by Cindy Bell
“I’m working on it now. I would like to figure out who killed him. We are planning on having the grand opening on the weekend.”
“That sounds like the best way to handle it. Is there something I can do to help you?”
“Actually, I was hoping that maybe Dad could?”
“Okay, sweetie, I’ll get him for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Why don’t you call me when you’ve got some free time and we can have a long chat.”
“That would be great.”
“Love you!”
“Love you, too.”
“Bye, honey. I’ll just get your father.”
Kerri waited anxiously for her father to pick up.
“Kerri!”
“Hi, Dad.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yours too, Dad.”
“I heard what happened at the shop. Your mom just said that you thought I might be able to help you sort it out.”
“Grandpa thought you might be able to tap into some resources that we couldn’t, to look into the two men that own the property where the body was buried.”
“Sure, I can look into it for you.”
“The two men we’re looking into are Reiner and Bert Weber. They are brothers, and come from Germany, but I haven’t been able to find out any other information about them. It’s a bit like they’re ghosts.”
“Or they aren’t who they say they are. That’s where I come in, huh?”
“I guess it is. I’m sorry if you feel like I’m using you to do this.”
“No, I don’t feel that way. I’m glad to have a chance to help you. Grandpa mentioned that you have a keen mind for mysteries and adventure. That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“I guess it runs in the family.” She smiled.
“It absolutely does. I’ll give you a call when I find something. In the meantime, be careful. If someone was willing to kill once to keep someone quiet, they’ll be willing to kill again.”
“Thanks, Dad, I’ll be careful.” Kerri paused a moment as her heart pounded against her chest. “I love you, Dad.” In the seconds of silence that followed she wondered if the phone might have cut off, or if he simply wasn’t going to answer.
“I love you, too, Kerri. Always.”
She hung up the phone with a warmth inside of her that she hadn’t felt for a long time. It was a connection, one that she’d been afraid to make. Maybe her parents were a thousand miles away and her father was working on something she’d never be able to know about, but he’d taken the time to help her when she needed it.
As an hour slipped by Kerri tried to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. If Chloe wasn’t a suspect, and Garret didn’t seem to be either, then who did that leave? She began to look into each of the men she saw in the picture at the gym. Someone with the same ring had been out in those woods. Maybe they’d lost it at another time, but she thought it was far more likely that they lost it in a struggle with Damian. So, was one of those men the one who killed him? If so, why?
The more Kerri looked into the men in the picture, the less she believed that any of them would have done it. Most of them were locals or from nearby towns, and most had families and jobs in the area. None seemed to have any particular problems with Damian. She recalled Thad, the boxer she met at the gym. He certainly was large enough to do some major damage to Damian. He didn’t come across as a killer, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t.
“Kerri? You've had your nose stuck in that computer screen for a while. You doing okay?”
“I'm okay, Grandpa. Just looking for the connection. I know it has to be here somewhere.”
“Well, we can pay a visit to Bill. We know he lied about the caretaker.”
“You’re right, that’s a great idea, let’s go now.”
“Wait a minute, have you eaten?”
“Uh?”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll make us some lunch, then we can go.”
“I guess I can agree to that.” Kerri stood up from the table. “But let me help.” Her phone began to ring.
“I’ve got this, you take that.”
When she saw it was her father’s number, she didn’t argue. “Hello?”
“Kerri, I’ve got some information for you. I can’t talk long. But the two men you asked me to look into, they are not who they claim to be. They’re actually Holden and Jarred Barter. They have a long history of fraud and involvement in mafia related crimes. They have warrants out for their arrests. If you’re able to send me a picture I’ll be able to confirm who they are, but based on the information I’ve found, there’s very good reason to believe that they are using the property in Cascade Grove as a cover for some kind of criminal activity. Most likely the prospecting business is just a front for an illegal business, maybe money laundering or dealing in contraband or something else.”
“Wow, right here in Cascade Grove?”
“It looks that way. I wish I could tell you more, but that’s all I have right now. Listen, if you intend to deal with these men, then please be careful. They are seasoned international criminals.”
“I will be careful, I promise. Thank you for the information. And Dad?”
“Yes?”
“You be careful too, please.”
“I will be, sweetheart. Look out for your grandfather.”
“I will. Bye Dad.” She hung up the phone. For just a second she focused on the joy of connecting with him again, then she turned her attention to the information that her father had given her. She relayed it to her grandfather as they ate their sandwiches.
“So, what do you think? Main suspects?” Kerri asked.
“I think there’s one person who might be able to tell us something about what happened on that property.”
“Bill Power?”
“Yes. It’s time to pay him another visit.”
Chapter 14
After cleaning up from lunch Kerri and George drove past the shop. Kerri caught sight of the dim front window and tried not to cringe. She hoped that by the weekend it would be lit up and filled with customers. George pulled into the long driveway that led to Bill’s house. Right away she noticed him near the porch. As they stepped out of Kerri’s car, he turned to look at them, with a suspicious gaze.
“Hi Bill, it’s good to see you again.” Kerri paused in front of him.
“Is it?” He looked between them. “Seems to me that you two must like me an awful lot to visit me again.”
“Bill, the last time we were here, you said you never saw someone on that property, only some cars come and go at odd hours. So why is it that I discovered that a man named Bernard has been working as the caretaker for the property for several months?” Kerri didn’t want to upset Bill, but she also didn’t want him to keep lying to her.
“Why are you asking me?” He shrugged. “It’s not my business who pays what to who is it? Maybe it shouldn’t be your business either.”
“We’re asking you because you never mentioned that there was a caretaker on the property. That seems odd to me.” George crossed his arms. “Did you just lie to us about it? Or are you just getting a little forgetful in your old age?”
“Old age?” Bill scowled. “I can’t be much older than you, if at all.”
“That’s probably true. So why didn’t you mention the caretaker?”
“I didn’t have to tell you about him. It’s not like you’re cops.” He scratched his chin. “You sure are nosy though.”
“Are you saying you were aware of a caretaker on the property?” Kerri stared at him with a stern expression. “Or are you still denying that a caretaker even existed?”
“Sure, I knew the caretaker was there. Bernard. He’s been there since the place changed hands. What does that matter?”
“It matters because he might have seen something, or been involved somehow. So why didn’t you just tell us about him?”
“Look, I don’t know where you’re from, but
where I’m from, you mind your own business. Bernard working on that land is not my business to tell. You decided to try to pump me for information, and now you’re bent out of shape because I didn’t give you what you wanted. But it’s not my place to talk about anyone else.” He shook his head. “If more people would learn that we wouldn’t have so much trouble, would we?”
“Maybe so, but in this case, any information could help to solve Damian’s murder.”
“You see? There it is right there. Now I know for a fact Bernard didn’t murder anyone. But that won’t matter to you, will it? You’ll just dig into his life, humiliate him, make him look like a murderer. That’s why I didn’t tell you. He doesn’t need that kind of stress in his life. He has a heart condition.”
“I don’t intend to do anything like that.” Kerri frowned. “But it would have been nice to know who was really on the property. Maybe he could help the police figure out if the owners of the property are involved. Have you ever seen them? Spoken with them?”
“I already answered that question, last time.”
“And you also lied, so I’m not sure what to believe.”
“They were only there in the middle of the night. Those boys, they could be twins, and they are seedy characters, real rough. I would hear them shout at each other, and the other people that were with them.”
“I thought you said you never saw them?” George stepped forward.
“I didn’t.”
“Then how did you know they look so much alike?”
“Enough.” He sighed. “If you two want any more information you can go to the police, and ask them. I’m done with this conversation.”
“Wait Bill, please.” Kerri met his eyes. “We’re just trying to find out what happened to Damian. That’s all.”
“And?” He looked between the two of them. “Are you two some kind of private detectives?”
“We’re just very interested in making sure that this community stays safe. Which I am sure you are, too.” George held the man’s gaze intently. “How well do you know Bernard?”
“We’ve talked a few times.” He lowered his eyes to his work boots.
“Really? Because Bernard told me that you play cards all the time. In fact, maybe he spends more time on your property than the property he guards?”
“He shouldn’t have told you that. I told him not to say anything.” He frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets. “He didn’t do this. He didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“You can help him, by telling us what you really know about the brothers that own the property.”
“From what I can tell from what I’ve seen and heard I think they must be criminals. I do my best not to know much more than that. You know, I have to live here. They might get it into their head to come after me, if they think I’m talking about them. You two should be careful, too. Anyone with that kind of money and power thinks they rule the world. It’s dangerous, and I told Damian that, too.”
“Damian? Did he ask you about the property owners?” George peered closely at the man.
“Pretty much. He stopped over here once and asked me if I’d seen them, or anyone else out here. He said he’d been trying to contact them about a story he was working on. I told him then that he needed to stay out of anything that they were involved in. I guess he didn’t listen.” He sighed. “That’s the problem with young people today. They don’t listen.”
“I can agree with you there.” George winked. “Thanks for your time, Bill.”
“Sure. But don’t come by here again, all right? I really don’t like too many visitors.”
“All right.” George nodded to him.
As they walked back towards the car Kerri was tempted to go back. She wanted to ask him a few more questions. But her grandfather’s final words seemed to indicate that the conversation was officially over.
“Grandpa, don’t you think we should ask him more to try and work out why Damian was on the property and what he might have been working on?”
“We’ve asked him enough. He’s going to practically be your neighbor, remember? We don’t want there to be any bad blood in a small town, especially with your neighbors. Besides, he told us everything he knows.”
“How can you be sure?”
“All of the fight went out of his eyes. He surrendered everything.”
“It’s amazing to me that you can read people so easily. I hope that I’m able to learn some of that from you.”
“It’s a blessing and a curse.” He frowned and walked towards the driver side door. “Sometimes you read things in people that you wish you could forget. Do you mind if I drive?”
“Sure, but I don’t mind driving.”
“No, if it’s all right with you, I’d rather. I feel like it. It’s weird for me to be a passenger.” He opened the door.
“All right, it’s fine with me.” Kerri settled into the passenger side. The moment she was seated she sent a text to Steve.
I think something was up with the owners of the property and Damian. Are you sure there’s no connection between them in his notes?
Kerri glanced up from her phone as her grandfather backed out of the long driveway.
“If Damian was looking into something dealing with two criminals, then he could have really gotten himself in way too deep. I think we should let Chief Meyers know about this lead.”
“We could, I don’t disagree, but I think we should see what we can confirm first,” George said.
“I sent a text to Steve to comb through the documents on Damian’s cloud. Maybe if he’s able to find a connection it will be enough for Chief Meyers to make an arrest.”
“If he can find them.” George turned down the main road. “They could be anywhere by now.”
“You’re right they could.” She bit into her bottom lip as she considered what might happen if the brothers were never caught. As her mind drifted off she didn’t notice that her grandfather was making strange turns for a few minutes. When she did, she shot him a look. “What are you doing? This isn’t the way home.”
“I know.” He gritted his teeth.
“Grandpa, where are you going?” She frowned.
“Just sit tight. I think we might have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
He didn’t answer as he turned down another side street.
“Is everything okay?”
“Make sure your seatbelt is buckled.”
“Huh?” She glanced over at him. “Of course it is.”
“I’m going to speed up, then make that left at the lights.” He stared hard through the rearview mirror.
“Why?”
“That car has been following us for a while now.” He looked away from the mirror long enough to meet her eyes. She started to look over her shoulder. “Don’t! We don’t want them to think we’re on to them. Just sit back, and brace yourself.”
“All right, all right.” Kerri planted her feet against the floor of the car as he gunned the engine, then swung it hard left. She closed her eyes as the tires squealed. To her surprise she heard the roar of an engine just behind them. As her grandfather predicted, the car followed after them, just as fast.
“I knew it! These guys are on us! Hold on, sweetheart.” He turned the car hard to catch the corner of a street, then gunned the engine as the car straightened out. She heard the squeal of tires behind them, and knew that the people in the car had followed them. As she searched for an explanation, one that would make the situation seem rational, she couldn’t find one. There was no chance of this being a mistake. Whoever was in the car behind them, knew exactly what they wanted from them.
“Grandpa, what’s happening? Pull over! You’re going too fast!”
“I’m doing what I have to do. You have to trust me, Kerri!” The car lurched to the side and for a second she thought it would go up on two wheels. Instead he turned the wheel back hard in the other direction and they veered off down another street. She breathed a sig
h of relief after a rush of fear. She was certain that they would have lost their tail. However, seconds later the car appeared again, heading straight for them. George turned down another side street and headed for a local bridge.
“They’re not giving up!”
“Who are they? Why are they following us?”
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to get away before they run us off the road." He sped up even more as he drove onto the bridge. The car was just behind them. She could hear the insistent growl of their motor. Under the bridge was a deep quarry. She knew that if the car was forced off the edge it would be quite a struggle to make it through alive.
“Get us off this bridge, Grandpa!”
“No, this is exactly where we want to be.” His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. “Close your eyes, Kerri.”
“What? Why?”
“Close your eyes, because I don’t want your screaming to distract me.”
“Grandpa!” Ahead of them an arm began to lower and lights flashed, warning them that the drawbridge was about to open. “Don’t! It’s too late!”
“Close your eyes, Kerri!” He growled his words so sharply that she closed her eyes without even thinking about it. She placed her hands on the dashboard in front of her and gritted her teeth so tight that she thought they might crack. A second later she heard a crash as they broke through the barrier arm. Then her stomach lurched as the car sailed through the air. She couldn’t resist opening her eyes. When she did she saw the raising bridge in front of the car. Too terrified to scream, her eyes spread wide, and she held her breath. The car landed with a thunk on the other side of the bridge. Her teeth chattered, as did every bone in her body. A burst of air flooded her lungs as she remembered to breathe again. Behind them the car that followed them skidded to a stop with a blare of its horn. Ahead of them the wide open road seemed like the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Her entire body trembled as her grandfather continued to race down the road.
“Are you okay?” He stole a glance over at her. “Kerri? Answer me.”
