Stories by Kiera Dellacroix

by Dellacroix, Kiera

  ----------

  I sat in the car for thinking things over for close to half an hour before I reached for my phone. I wished I had packed more clothes; I'd be out of town for a while.

  "Winters."

  "Hey, Billy."

  "You get there?"

  "Yeah."

  "What's the scoop?"

  "Got a lead. Tish is from Iowa. She mentioned it once to Monica and she got a ticket out there last year. I'd be willing to bet she was visiting family."

  "You get any names?"

  "No, she only remembered the town because I mentioned it."

  "I take it there's a connection between Tish, Monica, and Clarice?"

  "Yeah, Tish and Monica hooked for Clarice until she got a boss."

  "Who's the boss?"

  "Dunno, but from what I gather he was a brutal prick. I'm banking it's the guy I want."

  "That I don't doubt. Some of Clarice's videos are pretty fuckin' rough."

  "Any of them have a costar?"

  "Oh yeah, but all of them were wearing masks so far."

  "Masks?"

  "Yep. Clarice is the only who appears without one."

  "Then riddle me this, Gilligan. Why were there missing tapes?"

  "Good question," he chuckled.

  I sighed. "I wish I knew where Gus came into all of this."

  "Figure that out and you'll have solved half the puzzle."

  "I will."

  "Yeah, you will. So what next?"

  "I'm going to Fowler, Iowa. The Blaine County Sheriff's Department issued Tish a ticket. Could I get you to make a call out there to let them know I'm coming and why? Maybe they can help locate a relative."

  "I can do that."

  "Ballistics come back on Clarice?"

  "Not yet. Can't officially confirm the same gun right now, but it was a .357."

  "It's the same gun."

  "I'm sure it is. How long you think you'll be?"

  "No idea. Couple days at least."

  "Anabel gonna let you run around that long without a leash?"

  "Ha, ha."

  He snickered. "I'll give ya a call later, let you know what to expect from law enforcement there."

  "Thanks, Billy."

  "See ya."

  I put the car in gear and pointed it back toward the Interstate, planning stop at the next station to grab some gas, a map, a Yoo-hoo, and maybe a girly magazine.

  V

  Six hours later, I glared at my uncooperative phone angrily, castigating myself for not calling when I had the chance. Apparently, my service didn't extend into or include Bumfuck, Egypt.

  I was approaching the outskirts of Fowler, and I hadn't seen anything but a farmer in filthy overalls that waved at me from the seat of his tractor since leaving the Interstate three hours earlier. I suspected that when I cruised into town, I wouldn't be entering anything remotely close to a thriving metropolis. I hoped fervently that I might find at least a decent motel for the prospect of sleeping in my car wasn't very appealing. Actually, I didn't much care for the idea of sleeping without Anabel either. I was hooked and it didn't bother me in the slightest.

  An unexpected stop sign prompted me to stomp on the brakes in surprise as Fowler suddenly materialized in front of me. I scanned the dozen or so buildings that appeared to make up the little town and groaned. Nothing was open and they obviously didn't have a motel. It was only nine in the evening and the place was already deserted. I started moving and sighed as it took all of a minute to coast from one end of town to the other. Disenchanted, I turned around and cruised over to take advantage of the settlement's single streetlight.

  I parked and left the motor running while I consulted my map, hoping to find a larger town close by that could at least put me up for the night. It didn't take long for me to realize that it was a lost cause. Flashing lights caught my attention before I could slip into a proper funk and I watched the police car pull over to park beside me.

  A rugged, handsome man in casual clothes got out of the car and strolled toward me with a casual swagger. It wasn't the kind of walk most cops would assume when approaching a vehicle at night and curious, I rolled down my window to greet him.

  "Are you Maddie?" he asked pleasantly.

  "That's me."

  "I'm Lance Toliver, County Sheriff."

  "Nice to meet you."

  He nodded and shot me a smile. "Your friend Winters gave me a call this afternoon and told me to expect you."

  "You always greet visitors in the middle of the night?"

  He chuckled. "Well, he called me again later when he couldn't get a hold of you and asked if I wouldn't look after ya."

  I grinned. "Does that mean you can point me toward a motel?"

  "Nope, but you can bunk with me."

  "Thank you, but I don't want to be a bother."

  "No bother at all. I've got a spare room and you're hours from anything half as comfortable."

  I debated, but it was quick decision. The Sheriff was a wholesome looking fella not much older than myself. "If you're sure I wouldn't be putting you out?"

  "Not at all. The house is about five minutes away if you want to follow me?"

  "You bet."

  He gave me another smile and returned to his car.

  The trip was quick and the majority of it consisted of a jaunt down a long dirt road that ended in front of a quaint little house in the middle of nowhere. As soon as I parked, I dragged my overnight bag out of the back seat and got out of the car to meet him. He ambled over and shook my hand amiably.

  "Thanks for putting me up and I'm sorry to drag you out so late."

  "Nonsense. If I ever get out your way, I'd expect you to return the favor."

  I chuckled. "Count on it."

  He gestured at the house. "I'm sure you're hungry. Hope leftovers are to your liking?"

  "That'd be fine."

  "Come on, then," he said, starting toward the door. "Let's get you settled."

  "Is everybody out here so neighborly?"

  "Not everybody, but lots of folks are."

  I followed him into an inviting, carefully decorated house that wasn't anything like I expected a bachelor to reside in. The good sheriff was either a butt bandit or he had a girlfriend.

  "You can throw your stuff in here," he said, opening a door at the end of a hall and standing aside for me. "Bathroom is a door down to your right if you want to clean up."

  "I'll do that."

  "When you're done, find your way back to the kitchen and I'll have a plate for you."

  "Okay."

  I watched him disappear and then hurried into the bathroom to relieve my floating teeth. I glanced around as I took my leak, noticing the flowery wallpaper, the assorted knickknacks, and the pink shower curtain rings. The house had a distinctly feminine touch and Toliver didn't look enchanted so I was forced to conclude he had a significant other. I immediately thought of Anabel and I rushed through my paperwork, hoping to make a phone call before it got too late.

  I spotted him sitting at the kitchen table going through a magazine as I stepped from the hall.

  He looked up at me. "Have a seat, I'm warming your chow in the oven."

  "Thank you, but would you mind if I used your phone first?"

  "Go ahead," he said, raising an arm to point across the room. "But if you're worried about your video place, Winters told me to tell you he called to let them know you'd be a couple of days."

  I smiled. That Billy was a slick one. "I guess I don't need that phone after all," I said, taking a seat across from him. "Anything else I should know?"

  "Not that I know of."

  "How did you know what time I'd be in town?"

  "Just guessed. I'd been waiting for you about an hour."

  "I guess I was easy to spot."

  "Yep," he chuckled. "A mafia staff car with out of state plates sticks out like a sore thumb in Fowler."

  "Mafia…" I started confusedly, but then grinned. "You mean the bumper sticker?"
r />   "Yeah. So what is it that you're looking for out here? Winters said you're investigating the murder of several people, including a police officer."

  "That's true. I'm hoping to find relatives of one of the deceased. I've reason to believe she grew up around here and one of your deputies issued her a ticket last year."

  "If she has kin out here they shouldn't be too hard to find. The county only has a population of seven hundred or so. What's the name?"

  "I don't know her name. She was living under a false one for at least the last seven years."

  "How old was she?"

  "No telling, she looked like she was in her late forties, but her bogus birth certificate put her at thirty-nine."

  He grunted thoughtfully and rose to grab my leftovers. Taking up his chair again after serving me a plate of beef, green beans, and some sort of potato casserole.

  "Do you have a picture of her?"

  "It's in my bag."

  "Hmmm. I guess I could show it to some of the old-timers and there's only two high schools in the county, you might find a yearbook photo."

  I spoke around a mouthful. "The schools were where I was gonna look first."

  "If she grew up around here, someone will know her."

  I nodded. "It's a lucky break that's she's from an area like this."

  "We'll find you something to go on, but you're an outsider here and everyone knows it. If you don't mind riding shotgun, I'll chauffeur you around. Most would be more inclined to talk to you if I were along."

  "I don't want to impose on you any more than I already have."

  "I'll let you know when you're an imposition, Maddie."

  I smiled and gave him a little nod. "Fair enough."

  "Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay," he said as he rose to his feet and indulged in a yawn. "Just throw your dishes in the sink when you're done. The remote for the TV is on the coffee table."

  "Thanks again, Sheriff."

  He gave me a sour look. "Just Lance, please."

  "Alright, Lance."

  "I'm on the road at six thirty, there's an alarm in your room."

  "I'll be ready."

  "See ya in the morning."

  "Goodnight."

  I watched him out the corner of my eye as he plodded across the room and disappeared up a staircase. How many people you just met would take you in, feed you, and then leave to your own devices within their home? Not too damned many. He seemed like a simple, uncommonly decent person with a quiet sense of humor. He also seemed a little sad somehow and I wondered why as I finished my meal.

  After I rinsed my dishes off in the sink, I puttered around the living room in casual inspection. The mantle over the fireplace gave me my answer and a lump rose in my throat. Judging from the picture, his wife had been beautiful, and judging from the urn, she'd also been cremated.

  Unsettled, I wandered down the hall to my room, set the alarm, and got out of my clothes. I lay in bed and stared off into the dark until my eyelids grew heavy. I wished that I'd done so many things differently. I wished this were over. I wished I were at home with Anabel, and I wished that I still had Gus.

  ----------

  I traveled down the hall at exactly six thirty to find Lance waiting at the door with two Styrofoam cups. Other than the khaki uniform shirt and the holstered automatic, he dressed himself casually.

  "Morning," he said, offering me one of his cups. "Just coffee until we get to the station. Someone always brings donuts. Will that do you for a while?"

  "Thanks," I replied. "Donuts are great, I'm usually not a breakfast person."

  "Me either."

  I sipped on my java as I followed him to the car, and with the indulgence in one vice, the desire for another was quickly ignited. Since I had the willpower of a gnat, I turned to him as soon as he got us on the road.

  "Would you care if I smoked?"

  "Not if you crack a window."

  "Deal."

  I rolled down the window about an inch and lit up. "How many deputies do you have, Lance?"

  "Eight in all, three are part time. I see you brought your files, can I see the picture?"

  "Sure," I said, digging it out and handing it over.

  He studied it with a frown. "Doesn't look familiar."

  "How long have you lived in this area?"

  "All my life. Is this the only photo you have?"

  "Yeah, I guess I should make some copies."

  "We can do that at the office."

  "Does Deputy Tanner still work for you? He was the one who issued the ticket she got out here."

  "Yeah, but he works the graveyard. If we need to, we'll catch up to him this evening and see what he remembers."

  "Okay."

  "It hit me this morning that I just assumed you were a cop, you're not are you?"

  "I was briefly. I'm a private detective now."

  "If Winters is heading the investigation why did he send you instead of a cop?"

  "Because the murdered policeman was my Dad."

  He grimaced. "I'm sorry."

  "It's okay, you didn't know."

  He paused awkwardly. "You'll get the guy you're looking for."

  "Eventually, yes. However, I'm at dead end if I can't find someone that knows who the woman in that picture really is."

  "It's a small county, Maddie. Someone knows. Probably more than a few."

  "You seem pretty certain."

  "I am. Tell me, why did she change her name?"

  "I assume because she was hiding or running from something and whatever that was, she ran right into a life that couldn't have been much better."

  "How's that?"

  "She was a whore. A cheap one that worked a part of the city that isn't very gentle."

  He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for a moment. "Lemme chew on that for a bit."

  "Something come to mind?"

  "Maybe a place to start looking."

  "Good deal."

  He nodded as we pulled up behind a brick building that looked centuries old and parked between two other police cars.

  We got out in silence, and I followed him inside, the sounds of laughter becoming audible as soon as the door closed behind us. I cocked an eyebrow as I trailed him into a room populated be a single table, half a dozen folding chairs, and three of his youthful deputies. The men stopped their chattering when I stepped out from behind the Sheriff, and I had to bite down on a snicker at hearing the collective inhale as they strove to suck in their bellies.

  "Give it a rest, boys," Lance chuckled. "This is Detective Ledoux, and she won't be around long enough to get to know, or want to know, any of you."

  They all laughed and I was greeted with smiles. "Hi, fellas. Just call me Maddie."

  Lance nudged me. "Let me see that photo again."

  I handed it over and he placed it on the table for everyone to see. "Anybody recognize the woman in this picture?"

  They all took turns with it, but the result was negative.

  "What's her name?" one asked.

  "Unknown. However, she grew up around here so someone knows. I'll make copies for everyone and I want you to show it to anybody you encounter," he said, turning to me when he was finished. "Grab a donut and then meet me in my office. It's the last door on your left."

  "Okay."

  He reclaimed the photo and strolled out of the room so I wandered over to peruse my possible choices. The deputies bombarded me with questions the second they were out from under the Sheriff's supervision.

  "Where you from, Maddie?"

  "Got a boyfriend?"

  "How long you gonna be in town?"

  I ignored them as I poked through the box of donuts, trying to find one that wasn't cream filled. I hated filled donuts; mainly because they reminded me of a loaded diaper, and that wasn't an image you wanted on your mind while eating. Finally, I settled on one that didn't conceal a nasty surprise and turned to face my host of suitors. They didn't appear to be but a few years out of high school.
r />   "I was born in France, I'm not single, and I should only be here a couple of days," I prattled around a mouthful.

  "Can you speak French?"

  "Is your boyfriend a big guy?"

  "A couple of days could be plenty of time."

  I gave them an amused look. "Am I the only woman in the county?"

  My question produced a mixture of shrugs and unrepentant grins as I wiped the crumbs from my chin with the back of my hand. "Thanks for the ego boost, but it's a lost cause fellas," I chuckled, evading their cheerful antics and following after the sheriff.

  I stopped halfway down the hall as he emerged from his office and spoke into a room out of my sight.

  "Is there anything that needs my personal attention this morning, Molly?"

  "Nothing one of the other guys can't handle, Sheriff."

  "Good, I'll be out in the boonies all day."

  "Alrighty."

  He turned and closed the door to his office before ambling toward me. "You ready?"

  "That was fast."

  "I overlooked a possible source of information that might speed this along a little."

  "Oh?"

  "Yep. Sue Judy."

  I gave him a baffled look.

  He grinned. "I'll give you the story in the car."

  ----------

  Sue Judy, according to the Sheriff, was an eighty-seven year old, chain-smoking woman who had the dirt on everyone. The old war hammer had never ventured out of the county once in her entire life, never married, and still lived in the house she'd been born in. Apparently, she was still as sharp as a tack, surprisingly energetic, and stubborn enough to refuse to let anyone look after her.

  All one had to do to get the scoop was to pay her a visit. A visit that I was warned would take the better part of the day. Sue relished company. Guests were subjected to endless hours of personal recollections and it was taken for granted that you'd stay for at least one meal. If you failed to comply, you'd walk away with nothing but the heartburn that her cooking practically guaranteed.

  The sheriff told me all of this in a tone that implied a looming ordeal, speaking as if he was being directed at gunpoint to an all day insurance seminar that he'd be forced to stay awake for. However, I considered an afternoon in the woman's company a small price to pay if it produced results.