Fortune Hunter

by Jana DeLeon

  “Oh no,” I said as my shoulders slumped.

  “What does that mean?” Gertie asked.

  “He probably had his laptop tethered to his phone,” I said. “So that he could get an Internet connection.”

  Gertie looked confused. “But why would he drive out into the middle of nowhere to get on the…” Her eyes widened. “You don’t think…he’s not…”

  “He’s the catfish,” I said. “Damn it.”

  “Maybe there’s another explanation,” Gertie said.

  Ida Belle shook her head. “If there is, I can’t think of it. Why else would he be on his laptop in the middle of the swamp when he’s supposed to be on his boat? Where is all that money coming from? We know he lied about big shrimp running.”

  “He’d be in a position to know everyone in Sinful,” I said, “and make a good guess as to their financial positions.”

  Gertie paled. “But—”

  “He was in the perfect position to know about the trellis, too,” I said. “And Gail’s comings and goings.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Gertie said. “I’ve known Brandon his entire life. He sometimes shoots off his mouth without thinking and he had the normal scraps in school that boys do with each other, but I can’t believe he’d murder someone.”

  “Believe me,” Ida Belle said, “I don’t like it any better than you do.”

  “There has to be something we’re missing,” Gertie said.

  I didn’t blame her for being upset. I barely knew Peaches and didn’t know Brandon at all, but the entire thing made me feel ill.

  Ida Belle’s phone rang and she pulled it out. “It’s Myrtle.”

  She answered the call and a couple seconds later, her eyes widened. “You’re kidding,” she said. “Are you sure? Yes, of course. Okay.”

  The conversation went on for several minutes as Gertie and I sat there anxiously waiting for her to get off the call and fill us in. Myrtle was on night shift at the sheriff’s department, so that meant that whatever she was telling was police business.

  Finally, Ida Belle hung up and looked at us. “Carter just apprehended the catfish, and it’s not Brandon Dugas.”

  “What?”

  “Who is it?”

  Gertie and I both sounded off at once.

  “Derrick Miller,” Ida Belle said.

  “Really?” Gertie said. “Are you sure?”

  “Who’s Derrick Miller?” I asked.

  “He’s a local,” Ida Belle said. “Works construction and inherited the land next to Beulah. He’s always been trouble, but the usual sort. Apparently, Beulah made some fuss with him over property lines and dogs and he was out a good bit of money before it was over. He saw the show and thought he’d mess with her. He claims he never thought she’d really send him the money.”

  “So he has the money?” Gertie asked.

  Ida Belle nodded. “He transferred it from PayPal to his bank account.”

  “And the underwear?” Gertie asked.

  Ida Belle frowned. “Myrtle didn’t say and I didn’t ask.”

  “How did Carter find him?” I asked.

  “Derrick was bragging at the Swamp Bar,” Ida Belle said, “and someone called in the tip hoping for some reward money.”

  “So he got easy money out of Beulah and he couldn’t stop?” Gertie asked. “Did Gail figure out it was him?”

  Ida Belle shook her head. “That’s just it. He swears Beulah is the only person he catfished. When Carter accused him of Gail’s murder, he started yelling at Carter that he wasn’t going to be railroaded for murder just so Carter could look good.”

  “So what do you think?” I asked. “Is this Derrick capable of killing someone?”

  “Given the right circumstances,” Ida Belle said, “we’re all capable, but he’s always short on cash. If he figured out that he could scam women out of money, I don’t think he’d stop with one.”

  “And if someone found him out?” I asked.

  “I just don’t know,” Ida Belle said. “He’s drunk a lot of the time, and there are rumors of a drug habit.”

  I considered this. “A drunk would have a hard time negotiating that trellis. It would be risky.”

  “But high on something else, it might be possible,” Gertie said.

  I nodded. “It’s possible. And if you think he has questionable character…”

  “Oh, there’s no question about his character,” Ida Belle said. “It’s not good.”

  “So it’s over?” Gertie asked.

  She looked like a child whose balloon had just deflated.

  “Maybe that part is,” I said, “but we still don’t know what Brandon Dugas is doing when he should be shrimping, and I know it’s none of our business, but I’d still like to find out. For Peaches.”

  What I didn’t say was that until Carter had concrete proof that this Derrick had killed Gail, or unless he confessed, I wasn’t ready to put the lid on that line of investigation. It was clear that Derrick had catfished Beulah, but that was all we knew for certain.

  “Oh!” Gertie said. “I’d completely pushed that out of my mind, but you’re right. Brandon is up to something and he’s lying to his wife about it.”

  “Agreed,” Ida Belle said. “I say we keep watch on Brandon and follow Carter’s case against Derrick as it develops. As far as I’m concerned, this isn’t over until it’s over.”

  I smiled. I never had to worry about missing a trick in this town. If I didn’t suspect someone, Ida Belle was always there to pick up the slack. She appeared to have as high an opinion of most people as I did. But then, maybe that came from living among them for decades and knowing all their dirty secrets.

  “Maybe he’s having an online affair himself,” Gertie suggested.

  “Everyone in Sinful can’t be having an affair,” I said.

  “It does seem to be spreading like a virus,” Ida Belle said.

  I shrugged. “I suppose anything is possible.”

  “So what do we do now?” Gertie asked.

  “Nothing,” Ida Belle said.

  Gertie looked confused. “But you just said…”

  “I meant nothing tonight,” Ida Belle clarified. “It’s already nine forty-five and you need to rest that ankle.”

  “I agree,” I said. “Let’s all sleep on it. We can meet here tomorrow morning to see how Gertie’s ankle is doing and formulate a plan for the day.”

  “What if Brandon has already left by the time we get done planning?” Gertie asked.

  “Don’t worry about that right now,” Ida Belle said. “Everything doesn’t have to happen tomorrow. We’ll get it handled, but we need to make sure you can walk first.”

  “Oh no!” Gertie said. “Tomorrow’s Sunday.”

  “I am not doing a banana pudding dash,” I said. “Celia would probably have me arrested for running on Main Street.”

  “I don’t think the church will collapse if we skip a day,” Ida Belle said. “We’ve got Gertie’s ankle and Nolan to deal with. No one will think anything of it if we’re not there.”

  I rose from the coffee table. “Well, if you don’t need me for anything, I’m going to head out. I need a shower.”

  “Me too,” Ida Belle said. “I’m itchy all over from climbing that tree.”

  “I’m good,” Gertie said. “You guys get going.”

  “Call if you need anything,” Ida Belle said.

  We headed out and I gave Ida Belle a wave as I drove off in my Jeep. I pulled into my garage but didn’t close the door. Instead, I went straight into the pantry to retrieve a box of goodies Harrison had sent me. I opened the box and checked the contents, pleased at both the quality and quantity of surveillance equipment contained inside. Harrison had meant for me to use it to secure my residence, but at the moment, I had different plans.

  I hefted the entire box up and carried it out to my Jeep. Storm clouds were rolling in overhead, and I heard thunder in the distance. Hoping the rain would hold off until I was done, I drove
the couple blocks to Peaches’ street and parked several houses down from theirs. I pulled a GPS tracker from the box and headed up the sidewalk. Brandon’s truck was in the driveway but there were no lights on in the house. They were probably already in bed.

  It only took me ten seconds to attach the tracker to Brandon’s truck. I was just about to turn around and hightail it down the sidewalk when I saw a small light come on inside the house. I froze. It was too small to be a lamp, and besides, lamps didn’t usually move. It was definitely a flashlight. I glanced around the neighborhood, but there didn’t appear to be a power outage. I saw the light come down the stairs and move through the living room and down the hallway toward the kitchen. The silhouette was too large to be Peaches. It must be Brandon.

  It was such an incredibly odd behavior that I couldn’t let it go. I slipped around the truck, then down the side of the house to the back fence. I peered between the slats in time to see the light move across the backyard. What the hell!

  A million thoughts ran through my mind, and none of them good. I needed to find out what Brandon was doing in his backyard. There was a night-vision scope in that box of supplies. I’d grab it and find a better position to see into the backyard. I whirled around, ready to dash to the Jeep and grab the goggles, and ran smack into Ida Belle.

  “What are you doing sneaking up behind me?” I whispered. “I could have shot you.”

  “You’re not that reckless. Why are you looking through the fence?”

  “Come with me,” I said and hurried for the Jeep. I didn’t know what was going on in that backyard, but if I didn’t get to that scope soon, there was a good chance I was going to miss it.

  “Where’s your motorcycle?” I asked as I opened the box.

  “Your house. I was going to follow you from Gertie’s but she sent me a text before I could leave asking me to get something upstairs. You had that look, so I knew you were up to something besides a hot shower and bed. By the time I got to your house you were pulling away, but I saw where you turned and had a good guess where you were going.”

  “So you walked over here?” I asked as I moved the equipment around, looking for the scope.

  “I jogged. I’m in good shape. Are you going to tell me what the hell you’re looking for in that box, and why?”

  “Aha!” I grabbed the scope out of the box and headed back for the house, Ida Belle trotting beside me. I told her about the light and held up the scope. She nodded and pointed to the house next door.

  “No dogs,” she whispered and indicated a large oak tree near the side of the house.

  I nodded. She wanted me to go into the neighbors’ yard and scale the tree for a better view. We crept up to the fence and I was just getting ready to jump for the top when Ida Belle grabbed my arm and pointed above the fence. I looked up and saw a flashlight moving in the master bedroom of Nolan’s house.

  Chapter 16

  I took off at a dead run for my Jeep. I could hear Ida Belle’s footsteps pounding behind mine. She jumped in as I put it in gear and tore off down the street. “Call Marie and warn her,” I said.

  “She’s not there,” Ida Belle said. “She called me earlier. Nolan insisted that he could manage the night on his own and that she needed some real rest.”

  “Then call Nolan. I don’t know what is going on, but we need to get him out of that house.”

  I wheeled around the corner and practically jumped the curb into Nolan’s driveway.

  “He’s not answering,” Ida Belle said as she leaped out of the Jeep and we ran to the front door. I pressed the doorbell, then banged on the door.

  “Call Carter,” I said.

  Ida Belle started dialing and I banged on the door again, yelled Nolan’s name, then started banging again. I heard Ida Belle telling Carter to get to Nolan’s house now.

  It felt like it took forever, but it was probably less than a minute when the door opened and Nolan peered out, looking confused and slightly out of breath. “Sorry, I was in the restroom,” he said. “Is something wrong?”

  “Someone is upstairs in your house,” I said.

  Nolan’s eyes widened. “What?” He backed up his wheelchair, allowing us to enter. “I don’t understand.”

  “We were driving by and saw a small light moving in the master bedroom,” I explained. “Is anyone here with you?”

  “No! I told Marie I’d be fine. She was so tired…we should call the police.”

  “I already have,” Ida Belle said. “They’ll be here any minute.”

  “I’m going upstairs to check,” I said.

  “Should you do that?” Nolan asked. “What if he has a gun? I don’t want…”

  “Don’t worry,” I said and pulled my pistol from my waistband. “I’m armed.”

  I took two strides toward the stairs when a huge boom of thunder ripped through the night air and the house went dark.

  “Power’s out,” Ida Belle said.

  I pulled out my cell phone and turned on the flashlight, refusing to be deterred by a little thing like no light.

  “Be careful,” Nolan said as I continued up the stairs. “Shouldn’t we do something?” I heard him ask Ida Belle.

  I bounded up the stairs and hurried down the hallway. Crime scene tape was still draped across the doorway to the master bedroom and the door was pulled shut. A new dead bolt had been installed on the outside so that the door could be secured from the hallway. That way, they could delay repair of the breached window in case they needed to review it again, but prevent entry into the rest of the house. I unlocked the dead bolt and turned the doorknob, then pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. I didn’t see the flashlight moving around, but he could have extinguished it and been hiding in a corner just waiting for me to step inside.

  Carter would probably pitch a fit, but that’s exactly what I did. I pushed the door open wide, then bent under one set of crime scene tape while stepping over the other. I turned on my cell phone flashlight and shone it around the room. No one was lurking in the corners, but that didn’t mean there weren’t hiding places. I pulled open the closet doors and moved the clothes around, making sure no one lurked behind them, then dropped down and peered under the bed. It was one of those with an adjustable base, so no place to hide there.

  I stood back up and walked over to the window. The latch was closed, but I knew from what Marie had told us that if you jiggled it a bit, you could get the window open with little problem. I didn’t want to touch anything, so I turned around to head back downstairs and Carter stepped into the bedroom, carrying a flashlight.

  “Trying to do my job?” he asked.

  “No. Just making sure the room was clear. I touched the dead bolt, doorknob to the room, the closet doors, and the clothes. Nothing else.”

  He nodded and glanced around the room. I could tell he wasn’t happy.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked. “It makes no sense for someone to return to a crime scene.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  I wondered if Derrick Miller was still in police custody, but then I supposed it didn’t matter. I’d seen Brandon Dugas leave his house with a flashlight. Ida Belle had seen him in the swamp using his computer. He was lying to his wife. The evidence was circumstantial but it all pointed in the same horrible direction.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Carter said. “I’ll have a team work the window again, but I don’t expect they’ll find anything this time either.”

  “I, uh, I need to tell you something else,” I said. “But I don’t want to do it in front of Nolan because I could be wrong.”

  Carter frowned. “Okay. Let me get the situation on-site handled and then we’ll talk.”

  We headed back downstairs to find an anxious Nolan and Ida Belle waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

  “It’s clear,” I said. “There was no one up there.”

  “Was the window open?” Nolan asked.

  “No,” I said, “but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t use
d. I’m sure he heard us pounding on the door. He had plenty of time to leave before I got up there to check.”

  “I don’t understand,” Nolan said. “Why would he come back here? What possible reason could he have?”

  “I don’t know,” Carter said. “But I don’t like it. I’m sorry, Nolan, but I’m going to have to insist on removing you from the house tonight, for your own safety. You’re already at a disadvantage, and with the power out, it makes it worse.”

  “But that’s not possible,” Nolan protested. “I can’t just pop over to a friend’s house and stay.”

  “I know you need special accommodations,” Carter said. “The sheriff’s department will gladly pay for a room at the hotel just up the highway. It won’t be fancy, but you’ll be able to function and it will be safe.”

  “Wow,” Nolan said, apparently still trying to process everything and coming up short. “If you think it’s best. I just need to pack a few things from the guest room. Ida Belle, if you wouldn’t mind, I think there’s a small duffel bag on the top shelf of the closet in there. If you could get it down for me.”

  “Of course,” Ida Belle said. “And I’ll help you put some things together.”

  Carter called Deputy Breaux and told him to get over to Nolan’s house now, then called the hotel and made a reservation. Deputy Breaux had just stepped inside when Ida Belle and Nolan returned with a packed bag. Carter instructed the deputy to take Nolan to the hotel and see that he was comfortable.

  “That’s not necessary,” Nolan said. “I’d prefer to drive my own car. Besides, I need to return here tomorrow, assuming it’s all right.”

  Carter nodded. “Then I’ll have Deputy Breaux follow you.”

  “Do I wait on your call tomorrow?” Nolan asked. “To know when I can return home?”

  Carter shook his head. “Hopefully, they’ll get the power back on sometime tonight. I’ll have my team work the window first thing tomorrow morning. It won’t take long. If you want to return sometime midmorning, you should be in the clear. I’ll probably go ahead and release the master bedroom back to you as well. That way you can have that window fixed.”