Friday Afternoon, December 12th, 2014
Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department
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“Brinks returned your call while you were out Sheriff,” Holly informed me.
“And?”
“Their mouthpiece says they saw the middle of the night disarm and rearm at the Marshburn residence but they didn’t even bother to make special note of it let alone question it. They assumed it was someone letting a dog in and out or someone coming home very late from a night out.”
“They don’t know their customers very well then, do they? The Marshburn’s don’t have a dog and they’re hardly of an age to be out and about at that time of night.”
“They didn’t let their service know they’d be away boss lady?”
I blew out a heavy breath, “They are of an age where they forget things like that.”
Mason and I continued into my office.
When we were seated, I began thinking out loud to her, “At first, I though the Lepley burglary might be an isolated thing. Now, with the Marshburn burglary following a very similar pattern and the Oberle one too, if we don’t discount that one out of turn, I’m not so sure.”
“Similar items taken in all three,” Mason replied, nodding, “and all three in some of, to me, the wealthier neighborhoods in town...I mean, I know I’ve been out of the loop for several years, but that’s my take. My mother would call those areas ‘hoity toity’, please pardon the expression.”
I nodded in confirmation. “Yes, you and your mother are on the money, so to speak, there.”
Janet cracked a slight smile. “So, you’re thinking either that they’re all related or that we’re maybe dealing with a crime ring of some sort?”
“Yes and no,” I told her. “The problem with that sort of theory is that they’re in two different areas and with different alarm companies for the two that have alarms. To really know for sure, we...you, I should say, need to work on figuring out what if any connection there is between these victims. What might link them all together as targets, besides the obvious?”
“Roger Sheriff. I’ll start digging a little deeper.”
She grew quiet but she didn’t get up to leave. Just when I was about to ask her if there was anything else, she started to hem and haw at something.
“Mason, what is it? If this is about earlier, it’s okay. Just watch it from here on, deal?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that Sheriff. I, uh...just so you know, I got wind of a little extra duty that was available and, after my move and all...I could use the cash. Mom’s staying with her sister tonight so I’m going to pull it...if that’s okay?”
“What sort of extra duty?”
“Actually, something that might help us if I keep my eyes and ears open and my trap shut, for once.”
I grinned at that but I didn't respond and let her continue.
“There’s a holiday party tonight at the Zanesville Mayor’s house in one of those upper class enclaves over near the Eagle Sticks Golf Club. Deputy Treadway told me about it. They asked for a lot of plainclothes security.”
“That’s tonight?”
Janet nodded.
“Lord, where on earth does the time go?” I was exasperated. “I’m supposed to be there as an invited guest. I detest those sorts of things but appearing at them seems to be all a part of my job...at least you’ll be getting paid for it.”
Janet breathed out a sigh that I could only take as relief. “So you’re all right with me pulling that sort of duty?”
“Of course, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your normal work. In this case, I think you’re right; we might be able to pick up some useful information. Not only that, a lot of Zanesville society, if there is such a thing, will be there tonight. Their homes will be empty. I’m thinking we need to have a few unmarked’s in and around the area too, just keeping an eye on things.” It’s times like this when I wish I had about 12 more deputies...
###
Dana, bless her, hadn’t forgotten about the party at all. When I finally got home, she had my nicest half formal, half feminine looking suit waiting for me and she was midway through getting dressed herself.
“Whew baby!” I exclaimed, eying her in the slit formal gown she’d just wiggled into and was letting fall over her hips. “How about we stay in tonight and I take you back out of that dress?” I reached for her and tried to tug her to me.
She swatted me away. “Not on your life, Melissa Crane. I know you hate going to these things but I need a night out and we’re going.”
“We could go anywhere...”
“We could, but I want to go somewhere where people are going to walk by me with food and drinks and I can just take them; somewhere where no one’s talking about stores, and grocery orders and lighting fixtures and on and on.”
I could hear the frustration in my wife’s voice. “Have you been able to do any writing at all this week?” Because, I know how much that calms you down...
“Who’s had time? Besides, what the hell would I even write about? Everything lately revolves around this store. It doesn’t do anything for the creative juices at all.”
“Are you regretting your parents deciding to move here and buy it?”
“No, no, not at all. Nothing like that. I just didn’t expect to be doing so much, is all. I don’t know how to explain it...”
“Wasn’t the health department inspection today?”
“They were here Wednesday. They pointed out a couple of things that had to be corrected within 10 days but it wasn’t major stuff. They said they’d go ahead and send Mama’s certificate. She’ll be haunting the post office. Once she gets that, all hell will break loose. She wants to do a grand re-opening.
Putting down the hanger that still held my slacks, I moved to her again and took her in my arms. This time she let me. “Hopefully, for your sake, it won’t be like this too much longer.” I remembered saying something similar to her earlier in the week.
###
“If I do say so myself, we look damn good,” I whispered to Dana, as I extended my arm to help her up out of the passenger side of her car. I caught a flash of her right leg through the slit of her dress as she levered herself up on that leg and brought the injured left one out to meet it.
So sure of herself less than an hour before, now she blushed self-consciously. I reassured her, “Don’t worry babe, I’ve got you.”
“I really shouldn’t wear heels but...this dress...”
Giving her my most brilliant smile, I responded, “I said, I’ve got you.”
After handing the keys off to a young man from the valet service the mayor had apparently hired for the evening, I strolled with Dana to the door, her arm tucked firmly into mine.
We weren’t ten feet into the vestibule and still arm in arm when I spotted Janet moving past the entrance to the Mayor’s living room, just ahead of us. She saw us too and paused and then did a double take as her eyes shifted from me to Dana. She quickly looked away and continued in the direction she’d been heading.
“Did you know her?” Dana asked me.
Bending so my lips were near her ear, I said, “That’s Janet Mason, my new detective.”
Dana gave me the eye as if to question the use of such discretion.
“We sort of have a case we’re working,” I whispered in response, “and something might just turn up here tonight in conversation.”
My wife simply nodded, ever the investigative professional, even in her forced retirement.
Some things you just don’t lose, I thought.
Janet Mason
###
It was cold out, but I needed a little air. I joined the smokers on the Mayor’s terrace and stood as far apart from them as I could, gulping in the chill of the late fall evening. It was almost cold enough to snow, but not quite.
My back against the railing, I gazed through the French doors, back into the home. The party was in full swing. I tried to catch a glimpse of my boss and the lady on her arm in the royal blue gown, but they weren’t in my line of sight.
Seeing Mel arrive with a beautiful woman had startled me, I hated to admit, even just to myself. I knew Mel Crane was gay before I accepted the position with the department. It was one of the factors that swayed me toward her department; that and being offered a detective position. I called the Assistant Chief and turned down an offer for a patrol position with the Zanesville PD minutes after Mel called me and made her offer.
Part of my decision was the opportunity to continue in investigations and part of it was that I wanted to be somewhere where I didn’t feel like I needed to explain myself all the time; where I didn’t have to defend myself against a constant barrage of male testosterone and crudity. I felt bad that earlier today, I’d done the very thing myself that I was rebelling against. That ate at me and Mel’s pointing it out and her rebuke still stung.
Shivering in my taupe pantsuit, the only semi-formal wear I owned besides my department issued blues, I levered myself back to fully upright and resolved to go back inside to warmth and to try to mingle a little more. I had two jobs to do; one the mayor knew about and one that he didn’t.
About a half hour had passed, when I happened to be standing with a small knot of people who were chatting about city development. Mel and her date wandered nearby and she greeted one of the men with our group as Aiden and struck up a side conversation with him.
Attempting to eavesdrop, I heard her introduce the woman with her as Dana, her wife. A pang of unexpected jealousy shot through me so fast, I could feel the heat rising in my neck. I swallowed hard and attempted to stuff the urge to react further back down then I tried to focus on the conversation still continuing with the others around me. I’d almost succeeded in turning them out when, over the man’s shoulder, Mel caught my eye and tipped her head slightly to her right. The man she’d called Aiden was talking to Dana and didn’t catch her subtle gesture.
I excused myself to go and freshen up my drink – tonic water with a dash of cola for color – that I was sipping from a highball glass and met Mel, alone, steps from the bar. As she offered me her hand by way of greeting, she raised her left hand slightly with the glass she herself was holding. It was the first time I’d bothered to notice her wedding band. Another pang shot through me. Some investigator I am!
Mel, seemingly oblivious to my agitation, steered us a few steps left of the bar, to a quiet corner where we wouldn’t be overheard.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
Trying to focus on the job at hand, I told her honestly, “So, so. I’ve met a few people that are big wheels around the county but, so far, no one’s mentioned anything significant or useful...it’s all polite small talk.”
Mel grimaced, “That’s the way these things usually are. Look, I don’t want to blow your cover. Do the security job you’re here to do but please also continue to keep your eyes and ears open and listen to what people are talking about as discreetly as you can, when you can. You never know what little piece of information will turn our case around.”