by Cindy Bell
“Be careful, Eddy. Brunner seems nervous about this one.”
“I will be, thanks again.”
He hung up the phone, then stared out through the windshield. Colin put a man behind bars, and he was set free recently. Could Peter have graduated from assault to murder? Had Peter hunted Colin down and taken his revenge? But if that was the case, where was Peter now?
Chapter 13
As soon as Samantha returned to her villa, she placed a call summoning her friends together for dinner. Walt settled at her computer and began to investigate Sunny River Property Investments.
“Now that I know they are most likely dealing in illegal activity, I may be able to find out more information. This explains why they have such little information on the internet.”
“Good, Jo and Eddy are on their way.” She sat down at the table with him. “Walt, I have to say I’m pretty impressed. I never would have noticed all of the things you did at their office. I really thought we’d wasted our time there.”
“You think being married to me is a waste of time?” He winked at her.
“Jokes now, too?” Samantha grinned. “I think you’re coming out of your shell, Walt.”
“Hmm, maybe I should be more careful.” He brushed his fingertips along his shoulder. “Wouldn’t want to be too noticeable.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being noticeable.”
“Actually, statistics show that there is a much larger risk of being targeted for numerous crimes if you have a more visible presence.” He glanced up from the computer. “I’ll stay in my shell thank you.”
“I’ll make us some tea.” Samantha patted his shoulder as she walked past him and into the kitchen.
A few minutes later a knock on the door signaled Jo’s arrival. When Samantha opened the door, she noticed the paleness of Jo’s skin.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course, I am.” She smiled. “Is Eddy here, yet?”
“Not yet. He should be here soon, though.”
“I’m here now.” Eddy stepped through the door. He glanced around at his friends, then pulled off his fedora. “It seems we have a situation.”
“A situation?” Samantha looked into his eyes.
“This man.” Eddy held up his phone with a picture of Peter Havershed on the display. “He was recently released from prison, he was being held on suspicion of robbery and assault. He was released because the victim and witness backed out of testifying and there wasn’t enough against him, even though Colin both arrested and testified against him. It’s very possible that he is the killer.”
“Pete?” Samantha’s eyes widened.
“You know him?” Jo stepped up beside her with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, well no, I’ve met him.” Samantha looked up at Eddy. “He was the doorman at the party. He sat with me and had a drink while you were outside.”
“You had a drink with him?” Eddy’s eyes widened. “Samantha, he is a violent criminal.”
“I had no idea.” She stared at him. “He spilled his drink on me, and then my drink, we just had a casual conversation. He gave me his card.” She walked over to her purse and dug through it until she came up with the business card he’d handed her. “Honestly, I never even looked at it.” She handed it over to Eddy.
“Just his name and a phone number. How strange.” He flipped the card over, then looked back at Samantha. “I hate the thought that you were alone with someone like this.”
“Now, wait a minute.” Jo frowned. “It’s a big leap to go from assault to murder. If he was released, isn’t it possible that he was innocent?”
“It’s possible. But it seems like the witness was scared off,” Eddy said.
“Even if he was innocent of that crime, that doesn’t mean he’s innocent of Colin’s murder.” Walt tapped a fingertip on the table. “One does not cancel out the other.”
“Well, I don’t think that Peter was actually innocent. I think the victim and witness were intimidated. Which means there’s a criminal on the loose. A criminal that apparently had it in for Colin. I can’t help but wonder if he picked you out to sit with for a reason, Sam.” He looked into her eyes.
“You mean other than seeing a desirable woman alone?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I do mean that.” He rested his hands on the table as he gazed at her and blushed slightly. “You are a beautiful woman, Sam, there is no question about that. But Peter was there for a reason, and I believe he sat down with you for a reason as well.”
“It seems pretty obvious that he was there to target Colin.” Jo sat down at the table beside Samantha.
“It seems like a stretch. He would have to get the job there, and know Colin was going to be at the party. Wouldn’t Colin have recognized him at the door and done something? And he didn’t have the time to commit the murder, he was with me until I went out to check on Eddy. Doesn’t that eliminate him as a suspect?”
“Not exactly.” Eddy frowned. “I waited ten minutes after Colin left to go outside to meet him. Then it was still a few minutes more before Peter sat down with you, right Sam?”
“Right.” She nodded. “He would have had time to go in the kitchen and kill Colin. It doesn’t take very long to do something like that. But he didn’t have any evidence on his clothes.”
“Was he still wearing his uniform?” Eddy asked.
“No.” Samantha’s eyes widened. “No, he said his shift was over, and he was allowed to have some cake and champagne.”
“So, he could have killed Colin, then changed out of his uniform, and sat down with you so that he would have an alibi.” Eddy shook his head. “That sounds like a pretty good plan to me.”
“Yes, I have to admit, you’re right.” Samantha frowned. “But what does that say about my instincts?”
“At that time we had no reason to even suspect that anything happened to Colin. You were relaxed.” Eddy looked over at Jo. “Are you ready to fill us in on what’s going on with you?”
“What?” She blinked, then stared back at him.
“He’s right.” Samantha tipped her head to the side so that she could look at her. “I noticed it, too.”
“She’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Walt said. “Samantha and I paid a visit to the property investment company associated with the symbols written on the money, and I am fairly certain that it is a front for a criminal enterprise. After doing a bit more digging I’ve identified at least three known felons that have a connection to the company.”
“Interesting.” Eddy nodded. “So that’s why Colin drew the symbols on the bill. He was trying to send a message, just in case. That’s why he left me the note with the money.” He sighed. “He knew that there was a chance he wouldn’t be alive much longer.”
“With good reason.” Jo stared down at the table.
“What’s that?” Eddy’s attention shifted to her. “Ready to share?”
“Look, before I do, I want all of you to understand that I am aware I made a mistake. I don’t want to hear any lectures. Got it?” She gazed at Eddy, then looked pointedly at Walt. “Not from either of you.”
“No lectures.” Walt held up his hands.
“What did you do?” Eddy squinted at her.
Jo shifted uncomfortably in her chair as all eyes turned on her. She never enjoyed such focused attention.
“I thought I’d take a look at Hank a little closer. See what hidden secrets he had at home.” She shrugged. “I wanted to get an idea of what we were really dealing with.”
“You broke into his house?” Eddy’s voice raised a notch. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No lectures.” She quirked a brow.
“Jo.” Walt sighed as he stared at her. “You know that—”
“Enough.” Samantha held up a hand in each of their directions. “Let her speak. What happened, Jo?”
“I got caught.” She grimaced. “It’s the first time in a very long time that has happened to me. He must have had some kind of r
emote video link to the house. I was in his office, and I found a drawer full of cash.” She held up her phone and displayed the pictures she’d taken.
“Full of cash?” Walt looked into her eyes. “Can you be more specific on the amount?”
“Maybe one hundred thousand, maybe a lot more. I didn’t have time to count it.”
“Then what happened?” Samantha stared at her.
“Somehow Hank knew I was there. He came in the house, and I had no choice but to meet him face-to-face. I thought for sure he was going to kill me or have me arrested, but instead he quizzed me about what I’d seen, and then let me leave.”
“He just let you walk out?” Eddy’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Hank Greer?”
“Yes. I know, it was strange. But he wasn’t shy about threatening me. He’s a very intimidating man.”
“Yes, he is.” Eddy frowned. “I promised no lectures, Jo, but I am going to tell you how relieved I am that you are okay. Things could have easily turned out far differently.”
“I know.” Jo gazed at the table. “Trust me, I know.”
She looked up as Walt placed his hand on the curve of her shoulder.
“I’m sorry that happened, Jo. It must have left you shaken.”
“Yes, it did.” She shook her head. “But we need to stay focused.”
“Okay, wait just a minute.” Samantha raised her hand into the air and looked directly at Jo. “I have something to say.”
“What?” Jo stared at her.
“They promised no lectures, I didn’t. Jo, what were you thinking?”
“Samantha, I—”
“You just thought it would be perfectly acceptable for you to run off on your own, when you have three capable friends who could have accompanied you? You thought you’d put your life at risk and tempt a madman without consulting any of us?”
“Sam.” Eddy put a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath, dear, I think Jo has been through enough.”
“You’re wrong.” She brushed his hand away. “Jo, you have to promise me that you won’t do anything like that again. I mean it. What if something terrible had happened?”
“Okay, okay.” Jo took her hand, and held it in a snug grasp. “I promise.”
“Thank you.” Samantha sighed with relief. “What about the flash drive? Don’t you think we should give it to Detective Brunner? If we don’t, we’re interfering with the investigation, and that could come back on us.” She looked over at Eddy.
“I already turned it in. Detective Brunner knows everything that we do now. Well, everything but what we recently found out. I went out on a limb and trusted Brunner, now it’s up to him to prove whether he’s trustworthy or not. He’s trusted me before, and I decided it was best to extend him the same courtesy.”
“Risky.” Jo pursed her lips.
“I think you did the right thing.” Samantha nodded. “You didn’t really have any other choice.”
“I guess soon we will find out whether he is involved in all of this.” Walt folded his hands on the table.
“Yes, we will. Until then, we need to be very careful. At this point we have a few suspects, and no real direction to follow. Orin should be headed out of town, and Hank could easily flee as well. Peter will have a harder time disappearing, especially since he is using his real name.”
“I think we have two other suspects as well.” Samantha glanced around at the others. “Hank Greer’s son, Mitch and his friend, Riley. Remember the way they spoke to Colin at the party? Colin seemed a bit bothered by whatever they said.”
“You’re right.” Eddy nodded. “We can’t rule them out, they might be involved in this. Maybe they were trying to keep Colin off Hank’s back.”
“We have our work cut out for us.” Samantha sighed.
“I can tell you this much, if Hank was so quick to let me go, it’s because he had a lot to hide. The money in that drawer wasn’t there for no reason. He doesn’t know that I found it, but if he figures it out, I’ll be on his hit list.” Jo crossed her arms, with a hint of blush in her cheeks.
“We all will be.” Eddy frowned. “Walt and I will go speak with Mitch tomorrow morning to see if we can find out anything more about his father. None of us should go anywhere near Hank Greer, understood?” He looked between Samantha and Jo.
“Understood.” Jo nodded.
“Yes.” Samantha frowned. “But I don’t think we should overlook Pete. I’m going to see if I can track him down.”
“If you do, let Detective Brunner know where you’ve found him, and let him handle it.” Eddy tapped his knuckles on the table. “This is dangerous business, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
They all nodded.
Chapter 14
On his way home, Eddy’s mind was clouded with concern. He knew that the deeper they dug into the crime, the more at risk they would all become.
Eddy glanced at his cell phone as it rang on the seat beside him. He slowed the car and pulled off to the side of the road. He wasn’t one for talking and driving. Samantha had tried to get him to use a handsfree device, but he found the whole process too stressful.
When he noticed the name on the caller ID his body grew tense. Why would Detective Brunner be calling him? Did he get wind of the fact that Eddy’s friends in the department had given him information, or had he come across some evidence that would implicate him? There was only one way to find out.
Eddy answered the phone with a slight strain in his voice.
“Hello, Detective.”
“Eddy, I’m glad you answered. I wanted to update you on some information I’ve come across.”
“Oh?” Eddy knew he had some information to share with the detective as well.
“The money that you turned in, it’s been found to be dirty. It’s been linked to an armed robbery.”
“Really?” Eddy’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, so if you were planning to spend any of it, you should keep in mind that you’re going to get caught.”
“I turned it in.”
“I know, just trying to share a bit of humor with you. As I was saying, since the money is dirty, and it was originally in Colin’s possession, according to you, we are now looking into whether Colin may have been involved in criminal activities, possibly even a money laundering operation that could have led to his murder. Do you know anything about that?”
“You’re back to thinking I’m part of some kind of criminal conspiracy?”
“I’m back to thinking that you know a lot more about this crime than you’re letting on. So, did you know anything about the dirty money?”
“No, not until I found it. I thought maybe he left it for me deliberately.” Eddy wanted the detective to believe that he left it for him without telling him about the note. He didn’t think the detective would appreciate that he had been keeping it from him.
“For you?”
“Yes, I thought maybe he left it for me to give me an idea of what was happening.”
“And, what do you know about it?”
“Listen, I don’t know anything about the dirty money. But you may want to look into Sunny River Property Investments. I have reason to suspect that it is involved somehow.”
“Why?”
“Just a hunch.” Eddy shrugged. “That’s all I know.”
“All right, I’ll do that.”
“What about Peter Havershed?”
“We are aware of his presence at the party, however we haven’t been able to locate him just yet. We’re actively looking. I suppose you figured that out on your own?”
“With a little help.” He cleared his throat. “Listen, Detective, we can be on the same team here.”
“No, actually we can’t. Because you’re giving me information piece by piece instead of telling me the whole story. Eddy, you know I admire you, and your career in the force, but I can’t simply let you run wild on this case. You are personally involved, and you are retired.”
“So I keep hear
ing. Fine, you do what you need to do, and I’ll do what I need to do. Thanks, Detective.” He hung up the phone. Then he drove the short distance to his villa and parked in the driveway.
As Eddy walked up to the door, he noticed something was wrong right away. The door was open about an inch. He never left his door unlocked, let alone open. He walked the perimeter of the villa, and peeked in the windows. He didn’t see any sign of anyone inside, but he did notice that all of his belongings were strewn across the floor. When he reached the front door again, he stepped carefully inside.
Glass was shattered from picture frames knocked to the ground. All of the drawers in his tables had been emptied out. In the kitchen, all of the drawers and cabinets had been emptied. He’d never seen such a mess, and as his heart pounded against his chest, he realized that whoever had been in his villa might not have found what they were looking for.
Eddy’s hands shook with anger as he began to clean up the scattered boxes of food and dishes. In the back of his mind he knew that he should report this to Brunner, so that they could check for DNA and fingerprints. But he doubted there would be any left behind. Was the person looking for the flash drive? If they were they would be back to look for it again, and if Eddy was there the next time, things might get more than messy. Was it Orin that had rummaged through his villa? Maybe he was looking for more money? Was it Peter, in search of any evidence against him? Or was it Hank Greer himself? Maybe after Jo broke into his place he decided to find out more about her and he linked them all together. The thought made him shudder. He grabbed his phone and placed a call to Samantha. When she answered he spoke breathlessly.
“Samantha, are you okay?”
“Sure, I’m fine, but you don’t sound okay. What’s wrong?”
“Lock your door!”
“It is locked.”
“Double check.”
“Eddy, what is this about?” She sighed into the phone.
“Just keep your doors locked, and check on Jo and Walt too, please.” Eddy hung up the phone, then returned to cleaning up what he could. A few minutes later there was a sharp knock at the door. He jumped at the sound. “Who is it?” He braced himself for the possibility that whoever had ransacked his villa had returned.
