by S F Bose
“Are you leaving forever?” I asked Eddie, feeling sad at the thought.
“No, just until the situation with Mr. B clears up. As long as he’s alive, I’ll stay away.”
“That could be years,” Sam said.
Eddie shrugged. “However long it takes. You can never tell.”
My neck tingled and I frowned.
“You know something else, Eddie?” I asked and his eyes widened.
“Me? No, nothing. You got it all. You promise you’ll give the flash drive and statement to the police?”
“We promise,” I said firmly and Eddie smiled.
“I want you to have this too. I’ve been giving them to friends,” Eddie said and reached for his parka again. He pulled out a small, letter-sized envelope and handed it to me. It was unsealed. I slid out two pieces of paper.
“It’s his Mass card and a copy of his death notice,” Eddie said. “So you’ll know who you’re helping.”
The photo on the Mass card showed a handsome man in his forties, head tilted to the right, staring straight into the camera. Buzz cut, big eyes under dark brows, unsmiling. He wore a white dress shirt and tie. The back of the card identified him as “Benjamin ‘Bear’ Madden.” It listed his birth date and the date Bear was “born into eternity.” There was a prayer at the bottom.
“He was a handsome man,” I said, passing the card to Sam.
“He was,” Eddie agreed.
I glanced quickly at the death notice. Bear’s parents were Kathleen Boyle Madden and Michael Madden. His grandparents were Sean Madden, Maureen Madden, Mickey Boyle, and Mary Boyle. The name of each aunt, uncle, and cousin was included.
“He never married?” I asked.
“Divorced. No kids,” Jimmy replied. I nodded as I passed the death notice to Sam.
“You were a good friend to Bear, Eddie,” Sam said. Eddie clenched his jaw, but didn’t reply.
After a pause, he said, “Well, that’s it then. No hard feelings? I know I’m using you guys.”
Sam laughed. “No hard feelings at all.”
Eddie nodded and got up to leave. He flipped up the hood on his hoodie and then pulled on his parka and flipped up that hood too. Sam and I also stood. I hugged Eddie and asked him to stay in touch.
“I will. I’ll be back eventually,” he said and winked.
He shook hands with Sam and did the bro shoulder bump. We watched as Eddie knelt down and hugged Flip. He told him to be a good boy and that Sam was going to give him a good home. Then we walked Eddie to the front door.
Sam and I stood in front of the coach house with Flip as Eddie left. He had parked his car on the small gravel lot next to Sam’s Jeep. Eddie waved as he got into his car. Then he beeped a few times as he drove down the driveway and disappeared into the night. Flip whined and pulled at his leash. With a little encouragement, he came back into the house with us and immediately started following Sam.
***
Sam collected the dishes from the office and met me back in the kitchen. Flip wandered around the kitchen dragging his leash behind him. The cats went into hiding.
Chloe and Neville had gone out. However, before leaving, they’d washed all the dishes. The remaining food was wrapped and on the kitchen island. They left a note on the table that said, “Thanks for dinner. It was fun! We left the food out in case you wanted more or Olivia was hungry when she got home. ~ Chloe.”
“They’re a nice couple,” Sam observed He put the dinnerware in the sink and washed each dish carefully.
“They are. Neville has lasted the longest of all Chloe’s boyfriends. I like him a lot.”
“So what do you think about Eddie’s news?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know. It’s good, in a way, to know what happened to both Jimmy and Bear. But it’s also very sad. I also feel bad that Eddie has to leave the area. How about you?”
“It ties up some loose ends and will nail Mr. B. I’m glad Eddie is okay too,” Sam said.
I made up several plates of food for him to take home and put them in one of the large shopping bags. Then I transferred the bag to his small shopping cart. “This is for you to take home,” I said firmly, pointing to the cart, and he smiled.
“The one thing that bothers me is how long Eddie sat on that flash drive and document. The police could have been working with the new information,” Sam said, drying his hands with a towel. He pulled out his cellphone.
“Maybe he was in shock at first. Then he had the wake and funeral.”
“Maybe,” Sam agreed. He dialed a number. “Matt, it’s Sam. Listen, I have a couple of things that relate to the death of Jimmy Dietz. I’d like to bring them over tonight, if you’re free.” There was a pause and I could vaguely hear Matt’s voice on the other end of the line. “Okay, great. I’ll be there in half an hour. Thanks.” Sam disconnected the call.
I put the remaining food in the refrigerator, but set out a small plate of breaded mushrooms and dip. We stood at the kitchen island eating mushrooms. Flip looked at us hopefully, but Sam didn’t want to give him people food.
“The one thing I’m relieved about is that Mr. B doesn’t know who we are,” I said. “When I saw him at Justin’s memorial, I automatically assumed he knew me.”
“Yeah Jimmy evidently didn’t remember us at all. But we did just see him that one time.”
After we polished off the mushrooms, I walked Sam back to the hall closet. He parked the cart with the bag of food and took his cap and parka from me. Flip stood next to him, wagging his tail.
“You want to come along or are you tired?” he asked. “I was going to show you Slither tonight. But we can still have an exciting evening talking to Matt Durand and buying dog food.”
The video game! I had forgotten all about it. “Well that does sound inviting, but I’m starting to fade. I think I’ll go to bed early.”
“Okay. I’ll fill you in on my visit with Matt tomorrow. You want to meet at the B&B for breakfast around 9:00 a.m.?” he asked.
“Sounds good. Thanks for dinner, Sam. It was fun. Next time it’ll be my treat,” I said.
“It’s a deal. It was fun,” he agreed with a grin. We said good night and he left, pulling the cart of food with one hand and holding Flip’s leash with the other. I smiled as I watched them walk down the path to his Jeep.
Chapter 65
After Sam and Flip left, the house felt empty. “You can come out, now,” I called. Eventually my cats, Snap and Sammy, stalked into the kitchen and looked around cautiously. They sniffed the floor and looked at me.
“The dog is gone,” I reassured them. They didn’t take my word for it. Snap and Sammy sniffed and investigated every inch of the kitchen, the breakfast room, and the dining room. Only then, did they come back and rub against my legs to remind me it was their dinnertime.
“Dinner is served,” I said, giving them both tuna, their favorite. They attacked their food dishes.
I ran upstairs to change. When I walked into my bedroom and snapped on the light, I saw Nate’s letter on my bedside table. Something buzzed in my head and I knew it was time. Instead of feeling anxious, I felt calm.
I sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the envelope. Balancing it on the palm of one hand, I studied my name written in Nate’s scrawl. After a deep breath, I quickly slit it open with one finger and pulled out the letter. It was two pages long.
“Dear Liz,
I really hope you never have to read this letter. But if you are reading it, I guess it means I’m gone. I hope I didn’t do anything stupid in the field. I’m sorry, Babe, for any pain I’ve caused you. I love you so much. I never expected to meet someone at Worldhead, much less fall in love, but I did. I hoped to spend the rest of my life with you. I wanted to settle down, buy a house, and have babies with you. I think we would have been great parents.
You’re an amazing woman, Liz. When you’re ready, I hope you meet someone at least as handsome as me (ha ha!), but a lot smarter. You have so much love to give. You dese
rve a special guy to love and who loves you back. Someone who supports you and believes in you. If you have kids and one is an exceptionally cute and bright baby boy, please consider naming him ‘Nate’. That would be an incredible gift.
For the love of God, don’t live in the past and mope around. Move forward and be happy. When you think of me, I want you to smile and be happy. Don’t be all sad and weepy.
I also hope that you find something to do in life that you truly love. You are an amazing interpreter, translator, and team member. But I dearly hope you move on from Worldhead. I’m being selfish because I know you could move up in the company. But the work is dangerous and the odds are stacked against us. Find something challenging where you can use your brains and help people.
Finally, I want you to consider mending fences with your mom. Family is what life is all about. At least think about it. If you went to my service, you met my parents. God, this is so weird to write this! If you did meet them, I hope you saw what good people they are. If you can, please stay in touch with them. I think it will help both you and them. I put their address and telephone number at the end of this letter.
I love you, Liz Bean and I always will. Death can’t stop that. Consider me your Guardian Angel for the rest of your life. If you see signs of me, don’t be afraid. I’m just with you in a different way.
Love forever,
Nate”
I read Nate’s letter over and over. I cried and I laughed. I felt him in the room with me. In my mind, I heard his beautiful southern accent. I brought the letter to my face and inhaled, hoping to smell Nate’s scent, but it wasn’t there. I kissed the paper. Then I refolded the letter, slid it back into the envelope, and propped it up on my nightstand.
I hadn’t told many people about Nate and our relationship. I had shared some details with Finn when we were at the cabin. Grandma Addie and Nana Anna knew about him because of their special abilities. However, I never told Chloe, Olivia, Grace, or my parents about him. That was going to change. I wanted to show them the photos I had and explain what a special guy he had been. Sharing Nate would keep his memory alive and would help me move forward.
I changed into my pajamas, cracked the door open for the cats, turned the light off, and slid into bed. Turning on my right side, I hugged my pillow. The last thing I saw before I drifted off to sleep was Nate’s letter.
Chapter 66
When I walked into the B&B dining room the next morning, I saw Sam sitting alone at a table in the corner. He was studying some papers spread out on the table. Flip napped on the floor near him. I could tell from his expression that something was wrong. I waved at Grandma Addie and Nana Anna who sat at their usual table across the room. They smiled and waved back.
“Morning,” I said putting my mug of coffee on the table. Sam looked up and smiled. He wore a gray sweater, black pants, and his gray Irish cap. He looked worried.
“Hey Liz. Morning.”
After putting my parka and messenger bag on a free chair, I sat across from Sam. I leaned down and gave Flip a pat on the head.
“Is something wrong? How’d it go with Matt last night?” I asked.
Sam took a quick sip of tea. “Well, we listened to the audio and it was exactly as Eddie described. Then we read the statement. After that, Matt called the detective in charge of the Jimmy Dietz’s case. Guy by the name of Manning. Matt put us on speakerphone and Detective Manning listened to what we had. Then he said there was a problem.”
“What problem?” I asked and sipped some coffee.
“Manning said Mr. B and his son, Chuck, hadn’t been seen since last Sunday. Mr. B’s wife didn’t call it in until Tuesday.”
“Why’d she wait?”
“Manning said she doesn’t like cops and told him her husband could take care of himself. But by Tuesday the family couldn’t find Mr. B or Chuck so she panicked.”
“You think they ran?”
“Not sure. I suggested they find the warehouse Mr. B owns on the near east side and check it out. Manning said they’d do that today.”
“So you’re thinking foul play?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “It’s a possibility. After what Eddie said, it made me think that maybe Mr. B did plan to kill Chuck. But then why didn’t Mr. B go home?”
“Good question. I can't think of any good answers. Are they going to call you or Matt?”
“Matt probably. He said he’d call me with any news.”
“I was hoping with Eddie’s evidence that arresting Mr. B and Chuck would be easy,” I said.
“Me too.”
“What are you working on?” I asked, looking at the papers.
“I wanted to prepare a case summary. I’d also like to have all the pertinent paperwork in the paper file, including our notes. We can include the murder of Jimmy Dietz and Bear since they were related to the original case,” Sam said, looking a little more energetic.
“Sounds good,” I agreed. I pulled my case folder out of my bag and opened it up. “I already uploaded the audio for all of the interviews we recorded.”
“That’s good. I think we just need a summary and then any evidence we want to attach, like Bear’s statement. I made a copy of that and I also have a copy of the warehouse audio on my laptop.”
Looking through the folder, I pulled out some loose notes I’d made, a printed copy of the diagram on the white board, Bear’s Mass card, and Bear’s obituary. I also added my notebook.
For the next two hours, we summarized the Justin Church murder case, noted the evidence, and included the information we had on the murders of Jimmy Dietz and Bear Madden. We were careful to avoid using Eddie’s name as the source of any evidence.
Aunt Grace had prepared soup and sandwiches for a couple of the B&B guests, sitting at the other end of the dining room. Sam and I went to the kitchen and returned to our table with a sandwich for me, a big salad for him, and a bowl of wet dog food for Flip. I pushed my paperwork out of the way.
While we were eating, Sam looked up and said “Uh oh.”
“What?” I looked around. Matt Durand was making a beeline for our table. He took off his Stetson hat and sat down.
“News?” I asked.
“Yeah. Madison detectives went to the warehouse. Newmont and I drove in for the search. We found Mr. B and Chuck in one of the offices. They were stripped, tied to chairs, and shot once in the head, execution style,” Matt said. “Looks like they’d been there for a while.”
“Mr. B is dead? You think it was because of Jimmy Dietz or Bear Madden?”
Matt shook his head. “No idea. It looked like a professional hit. The crime scene guys got there right as Newmont and I were leaving. Whoever shot them took their clothes.”
“So no fiber evidence,” Sam said and Matt nodded.
“I don’t think Jimmy had anyone who’d avenge him like that. Bear’s family was in town but they were dealing with the wake and funeral,” I said.
“Maybe forensics on the bullets will lead us somewhere,” Matt replied, looking dejected.
“Matt, would you like a sandwich or coffee?” Grandma Addie asked from behind me. I jumped at her voice and turned to see her and Nana Anna smiling at Matt.
“No, thank you Ma’am,” he replied and smiled back.
Then I heard a gasp. “Whatever are you doing with a picture of Mickey Boyle?” Nana Anna asked. She had walked closer to the table and was looking at Bear’s Mass card. It sat on top of my stack of case materials.
“Who?” I asked.
“Mickey Boyle,” Nana Anna picked up the Mass card and showed it to Addie.
“That does look like Mickey,” Addie agreed.
“That’s Bear Madden,” Sam said. They both looked at him.
“Who?” they asked in unison.
I grabbed Bear’s obituary and scanned it. “Bear’s maternal grandparents were Mickey and Mary Boyle,” I said and looked at Sam.
Grandma Addie turned the Mass card over and she and Nana Anna read the information
.
“Oh my. Benjamin ‘Bear’ Madden? He’s Mickey Boyle’s grandson? He’s the spitting image of Mickey at that age,” Addie said.
“He certainly is. What a shame that he died so young,” Nana Anna agreed.
“How did he die?” Grandma Addie asked.
“He was murdered last week,” Matt said. Addie and Anna both shook their heads.
“How do you know Mickey Boyle?” I asked. Addie and Nana Anna sat down. Nana Anna kept staring at the Mass card.
“We didn’t know Mickey Boyle personally, but we knew of him. He became quite famous years ago. He came here with his parents from Dublin, Ireland in the nineteen fifties. In the early seventies, there was a terrible apartment house fire in New York. Mickey must have been in his early thirties. He ran into that building repeatedly and saved over twenty people, including small children and two infants before the fire department arrived. He finally collapsed from smoke inhalation and they took him to the hospital. There were newspaper and television reports about him throughout the country,” Addie said.
“He was a hero?” Sam asked.
“He was. But then it came out that Mickey was an associate of the Italian mob in New York,” said Addie.
“Associate?” I asked.
“Mickey was Irish and couldn’t become a “made” guy in the Italian mob,” Matt said. “But he could be an associate, which meant he worked for the mob in some way, but wasn’t a formal member. He probably had his own crew too.”
Nana Anna frowned. “Mickey denied being an associate and said he owned a bar in Queens and that was it. But I remember they came up with proof that was published in the newspapers and on television. Surprisingly, Mickey became even more popular.”
Sam sat back in his chair and looked exasperated. I was still trying to make this new puzzle piece fit.
“I think Eddie lied to us. He played us like a fiddle,” Sam said.
“What do you mean?” Matt asked.
“It took Eddie a week to get Bear’s evidence to us. I’d bet money that once he heard about Bear’s death, he express mailed the flash drive and statement to Mickey Boyle in New York. Eddie may even have phoned him. Mickey could have sent people here to grab Mr. B and Chuck. Then they held them in the same warehouse where Bear was killed.”
