The Devil's Dwelling (9 page)
Read The Devil's Dwelling Online
Authors: Jean Avery Brown
They climbed off Mona and headed out the door. Momma walked out the door with her little brood following.
“What was that all about?” Mona asked the deputy brushing off her clothes and holding up the magazine with a thumb and finger with snot dripping from it pages.
“Trash it, she comes in after her husband beats her up just to let us know. She want press charges. That leaves our hands tied. Maybe it’s a comfort just to tell someone.”
Mona dropped the magazine in the trash container and wiped her hands on a tissue provided by the deputy.
I walked in the sheriff’s office. He opened the file cabinet and pulled a file out.
“You want to know the identity of the dead woman at the Martin’s.”
He tossed the file on his desk. Sit in his chair and reared back with his hands behind his back.
I opened the file. The file contained a picture of her taken when she was in much better shape than when I saw her. I flipped the pages and read on…Maxine Martin, age 48, married to Marty Martin. Cause of death murder from bullets penetrating the chest area.
I closed the file and tossed it back on Randy’s desk.
“You got any clues to who the murderer might be?”
“We have some leads but nothing substantial.”
“I didn’t come to check this out but thanks for giving me the information. I have a black sedan following me. I got the license plate number and thought you might check it out.”
I handed him the plate number. He took a look at it. Called the deputy in.
“Get me info on this plate.”
“Yes sir. “It’s out of state so will take a few minutes.” He briskly walked out of the office with plate number in hand.
Sheriff Randy walked over to the office door and turned the lock. He walked over to me gently lifting me from my chair. He pulled me close and softly kissed my neck. He nibbled on my ear and whispered. “You want to finish this tonight at my place?”
“My my Sheriff Randy are you asking for a date?”
“I’m asking you to join me for dinner and a run around the table.” He said as he pulled me close sliding his hand down my back stopping at my ass and giving it a good squeeze.
“Seven o’clock at my place sound good for you?”
“That works for me. Do you want me to pick up a pizza?”
“No. I’ll take care of dinner.”
Randy’s a pretty good cook. He can out cook me. That’s not saying much since my cooking consist of boiling water for iced tea, using a can opener and pushing the toaster down, scraping the Cheez Whiz jar and dipping ice cream.
He unlocked the door and set down at his desk. The professional part of Randy came back into play.
A knock at the door and it was the deputy with the information on the plate.
The plate belongs to George and Brenda McGuire.
“What the hell…the vehicle belongs to McGuire. They have a Texas address.”
“Thanks Randy. I’ve got plenty investigating to take care of. Thanks for your help.”
“Mona, let’s put our heads together. First Marty Martin is missing. We visit Maxine’s massage parlor and Maxine isn‘t home. Someone in a black sedan shoots at us. Next we find a dead body, who we know is Maxine in her bedroom. And now we find out the black sedan shooting at us is registered to George and Brenda McGuire with a Texas address.”
“What is the missing link to all this?” Mona pondered over the information. “We need to find the masseuse that answered the door at Maxine’s.”
“You are right. We’ll need to hit the massage parlors. All we have is what she looks like and there are a dozen parlors in the city.
ELEVEN
We headed back to the apartment. Bailey was pacing ready for his poop and hike. I grabbed the leash, hooked up Bailey and headed for the door. I looked back at Mona.
“I’ll be back in a few. I forgot to mention. I have a date with Randy tonight.”
“You have a date with Randy? Girlfriend, that’s awesome.” I was out the door. Mona came running after me yelling down the stairs. “Where is he taking you?”
I looked up the stairs while trying to hold Bailey. “I’m going to his place.” I was out the door before I finished my sentence. Bailey practically dragged me down the street. I was panting by the time I reached the park. I put my hands on my knees and sucked in some oxygen.
I unleashed Bailey and he hiked on most of the trees in the park. He pooped and I picked it up and tossed it in the can, hooked him up and started for home. There were a few people in the park most were walking their dogs. A few kids were trying to fly kites but it was getting late and the wind had calmed down. A little boy was tangled in his kite string and the kite was destroyed from him trying to free himself. Tears were streaming and he was jumping up and down trying to get the string untangled. His Mommy came to the rescue but not before the damage was done.
I looked past the crowd and in the distance I saw the big woman Bailey jumped. I wondered if I should apologize but my better judgment took over and I walked toward the apartment with Bailey at my side. Bailey bolted up the stairs jerking the leash from my hand. I ran up the stairs behind him and opened the door before he had time to jump on the door.
“Bailey, why are you in such a hurry?” I ruffled the fur around his neck pulling his collar away from his fur. “Your going to stay with Mona tonight. She might need you to protect her from the bad guys.” I joked as I hung up his leash and headed for the bedroom.
I turned on the water, undressed and stepped in the shower. The water danced on my skin as I scrubbed off the stench from the day. I put my head back and let the water run through my hair and down my back. I squirted the shampoo on my head and vigorously scrubbed my hair, rinsed, conditioned and rinsed again. I hopped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my head and another around my body. I walked over to the mirror dropped the towel and turned to see my butt. “Yeah, still looks pretty firm.” I laughed.
I put on a little mascara, blush and lipstick. I blew my hair dry smoothing it straight. Put on a pair of jeans and a tank top. Slipped on a pair of heels with my toes sticking out showing off my pink polish. I stepped out of the bedroom. Mona gasped and jumped off the sofa and walked around me turning me round and round.
“Girlfriend you look fantastic. Your hair it’s silky beautiful. What happened to the curls?”
“Flat iron and a lot of labor.” I rarely straighten my hair. My curls are my signature.
“Thanks Mona. I usually look a little better then my daily look when I go on a date.”
“Be sure you have you Glock.”
“I’m just going to Randy’s I don’t think I will need to take a weapon.” I told her as I opened the door.
“Okay, you are probably right.” I rushed back to the night stand, took the Glock from it’s resting place and dropped it in my bag. I walked from the apartment with my bag on my shoulder.
I got in my rig and backed out of the parking space. I noticed a large maroon Chrysler setting at the other end of the lot. I picked up my phone and called Mona.
“Hey, there’s a big maroon Chrysler in the parking lot. I haven’t seen it around before. You can see it from my bedroom window. You might want to keep an eye on it and lock the door.”
“Thanks, I’ll lock the door and keep and eye on it.”
I stopped at the neighborhood security gate and dialed Randy. He pushed the button and I drove through the gate and noticed a car right on my bumper make it through the gate. I pulled in the drive and noticed the car slowly drive past. Probably someone looking for an address. I pushed Randy’s door bell. The chimes play a nice tune and he immediately opened the door. He threw his arms around me, gave me a big juicy kiss and closed the door.
The smell of barbeque lingered through the house. Randy helped me remove my jacket and hung it on the coat rack, a large piece of mahogany furniture with a mirror and four brass hooks. I turned toward the kitchen.
“Something smells really good.” I meandered through the living room into the kitchen area.
Randy picked up the tongs and headed for the patio.
“Excuse me while I turn the steaks.” Randy rushed out back, turned the steaks and returned to the house. He had a bottle of Chardonnay wrapped in a white napkin and setting in an ice bucket. He opened the wine and poured us a glass. He lifted his glass. “A toast to us, our friendship and our love for each other.” We clicked glasses…
Love, I thought I don’t know if I love him. I think the world of him but…
We shared a lovely dinner over candlelight with soft music in the background. Randy stood up, dropped his napkin on his plate. Walked around the table and took my hand.
“May I have this dance?”
I stood up and he wrapped his arm around my waist and we began to dance. We slowly danced mostly standing in one place, just holding each other. It felt good to have his arms around me. Randy snuffed out the candles, took me by the hand and led me to his bedroom. His bedroom furniture was made of rich mahogany. His comforter a geometrical print in shades of blue. He unbuttoned my blouse and slid it off my shoulders. I pulled his shirt over his head. His muscles rippled causing me to swoon. My hands caressed his body. He kissed my neck and moved his lips down to my breasts. His hands rested on my hips.
I woke to the sound of a lawnmower in the front yard. “Oh my Gawd, what time is it.”
The yard service man was at work.
The clock chimed eight times. I was wearing Randy’s tee shirt and it smells like him. I grabbed my phone and called Mona.
“I’ll be there shortly. I over slept.”
“You slept, I’d been doing the monkey dance all night.” Mona laughed.
I slipped on my lacey pink bra and bikini pink panties. I stepped in my jeans, pulled my blouse over my head. Slipped on my heels and headed for the door. I stopped and looked for a note pad. I found one laying on the counter. I started to leave a note and noticed a note from Randy. ‘Thanks for last night.’ Love, Randy
I jotted down a note. Ditto, Love ya, Tiffany.
TWELVE
Peewee slapped a stack of files on his desk.
“You see these files? You and Mona are getting behind. I need these ‘no shows’ picked up.”
He shoved the files over to me and pushed back in his chair. Again I listened for the inevitable snap of the chair.
Mona grabbed the first file.
“Lester Long, what’s he running from?”
Lester, a small man weighing about a hundred pounds, grey hair rimming his head and sneaky blue eyes, works the midnight shift at the local cemeteries stealing flowers off freshly planted graves. His wife, Honey dries the flowers and makes dried arrangements and sells them at the local flea market on Saturdays and Sundays. We need to get the burial schedule from Mr. Thompson at the mortuary. Lester will be at the cemetery around midnight after a couple of funerals.”
I put the file under my arm and headed for the door.
“We’ll get this one going and be back for the other files.”
Boris, a tall thin man with dyed black hair and fair skin wearing a black suit greeted us as we enter the foyer of the funeral home. The entry was gloomy with heavy brocade drapes hanging from the window trim. The wall paper was that of cherubs floating in the air. The floor was shiny dark hardwood. The hollow foyer with high ceiling echoed every sound.