The Peace Haven Murders

by M. Glenn Graves

“I see no reason why I shouldn’t have something to protect myself from this killer,” Rachel said.

  “No, Mother. The people who run the place would certainly take exception to a gun-totin’ mama sitting in the corner with a shotgun draped across her lap.”

  “I wouldn’t sit in the corner.”

  “Well, that solves the problem immediately.”

  “I don’t need your sarcasm. You want my help or not?”

  “I need your help. But you can’t carry a weapon with you.”

  “Not even a handgun?”

  “I thought you hated handguns.”

  “This is an emergency,” she said.

  “Truly. But I think it’s a bad idea for you to have any type of weapon in that place.”

  “You have a weapon.”

  “I have a license and I have training.”

  “You don’t think I can fire a gun?”

  Our conversation was going in the wrong direction quickly.

  “You are more than capable of shooting a gun. That’s not the point here. The administration of Peace Haven would call the police if you had a gun with you. The police would come and arrest you, and then I would have no one to keep an eye on Sarah. It would defeat our purpose.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought about that. But what if something happens? What if someone comes in during the night? How do I protect Sarah as well as myself?”

  “If you see them, scream, throw a bed pan. Noise is your best ally. They certainly won’t hang around if you are awake and making noises. Remember, they don’t kill with a gun. These have all been cloak and dagger murders, all on the QT, hush-hush. They use a syringe.”

  “I get the picture. I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks, mom. Rosey will be in another wing of the facility with J.R. Blair.”

  “I never did like that old man, but I don’t want to see someone kill him. If he’d just die a natural death…”

  “Mother! That’s a horrible thing to say.”

  “Well, it’s true. He’s an old coot. Nobody likes him.”

  “But he doesn’t deserve to die just because he’s unpopular.”

  “He’s a mean man with mean dogs and he hated children. Don’t you remember all the times he would sic his dogs on you and Scotty? They almost got you two more than once.”

  “He wasn’t the kindest man in town, but we had fun going through his yard and trying to avoid the dogs.”

  “So you and Scotty actually provoked him?”

  “That might be too strong a word. Teased would come closer to reality.”

  “Whatever. Here I thought you two were innocent all these years.”

  “Mother, I am sure that you have used many words to describe your two children through the years. Innocent would not be one of the words you could use with a straight face.”

  Halfway across the state of Virginia I called home to let Rogers know I was coming in late. I got a busy signal for each of the three times I punched in the numbers. This was unusual in that Rogers had the phone system set up so that multiple calls could come in simultaneously. I waited thirty minutes then called again. Same result.

  I then called Phoebe my down-the-hall neighbor who knew everything about everything that was going in a nine block radius of our apartment complex. If something was happening, she would know about it. She was also supposed to be feeding Sam each day.

  No answer.

  Whatever was happening, it couldn’t be good. I speeded up in an effort to get to Norfolk a little quicker. Highway 58 had a few speed traps along the way, but I decided to chance it since this could be something serious.

  I was passing through Franklin when my phone rang.

  “You need to get home quick,” Rogers said.

  “I’m en route now. What’s going on?”

  “Someone has taken the dog.”

  “Say again.”

  “Someone broke into the apartment, two of them, a man and a woman. They used that dog catcher apparatus – a pole thing and a round hook-like head restraint – and took Sam.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Nothing else.”

  “They took my dog and left everything else?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Are you sober?”

  “Of course I am sober.”

  “This makes no sense.”

  “I don’t make up your life, you know. This has just happened. If you could consider all of the things that happen to you, and all of the things you get yourself involved in, then I surmise that this makes perfect sense. In your world.”

  “Did you record anything?”

  “Does a wild bear live in the woods?”

  “You’ve been listening to Rosey too much.”

  “I pay attention to all conversations. Of course I recorded it. I activated the keyboard scanning device that your precious Uncle Walters created as well as the internal camera. The stupid thieves actually looked into my monitor so that I got marvelous photos of their mugs. And… I am pulling up records on them right this moment. Let’s see, the male thug is named Jack Russell. The woman is Marilyn Saunders. Either name ring a bell for you?”

  “Nope. You got anything else on them?”

  “I’m running the prints of the woman. She actually tried to use my keyboard. Can you imagine that?”

  “I am aghast. The nerve of some people when they break and enter.” I smiled when I recalled the silly argument I had with Uncle Walters when he insisted on installing the scanning device within each key on Roger’s keyboard so that she could activate it if anyone ever broke into my apartment and tried to retrieve information from the computer. I thought was ludicrous that such a thing would happen, and even more so that someone might want any data I had collected. Silly me.

  “Do I detect some sarcasm in your voice?”

  “Mild humor,” I said.

  “This is no laughing matter. They took your dog.”

  “Yeah, I got that. Can you play the recording for me?”

  “Is the Pope Catholic? Of course I can play the recording for you. Here, listen to this:

  “…no, you go that way,” the woman’s voice said.

  Sam was growling in the background.

  “Bring the hook closer,” the woman spoke again.

  “Ah….gottcha, you mangy mutt,” the male voice said.

  Sam was growling louder now.

  “You take him out to the truck and I’ll leave the note on the computer,” the

  woman said.

  “That’s the whole conversation,” Rogers said. “Except for the clicking on the keyboard. That’s when I shut down her access and she couldn’t type and use the monitor. I was still recording, but she just couldn’t access anything. Oh, it was awful. I can’t stand for some strange person to touch my keys.”

  “Miss Sensitivity,” I said. “Anything on the prints yet?”

  “No…yeah, here it is. Russell has a record, but nothing serious. He lives here in Norfolk. Oceanfront Boulevard. That’s 2428 Oceanfront Boulevard. I think it’s an old apartment complex.”

  “I’ll check it out. And the woman?”

  “Well, surprise, surprise. Her residence is 921 Leftwich Street, Clancyville, Virginia. Imagine that?”

  “Imagine that.”

  33

  I called Rosey to update him on the Sam kidnapping.

  “It’s a diversion, you know. Throw you off the scent or distract you.”

  “It won’t work.”

  “It might. Depends on what they do or threaten to do.”

  I was sitting at the computer watching the tape of the woman once more. I had the sound turned down while I spoke with Rosey.

  “They left no note. Nothing. If it’s a kidnapping, why not leave a note?”

  “Maybe they’ll call and provide you with instructions.”

  “Okay. So, I’ll sit tight for a while. In the meantime, I want you to do something devious.”

  “My middle name.”

  “In the
morning, find Joy before her shift ends. Around 7 or so. She usually stops in Sarah’s room to check on her. Since we suspect her of something, not sure what, let’s use her in case she actually is working with the killers in some capacity. She could be the inside person who is helping them. Let’s be real tricky here. Let’s ask her to stay with J.R. and you go check out the house on Leftwich Street. See what you can find out about this Marilyn Saunders person. Anything will help at this point.”

  “Isn’t using Joy to watch J.R. like asking the fox to guard the hen house?”

  “Yeah, but if she is the inside person, I doubt if she would do anything while she has the responsibility of keeping an eye on a patient. She’s certainly smart enough to realize that.”

  “You’re assuming that she will agree to help us with J.R.,” Rosey said.

  “I think she will. If we are correct about her involvement, then she would want to get us off her trail, and this would be a good way to make us think she is not the one.”

  “And is that what we are going to be thinking?”

  “Unlikely.”

  “So, we be out-foxing the fox, so to speak.”

  “You have a way with words. See what you can find at the Saunders’ house.”

  “Aha. This be excitin’. We has another clue.”

  “And which clue would that be?”

  “A woman who lives in Clancyville is involved in dog-napping Sam in Norfolk,” Rosey said.

  “Racking up those clues, are we? How come we’re no closer to solving this crime?”

  “We be slow and thorough.”

  “You got that right. I’d vote for fast and sloppy at this juncture.”

  “No, ma’am. Fast and sloppy too often means careless. No place for careless in this business. You get careless, you get shot. Sometimes you get dead. Remember the cinder block.”

  “It made an impression. I’m not changing tactics. I just want some results.”

  “Me, too. I’ll check out the house. You keep checking on what you have at that end. Let me know if you need me.”

  I folded the phone and put it back in my pocket. I turned the sound up on Rogers at the moment the picture of Marilyn Saunders disappeared from the screen in front of me. I could hear some rustling of papers, like someone was searching for something. Then I heard what sounded like someone writing.

  “I think she wrote something when you closed off the computer to her. What do you make of that last segment? Play it again.”

  She did.

  “It is definitely the sound of someone writing,” Rogers said.

  “So where’s the note?” I said as I looked around the apartment.

  I felt stupid when I spotted it finally. It was thumb tacked to the back of the door to my apartment. I read it without touching it:

  we have the dog. if you want the dog back alive, stay in Norfolk. do

  not return to Clancyville. if you fail to obey these instructions,

  the dog dies. there will be no second chance on this. Stay in

  Norfolk or the dog dies.

  I retrieved a hand towel from the kitchen and took the note down, trying to preserve any prints she might have left. Since I already knew who she was, it was of little help in the long run, I thought, but just in case I had missed something, I decided to do it the right way. I put the paper in a gallon size plastic bag and sealed it. Crime Solver 101.

  “Read me the note,” Rogers said. “I want to hear the whole thing.”

  I read the note. She took a long time before saying anything.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “I was just wondering if there is any way you could arm me.”

  “Arm you?”

  “Yes. You know. Get Uncle Walters to rig up some type of apparatus whereby I could fire a bullet or throw a knife and protect myself. And the dog.”

  “And be headed towards a life of crime, no doubt.”

  “Be serious. I’m no criminal.”

  “And there’s no way I’m even addressing what you are suggesting. You’d probably shoot me instead of some thief.”

  “Not intentionally.”

  “That’s my point. No, I am not arming you with anything other than the surveillance equipment you already possess. Besides, you already have provided me with enough information that the police can arrest these two with ease.”

  “If I had a gun, I could have stopped them from taking Sam.”

  “You and my mother. You did enough. Believe me. I am grateful for the data I have on this. I’ll find Sam. You’re not worried, are you?”

  “Computers do not worry. We are above such emotions. I merely suggest to you that there are certain inherent weaknesses in my current system. I was only advising an upgrade of sorts.”

  “I’ll get back to you on that. In the meantime, call Detective Anderson for me, use my voice, and ask him to meet me over on Oceanfront Boulevard. I’m heading that way now. If he has any objections or possible delays, call me so I can stay informed. Oh, see if you can find out where this Jack Russell guy has worked. It could be helpful.”

  “On it. Oh, you might want to reconsider arresting Saunders and Russell,” Rogers said.

  “And why is that?”

  “I am thinking that dog-napping is a misdemeanor. There’d be a lot of paperwork, but in the end they would get out with a slap on the wrist. The B&E would add some weight, especially for Russell who has a rap sheet. But in the end, you have accomplished nothing and they got what they wanted.”

  “And what did they want? Sam?”

  “Unlikely. They merely wanted to distract you. A diversion.”

  “You’re the second person who has suggested this.”

  “I’m flattered,” Rogers said.

  “Why are you flattered?”

  “You referred to me as a person. Made my day.”

  “Slip of the tongue.”

  I found the old apartment complex on Oceanfront Boulevard and located the number. I parked in front of an apartment three doors down and watched number 2428 to see if anyone was coming or going. All was quiet until my passenger door opened and Anderson sat down in the front seat.

  “I don’t do burglaries anymore,” he said.

  “You need more flexibility in your work ethic.”

  “Homicide provides sufficient flexibility. People can be quite creative with murder these days. So what’s happening here?” Anderson said.

  “What you see is what you get.”

  “That bad, huh? So, who is it we’re watching?” he asked.

  “Male. Jack Russell. Know him?”

  “No,” he shook his head. “From Norfolk?”

  “Yeah. Short record. Must be a newcomer to the criminal world.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “I’m a detective. I know things.”

  “Sometimes you know too much. I would ask you as to how you gain access to police data.”

  “Sources.”

  “If I find a source that is feeding you from my department, I’ll have his head.”

  “Your support is encouraging.”

  “How long you been here?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  “You got a plan?”

  “Don’t need a plan. Using my technique.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Sit and wait.”

  “How long?”

  “Until something happens.”

  “What if something doesn’t happen?”

  “I sit and wait a little longer, and then go home. Sometimes I spend the night in my car. Just sitting and waiting.”

  “You need a life.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “We could force the issue.”

  “You mean storm the Bastille?” I said.

  “It’s a plan.”

  “He’s got my dog.”

  “Means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”

  “The dog, yes. The thief, not so much.”

  “I meant the dog. So, we just sit here
and enjoy the ambience of your car and each other’s aura?”

  “We could discuss sports.”

  “You know sports?”

  “I can tell the difference between baseball and football.”

  “Impressive. Tell me your thinking on this Russell guy,” Anderson said.

  “Well, if Sam is inside there, then Mr. Jack Russell will have to bring him outside sooner or later, or clean up whatever mess is made. Most folks don’t like cleaning up. So, he has to come out.”

  “If the dog is inside there.”

  “That would be the if.”

  34

  The door opened and Jack Russell walked out, got in his car, and backed out of his parking space.

  “You up to some hot pursuit?” I asked Anderson as I started the engine.

  “Let’s boogie,” he said.

  I’ve done my share of tailings through the years. Most of them offered a challenge just driving through regular traffic. Once they made you, the game was afoot and did, in fact, become much more difficult. Ten minutes into our hot pursuit I had the feeling that Jack Russell knew we were tailing him. Point of fact, Jack Russell was leading us around.

  “He knows we’re back here,” I finally said to Anderson.

  “Yeah. Since we left his apartment.”

  “You’re good at this.”

  “Years of practice. Notice how he keeps us in his rear view mirror. Stops at all the caution lights so as not to lose us. Drives the speed limit. Nobody does that unless a patrolman is following you and you’re trying not to get pulled over. It’s too perfect.”

  “Maybe he’s been to the defensive driving school,” I said.

  “Let’s eliminate the Primrose Path. Smells like a trap, or he’s just stalling.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “Start over.”

  “When in doubt.”

  “Take me back to my car. I go do some real police work; you go home and make some coffee.”

  “That your whole plan?”

  “Every detail.”

  “So, Russell now thinks he has won.”

  “Probably. Sooner or later he will make a mistake.”

  “In the meantime?”

  “Enjoy the coffee.”

  “Is this the way you do hardened criminals?”

  “No. I don’t always have the luxury of time. I got folks at the top pushing me for results. You’re a freelance type. You got no one pushing.”