by BJ Bourg
“Detective Wolf?” Mike’s voice sounded heavy, but resigned. “I heard you found him.”
“Just call me Clint.”
“Okay then, Clint it is,” he said. “What happened? All the police officer would say was that Ty was found dead. I mean, I don’t understand. First my sister and now Ty? What in the hell is going on down there?”
“It gets worse, I’m afraid.” I took a breath and exhaled it. “He’s been murdered.”
“Murdered?” Mike echoed. “Are you serious? Who would want to murder Ty? He’s never hurt anyone in his life.”
“I don’t know, but I’m working on it.”
“But I don’t understand.” His voice betrayed his confusion. “Does this mean someone also murdered my sister?”
“In light of what we’ve now learned, I believe your sister heard some noise in the shed—it could’ve been someone fighting with Ty—and she went to investigate. I think she found somebody trying to kidnap Ty and that’s when she was knocked to the ground. At this point, I don’t know if she was knocked around during a struggle or if she was intentionally pushed down, but I’m guessing she was already dead by the time the suspects took Ty away. I don’t think they would’ve left behind an eye witness.”
“Did you say kidnap?”
“Yeah, someone tied him up and carried him away.” I told him about the extension cord that was used to bind Ty’s legs and hands. “I believe the extension cord came from the shed, and I believe your sister entered the shed just as they were tying him up.”
There was a long silence on the other end. The only reason I knew Mike was still there was because of his heavy breathing. When he spoke again, he sounded lost.
“I have no clue who would want to kill my sister and Ty. I mean, I’m not around there a lot, but I think Carol would’ve told me if she was having problems with someone. This is a complete shock. I really thought Ty was gone, but I thought he might’ve drowned in a bayou or something and I thought my sister’s death was an accident. I never dreamed they were actually murdered. This is crazy.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to find the persons who did this and bring them to justice,” I said. I had left out the part about the torture. He would find out about that eventually, especially if the case went to trial, but he didn’t need those thoughts bouncing around in his head right now. “I won’t stop until they pay for what they did to him.”
“And Carol, right?”
“Oh yeah,” I said quickly, “and Carol.”
He thanked me and I ended the call. I turned to enter the autopsy room and almost ran into Susan. She was standing outside the door watching me with her arms folded across her breasts.
I winced inwardly, but smiled and didn’t say anything. She stared at me for a long moment and shook her head. “Clint Wolf, what am I going to do with you?”
“Well, if you want to punish me after work,” I said as I walked past her, “I’ll take it like a man.”
My playfulness vanished when I entered the autopsy room again and saw Ty’s body. The anger returned. I just watched in silence as Dr. Wong did her job.
“Well, Doc, what’s the skinny?” I asked an hour later when she was finished.
She walked toward a sink and removed her gloves. “I wish I could tell you differently, but he was alive through most of it.”
I growled in anger. I could feel Susan’s eyes boring into me, so I put a muzzle on it.
“When you say most of it—” I began, but she cut me off.
“He was alive through all of it.” She turned on me and her eyes flashed. “Whoever did that to this poor man is sadistic and deserves to die. The very last thing they did was club him over the head to finish him off, but he was alive for a long time before that merciful act was carried out. They tortured him, Clint. Whoever did this—they’re not human, and they shouldn’t be treated like humans.”
I nodded and let out a long sigh as I stared at Ty. I glanced at Susan and could see that her jaw was tight. She was angry, too, but she was trying not to let me see it. I respected what she was doing. I had jeopardized my career once in order to avenge my daughter’s murder, and she didn’t want me to do it again. While this was a most heinous act, it was much different when the victims had been my own family. In this case, I was going to let the suspects dictate how they were treated.
Of course, Susan had been there that night when I’d lost it and given Simon Parker exactly what he’d deserved. She’d seen the look in my eyes and experienced that feeling of desperation when nothing she said could get through to me.
“Thank you, Doc,” I said quietly and turned to leave. I held the door for Susan and then followed her outside. We drove straight to the La Mort Crime Lab and dropped off the fingerprint cards I’d obtained from Ty and the extension cord we’d recovered from the crime scene. Tracy Dinger wasn’t in, but the intake officer recognized me and said he’d send the evidence to be processed immediately.
“Tracy speaks very highly of you,” the young man said. “She said you were a legend when you worked here.”
I didn’t like being the center of attention and I wasn’t good at taking compliments, so I only thanked him and turned to leave.
It was late in the afternoon when Susan and I left the crime lab. The sun was going down and it was chilly. I had forgotten my jacket in my truck, and for that I was sorry. Much like the trip to La Mort, neither Susan nor I said a word on the drive back to town. Susan was the first to break the silence, but it wasn’t until she stopped in front of the police department.
“What’re you doing with the rest of your night?”
“To be honest, I don’t know what to do next.” I sat there staring straight ahead. “I could go to the jail and talk to Neal Barlow again, but I’ve got no real evidence tying him to the crime. I could bring Logan Pitre back in, but I now know for sure he didn’t use his hammer. All I’ve got on him is his fingerprint on the shed door, but he explained that away and I’ve got nothing to refute his story. I’ve already canvassed his neighborhood. I guess I could canvass the Jezebel neighborhood tomorrow, but I doubt anyone saw anything. As fast as the news is moving around town, someone from the neighborhood would’ve called by now had they seen something.”
Susan nodded, deep in thought. Finally, she put a hand on my arm. “Why don’t you just come home? Maybe you’ll think of something after a good night’s sleep.”
“I need to find the car that almost ran him over,” I said, “but I don’t know where else to look. I can get an ad put in the paper. Only, it might spook the driver.”
“You think the car’s involved?”
“Right now, it’s all we’ve got.” I shrugged. “I just don’t know how to find it. Hell, I don’t even know exactly what it looks like.”
Susan was about to say something when I cut her off.
“Hell, I don’t even know if it’s real.” I threw up my hands. “I got the information from Logan, and he lied so much yesterday that I don’t know what to believe out of him.”
“Oh, shit,” Susan said with a grunt. “I didn’t even think about it being a lie.”
“If he lied, it’s gonna take more than you to keep me off of him,” I said in a serious tone.
Susan’s head whipped around, but she relaxed when I started laughing.
“I’ll follow you home,” I said. “I’ll get some rest, spend some time with you, Achilles, and the girls, and see if I can’t dream up an idea. I’ll think of something—I always do.”
She smiled. “Yes, you do.”
But I didn’t think of anything. I stayed up most of the night, tossing and turning, trying to come up with a plan, but I only came up empty.
Sometime during the early morning hours, with Susan’s head resting against my bare chest, I drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 41
When I woke up the next morning, I had no clue where the investigation was headed or what I was going to do next. After kissing Grace’s forehead and saying
goodbye to my dogs, I left in my Tahoe. Susan was still upstairs getting dressed. Before I left, she had warned me not to do anything without her. I had only laughed and walked downstairs.
I parked my Tahoe at the police department but didn’t go inside. Instead, I walked west along Washington Avenue. It was Friday, so I figured I’d celebrate by getting donuts for the office.
The sidewalks were nearly empty of tourists. I passed a few people on my way to the end of the street, but most of them worked for the businesses that lined both sides of the street. In addition to Bad Loup Burgers and Granny’s Bakery, we had a couple of barrooms, a hardware store, and various other shops along the strip. And while it was quiet now, it would not stay that way for long. Mardi Gras was fast approaching, and this town would soon turn into a miniature Bourbon Street, but without the nudity and rancid smell of urine.
I cursed to myself. I needed to solve this case before the tourists descended upon our town. Every officer on the force—and that included me—would be busy with crowd control, breaking up fights, and numerous other challenges that large, drunken crowds brought with them. Our Friday night parade was always raucous and well attended. It took weeks to prepare for such an event. Susan had already met twice with Mayor Pauline Cain, the chief of the fire department, and the parade captains, and they would have to meet again to finalize the route and other details. It was during times like these that I was happy that I wasn’t the chief of police anymore.
“Well, good morning, Chief,” Granny called when I stepped into the bakery.
I smiled and gave her a nod. “How are you?”
“Great, but you’ll be better. I’ve got a fresh batch of brownies about to come out of the oven.”
“Good!” I said quickly. “I want two dozen, along with two dozen donuts—one chocolate and one glaze.”
She pressed the intercom button on her microphone and called to the back with my order. There was one other patron—a young woman dressed like she’d just stepped out of a fashion shoot—in the place and I stood to the side to wait for my order. When the woman had finished paying and walked out, Granny waved for me to approach the counter.
“So, you remember how on Monday you asked me to be a spy for you?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. “I think you said something about me being an undercover operative and letting me carry a gun?”
“I don’t remember it going down quite like that,” I said with a chuckle, “but I do remember the conversation.”
She nodded and glanced past me to make sure no one was about to enter the shop. When all was clear, she said, “Well, I think I might have something for you.”
I arched an eyebrow and leaned closer. “What is it?”
“This lady came in here a few minutes before you walked in and she had a little boy with her,” she said. “The little boy reminded me of you. He was begging for my brownies and he threw a fit when I told his mom I ran out.”
“Hey!” I protested. “I don’t throw a fit when you run out.”
“Oh, yes you do.” She laughed. “The pout you make is cute. Anyway, the lady came in here with her little boy. I had a couple of other customers in the bakery and they were talking about the parade coming up. And then someone asks the others if they heard about Ty. They went on to say that he was found murdered in the field behind Jezebel. I heard that, too, and I said so. Well, this little boy, he blurts out that his aunt ran over Ty and that’s how he died.”
“What?” I asked incredulously. “Are you serious?”
I knew this kid’s aunt hadn’t run over Ty, because that wasn’t how he’d died, but there was definitely some truth to what he’d said. His aunt must’ve been the one who almost ran over Ty. I would need to speak with her right away.
“Yeah, the little boy said his aunt killed Ty. Now, that made his mom angry. She really climbed all over him.” Granny shook her head. “I thought she was gonna slap his face right there in front of everyone. I wasn’t about to let that happen! But she told him to stop making up stories and she threatened to punish him if he told that lie again.”
“Did he say the aunt’s name?”
She shook her head. “No, he didn’t say her name, and his mom wouldn’t let him say another word.”
“Do you know the mom’s name?”
“No.” Granny’s brow furrowed. “I’ve never seen her in here before. She’s not one of the permanent residents in town, but she wasn’t a tourist either. She must be living in one of the rent houses in town. If she hasn’t lived here more than a couple of years, I wouldn’t really know her—unless she came in here a lot.”
I frowned and nodded, lost in thought. That kid’s aunt could be the key to everything. Logan had witnessed her almost hit Ty with a car, so if Logan saw her, she might’ve seen Logan. If she saw Logan doing anything other than standing on his porch, then I could prove that he had lied yet again. If he lied again, he might be hiding something.
“I really need to talk to that aunt,” I said. “So, anything you can remember about the kid or the mom would be helpful. For starters, what did the mom look like?”
“Oh, she’s a pretty girl.” Granny nodded for emphasis. “She had red hair and cute little freckles. She was too skinny, though. It looked like she needed to eat a few more brownies to fill out—”
“Did the boy have red hair, too?” I asked, straightening.
“He surely did. He had hair and freckles like his momma, but he was a little healthier.” She smiled. “You could tell he likes to eat hamburgers and fries.”
“Blue Watts,” I said. “His mom’s name is Phoebe.”
Granny clasped her hands together. “His name is Blue! I thought I heard her call him something that sounded like Blue, but figured I was wrong. I mean, who names their kid Blue? Do you know them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know them, but I did talk to them. They live at the very end of Orange Way.”
“Wait a minute!” Granny covered her mouth with a wrinkled hand. “Carol and Ty live down Orange Way! That boy’s aunt did kill him!”
“No,” I said quickly. “Ty was definitely not hit by a car.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “The little boy was sure of himself.”
“No, I’m positive,” I assured her. “But this is extremely helpful.”
After my order was ready, I gathered up the boxes and hurried back to the police department. Susan was already there when I arrived. I put the boxes of donuts on the table in the break room, kept the brownies for myself, and met her in her office. She was studying last year’s map of the parade route. She glanced up briefly and smiled when I entered.
“We’ve got a lead.” I placed the box of brownies on her desk and grabbed one. “This young woman named Phoebe Watts went into the bakery with her little boy this morning and the boy blurted out that his aunt hit Ty with a car.”
Susan’s head jerked up. “Who’s the aunt?”
“I don’t know, but I’m heading out to the house to find out.” I lifted a hand. “You coming, or am I off the leash?”
CHAPTER 42
Phoebe Watts was no longer wearing pajamas when Susan and I knocked on her door ten minutes later. She was fully dressed and wearing makeup. She stared nervously at us when she answered the door.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
“How’s Blue?”
“Daddy!” I heard a boy scream from inside, his feet stomping toward the door. He skidded to a stop when he saw me and scowled. “You’re not my Daddy!”
“No, Buddy, I’m sorry,” I said with a frown. “It’s me again.”
He slinked behind his mom and hugged her leg.
“It’s okay,” Phoebe said as she roughed up the little boy’s hair. “Every time he hears a man’s voice he thinks it’s his dad.”
I frowned, but Phoebe quickly waved a hand.
“No, don’t feel bad. He gets to see his dad every weekend, and sometimes during the week.” She looked down at Blu
e. “Don’t you, Baby Blue?”
Blue was holding onto his mom’s leg while swaying back and forth. He stared at me like he wanted to fight me.
“I need to ask about your sister,” I said, after giving up on breaking the ice with Blue. “I understand she saw Ty Richardson on Friday night. She might’ve been one of the last people to see him alive, so she might be able to help us.”
“She’s not my sister,” Phoebe corrected, shifting her feet and hugging her chest. “She’s my sister-in-law. We, um, we married brothers. I married Burt and she married Dillon. When I got divorced from Burt, she and I stayed good friends. We actually got closer, in fact. Burt never let me hang out with her while we were married. He thought she was a bad influence or something.”
When she was done explaining the family history, I again asked about Ty.
“Um, yeah, she told me he was playing in the road Friday night when she left my house. She did almost hit him. She said he was wearing dark clothes and was either lying in the road or kneeling down. She said she never saw him. He just suddenly stood up in front of her. That’s the only reason she didn’t hit him.”
“Did she know him?”
“Yeah, she’s seen him walking in front of my house before,” Phoebe said with a giggle. “One day, we were sitting outside smoking and we heard some branches snapping. I knew it was Ty, but I told her a hunter had reported seeing Big Foot in the woods. I pretended to jump up when Ty appeared, and Betty, she screamed like she’d been shot. It was so funny I almost peed in my pants.”
I nodded and glanced down at the note pad I’d brought with me. “So, her name’s Betty?”
“Yeah, Betty Watts.”
“Does she live here in town?”
Phoebe nodded. “She lives on Green Grove, the second to last house on the right.”
“She lives there with Dillon?”
