“People do make mistakes.”
“Laurie Anne, Mark has been my deputy ever since I’ve been chief of police, and I have never known him to make a mistake like that. Maybe he’s not brilliant, but he’s always been thorough and he’s always been competent.”
“Dead bodies tend to make people nervous.”
“Mark’s seen people shot, knifed, and so torn up by car accidents that you couldn’t tell which parts belonged to which person. As bodies go, Seth’s was darned mild.”
“Still, he was in charge this time.”
But Junior shook her head. “Mark’s been in charge before. I do go on vacations sometimes, no matter what my mama thinks, and so did Daddy.”
“Then what did you think?”
“Nothing specific, but I knew something was going on. First he didn’t want it to be a murder at all, and when that didn’t work, he withheld information that could have led to the murderer. So I decided to let him run things his way so I could see what he’d do.”
“Giving him enough rope to hang himself?”
“Which he did by the way he handled the investigation. Everybody knows that the first place you look for a killer is the family, but he didn’t do much with any of the Murdstones. Failing that, he should have done something with the moonshining connection, but instead he came up with that fairy tale about a thief sneaking into the building. Then he dreamed up the idea that the practical joker was the killer, only now we find out he was setting up those pranks himself. It’s been like he’s been working as hard as he can to keep from catching the killer. Which is why I wanted to work with you, so I could keep an eye on him.”
I nodded, remembering all the things Mark had been doing that I had thought were just bone stupid. Of course, I was feeling pretty darned stupid myself because of how Junior had been using me. I didn’t need any hormones to make me furious. “Junior, I thought we were working together. If all you want to do is play games, you can do it by yourself.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to get you mad.”
“What did you mean to do? Make a fool out of me?”
“Come on, now, Laurie Anne. Give me a chance to explain.”
I might have walked out on her, but I could see where Richard and the others were still trying to fix up the damaged flat, and I remembered that what we were doing was more important than my ego. Still, I wasn’t happy with Junior. “You could have told me what you were really up to. After all we’ve gone through together, I’d think you’d trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Then why did you tell me all that stuff about wanting to see how I work?”
“I really did want to see how you work. I’m learning a lot.”
“Sure,” I said, not believing her.
“I mean it.”
“Thanks, but that doesn’t make up for not telling me the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Laurie Anne, I really am, but I had my reasons.”
“I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath. “Look, I was hoping I was wrong about Mark, and I didn’t want to ruin his reputation without knowing for sure what’s going on.” She held up one hand to stop me before I could object. “I know you wouldn’t have told anybody but Richard, but I didn’t want even y’all distrusting Mark without a good reason.”
“I can understand that,” I said.
“And I wasn’t all that sure of my own motives, what with the way he’s been treating me. I was afraid I was making something out of nothing.”
“You wouldn’t do that, not with something this serious.”
“I’m glad you think so, but other folks might not see it that way.”
I nodded, knowing that there were people in town who’d think that she’d framed Mark to protect her job.
“One other thing,” she said. “I felt like I owed Mark a chance to do the right thing. I thought that once he knew I was working with you, he’d come clean because he’d know I wasn’t going to just go away. The fact that he hasn’t—that he’s following us and setting up pranks to distract us—that worries me, Laurie Anne. But I’ve still got to know exactly what’s going on before I make a move.”
“You don’t think he …”
“Go ahead and say it,” she said wearily.
“You think he may have killed Seth himself.”
Chapter 29
Neither of us said anything for a long time after that. I don’t know about Junior, but I was picturing a murderer riding around with a gun and a badge. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of police corruption, of course—the Boston Globe was filled with articles about cops stealing valuable evidence, and FBI agents letting informants get away with terrible crimes—but it wasn’t something I’d ever expected to see in Byerly.
The front door opened, and I said, “Speak of the devil. Mark just walked in.”
“Remember, Laurie Anne, I don’t want him to know we suspect anything.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said, but I wasn’t feeling confident. Not only am I a lousy liar, but I’ve got an awful poker face.
Mark came right to us. “Junior, Mrs. Fleming.”
“Deputy Pope,” I said.
He looked at all the frantic activity on the stage. “What’s the problem now?”
“The practical joker rigged one of the flats to fall over,” I said, watching his face for some sign of guilt or remorse.
“Was anybody hurt?”
Before Junior or I could answer, Aunt Maggie stomped over. “It’s about time you showed up. When are you going to do something about all the foolishness going on around here? You see that piece of scenery? Somebody could have gotten hurt if that thing had fallen!”
“I thought it did fall,” Mark said.
“Lucky for us, Laurie Anne found it before it went down.”
“Is that right?” Mark said, looking at me.
“Don’t even think it,” Aunt Maggie snapped. “Laurie Anne didn’t do it, even if she was here before the rest of us. She was waiting for us outside the whole time. Right, Laurie Anne?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. Though I appreciated Aunt Maggie leaping to my defense, I sure wished she hadn’t given Mark so much information.
“You’ve got a job to do, deputy,” Aunt Maggie said, “and I expect you to get off your duff and do it. Is that understood?” It didn’t really call for an answer, which was just as well, because Aunt Maggie was gone before he could say anything.
“Then you weren’t at the funeral?” Mark said to me.
“Nope, I was too tired from running around the mall,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “So, did you get much shopping done yesterday?”
Mark didn’t answer, but his face turned bright red, and he marched off.
“Laurie Anne …” Junior started to say.
“I wasn’t teasing him just for the sake of teasing him, Junior. I just wanted to make him mad enough to leave before I gave anything away.”
“You made him mad, all right.”
“Better mad than suspicious, but he’s probably both now, thanks to Aunt Maggie.” Just knowing that was an uncomfortable feeling, and I resolved not to spend any time alone until this thing was finished. “Do you know why Mark would have killed Seth?”
“I’ve got an idea.”
“Do I get to hear it?”
“I’ve already apologized once.”
“You’re right. I’ll behave.”
“Anyway, I was trying to figure out why Mark was avoiding the moonshine angle. After all, it would have been quite a coup if he’d been able to prove Seth was a moonshiner when neither Daddy nor I ever could. It might even have helped him convince more council members that he ought to be chief of police. Then I wondered if maybe that’s what he was after all along.”
“You lost me.”
“What if Mark decided to go after Seth while I was out of the picture? Even though he doesn’t know Clara Todger, he could have heard from other s
ources that Seth was thinking about retiring. If that happened, Mark would never have had another chance at him. Daddy and I have never been big on harassing suspects, but suppose Mark decided that was the only thing left to try. Suppose he confronted Seth that day, trying to get him to admit he was making moonshine. When Seth wouldn’t, Mark lost his temper and hit him. His night stick would have been just about right for that dent in Seth’s head. But he hit Seth harder than he meant to and killed him. So he hightailed it and waited for the call to come through.”
“That’s not bad,” I said, “but was Mark even here that day? And did he know about that door?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I do know he’d been here other days. Vasti got him over here at least once so she could complain about the first batch of practical jokes. As for the door, I saw him go out that way to talk with Big Bill when Big Bill was smoking one of his cigars.”
“Then it really could be him,” I said. “How do we prove it?”
“Hold your horses,” Junior said, holding up one hand. “We’ve still got other suspects.”
“I didn’t see any of them setting a flat to fall.”
“Oh, Mark’s up to something, but it may not be murder.”
“Then what?”
“He could be trying to distract us from the murder so he’ll be able to solve it himself.”
“If he’s been setting up all the pranks, he hasn’t had time to solve a murder.”
“Then maybe he already knows who it is and is covering for him.”
“Who? Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, Laurie Anne!” she snapped. “Maybe he thinks it was Florence, but he’s got a secret passion for her and doesn’t want to see her in jail. Maybe he hated Seth so much he thinks the killer should get a medal instead of a jail term. Maybe he really thinks it was an accident. All I know is that we’ve got other suspects.” She took a deep breath. “Sure, Mark is still on the list. Maybe he’s even at the top of the list. But he’s not the entire list.”
I opened my mouth to argue but closed it when I realized what Junior’s problem was. I’d been in a similar position myself the summer before, when my cousin Linwood was the main suspect in a series of arson fires. Even though I wasn’t all that fond of Linwood, and even though I wasn’t sure he was innocent, I’d defended him because he was family. Though Mark wasn’t exactly a member of Junior’s family, they’d worked together a long time, and before that, he’d worked with her father. On top of that, they were both cops, which was another powerful bond. So even though he wasn’t related by blood, in a way Mark was part of Junior’s family. Even though I would have loved to pin it on him, if for no other reason than to keep Junior’s job safe, I couldn’t push her on it.
I said, “Okay, who’s after Mark?”
“David, for one,” Junior said.
“To hide the moonshining and/or Tim from his society wife,” I said.
“Florence.”
“To hide the moonshining and/or Tim from her society friends.”
“Jake.”
“To keep the moonshine flowing, or to keep Tim away from Seth’s money.”
“Mrs. Gamp.”
“If she found out that Seth was the one to kill her husband.”
“Tim Topper.”
“Revenge for his mother, or to get an inheritance.”
“On the not-very-likely end of the list, we’ve got Oliver, Sid, and the Todger family.”
“Don’t forget the Mafia,” I added.
“I hadn’t forgotten. They’re smack dab at the bottom of the list.”
I started to count them up but then decided I didn’t want to. “That’s scary. Everybody liked Seth, but here there are this many people with reasons to kill him.”
“If everybody had liked him,” Junior pointed out, “he wouldn’t be dead.”
“It still doesn’t seem right. Of course, I didn’t really know Seth.”
“Me neither. Under the circumstances, it would have been difficult for me to socialize with him. I wish I had known him better. It’s easier for me to work a case when I know the victim.”
“I almost always know the people involved, myself,” I said. “How do you get a feel for a victim you didn’t know?”
“I talk to the spouses and family and friends—just like we’ve been doing. And at some point, I check out the victim’s house.”
“Does that help?” I asked.
“Sometimes. Most murders don’t come out of the blue, you know, and there’s usually something in a person’s house to show that trouble has been brewing. Angry letters from an ex-wife, or new locks on the door if the person’s been running scared, or all kinds of things. I never know what I’m going to find.”
“Has Mark searched Seth’s place?”
Junior looked irritated, so I left that alone.
“There must be a way to get inside that house,” I said. “Maybe Jake left a window or a door unlocked.”
“No breaking and entering,” Junior said sternly. “I am still chief of police, you know. Besides, we wouldn’t be able to use anything we found in court.”
“How’s this? We went to see David and Florence, but we haven’t paid a condolence call on Jake. We can take him a fruit basket, and while you keep him busy, I’ll tell him I have to go to the bathroom and go snooping instead.”
“You wouldn’t have enough time to find anything. What if you pretended to go into labor on Jake’s front lawn, and when he carried you in, you sent him off to boil hot water while you tossed the place.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted a look around Seth’s house.”
“Sorry,” she said, unable to hide a grin. “Any other ideas?”
“Just one.” I don’t know if Junior thought it was a good idea or not, but at least she kept a straight face when I told her about it and made the phone calls necessary to set it up.
Chapter 30
It took a while to get the ball rolling, but that was just as well. We had to wait for Jake to get to rehearsal anyway, which he didn’t do until after lunch. A little while after that, Aunt Nora showed up with Aunt Edna and Aunt Nellie in tow.
They looked in my direction just long enough to make sure I saw them, then went to where Jake was repairing the damaged flat. “Jake, have you got a minute?” I heard Aunt Nora say, and they spent a little while talking before he handed her a set of keys. I’d expected him to be reluctant, but he seemed grateful, which made me feel guilty about what I had in mind.
Aunt Nora came my way next, saying brightly, “Hey there, Laurie Anne. Are you busy this afternoon?”
“Nope, just taking up space,” I said, trying to sound natural. “Why do you ask?”
“Are you up for some housecleaning?”
“Housecleaning?” I repeated, thinking that it was a good thing I wasn’t in the play, because my performance would have given Richard conniptions.
“I was talking to Edna,” Aunt Nora said, “and we realized that the church hadn’t done a thing to help poor Jake during his troubles, so we volunteered to go clean his house. If you’re not busy, we could use another set of hands.”
“Sure,” I said. “Just let me get my coat.”
Junior was watching us play-act, and Aunt Nora said, “What about you, Junior?”
“I can’t,” she said. “I’m keeping up with the kids.” Actually, she refused because we’d decided that her being directly involved would taint anything I found. Besides, she hated housecleaning nearly as much as I did.
We kept our fake smiles in place until we were in Aunt Nora’s car. Then Aunt Nora excitedly asked, “Did we fool everybody?”
“I think so,” I said, watching the recreation center door until we pulled out of the parking lot. “Nobody is following us.”
“Thank goodness. I was so nervous I was afraid I’d forget what I was supposed to say.”
“You did fine, Nora,” Aunt Nellie assured her. “Laurie Anne, do you really think there’s anything import
ant in Seth’s house?”
“I don’t know, but there might be.” I hadn’t told them who Junior and I suspected, only that we hoped to find something that would point us in the right direction.
The Murdstone house was an old farmhouse, painted brick red with dark-gray shutters. It was surrounded by a couple of acres of land, most of it wooded, and the place was a good distance off the road, with no neighbors in sight. It reminded me of the Todger compound, and I figured Seth had liked his privacy for the same reason they did. Though he hadn’t run his still out of his home, he still wouldn’t have wanted people to know about his comings and goings.
Aunt Nora unlocked the front door with Jake’s keys and waved me inside. “You go ahead. We’ll get the cleaning things out of the car and get to work.”
“Thanks, Aunt Nora. I really appreciate this.”
“Don’t be silly. We’re all glad to pitch in for your last time.”
I resented the “last time” part, but decided it was no time to be picky. After one look inside the front door, I was glad I hadn’t argued with her. My aunts were getting more than they’d bargained for.
The place was a pigsty. The hardwood floor was muddy, there were newspapers and empty bottles scattered around, and every ash tray was filled with cigarette butts. Of course, I reminded myself, Jake had lost his son and then his father in the space of a few months. I didn’t think my place would be any cleaner under those circumstances.
The triplets had told me that Seth lived on the second floor, while Jake and his son had lived on the first, so I headed up the stairs, turning on lights as I went.
It wasn’t as bad up there. A bit dusty, and since Seth had been a smoker, the smell lingered, but I didn’t think anybody had done much in there since Seth died. That was all the better as far as I was concerned.
Knowing the age of the house and the usual layout for places like it, I could tell that there’d been a lot of modifications made to the place. I’d have expected a bathroom and three or four bedrooms. Instead, there was a den, a compact kitchen, a larger than usual bathroom, and a roomy bedroom. I wondered if Seth and Jake had done the work themselves, because if they were that good, they should have gotten out of moonshining and into construction.
Toni L.P. Kelner - Laura Fleming 07 - Mad as the Dickens Page 20
