Relic

by Bill Noel

  Theo continued, “I’ll be covering expenses until Grace gets on her feet. Heck, I may even wait tables.”

  With Theo’s walking speed slightly faster than a live oak, I thought, never in a million years.

  I mumbled, “That’s an idea.”

  Grace clapped her hands. “Daddy would say, ‘Enough fi stone dawg.’ ”

  I said, “Which means?”

  “Enough to stone a dog.”

  Theo said, “Which means?”

  Grace chuckled. “An abundance of something. I’m blessed with an abundance of love, opportunity, family.”

  Theo asked before I did, “What’s that have to do with stoning a dog?”

  “Don’t know. Think maybe it means that I have so much that I can do idle things, like stoning a dog.”

  It still didn’t make sense. I also didn’t think it was a good saying to throw around canine-friendly Folly.

  “Grace, when do you think you’ll be opening?”

  “Theo doesn’t own the building for another month, but the man who does says we can get in tomorrow to start working on it. I’m so excited.”

  “Grace, tell Chris what you’re going to name it.”

  Her smile widened. “Teddy’s Place.”

  Theo bobbed his head. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  It was, and I told them so. My phone’s ringtone interrupted their excitement. The screen read, Charles.

  “Chris, this is Charles. Is this a good time to call?”

  The voice was familiar, but the words didn’t sound like any I’d ever heard from my friend.

  “Umm, sure.”

  “I’m at Laurie’s house. Could you come over?”

  “Now?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The conversation was getting stranger by the second. “Charles, is everything okay?”

  He laughed like I’d said something funny. He said, “Nah.”

  “You can’t talk?”

  “That’s right. How quick can you get here?”

  “Five minutes; ten, tops.”

  “A half-hour, good.” He hung up.

  I excused myself to confused looks from my hosts and was in the car seconds later. The rain was pouring harder than it had been overnight. It was still hours before sunset, yet the sky was midnight dark. Water stood on the road, so I had to swerve to miss the deepest puddles.

  I called Cindy as I turned on Laurie’s street. I wanted her to know where I was going, and why. I got her voice mail, left a brief message, asking her to come to Laurie’s house, that something might be wrong.

  I was tempted to wait for her to call back, yet Charles’s tone screamed he needed help now, not later.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Laurie’s MINI, Charles’ vehicle, plus two cars with Florida plates were in the drive. I assumed that they belonged to Dean and Gail. I pulled off the road short of the house to wait for Cindy’s call when I noticed the front door standing open. No doubt, something was wrong. I pulled in the drive, then stopped as close to the house as I could manage. There was a large puddle behind the closest car, so I had to park partially in the yard to avoid the tiny lake. Heavy rain continued, the wind howled. Whoever was inside may not have heard me.

  I grabbed an umbrella from the back seat. The rain was blowing sideways and was so strong I had trouble opening the car door. A lightning bolt startled me enough that I was tempted to return to the car. The rapidly-expanding, large puddle was between me and the house, so I had to walk around it. I was afraid that the umbrella would blow inside out before I made it to the porch. My clothes were soaked by the time I got to the steps.

  Through the open door, I saw it was darker inside than outside. Someone yelled, “Help!”

  A pool of what looked like blood was in the doorway. I yelled, “Hello!” No one responded, or no one I heard.

  The wind whipped around the side of the porch. Not only did I feel like I was in a wind tunnel, the sound of the blast of warm air made it impossible to hear anything in the house. I stepped around the pool of liquid as I moved to the living room. My eyes were getting accustomed to the darkened room. I wished they hadn’t.

  A woman was face down on the floor to the left of the door. I couldn’t see her face, but her hair was the style of Gail’s. There was a steady path of blood from the pool at the front door to the body. It looked like she’d tried to get to the door, was shot or stabbed, then made it back to where she was now before collapsing. She lay still, dead still.

  I shook the sight out of my head as I looked around the room. Dean was on the floor to my right. He was in a seated position with his back against the wall. His left hand was covered with blood and was clutching his stomach. His eyes were closed. I started toward him when he opened his eyes and whispered, “I’ll be okay. Check on Laurie.” He nodded toward the door to the kitchen.

  I turned to look in the direction that he had motioned. The light over the sink was bright enough for me to notice another body. The person was backlit, but I assumed it was Laurie. I stepped closer. The homeowner was lying face up with no visible wounds. She wasn’t moving. I bent down to feel for a pulse when I heard a mumbled, agitated voice from the far corner of the kitchen.

  Charles was on his side with his back to the cabinets. His hands were behind him wrapped together with the cord from a shattered lamp leaning against his side. A dishtowel was stuffed in his mouth.

  Now what do I do? Was Laurie alive? Do I try to help her before untying Charles? Do I dial 9-1-1 instead of waiting for Cindy to return my call?

  Charles was making louder noises and shaking his head. I stood, took a step toward my friend, when I heard the front door slam. Charles mumbled louder as I reached to untie his gag.

  “I’d recommend not doing that,” said someone behind me.

  I jerked around to see Dean five feet away. He appeared well enough to be pointing a handgun at my face.

  “What’s going on?” My gaze went from the gun to his bloody shirt then to his hand dripping blood.

  He looked at his hand. “Oh, the blood. It’s Gail’s. She didn’t need it.” He grinned. “Your friend there said it’d be a half hour before you showed so, when I heard you pull in the drive, I had to improvise. I wiped my hand in the blood beside my dear wife’s silent, silent for once, body to look like I’d been shot. Had to buy time to figure out what to do. Worked, didn’t it?” His grin turned to a smile.

  I found nothing humorous in his comment. I was so shocked that I didn’t hear my phone ring.

  Dean did. He held out his bloodied hand and motioned for me to give him the phone.

  I took it from my pocket, saw that the screen read Cindy, then handed it to him. Without lowering his gun, or taking his eyes off me, he dropped the phone then stomped on it. The screen shattered. My hope for a rescue shattered with it.

  Dean motioned me to take a seat beside my gagged friend. I couldn’t think of a better option, so I sat, my arm touching Charles’s side. I knew that Dean wouldn’t have known I’d been suspicious of Charles’s out-of-character call enough to leave a message for Cindy to come to Laurie’s. Our only hope was to stall long enough for her to get here.

  “Dean, what happened?”

  His smile disappeared. He glanced in the living room. “All I wanted was to save my store. I’m no killer.” He shook his head. “Huh, don’t suppose history will agree. Gail and I knew that Laurie had a map she got from her grandfather. I never knew him. Years ago, he convinced Laurie the map was authentic, that there was buried treasure.

  “Laurie told us the story so many times I could recite it word for word. We knew they’d been looking out near the lighthouse for landmarks marked on the map. Anthony said that things had changed so much they didn’t know if they’d ever find it.”

  Come on, Chief. Where are you? Time to stall longer.

  “If they didn’t know where to look, why’d you show up that night?”

  “Anthony called, all excited. Said they’d found something he
thought would help them find the treasure. He didn’t say what. He said four sets of eyes would have a better chance of finding it than two. Said he’d wait for us before going out there. I knew that Gail wouldn’t go along with stealing the map, or the treasure, from Anthony and Laurie, so I told her the story about going to a meeting in Tallahassee. I came here instead. I called Anthony to say that we wouldn’t be coming. Told him to go without us.”

  “What happened?”

  I was there before they arrived, parked in one of the drives near the entrance to the whatever you call that end of the island. The weather was like tonight, so I figured they wouldn’t recognize my car. I was also afraid they wouldn’t show. There was a break in the rain when they got there.”

  Still no sign the police were on their way. I was close enough to Charles to where I could move my left hand behind his back without Dean noticing. The electric cord was wrapped tight. It was possible, with enough time, that I could wiggle it enough to loosen its grip. With enough time.

  “So you followed them on the old Coast Guard property?”

  “It was getting darker by the minute. I didn’t know who was more stupid, them for coming out on such a horrible night, or me for following. Either way, we were there. My plan was to wait until they found something then step in to steal it. I wasn’t going to kill anyone.”

  I wondered if he thought that Laurie and Anthony would let him steal the treasure without protest. How did he think he wasn’t going to have to kill them?

  “I understand,” I said to stall.

  “You’ve got to believe me,” Dean said. He hesitated then shook his head. “Then it all went south. The rain started again, everything was black. I heard them debating what to do. Anthony finally said for Laurie to stay where she was. He’d find the way out, then come get her. He left. I don’t know how, but he saw me while he was pushing through the underbrush. He grabbed a thick branch off the ground, pointed it at me, and asked what I was doing out there. I could barely see him, although, from what I could see, he knew I was up to no good.”

  Dean took a deep breath. “I started to explain how I needed money. Out of the blue, he lunged at me, raised the branch over his head, like he was going to clobber me.” He looked down at his gun. “I ducked, pulled this out of my pocket. Pulled the trigger.”

  I took that brief opportunity to scoot closer to Charles, getting a better grip on the electric cord. From where I’d been, I managed to loosen it slightly, while Charles was twisting his hands for me to get a better grip on the jumble of wire.

  Still no police.

  “Why shoot at Laurie?”

  “When I was there that terrible night watching the two of them arguing, Laurie stared directly at me. She didn’t say anything. From what I’ve heard, she didn’t mention it to anyone. Hell, maybe with it raining so hard she didn’t see me. I couldn’t take a chance that she’d remember later. I’d already killed her husband. Who’d believe I was defending myself. She had to go.” He nodded toward Charles, then at me. “I didn’t know you and your friend were with her the second time. I came to the wooded area beside her place from the road behind her house. I didn’t see your car. Sorry if I scared you.”

  He’s standing there after killing his wife, me not knowing what happened to Laurie, Charles being tied up and gagged, pointing a gun at my face, and he’s apologizing for scaring us. I’m not looking at a rational man. Where were the police?

  I said, “What happened tonight?” I was making slow, painstakingly slow progress on unknotting the cord.

  Again, he tilted his head toward the living room, and snarled out, “She.” He hesitated, took a deep breath, then continued, “She called to say that she knew what I’d done. I thought she was talking about killing Anthony. I drove up here to talk to her before she blabbed to everyone. Didn’t know what I was going to do. Honest, I didn’t.” He took another deep breath. “I got here, found the three of them huddled in the living room, talking. Figured she’d told Laurie, and your buddy. Know what they were talking about? Know what she thought she knew?”

  I shook my head as I continued making progress with the knot.

  “Said I was having an affair. She was going to leave me. She didn’t know a damned thing about me killing Anthony. Can you believe that?”

  That didn’t explain how the day turned violent. A huge sense of relief filled me when I heard Laurie moan, saw her hand move. Charles’s hands were seconds from freedom. I had no idea what we would do then. I had to keep Dean talking.

  “Then what happened?”

  He shifted his gun’s aim to Charles. “Gail said your friend’s nosy. I got here, and Gail pounced on me with both barrels. She started screaming about my affair. Laurie tried to welcome me. Gail wouldn’t let her get in a word.”

  No surprise. He waved the gun back and forth between Charles and me.

  “She said something about going to scream it to the world, then went to the front door, screaming the entire time. I snapped.” He looked at the gun. “I yanked this out of my pocket. Pulled the trigger. Pulled it twice.” He gave a sinister grin. “It felt good. She stood there, opened and closed her mouth with nothing coming out. A first. A first ever. She staggered to where she is now and collapsed. Laurie screamed and ran to Gail. Your friend started toward me. I pointed it at him. He stopped, put his hands in the air. Smart man.”

  I thought I heard police sirens in the distance. Or was it wishful thinking? I’d pulled the last bit of electric cord from Charles’s wrists. I was afraid that Dean had seen Charles’s arms moving. Fortunately, he was distracted by his story.

  Laurie moaned. Dean glanced at her. “She screamed again and ran toward the kitchen to go out the back door. I took three steps toward her. Smacked her with the gun. She hit the floor like a sack of potatoes.”

  “Why am I here?” I asked.

  “You and your friend have been nosing around. From what Laurie told me, you were good buds with the cops. Sooner or later, you were going to figure out what was going on. Charles was the only smart one in the room. That’s why he’s still alive and Gail isn’t. Laurie will have the headache of the century. I told him to call you.”

  The sirens weren’t my imagination. They were also not close to the house. Dean must’ve heard them as well. His eyes darted around the room. “Time’s up.”

  Any hope Charles and I had was running out. I gave an abbreviated tilt of my head toward the back of the house.

  Charles responded in kind. I figured that, if we separated quickly, then Dean wouldn’t have time to shoot both of us. Either Charles, or I, could get to him. It was the same plan I’d rejected when Captain Gant had confronted us. This time, I didn’t have options.

  I rolled to my right.

  Charles hurled the electric cord at Dean as he jumped up. The cord missed Dean but distracted him enough that he didn’t fire the weapon. Charles reached for Dean’s arm.

  I dove for his legs. I expected a bullet to tear through my body.

  Instead, Dean knocked Charles’s hand away and twisted around enough to point the gun at my friend.

  I slammed into Dean’s left leg with my full weight. His leg buckled, throwing him off balance enough that he didn’t get a shot off before falling awkwardly to the floor. I landed on Dean. The impact with the floor knocked the wind out of him.

  Charles kicked the gun out of his hand.

  Dean pushed up with his elbow, kicking my side before twisting toward Charles then punching him in the stomach. I reached to grab one of Dean’s legs before he stood. I missed.

  Charles was doubled over, gasping for breath. Dean would get away. There was little Charles, or I, could do to stop him.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement beside Dean, saw a tea pitcher shatter over his head. Glass rained down on Charles, me, and Dean who staggered before collapsing.

  Laurie towered over the three of us.

  I could’ve hugged her, would have if Charles hadn’t beaten me to it. His arms were ar
ound her before I caught my breath. He helped her to a kitchen chair.

  She slowly touched her head where Dean’s gun had smacked her.

  I lowered myself back to the floor then felt my side. I’d bet ribs were broken.

  The next thing I remembered was Officer Trula Bishop, along with an officer I didn’t know, storm into the kitchen, weapons drawn. I was alive, so were Charles and Laurie. That was way more important than the pain in my side.

  Epilogue

  “It seems like an eternity since Dean tried to bump us off,” Charles said.

  “Two months, three days,” Laurie said, having caught on to Charles’s penchant for accuracy.

  It was the night before the grand opening of Teddy’s Place. We were seated around two large, round tables in the newly painted and appointed dining room. Grace had put together the special event to celebrate not only her opening, but to honor her father-in-law for giving her the chance to carry her husband’s legacy to the town where his father lives. She also wanted to celebrate Laurie’s life being spared.

  The gathering planned for six of us had expanded to nine, including Theo, the guest of honor, Charles, Laurie, Sal, Stanley Kremitz, Abraham Gant, Barb, and me and, of course, Grace who doubled as chef host.

  I’d suffered two broken ribs. It had only been a week since I wasn’t reminded daily about them. The doctor, who looked like he should have been in elementary school, said that, because of my “advanced age,” recovery would be slower than for younger people. At least he didn’t say because I was ancient.

  Laurie had a concussion, suffered from headaches and occasional memory loss. Her doctor said that it would take months, possibly longer, before she fully recovered. Charles was keeping a close eye on her. He claimed it was what friends did. I knew it was more. Not only was Charles keeping an eye on her, Grace had moved in with her. Instead of paying rent, she was helping fix up the house. They’d become friends with one thing in common. They’d both suffered untimely losses. They had one significant difference. Laurie knew how she wanted to fix up her house, yet didn’t have the skills. Grace was an experienced remodeler. Theo had been sad to see her leave his house but was pleased that she’d made a friend.