An Equal Measure of Murder

by B. T. Lord

  Cammie leaned over and started to pull the door open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the broom wedged between the dishwasher and refrigerator lurch forward. She managed to grab it before it crashed to the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief as she laid it down to avoid a mishap that would alert Andrew someone was in the house. As she straightened, she saw what looked like the strings of a bag peeking out from where the broom had stood. She pulled it out and saw that it was an old, slightly worn velvet bag. Perplexed by her strange find, she opened it up and saw it contained photos. She took them out. Then clapped her hand over her mouth when she saw what they were. A creaking sound from the staircase caused her to shove the pictures into the pouch and zip them up in the inside pocket of her parka.

  She withdrew her pistol and slowly made her way into the living room. She immediately noticed someone had been in the house. The overturned romance book was sitting on the end table and the shattered lamp was gone.

  It had to be Andrew.

  She approached the stairs where she saw a bathroom tucked between the wall and the landing. She calculated the sound she’d heard had come from this direction. The bathroom door was partly open. Was he standing behind it?

  “Come out Andrew,” she said. “I know you’re in there.” There was no response. “I am armed and will shoot if you don’t come out right now.”

  Still no response. Cammie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, mentally and physically preparing herself to storm the bathroom.

  The next few moments occurred in a blur. As she took a step towards the bathroom, a closet that was under the stairs suddenly burst open and a figure flew at her. Before she could respond, she was shoved violently against the wall. Her revolver skidded across the floor as she fell backwards. She scrambled to get up, only to fall again when she felt a sharp blow against her temple. The room blinked out as she lost consciousness.

  Cammie awoke with a moan. She had a splitting headache and her face felt wet. Touching her cheek with her fingers, she saw they were smeared with blood. Slowly, she remembered what happened – a memory that made her angry for allowing herself to be taken by surprise.

  Shaking her head gently to clear her vision, she noticed she was lying on a dirt floor, bathed in red light. She looked about and immediately recognized she was in the dark room. Using the wall as leverage, she forced herself up to a standing position. She walked across the room and tried the door.

  It was locked.

  She was trapped.

  Her eyes roamed the room, trying to find some possible means of escape. Unfortunately, the red light was dim and distorting. If she had any hopes of discovering a way out, she’d have to walk up to the walls and feel her way around. She started to make her way around the table that sat in the middle of the room when she suddenly tripped and was thrown forward onto the floor.

  “What the hell—” she exclaimed when she landed on her hands and knees. She waited for a moment to catch her breath, then, leaning against the table, managed to get to her feet. She looked down to see what she’d tripped over and gasped aloud.

  This can’t be right.

  She took out her phone. It had no bars, but she wasn’t looking to make a phone call. Instead, she turned on the flashlight and aimed the light in front of her.

  “Shit,” she murmured.

  It was Andrew. And he was dead.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Cammie shone the flashlight over his body and saw blood congealing on his chest. Kneeling down, she pulled up his shirt. She sat back on her heels, shocked to see he’d been shot in the chest.

  It made no sense.

  Continuing her examination, she was perplexed to see what looked like mortar dust all over the dead man’s hands. What had he been doing before he was killed? Did the mortar dust have something to do with his death? Yet what could it be? Why would Splash shoot him and dump him in the basement?

  As she sat on the floor next to the corpse, it suddenly occurred to her that the two must have worked together to get rid of Violet. She’d seen cases where one criminal turned on the other for many reasons, including the need to keep the other quiet. Is that what happened here? Had Andrew grown remorseful over killing his mother and was about to spill the beans? Had Splash killed him to keep their secret safe?

  Yet why had he dumped Andrew in such a visible place? It was high tide outside. A storm was coming in. He could have easily taken Andrew out in the same boat he’d used for the mannequin and dumped the body further out to sea. The gale force winds and rain would have done the rest.

  Had there been an argument? Had Splash lost his temper and shot Andrew? Had he then panicked and dumped the body in the dark room?

  But why the dark room? What was down here to lure the two murderers? Or, she wondered, was it possible she and Ellis were wrong? Had Andrew been innocent all along? Had he asked to meet Splash down here to confront him? He knew about the argument between his mother and the caretaker. Had he put two and two together? Was he planning to avenge Violet’s death in some way only to find out – too late - how deluded he’d been that he could singlehandedly apprehend the murder?

  Whatever happened, Cammie knew that it was only a matter of time before Splash came back. She had to find a way out. Thank God she’d left messages telling Ellis where she was going. If she could stay alive long enough, he’d show up and stop the unthinkable from happening.

  She stood up and slowly walked around the room, using the flashlight to help her search for some way out. She ran her hand along the brick wall, remembering the mortar dust on Andrew’s fingers. Was it possible there was another door that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye? Had he been trying to find it when time ran out for him?

  It was slight, but it gave her a ray of hope. She now hurried her step, flashing the light as she went along the wall, looking for any place where the bricks had been moved or dug out. She caught her breath when she saw the hole near the bottom of the far wall. Scrambling onto her hands and knees, she pulled on the bricks. One gave way. Then another. She shoved her fingers inside, but instead of coming up against more bricks, she touched what felt like a box. She pulled it out and saw that it was an old cigar box. She was about to toss it aside when it occurred to her it might contain a key. She flung it open. And recoiled in horror.

  “Jesus,” she said aloud.

  At that moment, she heard footsteps outside the door. She shoved the box back into the wall and pushed a brick in front of it. A moment later, the door opened, and a figure stood in the doorway. As he walked within the light of the bulb, Cammie’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Jesus,” she repeated.

  Ellis threw his phone down angrily on the seat next to him. He’d been trying to reach Cammie for the past half hour, but it kept going to voicemail. He felt fear snaking down his back. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He could taste it. She was in danger.

  He slammed his foot on the gas and careened down the road, oblivious to his own danger as the car bounced back and forth along the one lane highway. Suddenly his phone rang and he grabbed it.

  “Deputy, it’s Molly Mulroney. I’ve got you on speaker phone.”

  “I’m here too, deputy,” Splash echoed. “We called to tell you the green coupe is missing.”

  “You just can’t keep your nose out of things no matter where you are,” Teddy replied as he stepped inside the dark room. In his hand, pointed at her, was Cammie’s revolver.

  Quickly recovering from her shock over her’s and Ellis’ miscalculation, she replied in a calm voice, “Why did you kill her, Teddy? Why did you kill your own mother?”

  “I had to, Sheriff. She was about to betray the family.”

  “Is that what you call it? Betraying the family?”

  “Of course. That information has stayed within the family all these years and will continue to remain within the family.”

  “What information?”

  She flinched when she saw a light in his eyes – was it madn
ess? – flare before he blinked it away.

  “Don’t bullshit me, Sheriff.”

  “What about Andrew? Why did he have to die?”

  “Because he had no backbone. He was told what to do, but as usual, he was unable to follow through. It’s humiliating to admit we shared the same blood. It fell to me to carry it out.”

  Cammie’s mind raced, trying to decipher what Teddy was telling her. Was Andrew supposed to murder Violet? Is that why he was dead? Because he couldn’t do it?

  “It’s not that easy, Teddy. Both your mother and brother are dead. Their deaths will be investigated. Your family will be investigated. It will all come out.”

  “No, it won’t. You’re going to give me the velvet bag you have in your parka and the box you shoved back into the wall. Once I make those disappear, there will be no more proof. Your body will be taken far out to sea where no one will ever find you.”

  Cammie’s heart raced. How the hell did he know about the velvet bag and cigar box? Had he somehow been watching her?

  “If nothing else, you’ll be arrested for murder. It won’t be hard to find out you were never on Thursday’s ferry.”

  Teddy walked further into the room. “Let me worry about that.”

  “You won’t get away with it.”

  He laughed, and Cammie felt her head swim. What the hell was going on here? Was it the poor lighting? Was it the blow to her head? Had Teddy’s face suddenly changed?

  She blinked her eyes and whatever she’d seen – or thought she’d seen – was gone. Only Teddy remained. A very dangerous and delusional Teddy.

  Cammie thought fast. She had to survive, not only for her own sake, but for what was in the cigar box and in her parka pocket.

  “You know, I think you’re right,” she suddenly said. “I can perfectly understand why you did what you did.”

  He lifted a surprised eyebrow. “Is that right?”

  “Sure. Your family’s reputation has always meant everything to you. Certainly more than to your brother and sister. Definitely more than to your mother. People look up to the Munsons in Twin Ponds. I’m sure it’s no different here. I can see where you’d do everything in your power to protect your good name.”

  “I think you can understand that,” he said softly. “There are things in your past that you’ve never spoken of. Even when Eli Kelley was murdered, you made sure to keep your own secrets hidden.”

  “Exactly.” She smiled at him. “So I get it. I really do.”

  From the road, Ellis saw the two vehicles with the Paradise Cove Hotel logo parked in front of the house. He parked a short distance away and continued on foot. He saw the broken police tape near the kitchen door. Withdrawing his pistol, he cautiously entered.

  The darkness and oppression that Cammie had felt now descended upon him. He had the strangest feeling that he needed to get out. That someone didn’t want him here. He ignored the feelings as he checked out the kitchen. He saw the broom lying on the floor, hoping to God it didn’t mean anything. Turning into the living room, he saw a painting that had been hanging up on the wall that morning now lying on the rug. Swiveling his head, the door to the basement stood open. He took a deep breath and let it out. Then started forward.

  “You might be able to get away with killing your mother and brother. But if you kill a law enforcement officer, you will have every cop up and down the Eastern Seaboard on your ass. They won’t rest until they catch you.”

  “So what am I supposed to do? Let you go just like that?”

  “You can let me go, then we can talk about it.”

  Teddy laughed, his voice echoing throughout the room. “You’re a lot more amusing than I ever imagined, Sheriff Farnsworth. It’s too bad we won’t have time to enjoy each other’s sense of humor.”

  Cammie heard a faint sound from somewhere behind Teddy. It could have been a mouse. Or it could be the cavalry. Whatever it was, she noticed Teddy hadn’t heard it. She had to keep it that way.

  “You know Teddy, that trick with the mannequin was pretty good. You really had me convinced I’d seen a corpse tossed into the water. What I don’t understand though is, if you went through all that trouble and danger to see if it would float ashore, why did you end up throwing your mother off a cliff?”

  “It was her fault, as usual. We were going to take a nice boat ride – just she and I – where unfortunately, she’d meet with a terrible accident and end up overboard. Unfortunately, she found what she found, and I had to act fast.”

  Cammie frowned. “Wait a minute. You were planning on killing her before she betrayed the family?”

  Teddy shook his head. “There were two betrayals, you idiot. The first occurred when she pulled the family’s financial accounts out of my firm. The firm my grandfather started. The firm my father built up.”

  “You made some bad investments, huh?”

  “Everyone makes mistakes. But she wouldn’t see that. She refused to see how her actions would destroy the family’s reputation – my reputation. I still might have been able to change her mind. But it was the ultimate betrayal that left me no choice.”

  Cammie kept her eyes on Teddy, but she saw a shadow flit behind him.

  It was now or never.

  She opened her fingers and watched as her phone fell to the floor. “Oh, sorry,” she said as she bent down to pick it up. In one swift movement, she rolled under the table and came up behind the body of Andrew Munson.

  Ellis crept down the basement steps, following the sound of voices. The door to the darkroom was open and he saw a shadow moving back and forth in the dim red light. He heard Cammie speaking to someone; the phone call with the ferry captain led him to guess who she was speaking to.

  “I was getting ready to pull away from the dock when I saw him climb over the barrier and run down the gangplank,” the man explained to him less than an hour ago. “Moron. He could have fallen into the water. If it had been summer, I guarantee you I would have had him arrested for endangering himself and the ship.”

  Now as Ellis eased his way towards the door, he quickly went through several scenarios. He had to get Cammie out of there alive. He would settle for nothing less.

  He peered around the corner of the door and saw that Teddy had his back to him. He stifled a gasp when he spied Cammie standing by the table. She was covered in blood, droplets falling onto the front of her parka from a gash in her forehead. A powerful anger welled up inside. He wanted nothing more than to destroy Teddy Munson for hurting her. It took all his training to push down his emotions. If he was going to rescue Cammie, he needed to keep a level head.

  He watched as she continued to engage Teddy in conversation. Suddenly, she dropped her phone. In a fluid motion, she rolled under the table, keeping what looked like a dark bundle between herself and Teddy. He quickly understood what she’d done. He stepped into the doorway, his gun extended and pointed at Teddy.

  “Put your weapon down NOW!” Ellis shouted.

  “Well played sheriff,” the murderer growled as he glowered at Cammie.

  Her blood turned cold. It wasn’t Teddy’s voice.

  He slowly turned around until he was facing Ellis. “I’m not telling you a second time,” Ellis yelled. “Throw your gun on the floor.”

  Teddy continued to silently watch Ellis. The basement grew quiet. The only sounds came from the three as they inhaled and exhaled. Each waited for the other to make a move. Cammie angrily brushed aside the blood from her eyes as it continued to drip down from the cut on her temple. She felt helpless. If her gun was used to kill Ellis, she’d never forgive herself. She had to do something.

  But what?

  She looked down at the corpse in front of her. And made her decision.

  “Andrew’s alive!” she shouted.

  Christ, what was she doing? Ellis thought frantically. Then it all became crystal clear.

  Teddy pivoted on his heel as he raised the gun to shoot Cammie. Or Andrew. It didn’t matter. What mattered is that she’d distra
cted him enough to allow Ellis to get off a clean shot. He fired and watched as the bullet hit its target. Teddy’s neck exploded in blood. Cammie’s gun flew from his hand as he fell to the floor. While Ellis hurried to him, Cammie ran towards her gun and grabbed it. The deputy felt her at his elbow as he knelt down beside Teddy.

  As his life ebbed away, a cold grin tugged at his mouth. Both Cammie and Ellis caught their breath as they both witnessed the change in his face. For a split second, it was no longer Teddy’s face. It was that of an old man’s, his features dark and menacing. It was a face they both recognized from the photo album they’d studied in what felt like a thousand years ago. He glared malevolently at them, the hate chilling the two officers. Then Teddy gurgled, blood foaming around his mouth. The evil face vanished instantly when he gave one last breath and died.

  “Are you alright?” Ellis said as he took in the blood smeared over Cammie’s face and parka. It took all his efforts not to grab her and pull her into his arms in relief and joy that she was alive. “Did he hurt you?”

  She grinned. “I have a pretty hard head.”

  “Is Andrew--?” She shook her head. “I only heard bits and pieces of the conversation. What did he mean when he talked about Violet’s ultimate betrayal?”

  “It’s best if I show you.’

  She went to the wall where she removed the brick and withdrew the cigar box. She then unzipped the inner pocket of her parka and took out the velvet bag, handing both to Ellis. He wordlessly opened them and took out the photos. Using the flashlight on his cellphone, he shone the light on them. And paled at what he saw.

  “My God,” he whispered.

  There were several color photographs in the cigar box. They showed corpses in several posed positions, each staring lifelessly up at the lens. One of the women and two of the men were nude while the others were dressed in blood-soaked clothing. “This afternoon before we discovered that Andrew was missing, I did some research regarding the disappearances you’d mentioned when we were on the boat. I think these are pictures of those missing people.”