The Harvest Club

by Iona Morrison

  Was Matt in her future?

  Chapter Eleven

  Matt got to La Guardia about two on Sunday afternoon and found a strategic spot at one of the gates where he could watch the people who walked by. He figured if their flight left at eight, they would be there by three or four since it was an overseas flight. His paper in hand, he kept a close eye on those making their way to the gate for the flight to India. It wasn’t lost on him that he was in Jessie’s old stomping ground.

  He’d called yesterday and set up an appointment to have coffee with Lt. O’Malley earlier in the day. It had been well worth the time. Not only did he learn more about Jessie, but he got another perspective on this case. O’Malley had a few suggestions about what Brad and Rick might be dealing in for the kind of money Jessie had found in their accounts. But Matt needed some real evidence before he said anything to anyone.

  He could never live here, he thought, too crowded, too smoggy, and people were in too damn big a hurry to enjoy anything. But, if he was honest, he had to admit that most women in Jessie’s place would think this was a piece of cake compared to what she had experienced of peaceful, quiet, small town living so far.

  “Now this is interesting,” he muttered under his breath. He watched Pastor Rick and city councilman, Ed Jones walk by together. Not far behind them were Brad and the mayor of Blue Cove. Several other men joined the group, some of whom he recognized as council members, clergy, and even a state senator. He watched them until they boarded the plane. Jason Cummings, he knew from high school. Matt went to the police academy after college graduation, and Jason went into law, wanting to get into politics. He’d been mayor for a couple of years now.

  Maybe this was just a goodwill mission trip, like Pastor Rick had said, but why would Brad be going? Matt leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He wondered if all of these boys had offshore accounts. It was something they needed to check out. But he’d need warrants, which would take some time. Meanwhile, Jessie could do some snooping around.

  As the plane taxied out for takeoff, he headed for the exit, armed with some new avenues to follow. Better get Jessie involved in the research sooner than later. She had the nose for this. Once in his car he gave her a call.

  “Hey, Jess, this is Matt. Are you busy?”

  “Not really. I take it you saw you what you went to see.”

  “Probably more than I wanted to. I’ve started on my way back, but I wanted to get you going on something. Did you get the flight list?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you check and see if there is a rabbi, and Episcopal priest listed and if you find names, check for an offshore account along with Blue Cove’s mayor, Jason Cummings, and city councilman Ed Jones.”

  “Sure, I’ll take care of it. Is that all?”

  “There were several guys I recognized, but I would have to look at the list to see if I can put names to their faces. We’re talking about some other councilmen and a senator. Oh, and Brad Martin was in the group.”

  “I’ll get started and email you the list so that you’ll have it when you get back. I wasn’t doing anything but reading and waiting to hear news from you.”

  “Let me know, Jess, when you find out.”

  “I think you do that on purpose.”

  “What?” He tried to sound innocent.

  “Call me Jess, when you know my name is Jessie.”

  “You make it so easy.” He laughed. “Talk to you later.”

  ****

  Jessie chuckled. She seemed to walk into every trap Matt put out there. At least he got a lot of laughs at her expense. He was like a splinter in her finger, nothing major, but annoying.

  She spent the next few hours at her computer. Both of the men Matt had talked about also had offshore accounts in the same bank. Huge deposits had been made on or around the same time as the deposits into Brad’s and Rick’s accounts. She spent the next few hours trying to follow the money trail, but the accounts were well protected. She needed the help of Jeremy who could get through anything. His skills on the computer were something legends were made of.

  She sent an email off to him and told him what she needed. If anyone could find it, he could. Now she would just have to wait to hear back. In the meantime, she began to think about what she wanted to ask Pastor John tomorrow at lunch.

  She had doubts that Pastor Rick was a real pastor. He might have studied for it, but his heart wasn’t in it. She wondered if it was a cover for his illegal activities.

  She emailed Matt the flight list and what she’d learned so far.

  “That’s it for me. I’ve had enough sitting at the computer for one day.” She stepped out her front door, looked up into the starlit sky, and with the sounds of the breaking waves in the distance, sighed. She looked around the garden, the paths lit softly with small lights. It was a beautiful evening. As she stood there, she caught sight of a shadowy figure standing beside a tree about fifty feet away. When he saw her looking that way, he dodged quickly behind the tree, and she saw him walk away toward the shoreline path.

  It was probably nothing—maybe a guest at the lodge—still, hadn’t she just told herself she needed to think about her safety and take nothing for granted? She would keep her eyes open, lock her doors even in the day, and deadbolt them at night.

  She rubbed her arms trying to rid herself of the sudden chill she felt then hurried inside, locking up everything nice and tight. Even from a distance, she could tell he was a very big man.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jessie’s night was restless. She had awakened several times thinking she had heard a noise. Straining, she listened to all the sounds in the night. Work was calling now, but what she really wanted was sleep, at least a couple of hours more.

  She felt a little better after a shower and her morning coffee. Still, a lingering fear lurked at the back of her mind. She should probably tell Matt about the man watching her, and she would if she saw someone watching her again.

  She honked and waved at Katie as she passed by the inn. Oh, how Jessie wished she could stop and unburden herself to her best friend, but that was not in the cards, at least not until Matt told her she could.

  Another slow work day, a ticking clock that never seemed to move, a phone that refused to ring, and a deathly quiet building all made her fidgety. Suddenly something fell in the hall, and Jessie jumped up to see what it was.

  “Sorry, Blondie, did I startle you?” Melinda picked up the broom she’d dropped.

  “Just a little. It’s been so quiet here all morning.”

  “I bet you thought it was our church ghost.” She cackled. “I know you’ve had to have seen her by now. You want to hear what happened to me last night?”

  “Sure, Red, tell me.”

  “I think someone was in the building when I came in to straighten and do some cleaning. I always like to come in at night or early morning so I don’t bother the various groups having meetings. The ladies’ circle is meeting today, and I wanted to set up. Anyway, I thought I saw the office door open, and I started down the hall, but then I heard heels clicking across the tile in the lobby, but no one was there when I went to check. When I came back down the hall, the door was shut, but I heard the side door of the church shut. You know what I think?” She paused to look at Jessie shaking her head. “I think Gina was looking after me. I came in afterward and looked around, but didn’t see anything missing. What do you think?”

  “You’re probably right,” Jessie stammered.

  “I tell you, Blondie, sometimes this church is downright scary at night when no one else is in the building. I think I’m going to start working when you’re here.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” Jessie opened one of her drawers to get a paper clip. There, on top of her office supplies, was an envelope with her name on it. She started to open it, and then the phone rang. It was one of the church groups, wanting to schedule some time in the meeting room. She slipped the letter ben
eath some papers waiting for her attention as the phone rang. She’d get to it later.

  Melinda caught her eye and waved as she headed for the lobby. “I’ll talk to you later. I need to make sure I set up right for the women’s group.”

  The next time Jessie looked up at the clock, it was time to meet Pastor John. She grabbed her purse and headed to Patterson’s.

  ****

  She found Pastor John sitting in a booth in the main dining area of the restaurant, head bent as he looked over the menu.

  “Hi, I hope you didn’t have to wait long.” She smiled and waved at Patterson as she sat down. He nodded back. Was that a hint of a smile she saw? “It was quiet all morning. Just before it was time to leave, I had several phone calls, and Melinda came by to talk to me.”

  “No problem.” He looked up and smiled at her. “I’ve only been here about five minutes. I just started to look at the menu—although by now I should know it by heart.”

  “How do you like being retired?”

  “To tell you the truth, I miss the church and the people.” He gave her a wan smile. “After Gina died, I was so saddened I let my son talk me in to retiring. But there are days, I would love to be back at the helm, helping people walk through all of this mess. For some reason Rick has got in his head that not mentioning Gina will make it all go away. I think people need to talk about it.”

  “I agree with you. Several people have talked to me about needing an outlet for their emotions.” She paused and then pushed on. “Was Rick trained to be a pastor?”

  “If you mean did he go to school, the answer is yes, but if you want to know if he is called—it was never on his radar until a little over a year ago. He wanted the church to hire him, but Gina had been hired the year before and people loved her. The church turned down his proposal. I told him I could help find him a church somewhere else, but he said it had to be here.”

  After they gave the waitress their order, Jessie waded in just a little bit deeper, not wanting to cross a line and upset him.

  “Did Rick pressure you to retire so he could have the church?” She tried to gage his reaction. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  “In fairness to Rick, and where I was at the time, my first response would be no. But having said that, when I look back, I would have to say it was a first rate job he did on me.” He fiddled with his water glass. “I’ve never known my son to be like he is now. He’s tense, seems nervous, and I don’t personally like being around him. As far as how he’s doing as a pastor, he’s doing an awful job.” His mouth tightened, and he paused as the waitress set down their orders. “I’m about to call the district office to get involved. I can’t talk to him at all. He refuses to listen to me or to the church board, and he reacts to almost everything said to him. I hope I haven’t shocked you, but you heard how he treated me in the office that day.” He leaned forward, his eyes on her face. “You’re working with him, what do you think?”

  Jessie measured her words carefully. This was her boss they were talking about. “I think he’s appeared tenser lately, getting ready for the trip and all.”

  “I realize I’m putting you on the spot. He’s your boss, and I know you want to be careful. I’m speculating now. I have no facts to back this up, but he’s using the church to cover up something.”

  “What makes you think that?” She sipped her iced tea.

  “He’s had a lot of strange phone calls. I’ve overheard some of them, and he seems to have an unlimited amount of money to travel. I have no clue where he’s getting it.” He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed, before speaking again. “Some of the people in the congregation have asked if he was using the church’s money. They’re getting suspicious, too. When I asked Rick, we had a major fight.”

  She looked at John’s worried face and tried to think of something that would put his mind at ease. “It’s possible he found a side business to supplement his income.”

  “It can’t be legal. I know of very few things where you can make the kind of money I’m watching him spend.” John suddenly grabbed her hand and looked into her face. “I’m not going to tell him we talked. It’s our secret, but I need you to tell me what you really think.”

  “Okay,” she spoke quietly. “You should tell Matt Parker what you’ve told me. There’s no doubt in my mind your son is acting strangely. There seems to be a general disconnect between him and the work at the church. I can’t help but think, like you, that his work at the church is a cover up for something else he’s doing.” She patted his hand.

  “I’ll stop by the police on my way home.” He struggled. “I never thought I would have to talk to the police about my son. I also want to warn you that Rick is interested in you. It scares me. You’re just the kind of girl I always had hoped for my son, but I wouldn’t wish him on you the way he is now.”

  “Rick has told me a couple of times that we need to go out, but I’ve changed the subject every time. I will tell him if he asks again that I have a firm policy about not dating someone I work with, especially my boss.” She folded her hands.

  “That’s a good idea. Thank you for talking to me. I thought I was going off the deep end thinking about my own son like this. I’ve heard, through the grapevine, you’re doing a personal interest story on Gina. I wanted to meet with you originally to talk about her. I know you need to get back to work, so I’ll call you after I talk to Matt and fill you in on what I know. How’s that sound?” He picked up the bill and laid down his credit card. “This is my treat. Thanks for being a listening ear.”

  “Thanks for lunch.” She stood and smiled at him. “By the way, I think the church misses you as much as you miss them. Maybe you should consider coming out of retirement.” She said her goodbyes and walked back to the church.

  On her way back to her office, she stopped to chat with the ladies’ group which was just breaking up, and Reba told her she would be down to see her in a few minutes. So Jessie headed back to her desk.

  She sent a quick email to Matt telling him John was on his way to see him and passed on Melinda’s news about the office intruder. She had several days until Pastor Rick was back, and she decided to use this time to work on Gina’s story. One point of concern to her was that John had heard she was doing a story already. If he had heard, she was sure others had as well.

  “Did you have a nice lunch, my dear?” Reba’s cultured voice asked.

  “Yes, I did. I spent a little time with Pastor John. He’s such a nice man.”

  “I dearly wish that he was still our pastor. No offense to his son, but he just doesn’t have the same regard for the congregation as his father, and there’s a troubled aura about him.” She walked into the office and sat down. “How is your story coming along? By now, I figure you’re learning more about the mystery and unraveling the many layers. I never thought it was a simple murder or Gina wouldn’t still be roaming here.”

  “Gina was well-liked, generous, and by all accounts a great mother.” Jessie evaded the question with a smile. “Her parents and children miss her dearly. I learned that she was a pretty terrific human being and maybe got too close to someone’s ugly secret, which we’ll mostly likely never know about because she took it with her to her grave.”

  “Secrets have a way of being found out, my dear, so keep looking.” Reba glanced at her watch.

  “I will, but I don’t hold out much hope.”

  “I wanted to tell you something that concerns me, but I don’t want to scare you. I just want you to be careful. I had a dream about you. A large dark shadow was spying on you and following you around. This was not of the ghostly variety, but human. So watch your back, my dear, and I’m going to tell that Officer Parker to do the same. Someone considers you a risk. You must be getting close to the truth.” She stood up to leave. “I believe you’ll be okay, but it will get worse before it gets better.”

  Worse, before it gets better. That doesn’t sound good. “Have a nice day, Reba.” Jes
sie smiled at her.

  “You too, dear.” She walked out the door.

  What should she do with that? Why did everyone keep coming to her with all this information? Sure, she had asked a few questions, but not that many. A large dark shadow? Hadn’t she’d seen him the other night? Matt needed to know that, too.

  “Gina, you must have been terrified,” she whispered. No wonder you wanted to get your children and yourself to safety. I’ve walked the streets of New York and never come up against what you had to face in this small town. I wish there had been someone you could have trusted to protect you.”

  The phone’s ring shook her out of her pensive thoughts.

  “First Community Church, this is Jessie. May I help you?”

  “Jessie, this is John. I’m glad I talked to Matt. Thanks for the suggestion.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Matt told me I should be careful not to meet with you too often in case someone is watching. It might put you in jeopardy. It sounds like my son is messed up in something very serious.”

  “It could be, but maybe he’s an outsider.” She tried to give him hope she didn’t feel.

  “He also gave me your email address, so I’ll be sending you the information I was originally going to tell you.” He hesitated for a moment. “I’ll check on you by phone every now and then. I’m sorry you came here to be drawn into this mess. Hang in there, and let others help watch out for you, okay?”

  “Okay, and thanks for your concern.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Matt gave his report to Anderson when he got to work, and he called the sheriff’s department in the county seat for some assistance. A meeting was scheduled for the next morning to go over the evidence with Sheriff Taylor who had friends at the state level as well. Anderson agreed with Matt. They needed more manpower, and they had a little over a week to get a plan of action and key people in place to do surveillance.

  Anderson looked at Matt sitting across from him. “This case is all yours, Matt. I’m going to take a back seat on this one. You’re in charge. I’ll be here to help if you need it, but only if you ask.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m grooming you for when I retire. Just keep me clued in on what’s happening.” He looked Matt in the eyes. “You’ve done a damn fine job with it so far.”