Fire Mountain

by Vickie McKeehan

  “How do you know this?”

  “Because she told me. She came into the nursery one day looking for me. When Ellen told her that I was at a job site, she showed up there, brought me lunch. We sat in my truck and talked. That’s when she poured out the whole story of how she couldn’t get him to leave, that he wanted an indecent amount of money.”

  “What kind of money are we talking about?”

  “Fifty grand.”

  Gemma’s mouth fell open as she slid onto the barstool next to Shaun. “That’s a lot of money. So Brandt was essentially blackmailing his own wife?”

  “Yeah. Plus, I think he was seeing someone on the side. In fact, I think Brandt kept that someone all through their dating days, right up to the day they got married and beyond.”

  “Tiffany Ringgold.”

  Shaun’s eyes bugged out over his coffee mug. “That shouldn’t surprise me. Tiffany was always trouble back in high school. But I thought she’d moved on. Last I heard she was living in San Jose looking for her next big mark.”

  “Sounds like that might’ve been where she hooked up with Brandt Lewis. Did you ever see Tiffany hanging around Brandt?”

  “No. I’m not sure Talia did either. She would’ve mentioned it.”

  “But she might’ve found out the night she went missing.”

  “It’s possible. Maybe whatever happened, happened fast. Who do you think killed her?”

  “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. I have to ask this, though. Were you and Talia sleeping together at the tail end of her marriage?”

  “We did a couple of times, late August and around Labor Day. But not near the time she went missing. The last time I saw her was down at the pier, looking out across the bay like she was waiting for someone. That was probably two days before she…you know.”

  Gemma reached out, laid her hand on Shaun’s calloused one. “It’s tough to lose someone you cared about, even if you had difficulty understanding what they were thinking. It still hurts the same.”

  “We would’ve been good together. That’s what I always told her. But she just couldn’t get past the money thing.”

  “Her loss.” When he gave her a shocked look, she went on, “Don’t kid yourself. It was Talia’s loss. You’re a terrific person, always have been. If Talia couldn’t see that, then she picked the wrong man to be with for the rest of her life. Some people refuse to see what’s right in front of them.”

  “Thanks, Gemma. I needed to hear that.”

  “I’m not suggesting you’re ready. It might be too soon, but why don’t you come out to the Duck & Rum with us? It’ll pick up your spirits. It couldn’t hurt.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready to watch people having fun yet.”

  “All right. But if you change your mind, text me, and we’ll save you a seat at our table.”

  Relaying everything Shaun told her to Lando, Gemma realized something odd. “Maybe if Talia confided in Shaun, she did to other people. Other men in town. Shaun did say the last time he saw her, she was waiting down at the docks.”

  “If that’s true, then why didn’t she confide in Leia?”

  “Wrong sex. I mean Talia was reaching out to…mostly men for a reason. I’d say, it’s because she had to be hoping they could help her get rid of Brandt, get him out of the house. Leia wouldn’t have been able to help much with that. Although, I’m surprised Talia didn’t come to you last August when she realized Brandt had tricked her. Why didn’t she file fraud charges? Was that even possible?”

  “A little too late for that. She married the guy. California is a community property state. The time to file would’ve been before Brandt became her husband. Let’s face it, whatever plan she had backfired. Because she’s the one who ended up dead.”

  “Well, I didn’t say it was a good theory. Whatever you believe, Talia was doing her best to get Brandt out of her life.”

  “And it wasn’t working. How’d it go at the restaurant? I meant to stop in and help out, but Dale came up with another nugget on Woodson, or rather Olson, depending on which name you want to use.”

  “What was that?”

  “Olson was married to a woman whose family hasn’t seen her in eighteen years.”

  “Couldn’t be the lady in the trunk then, could it?”

  “Nope. Which might mean Olson has another victim out there somewhere unaccounted for. Who knows? Maybe even more. If you count the man who was incinerated in the explosion, the woman in the trunk, and now his wife, it sounds like the guy was a serial killer.”

  “What I can’t figure is why he came here, to Coyote Wells? It seems odd to me. Do you really think it was all about believing he could slip under the radar?”

  “He did. Right under my nose. It’s an insult to me, to my guys, and to the town as a whole.”

  “You’re really fixating on that. When what you have are two men with eerily similar histories. Both had shady backgrounds with people who went missing that were close to them. There has to be a tie-in.”

  “Well, I spent forty minutes on the phone with Jennifer Wheeling and got the lowdown on Brandt Lewis’s first wife’s death. It seems Brandt took his wife, Felicia Lewis, to a farm that belonged to a friend for the weekend. He set it up as some sort of bed & breakfast romantic getaway. Jennifer says her sister didn’t come back alive. I got the coroner to send me Felicia’s autopsy report. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as an accidental drowning. Mr. Lewis collected half a million in life insurance money and went on his merry way.”

  “Maybe that’s what Olson did to his first wife, collected a hefty insurance payout.”

  “Maybe so.”

  “See how similar the two men are. Brandt is no doubt cruising the dating sites for his next victim,” Gemma pointed out. “Did the coroner say that he might change his mind about the cause of Felicia’s death?”

  “Are you kidding? He’s convinced it was an accident. You’re not budging that guy to change his mind.”

  “Doesn’t mean Felicia wasn’t a victim? So Brandt got away with one.”

  “That’s the sad thing. I can see why Jennifer Wheeling was upset about it. Look, we haven’t even prepared anything for tonight’s show.”

  “That’s okay. We have the songs down. We’ll just repeat everything we did the last time before the wedding.”

  “You don’t think people will mind?”

  “I really don’t. By the time we take the stage, our audience will likely have been drinking for hours. They just want their music loud and upbeat. Look, before I fix dinner, I need a shower to get the grease smell off. I don’t know how your mother and Leia do it, day in and day out.”

  “Years of operating a diner and not caring about the smell of stale oil.” He angled toward her, sniffed her hair. “You don’t smell like fish or onion rings, though, more like cherries or maybe whipped cream. It’s giving me ideas about that shower.”

  “You’re welcome to join me,” she said pulling her top over her head.

  “You don’t have to ask twice.”

  Located at the end of Water Street on the south side of town, the Duck & Rum had been around since the Beach Boys first wore striped shirts and white pants. Back then, it was a gathering place for surfers and beachgoers to hang out and look cool.

  It had started small, like a crab shack. But over the years the string of owners had added on to the original building until they finally achieved an elongated rustic look. Steps from the beach, it might’ve been an excellent location for a dockside bar minus the umbrella tables. But this was no den for tourists. For the last decade, it had functioned as a place where locals ruled, and outsiders had a hard time fitting in.

  The current owner and operator, Adam Greendeer, had so far managed to thumb his nose at the smoke-free workplace law. Which is why stale smoke hung in the air along with the layers of grunge and grime on the floor. Patrons were used to the odd combinations of smells wafting in and around the large main room where they could listen to live mu
sic on Friday and Saturday nights and dance until closing.

  Enter cover band Fortitude, appearing every Saturday night like clockwork. Cops Lando, Dale, and Jimmy, joined other bandmates Radley Fisk on drums and Bosco Reynolds on bass guitar to entertain and amuse. Add in Gemma’s natural contralto, and it marked an exciting addition in the band’s selection of songs. Having a female lead singer also revved up enthusiasm, especially from the male regulars.

  Bringing back nostalgia, one song at a time, had become their art form. They covered tunes from the sixties as cleverly as the nineties.

  Lando and Gemma walked in fifteen minutes before showtime. Three deep at the bar, the crowd seemed in a good mood, hooting and hollering and calling out song titles as suggestions.

  Dale spotted his boss and waved him over to the end of the bar where Denise Coolidge sat nursing a gin and tonic.

  When she saw Gemma, Denise patted the seat next to hers. “Sit here until you’re ready to go on stage.”

  “Thanks. It’s good to see you here,” Gemma whispered to Denise. “Things back on track with you and Dale then?”

  Denise sent Dale an adoring look. “I had to give him a second chance. He’s gone above and beyond to make up for being an ass with Mallory. He does the sweetest things for me and my kids. Last weekend we went to the beach and he showed the kids how to snorkel. And last Sunday morning, he even cooked pancakes. What are you guys planning on singing tonight?”

  “A little bit of everything. It’s possible we might be slightly rusty.”

  “No one’s gonna notice. Most are here to have a good time. Look around you, it’s a rowdy bunch tonight.”

  “Then I guess we better turn on the charm.”

  Fortitude kicked off the show with Gemma trying her hand at a string of Carly Simon tunes then turning the mic over to Lando who did his best Eddie Vedder imitation.

  Changing the mood along with the beat, Gemma waited her turn to announce, “Time to slow things down with a little country sung right for slow-dancing. So, pick your partner and snuggle up to Trisha Yearwood.”

  She hit the first notes of “How Do I Live Without You” before moving on to the soulful words of Van Morrison.

  After the couples circled the floor twice, the beat changed to a lively Jackson Browne tune and then a lively number by Teddy Thompson. The band continued to mix up the playlist with Gemma singing a couple of Reba McIntire favorites mixed with Shania Twain.

  Dale took them into the break with piano chords from one of Queen’s number one hits. Needing to hydrate, Lando left his guitar on stage while the band scattered to the four corners of the bar. Gemma made a beeline to where Lianne had ordered her a soft drink. Gulping it down, she plopped into a chair across from Lydia and Paul.

  Fanning her face, Gemma tried to catch her breath. “I’m glad to see you guys here tonight.”

  “Wild set,” Lydia remarked. “When did you guys start playing a mixed bag?”

  Paul leaned in over the background chatter. “Lydia favors country and western tunes. Me? I like the variety. Keeps everyone on their toes not knowing what to expect.”

  Lianne squeezed Luke’s hand. “We like the different songs, too. This is becoming our regular date night. We love it because we get to dance to a variety of music.”

  “Thanks. For the second half, we’ll probably keep people guessing.”

  Lando leaned over Gemma’s shoulder. “Take a look at what’s happening behind you.”

  Gemma twisted in her chair to see Radley, always a fan favorite, buying drinks for the women hanging around the stage. Radley like to chat them up, take requests, and, for a schoolteacher, soak up the local celebrity angle for one night as much as he could, for as long as he could.

  But Gemma locked in on the one woman who stood out. Tiffany Ringgold stood next to the drummer, arms draped around Radley, fawning over him like he was Ringo Starr. The phony display of affection caused a tidal wave of anger to soar through her. “What’s she up to now?”

  “I’m afraid to ask,” Lando stated, pointing back to the bar where Brandt Lewis stood watching his girlfriend visibly flirt with another man. “Why do I get the nagging belief that this will not end well?”

  “Because everything Tiffany touches somehow ends up in flames. Someone needs to warn Radley that he’s playing with fire.”

  “Time for the second act,” Lando reminded her, helping her get to her feet. “I’d better take him aside before Lewis explodes.”

  But as Lando and Gemma took the stage, Tiffany still clung to Radley like a vine, causing the drummer to be the last band member to join them.

  Back under the spotlight, Radley showed off his skills by doing a drum solo, no doubt for Tiffany’s benefit. Everyone whooped and hollered except Brandt Lewis. Not surprising given the evil eye the man sent to the teacher.

  Gemma sensed trouble in the air. She quickly huddled with the other members to come up with the next song. Deciding on a tune that might lighten the mood, she belted out a feel-good version of “Alone” by Heart and several more by Jewel. From there, Lando took over on vocals, working his way through the set with songs from the Rolling Stones interspersed with Journey and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

  As the night grew later and later, and the crowd began to thin out, they wound things down with the soulful ballad “Stay” by the Zodiacs before sending them on their way with the Traveling Wilburys’ tune, “End of the Line.”

  After the last chord and melody, Gemma turned from the microphone exhausted. “I’ve never been so glad to get a show behind me.” She pointed to Radley. “And you, come with me.”

  “But I have a woman waiting for me.”

  “Tiffany? That won’t happen,” Gemma said, grabbing the drummer’s arm. Backstage, she went into a litany of things the woman had done. “And that’s just in the last week. Brandt’s wife went missing, and they found her dead. Do you want to mess with those kinds of people? I don’t think so.”

  Clearly moved by the information, Radley swallowed hard. “Why didn’t someone stop me from acting like a fool?”

  Lando rolled his eyes as he packed up his guitar. “You obviously loved the attention. Tiffany came on strong. No one knows why. But I saw Brandt’s eyes and they were filled with jealousy eating him up. You don’t want to step into the middle of anything that dark.”

  “Hey, it’s not like I’ve found my soul mate like you guys. Or like Dale, seriously dating a fantastic woman. All the good ones seem to be taken already. Some of us are still out there drowning in a sea of terrible choices.”

  Jimmy slapped Radley on the back. “From now on, just try and stay away from the women with noticeably visible claws. Try to use better judgment.”

  “So, you all knew?” Radley charged, glancing from one to the other.

  Bosco bumped the drummer’s shoulder. “Relax. We all get caught up in these gigs. You aren’t the only one putting yourself out there. I’m single, and this is all I look forward to all week. Standing behind that bar every night, waiting on a string of women who come in here hoping to find a husband, the whole scene is depressing. This gig is the only joy I get.”

  “We just don’t want you giving Brandt Lewis a reason to wait for you outside in the parking lot,” Gemma supplied. “Take it from us, Tiffany isn’t worth a beating or something much worse.”

  That statement proved it had merit once they’d packed up their instruments and headed outside. Lando spotted Brandt Lewis waiting beside Radley’s car. He sauntered over to confront Talia’s husband. “Can we help you with anything?”

  “Does Fisk always have someone fighting his battles for him?”

  Lando shifted his feet in a stance that meant he was done putting up with this guy. “I’m the Chief of Police. Part of that job description means keeping the peace. You want trouble tonight, Lewis? I’m more than willing to accommodate that.”

  The members of Fortitude circled Lando in support. “Look, Radley didn’t know anything about your relationship wit
h Tiffany. He does now. In fact, the entire bar knows, don’t they? Which brings me to a request. I’d still like to interview you at the station about your wife’s murder.”

  Brandt smiled. “My lawyer isn’t going to allow that.”

  “But does your lawyer know you’re out here in the parking lot waiting to confront some poor sap because he flirted with your mistress? I doubt he knows that. I doubt he would approve.”

  “Fine,” Brandt spat out. His eyes moved to land on Radley. “Just stay away from Tiffany. You got that?”

  Radley took a step forward. “Sure. You’re welcome to her. Now get away from my car.”

  “That was intense,” Gemma said as Radley loaded up his drums.

  “You were right. Lewis was waiting out here for me.”

  “It wasn’t difficult to pick up on, the way Lewis kept glaring at you the entire time was the tip-off.”

  “I wasn’t paying any mind, too focused on the attention from Tiffany. I’m an idiot.”

  “No, you’re pretty typical, a man caught up in the flirtations of a woman seeking attention from someone else, however misguided, however short-lived.”

  “Do you really think Lewis could’ve done away with his wife?”

  “It’s a distinct possibility.”

  14

  Sunday morning broke with gray skies and a chance for showers later in the day.

  The dogs got Gemma out of bed early, refusing to settle down even after they went outside. She used the opportunity to fix a big breakfast before having to head over to Captain Jack’s to work her shift. Although Luke and Lianne had agreed to relieve her after lunch, she still had to get through the busiest Sunday rush—the after-church crowd dropping in for brunch.

  She laid out strips of bacon in a skillet, then whipped up scrambled eggs. She was in the process of setting the table when Lando walked into the kitchen, fully dressed in a white shirt and jeans.

  “Wait a minute, you look like you’re going somewhere.”