A Lethal Time (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 4)

by Peggy A. Edelheit

  Millicent dismissed me. “Murder? Don’t be ridiculous!”

  She didn’t know? Had I read this all wrong?

  Chapter 90

  And In This Hand…

  I swear, the more I dug, the deeper the hole, and I still hadn’t found the bottom. Maybe I was way off base. Could everything be unrelated? Could there be several agendas going on here? It sounded ridiculous even to over-the-top me, but there had to be another explanation.

  She was still staring, surprised, and so I jumped at the chance to take advantage of catching her off guard. This might be the distraction I needed to get to safety.

  Major brought tea over to the kitchen table where I was seated. Millicent was sitting over by the fireplace eyeing me closely, her gun resting in her lap. After he poured me some, Major sat next to his wife and handed her a cup.

  I wondered if she was a lefty or not and watched to see which hand she favored. She was originally holding the gun in her left hand. When she reached for the cup, she set the gun in her lap and picked up the cup again using her left hand. Got it. I had to time it when she was switching and placing the gun in her lap. I also had to keep her talking so she wouldn’t be so conscious of me observing her moves.

  I knew with myself, that although I was a lefty, I still used both hands. I could throw and use scissors with my right. I wrote and ate with my left, but drank with either. So, for a minute I watched her carefully while she and Major exchanged sugar and cream and settled in. I stared at them trying to figure the complete picture. I couldn’t.

  I still wasn’t connecting some of the dots.

  “Now, what was this about a murder?” Millicent asked.

  “I got the part with your multi rip-offs, but what I don’t get is why someone would want to murder him?”

  “Murder who? Who are you talking about?”

  “Robinson, of course!”

  The two of them stared at each other.

  Millicent bit first. “Robinson was murdered?”

  “Whatever for?” Major asked.

  I smiled. “Changes the ballgame, doesn’t it?”

  “I should say so!” said Major.

  First Millicent, then Major shifted in their chairs. It was subtle, but I picked up on it immediately. Was Millicent aware of something that Major was not? Had she done something behind his back? Was he the clueless husband?

  I tossed that around for all of about fifteen seconds, and then nixed the idea. But then turned my attention to Major. Had he done something behind Millicent’s back?

  I had to get out. Millicent was holding a gun and flexing her trigger finger. I felt like an accident waiting to happen.

  I certainly didn’t need the extra help of someone else.

  Chapter 91

  There’s Luck, And Then There’s Dumb Luck

  I was about to say something when the phone rang. Now, who was calling? Jacob? Someone else? I was still trying to figure out exactly when would be a good time to take off for either their kitchen or foyer door.

  I heard bits and pieces, but gave up eavesdropping on Millicent and what was being said. It was too cryptic. After that call, I was suddenly more interested in hearing how far-reaching their operations extended. And the only way to find that out, I realized, was to keep them talking.

  Could I play them off of each other?

  A flicker of fear, followed by a flash of anger quickly crossed Millicent’s face. She hung up, and then turned toward me. Major went to her side and they briefly whispered something, but I couldn’t catch what it was.

  It was clear, Millicent was the one in charge in this marriage, as she gently, but firmly moved him aside and looked at me. “Well, I guess the tables might have turned in your favor somewhat, Samantha. No one else has shown up at Sally’s, so I told Jacob to meet us, here.”

  I silently gave a sigh of relief, thinking sometimes I was downright lucky. But then I panicked again. Where was everybody? Obviously, no one knew what happened to me yet or exactly where I was. I had to stall them for time.

  Keep them talking.

  “Do you mind me asking you a question?” I asked.

  Millicent eyed Major, warning him to keep silent, then nodded at me. “Exactly what did you want to know?”

  “How many of you are involved in the clear-cutting?”

  She laughed. “You expect me to answer that truthfully?”

  “What have you got to lose? I’m not going anywhere, am I? You have the gun, remember? And you know I’m going crazy trying to figure this thing out. Why not give me something? What am I going to do with the information?”

  “You have a point. We can’t let you leave here alive.”

  “I’ve only pieced together a loose patchwork of guesses. This thing is so interwoven, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that something more is going on in the area.”

  I was fishing about the blackmail and chop shops.

  “How clever a guess, Samantha. I will admit that you are partially right, but I’m afraid we can’t take credit for all that is going on around here.”

  What else did she know? Maybe I could throw them off.

  I sat there, and then decided to shoot from the hip.

  “You weren’t responsible for Robinson’s death, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “But you did clear-cut.”

  “Yes.”

  I then stared at Major. “And you sold phony souvenirs.”

  Chapter 92

  What Were You Willing To Pay?

  Major shot a look toward Millicent.

  “What were you willing to pay, Millicent?” I asked.

  She looked confused. “Pay? You’re not making sense.”

  I looked at Major. “You mean you didn’t confide in the little business you had going on the side?”

  “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, young lady,” he said, jumping up to pour more tea.

  Yes! I took another shot. “Oh, but I beg to differ. Plus, you were blackmailing Sarah, too, weren’t you?”

  Millicent’s gaze tore into Major as he poured tea. Shock and anger were clearly visible. “Now, why would you be blackmailing her? Is that true, Major?”

  “She doesn’t know what she talking about, my dear.”

  The phone rang and Major froze. After three rings, Millicent grabbed it. “Yes?” she asked angrily.

  I sat there watching her, and then watched Major. He was fidgeting like crazy. Had I hit a nerve?

  Millicent furrowed her brow. “What? Then let’s do it!”

  I was about ten feet from the back door and about thirty feet from the front door down the hallway. I tried to figure my odds of making it out of there. They were iffy at best, including taking into account my agility against theirs. I had clearly bought into their sweet-old-couple routine. My luck, they probably ran the Boston marathon each year.

  I tried to rationalize the fact that they were two against one, and I shouldn’t try anything crazy, but it wasn’t working for me. I had to get out of there. On the other hand, they had a gun, I didn’t. Where was Martha’s Berretta, when I needed it?

  Probably back home in Highlands, North Carolina, where she left it. I didn’t think New Hampshire had reciprocity for a seventy-something, crazy woman to be brandishing anything wildly resembling a firearm. And I’m not even addressing the other two. I had to get out. How?

  After disconnecting the call, she turned her attention back to me. “You know, sometimes the best laid plans…”

  I laughed. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  “I figured with your go-get-them attitude, and if the circumstances were different, you would have fit in nicely with this organization. Now George can’t be reached.”

  “There’s one thing wrong with that idea.”

  “What’s that?” Millicent asked, appraising me.

  “I couldn’t live with myself.” George is in on this?

  “Yes, but at least you’d live.”

  I nodded ner
vously. “Yeah, there is that little detail.”

  Millicent smiled. “Samantha, it’s all about the details.”

  “All well and good,” I replied. “But it’s the big picture I try to focus on. It gives me better perspective.”

  She laughed. “Who needs perspective? I have the gun.”

  I had to warn Sarah about George.

  Chapter 93

  An Unexpected Interruption

  Through all this back and forth, and after the last phone call, I noticed Millicent shoot Major several glances, probably recalling their unfinished conversation. A slight tremor caught my eye. Major appeared uncomfortable. I guess he figured he had some explaining to do, and quick.

  When Millicent reached out, he jerked, spilling his hot tea on her lap. Jumping up, she laced into him. “You fool!”

  Major reached over with his napkin. “Sorry, I…”

  Neither of them noticed the gun slip to the floor. I did, though, and bolted from my chair, aiming for the front door. I flung it open, and took off like a bat into the black of night. No way was I veering to the backfields and woods, I shot for the edges of the dirt road toward Sarah’s. Somehow I had to warn her about George’s involvement.

  As I tore through the brush, I could hear muffled voices from behind shouting in the distance. The Fieldings were probably searching around outside their house arguing, trying to figure out which way I ran. My legs were pumping so fast, I felt them starting to cramp in protest.

  I checked my cell. No signal. I swear I needed to get into better shape. This chase stuff was meant for my mysteries, not me personally. I knew some authors liked to get into character, experiencing what their protagonist was going through, but I drew the line at getting shot at. Okay, so maybe I may have once or twice embellished just a tad. But it was for dramatic purposes only.

  I believe it’s called taking literary license?

  By the time I reached Sally’s driveway, a wave of relief washed over me when I saw a single light shining from a downstairs window. It was glaring like a beacon of safety. I rushed to the entrance and hit the doorbell, as well as banging on the door. With George missing, she’d be alone.

  An out-of-breath Sarah opened the door. “My goodness, Samantha. You gave me a fright with all that noise.”

  “Sorry, I’m in sort of a rush,” I said brushing past her.

  “I guess so,” she said, shutting the door behind me.

  “I need to use your phone. Where is it?”

  “It’s right over on that table,” she said, pointing. “What is this all about? Why are you here asking to use my phone? Where is yours?”

  “No signal! Look, it’s a long story, but it involves the missing forest, forgeries, your blackmail, and possibly an illegal chop shop,” I blurted out in a rush as I started pushing the buttons on the phone. Before I could hit the last number, her hand covered mine, stopping me.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Well, guess what I did? I turned around…real slow.

  Chapter 94

  Choices, Assessments, Decisions

  That’s because a metal object was jammed into my back. It’s called a gun. And you know how I feel about guns. I have the utmost respect for them, especially when they are loaded and aimed directly at me. Unfortunately, lately they’ve been aimed at me quite a lot.

  I was bordering on being annoyed. This whole gun thing was starting to get to me. How many people would be pointing guns at me that night? And I thought that this was going to be a simple act of getting my ass out of trouble, but it seemed all I was doing was getting in deeper.

  “Do you mind telling me what this is about?” I asked.

  “Sorry. I didn’t like that last part about chop shops.”

  Another shoe had dropped. “…Oh, and that’s you?”

  She nodded. “Yes, me and a number of others.”

  “You mean your business associates I saw that night?”

  “Amusing choice of words. But yes, you’re right.”

  Then I remembered George showing me the Harley part.

  “So was your barn being used?”

  “It was for a short while until certain individuals started snooping around and getting suspicious.”

  George hadn’t lied. He wasn’t involved. She was.

  “So you decided to move operations.”

  “Right. We found it prudent to move elsewhere.”

  I could guess where that place might be, but I wasn’t absolutely sure and had to bide my time. If I got her angry, I’d have another ticked-off woman to deal with. And I have had enough of ticked-off women lately, including my crew.

  It reminded me of something I was told. How do you diffuse a bunch of angry, hormonal women in a room? Change the dynamics. Throw in a condescending male and lock the door. It’s a matter of refocusing their perspective.

  Unfortunately, there weren’t any condescending males in the area at the moment so I had to think of something else. “How long have you been doing this?”

  “We travel from one bike week rally to the next.”

  “So because it doesn’t last that long, no one ever has the time to investigate extensively the locations and close in.”

  She nodded. “It has worked out quite well for us.”

  I thought about her lies. “And what about your brother?”

  “I lied. There was no brother, just an associate of mine.”

  “I assume he played a major part in all this?”

  “Of course! He was the mastermind.”

  “There is one thing that has me puzzled,” I said.

  “And what is that?”

  “Why would Jackson jeopardize his property for you?”

  She looked at me quizzically. “What do you mean?”

  “He’s your brother.”

  She began laughing. “…Oh, Sam, who told you that?”

  Had I misunderstood Dan’s words, or had he lied to me?

  Did I guess wrong again? Sounds like it, doesn’t it?

  Chapter 95

  Backtracking, But Moving Forward

  I plastered a smile on my face, trying to fast-track a clever answer for her. Sadly, I didn’t have one.

  “I think you’ve been played for a fool,” Sarah said.

  I knew one thing for sure after that eye-opener. I had to get out of there before she lost her sense of humor. I’d lost mine finding out she was the crooked one. I was stumbling from one bad choice to another that night and running out of options of where to run next.

  Wait! Could Jackson and Dan be working together?

  I briefly considered, trying to physically overtake this unpredictable woman, but then changed my mind. Guns changed the dynamics of everything, bullets included.

  Just as I eyed the door, the phone rang. Who was it? I stared at that door again.

  “Hello?” she said. “Yes, I’ll wait for you, if you say so.”

  Yeah? And do what to me? I was out of there. That is, as soon as I could figure out how to do the impossible, leave.

  She hung up the phone and said, “Sit.”

  I smiled feebly, saying, “With all this excitement and running, I have to go to the bathroom. Do you mind?”

  She looked me over. “I guess. Just don’t get any ideas.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it,” I said. “Where to?”

  She pointed to a door down the hall and followed. The minute I latched the lock quietly in place, I turned around and smiled. A window! I ran the same routine and let the water trickle in the sink, while I eased the window open and gingerly climbed out.

  I dropped to the ground in the dark taking the absolute last route open to me: Jackson’s place. If he was involved in all this, I was giving up. They could shoot me at will. I was out of alternatives and couldn’t think where else to run.

  I took off, but kept to Sarah’s side of the road. Heading for Jackson’s was my last resort. Where was everyone? I had been betrayed and lied to and was now in lockdown mode. I did
n’t trust anyone. I had to get out of this alive and ran like my life depended on it. Speed dialing, I screamed into my cell, got static noises, then nothing.

  I stumbled a few times as I dove for cover when a few trucks swung by. Not trusting anyone on the road that night, I felt compelled to stay off their radar. I was now pretty sure they had everyone out looking for me. Were they all tied together or were they working individually?

  After what seemed like forever, but was only several minutes, I arrived at Jackson’s closed gate and frantically climbed over it. I sprinted to his house barely able to stand straight by the time I reached his entrance, gasping for air. I was about to hit the doorbell, when the door swung open.

  Jackson was holding a gun.

  Damn!

  Chapter 96

  Now What?

  I felt a gentle slapping as I tried to make sense of the hazy shape hovering over me. It slowly came into focus after I blinked a few more times. It was Jackson and he was brushing strands of hair from my face.

  I was reclining on what appeared to be his sofa inside his house. Thankfully the lights were turned down low because I felt a stress headache coming on. A damp cloth was on my forehead. I reached for it and pulled it away.

  “What happened?” I asked foggily.

  “You fainted on my doorstep.”

  Then it all came rushing back. I was no longer outside, but inside enemy territory. The gun! I shoved his hand away and tried to get up. I had to get out or I was a goner.

  His other hand gently, but firmly pushed me back. “Easy there. You’re not going anywhere, young lady.”

  I had heard that phrase from so many people over the last hour or so that I was losing count. Even though I was chilled from a newfound fear creeping up my spine, I began sweating. How was I going to talk my way out of this? And if I did manage to escape, where would I go?

  The only people I trusted were nowhere to be found. That I found extremely disturbing and unsettling. Could something have happened to them? That thought was absurd. How could something happen to five people all at once? But when I thought of the nasty people I was dealing with, that possibility seemed very real and very frightening.