Chapter Twenty-Nine
All throughout the service, my mind raced as I reviewed the facts.
Travis is dead.
A key is stashed in my pocket.
Blake appears, pretending to be related.
Chuck is dead.
Man breaks into my house and threatens me.
Blake disappears.
Jump drive found with possible invoice numbers, Social Security numbers, and large payment amounts.
Someone desperate to scare me away.
Someone at Wilford has a secret PO box to funnel some kind of correspondence—and possibly money. Possibly connected with these invoices.
Whoever was behind this was in just the right position to coordinate this and know how to profit off this venture. It wouldn’t be everyday knowledge.
I had a sneaking suspicion as to who might be guilty. Now I had to figure out how to prove it.
And I had a plan. It might be a horrible plan, but it was all I had right now.
When the service ended, there was a light social immediately afterward. And, by light social, I meant cookies and coffee in the lobby. It was unconventional, apparently, but the funeral home had made an exception since Travis had worked with them.
I grabbed a cup of java, and I waited for my opportunity.
As I took a sip, I looked around. Chase was still here, watching everything.
Drew mingled, taking care of business.
Raul sulked in the background, some kind of chip on his shoulder.
Jason remained, staying in town for long enough to pay his respects—without raising suspicions perhaps.
Ronald acted like he’d never been accused of murdering the man.
The Hookers moved about the crowd, talking to everyone.
Alicia and AJ talked in the corner.
Even Dr. Gilbert was mixing and mingling.
Finally, I saw my opportunity to act. I casually walked across the room, holding my coffee. My bones trembled, which would make what I did next easier and more natural. I hoped.
My shoulder bumped into Ronald Dillow as we crossed paths.
The jolt caused my coffee to fly all over AJ.
He gasped and muttered a few choice words.
Alicia grabbed some napkins and handed them to him.
“I’m so sorry,” I rushed. “I just . . . I’m all off-balance. I hate funerals.”
My words seemed to soften him. He still looked put off, but he tried to gain some civility. “It’s okay.”
“Drew!” I called him over. “Could you show AJ where your shower is? This is all my fault. I accidentally spilled my coffee on him.”
Drew joined me and squinted. “Of course. I even have a shirt you can change into.”
“You don’t have to do that,” AJ muttered.
“Of course, we do. This is my fault.” I took his arm and began leading him toward the back.
I stole a glance at Chase as we escorted AJ.
I hoped this paid off. I really hoped it paid off because I had no other options. AJ fussed and insisted we didn’t have to do this, and I kept insisting that we did and acting flustered.
Drew looked clueless, but he was going with it.
“Here,” Drew said, opening a door in the back. “Go ahead and clean up.”
AJ looked perturbed as he stepped inside. I waited there. After a few minutes, I cracked the door and saw that AJ was in a stall. Quietly, I snuck inside and grabbed the clothes that he’d draped over the divider there.
“What are you doing, Holly?” Drew asked.
“You’ll see.”
I didn’t repeat myself. Instead, I reached into AJ’s pockets. I found one cellphone and clicked on the screen. It looked like it belonged to AJ.
I dug into the other pocket and hit the jackpot. Another cellphone.
I hit the screen and my pulse raced.
It was Travis’s. And I bet if I dug through the messages, I’d find some texts that AJ had sent me—some threats.
“What’s going on?” Chase joined us, apprehension written on his face.
“AJ killed Travis and Chuck,” I said.
A knot formed between Chase’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
“What?” Drew asked.
I held up Travis’s phone. “It’s all right here.”
Just then, the door opened, and AJ stuck his head out. “Where are my—”
He paused when he saw us with his phones.
“It’s not what it looks like.” He backed up, a towel wrapped around his midsection.
Chase bristled. “I think we need to go down to the station and talk.”
AJ tried to run but slipped and sprawled on the floor.
Chase pulled him to his feet. “Okay, we’ll do this your way.”
Alicia shook her head. “I can’t believe AJ killed Travis and Chuck. You think you know someone . . .”
“He had us all fooled,” Drew muttered.
“It didn’t make sense until you told me about that donor letter,” I said. “The whole time I was focusing on jewelry or IDs. I never thought it could be bones and tissues.”
He stared off in the distance. “He must have forged my name on those forms. He came to pick up the donations from me, but he was somehow pocketing the money from the insurance companies. He must have opened that PO box also as a way to ensure I didn’t get any of the invoices or correspondence from Life Force.”
“He thought everything through,” I said.
“I just can’t believe I couldn’t see this.” He shook his head. “I thought AJ was my friend.”
“My guess is that Travis or Chuck discovered what he was doing and threatened to turn him in. Somehow AJ convinced them to come on board instead. He probably gave them a cut. All of that was fine until their consciences started to get to them. They saved the information about AJ’s transactions onto that jump drive and made sure I got hold of it.”
“Why you?” Alicia asked.
“Travis read an article in the paper about some past crimes I’d solved. He thought he could trust me more than the police.”
Alicia wandered away, leaving only Drew and me standing there.
Drew turned toward me, still appearing melancholy. “Good job, Holly.”
“Thanks.”
He stared at me, an unreadable expression on his face.
“What is it?” I asked.
He pressed his lips together before asking, “Holly, have you been investigating . . . me? Is that what we were all about?”
My heart pounded furiously in my ears. “Of course not. It wasn’t like that.”
“Then what was it like?”
“I was trying to prove your innocence, not your guilt.” My voice caught.
“But you were using me.”
I knew how horrible it felt to be the victim of ulterior motives. I didn’t want Drew to feel that way. “No, I wasn’t. I had no idea when I met you the turn all of this would take. And then when I realized something was going on . . .”
His gaze pierced into mine. “Then what?”
I swallowed hard, wishing I could erase the hurt from his eyes. “I had to figure out who was behind this, Drew. My life was on the line. So was Blake’s, I thought.”
He shook his head, looking unconvinced. “I thought we had something special.”
“I think we do. Please believe me, Drew. This was never about setting you up.”
Drew stepped back. “I’m going to need to think about this for a while.”
My heart sank, and I wanted to plead with him. But I knew he needed space. In a few days, he might reconsider. “I understand. Of course.”
He nodded, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, and then stepped back. He didn’t say goodbye or anything else. He just walked away.
I closed my eyes, hating the emotions churning inside me.
I’d solved a crime but ruined a relationship, and that wasn’t okay.
Chapter Thirty
That evening, I went to Jamie’
s house and rehashed everything with her.
“Oh, girl,” she muttered. “What are you going to do?”
My heart felt heavier than I thought it would, considering I’d solved the case. “What should I do?”
“I have no idea. I’m glad you didn’t fall in love with a serial killer.”
I made a face. “Me too.”
“What about Blake?”
“Chase said they’re questioning AJ, hoping to get the information out of him.”
“Hopefully they’ll find her soon.”
I wrapped my arms over my chest. “I hope so.”
Part of me was heartbroken over the fact that Drew felt like I’d betrayed him.
Part of me still thought about Chase. But I was quick to remind myself that we had no future together. I had to keep that in the forefront of my mind.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced down at the screen. It was Drew.
Drew: I’ve been thinking. Can we talk?
My pulse spiked.
Me: Of course. Name the place.
Drew: Could you swing by the funeral home? I’m wrapping things up here now.
Me: Absolutely. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.
“Drew wants to meet,” I told Jamie.
“Oh . . . maybe he’s finally come to his senses.”
“Maybe. At least I’ll know one way or the other where we stand with each other.”
“You still sound torn.”
I sighed. “I guess I am. But feeling torn doesn’t mean I should be indecisive.”
“Girlfriend, that’s true. Let me know how it goes.”
“Hopefully the fact that we’re talking at the funeral home won’t be a death wish.”
“You’re funny, girl. I’ll be praying for you. I know stuff like this stresses you out.”
I told her goodbye and grabbed my purse. I didn’t know what this conversation could lead to. But at least I’d have some closure. There was a lot to be said for that.
For a moment—and just a moment—I hesitated, wondering how safe this was. Then I remembered that AJ was locked up. This was all over.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to the funeral home. I never in a million years thought I’d willingly spend so much time at a funeral home. Thankfully, Drew’s Mustang was out front. That eased the tension stretching through me.
I just needed to get this conversation over with.
The front door was unlocked, so I stepped inside. Unfortunately, it was dark in the lobby, which didn’t do anything for my nerve factor.
I swallowed, my throat achy, as I glanced around, searching for Drew. Or even a light that was on.
Faint illumination crept through a hallway in the back. That must be where he was.
“Drew said he’s waiting for you,” someone said.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Alicia appeared from the back, an apologetic grin on her face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said.
“I didn’t hear you coming.”
She nodded toward the door. “I’m just leaving actually. We’re wrapping up a last-minute request.”
“Last minute, huh?”
“They’re the worst. Almost the most painful to deal with, but we try to accommodate, just for decency’s sake.”
I shivered for some reason. “I understand.”
She paused near me. “By the way, thanks for listening the other night. I didn’t know who else to go to about that PO box.”
“I’m glad I could help. I’m just sorry all this happened to all the good people who worked here. I know AJ was your friend.”
“You just never know about some people.” She pulled her purse up higher on her shoulder. “Well, I’ll let you and Drew talk.”
“Thanks, Alicia.”
“Have a good night, Holly.”
Drawing in a shaky breath, I started down the hallway. I really wished I’d asked Alicia to flip on some lights. But I hadn’t. The good news was that the bad guy was behind bars.
“Hello?” I called, hoping that Drew might emerge, and I wouldn’t have to go any farther into the building. This was all too creepy for me.
He didn’t respond.
I pushed my apprehension down and continued along the hallway. Finally, I heard a faint music playing from one of the rooms.
Was that Bing Crosby?
Well, there was always Bing. He made everything better.
I knocked at the door before stepping inside. “Drew?”
I scanned the room. It was the crematory. Of course. It had to be the crematory.
He didn’t respond, so I took another step. “Hello?”
Maybe he was changing or taking a shower?
But as I rounded the door, I spotted Drew. He was tied to a chair with tape strapped over his mouth.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Drew!” I started toward him when I heard something behind me. A footstep. Movement.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” someone said.
I froze and slowly turned. Alicia. She hadn’t left. She’d followed me back here, and she was now holding a gun.
All the moisture left my throat. “Alicia, what are you doing? I thought you were leaving.”
“I had a few loose ends to wrap up,” she said with a snarl.
Gone was the sweet girl next door and, in her place, was a conniving killer. She’d had me fooled. She’d had a lot of people fooled.
“I bet you didn’t know when I talked about a last-minute project that I was talking about you, Holly.”
I thought about the crematory and everything that Drew had told me about that process, and all the moisture left my throat. Was she planning on making me live my final minutes in that oven? This wasn’t good.
“Let’s not be irrational here,” I said, slowly backing away from her.
“I’m not irrational.” Anger flashed in her eyes. “In fact, I’m very rational. Do I make myself clear?”
“Of course.” The last thing I wanted was to agitate her further. No, I needed to keep her calm. “What do you want me to do?”
“Climb up there.” Using her gun, she pointed to the gurney where a wooden coffin usually sat before being pushed into the flames.
“No,” I said. She was going to have to shoot me first.
“Get up there or I’m going to shoot your little boyfriend.”
I glanced at Drew. His eyes were wide, and he shook his head, making it clear he didn’t want me to listen to Alicia.
I stepped closer to Drew. “You’re not going to get away with this, Alicia.”
“Of course, I am. I have everything planned out.”
“Why are you even doing this? AJ is behind bars. You’re free and clear.”
She sneered again. “The police will realize soon enough that he’s only a minion in this. He did what I asked him to do and turned a blind eye to everything else. They’ll realize it was me who was behind it. I’m the only one who could have forged that information. Me or Drew. I’m going to point this back to Drew.”
My gaze went to her gun again. Her hands didn’t even tremble. She had no qualms about this, did she? “How are you going to explain how both Drew and I are dead? The police are going to figure out that you’re behind this. It’s just a matter of time.”
“You underestimate me.”
“How so? How will they think Drew is responsible?”
“I used his name on all the correspondence I’ve been feeding through the PO box. I’ve also put some cash deposits into a safety deposit box, also in his name.” Her eyes glimmered with satisfaction.
“You take a lot of pride in that, don’t you?” I asked, my gaze searching the room for something I could use. I saw a tray of equipment in the distance. Was there a scalpel there? Even if there was, Alicia would shoot me before I could reach it.
The satisfaction in her gaze deepened. “Of course.”
“But that’s still not going to explain my death.”
“Of cour
se it is. I did research on you. I know how nosy you are. You caught on to what Drew was doing. He felt threatened, so he got rid of you.”
I glanced at Drew. “And Drew? What happens to him?”
“I’ll dispose of his body, but I’m going to clean up his remains. Maybe scatter them into the Ohio. I’ve already purchased a ticket to the Caribbean in his name. Everyone will think he ran.”
“No one who knows him will think that.” I eyeballed that scalpel. If only . . .
Her eyes narrowed. “Everyone has a dark side.”
“Especially you, huh?”
She stepped closer, that gun still pointed at me. “My dad was a mortician. I know all about this stuff. There’s no reason for people to be selfish. After they’re dead, why does it matter if they have all their organs or tissues or bones? It doesn’t.”
“I understand.”
“My brother died because he couldn’t find a match.” Her voice lowered to a bitter-sounding growl. “All he needed was a new heart, but no one wanted to give theirs up. They should have to. There shouldn’t be a choice.”
“I can only imagine how that made you feel. But this isn’t the way to solve the problem.”
I backed up, almost all the way to Drew now. I could feel his eyes on me.
“I’m in too deep now,” Alicia said. “I have no other choice.”
She raised her gun.
I put my hands in the air, desperate to buy some time. “You always have a choice.”
She twitched, as if battling inside herself. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to end this. Now. So, get up there, and let’s start this process.”
“You’re going to have to shoot me first, Alicia. No way am I purposefully being burned alive. You’re crazy.”
“Then I shoot him.” She swung the gun toward Drew.
“You’re not thinking this through, Alicia.” Sweat trickled down my back.
“I’m done thinking things through. Let’s get this over with.”
“No.”
“Take the tape off his mouth,” she ordered. “Let’s make this a three way conversation. I want to hear what Mr. and Mrs. Perfect here have to say before they meet their demise.”
I reached toward Drew and grabbed the end of the silver duct tape. I mouthed “I’m sorry” before ripping the tape from his lips. He blanched and shook his head, but his discomfort only lasted a minute.
Random Acts of Fraud (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 5) Page 21
