by Helen Gray
Toni complied, knowing better than to argue with her mother, who would see it sooner or later, one way or another. “I think it’s only the fourth.”
Faye squatted and examined her toe and the discoloration that had spread up over her foot. “Well, it’s obvious you smashed it pretty good,” she said, touching it in a gentle probe. “The colors are vivid, and trying to splint it would be a waste of time. Just keep your weight off of it as much as possible while it heals.”
She got to her feet. “Go on and change. I’ll make a salad. Take your time,” she admonished, aiming a meaningful glance at the toe.
Toni did just that. She changed into knee-length shorts and a cotton top and called Kyle to ask just when he planned to be home. He told her to look for him about five or six o’clock the next day.
When that call was finished, Toni got out the phone book and looked up the number of her former student’s parents.
“He’s in Cape Girardeau. He’s taking a summer class, and then he hangs out in that little office he and his two buddies set up for detective work,” his mother said when Toni asked for Jeremy. Her voice held a touch of disdain, as if she thought three boys setting themselves up as detectives was a noodle-head idea.
Toni disagreed. Those three boys had helped solve a murder case right there in their hometown. They might be young and inexperienced, but they were enthusiastic about their goal and were taking criminal justice classes to learn proper techniques and procedures.
“How about his cell phone? Would you mind giving me that?” she asked, thinking it would be her best, and probably only, chance of catching the boy. She doubted he and his pals had a land line in their little office yet.
When Mrs. Barnes gave her the number, Toni thanked her, disconnected, and dialed it.
“Heartland Investigations,” was the perky response she got.
“Hello, Jeremy. This is your past catching up with you.”
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Donovan,” he said, recognizing her voice. “What can I do for you?” There was what sounded suspiciously like a note of disappointment in his voice. He was probably hoping for a client.
“Help me answer a question, I hope. I’ve gotten involved in something…”
“Are you working on another case?” he broke in, his voice perking with interest.
“I’m afraid so. I’m teaching a class in Springfield this summer, and when my husband and boys came up for a family reunion a couple of weekends ago, we found a body at the park where the reunion was held.”
“You’re looking for the killer,” he exclaimed with excited certainty. “What kind of information do you need researched?”
Toni could visualize the tall skinny boy, about a hundred twenty pounds and glasses askew, hunkered over a computer. Jeremy was not the self-avowed leader and spokesman for the trio of wannabe sleuths from last year’s forensics class. Nor was he the quiet mechanical genius. He was their technology guru.
“It’s right up your alley,” she said. “I’ll pay your going hourly rate if you can locate where a web site is being operated from.”
“Sounds like a piece of cake, but I don’t want to charge you.” He meant because she was their mentor and favorite teacher.
“You’re in business, aren’t you? I’m a client.” She spoke firmly.
There was a pause. “Okay, if you really want it that way. Do you have the URL?”
Toni gave it to him and then provided some explanations. “It looks like just a game site, but the image map in the lower left corner of the home page brings up a gambling setup. I want to know everything you can find out about it, who’s running it, owns it, that kind of dope.”
“Do you want me to call you back on your cell or your home phone?”
“Better make it the cell, in case I’m out.”
“I need to get home to my personal computer for this,” he said. “I’ve got some programs on it that we don’t have here at the office yet. I’ll get back to you.” He ended the call.
Chapter 15
“Hey, Mom. We’ve been swimming. Look what I found,” Garrett called as he came rushing into the house through the back patio door. He held out his baseball hat. It contained about a dozen golf balls, making it resemble a bird nest of oversized eggs.
Toni just smiled and gave him a hug. “What did you do, get out of the pool while Gabe and Grandpa were still swimming?”
He nodded and backed away, his eyes bright. His hair was wild from being wet and air-drying without benefit of a comb. All he wore was blue swimming trunks and sandals.
Her dad and Gabe came through the door. “That boy has been scavenging the golf course again. I do believe he’s happiest when he’s finding things,” Russell accused good-naturedly. He wore a tee shirt over his swim trunks.
“Hi, Mom,” Gabe greeted her with a brief hug. His trunks were red and, like Garrett, his chest was bare.
“Glad you made it home,” Russell said, claiming his hug. “Of course, I kind of hate to let you take my buddies from me. I’m glad you have another week.”
“He just likes running around with them,” Faye accused with a shake of her head. “They’re good for him.”
Toni relaxed. Knowing her parents truly enjoyed looking after the boys made her feel better about leaving them so much this summer. But she was looking forward to the end of class and returning home permanently.
“I’m glad there’s only one more week,” she said aloud. “Finals will be Wednesday and Thursday. I plan to spend this week with Quint and then come home for good.”
Gabe was at the refrigerator, getting a root beer. “I’ve made a list of the things I need for school. We are still going shopping, aren’t we?” He popped the tab.
Toni watched his Adam’s apple bob as he drank, and was amazed at how fast he was growing. It seemed he must have shot up a full inch just this summer. Which meant he probably really did need new jeans, and no telling what else.
“We’ll go tomorrow,” she promised. “Anything we don’t find that you need, I’ll look for in Springfield next week.”
The evening meal was pleasant, good food that Toni didn’t have to fix, and accompanied by lively conversation. The boys asked about her week and were disappointed that she hadn’t figured out who killed the man they found in the park lagoon.
“You still have a week to catch the killer,” Garrett said with confidence.
Russell paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “You seem pretty sure, young man.”
Garrett just nodded. “Mom’s good at puzzle solving.”
Russell’s eyes danced. “You’re right. I remember when I first realized that.”
Garrett’s eyes rounded. “When?”
“Well, let’s see. She was about four I believe. Bill was only two at the time, and Quint wasn’t around yet. They liked to play in the bottom of our bedroom closet.”
“Yours and Grandma’s?”
“Yep. Faye kept shoes lined up in there, and Toni and Bill would push them to one end and use our closet as a little playhouse. We kept telling them to stay out of there, but they kept going back. I hated the thought of spanking them just for playing in a particular place. So I decided to fix the door.” He paused to sip from his coffee.
“How?” Garrett’s question was impatient. Gabe’s attention was also rapt.
“I got a hook and eye type fastener,” Russell continued. “Toni stood there and watched every move while I nailed the hook to the door and the eye to the doorframe. When I finished, I fastened the door shut.”
“What did Mom do?”
“She disappeared,” Russell said solemnly. “I thought she was upset. So I was surprised when she came trotting through the living room a few moments later, carrying a broom.”
Gabe laughed. “A broom?”
“Yep. She made a beeline right back to the bedroom. I followed to see what she was doing. She took the handle of that broom and stuck it up under that hook and started pushing at it. It took her a few tries, but wit
hin a couple of minutes she hit it just right. That hook popped right up, and she opened the door.”
“What did you do to her?” Garrett asked, glancing at his mother in amusement.
“Nothing right then. I had to go tell her mother about it and have a good laugh first. Then I sat her down on the sofa and explained that if she messed up that closet again, I would start keeping my hunting boots and gear in her closet.”
“Did she mess it up any more?”
“Nope.” He gave his grandson a steady look. “So I guess you could be right in thinking she’ll figure things out in Springfield.”
Faye put her empty coffee cup down and stood. “Okay, that’s enough history for now. Let’s clear this table and go home.”
They each carried their empty table service to the kitchen counter, and Toni loaded the dishwasher. Ten minutes later her parents were gone. She was so tired she wished she had spent her summer relaxing instead of working.
After the boys were in bed that night, Toni climbed into her own bed, breathed deeply, and fell asleep.
Friday morning the phone woke her.
“Sorry to roust you,” Kyle said when she mumbled a hello. “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be late getting home. I just got word that I have to attend a meeting at headquarters this evening.” He didn’t sound thrilled about it.
“Do what you have to,” Toni told him, coming awake. “But don’t break the speed limit when you do head home.”
When they disconnected, Toni checked the clock. It was only six-thirty. She turned over, went back to sleep, and didn’t crawl out until nine. The boys were still sacked out. She started breakfast, or brunch, knowing the smells would draw them. About ten they had bacon and eggs and pancakes. Then they were ready to go shopping.
“Will Dad be home in time for supper?” Gabe asked as they climbed into the van.
“He called this morning and said he has to attend a meeting this evening. He won’t be home until late. Since he won’t be here in time to eat with us this evening, let’s shop in Farmington and eat out before coming home.”
“That’s an awesome plan,” Gabe declared with eagerness. Garrett seconded it.
It took an hour to get to Farmington, and the first item to find on their expedition was shoes. From there they progressed to clothing, and then to classroom supplies. It was five o’clock when they finished and went to a steak house to eat. They left there at six-thirty and were home at seven-thirty.
As Toni entered the kitchen, the phone rang.
“I’ve been trying to call your cell phone,” Jeremy said in a rush when she answered.
“I’ve been to Farmington,” Toni explained. “You probably rang when I was out of range, which is most of the way. Have you found what I need?”
“I have enough to help you,” he said, his voice turning business-like. “I looked over that site and found the IP address hidden behind the hostname. I ran a trace on it, and sent a ping signal to the computer. When it sent a signal back, I got a name for who registered and operates the site. But it’s probably phony.” His youthful voice dropped from restrained excitement to disappointment at the last.
“You’re probably right,” Toni said. “It’s an illegal operation, so real names aren’t going to be used. How can we find out who it is?”
“I tried to contact the person, but had no luck,” Jeremy continued. “I got the name of the DNS server that provides the IP address for the site, but they won’t give me any information.”
“Give me the name, and I’ll call the police in Springfield. I bet they can get it.”
“The host is MOSpace, and the registered operator of the site is Matt Webber,” Jeremy said.
Toni grabbed a pen and jotted down the information. “Thanks for the help. If you’ll tell me your fee, I’ll put a check in the mail.”
Jeremy cleared his throat. “Uh, I didn’t spend all that much time on it. Most firms charge fifty an hour, so we only charge forty. I didn’t spend quite an hour on it. Does twenty-five sound all right?”
“It sounds fine,” Toni said. Actually, it sounded like far less that he should be charging, but more than she should be spending on a case that meant nothing to her personally other than satisfying her growing curiosity. She suspected she was the first paying client for the boys and their fledgling enterprise. They were only nineteen years old, and college students always needed money.
As soon as she hung up the landline, Toni used her cell phone to call Quint. She was surprised when she got an answer, since he was already on duty. On the other hand, she knew he set his cell phone on vibrate and kept it in his pocket in order to not disturb anyone.
“What’s up, Quizzy? And make it quick. I’m cruising the streets.”
She gave him a quick repeat of her report from Jeremy. “Can you follow up on it?”
“I’ll pass along the information and let you know any results.”
Toni grinned as the phone went silent.
Sounds from the boys’ room told her they were occupied. She curled up on the couch and turned on the television. She scanned the channels, but found nothing that interested her. A few minutes later she turned it off and went to take a shower. Then she peeked in on the boys. “I’m too tired to wait up for your dad, so I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late.”
“We won’t,” Gabe said. “We’ll wait up for him.”
“If he’s not here by midnight, you get in bed. Both of you,” she admonished sternly, looking from one to the other.
“Okay,” Gabe promised for both of them.
Toni had just crawled into bed when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it from its charger next to the bed.
“Your young man from Ozark, as suspected, is the owner and operator of that site,” Quint said briskly. “The name Matt Webber looks like his cute version of Webmaster. I just picked up an arrest warrant, and we’re going after him. Talk to you later.”
“You have such a unique hang up style,” Toni said into the silent phone. She put it down, stretched out under the rotating ceiling fan, and let her body go lax. She was sound asleep when she was roused by the sound of the garage door rising and a truck pulling into it. She went to meet Kyle as he entered the house, noting that the kitchen clock read one-thirty.
“When did you leave St. Louis?” she asked, welcoming his arms around her.
“About eleven-thirty,” he said wearily. “It was a long meeting.”
She gave him a brief kiss. “You have to be beyond tired. Come on to bed.”
“Soon as I have a shower.” He picked up the bag he had dropped on the floor.
When he crawled in beside her a few minutes later, Toni snuggled up next to him, happy to have him home.
*
“What do you want?” he snapped into the phone, pacing in agitated steps.
“I need something done.” The words were cool and deliberate.
He paused. “What kind of something?”
“A mouth shut up.”
“Not by me, you don’t. Do your own dirty work. You can’t expect me to do it for you.”
“Oh, yes, I can. Do you remember where you left the knife?”
The coldness of the words made him freeze in shock. He swallowed hard. “Are you saying you have it?”
“I am. You do what I need, and I’ll keep it to myself—and mark your debt paid.”
“How did you get it?”
“I was in the car with Jesse when he went to meet you that night. I waited for him, but he was gone so long that I wanted to leave. But he hadn’t left his car keys. I went looking for him, and heard the two of you arguing.” There was a pause for him to grasp the significance.
“I don’t believe you. You never heard a thing,” he tried to bluff. “And I don’t need to work off any debts.”
“Oh, yes, you do. You’re wallowing in gambling debts. I know because I keep the records. You found out Jesse was banging you-know-who again, and you were threatening to tell his new wife. Jesse la
ughed at you and wouldn’t cut you any slack or give you more time. You went at him with this knife I’m holding. I saw you stab him and run off through the woods. I was looking in the water for his car keys and found this instead.”
“You think you can take over,” he snarled. “But you can’t. Others have the same idea.”
“Watch me. I expect the job to be done before Monday.” The phone line went dead.
He fumed, and then began to pace again, frantic to figure out a way to get it done.
*
Saturday morning everyone was up by eight, too pleased at having the family complete again to waste any more time in bed. They were just finishing breakfast when Quint called.
“We picked up Vince Harcourt last night,” he said without preamble. “We went after him about an hour after you called. He wasn’t home, but his mother finally told us where he could be found. We busted him about ten o’clock and brought him in for a grilling.”
“Did you get anything out of him?”
“Not much, but just before his lawyer arrived he gave us a name. It’s one we already know—Barry Kuzman. I think the kid’s just trying to lay blame at someone else’s door. I suspect there’s a power play going on now that the coach is dead.”
“You mean Jesse Campbell really was the kingpin, and now others want to take over?”
“Right. I think Vince sees giving up Barry as a way to eliminate competition.”
Toni shook her head in sympathy. “Sounds like more problems than solutions. You have your hands full.”
“Don’t be a pain,” he muttered. “See you tomorrow night—or sometime Monday.”
“Okay,” she said to the silent phone. Little brother could use some instruction in telephone etiquette.
“I have to run down to the garage and have Benny check the brakes on my truck. They’re squealing,” Kyle said as he left the table.
“Can we go with you?” Garrett asked.
Kyle gave his youngest a raised brow look.
Garrett’s shoulders jerked. “Oops. May we go with you?”
“Sure. Come on.”
Kyle got as far as the doorway and stopped to look back at Toni. “Oh, your dad sent me a text saying he wants us to come up tonight for barbecue and homemade ice cream. What should I tell him?”
