by Terri Reid
He saw the back of the road sign welcoming people to Freeport, so they were on Galena Road, and they were taking him out of town. They continued north on Galena and finally stopped at the intersection of Galena and Highway 20.
“What are you going to do with him?”
Stanley recognized Vanessa’s voice, but it was coming from the back of the van.
“I’m going to get rid of him,” Chuck replied from the driver’s seat. “We’ve got too much at stake to let anyone come between us and our money.”
“We can’t kill him,” Vanessa argued.
“Sweetheart,” Chuck said in a patronizing voice. “What the hell do you think we’ve been doing all along? Those little drinks you’ve been pushing on these sweet old men are laced with lead acetate. We’ve been poisoning them, and you’ve been helping.”
“But…but, I didn’t know,” she exclaimed.
“That’s what you say,” Chuck replied easily. “But Joe and I will testify that you knew all along. And we have you on tape encouraging the old gents to drink more coffee and even take one for the road.”
“But that was my job,” she argued. “You told me that was my job.”
“I’m sure you won’t find evidence of that on any of the tapes, sweetheart,” he said. “Now, do you want to play along with it, get a cut of the cash, and live a great life somewhere outside the United States. Or should I let you join Mr. Wagner here on your very last ride?”
“You’d kill me?” she asked, astonished. “You’d just kill me?”
Chuck chuckled softly. “In an instant, sweetheart,” he said. “Especially if you’re all that’s standing between me and a couple of million dollars and a sweet escape to some tropical island.”
Stanley prayed that the wire was still working and that it was getting Chuck’s confession. All he needed now was for Chuck to talk about the insurance policies.
“But those men didn’t leave you any of their money,” she said, confused. “I saw the agreements; all of their investments went to their families. How did you make money?”
“The insurance policies, sweetheart,” Chuck replied with pride. “My brilliant brainstorm. Get these old coots to think we were covering a free life insurance policy for them, have Joe and I listed as the beneficiaries, and them knock them off. No one’s the wiser. No one knows about the policies because they are sworn to secrecy.”
“You didn’t swear Mr. Wagner to secrecy,” Vanessa noted.
“Yeah, that was my mistake,” Chuck admitted. “He was such an ass about everything; I just wanted him to sign on the dotted lines so I could kill him.”
“He didn’t,” she said.
“He didn’t what?” Chuck asked.
“He didn’t sign the insurance policy papers,” she replied. “He just put them back in the folder.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Chuck raged.
“Because you never asked me,” she replied. “You told me to go downstairs and let the air out of his tires. You never even gave me a chance to talk to you.”
“Well, dammit, we’re just going to have to forge his signature,” Chuck said. “Where he left it blank.”
“He didn’t leave it blank,” Vanessa countered with righteous indignation.
Stanley inhaled softly, knowing he’d have to be sure he didn’t respond when Vanessa told Chuck what he’d done.
“What did he put on the signature line?” Chuck growled.
“He signed, ‘Oh, hell, no,’” she said with pleasure, “in big letters, across both lines.”
Stanley could feel Chuck’s angry glare, and it took everything in him not to turn and laugh in his face.
“I’m going to enjoy killing this one,” Chuck muttered.
Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Stanley thought. Well, see about that.
Chapter Fifty-two
Mary jumped into her car and drove it to the end of the street in a matter of seconds. Then she stopped at the corner and turned to Gilbert. “Where am I going?”
“Out of town,” Gilbert said. “He’s taking Stanley down Highway 20 towards Lena.”
Mary turned left and headed out of town. “How do you know?” she asked.
“Because Maybelle is with him and we’re connected,” he replied, blushing slightly.
Mary nodded. “Okay,” she said. “That’s nice. But right now, I need to concentrate on Stanley.” She took a deep breath and then yelled. “Mike!”
“Right here,” Mike said from the back of the vehicle. “What do you need me to do?”
“Tell Bradley they’re taking Stanley out of town on Highway 20 towards Lena,” she said. “And tell him I’m following them.”
“He’s not going to be happy,” Mike said.
“Then he should have answered his phone,” Mary replied.
Mike disappeared, and Gilbert stared at Mary. “Are all women like you these days?” he asked.
She glanced from the road, over to Gilbert, and then back to the road again. “Like me?” she asked, as she accelerated to make the light at Galena and Highway 20.
Gilbert reached up and hung on to the bar over the door as they whipped around the intersection. “So, sure of themselves,” he said. “So powerful.”
Mary shook her head. “I don’t see myself like that,” she said and then she thought about it for a moment. “Well, except when someone I love is threatened. Then I guess I am focused, sure of myself.”
She glanced over at Gilbert. “But I can’t believe that’s something new for my generation,” she said. “I think women have defended their loved ones for decades.”
Gilbert nodded. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “Maybelle was certainly set in her ways, but it was because she was defending her mother.”
Mary nodded. “Love is a powerful motivator,” she said.
“Not just for women,” Gilbert said softly.
“You’re right,” she said gently. “Sometimes we fight, and other times we sacrifice, all in the name of love.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes. Then Mary finally asked, “Was the sacrifice worth it?”
Gilbert sighed. “I think my mistake was believing that Maybelle was too fragile to hear the truth,” he replied honestly. “I felt that I had to save her, sacrifice for her. When, if I had just stood by her side and told her the truth, we could have had a lifetime of experiences together. Love is powerful, but I think having faith in the other person’s ability to handle themselves is just as important.”
Mary nodded, thinking about Stanley. “Sometimes having faith is much harder than sacrificing,” she said.
Gilbert laughed softly. “Because when we decide to have faith, we give away our control.”
Mary turned to him. “You are a wise man, Gilbert,” she said.
He shook his head. “Well, unfortunately, it took me years separated from the only woman I could ever love to give me that wisdom.”
“It’s great to see you two together,” Mary said.
“It’s great to be together,” he agreed. “And now we have the eternities to look forward to.”
He paused and looked startled, then he turned to Mary. “They’re headed into the state park,” he said. “On Lake Road.”
Mary nodded. “Okay, we’re only about a mile behind them,” she said, accelerating slightly. “Hang in there, Stanley, we’re on our way.”
Chapter Fifty-three
Bradley picked up the small vial and studied it. “It looks like sugar,” he said.
“And that’s the beauty of it,” Dr. Kellerman said, then he added. “In a negative, evil way. Lead acetate looks like sugar. It was actually used as a sweetener by the early Romans, a combination of boiling wine which would produce acetic acid and the leaching of lead from the containers they would cook it in. They found that the crystallized compound was quite sweet and used it for improving the taste of their foods. And, in the process, they were poisoning themselves.”
“So, it causes lead poisoning, right?
” Dave asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Kellerman agreed. “And one of the side effects is a feeling of not being full, which would cause them to drink more than usual.”
“Increasing the poison in their systems,” Alex said.
“Exactly,” Dr. Kellerman said. “Symptoms of lead poisoning include vomiting, cognitive difficulties, hearing loss, irritability, and fatigue. But what’s going on inside is that the poison is causing serious organ damage.”
“How much of this…” Bradley began to ask, then stopped when Mike appeared in front of him.
“They have Stanley and Mary’s following them out on Highway 20 toward Lena,” he said. “She tried to call you.”
“We’ve got to go,” Bradley said abruptly, turning and hurrying out of the room.
“What?” Alex asked, confused.
“They’ve got Stanley,” Dave said, repeating what he overheard. “Mary’s following them on her own.”
“How did you…” Dr. Kellerman asked.
“Bluetooth,” Dave improvised. “Sorry, we have to run.”
They ran out of the lab after Bradley, who had just picked up his phone. “Damn, she must have called when we were being shown to the lab,” he said, running towards the door.
Dave and Alex grabbed their phones and ran after him, down the stairs and out of the building to the cruiser that was parked at the curb. They all climbed in, and Bradley had it tearing down the street as Dave was still closing his door.
“Call Mary,” Bradley ordered his phone.
The phone rang once, and Mary answered through her Bluetooth. “Bradley?”
“Where are you?” he asked.
“About a half-mile from the state park,” she said. “They have Stanley.”
“Yeah, I know, Mike told me,” he replied. “I’m on my way.”
“I’ve got to go in,” she said. “I don’t know if I can wait for backup.”
He inhaled sharply and nodded. “Just don’t…” he took another deep breath. “Don’t take any chances.”
“I won’t,” she replied. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he repeated. “And I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I know,” she said, her trust in him apparent even through the connection. “I know you will.” She was silent for a moment. “Be careful out there.”
“Yeah, you too,” he replied.
The connection ended, and Bradley glanced over his shoulder. “Mike,” he said.
“On my way,” Mike said, disappearing from the back seat.
Bradley turned onto Highway 20 and, with sirens blaring, press the accelerator and sped towards the state park.
“She’ll be fine,” Bradley said aloud, trying to reassure himself. “She’ll be fine.”
“Of course, she will,” Dave added. “She’s smart, she’s well trained, and she knows that you’re coming to back her up. She’s got this.”
Bradley nodded, as the pit in his stomach grew. “Yeah, she’s got this.”
Chapter Fifty-four
Mary turned left into the driveway of the state park and slowed her car down. “Where to?” she asked Gilbert.
“To the right, near the concession area,” he said. “They’re taking him to the pier.”
“To the pier?” Mary asked.
“They put something over his face when he got into the car,” Gilbert explained. “Then he slumped over.”
Mary accelerated, leaning into the curves on the small road. “So, he’s unconscious?” she exclaimed, her heart in her throat.
Gilbert nodded. “Yes,” he confirmed. “Maybelle says he hasn’t moved at all for the entire trip.”
Mary stopped her car on the curve before the concessionary came into view. She reached into her purse and pulled out a gun.
“Do all women carry those in their purses?” Gilbert asked, shocked.
“All those who used to be police officers do,” she whispered. She quietly opened her door and exited the car, keeping the door wide open in case she needed to retreat and use if for cover.
Mary climbed up the berm that shielded the small restaurant from the road. A scattering of pine trees made a natural barrier to lesson the traffic noise, as well as shield it from snow. Jogging quietly, she moved to one of the giant pines and looked down. The panel van was parked alongside the concessionary and Mary saw Chuck walk from the driver’s side to the passenger door.
When Chuck opened the door and leaned inside, Mary dashed down the hill, using other pine trees to conceal her progress. Finally, she was behind the tree closest to the parking lot.
“Vanessa,” Chuck called. “You have to help me. He weighs a ton.”
Mary watched Vanessa slip out of the back of the van and fold her arms across her chest. “I’m not helping you kill him,” she said.
“You help me, or I’ll kill you,” Chuck said, turning away from the door and pointing the gun at Vanessa. “I can drop two bodies in this lake as easily as I can drop one.”
Mary lifted her gun and aimed at Chuck’s hand. But before she could fire, two feet exploded from inside the van, kicking Chuck in the side of the head and knocking him over. Stanley slid out of the van and grabbed the gun Chuck dropped.
Chuck jumped to his feet. “Put the gun down,” he ordered.
Stanley, breathing heavily, held it up. “You just set yourself down on the ground ‘til the cops come,” Stanley ordered.
“No cops are coming, old man,” Chuck replied.
“Sure, they are,” Stanley retorted. “I’ve been wired the whole time. Got your whole confession on tape, so to speak.”
“Why you…” Chuck rushed Stanley and Stanley fumbled the gun, dropping it. Chuck tackled Stanley, knocking them both to the ground.
Mary darted off from behind the tree and ran toward the building. “Freeze,” she screamed. “Police!”
But the two men were still grappling on the ground. Chuck had his arms around Stanley’s head, and they were rolling downhill towards the lake. Mary dashed after them, knowing that her gun was useless at this point because she could shoot Stanley when she was trying to hit Chuck.
She ran toward the pier, looking for some way to help Stanley. She watched as arms flailed and connected, each man punching the other. She knew that Chuck had youth and endurance on his side, and even now, Stanley was slowing down.
She looked around, desperate to find something to help. In the water were a number of rental rowboats moored to the pier and in a container near them, were a collection of oars – wooden and fiberglass. Mary stuffed her pistol in her waistband and rushed to the container, picking out a solid oak oar that seemed to weigh a ton. She ran closer to the fighting men, dodging legs and arms. Lifting the oar like a baseball bat, she got into position and waited for the precise moment to swing.
Chuck, a look of triumph on his face, lifted his head to position himself to throw a knockout punch at Stanley’s face. Mary closed her eyes and swung for all she was worth. She heard the solid thump of wood against Chuck’s head and looked up. Chuck looked stunned for a moment, then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Dropping the oar, Mary ran over to Stanley, after pushing Chuck’s inert body off of him and gasped with distress. “Oh, Stanley,” she said. “Your face is a mess.”
He looked up at her, his eyes twinkling and a wide smile on his face. “Yeah, but you shouldda seen the other guy.”
Chapter Fifty-five
Bradley sped the cruiser into the parking lot just in time to see his wife swing the oar against Chuck’s head. He drove over to the pier, threw the car into park and ran over to her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her up into his arms and hugging her tightly.
“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice muffled against his chest. “Really.”
Bradley took a step back and searched her face. “Okay,” he said, inhaling sharply. “Okay. Let’s talk about this later.” He walked away from Mary over to the cruiser.
“I’m fine too,” Stanley called from the ground. “In case anyone was wondering.”
Dave knelt next to Stanley and nodded. “You’re not just fine,” he said. “You’re a beast. But we’re going to let you stay there on the ground for a few minutes until we get some EMTs to look you over.”
Alex slowly walked over to Stanley. “Bradley’s making calls. An ambulance is on the way,” he said, squatting down next to Stanley. “And a squad car. And, just so you know, we got everything loud and clear through the wire. And Bradley’s got another unit going over to the investor’s group to pick up his partner.”
“Those dag-nabbed leeches were killing folks for the insurance premiums,” Stanley said.
“We thought they were doing something illegal,” Vanessa piped in. “But we had no idea it was murder.”
“We?” Alex asked, turning to the young woman.
“I’m an investigator with the NICB,” she said.
“NICB?” Stanley asked.
“National Insurance Crime Bureau,” she replied. “We noticed them filing claims with a variety of providers and were concerned that they were defrauding the companies.” She knelt next to Stanley. “Without your help, I would have never known they were murdering their clients in order to access their benefits. And, without your help, I would be dead.”
She leaned down and kissed Stanley’s cheek. “Thank you so much,” she said.
Stanley blushed and nodded. “T’weren’t nothing,” he said. “Anyone would have done the same.”
She shook her head. “No, not anyone,” she replied. “You’re a hero.”
“If you don’t mind,” Alex said to Vanessa. “I’d like to ask you a couple of questions about your investigation.”
She nodded and stood up. “Of course,” she said and followed Alex back to the cruiser.
Stanley turned to Dave. “Just so we’re clear here,” he said. “Rosie don’t need to know about that there kiss, okay?”
