by Donald Wells
“Probably, why does she call you Lou?”
“It’s short for Lieutenant,”
“Right,” Chris said, as he walked in the office and sat across from Delaney.
Tom Delaney looked at him and let out a sigh, before reaching into his wallet and taking out two twenties, which he then tossed over to Chris.
Chris looked down at the money.
“What’s that for?”
“One each for your brother and your grandfather; I bet them that you wouldn’t come here, wouldn’t keep digging into the Reuben Smith/Mira Asher mess. You’d think I’d know better than to bet against a Caliber’s stubbornness.”
Chris grinned as he picked up the money.
“Granddad knew that I wouldn’t give up?”
“And Jake too,”
“So, what do you think about the case? I can tell you that Mira never called her husband, which means that she had a partner.”
“Only if you believe that she murdered him, and that it wasn’t a case of self-defense,”
“I think it was planned. I think Reuben Smith never mugged anyone, that Mira’s dates were beaten up by her partner, and that that partner also made the call that sent Reuben Smith rushing to her apartment. I also think that same person killed her, but staged it to look like a suicide.”
“Let’s say that’s all true, now what?”
“We follow the money. Before her death, Mira inherited Smith’s money, now who inherits hers?”
Tom Delaney looked down at a paper on his desk.
“Her next of kin is a younger sister named Michelle. She lives in California, the San Francisco area.”
“Let me guess, she’s been in town visiting?”
“No, Ms. Asher, wait, Mrs. Garrett, according to this she just got married, is at home in California, and has been all week. The cops out there verified her whereabouts.”
“Well, if she’s not our anonymous partner, then I’d vote for Gary Rollins. He’s Mira’s ex-lover and Reuben’s ex-best-friend.”
“He’s a jerk, but he’s innocent. When Mira was having sleeping pills shoved down her throat, he was with a client in Westchester, a rich client who was picked up on a DUI.”
“What about Sammy Kaye, Mira’s neighbor?”
“Him?”
“Yeah, I know, he doesn’t strike me as the cold blooded killer type either, but he knows all the players.”
“Sammy Kaye is a fashion designer, independent; he owns his own business, Kaye Fashions, and has no criminal record.”
Chris shook his head.
“It’s got to be the sister; she’s the one who’s winding up with the money.”
“She’s flying in Thursday to bury her sister, Myer Funeral Home, on tenth,”
Chris nodded. “I think I’ll go and pay my respects.”
***
Sammy Kaye opened his door and smiled slyly when he saw that Chris was by himself.
“Alone at last,”
“Don’t get your hopes up, Sammy; I’ve only come for information.”
“Oh handsome, give me a chance and you’ll learn a lot about yourself.”
Chris laughed, and then he noticed the suitcase near the sofa.
“Where are you headed?”
“Baltimore, there’s a chain of boutiques there that have shown an interest in my designs; I’m meeting their buyer tomorrow.”
“Good luck, but listen, I’m at a dead end on this case and I think you can help.”
“What case? I thought that the police had stopped investigating?”
“Officially they have, but I’m not buying the official version of what happened to Mira.”
Sammy’s hand flew to his throat.
“Good lord! You think she was murdered?”
“I do, and I need you to think. We know that Gary Rollins didn’t kill her, so who else might have done it?”
“Maybe it was one of those three men.” Sammy said.
“What three men?”
“You know; the three she dated that all got mugged? Maybe only two got mugged and the third was the mugger. If he faked his injuries, it would have thrown suspicion off of himself.”
Chris smiled. “I could almost kiss you.”
Sammy came closer. “Almost?”
Chris backed away. “It’s a figure of speech.”
As he was returning to the office, Chris called Delaney and told him Sammy’s theory. Delaney said that he’d look into it and get back to Chris.
***
One look at Michelle Garrett and Chris knew that he was wasting his time. The woman was devastated by her sister’s “suicide” and sat in front of the casket and cried deep sobs.
Velma had gone with Chris to the Myer Funeral Home, and as she watched Michelle Garrett wipe away tears, she spoke to Chris.
“She’s either innocent, or the greatest actress in the world.”
“Well, she’s no actress, according to the info Delaney gave me, she works in a department store.”
“She’ll probably quit that job soon; when all the legal dust settles, she’ll be two million dollars richer.”
They managed to get Michelle Garrett to accompany them to a nearby coffee shop, and asked her some questions. Michelle looked like a younger version of her sister, Mira, but there was an innocent air about her that Mira never displayed.
“Were you and your sister close?” Velma said.
“Yes, until about a year ago when she married Reuben and moved here. I liked Reuben, don’t get me wrong, but I knew that Mira was only marrying him because she believed that he’d be rich someday. It all just seemed so... mercenary; and I think a marriage should only be based on love, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Velma said. “Marriage should be based on love... and sometimes patience.”
Chris sent her a sideways glance, but she avoided his gaze and so he resumed the interview.
“Speaking of marriage,” Chris said. “I understand that you’ve recently wed, congratulations,”
Michelle beamed a bright smile, and despite her tear-reddened eyes, she looked radiantly happy.
“Thanks, his name is Kyle and he’s an absolute dream.”
“Did he come with you?”
“No, he travels a lot on business. He had just left for China when all this insanity began.”
“It’s a shame you have to go through this alone.”
“Yes, but it can’t be helped, and he’ll be joining me back in San Francisco when I return; would you like to see a wedding picture?”
Velma and Chris nodded politely and sent a casual glance at the photo that Michelle took out of her wallet. A moment later, they both did a double take, and they knew that they had found Mira’s partner.
***
Chris and Velma stood with Tom Delaney and stared through the one-way mirror at Mira Asher’s partner and killer.
“So who is he really?” Chris said
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Delaney said. “As far as we can tell, he’s been living as both men his whole life.”
“How is that possible?” Velma said.
“It isn’t, and we’ll figure it all out in time. We’ve already sent queries to the cops in the town he grew up in, but it’s a tiny town, real Mayberry, you know what I mean?”
“Is that where Mira met him?” Chris said.
“No, that was probably in San Francisco, and then when she ran into him here, she learned his secret. We think she blackmailed him into helping her kill her husband, and then he outsmarted her by marrying her estranged sister, who would eventually inherit all the money. In time, he might have killed Michelle too, probably make it look like an accidental death, and then he would have been home free.”
“How did Michelle take the news?” Velma said.
Delaney sighed.
“Not good, she’s under sedation at New York Hospital,”
The man they were staring at seemed to know that they were there, because he sent a wink and a smile toward the mirror.
>
Sammy Kaye, alias Kyle Garrett had not said a word since he was arrested.
“I’m betting he’s really Kyle Garrett.” Chris said.
“Why do you say that?” Velma said.
“Well, look at him, he’s not displaying any of the mannerisms that Sammy had; I would doubt he’s even gay.”
No sooner had the words left Chris’s mouth, when Sammy appeared. The man behind the mirror suddenly had a softer bearing and held his head in a different manner as his eyelids fluttered seductively.
“Son of a...can he hear us?” Chris said.
Delaney shook his head.
“But he knows I’m here, somehow he knows I’m here.”
And behind the glass, “Sammy” smiled.
***
They left the station and caught a cab. When Velma told the driver where she wanted to go, Chris appeared puzzled.
“Why are we going there?”
Velma stared down at her hands, which were clenched together atop her lap.
“I want you to meet my husband.”
***
Sergeant First Class Michael David Channing stared up at the ceiling of his hospital bed inside a New York City Veteran’s Hospital.
Chris swallowed hard.
“How long?”
“Nearly three years,” Velma said. “His Humvee ran over an IED in Iraq that killed his men; only Michael survived.”
“Good lord, Velma, I’m so sorry,”
“Thank you, but now you see why nothing can ever happen between us.”
Chris reached over and took her hand.
“I’m still here for you, if you need to talk, if you need anything, you know?”
“Thank you; that means more than you know.”
Chris looked down at Velma’s husband. The blonde young man had a pale complexion and appeared very thin.
“What do the doctors say?”
“They tell me that they don’t know, that he might never awaken, or he could wake tomorrow.”
“Who else knows about him?”
“Your mother; and I’ll tell your brother and grandfather tomorrow. It’s not that I’ve been keeping it a secret, it’s just that I hate being pitied.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to sit here with him for a while. Why don’t you go home and I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“All right,” Chris said, before reaching over and giving Velma a hug, when he released her, he looked deep into her eyes. “You hang in there baby, okay?”
Velma grinned.
“I work for the Caliber Detective Agency, we never give up.”
Chris nodded, kissed her on the cheek, and walked out into a lonely city.
About The Author
Donald Wells is the author of numerous short stories and novels, including The TAKEN! Series, The Caliber Detective Agency, Blue Steele & The Reynolds Family Saga.
He lives deep inside a writing cave in the wilds of New Jersey.
However, the cave does have Internet access, and so, you can contact him at:
www.donaldwells.com
Visit the Reynolds Family Saga website at:
www.thereynoldsfamilysaga.com
Also, be sure to check out:
www.takenseries.com
www.bluesteele.com
www.thecaliberdetectiveagency.com
CALIBER DETECTIVE AGENCY - BOX SET – CASE FILES 1-6
Copyright © Donald Wells, 2012
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Did you love Caliber Detective Agency - Box Set - Case Files 1-6? Then you should read Caliber Detective Agency - Box Set - Case Files 7-12 by Donald Wells!
From Donald Wells
The author of Caliber Detective Agency, Monsters, Blue Steele,The Taken! Series & The Reynolds family saga
Caliber Detective Agency - Box Set - Case Files 7-12
7)
The Calibers tackle three new cases.
A man believes someone is out to kill him in case one, while in case two, a worried father hires the detective agency to look into his daughter’s shady fiancé.
The third case is more of a favor, as the old man and Kelli travel to Texas to help out family.
Blue Steele makes a cameo appearance.
8)
The old man and Blue Steele engage in a friendly shooting contest, but then the client arrives and Jake gets down to business.
Chris and Velma reveal their true feelings for each other, despite knowing that they can never be together.
9)
As Jake learns more about Victor Jansen’s inner circle, Chris and Velma set out to sting the target of their investigation.
And in Texas, the old man investigates the disappearance of James Preston, and by doing so, he places himself and Kelli in jeopardy.
10)
The old man proves once again that he’s the real deal and gets one step closer to solving the mystery of James Preston.
Jake uncovers treachery within the Jansen inner circle and later saves his client’s life.
Meanwhile, Velma learns sometime meaningful about her husband’s nurse.
11)
Chris and Velma run their sting operation on Remmi Harlow, and then later on, Velma makes a confession.
Jake becomes jealous over Kelli’s new boyfriend, but with help from a friend, he may just win her back.
And after the old man visits Remmi Harlow in jail, he solves the mystery of James Preston.
12)
Jake and Kelli reunite, and later, Jake discovers where the illegal guns are coming from.
After the old man verifies that his hunch is correct, he brings the hammer down on the man behind the disappearance of James Preston.
Velma and Chris share an intimate moment as a fortunate turn of events takes place.
Please visit the Caliber Website at: thecaliberdetectiveagency.com
Read more at Donald Wells’s site.
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Watch for more at Donald Wells’s site.
About the Author
Donald Wells is the author of The Taken! Series, Blue Steele, Monsters, Caliber Detective Agency & The Reynolds Family Saga.
When he's not writing he spends his time reading and when he's reading, he wishes he were writing.
A man of many talents, Mr. Wells invented the now much used term .com as well as the word "Dealy"
Before becoming a writer, Mr. Wells spent years as an aspiring pianist and was often known to spend hours at practice. If he had ever had access to a piano, who knows what heights he might have achieved.
A renowned Chocoholic, the town of Hershey, PA. is considering erecting a statue in his honor.
A little known fact: Mr. Wells was one of the original Back Street Boys.
Another of his talents is the writing of bogus biographies in the third person.
An avid blogger, Mr. Wells now has his own blog on the Validation Publishing website: www.valadationpublishing.com in which he frequently pokes fun at the world of Traditional Publishing.
To learn about Mr. Wells' new releases and enjoy bonus content, please visit, www.donaldwells.com
Thanks!
Read more at Donald Wells’s site.