Vengeance is Mine - A Benjamin Tucker Mystery (21 page)

I said to her, “You don’t need to go to this, sweet pea. It’s probably going to be pretty bad.”

“No,” she said. “I want to be there for Amanda. She’s my sister.” Maggie beamed proudly at her daughter who suddenly seemed like an adult.

Oscar waddled over to me and sat patiently waiting for a treat. I looked down at him and frowned. “What on earth is wrong with your claws?”

Julie speared a piece of sausage. “I painted his nails to match mine. See?” She held out her left hand. “But I could only do the front ones. He growled when I touched his back feet.”

I looked down at his ridiculous light blue front claws. “Gee, I can’t imagine why.”

We finished breakfast quietly, the mood darkened by the task we had to perform that day. I went back to the master bedroom where Maggie was finishing the final touches to her ensemble. She was radiant in a simple black suit and matching shoes. She wore just a hint of makeup and no jewelry except for her wedding ring. I took her in as I watched her select a black and charcoal grey striped tie for me to wear. She kissed me lightly and told me how nice I looked as she tied it for me. I wore the obligatory plain black suit and black wingtip shoes. When we finished the primping and admiring, I opened my chest of drawers and extracted Pure Reason and his shoulder holster.

“You’re not wearing that to the memorial, are you?” Maggie asked.

“I’m not taking any chances,” I said. “Plum was at the Knudsen burial, and he might show up again today.” If she only knew what happened last night.

Maggie and Julie got their black raincoats and umbrellas, and the three of us left in the Escalade. Nora and Roberta stayed back at the main house with Oscar, where the three of them would be glued to the TV all day. There was a
Dog the Bounty Hunter
marathon on today. Their favorite show. Go figure.

Heavy rain had ended earlier, and we arrived at Patty and Bruce’s place at about nine fifteen. Amanda Jane was ready and waiting for us. She wore a simple black skirt and gray sweater and carried a long black coat. Her black leather ballet flats had tiny bows on the toes. She looked small and lost, and my heart ached as I watched her climb into the back seat with Julie. The girls hugged before Amanda Jane fastened her seatbelt.

“How are you doing, sweetie?” Maggie asked as she reached back and squeezed Amanda Jane’s hand.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m really glad I’m going with you and Julie and Daddy.”

“I winked at her in the rearview mirror and said, “Let’s do this.” She gave me a small smile back.

The First Baptist Church was only six blocks away. We got there in just a few minutes, and I parked close to the building. As we walked toward the church, Maggie looked at my leg. “Are you limping?” she asked.

“Yeah, a little. I stepped in a hole last night and turned my ankle. It was a really big hole.” I left it at that.

When we reached the entrance, I noticed three men I recognized as Cary police officers. They were dressed in dark suits to blend in with those attending the service.

I left my family and walked up to one of them and shook his hand. “Thank you for coming,” I said. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

“Sergeant Ron Shelby,” he replied. “The lieutenant is holding his task force meeting early this morning. He should be here shortly.” He looked at me sympathetically and added, “Mr. Tucker, I’m really sorry about everything that’s going on.”

“Thanks, Sergeant, I appreciate that.” I said. “Listen, there’s a possibility Plum may show up here … or at the cemetery.”

“That’s why we’re here. So you and your family will be safe. Also, we’ve got video recording devices in four locations inside to capture the service and all those who attend from various angles. The same thing’s being done at the cemetery.”

I nodded. “Thanks.” I walked back to Maggie and the girls. Patty and her husband Bruce had arrived and were already inside. We joined them and went through the customary hugging ritual.

When I started to hug Patty, she whispered, “Get away from me.”

Bruce followed as I turned and walked slowly away. “I’m sorry, Ben. She’s really upset.”

I nodded. “She has every right to be.” We shook hands, and he returned to his wife. He was a good, honest man. Even though Patty hated me, I was glad she had Bruce in her life. She would need him now more than ever.

The door opened, and Lieutenant Netter and Detective Cox entered the church.

I joined them in the entryway. “Thanks for the added security,” I said.

“They’re probably not needed, but it’s best to play it safe,” Cox said.

Netter grinned and said, “I have a feeling Mr. Plum’s not feeling very well this morning.”

“So how’d the meeting go?” I asked.

He slipped a stick of gum in his mouth. “Just peachy,” he said, “if you don’t mind gettin’ your ass chewed on by Mayor Richards. He said I let Plum slip through my fingers, and if it happens again, it’ll be my job.”

“Jeez, I’m sorry,” I said. “You okay?”

Netter laughed. “If he thinks someone else can do better, he can take my badge and stick it sideways up his fat ass! Ignorant motherfucker!” He regained his composure. “Anyway, I didn’t get the worst of it. Chief Grissom from Apex got an earful for pulling the detail and not providing me with adequate backup.”

“At least you got a new assistant,” Cox said. “Here she comes now.”

A beautiful blonde woman in a nicely fitted police uniform was coming up the walk. “Wow,” I said. “That’s your assistant?”

Netter grunted. “Yeah. Officer Lisa Stanton, just out of the academy.”

“She’s a looker,” I said. “Maybe there’s a romance in the Lieutenant’s future.”

Cox laughed. “I don’t think so. I overheard her tell the Lieutenant how happy she was to be working with him because he reminded her of her grandfather, who was a good man.”

“Yeah,” Netter said. “That’s bad enough, but now I have to watch my damn language.” He remembered where he was and glanced around to see if anyone had heard him.

Cox pointed his chin toward the door. “Here comes your granddaughter. I tell ya what, John. Me and the boys have this covered. Why don’t you take the afternoon off and take her to the zoo?” Cox laughed hysterically.

Netter glared and whispered as loud as he could. “Hey! Fuck you! It’s not funny.”

Officer Stanton joined the three of us. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Netter snapped. He pointed toward me. “This is Benjamin Tucker, the author.” He pointed to Cox with his thumb. “You already know this asshole.”

I shook her small hand, and Cox said, “Ben, the SBI guys have checked out the Brackus Security employees and they’re all okay … a couple of old marijuana charges … that’s about it.”

“Thanks, Frank.”

It was nearing time for the service to begin, so I joined my family, and we entered the sanctuary. We sat on the side opposite of Patty and Bruce with Maggie and me on the ends and our daughters sitting next to us in the middle. Julie was holding Amanda Jane’s hand. My daughter matter-of-factly informed me that her mother would be buried complete. I said nothing, but assumed that meant Huffman had finished his examination of the head, and it was now included in the casket with the rest of the remains.

The service lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. Most of that time, Amanda Jane was turned slightly with her head on my shoulder, crying softly. I choked up several times, and couldn’t shake the empty feeling you get in your stomach when someone you know dies unexpectedly.

The event brought back memories—memories of Christine. Today was my birthday, which meant it was also the seventeenth anniversary of her murder. First Christine and now Jennifer. My birthday had become synonymous with violence and personal tragedy. I looked over at Maggie, and she smiled gently at me and reached over and squeezed my hand. Her eyes were damp, and I could see her love for me in them.

Several times during the service, Patty broke down and sobbed uncontrollably. I felt bad for her and hoped the two of us could someday mend our relationship for the sake of Amanda Jane. But the foolish incident between Patty and me on Tuesday morning probably made that highly unlikely.

The sky was sunny when we arrived at Resurrection Cemetery in Cary shortly after noon. Netter had insisted that I drive between him and his plainclothes officers to provide a maximum level of safety for my family. He was taking no chances, even though he believed that Plum was taking the morning off— like an animal licking its wounds after a fight. What could have happened in Plum’s life that could have driven him to do the terrible things he’d done. It almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost.

A news team was at the cemetery in full force but left us alone until the end of the final prayer. They waited to descend on us until we were walking back to the car. They acted like they really cared, but they were shallow and transparent. It was obvious that they really only wanted footage of my daughter crying. Disgusting. But Netter’s officers did their jobs well and kept the vultures at bay until we left.

We went directly to the Cary Plaza Hotel where Patty had organized a reception for Jennifer’s family and friends. It was simple but lovely. There were trays of cucumber, roast beef, and ham and cheese finger sandwiches, and bowls of fruit salad. Patty had arranged for a beautiful, large crystal bowl to be filled with pimento cheese and surrounded by all kinds of crackers. Pimento cheese was one of Jennifer’s favorite things in the world. It was a touching thing only a loving, heartsick sister would think to do. There were lemon bars, small tarts and cookies, and beautiful silver urns of rich dark coffee. At either end of the buffet table, Patty had placed two huge crystal vases filled with dozens of coral-colored roses, something else Jennifer loved.

I corralled Bruce and offered to pick up the tab for the buffet. He thanked me for the offer and said he would talk it over with Patty when she was in a better frame of mind.

“Hey, Ben,” he said. “Do you like baseball?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I used to play in high school.” The last day I played was the day of Christine’s murder.

“Why don’t you and I take the girls sometime this summer and catch a Bulls game?”

“Sounds great,” I said. “You’ve got the heavy schedule, though, so you pick the date and let me know. The beer’s on me.”

Amanda Jane and Julie were huddled together talking, and I saw my daughter smile briefly at something Julie said. I hoped with all my heart that Amanda Jane would find comfort in her counseling sessions and that she would learn to cope with this tremendous loss. It tore me up that she was not allowed to live with me for now, and I vowed to resolve the situation as soon as I could. First, I would have to get Plum—dead or alive.

We left the reception and swung by the estate to drop off Maggie. She and Nora had beauty shop appointments. Tonight was the annual Museum of Art fundraiser, and the two of them would be strutting their stuff in exquisite gowns and copious amounts of bling. It was expected. I, on the other hand, would prefer we all went out for pizza and beer.

It was almost three thirty when we arrived back at Patty and Bruce’s house. They had not returned yet. Julie and I went inside with Amanda Jane, and we went upstairs to see her room. It was a warm and cozy teenage girl’s room, done up in yellow and white. Patty had given my daughter a perfect place to retreat, but it made my heart ache again to know I couldn’t give that to her right now. She opened her chest of drawers and pulled out a card and small present and handed them to me.

“Happy birthday, Daddy.”

“Thanks, sweetheart. You didn’t have to get me anything.” I smiled at her. “But since you did … should I open it now?”

She beamed and nodded.

It was a navy blue tie with tiny yellow dots on it. “Just what I wanted,” I said. I opened the card and read, “To the greatest dad in the world on his birthday.” On the front was a photo of a Shar-Pei dog. It read, “Smile if You’re Old and Wrinkly.” I scowled at her, and she and Julie giggled.

When Patty and Bruce returned, I thought it was best for Julie and me to leave. Family members were starting to pull up as we drove off.

We were back at the estate forty-five minutes later. Julie took Oscar out, and the two of them went straight to her room to watch TV. How much TV could the little twerp watch in one day?

I went out to get the mail. Most of it was the usual assortment of bills and junk mail, but in addition, there was a plain twelve-inch by nine-inch brown manila envelope. It was addressed to me with no return address. I took it to the guesthouse to open it.

When I pulled out what was inside, it took my breath away. It was an eight-by-ten photograph taken last Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of the Sacred Haven Cemetery. It showed Agent MacKenzie and me standing next to my Jaguar, looking at each other. There was a red line drawn across Lainie’s neck.

CHAPTER 30

I called Netter and told him about the photograph. It didn’t take long for him to piss me off.

“I’m sure this is from Plum,” I said. “It’s a message that he intends to take out Agent MacKenzie.”

“Really, Tucker?” Netter asked. “Ya think so? What gave you the first fuckin’ clue?”

I shot back, “Ya know, sometimes you’re a real asshole!”

“Sticks and stones, Tucker. I’ll send somebody over to pick it up. Don’t touch it again. I’ll also call MacKenzie and let her know she’s got a target on her back. Right now, I’m glad she’s still in DC. Kinda wish she’d stay there. She’ll be back late tonight, and I’m thinkin’ maybe she should lay low for a while … maybe skip the task force meeting tomorrow morning. But I still want to hear what she thinks of this.”

“Tell your evidence tech I’m in the guesthouse.” I hung up.

Officer Stanton and evidence technician Larry Corbin arrived an hour later. Netter assigned this task to Stanton to get her out of his hair for a while. They only stayed long enough to bag and tag the photograph and the envelope. Corbin also took my fingerprints, so they could be identified and isolated.

At five fifteen, it was time to get ready for the fundraiser. I walked back to the main house and into the master bedroom. Maggie was back from her hair appointment, and she looked stunning.