Off the Record: An Avery Rich Mystery (Avery Rich Mysteries Book 1)

by Sara Gauldin

  “We have to get close enough to know what they're up to,” I whispered. My speaking voice squeaked with anticipation.

  Kain nodded. “Agreed. We can work our way around back, closer to the window in White’s office, and see if we can get a look at any of these guys.” He was already drawing his gun as he swung the car door open.

  I drew my weapon as well. If our last visit was any precedent, these guys were more of the shoot first, ask questions later sort of bunch.

  We made brisk progress as we crept around the alley at the back of the theater, the property adjoining the accounting firm. I made a mental note that trading my heels for serviceable boots was a good move. Clonking around the building in heels would have been slow and obvious. As we approached the office window, we could see that the light was on, and we could plainly see movement inside.

  We edged up to stand directly under the windowsill. I realized right away that the old windows allowed the sound to come through fairly well. I imagined that they did not keep the elements out very well, either. From where I stood, I could just make out the top of a bank of filing cabinets, running down one wall. I could see the top of a man’s head and his shoulder, as he stood and faced in the direction of White’s desk. The man I could see was not Jim Maple. He was the other gun man, the one who might have police connections. His salt and pepper hair was thick. He wore a dark leather jacket over a collared shirt. He had a strong jaw line. I was sure he was the same man I'd met in the parking lot of this building yesterday. I wished I'd been able to search for police photos to put a name to the face.

  “What do you mean things are under control?” a harsh male voice demanded.

  “They know nothing, I didn't tell them anything!” White’s voice had a frantic edge.

  The man I could see shouted, “You’re compromised! How did they even find you? Why would you bring them here?” His eyes opened wide in a frightening glare, and his nose flared in anger as he spoke.

  “How should I know? Somebody sold me out! It’s not like I posted an ad, come to my office, I know about the kidnappings.” White's voice was laden with an accusatory tone.

  “So you want to put this, your mistake, on one of us?” the harsh voice shouted. “They have your name and your place of business. They have nothing on us!”

  “You’re wrong, Jim! They knew more than they let on. How else would they have found me?”

  “So what do they know?” demanded the man with the salt and pepper hair.

  I glanced at Kain. He had his shoulder to the building and was gazing with rapt attention through the window from beneath.

  “They knew I did business with First National. They wanted to know who signed off on my contract work, that's all, really.” White’s voice cracked. His false composure from our earlier meeting had completely abandoned him.

  “And what did you tell them?” the harsh voice shouted.

  “Just that the bank’s president signed them,” White sobbed. The man I could see lurched forward in anger.

  “And a name--did they have any names?” the man demanded. He looked as though he was ready to jump across White’s desk at him. Some part of me felt sorry for White as he sat cornered in his office. The reality was he had put himself in this position, long before we had darkened his door.

  “Yeah, they already seemed to know about Shultz and Morris…” White’s voice trailed off.

  “Seemed to know? What did Collins say about this?” The gravelly tone I'd connected with Jim Maple roared.

  “He doesn’t know. Why would I tell him?” White answered.

  "Well, you sure seemed willing to give information to Detective Rich. Did you get the name of her partner?” asked the man with the salt and pepper hair.

  “No, he didn't offer his name,” White said.

  “We need to know who this guy is that's helping Rich!” Maple said.

  “Look, I don’t know anything else. They came after me. They said my name had come up as a part of an investigation. That was all they got from me!” White was blubbering. The man whom I'd been watching moved from my view.

  “I think it’s time we tied up loose ends, before we have to report anything to Collins,” Maple said.

  “Do you really think we can keep Will Collins out of the loop? That will make us look like the problem instead of the solution,” the second gunman said.

  I would have done a victory dance if I could have moved! We had a first name for Collins. Now we had a chance of identifying him and getting to the bottom of this situation.

  “I’m telling you: Collins doesn’t know anyone was here. You wouldn't know either if I hadn’t messaged you. I’m in this, let me help you fix the problem!” White knew that he had fallen from grace.

  “All right, what did you have in mind?” the man by the filing cabinet asked.

  I couldn't quite make out his expression in order to get a good read on his question.

  “Simple, we take Rich and her little friend out of the equation. Without them, nobody really knows anything.” White’s voice was gaining momentum. He found a particle of hope in plotting our murders.

  “You couldn’t be more correct," Maple said. "Rich and her partner are dead. It's only a matter of time before we find them.”

  I felt the temptation to shoot the thugs where they stood, but I wasn't going to become the criminal. If someone was planning crimes, let it be the criminal element. No, I just needed a plan to stop them that did not involve my becoming an impromptu sniper.

  I looked over at Kain where he stood, frozen like a statue against the wall under the window. Every muscle in his body remained taunt. He reminded me of a jungle cat ready to spring. I was sure he was considering his options, just as I was.

  “So let’s go find them now, before any of this gets out!” White was desperate to prove his loyalty.

  “There's one matter that must be taken care of first,” Maple said.

  Before I could react I heard the familiar zip-zip of two shots routed through a silencer.

  Crap! My witness had just paid for my questioning, and here I was, standing in the alley like I was helpless; some detective I was turning out to be. What now? Should I storm in and try to arrest them? These were the same armed men who'd just proclaimed their intention to kill me in order to tie up loose ends, and who'd proved their sincerity by eliminating White from the equation. As I glared through the window, the man with the salt and pepper hair dashed forward. At first, his movement was so sudden that I wondered if it was he who had been hit.

  “Geez, Jim, you shot him!” The crooked cop's voice came from somewhere below the window. “How are you going to make the transactions without him? What are we going to do with him now? Our prints are everywhere here! Do you know what will be involved in clearing this crime scene?”

  “It had to be done. He was a liability.” Maple's voice was unyielding.

  “A leak, yes, but now you've created new problems! White was the only one with ties to the cash. He was the one handling the accounts and the foreclosures. Now we have to clean up this mess and the paper trail. How’s your accounting?” The man with the salt and pepper hair’s voice raised a full octave. Apparently, the corruption was not able to eradicate his sense of propriety, at least, not yet.

  “Can it, Parker!” Maple shouted. “Now's not the time to second guess ourselves! I can handle the transactions. We just need his pass codes and routing information. Help me get him to the car. We can’t leave him here. It'll only serve to create more questions.” So the second gunman was Parker--I wondered if that was his first name or his last.

  “And put him where? You're just spreading evidence around, tying it to yourself!” This was ridiculous. I couldn't just stand there and let this cover up go on. I angled my body toward the window and looked for a shot. I would be dead before I reached the hall if I barged in unprepared. I saw Kain scanning for an angle as well, but both men were on the ground, trying to move White’s corpse, and I could not get a visual on eith
er one of them.

  I shook my head at Kain. I was out of ideas.

  He gestured for me to follow him. I sincerely hoped he had a plan that would not let these jerks get away, or get us killed in the process. We ran around the building toward the Escalade. I wondered what Kain had in mind.

  He went directly to the vehicle and began unscrewing the covers for the tires’ inflation nozzles. I heard the tell-tale hiss of air as it left the first tire. Perfect: that would slow them down for sure. I followed his example. Soon we'd deflated all four of the tires.

  “Now we wait for them,” I whispered to Kain.

  “Wrong. Now we get out of here and call them in.”

  “Call them in? To whom?” I asked.

  “Calbert. If nothing else, it'll give us a better idea as to where his loyalties stand, and it will buy us some time.” Kain seemed confident. I could not help but wonder what result he expected.

  “Time for what? For them to plan our murders?”

  “Time to find your bankers. Now, hurry up--we need to get out of here before they spot us.” Kain was already headed for the car, but I hesitated. This was my chance to apprehend these jerks, and to sleep in my own bed. In the same moment, I realized Maple and Parker would never give up Collins or the locations of Morris and Shultz. No, if I was going to finish this, I had to solve the problem, not just treat the symptoms. I sighed and began a brisk jog back to the car.

  Chapter 12

  I have always found it eerie how gas stations can mimic one another so perfectly with the shelves of marked-up junk food, and the tired-looking displays. This establishment was not an exception, but it provided exactly what I needed: a pay phone. It turns out that pay phones are not terribly prevalent these days because of the wide-spread use of cell phones. I had not really noticed their absence until I needed to use the antiquated method to contact Commander Calbert. I had to stop at four different stores before I found a pay phone.

  I dialed Calbert’s cell phone number; at this time of night he was not likely to be in his office. The phone rang three times before Commander Calbert’s gruff voice came on the line.

  “Hello?” He had probably been asleep.

  “Commander? This is Detective Rich.”

  “Rich! You don’t know how glad I am to hear your voice. Are you all right? Were you injured in the shooting or the accident?” Calbert’s tone made his concern seem sincere.

  “No, sir, I’m fine. I need to report a crime. I would call for backup, but since I'm off the grid I'm contacting you directly.”

  “Good, that's exactly what you should do,” Calbert said.

  I had a feeling at the pit of my stomach that this whole conversation was wrong. Secrecy was not how this was supposed to work. Nevertheless, it seems there are many things in this world that do not work the way they would seem to.

  “Sir, please send some officers to 498 Arlington Ridge Road. The man who runs the place, Douglas White, was killed there tonight. He was shot to death by Jim Maple and another man by the name of Parker.”

  “Shot to death?” asked Calbert. “How can you be sure?”

  “I witnessed it, but there was nothing I could do. With no back up I couldn't hope to make an arrest. It was all I could do to not become a victim myself.”

  “That sounds like a dicey situation," Calbert said. "Maybe you should come in.”

  “I think it's too late for that, sir,” I said. “These guys know my name, and they're looking for me. They want me dead, sir.”

  “Do you have the names of the people involved?” Calbert asked.

  “Jim Maple and a man called Parker--I think he has police connections. They answer to someone by the name of Will Collins. Douglas White was involved, but he's no longer a threat.” I felt a sense of relief as I gave the information I had been harboring to my commander. It seemed to be the correct order for things to function.

  “Where are you now? I can send you some assistance.” Calbert was insistent.

  “I’m at a gas station. I’m fine, really. I just need to solve this case so I can come in without worrying.”

  “I respect that; stay safe,” Calbert said. “I’ll send dispatch a ' shots fired' report at the address you gave me.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll check back in when I can.”

  We were whirring back across town. I could not help envisioning the expressions on the faces of our pleasant friends when they discovered their vehicle had been disabled. By this time, if Calbert was on the level, there would be a swarm of police responding to my report of shots fired at the office address.

  When I called from the pay phone, Calbert had seemed genuinely glad to hear I was alive and well. I suppose it was a sign I was right about Calbert, and that Kain was paranoid. I could not go by voice alone. If police flooded the place and took Maple and Parker in for White’s murder, then I could be sure. If there was no response, I would be right back where I began, wondering where things stood.

  We were heading back to Jim Maple’s home. One thing was certain: Maple was not there. That meant this was the perfect time to search the place, if we could get in. The word “warrant” flashed in my mind like a strobe light, but I was determined to go. I envisioned the missing bankers tied up in a closet, and I knew had to try to reach them while their captors, or perhaps their killers, were otherwise occupied. By my estimate, we had around thirty minutes to get in and search. Even if the police did not swarm into the office, the two thugs still had to deal with flat tires and a body dump, not to mention a cleanup at the office. Parker had been especially concerned with concealing the murder, and I suspected he would be thorough. A background with the force would give him enough information to do a decent cover up if he had time.

  “Do you know anything else about this Maple character?” Kain tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

  “Just what I already told you, and that he's now a murderer,” I said. Honestly, I was not sure what he was looking for.

  “I mean information about his family. It was Maple whose disappearance was called in by a woman. We can assume that whoever called it in was either tied to Maple directly, as in his wife or daughter, or she was knowledgeable about the kidnappings indirectly.” Kain was fishing. I could not help wondering where he was going with this.

  “That’s right, but whoever she was, she ran into trouble because of her call. We know that much. I wonder if they killed her as well. Maple doesn't seem to have any qualms about trimming any possible loose ends.”

  “Well, we may find out about his family life while we're paying his house a visit,” suggested Kain.

  “I suppose so. There may be pictures,” I said.

  “It occurs to me that if there is a family, they may still be in the home, and at this hour, I would venture to guess that they'd be asleep.” Kain had a point. If there was a family, we didn't want to run into them as we searched their home. This was going to have to be quick, quiet, and armed. I pictured myself wearing a ski mask and being arrested for a home invasion. That would be the crown jewel in the career that I seemed to be burying deeper and deeper in the mud.

  “If there is a family, and they're well and at home, then who called Maple in as missing?” I was thinking aloud.

  “If there is a family and Maple is still staying in the home, then there's no reason they would report him missing, unless they wanted his name to be involved in the investigation,” Kain said.

  “If that’s the case, who would want Maple’s name to be investigated?” I asked.

  “What about the wives of the other bankers who are missing? If they don't report their own husbands as missing because they're afraid, could it be possible that one of them reported Maple just to flag his name in the investigation?” Kain was on to something. As soon as he said it, I put it together.

  “Both Calbert and I have spoken with Mrs. Morris, but as far as I know, nobody has been in contact with Mrs. Shultz.” I was feeling pretty confident in my speculation, but I would find no jubilati
on in being correct. If Mrs. Shultz violated some sort of mandate to tip off Calbert in an attempt to save her husband, then she may have given her life in the hope of saving his.

  Kain nodded. “She would be the logical conclusion, assuming that an outside party hasn't killed her, or that Maple hasn't killed his own wife.”

  “Either way, when we've completed our search of Maple's house, our next stop is Mr. Shultz’s home. We need to know for sure what the situation is with his family.” Now that the idea was out, I needed to know if Mrs. Shultz was the woman with the cell phone. What’s more, if her call had ended badly, what had become of the household? Were there children involved? I felt an involuntary sense of revulsion at the thought of those unscrupulous men interacting with innocent children.

  “Agreed!” Kain’s response was brief, but the expression upon his face spoke volumes.

  I wondered if the idea of a family being torn apart brought back his memories of the terrible ending his own family had met.

  We pulled up to the curb, down the street from the Maple’s home. We needed to clarify our plans before we attempted this search.

  I pointed to the garage door. “The easiest entry point will be the side door to the garage.”

  “Right, I’ll grab the tools I brought from your place,” Kain said. His brow creased as he examined the house.

  “Look, before we go in we need to agree on one thing,” I said. “If we find that this house is occupied, or if things go badly, we have to take the angle that we believe these kidnapped men are inside the house. Even if there's no sign of them, we have to have a strong enough reason to enter, and the safety of those men is the strongest reason we can give.”

  Kain looked at me thoughtfully. “You’re a consummate professional, Avery Rich."

  He leaned in toward me, and I felt myself moving toward him, as though we were subject to magnetic attraction. When our lips met there was a sense of fervor and intensity that had replaced the calm attraction our last kiss had unveiled. I suppose the constant particle of risk that had permeated our short acquaintance intensified all aspects of our interaction. Our kiss dwindled, but the sensation of intensity remained.