The Gravedigger

by Kacie Clement

  I still can’t believe it. I don’t know how Charles sucked her in so fast. There was nothing I could do. My mother loved him, and she would tell me over and over to leave it alone. Charles loved Faye. He was a pastor, for heaven’s sake.

  After Cassie’s death, Faye and I would go for walks. She was so sad. That’s when Faye first mentioned that Faye thought Charles had been having an affair. But she felt it had ended, and she needed to focus on her marriage.

  After Sarah was born, her second daughter, she still seemed sad. Faye wouldn’t talk about what was wrong. Mom suggested she see a therapist.

  I was working at the Charleston Hospital. In January, she called me to ask me if she started a Christian school, would I come and be the school’s administrator. She had already gained approval from the church council and raised close to half the money needed to build it. She was so excited. I told her I would accept the position. We often talked weekly about the new school. Then, in May, she became quiet. I asked her what was wrong. She cried.

  She told me Charles was having an affair with one of the church’s women, a newly divorced young woman with a small child. In June, she told me she had found crushed pills in Charles’s briefcase. Faye was scared Charles was going to kill her. Shocked, I begged her to come back to Charleston.

  In July, my sister was dead. They said she killed herself.

  I know Faye didn’t commit suicide. She had just told me the week before she was pregnant again.

  Charles Chestfield killed my sister.”

  Kamira asked, “Did Faye see a therapist?”

  Joy Ault nodded. “I planned for Faye to visit with a friend of mine who was a therapist. After Sarah’s birth, she was so worried that Sarah would share the same fate as Cassie, and she didn’t seem happy in the marriage. She didn’t want to at first, but I made her at least go once. After Faye died, I talked to my friend, June Hughes. She has passed now, but she told me that in April 2003, Faye suspected Charles was again having another affair. Faye had said to her that Charles had many relations outside their marriage. The church council asked Charles to leave as pastor of the Charleston Baptist Church because of inappropriate behavior with a teenage girl. Mind you, Faye had never told me that.

  Kamira asked, “What happened after Faye died? Was her death investigated?”

  Joy, realizing her tea had gone cold, handed her cup to Lucy. As Lucy got up to rinse her cup and pour her mother another cup, Joy continued her story.

  “Charles had told the police that there were clues Faye was in a downward spiral, that it began when Cassie died. Yes, she had a hard time, but she prevailed. Yes, was she nervous about Sarah sharing the same fate? I know in my heart that Faye would never have left her children.

  My daughter Lucy and I never believed Faye committed suicide. It wasn’t in her nature. A month after Faye died, I received Faye and Charles’s cell phone bill. Charles had already died by that point. Even after Charles’s death, there were still active calls happening, and they were coming from Charles’s cell phone.

  It was then Lucy, and I knew something wasn’t right. We had gone to talk to the police department, but they wouldn’t listen. They had already ruled the case a suicide and would not reopen the investigation into Faye’s death. They said it wouldn’t change anything. Charles was dead. They wouldn’t even look at the phone records.”

  Lucy said, “Even with the cell phone records, the district attorney in Shadowbank would not look at the case any longer. That was in 2005. We had nowhere else to go with this. But I know Charles killed my Faye, and he is out there somewhere.”

  Kamira, feeling a quickening in her gut, asked the women, “So you both believe Charles Chestfield is still alive?”

  Kamira watched as Joy Ault’s eyes filled with tears, as she nodded her head in agreement. She heard Lucy Ault say, “You’re damn right Charles is alive, and he killed my sister.”

  Kamira nodded and asked, “Did either of you know Daniel Billings? I believe he was the gravedigger.”

  Lucy smiled, “Danny. His last name was Billings? I didn’t know that. I had met him a few times. Faye adored him. She had found Danny one morning behind the library in Shadowbank. He was a veteran that had, what do you call it? PTSD from the war? He was terrific with Faye. He helped her with Sarah when she was a baby. If Faye needed anything, Danny was right there to help Faye.”

  Kamira nodded, “Where is Sarah today?”

  Lucy smiled and replied, “She is at school today. After Faye passed, I adopted Sarah.”

  Kamira looking somber, asked, “Tell me more about Daniel and Faye's relationship.”

  I believe Danny was in love with Faye. It devastated him. Danny was more upset over the loss of my sister than her husband. Danny dug Faye’s grave himself. He wouldn’t let anyone help him.

  I went to bring him some breakfast the following day before the funeral, and Danny disappeared. But Charles was there. I couldn’t believe it. He was finishing putting up the sheetrock before his own wife’s funeral. It looked like he had been at it all night. He should have been with Sarah.”

  Kamira’s eyes widened. “Where in the church did you see this, Lucy?”

  Lucy tilted her head, puzzled. “In the church's basement. Down the hallway from where Danny stayed. Why?”

  Kamira smiled, “Just wondering is all.” Looking at her watch, she saw her flight back to Shadowbank left in an hour.

  “Ladies, thank you for your time. My flight leaves in an hour. I will get back to you as soon as I know more.”

  Joy Ault looked at the card Kamira had handed her. “You find Charles, Detective, and you bring that man to justice for killing my daughter.”

  “I will do my best, Joy.”

  Lucy walked Kamira to the door, thanking her for coming.

  Kamira raced to the airport, returned the rental car, and boarded her plane. Putting on her headphones, she re-listened to the Ault women's’ interview in flight.

  Terrance was waiting at the airport gate when Kamira touched down from Harpers Ferry.

  “How did the interview with the Ault’s go?”

  “Our case just took a 180 turn. Any luck finding a relative of Daniel Billings?”

  Terrance opened the trunk of his vehicle, tossing Kamira’s bag inside. Grinning, he winked at Kamira, saying, “It wasn’t easy, but I found a cousin of his.”

  Once inside of the car, Kamira asked, “What did the cousin have to say?”

  “Mark Billings, born 1949 in Oregon, same year and place as Daniel. Now 72 years old. He said he and Daniel grew up together, went to the same elementary school. Daniel was a bright student. A genius really, his IQ level was 179. The school recommended he transfer to a school for gifted children.

  Mark said he was moving towards a promising future. Daniel’s goal was to be a chemical engineer. At the start of his senior year, Daniel received notice of acceptance from the University of Texas, one of the best chemical engineering schools in the United States. But all that changed in 1967, when Mark and Daniel, at 18 years old, were drafted straight from high school into the Vietnam war.

  Mark said they attended boot camp together, but two weeks in, the Army staff sergeant saw how well Daniel could shoot and transferred him to sniper school. Mark never saw him again. His thought was that after the war, Daniel wandered around the United States. His uncle, Daniel’s father, told him he had received a phone call from Daniel after being discharged. Daniel told his father that until he could get his head wrapped around the war years, it was better for all if he stayed away. He never came home and no one ever heard from Daniel again.”

  Terrance watched as Kamira added her phone to the Bluetooth.

  “You need to hear this,” Kamira said. “This is the Ault’s interview.”

  Parking in front of the police department, Terrance looked at Kamira and asked, “Two questions. Why would Charles Chestfield kill his wife, and could it be possible Charles Chestfield is still alive? He would be in his 80s now.”

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nbsp; Walking into the department, Kamira frowned as she responded. “The other question is, did Charles Chestfield kill Daniel Billings?”

  Seeing Kamira and Terrance walking through the door, Jack said, “Kamira, can I have a minute?”

  Handing her bag to Terrance, she said, “Give me a few minutes. Can you call Greta Garrison and arrange an interview with her for the morning? She seemed to be close to Faye Chestfield. She may know the woman the pastor was counseling.”

  Terrance nodded. “On it.”

  Kamira followed Jack into his office, closing the door behind her. “What’s up, Jack? I wanted to check in with Willie Mae. Is she in her office?”

  Jack tensed. “No, she didn’t come in today.”

  Kamira sensed the next thing Jack told her would not be good.

  “Suzie ran Willie Mae out to Arnie Bailey’s place this morning with a pot of gumbo. When she got back into the car, she asked Suzie to drop her at home. She had a headache and wouldn’t be working today. But that is not the worst of it. While I left to visit with Arnie, Suzie ran a background on the work crew that helped set up the Bellow estate for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding for the next day.

  There were two from the work crew with known ties to the State Line Mob. Suzie and Marty Montgomery are on their way now to bring them in for questioning.”

  Kamira felt her anger rising. “You’re telling me the State Line Mob is behind the failed pipe bomb at the rehearsal dinner? What did Arnie say, Jack?”

  “This is where it gets interesting. Willie Mae asked if he knew who was leading the State Line Mob currently.”

  “I need to talk to my auntie. She’s making a connection here, and it’s dangerous for her to be poking around in this.”

  Kamira pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Dialing Willie Mae’s number, concerned when Willie Mae didn’t answer. Kamira left her a message saying she wanted to talk to her as soon as possible. She disconnected the phone. Her next call was to the landline at the Bellow estate.

  “Hattie, this is Kamira. I can’t seem to reach Willie Mae, and I understand she wasn’t feeling well today. Could you call her on the phone?”

  “How was your trip, Kamira? Willie Mae? She is busy right now. She is performing a healing session at the moment. Now, don’t you worry, Willie Mae is just fine? We had a fantastic day out in the garden today.”

  Kamira, her mind racing, asked, “Hattie, did you ladies locate Alyce Ann Buchanan?”

  Hattie, chuckling lightly, said, “No, we have not. It is quite a mystery. But we are still searching.”

  Kamira, frowning, said, “Please tell Auntie I called. Tell her I would like a call back when she has completed her healing.”

  Disconnecting her phone, she looked at Jack, who looked anxious.

  “Now what, Jack?” Kamira asked.

  “There’s no sign of the two men, and it looks like they packed up and left town.”

  Kamira, feeling a chill run through her body, asked, “Alyce Ann? Any luck on finding her?”

  Jack quietly replied, “Not a trace, Detective.”

  Chapter 5

  Sitting at the kitchen table, Kamira and Terrance were finishing up their breakfast, preparing to go into the department to start their day.

  “Terrance, would you mind if we drove separately this morning? I want to go pick up Willie Mae for work this morning and see if I can get her to tell me what she is so worried about.”

  Terrance stood to rinse out their coffee mugs. “No problem, we have the Greta Garrison interview at nine this morning. Do you want to meet there?”

  “No, if I leave now, I should be able to make it back to the department in time to leave.”

  Kamira walked over to the sink where Terrance was standing and kissed him gently on the cheek. Turning, she grabbed her bag and left to go, silently hoping she could convince Willie Mae to open up to her.

  Kamira arrived at the Bellow estate, finding Willie Mae standing outside the front door.

  Willie Mae, settling into the passenger seat, said, “Morning Kamira, what’s on your schedule today?”

  “You, Auntie. It’s past the time we talked.”

  Kamira didn’t miss the look of nervousness that passed Willie Mae’s face. One she quickly hid.

  “I don’t know what you are so bothered about, Kamira. It’s a hard week with Clifton’s memorial service coming up tomorrow. I have a lot on my mind, is all.”

  Kamira pulled the car over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park. Turning, she looked at her auntie.

  “Then explain to me why you took a pot of gumbo out to old Arnie Bailey when we just brought him a pot a week ago?”

  “I thought he might need some more. That’s all.”

  “Enough, Auntie, you asked him who was now running the State Line Mob, plus you and the Bellow sisters have started a phone tree looking for Alyce Ann Buchanan. What is going through that head of yours, woman?”

  Willie Mae was quiet, trying to come up with any reason to stop the questions.

  “Auntie, this is dangerous. How long has it been since anyone talked to Alyce Ann?”

  Willie Mae looked at Kamira, sadness filling her eyes, saying, “No one has heard from Alyce Ann since she left me a text message on the Friday before your wedding. I am worried about her being alone now that George is up in prison.”

  “What did the text message say, Auntie?”

  “All it said was, ‘I need to talk to you tonight, be careful.’ Then the gazebo went up in flames. I texted her back, telling her to come to the estate, but she never came. No one has seen or heard from her since.”

  Kamira nodded her head. Her thoughts were taking her places she did not want to go. “Auntie, do you think George Buchanan has something to do with his wife disappearing?”

  Tears welled up in Willie Mae’s eyes." I don’t know for sure. But the one thing I know is that gazebo fire was not an accident, it was a pipe bomb, and it’s my job to protect my family."

  Kamira felt her heart race. “No, Auntie, it is not your job to protect this family. Let me and Jack find Alyce Ann.

  Trust me to find Alyce Ann. You need to take a step back. George Buchanan in prison still makes him a dangerous man.

  This whole thing could be hazardous, and I don’t want you putting yourself in a situation that could bring you harm. Let me handle this.”

  Kamira watched the wave of emotions cross Willie Mae’s face and the fierce look that came into her eyes.

  “Okay, I will let you handle it, Kamira.” Wille Mae said, ending the discussion.

  With a sinking feeling in her belly, Kamira knew Willie Mae would not let this go.

  Arriving at the police department, Willie Mae walked straight to her office, ignoring everyone in her path.

  Terrance, his eyebrows raised, asked, “Everything alright with Willie Mae? I expected you two an hour ago. We need to go if we’re going to interview Greta Garrison."

  “Let’s go,” Kamira said tersely. “I will drive.”

  On the short ride to the church, Terrance asked, “You seem tense, love. Everything went okay with Willie Mae this morning, didn’t it?”

  Kamira rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tension. “No, Willie Mae thinks it’s her job to protect this family. She has connected the State Line Mob with the gazebo fire. To top it off, it appears, Alyce Ann Buchanan is missing, and we need to find her.

  We’re here. Let’s get through this interview, and we can discuss Willie Mae tonight over dinner. Maybe we should invite Jack. Between the three of us, we should be able to get creative with ideas in keeping Willie Mae on track and safe and finding Alyce Ann.”

  Walking into the church, Kamira saw an elderly lady walking down the hall. She asked, “Good morning. We are looking for Greta Garrison?”

  The elderly woman smiled and said, “I am Greta. You must be Detective Jackson. Come on to my office. I don’t have a lot of time, but I will try to answer your questions.”

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sp; Terrance smiled at Greta Garrison, and Kamira swore she heard Greta say under her breath, ‘but I have time for that man.’

  As the trio got seated, Kamira asked, “Ms. Garrison, do you remember the time surrounding Faye Chestfield’s death and the construction happening here at the church?”

  Greta frowned and looked harshly at Kamira. “Faye’s death saddened everyone here. Pastor Charles the most. In his grief, he hung the remaining drywall himself. He wouldn’t let anyone help him. Two weeks earlier, the pastor discovered there was a leak in the pipes, so some men from the church, before Faye passed, had torn the wall out and fixed the leak.”

  Greta sat back, furious with Kamira, squinting her left eye. She glared at Kamira. “What does that have to do with the body in the basement? Don’t tell me you think the pastor buried that boy?”

  Kamira smiled and replied, “We are still trying to piece things together, Ms. Garrison. We know that the man found in the wall is a Daniel Billings, who we believe to be Danny the Gravedigger.”

  “That’s impossible, Detective. I helped the Pastor clean out Danny’s room myself. The pastor, bless his heart, thought Faye might have been having an affair with Danny. I assured him she wasn’t. Yes, that young man doted on Ms. Faye, but Ms. Faye didn’t return the affections. It was just too much for that young man. He wouldn’t let anyone help him with the digging of the grave, the next morning, everyone was looking for him, but it appeared he had left. Never even attended Ms. Faye’s funeral. I think that young man just felt he had done what he could for the woman that saved him. He just moved on.”

  Kamira nodded. Looking at her notebook, she glanced at Terrance.

  “Ms. Garrison,” Terrance began in a husky voice, “Can you remember if Pastor Chestfield was counseling any individual during that period?”