House of the Forest

by Diana Wallis Taylor

  “He can’t help but have seen the ring, girlfriend, and he hasn’t been in church in two years, by his own admission. Now he comes to the memorial services and suddenly is going to attend church again?”

  “Beth, that’s between Sam and the Lord. Maybe he’s not mad at God anymore.”

  The phone rang suddenly, causing them both to jump.

  Laura picked up the phone. “Mother?” She listened and her eyes got wider.

  “All right, we’ll be there.”

  She hung up the phone and turned to Beth.

  “Mother wants us to make sure the alarm is on and meet her and Mr. Howard at the Captain’s Anchorage restaurant down the boulevard in about twenty minutes.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “I don’t know. She sounded upset.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Deke slammed his hand against the steering wheel and swore. “You thought you were so smart, Dekey boy, and you blew it. Why didn’t you grab the paper towels instead of stuffing them down in the wastebasket? That’s something an amateur would do and you’re no amateur.” He considered what he’d heard. Well that smart cop didn’t find any fingerprints. It’s a good thing I know enough to wear gloves. I’d better get rid of the boots in case they check out the footprints. I’ll just buy a cheap pair and ditch the ones I have.

  He slowly surveyed the street, his eyes taking in every detail of his surroundings. All appeared quiet. Satisfied that no one followed him around the corner to see where he parked, he leaned back against the seat and considered what he’d learned. It was definitely an afternoon of surprises and possibilities.

  He reviewed the people who’d been present in the house, sorting them out in impressionistic pigeonholes. The niece, a looker but too trusting. He might be able to manipulate her. The friend, Beth, wary and smart. A good thing she planned on leaving tomorrow. The question was, would Laura stay there by herself? He’d have more opportunity to talk to her with no one else around.

  Reviewing the other guests, he dismissed the Morgans, just a couple of old geeks. No threat there. The Mathesons, now that might be a different story. He dismissed Alice Matheson, and he wasn’t sure about the father. Now the son, Sam, could be a problem. The guy was suspicious of him from the start and he was interested in the niece, even though she was engaged. Sam wasn’t going to go away.

  Deke sneered. He’d seen Sam and Laura watching each other. Maybe something going on there. He’d have to be careful. Yeah, Sam Matheson could definitely be trouble.

  He contemplated Laura’s mother and her friend. Gloria wasn’t a bad looking woman but she’d been around, he could tell that. Hard to imagine she and the daughter were related. The daughter was religious, but not the mother. Gloria liked attention, especially from men. He’d been about as charming as he knew how to be and she ate it up. He frowned suddenly, considering the man who came with her, John Howard. There was something about him that made Deke uneasy. The hardness in the man’s gaze smacked of cop somehow. Deke felt he could smell a cop a mile away. Howard could be just a boyfriend, but seemed a little young for Gloria Kingsley. He smirked to himself. Well, maybe she liked her boyfriends young. In any case, he’d better find out about John Howard if he could.

  Rubbing his chin slowly with his thumb, he contemplated the one piece of information that made the afternoon worthwhile, the comment by Mrs. Morgan that his old man had been in the house before the cops got him. He had time to stash the money somewhere.

  Deke chewed on his lip, examining every facet he could think of. If the cops or whoever they were checked out his old man’s apartment, they must not have found anything. It’s a good thing his old man left the envelope with his landlady. Something bothered him. The landlady was just too friendly and helpful. Maybe she did know his mother, maybe she was a friend, or maybe, just maybe, she knew more than she was saying.

  Where were the clippings and the picture while the old man did time? Who kept them for him? The landlady said he gave the envelope to her shortly before he died.

  Did anyone else know about the packet? Maybe the goons that worked his old man over? Could it be a plant? Maybe they thought he could lead them to the money. Why did they think he knew about the money? They questioned Estelle DuPont, but he’d never know what they found out.

  From what he could figure, his old man knew the location of the money and planned on recovering it. Then they killed him. He evidently didn’t tell them where it was no matter what they did to him. Maybe they didn’t mean to kill him, just rough him up and they got carried away. He winced, thinking what his father had endured.

  Deke suddenly shifted in his seat and looked in the rear view mirror. Nothing. For some reason he had the feeling he was being watched. Careful not to be too obvious, he again quietly perused the street around him and the visible parts of the cross street. He didn’t see anyone sitting in their car. An old man was walking his dog, but that was the only movement.

  Deke watched the dog. Some sort of a short-haired mix. A young one, from all the energy it displayed. For a moment an old memory surfaced.

  He’d gone to the local market with his father and there was a box of puppies. He carefully picked one up. The puppy, warm and soft, wiggled in his arms, pressing its wet nose against his cheek. He begged to keep it but his father made him put the puppy down then took his hand, pulling him away from the store.

  He willed the memory away and turned his attention back to Laura and the house. He needed a way to get into Laura’s good graces and be able to talk to her again. He rummaged in his mind for an excuse to stop by again and remembered he’d brought the photograph of her aunt and uncle and the boy. He could copy it for himself and then give the original to Laura. Yeah, she’d like that. Probably invite him in and, who knows where he could go from there?

  Pleased with his plan, he eased the car out of its shadowy parking place and went to find a place to copy the picture.

  Sam, sitting low in his truck, was sure Deke hadn’t spotted him. As he watched, Deke walked quickly down the street in the opposite direction and around the corner.

  Slipping out of his truck, Sam hurried through a couple of back yards, thankful the vacation homes were empty. He hid behind a trellis just in time to see Deke getting into an ancient brown Camero. Sam memorized the license plate and got a picture in his mind of the car so he could describe it. He ran back to his truck, turned it around and drove around the block so he’d be on the same side of the street as Deke’s car. He slowly rolled up behind a camper and three other cars, confident he hadn’t been seen. When Deke pulled out, he gave him some leeway and then followed. Deke wouldn’t know Sam’s truck, but he held back just keeping the Camero in sight.

  The Camero turned into the drugstore parking lot and Sam pulled up in a parking lot across the street. Quickly removing his suit jacket and tie, he slipped into an old leather jacket he’d left in the truck. With a baseball cap from the back seat, he felt sure he wouldn’t be recognized at a distance. In about twenty minutes, Deke came out again carrying a paper bag. He surveyed the cars on the street and in the parking lot and tossing the bag into the back seat, got into his car. The Camero turned onto the main street again and Sam stayed about four or five cars behind. The Camero entered the Motel Six parking lot and drove around behind the motel. Sam paused a moment and then moved on. At least he knew where Deke was staying.

  Pulling into the back lot of a nearby restaurant, Sam took out his cell phone, called the San Bernardino police department and asked for his friend, Dave Hensley.

  “Dave? It’s Sam. How are things going in police world?”

  “Sam! It’s good to hear from you, man. Things are pretty busy down here. How are you doing?”

  “Better than I was. Say, Dave, I hate to take your time, but I have a favor to ask.”

  “Name it, buddy. I’ll do what I can.”

  “We’ve got a situation up here. An elderly lady by the name of Estelle DuPont died recently and her niece is up her
e from San Diego settling the estate.

  “Yeah?” A note of interest crept into Dave’s tone. “What’s going on?”

  “Well, the afternoon before the funeral, somebody broke into Mrs. DuPont’s house while the niece and her friend were away for a few hours. Then the next day at the funeral, some guy that nobody in the family’s ever heard of, by the name of Deke Brucker, shows up and claims to be the son of Mrs. DuPont’s long lost husband.”

  “You don’t say. Did he have any proof?”

  “We didn’t ask him for that. He says his father got out of prison and died a week or so ago of a heart attack and he wanted to find out about his father’s family. Look, he may be who he says he is but I have this gut feeling that something’s not right here. About twenty some-odd years ago, his father, Ray DuPont, robbed a bank and the money’s never been found. With the kind of life this Brucker guy seems to have led, I just thought that for the family’s peace of mind it would be a good idea to check him out.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea, considering what you’ve told me. I’ll run a check on this Deke Brucker and let you know what I find.”

  “Thanks, Dave, I appreciate it. Oh, one other thing that’s a little strange. The guy that broke into the house didn’t take anything.”

  “Have you reported this to the local police?”

  “Yeah, the niece called them but things were pretty clean. The officer in charge felt the thief might be looking for something in particular.”

  “You think it has to do with the missing bank money?”

  “Darned if I know”.

  “Well, if he didn’t take anything, he’s looking for something all right. I’ll get on it and call you back.”

  “Thanks Dave, I owe you one.”

  “With all the work you did on my cabin up there? I think it’s the other way around, Sam. I’ll be in touch.”

  “All right.”

  Sam flipped his cell phone closed and sat in the truck thinking about what to do. He could go back to the house, but couldn’t think of a good reason to give Laura, other than his suspicions of her new-found cousin. Would she read something else into his concern? He shook his head and started home.

  He was propping his feet up in front of the fire in a pair of old sweats with a deli sandwich when the phone rang.

  “Sam? It’s Dave. Look, I checked Brucker out with a buddy in LA. He’s Ray DuPont’s son all right. He works a minimum wage job in auto parts factory. Non-union. The Feds have been watching the place, they think they’re dealing with stolen car parts but haven’t been able to get the proof they need. They wouldn’t elaborate, but it could be they’re getting ready to move on the place, so keep it under your hat. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep a safe distance from all this.”

  “Has he got a record?”

  “He might have had one as a juvenile, but that would have been sealed when he turned 18. No arrests so far, and that’s surprising considering he was bumped around to a lot of foster homes.”

  San chewed on his lower lip, taking in the information. “You know, the guy admitted he knew about the bank robbery and the money at the house today. He seemed very interested in the fact that Ray DuPont might have been in the house before his arrest. One of the neighbors told the niece about it.”

  There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. “Then he’s looking for the money. One other thing, Sam, DuPont was big on gambling. He might have gotten in over his head and thought to use the money from the bank robbery to cover his tail. Since the money from the bank hasn’t been found maybe somebody’s trying to track it down. Maybe they think Brucker might somehow lead them to it.”

  “How do they figure that? He says he was only about four when his father went to prison and claims he hasn’t seen him since.”

  “Maybe DuPont was visited by someone in prison. I can check that out. It may take a while.”

  “How did the authorities find his son if Deke says he never saw his father again?”

  Dave chuckled. “We have our ways. Sometimes through the DMV.” Maybe they ran a check on him.”

  “So Brucker is who he says he is.”

  “It appears he is. I need more info. Tell you what, Sam. Let me do a little record checking. I’ll get back to you in a day or so.”

  Sam listened, shaking his head slowly.

  “Do the police know Brucker is here in Big Bear?”

  “They may, if they’re following him. Probably have a man up there.”

  “Do they know where he’s staying?”

  “If they’re following him they do.”

  Sam sighed, So much for my work as a detective. He cradled the phone on his shoulder while he made some notes on a pad.

  “Brucker says he planned to come up here to find Estelle DuPont and learn more of his father, then when he found out she’d died, he came to the services to talk to the niece.”

  “Could be legit, Sam, but who knows.”

  “Seems like a long shot that the son would know where the money is.”

  “Yeah, it’s a long shot. According to the landlady, some men, claiming to be Federal agents went over Ray DuPont’s apartment with a fine tooth comb. They told her to keep quiet about their being there.”

  “How did you find out about it then?”

  “She found the body and called the police. A plainclothes checked her out and got her to talk. She was frightened. The department doesn’t think the first guys were feds at all. Some goons worked DuPont over and killed him”.

  “That’s a hard way to go.”

  “Yeah. Evidently he didn’t talk. They’re still looking for the money.”

  “Deke says DuPont’s landlady gave him a packet that his father left with her. Told her to try and find him.”

  Dave hesitated a moment. “Look, Sam, I’ve told you more than I should have. Something doesn’t fit here. These guys are professionals. Just keep a low profile, okay?”

  “Sure, Dave, I don’t want to get you in any kind of trouble. Mrs. DuPont meant a lot to me. I didn’t want her niece to get hurt.”

  “What’s the niece like?”

  “Nice girl, very attractive, also very trusting. That’s why the concern about Brucker.”

  “Attractive, huh? Don’t blame you for being interested in her welfare.”

  “Don’t read this the wrong way. She’s headed back to San Diego to her job when she gets the aunt’s estate settled. She’s also sporting an engagement ring.”

  “No offense buddy, but I guess I hoped you were interested. It’s been a long time.”

  Sam felt his defenses go up. ”Look, I appreciate what you’re saying. I’m not sure where I am right now.” He chewed on his lip a moment. “One last question. Do you think Brucker is the one that broke into the house?”

  “Well, he does seem a likely candidate.”

  “Do you think the niece and her friend are in any danger?”

  His friend hesitated. “I’m not sure, Sam. Even though the guy’s record is clean, like I told you, he’s in a place the police have under surveillance. The police aren’t quite sure what he’s doing for them. If he’s after the money, there’s no telling what a punk like him might do. He’s working a minimum wage job. A bundle that’s close to a million bucks is a pretty good incentive.”

  Sam whistled. “That would be an incentive for any crook. Thanks, for filling me in on this.”

  “As I said, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself, Sam. If you’re worried about Mrs. DuPont’s niece, just keep your eyes and ears open, okay?”

  After he hung up, Sam felt grateful that the LA police at least were watching Laura’s cousin. Sam mulled over what he’d seen and heard so far. He hadn’t seen anyone else tailing Deke. Did LAPD have a man up here? If so, who was it?”

  A few minutes later, as he was finishing the sandwich, it came to him. Sam nodded slowly. He should have known.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Laura and Beth entered the dimly
lit restaurant and finally spotted her mother and John Howard in a corner booth. As they slid into the booth, Laura turned to Gloria.

  “What’s this all about, Mother? You sounded like something terrible has happened.”

  Gloria indicated John Howard. “I’ll let him tell you.”

  He glanced around the restaurant for a moment and then spoke in a low voice.

  “As I told you, Ms Kingsley, I work for the Los Angeles Police Department. We’ve been keeping an eye on your cousin, Deke Brucker. He’s kept a low profile, but the place he’s working for has been under surveillance for some time.”

  Laura leaned forward. “Why?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say.”

  Laura’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

  Mr. Howard continued. “Someone else worked for this factory. Maybe he was going to snitch. We figure he got greedy and maybe wanted part of the action as a price for keeping silent.” He paused. “They found his body in a garbage dump.”

  Laura gasped. “How awful.”

  Gloria broke in. “The main reason I insisted that John tell you this is for your safety, Laura. I’ve changed my mind. I believe it would be best if I stay in the house with you after Beth leaves. You mustn’t be alone. We don’t know what Deke will do next if indeed he is looking for the money.”

  Laura was touched by her mother’s concern. After the break-in, she didn’t feel comfortable staying alone in the house after Beth left. For once she welcomed her mother’s company. It had been a long while since they’d spent some quality time together.

  “That would be wonderful, Mother. You can have Aunt Estelle’s room.”

  Gloria blanched visibly. “Oh, ah, no, darling, I’ll take the guest room.”

  “I’m already settled in there, Mother.”

  “Really, Laura, you just need to move a few clothes.”

  Beth raised her eyebrows. “Does this have anything to do with where your sister died?”

  Gloria gave Beth a withering glance. “I just wouldn’t feel comfortable there.”

  Laura bit the inevitable bullet. “No problem. I’ll move into Aunt Estelle’s room.