A Lethal Time (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 4) (11 page)

Chapter 44

Setting The Stage

Out of nowhere, a beer bottle crash-landed in the middle of our table. We all pushed back and stood to avoid the mess. A second one landed dangerously close to me. Clay grabbed my arm and shoved me behind him in a protective stance. A second later, a couple more hit two other tables.

I glanced up to see a stunned Hazel and Betty just as two more hit another table. Wordlessly, I jerked my head in my direction. I was relieved when the two of them headed my way because I knew they’d never witnessed a brawl before and didn’t know its dangerous potential for turning into something worse. Come to think of it, I hadn’t experienced one either, but considering this site and these past few days, I wasn’t surprised it was happening now.

Then a thought hit me like a thunderbolt, the possibility of distraction, decoys, and misdirection and what might be going on here. I stepped sideways around Clay to confirm my suspicions. This was all too convenient a tactic because now there were several predictable fights going on.

Sure enough, Sarah and her cohorts were gone. After checking to see that Clay and Ciao Baby were already guiding the three ladies out of the area to safety, I didn’t wait for permission and headed in the opposite direction, shoving my way through all the chaos to where I had last spotted Sarah, hoping I wasn’t too late to catch up to them.

I got lucky and spotted her running behind some booths. The shadowy area played in my favor due to the spotty lighting, so I slipped easily in and out of the shadows.

Every once in a while, one of them turned and glanced back and I ducked down until I felt it was safe to take off again. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to find out where they were headed. I didn’t have to wait long and was rewarded when they finally stopped running and came face to face with another individual who was obviously waiting for them behind one of the vendor tents.

I stooped down, out of breath, looking for something to go on. Then my eyes latched onto the individual they met up with, the one person who I had not expected to see again so soon. It was the same creepy guy who stopped me earlier, threatening me in his not-so-gentle manner.

Still wearing his sunglasses, he stood in the shadows, clutching a cell phone to his ear. But from the distance where I crouched, I couldn’t hear what was being said. I cautiously inched a little closer to catch his words.

“…I think she’s going to catch on sooner or later and we might want to consider changing things up. Either that, or we’ll have to try for another staged accident.”

I stiffened.
Staged?
My mind flashed back to Amanda and that potentially fatal accident. I heard a rustle and tried to turn, but was attacked from behind as a hand covered my mouth, muffling my scream.

Chapter 45

Attacking More Than The Truth

I struggled with my assailant on the ground. Had they spotted me following, and one of them circled back? Regrets hit me as I fought to free myself, swearing that in the future I’d make all this stuff up instead of investigating and fighting off these potentially lethal attacks.

At a clear disadvantage and facing backwards, I felt myself losing the battle because I couldn’t get a hand free. I was pinned face down with someone straddling my back. As I fought, I smelled leather and a familiar lavender scent. I stilled when I heard the lowered voice.

“Listen up and stop fighting, Sam, it’s me, Crystal.”

She loosened her grip and I rolled over to face her, panting. “Are you crazy, jumping me like that?”

“Oh,” she whispered back. “So, I’m supposed to tap you on the shoulder nice-like to get your attention?”

She was right. I would have lost it. “You followed me?”

She chuckled. “I figured two were better than one.”

Then I remembered the reason why I was there and sat upright to take a look over at the group, but apparently our scuffle had already scared them away. “They’re gone.”

Crystal brushed herself off. “Figures, with the way you fought, like I was going to kill you. What’s going on?”

I explained about seeing Sarah and those thugs, her so-called attire, my subsequent chase, and who they met up with, Mr. Obnoxious. Then I explained in detail his threat earlier that evening.

She chuckled. “You’ve been busy.”

“Well, I never expected to see Sarah here.” Then I told her what I overheard. “It adds something new to the mix.”

Crystal got the connection immediately. “That certainly explains the Amanda fiasco the other day.”

I voiced my thoughts on the possibility of Jackson being involved, but I wasn’t sure whether it was connected to this, or if he was operating on his own. At this point nothing would surprise me.

Hey, maybe Robinson wasn’t really dead.

I thought about that for a second. I was starting to enter the realm of UFO sightings and wasn’t going there, at least not right now, but retained that right in the future. It was definitely borderline even for little old me.

I brushed myself off. “I think I’ll go back to Robinson’s house, but I want to go when no one will lean over my shoulder, and second guess me, including Clay.”

“Since I’m not big on second guessing, how about I meet you after hours? I’m meeting up with Ciao Baby for a quick drink. I want to see what else I can dig up.”

“Perfect. I’ll sneak out after Clay’s asleep.”

“Let’s meet at his house at midnight, then.”

With Crystal for company, what could go wrong?

Chapter 46

Looking For Something More

My headlights swung across the back of Robinson’s property, and then his house. I parked and got out near the backdoor. I stood there staring at the house getting antsy. Crystal was late and I was anxious to start looking around.

Ignoring my better judgment, I turned on my flashlight, unlocked the padlock, and entered, but then stopped when I smelled those gagging odors and thought back to my recent personal threats. I hesitated. I was extremely vulnerable. And as usual, I ignored them and forced myself to move.

The old house gave off bad vibes,
especially
at night. Coming there in broad daylight was one thing. Being there after midnight and alone was something else. I felt the goose bumps on my arms as I began passing through each room, hearing the snap and crunch of dead bugs underfoot.

I heard something scurry across the floor, probably a mouse. I pitched the flashlight downward. The droppings were scattered everywhere. I didn’t know what was worse, seeing them or hearing them. As I walked, my instincts were telling me there had to be something we overlooked, so I tried to focus on thinking of off-the-wall possibilities. I did a visual sweep of the second floor and came up empty.

Where was Crystal?

I went back downstairs and entered Robinson’s bedroom off the dining room. I closed the drapes so my flashlight wouldn’t give me away. Then I swung the light around and scanned the room, concentrating on possibilities.

My hand held steady when I hit upon the bookcase.

I stared at it.
No, that possibility was …way too simple.

Not large, it was already searched by the others, but something made me stop and consider that maybe we missed something obvious, but then again, not so obvious.

The furniture piece didn’t look too heavy. I put the flashlight on the bed and let it shine in the direction of the over-flowing bookcase so I could tackle the weight of it. Surprisingly, it slid away easily. When it was clear of the wall, I stopped and stared behind it, a small door. No lock, just a small door with a latch flat to the wall.

Impatient for Crystal to arrive and my curiosity killing me, I grabbed the flashlight from the bed and flashed it on the door as I lifted the painted-over latch, anxious to see what might be hidden there. At first it wouldn’t give, so I pulled harder and it finally opened.

I was both relieved and pleased to see what appeared to be a type of homemade wall safe, minus a combo lock. With his memory failing, I guess Robinson took that route.

Apparently, he also felt comfortable just placing his bookcase in front of it, hoping that no one would notice what was behind it.
Keep it simple.
And he was right. None of us took notice or thought to look
behind
the bookcase.

Note to self. Get beyond the obvious, think, really think, of the possibilities of what could be behind something.

I grabbed the knob and pulled on it. Like the other at first it didn’t budge, but after some effort, it gave way.

As Martha would say, ‘Good gracious, what have we here?’

More photos!

Chapter 47

Catching A Break

Just as I reached for the photos, I heard the floorboards creak in the kitchen area. Crystal’s here! I paused for just a sec, then quickly grabbed them and shoved them into my jacket pocket. I closed the small door, slid the bookcase back into place, but then bolted upright in a sudden panic
.

Crystal would have called out to me. It wasn’t her!

The seconds were ticking away. I had to hide.
My eyes frantically darted around the room then finally settled on the only hiding spot available, the bed. Hey, all I had to do was slide underneath that old, disgusting, cobwebby thing.

…No way. No how.

I considered ducking to the side of the bed, but then figured they’d find me anyway once they entered the room, so I stood there brazenly and waited for whoever was walking through the house. I heard them get closer and held my breath thinking, what do I do now?
Well, bring it on.
I flicked off my flashlight, leaned into the wall, and waited.

My hands fingered the photos in my pocket as the doorknob turned and the door slowly scraped open, then closed. I held my breath and stood there in the dark silently waiting. Considering my odds, this wouldn’t go well.

My mind briefly flashed on who it might be. I came up with a few suspects, which included Jackson Porter, Sarah Smith, and even possibly, Jacob, the artist across from Sally. I was prepared for some…
one
, but certainly not
two.

Then a flashlight blinded me at first then it swung away. I got a good look at the couple. It was the Fieldings. Major, holding a gun, had it aimed at me. This was the last possible confrontation I could have imagined playing out.

“My goodness!” said a tense Millicent, exhaling in relief. “Samantha, you gave us quite a start. We thought we saw a light flashing around inside Robinson’s house driving home and figured someone had broken in. Major grabbed his gun and we came to investigate what was going on.”

I tried to speak, and for a moment was tongue-tied, but then after the shock of seeing them passed, I said, “No, I have a key. Sally and Tom asked me to check the place out periodically. I know the hour is a late, but I was in Weirs Beach this evening and was meeting one of my friends here to make sure everything was okay.”

Major remembered his gun and lowered it to my relief.

“Sorry, but we weren’t sure what was going on.”

Millicent smiled. “My Major is fond of Sally and Tom and has become protective about what is going on here.”

But the vehicle I drove there
was
Sally and Tom’s truck
.
It could have been
them
walking through the house. Why the gun? Was that their real intent? Was I being too suspicious? Maybe. This reinforced an important point.

Consider all possibilities behind people’s actions.

Chapter 48

Intruder # 3

I was about to ask them about Sally’s truck when we heard a floorboard squeak in the kitchen. None of us said a word. Major silently motioned for Millicent to walk over to where I was, as he quietly followed behind her, edging his way over to the two of us, his gun raised in the air again.

He looked at me, mouthing. “You expecting someone?”

“Crystal was supposed to meet me here,” I whispered.

He started to lower his gun, but Millicent grabbed his arm to stop him. “Wouldn’t she have called out by now?”

I thought about that. “Yes, but you guys didn’t.”

“Well, how do we know if it’s her?” he asked quietly.

“We don’t,” I said, motioning toward his flashlight.

He quickly turned it off and we pressed ourselves up against the wall. Not that it would have done any good, but why stand in the middle of the room and make ourselves an easy target? Millicent began to tremble standing wedged between Major and myself. Her panic traveled in my direction, but there was nothing I, or we, could do but wait.

In minutes, we heard footsteps on the stairs, and then the floorboards above us gave in to the weight of someone passing by overhead. In the dark, I could hear the quick intake of breaths by the three of us as we silently kept pace with whoever was up there walking around.

Then we heard footsteps on the staircase as they walked slowly from room to room, opening drawers and cabinets, searching
, for what?
Who was it? There was no way I was about to walk to the bedroom door and look out, either.

I was no idiot. I knew when to push my luck and when not to.
Okay
, so I occasionally goofed, but I wasn’t in the mood to take that chance. It could be anyone out there, and very likely carrying a loaded gun. You can’t talk to a gun, especially carried by someone who might be trigger-happy.

My breath held when the person paused nearby, but then their footsteps hurried passed Robinson’s bedroom door.

“What was that all about?” Millicent whispered.

“I was wondering the same thing myself,” I said.

Then we heard the reason why: an engine slowed down out front. We heard footsteps running toward the kitchen, and then the back door quickly opened and closed.

I turned to Millicent and Major, still whispering, “It sounds like whoever it was didn’t want to be caught here.”

We heard a truck start up and take off down the road.

I whispered, “But they should have been suspicious with our vehicles parked in the drive.”

“We walked and Sally parks here often,” said Major.

I nodded, getting their point. “So it looks like someone lives here. That means it was
someone
who knew that, and felt safe searching around the place.”

It also meant
these two
could’ve thought the same thing, thinking it was safe to enter, but then suddenly ran into me.