The Devil's Dwelling (36 page)

We made our way to Wal-Mart and purchased the necessities.  I was starting over.  I needed a toaster, plates, cups and glasses.  Since I don’t do much cooking a fry pan and one pot and a teapot was sufficient. The shopping cart was over flowing.  Mona walked to another aisle and came back with a cart.  A woman was following her.

“Ma’am, that’s my cart.”  She yelled pulling at the cart.

Mona looked the cart over. “I don’t see your name on it.”  Mona jerked the cart from the lady.

“You don’t have your name on it, you don’t have anything in it and you were not touching it.  Any one of the three things could constitute ownership.”  Case closed.

Mona pushed the cart at the lady and the lady backed off calling Mona unmentionable names.

  We filled the cart Mona now owns with linens and a nice comforter for the bed.  I bought a can opener and a paring knife for peeling apples.  A small set of silverware and a spatula.  We checked out and headed to the apartment.  The delivery men from the furniture store were scheduled to deliver the furniture at about four o’clock and I didn’t want to be late.  It would  be my first night in my new apartment.

My phone rang at six am. Who would be calling at this early hour I asked myself as I rolled over and reached for my phone.

“Hello.”

“It’s Randy.  Would you like to take a ride with me to Russellville?”

“Sure, what’s there?” 

“We’ll talk about it when I pick you up.” 

I hung the phone up wondering why we would be going to Russellville.

I showered and pulled my red locks up in a pony tail.  I took Bailey out for a quick run to hike and poop.

He finished with his duties and we were headed back to the apartment when Randy drove up in his off duty vehicle. 

“I need to put Bailey in the apartment. I’ll be right down.”  I told him and started to run with Bailey to the apartment.

“Tiffany, aren’t you going to invite me in to see your place?”  He stepped out of his vehicle and was walking toward the apartment.

“Of course. How rude of me. Come on up. I think you’ll approve of my place.”

“I’d approve of any place with the exception of Hayden’s.” He grinned and we walked  to the elevator.  I pushed number four on the elevator wall.  Randy turned me around and kissed me on the lips. His hand smoothed over my breasts.  The elevator door opened and we stepped  out.  I unlocked  the door and Bailey ran to his big pillow on the floor.

Randy looked around and gave his approval.

“This is a very nice place. I hope you’re happy here.”  He said holding me in his arms.

We were in the car driving to Russellville.

“Now tell me why we are going to Russellville.”  I turned to Randy and asked.

“I have a hunch.  We need to get a picture of Brenda McGuire.  I think she may be the murderer.”

“What? Why would she murder all the massage parlor owners?” 

“Her daughter Natasha McGuire was a masseuse.  What if she didn’t approve of her profession and blamed the owners of the parlors for Natasha’s bad professional decision.  We know the parlors are actually escort services or brothels?  Whatever you want to call them. We just can’t seem to get the goods on the owners to prosecute them.”

“Maybe she took the law in her own hands. Is that what you think?” I asked, thinking Randy is on to something.  He’s very thorough and does his job well.

“If we can get a picture of her we can take it to Ms. Sophia. If she’s able to identify her we have a good case against her.”

Randy parked a couple houses from the McGuire’s.  He took his camera from it’s case.  We waited for a couple of hours. Hoping Brenda McGuire would walk out front. The mailman drove up to the mailboxes down the street. 

“This may be our break.  Maybe she will come out front to get her mail. The mailman pulled up to the McGuire’s mailbox and dropped an envelope in Brenda’s box.

“Jackpot!“  Randy yelled and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the tune playing on the radio.

Randy picked up his camera and made sure the focus was good.

Brenda walked out front to the mail box.  Randy started snapping pictures.

“I got a few good  pictures.” He closed the lens and put the camera in it’s case.

“Okay, you got your pictures and I’m hungry.”  I snuggled up to him and he put his arm around my shoulders.

“How about we hit the diner before we head back to Conway?”

My phone rang and it was Randy.

“Hi, I downloaded and printed the pictures this morning of Brenda.  Would you like to go with me to show them to Ms. Sophia?”

“I’ll meet you at the hospital. I have to get to work by nine.  Mona will be at the office waiting for me.  We have some ‘no shows‘ to bring in.”

The receptionist walked us to Ms. Sophia’s room.  She was setting up in bed and looking very good.

“Ms. Sophia, you look very well.”

“I’m feeling very well. They said I could go home tomorrow.”  She looked in her little mirror, pushed her hair away from her face and smiled at us. “Just an ole’ lady trying to look young.”  She said smiling.

“Ms. Sophia I have a picture of someone I want to show you.  Is that alright?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Well, this may be the person who shot you.”  Randy fumbled with the pictures before he put one in Ms. Sophia’s hand. 

Ms. Sophia took a quick look at the picture and dropped it.

“What’s wrong?”  Randy asked.

“That’s the lady that shot me.”  She said. “I feel like I’m going to faint.”

I ran in the hallway and called for a nurse.  A nurse entered the room and gave Ms. Sophia oxygen.

“I’m fine.  It’s a shock to see the picture of that woman. Did you arrest her?”

“Not yet.  I needed a positive identification before I could arrest her.”

Randy headed to Russellville with a lady deputy to arrest and bring in Brenda McGuire. 

Mona was at the office waiting for me.  She was eating a donut and drinking a cup of coffee.  I poured myself a cup of coffee and selected a glazed donut. 

My phone rang and it was Randy.

“Hi.”

“What do you mean she’s not home? Is she anywhere in town?”

“No, Mr. McGuire and the boys said she went out but they didn’t know where she went.”

“I bet she went to Gertie’s Massage Parlor. Mona and I are heading out there. You have your deputies meet us there.”

I put the Honda on ‘fast’ and soon we were driving up Gertie’s drive. I drove around to the back and the black sedan was parked next to Gertie’s rig. 

Mona went around front and I made my way to the back door. Everything seemed quiet.  With my Glock in hand I opened the back door. I could hear a woman’s voice.  I inched around to where I could see Brenda McGuire. Gertie was setting on the sofa.  Brenda McGuire’s gun was pointed at Gertie’s chest.

“You ruin good girls with your so called massage parlors.  You ruined my Natasha.  She was a good girl until she met people like you.  Where’s my Natasha. Where are you hiding her?”

“No, please don’t shoot me.  Natasha quit working here a few days ago. I don’t know where she went.”

I didn’t want to shoot Brenda McGuire. But I knew I had to turn her attention from Gertie before she pulled the trigger.

“Drop the gun.”  I yelled.  Startled Brenda turned facing me with the gun pointing at my chest.

“What are you doing here?”  She looked shocked.  Her eyes were hollow, she looked like she had the devil dwelling in her soul.

“Drop the gun…”  Before I could get the words out of my mouth. A loud bang rang in my ears.  Brenda McGuire looked at me with her eyes fixed, her aim still on me, the gun fell from her hands and she fell straight back on the floor with blood gushing from her head. I stood in a trance wondering if I fired the shot that killed her.

A deputy and Mona busted through the front door. A deputy sharp shooter standing outside the window had taken her down.

“You okay ma’am?” The deputy asked.

“I’m fine. But she doesn’t look so good.”  I pointed at Brenda McGuire on the floor with her head in a pool of blood her eyes still with that hollow look.

Gertie was setting on the sofa holding her heart.

“That’s it. I was considering retiring and this has helped me to make a decision.” Gertie said as she fanned her face.

The deputy summoned the coroner.  And put Brenda McGuire’s gun in a plastic bag.

Within a short time the drive was filled with Sheriff patrol cars and the coroner‘s wagon.  Yellow crime scene tap was being strung around the perimeter of the property.

Randy drove up with the siren blaring and red lights flashing.

He jumped from his SUV and ran to me.  “You okay, Sweetheart?”  He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.