I gave her a dirty look. Forty-five minutes later, I left and headed for the church. I waved at Nancy, who sat on her porch, the vibrant reds and oranges of her trees and mums glowing around her. Rob waited for me at the front of the church, and I grinned as we strolled in together. That smile was quickly wiped from my face as I saw Patty raise her eyebrows. Rob and I sat a few rows behind her.
I smiled at Rob. “I’m happy you suggested getting together. Was there a special reason?”
He nodded. “I wanted to bring you up to date on a few things.” He picked up the hymnal and thumbed through it. “I also wanted to make sure you made it home safe last night.”
“Of course I did.”
The Mass began, so we stopped talking, but I gave him a sidelong glance.
At the end of the service, we left the church and chatted on the front steps with Father Tom about how much we enjoyed his homily. Patrick and Patty stalked us at the bottom of the steps. Rob and I joined them.
“Beautiful day.” Patty gave me a meaningful look.
“Yes, it is,” I replied in an even tone.
Patty said, “Rob, I don’t think I’ve seen you at this service before.”
“I’ve been trying different times to see which one I like best.”
“Have you decided?”
Rob looked down at me and smiled. “This one was best.”
I blushed. “Well, we should be going now.”
Patty grinned. “I’ll see you later.”
“What was all that about?” Rob asked.
“Nothing. Patty just has my best interests at heart.”
“And she thinks I don’t?”
“We only met a few weeks ago. The jury’s still out.”
“Cut me to the quick!” He pantomimed a knife stabbing him in the chest and staggering. He then extended his arm forward. “The Iron Skillet awaits.”
“I love their blueberry pancakes.”
Ambling to the restaurant, we chatted about his action-packed Sundays when he was reporting abroad. After getting settled into our booth and ordering, I said, “I’ve been wondering why you texted this morning. What did you want to bring me up to date on?”
“I’ve been doing some research on your friend John Gordan.”
I took a sip of my tea. “It sounds like you are obsessing.”
“You have to admit, he was near the church when the postman was killed.”
“But we were too.”
“Yes, but we know we didn’t do it.”
“I know I didn’t do it.”
“You can’t believe I did.” He covered my hand with his.
“I’m just saying you’re new to town and had the opportunity.” I pulled my hand back, and his face fell. “That said, however, I don’t think you did it.” I waited a beat. “Mostly because I checked out your alibi: Mary Lou, Sam, and Beth backed you up.” I sat back with a self-satisfied smile.
“You checked out my alibi?”
“Sure did.”
He grinned. “That was smart of you. Now, let’s get back to John. Are you interested in what I found out about him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he was married before?”
“I had heard that.”
“You knew he grew up in Clear Creek?”
“Yes, my neighbor told me that and John did last night as well.” I motioned for him to continue.
“There was a man named Hugh Sanders in Clear Creek who owned the coal mine. His daughter’s name was Paula.”
“That was the name of John’s wife.”
“Yes. Apparently, they hooked up in college and married not too long after graduation. They moved back to Clear Creek, and John started working for Hugh while he studied for his master’s in education. Hugh gave them a very handsome down payment on their house, and his company paid for John’s continuing education.”
“So?” I picked up my napkin and blotted my lips. “Many parents help their kids out with their first home. And many companies defray the cost of advanced education for their employees.”
“Maybe with some financing but both? That’s really generous.”
“They were lucky.”
“They sure were. Unfortunately for Paula, her luck ran out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just as John finished his studies, the mine started to fail and Hugh went belly-up. Paula moved her father in with them, and within weeks, John filed for divorce. Since the house was in both of their names, he forced her to sell it so he could get his cash. That left both Paula and her father without a house and without much money. Hugh died shortly after, and Paula was left to deal with her father’s creditors. To say it was a bitter divorce is an understatement.” Rob leaned back in his chair and took a bite of his pancake.
My mouth hung open. “How did you find all this out?”
“I have my sources, and some of it was public record.”
“I admit it doesn’t sound like a ringing character endorsement, but there are two sides to every story.”
“What has he told you about his marriage?”
“Actually, that hasn’t come up yet.”
Rob looked down at the table and examined his spoon. “He hasn’t mentioned it yet?”
“No. I tried to bring it up last night, but it was getting late.” I picked up the syrup pitcher, turned it, and put it back down. I met Rob’s gaze. “He kind of sidestepped the subject. But what does this have to do with Ben Ford’s death?”
“Nothing that I know of, but I think it’s important to find out more about people who had opportunity.”
“One other thing doesn’t mesh between your story and what John told me. John said he left at eighteen and never went back. If your source is correct, he did go back.”
“That part is public record. He was listed as one of the officers of the company.”
“Maybe he just didn’t want to talk about it.” My stomach started to churn. Could John have done it? I didn’t do credit to the delicious pancakes on my plate.
Rob frowned. “What did you talk about last night?”
“That’s really none of your business.” I rose. “I need to powder my nose. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Why is this bothering me so much? I’m not seriously dating John. I carefully patted my face with cold water, checked my makeup, and took a few deep breaths. Feeling better, I returned to the table.
Rob rose to greet me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s just a lot to take in.”
He gave me a worried look. “I’m ready to go if you are.”
We sauntered back to my house. He faced me. “We’re still partners in this investigation, aren’t we?”
“Yes. Although it seems strange now that Cindy and Michael are no longer suspects. I don’t have a horse in this race.”
“From what I know of you, you want to know the truth. This happened in our town. How can people feel safe with the killer still on the loose?”
“You’re right, but that’s Detective Ziebold’s job, not ours.”
“He won’t mind a little help.”
“I’m not sure he would echo that.” I opened my door. “Thanks for breakfast and for coming with me to church. I’ll see you soon.”
Softly closing the door, I crept over to peek out the front window. Rob stood there for a few moments staring at the house and then left.
“What are you staring at?” Jenny asked.
I jumped. “Don’t do that!”
“Sorry. I thought you heard me.”
“Well, I didn’t!”
She peered around me. “Anyhow, what were you looking at?”
“Rob Jenson. We just got back from brunch.”
“Starting to be a thing, Mom.”
“Just friends. Didn’t you say you were going to study with Cindy?”
“I’m leaving now. Love you.” She followed up with a quick kiss on my cheek and hopped out the door.
Sitting at my desk, I worked on my b
ills. Most were on autopay, but there were a few I needed to take a look at. Just as I felt like I could concentrate again, my phone dinged with a text from Patty: “Can come now. Okay?”
“Works.”
After tidying up my desk, I went to the living room. A few moments later, Patty stuck her head through the front door. “Anyone home?”
“Come in. Do you want some lemonade?”
“Fresh squeezed?”
“Is there any other kind?”
“Yes, the kind that I use. It comes frozen in a can; you add water and stir.” She winked. “Since you put in all that extra work, I would love a glass.” She came into the kitchen. “What’s up, girlfriend? What’s so weird?”
“Nothing much—Rob’s investigating John, John may be lying to me, and Ben Ford may have been blackmailing someone.”
“Whoa. That’s a lot to take in. Can we take this one thing at a time?” Patty began pacing as she listed off the topics to discuss. “Why is Rob investigating John?”
“He says we should find out more about each potential suspect.”
She halted in mid-stride. “He thinks John is a suspect?”
“He was seen going toward the rectory at around the right time.”
“Makes sense, but is there an element of jealousy working?” She smiled.
“I asked that. He says not.”
“Next, why do you think John might be lying to you?”
“First, he was married, and every time I bring up the subject of past loves, he changes the subject.” I handed her a glass of lemonade.
“That’s odd.”
“And second, he said he left his hometown at eighteen, but Rob says that he went back to live there after college.”
Patty pointed at me. “I think you should have a discussion with John about the discrepancies.”
“That’s going to be tough. How would I lead off? We’ve been investigating you, and there are some inconsistencies in your stories? How’s he going to feel about that?”
She took a sip of the lemonade and continued pacing. “We need to figure out a way to lead into it gently without being quite so forthright.”
I sat, putting my head in my hands, and moaned. “My head hurts.”
“Not surprising. This is a tough one.” She lifted my chin. “What was the last thing? Something about Ben Ford blackmailing someone?”
“He’s been making regular, large cash deposits over the past few months. Blackmail is the only reason I could come up with. Nancy is going to ask her cousin Melissa to let me come with her when she cleans out Ben’s house. That will give me a chance to see if I can find any proof.”
“Didn’t the police search his house?”
“Yes. This may be a wild goose chase, but I need to do it.”
“You worry me.”
“Rob said the same thing, and he doesn’t even know about this yet.”
“I thought you were working together?”
“We are. I just haven’t found the right time to talk to him about this with everything else that has been going on.”
Patty rolled her eyes.
Chapter 13
As I was leaving for work the next morning, Nancy motioned to me from her porch.
“I spoke with Melissa. She said she’s scheduled to begin the cleanup of Ben’s place on Thursday. Will you be able to make it?”
I nodded and checked my phone. “I’ll make it work. Thanks for doing this.”
“Ben was a good man. I want to make sure his killer is caught.”
While I walked to work, my mind raced. Patty was right. If Rob and I were working together, I should be sharing all the information I had. Why was I holding back?
Opening the door to my storefront, I was distracted by Cheryl putting up one of our new product displays. “That looks great. I know your creativity will spur questions from our clients on what we have to offer. Thanks for setting this up.”
Cheryl grinned. “Thanks for the opportunity to show you what else I can do.”
“That’s what I like about you: your can-do spirit!”
“Oh, by the way, Rob Jensen called. He’d like you to call him back.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
After checking my desk for urgent items, I made a to-do list for the day. I punched in Rob’s number. He picked up on the second ring.
“That was fast.”
I smiled. “We aim to please.”
“You seemed upset by what I told you last night, and I wanted to see if you had any other questions. I also wanted to make sure you know my motive is pure in investigating John. It isn’t because I’m jealous of him.”
“So you are jealous of him?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. And I appreciate the phone call. It gives me a chance to bring you more up to date.”
“Something happened overnight?”
“No. It’s something I learned the other day.”
“Why did you wait so long to tell me? I thought we were working together?”
“We are. I heard something, and I needed some time to mull over what it might mean.”
“Well?”
“Ben had been making some large cash deposits for the past few months. I think he might have been blackmailing someone.”
“That’s a big leap. How did you find out about the deposits?”
I tapped my pen on the desk. “Just like you, I have my sources.”
“Do you trust the person?”
“Yes.”
There was a pause. “Why blackmail?”
“What else could it be? The deposits were in cash and were for the exact same amount each month.”
“Maybe Ben had loaned someone some money and they were paying him back in cash.”
“Maybe. Regardless, I figured out how to investigate further.”
“How?”
“My source’s cousin has been asked to clean Ben’s place up so his nephew can sell it. She’s agreed to let me help her. I’m going to use that opportunity to see if I can get any proof.”
“I don’t think it’s safe for you to be investigating.”
“Who’s going to find out?”
“I don’t know, but I worry about you. When are you scheduled?”
“Thursday.”
“I want you to text me every hour on the hour.”
“Seems excessive, but if it will make you feel better—”
“It will.”
“Okay, I promise. I have to get some work done, so I need to hang up.”
“Me too. Remember, every hour.”
“Yes, Dad.”
As soon as I hung up, Cheryl came in. “I’ve been trying to rearrange Thursday so you can take the day off. Do you mind staying late tonight and Wednesday so I can squeeze in some of your appointments?”
“That should be okay. Let me double-check with Jenny to make sure I don’t have any commitments she hasn’t shared with me.”
“Is it just Thursday, or are you going to need Friday too?
“Better clear Friday. If I get done early, I can always take Jenny to the lake.”
“That sounds nice. Want to take me too?”
“Cheryl, you know you are always welcome.”
“That means a lot.” She smiled as she left.
I sat there for a few minutes and took a breath. Was life getting more complicated, or was I complicating it? No matter. Either way I ended up at the same place.
✽ ✽ ✽
Thursday was one of those sunny, blue-sky days that make you feel glad to be alive. As I strolled over to Ben’s house, I marveled at the reds, golds, and browns of the changing trees. The air smelled clean. I rang the doorbell, and Melissa answered.
“Thanks for coming. I wasn’t sure you were going to make it.”
I smiled at her as I entered. “Of course I came. I said I would.” My smile drooped. Ben’s living room had piles of stuff everywhere.
“I told him he needed to throw stuff out. I worked hard to
make sure the place was at least somewhat clean, even with all the piles.”
I took a deep breath. “Where do we start?”
“I’ll start in here. Based on what Nancy told me, you may want to start in Ben’s office. It’s the second door on the left. The brown bin is trash, the blue recyclable, and the red is stuff that needs to be shredded. Let me know when they get full. I contracted with an organization that will take it from there and give you fresh bins.”
A bit overwhelmed, I plotted my way around the stacks to the office. “Thanks.” I carefully maneuvered there successfully. Luckily the door was ajar or I don’t think I would have been able to get through. I edged through the piles in the office to find a relatively clear desktop and chair. I sat at the desk and got started. Three hours later, I was pleased to see I had made a small dent in the room.
Melissa poked her head through the door. “Pizza’s here if you are hungry.”
My stomach growled. “You bet.”
When I joined her in the kitchen, my mouth dropped open. It was clean and uncluttered.
Melissa took a slice of the pizza as she gazed in satisfaction and nodded. “You seem surprised.”
“I am. The difference between the kitchen and the rest of the place is night and day.”
“I told Ben three years ago that there wasn’t any point in me cleaning if the kitchen and bathrooms were just as clogged as the rest of the house. He must have really wanted it clean because he agreed and we spent two weeks getting rid of stuff in this room. He kept it uncluttered from that point on. Of course, the other rooms just got worse.”
“I noticed.”
“Find anything?”
“I found receipts for books he bought twenty years ago, tax returns since he started working at age sixteen, and what appears to be every new stamp issued since he started working at the post office. I’ve set the stamps aside in case the nephew wants them or wants them sold to other collectors.”
“I’m putting anything that might be of value in the small back bedroom.” She gestured toward the hallway. “I started there first, so it’s clean. Ben’s nephew is coming back in a week or so depending on when they release Ben for burial.”
Finished with lunch, I took the stamps across the hall to the small bedroom. After the chaos of the office, it looked serene and neat, aside from the few piles of potential valuables on the bed. I put the stamps down. There wasn’t much to see: a small twin bed, a dresser, and a tiny closet. As I opened the closet, I noticed that the wood floor looked strange. It was level, but the pattern seemed wrong. I stepped back and studied the floor in the bedroom. The wood planks were the same and they were of staggered lengths. When I checked the closet again, I realized what bothered me. The planks were cut to the same length in the corner of the closet.
Murder So Sinful Page 7
