The Maestro (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 3) (15 page)

CHAPTER 17

Tom Gillette declared that Saturday was pajama-and-movie day. Myrna didn’t complain, and Liam was in full agreement. The skies had clouded over, and the rain began to pour from the skies. It was the perfect day for relaxing, movies, and snacking. Myrna noticed Liam staring at the stacks of presents atop the dining room table and asked, “Do you want to help us open them?”

He lifted his right shoulder to his ear as he contemplated the question. He turned to her and said, “How about we open five after each movie we watch?” Myrna looked at Tom to see him nodding in agreement.

“That is a perfect idea, Liam. While I go and make us a breakfast tray, how about you and Papa pick out the first movie?” She filled a tray with filled cereal bowls, orange juice, and breakfast muffins. She returned to the living room and placed the tray on the coffee table to find the men of the family had already inserted the film, and it was about to begin. Everyone got comfortable, and the entire day was spent in this fashion, with gift opening between movies and meals.

***

Maurice stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the common room window. He was still in his pajamas and robe. The sky had opened up, and a deluge of rain fell to the ground. His eyes scanned the empty side streets. It was such a dismal day that the town had suddenly gone silent. There was minimal traffic at best, and the day was already at a standstill. He commented, “It’s such a depressing day today that I find it hard to gather up the strength to go get sustenance, Adam.”

Adam hunched his shoulders. “I can go and get takeout from the bakery and that pizza joint.” Maurice nodded and retrieved his wallet from his bedroom. He handed Adam some money and watched him leave.

Delilah rose from bed late and came into the room, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She plopped into a chair and said, “Why don’t we just stay in today and watch television?”

Maurice sat in his chair and agreed. “I don’t think we’ll get an argument from Adam. He just went out to get us takeout food for the day.”

She yawned again. “Good.”

Maurice took up his post again throughout the day, surveying the streets, watching…waiting.

***

After a day of relaxation, the family gathered at Tom and Myrna’s for a cookout. The sun was shining once more, and the temperature had returned to normal. Myrna made a hot potato casserole as the men were prepping the steaks for the grill. Delilah offered to make a tossed salad, and Myrna threw a batch of rolls into the oven. Liam was busy instructing the men at the grill, causing them to laugh. Delilah asked, “Did you like all your wedding gifts?”

Myrna gushed, “Oh, you would not believe how everyone spoiled us! It’s not as though we needed much, but we appreciate being able to replace some of the older items in the home with brand-new ones. That cobalt-blue blown glass bowl you got us is never leaving the center of our dining table!” She hugged Delilah to her. “I have a ton of thank-you cards to write out.”

Delilah giggled. “Father gave me a time about that bowl, but I insisted because I had the feeling you would love something from our state to remember us by every day.”

Myrna stared at the bowl. “It’s beautiful.”

Delilah whispered, “While the men are outside, I wonder if I could run a few things by you.”

Myrna gave her a devilish grin and said, “You’re up to something. I watched you at the reception, and you were working that crowd.”

Delilah blushed and nodded. She then informed Myrna of all her plans but made her swear an oath to keep quiet. Myrna crossed her heart and listened as Delilah confessed.

Myrna chewed on her thumbnail the entire time and nodded. “You are a very cunning businesswoman. I agree with it all, and if you need me on Monday, I’ll be at the town hall to help you in any way I can.”

Delilah looked hopeful as she asked, “Do you think Tom will be happy about it?”

Myrna nodded. “He’ll be ecstatic.”

Delilah’s shoulders straightened, and she turned to continue chopping the ingredients for her salad with efficiency.

They ate their meal until near bursting and then played board games all night. There were countless episodes of laughter as the evening went on. When Maurice mentioned that Tom and Myrna had to work in the morning and Liam had school, the family frowned at him. He laughed but assured all of them that they would have the final farewell dinner at Robert’s restaurant and have their final disclosure meeting there, which he was sure would be filled with surprises.

Myrna, Tom, and Liam bid them good night After the door closed, their shoulders slumped. Liam looked up with watery eyes. “I’m going to miss them.”

Myrna and Tom nodded as Tom reached out and ruffled his hair. “We are too.”

***

Randolph had waited long enough. His brother, Reginald, hadn’t been home since Friday evening, and he was supposed to work today at the farm. This highly unusual behavior prompted Randolph to don his hooded sweatshirt and sneakers. The car was gone, so he had to walk by foot to the farm. If anyone knew where Reginald was, surely his employer would have an answer as to his whereabouts. Granted, they argued quite a bit, but the brothers were a team, and it was a rare occurrence when they wandered away from each other for so long. Randolph winced as he gazed outside. It was around noontime. He groaned, “This is going to hurt.” He donned his sunglasses, pulled the hood up over his head, and headed off in the direction of Main Street. From there, he knew the farm was all the way at the end and further down the long road near the covered bridge they had crossed when arriving in town. The street was busy with workers going to and from their lunch breaks, so Randolph kept his head down and walked with his hands tucked in his pockets. He hoped no one noticed him or tried to stop and speak with him. When someone doesn’t want to be noticed, they usually aren’t, so Randolph kept on a straight path, kept to the shadows of the buildings, and headed in the right direction.

***

Adam stood outside the bank with Maurice and leaned against the side of their vehicle, soaking up the sun. He had his face to the sky and said, “I can’t believe we checked out of the Bed and Breakfast this morning. I’m going to miss this place, boss. The air is so fresh, and the food here is great.”

He lowered his head and watched a young man wearing a hoodie walk past them with his head down and his hands in his pockets. If Adam wasn’t mistaken, he was also wearing sunglasses. Adam kept his eyes on him but listened as Maurice responded, “I will miss it too, Adam, but we’ll return. We have family here, and I would love to spend more time with them.”

Adam tapped the side of his nose, pushed off the side of his vehicle, and walked a few feet down the street. He kept his eye on the man and watched as he made a straight line heading out of town. He rushed back to Maurice. “Something ain’t right with that guy, boss.”

He pointed, and Maurice asked, “What has you so worried about a teenager walking down the street?”

Adam slumped. “If he’s a teenager, why ain’t he in school? He’s probably in his twenties. He’s also hiding something.”

“On his person?” Adam shook his head and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He revealed goose bumps. Maurice raised his eyebrows and remarked, “This could be what I’ve been waiting for. I think the fact he is heading in the direction of Frances O’Connor’s farm has you concerned. Give him seven minutes, and we’ll go directly there. Delilah can continue her errands on Main Street while we’re gone.”

“Why seven minutes?”

“Simply because I like the number seven, Adam.”

He watched Adam relax and glance at his wristwatch. He took his post up again along the side of the vehicle. Maurice sauntered into the bank and walked to Delilah’s side as she sat at a desk, arranging business with one of the managers. He laid his hand on her shoulder and said softly, “Darling, Adam and I have been called away for a bit. Give us one hour and spend that time running your other errands. Where would you like us to meet you?”

She gazed up at him and said, “I think we can meet at the furniture store in one hour.” She looked at her watch and made note of the time.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Very well, we will see you then.”

She watched him walk outside to Adam’s side again.

***

Fran was in the barn, mucking all the stalls after she had let the livestock out, fed, and watered them. She thrust the large pitchfork into the straw and manure and heaved it to the side and into the wheelbarrow. When it was full, she wheeled it out the side door to the gardens, dumped it, and spread it out among the pumpkin patches.

She returned to the barn and was repeating her actions when she heard something moving inside the barn. She bolted upright, her pitchfork secure in her hand, and stared at the front barn doors. A young man wearing a hoodie and sunglasses stood there with his hands in his pockets. He smiled. “Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m wondering if you happen to know where the man is that works here?”

She winced. “You mean Reginald?”

He nodded and said, “I can’t seem to find him anywhere around town.”

She cocked her hip and tightened her grip on the pitchfork. “I’d like to know where he is too. He never showed up for work today.”

She watched the man advance a few steps and lean back against a barn post. He was very relaxed considering the fact he was basically trespassing. He removed his sunglasses, lowered his hood, and turned to her, wearing a sinister smile. “I know you, ma’am. I know who you are. I remember you from the newspaper article. You were the bereft mother of a girl that was slain.” He extended his hand out before him and pointed at her. “I told my brother he should read more. Had he listened to me, he would have recognized you too.”

Fran’s mouth hung slack jawed. She blinked and could not believe what she was looking at—or who. The man was Reginald’s doppelganger, with only a few differences. This man’s hair was snow white, and so was his skin. His eyes were the color of light-blue ice. He even sounded like Reginald. She was sure she was looking at a ghost or spirit and felt her pulse racing and her blood pressure soaring. She began panting and trembling as she clung to the pitchfork with all her might to stop herself from passing out.

He chuckled deep in his gut. “I remember your sweet girl.” He tilted his head to one side, his voice going ever deeper. “She was a squealer. She squealed like a pig sent to slaughter.”

Fran swallowed any moisture she could gather in her mouth and glared at him. He laughed at her expression and said, “You don’t think Reginald did all that by himself, do you? If so, that would make him the most notorious of killers. No, we were a team, and if my instincts prove correct, you’ve managed to ruin a rather symbiotic relationship he and I had going!” His voice was filled with rage and fury as he continued describing what they had done to her daughter. He used the most disgusting descriptives he could and watched as her eyes filled and she began moaning in sorrow, so he continued.

***

The millisecond Maurice gave the signal that seven minutes had passed, Adam floored their vehicle toward Fran’s farm. He pulled into the driveway, put the vehicle in park, and cut the engine. That was when he heard it. He heard his Frannie screaming. He bolted from the vehicle and ran full bore for the side door of the barn. Maurice slowly exited the vehicle, exhaled, and sauntered to the barn at a leisurely pace.

When Adam entered the barn, Fran stood there with a pitchfork raised. At the other end of the barn, was…a man, a ghost? Adam didn’t know which, but the bastard looked just like Reginald. He had a switchblade in his right hand. He was slashing it back and forth before him as he told the horrid tale of murdering her daughter. Fran was screaming incoherently, and the man was laughing at her and growling, “After that, we cut her in tiny pieces and dumped her under the overpass.” He raised his hands to the air. “Voila, another great accomplishment for the Denning brothers!”

Under any other circumstance, Adam would have drawn his handgun and shot the bastard in the forehead, but when he looked at Fran, he knew she needed to exact some revenge. He stepped forward and placed his hand on Fran’s shoulder, and she spun to him with wild, watering eyes and drool dripping from her mouth. Her chest was heaving up and down from her panting and screaming. She was beyond rage, and he knew it. He glanced at the man as he continued describing other murders and whispered to Fran as he placed his hands around the pitchfork beside hers. “Let’s end this, Frannie. Let’s end this madness together. You and me.” She looked into his eyes and gave him a terse nod. They charged forth in unison like two bulls, screaming, and with one upward thrust of the farm tool rammed it through his midsection and skewered him. They used so much force, they lifted him off his feet and sent the pitchfork through his body front to back and lodged it into the barn post. The man dangled there, and Adam’s mouth dropped open as the deviant kept speaking. He had dropped his switchblade, and Adam scooped it up, shut it, and pocketed it.

Maurice stood at the barn doors, calmly removed his suit coat, hung it on a hook, and rolled up his sleeves. He noticed farming implements hanging on the wall and plucked down an antiquated corn knife; it looked similar to a short-handled sickle. He ran his thumb along the curved blade to find it was razor sharp. He knew an opportunity when he saw one. He’d always wanted to swing a mighty scythe, but he worked with what he had on hand. So, with his newfound fondness for farming implements, he smiled, grasped it within his hand, and strolled to Adam and Fran. In an even tone, he said, “Well, you don’t see this every day.” He walked to the man dangling from the pitchfork, who was bleeding profusely and, to Maurice’s amazement, still talking. He cocked his head from side to side as he examined the man. He elbowed Adam. “Please take Fran to the front barn door opening. Watch how this is done, Adam. It may be useful for future reference.”