Authors: Sarah Biglow
Debts and Debtors: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #3) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) (7 page)
The sisters walked back inside hand in hand. It appeared they hadn’t missed much at all. Jimmy was just settling into another chair beside Chris. Savannah’s cheeks were flushed and she kneaded her hands together nervously.
Chris leaned back in his chair. “So what has your client decided?”
“I’ll tell you what I know.” She sat up a little straighter and licked her lips. “A couple months back, the head of the development company came around our neighborhood and offered to buy a bunch of people out so they could build the condos. Thomas said no like most everyone else. I wasn’t home when they came by the first time so I didn’t know how much was being offered.”
“I’m guessing it was a pretty nice sum.”
“More than the house was worth. Thomas got it appraised every couple of years. He says it’s out of habit. It was in his family for three generations. His grandfather built it maybe seventy years ago. He took full ownership around the time he married his first wife. When we married he put the deed in my name.”
“Why did he do that?” Chris asked.
“He said that, since life is so short, he didn’t want me to be without a place to live if something were to happen to him.” Tears spilled down Savannah’s cheeks. She let them fall, hands still clasped in front of her.
“What happened next?” Chris prompted.
Savannah took a shaky breath. “The developer sent a man to try to convince us to sell.”
“This man?” Chris held his phone out.
Kalina couldn’t see what he was showing her but she had to assume he’d managed to snap a picture of Victor Mackland.
“Yes, that’s him.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I don’t know … I guess they thought if we went along with it, other people might follow suit. But Thomas was still against selling. When the man came by again, he offered Thomas the opportunity to work for them and in exchange they’d pay him anything he wanted for the house. I told him he should take the job, work for a little while and then we’d cash out. They wanted thirty thousand dollars for the debt package. We didn’t have that kind of money.”
“Not jointly. You had it in your inheritance.”
“I told Thomas we could use my money but it meant he had to take the job and do what they said.”
“Did you know he was going to die?” Jimmy interrupted.
Savannah shook her head. “No, I swear. Last week Thomas came home and told me that he was done working for them and he’d been forgiving loans. I don’t know how but maybe Mr. Mackland was following him because they found out. Mr. Mackland contacted me and said we needed to keep Thomas in line. He said he’d handle it. He was just supposed to talk to Thomas. Scare him a little bit.”
“And instead he ends up dead.”
“I swear I really was going to report him missing when I came in. I lied about when I’d seen him last but I really was worried.”
“What did you get out of this, besides being able to sell the property without him objecting?”
“They were going to pay me three times what the house was worth. I could go anywhere; do anything I wanted with that money. I’m not proud of it but it’s the truth.”
Chris drummed his fingers on the metal table for a beat and then leaned back again. “We didn’t find any prints in the house when we searched after the break-in. Were you involved?”
Back in the bull pen Jillian shook her head, tears of her own shining in her eyes. Kalina kept a firm grip on her sister’s hand the whole time but she could still feel Jillian’s hand trembling in her own.
“I just don’t understand. She had money.”
“Sometimes people get greedy, Jill. And maybe she felt she had no other choice. I’ve met Mr. Mackland, remember.”
Back in the interrogation room, Savannah let out a slow breath. “On Thanksgiving night I got a text from Mr. Mackland telling me to meet him at my house. He said we needed to make it look like someone broke in. I don’t know why since I thought that would lead the police to look into what Thomas was doing but I didn’t argue. I trashed the place myself. I thought I’d gotten rid of the bank transfer receipt but obviously not.”
“So Mr. Mackland orchestrated everything.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Would you be willing to sign an affidavit to that effect so we can arrest him?”
“She’ll do whatever you need,” her attorney said before Savannah could protest.
“Thank you, Counselor. Sit tight and we’ll be back.”
Chris stood up and Jimmy followed him out of the room, leaving the door ajar. Kalina let go of her sister’s hand and closed the distance between her and Chris.
“So what happens now?”
“We draft the affidavit, she signs it and we get a warrant for this guy’s arrest.”
“That’s it?”
“Right now, yeah, that’s it.”
“What will happen to Savannah?” Jillian asked.
“That’s up to the prosecutor. She’s a cooperating witness so that helps her. She may not face any jail time but I can’t say for sure.”
Kalina put a hand on Jillian’s arm in the hopes of getting her sister out of Chris’s way. He didn’t have the time to waste talking to them. Not when a killer was still on the loose.
“Come on, Jill. Let’s go home and let them do their jobs. There’s nothing else we can do here.”
Jillian nodded mutely and started for the front of the building. Before Kalina got two steps, Chris’s hand wrapped around her wrist, arresting her momentum.
“Can you come by tonight? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Sure.”
“Good. I’ll see you later.” He kissed her on the lips.
The gesture made her cheeks warm—not just because it was a sudden moment of passion—and she had to pull away to catch her breath.
“Get this guy.”
“I promise.”
The parking lot seemed oddly empty as they walked out into the afternoon air. Kalina started for her car—intent on following her sister home to make sure she didn’t have a nervous breakdown at the revelation that her close friend was capable of selling out her spouse for money—but stopped when she noted her back tires were slashed.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groaned.
“Do you think that Mr. Mackland did this?” Jillian said from behind her.
“Who else would try to keep me from leaving?” She pulled out her phone and hit Chris’s name on speed dial.
It rang once before he answered. “Forget something?”
“No, someone slashed my tires.”
“And by someone you mean our murder suspect?”
“Yes.”
“Come back in and we’ll file a report.
“No, I’ll catch a ride home with Jillian. You need to focus on catching this guy for the bigger crime. My car will survive.”
“I’d feel better if you filed a report.”
“I promise I’ll do that as soon as you have the guy in custody.”
“Fine.”
“Oh, it’s just a hunch but you should try looking for this creep at the developer’s main office. It’s the address on the business card he gave me the other day.”
“Will do.”
She ended the call. Jillian shifted from foot to foot, waiting for something else to happen. Kalina flashed her sister a smile. “Come on, you should go home. Spend some time with Dan and AJ. After all, I gave him the weekend off so you could hang out as a family.”
“You talked to Dan didn’t you?” her sister said as they walked side by side to her car.
“Maybe.”
Together they checked to ensure that her car was intact before climbing in and making the short journey to Jillian’s place. Jillian put the car in park and cut the engine but didn’t move from her spot behind the wheel.
“You’re going to be okay,” Kalina said and patted her sister’s hand.
“I know. It’s really selfish of me to even feel betrayed or hurt. I’m worried about what’s going to happen to Savannah.’
“You heard Chris. The prosecutor will likely give her a deal. She might not even see any jail time.”
“She’s ruined here though. She can’t stay. Everyone is going to know what happened.”
“I sort of got the feeling she didn’t want to stay here anyway.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Jill, I’m sorry this happened. It’s never easy finding out the people we thought we knew and could trust aren’t the people we thought they were.”
“I guess we’re all learning that the hard way.”
“Yeah. Come on, let’s go inside. I think we could both use a drink.”
“It’s the middle of the day.”
“It’s a weekend and it’s been one hell of a couple days. We deserve it.”
They both climbed out and headed up the front steps. Jillian dug her key out of her purse. “I’ll get the glasses.”
Kalina kicked off her shoes upon entering the house and headed straight for the living room. Daniel and AJ were nowhere to be seen. Just as Jillian returned with a bottle of white and two glasses, footsteps thundered down the stairs and AJ appeared.
“Hey, what’s going on? I thought we were supposed to be doing this whole family time thing this weekend.”
“Your aunt solved the case,” Jillian said, growing misty eyed.
“Not really. Well, maybe I helped a little.”
“Stop being modest, Aunt K. You probably cracked the case wide open.” He settled on the couch between them—taking up far more space than a teenage boy should be able to—and fiddled with the cork from the wine bottle. “So what happened?”
“I don’t really think—” Jillian began.
“He’s going to find out when it hits the news,” Kalina interrupted.
“I guess you’re right. Savannah was involved. She didn’t kill her husband but she knew a very dangerous man was trying to threaten him.”
“Why?”
“For money. She was promised a lot of it if she cooperated with getting people to leave so the development could be built.”
Kalina let out a bitter laugh. “I have a feeling the project won’t be going forward any time soon.”
“Good. Then people won’t have to move.”
“Exactly.” Kalina took a long sip of wine and let it burn down her throat. She’d needed it more than Jillian to calm her nerves. She hadn’t wanted to admit it but she was scared of Victor Mackland. She had no doubt he’d be out of their lives soon but until he was in handcuffs and carted away she couldn’t relax.
She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear her phone ring. AJ nudged her in the thigh, causing her phone to dig into her leg. She yanked it out and saw a missed call from Chris’s cell phone.
“Excuse me.”
She extricated herself from the couch, set her wineglass down on the table and retreated to the kitchen for some privacy. She hit redial and waited while the line connected.
“Hi, sorry I missed you,” she said when he picked up.
“I wanted to let you know we have Mackland and his boss in custody. It looks like he’s going to be fairly cooperative with us. His boss was already starting to talk on the ride back to the precinct.”
“That’s great. You have no idea how much better I feel right now.”
“We still need you to file a report about your tires.”
“You know what; it’s not even worth it. I’ll get new tires. It’s not a big deal. Focus on making the murder charges stick to this guy.”
“If things go well I should be able to get away in a couple hours.”
“Why don’t I come by the house around seven?” Kalina offered.
“That sounds perfect. I’ll see you then. I love you, Kal.”
“I love you too.”
Kalina couldn’t keep a smile from spreading across her lips. The danger was past. If he was willing to confess easily, it made Chris’s job much easier. She returned to the living room and Jillian’s face brightened instantly.
“Good news I take it?”
“They have him in custody and it sounds like he’s going to confess. This whole mess is going to be over.”
“Oh, thank God!” Jillian tipped the bottle over her glass until it was almost overflowing.
Kalina grabbed the bottle before it spilled and drained the rest of it into her own glass. The raised them in a toast and she took a long drink. This time it didn’t burn on the way down. A few minutes later they both set down empty glasses and Jillian pulled Kalina into a hug.
“I’m so glad you were on this one, Kal. I couldn’t have handled all of this without you. I’m sorry I was so bitchy before. I love you.”
“You’re forgiven, Jill. And I love you too.”
Normally, this much show of affection from her older sister would have made Kalina uncomfortable but the relief that washed over Jillian’s face made it bearable. Now she could look forward to whatever Chris needed to tell her tonight.
Seven o’clock came far faster than Kalina expected. She’d gotten AJ to give her a ride home so she could change with enough time to walk to what would soon be her house. On the way over, her phone buzzed with a call from her mother. Guilt twisted Kalina’s gut at the realization that neither she nor Jillian had been keeping their mother apprised of what was happening.
“Hi, Mom,” she said and slowed her pace to a stroll.
“Hi sweetheart. How are you?”
“I’m OK. I’m sorry I didn’t check in after Thanksgiving. Friday was really busy at the shop.”
“It always was for your father too.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t keep you in the loop on what happened with Thomas Chase.”
“Your sister filled me in just now. How horrible. A part of me feels bad for that young woman but the rest me is just disgusted that she’d agree to coerce a man she claims to love into doing something against his principles.”
“Yeah. You think you know someone and then this happens. I think Jill is taking it harder than she’s letting on. But we can be there for her.”
“Yes, of course. Honey, you sound a little winded. Are you sure you are all right?”
“Yes, Mom, I’m fine. I’m just walking to Chris’s.”
She could almost hear the smile in her mother’s voice. “You’re going to have to stop calling it his house soon.”
“I know.” The squat, two-story house came into view and it sent excited shivers down her spine. “I’m here. I should go.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Kalina ended the call and stowed her phone in her purse. Checking her hair in the glass inlaid in the front door, she rang the bell and waited. She spotted Chris through the glass and beamed at him when he opened the door.
“Right on time,” he said and pulled her in for a kiss.
He was certainly being more affectionate than normal. He must have really felt guilty for missing Thanksgiving. He finally pulled away, leaving her breathless.
“Can I get you something to drink? A glass of wine or coffee?”
“I think that depends on what you need to talk to me about. Should I be sober for this conversation?”
Chris’s brow furrowed for a moment as the overhead light caught the strands of gold laced through his hair. “Coffee’s better.”
“Then, sure, I’ll have some coffee.”
He smiled at her and disappeared into the kitchen. She made herself comfortable on the couch and studied the room. They’d brought over some smaller items like pictures already. Even these little touches made the place feel like home already.
“Here you go,” he said, handing her a mug.
She gripped it between both hands and inhaled the aroma. “So did everything go well at the station?”
“He confessed to everything including slashing your tires.”
“Guilty conscience?”
“He doesn’t strike me as the guilty feeling type. I think he realized there was nowhere to go and no one to protect him. The head of the company also confessed to his part in everything. The project is going to be shut down.”
“Good. I’m glad everything worked out.”
“Yeah.” He took a slow sip from his mug and set it on the table. He turned to face her and pulled one of her hands from her mug to cradle between both of his. “I really am sorry I missed Thanksgiving.”
“It’s fine. You had work, I understand that. Besides, there will be other Thanksgivings and Christmases to spend with my family.”
He gave her hand a squeeze but stayed silent.
“Chris, what is it?”
He relinquished his grip with his right hand; it dipped into his pants pocket, producing a small box. “I’d planned to do this on Thanksgiving. Your mom and sister were in on the whole thing too.” He opened the box. “Kalina Greystone, will you marry me?”
Sound fell away and all she could see was the delicate diamond ring nestled in the jewelry box. Of all the things he could have said, she wasn’t expecting a proposal. They’d been together less than six months. But even though their time together again was short, her heart told her she was ready. Their history had led them to this very moment.
“Kalina? Did you hear me?”
She blinked and the world came rushing back. Clumsily, she set down the coffee mug and threw her arms around him, kissing whatever part of him she could reach. “Yes. Of course the answer’s yes!”
“It is?”
She leaned back to give him a proper kiss on the lips. The kiss bubbled over into a fit of laughing when she caught the surprise on his face. “Of course. We’re moving in together. Why would I say no?”
“I don’t know … maybe you thought it was too fast?”
“We’ve been working towards this since high school, Chris. I think we’re ready. Besides, I think we both know there’s no one else out there for us.”
His shoulders relaxed and he slid the ring—a perfect fit—onto her finger. The diamond caught the light from the table lamps and sparkled merrily from its new perch. She curled up in his arms and sighed with contentment. This was the perfect way to end a crazy, hectic few days. Sure, a chapter of a man’s life had come to an end but this one in hers was just being written.
“I can’t believe my mom and Jillian kept this a secret.” She laughed. “No, scratch that. I’m surprised AJ didn’t find out and spill the beans ahead of time.”
“I only wish I could have asked for your father’s blessing.”
A twinge of sadness pulled at her heart but it passed after a moment. Her father would have been proud of her for everything she’d accomplished in the last few months.