Vengeance is Mine - A Benjamin Tucker Mystery (18 page)

Charles took over. “If the system goes to full alarm, it will notify our monitoring center three different ways: by landline telephone, by wireless telephone, and by email via satellite internet. The center will immediately dispatch our own armed security team to your residence. You will also be contacted to provide us with a special code word of your choice. If it’s a false alarm, the security team will be recalled. If it’s a true alarm, the monitoring center will notify local authorities and the security team already dispatched.”

We finished discussing final details and then I was given a quote—one hundred fifteen thousand dollars. I swallowed. But I also knew that the type and quantity of iron fencing material required had to be expensive.

 “How soon can you start?” I asked. Julie smiled.

Charles replied. “We can have system parts flown in overnight, and we can begin the fence installation tomorrow. The whole project will take about ten days.”

“Do it,” I said.

CHAPTER 26

After lunch, I sent Amanda Jane a text message and she called me back almost immediately. She said she was doing fine, but needed some things and gave me a list. I told her I’d be by about one thirty, and hung up.

Julie helped me pack Amanda Jane’s things and handed me the duffle. “I threw in a few CDs I know she likes,” she said. “That’ll give her something to listen to if she gets bored.”

“Thanks, Julie. I’ll tell her to give you a call.”

“Oh, you don’t need to,” Julie said. “We text each other all the time. Even just a few minutes ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? What’d she say?”

“Girl talk, Ben. You wouldn’t get it.” She giggled and went upstairs to do homework.

Why did she think I wouldn’t get it? It’s not like teenage girls speak a different language. I’d get it—I think.

I stuck Pure Reason in my belt, grabbed Amanda Jane’s duffle and her violin, and left. Moments later, I was in the Jag pulling out of Cypress Ford Drive onto Sunset Lake Road. The violin sitting next to me made me smile. I wanted to hear my daughter play, but she was very self-conscious and told me I had to wait until she got better. A few times I hid outside Julie’s bedroom when she was practicing. Some of it was awful, but it was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard.

The drive to Durham took almost forty-five minutes, and I parked in Patty and Bruce’s driveway a few minutes before two o’clock. I’d taken a convoluted route to ensure no one had followed.

Amanda Jane had been watching for me and opened the door before I knocked. She hugged me so hard it hurt, and I kissed the top of her head. We went inside, and Patty joined us and said hello. It was just the two of them—Patty’s husband, Bruce was at work.

Both of them were dressed for work, my daughter in blue jeans and a mint green tee shirt and Patty in a gray sweat suit with pink stripes running down the sides of the arms and legs.

I handed the duffle bag and violin case to my daughter. “I’m not staying, sweetheart. I just wanted you to have your things. And Julie says ‘hey’.”

“That’s all right,” she said. “I’m in the middle of arranging my room. Thanks, Daddy.” She took her things and ran upstairs.

I turned back toward Patty just as she slapped me across the face as hard as she could, snapping my head back. “You son of a bitch! It’s all because of you!” she said loudly. She raised her hand to strike me again, but I grabbed her. We struggled momentarily, staring into each other’s eyes. Then I pulled her to me and kissed her hard on the mouth. She pushed away and slapped me again. An instant later, she threw her arms around me and kissed me back, her tongue penetrating deep into my mouth. It was a very long, wet, passionate kiss. I slowly slid my hands down under the back of her pants. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. Finally, she pushed me, backed up, and turned away, shaking her head.

She stepped back and said, “Well … that was fun.” We stood in confused silence, until she said, “Please leave.”

I reached out to her. “Patty?”

She shook her head. “Just leave, Ben.”

Amanda Jane was standing at the top of the stairs. She had seen the whole thing. I didn’t know how to fix this, so I just turned and walked out the door.

I got into my car, but I didn’t start it. What the hell just happened? Why did I do that? And why did she kiss me back like that? I know there can be a fine line between hatred and passion. Nausea overcame me. I was driven by worry that my inner demons were about to take over—again. It was the same loss of control feeling I’d had years earlier after Christine’s murder. Get a grip, Ben.

As I drove off, I heard Netter’s words in my head. “I’ve seen some stupid bastards in my time, but you take the cake!”

Two blocks away my cell phone buzzed. It was a text message from Amanda Jane. I pulled over to read it, “????”

I texted back, “ADLTS CN B SCRU E 2”

“ILY”

“ILY2”

Back at the estate, the vehicles of Maggie’s guests were gone. After parking the Jag in the guesthouse garage, I grabbed Pure Reason and headed to the main house. The back door was unlocked, and I entered shaking my head.

“Ya know, you guys need to keep these doors locked,” I said. There was no response. “Hello? Where is everybody?” Still no response. There was also no sign of Oscar, who usually met me at the door. I walked to the study. It was empty, but Maggie’s laptop was there with its charger plugged in, and the entire desk and the armchairs were covered with neatly organized papers.

I continued to the front door, thumbed the latch, and it opened. My blood ran cold. I pulled Pure Reason, spun around, and listened, but there was no sound. I walked back to the laundry room. The door was closed, but Oscar was inside sniffing at the bottom of the closed door. I opened the garage door slowly and peered inside. Maggie’s Bentley and Henry’s BMW were there, but the Escalade was gone. I closed the door and let Oscar out of the laundry. He tore across the great room and stopped at the foot of the stairs. He froze as he tilted his head, looked up the stairs and listened.

I picked him up, put him back in the laundry room, and returned to the stairs. I listened closely, but heard nothing. With Pure Reason pointed at the top of the stairs, and my back against the wall, I slowly crept up, one step at a time. My heart was racing when I reached the top. There was a clear view of the upstairs family room—nothing there. I stopped in front of Roberta’s door, but there was no sound. I slowly opened the door and looked inside—nothing. Julie’s room was next. My eyes were wide open, and I was terrified of what I might find behind that door.

Faint sounds could be heard from inside—Julie gasping for air. I burst through the door with the gun raised.

The young man on top of Julie jumped up with his hands raised in front of him.

“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” he yelled. I turned to Julie who was pulling down the bottom of her shirt. She was white as a ghost, her eyes huge.

“Don’t shoot him, Ben!” she yelled. I kept the gun on the young man.

“What the hell’s going on here?” I shouted. “Who
is
this guy?”

“I’m her boyfriend, Bill Weatherly,” he said.

I glared at him. “You shut the fuck up!” I turned back to Julie who was now standing.

“Yes, Ben. He’s my boyfriend.”

“No, he’s not!” I said shaking my head.

The young man walked over and put his arms around Julie. I lowered my weapon. “You don’t understand, sir. I really am Julie’s boyfriend.”

“No, you’re the one who doesn’t understand,” I said. “She’s only fourteen years old. And I’m telling you, she doesn’t have a boyfriend!”

“Where is everyone?” I asked Julie.

“Mom and Roberta went grocery shopping, and then Mom’s having her hair done. Grandma’s downstairs sleeping. I think she had another one of her nights. Anyway, I called Bill and invited him over.”

I pulled out my cell phone, held it up, and pressed a button. I stood and looked at it.

“What did you do?” Julie asked.

“I took a picture of the two of you in your bedroom.” I looked closely at the screen. “It’s a pretty good shot, except for the fact that Bill here has his hands all over you.”

Julie had recovered and said boldly, “Look, I know you, Ben. And I know you’re not going to show that to Mom.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I’m not going to show it to your mom. I’m going to show it to Roberta.” A look of panic spread over her face.

She quickly turned to Bill. “You have to go.”

Bill let go of Julie. “It’s the housekeeper!” he said. “What’s the big deal?”

I looked at Bill and laughed. “She’s going to make mincemeat out of you.”

Julie grabbed Bill’s jacket and pushed it at him. “You have to go!” she said. “Please, you have to go now!”

Puzzled, Bill quickly put on his jacket and left. Julie stood there and challenged me.

“You have no right to barge in here like that, Ben! You’re not my real father!”

I nodded. “Maybe so. But I’m the closest thing you’ve got, kiddo, so deal with it. And don’t think for a minute that I didn’t see his hands under your shirt. Ya know, it’s not that Bill was over here that burns me,” I pointed toward the stairs, “it’s that you left the doors unlocked downstairs. You know what’s been going on here. Our police security team won’t be here for another five hours. Jack Plum could’ve just waltzed right in and killed you and your grandmother—who, by the way, is downstairs asleep and completely vulnerable. Not to mention I could’ve shot that kid. I’m really disappointed in you.”

I continued. “Now, if you want Bill to come over and visit, you first okay it with your mom and me. Then we’ll call his parents to see if it’s okay with them. That’s the way it’s going to work. There’s no negotiation here.”

“Are you really going to tell Roberta?” she asked. “What are you going to do with that picture?”

“This isn’t going any further if it doesn’t have to. So, no, I’m not going to tell Roberta or anyone else unless I have to. But I’m keeping the picture for leverage.”

“That’s blackmail!” Julie screamed.

“Yep.” I turned and walked out. I could feel her eyes burning holes into me.

She yelled, “I hate you, Ben Tucker!” as I closed her door. Something crashed against it. I walked away and smiled to myself as my step-daughter pitched a fit.

After ensuring all the doors and windows were locked, I rescued Oscar from the laundry room, and we headed out to the guesthouse.

I needed to concentrate on the Jack Plum investigation, but I was stalled. My frustration mounted as I spent the afternoon reviewing my new reference books, looking for some possible insight into the psyche of Plum. But no new theories emerged.

Finally, Maggie called me for dinner, and I joined everyone in the dining room. Nora winked at me, and Julie gave me a death stare.

Roberta had outdone herself tonight. She had prepared cute little individual porcini meatloaves with mushroom gravy, buttermilk mashed potatoes, garlic green beans with pine nuts, and a chopped salad with feta cheese, lime and mint. I could not believe I got to live this way.

Halfway through dinner, Maggie put her fork down. “All right,” she said. “What’s going on?”

I looked at her innocently. “Nothing. Why?”

“You and Julie are usually joking around and chattering away, but tonight neither of you is saying anything, and she’s giving you the evil eye. What’s going on?”

“It’s no big deal,” I said. “It’s between Julie and me.”

Roberta and Nora were watching, and Maggie leaned back. “No, I want to know what’s going on.”

I picked up my napkin, wiped my mouth, and set it back in my lap. “Okay. It’s just that when I got home today, there was a surprise waiting for me.” I could see Julie shrink in her chair out of the corner of my eye.

I continued. “Julie had left both the front door and the back door unlocked, and with everything that’s been going on recently … anyway, I chewed her out pretty good, and now she has … an attitude.”

They all looked at Julie.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. She sat up straight, relieved.

“Anyway,” I said, “the two of us now have an understanding, don’t’ we, munchkin?”

She nodded and smiled at me with a little twinkle in her eye.

“I should hope so,” Maggie said frowning at her daughter. “For Pete’s sake! What were you thinking? Please be more careful, sweetheart.”

The rest of dinner was more pleasant. When we finished, Nora blew us all kisses and retired to her room, and Roberta and Julie cleared the table and went about their business. Maggie and Oscar and I stayed to enjoy a glass of wine. Actually, Oscar did not have wine.

“Thanks for taking care of the situation with Julie,” Maggie said. “You’re the father she’s always needed.”

“I’m glad you think that,” I said, “because I want to talk to you about something. I would like to adopt Julie … as my own daughter.” I smiled at Maggie, but she didn’t smile back. She had an unreadable expression on her face. “Is something wrong? I thought you’d be happy about this.”

“I am,” she said. “It’s just such a surprise.” There was an awkward silence. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

“I don’t know. A few months.”

She was silent again as she swirled her glass of wine and stared at it.

I was insulted by her reaction. “What? I’m good enough to be your husband but not good enough to be Julie’s father?”

“I didn’t say that!” Maggie said. “Of course, you’re good enough to be Julie’s father. You’re taking this personally. I just need some time to think about it, that’s all.”

“Well, don’t think too damn hard!” I grabbed my wineglass and left the room. We didn’t speak to each other the rest of the night.

CHAPTER 27

I poured myself a cup of coffee, wiped the sleep from my eyes, and peered out the guesthouse front window. The workers from Brackus security had begun digging the postholes for the new fence.

“I’m really upset,” I said, pacing. “I didn’t get much sleep at all last night. Maggie’s attitude about my adopting Julie infuriates me, and for the first time, I’m questioning whether I belong in this relationship.”