The Cast Net

by Mille West

  “Yes, sir, I’m afraid so.”

  When Mills and Mr. Adams went back to the porch, Cooper explained to them what had occurred, and they both were aghast by the events. Mrs. Adams took Cooper’s hand again and said, “We’ve been through painful experiences in our lives, but I don’t believe God sends His people heartache and tragedy. You do a great deal of investing in real estate, but please don’t forget to invest in your soul. The doors are always open to the Lord’s house.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Adams visited with Cooper and Mills for over an hour until Mr. Adams told his wife they needed to be going. She had a difficult time leaving Cooper, and she wiped tears from her eyes as they departed. “If we can do anything for you, let us know,” Mr. Adams said as he closed the screen door.

  When Mills was alone with Cooper, she went down to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. He rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her on the neck.

  “Cooper? Your nightmares about Elise? In the dark enclosure? Lieutenant Barnes said the woman’s remains were in an abandoned well.”

  “I know, Mills. It frightens me to think about my dreams. At times, I feel like I’m going mad.”

  “You’re not going insane. The lieutenant said there was additional evidence.”

  “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. One thing’s for certain: they know where to find me.”

  The next afternoon, Lee Mencken, with the Charleston Dispatch, arrived at Cooper’s house. Mills met him at the front door and he re-introduced himself, but she remembered meeting him.

  He went straight to the point. “I would like to speak with Mr. Heath. I’ve obtained a police report that states there was a shooting at this property before the hurricane. I’ve already written a brief article on the incident, but I’ve been busy with storm-related stories. I know that a policeman died here.”

  “Cooper is asleep. Wait just a minute.”

  She went to Cooper’s desk and retrieved Murphy Black’s business card. When she handed it to him he said, “Yes, Mr. Black, I’m acquainted with him, but he’s not been at his office. Miss Taylor, I just want to know the truth.”

  “Lee, I’m not at liberty to discuss Mr. Heath.”

  As he descended the steps, he pushed his blond hair back and said, “I know Jeff Radcliffe is missing, and I also know there was a love triangle—a deadly one.”

  “Good-bye Lee.”

  “Miss Taylor, good afternoon.”

  Mills went back to Cooper’s bedroom and sat with him until he woke. “You had a visitor. Lee Mencken came to see you.”

  “H.L.?”

  “Yes, I gave him Murphy’s business card.”

  “You did the right thing.”

  “He told me he had been preoccupied with events from the hurricane, but he’s concentrating on you now.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  Several days later, Cooper reviewed a business proposal at his desk while Mills read a book on the couch in the study. A car pulled up to the front of the house, and Cooper looked out the window. “I’m going to need your help. We have visitors.”

  When she opened the front door, Lieutenant Barnes and another officer, named Clancy, were on the porch. She invited them inside and showed them into the study.

  “Lieutenant, forgive me if I don’t get up. Please sit down,” Cooper said. Mills noticed that Lieutenant Barnes was pale and his arm was in a sling.

  He appeared to have lost weight and was not as fit looking as she’d seen him in the past.

  The detective sat down in a chair in front of Cooper and said, “I’m sorry you were hurt before the hurricane. I apologize that it’s taken me longer than expected to get back to you. The medical examiner’s office has not been fully operational, due to storm damage.”

  The usually zealous policeman spoke in a subdued tone and continued, “I have bad news for you, but it’s what I expected. There was a dental records match between your wife, Elise, and the woman’s remains in the well.”

  Cooper appeared suddenly exhausted and he rested his head on his hand, leaning over his desk.

  “There was a handbag in the well, one that you described as being in her possession at the time of her disappearance. It was in decent condition, considering the moisture that surrounded it. Inside I found a letter to your wife from Jeff Radcliffe. A handwriting expert has confirmed its authenticity. This is a copy,” he said, handing Cooper the document.

  As he read the words, Cooper’s face turned white as snow and he looked faint.

  “Lieutenant? In the barn, Jeff said that he had never intentionally hurt anyone in his life.”

  “She had a fractured skull.”

  “I see,” Cooper responded.

  “There was a chemical compound called GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, in her handbag. When ingested, it can cause an individual to lose consciousness rapidly, and in forensic investigation, it’s hard to detect. High doses can lead to respiratory and heart failure. Your cousin had a drug dealer, Troy Whitley, with whom he dealt with on a regular basis, usually to purchase cocaine. Troy’s under arrest for drug-related charges, but you can imagine how quickly adding attempted murder to a set of charges will loosen someone’s tongue. He said that Jeff had purchased GHB from him on more than one occasion—about the time you nearly drowned while diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and then right before your dove shoot that was canceled after your wife vanished.”

  “Oh, no,” Cooper said. Mills and Cooper exchanged glances.

  “I spoke to Erik Grootman, the dive master on the sailboat on the day that you nearly died. He said he changed the dive site at the last moment from a deep-water dive to a nondecompression dive, due to weather conditions. Elise was your dive partner. Where was she while you were drowning? You were fortunate that Mr. Grootman noticed you were in trouble. Being blindsided by someone you trust is virtually impossible to defend against.”

  “Lieutenant, when you came to my house on the eve of the hurricane, were you already aware of the contents of her purse?”

  “I was, but I had to wait on a dental records comparison to verify her identity.”

  “While I was lying on the floor of the barn with two gunshot wounds, I wanted to get my hands on Jeff and then on you. Do you feel any remorse for the deputy that died?”

  “Yes.”

  “What was it you said to Murphy Black? Even those who exhibit grace under pressure have their breaking point. You got what you were looking for.”

  “It wasn’t just you. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jeff—concealing these terrible secrets month after month, borrowing large sums of money from you and hiding his betrayal? The punishment that our own guilt imposes on us can be far worse than any penitence that society might decree.”

  “How do you know about my financial assistance to Jeff?”

  “We’ve been monitoring your bank accounts and Jeff Radcliffe’s since your wife’s disappearance.”

  “Let’s see. You knew I was innocent when you came out here, but you manipulated the two of us in an attempt to extract a confession. Barnes, you have a unique approa
ch to law enforcement: sacrifice the innocent.”

  “Really, Heath, if I’d known you were injured, I would not have pursued your cousin.”

  “Where were you during the storm, Lieutenant?”

  “I don’t know. I must have spent the night in someone’s house.”

  “In the future, I would prefer to come to police headquarters if you have questions for me. You are acquainted with my attorney, Murphy Black, and I’d appreciate any future discussions be arranged through him. In fact, unless you have a warrant for my arrest, don’t come here at all.”

  “The coroner’s office will be in touch with you, and I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.”

  “You’re sorry for what I’ve been through? I’ve been harassed and vilified, and you’re just going to say, ‘Sorry, Cooper?’” He looked at Mills and then at Lieutenant Barnes. “If she had not been with me, I would have died. You don’t appear to be in any better shape than I am right now. Are you afraid that someone might make an arrest and deprive you of your glory? I usually show my guests to the door, but in your case, you can show yourself out!”

  Cooper was livid, and he sat back in his desk chair with his eyes closed. The policemen looked at Cooper and then rose from their seats and left through the front door. Calmly, Cooper turned and picked up the photograph of his wife on the shelf behind him. He studied her face for a few moments and then abruptly rose from his seat and hurled her picture into the fireplace.

  He collapsed back into the chair as Ian entered the room. “Mills, could I talk to Cooper alone, please?”

  She nodded and left the two men in the study.

  Cooper would have one more visitor that afternoon. When Mills answered the door, an attractive woman with red-rimmed eyes stood on the porch. She explained to Mills that she was Lana Monroe, Elise’s mother, and she wanted to speak to Cooper. “I’ve tried to phone out here, but your telephone is out of order.”

  When Cooper joined her in the living room, they hugged each other, and Mrs. Monroe wept as he held her. He asked her to sit down and she said, “I’ve had a visit from Lieutenant Barnes.”

  “Yes. I have as well.”

  “I’m sorry about what has happened.” She was silent for a moment. “I noticed a change in Elise’s behavior over the last few years, but I didn’t do anything about it. I first noticed it while your mother was ill, when you were devoting a great deal of your time to her care. Elise must have become involved with Jeff then. There were times that she told you she was visiting with Carl and me. When you’d call, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I told you she was with her friends, Cassie and Madge. I confronted her about it once and she told me to mind my own affairs. I should have told you the truth. Carl is bitter and is blaming you. He keeps saying that if you had paid attention to what was happening in your own household, this would not have occurred. He was aware of her change in behavior, but he’s not willing to accept that Elise had a role in this. Lieutenant Barnes said that Jeff and Elise were heavy users of cocaine. He also told me about the drug that was found in her purse—and the letter. Cooper, I just can’t believe they would hurt you. This is devastating for me.”

  Cooper took her hand in his, but said nothing.

  “I would like to handle the funeral arrangements,” Lana said.

  With this statement, she began to cry, and Mills went to the pantry to get her a glass of water. When Mrs. Monroe regained composure, she stood up and said, “Thank you for seeing me. I didn’t realize you were hurt until I saw an article in the newspaper.”

  As she made her way to the door, she said, “I hope you feel better soon. I know you are innocent, and Carl will eventually realize this, but it’s going to take some time.”

  After she departed, Ian made the suggestion that they move to his house on Church Street. “Electrical power has been restored to the Charleston peninsula, and I think we will have an easier time of it.”

  As Mills got their possessions together, Ian spoke to her privately. “I’m very worried about Cooper, and I think he should not be sitting out here in the dark. I want to see if he will accompany me to work a few hours each day, and I would appreciate your assisting him. It would be good for both of you.”

  When they arrived at Ian’s home, Mills called her mother and sister. Williston had phoned them to keep them informed, but they were anxious to speak with Mills and very concerned about Cooper.

  Ian gave up his downstairs bedroom for his nephew, and that evening, Mills read to him. She thought Cooper had fallen asleep, but when she closed the book, he spoke, “We walked out of the house together. Thank you for standing by me.”

  “You know I love you.”

  “Would you please hold me?”

  She put the book down and slid under the covers with Cooper.

  The following morning, the Charleston Dispatch had a front-page article on Elise Heath and the facts about the case. As Cooper read the article, he said, “My private hell is no longer private. You’ve got to hand it to him. Mr. Mencken has done a thorough investigation.”

  When Ian read the article, he said, “This will not be the end of it.” He paused as he sipped his coffee. “Williston suggested that you might want to see a doctor, someone to help you sort through the events of this last year.”

  “You mean a psychiatrist?”

  “I think you could benefit from just talking to someone.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  The employees at Heath Brothers were ecstatic when Cooper came to work that morning. As she glanced around the office, Mills noticed the newspaper article about Elise Heath was on several desks, but they quickly disappeared from view.

  Cooper was still using Grey Camp’s cane to help with balance, but Mills realized that, each day, he got stronger and used the staff less. When Ian and Cooper engaged in a business conversation, she was always included, and Cooper told her she’d be running Heath Brothers in no time.

  That afternoon, while Cooper rested, Mills sat outside on the patio at Ian’s home. A tree crew had already been to his house, and she was saddened to see several of his live oaks had suffered broken limbs that had to be cut back. There was the sound of someone clearing their throat, and Mills turned to see Lee Mencken standing at the brick wall that surrounded the rear garden.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Taylor.”

  “Hello, Lee,” she responded.

  “Is Mr. Heath available?”

  “No, he’s resting right now.”

  “I seem to always come at the wrong time,” he said, pushing his hair back. “Miss Taylor, have you heard from Jeff Radcliffe?”

  “Lee—why do you ask such a question?”

  “Someone tried to cash a check for nine thousand dollars that was made out to Jeff Radcliffe from Cooper Heath. The teller questioned the authenticity of the check, and while she went to get the supervisor, the man left. He had light hair, but unfortunately the bank’s security cameras have been malfunctioning since the storm, and his image is distorted.” He handed Mills a business card over the brick wall and said goodbye, his blond hair blowing in the wind as he walked down the sidewalk.

  Lieutenant Barnes phoned Cooper
that afternoon and confirmed what Lee Mencken had already disclosed. The man who had attempted to cash the check bore a resemblance to Jeff Radcliffe. There was another odd turn of events; several residential listings of Jeff’s real estate company had been recently robbed, but there was no sign of forced entry at any of them. When he finished the conversation with the detective, Cooper put a stop payment on the check.

  “I wonder how Lee Mencken got that information.”

  “You said he was a thorough investigator.”

  “Yes, I did,” Cooper said with a smile.

  A few days later, Celeste, Cooper’s aunt, returned home. She had delayed her trip due to the conditions in Charleston, but she wanted to help care for Cooper. The evening of her return, Jeff’s father, Robert Radcliffe, came to see them.

  “I have just returned from police headquarters. A man tried to cash a check made out to Jeff from you, Cooper. He resembled my son. When he attempted to cash the check, he was detained by a bank security guard. The police have charged him with an assortment of crimes, including grand larceny.”

  Mr. Radcliffe rubbed his temples and said, “He found the check and keys to several of Jeffrey’s residential listings in a floatation container near Rockville. The container was in the marsh grass and instead of turning over the contents to the police, he took advantage of others. Apparently, he used the keys to the listings to break inside while homeowners were away. Cooper, I didn’t realize Jeff was borrowing money from you. I don’t understand why he didn’t speak to me about a loan if he needed it.”

  Cooper took his uncle’s hand, and Mr. Radcliffe continued, “I’m at a loss about this whole ordeal. I can’t understand Jeff’s behavior. Please forgive us, Cooper.”

  As he rose from his seat to leave, he wiped tears from his face and said, “I will repay every cent that is owed to you.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Robert.”