“Yeah, last week. He’s taken pictures twice and sent them to his wife.”
Tina toweled her long red hair, stopping to look at her friend. “Does Dave think this guy is serious?”
“Dave hasn’t met him, yet. I’ve told Dave about him and he agrees the guy sounds serious.”
“When is the guy going to look at the inside?”
“I showed it to him today.”
Concern flashed across her friend’s face. “Dave wasn’t there?”
“No. Larry just wanted to get a quick set of photos for his wife.”
“Larry?”
“Yeah, his name is Larry Green.”
“Barb, you need to be careful. There’s nuts everywhere.”
“I know, I know. He’s very polite, even shows up in a shirt and tie, and he doesn’t come across like that.”
“Wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Of course, but his tie isn’t made of wool.” Barb could tell the joke didn’t make her friend feel any better. “Now, are you ready to lose the last set?”
“Bring it on, girl.”
*******
Marcus pulled into the return lot at Advantage Car Rental. He grabbed his camera and went inside.
Wayne sat behind the counter. “Hi, Mr. Green. Returning the car?”
“Yes. I’ll need another one tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, but you can keep that one. I won’t charge you extra for overnight.”
“Thank you, but no. My clients are very particular and I prefer a freshly cleaned car for each appointment.”
“Very well. Just sign the receipt by the X, we’ll look the car over, and you’re good to go.”
Marcus signed the ticket, and followed Wayne outside. A quick circle around the vehicle, and he was free to head home.
Marcus loved the sense of anticipation, the excitement to see the new photos, and the satisfaction of adding them to the album.
An album he would finish tomorrow.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Barbara Lind was up before her husband. Today she did her Meals on Wheels delivery route, and she looked forward to it every week. She’d been volunteering for six years now, and the people she brought food to, had become her friends.
Dave came into the kitchen as she prepared to leave. “Enjoy your day.”
She smiled and kissed him. “You, too. Why don’t we go out to dinner tonight?”
He poured himself some coffee. “Sounds good. Where?”
“Perry’s?”
“Perfect. I’ll call and make reservations for seven.”
She kissed him again. “See you then.”
*******
Marcus pulled up just as Mr. Lind’s car pulled away.
Perfect timing.
There was no sign of Barbara’s car.
She must be parked in the garage.
Marcus waited thirty minutes before pulling up to the house. Looking in the mirror, he straightened his tie and ran his hand through his hair. Satisfied, he grabbed his camera and got out.
At the front door, he knocked. Several minutes passed. He rang the doorbell. After several more minutes, still nothing.
She has to be here! This is the day it all comes together.
He tried looking through the sidelight, but couldn’t make anything out. The house was quiet.
Frustration built inside him. He hated when things didn’t go according to plan. His anger flared, and he began to pound on the door.
“Barbara! Barbara!”
Suddenly, he caught himself. Turning quickly, he scanned the neighborhood for any eyes watching him. He reached up, brushing his hair out of his eyes, then straightened his tie. Calmly as possible, he walked back to the rental car.
He would return later.
*******
Jason was stunned. “It can’t be.”
Vanessa sat across from him, her feet up on her desk. “I told you!”
Jason had figured the number of homes for sale by owner in the San Antonio area would be a lot, maybe close to a thousand. Vanessa told him his estimate was too low, and he had scoffed at her estimate of nearly two thousand. “How did you know?”
She took her feet down. “Think about it. Every neighborhood has multiple homes for sale, a large number of which are for sale by owner. Now, multiply that by the number of neighborhoods in the city area. It’s a lot of homes.”
Jason was staring at the long list of search results they’d pulled from a real estate finder site. He’d eliminated condos and townhomes, which reduced the list some. Still, the number of single-family homes for sale by owner was too high to do them any good.
He looked up to see Vanessa smirking at him. She loved being right. “How many?”
Jason looked back down at the number. “One thousand seven hundred eighty-six.”
“Is there any way to chisel the number down?”
“I already limited the search to single-family. That leaves price, neighborhood, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, and if they’re a foreclosure.”
Vanessa closed her eyes, trying to sort through the possibilities. “A foreclosure is technically for sale by the owner, but the owner is the bank, so why not eliminate them?”
“Makes sense, I guess.” Jason clicked a couple boxes on the screen. “That’s more like it!”
“How many?”
“Ninety-eight.”
“That is a lot more reasonable, but does that include the surrounding towns like Hondo?”
“No, but why don’t we handle these before widening the circle?”
Lieutenant Banks came out of her office, and joined the conversation. “What’s up?”
“We narrowed down the number of homes being sold by the owner to about one hundred. And that’s only homes inside the city limits.”
“So, what’s the plan? Visit every fizzbo.”
“I’m sorry,” Vanessa stared at the lieutenant. “Did you say fizz-bo?”
“Yeah, For Sale By Owner, F-S-B-O. Fizzbo.”
“Okaaay. I guess that beats ‘for sale by owner,’ at least in brevity.”
Banks turned back to Jason. “I repeat, what’s the plan?”
“Well, I guess we start visiting each home, show the sketch, and hope we get lucky.”
Banks stood staring at Jason, and he could tell she was less than impressed with the idea. After a couple moments, she came up with her suggestion. “Aren’t the phone numbers listed with the ads?”
“On most, I think.”
“Let’s call each one, identify ourselves, and find out if any single men have been looking at their home. Also, find out if there’s a woman at home, or maybe it’s just a man who owns the place.”
Jason and Vanessa looked at each other and shrugged. Jason looked down at his screen. “Seems like a plan. I can print the list from here, and we can split it.”
Banks headed back to her office. “Keep me in the loop.”
*******
Marcus had parked himself next to a restaurant, near the road leading to the Lind’s home. He was beginning to give up hope of her showing in time, when he spotted her car turning down the street leading to her house. He looked at his watch.
There should be enough time for the photo shoot.
He had an idea of when the husband would be home, and Marcus felt he still had time to prep her, then take the last photo. He put his car in drive and followed Barbara down the road.
*******
Marcus stood at the door with his camera, re-fixing his tie for the fourth time. Off to the side, he’d placed a small duffle bag containing the items he needed to prepare the Death Still. The door opened suddenly, catching him without his smile in place.
“Oh, hi Barbara.”
“Mr. Green. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“I know. I’ve been a pest, but you’ll never guess what happened.”
“What?”
“All the pictures of the inside came out well except for the basement. My flash was on, but I apparent
ly didn’t have the setting on the camera correct, so they were too dark for my wife to see.”
“That’s a shame. Did she like the other shots?”
“Very much.” He moved into the doorway. “Would it be alright if I jetted down to the basement to take a couple quick ones?”
“Of course. Come in.”
She shut the door and led the way toward the kitchen. She never made it. Marcus pulled a knife, snuck up behind her, and wrapped his arm around her neck. The knife drew blood as he pushed it into her back.
“Don’t fight me!”
She started to whimper. “Mr. Green, please don’t hurt me.”
He threw his head back and let out a terrifying laugh. “Mr. Green! Come on Barbara, you’re smarter than that.”
He shoved her forward, toward the kitchen, and then to the basement door. “Open it.”
She didn’t move.
He pushed the knife harder. “Open it!”
She reached out for the handle and turned it. They had to step back as she swung the door open, but he kept his grip. “Turn on the light.”
Again, she was too slow.
“Now!”
She flipped the switch.
He released the hold around her neck, pushing from behind with the knife. “Downstairs.”
She started to turn, but he returned the knife to her throat. “Downstairs!”
She did as she was told. When she reached the bottom, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so she faced him. The polite and friendly man she’d met earlier in the week was gone. He bore into her with his eyes. “Take off your shoes.”
She obeyed, beginning to whimper. “Please don’t do this.”
When her shoes were off, Marcus pulled zip ties from his pocket, made her lie down, and bound Barbara’s hands and feet. A piece of duct tape across her mouth silenced her.
Leaving her on the floor, he went upstairs and retrieved his duffle bag, tossing it down the stairs.
Next, Marcus went into the dining room, got two chairs, and carried them down to the basement. He set them facing each other about ten feet apart. Taking his knife, he cut Barbara’s zip ties, and pointed at one of the chairs. “Sit there.”
As Barbara sobbed uncontrollably, he prepared for the Death Still. Out of the bag came two ropes and a razor blade.
She followed his direction, and when she was seated, he moved behind her, tying her in the chair. One rope went around her chest and the back of the chair. The other around her waist, pinning her arms to her side.
He moved over to the other chair, sat down opposite her, and raised his camera. He liked what he saw.
Barbara had gone quiet, except for an occasional sniffle. Marcus walked over to her, a straight razor blade in his hand. She moaned beneath the tape as he slit one wrist, then the other. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
He went back to his chair, sat down, and straightened his tie. Just a short wait, then he would take his photo and be gone. He looked at his watch.
Plenty of time. It was so nice to meet you, Barbara.
He sat quietly and waited for the perfect moment.
*******
Perry’s Steakhouse in San Antonio was located in the La Cantera Shopping Center, an upscale mall on the northwest edge of the city. Dave and Barbara had discovered Perry’s on a trip to Houston, where several of the restaurants were located. There was just one here in San Antonio, and it was their favorite place to eat.
Dave looked at his watch for the sixth time. It wasn’t like Barbara to be late. And even if she were, she would call him. He finished his second glass of wine and punched her number on his phone.
Five rings, followed by, “This is Barb. Leave a message.”
I’ve already left two messages, no point in leaving another.
He was beginning to worry.
What if she’s been in a car wreck? She might be in a hospital somewhere.
He shook his head.
Stop it, Dave. You’re getting yourself all worked up for nothing.
The waitress came over to the table. “More wine, sir?”
“No, thank you. I’ll wait for my wife.”
*******
Thirty minutes later, she still hadn’t arrived and he was more than just worried. He paid his tab, and left for home.
Chapter 10
“Here you go.”
Jason looked up to see Sandy holding a cup of coffee. They were just sitting down to watch Wheel of Fortune, something they enjoyed together whenever Jason could get home in time.
“Thanks, babe.”
Today, he’d made it in time to kiss Nina goodnight and have dinner with Sandy. He sipped his coffee. “Dinner was great.”
“Thank you, sir.” She pointed at the TV screen. “Why do they spend money on a vowel when they already know the answer?”
She turned toward him, looking for an answer to her question, and caught him staring at her. “What?”
“Nothing.” He turned back to the TV. The puzzle was a before and after. “What’s your Beef Wellington?”
“Nice. I always have a hard time with those.” She turned and caught him staring again. “What?”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“When I’m on a case like now, I don’t get to see you as much.” He let his hand take hers. “I miss you.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I miss you, too.”
*******
Dave Lind arrived home to find his wife’s car in the driveway. The automatic outdoor lights were on, but no lights inside the house.
He got to the front door and turned the handle. It was unlocked. His heart started to beat faster.
Why is the door unlocked? She knows better. And why would Barb be home with the lights out?
He laid his keys on the hall table, next to hers. “Barb?”
Turning the hall light on, he moved into the kitchen, and flipped the overhead lights on. “Barb!”
He started to go to the bedroom when he noticed the basement door was slightly ajar. He flipped the switch on at the top of the staircase. “Barb!”
Something on the floor at the bottom of the steps caught his eye.
What is that? It looks like…
“Barbara! Are you down there?”
A few more steps and he caught sight of her, slumped in a chair, facing him. He began to sob. “No, no, no…”
*******
Jason’s phone began to buzz. He couldn’t figure out what the noise was, and he started dreaming about honeybees. Something stirred on his chest, bringing him more awake. Sandy was curled up on him, asleep.
“Honey, I need you to get up.”
She moved slowly off his chest as his phone continued to vibrate. He reached out and picked it up without looking at the number.
“Hello?”
“Jason, it’s Vanessa. Were you sleeping?”
“Actually, yes.” He rubbed at his eyes. “What’s up?”
“Banks called. We’ve got another scene with the same setup as our last one.”
Jason quickly came fully awake, getting up to let Penny out while he talked. “Where?”
“Moss Spring Road, off the Connally loop.”
Sandy was giving him the not again look. He shrugged. “Pick me up?”
“Sure, twenty minutes.”
Jason hung up. “Duty calls.”
She pouted. “Duty has crummy timing.”
*******
Jason and Vanessa arrived at the Lind home just past nine-thirty. The neighborhood whirred with flashing lights. Blue, red, yellow, and white streaks bouncing chaotically off houses, trees, signs, and the street. Crime tape ran across the driveway and back to the corners of the lot.
Officers, flashlights in hand, wandered around the inside of the taped-off area, looking for clues, footprints, or anything out of place.
Jason and Vanessa parked at the end of the street and walked up to the tape. An officer recognized them and lifted the crime tape, not waiting
for them to take out their badges.
The two detectives were walking toward the front door when Vanessa stopped short. “Jason.”
He followed her gaze. She was looking at a For Sale by Owner sign.
Inside, they found the patrol sergeant at the kitchen table. Jason had known him for years, and they shook hands. “Hey, Danny. What can you tell me?”
“Husband came in around eight-fifteen, found his wife in the basement, and called 9-1-1. He said she was supposed to meet him for dinner at Perry’s Steakhouse around seven and never showed. When she didn’t answer her phone several times, he came home.”
“Do we know where he was before the dinner date?”
“He said his job will verify he was at work until almost six-thirty, and the restaurant should be able to vouch for the time he was waiting for her.”
“Okay, thanks Danny.” Jason turned to his partner. “I’m going to speak with the husband. Meet you downstairs?”
“Sure.”
Jason found Mr. Lind sitting in the living room. “Mr. Lind?”
Dave Lind looked up with red eyes, not really seeing, his stare carrying the telltale glaze of shock. Jason saw the look all too often, and knew terrible pain came with it.
“Mr. Lind?” he repeated.
“Yes? I’m sorry, who are you?”
“My name is Detective Strong. I need to ask you a couple questions.”
“I already told another officer everything.”
Jason sat down opposite the man. “Yes, I know, and I’m very sorry for your loss, but I just have a few more.”
“Okay.”
“How long has your house been for sale?”
Mr. Lind did a double take, confusion painted across his face. “My house. What does that have to do with anything? My wife is dead and you want to know about my house!”
“Mr. Lind, I’m not asking about purchasing the home, I’m wondering about any people who may have looked at the home.”
“Oh…Oh, I see. I’m sorry.”
Jason waved his hand. “No apology necessary.”
DEATH STILL (Det. Jason Strong (CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 7) Page 5
