Gators and Garters

by Jana DeLeon

  “I can’t see him going to all that trouble unless he knew something was going to happen to Molly soon,” Gertie said.

  I nodded. “He definitely had motive and since we know he was on-site that afternoon, he had opportunity.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Gertie asked.

  “I’m stumped on the how,” I said. “And unfortunately, Dexter and Marissa are a much neater fit in the how slot.”

  Gertie sighed. “You know, on the television shows, no one could have done it. In our case, everyone could have done it. I’m not sure which is worse.”

  Ida Belle nodded. “I hate to sound like Gertie but what now?”

  I stared down Main Street and blew out a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe I need to sit on it a while.”

  “Then I’ll drop you off,” Ida Belle said as she pulled away. “I’m going home and washing my SUV. A real wash.”

  “I probably have some canning to do,” Gertie said.

  “No, you don’t,” Ida Belle said. “It’s hot as Hades and everything is dead. You won’t be canning for months. What you will be doing is helping me wash my SUV.”

  “But I hate washing cars,” Gertie said.

  “How would you know?” Ida Belle asked. “You’ve never washed yours.”

  “I’ve washed my car,” Gertie protested.

  “Who was president when it happened?” Ida Belle asked.

  “Morgan Freeman,” Gertie said.

  “Good movie,” I said and Ida Belle gave me a cutting look.

  “What?” I asked. “It was a good movie.”

  She pulled into my drive and gestured at me. “Get out. Get on with your thinking. Somebody’s got to figure this mess out and I don’t think it’s going to be me.”

  “I might figure it out,” Gertie said.

  “If we’re waiting on you, we’re all doomed,” Ida Belle said. “Call later and let us know if you have anything.”

  I nodded and jumped out of the SUV. I was going to head inside, take off my bra, pull on the thinnest pair of shorts and tank top I owned, then grab a beer and park my butt in my lawn chair under the oak tree and stare at the water until everything was clear. Except the water, of course. That would take a miracle.

  I was beginning to think this case would as well.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I was on my fourth beer and still no closer to an answer on the case when Carter dropped into the chair next to me. He pointed at the empty bag of Cheetos and the equally not-full bag of Oreos and shook his head.

  “You ate dinner without me,” he said.

  “That’s what happens when you don’t keep regular schedules.”

  He smiled. “That’s what happens when you’re stewing over something. It’s ninety-five degrees out here and you’re collecting quite a pile of debris there.”

  “This is just from the last hour,” I said. “And I probably shouldn’t admit that.”

  “Impressive. We have a hot dog eating contest at the fall fair. You could win a year’s supply of wieners.”

  I made a face. “Why is it always hot dogs? If it was funnel cake, I’d be first to sign up.”

  “If it was funnel cake, diabetes would clog up the funeral home in a single day.”

  I studied him for a moment. Something was different. His tone was lighter. His body looser.

  “You made an arrest,” I said.

  He smiled. “The DA will make an official announcement tomorrow morning. Dexter and Marissa have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They were transferred to New Orleans for holding.”

  So many emotions raced through me that I wasn’t sure which one to dwell on. I was thrilled that an arrest had been made. That Molly’s death wouldn’t go down as just another unfortunate accident. But I was also disappointed that Silas would be collecting on a daughter he had abused. Life simply wasn’t fair.

  “Was what I had on them enough for the DA?” I asked. “Or did you find more?”

  “I found the longbow,” Carter said. “And Dexter’s fingerprints were on the keys to Molly’s small boat.”

  “That’s damning but is it enough?”

  “Ha. Get this. Those idiots were practicing her signature. I found some drafts of documents on a laptop. It looks like they were going to try to fake a will.”

  “Molly didn’t have a will,” I said. “I know that for certain now. I found the attorney she talked to about it, but she never followed up. I’ll get you his information for the DA.”

  “That would be great. How did you find him?”

  “Long story that goes back to the Great Bear Chase.”

  I looked out over the bayou and frowned.

  “I thought you would be happier about this,” he said.

  “I am happy. I mean as happy as you can be when a good person is taken out before their time.”

  “But?”

  “But I’m bent that Molly’s father will inherit. He treated those kids horribly. Every person I talked to said so.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

  “And I know he was planning something. I just think Dexter and Marissa beat him to it. Maybe by a matter of minutes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I told him about the insurance policy and showed him the signatures. He flipped the images back and forth, frowning the entire time.

  “Is there anything you can do about that?” I asked. “At the very least, he shouldn’t be collecting on a life insurance policy that was fraudulently made.”

  “Let me check something,” he said and pulled out his cell phone. He made a call, giving the person on the other line the number on Molly’s driver’s license, then hung up.

  “If he’s committing fraud, he’s doing a darn good job of it,” Carter said. “The driver’s license number is correct. I’ll look up the license when I’m back in the office, but this looks authentic and the picture on the license is definitely Molly. You said the insurance agent was positive that this is the person he worked with, correct?”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t mean he’s right. What if Molly’s license was stolen so that someone could do this? Or it’s a good fake? A copy of a good fake is hard to pick out. Silas is just as desperate for money as Dexter is. Maybe the whole thing was a setup.”

  Carter shook his head. “With the issuing agent ID’ing Molly as the client, and a valid ID on file, you’d have a hard time proving anything.”

  “You think I’m reaching.”

  “I don’t think you’re reaching. I think you don’t want a despicable man to profit from the death of a child he never cared about.”

  I sighed. “Reaching.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe you just want things to be fair. I have the same issues and unfortunately, this line of work shoves just how unfair things are in my face every week.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that Dexter and Marissa have been arrested. I’m happy to have answers for my client and hopefully justice for Molly. I guess I just wanted all the bad guys to go down.”

  “I can talk to the insurance company, give them my concerns. They might pay eventually, but they can drag things out a while. And if I know insurance companies, they’ll be glad of any excuse to exercise their right to do just that.”

  “Thanks. That’s something at least.”

  “And maybe they’ll launch their own investigation.”

  “What are they going to find that I didn’t?”

  “Likely nothing.”

  “So in the end, Silas still wins.”

  “Maybe we can hope he dies before he can collect.”

  I shook my head. “The good guys are never that lucky.”

  With the arrest in his rearview mirror, Carter stayed the night. We had leftovers and polished off the rest of my beer, then we both showered and slept like dead people. He was up and off early to finish up paperwork and take care of things that had slid while he was working on Molly’s case. I was up early but only off to the kitchen, where I p
oured coffee and sent a text to Ida Belle and Gertie to convene whenever they were ready. I hadn’t filled them in last night. It was news that would hold and besides, I still wasn’t clear how I felt about it.

  I’d hoped a good night’s sleep would put it all into perspective but no such luck.

  They arrived about thirty minutes later, Gertie wearing Band-Aids on three fingers and sporting a large bruise on her right biceps. I pointed at the injuries as she poured coffee and she gave Ida Belle a dirty look.

  “I broke three nails cleaning that car of hers,” Gertie said. “And they’re so far back, I don’t even think a manicurist can fix them for the party tonight.”

  “And the bruise?” I asked.

  “Ida Belle popped me with the hose when I rubbed the wax up and down instead of in circles.”

  “That was an accident,” Ida Belle said.

  “That’s what she says,” Gertie said, not looking remotely convinced. “So Carter stayed the night. Does that mean you have arrest news?”

  I stared at her in dismay. “How did you know that?”

  She shrugged. “People see things. They talk.”

  “It was just last night and the sun is barely up,” I said.

  “There’s not a lot to talk about here,” Ida Belle said.

  “But we’re changing all of that tonight!” Gertie said, finally perking up.

  Ida Belle looked as though Gertie had just announced a funeral service.

  “So who’s in jail?” Ida Belle asked.

  “Dexter and Marissa,” I said.

  “Well, we figured that was coming,” Ida Belle said. “With what we found, and I’m guessing a search warrant produced more.”

  “Did they flip on each other?” Gertie asked.

  “No,” I said. “Carter said they’re still denying any involvement in Molly’s disappearance.”

  Ida Belle frowned. “That’s surprising. I didn’t take either for a pillar of strength. I was just vacillating on which would give it up first.”

  “Yeah, surprised me too,” I said.

  Ida Belle studied me for a bit. “For someone who provided the information that set all of this in motion, you don’t look very happy.”

  I shrugged. “I am. I guess. I don’t know. I mean, I’m glad Molly will get justice and Dexter and Marissa will pay…”

  “But?” Ida Belle asked.

  “But there’s still so many unanswered questions,” I said. “Things that don’t fit. And there’s still the issue of Silas getting paid out of all of this.”

  “Did you tell Carter about the signatures?” Gertie asked.

  “Yes, and he said he’d talk to the insurance agency. He’s pretty sure they’d be happy for an excuse not to pay out or delay at least. But with the DA making a murder case, it will be easier for Silas to push Molly’s assets through the legal system.”

  Gertie sighed. “Darn it. I didn’t even think about that. If you can get a murder conviction with no body, then I guess you can’t exactly hold up the asset distribution.”

  “Probably not,” I said.

  “Well, hell,” Gertie said. “Now I’m unhappy too.”

  “We do seem at cross-purposes here,” Ida Belle said. “I suppose we just have to go with the truth and let the chips fall.”

  “If only Molly would have followed up with that attorney,” Gertie said.

  I nodded. “At least there’s that document about the catering business. With any luck, Molly had as many assets as possible under the business.”

  “I’ll bet there’s still enough left for Silas to pay his back taxes, though,” Ida Belle said. “Our friends at the convenience store will be disappointed. I think they were hoping to get rid of him this time.”

  “Maybe the insurance company will launch an investigation,” I said. “If they can prove fraud then it’s possible Silas could go to jail for it.”

  Ida Belle shook her head. “The insurance company won’t take things that far. It’s simply not economical. It’s much easier to refuse payment based on fraud and then see if Silas sues. And assuming it was all a setup, then he should go quietly away and collect nothing. At least not from them.”

  Gertie nodded. “And as for the rest of it—maybe we just have to chalk it up to stupidity.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “But just how stupid can people be? If we assume that Dexter and Marissa have been planning to off Molly so that Dexter could take the business, then why did they do it before they had legal documents? I mean, I know Molly wasn’t going to sign it over, but why were they just now trying to create fake documents? Why wasn’t that already in place before they pulled the trigger…or the longbow, as it was?”

  “Perhaps they saw the opportunity and went for it,” Ida Belle said. “Maybe collectors were coming down on both of them and they didn’t feel they could wait any longer. Maybe they figured they could manufacture the documents as easily after she was dead as before. It’s hard to know, really. Dexter is clearly a user and con and Marissa is an addict. You can’t attach logic to either of them.”

  I sighed. “I suppose you’re right but man, it’s really not satisfying at all, is it?”

  “In many ways, no,” Ida Belle agreed. “But in others—the most important ones—it is.”

  “I guess I need to keep reminding myself of those important ones,” I said.

  “Have you told Nickel yet?” Gertie asked.

  “No,” I said. “I didn’t figure he’d be up and about until later today and I wasn’t ready to go over it all last night.”

  “I would think not with Carter staying over,” Gertie said.

  “And who told you that?” I asked again.

  “We all have our sources,” Gertie said.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’ve made friends with Ronald, haven’t you?”

  She feigned an innocent look. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh good God,” Ida Belle said. “Like we needed more crazy in our lives.”

  “Has he been feeding that gator in my yard?” I asked.

  “No,” Gertie said.

  I stared at her.

  “I swear he hasn’t,” she said. “I mean, he’s baked casseroles and stood out there for a while, but he said he hasn’t seen Godzilla since that day he ate the terrorist.”

  “And what about you?” Ida Belle asked.

  “I’ve seen him when I went out fishing,” Gertie said. “But across the lake.”

  “If he gets hungry and lazy, he’ll be back here begging,” I said.

  “Last time we fed him a terrorist,” Gertie said. “Maybe he decided he didn’t like the menu here.”

  “I didn’t feed him a terrorist,” I said. “He just happened to be in my yard.”

  Gertie shrugged. “He was trying to kill you. Godzilla was hungry. Worked out well for everyone. Except maybe the terrorist.”

  “Maybe?”

  “You were going to shoot him anyway,” Gertie said. “It was just a matter of time.”

  It was a valid point so I couldn’t really argue.

  “Well, now that this case is closed, I guess we’re back to sitting indoors and griping about the heat,” I said.

  They both frowned.

  “Boredom is the worst,” Gertie said.

  “People can’t go and get themselves murdered just so you’ll have something to do,” Ida Belle said.

  “Some of them could,” Gertie said. “I could make a list.”

  I left a message for Nickel later in the morning and finally heard back from him just before noon. He was doing cleanup at the bar to prepare for opening that night and asked if I could swing by there to give him an update. I wondered briefly what he planned on telling Whiskey about our meeting, but when I arrived, he told me Whiskey had gone to New Orleans to pick up a shipment of wine that was stuck at the dock because the transport had broken down.

  He grinned at me as I walked in the bar.

  “Not your usual hangout,” he said.


  “Oh, I’ve been here a time or two,” I said. “It’s…interesting.”

  “Can get a little crazy.”

  I shrugged. “I was in the sandbox for most of my missions. This place is like visiting a library compared to combat.”

  He nodded. “Kinda puts it all in perspective. I’m surprised you’re not bored living here, given what you used to do.”

  “Have you met Gertie?”

  He laughed. “You’ve got a point. Anyway, you said you had an update, and I’d like to get that over with before Whiskey gets back and starts asking questions.”

  “You’re not afraid those guys are going to tattle on you?” I asked, indicating a table of men in the corner.

  “They’ve been here since yesterday. Slept right there in those chairs last night. I’m pretty sure they don’t even know where they are or what day it is.”

  “Okay, well, here’s the deal.”

  I filled him in on everything that I’d discovered—about Dexter and Marissa, the attorney that Molly spoke to, Silas and his back taxes, the insurance agent, the overheard conversation in the motel room. And finally, I told him that Carter had arrested Dexter and Marissa and they were being held in NOLA.

  “Wow!” he said when I finished. “The rumors about you weren’t joking. I can’t believe you found all that out in just a matter of days. And Dexter and Marissa are in jail. I guess that’s something.”

  He sounded about as excited over the news as I was.

  “I know,” I said and slumped on my stool. “I hate that I couldn’t get more on Silas. I really, really dislike the man.”

  “I think that’s pretty much how everyone who’s ever met him feels.”

  “I’m sure. And I know he was up to something with that insurance policy but maybe Dexter and Marissa beat him to the final play.”

  “Could be,” Nickel said. “I guess they was up to plenty themselves. Seems like Molly was walking around with more targets on her back than she had shirt for.”

  “I know the feeling. The only difference is I was aware I was targeted, and it wasn’t by anyone that was supposed to have my back.”