by Cindy Bell
“Are you policing my visitors now, Detective Crackle? As I told you, the death of a young man is always tragic, but it has nothing to do with me. Nothing at all.”
“Nothing.” He grunted, then nodded. “All right then, I’ll be on my way.” He stepped towards the door, then paused just beside Joyce. “Are you sure that you know what you’re doing here?”
“Yes, Detective, thank you for your concern.”
He stared at her for a moment longer, then turned and walked down the driveway. Mrs. Pierce closed the door behind him.
“I know we’re supposed to be friendly to the police, but if his car leaves an oil slick on my driveway, I am going to sue.” She huffed and balled her hands into fists. “He was also quite rude. He insisted that I had a relationship with some man that worked in a food truck. Honestly.”
“Oh, then you didn’t know Adam?” Joyce furrowed a brow.
“Of course I did, but that is certainly nothing the police need to know about. Now, tell me who you are and how you knew Adam.” She led her into a small sitting room off the foyer.
“Through business. I own a food truck as well.”
“Why are you here exactly?”
“Well, I found a photo of you in his truck, and I wanted to find out the nature of your relationship, if you knew him well,” Joyce said casually.
“No, I didn’t.”
“If you didn’t know Adam that well, how did he get a picture of you?” Joyce furrowed a brow.
“Who knows, maybe he was obsessed with me and snapped a picture while he was stalking me.” She crossed her arms.
“He mentioned to his friends that he was seeing an older woman. He said that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You see, I visited some of his friends, and they mentioned that Adam was seeing someone. The things they said about this person, well, they were a bit scandalous.”
“Scandalous?” She clutched at her throat.
“How she’s rich, older…”
“People are always spreading rumors about the rich. It’s pathetic.”
“Yes, of course it is. I figured that’s all it was, rumors.” Joyce shook her head. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“Do you have the picture?”
“No, that’s why I wanted to warn you, in case things get out.”
“Great.” She clenched her jaw. “Then the rumors will fly.”
“I’m only here to help, Kathy. They said that he said that he loved you.”
“Loved me?” She laughed and shook her head. “No, I doubt that very highly. Perhaps he loved my money, though. Oh, don’t be uncomfortable. I’m okay with a man loving me for my money. It gets me what I want, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Is there?”
“No, I suppose not.” Joyce forced a smile. “Anyway, maybe your husband found out about the affair?”
“Not much of a chance of that. My husband and I are barely in the same room together. He wouldn’t notice if I moved to another country. Now, I think it’s best that you leave.”
“Of course, I’ll be on my way. Oh, and Kathy?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think if your husband did find out about the affair, he’d be angry enough to kill Adam?”
“I don’t think he’d care that much, to be honest.” A hint of sadness crossed her face. For just a moment, Joyce felt sorry for her. “It’s time for you to go.”
“I’ll be on my way. But keep in mind, Kathy, if I found out about your relationship, I think it’s safe to say that your husband could have found out as well.”
“He didn’t do this. He wouldn’t. He’d never risk going to jail!” Kathy called out just as Joyce closed the door behind her. Maybe she didn’t get exactly the information she wanted, but it was enough for the moment. The important thing was that she had stirred the pot, and hopefully it would lead to Kathy or her husband making a big mistake. Now that she had confirmed the affair, Pierce was most certainly on the top of her suspect list.
Chapter 14
As Joyce drove down the road away from the Pierce estate, her thoughts were occupied by her encounter with Kathy. When flashing lights appeared behind her, she almost didn’t notice them. It wasn’t until the shrill shriek of a siren made her jump out of her skin, that she realized she was being pulled over. In the dim light of the evening, she made out that the car behind her was not a marked police car. She recognized the beat-up old vehicle a moment later. With a knot in her stomach, she pulled off to the side of the road and came to a stop. When Detective Crackle walked up to the window of her car, she reluctantly rolled it down.
“What is this all about?”
“I think that’s something I should be asking you.”
“Because I visited Kathy?”
“Because you know more than you’re telling me.” He leaned on the frame of the window and looked into her eyes. “What I can’t figure out is why you would want to hide things from me? What are you getting out of all of this?”
“Nothing,” she said and then looked away from him. “I just want to know what happened to Adam and Pete.”
“And I don’t?” He wrapped his hand on the door of the car. “I thought you agreed to cooperate.”
“Look, I’m sure I don’t know anything more than you do. I can only imagine you were there to discuss the affair Adam had with Kathy. Am I wrong?”
“An affair which she denied but you seem to have proof of.”
“I actually don’t have proof. But Kathy did admit it to me. She didn’t seem to think it was such a big deal.”
“Clever.” He smiled. “I think maybe I should hire you. Are you interested in a badge?”
“No thanks. My late husband was the one who wore a badge.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.” He frowned. “I had no idea you were a widow of a police officer.”
“Thank you.” She cleared her throat.
“Was he killed on duty?”
“No, he had retired.” She smiled a little. “Not that he ever really turned in his badge.”
“I understand that. Now you seem to be carrying on the tradition.”
“I just like to see justice served, Detective Crackle.” She gazed at him through the open car window. “I’m really not working against you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because what you just did in there was quite risky. You need to be more careful and as I said before, leave this to me. All right?” He held her gaze and offered a small smile in return.
“Agreed.” She nodded to appease him and patted the hand that still rested on her car window. “In the interest of sharing, I think that Pierce should be considered the prime suspect in both murders.”
“Pierce? I thought you were hot on Vince?”
“Vince fits the bill, but he seems to have turned into a legitimate businessman. I think Pierce has a lot more to lose than Vince.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The affair, the fact that his half-sister owns the diner on Green Street, and I believe that Cooper was willing to participate in bribery on a small scale while Pierce continued to participate in bribery on a much larger scale. Although Pierce didn't directly take money from the truck owners, he made it possible for Cooper to do so, without fear of getting caught.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s a hunch that was partly confirmed when Cooper was prepared to accept a bribe from me. Did you see the Pierce estate? You think he got that from just being a councilman? I don’t think so. My guess is Kathy let something slip to Adam about Pierce’s business dealings. Adam saw a chance at a payday and tried to blackmail Pierce. Maybe he was worried that Adam would try to stop the rezoning of Green Street. So Pierce killed him to keep his mouth shut and stop him. Not to mention the affair. Maybe when he found out about the affair, it was the final straw and he just wanted to get Adam out of the picture.”
“I wi
ll look into it.” He nodded as he stepped away from her car.
“Thank you, Detective Crackle.” She smiled at him for a moment, then started her car. As she drove away, she hoped that he meant what he said. All of the investigating in the world would mean nothing if he didn’t support it.
As soon as Joyce arrived at home, her phone began to ring.
“Hello?”
“Joyce!”
“Brenda, don’t be upset.”
“How can I not be?”
“I guess Charlie told you?”
“Joyce, this has to stop. You can’t do this alone.”
“Listen, I need you to stop worrying about me so much. I get that to you I’m just a frail old lady…”
“That’s not true at all.”
“Good. So, do you want to join me tomorrow?”
“What are your plans?”
“I'm going to speak to Pierce again.”
“But I thought you were convinced he is the murderer?”
“I am. But he is also the local councilman. We have a right to speak to him, just as any other concerned citizen does.”
“All right, I'm in. But we should do it in a public place.”
“Why not the diner?”
“That's perfect. When we reveal that we know his sister owns the place, that should knock him right off balance. Then we can ask him some more inflammatory questions and see how he reacts.”
“Okay, that sounds like it might work, or perhaps get us thrown out of the restaurant.” Joyce chuckled.
“Either way, we'll certainly get a reaction.”
“I'll place the call first thing in the morning.”
“How do you know that he'll meet with us?”
“Trust me, I'll get him to come to the table.” She hung up the phone and spent the rest of the evening deciding what she would say to Pierce.
The next morning Joyce looked through her contacts list to find Pierce's number. After the protest, she was sure she was the last person he wanted to hear from, but once she told him what she knew, she doubted he would risk turning down the meeting. First, she would try to coax him in with a little honey. As the phone rang, she took a few slow breaths and willed confidence into her voice.
“Councilman Pierce's office. May I help you?”
“Yes, I'd like to invite Councilman Pierce to lunch today.”
“I'm not sure that will be possible, as he has a very busy schedule.”
“Please let him know that it is Joyce, from Green Street, and I'd like to talk with him about Adam.”
“Okay, hold please.”
A few moments later, a new voice came on the phone.
“Joyce. First you stage a protest against me, and now you want to invite me to lunch? Do you think I'm some kind of fool?”
“Not at all. I am very sorry about the protest. I had my facts confused. I wish I hadn't been so quick to react. That's part of the reason I'd like to invite you to lunch. I want to apologize again for being misinformed.”
“Oh?” He paused. “I suppose that's a good start.”
“Oh, absolutely. And also, I'd like to discuss Melvin with you.”
“Melvin?”
“Yes, he's made me an offer that's very troubling to me. He says that Adam was given the same offer. Now that I know that you are as honest as they come, I'm hoping you can help me decide what to do about this.”
“I'm not sure how I can help you with that.”
“Well, you see, Melvin told me that if I pay him…”
“Wait, it might be better if we discuss this at lunch.” He cleared his throat. “Phone calls are so impersonal.”
“Yes, you're absolutely right. Plus, you never can be certain of who is listening, can you, Councilman?”
“Right.” He sighed. “About twelve?”
“Yes, twelve it is. At the diner would be the best place, I think. You know it, don't you? The one on the corner?”
“Uh, sure. Okay, that's fine. I'll be there.”
“Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule.”
“Anything for a valued citizen.”
Joyce smirked as she hung up the phone. The moment she hinted at Melvin offering to accept a bribe, he'd become more than eager to meet with her. That meant, as she suspected, that Pierce more than likely knew all about the bribes Melvin was taking. Was he worried that she was going to expose him not only as a dodgy politician, but also a murderer?
Joyce and Brenda arrived at the diner fifteen minutes early and chose their table so that it would be secluded from the rest of the restaurant. The waitress offered them a brighter smile this time, but Joyce wasn’t in the mood to smile back. She was nervous.
“So when he gets here, we need to press him about his involvement in the closure of Green Street.”
“Okay, we’re ready for this.” Brenda nodded. “The worst that can happen is he proves that he isn’t the murderer, and then we’ll be back to square one.”
“Right.” Joyce glanced at her watch. “At least we have some time.”
“Or maybe not.” Brenda tipped her head towards the door. Joyce looked over to see Councilman Pierce stride through it. He locked eyes on them then headed straight for their table. The powerful way he walked, and the cold expression he wore, was enough to send a shiver through Joyce. Yes, she could easily see him as a killer.
“All right, I’m here.” He sat down at the table with them and smoothed down his tie. “I hope you’re not planning on wasting my time again. I have many people to see today. I just want to get the details of our business ironed out.”
“First, there are a few things I want to know.” Joyce folded her hands on the table between them.
“What?” Pierce asked.
“How much would you get out of it if Green Street was rezoned?”
“Not this again. I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I think you do. I think Adam got mad when he found out you were trying to get rid of the food trucks on Green Street. He’d just had a new partner invest in his business, he was expanding. You would have cost Adam a lot of money, enough to make him confront you about what he knew.”
“I think you’ve overplayed your hand here.” He shook his head. “You do realize that nothing you say can be proven, right? As I said before, you are mistaken. Why would I want to do anything to get rid of the food trucks?”
“Maybe because your half-sister owns this diner and you don’t want her to lose money anymore. If Green Street is closed to food trucks, she will make a killing.”
“Maybe you don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shook his head. “I knew this was a mistake.”
“What I couldn’t figure out is why Adam and Pete needed to die in all of this. I mean, so you want to be a shady businessman, fine, that’s not unusual. But did Adam and Pete really need to die?”
“I had nothing to do with that.” He gritted his teeth as he glared at her.
“I think Adam found out all about the diner, and he was furious. You were worried that if Adam told the other truck owners the truth about your plans and managed to get them to join forces and try to stop the rezoning, all of it would unravel. So you did what you had to do, didn’t you?”
“What am I supposed to do now, confess?” He held up his hands and laughed. “No way. I had nothing to do with that. You two might think that you’re detectives, but you’re not very good ones. Okay, you figured out about my sister owning the diner, but that doesn’t mean I had anything to do with Adam and Pete being killed. Not as clever as you thought. Are you?” He stood up from the table. “Did you think you’d come in here with your little bits of information and turn me into a blathering child?” He smirked. “You’re not equipped for the big league, ladies. Perhaps you owe me an apology?”
“Perhaps.” Joyce stood up as well. “But you’re not going to get one.”
“Risky.” He straightened his tie. “I guess you don’t intend to do any more business in this city in the f
uture. Hmm?”
“I intend to.” Joyce wagged her finger as she spoke. “With an honest councilman, not one that is willing to overlook bribery, push for the rezoning against citizens’ wishes for personal gain, and might be involved in the murder of two citizens.”
“If you continue to suggest that I am involved in the murder of Adam and Pete, I’m going to begin to take offense to it.” He chuckled. “Those comments could really leave a mark.”
“Let’s go, Joyce. There’s nothing more we can do here.” Brenda guided her towards the door.
“This isn’t the end, Councilman.” Joyce shot a glare over her shoulder.
“If you say so.” He smiled and watched as they left the restaurant. As soon as they were outside, Joyce looked at Brenda.
“We need to stop him.”
“I know, Joyce, but we’re not going to get him to confess anything. He never admitted to the bribes or confirmed his intentions to shut down Green Street. He danced around everything. Besides, even if he was involved in all of this, it doesn’t prove he’s a murderer.”
“I can tell you this much, I’m not going to let him scare me. Tomorrow morning I’m going to be at the truck. You don’t have to be, but I’m going to be there.”
“I will be there, too. Remember, we’re in this together.”
Chapter 15
Joyce lay awake in bed even though it was well past three in the morning. She couldn’t get her mind to calm down enough to fall asleep. She kept re-running the conversation with Pierce through her mind. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of enough evidence that would call for him to be arrested. Maybe he was slippery enough to get away with murder. Finally, she gave up on trying to sleep and sat down in front of her computer instead. She realized she had a new email from Brenda.
When I arrived home last night, Charlie told me he had set up the camera on the truck like we had planned. He set it up with a video feed to his computer and he turned it on to test it. He caught Vince talking to someone near the truck. I thought you might be able to tell what they’re saying to fill in some of the blanks. Let me know what you think.