by Cindy Bell
“It’s me, Eddy.” Samantha pushed the door open, then gasped when she saw the disaster beyond it. “What happened here?”
“Sam, I didn’t ask you to come.”
“The tone of your voice did.” She looked up at him. “Did someone break in?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Did you call the police?”
“They might be the ones who did this.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not telling them about this.”
“I’ll help you clean up.” She waded her way through the scattered belongings into the kitchen and retrieved a broom and dustpan. They worked quietly together to get the villa back into shape.
“At least they didn’t hurt my chair.” Eddy patted the top of his favorite recliner.
“Oh yes, that’s good at least.” Samantha scrunched up her nose as a small dust cloud drifted off the chair. “You can’t stay here tonight. You can stay at my place. If you’re serious about not telling Brunner, then I at least need to know that you’re safe.”
“Fine. That’s probably a good idea. I’ll let Walt and Jo know to stick together tonight as well. I’m concerned that whoever broke in here could target all of us.”
“Do you think it was Greer?”
“It could have been him, or Orin, or Peter, or even Greer’s son. There’s no way to know for sure.”
“You must be exhausted. Let’s go, Eddy. There’s nothing more we can do here tonight.”
“All right.” Eddy nodded. “I’ll just grab some things.”
After Eddy collected a few essentials, he followed Samantha out the door. He made sure his door was locked.
Early the next morning Samantha’s phone began to ring. She was jolted fully awake by the name that displayed on her phone. Detective Brunner.
“Hello?”
“Samantha, we still need to have our interview. Can you come in now?”
“I’ll need at least a half hour to get ready. I was sleeping.” She wiped her eyes then peered at the time on the clock on her bedside table. “It’s barely seven.”
“I apologize, we’ve had some developments in the case and I need you to answer some questions for me. The sooner, the better. Is that possible?”
“Yes, of course. Anything I can do to help.” She bit into her bottom lip as she recalled the destruction in Eddy’s apartment the night before. After she hung up with the detective she headed into the kitchen to make some coffee. No matter what, she had to have it before she could start her day.
“Was that Brunner?” Eddy’s sleep-logged voice made her jump. She glanced over to see him on the couch, still tangled up in the blanket she’d given him the night before.
“Yes, he wants me to come in for an interview. I need to be there as soon as I can.”
“It’s early.” Eddy managed to fight off the blanket and got to his feet. “He must be on to something.”
“He said he had questions he needed to ask me.”
“You didn’t tell him about the break-in, did you?” He watched as she poured them both a cup of coffee.
“No, I didn’t. But maybe we should. Brunner seems to be trustworthy.”
“And if he’s not? Or if he passes the information to the wrong person? The more the killer knows about us, the more danger we are in. I agree with you, Sam, the right thing to do is to tell Brunner, unfortunately we’re not in the best of circumstances. I would never ask you to lie for me, Sam. If you feel it’s best to tell Brunner the truth, then I will accept and respect that. I’m just asking you to think about it.”
“I will.” She frowned, then took a sip of her coffee. It was difficult to decide what to do. She suspected from the images and videos on the flash drive that there were a few police officers involved in this crime in some way, and yet her instincts told her she could trust Brunner. After she finished her coffee, she dressed. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” Samantha grabbed her purse.
“Walt and I are going to go speak with Mitch. Hopefully we can find out something from him. Good luck with Detective Brunner.”
“Be careful.” Samantha gave him a quick hug, then headed out the door. As she drove towards the police station her mind swirled with all of the questions that Brunner might want to ask her. When she arrived, the parking lot was fairly empty. Inside, she found Detective Brunner at the front desk. He led her back to his office, then closed the door.
“Samantha, thank you for coming in so quickly. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
“Of course.” She sat down across from him. “Anything you need.”
“I understand you had a conversation with Peter Havershed at the party?”
“Yes, I did. It was brief.”
“Not so brief that you aren’t serving as his alibi.” He smiled as he looked into her eyes. “Was he with you the entire time? He didn’t leave to use the bathroom, or anything like that?”
“He only left the table to get us both drinks, but I saw him go to the bar. So no, he never left my sight.” She frowned. “That doesn’t mean he’s not the killer, though. There was still time for him to commit the crime.”
“Yes, I know there was.” He sighed. “But it does tighten the time frame and make him a less likely suspect. What I need to know from you is if you noticed anything off about him. Any stains on his clothes?”
“Well, he spilled my drink, and then his drink. Some of it did get on to his shirt. But, I didn’t notice anything before that.”
“Okay.” He made a note, then looked back up at her. “And how did he seem to you? Relaxed? Anxious?”
“He said he was nervous about joining me, and that’s why he spilled the drink. But in general he was normal.” She sighed. “Honestly, he was warm, friendly, I’d say a little flirtatious. He didn’t strike me as a criminal, that’s for sure.”
“I’d guess not.” He leaned back in his chair. “So, you two just chatted?”
“He gave me his card. He wanted to pay for the dry cleaning of my dress, but I told him not to worry about it.”
“That was nice of you.”
“I thought I was talking to a nice person. I had no idea about his past.”
“Of course, you didn’t. There was no way that you could have known.”
“I don’t understand how Colin didn’t see him when he entered the lobby.”
“Oh, good question.” The detective nodded. “Apparently, Peter had just returned from his break and you and Eddy were the first people he opened the door for after his break. From what I’ve managed to ascertain, Colin arrived about ten minutes before you and Eddy so they would have missed each other.”
“Okay.” Samantha nodded.
“What about anyone else at the party? Did anyone else pay particular attention to Colin?”
“The only other people I saw speak to him were Hank Greer’s son, Mitch and his friend, Riley. Mitch whispered something to Colin which he seemed to get upset about.”
“Okay, that’s something to look into. Eddy seems to be very hesitant with giving me information, which isn’t like him at all.”
“Colin’s murder made him nervous. It made us all nervous.”
“You suspect me as well?” He smiled some. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve read some of your articles and you always go straight for the truth.”
“It’s the most important thing to me.”
“So, you should understand why it’s what I need the most right now.” He rested his chin on his fingertips and studied her. “What’s really going on with Eddy?”
“He lost his friend.” Samantha gritted her teeth as the urge to reveal information about the break-in welled up within her. “Of course, he’s going to be upset and even acting a little strangely.”
“Of course.” Detective Brunner nodded. “But I want you to know, Samantha, if there’s ever anything that you want to talk to me about, I’ll be here. All right?”
“Yes, I understand.” She smiled politely. “Thank you, Detective.”
He
stood up and walked her to the door.
“Samantha, I know that after seeing what was on that flash drive, you probably have a lot of questions about who can be trusted. I just want you to know that I can be.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Samantha nodded as she stepped through the door, but a part of her couldn’t help noticing that he seemed determined to convince her. Maybe a little too determined.
Chapter 15
The tension in the furniture factory was palpable. Eddy glanced through the open doors from the lobby at the workers who were all in action, whether it was on the phone, handling machinery, or arguing with each other.
“Can I see Mr. Greer?” He asked the receptionist who had just hung up the phone.
“He’s in the back. Down that hall, first door.” She rolled her eyes.
“Thanks.” Eddy had the sense that Mitch was not well-liked.
“Ugh, when was the last time they cleaned these floors?” Walt tore his shoe out of a sticky spot, as his face grew pale. “I will get the mop myself if they’ll let me.”
“Try to relax, Walt, we’re not here for that. Remember? We can’t get distracted.”
“Yes, you’re right.” He gritted his teeth. “But really, it’s not that hard to clean up spills.”
Eddy pushed the door open to a sectioned off area of the factory. Inside were a few small desks, and quite a bit of space. The room was spotless, warmer than the rest of the factory, and even smelled quite a bit better. Seated at two of the desks towards the back of the room were Riley and Mitch. They both looked up as Eddy and Walt approached.
“Hey Eddy!” Riley smiled. “What are you doing here, old man?”
“Checking on you two.” Eddy crossed his arms. “I’ve heard some rumors about you being involved in something dirty.”
Walt tensed as he glanced over at Eddy. He hadn’t expected him to come right out and say it.
“Dirty, huh?” Mitch tucked some paperwork into the drawer in his desk.
“You two should really shower more often.” Eddy chuckled.
“Oh, he has jokes!” Riley laughed and slapped his hands together. “Trust me, I haven’t gotten any complaints. Now, Mitch on the other hand.”
“Quiet.” Mitch rolled his eyes. “Why are you really here, Eddy?”
“Listen, I’ve got a bit of a problem.” He sat down in a chair near their desks. “Maybe you could help me out with it?”
“Sure.” Mitch looked Walt over. “Who’s this?”
“A good friend of mine. Take a seat, Walt.” Eddy gestured to the chair beside him.
Walt pulled a tissue out of his pocket and wiped it over the seat of the chair, then sat down.
“Okay?” Riley raised an eyebrow. “So, what’s going on?”
“Here’s the thing. A friend of mine found something. He didn’t know what it was at the time. But it turned out to be some very incriminating evidence against some people including a very powerful man that is involved in a criminal enterprise. Now, he wants to know if he should turn that in to the police. But I warned him that he shouldn’t get involved. He wouldn’t listen to me. I thought maybe we should go to your dad with this, but he’s such a tough guy to get in touch with.”
“Yeah, he can be. What kind of evidence is it?” Mitch locked eyes with him.
“Some pictures, some videos, you know that kind of thing. Pretty dire stuff. I told him, just drop it down a drain somewhere or toss it in a fire. But he refused, so, here I am.”
“Why exactly are you here?” Mitch continued to hold his gaze.
“I thought maybe you could get your dad to see him.” Eddy shrugged.
“I don’t think he will, without knowing what it’s about. He’ll need more information. I think you should tell him to get rid of it.” Mitch glanced at Riley.
“Maybe we could help you convince him,” Riley said.
“Look, my dad won’t speak to him without knowing more. If your friend is in as much danger as you claim, he should get rid of the evidence.” Mitch shrugged. “That way his name stays out of everything.”
“Great advice, I agree, I’ll try to convince him.” Eddy narrowed his eyes. “I appreciate your time.”
“Anytime.” Mitch stood up. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No, that’s it.”
“Actually.” Walt smiled as he looked at the two men. “Could either of you explain to me the state of the floor in the entrance? I’d really like to know why it’s come to the point it has. Perhaps I could make a donation to provide the janitor with more efficient and effective cleaning supplies?”
“It’s that way for a reason. The janitor has had a few days off and the company won’t pay for agency staff. The factory workers hate cleaning, they don’t think it’s part of their job, so it never gets done.” Riley chuckled. “The workers would rather stand around out front and smoke.”
“Ah, I see. But I noticed this area is very clean. A different cleaning crew?” Walt asked.
“Yes, well sort of.” Riley shrugged. “We like to keep it clean and tidy ourselves. So we can have clear minds.”
“My sentiments exactly.” Walt grinned. “It was a pleasure meeting both of you.”
As they left the factory, Eddy glanced over at Walt.
“What was all that about?”
“I was just curious. It seems that they like to do things themselves. Maybe for the sake of privacy. I think they might be hiding something.”
“I agree. I think they’re trying to protect Hank.”
“Are you sure?” Walt stared at him. “How can you be?”
“I’m not sure. But Mitch suggested my friend get rid of the evidence. I think he just may suspect it is evidence against his father. I think he is trying to make sure that it never comes to light. The fact that he encouraged that meant that he didn’t want that evidence to be revealed. Of course, I can’t be sure about that, but my instincts tell me those two are up to something, and I’m going to find out exactly what it is.”
Samantha pushed open the door to her villa and found Eddy, Walt, and Jo, sitting at her table with lunch already prepared for all of them.
“Hi.” She smiled as she pulled the purse off her shoulder. “Thanks for the grub.” She grabbed one of the sandwiches and sat down. “I’m starving.”
“How did the meeting go?” Eddy pushed a can of soda towards her.
“Great.” She caught it. “Brunner says we should trust him. I think we should, too. But I didn’t tell him about the break-in.”
“Speaking of the break-in, I think we all need to be cautious. If they are after the flash drive and they think Eddy gave it to one of us, then all of our places could be ransacked.” Jo glanced around the table.
“Yes, it’s possible.” Eddy tapped his fingertips on the table. “But I’m not going to wait for that to happen. Walt and I paid a visit to Mitch and Riley today and I think they are trying to protect Hank. I think they might even possibly be involved in these crimes with him. I say we stake out Sunny River tonight, and see who shows up. My best guess if it’s anyone it will be Hank Greer.”
“You and Samantha could stake out the company, and Walt and I could sit on Hank Greer’s place.” Jo winced. “Although, we need to make sure he doesn’t catch me. That would be a disaster.”
“Yes, it would be.” Eddy glanced at his watch. “I think it’s too big of a risk. We’ll stake out Sunny River and you and Walt see if you can find out more information about Hank and Peter. Then you can join us and take over if the night drags on.” He frowned as his cell phone buzzed. When he saw the message, his face grew pale. “Well, well, apparently Orin is still in town.”
“He is?” Samantha’s eyes widened.
“He wants a meeting. I’d better get over there now.” Eddy stood up.
“Wait, I want to go with you.” Samantha took the last bite of her sandwich then stood up to join him.
“Sam, maybe that’s not such a good idea.”
&nbs
p; “Eddy, if we’re going to be a team, that means we all need to have an idea of what we’re dealing with. Orin could be the killer just as easily as Hank. Apparently, the least likely suspect is Pete, but I certainly wouldn’t rule him out. I just want to look into Orin’s eyes and get a feel for him. All right?” She smiled, a stony expression coated in the sweetness of her curved lips. She was not about to budge.
“All right, fine.”
“I’ll see what Jo and I can trace about Pete’s recent activities, too.” Walt nodded. “He has to be spending money somewhere.”
“Great idea.” Samantha smiled, then followed Eddy out the door.
“You have to let me take the lead on this, okay?” Eddy glanced over his shoulder at her as they headed for the driveway. “Orin won’t like another person being there and I’m not sure how he will respond to it.”
“If Jo can handle Hank, then I can handle Orin.”
“Samantha.” He looked into her eyes. “You’re a tough lady, I’ll give you that, but you’re not Jo.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” She raised an eyebrow.
“It means that you’ve never lived as a criminal. Have you?”
“No, I guess I haven’t. But I still think I can handle it.”
“We’re about to find out.” Eddy popped open the passenger side door for her, then rounded the car to the driver’s side.
As they pulled out of the driveway a ripple of uncertainty caused Samantha to shiver. She’d been in some difficult circumstances, but perhaps she’d boasted a bit too much about how much she could handle.
The short drive ended in the parking lot of a rundown bar. She again questioned her ability to face what was inside. However, with Eddy beside her, her confidence spiked.
He glanced over at her, then stepped out of the car. She waited until he was on her side of the car before she stepped out as well. He gazed at her a moment longer.
“Are you sure about this? I don’t know what exactly we’re walking into.”
