A House to Die For (A Darby Farr Mystery)

by Vicki Doudera

  Darby shook her head. She didn't want to discuss her parents with Chief Dupont. She leaned in closer and cleared her throat. "I'm here to talk about the murder of Emerson Phipps. Lucy Trimble is innocent. Soames Pemberton is the man you should be looking for."

  "Soames? Why in the world would he want to kill some fancy doctor he didn't even know? Soames has had some hard times since coming back from the Gulf, but he's not a homicidal maniac."

  "Emerson Phipps paid him to present the old deed at the planning board meeting so he would have a chance to buy Fairview. Soames demanded more money to keep quiet about it and Phipps told him no. I think that Soames decided to kill him and frame Lucy for the murder. He knew she had some weaknesses in her past, and he used those in his favor."

  Chief Dupont took a long, thoughtful drink of his whiskey. "Hmmm...lots of conjecture. Tell me, you know about thispartnership-between Phipps and Soames how exactly?"

  "There was a telephone number in Emerson Phipps' personal effects. I called it, and it was the Agway store on Manatuck. I spoke to the manager there and discovered that Phipps was leaving envelopes for Soames Pemberton at the store."

  "And how do you make the jump that Soames framed Lucy?"

  Darby knew the chief was not going to be happy about her breaking and entering into Soames' cabin, but she had to tell him about the file. As she suspected, his face hardened into an unreadable mask as she described entering and finding the doctor's notations.

  "That cabin is private property," he said coldly. "You had no right to go snooping around there."

  "I know," she said quickly. "I didn't disturb anything."

  "Well, you looked at this file, didn't you?" He gave an exasperated sigh. "What did it say that's so important Soames could frame Lucy?"

  "Dr. Hotchkiss described an incident that happened when Lucy was sixteen. She was sexually assaulted by Emerson Phipps."

  The chief whistled. "Sounds like that gives her a reason to want the man dead, doesn't it?"

  "But don't you see it also gives someone a prime reason to frame her? Lucy hated Emerson Phipps for what he did to her, but I know she didn't kill him." She looked Chief Dupont squarely in the eye. "You know Lucy Trimble. You know she's not a murderer."

  "Don't be too sure about that. Her motive for hating Emerson Phipps is stronger than ever. This man assaulted her and decides to buy her house? Come on, Darby. Use your judgment. Her painting jumpsuit was found at the scene. Did you forget that it was covered in the victim's blood? And like it or not, your friend Lucy Trimble is an addict. And once an addict, always an addict."

  "Lucy is a scapegoat, a convenient person to pin this whole thing on."

  "I didn't decide to pin a murder on anyone, young lady. I work with evidence. Material you'd do well to leave alone or you'll get yourself in trouble!"

  He was panting, his face an angry shade of red. Darby willed herself to calm down. My emotions won't help Lucy, she told herself.

  "I'm sorry I lost my temper. Please tell me you'll investigate Soames Pemberton's cabin. Please, Chief Dupont."

  "I'll go out there in the morning," he said, sounding mollified. "You said it was by the landfill, right?"

  Darby nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Why is he waiting until the morning to investigate this lead? Just to show me he can, she thought. Backing toward the door of the chief's house, she nodded curtly and saw herself out the door.

  Tina waited until she'd pulled out of Chief Dupont's driveway before asking Darby what happened. When Darby told her, she was frank in her assessment of his abilities.

  "That asshole!" she spat. "He has never liked the Trimbles- or anyone with waterfront property for that matter-but I can't believe he'd let his stupid prejudices affect an investigation. Poor Lucy! What do we do now?"

  "I'm not sure." Darby's energy was flagging, she was hungry, and the encounter with the chief had sapped her determination.

  Tina thought a moment, and then snapped her fingers. "What we need to do is confront Soames. Get him to confess, the way they do on television." She thought again. "Hey! There's a guy who's a regular at that grungy bar in downtown Manatuck, over by the Army-Navy store. The Dip Net. He might know where Soames is hiding."

  Tina's enthusiasm was contagious.

  "Let's grab the ferry and go over there, see if he shows up tonight," said Darby.

  "I'm game. If we hurry we'll be there just in time for the end of Happy Hour, and I don't know about you, but I sure could use a little shot of happy right now."

  Peyton Mayerson closed her cell phone and took a long, deep, breath. She exhaled and saw that her hands were trembling. Breathe, she reminded herself. Just breathe.

  God, she wanted a cigarette. She had a rule about not smoking in the Mercedes but dammit, this was an emergency. She pulled a cigarette out of her pack, lit it, and sighed.

  Just what had he said? The closing on Fairview was in jeopardy. The whole plan was in jeopardy, and her little wad of cash from the sale of two paintings wouldn't even begin to make a dent in what she owed her investors.

  And the investors were starting to circle like a band of hungry sharks.

  Peyton inhaled deeply, feeling her heart race despite her efforts to relax. I can get the hell out of here, she thought, leaning back against the Mercedes' leather seat. But where? Where could she possibly run that Tony Cardillo and his men would not find her?

  The whistle for the ferry back to Hurricane Harbor blew, but Peyton, seated in her car in the parking lot, barely heard it. She tried to quell the feeling of nausea that was starting to build in her stomach.

  I need cash, and fast. I need this Fairview deal to work. I need a break from this frigging island and the ferry and people who can't speak English.

  Peyton grabbed her cell phone again, punching in the numbers for her lawyer in Boston. Answer your phone, she said out loud, hoping this time he would actually pick up. When the metallic voice of his answering machine once more met her ears, she left another message and clicked shut her phone. He is the key, she thought. He can make the Trimbles listen if only he would answer his damn telephone...

  From past experience, she knew there was another way to get his attention, involving what she liked to call her feminine wiles. Unfortunately, the accoutrements which had so successfully done the trick once before-a black lace thong and bustier-were back in her room at the Hurricane Harbor Inn.

  Screw it, she thought, turning on her car and backing out of the parking lot. I can improvise. She thought briefly of Emilio, waiting forlornly in the hotel room. Screw him, too. She checked the time on the Mercedes' display. Five o'clock. She would be at the lawyer's house by ten, ready and willing to plead her case.

  The 5:30 P.M. ferry was more crowded than usual as tourists who'd arrived early for the art show began trickling back to the mainland. Despite the extra passengers, Tina secured a spot for the truck, and both she and Darby breathed a sigh of relief.

  "I don't even feel like getting out," said Tina, watching as the throngs of tourists crowed the decks.

  "Me neither." Darby opened up a newspaper and pointed at a story. "Looks like the Island Courier has a story about Lucy," she said. The two read the several-column story in silence.

  "That poor girl," Tina said. "Maybe tonight we'll find something that will help clear her."

  It was a short ride to the Dip Net. The parking lot was moderately full for a Wednesday night, with half a dozen cars and pickup trucks parked haphazardly in the lot. Tina and Darby locked the truck and approached the building. Strains of country music and the aroma of French fries assailed their senses.

  "Man, I'm hungry," Tina said.

  "So am I. Burger and fries, my treat."

  "I'm gonna want a beer, too."

  "You're on."

  Inside, the light was dim but Darby noticed a few heads turning in curiosity. Trophy fish adorned the walls and a huge net hung behind the bar. The bartender gave a friendly nod and Darby and Tina slid into a booth.

>   Moments later, he was at their side. Darby ordered food and a beer for Tina.

  "Aren't you having one?" Tina asked. "When it comes to Soames, I find that I need all the fortification I can get."

  Darby shook her head. "I promise, I'll have a beer with you when all this is through."

  The women grew silent, waiting for their order and thinking of the dangerous man they were hunting.

  "I gotta say, I know Soames is more than capable of killing somebody, and he probably shot a whole bunch of guys overseas, but I have a hard time picturing him smashing that prissy doctor's skull in," Tina said, re-applying her red lipstick.

  "You do?" Darby asked, surprised. She could imagine Soames doing just about any violent action.

  "Yeah, and I'll tell you why. Soames is into strategy, you know, special ops and stuff. He's a Navy SEAL, right? If he had killed the guy, he would have done something less bloody. Strangled him, or caught him in a booby trap. We're talking a man who could definitely kill with his bare hands. Why pick up some statue of a garden nymph? That's for sissies."

  The bartender brought their order and Tina took a swig of her beer. "'Course, I could be wrong. I've been wrong about that man since I first laid eyes on him."

  "What made you go out with him, Tina?" Darby asked.

  "Huh. I've asked myself that a hundred times," she said. She gazed off into the distance. "What makes anyone fall for someone? His looks, for one. He isn't much to write home about now but a few years back, before he went overseas, he was handsome, you know, in that wild, Rambo kind of way. He's smart, too-very smart. I like a man with brains. He listened to me-or at least faked it pretty well. And, I guess I was drawn to his dangerous side. My dad was a bit of a loose cannon and maybe I'm attracted to those types of men."

  Tina looked around the bar before continuing. "I never knew what happened to Soames over in the Gulf, but it really messed him up big time." She sighed. "Before that, he had a tender side. I don't think anyone has seen that part of him for many years."

  "If he suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome, why isn't he getting treatment?" asked Darby.

  Tina frowned. "First you have to want to be helped. And that's not our friend Soames." She took another gulp of her drink. "Let's talk about you. Have you made peace with that stubborn old aunt of yours, or what?"

  "She's dead, Tina. How do you make peace with that?"

  "It doesn't matter what kind of shape she's in, girl. I'm talking about you realizing that she tried to do the best she could for you. Hey, it was a hard situation for her, too. She never asked to come to Maine and deal with an orphaned teenager. She wasn't equipped for it."

  "No," Darby said slowly.

  "This is the key. You make peace with her, something's going to come over you that helps you with everything else. It's like a magic blanket or something. You forgive her for all the things she didn't know and everything she did wrong."

  "I hear you, Tina. I'll think about it."

  The bartender arrived with two platters and placed them before the women. Each had a cheeseburger, a large dill pickle, and a pile of French fries.

  "Mmmm, smells good," commented Tina.

  Darby nodded. "I'm famished."

  The two ate in silence, enjoying their dinner and the bar's cozy atmosphere. When they'd finished, Darby requested the check while Tina glanced unhappily around the restaurant.

  "I thought for sure we'd see somebody who'd know something about Soames." Tina swallowed the last of her beer and seemed about to say more when she stopped and pointed at a man enter ing the Dip Net. "Aha," she whispered. "I think that's one of his old buddies. Watch me work my magic on him."

  Darby watched as Tina sashayed up to the man, gave him a peck on the cheek, and talked for a few minutes. When she returned to the booth, he swiveled in the bar stool to watch her. Darby noted a triumphant smile on her face.

  "Soames is here in Manatuck," she said, "shacked up at an empty building a few miles from here, over near the Rusty Scupper. Remember that place? Anyway, this guy hasn't seen him for a day or two, but he says before that, Soames was buying drinks for everyone like his ship had come in." She grabbed her turquoise purse. "What do you say? Shall we go find him?"

  Darby tossed enough money for the bill on the table and grabbed her denim jacket. "I'm ready."

  Outside the Dip Net's dingy doorway, the sun was low in the sky and dusk was falling. Tina started the truck and headed away from the coast, driving slowly through unfamiliar Manatuck streets. After a few minutes she slowed down before a dilapidated building.

  "There's the Scupper," Tina said. In contrast to the Dip Net's crowded parking lot, the Rusty Scupper was forlorn and abandoned.

  "Now, the place where Soames is staying is on the other side of this." She pointed at an old warehouse. "Think it's that."

  "We need to be sure before we alert Chief Dupont," said Darby, scanning the front of the darkened building for any sign of life.

  Tina opened the car door. "His room is in the basement-at least that's what that guy said"

  Darby nodded. "I'll wait a few minutes and then follow you in. I'll be listening and ready to help you out. Be very careful, Tina."

  "Don't worry. I know this guy like the back of my hand." Tina climbed out of the car and closed it quietly. "See you in a few," she said.

  Darby watched as Tina made her way across the barren parking lot to the building's front door. She opened it gingerly, and stepped inside, looking toward Darby and the car as she did so.

  Darby exhaled slowly and tried to still her thumping heart. Her mind registered all kinds of scenarios-none of them good -involving Tina and Soames Pemberton, but she forced herself to stop the worrisome thoughts and focus on her plan. Assuming Tina found Soames in the basement of the warehouse, she would try to get him to talk about the murder and his reasons for framing Lucy Trimble. Darby prayed that Soames' penchant for bragging, coupled with Tina's presence, would win out and he would confess to the crime.

  I've waited long enough, she thought, easing out of the truck and closing the door as quietly as she could. She put the keys in her denim jacket pocket and crept to the front door. It opened quietly and Darby surveyed the dim interior.

  Trash lay in piles on the muddy floor and overturned chairs-a few of them broken-littered the space. What looked like an office in one corner of the room was heaped with plastic garbage bags, and Darby saw that gaping holes had been chewed in the bags and waste was spilling out. A door in another corner was ajar and Darby guessed that it led to the basement and Soames Pemberton.

  She tiptoed toward the door and soon heard voices rising from the darkened stairwell.

  Tina's was a low murmur, but Soames' booming rant was more audible.

  "... knew the money belonged to Phipps, even though it was Trimble who called me," said the voice. There was a pause when Tina murmured something low. "Yeah," Soames continued. "He set it up. But I knew it was Phipps because he wanted that house like a dog wants a bone. I tried to get more cash out of him but son of a bitch just laughed."

  Tina said something else and Soames Pemberton swore.

  "... what you think? I could have, if I wanted to, but I didn't."

  More murmurs from Tina.

  "Yeah, but I'm not telling you. Why should I tell you?"

  Darby heard him chuckle at something Tina must have said and the sound stiffened her spine.

  "Help me? Get a fucking grip. After the shit I've taken from you and this island? You make me crazy, you know that? Crazy. All that crap I took in the Gulf, this is worse ... sometimes I hate you, you bitch."

  Darby heard the crash of furniture and the sounds of a scuffle. She was down the darkened stairs two at a time when Tina let out a soft scream.

  Inside a dusty, half-finished room, Soames Pemberton had his hands around Tina's throat.

  TWELVE

  DARBY GRABBED THE CLOSEST thing she could find: an old mop inside a rusted metal bucket. She brandished the mop at Soam
es. "Let her go!" she yelled.

  "What the hell?"

  Darby had taken the huge man by surprise, so much so that he relaxed his hold on Tina's neck. It was only for a moment, but it gave Tina enough time to twist out of his grasp. As soon as he realized she had escaped, he lunged at her, but she avoided his arms and flung herself to safety by Darby. Without thinking, the two women were backing toward the stairs as Soames lurched in their direction.

  "So you brought her along," he leered. "Your little Jap friend."

  Darby reached down and then threw the bucket as hard as she could at Soames' head and yelled for Tina to run. There was a resounding thud of metal hitting skull as both women bolted up the basement stairs. They dashed across the warehouse and toward the exit, with Soames Pemberton somewhere behind them. Tina yanked open the door and rushed into the night, Darby right on her heels. The two women practically jumped into the truck and Tina fumbled in her pocketbook for the keys. Soames Pemberton was now outside the warehouse as well and only steps away.

  "Sweet Jesus, where are the damn keys?" Tina wailed.

  Darby hit the automatic lock on the doors seconds before Soames tried yanking hers open. She heard Tina's pocketbook fall to the floor and her heart sank. If Tina didn't find the keys immediately, Soames would smash the glass.

  Suddenly Darby remembered shoving the keys in her pocket. "I've got them," she yelled, jamming her hand into her jacket pocket. Her fingers touched a cylinder; she pulled it out as well. "Here!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tina thrust the key into the ignition.

  Soames was battering his fist against the glass of Darby's window and she braced herself for the sound of it breaking. His face was contorted with rage and Darby prayed that the truck would move before Soames shattered her window.

  There was a tinkling of glass and Soames' meaty hand thrust through the jagged pieces toward Darby's head. She yanked the top off the small cylinder and pressed the top of it. There was a blast and then a yowl of pain. Soames fell back, his now bleeding hand clutching his eyes.