Murder in North Carolina

by Agnes Alexander

  He couldn’t control the tingle that slid through his arm at her touch. He swallowed. “I’ll do my best, Rebecca.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  * * * *

  After Nick left her at the door, Rebecca told Wilma not to disturb her, and then went upstairs to her room. She went into her closet, took out her small embroidered bag, and put it on the table beside the one belonging to Mindy. There was little difference between the two bags, except Mindy’s had soft pink roses, and the roses on Rebecca’s bag were a deep red. A small rhinestone was attached to the top petal of the largest rose on each bag. Their mother had told them they were dewdrops, and she had put one on each bag for good luck.

  Rebecca placed a hand on top of each of the bags and said aloud, “I promise you, Mindy, on the graves of our parents, I won’t give up until I know what happened to you. If you’ve come to harm, the person responsible will pay for what they’ve done.”

  She picked up the two bags and took them to the small personal safe located under the rug in her closet. She pulled back the carpet, dialed the numbers, and opened the door, then placed the two bags inside with the other possessions she hid there. The safe had been here all her life, and for some reason, she’d kept it and everything in it a secret from everyone, including her husband.

  Dropping the carpet back over the safe, she stood and went back into the bedroom. She was now ready to let herself grieve. For the first time, she let sadness sweep over her.

  She collapsed on her bed, and sobs shook her whole body.

  Chapter 13

  When he got back to the office, Nick called Vernon Armfield. He didn’t know why he still had bad feelings about the man. Armfield seemed to really care for Rebecca, and he hadn’t done anything to draw suspicion. Yet that same gut feeling kept coming back to Nick. Deep down, he knew the man wasn’t who he appeared to be. Nick didn’t think his suspicions were there because Vernon had been lucky enough to marry Rebecca. Still, he couldn’t help the twinges of envy that struck him whenever he thought of them together.

  Nick finally decided he wasn’t capable of possessing an unbiased opinion about the man. Maybe he’d arrange to get Armfield and Bernie Wheeler together. Bernie should be able to read the man in one meeting.

  “Vernon Armfield,” Rebecca’s husband said over the telephone.

  “Mr. Armfield, this is Nick Quimbley.”

  “Yes, Mr. Quimbley. I’m glad you called. Did you find anything at Mindy’s condo?”

  “A little, but I don’t think it will be of much help.”

  “Does my wife know?”

  “Yes. She went with us. She wants me to do everything I can to find her sister.”

  “Us? Did you not go alone?”

  “No. A member of my staff went with me.”

  “I see.”

  “Mrs. Armfield seems to think her sister might have been abducted, but no one has contacted either one of you about a ransom. Do you think this could be a possibility?”

  “With Mindy, anything is possible. She hung out with some strange people.” Vernon’s voice was neither friendly nor unfriendly.

  “Do you have any reason to suspect any of those people?”

  “I don’t know any of them well enough to suspect them. Most of them are people she hangs out with in bars, or even her neighbors.”

  “Do you know your sister-in-law’s neighbors?”

  “Not many of them. One does work for me, though. In fact, I asked her if she’d seen Mindy lately. She wasn’t sure when she last saw her. Neither was her husband.”

  “Does her husband work for you, too?”

  “No. Max Garvey is a house husband.”

  Nick detected a sneer in Vernon’s voice, but ignored the inflection. “Where do they live in relation to your sister-in-law’s condo?”

  “I’m not sure. I think they live in the back of the complex, near the swimming pool. You can’t see their unit from Mindy’s condo. I know this because Robyn told me they didn’t have a view of Mindy’s place.”

  Nick made a mental note that Vernon Armfield had made sure he was aware of the Garveys. “You say their names are Robyn and Max Garvey?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Do either of them have black hair?”

  “They both do.”

  “Does either of them have long hair?”

  “The last time I saw Max, he had long hair in a ponytail. Robyn’s hair is short. Is that important?”

  “I’m not sure,” Nick said. “I don’t know anything else to tell you. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “I’d appreciate that. I’d prefer you not talk to my wife about any of this until you discuss it with me. She’s rather delicate, and I don’t want you to cause her any needless worry.”

  “I’ll try to get with you first, but if she asks, I won’t lie to her, Mr. Armfield.”

  “If she pushes you, then I’m sure you’ll be able to skirt the issue.”

  “If there’s any bad news, I’ll contact you first. Is that fair enough?”

  “That will suffice.”

  Neither man said goodbye before hanging up the phone.

  Chapter 14

  Gordon Jones couldn’t believe his eyes. He stared at the figure on the ground. It was Mindy Davidson. At first he wanted to approach the police and tell them who he was and that he could identify the body, but he didn’t know how he’d explain the knowledge to Tammy. They’d already had one fight this morning. He wasn’t ready for another.

  She’d had the idea today to leave Carolina Beach and come to South Port. He’d wanted to stay at the motel, swim in the pool, drink beer, and just be lazy at least one day of their short vacation. She’d dragged him to every open shop on the beach after they’d arrived last night, and then this morning she’d demanded they come to South Port because some woman at the pool had told her the town had great antique shops that didn’t charge you three times what an item was worth. The fact that they had only been at the pool for thirty minutes hadn’t mattered to Tammy. She’d dragged him back upstairs, where they’d changed clothes before heading to South Port.

  Gordon had been sitting on a bench in front of one of the antique shops when the excitement started. He’d overheard a passerby say something about a body in the old burying ground. Intrigued, he’d asked directions, then gone into the store and told Tammy he wanted to check it out. She didn’t question him, but nodded and said she’d go back to the car when she finished shopping.

  Gordon knew he had plenty of time because Tammy was addicted to shopping. The only way to rush her was to close a store.

  Trying not to show he recognized the dead woman lying on the grave, he moved along with a group of civilians shifting positions to see if they could get a better view or hear what the police said. He wondered why in the world a person like Mindy would choose to come to this little coastal town. It was a beautiful place filled with history, but she’d fit in much better with the more lively Carolina beach crowd. This town was too peaceful for her. If there was anything he was sure about Mindy Davidson, it was that she was a party girl—the wilder the better. She wasn’t the pristine person her corpse advertised her to be.

  A police officer came over and urged the crowd to move back. “We’re going to put up some crime scene tape,” he said. “Please stay behind it. We don’t want anyone messing up any clues.”

  Gordon frowned. What clues? As far as you’re concerned, you have a Jane Doe on your hands. She could have just laid down and died there, from what I can see. There’s no blood, no torn clothes, and no evidence lying around. He said none of these things aloud.

  The more he looked at Mindy’s body, the more he kept asking himself what the hell she was doing here.

  An officer eyed Gordon, and he backed away. As he did, he bumped into a man with a camera.

  “Excuse me,” Gordon said. “Are you a reporter?”

  “No. A friend of mine found the body and called me to bring the camera. I want to get it on fil
m. They may cover it up before the television station sends someone out here. They’d probably pay a lot for a video of this.”

  “You may be right.” Gordon started to ask the man for his name and address, but decided against it. He’d already made his decision. He wasn’t going to let anyone know he was a detective. He’d slip off by himself and call Nick Quimbley. Nick could handle it from there.

  This was one case Gordon Jones didn’t want. Thank goodness he’d turned everything about it over to Nick before he left. He moved away from the graveyard and walked briskly back toward the antique store. When he was sure he was alone, he took out his cell phone and dialed Nick’s cell. When it continued to ring and didn’t go to voice mail, he called the office.

  “Quimbley Detective Agency,” Michelle, their office helper, said.

  Gordon didn’t try to disguise his voice because he knew she’d recognized it. “Is Nick there, Michelle?”

  “No. He and Bernie went to check something out. Is there anything I can help you with, Gordon?” She sounded as if she had a cold.

  He hesitated, then said, “No. I just want to talk with Nick. When do you expect him back?”

  “I’m not sure. Can I give him a message?”

  “Just ask him to call me on my cell whenever he gets in.”

  “Will do.”

  Gordon ended the call and walked a little faster. He needed to collect Tammy and head out of town. Though he knew it would be hard to get her to leave South Port, he thought he could persuade her by telling her they would stop at the mall in Wilmington.

  His ploy worked, and the two of them spent most of the afternoon at the mall. He had his phone handy but didn’t hear from Nick. Tammy kept him so busy looking at first one thing, and then another that he was almost able to put thoughts of Mindy Davidson out of his mind.

  They got back to the motel room at close to six o’clock and Gordon thought of calling Nick again, but figured his boss would call when he had the opportunity. He settled back on the bed to watch television while he waited for Tammy to dress for dinner. The early news was on.

  The announcer said, “At approximately eight-thirty this morning, a jogger found the body of an unidentified woman in the Old Smithfield Burying Ground in South Port. The deceased looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties. There were no apparent marks on the body, and it appeared she had been carefully arranged on the top of a grave. At this point, the police have not released the cause of death or announced if there are any further developments. We switch you now to Eve Clanton, who is standing by in South Port. Are you there, Eve?”

  A pretty African American woman appeared on the screen. She adjusted her earplug. “I’m here, Ron, and I have with me Mr. Ross Taylor, the gentleman who found the body in the graveyard this morning.” She turned to her guest. “Tell me about finding the woman’s body, Mr. Taylor.”

  “I don’t have much to say. I was jogging, and stopped to catch my breath. That’s when I found her. I walked over to the body and saw she was dead, then ran to the police station and told them about it.”

  “Did you recognize the woman, Mr. Taylor?”

  “No. I’d never seen her before.

  “You told me earlier that you’re an artist.”

  “I’m an illustrator.”

  “As an illustrator, you must be very observant. What can you tell us about the scene?”

  “I was too shocked to notice very much. She was a pretty young woman, beautifully dressed. She even had on shoes and stockings.”

  “Is there anything else you might be able to tell us?”

  “I don’t know anything else to say. It’s just a shame she died so young.”

  “That’s true.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for talking with us, Mr. Taylor.”

  The announcer back at the station said, “Eve, do you or Mr. Taylor know if there have been any new developments in the case?”

  “None that the police are giving out. We did learn that the body was brought into the graveyard, but the police haven’t said how the woman died or if they’ve been able to learn her identity. They did say she appears to be in her mid-twenties, but they’re not positive.”

  “Have any of the local people you’ve talked with been able to identify her?”

  “Not so far. I interviewed several people near the cemetery, but none of them recalled having seen her before.”

  “Mr. Taylor, has anyone you talked with been able to identify the woman?” Ron asked.

  He shook his head. “Nobody that I’ve talked with knew her. She’s a stranger to all of us.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Eve, is there anything else you can tell us?”

  “Not at this time, Ron. I’ve seen some officers in plain clothes going in and out of the police station and have heard a rumor that they’ve called in the SBI. But as of yet, that’s still unconfirmed.”

  “Thank you for that report, Eve.”

  The anchor at the station reappeared on the screen. “Eve will bring us another live report at the eleven o’clock news hour, unless we receive breaking news about the case. If that happens, we’ll bring it to you immediately. Turning to the other top stories of the day, at the capital…”

  Gordon stood and turned off the television. He felt guilty for not telling the police who the dead woman was right away, but knew it was too late for him to do anything about it now.

  He decided to call Nick again. Maybe Michelle had forgotten to give him the message and Nick would need the information to get the word out about Mindy.

  These thoughts brought a chuckle to Gordon’s lips. As a good citizen, he always urged the general public to get involved when they needed information. And here he was, sworn to uphold the law, and he hadn’t become involved himself.

  Because I have too much to lose this time. The best I can do is to get a message to Nick, but I can’t call him from this room. I’ve got to go where Tammy won’t hear me.

  “Tammy,” he called out. “I’m going to get some ice.”

  “Okay. I’ll be ready soon.”

  He didn’t answer because he’d already gone out the door.

  Chapter 15

  Nick sat at the table in his small apartment eating a thin and crispy supreme pizza from Pizza Hut when his telephone rang. He leaned over and grabbed the portable off the cradle.

  After listening to Gordon for a few minutes and only interjecting a grunt now and again, he finally said, “Are you sure it was her?”

  “Positive.”

  “Gordon, why the hell didn’t you identify yourself and tell the police who she is?”

  “Don’t you think I’ve already asked myself that question a dozen times?”

  “And you don’t have an answer.”

  “Right.”

  “Now, you want me to contact them and say it might be Mindy Davidson?”

  “You can do that, can’t you?”

  “You know I can. And you want me to keep your name out of it?”

  “That’s why I called you at home. I called the office earlier, but you were out.”

  “I guess the best way is for me to fax a picture of Mindy to South Port.”

  “Damn, Nick. It was the weirdest thing, seeing her stretched out on the ground like that. Someone placed her there for a reason. I can’t even venture to guess why.”

  “If we knew the reason, we’d probably know who our killer is.” Nick paused, then added, “So you think she was dead before she was put in the graveyard?

  “Yes, and the news is reporting it that way. They didn’t give out a lot of information on the air. I think because they don’t know much. I didn’t see anything suspicious in the cemetery.”

  “Bernie and I went over to her place today and found a few clues. Could you guess the cause of death?”

  “She looked like she was asleep. Not a mark on her, as far as I could see.”

  Nick wiped his mouth with a paper napkin and took a drink from his bottle of beer. “Level with me, Gordon. How involved were you wit
h Mindy Davidson?”

  “Okay.” He paused. “But this is just between us.”

  “If I can keep it that way, I will.”

  “I slept with her a couple of times, all right? She was a hell of a woman, Nick. But it was just a fling. She had no intention of settling down with me or anyone else. It happened when Tammy and I were on the outs. Now that we’ve made up, I’ve dropped that whole scene—and Mindy Davidson.”

  You and Tammy are always on the outs. Nick scowled. “How long ago was this?”

  Gordon didn’t say anything.

  “Come on,” Nick prodded. “You’ve come this far.”

  “Okay, okay. The last time was a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Damn, Gordon. Why couldn’t it have been a couple of months?”

  “I know. That’s why I want to stay out of it. I don’t want to wind up a suspect.”

  “If you learn anything else down there, call me immediately. Don’t wait like you did today.”

  “I didn’t wait. I called you on your cell as soon as I saw her. Couldn’t get you so I called the office. Michelle said she’d have you call me back. I’m calling now because I didn’t hear from you.”

  “Michelle left sick before I got back to the office. She called and said she’d left my calls on my desk. I didn’t see one from you.”

  “Well, now you know.” He changed the subject. “Look, I’ve got to go. Tammy’s getting dressed for dinner, and she’ll wonder why I’ve been gone so long. I’ll call you back if I find out anything else.”

  “Okay. I’ll try to keep you posted. Call and leave a message here if you don’t get me at the office or on my cell.”

  Gordon hung up before Nick could say anything else.

  Nick replaced the phone on the cradle and got up for another beer. This was going to get messy. He could feel it. He wasn’t sure if he hated it more for Gordon.

  Or for Rebecca.

  Chapter 16

  Two days after the body was identified and sent to Chapel Hill to be autopsied, Rebecca sat at her dressing table and forced herself to put on makeup. Now that she knew Mindy was dead, all she wanted to do was get the funeral preparations finalized, lay her sister to rest, and get on with finding out who had committed this horrible crime. The outpouring of sympathy had been almost overwhelming and she did appreciate it, but she now felt the time had come to turn her efforts to helping Nick with the investigation. She didn’t want to take the time to face another visit from a prying, if caring, neighbor or friend.