SONGBIRD (JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES Book 1)

by Gail Meath

  Tim started walking away, then he turned around. “You know. These musicals are pretty good. No wonder Carla has been bugging me to take her to one.”

  17

  Roommates

  Jax watched the rest of the show from the sidelines, enjoying most of it. Yet, he was also studying those around him who were involved with the production behind the scenes. By the time the performers lined up on stage for the curtain call, he had a pretty good idea who the director might be.

  Laura rushed off the stage before the curtain had dropped for the last time. She grabbed Jax’s hand and dragged him into her dressing room. Annie was there, and he told them that the manager at the apartment hadn’t seen Mister Beacham in the past few days.

  “The landlord didn’t know where he was?” Laura asked.

  “No, I’m sorry.” He could tell both women were beside themselves with worry. “Laura, the stage manager said that he spoke with Mister Beacham on Monday. Maybe he did go out of town, and the stage manager misunderstood about him visiting a sister. I looked around his apartment. It was furnished very simply with nothing that seemed out of place.” He’d decided not to mention the gold locket right now. There was no point in further upsetting her, at least not until they confirmed who the necklace belonged to. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “Isn’t there some other way we can find out where he went? He doesn’t have a car, so he’d have to travel by train if he went any great distance,” Laura told him.

  He reached over to hug her, then he pulled fretting Annie into his embrace, too. “We’ll find him. As you know, I have a few connections at the police department. I’ll make some phone calls. Annie, why don’t you help Laura change? I’m going to ask around to see if someone else knows where he may have gone. I won’t be long, so wait for me here. Both of you. We’ll give you a ride home, Annie.”

  Jax left the dressing room, and the man he’d pegged as the director was talking with a few of the performers. He stepped closer and overheard their conversation, which confirmed his assumption. After the performers left, Jax introduced himself to the man, and they conversed for a few minutes. When he asked about Mister Beacham, the director told him that he only knew what the stage manager had reported to him. Then, without divulging anything of importance, Jax casually asked about any new manuscripts that he may have received from Horace Beacham lately.

  “I haven’t seen any, but if Horace has a new script, it’s probably in his file cabinet in the music room down the hall.”

  Jax glanced back at Laura’s dressing room. He didn’t have time to search for it now, not without mentioning it to Laura. Besides, he figured there was no rush in it anyway. If Beacham didn’t take the manuscript with him, it would either still be in the file cabinet in the morning or someone else had already taken it. So, he thanked Mister Rosenberg and made his way back to the dressing room.

  They drove to Queens, where Annie lived with her son and his family. Laura sat in the back seat with Ace while Annie talked Jax’s ear off about her grandkids. Finally, they dropped her off and headed for Brooklyn.

  “Murph and I watched the performance for a while. He had never seen a Broadway play, and he really enjoyed it. I thought you were wonderful. There were several curtain calls, so it went well.”

  “It did, surprisingly. I’m sorry for sounding so jittery. You have enough to worry about. But Mister Beacham is such a dear man. I’m just so worried about him.”

  “I understand. Like I said, nothing looked out of the ordinary at his apartment. If he had any type of traveling bag, I didn’t find it. So, he probably did take a short holiday.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Why don’t you tell me more about him? How do you know he doesn’t have any family?”

  “It’s very sad.” She explained about what he and his wife had gone through in Romania, and how they ended up living here. Then, she talked on about how he had taken her under his wing after she was hired, and that he was so helpful and supportive, even offering to work a few extra hours with her at the theater.

  Jax didn’t say anything else. She seemed a bit calmer now, but he was still worried. From what she’d said, it didn’t sound like Beacham would be involved in any of this. Yet, she’d only had a business relationship with the man and didn’t know him personally. Any stories that he had told her about his past, could be just that. Stories. Although, the apartment manager had seemed to like the man, too, and hadn’t seen anything unusual going on there.

  Still, Beacham had worked for the Ashworths at the theater, and he kept the gold locket under his pillow as though it had sentimental value to him. So, he wasn’t about to dismiss the man’s guilt.

  After Jax parked the car, he walked Laura up to her apartment. “I want you to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll make a few calls first thing in the morning and let you know if I find out anything.”

  “I appreciate it, Jax,” she said as they walked down the hallway. She pulled out her apartment key, but he smiled at her and took the key to open the door for her.

  Just as he lifted his hand to insert the key into the doorknob, he stopped. The door was ajar. With his other arm, he gently moved Laura behind him. “Wait here.” And he pushed the door open.

  Laura gasped when they saw the apartment had been ransacked, and Jax cursed under his breath. Cautiously, he took a few steps inside. He scanned the kitchen and living areas and checked behind the door. Every cupboard and drawer had been left open with their entire contents, boxes, and cans of food, and silverware dumped on the floor. Even the icebox had been emptied. In the living room, chairs and tables were overturned, cushions tossed about, and the vase that held the flowers he’d given her was smashed with only remnants of the petals strewed about.

  Laura was stunned as she came up behind him. He quickly turned around and held her by the shoulders. “Please, Laura, stay in the hall. I want to make sure whoever did this is gone.”

  She covered her mouth to stifle her tears, and she backed away. Jax slowly walked through the destruction to her bedroom, and it looked like a cyclone had hit the entire place. Her dresser drawers were left open and empty with clothes thrown about. So, too, was her closet. And the mattress of her bed had been flipped over. When he was sure no one else was in the apartment, he made his way back to her.

  She stood there, struggling not to cry, and he pulled her into his arms. “Where is the manuscript that Sam Sanders gave you?”

  “I have it in my handbag.”

  He wiped the tears from her eyes and brushed a few curls from her face to look at her. “The place is a mess, but I want you to grab a few things. You’re going to stay with me and Ace, tonight.”

  She nodded.

  “We’ll come back tomorrow to clean it up, okay. Just take what you need for the night. I’ll come with you.”

  He kept her close to him with his arm around her as they walked into the bedroom. She remained quiet as she knelt on the floor and began picking through the clutter. She stuffed a few things into her handbag, and Jax walked her out. He locked the door, and they made their way to his car.

  They drove in silence to his apartment. Inside, he left her and Ace on the couch while he went into his bedroom and set her handbag down. Then, he grabbed two bottles of beer from the icebox. When he entered the living room, Ace had laid his head in her lap, and she was petting him. He handed her the bottle and sat on the other side of her.

  “Who would do that, Jax?” she asked softly.

  “Let’s not talk about it now. You’re safe here.”

  “Why did you ask about my copy of the manuscript? Is that what they were looking for?”

  He fell silent.

  Laura suddenly leaned forward, firmly set the bottle of beer down on the table, and stood up, startling both Jax and Ace. “I know I’m upset. I have every right to be between Mister Beacham, and now, my apartment. But I am not a child,” she said as she swallowed hard to stop herself from crying. “There’s something you
aren’t telling me, isn’t there? You’re always making some wisecrack to lighten the mood, especially in a precarious situation. You haven’t done that once tonight. So, I know you’re keeping something from me. Like when you didn’t tell me that we were being followed at the amusement park. But I’m directly involved now, Jax, so I need you to tell me. Please.”

  He watched her. “You’re right. I didn’t realize how well you’re getting to know me. Last week, I was more honest and open with you about the case than I was with Murph. But things are different now. I care about you, Laura, and I guess because of that, and the fact that you are directly involved, I’ve lost my sense of humor.”

  She stood there for a moment. Then, she sat down beside him and smiled. “Well, it’s too out of character for you, Detective Diamond. As corny as they are, I prefer hearing your wisecracks when things get tense. And don’t let a few of my tears throw you off. I’m stronger than you think.”

  He lifted her hand and held a kiss upon it. “Oh, I know you are, Miss Graystone. And I will tell you everything that happened today but in the morning. There isn’t anything that either of us can do about it right now since it’s nearly one o’clock. I’ll make us a nice breakfast, and we’ll have a long talk to figure out what we do next. I promise.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “Thank you. Now, who gets the bed?”

  “You do, of course. I have extra blankets and pillows in the cupboard. Ace and I will be just fine and dandy sleeping out here on this small, hard sofa.”

  She quickly kissed his cheek. “Good night, Jax.” As she headed into the bedroom, Ace leaped down and followed her. He glanced back at Jax for a second, then slipped inside the room just before Laura closed the door.

  “Find friend you are, Ace,” Jax grumbled.

  18

  The Missing Ring

  Thursday, June 7

  “You’re wrong about Mister Beacham, Jax,” Laura insisted as they sat at the table the next morning, eating scrambled eggs and buttered toast. Jax had explained everything to her, right down to Kitty Cooper’s gold locket. “It’s difficult enough thinking that Robert Ashworth is capable of killing someone, possibly two people, but I know Mister Beacham had absolutely nothing to do with this.”

  “I’m struggling with that, too, but we’ve got evidence that points to his guilt. At least I think we do. Tim’s going to talk with Kitty Cooper’s maid and see if she can confirm the necklace belonged to Kitty.”

  “Well, I think that finding Mister Beacham takes precedence over everything else.”

  “I told you. Murph has a few men working on it. They’ll let us know as soon as they find out anything. The first thing I want to do is go to the theater to see if Mister Beacham’s copy of the manuscript is in his file cabinet. Since you don’t have a performance tonight, I was wondering if the back door to the theater would be open?”

  “The maintenance crew is usually there by eight o’clock. I’m going with you.”

  He nearly choked on his coffee. “Over my dead body! I’m not putting you in any more danger. Whoever broke into your apartment last night was looking for the manuscript, and they didn’t find it. So, their next step is forcing you to tell them where it is. That’s why you’re staying put right here with Ace. One of Murph’s officers is already on his way over to keep an eye on you, too.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I am not staying here like some prisoner. Besides, you don’t have any legal right to be in the theater without a search warrant. So, they’ll just boot you out of there. You need me to get you inside.”

  He opened his mouth to object, but he knew she was right and let out a defeated sigh instead.

  “I also want to go to my apartment sometime today to straighten up and pack a few more things. I agree that I shouldn’t stay there right now, but I’m going to talk to Jeanie and Margie. I know they won’t have any objections to letting me stay with them for a while. I’m very grateful to you, Jax, but I feel bad putting you out like this. It couldn’t have been comfortable sleeping on that sofa.”

  “I’m stomping my foot on that idea,” he told her. “If you stay with your friends, then you’re putting them in danger, too, whether you tell them what’s going on or not. At least here, you’re safe since you have both me and Ace.” She fell silent. “And we’re giving your copy of the manuscript to Murph to keep at the station. I don’t want to lose that copy. If push comes to shove, we’ll use it as bait to catch Robert Ashworth or whoever is behind this in the act.”

  “Jax, remember when you explained to me that a motive was needed to convict a criminal? You mentioned before that Patricia Sanders was having trouble getting a divorce, so that would be her motive for her husband’s death, right? But after you overheard the conversation yesterday at the Ashworth’s mansion, it seems that Robert had two motives for killing Samuel Sanders. Being with his wife and retaining the rights to his manuscript.”

  “That’s why Ashworth is still my top suspect.”

  She nodded. “We also know that Robert and Kitty Cooper were having a secret affair. Jeanie is the one who told me that she’d heard rumors about it, but Margie said she saw the two of them at that cafe on Fulton Street sometime over the winter. They were arguing and Kitty stormed out. So, he possibly has a motive for killing Kitty Cooper, too. But now, you think Mister Beacham was involved in her death? What would be his motive?”

  “I can’t answer that yet. All I know is that I found that gold necklace in his apartment, and if it did belong to Kitty, he’s involved with all of this, somehow.”

  “Okay, take Mister Beacham out of it for a minute since I don’t believe he’s involved,” she went on thoughtfully. “I think we’re both sure that neither Patricia Sanders nor Robert Ashworth would risk murdering anyone on their own. With their wealth, they would hire other people to take care of the task for them. How did Kitty Cooper die?”

  “An overdose of chloroform after some thugs broke into her apartment,” he told her. “And they deliberately made it look like a robbery to throw the police off their trail. The same men might have broken into your apartment last night, which is why...”

  “Yet, in Mister Sanders’ case, he was killed by eating some poisonous plant. I don’t know, Jax. If Robert Ashworth hired those men to kill Kitty Cooper, why not pay them to kill Mister Sanders in the same manner? Especially since those men got away with it. It doesn’t seem to me that the two murders are related.”

  “Except that in both cases, we found a white lily in their possession.”

  “Even so, the horrible way poor Mister Sanders died was very different than the way Kitty was killed. Doesn’t his death seem far more calculating and personal?”

  “Good point,” he muttered.

  She stood up and started collecting their plates. “If I’m going to stay here, I insist on washing the dishes. I can’t cook, so it’s the least I can do. Then, we’ll take our little trip to the theater.”

  Jax groaned. “I’m too tired to argue with you.”

  “We’re also going to have to come up with a believable story to tell Jeanie and Margie. Jeanie especially will notice right off that I’m not at my apartment or answering the phone. Nothing slips by her. And I don’t want either of them knowing that I’m staying with you. They will both take that way out of context.”

  “We’ll think of something.”

  She placed the dishes in the sink, and her mind was spinning in every direction. “You know. I can’t stop thinking about Missus Ashworth. If her son is involved in this, I can’t imagine how she’ll react. She both coddles and ridicules Robert, but he’s her only son. This could destroy her.”

  “It’s not like she’s completely innocent, Laura,” Jax told her. “She paid someone a lot of money to quash the investigation against her son in the Kitty Cooper case, and she managed to keep his name out the newspapers.”

  Within the hour, they entered the back door of the Ambassador. Immediately, they were met by a few of t
he maintenance crew who recognized Laura and greeted them. She led the way upstairs towards her dressing room, but instead, they continued down the hallway to the music room. Jax made sure no one else was around before opening the door, then they slipped inside and found Mister Beacham’s file cabinet against the far wall.

  “Which drawer do you want to look in?” Jax asked.

  “There are only two drawers, Jax. Pick one.”

  He chose the bottom drawer, pulled it out, and sifted through it. Yet, between the two of them, it wasn’t long before they were both disappointed that they didn’t find anything. “I had a feeling it wouldn’t be here.”

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “I have another idea that you’re not going to like very much. I’m assuming Robert Ashworth has an office somewhere here in the theater. I didn’t see his car out front, so I thought that we could take a quick peek.” He watched her hazel eyes grow wide and aghast, and he started laughing. “Hey, you insisted on coming here with me today. Think of it as another fun adventure.”

  She shook her head, heaved an irritated sigh, and headed for the door. “His office is upstairs. If we’re caught, I’m going to be fired.”

  Rather than sneak around like thieves, Laura and Jax boldly walked across the stage to the left side of the theater as though they had a justifiable purpose. Silently, they climbed the wooden stairway to the second floor. Laura stopped at the top to make sure the coast was clear, then she led Jax to the second door at the end of the small hallway.

  She turned around and folded her arms. “I’ll stay out here and knock on the door if I hear someone coming. I feel guilty enough doing this. I don’t want to go in there.”