Death Loves a Messy Desk

by Mary Jane Maffini

  “That cop? He’s another pretty boy who likes to get the glory for himself.”

  After my wave of relief that Tierney wasn’t involved in this conspiracy, I prayed that my instincts were right and Barb Douglas, who was really Angie, wasn’t also a conspirator. “All right, but it has to do with where Barb would have hidden her information. She’d spent months documenting and building a case.”

  An intake of breath.

  Jackpot.

  “And you would know this how?”

  “Because I have been investigating. Surely you must have noticed, when you weren’t monitoring people’s phone calls and checking out their desks. Everyone in the office but Robbie forgot about Barb. But I haven’t, and neither have the police. So if you want to know what I have, you have to put your gun down.”

  “I think I’ll just shoot you instead.”

  “Your call. But Barb’s information will come to light, so you’ll have one more thing to go down for.”

  Silence.

  I held my breath. I wondered if she would conclude that she didn’t have much to lose by killing me.

  “All right. I’ll lay the gun on Robbie’s desk, but I’ll be able to reach it, so don’t try anything or you will definitely be dead. That clear?”

  “Perfectly. Thank you.”

  “Get moving. You’re not really in charge, you know.”

  “Oh, I know that,” I said. Anything to get her off her guard while I got the proper grip on the fire extinguisher.

  I ducked to the far side of the baffle. I wasn’t really expecting her gun to be on the desk and I was right. She was waiting for me to enter on the right side. I whipped into the room from the left.

  I shouted, “Autumn!”

  As she turned to face me, I angled the extinguisher, squeezed the handles together, and held steady as the cloud of pressurized yellow powder shot into her mocking face. Autumn collapsed to her knees, clawing at her eyes. Her head connected to Robbie’s desk with a thwack. Her head snapped back, and she crumpled in slow motion to the floor.

  Was she dead?

  Even if she’d come at me with a gun, even if she was tied to Dyan’s murder and Mel and Del’s deaths and the man in the trunk of the car, even then, I wasn’t trying to kill her. I just needed to stop her. Coughing from powder, I felt the pulse at her neck. Her pulse was strong. I glanced around for something to secure her. But who ever finds rope in an office?

  Her eyes were still closed. I had no idea how long she’d be out. I prayed I’d have enough time as I snatched some of the cables from the box. I bound her hands and feet and considered the next hurdle. The minute she opened her eyes, she’d open her mouth and scream. Then I’d get to meet Daddy and his gun. And he’d really have something to be mad at.

  Not so good.

  I grabbed the scarf from the coat rack and fashioned a gag out of it. I tucked Autumn’s gun into the back waistband of my chinos. What did I know? It always seemed to work on television. I hoped it had a safety, even if I didn’t know exactly what a safety did. I was thoroughly out of breath by the time I rolled a hundred and twenty pounds of Autumn’s limp form under the desk. Were the keys to one of the vehicles in her handbag? I picked up her bag as well as my own and scrambled to my feet.

  I checked out the window again. Still no police. But I did see Autumn’s father climbing into a Quovadicon truck. Who was in the warehouse with Tierney, Robbie, and Fredelle? One good thing, whoever was guarding was short one mean girl and one bad daddy.

  I dashed to the staff room again. I stood in front of the door to the warehouse loading dock for a couple of heartbeats, calming myself, getting my breath under control. I tried to imagine what the warehouse and loading dock would look like. Where would a bad-guy guard be standing? No way to know that, but I assumed he wouldn’t be guarding this door, as the newly in-charge Autumn was taking care of matters on this side. I slid the gun from my waistband, held on to my handbags, and carefully opened the door. Naturally, in a well-maintained building, it did not squeak. I stared into a vast cavernous space with containers stacked on skids, forklifts parked, and tractor-trailers waiting to be filled. I stared down a set of concrete stairs. I took a while to believe the image: Fredelle, Robbie, and Connor Tierney were leaned against a container, several feet from each other. All three were bound and gagged. They were restrained properly, by someone who had taken the time to learn how. I recognized the duct tape. I’d had problems with duct tape in the past and it’s something I cannot look at without gagging. I turned at the sound of a low moan. In the far corner near the exterior doors, a woman lay sprawled on the floor, unmoving. At least the moan meant that Barb, or more accurately, Angie, wasn’t dead.

  I still had my cell, but I reached into my handbag for my sewing kit and took out the scissors. I hurried down the stairs and with shaking fingers cut away the gag from Tierney’s mouth. I dialed the three magic numbers. As Tierney barked instructions to the 911 operator, I snipped the duct tape binding his wrists and moved to the ankles.

  “My hero,” he said.

  “Believe it.” I couldn’t bring myself to grin. “Autumn’s tied up inside the IT office.”

  When he stopped rubbing his wrists, I handed him Autumn’s gun. At least one of us knew how to use it. Then I turned to Fredelle. Tears streaked her pale, plump face. Her aqua sweater was rumpled and dusty. She shook as I snipped through the bonds.

  When the gag came off, she gripped my hand and blurted, “I am so sorry, Charlotte. Autumn had a gun. She made me say that Barb’s life was in danger. She said she’d kill Robbie if I didn’t.”

  I took care of Robbie next. He was wheezing as I got the gag off. I moved behind the forklift on my way to see how badly injured the woman I still thought of as Barb was. Just as well, because I heard the loud beep of a truck backing up. I ducked out of sight as the overhead door from the parking lot slowly opened. Halliday jumped down from the cab of a Quovadicon rig. The pricey business suit was gone. But even in dark jeans and a waterproof jacket, he was confident, menacing, and deadly.

  “Well, what do we have here? The kids are not behaving, I see.” He turned and trained his weapon on the unconscious Barb. “Let’s fix that.”

  Tierney stood up and leveled the gun at him. At least he knew what he was doing.

  Halliday sneered. “Give it up. I’ll take this nosy bitch with me for the hell of it. Put the gun down or I’ll shoot her right in front of you. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

  Tierney slowly lowered the gun, bent, and placed it on the cement floor. Halliday smirked, his weapon still trained on the still form on the floor. He glanced around. Was it possible that he didn’t realize that Robbie and Fredelle were no longer tied up? My heart fluttered when he spotted me.

  Tierney tried a distraction, his voice remarkably calm. “You know you can’t get away with this. You’d better quit while you’re ahead. I am a police officer. At this point you can still make a deal, give us information about the car theft ring, purchasers. It will go easier on you.”

  “I think we will get away with it. You’re the guy with the problem.” He gestured to me. “You. Snoop sister. Get over here.”

  I shook my head. I knew he would shoot me if I got within shooting distance.

  Tierney said, “The place will be surrounded. You start shooting and it’s the end for you and your daughter. Keep that in mind.”

  Perhaps Halliday was distracted by that and didn’t hear Robbie utter a low growling sound, hardly human. Or perhaps he was caught off guard when the door to the office banged open and a vision in a wet Hawaiian shirt appeared. Jack stared wildly around at the frozen tableau. “Charlotte? What’s going on?”

  Halliday raised his weapon and fired. Jack’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he tumbled down the concrete stairs. I screamed and started to rush forward. Halliday stood between Jack and me.

  Halliday said, “You too, lady.” He turned his weapon in my direction. Behind him, Robbie launched
himself at Halliday, roaring like a wild boar. As Robbie knocked his knees out from under him, I raised my handbag and Autumn’s and whacked Halliday on the head.

  Not-so-lucky Halliday dropped. Robbie leaped on him, punching wildly, a cartoon character held back too long. I raced toward Jack as Tierney took over. Robbie was still roaring. I heard Fredelle sob. “Robbie! Stop, you’ll be killed.”

  Tierney said, “Move away, Robbie. I don’t mind shooting him, but you’re off limits.”

  As I knelt by Jack, blood spread through the yellow starfish on his shirt and pooled onto the floor. He whispered, “I should have come earlier.”

  I took off my hoodie and pressed it against the wound. “Tierney! Call for an ambulance,” I yelled as I fumbled for my own phone. But of course, the wailing sirens were getting closer, almost upon us.

  My whole body shook. “Jack, please don’t die because of me.”

  I lowered my head to hear his whispered words. “I’m sorry.”

  I said, “Don’t be sorry.”

  Jack’s voice cracked as he struggled to speak. “Sally showed up at our meeting. She told me what’s been happening. I feel like such a doofus. I am so sorry, Charlotte, that I wasn’t there for you. Blair said she was helping me focus by handling my calls. She must have deleted your calls. She didn’t pass on any of your messages. Not a single one of them. You know I would have been there for you. I had no idea Blair would be so—” He gasped for breath.

  I said, “Shhh. It doesn’t matter. Don’t try to talk.”

  Jack’s eyes closed. He was still breathing, shallowly, but for how long?

  Through the open door, I saw a team of uniformed police officers advancing, weapons drawn, and, moving up behind them, the tall, dark, and granite-faced Frank D’Angelo. I was thrilled to see the detective, but how had he known to show up? Of course, Margaret must have called him when she picked up my voice mail. I could always count on her to take action.

  “Jeez, Tierney, you astound me. How pushy can you get?” Frank said, glancing around. “If you had to ruin my dinner date, couldn’t you at least have left something for me to do?”

  The emergency workers bent over to check Jack. I was still shaking. I did my best to calm myself to ask, “Is he going to be all right?”

  After what seemed like an eternity, one of the paramedics flashed me a grin. “Looking good for this guy. He’s lost some blood, but it seems the bullet missed all the important parts.”

  Jack whispered again, “Of course I’m going to be all right. I have some making up to do.”

  I predicted a long, long night at the hospital, but that would all be well worth it.

  Detective D’Angelo stepped toward us to see how things were going with Jack. Jack’s eyes were closed, but he was breathing well, and I could feel the strength in the hand I held. I managed a smile. “They say he’s going to be okay. And don’t worry, Frank, I think that’s one dinner date that will wait for you. And there’s a nice surprise inside. The other half of the Halliday team, all tied up as a special gift. Whatever you do, don’t let your guard down with sweet little Autumn. She’s as much a killer as her father and she plays dirty.”

  He said, “Guess it’s game over for both of them.”

  24

  Make time for friends and social events.

  It will boost your productivity, and you’ll gain in ways

  that are far more important than work in the long run.

  Inside the Casa di Mario, wall sconces reflected soft light on the Tuscan murals. The white tablecloths, the flickering candles, the clink of glasses, and the laughter of the guests gathered around the huge table testified to a great party. It was the first time we misfits and other key players had been together since all hell broke loose at Quovadicon two weeks earlier.

  “Are you going to eat the rest of your ravioli al burro e salvia?” Attaboy. Jack knew how to bounce back. He was sporting a new Hawaiian shirt with bright blue and orange parrots and even wore long pants in honor of the occasion.

  I said, “Help yourself. You earned it.”

  Pepper, more pregnant than ever, leaned forward to catch Jack’s eye from her seat at the end of the large table. For reasons I didn’t fully understand, Jack and I were sitting next to Pepper and Nick, with Sally and Benjamin at right angles to us at the other end.

  Pepper said, “I suppose you’ll be taking advantage of that flesh wound for the rest of your life.”

  Jack said, “It seems to be working for me. How about you? Are you going to finish your ravioli, Pepper?”

  “You bet your dumb Hawaiian shirt I am,” Pepper said.

  Margaret called across the table. “Relax, Jack. The next of several courses will be served soon. You might want to save room for the pollo al limone and the risotto, among many other things.”

  Frank D’Angelo stood and raised a glass of red wine to Margaret, at his side and gorgeous in an ivory silk cocktail suit, with her hair twisted into a glamorous updo.

  He said, “A toast to my beautiful bride.”

  As we rose to join in the toast, Margaret produced an unlawyerly blush. That encouraged a loud clinking of forks on water glasses, and Frank dipped Margaret into an adults-only clinch.

  Next to me, Sally sighed and whispered, “I don’t remember the last time I saw her in anything but a navy blue suit. But I suppose you can’t really buy a navy blue two-piece wedding dress in a wool blend. And even though she cheated us out of a big wedding, you have to admit an elopement is very romantic. It did keep her parents off her back.” Sally’s husband glared at her, as he so often does, not that she noticed.

  Next to the surprise bride, Mr. and Mrs. Tang sat, smiling for once. Perhaps it was the constant glass clinking. Or more likely the new Italian son-in-law who looked like he could make tall, dark babies.

  Sally said, “Margaret thinks her parents are planning a giant Korean celebration after this.”

  Jack said, “Cool. I love Korean food.”

  People took advantage of the lull between courses. As Pepper got up and walked around the table to chat with Margaret and Frank, Nick nudged me and said, “You know, Charlie, I never figured out everything that was going on. Did you?”

  “Eventually,” I said.

  “Pepper flips if I ask her about it. She’s real touchy lately. I can’t really ask any of the guys at work, because I’m supposed to know this stuff. But you’re my friend, so I figure you’ll tell me. So this Barb person was undercover?”

  “Private security and her real name was Angie something,” I said, hoping Pepper didn’t react to this cozy conversation. “She was hired by Reg Van Zandt to find out whether someone inside the company was using his fleet and logistics systems for criminal purposes. He didn’t know who, or what they were doing, and he didn’t know who he could trust, but his foreman figured out that something funny seemed to be going on. Numbers weren’t quite matching up. They thought maybe they were shipping counterfeit goods or even drugs using the fleet, but it turned out that the Quovadicon system was being used to transport stolen high-end vehicles with fake documentation. That was the same case that Frank had been working on and I guess Tierney had some involvement in that investigation, too, not that he confided in me.”

  Connor Tierney took that moment to leave his seat and pull up his chair between Nick and me. I’d been surprised to see him show up at the celebration dinner, but apparently he and Frank were the best of pals. He said, “They supplied the cars and fitted them up with false vehicle information numbers. With the fake VINs, no one could trace them. A big business. Halliday used the Quovadicon rigs, and he arranged to have the drivers you knew as Mel and Del hired on at the company. Autumn was in charge of fake documentation that didn’t make the official records. After all, Halliday was an old friend of the big boss. As far as the Hallidays knew, no one was the wiser, until Barb showed up. She was able to pass on information to her partner, and they thought they would be able to report fairly soon, but he got too close to one
of the dummy rigs one night and—”

  “So long, sucker.” Nick chuckled, not reacting to the looks he got from me and from Tierney. “So that receptionist was in on it from the start? The hot one?”

  Tierney said, “Don’t be fooled. Autumn Halliday was more than a pretty face. She was a lot smarter than she looked. She made sure that the shipments were coordinated and invisible with false shipping documentation. She learned it all from Daddy. Halliday was a businessman himself. Just not an honest one.”

  Nick bristled. “I wasn’t fooled.”

  I said, “I was. In fact, no one suspected her, and she had the run of the office. She often stayed late. She didn’t like me showing up, for sure. She stole my cell phone and used it to place the call to clear out the building; Fredelle fell for the message, and for a while you suspected me.”

  Nick looked puzzled. “But why did she do that again?”

  Tierney answered with admirable restraint. “So she could deal with Dyan, who had been spying on Barb. Dyan knew something. She just didn’t have time to figure out what she knew, and Autumn made sure she didn’t find out.”

  Nick’s voice rose. “Well, then who killed the guy in the trunk?”

  I said, “The guy in the trunk was Barb’s partner. I should really say Angie’s partner, because that was her real name. She kept in close touch with Van Zandt. I think she even called him from the crime scene and told him her partner was dead and she was taking off.”

  Ramona, regal in blue shantung silk and twinkling silver earrings, had followed Tierney over and joined us. She butted in at that point. “No kidding. I think this Angie and her partner were the ones who took the library files on Quovadicon when they were researching. Should be a hanging offense. You all keep that in mind.”

  Margaret glanced over and said, “Don’t worry. We want to keep on your good side, Ramona. We’ll play by the rules.”

  Nick said, “But why did they kill him like that?”

  I said, “They wanted to stop his investigation. They would have killed Angie, too, and she knew it. She panicked and fled, just ahead of them. I’m guessing that someone in the Woodbridge police told her he was dead and warned her to get away from the office fast. I wonder who that was.”