A Tank Full of Trouble: A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 5)

by Victoria LK Williams

  "And we’ve just been informed by the hospital staff that the victim has regained conscious and is being moved out of the ICU to a private room to continue his recovery. Although we have no statements from the family or the police, I'm sure that this case will be put to rest quickly now that Mr. Martin is in a position to help the police. Stay tuned for more developments as they occur."

  Chapter 22

  Thursday night / Friday morning

  "She did not just to that! Please tell me I heard wrong,"

  Megan looked at Aiden in horror. Kim Heart had pulled some dumb moves in the past, but this one might have invited another attack on Lewis Martin. She’d announced to anyone listening, including his attackers, that the man was conscious and could identify those responsible for putting him in the hospital.

  Aiden looked at her, wanting to calm her down and make an excuse for Kim. But he couldn't, he was as appalled as Megan. Not only was this irresponsible reporting, but downright dangerous. Megan wasted no time. She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed the sheriff's cell phone. She was sure the man was too busy on the case and to watch the news, but she wanted to make sure he knew what had happened.

  After Megan spoke to Sheriff Green, she felt more at ease. Although he did not hear Kim’s broadcast, he’d already posted an officer outside Lewis’s hospital room. He doubted that there would be a need for the protection unit, but he would rather error on the safe side. Besides, he told Megan, Alice seemed to always be at Lewis’s side and during her few breaks a friend or family member would take her place. Megan agreed with him, and saying she would also be up to the hospital first thing in the morning, hung up.

  “Well, there’s nothing we can do until the morning. How about if we go together to the hospital and see if we can talk to Lewis? I’ll even let you drive. We’ll see if you can handle that new Jeep of yours safely on the streets of Citrus Beach.”

  “Ha-ha. You’re on. Actually, that sounds like a perfect plan. If you’re up to it, you can even go with me out to the farm after I pick up the kids from school.”

  Aiden agreed, smothering a yawn behind his hand. It had been a packed 24 hours. He had cut his family visit short so he could get back to Megan. Now he was paying the price, and exhaustion was creeping in. Megan caught the yawn and decided it was time to say goodnight. But there was one more question he needed to answer for her. Giving him a playful kiss, she hooked her arm through his and looked up at him.

  “You need to head to your place and get some rest. But before you go, can you give me some explanation about these packages you’ve been sending?”

  "Well, I could, but that would spoil my surprise. Besides the whole idea is that each box is a clue. And you, my favorite investigator, will have to figure it out."

  Calling for Gypsy, Aiden gave her a kiss and left her staring after him, a little frown of frustration between her brows.

  "So it’s a game is it? Well, Barney, we will have to beat him at his own game and figure it out. Come on boy, we need to head to bed too," she mumbled to herself as he walked away.

  Turning off the outside light, Megan closed the door behind Aiden's retreating back and locked it. Even though her mind was going a mile a minute she was yawning as well. Tomorrow would be plenty of time to figure things out.

  ***

  The next morning Megan was up bright and early, with more energy than she had all week. Whether it was because she was close to solving the mystery or because Aiden was back at her side, she didn't know, and she didn't care. She knew that, right now, all was right in her world. By the time Aiden knocked on her door, she already had travel cups poured and ready with coffee for the two of them. She grabbed the tote bag that held her notes on the case, ready to go over the questions she thought of this morning while she was getting ready. Questions for both Aiden and for Lewis.

  She had talked to the sheriff a few minutes earlier and found out that the injured man was still coming out from the influence of all the drugs he had been under. He was not ready to answer questions. But she wanted to be there in case he recovered enough to talk. And just in case Alice had already asked him the same questions she wanted to. Sheriff Green had told her he would catch up with her later, but right now he was on his way to an emergency town council meeting regarding all the attempted car break-ins. The town council was up in arms because this was high tourist season and they wanted nothing to distract the visitors to Citrus Beach from enjoying themselves. Although the sheriff understood their concern, it was frustrating that it happened right in the middle of his investigation. Yet he also knew that Megan might get more information from Lewis than he would. Besides, he heard that Aiden was back in town so he didn't have to worry about her safety.

  Megan had the door open before Aiden could knock, coffee cups in hand, ready to go. Giving him a quick kiss, she skirted around his open arms and headed to the Jeep.

  "Come on, come on. Places to go, things to do. I've been up for hours."

  Before he could reply, she was in the Jeep turning on the engine. Giving a sigh he followed her. He had to admit he been looking forward to a nice leisurely morning coffee with Megan but it looked like it would have to be on the go. Opening the back door when he got to the Jeep, the two dogs jumped in ahead of him. They were both trained to sit in the back, and even though Gypsy smelled many new scents, she did as she was told and was in her spot ready to go. Barney gave a bark to Aiden as if echoing Megan's commands to get moving. With a laugh he hauled himself in the Jeep and closed the door. Megan put the car in gear before he even buckled his seat belt.

  "Slow down, Megan, you don’t need to be in such a hurry," he complained.

  "I know you're right, but I’m anxious to get to the hospital in a hurry. I don't know why, but I just have that feeling -- so bear with me."

  Aiden had enough experience with Megan's intuition and didn’t question her further. He gave a nod to show he understood, and they were off. Megan made it to the hospital in record time. She wouldn't swear to going the speed limit, but she would say that traffic was in her favor this morning. Rather than parking in the hospital parking lot, she took advantage of having an out-of-town customer right next door to the hospital property and pulled in their driveway. Parking under a huge banyan tree, she left the windows down for the dogs and poured water in a bowl she always kept with her. She knew that both dogs would be fine, and they had been trained not to leave without her command. Besides, they wouldn’t be long. Pocketing her keys and giving each dog a pet, she grabbed Aiden's hand as they made their way down the sidewalk to the hospital entrance.

  As Megan and Aiden walked the hospital towards Lewis's private room they were greeted by the staff and friends that they knew. They reached the nurses station on the floor where Lewis had been moved to and saw Alice standing there talking to the head nurse. She looked agitated and upset, and Megan hurried over to find out what was going on. Seeing Megan approach, Alice burst into tears, and Megan held her for a moment until she composed herself.

  "Alice, is Lewis okay? What's going on?" Concern in her voice, Megan tried to make the older woman stop crying long enough to talk.

  Taking a deep breath, Alice got herself under control and looked at Megan. Megan saw anger but not grief in her eyes, and instinctively knew that Lewis was physically okay for the moment.

  "Somebody tried to get into Lewis's room and kill him. It's just awful Megan, he is not even safe here in the hospital. Why is this happening? Lewis would never hurt anybody; why do they want to hurt him?" The tears ran down Alice's cheeks as she looked her friend for an answer. But Megan didn't have one, at least not one she could share with Alice.

  Megan turned to the head nurse, Dana White, someone she had known for years, looking for an explanation. Dana had also met Aiden before and felt there was no need to hide the facts of what had happened from either Megan or her companion.

  "A young man dressed in hospital scrubs fooled the deputy into thinking he was entering Lewis's room for routine
check. The man had an ID badge, and the air of a doctor, so I can't blame the deputy for not catching that it was a fake. If I hadn't happened on the scene, and realize that no doctor or medicine was scheduled for Lewis at that time, he might have gotten away with something awful. The minute I called out to him, he bolted. He must know his way around the hospital because he knew exactly where the elevators were. He was gone before we could do anything.”

  Aiden broke in and asked her if she could describe the man in more detail. Dana thought for a moment before giving a brief description of the man.

  "He was young, clean-cut, rather business like. He walked in the manner of most of our doctors, like he was in a hurry to get somewhere. If you took him out of the hospital scrubs he would look like any other businessman here in town."

  "Can you be a bit more specific Dana? Height, weight, color hair, anything like that can help," interjected Aiden.

  "I'm sorry, of course you need specifics. He was about 6'4", blonde hair, the barest of a tan on his skin -- as if he spent more time inside and out. I would say he weighed about 150, there is something almost scrawny or weak about him. Does that help?"

  There was something about her description that clicked with Megan, but she didn't know how yet.

  "That's great Dana. Look, the sheriff’s getting off the elevator. Dana, why don't you and I talk to him. Megan, you take care of Alice."

  Megan agreed and led Alice towards the waiting room. But the woman refused to go any farther than the door to Lewis's room. After what happened she would not leave her husband’s side for anything, and Megan didn't blame her. The deputy saw what was happening and quickly fetched both women a chair to sit on while they waited outside the door. Alice did not want to go into the room in her upset state in case Lewis was conscious.

  The next 20 minutes were spent answering the sheriff's questions, but no one had any information to add to Dana’s description. Lewis was given a mild sedative, and he wouldn't be able to hear all that was going on outside his room. The doctors felt it was critical that he be kept calm, and they were not allowing anyone to question him until he was awake on his own.

  After Megan was sure that Alice was in good hands with some newly-arrived the visitors, she and Aiden decided that nothing would be accomplished staying at the hospital. They promised to keep in touch and walked back to the front entrance to the hospital.

  But their excitement at the hospital wasn't over yet. As they exited the elevator they came face-to-face with Kim Heart. The woman was upset and complaining to the security guard at the front entrance. Megan wanted to let her know what she thought of her irresponsible reporting when Aiden grabbed her by the arm.

  "Listen to what she's saying, Megan."

  Megan stopped thinking about how mad she was and listened to what was being said. Kim Heart was complaining about one of her cameraman's Jeep being broken into. Megan exchanged looks with Aiden, and stepped forward, swallowing her anger so she could be pleasant to the woman.

  "Kim, what’s going on?“ Innocently, Megan began the conversation.

  "I can’t believe it. My cameraman had his Jeep broken into. The poor guy, he just got it. And unlike all the other break-ins they trashed his car. The paint is scratched, the seats are ripped, and the insides stink like a cigar. As soon as I'm done reporting this crime, I will submit to a news story on this rash of break-ins. You can't even go to the store at the beach without having your car broken into."

  Megan tried to get more information out of Kim, but as usual the woman provided only the barest of facts. She waved her hand off in the direction the parking lot when Aiden asked where her cameraman was. Making their excuses they left Kim, still complaining to the security guard, and headed to the parking lot to talk to the cameraman.

  When they found the cameraman, he was almost in tears. His was the beautiful blue Jeep that Megan had coveted, but it wasn't so pretty anymore. There were scratches in the paint all around the gas tank, and the seat on the passenger side had been torn. The man was beside himself and Megan tried to comfort him. There would be no more information coming from him either. After they had been assured he was being taken care of, they headed over to their own Jeep.

  Chapter 23

  . After dropping the dogs off at Aiden’s office, to play and entertain Jake, Megan and Aiden walked the short distance to the diner since it was almost lunch time. When they arrived, they were both greeted warmly as they walked to their favorite booth and settled themselves in. Within moments Susie was there with their drinks and the menu. They didn't even bother to open the menu, instead they ordered their usual and listen to the surrounding conversations. They heard a little about Lewis, but the majority of the conversation was indignation about the car break-ins throughout town. Megan could understand why the town council had called an emergency meeting; it was on everybody's mind. If the perpetrators weren’t caught soon, she had a feeling that things might get out of hand. There was a definite possibility that some people might take matters into their own hand to defend their property. When Susie brought their meal, she echoed Megan's thoughts. She had been hearing it all day and things seem to be escalating quickly. Word had gotten around about the cameraman's Jeep and the damage that occurred to it.

  "What is most discerning to everyone is there is no real reason for the break ins. Nothing is ever taken, and until now there has been no damage to the vehicles. I know the sheriff is frustrated too. At this point it's a nuisance crime, and he can't spend a lot of time and energy on it when there are other things that demand his attention."

  "I agree, but we saw the condition of the Jeep at the hospital, and I would guess that things are escalating. All that damage felt like it was done out of frustration."

  Megan was answering Susie, but she was also thinking things out verbally. The condition of the Jeep in the hospital parking lot had made the events start to click for her. She almost had it figured out, but she needed Aiden's help and her own Jeep to prove her theory. She said little while they ate, and Aiden kept quiet, leaving her to her thoughts. Without even realizing it, she had eaten her meal and Susie was bringing over their bill. With an apologetic look at Aiden, she thanked Susie.

  "Sorry, Aiden, I wasn't much company. I should have asked you how your trip went, and what your plans were for today. I didn't mean to be so self-absorbed."

  "Don't worry about it, Megan, I understand. You’re going to bounce some questions off me, aren't you?”

  She nodded her head in agreement, pleased that he understood her so well. That was one of the things she loved about their relationship: they understood each other completely. Aiden had known she needed to work things out in her head before she talked to him about it, and he would be there when she was ready.

  As they walked the short distance back to Aiden's office, Megan explained where her thoughts had been taking her. Aiden nodded his head as she talked, catching on to her idea. When they reached his office he took the keys and pulled her Jeep around to the back to park in the private spot. It was secluded from the road and wandering eyes of anyone passing by.

  The dogs heard them arrive and Jake came out to see what was going on.

  "Jake, I need for you to go inside and get a flashlight and bring out the video camera. I want to record everything we do as we look over the Jeep."

  The young man didn't ask any questions, he just turned and ran back in the house, getting all that was requested. By the time he got back outside, the two dogs were both sitting on the back stoop watching what was about to happen. Jake handed Aiden the flashlight and then stood back to begin the videotaping.

  "Aiden, concentrate on the passenger seat, both front and back. When I first got the car Barney was constantly sniffing these areas out. Even after he had time to get used to the new car aroma, he kept going back to those spots."

  Aiden followed Megan's directions and felt his way around the two seats. The front seat resulted in nothing but as his fingers moved across the underside of the backseat he
felt a little lump in the stitching of the leather. Using the lump as a starting point, he ran his fingers down the leather and across to the underside. Everything seemed fine until he tried to put his finger into a hole in the stitching.

  "Megan your fingers are smaller, see if you can get inside this hole I found. Be careful, I don’t want your fingers to get cut on anything." Holding the flashlight a little higher so she could see what she was doing, Aiden stepped aside to let her try her luck.

  All three held their breath as Megan's fingers moved around the hole pushing in deeper. They knew what she had found something by the triumphant grin that spread across her face. With her other hand, she reached down and slowly pulled something out from within the stitching.

  A small package made of material similar to a woman’s stocking sat in her hand. It was sewn across both ends to secure whatever was inside it. She handed it to Aiden, and he put in his pocket for them to look at when they got into his office rather than outside. He started to walk away but Megan stopped him.

  "Wait a second, Aiden. Don't forget there was damage around the gas cap too. I wonder why."

  Without waiting for Aiden's help, Megan screwed off the cap, wrinkling her nose at the stink, and put her fingers inside the opening. Slowly she ran her fingers as far down into the tank if she could. The first time she found nothing but the second time she felt something pluck at her fingernail and stopped. Groping for whatever had snagged her fingernail, she finally discovered a thin piece of mono-filament, not fishing line, but equally strong. She told him that there was something with weight at the end of it. With gentle movements, she painstakingly worked whatever was on the end of the line towards her, a little at a time. She didn’t want to tug too hard and break the line, causing her to lose whatever was at the end. Megan felt she was near the end of the line and gave a tiny little tug, working it free. She pulled a similar bag out and held it in her hands.