email too.”

  I headed down to the mailbox bank that was located outside of the locker rooms and across from the roll call room. Roll call was empty. The day shift deputies were already on the road. Any deputies lingering around after night shift were likely still here only to finish up paperwork. Their shift had ended at 6:00 AM.

  I put a letter in each box that had a name assigned to it and then I turned to head back up the hall toward the stairs. Kelly Rice was coming down the stairs. When she saw me, she paused for a moment before continuing her descent. I couldn’t put my finger on the look on her face but she sure wasn’t happy to see me.

  “Good morning detective. You drew the early straw this morning, I see.”

  “Uh, yeah. Good morning Sheriff.”

  I turned and walked with her toward the squad bay and her desk. “How did it go with Ethan Funk yesterday?”

  “It uh, didn’t.”

  “What do you mean, “It didn’t”? Did you talk to him?”

  “I tried. He zipped his lip and wouldn’t say a word.”

  That’s pretty hard to believe. “Nothing at all?

  Rice stared at me. “That’s what I said. If you don’t believe me, watch the tape. The guy wouldn’t talk. Somebody must have got to him.”

  “That’s odd. We’ve had him by himself, under lock and key.”

  Rice shrugged but said nothing. Her whole demeanor just didn’t sit right with me.

  “Holly what did you find out about getting me into Big Sandy?”

  “With 72 hours’ notice, you can go in on any day as a law enforcement official. Anybody on the approved visitors list and any professional or any law enforcement official on police business can go on Saturday or Sunday during regular visiting hours.”

  “Which are?”

  “8:30 to 3:00 both days.”

  “Do I need to give them notice if I go on Saturday or Sunday?”

  “Yes; to make sure he’s administratively available.”

  “I see.”

  “Kelly didn’t get anything from Ethan Funk, I take it?”

  “Zip. She claims he wouldn’t talk at all. She even insinuated that somebody might have got to him over at the jail.”

  “Isn’t he segregated right now?”

  “Hell yeah!”

  “Well then that doesn’t make any sense. She isn’t implying one of our jailers might be playing both sides is she?”

  “She didn’t say that directly. She did tell me that I should watch the tape if I didn’t believe her.”

  “Maybe you should then but it’s not tape. It’s all digital. I can show you how to pull it up if you like?”

  “Thanks. I think I better have a look. I just have a bad feeling about it all.”

  Ten minutes later we had the whole audio/video sequence of Funk’s latest visit to interrogation cued up on my computer. Holly stood and watched over my shoulder as I pressed play and the recording started. We watched as Detective Rice and Ethan Funk both entered the room. Kelly spent about 10 minutes peppering him with questions. Her technique wasn’t the best but it didn’t matter because Funk really wasn’t saying a word. He didn’t even flinch when she used the term “the dealer” as I had instructed her to do. It was like he was sitting in a whole different time and place than she was and he couldn’t even hear her.

  When the recording finished, Holly and I just looked at each other for a minute. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes but it still seems fishy to me.”

  “I don’t know what to say Mel. I mean, it’s right there on the screen...”

  A thought popped into my head, “Wait a minute! How do I start it over?”

  “Just push the play button again. It will restart at the beginning.”

  Once the video started over I immediately hit the play button again to stop it.

  “Right there! Do you see that?” I pointed at the screen.

  “I see the two of them coming into the interrogation room...”

  “Exactly! It’s just the two of them. Standard protocol is that an officer or a detective can go to the lock-up and pull a prisoner but there’s always at least one jailer escorting the prisoner too until they’re seated in interrogation. There’s no jailer with them.”

  “She brought him over with no escort?”

  “That’s how it looks. Can we pull video from other cameras to confirm that?”

  “Absolutely. Let me call tech.”

  Just what the hell is she up to?

  Within the hour I had confirmation that Kelly Rice had sweet talked a jailer into letting her move Ethan Funk without an escort. There was also video confirmation that she’d said something to Funk along the way in a hallway but she ducked her head and said it low to keep it inaudible for the camera. I’d have to have the audio enhanced to know exactly what she said. Regardless, she was playing a dangerous game and I was about to call her on it.

  Not wanting to give her any warning that she was about to feel my wrath, I headed back down to the squad bay. When I walked in, she was sitting at her desk holding my recently distributed letter in her hand, staring off into space, her face burning red.

  When she realized I was there she tossed the letter down on the desk and stood up. Facing me, she said, “I quit.” She tossed her keys, badge and her department issued handgun on the desk and then took a step to go around me.

  I held up a hand to stop her. “Not so fast! I accept your resignation but you’re not leaving. You’re under arrest.”

  She guffawed loudly. “On what charge?”

  “Accessory After the Fact for starters. I’m sure there will be more charges later.”

  She didn’t back down. She got right in my face and yelled, “I want a lawyer!”

  I stayed calm, “You’re probably going to need one.” I called out to the duty Sergeant who had just entered the room from
the other end, “I need an assist please.”

  “Yes Sheriff?” He looked at me and then at my grip on her and then back at me, a question in his eyes.

  “I’m arresting her and charging her with ‘Accessory After the Fact’. Bag this stuff while I search her.” I pointed at the stuff on the desk. The folder I’d seen the day before was still in the same spot. I pointed to it, “Bag that file folder too.”

  “That’s personal stuff in there!”

  “Personal to whom, Kelly?”

  “I’m not saying anything else until I talk to a lawyer.”

  I read her, her rights and then I had the duty sergeant take over. She could sit in booking and then in holding and cool her heels for a little while until I figured out what was really going on.

  Ethan Funk was having his third go around of the week in an interrogation room. This time, he had me again instead of his erstwhile accomplice.

  “I ain’t waiving my rights no more Sheriff. I’m only going to deal with my lawyer from now on.”

  “That’s fine. I just thought you’d want to know that I’ve charged Kelly Rice, the detective whom you spoke with yesterday with “Aiding and Abetting After the Fact and placed her under arrest. Similar charges will be added to the charges pending against you.”

  All of the color drained from Funk’s face. For a minute, I thought he might pass out. When he finally spoke he could barely choke out words, “What...how...”

  “She’s on video Ethan instructing you not to answer her questions. She broke the law and she’s going to pay for that and so will you and anyone else that she helped.”

  “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything I can, I swear! I don’t want to make this any worse!”

  Chapter 30 – Beans

  Thursday Afternoon, June 5th, 2014

  Shane Harding, a Deputy DA and I were sitting in interrogation with Ethan Funk and his lawyer. An exhausted but still ready for a fight Shane was scribbling notes furiously as Funk spilled the beans about everything he could think of. I interjected questions now and again to steer the flow of information pouring out of him.