The pair went around to the front, up the carved-stone steps, and into the house. Lisa noticed that the furnishings were of good quality but overtly opulent. The chairs looked nice, very clean, and rarely used. The floors were swept, and the rugs dirt-free. Paintings of various battles of the distant past hung neatly on the walls.
“Did Holden have a housekeeper? Someone who kept things neat and clean, washed his clothes, all that?” Lisa asked.
“Not that we know about.”
“Find that person. This house is very clean. Unless Holden was a fanatic about neatness, he’d have to have a housekeeper. Perhaps that person was dismissed only recently. They might have helped the killer get in to the house. Might have even been paid by one of Holden’s enemies.”
Lisa began to walk upstairs when she abruptly stopped and turned to Thurmond. “Little Wolf is also accused of theft, correct?”
“Yes.”
“What’s he supposed to have stolen?”
“A small statue, a ring, and a jewel-encrusted knife.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Holden kept careful records of his property. Also, all three items were in cases, which we found to be empty.”
“Ah.” Lisa climbed the stairs, with Thurmond close behind her. A few moments later they entered the room that served as Holden’s office when he was not at his stores. Only a few small paintings were on the wall. The only furniture was a desk and chair.
“Odd that this was where he was killed,” Thurmond commented.
“Odd, or poetic,” Lisa replied. She looked around, and was drawn to an unadorned wooden box on the desk with a sturdy-looking lock on it. “I wonder what he keeps under lock and key?”
Lisa walked over to the box, lifted it, and shook it. Objects inside rattled and thumped against the sides of the box. Thurmond went to her side and took the box out of her hands. He examined the lock and the lock carefully and slowly.
“I don’t see any scratches,” he said. He gave it to Lisa.
“You’re right. It hasn’t been touched.”
It occurred to her that a burglar ought to be smart enough to try to break it open. Or, for that matter, try to steal more than just three items.
Maybe this was more than a simple robbery.
“Mister Thurmond, were the stolen items kept in this room?”
He shook his head. “They were in the main room, downstairs. We passed the case on the way up here.”
“Would you look around the room, see if there are any more clues? I want to find Holden’s keys.” Lisa began to search through Holden’s desk.
“What’s this all about?”
“The attacker didn’t go for box,” she said as she looked, “but he did take a few small trinkets. If the killer was a thief, why didn’t he try for whatever’s in the strongbox? And if Little Wolf, or someone else, was getting back at Holden, why take anything at all? No, I think the killer, or whoever hired the killer, had another reason for wanting Holden dead. Something more complicated than theft or revenge.”
Thurmond nodded deliberately. “Now you’re making sense.”
Lisa stopped searching the desk. “Tell me, how did Holden die?”
“His throat was cut. We found the body there.” Thurmond pointed to the floor near the doorway. “We found a lot of blood near the body.”
“I find that rather hard to believe,” Lisa said, pausing her search. “How could his throat have been cut, if he was in here? He would have seen the thief enter the room.” She paused for a second. “Were there any signs that the body had been moved? Tracks of blood going one way or another?”
“No.”
“Hmph. Well, I haven’t found any keys here. Maybe we should try his bedroom.” Before closing the last drawer Lisa noticed a ledger. She picked up the book, and carried it into the bedroom.
They moved to the next room and resumed the hunt. After a few moments of searching, Lisa popped out from under a faded blue chair, brandishing a key ring. “Tell me if you think this has been touched recently.”
Thurmond checked and rechecked the ring, and its hiding place. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“Interesting. Let’s go over we know so far. The person who entered through the window was large. He wasn’t a professional thief, because he didn’t attack the strongbox. However, he did take a few trinkets. He either knew Holden, or was given information about him, because he knew where to find those items.
“It’s possible that the killer didn’t go for the strongbox because he was being paid, and wouldn’t need to take anything more.”
Thurmond nodded very slowly. “Getting better, Miss Herbert.”
“Thank you. Ee have to find out if those stolen items have been sold yet, and if so, who sold them. Mister Thurmond, has the body been buried yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I’d like to examine that corpse.” Lisa glanced around the bedroom. Seeing nothing, she started to leave.
Thurmond cleared his throat. “Should I let the savage go?”
“No. Little Wolf is in no danger as long as he stays where he is. Whoever had Holden killed might be nervous. If that person suspects Little Wolf knows something, he could be the next victim. As long as we don’t...”
Two guards burst into the house. They ignored Lisa and went straight to their superior. The taller, and less winded, of the pair gave a curt report. “A body was found floating in the river!”
“Drowned?”
“No, sir. Strangled! We found the rope still around his neck.”
“Was he a big man?” Lisa asked.
The guard nodded. “Big, and mean looking.”
Thurmond looked at Lisa. “You don’t think this might be related...?”
“I won’t jump to any conclusions, but I would like to see this new victim. While we’re doing that, I think your men should look for those stolen items.”
What did that one detective say? Oh, yeah; the game’s afoot!
***
Lisa guessed that from the way they talked, the new corpse was no stranger to the local law. She overheard that he was a frequent visitor to their jail. She learned that he hadn’t been in Pueblo for too many months. She also heard that he’d been in hot water almost since the day he’d came here.
Even in death the man made her nervous. He was large, well over six feet tall. His arms and legs were thick with muscles. His face was pock-marked, and he had tattoos on his chest. The most noticeable feature on the dead man, and the most unpleasant, was a scar running across much of his right cheek.
I’d hate to have met him when he was alive. Lisa shuddered once, then began to examine the head. She didn’t think he’d simply lost a fight. Considering his size and reputation, he probably didn’t see his attacker. There had to be a wound, some sign that the brute was immobilized before he was tossed into the water.
Thurmond spoke as she worked. “His wrists and ankles were tied up solid when my men found him. Hard to believe a tough like him would let himself get tied up like that.”
“Not if his head wasn’t clear,” Lisa replied.
“Oh, yeah”
“Come here.” Lisa pointed to a small bruise on the back of the head. “See that? Hit from behind.”
“Who could ambush him? Who would be that brave, or that strong?”
“Whoever did this to him wasn’t brave or strong.”
Another man cleared his throat. A guard stood in the doorway. Thurmond talked to him in a low voice for a moment. Finally Thurmond nodded, patted the man’s shoulder, then returned to Lisa’s side.
“I followed up on that suggestion of yours about Holden having a housekeeper. You were right. Her name is Rose. She worked for Holden up until a week ago, when she was dismissed for stealing. The man who found out about her thought her name sounded familiar. Sure enough, it seems her son is almost as frequent a visitor to the jail as our friend here was.”
“Not only would she have a motive,” Lisa speculated, “but she
might also know who to hire to get the deed done. I assume you’re looking for her?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll wait for your men to bring her in. I doubt if we can learn anything more here.”
Lisa and Thurmond parted company. She went to the office of to the town manager. She sat down behind the manager’s desk, opened Holden’s ledger, and began reading. She had no trouble understanding what was written; the man hadn’t tried to conceal his financial dealings. Indeed, he seemed proud of his conquests, even to the point of writing comments about his foes in the margins.
There appeared to be plenty of suspects. A few of the men mentioned in the book had been swindled. Others had been ruthlessly outwitted. Three had been cheated out of what Holden owed them. Two entries were marked as “gifts of silence,” and one listed the stolen items. Lisa thought about that for a moment, then realized that a clever man might have found out about those gifts and taken them to throw suspicion elsewhere.
Holden’s ledger was an encyclopedia of ruthlessness, greed, and simple meanness. The more she read, the more she felt that Holden had been very lucky to live as long as he had. It wasn’t that much of a surprise to her. It sometimes seemed as if everyone on White Rocks wanted a better life without caring about their neighbors.
She heard Thurmond coming down the hall, arguing with an older woman. He came in leading a fat, plain woman who wore unremarkable, but clean, clothing. “This is Rose, Holden’s former housekeeper. Ma’am, that’s Lisa Herbert. She’s helping us find out who really killed Holden. Tell us why Holden let you go.”
“Why should I? You’ve made your conclusions.”
“Ma’am, you were fired,” Lisa pointed out. “The story is because he accused you of stealing. Was that a false accusation?”
“Not really,” the woman answered. She looked down at her feet. “I told him my son did it. He wouldn’t listen to me.” Her head sprang up again. “But he did give me this letter of recommendation. You can’t suspect me!”
Thurmond snatched the letter from her. “You can read?” he asked suspiciously.
“A little,” the old woman replied.
Thurmond gave it a cursory reading. “This does mention the incident. However, it goes on to add that it was the first time it happened. It also says that the theft was minor. It commends Rose on her long service, and adds a few uncomplimentary things about her son.”
Lisa put down the ledger, stood, and walked up to the former servant. “I take it you have heard of what happened to your former master?”
“Of course. Can’t say as I’m sad.”
“Did you hear that the thief found Holden’s keys?”
“No! I thought only a few odds were stolen. Was his little box touched?” she asked, accenting the words “little box.”
“The box on his bedroom table?”
“No. On his desk. He called it his ’money box,’ whatever that meant. Unless you found an new box I never saw,” she added sarcastically.
“Then there was just the one. You know where his keys were hidden?”
“Anyone who knew that rat knew where they were.” After being stared at for a moment, she said, “He kept ’em in the upstairs bedroom, under the blue chair. Is that all?”
Thurmond sighed. “I don’t think we need to keep you here any longer. You may go.” The woman sniffed, made a show of turning her back to them, and calmly left. Thurmond folded his arms and took a few steps. “That clears the housekeeper.”
A man entered the room a second later. “Sir, there’s a woman from one of the smaller trade shops here. I think you ought to see her.” Thurmond nodded, and the man stepped away. A long moment later he returned with another woman.
This woman was a much older lady with ragged-fine clothes and graying hair. She was stooped, and her eyes gleamed with happiness, but not intelligence. “Is there a reward for these?” was the first thing she said.
“Perhaps, Ma’am,” Thurmond replied. “What is it you have?”
“Well, I wouldn’t ask, but I did pay for these.” She reached into the bag she was carrying. “Here? No, that’s dinner. This? Oh, no, that’s not it.” Much to Lisa’s amusement and Thurmond’s annoyance, the old woman pulled out everything she carried in her bag. Naturally, the items she wanted were at the very bottom. “I wasn’t too sure when I first heard the crier, but as I was cleaning I came across these.” She handed Thurmond a statue, a ring, and a jewel-encrusted knife.
“These are what we’re looking for,” he said.
“Who did you buy these from?” Lisa asked.
“Nasty young man. Foul-mouthed, unclean. Had this scar across his cheek.” She traced the scar with an unsteady hand.
“You mean like this?” Thurmond asked, tracing the scar on the bully’s corpse.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“I think we should let her take a look at that body.”
“So do I, Miss Herbert. If you’ll step this way, madam?” he asked, taking her arm.
“Certainly. Am I going to be paid for this?”
“Just a moment, Ma’am.” He led her out of the room, in the direction of of where the corpse was. Lisa followed, staying a few steps back.
“You know, young man,” the old woman began, “it was strange. The sale, I mean. That fella with the scar wanted ten tokens for those. I told him, ’I can’t afford more than seven,’ but he wouldn’t listen. Got nasty when I suggested he try elsewhere. Well, I never.”
“Yes, yes,” Thurmond said. “Ah, here we are! Now, go on in, and look at the body.” He ushered the woman into the room. He pointed to the dead thug. “Is this is the man who sold you those three items?”
She looked for only a moment. “Oh, yes, that’s him all right.”
“Very good.” He turned away from her and yelled to man guarding the room from the outside. “Ma’am, go with Hank, and he’ll make sure you’re paid for your help. Thank you.” He leaned towards the man. “Give her twelve trade tokens. On my orders.” The man nodded, and led the old woman away.
“You have Holden’s killer,” Lisa said.
“I can hardly punish a dead man.”
“Of course not. Clearly, he was hired to murder Holden.”
“Without a doubt. Question is, who hired him?”
Lisa went to the thug’s body. She ran her hands over the corpse. She stuck her fingers into the man’s pockets. She even took his boots off, and shook them over the floor. “Nothing,” she mumbled. She turned to Thurmond. “To know who hired this man, we’ll have to find the bar where he spent most of his time.”
Thurmond glanced at a window. The sun was starting to set. “The bars will be getting active right about now.”
“Oh, right. I’ll need to spend more time reading Holden’s ledger. I suppose we can finish this tomorrow. Can I talk to Little Wolf before I leave?”
“Certainly. Just so long as he stays locked up.”
***
“No! I won’t stay here!” Little Wolf turned his back on Lisa, stomped to the far side of his cell, and folded his arms. “If I am not accused, I should go free. You promised me...”
“Little Wolf, you’re in danger,” Lisa insisted.
“I can take care of myself.”
“Can you handle a mob?” Lisa asked quietly. The young man turned his head slightly towards Lisa. “It’s true. We know that you didn’t kill Holden. But the man who did was killed, too. Someone had him kill Holden, then when you weren’t punished, that person killed the killer. If he hears you’re free, he might send another mob after you. Or, he might knife you in your sleep. Either way, you can’t leave.”
The young man still stood stiffly. “I do not like it here.”
Lisa stepped closer to him. “Can you think of a safer place to be?” She patted his shoulders softly. “Trust me. I’ve tried so hard to prove you innocent. Now I have to find the killer. I promise you, I will find him by sunset tomorrow. You’ll be free, and you can leave this stupid town.”
>
Little Wolf took a few silent breaths. His back remained stiff, his face dark. Suddenly, her turned to face Lisa. “If you say so, I’ll stay.”
***
As she and Thurmond walked from tavern to tavern, Lisa sifted through the facts of Holden’s murder in her mind. She knew that by working through the facts, she could build a profile of the person who had Holden murdered. She could give that profile to Thurmond, and he could supply a name.
First was the murder. Holden had been immobilized, then his throat was cut. The murderer then took three items of marginal value. He sold them for trade tokens. The following night, someone managed to knock out the murderer. He tied his hands and feet, and tossed him face-first into the river.
Obviously, Lisa decided, the person behind the murders knew Holden well. He was smart enough not to pay his hired killer directly. On the other hand, as soon as Little Wolf was given a small amount of breathing room, he got rid of his hired killer. The man might be intelligent, but he wasn’t above getting nervous.
Holden had been a strong businessman, but not very popular. No one was mourning for Holden, but the locals didn’t shrink from trying to take the law into their hands when Little Wolf was accused. She idly wondered if that had been part of the murderer’s plans.
She dismissed the notion. Everything suggested that Holden’s murder was planned. It was probably dumb luck that Little Wolf mixed it up with Holden and his pals. He had made a convenient scapegoat. If that was true, then why did the big man have to die?
Lisa knew that whoever had hired him wouldn’t want him talking. She didn’t believe the big man would be so dumb that he wouldn’t suspect his boss of doing him in once Holden was dead.
She played a scene out in her head. The man hired the thug to kill Holden. The thug did so, and sold the items for his payment. He went back to his boss to get help for the thug to flee the area. With Little Wolf locked up, they both thought they’d get away with it, but then she got involved. Perhaps the thug hinted to the boss that he might make a deal to save his neck, or maybe he demanded more payment to keep silent. Either way, the thug was killed.
That still left the identity of his boss unknown. Lisa wondered if stolen items were the key to his identity. They were called “gifts of silence.” Were they gifts to buy Holden’s silence? Had Holden threatened to speak unless he got more gifts?
Lisa's Way Page 5
