“A lady was killed, yeah, I'm not stupid,” the guard answered in a worried voice.
“The killer is still at large. It's my job to catch this killer. And if I happen to run into him inside the studio, and have to defend myself by shooting him, and you hear the shots, call 911. Are we clear?” Flint asked.
“Sure, not a problem. I’ll call 911 if I hear any shooting,” the guard promised. Then he hurried into the guard shack and pressed a red button.
Flint waited until the white and red metal security pole lifted, then drove through. Instead of driving to the building holding the spooky house, Flint parked beside a red truck, presumably belonging to the guard, and got out. It was better to go in on foot. Checking his front coat pocket, he made sure the set of keys belonging to the building Mandy Garland had been murdered in was safe and secure. “Let's do this,” Flint said to himself.
On stealthy feet, Flint crept into the shadows of the studio, jogging from one dark building to another, moving through the rain like a wet shadow. With the studio empty, he knew that the killer might relax, sitting around with his guard down. But then again, Flint thought, jogging to the corner of a building large enough to house three jets, maybe the studio was emptied out for a reason? Maybe the killer was nervous? And maybe Mr. Mayfield was somehow involved? Using extreme caution, Flint moved on, finally reaching his destination, moving in from the north side instead of the east side. Wanting to enter the building from a door closest to the bathrooms, Flint eased down the outside wall, slowly drawing out his gun. “Stay in control,” he warned himself in a cool voice.
As Flint drew closer to the door, moving in the darkness, he spotted a strange figure kneeling down in front of the door. The figure didn't see Flint approaching. Not wasting a second, Flint dashed forward, threw his gun to the back of the figure’s head, and ordered the person to stand up.
“Don't shoot, Flint! It’s me, Tori!”
“Arnold?” Flint asked. Lowering his gun, he grabbed Tori by the right arm and swung her around. “What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Haley?”
Tori stared at Flint through the pouring rain. “Well, Haley is... missing, Flint,” she confessed. Flinching, she waited for Flint to explode.
Instead, Flint sighed. Staring at the white raincoat Tori was wearing over her clothes, he shook his head. “How and when?”
“I left Haley alone in her bedroom. Matt was guarding the door. When I went to check on her, the bedroom window was open. Either she made an escape or someone took her,” Tori explained. “If someone snatched her, Flint, I thought that person might bring Haley here. I wanted to call you, but you...”
“I understand,” Flint said. Leaning against the wall, he looked out into the darkness. “You thought I would think you messed up.”
“Well... yeah,” Tori said. Soaked, exhausted, scared and frustrated, she leaned back next to Flint. “I sneaked onto the grounds without the guard seeing me. I haven't seen a second guard doing a patrol, either. It's kinda spooky. And if you're here, that means you think the killer is here.”
“I do,” Flint said. “Where are the twins?”
“At the house,” Tori said. “I told them I was going back to the station to find you.”
“Well,” Flint said, biting down on his lower lip, “get your gun out, Arnold. We're going inside. Don't worry, I have a set of keys. A lot better than using a credit card.”
Tori lowered her head and looked down at the credit card in her wet hand. After shoving the credit card into the front pocket of her raincoat, she bent down, retrieved the gun attached to her ankle, and stood back up. “Haley wouldn't have left the house on her own, Flint. I'm sure of that.”
“Are you?” Flint asked. “Listen, Arnold, don't get upset with me, but you need to read that girl's book to the last page. I see how you are with her. Your motherly instinct kicks into high gear. If someone snatched Haley, especially with Matt right outside her door, don't you think she would have screamed for help?”
Tori considered Flint's words. “The window was open. There was no sign of forced entry. Haley would have had to open the window,” she admitted miserably. “Oh Flint, I just don't want to admit that I was wrong about her. She seemed so nice, so sincere, so innocent... and stupid me fell for it.”
“Hey, I didn't say the girl is a criminal,” Flint said. “Arnold, Haley Frost might be involved deeper than we think, but maybe not in the manner we think. So stop kicking yourself so hard, okay.”
Flint didn't give Tori a chance to reply. He leaned up off the wall and walked to the exit door. “Cover me,” he said, and pulled out the set of keys in his front pocket. Tori got into position. Flint nodded at her. Cautiously, he unlocked the door and eased it open as quietly as possible. Peeking inside, he saw only darkness.
He put the keys away and stationed his gun at the ready. Using one foot to hold the door open just enough for Tori to fit through, he motioned for her to move inside. Tori nodded. Slowly, she crept inside past Flint. Flint followed, using his foot to let the door slowly close.
“Okay,” Flint whispered. “We stand here and let out eyes adjust to the dark for a minute.”
“We're close to the bathrooms,” Tori whispered back.
“Yeah.” Flint grew silent. Using his ears to see for him while his eyes adjusted to the dark, he strained to hear any sound. And there, in the far distance, he heard voices. “Do you hear that?”
“Yes! Coming from the house,” she whispered.
“Listen,” Flint whispered sternly. “You stay behind me at all times. Don't shoot until I do, and only if we have to. Take cover if any shooting starts, and stay down. Don't play that hero stuff that gets good cops killed. Are we clear?”
“We're clear, partner.”
Flint trusted that Tori was prepared to enter a dangerous situation. He also trusted that his partner would come out alive if any shooting started. Moving forward in the darkness, he led the way to the house, seeing with his ears and feeling with his hands as he took one slow step after the next. When he arrived close to the house, he saw a dim light appear through the shadowy forest surrounding the house. “Okay,” he whispered, kneeling down behind a fake tree, “we got lights on at the house.”
Tori kneeled down next to him. “What's your plan?”
“We stay together. We have the element of surprise,” Flint whispered. “Do you recognize the voices?”
Tori sighed. “Yes... unfortunately.”
“Let's go,” Flint said. He stood up, and moved down a single trail leading to the spooky house. Dripping with rain, he felt like an old detective in black and white movie preparing to enter into the final scene. But somehow, Flint knew, he wasn't entering the final scene. Instead, another piece of the puzzle might be captured, but nothing more.
When the house came into view, Flint stepped behind a tree. He motioned for Tori to get behind a second tree on his right. Narrowing his eyes, he studied the house. The front porch light was on, along with a single living room light. Haley was standing on the front porch with Zach.
“I'm not taking the fall for this!” Zach was arguing with Haley. “I didn't kill that old bag of wind. Dick Tracy is on my back, Haley. I didn't sign on for this.”
Flint watched Haley sit down in a wooden rocking chair. Holding a pink raincoat in her hands, she looked down at the dark gray dress she was wearing with worried eyes. “Zach, someone is trying to kill me. I know you didn't kill Mandy. But you lied to Detective Flint. You didn't want to slash the tires on William's car. Why did you lie? Where were you, really?”
“So I lied. Dick Tracy was breathing down my neck,” Zach admitted in an exasperated voice. Sitting down on a wooden porch swing, he threw his hands into his wet hair. “We have to keep our romance a secret, right?”
“For now. If anyone finds out that we're in love, your life could be in danger, too,” Haley said.
Zach drew in a deep breath. “After William and I had our argument, I was going to leave. I'm sick of
that guy thinking I'm a washed up loser… But maybe I am?”
“No, you're—”
“Yeah, maybe I'm not, maybe I am, but the point is after I left the building I saw someone unlock the side door, you know, the door down there near the bathrooms. The guy was wearing a black rain jacket, jeans, shoes, really strange looking.”
“My Uncle Ned?” Haley asked, scared.
“I couldn't see his face because he had a hood on,” Zach confessed miserably.
“I understand.”
Zach stood up and began pacing back and forth. “I wasn't sure what to do. I knew Dick Tracy wouldn't be any help. So I decided to sign out and then swing back around. I hid behind Building E-2 and stayed out of sight. My plan was to wait and follow the guy wearing the black rain jacket when he came back outside. It wasn't long before I heard an air vent being removed from the building. Haley, I watched the guy in black remove the air vent, crawl through, drop to the ground, and run behind building H-1. Dick Tracy and his partner came bursting outside a minute later... some good they were.”
“You saw the killer,” Haley said. “You have to tell Detective Flint and Tori... I mean Detective Arnold. Zach, they're good cops. They care. I can't imagine what they must be thinking of me right now? They're probably thinking I'm involved in Mandy's murder,” Haley said miserably. “I wish you wouldn't have insisted on meeting me here.”
“Where else could we meet? This is the last place anyone will look for us,” Zach said. “Mandy is dead. Someone killed her. Dick Tracy and his partner can't protect you.” Zach walked over to Haley, kneeled down, and took her trembling hands into his. “I will protect you. Haley, we have to run off, get out of here, go someplace secret.”
“No.” Haley shook her head, staring into Zach's worried eyes. “If I leave, Detective Flint and Detective Arnold will think I was involved. Zach, I don't know who is trying to kill me... maybe it is Uncle Ned… but I can't leave.”
“Why?” Zach asked. “Haley, we can leave tonight. No one will know.”
“We'll know,” Flint announced. With his gun drawn, he charged at the front porch. “Hands in the air, now!” he ordered.
Startled, Haley stood up. Watching Tori run toward the front porch with her gun drawn broke her heart. “I'm so sorry,” she told Flint. “I know I shouldn't have left, but--”
Tori ran up the front porch steps to Haley and threw her arms around her. “You're not in trouble,” she said, hugging Haley.
Confused, Haley watched Flint grab Zach, spin him around, and slap handcuffs onto his wrists. “You set me up!” Zach yelled at Haley. “You... you... I'll kill you!”
“Why did you take Mandy Garland's purse?” Flint demanded, slinging Zach down into the rocking chair Haley had been sitting in.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Zach hissed.
“Zach... what... what is this all about?” Haley asked, terrified. “Why did you just threaten to kill me?”
Flint reached in the front pocket of the windbreaker Zach was wearing and pulled out a pocket knife. “Talk to me, boy, and I mean now! We heard everything you told Haley. You saw the killer, but you know who the killer is. You're working with him.”
Zach glared up at Haley with furious eyes. “You're dead,” he said. “Yeah, we know you pushed Stacey into the gutter and stole her part. Stacey was supposed to make this movie with me, not you. And do you know what she did, princess? She got drunk drowned herself at the beach. I love her!” Zach yelled. “You had to pay, I was going to make you pay! So I romanced you, and like the stupid girl you are, you fell for it.”
“Oh Zach.” Haley began to cry. “You were going to kill me? You were sending those awful letters? You killed Mandy?”
“No,” Zach snapped. “I don't know who is sending you those death threats. I don't know who I saw sneaking into the building. I don't know who killed Mandy Garland. All I know is that tonight I was going to take you away and make sure you were never seen again.”
“At the station this scum bag tried to imply you were behind Mandy Garland's murder. Seemed kinda strange to me that he wanted to protect you,” Flint explained to Haley. Turning his attention back to Zach he steadied his anger. “Why did you swing back and steal Mandy Garland's purse?”
Tori kept her arm around Haley. “Speak up. You're facing prison. Make this easy on yourself,” she warned Zach.
Zach stared up at Flint. “I saw the guy escape, and when you came running outside, I knew something had happened. So I ran inside without you seeing me. I heard voices, so I ran to the men's bathroom to hide. That's when I saw Mandy Garland's body… dead. An idea came to me. So I snatched the purse and managed to move toward the front of the building without being seen and then made tracks.”
“You were going to frame Haley, weren't you?” Tori asked.
“You bet I was.” Zach grinned. “I was going to plant the purse in Haley's bedroom after I killed her.”
Flint fought back the urge to punch Zach in the face. “You heard voices? Whose voices?” he demanded.
Zach shook his head. “I want to speak to my lawyer, Dick Tracy. I've said enough.”
“Make it easy on yourself,” Tori growled. “Listen to me, you filthy rat, you were going to murder an innocent young lady over a stupid movie role.”
“Stupid movie role?” Zach yelled. “Stacey and I were engaged to be married, and now she's dead and it's all her fault! This movie was going to be Stacey's breakthrough role. Sure, this movie wasn't written to win any Oscars, but for Stacey, it was her ticket into the business. But no... princess there and her Lana Turner looks pushed Stacey down into the gutter. She had to pay, suffer, feel what I feel. I wanted Haley to really believe I loved her, and then... wham!” Zach spit on the floor.
Flint grabbed Zach's windbreaker. “Whose voices did you hear?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Zach grinned. “I'll never tell you,” he replied. “Dick Tracy, you and your partner are losers, do you hear me, losers who--”
The lights went out before Zach could finish his sentence. A minute later, the lights came back on. When they did, Flint saw Zach's head leaning forward on his chest. A single, thin, bamboo dart was sticking out of the side of his neck.
“Is he...” Haley asked, as horrified tears flowed from her eyes.
Using his left hand, Flint checked Zach's wrist for a pulse. “Yeah, he's dead,” he said. “Arnold, got your phone?”
“I’ll call this in now,” Tori said. Pulling her cell phone out, she walked Haley to the porch swing and sat her down.
“No, we need to get out of here,” Haley said.
“Trust me,” Tori said, “if whoever killed Zach wanted us dead, we would be dead.”
“She's right,” Flint said, staring into the dark forest surrounding the house. “Haley, we can't locate your uncle or your stepmother. Whoever is the killer is, he wants you to suffer first.”
“But the poisoned stew?” Haley asked, confused.
“The poison was meant for Mandy Garland,” Flint explained, keeping his eyes wandering around the dark forest. “Onions were added to the stew. You do not like onions.”
“That's right,” Haley said in a trembling voice.
“Matt and Dave wouldn't eat the soup. So who would? Mandy Garland,” Flint said. “When the killer missed his mark at the house, he caught up with Mandy Garland here at the studio. Mandy knew the killer, Haley. I'm convinced she was assisting the killer.”
“But why?” Haley cried. “What did I ever do to her?”
“I don't know. Obviously, the killer knew, but something went wrong and he wanted Mandy Garland out of the picture,” Flint answered.
“Okay,” Tori said, putting her cell phone away, “Chief Cunningham is on his way.”
Hearing a door open and close in the distance, Flint lowered his gun. “And there goes the killer,” he said. He went over to Haley. “From now on, you're handcuffed to Detective Arnold. You don't leave her sight, are we clear?”
<
br /> Haley could only nod. Staring at Zach's silent body, she bowed her head and cried.
Tori looked at Flint. Flint understood the look in Tori's eyes. “We're not even close, are we?” she asked Flint.
“Don't worry,” Flint said. “By the time the rain stops, this case will be solved.”
Outside in the dark night, the rain continued to fall as a shadowy figure maneuvered its way to the back of the studio. Stopping at a chain link fence, the figure looked over its shoulder, grinned, and then vanished through a small opening in the fence.
*****
Tori walked Haley into her bedroom. But not without Dave and Matt first scolding Haley.
“She understands what she did was wrong, guys,” Tori assured the twins. “Lay off, huh? She's had a tough night.”
“No, they're right to be upset,” Haley said, barely able to keep her eyes open. “I'm sorry. I won't do anything so stupid every again, I promise.”
Tori closed the bedroom door. “Okay, honey,” she said. “You need to get some sleep. I'm standing guard. You can rest easy.”
“How can I rest knowing my Uncle Ned is out there, waiting to kill me? And that awful woman my father married, she's in on this, too,” Haley said. She took off her coat and dropped it onto the floor, then crawled onto the bed. She closed her eyes.
“Are you sure your Uncle Ned is behind all of this?” Tori gently pressed.
“I got him fired, didn't I? Detective Flint can't locate him or my stepmother, can he?”
“Yes... and no,” Tori replied. “Try and rest.”
Haley opened her eyes. Leaning up on one elbow, appearing like a broken, fragile, doll, she stared at Tori. “I was a fool to believe Zach loved me. I... all I want is for someone to love me, Tori... to really be loved. But now, I'll never trust anyone against for as long as I live.”
Hearing bitterness in Haley's voice broke Tori's heart. “Oh honey, someday the right person will come along, I promise.”
“Never,” Haley replied. “I can never trust my own heart ever again.”
Tori watched Haley lean back down and close her eyes. What could she say? It was better to remain silent and allow Haley to work through her own troubled emotions by herself.
Detective Flint Box Set: A Detective Story Box Set Books 1-3 Page 21
