Deadly Deception

by Rayna Morgan

  “When we met Danielle in her father’s office, she didn’t seem particularly upset by news of Toby’s death,” Warren observed.

  Phil’s mouth turned up a fraction of an inch. “Like I said, she’s an ice queen.”

  Warren stood to leave. “Are you ready to go, Maddy? I’m sure Phil has things to do.”

  “It’s almost twelve o’clock. My stomach’s growling.” She looked at Phil. “Is there a sandwich shop nearby?”

  “Johanna’s Deli on the corner. They’ve got the best Reuben in town.”

  She patted her tummy. “Johanna’s it is.”

  • • •

  Outside Phil’s office, they saw the sign for the deli less than a block away.

  “Let’s walk and come back for the car after lunch,” Warren suggested. “I’ll need the exercise after what I plan to put away.”

  “A Reuben is loaded with cholesterol. Mom would hardly approve.”

  “Didn’t I hear you tell your sister you’re on a healthy eating kick?”

  “I won’t tell, if you don’t.”

  On the way, Maddy informed her father of the entries on Toby’s calendar.

  He listened carefully when she mentioned the second item. “After Toby’s confession, we know the M stands for Mickey. But why the question mark?”

  Maddy nodded. “I wondered that, too. Toby told me he wanted a chance to buy the penny. He had to ask Mickey for the money.”

  “I see his dilemma if he didn’t mention the penny when it came into his possession. It would be awkward to admit he sold the coin without informing Mickey.”

  “That supports the theory that Toby’s cheating gave Mickey a reason to kill him.”

  “It does, indeed.”

  They were half way down the block when Phil walked up behind them. “Mind if I join you?”

  Warren stepped aside to make room. “Did talking about the deli whet your appetite?”

  “No, I’ll just have coffee.”

  Warren’s interest perked up.

  If Phil doesn’t want to eat, he’s here to talk.

  • • •

  The deli was crowded. Luckily, they got the last remaining booth and didn’t have to wait.

  After placing their order, Warren faced Phil. “Something you forgot to tell us?”

  Phil glanced around. His answer was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t feel right about how things were presented at the office.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ed introduced me as the person who would handle your account now that Toby is…”

  His voice trailed off.

  “No longer available,” Maddy finished.

  “Are you telling us that’s not the situation?” Warren asked.

  “I’ll handle your account for a few weeks, but I’m leaving soon.” He noted Warren’s surprise. “Don’t worry. Ed already has feelers out for Toby’s replacement and mine.”

  “Are you leaving because of what happened to Toby?” Maddy asked.

  Phil shook his head. “Even before this happened, I decided to quit. To find another company to work for.”

  “A matter of greener pastures, or misgivings about the company?” Warren asked.

  “To be honest, a difference of opinion regarding the way business should be conducted.”

  “I would be interested to hear,” Warren said. “After all, my money is involved.”

  “I feel you have a right to know. That’s why I came after you.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but can you be more specific?”

  “I know you met Toby through Marge. She’s a prime example of the way Toby zeroed in on people susceptible to his particular brand of marketing.”

  Warren made no effort to pull punches. “I’m aware Toby took advantage of older clients.”

  Phil looked surprised. “Yet you did business with him.”

  “I had no intention of letting him take advantage of me.”

  “Then my warning is unnecessary. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

  “Not at all. I’d like to hear more. Was Ed aware of Toby’s conduct?”

  “Ed pretended to turn a blind eye, but I think he knew.”

  Maddy drew back. “That’s deplorable.”

  “I agree. I had no idea when I came on board. Once I realized what was going on, I didn’t want to be part of it.”

  “Did you confront the owner?”

  “That’s the problem. Ed is the owner in title only. He’s neither the brains nor the money behind the company.”

  Warren sat straighter, eager to hear his theory confirmed. “Who is?”

  Phil raised his hands. “I don’t know. He’s like a shadow. I wouldn’t think he exists except for snatches of conversations I heard between Toby and someone named Nick or Mick.”

  Warren and Maddy looked at each other.

  “The name wouldn’t happen to be Mickey, would it?” Warren asked. “Mickey Flynn?”

  Phil moistened his lips. “I can’t say for certain. Whoever he is, he and Toby are engaged in suspicious activity.”

  “What do you mean by suspicious activity?” Maddy asked.

  Phil leaned forward and whispered. “If you ask me, the gold and silver business is a front for illegal financial transactions.”

  Warren tapped Maddy’s foot under the table.

  “Are you suggesting Marge’s investment is used to launder dirty money?” he asked.

  Phil glanced over his shoulder. “I should get back.”

  Warren reached across the table and placed a hand on Phil’s arm.

  “Did you ever confront Toby about enticing female investors?”

  “The only time I did, he laughed at me. Said I was jealous of the way he attracted women.”

  “Is that true?” Maddy asked.

  Phil frowned. “I suppose I was jealous, but not for the reason Toby thought.”

  “You were jealous of Danielle’s attraction to Toby,” Maddy guessed.

  Phil made no effort at denial.

  “Toby was always flirting. Half the time, I doubt he realized he did it. He claimed it meant nothing. Most of the time, it amused me to watch him.” His tone became bitter. “But Danielle deserved better.”

  “Did she accept his flirtatiousness?”

  His face flushed. “I never understood why she put up with it as long as she did. She tried to act amused, but I know his disrespect hurt her. I was glad he finally crossed the line by having an affair. It gave her reason to break off with him.”

  Warren leaned back, thoughtfully. “Perhaps Danielle had an urge to hurt Toby the way he hurt her.”

  Phil’s eyes widened in disbelief. “If you’re suggesting Danielle had anything to do with what happened to Toby, you’re crazy. That woman doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”

  They watched as he brushed past people in line to make an exit.

  “That’s what a man thinks of a woman he loves,” Maddy quipped.

  • • •

  Back at the agency, Maddy raved to Lea about their good fortune.

  “Phil confirmed all of Dad’s theories. Toby’s intentional fleecing of investors, the money laundering, and the mastermind behind the operation.”

  “So it seems,” Warren mumbled.

  Maddy giggled. “Excuse my pun, but Phil handed us verification of the gold and silver scam on a silver platter.”

  Her father didn’t smile.

  “This gives Don the ammunition he needs to go after Integrity,” she gushed.

  “Whoa. Slow down, Maddy. In the first place, Phil’s opinion is pure conjecture at this point. He provided no proof. I doubt he would even if we ask.”

  “Still, it’s another finger pointing to Mickey as Toby’s killer,” Lea said.

  “Perhaps.”

  Lea tuned into her father’s monosyllabic responses.

  “Why aren’t you excited like Maddy? You got more than we hoped for from your visit to Integrity.”

  Warren looked thoughtful. “I
agree our conversation with Phil appears to be a windfall.”

  “I sense reservations,” Lea said.

  “Remember what we discussed when I dissected Toby’s pitch.”

  “If a thing sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Maddy repeated.

  “Do you think Phil’s leading us astray?” Lea asked.

  “I don’t know, but I feel like I’m being manipulated.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  The last person Pat wanted to see walked toward her. As they came alongside each other, she tried to pass.

  Cranston spread his arms to block her. He stood so close she smelled the breath freshener he used to hide his drinking.

  “Now that we got our business over with, where’s that drink you promised me?”

  “Where would you like to go?” She faced him with fire in her eyes. “How about going to the Card Club? The bartender serves a mean martini. But I guess you know that.”

  His lips twisted in an ugly sneer. “You had someone follow me, didn’t you?”

  She returned his unfriendly look. “What makes you think that?”

  “The tail wasn’t difficult to spot. The woman you sent needs to work on her surveillance skills.”

  “Mind telling me what business you have there?”

  Cranston shrugged. “Last time I was in town, I dropped more dough at the club than I had on me. I went to clear my IOU.”

  So he admits being in town on a previous occasion.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you taking care of your gambling debts or doing business with Mickey Flynn?”

  He pressed a hand on either side of the wall behind her.

  “You have a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “Back off!”

  At that moment, the Chief came out of his office.

  “I heard that, Cranston. I don’t know how you do things up north, but that kind of remark has no place in my station. In fact, I consider it downright unacceptable.”

  Pat pushed Cranston farther away, an action which inflamed him.

  He turned on the Chief. “What are you going to do about it?”

  The chief’s assistant leaned across her desk. “I guarantee you don’t want to find out.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Cranston smirked. “I got what I came for. I’m happy to leave.”

  Becky resumed her seat. “Not nearly as happy as we are to see you go.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  “Hey, Pat. It’s Tim. I’ve got news about Mickey.”

  Pat’s heart pounded. “I’m listening.”

  “I put pressure on a bouncer who used to work here. He admitted he’s been helping Mickey take care of some unfinished business.”

  “What unfinished business?”

  I’d love to know the bouncer’s shoe size.

  “He wouldn’t say. Whatever it was, Mickey finished what he came to do. He’s getting ready to blow town again.”

  She suddenly found it hard to breathe.

  “When is he leaving? Did the bouncer say where he’s going?”

  “Take it easy. The guy doesn’t know anything. Mickey never shares his plans with employees.”

  Pat willed herself to stay calm. “What mode of transportation is he using? The police impounded his plane.”

  “He has a motor home stored at a place on Victoria. According to the bouncer, Mickey’s laying in supplies for a trip up the coast. Do you need the address?”

  “Let me guess.” She recited the location where Toby’s body was found.

  “That’s it.” Tim hesitated. “You aren’t going after him alone, are you?”

  “I’ll try to get backup, but I need to get to Mickey before he skips town.”

  She hung up and called Tom. When he didn’t answer, she tried the assistant’s desk.

  A familiar voice answered.

  “What are you doing answering Becky’s phone, Cranston? And where’s Tom? I need to speak with him.”

  “Neither the chief nor Tom are here. Becky went to find them. I picked up, hoping it was the Chief so I could tell him I’m leaving.”

  “When you see Tom, tell him to meet me at the storage facility. I’ve got a lead on our fugitive.”

  “I’m not your message boy, Fisher,” he grumbled. “And thanks for wishing me a safe trip.”

  The line went dead.

  • • •

  On her way to the storage place, Pat mentally reviewed Lea’s notes trying to piece things together. She had the nagging feeling she was missing something.

  When he identified the picture of Mickey, Mary’s neighbor said there was a younger fellow with him.

  Could it be Tim?

  She showed her credentials to the security guard at the gate. When she asked where recreational vehicles were stored, he waved toward the back.

  “Aren’t you one of the detectives who came when the body was found in D6?”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah. Would you mind removing the crime scene tape? It’s freaking out our customers.”

  She nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll go right over.”

  “Hold on. I’ll get the access code so you can get inside the unit.”

  She was eager to find Mickey’s motor home, but it wouldn’t hurt to stop by the crime scene. For all she knew, Mickey may have gone back to clear out more stuff.

  As she waited for the guard, she flipped through the saved messages on her phone.

  She found what she was looking for. The closing line of the latest threat. ‘You better watch your step.’

  The same advice Tim gave me at the club.

  After handing her a scrap of paper, the guard opened the gate and waved her through.

  She drove inside.

  As the gate clanged behind her, an unsettling feeling welled up inside.

  Am I walking into a trap?

  • • •

  Pat pulled police tape from the outer door of the unit and entered the access numbers on the electronic pad.

  She was blowing fingerprint dust from the safe when she heard the voice forever etched in memory.

  “Quite a mess you people made.”

  “What are you doing here, Mickey?” she blurted. Her heart thumped so loudly, she barely heard his reply.

  “Came to pick up my stuff before the cops seize the property and change the access code.”

  She saw his mouth move but his words barely registered as she looked for a way to escape.

  “I hoped you and I would meet again, Detective. And here we are.” He raised a gun and pointed it at her head. “My guys didn’t finish you before. Now I have a chance to do it myself.”

  Her eyes stopped searching and centered on the gun. Except for the weapon, she might laugh at the idea of the diminutive man causing her harm.

  “Lucky for you, we arrived at the same time,” she said sarcastically.

  “Don’t be naive. I never depend on luck. Luck is for the suckers who play cards at my club.”

  “I hear the club belongs to Tim now.”

  He acknowledged her remark with a condescending sneer. “Another sign of your gullibility, believing what people tell you.”

  Tim stepped out of the shadows.

  Pat spun in his direction. “How could you, Tim? I trusted you.”

  “I trusted you, too, until I found out you’re a cop.”

  She shook her head. “I thought we were friends.

  His voice cut like ice. “Friends don’t lie to each other.”

  “Are you and Mickey partners?”

  “I couldn’t afford to buy him out. He said he’d sign over title to the club as soon as I got rid of the evidence that could put him in jail. I couldn’t lay my hands on that tape so I did the next best thing. I tried to frighten you away from using it.”

  “You’re the one who sent threatening messages and broke into my apartment?”

  “I didn’t break in. In the fir
st place, I have no idea where you live. Besides, I’m too busy running the business to worry about chasing after you.”

  “What about the emails?”

  He jerked his head in the little man’s direction.

  “Mickey wanted you off his back. As much as anything, I sent the threats for your own good. Knowing what he’s capable of, I hoped to convince you to stop your pursuit.”

  She turned back to Mickey. “Do you plan to make this the scene of your second murder?”

  He took a step backwards. “Hold your horses! You can’t pin Toby’s murder on me. I admit that’s what I felt like doing when I found out the rat was cheating me.”

  “Are you telling me someone beat you to it?”

  “Let me know when you find ‘em.” Mickey smirked. “I’ll send ‘em a personal thank you.”

  “I don’t buy it, Mickey. The value of that copper penny gave you sufficient motive.”

  He shook his head. “I took care of that little problem. When I got wind of what Toby was up to, I came to make sure the penny was here. The coin was with the collection, but I got worried. I decided not to take chances and cleaned out the safe.”

  “Did you test the penny for authenticity?”

  Mickey looked startled. “Are you saying that rotten swindler switched coins?”

  Pat’s eyes bore into the man. “Don’t play dumb, Mickey. You know that’s what he did. That’s why you killed him.”

  He twisted his lip with contempt. “Think it through, copper. If I killed him, I wouldn’t get the real coin back.”

  She laughed. “You were never going to get it back. Toby sold the penny the day after it came into his possession.”

  “If the coin was gone, what reason would I have to kill him?” Mickey argued.

  “Because you couldn’t let anyone rip you off and live to tell about it. It would damage your reputation.”

  He waved the gun in front of her face. “I had nothing to do with Toby’s murder.”

  “Then you won’t mind telling me where you were Monday night.”

  “That’s easy. Where I am every Monday. Taking my eighty-year-old mother out to dinner. When I took her home, I stayed to watch a rerun of her favorite gangster movie.”

  “Will she verify that?”

  He laughed devilishly. “Too bad you won’t be around to ask her.”