Mystery: Wrong One - The Davenport Mysteries 2.5 ( A short story : Suspense novel series of adventure mystery books and Crime mystery thrillers )

by V S Vashist

  Copyright 2014 Varun Vashist

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction and Author's imagination. Any resemblance to any person or event or locales is purely coincidental

  Table of Content

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Other Books

  Chapter 1

  "So you are the one?" the old man said in a scruffy voice while forcing himself through the passenger seat door.

  Jake took a deep breath and looked at him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Gleason."

  He gave a warm smile while pulling the seat belt around him. "You can call me Uncle Phil just like Kiara,” he said.

  "Sure…Uncle Phil, "Jake chewed his words while cursing Kiara. It was a hundred mile drive and the way Kiara had explained Phil Gleason's nature, it was not going to be a smooth ride.

  He kept looking at Phil till he got settled. As Phil was about to say something, Jake started the car in a hurry. Phil looked at the road and then at Jake.

  "What's the hurry, son? It's four hours for the rehearsal dinner," he said and gave a stern look to Jake, unnerving Jake a bit. "I know why you want to get rid of me. But, I am going to ask you few questions on the way. After all, it's the question of Kiara's life."

  Jake looked at him with disbelief. Phil understood Jake's confusion. He gave a courteous smile tilting his head a little. "Kiara may not be my daughter, but I am the one who practically raised her."

  "Practically?" Jake asked while raising his brow.

  Phil coughed a little while putting his thoughts together.

  "See, I am a distant cousin of her father's. Now, he has always been a bit soft on the kids. My idea of raising the kids is a bit old fashioned. I want the kids to be tough, to be practical…always ready to handle any situation at hand."

  "I wish, I had the knowledge to handle this situation," Jake murmured as they came out of the town and entered the freeway.

  "You said something?" Phil inquired.

  Jake shook his head and gave a fake smile.

  "So, as I was saying… I want the kids not to feel safe only under the roof of their homes while feeling scared outside. I want them to be confident of handling any situation…whatever may be the location."

  "And, how does Kiara come into the picture?" Jake asked while remembering how, as per Kiara, Phil always wanted to boast about his practical knowledge, but she had also warned against him taking a long time to come to the point. Jake, on the other hand, wanted to finish the discussion as soon as possible.

  "Well, as she might have told you…You and I have something in common," Phil was not the one to take hints and come to the point so soon. He looked at Jake in anticipation.

  Jake heaved a sigh and looked at him for a moment. "Yeah, she told me that you retired as the captain of the local station at Chesterfield."

  "Thirty two years in law enforcement," Phil said with a gleam of pride in his eyes.

  There was a momentary silence. Jake looked at him one more time.

  "So, as I was telling… I share all my life experiences with the kids. Being in the force for so long means you have the practical knowledge of handling any situation… theft, murder, fire, robbery, theft…anything...you name it."

  Jake knew he had said theft twice but did not want to interrupt him, but it seemed Uncle Phil was already distracted. He stared at Jake for a moment and shook his head.

  "I understand about Kiara. She is a girl. But, how could a man like you be willing to take a desk job at the FBI?"

  Jake was taken aback. He pressed the breaks immediately.

  "What…what happened?" Phil said, looking out the window.

  "Nothing," Jake said while starting the car again, "I thought…there was a raccoon.. It's just a plastic bag."

  Jake cursed Kiara one more time. Firstly, she had forced him to attend this marriage as her date. Secondly, she had lied to her parents and claimed that, just like her, he was also doing a desk job. If Phil knew it, then the whole town would also know.

  "So, you have never been in field?" Phil was relentless.

  "No... I do accompany the team to the crime scene sometimes... to take notes…I mean... help with the reports," Jake forced the words out of his mouth.

  Phil shook his head one more time, "You don't know what you are missing."

  "Anyhow, coming back to my original point. Kiara was different from other kids. She was strong headed and stood for anything that she felt was right. I took a special liking to this quality of hers. I would tell her about the cases that I had solved and would ask her what she would have done in such a situation," Phil said and paused for a moment. "In a way... I am her role model. She is in law enforcement because of me."

  Jake looked at him in disbelief. Kiara did not even spare old Phil from her trap. He gave a faint smile and gestured Uncle Phil to continue. There was no other way to end the discussion.

  "She was initially into field work and I was so proud of her…But…then her mother forced her to take a desk job. I know this must have been killing her but you can't say no to your parents. We have given some good values to our kids at Chesterfield and obeying your parents is at the top of the list."

  Jake shook his head. He knew the discussion was going somewhere and it had to do with the lie that Kiara had spread about them being together. However, till now Phil had not given any indication about what he wanted to know from him.

  "So, as I said, Kiara was much more practical than kids her age. Now, she has already decided to spend her life with you, but we can't let our daughter take such a big decision based on what her heart says. We need to be practical about it."

  "We have known each other for over two years now. I think it is a well informed decision," Jake said with great difficulty.

  "You may have known her for two years but I have known her for twenty six," Phil said in a stern voice. "Don't try to dismiss what I am saying. It may go against you."

  Jake again looked at him in disbelief. But, there was no escape. They had only covered the first twenty miles and as per Kiara's father's instructions, he could not go over forty miles an hour. It was going to be a long agonizing ride for which Jake was not prepared at all.

  "So, you are sure there is nothing going on between the two of you?" Marsha Davenport turned around and looked at Kiara.

  "Mom! How many times do I need to tell you that I brought Jake just to avoid any embarrassment to you in front of the guests," Kiara said in angst and looked at her father who was driving the car. "Dad, need some help here."

  Thomas Davenport smiled and looked at Kiara through the rear mirror. "It's beyond my control now. You let the poor lamb in front of the wolf. Phil is going to get everything out of him. Your charade is not going to last long."

  "Yeah, you are right," Kiara gave a chuckle. Uncle Phil did not know what he was getting into. Just like all th
e guests including her parents, for him Jake was just a junior officer analyzing reports. That thought made her heart sink a little. Jake had promised her that he was going to play along, but he had a very low threshold for getting pushed. If Uncle Phil challenged him repeatedly, which he was definitely going to do, then Jake might forget everything and ruin the weekend for her. She pulled out her cell phone and was about to type when she noticed her mom gesturing something to her father, who nodded in return. She forgot about Jake for a moment. She knew some motherly advice was on her way and her father was the one who was going to deliver it. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

  "Well…" Thomas cleared his throat and looked at Marsha who looked angrily at him for being a little reluctant. "Your mother… I mean, we wanted to discuss something with you."

  "I know what you two want to discuss and the answer is no," Kiara gave a dry reply and started staring out the window.

  “Kiara... you are not going to dodge it this time. You are not getting any younger," Marsha said in a stern voice, making Kiara look back at her, "We are not asking you to get married today. We just want to know what your plans are. Your indifference towards our concerns is what worries us the most."

  Kiara heaved a sigh, "Mom, can we focus on Samantha's wedding this weekend? And before your get any angrier, I want to propose something."

  Marsha and Thomas looked at each other with surprise. This was the first time that Kiara had taken a step towards them. Thomas stopped the car at the sideway and both her parents turned towards her.

  Kiara looked at her mother and then towards her father waiting for her proposal in anticipation.

  "Okay, this is getting weird," she said in a low voice.

  "The proposal," both said in unison.

  Kiara threw her hands in air, "No need to get dramatic. I am just asking for some time to think it over."

  Marsha looked at her, her expression changing from that of being tense to being relieved. "You have time till tomorrow. At the end of reception, you are going to tell us your plan."

  "What? I was thinking of something in the range of a year or two. You can't be serious?" Kiara pleaded.

  "You heard your mother," Thomas said as he turned on the ignition.

  Kiara cursed herself and looked at her phone one more time. However, this time she decided not to message Jake. She hoped that Jake would create a ruckus and take the attention away from her.

  "I hope by now Uncle Phil would have started asking him to solve his cases," she thought and started looking out the window again.

  Chapter 2

  Jake, on the other hand, could not believe that he had only covered forty miles. He checked again and even flicked the glass panel. Uncle Phil had not stopped for a moment, not even to yawn. A man of his age having so much energy was beyond his belief.

  "Why don't you get some rest?" Jake proposed. "I'll wake you up once we arrive."

  "No way. This is my only chance of getting to know you. We are already half way there and I haven't even asked anything," he said in a hurry. "Can you turn off the music?"

  "What?" Jake could not understand.

  "The music," Uncle Phil stressed.

  Jake obliged reluctantly.

  "You need to understand one thing. I have a responsibility. I have promised Marsha that I will help Kiara make an informed decision."

  Jake gave a muffled grunt, but it was just the start. Phil's demeanor showed that he was now going to ask uncomfortable questions. Jake was not prepared to answer any of those. The only deal he had with Kiara was to pretend being with her. He did not know that he had to prove it to Phil through words. But, there was no other way around it. He braced himself for Phil's volley of questions.

  "See, a man's character cannot be judged by what he feels about a situation; it can only be judged by how he reacts when he is actually in that situation," Phil said and looked at a confused Jake, "Are you getting me?"

  "I am trying my best," Jake responded while looking at the road.

  "I can't create such a situation now but, we can definitely recreate the scenario," he said with a crooked smile confusing Jake.

  "I am not sure what you are trying to convey," Jake said.

  "As I said that I used to tell my cases to Kiara and she would try to solve them…I mean, she would try her level best to give me a solution," Uncle Phil said and paused for a moment.

  "What happened?" Jake asked.

  "She is a bright kid and tried really hard but could not solve any of the cases," Uncle Phil said thoughtfully. "Finally, I had to stop telling her about the cases. But I still believe that it was those lessons that helped her grow as a child."

  "Really smart Kiara," Jake smiled.

  Phil looked at him. Jake gave him a serious look and gestured him to continue.

  "Anyway, that was Kiara and this is you. So, I want to try the same with you," he said and looked at his watch and then at the speedometer. "We can finish the first case before we reach the resort."

  "What, a case?" Jake almost lost the control of the car. "And, what does first case mean? Are there more than one?"

  Phil grinned, "Three, to be precise. First one I will tell you during our drive. Second one during the rehearsal dinner and the third one at the breakfast. You need to come up with the solution by tomorrow's reception. My blessing for yours and Kiara's matrimony will depend on your answer. And when I say mine… it means the whole Davenport clan."

  Now Jake was at wit's end. He took a deep breath and parked the car on the sideway.

  "So, you want me to solve three cases of yours - cases that you already have answers for. Who does that?" he asked in frustration.

  "You are not helping your case with this defeatist attitude, young man," Phil warned in a firm voice. "Start the car and listen to me fully."

  Jake gave a muffled grunt and started the car.

  Phil looked at him with anger, "All the incidents covering the three cases have happened in reality but only one is truthful from start to end. Your job is threefold. You have to tell me which case is the real one, who the people I am referring to in that case are and who the culprit is."

  "Seriously?" Jake shook his head. "You even want me to tell the names of the people. How is that even possible?"

  "Relax…all of them will be at the marriage," Phil smiled and winked. "My description will have all the clues that you will need."

  "Wow! Since how many days have you been planning this?" Jake asked.

  "See, that's the difference between working out of a desk and in the field," Phil said in a berating voice. "I don't have to think much about anything. My experience is rich enough to keep your mind running in spirals."

  Jake was getting restless with the continuous insults. One part of him wanted to get on board with Phil's silly game, solve the case and shut his mouth for good. But, the other part of his wanted to go Kiara's way - pretending that the cases were too difficult to solve in return making Phil believe that he was no good and make him go away. That way he will be able to enjoy the weekend too. He had to only endure Uncle Phil's presence during the dinner and breakfast. That looked like a bargain as compared to actually working the whole weekend on the cases.

  He smiled at that thought. "Sure…Uncle Phil. I can't wait to hear the mysterious cases solved by you. I definitely want to be in your good books. Rest assured, I will summon all my analytical powers."

  "I like your spirit. I will try to make it as simple as possible. Even I want you to succeed." Phil smiled back, "Another thing - you can only ask questions while we are discussing the case - nothing after that."

  "Cross my heart," Jake gestured.

  Phil cleared his throat. "The first case is from early eighties. I was into my fifth year of service. I used to be a detective back then….and a good one."

  "You sure were," Jake gave a terse reply while looking at the road.

  "Don't interrupt unless you have a question," he said while tapping at Jake's shoulder. Jake nodded i
n return.

  "Back then, Chesterfield was much smaller- must be having about five hundred families residing in and around the town. Now, you must have noticed the hills surrounding the eastern part of the town."

  Jake just nodded.

  "The land surrounding the hills was owned by the Barker family. They were living in Chesterfield for generations and were among the wealthiest folks in the town. Titus Barker was the patriarch when the story takes place. So, as I was saying, they owned the land, but it was of no use to them. It was filled with thorny bushes and was much drier than the rest of the town land. It was impossible to use it for any purpose."

  With that he stopped and turned towards Jake, "Do you have any questions?"

  "Not yet…Please go on," Jake wanted the story to end as soon as possible.

  "Very well, then," Uncle Phil said while adjusting his glasses.

  "During the summer of '83, a man named Noel Robert came to meet Titus. He was a farmer from Texas. A couple of years before this, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recovered, but Noel had to sell off his land and house for her treatment. He had also taken money from all his acquaintances which he knew he could not give back. So, he fled Texas in search of any job that could feed his family that had three children besides his wife. They moved from state to state but there was nothing much for him to do. He had only one skill and that too was not in much demand. Besides, the thought of farming for someone else was also killing him from inside. He always pined for the good old days when he had one of the biggest farms in the county. It was then…"

  "I have a question," Jake raised his hand.

  Uncle Phil took a deep breath," Go ahead."

  "Do we turn left or right?" he pointed at the sign ahead at the fork.

  Uncle Phil nodded his head. "Take the left."

  Jake knew the interruption and the non-case related question must have riled the old man. He just hoped that Uncle Phil would take a hint that he was not interested and leave him alone.