Deadly Secrets

by Jude Pittman

  “At least it’s deserted,” he said, when they left the path and made their way toward the beach house.

  “This is a fairly private area,” Stella said. “During the summer season we get a few visitors but not many. Too far off the beaten path for most of the tourists.”

  “I don’t see any sign of life.”

  “Which could mean that Andrew’s busy inside,” Stella said and Kelly noted the edge to her voice.

  “You want me to go inside and scout around.”

  “No. I’ll go. If he’s in there with someone, I’ll make enough noise to give him time to hide the bimbo and get decent.”

  Kelly reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be right outside the door. If you need me, just yell.”

  “I will. Don’t worry.” They reached a plain white door where Stella inserted her key in the lock, turned the knob and stepped inside.

  Kelly leaned against the wall and flexed his arms. The tension had his muscles so tight he yearned for a punching bag. Minutes passed and Kelly kept pacing. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he returned to the door and opened it wide enough to stick his head inside.

  Damn. What the hell was taking so long?

  A long piercing scream echoed through the house and Kelly catapulted into action. Yanking the revolver out of his jeans. he bounded through the door and lodged his back against the wall while he surveyed the scene. A large freezer and a couple of gleaming stainless ovens told Kelly he was in some kind of kitchen. After a quick scan of the room, he made for an archway that led into the main living area.

  Kelly stuck his head around the door frame made a quick scan of the room, saw no one and crept across to a winding staircase that led to the upper floor. He mounted the steps, moving carefully upwards until he reached the second floor, where he paused and motionlessly listened. A low moan sounded in the distance and Kelly moved toward the sound. Halfway down the hall, he spotted an open doorway.

  The scene inside spoke for itself. A man lay sprawled across the bed and Stella sat beside him, holding his lifeless hand. Kelly put the revolver back in his pocket and crossed to the bed.

  “He’s been shot,” Stella sobbed.

  Kelly stood beside her and peered down at the slim, gray-haired man on the bed. A dark stain covered the front of his shirt and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. In his left hand, he held a chrome-plated revolver.

  “Was Andrew left-handed?” Kelly asked.

  Stella nodded. “You don’t think he shot himself, do you?”

  “No,” Kelly said, “but somebody wants us to think he did.”

  “Krystal?”

  “That’s my guess but we’ll leave it to the police. I’ll have to call them soon.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about the screams,” she said. “It was such a shock.”

  “Of course. No matter what your problems, you weren’t prepared for this.”

  Stella sniffled and nodded. “There’s a phone in there.” She pointed to a door across the room.

  The room was a small office. At the desk, Kelly picked up the telephone and pressed the button marked Police. When the dispatcher came on the line, he advised her of Andrew’s death and gave the location of the beach house. Then, assured the police would arrive soon, he called Gus.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Gus snapped when he heard Kelly’s voice.

  “Just listen a minute and I’ll tell you,” Kelly said.

  “No. You listen. I’ve been calling the Davis house for an hour. There’s no easy way to tell you this and besides, you’re a cop, so you ought to be able to take it. Before we went to Houston, I asked Penny’s doctor to run some tests. The results confirmed my suspicion that Penny was drugged the night of the fire and that’s not all.

  “I had another chat with Penny. I had to drag it out of her but she finally admitted to leaving the apartment for several hours the night of Anna’s murder. I guess you realize what that does to Krystal’s alibi. I have to tell you Kelly, I’ve had doubts about her story all along and frankly, I’m a little worried about your involvement.”

  “Don’t be,” Kelly said. “I think she killed Anna.”

  “You what?”

  “That’s why I’m calling. I took your advice and made another search of the house and I found some letters hidden away in Krystal’s things up in the attic that prove she knew all about Anna’s affair with Andrew. While I was up there Andrew called and left a message on the answering machine to tell Stella he was meeting Krystal out at their beach house in Galveston.”

  “So how does that add up to Krystal killing Anna?”

  “Because, once I realized Krystal wasn’t looking for Anna in order to find out what happened the night her father committed suicide, I was faced with a question. Why did Krystal hire a detective to find her mother? I went back over everything she’d told me since the night of the murder and the only thing I came up with was that Krystal had been manipulating all of us into helping her get revenge on both her mother and her Uncle Andrew.”

  “How do you figure she expected to pull that off?”

  “By killing Anna in such a way that Andrew would be arrested for her murder.”

  “But that hasn’t happened. We’ve been checking him out but at this point he’s only one of several suspects including, I might add, Krystal herself.”

  “I know, which is probably why Krystal’s been so willing to help me in my efforts to clear Cam. She’s the one who pointed me toward Andrew in the first place. I’d never have tumbled to his affair with Anna if Krystal hadn’t set me up with Stella.”

  “What about the fire in the apartment?”

  “To get rid of Penny. Krystal knows Penny is terrified of the police and once it became apparent you hadn’t settled on Andrew as the killer, she realized how much danger she’d be in if you decided to put Penny through another grilling.”

  “That checks. Penny tried to hold out but when I put the screws to her, she admitted she’d left the apartment right after Krystal went to bed. Penny spent the biggest part of the night watching movies with a neighbor. Krystal could easily have left the apartment and driven out to Indian Creek to kill Anna without Penny being any the wiser.”

  “Exactly! I think Krystal told Penny she was going to take a sleeping pill, knowing Penny wouldn’t disturb her sleep for anything less than an earthquake. The rest was easy. It’s only a twenty-minute drive from the apartment to Indian Creek and we only have hearsay to tell us Anna was going to the flea market to get her cash box that night. It could easily have been a pre-arranged meeting with Krystal that actually took her there.

  “We all noticed how strange Anna was acting Saturday night—a call from Krystal would certainly account for that. Anyway, no matter how it was arranged, Krystal met her mother, strangled her and in less than two hours, was back home in bed.”

  “Not bad,” Gus said. “It could’ve happened exactly like you say. So what about Andrew and the kidnapping?”

  “I think Krystal got tired of waiting for you to charge Andrew with the murder and decided to arrange an elaborate suicide. That’s why Stella and I came out to the beach house…to find Andrew and try to warn him.”

  “Did you find him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Keep him there. If your surmises are right, that girl’s a loose cannon. He could be in real danger.”

  “It’s too late for that Gus. He’s dead.”

  “Murdered?”

  “I think so. It’s supposed to look like suicide but my guess is murder.”

  “Have you called it in?”

  “Yes. The local police are on their way.”

  “Okay. Stay there. I’ll get hold of Petrie. Any sign of Krystal?”

  “No. Gus, is Penny still in the hospital?”

  “No. She’s staying in a dorm at TCU. Why?”

  “I don’t know. Call it a gut feeling but it might be a good idea to make sure Penny’s somewhere safe.”

  “Good thi
nking. I’ll get right on it. What’s the phone number where you are?”

  Kelly read off the number and promised to give Gus a call before heading back to Houston.

  The first police car arrived fifteen minutes later and for the next two hours, they answered questions and waited. The county coroner came and took Andrew’s body. Finally, when all the official cars had departed, Kelly and Stella were left alone in the beach house.

  “I can’t even think anymore,” Stella said. “I’m completely drained.”

  “I know. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll get out of here.” The telephone rang and Kelly looked at Stella. “Do you want me to answer?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Davis residence,” Kelly said.

  “Kelly, this is Gus. I’ve got bad news.”

  “What?”

  “Krystal’s got Penny.”

  “Got her! What do you mean?”

  “Krystal arrived at the dorm a couple of hours after I’d spoken with Penny. It was before we could warn her. The housemother doesn’t have any idea where they went. All Penny told her was that her roommate was taking her out for dinner and she’d be back later this evening.

  “I’ve put out an APB on both girls but it doesn’t look good, Kelly. We’ve no idea where Krystal might have taken Penny and if she’s left the rails completely, there’s no telling what she might do.”

  “I know. Look Gus, I’ll be home on the first plane.”

  “Okay. Give me a call as soon as you get in. I’ll leave instructions to put you through no matter what I’m doing.”

  Kelly hung up and turned to Stella.

  “What’s wrong?” Her voice sounded scared and all the color had drained from her face.

  “Krystal picked up Penny from the dorm at Texas Christian before Gus could get back to her and nobody knows where they’ve gone.”

  “Oh, no. You don’t suppose she means to kill her, do you?”

  Kelly nodded. “That’s exactly what I think. Krystal got Penny to swear they were together the night Anna was murdered but she knows if Gus gets hold of Penny and starts putting the screws to her, she’ll fall apart.”

  “But I thought Gus already knew that Penny lied?”

  “Sure but Krystal doesn’t know Penny told Gus anything and even if she gets it out of Penny, Krystal’s smart enough to realize once Penny’s dead, a good lawyer would make a mockery of Gus’ claim that she had recanted her statement.”

  “So what’re you going to do?”

  “Get back to Fort Worth as fast as I can. If you’re ready, I’d appreciate it if you’d drop me off at the airport.”

  “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you let me drive you?”

  “Thanks. But I need to get there in a hurry.”

  “That’s just it,” Stella said. “By the time you fool around getting to the airport, getting a seat on the plane, waiting for it to take off, then getting into DFW and finally getting to Fort Worth, we could drive the Jag there and beat that time by an hour or more. Besides, I know Krystal better than either you or Gus. Maybe I can help.”

  Kelly started to shake his head then he stopped and frowned. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Come on then, let’s get started.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Somebody up there must be on our side,” Kelly muttered as Stella squealed off the I-20 exit and onto the loop headed for Fort Worth.

  “I saw you holding onto the seat back there,” she said, a momentary grin flashing across her face. “Thank heavens, all the traffic cops seem to be on holiday. Where to now?”

  “We’ll take 28th Street up to the White Bull. It’s open until midnight and I’m sure you could use a coffee and a bite to eat. I’ll give Gus a call from there.”

  “That’s fine,” Stella said. “Just tell me where to get off this loop.”

  Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of the White Bull and Kelly led the way to his and Gus’ favorite booth.

  “I’ll take the special,” Kelly said. “Why don’t you go ahead and order while I call Gus.”

  Stella nodded and picked up the menu. When Kelly returned, he shook his head and slid into the booth. “No news. They’ve completely disappeared. I sure hope they haven’t headed for Houston.”

  “Do you think that’s likely?”

  Kelly shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. What about you? Do you have any idea what Krystal might do in these circumstances?”

  Stella frowned. “It’s funny how you can think you know someone and yet when it comes to something bizarre like this, you realize you don’t really know them at all. Still, Krystal might try to convince Penny that Anna’s killer was after her and she needs Penny’s help to save her own life.”

  “Which means she probably won’t kill Penny until she can set it up so it looks like Penny was killed by the kidnapper.”

  “I don’t understand. I thought Krystal invented the kidnapping in order to get Andrew out to the beach house.”

  “That’s true but she doesn’t know we know that. As far as Krystal’s concerned, the police are still searching for the kidnapper. Now that Andrew is dead, the only way she can make the kidnapping story work is to produce a kidnapper.”

  “How can she possibly manage that?”

  “There’s only one way—by choosing someone who fits the profile of the kidnapper, then killing him.”

  Stella gasped. “You make her sound like some kind of a monster.”

  “She’s a murderer,” Kelly said. “And that makes her a monster. Not only that but judging from the way she’s been manipulating everyone, she’s an incredibly smart murderer.”

  “Krystal’s always been clever,” Stella said. “If she makes up a story, you better believe it’ll be a good one.”

  “I just wish I could think of where she might take Penny.” Kelly picked up his fork. The waitress had set their food on the table and automatically, without even noticing what was on the plate, he began to eat.

  Stella picked at her own food and for several minutes they ate in silence, each absorbed in private thoughts. Finally, Kelly put down his fork and slid out of the booth. “I’m going to give Bubba a call,” he said. “Maybe somebody out at Indian Creek has seen her.”

  “Do you think she’d go there?”

  Kelly shrugged. “I don’t know. But I can’t think what else to do. Gus has got the city covered. If nothing else, at least I can find out how Jake’s been holding out.”

  When he returned, he picked up the bill and helped Stella on with her coat.

  “Where to now?” she asked.

  “Indian Creek. Bubba didn’t answer, which is kind of strange but he might be up at the Hideaway. We’ll stop there then I guess we wait. Maybe by the time we get to the cabin Gus will have some news.”

  Stella followed him out to the car and handed over the keys. “You drive. It’ll be easier since you know where you’re going.”

  Kelly nodded took the keys and opened the door to let Stella into the car. On the way to Indian Creek, Kelly, lost in thought, drove in silence.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” he said when they pulled up in front of the Hideaway. “I don’t imagine you feel like meeting any strangers.”

  “No, thanks.” Stella settled back in the seat. “I’ll just wait out here.”

  Five minutes later, Kelly climbed back in the car. “Bubba hasn’t been around,” he said. “We’ll go to the cabin and I’ll give him a call.”

  When Kelly turned into the drive leading to the flea market, he drove straight up the hill to the cabin. “I’ll park the car right here in front just in case we have to leave in a hurry,” he reached for the door handle.

  The minute he opened the car door, the frantic barking and yapping of a dog going nuts assaulted their ears.

  “What the hell?” Kelly jumped out of the car and raced for the cabin. “You stay there,” he yelled over his shoulder at Stella as he bounded up the steps.

  Grabbing the knob,
he yanked open the door and Jake, leaping through the opening, nearly knocked him off the porch.

  “Hey,” Kelly shouted after the dog but Jake kept on going, racing at top speed, across the stretch of grass that fronted the cabin and clear on down the hill.

  Frowning, he watched until Jake stopped in front of the main entrance to the flea market, then Kelly turned and ran back to the car.

  “I want you to go inside the cabin and call Gus,” he said.

  “What’s wrong?” Stella’s voice shook and she wore the scared expression of someone waiting for an explosion.

  “I think Krystal’s inside the flea market,” Kelly said. “Gus’ number is in the book beside the phone. Call him and tell him I’ve gone in after her. Then you stay in the cabin until I get back.” Without waiting for an answer, Kelly turned and started down the hill after Jake.

  At the main entrance, Jake stood guard beside the front door. When Kelly joined him, he growled low in his throat and lifted his front leg to scratch at the door.

  “Take it easy, boy,” Kelly grabbed the wooden handle and gave the door a yank.

  The padlock, which Kelly had left securely fastened the day before, had been unlocked and left to hang in the clasp. The lock hadn’t been forced, so whoever was inside had used a key. If it was Bubba, as Kelly suspected, he wasn’t alone or Jake wouldn’t be raising such a racket.

  “Wait here,” Kelly said to Jake, then stepped inside and pulled the door shut behind him.

  The barn was pitch dark and Kelly groped for the flashlight he kept on a shelf by the door. When he had it in hand, he clicked on the beam and focused it across the barn. Pale yellow light spilled across rows of sheet-covered tables turning them into ghostly shadows. Kelly stopped for a moment, removed his cowboy boots and grasping them in his hand, made his way noiselessly across the concrete until he reached the shops on the far side of the building. In the silence, a sound like the thump of someone bumping into a table, echoed through the barn. Kelly stooped and put his feet back in his boots. Then he listened. He made his way to the light post beside the refreshment stand, and deciding that it would be better if she knew someone was here, he flicked the switch. Nothing happened. “Krystal?” His voice rang loud in the silent barn. Praying that Bubba and Penny were still alive, Kelly was gambling that Krystal wouldn’t kill them if she knew he was in the building.