Connections

by Beth Urich

  Taken aback by Etta’s sudden frankness and, even more so, by the controlled low tone of her voice, Kate hesitated before responding, then chose the direct approach.

  “I would agree with you except for one thing. The partnership agreement is potential evidence in a criminal investigation.”

  “That’s pretty far-fetched even for you.”

  “As a matter of fact, it brings up another point of my confusion. It seems to me you would have to know details about Lex leaving the company, since you were not only longtime friends, but partners.”

  “I told you he wanted to start his own store.”

  “Why go it alone? Why not open another location for Riverside? And you had to know when he returned to Branson.”

  “You’ll have to leave, Kate. I don’t intend to defend myself against your fantasies.”

  Before Kate could react or respond, the front screen slammed and Bryan Porter stormed into the room, his face flushed, his tearing eyes focused on Etta.

  Kate came off the sofa and stepped back toward the window, not sure what the clearly troubled man might do.

  “I’d like to hear your answers to Kate’s questions. And don’t forget I witnessed Jack kicking my dad out of Riverside. And, I might add, you did nothing to help him.”

  Etta said, “You don’t know what you’re saying. You were a boy. You’re remembering your mother’s version of events.”

  “I may have bought that once, Aunt Etta, but I’m beginning to question what you’ve told me. So I want the truth. You owe me the truth. Like you owed me the partnership agreement, the one you said didn’t exist, but you had all along.”

  “I’d forgotten about it.”

  “You’re lying,” Bryan said, wiping his damp cheeks.

  “Your father lied to you, then abandoned you and your mother. You’re trying to push his guilt off on me.” Etta walked toward Bryan slowly, stopping about two feet from him. “I don’t blame you, Bryan. I understand how much your father meant to you.”

  He hung his head. Etta took a step toward him and the sobbing man responded to her offered hug. Kate couldn’t hear their exchange as they prolonged the cathartic embrace.

  Etta took a step back, gently releasing her hold. She steadied herself against the chair, then sat down.

  Kate said, “Can I get you some water, Etta?”

  “I’ll be okay, but I probably should lie down.”

  Bryan slowly guided Etta to her bedroom.

  Mesmerized by the strange encounter, Kate sunk to the sofa. She understood the impact of losing a parent, but the additional complications of Lex Porter’s betrayal and disappearance had devastated his son’s life.

  Bryan returned to the room and said, “Can we talk for a moment?”

  The reporter came to her feet but wasn’t sure how to respond.

  “Don’t worry, I’m okay,” he said, his demeanor more relaxed. “All I want is to hear about the partnership agreement you found. It’s between Jack, Etta, and my dad. Right?”

  “The document is informal and handwritten, but my father’s lawyer says, if authenticated, the contract is legal.”

  “And she had it in one of her boxes?”

  Kate asked, “Is that what you were searching for?”

  “I told you before, I had nothing to do with that break-in. But from what I heard about the aftermath, I can’t believe whoever did it wasn’t able to find the agreement.”

  “She had given me the box on loan for one of my crafts fair articles.”

  “Seems like a strange coincidence.”

  “I suppose,” Kate said.

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor.

  “Bryan, what did you mean Etta didn’t help your father when Jack kicked him out?”

  “I was on my way to my after-school job at the store. I heard the loud voices, a terrible argument. I knew better than to go inside. I ducked behind a big barrel on the porch.”

  He bowed his head and closed his eyes, forcing a tear down his cheek. After a moment, he wiped his face and shook his head as if to chase out the memories. “Sorry,” he said.

  “Could you make out details of the argument?”

  “My dad was defending himself, saying he had no idea what Jack was talking about. Jack called Dad a liar. The louder Uncle Jack got the quieter Dad became. Ultimately, Jack shouted for Dad to get out and never come back. I didn’t know what to do so I watched my dad walk off the porch and away from the store.”

  “And Etta was there?”

  “No. I ran to the back entrance. I knew she’d be in her office. I begged her to do something. To smooth things over between them. She said it was my dad’s fault and he would have to live with the consequences. She wouldn’t tell me more.”

  “What did you do?”

  “What would any eight-year-old do? I ran as fast and as far away from that office as I could. I never returned.”

  “Did you tell your dad you heard the argument?”

  “Nope. Not my mom either. But she knew about it.”

  Kate said, “Your anger makes more sense now.”

  “My therapist would disagree with you,” he said, managing a half-smile. “Can I ask you something?” When she nodded, he said, “Why are you so sure my dad came back to Branson?”

  Reluctant to tell him the truth, Kate said, “What makes you think I’m sure?”

  “You told Etta she should have known when ... not if ... he came back to town.”

  “Wouldn’t you and your mother have seen him if he had?”

  “You’re trying not to answer my question,” he said.

  “How could I know for sure?”

  “For one thing, you’re a good investigative journalist. And I suspect dating a cop helps.”

  “Tom and I don’t discuss work.”

  “Never mind, I already know the skeleton is my dad.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Sid stared at the status board, his feet propped on the desk. He shook his head and took a sip of lukewarm coffee. “We’re not ready,” he said.

  “Despite that fact, the lieutenant wants a briefing,” Tom said.

  “Fine. But why with the City Attorney?”

  “Consider it a brainstorming session and, more to the point, something we must do.”

  Sid shrugged and collected some papers from the worktable along with the pad and easel. Tom took down the summary pages from the wall, rolled them, and grabbed some large clips and two black markers.

  “I hope the lieutenant made fresh coffee,” Sid said, walking into the common area.

  The detectives set up their briefing materials on one side of the conference room as they acknowledged Palmer and City Attorney Mortimer Dunlap. The coffee pot in the corner was sitting half-empty with a non-illuminated ready light. Sid sighed as he sat down next to his partner.

  Lieutenant Palmer said, “I know we’re still in the middle of both cases, but I want to get Mort in on the conversation. Give us the high-points and the direction you’re taking.”

  Tom pushed his chair away from the table and moved to the pad, flipping the cover to reveal a summary sheet for Porter’s construction complaint. “We’ve talked to almost a hundred individuals in the construction business in Branson and Taney County. Although we found a clear indication that a good-old-boy culture is still in place, we saw no evidence of criminal activity until recently. Keep in mind this is one incident, which we haven’t completely verified, in a town with millions of dollars of active construction projects.”

  Sid arranged some papers in front of the other men. “This is a sworn statement from a witness to an apparent bribery of a city inspector by an employee of Fortune Enterprises.”

  Dunlap said, “But you haven’t verified the accusation?”

  “We haven’t been able to find the inspector. His name is Brad Fortner and he quit abruptly a couple weeks ago. Ben Leatherman, who said the guy was a good inspector, did some analysis of the man’s inspection records.”
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  “Did Leatherman suspect anything?” Palmer asked.

  “No, but after we spoke to Ben and filled him in on our witness, he decided to check it out. Over the last six to eight months, Fortner completed follow-up inspections that did not seem right. In Ben’s words, the initial rejection was followed up too quickly. The items being redone or corrected should have taken longer than a return trip on the same day.”

  Sid said, “All of these anomalies were on Fortune Enterprises projects.”

  Dunlap asked, “What about other companies?”

  “None,” Tom said.

  “Pretty weak without being able to talk to the inspector. Anything else on that case?” Palmer asked.

  Tom glanced at his partner who shrugged and folded his hands in his lap. “We noted some tangential issues, which seem to indicate Larry Allen, the grandson of company founder Jack Brighton, may be up to no good,” he said.

  Mort said, “I’m afraid you have way too many hedges in that statement, Detective Collingwood. Not much up-to-no-good case law on the books, I’m afraid. Do you have anything specific in these tangential issues?”

  Tom shook his head, realizing any link to the suspicious fires by the lake was speculative at this point.

  Palmer said, “You’re still working the bribery angle and hope to find the inspector?”

  “Yes, sir,” Tom responded.

  Dunlap said, “You can’t take what you have to the County Prosecutor. Let’s hope you learn more. A confession would be great.”

  “Maybe that’s not a bad idea,” Palmer said. “Why don’t we have a meeting with Allen, ask him some questions, and see how he reacts.”

  “Can’t hurt, but you’d have to be careful not to make flimsy allegations,” Dunlap said, glancing at Tom. “I’d be available for later today, if you can arrange it.”

  Palmer asked, “Can you two put together some questions, including about the other suspicious activity?”

  “Sure,” Tom said, but his heart wasn’t in it. Allen was not stupid enough to admit to anything based solely on innuendo or unsubstantiated information. Tom flipped the page on the pad to the summary sheet for the skeleton case. “We have DNA confirmation that the skeletal remains belong to Alexander Porter. He was reported missing by his wife in 1945.”

  “Any relation to our complaint guy, Bryan?” Dunlap asked.

  “His father.”

  Dunlap raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

  “We are still investigating his last-known activities and why someone would want him dead. Unfortunately, the only person talking is Bryan Porter, who was eleven years old in 1945. We do have a partnership agreement between Lex, as everyone called him, Jack Brighton, and Etta Stupholds.”

  When the men finished reading the agreement, Tom said, “As you can see this could point to motive.”

  “But?” Palmer asked.

  “The agreement was created in 1942. These three were close childhood friends and it doesn’t make sense that the agreement itself would be a reason to kill him.”

  Dunlap said, “I can tell you this document qualifies as a legal contract, in perpetuity, I might add. Bryan Porter would stand to benefit. First, we’d have to prove it is a document signed by these three individuals over fifty years ago.”

  “Etta, admitted as much,” Tom said.

  “To you?”

  “To Kate Starling, a reporter at Tri-Lakes Newspapers.”

  This time it was Palmer’s turn to raise an eyebrow and remain silent.

  Dunlap said, “Sounds like you need to wrap up a few loose ends on that case before going to the County Prosecutor.”

  TOM AND SID SPENT AN hour or so developing a list of questions to put to the councilman. Each question had an introductory narrative to make it seem like they had evidence for each item presented. Once the detectives finished a third draft, they took it to the lieutenant for his approval.

  “Looks good to me,” Palmer said. “By the way Allen was all too happy to cooperate with us. He said he appreciated the opportunity to clear up any misinformation.”

  “I’ll bet,” Tom said.

  MORT DUNLAP AND DAN Palmer were alone in the conference room when the detectives arrived. Sid headed directly for the freshly brewed coffee and carried two cups back to the table.

  “Thanks, partner,” Tom said.

  Sid asked Palmer, “Don’t suppose we’ve been stood up by any chance?”

  At that point the department secretary showed Councilman Allen into the room. Keith Hawthorne was close behind.

  “This is our company attorney,” Allen said. “Granddad insisted. I hope you understand and don’t read anything into his coming along.”

  “No problem,” Palmer said. “The idea here is to clear up some issues before we go further with our investigation.”

  Tom took everyone’s silence as a cue to begin. He set up the first question with a brief summary of Porter’s suit against the city and complaint to the state of Missouri. After a couple of sentences, Hawthorne waved his hand above the table and said they were familiar with Porter’s claims.

  “Good,” Tom said. “Are you also familiar with our construction tip-line?”

  Allen and the lawyer said they were not.

  “We set up the hotline primarily to allow construction workers to provide anonymous tips regarding issues in the trade around Branson. We received over a thousand calls, most of which reported what we knew ... that a strong good-old-boy network exists in Taney County.”

  “No kidding,” Allen said with a snicker.

  Tom continued, “But we did get several calls reporting more serious abuses at current job sites. The most serious involved a construction worker witnessing what appeared to be an exchange of funds between a general contractor employee and a city official.”

  Hawthorne said, “Presumably the general contractor was Fortune Enterprises, since we are the company being questioned.”

  Palmer said, “That’s correct.”

  Allen squirmed in his chair and sat forward laying his hands in front of him. “First of all, we have no reason to pay a city inspector anything. We follow all codes. We cooperate in all plan reviews. We defer to all inspections. And before you bring up beginning construction before the permit is issued, I would suggest you consult with Leatherman, who gave us the verbal go-ahead.”

  “Slow down,” Tom said. “The reason for this meeting is to inform you of this accusation and to see what you might do to clarify what was seen by our witness.”

  “I’d say your witness was mistaken about what he saw or who he saw.”

  Hawthorne glanced at Allen then addressed the lieutenant. “Has your staff verified this witness account with the city official? Have you identified the alleged company employee?”

  Despite being excluded from the question, Tom responded, “The description of the employee matches your site manager, Paul Andrews. We did speak to him and he denies dealing with the city employee. Another gentleman on your team remembers the employee, who definitely inspected your project.”

  “And the city official himself?” Hawthorne asked.

  “Unfortunately, he quit. We’re trying to locate him.”

  Allen started to say something, but Hawthorne placed his hand on the younger man’s arm and said, “We’ve responded to that issue. Do you have more questions?”

  Tom brought up the visit to Kate’s house and suggested Allen entered without invitation and remained when asked to leave and acted in a threatening way toward the reporter.

  Hawthorne said, “And are those the formal charges Miss Starling made against Larry?”

  “She hasn’t filed an official complaint,” Palmer offered.

  “Let us know when that happens,” the lawyer said. “Anything else?”

  Tom decided against going into most of the questions he had prepared. Hawthorne’s presence clearly kept Allen’s temper in check. The young executive would not make a mistake—let alone a confession—today. Still, the detective
felt one topic might be worth mentioning.

  “A gentleman named Kyle Henderson, an out-of-state realtor-broker, has been making offers to purchase various properties in Branson.”

  Hawthorne stood up. “That’s it. We are not interested in more fairytales.”

  Palmer said, “Please, have a seat. This will be the last topic.”

  Tom continued, “Henderson has closed on several residential sites over the last year or so. Those properties were sold to a holding company registered in Delaware.”

  “This is Kate’s doing, isn’t it?” Allen asked. “Sure, I know about Henderson. Who doesn’t? He’s been calling or visiting folks for a while. But he has nothing to do with us.”

  “And what if he did?” Hawthorne said. “Buying property is not against the law.”

  “Maybe not,” Tom said. “Quite a coincidence that at least six of the owners who sold to Henderson were victims of rental-house fires. Perhaps you’ve noticed how many more fires we’ve experienced in the last year compared to a normal year. According to Fire Chief Scherington a couple of them were questionable, but not enough to suspect arson.”

  “Are you coming to a conclusion soon?” Hawthorne asked.

  “Here’s the strange thing,” Tom said with a smile. “The purchased properties are all along the Taneycomo lakefront in old downtown Branson. Henderson is listed as purchaser for twenty percent of the recent sales. If you add that to Fortune Enterprises’ current holdings in the area, the total climbs to thirty percent.”

  “Are you saying Henderson is torching structures to make the purchase?” Allen asked.

  “Possibly.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t see how this concerns us,” Hawthorne said.

  “Did I forget to say that Henderson named Councilman Allen as his primary contact in all his dealings in Branson?”

  “Why would he do that?” Hawthorne said with a shrug.

  “Probably didn’t want to take the wrap himself. After we discussed the suspicious fires, he decided to give us more information about his involvement in the land purchase activities.”