by V. B. Tenery
White lights sparkled, showcasing the large red ornaments and bows that were the tree’s only decorations. Familiar holiday music whispered over the intercom, adding a festive atmosphere to the magical spirit of the season.
As they headed downstairs, Davis spotted Maddie Jamison in a small group near the elevators. She held an animated conversation with a much-improved Elsie Kaufman and a man he recognized as Todd Hastings.
Davis caught Maddie’s eye and she waved them over. “Gentlemen, I believe you have met my friends, Elsie and her son-in-law, Todd.”
Hastings’ charming wife was nowhere in sight.
“What brings you folks into the halls of justice?” Davis asked as he gripped Hastings’s hand.
Maddie put her arm around Elsie’s shoulder. “The judge released Elsie from Serene Acres two days ago, and just freed her from Dora’s guardianship. Isn’t that wonderful news?”
Maddie’s blue eyes sparkled. “I took your advice and contacted Todd. He’s been very helpful as you suggested he might be.”
Hunter turned to Hastings. “How did Mrs. Hastings take the good news?”
He chuckled and rocked back on his heels. “She took it quite well, for Dora, after she understood I’d made up my mind. I explained she could either live in the home I provided for her, or she would need to find a place of her own.”
Elsie turned to Davis. “You two must come to lunch after I get settled back in. You are welcome anytime you’re in the neighborhood.”
He and Hunter departed after hugs from the ladies and a handshake with Todd Hastings. When the elevator doors closed, Davis shot his partner a sideways glance. “Well, go ahead and say I told you so.”
A broad smiled crossed Hunter’s face. “Consider it said.” He raised his right hand high in the air. Miles Davis hesitated for only a moment before he struck Hunter’s hand with a resounding smack.
Twin Falls Police Station
Matt looked at the papers on his desk without really seeing them.
Blain had stopped by earlier in the afternoon to bring him a preview of the Texas Tattler Magazine. His father-in-law had used his connections to obtain a galley copy.
Pepper Parker had indeed poured out her vitriol on paper. She hinted Matt and Sara had an affair while Mary was dying of cancer. That Matt covered up Sara’s involvement in her husband’s death and framed Charles Edwards for the crime.
The Tattler had pushed back the release date to February, so the rag’s attorneys could test the waters against a potential libel suit.
Matt rubbed his finger across his bottom lip. Smart move. Because the minute the publisher decided to run the story, the magazine would find itself defending a civil lawsuit for slander. Nothing he could do until then.
He pushed his chair back and put on his jacket. Darkness had fallen when he stepped into the brisk evening air. After locking the outer door, he moved towards his SUV. Lucy Turner’s blue Ford Escort sat in the parking lot, the back towards him. A quick glance told him she was just sitting in the car, no lights, with the engine running.
He strode forward. She might have car trouble. As he neared, the sound of muffled sobs echoed through the window, her head was pressed against her hands on the steering wheel.
He tapped on the glass with his knuckle. “You okay, Lucy?”
She gave an angry swipe at her eyes and glared at him. “No, I’m just fine. Can’t you tell? I always have a good cry at the end of my shift.”
Unapproachable. Definitely unapproachable. “Can I help? I’m a good listener.”
“You could never identify with my problems, Mr. Rich Man.”
“Try me. Open the passenger door. It’s cold out here.”
The lock clicked as he walked around the Escort. He opened the door and slid in beside her. Cigarette smoke and the smell of greasy fast food greeted him. The seat covers were frayed, but the interior was clean.
He waited for her to speak.
Coldly, her gaze met his. Unattractive mascara rivulets ran down her otherwise pretty face. “Is this part of your job description, Chief? Stepping down from your lofty perch to comfort the little people?”
He watched her, perplexed. What was wrong with the woman? She was obviously upset, but why with him? To his knowledge, he’d done nothing to warrant her ire. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “I’m not the enemy, Lucy. I’d just like to help if I can.”
The handkerchief only smeared the mascara over her cheeks. She blew her nose and handed the cloth back to him. When she spoke, her voice was tight. “You spend your off hours with people like the governor. This job is just a hobby to you. But it’s not to me. It’s my lifeblood. I’m always one paycheck away from being homeless. Are you sure you want to leave your perfect little world and find out how jacked-up mine is?”
He could see she was struggling not to cry. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you...”
“How could you possibly offend me?” She gave a bitter laugh. “You don’t even know I’m alive. I’m just one of the minions who populate your fiefdom.”
“No one’s life is perfect, Lucy, least of all mine. I don’t intend to fight the culture war with you. But if you’ll tell me what’s really bothering you, I’ll try to help.”
She fumbled in her handbag for a pack of cigarettes and pulled out a long filter tip. After lighting it with a cheap lighter, she inhaled and blew the smoke towards the roof like a kettle releasing pent-up steam. “Okay, I don’t want to keep you awake at night, but you asked for it.”
With a light tap on the power button, he vented the window, letting some of the smoke escape.
She brought the cigarette to her lips again. He recognized it as a delay tactic to gather her thoughts. She raised one hand and numbered off her problems. “The tires on this car you’re sitting in are bald as a bowling ball.” Her voice caught. “I wanted to take the boys to Oklahoma for Christmas but I don’t dare make the trip on these tires.”
One finger folded down. “The heating/air conditioning unit in my house bit the dust a month ago. I’m using space heaters to keep the house warm. And, yes, I know how dangerous they are. Never mind what it will do to my electric bill.”
Another finger fell. “Last, but certainly not least, I have a break in the main sewer line in my front yard. It couldn’t happen on the city’s easement. No, it had to happen on my property, broken by tree roots. And it’s my responsibility, or so they say. If I don’t get it repaired in a week, they will fine me for every day until it’s fixed. And guess what? My bank account has a whopping sixty-five-dollar balance.” She snorted a rueful laugh. “Merry Christmas to me.”
She gazed at him with insolence. “Satisfied?”
Matt sat in silence for a moment. Sexual harassment suits were common in law enforcement and she could be setting him up. On the other hand, everything she’d told him could be the truth. There was a good chance her partner knew the real story. Partners had few secrets from each other. “Is Cole still here? Does he know about your problems?”
She looked down at her hands and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. “Yeah, we talk. He was finishing up some paperwork when I left.”
“Call him. Ask him to come out here.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
A few minutes after she made the call, Cole sauntered out the backdoor and over to the vehicle. “What’s up, Luc?”
“Don’t ask me, ask him.” She jerked an angry nod at Matt. “He called this meeting.”
Matt opened the door and stood in the gap. “Cole, ride with her and follow me to the bank on the corner.”
Lucy’s head jerked up sharply. “I didn’t tell you my troubles because I wanted your charity. You wouldn’t leave me alone until you knew the story of my life.”
“Cole, make sure she follows me.”
“No problem, Chief.”
At the bank, Matt strode to the ATM then went back to the Escort, and pecked on the driver side window o
nce more. When it lowered, he handed her the cash he’d withdrawn. “Tomorrow, go to Doc’s Royal Treads, here in town. He gives law enforcement officers a discount. Take your kids to see their grandparents for Christmas. After the holidays, come see me.”
She shook her head. “I can’t accept money from you...”
“Call it a loan, if your pride will let you accept it. You can pay me back five dollars a week until the debt’s paid.”
“That will take me more than ten years. What if I quit?”
“Then I’ll write it off as a bad debt and send someone to break both your legs.”
Cole snorted a laugh.
A half smile almost made it past her guard. “Fair enough. But I don’t like being beholden to you.”
“That’s entirely up to you. There are no strings on my part.”
She didn’t say thanks and he didn’t expect her to. It wasn’t her nature. She had a master’s degree from the School of Hard Knocks.
On the drive home, he punched Joe Wilson’s number. “Hey, Joe. What are you doing this weekend?”
“I know I’m going to regret saying this, but nothing so far. What do you have in mind?”
“Want to play Santa Claus? Before you answer, it doesn’t include taking toys to tots.”
“Uh...maybe I should ask what I’m signing up for.”
“A little handy-man work, painting, a little home repairs, etcetera.”
“Who for?”
“Do you know Lucy Turner, one of my detectives?”
“Yeah, I’ve met her. What happened?”
“It’s a long story. Meet me at her house at seven o’clock Saturday morning. I don’t have the address with me, but you’re a cop you can find it. I’ll fill you in when you get there. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can’t draft some more hands.”
“Will do,” Joe said. “Hey, you called that girl?”
“What girl?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Foley. You know who I mean.”
“Haven’t called yet, but I’m just about to.”
“You’d better not procrastinate too long. Some lucky guy’s gonna snatch the lovely Sara up. Then you’ll be out of luck.”
“Point taken. How about you, have you called your girl?”
“Better than that. I’m taking Lisa and Paul to Vale for New Year’s.”
Matt Foley’s Home
Rowdy danced around Matt’s feet, happy to have some company as Matt entered the foyer. He went into the kitchen to see about dinner.
Stella had left him two Ruben sandwiches with home fries in the microwave. He took the food into the den by the hearth and made a fire.
The burning logs filled the house with a woody fragrance that pleased his senses as he polished off the meal. Outside, the wind whistled around the corners of the house, but inside, the fire crackled with warmth as twigs burst into flames, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney.
He sipped a mug of hot cider, and memories returned of the many evenings shared with Mary, here by the fire. He and Stella had decorated the tree last evening and he’d felt Mary’s presence as they placed her favorite ornaments on the limbs.
The crippling malaise left by Mary’s loss had lessened. Thoughts of her now brought pleasure and reminded him how fortunate he’d been to share his life with her, if only for a few years.
He punched autodial on his phone and listened as the ring sounded.
Sara picked up with a soft, “Hello.”
He recognized the music in the background as Kenny Rogers and Wynona Judd’s rendition of “Mary Did You Know?”
“Can you cook?” he asked. Her caller ID would identify him.
She laughed. “Well, that’s one way to start a conversation. I make a mean PB&J sandwich.”
“Uh...that won’t do. We’re feeding hungry men, not kids. You can make a meal run to a local eatery, can’t you?”
“That I can handle. When and where?”
He told her Lucy Turner’s story.
“I’m in. And I know a couple of ladies who will volunteer to clean up as you guys finish the projects.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up Saturday morning at six forty-five.”
Lucy Turner’s Home
Thanks to a friend of Matt’s in the construction business, the major repairs, sewer and heating, had been finished earlier in the week. Off duty cops, firefighters, and church members wielded hammers and paintbrushes. By six Saturday evening, the place was coming together nicely. An hour later Lucy’s home sparkled like a new penny.
Sara busied herself with a gigantic red bow while he thanked the hastily assembled Santa’s helpers as they left the house, one by one.
Matt set the thermostat on sixty and switched off all the lights, except the pot lights over the kitchen bar. He walked up beside Sara and leaned against the bar. “You about ready to go?”
“Hummm. Just one final nit to fix here,” she said. She affixed a card to the bow and smiled. “Now I’m ready.”
She wore jeans and a long-sleeved fitted T-shirt. Her head bent over, silky strands of dark hair hid her face. Her sandalwood scent drew him to her like a magnet. He took hold of both her shoulders and turned her towards him, then lifted her chin with his forefinger. He leaned down and placed a slow, soft kiss on her lips. When it ended, he drew her close. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”
“What stopped you?”
“I wasn’t sure how it would be received, wasn’t sure I was ready.”
She looked into his eyes. “Are you sure now?”
He nodded. “I am. How about you?”
“I’ve been sure for a while,” she said.
“There’s something you need to know,” he said, holding her tightly. “I don’t play the field.”
“I suspected that. Neither do I.”
“How about the Greek god?”
Laughing, she said, “Jeff? He isn’t important. Never was, really.”
“Dinner tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” she said.
He put his arm around her, led her outside, and locked the door behind them.
She hung the bow on the front door and adjusted the card. It read:
Dear Lucy:
I hope you like the improvements. My helpers worked really hard.
Santa
Twin Falls Baptist Church
As the choir sang, Seth Davidson sat in a chair behind the pulpit and looked out over the sanctuary. His heart swelled as his parishioner’s filled the seats, and the ushers busied themselves bringing in extra chairs at the back.
The last time the church exceeded its seating capacity was the Sunday after Penny Pryor disappeared. Of course, the church had been smaller then. That Sunday, the people came out of fear. Today, they came from a mixture of sorrow and joy. Sorrow for the deaths in the community, joy that the killer had been found and the victims had received a form of justice. His flock felt safe again.
The Pryor’s entered through the double doors and took a seat. The first time they’d been here since Penny vanished twenty-five years ago. Seth sent up a fervent prayer that they would find peace after the tragic loss of their daughter.
Matt Foley sat in the front with Maddie, and Sara’s two children.
Sara moved from her seat in the choir to stand at the pulpit for her solo. The pianist began the familiar strains of “How Great Thou Art.” What an appropriate choice, Seth thought, for this morning filled with blessings.
Sara’s clear, lovely voice filled the sanctuary. The choir joined in on the chorus, and buoyant notes swelled around Seth, lifting up to heaven, and he felt God smile.
THE END
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OTHER BOOKS BY V. B. TENERY
THEN THERE WERE NONE
Matt Foley/Sara Bradford Series
Book 2
Mass murder doesn’t happen in Matt Foley’s town . . . it doesn’t happen to his friends. Someone is going to pay.
Disturbing crime scenes are nothing new to the Twin Falls Police Chief. But this one is different. The victims are friends. In their Tudor mansion just inside the city limits, a family is dead—husband, wife, two kids, and the family cook.
The killer made one mistake. He left a survivor.
The husband is one of the big three in the microchip industry. The family lived a quiet modest life. It doesn’t make sense.
Until . . .
Purchase THEN THERE WERE NONE on Amazon
DOWNFALL
Matt Foley/Sara Bradford Series
Book 3
Police Chief Matt Foley has a new bride and the most complex case of his career.
A prominent couple prepares to retire, when an assassin’s bullets retires them permanently. And he doesn’t stop there.
As the investigation pushes forward, layers of deceit, greed, and bitterness are peeled away, and two families, connected by marriage and murder, face the exposure of their darkest secrets. It’s just another case until Matt finds his wife caught in the killer’s crosshairs.
