by Lauren Carr
Helen slapped another chart down on top of Chris’s. “Your client’s heart rate for the time of the murder is almost identical to Chris’s.”
When the lawyer opened his mouth to object, she held up her hand. “We got your client’s data from his fitness monitor with a warrant.”
“His heart rate is slightly higher than mine,” Chris said. “Of course, stress does play a factor in one’s heart rate. The stress of having just killed your wife. Not knowing if the match is going to light when you turn on the lamp remotely and burn up any evidence you may have inadvertently left. Generally,” he leaned over to compare the two charts, “they are identical.”
“Okay, I lied.” Rodney shoved the two charts back at Chris. “I took a couple of breaks and got off the treadmill. That explains why my heart rate slowed down those times.”
“You just told us numerous times that you were running the whole time,” Helen said.
“Unless you can prove I was at the house, killed Felicia, and set the fire while I was at the gym, all this chart proves is that I took a couple of breaks at the gym.”
Chris said in a casual tone, “We can prove you started the fire while at the gym.”
Rodney chuckled. “I started the fire in Shepherdstown while miles away at the gym?”
“Yes, you did,” Chris said. “The arson investigator reports that the bedroom lamp was set up in the network so that it could be voice activated using the smart home network. You set it up.”
Rodney paused while looking from one of them to the other.
“No point in denying it, Rodney,” Chris said. “The server was set up using your email, and the account is in your name.”
Rodney took the toothpick out of his mouth. “Yeah. So?”
Chris held up his phone and waved it for Rodney and his lawyer to see. “The lamp could also be turned on and off using an app downloaded onto your smart phone.”
“And I assume you requested a copy of my client’s cell phone records to show that he sent a remote command to turn on the lamp to start the fire?”
“No, he didn’t do that,” Chris said.
The lawyer chuckled. “I’m sure he didn’t.”
“He used a burner phone.”
“Do you have any credit card receipts to prove that he purchased the phone that started the fire?”
“Not any receipts. No, no credit card receipts. Your client was much too smart to use his credit card. He knew it’d create a paper trail.”
The lawyer stood. “We’re done here.”
Rodney leaned over to tell Chris. “Better luck next time, Buddy.”
“I notice you have a frequent shoppers card for SuperMart,” Chris told Rodney as he started to rise from the table.
Rodney and his lawyer stopped.
Chris took his keys out of his pocket and held up the key tag for the major department store. “When you use this key tag you get special discounts on what you buy.” He grinned up at the two men. “That means the store keeps track of what you buy so that they know what coupons would be most useful for you.”
Helen opened the case file and slid a print out across the table. “We got a warrant for your client’s records from SuperMart. Less than a week before his wife was murdered, he bought a prepaid phone. No, he did not use his credit card. He paid cash, but he did use his frequent shoppers card.”
The lawyer’s eyes were wide when he picked up the print out.
Rodney dropped down into his seat. The toothpick dropped from his mouth, tumbled to the floor, and rolled under the table.
“That forty cents you got off on the phone using your frequent shoppers card is going to cost you twenty-five to life, Buddy,” Chris said.
“Not only did your client create a paper trail using the shoppers card,” Helen said, “but the brand he bought automatically activated the phone when he purchased it. The date and the time the phone was activated matches with the date and time he purchased it using his shoppers card.”
“And that phone’s serial number was recorded on the server when he connected the device with his smart home network,” Chris said. “Even though he deleted the phone from the network and tossed it after the murder, its digital fingerprint is still there. The system has a record of the phone and its serial number, which led us to the store where it was purchased and activated,” — He held up the store printout — “which matches the data on his shoppers card.”
Chris leaned across the table. “We can connect you to the phone used to remotely send the command to turn on the lamp which lit the match which started the fire after you left Felicia for dead.”
“Only she was still alive,” Helen said. “When you sent the code, she got trapped in the fire and jumped out a second floor window to escape.”
Slowly, the lawyer lowered himself into the chair.
All cockiness dissolved from Rodney Bell’s demeanor.
The four of them sat in silence.
“That bitch took everything from me. The house. The boys.” He frowned. “Neither of my sons will speak to me.”
Chris started to ask, “Have—”
“She stole my dreams!”
“Your dreams?” Helen asked.
“Do you remember our dreams, Chris?” Rodney’s eyes were wide with anger. “You and me. Together. We were going to be big bad FBI agents and travel all over chasing down the biggest baddest bad guys.” His hand shook when he pointed at Chris. “You got to live your dream. I didn’t be—”
“They rejected your application,” Chris said in a soft voice. “No one knows why.”
“I know!” Rodney brought both hands down on the tabletop with a crash. “Because of her! Felicia got herself knocked up so that I’d have to marry her. That’s why the FBI turned me down!”
“You don’t know that, Rodney,” Chris said.
“Yes, I do!” Rodney’s face was red. “I figured it out.” His hand was shaking with rage when he pointed at Chris. “They picked you, but they rejected me. We were both in the same stuff in school. We served in the same unit in the Army Rangers. We both had good physicals. Everything was equal. The only difference was that I was married with a kid, and you were free and single with no strings holding you back.”
“You murdered Felicia because the FBI turned you down twenty-four years ago?” Helen’s eyes were filled with tears.
“Do you know why Felicia left you for me all those years ago?” Rodney asked Chris.
Unable to find his voice, Chris shook his head.
“She told me that you were too good. Too nice.”
Chris furrowed his brow in confusion.
Rodney gazed at the two-way mirror behind Chris. “The lies, deception, sneaking around turned her on.” His voice was soft. “Little did we know back then that it’d be the bad boy who’d end up killing her. Ain’t it ironic?”
Epilogue
“Who’s the babe?” Ray rolled his wheelchair back from the table when he saw Helen walk into the next book club meeting with her hand in Chris’s.
“That’s Helen,” Francine said with a knowing grin. “She’s Chris’s friend.” She put a special emphasis on the word ‘friend.’ She dumped a couple of handfuls of popcorn into a small bowl, which she placed on the floor for Sterling, their K-9 member.
“I don’t care who Chris is sleeping with,” Ray said. “She’s obviously not retired. Way too young. I have cheese in my fridge older than she is.”
“Need we remind you, Chris, that you’re still on probation.” Jacqui held out a goblet to Bruce, who was opening a bottle of white wine. “And what is the number one rule for our book club?”
“Never talk about the Geezer Squad,” Helen said.
There was a collective gasp around the room. Obviously, Chris has talked about the Geezer Squad. That was the only way Helen could have known about it.
“This is all Elliott’s fault,” Bruce said. “He’s the one who brought this young scamp into our club. Where is Elliott by the way?”
“He’s teaching a concealed carry gun class to our church women’s group,” Chris said. “It’s the only night they could reserve the shooting range.”
“A gun class to a church women’s group?” Bruce’s eyes grew wide.
“That’s one bunch of church ladies who know how to scare the hell out of you,” Francine said.
“I like women who know how to take care of themselves.” Ray turned to Chris. “Are any of them single?”
“You’re all missing the point,” Jacqui said. “Elliott ditched us for Doris. Didn’t I tell you? As soon as a man falls in love, he becomes worthless for anything.”
“Helen offered to come in his place,” Chris said.
Helen held up a mystery that she was holding in her hand. “I read the book.”
The members of the group exchanged glances filled with uncertainty.
“We can’t kill her,” Francine said.
“Why not?” Bruce said.
“Because she’s a lieutenant with the state police,” Francine said. “Besides, she’s Chris’s girlfriend.”
“No problem,” Ray said. “We’ll kill him, too. He’s the big mouth who blabbed about us. Jacqui, have you got any lye in your trunk?”
“But I like Chris,” Francine objected. “He’s got such pretty eyes and a cute butt.”
While the group compared methods of disposing of their bodies, Helen extracted a case file from her bag. She handed it to Chris, who held it up for them all to see.
“Helen brought a cold case that she’d like us to heat up for her.”
The Geezer Squad stopped. In silence, they exchanged questioning glances.
With a wide grin, Bruce picked up a glass of burgundy wine and crossed the room to hold it out to Helen.
“Welcome, to the Geezer Squad, my dear.”
The End
About the Author
Lauren Carr
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs, including the real Sterling, on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit Lauren Carr’s website at www.mysterylady.net to learn more about Lauren and her upcoming mysteries.
Check Out Lauren Carr’s Mysteries!
Order! Order!
All of Lauren Carr’s books are stand alone. However for those readers wanting to start at the beginning, here is the list of Lauren Carr’s mysteries. The number next to the book title is the actual order in which the book was released.
Joshua Thornton Mysteries
Fans of the Lovers in Crime Mysteries may wish to read these two books which feature Joshua Thornton years before meeting Detective Cameron Gates. Also in these mysteries, readers will meet Joshua Thornton’s five children before they have flown the nest.
1) A Small Case of Murder
2) A Reunion to Die For
Mac Faraday Mysteries
3) It’s Murder, My Son
4) Old Loves Die Hard
5) Shades of Murder (introduces the Lovers in Crime: Joshua Thornton & Cameron Gates)
7) Blast from the Past
8) The Murders at Astaire Castle
9) The Lady Who Cried Murder (The Lovers in Crime make a guest appearance in this Mac Faraday Mystery)
10) Twelve to Murder
12) A Wedding and a Killing
13) Three Days to Forever
14) Open Season for Murder
16) Cancelled Vows
17) Candidate for Murder
Lovers in Crime Mysteries
6) Dead on Ice
11) Real Murder
18) Killer in the Band
Thorny Rose Mysteries
15) Kill and Run
19) A Fine Year for Murder
22) Murder by Perfection
20) Twofer Murder
The Chris Matheson Mysteries
21) ICE
Murder by Perfection
A Thorny Rose Mystery
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness taking a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, taught by Chef Natalie Stepford and her husband.
As if spending her date night cooking isn’t bad enough, Jessica is further annoyed when the beautiful, talented, successful businesswoman starts paying too much one-on-one time with Murphy. When Natalie ends up dead, the Thorny Rose detectives find togetherness doing what they do best. As they peel back the layers of the Stepford marriage, they discover that sometimes the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
Coming Summer 2018!
