by Cindy Bell
Jo decided to try his office first. That might be where he hid important details about his double life. She found it on the ground floor not far from the front door. When she began to shuffle through the paperwork on the desk, her heart rate spiked. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe because she was in a police chief’s home office, illegally, which could mean going back to prison for life. It occurred to her that she had put herself in a very precarious position without even much of a second thought.
“I must be bored.” Jo sighed as she came across a locked drawer. She easily picked it, and inside were several stacks of cash. She tensed as she saw them. By her estimate there was well over one hundred thousand dollars in the drawer. That was not something that most people would leave in their office, not even in a safe. She snapped a few pictures, then froze.
If she wasn’t mistaken that was the sound of the front door being eased open. Her heart caught in her throat as she eased the drawer closed. There was no window in the office, and nowhere to hide. There was no way to escape. She boldly stepped through the office door and discovered Hank Greer just inside his front door.
He gazed back at her without a trace of surprise in his eyes. She realized that somehow he knew she was there.
“Do you want to tell me what you’re doing in my house?” He stared hard at her from across the room.
She couldn’t ignore the gun on his hip. He had the right to use it. She had broken into his house.
“Take it easy.” Jo raised her hands slowly into the air. “I’m not armed.”
“I don’t care if you’re armed or not.” Hank crossed most of the hall in three long strides, but still left some distance between them. “I want to know why you’re here.”
“Just looking for some cash. That’s all.” She continued to stare at him, not at his face, but at his shoulders, his elbows, and the curve of his relaxed fingers. She waited for the subtle twitch that would indicate he was about to reach for his weapon. It would give her less than a second to dive out of the way.
“Cash? Aren’t you a little old for breaking into places?” Hank swept his gaze over her. “What are you, forty? Forty-two?”
She tried not to be flattered. It was not the type of situation where she should be.
“I didn’t take anything. All right?” She forced a smile to her lips. “No harm no foul, right?”
“Plenty of foul.” He took another step towards her, leaving only a few feet between them. “Do you know who I am?”
“Someone who likes large houses and doesn’t like dogs?” Her hands still hovered in the air.
“Lady, you broke into the wrong house.” He rested his hand on his hip, where the gun was hidden by the hem of his shirt.
“Call the police.” She swallowed thickly. “Have me arrested.”
“I don’t think so.” His lips curved into a slow smile.
The ice in his eyes sent a bolt of fear through her. He had no intention of calling the police.
“I didn’t take anything. You can see for yourself. Nothing.” A shudder carried up along her spine.
“What did you see?” He took another step towards her and looked into her eyes.
“Nothing. I didn’t even have a chance to look around. You caught me so fast. I really did break into the wrong house.” Jo kept her tone respectful, careful not to move, or give him any reason to draw his weapon.
“You’re lying.” He squinted. “And not well, either.”
“I’d like to leave here alive. What is that going to take?” Jo focused on keeping herself calm, with steady even breaths.
“I’m not a murderer.” Hank smiled. “But I don’t like it when someone breaks into my home.” He gestured to the front door. “Go ahead, leave.”
Jo didn’t move, only continued to stare.
“I’m not going to shoot you in the back.” Hank’s smile spread into a grin. “I don’t need to. If you breathe a word about anything you saw between these walls, then you will pay the price. Understand?” His hand remained on his hip.
“Yes.” Her heartbeat quickened as she realized he was actually going to let her go. She moved with cautious steps towards the door. It wasn’t until she was outside, that she drew a full breath. She’d made it out alive, and free, but why?
Chapter 12
“I’m not sure that my tie is straight.” Walt looked in the mirror, then shifted his tie again.
“You look great, Walt.” Samantha checked her hair in the visor mirror, then flipped it closed. “Let’s get inside. Remember, we’re newly married, our documents are still in processing. When they ask for ID, and they will, we’re going to be out of luck. So, we need to find out as much information as we can before we get to that point.”
“I remember.” He stepped out of the car.
“Deep breaths, Walt.” Samantha followed behind him towards the door of the building. It didn’t have much signage, and the parking lot was empty aside from two cars, which she guessed belonged to employees.
“Don’t worry, Samantha, this is going to be easy.” Walt held the door open for her.
As she stepped inside she glanced at him. Walt was usually the one who was anxious, but somehow their roles had switched. She felt emboldened by his confidence, and headed straight for the front counter. A woman behind it looked up, narrowed her eyes, then offered a smile.
“Welcome, how can I help you today?”
“My husband and I would like to speak to someone about making some investments, please.” She smiled in return.
“Oh, okay.” She stared at her for a moment, then reached under the desk. With a subtle flap of the paper she placed a form on the counter between them. “Just fill this out and someone will be right with you.”
“Thank you.” She took the paper and walked over to a small sitting area. Walt joined her on a small, leather couch.
“Do you need a pen, sweetie?” Walt plucked one from his jacket pocket and handed it over to her.
“Thanks.” Samantha flashed him a smile then began to fill out the paperwork.
Walt kept his eye on the counter, and the office that was set off to the side of the main lobby. As he expected, a man in a suit stepped out of it, stared at them, then walked up to the counter. He spoke quietly with the woman who had helped them. Then he looked over at them again. As he approached, Walt nudged Samantha lightly with his elbow.
She glanced up in time to see the man stop in front of her.
“Hi there.” She kept her voice steady. “We’re interested in investing in some properties.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. Let me just get your application started.” He reached for the paper in her hand.
“Oh, I haven’t finished filling it out yet.”
“That’s all right, we can fill it in as we go.” He gestured to the office. “Would you both join me?”
“Sure.” Walt stood up, then offered Samantha his hand. She smiled as she accepted it and stood up as well.
After introductions, they settled in his office. Dave Smith seemed like a very important person at the business. A gold nameplate stretched across his desk. The office walls were decorated with fine art. The tall fern in the corner had long, healthy, green leaves.
“Let’s just get you started here. What made you choose our company?” He began to tap on the keyboard positioned in front of his computer.
“We heard some good reviews.” Samantha nodded.
“Don’t be bashful, sweetheart. My wife here, she likes supporting local businesses. She insists we shop at mom and pop stores, and so on. We have been wanting to invest in property for a while and when she discovered your little company here, she insisted we check it out.”
“So, no one sent you?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“No.” Samantha blushed. “He’s right. But I’m so happy to support your fine business.”
“Do you have many local customers?” Walt asked.
“We have a very select clientele.” Dave typed a few more things on the k
eyboard. “We do have a high investment requirement.”
“Money is not an issue.” Walt sat back in his chair and tried not to think of how many greasy hands had slid across its arms. “Although, it would be nice if I didn’t have to declare all of it, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m afraid I don’t.” Dave’s expression grew stern. “I think perhaps this is not the right investment business for you.”
“Oh dear, you shouldn’t have mentioned that, honey. Listen, we can pay extra.” Samantha handed the piece of paper to Dave. “Just name the amount.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” He set the paper down on his desk, then stood up.
“Well, all right, we know when we’re not wanted.” Walt stood up and offered his hand to Samantha. “It’s your loss, of course. If you change your mind, feel free to contact me.” Walt gazed at him a moment longer, then led the way out of the office.
“We didn’t find anything out.” Samantha sighed as she pushed the front door of the building open.
“Yes, we did,” Walt muttered the words as he guided her out through the door with one hand placed on the center of her back. “It’s not a real business.”
“It sure looks like one.” Samantha glanced over her shoulder, then looked back at him. “What do you mean it’s not real?”
“There were no smudges on the counter, or the desk. The floors were spotless. The paperwork on the shelves hasn’t been touched in some time, long enough for a thick layer of dust to form on the edges. The only wear in the carpet was from the office to the front door. They don’t have regular customers, if they have any customers at all, I’d be shocked.”
“So, it’s a front?”
“I believe so.”
“But for what?” She started the car.
“I’m not sure just yet. But my suspicions are growing.”
“And they are?” She glanced over at him before backing the car out of the parking spot.
“I’ll let you know when I am certain.”
“Walt, this isn’t the time to hold anything back. We need to figure out what is going on in there.”
“We suspect it’s a front. Since it’s a property investment business, we can be fairly certain that the crime has to do with money. It could be funneling money internationally, or it could be laundering money for local criminals. My best guess would be that it’s laundering money, but that is only a guess.”
“Oh, the dirty money the cops in those pictures were passing? That makes sense. They’d have to get it clean somehow. That makes a lot of sense.”
“Yes, it does. But that doesn’t make it the truth. I’m going to look into the investment business more and see if I can find any evidence of it trafficking money or laundering. If I can, then we’ll know what we’re dealing with. But until then we shouldn’t assume that we’ve figured it out. Things may be far different than they appear.”
“That’s true.” Samantha sighed as she headed back towards Sage Gardens. “I just hope that whatever they are up to, it’s going to lead us to some answers about what happened to Colin.”
Eddy slid some money into a crisp white envelope, then sealed it. It was far more than he should spend, he knew that, but he didn’t want his only lead disappearing. He sent a text to the number that Orin gave him. He knew that he may be giving money to Colin’s murderer, but it was worth the risk to get information out of him.
I have cash for you.
An instant later his phone lit up with a text in return that included instructions of where to meet. Eddy slid the envelope into his pocket and headed out the door. His mind was focused on exactly what Orin might be willing to tell him. After speaking with Detective Brunner he felt more confident that he wasn’t about to be arrested for Colin’s murder, but who else would get the information he’d given to Brunner? Handing over the flash drive had been a big move that he hoped he wouldn’t regret. By chain of command, Brunner should hand it over to higher-ups. Would he be wise enough not to?
Eddy pulled into the parking lot that surrounded an abandoned restaurant. The boards on its windows were covered in graffiti, and some hung on by only a few nails. There wasn’t another vehicle in sight.
He stepped out of his car and leaned back against it. From this position he could see most of the parking lot and the building. He didn’t want to be faced with any surprises.
A few minutes later he saw a figure approach from behind the building. He wore a hooded sweatshirt, with the hood pulled down low over his face. Eddy guessed it was Orin, but he couldn’t be certain. The closer the figure came, the more alert his protective instincts became. He wished that he’d brought along something to protect himself, maybe back-up.
“Orin?” Eddy’s tone was sharp.
“Yeah, it’s me.” He pulled the hood back enough to reveal his face, though it was still shadowed by the hem of the material. “You have the money?”
“I do. But first, I need to know who your main target was. The flash drive didn’t reveal it.”
“Look, I’m not playing games with you. I’m a dead man if I don’t get out of town. I don’t owe you any information. Colin convinced me that this could be done, I warned him that it couldn’t. Now he’s dead, and that’s not my fault. I need to move on with my life while I still have one.”
“Just tell me who it was.” Eddy peered through the shadows at the man’s face. “Tell me, and I will take over from here.”
“You?” He burst into laughter. “Are you kidding me? You’re not even a cop anymore. What do you think you’re going to do?”
“I don’t have to be a cop to know when something is wrong, Orin. You put yourself on the line this long, why not just tell me the truth so that I can dig further into this?”
“You think I did this out of the goodness of my heart?” He shook his head. “I did this to get out of ten years in lock-up. Colin can’t hold that over my head anymore. I don’t need to be involved. Give me the money, or I’ll just take it from you, those are your choices.”
“All right, all right.” Eddy cleared his throat. Maybe Orin was right, he was too old to handle things, because his heart started to race in response to the threat. However, as he reached in his pocket for the envelope, a calm washed over him. “First you tell me who killed Colin.”
“How am I supposed to know?” He frowned.
“I know that you know.” Eddy took a step towards him. “I’m the only one that’s going to get you out of town, Orin. What you don’t know, is that I have a friend waiting to receive a text from me. If that friend receives my text, then all will be fine. But if that friend doesn’t, then the cops will be given your name, location, and evidence that will prove you are the one responsible for Colin’s death.”
“What proof? I didn’t do it! You can’t have any proof. You’re bluffing, and it’s not going to work.”
“Am I?” Eddy shrugged. “Are you really ready to risk going down for murder?” He watched the man closely, as he still suspected that Orin might have been the one that killed Colin. If he was, he wasn’t showing any signs of guilt.
“All right, fine! You cops are all the same.” He curled his lip with disgust. “I don’t know who offed the guy, but I do know that Colin was nervous.”
“Nervous about the investigation?”
“No, nervous about some guy that got let out of prison. Colin put him behind bars, but the charges were dropped, and the guy was set loose. Apparently, he had been threatening Colin. Colin was worried he might want revenge. That’s all I know.” He held out his hand. “Money.”
“What is the guy’s name?” Eddy tapped the envelope against his palm.
“Peter Havershed.” He snatched the envelope from Eddy’s hand and shook his head. “I guess he got him in the end.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you were just tired of being Colin’s informant and decided the best way to get out of it was to kill him and blow town.”
“I may be a lot of things, in fact, I am.�
� Orin cocked his head to the side and shrugged. “But I’m not a killer. With Colin dead, my life is on the line. Either I’m going to get locked up, or whoever took care of Colin is going to be after me next. Then you.”
“Maybe. Any idea where you’ll go?”
“Somewhere you’ll never find me.” He turned and walked away.
Eddy wondered if he’d just given Colin’s murderer a way to get out of town. Of course, Orin would say he wasn’t a killer, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t. Still, he doubted that Orin would put himself at so much risk just to get rid of Colin.
As Eddy settled back into the car, he dialed the number of someone he knew from his days on the force, Sandra. She still worked in records at the police department. After a few rings she answered.
“Hi Sandra, I need a favor.”
“Eddy, Detective Brunner has warned me that you would be calling.”
“He has?”
“Yes, he told me specifically I am not to give you any information regarding the investigation.”
“Well, that’s fine, because I need information about someone else entirely. A man named Peter Havershed.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Eddy smiled. Sandra would give him any information he asked for, no matter who told her not to. They’d been friends for a very long time, and they’d lost track of who owed what to who.
“He has a long history of stealing and violence. He was held for robbery and assault. He didn’t get bail, but the witness backed out at the last minute and the victim didn’t turn up to the trial to give evidence, so without the evidence the charges were dropped. The suspicion was that someone got to them. Peter was released two weeks ago.”
“Crazy. They let a criminal run loose?”
“Seems that way. It wouldn’t be the first time would it?”
“No, it wouldn’t.” He frowned. “Thanks for your help, Sandra.”
