Flint hurried over to a small painting sitting on the far wall and took it down. And there, behind the painting, stood a small wall safe. “When people are looking for hidden passages, you hide the gold right in front of their noses.” Flint smiled. “Well done, Mr. Parsons. Well done.”
Drawing in a calm breath, Flint raised his right hand and began turning the dial attached to the safe. “11...19...88…” A metallic clicking noise popped into the air when Flint turned the dial to the last number. Nodding, Flint pulled the safe door open and examined the inside. A single piece of paper sat inside the safe. Flint removed the paper and opened it. “Yep, a map, just like I thought.”
“How did you know where the safe was?”
Flint looked over his shoulder at Tori. “I began thinking about what Edwin Wayberry said,” he said, placing the piece of paper into his pocket and closing the safe. “He said it was time to end the silly game Henry Parsons was playing.”
“I heard him,” Tori said, walking up to Flint.
“It just seemed to me that Henry Parsons wasn't a stupid man. He hid the ticket in the hidden room connected to the parlor the day he was murdered. I thought about that.”
Tori rubbed her chin. “Mr. Parsons had the ticket right here in this bedroom.”
Flint nodded. “He hid the ticket before Judith arrived. Judith lied to Edwin Wayberry about finding the gold.”
“And Judith thought the safe was hidden somewhere... well hidden,” Tori said.
“Would you keep a map leading to gold out of arms reach?” Flint asked.
“No way,” Tori said. “But why the hidden room in the parlor?”
Flint shrugged. “Maybe a meeting room for the mafia families when they visited Amanda Parsons? Who knows. What we do know is that we have ammunition to fight with.”
“Uh... Flint, what are you going to do with the map?” Tori asked curiously.
Flint bit his lower lip. He withdrew the map from his pocket and handed it to Tori. “You put this map in your purse and hide it.”
“I might run off and dig up the gold,” Tori joked.
“No way.” Flint grinned and patted Tori on the shoulder. “You're a good cop, Arnold. I trust you.”
“Thanks, partner.” Tori beamed. “So, what's the plan of attack?”
Flint walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. He studied the bedroom. “Ever think about living in a joint like this, Arnold?”
Tori folded her arms and looked around. “Flint,” she admitted, “I would love to own this mansion. Right now I don't even have an apartment.”
“Your family is rich,” Flint pointed out.
Tori walked to Flint and sat down next to him. She shoved her chin down onto the palm of her hands. “I want to earn my own money, Flint. Call me silly, but someday when I'm an old woman, I want to be proud of the life I lived. It's easy to call my daddy and ask for a handout. It's hard to eat peanut butter out of the jar for dinner.”
Flint smiled. “It's hard to get shot, too.”
“Don't remind me,” Tori groaned miserably. “I thought it was lights out for me, Flint.”
Flint out his arm around Tori's shoulder. “You're doing fine, partner. But let me warn you, when we go back to Nevada, bullets are going to fly. You can stay in Los Angeles if you want.”
Tori looked into Flint's eyes. The man was serious. “No way,” she said. “I'm your partner and partners stand by each other.”
Flint patted Tori's shoulder and stood up. “Okay, then here's our plan of attack. We have to lure Edwin back to Gold Pot, using Judith as bait. But you can bet your last dollar that sneaky snake is going to try and pull something. Edwin Wayberry wanted her dead and we have to find out why. But right now, we have to send him looking for fools gold.”
“Going back to that dusty little town alone doesn't make me feel good, Flint,” Tori admitted.
“Me neither, but it's the only way,” Flint said. “If we take down Edwin Wayberry, we take down the entire operation.”
“Can't we just eat some bad Chinese food and call it a day?” Tori joked miserably.
“I wish we could. Come on.”
Tori followed Flint downstairs.
“Any luck?” Melinda asked Flint.
Judith looked up at Flint, who shook his head. “Nah, I hit a cold trail. I'm going to call a team over and have them go through this place with a fine tooth comb. I don't feel like wasting my time searching empty hallways.”
Tori watched Judith read Flint's face, and thought she saw a flicker of doubt. “Call Edwin,” Tori ordered Judith, stepping off the stairs.
Flint sat down next to Judith. “You fooled me once, sister, but never again. You will do as we say when we say and how we say, got it?”
“Sure,” Judith said in a cold voice.
“You call Edwin and tell them you found a map leading to the gold. You tell that coward that Landon was arrested and you're on the run, got it? And then you tell him—”
“That I'm on my way to Nevada. I remember,” Judith interrupted.
“Then you tell him that you want to meet in Gold Pot alone,” Flint continued. “Explain that you need to leave the country immediately and need a private jet... jet for the map, that's the deal. Got it?”
“I guess,” Judith agreed.
“Good,” Flint said and stood up. Carefully he uncuffed Judith's hands. “Make the call.”
Tori handed Judith her cell phone. Reluctantly, Judith called Edwin.
“Judith, how are you?” a friendly voice came across the speaker phone.
“Hello Edwin,” Judith said in a cold tone. “Thanks for not killing the cops for me. Now I'm in a heap of trouble. They've arrested Landon for the murder of Henry.”
“What are you talking about, Judith?” Edwin asked in a confused voice. “Listen, honey, I told you our relationship was over. You have to stop calling me. I'm a very important man.”
“Listen, jerk, I'm on the run. I need help. I'm coming to Nevada in a few days,” Judith snapped. “And before you act like you don't know what I'm talking about, let me just say this: I found the map to the gold. That's right. Landon and I found it right before that stupid Detective arrived. Landon tried to make a run for it... a lot of good it did him, Edwin. The mansion was surrounded by cops. I had to hide in the hidden hallway upstairs.”
“Judith, dear, why are you telling me these things? Perhaps you're still upset about our little spat?”
“Knock it off,” Judith nearly yelled into the cell phone. “I need to get out of the country. I need a private jet to fly me into Canada or Mexico or Peru... I don't care where I've flown to as long as I'm safe. So here's the deal: The map for a jet. Is that a deal? I don't care about helping the Mazza Family anymore. All I want is out... out of this whole, miserable mess. Please, Edwin, help me.”
“You seem really upset. Perhaps you should come and see me, dear. We can talk matters over and maybe smooth out the rough spots. I will take you out to dinner and—”
“We meet in Gold Pot,” Judith interrupted Edwin. “Listen to me and listen carefully, Edwin. Either you help me or I go public with everything I know.”
“Yes,” Edwin said, “perhaps we should meet and talk. Perhaps after we talk and get you calmed down I might be able to understand what you're talking about. You're babbling on like a mad woman.”
“Map... Jet... Gold Pot... I'll call you when I arrive in Nevada,” Judith said in a stern tone. “No tricks, Edwin.” Judith ended the call and threw down her cell phone. “He'll track the call.”
“I was counting on that,” Flint said. “You did good.”
Judith looked toward the front door. “I could make a run for it.”
“Go ahead and try,” Tori said and popped her knuckles. “I'm ready for a good workout.”
Melinda rotated her shoulders. “Me, too.”
“Real tough cops,” Judith replied and rolled her eyes. “I guess I should be flattered to be guarded by such skill.”
Flint rubbed his chin. “Actually,” he said, “I'm setting you free for a while. Just meet me back tomorrow morning at nine sharp. You can try and make a run for it, but you won't get too far. Edwin Wayberry wants you dead. I'm sure he's sending men to the Los Angeles area right now to search for you. Your little boyfriend is most likely trying to convince Chief Cunningham that you killed Henry Parsons. Your bank account is frozen. Your apartment is being watched. Your car now has a tracking device on it. And even if you did manage to get some overweight trucker to give you a ride out of town, you're face would be pasted all over every television by morning.”
Tori stared at Flint. Was her partner out of his living, loving mind? “Yeah,” she said, attempting to support Flint.
“I'll be here,” Judith said. “I know that Edwin is gathering his hit men to come and search for me, Detective Flint. I'm not stupid. But why send me away? You're putting my life in danger. I would prefer to stay with you and Detective Arnold.”
Flint reached down and closed the pizza box. “Take a hike, sister. Just make sure and be back here at nine sharp.”
Judith stared at Flint, then at Tori. Slowly, she began to ease her way toward the front door. “Nine... sharp, then,” she said and slithered out of the front door.
“Are you nuts?!” Melinda and Tori both snapped at Flint at the same time.
“Nope.” Flint grinned. “My guess, ladies, is that our little sneaky snake is going to try and call Edwin again.”
“Okay, I’m confused.” Tori admitted.
Melinda nodded. “Explain.”
“Judith didn't believe me about the map. I saw her eyes,” Flint said. “She knows I found the map. Now, what will she do with that information? She's going to call Edwin and set a little trap in exchange for her life. I don't know why Edwin wanted her dead, but it's possible he might pardon her life if she brings him the map to the hidden gold. And that's what I'm counting on. I want Judith to believe she is controlling the entire game. And don't worry, she'll be back at this joint at nine sharp and not a second later.”
Tori looked at Melinda, who shrugged her shoulders. “He's your partner.”
*****
Outside, Judith ran to her BMW and jumped in. Speeding away, she began to think. After driving to the beach, she walked to a group of rocks, sat down, and called Edwin. “It's me. Listen, before you say a word, when I called you earlier both Detective Flint and Detective Arnold was listening to me along with some female cop.”
“I assumed as much by the tone of your voice,” Edwin said in an angry voice. “What's going on, Judith?”
“Landon was arrested. Flint wants to play me in order to reach you. That jerk found the map to the gold, Edwin.”
“And you lied to me about finding the map,” Edwin pointed out. “Why?”
“Because I need you to eliminate Landon for me,” Judith confessed. “Come on Edwin, think about it. I couldn't let Landon live, could I? He was my fall guy.”
“But you lied to me,” Edwin said, keeping his voice angry. “That's a no-no, Judith.”
“You were going to kill me,” Judith fired back. “That's a no-no. And why? Because you actually thought I talked to the cops. Come on Edwin, I'm not stupid.”
“Fair enough,” Edwin said. Sitting back in a wooden chair in his office, Edwin looked out of a window at the dry, dusty deserted town called Gold Pot. “Talk to me.”
“I really do need a jet, Edwin. I have to leave the country,” Judith began. Looking out at the Pacific, she saw a few surfers sitting on boards, hoping for a wave. Some seagulls flew over her head. Down the beach, far away, she saw a family flying a kite with their children. “I can get you the map to the gold. I can play Flint like a fiddle.”
“And how do I know you're not playing a game?” Edwin asked.
“If I was playing a game every cop in Nevada would be in Gold Pot ripping up the ground searching for your guns.”
Edwin continued to look out of the window at the dry town. He heard the sound of seagulls coming from Judith's end. His mind began to form a plan. “Keep talking.”
“Flint is determined to fight you,” Judith continued. “So here is what I'm thinking...”
*****
The surfers sitting on their boards looked toward the beach and saw an attractive woman talking on a cell phone. “Hey, check out that babe. She's nice,” one of them said.
“Dude,” another surfer laughed, “that woman is way out of your league. You better stick to daydreaming.”
What the surfers didn't know is that the beautiful woman they were gawking at was just as deadly as she was beautiful.
*****
Chapter 4
Back to Nevada
Flint nodded. “Inside the room,” he said.
Judith looked through a dark doorway into a strange hotel room. The bright sun blazing overhead made it hard for her eyes to adjust and recalculate her new surroundings. Hesitantly, she stepped into the hotel room. Flint and Tori stepped in behind her. “You're crazy to come back to the same hotel,” Judith said in a panicked voice. “Edwin will be here within the hour and kill us all.”
“I don't plan to be here in an hour,” Flint said in a calm voice. “Sit down.”
Judith nervously sat down on a brown cushioned chair and looked at cheesy old western paintings hanging on wooden walls. “Please, take the handcuffs off,” she pleaded.
Tori wiped her hair away from her eyes and sat down on the edge of the king bed in the room. Wishing for a pair of shorts instead of the dark gray dress she was wearing, she asked Flint to turn on the air conditioner. “This room is baking, Flint.”
Flint looked at Judith. The woman seemed stuffy in the green dress she had tossed over a pair of brown pants. Flint didn't care. He felt fine wearing his brown overcoat and old jeans. “Sorry, Arnold, we're just here to make a short appearance. In five minutes we're gone.”
“Where are we leaving to?” Judith asked worriedly.
“In town to have dinner. I'm sure the Sheriff will pay us a visit before dessert is served,” Flint answered and checked his watch. “It's a little past five. By now the front desk clerk should have made his call.”
Tori lowered her hand down to her right ankle and checked her gun. “I'm wearing my vest,” she assured Flint, catching the worried look in her eyes.
“Good,” Flint replied and walked to the hotel room window. Pulling back a brown curtain, he studied the parking lot. “Okay, let's move.”
“Stand up,” Tori ordered Judith.
“Edwin is going to realize that you're playing games,” Judith said. “Please, talk some sense into Detective Flint.”
“Why, because he's not playing by your rules?” Tori asked in a stern tone.
“I'm supposed to meet Edwin in an hour,” Judith said, then looked at Flint. “You're ruining our plan.”
“Exactly,” Flint said and turned to face her. “I have plans for Edwin.”
“But...” Judith struggled. “Please, you're going to get me killed. Edwin and I made an agreement. If I don't show up, he will never trust me again.”
“Listen,” Flint told Judith in a calm tone, “everything is going to work out like sugar in lemonade.”
“Sugar in lemonade?” Tori asked and rolled her eyes. “Oh Flint, you can do better than that. I mean... how about... cream on pie... or peanut butter and jelly?”
Flint shrugged. “Whatever, Arnold. I'm not here to be witty.”
Tori flashed him a grin. “Then don’t try… Speaking of being witty,” she said, “when are our guys going to call us?”
Flint shrugged again. “Arnold, don't get your hopes up. If our team hasn't found the map to the gold yet, they won't. I'm guessing Henry Parsons burned the map.”
“He wouldn't do that,” Judith objected, straining to read Flint's face. Flint found the map. This she was certain of. But what Judith wasn't certain of was what type of game Flint was playing? “Henry... wouldn't be that foolish.”
“I'm j
ust kinda wondering... and I'm tossing this up into the air for anyone to grab...” Tori said, glancing at Judith. “Why didn't Henry take the gold for himself? Why did he leave the gold hidden if he knew the location?”
“I've been wondering that myself,” Flint said. “The only thing I can figure is that the old man left the gold alone because of a broken heart. He did love his wife, and he wanted her to have the gold, but she betrayed him.”
“Can we please go,” Judith snapped. “We can talk on the way.”
“Sure,” Flint said and walked to the hotel room door. Easing the door open, he studied the parking lot. The blue minivan he had rented sat two spots over from a red truck with Arizona tags. “Let's move.”
Tori grabbed Judith's right arm with her hand and urged the woman forward. “Move.”
Judith hurried outside into the bright sunlight. Whatever game Flint was playing, she worried, might cost her any chance she might have at escaping life in prison. “Stay in control,” Judith whispered to herself as Tori slid the minivan door open.
“Inside,” Tori ordered.
Judith struggled to crawl inside the minivan. Sitting down in the seat behind the driver's seat, she watched Tori sit down in the seat behind the passenger's seat and slide the door shut. “He's playing a very deadly game,” Judith warned Tori. “Please, we have to arrive in Gold Pot on time or Edwin will back away from our deal.”
“I know.” Tori pretended to act worried and quickly leaned over to Judith. “Listen to me, I have a plan that is going to make both of us very rich. Just play along with me for the time being.”
Judith stared at Tori in shock. “I'm afraid I don't understand.”
“The gold,” Tori snapped impatiently. “Come on, girl, do you think I want to spend the rest of my life walking in the shadow of Flint? He's a good guy and a really good cop, but I want more out of life. I'm going to let Flint lead me to the gold. I think he has the map.”
“Really?” Judith asked, watching Flint walk in front of the minivan and study the front road with cautious eyes. “Flint has the map?”
Detective Flint Box Set: A Detective Story Box Set Books 1-3 Page 35
