Deadly Memories

by Joanne Fluke

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Thomas, but we have a problem with your tax liability. Could you please verify some figures for us?”

  “Certainly.” Maura frowned. She had no idea what he wanted, but her new accountant could take care of that. “I’ve hired a new accountant and he has all the paperwork. Would you like his number?”

  “We have it, and I called him this morning. But our problem concerns your return for the tax year nineteen ninety-one. That was prepared by a Mr. Grant Adams, and I understand he is deceased.”

  “That’s correct.” Maura winced. She still didn’t like to think about Grant’s death. “Did you say you needed the paperwork for nineteen ninety-one?”

  “I did. In addition, we’d like to see your receipts and ledgers for the year preceding, and the year following. That would be tax year nineteen ninety, and tax year nineteen ninety-two. If you can get this information to us by Monday morning, we may be able to avoid an audit.”

  “I’ll have it for you.” Maura promised. She certainly didn’t want to go through an audit with a new accountant who was unfamiliar with her past returns. “Shall I bring it in to your office?”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll have a man in the area, and he can pick it up. Shall we say nine o’clock Monday morning? And thank you for being so cooperative, Mrs. Thomas.”

  Maura was frowning as she hung up the phone, and Steve looked concerned. “What is it?”

  “A tax audit. But I might be able to avoid it if I provide them with all the paperwork.”

  “I’m sure you have it. Grant was very thorough.”

  Maura nodded, and picked up the phone again. “Sylvia? Where do we keep our corporate tax records?”

  Steve watched as Maura’s frown deepened. When she hung up the phone again, she sighed. “The records are on the third floor of our warehouse in Santa Monica. But the building’s red-tagged from the earthquake. Sylvia says I’ve been in there before, but I always go at night because it’s strictly illegal to enter.”

  “That’s really foolish, luv.” Steve looked very serious. “If the inspectors put a red tag on your warehouse, it means it’s not structurally sound. Call Agent Richards back and tell him your records are inaccessible. They’ll just have to delay until someone can go in to retrieve them.”

  “Good idea.” Maura nodded. “I’ll call him right now.”

  But Agent Richards wasn’t in. The office was closed and a recorded message told Maura that they wouldn’t return until ten o’clock Monday morning.

  “What now?” Maura bit her lip in frustration. “Agent Richards is sending a man to collect the paperwork at nine o’clock Monday morning, and I can’t cancel because he won’t be in his office until ten. They’re going to be upset with me, Steve. And the I.R.S. isn’t known for being terribly understanding, are they?”

  Steve laughed. “Not really. Grant used to say they all had hearts of stone.”

  “Then there’s only one thing to do.” Maura looked very determined. “I’m going to have to get my hands on those file boxes, one way or the other.”

  Steve looked as if he were about to object, but then he sighed. “I’m afraid you’re right. Okay, Maura. If Sylvia says you’ve gone in there before, I guess one more time won’t hurt. But I’ll go after the show, when we’re not so rushed.”

  “You?” Maura turned to him with a question in her eyes.

  “I won’t let you do something that dangerous. Just tell me where everything is, and I’ll bring it out.”

  “But I don’t remember!” Maura tried to look perfectly honest, even though she remembered exactly where the file boxes were. She didn’t like to lie to Steve, but entering the red-tagged building might be dangerous, and she didn’t want him to go alone. “Sylvia said we keep our records in a room on the third floor to the right of the staircase, but I have no idea where the file boxes are stacked. It’s really sweet of you to offer to play Sir Galahad, but we’ll just have to go in together.”

  * * *

  “I shouldn’t have done it.” Keith’s hands were shaking as he got behind the wheel of Liz’s car. “Maybe I should warn her.”

  Liz reached out to grip his arm. “Don’t be a fool! If you warn her, you’ll get both of us in trouble!”

  “I could do it anonymously. At least she’d have a chance that way. She could hire a bodyguard or something.”

  “It won’t do any good . . . not if they’re really out to get her. Just leave it alone, Donny. It’s what we wanted, isn’t it?”

  “Well . . . yes. But it seems so cold.”

  “Does this seem cold?” Liz reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.

  “Come on, Liz . . . this really isn’t the time to . . .”

  “Or this?” She nibbled at his lips with her teeth and made little darting moves with her tongue.

  Keith groaned. It was impossible to resist her. Liz was his salvation and also his destruction. He didn’t like the kinds of things she urged him to do, but he couldn’t get along without her.

  “Let’s hurry and get this done.” Liz settled back in the passenger’s seat, but she kept her hand on this thigh. The tips of her fingers were touching him in a way she knew was very erotic. “If we finish and get back here early enough, we’ll have time to play. What do you say, Donny?”

  “I . . . sure, why not?” Keith began to smile. He was putty in Liz’s hands when she got like this. She always had some incredible new trick to show him, some unique pleasure he’d never dreamed existed.

  It didn’t take long to get to the warehouse, and he pulled the car around to the side. “I really don’t like this, Liz. Are you sure we have to go inside?”

  “I’m positive. I need those designs she did last year. After she’s gone, I can claim them. And you need to get your hands on those ledgers, don’t you?”

  Keith nodded. “I guess so. But going in a red-tagged building . . . isn’t that kind of . . . uh . . . risky?”

  “Not at all. I’ve been in here six or seven times since they tagged it. The only tricky part is on the third floor, and I had a builder friend show me exactly where to walk. You don’t have to worry about a thing, Donny. Trust me.”

  Keith began to feel better the moment he was inside. This was the first time he’d been in the warehouse since the earthquake, and it wasn’t the disaster he’d expected. He could see quite well by the light filtering in through the high, glass block windows, and the first floor looked almost normal with its crates of supplies and equipment stacked against the walls.

  “This looks okay to me.” Keith began to smile. “Why did they give it a red tag?”

  “The main beam is cracked. That’s the one that holds up the roof and supports the walls. But I brought in my builder friend to inspect it and he told me there’s really no danger. It would take another big earthquake to knock it down.”

  Keith swallowed hard. “Let’s just hope we don’t have one while we’re in here.”

  “We won’t.” Liz laughed. “You’re a hell of a lot safer in here than you are on the street outside. The gangs are moving into this area, and we’ve had a couple of drive-by shootings on the corner.”

  Keith frowned. “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse. Let’s get what we came for and leave, okay?”

  “Right. Follow me, Donny. The staircase is right over here.”

  Liz flicked on a flashlight and Keith was puzzled. “Why do we need that?”

  “The power’s out. And there aren’t any windows on the second and third floors. You don’t want to fumble around in the dark, do you?”

  “Not really.” Keith followed her across the floor. He still didn’t like the feeling he got, knowing there was a cracked main beam over his head, but she’d think he was a coward if he told her that he was still a little apprehensive.

  “The staircase is perfectly safe.” She turned back to reassure him. “I had my friend check that out, too.”

  “Good.” He knew he sounded breathless, and
he hoped she wouldn’t realize that it was a symptom of his anxiety. But the stairs felt solid under his feet, and he began to feel a bit more confident as they climbed up to the second floor. When they reached the landing, Liz stopped and waited for him to join her.

  “We had some damage in here.”

  She let the beam of her flashlight play over the expanse of the second floor and Keith gasped. Bolts of cloth were strewn over the huge floor, like toothpicks scattered from a fallen dispenser.

  “This is incredible!” Keith felt awed by the power it must have taken to send the heavy bolts of material crashing to the floor. “Maura didn’t tell me there was this much damage!”

  “There isn’t, not really. The bolts were stacked on those shelves against the wall, and they toppled. It’s just a matter of picking them up and restacking them.”

  Keith frowned. “Why don’t you just hire someone to do it?”

  “We can’t. The building’s red-tagged, remember? That means we’re not supposed to let anyone in. The city wants this building demolished with everything inside, but her lawyer’s fighting it in court. I think she’ll win. There’s no reason why we can’t hire a special crew to get our things out. But her hearing’s been delayed, and it’ll take time to get permission from the judge.”

  “How about all this cloth? Don’t you need it?”

  “Of course we do!” Liz sighed. “But she’s willing to take a loss for the cloth. All she really cares about are the files on the third floor.”

  Keith turned to look at Liz. In the reflected light from the beam of the flashlight, she looked angry. “Those bolts of cloth in your back bedroom . . . are they from here?”

  “Of course! If her insurance is going to pay for it anyway, there’s no reason why I can’t have it. I hand-picked all this material, and I can use it later, when I own the business.”

  “That makes sense.” Keith nodded quickly. “Do you want to take a couple of bolts today? I could help you.”

  “Thanks, but not in the daylight. Someone might spot us. I need her drawings more that I need the cloth. Come on, Donny. Let’s get going.”

  He nodded and they started up the stairs again, to the third floor. As they moved along the stairwell, her flashlight picked up several cracks in the wall.

  “Those are big cracks.”

  Liz laughed. “It’s just drywall, Donny. That stuff cracks at the drop of a hat. It’s not structural, so you can relax.”

  “I’m fine.” Keith tried to keep his voice steady. The cracks bothered him more than he was willing to admit. Perhaps it was easy to crack drywall, but he’d seen several cracks in the exposed wooden beams, as well.

  “Step over this board, Donny.” Liz aimed the flashlight at one of the boards on the third floor landing. “My friend says it’s ready to go.”

  Keith nodded, and stepped over the board. It had a jagged crack running through it and it was splintered on one end. “Are there any more spots like this?”

  “A couple. I’ll warn you.” Liz turned around to smile at him. “You wouldn’t fall through. It’s not that bad. But you might break your ankle, and that would be hard to explain to her.”

  “Right.” Keith’s eyes widened as he surveyed the damage on the third floor. It was much worse than the second. Several doors were hanging by one hinge, and one wall looked skewed, even to his untrained eye.

  “How about that wall?” Keith pointed. “It looks like it’s ready to collapse.”

  Liz nodded. “It wasn’t that way the last time I was up here. I guess the aftershocks caused more damage.”

  “Liz?” Keith took her arm, and pulled her close. “Let’s get out of here, huh? I don’t want to take any chances and this looks pretty dangerous to me.”

  Liz seemed to waver for a moment, but then she shook her head. “It’d be stupid to leave now. We’re here.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Keith gave in. He still felt terribly uncomfortable, but she had a point. They’d already climbed up to the third floor, and it would be stupid to turn around and leave without getting the files and the drawings. “Where’s the file room?”

  “Right here.”

  Liz let the beam from her flashlight illuminate the room to the right of the stairwell, and Keith laughed. The door was partially open, hanging by the bottom hinge, and the padlock had pulled out of its hasp. “At least we won’t have to worry about picking the lock.”

  Liz laughed, too, but then she turned to take his hand. “You’re really nervous, aren’t you, Donny?”

  “Yeah. Let’s hurry, Liz. I’ll feel a lot better when this is over.”

  Liz gripped his hand tightly. “Me, too. This is a lot worse than the last time I looked. The door wasn’t hanging like this. And the padlock was still there. I thought we’d have to smash it open.”

  “Well . . . this is your lucky day.” Keith tried to keep his voice light. “After you, ma’am.”

  Liz hesitated, and then she shivered. “Let’s go in together. Or better yet, let’s just get the hell out of here. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” Keith laughed. He’d never seen Liz exhibit any sign of nervousness before. She’d always been supremely self-confident, and this new aspect of her personality was very appealing. It made him feel strong and virile, and he turned to grin at her. “You were the one who talked me into this crazy stunt, and I’m not leaving without the ledgers. Come on, Liz. Let’s go get them. Everything’ll be just fine.”

  “All right . . . if you’re sure.” Liz let him pull her toward the open door. “I guess I was just being silly. And I really do need those drawings. The bitch won’t be able to use them after she’s dead.”

  “Right. Just keep thinking of the great life we’ll have when all this is over.” He took a step toward the open door, with Liz at his side.

  Liz began to smile. “We’ll have that gorgeous house!”

  “No, honey. She bought that before we were married. The house goes to the kid. But we’ll get the business, and all the profits from the past two years. We’ll have plenty of money to build our own house, and you can have anything you want. That’s even better, isn’t it?”

  Liz was stopped, right outside the doorway, and turned to look at him. And then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “You’re right, Donny. I just never thought it through before. The bitch designed that house, and it would always remind us of her. We’ll have a brand-new house. Our house. For our new life together. And when it’s all built, it’ll be all ours.”

  “Of course it will.” Keith nodded. “We’ll wait a few months, until all the speculation dies down, and then we’ll get married. You’ll marry me, won’t you, Liz?”

  “Yes!” Liz kissed him again. He’d finally asked her to marry him! This was the happiest day of her life!

  “We’ll go to Vegas . . . or maybe Reno. You can choose any place you want, as long as we keep it small and quiet.”

  The smile fled from Liz’s face. It wouldn’t be the big wedding she’d dreamed of when she was a girl. But then she nodded. What he’d said made sense. “You’re right, Donny. I always wanted a big wedding, but it wouldn’t be smart under the circumstances. We’ll slip away and go to one of those wedding chapels in Vegas. That way nobody’ll raise any ugly questions. And then we’ll come home to our brand-new house with no more bitch to keep us apart!”

  Liz smiled up at him, and Keith smiled back. “That’s right, darling. No more bitch. She’ll be gone, forever.”

  “You’ll carry me over the threshold, won’t you, Donny?”

  “Of course I will. Just like this!”

  Keith lifted her up in his arms, and Liz wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. And then he stepped across the threshold of the file room, and they fell together, shocked into eternal silence, to meet the end of all their dreams.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “I called the airport, and they said his flight landed two hours ago.” Sylvia gave an exasperat
ed sigh. “You never should have sent Liz to pick him up. They couldn’t be stuck in traffic for this long!”

  Maura shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter, Sylvia. If they get here, that’s fine. And if they don’t, that’s fine, too.”

  “We have to regard this whole thing as a blessing in disguise.” Steve nodded. “We don’t have to deal with them if they’re not here. And that frees our minds for other, more pressing problems . . . like what happened to those missing shoes.”

  “Oh, God! I almost forgot!” Maura turned to Sylvia. “Did you locate them yet?”

  Sylvia nodded. “The boxes are right where they’re supposed to be, all labeled with the models’ names and coordinated with their outfits. But Mrs. Durham didn’t see them. She decided she looked better without her glasses, and she’s as blind as a bat without them.”

  “Poor Amelia.” Maura smiled. “She’s so excited about this fashion show. I hope I didn’t make a mistake when I asked my customers to model the clothes.”

  Steve shook his head. “It wasn’t a mistake. The advance publicity those ladies gave you is worth its weight in gold. Mrs. Durham told me she’s bringing all her friends to the boutique on Monday, to show them the outfit she modeled.”

  “That’s the general idea.” Maura smiled at him. “Now if we can just figure out some way to get Amelia to put on her glasses, we won’t have any accidents on the runway.”

  Sylvia looked smug. “I already did that. I told her you’d designed her dress with her glasses in mind, and she’d spoil the whole illusion if she modeled it without them.”

  “So she’s wearing her glasses?”

  “You bet! And she was really impressed. She called her husband from the dressing room, to ask him if she could put down a deposit on the dress.”

  Maura frowned slightly. “But we didn’t set a price . . . did we?”

  “Yes, we did. You never charge enough for your designer originals so I upped the price a bit. And to make matters even better, Mrs. Durham thinks she’s getting a steal. She’s paying twenty-five hundred for the dress she’s wearing in the show today, and that’s half off the ticket price.”