Read Take Stock in Murder Online
Authors: Millie Mack
“If you’re tired of playing amateur detective, I have some real information that will clear your wife of murder.”
“Who is this?” Charles could tell the voice was a man’s, but it sounded muffled and distant. Perhaps a handkerchief was covering the mouthpiece.
“Does it matter who I am as long as I have the information? I want money.”
“What kind of information?”
“I was working the dance at the Club. I know who murdered Todd!”
“The only way you can be of help to me is if you testify.”
“I have proof, and once you see it, you’ll understand why you won’t need me to testify.”
“How much money do you want?”
“Not a huge amount. Only twenty-five thousand dollars.”
“I’ll have to get it from the bank on Monday.”
“No, I need money tonight. Go to an ATM.”
“The most I can get tonight is one thousand dollars.”
“OK, I’ll take that. I’ll give you a PO box where you can mail the rest.”
“Where do you want to meet?” Charles asked.
“At Parker’s Apple Barn, north on Mill Road.”
The Apple Barn was twelve miles beyond Perkins Tavern. Parker’s sat on a huge parcel of land and had once been one of Tri-County’s largest orchards. A development group had purchased it for a planned community of condos, houses, and shopping, but the developers had gone under before anything was built. The property was deserted.
“How long will it take you to get there?”
“I may have to stop at more than one ATM. I’d say about forty minutes.”
“Drive in the lane and stop. Then flash your lights twice. Don’t get out of the car. I’ll come to you.” The caller hung up.
Charles took the phone back to the bartender. “Did you know I was Mr. Faraday?”
“No, the caller said you were sitting in the booth in the back. I took a chance it was you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate you finding me.”
As Charles drove to his next destination, he reviewed what he’d learned. He was inclined to believe Sara, not Linda, that the audit taking place at the firm wasn’t routine. He also believed Linda when she’d said that Jennifer Foster stopped chasing Todd when she found someone else at the Club. Linda had been Todd’s financial accomplice, but her shoes proved she hadn’t broken into their home. And how had the caller known Charles was at the tavern? Had the caller been at the tavern? And the most important question was, had the call he’d just taken been from the murderer?
should have gone with him
, thought Carrie as she sat alone in the study.
I could have waited in the car or even slipped into the tavern and sat at a nearby table. I’ve several wigs and could have disguised myself
. She paced back and forth in the study, then stopped to look out the window for the tenth time.
Oh, how maddening. I hate waiting. All right, get a grip. What can I do to help my case while I’m waiting?
“Where’s that list?” This time she spoke aloud, causing Baxter to look up from his place on the sofa. Carrie went through the papers on her desk, looking for the printout of the list she and Charles had made of possible suspects. She pulled it out from the middle of a pile.
Gosh, what a group!
she thought as she scanned the names on the list.
All women, and all involved somehow with Todd. But we’re missing something
. She took her pen and added columns, labeled
MEN
,
MOTIVE
, and
OPPORTUNITY
. Then she thought for a
moment and added a column labeled
BENEFIT
.
Who would benefit from Todd’s death?
Filling in the names of the men for the first several women was easy. For Judy Marshall, Marilyn Armstrong, Terry Conan, Patricia Sloan, Delores Chaney, and Linda Barrington, Carrie added their husbands’ names. Next to Sara Chaney and Jennifer Foster, she placed question marks. For both of these women, the obvious choice was Todd, and he was dead. Was there some other man in their lives? Carrie jumped to the
OPPORTUNITY
column, which was very easy. Each suspect had been at the October dance. But it was when Carrie got to the
MOTIVE
and
BENEFIT
columns that she began to get excited. Suddenly she had an idea. She opened the folder with the police report of the murder. She checked the list of items that represented Todd’s belongings.
Black tuxedo (pants & jacket)
White shirt with studs
Boxer shorts
Black socks and shoes
Black bow tie
Cummerbund
One pair of cuff links
One watch
One comb
One wallet with $100 (5 twenties), 1 Visa, and 1 MasterCard 75 cents in coins (3three quarters)
The list confirmed Carrie’s theory. Suddenly everything was clear. She knew who the murderer was. It all had to do with
one word. Suddenly one of the songs from
Fiddler on the Roof
popped into her brain.
She was so excited that when the phone rang, she was sure it was Charles. “Hello, Charles, where are you? I’ve figured it out!”
“Uh…Hello, Mrs. Faraday.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were my husband. Who is this?”
“You don’t know me, but my name is Jennifer Foster, one of the golf pros at the Country Club.”
Good heavens
, thought Carrie.
This woman keeps popping up
. “Yes, Jennifer, I’ve heard your name mentioned.” She paused, then added, “Many of my friends take golf lessons with you. In fact, just the other day I was golfing with several ladies, Mrs. Marshall, Chaney, Sloan, Conan, and Armstrong.”
“Why, yes. I know the ladies in the investment group. I work with all of them to help improve their game. Perhaps one day I could give you a lesson. Are you interested in improving your game?”
“Yes, I could probably use some lessons just to keep up with the other ladies.” Carrie noticed that Jennifer had associated the names she mentioned with the Investment Club. “Is that why you’re calling, to sign me up for lessons?”
“No, I have another reason for contacting you. I hope you won’t think I’m prying, but I can’t help but ask—when you picked up the phone, you seemed excited because you had figured something out.”
“I’ve had a bit of trouble lately, so my husband, Charles, bought me a puzzle. One of those mystery jigsaws. You know
the kind, where you have to put the puzzle together to figure out who committed the crime. When I answered the phone, I thought it was Charles.”
“Oh, I see. Speaking of mysteries, it’s because of your troubles and Todd’s murder that I’m calling.”
“You have information about Todd’s murder?”
“Yes. You see, I was dating Todd off and on during the last several months. We became good friends, and he confided in me. He told me how he was running the Investment Club and the reason he needed so much cash.” She spoke very casually to Carrie, as if they’d been friends for a long time.
“And what was his reason for needing so much cash?”
“Todd had tremendous debt. He owed several gamblers and several local bookies. It amounted to over one hundred thousand dollars. He was unable to go to his family, so he devised a scheme for getting extra money through the Investment Club.”
“Are you saying one of these gamblers was responsible for Todd’s death?”
“I’m not just saying it, Mrs. Faraday. I’ve actual proof.”
“What kind of proof?”
“I don’t really want to discuss this on the telephone. You see, I’m kind of in a public place.” Carrie was trying to identify the noises behind Jennifer’s voice. Wherever she was, there was the sound of people. In fact, it sounded like a lot of people were having a good time.
“Did you want to meet?” The little voice in her head told her to wait for Charles.
“Can you get out? I mean, are you under house arrest, or can you get away so the police won’t know?”
“I’ve a way of getting out so I won’t be seen. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about meeting at the golf office at the Club? I’ve been hiding my evidence in my office desk. I figured it was safer than in my apartment. The office is closed this time of night, and it’s far enough away from the main buildings of the Country Club that I don’t think we’ll attract any attention with the lights. Do you know how to reach the golf office without going through the main building?”
“No. In fact, I don’t believe I ever knew there was an office.”
“Go in the entrance, as if you were going to the main building. As you drive up the straightaway, there’s a very slight cutoff from the driveway to your right. Take this cutoff, and it will bring you to a small cottage. Our offices are in the cottage.”
“All right, I’m sure I can find it.”
“Mrs. Faraday, be sure to come alone. I’m very nervous about the proof I have, but I feel I can trust you. But if anyone else comes, I’ll deny I have anything to prove your innocence.” Jennifer hung up the phone.
Carrie slowly replaced the receiver in its cradle.
I’ll come alone, but I’m leaving Charles a note about what I’ve discovered and where I’m going
. She printed out a hard copy of her suspect chart and circled the name of who she thought was the murderer. She placed the chart in their safe. Carrie quickly typed out a note for Charles and left the computer on with her note on the screen. Before she went out the kitchen door, she wrote on the chalkboard, “See computer.”
arrie drove very carefully, with low lights, as she followed the secret lane to the main highway. She didn’t need the police interfering, at least not at the beginning of her trip. Fifteen minutes later, she turned into the Club driveway and easily found the cutoff.
It’s incredible
, she thought.
I’ve been to the Club so many times and never knew of this little side road
. At the end of the lane sat a stone cottage.
The cottage had probably been the estate caretaker’s house in earlier times. Now it was modernized to accommodate the pro shop offices. The front of the cottage faced the greens, and there was a small walkway wide enough to allow golf cart travel between the cottage, the pro shop, and the first tee. Across from the cottage was a garage with all the golf carts tightly parked, waiting for the arrival of the morning’s first golfers. There was a small parking lot at the back of the cottage. Carrie parked her car next to the only other car in the lot. It was a new, dark green car with temporary tags. She slid her car keys
in her pocket and carefully placed her handbag under the seat of the car.