With His Dying Breath (23 page)

             
She got quiet, and everyone opened their eyes.

             
“If what?” JJ asked.

             
“So he had on work boots, not sneakers!” Sammi said.

             
“Mr. Grumman drives a red sports car, so does Dr. Early,” JJ said.

             
“Lots of the agents at the real estate office drive red sports cars. It’s a power thing. You know a status symbol,” Sammi said. “And seems like every other car in this area is red or black for the University colors.”

             
“But the ball cap, guess I’m lost on that one,” JJ said. “Just kids wear ball caps, don’t they?”

             
“No,” Chip said. “Lots of police officers wear them.”

             
“What about the tag, Mrs. Young, could you see it?”

             
“Come to think of it, it had a deer with big antlers on it.”

             
“Chip, would that be a wildlife tag. Don’t they have a deer?” JJ asked Chip.

             
“I think so, depends on the year. Some have other animals.”

             
JJ told them about going to the school and seeing the car with the wildlife tag that had a deer. I wrote down the tag number, well two of the numbers weren’t visible. I didn’t remember any antlers either.”

             
“What was it?” Chip asked.

             
“What was what?”

             
“The tag number, my precious,” as he made a face at her.

             
“Duh!” she said smiling at him while she pulled the piece of paper out of her wallet.

             
He called it in to the station. They would need the last two digits to find the owner. Unless they know the vehicle make.

             
“What about the tail lights, JJ, how were they shaped?” her dad asked.

             
“It seems like they were like slits. You know this way.” She moved her hand from left to right.”

             
“Well, I can check with some dealerships tomorrow and see what it might be,” Chip said.              “Or go online and look up sports cars.”

             
She smiled at Chip. “Also, y’all, at school the other day, I was standing outside Dr. Jacob’s office. Dad, remind me to tell you about that conversation.”

             
“Okay, honey.”

             
“Anyway, while I was waiting, someone yelled into the phone from inside the principal’s office, ‘you better do something… This thing has gotten out of hand… Just put a stop to it.’ I’m not sure if those are the exact words but something like that. I’m not sure who it was either. It could’ve been Dr. Early. Mr. Grumman and Dr. Christian have certainly been mad at him about something but I just think I would recognize their voices.”

             
“Who else could it have been?”

             
“I don’t know. It was before school started so the secretaries weren’t there yet. I have one other thing I want to ask Sammi, if you don’t mind,” JJ said with a question mark on her face.

             
“I don’t mind, JJ. Ask away.”

             
“Well, do you know of a magazine, Mr. Brockton was reading, named Saga?”

             
“They’re in his study. He’s been reading them for the past several months. He even subscribed to it.”

             
JJ felt hopeful. “Sammi, I need to see them, any chance of that.”

             
“Let’s talk to Wilson tomorrow. He has access to the house.”

             
“Ok. I work from noon to four tomorr…”

             
“JJ, you take care of that tomorrow. I’ll handle the shop and you can finish up Monday. OK?”  

             
“Mrs. Young thanks so much. If we get through, I’ll come on in.”

             
“Okay, hon. That will be fine.”

             
“Thanks, Evelyn,” Sammi said. “Well, since the sun will be up in a few hours, I think I’m going to go on home, well, maybe not home but where my stuff is!”

             
“No you’re not, Sammi,” Evelyn said, “You’ll stay right here. You all will. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to any of you. And we’re better off staying together. Don’t you think, Charlie?”

             
“I certainly do. We’ve got plenty of room.”

             
Everyone including Chip and Cain were too tired to argue. Chip sent a text to his mom not to worry. Evelyn gave gowns to Sammi and JJ as they took the twin beds in the son’s room and Cain and Chip stretched out on the comfortable sofas. At three o’clock, they were asleep

             
It took a while for Sammi and JJ to get sleepy. The girl talk turned to a more serious conversation about all the murders and the nagging questions needing answers. JJ had one very important question in particular.

             
“Sammi, are you sure your brother is still in prison?”

Saturday, March
24

             
The man rose two hours before the sun. He couldn’t sleep with his plan falling apart. He sat in his den drinking coffee with a shot of whiskey. Having the car discovered was a major setback.

             
“That’s two mistakes, I’ve made,” he said in a whisper. He did not want his wife to hear him and start asking questions. She would be up and leave for work in a couple of hours then he would have the day to himself. The storage facility would open at nine and he was anxious to talk to the attendant. He retrieved one of the disposable cell phones he bought a year ago and plugged it in.

             
He also needed to know what the cops had learned from Blake’s Prius and the gun. And, he needed another ruse. Positive he had left no evidence behind including fingerprints. He showered, dressed, ate breakfast with his wife, and kissed her good-bye. He checked the phone and thought it had enough charge to make the call to Detective Marabell.

             
“Yes, Detective Marabell,” he said in a female voice. “I’m calling from Brockton Real Estate, the office in Lizella.”

             
“Yes, how may I help you?”

             
“I’m a little alarmed at the recent deaths in our community. I’m just wondering if we’re safe. I often work in this office alone. I know you’ve arrested Mrs. Brockton for Mr. Brockton’s death. But have you caught the person yet who murdered Madelyn Sommers in the River Town office?”

             
“That’s not my case, and I don’t have any information to give to you. If you’ll let me have your name and number, I’ll have the detective working it call you.”

             
“Well, I…hello….hello” He intentionally disconnected.

H
ilda pushed redial on her phone but the call did not go through. She called 4-1-1 got the number and a male agent in the Lizella office answered.

             
She decided to drive over to see who was there.

He called the Holiday storage facility and asked for the manager.

Using the voice distortion device, he said he went to his locker on Friday evening and found it empty. “What happened to my contents,” he asked.

             
The manager advised him to call the River Town police department for information. She had no knowledge except that they had a warrant. She did what Detective Marabell had asked her to do and called the number on her business cell.

             
“Detective Marabell, that Mr. Attaway just called me to ask about his locker and I have the recording. Do you want to come get it?”

             
“Yes, I’ll send someone down. They should be there within the hour. Thank you so much.”

* * *

JJ slipped out of bed and went into the kitchen where she found Mrs. Young reading the morning paper with a cup of coffee.

             
“Good morning, Mrs. Young.”

             
“Good morning, JJ. Sleep okay?”

             
“Yes ma’am like a rock for the thirty minutes I slept. I just can’t get something out of my mind.”

             
“About Sammi’s family?”

             
“Yes ma’am. I’ve always wanted a sister or big brother but not like hers. That would be terrifying.”

             
“I’ve got coffee, fruit juices or tea, madam. Also, some muffins and sausage biscuits. What’s your pleasure,” Mrs. Young said trying to cheer her up.

             
“Maybe just some juice for right now. Thank you.”

             
“You’re so welcome, dear.”

             
“Mrs. Young, what if Sammi’s brother got out of prison and he’s here framing her. If he hated her then, maybe he still does.”

             
“JJ, honey, wouldn’t that be awful if he’s lurking about town?”

             
“Yes ma’am. He could be stalking her or stalking any of us close to her, like Dad said. I need to talk to him and Chip about this. Or maybe Detective Marabell could find out if he got out on parole or something.”

             
“But wouldn’t Sammi be notified if he got out? I thought they had to notify the victims.” Mrs. Young took more biscuits out of the oven.

             
“Yes, but Sammi wasn’t a victim. Her parents were.”

             
“JJ, this is a frightful thought. You need to talk to your dad for some guidance.”

             
Cain walked into the room stretching and groaning like a bear leaving its cave after a long winter.

             
“Dad! Feel better?” They all laughed.

             
“Yes, Jessica Jane, I feel wonderful. Slept great. So what were you talking about when I came in?”

             
“Daddy, I think we need to find out if Sammi’s brother is still in prison. What if he’s the one calling himself Jonas Attaway and he could have a girlfriend as Mrs. Attaway. I wonder what he looks like and where he’s been staying. What do you think?”

             
“Well, I’m not sure I can think this early but yes, I think we should check into it. Are you going to call Hilda about the magazine?”

             
“Yes sir, if you think it’s appropriate.”

             
“Well, she seems to think you’ve been helpful.”

             
“OK, let me get the information from Sammi, his name and all, and I’ll ask her.” JJ was excited that they were getting somewhere finally.

             
Sammi was dressed in her previous day’s clothes when JJ walked back in the bedroom. She wrote down her brother’s name, birthday, the facts of her parents’ murders and the prison where he was taken.

             
“Sammi, now you’re sure about this? Checking into it and all?” JJ asked giving her the chance to change her mind about tracking down her brother.

             
“I certainly am. If he’s the one who murdered Blake and Aunt Pat and maybe even Madelyn, then I want him back in prison. If not, I might go visit him.”

             
She walked into the sunroom to place her call.

             
“Hi, Detective Marabell, it’s JJ Matthews. How are you today?”

             
“Good, JJ, what can I do for you?”

             
“I wonder if you could take me into Sammi’s house and let me get or either look at a certain magazine Mr. Brockton was reading. It’s called
Saga
. I came across some information that might be helpful.”

             
“Well, sure, Jasper, uh, Detective Nelson, you remember him?”

             
“Yes ma’am.”

             
“He said some pages were dog eared, but he didn’t see what they meant to the case so he took them back to the house.”

             
“Well, I’m not sure then if I can find anything different, but I’d like to try if not too much trouble.”

             
“Sure, JJ, can’t hurt. What time would you like to go?”

             
“Well, Mrs. Young gave me the day off so you choose the time.”

             
“Well, I’m running out the door right now to check on something. How about in the next hour, say around nine?”

             
“Great, thank you and I’ll see you there.”

             
JJ was running on pure adrenalin thinking she was on to something. She and her dad left to freshen up at home. Chip went to work. Sammi went to the nursing home to finalize her aunt’s bill. Charlie was still asleep. Evelyn called the shop and said she would be in about three and then she crawled in bed beside Charlie.

             
Cain did not think it safe for JJ to roam around town alone. Television cameras were everywhere in town. Still he took her to get her car then followed her home.

JJ thought
it was overkill. Surely, no one would dare try anything now, she thought. But she had not been told about the note found at the nursing home, ‘only one to go.’