Sequestered with the Murderers

by Dr. Sandra Tanner

  “Haiden, did you notice anyone around your mailbox between yesterday afternoon and this afternoon,” I asked. My body had stopped shaking, and I was able to now speak coherently.

  “No, Vett. I don’t usually pay any attention to the mailbox. I just know the mailman runs around 11:00 am.”

  “Haiden, I’m going to call the police about the letter since it is of a threatening nature. I hate to do this to you, and I hope it does not upset your business. The police will want to talk to you,” Gam said.

  “I understand. I am so sorry this happened to you, Vett,” Haiden said.

  “It’s not your fault. Believe me, it really isn’t. You know I am an investigator. Well, the case I am currently on has gotten someone upset and nervous. So someone threatened me. That’s all. You’ve been the perfect host. This won’t stop me from coming back,” I said.

  “Thank you, Vett. I really appreciate that. Now, what can I do to help?”

  “If you remember anything else about the letter, let me know and bring the police up to this room when they arrive. This way, we won’t disturb any of your guests that may be on the porch or in the sitting room,” Gam said.

  “Okay, I will,” Haiden said as she rose from her chair and walked to the door, opening it.

  After closing the door, Gam pulled me from the bed and hugged me tightly.

  “It’s going to be alright, Baby. It really is,” Gam whispered in my ear.

  Twenty minutes after making the call, two seasoned police officers were at our room door. They were friendly and concerned. After hearing our story, one of the officers took the letter and put it in an evidence bag. They were there for an hour taking the report.

  When they were ready to talk to Haiden, Gam said, “Baby, I’ll be back in a moment. I’m going to walk downstairs with the officers.”

  “That’s fine.”

  I needed the time alone to gather my thoughts. When Gam gets back to the room, I know he will ask me to give up the case—to stop investigating it and turn my notes over to the police. Sometimes he refuses to see that my work is just as important to me as his is to him. I did understand his somewhat distorted view of my work and life. He saw that I had a successful restaurant, my great aunt had left me enough money to live off, I was married to a man who loved me and could support me financially, so why did I need to put my life on the line by being a private investigator. He couldn’t see that while I am truly appreciative of all that I have, my work as a private detective is who I am. It’s my purpose for living. So it is up to me to continually show him I am willing to entertain an alternative solution in my work to keep the line of communication and understanding open between us. When I do this, he relaxes. I sense he knows I’m appreciative of his ideas and the energy he outputs in caring for me. He is then more willing to entertain the alternative. But it is taxing to get him to this point, having to do it all again when the next scare comes along.

  It was worth it. I loved Gam with all my heart. He was protecting me, and I loved him more every day for it. But I couldn’t give up investigating. It’s what God wanted me to do. The way I saw my life was God had made me hold and un-wanting so I could devote time to helping others solve a mystery in their lives. I couldn’t give it up.

  I had an alternative solution for Gam in my mind. Now I need to formulate it.

  CHAPTER 22

  Sleep can be an energizer. It was for me. Last night had been unsettling, but this morning I was back to my formidable self. I had been up against intimidation before. All this meant to me was, I am getting closer to the answer. At the same time, I had the comfort of knowing God was with me.

  The night did end with a big surprise for me. Not once did Gam ask me to give up the case.

  When he returned to the room, he said, “You’ve touched a nerve. You’re going to find this culprit. You might already have. Let’s walk through this thing again.”

  We talked through the case until midnight, which by then, I was dozing off. We went to bed with no idea who sent me the letter.

  Now, this morning, Sunday, 9:00 am, we were dressed and ready to go downstairs for breakfast when Gam hesitated.

  “Baby, I think I will hang around with you today. I’m sure Mercy can find a fourth person for golf since the ticket is free.”

  “No, Gam. It’s probably too late for him to do that. I’m going to be alright. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to read one of the books I bought yesterday.”

  “I don’t feel right leaving you.”

  “What can go wrong? You’ve talked one of the police officers from last night into staying outside until tomorrow. So this place is being watched.”

  “I know. Police officers do things like this for each other. I’ve done the same thing before. I know they will be on the lookout.”

  “Then go and play the game you love.”

  “Okay, if you are sure.”

  “I am sure. Now let’s eat.”

  After a long slow breakfast together, Gam met Mercy and two other men by the front door. Gam had accepted Mercy’s offer to drive, so I watched from the porch as Gam retrieved his clubs from his car and put them in Mercy’s car. I waved goodbye.

  Thirty minutes later, I walked up the stairs back into the room. The first and second things I had on my mental list of things to do was call Marjorie Brown, then Rebbie Shields. I called Marjorie first, then Rebbie. Neither answered. I left messages.

  I then called Detective Fern Rivers, the detective in charge of Diantha Lloyd’s murder investigation. She answered on the first ring.

  “Hello, this is Detective Rivers.”

  “Detective Rivers, my name is Vett Brayborn. I’ve been hired by a private source to investigate the Duffy Radley murder.”

  “I know who you are. Sheriff Hobbs and Betty told me you stopped by the office last week looking for me.”

  “I did. I have reason to believe that Duffy Radley’s murder and Diantha Lloyd’s murder are connected. I was hoping you would be willing to answer some questions for me today.”

  “Lloyd’s murder is ten years old. Why do you think they’re connected?”

  “Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about. Is now a good time to discuss this matter? I’m assuming you know all the details surrounding Duffy’s murder.”

  “I do have the details about Duffy’s murder, but now is not a good time to talk about it. I had breakfast with my mother this morning, and I am in the process of driving her home. I prefer to talk to you in person. Are you in Envyton County?”

  “I’m afraid not. My husband and I are in Roanoke at the Serenity Bed, Breakfast and Dinner for a three-day weekend vacation. He’s off playing golf this morning while I’m working on the case.”

  “I know that place. I’ve stayed there before. Where are you from?”

  “Danville.”

  “Did you come into Roanoke via 220?”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s a little place off 220 about thirty minutes from Serenity called Hope Pines. You passed it on your way in. There’s a hotel there by the same name right off the highway. I have a 1:30 pm family reunion meeting today at my cousin’s house, which is in a subdivision right behind Hope Pines Hotel. I can meet you at the hotel in thirty minutes. That’ll give us time to talk and for me to make my meeting on time.”

  I hesitated. I had told Gam I wasn’t going anywhere, and besides, how would I get past the police officer. Yet, I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Detective Rivers may have some information I could use, and she was willing to talk to me.

  “How will I know you?”

  “I’ll be in an eight-passenger white van parked prominently in front of the hotel. You‘ll see me. What color is your car?”

  “It’s a black Lexus. You sure it will only take me thirty minutes to get there.”

  “It may take less time since
this is Sunday and everybody is in church.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

  Since I didn’t have a hat or a scarf, I pulled a yellow tee shirt from my overnight bag, put it on my head, and then twisted the loose hanging part into a knot behind my head. After putting on a blouse, I put on one of Gam’s long sleeve shirts, my jacket, and then put on my sunglasses. I walked to the mirror and stared at myself.

  “This disguise should fool the police officer,” I said. I looked nothing like I did last night when the police officers saw me. I quickly wrote a note to Gam telling him where I was just in case I was delayed in getting back before he did. I took my keys, which included a key to Gam’s car, out of my handbag.

  “God, please help me get back to the room before Gam,” I prayed as I closed the room door.

  I walked down the stairs out the front door to Gam’s car. The police officer was parked on the right side of the street earlier. Now he was nowhere to be seen. I quickly got in the car and drove off, then took off my head wrap. I assume the police officer had to go on a call and would return later.

  On the road no more than five minutes, I noticed a white truck behind me. From my rearview window, it appeared to be two people in the truck—one driving and one in the passenger seat. The truck stayed about two car lengths behind me after I noticed it. It was making me nervous because when I slowed down, it slowed down. When I sped up, it sped up. Then it got right up against my back bumper. I thought it was going to rear-end me. It pulled back, then got right up against my bumper again. The driver did this for the third time, then I sped up.

  “What is going on here?” I whispered as I continued to drive at a speed I was uncomfortable with.

  The letter I received last night came to mind, and I wondered if the people in the truck put the letter in Haiden’s mailbox. Had someone followed Gam and me to Serenity? How did they know we were staying there? What were they planning on doing to me? It was clearly me they wanted. They had probably watched me get into Gam’s car and leave Serenity. Several times I looked in the rear-view mirror at them. I’m sure they saw me doing this or at least noticed my car swaying in the lane when I looked at them. They had been behind me for ten minutes when I took notice of my increased breathing pattern.

  “Breathe slowly, breathe slowly, Vett,” I said as I loosened my grip on the steering wheel. I was at wit’s end. Then a plan hit me. I reached into my handbag and pulled out my phone. I deliberately slowly raised my phone and put it to my ear and began talking. In less than a minute, the truck pulled from behind me and drove alongside me. There were three people in the truck I took to be men—one in the back right passenger seat and two in the front seat. All three had on black stocking cap type masks with two openings for the eyes. As the truck drove by me, the man in the back seat pointed his thumb and index finger like a gun at me and kept moving it like he was shooting me. As I slowed down, the truck took off at high speed. There was no license plate on the back of the truck.

  I calmed myself as I continued on.

  The drive to Pine Hope was a straight shot from Serenity, as Detective Rivers had said. I was there in front of the hotel in twenty minutes, though I had thought the truck incident was going to delay me. Five minutes later, I saw a white van pull into the parking lot. Detective Rivers pulled around so that her driver’s side was next to my driver’s side.

  “Hi, you must be Vett. I’m Detective Rivers. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too, Detective Rivers.”

  “We’re going inside. I know the owners. We can sit in a corner and talk.”

  “Okay,” I said, opening the car door. We shook hands. As we did so, I realized I had on Gam’s shirt underneath my jacket. I quickly took off my jacket, took off his shirt, and then put my jacket back on.

  “What’s all that about,” Detective Rivers asked while watching me curiously.

  “I’ll tell you about it once we’re inside.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Detective Rivers said, leading the way to the inside of the hotel. She was taller than me at five feet ten inches tall, with medium size facial features. She had a square face void of any make-up. She was sort of manly looking. Her short black hair was brushed to the back of her head, and her 250-pound frame had on jeans, a white tee-shirt, and a jeans jacket.

  After sitting down near a front window section of the lobby, I was eager to speak first.

  “I don’t want to put you in any danger, so I have to tell you something before we get started.”

  “Danger. What do you mean?”

  I took my time telling her about the letter I received last night and about the truck incident on my way here. She took notes and asked a lot of questions about the truck. I told her everything I remembered.

  “So I wrapped my tee shirt on my head and wore that big shirt you saw me take off to disguise myself from the police. I had promised my husband I would not leave the hotel today. But I just couldn’t miss this opportunity to talk to you. He’s playing golf today, and I didn’t see the police when I left Serenity. I’m praying I get back before he does.”

  “What time is he due back?”

  “It’s eighteen holes, so I’m thinking 3:30- 4:00 pm. Or somewhere around that time.”

  “Oh, you’ll be back before then. Now, let me say this first. You have really stepped on someone’s toes. However, whoever sent you that letter and whoever was in that truck was trying to scare you, not harm you. If they wanted to harm you, you would’ve been harmed, but we still need to take these incidents seriously. Okay.”

  “Okay,” I said compliantly. Believe me, I was taking the incidents seriously. I just wished that familiar awareness of I was going to be okay and of feeling like I could conquer the whole world would reappear.

  “I’ll make sure you get back before your husband gets back. Now tell me why you think Duffy’s murder is connected to the Lloyd murder. Let me hear what you know.”

  “From what I have uncovered, the Lloyd family believes Duffy murdered Diantha. He was heard propositioning her several times. She is his first wife’s sister/cousin, and she despised him. Several people mentioned that Duffy drank too much and was not well-liked. I guess what I am saying is the motive is Diantha’s rejection. He knew about her walks in the park, so he accosted her in the park and raped her, not really intending to murder her. But murder was the end result of the blunt force trauma she sustained to the back of the head. Besides all this, the family believes he was involved in Ms. Lacecap’s murder. This is because of his connection to the two men who were convicted.”

  “Duffy didn’t do it.”

  “How do you know this? His alibi of being home alone doesn’t cut the mustard.”

  “I know it is not a strong alibi, but I haven’t found evidence to dispute it. The guys he was drinking with claim they dropped a drunken Duffy off at his apartment around 2:00 am. A neighbor heard a car and people talking outside at that time. This neighbor didn’t get up to go to the window to see who was out there. No one saw Duffy leave his apartment the day of Diantha’s murder until after the body was found. Duffy’s apartment was in a low-income area with a lot of kids outside playing. There is no back entry/exit to his apartment. If he left before the murder took place, someone would have seen him. Someone saw him get into his car at 12:35 pm and drive away. Diantha was reported dead at10:17 am.”

  “Where did he go?”

  “He went to Jumping Jill’s Chicken to get lunch. We have a video of him in the drive thru lane at 12:45 pm. Jumping Jill’s is down the street from the apartment complex.”

  “I take it no one saw him in the park.”

  “That’s correct. However, we do have a witness that gave our sketch artist a rendition of a man we have not completely identified. But it favors one of the friends Duffy was out drinking with Saturday night.”

  “Who?”


  “I have to keep that confidential for now.”

  “Confidential! I’m sharing all my info with you, and you’re pulling the confidential crap routine on me.”

  “I have to, Vett. Though people don’t believe it, Diantha’s murder is not a cold case. I’m still working on it in addition to all my other cases. I’ve been a sheriff for twelve years, and three years ago the case was turned over to me. I’m going to solve it. There are naysayers in the Sheriff’s Office who say I can’t do it. I’m going to prove them wrong.”

  “Then let’s work together.”

  “I don’t know you that well yet. Plus, the cases are in two different jurisdictions. My main focus is finding Diantha’s murderer, not Duffy’s murderer. What else do you have?”

  “I think you are missing a big opportunity because I know solving one murder will solve the other, but okay, do what you want. Do you know who Diantha was meeting?”

  “No, not yet. The theory is she was meeting a man, perhaps a married man.”

  “How did you come up with that theory?”

  “Through tenacious investigation. She was a very attractive young woman. She wasn’t gay, according to her family and friends, but she wasn’t seen with a steady boyfriend. They are the ones who believe she was seeing a married man secretly. They just couldn’t tell me who the married man was.”

  “Well, that would make sense. A rendezvous in the park with a married man is not farfetched. Perhaps, Diantha was threatening to tell his wife,” I surmised.

  “Perhaps. I believe it was more like breaking up with the man. I believe this because an unmarried man, whose name I am not going to reveal, has come forward claiming he and Diantha were dating and were serious about each other. He claims he was going to ask her to marry him.”

  “Did the family and friends know about this man?” I asked.

  “They did but didn’t think it was anything serious because she didn’t talk about him much or bring him around them frequently.”

  “Perhaps, it became serious. Diantha realized this man was the one for her and decided to break it off with the married man,” I replied.