Toni Donovan Mysteries- Books 1-3

by Helen Gray

  “Everything’s blurry,” Dack complained.

  “You won’t have to see much,” she said. “They obscure your eyes. You can keep ’em in your pocket on the drive out there, but be sure you put ’em on before going inside.”

  “Are we ready?” Q asked. “I’ve got my cell phone.” He picked it up off Dack’s bed.

  “Here, put it in this.” Cindy handed him a purse with a shoulder strap.

  “I have mine.” Jeremy held up his phone. “I just put new batteries in it. What about you?”

  “I did that just before coming here,” Q assured him.

  “Good,” Cindy declared. She took her car keys from her own purse and handed them to Dack. “My car’s not as nice as your fancy Mustang, but it won’t be as recognizable. I want you to take it.”

  He took the keys, but then dug his own from his pocket. “Okay, but you take mine. We’ll call you when we start home, and we can swap back. Unless you want to wait here.” He indicated his room.

  “Your folks might come home. I wouldn’t want to have to explain why I’m here, or where you’ve gone.”

  “Right,” he agreed.

  When Dack drove up in front of Charity Haven in Cindy’s old white Cavalier, Q hung onto the door handle in a death grip. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s kind of scary,” he admitted.

  “But they need to be caught and stopped,” Dack reminded him. “I’ll do the talking.”

  “Not too much, I hope.” Q gave him a direct look. “You gab a lot.”

  Dack grinned. “I know. Okay, I’ll be careful how talkative I am.” He fished the thick glasses from his shirt pocket and propped them on his face.

  They got out and walked up the steps to the door. Dack knocked.

  When an older woman who matched Mrs. Donovan’s description of Charity Haven opened the door, Dack greeted her in a subdued tone. “Hi. I’m Barry Westmoreland, and this is my girlfriend, Tammy Brooks. Our teacher, Mrs. Donovan, said Tammy might be able to stay here until her baby is born.”

  The woman ran a critical eye over them, and then opened the door wider. “Come inside, and we’ll talk about it.”

  She led them to the big sofa behind an oval coffee table and motioned for them to sit. Dack had to move carefully and hold onto Q’s arm because his vision was so blurry.

  Charity took a seat facing them. “When is the baby due, and how soon do you need a place to stay?”

  “The baby isn’t due until September, but her parents want her to leave home now,” Dack said in a soft, hesitant voice. “We’d like to get married, but if we do, she’ll have to quit school, and my folks won’t pay for me to start college this fall.”

  “We usually have a waiting list,” Charity said in a heavy nasal tone. “But we’re unusually light on admissions right now. If you’ll wait a minute I’ll get the paperwork for you to fill out. Then we can go over some details.”

  When she headed to the desk across the room, they waited until her back was fully turned to them. Then Q acted quickly, taking his readied cell phone from the purse he carried and tucking it down inside the big flower arrangement on the coffee table. Dack pushed his thick glasses down his nose just enough to peer over them at the bug stashing, but pushed them back up in a panic as Charity turned.

  “Fill these out,” she ordered, coming back across the room and handing Dack some papers. “While you do that I’ll explain a few things to Tammy.”

  It took almost ten minutes to fill the forms with fictitious information, and then another fifteen to hear Charity go over stuff about counseling, applying for public assistance, tutoring to keep Tammy from falling behind in her school work, and rules for living in the house. Dack spoke only when required, and Q remained silently attentive, both of them anxious to escape.

  “You may check in as soon as you’re ready,” Charity said when she finished.

  “Thank you, Miss Charity,” Q said politely, getting awkwardly to his feet. “Barry will take me home, and I’ll start packing my things so he can bring me back Sunday afternoon.” He was so scared that he sounded feminine without trying.

  Charity escorted them to the door. “I’ll let the other girls know you’re coming.”

  *

  When Toni returned home about ten o’clock, she found Kyle and the boys working in the little garden they had planted behind the house a couple of weeks earlier. She told them what she had in mind, went on inside, and called the Zachary’s.

  “Hi, Jenny. I’m feeling good. Why don’t we continue last night’s celebration party? We could meet at the swimming pool after lunch, then come back here and grill afterward.”

  Jenny laughed. “I’ll bring the salad and dessert.”

  When she disconnected, Toni went back outside to tell Kyle and the boys of the arrangements. Then she spent the remainder of the morning puttering around the house. She put together a vegetable casserole and refrigerated it for baking later. At noon she made a salad for herself and sandwiches for Kyle and the boys.

  She basked in the relaxation of her first taste of summer freedom and knowing that Buck was progressing toward resolving the case.

  *

  Dack and Q hurried to the white Cavalier, where Dack dutifully assisted Q into the passenger seat, in case Charity was watching them. Once Dack was behind the wheel, they both whooshed long breaths of relief. Dack drove away, and when they passed the spot where Jeremy had parked out of sight to be their lookout, they saw him pull into the road behind them. “Call Cindy and tell her we’re on our way back to town,” he instructed Q.

  She met them at his driveway.

  “Dad’s still at the club, and Mom’s showing some houses today,” Dack said as the three of them made their way to his room.

  “Thank God,” Q said gratefully. “Getting caught in this getup would end my life.” He yanked off the wig and started peeling out of the maternity clothes.

  “Let me take that.” Cindy reached for the empathy vest. When she had her supplies all gathered, she flipped her long blonde tresses back over her shoulder and collected her purse. “I hope you guys get the information you’re after.”

  “If we hear anything incriminating, there won’t be any recording of it,” Q said, taking Jeremy’s cell phone from him and activating the mute feature. Then he made a connection to his phone in the flower vase.

  “It wouldn’t be legally usable if we had a tape,” Jeremy pointed out.

  “But we’d know,” Dack concluded, leaning over the mirror of his dresser and wiping the dark color from his eyebrows.

  “Call me if there’s anything else I can do,” Cindy said, going out the door.

  Q activated the speaker phone feature on Jeremy’s cell phone and placed it on Dack’s computer desk. Then the three of them settled back to listen to their ‘bug’.

  They could hear background noise off and on, but nothing meaningful. There didn’t seem to be any traffic going in or out of that room. By eleven-thirty their nerves were twitching from inactivity.

  “I’m hungry,” Jeremy declared, turning from the computer where he had been cyber surfing.

  “Why don’t you go get burgers for us,” Dack suggested.

  *

  After lunch Toni and her family met John and Jenny at the club pool and spent a pleasant afternoon in the water and sun bathing. About five o’clock they gathered their things and returned home.

  Kyle fired up the grill, and a few minutes later the Zacharys arrived with Jenny’s salad and dessert. The adults lounged on the deck while the charcoal heated, and the boys played wiffle ball in the backyard.

  When asked about the murder case, Toni brought her friends up to date. She told them about the visit with Damien Hudson and Buck’s intent of getting a warrant to search Charity Haven as soon as he caught up with Judge Stone.

  *

  The trio spent the afternoon learning how slowly time moves when doing surveillance. About five o’clock Dack’s parents returned home and looked in on them. N
oticing nothing unusual, they went about their own routines.

  Dack was sprawled on his back on his bed, his hands laced over his head, while Jeremy surfed at the computer again. Q stood at the window, staring outside. All three were about half asleep when sounds from the phone brought them to attention.

  At first it was just background noise, like people entering the room talking. But the voices were indistinct murmurs. Then they grew clearer, the speakers obviously having moved closer to the phone.

  For several minutes there were sounds of increased activity inside the house. “They must be getting ready for the evening meal,” Jeremy whispered.

  “The phone’s on mute. They can’t hear us,” Dack whispered back. They both laughed.

  Suddenly it was quiet again, and the boys slumped back in disappointment. But a few seconds later they heard the sound of someone else entering the room. More moments later there was the sound of a door opening, and then shutting. Then they heard voices speaking, but they were too distant and muffled to understand. But soon it grew louder and clearer.

  “…called. He said we need to be prepared for trouble. He said he’ll be here soon.”

  “We were better off before things got so big,” another woman’s voice said. “You should never have gotten involved with either of them.”

  “That second one’s Charity,” Dack said, nearly bursting with excitement. Q nodded.

  “Then the first one is probably Nurse Vickers,” Jeremy speculated.

  They heard a door open and slam shut again.

  “It’s about time you got here,” the voice Jeremy had thought to be Vickers snapped.

  “…some things I had to do.” A man’s voice grew more distinguishable as he moved into range of the phone.

  “That must be Mitch Hudson’s dad,” Dack said, whispering again.

  “Everything’s coming unraveled,” the man said. “You need to get stuff out of here.”

  The boys looked at one another in question. “What stuff?” Dack mouthed.

  “Why did you have to hook me up with that dandy?” Vickers demanded, clearly angry.

  A long silence followed.

  “You needed him. Remember?” The man was also angry.

  The voices became faint, and then disappeared.

  “They’ve left,” Dack said, shaking a fist in frustration.

  “They may be getting ready to split,” Jeremy said.

  “They can’t. The women have that house full of pregnant girls, and he has his law practice,” Dack reasoned. “Do you really think they’d leave everything behind?”

  “Probably not unless they had to,” Jeremy said thoughtfully. “At least not without a fight. It depends how desperate they get. I bet they’re gonna get rid of stuff. What do you think that stuff is?” He looked at Q, and then Dack.

  Dack’s face crinkled in thought. “Files. Hardcopies and computer. Anything incriminating.”

  The look on Q’s face changed, slowly turning to comprehension. Then he nearly yelled, “The preacher’s stuff. I bet his stuff is out there somewhere.”

  All three went silent.

  “We still don’t know which of them pulled the trigger, but they all know where the stuff is,” Dack said slowly. “Too bad we can’t see what they’re up to right now.”

  Jeremy looked out the window. “The sun’s beginning to go down. Do you think we could go look around in those outbuildings without getting caught?”

  “We sure need some proof,” Dack said, considering. “It would be risky, and I hate to think what our parents would say. But we really need to nail those guys.”

  “I think I’ll call Mrs. Donovan,” Jeremy decided. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had saved in it.

  Chapter 24

  The early evening temperature felt just right as Toni’s family and guests visited on the deck and watched the squirrels scamper across the yard. A light breeze wafted past them. She went to check on the grilling ribs, foil wrapped potatoes, and corn on the cob.

  “Everything’s doing fine,” she announced, closing the lid. “I think I’ll go in and make some tea.”

  Jenny accompanied her. “I’ll set the table.”

  As they entered the house, Toni’s cell phone rang. She ran in and grabbed it from where she had left it on the kitchen table. “Hello.”

  “Mrs. Donovan, this is Jeremy. I’m with the guys. We think Charity, Nurse Vickers, and Mr. Hudson are all in on Reverend Goldman’s murder, and they’re going to get rid of everything that could be used as evidence against them.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Uh, Cindy was over here,” he said vaguely. “And together we figured it out.”

  Toni sensed less than forthrightness—and trouble—but didn’t know what to do about it. “I think you’re probably right that they’re all in on it,” she said carefully. “But it’s dangerous for you to mess around with those people. Be careful and don’t do anything foolish.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Jeremy said, without promising they wouldn’t do anything. “I just wanted you to know what we’ve learned. I’ll keep you posted if we hear more.” He disconnected.

  Toni stared at the silent phone, convinced that the boys were snooping again, and hoping they would stay out of trouble.

  Uneasy, she returned to her task.

  *

  The boys resumed their surveillance, but without results. Within minutes they were restless and practically crawling over one another.

  Dack bounded to his feet. “We can’t just sit here. We have to do something.”

  Jeremy nodded and also stood. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

  Q joined them as Dack led the way from the room. They all bounded down the stairs.

  When they passed the garage door, Dack’s dad looked up from waxing his car. They all three waved at him.

  “We’ve got it figured out,” Dack said as they headed for his car at the edge of the driveway. “We just need to get proof.”

  “I’ll drive,” Q offered. “My truck’s fine now.”

  They veered to his truck, which was parked near the wall of the garage, and climbed inside it.

  Q drove to their hidden spot behind Charity Haven and parked. Then the three of them made their way stealthily through the woods. The evening sky was hazy, moonlight filtering through the trees. The temperature had dipped, and a breeze soughed through the trees, making a spooky sound. They skirted the edge of the grounds and cut across a small brushy area, being careful to stay in the shadows and make as little noise as possible.

  As they passed a small building, Jeremy pointed and whispered. “I think that’s a smokehouse.”

  They crept around to the long metal building at the highest corner of the yard. “This one looks like a storage shed,” he whispered again, more animated now.

  Already operating on a pump of adrenaline that was making them hypersensitive, the boys crept around to the door. There was a padlock on it.

  “Let me see it,” Q whispered. He reached over and grasped the lock. Then he jerked his head around to face them, his whisper coming in an excited wheeze. “Someone must have just been in here and left in a hurry. It isn’t snapped in place.” He turned his head back around and took the lock from its hinge. When he pushed at the door, it squeaked and swung inward.

  Cautiously they filed inside, Dack in the lead, with Jeremy and Q close behind. Moving carefully in the dim light, Q pushed the door shut behind them.

  There was open space in the front of the building, but farther to the back in the shadows and barely visible they could see a sofa, recliner, dining table, and mattresses propped against the wall. Stacks of boxes sat everywhere.

  “It has to be the preacher’s stuff,” Dack whispered in tense excitement.

  They walked farther into the room to look closer.

  “We have to get back to town and let Chief Freeman know about this,” Jeremy whispered, excitement making his words breathy.

  A sudden sound
outside made them freeze. Someone was coming.

  Dack and Jeremy pursed their mouths, puffed their cheeks and emitted long, soundless whistles of fear. Q’s flatulent emission was not soundless.

  They stopped breathing.

  The door slowly eased open, and then three figures stepped inside. Suddenly the light came on, creating a deer caught in the spotlight scene. Panicked, the boys stared at the lawyer, nurse and housemother. Then they looked around for an escape route—and found none. They were trapped.

  “Why, hello, Mr. Hudson,” Dack said, recovering the quickest. “We were just…”

  “You were snooping around where you have no business,” the lawyer snarled. He jerked his head at the women. “Find something to use and tie them up with it.”

  Charity went to a shelf at the right of the door and dug around in a box. “This is all I can find,” she said, holding up a fistful of bungee cords.

  “They’ll have to do. Tie them up, and pull those cords tight,” Hudson ordered harshly. “I’ll see they don’t get through this door.” His face was contorted with rage.

  Charity grabbed Jeremy’s arms, pulled them behind him, and stretched a cord around his wrists.

  “I found some duct tape,” Vickers announced from the back of the room. She hurried over and grabbed Dack’s arms, following Charity’s procedure with his wrists behind him.

  “Sit down,” Hudson commanded sharply.

  The boys sat, and the women bound their ankles. As they were finishing, Q feinted sideways and made a dash for the door. The movement was so quick and unexpected that he almost made it, but Damien Hudson grabbed an arm before he could get through the door. There was a short struggle, with Q’s much smaller body losing. He was shoved back forcefully, landing on his hip.

  “Get that one tied up,” Hudson snapped, flexing his arm where Q had grabbed it.

  Charity left Jeremy and focused on Q, hurriedly binding him like Dack and Jeremy.

  “Now gag ’em,” Hudson ordered.

  While the boys watched in mute fear, Vickers went to a shelf and gathered some long white cloths that looked like shop towels. Together she and Charity wrapped one around each boy’s mouth and tied it behind his head.