He shifted from one foot to the other. He’d finally gotten to the part of his story where he needed Josh’s help. He took the photo in its protective plastic sheet out of his pocket.
“I’ll run it through AFIS.” Josh took the evidence pack and slit the seal. “I’ll find you if it hits.”
“You mean, when it hits. This guy reeks of ex-con.”
Josh smiled the old conspiratorial smile that seemed so familiar to Gray. “I’ll get right on it.”
Gray left the photo in Josh’s hands. Reluctantly. It hadn’t been that long ago he’d accused Josh of slacking. His accusation had almost cost Josh his job. Too bad Josh had allowed his personal life to interfere with his professional life.
Before Gray got all the way down the hall, Josh was calling him back, so he returned to Josh’s workstation.
“That was fast.”
“You won’t believe this.” Josh pointed at the computer monitor. “He used to be one of us.”
A match for the handyman’s print had hit on AFIS. As it turned out, Brennan was not the man’s name. Chase Peterson was not only a man whose conviction had been overturned on appeal, but he was a former officer with the Mobile Police Department, a man who had been accused of attempting to kill the man who Peterson claimed had murdered his wife.
“I’m going to need to talk to Chase Peterson again.” His false identity might have nothing to do with James Standridge’s death, but then again Gray couldn’t ignore such a juicy lead. He glanced at Josh. “Next time I go out there, you want to come along?”
Josh considered his offer for half a second. “I don’t think I can pass up an opportunity to get inside that house.”
“That’s what I thought.” Gray snatched the report from the printer and moved toward the door. “I’ll let you know when I plan to go back down there.”
“I’d sure love to do a night investigation in the garage. We always thought it was haunted. You think she’d let us if we asked nicely.”
Gray laughed. “The lady has a hostile attitude. I don’t think we can ask favors from her, but…I wouldn’t mind spending some time in the garage if we could go in with the right equipment.”
A little ghost hunting wouldn’t repair their damaged friendship, but it might go a long way toward relieving the tension between them every time they had to work together. Josh nodded as if he’d read Gray’s mind.
****
Just when Gray thought the case was already twisted enough, he discovered one more strange fact to add to his growing list of things to question Laurel Standridge and Chase Peterson about. Six weeks before she died, Celeste’s brother had her forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The commitment was well within the statutes of the standing laws of Arkansas except for one small problem. Her only brother had died three years before Celeste was committed.
Gray had developed a lot of questions, but found no answers, so he did the only thing he could do under the circumstances. He went to see Timna. She could help him sort through the facts because she knew everything about everybody in Hill County.
The mountain woman was about a thousand years old, the youngest of thirteen children, and named for an obscure character in the Bible. Nobody was sure what her last name was, not even Timna.
She lived out in the country in a run-down shack the county had threatened to condemn on more than one occasion. Somehow, Timna always found the means to secure her homestead from predators, natural or otherwise.
No one was sure how she gathered her data because she never appeared to leave her house. No matter the situation, Timna invariably knew what was going on. She was a collector of pertinent information.
He raised his hand to knock, but she already had the ramshackle door open. “Welcome back, young man. Mitchell, isn’t it?” She motioned for him to join her at the one table in the room and pushed aside the remains of her mid-day meal.
Flies hovered around the half-eaten whatever-it-was. Gray’s stomach rebelled at the sight. Once he had seen a decapitated head that hadn’t produced as much nausea.
“Yes, ma’am. Mitchell Grayson.”
“What can I do for you?”
Hardly anyone came to visit her unless they wanted something. Her visitors always left her with another bit of information that she didn’t already have. Gray was certain that was how she built her collection. No one knew exactly how many people visited her during the week.
“I have some questions, Miss Timna.”
He offered her a warm smile, and she returned it with a toothy grin. She had previously told him what he needed to know for the mere pittance of a Baby Ruth bar. He pulled the candy out of his pocket and set it on the table between them. She struck their bargain with a slight nod of her aged head.
“What you want to know?”
Amazingly, she had all her teeth, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they were all hers, not dentures.
“I want to know about the Standridges.” He had to make his request broad. Once he had gotten too specific, and she hadn’t told him what he needed to know. She wasn’t about to divulge anything more than what his initial question covered.
“Ah, them.” She settled into her chair and leveled a steady gaze on him. “They all nuts, if you want my opinion.”
“All of them?”
“Oh yes, all of them, especially Celeste. Stuffed her money in socks and hid it under the floorboards of her house, she did.” Timna nodded with firm conviction. “None of it’s left though.”
He hid his smile. Timna didn’t know about Laurel’s inheritance. It made him feel special to know something old Timna didn’t.
“Why not?”
Timna unwrapped the candy bar and began to eat. He had only as many questions as she had candy left.
Timna winked. “That good for nothing cousin of hers stole it all.”
So Celeste had cousins. Who knew? “Which cousin?”
“Was it Zeke or Jake? Maybe it was Sam or Rufus. I can’t be sure. There’s a lot of them.” Timna had just added four new characters for examination. He was disappointed she didn’t mention James. Did Timna know Celeste had a son and a niece?
He wanted a last name. She was bad about only mentioning first names. “Are they Standridges?” He eyed the now half-eaten candy bar.
“Nope.”
“You remember their last name?”
She shook her head. The Baby Ruth was almost gone. One more bite. He had only one more question.
“Would someone have killed James over the money?”
“Oh, yes.” She tilted her graying head. “There was enough money there that someone would kill over it. There’s always someone who’ll kill over almost anything.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
“But I think there’s more to it than that.” Her cryptic comment left so much unanswered. The candy bar was gone. She wouldn’t divulge anything else.
“Thanks, Miss Timna.”
He smiled at her as if she was the sexiest woman alive. It paid to be nice to Timna. She was an unquestioned source. You couldn’t take her to court as a witness, but you could rely on her information.
“Come again, young man.” Her eyes followed him as he rose from the table.
He was halfway out the door when she nailed him. “You ever divorce the Sistrunk girl?”
He suspected she already knew the answer. “No ma’am,” he returned with a plastic smile. “She left for Hollywood to fulfill her destiny. I haven’t heard from her since. If she wants a divorce, she can file for it.”
“Destiny. Smestiny.” Timna snorted. “Ain’t no such thing as destiny. You either do what you’re supposed to do or you don’t.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“She’s getting herself into lots of trouble out there, young man. If you care about that girl at all, you better run right out there and get her.”
“I don’t know where to find her. Last I heard she was waiting tables at a truck stop in Tucumcari. That was two years ago. She’s pro
bably long gone from there by now.”
“You mark my words. That girl needs your help, and so does that Standridge girl up there on the hill. She’s in deep trouble.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Now, Miss Timna, which one of my damsels in distress do you want me to rescue first?”
“You’re a capable young man. Both, of course.”
He was still laughing when he left her house knowing a little more than he knew before, which wasn’t a bad thing. Then it hit him. Timna had known about Laurel all along.
He would pass Laurel Heights on his way back into town. He’d promised Josh he’d bring him along next time he went out there, but Josh would have to join him another day. Gray’s confrontation with Chase Peterson couldn’t wait.
Chapter Ten
Laurel watched them from the window. Chase could feel her eyes on him. The wind rushed across the top of the hill and whipped around him as he leaned against Grayson’s car. The tree branches above them rattled and rustled with only the buds of spring leaves nubbing the bare limbs. The cop had taken a typical stance a few feet away, legs slightly spread and arms across his chest.
He didn’t lose any time getting to his point. Chase liked that about the man. Grayson didn’t waste time or words.
“You have a very interesting history, Mr. Peterson.”
“Yes, I guess I do.”
So the cop had done his homework. Grayson knew his real name. Probably lifted his print from the photo and ran it through AFIS. It hadn’t taken Grayson long to identify him. Chase hadn’t wanted to touch the picture, knowing the ridges and whorls of his identity would show up on the sticky surface, but the cop hadn’t given him much choice. He couldn’t refuse handling the photo without making a big deal out of it.
“You aren’t much liked in Alabama.”
Chase laughed without amusement. “The cops don’t have much use for me, but then, neither do the criminals.”
“You haven’t told Laurel about any of that, have you?”
“Nope. I might have to one day, but today isn’t the day.” The cop didn’t need to know what Laurel knew.
“One day you might not have much choice.”
Wise words from Grayson, but then Chase was already well aware of his impending doom. “I know.”
“You didn’t just throw a dart at a map, did you?” The cop’s comment was more a statement than a question.
Chase nodded. No point in lying about it.
“Why are you here?”
“To find the money she stole.” It was more than that. Everyone in law enforcement was aware of the search for Rand’s missing money. He wasn’t so sure the cops knew about the missing bank codes though. What Grayson didn’t know, he couldn’t question Laurel about.
“Why?”
It was a very good question, considering.
“My brother asked me to.”
That seemed to surprise Grayson. “You’ve talked to your brother?”
“I saw him a couple of months ago. That’s when he asked me to find Laurel and get the money back. I made him a promise. It took me a while to find her, but that’s why I’m here.”
“Does she know you’re Rand Peterson’s brother?”
“No.” He wasn’t going to defend his reticence to the cop.
Laurel had cut off the conversation before he could tell her the whole story. If she would just listen... But she didn’t trust him enough to listen, and he wasn’t going to force her to hear what she wasn’t ready to hear.
“You should tell her who you are, and soon.”
“I can’t do that. She hates his guts. If she knew I was his brother, she’d kick me out…or worse, and I wouldn’t blame her.”
“She hates his guts?” The cop smirked. “Most people think he took the rap for her. A lot of people think she set him up. It’s more likely he hates her guts.”
Chase believed the hostility between Rand and Laurel was mutual.
“How do you know that?” He allowed his rising irritation to show.
“Come on, man. I talked to the cops in San Diego. Your brother is in prison for something he didn’t do. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do anything. They let her set him up.”
Chase was impressed. The cop had done his job. He knew most of the details about both his and Laurel’s past.
“That isn’t the way it went down. Rand told me the whole story. The real story. And before you ask, no, I’m not telling you anything.”
“All right.” Grayson clipped his words, revealing his frustration.
“All right?” he asked with a slight laugh. “That’s it? You’re not going to harass me for the information?”
“No,” Grayson answered with an easy smile. “Not my jurisdiction. Besides, I think you’re right where you need to be. If you could find her, then so could your brother’s enemies. She needs watching, and right now, I think you’re the best candidate for the job.”
“I’m not here to protect her. I’m here to find what she stole and return it.”
“Oh, really?”
“I made my brother a promise.”
“Then you’re going to have more trouble out here.”
“Already have,” he muttered. “Someone’s been in the house.”
“Is that right?” Grayson seemed unconvinced. “Who says? You or her?”
He growled his answer. “She does.”
“You haven’t seen anyone personally?”
“No, not personally.”
He hated admitting as much. He wasn’t going to tell the man about the weird stuff. Not about the hand that shoved him on the stairs. Or the strange things that had happened to Laurel when she was alone in the house.
“How do you know she isn’t making it up?”
He hesitated.
Grayson noticed. “You’re not sure, are you?”
“No, I’m not sure it wasn’t her imagination. She’s scared to stay out here by herself. That’s why she wanted me to move into the garage apartment…as if that was going to happen.” He rolled his eyes, an unspoken communication on the persistence of the female gender when one of them had made up her mind.
“What are you going to do now? She isn’t going to give up until she’s got a round-the-clock bodyguard.” The cop laughed, supposedly at Chase’s expense.
He didn’t like anyone laughing at him. His backbone stiffened.
“I moved into a room behind the front stairs.” He sounded grumpy instead of the belligerent attitude he was going for.
“You’d better watch your back, buddy.”
He didn’t like what the cop was implying, even though he’d had the same thoughts not so long ago himself. “I think you’re well aware I can handle myself.”
“Well, I guess that’s true.” Grayson seemed to study the situation a moment longer. “I still don’t understand why she didn’t call the Sheriff’s office if she thought someone had broken into her garage.”
It was Chase’s turn to laugh. “Same reason I wouldn’t.”
“Humph. Will you do me a favor? Let me know if she claims anyone else has been in the house.” Grayson’s choice of words was loaded with meaning.
“Why should I?”
“Because I’m here to serve and protect. You can remember what that’s like, can’t you, Peterson?”
Yeah, he could remember. Sometimes he missed being in law enforcement. Other times he was glad to be out of it. Because of his arrest and trial, his name was well known in Mobile. Because of the way he had gotten his conviction overturned, his reputation in Alabama was shattered beyond repair. He cursed the day he had used Rand’s money to buy a lawyer. The association had gotten him off a life sentence, but it had tainted him with the law enforcement community. He could never go back.
“The memory isn’t that old.”
“If you want to stay here, keep yourself out of trouble.” More of a command than a suggestion.
“That was my intention all along.”
Staying out of trouble w
as Chase’s goal...for his peace of mind...for the maintenance of his dignity. He had to start somewhere to rebuild his integrity. Maybe doing right by Laurel was a good place to start.
“Then I think we understand each other.” Grayson put his sunshades back on his face and turned to leave.
Chase smirked at the cop’s back. Grayson didn’t understand anything at all.
****
A strange assortment of expressions had crossed Chase’s face as he conversed with Lt. Grayson. With the cop’s back toward her, Laurel couldn’t get a clear view of Grayson’s face. Chase wasn’t usually so expressive. Watching his reactions was a little frightening.
As soon as Chase stepped across the threshold, she began her interrogation. “What’d the cop want?”
“Nothing.”
“So you talked to him that long over nothing?”
“Nothing I want to talk to you about.” His response had a bite she didn’t expect.
He tried to pass her, but she grabbed his arm. “He knows about your past, doesn’t he?”
He twisted his arm and loosened her grasp. “Yes.”
“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?” Her patience was on the verge of snapping.
“No. Not now. Not yet. Maybe later.” He appeared to waver, but just for a moment. Then his face set into a scowl.
“How am I supposed to trust you if you won’t tell me anything?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and headed out the kitchen door.
She had to rush to catch up with him. He was extremely fast when he wanted to get from Point A to Point B.
“Where are you going?”
He glanced over his shoulder. At least he wasn’t ignoring her. “For a walk.”
Panic surfaced again. “You’re going to leave me here by myself?”
She had been all right as long as she knew he was somewhere nearby. Her heart pounded at the prospect of being alone in the house again, even though it was mid-afternoon.
He stopped halfway across the backyard. He stayed still so long she thought he’d gone off into some sort of weird trance.
Laurel Heights (Haunted Hearts Series Book 1) Page 10
