Chapter 8
Settling Down
On Friday morning I didn't want to get up. I saw that it was nearly 7:00 a.m. and time to get ready for work, but I felt so warm and content next to Bart, I didn't want that feeling to come to an end. Finally, guilt overcame me and I vowed to get out of bed. Bart had one arm around me so I couldn't move without waking him. Finally, I gently lifted his arm and squeezed out from underneath it. He stirred but didn't wake up. The cold morning chill on my naked body made me shutter. I walked quickly to the closet, grabbed a robe, and then headed to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
When I got back to the bedroom, Bart was up and taking a shower. My efforts not to wake him apparently had been unsuccessful. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I dropped my robe and joined him in the shower. He was glad to see me. We made love under a stream of steaming hot water. It was definitely a very refreshing way to start the day.
Neither one of us had time for breakfast, so we grabbed a couple breakfast bars and left about eight. As I drove south on Preston Road, I couldn't help but think how nice it was waking up next to Bart. I wondered whether he had enjoyed it as much as I had. I had never considered settling down with anyone ... except Stan, of course. Was it time to face reality and move on? As painful as that thought was for me to contemplate, I had to face reality. Stan wasn't destined to be my lover, as much as I wanted it to be. Bart was a good man and we were quite compatible. Maybe it was time to give our relationship a chance to move to the next level. It might be just what we both needed to bring some joy in our lives. God knows we could both use some of that.
By the time I got to the office I had convinced myself that I needed to chart a course in that direction. I'd very subtly suggest that we might want to live together awhile just to see how it worked out—no commitments—just an experiment. Men usually hated commitments, so my plan seemed perfect. I couldn't wait until evening to see how he reacted to it.
When I ran into Jodie, she informed me that Stan wouldn't be in until noon as he had an appointment at the IRS office with his new client Robert Huntington. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to tell Stan about my new plan. I wondered how he'd take it. After organizing my desk and planning my day, I left to go to Baker Construction to meet with Ruth Rutherford, Don Baker's sister-in-law. There was a lot of traffic on LBJ Freeway so it took nearly an hour to get to Las Colinas. As I approached Williams Square I marveled at the herd of bronze horses galloping across the courtyard. They were so well crafted by the artist who had sculptured them that they appeared almost alive. I regretted that I personally had no artistic talent whatsoever.
Once inside, I announced myself to the receptionist. Jimmy Bennett came out to say hello. He was in a good mood laughing and flirting with one of the receptionist. I took the opportunity to ask him why he hadn't mentioned the divorce to me. That sobered him. He didn't have a good explanation. We talked a minute longer and then he led me to Ruth's office. She was an attractive middle-aged woman with dark hair and big brown eyes. The years had been good to her or she had found a good plastic surgeon, I wasn't sure which. We all chatted a moment and then Jimmy left us alone.
"So, how has everyone around here been taking Don's death?"
Ruth shrugged and replied, "Well, actually Don hadn't been spending a lot of time here since he acquired Metroplex Savings. He's pretty much left everything to Jimmy. Consequently, his death hasn't affected business that much. There's a lot of turnover in this industry anyway, so there's only a handful of the employees who knew Don very well."
"I see. Were you here last Saturday?"
"Yes."
"Did you witness the altercation between Don and Jimmy?"
"Part of it. I heard them arguing and, of course, stopped what I was doing so I could listen."
"Did you know that Betty had filed for divorce?"
"No. Not until Jimmy told Don that during the argument. I was shocked to hear it."
"Tell me what you heard them say?" I asked.
Ruth took a deep breath then replied, "Don was telling Jimmy about some potential investors who were coming into town to inspect the bank. Don had to come up with two million dollars in cash in a hurry or the OTS was going to shut them down and declare it insolvent. When Don asked Jimmy to pick up the investors from the airport and take them out on the town, Jimmy refused."
"Really. How did Don react to that?"
"He was very angry. He wanted to know why Jimmy wouldn't do it. Jimmy told him that he was through getting whores for him. That's when the news of the divorce came out. I don't think Jimmy had intended to tell him, but it just came out in the heat of the moment."
"So, then what happened?"
"At first the news shocked Don and he didn't say much. But then he started berating Jimmy. He told him he didn't blame his daughter for wanting a divorce. He told Jimmy he was an ungrateful leech who'd be living on the street had he not married the bosses' daughter.
"Jimmy responded with a few obscenities and then pushed Don. At this point Jimmy's brother John and a couple other employees interceded preventing the confrontation from escalating into a fist fight."
"I understand Jimmy left immediately after the altercation?"
"Yes."
"Did he say anything to you or anyone else before he left?"
"He talked a couple minutes with his brother and then stormed out. I heard the tires on his Dodge Ram squeal as he left the parking lot."
"Did Don leave at the same time?"
"No, he worked a little while longer in his office before he left. I put a couple calls through to him."
"Who did he talk to?"
"He called Congressman Manning who was his contact man for the new investors. I don't know what he told him. Then his girlfriend called."
"So, he didn't make any attempt to conceal his relationship with his girlfriend?"
"No, my sister knew about it. She put up with it because Don felt so guilty about what he was doing that he gave her whatever she wanted. She could travel anywhere, buy anything, and see anybody she felt like. It was a pretty sweet deal for her—at least she thought so."
"She never expressed any jealousy or resentment?"
"Not that I ever heard."
"I understand Don had some enemies both at work and amongst the customers of Metroplex Savings and Loan."
"I wouldn't know. The only person I know for sure didn't like Don was Jimmy's brother, John."
"Really? Why do you say that?"
"Don asked John to go out on the town with him and Jimmy on several occasions but John declined. He's a very religious person and hated that Don was encouraging Jimmy to cheat on his wife—not to mention drinking and smoking pot. He tried to get Jimmy to stand up to Don, but Jimmy thought he had to please his father-in-law or risk losing his job and his wife."
"Why? I'm sure that someone with as much talent and experience as Jimmy could easily find another job."
"Yeah, except for one minor problem."
"What's that?"
She frowned and shook her head. "He didn't tell you?"
"No. What?"
"He's got a little drug problem."
I sighed. "Oh. Jesus. That's just wonderful."
"It's not a big secret. I'm surprised he didn't mention it. He got fired from his last two jobs on account of it."
"What kind of drugs?"
"Cocaine. I'm afraid there's not another construction company in Texas who'd hire him."
I shook my head in disbelief. What else could I find out about Jimmy Bennett that would make his case any more difficult? Jesus! I had been searching for evidence to prove his innocence, yet aside from a few letters from angry customers, all I'd found was more and more evidence pointing to him as the killer.
I thanked Ruth and asked if she'd tell John Bennett I was ready to talk to him. I figured John would know a lot about his brother Jimmy and could elaborate on some of the revelations of the past twenty-four hours.
John was supposedly a religious man, so I hoped that meant he would be honest and forthright. But I wasn't taking anything for granted. I'd known plenty of men of the cloth who used the Lord simply to lure their victims into a false sense of security.
Ruth showed me to John's office. He stood up and we shook hands. There were two side chairs directly in front of John's elegant desk. I set my purse down on one side chair and sat in the other one. John Bennett was shorter than his brother and more muscular. He asked if I wanted a coke or a cup of coffee which I politely declined.
"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me," I said with a smile. "In the initial stages of an investigation I try to get to know my client and those around him as well as possible before I widen my inquiry."
John nodded. "That makes sense."
"Jimmy has told me a lot but there is still much more to learn. Clients forget or are reluctant to be perfectly candid for one reason or another. Even though what they tell me is privileged, they still often hold back. That's why I need you to tell me everything. Better I find out anything damaging now than later."
"Okay."
"Just in the last twenty-four hours I've learned two critical facts that Jimmy didn't tell me."
"Like what?" John asked.
"His drug problem and pending divorce."
He nodded. "You'll find Jimmy is a little paranoid from his drug addiction. He doesn't trust many people."
"You wouldn't know talking to him that he had an addiction."
"No, we got him to go to a clinic a few years back and he worked out the problem, but he has a lapse now and then."
"Is he under treatment now?"
"Nothing formal. He has a shrink that he visits when he needs help."
"What's his name?"
"Dr. Winston Rutledge III."
I wrote down the name and then asked, "Do you think when he found out that Betty had filed for divorce that he went looking for some cocaine?"
"It's possible, but I didn't see any evidence of it."
"When was the first time you saw him after the murder?"
"The next day after he posted bond."
"Your aunt told me that Jimmy talked to you just after his altercation with his father-in-law. I'm curious as to what he told you."
John's face dropped. He looked away and took a deep breath. I raised my eyebrows in anticipation. He turned and looked at me, “He said, ‘I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!'"
"Oh, great. That'll play well in court."
"You've got to understand; Jimmy has a short temper but he's not really the violent type. I've never known him to hurt anyone. He may threaten to kick your ass, but it's just talk."
"Well, unfortunately the jury isn't going to understand that. They're going to assume his threats are serious."
John nodded, "I've warned him many times to keep his big mouth shut, but he doesn't listen. It's just his nature to talk tough."
"Help me out, John. I'm trying to build up a defense here, but so far I've come up with nothing. I've either got to find an alibi for Jimmy or find someone else to pin the murder on. You have any ideas?"
John took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm not sure he was just driving around all by himself letting off steam."
"What do you mean?" I asked. "You think he was with someone."
"Jimmy's not a loner. He usually seeks companionship when he's upset. He may have picked up someone to keep him company."
"You have any idea who it was, or why he would lie about it?"
"No, it's just a feeling."
"Hmm. If you think of anyone, please let me know."
"I will."
"Before I leave, I'm afraid I've got to ask you some delicate questions. Please don't take offense, but I've got to be thorough."
"What do you mean?"
"It's been suggested that you didn't like Don much."
He laughed. "That's a given."
"And you probably didn't like Amanda Black much if it's true she was a hooker."
"Don was a sinful man if I ever knew one. He lacked any sense of morality or conscience. He was a greedy, power-hungry tyrant who would do anything to get what he wanted. Even though Jesus teaches us to love all God's children, I found it hard to even tolerate Don Baker. As for Amanda, well she wasn't a bad person, just weak as we all are."
"So, where were you the night Don and Amanda were killed?"
"At home with my wife and family."
"Do you have a big family?"
"We have two children. They were out with their friends that night, but they were all home by midnight."
"You don't mind if I talk to your wife, do you?"
"No, be my guest."
So far John was the closest thing I had to another suspect. He definitely had a motive to kill Don, and Amanda was a sinner in his book, so it may not have bothered him too much to kill her as well. His alibi was weak in that his wife would surely lie for him if she thought it would protect him. But he didn't seem like a killer. His religious beliefs seemed sincere. As much as I wanted to have another suspect, I was afraid John Bennett just didn't fill the bill.
Black Monday, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 7 Page 8
