Sinner or Saint

by Brenda Donelan

  “No shots fired.”

  “Anyone arrested? Any suspects?” Bridget asked.

  “Nothing was said other than a brief description of a man with a black mask and black clothing waiving a gun and demanding jewelry that’s kept in a locked safe,” Teo said.

  “Was more than one person involved?” Marlee said.

  “Grandma only heard the part about the guy in black with the gun. Then Wheel of Fortune came on, and it distracted her. She loves The Wheel.”

  “Do you know Conrad Thayer? He lives out at Summerset?” Marlee asked, switching tactics.

  “Um, everyone knows that guy. He’s quite the, um, character,” Teo said, looking at the carpet as he spoke.

  “When you say ‘character’ I assume you mean it in a negative way,” Marlee said softly, trying to elicit an honest response from the pizza delivery person.

  “To put it mildly. I’ve delivered pizza to him in the past, and he invited me in to see some really weird shit that he collects. Not to be rude, but he’s a wacko! Now when he orders from us, I send out one of the newbie drivers. There’s no way I’m going back in that house.”

  “It sounds like you’re really creeped out by Conrad. Did he harass you?” Bridget asked.

  Teo shuffled his white athletic shoes on the carpet. “No, not really. He answered the door wearing chaps, red underwear, and a cape. The cape was pulled around him, so I didn’t see the chaps and underwear until we were in a small room upstairs. He started talking about his sexy girlfriend and how they were interested in bringing someone else into the bedroom with them. That’s when I left. I didn’t even collect the money for the pizza. I paid for it out of my own pocket. Since then, I haven’t been back to that old pervert’s house.”

  “Did Kelsey text you that she was staying there?” Marlee asked.

  “Yeah, and when she did, I told her to get out before she became one of the mounted heads in the trophy room!”

  As far as hiding spots, it wasn’t bad. I’ve hidden out under worse circumstances. Hell, I’ve lived in worse places.

  Chapter 28

  The only mall in town didn’t open until 10:00 in the morning. Bridget, who again stayed overnight at her cousin’s house, was first to rise and made the coffee and a breakfast casserole. By the time Marlee rolled out of bed, there was plenty of time to eat, shower, and drive to the mall before it opened.

  After three cups of coffee strong enough to peel paint off the wall and a generous helping of the breakfast dish, Marlee hopped into the shower. She wet her hair, forgoing the shampoo and lathered her body until she felt clean. Dressed in an old pair of Levi’s that hadn’t fit for months, she felt on top of the world. To top it off, she pulled on a green tartan sweater purchased in Ireland and completed the look with green Connemara earrings and a matching ring. She might not be in Ireland anymore, but she had the luck of the Irish working for her this morning.

  “So, what’s our approach?” Bridget asked as they drove the three miles to the mall.

  “I need to confront Matt Lemming about being Conrad’s appraiser. As soon as he confirms that, then I’m going to accuse him of being part of an organized ring that swindled Conrad.”

  Bridget gave Marlee a sidelong glance. “And you expect that to work?”

  “I’d be very surprised if it did. That’s how I’m going to start the conversation, and we’ll see where it goes from there. This is going to be an exercise in improv.” Marlee knew she needed to be at the top of her game to ensnare Matt in the emerald conspiracy. Even more important than that, she hoped to get information as to the whereabouts of Kelsey, Patrick, and Ian.

  It was fifteen minutes before Lemming Jewelry was scheduled to open. The chain link gate was pulled from the ceiling to the floor, waiting to be lifted at exactly 10:00 a.m. Marlee walked in front of the fence, hoping to see Matt or one of the employees. When no one was visible, Marlee took her key ring from her purse and dragged the set of keys against the chain link gate until a smiling man in his 50s approached the front of the store.

  “Just a few more minutes, and we’ll be open for business,” he said in a cheerful tone.

  “Are you the owner?” Marlee inquired, still dragging the keys across the gate.

  “Yes, I’m Matt Lemming, owner and operator. If you give me just a minute, I’ll grab the keys and let you in.” He scurried off toward the back of the store, around the glass cases of assorted jewelry and appeared with a giant ring of keys in hand.

  Matt flicked on the overhead lights and utilized multiple keys on the ring to raise the gate. “Please come in,” he said, motioning Marlee and Bridget toward the center of the store. “How can I help you? Are you looking for something in particular?”

  “We heard there was a break-in here last night. Was anybody arrested?” Marlee asked, not even trying to build rapport with the owner before launching into a line of questions.

  Matt threw his head back and laughed. “No, it was just an unfortunate miscommunication with one of my employees. Everything’s been straightened out. Now, what can I help you with?”

  “A man with a gun demanding jewels was a miscommunication?” Marlee fixed a disbelieving stare on the store owner.

  Matt waived his arms and shook his head from side to side. “All a big misunderstanding.”

  Marlee looked over her shoulder to make sure no other potential customers were behind them. “We want to talk to you about the work you’ve done with Conrad Thayer and your connection to Ian O’Sullivan.” Marlee looked the jeweler in the eye as she spoke, not wavering for even a moment.

  A smile spread across his face. “I think you have me confused with someone else. I own and operate this store, but don’t do any outside contracting. Maybe you’re thinking of Lester Anderson who works at Elmwood Jewelry. They’re no longer here in the mall. The store moved to the Ringling Plaza.”

  “Nice try, Matt. We know you’re involved with Thayer and heard all about your dealings with the criminal underground. Sounds like you were a real dick of a boss, too,” Marlee said with Bridget standing behind her and nodding.

  Matt grabbed Marlee’s arm and led them to the back room. “Lenora, cover the front!” he yelled as he slammed the door behind him. A worn, wooden desk and chair were pushed against the corner of the room about the size of a coat closet. A laptop perched atop the desk and a metal file cabinet was placed behind the desk.

  “Why are you here?” Matt yelled, spit flying out of his mouth as he spoke.

  Marlee winced as spittle flew past her face. “We want to know about the appraisals you did for Conrad Thayer. And we want to know who you’re working for.”

  The expression on Matt’s face relaxed into a grin. “I do some work for Conrad. Everyone knows that. Anything I’ve appraised for him is his business, not mine. If you want specific information, you’ll need to contact Conrad directly because I don’t release confidential information on my clients to whoever comes asking.”

  Bridget moved toward Matt, facing him eye to eye. “What if we told you we know you’ve been ripping off Conrad, and he knows it too?”

  A hesitant laugh escaped Matt’s mouth. “I’ve worked for Conrad for over twenty years. We’ve been friends since we were kids. You can ask him. Why would I rip off a friend, especially when he pays me so well?”

  “You wanted to collect your rightful earnings from Conrad, but you were open to taking additional money from other sources. That’s where Ian O’Sullivan came in. You two decided that Ian would supply fake art, books, and literary memorabilia, and you would certify them as authentic. When Conrad paid for the legitimate works, you and Ian split the money. Easy peasy,” Marlee said.

  “Yeah,” Bridget chimed in. “You were greedy and jealous of everything Conrad had. When you were approached to backstab Conrad, you jumped at the chance. It wasn’t just for the money. It was to feel like you were his equal.”

  “It’s a cute little fantasy you concocted, but I can tell you that it’s one hundred percent
false. Conrad knows me and knows that I’m loyal to him. I’ve worked for him in one capacity or another since the late 90s. We used to play together as kids. I don’t have a biological brother, but I consider Conrad as close as I could get to a brother.”

  “Well, your ‘brother’,” Marlee said, making obnoxious air quotes, “already knows you double-crossed him. We were at his place last night, and after we talked it out, he realized it couldn’t be anybody but you who betrayed him.”

  “I don’t have to answer to you or anybody else. I’ll straighten everything out with Conrad after work. That’s all I’ve got to say. Get out of here!” Matt stood ramrod straight and pointed to the door.

  Seeing that the questioning would go no further, Marlee and Bridget opted to leave the back room of Lemming Jewelry. Noticing that Matt wasn’t following them out of the store, Marlee led Bridget over to the jewelry case that included emerald rings and the adjoining case with emerald earrings.

  “Say, I’m looking for a reasonably priced pair of earrings for my friend. About how much would this pair cost?” Marlee asked, motioning to a pair of emerald earrings with jewels roughly the size of the green stones she currently had in her possession.

  The sales associate threw her head back and released a loud, braying laugh. “This must be a really, really good friend because those earrings cost $5,999.99, plus tax.”

  “You’re kidding,” Bridget and Marlee said in unison.

  “Not kidding. And this is one of the cheaper sets of emerald earrings. Might I suggest these earrings if you’re shopping for just a casual friend?” She pointed to a set of emerald earrings with stones a fraction of the size of those in Marlee’s pocket.

  Matt appeared from the back room. “Hey, I told you two to get out!” The McCabe cousins took the hint and exited the store. As they left, they could hear Matt berating the salesclerk. “You never suggest something of lesser price to the customer. Never!”

  The food court in the mall was almost abandoned since it was only ten in the morning. The only stall doing any business was the coffee kiosk which also sold bakery items. The customers were mainly mall employees, sporting their name badges as they did the zombie walk back to their stores. Bridget and Marlee placed their orders and waited at a table with one leg that was an eighth of an inch shorter than the other three legs. When the barista called their names, Marlee retrieved their orders. As they dug into the caramel rolls and sipped coffees, they talked over their next move.

  “Matt denies two-timing Conrad, but we both know that’s bullshit, right?” Bridget bit into a caramel roll, the gooey topping sticking to the sides of her mouth as she chewed.

  “Duh,” said Marlee as she pulled a baggie of chemical-laden artificial creamer from her purse. She opened the baggie, which contained over two cups of the substance and poured two generous tablespoons into her extra-large black coffee. “What’s really important is that Matt now knows that Conrad is on to him. I think we should keep an eye on Matt today and see what he does.”

  “Like a stakeout?” Bridget was all ears. She loved movies, especially crime dramas. “We could follow him, and then sit outside the buildings he visits, just like Beverley Hills Cop. Remember that?”

  “We could wait here since this is the closest exit to his store and follow him. I’d like to listen in on his phone calls, but I know that’s not possible,” Marlee said, ignoring Bridget’s penchant for film references.

  “It’s possible, but not legal,” Bridget countered running her finger around the flimsy paper plate to capture the last of the caramel.

  “It’s possible if you’re in law enforcement or have access to spy equipment, but not us regular folk,” Marlee said. She knew the average person on the street wouldn’t have cell phone access to the calls of others.

  Bridget raised her eyebrows. “I might know a certain someone who could help us. He’s in law enforcement and has access to all sorts of surveillance techniques. And he’d do anything for you.”

  “Piss off, Bridget. We’re not getting Hector involved. Even if he agreed to tap into Matt’s calls, he could get fired. Do you want that on your conscience?”

  “How about if we let Hector decide what he’s willing to do?” Bridget asked. “Besides, he might have some other ideas about how to gather information on Matt Lemming.”

  “I don’t want Hector involved in this matter more than necessary. Things have already become complicated, and I’d like to handle as much of it as I can myself. When it comes to locating Kelsey and keeping her out of trouble, we’ll bring Hector back into the loop,” Marlee said, sipping her coffee as she spoke. “But for now, let’s keep this between you and me.”

  Bridget smiled, looking over Marlee’s shoulder as she spoke. “You might want to rethink that because I called Hector while you were getting our order.”

  Before Marlee could voice her objection, Hector sauntered in the entrance to the food court and made his way to their table. “Good morning, ladies. Fancy seeing you here.”

  “She knows,” Bridget said meeting Hector’s glance as she got up from the table causing it to wobble to and fro. “I’m going to get another coffee.”

  Hector sat down in the chair directly across from Marlee. She knew he did this so he could better read her facial expressions and body language. Marlee was used to pulling one over on most people when she chose to do so, but Hector followed the same playbook she had. Fooling him would not be easy.

  “From what I hear you’ve been a busy bee,” Hector said with a smirk. “Care to tell me what you’ve discovered since we last talked?”

  She felt like stonewalling him, but knew it was no use. Better to give him a little information and send him on his way. “We talked to Conrad, and he’s sticking to the broken glass story. He thought Matt from Lemming Jewelry might be able to help us out.” Marlee omitted the earlier conversation with Pete Jackson and his assessment of the emeralds.

  “And why is that?” Hector asked, his gaze never wavering.

  “Conrad said something that led us to believe that Matt could be helpful. But you’ve already talked to your new best friend, Bridget, who told you everything.” Marlee didn’t intend for her comment to come out so bitter, but it did.

  Hector’s smirk turned into a grin. “Yeah, I talked to Bridget, and she told me everything, so you have no reason to hide anything.”

  “Nice try,” Marlee said. “Since you supposedly know everything, how about you tell me what you know?”

  They were at loggerheads. Neither was sure what the other knew, but Marlee wasn’t about to give any information to Hector that he didn’t already possess and vice versa. At that point, Bridget walked back to the table with a new cup of coffee in hand.

  “Let me guess,” Bridget said. “You’re both trying to outplay the other. Why don’t we all work together? What’s more important? Your enormous egos or finding Kelsey?”

  Hector looked down at the table, and Marlee fidgeted in her seat. Without Bridget’s “coming to Jesus” talk, the two would have carried on trying to outsmart each other. Marlee finally nodded her consent, and Hector gave his approval.

  “I’m telling you what I know in good faith. If I find out later that you withheld information from me, I’ll never trust you again,” Hector said, serious as a judge.

  Marlee was torn between laughing and yelling. Who the hell did Hector think he was giving her an ultimatum about trust? Only two years ago, they were in love and moving in together when Hector’s ultimate betrayal came to light.

  Seeing Marlee’s squinted eyes and pinched face, Hector realized his gaff. “I mean, I just want us both to be honest about everything on this case. Of course, I trust you. I always have.” He shifted in his chair, not making eye contact with Marlee or Bridget.

  Marlee saw it as an opening to pump Hector for any information on Kelsey. “Any word on Kelsey’s whereabouts?”

  “We had a lead that fizzled out this morning. An anonymous tipster called in. They said that Ian,
Patrick, and Kelsey were still in the area and would be leaving later today. We traced the number and found out it was a high school kid playing a prank. We hauled him in and scared him pretty good. Don’t think he’ll try that again.”

  “How did he know the names of all the key players? And how did he know anything about the matter to begin with?” Bridget asked. “It hasn’t been publicized.”

  “He said he heard other people talking about it but couldn’t give us a name. Or wouldn’t, is more like it.” Hector frowned as he recalled the conversation with the youth.

  “Where? I mean, it doesn’t seem logical that an ordinary high school kid would have all kinds of information about an ongoing crime unless he’s somehow involved. What’s the kid’s name?” Marlee asked.

  “His name’s Cam Shepherd, and he made it sound like he heard about it at school. I don’t think he’s directly involved, but he knows someone who is,” Hector said.

  “His name sounds familiar. Does he take Advanced Placement classes at MSU?” Marlee asked, mentally sifting through her class roster for high school kids taking intro college classes.

  Hector shrugged. “We didn’t get into his academics. I picked him up at home and questioned him at the PD then dropped him off at Salisbury High School. I saw a rental car parked in front of Della’s house when I drove by. She must be playing hooky today.”

  “Della misses quite a bit, but I have to give her credit for her original excuses. Her dog needs an emergency hysterectomy. She had to go to the clinic because she climbed across her frozen gate wearing a robe and no underwear and her naughty bits stuck to the metal. A snake came out of her bathtub faucet. And what’s even stranger is that I believe these things actually happened.” Marlee shook her head, not quite understanding it all.

  “She’s a character. I didn’t see her peeking out the window when I brought Cam in, but she might have been lurking out of sight,” Hector said.

  A light went off in Marlee’s brain. “Does Cam live right across the street from Della?”