by Casey Mayes
As I started down the hallway, a voice called out behind me. “Savannah? Did you get the results you were hoping for?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. I’m glad I ran into you again, I had a few questions to ask you,” I said as I turned and faced her.
Sylvia looked at me skeptically. “Why exactly do you want to talk to me?”
“Do you honestly want to have this conversation in the hallway?”
“It suits me,” she said.
That was odd. I wondered what she might be hiding in her room. Or perhaps whom? Could Brady be in there, cowering behind the drapes? No, I had a hard enough time believing that Brady was fooling around with Cary Duncan. The idea that he was also having an affair with Sylvia Peters was just too much to believe.
“To be honest with you, I’m asking everyone where they were when Derrick was murdered,” I said. I hadn’t yet, but it made sense to do it now. The killer knew Zach and I were investigating, so the time for being coy about it was over. My husband believed that whenever you are attacked, you step up the assault, and I couldn’t think of any other way to handle it.
She looked bemused by my question. “I told you before that I was in my room when he was murdered, and I was alone. Are you honestly asking me for an alibi?”
“Yes, I am,” I said, holding my ground. “And you’ve got to do better than that.”
“It happens to be the truth.”
I shrugged. “Suit yourself. I just thought you might like to get your name off of everyone’s suspect list.”
“You really should leave detective work for the detectives.”
“My husband was the chief of police for a major metropolitan city,” I snapped.
“The key word there being ‘was,’” she said.
“That doesn’t make his accomplishments any less impressive.”
“No, I’m willing to grant you that point, but it does bring into question his standing in this investigation.”
“Sylvia, it’s obvious, isn’t it? He’s working to clear my name.”
“By throwing me to the wolves instead? I understand his motives, but you’ll forgive me if I choose not to supply any rope for my own hanging.” She pivoted and went back into her room, and as much as I tried to see if anyone else was there, my line of vision was limited to the square of carpet in front of the door, which at the time was sadly bare.
Well, that had accomplished a whole lot of nothing. Maybe I should let Zach ask the hard questions. After all, he’d trained for many years to do it. I had a knack for seeing patterns—it was part of the reason I was so good at making puzzles. But what were the patterns here? So far, all I saw was a jumbled mess, chaos instead of order.
I needed a key to figure things out further.
And at that moment, I remembered something that Jenny and I had found in Derrick’s room. The ring of keys was still in the bottom of my bag. I wondered what Zach would make of them, and the planner I’d so rashly taken from Kelsey’s room.
I wasn’t sure if he’d be pleased with me, or disappointed, but one thing was certain. I was bringing new facts to light, and with a case as murky as this one, any illumination had to help.
I HAD A LOT OF NEW RAW DATA, BUT SO FAR, NO REAL INFORMATION. It was time to go somewhere and see exactly what it was I had, so I went downstairs, even going as far as heading to the parking garage when I remembered that Zach still had our rental car.
I dialed Jenny’s number, hoping she was in her office.
She picked up on the fourth ring, just as I was getting ready to hang up and try to come up with another plan.
“Hey there,” I said. “Any chance you’re around?”
“I’m just finishing something up in my office. I was going to head back home, but I’m flexible. Is there something you’d like to do?”
“Truthfully, I was hoping to get a ride with you back to your place.”
“What’s wrong with the rental car?”
I didn’t really want to get into it at the moment, but it was a question that deserved an answer. “Someone slashed all four of the tires,” I admitted.
“That’s terrible,” Jenny said. She lowered her voice as she asked, “Was it tied to the case?”
“I certainly hope so,” I said.
“That’s kind of an odd answer, isn’t it?”
“Think of it this way. At least we’re making some progress if we’ve scared the killer into taking such a bold step. There was a note written on the back of a Chinese takeout menu.”
“I can’t wait to hear what it said.”
“Why don’t I tell you when you pick me up? I’m at the Crest Hotel.”
She paused, and then said, “Tell me now.”
“‘Stop digging or die,’” I quoted.
“Hey, I was just asking. There’s no need to get melodramatic about everything.”
“No, that’s what the note said. ‘Stop digging or die.’”
There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Jenny finally broke it by asking, “Is there any possibility you’re going to listen to that advice?”
“Come on, you know me better than that. And even if I wanted to, do you think there’s a chance on earth that Zach’s going to be bullied off anything?”
“No, I wouldn’t think so.”
“So, we press on. Now, about that ride.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” she said. “And Savannah, try not to get into any trouble between now and then.”
“Hey, I’m not making any promises.”
As I waited for Jenny, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to take out Derrick’s planner and start digging into it, but I had no idea who might be watching me, and I couldn’t afford to let anyone know that I’d taken it. I’d tell Zach of course, that went without saying, and Jenny had a stake in knowing as well, but that was it.
Good to her word, Jenny showed up four minutes later. As she pulled into the garage, I was waiting at the door. Once I was safely in the front seat and buckled up, I said, “You wouldn’t believe what I did.”
“Should I hear about it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I can tell you, but then I can’t take it back, can I?”
“On second thought, maybe we’d better not talk about what you’ve been up to.”
“Okay, I can buy that,” I said. “How was your day?”
She laughed. “I got some work done, but only after I convinced two of my partners that my vacation has been put on hold.” She smiled at me as she added, “They were under the impression that I still worked for them, not with them.”
“I’m sure you did your best to set them straight.”
“Oh, I believe they got the message.”
When we pulled up to her driveway, I noticed that there wasn’t any activity next door at Charlie’s place. Where was Jenny’s own Neighborhood Watch Program? Maybe making another cake, like he’d told Zach he’d been doing. As we approached the front steps, Jenny pointed to the sidewalk.
Just out of camera range, someone had left a stuffed animal, a golden teddy bear with sad brown eyes.
And there was a letter opener plunged into its chest.
Was this a warning for Jenny, or for me?
Chapter 15
JENNY LEANED DOWN TO PICK IT UP WHEN I GRABBED her arm.
“Don’t touch it,” I snapped.
“Why? Do you think it could be booby-trapped?”
“No, but there might be prints on it. I need to call Zach.”
He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Savannah. We’re now in possession of four new tires. It’s got to be cheaper than what the rental place would have charged us. I’ve got to tell you, Murphy may have his faults, but I like his tire guy.”
“That’s great. How close are you to Jenny’s house?”
He sounded confused as he said, “I thought I was picking you up at the Crest?”
“Plans have changed. Get here as soon as you can.”
“Did something ha
ppen?” he asked, his voice shifting into police mode.
“We found a pretty mean little calling card on Jenny’s sidewalk. The only problem is that I can’t tell if it’s for her, or us.”
“Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right there.”
After I hung up, I said, “Zach is on his way.” I started to lean over the teddy bear when Jenny reminded me, “Hey, you told me not to touch it.”
“I’m not about to,” I said as I got closer. “What’s that under him, though?”
She looked with me, and then finally said, “It looks like there’s some kind of note.”
I took a pen from my bag and moved toward the bear.
“Savannah, what are you doing?”
“I want to see what it says,” I answered.
“No. We’re going to go back to my car and wait for your husband.”
“Since when did you become so interested in following the rules?”
“Since I have so much to lose,” she said.
I shrugged, and we walked back to her car to wait on Zach.
In nine minutes, he pulled up in front of her house, the new tires squealing as he stopped.
“Hey, those are brand-new,” I said as he jumped out of my car.
“Then there’s tread to spare. Do you think the rental place is even going to notice that we replaced the tires? What’s going on?”
I pointed to the skewered bear. “Someone’s trying to warn one of us, but we can’t figure out who.”
Zach nodded, looked at the bear, and then took out his cell phone.
“You’re not calling Detective Murphy about the teddy bear, are you?”
“Not yet,” he said. As he lined up his telephone, I suddenly knew what he was doing. “You’re taking a picture for the record, aren’t you?”
“What can it hurt?” After he got his shot, he took his borrowed pen and nudged the teddy bear onto his side. Taking his bandana out, Zach gently pulled out the note from underneath it, and then laid the bear back down.
Jenny and I looked at it at the same time he did. It said in block letters,
DON’T BREAK MY HEART, JENNIFER.
“It’s for you,” I said as I turned to Jenny.
“Wonderful. It’s a shame whoever did it didn’t give us the courtesy of appearing on camera.”
“How do we know he didn’t?” Zach asked. “We need to check the DVD.”
“Should I get the bear?” I asked as he started toward the house.
“Leave it right where it is,” he ordered, and I could see how he’d commanded a room full of cops. There was an air of unquestioning authority in his voice that made me want to obey. In our marriage, it was something I generally did my best to ignore, but this time, I decided he was right. Zach was a world better at handling evidence, while I tended to be better at putting seemingly unrelated pieces together until there was a complete picture. We were the perfect complement of each other.
Zach placed the note on Jenny’s table, and two minutes later, came back with the bear. It was almost sweet the way he’d wrapped his bandana under it to carry it.
I felt really bad for the bear.
And worse for Jenny.
She looked pretty shaken up by this latest discovery. “This is serious now, isn’t it?”
Zach nodded. “I won’t lie to you, this isn’t a good sign.”
Way to sugarcoat it, I thought.
But he was right.
We looked at the DVD, but the only trespass it had captured was a neighborhood cat running across the frame.
“He’s smart,” I said.
“A little too smart, if you ask me.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s pretty clear that he spotted my cameras. Why else leave the bear on the sidewalk?”
“You did a masterful job of hiding the cameras,” I said.
“I think so, too. To spot them, you almost had to know that they were there.”
“Do you mean like if someone saw you looking at them at the store?” Jenny asked.
Zach nodded. “Mason Glade.”
“Hang on a second,” I said. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. There’s someone else who might be able to spot a camera. Say someone with a cop’s eye for detail?”
“Murphy,” Jenny said. She stared at the bear, and then said, “Yes, he could have done this.”
“Does that take Charlie off our list? He wasn’t at the store, and he certainly doesn’t have a cop’s eye for detail. He couldn’t have seen you plant them, he was gone, remember?”
“Sure,” Zach said, “but could he have been watching us from the corner before he came home? Did anyone notice anything?”
None of us had. After a moment, I said, “Then we’re right back where we started from.”
“Maybe not,” Zach said. He gently removed the letter opener, as if operating on a real patient. After examining the blade, he set it aside and started looking at the bear.
“This wasn’t cheap,” he finally said.
“All the more reason not to butcher it,” Jenny said.
“That’s not what I’m getting at. There’s a good chance a grown man bought it. We need pictures of the three of them so we can show some toy store owners in town.”
“I’ve got photos of Mason and Murphy from when we were together,” Jenny said. “Charlie might be a problem.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
She retrieved a shoebox from her bedroom and opened the lid. Inside were an assortment of photographs, talismans, and other small reminders of lost loves. Jenny was a nester, and that was a good thing at the moment. After she pulled out two reasonable photos of her former boyfriends, she said, “Hang on. I have to have a picture of Charlie somewhere.”
She frowned, and then went to one of the bookcases. Jenny took a photo album out, started leafing through the pages, and then suddenly stopped. “Is this good enough?”
We both peered over her shoulder and saw a photo of a block party, clearly taken out front. It showed Charlie smiling for the camera, and Zach said, “It’s perfect. Now we’re cooking. Tomorrow, we’ll start looking for that teddy bear’s mates.”
“In the meantime, there are some things I need to discuss with you,” I said to Zach.
“Understood,” Zach said.
“So, where do we begin? With the keys we found earlier?” Jenny asked.
I’d been about to pull out the planner, but that could wait. “Sure,” I said as I retrieved them from my jacket pocket.
I handed them to Zach, and as he took them, he asked, “Where did you find these?”
“Jenny found them while we were searching Derrick’s hotel room.”
“And you didn’t think to turn them over to his wife?”
I recognized that tone of voice, and I wasn’t in any mood to hear it, especially from my husband. “Zach, we weren’t about to give her what could be an important clue. If we decide they aren’t going to help us, we can ‘find’ them someplace else.”
“Okay,” he said, trying to appease me. “Let’s have a look.”
He went through the keys, and saw a house key, a dead bolt key, a key to a cylinder lock, and another one that said, “Security.”
“This one’s for a safe,” he said. “I wonder where it is at the moment.”
“My guess is Richmond,” I said. “Should we all go check it out?”
He scowled a little as he said, “I’ve already been there. I’ve got a hunch it’s a dead end.”
“Why?” I asked. “It could be holding a thousand things that Derrick was hiding, and one of them might have gotten him murdered.”
“Take it easy,” Zach said. “If he’d been killed in Richmond, I’d tend to agree. But think about it. Why kill him in another state, hours from where any evidence might be? Don’t you think it would have made more sense to kill him in Richmond, take the keys, and then get whatever the murderer wanted out of the safe before anyone knew Derrick was dead?”
Jenn
y nodded. “That’s probably true, but what if it was spur-of-the-moment? Stabbing him with a steak knife he was going to need for his meal doesn’t exactly shout premeditation.”
“That’s a good point,” Zach said. “But at the very least, the killer should have taken the keys. Where exactly were they?”
“Tucked into the toe of one of his shoes with a sock disguising it. You’d have to know it was there to find it.”
Zach nodded. “Okay, maybe there is something of value there, but we can’t break into his house in Richmond and search for it.” He spun the key-ring around his index finger. “And we can’t exactly ask Cary where it is without giving away the fact that we found the keys in the first place. All of that is supposing that the safe is at his home and not his business or somewhere else we don’t know about.”
“So, it’s a dead end,” I said, deflated that what we thought had been important really wasn’t all that significant.
“I wouldn’t say that, but it’s not going to help us at the moment.”
I nodded, and then reached into my bag as I said, “This may or may not be of any immediate use either, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be important.” I retrieved the planner, and Jenny asked, “Where did you find it?”
“Kelsey had it in her hotel room,” I said. “It was stuffed under the cushion of one of the chairs.”
“And you just walked out the door with it? She’s going to realize you stole it sooner or later, Savannah.”
“Take it easy,” I said as my husband started pacing around the room. “She noticed it was gone before I even left.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? What did you do?”
“I deflected suspicion onto anyone else who’d been in her room since she’d seen it last. Trust me; the only person she doesn’t suspect at the moment is me.”
Zach still wasn’t pleased with what I had to say, and Jenny decided to intercede. “Regardless of how she came about getting this, shouldn’t we look at it and see if it’s any help figuring out who murdered Derrick? Doesn’t that serve the more important need, instead of trying to establish who actually has an ownership claim to the planner?”
