03-Keeping Mum

by Alyse Carlson

  “She had something she was afraid to tell the police—something she wants to tell us . . . me.”

  “Does she know who you are?”

  “Yeah. I think she figured it out. It’s how she found me. The paper passed on my cell number.”

  “And she’s coming here? With . . .”

  “I think it’s okay. She sounds scared, but I think she’s scared of whoever got to her husband, which puts her on our side.”

  “Unless she’s trying to pull one over on us,” Cam said.

  “There’s three of us, right? We’re okay. But maybe we should . . . let someone else know?” Rob said.

  “Like who, Jake?” Annie said.

  Her sarcasm was on the mean side, rather than the playful. Cam knew it was just the stress, but it was true—the person they’d normally have back them up was busy with something far more dangerous than anything they were involved in.

  There was no progress over the scanner, and Annie closed up shop for the day, relieved to be done with the customers. She pulled out a bottle of wine, which Cam opened as Rob let Vera Windermere-Sullivan in the back door.

  Vera waved to Cam and then scrutinized Annie.

  “This is the friend I told you about who’s a senator’s daughter,” Cam said. “Annie Schulz, this is Vera Windermere Sullivan.”

  “We’re sort of related,” Annie said. “Your husband was the brother of my step-monster.”

  Vera gave a laughing cough. “Yes. I suppose that’s true.”

  “You said there was something you were afraid to tell the police?” Rob said.

  “And now I’m afraid not to, but I’m not sure how to go about it.”

  “They can be subtle if you think you’re in danger.”

  Vera sat and dropped her head into her hands.

  “Yesterday wasn’t the first time my place was searched,” she finally said. “Before Mike died . . . a day or two after Daddy’s murder . . . somebody was at the house looking for something. They turned the place over. I don’t know who. I wasn’t home. Mike and I weren’t getting along, but he blew me off and said it had to do with him. He said he cleaned it up. Do you think they found something?”

  “Honestly,” Rob said. “If they found what they were looking for, I sort of doubt they’d have killed Mike. Unless . . . I mean, if it was something he knew and they were keeping him quiet.”

  “Chances are,” Cam said, “whatever the police are looking for is long gone, unless this Leo guy has it in that cabin.”

  “Leo?” Vera said.

  Cam bit her cheek as punishment. She shouldn’t have let any details slip. But maybe Vera could reassure them. “Leo was a guy who was . . . apartment sitting at Mike’s other place. Do you know him?”

  “Know of him. He’s a parasite. I used to see him out sometimes, but he started calling Mike regularly a few months ago.”

  “Do you know what about?”

  “Just looking for Mike, or that’s all he’d tell me. I think he was involved in the drugs.”

  “Drugs?” Rob said.

  They already knew that Mike had been connected to drugs, of course, but it was better to act clueless. Maybe Vera would share something new.

  “Mike had a . . . habit. It’s embarrassing, really, but I guess not so uncommon for someone like him if he ran into money.”

  “Didn’t you . . .”

  “He didn’t bring it home. It’s why he took on the apartment. I didn’t like it. I wanted to divorce him.”

  “But your father objected.”

  “That’s putting it mildly. The apartment was a compromise. For both of us.”

  Cam wondered if she was referring to her affair.

  “Why do you think your father would want you strapped to a drug-using gambling addict?”

  “He suggested I didn’t know everything, but wouldn’t explain.”

  That sounded very strange to Cam, but she decided she should stay out of this. Rob had established a pretty good rapport and she would let him work it.

  “So do you think Leo is dangerous?” Rob said.

  “I think anyone on drugs can be dangerous, but I don’t suspect he’s overly competent. What do you think I should do?”

  “We have a police officer friend—someone we know you can trust. He’s up at that cabin tonight, but maybe we can figure out a way you can talk to him tomorrow?”

  “Come to our Thanksgiving,” Cam said. “I mean . . . not for dinner, but if you were to . . . maybe bring a bottle of wine, make it look like a social call . . . eat pie with us . . . something like that. We already know Jake’s stopping for dessert, so that should work perfectly.”

  “Okay, I’ll try that.” Vera looked relieved.

  “Can you maybe . . . spend the night with a friend or something tonight?” Rob asked.

  “I’ll stay with my mother. She’ll like that.”

  Cam wasn’t sure the woman liked anything, but supposed a daughter visit probably was closer to tolerable than most things, so she smiled and nodded. They sent Vera out the door with a box of cupcakes so it looked like she’d just been treated like a VIP customer.

  “What do you think?” Cam said when she was gone.

  “That there’s something going on,” Rob said. “We’ve heard drugs mentioned a couple times, yet other than money disappearing and breaking into your office, Sullivan doesn’t really seem to fit the profile. And then . . . I wonder . . .”

  Rob sat down at his laptop and plugged in some search terms. He finally frowned and sat back.

  “I can’t prove it, but I think maybe this real estate fraud is a drug-laundering cover. There’s money going in and out, but the properties don’t seem to be moving at the same rate. I’d need to find the actual books and I don’t know how I’d go about that, but maybe that was what these murders were about.”

  “Jake subpoenaed those records, though, right? That’s how we found out Melvin was involved,” Cam said.

  “Yeah, and there was evidence of large political donations to Jared Koontz, but Jake won’t share any more detail. I’m not sure he trusts part of what’s there, and he says he can’t have me running off with something that was meant to mislead us.”

  “Samantha suggested those donations never got there—there was a huge canceled check. Maybe that’s fishy, too. I guess it depends on if the police find what they’re looking for in Mike Sullivan’s stuff,” Cam said.

  Rob smiled and said, “Maybe we really are getting closer to figuring this all out.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Annie slept over at Cam’s that night. She was too worried about Jake to be alone, and they had a big following day planned, preparing Cam’s dad’s place for a house full of company. Rob left a little after midnight with the promise to be back around ten the next morning with a bottle of Baileys and a vat of eggnog.

  “We’re going to swim in it?” Annie asked sleepily from her curled-up position on the futon.

  “Yes. Thanksgiving doesn’t count as a holiday if you don’t swim in eggnog,” Cam said, then kissed Rob good-bye.

  He winked at her as he left.

  “Come on, pumpkin. Let’s move to the bed so I can hear if you need me in the middle of the night,” Cam said, urging Annie up.

  That was Cam’s last coherent thought before the pounding woke her the following morning. It was almost nine and she was very glad for the uninterrupted sleep for both of them, though the banging on her front door was jarring.

  She threw on a robe and made her way to it.

  “Annie! I can’t find Annie!”

  “She’s here! She was too upset to be alone is all.”

  Jake rushed in and ran to Annie, though his relief was nothing compared with hers, and soon Cam’s apartment was deserted, save for her, as the two of them fled for a calming shower . . . or something. The details had been muddled, and Cam didn’t want to stop them to clarify.

  Cam made a pot of coffee and waited until the water upstairs stopped before hopping in her own show
er. She preferred the water pressure all to herself.

  • • •

  • • •

  It was a later start than they’d planned, but Cam, Rob, and Annie left for Cam’s dad’s around noon. Annie had left Jake sleeping at her place: working all night excused him from his day shift and some portion of dinner with his family. He promised to stop by Cam’s dad’s around five for the pie and witness confession moment before heading over to see his family.

  Nick and Petunia were already at her dad’s when they arrived, Petunia seated with a cup of tea and looking crabby about it.

  “You okay? Can I get you anything?” Cam asked.

  “I’m apparently in the way in there!”

  Cam looked at Petunia and her protruding belly, but thought it was probably her attitude more than her girth that was hard to accommodate on a day like this.

  “I made my honey buns,” Annie whispered. “You want one?”

  Petunia perked up. “Really?”

  “Only for you. Everyone else has to wait for supper.”

  Cam rolled her eyes, but Petunia seemed appeased and turned her attention back to the Thanksgiving Day parade on the television. Cam willed Rob to wait a few hours before trying to suggest they switch to football. Once Nick was out here to join the effort, Petunia might go for it, but not until then.

  Cam and Annie rolled into the kitchen to strategically place two pies, one cheesecake, the rolls, and the eggnog. Her dad was standing over a crockpot.

  “Smell this, sunshine.”

  Cam went over and gave a sniff, “Ooh! Mulled wine! It smells good. Annie should give it the official thumbs-up, though. She’ll know if there is something to improve it.”

  Annie came over and suggested just a pinch of cloves, and then indeed gave the thumbs-up. “I’ll need one of those soon. Dad and Elle will be here before long.”

  Cam asked if Nick needed help, but he had it under control, and Cam’s dad was content to play backup in the kitchen. He’d always liked helping, if not being primary chef. So Cam and Annie went out to make sure the table was set with the good china. Halfway through, Cam’s dad had her add a seat.

  “Didn’t I tell you Vivian is coming?” he said.

  “Oh, no. Lovely,” Cam said, but worried a little that the table might be taken over by politics if Vivian and Senator Schulz were both present. Still, it was sort of nice to see a big meal being planned for the first time since her mom had been the primary planner. The last few years there had only been five or six of them, and this would pleasantly stretch their table.

  • • •

  • • •

  When guests began to arrive, Petunia kicked her dad out of the kitchen to act as sous-chef herself and let Cam and her dad host the social side, serving drinks and getting people situated. Petunia could be antisocial that way, so nobody was surprised.

  Supper was served a short while later and conversation was pleasant, even as political disagreement landmines were avoided. Senator Schulz and Elle were happy enough to have been invited that they were on their best behavior, and Vivian had been raised a lady, or so she had whispered to Cam and Nelson when the Schulzes arrived. So she was also keeping her opinions to herself. It seemed to be the case, too, until she wiped her mouth and spilled her confession.

  “You know, Cam, I wasn’t quite forthcoming. My nephew, Brian Fontana, has been working in Chad Phillips’s office.”

  “Erm . . . we actually knew that,” Rob said. “Was he spying?”

  “Yes, but not politically. You see, the city got a call that Chad might be receiving a lot more in campaign donations than he was reporting. And the auditor double-checked and it looked like that was so, but there wasn’t anything concrete. In particular, we couldn’t tell if it was him or his staff. My peers on the city council agreed we should look into it.”

  “Without telling the police?”

  “We didn’t know if we had anything. He was just poking around.”

  Cam and Rob looked at each other and then back to Vivian. “And?” Cam said.

  “They seem to have a lot more money than they’ve been given.”

  “How?” Rob asked. “Isn’t that backward?”

  “Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?”

  • • •

  • • •

  After supper, with the arrival of both Vera Windermere-Sullivan and Jake, things began to get really interesting. Cam led them into the formal living room, which was at the front of the house and away from the family room, where most of the guests were gathered. But because Cam, Annie, and Rob wanted to be involved with the conversation, in addition to Jake and Vera, it seemed an audience had trailed them to listen in.

  More shocking, though, was that when the items taken from Vera’s house were discussed, Elle stepped forward.

  “I think I know where that is.”

  Cam heard Vera gasp.

  “Where what is?” Jake asked.

  “The folder. Mike’s folder. The one I’m sure they’re looking for.”

  Everyone stared at her, her husband the most obviously.

  “Why didn’t you mention it earlier?” Annie asked.

  “Your dad never would have forgiven me if I’d put you in any danger. Mike gave me something and said it was . . . a life insurance policy of sorts and he’d let me know what to do with it. That was the last time I saw him. I haven’t had a chance to look at it since then, but . . . I figured since he was gone, he didn’t have time to enact the plan.”

  “Would you mind if we went to get that?” Jake said.

  “I’d rather go get it and bring it here, if you don’t mind.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” Cam asked.

  “Of course I am. It’s also very private. I’d just . . . Alden can take me.”

  “I’d rather escort you,” Jake said.

  Alden stepped forward. “I’d consider it a personal favor.”

  Jake sighed. “I’ll wait here then.”

  “And we’ll hold dessert,” Cam said.

  The silence was heavy after they left. Vera fidgeted and Cam wondered how to calm her. Finally, everyone wandered into other rooms. Annie and Cam headed to the kitchen to wash dishes, leaving Vera with Jake.

  “Who would have guessed Cruella had the answers this whole time?” Annie said.

  “I would have thought you,” Cam teased.

  “I’m still dying to know why they were framing me,” Vivian said.

  Cam jumped. She hadn’t heard Vivian come in behind her, and without having seen her, her voice had sent a shock of memory through Cam to Thanksgivings years ago when Aunt Vi had been a part of their family festivities. She’d completely forgotten until then.

  “Hopefully, this will all sort it out,” Cam said. “It’s sure nice to have you here, Aunt Vi.”

  Vivian laughed. “Oh, it’s been so long since I was called that. Come here and let me hug you.”

  Cam collected her hug, and Annie dived in after her. “That means I get to call you Aunt Vi, too,” she said.

  Vivian laughed. “Always happy for another niece. But you know your father and I don’t agree on a darned thing.”

  “It’s okay. He and I don’t agree on anything either.”

  Vivian laughed even harder.

  “What’s all this fun about?” Cam’s dad had been drawn to the laughter. He wasn’t used to not being the source of it.

  “Just a little memory lane in here, and a niece adoption.” Vivian put an arm around each girl.

  Annie frowned then and stepped away, pulling her phone from her pocket. Cam thought it must have vibrated.

  “They must be having trouble,” she said when she looked at the screen. “Hi, Dad.”

  Cam watched Annie’s face fall, then she ran out of the room shouting for Jake.

  “That doesn’t sound very good,” Mr. Harris said.

  Cam followed Annie as quickly as possible, needing to hear the details.

  “. . . same damn cabin in the
woods—the one you had the standoff at yesterday. It belonged to their parents. But there’s a hiding spot somewhere there. Dad drove, but he was waiting in the car and somebody grabbed her. He just saw them dragging her back into the woods.”

  “Damn. I had enough of that place yesterday. And it’ll be hard to track anything with all the police traffic having trampled the woods already.”

  He got on his phone and called the station while Cam saw that Vera had turned white. She turned to Rob.

  “Whatever happened with that guy Leo?” Cam asked.

  “Must have chickened out. When they finally broke in, he was passed out. He must have taken pills or something. He was rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped, but as far as I know that’s all they got from him.”

  Jake left then. Annie was frantic. “We can’t just leave them out there on their own.”

  “They aren’t on their own,” Cam said. “The police are on their way.”

  “I want to go,” Annie said.

  “Do you have any clue where it is?”

  “Sort of.”

  “I know.” Cam, Annie, and Rob turned to look at Vera Windermere-Sullivan. She’d already retrieved her purse and had her keys in her hand. “I want to go face this bastard. He killed my father and my husband.”

  Cam was going to argue, but she could tell right away that both Annie and Rob were going to go, so she made excuses she was sure her family didn’t believe and the four of them left in Vera’s sedan. It was the most comfortable, to be sure, but was also a nice sage color that would be less obvious cruising through the wooded roads than her bright yellow Mustang.

  • • •

  • • •

  “How do you know this place?” Rob asked as they drove. He’d taken shotgun, while Cam and Annie climbed in back.

  “Mike used to take me up here when he was courting me—away from our parents and their prying eyes. We crashed on Elle once or twice, but usually it was empty.”

  “Not Len?”

  “Naw. Lenny was the good kid—followed the rules. Not that Elle was wild like Mike, but she wasn’t straight like Lenny, either.”

  “He’s that straight? Do you know why he would hide evidence then?”