Gone in a Flash: A Naked Eye Cozy Mystery

by Leah Burke

  Marissa gave him a small smile. “You know a reporter isn’t at liberty to reveal her sources, although even if I could, this particular person insisted on anonymity. Suffice it to say, it’s the same person who gave me the names.”

  Ranger grunted and raised his glass to his lips again. Marissa waited patiently. It was a skill she’d perfected as a journalist. She knew that if she waited long enough, he’d probably start talking. And a moment later, he proved her suspicion correct.

  “Thomas Duvall,” Ranger drew the name out on a long exhalation, “did a four year stint in the army, got an honorable discharge, and then went into the private security sector. The Marlow’s were his first and only clients. By all accounts, he was a good guy and it was easy to see why the Marlow’s hired him. Guy was huge.”

  “How huge?” Marissa asked curiously, “like ‘cover of Iron Man Magazine huge’?”

  “Bigger. This man was the size of a bull. He was 6’ and pushing 300 pounds, but it was all muscle,” he chuckled, “His muscles had muscles.”

  “Ah, so he was pretty much a force of nature?”

  “Yup,” Ranger confirmed, “Definitely the kind of man you’d want protecting you on a daily basis for sure.”

  “So,” Marissa mused, “he’s ex-military, which leads me to assume he was trained in both weapons and hand-to-hand. He was in peak physical shape and he had the size to put up one heck of a fight. And yet he was found in a field with a bullet in the back of his head. Any idea how that happened?”

  “I can hazard some guesses,” Ranger said darkly.

  “You think he was executed trying to defend Jessie and Julia Marlow.” It wasn’t a question and the darkness in the detective’s eyes was enough of an answer to chill Marissa to the bone.

  It was the detective’s turn to start asking questions, and he grilled her for everything she knew about Ryan Chase. It was, admittedly, not much, but Ranger Lawson took down the pertinent information and said he’d look into the kid’s background.

  Suddenly, Marissa’s cell phone started ringing from the depths of her purse. It was the standard ringtone.

  “I’m so sorry,” she told Ranger, “Do you mind if I get that? It might be the office.”

  “Go right ahead,” he replied, leaning back in his seat to give her what privacy he could without leaving the table.

  “Marissa Lar—wait, hold on. Who is this?”

  Ranger Lawson raised his brows at her in question and she held up a finger.

  “Ming? Honey, what’s wrong? No, I’m with Detective Lawson. Wait, slow down! Let me get a pen.” She flipped to a clean page in her notebook. “All right, go ahead.” A look of surprised crossed her face and she began writing furiously. “Are you sure? When did he call you? Uh huh. Okay, then what did he say? No, I understand. How about in an hour or so? Oh, she is. Well, then tonight, say 7:00? Yes, I’ll come to the back door.”

  The detective waited until Marissa terminated the call.

  “One of your sources?”

  “Yeah,” Marissa sighed.

  “Siena Marlow’s housekeeper seemed pretty upset,” he said nonchalantly.

  Marissa blinked at him in surprise. “How did you—“

  “How did I know who you were talking to?” He laughed dryly. “I’m a detective...and I might have been the one who interviewed all the Marlow’s staff, including Ming Robertson. What did she tell you? Must’ve been important to have her so shaken up.”

  “Her cousin, Ryan Chase, just called her and he was pretty freaked out. She couldn’t get him to tell her where he was or precisely what was happening, but it has something to do with the twins.”

  Before he could ask a follow-up question, his own phone began chirping.

  “Go ahead,” Marissa said with a laugh and wave of her hand.

  “Lawson,” he answered shortly. His brow furrowed and he listened for nearly a minute before speaking again. “Thanks. I’ll be there in fifteen.” He ended the call and stuffed the phone back into his pocket.

  “I take it you need to go?” she guessed.

  “Yes, ma’am. Duty calls. You have my sincerest apologies for runnin’ off like this.” He raised a hand and hailed their waitress. “The kidnapper has reached out to Siena Marlow again. Phone call this time, and I’ll be darned if she didn’t think to record it.”

  The waitress brought the check and, to Marissa’s surprise, Ranger insisted on paying for her beer. So there were a few gentlemen left in the world. It was nice to know.

  “I think what Ming Robertson told you is important, so I’d like to continue this conversation as soon as possible.” Ranger said as they left the bar together, “In the meantime, I’ll see what I can dig up about Ryan Chase. I might not be able to disclose everything I find out, but I’ve come to agree that we can help each other here.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Are you still staying at the Hotel Hollywood, just in case I need to get hold of you before our next meeting?” Ranger asked as he settled his hat in place.

  Marissa told him she was and they parted ways.

  Chapter 14

  Ming Robertson was waiting for her at the back door of the Marlow house when she arrived. The housekeeper looked as if she hadn’t slept much lately; there were puffy dark circles beneath her eyes that even makeup couldn’t hide.

  “Oh, thank goodness!” Ming sighed, “Miss Siena was supposed to go out but she’s still here. We’ll need to stay in the kitchen to avoid her seeing you.”

  Marissa had hoped to get a look at the twins’ rooms, but she nodded without voicing her disappointment. “I understand.”

  They ended up at the same breakfast table as before. Ming offered her a glass of iced tea and the calming aroma of mint prompted Marissa to agree eagerly. They sipped their tea in companionable silence for awhile and the tautness of Ming’s features began to relax. After a few moments, she set her glass aside and her gaze rose to meet Marissa’s.

  “Ryan called me earlier and he was almost hysterical.”

  “Do you know why?” Marissa asked, setting her own cup aside and taking up her pen.

  “Not entirely. He said he couldn’t tell me what was going on, but he was in over his head and he was scared.”

  “What about?”

  Ming shook her head. “He wouldn’t say, but I know it has something to do with the girls. Oh, Miss Larkin, he made the ransom call!”

  Marissa was stunned. “He what?”

  Ming nodded. “Yes, but...oh please God...he couldn’t have done it! He’s a sweet boy. There’s no way he would have kidnapped Jessie and Julia!”

  “Do you think he could have had help?” Marissa asked cautiously. She didn’t want to upset the other woman further; Ming clearly wanted to think the best of her troubled younger cousin.

  Ming covered her eyes with her hands. “I told him! I told him he needed to choose his friends better! Now look where it’s gotten him!”

  “Did Jessie or Julia have any interactions with the people Ryan runs with?”

  “Not that I know of. I never saw him bring any friends around and as far as I know he never took the girls anywhere. How could he? Thomas was with them constantly.” Ming grimaced. “But it seems I don’t know Ryan as much as I thought, so I suppose anything is possible. In retrospect, he was acting strangely the last time I saw him.”

  “Really? How so?”

  “He seemed nervous, on edge. I just thought things were rough at home again. Now I have to wonder if maybe he knew what was going to happen.” She heaved a weary sigh. “Oh, Ryan, what are you into now?”

  “Do you think I could meet with the landscaper he usually worked with?” Marissa asked.

  “Tyrone?” Ming frowned. “I haven’t seen him yet this week.”

  Marissa raised an eyebrow. Interesting. “What can you tell me about Tyrone?”

  Ming shrugged. “Not much. His name is Tyrone…Brown, I think. He can be a little standoffish, but he’s a hard worker. I’d hoped he co
uld instill some of that work ethic in Ryan and I thought it was working.” Tears began to run down her cheeks.

  Before Ming could become any more upset and possibly become unable to continue the interview, Marissa decided to change the subject. She should take this opportunity to gather a little background information on what would hopefully prove to be a safer topic. She had grown to suspect that the kidnapping was an inside job and the most likely suspects were those within the Marlow household. Ming’s comments about Ryan and Tyrone only served to deepen that suspicion, but she needed more information to keep digging on her own.

  “Ming, Were you hired by Siena herself or someone else?”

  Ming shook her head. “Her assistant hired me through the same company that recommended all the Marlow’s staff.”

  “Which company is that?”

  “West Coast Staffing,” Ming said. “They have an office a few miles from here.”

  Marissa wrote down the name and address. “And you said all the Marlow’s staff was hired through them?”

  “Except for the landscaping crew. Mr. Davis, the girls’ agent found them.”

  Figures the sleazy weasel would hire more sleazy weasels, Marissa thought. She still wanted to look at the twins’ rooms, just to see if she could find anything pertinent, but didn’t want to get Ming in trouble if Siena was indeed still in the house. So she came up with a plan.

  “Do you mind if I use the restroom?” Marissa asked.

  “Not at all. If you go down the hall, it will be the third door on the right.”

  Marissa thanked her and left the room. As she passed what she recognized to be the door to the parlor she’d been in a few days ago, she heard voices. One of them was Siena Marlow’s.

  Glancing up and down the hall to be sure no one was watching, Marissa stepped closer and pressed her ear to the door. She pulled out her phone, brought up the mic app, and started recording.

  “…the police are worthless! It’s been almost a week and they haven’t turned up anything!” Siena Marlow complained.

  “Are you gonna pay the ransom?” a man asked, “that’s a lotta dough, baby, ‘specially for two kids. You got it?”

  Siena Marlow made an exasperated noise. “Ugh, of course I have the money! And I probably have to pay up! They’re brats, but they’re well-paid brats at least. If they’re not back in time to finish the sixth season, Hoppenheim will find new actresses. Who’s going to pay the bills if that happens?”

  “Don’t worry, baby, smart lady like you got other options.”

  “Oh yeah, like what?” she snapped.

  “Like life insurance money. Don’t all you rich people have millions set aside in case you croak?”

  “Mmm, I hadn’t thought of that,” Siena mused, “but I like the way you think. And not having to put up with all that whiny, teenager crap would be nice.”

  “How much they worth?”

  “I’d have to double check with my lawyer, but at least $6,000,000 each.”

  The man laughed. “We could buy an island in the Caribbean with that kinda money.”

  “Don’t tempt me!”

  There was a brief silence and then the sounds of kissing and heavy breathing. Marissa crept away from the door, found the powder room, and slipped inside. Her hands were shaking when she turned on the tap and she took a moment to compose herself before heading back to the kitchen and Ming. She’d have to play the recording for Detective Lawson and see what he thought, but from where she was standing, Siena Marlow looked guilty.

  Marissa was halfway down the hall when the parlor door opened and a man stepped out.

  He was big, 6’ 2” at least, dark-skinned, and muscular. His shaved head gleamed in the bright light of the hallway and he was dressed in khaki coveralls that had dirt stains on the knees. A pair of heavy gardener’s gloves stuck out of one pocket.

  He glanced over his shoulder and found Marissa watching him. His dark eyes scanned her without much interest and zero recognition, then he nodded and strode down the hall to disappear around a corner.

  When Marissa finally returned to the kitchen, Ming was pacing and wringing her hands.

  “Oh,” she gasped, “there you are! I was afraid you’d run across Miss Siena!”

  “I almost did,” Marissa admitted, “She was in the parlor, talking to someone. A man.” She described him and Ming nodded.

  “That’s Tyrone. He’s the landscaper I told you about.” She continued before Marissa could ask her follow-up question. “And yes, he’s sleeping with her.”

  Why am I not surprised? Marissa thought in disgust.

  Chapter 15

  “Well, you’ve had quite a day,” Brand said.

  Marissa could hear the smirk in his voice and it made her smile. He was excited about what she’d told him about the case so far, but she had a sneaking suspicion that part of his attitude had something to do with what he’d found out on his end.

  She leaned back on the bed in her hotel room. “So, what do you have for me?”

  “What makes you think I have anything?” he teased.

  “Come on, Brand, I know you. I can tell by your tone of voice that you’ve got something to tell me.”

  He laughed. “True enough, though it feels a little anticlimactic compared to what you’ve told me.”

  Marissa shrugged. “You never know, it could be the missing piece of this puzzle.”

  “True enough. Keep in mind that everything I’ve turned up is public record and since Ryan Chase is a minor, there isn’t much.”

  “What about Thomas?”

  “Squeaky clean,” Brand told her.

  Marissa sighed. “That’s the impression I’ve gotten from everyone so far. He’s evidently just another victim of this messed-up situation.”

  “I think you’re right. Ryan Chase is a completely different story, though.” He rustled some papers. “The kid is sixteen and trouble. He’s been picked up by the Gang Unit on half a dozen occasions, though I don’t know if he was ever charged with anything.”

  “Were you able to find out which gang?”

  Brand’s voice turned cautious. “You aren’t planning to pay a visit, are you? Marissa, that’s the opposite of being careful!”

  “Calm down!” she soothed, “I’m just looking for information. Even I’m not dumb enough to go poking around in gang territory.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” she replied, “Now spill.”

  Brand heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine. From what I could find, he runs with a gang that calls themselves the Southside Riders. They’re not major players in the gang culture, but they seem to have a pretty solid hold on the drug business in that area.”

  “Anything in particular?”

  “Um, looks like cocaine and marijuana,” he said after a pause to scan his notes.

  Marissa made a face. “No wonder Siena Marlow was upset with her daughter’s choice of boys. I wouldn’t want my fourteen-year-old running with a gangbanging drug pusher, either. Anything else?”

  “That’s it. Told you it was anticlimactic,” he quipped.

  “Nah,” Marissa disagreed, “You’ve been in the business long enough to know that even the little details can be significant.”

  “So, what’s your next move?”

  “I don’t really know what else I can do at this point, at least not until I meet with Detective Lawson again.”

  “Any idea when that’ll be?”

  “Soon, maybe even tomorrow night. He wants to know more about my visits with Ming. I’m also hoping to get some information from him about the ransom call that Siena Marlow got.”

  “Will you keep me updated?” Brand requested.

  “Of course,” she promised, “How’re things at the office? Have I missed anything earth-shattering?”

  Brand chuckled. “Nothing quite that interesting, though Harlan is pulling his hair out over some deadlines we’ve got coming up.”

  Her phone beeped, indicating she had another call coming
in. When she looked, she saw it was another private number.

  “Marissa?” Brand asked.

  “Hold on a sec, I’ve got another call. I’ll be right back.” She put Brand on hold and switched to her other call. “Marissa Larkin.”

  “You’re awful nosy, you know that?” a male voice snarled, “I don’t put up with nosy chicks.”

  Marissa blinked in surprise. “Excuse me? Who is this?” The voice sounded vaguely familiar, though she couldn’t place it.

  “Don’t matter who this is. Just shut your hole and listen,” the man snapped, “I know you reporters like to poke your noses where they shouldn’t go, but I’ma do you the courtesy of tellin’ you once. Ignore Ming and forget you’ve ever heard of the Marlows. They ain’t none of your business and it’s gonna end bad for you if you keep messin’ with this. First and final warning.”

  The caller disconnected and Marissa had to take a few seconds to compose herself before switching back to Brand.

  “Who was that?” he asked, “The detective?”

  “No,” she whispered, “I don’t know who it was, but he just told me to stay away from the Marlow case or else.”

  “Call Detective Lawson,” Brand ordered, “Right now, Marissa.”

  “And tell him what?” she snapped back, “That I got a call from an Unknown Number and received some vague threat from a guy who didn’t tell me his name?”

  “Exactly,” Brand confirmed sternly. “If you don’t call him, I will. This crosses a line.”

  “All right,” she relented with a heavy sigh.

  “Good. Call me back when you can.”

  They hung up and Marissa dialed the number Ranger Lawson had given her. He answered on the third ring, listened carefully without interrupting, then ordered her to come down to the station. He’d meet her there in twenty minutes.

  That was how Marissa found herself sitting in an empty, shabby waiting room and shifting restlessly in an uncomfortable plastic chair. She held a cup of lukewarm coffee in her hands and stared unseeing into the depths.

  “Miss Larkin?”

  She looked up as Ranger Lawson strode through the door, his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. He beckoned and she followed him down the hall to a small interrogation room.