“Yes, I heard. But it’s not her!” Julie said, in a quiet voice.
“No, hon, it isn’t her. I found your stepmother in a coma up here. She was left for dead. My guess is it was connected to the woman that was acting as her down there, who is now dead. Seems that being Lois Bell is a dangerous pastime right now. You wouldn’t be able to tell me anything about baseball cards, would you?” he asked kindly.
Julie gasped, “This IS all my fault! When the guy at the pawn shop asked for my name, I choked. I said Lois, just like I used to do in high school when I called in sick and pretended to be my mom. I know I should have thought of something else, but I did want him to be able to reach me, just not really track me. He seemed a bit shady, you know.”
“Yes, I know the type, dear. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
Julie sighed and relayed the tale to William, much as she had to Pastor and Andy the night before. Was it just the night before? Pastor shook her head in bewilderment. What a night it had been. It was hard to believe it was still less than twenty four hours since Andy had reappeared. She knew she was tired when she looked for a special tea for the day. Black tea with lychee, that was her go-to for hard mornings, which today looked to be. She thought the tea had magical properties, plus an extra jolt of caffeine included. She brewed enough to fill a carafe; sure Julie would want some, and anyone else local that might still feel slightly traumatized by one of their own having a sudden death. Murder, she should say, it’s not like this was a heart attack or a car accident. Those were much easier to accept. Until they knew what was going on with the fake Mrs. Bell, and the baseball cards, she was sure no one would feel particularly safe.
Andy came in with his police officer friend in stride, while Julie was still on the phone with William. “Have you heard much about plans for a casino over by Pirate’s Cove, Mom?” he asked.
“I could imagine something like that over there, but wouldn’t it be illegal?” she replied. She was never a fan of the institutions, though she knew many people her age enjoyed them.
Jason answered, “There have been rumors of someone on Ono that wants to start a fleet gambling line, small yachts that take customers far out into the Gulf, far enough away to be in international waters. He’s purchased a chunk of land on that side to make a small marina and port facility with shopping, restaurants, and the like.”
Pastor looked excited, “Well, that could be our connection. William had mentioned something about gambling when this all started. That was part of why he was going to New Jersey, I thought. Or maybe it was just to find Lois?” She trailed off, muttering.
Andy had heard her and processed the information quickly, “He found Mrs. Bell?”
“Oh yes, I didn’t tell you, did I?” Pastor replied. “He’s talking to Julie about it now.”
Her son went over to Julie and made impatient gestures towards the phone. It was like two kids fighting over something, Pastor thought with a slight smile. Finally Julie covered the mouthpiece, asked him what he wanted, and then told William that Pastor’s son needed to speak with him. Jason looked frustrated that he wasn’t on the line as well, but Pastor knew Andy would share his information.
Pastor poured out a cup of the dark tea and took it to Julie with a small container of milk. “I find it perfectly sweet on its own, but perhaps you would like to add some honey?” she asked Julie gently.
The young woman shook her head, “If anything, I know I can trust your judgment on tea! And probably everything else as well.”
The store owner smiled in acknowledgement. “Absolutes can be dangerous, dear.” She turned to Jason, “So, who is this mystery man that wants to bring in gambling to our beautiful community, or close enough to our community that it will have an impact?”
“You may remember the man; he worked for your father-in-law very briefly. Sam Waters?”
“Oh yes, I remember him. He came from Atlantic City; I remember he had been involved in building casinos up there. I couldn’t stand him. It took me a few months to convince Andrew that he was a snake, but he never looked back after he fired him. I thought he had cleared out from this area long ago.”
“He may have left, but he bought a house that he used as an investment property on Ono before he left. A few plots of land here and there too, nothing to make anyone suspicious. But after Mr. Potts passed away, he moved back and began buying more land. It just so happens he is an avid baseball fan as well,” Jason answered.
“Well, that is interesting,” Pastor replied. “But there won’t be any commercial endeavors on Ono?”
“No, the land he was considering using is in Perdido Beach.”
Julie, who had been sipping her tea with deep sighs of satisfaction, moved closer. “Is he the one that owns the sporting casinos? The totally gaudy, outrageous gaming ones? Like halls of fame gone wrong?”
The detective laughed, “I have never heard them described quite that way, but that sounds about right.”
Andy turned as he hung up the phone, a serious look on his face. “This might get worse before it gets better; William and I are going to try to trap the murderer. So, Mom, I might need to use the store.”
“What, NO! This is a sacred space, not some law enforcement trap. People should feel safe here. Besides, isn’t entrapment illegal?” Pastor was visibly upset. “I am sure you can come up with a better place. What about that sports bar down the road, near the bridge?”
Jason interrupted, “I am pretty sure he owns that too.”
Andy looked at his mom, “Really Mom, has this become your church? Should I be concerned? Where are you going to church these days? I thought you would love a chance to help catch a murderer and keep Julie and her sister safe, clear William’s name, assure the residents of Oyster Creek that this has nothing to do with them…”
The former minister sighed, “Okay, but just for Julie and her sister. The rest, well…”
Her son smiled, “You would leave William hanging out there like that?”
She wagged her finger at her son, “William is a grown man, he could find his own way out of this mess, and don’t you use guilt on your mother!” Then she spun on her heel to face Jason, “And you never had any intention of arresting him, did you? It was probably you that took him in the boat to avoid the blockade.”
The detective gasped as his friend laughed, “I told you it wasn’t worth trying to lie to her Jason. Just be glad you aren’t William when he returns to town. I bet she’ll give him a piece of her mind.” He looked at the others. “So here’s what we’re going to do.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Pastor wasn’t sure if she was more concerned for William, going after the head of the snake, or Andy, trying to see what else would bite down here. It was obvious the players were active in both places. William was setting off for Atlantic City, to request a meeting with Sam Waters, the casino owner. Andy was talking to someone about a Craigslist ad. It turned out Andy and William did know at least one person in common, something that made her wonder again about the Silver Spring police department. But Andy assured her that this guy was famous everywhere for his Craigslist code-breaking skills. She thought any eighth grade teacher worth their salt could break some of the codes they mentioned, but who was she to complain if he was helping them?
Meanwhile, Julie turned over the baseball cards she had been carrying around in that huge bag of hers. They were surprisingly bulky. She said she had left the pictures at home, but so far no one had connected her to Lois. The beautiful thing about the baseball cards was how well they fit into tea boxes. Pastor was happy to provide some empty tins to store them, right in plain sight. Their plan was to lure the killer to the store to see the cards, or to find out if someone else had the stolen cards. They believed Sean had changed the meeting place from Ono Island to the bookstore, but they had no way to know if the buyer or the killer would get the message. Needing to have something card sized to be seen holding, they went to one of the beach shops and filled up on various
popular cards; some princess, some comic hero, and something called Shopkins. Pastor shook her head; even with grandchildren she was out of touch. Funny that they couldn’t even find regular sports cards.
Jason had returned to work, knowing Andy would let him know when he was needed again. Pastor had gone back to serving customers; telling Julie and Andy to go find lunch and maybe bring her some. She needed them out for awhile so she could concentrate on the citizens of Osprey Creek, her loyal customers. They were still upset, for good reason, about a murderer among them. She was so busy concentrating on brewing tea and serving scones that she didn’t realize the post-tennis clique had returned. It wasn’t until she heard Joe raise his voice that she began to pay attention.
“I’m telling you, he is my best friend, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless there was something wrong with the fly!”
“Really, Joe?” Alice replied. “What’s going to be wrong with a fly?”
“It’s an expression. Maybe not the right use of one, but maybe the fly was involved in illegal activities. Maybe the fly was stealing. Maybe the fly was really a spider.” Joe replied. Pastor couldn’t believe how close he was to the truth. Well, not close, but he did know William. Obviously Joe had his feelings about William’s past the way she did.
“She was dead outside his door. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he must have killed her.” Alice said.
Pam finally interjected, “Well, I hope it wasn’t him, because it is more fun playing tennis when he is here, too.” Pam usually sided with Alice on everything, so this was a big step for her, the shopkeeper thought with a bit of chagrin.
“You want to play tennis with a murderer?” Alice asked, in shock.
“That’s not what I said, Alice,” Pam replied, not brave enough to contradict her further.
Pastor turned to the group and saw Alice watching her intently. Iris Marsha Potts was not a woman to break eye contact, but at that moment, something in Alice’s eyes was off. Pastor looked away, knowing where she had seen those kind of eyes before, and not liking what she was thinking. When she was just starting in the ministry she had worked as a prison chaplain for a few years. By the time she left, she wondered why scientists didn’t invent something to read the eyes instead of using modern lie detectors. She knew victims of abuse could sometimes have eyes that held guilt, but generally the eyes of murderers held something else. She could never name it, but the emptiness was there, and it was what she had just faced looking at Alice. She shook her head slightly. She must have imagined it. Alice was her age, a retiree enjoying tennis during the day, who had recently begun dating some stranger that she hadn’t introduced to the others. She was in the early stages of love—it was cute and fun to watch. Pastor must have imagined the look.
She brought the trio their order and asked if anyone was planning to go to the movies that weekend. Joe asked if she wanted to join them, but she shrugged it off, saying she wasn’t sure how long her son was staying. Pastor could tell Alice was trying to catch her gaze again, but she kept her head down and visibly relaxed when the Hallelujahs began, signaling another customer. She excused herself and got up to meet the new arrivals.
Her anxiety returned as she saw who had entered. These were not the type of people to order coffee and browse magazines. No, these were clearly more the type she anticipated working security at a club in downtown Pensacola or Mobile, maybe even New Orleans. They looked rough. Heaven help me, she thought, and God, I really mean it, she added.
The shopkeeper took their order, surprised that they made one, and busied herself making the hot drinks, wondering why they were really there. One was a coffee, the other ordered a cup of her favorite tea. While it was her favorite, it was a rare choice for a customer. She remembered when Andy brought it back from San Francisco, telling her it was a tea to make everything better. She sighed. She could use some of that now, so she decided to brew a full pot. She glanced at the tea tins where the cards were stored, now wishing she had sent them with Jason to the police station. She watched sadly, as Joe and Pam got up to leave. Alice insisted on staying, telling her friends she wanted to look at a book. Pastor couldn’t think. To say something to Joe and Pam might give away more than Andy was ready to have others know. Then again, maybe she was imagining the hostility in the room, it was just Alice, and a couple of thugs. As she glanced at her order sheet, she had a quick idea. She scribbled out a note to Joe, and took it to him as he was getting ready to leave. Alice looked like she was going to take it until Pastor said it was William’s bill and she hoped Joe would give it to him, since she wasn’t sure she wanted a potential murderer seen in her store. Joe nodded, putting the folded slip in his pocket and mumbled something about not believing in friends. She tried to make eye contact with him, but the moment was gone. He took Pam’s arm and they walked out together.
Alice rose, slowly, watching as Pastor walked back around behind the counter. “You don’t need to go back there, Iris. The boys will just come get you.”
The shopkeeper grimaced; she had forgotten Alice always called her Iris. She should have known there was something off about her. As she was about to turn, a thought came to mind. “But I haven’t served them their drinks yet.”
Alice shook her head, “They don’t need their drinks. You, freakishly tall one, go lock the door. Shorty, bring her over here.”
The shorter one surprised both Iris and Alice, “I could really use a cup of that tea, ma’am. No sense in wasting fine tea.”
Pastor blinked. It was a familiar line. She then glanced at Alice for permission. Alice nodded, “Whatever, just hurry up and get over here. We need to get on with this.”
Pastor made her way behind the counter and decided to make a tray. Her plan of dousing both the goons with hot drinks was now put on hold by the young man’s request. Besides, she had a feeling Alice was the killer here, and these two were just bodyguards of some type. All she would have done was made them angry and hastened Alice’s interrogation.
Just before the tall man made it to the door it burst open and Julie rushed in, “Pastor, they took the bait, but the timetable is off! They will be here early!” She stopped suddenly, as she realized they weren’t alone.
“Get out! Get Andy!” Pastor yelled, but it was too late. The taller man had quickly assessed what was happening and grabbed Julie with one arm, locking the door with the other.
To everyone’s surprise Julie then spun and ducked, kicking the man in the groin as she broke free. She brought a gun out of her purse and said calmly “No one move”.
Alice began chuckling, “So our sweet little Iris has a rescuer. It’s really too bad that we will just have to kill you too.” She gestured towards the shorter man, “Go take her gun so we can get on with this.”
The young woman waved the gun at him, “Get on with what exactly? What have you done? What do you want?”
Still seated comfortably on the couch, the tennis playing killer chuckled, “I’m here for the baseball cards that must have been left with Iris. The two I wanted weren’t on Cindy when I killed her, so she must have gotten rid of them first. I already browsed the books, but I had no luck. Based on Iris’s loves, I was guessing they would be hidden in the religious section somewhere. But then I saw the way she looked at her tea when my acquaintances joined me, so maybe I was wrong.”
Pastor felt a twinge of guilt. It hadn’t even occurred to her to hide the cards in the religion books. Funny that Alice, who refused to call her by her nickname, would think of that. But then again, those books were probably the last places Pastor would hide something. Maybe in the mystery section… She shook her head. Now was not the time. She, and now Julie, were in a tough situation, though Julie seemed to be taking it in stride. And she was speaking again.
“Baseball cards, Alice? You mean the ones you killed Lois Bell to get?” Julie asked.
“That wasn’t Lois Bell and you know it! Aren’t you her daughter? Clever, using your mother’s name like that when you took th
e cards to be appraised. Besides, I would have killed Cindy anyhow; she was trying to get the cards before I could for Sam. He loves paraphernalia like that. It was supposed to be our six-month anniversary gift. That floozy was his ex, and she knew he would love it as well. She was just trying to win him back. But he is all MINE.”
The rough-looking young man that had requested the tea tilted his head and said something under his breath. To Pastor it sounded suspiciously like he said, “Was that enough?” He nodded at Julie and came forward to take the gun from her. “You can open the front and let Jason and the others in now,” he said as he trained the gun on Alice. “Mom, you can put down the tray, no need to waste the tea.” Lastly, making eye contact with Alice, he said “And you are about to be arrested for the murder of Cindy Smith and the attempted murders of Lois Bell and Bill West in New Jersey. If you ever use hired help, maybe you should consider spending enough for the professionals. Luckily for us, this guy wasn’t very good at his job.”
Pastor set the tea down gently, still in shock, “Andy?” she asked, her eyes going wide. “What, how did you? Things were supposed to happen tomorrow. What about our plan, the decoys...” she was muttering as she took a seat on the sectional.
A group of officers, led by Jason, filed into the room and took away the tall man and Alice. Andy rushed to his mother to help her sit down. “William called again a couple of hours later. While William was driving to Atlantic City, Sean called to tell him a pawn shop in Trenton had been ransacked, and asked if he knew anything about it. So William decided to stop in and check on Bill West, the man who owns the pawn shop. He wanted to know if he was awake and could tell him more about what happened. When he got to the hospital, the same creep who had attacked him was actually in his room, trying to inject him with sodium Pentothal, but William stopped him and accidentally dosed the bad guy instead. The attacker sang after that, telling us all about Alice. She knew he was unemployed and had aspirations of being a fighter in Atlantic City from the time his mother had come to visit someone in Oyster Creek. She promised him a chance to fight at Sam’s casino if he got her the baseball cards. She told him he should kill Lois and Bill, once she found out they were injured, but luckily his conscience didn’t allow him to do so. Lois is already awake; they found out he was slipping something in her IV solution to keep her under. No harm done, except an extended rest. Bill is expected to make a full recovery as well.”
One Cuppa Brew: Book 1 in The Thyme for Tea Series Page 5