Bulldog (Dev Haskell - Private Investigator Book 9) (4 page)

“Ask me and we’ll see.”

“I was wondering, how long have you guys been in this house?”

“You mean like why isn’t it finished?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”

There was a sort of window bay area maybe five feet deep on the exterior wall of the den with four tall windows. The roof had leaked and probably still did where the bay jutted out from the main structure. Casey glanced up at the water-damaged plaster on the ceiling. It was cracked and stained a yellow brownish color. Unfortunate past experience told me those stains would bleed right through any paint. But then the plaster was so damaged the area would have to be replaced anyway so it didn’t really matter.

“All my friends from the burbs were always asking us when we were going to be finished. They just don’t get it, but then how could they? Anyway, let’s see, it was May when we moved in, and we had to get the furnace replaced before we moved. I think we closed the end of March. So that’s…” She counted silently on her fingers, then said, “So I guess that’s about twenty-eight months.”

“You remember who you bought it from?”

She ignored my question and took a detour down memory lane instead. “It was going to be our house forever. I mean with four bedrooms upstairs there’d be plenty of room for kids. We were going to live here for the next fifty years. Of course things happen and…”

“Do you remember who you bought it from?” I asked again. “Who lived here before you?”

“The seller?”

“Yeah, was it a family or an old couple, who was it?”

“I can’t really say. It was sort of strange. It was never officially on the market, you know with a sign out front or anything like that. We sort of heard about it by word of mouth, I can’t even remember who told us. I do know it had been empty, but not for too long. Sort of a weirdo character at the closing representing the sellers. He was a lawyer I think, Johnny or Jamie something. I suppose I’ve got his card around here somewhere in a file, sleazy type, with a home dye-job on his dreadful slicked back hair. He kept leering at me and I remember when he gave me his card he sort of held my hand and raised his eyebrows like there was a lot more available if I wanted it.”

“What did you do?”

“Ran to the ladies room and washed my hands with disinfectant, twice. What a creep. We never met the owners, I think they were traveling or something?”

“Traveling, like they were in the circus or what?”

“Yeah, that’s right, Dev, the circus. No, it was like they were out of town, out of state for that matter. I don’t know Europe, Hawaii, China maybe, anyway not living the sort of life we had,” she said and then I could see the tears beginning to well up in her eyes and so I changed the subject.

“Hey, how would you feel if I moved in, temporarily, just so the place isn’t empty at night?”

“Did you see him, did he come back?”

“No nothing,” I lied. “I would guess it was someone like Louie said. You know, they heard this might be going on the market and they wanted to drive by. That might actually be kind of a good thing since you’re going to sell.”

“Yeah, I won’t be able to keep up the payments by myself and then, well probably not the best idea to stay. Hey, I appreciate the offer, Dev, but I really can’t impose on you like that. After all, you were kind enough to come last night when I phoned in panic mode and….”

“Casey, it wouldn’t be an imposition. Really, besides you’ll sleep better and you know how I can worry so how ‘bout we just agree I’ll spend the nights here.”

“I could pay you, not much, but…”

“No. You don’t need to pay me. I’d like to do it, really.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yup.”

“I mean I could probably….”

“No, Casey, look I’ll be back here around five tonight. If you could go out today, maybe get me a set of keys, we’ll be all set.”

“I suppose you could use Dermot’s,” she said and then the tears welled up again.

Chapter Eight

“You’re kidding me, the
two of you are shacking up?” Louie asked.

“No, you low dripper, we’re not shacking up. She’s staying at her brother’s place. I’m just going to be there at night to make sure no one breaks in.”

“Did you tell her about that Fat Ass guy?”

“Fat Freddy? No, to answer your question. Nothing I could say was going to help in that vein, God she’d just obsess and worry. I just told her it had been a quiet night and let it go at that.”

Louie nodded.

“I could use your help on something.”

“What’s that?” Louie asked.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind doing a little research, maybe you could sort of check out the history of the place. Fat Freddy said they bought the place from Bulldog. Casey said whoever owned it was out of town traveling in Europe or China when they closed on it. That sure doesn’t sound like Bulldog. I’m going to wander over there this afternoon, knock on some doors to introduce myself and see if the neighbors can tell me anything.”

“I’ll check it out. When you talk to Casey, ask her if she has a copy of the abstract, it might be interesting to go through that.”

I nodded, then said, “She mentioned some sleazy lawyer handled their closing. Guy actually made a pass at her. His name was Johnny or Jamie something like that, he had slicked back dyed hair. Ring any bells?”

“Sleazy? God it could be just about anyone. Jackie Van Dorn comes to mind. He’s certainly sleazy. He’s got this pencil thin mustache thing and dyed black hair, God knows why, the only person he’s fooling is himself. Looks like something out of a ‘B’ grade movie from the 40’s. Yeah, I could see him making a pass at someone during a real estate closing. He fancies himself as a man-about-town, it’s comical.”

I was knocking on neighbors’ doors later that afternoon. No one answered at the two homes on either side of Casey’s place. The third house was a three-story, two-toned green Victorian that sat directly across the street. I climbed the steps to the front porch and knocked on the carved oak door. A large picture window looked out onto the porch, a stained-glass window in a floral pattern sat above it.

“Yes,” a voice called from behind the door.

“Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Dev Haskell. I’m going to be spending some nights across the street at Casey and Dermot’s.”

A nice looking woman opened the door a moment later. I pegged her around mid-seventies and thought I may have recognized her from Dermot’s funeral the other day.

“Hi, my name is Dev Haskell,” I said again.

She opened the door wider and gave me a top to bottom examination, visibly moving her head up and down. “Are you a policeman?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just a friend of Casey and Dermot’s. Under the circumstances, Casey is a bit uncomfortable spending evenings there and so she’s staying somewhere else. We just didn’t want the place to be empty at night, with all the publicity it seemed like it might be inviting a problem. I just wanted to say ‘hi’ so when you see some strange guy wandering around over there, well, it’s me.”

“Mmm-hmm, dreadful business that was. We’ve all been on guard ever since. Who would have thought? The taxes we pay in this city and that sort of thing happens, I don’t know. Oh, now just listen to me going on, how is she doing, Casey?”

“I think pretty well under the circumstances. She’s here every day, hauling some things out, clothes mostly, and then checking in on the workmen. There were plumbers there this morning and I think a contactor, kind of tough to keep up.”

“So sad, I can’t blame her for not wanting to stay there, but we so loved her. Loved them both, such a pity. They’ll be missed,” she said and shook her head.

“Do you know who lived there before? Who they bought the home from? I have this feeling I was here once before, a few years back, but it’s not ringing any bells. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.”

“Well, yes and no. There were a host of renters through there over the better part of five or six years until Casey and Dermot moved in. Good lord, it became the worst home on the block, all sorts of awful characters coming and going at all hours of the day and night. God only knows the sort of nonsense that went on over there.”

“Then the Gallagher’s bought it, thank God. But as to who owned it, who they bought it from, no I don’t actually know. We’ve been here forty-six years, the Speer family was in there for a good twenty plus then someone bought the home from them and immediately turned it into a rental property. Things seemed to go downhill quickly from there. You can just imagine.”

“There was one woman, strange sort of thing. Unbalanced might be the best word I can think of. Dressed like she was the worst sort of street person, but I heard from one of the neighbors she was some kind of missionary.”

“Missionary?”

“Yes, apparently she was involved in a kind of preaching and saving souls or some such business. I suppose if you’re going to be saving those afflicted it helps to look and act like them.” She raised her eyebrows in a way that suggested there might be a lot more to the story then she knew.

“You don’t remember her name?”

“No, I haven’t the foggiest. To tell the truth, even if I’d known she was saving souls I’d still keep a safe distance. You know how it goes, trouble just naturally seems to find that sort.”

I guess I did know, maybe. I thanked her, gave her my card and left. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something she said that seemed to ring a distant bell. My memory was hazy at best and it was like looking into a thick patch of fog when I tried to come up with whatever or whoever it was. I went back across the street, sat on the porch swing and waited for Casey.

Chapter Nine

Casey showed up a
little after five and gave me a wave as she climbed out of her car. She looked both ways before she crossed the street then chirped the car alarm system and headed toward me.

“Hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“No, not at all, plus it’s been about a thousand years since I sat on a porch swing.”

“Really?” she said and climbed the steps.

“Yeah, I think the last time I was on one of these things I was sitting on my mom’s lap.”

“Oh, so like two or three years ago…”

“Yeah, right. To tell you the truth, I’d forgotten how really nice it can be.”

“Wow, looks like you’re moving in to stay,” she said looking at my suitcase by the front door.

“Just some extra clothes so I don’t have to be running back and forth every day.” I didn’t think there was any point in telling Casey I had two more pistols, a pair of binoculars and close to a hundred rounds of ammunition packed in there with my boxers.

“Feel free to use the washer and dryer, they’re almost brand new,” she said then caught herself for just a brief moment. It was over almost before it began, but you could sense the heartbreak.

I moved on. “Hey, Louie wondered if you could get hold of the abstract for this place. He wanted to study it for a bit, look at the history of the house. He’s actually a lawyer.”

“He is?” she said sounding more than a little surprised then said, “You know I think you already told me that. It’s just with everything that’s been going on I’m sort of a little spacey.”

“Not a problem.”

“Here, at least I remembered to get a set of keys made for you,” she said and handed me a white plastic bag with ‘Ace Hardware’ written across it in red letters. “Maybe try them in the lock and make sure they work.”

I inserted the key in the front door lock, turned it and heard the lock click.

“Wow, lucky guess. The other one is for the back door and then that different looking square kinda one is for the garage. Dermot’s car is in there and the garage door opener is probably still hanging on his sun visor. You might as well park in my space I’m not going to be using it.”

“I’ll check it out,” I said.

“I’m just gonna grab a couple of things and then get over to my brother’s. You need anything before I go?”

“No, I’m just fine, Casey, don’t worry.”

“I really appreciate you doing this for me, Dev. You know deep down you really are a good guy.”

“God, don’t tell anyone.”

She smiled at that. I helped carry three loads of boxes to her car, then about a hundred different tops on hangers, a bunch of shoes and a suitcase that was so heavy she must have packed it full of books then sat on the damn thing just to get it closed. She lowered her window once she started the car. There was just enough room for her to sit in the driver’s seat. Stuff was piled in the backseat up to the rear window. The passenger seat was loaded up almost to above the dashboard.

“Don’t make any fast right hand turns because all that stuff will just tumble down on top of you,” I half joked.

“Thanks again, Dev, I really appreciate it. Stay safe,” she said and drove off.

I went inside and unpacked. I just piled my clothes on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace in the den. I had a snub .38 in my pocket and I stuck a Walther PPK in the small of my back. Then I grabbed a beer and another tray of left over hors d’oeuvres and retreated to the flat screen. I watched some movie with a title I couldn’t recall. It had a car chase scene and some numbskull able to dodge bullets from an AK on full squirt at a distance of about ten feet, that’s Hollywood for you.