Sequestered with the Murderers

by Dr. Sandra Tanner

“How do you decide which one?”

  “I think I’ve got it. I have an idea rolling around in my head, so I need for you to listen carefully to help me to find the motive. I need to find out why it happened, why the murder took place in the maintenance room, and why seven shots.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Gam asked.

  “By doing what Dimma and I do. I run certain aspects of the case with her. She sits quietly, listening. When I’m done, she repeats back to me what she heard. This helps me get a different perspective. Since she is not here, you’ll be my Dimma. I’m going to sum up the case in a couple of paragraphs, and then you tell me what you heard. Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  “On a bus tour from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Duffy Radley, the bus driver, drove the bus to the Jefferson Springtop rest area at 8:16 pm. The passengers and the tour guide returned to the bus side after using the restrooms. Duffy did not. At 9:55 pm, he was found murdered inside the rest area maintenance room. He had been shot seven times. All shots were in the heart area. The weapon was a .22 caliber handgun. There were no defensive wounds on the body. There were no injuries to the body except for the bullet wounds. No evidence of forced entry to the maintenance room was found. The murderer had covered the body with plastic before the shots were fired. No evidence, fingerprints, DNA, shoe prints, or fibers were found at the scene.

  “Duffy had worked for Brightness Bus Tours for six years. He was married for the past two years and was known to drink, but not while working. He didn’t have any money problems. Some people say he was not well-liked by the community he lived in and could be belligerent at times. Customers of the bus tour company liked him. Ten years ago, he was a suspect in the murder of Ms. Lacecap, a brothel madam, and in the murder of her daughter/niece, Diantha. He was cleared of Ms. Lacecap’s murder, but the family believes Duffy murdered Diantha and was involved in Ms. Lacecap’s murder. Before the murders, Duffy was married to Ms. Lacecap’s daughter Sybil. They were separated at the time of the murders. So why would someone murder Duffy at a rest area? Gam what did you hear?”

  “Well, I heard. . . .”

  Before Gam could finish telling me what he heard, I had my motive. My inner voice spoke it to me.

  When Gam finished telling me what he heard, he said, “Well, what is it? You know something. I see it in your face.”

  “The motive is revenge, as I suspected. This was a volatile murderer. Somehow, Duffy hurt this individual’s heart tremendously. There was no damage to Duffy’s body except for his heart area. The murderer hurt Duffy where the murderer was hurt.”

  “You’ve profiled a perpetrator over age forty-five who Duffy caused a great deal of pain. By shooting Duffy seven times, the perpetrator was inflicting tremendous pain on Duffy.”

  “Yes, and don’t forget the murderer was new to handling handguns.”

  “Where do you go from here?” Gam asked.

  “I want some evidence. What evidence was present at the scene?”

  “The police didn’t find any, right?” Gam asked.

  “There must be something. I need for you to be Dimma again. Listen to my questions about evidence, then tell me what you heard.”

  “Okay.”

  “Here goes. What evidence is available to show that Duffy was abducted or not abducted? Was Duffy bound at some point? Why was he killed in the maintenance room and not out in the open? What did the murderer do before and after the murder? Why did no one see the murderer?”

  After Gam repeated the questions to me, he said, “Baby, there is no evidence because, as you’ve said, this murder was planned down to the last detail. It was impeccably carried out.”

  “That’s evidence, Gam. It takes time to plan a murder such as this. This was not a drive-by shooting. Duffy was not shot out in the open. The murderer needed Duffy in a secluded place to shoot him seven times. Shooting him seven times in the open leaves an opportunity to be seen.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Think about the planning. The murderer needed to practice, practice, and practice the entire event. How many times did the murderer visit the rest area? How did the murderer know maintenance personnel would not be at the rest area that time of night? The murderer had to practice using the .22 handgun and had to practice pulling Duffy into the maintenance room.”

  “The murderer had help!” Gam and I said at the same time.

  “Yes, she or he did. Why didn’t I see that? Gam, this was a two-person operation.”

  “Sure seems like it.”

  “That’s why no one saw the murderer when she or he entered or left the maintenance room. Help was provided.”

  “Providing help would be easy to do with people coming and going to the restrooms. All she or he had to do is mingle in with the crowd.”

  “You’re right. Now, I have a motive and some evidence. Now I need suspects to finish my profile.”

  “What are you thinking?” Gam asked.

  “I’m thinking both suspects had a prior relationship with Duffy.”

  “Because of the revenge motive?”

  “Yes. It is easier to proceed with the theory that both suspects wanted revenge against Duffy than proceeding with a theory that one suspect was merely a friend helping out a friend.”

  “Hmm, I see where you are going with that.”

  “That means both suspects knew Duffy. And I believe they were men. I don’t believe two women could restrain Duffy. There was no attempt to hurt Duffy except for the heart,” I said

  “Matters of the heart are strong motives. I see it all the time.”

  “Exactly. These are older men, over forty-five, who until recently never used a handgun.”

  “Thus, no prior homicide experience.”

  “My thought exactly. There was no evidence of rage or remorse at the scene. This leaves me to believe that these older men were composed and knew how to control themselves.”

  “Older men can do this much better compared to hotshot younger men,” Gam said.

  “I’m sure you have seen your share of hotshot young men in your job.”

  “I have.”

  “Perhaps, my suspects were pushed to the brink to perform this murder because they did not receive satisfaction elsewhere.”

  “Baby, that does make sense. There was no robbery. These men did not need Duffy’s money or watch. They wanted revenge.”

  “Again, this points to older men.”

  “I agree.”

  “The murderer definitely brought the gun with him. The maintenance room is not a place where weapons are lying around.”

  “Exactly. Where are you headed?”

  “One last point. The murderer knew the exact time Duffy would be at the rest area. Gam, my likely suspects, were on the bus.”

  “You’ve profiled the passengers?”

  “The men passengers.”

  “They fit, except you don’t know whether or not the men knew Duffy before the trip.”

  “Joe McClain and Holt Pruitt, Jr. said they only knew of Duffy, even though they lived in Envyton County at the same time Duffy lived there. Plus, they are gun enthusiasts. They are very capable of using guns. So I can rule them out. I don’t know whether or not the other men knew Duffy.”

  “How many more men were on the tour?”

  “Not that many. Maybe five more. I have the list in my bag.”

  “Let’s say you have narrowed down the suspects to five men. Do you know anything about them? How do they fit into the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders?”

  “Gam, that’s the missing link. The Lacecap Hydrangea Murders are connected. I know it.”

  “I can tell you this from experience, if the suspect or suspects had a grudge against Duffy like you have profiled and wanted to get revenge, this type of suspect would have had a hard time keeping his mouth
shut. This means other people would know of his grudge and desire to get revenge on Duffy.”

  “I can see that. He would want to get it off his chest.”

  “Yes, he would. So there’s a good chance others knew of his plan to murder. Good job, Ms. Profiler.”

  “Thank you, thank you. Now I need to think on the other five men.”

  “Did you talk to them during the trip?” Gam asked.

  “Not much. I did have a conversation with Justine Jones and her husband, Delve. Dimma and I sat at their table for dinner one night. They are a lovely couple. I can’t see Delve committing murder.”

  “How many people have you recognized as murderers upon meeting them?”

  “Good point.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “Let me see. Uh, they were both born and raised in Blairs. Both are retired. They both worked at a cigarette manufacturing company in Richmond. They came back to Blairs to live after retiring five years ago. Ah, we didn’t know any of the same people.”

  “How old would you say they are?”

  “Both are probably in their late sixties.”

  “He fits your profile.”

  “I just can’t see it. I received good vibes from Delve and Justine.”

  “Okay, what about the other men?”

  “The only other man I talk to at length was Bill Forrester. I was standing behind him and his wife in the breakfast line one morning. He fits the profile too, but like Delve, I received good vibes from him and his wife.”

  “And the others?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to have a long conversation with them, just the usual pleasantries, hello, good morning, and how are you doing.”

  “You do have a way to contact them.”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s just that I am not being led to them. I don’t feel they have a connection to this whole mess. The answer is in Envyton County; I can feel it.”

  “Trust your instinct. I am a believer in your ability. Because I have seen the paranormal things you do, I am in awe.”

  “Oh, Gam, it’s not paranormal; it’s God.”

  “I know, I know. Keep reminding me. You are a special lady, and I love you very much.”

  “I love you, too. Thank you for listening to me. I’ve talked about nothing but my case on the drive to Serenity and the drive home. Thank you for letting me work out my case my way. I know there are specific ways the Sheriff’s Office handle cases, but you didn’t bring them up. You listened and took an interest in my methods. Thank you, Gam.”

  “Baby, this is your case. You are good at what you do. I’m glad you asked for my help. I may not be Dimma, but I know a little somethin’, somethin’,” Gam teased as he reached over, picked up my hand, and kissed it.

  “I know you know a little somethin’. So tell me, Mr. Bigshot Detective, where are we going on our next vacation.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. What about a trip to Italy instead of Bermuda?”

  “What?”

  “One of the guys in the office and his wife are planning on going. He brought some brochures into the office. I heard you and Dimma talking about Rome, Vatican City, Tuscany Valley, and Florence and that statue of David.”

  “I would love to go. When?”

  “Perhaps, September? The brochure said September is a good time because there are fewer tourist crowds and the weather is nice and warm, not hot like the summer months.”

  “Count me in.”

  For the remainder of the drive home, Gam and I talked about things to see and do in Italy. I arrived home with fantasies of Italy rolling around in my head instead of a murder case yet to be solved.

  CHAPTER 24

  Today is Tuesday, and the update I owe Jackson floated in my head as I jumped out of bed. Gam was still sleeping as I put on sweats, then headed for my treadmill. What I needed now was clarity, an event I knew would present itself as I walked on the treadmill. I’ve learned that it is the aloneness, quietness, and listening that bring on the clarity. This morning I sought it wholeheartedly with every fiber in my body.

  I stepped on the treadmill and whispered, “I have a profile of the murderer but do not have the murderer. What do I do next?” I immediately heard in my mind: it would be worthwhile to proceed with reviewing the men on the bus, and then come to a conclusion.

  Yesterday in the car on the way home, I had weeded out several men. Delve Jones from Blairs, Virginia, who got on the bus at the Danville pickup stop, and Bill Forrester, who got on the bus at the Christiansburg pickup stop, were weeded out. I didn’t have a substantiated reason for doing this. My gut said they were innocence. Plus, they were not from Envyton County. Envyton County played a big part in solving Duffy’s murder, and I knew it undeniably. I just needed to prove it.

  Holt Pruitt, Jr. and Joe McCain, though they lived in Envyton County, I weeded out because they were gun enthusiasts. My profile included older males that were inexperienced with handguns. They were the right age, and they knew of Duffy. But they were too experienced with guns, which is why I weeded them out.

  As for the other three men, I reviewed the passenger list last night for their home address. Two were from Christiansburg, and one was from Martinsville. I immediately excluded the two from Christiansburg because they didn’t live in Envyton County. I then concentrated totally on Elijah Ackerman, a seventyish-looking gentleman with a head full of white hair. He was traveling with Lydia Miller, a stout woman who appeared to be in her seventies as well. I didn’t get a chance to have a long conversation with them, but they seemed to be by themselves—not traveling with friends. I went over in my head several times all the details about him that I remembered. There was nothing about him that indicated a murderer. Envyton County was west of Martinsville, so there is a probability he has heard of the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders. Though I tried to fit Elijah into my profile, he just didn’t measure up.

  “So, what is my conclusion?” I calmly asked myself.

  Getting no answer, I turned up the speed on the treadmill and began walking faster. Less than a minute later, I heard in my mind you are back to Joe and Holt Junior.

  “What is it about Joe and Holt Junior I missed?” I said out loud impatiently.

  “Are you talking to yourself?” Gam asked, poking his head into the room.

  “Just getting my thoughts together for my telephone call with Jackson.”

  “You are worried again. It’s written all over your face. Why do you worry so much?”

  “I worry because I haven’t solved it yet,” I said irritably.

  Gam stared at me for a few minutes, then walked into the room. He stood by the treadmill, then said, “Baby, stop for a minute.”

  I turned off the treadmill, stopped walking, and then immediately regretted speaking to him so irritably.

  “Gam, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so cantankerous.”

  “I know you didn’t, but what I don’t like that I see you doing with this case is washing away your successes. You solved all your cases. Why do you think you can’t solve this one? Why do you let the unknowns, disconnects, and the knowledge that it’s not solved yet get you down so much?”

  “It’s because I care, but you’re right. My successes are my triumphs. I will triumph over this case, too.”

  “Yes, you will, my darling. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Oh well, enough lecturing for one morning. I’m off to complete my workout.”

  Gam walked out of the room, and I, vastly uplifted by his few words of wisdom, turned on the treadmill to complete my walk.

  As I began walking, the .22 handgun used to murder Duffy came to my mind. Immediately after that, the information Solardette said Marjorie whispered to Carolyn and Gwen, ‘Where is the gun now,’ came to my mind. This was my inner voice telling me where I needed to focus next.

  I was still walking on the t
readmill when Gam came into the room fully dressed.

  “Have a good day,” Gam said while kissing me on the cheek.

  “You too, have a good day.”

  I turned off the treadmill, went into the bathroom, showered, and dressed for my day. After talking with Jackson, I was going to my restaurant for a full day’s work. I was determined not to put any concentration on the statement Solardette heard Marjorie speak until after work. I needed time off from the case to catch up at work.

  After dressing, I fixed breakfast—a bowl of oatmeal, a slice of toast, and a glass of orange juice. Now fortified in more ways than one, I was ready to present my findings to Jackson.

  At 9:00 am, I placed the call to him.

  “Hi, Jackson. It’s Vett.”

  “How are you this morning?” Jackson asked cheerfully

  “I am well. And I hope you are, too.”

  “I am. Did you have a well-rested weekend getaway?”

  “Yes, well-rested. The weekend was absolutely wonderful. The food was so delicious, and the customer service outstanding. You’ve got to visit Serenity one day.”

  “I’ll add it to my list of places to visit and tell Lanta about it. She’ll definitely want to compare it to Oakmoor. On another note, happy belated birthday.”

  “Thank you, Jackson. I had a wonderful birthday.”

  “You’re welcome. Well, I hope this news I am about to give you is wonderful, too. I was able to get the names of the joggers that found Diantha’s body. They are Guy and Kristen Balara. They were both twenty-five years old at the time, and they still live in Envyton County.”

  “Yes, this is good news.”

  “And I have more good news. I have their telephone number for you.”

  After Jackson gave me the telephone number, Detective Rivers came to me. I’m sure she has already spoken with them, I said in my mind.

  “What about Whirley? Do you have contact information for him?”

  “I do. Here it is.”

  The name Whirley and Solardette began circling in my head. What does Solardette have to do with Whirley? I wondered.

  “Thanks, Jackson. I will call the Balaras and Whirley. As far as the case is concerned, Joe and Holt Junior are involved. I don’t know how yet, but my profiling leads me to them.”