Lia Farrell - Mae December 02 - Two Dogs Lie Sleeping (23 page)

B
efore leaving the office, Sheriff Bradley made a final phone call: to Detective Pascoe.

“Detective, it’s Sheriff Bradley. How are you feeling?”

“Not so good, Bradley. Have you got the bastard?”

“
He’s back in custody now. Despite the evidence, the DA’s office ordered his release a few days ago. We had him in the Booth Mansion at the time of Ferris murder. He was caught on camera and his prints were on the French doors. I was floundering around for something to link him to Ryan Gentry’s case, but we just got a report that it was his fingerprints on Ryan’s belt. This time it’s going to stick.”

“I had the belt looked at fifteen years ago, but they said it was just a smudge. Couldn’t get anything.”

“It was smudged, but this modern technology, man, it’s impressive. Anyway, we’ve got him. He’s still not rolling on Townsend, but it’s only a matter of time now. There’s a former girlfriend with a son. Seems to me he has some feelings for the kid. We’ll press on that and see what happens. When he goes to court for the indictment, I’ll let you know. And when this whole thing is tied up, I’ll take you out for a beer.”

Ben heard a long sigh. “Thank you, Ben. I’m not supposed to drink, but your news requires a celebration. I’m going to down a cold one here and now. It’s a good feeling to have my last case solved, even if I didn’t solve it.” The old man’s voice was full of regret.

“Actually, you put me on the right trail by giving me that list of the fraternity guys.”

“Thank you,” Pascoe’s gruff voice softened.

“It’s me that should thank you, Detective Pascoe. We could never have done it without your help.”

Ben left the office after six, looking forward to seeing Mae and having a drink and a shower. Swinging by his place, he grabbed a clean uniform and a nice bottle of Merlot from the wine rack, pulled two steaks and a six-pack out of his refrigerator. Then he drove to Little Chapel Road. Coming up the driveway, he noticed that his girlfriend’s car was not there. He took out the extra key he had to Mae’s place, unlocked the door and went inside. While he was unloading, he heard her car drive up and park behind his.

“Hey,” she called as she came in.

Her hair was windblown and her cheeks flushed. When he glanced briefly at her upper arm and saw the large bruise, he winced with guilt.

“Hey, yourself. Where’ve you been?”

“Just running some errands,” she answered with a smile. “How was your day?”

“Good
. We arrested Covington today. It’ll stick this time, so I thought we’d celebrate.” He gestured toward the wine.

“Sounds good,” she said
, reaching for him and giving him a kiss. “I’ll start the grill. Why don’t you hit the showers?”

“Need one, do I?” he asked, grinning. He nuzzled her neck.

“Maybe.” She nuzzled him back, flicking her tongue against his neck. “You taste salty.”

When he came out, clean with wet hair, he grabbed Mae and kissed her again. So much of his life was spent dealing with people who were liars, thieves
, and violent offenders. Seeing Mae was like coming into a quiet meadow or standing beside a trickling river. She washed it all away.

Mae had cleared two drawers out for him to keep some clothes at her house. It was convenient on days like this. One of these days, he needed to talk with her about them moving in together. They had been a couple for months already
and they were both in their thirties; it was time.

“Better?” he asked when he came into the kitchen.

“Much better.” She smiled.

They were having a second glass of wine on the couch when Mae said she had something to show him. He had his arm around her and she turned her face up to him. Her eyes looked almost black, and when she spoke her voice was strained.

“Must be something important
.” Ben ruffled her hair.

“Oh it is,” she said.
She stood up and went over to the hooks on the back porch, where she usually hung her jacket and her purse. She pulled out a couple of pieces of folded paper and something that caught the light. “I have a letter from Tommy Ferris to my sister.” She held the letter out to him and he unfolded the pages.

Ben read the letter carefully. Mae sat down beside him
again.

“What do you think this says, right here?” He indicated a scrawl after the word “Greg’s
.”

“I don’t know
. July couldn’t read it either.” Mae shook her head.

“I need to ask your sister about this hiding place he mentions.”
Mae was looking away, but a flush of red crept up the side of her neck. “You and July already went to look there, didn’t you?”

She gave a tiny nod. “And Miranda.”

“Would you please look at me, Mae?” She turned to face him once more. “Did you find anything?”

“Yes.” The red flush covered her cheeks now. “We did, but Miranda told us to keep quiet about it. July told her we would and I
—”

“I’m
always
in second place to your family.” He realized he was shouting and shook his head in disbelief. “In your blind loyalty to your sister, did you forget that this is a murder case? There might have been evidence we could use in that house, and now it’s inadmissible.”

“But Ben, what we found has nothing to do with Tommy’s murder, and the letter should help with your case against Henry Covington, right?”

He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. “It sure is the final nail in the coffin for Covington with the Gentry murder,” he said. “And we have him for the Ferris murder too. Left his fingerprints on the shutter dogs. Unfortunately, we have nothing much that ties Greg Townsend to Tom’s murder.” He frowned.

“You don’t, but I might,” Mae whispered. She looked like she was holding something back from him.

“Then for God’s sake, let me have it,” Ben said, frustrated. “I thought I saw something catch the light when you pulled the letter out of your purse.”

“Here it is,” Mae said, holding out her hand and opening it slowly. In her palm she had a large, gold ring. “It’s Ryan Gentry’s ring. Amberleigh Townsend brought it over to give to Olivia as a best friend’s present after her concussion. She said it was her father’s.”

“Well, it really doesn’t help me. It’s from the Gentry case, not the Ferris case. I can see about returning it to Ryan’s family, though.”

Mae’s face relaxed. “Actually, that’s a relief to me. All I wanted to do was help you nail Henry Covington
, anyway. He was Tommy’s killer.”

“We have him now, honey,” Ben said. “When did July get this letter?”

“The letter was … in the mail, and the ring just showed up yesterday.”

“Did you talk to anyone else about the letter or the ring?” She looked down for an instant.

“To Greg, but I didn’t mean to.”

“What the hell are you saying, you didn’t mean to?” He jumped to his feet. “How is that even possible?”

Mae got off the couch. “If you give me a chance, I’ll explain.” She paused and he waited, trying to slow his breathing. “I took Amberleigh—Sandi and Greg’s daughter—back to her house on my way home from July’s. Amberleigh had been to see Olivia because they’re best friends. I had the ring in my purse, but it fell out in the driveway and Greg saw it. He asked me where I got it. I didn’t really know what to say, so I just drove off.” She stopped talking and her shoulders slumped.

“How long after that did Henry threaten you, Mae?” He stared into her eyes and stepped closer.

“About half an hour. And after Henry twisted my arm, I didn’t remember to give you the ring or the letter.” Her eyes widened. “That’s why he threatened me, and I’m just now putting this together …. What an idiot.” She sat back down, rubbing her forehead.

“We think Townsend was the man behind Ryan’s murder, but as of now I have nothing on Greg Townsend. Turns out we can’t ever get Townsend for his involvement in the Ryan Gentry case. The statute of limitations on that one ran out five years ago. All we could get him on is for paying Covington to shoot Tom Ferris, but I have no proof.”

“Did any money show up in Covington’s bank account after Tommy died?”

“No luck. My guess is that Henry was paid in cash, probably after he killed Tom, since they wouldn’t have had any time before that to get enough money together.”

“If you didn’t find any money, maybe Henry killed Tommy on his own.”

Using a carefully controlled tone of voice and beating down his rising irritation, Ben said
, “Henry was acting on someone’s orders.” He began to pace in front of the couch. “Covington would have been paid on the day the assistant district attorney made me release him, August eighth. His attorney, who’s from the Townsend practice by the way, took him over to the law offices when I released him. I had George follow him. Covington left their office just before six, and went to a bar where he met his old girlfriend for a drink. Then he drove to his apartment, changed cars, and headed up to Pinhook.”

“So he knew you were closing in on him.”

“Right. He decided to get rid of the murder weapon and stash the cash somewhere we wouldn’t find it.”

“But you told me you didn’t find any cash when you searched the cabin.”

“We didn’t. The second guy—the one Wayne caught in the cabin—was searching for the money too, but he didn’t find it, either. We have no idea who he is and he got away, so it’s not likely he’ll turn up and testify. Without the money, or some other evidence on Greg, I don’t think the DA will indict him.” Ben sighed.

“Well, maybe that’s for the best.”

Heat flushed through Ben’s body. “What are you saying? Greg Townsend gave the orders that sent two young men to their premature deaths. I’m doing everything I can to get the bastard.” Ben’s fists were tight; his fingernails bit into his palms.

“But you just said you don’t have any evidence of Greg’s involvement. Isn’t it enough that you have Henry Covington?”

“Why are you trying to discourage me from getting Townsend? He killed Tom Ferris just the same as if he pulled the trigger. And he must’ve sent Covington after you, as soon as he saw that ring. You were threatened. Don’t you take that seriously?” Ben was raising his voice again.

“I do take it seriously—I’ve just been so worried about July. In the last ten days
her old boyfriend died from a gunshot wound right in front of her, her marriage has been in trouble, and her little girl had a concussion. Sandi Townsend is her best friend.” Mae took a deep breath. “Arresting Greg could destroy that family, and I’m not sure my sister can handle one more tragedy.”

“You can’t seriously think I would hold off on arresting Greg Townsend just to make July’s life easier.” Ben felt an iron band tightening around his head.

“No, you’re missing the point. You don’t seem to realize the situation I’m in with this, I want to help you, but I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. Don’t you see?”

“You’re the one who’s missing the point, Mae. My hands have been tied for most of this investigation because of my relationship with you and your family. I have a duty to the people of Rosedale. Sometimes people do get hurt when the truth comes out, but it’s
still my job to find it.”

Ben paused. His chest was tight and there were spots in front of his eyes. Thoreau came into the room and went straight to Mae. The old dog leaned into her. They both stared at Ben, and Thoreau gave a little whine.

Ben rose to his feet. “I’m done with this conversation, and I might need a break from this relationship. You’re supposed to be supportive, not interfere with my investigation. Where’s your loyalty, Mae, to your sister or me?”

Ben stomped out through the kitchen, slamming the back door behind him. Mae’s car was behind his, blocking him from leaving. He started up his truck and whipped it around, driving right through a flower bed. He drove home at a furious pace.

Even after everything they’d been through, Mae had taken July’s side, not his. He would be damned if he told her another thing about his cases. No matter how he examined the conversation, Mae December was dead wrong.

Sitting in his truck outside his house, he banged his hands on the steering wheel again and again
and groaned aloud. His body was sore all over. He rubbed his clenched jaw. This was worse than anything he had felt when Katie Hudson left him.

M
ae didn’t sleep all night, consumed with guilt and fear that her relationship with Ben was shattered beyond repair. When she went down to the kitchen the next morning, she was still thinking about his face right before he left.
What have I done? How could I let this happen?
She sat down abruptly and punched her fists against her thighs. Her throat was sore. She sat at the table for a long time, hunched and miserable. She hated the thought of what Greg Townsend’s arrest would do to Sandi and her kids, and maybe even to July, but Ben was right.

Finally the dogs’ whining penetrated her fog. She got up slowly and pulled the Tater from her crate.
Carrying the puppy, she called the other dogs to come out. They walked outside into the dew that was fast burning off as the sun rose higher. She took a deep breath. Had she lost him for good? She started to cry.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, all in slow motion, Mae knew she had to do something to get Ben to forgive her. It wouldn’t do to merely apologize. She had to show him that she support
ed him. Ben needed something concrete on Greg. He had checked Henry’s financials to no avail. If Greg, or someone at the law firm, had paid Henry to kill Tommy, there had to be a money trail. Hiring a paid killer would require a big payoff.

Once in her kitchen, Mae texted the word “Avalanche” to her best friend’s
cellphone. It was the code word she and Tammy had chosen for disaster. Tammy called her back immediately, sounding energetic and happy.

“Hi, Mae,”
she said.

“Ben has Henry Covington, the one who threatened me, in jail, so you two don’t need to stay with me. But I do need your help.” Mae went over the events of the previous evening with her best friend. “Do you have a clue what I could do to make it up to Ben?”

“No, I really don’t,” Tammy said, her breathy little voice was almost a whisper. “That’s awful. Taking a break from a relationship usually means breaking up.”

“I know.” Mae heard Patrick’s voice in the background.

“What’s Patrick saying?”

“He says you could get new black underwear,” Tammy giggled.

“Tell Patrick to get his mind out of his pants,” Mae snapped. “If you have a better idea, call me back.”

Sitting at the kitchen table, Mae went back over everything she and Ben had talked about last night. Covington had been paid in cash to kill Tommy Ferris. It was likely that he got the money from the Townsend law offices
before he met his ex-girlfriend at a bar.

That
had to be it: he gave the money to the ex.
If only there was a record of that payment. She wondered if Ben had looked for any large withdrawals from the Townsend practice. If they could find a record of a big payout, that would certainly implicate Greg.

Later that morning, Mae assembled all the checks she had received in the last month for dog boarding and drove to the bank. As she walked in, she noticed a coffee urn and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She helped herself, hoping sugar and caffeine would settle her nerves. A young black man was standing behind the counter. His name tag read, “My name is Mike. May I help you?”

“Good morning, Mike,” Mae said. Still distraught over her argument with Ben, she forced herself to smile at the teller. “I have a deposit and then I hope you can help me with a question.”

“Happy to.” He took the deposit slip. “Did you want cash back, Miss December?” he asked, glancing at her name on the deposit slip.

“No thank you,” she said. “Here’s what I wanted to ask. If I were to take out a large sum of cash, say twenty-five thousand from my account, would the bank keep a record of that withdrawal?”

He glanced at the computer screen. “Miss December, I’m very sorry, but you don’t have
quite
that much money in your account.” He was keeping a remarkably straight face, seeing that her balance was only a few hundred dollars.

“I certainly don’t
.” She nearly laughed. “I was just asking hypothetically.”

“Since
9/11, the federal government requires that any bank giving a customer a sum of money over ten thousand dollars must fill out a Controlled Transaction Report. The form requires the person’s name, identification, and employment information. They can’t simply say they’re retired, for example; they have to say where they were employed and the reason for the withdrawal.”

“Does the form require the name of the person who will receive the cash
, by any chance?” she asked, crossing her fingers behind her back for luck.

“It does. They have to list the beneficiary of the money.”

“Perfect,” she said. “And if I gave you a date the money was received and asked to see this form, could I?”

He shook his head, and looked at her as if she was
simple-minded. “Certainly not. It’s a confidential form filed with the federal government. The forms are kept in a central location with the Legal Services Division. The only way you could see them would be if you were in law enforcement and you had a subpoena for the records.”

“You’ve been very helpful,” she told him. “Is there any other way
to find out if a person was in the bank on a particular day?”

“Not in Rosedale, but in the bigger banks, they usually have video surveillance of the tellers, in case there was a robbery.”

“Great idea,” she murmured to herself, trying to think of a way to find out where the Townsend firm banked. “Thanks again, Mike.”

When she walked toward the door of the bank she turned around, recognizing that Mike’s information could possibly salvage her relationship with the sheriff. She blew him a kiss. Mike looked startled but then made a motion with his hand, as if to catch the kiss and put it on his cheek. He winked at her.

On the way back home, she called Dory from the car.

“How’s Ben been today?” she asked, dreading the response. Ben hadn’t called and she hadn’t called him either. She knew he needed some time to cool off but at least she had something helpful. Now that she had the ammunition, she needed Dory’s help to take the next step.

“The sheriff? The man is a grizzly bear. He stormed in this morning, practically fired the floaters instead of thanking them, sent Phelps and Fuller scurrying to go through the trash at a house that had been robbed. Since then he’s been sulking in his office. Our new
deputy, Miss Gomez, was going to come in for an orientation. You better believe I cancelled that right away. What’s going on, honey?”

“We had a fight last night. He was really mad when he left.”

“About the Ferris case?”

“Yes. July got a letter from Tom Ferris in the mail. Among other things, it said he believed Greg Townsend was involved in the Ryan Gentry murder.”

“Wasn’t the sheriff glad to get that piece of evidence?”

“Oh, Dory, I thought he would be. I gave him the letter. I should have given it to him sooner. But you know what my sister’s been through.
I said it might be for the best if they didn’t arrest Greg because his wife and July are best friends.”

Mae started tearing up.
She gripped the steering wheel hard.

Dory took a deep breath. “Young lady, as they used to say on the Lucille Ball show
, you’ve got some ’splainin to do.”

“I know, I was just torn between July and Ben.”

“And it sounds like you chose your sister,” Dory said quietly.

“That’s what Ben thinks too. But I want to help him close this case. If Greg really is behind all this, then he’s responsible for Tommy’s death and he shouldn’t get away with it. July will understand that.”

“Mae, I’ve known you and July since you were little bitty girls. Your sister is tough. And you have your mother’s intuition—you’ve always been good at figuring things out. What’s your plan?”

Mae got control of herself and said, “I’d like you to meet me for dinner. I found out something that could nail Greg Townsend.”

Dory agreed, but said it needed to be a late one. They picked a place and time, 8:00 at O’Brien’s.