Beyond Secrets, The Art of Murder: A Madison Hart Mystery (Madison Hart Mysteries Book 1)

by DB Jones

  “I think it’s too early to think about that. We still have a lot of work to do to solve this case,” she replied trying to dodge his question.

  He knew her dedication to her work came first, but he was hoping their relationship could grow into something deeper. However, now was not the time to pursue the topic. He clearly got that hint.

  Josh quickly changed the subject. “I think I’ll call Kim and see if I can meet with her. I’d like to go over Kincaid’s itinerary during the last few months. It’s time we knew just where he was at the time these women disappeared.”

  “I think you’re right. We need to bring Kincaid into the station and formally interview him. He keeps skirting our questions, and I don’t like the fact that he’s calling the shots. Kim will be our best source since she keeps track of his every move. I believe she knows more than she’s telling us.”

  Josh took a sip of his water. “I agree, but we still have to play her just right, or she’ll shut down with us. She worships the man and won’t tell us anything that might tarnish his reputation.” He pulled out his cell phone and called the art center, and Alice answered. “Alice, you’re still there?”

  “Hi, Josh. Yes, I am. I thought Kim was going to stop by when she returned from her sister’s, but I haven’t heard from her. I guess she just went home. She is scheduled to be here in the morning.”

  “I was hoping to talk to her this evening. Do you have her home phone?”

  “Yes. Just a minute. I’ll look it up.” Alice fumbled through the drawer until she found the book of contacts. “Here it is. We don’t have a home phone number, only her cell. It’s 555-1203.”

  “Thank you, Alice.”

  Josh waited to call until they went back to Madison’s office so he wouldn’t be interrupted.

  “I take it Kim wasn’t there?” Madison asked

  “No. Alice thought she was coming by on her way home from her sister’s, but she didn’t show. Are you about ready to leave?”

  “I’m done.” Madison took the last sip of her wine.

  As they pulled into the parking lot, Madison noticed the light over the sidewalk was broken. There was a branch lying next to the shattered glass beneath it. “Damn, now I’ve got to call Jessie and see if she can get someone to fix that. I guess that storm we had weakened the branch.”

  Josh looked up at the tree overhanging the walkway but didn’t notice any broken area. He looked around the lot to see if he could see any more debris, but there wasn’t any. He walked Madison in but said nothing. She had a few incidents that she was questioning, and this would only make her more certain and uncomfortable. “I can come by tomorrow and fix that light. All it needs is a new bulb, no need to call Jessie about that.”

  “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  “No problem. How about getting that bottle of wine while I call Kim?”

  Josh punched in Kim’s numbers, but it immediately went to voice mail. “Kim, this is Detective Logan. Would you mind giving me a call when you get this message?”

  Madison came in with a full bottle of Merlot and two wine glasses. “When did you get wine glasses?”

  “I was tired of drinking my wine out of mason jars. The least thing I can do to make this place seem somewhat homey is to have real wine glasses.” She grinned and set them down on the table and handed Josh the corkscrew.

  “Nice touch,” he said as he opened the wine.

  “I take it Kim didn’t answer?”

  “No, it didn’t even ring. It went directly to her voice mail. Either she has her phone turned off, or maybe she’s charging it. I’ll call her back later.”

  Madison was curious about who Josh was. They started telling stories of their youth. The more wine they drank, the louder they laughed about the crazy things each had done in their childhood.

  Suddenly, the sound of thunder clapped, and the lightning hit so close it was blinding. Madison instantly jumped up with her hand reaching for her gun. That’s all she needed to sober up. Josh sat looking at her in disbelief, at how this joyous woman instantly became at attention and alert. I wonder if that was from her training with the FBI or something totally different. The look on her face was pure fear. I’ve never seen that look before. “Are you okay?”

  She walked to the back of the room, behind her curtain to her bathroom without saying a word. Josh sat perfectly still and could see she needed her moment, and he wasn’t about to interfere. He waited patiently. After a few minutes, she stepped back into the room as if nothing had happened. “Sorry about that. I guess I’ve been on too many cases that require me to think fast.” Without hesitation, she poured herself another glass of wine.

  “I think I’d better get going. We have a big day tomorrow, and if I know you, you’ll be up before dawn and ready to go.”

  “Are you sure you have to go now?”

  He hesitated for a moment. He would have loved to stay, and knew if he did they would probably end up in bed and would like nothing more than to make love to her. But she was vulnerable at that moment, and he didn’t want to take advantage of that. “We’ve both been through a lot today. We’ll start fresh tomorrow.” He grabbed his coat and headed to the door and slowly walked out. It would only take one word from her, and he’d weaken, but she said nothing.

  Madison wanted to ask him to stay, but she remained silent. I hope I’m not running him off. I wish he had stayed. I needed him tonight.

  She sat at the table and watched as the headlights of his car turned and left the lot. The parking area now seemed darker than usual and void of life. For the first time in a long time, she felt alone. She was tempted to get in her car and head for Cassadaga to see Winter, but the rain was coming down hard, and she had too much to drink to be out on the roads. She poured herself another glass of wine and was determined to drown her loneliness in the bottle that night. She and Josh were getting closer to solving this case, and that meant she would return to DC. Her time was running out, and she was confused and tormented. Madison would soon have to make a decision, and she was no clearer about what it would be now than she was when she came to Maitland.

  She picked up the last glass of wine, turned off all the lights and headed for her bed. She set the glass on the nightstand and stripped off her clothes. Her body was aching for more reasons than stress. She turned on the shower as hot as she could and stood under the pulsating water letting it beat against her skin for what seemed like for forever. She finally stepped out, dried herself off, slid into her tank top and yoga pants and crawled into bed. The only light in the room was the flicker from the night-light in the bathroom. She propped up against the wall and finished her wine. Between the hot shower and all the wine, she found herself sinking beneath the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. She heard nothing until the next morning when her cell phone rang.

  “Good morning,” Josh said, sounding all energized.

  “Don’t holler. My head is throbbing.”

  “Do we have a hangover?”

  “We? Hell no. I do.”

  “You could use some coffee and something to eat.”

  “Yeah. Coffee sounds good, but I’m going to need a little time to pull myself together. How about if I meet you in a half hour?”

  “Okay. See you at the Breakfast Club?”

  “Yeah.” She headed for the bathroom. “Damn! I feel like someone has stomped on my head all night.” She splashed cold water on her face, combed back her hair into a ponytail and changed into a pair of jeans and a big oversized shirt. The rain had subsided, but there was still a drizzle coming down as she dashed to her car, jumped in and took off down Maitland Avenue.

  The roads were slick, and traffic was heavy. She hit the rush hour commuters racing for Interstate-4. She hit her brakes just as the light was turning yellow, but her car didn’t even attempt to slow down. It bolted into the oncoming traffic, and two oncoming cars slammed into her; one hit the front right side, and another hit the back driver’s side near the rear of the car. H
er car spun around like a kid’s spinning toy top. One by one, cars started piling into the wreck. Her airbag deployed and slapped her in the face, as the side bag crushed against her side. She didn’t know what hit her, but she could hear the sirens of the ambulances approaching, and felt the warm blood running down her face. She reached up to feel a gash on her forehead. The EMTs opened her car door and asked her name and a few other questions. Then they got her out of the car and put her on a stretcher, much to her protests, and hurried her off to the hospital.

  Chapter 17

  Josh had been waiting for Madison at the Breakfast Club for longer than usual. He just assumed it was taking longer for her to get ready because of her hang-over, but finally, after about forty-five minutes, he called her. When no one answered, he knew something was wrong.

  He called dispatch, “Hey Betty, anything happening?”

  “Funny you should ask. There was a huge pile-up on the corner of Maitland Avenue and the junction of the Interstate-4 exchange. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it on your monitor.”

  “Anyone hurt?” he asked, with a knot in his stomach.

  “They took several to the hospital. Two were seriously hurt, but that’s all I know so far.

  Before Betty could hang up, Josh threw down enough money for his coffee and tip and darted out the door. He ran to his squad car, turned on his siren and raced to the scene of the wreck. He saw Madison’s car right away. It looked totaled. He prayed Madison wasn’t one of the seriously injured. He pulled up as close as he could and then walked over to the officer who was investigating the crash. “What happened, Bob?”

  “Looks like this car ran the red light. One of the witnesses said the car didn’t even slow down.” Bob pointed to Madison’s car. Several officers were redirecting traffic around the crash. Traffic nearly came to a standstill as cars slowed down to see if they could see what happened. The officers motioned for them to keep on moving.

  Josh walked around Madison’s car and looked inside to see the deployed airbags. He hollered out to the officer, “Did you get a look at who was driving this car?”

  “All I know is that it was a woman. I couldn’t see what she looked like because of all the blood on her face.”

  Josh tried to remain professional and continued to ask witnesses and the officer questions about the wreck, but it didn’t explain why she ran the light. It just didn’t sound like something Madison would do. She was always harping at him for running yellow lights.

  The officers at the scene finished taking all the photos for their report, and the tow-truck got the okay to haul the cars away. As they were loading Madison’s car, Josh just happened to notice something strange from the undercarriage of the car.

  “Stop,” he hollered. “What’s that?” He pointed to some fluid under the car. The tow truck driver crawled further under the car and then turned to Josh, “Logan, these brake lines were cut, on purpose. This was no accident. Someone wanted this car to wreck. Good thing she wasn’t on the interstate.”

  “Stan, when you get this to impound, do not let anyone near this car until we get the forensic team to go over it.”

  “You’ve got it, boss.”

  Josh called the station and told Chief Baker that someone had tampered with Madison’s car. “Someone tried to kill Agent Hart. I’m leaving now for the hospital to see if she’s okay and to find out exactly what happened.”

  When he arrived at the emergency room, Madison was sitting up in one of the rooms with her head wrapped up in gauze. He took a deep breath of relief and entered her cubical. “Hey lady, you stood me up for breakfast. What’s up with that?”

  She reached up and grabbed his face and kissed him. “I’m so sorry about that, but I will make it up to you, I promise.”

  Suddenly, Josh’s face went pale. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I was on my way to meet you. The roads were wet, and when I hit my brakes, nothing happened. I guess the roads were just too slippery, and I slid into traffic.” “That is what happened, isn’t it?”

  “Did you see anyone outside after I left last night or this morning?”

  “Okay Josh, what’s going on? You’re interrogating me.”

  He knew she needed to know and wouldn’t let it go until he told her. “Someone cut your brake line. It had to be sometime between the time we got to your place and this morning. I think the light over the sidewalk was broken deliberately to keep you from seeing anyone outside your place.”

  “My gut feeling was right. I’ve sensed someone watching me, and the strange accidents around the office didn’t seem like accidents to me either. I guess we’re getting too close to the killer and he’s trying to stop us.” Madison tried to jump off the table.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” the doctor said as he entered the room. “Not before we run some tests and make sure you have no other injuries. You’ll be out of here soon enough, so get yourself back on the gurney,” he commanded.

  “I’m fine, and I’ve got work to do.”

  “It can wait a little longer,” Josh said. “I’ll wait here for you. Now let the man do his job.”

  Madison climbed back on the gurney as the assistant came to wheel her out. She smiled at Josh as she passed him.

  While Madison was having tests done, Josh tried to call Kim again. There was still no answer. “I’m tired of all the run-around. Someone knows something, and it’s time they stepped up and answered some serious questions.”

  Josh sat waiting for Madison and getting madder by the minute that someone had tried to harm her. Just as he was about to call the Art Center, Madison returned with the doctor. “She’s fine. No problems. I’ve given her some medication for the pain.” Then he turned to Madison with his hands on his hips, “I’d still like to see you again at the end of the week.”

  “Sure thing, Doc, and thank you.” She started to head out the door when the nurse hurried in with a wheelchair. “Hospital policy, dear.” The nurse motioned Madison into the wheelchair.

  Josh took hold of the chair. “I can take her from here.”

  “Okay,” the nurse replied.

  Josh had parked in an official parking spot near the door. He held her arm as she got into the car.

  “I think I should take you to my place to rest while I have a little talk with Mr. Tyler Kincaid,” he said firmly.

  “Like hell, you will. I’m not letting you have all the fun. I have a few questions of my own, and this time he’s going to answer them if I have to stay with him all day.”

  “Are you sure you feel up to it? That’s quite a knot on your head, and you look like you’ve been in a bar fight.” He grinned as she looked in the mirror.

  “That’s even better. Maybe if Kincaid thinks I’m a hard-ass, he’ll answer my questions.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Chapter 18

  They arrived at the Art Center just after lunch. There were several people browsing around the gallery. When they entered, Alice was explaining to visitors about the exhibit, so they waited until she was alone.

  “Alice, you seem to be a more permanent fixture now. How is Kim’s sister?” Josh inquired.

  “I don’t know. I’ve tried to reach her, but it seems her cell phone is dead. She hasn’t called anyone, not even Mr. Kincaid. I hope everything is all right.” Then Madison stepped out from behind Josh. “Oh my God. What happened?” she blurted out as she slapped her hand over her mouth.

  “I was in an accident. I slid into an intersection during the rain.”

  Alice walked closer to Madison examining her head. “That’s quite a knot you have there. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, just a few stitches and swelling. I was lucky.”

  Alice couldn’t stop looking at Madison and shaking her head.

  “Alice, is Mr. Kincaid here?” Josh asked.

  “Uh yes. He’s in his studio.”

  “Would you mind calling and telling him that we’re here, and we need to talk to him?”

  “N
o, not at all.”

  She called the studio, but he didn’t answer. “Sometimes he won’t answer if he’s working on something, but I can walk back and tell him you’re here.”

  “That’s okay. I know where the studio is. We’ll walk back there,” Madison said.

  They made their way down the hallway and out the back door to the courtyard. Madison could see Kincaid through the window of his studio. He was pacing back and forth with his arms crossed over his chest.

  Josh knocked on the door until Kincaid finally opened it. He seemed preoccupied and wasn’t his charming self. “This is not a good time. I’m in the middle of formulating my ideas for my next collection.”

  “Well, we can talk here, or you can come to the station, and we can talk there. Either way, we need to speak to you now.”

  “Okay, okay. Come in. How can I help you?” When he saw Madison’s appearance, he blurted out, “Oh dear. I can’t paint you in that condition. What happened?”

  “I had a little accident. That’s okay; I can’t be your model. I have more important things to do, like finding a killer.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “We have a few questions that we need to clear up, and you have been less than helpful with giving us the answers. The last time we talked, you told us Kim had all the information, but apparently, she’s not available either. We want to know a little bit more about your exhibit.” Josh unbutton his jacket and put his hands on his hips.

  “What about my exhibit?” Kincaid asked nervously.

  Madison stepped up closer to Kincaid. “We’d like to know how long it usually took to complete one of your paintings, and when you started them?”

  Kincaid shook his head and sat down. “I don’t know; Kim keeps track of all those things.”

  Madison leaned down in front of his face. “An artist knows how long it takes to complete a painting. They know every stroke of their brush, Mr. Kincaid. They know when they start one, and the subject, so please don’t insult us by pretending you’re an air-head. We’ve been patient with you, but now people who have been involved with you, are missing and murdered. If you don’t want me to haul your ass down to the station for an overnight stay, you’d better start helping.”