Granite county, p.12
Granite County, page 12
“I have my sources.”
“Why did you tell Adam that Tony had a drug problem?”
“Because they are best friends. Adam would want to know.”
Fleming interrupted. “Do you have a drug problem, Tommy?”
Tommy shot to his feet. “Hell no, Lady. My life is screwed up enough as it is without messing with that.” Tommy took a deep breath and sheepishly looked at Fleming. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lose my cool.”
“No problem,” Fleming said. “I would be angry if someone leveled that accusation at me.”
“I think that’s everything,” Dan said. “Give me Bobby Baylor’s number and we’ll let you get back to your nap.” As he rose from his chair, Dan looked at Tommy and admitted, “What I said about you and your future…I didn’t really mean that. Of course I care. What are your plans?”
With a defeated look, Tommy responded, “I have no idea.”
Dan and Fleming left. They realized they were hungry, so they stopped at a sandwich shop in Rockview. They placed their order and began a conversation.
“What do you think?” Fleming asked. “Does he know more than he’s saying?”
“I don’t know. Adam obviously had issues, but Tommy has his own to worry about. Someone has to know something about how Adam got to the river and why he was there.”
“Have you heard from Keller? How did his interview with the Palmer kid go?”
“I haven’t heard from him. He is probably still at the school. He was going to try to talk to Coach Hannigan and Tony Palmer. Back to Tommy. Don’t you think it is interesting that Tommy was the person to tell Adam about his friend’s drug problem and would not tell us where he got his information?”
“That’s why I asked Tommy if he had a drug problem. If Tommy and Tony did have a drug problem, it would be possible they used the same seller, and Tommy wouldn’t want to give up the name.”
“That’s a good point.”
Their food and drinks arrived. They were both famished and they devoured their sandwiches and chips with little conversation. Fleming finally said, “You embarrassed me back there.”
Her remark caught Dan off-guard. “How’s so?” he wanted to know.
“The deal about telling Tommy to not look at me as a cop but as one of the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen. Seriously?”
Dan smiled as he wadded up his chip bag. “I meant every word of it.”
Fleming began to blush again.
Dan didn’t want to make her uncomfortable even though he could have spent hours extolling her beauty. Instead, he changed the subject by asking, “What about your homicide case? Any progress?”
“No. Not really. We’ve identified a potential suspect, a bad dude that goes by Buster, but we haven’t been able to locate him. I’m worried about the younger brother of the victim in this case. He put us on to Buster. If Buster finds out Richard Robinson did that, well, it could be bad. Richard is a good kid. I’m going to help him and his mother get out of the awful apartment complex they call home.”
Dan smiled and shook his head in admiration. “So, you’re a tough cop and a tender-hearted social worker too. What other qualities do you have, Detective Fleming?”
She started blushing again but was rescued when her cell vibrated. She looked at the ID and said, “Excuse me. I need to take this.” She got up from the table and went outside. She was gone for five minutes.
Fleming returned, sat down and took a sip from her to-go cup of tea. “Sorry about that,” she apologized.
“Issues with work?”
“I wish it was that simple. My ex-boyfriend. I made the mistake of asking him to help me track down Buster. He thinks that’s my way of trying to get back together with him.”
“What would he know about Buster?”
Fleming looked frustrated as if she had told Dan too much. After pausing, she said, “Lance had some serious drug problems. He knows suppliers and sellers.”
“I’m sorry,” Dan said apologetically. “Is he clean now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve tried to keep my distance. When I asked for his help, that was the first time I had seen him in weeks. Asking for his help was probably a big mistake.”
“And the phone call?”
“He asked me to have dinner with him. I said I was too busy.”
“How did he take it?”
“A little bit dejected and a little bit angry. He’ll be fine.”
Dan wanted to ask Fleming to have dinner with him, but he resisted the urge. Perhaps later, when she had put Buster behind bars, and he had solved the mystery with Adam Carson. Fleming was beautiful, even in the conservative outfit of a police detective. He left the sandwich shop trying to imagine what she would look like in a low-cut dress and high heels.
Chapter 19
MARILYN was missing Kris. He had been gone nine days, and although they talked on the phone daily, some days more than once, she missed his physical presence. She felt so comfortable, so secure with Kris by her side. He was such a good father, so much help with the baby and wasn’t hesitant to help with housework. He was easy to talk to, a good listener and compassionate, which Marilyn thought was a contradiction to the aggressive, hard-nosed side he could show as a reporter. She wanted him back for other reasons. She missed the sex, and he was under deadline pressure to submit the first draft of his book to the publisher.
She tried staying busy to keep her mind off Kris’ absence. Taking care of Carter was close to a full-time job but she had found other diversions. She had fallen in love with a charming bookstore/coffee shop/bakery and had joined a fitness club. Both locations offered childcare, which provided Marilyn with precious time for herself. She had also stared puttering around in the front yard, planting various small shrubs and flowers. Kris had suggested she not put substantial work into beautifying the rental since they would be looking for a place to purchase as they moved closer to their wedding. She assured him her efforts would be minimal, but she enjoyed being out in the sun, and she could have Carter out in his stroller as she played in the dirt.
There was always an audience when Marilyn was outside. Mrs. Martin would step outside her adjacent cottage to offer lemonade and cookies and gossip about local townsfolk whom Marilyn knew nothing about. Mrs. Martin meant well but she was old and lonely and difficult to shoo away. At times, Marilyn had to use the excuse that she needed to go inside and change Carter and get him out of the sun just to get away from her. Marilyn never invited Mrs. Martin inside because she would stay forever.
Sam, the widower handyman from the other side of the rental, never missed an opportunity to stop by and get not-so-subtle glances of Marilyn in shorts and a tank top. Her legs were shapely, a sight to behold, especially since they were turning a delicious brown after tanning in the Florida sun. This morning, Marilyn was squatted down, planting flowers on each side of the steps leading to the front stoop of the rental when Sam arrived.
“Looks like you’re doing a good job there,” he said, staring at her exposed shoulders. Sam gave Marilyn the creeps, but she believed he was harmless.
“Just puttering around, getting Carter and I out of the house for a few minutes.”
“Need some help?” Sam had on overalls and a long-sleeve plaid shirt even though the temperature was high seventies. Any time Marilyn saw him, she thought of the old description, rode hard and hung up wet.
“Sure. Can you hand me that bag of potting soil?”
He did and asked if he could hold the baby. Carter was almost asleep but to be neighborly, she allowed Sam to get Carter out of his stroller.
“He’s a cute kid. Looking more like his daddy.” Sam knew a great deal about Kris, but he did not know the baby wasn’t Marilyn’s.
She smiled. “I tell Kris that every day.”
Carter seemed content so Sam continued to hold him. “When is Kris supposed to be back?” A dirty black pickup drove by, and Sam waved as if he knew the driver.
“I don’t know,” Marilyn said as she stabbed at the dirt with her trowel. “It’s taking him longer than he expected.”
“And what is it he’s doing?”
“I’m not sure. Something about a teenage boy who went missing.” Marilyn knew exactly what Kris was doing but she wasn’t going to share all the details with Sam.
“How’s his book coming along?”
“He has made a lot of progress, but he still has a way to go.”
“I bet he will make a fortune off it. These true crime stories have a huge following.”
Marilyn started packing dirt around a flower. “I guess. I leave all of that to him.”
“He left that small town in Georgia with a wad of cash in his pocket too, right. Something about an old man left him a chunk in his will.”
Not liking Sam being so nosey, Marilyn tried to shut him off. “Like I said, I leave all of that to Kris. We talk about buying a house and that’s it. All I am concerned with is taking care of Carter and prodding Kris to complete his manuscript.”
“Sorry. I was starting to get into stuff that’s none of my business,” Sam apologized. He saw Carter was getting restless, so he walked the baby to the end of the driveway. Sam’s limp was more noticeable.
Sam returned Carter to his stroller, made sure the canopy was protecting him from the sun, and announced, “I have to go check on one of the rental properties. You take care, Marilyn,” he said. Before he walked away, he made certain to get a final look at Marilyn’s lovely figure.
Taking a break, Marilyn picked up Carter and sat with him on the steps out of the sun. Between taking sips of bottled water, she fed Carter a small bottle of apple juice. Contentedly, she looked at Carter. She loved the child as if he were her own, but she was excited about the time when she and Kris would be able to have a child together. Since they already had Carter, Marilyn hoped their first child would be a girl.
Carter was about to nod off and Marilyn was preparing to take him inside when the black pickup that had driven by minutes earlier stopped in front of the house. A young man, tall and thin and wearing cowboy boots, jeans and a tight-fitting dark navy t-shirt stepped out and started walking up to the house. Not certain of the man’s intentions, Marilyn started to quickly hop up and go into the house, but she stopped when the man waved and said hello.
“Hello. What can I do for you?” Marilyn asked, wary of the visitor.
“Ma’am, my name is Jaybo Lawrence. I noticed you out doing a little yardwork. I’m between jobs at the moment and am looking for odd jobs. Is there anything I can do for you to maybe earn a few bucks?”
Marilyn smiled slightly but she was still a bit suspicious. “Jaybo, this is a rental, and our property owner takes care of any issues for us. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right ma’am. I understand. Cute baby you’ve got there.”
“Thanks. I need to get him in for nap.”
“I got a baby too. Me and my wife are having trouble making ends meet, with me out of work. She’s a waitress. Don’t bring home much money. And, as you know, babies ain’t cheap.”
Marilyn’s motherly instinct started kicking in. She looked at her incomplete work on either side of the steps. “Tell you what, Jaybo, give me your number. I’ll call. You come back in a couple of days, and I’ll let you finish this work in front of the house.”
A big smiled crossed Jaybo’s face. “Thank you so much, uh, Ms…”
“It’s Parker. Marilyn Parker. See you in a few days.”
“Yea ma’am, and if any of your neighbors need some odd jobs done, please pass my name and number along to them.”
Jaybo provided his cell number, thanked Marilyn again and drove off. Marilyn went inside and put Carter down for a nap. She doubted that Kris would approve of her hiring someone she didn’t know, but she felt sorry for the young man.
When she talked to Kris that evening, he wasn’t pleased with what she had done but did not make a big issue of it. After she gave Kris a report on her and Carter’s activities for the day, she asked how his work in Granite County was going.
“Not great,” he admitted. “We’re not gaining much traction, like our wheels are spinning in a mud hole.”
“So, you think the boy’s death was an accident?”
“That is what everyone is assuming but sometimes assumptions are wrong. At this point, we have too many questions and not enough answers. Surely, someone saw something, knows something, but if they do, they’re not coming forward. And the family is not going to rest until they have those questions answered.”
“I guess that means you don’t know when you’re coming home?”
“Not now, but I promise I am trying to wrap this up as quickly as possible. Dan has been a big help as well as Detective Fleming. She’s very good at her job.”
“A female detective huh,” Marilyn teased. “Is this female detective attractive?”
“Oh yeah,” Kris laughed. “But she’s gone all wide-eyed for Dan. He’s the same with her.”
“Keep it that way. I would hate for Carter and me to have to come to Granite County and pull you home by the ear. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight.”
“You have my promise. Is Sam keeping an eye on you?”
“Yes. More than I like. Mrs. Martin too.”
“Give them my regards. Listen, I need to run. Give Carter a big kiss for me. I love you both very much.”
They said good night and Marilyn put Carter to bed. She started to watch a sappy Hallmark Channel movie but decided not to. It would make her miss Kris that much more.
Chapter 20
AS promised, Detective Fleming expedited the release of Reginald Robinson’s car, clearing the way for it to be used by brother Richard. The fifteen-year-old Toyota was in bad shape and not dependable, so Fleming pulled some more strings and convinced a mechanic friend to make repairs at a discounted rate. That meant Richard was going to have to walk to and from work a while longer.
Thinking about the money he had been able to save that would be put toward him and his mother moving, Richard was in good spirits as he walked the last quarter mile on the sidewalk to Rock Quarry Apartments. The weather was perfect for fall - low-sixties, a slight breeze and a hint of rain to come.
Traffic was light on Rock Quarry Road running parallel to the sidewalk, so Richard was aware of the car approaching from behind. He continued walking until the car veered off the road and on to the sidewalk in front of him, narrowly missing Richard. It was a Ford Escape, about five years old, and nothing that would arouse suspicion. Certainly, it wasn’t what you would be expecting a badass drug dealer to be driving. Richard started to run, but the car was blocking his path and a hefty white man with stringy red hair and a red beard that was so bushy it could be used as an eagle’s nest popped out of the car. He had on an oversized gray sweatshirt and came directly at Richard.
“Boy, you know who I am?” the man said hatefully.
Richard had never seen the man before, but he knew who he was. “Yeah. You Buster, and you killed my brother!”
“Yeah. I am Buster,” the brute said as he grabbed Richard by the front of his shirt and pulled him close. Buster smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. “I got people lookin’ for me, and I expect you’re the reason they is lookin’ for me. Have I got that right?” Buster tugged harder on Richard’s shirt.
Richard was petrified but at the same time he wasn’t going to back down. “I ain’t told nobody nuthin’ about you. People are smart enough to figure you out without anybody’s help.”
“Come on boy, who have you talked to?”
“I talked to a detective about gettin’ my brother’s car back. Thanks to you, he ain’t gonna need it no more.”
“You expect me to believe that’s all you talked to the detective about?”
Richard turned his head to get away from the strong smell of cigarette smoke. He turned back to Buster and spoke. “You believe what you want to, man. Detective Fleming is cool. She tryin’ to help me and my momma move. I’ll tell you this. She’ll catch your ass, and she won’t need my help to do it.”
Angry that he wasn’t hearing what he wanted, Buster jerked Richard toward him and then loosened his grip on Richard’s shirt and pushed him back. “This is your warning, boy. You do any more talking about me and you is a dead man. Here me? A dead man.” Buster pulled a knife out of his pants pocket and a handgun from under his sweatshirt.
Even though he feared his life could be about to end, Richard felt empowered. “So, Big Red, you get your kicks out of killing innocent people?”
“Shut the fuck up. Today is your lucky day. I’m gonna let you go, but not before you give me the money you got on you. I bet you got paid today.”
“Yeah, I got paid but it’s my money. I worked hard for it, and you ain’t getting’ a damn cent of it.”
Buster reached for his gun but stopped when he saw blue lights approaching. “Remember, you’ve been warned,” Buster growled. “Do any more talking and you are a dead man!” He quickly hopped into the Ford, backed out on to the road and sped away.
The blue lights approached, and rather than pursuing the Ford, the Granite County deputy stopped and rolled down the window. “Is everything all right here?” Deputy Mark Henderson asked.
“That man just threatened to kill me,” Richard responded as he pointed down the street. Buster’s car was long gone.
Henderson stepped out of his car. “Tell me what happened,” he requested.
“I need to call Detective Fleming,” Richard said. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t manage to hit the speed dial button.
“Don’t bother with the call. I’ll do better than that. I’ll take you directly to Detective Fleming,” Henderson offered.
Richard quickly accepted and they entered the patrol car. Henderson didn’t ask questions because Richard was panting, trying to catch his breath and his hands were still shaking. Rather than taking Richard to the Sheriff’s Office, Henderson radioed Fleming and asked her to meet them at the City Softball Complex. It would be a less threatening environment for Richard, who had had all the threats he needed for one day.
“Why did you tell Adam that Tony had a drug problem?”
“Because they are best friends. Adam would want to know.”
Fleming interrupted. “Do you have a drug problem, Tommy?”
Tommy shot to his feet. “Hell no, Lady. My life is screwed up enough as it is without messing with that.” Tommy took a deep breath and sheepishly looked at Fleming. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lose my cool.”
“No problem,” Fleming said. “I would be angry if someone leveled that accusation at me.”
“I think that’s everything,” Dan said. “Give me Bobby Baylor’s number and we’ll let you get back to your nap.” As he rose from his chair, Dan looked at Tommy and admitted, “What I said about you and your future…I didn’t really mean that. Of course I care. What are your plans?”
With a defeated look, Tommy responded, “I have no idea.”
Dan and Fleming left. They realized they were hungry, so they stopped at a sandwich shop in Rockview. They placed their order and began a conversation.
“What do you think?” Fleming asked. “Does he know more than he’s saying?”
“I don’t know. Adam obviously had issues, but Tommy has his own to worry about. Someone has to know something about how Adam got to the river and why he was there.”
“Have you heard from Keller? How did his interview with the Palmer kid go?”
“I haven’t heard from him. He is probably still at the school. He was going to try to talk to Coach Hannigan and Tony Palmer. Back to Tommy. Don’t you think it is interesting that Tommy was the person to tell Adam about his friend’s drug problem and would not tell us where he got his information?”
“That’s why I asked Tommy if he had a drug problem. If Tommy and Tony did have a drug problem, it would be possible they used the same seller, and Tommy wouldn’t want to give up the name.”
“That’s a good point.”
Their food and drinks arrived. They were both famished and they devoured their sandwiches and chips with little conversation. Fleming finally said, “You embarrassed me back there.”
Her remark caught Dan off-guard. “How’s so?” he wanted to know.
“The deal about telling Tommy to not look at me as a cop but as one of the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen. Seriously?”
Dan smiled as he wadded up his chip bag. “I meant every word of it.”
Fleming began to blush again.
Dan didn’t want to make her uncomfortable even though he could have spent hours extolling her beauty. Instead, he changed the subject by asking, “What about your homicide case? Any progress?”
“No. Not really. We’ve identified a potential suspect, a bad dude that goes by Buster, but we haven’t been able to locate him. I’m worried about the younger brother of the victim in this case. He put us on to Buster. If Buster finds out Richard Robinson did that, well, it could be bad. Richard is a good kid. I’m going to help him and his mother get out of the awful apartment complex they call home.”
Dan smiled and shook his head in admiration. “So, you’re a tough cop and a tender-hearted social worker too. What other qualities do you have, Detective Fleming?”
She started blushing again but was rescued when her cell vibrated. She looked at the ID and said, “Excuse me. I need to take this.” She got up from the table and went outside. She was gone for five minutes.
Fleming returned, sat down and took a sip from her to-go cup of tea. “Sorry about that,” she apologized.
“Issues with work?”
“I wish it was that simple. My ex-boyfriend. I made the mistake of asking him to help me track down Buster. He thinks that’s my way of trying to get back together with him.”
“What would he know about Buster?”
Fleming looked frustrated as if she had told Dan too much. After pausing, she said, “Lance had some serious drug problems. He knows suppliers and sellers.”
“I’m sorry,” Dan said apologetically. “Is he clean now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve tried to keep my distance. When I asked for his help, that was the first time I had seen him in weeks. Asking for his help was probably a big mistake.”
“And the phone call?”
“He asked me to have dinner with him. I said I was too busy.”
“How did he take it?”
“A little bit dejected and a little bit angry. He’ll be fine.”
Dan wanted to ask Fleming to have dinner with him, but he resisted the urge. Perhaps later, when she had put Buster behind bars, and he had solved the mystery with Adam Carson. Fleming was beautiful, even in the conservative outfit of a police detective. He left the sandwich shop trying to imagine what she would look like in a low-cut dress and high heels.
Chapter 19
MARILYN was missing Kris. He had been gone nine days, and although they talked on the phone daily, some days more than once, she missed his physical presence. She felt so comfortable, so secure with Kris by her side. He was such a good father, so much help with the baby and wasn’t hesitant to help with housework. He was easy to talk to, a good listener and compassionate, which Marilyn thought was a contradiction to the aggressive, hard-nosed side he could show as a reporter. She wanted him back for other reasons. She missed the sex, and he was under deadline pressure to submit the first draft of his book to the publisher.
She tried staying busy to keep her mind off Kris’ absence. Taking care of Carter was close to a full-time job but she had found other diversions. She had fallen in love with a charming bookstore/coffee shop/bakery and had joined a fitness club. Both locations offered childcare, which provided Marilyn with precious time for herself. She had also stared puttering around in the front yard, planting various small shrubs and flowers. Kris had suggested she not put substantial work into beautifying the rental since they would be looking for a place to purchase as they moved closer to their wedding. She assured him her efforts would be minimal, but she enjoyed being out in the sun, and she could have Carter out in his stroller as she played in the dirt.
There was always an audience when Marilyn was outside. Mrs. Martin would step outside her adjacent cottage to offer lemonade and cookies and gossip about local townsfolk whom Marilyn knew nothing about. Mrs. Martin meant well but she was old and lonely and difficult to shoo away. At times, Marilyn had to use the excuse that she needed to go inside and change Carter and get him out of the sun just to get away from her. Marilyn never invited Mrs. Martin inside because she would stay forever.
Sam, the widower handyman from the other side of the rental, never missed an opportunity to stop by and get not-so-subtle glances of Marilyn in shorts and a tank top. Her legs were shapely, a sight to behold, especially since they were turning a delicious brown after tanning in the Florida sun. This morning, Marilyn was squatted down, planting flowers on each side of the steps leading to the front stoop of the rental when Sam arrived.
“Looks like you’re doing a good job there,” he said, staring at her exposed shoulders. Sam gave Marilyn the creeps, but she believed he was harmless.
“Just puttering around, getting Carter and I out of the house for a few minutes.”
“Need some help?” Sam had on overalls and a long-sleeve plaid shirt even though the temperature was high seventies. Any time Marilyn saw him, she thought of the old description, rode hard and hung up wet.
“Sure. Can you hand me that bag of potting soil?”
He did and asked if he could hold the baby. Carter was almost asleep but to be neighborly, she allowed Sam to get Carter out of his stroller.
“He’s a cute kid. Looking more like his daddy.” Sam knew a great deal about Kris, but he did not know the baby wasn’t Marilyn’s.
She smiled. “I tell Kris that every day.”
Carter seemed content so Sam continued to hold him. “When is Kris supposed to be back?” A dirty black pickup drove by, and Sam waved as if he knew the driver.
“I don’t know,” Marilyn said as she stabbed at the dirt with her trowel. “It’s taking him longer than he expected.”
“And what is it he’s doing?”
“I’m not sure. Something about a teenage boy who went missing.” Marilyn knew exactly what Kris was doing but she wasn’t going to share all the details with Sam.
“How’s his book coming along?”
“He has made a lot of progress, but he still has a way to go.”
“I bet he will make a fortune off it. These true crime stories have a huge following.”
Marilyn started packing dirt around a flower. “I guess. I leave all of that to him.”
“He left that small town in Georgia with a wad of cash in his pocket too, right. Something about an old man left him a chunk in his will.”
Not liking Sam being so nosey, Marilyn tried to shut him off. “Like I said, I leave all of that to Kris. We talk about buying a house and that’s it. All I am concerned with is taking care of Carter and prodding Kris to complete his manuscript.”
“Sorry. I was starting to get into stuff that’s none of my business,” Sam apologized. He saw Carter was getting restless, so he walked the baby to the end of the driveway. Sam’s limp was more noticeable.
Sam returned Carter to his stroller, made sure the canopy was protecting him from the sun, and announced, “I have to go check on one of the rental properties. You take care, Marilyn,” he said. Before he walked away, he made certain to get a final look at Marilyn’s lovely figure.
Taking a break, Marilyn picked up Carter and sat with him on the steps out of the sun. Between taking sips of bottled water, she fed Carter a small bottle of apple juice. Contentedly, she looked at Carter. She loved the child as if he were her own, but she was excited about the time when she and Kris would be able to have a child together. Since they already had Carter, Marilyn hoped their first child would be a girl.
Carter was about to nod off and Marilyn was preparing to take him inside when the black pickup that had driven by minutes earlier stopped in front of the house. A young man, tall and thin and wearing cowboy boots, jeans and a tight-fitting dark navy t-shirt stepped out and started walking up to the house. Not certain of the man’s intentions, Marilyn started to quickly hop up and go into the house, but she stopped when the man waved and said hello.
“Hello. What can I do for you?” Marilyn asked, wary of the visitor.
“Ma’am, my name is Jaybo Lawrence. I noticed you out doing a little yardwork. I’m between jobs at the moment and am looking for odd jobs. Is there anything I can do for you to maybe earn a few bucks?”
Marilyn smiled slightly but she was still a bit suspicious. “Jaybo, this is a rental, and our property owner takes care of any issues for us. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right ma’am. I understand. Cute baby you’ve got there.”
“Thanks. I need to get him in for nap.”
“I got a baby too. Me and my wife are having trouble making ends meet, with me out of work. She’s a waitress. Don’t bring home much money. And, as you know, babies ain’t cheap.”
Marilyn’s motherly instinct started kicking in. She looked at her incomplete work on either side of the steps. “Tell you what, Jaybo, give me your number. I’ll call. You come back in a couple of days, and I’ll let you finish this work in front of the house.”
A big smiled crossed Jaybo’s face. “Thank you so much, uh, Ms…”
“It’s Parker. Marilyn Parker. See you in a few days.”
“Yea ma’am, and if any of your neighbors need some odd jobs done, please pass my name and number along to them.”
Jaybo provided his cell number, thanked Marilyn again and drove off. Marilyn went inside and put Carter down for a nap. She doubted that Kris would approve of her hiring someone she didn’t know, but she felt sorry for the young man.
When she talked to Kris that evening, he wasn’t pleased with what she had done but did not make a big issue of it. After she gave Kris a report on her and Carter’s activities for the day, she asked how his work in Granite County was going.
“Not great,” he admitted. “We’re not gaining much traction, like our wheels are spinning in a mud hole.”
“So, you think the boy’s death was an accident?”
“That is what everyone is assuming but sometimes assumptions are wrong. At this point, we have too many questions and not enough answers. Surely, someone saw something, knows something, but if they do, they’re not coming forward. And the family is not going to rest until they have those questions answered.”
“I guess that means you don’t know when you’re coming home?”
“Not now, but I promise I am trying to wrap this up as quickly as possible. Dan has been a big help as well as Detective Fleming. She’s very good at her job.”
“A female detective huh,” Marilyn teased. “Is this female detective attractive?”
“Oh yeah,” Kris laughed. “But she’s gone all wide-eyed for Dan. He’s the same with her.”
“Keep it that way. I would hate for Carter and me to have to come to Granite County and pull you home by the ear. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight.”
“You have my promise. Is Sam keeping an eye on you?”
“Yes. More than I like. Mrs. Martin too.”
“Give them my regards. Listen, I need to run. Give Carter a big kiss for me. I love you both very much.”
They said good night and Marilyn put Carter to bed. She started to watch a sappy Hallmark Channel movie but decided not to. It would make her miss Kris that much more.
Chapter 20
AS promised, Detective Fleming expedited the release of Reginald Robinson’s car, clearing the way for it to be used by brother Richard. The fifteen-year-old Toyota was in bad shape and not dependable, so Fleming pulled some more strings and convinced a mechanic friend to make repairs at a discounted rate. That meant Richard was going to have to walk to and from work a while longer.
Thinking about the money he had been able to save that would be put toward him and his mother moving, Richard was in good spirits as he walked the last quarter mile on the sidewalk to Rock Quarry Apartments. The weather was perfect for fall - low-sixties, a slight breeze and a hint of rain to come.
Traffic was light on Rock Quarry Road running parallel to the sidewalk, so Richard was aware of the car approaching from behind. He continued walking until the car veered off the road and on to the sidewalk in front of him, narrowly missing Richard. It was a Ford Escape, about five years old, and nothing that would arouse suspicion. Certainly, it wasn’t what you would be expecting a badass drug dealer to be driving. Richard started to run, but the car was blocking his path and a hefty white man with stringy red hair and a red beard that was so bushy it could be used as an eagle’s nest popped out of the car. He had on an oversized gray sweatshirt and came directly at Richard.
“Boy, you know who I am?” the man said hatefully.
Richard had never seen the man before, but he knew who he was. “Yeah. You Buster, and you killed my brother!”
“Yeah. I am Buster,” the brute said as he grabbed Richard by the front of his shirt and pulled him close. Buster smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. “I got people lookin’ for me, and I expect you’re the reason they is lookin’ for me. Have I got that right?” Buster tugged harder on Richard’s shirt.
Richard was petrified but at the same time he wasn’t going to back down. “I ain’t told nobody nuthin’ about you. People are smart enough to figure you out without anybody’s help.”
“Come on boy, who have you talked to?”
“I talked to a detective about gettin’ my brother’s car back. Thanks to you, he ain’t gonna need it no more.”
“You expect me to believe that’s all you talked to the detective about?”
Richard turned his head to get away from the strong smell of cigarette smoke. He turned back to Buster and spoke. “You believe what you want to, man. Detective Fleming is cool. She tryin’ to help me and my momma move. I’ll tell you this. She’ll catch your ass, and she won’t need my help to do it.”
Angry that he wasn’t hearing what he wanted, Buster jerked Richard toward him and then loosened his grip on Richard’s shirt and pushed him back. “This is your warning, boy. You do any more talking about me and you is a dead man. Here me? A dead man.” Buster pulled a knife out of his pants pocket and a handgun from under his sweatshirt.
Even though he feared his life could be about to end, Richard felt empowered. “So, Big Red, you get your kicks out of killing innocent people?”
“Shut the fuck up. Today is your lucky day. I’m gonna let you go, but not before you give me the money you got on you. I bet you got paid today.”
“Yeah, I got paid but it’s my money. I worked hard for it, and you ain’t getting’ a damn cent of it.”
Buster reached for his gun but stopped when he saw blue lights approaching. “Remember, you’ve been warned,” Buster growled. “Do any more talking and you are a dead man!” He quickly hopped into the Ford, backed out on to the road and sped away.
The blue lights approached, and rather than pursuing the Ford, the Granite County deputy stopped and rolled down the window. “Is everything all right here?” Deputy Mark Henderson asked.
“That man just threatened to kill me,” Richard responded as he pointed down the street. Buster’s car was long gone.
Henderson stepped out of his car. “Tell me what happened,” he requested.
“I need to call Detective Fleming,” Richard said. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t manage to hit the speed dial button.
“Don’t bother with the call. I’ll do better than that. I’ll take you directly to Detective Fleming,” Henderson offered.
Richard quickly accepted and they entered the patrol car. Henderson didn’t ask questions because Richard was panting, trying to catch his breath and his hands were still shaking. Rather than taking Richard to the Sheriff’s Office, Henderson radioed Fleming and asked her to meet them at the City Softball Complex. It would be a less threatening environment for Richard, who had had all the threats he needed for one day.
