Murder in Mystic Grove

by S F Bose

  “Okay, you know he shot a cop, right?” Sam asked.

  “Yeah, he told me. Is the cop going to make it?”

  “We don’t know. They got him to the hospital, which is good. The point is, those deputies outside want Jimmy Dietz bad. So you have to lose any attitude and tell them the truth.”

  Eddie nodded his head and looked down. “What did Jimmy say when he was here, Eddie?” I asked.

  Eddie sat back on the couch and looked at us. “Jimmy was sorry about shooting the cop. He said he panicked. He also said he wouldn’t go back to prison on trumped up charges that he killed Justin Church. Turns out Jimmy loaned Justin the money to pay back Mr. B. Then Justin didn’t pay him back and Jimmy beat him up. He swore he didn’t kill him, but he’s afraid he’s going to be railroaded for the murder. Jimmy was also freaked out that Mr. B might find out about the money he loaned Justin. You just don’t do that in their business.”

  Sam grunted. “Mr. B isn’t Jimmy’s problem. Jimmy’s got a lot more to worry about with the police. Everyone is looking for him.”

  Eddie’s eyes locked on Sam. “That may be true but the big thing to Jimmy is not letting Mr. B down. It’s what drives him.”

  “Eddie, did you believe Jimmy when he said he didn’t kill Justin?” I asked.

  Eddie slowly shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never seen him as angry and messed up as he was today. He said he never should have vouched for Justin to Mr. B. He was waving his gun around like a crazy man and he knocked stuff over. At one point, I thought he was going to shoot Flip because the dog was barking so much. Maybe he did kill Justin, but he didn’t confess that to me.”

  “Did you tell him you talked to us?” Sam asked.

  “Yeah, I said you had questioned me about Justin and our poker games. I didn’t say anything about Mr. B and gambling at Paulie’s Pub.”

  “Then what?” I asked.

  “He said you had grilled him at Paulie’s. He told me that Justin had written about Mr. B’s gambling system on his computer and you two had found the document but hadn’t told the cops. But now the cops had the computer. Jimmy thought it was only a matter of time before they found what Justin had written and went to talk to Mr. B. He figured Mr. B would blame him because he had vouched for Justin.”

  “How did you react when he said that?” asked Sam.

  “I was shocked. You two never mentioned anything about Justin’s computer. Jimmy wanted to know if I believed Justin would do something like that. I said it was the first I had heard of it. Then I asked him why Justin would have written anything about the gambling system. What was the point?”

  “What did he say to that?” I asked.

  “Jimmy thought Justin wanted to blackmail Mr. B. I said that was far-fetched and didn’t sound like him. Justin wasn’t stupid. Where could he hide if he tried to blackmail Mr. B? Besides, Justin liked Mr. B. After that, Jimmy calmed down a little and I thought that was the end of it. But later he looked at me and said, ‘Eddie, swear to me that you didn’t know Justin was writing about the gambling at Mr. B’s.’”

  “What did you say?” Sam asked.

  Eddie swallowed hard. “I swore on my children’s lives that Justin never said a word to me about that. He looked at me a long time and then he nodded. So again, I thought we were good. But Jimmy was like a dog with a bone. Later, he got angry with Justin again and said he was sure he planned to blackmail Mr. B. He thought it was the only reason that made sense. He also said if it wasn’t for Justin we would have been fine.”

  I frowned. “What did he mean by that?”

  Eddie looked at me. “Think about it. It’s like dominoes. If Jimmy had never met Justin, he wouldn’t have eventually vouched for him to Mr. B. Then Justin would have never run up a gambling debt at Paulie’s Pub. If Justin hadn’t been murdered, you two wouldn’t have started an investigation. Justin’s folks would never have told you about Jimmy and me. And you wouldn’t have found the information on Justin’s computer about the gambling. Everything would have been copacetic.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. Eddie leaned forward, arms on his knees, and hands clenched together. “I was sweating bullets Jimmy would remember I introduced him to Justin.”

  In a way, I felt bad that I had lied about Justin documenting the betting system on his computer. It had been a ploy to get Jimmy Dietz to talk to us and it had worked. But now that lie was probably fueling Jimmy’s anger and fear that the police would find the information on the computer and arrest Mr. B for gambling and loan sharking.

  However, telling Eddie the truth wouldn’t help matters. All I said was, “I see Jimmy’s point.”

  Sam stood and walked behind his chair. “So after he shot the deputy sheriff, Jimmy drove here?”

  Eddie sat back and looked up at Sam with tired eyes. “Yeah, he dumped his car somewhere nearby and walked over. I gave him all the money I had. At first, he wanted to take my work van, but I persuaded him that my Chrysler was more inconspicuous. He was only here around an hour.”

  Sam walked to the couch and sat on the end. He faced Eddie, watching him. “Did he tell you his plan?”

  “Jimmy didn’t have a plan. First, he talked about heading north to Canada. Then he said he’d go west to be closer to his sister. Later, he thought maybe New York would be good because it’s congested and far enough away. He even thought about going to see Mr. B, but then he didn’t want to tell him the truth. Mr. B was a father figure to him and he couldn’t tell him he screwed up so big.”

  “If you had to guess, where would Jimmy go?” I asked.

  After some thought, Eddie said, “New York, maybe. He’d fit in there better. More opportunities too. What would he do in Canada, besides freeze to death?”

  “Anything else?” asked Sam.

  “Oh I forgot! Jimmy shaved his beard and mustache before he left. Made him look 10 years younger.”

  Sam nodded. “Okay, so Eddie all you have to do is share the same information with the cops. If they ask you about Justin or Mr. B’s online gambling system, be honest about that too. You’ll be home for dinner.”

  “That’s why I wanted to talk to you before I talked to them. The deputies out there got here first. They wanted to know why Jimmy didn’t tie me up or shoot me. They suggested I’d been helping him.”

  “But you weren’t, right?” I asked.

  Eddie looked more anxious and rubbed his eyes. “No! I told them all he wanted was money and a vehicle. As he walked out the door, Jimmy said if I called the cops, he’d have me killed. Is that what you say to someone you’re working with? I don’t think so.”

  “He actually said that?” Sam asked.

  Eddie gulped and nodded.

  Sam lowered his voice. “Eddie, normally I’d suggest you contact a lawyer, but I really think you’re in the clear. You were a victim in this. I’ll ask Chief Durand if he or his deputy will sit in on your questioning. They’ll probably interview you here. However, even if they take you to Madison, they have nothing to hold you on. Just tell the truth.”

  Eddie nodded his head vigorously. “I will. Swear I will. But just in case, I want to give you this.” He handed Sam a key. “If they hold me, I’ll call you when I get my telephone call. It’s to the front door. Could you take care of Flip for me until I get back? He likes you.”

  We all looked over at Flip, stretched out on the carpet, head on paws, watching us. His tail wagged when he realized he was the center of attention.

  “He’s a big dog, Eddie.”

  “You got a house or condo?”

  “House.”

  “He’ll be fine. It’s just for one night, if that. He can stay here for the day, if they take me to Madison.”

  “Okay, deal,” Sam said. He gave Eddie a business card with his cell number on it. Then he put the key in the pocket of his jeans. “So you wanted us out here for the dog?”

  Eddie shook his head. “I wanted you to hear my story. I also wanted you to see I’m in good shape and no o
ne has roughed me up yet. If anything…if anything happens to me while I’m with the cops, I want you to be able to testify that I was healthy until they grilled me. The dog was third on the list.”

  Sam nodded. “Eddie, you’re going to be okay. Just tell the truth.”

  “I will. Thanks for the help. Might as well get the goons back in here for my third degree,” Eddie replied.

  We both shook Eddie’s hand. “It’s going to be all right,” I reassured him. He gave me a weak smile. As we left the living room, I looked back at Flip. He was standing and whined intermittently. I went over and scratched his ears.

  “Don’t worry, buddy,” I said. He backed away from me, “woofed,” and went over to Eddie. A dog has just rejected you, I thought.

  I sighed and gave Eddie a wave and a smile. He was sitting on the couch clenching and unclenching his hands. Flip sat on the floor watching him. Eddie returned my wave, but not the smile.

  When I went outside, Sam was talking to Matt Durand. Matt was nodding. I watched the officers pile back into the house. Then I walked over to the Jeep. When Sam joined me, he said,

  “Matt or Newmont will stick with Eddie. He’ll be okay.”

  “That’s good. He’s scared to death.”

  “I checked with Matt. No word on the deputy sheriff yet,” he added.

  “Damn,” I said softly.

  We were quiet as we drove back to the office. Finally, Sam said, “I’m starting to think Jimmy may have killed Justin. Maybe he did have a silencer with him.”

  “What changed your mind?” I asked.

  “Dietz proved he’s capable of shooting a person today. Maybe he did lose his temper and killed Justin at the Emporium that day. He could have easily lied about when he was there. I hope when they catch Dietz, he’s carrying a Sig P226.”

  I glanced at Sam. His face was red and he was clenching his jaw. “Me too,” I replied and looked out the window. Silence washed over us again.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Just worried about Eddie and how this will all end.”

  Sam grunted but didn’t reply. Then I thought of another issue and looked over at Sam. “Why does Flip like you more than he likes me?”

  Sam startled and glanced at me, then back to the road. Then he grinned. “You think he does?”

  “Definitely,” I said.

  “Well, I’m very likable and you probably reek of cats,” he said and snickered. I flicked some cat hairs off my jeans and thought about it. He was right on both counts.

  ***

  When we returned to the office, I told Sam I was going to call my mother with a brief update. He frowned and opened his mouth.

  “If I don’t, the gossip gang will just fill her in, if they haven’t already,” I said quickly. He closed his mouth and nodded.

  After hanging up my parka, I sat at my desk and dialed Mom’s cellphone.

  “Hi Mom, it’s Liz.”

  “Liz! Is there news?” Mom asked. I could hear my Becky’s twins shouting in the background. My older sister’s kids had great pipes on them.

  “Just a quick update, Mom. It looks like Jimmy Dietz really is on the run. We have confirmation that there wasn’t any family emergency. Also, he shot a deputy sheriff today.”

  “He shot a deputy sheriff? Is the deputy…” Her voice trailed off.

  “They got him to the hospital and into surgery. We haven’t had an update.”

  “Dietz is really the one, isn’t he?”

  “It’s looking good. But we have to wait for the police to catch and question him. Right now we have a lot of questions but no hard evidence he killed Justin.”

  “I think he’s the killer,” Mom said firmly.

  “We have to wait, Mom.”

  After a brief chat about the twins, we rang off. Instead of feeling happy, I felt anxious.

  Chapter 42

  It was 6:00 p.m. and Sam and I were chatting in his office. We were almost ready to leave for the day. Then Matt Durand called on Sam’s office phone.

  “Hey Matt, Liz is here too. What’s up?” asked Sam, hitting the button for speakerphone.

  “Hi Matt I said, pulling my chair closer to the desk.

  Matt’s voice sounded deeper on the speakerphone. “Hi guys. I wanted to let you know what happened after you left Eddie’s place. First, I got word that the doctors are cautiously optimistic about the recovery of the wounded deputy. He did lose a lot of blood, but came through the operation.”

  “That’s great!” I said. Sam and I exchanged smiles.

  “Matt is there dash cam video of the shooting?” Sam asked.

  “No. For some reason the cam wasn’t operating,” Matt replied.

  “What happened with Eddie?” I asked.

  Matt cleared his throat. “We brought Eddie to the sheriff’s office on Doty Street. After a couple of hours, it was clear there was no collusion between Eddie and Jimmy. Jimmy Dietz scared Eddie into turning over money and a vehicle. Dietz also threatened his life. Eddie confirmed the gambling at Paulie’s Pub. He begged us not to write that down. He’s afraid Mr. B will come after him if he hears that he said anything about the gambling at Paulie’s Pub. So we agreed to cut him loose. We were in the process of walking him out to my car when we got an alert.”

  I was relieved that the police had realized Eddie was innocent and had let him go. “Alert about what?”

  “The sheriff’s office got a phone tip that we could find Jimmy at his house in Madison. I put Eddie in the back of my vehicle and we drove out to Dietz’s house. Eddie was white as a sheet and said he didn’t want to go with us. I tried to calm him down, but he remained stressed about going anywhere near Jimmy Dietz. When we arrived at Jimmy’s house, the Tactical Response Team was already there.”

  I was confused. “Matt, why’d you take Eddie with you? Wasn’t he at risk?”

  “No, like I said I put him in the back of the vehicle. He was okay. I took him with me because I had some questions I wanted to ask him, but not with the sheriffs there.”

  I grunted and frowned at the phone. After our conversation with Eddie this morning, I could only imagine how scared he must have been.

  Matt continued. “Some deputies had cleared the neighbors out around Dietz’s house. We didn’t have his phone number and wanted to move fast, so we went to the bullhorn. No response. Then the Tactical Response Team went in. After a while, we got the all clear and entered the house.”

  Sam shifted in his chair. “Was Jimmy there?”

  “Yeah, but he was no danger to anyone. Somebody laid him out on top of the bed. He was dressed in a suit and tie and was stone cold dead. We couldn’t see any visible wounds. However, after the M.E. arrived, he quickly found a multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.”

  “No blood?” I asked.

  Matt paused and we heard him drinking something. “No. There was no blood evidence in the house. Jimmy was shot elsewhere. It looks like the killer washed Jimmy’s body after the murder, and shaved his head and face. Then the killer covered his chest and back with towels, dressed him, and posed him on the bed. Definitely strange.”

  “It would take more than one person to move Jimmy’s body. He was a big guy,” said Sam.

  “I agree. We figure at least two guys. You want to hear something even stranger?”

  “What?” I asked sharply. I felt a headache coming on. Could he possibly relate this story any slower? Sam glanced at me and the corners of his mouth twitched. I rested my head on the desk using my folded arms as a pillow.

  Matt’s voice was lulling me to sleep. “Jimmy was lying on his back on the bed in his suit and tie. His hands were on his stomach like he was in a coffin. But someone had stuck the tarot death card between his fingers.”

  I sat up in surprise. Sam looked confused. “Tarot death card?”

  “You know what tarot cards are?” I asked him.

  “Sure. They’re cards used for fortune telling.”

  “Right. The death card usually has a ske
leton on horseback or a skeleton walking. If the card is placed right side up, its meanings include a beginning, ending, transition, or some transformation. It doesn’t have to mean literal death.”

  “You read tarot cards?” asked Sam.

  “Sure. Grandma taught all of us,” I replied. “Matt was the card right side up or upside down?”

  There was silence on the line. Then Matt said, “From Jimmy’s perspective, the card was right side up.”

  Sam shook his head. “That’s bizarre. I’ve heard of mob hits where the killer left an Ace of Spades in the hand of the victim. But not tarot cards.”

  I slowly shook my head. “This doesn’t sound like a mob hit, Sam. Whoever killed Jimmy cleaned him, shaved him, dressed him, and put him in his own bed. The mob would have put him in a barrel and dumped him in a lake somewhere.”

  “Cleaning him may have been to get rid of trace evidence, fibers, and such,” Sam said. “But I agree, bringing him home was weird.”

  “Yeah, definitely weird,” Matt agreed. “The good news is we found a Sig Sauer P226 in his holster and it’s been fired recently. It looks like the killer may have used Dietz’s own gun to kill him. Ballistics testing will tell us if it’s the gun used to kill Justin Church. We’ll also confirm if it’s the gun Dietz used to shoot the deputy sheriff.”

  I felt like my eyes were popping out of my head. “Matt, you could have opened with that fact,” I said, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “How quickly can you get a ballistics report on the Sig?”

  “Liz, A thorough story provides context,” Matt replied in a serious voice. I blinked and looked at Sam, who shrugged.

  “Ballistics report?” I prompted.

  “We’ll have a report back tomorrow. Jimmy shot a deputy sheriff. The County Sheriff wants this nailed down as badly as I do and called in some favors. Hopefully, he’ll have additional evidence to link Jimmy to the shooting of his deputy and we’ll have proof Jimmy shot Justin Church.”

  I felt a surge of energy. We might be able to close the Justin Church case tomorrow!

  “How’s Eddie doing?” Sam asked.