The Ties That Bind (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 11)

The Ties That Bind

(Sarah Woods Mystery 11)

Jennifer L. Jennings

Copyright© 2014

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Sunday, August 30

I stared at my empty suitcase on the bed wondering what to pack for a trip to Connecticut. I’d never had the pleasure of staying at a four star, luxury Inn before, however this trip was not for pleasure.

As a private investigator, sometimes my job requires me to travel. I’ve been to Hawaii, Florida and other desirable locations but, since work comes first, I rarely get the chance to enjoy myself on these trips.

The Silver Beech Inn, located in the picturesque countryside of Ivorydale, Connecticut, is touted as the number one romantic getaway in New England, according to some travel shows. It also boasts award winning cuisine. Maybe there would be time in our schedule to partake of a few gourmet meals.

“Are you done packing, Sarah?” Carter’s voice called out from my living room. An ex-cop from Boston, he’d been a private eye for over a decade as opposed to my short fourteen months. I regarded him as my mentor. Taught me everything I know in the business; and the fact that he’s as handsome as Richard Gere and as rugged as the Marlborough man, doesn’t hurt my feelings one bit.

“Maybe you should come in here and help me decide what to bring,” I replied. “I’m at a complete loss.”

When Carter walked in, it occurred to me that he’d never set foot inside my bedroom before. His bright blue eyes seemed to take in the unfamiliar surroundings with mild amusement. He scanned the room, stopping at the unmade bed. For a second, I felt embarrassed to have not tidied up before he’d seen it.

“What’s the problem,” he finally said, assessing the empty suitcase. “Just bring what you usually wear. Jeans, blouses, comfortable walking shoes. Maybe a dress in case we need to attend a formal dinner party.”

“A formal dinner?” I said with a chuckle. “Does that mean you’ll be bringing a suit and tie?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I’ve always wondered if you ever wore anything besides jeans and black t-shirts. Not that I’m complaining. I think you rock the jeans and black t-shirt look.”

He regarded me with a sly smile. “I’m not quite sure if that was a compliment, but I’ll take it as one.”

In the past few weeks, my professional relationship with Carter had morphed into something more. The sexual tension had escalated to the point where I often felt uneasy around him, unsure of how to act. He’s made it clear that his feelings have progressed beyond the scope of friendship and business partners, but he hasn’t pushed it to the next level. Probably because he knows I need time to get over my last boyfriend, Max.

I turned toward my closet. “Help me pick out a dress.”

Carter reached for a low cut, red number that I hadn’t worn in years. “I like this one.”

“Sure,” I said. “If we’re planning to attend a burlesque show. But it’s a little risqué for a bed and breakfast in Connecticut.”

“Fine,” he said, pointing to another dress. “How about that black one?”

“I wore that to my twenty-year high school reunion last year. I hope it still fits.”

I pulled the dress off the hanger, folded it neatly, and tossed it into the suitcase. Carter remained, watching me pack the rest of my stuff.

“So how long will we be out of town?” I asked.

“I reserved five nights. We might end up staying longer.”

I rummaged through my underwear drawer and grabbed a handful of my best silky garments. “Are we using our real names?”

“Yes.” He hesitated, biting his lip. “I should probably also tell you that we’ll be posing as a married couple. I hope you don’t mind we’ll be sharing a room.”

I swallowed hard, trying to pretend I was unfazed by this revelation. “That’s fine.”

“I got the suite with two beds,” he said, as if that should ease my mind.

“No problem,” I replied. “It’s all part of the job, right?”

He nodded. “Right.”

I shrugged as if it were no big deal but, inside my gut, the butterflies were going crazy. “Well, I’ll be done here in a minute. I’ll meet you down at the car.”

He checked his watch. “We need to be on the road soon. It’s about a four-hour drive and I told the client we’d meet her at noon.”

Chapter 2

The turnpike heading south was a breeze and the four hours seemed to fly by as Carter explained the job in more detail.

“Bernice Chapman wants us to look into her daughter’s death. Nina Chapman was twenty-three years old when she was raped and murdered this past May. Her body was found in a motel room and the DNA found inside her body pointed to two brothers, Rory and Reggie Perez, who have been arrested for the crime.”

I shuddered. “Both of them raped her?”

“Yeah. They’re only sixteen and eighteen years old. They were both prosecuted and found guilty. The younger one, Rory, was tried as an adult and received a sentence of twenty years but he died of an untreated infection the first month he was in prison. His older brother Reggie is currently serving a life sentence with no parole. He’s at the Ridgedale Correctional Facility in Georgia.”

“Okay,” I said. “So the client thinks the boys are innocent?”

“No, but she believes someone might have hired the boys to kill her daughter.”

“Who?”

“Nina’s fiancé. His name is Perry Garcia.”

“Why would he want her dead?”

“I’ll let Bernice give us the details about that.” Carter gestured to the GPS on the dashboard. “We’re almost there.”

Ivorydale, a quaint New England town with large homes and beautiful old trees, is known for its fabulous antique stores. As we drove through town, we passed dozens taverns and Historic landmarks dating back to the early 1800’s. My first impression of the place: lots of old money here.

When we arrived at Bernice’s home, she was waiting for us on the porch.

Bernice was in her early fifties, I guessed. She was trim and probably would have been more attractive if it wasn’t for the deep lines on her face, most likely caused by incessant crying and worrying. I couldn’t imagine living through the horror of losing a daughter.

“I can’t thank you enough for taking the job and traveling all this way,” she said, offering us a seat in the living room. She looked at Carter specifically. “My sister tells me you’re very good at what you do. Your reputation is sterling.”

Carter smiled and gave her a slight shrug, as if the compliment wasn’t necessary. “First, let me offer my condolences, Ms. Chapman, I know this has been a hard time for you.”

Bernice’s jaw clenched as she nodded. “Yes it has. I’ve struggled to get through each day.”

“I’m sorry to ask, but would you mind going over the details of your daughter’s death with us again. When I called the detective in charge of the case a few days ago, he gave me the runaround. Said the case was closed and he had better things to do.”

Bernie nodded regretfully. “I suppose I’m to blame for that. I’ve been a little overzealous. The detective won’t even return my calls anymore.”

Carter got out his notebook and flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. “Reggie and Rory Perez were sixteen and eighteen years old at the time. They come from a broken home with drug, alcohol and physical abuse. In fact their father has spent time in jail on a rape charge.  Both boys had previously been suspected in a rash of attacks on young girls but, when the girls refused to testify, the DA had to drop the charges.  ”

“Yes, that’s my understanding as well.”

“This time was different, however.  Both Rory and Reggie Perez pled guilty to rape and murder and received life in prison without parole, after forensics found their DNA at the crime scene.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Bernie said.

Carter looked up from his notebook. “So you think that your daughter’s fiancé put them up to it?”

“Let me explain,” she said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “Last January my sister gave me a lovely birthday gift for my fiftieth. A one night stay at The Silver Beech Inn with dinner included. I’m not married so I asked Nina to accompany me. I have to say I was impressed with the place and the gourmet meal was fantastic. We shared a bottle of wine. Later that evening, I retired to bed early because I had a headache from too much wine. I’ll admit, we were both a bit tipsy. She told me she wasn’t tired and she was going down to the bar to flirt with the cute bartender. I figured there was no harm in it.”

“I don’t remember what time she got back to the room, but the next morning she was pretty hung over. I asked her about the cute bartender but she didn’t want to talk about it. She was acting weirdly but I just thought it was the hangover. Five months later, Nina came to me in tears and told me she was pregnant.”

“With the bartender’s baby?” Carter asked.

“Apparently. Nina claims she hasn’t been with any other boy since the night we stayed at the Inn. The problem was, however, she waited too long and it was too late to have an abortion by legal means. She asked my advice and I told her that she needed to tell the father. He had a right to know and also had an obligation. So that’s what she did. When she came home later that day, she told me Perry had asked her to marry him. I’ll admit I was shocked. I couldn’t believe a one night stand would turn into marriage.”

“Did Nina seem happy about it?”

Bernice shook her head. “I don’t know. I sensed that something was off. It just didn’t make sense to me. My daughter had agreed to marry a boy I hadn’t even met? It was all happening too fast.”

“Do you think she was in love with him?”

“How could she be? They had only been together that one night. Infatuation, maybe. Love? I don’t think so but I was relieved to know that at least Perry was taking responsibility. I should probably tell you that Perry is twenty-six years old. He and his family all live at the Inn and they all work there full time so Nina moved in with them shortly after the engagement. Nina told me the deal. Perry and his brother were both obligated to work for the family business until they turned thirty, at which point they could collect their trust fund and leave if they wanted to. Nina was willing to stay and work at the Inn with Perry for another four years.”

“How much is the trust fund?” I asked.

“Nina told me it was a million dollars.”

“Wow.”

“No kidding,” Bernice said. “It was starting to make more sense to me as to why she’d agreed to marry him. At any rate, two weeks after Nina moved into the Silver Beech Inn with him, those two boys murdered her. I just don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“So you think Perry got cold feet and hired the boys to kill her?”

“Yes, that is my feeling.” Bernice looked at me with desolate eyes. “I don’t have any proof, of course.”

“Was Perry ever a suspect?”

Her gaze lowered to her hands. “The police investigated but could find no evidence that he had ever been in contact with the Perez boys.”

“When was the last time you saw Perry?” Carter asked.

“At the funeral. Perry and his family showed up late and then they barely acknowledged me. Perry refused to look me in the eyes or even say he was sorry. That’s when I got the feeling that he had something to do with her death.”

“Does he have any idea that you suspect him?” I asked.

“No. I have never mentioned my feelings to anyone except the detective in charge of the case - and now both of you.”

Carter continued to scribble notes and finally looked up at Bernice. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk some more about Reggie and Rory Perez. How long after the murder were they arrested?”

“A few days after the funeral is when the police finally took them in. Forensics matched their DNA to the semen found inside my daughter’s body. They both had raped her.” Bernie closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her hands were shaking in her lap. “There were bruises on her wrists from where the bastards had tied her up. Who knows how long they tortured her before they finally killed her.”

My chest tightened at the horrible image and my palms began to sweat. I was surprised that Bernice could even talk about it without losing control. She was a strong woman. Much stronger than I would be in the circumstances. “Do you have any idea if your daughter knew these boys?”

“Not to my knowledge” she said. “The boys lived over in Harwich with their dad. It’s a rough place and my daughter would never dream of going there.”

“Where did the crime take place?” I asked.

Bernie got a faraway look on her face. “Nina was working that day at the Inn. Perry’s mothe
r—
her name is Mar
y—
asked Nina to go to Sam’s Club to pick up some supplies. That was around four o’clock. While Nina was inside the store, the boys got in her car and were waiting for her. They must have forced her to drive to the motel. Later that night, I got a call from Perry. He told me Nina never returned from the store and he was wondering if I’d heard from her. I told him I had not. Her cell phone was turned off. I called the police right away but you can’t file a missing person’s report until after 24 hours. Perry drove to Sam’s Club and her car wasn’t there. I drove all over town that night searching.”

“How long was she missing?” I asked.

“Her body was found the next morning in Harwich, only a few blocks from where they lived. The Grand Suites Motel is the kind of place where rooms rent by the hour. A maid had discovered her body when she went in to clean. Nina’s car was still parked at the motel and the keys were still in the ignition. Apparently an eyewitness at the motel remembers seeing the two brothers leaving room 19 on foot, around one o’clock in the morning.”

Carter opened his mouth to speak but said nothing. Whatever his next question was going to be, he’d decided to scratch it. “Forgive me, Ms. Chapman,” he finally said. “If the boys had been hired to kill your daughter, then why not just kill her? Were they trying to get information out of her?”

Bernie’s eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t know. When the boys were arrested, they refused to give the police any details. I just figured they were acting out some kind of sick fantasy. Besides, what kind of important information could my daughter possibly have?”

Carter pursed his lips, clearly unable to offer an opinion on that. “Did the police ever find a large amount of cash in the boys’ possession, like a payoff for the job?”

Bernie shook her head. “No. They found no large amount of money. That doesn’t mean, however, the boys didn’t hide it somewhere before the cops arrested them.”

“You said the Perez boys had been living with their father?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll have to talk to him. Not that I expect his help, but he might inadvertently give us something.”

“Good luck with that,” she said. “I’ve heard he’s a drunk and never leaves his house.”

“Okay. Well, it’s also possible that the brothers gave the money to a friend for safekeeping. We’ll have to check that out. In the meantime, we’ll do our best to keep an eye on Perry.” Carter referred to his notes. “You mentioned he’s the bartender at the Inn?”

“That’s right.”

“What can you tell us about his family?”

“Apparently the Inn has been in the Garcia family for three generations. Perry’s mom, dad and brother live and work there full time. His brother Graham has a wife who also works there but I can’t remember her name.”

“What kind of work did Nina do there?”

“She did whatever they asked her to do; clean rooms, laundry, even wash windows. They treated her like a slave in my opinion. She didn’t complain but I could tell in her voice she was exhausted. She shouldn’t have had to work so hard in her condition.”

“Did the family know she was pregnant?” I asked.

She turned to face me and nodded. “I believe Perry told them as soon as they got engaged.”

“Tell us more about Perry’s parents.”

“Well,” Bernice began. “The mother is a very intimidating woman. According to Nina, she was very strict and controlling. She inherited the Inn from her parents and she’s very particular about how the place is run. Her husband Glenn is the chef, and he’s won numerous awards in the culinary field. He’s probably responsible for most of the success of that place. He’s handsome and quite the charmer, too. Perry’s brother Graham is the accountant. He’s two years older than Perry. He’s been married a few years to his wife who also works at the Inn. She mostly helps in the kitchen or runs errands, basically whatever needs to be done.”

“They must employ some outside help,” I said.

“I think they might have a housekeeper, but I’m not sure.”

“Ms. Chapman,” Carter said tentatively. “You understand, even if we found some kind of evidence that Perry hired the boys to murder your daughter, it would be difficult to have him tried for murder in a court of law after the brothers confessed and were already convicted. Of course, he could be convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, but that’s a long shot without some hard proof.”

“I know it’s a long shot,” she said, “but my daughter deserves justice. Wouldn’t you do the same if you were me?”

Carter offered a bleak smile in response. “Of course I would, I just don’t want you to have unrealistic expectations.”

“I fully understand. I just want to know the truth.”

Carter closed the notebook and placed it in his lap. “What should we do if we don’t find anything in five days?”