Slumbered to Death (8 page)

“I assume you’re referring to Luke.”

“He’s never going to forgive me, not really.”

“Then that’s a pity, and it’s his loss. I love Luke, but he has to learn to let things go. And you, too. That was a long time ago. It’s time to stop beating yourself up over past mistakes. He can’t forgive you until you forgive yourself. If he wants to live with fear and unforgiveness, then that’s very sad for him. But you can’t let his issues become your issues. Luke isn’t the only good man in the world.”

“It certainly feels that way sometimes.”

“Enough dreariness. Where are we going next?”

“We’re going to the workplace of Erin Jones.”

“Why the workplace?”

“Her boss is the one who reported her missing. She’s not from around here. None of the information he gave the police checked out.”

Sadie parked in the lot of a small manufacturing company. She had passed the place hundreds of times and still had no idea what they produced.                    

“We’re looking for Ted Whitehall,” she greeted the receptionist.

The woman gave a perfunctory smile of welcome as she picked up the phone. “Ted, two women here to see you. I’m not answering that.” She slammed the receiver down and muttered something under her breath.

Ted appeared from his office. “I’m Ted Whitehall. How may I be of service?”

You can start by directing your eyes a foot north of where they are now,
Sadie thought. She read him from the first moment she saw him. He oozed smarminess. Outwardly, he was an attractive man, better looking than average. His looks were negated by his creepiness and the gallon of cologne he had bathed in that morning. Sadie forced herself to shake his proffered hand, tugging it away when he held it a few beats too long. She resisted the urge to wipe her palm on her leg. She would definitely need another shower after this interview.

“We came to ask a few questions about Erin Jones,” she said.

“Don’t tell me two ladies as pretty as you are policemen,” he said with a hearty chuckle.

Sadie and Abby didn’t reply. They stared him down until he squirmed and turned away. In Sadie’s experience, men like Ted were afraid of their own shadows. But if they sensed they could dominate, then they would. It was best to be firm and straightforward, giving him no opportunity to gain a foothold.

“Let’s go into my office,” he suggested. He put his hand on the small of Sadie’s back. She moved pointedly out of reach. “Why do you want to know about Erin? Are you related? You look a bit like her.”

“We’ve been hired to investigate her disappearance,” Sadie said. It was a stretch of the truth, but she had the feeling that there was more to Ted’s story than that of a concerned boss. When he visibly shrank back, she knew she had hit the mark.

“What have you heard? I didn’t do anything to her. If I did something, why would I report her missing?”

“Why, indeed?” Abby said. “You tell us.”

“Erin made some baseless allegations, but we were working through them. We came to an understanding, and then she didn’t show up for work. I went by her house, and she wasn’t there. At first, I thought she had just quit, but to be safe I made a police report.”

“You were harassing Erin, she went missing, and you were afraid you would be blamed for her disappearance,” Sadie summarized.

“People misconstrue things. I thought Erin could take it, I thought she understood that we were joking and flirting a little. Then she got sensitive and turned into a feminazi on me. I backed off, okay. It’s not worth losing another job over. I mean this job. It’s not worth losing a job over, and I would never hurt her or anyone else. I love women.”

He gave them a petulant, pleading expression, practically begging for their reassurance; they didn’t give it. Sadie had been the recipient of too much unwanted male attention to take his side. Instead she put herself in Erin’s shoes. Her boss had probably made her uncomfortable. Uncomfortable enough to disappear? Sadie had never quit a job because a man made her uneasy, but then she had learned how to handle the situation. She had never gone to the higher ups, preferring instead to gain the upper hand in her own way, but she felt for the women who had no choice but to complain or file suit. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place and then often labeled as troubled for complaining.

On the other hand, Sadie didn’t think Ted had anything to do with Erin’s disappearance. All she had to go on right now was her gut, so she would check into him and sort out his story. “The police were unable to find any record of Erin in the system. No license, no family, nothing. How do you explain that?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t have anything to do with the hiring process. She was run through human resources just like everyone else. They require a background check and two forms of identification. You should talk to them.” In other words, get out.

“We will,” Sadie said.

“They’re at a conference today,” Ted said.

“We’ll check back. Thank you for your time.”

“The world at large is leaving a bad taste in my mouth today,” Abby said as they sat in the car, staring at the ugly brick building.

“I’m starting to understand a little of why Gideon is so cynical and grumpy all the time. I feel like we’ve been lifting rocks all morning and now the bugs are starting to run,” Sadie agreed. Three missing people, three sad situations, three cases loaded with lies and deceit. “Even worse is that I have no idea if any of these cases is connected to ours. I guess the next step is to run all of these people by Ben and see if anyone is familiar. Right?” She turned to Abby for her input.

“That sounds reasonable. Detecting is much harder than I thought it would be. I pictured us asking a few questions, poking around, and getting some answers. I forgot that everybody lies. If people didn’t lie, there would be no need for a judicial system.”

“Yes, but if people didn’t lie, then we would be out of a job.”

“We could still find things,” Abby said. “Like pills, things of that nature.”

“Do you not want me to go forward with this case, Abby? I could give him back the money. We could find something else.”

“Don’t be silly, Sadie. I’m old and I like to ruminate about life. Pay no attention to me when I become philosophical. We made a commitment to help this man, and we’re going to see it through. Plus I really like that boatload of money he’s paying us. I never realized before how much I enjoyed money until I lost all of it. What’s this man, this Ben like?”

Sadie didn’t want to prejudice her with her opinion. She was counting on Abby’s intuitiveness to help her sort her own opinion of Ben. “You’re about to find out,” she said as she started the car to drive to Ben’s house.

Ben’s house was almost as grand as Abby’s. Some people might say it was even better. Sadie wouldn’t because she knew that Abby’s stately family manor was a point of pride. Her family had built the town, their home was supposed to be the largest and the grandest. No matter that it had been during the Victorian craze and several other painted ladies had popped up all over town, Abby considered her home to be the best and most original of its kind.

“That trim is not a historical color match,” Abby sniffed. “For his sake, I hope he doesn’t try to have it registered. The committee would never let him get away with such a faux pas.”

To Sadie, the trim looked the same color as every other Victorian house in town. However, Abby was probably right. The historical committee was nitpicky and wielded a lot of power, especially since Abby was the president emeritus.

Ben opened the door before they could knock. His gracious smile was a nice change from the surlier welcomes they had received that morning. “Hello, ladies. I’m so thankful you could make the trip, and on such a beautiful day, too. One never knows what we’ll get this time of year—sun, cold, wind or rain.”

Unknowingly, he had already scored points with Abby for discussing the weather. She believed in inane talking points when conversing with strangers and was not a fan of laying one’s personal drama on the laundry line for all to see. Reality television was responsible for the decline of civilization, or so Abby believed.

“Ben White, this is my partner and good friend, Abby Atwood.”

“Ms. Atwood,” Ben said. He took her hand in an old-fashioned, courtly manner with her fingers tipped downward. He didn’t go so far as to kiss it, but he did a sort of bow that no doubt won more points with Abby’s old-Virginia style of proper etiquette.

“Mr. White, please call me Abby. I may be old, but I can be informal as today’s kids.”

She likes him,
Sadie thought. Contrary to her words, she never let anyone she didn’t like call her less than Ms. Atwood.

“Abby, I’m pleased to meet you. Sometime I would love to talk to you about my house. I’ve been trying to renovate it to historic standards, but I can’t get the trim color right. Your house is perfect and can serve as my model.”

“I would be happy to talk architecture sometime,” Abby said. “Perhaps when this mess is cleared up, we can have coffee.”

“Don’t think I won’t hold you to that,” Ben said with a smile. “Let’s move into the living room, shall we?”

Sadie felt suddenly like they were characters in a play. Everything was so formal and precise. They moved into the living room. Ben had tea set up on a tray. Before she could roll her eyes at the too-perfect arrangement, she noticed that his hands shook as he poured them each a cup. Maybe he wasn’t as cool and self-contained as he wanted them to believe. He sat and cleared his throat.

“What did you find out?”

The slight tremor in his tone was heartrending. His life hung in the balance, and he was understandably nervous.

“There are three missing people,” Sadie began.

His eyes squeezed shut. He took a steadying breath. “Go on,” he urged. His voice was husky. He sipped his tea.

“There’s a girl, she’s fifteen. Her name is Alana. Her mother thinks she may have run off with her boyfriend, although the police interviewed him and he says he hasn’t seen her since she disappeared. Here’s her picture.”

He set his cup on the saucer with trembling fingers and reached out to take the picture. “She’s a pretty girl, but she doesn’t look familiar. Who else?”

“Another woman, this one is about my age. Her name is Erin Jones, or at least that’s what we think it is. Her boss reported her missing, but when the police ran her info, they came up empty.”

He took the picture of Erin and studied it. “She doesn’t look familiar, either. Does she have a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know,” Sadie drawled.

“I’m trying to think of any possible connection. The only one I can think of is that I did a speed dating session last spring. But if she has a boyfriend, then she probably wouldn’t have been one of the women I met. There were so many that night; I can’t remember their names or faces.” He set the picture aside with a faint blush. “Sadie, did you ever think that maybe if I did something, it was totally random? Maybe I walked in my sleep, met up with one of these women and…the one is just a girl, she’s a baby, what if I…” His hand swept wearily over his face, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. “Who else is left?”

“A man this time. His name is Edmond Hankins.”

He froze, his eyes widening in surprise. “Do you have a picture?”

She handed him the picture. He stared hard at it, bringing it to his face and away again. Sadie’s stomach pitched and tightened. Did he remember something? Had he killed the man? “What is it?” she asked when she could take it no longer.

“Ed and I were in the same ranger unit in the army. We weren’t friends, but I definitely remember him. That’s a pretty odd coincidence, don’t you think?”

Sadie thought it was a monumental coincidence. Army units came from all over the country. What were the chances that two men from the same elite ranger unit ended up in the same town? And now one of those men was missing and another thought he had killed someone. “Ben, please don’t take offense at this question, but were you given any drugs in the army? Did they do experiments on you?”

He chuckled, but the sound was more anxious than amused. “No, nothing like that. It was your everyday run-of-the-mill unit. There’s nothing that happened in the army that would be responsible for what I’m going through now, nothing but regular experiences that got to me more than they should have.” He tapped the picture. He hadn’t taken his eyes off it since she gave it to him. “Do you mind if I keep these records? I would like to read through them and see if anything triggers.”

“Is it okay if we make copies? I want to reread some things myself. I’ve only done a preliminary run through. If I’m going to follow up and see what develops, then I need to become more familiar. I can have some copies made and drop them off tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “Good being a relative term when my life hangs in the balance.”

“We’re going to get this figured out, Ben,” Sadie promised.

“It feels good to simply have a starting place,” he said. “I guess I can look on the bright side: at least we don’t live in a booming metropolis where dozens of people go missing at a time. Three seems like a low number until I consider that I might have had something to do with any of them. Then one is way, way too much.”

“I know,” Sadie said. She reached out and patted his arm. He gave her a weak smile.

Abby cleared her throat. Whether it was intended as a signal or not, Sadie took it as one and stood. “I’m going to start fresh tomorrow and widen the net. That means I’ll be talking to your neighbors and neighbors of the missing people. I’ll probably flash your picture if I feel I can do it without bringing any trouble on your head.”

“Do whatever you need to do to get this thing cleared up,” Ben said. He walked them to the door and remained leaning in the doorway as they walked to the car. Sadie waited to speak until they were out of the long driveway.

“What do you think of him?”

“I don’t know,” Abby said. She sounded perplexed and a little put out. “I don’t remember a time when I’ve had such a hard time reading someone. At times, he was debonair and charming, almost like he was giddy over our presence. And then he would switch to anxious and upset with lightning speed.”

“Maybe that’s normal under the circumstances. He’s been under pressure, and he hasn’t been sleeping well.”

“Or maybe he’s insane,” Abby said. “He’s very nice, his house is very nice, he’s very handsome. I feel like I should like him, like I should approve, but there’s something holding me back, and I don’t know what it is.”

“Maybe I’ll talk to Gideon. He has a lot of experience with people under pressure. Maybe Ben’s mood swings are par for the course.”

“If anyone knows mood swings, it’s your father,” Abby agreed. “Can you drop me at Sukie’s house? It’s bridge night, and we’re breaking in a new member since Eliza died.”

“Of course,” Sadie said. “What time should I pick you up?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch a ride with one of the ladies. These things tend to run late, and I don’t want to wake you.”

The first time Abby had said such a thing, Sadie had laughed. Then Abby crept in at two in the morning, and Sadie stopped laughing. She had no idea what went on at those bridge events, but it must be epic. “Have fun,” she called as Abby slid from the car and tossed her a wave.

She decided to check on Gideon before she settled in for the night. Mary’s car was in the drive, but the sight of the other woman looking so cozy and relaxed in Gideon’s living room was still a surprise. Gideon was lying in the same place Sadie had left him, and Mary was sitting in the recliner beside his head, talking and laughing as they ate supper. Despite having lived in the house for much of her life, Sadie had never felt as happy or comfortable as Mary looked. “How’s the patient?” Sadie said because she knew it would annoy Gideon to be referred to as a patient.

“My hearing still works,” Gideon said. “And your muffler is shot.”

“I’ll get right on that as soon as I change into my overalls, Dad. How’s he doing, Mary?”

“He’s fine,” Gideon answered. “I’ve slept like an invalid and watched enough mindless television to kill years’ worth of brain cells.”

“That sounds like my dream day,” Sadie said.

“What did you do today, Sadie?” Mary asked.

“I had some things waxed, touched up my roots—the usual.”

Gideon snorted. “Figures,” he muttered.

“Gideon, she’s teasing,” Mary said. “Sadie’s a natural blond. Why would she have her roots done?”

“I don’t know. I don’t understand woman stuff. All I know is that she spends too much time making herself look good.”

“She’s twenty eight years old and in the prime of her beauty. If I looked as good as Sadie, I would only leave the bathroom to find another mirror and stare at myself some more.”

Sadie eased out of the house so they could bicker about her some more. She appreciated having Mary on her side, but it was hard to see another woman she cared about arguing with Gideon over her. At home, Luke had left a note on the counter. He would be spending the evening at the library. Having the house to herself was such a rare treat that she decided to take a bath in the giant claw-footed tub in Luke’s bathroom.

While the water ran, she retrieved clothes and a novel from her room. Her brain was on overload thinking about Ben and his case. What did it mean that he and Ed Hankins were in the same ranger unit? She had no idea, and she needed to stop thinking about it for a while. Sometimes Sadie thought best when she didn’t think at all; sending information to her subconscious was often the best solution for working out a problem. She double-checked the doors, stripped, and sank into the tub. It was so deep that she could stretch out completely and the water came all the way up to her chin.

Ever since she was a little girl, she had admired the tub. The whole house, really. Once a month or so, Abby had invited Sadie over for a tea party, and they had been a highlight of Sadie’s childhood. Abby had used real china, real tea, and real cucumber sandwiches. Sadie hadn’t even liked cucumbers, yet she had wolfed down the elegant sandwiches at Abby’s house. Then she would find an excuse to wash her hands in the big bathroom. She would stare longingly at the giant tub as she imagined taking a bath in it. At the time, she had loved it because she could fit all her toys in it at once. Now she loved it because she could fit her whole self in it. Even though she was petite, most baths weren’t made for soaking the way this one was.

There was something so soothing about a good soak. Sadie’s bathroom was equipped with a modern shower. It was a nice shower, but still—nothing compared to the tub. She supposed she could ask Luke if he would let her use it more, but it felt odd, like she was infringing on his turf, especially since he was the legal owner of the house now. Abby never had the paperwork transferred back to her name.
We’ll have to do it again when I die. We might as well leave it,
she had said, and Luke agreed. Sadie felt welcome in the house as long as Abby was still living. After that…well, she would cross that depressing bridge when the time came.