by S F Bose
Finn nodded. “I won’t.”
We all stood and stretched. “Matt, are you going to hold off on talking to Sherrie until we see what happens?” Sam asked, pulling the Jeep keys out of his pocket.
“Yeah, I’ll ask Newmont to verify the hotel information. We’ll stop at that. Hold off on asking for that divorce agreement too,” Matt said to Finn, who nodded.
On the way toward the office door, Finn stopped and asked Matt, “Hey, what if none of these guys shows up?”
“That’s easy,” Matt replied. “Then you become my prime suspect.” He didn’t smile.
“But he doesn’t have a white beard,” I said, thinking of Angela’s statement about the man fleeing out the back of the Emporium.
“The witness saw a man with a white or gray beard. There’s nothing to prove he was the killer,” said Matt. Then he looked at Finn. “I’m open-minded about who the shooter might be.” Finn glared back, turned on his heel, and left the office.
Sam and I followed Finn down the hall and out of the building. Finn ranted all the way. “Idjits,” “I told them so,” and “friggin coppers” floated back to me loud and clear. A few officers and staff workers turned to watch Finn as he stormed out of the building.
Outside, Finn didn’t pause to say “goodbye.” He stalked up the sidewalk toward the parking lot, pausing only once to look back and give us a rude gesture. Then he disappeared into the lot.
Sam groaned. “It’s going to be a very long two days.”
Seconds later, a deep blue Mini Cooper careened out of the lot with Finn behind the wheel.
“Hey, he drives a Mini too,” I said.
“The two of you can bond over cars at the cabin,” Sam said and chuckled. Two days and nights with an angry Irishman, I thought.
“I’ll flip you for who has to stay with Finn,” I said, suddenly filled with dread.
“Hah! No way! I’m declaring the rest of today a holiday. Rest up. You’ll need all your patience for your get-away with Finn. See you tomorrow,” Sam replied and walked in the opposite direction Finn had taken. He must have parked on the street. I headed up the sidewalk toward the parking lot. My spidey sense woke up and the back of my neck tingled.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.
Chapter 52
The next morning I arrived at the police station at 7:55 a.m. I was tired but I was on time. The receptionist buzzed me in and directed me to the video conferencing room on the second floor.
Once I found the right place, I stood in the doorway and scanned the room. A large, oval table took up the middle of the room. Finn sat on the other side of the table, reading. Standing near Finn, Sam held his cellphone to his ear. Large, flat screen monitors were on the wall to my left and on the wall across from me. A large white board was mounted on the wall to the right. Matt stood at the front of the room by the white board talking to a young man, who was setting up a video camera.
“Morning,” I said to the room in general.
Sam waved and pointed to a large cup of coffee from the Farmhouse Café sitting on the table next to a box of donuts. I mouthed “thank you” to him. Finn looked up from some papers he was reading, scowled, and went back to the papers. It was going to be a long, miserable two days, I thought.
After shedding my parka and snow gear, I slid into the nearest chair. I had dressed for comfort in a heavy, pink, cable-knit sweater, blue jeans, and winter hiking boots.
Minutes later, I was sipping the sugary, creamy coffee and munching on a Long John. It was like flipping a sugar and caffeine switch. Suddenly, I felt awake and alert.
Across from me, Finn frowned and looked tense. He drummed the table with his fingers as he scanned some papers. Those must be Matt’s scripts. Finn stood up and walked toward the wall with the papers. He wore a gray, fleece pullover, a black tee shirt underneath, and blue jeans. I noticed he nervously wiped one hand on his jeans.
Matt finished with the technician and came over to sit in the chair to my left. He fished a donut out of the box and took a generous bite. Newmont came in and sat on the other side of Matt. Finn returned to his chair and Sam sat next to him.
Matt looked around the room. “Okay, I wanted to share the plan with you. We developed scripts for Finn to follow when he makes the calls today. He’ll tell each suspect to come to the Wall of Honor in Founders’ Park at a specific time. Finn will tell Mark Sweet to be there at 4:00 p.m. today, Ben Katz at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, and Damian Fletcher at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.”
“What if Sweet says he can’t be there at 4:00 p.m.?” I asked.
“If any of these guys is the killer, the time won’t matter. He’ll show up to hurt or kill Finn,” Matt said.
Finn’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t worry, Finn. They won’t get anywhere near you. We’re using a detective from Madison as your stand-in.”
“How comforting,” said Finn. I had to smile.
Matt checked his watch. “Okay, Finn, do you want to run through each script?”
Finn shook his head. “No, I don’t. I got the gist from reading through these papers, but I want to use my own words.”
Matt frowned and said, “It’s important to stick close to the notes, if you can. It’s also important that you not say anything that sounds like you’re asking for money or blackmailing the person. Okay?”
“Got it,” Finn agreed.
“All right, no noises while Finn is talking. Randy will film and record everything. We’ll have the speakerphone on for that purpose. By the way, it’s likely one or more of the suspects will notice we're using a speakerphone. It always sounds different. Don’t deny it. We’re going to make three calls in a row and keep filming until the last one ends. Are you ready, Randy?”
We all looked down the table at Randy, the tech guy, who blushed and gave a thumbs-up. I got up and shut the door.
“Cellphones off, please. Finn, the telephone numbers for the suspects are on the last page. Start with the cellphone number.” Matt said. I turned my cellphone off and left it on the table. After a few more minutes, we were ready to go. A voice conferencing phone sat on the table in front of Finn. Matt hit a button and we could hear the dial tone. Finn keyed in the first telephone number.
Our first suspect barked, “Mark Sweet.”
“Mr. Sweet, you don’t know me. We know about your involvement with Justin Church’s killing,” Finn said.
“What? Who is this?” Sweet said loudly. “Wait, do you have me on speakerphone?”
I realized immediately that Sweet was slurring some of his words. Drinking this early in the morning?
“I do. Hear me out!” Finn said in a louder voice. “We know everything about you and the death of Justin Church. We know about your business deal with him. We know he pulled out and you were pissed. We also have a witness who was at the Emporium that day.”
“Who is this?” Sweet asked in a lower voice. “Do I know you?”
Finn ignored the question and said, “We’d like to meet with you to discuss what happened.”
Sweet lost it and shrieked, “Discuss what? Are you insane? Who do you —“
Finn interrupted him. “Stop and listen! Come to the Wall of Honor in Founders Park at 4:00 p.m. today. Come alone and come unarmed. Do you understand?”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Sweet yelled.
“Wall of Honor in Founders Park at 4:00 p.m. today. If you’re not there, we’ll go to the police,” Finn replied.
“You’re a dead man,” Sweet said in an even lower voice and I felt a chill go down my spine.
In response, Finn broke out into hysterical laughter and disconnected the call. We all stared at him. He looked at us and shrugged. “Method acting,” he said and smiled. I laughed in appreciation.
“Sweet was drunk as a skunk,” Sam said and Matt nodded.
Finn called Ben next. I could imagine Ben sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and fruit with Mom.
“Who is this? If you’re selling
something, I don’t want it,” Ben answered. Finn looked up briefly and smiled.
“Listen to me very carefully,” Finn said. “We know about you and Justin Church. We have a witness who saw everything that happened at the Emporium, including the murder. We want to meet with you at the Wall of Honor in Founders Park tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to discuss what happened.”
“You have a witness?” Ben asked and my heart sank.
“We do. Be at the Wall in Founders Park tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and we can talk. Don’t do anything stupid,” Finn said and disconnected.
Matt nodded. “You’re doing great. Last call is to Fletcher. Try to work in that you know where the Bible and letter are,” he said to Finn.
I jumped in quickly. “No, don’t mention the Bible. We told Damian that Peter and Martha were looking for Justin’s Bible. We don’t want anyone going after them.”
“It’s likely Justin told Fletcher about the Civil War letter, Liz. Fletcher may already have connected the letter to the Bible. Remember, when we met with him, we told him about Justin carrying his Bible around and quoting scripture. Why would Justin have done that if he wasn’t protecting the Bible or something in it?” Sam said.
I frowned. “But Justin could have handed the letter off to a partner or someone else for safe keeping. He also could have hidden it in a bank safe deposit box. That’s what I would have done.”
Sam thought about it and nodded. “Fair point.”
“All right, leave the Bible out. Focus on the letter,” Matt said.
“Okay,” Finn replied. He dialed Damian’s office phone first, but there was no answer. Finn disconnected as it was about to go to voicemail. He tried again with the same result.
“Try the cellphone number,” Matt said.
Finn looked at the notes, found the number, and dialed.
We heard the click of the phone and then, “Damian Fletcher.” It sounded like he was outdoors.
“Mr. Fletcher, a client hired me to contact you,” Finn said, his eyes narrowing.
“What client?” Damian asked. “And why are we on speakerphone?”
“We’re on speakerphone because it’s easier for me. Mr. Fletcher, my client has evidence connecting you to the murder of Justin Church.” Damian was silent and Finn waited him out.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Let’s not waste each other’s time, shall we? On the afternoon of the murder, you wore a floppy hat, long coat, gloves, and carried a black bag. Mr. Church answered the door and let you into the Emporium,” Finn said in a low voice. “Sound familiar?”
“One minute,” Damian replied and the background noise lessened.
“Time is ticking,” Finn replied.
“Who is this?” Damian finally demanded. Based on the improved sound quality, he must have moved indoors.
“Calm yourself, Mr. Fletcher. As I said, my client has evidence of the murder. I should also let you know one more thing. Later in the day, I am picking up a very old Civil War letter from my client. I already have a copy. The letter contains content quite damning to one of your ancestors. It appears murder runs in the family.”
There was a lengthy silence. Then Damian exhaled into the phone.
“Okay, look, I don’t know anything about any murder. I don’t know who your client saw, but it wasn’t me. However, I want that letter. If your client is the person I think it is, I broke it off with Ams. It’s over, okay? Pass that message along to him. Then tell me how much money you want for the letter.”
Sam and I frowned and looked at each other, Matt looked surprised, and Finn glared at the phone. I couldn’t see Newmont’s reaction.
“I’m not a messenger, Mr. Fletcher. If you want to discuss this further, come to the Wall of Honor in Founders Park tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. I will be there with the evidence of your involvement in the murder of Mr. Church. I will also have a copy of the letter for you. Understood?”
“Are you kidding me?” Damian shouted. “I don’t want to see a copy. I want to see the original. And I can’t possibly authenticate a letter in the middle of a park?”
Finn smiled. “You’ll have to trust me, Mr. Fletcher. The letter describes a Civil War battle in which your ancestor shot and killed another soldier from Mystic Grove. He shot him in the back. It also mentions a Civil War treasure. We’ll include some interesting side material about the death of the recipient of the letter and your ancestor’s probable involvement. Once you’re satisfied with the validity of the letter, we’ll discuss the next steps.”
“I’m in Mystic Grove right now. Meet me with the original letter and we can talk. We can resolve this today,” Damian replied. Sam and I looked at each other. Damian was in town.
“That’s not going to happen. 4:00 p.m. tomorrow at the Wall of Honor in Founders Park.”
“That’s absurd. I’m not going to be a party to this.” Damian’s voice was tight.
“That’s perfectly fine. If you’re not there tomorrow, we will go to the police with the material and our witness. We will also share the Civil War letter with the historical society and the Civil War Society. There’s one important thing you need to know, Mr. Fletcher,” said Finn.
He paused and tapped the table lightly with his fingers.
“What?” Damian finally asked.
Finn leaned in closer to the speakerphone. “My client will take great pleasure in destroying you and your family’s name and reputation. If you want to avoid that, come to the Wall of Honor in Founders Park tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Do as you will.”
Finn pushed the disconnect button and sat across from me frowning.
“Wow,” I said. “Well-done, Finn.”
“Inspired,” Matt agreed and slapped Finn on the shoulder.
“Randy?” Matt asked. The technician was looking at a digital replay.
“Got it,” he said with a boyish grin.
The trap had been set. My one question was, “Who the hell is Ams? Is that a girlfriend?” Damian had apparently broken off a relationship with Ams, but it wasn’t a name I’d heard before.
Finn shook his head. “No idea.”
Sam rocked back in his chair. “They all kind of reacted the way I expected.”
“My money was on Sweet, but now it could be any one of them,” Newmont drawled. My heart sank even lower. Why hadn’t Ben denied being involved with the murder?
“Damian sounded believable about the murder, but he really wants that letter,” Matt said.
Finn stood up and stretched. “I guarantee that Damian Fletcher was in the Emporium with Justin Church the day of the murder. He’s lying through his teeth.”
We spent the next hour discussing logistics for Founders Park. After that, the discussion turned to Finn and me. Matt said he had two officers who would alternate covering us out at the B&B. I gave Matt a handwritten map and directions to the cabin we’d be using.
After the meeting, Sam buttonholed me. “Liz, if you want me to stay out there too, just let me know.” I pulled on my knit hat and zipped up my parka,
“No, I think we’re good, Sam. We’ll be staying in the first cabin in the woods northeast of the coach house. It’s more isolated than the coach house, but not too remote. And with the police coverage and my Glock, we’ll be fine,” I said, pulling on my cold weather shooting gloves.
“Could Chloe and Olivia stay with you?” he asked.
“No, I told them I’d be at the smaller cabin with Finn for two days. If civilians weren’t an issue, I’d rather stay at the B&B, but we can’t.”
Sam frowned. “Okay well keep me on speed dial. If anything happens out there, I want to know immediately. I’ll come right out.”
“You got it,” I replied and smiled. “Cheer up, Sam. You have the hard part.”
“In the name of all that’s holy, can we go already?” Finn said in a whiny voice. He had put on his blue parka and stood by the door glaring at us.
Sam looked at me and shook his head. “No, I’m pretty sure you pu
lled the short straw.”
Chapter 53
“Well at least you have good judgement when it comes to cars,” Finn said, stowing his duffel on top of my duffel bag in the cargo area of my Mini Cooper.
I laughed. “Spoken like a true Mini owner.” I brushed some of the snow off the car, tossed my messenger bag in back, and piled into the driver’s seat. Finn had already settled in on the passenger side.
I started the car. “Good girl, Lulu,” I said turning on the wipers.
Finn looked at me. “Lulu?”
“That’s the car’s name. Lulu. You didn’t name your car?”
He snorted and shook his head. Just as I was going to reply, my cellphone rang. When I pulled it out, I saw “Emporium” on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hi Liz. It’s Peter. That same guy who was looking for bibles called again. He was even pushier this time. Can we give you the Bible and letter and you can pass it along to the police? We think they’ll be safer with you until Justin’s case is solved.”
I debated it for two seconds. Should I take the Bible and letter out to the cabin or call Sam and ask him to go get them? No, he had enough on his plate. “Sure, I can be there in five minutes.”
Peter lowered his voice. “That’s great. Liz, we will be able to get the Bible back when this is over, won’t we?”
“I don’t see why not, Peter. It’s really your property.”
“Oh good,” he said. Martha really wants to keep it because it was important to Justin.”
“I understand, Peter. See you in five.”
“Okay, Liz,” and he disconnected.
I pulled out onto the street and headed over toward the Emporium.
“Where are we going?” Finn asked, finally.
“The Emporium to pick up the Bible and letter.”
I turned right onto Pond Road and drove back to Mystic Grove. When we passed Mystic Pond, I slowed and turned left into the parking lot near the Emporium. I pulled into a spot at the end and turned off the engine.
“Are you going to be long?” Finn asked.
“No. In and out.”
