Sharpe Wit

by Lisa B. Thomas

  Hurley looked at the treat Deena offered him as a consolation prize for having to stay at the house. His mournful brown eyes told her he wasn’t buying it. She dropped it at his feet and promised to take him for a walk later that evening. It was in moments like that when Deena really respected women with children. It was hard enough to keep her husband and dog happy—she couldn’t imagine how she’d have also managed kids.

  She made the short drive back to the bank, ready to confront Leslie and get more details. It was obvious when the girl laid eyes on Deena that she knew something was up. As Deena approached, Leslie asked the head teller if she could take a break, but before she could disappear into the back room, Deena called her name and asked to speak to her.

  The other teller smiled warmly at Deena and then gave Leslie a look that said, “The customer is always right. Now take care of this like a good busy bee.”

  “Can we speak in private?” Deena asked.

  Leslie nodded and led the way out the front of the bank to a side patio that probably served as an employee smoking area before smoking was banned altogether at the bank. They sat in chairs at a table shaded with an umbrella. No one else was around.

  “I told you everything this morning, Mrs. Sharpe. What more do you want?”

  “Everything?” Deena repeated. “You didn’t mention that you used to work with Kitty and Clay at Freddy’s. Or how Mr. Cooper’s ID and bank slip ended up in another man’s pocket.”

  Leslie’s shoulders slumped. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her skirt and squeezed it like a security blanket.

  Deena continued. “Let’s start with the first point. This visit to the bank was all set up in advance, right?”

  Leslie nodded. “Kitty asked me. She needed to get something out of the safe deposit box without her grandfather knowing. I didn’t want to do it, but she’s my friend, you know?”

  “You took a big chance to help out a friend. You could have been fired.”

  “I know. Marcie chewed my head off but said she’d give me another chance since they’d just spent all that time training me. I’ll never do anything like that again, that’s for sure.”

  “What about the safe deposit box? Did you get a look at what was inside when you opened it?”

  “Just what was on top. Some papers, an envelope—I wasn’t really paying attention.” She turned the phone around in her hands, not making eye contact with Deena.

  “What about Kitty? Did you see what she took out of the box?”

  “No, I was standing lookout. She was pretty fast. Plus, I don’t think you are supposed to watch while the client is looking in the box.”

  So now she was a rules follower. Ironic. “But you do know she took something, right?”

  Leslie looked up. “I guess. I mean, I heard papers rattle when she put them in her purse.”

  Deena pictured the scene, like something from one of those cop shows, except Kitty didn’t have a stocking cap pulled down over her face. “Okay, but what about the other thing? The ID and bank receipt. Did you give them to Kitty?”

  Leslie hesitated just long enough before saying yes that Deena knew she was hiding something.

  “What?” Deena leaned in. “This is your chance to tell the truth and come clean.”

  Leslie pursed her lips. “It’s no big deal, but Kitty left them on the counter where she had gone through the box. After she left, I saw them and took them to her.”

  “Was she still in the bank?”

  “She was in the parking lot about to drive off. She rolled down her grandfather’s window, and I slid them into his shirt pocket. Then they drove away.”

  “Kitty and her grandfather?”

  “And Clay.”

  “Clay was there too?”

  “Yes.”

  Deena pictured it. Two people and an old man in a dark-red car. “One last question. Did you get a good look at Mr. Cooper? Did he look like he was ill?”

  Leslie stood up, still clutching the cell phone. “I don’t know. His head was down and he was wearing a cap, so I really couldn’t see his face. It wouldn’t have mattered though since I’d never met him before that day anyway.”

  The hairs on Deena’s arms stood up like a hundred tiny soldiers about to march into battle. She may not have known what the full picture looked like, but she was pretty sure she’d just found another piece of the puzzle.

  AS SHE HEADED TO HER car, Deena noticed a red Mercedes pulling into the back of the parking lot. For a moment, it seemed funny—like something all Mercedes owners must do. Then she saw Gary unfold his tall body from the small vehicle.

  She stopped in her tracks and waited as he walked up. “Are you spying on me now or what?”

  “Not hardly. We got a call to come down and pick up some papers. I told Scott I would do it since I assumed you wouldn’t be home yet.”

  Deena grinned and took his arm. “You’ll never guess what I just found out.”

  “Can it wait? I told Marcie I’d be right over, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  “Marcie? I’ll go with you.”

  They went inside and Judy Fritz grinned and greeted Deena for the third time that day. “You know, Mrs. Sharpe, we’re just going to have to get you your own office if you keep spending so much time here.”

  Deena smiled. “Marcie Phillips called. She asked us to come by.” She used the word “us” loosely, of course.

  Before long, they were sitting in the woman’s office and it was obvious she was none too excited to see Deena. Her face was pale as though she’d applied kabuki makeup. “Again, I want to apologize to you, Mr. Sharpe. My behavior yesterday was totally out of character. I—”

  “No need to say another word.” Gary held up his hand. “We all have bad days, right, honey?”

  Deena wondered why her husband had brought her up in the conversation. “Uh, sure.”

  “You are both too kind. Now Mr. Sharpe, I notarized these documents . . .”

  Deena stared at the woman across the desk and thought of something. She blurted out a question. “Does the bank have surveillance cameras inside and outside the bank?”

  Gary turned to her. “Deena, you’re interrupting.”

  “I’m sorry. But do they?”

  Marcie straightened her back. “I am not in charge of security, but I’m sure we do.”

  Deena nodded. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at home.” She gave Gary a peck on the cheek and left the office.

  If the police could look at the security footage, maybe they could see who was really in the car that day with Kitty and Clay. She was ready to bet dollars to doughnuts that it wasn’t Edwin Cooper.

  It was Rocky B.

  Chapter 15

  Going through her notes, Deena wasn’t sure what to do next. She tapped her pen on the table, causing Hurley to look up with big eyes and wag his tail. “Sorry, boy, it’s not time for a walk just yet.”

  She studied the list she’d started writing. Why would Kitty and Clay have taken Rocky to the bank with them? Did they cause his heart attack? How did he end up at the café? She knew the information was important, but she wasn’t sure what to do with it. If she told Dan, he’d tell her to follow up on it. He wouldn’t want her to go to the police so that the newspaper could be the first to report on it. That left a sour taste in her mouth.

  Her natural instinct would be to tell Ian. After all, he was Edwin’s attorney, and this was Edwin’s granddaughter. He would be the one who had the Coopers’ best interest at heart. But what would Ian do? Probably tell her to report it to the police. They were the people best equipped to handle an investigation into legal matters.

  She was a reporter, after all. Shouldn’t she be reporting on what the police found out instead of heading up her own investigation? She never wanted to be at odds with the police as long as they were doing their jobs. It wasn’t as if they’d been derelict in their duties or tried to cover something up.

  But then, what would Dan say? He’d only be
en in his position as the Tribune’s editor for a few months. Could she really go in and question his judgment?

  Ugh. Maybe Gary could help her sort it out. She added more questions to her list.

  A few minutes later, Gary walked in and set his briefcase on the kitchen table, paying no attention to Hurley or the stack of mail. He turned to Deena and crossed his arms. “So, are you ready to get into it?”

  “You bet,” she said. “I’ve been compiling my notes on the story and—”

  “Not that,” Gary snapped.

  Deena drew in a quick breath. She wasn’t used to her husband being snippy to her. “What do you mean?”

  Gary plunged his hands into his pockets and began to pace. “I don’t know if you realize this, but for the past few days you have been completely obsessed with this story—if it even is a story. The Granger murder was one thing. There was a killer to uncover. But this? Where’s the ‘major crime’ you are supposed to be reporting on?”

  She followed him with her eyes as he marched back and forth. “I’m investigating. It’s my job.” Even as the words came out of her mouth, she wasn’t sure she believed them.

  “Is it? I mean, is it your job, or is it your life?”

  She waved a hand. “Sit down. You’re making me dizzy.”

  Gary sighed and took the seat across the table from her.

  With him seated, she said, “Now, what exactly are you getting at?”

  Gary stared at the center of the table for a minute as though the answer lay somewhere between them. At last he said, “When you first quit teaching, you seemed lost until you took the job at the newspaper. After a time, you quit. Do you remember why?”

  Deena felt a headache coming on. “Sure. Ian offered me a job as an investigator for his law firm and I took it.”

  Gary shook his head. “That’s not exactly right.”

  The annoyance level kicked up another notch. “What is this, This Is Your Life? Can’t you just say what you want to say?”

  Apparently not.

  Gary steepled his fingers. “You said you didn’t want to work for the newspaper because you were worried you’d become cynical like Dan.”

  That rang a bell with Deena. She remembered the conversation. Was Gary trying to say she was turning into Dan?

  “You loved working for Ian. You said it fulfilled that part of you that was all about finding justice for those who were falsely accused.”

  She bristled. “As you recall, I got fired from that job.”

  “Not fired,” Gary said, “let go because of funding. That’s why you took the job working major crimes for the newspaper.”

  “Great. Now that we’ve reviewed my wonky career moves, can we talk about dinner? I’m starving.” She started to get up.

  “Deena, think about it. Dan is sucking you back in. You’ve only been on this case two days and already I’ve seen a change in you.”

  She sat back down. “How so?”

  “I’ve made the biggest move in my career in thirty years and you couldn’t even be bothered to come to the office with me to pitch in.”

  Deena rubbed her forehead as her temples began to throb. “Is that what this is about? You feel neglected?”

  “In a way, yes. But it’s not me, it’s you. You aren’t neglecting me to find justice for someone who was wronged, you are trying to impress Dan. Write a good story. Get recognition. And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you’re honest with yourself—and with me.”

  Deena stared at her husband. He was right. She’d lost sight of her purpose and had shifted priorities. Not only that, but it was affecting her marriage. She had hoped Gary could help her sort things out, and now he had.

  She got up from the table and headed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight.

  Gary pulled her into his lap and brushed back her hair. “Why are you crying?”

  Through sniffles, the words flooded out. “You are right. I’ve gotten my priorities all mixed up. I was serving the newspaper instead of my own conscience. How did you get to be so smart?”

  “And handsome. Don’t forget handsome.”

  * * *

  BEFORE LONG, DEENA was elbow deep in red meat. She molded the ground beef into large patties as Gary prepared the grill. They ate hamburgers on the patio even though there was a slight chill in the air. They clinked their beer bottles together as a toast to Gary’s new business.

  Deena laughed as Gary told her the day’s exploits with Vera suggesting inappropriate taglines to add to her telephone greeting. Apparently, Russell and Cliff had offered up a few X-rated ones. He showed Deena a picture he’d taken of all the leftover hardware from the furniture assembly, saying he hoped the conference room chairs would hold up.

  Eventually, they got around to discussing the latest details Deena had learned about Kitty and Clay at the bank.

  “Before you came home,” she said, “I was wondering what to do with the information.”

  “Seems obvious to me,” Gary said and swallowed down the rest of his beer. “Tell Guttman.”

  She nodded. “I was thinking about telling Ian.”

  “You could tell them both, but I’d start with the police. You wouldn’t want to be accused of withholding information relative to a crime.”

  “What crime?” she asked.

  “Exactly.”

  Deena and Gary picked up their dishes and went inside.

  Deena set hers on the counter. “The police will want to know what happened to Rocky and what the couple had to do with his death, if anything. Maybe Kitty and Clay know his real identity.”

  Gary rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. “I sure hope they weren’t involved in anything more than ripping off her grandfather, which is probably a crime in itself.”

  Deena threw down the dish towel. “Really? Do you think the police know?”

  “You said you talked to Ian, right? He may have told them.”

  Deena’s cell phone rang. She saw it was Dan and almost didn’t answer.

  As usual, he skipped the greeting. “A source at the station said they just picked up Kitty Cooper on charges of elder abuse. I don’t know if it’s related to the case, but you need to get down there right away. See if she’ll talk to you before she lawyers up.”

  Deena let out a deep breath. “Don’t you have Crosby covering the police beat?”

  “Deena, this is your story.”

  “But—”

  He hung up before she could pin him down. She set her cell phone on the counter.

  Gary closed the dishwasher. “Dan?”

  “Yep. You were right. Apparently, Kitty was arrested on a charge of elder abuse. He wants me to go down there now and interview her.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Deena looked around and saw Hurley sitting by the door where his leash hung on the coat rack. “I promised Hurley I’d take him for a walk, and I think I should keep my promise. I can go to the station and talk to Kitty in the morning. Then, unless she confesses to murdering Rocky B. or something, I’m going to talk to Dan and ask him to reassign the story.”

  “Good for you.” Gary followed her to the front door. “Hopefully there won’t be any major crimes to deal with for a while.”

  They hooked the leash on Hurley and headed out for a nice, relaxing walk around the neighborhood.

  Chapter 16

  Deena was sound asleep when her cell phone rang and woke her up. She grabbed it, thinking Gary was still asleep and not wanting it to wake him.

  “Hello?”

  “What did you find out from the Cooper girl?”

  “Dan?” She blinked her eyes into focus.

  “Yeah. What did she say?”

  “Nothing.” Deena could hear the shower running and realized Gary was already up. It must have been later in the morning than she thought.

  “You mean she wouldn’t talk to you? Who’s her lawyer?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t go t
o the jail last night.”

  There was a long silence on the other end of the line. When Dan didn’t say anything, she said, “I’m coming to the office to talk to you. I’ll be there soon.”

  “Not until you’ve interviewed the girl.” He hung up.

  She was in hot water now, but she didn’t really care. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal to swing by the jail and see if Kitty was still there. Chances were she’d seen the judge early this morning and had already bonded out.

  It was Edwin she was more concerned about. Did he know about the arrest? It was unfathomable to think he went along with the charge of elder abuse, but then maybe she didn’t know him like she thought she did. He could be a little cantankerous at times. As soon as she finished at the jail and talked to Dan, she’d go over to check on Edwin.

  Without bothering to shower, Deena dressed and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible. It wasn’t easy since the bags under her eyes were the color of coffee.

  Coffee. Just as she headed to the kitchen, she heard the shower cut off. She made two cups and sat at the kitchen table, trying to decide exactly what she intended to tell Dan. She’d just about had her little spiel memorized when Gary walked out of the bedroom dressed in khakis and a polo shirt.

  “You’re up early,” he said and took the cup she offered.

  “Dan called. I told him I would come down to the office, but he wants me to go by the jail first.”

  Gary opened the patio door to let Hurley out. “Don’t let him manipulate you. Remember, major crimes only. I don’t think ripping off grandpa falls under that category.”

  “Got it, chief.” She took a big gulp and went to the kitchen to fill her travel mug. “I assume by the way you’re dressed that you aren’t seeing clients yet.”