Murder in Seabrook Shores

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Mike and I will be there as soon as we can get there. Maybe she will turn up before then.”

  Pete’s phone rang and the information he’d asked for poured in. He looked worried when he was finished reading everything his men found about Brad Taylor.

  “Brad Taylor’s real name is Sonny Lee, he as a twin sister named Sally. Their mother, who suffers from dementia, is in a home in Fairfield. Before she retired, she worked as a makeup artist at Willington Studios. According to the staff at the home, she talks about her twins as though they are toddlers. The old timers at the studio remember her painting the kids’ faces with pink circle cheeks and exaggerated eyelashes and prancing them in front of the movie people. Neither kid could dance or sing but that didn’t stop her from continuing to try until they were almost teenagers.

  “Sally Lee ran off with some kid when she was only fifteen. She never returned to Los Angeles and is living in a small town in Wisconsin. She’s married and has a couple grown children. My officer has contacted the sheriff’s office in that town and he is waiting for the sheriff’s report.

  “Not much is known about Sonny from the time his sister left until he changed his name to Brad Taylor and was lucky enough to make it as an actor. He has never married and has only been photographed with women in publicity shots. He hasn’t had a starring role in several years and came out of semi-retirement to do Samantha’s film.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  In a small town in northeast Wisconsin, Sally Rafferty wiped down the last table in the truck stop off the main highway. She greeted the sheriff by name when he entered the restaurant.

  “Hi Harvey, what brings you out this way? You’re late for breakfast and early for lunch.”

  “Hi Sally, I’m not here for food, I hoped you could help me with an investigation back in Los Angeles.”

  “What kind of investigation, Harvey, I don’t know what help I can be.”

  “Sally, do you know of a fellow named Brad Taylor or maybe you know him by his given name, Sonny Lee?”

  Sally lowered her eyes, she pointed to a table away from the counter and asked the sheriff they could sit there. She regained her composure and finally spoke: “Sonny Lee is my twin brother. Is Sonny in trouble, Harvey? Sally asked fearing the answer.

  “I don’t know the details, Sally, the Los Angeles Police Department is investigating and asked that I question you. You don’t have to tell me what you know about your brother. From the information I have, he might be involved in the disappearance of a young woman in California.”

  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, Harvey but I’m afraid I know little about Sonny.

  “I left home when I was barely fifteen. I ran off with a boy in my class. We played house for a while until his money ran out and he took a bus back home. I couldn’t face going back to the apartment I lived in with Sonny and my mother. I ended up on the streets and was picked up by the police. When they discovered my age, I was turned over to social services and placed in a foster home in town here. I don’t know if you remember the Bakers on Mulberry Court, they have passed on now, but they took me in and treated me as one of their own. They had three grown children by then and they and their families welcomed me into the family.

  “They saw to it that I finished high school. I had a job in this diner after school and during the summer. This is where Will and I met over thirty years ago. This place has been in Will’s family since it opened and together, we have managed it for all these years.

  “You don’t want to hear about me, you asked about Sonny. I was a kid, but I knew something was wrong with my mother. I never knew who my dad was, Mama never mentioned him and I was afraid to ask. Mama had a temper and if we said anything she didn’t like; she would swat us and swat us hard.

  “Mama worked at the movie studio, she was a makeup artist and could work magic on the faces of some actresses who weren’t as perfect in real life as they were on screen.

  “Mama set up a dressing room in the corner of our living room. I can’t remember a time when she didn’t make Sonny and me up and dress us in costumes she’d borrowed from the studio. I don’t remember when this nightly ritual became a chore, but I dreaded going home after school because I knew she would make us up and then scrub our faces clean before we went to bed. Sonny never complained, he said he loved Mama, and she was happiest when she was painting our faces.

  “I’m not sure when Mama met Uncle George. He wasn’t our uncle but Mama insisted we call him that. He wasn’t mean to us but it was obvious he would have preferred to be alone with Mama without kids underfoot. Mama got rid of all the makeup and threw the dressing table in the dumpster in the alley after George came by in the evenings.

  “Sonny and I were young but old enough to know what went on in the next room. I covered my ears and could ignore them but Sonny couldn’t sleep until he heard George snoring.

  “One day we came home from school and Mama was on the sofa crying. There was a half-bottle of whiskey on the coffee table. We knew we had seen the last of Uncle George.

  “After that day, Mama became increasingly dependent on Sonny. She continued to work at her job but when she was home, she would cling to Sonny and pat his head. Sonny seemed to enjoy it and the two were in their own little world. Sonny had no friends in school. Mama told us she wanted no one in our apartment. I had more friends than Sonny, but only during school hours. Corey Singer was in my English class. He asked me to the sophomore dance and knowing Mama wouldn’t allow it, I told her I was sick and was going to bed. I put pillows under the covers and climbed out the window to meet Corey.

  “I hadn’t fooled Mama and was forced to face her wrath when I returned home at nine o’clock that night. She threatened to keep me out of school for the next three years. When she went off to work the next day, I called Corey to tell him Mama caught me and I wouldn’t be going to school anymore. He came over to the apartment and complained that his dad was giving him a hard time about his studies. That was when we ran off together. Corey had saved money for college from his paper route and mowing lawns. He had a little over five hundred dollars and we were sure that would be enough money to last us until we were sixteen and able to get jobs. That money was gone before the month was out. Corey decided starvation was not for him, called his folks and was on the next bus back to Los Angeles. He begged me to come with him but I couldn’t face going back to that life. I doubt Mama and Sonny missed having me around, I was the third wheel in that relationship. I’m not implying there was anything inappropriate going on between mother and son but their devotion to each other was peculiar.”

  “Sally, I’m sorry to hear of your hardships early in life,” said the sheriff. “Tell me do you look anything like your mother?”

  “There is a resemblance, I have a picture of her in my office, it was taken when she was in her early thirties, I don’t care to see her again but something has made me keep that photo all these years.”

  She excused herself to retrieve the photo and handed it to the sheriff.

  Sally was right about a resemblance; the photo was of a woman younger than Sally. “Do you mind if I take this to have it copied and sent to the folks in Los Angeles? It might be of help to them in their investigation. I’ll handle it with care and get it back to you as soon as possible.”

  “Do whatever you must do Harvey if someone is in danger because of Sonny, I want to help in any way I can.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  A calm came over Samantha, she knew in her heart Brad wouldn’t hurt her. He was living in a fantasy world and she was a prop. She thought if she could get him to confide in her, he might come out of the trance he seemed to be in.

  “Brad, when did you decide to act in movies? The first time I saw you was when you co-starred with Anna Carlson in Midnight Skies. My brother, Dennis took me to see that movie, he was a big fan of yours.”

  “I remember that movie, I liked kissing Anna, she is pretty, and she smelled good.” Brad Smiled as if remembe
ring a happy time in his life and suddenly his expression changed to sadness. “Mama didn’t like Anna, she told her to leave me alone and Anna didn’t talk to me anymore after that.”

  “Did your mama like your friends, Brad?”

  “Oh, I never had friends, when Sally left, it was Mama and me. Mama said she loved me best. It makes me sad that Mama is in that awful place. She doesn’t know my name anymore. Her hair used to be so beautiful and now it’s all stringy and ugly.”

  He sat next to Samantha and gently touched her hair. “Mama’s hair was this color too. She let me brush it for her. Would you like me to brush your hair for you?”

  “If you’d like to brush my hair, that would be nice, Brad.”

  “I can’t brush your hair, silly, the curls will come out,” he laughed like a child. “Maybe I can touch it.”

  “Is Sally your sister, Brad?”

  “She was my sister, but she ran away. Mama said she sleeps in gutters at night and has nobody to love her. Mama says I’m lucky because I have her and we will be together forever. You aren’t Mama, are you Samantha?”

  “No, Brad, I’m not your mama but I’d like to be your friend. Tell me, did you hurt Mr. Crenshaw?”

  “Mr. Crenshaw is a mean man. I don’t like him.” Brad sat across from her again, staring at Samantha and not saying another word.

  Blake’s assistant sent him copies of the original blueprints of the house. After carefully examining them, they discovered there was a secret room behind the bookcases in the study.

  Fletch was ready to tear the bookcase apart to find a way in to rescue Samantha. Pete pulled him back. “We don’t know what Brad Taylor is capable of, Fletch. Samantha could be in danger if we aren’t cautious.”

  Inside the room, Brad walked over to the peephole, “They are here for you Samantha. They think I will hurt you but you are my friend, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Brad, I’m your friend. It’s time to leave this room.”

  “All right, Samantha,” he smiled and pushed a button. The bookcase slowly opened and Brad stepped into the study with Samantha following.

  Fletch was shocked to see his wife covered in curls with ridiculous makeup on her face and wearing a frilly dress. He was torn between hugging her and slugging Brad.

  “Samantha, are you okay, what did that maniac do to you?”

  “I’m fine, Fletch, Brad didn’t hurt me, he made me look like a movie star.”

  “Samantha isn’t a movie star, she is my friend,” he said proudly.

  “Don’t let them hurt him, Detective Bellamy. Brad meant no harm.”

  After the officers walked Brad out of the mansion and into a waiting transport car, Samantha told Pete about the clock missing on the credenza and that it was in that room. She asked if she could change out of the dress and into her own clothes. She couldn’t wait to brush the curls out of her hair and wash the makeup off her face. Alexandra went with her to help her get out of the billowing dress.

  Pete picked up the ornate clock placing it in a plastic bag. “We’ll have this tested for traces of blood. I’d bet the lab will verify Crenshaw’s blood is a match and we will have our culprit. Samantha, if you will come down to the station when you are up to it, you can press charges against Brad Taylor for kidnapping.”

  “Detective, Brad is a sick man but I don’t believe he is a murderer. He hurt nothing but my dignity and I won’t be pressing charges.”

  “Samantha, that’s your choice but we have him in possession of the weapon that was most likely the cause of a man’s death. I can’t overlook that fact.”

  Megan arrived and rushed to Samantha’s side. “Samantha what did he do to you? I should have been with you today, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m fine Megan, once I get this clown makeup off and these curls out of my hair, I’ll be happy and I’ll be looking for the real culprit in this case. I know it’s not Brad Taylor.”

  “Sam, why are you so sure it’s not Brad?” asked Fletch.

  “Brad’s fantasy world doesn’t include murder. His mother did a number on the guy for years. I’m guessing she’s in a nursing home now and that she has suffered from mental illness for some time.”

  “I must get to the station to meet with the others who were here yesterday. I trust your instincts about Brad, Samantha but I can’t help but wonder how he ended up with the clock in his possession,” said Detective Bellamy.

  “It’s possible Brad saw the entire incident yesterday but I don’t know if he can distinguish between reality and fantasy,” Samantha said.

  Pete Bellamy walked Alexandra to her car. He apologized for having to cut their morning short.

  “I’d like to see you again, Alexandra, would you like to have dinner this evening? I hope to be free shortly after seven o’clock.”

  “That would be lovely, Pete.” She jotted her phone number and handed it to him. “I’ll be ready when you call.” Alexandra had waited long enough for someone to enter her life and didn’t think care if she acted like a desperate woman, she knew she wanted Pete Bellamy in her life.

  “Samantha, were you the least bit frightened of Brad Taylor today? It was so creepy the way he always looked at you,” said Megan.

  “When he first grabbed me, I was terrified. I was sure he would kill me or worse. As I sat there with my face itching from the makeup, I saw him as a frightened little boy. His relationship with his mother was unnatural, it sounds like the woman drove his sister away and then told Brad she was lying in the gutter somewhere. He wasn’t allowed to have friends and when he found himself attracted to a girl, she put the kibosh on the relationship before it started.”

  “Leave it to you, Samantha to psychoanalyze your kidnapper,” said Fletch. “Your soft heart is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you. I think we should go back to the hotel and relax by the pool after our ordeal.”

  “Fletch, I’d like to go to the police station, maybe we can find out how the interviews go. One of those people caused injury to Reggie Crenshaw, and I’d like to know who.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Samantha and the others arrived at the police station, Barry Kline and Grant Wagner were in the waiting room. An attractive woman sat next to Barry with a worried look on her face. Samantha thought it must be his wife, Andie.

  Rachel Ross was on the other side of the room, the minute she saw Fletch, she was out of her chair and hanging on his arm.

  Fletch, darling, I knew you would come to my rescue. That awful detective will badger me about poor Reggie, I know it. I didn’t hurt him, I promise.

  Fletch pulled her hands away and told her to tell the truth and she needn’t worry. He stood closer to Samantha than he needed to but he wasn’t taking any chances that Rachel would get her claws in him again. He didn’t remember her being like this. Her so-called marriage to Reggie Crenshaw must have turned her into a clinging vine.

  Melvin Blake wandered into the waiting room after taking a smoke break. “How much longer will this take, I’m a busy man and don’t have time for this nonsense.”

  The officer at the desk remained calm and told him to have a seat and someone would be with him shortly.

  Detective Bellamy was waiting for the stenographer to finish a different case investigation and would call in his first suspect when she was ready. In the meantime, he observed the group through a one-way window. Melvin and Rachel were obnoxious and the questioning to come hadn’t fazed them in the least. Grant looked like he’d lost his best friend and only smiled briefly when Samantha and Megan greeted him. Unfortunately, Barry Kline’s reaction was one of sheer panic as if he had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Pete’s gut feeling told him Barry was the person responsible for the injury to Reggie Crenshaw. The poor guy was in debt because of his son’s illness, he was afraid he couldn’t keep the family in their home without the money he’d be receiving when the movie was released. Now, there would be no movie and no money to save his neck. Pete wondered if he had confided in his w
ife, she looked as worried as her husband. Sometimes I loathe this job, Pete thought to himself when he heard Carol, the stenographer’s knock on the door.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, Pete. It’s been one of those days. It looks like we have a few nervous folks out there.”

  “Yep, some more than others. I’ll call Barry Kline first, he’s a nice man who is acting like he has something to hide.”

  Pete stepped out of his office. “Sorry to keep you waiting, folks. We are ready for questioning now. Mr. Kline, will you come to my office please?”

  Barry turned to his wife and mouthed the words I love you squeezing her hand. Samantha watched him walk slowly to the interrogation room and gave him a smile and a thumb up sign. She walked over to the woman waiting and introduced herself. “You’re Andie Kline, isn’t that, right?”

  “Yes, Samantha, it’s so nice to meet you. Barry talked about your book and I picked up a copy for myself. It’s a beautiful story about a remarkable man.”

  “Thank you, Andie, may I call you Andie? Barry talked about you often in the last few days; I feel like we are old friends.”

  “I know Barry enjoyed working with you, he didn’t like what they did to your story, but he hurt no one, I’m sure of it Samantha.”

  “I’m sure Barry isn’t capable of hurting anyone either. Everyone who was at the house yesterday is being questioned. Detective Bellamy is a fair man. He is trying to get answers. I know how you feel; I was a suspect in Professor Stonehill’s murder.”

  “That’s right, and you ended up with the detective in that case.” Andie looked toward Fletch, “is that your guy?”

  “Yes, that’s Detective Joseph Fletch, better known as Fletch.”

  “Well, he could arrest me anytime, don’t tell Barry I said that,” she said and giggled.

  “Mr. Kline, I’ll be asking you a few questions while Carol Hughes records our meeting. I know we went over your story yesterday but I’d like to hear it again. Why did you stay in the mansion after Reggie Crenshaw told everyone to leave?”