Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  “That’s what everyone thought, until I arrested him a while back for petty theft. At the time I arrested him, he seemed confused and told me he couldn’t remember his last name. I suspected he was lying until I ran his fingerprints and the name Maxwell Hanford came up. I now believe Max suffers from the same disease as my father.”

  “Are you sure this Max is Garrett’s father?”

  “I’m sure. Garrett’s father had been arrested for breaking and entering a couple of times during his treasure-hunting days, so his prints were on file.”

  Wow. Talk about a complicated twist to an already complicated murder. “If Garrett’s father is alive, why did his mom lie and tell Garrett and everyone else he was dead?”

  “I’m not sure. I suspect Garrett’s mom was afraid he’d get caught up in the treasure-hunting fever and didn’t want that for her only child, so she simply told Garrett he was dead.”

  Poor Garrett. I let the idea sink in before I spoke again. “So how did Garrett’s father end up back here after all these years?”

  “I don’t know what brought him back to Gull Island. Like I said, the man seemed confused. At the time of his arrest he knew his first name but not his last, and he didn’t remember why he was in the area. I spent some time talking to him, trying to explain to him where he was and, more importantly, who he was. After a bit he remembered the agreement he’d made with his ex to leave the island. He seemed to be scared that he’d violated his agreement and wanted to leave. I didn’t feel right about just sending him out into the world, so I talked him into allowing me to check him into the senior home for observation.”

  I looked off into the distance at the darkening sky. The entire conversation seemed surreal. “Does Garrett know?”

  “No. At first Max made me promise not to tell him that he was alive. He’s pretty far gone now, and I honestly doubt he’d care one way or the other. I was on the verge of sharing what I knew with Garrett when he had his stroke. I figured he had a lot to deal with already, so I decided to wait until he recovered. I’m really not sure how he’s going to take this, especially now.”

  Talk about an understatement. I suspected Garrett was going to totally freak out. Not only was the dad he believed dead alive, but he’d killed a good friend and, probably worst of all, his mother had lied to him.

  “The thing I don’t get is, why was Max even with Buck Barnes?” I asked.

  “I suspect somehow Buck knew who he was. Maybe he recognized him. Buck was old enough to have lived here when Max did. It seems reasonable that Buck was convinced Max knew the whereabouts of the map he was after. I suspect he recognized him and decided to break him out of the home and take him to retrieve it.”

  “So Garrett’s mother didn’t destroy it?”

  “Probably not. Chances are that is simply what she told Garrett to keep him from going down the same path as his father and grandfather.”

  “So you think either Max remembered the map was in the attic and took Buck to the location where he’d left it, or Buck believed the map was in the attic and took Max there in an attempt to get him to reveal the location?”

  “Both good theories. At this point I don’t have much to go on. I know Buck was at the home on the day Max was found wandering in the street because one of the volunteers saw him. And I know Buck was killed in the attic, and I suspect, based on the evidence I uncovered at the crime scene, Max is the one who killed him.”

  “What evidence?”

  “Keep in mind I’ve really only had a few days to put this all together, but when I arrived at Garrett’s home on Friday in response to your call, I realized immediately that the body must be Buck. Initially, I didn’t realize the trauma to the head was most likely caused by Garrett’s father until I saw the cane I’d given him on the floor behind one of the cabinets.”

  The cane. Charlie bad. It suddenly all made sense. We suspected Blackbeard might have been in the attic when the incident occurred. The window had been left open, and Kyle and I had both felt Blackbeard had been living in the attic ever since Garrett was taken away. Blackbeard had seen a man with a cane—a man like Charlie Chaplin—hit Buck Barnes, causing him to fall to the floor and stop moving. If Blackbeard was referring to the incident, it really was amazing. The cane must have been what Deputy Savage came back for.

  “You saw the cane and confronted Garrett’s father?”

  “I did, but he didn’t remember anything. He didn’t even remember leaving the home. I have no way of knowing what occurred in the attic that day, but as far as I know, Buck and Max were the only two on the premises.”

  “So you decided to protect him?”

  “Bringing Max to justice for Buck’s death won’t serve any purpose. Buck is dead, and nothing we do will change that. Max doesn’t remember what he did; he probably didn’t even realize what he was doing at the time. If I report this, there are those above my head who may see things differently. When I realized what happened, I talked it over with Colin and we decided to keep the truth to ourselves. No one ever would have questioned it if you hadn’t decided to snoop around.”

  “What now?”

  “I guess that’s up to you. You can keep our secret, or you can have Max arrested. He doesn’t have long. Chances are he’ll die in jail before his case even goes to trial.”

  “Is he a danger to others?”

  “Honestly, I don’t think so, but just to be safe Colin has been keeping a close eye on him, and he’s only allowed to interact with others when there’s supervision.”

  I was not normally one to let killers go free, but Savage had a point. No good would come from bringing the truth to light. “What are you going to tell Garrett?”

  “The truth. Or at least the part of the truth that’s necessary for him to know. If you decide to keep Colin’s and my secret, I’ll simply tell him that his father has been found and leave out the rest.”

  I thought about Garrett and the man he would only have a limited chance to get to know. I knew in my heart that sometimes seeking justice wasn’t justified at all.

  Chapter 17

  The house was empty when I arrived. Even the dogs were out, so the gang must have still been out for their walk. It was already almost completely dark, so I decided to head upstairs to take a shower before the girls returned and used up all the hot water.

  I poked my head into the sunroom to check on Blackbeard. He was in his cage, but he hadn’t been tucked in for the night. I handed the parrot a treat. “It looks like you were spot on as to who killed Buck.”

  “Charlie bad, Charlie bad.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s amazing that you understand the concept of bad.” I filled Blackbeard’s food and water. “You aren’t a prince locked in a parrot’s body due to some sort of magic spell, are you?”

  “Pillage the village.”

  “Yes, I guess that’s what happened to the attic. But you don’t have to worry about that now. Nothing bad is going to happen. I believe Deputy Savage and I have come to an understanding.”

  “Grog and wenches, grog and wenches.”

  I laughed. “Where did you learn sassy talk like that? I need to head up for a shower, so I’m going to cover you now. Would you like another treat?”

  “Who’s a good boy?”

  “You are. Sweet dreams.”

  I covered the cage and then went upstairs. I was just gathering clean sweats to change into after my shower when I heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from the attic.

  “Kyle?” I called. My inquiry was met with silence. “Grandpa? Anyone?”

  I shrugged and was about to continue to the bathroom when I heard the noise again. All the people as well as all the dogs living in the house were out, and I knew Blackbeard was safely in his cage, so I had to assume one of the cats had gotten locked in the attic when we were upstairs earlier in the day. I tossed the clothes onto my bed and
headed down the hall to the stairway. I flicked on the light and had begun my ascent when the door to the attic swung open and a figure dressed in black came out of the room. I didn’t catch more than a glimpse of the figure before he, or possibly she, barreled into me and sent me falling backwards down the stairs.

  “Tj, are you okay?” I opened my eyes to see Kyle staring into my face.

  “Kyle? What happened?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me. We just got home and found you lying at the foot of the stairs. I swear, my heart stopped for the amount of time it took me to determine you were still alive.”

  I tried to sit up.

  “Just lie back. The ambulance is on its way.”

  “I don’t need an ambulance.” I touched my hand to my head. I definitely had a bump.

  Doc knelt down next to me and began shining a light into my eyes while Kyle continued to hold my hand. “You were unconscious,” Doc informed me. “I want to check for a concussion.”

  “I’m fine, really. I’m sure I wasn’t out for long. Maybe a couple of minutes.”

  “That’s long enough,” Doc insisted. He instructed me to follow the finger he put in front of my eyes, as well as answer a few questions. I did so and he let me sit up.

  “What happened?” Kyle asked.

  “I fell, or more accurately, I was pushed.”

  “Pushed? By whom?”

  I put my hand to my head. Geez, I was going to have a headache. “I don’t know. I was getting ready to take a shower when I heard a noise in the attic. I thought maybe one of the cats was accidentally locked inside. I was halfway up the stairs when a figure dressed in black came barreling through the door. He ran straight into me, and before I could react or catch myself in any way, I found myself falling backward down the stairs. The next thing I knew I was staring into Kyle’s face.”

  “Better call Savage,” Doc instructed Kyle.

  “And while you’re at it, call off the ambulance,” I instructed. “I’m fine.”

  Doc nodded at Kyle. I assumed the look was his consent to do exactly as I’d asked.

  Doc helped me to my feet and led me into my room, where he sat me in a chair. “We’ll cancel the ambulance, but you’re going to the hospital for an X-ray.”

  I opened my mouth to argue.

  “No arguments. Head injuries can be serious business.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll go to the hospital. In a car, where someone waits for me and then brings me home to my own bed.”

  “Deal.”

  Kyle came back into the room. “Savage is on his way. Ben has the girls downstairs, but they’re pretty upset. Do you feel up to talking to them for a minute to assure them that you’re fine?”

  “Yeah. Have them come up.”

  By the time I’d comforted my sisters and assured them I was going to have a bit of a headache but would otherwise be fine, Savage had arrived. Grandpa took the girls down the hall to get ready for bed while Kyle checked on the dogs, who were more than just a little upset, and I talked to Savage while Doc anxiously watched for any signs of concussion.

  “Long time no see,” Savage joked. The man was actually nice-looking when he smiled. “Any idea who plowed into you?”

  “No. It was all a blur. They had on black clothes and a black ski mask. All I could see were his eyes.”

  “Color?”

  “Brown. I think.”

  “Height and weight?”

  “How am I supposed to know? The guy barreled into me. Besides, I was on the stairs.”

  “Taller that you?”

  “Everyone is taller than me.”

  “Taller than me?”

  I looked at the man standing in front of me. “No, I don’t think so. Does it really matter?”

  “No,” Savage admitted. “I don’t suppose it does at this point. I’m going to head up to the attic to look around a bit. I’ll have a few more questions for you when I’m done.”

  “She really should go to the emergency room,” Doc said.

  “We don’t have a hospital on the island,” Savage informed Doc. “Nearest one is almost an hour away by car.”

  Doc frowned. “Are you dizzy?”

  “No.”

  “Blurry vision?”

  “No.”

  “Do you feel nauseous?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, I’ll just keep an eye on you, but if you start to experience any of those symptoms you need to let me know.”

  “Okay.”

  Kyle helped me downstairs, where I curled up on the sofa while we waited for Savage to complete his investigation of the attic. When I’d left softball practice, I’d been convinced that the case of Buck Barnes’s death was closed. Now I wasn’t so certain. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would break into the attic unless it was to steal something, and the only thing I could think that was worth anything was the map that most people didn’t even believe existed.

  “Can I get you anything?” Kyle asked as he pulled a blanket I didn’t really need over my legs.

  “No, I’m fine. Is everyone okay?”

  “Yeah, they’ll be fine. The girls are shaken up, especially Gracie, so Ben is reading them a story.”

  “I can hear Echo whining.”

  “He’s shaken up as well. I locked him in the kitchen.”

  “Best to let him come in and check on me before he breaks down the door.” I knew my huge self-appointed protector wouldn’t remain contained for long.

  Kyle did as I asked. When Echo came into the room, I reminded him to be gentle. He stopped in his tracks, then walked over to the sofa and sat at my feet.

  “I’m fine,” I assured the large dog. “See, ten fingers and toes.”

  Echo placed a paw on my leg. I scratched him behind the ears.

  “Gracie is feeling sad. Why don’t you go up to check on her?”

  Echo looked toward the stairs and then back at me.

  “It’s okay. Go see Gracie.”

  Echo did as I requested.

  “You’re really good with that dog,” Savage said from his vantage point near the stairs.

  “He’s been trained in search and rescue, so he knows subtle hand signals. Plus, I swear he understands English.”

  Savage laughed. “Yeah, my dog does too.”

  “What did you find in the attic?”

  “Whoever broke in knew what he was looking for. The paneling along the back wall was pulled away, but nothing else has been disturbed.”

  “The map.”

  “Map?” Savage asked.

  I explained about the map we’d found after the last break-in and the fact that we’d sent it away to be dated. “Do you think our thief was Max?”

  “No. Even if the fog in his brain had cleared enough for him to have the presence of mind to come for the map, he wouldn’t have the physical agility to knock into you and run down the stairs. The poor man barely gets around with a cane.”

  “But if he left his cane here, how did he get all the way across the island to where he was found after he killed Buck?”

  “Good question. There has to be more going on than we thought. Someone else must be involved. It seems there has to be a player we haven’t considered.”

  “Any idea who?” I asked.

  “Not off the top of my head. Buck knew a lot of people and he did have a way of pulling you into his fantasy about the treasure. People—even good people—can get so swept up in treasure-hunting fever that they end up making bad decisions. I’m sure I can come up with a list of people who might have been lured into Buck’s treasure hunt; the problem is that I really can’t think of a single person who would want Buck dead.”

  “How can I help?” I asked.

  “Perhaps after you’ve rested up a bit you’ll remember some small detail abou
t the person who pushed you down the stairs. Even a little thing could help. I’ll let you get some rest now, but I’ll check back with you tomorrow. In the meantime, if you think of anything, call my cell. If someone other than Max killed Buck, I intend to find out who it was.”

  Chapter 18

  Saturday, June 24

  I had a restless night in which I seemed to jump between very vivid dreams of Kyle kissing me and long bouts of wakefulness as I tried to make sense of everything that had happened. We didn’t know exactly when Buck Barnes had died, but we did know what day he’d gone to see Max. Savage confirmed that none of the locals had seen Buck after that day, so we had reason to suspect his theory that Buck had broken Max out and taken him to retrieve the map was most likely what had occurred.

  Initially, we’d believed the two men were alone in the attic, but after the events of the previous evening, we now suspected there had been a third person with the men. This third person, we thought, was most likely the one responsible for returning Max to the spot where he was found; it seemed unlikely he could have walked there on his own. The question was, had Max killed Buck, as we’d initially suspected, or had this third party used Max’s cane to kill Buck? And if Buck was already dead, why did the man—or woman—flee prior to securing the map?

  “Coffee?” Kyle walked up behind me with a large cup of hot liquid.

  “Thanks.” I had been unable to sleep, so I’d curled up in a blanket on the back deck overlooking the sea.

  “Head still hurt?”

  “Actually, it’s feeling better. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Can I help?” Kyle sat down in the lounger next to mine. I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. It was nice to have someone who was there for me when I really needed him.

  “I’m going to tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone else. At least not until I figure out what I’m going to do with all this information.”

  “Okay,” Kyle agreed.

  “After we visited the Gull Island Senior Home yesterday I got the idea that perhaps Buck Barnes had broken Savage’s father out of the home to help with his treasure hunt, and that perhaps something had gone wrong and Savage’s father had killed Buck.”