Sybil shook her head. “We buried the ashes that Harry sent us from Germany. He said they were hers, but what if they weren’t?”
Grant finally saw where Sybil was going with all this and shook his head. “Even if she is still alive, she’s been avoiding any contact with all of us for twenty years.” He leaned back far enough to look into her eyes. “Assuming that’s her, she must not have wanted anything to do with us, then. So what makes you think she would now? And for that matter, I for one, wouldn’t want anything to do with her now either.”
Alison started shouting the same thing, and Grant had to get control of his own emotions so he could calm his little sister down as well.
Before he could say anything to Alison though, Sybil turned to her and said in a sharp tone, “Alison, please be quiet. We have to think things through now.”
When Alison stopped, Sybil turned back to him and said, “Grant you’re a detective.” She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and brought her face close to his. “I want you to find out if this is Sarah, my sister, your mother.”
“Now, Sybil, I just told you that even if it is her, she apparently doesn’t want anything to do with us. So why go to the trouble of finding out?”
Sybil actually stomped her foot. “I want to know! Isn’t that good enough for you, Grant Thompson? I have to know!”
Grant shook his head and tried to smile. “Okay, Sybil, I’ll try, but I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do on it right away. I’ve got that big burglary case going right now that I’m being pressured to solve, but they won’t let me do it the way I think I need to.”
Sybil didn’t say anything, but the look she was giving him made him say, “Okay, Sybil, I’ll do everything I can to find out.”
She smiled at him and turned toward the kitchen to get the food ready for dinner.
Grant couldn’t tell either of them what he knew about General Harold W. Newcomb II. He also didn’t want to get Sybil’s hopes up, but he knew he’d be able to find out exactly who this Jane Newcomb was, and fairly quickly. It would probably all come to him as part of the investigation.
Chapter Four
Grant was sitting at his desk the next morning trying to make sense of the thick file they were building on the string of burglaries among the luxury homes along the mountainside. He thought he was beginning to see a pattern, but it was vague. Whoever it was, and he was certain that it was Sanchez, seemed to know when no one would be at home and also how to disarm the alarm systems.
Stan interrupted his thoughts with a tap on his shoulder.
When Grant jumped, Stan said, “Sorry, buddy, but I called your name twice. You must’ve really been concentrating.”
“Yeah, this case is driving me up a wall. I don’t think there’s any way we can close it soon. What’s up?”
Stan shook his head and frowned. “Nordstrom wants to see us.”
“Did she say why?”
“No, but I got the feeling from the expression on her face that we’re not going to like what she has to say.”
Grant slowly rose and said, “Again?”
“Again!”
The sergeant saw them coming through her open door and waved them on in through it, but didn’t motion for them to sit this time either. From that, they both knew this was going to be a short meeting.
She looked down at an open file on her desk, closed it with a slam of her hand, then slowly raised her eyes and glared at first Grant then Stan. “We’ve got another one.” Before either detective could respond, she said, “We should have anticipated this one though.” She glared at each one again. “Someone broke into Harold Newcomb’s house last night.”
Stan whistled, and Grant winced.
“That’s right gentlemen. We should have had someone watching that place already. So, I want you both knocking on his door an hour ago. “And kiss his butt if that’s what’s needed! Do you understand me on this one?”
Both answered in unison, “Yes, ma’am.”
She shoved the file at Stan and waved them out the door, already turning her attention to another file on her desk.
As they were passing through the doorway, she said, “If this is just our “Hillside Burglar” I want him caught ASAP. Either way, we have to set up surveillance on that house starting tonight. I’ll get started on that and fill you in when you get back here later.”
They kept going until they reached their desks on the other side of the room.
Stan spoke first. “I almost told her that if she wants to solve this case ASAP, then she should let us go after Sanchez.”
Grant laughed. “I’m glad you didn’t. I wouldn’t want to have to patch you up afterward.”
Stan laughed too. “Well, what do you think? Do you think this is the work of our slippery little burglar again?” He opened the file on his desk with Grant looking over his shoulder.
Grant chuckled. “I wonder if he knew where he was last night? Sounds like he slipped up though. It says here that this huge bodyguard or whatever he is, almost caught him this time. That doesn’t sound like our man. He always hits when no one’s at home, but if it is him, we may finally have an eyewitness this time.”
Stan looked up at Grant. “It sure looks that way. Let’s get out there and talk to this Leo Cochran.”
As they pulled up in front of the huge two-story house, Stan said, “Hey, this might give you a chance to see if Sybil is right about your mother still being alive.”
Grant wasn’t prepared for that question. He hadn’t wanted to think about that yet. He sighed. “Yeah, Sybil’s pretty sure that it is my mother.”
Stan chuckled. “You don’t sound too happy about the prospect.”
Grant had the disturbing thought that if Sybil was right, he might be coming face to face with his long lost mother any minute now. What would he do? How should he treat her? Should he even acknowledge her? No!”
Stan left Grant to his thoughts as they walked up to the door. Once there, he gave Grant a look to make sure he was ready before he rang the doorbell.
Grant had lived in the valley all his life, except for a few months in Phoenix after his dad had died and then as little time away as necessary while attending ASU. But he had never seen the woman who answered the door at the Newcomb estate. She was about his age, and he definitely would have remembered her if he’d ever seen her before. With flat heels on, she was still able to look him almost directly in the eye. She had long black hair and the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen. She seemed to be overdressed to be just sitting around on a week-day morning. He’d have to find out more about her . . . for the case of course.
Grant just stood there staring into those amazing blue eyes, not able to make an intelligent sound. Never before had he been affected this way, by anyone.
Stan took a sideways glance at Grant, elbowed him aside, and stepped up to take the lead. He flipped his badge wallet open to show her. Grant came out of his stupor long enough to do the same.
Stan tried to hide a smile and said, “Good morning ma’am, I’m Detective Stan Becker and this is Detective Grant Thompson. We’re here about the burglary reported here last night.”
A smile appeared on the woman’s face and she said, “Good morning gentlemen. Please come in. I’m Kelly Newcomb. This is my grandparents’ home.”
Kelly led them to their right into a large parlor and gestured toward two armchairs on the outside wall near a fireplace with a large window behind them. “Please be seated, I’ll be right back with the rest of the family.”
As she walked from the room, Grant’s trance was broken when he noticed she walked with a slight limp, favoring her left ankle or foot. Upon further inspection, even though she was wearing slacks, he noticed metal going from her shoe up her left leg on both sides. His only thought was that it was a shame for such perfection to be marred by one such imperfection.
Stan leaned around and got in Grant’s face. “Earth to Grant.” He was enjoying this at Grant’s expense. “She’s go
ne, you can reel your eyes back in now.”
Grant didn’t look at his partner. He couldn’t seem to be able to take his eyes off the doorway that Kelly had just passed through. “Wow!” was all his addled brain could force out of his mouth.
Before Stan had a chance to say anything else, they heard voices approaching.
Grant wasn’t prepared for the group of people who filed into the large room. Kelly led the way up to where Grant had jumped to his feet in front of his chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Stan did too.
“Everyone, this is Detective Becker.” She gestured to Stan, “and Detective Thompson.” She then gestured to Grant.
When both men nodded toward the group, Kelly continued. “Detectives, this is my grandparents, Howard and Elizabeth Newcomb.”
She indicated an older couple, and then gestured toward a woman in her late forties with shoulder length blond hair. “This is my . . . step-mother, Jane Newcomb.”
Grant noticed that she seemed to stumble over the word ‘step-mother.’
The woman smiled at them, and Grant was floored again, but this time for a different reason. That smile was so familiar to him that he couldn’t believe his eyes. At first, it was just as if Sybil or Alison one was standing there smiling at him. Then suddenly a childhood memory surfaced. ‘That special smile.’ That was what his mother had always said to him and his sister, that she had a special smile just for them.
That just couldn’t be! He shook his head to clear it. He couldn’t think about anything personal now. He was here on police business. He forced his eyes off that smile and tried to concentrate on the next introduction which should prove to be the most important one for the case.
Kelly turned back and looked up at a huge man standing well above the others and dwarfing them completely. “This is Leo Cochran, a friend of my . . . father’s.”
There was that slight hesitation, again, before she said the last word. That would have to be a question for later. Right now, Grant was assessing this Leo Cochran. The guy had to be at least six feet six inches, or even seven, and over three-hundred pounds. Grant looked a little closer and realized that he had to be around fifty, but also looked as fit as a man twenty years younger. Even though he wasn’t in uniform, Grant would have bet his next paycheck that the guy was military all the way, a lifer.
Harold Newcomb stepped forward and looked them both over thoroughly before shaking their hands and then speaking to them. “Gentlemen, my family and I will cooperate with you, to the fullest extent, in order to catch the intruder we had here last night. If you need anything, just let me know.”
He handed them each a card and said, “You already have the number here at the house, but the number on that card is the direct line to my desk at the office. Also, feel free to stop in any time you need to speak with me.”
Grant finally found his voice. “Thank you, sir. That’s more cooperation than we usually get. Most people try to guard their privacy so much that it tends to interfere with our investigation.”
“Good. Then we agree that this incident needs to be handled quickly and efficiently.” Not waiting for a response, he turned to the giant, “Leo, here, is the only one who actually saw the intruder. I’ll leave you here with him while the rest of us get on with our day.” He turned to leave, but then turned back. “Remember, if you need anything else don’t hesitate to use that number I just gave you.”
With that the whole family left the room. With four people gone Grant would have thought the big room would seem empty again, but not when Leo Cochran was the one left behind. He seemed to take up half of the room. He carefully sat on a sofa that faced Grant and Stan as they sank back into their chairs. Grant looked around the room and realized that the sofa was probably the only seat big enough for the guy. He sure was big. Then the stray thought came to him. He sure would hate to have to try to hook him up with handcuffs by himself.
Again, Stan noticed that Grant was lost in his thoughts, so he took the lead.
“Leo, I’m Stan and this is Grant.” He paused for comment then went on when there was none. “How about if you take us upstairs to where you encountered the intruder and then tell us what happened last night?
Without a word, the big man led the way up a winding staircase, down a hallway and then paused at a partly closed door. When he knocked, a female voice called out to come in.
When all three men entered the room, Grant immediately noticed the woman Kelly had introduced as Jane Newcomb sitting in an armchair in what appeared to be a sitting room attached to the front of a bedroom suite. Could this woman really be his mother? She hadn’t shown any recognition at his name. That thought made him angry, but he’d have to deal with that later. Now, he was on a case.
She looked up directly at him and there was that smile again. She said, “Come on in detectives, I’ll try to stay out of your way.”
Grant tried to smile back at her, but that all too familiar smile kept haunting him.
Stan gave Grant another knowing look and took the lead again. “Okay, Leo why don’t you take it from the beginning, telling us what happened and where? We won’t interrupt this time to ask any questions. After you finish, we’ll go back over it and ask our questions then, okay?”
The big man nodded and his shaved head glistened like a mirror. “I sleep down the hall in that second bedroom, and I’m a light sleeper. Thirty-four years in the Air Force will do that to you.”
When neither detective said anything, he continued, “I heard a noise coming from this room so I got up to check it out. When I got to the doorway there, I saw a man going into the bedroom from the sitting room. When I started toward him, he looked up and turned back toward the balcony. That was when I noticed the balcony doors were standing open. I ran over there and caught up with him just as he was reaching for the rope he’d used to climb up here. He threw one leg over the rail, and I grabbed his other leg causing him to lose his grip on the rope. That’s when he went over the side. I tried to grab him again, but missed and he hit the ground plenty hard, but he got up and ran away as soon as he hit.”
While he talked, Leo had led them out onto the balcony and was now pointing down to an area on the ground that the officers from the night before had taped off with crime scene tape. Grant could see an indentation in the grass that looked as if the guy’s feet then his knees had sunk in as he hit the turf.
Grant turned to Leo. “Did you get a look at his face at all?”
“No, he was wearing one of those ski masks. But his eyes were brown. That’s all I can tell you except that he was about average build and was wearing a black shirt and black jeans.”
Leo reached behind the detectives and closed the balcony door. When he turned back to them, Grant was surprised at how softly he spoke. “You need to know that the guy had a gun in his hand. I didn’t get a good look at it, but it was a semi-automatic, probably a Glock 9mm or 40 caliber.”
When Leo led Grant and Stan back out through the bedroom, Grant was relieved and disappointed both that Jane Newcomb was not still there. Nor did he see her on their way out of the house.
But that smile kept flashing around in his mind. Then he had an uncomfortable thought. What was he going to tell Sybil?
* * *
When Kelly finally made it to her office that morning, she was barely in time for a meeting that she had scheduled.
As soon as the meeting was over and she finished her notes on it, she headed for her brother’s office.
Wayne had his back to the door, working at his computer when she came in and sat in the chair in front of his desk. He turned with an annoyed look on his face until he saw that it was Kelly who had just barged into his office.
He took one look at her expression and turned all the way around to face her across the desk. “Okay, what has you so upset, Kelly?”
She didn’t hesitate to tell him. They had always shared their thoughts, feelings, and concerns with each other. “Did you hear yet about what happened at
the estate last night?”
The blank look on his face gave her the answer even before he shook his head.
“Well, Grandmother called me while I was getting ready for work this morning and asked me to stop by on my way to the office.” She could tell that Wayne was getting impatient with her introduction. “Well, to get right to the point, someone broke into their house last night, and Leo chased him out of Jane’s bedroom before he could do anything.”
Concern showed on his face immediately. “I just saw Grandfather, and he looked okay. Is Grandmother too?”
“Yes, everyone is fine. Like I said, Leo chased him off before he got very far into the house.”
Wayne laughed. “That monster could scare anyone off, especially in the dark.”
Kelly couldn’t help but laugh with him, especially since she’d had the same picture of Leo in her mind when she first heard about it.
She tried to get back on the subject. “Anyway, two police detectives came this morning while I was there.” She started thinking about the two detectives again, especially the brown haired one. He had stared at her so intently when she first opened the door for them. Actually, it was quite rude the way he had stared at her. But then, there hadn’t been anything vulgar about it. He had kept his eyes on her face. Then she realized that she had to admit that he had seemed different to her too, but she certainly didn’t stare rudely at him, did she?
“Kelly! Is anyone home?”
Kelly chased those thoughts from her mind and brought her attention back to her brother.
Wayne grinned and said, “Where were you for a minute there?”
She didn’t even want to tell him about that right now, especially with how relentless her older brother could be when he was able to invade her private life. He would hound her until he was able to squeeze everything out of her. But, then, was there anything to squeeze out? So, she came up with something else quickly.
“I was just thinking that it’s strange that there has never been any kind of break-in there in all the years they’ve lived there.” She pulled her long, heavy hair back over her shoulders with both hands. “I just think it’s too much of a coincidence that it happened now, so soon after Jane came to stay with them.”
Lost Memories (Sycamore P.D. Series Book 1) Page 6
