by Cindy Bell
“How about tonight? If you’re free?”
“Absolutely.”
After Suzie finished her call with Paul she headed out onto the porch with breakfast for herself, Mary, and Wes.
“Some sustenance.” Suzie smiled as she placed it down on the table. “You two will have to forgive me, I’m just going to grab a slice of toast. I need to take a shower to try to wake up a bit.”
“Why don’t you take a nap?” Mary smiled. “There’s no need to rush off this morning.”
“I’m not much for napping so early in the day, it tends to make me more tired. But a nice shower will wake me right up. Enjoy your breakfast.” Suzie snatched a piece of toast, then headed back into the house.
“Is Suzie holding up okay?” Wes sat down at the table as Mary sat across from him.
“Yes, I think so. She had some trouble sleeping last night.”
“And you? Have you had any trouble after what you saw?”
“Not exactly. Mostly, I just want to know who did this to Graham.” Mary looked into his eyes. “Any other news?”
“I spoke with Marlin’s captain, and he confirmed that he is a retired police officer. He also vouched for him as a good police officer. I’m not sure how much I believe that because of what he did, but it certainly doesn’t sound as if he has a history of being a loose cannon.” He rubbed his hand along his forehead, then shook his head. “Mary, I feel like I’m hitting nothing but dead ends in this case. Graham’s finances were an issue, but not enough of one for me to believe that he had any dealings with criminals or loan sharks.” He stood up and walked to the edge of the deck. “I’ve thought about the fact that maybe Brody’s alibi was fake. The class had over forty students in it, all in coveralls and working on cars. I think it’s possible that he could have slipped out.”
“Wes, take a breath.” Mary stood up. “There’s so much running through your mind right now. You’re going to exhaust yourself.”
“This is my job, Mary.” He turned to face her. “I’m usually pretty good at it.”
“I know you are. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own head, I can’t remember my own name. I worry so much about what I’m not thinking about, that there’s no room in my mind for anything else.” Mary trailed her thumbs along his cheeks in a soothing stroke. “Just take a walk on the beach with me. I’m sure that it will help clear your head.”
“But I should be checking leads and—”
“What leads?” Mary stared straight into his eyes. “Or do you mean going back over the same things you’ve already analyzed thousands of times? Unless you can find some way to place Brody at the garage that morning, there’s nothing to chase.”
“Mary.” He sighed.
“Wes.” She smiled. “It’s a walk on the beach. It’s not going to make you lose focus. I promise. I always think more clearly when I’m in motion. It helps me to relax and let the most important things come to the surface. It’ll settle the noise in your head. I promise.” She slipped her hand into his. “Just this once, maybe try taking my advice?”
“I take your advice all the time.” Wes curled his hand around hers. “You’re the one that decides to walk into a dangerous situation and then not call me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I keep thinking about you walking into the garage so soon after the killer, and then to be at Carlene’s house when Marlin had his gun drawn.” His jaw clenched as he took a short breath. “And to be honest, the fact that you didn’t call me. That is the part that gets to me the most. I’ve tried to let it go, I really have, Mary. But I just don’t understand it. Don’t you trust me?”
“I do.” Mary searched his eyes, then swallowed hard. Was it possible that she didn’t? Trust had been a hard thing for her after her marriage had been shattered by her husband’s behavior. She didn’t know how to look into a man’s eyes and be certain that he would never hurt her. And yet, she wanted to feel that way with Wes. She had no reason not to. It wasn’t fair to punish him for something he never did. “I didn’t call you because Carlene was so frightened. I thought if I did, we would never get any information out of her. I wasn’t thinking like your girlfriend, Wes, I was thinking like a detective.”
“Yes, you were.” He smiled as he studied her. “You missed your calling, you know?”
“Maybe.” She laughed. “Perhaps I should have been working as a detective instead of raising my kids. Or maybe raising kids is the reason I think like a detective.”
“That’s very possible.” Wes chuckled, then slid his arm through hers. “All right, a walk on the beach. I’m going to take your advice.”
Chapter 12
After a shower, Suzie dressed and headed back out to the porch. Mary piled up the plates from breakfast and turned to carry them inside.
“Where’s Wes?” Suzie smiled as she grabbed the remainder of the dishes.
“He had to go. We had a nice walk on the beach first, though.” Mary set the dishes in the sink then took the rest from Suzie and added them to the sink. The subtle clang of the silverware against the stainless-steel sink jarred her nerves.
“I had a thought. I think we need to find out once and for all what Brennan is up to. If he is the killer, then he might do something to implicate himself. We’ve been so focused on Marlin and Brody, but the only one that we know of with a real motive to kill Graham is Brennan. Of course, we can’t be sure it’s any of them, but I think Brennan is the easiest one to find more information about.” Suzie grabbed a sponge and began to wipe down the counters as a rush of water from the faucet began to fill the sink.
“What are you suggesting?” Mary squirted some soap on a cloth and began to wash a plate.
“I think we should follow him. If he’s so bold that he is willing to post his feelings about Graham even after he’s been killed, then I’m willing to bet he’s not going to be too cautious about hiding his guilt. We might be able to catch him in the act of trying to cover something up.” Suzie grabbed a towel and began to dry the dishes that Mary washed.
“That’s a good point. Wes did mention that his alibi couldn’t be verified. We know that Brody has an alibi, and Carlene was knocked out, and honestly we have no idea where Marlin was at the time of the murder. But at least with Brennan we know that he had a problem with Graham, he was furious at him the day before, and that temper might be wild enough to make him commit murder.” She handed over the final dish.
“I’m ready to find out what Brennan is up to.” Suzie grinned.
“It’s worth a shot to find out.” Mary patted the top of Pilot’s head, then smiled at him. “Can you guard the house while we’re gone, boy?”
“Oh yes, quite the security dog.” Suzie grinned as she stroked the dog’s back. “He might just lick them to death.”
“So true.” Mary laughed, then stood up. “Let me gather up a few things for us to snack on in the car.”
“I’ll see if I can figure out where Brennan is by checking his social media.” Suzie pulled out her phone and began to skim through all of the usual places for his name and picture. By the time Mary returned, Suzie knew what Brennan had been up to for the past few hours.
“Right now, he’s having lunch at a place called the Parish Food Stop. I don’t think I’ve ever been there before. Have you?” She looked up at Mary, then laughed at the large bag of snacks that she’d gathered.
“You never know what we might be in the mood for.” Mary smiled as she set the bag on the table. “No, I’ve never heard of it, but I know there are a few little places in Parish that I haven’t been to. Let’s go, maybe we can catch him there if we hurry.”
“All right, Pilot, we’ll be back later.” Suzie lead Pilot to the yard then went to their car. As she buckled her seat belt she realized that they were essentially stalking Brennan. Luckily, they could use the excuse of being obsessed fans if they were caught.
“I found the place.” Mary held up her phone. “Head into Parish, and then we’ll be going west. It’s all
the way at the edge of the city.”
“Great.” Suzie turned on the engine, then pulled out of the parking lot. “It’ll be nice to see some parts of Parish that I’ve never seen before. We haven’t had much chance to explore it.”
“Wes has taken me to a few places, but he tends to be a creature of habit.” Mary paused, then frowned. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Well, we’re not going to get out of the car. We’re just going to see what he is up to.” Suzie drove down the road that led to Parish. It was getting far more familiar to her as they had traveled it so often lately. Suzie took a sharp turn.
“Are we close?”
“Yes, it’s just ahead. Sorry about that, I almost missed the turn.” Suzie straightened the car then glanced at Mary. “You know, at some point, we’re going to have to pick up the SUV.”
“I know.” Mary sighed as she tucked her phone back into her purse. “I’ve been trying not to think about it. We will have to find another mechanic to look at it. But it’s not something that we have to do right away.”
“No, you’re right, it’s not. Here we are.” Suzie turned into the parking lot of a small restaurant. It looked more like an office space, but for the colorful sign that hung above the single, glass door.
“There he is, he’s just coming out.” Mary pointed to the man who descended three stone steps from the front door of the restaurant, then quickly lowered her hand. “Oops, I probably shouldn’t point I guess.”
“Whatever we can do to avoid drawing his attention is best, but I don’t think that he saw you.” Suzie eased the car into a parking spot. “We’ll make it seem like we’re going to park, and as soon as he gets to his car we’ll be able to follow him.”
“Uh oh, he’s coming this way!” Mary gasped.
“Get down, if he sees us, he might recognize us.” Suzie grabbed Mary’s shoulder and pulled her down as she ducked down as well. In the quiet parking lot, they could both hear the sound of his footsteps as he approached. Suzie held her breath as she wondered if it was too late. Perhaps he had already spotted them, and now he would wonder why they were both crouched down inside the car.
Suzie ran through excuses in her mind as to why she had her head under her steering wheel. She hoped that he would turn in another direction, or be distracted by someone nearby. But the footsteps grew closer and closer. Despite the closed car door, each footfall struck Suzie’s senses like a bomb exploding. She never expected him to be parked so close, but she hadn’t bothered to sweep the parking lot to look for his car, either. It was a mistake that she didn’t usually make. Now, she and Mary were about to face the consequences of it. As he neared the car, she held her breath. He walked right beside her, mere inches away, then she heard the footsteps continue past. They hadn’t even slowed.
“I don’t think he saw us.” She peered across the car at Mary.
“Let’s hope not.” Mary eased her head up far enough to look in the passenger side mirror. “It looks like he’s getting into his car.” She straightened up a little further. “I think we’re in the clear.”
“That was close.” Suzie sat up and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. “Good thing we ducked.”
“You’ve got way too much experience with this.” Mary flashed her a grin. “It’s amazing how much I learn from you.”
“From me?” Suzie raised an eyebrow, but kept her gaze fixated on Brennan. “Do you not recall the epic prom stakeout?”
“Oh that.” Mary blushed and stared out through the windshield. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a stakeout.”
“You brought snacks, didn’t you?” Suzie started to back the car out of the parking space as Brennan whipped out of the parking lot.
“Yes, yes I did.” Mary turned another shade of red. “But it was necessary. My son’s prom date wasn’t to be trusted.”
“Sure, sure.” Suzie laughed as she followed behind Brennan. She left enough space for a car to slip in between her car and Brennan’s. However, with the light traffic, no car did. As she hung back at a safe distance she wondered where Brennan might be headed next. It wasn’t long before he turned into a bank. Suzie drove past it, around the block, and caught back up with Brennan’s car as he exited the drive-through.
“So far there isn’t much out of the ordinary.” Mary frowned as they continued to follow Brennan through some residential streets.
“No, there isn’t. But he may be trying to keep a low profile while the case is being investigated.” Suzie slowed down as Brennan turned down a street with a name she recognized. “This is the street he lives on, isn’t it?” She drove past.
“Yes, it is.” Mary double-checked the information on her phone. “He must be on his way home.”
“Let’s come up from a different direction. We can park a few houses away and see if we can get a glimpse of what he’s up to.” Suzie turned down another side street.
“What happened to not getting out of the car?” Mary eyed her as she parked in front of a quiet house with an untended lawn.
“You don’t have to get out of the car. Stay here, and I’ll let you know if anything goes sideways.”
“Ha, there’s not much chance of that.” Mary opened her door before Suzie could even step out. “If you’re getting out, then I’m getting out, too.”
“We’re not going to talk to him, though. We’re just going to take a look, that’s all.” Suzie met her eyes. “I don’t want to take any chances.”
“You’re right, if he’s the killer then he might not like having visitors, especially visitors he recognizes.” Mary gazed at the house. “Maybe we can get a peek in a window.”
“Let’s find out.” Suzie started along the side of the house and was just about to step on the driveway when Mary stopped her.
“Wait!” Mary pressed her hand against Suzie’s shoulder and pushed her back a few steps. “He’s not inside. He’s in the garage.” She put a finger to her lips.
Suzie nodded, and tried to peer around the corner of the garage. She could see that the door was open, and from the clanging sounds that drifted out through the door, she guessed that he was working on something. After a sharp curse, there was another clang, then Brennan emerged from the garage. He stalked towards the front door, and stepped inside. Suzie took the opportunity to peek inside the garage. Sunlight spilled into the garage and bounced off Brennan’s race car.
“He’s working on his car.” Suzie frowned as she snapped a picture of it with her phone. “What kind of killer spends the afternoon working on his car?”
“One without remorse?” Mary’s voice wavered some. “I’m not even convinced by that. But his casual attitude could just be a cover for what he did.” She looked towards the front door at the sound of a subtle click. “Suzie, I think he’s coming back.” She grabbed her hand and tugged her back behind the garage. A second later Brennan headed down the front walkway to the garage door. He carried a bottle of beer in one hand, and a flashlight in the other.
As they leaned close to listen in on his activities, Mary’s pocket began to ring. She gasped as she realized she hadn’t turned the volume down on her phone. She fumbled for it, while Suzie tugged her away from the garage and past the neighbor’s yard to the opposite side street towards her car.
“I’m so sorry, Suzie, I didn’t even think about turning down my phone.” She gulped down several breaths as she tried to steady her heartbeat and calm down.
“It’s okay, Mary. I didn’t turn down mine either. Some detectives we are.” Suzie frowned and glanced over her shoulder. “If he heard it, I don’t think he followed us.”
“It was Carlene.” Mary raised an eyebrow as she looked at her phone. “I should call her back.”
“Go ahead, I don’t think he spotted us. He probably didn’t even hear the phone.” Suzie eased the car into gear and pulled away from the side of the road slowly. If Brennan had noticed she didn’t want him to see a car tearing away from the curb, that would certainly gain his atte
ntion. As she began to drive, she glanced over at Mary, who had the phone up to her ear.
“Carlene? Sorry I missed your call.”
“Mary, I didn’t know who else to call. You’re not going to believe this!”
“What is it?” Mary gestured for Suzie to listen as she pressed the speaker phone button.
“Brennan just threatened me! He showed up at my house, I didn’t even know he knew where I lived. He pounded on the door until I opened it. I wasn’t going to, but he kept knocking so hard. When I answered it, he shouted at me, and told me if I said anything about what happened to Graham, he would come back to shut me up for good!” Carlene gasped out her words. Her voice wavered as she took another heavy breath. “I’m so scared, Mary.”
Chapter 13
Mary’s heart pounded against her chest. She would have believed the fear in Carlene’s voice, had it not been for the fact that she and Suzie had been following Brennan for quite some time. Carlene was a very good actress, she managed to sound terrified, when Mary was sure every word she said was a lie.
“I’m so sorry that happened.” Mary met Suzie’s eyes briefly, before Suzie turned her eyes back to the road. “Is he still there, now?”
“No, he left a few minutes ago. I would call the cops, but I just can’t risk it. Do you think you could let the detective know? I’m sure he’ll be able to track Brennan down.” Her voice evened out as she continued. “I never would have thought he was capable of this, but clearly he is.”
“Are you safe, now?” Mary did her best to sound concerned. But she was more shocked than concerned. Not only had Carlene concocted this story, but she wanted to draw herself and Suzie into it, along with Wes. It seemed to her that Carlene’s intention was to put the focus of the investigation on Brennan.
“Yes.” Her voice shuddered. “If I ever have to see him again I think I might die from fear. He’s such a nasty man.”
“I’m so sorry you went through that. Brennan does seem to have a temper. Make sure you stay safe.” Mary looked over at Suzie, who shook her head as she narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t we come to check on you? We could stay with you until Wes finds Brennan.”
