Don't Cry Over Killed Milk (24 page)

“I don’t know. Either approach would be risky. The police hadn’t given up on a connection to the park staff, so she and a handful of others would’ve been in our crosshairs. On the other hand, if she disappeared, we’d square our focus onto her. It doesn’t matter, once you spotted her in the woods, she knew she had to run. I suspect that she hightailed it out of the park just minutes before our convoy arrived.”

Damon rubbed his eyes. “Did Dominic torture Jeremiah before killing him? It looked like he focused on obliterating his fingers and toes before finishing him off.”

Gerry grimaced. “Aylin said she didn’t know, though I suspect Dominic took his time and made Jeremiah suffer. What Jeremiah did to Dominic Freeze wasn’t right, but I have no qualms about sending Dominic away for life.”

The two men finished their beers in silence. Damon closed his eyes and reflected on the extreme highs and lows in the extraordinary life of Jeremiah Milk, filling in the blanks with his imagination. Born with a disfigurement, Jeremiah endured a childhood riddled with mockery. He became a shell of a boy. His life took a turn to the positive when he landed a fulfilling position as a park ranger and was free to spend hours alone with nature. When he fell in love with Kathryn, he hit an emotional high. Jeremiah had convinced himself that no woman could ever love him, but he had been wrong. Kathryn had seen past his physical imperfections and into his heart, which hadn’t yet turned to stone. And when their son was born, Jeremiah decided that life wasn’t so bad after all. The years of agony started to fade from memory.

But then the unthinkable happened and fate crushed Jeremiah Milk like a sledgehammer. Kathryn and Samuel were swept out of his life in an instant. Not with a single stroke, but with two swift blows in rapid succession. He took out his frustration on his mother—the one person who had cared for Jeremiah his entire life—and banished her to Arizona. Jeremiah removed himself from society and anger bubbled to the surface. He returned to Tripping Falls, as he needed the income. All the while, he sought an outlet for his ire. He didn’t harbor animosity toward his co-workers and wasn’t the type to spray a crowd of innocents with bullets. No, his ill will was reserved for those who had exacerbated his feelings of inadequacy. And who better to target than the ringleader of his childhood tormenters: the boy who had literally burned him.

Damon imagined that Jeremiah was a planner. Jeremiah formulated a host of potential schemes that would bring shame and financial ruin to Dominic Freeze. But his best-laid plans required a combination of money and computer skills.

On the day Glenda Atwater walked into the Tripping Falls visitor center, the die was cast that would lead to the downfall of Dominic Freeze and the death of Jeremiah Milk. With $2 million in his back pocket and the services of a pimpled computer pro who was in a vulnerable and combative state, Jeremiah had the tools he needed.

Damon envisioned Jeremiah relishing every word of the
Philadelphia Business Journal’s
account of the embezzlement he engineered. He had crushed the marriage and career of Dominic Freeze and still had $400,000 in the bank plus a stream of monthly Trident checks thanks to his self-created doppelganger, Kenneth Randolph. He had a new girlfriend as well. Damon wondered whether Jeremiah started to look over his shoulder after Veronica told him that a private investigator had come to the park.

Gerry interrupted his thoughts. “I’m heading home, buddy,” the detective said. “Go get yourself some sleep.”

Chapter 24

At nine o’clock the following morning, Damon was just starting to rouse himself from slumber when he heard the sharp rapping of the brass knocker on his front door. With sleep still in his eyes, Damon wandered downstairs and opened the door. Alistair Atwater stood before him in a double-breasted suit and four-hundred dollar shoes.

Damon was surprised to see him. “Can I make you some coffee?” he asked after inviting the billionaire inside and leading him to the kitchen table.

“No, thank you,” Alistair said briskly but politely, taking in Damon’s robe and slippers. Alistair looked down at his thumbs and drummed them on the tabletop. “I have to be honest, Mr. Lassard. I have mixed feelings about you.”

“I’m sorry for speaking with your grandson without disclosing the nature of my visit,” Damon said. He felt intimidated and had to muster inner resolve. “But I didn’t believe that Jeremiah had acted alone.”

Alistair Atwater held up a hand. “My attorney isn’t present, Mr. Lassard, so let’s not speak about Jeremiah or what Matthew may or may not have done. You shouldn’t have spoken to my grandson. You should have gone to the police instead and let them take action.” He looked Damon in the eye. “That being said, you delivered results. I’ve been in the corporate world for a long time. Sometimes you need to act on instinct to achieve the desired outcome.”

Damon met his gaze. “I couldn’t agree more, sir.”

“That’s why I’m here, Damon.” The CEO relaxed his posture. “I’d like to offer you a position with Atwater Enterprises.”

Damon blinked with astonishment. He hadn’t expected to see Alistair Atwater ever again, let alone be offered a job from him.

“I don’t have any experience in commercial real estate,” Damon said cautiously. “Or much corporate experience at all.”

Alistair waved a hand in the air. “No matter. I plan to make you the junior person on a team of investment analysts. You’ll learn all you need to know on the job. I’ll have our finance department fix you up with a small starting bonus so you can go out and buy a few nice suits. Be in our corporate office downtown at eight o’clock on Monday morning.” Alistair Atwater set his business card on the kitchen table.

Damon was still in shock. “Mr. Atwater, to be honest, I’ve never thought about this line of work.”

“I can assure you that you want this position,” Alistair said curtly. “I expect to see you three days from now, on time.” The billionaire walked out of Damon’s house without another word.

Damon staggered to the kitchen sink and splashed cold water on his face. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to modify his laid-back lifestyle. But maybe he needed a change—now that the murder of Jeremiah Milk had been solved, would boredom creep into his days of volunteer activities?

* * *

Later that morning, Damon called on Rebecca at The Cookery. He filled her in on the police’s capture of Aylin and the details of Gerry’s interview with her.

“I can’t believe you did it again, Damon,” Rebecca said. Her arms were covered in flour up to the elbows. “Over the summer, you tracked down the killer of that traveling carnival owner, and now you figured out who murdered Jeremiah Milk. You’ve solved two major crimes in three months. And that doesn’t even count catching the crepe myrtle culprit.”

“All I did was talk to people,” Damon said with humility.

“Well, I think it’s about time you joined the police force, Damon. You really should start the training classes. You could probably work your way up to detective in no time.”

Damon sat down on a stool in front of a long stainless steel counter. “Actually,” he said, “someone just offered me a job.”

Rebecca shot him a satisfied look. “I bet it was Lieutenant Hobbes. Did that woman finally see the light of day and realize how big of a help you are to the police?”

“No, not her. Alistair Atwater offered me a position as a junior investment analyst with Atwater Enterprises.”

Rebecca set down the ball of dough she was kneading. “Seriously?”

Damon nodded.

“That’s a real opportunity, Damon. Are you considering it?”

“I am. Alistair expects me to start on Monday. In fact, he basically told me to show up. He didn’t wait for an answer.”

“I suspect that’s how he’s gotten as far as he has,” Rebecca said. “By not taking ‘no’ for an answer. But of course, you could decline if you wanted to.”

“I have to think about it. An opportunity like this one may never come my way again. But I’m not sure I’m cut out for the corporate world.”

“Well, you have an entire weekend to choose your career,” Rebecca said with sarcasm.

As Damon walked home, he cogitated over Alistair Atwater’s offer. He also considered the police force. The paths were so different, but Damon knew deep down that he should choose one. Volunteering at the library and taking on the role of citizens association president were enjoyable. And his few stints with the County Crime Solvers had temporarily charged his adrenaline. But Damon suddenly felt a void inside that he needed to fill—a real vocation that he could sink his teeth into. His thoughts flip-flopped. The money, status, and credentials he could achieve by working at Atwater Enterprises would be enviable. And Bethany tended to gravitate toward corporate professionals. On the other hand, solving crimes was exhilarating, and the police genuinely helped people in need.

Standing in front of his duplex on a clear, late-September afternoon, Damon decided that he would choose one road or the other. In the meantime, while he still had the opportunity, he went inside to take a midday nap.

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STEPHEN KAMINSKI is the author of
Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk,
the second book in the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series. The first was
It Takes Two to Strangle.
 
He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School. Stephen has practiced law for well over a decade and currently serves as General Counsel to a national non-profit organization. He is a lifelong lover of all types of mysteries, including cozies, and lives with his wife and daughter in Arlington, Virginia.

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Select reviews of
It Takes Two to Strangle: A Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective Mystery

“I found a winner in Stephen Kaminski. Mr. Kaminski has delivered one of the most intriguing plots I have come across in quite a while.... [T]he plot just rockets along with us guessing ‘whodunit’ every page along the way. In a way Damon Lassard is similar to a male Jessica Fletcher, from TV’s ‘Murder, She Wrote’.”

—Vic’s Media Room

“
If you enjoy cozy mysteries such as the Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin series by M.C.
Beaton … and the Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle, you'll definitely enjoy your time with
It Takes Two to Strangle
.”

—
Dreamworld Book Reviews

“Using a laid back writing style, with subtle humor, [Kaminski] engages his reader through carefully delivered dialog, plot preview, revealing nuances, and clues that fortify the storyline. Frequent unexpected plot developments, romantic innuendos, and interaction among the key players engage the reader from the early pages right through to the dramatic finale.”

—
Reader Views

“This is a good cozy mystery, easy to read. The background and descriptions seem very real. The author keeps you guessing, but in the end all the loose ends come together. This is the first book in the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series—and I look forward to reading the next installment.”

—Meritorious Mysteries

“The mystery is complex with plenty of suspects and I must say I was surprised by one of the culprits. He was totally off my radar until the evidence was spelled right out for me. I will be looking forward to more adventures with Damon Lassard and Detective Gerry Sloman.”

—
Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

“Wrap up in your blankie and start reading this Dabbling Mystery Book and you'll not set it down until you are done.”

 
—Books, Reviews, etc.

“Stephen Kaminski has crafted an impressive debut mystery…featuring protagonist Damon Lassard. Kaminski has plotted a complex case, with clearly defined suspects and lots of clues that will keep the reader guessing until the end.”

—Raymond Flynt, Author of the Brad Frame mystery series

“A well-crafted cozy mystery! Kaminski moves the story along at a good pace, with believable characters, and a tight plot. Kaminski’s prose is eloquent without being pretentious, and he uses his strong command of the English language to create wonderful descriptions of his characters and the places they frequent.”

—Debra Trueman, Author of “Advice of Counsel”