Away in a Murder (17 page)

I got my Dr. Pepper, said good bye and headed to my office.

When I entered her office my secretary, Della looked at me open mouthed. One of the few times I’d seen her show emotion. If not the only time.

“Misty, what are you doing here?” she said. “You should be resting.” She sounded more like a mother who caught their grounded child sneaking out than an assistant who’s boss came in when they weren’t supposed to.

“I had to come in,” I said.

“No, you did not. You can access your e-mail from home. There was no reason for you to risk your health to come in today. You don’t even know if your lungs are fully healed.”

Yep, I felt just like a small child.

“Ms. Sitron,” I said hoping I sounded like a CEO, “I wanted to check on my company.”

She looked at me. “Well, that’s alright then.”

Ha! It worked. I wanted to smile, but I didn’t want to lose my serious manner.

“Have you eaten yet?” she asked.

I thought back. I had coffee and a small bowl of cereal, but that was it.

“No, not really,” I said.

“Then I am going to the cafeteria to get some food for you. Don’t worry I’ll put it on your account,” she said holding the corporate credit card.

“That would be great,” I said. “Thank you.”

She held her head high and said, “You’re welcome.” Then she got up and left. She was still getting used to the pleases, thank yous and you’re welcomes we used around here. I guess the park’s former owners never used those phrases.

I walked in to my office and stood in front of my large window. I had a great view of the park from here. My park. My happy place. It was hard to believe that such a terrible thing could happen to Pete and I here. In fact, right now I was glad that I could not see the remains of the warehouse where it all happened. I could lie to myself that way.

I opened my Dr. Pepper and took a long drink. Yep, Dr. Pepper was good for the soul. I was feeling happy.

Until I smelled it. That smell. That cologne. Oh, hell, the maniac was in my office. I was frightened. Then I remembered that I had already taken down one murder. I could do another one. Really, what choice did I have?

I turned around just as the door was closing.

“Hello, how can I help you?” I said as I sat at my desk.

“Did you enjoy the chocolates?” the maniac asked, smiling at me.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry; Chief Campion discovered the poison before I could.”

“Too bad, that would have been so much easier.”

“Easier than what?” I asked. I was feeling underneath the top of my desk and hoping he didn’t notice. I swore there was a panic button here somewhere. Maybe I should have paid more attention when it was installed.

I took another drink of my Dr. Pepper. I was trying to appear calm. I had no idea if it was working.

“Well,” the maniac said, “easier than having to find a way to kill you without getting caught.”

“I understand why you wanted to kill Al. He ruined a lot of lives, including yours. What I don’t understand is why you want to kill me. What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?”

I wanted to know and I was trying to buy time.

“You took my dreams away. You brought all these strangers in to my park. You gave them jobs that they did not deserve,” the maniac said.

“Who for example?”

“Jerome for starters.”

“Jerome has been with the park since he was a teenager. He knows the attractions inside and out. He finished his degree. He got his license. He earned it.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Spend a day with him and you’ll realize that.”

The maniac was standing in front of my desk now. He was way too close to me. Where was Della? Shouldn’t she be back with the food now?

“Besides, soon Jerome will no longer be a threat,” the maniac said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s got to go up on that boom lift tonight. When he does the controls will fail and he will fall to his death.”

Oh, dear God. He was going to kill more innocent people. I couldn’t let that happen.

“And then what?” I asked.

“And then I get my old job back. Nobody will want the job after that. Even fewer people will want it after the
Wild Round Up
coaster comes off its tracks tomorrow and employees and their families are killed. Wow that’s going to be sad.” Funny he didn’t sound very sad.

He chose a family coaster. There would be little kids on that coaster. I had to stop this. But how?

“And you think the result of that will be you becoming chief engineer again, Bob?” I asked. Damn it I was right. Why did it have to be one of the people I trusted?

“Sure. I’ll be the only one who can figure out what went wrong and fix it. I’ll be a hero.” He smiled at me and chills ran down my spine. “And you won’t be around to stop me.”

I let that comment go and kept trying to keep him talking.

“Unless of course the government comes in to investigate,” I said. “I mean that would be the third accident in a row in this park. Don’t you think there will be an investigation?”

“I have friends on the committee,” he smiled at me.

I bet he does. I heard the phone ringing in Della’s office. I wished she would run back and answer it. Bob chose this moment to come around the side of my desk. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to my feet. So much for the panic button.

“Ok. But what about the security cameras?” I lied as he started to drag me toward the window.

“What security cameras?” he asked while he was trying to undo the window’s latch with one hand while holding on to me with the other.

This was supposed to be a climate controlled building. Would the window really open. Yes, yes it would.

“The ones that the third party security company put in place. The ones that are hidden even from our security team. The ones that they monitor 24/7.”

“You’re lying,” Bob said.

“Really? Then why am I so calm? Maybe it’s because I know there are hidden cameras in here. In fact in here they’re not so hidden. I know where they are.” 

I was lying, but he didn’t need to know that. I needed to buy time so Della could return and get help. He was searching the ceiling now. He was almost in a frenzied panic trying to find the cameras. He stopped and pointed to what I think was an air vent. He still didn’t let go of my arm.

“That’s one isn’t it?” he said.

“It is
one
of them. By the way, they record audio too, Bob,” I lied again.

“Then I’d better get this over with. So sad you’re going to commit suicide just after you recovered from such an ordeal. I mean, I tried to stop you.”

He placed his hand on my back and pushed me toward the window. There was no way in hell I was going out that thing. Then again, I wasn’t sure how to stop him.

My saving grace was that the window had a fairly deep edge. I kept a lot of knock knacks on that window. He had to sweep some of them away before he could get me on the ledge. I resisted but he managed to get my head out of the window. Wow it was a long way down. Why did I have to have an office on the top floor? When I looked down I did see a comforting sight. A security van was pulling in. When it parked Frank stepped out of it.

“Security is pulling up now,” I said. “Frank, help! Bob is trying to kill me!” I yelled. I doubted that Frank could hear me. So I grabbed one of the knick knacks that were nearby and I dropped it out of the window. I hoped nobody got hurt, but when it something it should cause an investigation.

Bob yanked me back and looked out the window. He let go of me. He was panicking now. Was that good or bad?

“Told you, Bob. Give it up now. Don’t let anyone else get hurt.”

He turned and glared at me. “No!” he shouted.

“What do you mean no?” I asked sounding much calmer than I felt.

“No. I came in here to kill you. The ride and the boom lift are already set. I just need to finish you and I can finish what I set out to do. You’re the only thing stopping me. You’re the only one who knows.”

“I can admire having a goal, Bob. But you also need to know when to give up on that goal.”

“Too late now. If I’m going down so are you. Then you’re family will leave and the park will be ruined. I’ll be happy.”

I had news for him. If Bob did manage to kill me Frankie would keep the park going. He’d know it was what I wanted.

“No, Adventure Universe is a living breathing thing,” I said. “She’s growing. There is a whole team of people out here who believe in her. She’s not going down without a fight.”

I had managed to inch my way away from the window and over to my desk. My hands were in fists at my side. I was angry and ready to fight. “You can’t stop her. You’re done, Bob. It’s over.”

He was looking at me. If looks could kill I’d be dead. And it would have hurt like hell.

I stood, feet apart, muscles loose, waiting for his attack. I tried to remember everything I had learned about self-defense. He just looked at me and breathed heavily.

“I hate you,” he said.

He looked at me for another moment. Then the attack came.

He grabbed a penguin statue that was still sitting on my window ledge and came at me with it. It was metal and it had a long pointy beak. He slashed at me with the beak. He was trying to stab me. I ran around my desk and picked up the penguin paper weight I had sitting there.

He attacked again. The bird was in his right hand. He lunged at me. At the last second I slapped the weapon out of his hand. His lunge left him off balance. I pivoted with my right hand I swung the paperweight hitting him in the head. He looked at me in shock.

“You hit me,” he said.

I prepared to do it again when his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor like a pile of rags.

I plopped down in my chair and let the paper weight fall to the floor.

Della chose this moment to return with my lunch. She stopped just inside the door and stared at Bob lying on the floor. She cleared her throat. Straightened up and stepped over him. She set the takeout container on my desk.

“Here’s your lunch, Misty. I’ll file the receipt away. But first I’ll let Chief Campion know you’ve caught the killer.”

She didn’t even blink an eye. Was she used to this sort of thing?

I told her what Bob had said about the boom lift and the
Wild Round Up.

“I will take care of it,” she said. And I believed her. What would I do without her?

“Misty!” I heard someone yelling from Della’s office.

Just then Frank burst through the door startling Della.

“It’s fine Frank,” I said as my ex-husband, the head of park security entered my office.

I smiled at Della. “Thank you, Della. Please continue as planned.”

“Yes, Misty,” she said. She turned around and went in to her office, closing the door behind her.

“Marlowe’s going to kill you,” Frank said as he was cuffing Bob with those plastic tie things.

Is that all he had to say? Didn’t he hear me yelling? Did the knock knack hurt anyone? Wasn’t he impressed that I caught Al’s murderer? Wasn’t he glad I was alive?

“Frank, all I want to think about right now is eating my lunch and going home. If Marlowe wants to kill me he’ll have to come to my place to do it.”

I picked up the bag that contained my lunch. I stepped over Bob and I walked back home.

The whole thing started just over a week ago. A reporter comes to town; first he accuses me of being some long lost rock star. When that doesn’t work he accuses me of committing some nasty deeds with my son. We get our revenge on him and then goes and gets himself killed and ruins my first date with Marlowe. Then some maniac attacks Pete and I just as we were beginning to bond. Then he tries again and again to kill me.

And although it seems like a long, long time ago now, the situation in my office with Bob happened yesterday. Marlowe had got upset with me. So did Frankie and Pete for that matter. I had to listen to them lecture me as I had predicted. I let them do it. In a way I guess I deserved it.

They told me that when Frankie came back to my apartment and he could not find me he got worried. Then when he saw the phone he had just given my laying on the coffee table he was even more worried. He called Marlowe and the two of them started the search.

They searched the house. They even broke in to my private room. They saw my sanctuary. I am still angry with them for that. I refuse to explain the room and its contents to them until I decide I am ready. Right now I feel they don’t deserve to know. They may never deserve to know.

After that dumb move, one of them finally got smart. They called the office, which must have been the call I heard. Unfortunately Della was out getting my lunch and did not answer the phone. It never rang in my office. That’s when they decided to check the entrance gate’s security footage and saw me walk out of the gate and into the park. Then they called Frank and had him search for me.

So, when I saw a security vehicle pull up in front of the building it was actually Frank coming to look for me. Too bad Frank hadn’t been about fifteen minutes earlier. The knick knack I dropped landed on the security vehicle. It broke the windshield, but no one was hurt.

Oh, and as funny as it seems I was right about the hidden security cameras. We had them installed after the park opened. I had forgotten about it. I just got used to their presence. I always remembered the rule about not changing clothes in your office, but I had forgotten why. Now, I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

The guy who was supposed to be watching the screens while I was talking to Bob was busy on his phone. Apparently he felt that social media was more important than my life. What he didn’t know was that
his
every move was being recorded. He no longer has that job.

I did manage to press the panic button. Unfortunately that button alerted the same man who should have been watching the cameras. He turned off the alarm because it annoyed him.

Thanks to Della the two things Bob had sabotaged were repaired and tested and tested and tested again before they were used again. In fact, every ride in the park had an emergency safety inspection last night. We were not taking any chances with the lives of our guests or our employees and their families.

Tonight was the employee Christmas preview at the park. At this time I was in my bedroom with Pete. He had purchased a really cute costume for me. Complete with accessories. He was helping me to fasten every fastening and ensuring that the accessories were not going to fall off if I decided to ride something with Marlowe. Pete was following nicely in his uncle’s footsteps whether he knew it or not.

Marlowe and I were considering this our second date. I thought of it more as first date, take two. Frankly, I was getting somewhat eager to get to a more intimate part of our relationship, but I had to get in at least a couple of dates first. I refused to rush in to anything with him. I was as in love with Marlowe as he was with me. I think. All I knew is that I wanted him by my side. I never wanted to be apart from him.

Pete was already wearing his costume. He was a Christmas Elf. It was so funny. He was so cute. As Pete and I were putting sparkles on our cheeks there was a knock at my bedroom door.

“Aren’t you ready, yet?” Marlowe yelled thorough the door.

“Patience is a virtue,” I yelled back.

“It’s not my virtue,” Marlowe responded.

Pete and I just looked at each other and laughed.

“Men,” Pete said laughing.

I took one last look at myself in the full length mirror. I liked what I saw. I looked good. I hoped Marlowe thought so.

“Shall we go?” I asked Pete.

“We shall,” he said.

He stood to the side of the door and I stood in front of it. I found myself bouncing on my heels. I was flashing back to all those year ago when I used to do the same thing behind a closed door as I waited for it to open. My heart was racing just like it did then. Pete swung the door open.

Marlowe and Frankie just stood there with their mouths open. I smiled at them. They were also dressed as elves. They looked great. We were going to be great Santa’s helpers.

“Oh, what a cute little elf you are,” Marlowe said.

“You’re not so bad your ‘elf’,” I said jokingly.

It turned out that Marlowe and I had matching costumes. Same color, same patterns. No tights for Marlowe, he got to wear pants. I knew then that the boys were responsible for this. They planned it.

Then Pete stepped in the living room.

Frankie and Marlowe laughed when they saw him.

“Well,” Pete said trying to sound offended and failing, “I may not be as sexy as Misty, but I look pretty good too.”

Pete struck a pose. We all laughed.

I picked up my Christmas elf themed purse, Pete refused to let me have pockets in my costume. Then we headed out the door.

It was a beautifully cool Florida night. The sun was just beginning to set. A light breeze was coming off of the water. The palm trees were silhouetted against the pink sky. I was holding the hand of the man I was in love with. (Even if I hadn’t told him so yet.) My son was with the man he loved, a man I began to love as a son. Frank was beginning to realize the Frankie and Pete were a couple and seemed to be ok with it.

Best of all, my park, my friends, my employees, and their families were all safe tonight. Everything I went through, from the moment that Frankie and I took a leap of faith and bought the park through my confrontation with Bob was worth it. I was happier at this moment than I had been in a long, long time. I knew then, as I do now, that I would always do whatever was necessary to keep things this way. My park and the people I loved were worth any sacrifice I had to make.