“Oh, and maybe the different colors are part of the coding. Like in some card games, different color cards have specific purposes,” she excitedly suggested.
“Again,” Anlon answered, “you blow me away. At the rate we’re working through this we should have the whole mystery solved before we finish the first bottle of Cabernet!”
Pebbles beamed with sheepish pride and flexed a bicep. She was getting into this and his unsolicited encouragement was motivating. She really wanted to prove her worth to Anlon, wanted him to know she was more than a washed out first-year lawyer, now bartender. She suspected Anlon knew she was much more than that, and he always treated her like a peer of equal standing, but the competitive spirit in her wanted him to see her intellect on display.
They were so wrapped up in their hypothesizing that they didn’t hear Jennifer’s car pull into the driveway nor her approach to the front door. When the doorbell suddenly rang, they darted startled looks at one another.
“Showtime,” Anlon whispered, as he rose to answer the door.
“Hello Jennifer, come on in,” Anlon casually announced. “I’d like to introduce my friend Pebbles.”
The initial glances between the two women were akin to prize fighters facing off before a bout, though of course in a friendly, smiling, dagger-type way.
Pebbles interrupted Anlon as she extended a hand to greet Jennifer, “Actually, Pebbles is a pet name Anlon calls me. My name is actually Eleanor McCarver. It’s nice to meet you Jennifer.”
Inside Pebbles glowered…Jennifer, he called her? Since when did police detectives and suspects refer to each other on a first name basis? She felt a little insecure as she observed the self-assured stride and mannerisms of the athletic-looking detective. She was very cute in her sweatshirt and yoga pants and her long, honey tresses were eye catching. She was also closer in age to Anlon and had an air of quiet, tough-bitch confidence that was slightly intimidating to Pebbles.
Jennifer, unbeknown to Pebbles, felt uncharacteristically intimidated in return. Pebbles? Really? A pet name? Okay, that means they are “close,” maybe she’d misread the playful nudging she and Anlon engaged in the prior night. And God, she’s tall and gorgeous — and young! Pushing these irrational insecurities aside for now, however, Jennifer refocused on the matter at hand. “Eleanor, it’s nice to meet you too. Well Anlon, should we compare notes?”
Anlon stood watching the two women with a degree of unexpected alarm. Uh oh, he thought, a little icy. And where did Eleanor come from? What was up with Pebbles, he wondered. First the change to a mainstream look and now the name change. He would have to probe that later.
As a man who didn’t spend a great deal of energy courting women these days, he realized he might have missed something and unintentionally created the tension between them. He wasn’t sure at the moment how he could ease the tension, so he ignored it in favor of getting back to the mystery. He said, “Yes, let’s do that. I’m not sure if or when Pacal will come, but it would be best to make sure we’re all up to speed before he arrives, if he arrives.”
“Right,” Jennifer said, “So fill me in on what happened at the funeral home again. I did get a chance to hear it from the Lenox officer who came to take your statement but I’d like to hear it from you in more detail.”
Anlon went through the story again. Pebbles listened intently as he added new details he hadn’t included in the car ride from the airport. Jennifer in return, gave a synopsis of the police report. When she finished, Pebbles was about to ask whether Anlon saw the thief’s face when Jennifer asked, “So you never saw the thief’s face? He never turned in your direction? You told the officer he was wearing dark clothes and a hood. Can you remember what color clothes and hood?”
Notch one for the detective, Pebbles thought. She’s sharp!
Flustered, Anlon threw his hands up and said, “No, I didn’t see his face. He never turned to look back, which seems weird, doesn’t it? His clothes? To tell you the truth, I was so shocked when I saw him leaning into the Chevy, I wasn’t very observant. My first thought was to stop him. It could have been dark blue or black, but I don’t think it was brown.”
“Don’t sweat it Anlon,” Jennifer assuaged as she adopted a more casual posture on the sofa hoping to relax him. It was something she knew she had to work on. Sometimes she was so intent on getting answers that she caused witnesses to clam up instead of opening up. She said, “It’s not unusual for people to miss little details at a crime scene due to shock. Give it some time. Other details may come back to you later on.”
Pebbles piped in, making sure to use her pet name for Anlon, “AC, when you said ‘it’ may have been dark blue or black, did you mean the hood or the clothing, or are you saying he was wearing a hoodie?”
Anlon considered this for a moment and replied, “You know, now that I think of it, it did kind of look like one piece, so I would say a hoodie.”
Pebbles followed up with, “Did he make any sounds when he ran away?”
“Hmmm…I don’t think so. He struck me as stealthy, very quiet. What are you getting at?”
“I think,” Jennifer interjected, “Eleanor is trying to ascertain what kind of shoes the thief was wearing. Good thinking. The officer on scene found fresh footprints of sneakers in mud in the woods behind the funeral home. It’s not conclusive, but it’s likely he wore sneakers. I’m going to guess black sneakers because white would most likely have caught your eye. And while we’re on the subject, the sneaker prints could belong to a man or woman.”
“So because Anlon didn’t see the thief, you can’t rule out that a woman might have been the culprit, correct?” Pebbles clarified, pleased that Jennifer had acknowledged her deduction about the shoes. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all, despite the tough bitch persona.
“Exactly,” answered Jennifer. Okay, she’s no bimbo. I’ll have to look into her background later.
Anlon suddenly felt overwhelmed by the game of suspect profiling playing out between the two women. But at least he could see the level of tension was dropping, so he stayed quiet while they continued.
“It’s weird the thief took the will and not the stone, isn’t it? I mean, it sounds like the bad guy here came looking for AC specifically, so he must have known the attorney had the stone for safekeeping. And Anlon, you told me in the car that the police officer said the car’s lock showed no sign of forced entry which seems to suggest it was professionally picked. So whoever it was expected to find something in his car,” Pebbles theorized.
“Stone? What stone? Anlon you didn’t mention any stone in our call. It’s also not in the officer’s report,” Jennifer queried, leaning forward again on the sofa in an “I eat little children” posture. She then turned to Pebbles and agreed, “And yes, Eleanor, it does have the markings of an act targeted specifically at Dr. Cully.”
Embarrassed, Anlon said, “Ah, sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t mention it. Well, okay, that’s not really true. I guess I was a little worried it might be taken as evidence.”
Jennifer was a little miffed by the intentional oversight and her face reddened enough that Pebbles noticed it out of the corner of her eye. Anlon was looking down at the table where the stones sat, afraid to look up at Jennifer. She said, “Come on Doc, we agreed to be open with each other. That’s a pretty big oversight. Geez, these stones come up with everyone I talk to about this case.”
Suddenly Pebbles realized her slip of the tongue had put Anlon in an awkward situation. But, he never mentioned that he kept that part quiet, so how was she to know?
Lifting his eyes to gaze directly at the irked detective, Anlon apologized. “You’re right Jennifer. I should have told the officer, and you, about the stone earlier. It’s the blackish one on the table right in front of you.”
“Have you both handled it since the break-in?” Jennifer questioned.
Both of them nodded yes. She scratched her head and admonished, “Well, so much for possible forensic evidence.”
&nb
sp; There was a pause of silence for an uncomfortable moment as Anlon tried to think of a way to recover and Jennifer sought to calm her irritation. At last Pebbles spoke. “Um, going back to my question, why take the will, even if the stone hadn’t been there?”
Shaken from her slow burning stew, Jennifer focused on Pebbles’ question and said, “I don’t know. Anlon, I’ll need to see a copy of the will as soon as possible. Will you please contact Mr. Grant in the morning? It’s likely the thief followed Anlon to and from the attorney’s office and saw him walk out with the papers. Maybe you were right Anlon. Maybe his death has nothing to do with the stones. Maybe it’s simple greed. Someone wanting to speed along an inheritance?”
Anlon agreed to secure another copy first thing. He said, “I don’t know, it’s possible, but it doesn’t…”
Their conversation broke off when the doorbell rang again. At last, the elusive Pacal Flores had arrived.
When Anlon opened the door, he was instantly mesmerized by the smallish man who stood before him. Pacal was stocky yet trim with darkish red skin, white hair and eyes that bore through Anlon. His weathered face seemed regal, reminding Anlon of an ancient Mayan king come to life. He was attired formally in dress slacks, white shirt, black tie and blazer. He bowed slightly and said in a deep, slow voice that cracked a tinge as he finished, “Dr. Cully, I received your note. I am Pacal Flores. I am heartbroken for your loss.”
Anlon bowed graciously in return, and said, “Pacal, please call me Anlon, and thank you very much for your kind words. I am sorry for your loss too. I can tell Devlin and Dobson were important to you. Won’t you please come in. I have a couple guests I’d like you to meet.”
Anlon stepped aside and in strode the proud yet humble man. Anlon led him to the den where Jennifer and Pebbles rose to greet the new guest. He said, “Pacal, this is Detective Lieutenant Jennifer Stevens from the Massachusetts State Police. She’s investigating Dobson’s death. And this is Pebbles, er, Eleanor McCarver, a friend of mine who came to help out.”
Pacal greeted each woman with an air of respect and sedate charm in his manners. He said to Jennifer, “Detective, may I assume, given that the police are involved, that Mr. Matthew’s death is considered questionable?”
Jennifer nodded, but didn’t elaborate much, saying, “Yes Mr. Flores. We are conducting an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Dobson’s death. I know you came here to visit Dr. Cully but I’d like to ask you some questions if I may.”
She was surprised Pacal brought up Dobson’s death immediately. Not a shrewd move if he was the perpetrator. He also didn’t seem phased at all by her presence there. She motioned to the sofa and asked politely, “Won’t you sit down?”
When Pebbles and Anlon moved aside to the sofa opposite where Jennifer and Pacal settled, they were no longer blocking Pacal’s view of the table with the three stones.
Before his bottom touched the sofa, he spied the black stone and he vaulted up, excitedly proclaiming while clasping his hands together, “You found it! Thank the heavens, you found it!”
All three of the others were shocked by the sudden outburst. Anlon rose instantly and queried, “Found what? The black stone? You know about the black stone? About all these stones?”
Jennifer quickly stood between the two men and said, “Gentlemen, please sit down. We’ll get to the stones eventually. I have some other questions first.”
Pacal retrieved a handkerchief from inside his blazer pocket and wiped his brow and upper lip. Nodding in agreement, he quelled his excitement and sat down on the sofa. He slumped his shoulders in a manner that made Anlon think he was relieved.
Anlon desperately wanted to shunt aside Jennifer’s questioning but, he reminded himself, the most important thing right now was to catch Dobson’s killer. He sat as well and tried his best to contain his ardor to discuss the stones and Devlin’s research. He was more certain than ever that they were linked to both men’s deaths.
Jennifer said, “Thank you. I know you both have a lot to discuss, but it can wait. First off, Mr. Flores, I understand you were a research assistant of Dr. Wilson’s, is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” he replied, “I came to work for Dr. Devlin five years ago, but I knew him for much longer than that.”
“So you knew and worked with Mr. Dobson too?”
“That is also correct. Mr. Matthew was his closest associate and long-time friend. They were inseparable,” answered Pacal as he placed the handkerchief back in his blazer pocket.
Pebbles sat in silence and observed. She paid close attention to Pacal as Jennifer proceeded to question him. Like Anlon, she felt his majestic presence. He did not look nervous, and his answers didn’t strike her as evasive, but he also wasn’t going out of his way to provide Jennifer with expansive answers, being sure to pause briefly before answering each question and choosing his words carefully.
Looking him over, she noticed that although he was dressed formally, his clothes were time worn in places. She could tell the soles of his wingtip shoes were thin from long wear. The right blazer sleeve had a button missing and the cuff of his shirt sticking out from the sleeve was frayed. She also noticed a flat-faced gold ring on his right index finger. The ring had markings on it, but from her vantage point she couldn’t make out what they were. The only observation that stood as significant to Pebbles was where he directed his eyes during Jennifer’s interrogation. They rested on two spots throughout the dialogue, Jennifer’s face and the black stone.
Nonetheless, Pacal was incredibly patient, enduring the questioning without so much as a fidget or flinch. When she finished her barrage, Jennifer recapped his answers. “So, you last saw Mr. Dobson on Friday in the late afternoon. He mentioned to you that Dr. Cully would be traveling to Stockbridge on Saturday and asked you to meet with him and Dr. Cully here on Sunday at noon. After Mr. Dobson left on Friday afternoon, you locked up the barn office and left. You neither saw nor spoke with Mr. Dobson again and you did not visit his house at any time after you said goodnight to Mr. Dobson on Friday?”
Pacal nodded slowly in response before saying, “That is what I’ve told you.”
An interesting turn of phrase, Jennifer thought, but she didn’t fence with him on semantics. Instead she continued, “Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Flores. I would appreciate it if you would stop by the Stockbridge Police Department to let them fingerprint you, take a hair sample and swab your mouth for a DNA sample. It’s standard procedure in a case like this, nothing to be alarmed about. Dr. Cully provided us his samples on Sunday.”
Pacal bowed slightly and said, “I will do as you ask Detective.”
That’s one cool customer, Jennifer concluded. Either he’s totally innocent or a gifted actor. She held off on asking him about Devlin’s death and Dobson’s suspicions. She planned to tackle that topic after they talked about the stones. Peering over at Anlon, she could see the impatience in his expression. She said, “All yours Doc.”
Pacal interjected, “Before we do Detective, how did Mr. Matthew die?”
She hesitated and looked away to Anlon and Pebbles before replying. “Confidentially, he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. He was found locked in his car in his driveway. It appears to us as if someone knocked him unconscious and stuffed a rag in the tailpipe with the motor running.”
Pacal considered this in silence for a long minute, but did not otherwise react. At last he said, “Thank you Detective, I will not repeat what you just said to anyone. Now, Dr. Cully, the Life Stones.”
VIII
THE STORY STONE
“Life Stones?” Anlon queried, “is that what they’re called?”
Pebbles disappeared from the room and returned with two more wine glasses and a second bottle of Cabernet. She set one of the glasses in front of Jennifer and poured a generous amount from the already opened first bottle. The second bottle was purely for backup. Jennifer smiled a friendly thank you and reached for the glass. She was warming up to Pebbles.<
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Pacal responded, “We do not know what the makers called them. The language spoken on the Story Stones is unknown. Dr. Devlin called them the Life Stones and so that is the name I know them by.”
Pebbles placed a wine glass before Pacal and he said, “No thank you, Miss Eleanor. But if Dr. Devlin has any of his fine scotch left, I will be pleased to drink to his memory.”
With lightning speed, Pebbles spied the scotch bottle among others in the wet bar between the study and kitchen and returned with the bottle and a heavy, square-cut crystal whisky glass. With Pacal holding the glass, she poured him three-fingers’ worth and resumed her place on the sofa next to Anlon. While Pacal spoke, she turned her attention again to the stones and studied each closely.
“Story Stones? Those are the square ones on the table here, right? And the other is called what?” Anlon asked, sitting on the edge of the sofa.
“Thank you Miss Eleanor,” Pacal responded. He took a healthy swallow of the aged scotch and continued. “The other stone we call a Sound Stone.”
“Okay, Story Stone and Sound Stone. Let’s talk about the Story Stones first. How do they work? I know they are highly magnetic from what Dobson shared, but he didn’t show me how they function before he died.” Anlon inquired.
“The Story Stone requires a second stone to be used. A stone that Dr. Devlin called the Port Stone. It fits in the circle on the back of a Story Stone. It is circular, about the size of a small can of tuna. The Port Stone is very magnetic,” answered Pacal.
“Is there a Port Stone here? There wasn’t anything like you described in Devlin’s safe where these were kept,” asked Anlon.
Shadows of the Stone Benders (The Anlon Cully Chronicles Book 1) Page 9
