The Devil Within (Devil Series Book 3) (12 page)

“We spoke to her trainer, Angel Page,” Penelope said. “He told us that Alicia got a twenty thousand dollar inheritance from your mother when she died.”

“Yeah.” He put his hands in his pockets. “She left us forty thousand. We each got twenty.”

“Do you still have your money?” Alexis asked.

“God no.” He sighed. “Things went haywire after she died and dad got into all these financial problems. He kept needing money and I kept giving it. Twenty thousand dollars isn’t much when you’re constantly spending it.”

“You gave your dad all twenty thousand?” Penelope gripped her holster.

He shrugged. “He needed it and he’s my father so I helped him out.”

“Alicia gave him ten thousand dollars too,” Alexis said. “Is that correct?”

“What does this have to do with my sister’s murder?”

“How bad
are
your father’s finances?” Alexis asked.

“He’s in really bad shape. He was desperate and got in with this two-bit loan company and borrowed thousands from them, ended up gambling it away, and now he owes them, too.”

“Gambling?” Penelope stood back. “Is he addicted?”

“He’s thousands and thousands of dollars in the hole.” Eli scoffed. “I’d say he’s very much addicted to it. That’s always been an issue, even when Mom was alive. Now, would you mind telling me what my dad’s finances have to do with Alicia’s murder?”

Penelope touched her lip. “Why didn’t either of you tell us about the inheritance before?”

“I don’t know.” He looked around. “I guess you can say it was the last thing on Dad’s or my mind. All we cared about was finding Alicia’s murderer. Could you for once tell me how this ties together? I’m stumped.”

“We spoke to Omar Silva again,” Alexis said. “He’s the guy we told you Alicia had been seeing.”

“That married guy that you say got her pregnant?” He grimaced. “Sorry son of a bitch. He hasn’t even said anything to my dad and me about Alicia. How much could he have cared for her to not even send us his condolences?”

“We thought Omar might’ve been our guy, but after talking to him again we don’t think he had anything to do with Alicia’s death whether he had motive or not.”

“We heard that on the day of Alicia’s death…” Penelope exhaled. “Your father kept calling her and we think it’s because he wanted money. Could that be true?”

“I don’t know why he’d call her, because she told him she wasn’t giving him any more money.” Eli looked back and forth at them. “She wanted to go to L.A. She was saving the rest so she’d have money to get settled after she moved.”

“What were the conditions of your mother’s will?” Alexis asked. “For example, if anything happened to one of you…who gets the money?”

“Whoa.” He held his hand out to Alexis. “Wait a damn minute here. I don’t like where this is going. What are you trying to say, Detective Adams?”

“I’m not trying to
say
anything. I asked you a question. Who gets the money if you or your sister dies?”

“Don’t do this.” He backed up, holding his head. “Don’t…don’t go there, all right. I know what you’re trying to do and you’re dead wrong.”

“What are we trying to do, Eli?” Penelope approached him. “Get to the truth?”

“This isn’t the fuckin’ truth! You’re just digging into stuff but you have no idea. He never would hurt Alicia.” He hit his chest. “Never!”

“Who’d get the money?” Alexis asked.

“Pastor Bellows would get the money,” Penelope said. “Wouldn’t he?”

“He didn’t do this!” Tears popped from his eyes. “This is my father! How could you even suggest such a thing?” He pushed past them. “Get out!” He ripped the door open. “Get…”

Pastor Bellows stood on the porch with his key in his hand. A weary expression came over his face when he looked at the detectives, yet he didn’t seem shocked. He seemed like he’d expected their visit.

Eli pulled him inside. “Dad, they’re outta their minds! They’re trying to say you killed Alicia for her money!”

“We didn’t say that,” Penelope charged Eli. “We asked a question.”

“Bullshit you didn’t say it!” Eli swung his arm. “You said it in so many words.” He pulled his dad in front of him. “Tell them this is fuckin’ insane. If this is what they come up with then no wonder they haven’t solved the case. Tell them they’re wrong, Dad.” Eli shook him. “Tell them!”

Pastor Bellows avoided eye contact with his son.

“Dad?” Eli got closer to him. “Say that they’re wrong.” He pushed the pastor in front of Alexis and Penelope. “You tell them they’re wrong!”

Pastor Bellows shook in place.

“Tell them!” Eli hit his father in the back. “You tell them you didn’t do it!” He swung him around. “You tell them!” He cried like a two year-old. “Tell them.” He pushed his face in his father’s chest. “You tell them!” He waved his arms while Pastor Bellows held him. “Tell them.”

“I…” Pastor Bellows closed his eyes as tears fell. “I can’t, son.”

Alexis held her breath.

Penelope gaped and laid her hand on her stomach.

Eli slowly moved away from his father. “What…what are you saying?” he whispered. “Because you can’t be saying what I think you’re saying.”

“I am.” Pastor Bellows sobbed into his arm. “God forgive me.” He moved his arm across his face as he cried. “I did it.” He lifted his red, torn face. “I killed Alicia.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“This…” Eli fell against the wall. “This can’t be happening.” He slid to the floor and landed on his butt. “Am I fuckin’ dreaming?”

“Pastor?” Penelope pulled him toward her. “Why? Why did you kill your daughter?”

Eli held his head and rocked.

“I’ve gotten in a desperate place,” he whispered. “And I don’t know how to get out of it. Sometimes the devil takes over.” He wiped tears. “What some don’t realize is that he’s already within us, but it’s God’s strength that keeps him at bay.” He looked down at his son. “I became weak and I couldn’t fight the devil within me any longer.”

“I…” Eli propped his knees up. “I can’t believe this. No one will ever make me believe this.”

Pastor Bellows knelt beside him. “I’m sorry. I think about it now and I don’t know how I could do it.” He looked at Alexis and Penelope. “I didn’t plan it. I only wanted to talk to her. I knew she hung out by Soviet Avenue so I drove around that evening and I saw her walking.” He lifted his arm. “It was as if God put her there for me to find because he knew I needed her.”

His twisted justification repeated in Alexis’s mind.

“She was walking behind some buildings and I caught up with her behind Kel’s.” He lowered his arm. “In my head, the devil was telling me I couldn’t leave until she agreed to get that money. He kept telling me how I’d lose everything I’d worked for. I’d lose the church. My reputation would be ruined and all that stood in my way was that ten thousand dollars.”

“You owe much more than ten thousand dollars.” Penelope’s voice shook.

“But that ten thousand would buy some breathing room that I desperately needed until I could find the rest.”

Eli dropped his head.

“I begged Alicia to let me take her home and for her to give me the money.” Bellows stood. “She refused. She was drunk. I tried to take her house key so I could go get the money myself. She started screaming and I was afraid that someone would hear.”

Eli sobbed.

Bellows took a deep breath. “I punched her and she fell. But she’s one hell of a fighter.” His lips trembled. “And I was proud of that. She punched me back and I grabbed her and slammed her against the building.”

Alexis covered her mouth.

“I told her I didn’t want to hurt her.” He wiped a tear from his lips. “I told her I just wanted the money and I didn’t understand why she couldn’t give it to me! She knew what I was going through. Why wouldn’t she want to help me?” He blubbered. “It made me so mad that she didn’t care about all I was going through. I told her to give me that key a final time. She cursed at me so I got the shovel from the backseat of my car.”

Penelope gaped. “Shovel?”

“Why did you have the shovel in the first place?” Alexis whispered.

“The next day we were going to have a rummage sale at the church.” Bellows stared at her. “I have many shovels so I decided I’d donate one for the sale.” He looked at his son. “Eli knows I have a funny memory. I’d have forgotten if I hadn’t put the shovel in the car ahead of time.”

“How convenient,” Eli whispered.

“I didn’t intend to hit her with it.”

“But you got it out of the fuckin’ car, Dad!” Eli yelled. “Why would you…” He choked up. “Why would you grab a shovel if you weren’t gonna use it?”

“I was just going to scare her but she started screaming again.” Bellows hugged himself. “I begged her to be quiet and before I knew it, I’d hit her with it.”

“God I…this can’t be happening.” Eli laid his head in his lap.

“She seemed unconscious so I took the key.” Bellows made a snatching motion. “When I turned she grabbed my leg, I freaked, and I hit her again.” His hands shook. “But she kept getting up so I hit her again.” He swallowed. “She tried to get up
again
and I hit her with all of my strength until she was out.”

Penelope turned away with her eyes closed.

“She was dead,” Bellows whispered.

“Am I supposed to believe…” Eli looked up. “That you killed your daughter for ten thousand dollars?”

“I didn’t plan it.” Bellows closed his eyes. “I just couldn’t stop what was happening and before I knew it, it was too late.” He touched his stomach. “I loved her so much.”

Eli scoffed and shook his head.

Alexis ignored her disgust enough to ask a question. “What happened after you killed Alicia?”

“I left, and as I was driving through the neighborhood I saw a blue van going toward Kel’s. Of course at the time I didn’t know the young lady was Nadine Williams and that she was a friend of Alicia’s. I was worried she would see what had happened or that maybe she’d seen me. I followed her back there. Nadine saw the body and flipped. She started crying and screaming.” He stood back. “She took out her phone and I figured it was to call the police but she didn’t make the call. I guess she was too afraid or confused.” He wiped more tears. “She left and I followed her. I thought she was going to the police station but she ended up going to her place. I went up to her door as if I didn’t know what was going on.”

Eli shook his head.

“As soon as Nadine answered the door, I grabbed her by the neck and shoved her inside. I punched her out before she could scream.” Bellows wobbled.

“Go on,” Penelope said.

“I didn’t intend to kill her!” He sniffled. “I swear I didn’t, but I was afraid. I couldn’t be sure if she’d seen what I’d done with Alicia or not so I had to do it.” He looked at his son. “I had to.”

Eli turned away. “Don’t even look at me.”

“Afterwards…” Bellows moaned. “I put Nadine in her van and drove it to the junkyard. I…I beat her until she wasn’t moving anymore.”

“You mean until she was dead?” Penelope asked.

He nodded. “I know the man who owns the junkyard and I knew he wouldn’t be there for some weeks so I felt I had time to stash her for at least a few days until I figured out how to get rid of her body.”

“Jesus,” Alexis whispered.

“For someone who claims he didn’t plan this stuff you sure do act quickly under pressure,” Eli said.

Bellows kept his head low. “I wanted to go back and move Nadine but I was too scared, so I never did.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Penelope ogled Bellows. “I truly don’t know what to say.”

“I do.” Alexis grabbed her handcuffs. “Markus Bellows, you’re under arrest for the murders of Alicia Bellows and Nadine Williams.”

* * * *

“Hmm.” Kevin moved his arm from under Alexis as she lay on top of him in her bed. He checked the clock by the bed. “Shit, I have to go.” He swung his legs from underneath the cover.

“What?” Alexis held the cover over her breasts. “You don’t have to go.” She planted kisses down his naked back. “I thought you’d spend the night.”

“I’d love to baby but…” He turned his head and kissed her. “There’s a representative from Takahashi Pharmaceuticals coming in from Japan tomorrow morning.” He got off the bed and grabbed his shirt and pants from the floor. “I have to be at Copeland Enterprises at five a.m.” He buttoned his shirt and slipped on his pants.

“That sounds interesting.” Alexis lay on her side. “Why’s he coming in?”

“He’s going to sit in on a meeting tomorrow addressing the potential deal between Takahashi and Copeland Enterprises.” Kevin grabbed his Salvatore Ferragamo Python loafers and sat on the bed. “Grant’s put me in charge of everything. He won’t even be there.” He put on his left shoe. “This is big, Lexi. I don’t wanna fuck anything up.”

“You won’t.” She put her arms around him from behind and laid her head on his shoulder. “Why are you so anxious? You already know Grant wants to leave you in charge of the company eventually. That proves he’s confident in what you can do.”

He slipped on the right shoe. “This is my big chance to prove to everyone else at Copeland Enterprises that I deserve to be there.” He turned and faced her. “Everyone in this town thinks I got where I am because of Grant. Copeland merging with Takahashi is the biggest deal Copeland has ever come close to. If I can close the deal then people will know I deserve to run that company someday.”

“Why…” She pecked kisses down his cheek. “Do you care what the people in this town think? You know you’re a great asset to that company. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

“It does to
me.
” He stood and buckled his belt. “At Copeland, I’ve never felt I belonged. I’m the youngest executive there and they don’t take me seriously. If it wasn’t for Grant backing me up no one would pay me any attention.” He sat back down. “In this business, respect is everything and right now the people at Copeland Enterprises don’t respect me.” He pinched her cheek. “But they will because I’m going to seal the deal on this merger and
I’m
going to run Copeland Enterprises. Then they’ll have no doubts.”

She stared at him.

“What?” He leaned back. “Why are you looking at me like that?”