by Rose Pressey
I thought back to that open door and looked around to see if there were any signs of footsteps in the sand. Sure enough, there were. That wasn’t unusual though because I assumed the couple went out to the beach often. The footprints probably meant nothing, but could they have been from the killer? There was probably no way to know for sure.
I pulled out my photo and snapped a photo of the footsteps. It probably meant nothing, but I did it anyway. As I stood there taking more photos, I heard my name called out.
“What are you doing?” Jake asked.
“Taking pictures of footsteps and checking for any clues,” I said matter-of-factly.
“I’m pretty sure you haven’t been hired to investigate this case,” he said.
“Not yet,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow.
I held up my hand. “Okay, I’m going back to the car. Don’t get upset.”
I turned around and headed back toward the front of the house. What was the big deal anyway? Besides, I was only helping. He would probably thank me for my help later. He just didn’t know it yet.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have many clues to work with on this case. An open door, a key in her hand, and footsteps in the sand. That wouldn’t be enough. But the fact of the matter was the husband wasn’t home. I couldn’t wait until Jake had more details for me. I made my way back to the front of the house and leaned against the car. What would I do now? I had a text message from Dorothy wondering how the dinner was going. I wasn’t going to answer her just yet because this would definitely startle her.
Chapter 5
I spotted someone running up the sidewalk in my direction. Soon I realized it was the detective, Lloyd. Did he realize what had happened? Did he know the police were at his house? I couldn’t imagine not being home and then coming back to a police presence like this. There were cops everywhere. I mean, I’d never seen that many police cars. Before the detective even reached the house a couple of the officers stopped him on the sidewalk. I watched as they told him what happened. He almost collapsed right there on the sidewalk. They guided him over to one of the police cars and he got in the back.
Jake walked out of the house and headed over to his boss. The cruiser door was open and he sat with his legs out of the car. I really wanted to know what was said, but there was no way for me to sneak into this conversation. Maybe if I moved closer? I stepped away from Jake’s car and out onto the sidewalk. Fortunately for me, no one was paying attention to any of my movements. Not even Jake. I just wanted to get close enough so that I could eavesdrop. I pretended as if I wasn’t looking at them as I slowly moved down the sidewalk.
Lloyd wore running shorts, a tank top, and running shoes. One thing I noticed right away was the sand on his shoes. Had he been running along the beach? If so, then why was he on the street now? His salt-and-pepper-colored hair seemed wet from sweat. His gray tank top clung to his tan skin and the blue shorts were wet. Had he been in the water? It was a hot day, but I assumed Lloyd had been running. He’d gone out for a jog and his wife had been murdered?
“We’ll find who did this,” Jake said.
“I just can’t think straight right now,” Lloyd said.
“That’s understandable,” Jake said.
I knew what Jake was thinking though. Even though Jake had to treat his boss with understanding because he’d just lost his wife, he still couldn’t rule him out as the killer. The faster Jake got clues the better off we’d all be. I studied Lloyd’s appearance for a few seconds. Was that blood on his shirt? Had anyone else noticed that small stain?
“I went out for a run at seven,” Lloyd said. “She was cooking dinner.”
Had he forgotten that Jake and I were coming over? Had there been food cooking in the kitchen? I supposed I hadn’t paid attention.
The thought had barely left my mind when Lloyd said, “I forgot you were coming for dinner.”
If Lloyd had known we were coming over he wouldn’t have killed his wife in a premeditated manner, right? However, if he had killed her in a heat-of-the-moment type thing then it was totally possible.
I couldn’t wait to get more information from Jake. They still hadn’t noticed me, which was a good thing. I looked around at the house, watching the police activity as they came and went from the house. The coroner had arrived as well. When I looked to the right of the house, I noticed something a bit unusual and it looked familiar to me at the same time. I had to take a closer look. Now I had to step away from Jake and his boss without being noticed.
With neither man watching me, I made my way back into the fenced area and to the side of the house. I moved some of the palm bush branches back and discovered Dorothy’s bag. I stood there frozen for several seconds in disbelief. How could this be? This had to be one of the craziest things I’d ever experienced. I glanced back to see if anyone was watching me. They still hadn’t noticed me. I hoped they didn’t miss clues like they missed seeing me.
I had to get Jake’s attention to let him know my discovery. One thing was for certain—I didn’t want to touch the bag because it might have fingerprints. Would the money still be in there? That was highly unlikely. How had this bag ended up at Lloyd’s house? I hurried across the lawn and out onto the sidewalk. That was when Jake finally looked over at me.
He frowned. “Is something wrong, Maggie?”
“I need to speak with you right away,” I said.
He looked at his boss, who still hadn’t looked my way. Jake stepped over to me, just out of earshot of his boss, I hoped.
“You’re not going to believe what I just found,” I said breathlessly.
He shook his head. “What?”
“Dorothy’s bag,” I whispered.
He starred at me as if he didn’t believe me.
“That’s right. Dorothy’s bag. It’s right over there on the side of the house.” I pointed. “I didn’t touch it or move it. I thought maybe we could get fingerprints from it.”
“How is that even possible?” he asked.
“I have no idea how it got here.”
That was when it hit me. Dorothy’s bag had been stolen. I had called it in. My office had been broken into and now Jake’s boss’s wife was dead, and I had been here when she’d been found. Would Jake and I be named as suspects? I stayed back by Jake’s car as he and another officer moved over to the side of the house. This was kind of making me a little scared now. I didn’t want to be over there when they got the bag. Though I was hoping they would find the money, I held out little hope.
As they picked up the bag, I remained hopeful that good news would come my way soon. But after a few seconds, Jake turned and looked my way. He shook his head, indicating the money wasn’t there. It was just as I had suspected. But what I couldn’t figure out was how that bag had gotten here to this house. It wasn’t close to where Dorothy and I had been. I doubted the person had dropped it here. Then again, maybe they had driven here—after all, they had taken off in a car.
Jake walked over to me after a few minutes. “Sorry the money wasn’t there.”
“What do you think about this?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m concerned, Maggie.” He looked around to see if anyone was listening to our conversation. “Dorothy’s bag is here with the money missing and then we find his wife? What if we’re being framed for this?”
My eyes widened. “Do you think that’s possible?”
“I don’t want to think that it’s possible, but I’m suspicious.”
“Suspicious?” I repeated.
“I’m a little worried. Plus, I’ve been asked not to be on the case. From this point on I won’t be involved with it.”
It sounded like this was a case for a private investigator.
This was the first time Jake had ever admitted that he was worried about something or that he was in the least bit afraid. Therefore, I was freaking out on the inside. I had to remain calm and keep Jake calm too.
“What was in the bag?” I asked.
>
“Everything but the money and the key to your office.”
“I think the person who broke into my office is the same person who took her bag. I don’t think they took the bag because of the money. That was just an added bonus for them. What I really think they wanted was whatever was in those old files.”
Jake ran his hand through his hair. “Is there any way for you to find out what was in the files?”
“If there’s any way possible I’ll figure it out. I’ll look at what’s left and see if I can decipher anything about them. I just wish that I had put all of those onto my computer,” I said.
“Well, you had no way of knowing that they would be involved in a case twenty-plus years later.”
“I was just keeping them for sentimental value. What if I’d gotten rid of them?”
“How did the person even know they were there? Was anyone in your office recently and remarked on the old files?” Jake asked.
“Not that I remember. I’ll look at my schedule book and see who’s been there recently. Will they want to ask us more questions or when can we leave?” I asked. “I want to get Dorothy’s bag back to her.”
“The police will have to talk to her about that considering it’s now part of a crime scene. I’m not sure if they have any more questions for us or not.”
“Well, they know you and surely they don’t think that you had anything to do with the murder. I mean, her husband is much more likely to have done this than we are.”
“He claims to have been running and forgot all about us coming over here.”
“Maybe he forgot about us coming over here and they had an argument. In the heat of the moment he killed her. Then he took off, thinking that his alibi would be that he went out for a run.”
“It’s possible,” Jake said. “We just need to look at all the facts.”
“I hope the facts don’t point to us as far as the police are concerned,” I said.
Chapter 6
It was completely dark outside when we finally were allowed to leave. Jake was driving me home and I was just glad that he wasn’t driving me to the police station. We were mostly quiet on the ride. I guessed we were both lost in thought about everything that had happened. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to sleep tonight for all those whirling thoughts in my head about this case. Jake pulled up to my apartment building and parked. He sat there and stared straight ahead for several seconds. I’d never seen him this worried.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at my place tonight?” Jake asked.
I sensed that he wanted me to stay with him. I supposed now wasn’t the best time to be alone, but I’d already promised Dorothy I’d spend time with her in the morning. After what had happened to her, I didn’t want to let her down.
“I told Dorothy I would take her to yard sales in the morning,” I said. “She likes to get up at five a.m.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jake studied my face.
Me okay? Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I’d experienced this type of thing.
“I’ll be just fine. What about you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’m a detective, Maggie.”
That wasn’t exactly answering my question. Though I wouldn’t press for an answer. No way would Jake admit to me if he wasn’t okay. Jake pulled me close and pressed his lips on mine. The urgency in his kiss made me think that he really didn’t want to let me go. Perhaps he thought he’d never see me again. Once the kiss was over, he stared into my eyes.
“I should get going now,” I whispered.
“Promise you’ll call if you need me.”
Maybe I was reading too much into this. It almost seemed as if he wanted me to call him later not because I needed him, but because he needed me. If there was one thing I knew about Jake, it was that he had always been tough. Yes, I was reading too much into this.
“I promise,” I said.
Reluctantly, I got out of the car and headed down the path toward my apartment. When I glanced over my shoulder, Jake still sat in his car and watched me. When I waved, he cranked the engine. He waved in return and pulled away from the curb.
As I approached my apartment, I sensed someone watching me. I peered up. The creepy neighbor had been spying on me. I didn’t bother waving at him. I’d just pretend that I hadn’t even seen him.
***
I was up bright and early the next morning even before the sun. I couldn’t believe that Dorothy wanted to wake up this early for yard sales. She said we’d get breakfast first and by that time the yard sales would be in full swing. But wasn’t she worried about finding her money? She didn’t even know the half of it yet. I hadn’t told her about Jake’s boss’s wife.
Even though it was five o’clock in the morning, I knew that bargain shopping would take her mind off the money. And for that reason, I got up and stumbled over to the kitchen to make some coffee so that I would be awake for the ride. I hurried into the shower. There was no way I was worrying about make-up this early in the morning. Besides, most of it would just melt off in the heat anyway.
After showering, I dressed in my shorts and flip-flops, grabbed my coffee, and headed out the door. It was still dark out, but the first signs of the sun were popping up in the sky. As I walked to my car, I thought about Lloyd’s wife Vivian. If Lloyd hadn’t killed her then who could have done this? A random person breaking into the house? They had a security system and Lloyd said there was no reason why it wouldn’t have been on at the time. Therefore, she would have had to have known the killer and let them inside the house. Had she had friends over? I had all these questions swirling in my head and I needed the answers.
Once in the car and driving down the road headed for Dorothy’s place, I thought about Jake and how he was doing. Though he was probably still asleep. He wouldn’t be going into the office to work on his boss’s case, though as of yet he hadn’t been taken off the other cases he was working. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the thought that they might consider us suspects.
I pulled up in front of Dorothy’s place. The homes around Sunny Acres were all similar. One story, of course. Dorothy’s was a white cottage-style with green shutters and a green front door.
I called to let Dorothy know that I was outside and ready. While I waited, I used this time to search for any info about Vivian. She owned quite a number of businesses around Miami. The place that she spent the most time was a lux salon and spa. I bet the employees who worked there would have a lot of info. I wondered if I could talk Dorothy into going to the spa before the yard sales. Or perhaps instead of the yard sales. Yeah, that was unlikely. The place wouldn’t be open yet anyway.
A few seconds later, Dorothy bounced out of her house. I sensed someone watching us. When I looked to the right, I saw a small gray-haired head peeking out from behind the curtain at the house next door. I waved at Dorothy’s neighbor Lorelei. She might just be even nosier than Dorothy.
Dorothy got into the car just as I yawned.
“You should really get used to getting up early. It’s great for the body. And the mind.” Dorothy smiled.
I just stared at her blankly.
“You look like something’s on your mind. Is everything all right?” she asked.
I started the car and pulled away from the curb. “I guess I should go ahead and get this over with and tell you. You’re going to be shocked.”
“You found my bag and the money?” she asked excitedly.
I cringed just a bit. “Well, we found the bag, but the money is missing.”
She sighed. “I assumed as much. I’ll never get it back. But that’s okay. I didn’t need that new air conditioning unit or roof.”
“Don’t say that. Things will work out. We’ll get things fixed too. In the meantime, there’s been a different development. It’s about where we located your bag.”
“Where did you find the bag?” she asked suspiciously.
“It was at Jake’s boss’s house.”
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��How did it get there?”
“Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out, but that’s not the worst part.”
“What could possibly be the worse than that?” she asked.
“Jake’s boss’s wife was murdered. Jake and I found her,” I said.
Dorothy gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. “Did the boss kill her?”
“We don’t know for sure. Lloyd claims he was out for a run at the time of the murder.”
“Likely story,” Dorothy said.
“Well, until we have all the clues it’s impossible to know who did this to her.”
“But why was my bag there?”
“A mystery we have to figure out. Of course, Jake isn’t on the case. I think maybe they are suspicious of us. We could be persons of interest in this case. You know all too well how they can get the wrong impression just because someone was at the scene of a crime.”
Dorothy had recently gone through this with her boyfriend Morty. He had discovered a real estate agent murdered while Dorothy and I were there with him as well. But anyway, now Jake was in that position. And I had to help get him out of it. Obviously, the purse theft, the office burglary, the missing papers, and the murder had to be connected somehow. It was my job to figure it out.
“I thought maybe after the yard sales we could take a little trip to the spa,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “You, Maggie, want to go to a spa? When there’s a murder case to look into? Something is up.” She raised an eyebrow.
“Just trust me on this one,” I said.
“I need more details,” she said.
“Okay, you got me,” I said as I pulled into the cafe where I knew Dorothy wanted to eat breakfast. “Vivian owns the spa. And this particular one is the one she worked out of the most. I assume the staff knew her well and they may have some information for us.”
“So let me get this straight, we’re investigating a murder, and we get to have a spa day?”