Chance went back to his office and updated his notes, then found Sylvia’s address and consulted with Ben.
Then, at a dead end, he decided to head for the cities to find Sylvia and try more pawn shops for John’s Rolex.
He grabbed the info the insurance agent had faxed him and the brochure June had given him and his list of shops, then drove to the twin cities. If he were the killer and wanted to sell a hot item, that’s where he’d go. Lots easier to be anonymous in a big city.
First, he looked up Sylvia. She wasn’t at her apartment, but her neighbor said Sylvia owned a dress shop in a little mall nearby.
Chance parked out in front and surveyed the little mall. It consisted of a dozen shops, apparently all small niche stores. Striding inside, he spotted a blonde woman sitting at a computer in the glassed in office in the rear corner. There were no customers at the moment, so he walked back to her.
He stopped in the open doorway. “Are you Sylvia Bales?”
She immediately stood and smiled at him. “Yes. Can I help you?”
He showed her his badge and identified himself.
“Oh,” she said, her smile disappearing. She dropped back into her chair and waved him to the one in front of her desk. “I suppose this is about John?”
“I’m afraid so.” He eyed her sad face. “You knew we found his body?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s been all over the news. I feel sorry for June. I only met her once, but she seemed very nice.”
“I suppose. Did you know John well?”
“Not really. He came to Lou’s parties a few times. I liked him. He was nice to me and we were good sex partners. Melanie doesn’t like me, so coming to the parties was always a little uncomfortable.”
“Then why did you go?”
She shrugged, flushing. “Because I’m a fool, I guess. To see Lou. At the parties, we could enjoy sex together without her being able to object. She made the rule that anything goes, so she had to allow it, you see.”
“You couldn’t see him some other time? When Melanie wasn’t around?”
She gave another shrug. “Lou wouldn’t allow it. I’m still in love with him, but he’s moved on, I guess. I thought maybe we could get back together.”
“But he didn’t?”
“No. He’s pretty much under her thumb. What Melanie says, goes, you know?”
“Why?”
“Melanie controls the money, I think. Supposedly she inherited a bundle.”
“Supposedly?”
“Nobody seems to know her parents or how they got their money. Odd, I’d say.”
“Yeah,” Chance said, thinking. In a small town, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Maybe he should check on Melanie’s background.
“Do you know a big, muscular guy named Carl?”
“Sure. He’s their gardener. He and Melanie got it on pretty often. She seemed to especially like him.”
“Didn’t Lou object?”
“How could he? He was getting it on with me and lots of other women, too. As I said, anything goes with anyone there.”
“I see. Did you know Melanie’s family?”
“I think her parents live in Florida.”
“They’re still alive? I thought she inherited money from them?”
“As far as I know, they’re fine. She was talking to them on the phone during one of the parties. I remember her saying, ‘I have company and can’t talk now. Kiss Dad for me. I’ll call you tomorrow, Mom.’”
“Then who did she inherit the money from?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?” Sylvia frowned. “She has a sister, too. Anne. A religious nut.” She laughed. “I don’t know why Melanie invited her, but she came to one of the parties. She was nice as pie during the dinner. But when people started undressing later, she got all holier-than-thou and threw a fit. Starting telling us all God would punish us and we were going to hell. Then she stormed out of the house. A real nutcase.”
“I see.”
A couple of women came into the store and Sylvia rose, a relieved look on her face. “I must go wait on my customers now.”
Chance rose, too, and pulled out his business card. “Thanks for seeing me. If you think of anything that might help us figure out who killed John, give me a call, okay?”
“Sure thing.”
***
Chance headed back downtown to work on his list of pawn shops. After hitting a dozen stores without success, he finally hit pay-dirt.
The shop was small and crowded with shelves of stuff. The smell of dust and mold hit his nose as he walked in. The chubby, gray haired man behind the counter eyed him suspiciously. He wore a name tag saying, Harry.
“What’s up?” Harry growled, pushing his dark-rimmed glasses up on his nose.
From the look on his face, Chance knew Harry had realized he was police. He showed his badge and identified himself anyway, getting a grouchy nod in return. He showed him the picture on the brochure. “Did anyone pawn a Rolex like this one?”
“Get lots of them, but they’re usually knockoffs that aren’t worth much,” Harry said, running a hand through his thinning hair.
Chance grinned. “But you can spot the genuine ones easily, can’t you?”
“Of course. Couldn’t stay in business if I paid good money for an imitation, could I?”
“So, do you have this real one?” he prodded.
Harry shrugged, looking closer at the picture, then sighed. “Probably. Just my luck, I think I’ll make a few bucks for a change and it’s hot.” He turned away, then brought out a box containing several watches. The one that matched June’s picture was there.
“Turn it over so I can see the back,” Chance said.
Harry sighed and complied.
The back was engraved with John’s name and a date the December before. “That’s it,” Chance said. “I’ll have to take it as evidence in a murder investigation.”
Harry nodded and began making out a receipt, then pushed it across the counter for Chance to sign.
“I’ll need a statement about who sold the watch to you,” Chance said, signing the receipt.
Harry shrugged. “He looked like a homeless guy. Wore Thrift Store clothes that didn’t fit him. I can’t be sure, but I see him around on the street once in a while. Tall, thin white guy, maybe in his sixties. He claimed he’d inherited the Rolex from his father. Said he had to sell it ’cause he needed the money, otherwise he’d keep it for sentimental reasons.”
“Did you get his name, make him show you some ID?”
Harry opened a file drawer and pulled out a file. “Here it is. He had an ID card that gave his name as Bob Small. Said he had a different name from his dad ’cause they split up when he was small and his mom remarried. Lots of folks do that, so I didn’t have any reason not to believe him.”
“Do you have any idea where I could find him?”
Harry laughed. “If he knew this watch was hot, you can bet it won’t be anywhere around here.”
“Thanks.” Chance slipped the watch into a plastic bag and pocketed it. “I’ll let you know whether it helps us catch the killer.”
“Yeah,” Harry said, sarcastically. “I’ll be happy to know what I spent five hundred bucks on.”
“Sorry about that, but you know the rules.”
“That I do.”
Chance went back to his car, then pulled out his cell phone and called Luke Kent, a buddy in the Minneapolis PD who he used to work with.
“I’m in Minneapolis on an errand. Got time to meet me for lunch?”
“I wish I could, but I’m swamped today. What’s up with you?”
After a bit of catch-up chatter, he told Luke about finding the Rolex at the pawn shop and gave him the description he had. “Any chance you know this homeless guy, Bob Small?”
“I don’t recall anyone like that off-hand. But I’ll ask around. Maybe some of the other guys know him.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate it, Luke. I’m sure Bob was just the go-between, but I’m hoping for a description of whoever paid him to sell the watch. If you get a description, call me and I’ll email you pictures of possible suspects.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Thanks. Keep it in touch.”
“You too. And enjoy your quiet burg.” Luke laughed at his own joke and rang off.
Yeah, quiet burg all right. He might as well have stayed here in the city.
Chance checked with several homeless shelters in the area, but nobody on duty knew Bob Small. He headed back for the freeway for the hour’s drive home.
***
Back at his office, he went to talk to Sheriff Ben, finding him sipping coffee with his feet on his desk. Chance filled a Styrofoam cup with the stale hot brew and sat. He filled Ben in on what he’d found and showed him the Rolex in an evidence bag.
“Good job, Chance. If we can track down how it got there, we’ll have a good lead on our killer.”
“Yeah. I’m hoping we might find a fingerprint on it. Not much chance after it’s been in the pawnshop a while. And, since our killer sold it through a homeless guy, we don’t stand much chance of finding out who he was. Probably a cash deal, with no names or ID exchanged.”
“True,” Ben agreed.
“But if Minneapolis PD knows this Bob and can find him for us, he might be able to give us a description of the guy. And then he might be able to pick out a picture. I promised Luke I’d email him some pictures of the various people involved.”
Ben rubbed his long, bent nose. “Provided we show him a picture of the right suspect. At the moment, we don’t have any.” Ben lowered his long legs and went to the sideboard to refill his coffee cup.
Chance nodded. “But if we can get a general description, I can send him a picture of anyone connected to the case who remotely resembles that description.”
Ben laughed. “Just pictures of random, possible people? That’s not likely to pan out.”
“Do you have any other ideas?”
“Not at the moment. But I’ll send this watch to the lab. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, yeah. We got the results from the lab on the bullets that killed John. Came from a 38 pistol.”
“Hm. Hope we can find a gun to match it to.”
“Say,” Ben said. “Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Run over to Irene Lonn’s house and keep an eye on Cassie so Tom can come back here and man the dispatch desk?”
Chance’s stomach churned. “Cassie? Ben, what’s going on?”
Ben sighed. “I had to send a deputy out to keep Roy away so Cassie could change locks for Irene. Roy is throwing a fit, and threatening the women, even though Irene’s lawyer got her a restraining order on Roy.”
Chance shook his head. “That guy never learns. I’m on my way.”
***
In the meantime, I sat in Irene’s kitchen, re-pinning the locks.
“Are you sure this is legal?”
“Cassie, I told you, my lawyer says it is. Roy’s lawyer has already agreed that I get the house and Roy has to keep making the mortgage payments instead of paying me alimony. He said Roy’s lucky that’s all I’m asking for.”
“But he’s still out there, screaming at Deputy Tom.”
“Don’t worry about it. He only hits women.”
I sent her a dirty look. “That’s what I’m worried about, Irene. Me.”
“Oh, I doubt he’d hit you. He knows you’re Detective Chance’s girlfriend.”
“That’ll stop him?”
Irene laughed ruefully. “Yeah. He only picks on women weaker than himself. He wouldn’t take on your big detective.” She walked to the front door and peeked out the small window. “Oh…and look who just drove up, Cassie.”
“Who?”
“Your sweetheart. Now we’ll get rid of Roy.”
My heart pounding in worry, I rose and looked out the window. Chance was indeed here. I watched him talk to Roy who was gesturing wildly, his face red. I swallowed. Would Roy back down? He looked too angry to care who he was facing.
Chance had some handcuffs out and was showing them to Roy, evidently giving him a choice.
Roy screamed something and shook his fist, then turned and stalked off to his new silver car. Tires squealed as he backed out of the driveway and roared down the street.
Tom and Chance talked for a minute, then Tom drove away and Chance came to the house.
I gave a sigh of relief and moved back to the table. I finished putting the lock back together as Irene invited him inside, thanking him for chasing Roy away.
“I’m afraid he’s pretty mad,” Chance said. “Deputy Tom told him what your lawyer said, but he doesn’t want to accept it. I hope this won’t make things worse for you.”
“I don’t think so,” Irene said. “He knows my lawyer means what he says and he’ll end up in jail if he makes more trouble.”
“Cassie?”
I looked up warily. “Yeah?”
“He’s threatening you, too. Says you shouldn’t have done this.”
“I’m only doing my job. He needs to talk to his own lawyer if he’s not happy about the divorce settlement. That has nothing to do with me,” I said firmly, though my insides churned at the possibility Roy would come after me.
I got up and reinstalled the lock into the front door, then took out the back door lock and brought it to the table to begin changing the pins inside it.
Chance watched me and sighed. “I know, Cassie. But I don’t think he’s capable of thinking straight right now. How soon will you be finished here?”
“Give me another thirty minutes.”
“Okay. I’ll wait in my car until you’re done, to make sure Roy doesn’t return.”
“Thanks so much,” Irene said, walking him to the door.
“Let us know right away if he comes back. We can arrest him if he violates his restraining order. He’s not supposed to come near you.”
“I will.”
She closed the door behind Chance and came back to the table.
As she sat and watched me work, I asked, “Will you be okay? Financially, I mean, if he’s mad and doesn’t want to pay what he’s supposed to?”
Irene smiled. “I don’t think he’ll dare. If he tries it, my lawyer says he’ll just garnish his paycheck at the bank. Roy won’t risk those new owners learning about his problems.”
“Oh. I’m glad you have a good lawyer, then.”
I finished up and went outside. True to his word, Chance was still there, sitting in his car, working on his laptop. He grinned and rolled down his window to talk to me as I carried my tools back to my van.
“All done?”
“Yes. Thanks for staying.”
“Are you heading home now?”
“No, I have another job. Ted’s gas station is having safe problems again.” I made a face to tell him how much I liked that job.
“When are they going to give up on that ancient monstrosity?”
I laughed. “Don’t let Ted hear you call it that. His dad used it for years, so he thinks it should last forever for him, too.”
“Well, good luck. Want me to bring some food over after work?”
“Sure.”
“What would you like?” he asked.
“Whatever you’re in the mood for is fine with me. Right now, I’m too tired to care what I eat.”
“Okay. I’ll surprise you.”
I leaned in and gave him a kiss, then trudged out to my van. After stowing my tools and pinning kit, I got in and drove off.
I glanced in my rear view mirror to see Chance turn and drive in the opposite direction. A half mile further, I passed a cemetery surrounded by large evergreen trees. A line of cars were just leaving, apparently after a funeral. Most turned toward town, but I noticed one familiar silver car turn the opposite way. As it passed me, I recognized Roy. He was heading back to Irene’s house! He must have been watching for me to leave her house. My white van with my logo on the door is easy to spot.
I pulled over at the next driveway and grabbed my cell phone. Chance answered on the second ring. “Roy passed me a minute ago, heading toward Irene’s house,” I said. “I don’t think he’s had time to cool off, yet.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll give that asshole some cooling off time.” He hung up.
I sighed. Roy wasn’t going to learn his lesson easily, it appeared.
***
I didn’t get home until after six. I took a quick shower and put on a clean pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Might as well be comfortable for an evening at home. Chance arrived with Chinese food a few minutes later.
I put on water for tea to go with it and set the kitchen table. Chance went to wash up in the bathroom, then began helping himself to the food while I made the tea.
“Oh, my favorite,” I exclaimed, spooning some rice on my plate and then a generous helping of the chicken and peapods I loved. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I know you had a hard day,” he said with a grin. “Besides, it’s one of my favorites, too.”
“Good.”
“Did you rent a movie?”
“Didn’t have to. I still have the last one we didn’t watch. A romance.”
“Oh, you want to put me in the mood, eh?”
“You bet.”
“I thought you were tired?”
“Not that tired.” I grinned at him and he grinned back. We ate in silence while we inhaled our food, both of us apparently very hungry. Then I asked, “So, what happened with Roy?”
Chance grimaced. “As you guessed, he’d gone back to harass Irene. She wouldn’t unlock her door to let him in. He was standing at her door screaming at her when I arrived. Then he turned on me and tried to punch me, so I took him to jail to cool off for a while.”
I made a face. “I was afraid of that.”
“Irene is getting smarter, though. She’d already called 9-1-1 when I got there. I don’t think she’s going to be the same doormat she was before.”
“That’s good. More tea?” He nodded and I refilled our cups.
“So how’d the safe problem go?”
I shrugged my shoulder. “I got it working again, for now. I don’t think Ted is ever going to break down and spend the money for a new safe until it won’t work at all anymore.”
“He’s a tightwad, all right.”
“What’s new with you?”
Chance grimaced. “I spent most of the day hunting up pawn shops, looking for John’s Rolex.”
“Any luck?”
“Cassie, you know I’m not supposed to tell you about an open case.”
I smiled at him seductively. “And you know I never repeat anything you tell me.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I finally found John’s Rolex. But it may be a dead end. Whoever took it from John got a homeless man to sell it to the pawn shop with a plausible cover story. We’ll try to track him down to try to find out who gave it to him to sell, but I’m not very optimistic.”
“That’s too bad. But at least June will get the watch back?”
“Yes. After we hold it for evidence in case of a trial.”
“You have no doubt it’s John’s watch, though?”
“No. It’s engraved with his name.”
“Really? The thief hadn’t even tried to remove the engraving?”
“No. The homeless guy said that was his father’s name and he’d inherited the watch, but needed the money, so had to sell it.”
We cleared away the dishes and started the dishwasher.
I poured us each a glass of wine and we settled down on my sofa to watch the movie. Soon we spent more time kissing and making out than watching the screen and Chance picked me up and carried me off to my bed, where we could continue more comfortably, minus our clothes.
***
In the meantime, Lou Bales sat in the local bar, commiserating with some buddies. Life had gotten more complicated since the new owners took over their bank. He felt his life was slipping out of control. He had been a big shot before as one of the partners. Now he was only an employee and had to answer to a boss. That didn’t go over well for a middle aged man used to being in charge of others.
But what could he do? He should have kept a closer eye on what John was doing. Those bad loans were to blame for all of this.
“Bartender! Another double! And one for my friend, here,” he yelled and threw an arm around the buxom blonde who’d been trying to get his attention.
“Ready to play, big guy?” she purred in his ear. “Let’s go back to my place. It’s not very far from here.”
“Sure, honey. Whatever you say. Drink up, then.” He threw some bills on the counter for their drinks and downed his drink in a few swallows.
She grinned and drank hers, then took his hand and led him outside.
***
Melanie Bales was more than a little teed off. Lou hadn’t come home from work for the third night in a row. When she’d called, she’d gotten his voicemail. So, she’d called the bar where he usually stopped after work. The bartender said he’d been there, but had left a while ago.
“Alone?” she’d asked.
“I…I really didn’t notice, Ma’am,” he hedged and hung up.
She hung up the phone and muttered, “So, he picked up another hussy, did he? Well, what is sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose as well.”
Looking out her back window, she saw a light still on in the gardener’s cottage. She headed down the well-worn path to his place.
Carl grinned widely when he opened his door to find her there.
“Lou’s busy in town playing, so we might as well have a little fun, too,” she told him.
Carl closed and locked the door. She was already busy unbuttoning his shirt. “Hey, I just finished supper. I haven’t had time for a shower, yet. I’m all sweaty,” he objected.
“Then I’ll have to wash you first,” she purred, backing him toward his bedroom.
Soon they were both naked and under the hot spray in the shower. Then, he picked her up and impaled her on his huge erection, pressing himself into her against the wall of the shower. Biting her nipples and suckling them in turn, he pounded into her until both were screaming out their release.
Then they rinsed off, shut off the water and grabbed towels to dry themselves. In his bed they started over, teasing and tasting until both had come over and over.
***
When Lou came home, his wife’s car was there but Melanie wasn’t. He had a pretty good idea where she was. He marched down to Carl’s cottage, ready to pound the man silly.
Then he decided to cool it, and merely peeked into the bedroom window instead. He watched as Melanie gave Carl a blowjob, then Carl turned her around and licked her clit until she was screaming and coming as well.
Damn it, she hardly did that for him anymore, Lou thought angrily. He ought to fire the guy. But firing Carl was too good for him. And Melanie would probably slip him money to pay for an apartment nearby and they’d keep on having fun anyway. No, he had to think of a better solution.
He slipped back to the house and went to bed, pretending to be asleep when Melanie came in a while later and climbed in beside him.