The Gravedigger

by Kacie Clement

Kamira frowned. “Father, I met with a woman who had been receiving counseling from Charles. They were having an affair, and she confirmed Charles was planning to kill his wife and that Charles thought Danny and Faye were having an intimate affair.

  She said that Daniel Billings caught her and your brother in a private moment in the chapel the night Mr. Billings was digging Faye’s grave.

  The following day, Charles sent her and her son to Texas to wait for him to come. But she went elsewhere because she feared for her own life.”

  Father Chestfield gasped, “Texas? Charles always wanted to serve in Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. He felt the families would need counsel when the soldiers were called away to duty.

  We had visited there as a family often during the summers, on family vacations. Our Uncle Randall Lewis, our mother’s brother, once owned a motel in Killeen. He always provided free rooms for the family. Charles and I always shared our motel room.”

  Kamira nodded. “Your uncle, Randall Lewis. Does he still own the motel?”

  Father Chestfield, his eyes going wide, said," No, he died, within weeks after Charles from natural causes. He died in his sleep. You think Charles is still alive?"

  Kamira nodded, “That’s our thought, Father. Thank you for your time today. Could you do one more thing for me?”

  “Sure, what can I do?”

  “Do you have your uncle’s social security number?”

  I don’t, but my cousin may. I will call him and get that number for you and call you as soon as possible.”

  The priest stood and shook Kamira and Terrance’s hand, “Please let me know what you find out about Charles. Detective, if that wasn’t Charles’s body, I identified, then who was it?”

  Terrance looked gravely at Kamira and said, “Good question.”

  Chapter 9

  Late that evening, Willie Mae waited for everyone to go to bed. Somehow she had to get past that patrol car in the driveway and Giovanni and Nicko.

  Taking off her shoes, she opened her bedroom window and carefully climbed out. Here she was at 88, climbing out windows.

  Holding her breath, she stood still, listening. Not hearing anything, she ran to the trees and through the brush to the next estate.

  She pulled out her cell phone and called an Uber to take her to Bugg’s Bar on Route 3.

  When the Uber driver stopped in Bugg’s parking lot, she stared out the window at the packed parking lot, hearing the noise in the car with the windows closed.

  Taking a deep breath, Willie Mae thanked the driver and went through the door of Bugg’s place.

  The man she was looking for, Buddy Colfax, was sitting at the bar, and he looked intoxicated.

  Willie Mae gathered her courage and stomped right up to the bar, getting into Buddy Colfax’s face.

  Angrily, Willie Mae asked, “Do you know who I am, Buddy Colfax?”

  Buddy Colfax drunkenly smiled at Willie Mae. “Sure, you’re that witch woman, Willie Mae Gordon. What do you want?”

  Willie Mae stared at Buddy and said, “I know it was you or one of your boys that started the fire at my Billie’s place, and I am here to tell you, this all stops now.”

  Bugg’s seeing Willie Mae come in moved closer to where Buddy Colfax and his friend were sitting. He knew this would not end well if he didn’t step in.

  Buddy Colfax laughed.

  “Mind your own business, old woman, or that niece and new husband of hers is next.”

  “Now you listen to me, Buddy Colfax…”

  Buggs had come up to the bar, saying, “Now, Ms. Gordon, this is not the place for you to be right now. I think you should go home.”

  Buddy laughed and nodded at his friend Chester, who informed everyone that he needed to use the bathroom.

  Buggs looked at Willie Mae and said, “Please, Ms. Gordon…”

  Just then, a loud crash came from the kitchen.

  Buggs looked at Willie Mae and said, “Go home, Ms. Gordon. I will have one of my staff meet you out front and drive you home. Go on now.”

  Willie Mae glared at Buddy Colfax and said, “I am warning you now, Buddy Colfax, you better leave my family alone.”

  Buggs watched her walk out the front door before running into the kitchen to see what happened. Once he got to the kitchen, he asked his dishwasher to take Willie Mae home.

  Once Willie Mae heard and felt the heavy door close behind her, she sighed a breath of relief into the night air.

  Opening her purse for a tissue, she felt the impact of something hitting her in the back of the head. She collapsed to the ground.

  No one saw the man in the mask carry Willie Mae through the parking lot to a white van.

  Fifteen minutes later, the dishwasher came back in the bar and told Buggs Willie Mae wasn’t out there.

  Buggs, with a worried look, said, “Maybe she had her driver wait. I will call Terrance in the morning and make sure she got home okay. Thanks anyway.”

  Buggs spent the rest of the night serving drinks.

  The following day as Kamira and Terrance made their way to the office, Willie Mae awakens.

  Willie Mae sat up from the basement floor. She wasn’t sure where she was, but from the moldy smell and the slat-boarded windows, allowing thin streams of light to hit the floor, Willie Mae realized that this must be in a house basement.

  Standing up and standing still for a moment till the dizziness passed, Willie Mae moved around the room, feeling the walls for a light switch.

  It seemed like forever, but she finally found it. Turning on the light, she looked around.

  There was something in the corner. Shuffling over to a mound of plastic, Willie Mae moved the plastic and gasped.

  It was Alyce Ann Buchanan, and she was dead.

  While Jack, Suzie, Terrance, and Kamira were assembling in the conference room, Sally brought in a pot of coffee and danish from Clara’s Café, putting everything in the center of the table.

  “Thanks, Sally,” Kamira says, grateful for the coffee. She didn’t sleep well last night.

  Jack looked around the table, “So you think Charles Chestfield is still alive?”

  Kamira looked up to see Sally heading for the door. “Sally, could you do me a favor and get me the autopsy for Randall Lewis from Killeen, Texas? Here is a post-it with the details.”

  “Sure thing, Kamira. I will email it to you as soon as I get it.”

  Kamira and Terrance shared what they learned from Father Chestfield with Jack and Suzie.

  Jack asked, “Could it be possible that this Randall Lewis provided Charles Chestfield a room while he waited for this Marilee to come?”

  Hearing the notification on her computer, she looked at it in surprise. Sally was fast.

  Reading the autopsy report, she looked up and said, “Looks like Randall Lewis also had a large amount of Ambien in his system when he died. They have his death listed as an accidental overdose.”

  Terrance said, “Interesting. Same fate as Faye Chestfield. Maybe Charles put a pillow to his face while sleeping?”

  Kamira nodded, saying, “I think Charles Chestfield is now living as Randall Lewis.”

  Looking at Suzie, Kamira said, “I have the dead Randall Lewis’ social security number. Could you conduct a search?”

  Taking the number from Kamira, Suzie’s fingers flew across the keyboard while talking.

  “You know, it’s common with the elderly that ghosting often happens. It can take six months for banks, credit reporting bureaus, and the Social Security Administration to receive, share, or register death records.

  If the family is not adamant about following through, credit agencies often fall through the cracks. Plus, the dead don’t monitor their credit reports, and the family no longer feels they need to.

  Aha, here we go. There is a Randall Lewis in Denver, Colorado, actively using this social security number. He’s an accountant. I can give you his address and the address of his employment.”

  Terrance looked at Kamira, saying, “L
ooks like we’re going to Colorado.”

  Terrance pulled his cell phone out to make flight reservations. When he realized his phone was dead, he says, “Guess I forgot to plug my phone in last night. Suzie, can you and Kamira book us a flight. I will be right back. I am going to go plug my phone in.”

  Terrance got up and left the conference room to retrieve a phone charging cable from his office.

  Kamira looked at her notebook thoughtfully.

  “Jack, I don’t think Randall Lewis is going anywhere. I want to make sure Keisha and little Clifton get settled into the Bellow sister's place alright this afternoon. Billie will have to be in the hospital for another week.”

  Kamira jumped when Terrance barged through the door.

  “What the hell, Terrance? You scared the hell out of me. What’s wrong?”

  Plugging his phone into an electrical outlet, Terrance said, “You both need to hear this message.”

  Terrance, it’s Buggs. Just checking to make sure Willie Mae made it home alright last night. She was going pretty hot on Buddy Colfax here at the bar. Call me.

  Kamira grabbed her phone, dialing Willie Mae. When there was no answer, she quickly called the Bellow sisters.

  “Hannah, it’s Kamira. Is Willie Mae there with you?”

  “No, Kamira. Last night, she told us that Henry would drive her into the office early this morning because she wanted to be home when Keisha and the new baby come home. But the pleasant man is here, and we are having tea.”

  “Pleasant man? What man, Hannah?” Kamira asked.

  “Why, Giovanni, the is a friend of Willie Mae’s, and after the fire…”

  Kamira glared at Jack and Terrance. “Hannah, let me talk to Giovanni, please.”

  “Certainly, dear. Giovanni, Kamira would like to speak with you.”

  Kamira put her phone on speaker.

  “Hello, Kamira! Nice to speak to you again.”

  “What the hell are you doing at the Bellow sisters’, Giovanni? Why are you here in Shadowbank?”

  Giovanni looked nervously at Vittoria. Vittoria nodded, giving him the okay to explain.

  “Ms. DeLuca has given us our orders. Nicko is covering Billie and his family at the hospital. I cover Willie Mae. Frank? Well, he is covering for you and Terrance. Perhaps you would like to talk to Ms. DeLuca?”

  Kamira, her eyes narrowing, replied, “Yes, put Vittoria on the phone.”

  “Good morning, Kamira.”

  “When is the last time you saw Willie Mae?”

  Vittoria frowned. Looking at Giovanni, she said, “Call Nicko and Frank. Where is Willie Mae?”

  Speaking into the phone, Vittoria said, “You’re at the department? I saw Henry’s truck pull out of the drive this morning. Hang on.”

  Giovanni entered the room, shaking his head. Willie Mae was not in her suite.

  Kamira, now ready to slay everyone in the room, heard Vittoria come back on the phone.

  “Nicko says Billie and his family are resting fine, but Willie Mae is not at the hospital with them, nor is she here. I am calling in some more men. I will be at the department momentarily.”

  Kamira, her jaw-dropping, said, “She hung up on me. She will be here momentarily?”

  Kamira angrily looked at Jack. “Where is he Jack, where is Frank Gallucci?”

  Jack quickly sent a text on his phone. A moment later, the door opened, and Frank Gallucci entered the room.

  Glaring at Frank, Kamira asked, “How many more men are we talking about, Frank?”

  Frank, frowning, replied, “No less than 50, I would say. You’re talking about Willie Mae. If Vittoria thinks the State Line Mob is behind her disappearance, you’re looking at a few hundred. God forbid anything happens to Willie Mae. She will be out for war.”

  Kamira turned when she heard Terrance talking to Henry. After he hung up, he turned around and said, “He doesn’t have Willie Mae. She wasn’t outside this morning when he arrived to pick her up, and he thought maybe she decided not to go in early after all.”

  Jack, white-faced, sat down in his chair. His heart was heavy.

  Kamira’s face turned hard. Her eyes turned gold, and she said, “Willie Mae is missing. The only one starting a war here is me.”

  Chapter 10

  Later that day in the department in the conference room, Kamira, who had been pacing, turned and faced Vittoria DeLuca sitting next to Jack.

  “How did this happen? Jack, you had a patrol car at the Bellows’, and Vittoria, you and your men were there. How does an 88-year-old woman crawl out of a window and end up at a bar?”

  Vittoria smiled. “It’s Willie Mae. You should know by now, dear, that lovely woman is fierce and does what she wants to do. She was protecting her family.”

  Kamira glared at Vittoria, ready to explode.

  Jack said, “Vittoria and I have been talking, and I think we have a plan. It’s not exactly what you would call legal, but it’s the only way I can think of to find Willie Mae.”

  Kamira sat down in the chair. They had found no leads all day. “Let’s hear it.”

  Jack nodded. “I can gather the names of some known members of the State Line Mob, and we have Suzie do the search for current addresses and send the DeLuca men to say, pick them up.

  The plan gets interesting from here. Bringing the mob to the station will accomplish nothing. Instead, we have them brought out to old Arnie Bailey’s place on the river.”

  Kamira’s jaw dropped, “Arnie Bailey? Are you insane? That man is over a hundred years old, near as anyone can tell. What in the world is he going to do?”

  Kamira’s eyes gleamed as realization struck. “Those alligators are like his children. It just might work.”

  Jack smiled at Vittoria, knowing it was her idea. Willie Mae had told her all about Arnie Bailey.

  Vittoria looked at Kamira and softly said, “Go home, Kamira. Try to get some rest. We will meet here in the conference room tomorrow at 7:30 am. My men will be ready to move.

  That evening, Willie Mae heard the padlock on the door at the top of the stairs unlock. She hoped her captor, whoever it was, had some water. She was thirsty.

  Hearing the heavy, uneven steps coming down the stairs, Willie Mae shuddered in the basement's corner opposite Alyce Ann’s body.

  Willie Mae realized the light had come on in the center of the basement. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up to find a drunk Buddy Colfax standing in the center of the room.

  Aghast, Willie Mae stood facing Buddy Colfax.

  “I should have known the State Line Mob would be behind this. Did George tell you to kidnap me, Buddy? To kill Alyce Ann?”

  Buddy Colfax laughed harshly, “There is no one who tells me what to do, old woman. I am the head of the State Line now.”

  Willie Mae laughed, “You’re nothing but George Buchanan’s lapdog, Buddy Colfax, everyone knows that. I visit George up there at Parchman, and my son’s house is burnt to the ground. I confront you at the bar, and here I am.”

  Pointing her finger in Buddy’s face, she continued saying, “Have you forgotten who my niece is, Buddy? Kamira will hunt you down if something happens to me.”

  Willie Mae watched the flash of fear cross Buddy’s face. Then she felt his fist slam into her face, breaking her nose and throwing her on the hard cement floor.

  Blood poured from her nose, and she struggled to sit up. Willie Mae laid still as Buddy menacingly leaned over her, shouting.

  “Shut the hell up, old woman, or you will end up like your friend over there. Dead. Hell, you’re going to, anyway. It’s just a matter of when is all.”

  Willie Mae laid there as Buddy drunkenly made his way back up the stairs. She heard the padlock lock into place.

  She was pulling herself back into the corner, trying to stifle the bleeding from her nose. Willie Mae heard loud voices coming from upstairs.

  “Buddy, what are we going to do with Willie Mae?”

  “Chester, pull yourself together and put that bottle down. We ha
ve our orders. George wants us to take care of Willie Mae tomorrow and dump both her and his dead wife out in the sound.”

  Chester slammed the bottle of moonshine down on the table. “That Kamira Jackson, she is nothing we want to confront. George is behind bars. She can’t get to him, but she can get to us.”

  “Don’t you worry about Kamira Jackson. She is going to be getting hers soon. George will see to that. Now finish getting the papers in order, we are moving the headquarters in three days. End Willie Mae tomorrow morning. I need to be at the new headquarters.”

  Leaning back against the damp wall, her face and body filled with pain, Willie Mae said to herself softly, “I will not let George win. He has taken enough from this family. I may be 88 years old, but I am a Creole woman. God willing, I will save my family and make Shadowbank a better place for my new grand baby.”

  Holding the hem of her dress against her nose, she closed her eyes. As a child, she remembered a dog who would play dead and then chase her around the yard. It was a game they played for hours. Maybe if she could play dead, she could get to the gun Chester kept in the front of his pants. He didn’t seem real bright, and if he was drunk, even better.

  Willie Mae, with a plan of action, drifted off to sleep.

  The following day, Willie Mae, sitting up, heard Chester unlocking the padlock and coming down the stairs. Laying down, she relaxed her body, pretending to be dead as she had as a child.

  Chester stood over Willie Mae, saying, “Is she dead?” He kicked her in the side, and she didn’t move. He felt her nose to see if she was breathing. Relieved, a hungover Chester assumed she was dead.

  Grabbing his phone, he dialed Buddy.

  “Buddy, Willie Mae is dead. She died during the night. What should I do now?”

  “Fool, we talked about this last night. If you weren’t so drunk, you’d remember. Wrap her body in some plastic, and I will be there tonight after dark. We can dump those bitches in the sound. Gator bait.”

  Chester disconnected the call and grabbed the tarp off the workbench. He wished he would have folded it up as Buddy told him to. As he drug the twisted tarp across the basement, he fumbled, trying to straighten it out.