Murder Worthy

by Michael Connelly

  She knew better now, though. Reaching into her left boot, she lifted the sole and pulled out the bundle of notes that she’d stashed there and handed it to him. She watched in silence as he counted them out.

  “Is this it?” he snapped, looking up at her from the threadbare couch where he sat.

  “It’s not my fault. It was really quiet last night.” She tried to hold his gaze as he stared at her, but she couldn’t and had to look away. In an instant, he was on his feet and gripped her face in one hand, squeezing hard. She could feel his hot breath on her face as he brought his face close to hers.

  “Do you take me for a fool?”

  She tried to shake her head but couldn’t; his grip on her face was too tight.

  “If I find you’re keeping a little something back for yourself, I’ll kill you. You know that, right?” he hissed in her face.

  This time she managed a nod.

  “Well, I guess this will have to do, then,” he said, letting go of her face and stuffing the bills in the pocket of his pants. “I’ll see you in a couple of days and you’d better have more for me next time.”

  She didn’t move until he slammed the apartment door behind him. Rushing to it, she leaned against it until she heard the downstairs door open and then close. Satisfied that he’d gone, she bolted the door and walked over to the couch and sat down, her knees trembling and her heart beating way too fast.

  After waiting for a few minutes, just to be sure that he wasn’t going to come back again, she took her remaining boot off and pulled out the few bills she’d stashed there. She knew that if he ever checked she’d be dead, but it was a risk she was prepared to take. She’d never be able to get away from him, from this life, if she didn’t have a bit of money put aside.

  Standing up, she pulled the couch away from the wall and dropped to her knees. Finding what she was looking for, she pried up one of the floorboards with her fingernails. It came away easily in her hand, revealing a small space underneath. Taking the plastic bag that was hidden there, she opened it and took out a bundle of bills, adding today’s to the pile. She had about a thousand bucks put aside now. Clutching the bundle to her chest as she knelt there on the floor, she closed her eyes briefly and allowed herself to imagine a different life.

  She’d already decided where she would go. Florida. She imagined herself getting a little apartment, a nice clean one where she didn’t have to worry about roaches crawling over her as she slept, and a job. Waitressing, probably, as she couldn’t do anything else, but as long as it wasn’t selling herself she was fine with that. The thought brought a smile to her lips and reinforced her determination. She would get out of here. She just had to.

  After putting the money back and moving the couch back into position she took a quick shower, scrubbing every inch of her skin, before pulling the fold-away bed down from the wall and crawling under the covers. She was exhausted.

  Sleep eluded her, though, as it usually did. Inevitably, her thoughts turned again to that day when she had met Billy for the first time. He was Billy to her then, before he revealed his true intentions and told her that his street name was Blade and that was what she should call him.

  She had been so frightened and confused when he’d found her by the side of the road that day that she had just been grateful to see a friendly face and had accepted his offer of a ride. She’d instantly passed out again on the back seat and when she had woken several hours later, she had been in a warm, comfortable bed and her wounds had been cleaned. For the first couple of days she had remained there, too exhausted to do anything other than recover, but once her strength had started to return she had started asking questions.

  What she had discovered had shocked her to the core. Billy had explained that he had been driving back from visiting a friend when he had come across her at the side of the road, three hundred miles from where she now lay, and had instantly recognized her from the TV. He’d explained that she was wanted for the murder of a shopkeeper following a robbery gone bad, and that her photo had been all over the local TV news.

  Rather than turn her in, he had brought her here and was prepared to look after her. What choice did she have? She couldn’t go to the hospital or the police, despite not knowing so much as her own name, or she would have been instantly thrown in jail. So, she’d gradually come to rely on Billy more and more.

  It was several weeks later that things changed. She’d been watching TV, waiting for him to come home, when she’d heard his key in the lock, along with another voice she didn’t recognize. Taking her to one side, he’d explained that he owed quite a lot of money to this man and could she, just this once, take care of it for him? She’d been confused at first, not realizing immediately what he meant, but then what he was asking of her dawned on her.

  She’d refused at first, disgusted that he would even ask, foolishly believing that she had a choice. Her tears hadn’t swayed him, though, and it hadn’t taken him long to point out that her alternatives were limited.

  If she didn’t do as he asked, didn’t help him out of the situation after all he’d done for her, then why should he keep her secret? Why shouldn’t he just go right then and tell the police exactly where she was? She’d broken down then, pleading with him not to make her do it, but he’d just gotten angry and slapped her across the face and told her to do as she was told.

  She’d been completely numb as she’d followed the stranger into the bedroom and allowed him on top of her. It hadn’t taken long, a matter of minutes, but after that, there had been no going back.

  It happened more and more often until it didn’t even come as a shock when she realized money was changing hands and she was not helping him pay off his debts as she’d been told.

  It had been a short step from there to where she was now, selling her body to line his pockets and trying to hide enough away to make a new start somewhere else.

  Exhaustion finally overtook her and sleep came.

  17

  Everybody had left and she was finally alone, the only sound the tapping of the raindrops as they hit the leaves on their way to the ground. Beth barely noticed. Looking at the twin mounds of freshly turned earth in front of her, she couldn’t believe that her only sister was dead, killed by the drunk driver that had ploughed into her car, killing her brother-in-law, too. It took a huge effort to turn away and look toward the car waiting for her nearby with the lone figure of her nephew waiting for her, holding an umbrella.

  Saying a last goodbye, she turned and picked her way across the sodden ground.

  “I’m so sorry, Neil.” She reached for his hand but he turned away, opening the car door for her before she could touch him. He didn’t speak until they were both in the car and out of the rain. He reached for the ignition but then stopped, his hand resting on the keys.

  “Why didn’t you come? She needed you,” he said, not looking at her.

  She knew exactly what he meant. Andrew had been missing for eighteen months now. When she’d first received the news, she’d been devastated and had called her sister every day. She’d convinced herself that she didn’t need to come because the local police were doing everything they could. She knew that because she was a cop herself.

  To reassure herself, she’d made contact with the local chief of police and she’d been satisfied that he knew what he was doing. As time had gone on, with no news, the phone calls had started to wane until they’d dwindled to one every couple of weeks. She’d been so wrapped up in herself, in trying to keep her job after her unauthorized jaunt to the UK with her old partner, Kyle, that she’d told herself that her sister had her husband; she didn’t need her getting under her feet.

  Looking out of the car window at the graves, she knew that her decision to put her job first would haunt her for the rest of her life.

  “I don’t know what to say, Neil. I was wrong. I’m here now, though, and I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

  He didn’t reply; he merely n
odded and started the car.

  18

  The day dawned with not a cloud in sight and the bright sunlight on her eyelids woke her. For a blissful moment, a brief millisecond, she forgot why she was here, in her sister’s house, but then it all came back to her. She was gone.

  They’d never been close, even growing up, but they’d always loved each other. They’d come from a good local family and their parents had had high ambitions for them. Beth had let them down, though, and, after causing a local scandal, had left home at nineteen and had never returned. Even for her parents’ funerals.

  It felt strange being back, and she almost felt like that frightened kid again. But she was a different person now. She’d gone through a lot after she’d left, but she’d dragged herself up and she was proud of what she’d achieved. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to become a narcotics detective with the LAPD.

  Throwing back the covers, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower and change. It was the reading of the will today and the family lawyer was coming over. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but he had been clear on the phone that they all needed to be there.

  The pounding of the hot jets of water on her shoulders helped ease some of her tension but, after stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, the mirror told her that her face was still puffy from all the crying she had done the day before.

  Hiding it as best she could under carefully applied make up, she got dressed. Not wanting to wear jeans for what was a formal occasion, she dressed in simple black pants with a short sleeved green blouse. Checking herself in the mirror a final time, she took a deep steadying breath and headed downstairs.

  Jude Cassidy, the senior partner of the only law firm in town, was dressed formally in a dark suit and tie, and was seated behind the desk in the study while she, Neil and Marrie had taken chairs on the other side, facing him.

  The atmosphere was relaxed, if somber, as they all knew what the will would contain. Beth didn’t expect to receive anything, didn’t want anything. In fact, she was quite happy with what she had. And, with Andrew missing, it was expected that the entire estate would pass to Neil. None of them saw this reading as anything other than a formality.

  “How long is this going to take?” Marrie asked impatiently.

  Beth had to bite her tongue. She’d only just met Neil’s new wife, but she hadn’t taken to her. She seemed hard, calculating even, and she hadn’t shown any signs of grief at the loss of her in-laws. Surreptitiously glancing across at her now, Beth thought she looked excited, with not a trace of respect for the occasion on her features at all.

  Mentally chiding herself for being so quick to judge, Beth pushed her thoughts aside. She knew nothing about her. There must be something about her to love or Neil would never have married her. It clearly just wasn’t immediately obvious.

  “If we’re all ready, I’ll get started,” the lawyer said, ignoring Marrie’s question.

  The will was short and it didn’t take long for him to read it through to the end. It was not at all what they had expected and when he had finished, there was complete silence in the room, a stunned silence from everyone. Marrie was the first to react.

  “You’ve got to be shitting me!” she shouted. “They can’t do that!”

  “I assure you, madam, that the document is perfectly legal. I drew it up myself.”

  “Calm down, Marrie!” Neil hissed at her.

  “Calm down? Calm the hell down? Didn’t you hear what he just said?”

  “He’s right, Marrie, there’s no need for that.” Admittedly, the contents of the will had taken them all by surprise but she was totally overreacting.

  Rather than leave everything to Neil, as they’d been expecting, all assets were to be held in a trust, managed by Beth. It was to remain that way until Andrew was found, alive or dead. At that time, it would either pass to them both, if she was found alive, or the entire estate would pass to Neil. Until that time, though, Beth was to look after everything, including the business, and keep it intact.

  Turning to the lawyer, she smiled an apology for Marrie’s outburst. “Thank you for coming. I’ll see you out.” Leaving the room and closing the door on the sound of Marrie and Neil arguing, she walked him through the house to the front door. “So, what happens now?”

  “If you’d like to come to my office tomorrow, there are some documents I’ll need you to sign.” He slipped on his coat and opened the front door but didn’t immediately leave. “I knew you and your sister as little girls. My daughter was in the same class as she was. You probably don’t remember.”

  Beth shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t.”

  “They met up again after you’d already left town and became good friends.” He gave her a sad smile. “She knew that if anyone could find Andrew, you could. She was very proud of you.”

  The lump that formed in her throat made it impossible for her to speak and all she could do was watch as he left and got into his car, tears streaming down her face.

  19

  Two decades had passed since Beth had last seen him, but she knew that if she was going to do this, she was going to need his help. They’d been high school sweethearts, but she’d left town without even saying goodbye. She had no idea how he was going to react to seeing her now, and she was more nervous than she’d been about anything in years.

  The local police station was an old, two-story building on the main road through the town. It looked just as it did when she’d been in high school, down to the ‘E’ in ‘Police’ being at an odd angle. She was just about to walk up the steps and through the front door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

  “So you’re back, then?”

  She turned around and there he was. Lounging against the side of his cruiser, hands in the pockets of his uniform pants.

  God, she’d forgotten the effect he had on her; just looking at him again was making her stomach tie itself in knots and she wasn’t entirely sure it was just because she was nervous. Time had been good to him and he obviously took care of himself. He could have passed for a man in his late twenties, not one approaching forty.

  “Yes, it was the funeral today.”

  He nodded, the frown on his face softening. “Of course. I’m truly sorry for your loss. They were good folks.”

  “Thank you. Yes, they were.” She waited, expecting him to say something, anything, about what had happened all those years ago, but he said nothing.

  “So what are you doing here?” he asked casually, nodding towards the police station.

  She was surprised. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this, this casual conversation, as if they’d seen each other just last week. “I’m here about my niece, Andrew.”

  “Well, you’ll probably want to speak to the chief about that. I think he’s in his office. If you go in and speak to them at the desk, they’ll point you in the right direction.” He pushed himself off the cruiser and opened the door, preparing to get in. “It was good seeing you, Beth. Take care.”

  “Wait!” It came out as much more of a squeak than she’d intended.

  He turned back towards her, waiting for her to speak. “It was you I came to see, Finn. I need your help.” She took a deep breath. “You got time for a coffee?”

  It felt as if he was looking directly into her soul as he looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes, clearly weighing up his answer. With a curt nod, he agreed. “There’s a coffee shop across the street. I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes I’ve got a couple of jobs to do first.” And without another word he got in the cruiser and drove off, leaving Beth standing there looking after him.

  Glad that she had some time to pull herself together, she went in search of the coffee shop. She knew exactly where he meant, it had been a coffee shop when she’d lived here and Brecon Point was the kind of place that didn’t change much.

  Her reaction at seeing him had knocked her off b
alance. After all these years she had expected awkwardness, maybe some uncomfortable questions, but she hadn’t expected the physical reaction she had felt.

  She’d always regretted just leaving him without any kind of explanation but every time she’d been tempted to get in touch, she’d reminded herself that it was best for everyone involved if she didn’t. Including him. She’d never meant to hurt him, but it would have hurt him far more if she’d stayed.

  It felt strange walking down Main Street after all this time. Everything was familiar, and yet changed at the same time. The hairdresser was still where it had always been next to the grocery store, but the record shop where they’d all bought the latest music craze was gone, replaced with a garage workshop.

  Finding the coffee shop exactly where it had always been, she went inside and took a booth at the back, ordering a coffee from the waitress who immediately appeared.

  When he walked through the door exactly fifteen minutes later, she’d managed to re-group and was much more in control. She watched as he saw her, ordered a coffee at the counter then made his way over, sliding into the booth opposite her before speaking.

  “So, you said you needed my help. What can I do for you?”

  Beth searched his face for any sign that he was finding this as awkward as she, was but there was nothing. It was completely expressionless. He could have been sitting across the table from anybody. Well, that suited her; she was here for his help, not a trip down memory lane.

  “Yes, I did.” She had intended to apologize, to try and explain, but it appeared there was no need. “I’ve got to find Andrew, one way or another, and I need your help to do it.”

  The waitress picked that moment to come over with his coffee, cutting off his reply, and she was surprised at the stab of jealousy she felt when he winked at her as he said, “Thanks.”