by J. C. Kenney
“The other day, Cecil Burgess showed me his equipment bag. It had the same logo and styling as the one used to bury Valerie. He was a bad seed back then, yes. A murderer? No. The bag proved it.”
“It’s Dak.” Ted pushed away from the table and pointed at his former teammate. “He and Valerie were dating then. He’s the one who got her pregnant. He’s the one who killed her.”
The room exploded in utter pandemonium. People shouted at Matt to arrest Dak. Others rushed to be at Connie’s side.
If I didn’t get the situation under control, and do it fast, all could still be lost. All I’d offered up so far was circumstantial evidence and conjecture. If the murderer got out of this room, he’d have time to concoct a story, lawyer up, or worst-case scenario, grab his passport and flee the country.
“Enough!” I took off my shoe and pounded it on the table, à la Nikita Khrushchev at the U.N. General Assembly.
“You’re all forgetting a few key things. Like the rope that was used to strangle Valerie. It was high-quality marine rope. Dak’s family had a fishing boat, but they spent most of their time hunting, not fishing. It didn’t make sense for his family to spend a lot of money on a top-of-the-line product like that.”
“Yeah. We used nasty old cotton rope.” Dak looked around the room, begging people to believe him. “We used it for hunting, too.”
“Come on, man. You expect us to believe that?” Ted snorted. “Sounds a little too convenient to me.”
“You’re right, Ted.” I pointed my finger at him. “The Borus family has owned a twenty-five-foot walkaround boat for over twenty-five years. They berth it at Lake Monroe. My guess is that a number of people in this room have been on it.”
Ted licked his lips and stood. His eyes were narrowed, and his brow was lined with sweat.
“What about the rope the cops found under Spade’s trailer,” he asked. “DNA that old probably isn’t foolproof. You need to arrest Dak, Chief. Right now.”
“Nice try, Ted.” I shook my head and looked him in the eye.
“That rope was yours. Remember what I said earlier about spring break? Everyone knows your family always went someplace warm that week. Since you were playing ball, you had the house to yourself while Mom and Dad took little sis to some beach resort. And with nobody around to interfere, you were able to keep the leftover rope hidden in plain sight. In your barn.
“Where you murdered Valerie.”
“No.” He shook his head.
“Your dad might have asked what happened to the rope if you’d gotten rid of all of it. Since you held on to most of it, nobody was the wiser.” I took a step toward Ted. “Then, when Ron Spade went to prison, you saw your chance to get rid of it, setting him up to take the fall. Just in case.”
“You’re insane.” He pointed at me as he looked at Matt. “This is slander. Chief, I want you to arrest this woman.”
I ignored his desperate plea and stepped closer toward him until we were mere inches apart. The acrid stench of sweat was radiating from him like light emanating from the sun.
“Well done, Ted. By framing Spade, you tied up the last loose thread. In case Valerie’s body was ever discovered, the rope would send the cops in his direction, not yours. And since he worked at the high school, it was possible that he could get his hands on an equipment bag. Too bad you overlooked the sock. And the bandage that was inside it.”
“You’ll pay for this,” he said in a low tone that was laced with venom.
“Let’s all take a breath, folks.” Matt put his hands up in a placating fashion. “Ted, I’d like you to step away from Allie.”
“I don’t think so.” Before I had time to react, Ted grabbed me and spun me around. One arm was around my neck. The other had my arms pinned against me.
He tightened his hold around my throat. “If anybody takes one step closer, I’ll break her neck.”
Blood pounded in my head as he applied pressure to my carotid arteries. My breathing wanted to gallop away like a wild mustang. If that happened, I’d end up hyperventilating. Which would mean possibly passing out.
And being unable to defend myself.
“Do what he says.” The force in my voice encouraged me, despite my dire condition. What I needed was time. Time to formulate a plan. Time to turn the tables.
Time to get Ted’s confession.
I closed my eyes and turned my focus inward. Deep, calming breaths. Ignore Ted’s sickly sweet cologne and his jalapeño-tinged breath.
In through the nose. Out through the mouth. You’ve been in tight spots before.
In a few moments, the roar of blood in my ears subsided as the pounding in my carotid against Ted’s arm slowed. Once again, the discipline learned from my kickboxing training was about to give me the upper hand.
When I opened my eyes, it was like time had come to a screeching halt. Every person in the room was standing still, like they’d been hit with a supervillain’s freeze ray. The scene would have been almost comical, if not for the fact that Matt had his gun drawn.
And it was pointed at me and Ted.
Matt wasn’t known to have an itchy trigger finger. Pulling his gun was simply a reaction to Ted’s violent behavior. At least, that’s what I told myself.
“There’s no need to do anything rash, Ted. Let Allie go and we can talk about this.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Ted tightened his grip around my neck and lifted me up until only my toes contacted the floor.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. Matt, you’re going to put your gun away and then Allie and I are going to walk out of here. If anybody tries to stop us, she ends up taking the big sleep.”
The reference to the classic Raymond Chandler novel made me want to laugh. Ted may have committed a heinous murder, but he had no idea how the criminal mind worked. And he sure as heck didn’t know a thing about being a private investigator.
I was familiar with both. And I also knew I wasn’t walking out of this room under his control.
“Don’t think so, dude.” I stretched my neck to open my airway. It was time to finish the story.
“You want to know why Ted killed Valerie? She wanted to keep the baby. Ted Borus, Rushing Creek’s golden boy, couldn’t have that. He had a scholarship to play college ball. A pro career was on the horizon. A child out of wedlock meant scandal. Maybe even put his future at risk. You couldn’t have that, could you, Ted?”
“You’re a liar.” Ted’s shout left my ears ringing. His hands and arms were covered in perspiration, though. The sweat was causing his grip on me to loosen.
“I’m fairly sure I’m right. You always got whatever you wanted. Valerie was going to get in your way.”
I looked at Matt. When we made eye contact, I winked. It was time.
“Just like I’m going to get in your way now.” I inhaled as much air as I could, then lifted my leg and kicked back, right into Ted’s shin.
He let out a yowl, like an injured animal, and lost his hold on me.
With one arm, I executed a backward punch. My fist rammed into his nose with a satisfying crack. I leapt away from him and spun around, ready to take him out with another kick or punch.
It wasn’t necessary. As I balled my fists, Matt leapt across the table and pinned Ted to the floor, face-first.
The chief cuffed Ted and pulled him into a sitting position. Blood ran down the insurance agent’s face from his broken nose. Tears filled his eyes as Matt yanked him to his feet. He was clearly in no mood to spare Ted with any gentleness.
“All right, I did it. Allie’s right.” He slumped back to the floor, his knees evidently incapable of supporting him. The tears began to fall in torrents. When Matt began to read Ted his Miranda rights, he waved the chief away.
“We hooked up at the bonfire. I knew she and Dak were together, but that had never stopped me before, you know.” He sucked in a ragged breath. “She told me she was pregnant over Thanksgiving break. I called her some names and told her there was no wa
y I could be the father. When she disappeared, I thought my troubles were over.”
“You monster!” Connie lunged at him, but Angela held her back. “You killed my baby.”
Ted shook his head. “I didn’t mean to. She showed up, with no warning, and told me that she was going to ask for a paternity test. I freaked out. When I realized what I’d done, I panicked. I got rid of the body someplace I thought nobody would look.”
With Jack’s help, Matt hauled Ted back to his feet and led him toward the door. Calypso was still standing guard, God bless her.
She handed Ted a napkin. “For your nose. To stop the bleeding.”
“Thank you. That’s kind of you.”
“Not really. I don’t want you bleeding all over the floor.” She looked at me and saluted by raising her chin. The young queen of sarcasm was back.
Before Matt could lead him through the doorway, Ted turned to face Connie. “I’m sorry for what I did. Valerie’s ghost has haunted me ever since that night.”
“Then it’s about time she got some rest.” She turned on her heel and made a beeline toward me. “Thank you, Allie. Thank you for giving my family the answers we’ve been looking for all these years.”
She collapsed into my arms and wept twenty years’ worth of tears. I held on to her with all my might and wept with her. For her family and for Valerie. Hopefully, now the Briggs family could have the peace they’d been denied for so many long years.
Chapter Twenty-seven
“And I thought my evening working on budgets was exciting.” Brent refilled my wineglass and chuckled. “I don’t know whether to give you a standing ovation or get down on one knee and plead with you not to put yourself in danger again.”
“A little of both would be okay. Though I think I’d prefer the standing ovation.”
My beau and I were sitting on the deck at Marinara’s enjoying a glorious sunset and an equally delicious bottle of Riesling.
It was over.
Once Connie had said goodbye and exited the Pub with Angela by her side, I’d collapsed into a chair, closed my eyes, and shut out the world.
I’d kept my promise.
The respite was painfully short-lived. Given the circumstances, nobody wanted to stick around after the meeting, so a few minutes later, Calypso tapped me on the shoulder.
“Sorry, Boss, but I need to clean up. The sooner I get the blood off the carpet and wall, the better.” She handed me a cup of coffee. “Your sister said you might need this.”
The coffee was tepid. Not my favorite temperature. Then again, since the table had been cleared and wiped clean, I figured Calypso must have waited for as long as possible before disturbing me. As I sipped the drink, I came back to life a bit.
“Thanks. I need to give you a raise. Or get my sister to give you one.”
“I’ll take what’s behind door three. You both can give me raises.” She slipped on rubber gloves and sprayed the wall where drops of Ted’s blood had landed.
While Calypso worked, I drained the coffee. When she moved to the floor, she gave me a long, silent stare. It was time for me to leave.
I gave her a hug and made my way to the nearest bar stool. From my perch, I kept an eye on the hubbub going on out front. Red and blue lights pulsated from a pair of police cars while officers collected witness statements. A small crowd had gathered around my fellow committee members, no doubt trying to get firsthand accounts on what had happened.
Rachel, with a cell phone to her ear, emerged from her office. I was trying not to eavesdrop, but some habits were hard to break. Based on her side of the conversation, she was having a testy conversation with either the pub’s insurance carrier or a reporter. I couldn’t be sure which, but at the moment, either seemed plausible.
After taking a look out front, she said something into the phone and moved toward the bar. When she made eye contact with me, she ended the conversation with an abrupt, “I’ll have to call you back.”
She slipped onto the vacant stool next to me. We didn’t speak. She stared at her phone as she ran her fingers along the edge of the neon green screen protector.
“That was a pretty dumb thing you did in there.” She put up her hand before I could respond. “And pretty amazing, too. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.” I took a drink from a glass of water she placed in front of me. I winced as the cool liquid went down my throat. I guess everything in the area of my neck was going to hurt for a while. It was a minor inconvenience, though.
“I’ve read enough of my clients’ manuscripts to know it might not have ended with a confession. I was gambling it would, though. Regardless of what he tried, there was no way Ted was going to be able to run for long.”
“You’d know better than me.” Rachel’s phone rang. She rolled her eyes, evidently recognizing the caller’s number. “It’s Kim Frye. I better take this. Do me a favor. Don’t solve any more murders in my restaurant, okay?”
I laughed. My sister, who didn’t compliment me very often, had been more than reasonable with me and my stunt.
“Okay.”
As she turned her attention to the phone call, my heart began to race, and I broke out in goose bumps. My rational mind told me the symptoms were signs of a delayed reaction to stressful event. My emotional mind said I needed to get away from the spot where everything went down.
“Gotta go, Rach.” I grabbed my bag and double-timed it out the door.
And right into the crowd gathered on the sidewalk.
Despite my desire to cover my mouth, announce, “I’m sick,” and rush down the street, I took a deep breath and faced the group. If I didn’t engage now, this throng, or another one, wouldn’t let me rest until I did.
“There she is, the Kickboxing Crusader herself.” Sloane hip-checked her way from the back until she was face-to-face with me. Then she wrapped me up in a lung-collapsing bear hug and lifted me off the ground.
A round of applause broke out during the embrace. When Sloane released me, she took me by the wrist and raised my arm in the air.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about, people,” Sloane shouted.
My cheeks burned hotter with each person who shook my hand, gave me a hug, or asked to take a selfie with me. I was grateful for the support, but I was bone-tired, too, physically and emotionally.
Tapping into an emergency reserve of energy way deep down inside of me, I smiled and shared a word with every single person. It was like I was a combination rock star and politician. When the last person had shared his well-wishes and gotten a selfie with me, I gave Sloane another hug and made my way to Marinara’s.
I was ready for a drink. Two, maybe.
Brent, God love him, answered my text by saying he’d be right there. Since it had taken him all of ten seconds to respond, I had a feeling word had already gotten to him about my “performance.” I had to give him props for not adding any drama to a stressful situation by demanding an explanation.
Now, here we were at Marinara’s. The wine danced on my tongue. The red sunset over the hills of Southern Indiana was breathtaking. For the moment, tranquility reigned.
Then Brent’s chair scraped against the recycled plastic deck planks. He stood, unfolding his long, lanky frame. At times, I forgot how big he was.
I tried to sink into my chair when he gave me a devilish grin and lifted his drink. Sammy, who had settled himself next to me, joined his dad by getting up on all fours.
“Holy cats, don’t embarrass me, please.”
“Just doing what you asked.” He got the attention of the diners who were on the deck with us. “Please join me in a salute to the amazing Allie Cobb. Today, she once again made our community safer by bringing a murderer to justice.”
He put down his drink and led the diners in a round of applause. Even Sammy got in on the act by barking and trying to lick my face.
With a full heart, I gave everyone a little wave. As our server placed a veggie calzone in front of me, I
gave Brent the most menacing side-eye I could muster. I couldn’t hold it when the young lady told us dinner was on the house. At the same time Sammy rested his chin on my thigh and let out a little woof.
There was still a lot of kindness, of pure goodness, in the world.
“Heroes get served first.” Brent cut the calzone with loving care. The irresistible aroma of the fresh-baked crust mingling with glorious Italian spices made my stomach grumble.
I took a bite. It tasted as amazing as it smelled. Two more bites immediately followed. The fabulous taste won out over the discomfort involved with swallowing.
“Okay, you’re forgiven for the public display of foolishness.”
“Good. In that case, try not to put yourself in harm’s way again. Sammy’s my best bud, but he still comes up short on the conversation end.”
The dog barked in agreement.
Tension drained from my shoulders as we dined. Things were going to be okay.
Even Matt’s arrival didn’t darken my mood.
“You sure you’re all right?” He sat when we gestured for him to join us. Even though he was still in uniform, I sensed this wasn’t an official visit, especially when he accepted Brent’s offer to share his pizza.
“Having my throat squeezed like a stress ball wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had, but it’s fine. You’re not here to tell me Ted’s recanted his confession, I hope.”
“Nothing like that. He’s asked for a lawyer. Tommy’s keeping him company until counsel arrives.”
Matt polished off his piece of pizza and drained a glass of water like it was his first meal in days. I felt for him. Stressful, emotional situations like the one we’d just been through burned more calories than a two-hour bike ride through the Brown County countryside.
On top of that, he had a long night ahead of him. Getting a signed confession was likely going to take hours. On the other hand, I got to go home, curl up with Ursi, and have a full night’s sleep in my own bed.
