Deadly Places: A Mapleton Mystery Novella (6 page)

Shortly before five, Ed finished the last of the mayor’s questions and copied his answers onto the form. As soon as Laurie compiled the numbers, it would be ready to go. And early to boot.

Deputy Horacek had been eager to lead the computer training sessions, and holding classes over the next two weeks would give everyone time to get familiar with how they worked. Ed was ready to log out for the day, feeling he might have a handle on this Chief Stuff after all.

A knock on his private entrance stopped him before he powered off. Who would be dropping by at this time of day? And whose idea had it been to put the monitor for the security camera outside the door at the front desk? It would be faster to check the peephole than to call reception, so Ed pushed away from his desk and peered at the impatient face of Tyler Colfax. He let the detective in as his internal line rang.

“Someone’s at your door, Chief Solomon,” the receptionist said.

Ed thanked her and motioned Colfax to a chair. An unnecessary gesture, as the detective never waited on formalities.

“Last time you were here, you brought coffee,” Ed said.

“And you had cinnamon rolls, so we’re even on the no refreshments scorecard.”

“What brings you to our hick town?” Ed asked.

“You.”

“Me?”

Colfax exhaled a deep sigh. “Your damn Deadbeat Dad Killer case. We have another potential homicide that fits your pattern.”

“Where?” Ed had been following local homicides in between the Chief Stuff and hadn’t seen anything that fit his parameters.

“Houston.”

“And why would you be involved in a Houston homicide?”

“Because the deadbeat in question is my brother-in-law. Ex brother-in-law.”

Ed kept his mouth shut until his brain caught up. “My condolences.”

Colfax shrugged. “Thanks. The guy was an asshole, though. I told my sister the same before she married him. Hell, for all I know, she married him because I told her not to. At any rate, he’s dead.”

“And you think it’s connected because—other than he was a deadbeat?”

“Because he died in a boating accident, and the bum hated the water. Got seasick on theme park boat rides. You know, the kind that aren’t really
boats
because they run on tracks.”

Ed drummed his fingers on his thigh. “And you don’t think there’d have been a good reason for him to have been on a boat? A business meeting. To impress someone? There are pills and patches to combat seasickness.”

“I’ve told the M.E. to run a tox screen for those drugs. But—and maybe it’s because you put that damn bug in my ear—a boating accident doesn’t work for me. The guy might have been a creepazoid, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to kill him.”

“How can I help?” Ed didn’t throw out the
a measly small-town cop
crack this time. Colfax seemed genuinely upset. Could he suspect his sister of taking out a hit? “Would you rather continue this meeting at Finnegan’s?”

“Not smart in my current mood, since I’d have to drive home. I wanted to escape the job for a few hours.”

He
was
upset. “My house?”

“You have a family. I don’t want to impose.”

“If I thought it was an imposition, I wouldn’t have offered. I’ll let Mary Ellen know. Tonight’s lasagna night, and there’s always plenty.”

Colfax seemed to be weighing the pros and cons before he spoke. “As long as it’s all right with her. Family time is hard enough to come by in this job, and I don’t want you to cut back on any of yours.”

Ed knew nothing of Colfax’s personal life, other than he wasn’t married now. Whether he had been, or how it had turned out, was an area they’d never covered. He called Mary Ellen, who didn’t hesitate before saying yes.

“How’s Mitch doing?” Ed asked her. Not surprisingly, the boy had been moving slowly this morning and had skipped breakfast.

“Avoiding eye contact, went straight to his room, but he said he finished his lunch and was looking forward to lasagna. I had to push to get him to talk, though.”

“At least his appetite’s back,” Ed said. “See you soon.” Having an outsider at the table might deflect any awkward conversation about Mitch’s little adventure yesterday. Mary Ellen had left it to Mitch to decide if and what he’d tell Jeremy. This morning, Ed hadn’t felt any vibes that Jeremy knew anything, but eventually, it would come up. And when it did, Ed hoped whatever Mitch said to his brother would help to avoid the same thing happening when Jeremy reached that phase.

Good luck with that.

Dinner conversation was small talk, with football being the main topic of conversation. After they’d eaten, Mary Ellen shooed the men out. “The boys and I will handle cleanup. I’m sure you have important things to discuss.”

He and Colfax left the kitchen. “You want to work or talk?” Ed asked. “Either way, I’m sure Mary Ellen will relinquish the study. It’s more private than the living room.”

“A little of both, I guess.” Colfax followed Ed down the hall to the study. “You have a nice place. Nice family.”

“Thanks.” Ed waited for Colfax to start.

“You know I didn’t buy into your theory. Still not sure I do. But after I found out Rudy had died, and
how
, it’s making more sense. Or maybe I’m as crazy as you are.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Thought we might compare notes.”

Ed accepted the page. A spreadsheet with many familiar names, places, dates, and how they’d died. He sat at the desk and booted his laptop. “Most of what I was doing was correlating deaths with blog posts and comments from
Paula’s Places
.” Ed pointed out the two names he didn’t recognize on Colfax’s spreadsheet, and checked the dates. Both over six months old. “I don’t recall posts from these places. But I wasn’t following her blog then.”

He pulled up
Paula’s Places
on the laptop, then went back nine months and searched for locations near where the victims were found. When he got no matches, he said, “She doesn’t always post about the exact location, so not finding something doesn’t mean she wasn’t nearby.”

“So broaden the search. She mentions the states, right?”

“Oregon and Kentucky. I was getting to that.” Ed plugged in Oregon. “She’s got sixteen posts from Oregon. One victim was found in Shady Grove, wherever that is. How’s your geography?”

Colfax leaned over Ed’s shoulder. “Better when I’ve got Google Maps at my fingertips. Pull up Oregon.”

“You want to use the desktop for the basics?” Ed relinquished his chair and dragged the easy chair to the other side of the desk. “Log in as Guest. No password. You take Oregon, I’ll take Kentucky.”

While Colfax was determining whether any of Paula’s blog posts originated near Shady Grove, Ed did a search for Kentucky. “Now
these
sound like places I might visit.”

“Kentucky?” Colfax said. “You into horses?”

“No, there’s a bourbon trail. Paula’s blog mentions four stops in one post. But it doesn’t fit the timeframe.”

“No reason to expect every deadbeat dad who died from less than obvious natural causes fell prey to your so-called assassination ring.”

“You think there’s a chance Paula’s not involved? That she doesn’t know what’s going on?”

“About as much as a snowball has in hell,” Colfax said. “
If
your theory is true, that is.”

“Cut the BS, Colfax. If you didn’t think it had legs, you wouldn’t be here.” Ed checked Paula’s blog and the maps for a few more minutes. Colfax seemed engrossed in the computer. Or was he thinking about the implications of his ex brother-in-law’s death? When the detective hadn’t touched the mouse or clicked any keys in several minutes, Ed took a breath and broached the subject.

“You know, I was talking to Mitch yesterday, about how as cops, we can’t look the other way because someone’s a friend or family.”

“He ask you to fix a parking ticket?” Colfax’s tone lacked his usual sarcastic touch. Ed waited.

Colfax shoved away from the desk. “Yeah, I’m wondering if my sister did something stupid. I’m waiting for the tox screen reports, which could take days, maybe weeks, to get through the system. Meanwhile, my gut says it was homicide, and yes, my sister would be on the suspect list if it’s confirmed. Her kids—my niece and nephews—would be the real losers, because the bastard’s money should be helping keep them fed, clothed, and educated. I can’t think of a way to spin taking a hit out on one’s ex as justifiable homicide, and accidental death seems outside the realm of plausibility.” He slapped the desk. “I keep thinking the phone’s going to ring, that it’ll be her asking for my help, and what the
hell
do I say?”

“It’s a tough call. However,
get the damn best lawyer you can afford
comes to mind,” Ed said.

Ed hated what he was going to say next, but he figured he had nothing to lose. “If, and I’m saying this as a cop,
if
your sister did go through
Paula’s Places
, do you think she’d tell you how she did it?”

“I’m answering as a cop, much as it pains me. If this is an opportunity to crack open an assassination ring, yes, I’d push her to get us inside.”

“You think you could work out some sort of a deal? Many’s the creep who’s gone free in exchange for blowing the whistle on bigger creeps.” His words sank in, and he added, “Not that I’m calling your sister a creep. I was speaking in a more generic sense, of course.”

“Of course.”

A knock on the door interrupted. “Come in,” Ed called.

Mary Ellen poked her head in. “I don’t want to disturb you, but the boys are ready for bed.”

“Be right there,” Ed said.

“Can I offer you a cup of coffee?” Mary Ellen’s question was directed at Colfax, but Ed knew what she meant was
How long are you two going to be at it?

“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love a cup,” Colfax said.

“I can make it,” Ed said.

“No, it’s no trouble. I’ll put it on while you see to the boys.” She left, and Ed wondered if Colfax’s detecting skills were honed enough to read the modicum of irritation behind Mary Ellen’s words. However, tonight was more like helping a friend than putting in extra hours on the job, so Ed refused to feel any guilt. And maybe Mary Ellen would let him make it up to her after Colfax left.

“They seem a little old for bedtime stories and tucking in,” Colfax said.

Did Ed detect a touch of longing in the detective’s voice? “But not too old to say good-night. Part of me wants to keep them kids as long as possible. I like to believe they appreciate the ritual, and if I’m home, I want to be part of it. Puts an end to the day. Be back in a minute.”

After going through the lights out routine with his sons, Ed returned to the study to find Colfax on his cell phone, pacing in front of the sofa. Ed waited outside the door, hearing one side of a heated discussion.

“I’ll do what I can,” Colfax said. A pause. “This isn’t the time.” Another pause. “I told you, keep your mouth shut.” A shorter pause. “I mean it. You have to trust me on this.” Colfax glanced Ed’s way, nodded him inside. Said, “I’ll be in touch,” and ended the call. He dragged his fingers through his hair. Sighed. Sat on the sofa.

Ed closed the door behind him and returned the easy chair to its usual position by the couch. He sat, leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees. “Anything you want to share?”

Colfax studied the floor, as if regrouping. When he raised his gaze, he snorted. “Guys don’t
share
. Anything about your lifestyle you need to tell me, Solomon?”

The tension dissipated like the first dusting of an early-autumn snow.

“I’m willing to
discuss
what went down. I went proactive and called my sister,” Colfax said. “Offered my condolences, not that she wanted them, given her feelings for her ex. However, she did tell me the cops had been by to see her.”

“Nothing unusual about that.”

“That’s because we’re already thinking of it as a homicide. If the cops there bought the accident theory, they’d have no reason to call on her. She’s not married to him, hasn’t lived in the same community in years. She took back her maiden name, so it’s unlikely they’d have found her—or looked for her—this soon. The fact the cops came calling at all means they must be following up on the bug I planted in their ears.”

“So, they
are
investigating it as a possible homicide, and they’d be considering motive, which, as a disgruntled ex-wife, she might have. Would she collect any inheritance?”

“She doesn’t know if he left a will, or if the kids were even in it, although it’s possible the courts would award her whatever he owed in child support. I’m not up on the laws in Texas. Right now, I’m only thinking of her, and it freaked her out when the cops started asking questions.”

Ed tilted his head. “I’m assuming what I overheard was you telling her not to tell them anything.”

“Correct. I hope she’s listening to my
cop
advice and not my big brother advice, which she’s been ignoring since she was four.”

Ed chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Colfax asked.

“Seems strange, hearing you take the opposite side of things. Normally, it’s all about getting people to talk, trying to avoid them lawyering up.”

“Normally, they’re not my sister.”

“You think she’ll listen?”

“I damn well hope so. I told her I’d cover her expenses for getting a lawyer on board.”

“I’m sure the Texas cops won’t be as effective as you are when it comes to spouting all the reasons a suspect
doesn’t
need a lawyer.”

Mary Ellen’s “Coffee’s ready” halted their conversation. She brought in a tray with two steaming mugs of brew, offering it to Colfax, who lifted a mug. After putting the tray on the end table, she said, “I’ll leave you to your work.”

“Won’t be much longer,” Colfax said. “Your husband’s been kind enough to help me work through a small family matter, and I appreciate you letting me have his ear for the evening.”

So, Colfax
had
read her correctly.

Mary Ellen’s smile loosened—a subtle shift to be sure, but enough so Ed knew he’d been forgiven. He detected a hint of more forgiveness waiting upstairs. She turned, and yes, the little hip sway as she sashayed to the door said he’d definitely better not stay down here too late.

The door clicked shut. “What’s your plan?” Ed asked Colfax.

“Give my sister until tomorrow to cool down and get rational before I hint around about your
Paula’s Places
theory. She always takes a negative stand, no matter what the subject. She’s denying she had anything to do with Rudy’s death.”

“You believe her?” Ed asked.

“I can’t read her over the phone, not while she’s this upset. If I wait awhile, she’ll come around, call a lawyer. And act like it was her idea in the first place.”

“Not to get personal—”

“Which means you
are
getting personal, but go ahead.” Colfax sipped his coffee.

“You said your sister needed the child support money for her kids, right? She wasn’t asking for it because she
could
.”

“Unless she’s got a mint salted away I don’t know about, that’s correct. She’s got a decent job and I’m sure she’s got benefits, but it’s not cheap bringing up three kids today.”

“Or two,” Ed said. “But what I’m driving at, is I can’t imagine anyone offering to kill someone out of the goodness of their hearts. Somewhere, these people have to be paying for the service. How would your sister manage that? Or any of the other … customers … of Paula’s blog? Seems if these ex-wives could afford to pay an assassin, they wouldn’t need child support.”

“Good point. But as you and Sam discussed, there are other people who might be willing to pay the price for them. Hell, maybe there’s a secret crowdfunding option out there.”

Ed snorted. “Yeah, right. But should we be following the money trail?”

“Another good point. I’m going to assume anyone who’s running an assassination ring flying under the radar for years would be smart enough to hide the dough. Before now, nobody’s looked for it. Until now, when one lucky small town cop who was bored with his own small town cop routines started seeing things nobody else noticed.”

Ed took Colfax’s empty mug and set it on the tray. “I think I heard an insult there, but it’s late, so I’ll let it pass.”

“Without cause, we have no way to access any financials.” Colfax stood, stretched. “The reality is, we have very little cause to access
anything
.”

“But if it’s there?” Ed said.

“Then we’ll figure out a way to find it.”