He’d shaken his head. “We don’t know anything about selling houses.”
“I’ll research it. We can ask a lower price, and it’ll sell faster.”
“Okay, but my phone number goes on the sign and in the newspaper ad.”
“That’s fine. I’ll put my number second, so if they can’t reach you, then they can call me.”
She’d stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, the discussion over, and he’d smiled his submission.
Planting the For Sale by Owner sign in the yard, with Greg’s number listed before hers, she headed inside to place the newspaper ad.
Chapter 13
Marcus woke up feeling refreshed and ready for his next assignment. Going to the store, he picked up a newspaper, a new photo album, and a six-pack.
When he returned to his apartment, he opened a beer and went to the classifieds. In the San Antonio News, he found seven new ads. Two were condos, one was a vacant lot, and four were homes. He circled each of the home ads and wrote the addresses on his notepad, then found them on his folding map.
Two addresses were on the north side of the city, one in the old section of downtown, and one over by Lackland Air Force Base. He decided to hit the two on the north side first.
He put on beige khakis, a blue button-down shirt, and a blue-checkered tie. Looking at himself in the mirror, he straightened his tie, grabbed his notepad, and headed out.
*******
The north side homes both had toys in the yard, forcing Marcus to cross them off the list. He got on the Connally loop and headed toward Lackland. The third address was on Blue Mesa Drive, about three miles from the air base, and easy access off Highway 90.
Marcus arrived forty minutes later, pulling up in front of a yellow bungalow sporting white shutters and a matching white roof. He scanned the area.
No toys and the neighbors are not too close.
He looked in the rearview, straightened his tie, checked his hair, and got out. Coming up to the door, he knocked. He immediately heard footsteps, and seconds later, the door swung wide open. Standing there was a young woman with a blonde ponytail, cut-off shorts, and a big smile. “Can I help you?”
“Yes. Is your mother home?”
Her smile got bigger. “Thank you very much, but my husband and I own the home.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed.” Marcus expanded his own smile. “I wanted to ask about the house.”
“Oh, sure. Do you want to come in and look?”
At first, Marcus didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t use to such a trusting person in this area. “No…thank you. How much are you asking?”
“Seventy-eight thousand. It’s a two-bedroom, one bath.”
“Seems fair. I’m looking for my elderly mother. She’s moving down here from the Midwest to be closer to me.”
“Where’s she from?”
“Springfield, Missouri.”
“No way! My husband and I are from Baxter Springs, Kansas. That’s not far from the Missouri line.”
“It’s a small world, isn’t it? Would you mind if I took some pictures of the outside? I’ll send them to her and see what she thinks.”
“Go right ahead. If you have any questions, feel free to knock again. My name is Claire.”
Marcus extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Claire...”
“Carson, Claire Carson. My husband is Greg Carson. He’s stationed at Lackland.”
“My name is Bill Thompson.” He took her hand and they shook.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Thompson.”
He let her go and she closed the door. Marcus went to the car to get his camera.
Moving around the house and shooting pictures, he found Claire standing by the kitchen window, doing dishes. He snapped several shots of the perky blonde with green eyes before she noticed. She waved at him, and went back to her dishes.
Marcus had found his next subject, and the timeline had just moved ahead one day. Tomorrow, he would shoot the inside.
*******
Late in the afternoon, Jason had exhausted his list of FSBO numbers to call, and still didn’t have anything to follow up on. Vanessa was in the same boat.
The newspaper was lying on the desk, and the front-page story was about their case. The article was written by Devin James, someone Jason had worked with in the past, so Jason decided to call him.
“San Antonio News.”
“Devin James, please.”
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“Jason Strong.”
The line went to music while Jason was put on hold. Several minutes later, Devin picked up. “Jason, nice to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hi, Devin. Since when do you have a secretary?”
“I wish. That was another reporter answering my phone for me. I was indisposed, if you know what I mean.”
“Too much info, Devin!” Jason let out a chuckle. “Actually, I called about your story on the front page. Have you got any response to it?”
“You mean have I received any tips on the sketch?”
“Yeah, our hotline has been pretty quiet.”
“Sorry, Jason. Nothing shaking loose here either. Probably the right person hasn’t seen the story, or we’re looking for someone who doesn’t have many friends.”
“I was thinking the same things. Well, just wanted to check in.”
The reporter laughed. “It kinda makes me feel special.”
“Oh, you’re special alright!”
Devin laughed, then turned serious. “You know I’d call you if I had anything, right?”
“Yeah, I do. Thanks.”
Jason hung up and glanced over to find Vanessa watching him. “Any luck?”
He shook his head.
“Dang it!”
*******
Ed Williams spotted his customer driving the Chevy Impala onto the Four Pines Chevrolet lot. He walked outside, planted a salesman smile across his face, and met Bill Thompson as he got out of the car. “How did you like it?”
“You know, it drives nicely. How much is it again?”
“Twelve-five.”
Bill Thompson reached back into the car and got his camera. “Seems a little high, but I like the car. Still, I think I’ll look some more.”
“If you really like it, I can talk to my boss about knocking five hundred off the price.”
Bill Thompson handed the keys to Ed. “I appreciate that, but I think I’ll sleep on it.”
“Okay. Is there another car you’d like to take overnight?”
Mr. Thompson shook his head. “Nope, that’s the one I wanted to drive. Thanks, again.”
Ed Williams watched another sale walk away. It was turning out to be a real crappy day. He went inside to hang up the key and find the newspaper. Maybe a good crossword puzzle would cheer him up.
*******
Marcus got in his own car and drove the fifteen minutes to a Chevrolet dealer on the south edge of the city. Jackson Chevrolet came up on his left, and he pulled onto the lot.
He’d just put his car in park when he spotted a salesman walking up to him. “Good afternoon, sir. My name is Mike. How can I help you today?”
They exchanged handshakes. “Bill Thompson. I think I’d like to test drive a new Impala.”
“Great. I’ve got several over in the next row of cars.” Mike started walking to where the Impala’s were lined up.
Marcus hesitated, not following the salesman. “Actually, do you have an overnight test drive program?”
The salesman turned back to his customer. “Oh, sure. You want to get a better feel for the car?”
“Yeah.”
Mike was happy to oblige. “Okay, if I can have a copy of your license and insurance, we can get you set up.”
Bill Thompson pulled out his wallet. “Super. Here you go.”
Chapter 14
Ed Williams worked on the crossword for almost two hours. Finally, down to about seven words, he’d had enough. He folded the newspaper in half
and threw it on the table.
Staring back at him was a sketch of his customer, Bill Thompson. He picked the paper back up and read the headline. He’d heard about the murders, but hadn’t seen the sketch.
After reading the accompanying story, his heart started pounding as he studied the sketch for a second time.
That’s Bill Thompson. I know it is.
He found the hotline number in the article, and dialed it with shaking fingers.
“San Antonio Police Department.”
“Yes, my name is Ed Williams. I work at Four Pines Chevrolet, and I’m pretty sure a guy matching the newspaper sketch was just in my dealership.”
“Okay, sir. What was your name again?”
Ed repeated his name for her, waited while she put him on hold, and listened to several clicks before a new voice came on the line.
“Ed Williams?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Detective Strong. You believe the man in the newspaper sketch was at your dealership?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you a car rental agency?”
“No. We’re a Chevrolet dealer.”
The detective was silent for a minute, before asking his next question. “Where is your dealership?”
Ed gave him the directions and hung up. He picked up the paper and studied the sketch again.
I know that’s him.
*******
Jason hung up the phone and started for the elevator. Vanessa was right behind him, and in minutes, they were on their way to Four Pines Chevrolet.
Jason hoped this was their guy, but at the same time, it created a new problem. He was surprised when Mr. Williams said he was at a new car lot. If the killer was now getting vehicles from new car dealers, the number of locations they’d have to contact had just jumped by dozens, if not more.
“Vanessa, can you do a search of new car dealers in the city.”
Vanessa took out her phone and punched a few keys. Five minutes later, her screen filled up. “What do you want to know?”
“How many?”
Slowly, she scrolled her phone and counted the dealers. “More than forty.”
“I was afraid of that.”
A few minutes later, they pulled into the Chevy dealership. A salesman came out to meet them immediately. “How are we doin’ today?”
Jason stepped out of the car. “We’re looking for Ed Williams.”
“That’s me. You must be Detective Strong.”
“I am, and this is my partner, Detective Layne.”
Ed waved at Vanessa. “Let’s get out of this heat.”
The salesman led them through large double doors, into the showroom, then back to a conference room. “Can I get you guys anything?”
Both detectives shook their heads, and everyone took a seat at the large wood conference table. Vanessa had her notepad out, and Jason held another copy of the sketch. “Is this the guy you think you saw?”
“Yeah. I’m positive that’s him.”
“What is his name?”
“Bill Thompson.”
“Did he give you any identification?”
“Yes.” Ed stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
True to his word, the salesman was gone less than thirty seconds. He handed a sheet of paper to Jason. “This is the information he had to leave last night.”
“Last night?”
“Yeah. He took a car on an overnight test drive, and returned it today.”
Jason eyebrows arched. “You do that?”
“Sure. Some people want a longer test drive than just around the corner.”
Jason studied the piece of paper given him by the salesman. The picture was the same as the previous identifications. The address and phone number on the form matched, as well.
“I gather he didn’t buy the car.”
“Nope.”
“Can you add anything to the sketch? Clothes, scars, anything?”
“Not really. He wore a shirt and tie both times I saw him, and he carried a camera with him.” Ed picked up the sketch. “The sketch nails him pretty well, though.”
Jason took out a card and slid it across the table to the salesman. “If you see him again, call immediately please.”
“You bet. Can I interest either of you in an overnight test drive?”
For the second time, both detectives shook their heads.
*******
Back at the station, Jason and Vanessa went in to meet with Lieutenant Patton. He was doing paperwork, groaning about it at the same time. “I’m buried in the stuff.”
Vanessa grunted. “Suck it up, Buttercup!”
Jason winked at her. “That’s what you get for laying around sunning yourself while others do all the work.”
John Patton wasn’t about to be outdone. “I’m putting both of you on report for insubordination.”
Vanessa grinned. “That seems a little harsh.”
Finally, the lieutenant sat back and looked at his detectives. “Okay, five minutes.”
Jason brought the lieutenant up to speed. When he was done, John Patton shook his head. “The new way of switching cars is a real problem. Any ideas?”
“I was thinking of calling Devin James, feed him the new car story, and see if he can get a front page. Maybe our new car dealers read the paper.”
“Okay. What else?”
Vanessa waved a phone book at the lieutenant. “Tomorrow, we start calling all dealers, giving them a heads up, then fax them sketches. It’ll take hours.”
“Okay. Good work, and your five minutes is up.” He went back to his paperwork as they left the office.
Vanessa pushed her desk chair in and started for the elevator. “See you in the morning?”
Jason sat down at his desk. “Yeah. I’m gonna call James first, then head home, too.”
“Goodnight.”
As Vanessa got on the elevator, Jason dialed the reporter. This time it only rang once. “This is James.”
“Devin, this Jason again.”
“Miss me already?”
Jason snorted. “Not exactly. I’ve got something for you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“The sketch led us to a new car dealer. Our guy apparently secured a vehicle by taking an overnight test drive.”
“Interesting. Which dealer?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, and this is off the record.”
There was hesitation from James. “Okaaaay. What do you need from me?”
“I’m hoping a front-page article, suggesting this is a new method of operation for our killer, will land on the desks of the car dealers. We need help spreading the word.”
“Seems reasonable. I’ll talk to my editor now.”
“Thanks, Devin. I owe ya one.”
“Don’t worry, I’m keeping track.”
Jason could hear the reporter’s laughter as he hung up.
Chapter 15
Claire set the pan of scrambled eggs on the table. Her husband already had bacon in his mouth from the pile she’d just put out.
She poked him in the ribs. “Can’t wait for me?”
“Can’t wait for bacon.”
Claire didn’t really care. After all, they were going back home. Greg could do no wrong these days. “Well, make sure you eat some eggs. I can’t eat all those myself.”
He responded by putting a huge scoop on his plate. “So, did anyone call about the house? I had my phone off most of the time yesterday.”
Claire chewed a piece of bacon before answering. “No. I did have a man stop by and ask about the house. He didn’t want to come in, but he said he was looking to buy a house for his mother, and took some pictures of the outside.”
Greg stopped chewing and stared at his wife. She didn’t notice at first, until she sipped her coffee, and caught his look. “What?”
“I’m not real happy about you showing the house to strangers.”
“Oh, he was fine. He was in a shirt and tie, and very re
spectful. Don’t worry about me.”
Greg wouldn’t let it go. “Claire, he could be a nut. You have to be careful.”
“I know, and I will be. We need to sell the house, and he could be the one to buy it.”
She could tell Greg was losing his will to fight her, and if he kept up the argument, he’d be late for duty. He dropped the subject.
Finishing his breakfast, he kissed her on the cheek and ran out the door. Claire finished her plate and cleaned up the kitchen. When she was done, she called her mother.
“Hello.”
“Hi Mom, it’s me.”
“Hi Claire, how are you?”
“Good. I have news.” She knew what her mother’s first question would be, and smiled in anticipation.
“You’re pregnant!”
“No Mom, not yet.”
“What do you mean ‘not yet’?”
“We have to move back to Kansas first.”
There was a prolonged silence on her mother’s end. When she did speak, her tone was softer.
“Are you coming home, Claire?”
“Yes, Mom. Greg decided not to re-enlist, and he wants to move back to Kansas,” Claire had trouble controlling her grin. She thought her face was about split. “Before we get pregnant.”
“Oh Claire, that’s wonderful. Your father will be so happy.”
The doorbell rang.
“You tell him for me, will you? I’ve got to go, there’s someone here.”
“I’ll tell him. Love you.”
Claire hung up and went to the door.
When she opened it, the man from yesterday was there, fixing his tie. She noticed he was carrying his camera. “Hi, again…Mr. Thompson, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Bill Thompson. Please call me Bill.”
“Okay, Bill. Did your mother like the pictures?”
“Very much. I told her you had offered to let me see the inside. She told me I had been rude not to accept. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be silly! I understood completely.”
“I figured, and between you and me, she can be pretty old fashioned.”
DEATH STILL (Det. Jason Strong (CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 7) Page 7