The Devil's Dwelling (14 page)

“Let’s knock on the door and check if anyone‘s home.”  I put my Glock in my waist and flashlight in my back pocket and we made our way across and down the street to the McGuire house. I gave a hardy knock.  The place was quiet. Mona made her way to the back door with her 38 in hand. She knocked on the door…dead silence. I came around to the back door and gave a heave ho and kicked the door in.  We scrambled into the house and shut the door. We walked through the house shining the flashing mostly at the floor. Crocheted dollies dressed the end table with a statue of an angel.  A crocheted table cloth was on the dining table with a silk centerpiece.  Newspapers clippings of the Maxine’s murder and the obituary was strewn on the table.  We searched the house thoroughly and didn‘t find any clues putting them with the Martins.  With the exception of the newspaper clippings.  Why would Maxine Martin’s death interest the McGuire‘s

EIGHTEEN

I parked in the guest parking slot and made my way to Hayden Store All. The building has secured underground parking for the employees. Hayden built the eight story storage up from the one story storage yard his father started in the fifties.  The climate control building covers half a city block. The first floor consist of the office and houses surveillance equipment which is monitored twenty-four seven.  The storage is used for archive documents, master paintings, antiques dating back to the thirteenth century.  Hayden has a staff of about fifty. At the top floor sets the penthouse where Hayden Harris resides, a full gym, sauna, spa and lap pool covered with a retractable doom.  A helicopter pad is situated at the corner of the roof top with a big black bird waiting to take flight.

I pushed the intercom button. A husky male voice came over the intercom, it was Larry, Hayden’s Super in the surveillance department. “Tiffany, what’s the pleasure of your visit?”

“Is Hayden available for a visit?”  Hayden usually had time for me.

“Come on in.” 

I heard a buzz and the door opened and immediately closed behind me. Marble covered the floor. The walls were painted black with brushed steel trimming it out.  Each surveillance office was behind glass walls.  Monitors were in every office with someone monitoring them. Camera’s are every where inside and outside the building. The elevator opened and I stepped in. The elevator is made of brushed steel. Invisible camera’s are set up in the elevator. A voice came over the intercom. You will be going to the penthouse. The buttons on the elevator were in code.  My elevator ride was swift and to the top floor. 

I stepped out of the elevator to be greeted by Hayden. A handsome guy with muscles nearly busting the buttons off his shirt. His black jeans were snug and Hayden Store All was embroidered on his shirt pocket. Hayden took me in his arms and gave me a kiss with tongue reaching my tonsils. Hayden knows how to get my libido raging. He pushed me back holding my arms to the side looking me over from red curly hair tangled all over my head to my high heels. My feet were saying  please release me.

“What do I attribute this visit?  You are being followed and are looking for Marty Martin.”

“Yeah, did you hear about the murder of Maxine Martin?”  I’m not sure why I asked except to get the conversation going since Hayden knows everything going on in town.

“I found a bomb in my Blazer yesterday.”

“I heard it on the scanner. Tiffany, I don’t know how safe you are with this Bounty Hunter job. You should come to work for me. “

“Then you might think you could have your way with me. If I stay at a distance you like me more.” I said smiling and twirling my red locks through my fingers.

“Anyway, Sheriff Randy watches after me.”

“Not like I could take care of you.”

“I’ll have chef Lee fix us a nice dinner and you spend the night with me.” His smile turned me into a marshmallow.

“What’s for dinner?”

A streak of sunlight shined across the marble floor. I set up in bed and  looked at the clock. It was eight o’clock. I needed to get home. Mona would be wondering about me. That’s the bad thing about room mates. If you don’t come home they start to worry. Hayden’s side of the bed was empty. I pulled his large tee shirt over my head and jumped in the shower. Hayden’s shower is larger than my bedroom with shower heads around the sides and one big one shower head in the middle spraying straight down. I have trouble deciding on which shower head to turn on.

I stepped out of the shower. Hayden was standing in the doorway. I gasped.

“You startled me.”

“My my just like I remember from last night. Smooth and sexy.”

I wrapped the oversized towel around my body tucking it in at my breasts. I let the towel soak up the moisture on my body and looked for my clothes. “Where are my clothes” I yelled from the bedroom.

“Olga will have them ready for you by the time you finish breakfast. Slip on my robe. Lee will have your breakfast ready in a moment.”

Lee brought a plate of fruit and eggs with wheat toast from the kitchen and set it on the table.

“I remember from before what you like.” She said in her Asian accent.

Olga delivered my freshly laundered clothes before I finished with breakfast. I dressed and Hayden showed me to the elevator.

“We’ll be in touch.” He said as the elevator door slowly closed.

When I got home Mona was reading the newspaper. “I’m looking for an apartment.”

“You don’t have to move out.” Did I do or say something to make you feel you have to move out?”

“No, no. This one sounds good.” She continued to read.  “You want to ride over with me?”  She said folding the paper to the ad section.

“Did you hear me? You don’t have to move. You don‘t even have a car.”

“Yes, I do. I went by Hood’s Used Car Lot and Mr. Hood sold me the Explorer on payments.”

Did he get the registration?”

“No, but if he can’t get it we are going to work something out. My payments can go on another vehicle but I like the Explorer.”

I rode with Mona over to the apartment Mona had marked in the newspaper on Maple Street.

“What do you plan to use for a bed, and a sofa and you don’t have a TV. You can’t live without a TV.”

“I’ll buy a blow up mattress at Wal-Mart. The other can wait.”

We hopped in Mona’s rig and headed for the apartment.  The apartment manager showed Mona the apartment. It was a small one bedroom unit freshly painted with a bar for eating and bar stools, a frig, stove and a window room air conditioner in the living room. It was quite cozy for one person.

I’ll take it.” She said reaching her bosom for the rent money.

“You’ll have to sign the rental agreement. You have  a job where you can pay the rent?”

“Of course I have a job. I work for Peterson Bail Bonds.”

“You won’t be bringing any trouble to the apartment complex will you?’

“No, I keep my job away from my apartment.” The manager was taking down Mona’s information. 

“Okay, sign here.” He pointed at the bottom of the rental agreement.

Mona signed, handed over cash and the manager handed her a receipt and a key to the apartment.

“Let’s drive over to my folks. Granny Wiggins died a few years ago and Momma stored her furniture in the cellar. Dad’s been wanting Momma to sell the stuff where he can get to his shop. She doesn’t want just anyone using her Momma’s furniture.”

We parked on the curb. Kimberly’s car was parked in the driveway. Kimberly and her two boys have dinner with momma and daddy every Friday evening. They have dinner and Kimberly leaves the boys with Momma and Daddy for the night and goes out partying. Momma says Kimberly needs the time away from the boys. Clay is eight and Winston is six. Winston’s a firebug and Clay’s a fireman. He’s put out more of Winston’s fires than one can remember.  Momma swears someday Winston’s gonna burn the house down.

I knocked at the door and walked in. They were just setting down to dinner.

“Hi sister did you come for dinner?”  Kimberly said pushing a chair up to the table. “Who’s your friend? Momma we’re gonna need that chair in the bedroom.”

“This is Mona, we work together.”

“Yeah, I hear things are hopping in the bounty hunter business.”

Kimberly hates her job but with two boys to raise she’s stuck working at the post office. Her ex-husband Hal is an accountant and hooked up with his secretary. Kimberly had it pretty good when she was married to Hal Young. He pays her alimony and child support but it’s still not enough to get by on. She got the three bedroom ranch style house and the SUV in the divorce settlement.

Momma brought the chair from the bedroom and we all set around the table. While daddy was saying grace over the food Winston was sticking his paper napkin to the flame of the burning candle and jerking it back before it lit.

“Winston, I’ve a mind to spank you butt and send you to bed without dinner.” Momma said as she put a hot dog on his plate. Everyone else enjoyed pot roast with all the trimmings. Not Winston he only eats hot dogs, potato chips and rocky road ice cream.

“Momma, this dinner is delicious.”

“I was gonna say the same myself. You’re a good cook.” Mona mumbled out of the side of her full mouth trying to hold the food in with her tongue and fork.

“Well, thank you both.”

“Mona, I hear you are staying with Tiffany.” Kimberly said being nosey.

“I just rented an apartment over on Maple Street.”

“The apartment with the big maple trees? Kimberly asked.

“Come to think of it they do have maple trees around the perimeter of the property.” “Momma you should sell Mona some of the furniture in the basement.  It’s rotting down there in that moist hole. I don’t know it may already be ruined.”

“There isn’t a thing wrong with Granny’s stuff. I could sell it to you if you think you might use some of it.”  She told Mona.

“Can we take a look at it after dinner? My apartment is small so I don’t need much.”

Kimberly played right into our hands. We didn’t even have to ask Momma if she wanted to sell it. She thinks it would be good if Mona bought it. Momma dabbed her checks with her apron and excused herself and went into the kitchen. I followed her knowing she was thinking about Granny Wiggins. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“How silly of me to get sentimental. It’s been almost five years since Granny died.”

She said drying her face.

“We’ll never forget Granny. If you don’t want to part with her things you keep them right where they are.”

“I don’t need it and Mona can use it. It’s just materials things. Ask who wants carrot cake.”  She wiped her cheeks with her apron.

Dad had pushed his chair back from the table and removed the big dish towel protecting his shirt from the dripping. Mona was still chewing on her last bite of roast. Winston was sucking on his hot dog rolling it around in his mouth and had managed to get his napkin on fire. There were ashes all over the table from Clay fanning to put out the blaze in the middle of the table.

“How many want carrot cake?”

Four hands popped up.

Winston yelled. “I want rocky road ice cream.” As he again aimed his napkin for the open flame. Kimberly jumped up and blew out the candle.

“Why, for ‘crissake’ do we need candles on the table?”

Momma already had a dish of rocky road ice cream scooped up for Winston.  She cut the cake and served up six pieces. I balanced the ice cream and three dishes of cake, bumped the swinging door open with my butt and carried them to the table. The swinging door swung back just as Momma was about to go through. It knocked Momma to the floor. Orange carrot cake flew all over the kitchen floor. I helped Momma to her feet. “My, my you have another poop knot.”

“People are gonna start talking.” She said as she turned toward the kitchen to dish up three more pieces of cake.

“No, no you set down I’ll help with the cake.” Mona said showing Momma to her chair.

I picked up the dishes, swept the cake in the dust pan while Mona served up three more pieces of cake.

There was a knock at the door and before dad could say come in the twins Bill and Will were walking through the house.

“You boys hungry for cake?”

“We sure are Mr. Turner.”  Will said as he pulled a chair up to the table. Bill brought another chair from the bedroom.