Money Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 2) (5 page)

Samantha looked towards the window. She wondered if someone she knew was out there waiting to be arrested for murder.

“What about the office assistant, Lily?” Walt tapped his finger lightly on the table. “She's someone to look into.”

“Lily? Why would you suspect her?” Samantha asked. She glanced away from the window towards Walt. “I've only seen Vince and Lily being very friendly with one another.”

“Yes, they used to be. But I've noticed Lily and Vince arguing a few times. It's not that I'm trying to be nosy, but when people are right there in the middle of the office and squabbling, it's hard not to notice.” He frowned. “I actually noticed them arguing twice. I remember, exactly two times.”

“Do you remember what they were arguing about?” Eddy asked.

“That, I don't know. I heard the anger in their voices, but I didn't hear exactly what they were saying. I can tell you that she seemed to be the angrier one. I think it at least warrants looking into. Even if she isn't the murderer she might have a more intimate knowledge of his associates.” Walt frowned. “I do hate pointing fingers.”

Samantha had grown very quiet. She seemed to be lost in thought. Eddy eyed her curiously. “What's going on in that head of yours?” he asked.

“I'm just thinking about something I saw about a month ago. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Now, that all of this has happened, and after what Walt said, I think maybe there was a lot to it.” She frowned and shook her head. “I saw Lily and Vince in the parking lot beside the bus one morning. They weren't exactly being friendly, but they weren't arguing either. Vince gave Lily some money. It wasn't just like a twenty, it was a stack of cash. You don't see that too often anymore, that's why it stuck in my mind. I thought it was odd, but obviously it was none of my business, so I didn't ask any questions.” She shook her head. “Maybe if I had paid more attention I could have figured out why they were exchanging money, but I didn't want them to notice that I noticed.”

“There was no reason for you to be overly suspicious,” Eddy commented. “But it's clear that Walt is right. Lily and Vince had a strong connection.”

“But what kind of connection?” Samantha asked.

“Why would Vince be giving Lily money?” Eddy asked. “Maybe they were dating?”

“Even if they were, why would he be handing her a stack of cash?” Walt questioned further. “I mean, sure couples exchange funds, but not in the middle of a parking lot. Unless things have changed vastly over the past twenty years, I don't recall stacks of cash being part of the courting ritual.”

“Courting ritual?” Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Walt, things have definitely changed.”

“I think we need to find out what Lily was up to with that money,” Eddy spoke in a decisive tone. “Whatever it was, she should be able to tell us. If she doesn't, then we'll know she is trying to hide something.”

“Well, she will have already gone home for the day more than likely,” Samantha suggested.

“I'll go up and check. Maybe she stayed late. After all, if she and Vince were as close as we think, then she must have been impacted by the murder.” Eddy nodded to Walt and Samantha as the three walked out of Eddy's villa. “Just be careful. The closer we get to figuring this out the more danger we could all be in.”

As Eddy turned towards the office, Walt began to walk towards his villa. Samantha cleared her throat. Walt looked back at her.

“Are you okay, Samantha?” he asked.

“Do you think you could walk with me to my villa?” She frowned. She knew that it was the opposite direction, but she was still feeling spooked.

“Of course.” Walt fell into step beside her. As they walked Samantha thought about the fights that Walt had witnessed.

“How do you know that Lily was the angrier of the two, Walt?”

“Well, she kept pointing her finger at him. She snapped her words. He was more cajoling, as if he was trying to convince her of something.” He shrugged. “It's possible that I interpreted it wrong.”

“No, I don't think that you did.” Samantha frowned. “In fact it sounds like whatever was between them might have been intense.”

“I imagine it was.” Walt laughed a little. “Ah, to be young again and so concerned about every little thing, hmm?” He glanced over at her.

“I suppose.” Samantha smiled a little. She had spent most of her younger years hunting stories and dodging the well-intentioned questions of her mother. She didn't regret the adventures she had. But once in a while she wondered about what might have been if she had chosen a different path.

“Here we are.” Samantha looked over at Walt. “Thank you for walking me. I just feel a little nervous. Whoever took the backpack knew that it was left by my villa.”

“Make sure you keep things locked up tight. Or if you want, you could stay with me tonight.” Walt met her eyes. “I mean, if you're scared to be alone.”

Samantha felt very touched. With how Walt needed everything to be a certain way and in a special order, she knew that it was a stretch for him to invite someone to be a house guest.

“Thank you, Walt. But I think I will be okay. Besides, you and Eddy are only a few villas away.”

“That's right. If you need us, call us.” Walt waved to her. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Walt.”

Samantha still had a smile on her face when she stepped into the villa. It was wonderful to have such good friends nearby.

As Eddy walked up to the main office he noticed Owen walking towards the parking lot. Owen was the nurse that the property manager had hired to tend to residents on a daily basis. It was easier than driving to the doctor for simple check-ups or minor injuries. It was one of the perks that Sage Gardens offered, especially for the older residents.

“Owen!” Eddy wanted to catch him before he reached the parking lot. Owen turned towards the sound of Eddy's voice.

“How are you doing, Eddy?” Owen asked. “I haven't seen you around much lately.”

“I got caught up in this new television show.” Eddy smiled a little.

“I doubt that.” Owen eyed Eddy curiously. “Have you been feeling all right?”

“Just a little more tired than usual.” Eddy sighed with the admission. He hated to show any sign of weakness. In his mind he was still thirty years old and fit enough to pass the police fitness test.

“Could be your sugar, or your blood pressure, let me check you out.” Owen gestured to the small office where he saw residents.

“No really I'm fine, you were just leaving.” Eddy shook his head.

“Nonsense, if you've been avoiding me, there's a reason.” Owen opened the door to the office. Eddy smiled some. Owen had become a bit of a surrogate son to Eddy and he appreciated that Owen had taken such an interest. “In with you!” Owen pointed to the office and then stepped inside. Eddy chuckled and followed him inside.

“Thanks, Owen.” Eddy sat down on the small padded exam table.

“So, how long have you been experiencing exhaustion?” Owen asked. He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Eddy's arm.

“Ever since I met Samantha,” Eddy replied in a dry tone.

Owen met his eyes with a short laugh. “Are you pulling my leg, Eddy?”

“Honestly, I haven't been tired. I've been laying low because some new single ladies have moved in. You know how they like the men in uniform.” He winked lightly at Owen.

“So, that must mean that you wanted to get me alone for another reason?” Owen asked.

“Aha, you are starting to pick up on the detective skills,” Eddy lowered his voice slightly. “I wanted to talk about Vince.”

“Vince.” Owen nodded. “It's a terrible thing, what happened to him. I still can't wrap my head around Simon being involved.”

“Neither can I. I don't think he was.” Eddy frowned and leaned closer. “What I'm trying to figure out is, who was? Samantha said she saw Vince talking to Lily a few times. Walt mentioned that he had seen them argue. Did you notice anything strange between them?”

“Between them, no.” Owen put the blood pressure cuff away. He looked a little tense as he turned back to Eddy.

“Between whom then?” Eddy pressed.

“To be honest with you, I'd rather not say.” Owen set his jaw.

“Owen, this is me.” Eddy looked at him with disbelief. “You can tell me what you suspect.”

“It's not that I don't trust you, Eddy, it's just I've tried to make it my policy to not spread rumors.” Owen sighed. “I mean, if you share a rumor enough times it pretty much becomes the truth. This rumor could get someone in a lot of trouble.”

Eddy was intrigued. He stood up from the padded bench.

“Well, I think Vince got into plenty of trouble. Don't you?” He met Owen's eyes directly, leaving him no room to argue. “If what you know might have anything to do with that, I suggest you tell me.”

Owen shook his head as he looked at Eddy. “I bet you were fierce in the interrogation room.”

“That's putting it mildly,” Eddy's tone was hard as he continued to fix Owen with a steady gaze. “So?”

Owen peeked his head out the door of the office to make sure that no one was nearby. Then he closed the door again. He turned back to look at Eddy.

“You have to understand that when you work with people, there's a certain sense of loyalty.” Owen frowned.

“That loyalty goes out the window when someone ends up dead.” Eddy clenched his jaw briefly, and then released a sigh. “Listen, it's me, Owen. I'll keep your name out of anything this might turn into. Okay?”

“Okay.” Owen nodded, but he still appeared reluctant. “Petty cash has been going missing over the past month or so. There are rumors that Lily is stealing it. So far no one has been able to prove it. But she is the main suspect.”

“Lily?” Eddy asked. “That's surprising.”

“Isn't it?” Owen's eyes widened. “I didn't want to believe it at first. She's always so sweet and seems to really care about the residents here. But I've got to admit that the more rumors I hear the more I begin to wonder. I mean, who else could it be?”

“Hmm.” Eddy narrowed his eyes. “That is a good question. What about Vince? Did anyone suspect him of stealing?”

“I don’t think there's any way he could have. The petty cash is locked in the safe and only a few staff members have the combination.” Owen crossed his arms. “I don't know for sure that Lily was involved in stealing, but she did seem pretty cozy with Vince. Then again, she's friendly with everyone.”

“Thanks for the information, Owen.” Eddy opened the door.

“Just remember that I don't know anything for sure,” Owen said firmly. Eddy smiled at him. He could always count on Owen's honesty, that was one of the first things that had bonded the two of them together. Now he was curious about Lily's behavior. Was it possible that Vince had found out about the stolen money and decided to turn her in? Would Lily be capable of killing someone to protect her job and her freedom?

Eddy frowned as he walked back towards his villa. It was never a good thing when a suspect list kept growing instead of getting smaller. It was going to take a lot of sorting to figure out exactly who was responsible. Unfortunately for Simon, he was the easiest target. Eddy had worked with many detectives who believed the simplest answer was usually always the right answer. He knew that Detective Brunner would probably be inclined to go after Simon if there was adequate evidence rather than looking for any other suspects.

Early the next morning Samantha received a call from Eddy.

“I want to speak with Lily. Do you want to join me?” Eddy asked.

“Yes, I have a few questions for her, too. I'll meet you there.” She hung up the phone before Eddy could argue. She was used to him thinking that he could always take the lead in things like this, and she was going to make sure that he knew that he couldn't. When she met up with him outside the office he regarded her warily.

“Morning, Samantha.”

“Morning, Eddy.” She smiled at him. “Did you find out any information last night?”

“Only that Lily may be a thief.” Eddy tilted his head towards the door of the office. “I'm going to go in there and find out one way or the other.” He held Samantha's eyes as if awaiting a challenge from her.

“I think that you should let me do the talking.” Samantha shot a look in his direction.

“You? Why? I'm the one with experience.” Eddy shook his head. “I did this for a living remember?”

“You were trained to get information out of someone you had trapped in a box. You used intimidation and force to get your answers. In my career I had to get information from people by being as kind and often as manipulative as possible. People don't willingly speak to a crime reporter you know, I had to be quite charismatic,” she said confidently as they neared the office.

“That I believe.” Eddy winked lightly at her. “You have enough charm to get anyone to do anything.”

Samantha regarded him for a moment. She wasn't sure whether to take his words as a compliment or as an insult. Either way she was fairly certain that she was not going to find a way to convince him to let her take the lead.

“Listen Eddy, women don't like to be cornered and questioned. We don't have any real evidence against Lily. The moment she thinks that you're accusing her of something, she's going to turn tail and run,” Samantha emphasized. “If we go in there with guns blazing we're both just going to be wasting our time.”

“Just let me do what I do, Samantha. You have to learn to trust me sometime,” he smiled faintly at her.

Samantha raised an eyebrow and was about to explain that she did trust him but some things should be left to her, but it was too late. Eddy was already opening the door to the office. Lily hung up her cell phone the moment they walked in. She was a young and petite woman. Her wavy, light brown hair was always perfect and her nails were pristine. She took care of herself very well. Samantha had asked her a few times about the shade of lipstick she wore or where she had her nails done, as Lily always looked so beautiful. Samantha didn't preoccupy herself with things like that, but once in a while she liked to make the extra effort to look nice.

“Hi Lily,” Eddy spoke up before Samantha could. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

“Uh, Eddy, right?” Lily asked. “You're a friend of Owen's, aren't you?”

“Yes.” Eddy nodded and offered her what he hoped was a charming smile. “I just need to ask you a few questions.”

That sentence caused her lips to tighten and her eyes to harden. She looked from Eddy to Samantha and then back to Eddy. “About what?”

“Oh, just a few things we want to clear up,” Samantha said in a softer tone. She wanted to put Lily at ease since it was clear that Eddy had already ruffled her feathers. “Do you think we could sit?” She gestured to the two chairs in front of the desk.

“Oh, I wish I had the time, but I was actually just heading out. I hope you understand. If you have any complaints about the property I can give you the manager’s number.” She smiled. When Lily smiled her entire face lit up and she looked even younger. She had cherubic features that gave her an air of innocence.

“I'm sure you can answer these questions quickly. Don't you have a minute or two?” Eddy asked. His voice was stern enough that his words didn't sound very much like questions. Lily looked at him with mounting suspicion.

“I don't know what this is about, but I have to go.” Lily stood up from behind the desk. “Like I said, I'd be happy to give you the manager's number if you need to speak to someone right away. Is there a maintenance problem? I can call Jacob for you.”

Samantha cringed at the mention of Jacob. She recalled the way he had looked at her when she walked past him. The last thing she wanted was Jacob's help.

“No, we don't need Jacob. We need to speak to you.” Samantha decided to say something before Eddy could get more aggressive and frighten Lily. “Weren't you friends with Vince?”

Lily lowered her eyes a moment. She nodded silently.

“We are only here to help, Lily,” Samantha spoke in a softer tone. She stepped closer to Lily. “I can only imagine what a shock it was for you to hear the news.”

Lily looked up at Samantha with tears in her eyes. “I really can't talk now,” her voice trembled with each word.

“I understand. We're not trying to cause you any trouble, Lily. We just wanted to know if you knew anything about what Vince might have been involved in. Was he in with a dangerous crowd?” Samantha met Lily's eyes with genuine sympathy. But whatever bond Lily had begun to form with Samantha immediately snapped.

“I said I don't have time to talk. All you want to do is spread rumors. Vince was a good man, and no one should be talking behind his back.” Lily whisked by Samantha. “I have to go.”

“Lily wait!” Samantha started to go after her, but Eddy grabbed her lightly by the wrist.

“Don't bother. We're not going to get anything else out of her right now.” He frowned.

“What are we going to do?” Samantha sighed. “We didn't find anything out.”

“Samantha, would you say that Lily might just be hiding something?” Eddy's voice held a hint of sarcasm.

“I'd have to say, yes. The question is, what?” Samantha asked. “She was in an awfully big hurry to get out of here.”

“Well, then maybe we should follow her.” Eddy pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Care to join me for a drive?”

“Absolutely.” Samantha smiled. She was chomping at the bit to find out what Lily was up to.

“Let's hurry,” Eddy said leading her towards the parking lot. Lily's car was just pulling out when Eddy and Samantha got into Eddy's car. Eddy did his best to appear casual and waited a minute before pulling out as well. The road leading out of Sage Gardens was long and had no other turns until it reached the main road. Eddy could afford to leave Lily a little space.

“Where do you think she's going?” Samantha asked.

“Maybe to a doctor's appointment. Maybe to meet with a lawyer. Who knows?” Eddy peered through the windshield and kept a close eye on the tail lights of Lily's car.

“Did you do this often?” Samantha asked.

“Do what?” Eddy glanced briefly at her.

“Tail criminals?” Samantha grinned. “You seem very good at it.”

“Not really.” Eddy chuckled. “My career as a police officer wasn't as exciting as the shows you see on television. Before I became a detective it mostly involved driving around in circles and waiting for a call to come through and then I spent a lot of time investigating and interrogating. But there were times that I was involved in some situations that were quite tense.” His expression grew solemn. “There are moments I wish I hadn't lived, trust me.”

Samantha grew quiet as she studied his profile. Eddy was often brusque but occasionally he gave her a glimpse of what his inner world was like. She could tell that there were things that haunted him. She hoped that one day he would consider her a good enough friend to confide some of those things. As far as Samantha knew, she, Walt, and Owen, were Eddy's only real friends. He had many contacts in the police department, but none of them seemed to be his friends.

“I'm sure you had some experiences that you wish you could undo,” Eddy commented turning the car to follow after Lily.

“I did,” Samantha agreed. “I have to say everything felt tense, you know? Sometimes situations seemed a lot more dramatic than they actually were. But I was always waiting for things to get hairy.”

“You are one brave woman, Samantha.” Eddy looked over at her with a brief smile. “Or foolish, I'm not sure just yet.”

“Oh, thanks for that almost compliment.” Samantha laughed. “Oh look, she's turning into that plaza.” Samantha pointed through the side window.

“Great, we tailed her to her manicurist.” Eddy shook his head as one of the shops in the plaza was a hair and nail salon. He started to drive past the plaza as he didn't see a reason to continue following her. Samantha grabbed the crook of his elbow.

“Turn in!” Her words were hissed with urgency. Eddy was startled by her tone and almost took the curb when he turned into the entrance of the plaza. He managed to straighten the car without losing control of it, but his cheeks were red with anger.

“Samantha, you could have gotten us both killed,” Eddy said sharply as he looked over at her. He pulled the car into the parking lot.

“She didn't go into the salon.” Samantha frowned. “She went around behind the building.”

“So, maybe there is more parking back there?” Eddy suggested.

“Why would she need more parking? The place is practically empty.” Samantha pointed to all of the empty parking spots right in front of the salon. Eddy nodded a little.

“That's still no reason to nearly kill us.” Eddy steered the car slowly around the side of the building.

“I'm sorry, I just reacted.” Samantha's gaze was fixated to the window. “I am certain she is up to something. Every secret meeting I've ever heard of takes place in an empty parking lot.”

“I can't disagree with you there.” Eddy nodded. He stopped the car at the corner of the building. “If we pull all the way around she's going to know that we're here.”

“On foot?” Samantha asked.

“Only if you promise to listen to me.” Eddy met her eyes. “We have no idea what Lily is up to. At the very least it's probably something to do with the money. She may be stealing from petty cash. At worst it could have something to do with Vince's murder. If you're not going to listen to me, then you need to stay in the car.”

“Oh Eddy!” Samantha looked at him with a soft smile. “You're so sweet and naive.”

Eddy stared at her with confusion. “What?”

“To think that anyone gets to tell me what to do.” Samantha smirked. She climbed out of the car before Eddy could stop her. She had been in enough dangerous situations to handle herself, and she had never been armed in any of them. As she crept towards the corner of the building, Eddy caught up with her. He shot her a glare, but didn't argue. He peered around the corner as well. There were only two cars behind the building, Lily's and a brown sedan.

As Samantha and Eddy watched, the driver's side door of the brown sedan swung open. A man stepped out, dressed in one of the most ridiculous suits that Samantha had ever seen. That was saying a lot considering the places that she had been. The suit was mostly white with splashes of color on the lapels, stripes on the pants, and a neon yellow dress shirt under the jacket. She had never seen anything like it before. The hat perched on top of his head had a thin, short brim and was just as colorful as his suit.

As he walked towards Lily, Samantha felt some anxiety. What if Lily was in danger? What if they just stood there and watched as she got herself into a bad situation? Samantha looked over at Eddy. He was completely focused on the scene that was unfolding. Samantha knew how important it was to find out what Lily was up to, but she felt such an urge to intervene. Lily greeted the man with a slight nod. There wasn't a hint of affection, or even fear.

“Do you have it?” he asked sternly.

“I said I would, didn't I?” she spat her words in return. It was clear that there was no love lost between the two of them. Samantha could sense the tension building as they glared at one another. Eddy handed his phone to Samantha and indicated to her to take a photo of the man.

“So? Where is it? I don't want you playing any more games with me, Lily,” his voice carried across the parking lot. His words were rumbled in a way that made everything he said sound like a threat. Samantha positioned the phone and took a photo as she listened closely.

“I'm not playing any games,” Lily said as she reached into her purse and pulled out a thick envelope. Samantha suspected that it had money stacked inside. As she watched, Lily handed it over to the man. “This is the final payment.”

“All of it?” The man looked genuinely surprised. He flipped the envelope open and just as Samantha had suspected he lifted a stack of cash halfway out of the envelope. He began sorting through the bills. “Did you win the lottery?” He chuckled.

“That's not really any of your concern,” Lily said sternly. “Our business is finished. I don't expect to hear from you again.”

“That hurts, Lily,” he said mockingly. “After all I've done for you, that's how you treat me?”

“Goodbye.” She turned and started to walk back towards her car. Samantha's heart fell. She had hoped that Lily would turn out to be innocent, but from the way it looked, she was definitely involved.

“We should go,” Eddy hissed beside Samantha's ear. “We don't want them knowing that we were here.”

Samantha nodded. She looked once more in Lily's direction. Then she followed Eddy to the car. As Eddy sped out of the parking lot, Samantha stared out the window.