Sequestered with the Murderers

by Dr. Sandra Tanner

  Her scrutiny of me was brief. “I am indeed Louise. Welcome to Brightness Bus Tours.”

  “Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “And you, too. Everyone is here. I hope you have not had breakfast. We have a nice breakfast spread in your honor. Let me walk you to the conference room,” Louise said as she rose from her chair. She was my height. When she reached where I was standing, she gestured left for me to follow her.

  “How was your trip? What a sad time for you to visit our office.”

  “The trip was wonderful, and Mother Nature decided to keep the rain at bay.” I didn’t feel comfortable talking about Duffy’s murder because I didn’t know what Jackson had told her about my reason for being there.

  We walked to a room that had double doors. Louise opened the right door and gestured for me to enter.

  “Vett, you’re here,” Jackson called out as Louise closed the door behind me, retreating silently.

  “Hello, Jackson. It is nice to see you again.”

  “It’s good to see you, too. Did you have a good trip?” Jackson asked, taking my arm and leading me to the large conference room table.

  “It was enjoyable.”

  “Let me introduce you to everyone. You already know Lemmonee.”

  “Hello, Vett. It is nice to see you again,” Lemmonee said, reaching out to shake my hand.

  “Nice to see you to Lemmonee.”

  “Vett, this is my only sister Atlanta Oakmoor. She’s the baby in the family. Please call her Lanta. Everybody does. She’s the company’s Chief Financial Officer.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Lanta,” I said as I shook her outstretched hand. The Oakmoor Bed and Breakfast entered my mind as soon as I heard her name. I made a mental note to find out about a connection later.

  “Vett, welcome to Brightness. Nice to have you here,” Lanta replied.

  “And this is my older brother, my only brother, Montgomery Stevens, who is our CEO.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Montgomery.” I shook his hand. His grip was firm and a bit crushing. From my line of work, I’ve learned that this is a sign of a strong and gregarious personality—a personality a bit out there and quite loud. A person with this type of personality has no hidden agendas—just the kind of person I liked.

  “Pleased to meet you, too. I’ve heard good things about you from Jackson and Lemmonee. I am so hoping you can help us,” Montgomery said in a strong Southern accent, much stronger than the way Jackson spoke.

  “I’m sure I can, and I’m happy to do it.”

  “Vett, we have breakfast for you. Would you like to get a plate before we begin?”

  “Everything smells so good. Yes, I would like something to eat.”

  I wasn’t hungry, but since the breakfast was in my honor, I felt obligated to eat something. Lemmonee rose from her seat and walked over to the breakfast bar with me.

  “This looks scrumptious, Lemmonee.”

  “Best food in Attribute,” Lemmonee responded.

  I put two slices of bacon, one scoop of eggs, and a blueberry muffin on a plate, and then poured a cup of coffee. I walked back to the conference table where Jackson had pulled out a chair for me at the head of the table. Lemmonee returned to the table with a plate of eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of orange juice. When she sat down, Jackson, Lanta, and Montgomery rose, then walked to the breakfast bar.

  “How was the weather on your way up here,” Lemmonee asked.

  “A light rain when I left home, then it stopped. The sky was gray and overcast the rest of the way,” I answered.

  “Thank God we don’t have weather like we had Friday night. That was some awful weather for the month of April,” Lemmonee said.

  “April continues to prove it is one of those fickle months where the weather is concerned. You just never know what you are going to get,” I responded.

  Montgomery, Jackson, and Lanta returned to the table with plates of food more lavishly piled on than what was on my plate.

  Montgomery began by saying, “Vett, we are very informal around here and laid back. Help yourself to all the food you want. I hope you don’t mind us talking to you while we eat. We have a small business meeting scheduled after we meet with you.”

  “I don’t mind eating while we talk. Thank you for the breakfast spread. It’s very nice.”

  Montgomery was an older version of Jackson. The resemblance in the face was striking. He was tall like Jackson, heavyset, close to 300 pounds, I guessed. His bald head with strings of wiry gray hair hanging from the back of his head, his rumpled seersucker suit, and his wrinkled white shirt made him appear much laid back. I liked him. In just the few words he had uttered, I caught a glimpse of warmth and generosity.

  “Vett, the four of us have gone over every detail of the Tennessee trip. There is nothing about Duffy or the trip that indicated he was marked for murder. We have a copy of the police report, a photo of the crime scene, and the preliminary autopsy report for you. He was shot seven times,” Jackson stated, handing three manila folders to me. “I trust you to handle these items confidently and discreetly. I do have a little pull in this town, so if there is anything else you need, let me know.”

  I opened the first folder, which was the preliminary autopsy report, looked at the first page, and then looked at the marks and wounds page that showed the bullet holes on the body diagram. They were all around his heart. The second folder I opened was of the crime scene photo. The murder scene wasn’t gruesome. Except for his head, the rest of his body was covered with clear plastic. Blood had seeped through the bullet holes. Duffy looked like he was asleep with more blood on the left side of his Brightness Bus Tours white shirt than on the right. I couldn’t make out distinctly the seven bullet holes around his heart.

  “It looks like whoever did this wanted to make sure he died. I’ll need some time to review these items.”

  “We have an office set up for you. We figured you would need a place to gather your thoughts after our meeting. You may have more questions afterward,” Montgomery said.

  “Thank you. Montgomery. How well did you know Duffy?”

  “Not very well. Jackson manages the staff, hiring, employee matters, and things like that. I talked to Duffy a few times at company meetings and holiday parties. He seemed to be just an ordinary person like the rest of us. I knew about the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders matter, but the police acquitted him. So I had no qualms about Jackson hiring him,” Montgomery explained.

  “And you, Lanta? How well did you know Duffy?”

  “I knew him better than Montgomery. Since I handle the payroll, I have more contact with our employees than Montgomery. I didn’t associate outside of work with him, but as far as I know, there was nothing in his current life that would lead to someone murdering him. That business with the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders was ten years ago. I don’t believe by any stretch of the imagination that the two are connected,” Lanta explained, smiling thinly.

  Well, she is quite sure of herself. I immediately thought she knows something about Duffy’s current life but is unwilling to go into details in front of her brothers. I couldn’t get a good reading on her personality, but I knew I would.

  I guessed her age to be late sixties to early seventies. She looked like a rich woman who had more money than she knew what to do with it. Her hair was dyed an appealing silver and cut into a most appealing boy cut. Her resemblance to Jackson was not as striking as Montgomery’s was. She had a small nose, high cheekbones, small lips painted red, and blue eyes. Her designer jeans and white blouse fit her taut 125 pounds, five feet seven inches body perfectly. It was the overabundance of jewels she wore that made me believe she had money to spare. An emerald necklace was around her neck, emerald dangling earrings were in her ears, large gold bracelets with emeralds in them were on each wrist, and a sizeable emerald-cut emerald and diamond ring was on her
wedding ring finger. These pieces were not costume jewelry. The stones had no bluish or yellow tones. These tones are a dead giveaway that the stone is a fake. As Lanta moved around, there was neither brilliance shooting from the emeralds like the brilliance from diamonds nor the emittance of hues of rainbow colors when the light hit upon them—all signs of the real thing.

  I answered her thinly veiled outburst with, “They could be connected. I am going to look into every aspect of Duffy’s life. Someone or several people wanted him dead. The seven bullet holes suggest to me that this was a crime of passion. The words rage and fury comes to my mind. Other than the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders, are you aware of him upsetting anyone?” I said, then drank the last of my coffee.

  They all chimed, “No.”

  “Let me get another cup of coffee.” I wanted to give them another few seconds to think about my question. I slowly walked to the breakfast bar, poured the coffee, and then returned to my seat.

  As I sat down, Lanta looked straight at me. Her body was still as a statue, and her blue eyes glared into mine. “Vett, what is your take on all this? Do you really think you can find out information ahead of the police?”

  So that was it. I was leaning toward her demeanor as her way of looking out for her employee. Clearly, she wanted the same thing as Jackson—to protect the company.

  “Yes. I’m sure I can. I have done it many times before. I’ll need to talk to some of the passengers. So I’ll need a copy of the passenger list, and I would like to see Duffy’s personnel file.”

  “We can get you those things. You can call any of the passengers to set-up a time to meet with them from the office. As you know, the passengers are from the Christiansburg, Martinsville, and Danville areas. Before we get those things, would you provide us with some information on how you solved a few of your cases? I’m sorry I don’t know much about your background as Lemmonee and Jackson. Lemmonee said you receive revelations from God. How does that work? Both Lemmonee and Jackson sing your praises. Lemmonee will be available to help you in any way you need, and she’ll make copies of anything you need,” Montgomery explained.

  For the next hour and a half, we discussed the subject of me. I provided detailed information on how I found the murderer in the Hollice Nichols/Mary Gilbryant case, the Semmy Barrels case, the Hannah Thronely case, and how my revelations helped me. In addition, I did my best to remove the trepidation they had shrouded themselves in. Duffy had been dead going on three days, but their level of fear was too much. I began to think that perhaps there were immediate concerns about their company or within it that they did not want to come out.

  I had worked on enough homicide cases to know that those who show nervousness, fear, anxiety, and the likes usually have something to hide or know more than they are telling. My approach, for the most part at the beginning of a case, is not to react. I take the information and work to put the puzzle pieces together.

  When they were finished on the subject of me, I asked, “Are there any forms you want me to complete or written reports you want me to provide?”

  “We’d like to work on a handshake if you are agreeable. Time is clicking by. We want to get ahead of this thing before the police. The quicker you find out who murdered Duffy and why the better we will feel. We have agreed to pay your going rate and expenses. We will give you a $1000 retainer today. All we ask is that you contact me every other day with a brief update. Today is April 10. If by next Friday, April 21, you haven’t found the answers, then we will regroup and decide on whether or not we want you to continue with the investigation.”

  Jackson stared straight into my eyes as he said that last sentence. I got the message loud and clear. If I didn’t get an answer for him by April 21, Jackson was done with me. There would be no regrouping, no matter what he just said.

  “We do understand that on April 15, 16, and 17, you are unavailable to work on this matter,” Jackson continued, “because you will be out of town with your husband. Do we have a deal?”

  Yes, we do, I shouted in my mind. Brightness Bus Tours was the first business to ask me for help. I was excited to be working for a company.

  “Yes, we do,” I said, then rose and walked around the table, shaking hands with all three of them.

  What they didn’t know was that all my cases began with a handshake, and I didn’t think that they knew Brightness was the first business I’ve worked for. All my other cases started with a family member contacting me with a matter such as finding a child given up for adoption twenty years ago, or finding a child that had been kidnapped, or finding out who murdered a family member, or investigating a cold case. I had assumed a business would expect me to sign a written agreement, at least a nondisclosure agreement, and provide daily or weekly written reports. I was edgy and thankful at the same time that Brightness didn’t want me to sign an agreement. I would have gladly signed one, but Brightness not requiring one didn’t quite sit right with me.

  “Good, good. Thank you, Vett. Lemmonee will show you to your office and get everything you need.”

  I picked up my bag and the three folders, then followed Lemmonee out of the office to the left, down a hallway to a small office that at first glance appeared to have all the equipment I needed.

  “Vett, you go ahead and get settled while I get the passenger list and Duffy’s personnel file for you.”

  “Before you do that, come in and sit for a minute,” I said, closing the door behind us.

  I sat in the chair at the desk and tried to appear as relaxed as possible so Lemmonee would relax.

  “Lemmonee, I want to know your take on those three. You have worked for the company for what, uh, nine years. What can you tell me about them?”

  “It will be nine years this June,” Lemmonee said, resting her back on the back of the chair and crossing her legs. “Vett, what you saw in there is truly them. Montgomery is a big tall teddy bear. He doesn’t come to the office much anymore. I’m told he does most of his work at home. He is battling cancer, and I guess some days are better than others.”

  “I am sorry to hear that. He seems like a very sweet man. Is he married? I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”

  “He is a sweet man. He’s a widower; his wife died five years ago. She was a sweetheart, too. They didn’t have children. I don’t know if he has a girlfriend now. I’ve never seen him with another woman. Since his wife died, he comes to our company socials by himself.”

  “What about Jackson? He seems like a by the-book-leader.”

  “He is. Jackson runs the business; make no mistake about it. He is in charge of everything. I think since Montgomery is sick and doesn’t want to retire, Jackson lets him do what he wants to do and lets him keep the title of CEO. The three of them started a business doing private tours about fifty years ago. From what I am told, they did well. They sold the business about 33 years ago and began Brightness Bus Tours.”

  “I saw a ring on Jackson’s finger, so I’m assuming he is married.”

  “He is. His wife’s name is Kasper. She is tough as nails, just like Jackson. She’s got to be in her early seventies like Jackson, but she looks younger. She still runs her own employment agency. They only have one child, a son, and he works for Brightness. He is Jackson’s right-hand man and does a little of everything, including a tour driver. He’ll probably take over if Jackson ever decides to retire. His name is Jackson, Jr., but we call him Jack. Let’s see, uh, Jack is divorced with no children. Anything else you want to know about Jackson.”

  “No, I think that’s enough. And Lanta?”

  “She’s not so bad. She really looks out for us employees, and beneath her harsh exterior is a caring heart. She married into the Oakmoor family. She and her husband have one child, a daughter living in London. The Oakmoors are a well-to-do family in Attribute that owns a lot of businesses, two car dealerships, a popular real estate agency, a fitness center, rental properties, a
nd the ever popular Oakmoor Bed and Breakfast.”

  “I saw some literature on that place. I was thinking about checking it out before I left town.”

  “I’ve never stayed there, but I heard it is nice.”

  “I love bed and breakfast lodgings. My husband is taking me to Serenity Bed, Breakfast and Dinner this weekend for my birthday.”

  “Where is that located?”

  “In Roanoke.”

  “Sounds nice. I’m sure you will love Oakmoor. I heard it stays booked.”

  “Lemmonee, is there anything in any of their backgrounds that you can think of that will help me? Any skeletons in the closets?”

  I watched her closely. Her body shifted in her chair; she slumped, her head tilted, and her eyes went to the ceiling. She uncrossed her legs and began rubbing her hands together.

  “Nothing that I can think of, except somewhere along the line when Lanta was in her youth, she dated Ms. Lacecap’s brother. The rumor is they were hot and heavy back then. But that’s just a rumor.”

  “Well, that would explain why she felt so strongly that the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders didn’t have anything to do with Duffy’s murder.”

  “Vett, that was so long ago. The two cases can’t possibly be connected, can they?”

  “The murderer of Diantha has never been caught. Jackson said it’s a cold case now. Yes, they may be connected.”

  “I sure hope not. I liked Duffy and enjoyed having him as my driver on my tours. But I must tell you that everyone did not like him. Some people around town claim he drank too much when he was off duty and that when drunk, he was a mean son-of-a-gun. He never drank on any of my tours, and I have never seen him take a drink.”

  “Thanks for sharing that Lemmonee, I appreciate the information.”

  “I’ll go get those items for you now.”

  After she left, I paced the room a couple of times, waiting for a revelation to burst forward. I felt strongly I missed something important in the information I had received thus far, but what? I walked to the ladies’ room I had passed on the way to my office away from home. I used it, then walked back into the office, sat down, and opened the preliminary autopsy report.