$10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles

by Parnell Hall

  That jolted Becky out of her teacher mode. “Huh?”

  “It’s in the cemetery, in front of a gravestone.”

  “How in the world did you get that?”

  “The corner squares of the sudoku, clockwise from the upper right, are 1567. The words oak and lane are in the crossword puzzle. The address of the cemetery is 1567 Oak Lane.”

  Becky’s mouth fell open. “What?”

  “It’s a perfectly logical conclusion.” Cora blew another smoke ring. “It was also on the piece of paper I found under your door as I came in. I suppose that was a bit of a hint. Not that I’d have needed it, or anything.”

  “Piece of paper?”

  “I’d show it to you, but it’s in my purse.”

  Becky dug the paper out of Cora’s purse, unfolded it and read, “‘Bakerhaven Cemetery, 1567 Oak Lane.’”

  “Yeah. Nice deduction, huh? And there’s directions. Four left, five right, or whatever. Must mean counting graves.”

  “Gotta be,” Becky said. “And it gives you landmarks. Tomb of Jablowsky. Grave of Pinehurst.”

  “Just like MapQuest.”

  The phone rang.

  Becky scooped it up. Had a brief conversation which consisted largely of her listening and occasionally saying, “Uh huh.”

  Finally she hung up the phone.

  “What’s up?”

  “The money’s here.”

  “I don’t see it.”

  “I’m going to go get it. You stay here.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Try and stop me.”

  “Cora, I got a delicate situation here. Don’t screw it up.”

  Becky darted out the door.

  Cora jumped up, grabbed her purse off the desk, and ran after her.

  By the time Cora reached the door Becky was already at the bottom of the steps. She took the stairs two at a time. Halfway down she tripped and fell. She felt a jarring pain in her side, rolled over once, summersaulted to the bottom. She clambered to her feet. Nothing seemed broken. She plunged through the door.

  Becky was running down the alley toward Main Street. Cora gave chase. She emerged from the alley just in time to see Becky climb into her car halfway down the block.

  Cora’s Toyota was parked in front of the library. She hurried across the street, fumbled in her purse for her keys.

  She couldn’t find them. That was odd. She could always find them. They were attached to an ornate key ring. Where the hell were they?

  Down the street Becky gunned the motor and backed out of her head-in parking space. Damn. She was getting away, and—

  Cora’s mouth fell open.

  Out of the driver’s side window, Becky was dangling the keys she’d stolen from Cora’s purse. Becky smiled and took off.

  Cora was fit to be tied. This was not happening. Becky was not getting away.

  Cora glanced around in frustration.

  There were three cars parked in front of the library. One of them was Iris Cooper’s. Cora remembered the first selectman often stopped off to pick up a book on her way home. She remembered something else, too.

  Cora ran to the car, looked in the window. Sure enough, the keys were dangling from the ignition. Cora wrenched the door open, hopped in, started up the car. She backed out of the parking space, sped down the street.

  Becky Baldwin had a good head start but she was heading north, and there weren’t that many turnoffs heading north. South there was Post Road, and the fork just past old Colson’s place. But north there wasn’t a major intersection for over a mile.

  Cora stomped on the gas, tested Iris Cooper’s zero to sixty acceleration. For a station wagon, it wasn’t bad. On the straightaway, Cora could see a car in the distance. She hoped it was Becky.

  It was. As Cora narrowed the distance, she could see the shape of Becky’s Honda just before it went around the turn. It looked like she was heading for the mall. Which made sense. If you’re having a clandestine meeting you either want to have it where there’s no one, or everyone. Becky had chosen everyone, hoping to blend in with the crowd. Fat chance, looking like that. Even conservatively dressed, she’d be lucky to pull it off. Of course it didn’t matter if she was noticed, it only mattered if it was noticed who she was with.

  Becky turned into the mall. For a moment Cora thought maybe she was going to make another phone call. But no, she went right on by that entrance and pulled up in front of Starbucks.

  No fair. Cora had introduced Becky to Starbucks. And now she was using it as a rendezvous?

  She wasn’t.

  Becky got out of her car, looked around. She walked over to a black rental car parked in the next row. She pulled open the passenger door and slid in.

  Cora couldn’t see who was in the driver’s seat, but it didn’t matter. She had him. It was just a question of how long she should let them talk. Not very long she figured. With her luck, Becky’d hop out and the car would drive off.

  The hell with it. She wasn’t manufacturing evidence for court. It didn’t matter if the money had changed hands. She just wanted to know who it was.

  Cora got out of her car, walked over to the rental, and wrenched open the passenger door.

  Her timing was good. Becky had the fat envelope in her hand.

  “Ah! Caught in the act!” Cora said. “Well, it serves you right. What a pain in the ass. Why couldn’t you just tell me who the client was?”

  Cora didn’t wait for an answer. She pushed Becky back out of the way.

  And stopped dead.

  Sitting in the driver’s seat was the last person in the world Cora ever expected to see.

  Her ex-husband, Melvin.

  Chapter

  25

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Melvin smiled. “Hello, Cora.”

  “Don’t hello Cora me. You sit there shoving blackmail money at a lawyer. At my lawyer. Who won’t even tell me what’s going on. That’s a fine position to be in with your attorney, don’t you think, thank you very much.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Don’t get cute with me. I’m not amused.” Cora shook her head disbelievingly. “I might have known. Becky acting all weird on me, and nothing adding up. Who could possibly create that kind of chaos?”

  “I think you give me too much credit.”

  “What the hell are you doing in Bakerhaven?”

  “Becky is a very good lawer.”

  “Yes, she is. And so are a thousand other lawyers in Manhattan law firms, which are much more convenient to a person who doesn’t happen to live in Bakerhaven.”

  “It’s a nice drive.”

  “It’s a lovely drive, Melvin. I don’t suppose you’re here to see the scenery.”

  Becky said, “Cora, you don’t understand.”

  “Oh, I understand, all right.” Cora jerked her thumb. “Out.”

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me. Get out of the car. I’m going to have a little talk with my ex-husband, and I don’t need an interpreter.”

  “Sounds romantic,” Melvin said.

  “I’ll deal with you in a minute. Come on, Becky. You got what you came for. Take the money and run.”

  “Cora,” Becky protested.

  Cora literally dragged her out of the car. It wasn’t easy. Becky was as thin as a supermodel, but she was scrappy and tough, and didn’t take kindly to being manhandled. The only thing that stopped her from making a fuss was the glint in Melvin’s eye at the prospect of witnessing a catfight.

  Cora hopped in and closed the door. On second thought, she locked it.

  She turned to find Melvin grinning at her roguishly. The man had the charm of an aging matinee idol. His hair, which owed its fullness to every restoration product on the market, from creams to implants, fell over his forehead in a rakish curl. His eyes twinkled. His lips formed that familiar smug smile. Khaki pants, a dress shirt open at the neck, and a wide-lapelled leather
jacket formed an outfit some women might find attractive. But Cora knew better. She wasn’t about to fall for his charm.

  “So,” Cora said. “How come you’re being blackmailed?”

  “What makes you think I’m being blackmailed?”

  “Just a wild guess,” Cora said sarcastically. “That and the ten grand you gave Becky Baldwin.”

  “You think that’s blackmail money?”

  “No. I think Becky’s a bookie and you’re placing a bet.”

  “Come on, Cora. You know me. What would I ever pay a nickel for?”

  “Something that would put you in jail.”

  “Good point.”

  “And a rather obvious one, I would think. The only thing I don’t understand is why you would come all the way up here to have a lawyer handle it.”

  “Really?” Melvin grinned. “Have you met your lawyer?”

  “Are you kidding me? It was only that? I bet there was no blackmail at all. I bet you made the whole thing up just to have an excuse to hire her.”

  “That would be horribly devious, wouldn’t it?”

  “It certainly would. Which is right up your alley.”

  “Except for being terribly stupid.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, for one thing, it’s convoluted as hell.”

  “What’s your point?”

  Melvin put up his hands. “Okay, some of my schemes are not exactly straightforward. But don’t you think ten grand is too much to pay for a woman?”

  “You admit paying the ten grand?”

  “Paying is such an ugly word. I gave it to a friend.”

  “For a retainer?”

  “Sure. Let’s say for a retainer.”

  Cora sighed. “Melvin, talking to you is what gave me those migraine headaches you were always complaining about.”

  “Ah, the good old days. Still you have to admit ten grand is too much to pay just to make it look like I’m being blackmailed.”

  “Yes. But if you’re the one making it look like you’re being blackmailed, you’ll be the one picking up the payment. So it won’t cost you anything at all.”

  “You always were logical, Cora. What else did I do in this phony blackmail scheme?”

  Cora blinked. She sucked in her breath. “You killed a man. That’s going far, even for you.”

  “Don’t be silly. I didn’t kill anyone.”

  “Then who’s the man in the Dumpster?”

  “How the hell should I know?”

  “You know about the man in the Dumpster?”

  “Everyone knows about the man in the Dumpster.”

  “What do you know about him?”

  “He’s dead, and he’s in a Dumpster.”

  “You didn’t kill him?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then who did?”

  “How the hell should I know?”

  “Melvin, this isn’t like you. I mean it’s like you to go to absurd lengths to interest an attractive woman, but when you start leaving corpses around…”

  “I didn’t leave him.”

  “So you say. I don’t have to believe you.” Cora cocked her head. “Where are you going to be?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “While I’m making the blackmail payment.”

  “Oh, you’re making the blackmail payment?”

  Cora gave him a dirty look. “You know what I mean. While I’m making the drop-off, where will you be hanging out?”

  “With my attorney, I hope.”

  “You’ll be there when I get back?”

  “I don’t know. When are you going?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I never was good at details.”

  “That’s a rather large detail.”

  “I’m not sure I was ever told.”

  Cora looked down at the floorboards. “So, you here with your wife?”

  “What wife?”

  “Your current wife. Whoever that might be.”

  “I don’t have a wife.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “I’ve got ex-wives. I believe you fall into the category.”

  “It’s a noble sisterhood. We have annual meetings.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You here with a girlfriend?”

  “Why would I want a girlfriend to meet my lawyer?”

  “Good point. So you left her home?”

  Melvin grinned. “You’re awful eager to determine my marital status.”

  “Don’t get all conceited. The number of ex-wives you’re paying alimony to is directly proportional to how soon you’ll run out of money.”

  “Nice try. I’m not buying. You want to know if I’m seeing someone. Well, that’s silly. I’m always seeing someone. You want to know if there’s anyone special.”

  “Is there?”

  “You’re asking?”

  “You brought it up.”

  “The only special women in my life are you and my lawyer.”

  “How is that supposed to make me feel?”

  “Honored?”

  “Please.”

  “Flattered?”

  Before Cora had a chance to answer, there was a knock on the window. It was Officer Dan Finley. He didn’t look happy.

  Cora wasn’t pleased, either. She rolled down the window, snarled, “What do you want?”

  “I want to be home in bed,” Dan groused. “I been up all night. This is Sam Brogan’s shift. He called in sick so I’m still at it and then I have to catch this.”

  “Not exactly what I meant,” Cora said. “What do you want with me?”

  “Oh. Well, I’m sorry about this, but you happen to be under arrest.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You’re kidding. Harper’s charging me with the murder?”

  “Oh, no, nothing like that. No one thinks you’re a killer.”

  “So what are you arresting me for?”

  “Grand theft auto.”

  Chapter

  26

  Chief Harper was on the defensive, a rather unusual position for a police chief to be placed in with a suspect who’d been caught red-handed. “If you’ll just calm down.”

  Iris Cooper, in first selectman mode, was being diplomatic. “This was all a huge misunderstanding.”

  “Well, that’s magnanimous of you,” Harper said dryly, “seeing as how you reported the car stolen.”

  “I’m willing to concede there have been mistakes all around.”

  “I’m not willing to concede anything,” Cora said. “I am speaking only with your assurance that the charges have been dropped.”

  “Iris Cooper has withdrawn the complaint.”

  “It is my understanding the police can file a complaint of their own,” Cora said.

  “I have no intention of doing so,” Harper told her.

  “And that’s the assurance under which I’m willing to talk.”

  “Of course. Now, if you’ll just sign the waivers regarding false arrest.”

  “I don’t see any reason why I should,” Cora said.

  “I do. There was no malicious intent. Iris reported a car stolen. We began an investigation. The librarian’s son remembered seeing you drive off in it. We tried to relay this information to Iris. She was not available. We were forced to act on her complaint. On the basis of Iris Cooper’s charge and Jimmy Potter’s eyewitness testimony, we had no recourse but to issue a warrant. The car was spotted at the mall, where you were subsequently arrested.”

  “I wasn’t in the car.”

  “No. But you happened to have the keys to it in your purse. No doubt the person who stole it left them there.”

  “You shouldn’t be sarcastic, Chief. It ruins your lovable image.”

  “I don’t feel very lovable right now. I’ve got an unsolved homicide, and you’re not being much help. Which is a euphemism for obstructing justice. It’s almost as if you stole a car to try to distract my attention from how mixed up you are in the murder.”

&n
bsp; “Chief, do you know how paranoid that sounds?”

  “I’m not saying you’re paranoid.”

  “Not me. You. You see conspiracies everywhere.”

  “Funny you should say that.” Harper turned to Iris Cooper. “You dropping the charges?”

  “I already said so.”

  “Fine. Then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Cora alone.”

  Iris looked from one to the other. She shook her head, turned, and walked out.

  Harper turned back to Cora. “Is it true what Dan said?”

  “What?”

  “When he picked you up, you were in a car with your ex-husband?”

  Cora had a few choice comments about policemen in general, Dan Finley in particular, and all ex-husbands, past, present, and future, with whom she might be associated.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Harper said. “If that’s true, it would certainly account for your strange behavior.”

  “Strange behavior? Are you saying I’ve been acting strangely?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions. I suppose for you stealing cars and crashing crime scenes is fairly normal.”

  Cora didn’t dignify that with a response.

  “Is that why you were holding out on me?” Harper said. “Because of Melvin?”

  “Don’t be silly.”

  “I’m not being silly. I’ve seen you around Melvin. I know how you become.”

  “I don’t ‘become’ anything.”

  “You clammed up at the crime scene and called your lawyer.”

  “I didn’t know he was here.”

  “And yet you wound up in a car with him.”

  “I didn’t know he was here then. I just found out.”

  “You just found out today?”

  “I just found out five minutes before Dan Finley knocked on the damn window.”

  “You didn’t know it was him when you stole the car?”

  “I didn’t steal the car.”

  “Sorry. When you borrowed Iris Cooper’s car without telling her you’d done so.”

  “That’s right.”

  “You didn’t know he was here until you got in the car?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then how did you wind up in the car?”

  Cora exhaled. “Chief, you’re going around in circles and asking irrelevant questions that have little to do with anything. I didn’t know Melvin was here then. I don’t know why he’s here now. I didn’t know he was here, I just ran into him. I got in the car to ask him why he was here. Before I had a chance to find out, I was arrested by Dan Finley, who can consider himself off my Christmas list.”