Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) (32 page)

“I’ve got another one,” Brooks said before CC got the chance to update him. “Happened about a week ago. Professor Archibald Harden. He taught at the University of Wisconsin.”

“Our boy didn’t have any ties there,” CC said quickly, purposely not using Fisher’s name.

“Harden taught at the University of Texas back when Simon was a student there after he left San Diego,” Brooks blurted out. The guy sounded absolutely rabid. “In fact, Simon almost failed his class. Naturally, Simon blamed the professor for ruining his GPA. Harden complained to the dean that Simon tried to set his office on fire. There wasn’t any proof, so Simon walked. But Harden has testified at Simon’s hearings a couple of times.”

“I think I remember him. How in the hell did you dig this one up?”

“I’m looking under every rock,” Brooks explained. “It’s like he’s working down a list of everyone who’s ever pissed him off.”

“Since nothing in his life has ever been his fault, that can’t be a short list. How did the professor pass on?” CC’s head throbbed. She tried to convince herself to just ignore the information.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning.”

“I see.” She thought about it. Between the location and the lack of trauma involved, as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t see the connection. “Was there an investigation?”

“No. The cops blamed it on a faulty flue in the fireplace. The thing is, the guy lived in faculty housing and the batteries for the detector were missing.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “You know how that goes. People are always forgetting to replace those things, or the remote goes dead, and instead of dragging their fat asses out to the store they clip the batteries from the smoke or carbon detectors. They always plan on replacing them. They never hurry because deep down we’re all convinced we’ll never need them. If we didn’t have a small child in the house, I doubt we’d be as diligent as we are.”

“I guess.” Brooks sounded reluctant to accept her explanation. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”

CC said her goodbyes and returned her attention to the group who were staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably. She hated being the center of attention. Lately, it seemed to be a constant. She didn’t like it one bit. She just wanted to enjoy her life, spending time with her family and doing everything she could to ensure the snarky Mrs. Stern spent the rest of her natural life behind bars. If CC could ensure Stern’s prison employment consisted of cleaning the toilets for the next sixty years, that would be a bonus. Instead, CC was hiding, and everyone including herself was wondering just who she had pissed off enough to exact this over-the-top revenge. Once again, only one name came to mind.

“Brooks thinks he’s got another one. A professor who keeled over from carbon monoxide poisoning,” she said.

“He knew your boy?” Val asked.

“Yes, he was in his class at the University of Texas.”

“Simon didn’t fare well in his class?” Jamie’s tone was crisp, alerting CC she hadn’t been fooled by the attempt to keep Simon’s name out of the conversation. The edge in Jamie voice made her nervous, but CC couldn’t fault Jamie for being uneasy. After all, at one point she had been Simon’s teacher. Needless to say, his being arrested instead of becoming a doctor probably was topping his list of bad days.

“Apparently not.” CC wanted to let it go at that, hoping it would put Jamie’s fears to rest. She didn’t like to think about the alternative. If Simon truly was the big bad guy behind this scheme, in all likelihood Jamie could be next on his list. “Look, it’s ridiculous.” CC pretended to dismiss the idea. “We have a bigger problem to deal with. First, we’re out of brownies.”

*   *  *

The next couple of days passed quickly. CC almost felt like she was on vacation. Except Emma wasn’t there, and an abundance of law enforcement officers wandered about pretending to be laborers. The upside was the roof was finished. Mills and her team did a great job. The only hiccup being they finished far too quickly. Now the team was hanging about just pretending to work.

“Those workers you hired are amazing!” a voice said.

CC jumped when she heard the excited utterance. She had been wandering around the yard, trying to find something to keep herself busy. She blew out a sigh of relief when she spied the Birkenstocks standing on the edge of the lawn. She pondered whether Birkenstock was indeed their last name or just a weird coincidence.

“Yes, they are good,” CC said to her neighbors. “We were lucky to get them.”

“You must give us their card,” Freda, the shorter of the two, said.

“I’ll get it to you.” CC wondered how she was going to get around this one. “I can’t promise anything. They have a waiting list.”

“Good roofers are hard to find,” Ethel said. “We’re thrilled at how much work you girls are doing. The old place really needed it. Poor Mr. Spivey just couldn’t keep up, and he was too stubborn to hire anyone. Where has little Emma been?”

“On a trip with her father.”

“That’s nice,” Freda said. “Word has it, your sister has a new friend,” she added with a wink.

“Wow, no secrets in this neighborhood.” CC had to laugh. At the condo complex, they had met their neighbors but rarely socialized with them. Normally, it was just a nod or a quick hello.

“Not many,” Ethel said. “You’ll get used to it. No one is overly nosy, but it’s good to know you have friends who’ll be there for you. I have to say, seeing another gay couple move into the neighborhood was great. Not to mention, it really boosts the property values.”

“What?” Jamie asked, seemingly joining them from nowhere.

“Didn’t you know?” Ethel laughed. “When we take over a neighborhood, the real estate prices go through the roof.”

“Learn something new every day.” CC shook her head. “So, yes, Stevie is seeing someone new. Val, who’s with the EPA. That’s why you’ve been seeing a sedan with government plates rolling around the neighborhood. Not to worry, she pays for her own gas. Don’t want you to think she’s using your tax dollars to court my sister. She’s been trying to convince us to put in solar panels.”

“Oh, you should,” Ethel said. “We did. Every little bit helps.

“We’re thinking about it.”

“It’s nice to have family so close,” Ethel who was obviously the chatty one of the two said. “There was a time when everyone hid under a rock.”

“Not you,” Freda said with a snort.

“Good Lord, woman.” Ethel waved off her comment. “It’s been over fifty years since I was a wild child. Let it go.”

“More like sixty years,” Freda playfully corrected. “CC, you get that information to us when you get a chance. We need to finish our walk.”

“My God, that really is going to be us some day,” CC wryly said as they waved goodbye to elderly women who were shuffling down the street.

“What information?”

“They want to hire our roofers.” CC couldn’t help but laugh.

“Can’t say that I blame them. Mills and the team did a great job.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Jamie said. “I love spending the long weekend with you, and getting all this work done on the house is great, but—”

“But the reason behind it sucks.”

“More than I can say.”

“I know, James.” CC took a deep breath, fearful she would say something wrong. Her shoulders slumped, and she couldn’t look at Jamie. The guilt she felt was overwhelming.

“This is not your fault,” Jamie said as if she were reading her mind. “None of this is your fault. Maybe you should make an appointment with Dr. Miller. You can’t tell me that you don’t need to vent.”

“My therapist is going to love this,” she said in a low voice.

“What?”

CC jerked her head up, and her heart skipped a beat when she spied Val standing a mere three feet away from them. Based on the uncomfortable look on the woman’s face, she knew that she had heard the comment. “That is not for publication,” CC said.

“I get it.” Val kept her voice low. “Detective, I’m not going to tell anyone. Given everything you’ve been through in your life, if you hadn’t sought help somewhere along the line, I’d be concerned.”

“I didn’t go through the department.”

“Understood.” Val held up her hands, seeming to let the subject go. “We have an issue.”

“The Birkenstocks hired Mills and her crew away from us?”

“No, but they did try. We’ve got a couple of possible sightings.”

“Possible like before, where they were real and you chose not to tell me until I already knew?” CC wasn’t in the mood for games. “Or possible like, it’s a maybe, maybe not?”

“Maybe, maybe not. The Holiday Inn on Beacon Street and Coolidge Corner.”

“He’s still lurking around the neighborhood.” CC felt completely frustrated. “Okay, why don’t we head down to the Holiday Inn and check things out?”

“If it is him, he’s out,” Val tersely explained. It was evident she didn’t appreciate the help. “Which means he could be lurking around. What I need you to do is stay inside. All of you.”

CC shifted uncomfortably. She was unaccustomed to being told what to do. Normally, she was the lead. Everyone turned to her. Handing over complete control with so much at stake frightened her. She was prepared to argue. But she knew in her heart this was one of those times in life when she needed to just shut up and listen.

“Come on.” Jamie tugged on her sleeve. “Have you forgotten that we’re out of brownies?”

CC nodded compliantly. She pointed at Val. “You keep me in the loop.”

“I will. If he turns up at the hotel, you can suit up, but remember, you’re just along for the ride. Oh goodie, it’s time for the mail.” They watched Stevie dart outside. “Are you sure there isn’t something going on with them?”

“Geez, you slept with her again?” The blush Val was sporting was all the confirmation CC needed. “Will you stop doing that? As for Misty, no, there isn’t anything going on between them. Stevie’s too shy to ask her out,” she said against her better judgment.

“Shy?”

“Yes.” CC shook her head then it hit her.

“Oh?” The groan Jamie released confirmed her suspicions. CC loved her kid sister. If Stevie had one flaw, it was the way she treated women. When she cared about someone, she was shy; but if all Stevie was seeking was a little fun, that’s all there would be. CC almost felt bad for the clueless woman standing in front of her. Almost. “Yeah, well you kids can work this out after the case is over.” She felt a twinge of regret as she and Jamie hurried into the house. “I think she’s falling for Stevie.”

Jamie shuddered as she began to putter around the kitchen. “I think she’s already fallen for her. But Stevie will have to deal with this. You have enough to worry about. How about a game of chess? I’ll let you be the Heroes. I know you secretly wanted that team.”

“Of course I wanted them. Their pawns are cute little Dalmatians,” CC groused. “Mine are the Hyenas from the Lion King, and my queen is Cruella DeVil. How much does that suck? Thanks for the offer, but Emma and I still have a game going. I’m a couple of moves away from checkmate.”

“You don’t have to sound so happy about it. Remember she is only seven.”

“Going on thirty.”

Chapter 31

Jack Temple set off for his daily walk along the beach. He was taking his evening stroll later than usual after filling in for Jamie. The good thing about being the boss was being able to delegate. He wanted to help, but working his part of the day plus the overnight was a bit much for him. Nolan was more than happy to cover the overnight portion of Jamie’s shift. Then again, Nolan wanted Jamie’s job. He had felt slighted when Jack went outside the hospital to recruit Jamie for the position.

Jack drank in the scent of the sea air. Living so close to the ocean, he was determined to enjoy it while he could. He’d be home soon enough. Not quite as soon as he thought he would. He didn’t understand why Joyce just up and went on a cruise with a bunch of friends. It just didn’t make any sense to him.

Much to his relief, thanks to the chill in the air and the darkness, the beach was devoid of panhandlers and lovers. He did spy one lone figure sitting by the bandstand. Based on the small stature, he assumed it was a woman. He just hoped it wasn’t one of the ladies from Shirley Avenue. The last thing he was in the mood for was being propositioned by one of the neighborhood working girls.

*   *  *

“Why do you keep staring at her ass?” CC asked Jamie after Val had left the room.

“I am not.”

“James.” CC groaned, already frustrated by being held under house arrest. Now her wife was checking out another woman’s backside. Normally, these things didn’t bother her. The both of them appreciated attractive women. So long as the admiration remained at a distance, there wasn’t a problem. Jamie always reasoned it didn’t matter where you built your appetite so long as you ate at home.

“Okay, fine. You won’t believe this, but according to Stevie, the big bad deputy has a mermaid tattooed on her ass.”

“I didn’t need to know that.”

“Then why did you ask?”

CC felt thoroughly frustrated. She tried to formulate an argument. She hadn’t asked. Then again she had. Which in her mind didn’t explain why Jamie was staring at Val’s backside. It wasn’t as if she’d be able to see it. No matter how long Jamie stared, CC doubted that she would suddenly develop X-ray vision.

“You know,” she slowly began to say, fully prepared to inform her wife that staring wasn’t going to accomplish anything, when Val burst into the room.

“Do you have a Kevlar vest?”

“Yes.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Suit up.”

CC nodded and sneaked a peek at Val’s backside. With a shake of her head, she headed up to her bedroom with Jamie close behind.

“You know you can’t see it just by staring,” Jamie annoyingly pointed out.

“You should know, since you’ve spent most of the morning staring at her ass.” CC donned a long-sleeved T-shirt with the Boylston Police Department logo emblazoned on it and slipped on a comfortable pair of jeans. She checked and put on her utility belt that held extra handcuffs, mace, a small Maglite, and a blackjack. Then she strapped on both of her guns. She covered up with her Boylston Police blue windbreaker.