Killer Instincts and Savory Pie

by Angela C. Blackmoore

  Abby nodded as all three of them fell silent, watching for several more minutes as the detectives wrapped up their collar and climbed into their car.

  Mike backed the car up while Ed rolled his window down and leaned out, giving them a grin. “What was that about not doing our job? Looks like we acquired your person of interest.”

  “Does that mean I can come by this afternoon and speak to him?” Lanie said sweetly.

  “If I said yes, I’d be lying. There’s… some folks that want to talk to him about certain things and I’m afraid they have precedence over some backwoods deputy.”

  “What do you mean?” Lanie said, suspicion heavy in her voice.

  “Sorry, can’t talk about it,” Ed said, giving her a car-salesmen smile. “You’ll have to wait for the prisoner to be released from his current trouble, but you know, good luck with your case!”

  “Aw, come on!” Lanie said, slapping the top of their car as they drove away. “I’m dealing with murders here!”

  After the detectives left, the only thing they could do was return to Red Pine Falls in semi-defeat. Lanie told them she would head directly to the police station, but there was no need for them to follow her. Besides, Gabe was exhausted after staying up all night.

  When they arrived back at Hazel’s house, Cheerio was doing his best to make up for Gabe’s lack of enthusiasm by running quickly around the house, barking like mad. After his second time around, Mr. Wilberson came out of his garage and grabbed a stick, waving them away as he started to throw it for the energetic dog.

  Abby waved and smiled at the man, his sour face at odds with his willingness to engage the happy dog in one of his favorite past times. Taking Gabe’s arm she led him inside, taking him upstairs to put him to bed before coming back down to see Hazel standing in the hallway with her hands on her hips.

  “Is something wrong, grandma?” Abby asked, seeing the look on her face.

  “No, unless you think a cold breakfast and no phone call to tell me you weren’t kidnapped is an issue,” Hazel said with a sour wrinkle to her lips.

  Abby held her hand to her mouth, realizing in the heat of everything she’d completely forgotten that she had been expected back for breakfast, and now it was almost dinner time. “Oh, my goodness. I am so sorry, grandma!”

  Hazel raised her eyebrow, giving her one last upset look before relenting. “I’m just glad you’re okay, dear. I assume something happened that caught your attention?”

  Abby nodded, walking toward Hazel and hugging the small, frail woman. “I’m still sorry. I really have no excuse, but Gabe and I went into Salem with Lanie on a hunch. I think we figured out who the killer is.”

  “Oh?” Hazel asked, then gestured for Abby to follow her into the kitchen, her usual place to listen to gossip.

  “Yes. We think Ben Martinez is the killer. He was getting some sort of letters and phone calls for weeks, and we think it was from whoever was collecting on debts due to the Oregon Rural Association falling through on their promises. We think it drove him over the edge, and he blamed the town council. We went into Salem to get a warrant, but when we got there, we actually found Ben Martinez himself.”

  “Ben Martinez?” Hazel said. “I can hardly believe it would be him. He’s always been such a pleasant man. Did he… did he admit to the crimes?”

  “Well, that’s part of the issue. Detectives Mike and Ed were the ones that arrested him, so we weren’t able to get close to him. Lanie seemed to think that it might take a week to talk to him, but as the detectives drove away, they indicated he was wanted by someone else.”

  “And they wouldn’t tell you who, right?” Hazel guessed.

  “Right.”

  Hazel got a thoughtful look on her face. “So, someone else has precedence over a murder investigation? Abby, I hate to say this, but do you think someone’s debt would push aside a murder? Even with the delightful detectives involved, I would think it would have to be something more serious, don’t you?”

  Abby frowned, thinking through what her grandmother had said. Something didn’t add up, and she realized that one of their big assumptions was that Ben had become distraught over debts. What if it was something else, but how could they find out? That had been the reason they had gone to Salem to get a warrant, so they could search Ben’s house and hope to inspect those letters.

  However, there was another thing she could try without a warrant. She could go to Ben’s house and ask. It might not work, but a little sweetness might just get her what she needed.

  “You know, you’re right, grandma and I think I know how to find out for sure,” Abby said, leaning back as she considered how best to approach Ben’s wife. However, it was late, and she was tired after all the day’s activities. She would go over in the morning before work and hopefully get some answers.

  Chapter 26

  It was too early to go to Butters, so she decided to go straight to Ben Martinez’s house. However, she didn’t know where he lived so instead of driving around aimlessly, she headed over to Becky’s café.

  She smiled when she arrived, walking in the front door and breathing in the wonderful aromas of the food within. Today, Becky was serving as hostess and waitress, seating people and making sure they were taken care of for their stay. She smiled when she saw Abby enter, coming out from behind the stylish little hostess stand she had put at the front.

  “Abby? You’re here early, but I’m more than happy to put you to work if you like?” Becky said mischievously. She could tell by Abby’s demeanor that she wasn’t here to work, but she couldn’t help but put forth a little playful banter.

  “Ha, ha,” Abby answered, crossing her arms. “You had all weekend off, and you’re already complaining?”

  “Look who’s talking!” Becky said, laughing softly. “Well, technically you’re not complaining but still, I’m the boss, so I don’t have to make sense. So if not to work, what are you here for?”

  “I came to see if you knew where Ben Martinez lived,” Abby said.

  “What for? If you want some ice-cream, we have some in the back. Butters isn’t open yet, but I’m sure we’ve got plenty to spare.”

  “I need to talk to his wife about something,” Abby said evasively. She didn’t want to mislead her friend, but if she started to tell her what was going on, she’d be here for another hour or two, and she really wanted to get to the business at hand.

  “Sure, let me get a piece of paper, and I can write it down for you,” Becky said, moving back toward the hostess stand.

  At that moment, the bell on the door rang, causing Abby to turn around. Earl Huygens and his wife came in, smiling at both of them. “Abby! It’s good to see you! Not as good as getting out of that jailhouse, but still a good thing.”

  “Earl! Free at last? Did Lanie catch the killer?” Becky asked, looking up from writing down the address.

  “She thinks so, and that’s good enough for me. Janice and I are here to get a good breakfast before we go home and relax in our own house.”

  “Well, you came to the right place,” Becky said, handing the piece of paper to Abby. “We’ve got a first-rate table for you right over here!”

  Earl and Janice followed Becky, making their way toward the table that she indicated and sat down. Earl rubbed his hands together, picking up the menu while chatting amiably with his wife. However, the idyllic scene sent a troubled feeling through Abby. If Earl and his wife were out, then that meant the rest of the councilmembers were free as well. If Ben wasn’t the killer, then they might soon have a new death on their hand.

  Waving at Becky, Abby retreated back to her car and drove away, making a beeline for the Martinez home. It wasn’t very far, tucked down a quiet side street a few blocks away. It was a beautiful, dark-blue home with white trim. However, it didn’t look like the yard had been maintained very well for quite some time. That made sense, in a sad kind of way. If Ben had been distracted and troubled, it would explain why he’d let some things go.

&nbs
p; She parked in front, walking toward the front door and knocking. She noticed the beautiful stained glass panels in an arc, but she wasn’t tall enough to see if anyone was coming. Still, she smiled brightly when the door was opened, revealing a beautiful Spanish woman who looked like she had been crying.

  “Hello?” the woman asked, watching Abby curiously and trying to act as if she hadn’t been crying. “What can I do for you?”

  “Hello,” Abby answered. “Are you Ben Martinez’s wife?”

  Suddenly, the dark-haired woman became angry and bristled. “Already? Ben’s only been away for a day and a half, and you vultures are already flapping around our house? Can’t you just wait for him to get the necessary paperwork before starting to harass us?”

  Abby blinked and held her hands up. “No, no, I’m not here to harass you! My name is Abby Morgan, Hazel Morgan’s granddaughter. I just wanted to ask you some questions.”

  “Abby Morgan? Yes, I’ve heard of you. You’ve been trying to help the town, though I daresay there’s a reason they call you Hurricane Abby. This is the first time we’ve met, but I know Ben likes you. My name is Luciana, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, holding her hand out.

  Abby took it, shaking her hand and feeling the faint hint of tears on the woman’s fingers. She had been intent on finding out what had driven Ben over the edge, but now that she was face to face with Luciana, her heart went out to the woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Luciana. Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Luciana sighed and shook her head. “No, not unless you know anything about international law,” she said, her eyes dropping in sadness.

  “International law?” Abby said, blinking. Would debts have anything to do with international law? She didn’t know anything about the subject, but she did know someone who probably knew a lot. “I’m not a lawyer, but I do know a very good one. If you tell me what’s going on, maybe I can get some information for you.”

  Luciana looked up, her eyes hopeful before nodding and opening the door. “Come in. At this point, I’m at my wit's end, and Ben says you can work miracles.”

  Chapter 27

  The interior of Luciana’s home was completely unexpected. The walls were painted with rich, offset colors designed to draw the eye throughout the interior. Abby’s eye turned towards each nook and space that held various interior designer masterpieces. It was a home that could have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, and Abby wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the rooms on the magazine’s cover.

  “Wow,” Abby said, almost speechless at the exquisite taste she saw around her.

  “Do you like it?” Luciana asked.

  “Like it? I love it!” Abby gushed. “I’ve always liked seeing a room with different paint on different walls, and your taste in furniture is wonderful.” Her first love was old antiques which Hazel’s house was full of, but this was easily a close second. Amazingly, the interior not only looked beautiful, but comfortable as well. She didn’t feel like she was walking through a museum at all.

  “Thank you. Can I get you something to drink before we sit? Coffee or Tea?”

  Abby shook her head, sitting down on the plush couch, running her hands over the textured fabric as she did so. “No, I’m fine.” She answered. “Tell me what’s going on?”

  Luciana took a deep breath, giving Abby a nervous look before speaking. “I… don’t really know how to begin. It’s a very private matter and not one we’ve been comfortable speaking about, but with Ben taken into custody I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Are you in debt by any chance? From that Urban Renewal business?” Abby asked cautiously.

  Luciana blinked and shook her head. “What? No, not at all. Ben and I were skeptical from the beginning and never became involved in that ridiculous garbage. It’s a good thing, too, because so many of our neighbors are having trouble now. Here, let me show you what our problem is.”

  Abby watched as Luciana stood up, walked over to a small desk in the hallway and open up a drawer. Inside were several letters and paperwork. She reached in, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Abby. She then took her seat, clenching her hands in her lap. “This is what is going on, and I’d appreciate you keeping it quiet. We’ve managed to keep it from being gossip around town.”

  Abby nodded and removed the paper within. There were several pages folded together, and her eyes widened as she began to read. It was from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They were asking for clarification on some inconsistencies with Ben’s file from when he’d become a citizen, apparently at the age of six years old.”

  “Is this for real?” Abby asked, looking up at Luciana.

  “All too real,” Luciana said bitterly. “They’ve sent several letters like this, and have called every other day for a month. We’ve been trying to get copies of the necessary paperwork from Salem for weeks, but it’s been a nightmare of delay after delay. Ben actually drove into Salem a few nights ago to stay at a friend’s house so he could get to the courthouse early in the morning and talk to the clerks personally. It’s been tearing him up inside. Now he’s been taken into custody? I don’t know what to do.”

  Abby could only listen quietly as a deep fear slowly filled her belly. Ben wasn’t the killer that she thought he was. An image of Karl and Janice sitting in Becky’s café flashed across her vision, and she realized that the remaining councilors were all still in very real danger. Her fear was compounded by the fact that it was her actions which had resulted in Ben Martinez being taken into custody.

  She thought back to yesterday when Ed and Mike had arrested Ben and toyed with Lanie, taunting her with the fact that someone had precedence over her. However, if she were a betting woman, she’d say that Ben would never have been taking into custody if Lanie hadn’t put out an APB on him, and the detectives were just toying with her. It was just like those two corrupt detectives, and she doubted they would care that they’d put people’s lives at risk for their sick little game.

  Abby pulled a card for Robert Carrington out of her wallet and handed it to Luciana. “Robert Carrington is our family lawyer. Call him, and let him know that I asked you to talk to him about your case. If anyone knows what to do and how to break through the red tape, it will be him.”

  “It says he’s a lawyer in Chicago?” Luciana asked, raising her eyebrow.

  “Yes, but he’s done plenty of work for us here in Oregon. He’ll get Ben’s paperwork taken care of, and I bet he won’t have any problem getting him out of custody, either.”

  Tears began to fall from Luciana’s eyes as she gave Abby a hug. “Thank you! Oh, thank you! I’ve been crying all morning. If I can ever repay you, just let me know what I can do.”

  Abby’s voice caught as she answered, overwhelmed by Luciana’s hug. “Let’s just say that I owe you, but now I have to go. I think I’ve made a terrible mistake and I need to fix it, somehow.”

  As Abby stepped out into morning daylight, the dread she had been suppressing slowly began to overtake her. The killer was still out there and could be preparing to take another life. And the bad thing was now they were back to square one. Quickly, she dialed Lanie’s number as she got into the PT Cruiser. She had to let Lanie know right away.

  Chapter 28

  “I can’t believe this!” Lanie said, smashing her fist on the paperwork scattered around her desk and making her keyboard jump. “Those two rats! They could have told me it had something to do with immigration! Dammit! I let all of the council members out of here last night.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lanie,” Abby said as she sat in a chair across from the deputy. “It’s all my fault. I was sure Ben was the killer, but now I’ve made a mess of everything!”

  Lanie leaned back in her chair, putting her hands over her face and groaning before shaking her head. “No, stop it! It’s not your fault that our suspect was kept away from us. If they’d let us talk to him, we could have gotten that information in about five minutes.
If anyone’s at fault, it’s those two stooges though I doubt they’d care. In fact, I’m sure they’re chuckling into their beer about it all. There’s no way they couldn’t have known this would cause problems.”

  “So what do we do now?” Abby asked in despair. “Ugh, I am getting sick of hearing myself say that.”

  “Now we call all of the councilmembers to let them know I was wrong and that they’re still in danger. They aren’t going to be happy to hear they need to come back here,” Lanie said as she picked up the phone.

  “I’ll go make some coffee,” Abby said, getting up from the desk and walking toward the small kitchenette at the back of the station. She listened for the next half hour as Lanie called the various councilmembers, and was more than happy to not be the one having to do so. She could almost hear the yelling coming from the other end of the phone line.

  It wasn’t long before people began to arrive, and they didn’t look happy. Gini Moore came in first, almost babbling in fear and irritation. She’d been working on a new piece of artwork and had to drop everything before the varnish on her gourd had dried properly. Earl and Janice were in next, and Earl wasn't polite. It was the first time Abby had heard the man’s voice raised in anger, and she didn’t envy Deputy Josh Palmer who’s task it was to calm the man down. Despite his training, Josh wasn’t having a lot of luck.

  Lanie had been in and out of her office, trying to help keep people calm but also trying to coordinate the information to the state troopers that they were still on alert. About two hours into the current crises, she came out of the office with a worried look on her face.

  “What’s wrong, Lanie?” Abby asked on her way back to the kitchenette for another cup of coffee. She’d called to let Becky know she wouldn’t be in so she could help out at the police station. It had been a long few hours, and it wasn’t even noon yet.