Justice in Mystic Grove

by S F Bose

  Sam called Newmont who arrived in ten minutes. He gloved up and looked at the envelope and the cartridge.

  “I touched the envelope and also the base of the cartridge,” I said.

  “Any idea who might have left this?” Newmont asked.

  “Not really. We ran through some people we’ve interviewed for the Meagher case. None of them seemed likely candidates,” Sam said,

  I nodded in agreement.

  Newmont bagged the envelope and cartridge. “I’ll have the lab in Madison process both for prints. Liz, I’m worried. I think we need to consider protective custody for you.”

  “For me? Forget it,” I replied.

  “Newmont’s right,” Sam agreed.

  I gave him my best evil eye. “Sam, I’m not going to be scared off.” We glared at each other until Sam looked away.

  “It has to be connected to the Meagher case. Liz, why don’t you take a short vacation somewhere until we close the case?” Newmont suggested.

  “No, I’m going to do my job,” I replied and glared at him too.

  “Okay, Plan B,” Sam said. “I’m staying with you until we find out who did this.”

  “What? What are you talking about?” I asked Sam.

  “I’m going to be your shadow until we resolve the case. I’ll stay at the coach house and we’ll travel to and from work in my Jeep.”

  “That works for me,” Newmont agreed and quickly headed for the door.

  “Well it doesn’t work for me,” I objected. Newmont stopped at the doorway.

  “Safe house, vacation, or me. You decide, Liz,” Sam said evenly. I quickly considered the pros and cons of each option. With the first two options, I’d be out of the game.

  “Okay, you win,” I replied.

  “Good decision,” Newmont agreed and left the office.

  Sam got his jacket from his closet. Then he pulled out his emergency “Go” bag. It contained clothing and everything else he’d need for a few days.

  “I can get dog food from Grace,” he said and smiled.

  I took a deep breath and growled, “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 30

  We first drove out to Sam’s house where he picked up some extra ammunition. Then Sam followed me out to the B&B where we stopped and got some dry dog kibble for Flip. Then we went to the coach house where Flip immediately chased after my cats. Snap and Sammy jumped up on the cabinet tops in the kitchen and glared down at him. It was going to be a long weekend.

  After my roommates all got home, I explained the shooting and rifle cartridge events to them as we sat around the dining room table.

  “So let me get this straight. You met a person in a cemetery and someone else shot at you?” Olivia asked.

  “And you didn’t tell us!” Katie added.

  “I didn’t want to worry you. I was pretty sure it was a warning. He didn’t come close to hitting us,” I replied.

  “Just a warning?” Katie asked. I took her question to be rhetorical and didn’t answer.

  “And today someone left a rifle cartridge on your car?” Olivia asked.

  When I nodded, Chloe growled, “After all that, it didn’t occur to you that your life was in danger?”

  Sam snorted. “Welcome to my world.”

  “Okay, okay,” I muttered.

  “Seriously, Liz, you have to keep us in the loop about threats like this,” Chloe said.

  “Yeah that way we can keep our eyes open for anyone suspicious,” Olivia agreed.

  “And help you,” Katie added.

  “Okay, I’ll keep you in the loop,” I agreed, knowing that it wouldn’t always be possible.

  “Sam, you’re going to stay with Liz?” Katie asked.

  He sat back in his chair and nodded. “Yeah, the plan is to shadow her until we catch whoever’s threatening her.”

  “Good!” Chloe said. Olivia and Katie nodded.

  I just grunted and shook my head. I was beginning to resent that Sam thought he needed to protect me. In a previous job at Worldhead Global Security, I had been trained in the Krav Maga self-defense and fighting system. I’d also had extensive arms training. So I wasn’t some delicate flower that needed protection.

  After dinner, I showed Sam the living room couch. He looked at it and asked, “Where are the bedrooms?”

  I led him to the stairs off the front hall and went upstairs. He followed me into my bedroom and looked around.

  Sam shook his head. “The couch is too far away,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “In case of an emergency, I can’t be all the way down in the living room. It’s too far away for a fast response.”

  “Sam, no one is going to break into a house with five people, a dog, and two cats in it,” I protested.

  “We have to plan for the worst. I need to be between you and anyone who comes up those stairs. If someone managed to break in through the kitchen or the front door, he could reach the stairs before I could. Do you have a sleeping bag? I can sleep on the floor in your room,” he proposed.

  When he saw my face, he said, “Or I can sit on a chair outside your bedroom door.”

  I groaned and shook my head. “You definitely can’t sit up in a chair all night. I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

  “Sleeping bag it is,” he agreed. “You won’t even know I’m there.”

  I sighed. “Okay, but you have to dial it back a notch, Sam. I’m more than capable of defending myself.”

  Sam stared at me for a minute. “I know you are, but you’re my partner, Liz. An extra pair of eyes and some precaution won’t hurt.”

  I returned his stare and nodded. “Okay, we’ll try it tonight and see how it goes.”

  “Fair enough,” he agreed.

  That night, I sat in bed in my red pajama pants and a gray cat print tee shirt. The evenings were still cool so I was under a light blanket and handmade quilt. My loaded Glock rested on top of the nightstand to my right. All of the lights were off except for the bedside lamp. I wanted to finish reading a chapter in the mystery book I was reading.

  Sam sat on top of a large sleeping bag on the floor. He had positioned it to face the closed bedroom door. He wore sweats and running shoes. After plumping the pillow, he stretched out. Then he pulled a quilt over him for warmth. His gun and holster sat on the floor to his right. His gray, Irish flat cap was missing. I would have bet money he slept in that cap.

  My cats, Snap and Sammy Cat, curled on the bed with me. Sam had assigned Flip to guard duty outside of the bedroom. After some whining, Flip quieted down.

  “Are you comfortable?” I asked. “Do you want another pillow?”

  “No, I’m fine,” he replied.

  “I wish we could let Flip in,” I said.

  “No, he’s our early warning system. If anyone does manage to break in, Flip’s barking will wake the dead. Your cats would just distract him,” Sam replied and yawned. “Now if you had a decent alarm system…”

  “Yeah, yeah. I still think this is overkill.”

  “I’m not willing to take the chance,” he replied and adjusted his pillow.

  There was finality in his tone and conversation died. I returned to my book and finished the chapter. I closed the Kindle and put it on the nightstand. Then I turned off the lamp.

  “Okay night, Sam” I said and rolled over in bed.

  “Night, Liz.”

  I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep, but within minutes, I nodded off and slept like a baby.

  Chapter 31

  When I woke up the next morning, both cats were curled up and still sleeping.

  Sam emerged from the bathroom wearing jeans, a blue Henley, and his Irish cap.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Morning,” I replied and yawned. “No killer break-ins?” Both of my cats woke up and stretched.

  “Sarcasm does not become you,” he replied. “Did you know you talk in your sleep?”

  “What! What did I say?” I demanded.

&nbs
p; Sam grinned. “I’ll never tell. I’m going down for tea.”

  “Watch out for the snipers,” I replied and sat up.

  “Funny. Very funny,” he muttered and left the bedroom. Flip greeted him with yips and barks. Sam closed the door quietly.

  Snap head butted my arm and Sammy meowed.

  “You just want breakfast,” I said with a laugh and gave them both tummy rubs. Then I yawned, stood, and shuffled to the shower.

  ***

  Chloe and Olivia had already left to open THE Herb shop in the village. Saturdays were one of their busiest days. Sam, Katie, and I sat at the smaller breakfast table outside the kitchen. Sam ate some slice fruit with his tea. Katie and I opted for peanut butter toast and coffee.

  I had just finished eating when my cell phone rang. The call screen displayed “Simon Goodman.”

  “Hello?” I said.

  A deep voice replied, “Ms. Bean, it’s Simon Goodman.”

  “Good morning Mr. Goodman,” I replied and sat up straighter. The serious tone of voice warned me not to ask him to call me by my first name.

  “I’m calling for an update on the investigation,” Goodman said.

  “Of course,” I replied. “The police have questioned and released a woman who was at the cabin the day Steven Meagher was killed. He had been blackmailing her and she stopped paying him. They met at a local restaurant and argued. The woman followed Meagher out to his cabin and hid by the tree line. She later provided us with a video that showed two men in ski masks and dark clothing, leaving the cabin. After they left, the woman entered the cabin and found Meagher dead. She fled the scene.”

  Goodman made a humming sound. “The police thought the woman was involved in the murder?”

  “At first they did. She panicked and left the area so that made her seem like a good suspect. However, after finding and questioning her, they concluded they didn’t have the evidence to charge her.”

  “So the two men were the murderers,” Goodman said.

  “Yes, that’s how it looks. The problem is the men concealed their identities very well. The woman who took the video said she couldn’t tell who they were. Neither could Sam or I. We also showed the video to Meagher’s widow and she didn’t recognize them.”

  “There were no other witnesses?” he asked.

  “No, the cabin is in the middle of the woods,” I replied and hesitated. “Mr. Goodman, I’ve spoken to some of the officers investigating the murder. The lead detective and the primary deputy don’t view your son as a viable suspect. I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “I’m not worried about my son!” he thundered and I jumped. I pulled the phone away from my ear. Katie flinched and Sam frowned.

  “I want you to find whoever killed Steven Meagher. If it’s the two men at the cabin, then find them! That will prove my son’s innocence. It will also give us justice! I want justice for all of us!”

  “Yes sir,” I replied calmly.

  “Can you find the two men?” he demanded.

  I didn’t hesitate. “We can.”

  “Then do it!” he said and hung up. I heard dead air and stared at my phone. I put the phone back on the table and shook my head.

  Sam swallowed some tea and looked at me. “He’s upset?”

  “You could say that,” I replied. “He sounded unhinged at the end. If the two men at the cabin killed Meagher, he wants us to find them. Nothing short of getting the killer or killers will satisfy him. He wants justice.”

  “Did you say we’d find the two men?” Sam asked.

  I nodded. “I did.”

  “How?”

  “I have no idea,” I replied.

  “I can’t believe you two do this for a living,” Katie said, taking her dishes to the kitchen.

  ***

  Sam and I spent the rest of Saturday at the breakfast table attempting to find some clues to the identity of the two men at the cabin. We reviewed the video clip repeatedly, looking for revealing physical traits or hints from their clothing.

  “Nothing,” I said after hours of scrutiny. “No limps or distinctive ways of moving. No logos or nametags on their clothes. Nothing.”

  Sam leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, they covered up everything.”

  “I know we discounted this idea earlier, but could they be pros?”

  After a minute, Sam replied, “I doubt it. A professional hitman would have used a gun. This looks… amateurish.”

  We called Newmont to pick his brain. He said that Detective Swanson told him the video analysis team had hit a dead end. They hadn’t been able to find anything that would help to identify the two men at Meagher’s cabin. Newmont didn’t have any other new leads and we hung up.

  A wave of apprehension swept over me and I locked eyes with Sam.

  “We’ve hit a brick wall with these two guys, Sam. There’s no way to identify them. The tech guys didn’t find anything. Rose O’Ryan didn’t recognize them and neither did Larissa Meagher.”

  His mouth tightened. “You’re right,” he replied. “Let’s put this on the back burner until Monday. Then we can look at it with fresh eyes.”

  I stood and stretched. “We can do that, but unless a mystery witness steps forward or those guys turn themselves in, I think we’re dead in the water.”

  “Always the optimist,” Sam replied and I laughed.

  ***

  We spent the rest of Saturday reading and watching TV. For dinner, we walked to the B&B where Sam did his bodyguard routine. We sat at a table against the wall and Sam scanned every diner. His eyes never stopped moving throughout dinner. It was a relief to return to the coach house, which was very quiet.

  Chloe was out with Neville, Olivia was on a date with a young veterinarian, and Katie was having dinner in Madison with an art school friend.

  Sam took Flip for a walk and then locked up the house. I read and he worked on his computer. Later, we watched an old Seth Rogan comedy that had us both laughing. At 10:00 p.m., I fed the cats and went upstairs to change for bed. When I came out of the bathroom, Snap and Sammy Cat were already on the bed. I crawled under the covers.

  “You guys are tired too,” I said and scratched both of them.

  Sam came upstairs shortly after, followed by Flip. He murmured something to his dog and left him out in the hallway. Flip whined and I thought I heard him plop down on the carpeting outside. Sam locked the bedroom door.

  “You checked the windows and doors again, didn’t you?” I asked.

  “Of course,” he replied and tossed his hat on the dresser. He rolled out the sleeping bag on the floor. After changing into his sweats in the bathroom, he returned to the bedroom. He put his gun on the floor within reach and did some stretches. Then he plumped his pillow and unfolded the quilt.

  “Lights out or are you going to read some more?” he asked.

  “You can turn them off. I already turned off the bedside lamp,” I replied.

  He hit the light switch and the room darkened. I heard Sam stretch out on the sleeping bag and sigh. Then I heard him fumble with the quilt and sigh again.

  “That feels good,” he said.

  “Do you want another quilt or blanket?” I asked.

  “No, this is perfect. Thanks.”

  “Why don’t you get into the sleeping bag?” I asked.

  “Response time,” he replied. “If I have to move fast, I can grab my gun and go.”

  “Makes sense,” I replied. “You make a good bodyguard, Sam.”

  Sam laughed. “Thanks. That’s high praise from someone who doesn’t want a bodyguard.”

  “Truer words were never spoken,” I replied. “Night, Sam.”

  “Night, Liz.”

  After a minute I asked, “Hey Sam?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I don’t really talk in my sleep, do I?”

  Sam chuckled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what you said in your sleep.”

  “Crap,” I muttered and rolled
over in bed. I fell asleep to the sound of Snap and Sammy Cat purring.

  -

  Chapter 32

  By the end of the weekend, I was weary of having a self-appointed security team of one. The only respite had occurred on Sunday when Sam drove us to Spiro's Fitness Club in the village. While we both worked out, Sam kept his distance. I banged away at the heavy bag and then ran on the treadmill until I was exhausted. I felt good for the remainder of Sunday.

  However, on Monday Sam was into bodyguard mode again. He insisted that I ride in his Jeep and leave my Mini Cooper at home in the garage. After a ten-minute argument, I gave in. I rode shotgun and Flip sat in the back. I closed my eyes so Sam would think I was power napping. Flip occasionally barked softly as he looked out the window. When we stopped at Sam’s house so he could get more clothes, he insisted that I go inside with him, “to be safe.” While Flip ran around the house like a crazy dog, I sat on the couch and brooded.

  Back on the road again, I sank into a serious funk. Because of the shooter and the rifle cartridge, I had lost my freedom, privacy, and wheels. If we didn’t solve the Meagher murder case soon, I would probably strangle Sam. When we arrived at the Bowman Building, I jumped out of the Jeep and took a deep breath to calm myself, but it didn’t work. Sam and I stomped into the office with Flip trotting behind us. Neville looked up with a smile that quickly turned to a frown when he saw our faces.

  “Morning,” he said tentatively.

  “Morning Neville,” I replied and Sam murmured a greeting.

  “I got pastries from the Farmhouse Café,” Neville offered. “I put them in the kitchenette.”

  Sugar and caffeine! Exactly what I needed!

  “Neville, I love you,” I replied impulsively and his cheeks reddened.

  “Liz, Chloe said you’d received some sort of threat. She mentioned Sam stayed at the coach house this weekend. I was there Saturday, but missed you. Is everything okay?” Neville asked.

  I opened my mouth to answer, but Sam spoke first. “You probably got back after we called it a day. Someone left a rifle cartridge in an envelope on Liz’s car. We’re not taking any chances so I’ve been shadowing her.” Sam gave me a sidelong glance and Neville looked alarmed.