by Cindy Bell
“What a bright morning.” Suzie shielded her eyes then headed in the direction of Carlene’s house.
“It’s supposed to be ninety by this afternoon. I’m not sure I’m ready for this heat.” Mary waved her hand in front of her face as she followed Suzie up the driveway to the front door.
Once more Suzie noticed the decor of the house and smiled.
“I wonder if she’s home,” Mary said.
“There’s a car in the driveway. It’s the same one that was here yesterday, so I’d guess she is.” Suzie raised her hand to knock on the door, but hesitated when she saw that the door was partially open. A voice inside made her tense up. She put a finger to her lips as she glanced at Mary.
Mary nodded, and crept closer to the door.
“Who did it, Carlene?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me. I know that you’re holding something back.” His tone grew sharper.
“James?” Suzie mouthed the name to Mary.
“I think so,” Mary whispered back. Her heart began to pound. She had no idea what James was doing there, but she suspected that it wasn’t something good. Every second that passed led to greater risk for Carlene. She knew that she couldn’t just stand there and hope that nothing bad happened to the woman. Instead of even taking the time to call the police, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Carlene! Are you home? Carlene!”
“Mary!” Suzie gasped, then followed after her. She caught up with her in the living room, where James spun around to face them. Her chest tightened with fear when she saw the gun that he held in his hand.
“Drop it!” Mary shouted and reached for her purse as if she might have a weapon inside.
“Hold it, just hold on!” James held one hand up in the air as he lowered his weapon. “There’s no need for any of that.” He looked at Mary and when she didn’t pull out a weapon from her purse, his shoulders relaxed slightly. “I’m just going to put it away.” He slowly put the gun back in its holster. Suzie and Mary watched him until the gun was safely secured.
“Carlene, are you okay?” Mary looked over at her.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She stepped around James, and over to the two women. “This guy just showed up at my door and started interrogating me. Threatening me.”
“Stay back behind me.” Suzie moved in front of her, her eyes fixated on the gun in his holster. “James, what exactly is going on here?”
“He can tell it to Wes.” Mary frowned as she pulled out her cell phone. “I’m calling him, now.” She tried to hide the tremble in her voice by clearing her throat, but even that sounded shaky.
“Good idea.” Suzie nodded. “Tell him about the gun.”
“I’m licensed to carry that weapon, it’s legal. Go ahead and call the police, I haven’t done anything wrong here. Have I, Carlene?” James locked eyes with her.
“No.” Carlene sniffled as she held up her hands. “Suzie, Mary, it’s okay. He wasn’t doing anything to harm me.”
“Then why do you have a gun?” Suzie took a step closer to James.
“It is registered. It is legal.” He looked between the two of them. “You’re both mixed up in something you have no idea about here. Maybe if we could all calm down, I could explain it to you.”
“I heard the way you were talking to Carlene.” Mary narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “There was nothing polite about it. Now, you can tell us the truth, or you can tell it to Wes, but either way you’re going to explain yourself.”
“I intend to.” He frowned. “I’m not who you think I am.”
“Then, who are you?” Suzie crossed her arms.
Mary glanced nervously at Suzie, then looked back at James as he began to speak.
“I am a private investigator. I’m just going to take out my wallet.” James moved his hand slowly to his pocket on the opposite side to his holster, then pulled out a flat, black, leather wallet. “Here, take a look.” He offered it to Suzie.
“A private investigator?” She took the wallet from him and with a flick of her wrist flipped it open. “How does that explain anything? You still have no right to point a weapon at her.”
“I was hired by someone to investigate Graham’s involvement in a spate of car thefts that included some of the cars he repaired.” He looked back towards Carlene. “He has some very angry and influential customers.”
Suzie looked through the cards in his wallet and found one that declared he was a private investigator.
“Marlin Casen?” Suzie met his eyes as he looked back at her. “Is that your real name?”
“Yes, it is.” He looked between her and Mary. “Like I said, this is nothing personal, it’s business.”
“It’s personal when you threaten someone with a weapon.” Mary continued to shield Carlene. “After all she has been through, how could you put her through more?”
“Carlene isn’t as innocent as you may think. She’s protecting someone.” Marlin cast a brief smirk in her direction. “The point is, I followed the evidence right to Graham’s Garage. I went there to speak to him, and to get a feel of the place, the day before he died. But I never had the chance to speak to him. Someone prevented that from happening.” He looked back at Carlene. “And I believe she knows exactly who that someone is.”
“You weren’t there the morning it happened. Carlene was knocked out cold.” Mary narrowed her eyes. “Why would she protect someone who hurt her like that? I think you’re grasping at straws because you came to a dead end, and you know that your employer is not going to like that.”
“Really?” Marlin cleared his throat, then looked past Mary, to Carlene. “Why don’t you tell the truth, Carlene? Why don’t you tell us who you are protecting?”
“I don’t have anything to say to you.” Carlene took a deep breath. “I want you to leave my house.”
“I’ll leave.” Marlin shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he gazed at her. “I can leave right now, with everything I know, and come back with an officer to put you in handcuffs.” He raised his eyebrows. “Is that what you want?”
“No.” Her voice shuddered. “Please, just leave me alone. I don’t know anything about what happened. I don’t know why you think I do.”
“Keep saying that, you might eventually believe it.” Marlin narrowed his eyes. “I’ll leave. But this isn’t over, Carlene. If you don’t want the truth to come out, then you need to contact me with the information I need. There’s no reason that you have to get hurt in all of this, I can and will protect you, but you have to do your part.”
“Protect her from what?” Suzie’s tone sharpened as she stepped in front of Marlin. “Are you threatening her again?”
“I’m not the one she has to worry about.” Marlin’s eyes cut in Suzie’s direction, his cheeks flushed. “The person who killed Graham, is who she needs to be worried about. Because whoever that is, is going to see her as a risk. He’s going to come after you, Carlene. Don’t let him lie to you, he’s going to do whatever it takes to protect himself.” He turned back to face her, his jaw clenched as he stared at her. “Stop protecting him!”
“Enough!” Mary wrapped her arm around Carlene’s shoulders. She felt a shudder course through the younger woman. “Get out of here, now!”
“I’m calling the police right now.” Suzie pulled out her phone and began to dial.
“No please! Don’t!” Carlene gasped as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “Please, Suzie!”
“Okay.” Suzie nodded.
“I’ll make sure that the gun is legally yours.” Mary looked at Marlin. “If it isn’t I will make sure the police know about it.”
“Fine.” Marlin smirked, then took a deep breath. He locked his eyes to hers. “You two may think you have this all figured out, but Carlene cannot be trusted. She’s protecting someone.”
“Says the man who held her at gunpoint.” Suzie sneered. “Sorry, but your word doesn’t have a lot of standing here.”
“We really should call the police,” Mary said. “I don’t know what’s happened here between the two of you, but it’s not for your sake that we’re not. It’s Carlene’s home, and if she doesn’t want us to call, then we won’t. But you need to be prepared to leave Dune House this evening.”
“Whatever you say.” Marlin held his hands up in the air as he backed towards the door. “Carlene, don’t forget what I said.” He looked straight at the woman as he reached the door. “I’m not your enemy here. I just might be the only one that can help you.”
“Just go!” Carlene covered her face as her shoulders began to shake.
“You heard her.” Suzie eyed him as he lingered near the door.
“Ladies.” Marlin nodded to Suzie, then to Mary. “You’ll see that the gun is legally mine and that you are scared of the wrong person.” He turned and pulled the door closed behind him as he left.
Mary breathed a sigh of relief. “Is he gone, Suzie?”
“It looks like it.” Suzie peered through the front window. “No sign of him out there.”
“Carlene, why didn’t you let us call the police?” Mary took a step towards her, but the woman shied back the moment she did.
“I don’t want to talk about it, okay? I just want to move on from Graham’s murder. I don’t want the police involved. If you get the police involved, it will just make everything worse for me.” Carlene pursed her lips. “Please go. I need to be alone.”
“Carlene, if you’re in some kind of trouble, we can help you.” Suzie softened the edges of her words, hoping that the woman would be willing to confide in her. “We want you to be safe.”
“I am safe. If everyone would just leave me alone, I would be perfectly safe.” Carlene crossed her arms as her eyebrows knitted together. “Can you go, please?”
“Carlene—” Mary began.
“Mary, let’s go. Let’s allow her to have some rest.” Suzie turned towards the door. “She needs some time to calm down.”
“Okay, yes.” Mary gazed at Carlene a moment longer, then followed Suzie out the door. As she walked to the car she considered calling Wes, but decided against it. She didn’t quite know what to make of what had just unfolded, and wanted some time to think about it.
In silence the two women settled in the car. As Suzie slid the key into the ignition, she glanced over at Mary.
“What was that about? Do you think someone is threatening Carlene if she goes to the police? Maybe the murderer?”
“I don’t know. But something is going on.” Mary frowned as she glanced up and down the street. “Maybe I should just call Wes.” She dug her phone from her purse. “He’ll check into Marlin and know if the gun is legal or not and if he needs to be arrested.”
“But Carlene didn’t want the cops involved.” Suzie looked back at Carlene’s small house and caught sight of the flutter of a curtain. “Which means she definitely has something to hide.”
“You’re right, and I think we’re in over our heads here. I mean Marlin had Carlene at gunpoint. I need Wes to check the ownership of the gun.”
“I could ask Jason to do it.” Suzie drove back towards Garber. “But if you think it’s best to call Wes, go ahead.”
“I just think he needs to know.” Mary cringed as she realized that the time to call him was back in Carlene’s house. Instead of making the call, she sent him a text, which asked him to meet her at Dune House.
Chapter 10
Mary paced slowly back and forth through the dining room. She knew that Wes would be there any minute, and she had yet to decide how she would explain the circumstances of her knowing that Marlin has a gun and that his real name is not James. She’d asked him to run Marlin’s name to see if he legally owned a weapon, but she hadn’t revealed what had transpired at Carlene’s house. A loud knock on the door made her jump. She took a sharp breath, and Pilot jumped up from his bed. He trotted towards the door with his tail wagging. He was used to guests arriving, and recognized Wes’ knock, so he eagerly went to greet him instead of barking.
Wes opened the door, and Mary stepped towards him as he made his way inside. He pulled off his hat, tucked it under his arm, then looked into her eyes.
“Tell me everything, Mary.”
“Did you find out anything?” She led him through the front entrance to the dining room. “About Marlin?”
“First, you need to tell me what this is about.” He frowned as he patted Pilot’s head. “Why are you being so evasive? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but there is a problem. I need to find out about a gun.”
“You want to buy a gun?”
“No, I don’t want to buy it. What would I want with a gun?” Mary scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “Marlin has a gun. Well, James does, but James isn’t actually James. But he still has a gun.”
“Wait a minute.” Wes held up his hands. “I think you need to start at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened here.”
As Mary filled Wes in on the event at Carlene’s house, she noticed his eyes narrowing more and more with each word she spoke. By the time she finished, they were full of anger.
“Why exactly didn’t you call the police? Or me?” Wes placed his hands on her shoulders, and though his touch was gentle, his tone was firm. “Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?”
“I was there, Wes, remember?” Mary frowned as she curved her hands around his and gave them a gentle squeeze. “We didn’t expect any of that to happen. But once we were there, we had to do our best to diffuse it. Which we did. Now of course, I know about the gun, and I don’t know if he is allowed to have it, and I’m worried about him using it. As long as it checks out, he can keep it. Right?”
“Yes.” Wes sighed as he drew his hands from hers. “I can’t believe that Carlene didn’t want the police called. That certainly is odd.” He crossed his arms as he looked into her eyes. “But it shouldn’t have mattered what she wanted. You should have called me. I would have been there to help you.”
“We were able to handle it, Wes.” She smiled some. “I have more tricks up my sleeve than you may think.”
“I’m sure you do.” He sighed as he looked up towards the ceiling. “But it isn’t just about that. You knew that Carlene is a part of an active investigation, my investigation. Honestly, not calling me, or the police, borders on obstruction of justice. I just don’t understand what you were thinking.”
“Obstruction of justice?” She raised an eyebrow, then took a step back from him.
“Yes.” He caught her hand and tugged her gently back towards him. “I can’t say I’m not bothered by this. She’s obviously hiding something, and the moment that I get my hands on James or Marlin, or whoever he is, he’s going to pay for having a weapon anywhere near you.”
“My weapon, don’t you mean?” A voice from the front door drew both of their attention. Marlin Casen filled the door frame, but didn’t take a step further inside.
“Put your hands up!” Wes drew his gun so fast that Mary stumbled back in reaction.
“Easy, cowboy.” Marlin raised his hands slowly in the air. “You’ve got no reason to point that gun at me. I’m not threatening you, and I’m not here to cause any trouble. I have a right to my gun. Your damsel here, should stop sticking her nose in other people’s business.”
“Keep quiet.” Wes narrowed his eyes.
“Wes, calm down.” Mary placed her hand gently on his shoulder. “He’s right. Unless Carlene is willing to press charges against him, there’s nothing that can be done. There’s no need to get yourself into trouble for my sake, remember it was my choice to walk into that house.”
“I’ll speak to Carlene, I’ll get her to press charges.” Wes kept the gun pointed steadily at Marlin. “Put your hands on your head and turn around.”
“Detective, I can help you with your case. We don’t need to be enemies here.” He kept his hands in the air, but did not turn, instead he looked straight at Wes. “Be smart
about this. Do you want to solve a murder or show off for your girlfriend?”
“You have quite the mouth on you, don’t you?” Wes lowered the gun some. “What do you know about the case?”
“Ah, you’re one of the true detectives left, huh? Willing to be reasonable?” Marlin lowered his hands some as well. “I shouldn’t really share information like this. You’re going to have to calm down, if you want to hear what I have to say.”
“Listen to him, Wes, he knows something about Carlene. He thinks she knows who killed Graham.” Mary kept her hand on Wes’ shoulder, as she could feel how tense his muscles were beneath his shirt. She trusted Wes, but she had no idea how he would react if someone threatened her. Would he be willing to pull the trigger? The thought made her heart pound.
“I’ll listen.” Wes slowly lowered his weapon, then holstered it. “So, let’s hear it.”
“May I come in?” Marlin shifted his attention to Mary.
“Yes.” Mary lingered close to Wes. As much as she wanted to know what Marlin had to say about Carlene, she also didn’t trust him. He seemed to have an answer for everything, while giving no actual information.
“Thank you.” Marlin lowered his hands to his sides then stepped further into the house. Pilot growled as he sniffed around Marlin’s feet.
“Pilot, come here boy.” Suzie summoned the dog as she stepped into the dining room. “Marlin?” She looked from him, to Mary and Wes. “Is everything okay here?”
“Yes, Marlin’s about to tell us exactly how Carlene was involved in Graham’s murder.” Mary stared at him. “Isn’t that right?”
“No, I’m afraid that’s wrong.” Marlin watched the dog as he eased his way further into the room. “But you’re still going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“We’re listening.” Wes positioned himself between the two women and Marlin. “Maybe you could start with an explanation for the fake name and fake identification?”
“That’s just part of the job. I thought Suzie and Mary might look me up, and that they might try to avoid giving me a room if they discovered I was a private investigator. I also thought that they might know or be connected to Graham. I wanted to see if I could get information from them. When I’m on a job, I don’t rent rooms under my name, just in case anything goes sideways with the person that I’m investigating. It’s for my safety, as well as those that run or work at the place I stay at.” Marlin leaned back against the dining room table. “I’m sure that you can understand that, Wes. If you’re undercover, do you use your name?”
