Be Mine, Dead Valentine, page 4
part #2 of Crescent Falls Series
Bob seemed somewhat mollified by her statement. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. If the police want to know who had a grudge against Patty, they need to find her ex-husband. That slime ball has been making her life miserable lately.”
“Because of the alimony payments? Daniel mentioned that.”
Bob raised an eyebrow. “Are you helping the police again?”
Adelaide shook her head vigorously. “No, of course not. I just—”
“You are. You’re helping with this investigation.” He sat up straight. “Good. Here’s what I know. Patty kept getting phone calls from that scumbag ex of hers. She got a new phone number. Pretty soon, the calls started again. He’s one of those computer hackers, evidently. His one talent, I’m sure. He’d been after her to go back to court and waive those alimony payments. She refused. Anyway, he came around the bar once, about two months ago. I saw them arguing in the parking lot one evening. He threatened her.”
“How? What did he say?” Adelaide felt her mid-section clench.
Bob shrugged. “I stepped out into the parking lot just as he grabbed her arm. He let go real quick when he saw me, but he said something to her that I didn’t hear then he got into his car and roared away. She wouldn’t tell me what he said exactly, she just said to forget it, that his threats didn’t mean anything to her anymore.”
“Anymore?”
“Yeah, I got that, too. I don’t think that was the first time he’d threatened her. And the way he grabbed her…like it was nothing new. I asked her later if he’d ever physically abused her. She said she’d put the past behind her and didn’t want to discuss it.”
“Not exactly a denial.”
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation at that point. Adelaide got to her feet and reached for her coat, prepared to leave, which was probably a good thing, since the visitor was Bob’s mother, Zelda Jackson.
“I just stopped by Buck’s Market to see your brother and picked you up a sandwich for lunch.” She entered the apartment, took one look at Adelaide, and frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Adelaide could see that Zelda had changed out of her church clothes into a pair of black polyester pants. Her unzipped down jacket revealed she also now wore a baggy red sweatshirt. She handed a paper bag to her son and walked past him. Slipping off the jacket, she stared up at Adelaide.
Bob shut the door. “Mrs. McBride just stopped by to see how I was doing, Mother.” He took Zelda’s coat from her and tossed it over the back of the sofa.
“Well, you’d be doing fine if you’d never gotten involved with that Regan woman,” Zelda snapped, her predatory gaze still on Adelaide.
“Don’t start, Mother, please.” Bob’s voice quavered just a little.
Zelda turned to face her son. “You know it’s true. People get themselves murdered for a reason, Bob. Now you’re caught up in her mess.”
Adelaide was amazed at how often Zelda’s comments surprised her. She knew she should be used to the woman’s sharp tongue by now, but to see a mother be so heartless when it was obvious her child was suffering was just too much. She felt her ears grow warm and her pulse rate increase. Before she knew it, she was erupting like Vesuvius. “You know, Zelda, your son is in pain here. He liked Patty. Maybe even more than liked her. And you come in here practically blaming that poor girl for being murdered?”
Zelda’s eyes blazed with fury. “I’m speaking the truth. You never could stand that, could you?”
Adelaide took a step toward Zelda. “You are a bully. You huff and puff around town, saying things that are only half-truths or not true at all. You start gossip that hurts others then go on as though nothing happened while those you lied about are left to pick up the pieces. You start trouble and enjoy watching the fallout. And if you think I’m the only one who feels this way, you are very mistaken.” Feeling the adrenalin rush subside, Adelaide suddenly felt a little weak in the knees. She put a hand on the back of the leather chair to steady herself.
Zelda, now beet red in the face, whirled around to face her son. “Are you going to let her talk to your mother that way?” She was breathing so heavily she was almost panting.
Bob looked from Adelaide to Zelda. “Thanks for the sandwich, Mother. I’d better eat it now. I have to be at work in a half hour.” He left them there and headed through an archway that Adelaide could see led to the kitchen.
When Adelaide quietly made her way out of the apartment, Zelda was still standing in the living room staring at the archway through which her son had made his exit.
Just as Adelaide entered her house fifteen minutes later, he cell phone rang. It was James Preston.
“You sound frazzled, Adelaide. Everything all right?” he asked.
His soothing baritone voice was like a balm on her frayed nerves. “Oh, I just let my temper get the best of me and I know the fallout will be tremendous.”
“I want to hear all about it. How about dinner tonight at the parsonage? Say around seven? I’m making lasagna. I have the plans for my new house. I’d like to show them to you.”
Adelaide felt her tense muscles relax a little. “I’d like to see them. And you know I can’t resist your lasagna.”
He chuckled. “If only you felt that way about me.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, she simply said, “See you at seven,” and disconnected the call.
As she was hanging her coat in the closet at the bottom of the stairs, there was a knock on the front door.
“Vernon? Come in,” she said, motioning him into the foyer.
“It’s going to snow or something,” he said as he slipped off his gloves. After removing his knit cap, he stuffed it in the pocket of his coat, which he then took off and looped over the newel post.
“I’m going to have some lunch and make hot tea. How about it?” she offered, heading for the kitchen.
Oscar abandoned his cozy spot next to the refrigerator to greet Vernon, who squatted down to pet the feline’s head. “I already ate, Adelaide, but the tea sounds good.”
Deciding to eat later, she made them cups of green tea. They sat opposite each other at the kitchen table. As Adelaide looked at him, she was once again grateful that he had come back into her life all those years ago, when he’d returned to Crescent Falls to help Albert at the pharmacy. “Is that a new shirt?” Vernon usually avoided shopping, stating that it was tedious and frustrating.
Vernon smoothed the front of the long-sleeve plaid flannel shirt. “I bought three of them in different color schemes. I like this one best.”
“The green brings out the color in your eyes,” she said. She still couldn’t believe he’d gone shopping. “So where did you get them?”
Vernon sipped at his tea for a moment before answering. “Online.”
Adelaide smiled. “You ordered them off the Internet.”
Vernon smiled back. “Easiest purchases I ever made. And they arrived within two days.” Changing the subject he said, “You rushed out of church so fast this morning, I didn’t get a chance to ask you something.”
“So ask me now.”
“I’d like to cook dinner for you tonight.”
Adelaide nearly choked on her tea. Clearing her throat, she blurted, “I’m sorry…I have other plans.” The look on his face made her heart clench a little.
“With James?” he asked then waved a hand as though he was trying to erase the question. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. Forget I asked.”
Adelaide sat quietly, torn between her desire to be perfectly honest with Vernon and her reluctance to hurt him. When the silence dragged on too long, she said, “You know I think it is a good idea that the Business Development Committee meets before the council meeting. We need to make sure we’re all on the same page and have our facts straight.”
As though he was also anxious to change the subject, Vernon nodded enthusiastically. “How about tomorrow night at my place? At seven.”
“Perfect,” Adelaide agreed, relieved to see that Vernon had dropped the subject of her plans for this evening.
Vernon got up, taking his cup to the sink where he rinsed it out. He then headed for the foyer. Adelaide followed.
As he put on his coat, he said, “I’ll call the board members tonight, since you’ll be busy with…whoever.” With that he left, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Seven
“Well, what do you think?” Daniel asked Luke Fagan. They’d just spent over an hour with Patty Regan’s parents, Julie and Bill. The mother had been distraught, the father kept demanding answers.
Luke closed the office door and sat down in one of the chairs opposite Daniel’s desk. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I think if Bill Regan ever lays eyes on Pete Hicks, we’ll be investigating another homicide.”
“They never liked the guy, that’s for sure. What they told us goes right along with what we’ve learned so far from the records we pulled. The mother suspected the abuse started right after the wedding.”
“Yeah, but when she tried to get Patty to admit it, she didn’t get anywhere,” Luke said.
An hour ago Daniel had sent Officers Ray Butler and Ed Lucas to Rosewood to pick up Hicks and bring him in for questioning. According to the reports they’d received just before the Regan’s visit, Pete Hicks had a record of domestic abuse. “Six calls to nine-one-one over a two-year period. A restraining order. They arrested him once but she refused to press charges. And she never told her parents about until much later.”
“Not unusual. You know how that goes, Daniel. The victims of abuse are embarrassed, afraid, hoping things will get better. The cycle goes on and on until something puts a stop to it, one way or another. Patty divorced him but not without some battle scars.”
“She finally went to her parents. They helped her get out of the marriage, gave her the courage to face up to him.” Daniel was thoughtful for a moment. “How we doing on that search warrant for Hicks’s place?”
Luke shook his head. “I’ve got a call in to a judge I know. It’s Sunday, though.”
Just then, Luke’s cell phone rang. Daniel listened to one side of the conversation with rising hope. Finally Luke hung up. “We’ve got the warrant.”
Daniel’s cell phone rang. It was Ray Butler. Daniel put it on speaker. “We just picked Pete Hicks up. We’re on our way back,” Ray told them.
“Good work. Any problems?” Daniel asked.
“He’s been drinking,” Ray replied. There were scuffling noises in the background and Daniel heard Ed Lucas say something, but he couldn’t quite make out the exact words.
“Just get him in here. We’ll take it from there,” Daniel said before hanging up. He turned his attention to Luke. “As soon as Ed and Ray get here with Hicks, we’ll have them go back and do the search. And let’s send Judy along, too. I want you here with me for Hicks’s interview.” There were now only a handful of his officers that he completely trusted and although Ed Lucas wasn’t one of them, he was efficient, so Daniel knew the search would be thorough. Besides, with Judy there to oversee things, there should be no problems.
When Ed and Ray marched Pete Hicks into the squad room, Daniel got up from behind his desk and met them halfway. He assessed Hicks’s appearance carefully. The man was tall and husky with a shaved head and dark brown eyes, one of which was almost swollen shut. “What happened to him?” He looked from Ed to Ray, then back at Ed.
“He fell,” Ed snapped. He glared at Daniel, his dark eyes narrowing a little.
Since there were several reprimands in Ed Lucas’s file for use of excessive force, Daniel had a feeling there was more to the story.
Pete Hicks tried to wrest his arm free of Ed’s grasp. His hands were cuffed behind his back. Ed pushed the man and he almost fell over. Daniel could smell liquor on his breath.
“He’s plastered,” Ray said. “It wasn’t easy to convince him to come with us.”
Daniel trusted Ray Butler. The tall, slender officer was pragmatic and honest. “Take him up to Interview Room One.”
The municipal building had two stories. The police station took up half of the first floor. On the other side were the mayor’s office, council chambers and a public meeting room. Public restrooms were just inside the front door. On the second floor were the two jail cells and two interview rooms along with two courtrooms and judges’ chambers. Also upstairs was a larger break room with vending machines and a second set of restrooms.
Pete Hicks finally spoke up. “This bastard hit me.” He nodded his head toward Ed Lucas. “I didn’t fall. Lying son of a bitch.” His words were slurred.
Daniel’s gaze went to Ray for verification. Ray shrugged. “I was calling you, so I didn’t see what happened.”
Ed Lucas sneered. “We gonna stand here all day debating the subject? Fagan called us while we were bringing in this scumbag and said there’d be a warrant waiting.” He gave Pete a hard shove, forcing the man to lose his balance and fall against Ray Butler.
Daniel saw Luke coming toward them with a paper in his hand, presumably the search warrant. He decided he would speak to Ed about his treatment of Hicks later. Then again, what was the use? Because of Ed’s long-standing friendship with influential councilman Lloyd Fletcher, it would be almost impossible to get rid of the man, unless there was solid proof of misconduct. Several of the complaints in Ed’s file pre-dated Daniel’s appointment as chief of police.
Luke handed the warrant to Ray then took hold of Pete Hicks’s arm. “I’ll take him up to Interview One.”
“The hell you will,” Pete protested, trying to break free. “Get your filthy hands off of me.” He began to struggle in earnest now, flailing around and kicking out with one leg. A stream of profanity came spewing out of his mouth, along with a spray of spittle.
Ed gave Daniel another sneer, then sauntered toward the exit. “Coming, Butler? Looks like the chief and his trusty sidekick have it all under control here,” he called.
“Go, Ray,” Daniel ordered as he assisted Luke in restraining Pete, who was now on the floor writhing around like a fish on a wharf. Two officers who had been filling out reports at their desks came over to assist. Finally they got the man to calm down somewhat. At that point Daniel decided to shackle Pete‘s hands and feet. Finally, they got him onto the elevator and up to the second floor.
Five minutes later, Daniel took a seat across the metal table from Pete in the interview room. Luke stood just inside the closed door, as though on guard duty. Daniel put a tape recorder on the table and turned it on. “We’ll be recording this session.” He supplied the specifics of the interview such as date, time and those present, then studied the disheveled looking man for a few moments. He had several tattoos, the least offensive of which was a cross with an arrow going through it. “So, where were you Friday night, Pete?”
“Go to hell,” Pete snarled.
“Did you make a trip over here to Crescent Falls and lay in wait for Patty behind Marty’s Pub?”
Pete snarled, “I wouldn’t spit on that bitch if she was on fire.”
Luke walked up behind Pete’s chair and slapped him on the back of his bald head. “Answer the question and watch your mouth.”
“Hey,” Pete turned around so fast he almost fell off the chair. “He can’t do that. I got rights.”
Daniel slid an evidence bag across the table. “Recognize this?”
Pete threw Luke, who still stood behind him, a wary look before turning around to glance at the object on the table. “Looks like an ice pick. So what?”
Daniel sighed. “It’s not just any ice pick, Pete. It’s the one used to murder your ex-wife.”
This statement brought a half-smile to Pete’s lips. “Yeah, I heard she got shanked in the back. Serves her right. What’s that called…oh yeah, karma.”
Daniel opened the file folder he’d brought in with him. “This is quite a record you have here, Pete. Disturbing the peace, domestic abuse, several DUIs. Let’s talk about the domestic abuse.”
Pete squirmed around in the metal chair. “I ain’t got nothin’ to say about that. She dropped the charges anyway. Then she divorced my ass and I’ve been paying for it ever since.”
“Well, I guess those payments will stop now, won’t they?” Daniel stared hard at Pete. After a few seconds of silence he slid the second evidence bag across the table. “You decided to give her a final love note, Pete?”
Pete Hicks squinted at the Valentine card. He seemed to be sobering up quickly now. “What the hell is that? Jesus, is that blood on there?”
Daniel exchanged quick glances with Luke. “Patty’s blood, Pete. Don’t play dumb, although I doubt you’re playing. You stuck this Valentine…” He smacked his left hand down beside the bag, “onto this ice pick…” He smacked his right hand down beside the other bag, “before driving it into Patty’s back.”
Pete was shaking his head vigorously now. “No way. You’re not pinning this on me. I wasn’t anywhere near that bitch when she bought it.” He was jumping around in his seat now, his face and bald head a bright shad of crimson. “I want a lawyer. Now. A lawyer.” He was yelling at the top of his lungs as he strained against the shackles.
In the end they deposited Pete in a cell to sober up, since they didn’t really have enough evidence yet to hold him for Patty’s murder.
“Unless the search turns up something, we’ll have to let him go for now,” Daniel said ruefully.
“Then let’s hope they find something useful,” Luke replied. “We need to clear this one in a hurry.”
Daniel knew what Luke meant. After what happened in December, Daniel realized that Lloyd Fletcher and his cronies would be looking for an excuse to prove he was not the man for this job. Daniel had friends on the town council, but so did Lloyd. And, Daniel also knew he had a mole within his own department who was leaking sensitive information to the press, something else that made him look bad. He suspected Ed Lucas, but so far he hadn’t been able to prove it. Local reporter, Julie Buckner Simpson, refused to give up a name, citing the right of a reporter to protect her source.
