The Edge of Murder (A Hank Reed Mystery, Book 3)

by Fred Lichtenberg

  Was it possible the gun Amanda transferred to Blade was the second murder weapon used to kill Terry? Her murder weapon? She had the motive, means, and opportunity. But why use two guns?

  I shivered at the thought of Amanda’s recent comment about Elizabeth missing for the last time.

  “JR, I think Amanda might have killed her sister.”

  I called Amanda one more time, and then hung up before her voicemail kicked in. I opened my Uber app, and within ten minutes, I was on my way to meet JR at the Rustic Motel. My guess was Blade would be staying at the same inn as Terry. That was my hope, anyway.

  When I arrived, I found my buddy leaning back in the car’s front seat, glancing out the window.

  “I wanna check if Blade has a room here,” I said, sliding into the passenger seat. “If not, we’ll check out Terry’s room.”

  “Sounds easy enough. So, what, we just knock on his door after we find out which one it is?” JR shifted in his seat and gave me a look. “You do know we don’t have a warrant to enter the premises. Hell, Hank, I’m out of my jurisdiction, and you’re not even on the force anymore.”

  I smiled devilishly. “Me, no, but you might be able to sweet-talk the manager into letting you see the security footage near his room. I’m interested in whether the sisters paid Blade a visit recently. Like now. And if one or both entered the room and haven’t left, well, maybe the cleaning crew hasn’t cleaned up yet.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “I’m desperate. Besides, I just want to talk to them.”

  “Right, talk.”

  I glanced over at the motel office. There was a middle-aged guy on the phone. JR watched as I tapped into my photo app and scrolled down until I found Terry’s not-so-flattering picture. I sent it off to his cell. I then sent the one of Blade I’d taken near the airport. “Two for one.”

  When his phone pinged, he viewed the photos. “Nice work.”

  “Now go inside and be persuasive, Detective.”

  I watched JR enter the office, show his detective shield, and then the photos. The clerk did a double-take, so I imagined it had to be the one of Terry. JR showed him the second photo and he nodded, then motioned JR to follow him. I smiled. Good job, my friend.

  Twenty minutes later, JR returned with a wide smile. “The security tapes showed one of the twins entering a room with Blade two days ago, and it doesn’t appear she’s left yet. Blade, on the other hand, took off not long after they arrived.”

  “The timeline sounds about right. Could be Elizabeth took off with Blade from the beach before Terry was killed that afternoon. Did Blade return to his room?”

  JR nodded. “According to the security footage, he pulled into the lot a little after 6:00 p.m., alone, and then took off thirty minutes before he met up with Amanda today.”

  “Leaving Elizabeth behind.”

  “Right.”

  I said, “And you’re sure it was Elizabeth you saw on the footage?”

  “Jesus, Hank, how would I know the difference? I’d be guessing.” He looked up at the second level. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  I followed his stare. “Which room?”

  “According to the manager, 217.” JR pointed. “For a hundred bucks, the manager said he’d give me a few minutes to get back in the car before calling the room.” He checked his watch. “I’m guessing we have a minute or so.”

  “What’s the manager going to say to whoever answers the phone?”

  He kept his stare at the room. “The police were returning with a warrant.”

  “There’s only one thing,” I said. “We’re banking that the twin will answer the phone. In the meantime, why don’t you call Walker, tell him you found out where Blade is staying. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.”

  He was about to call when the door to room 217 flew open and one of the twins bolted, gripping a backpack, and rushed clumsily down the stairwell.

  “Which one, Hank?”

  I studied her, but couldn’t tell by the clothes, hair, or height. I charged after her. “Amanda, Elizabeth, it’s Hank.”

  She glanced my way, dazed, and held onto the railing, struggling to keep moving, bumping into the wall, and when I caught up to her at the end of the building, she screamed.

  I put up my hands. “It’s me, Hank.”

  She blinked hard. “Hank, what are you doing here?” Her eyes shot in different directions, then back to me. “Were you followed?”

  I still hadn’t figured which twin I was talking to. “By whom?”

  “Blade.” She blinked harder, then collapsed in my arms. JR arrived, and we slid her onto the back seat.

  “What the hell was that all about?”

  I shrugged. “Looks like she’s been drugged. She said something about Blade before she collapsed.” I glanced to the back seat. Her eyes were flitting. “Maybe the phone call woke her up. We better take her to the hospital.”

  “No hospital.” She waved tentatively. “Take me to Amanda’s house.”

  Elizabeth.

  Thirty-Two

  I eased her out of the car and helped her to the door. She struggled to remove the key from her bag, then handed it to me.

  Inside, I asked, “What happened?”

  “The crazy bastard. I thought he was going to kill me.”

  “Blade?”

  “The creep.” She gazed over at JR. “Who are you?”

  “JR Greco, Nick’s cousin. It’s why I’m here. How are you feeling…Elizabeth?”

  “Okay, but I need to sit. I feel wobbly.” She struggled across the room and dropped to the sofa. “Hank, please get me a glass of water. I’m really thirsty.” She licked her lips.

  I went into the kitchen and took a glass from a cabinet. The place was as I had left it that morning. When I returned with her water, JR was sitting on the other side of the sofa, asking a few soft questions.

  “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled thinly, and her glassy eyes remained on mine.

  “I was worried about you. Where have you been all this time? You took off a few days ago in Blade’s car.” I wanted to scream at her, but she appeared too fragile.

  She took a gulp, then coughed. “That day at the beach, Blade left a message on my voicemail. I didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t pick up. When I heard the message, he identified himself and said Amanda was inside his motel room and that she was scared—he wouldn’t say why, only that she’d locked herself in the bathroom.” She stopped, took a breath, and handed me the glass. “More, please.”

  When I returned, she said, “Blade was worried and wanted me to help.”

  “And you didn’t think it was a ruse? That maybe Terry set you up?”

  Her tired eyes gazed at me, then JR. “I was scared for her. That’s all I could think about.”

  JR asked, “How do you know Blade?”

  “He’s Terry’s friend from the carwash business. We were friendly enough. He must have followed Terry to Florida in his own car.”

  “The BMW.”

  A nod.

  “And he just happened to be near the beach when he called you. That’s quite a coincidence, Elizabeth,” JR said snidely.

  She glared at him. “You think I’m lying? You don’t know what I’ve been through these whatever days it’s been. He drugged me, kept me a prisoner for God’s sake.”

  I said, “JR wasn’t suggesting you were involved in anything, but you must admit, it looks strange, don’t you think?”

  “Oh.” She sipped some water.

  “Why didn’t you trust me to go with you? I’ve been on your side since the beginning.”

  “It wasn’t me. Blade told me to come alone, that you would try to stop me. Look, I know it sounds weird…like I said, I was afraid for my sister and wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  I side-glanced at JR. “And then Terry was murdered? An eyewitness described a woman that matches your description running out of Nick’s apartment house—”

  She dropp
ed her glass on the area rug, water spraying about. “Nick? Whoa, what are you saying, that Terry was murdered in Nick’s apartment? What happened to Nick?” Her wide eyes shifted from me to JR. “Hank, you don’t think I—”

  “Christ, Elizabeth, the cops are looking everywhere for you. They arrested Nick for Terry’s murder and believe you and Blade were his accomplices.”

  She squeezed her eyes. “This can’t be happening.” She turned to us. “Nick was in the hospital. We were there together that morning. Do you really think he could have discharged himself in his condition? And kill someone? Get real. He had to—”

  “He had help discharging himself. You?”

  “No, no, no, no, no. Wait a second. When was Terry killed?”

  “The same afternoon you took off on me.”

  She held up a hand. “Okay, okay.” She got up and trudged across the room, stopping a moment to hold on to a wall, then back to us. “Don’t you see, that’s when I was in Blade’s motel room and drugged up. When I entered the room, Amanda wasn’t there. Blade stuck something over my nose, and I passed out.”

  I turned to JR. He shrugged. Back to Elizabeth. “Are you suggesting Amanda killed Terry? Why would she? You wanted him dead, not her. And why would Blade play a part in the murder? He was Terry’s friend.” I stopped. “And, as for Nick, he was a perfect patsy for you.”

  “You are so wrong, Hank. I care for Nick. I would never—”

  “I guess we’ll have to hear Blade’s side once he’s arrested.”

  “Terry raped Amanda! He raped her, okay?”

  That stopped me cold. It now made sense. Amanda had a reason to kill Terry.

  She nodded. “It didn’t take long after I arrived that Amanda blamed me for the rape, saying if I hadn’t been with Terry, it would have never happened.” Her eyes welled. “I swear, Hank, I didn’t know until recently. It makes sense. I always thought it was because we squabbled all the time.” Elizabeth closed her eyes, shook her head. “In a drunken rage, he told me what he’d done. We argued, and he hit me. I ran out of the house before he sobered up.” She opened her eyes. “And then he followed me here, knowing I’d feel safe with Amanda. He threatened her if she didn’t tell him where I was hiding.”

  “I guess her…past returned,” I said.

  Elizabeth nodded. “Believe me; she wanted him dead too.”

  We remained silent a while.

  JR finally asked, “Why do you suppose Blade was part of the murder?”

  Elizabeth swallowed hard. “He and Amanda were an item once. He was upset when she left New York. I think they were in love. At least, he was crazy about her. Maybe he contacted her while he was here, and she told him about Terry…”

  And Amanda told me I was the only man she’d been with besides her husband. Another lie.

  “If Amanda wasn’t in the motel room when you arrived, where do you think she was?” I asked.

  “You’ll have to ask her. But I can tell you, if she was part of this—especially me being drugged, I’ll never speak to her again. She set me up, Hank.”

  “And Nick.”

  She sighed. “Please help us.”

  That was what I intended—assuming Elizabeth wasn’t lying. But how could I trust either twin?

  Thirty-Three

  My phone chirped. It was Detective Walker. I listened, gazed at Elizabeth, who looked concerned. I nodded, thanked him, and told him we’d meet him at the stationhouse within the hour.

  I closed the phone and said, “Blade is still on the loose, but the gun they found in his glove compartment was registered to him. They’re doing ballistic tests now. I told him we’d meet in an hour.”

  I wanted to keep Elizabeth as far away from Walker as possible until we proved she was innocent. I was pretty sure Amanda wouldn’t return home, not after I left positive voice messages concerning Nick. By now, she’d be calling Blade, who’d advise her to get out of Fort Lauderdale, and fast.

  I turned to Elizabeth. “Wait here until you hear from me. If you’re innocent, you’d be crazy to run.” My grim expression caused her to nod.

  “Promise. Besides, where else would I go? I don’t even have a car.”

  I wanted to remind her that Uber and taxis were readily available in this neighborhood. “You have a history of disappearing.”

  “Okay, okay, I get it.”

  We left Elizabeth in her thoughts and drove to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

  “Walker sounded upbeat, so I’m assuming he’s going to be in a good mood. He said Terry was hit with two rounds, different calibers.”

  JR said, “Amanda must have been waiting for him and shot him soon after he arrived. Once down, she must have taken his gun and shot him again, for old time’s sake.”

  “She got her revenge all right. And left Nick holding the bag,” I added.

  “But why? She knew her sister had fallen in love with him.”

  I shrugged. “I think it had to do with her friend who killed herself. Nick was her therapist.”

  “That’s extreme, Hank.”

  I felt a wave of sadness coming on. I’d slept with her. More than that, I really liked Amanda.

  When we arrived, Detective Walker had a wide smile on his face. “Nice work, gentlemen.” He turned to me. “Remind me to give you an honorary detective badge.”

  “I already have a few, but one more won’t hurt.” I smiled.

  “Of course, you were a detective once. Sorry if it came off wrong.”

  “Not at all. I’m glad JR and I were able to help.”

  “And speaking of help, I’d like to know how you discovered this rendezvous between Blade and this woman, who you haven’t identified.”

  I held off a moment, trying to balance my answer. “Her name is Amanda; she’s Elizabeth’s identical twin.”

  He looked at me critically. “You’re serious? The woman we’ve been pursuing. So, what, they’re in this together?” Walker had a frown, which meant I’d better come clean.

  “As I told you, Nick hired me to find Elizabeth. I met Amanda through that search, and we became…friendly.”

  His forehead creased. “Go on.”

  I glanced at JR and then back to Walker. “Amanda helped me find her sister. We just sort of hit it off.”

  “You mean you’ve been screwing her.”

  I bowed, then returned his stare. “She wasn’t on my radar. All roads led to her sister, but then Amanda changed, and I began having doubts about her.” I shrugged.

  Walker turned to JR. “Were you a part of this, too?”

  “You mean a threesome, no?”

  “Don’t make this a joking matter, JR. I gave you information that I thought would help. You guys have been holding back.”

  “Not true,” I blurted. “I gave you Blade. I have no idea where Amanda is, but when I find her—”

  “You’ll do no such thing! You hear me? I gave you some professional courtesy. If I find out you’re holding back more on this investigation, I’ll have you charged.” He pointed at JR. “And you…” He shook his head.

  I was about to respond, but Walker put up a hand. “Don’t. Until we find out for certain, Nick Ross is still charged with murder. If he’s innocent…” He pointed at us. “It’s best that you both leave Fort Lauderdale.” His glare remained until we nodded.

  Outside the stationhouse, I snagged JR’s arm. “Walker was very specific about us getting out of Fort Lauderdale.”

  “Pissed is more like it. So, what, we catch the next flight out?”

  I looked back at the building. “Yeah, right.” While walking back to the car, I thought about Amanda and how she’d been so lovey-dovey. Was it real before I started asking questions?

  As we entered the car, JR turned to me. “I hate to say it, Hank, but Amanda played you.”

  He read my mind.

  “Sorry, my friend, but you have a pattern of getting involved with…similar women.”

  I didn’t want to admit it, but JR was right. I nodded
. “It wasn’t until I started asking questions about her friend in the photo. Which means I was good for her until I wasn’t.”

  “Look at it this way: how long do you suppose your relationship would have lasted? Especially, considering you live over a thousand miles away from a quickie.”

  I sighed. “I’d rather not discuss it.”

  JR squeezed my shoulder. “Let’s figure out our next move.”

  By 6:00 p.m. in January, Florida days crept into darkness, and when we arrived at Amanda’s house, the interior lights were still off. Elizabeth had either fallen asleep or had gone on another disappearing act. I knocked on the door and waited. No answer, so I called out. Still nothing.

  I shrugged and punched in her cell number, but it went straight to voice mail. I turned to JR. “I hope I didn’t make a mistake leaving her alone.”

  The door was unlocked, which wasn’t a good sign. I turned the knob, entered, and flipped on the foyer’s light switch.

  “Elizabeth, it’s Hank.”

  Still nothing.

  I glanced at JR. “What do you think?”

  “She could have fallen asleep. She was pretty wiped out.”

  I nodded, walked over to the living room, and turned on the light. The glass was still on the floor where Elizabeth had dropped it, but there was no sign of her.

  “I’ll check the backyard, Hank.”

  “Okay, I’ll start with the master bedroom.” When I arrived and hit the light, I saw the unmade bed, and for a moment, replayed a memory of our lovemaking.

  I checked the bedroom closet and found women’s clothing hanging in front of me, a mix of sundresses, jeans and tops. My eyes shifted to the right side of the closet. Men’s clothes: soft cotton business suits and slacks, and casual shirts.

  “JR,” I called loud enough for him to hear me.

  He walked into the bedroom and stared at the clothes in the closet. “What’s up?”

  I lifted a light blue suit off the rack. “What do you think?”

  “About the suit? Hell, I don’t own any. Well, maybe one for weddings and funerals.” He touched it. “Nice cotton.”