Take Stock in Murder

by Millie Mack

  “You know that Todd was the black sheep of the family.”

  Carrie nodded. “Yes, I guess everyone knew that about Todd.”

  “Then you won’t be surprised to learn that he spent a lot of time in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. He ran up quite a tab. Todd told me he owed the gamblers over one hundred thousand dollars.”

  “Gee, that’s quite a debt. How did he plan on getting that kind of money?”

  “He came up with the idea of starting the Investment Club. You’ve heard of it?”

  Carrie didn’t want to give away how much she knew to Jennifer. She was limiting her comments. “When I was golfing with the ladies, they were talking about who would take over the Club’s investments due to Todd’s untimely death,” Carrie said.

  “How foolish those women are. Todd was borrowing from the women’s investment accounts to pay the gamblers. And yet they continued to give him more money to invest.”

  “But I don’t understand. If Todd was paying the gamblers off, why would they kill him? Clearly they wanted Todd to continue to clear his debts.”

  For a moment Jennifer was lost on Carrie’s argument. Then she said, “But Todd wasn’t paying the gamblers everything he owed, nor was he paying them fast enough. Plus, knowing Todd, he was probably trying to play some other angle with them they didn’t like.”

  “You said you have evidence that the gamblers murdered him.”

  “Not for the actual murder, but I do have evidence.” Jennifer turned, opened a desk drawer, and pulled out an envelope. She undid the clasp and pulled out several slips of paper. “You see, I’ve got the IOUs.”

  Carrie thought they looked like the same IOUs they’d seen in Todd’s condo. “But if you have the IOUs, what did the gamblers have to hold over Todd? You normally don’t get the IOUs until you have paid off the debt.” The minute Carrie had finished her statement, she was sorry she’d said it. As Jennifer stared at her, trying to figure out her next answer, the door behind them opened.

  rad Barrington entered the room, holding a gun.

  “You’re absolutely right, Mrs. Faraday. You do get the IOUs back when you pay off the debt. That’s how we have them. We found them among my brother’s things, and Todd had cleared his debt.”

  Brad was dressed all in black: turtleneck, slacks, shoes and socks, a bomber jacket, and even a knit sailor cap. “I thought your dumb act was a little overdone; however, you fooled Jen.”

  “Hello, Mr. Barrington. What brings you out tonight?” Carrie asked. She was not pleased to see Brad Barrington, considering her suspicions. But she needed to keep her cool and push for information.

  “You don’t sound very surprised to see me!”

  “No, I’m not, Mr. Barrington—or may I call you Brad?”

  “Brad will be fine.”

  “Brad, if you poke at the fire long enough, you eventually move the ashes aside to reveal the glowing embers,” Carrie said.

  Time, time, Carrie thought. Keep playing for time.

  “Mrs. Faraday…Or I’m sure you’ll extend me the same courtesy and allow me to call you Carrie. Perhaps you could be a little more specific about your theories. I think you know quite a bit more about the Investment Club and my brother’s murder than what you have told Jennifer. Oh, and perhaps you could do this without babbling about shoes.”

  Careful, careful, Carrie thought. Don’t indicate that Charles or anyone else might be reaching the same conclusions, or this madman will continue killing. That’s when it hit her that Brad planned to kill her. “To be honest, I don’t know anything about who killed your brother.”

  “Carrie, please. Stalling for time won’t help. If you’re waiting for your husband to rescue you, I’m afraid we’ve sent him off on a bit of a wild-goose chase. Now, let’s try it again. What do you know?” Brad kicked a trash can across the room, causing both Carrie and Jennifer to jump. “You were saying…”

  “My theories are just that: theories. I learned about the Investment Club when I went golfing with the ladies. They said how they were all making money and that they all loved Todd, so they had no motive to kill him. Then I learned about Todd’s involvement with several women, but the affairs seemed to be minor flirtations everyone knew about. Again no motive. Do you think if I knew who murdered Todd, I’d have come here to get evidence from Jennifer?”

  “The trip to my brother’s apartment turned up nothing?” Brad asked. “The chat with Sara Chaney brought no leads? You want me to believe talking with that bartender, Jake, at the Club, and your husband’s interrogating my wife tonight produced no results? I find that hard to believe, although…” He paused, and it was clear he suddenly had an idea. “This may work just as well. You and your husband can’t find any leads. You’re becoming distraught over the lack of progress. The thought of spending the rest of your life in prison is more than you can bear. Suicide wouldn’t be out of the question.”

  Jennifer’s voice was shaky. “Brad, what are you talking about? You sound like you’re implying that Mrs. Faraday will have an accident. Look, I’m not getting involved in anything like that.”

  “Jen, calm down. I only want to understand what information Mrs.…Carrie has about the murder. Somewhere in her deductions, I believe she concluded that I had something to do with it. This means other people could come to the same conclusion. Now, you were saying…”

  “All right, Brad. I’ll level with you.” Carrie figured she had nothing to lose, and that if she made a strong enough case, he might realize that it wouldn’t be long before others came to the same conclusions. “I’m a photographer and a writer. I worked the murder out the same way I work out the structure of an article or a layout of photographs. I wrote everything down that I knew about the murder, and it became obvious what happened.” Carrie thought of the chart she’d safely stored in the safe at home.

  “What do you mean, you wrote everything down?” There was anger in Brad’s voice.

  “I told you. I’m a writer.”

  “You mean, there’s a copy of your conclusions?”

  “On my computer at home.”

  “Well, then, we know where we’re going next. We need to make a little trip to the Faraday home to steal a computer. Go ahead. Let’s hear the whole story.”

  “Once I found out that Todd’s body was moved, I knew two people were involved in the murder. I began to look for a couple. I kept pursuing the leads about Todd’s affairs with different women. For a long time, this threw me off.”

  “Why would that throw you off?” The whole process still seemed to confuse Jennifer.

  “Go ahead. Explain it to her.” Brad sounded very smug.

  Carrie started her explanation again. “My being framed for the murder was based on the allegation that Todd and I had had a relationship. So naturally I fell into the trap of looking for another jealous husband who wanted Todd out of the way. However, Todd’s relationships proved to be nothing. The women found it flattering. The husbands didn’t seem to bother. So I came to the conclusion that the only people really affected by Todd’s antics would be the family.”

  Brad said, “You got that right. Once again my family had to deal with Todd and his stupid little games. Then what?” Brad exchanged places with Jennifer and was now sitting on the edge of the desk. Jennifer moved to one of the office chairs.

  “Next I investigated the Investment Club. But this theory also proved to be a dead end. There was no reason for the ladies to complain or commit murder when they were making huge profits. The ladies thought Todd was very clever, and they were happy, with one exception. Charles discovered that Delores Chaney said something to your father about the unrealistic profits. So I asked myself the question: Who would be unhappy if a scandal surfaced concerning the Investment Club? The answer? Your family, because the firm could be embarrassed.”

  “Then you knew when you came tonight that Todd wasn’t involved with gamblers?” Jennifer asked.

  “Jennifer!” Brad only stared at Jennifer, indicating one more
time that she should remain quiet. “And…”

  Carrie hesitated and thought, Should I mention Linda Barrington?

  “I can tell by the fact that you’re hesitating that there’s something else,” he prodded.

  “Well…There were the rumors about your wife and Todd.”

  “I assume that is why your husband was at the Perkins Tavern interviewing Linda. By the way, who alerted your husband that Linda was there?”

  “I don’t really know. He took the call. I assume it was the bartender. Charles seems to know bartenders all over town. Every time we go out, we seem to run into some bartender he knows. Just the other day—”

  “Stop!” Brad yelled. “You’re babbling again. Let’s get back to the topic at hand.”

  “Oh yes, we were talking about your wife. I haven’t talked with Charles yet, but it doesn’t matter what he learned or didn’t learn from Linda. The answer is still the same. Who would be affected by a scandal concerning Linda and Todd having an affair? There’s only one answer—the family.”

  “How right you are. One of my only comforts in this whole mess is that my wife knows nothing. I’ve kept her leading a sheltered life. And when all is said and done, she’ll always be loyal to the family.”

  “Really? Yes, I see what you mean. It’s one thing for the family to overlook some indiscretions between family members, but when the public becomes aware of it, well…”

  “Oh please, don’t stop now. You’re just building to the big conclusion.” Brad was enjoying the moment, which Carrie found disconcerting.

  “I found a cuff link.” Carrie’s comment got Brad’s attention.

  “What cuff link?”

  “When I went through the secret passage, I found a cuff link with the letter B on it. I assumed it belonged to Todd, and it fell off when his body was moved. However, tonight when reading the police report, I discovered that Todd’s cuff links were listed among his personal items. Is the cuff link yours, Brad?”

  “That cuff link could belong to anyone with a last name starting with a B.” For the first time, his voice was defensive.

  “Except that it matches the cuff links your brother wore the night of the dance. Was it a gift from your father? You see, there are too many roads that lead back to you and your family. Brad, others will reach these same conclusions.”

  Brad rubbed the end of the gun against the side of his head. “No. I don’t think so. Once they find the note with you admitting to everything, there will be no reason to continue investigating. Has your husband, Charles, reached these same conclusions?”

  “No. Unfortunately, Charles is still tracking the women associated with Todd. That’s why he went to the tavern to talk with your wife.” Carrie was trying to sound convincing. Charles’s life might depend on her next words. “You’ll see by my chart and the note I left for Charles that I was telling him for the first time what I had discovered. But there’s one thing I’d like to understand.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How could a family kill one of its own? I’d have expected a cover-up, not a murder.”

  “Brad, she’s accusing someone in your family of murdering Todd.” Based on her reaction, Carrie was now sure Jennifer was learning of this possibility for the first time.

  “Very good, Jen. See, those rumors about you aren’t true. You do have a brain.” Brad looked at her with contempt.

  He’s cruel, thought Carrie. Todd may have been a prankster, but he was never cruel.

  “Ah, you’re waiting for a solution to the crime. I guess you’re entitled. Father and I went looking for Todd after the scuffle with you and Charles. We found him sleeping off his liquor on top of one of the pool tables in the game room. When we woke him, we confronted him about the incident with your husband and all his flirtations with the ladies. Then we started to discuss the Investment Club.”

  “He did seem to be a talented broker. The Investment Club was doing great,” Carrie suggested.

  “My brother wasn’t that good. He just had beginner’s luck. He even stole Dad’s password so he could put his stupid little stock picks on the company’s recommend list.”

  Carrie thought Brad seemed jealous of Todd’s success.

  Brad continued. “We even threatened him with the internal audit. He laughed in our faces and said we wouldn’t find anything because we weren’t that smart. Then the little fool pulled a gun on Father. I tried to take it from him, and in the struggle it went off. It wasn’t planned, but that quickly, he was dead.”

  Brad took a deep breath and continued. “We hid him in the secret passage and covered him with several blankets. We needed to keep Todd’s body warm so we could easily move him later. We waited for the dance to end and the attendees to leave. Then I built a huge fire in the library to also confuse the time of death. We were just about to move the body when we saw a car arriving. Father hid in the passageway, and I went out to check who it was. What luck for us when you left your evening bag on the front seat of your car. After you and Jake finally left the room, we moved Todd. We hoped the combination of the earlier incident with Todd and finding your bag with the body would point the police in the wrong direction.”

  “Even after I was falsely accused and you knew I could go to jail, you still felt no need to tell the truth?” Carrie could feel the anger rising within her.

  “Sorry, my dear. Unfortunately, I see my family and my survival as more important than yours.”

  Jennifer looked crushed. “Brad, I don’t want any part of this. I never bargained for murder.”

  “Oh, dear. You don’t want to play in my world anymore? Well, in my world we protect our family name. And to do that, I need to tie up a few more loose ends.”

  Jennifer looked from Brad to Carrie. “You’re going to kill her, aren’t you? No, Brad, you can’t.” She got up from her chair, but Brad pointed the gun at her.

  “Oh, my dear Jen. When I say tie up the loose ends, I mean all of them. We’ve had a good time, Jen, but don’t you see you’re another loose end?”

  rad, let’s be rational. As of right now, your only crime is the accidental shooting of your brother. With your family’s money and power, you’ll get off. You’ll probably receive no more than a slap on the wrist or community service. If you commit two premeditated murders, you’re in a whole different ball game,” Carrie said

  “It’s not just the murder; it’s the scandal and the family’s reputation.” He had made up his mind, and there was no going back. His eyes were cold. “Ladies, we can make this pleasant or ugly.”

  Neither Carrie nor Jennifer made a move. They were both too frightened. Brad took the gun and whipped it across Jennifer’s face. She gasped in pain as her lip immediately started to bleed, and a huge, red welt appeared on her cheek.

  Carrie rushed to her side. “Brad, there’s no need for this violence. Where do you want us to go?”

  “To the parking lot,” he said as he opened the door of the office. “Follow me to the newest ride at the Tri-County Club Fun Park. It’s the daredevil Racy Roadster. You don’t mind if we use your car, do you, Carrie? Jennifer just bought a new one. It seems a shame to wreck it, especially since I signed for the loan.”

  As they left the cottage, Brad turned the lights out and locked the door. Carrie helped Jennifer to the car as if they were lifelong friends.

  “Carrie, give me your keys.” Brad unlocked the door. “Carrie, you drive. Slide across from this side.” Jennifer started to get in the front into the middle seat, but Brad drew a small bottle from his jacket pocket. In a quick motion, he placed the open bottle under Jennifer’s nose. She struggled briefly, then inhaled the liquid and fell unconscious as Brad pushed her into the backseat.

  “Now we can concentrate on each other.” Brad laughed.

  Carrie started the car and then froze. She realized what the end result of this trip would be, and all sorts of thoughts crowded into her mind. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of all the people she would never see again�
�most importantly, the love of her life, Charles.

  “Carrie, I’m waiting. No more delays.” Brad poked her in the ribs with the gun.

  She slowly backed out of the parking space, trying to think of something to do. She started to pull into the main driveway by making a left.

  “Go to the right,” Brad growled. “The driveway is one way.”

  “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.” She backed up and pulled slowly to the right. Her mind was racing for a solution. I assume I’ll receive the same treatment as Jennifer, Carrie thought.

  “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you’re knocked out first. Look at the bright side. As you go over the cliff, you won’t feel any pain.”

  “What cliff?”

  “The cliff at Parker’s Apple Barn on Mill Road. There’s still the ledge that goes down to the river, with lots of trees to hit. It will be like a full-size game of pinball.” Brad laughed.

  “Why so far away?”

  “You want all the answers, don’t you?”

  “What’s it matter now?”

  “OK, I sent your husband there earlier. He’ll be gone when we get there. But he’ll always wonder if he could have saved you if he’d been a little later.”

  “Why? Why would you do something that cruel? Why would you want him to suffer?”

  “Hopefully your death will stop him from continuing the investigation. But first, we’re going to your house for your computer.”

  The car passed the Club’s main door, and Carrie was navigating the last section of the driveway when she suddenly came to a conclusion. If I’m going to die, I can do it here as well as anywhere. If I die here, at least Charles won’t have the guilt.

  She made her decision. She slammed her foot down against the gas pedal, and the car responded by squealing tires against the driveway. Carrie swung the wheel left to force the car up the grassy embankment.

  “What are you doing? You crazy—” Brad yelled as he grabbed for the wheel.

  The last thing Carrie remembered was the sound of glass breaking, and metal crunching, and a pain in her head. Everything went black.