Of that I’m certain.” She stood, stretching. “What’s more, I think, somehow, someway, Corey had to have contacted Wendy Rinaldi’s father. His accident was part of what I saw and I believe there’s a definite connection.”
Brad caught her gaze. “You thinking what I am?”
Her green eyes met his. “I am if you’re thinking that plane
crash was no accident.”
He grabbed the stack of papers and returned them to the
librarian, thanking her.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
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Alex glanced at her watch. “It’s almost time to head toward
Tommy’s apartment.” She looked up at him. “It’s coming together, Brad. As it stands right now, we’ve almost got enough
circumstantial evidence to secure an indictment if nothing else.”
His eyes darkened. “I don’t want just an indictment,” he said forcefully, “I want a damn conviction!”
She tossed him a glance. “We’ll get him, Brad. Believe it.”
He didn’t answer as he opened the door for her and they
walked out into the sunlight.
She stopped him just outside the door with a hand on his arm.
“What’s wrong?”
It took a moment for him to answer. “I’m just trying to figure out what my aunt’s involvement was in all of this. I’ve got this sickening feeling that maybe we’ve uncovered a conspiracy that explains everyone’s death but hers. I don’t know if I could handle her murder being what the police thought it was all along. Where does she fit in or does she?”
“Your father says she does.”
His gaze shot to hers. “How?”
“He told me before we left the hotel that Anna Ferron and your aunt knew each other. They even socialized together with your mother and father at various black tie affairs.”
“I don’t remember my aunt ever mentioning her name.”
“Your father said because of the distance, they didn’t get
together often but kept in touch just the same. Maybe your uncle might be able to tell us more.”
“Could be. There’s only one way to find out.” Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Alex leaned against
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the car and waited. After a lengthy conversation, he finally disconnected the call and pocketed the phone.
“Well?”
He shook his head. “Damn if I don’t know why I didn’t talk to him a long time ago. It ties in, Alex. Uncle Frank said he knew of the two women’s friendship. But that isn’t the bombshell. He just told me that about two weeks before she was killed, Aunt Ellie asked him if he could quietly investigate Anna’s parent’s death once again. See what he could find.”
“Investigate what?”
“The possibility that the Steadman’s deaths weren’t an accident but homicide.”
“I gather Anna asked her to do this?”
“She did. And I’ve got a sneaking suspicion my uncle’s
subsequent investigation stirred the pot and…”
“Ultimately resulted in your aunt’s death,” Alex finished.
“Killing her would serve two purposes. Eliminate his wife’s
confidante and immediately stop the investigation your uncle was doing on the case. It’s a sure bet he never would have made the connection.”
Brad ran a hand through his hair, grimacing. “God, that’s
definitely something I don’t want him to ever find out. It’d kill him.”
“What worries me more is that he might even be in danger.
Every person who has investigated Russell Ferron ends up six feet under.”
“How am I going to tell him to watch his back without revealing the whole damn story?” he said, her words hitting home.
She opened the car door and slid in. She started the engine, motioning for him to join her. “Give your father a call. Bring him
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up to date and see if he can get him out of town for awhile.” Her lips tilted. “He’s rather persuasive and I’ve got a hunch you’re uncle will be on vacation before he knows what hit him.”
“Good idea,” he said, reaching for his phone again and then
paused. “Hell, my father just might blame Uncle Frank as well when he hears what I have to say.”
“I don’t think so,” she said quietly, backing out into the street.
He studied her for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, maybe
you’re right at that.”
A few minutes later, Alex pulled in front of Tommy Lakin’s
apartment and shut off the engine just as Brad finished his call.
He gave her a half grin. “You’ve got a fan, you know that. He told me if you suggested it, he’d go along. Said he already called Uncle Frank this morning to let him know I was okay.”
Brad glanced at the address on the paper Tommy had given
him and led the way up the walkway. They made their way around empty pizza boxes and several cans of crinkled beer, entering the long hallway of the old building.
Alex glanced around. “Remember those days?” she said
motioning toward the debris.
He grinned, shaking his head. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, sure.” She stopped in front of a door just as Tommy
walked up behind them.
“Perfect timing,” he said, slipping a key into the lock and
ushering them in. “Sorry about the mess. We weren’t expecting company.”
Alex attempted to keep a straight face as she moved some more beer cans out of the way so she could sit on the couch. The
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apartment was fairly big with high ceilings and classic lines that graced buildings of that era. The decorating was typical college with a mixture of team banners and posters littering the walls along with a well worn couch and several overstuffed chairs.
Tommy dumped his backpack on the table and motioned
toward the kitchen. “Can I get you guys anything? I think there are a couple of beers left.”
“No thanks,” Brad said. “We won’t keep you too long.”
“Hey, it’s not a problem. Classes are done for the day anyway.”
He walked toward a large closet along one wall. “If I’ve got Corey’s laptop, it’d be in here.”
A few minutes later he emerged, triumphantly holding the
computer. “Got it.”
He plugged it in and flicked it on. Setting it on the kitchen table, he looked up at them. “This kind of gives me the creeps. The last time I saw Corey use this was just about an hour before he was killed.” The screen powered up and he turned it toward Brad and Alex, pointing toward an icon. “That’s the folder he kept his stuff in for Spear’s class.”
Brad sat in front and double clicked on the icon. The screen darkened and then three words appeared in blood red.
MULTIPLE MURDER COVER-UP
Alex leaned forward as Brad scrolled down, both of them
reading the first few sentences. After a few moments Brad whistled softly looking up at Tommy.
“You read any of this?”
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He shook his head. “Only the first few notes he had. Come to think of it, he got kind of strange about that after awhile. Wouldn’t let anyone watch him type and he took the thing with him
everywhere.” He popped a can of soda, leaning against the counter.
“I got a pretty strong feeling that something was bothering him, something that had him scared.”
“Did he actually tell you that?” Alex asked.
“Not in so many words, but we were roommates for almost
three years. I knew the guy pretty well. He was always intense but he became almost, you know, obsessed. Sometimes, he’d be doing research well into the night even when he had an early class the next day.”
“You overhear anything that might help us?”
Tommy took a sip of his soda, eying them thoughtfully. “Not
that I can remember.”
“I know this is probably crazy, but you wouldn’t by any chance have his cell phone records, assuming he had one?” Alex asked.
“I don’t have his but I’ve probably still got my old phone bills.
We got one of those family plans when we signed up and just split the cost each month. Wait a minute.”
He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a pile of envelopes along with a stack of papers. “Probably should throw all these away. I just toss them in here after I pay them.” He grinned up at them. “My mother would kill me if she knew I
haven’t emptied this desk drawer since I started college. I just moved it from the dorm to the apartment.”
“Maybe lucky for us,” Alex said.
“I hope so,” he said, sifting through the pile. He pulled several out and examined the dates. “This is the last few months’ bills
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before Corey was killed.” He leaned over the counter and grabbed a yellow highlighter rubbing it along a series of numbers. “That was Corey’s cell.”
“Do you mind if we take these as well as the laptop for a few days?” Brad asked. “I have a feeling this is going to take some time.”
“Keep it as long as you need it. I only hope it helps.” He
frowned into his coke. “You know, sometimes I think those dreams I have are messages from Corey from the other side.” He looked up, his lips twisting. “I know that sounds nuts but it’s the truth.”
Alex shook her head. “It’s not nuts at all, Tommy. It’s beginning to sound like your friend was onto something, something big, and was killed because of it.” She offered her hand. “You’ve been terrific and you can be sure if we discover anything in our investigation, you’ll be one of the first to know.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
He followed them out. He tossed his empty pop can in the
garbage in front, his gaze going to the car. “Wow, nice ride.”
“Thanks,” Brad said, resignedly taking the passenger seat once again when Alex deftly slid into the driver’s side. “Problem is the woman won’t let me drive it.”
Tommy grinned. “Can’t say as I blame her.”
“Smart man,” Alex retorted saucily, tossing her red mane.
“Thanks again, Tommy. We’ll return this stuff as soon as we can.”
“Take your time and good luck.”
They drove a short distance when Alex suddenly put on the
brakes, turning to Brad. “How do you feel about a bed and
breakfast for tonight? I’m not much on sleeping in another hotel room for a little while after last night.”
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“Sounds good to me,” he said easily. “Any ideas?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” she said brightly. “Remember that house that I was enthralled with when we came into town?”
Brad gave an exaggerated sigh. “Let me guess, it’s a bed and breakfast.”
“Yep.”
“Am I being manipulated again?”
“Of course,” she tossed back.
A short while later they were led to a charmingly decorated
bedroom by a smiling older woman who introduced herself as Betty Malone.
“The phone by the table is connected directly downstairs if you need anything. Local calls are free but anything long distance has to be called from the desk phone below,” she said, handing them a key. “Breakfast starts at seven and is served until ten. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. My husband is quite a cook,” she finished, her blue eyes twinkling.
Alex turned slowly, taking in the high ceilings and crown
molding as well as the antique bedroom set. “What a great room.
Have you owned this house for a long time, Mrs. Malone?”
“Honey, no one calls me Mrs. Malone. Betty will do just fine. As to your question, I was born in this house. Raised my kids here as well.”
Alex reached in her purse and pulled out a picture. “Does this man look at all familiar to you?”
Betty took the picture from her hand and studied it for just a moment. “Sure does. That’s Larry Winslow.” She looked up, eyes narrowing. “Why?”
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“Because there is a very good possibility that he was
responsible for the death of a college student awhile back.”
“I knew it!” she said, snapping her fingers. “I told Lisa that man was trouble. I didn’t like the look of him.”
“Lisa?” Brad prompted.
“Lisa Carter. She has the B & B across the street. That man stayed there for almost two weeks last fall and by the time he left, she was a nervous wreck. She told me there was something about him that gave her the creeps. Cruel eyes and lips. That’s why I remember his name.”
“Could you be more specific about the time he stayed there?”
Brad asked, glancing at Alex.
The woman’s eyes widened. “Come to think of it that was right around the time that poor boy was killed.” Her eyes flew to the picture she still held. “It wouldn’t be hard for me to imagine him doing something like that. I just saw him a few times. He was a big man, dressed fancy but there was something about him that said low class.”
“Do you think your friend would be willing to talk to us?”
Betty opened her mouth and then paused. “Are you
detectives?”
Alex fished in her purse for her identification. “We are as a matter of fact.”
“Well then, she sure would. I hope you nail him if he did kill that boy. Everyone was devastated. Nothing like that has ever happened around here before.”
“Did you know Corey Johnson?”
“Not personally but this town is tied closely to the college. We’re very protective of our students.”
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Brad flashed a smile. “Thank you for being so helpful, Betty. If you could arrange a meeting with your friend in the morning at some point, we would really appreciate it.”
Betty nodded. “I’ll do that. Meantime,” she said slyly, opening the door, “enjoy the room.” She shut the door firmly behind her.
Brad walked over to Alex, pulling her into his arms. “Our
hostess is a very smart lady, you know that?”
“She is at that,” Alex said, standing on tiptoe to catch his lips in a long and satisfying kiss. When it finally ended, she found herself lifted off the floor against his chest, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he edged toward the bed. Just as he lowered her onto the mattress, his hands already doing wonderfully exciting things to her body, his cell phone rang, startling them both.