Too Many Suspects Read online

  After she tugged Puka back inside, she retrieved the Tomcat from the bottom drawer of her desk. She pressed the two lone bullets into the clip before she slipped the gun into her purse. Even though the Beretta was small, the outline of the gun pushed at the sides of the canvas tote and she wished for her old messenger bag. She tried different angles to make it less obvious, but anyone with half a brain would know what she carried.

  She texted Callahan to pick her up at Vicki’s instead of the office. When she locked up just after five, the sun still lingered on the horizon. Puffy cumulus clouds tinted orange as the sun lingered on the horizon distracted her from a temperature that hovered near single digits. For the first time in days, she found a few other pedestrians outdoors. The small town workers were bundled against the sharp wind, heading home.

  The golden retriever pulled at his leash, anxious to relieve his doggie bladder on every pole and fire hydrant en route to Vicki’s. Feeling no need to rush, Roxanne let him linger and sniff. Even so, they approached Vicki’s restaurant within minutes.

  The neatly printed sign inside the door told customers the Veggie Cafe would reopen on Monday but Roxanne noticed a light on in the kitchen. She tapped on the glass. After a pause, she tapped again a little louder. Still no response. Perhaps the glow came from the night light she’d seen the last time she entered the closed restaurant.

  Roxanne stepped to the left where an outside door led to the apartment upstairs. She pulled on the handle, wrenching her shoulder when it didn’t budge. Of course it was locked. Why did she expect to find the door to Vicki’s private quarters wide open?

  Then she spotted a push button on her right and pressed lightly. When no one answered, she held the button down a bit longer. Vicki should be expecting her with the draft of the trust, so where the hell was she?

  Roxanne kept her finger on the buzzer for at least a minute. Finally a voice came through the speaker. “We don’t want any.”

  “Vicki? It’s Roxanne. I have the paperwork we talked about earlier.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m, uh, busy right now. Could you come back tomorrow?”

  She expected a warmer greeting from her friend, so she didn’t mince words with her reply. “I worked all afternoon on this trust. I’d like to leave a draft for you to review.”

  “Well, uh, just tuck it in my mailbox.”

  Roxanne glanced at the small rectangle hanging to the side of the door. “It won’t fit.” She could barely disguise her growing irritation. “I’d prefer to give it to you in person. Is something wrong? Is there a reason you can’t come down?”

  A long pause followed her question. At last, Vicki sighed into the speaker. “No. I’m fine. I, uh, I’m not dressed. I just got out of the shower.”

  “Well, it’s just a draft, but I hate to leave a legal document lying around outside. Can’t you buzz the lock open or something?”

  “Um, uh, no. I have to come down to… open the door.”

  “Then I’ll wait until you get dressed.” Roxanne tried to control her annoyance. “I’ll take Puka for a walk around the block. We’ll be back.”

  “No! I mean, don’t bother to come back. I’ll pick up the paperwork tomorrow at your office.” Vicki sounded frantic and Roxanne was tempted to leave her alone but she wanted to resolve this issue. She couldn’t do anything to help Roxy or Callahan in their respective searches but drawing up legal papers? That she could do.

  “I don’t know if I’ll be around tomorrow or not. And it’s better to get this finished. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” Roxanne did not wait for a response. She tugged Puka’s leash and headed down the street allowing the dog to stop and sniff whatever and wherever he wished.

  Before she turned the corner, she glanced up at Vicki’s windows and thought she saw the curtain move. She caught a brief glimpse of red hair before the curtain fluttered shut. Strange. What could have happened since earlier today to cause such a change in the restaurant owner? Roxanne pulled her parka hood up and lowered her head as she and the golden retriever turned the corner, into the wind.

  The sun crept lower throwing shadows along the sidewalk but with other people about, she didn’t feel threatened. Walking gave a different perspective of the town. She’d never taken the time to explore Oilville’s tiny business district, so she swiveled her head from left to right taking in all the establishments she’d never seen before. Across the street, two brick houses sat next to a tire shop that took up half a block. A gas station on the corner offered a discount for cash and cars were lined up at the pumps.

  Taking a closer look at one of the houses, she noted a bronze plaque designating the law office of Henry Oldinger, the other attorney in town. Although she’d heard about the eighty-something lawyer, she never knew his place of business was around the corner from her office. She made a mental note to stop in and introduce herself sometime.

  As the wind bit into her cheeks and forehead, she picked up their pace.

  Storefronts lined the street perpendicular to the one that housed her office. She passed a bank, an independent drug store and an interesting antique shop with a marble-topped dresser in the window. Both the antique store and the consignment place on the other corner could be checked out in the future in case she wanted furniture.

  After they circled back to Vicki’s apartment entrance, Puka plopped his butt down and watched her for their next move. She debated whether to ring or to just try to stick the thick manila envelope under the door. When the opening at the bottom proved too tight, she pressed the buzzer again.

  This time she heard a brief break in the static, then a bump and the speaker went silent. She pressed again holding it down longer. The instant she let go, a voice shouted, “Okay, okay, hold your horses!”

  A buzzing sounded as the lock clicked. Roxanne yanked the door open before the sound stopped. What the hell? Didn’t Vicki just tell her that she needed to come down to open the door? Shaking her head in dismay, she stared at the steep set of steps that led to a landing where a bright red door stood ajar.

  Had Roxanne misjudged Vicki? Was the friendly woman actually a nut case? She’d soon find out.

  Dragging Puka behind her, she trudged up the ridiculously high steps, almost wishing Vicki had refused her entrance. When she reached the top, she paused to catch her breath. Her pulse continued to thud. She thought of the gym Callahan wanted to build in Chester’s barn and wondered if that was still on the drawing board. She hoped so. She needed to get back to her tai chi workouts and maybe add some aerobics.

  As she pushed the door open and stepped into a bright, airy space with burnished oak floors polished to a sheen, she detected a faint odor of cigarette smoke. Maybe Vicki was a closet smoker, although she found it odd for a vegetarian to inhale all the toxins in cigarettes. But that wasn’t any of her business.

  Roxanne glanced around the room. To the left, a black leather sofa sat facing two white leather club chairs. Vicki occupied one of the chairs, someone with the same copper hair sat on the sofa. Vicki’s eyes were rimmed in pink. “Dammit, Roxanne. I tried to keep you away.”

  Puka growled at her side, straining to get inside the apartment. Roxanne wrapped the leash tighter around her hand when she noticed the man on the sofa held a 9mm pointed at Vicki.

  Hoping her voice came out steadier than she felt and showed none of the fear that tightened her stomach, she said, “I take it this is your brother, Henry.”

  The man swung around, pointing the gun in her direction with an ease that scared the shit out of her. He had the same coffee-colored eyes to those as his sister, but where her hair could be likened to a carrot top, his reminded her of a copper kettle. Although his features were sharp enough to be sculpted from steel, unlike Vicki, not one freckle appeared on his aquiline nose. If not for his scowl, he would have been handsome. “You should have listened to Vicki.” His finger twitched on the trigger. “Now I have to figu
re what to do about you and your dog.”

  His sister’s eyes widened. “Henry—don’t! Just let them go.” She bit her lip as he glowered at her over his shoulder. Her words faded to a murmur. “Please… don’t.”

  “Why don’t you join us?” Henry said with a sneer, keeping the gun leveled at Roxanne’s chest. “We were just discussing this so-called trust you want to use to cut me out of my share of the money.”

  “That’s not what we were doing!” Vicki protested. “If you’ll just let me explain…”

  “Shut up!” he snarled, his eyes darting between the two women. “Get in here and shut the door. And keep that dog under control.”

  Roxanne’s gait faltered as she moved into the room. She heard a rumble deep in Puka’s throat; he continued to strain on the leash.

  “Over here. Take that other chair.” He gestured with the gun, frowning at Puka as Roxanne held the dog tightly by his collar.

  She sat in the chair and pulled Puka close. “What do you want?”

  “What do you think? I want my share of the inheritance.” Henry reached for the cigarettes on the lamp table and jerked the pack so that one popped up. He used his lips to pull it out and lit it with a worn Zippo lighter. “My dear sister is trying to keep it all for herself.”

  “That’s not true!” Vicki gripped the arms of the chair until her knuckles turned white.

  “You can say anything you want, but until I have the cold, hard cash in my hand, I don’t believe you. Where’s the money?”

  “I don’t have it,” she snapped.

  “This one seems to think you do.” Henry waved the gun in Roxanne’s direction.

  “She’s telling you the truth,” Roxanne told him. “The person in control of the funds won’t release them until there’s proof of your father’s death.”

  “That’s bullshit! The old man must be dead by now. I’m not buying it.” He wiggled his fingers at the envelope Roxanne held. “Let me see what you have there.”

  Roxanne blurted the first thing that came to her mind. “It’s nothing. Just a copy of Vicki’s will.”

  Henry smirked. “That’s not what you said through the intercom. You said it was a trust agreement which my darling sister and somebody named Sam had to review. Who’s Sam?”

  Damn. Roxanne wished she could come up with a plausible explanation the way Roxy could at the drop of a hat. She stared at the envelope in her lap. “Uh, Sam is… the…”

  “A friend of mine,” Vicki jumped in. “I need a witness to sign it.”

  “I told you to shut up!” Henry snarled at his sister. “Do you think I’m dimwitted? I want to know the terms of this trust that you’re trying to sneak past me.”

  With his attention momentarily drawn to Vicki, Roxanne slipped her shoulder bag onto her lap and tried to hide the outline of the gun with the manila envelope. An instant later, Henry turned back to her.

  “Let me see it, now!”

  Roxanne pushed her purse to the side before she stretched across the coffee table to hand the envelope to him. She’d try for her gun again later.

  “Give it to Vicki,” Henry ordered. “I want her to read it to me.”

  “I can tell you what’s in it,” Roxanne said.

  “Like I’d believe you. You smart-ass attorneys are all alike. You’ll come out with some legal drivel that makes no sense. I want Vicki to read it. She’s not smart enough to alter the meaning.”

  “Why don’t you read it yourself?” Despite the gun in his hand, Vicki found the tenacity to talk back to her brother.

  Henry twisted his mouth into a sneer. “Because I can’t read it and keep an eye on you two.”

  Although the man was a nasty piece of work, Roxanne had to give him credit, he was clever. She imagined no one got into the SEALs unless they were somewhat intelligent. She handed the envelope to Vicki.

  “Now, little sister, start at the top and read me every word.” Henry wagged his gun at Roxanne. “You, sit back and keep your mouth shut.”

  Roxanne sighed but did as she was told. She managed to wedge her shoulder bag between her hip and the arm of the chair. If the opportunity arose, she could whip out the loaded gun in a flash.

  Vicki took out the papers, stared at them and cleared her throat before she started to read aloud. Roxanne knew the content by heart so she paid no attention. Her mind raced trying to come up with a scenario where Henry became so engrossed in listening to Vicki that she could throw something at him or startle him.

  If she could get him to drop his vigilance for even ten seconds, she might have a chance. She scanned the area around her chair and saw nothing heavy enough to achieve her goal, especially since Henry’s suspicious eyes darted in her direction every few words.

  His agitation grew with every paragraph until he stood and began pacing, swinging the gun between Vicki and Roxanne with every phrase he heard. “This is bullshit! You want to control how much I get and approve why I want it. No way!”

  “It’s just standard legal language.” Roxanne attempted to calm him down. “And it’s only the first draft. We can change it.”

  Henry grabbed the pages from Vicki and threw them off to the side. As the papers fluttered to the floor, Puka growled. “Shut that damn dog up!” Sweat glistened on Henry’s forehead in spite of the coolness of the room. He wiped it away with his left hand, all the while shaking his head from side to side and muttering something Roxanne could not make out.

  She pressed Puka closer to her chair. “Listen, we don’t…”

  The ex-Navy SEAL swung around in distress. He took a step closer to Roxanne and threw his hands in the air. Although she tried to jerk out of his way the suddenness of his movement took her by surprise. She lost her grip on Puka’s collar. The dog lunged at Henry, his teeth sinking into the man’s jeans just above the ankle.

  Henry jolted and tried to kick at his canine assailant while he bounced on his other foot to keep his balance. His hands fluttered until he had no control over where his weapon pointed. A stray shot went into the ceiling, dropping plaster dust onto Vicki. She covered her head and cringed behind her arms.

  With the gunshot creating a diversion, Roxanne grabbed the Beretta from her bag and aimed it at Henry. Puka’s jaws remained clamped on his ankle as the dog shook him back and forth like a rawhide bone. While Henry attempted to free himself, Roxanne chambered one of her last two bullets and targeted the gun in Henry’s hand. Unfortunately, his erratic movements made it impossible for her to zero in.

  “Drop the gun!” Roxanne shouted, hoping Henry had no better chance of lining up his shot on her than she did on him.

  “I’m going to kill this damn dog!” Henry tried to aim his gun but Puka shook his head harder, making the man lose his balance. As he fell to the floor, he pulled the trigger before the gun flew from his hand. Another bullet shattered a vase on the bookshelves along the side wall.

  Vicki sat frozen in horror while Roxanne jumped over Henry and kicked the gun under the sofa. Still struggling with the dog, Henry grabbed Roxanne’s foot and brought her down on top of him. Her knee caught Puka on the side of the head and the golden retriever whimpered but did not let go of his hold.

  “Vicki!” Roxanne yelled. “Get his gun!”

  As if in a trance, Vicki stared with vacant eyes at the spot where the gun had disappeared under the sofa. She did not move. Henry stretched his left arm toward the sofa but his reach remained a few inches short. He twisted, knocking Roxanne off. At the same time, he grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard. Her Tomcat dropped to the floor. Henry grabbed it. Resting his elbow on the floor, he aimed at his sister. “Get that damn dog off me or I’ll shoot him!”

  Roxanne knew her strength was no match for him. If she were on her feet, maybe, but sprawled on the floor, she had no chance. She also had no idea what command to give Puka to release his grip on Henry. It wasn’t as if she
had a trained attack dog. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and scooted closer to the golden retriever. “Puka! No!” She hoped the words sank into his doggie brain. “No, Puka!” she repeated.

  Confusion on his face, Puka dropped the man’s leg. Henry jumped to his feet and aimed the pistol at Puka’s head. His stance was thrown off a bit as he tried to keep his weight off his bruised ankle. The wounded leg buckled slightly but Henry regained his equilibrium in no time.

  A split second before he could act, Vicki launched at him from her chair. The shot went wild, buried in the chair Roxanne had been sitting in. Henry shook his sister off and once again aimed at the canine. Puka growled and bared his teeth; his entire body quivered with anger.

  “Henry!” Vicki cried from the floor. “Don’t do that!”

  “You… don’t… tell… me… what… to… do.” Henry’s controlled rage frightened Roxanne more than his possession of her flailing gun. He stood with the Beretta swinging between Vicki, Roxanne and Puka, looking distraught.

  Roxanne slumped, wrapping her arms around the dog. She’d take a bullet before she let that bastard shoot her dog. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Henry’s gun beneath the sofa. She began to inch closer to it without being obvious but Henry saw her.

  “Stop, right where you are!” he snarled and gestured to Vicki. “You—get over there by your friend.”

  With tears running down her face, his sister crawled toward Roxanne. Henry collapsed onto the sofa, running his fingers through his hair. “Jesus Christ! All I wanted was my money, but now…”

  The buzzer sounded, drawing all eyes to the wall with the speaker.

  - 18 -

  Henry froze. His eyes turned into beady marbles as he frowned at Vicki. “Who the hell is that?”

  “I…I don’t know,” she said.

  “You expecting more company?”