Dickens of a Death Read online

  “I’ll talk with Dirk tonight.” Oops. “I mean, I’ll call him and hope he answers. If he does, then I’ll pass along your information.”

  “Mr. Finster, if Katie can’t get through, then I’ll call my friend,” Ginger said. “We’ll forward the information today.”

  “And if our guys can’t ask the hard questions, we’ll ask them to contact the SBI,” I promised.

  “Good, good. Just be careful. I don’t trust Buchanan, not one bit.”

  Gramps turned his attention to wrapping the ornaments with tissue paper. Then he enveloped them with bubble wrap. He quoted a price that made Ginger’s mouth drop. The cost made my jaw fall too, but for a different reason.

  Mr. Finster, you couldn’t have added correctly.”

  “Shush. I’m giving them to you at my cost. Merry Christmas.” He pushed the bag toward Ginger. “And thank you. I know you two will follow through. That’s all I ask.”

  We concluded our business and left. My mind reeled. Buchanan had shown his heartless side in the conversation we overhead at the café. He and his personal assistant had been spotted at Shorter’s business. Madeline Rose also had ties to Chesterfield because she’d been in Finster’s Antique Store at least once. She may even have followed us to Chesterfield. Had she been the one to attach vice grips to my car? I pictured her and realized she couldn’t have maneuvered her breasts under my car. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t trailed us. The person I’d seen had looked short, just like Madeline.

  Holiday music echoed in the street. A damp chill breeze ruffled my hair, causing shivers. The gust flapped the holiday flags, but the sound didn’t cheer me. I didn’t like what I’d heard about Buchanan. I’d learned the hard way that anytime someone had a lot to lose, they became dangerous.

  On top of that, Dirk was being hampered.

  I wished I knew why.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I didn’t take any chances after the info Gramps had laid on us. Kneeling, I checked under the car for fluids or wayward vise grips. The car Ginger had loaned me looked intact, but I felt itchy. Like something was wrong.

  Climbing to my feet, I looked in every direction but only saw shoppers scurrying. No odd-looking characters lounged in a doorway. No man in a ski mask ran toward us brandishing a weapon. Low blood sugar, I figured, but didn’t want to spend any more time in Chesterfield.

  What I really wanted were Dirk’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close and warm. I pondered how I could sneak into his house tonight without anyone noticing. Phone sex wouldn’t cut it, and I had to tell him this latest information in person. Otherwise he’d go all cave man on me and tell me to butt out over the phone. I’ve learned how to rub him the right way and wanted that opportunity sooner than later.

  “Katie, what’s wrong? Why are we standing here?” Ginger’s gaze raked my face. “Is that drool?”

  “Nope, must be a reflection.” Using my shoulder, I wiped the corner of my mouth while unlocking the vehicle. We settled in, but the feeling of being watched remained.

  Finally on the back road to Granville Falls, I relaxed. The route usually had light traffic during the afternoon. Although parts of the road are twisty, we’d see trouble coming, I hoped.

  “Well, now we know why Mayor Rose is sticking his nose into the investigation,” Ginger said.

  I knew I hadn’t been thinking aloud. Ginger could read me better than anyone. Plus, we think alike in many ways.

  “Madeline does seem to get around the antique stores, doesn’t she?” I used one hand to tick points off with my fingers. “We’re pretty sure she had an affair with Little Dick. She’s been in Mr. Finster’s store at least once. Her visit might have been the same day as ours. Madeline could know her husband’s history with your father.” I stopped. “What am I missing?”

  “Motive. Why would Madeline Rose want to cover up her lover’s death?”

  “Easy. She doesn’t want her affair with him made public.”

  “Would she have wanted him dead, though?”

  “Maybe Shorter screwed her more than one way,” I said.

  “Yeww.”

  “Ginger, you know what I mean. What if he ripped off Madeline? Maybe he cheated her on an antiques purchase.”

  “Possible. Perhaps she discovered him with another woman.”

  “You mean, playing hide the antique woodcock?”

  “Richard Shorter wasn’t that old, but yes,” Ginger said.

  “Either way, we can assume the Roses are actively working to hinder or influence the murder investigation.”

  “Agreed. But are they killers or only acting to hide their secrets?”

  “I don’t...Holy crap.” The view in my rear view mirror scared me. A dark oversized pickup truck with tinted windows filled my view.

  “What, what are you thinking?”

  “Not thinking. We’re either being tailed too close or we’re in trouble.”

  She looked over her shoulder. “Trouble. He’s moving closer.” She reached for her purse, stashed behind her seat.

  My brain had just sent the order to step on the accelerator when the first crash hit. Our vehicle rocked but we stayed on the road.

  Not delaying putting the pedal to the medal, we shot forward. The truck kept pace.

  Metal squealed. I fought to keep us on the road when he hit us again. A series of tight curves loomed ahead. The speed limit sign read twenty-five. I slowed to forty, but only after I saw the truck back off our bumper.

  We raced through the curves in the middle of the road, hoping we didn’t face oncoming traffic.

  Still five miles from Granville Falls, we passed single homes set back in the trees, but we couldn’t stop. Even if the truck’s driver hadn’t positioned the vehicle to hit us again. And again.

  My hands were glued to the wheel. Ginger pulled out her phone just as we were hit. Her cell phone flew from her hand onto the floor.

  “Don’t go after that phone,” I yelled. “Your head will smack if he hits us again.”

  She stopped her instinctive reach, and just in time. With one final push, the truck rammed us on the driver’s side. We hit the drainage ditch. The air bags deployed but not before I heard the truck zoom off.

  Silence. Unreal quiet.

  “Katie? Answer me. Katie.”

  Ginger, but her voice sounded muffled.

  “I’m okay. Are you hurt?”

  “Don’t think so. Close your mouth and eyes. I’m cutting us out.”

  I heard a pop, then a second one. Powder flew against my face. I sneezed and rubbed fine particles from my eyes. Before I made another move, Ginger had unfastened her seat belt and hugged me tight.

  We held each other until the shakes stopped. Well, the trembling hadn’t stopped, but slowed. My muscles wouldn’t coordinate for more.

  “Do you have some kind of super power you haven’t revealed to me? How did you cut those air bags away?”

  She showed me a sharp tool. “You know me. Always prepared.”

  I nodded, though my action probably resembled a bobble-head doll. “Thanks.” Of course Ginger carried a utensil to cut out air bags. She hated being smothered, a fact I’d realized during our first pillow fight at age nine.

  “Now if I could find my phone, we’d be set.”

  She reached sideways and pulled a phone from the floorboard. “I had my foot covering mine. Didn’t want it flying into the back seat.”

  Have I mentioned Ginger is not only gorgeous, she’s smart?

  We heard sirens approach from Granville Falls. “Did you use telepathy to call nine-one-one?

  “No.”

  Exhausted, I didn’t care how the call went in, just that help would arrive soon.

  Within minutes, fire personnel and EMTs surrounded our vehicle. After ascertaining our conditions, they wedged the front doors open for a closer look. We were being helped from the vehicle when Dirk and Matt arrived. They approached wearing their cop faces, but looking pale.

  Before I could cont
rol my expression, they crouched before us at the back end of the ambulance. I must have become physically addicted to the man, because I craved to hold him close. A crime scene impossibility.

  They asked the same question simultaneously. “What happened?”

  Ginger looked to me. “We were run off the road.”

  Dirk’s eyes narrowed. “I can see that. What did you do to cause the reaction?” He raised his palm before me. “First better tell me where you were and what you learned there.”

  I gave them a rambling, out-of-sequence recital. The wreck had scared me more than I realized.

  Finally, I gave him our conclusion. “So we have two out-of-town suspects and two right here in Granville Falls. Because Patricia is not guilty, and you know it.”

  “Wrong.” Dirk bit off the word. “I now have more potential suspects to investigate, not we.” He gave me his patented cop stare.

  My lower lip protruded, but Dirk wasn’t buying my distraction. Our separation ate at us. I wondered how long Dirk would hold up. I’d seen the way women watched him. With the news of our split heading the grape vine, it wouldn’t take long for some cutie to hit on him. That cutie being prettier and thinner than me. The knowledge didn’t improve my attitude.

  “Will you be allowed to check out the Chesterfield evidence?”

  “I’ll make it my business. This crime ended in Granville Falls, but began in Chesterfield. The violence was perpetrated against the same two people who found my dead body.” His jaw tightened. “Someone will give me answers.”

  Matt’s forehead wrinkled, and he opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

  Those actions told me Dirk flirted with trouble. “You’ll follow regulations, right?”

  Dirk nodded. “Sure, like you obeyed my request to stay out of this mess.” He rubbed his forehead with one finger. “Matt and I could make better headway if we didn’t have to watch every damn word in front of the idiot child. And worry about you two.”

  I grabbed the out he’d offered. “Speaking of the mayor’s nephew, where’s your tag-a-long?”

  “He’ll be stuck at the office for another two hours, at least.”

  Another GFPD sedan parked behind Dirk’s car. “Are you sure about that?” I pointed and watched Dirk’s jaw muscles flex.

  Nathan Anderson slid from behind the wheel. He straightened and moved toward us with a loping gait.

  I hadn’t seen the mayor’s nephew for years. He’d done a lot of growing up in that time, now standing at six feet tall with broad shoulders and the lean build of a runner or swimmer. Nathan had light brown hair and eyes, an easy smile, and the kind of looks young women salivated over.

  “Anderson, what are you doing here?” Dirk’s growl sent a shiver down my spine. “You’ve got background checks.”

  “I finished most of them. When I heard the call come in, I thought you could use my help.”

  Along with his good looks, Nathan had developed a healthy ego.

  “If we wanted you here, we’d have called.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The words were right, but the young policeman’s tone didn’t match. Sounded obvious he’d been given orders from someone higher up the command chain and told to stick close.

  “You’re here. May as well help.” Dirk bit off his words. “Check the shoulder”—he pointed at the nearby wreck—“for new debris.”

  “Got it.”

  “Why are you on his case, Dirk? He can’t help his relatives. Plus, he looks like a smart kid.”

  Two EMTs stood beside us. Too late, I realized I shouldn’t have called Dirk on his treatment of a subordinate in front of them. Anderson stood close, too.

  Dirk turned his frustration my way. “Stay out of this case, Katie. I’ve asked and asked until I can’t anymore. I’ve had enough. You could have died today.” He moved my chin so I was forced to look at Ginger’s totaled SUV. “In that vehicle.”

  His hands dropped, and he stepped away. “When will you understand that people exist who have no compunction about killing? And that you could be next?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m done. We’re over.” Dirk stalked to the wreck and climbed into the ditch.

  I turned to his partner. “Matt? What did he mean?” Matt’s expression chilled me.

  “Katie, don’t even consider contacting Dirk. I’d say he’s made up his mind about whether you’re worth the trouble of a reconciliation.”

  Matt followed Dirk without a backward glance at Ginger.

  Shivering, I fumbled with the blanket that had fallen off my shoulders when Dirk stood next to me. He’d thrown off enough heat that I hadn’t needed the material. Now? My body was so cold I thought I’d never be warm again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Katie, where are you?”

  Ginger. My pulse pounded. Something serious must be wrong for her to come see me at work.

  “Here.” My voice sounded shaky, so I cleared my throat and fixed a smile to my face. “Turn to your left. I’m halfway back.”

  We hugged, and she settled in the straight chair next to my desk.

  “Are you as sore as I am today? I can’t take those muscle relaxers and work. They make me loopy.”

  Ginger placed her hand over mine. “Yes, I am. And you know that’s not what I’m here to talk about.”

  I ignored the twinges in my back and straightened. “Give me the news, then. It’s not about your mom, is it? Have they found the murderer?” I reached for my radio. “Should I turn on the news broadcast? You do have good information, right?”

  Her expression told me her reports were anything but good.

  “Katie, I don’t know if the rumors are true.”

  “Where’d you hear the gossip?”

  “The Chocolate Fix.”

  “Crap.” We both knew Mona had a bead on the Hair Shack for top news story source.

  “Well, um, it’s about Dirk.”

  “You know I hate long lead-ins. What about Dirk? Tell me straight.”

  “He was seen with a blonde woman, entering Dora’s Café. They had lunch together.”

  “Sitting close?”

  “You can judge for yourself.” She took out her phone, played with the screen for a moment then turned the device in my direction.

  And there he sat, in his handsome glory, butchered haircut in full view. Canoodling as a description didn’t apply, but they sat close. So close they were no more than two inches from touching shoulders.

  Their proximity didn’t bother me as much as their mutual admiration and enjoyment in the moment, shown with winning smiles.

  “Who is she?”

  Ginger would have the answer. All of Granville Falls already knew. Everyone but me. Until now.

  “The new dispatcher. I don’t have her name.”

  Sure, she had the woman’s name. Ginger wouldn’t hit me with everything at once. I tapped her phone’s screen. “This woman is not local. Where is she from?”

  Ginger swallowed. She examined the floor. Then she answered. “Charlotte.”

  Dirk had moved here from Charlotte after leaving his job on the force there. “So, they could have known each other before. Wonder how long she’s been here.”

  “Don’t know.”

  I didn’t call Ginger on her fib. The rumor mill not only had the woman’s history, they likely knew her bra size and whether she was a natural blonde.

  Ginger leaned to give me a hug. I’m not a touchy-feely person, but I needed her arms around me. I hugged her back. My throat turned dry. I felt tears gathering but blinked them into history.

  “Well, guess I have my answer about Dirk, huh?”

  “Katie, this photo may look worse than the truth. Dirk sounded angry yesterday, but he’ll come back to you. I believe he loves you more than life. “

  I reattached a smile to my face. “Not sure you’re right.” I inhaled a shaky breath. “Thanks for being my friend, but now I’ve got to get this job done. See you later, okay?”

  “You can g
ive me the bum’s rush now, but I expect you at my house for dinner right after you leave here. It’s Friday night. I’ve got a big-ass bottle of red wine breathing.” She raised her forefinger. “And if that’s not enough, I bought a liter of tequila, a bag of organic limes, and sea salt for margaritas.” She paused. “Oh, and bring your swim suit. I’ll fire up the hot tub.”

  I forced a grin. “I’ll be there.”

  Ginger slung her handbag over her shoulder. “Good. Otherwise I’ll come get you, and it won’t be pretty.”

  She left, and I began a project I could perform on autopilot. Regardless of what Ginger thought, I didn’t hold out hope for reconciling with Dirk. I’d seen his expression as he turned away from me at the wreck site. After consideration, I’d labeled his look “agony.”

  But if he agonized over leaving me, why had he gotten together with the not-new-to-him dispatcher? The facts didn’t add up, and I suspected Dirk broke with me so he could date the blonde. I’d seen her photo. If I were a straight man, I’d want to date her, too.

  I focused my thoughts on a bigger problem. We only had the weekend to find the real killer. Once Eddie Byrd returned, I was sure Dirk would be replaced as lead investigator. With a candy-ass chief, the mayor could force an arrest. Patricia Winslow sat in the hot seat, and I had no idea how to push her off target.

  Much as I love Ginger, dinner at her house ranked as my last choice for the evening’s activities. Her stilted movements in the trailer meant she felt all her bruises, same as me. I’d skipped my evening drug dose in favor of promised alcohol, and my aches and pains announced themselves then stayed for the show. A quick stop at home for my swimsuit, and I pulled into her McMansion driveway, ready for a soak in her oversized hot tub.

  Ginger met me at the door with a glass of ice water and a fluffy towel. “The tub is ready. I’ll meet you there.”

  I hurried, which meant I moved at the speed of a snail. Funny how the automotive devices meant to save your butt hurt like hell when deployed. Ignoring the blue-green bruise that ran diagonally across my chest, I pulled my hair into a messy bun and minced to the tub.