Benny James Mystery Series Box Set

by Jason Deas

  “I’m guessing so. We would’ve had one unhappy doctor on our hands.” Benny pulled the car onto the main road off the long dirt driveway. “So, from your point of view, why didn’t Hazel like you?”

  “She knew we’d lost all our money, for one. She also thought my husband would come back one day and didn’t want me breaking her son’s heart.”

  “I guess I can understand that. Do you ever talk to your ex-husband?”

  “Rarely. Maybe once every five years or so.”

  “Where does he live?”

  “Small town in Tennessee.”

  “Does Angel ever see him?”

  “She’s mailed him a few things over the years, but he doesn’t write back from either guilt or the booze. Maybe both.”

  “A real winner, huh?”

  “Yeah. He’s also never gotten over the fact that I went back to my maiden name and legally had Angel’s name changed to Oglethorpe.”

  “What was it before?”

  “Preston.”

  The conversation from this point shifted to lighter topics. Pulling into the police station parking lot, Benny had one last probing question.

  “How much do you think you will have made selling your paintings when it’s all said and done with what’s happened in town?”

  “Fifty thousand dollars.”

  “That’s a lot of money for paintings.”

  “They see them more like investments. That’s the sad part. Some people love art for the art and for others it’s just another way to make some money.”

  Inside, Chief Neighbors and Rachael were talking. They stopped as Benny and Nina walked in the door.

  “I need the key for the property room, Chief,” Benny said, holding up his hand signaling for him to toss them.

  Chief Neighbors grabbed at his belt and pulled out his giant ring of keys. He twisted the key to the property room off and tossed it across the counter.

  Nina followed Benny to the door. He slid the key in the lock and the two entered. Benny turned on the light and shut the door behind them.

  The room had a locker for the drugs with an extra lock attached. It also contained multiple shelves with white boxes, two tables, and a small closet. One of the tables held the metal sculpture found at the second crime scene, which happened to be the police department. They didn’t have to transport it far.

  “This is the sculpture we found. It had something else in it which has been removed, but it wasn’t something made by an artist.”

  Nina stepped closer to it.

  “Whoever did it can weld pretty well. They ran a very nice and steady bead where they joined these two pieces,” she said, pointing without touching to an area of the metal. “This could have been a number of people. A good bit of the artists I know have a welder like the one used here and with a little practice, it’s not too hard to run a smooth bead.”

  “Is Uncle Karl’s welder the same type that was used to do this?”

  “Yes.”

  Benny grabbed two latex gloves out of a box on the same table and put them on.

  “I forgot to tell you. Don’t touch anything. You don’t want your finger prints on anything in this room.”

  He walked to the small closet and opened the door. The two canvases were the only thing inside. Benny pulled one out. He showed Nina the back side.

  “Is this a normal canvas?”

  “Yeah. It’s not homemade or anything. Most of the artists I know stretch their own. This one is store bought and could’ve been bought at any art store.”

  Benny turned the canvas around so she could see the painting. Nina’s face immediately went white.

  Chapter 26

  “I’m not feeling well,” Nina said. “I… I think I may have eaten something bad this morning. I have to go.”

  She ran out of the room.

  “I’ll give you a ride home,” Benny called after her. “Wait!”

  He shut the door to the property room and walked back into the main area. The front door was already closing. Chief Neighbors and Rachael looked at Benny.

  “I think she knows something.”

  “I have never seen a person throw up and run at the same time,” Chief Neighbors said.

  “She threw up?” Benny asked.

  “Look at the damn floor all the way to the door.”

  Just as Chief Neighbors said the words the smell hit him and Benny spied the liquid droplets and chunks making a trail to the door.

  “She said she felt like she may have eaten some bad food.”

  “Well, maybe she has food poisoning,” Rachael suggested.

  “I don’t think so.” Benny tossed the key back to Chief Neighbors. “I think she knows who painted that picture in there, and the information scrambled her brain and twisted her stomach.”

  “Are you going to chase after her?” Rachael asked.

  “No. She can find a ride home or come back here and ask for one. I’ll give her some time to process the information and get back with her tomorrow. Until then we need to get one of the deputies to watch her. Wherever she goes next may give us a good idea of who’s behind this.”

  “I’ll get Officer Mandelino on it right away,” Chief Neighbors said.

  “Where’s Vernon?”

  “He’s running down some sort of lead he had on a boat. He said he checked a registration number and the results were fishy. He wouldn’t tell me any more, which probably means he thinks it’ll make me mad.”

  “I can assure you that it will,” Benny said, bluntly.

  “Ah, Jesus. Are you guys still picking on Big E? I’ll be lucky if he sends me two dollars for my next election campaign after this.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t run again.”

  Chief Neighbors’ mouth dropped.

  “Why not?”

  “You’ve been there and done that. I think at this point in your career that you are more suited to be a mayor, councilman, or maybe even a congressman.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. For some reason people really like you.” Benny gave him a playful wink. “And you don’t like the blood and guts of the job. Mayor might be beneath you, but congressman would be right up your alley. Have you ever been to DC?”

  “No.”

  “You should see all the skirts.”

  Benny waved to Rachael who was on the phone and left the Chief with a twinkle in his eye and a thought in his mind.

  Vernon knocked on Big E’s door and noticed sawdust and a small piece of trim, which had been swept off to the side. He remembered Benny saying he could tell there was some sort of struggle just inside the door. He also remembered Benny guaranteeing that Big E would have it repaired before anyone could question what happened.

  Big E answered the door and his expression turned to fear when he recognized who was at the door.

  “Good morning, Officer. I’m busy this morning, and I don’t think my good friend Chief Neighbors would like it if he knew you were bothering me again.”

  “So be it.”

  “If that’s the way it’s going to be I will have to cut my donation to his re-election campaign with every question you ask that wastes my time.”

  “Good. Maybe I’ll ask enough so you don’t give him any money. I know somebody who might run against him next time who would be very happy if he didn’t have his usual bankroll.”

  “And who would that be?”

  Vernon put on the biggest and fakest smile he could muster. “What’s with the sawdust on the ground here? Did you get some new door trim after somebody tried to force their way into your house?”

  “No.”

  Vernon picked up the piece of discarded trim he’d seen on the ground and held it against the trim of the door. “Perfect match,” he said.

  “Is it illegal if someone breaks into your house?”

  “No, but it’s against the law and raises a lot of red flags when somebody doesn’t report it and then lies about it.”

  “Fine. When my brother came back to
town he tried to come inside, but I wouldn’t let him. He tried to force his way in the house.”

  “Why wouldn’t you let your own brother come inside? He’s your family.”

  “He’s bad news and all he ever wants from me is money.”

  “I thought he had a three million dollar trust fund.”

  “That’s not true,” Big E said, dropping his eyes. “I just said that to get you guys off my back.

  “Would you like to tell me anything else you think I might need to know to find your brother’s killer?”

  “Not that I can think of.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about the boat you were in the day I saw you at the Sleepy Cove Marina?”

  “I was in that boat,” he said, pointing toward the lake and a boat tied to the outdoor dock.

  “No you weren’t. You were in a smaller speed boat. I took a picture of the boat and its registration number. When I called the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, they were confused because the number doesn’t even exist in their system. So, that boat either had a fake number on it or somebody knows somebody on the inside who wiped it from the system.”

  “Do you have a picture of me in that boat?”

  Vernon just stared.

  “Didn’t think so,” Big E said. “If you have any more questions for me, I would like to have my lawyer present so he can document your harassment.”

  Vernon continued to stare and simply nodded his head. Before he could finish turning around the door slammed.

  Benny decided to swing by Red’s to see how he and his houseguest were doing. As he approached the front door, hysterical laughter spilled out into the front yard accompanied with oohs and aahs. Red had told him on many different occasions he didn’t need to knock, so Benny opened the door and stepped inside.

  The guys were sitting at the kitchen table. They were looking at Ned’s laptop and Benny could only see the back of the computer. They did not hear him enter the house as their eyes seemed to be glued to the screen.

  “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Ned asked.

  “Red not having ever seen any so big. They is humongous.”

  “Look at this,” Ned said clicking the mouse.

  “My goodness! That the longest one Red ever see in he whole life.”

  “Well check out this juicy pair,” Ned said.

  “Oh my. Red mouth is water.”

  “What the hell are you guys doing?” Benny asked.

  “You have to see the juicy ones, Bendy. Come look.”

  Benny hesitantly walked into the kitchen and to the other side of the computer screen. Two of the biggest, reddest tomatoes he had ever seen were on the screen.

  “You guys are looking at pictures of vegetables?”

  “Yep. Go to last picture,” he told Ned.

  A giant zucchini filled the screen.

  “Nice,” was all Benny could think to say.

  “He showing Red giant watermeldons and squashes and all kind of giant vegables.”

  “A lot of crazy stuff on the Internet,” Benny said. “How you feeling, Ned? Your face doesn’t look as swollen.”

  “Oh, it feels much better. Red made a salve for me. It smelled awful, but after he smeared it all over my face and let it sit for thirty minutes the swelling all but disappeared.”

  “Red mama teach him.”

  “Do you feel safe here?” Benny asked.

  “Yeah. When we go outside we’re staying in the backyard so nobody sees me.”

  “You ready to tell me what this is all about?”

  “No. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me handle it my way.”

  “Well, so far you’ve been doing a bang-up job of that,” Benny joked. “Let me know when you’re ready to talk about it.”

  “It’s going to work itself out in the next day or two.”

  “That sounds a little cryptic.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “No.”

  “OK. Let me change the subject. What do you know about Nina’s ex?”

  “He couldn’t handle the pressure of the Oglethorpe name for one. I don’t know if the drinking problem came first or the shame.”

  “Wasn’t the plantation already in a pretty steady decline when he came around?”

  “Yeah, but when each new generation was born they were expected to pull the family out of the tailspin and save the place. He didn’t have the business sense to do it. Rumor has it that he married Nina for her brother.”

  “Wait. He married Nina for Uncle Karl?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why?”

  “Before Uncle Karl lost it, he was a pretty smart guy. Did he ever tell you about his ice cream invention?”

  “No, but that explains the obsession with ice cream.”

  “He supposedly invented some kind of ice cream treat that was going to revolutionize ice cream and make millions upon millions of dollars. He worked on his idea for years and if you ask some of the old-timers around town they probably tried some of the test batches. Nina’s ex, Phillip, crossed paths with Uncle Karl and saw the invention as his way to riches. He romanced his sister and got Nina to fall in love with him. He said he would finance the ice cream operation.”

  “Did he have money?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “And it obviously didn’t work out?”

  “No, it didn’t. Uncle Karl got obsessive. He claimed something in the recipe was off and he wouldn’t show Phillip the recipe until it was perfect. In the meantime, Phillip and Nina had a baby. Uncle Karl worked on his art while he thought about his recipe, and he mentally slipped away.”

  “So, Phillip just got fed up and left?”

  “Yep. He stole the recipe book and took off.”

  “Do you think he could be the one behind the murders?” Benny.

  “I doubt it. He was awfully bitter, but it doesn’t make sense killing strangers to get back at someone for not bailing you out of your hopeless life.”

  “No murder makes sense.”

  “Bendy.” Red stood up. “Talk to that man.”

  “Red, he lives in Tennessee. It’ll take me five hours to get to him. There and back is half a day wasted.”

  “It not wasted. Red get little bumps on he arms when he name is sayed. He know you answer.”

  “Red,” Benny tried, “I know you’ve helped me solve my last two cases, but I don’t have time to drive up there and back to question a man that hasn’t been to this town for years.”

  “Red mama one time say to Red to listen to talking world for answer. Red mama say she can see answer since she not hearing them.”

  “I’m not really sure what you mean, buddy.”

  “Bendy not coming here today to hearing about Phillip, but he do. Bendy must not be going on and forget. Listen to talking world. Phillip bees important.”

  “Oh, Red. God I love you and you better be right.”

  “Go,” Red said. “Go!”

  Chapter 27

  “Can you meet me at the boat for lunch?” Benny asked Vernon on the phone.

  “Yeah, we really need to exchange notes.”

  “I’ll meet you there in thirty. Do you mind if Rachael is there?”

  “Of course not.”

  Benny picked Rachael up at the police station. On the way to the boat she tried to apologize again for leaving him for London. Benny told her he wouldn’t hear it and told her once and for all to bury the topic. She nodded her head, hid a tear, and buried it.

  On the boat, Benny took some chicken breasts out to the grill while Rachael tore up some lettuce and cut up some veggies for a salad.

  “That smells good,” she called to him. “What did you marinate those in?”

  “Italian dressing,” he called back. “Can you come out here a minute?”

  Rachael put down the knife and walked to the outdoor deck.

  Benny maneuvered the chicken breasts with a pair of tongs and placed them on the
grill. The chicken sizzled.

  “I’m headed to Tennessee after lunch to question somebody. I probably won’t be back until two or three in the morning. I would love it if you could come along.”

  “Who are you questioning?”

  “Phillip Preston. Red says I have to.”

  Rachael giggled. “Didn’t he sort of provide the missing link for your last two cases?”

  “Yes.”

  “You better listen to him then. I’ll call Chief Neighbors and tell him I need to take the rest of the day off. The phone hasn’t rung as much since we had the news conference.”

  “I didn’t get to see it. How did Vernon do?”

  “He’s a natural. He must’ve had a good teacher.” Rachael leaned in for a kiss.

  “Please!” Vernon said, emerging on the outdoor deck. “If I’d known it was going to be this kind of lunch I would have gotten a Whopper or something.”

  “It’s not going to be that kind of lunch,” Rachael said. “I was just telling Benny how well you did on national television. It’s not so scary, is it?”

  “Not if you don’t think about it. It’s hard to get it off your mind at first. When I spoke my first sentence, I saw a million people watching their televisions. It was almost as if I was watching myself talk from somewhere outside my body.”

  “I’ve heard a lot of people say that,” Rachael said, stepping away from the grill and a puff of smoke. “It usually goes away pretty quickly.”

  “It did,” Vernon confirmed.

  “I’m going to finish tossing the salad while you guys talk.”

  Vernon told Benny about his conversation with Big E and how he denied being in the speedboat with the mud on the front.

  “But we both saw him in it,” Benny said, sliding over one of the chicken breasts and repositioning it away from the flames.

  “He said to prove it.”

  “I don’t think it matters.”

  Benny told Vernon about the kid who drove the ice cream truck and the strange conversation he had with Big E about dirty boats.

  “Did you say dirty boats?”

  “Yeah, boats. As in more than one.”

  Benny told Vernon what little he knew about Ned’s involvement.