Paintings Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 9)

by Cindy Bell

  “Come over here, Jo!” She froze as the voice seeped into all of her senses. She knew it, but she didn’t want to admit it. She forced her feet to shift enough that she could turn towards the voice. His shoulders rested against the thick trunk of a tree. The gray flecks in his hair stood out to her against his pale skin. Her heart began to race the moment she locked eyes with him. “Come here!”

  “No.” Jo took a step back and stared at him with wide eyes.

  “Don’t act like a deer in headlights, you know who I am, I know who you are. Come here.”

  “No.” She shook her head again, then glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone else was nearby.

  “You know better than that, I’m not going to come anywhere near you when someone is around to see. I came here for a simple conversation, but I don’t want us to have to shout to each other. If you won’t come to me, then I’m going to have to come to you.” He walked around the garden fence and moved towards her.

  Jo’s heart raced as she tried to decide what to do. She could run inside, but that would only isolate her more. She could scream for help, but what if someone came running and was injured or killed because of it?

  “What do you want, Dodge?”

  “You know what I want. You gave the cops my name didn’t you? You’ve got yourself a cozy little life here, but you couldn’t let me have the same?”

  “I didn’t give anyone your name.”

  “Don’t you lie to me.” He growled his words and took another step towards her. “You know the entire time I was in jail it was because of Bruce and he got off scot-free.”

  “That had nothing to do with me.” She narrowed her eyes. “What do you want, Dodge?”

  “I want you to help me. The cops are going to come down on me hard for this. They’re going to send me back to prison without even thinking twice. I want you to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “How do you think I can do that?”

  “I know you’re friends with that retired cop. I’ve heard that he’s doing his best to keep you out of prison. I want him to do the same for me.”

  “Dodge, Eddy’s my friend that’s why he’s helping me. He knows that I didn’t kill Bruce.”

  “And you think I did?”

  “I think you could have. It’s pretty obvious that you held a grudge against him for your time in prison. So why would it surprise me if you had something to do with his death?”

  “Because I’m not a killer.” He looked into her eyes. “You know that.”

  “I don’t know anything. I do know that prison is hard, and it can change a person. Even if I didn’t think you were a killer before you went to prison, I have no idea what you might be capable of now. Clearly you think it’s okay to sneak up on someone in their own backyard, in the dark, and threaten them.”

  “I didn’t threaten you, I just wanted to talk. But I see now that you really have changed. You think you’re better than me because you have friends in high places. I know that’s not the case. You don’t want to help me? Fine, but I am not going down easy. There’s plenty I can say that will implicate you.”

  “Even if you do that won’t make a difference. I had no motive to hurt Bruce, but you did.”

  “I didn’t kill him. Was I angry at him? Sure, but I didn’t kill him. Maybe Bruce threatened to out you to your new friends? I bet they wouldn’t like that too much.”

  “I doubt they would care. My friends know about my past and they still accept me.”

  “That’s what you think now. After they hear my spin on it, they might not feel the same way.”

  “I doubt that. You can threaten me all you want, but it’s not going to change the fact that you’re the best suspect.”

  “All right.” He frowned. “You’re right. We’re both on the line here, and you claim you’re innocent, I know that I’m innocent. I just need to prove it.”

  “Are you asking for my help?”

  “No, forget it. I’ll be fine.” He waved his hand at her then walked off in the other direction. She stared after him and wondered if she should stop him. If he was the killer she might be able to get more information out of him, but she could also put herself in a very precarious position. If Dodge believed she had something to prove he was the murderer, he might not hesitate to kill her to keep her quiet. From now on she had to be more careful.

  Chapter 14

  By the time Jo reached Walt’s villa she had goosebumps all over her skin. Walt stepped outside to greet her, but the moment he saw her, his smile faded.

  “Jo, what’s happened?” He guided her inside the house. “Are you okay?”

  “It’s nothing, I’m fine. I just want to get inside.”

  “It’s not nothing, you’re shaking.” He closed the door behind them and turned the lock. “What happened?”

  “I ran into Dodge on the way back from my place. He claims he had nothing to do with Bruce’s death, but just being near him made my skin crawl.”

  “Should we call Detective Rowan and let him know what happened?”

  “No, I’ve had enough of him today. I just need to relax a little bit I think.”

  “I have the perfect thing for that. Just sit down for a moment and I’ll have it ready for you, all right?”

  “That sounds good.” She sat down on the couch and breathed a heavy sigh. What was she going to do about Dodge? If Detective Rowan didn’t take him seriously then he might not be arrested. The idea of him roaming around free made her uneasy. The whistle of the kettle cleared her thoughts just before Walt took it off the burner. She smiled at the thought of the warm tea that would soon settle her nerves. Would it be enough to calm her? Maybe not, but it couldn’t hurt.

  “Why don’t we take these out on the back porch. The sunset is fast approaching.”

  “Yes, that sounds nice.” She stood and followed him onto the porch.

  “Here you go, chamomile for you, and mint for me.” He handed her a mug, then sat down in the chair beside her. “Something to warm the soul.”

  “Do you believe in that?” She took a sip of her tea. “Thank you for this.”

  “Souls? I’m not sure. I hadn’t really thought much about it.”

  “I would have assumed that someone like you would already know exactly what he thought about the supernatural.”

  “Honestly, it never drew my interest. I like the idea that there might be something special out there that would connect all of us, but that’s just a wish. There is nothing in science at this time that points to that.”

  “I see.” She gazed out at the water that the porch faced. “I wonder sometimes if we’re missing out on something though. I mean, isn’t it strange that someone from my past showed up, and is gone the next day? Doesn’t that have to mean something?”

  “I suppose it could. But you have to factor in that you and your acquaintances from your previous life were involved in high risk jobs, so it’s much more likely that one of you would end up dead.”

  “Thanks.” She shook her head and set down her mug. “I guess I needed to know that.”

  “I’m sorry.” He sighed and set down his mug as well. “I’m not good at comforting. I never have been. It’s so much easier to hide behind facts and trivia than it is to talk about real emotions. You’ve lost a friend, and that’s not something I should be so detached about.”

  “It’s all right, Walt. You don’t have to be good at comforting. You’re good at so much more than that. Besides, you make a good point. Bruce was involved with the wrong people and that was enough to get him killed.”

  “Are you still thinking it was David?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know anymore. With Dodge in town, it could have easily been him from what he said. I don’t think he has an alibi. I just want one shred of proof that will point in the right direction. Does that seem like too much to ask for?”

  “Not at all, but finding it is not going to be easy. Too many times we try to take the obvious and easy road, that’s why the invest
igation has to focus quite a bit on you. You’re the obvious suspect.” He picked up his tea again and took a sip. Jo watched him for a moment, then looked into his eyes.

  “You know I didn’t do this, right? I mean, it’s okay if you thought that I might have, I just want you to know that I absolutely did not.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second. you’re not a killer, Jo, and you never will be. No matter what you might get caught up in, I know that it’s not your fault.”

  “Isn’t it though?” She looked back out at the water. “I keep telling myself that if I didn’t offer to help him, none of this would have happened.”

  “I would venture to guess that whoever killed Bruce would have still killed him, and the main difference would be that he wouldn’t have a dedicated, skilled friend looking into his death.”

  “That may be true, but I also wouldn’t be the main suspect in his death. Still, you are right. I am glad that I am able to be involved in the investigation, and that I have such good friends to help me through it.”

  “And we will, in every way that we can.”

  “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” She took a sip of her tea and began to rock the rocking chair.

  “You know, in all of this, we’re forgetting something.”

  “What’s that?” She swirled the tea in her mug.

  “You lost a friend. Maybe you didn’t know Bruce that well anymore, but there was a time when he was an important part of your life. He had to be, otherwise you wouldn’t have helped him.”

  “Yes, you’re right about that. He was someone I admired. I guess in some ways I considered him a teacher.”

  “I know you’ve mentioned that he saved your life. How did that happen?”

  She shifted in her chair and glanced over at him. “Is that something that you really want to hear about?”

  “Yes, it is. I’d love to know more about you, Jo, all of you, including your past. If this man protected you, then I would have liked the chance to thank him.”

  “That’s nice of you, Walt.” She took a sip of her tea. “It was a high end job, a break-in at a mansion to retrieve two small paintings. It was at the beginning of my career and there was more than one painting so we teamed up. It made it easier, and although we would split the profits, there was less chance of coming out with none. So, Bruce and I teamed up for this particular job. It was the only job I worked on with another thief. Too many complications when you have to rely on someone else. But lucky he was there on this job. There was more intense security than we expected. Bruce was halfway out a window when he noticed I was caught in the middle of the living room. The man who owned the mansion had rigged the alarm system so that if someone set foot on the carpet in the living room it would go off. It wasn’t a matter of waiting for the police to arrive, the homeowners had their own private security that was never more than two minutes away. That still would have been enough time for me to escape, except that I got my foot wedged under the couch. I was a sitting duck, and Bruce had both of the paintings. He could have just left, let me take the fall, and never looked back. Instead he chose to help me. We got out of the home, and were in the street when the security guard started firing on us. Bruce pushed me out of the way of a bullet and took one in his arm. We managed to escape, but if he hadn’t pushed me I don’t think I would still be here.”

  “It sounds like he cared about you.”

  “Yes, maybe too much. His girlfriend didn’t like it.”

  “And you? How did you feel about him?”

  “I was a different person then.” She gazed into space. “I didn’t think I needed anyone. I didn’t want anyone. I pushed everyone away. But I did want to learn from him and he wanted to teach me. I realized how much he cared about me the day he risked his life and freedom for me. But then we went our separate ways and we had very little contact with each other. I preferred to work alone. Then I turned myself in. I went to prison. He did send a letter to me in jail explaining how he had changed, but the first time I had contact with him in person since I was arrested was the other day.”

  “Did you ever miss him?”

  “Not really. We weren’t that close and I let go of that life. I knew I needed to focus on where I was, and how to change my life going forward. I guess I cut off all of my connection to that life.”

  “Still, it must be hard to know that he’s gone.”

  “Hard, yes. But I wouldn’t have invited him back into my life as a friend. I planned to do him this one favor because I owed him. But then I planned to move on from there. You can see how well that worked out.”

  “I’m sure it’s not what you expected.”

  “To be honest, when I ran into him, I was surprised that he was still alive. I thought he would have done something risky years ago. Now I find out that he’s married to his then girlfriend, and I realize he had an entire life while I was behind bars. A life that I was not part of, and a life that in many ways I didn’t get to have.”

  “It seems a bit romantic to me that two people involved in a criminal life could change together and start a new way of life. You don’t see that happen too often.”

  “It is surprising. Especially since Leela was always so engaged in the lifestyle. If anything Bruce was more cautious than she was. He spoke about doing that one big job and then retiring from crime to enjoy his life. Leela was never like that. One big job, only meant that there could be another big job out there for her.”

  “Maybe something happened that scared her.”

  “Maybe.”

  “We’ll figure it all out, Jo, you just relax, soak in those beautiful colors, and remember that soon all of this will be just a memory.”

  Jo followed his instructions and gazed out at the sky again. Peace washed through her body as she took a deep breath of the balmy air. If only life could be simple.

  Chapter 15

  Early the next morning Eddy emerged from the bathroom to find Samantha at the coffee pot.

  “Ready for your morning joe?”

  “Sure, I could use it. I had a hard time sleeping last night.”

  “Oh, was the couch too lumpy?”

  “No, it was fine. I’m just trying to get my head around things so that I can plan the next step in this investigation,” Eddy said.

  “I thought finding out about Leela was interesting. I know that Jo thinks that it’s probably Dodge, but I’m not so sure. Would someone who just got out of prison really risk taking revenge so soon? Wouldn’t his freedom be more important than an old grudge?”

  “I don’t know, it’s hard to say. I’ve seen criminals that have brooded over a grudge for decades and still come after the person they felt was responsible,” Eddy said.

  “Yes, that may be true but don’t you think more planning would go into that?”

  “I’m not sure if more planning would or not. Maybe he wanted to confront Bruce, maybe he didn’t plan to kill him at all, but maybe he arrived there and once he saw him he decided to go through with it.”

  “Okay, so where did he get the gun? He’s been out of prison for a few days, could he really get one that fast?”

  “Not legally, but I’m sure he still has some contacts on the black market that might be able to provide him with a weapon if he needed it. Maybe he even had one stashed away from before. It’s not surprising to me that he would be armed.”

  “I suppose that makes sense,” Samantha said.

  “But what about the wife? Walt said she would profit the most from Bruce’s death.”

  “It’s definitely a possibility. I wonder how Jo is holding up.”

  “A bit like a caged animal. Walt’s texted me a few times that she’s restless. I’ve told him to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn’t escape through the bathroom window.”

  “She would totally do that.” Samantha laughed, but her amusement faded fast. “She has to be terrified of going to jail.”

  “Let’s not think about that. Yes, she has good reason to b
e afraid, but it’s not going to help anything if we are afraid, too,” Eddy said.

  Samantha looked up from the computer screen long enough to meet his eyes. “But you are aren’t you? Afraid?”

  Eddy narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I am. There is the possibility of a strong case against Jo. If we don’t find something fast she might be arrested, and after that we’re not going to be able to do much investigating of our own.”

  A knock on the front door drew both of their attention. Eddy shot a sidelong look in Samantha’s direction.

  “Be cautious.”

  “I will.” She walked up to the door and peered through the peephole. A smile sprang to her lips as she saw who was on the other side. She opened the door and Jo stepped inside with Walt right behind her.

  “Hi everyone, we brought breakfast.” Jo held up a bag of bagels.

  “Perfect timing, the coffee is fresh.”

  “You should really limit your consumption of caffeine.” Walt wagged his finger in Samantha’s direction.

  “I’ll stop drinking coffee, when you stop drinking tea, Walt.” She winked at him.

  “It’s not the same thing.”

  “Maybe not, but that’s when I’ll stop. I’ll get us some plates.” As everyone assembled around the table to enjoy breakfast, Eddy rapped his hand lightly on the table.

  “So, we’re at a bit of a standstill.” Eddy frowned. “I think it’s time we got an expert’s advice on this.”

  “I’ve told you everything that I know.” Jo spread her hands out in front of her.

  “I’m not talking about you, Jo. I’m talking about someone who was more recently involved in crime, and knows the gallery very well.”