Short line to death, p.12
Short Line to Death, page 12
After a short conversation with the perky young woman at the reception desk and a much longer conversation with Rachel, he found Joe with four young men in the free-weights area. He had barely escaped joining after Rachel’s persistent sales pitch, but he did receive a pass for a free personal training session with Rachel.
Billy surveyed the group but did not recognize any of the young men.
“Hi, Billy,” Joe said as he finished his bicep curls. “Hey, guys. This is Chief West from Cross Keys. He is trying to find out who killed Bart.” The four young men looked a little nervous.
“Chief, this is Zach Hitchins, Ricky Turner, Mike Nowak and Trey Williams.” Joe pointed at each in turn. Zach was overweight, with hair down to his shoulders and a beard down to the middle of his chest; Ricky was thin and buff, with a man bun and neatly trimmed beard; Mike was very tall and slim, with a crew cut and a handlebar moustache; and Trey looked like a serious body builder, with bulging legs and arms.
Billy nodded at the group. “You were all friends with Bart?” They nodded. “How long had you known him?”
“I knew him my whole life,” Zach said. “We were in school together.”
“I just know him from the gym,” said Trey.
“Me and Mike went to high school with him too,” Ricky offered.
“So, three of you knew him well. Do you know of anybody who had a serious grudge against him? Any client or friend he had a dispute with?”
They looked at each other and shrugged. “Joelle wasn’t happy that Bart was seeing Rachel on the side. She could get pretty pissed off. She stabbed him a year ago when she found out he was cheating on her,” Mike said. “But they worked it out, I guess.”
Joelle never mentioned Bart’s cheating, Billy thought.
“Bart never mentioned being threatened?”
“Bart never talked about his business with us,” Zach said.
“Never?”
“Not much, anyway.”
“He had a big business to run. A large distribution network from what I know. It must have kept him very busy,” Billy suggested.
Zach shrugged. “Yeah. He was smart. He got other people to do the drudge work for him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He ran part of his drug business on a consignment basis.”
“So, how did that work?”
Zach looked at the other guys and shrugged his shoulders. “Bart would supply the product and the the seller got paid a commission, I guess you’d call it. A percent of what was sold. Saved him a lot of time and he sold a lot of product.”
“What if the seller tried to cheat him?”
Zach snickered. “Yeah, that didn’t happen very often. Bart was brutal with his punishment to anybody who tried to cross him.”
“Did any of you see him the day he died?”
They looked at each other and then as a group shook their heads.
“Are you certain?” He looked hard at Zach and Ricky as he recalled his interview with Agatha.
They looked around at each other again. “Now that I think about it, I think we were at the Tickity that night,” Zach said, and Ricky nodded his head in agreement.
“Did Bart have an argument with anybody?”
“Just a few words with some bitchy old lady.”
“Nobody else?”
“Not that I saw,” Ricky said and Zach nodded in agreement.
“Did he say he was going to come back later and meet somebody?”
“Don’t know,” Zach said. “I know he took Joelle home. She was really out of it. I don’t know why he would come back later.”
“Well, he obviously did come back, and it must have been important. Look, I’m trying to solve the murder of your friend. Do any of you have any idea who killed him?”
“Sorry. We don’t know anything,” Mike said, and they all turned back to the weights.
Billy’s gut told him Zach and Ricky knew more than they were saying. He took their names and contact information and gave them his business card. “Thanks for your help. If you think of anything else, give me a call.”
They nodded and went back to their workout.
Joe walked him out. “Nice guys, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks for the introductions. Have a good workout.”
CHAPTER 23
“Come on, Wally! Pick me the big winner. I really need it!” Matt was almost yelling, and he looked away for a few seconds, rubbing his forehead as though he had a headache. “Seriously, I really need it, you know,” he said in a calmer voice. Matt was standing in front of the counter looking hopefully at the rows of colorful lottery tickets. “It’s Saturday, so the draw for the big one is tonight.”
Walter Bolter was one of those people who never seemed to age. He had looked old his entire adult life, and at this point he could be either an old fifty or a young eighty or anywhere in between. He had owned Bolter’s as long as anybody could remember. It was an old-fashioned newspaper and candy store. The bell on the door tinkled as people entered, and the wooden floorboards creaked as they walked across them. The aromas of wood, tobacco, bubblegum and newsprint blended together with a faint, underlying musty scent. The shelves and display cases were antiques made of glass and polished wood.
“Matt, you shouldn’t waste your money on this junk,” Wally said gently. “I only sell them ’cause I have to, what with the competition and all. I mean, the odds of you winning are a zillion to one. It even says so on the back of the ticket.”
“Some people get lucky, you know!”
Wally shook his head. “I hope you win. I really do.”
Matt took his tickets and carefully put them in his pocket. The doorbell tinkled as Tom entered the store. He picked up a copy of the Bulletin and put a dollar on the counter.
“Hi guys. How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain,” Wally said.
“Been better,” Matt mumbled.
Tom could see perfectly well that Matt was not doing well. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, he was unshaven, and his hair had spots of gray that had not been there a few weeks ago.
“Crazy news about Roberta,” Tom said.
“I never liked the woman. Never had a nice word to say,” Wally said.
“No loss in my book. As you both know,” Matt added.
“Everybody had problems with Roberta,” Tom pointed out.
“Easy for you to say,” Matt snapped at Tom.
Tom shrugged. “I guess you’re right about that. You got the brunt of it from her.”
“Yeah. I’ve been stupid, and I have made mistakes. Now at least I don’t have to hear from her every day on that damn bus.”
Tom smiled at him. “I hear you. Matt, you are talking to someone who has made more stupid mistakes than you can even imagine.”
“Maybe. But borrowing money from Roberta wasn’t one of them. And as if I don’t have enough to worry about, Billy obviously thinks I had a good motive to kill her. He’s right. I did. He asked me about the bottle of Tabasco I gave her as if it contained the drugs. It was brand-new, in the box, with all the crap they put over the lid so nobody can poison it. In fact, Roberta complained about it being so difficult to open. I wish I had seen something! I wish I knew what had happened! All I remember of that day is her yelling at me in line, eating on the bus, and then Moira finding her dead.”
“Why was Roberta yelling at you in line?”
“I walked off with her precious Harrods bag. She gave it to me to hold for her while she went to the ladies’ room, and then I discovered that I had lost my lighter, so I went to get one. There was a young woman in front of me buying, like, five fashion and gossip magazines and arguing with the clerk about the total. It took longer than it should have, and when I got back Roberta was hopping mad.”
“You didn’t look in the bag?”
“No. I could see plastic and paper party stuff sticking out, you know, plates, napkins, forks. But I didn’t dig around in it. Why would I? I know what you are thinking. Her pepper container was in it. How would I know that I would be given the opportunity to put poison in her pepper container? I didn’t know she had the peppers in her bag.” He sighed in frustration. “If wishing somebody dead would work, she would have died several times over from my thoughts. But I couldn’t kill anybody, not even her. Even I am not that stupid.”
Tom nodded. “Hang in there. Things will get better.”
“I hope so.”
“Stop by the bar sometime. I’ll buy you a drink.”
“Thanks. I may take you up on that.”
***
Tom was way behind on his spring yard and garden work. The commuting meant his weekdays were useless, and the weekends, with the bar to attend to, were busy as well. The season was moving on fast, and it was obvious he couldn’t wait any longer. The Cascade Garden Center was his preferred place to buy his mulch, lime, herbicides, fertilizer and annual plants. It was located west of town by a few miles. He was looking at the petunias and impatiens, when he ran into Jake.
“I see we think alike,” Tom said. “I am behind this year. I don’t know how you do anything around the house and yard when you are commuting.”
Jake nodded. “You know, it’s tough. That’s why I always look for time-savers, like the preplanted containers they have here. It’s a little more expensive but worth it.”
Tom agreed, and they walked around together commenting on the various plants.
“My big problem is deer. They eat everything,” Jake said.
“Yes, they certainly are a problem. I put in a deer fence. It works really well. I was thinking of getting another dog, and I figured I could keep the dog in and the deer out.”
“What kind of dog?”
Tom smiled. “Not sure. I will probably look for a rescue. I’ve had good luck with them in the past.”
“I like dogs. Never got one because of Roberta. She hated dogs. She complained about every dog in the development. She reported a toy poodle to animal control as a vicious attack dog. The poor old lady who owned it nearly lost her mind when they took it away. She got it back eventually. I had enough problems with Roberta as it was.”
“She knew how to make friends, didn’t she?”
“Right. She made my life hell.”
“I think I heard about that. Something about some problems in the development.”
“Yeah. The treasurer of the board of directors wanted the contract for snow removal and road maintenance for the community to go to his wife’s brother. He twisted arms on the board, you know. The other contractor’s bid was lower, and one honest board member filed suit to remove the treasurer. My cousin works for the lawyer who handled it and told me all about it. The treasurer’s brother-in-law lost the contract after the investigation and the treasurer lost his position.”
“So what did it have to do with Roberta?”
“Roberta was a good friend of the treasurer. Figures, right? She thought I had something to do with it because of my cousin. Roberta made it personal. She started, you know, making shit up about me and my business. At the time, I was building a contracting business here so I could quit commuting. She spread her lies all over social media and by word of mouth. It got bad.”
“How bad?”
“I lost customers. I had to file suit for libel. She finally backed off, but it cost me time and money. My business is still recovering. The woman was not sane. I steered clear of her, except for the bus. Now that she’s gone, maybe I’ve got a chance.”
“She certainly seems to have been happy when she was making others miserable. Like Matt,” Tom said, prompting him.
“Yeah, she really liked to push his buttons. You know, the day she died she had been yelling at him nonstop when we were getting on the bus.”
“About what?”
“Who knows? She didn’t need a reason. She lit into him like she was going to eat him alive. Something about her green bag. I just tuned her out.”
Tom nodded in agreement as he picked up a day lily. “She was horrible. Still, nobody should die like that.”
“That’s true. Well, I’m headed over to the roses.”
“Nice to see you. Good luck with the deer.”
“Thanks. You too”
Nice guy, Tom thought. He mentally checked him off the suspect list.
CHAPTER 24
On Saturdays, Madeline would occasionally take the time to explore some of the more out-of-the-way shops. Halfway to Walmart from Cross Keys, a small strip of stores sat beside the three-lane road. Here you could buy a reptile at The Reptilian, get a tattoo at the Ink Spot Fine Art and Tattoo Emporium, shop for organic foods and supplements at Mother Knows Best, or get in touch with your spiritual side at the Feast of the Spirit.
Madeline found the latter inexplicably fascinating. The store was an artfully staged, calm, comforting environment. Incense was constantly burning with chants or soundscape music softly playing in the background. While it focused on the occult and new-age products, there were also an extensive section of healing herbs, grown behind the store, some half-decent costume jewelry and a proprietary anti-aging face-and-eye cream that she found effective.
The owner was a woman named Sara Beth. Tall and thin, she dressed in flowing, gauzy fabrics and Birkenstock sandals. Many layers of varying lengths of beads and amulets hung from her neck and wrists. Her hair was long, unnaturally blond and worn either flowing free or in a single braid. Either the meditation and face creams worked to keep her looking young or she had undergone plastic surgery. In any case, Madeline suspected she was older than she appeared.
During store hours, Sara Beth would sit at an elaborate loom, supposedly weaving a complex pattern. However, whenever a customer came in, she would leave her work and follow them around to sell them items or suggest a tarot-card reading. The weaving never appeared to progress, and Madeline suspected it was just for show.
This Saturday, as she was looking around the store, Fern came in. They exchanged a smile and a nod of recognition. Fern still looked very sad with puffy eyes and a red nose.
“How are you, Fern?” Madeline asked.
“Oh, you know, I’m doing okay, I guess.” She took a deep sigh. “I decided I needed to get out, and Sara Beth has been so helpful and understanding.”
“Yes, the store is really nice. Do you come here often?”
“As much as I can. It’s a comforting place for me.”
Sara Beth walked over to Fern and put her arm around her. “How are you today, dear?” she said with a concerned look.
“I feel better today, you know, more centered.” Fern gave her a half-hearted smile.
“Oh, my dear, the loss of your close friend, under such awful circumstances and leaving a cloud of suspicion over your group of friends, is very traumatizing to your whole aura.” The proprietor circled her hands in the air as if pushing the aura around.
Fern sighed deeply again. “I miss her so much. What should I do, Sara Beth?”
The woman looked pensive. “You need to concentrate on the positives in your life, dear. You have your health and your beauty. Keep meditating and journaling, of course. Getting all those intense emotions on paper will help you sort out your feelings and find your direction. Speaking of positives—”
“Oh, it is magical, just as you predicted!” Fern’s entire face lit up with a smile. “We are still so much in love. We meet when we can and talk about everything. I wish he could be with me more. Especially now, when I feel so lost.” Fern shrugged her shoulders. “But I know we are meant to be together, and I need to be patient and trust in our love.”
Madeline could not believe what she was hearing. She wondered how Roberta had felt about her affair or if she had known about it. She moved on to a display of crystals and pretended to be interested in them while she continued to eavesdrop.
“Those crystals are not only beautiful, they are powerful,” Sara Beth called out. “And they’re on sale. Twenty-five percent off for a limited time only. And all the herbs are BOGO today.”
“BOGO?” Madeline asked.
“Buy one get one free.” Sara Beth beamed at her.
Madeline nodded.
The shop owner took Fern’s hand. “Remember, I warned you to be careful of this man,” she said. “Remember what we learned from our last reading. Passion can blind you. Keep you from seeing reality. You need to get some clarity.”
Fern looked thoughtful. “I know. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the drumming idea that you suggested the last time I was in here.”
“Yes, that would be so healing for you, dear. Perfect to help you through this difficult period in your life. It gives you such a physical feeling of oneness with the universe, in addition to the spiritual well-being. You feel physically transported.” Sara Beth beamed at the younger woman. “It is an ancient practice. Of course, you know that the Druids used drumming at Stonehenge.”
“Oh, that sounds so...spiritual. Do I need a Druid too?”
Sara Beth looked stupefied but continued. “The sound of the drums was amplified by the stones and created a soothing, trancelike state. And you’re in luck. I saved the best drum for you.” Sara Beth smiled and spread her arms wide. “I just knew you would be back for it.”
“Oh, thank you. Thank you so much! I guess that I better buy it, then. Oh, and you left me a message that my unicorn journal has finally arrived.”
Sara Beth closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. “I am so glad that you reminded me. Yes, the journal is in, and it is quite a lovely book.”
Fern smiled brightly. “Oh, thank you, Sara Beth! Thank you so much! What would I ever do without you? Especially now that Robbie is gone.”
“Not gone, dear. Transformed and transported. Her energy still surrounds you.”
Madeline could not stomach listening to this conversation any longer and decided that now was a good time to leave, before Roberta’s energy could surround her also. She started walking toward the door.
