The Ties That Bind (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 11) Page 9

  Perry: “Dad gave me no choice. He basically blackmailed me.”

  Graham: “So what if he told Mom you were gay? You really think she’d cut you off because of that?”

  Perry: “Absolutely. You know how old-fashioned she is.”

  Graham: “I can’t believe how fucked up our family is. I can’t wait until I turn thirty so Zoe and I can get the hell out of here. I’m not sure we can last three more years of this. Zoe is going to have a nervous breakdown if Mom doesn’t get off her back.”

  Perry: “Keep reminding her about the million dollars.”

  Graham: “Believe me, it’s the only reason we’re still here.”

  When the conversation ended, I assumed that Graham had left Perry’s room. All remained silent until a minute later when we heard the sound of mumbling chitter chatter that must have been from a TV show.

  “Okay,” I said to Carter. “I have to say I didn’t see that coming. Glenn was the guy Nina had the one night stand with, not Perry. I wonder how many other guests Chef Glenn has seduced over the years.”

  “No wonder he doesn’t allow anyone to go into the kitchen. That’s probably where he has sex with his conquests.” Carter shook his head in wonder. “At least Perry is not telling anyone that we’re the private detectives looking into the case. I’m not sure why, but I’m grateful for small miracles.”

  “The sad thing is, Perry and Graham don’t seem to care about the fact that Nina is dead or if their father was involved. The only thing they care about is collecting their trust fund money.”

  Carter rubbed his head and sighed. “Perry must have promised Nina a portion of his inheritance to keep up the charade.”

  “Who knows,” I said. “Makes sense. But then what happened? Did she threaten to tell Mary the truth?”

  Carter shut down his computer and returned it to his case. “We have no choice but to break into Jason’s store and try to find something connecting him to Chef Glenn.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. The guy has a gun and I don’t think he’s afraid to use it.”

  “He’s involved in the death of a young girl, Sarah. I’m not going to let him get away with that. I’m not scared of him. We just need to have a good plan, that’s all.”

  “But Jason never seems to leave the store. How are we going to get inside? He probably has some kind of alarm system.”

  “Let me worry about that.”

  “I don’t like this,” I said. “But I know I can’t talk you out of it so what can I do to help?”

  “I’m thinking you’ll have to distract Jason for a few hours while I get inside. Are you willing to do that?”

  “How?”

  “I’m not sure, yet. Let me sleep on it and we’ll come up with a plan tomorrow.”

  “Speaking of sleep, it’s after midnight and I’m wiped out. I don’t think I can keep my eyes open another minute. Are you ready to hit the hay?”

  Carter began putting away the laptop. “Yeah, I’m pretty exhausted myself. It’s been a long day.”

  I shuffled to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I didn’t bother to execute my full bedtime cleaning and moisturizing ritual. Instead I just peeled off my clothes and stepped into my pajamas. As I slipped under the soft blankets, and my head hit the pillow, I could hear the water running in the bathroom and I could picture Carter brushing his teeth. As my brain drifted off into lala land, I briefly wondered if we’d ever solve this case so we could finally get the chance to really enjoy ourselves.

  Chapter 22

  The next morning I woke up to find Carter perched on the edge of the bed, gently rocking me out of my slumber.

  “Hey,” I managed to say into my pillow. “What time is it?”

  “It’s 9:00. I just got back from the dining room. Chef Glenn is in the kitchen and I noticed that his cell phone is on the counter next to him. Mary and Zoe are busy tending to a disabled guest so this is our window of opportunity. I need you to get up because I have a plan.”

  I pushed up to a sitting position and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “What kind of plan?”

  “I need you to cause a diversion so I can get Chef’s cell phone and download his call history.”

  “Okay. What kind of diversion?”

  “I’ll explain as soon as you get ready.”

  I got to my feet and headed to the bathroom. “Just give me a minute and I’ll throw on some clothes.”

  The only people in the dining room were an elderly couple in their seventies, enjoying a cup of tea. The man was reading the newspaper as the woman flipped through a real estate magazine.

  Just like the morning before, a buffet table was filled with assorted goodies, coffee, tea and juices. I grabbed a plate and began piling it with freshly baked banana bread and poppy seed muffins for us to share. Once my plate was full, we chose a table and sat down.

  I took one bite of the muffin and Carter gave me a wink. It was time to present my award winning performance. I simply closed my eyes and let myself fall off the chair and onto the floor like I had passed out cold.

  “Oh my God. Sweetheart? Are you okay?” Carter said. I could picture his worried expression as he hunched over me, shaking my shoulders. “Someone help, please. My wife has passed out.” I heard Carter’s footsteps as he ran toward the kitchen.

  I heard the concerned voices of the old couple at the other table. Though my eyes were closed, I sensed they didn’t really know what to do. But within a few seconds, I heard Carter’s voice again. He must have been on the phone because he was talking to someone, explaining the urgent situation.

  Frantic footsteps on the floor, I knew someone was running toward me. “Does anyone know CPR?” It was Chef Glenn’s voice this time. I felt his sweaty hand on my forehead. “Dear God, what the hell happened?” he lightly slapped my cheeks. “Ma’am, can you hear me?”

  It took all of my strength to refrain from laughing at this ridiculous scenario, but Carter’s plan seemed to be working. I stirred and blinked open my eyes. A blurry Mr. Garcia was hunched over me, a look of relief on his face.

  “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  He helped me to sit up as I continued to blink in confusion. “What happened?” I said with a faint and crackly voice. “Where’s my husband?”

  “He’s on the phone with the paramedics. He’s right over there.”

  I followed his pointed finger and saw Carter standing clear across the room with a cell phone to his ear. I wondered if he was actually talking to someone or simply putting on a good show. He hurried over and knelt beside me. “Thank God. I was just about to have them send an ambulance.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, brushing the hair out of my face. “You know I have dizzy spells from time to time. It’s my blood sugar.”

  Chef Glenn seemed a little leery of that vague explanation, but he got to his feet and scratched his head. “Maybe you should go to the hospital.”

  “No,” I said. “These fainting spells have happened before.” I reached up and caressed Carter’s cheek. “Sweetheart, there was no need for you to get everyone all panicked.” I waved to the old couple who were still sitting at their table, mouths hanging open with lingering concern for my health. “Sorry to upset you folks. I’m fine, really. Please go back to enjoying your breakfast.”

  Once Carter helped me to my seat, he handed the cell phone to Glenn. “Thanks for all your help. I think everything will be just fine now.”

  “Well, just keep an eye on her.” He still seemed concerned. “And if she starts to feel woozy again, take her to the hospital, okay?”

  “Yes, I will do that.” Carter shook his hand in thanks.

  When Glenn headed back to the kitchen, Carter squeezed my knee under the table and gave me a discreet wink.

  After a quick breakfast, we hightailed it back to our room and Carter downloaded the memory card reader onto his laptop. Within a few minutes, we had Mr. Garcia’s contact list and call activity for the past few weeks.

&nbs
p; “There’s only been four calls made from this cell phone since our run in with Jason two days ago,” Carter said as he jotted down the numbers into his notebook. “And there are three incoming calls. None of them is from Buster’s Comics but I have a feeling Jason also has a cell phone, probably a burner.”

  “It’s almost ten o’clock. I’m heading out to see if Zoe will show up for her cigarette break.”

  “Ask her if she knows about Nina and Glenn.”

  As I walked through the lobby toward the exit, Mary Garcia came out of her office and approached me with great concern. “Mrs. Carter, how are you feeling? My husband told me about the incident in the dining room this morning.”

  “Thank you, I’m perfectly fine,” I said. “I’m so sorry I caused a scene. Your husband was very attentive to me so please thank him again.”

  “I certainly will.” She stepped closer to me and her smile changed. “I just have a favor to ask if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure,” I said, bracing myself for what she might ask me to do. I had no clue.

  “Well,” she said with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. “You see, I’d really appreciate if you didn’t mention to anyone that you fainted. People might get the wrong idea that you ate something bad and you know how rumors get started.”

  “Of course,” I said. “I completely understand. I won’t say a thing about it, promise.”

  “Thank you. Now, if there’s anything I can do to make your visit more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll see to it that you and your husband are taken care of.”

  “That’s generous of you.” I took a step toward the door to let her know I was sort of in a hurry. “But you and your family have already made us feel very welcome. I’m just going to step outside for some fresh air, okay?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said, taking the hint. “Enjoy the beautiful day.”

  When I got outside, the sun was so bright I had to shield my eyes from the glare. I quickly made my way through the garden path to the spot I’d seen Zoe the day before. She wasn’t there.

  I checked my watch. 10:06. I was only six minutes late. Had Zoe left already? Or had she not come at all?

  Just then I heard a low whistle coming from my left and I turned. Zoe stepped out from behind a bush, wiggling the cigarette between her fingers teasingly. “I thought you were going to blow me off.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “Your mother-in-law stopped me in the lobby to chat.”

  “I figured as much.” Zoe handed me the cigarette, shook out another one for herself and then offered me a light.

  It had been two decades since my last cigarette. I had to remember not to inhale or else I’d probably start coughing. “Thanks. I really needed this.”

  She smiled. “I heard about what happened this morning in the dining room.”

  “Good news gets around fast.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s happened before.” I was tempted to come clean and tell her exactly what Carter and I were up to but I decided to stick to the plan. “Mary asked me not to tell anyone about it.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding me? She actually asked you that?”

  “Yep.” I took a puff from the cigarette, keeping the smoke in my mouth. I blew it out a few seconds later and sighed deeply. “Thanks again for this.”

  She stared at me with pursed lips as if she wanted to ask a question. Finally, she said, “So I heard that you and your husband are private detectives.”

  “Who told you that?”

  The corners of her mouth turned up. “Just like with your fainting spell this morning, news gets around.”

  I figured Perry probably mentioned it to her, since he was the only one we told personally. Jeesh, you’d think we were some kind of rock stars. “Yes, it’s true. But it’s not as glamorous or exciting a job as you might think.”

  She shrugged, took three short puffs of her cigarette and murmured, “Anything must be better than working for Mary.”

  “She seems like a control freak,” I said. “What’s her husband like?”

  “Chef Glenn? He’s okay, I guess. Why?”

  “He’s is a handsome guy,” I said. “Best looking chef I’ve ever met.”

  Zoe didn’t comment. When she finished her cigarette, she lit up another one. I was still halfway through with mine.

  “Maybe this is a touchy topic,” I began hesitantly. “But did Nina ever confide in you about her affair with Glenn?”

  She turned to me with a bewildered look. “You know?”

  “Yes.”

  A frightened look crossed Zoe’s face. “You can’t tell Mrs. Garcia. Mary would kill Glenn if she found out. Who told you anyway?”

  A worried expression wrinkled her forehead as she checked her watch. “Oh shit, I have to get back. Mary is probably getting ready to send out a search party to look for me.”

  “Zoe, seriously,” I said as she stuffed her pack of cigarettes into her purse. “Do you think Mary would resort to violence if she thought her husband was screwing around?”

  “Probably not,” she said with a shrug. “It would be bad for business. Chef Glenn is one of the main reasons people come here. If he was gone …”

  “Business would eventually dry up?” I said.

  The chirping sound of a cell phone ringing alerted Zoe. She retrieved her phone from her purse and stared at it with concern. “Dammit, I gotta go.”

  “Should you answer that?”

  “No, I’ll let it go to voicemail. It’s Mary, no doubt wondering where the hell I am. See you tomorrow same time?”

  “Sure. I’ll be here.”

  Chapter 23

  When I got back to the room, Carter had made a list of names and numbers coinciding with the log from Mr. Garcia’s cell phone.

  “What have you found out?” I asked.

  “Well. No luck. All of the calls are accounted for. Mostly vendors. A seafood distributor, a butcher and a produce company, all of which makes sense.”

  “So that little fainting show I did was a waste of time?”

  He closed his laptop and ran a hand through his hair. “Did you talk to Zoe?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Well?”

  “I asked her about Nina and Chef Glenn. She begged me not to tell anyone about it.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said Mary Garcia would kill him if he ever screwed around. I mean, she said it in jest, but think about it. Perry and Graham seem to think their mother has no idea that Nina was pregnant with Mr. Garcia’s baby, but what if she did know?”

  Carter raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I like your train of thought.”

  “The thing is, she’d never kill her husband. He’s too important to the success of this Inn.”

  Carter sighed deeply. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. I need to find something linking Jason to either Mary or Glenn. Without proof, we don’t have anything but a theory. I need to get inside his place.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to park the car across the street from Buster’s but in a different spot from the other night. Wait there. At some point he’s going to notice you.”

  I shuddered at the thought of seeing his face again. “You expect he’ll come out and have another chat with me?”

  “Yes. But don’t give him the chance to get near the car. Just drive off. I expect Jason will get in his car and try to follow you.”

  “What if he doesn’t? That won’t give you enough time to look through all his things.”

  “That’s when I resort to plan B.”

  “What is plan B?”

  “Maybe it’s better that you don’t know.”

  It became clear that Carter had certain plans for Jason and they didn’t merely involve breaking and entering. “I’m not really liking this idea.”

  “This man threatened to kill you,” Carter said. “I don’t feel badly about bringing him a little pain.”
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  “He didn’t threaten to kill me, just shoot me in the knee.”

  “Does that you make feel any safer?”

  I threw up my hands in exasperation. “Whatever. I trust you. I’m just worried about the repercussions, that’s all. I mean, Jason could have you arrested for assault.”

  “I have a feeling he won’t want the cops involved in his business.”

  As we drove back to Buster’s Comics, it felt like I had a rock in my stomach. My hands clutched the steering wheel, causing my knuckles to turn white. We were a few blocks from the store when Carter pointed at the stop sign we were approaching.

  “Drop me off right here,” he said. “I want Jason to think you came alone.”

  I pulled over and shifted into park. “Did you bring your gun?”

  He padded his left side. “Right there.”

  “And you have your cell phone?”

  “Yes, Sarah.”

  “You’ll let me know what’s going on…?”

  He turned to face me straight on. “Listen to me, as soon as you see Jason come out, you need to leave immediately. Do not wait for him to approach. Got it?”

  “Got it. I’ll lose him. Then I’ll just find a coffee shop and wait for your call.”

  “If you don’t hear from me, just go back to the Inn, pack your things and find a new motel a few towns away.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. “If I don’t hear from you within a few hours, I’m calling the police.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Carter leaned over and kissed me on the lips. “It’s gonna be okay. Try not to worry.”

  Carter got out of the car and headed up the street on foot. I steered the Buick back onto the road and continued up a few blocks until I saw the strip mall where Buster’s Comics was. The hair salon seemed to be doing a brisk business and the diner was in full swing with the lunch crowd. As usual, the parking lot in front of Buster’s was vacant, except for Jason’s Honda.

  I chose a shady spot across the street and cut the engine. How long would I be waiting until Jason spotted me?

  I lowered all the windows but, thankfully, it wasn’t too hot outside. Still, my white blouse stuck to me like glue. I kept a sharp eye in the rearview window, waiting for signs of Jason. In the first hour, not one person went in or out of Buster’s Comics.