Trespass

by Marla Madison

  TJ cleaned tomato sauce from JR’s hands with a wet wipe. “I figure it’s been simmerin’ all along. Then something happened that triggered him, or her, to take action. We might never know what that was. Might only make sense to the one doin’ the killing.”

  “This case won’t break until we get the DNA results. That’s my prediction,” Richard said. “I’ll be glad when you’re done with this. So if I find out anything I’m able to pass along to you, I will.”

  TJ swallowed another irritated comeback. He was only willing to help her out because he didn’t want her doing anything that could possibly be dangerous. She needed to talk to him about her career intentions.

  She assuaged him for the moment with, “I was hired to find out how Teschler fits in. Guessin’ he found out what was happenin’ somehow and had to be eliminated. That’s all I’m workin’ on.” She didn’t share what she heard about Lucian and Drucilla from Gemma and Lisa. He wouldn’t be a believer, that’s for sure. And even if he were, he wouldn’t approve of her next step: she planned on cornering Lucian Krause.

  Haymaker and Wade found Donald Braun in his driveway, packing up his car. He looked up from the trunk of his BMW when he heard them approach.

  “Leaving town?” Haymaker asked.

  Braun slammed the trunk shut. “I decided to go up to the lake house. I may be able to pick up on something the police couldn’t, something that might help figure out where Vicky is.”

  Brian Haymaker believed Braun’s wife was at the bottom of one of Manitowish Waters’ chain of lakes but kept that opinion to himself. “I’ve talked with the county sheriffs up there, Mr. Braun. They’re working with the local police to find your wife. There’s been a BOLO out for her for two days now. It can’t hurt for you to go up there and double-check things, but I wanted you to know they’re doing everything they can.”

  “Thank you for that, Detective. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.” He opened the door to his car.

  “Before you drive off, we’d like to ask you some questions on a related matter. We can do that right here, or… ”

  Braun turned to the house. “Sure. Come on in.”

  When they were seated in the small breakfast nook off the kitchen, Haymaker said, “Your buddy Craig Jackson was attacked last night in his home. Can you tell me when you saw him last?”

  Braun sat back quickly. “I saw him just last night at his house. He was fine. Is he all right?”

  “The doctors think he’ll make it, but he’s still critical. What time did you see him, Mr. Braun?”

  Braun’s face had gone gray. “I think it was about nine o’clock. I went over there to tell him about Vicky.”

  Tasha asked, “Why would you need to do that? You told Detective Haymaker yesterday that you and Jackson weren’t close.”

  Braun swallowed.

  “We know all about the swinger’s group, Mr. Braun,” Haymaker added. “No need trying to cover it up. Just tell us what you know.”

  “Hang on a minute. I’m going to make some coffee. Anybody else?” Braun left the table and moved to a gleaming Keurig coffeemaker. After taking their orders, he popped cups for all of them, served the drinks, then sat heavily across from them, draping his jacket over an empty chair.

  “Vicky and I were part of a swinger’s group about sixteen years ago. She never was comfortable with it; none of the wives were as enthusiastic as the men. But Vicky told me they felt it was better than having husbands who snuck around behind their backs. That’s why they participated.”

  He rubbed his face with his hands and continued, “You must know about the suicides. After that happened, we stopped getting together. Most of us believed they were a result of the swinging, so it seemed like the thing to do.”

  “What were the names of the people in your sex club?” Haymaker asked.

  Braun closed his eyes. “There were four couples who were regulars: Vicky and me, Barbara and Arthur Krause, Sondra and Craig Jackson, and Sam and Lilly Diermeyer. Craig was more or less the one who kept things going, and he did try to talk us out of giving it up. Vicky wouldn’t hear of it. Said she would leave me before she’d go back to that kind of life.”

  “You said four couples were regulars. Can you give me names of others who weren’t?”

  “Sorry, I can’t. It was too long ago, and none of them were people I knew. Craig was the one who was always trolling for new members. He might remember.”

  Haymaker hadn’t revealed the seriousness of Jackson’s injuries. “If you think of any names, give us a call. Do you know of someone who might be upset enough about those suicides that they’d be looking for payback after all this time?” Haymaker knew that Braun himself, despite having no alibi for the previous evening, had been out of town when Teschler’s house exploded and when Sondra Jackson was murdered. Considering Braun wasn’t a suspect, Haymaker would expect him to be forthcoming if he knew anything.

  “Listen, Detective,” Braun said, “when Vicky tried to tell me she thought this was about payback, I told her she was crazy. I wish I’d listened to her. I never would have let her go up north by herself if I thought there had been anything to it.

  “After Frank Krause died in the car crash, I heard that Anna Krause told another neighbor that her husband’s accident had been deliberate. She said Frank was never himself after the suicides. Me, I always did suspect that Frank’s accident might have been another suicide. Everyone knew he had a thing for Lilly, his sister-in-law.

  “As far as who could be responsible for the attacks, I have no idea. I really haven’t been in touch with any of them in a lot of years. I’ve been thinking about it a lot now, so if I remember anything else, I’ll let you know.”

  Chapter 51

  The next morning TJ dropped JR off at her sister’s. Then she stuffed everything possible into the Mini and drove home to start moving back into her house. After she finished the last trip from the car, she heard a knock on the front door. Detective Tasha Wade stood there holding two coffees and a manila file folder.

  “We need to talk.”

  TJ invited her in, excited to hear what the detective had to say. “Somethin’ new to share?”

  Tasha followed her to the conference room where they sat across from each other and could see TJ’s notes on the whiteboard.

  Tasha sipped her coffee with the folder clutched tightly against her chest. “Okay, I’m going to be upfront about this, TJ. I shouldn’t be sharing this with you, but I’ve seen how much you’ve done with this case and I think you’re on the right track.

  I need to know I can trust you.”

  TJ adopted her best poker face. She had shown Wade her charts because she hoped to get something in exchange, and she had. The detective obviously had something new she wanted to share, something big.

  “Gave you everything I had, Detective, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you did then, but it’s been a while.”

  “What about your partner?”

  “I’m going to meet him later. I’m not sure what’s going on with him; he’s been a little off lately. We did some interviews yesterday. We talked to Lilly Diermeyer’s husband, and his alibi for the nights of the attacks holds up. He isn’t worried about himself since he lives in Peoria now. Donald Braun’s wife is missing from their lake house in Manitowish Waters. It’s been a few days now since he heard from her, and the police up there haven’t found her yet.”

  That was news to TJ. Braun must have left right after she spoke to her husband at their home in Tosa. It could mean there was another victim. She added it to the whiteboard.

  Tasha looked over the chart, studying what TJ had added since their last meeting. She grinned. “So you’re with me on the mastermind thing? Who are you leaning toward?”

  “Not sure if there is anyone like that yet, but always thought it made sense. Seems like it would be one of the kids o
f the suicides.”

  “Crap, it could be anybody. Why just the kids? You need a bigger list. It could be a member of the original group, a wannabe member, or even a religious fanatic who just found out about it. That list could be a lot longer.”

  TJ knew she shouldn’t resent Tasha’s suggestion, but it meant a bigger list of possible group leaders and a lot more work. Of course, if Tasha remained in touch, her help would be invaluable. “Right, but I gotta start somewhere and I’m likin’ Martin Krause or Kane Diermeyer right now. They’re both in positions that draw young kids, and they’d both have motive.”

  “I’ll check again, but I think they both had alibis.”

  “Alibis don’t mean squat. If one of them is a choreographer, he ain’t the one doin’ the dancin’.”

  “I guess.” Tasha stepped closer to the board and pointed to a note under Gemma’s name. “What the heck is this, ‘Gemma’s dream’?”

  TJ sighed. “Could be nothin’. Long story, kinda woo woo.”

  Tasha sat down again, eyes wide. “I love that stuff!”

  After warning Tasha it had to be in confidence, TJ told her about Gemma’s sleep paralysis and her claim to have out-of-body experiences. She explained about Lucian and Drucilla’s twisted relationship and the therapist’s explanation that what Gemma saw may just have been something Gemma sensed, not something she had experienced through her night travels.

  “Wow.” Tasha leaned back, her mouth agape. “You’re not going to believe this.” Any hesitancy gone, Tasha opened the file folder and shoved it over to TJ.

  The folder held the DNA results from the assailants that were in the house during Sondra Jackson’s murder. TJ skipped to the bottom line on the report; she felt her neck tingle and the hair on her arms stiffen.

  The DNA from the Chapman house and the Sondra Jackson murder matched.

  The perps were related. Two of them, closely related.

  Before TJ could comment, Tasha said, “I know you’re thinking it has to be the Krause kids. But just because we know the doers are related, it doesn’t prove it was them.”

  TJ frowned. “Don’t forget Lucian was the last one to see Teschler the night his house blew up. And he was real shifty when I talked to him. His sister too. How about when you guys interviewed them?”

  “I was off on maternity leave then. Brian talked to them, and I don’t remember him saying much about it.” TJ remembered Haymaker said that the interview with the Krauses hadn’t raised any red flags for him.

  TJ stood facing her charts. “It would all fit, wouldn’t it? Those two are hinky enough to be doin’ the earlier sex trespasses too. They escalated for some reason, startin’ with that teenager, Madison Chapman. Maybe she made fun of Lucian at school or something like that. Then when they were in that house and recognized her, he pushed her down the stairs. He could be the guy you’ve been looking for, the one who was hangin’ around the Chapman girl.”

  Tasha stood and poked TJ on the shoulder. “If you’re right about that, then they picked the Chapman house on purpose. The Chapman’s weren’t swingers. Maybe Lucian went there hoping to either scare or hurt Madison.”

  “Or rape her. That was the break-in that changed things. After they killed the girl, just goin’ in and havin’ sex wasn’t enough anymore.”

  “Or—after they did that, the ringleader saw the blood in the water and took advantage—had them do his dirty work for him.”

  Chapter 52

  I visited Carter in the hospital and again listened to his plea to get back together. Even if I was inclined to pursue that possibility, his nearly full-time residence in Singapore would have squelched it. I had already told him I had no desire to leave America for any reason other than a vacation and it wouldn’t be fair to explore a relationship. But I always had a difficult time saying no to Carter, and today was no exception. I left when they brought in his lunch, scolding myself that I hadn’t been more direct.

  I felt pulled in two directions with Taylor and Carter, although it was unlikely I would follow either path. I hadn’t decided what to do about Taylor. I didn’t share TJ’s opinion that he was obsessed with me rather than genuinely in love, but I still had the same issue with our relationship that I had all those years ago. If we did get together, sooner or later he would feel guilty about leaving his family. I’d be to blame, and he would eventually resent me. Nothing could change that.

  So far I had no luck tracking down the price Taylor paid for the ruby ring, but I planned to call the jeweler later today. I was going to mention my father’s name to get me through and hope he had heard of him. If he had, then I could use that to get him to tell me how much Taylor paid for the ring. It felt like a family heirloom now and would be hard for me to give up. Reimbursing Taylor what he paid for it seemed like an excellent option. At least it did today.

  When I arrived at my house the painters were still there, busy returning the living room and dining room to their original off-white shade. The cleaners had removed as much of the blood from room as they possibly could once the house had been released as a crime scene. The new security system had finally been installed, and I had an appointment with the engineer to learn how to use it.

  As I opened the door for the security engineer when he arrived, I noticed Lucian out in his yard, feigning interest in a tree that was situated closest to my back door. Could he be trying to overhear my security code? Maybe it was only my paranoia making me think he was trying to eavesdrop.

  I quickly steered the man from the security company into the house, away from Lucian’s prying eyes. The installer left after I had absorbed all that I could and handed me his card if I had any questions later. The painters were finished, and I found myself alone in the house. I couldn’t wait to give my notice at the hotel and move back in, even though mental visions of the attack on Carter and me permeated the house along with the paint fumes.

  I didn’t want to bother Jon Engel again. I would take as many trips as I had to in order to get moved back. It seemed unfair to expect him to keep helping me out if I wasn’t interested in him as anything but a friend. Not that he ever acted like he was coming on to me. Were there actually men who enjoyed a woman’s company with no hidden motives? Other than Norman, I hadn’t come across any. I enjoyed Jon’s company, though, and intended to keep my promise to buy him dinner sometime soon.

  I drove back to the hotel and saw heavy storm clouds had begun to fill the early fall sky; this had to be one of the wettest fall seasons in years. When I reached the door to my suite, my head still filled with thoughts of Norman and the looming weather, I almost didn’t notice the patch of white on the carpet just inside my door. It was a small white envelope with my name on the front, and someone had evidently shoved it under my door while I was gone.

  The message inside, written in a large parochial cursive, said:

  “If you want to know what happened to Norman Teschler, meet me tonight at eleven. I’ll be waiting for you in the Pewter Mug. Come alone.”

  The note bore no signature.

  Ignoring Clyde’s hallelujahs, which had become his version of welcome home, I quickly poured myself a glass of wine. I knew I should call TJ about the note, but for some reason, this felt personal. I needed to deal with it on my own. Whoever left the note had somehow found out my room number. TJ and Jon Engel were the only ones I had given it to, and I knew neither of them would have shared it with anyone. I imagined that a resourceful person wouldn’t have too difficult a time finding it.

  I couldn’t help but wonder at the choice of meeting places. Who knew I had been at the Pewter Mug, or that I even knew it existed? Taylor came to mind first, but I knew he wouldn’t do something this cruel. But there was a connection between him and Norman; Norman knew Taylor and his father. I put it out of my mind, as if even thinking his name in the same internal thought with Norman meant I considered him suspect in what happened to my f
riend.

  My stomach filled with acid at the thought of Taylor being involved in Norman’s murder. Could Taylor be so obsessed with me that he would get rid of Norman in order to make me vulnerable, sway me to his way of seeing things? I couldn’t imagine it, not after all the time that had passed since Taylor and I parted ways. There were the other attacks to consider, and Taylor had no connection to them.

  My thoughts shifted to the attack on Carter. Taylor would have expected Carter to come back to the States after Norman died since Carter directed the agency and was a major stockholder in the business. Could he have seen Carter as a threat? Carter had stayed at my house that night. If Taylor’s PI had been on the job, he could have passed on that information.

  My head was spinning; I needed do something active. I brought up a cart from the lobby, loaded it with as much as I could pile onto it, then stuffed it all into my car. This trip, the car was filled with my work things and the bulk of the clothes I brought with me from home. Next trip, I would round up everything else and all Clyde’s paraphernalia. The security system was in; there was no reason to stay in the hotel another night.

  When I returned to the hotel, I stopped in the restaurant and ordered a plate of food to take upstairs. I would eat and then pack up the rest of my things. No way would I let a cryptic note lure me to the Pewter Mug. The note had specifically asked to meet there. I recalled that the reason I suggested meeting Taylor there was because of a flyer I had received. I quickly rose to see if I still had it and found it tucked into a telephone book. The flyer had no postmark, but had been in with the rest of my mail. If it hadn’t been mailed, then it had to have been dropped off at the desk for me. If so, tonight wasn’t the first time someone had wanted to see me at that particular place. But thinking about it a little more, it was possible the hotel had some kind of reciprocal arrangement with the restaurant and gave out their flyers to all the hotel guests.