Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set (66 page)

Chapter 15

Detective James listened intently as I told of him my conversation with Ethan about his dad and the missing gun.

“
Ethan seems tormented,” I said. “He wants to do the right thing but he’s terrified of any repercussions.”

Detective James appeared to think it over. “Without a body, weapon, or motive, I can’t arrest Mr. Parker. We have to keep digging, Sarah. I’ll try to get access to his phone records and see if anything pops up there. In the meantime, I have another idea. I’d like to keep tabs on Mr. Parker’s comings and goings, but I doubt the chief will sign off on round the clock surveillance or phone monitoring. Would you and Carter be willing to keep tabs on him?”

“
Sure. I’ll give Carter a call right now.”

* * *

We decided to take Carter’s car, the Buick being far less conspicuous than my flashy red Toyota. We parked three houses down from the Parkers’ home.

I pulled out a bag full of treats: mixed nuts, some apples, popcorn, some leftover Halloween candy, and two bottles of ginger ale.

“
We’re not going to see a drive-in movie, Sarah.”

“
I know,” I said. “But who knows how long we’ll be here. Could be hours. It’s only six o’clock. I need to eat or I’ll get cranky.”

Carter looked through his binoculars at the house. “Looks like Mr. Dad of the Year is finishing a glass of wine at the kitchen counter.”

“
You can see right through to the kitchen?” I asked.

“
Are you kidding? With those big-ass windows he had installed, the place is practically a fishbowl.”

“
Can you see if Ethan is around?”

“
I haven’t spotted him yet. But there’s a light on in one of the upstairs rooms.”

“
Kenneth probably isn’t going anywhere tonight if his son is around,” I said.

“
I wish I could get into his garage and put Martha on his car,” he said, referring to the tracking device he’d lovingly named after his mother. “Then we could leave and go get some real food.”

“
Or I could call him and pretend I’m his wife. I can do a pretty decent Spanish accent, you know. I’d love to see the expression on his face.”

Carter placed the binoculars on his lap and gave me a look. “I hope you’re not serious.”

“
As if.”

Carter sighed heavily, picked up the binoculars again, and resumed the surveillance. “Kenneth keeps checking his watch.”

“
Maybe he’s waiting for Ethan to come down so they can go to dinner.”

“
I don’t know. He seems agitated. If he wanted Ethan, he’d just go upstairs and get him. I think Kenneth is waiting for a phone call or something.”

I reached into the back seat and grabbed a mini peanut butter cup. “Want one?” I asked.

Carter ignored my offer. “Kenneth just grabbed something from the counter and he’s holding his car keys.”

“
He’s getting ready to leave?”

“
He’s carrying a briefcase,” he said. “Maybe he’s heading to his office.”

“
After six at night?”

A few minutes later, the garage door opened, and a black SUV pulled out. “Get down out of sight,” Carter said. “He’s on the move.”

Carter fired up the car and we followed him through his neighborhood and past the Bridgeport downtown area.

“
He’s taking I-95 north,” Carter said.

“
He’s not going to the office,” I said. “Maybe he’s off to screw one of his lady friends and release some pent-up energy.”

We followed Kenneth for a few miles, staying a few cars behind.

“
Should I call Detective James?” I asked.

“
Let’s see where he’s going first. If he’s just grabbing some take-out, there’s no sense in alarming anyone.”

Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot of traffic so Carter was able to stay on him. After another mile, Kenneth’s right blinker flashed.
 

“
Why is he pulling into the rest stop?” Carter muttered.

“
Needs to take a leak?”

“
We’ve only been on the road five or six minutes,” he said.

“
Maybe he’s looking for a prostitute. I’ve heard they hang out here.  “This place is a crime waiting to happen,” Carter said. “Keep your door locked.”

Kenneth eventually parked in front of the restrooms, but didn’t get out of the car.

“
Well,” Carter said. “If he has to take a leak, it’s not an emergency.”

“
Maybe he’s lost and checking his phone for directions,” I suggested.

Another few minutes went by when Kenneth finally exited his car, carrying the briefcase. Instead of going inside the restroom he walked past the building toward a vacant picnic table. He circled the table, inspected the underside, and groped around the bench seats.

“
What the hell is he doing?” I asked. “Checking for hidden microphones or something?”

“
He seems paranoid, that’s for sure.”

I counted half a dozen cars in the lot, most with out of state license plates.
 

“
Looks like he’s got company.”

Sure enough, a petite woman with long auburn hair, wearing jeans and a black trench coat, approached Kenneth. She reached inside her jacket and pulled out a white envelope. Words were exchanged, along with the envelope and the briefcase. Kenneth turned heel and stormed back to his car. The woman rushed back to her vehicle and sped off.

“
That’s just great,” I said. “Who are we supposed to follow?”

Carter started the engine. “The woman gets my vote.”

I didn’t object.

We followed the Nissan a mile down the road to a motel. She pulled into the lot, parked in front of room 7, and exited the car.

Carter parked a safe distance away, cut the engine, and dialed a number on his cell.

“
Who are you calling?” I asked.

“
Thought I’d ask Detective James to run her plates. Unless you want to go into the office and ask the manager.”

I shook my head. “They wouldn’t give me that information, anyway. Besides, it’s likely the woman gave a false name and paid in cash.”

Carter smiled at me approvingly. “You’re probably right.”

While he made the call and explained the situation to the detective, I decided to keep my eyes focused on the auburn haired woman, now trying to get into her room. She kept inserting the key card, but it didn’t seem to be working. Finally, after a few more attempts, the door popped open and she disappeared into the room.

“
We should have a name soon,” Carter said, setting his phone in his lap. He wants us to stay here until he arrives.”

“
It’s a West Virginia plate,” I said. “She’s a long way from home. How in the world does she know Kenneth?”

“
Maybe he hired this woman to kill his wife, and the contents of that briefcase holds the final payment.”

“
Then what was in the envelope she gave Kenneth?”

“
Beats me,” he said.

It was pitch black outside. Even the few motel lights placed at each door were not enough to give one the illusion of safety. “Why did she choose to stay here? It’s a dump,” I said.

“
Places like this don’t require a credit card. Always a plus if you’re trying to maintain anonymity.”

“
Do you think Kenneth wanted Mari dead?”

“
I try to stick to the facts. And the facts are still obscured. But, if I had to take an educated guess, then yes. I think he killed her or hired someone to do it.”

“
I just don’t understand,” I said with a sigh. “As much as I love this work we do, I’ll never get why people feel compelled to end a life.”

“
Some people are monsters,” Carter said, his voice monotone. “And they don’t give a shit how it affects others. The same thing for people who commit suicide. It’s a selfish act that only hurts the ones left behind.”

I looked at Carter, could barely see his features in the dark, but I could guess what he was thinking. Five years ago, his only daughter overdosed on drugs and it was never proven as to why. Was it suicide or an accident? Carter didn’t like to talk about it, had only mentioned it once. I often wondered if he felt partly responsible because he never saw it coming.

A set of headlights entering the parking lot prompted us to look up.

“
He got here in short order,” Carter said.

When the dark colored sedan pulled into the spot next to us, we rolled down the window. “She hasn’t come out since we got here ten minutes ago,” Carter said.

Detective James scanned the Motel and the lot. “Good. I hope she’s in a talkative mood.”

We all exited the car and headed toward room 7. Detective James checked his holster and removed his badge from his hip. “You didn’t happen to notice if she was carrying a weapon, did you?”

Carter shook his head. “Didn’t see one. Did you get a name from the plates?”

“
The car is registered to a Janine Emmons. Curiously enough, Janine Emmons is an inmate at the Lakins Correctional Center in West Virginia.”

Carter seemed confused. “She busted out of jail?”

“
What nationality is the woman in room seven?”

“
White.”

“
Janine is African American. I’m thinking this is either a stolen vehicle, or the person in room seven is a friend of Janine’s.” The detective headed toward the room. “Are you guys coming with me?”

Carter and I followed him without a word.

I searched the dark parking lot, and noticed no one else around. It appeared as though only two of the twelve rooms were occupied.

The detective knocked three times on the door and waited. No response. He knocked three more times. Finally, the door opened just a crack. “Who is it?” she asked, her annoyance evident.

“
Bridgeport Police Department. We need to speak with you, ma’am.”

Her brown eyes grew wide. “Police? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“
Ma’am, we need to ask you some questions regarding a Mr. Kenneth Parker.”

The woman drew in a quick breath. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”

He showed her his badge. “Fine, if you want to play it like that, I can haul you down to the station and keep you in a holding cell overnight. I think it’s advisable if you co-operate right here, right now.”

The woman released the chain lock and opened the door. Cigarette smoke wafted out of the room. “This is harassment,” she said, hands on hips. “I haven’t broken any laws.”

“
I’m not so sure about that,” the detective said, moving into her room. “That car parked in front of your room isn’t yours. Did you steal it?”

Her eyes narrowed as her slender body trembled with anger. “I certainly did not steal it. I’m borrowing it from a friend.”

“
Can I see some I.D., ma’am?”

The woman didn’t move. Her gaze shifted warily to Carter and I. She must have known she didn’t have a chance of running away. “In my purse. Over there.” She gestured toward the bed.

“
Go ahead and get it,” the detective said. “Nice and slow.”

The woman let out a chortle. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a weapon. I’m not allowed to carry one.”

“
Not allowed?” he said.

“
First year of probation. If I’m caught with drugs or weapons, I go back to prison.”

“
Let me guess, Lakins Correctional Center?”

“
How’d you know?” she asked.

The detective gestured to her purse. “Your I.D., please?”

She dug a wallet out of her purse and handed it over.

“
Katrina Waters.” he said. “Could you please tell me what your business is with Kenneth Parker?”

She chuckled derisively. “Business? Well, that’s
one
way to put it.”

“
How do you know Mr. Parker, ma’am?”

Her shoulders slumped forward as she let out a sigh. “We used to be married, okay? He divorced me soon after I was sent away. I started using my maiden name again.”

“
When did you get out?” the detective asked, handing the wallet back.

“
Last week,” she said. “They released me two months early due to overcrowding. Apparently, there’s an over-abundance of white-collar criminals these days.”