He’d killed Carr and hidden the body. It would have been just as bad if Carr’s body had been discovered and the motive for the crime learned before Wayne had completed his retirement and cash-out.
Wayne seemed to read my thoughts as well as he’d read my legal pad. “I see you’re putting everything together now. Good for you, but it’s a little too late for much else.” He had a piece of rope hanging from one of his hands. He didn’t seem to notice it, but it was all I could see.
I loosened the tape off my mouth enough to say. “You’re not going to get away with this. People know I was looking at you and the people at the complex as suspects.”
He laughed. “That’s great, but I won’t be here after tonight. I’m leaving on a long needed vacation, and when I leave Capital City, no one will ever hear from me again. I’ll be just another mysterious disappearance.”
I felt a little sick to my stomach. I had hoped that this would be an impromptu crime, and that I’d be able to talk him out of the risks, but his plan sounded more premeditated than I hoped for. He would likely be able to get away with this murder – just as he had the two others.
“Sinking in, eh?” His smirk was almost more than I could bear. He was going to get away with this.
A knock came at the door. He turned and stared at me. “Who are you expecting?” he hissed in a soft voice.
I shrugged as best as I could. “Maybe it’s your wife coming to help you?”
He laughed. “She won’t be going anywhere – with me or to me. I took care of her before I came over here. She would never have gone along with this plan.”
My stomach did flips now. If he’d kill his wife, then he’d have no qualms about killing me too.
The knock came again. “Maeve, let me in. I know you’re in there. I need to talk.” It was Aaron. I couldn’t exactly figure out why he was here, but I was concerned that he was not prepared for what he’d be walking into. I didn’t want him to end up as victim number five.
Wayne sneered. “This ought to be easy. Tell him to hold on a minute.” He let the rope dangle just in front of me.
“Just a minute, Aaron. I’ll be right there.” I couldn’t think of a code or sign to warn him what was waiting inside the door. Wayne tapped the tape back in place, so that I couldn’t speak again.
Wayne opened the door, walking backward so that he would be hidden behind the half-opened door. Except Aaron had another plan, he shoved the door open as hard as he could. Wayne staggered back before the door hit him square in the face.
To Aaron’s credit, he didn’t even bother to notice Wayne’s stagger or slide down the wall. He looked at me and said, “What was that neighbor’s name?” he asked. “I went to the bank and got into the safety deposit box. There are a bunch of notations that someone named Wayne gave him cash along with someone named Hal Wallace. I thought the first one might be that neighbor, and you wouldn’t need to involve Zed anymore.”
When my response came out through tape, Aaron stopped talking long enough to realize that I was trussed up. He walked over and pulled the tape off my mouth. He started to untie my wrists when I said, “Wayne is behind you. He’s the one who killed your uncle. Be careful.”
I should have told Wayne to be careful, because Aaron left me with only one arm free to cross the room in four steps and kick Wayne in the ribs. I thought once would be sufficient, but he didn’t stop. I managed to get my arms and legs untied quickly, but not before Aaron had given half a dozen solid kicks to Wayne’s chest and ribs. The man wasn’t going to be making anyone disappear in the near future.
*
Danvers arrived about ten minutes later, barely beating Land to the door. They were both concerned, though about different things. Danvers took one look at Wayne and was obviously ready to arrest me for assault. Even after we explained at length what had happened, he was still considering it.
“He killed three people. Self-defense does apply, considering that they would have been next,” Land interjected. If I hadn’t been so on edge, I would have objected to him fighting my battle, but with my nerves as they were, I was fine with him talking for me.
The police had already been across the hall. They’d found Wayne’s wife dead. There were no indications that this was to be considered a disappearance. She’d been sliced open with a breadknife. Land told me that there was blood in the apartment and in the hallway to my place. Wayne would never have gotten away with my death, no matter what he thought.
Danvers tried to look official. “I’m just worried about that kid’s motivation. He kicked him when he was down because he’d killed the kid’s uncle.”
“That kid saved my life,” I said firmly. “You should have heard the way he talked. He’d killed Carr and Longhill just so he could keep his retirement.”
Now that things were more settled, Aaron shared what he’d found at the bank. Murray’s records indicated that he’d received equal payments from Hal Wallace, Wayne and someone at RGF. Apparently he was ready to denounce the derivatives scheme, which had been expertly hidden from the auditors and all the accountants. We couldn’t tell from the records, but Murray seemed to have made rather hasty plans to leave the country. The tickets had been purchased the day before he disappeared, and in a matter of a few days he would have been on the beaches of Cancun, if that’s where he had decided to land.
In the end, an ambulance took Wayne to the hospital for treatment under police guard. Wayne was denying everything even though there was blood on his pants. I wasn’t sure if anyone would ever learn what he’d done with Murray Longhill, but at least the Carrs would have the chance to say a proper good-bye to their husband and father.
They’d phoned in and had a squad car pick up Hal Wallace. In an attempt to save his own skin, Wallace had spilled the beans on his own part in the scheme. He’d only started to join in with the RGF scheme for derivatives as a challenge to beat a bad market. The markets had looked bleak at one point, and he’d mentioned it to Wayne, who had taken matters into his own hands so he could retire. Wallace had professed his complete innocence, but in the end, he’d been dragged into hiding the evidence and also into paying Murray to keep quiet. He had no idea what had allowed Murray to pick up on the scheme, but he admitted to paying the cash. It was Wallace, who had once been in good shape, who had visited Murray Longhill and been identified by Arianna.
Wallace denied all part in the murders. Those had been Wayne’s plans and execution, though Wallace would likely be considered an accessory after the fact, since he’d obviously deduced that the disappearance of anyone who threatened their scheme wasn’t some cosmic good will for them.
Danvers cleared the scene, and Carter, who had come to pick up Aaron, left with his charge. Aaron and Carter had talked at length while they were waiting, and Aaron had correctly deduced that Carter was uncertain that he was not involved in his uncle’s death. Suspicion of murder is never something that portends a long-term relationship. Now that this was over, Carter said that he trusted Aaron, and now Aaron had doubts – but also $25,000 – which might help him begin a life with Carter. They were still discussing their future when they left.
Danvers had been the last to leave, and he was eyeing both Land and me pretty hard before he did. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed and shook his head as he left.
Land looked at me and shook his head. “You promised me that you’d be good. No solving crimes alone.”
“He brought me a cake,” I said in my own defense. “How was I supposed to know that he’d figured out what I knew and wanted to kill me?”
“You should have never invited a suspected killer into your apartment,” he said with finality.
I was thinking that while the opportunity for that second kiss was available, Land didn’t seem in the mood to let me show him my intent. However, a businesswoman should never let an opportunity go by.
I moved in, stood on my tiptoes, and pressed my lips against his. To my surprise, he returned
my kiss with a passion I’d never seen in him. His tongue gently slipped into my mouth, and the desire and trust that I’d seen in his eyes a few days before now ran through my body as we kissed. Right now, I didn’t worry about what a relationship would do to our friendship or our business partnership. No thoughts filled my mind at all. I was giving myself to the moment and the heat of the kiss.
Something told me that this would be a venture worth pursuing.
~ END ~
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FOOD TRUCK MYSTERIES
Murder To Go
Murder In The Spotlight
Leftovers
The Real Gyro
Dead Giveaway
Dead Giveaway Page 15
