That brought a crack of a smile. “Like you said, it all happened pretty fast. I hadn’t gotten around to that yet.” He turned to Sergeant Payne. “You read ’em their rights?”
“I took care of that, and Mrs. Baucus needs some medical help for a broken finger,” Alvarez said. “From what they admitted back there in the road, this thing goes pretty deep. It’s all mixed up in that Sand Castle accident.”
“He’s right,” I said. “And you’ll find when you run his prints that Mr. Baucus is actually a man named Wilson Fletcher from Cheyenne, Wyoming.”
“The hell you say.” Cassel was frowning again.
But I wasn’t through. “You’ll want to bring in his co-conspirator, Claude Detrich, also. They were both involved in altering Tim Gannon’s plans so they could use cheaper materials, which led to the balcony collapse and those two deaths.”
It was getting too much for the lieutenant. He turned to Jill and me. “You two had better come with me and give a statement.”
“I’ll need to do the same,” said Alvarez.
———
Jill and I didn’t get back to Gulf Sands until nearly eleven o’clock. But despite the late hour, I knew I had to call Sam Gannon. Fortunately, he hadn’t gone to bed yet.
“The case is closed,” I said. “The guilty party is under arrest.”
“You got the murderer?” Sam asked.
“Right. But until late this afternoon, I was sure it was somebody else.”
After I finished telling what had happened, Sam was silent for a moment. Then he breathed a deep sigh. “Greed. Pure greed. I hope she gets the chair, or whatever they do in Florida. Wilma probably won’t agree. I guess I should be more forgiving, myself, but I find that hard to do.”
I knew what he meant. Right now I wasn’t feeling too kindly toward several people, most notably those goons from New Orleans. But I’d soon get over it. And Sam would eventually reconcile himself to the loss of his son, though he would have a difficult time, considering Tim’s death had resulted from a decision made to satisfy such selfish ends.
After Sam and I had finished talking, Jill got on the phone to speak with Wilma and put everything in perspective.
“Such a terrible thing,” Jill said, “but now we know the other tragedy—the fall of that balcony with two people killed—was not Tim’s fault. You still have a lot of good memories, and you have those three boys.”
———
We wound up spending more time on Perdido Key than intended, with all the aftermath of the arrests. We gave more statements to the sheriff’s investigators, and the county building inspection people talked with me at length about what I had learned regarding the missing Sand Castle plans. We signed statements for the Orange Beach police and were visited by officers from Mobile and Biloxi. I even got a call from the FBI.
Greta Baucus was so furious over her husband’s deception that she agreed to tell everything she knew. And as Jill had surmised, she knew plenty. Sheriff’s investigators in Mobile found witnesses to the Mafia enforcers’ presence on Dauphin Island. Strands of hair found in Ollie O’Keefe’s car matched those of the man with bushy black hair who had clobbered me in the face. He was indicted for murder, with his partner as an accomplice.
Baucus/Fletcher and Claude Detrich faced charges ranging from theft to forgery of official documents and conspiracy to murder. The DA was looking into additional counts dealing with the deaths from the balcony collapse. The Perseid Partners president was also indicted in Biloxi for bigamy. Baucus and Detrich were a contentious pair who ended up ratting on each other.
True to my word, I said nothing about Boz Farnsworth’s tennis date on the afternoon he supposedly watched the balcony concrete pour. But his conduct at the hearing set in motion an investigation to determine his fitness to continue as a Threshold Inspector.
The Rev. Charlie Brown invited us to dinner at his house one evening as a peace-making gesture. Also present were J.W. Payne and his wife Mona. She was an attractive woman, not nearly as large as her husband, with a soft voice and a friendly smile. She and Jill got along well from the start. The sergeant and I came around more slowly.
By the end of the evening, however, we were J.W. and Greg.
“Mona sometimes accuses me of being pig-headed,” J.W. said. “I’ll admit, when I make up my mind about something, you’d better provide more than a reasonable doubt if you want me to change.”
“What does it take?” Charlie asked.
“A preponderance of evidence.” Grinning, he looked across at me. “And, by George, you sure came up with it.”
———
The day before we were to head for home, the weather turned summery again. Mothers with young children multiplied on the beach, returning buckets and shovels and sand castles to popularity. Men and women with fishing poles dotted the shoreline, where a modest breeze flapped the caps and bonnets that protected them from a persistent sun.
Late that afternoon, Jill and I headed out in our shorts and rubber sandals for a final walk on the beach. I stayed along the seaward edge, where the cold water felt stimulating, washing over my feet with each sweep of the foaming surf. Jill chose the high ground, where the sand was less firm but drier.
“You had no idea things would turn out anything like this when we started down here, did you?” she asked.
We were walking away from the sun toward the National Seashore, where the Star Pavilion rose in the distance.
“I wasn’t even convinced a crime had been committed,” I said. “But I thought the possibilities were intriguing.”
She grinned. “Well, the investigation certainly chased away the restless, bored old Greg I had been enduring for so long a time.”
“Was I that bad?”
“Pretty bad.”
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“Eleven.”
I grimaced. “I guess maybe I wasn’t the best of company.”
“You were the pits, dear,” she said. “But I think I know the antidote.”
“What’s that?”
“Get back into the detective business. Since we came down here, you’ve been the most pleasant you’ve been in ages. You even act like you’re thoroughly enjoying Florida for a change.”
I stooped to examine what appeared to be a starfish stuck in the sand. What I pulled out was only three-fifths of the creature.
I looked back at Jill. “As I recall, when we talked before, you complained that you wouldn’t get to see much of me if I went the PI route.”
“True. But things have changed. Now we can be partners. I can see the name on the sign—THE McKENZIES, SUPER SNOOPERS.”
I grinned. Maybe she was right. I had found myself looking forward to each day with new anticipation. I could forego making the acquaintance of any more thugs from New Orleans, but I had certainly enjoyed matching wits with the likes of Evan Baucus and Claude Detrich. And working with Jill had been a pleasant surprise. I liked that.
There on the beach in front of God and everybody, I embraced her good shoulder, gave her a bear hug and a monstrous kiss.
“Great idea, babe,” I said. “But we may want to re-think that name.”
Deadly Illusions
What they’re saying about the third Greg McKenzie Mystery
“An enjoyable, well-written yarn, a couple of engaging characters and an author who apparently knows the Nashville locale and the art of criminal investigation well.”
Gotta Write Network review by Bill Stephens
“A look into a funhouse mirror. The images shift and alter. Just when you think you have it figured out, the picture changes again . . . the plot is fast-paced, and the writing is top-notch.”
MyShelf.com review by Nancy Mehl
”McKenzie is not really the retiring type. So he has put his snooping skills to use as a private eye in partnership with his wife of nearly 40 years. . . It’s fast and easy reading. Though the connections are complicated, the resolution is not too far-fetched.”<
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Lancaster, PA Sunday News review by Jo-Ann Greene
“Campbell has his own unique style of writing that is both dashing and touching . . . another winner in the Chester D. Campbell literary cabinet. Campbell obviously has many stories to share, and he continues to write fabulous mysteries.”
Midwest Book Review by Shelley Glodowski
“Mr. Campbell has a great way of telling a story while weaving the various cases that Greg and Jill are working on . . . I highly recommend this book and the whole series.”
The Best Reviews by Dawn Dowdle
“If you’re interested in seeing how a real private detective works try Chester Campbell’s Deadly Illusions . . . He writes a fast paced novel.”
Crimespree Magazine by Dave Biemann
“It is a pleasure to find an older fictional couple portrayed as dynamic and loving, thirty-five years into their marriage, a rare notion that Campbell helps sell with his matter-of-fact prose and a clever plot . . . a fabulously quick read, a page-turner that will not disappoint.”
Roundtable Reviews by Brian Kaufman
“Picking up a short period after the very enjoyable Designed to Kill, this book contiues the author’s track record of strong writing, realistic characters and complex mysteries that makes this series so good.”
Blue Iris Journal, Blether.com review by Kevin Tipple
“Tension filled, subtle action fare culminating in an end—well, what can I say—truly ‘Campbellish’ . . . a highly recommended read.”
New Mystery Reader review by Narayan Radhakrishnan
Secret of the Scroll
Praise for the first Greg McKenzie Mystery
Winner of the Bloody Dagger Award
ForeWord Magazine Mystery Book of the Year Finalist
Nominated for the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence
“A superbly written book with an excellent plot. The action is on-going and riveting.”
All About Murder Reviews by Shirley Truax
“One of the finest books I have read in many years…a riveting, edge of the seat book that is set against the backdrop of the modern Middle East.”
Women on Writing Reviews by Janet Schmidt
“A thriller in every sense of the word…(Campbell sets) up cliff-hanging situations designed to keep the reader glued to his book…His writing style is as full of energy as his characters. Campbell makes McKenzie into a 65-year-old rebel who is irresistible and appealing. Great!”
Midwest Book Review by Shelley Glodowski
“A first person, narrative mystery thriller of the first order…the plot and the pages go fast…If you like good solid writing, thoughtful characterization and a believable story, you’ll enjoy this book.”
Rus Morgan, Host Interviewer for PBS “Book Talk,” Station WYPL, Memphis
“Given the state of affairs in the Middle East, it’s not hard to imagine a single incident igniting into a major conflict. Secret of the Scroll…is an intriguing and entertaining thriller that shows how such a scenario might occur.”
The Tennessean (Nashville) by Stephen Doster (author of Lord Baltimore)
“This is a fast, exciting read. It grabs you and won’t let you go. I couldn’t put it down. I wholeheartedly recommend it.”
The Best Reviews by Judith Saul
“A fast-paced story of mystery, intrigue, and ancient prophecies…I found myself unable to put this book down till the end. Full of intrigue and suspense, it is a real page-turner. Excellently written, a must read for all those who enjoy this type of genre. I highly recommend it.”
Book Review Café by Louise Riveiro-Mitchell (author of Autumn Sky)
“A classic page-turner, without an excess of blood-spatters. There’s plenty of action, but the suspense comes from McKenzie’s efforts to outwit the shadowy figures who will stop at nothing to retrieve the scroll…McKenzie is an attractive, very human hero. Both he and his creator have a sense of humor.”
Pat Browning, Author of Full Circle
“Secret of the Scroll, attains its importance not in its storyline, but of the deft handling of the Israel-Palestine issue in the background of fiction…A good solid read. (The author) puts his knowledge and experience to great use in this novel-such that, it is fiction rooted in reality. The book reminded me a lot of the Irving Wallace bestseller, The Word. Recommended, a worthy read and an even more worthy buy.
New Mystery Reader by Narayan Radhakrishnan
“Spellbinding. Chester Campbell has crafted a real winner. Step into a forgotten cave and uncover a secret that can ignite a holy war…dig into this one and prepare to finish it in one sitting.”
Joyce Holland, Author of Beyond Gulf Breeze (a Sally Malone Mystery)
“(Campbell) produces an excellent thread of tension, which could snap at any time. We rated this book four hearts.”
Heartland Reviews by Bob Spear
“This book does NOT let up on the action and tension and you MUST finish it to find out if anyone is getting out alive…Fortify yourself with takeout and make sure the bathroom light is on as you will NOT be able to put the book down til you finish it.”
DorothyL review by Linda Anderson
“Grabs you from beginning to end. A great read.”
Don Goldman, author of What Goes Around
“Gripping. I could not put it down.”
Stephane Daimlen-Völs, author of Hour of the Wolves
Designed to Kill (Greg McKenzie Mysteries) Page 25