Quandary: A Detective Series, page 25
“Yeah, who’s that?”
“He’s with the Jellico Police Department, you know, Jellico, Tennessee.”
“Chief, I know where Jellico is. What did he want?”
“He said he just wanted to talk with you?”
“Okay, about what?”
“Not sure. Here’s his contact information. Let me know if it’s anything important, okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Carla returned to her desk, where Beth and Bernie were anxiously waiting. Carla was still absorbing this situation when Bernie stared into her soul.
“Well, McBride, what have you done now?”
“Bite me, dickhead. What makes you think I did something wrong?”
“I’ve seen that look before.”
“Nothing, I did nothing wrong.”
“Well, then what is it?”
“He got a call from a Detective Washburn in Jellico, you know, Tennessee. Where we interviewed Karen Ballard.”
“Yeah, I know where Jellico is.”
“Don’t be such a dick, Kowalski. He told the chief to have me call him later this afternoon. That’s all I know. What do you say, we discuss Beth’s cold case in the conference room in about ten minutes?”
After two hours of intense discussion, they broke for lunch. McGruder’s was unusually quiet, and that fit Carla’s demeanor. After sliding into their favorite booth, Sam arrived to take their orders. Immediately, she noticed the rock.
“Detective McBride, that’s one hell of a rock. When’s the big date?”
“Next May, maybe a destination wedding on a cruise ship.”
“Congrats. Chris is a lucky man.”
Bernie interjected, “I wouldn’t go that far, Sam.”
“Bite me, Bernie.”
Smiles and laughter moved around the booth while Sam took their orders. After a quiet lunch, they returned to the station. Beth and Bernie continued to compare notes on the Angel Hardesty cold case while Carla stared at Detective Jerimiah Washburn’s contact information. As her pulse quickened, she informed them she would be in the conference room for privacy.
After entering the room, the closing of the door provided her with the privacy she craved. She pulled out Detective Washburn’s contact information and thought for a moment what he wanted. Baffled, she dialed his number, placing the call on speaker. After several rings, a twangy dialect filled the speaker.
“Detective Washburn, here. How may I help you?”
“Detective Carla McBride here. Chief Evans said you wanted to speak with me?”
“Oh, right, right. Thank you for returning my call.”
“Of course, how may I help you?”
“I’m investigating a suspicious death at the former home of Karen Ballard.”
“What, you did say former home, right? Suspicious death, who?”
“Yeah, get to that in a minute. Umm, Mrs. Ballard died suddenly about a week ago, a massive stroke. The house is in foreclosure, now.” Silence smothered the room as Carla sighed heavily. “Detective McBride, you still there, everything, okay?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry to hear about Mrs. Ballard’s passing. We had a good visit with her a month ago or so. Umm, how did you get my number?”
“Oh, about that suspicious death. A realtor found a body inside her house.”
“Who was it?”
“Lenny Clark.” A gasp, a loud thud, and then silence shattered the conference room as her pulse skyrocketed. “Detective, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I didn’t expect that. You mentioned a note?”
“Right, right. First of all, on the outside of it was your contact information. That’s how I knew where I could reach you.”
“The note, what did it say?”
“Right, umm, nothing.”
“Seriously, nothing at all?”
“Well, it didn’t make any sense to me. Maybe it will to you.”
“Okay, go on?”
“I thought it was kind of weird. A circle with the initials LJ inside. Why leave a note if you didn’t want to say something?”
“Yeah. What was the manner of death?”
“He was hanging from the railing at the top of the stairs. Although it appears like suicide, the coroner found a needle prick on his neck. Sounds like murder to me.”
“Damn, I knew it. I just couldn’t prove it, shit.”
“Knew what, prove what?”
“Angela was behind all of the deaths involving the Oakmont Diamond Brotherhood.”
“Angela, who?”
“Umm, Angela Clark. She finally got revenge for her cousin, Bambi, for her mom and herself. And now, she killed the only person that could implicate her. Lenny is her brother, well, not really. She grew up thinking he was, but eventually found out he was only her half-brother instead. He was the result of a rape, you get the picture, right?”
“Uh-huh. Diamond Brotherhood, what’s that all about?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Detective, I got all the time in the world. This murder is a big deal down here. Do you know where this Angela might be?”
“Umm, no idea. Just put out a BOLO for a pearl white Porsche 911 with the vanity plate STUD. You just might find her with Preston Geronimo, the owner.”
“Umm, well now. You know, that won’t do any good.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, state police found that beautiful piece of machinery at the bottom of a steep ravine. It appears the car exploded on impact. The remains inside have not been identified yet, and honestly, might never be.”
“Huh, one body or two?”
“Well, it’s hard to tell if anyone was in the car.”
“Hmm, interesting. Where’s the note?”
“I’ve got it here.”
“Take it out and smell it, okay?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, just smell it?”
“Okay, this is a first for me.”
As several deep sniffing sounds softly filled the speaker, a smirky smile beamed across her face.
“Uh-huh, you know, I recognize this scent. My wife wears it. I believe it’s, umm, called umm…”
“Umari Seduction.”
“Yeah, yeah, right. How’d you know that?
“It’s where this whole story began.”
“Huh, what do you mean?”
“Ah, nothing. Good luck with your investigation and finding Angela Clark.”
CHAPTER 61
While ending the call, footsteps moving down the hallway grabbed Carla’s attention. The sound of the distinctive stride echoed off the walls. Getting up and leaving the conference room, she and Mayor James collided. Her folder and its contents flew all over the floor.
“Sorry, Mayor James, I didn’t see you.”
“That’s okay. I’m on my way to meet with the chief. I’ll pick up those documents for you. I shouldn’t have been looking at my phone. Distractive walking, I guess, sorry.”
“No problem, mayor. Did you say you had a meeting with the chief?” He grumbled under his breath. “Great, I was headed there as well. So, I’ll join you.”
“Uh, what’s going on?”
“Mayor, in the chief’s office now.”
Expecting the mayor, Chief Evans was standing in his office. He entered, followed by Carla. A questionable scowl met her angry eyes and disposition.
“McBride, what the hell is this about?”
“Chief, before you blow your top, hear me out, okay? Take a seat, mayor.”
“This better be important because Lester and I have some important business to discuss, you got it?”
“Yeah, chief, I got it, but so do I. Detective Washburn, you remember him, in Jellico, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I called him.”
“And?”
“I’ll make this short, and then the mayor is going to answer my damn question, right mayor?”
While shrugging his shoulders, the mayor’s nonchalant disposition ignited Carla’s Irish temper, and a loud boom rocked the walls.
“Listen close, mayor, Angela’s brother is dead. Did you hear me, dead, just like Bryan, Barry, and Rich?” A palish tone grabbed the mayor’s complexion as he deflected her angry and dagger-like eyes. “Yeah, murdered, and it appears Geronimo may be dead, perhaps at the hands of Angela.” As stoic expressions flew back at her, she continued. “Mayor, I didn’t get a chance to ask you before all hell broke loose when everything went down at the cabin.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You said Bryan went into the other bedroom the night the Diamond Brotherhood partied and raped Bambi, right?”
“I don’t recall saying that.”
“The hell you don’t. I recorded that interview. Would you like to hear it again?”
“No, I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She pulled out her iPhone and played the audio clip. The mayor’s distinctive voice flowed from the phone. A couple of minutes later, she stopped the playback. Glaring into the mayor’s soul, he tried his best to deflect her intense eyes.
“Mayor, now that we confirmed what you said, who was in that bedroom? I’m not leaving until you tell me.”
As he sat quietly, his pulse exploded. While swallowing hard, he searched for some sense of calmness. With his respiration increasing, beads of sweat dotted his brow. While her eyes bored into his soul, he wiped the glistening coolness off his forehead. Chief Evans watching the mayor fidgeting in his chair, glared into his soul as well.
“Lester, answer…the…damn…question.”
As the room grew quiet, the mayor’s forehead glistened under the fluorescent lighting once more. He glanced at Chief Evans, then at Carla, and hung his head low.
“Lester…answer…the…damn…”
“Okay…okay, Chief. Angela…Angela Clark.”
“Did anyone else go into that bedroom that night?”
As a deadly silence grabbed the room once more, Lester looked up to the ceiling, rubbing his forehead, searching for calmness and forgiveness.
“So, you raped innocent Angela Clark?”
“Umm, well, not exactly.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It wasn’t intercourse, you know, it was…”
“It was what?”
“Umm…you know, we didn’t force her to do anything. She wanted—”
“Damn you, mayor—no wonder she was out to get Bryan. Mayor, you know, Angela may still be out there somewhere. Think about that long and hard. You better watch your back.”
“What are you saying?”
“There was a note on Lenny’s body. A big circle, you know, like an ‘on-deck circle’ on a baseball field, you remember, right?” He nodded. “Inside it was the initials LJ.”
“LJ, what the…”
“Yeah, mayor. At first, I didn’t get it, but I do now. Based on everything I now know, Chase and Lenny went after the guys who raped his mother, hoping they could scare his biological father, Larry, into resuming the checks. He would’ve been next if they had pulled everything off. Angela wanted revenge because of what you and Bryan made her do in that bedroom. Furthermore, she did it for her mom. She wanted revenge for Bryan’s father, Alex, who raped her mother, fathering Lenny. I still believe she orchestrated everything and hoped Chase and Lenny would take the fall if they didn’t die in the process. With Chase killed in the shoot-out, she saved Lenny in hopes of letting him take the fall. However, when the district attorney decided not to prosecute him, she killed Lenny, and maybe Geronimo. That way, she’s home free.”
“That’s ridiculous, right, chief?”
“Umm, Lester, maybe, maybe not.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you, detective?”
“Yeah, and unless I can find her first, you’re the next man up. You know, she may never come after you. She may want you to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, wondering when your time is up. Of course, that’s if she’s alive.”
As Carla left the chief’s office, she put the case to bed. Although there were still some unanswered questions burning inside her, she knew she had done her best. She hoped for some quality time off before her big wedding day. Unfortunately, she knew that wasn’t likely to happen since the next case was front and center on Beth’s desk. After calling Beth and Bernie, she met them at McGruder’s. Jameson, her liquid lover, called her name. The mayor’s nonchalant disposition riled her soul to the point that she didn’t care what happened to him. All she knew was Jameson’s amber love could temporarily erase the mayor’s smirky grin out of her mind. That’s what mattered to her now.
After a couple of drinks, she headed home. Chris met her as she entered their apartment. As usual, a loving embrace and welcoming kiss greeted her. Although she had two drinks already, he poured them each a glass of red wine. As they caught up on each other’s day, she noticed a package on the table by the door.
“Chris, that package on the table—what did you get today?”
“Oh, that. It’s for you. Kind of strange, though.”
“How so?”
“There’s no return address on it. I’ll get it for you, okay?”
“Thank you, honey.”
After handing her the package, he nestled beside her as she studied it front and back. No return addresses on anything always sent her pulse soaring. Furthermore, the postmark was just several days ago. That sent her mind wondering. By its shape and touch, she assumed it had to be a book. She wasn’t an avid reader by any means and hadn’t ordered a book in quite some time. After pulling the book out of the cardboard package, her rosy complexion quickly soured, and anxiety rocked her soul. She’d seen the book before and remembered Angela’s recommendation when they first met.
“Honey, were you expecting this book?”
“Not at all. This is a complete surprise.”
“Manipulation Through Hypnotherapy, that’s an interesting title. Wait a minute, wasn’t Angela Clark one of the main suspects in your last case?”
“Yeah…yeah, she was. This is totally bizarre given she might be dead.”
After opening the book, the elegant, cursive inscription on the first page caught her off guard. She’d seen that writing before. While the scent of Umari Seduction took her breath away, her pulse exploded in her soul.
“What does it say, honey?”
“Carla, I can call you that, right? Until our paths cross once more, and you know they will, all the best, Angela.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My wife, Bonnie, is always the first to read my original manuscripts. We discussed the good and the bad. When she finished this novel, she hated my ending. I wasn’t surprised because I didn’t like it either. So, we discussed it, and I went back to the drawing board. In the end, I created a new ending that we both agreed was better. So, I thank her for her honest suggestions.
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my youngest brother, Rick. Upon visiting him in February 2019, I told him about my first three novels and securing a publishing contract. I informed him about my idea for book four in The Detective Carla McBride Chronicles. He offered some suggestions, which I embraced in writing the novel. Although I didn’t use all of them, some are reflected in the finished product. He also suggested a title, given my baseball background. In the beginning, his suggestion, Next Man Up, was going to be the title. However, after many revisions and other titles to consider, I chose a different one. Anyway, thank you, brother.
A LOOK AT BOOK FIVE:
ENIGMA
Detectives Carla McBride and Bernie Kowalski join forces with Beth Pendergast again in a test against their patience and experience when a twenty-year-old cold case is brought to the forefront.
All hands on-deck, a major curveball is thrown their way that takes the investigation well beyond their beloved Oakmont community. And legendary Detective Ace Hutchinson—who was the original lead investigator on the case—becomes a major player.
Only thing is…nobody is sure whose side he is on. Standing in the way of closing this decades-old cold case are a multitude of suspects, persons of interest, and unexplained reasons complicating an already-perplexing investigation.
Can Carla, Bernie, and Beth navigate an illusive case’s twists and turns in order to unravel an unexpected mystery for the ages? Or will they fail on their final quest to deliver justice…
AVAILABLE MARCH 2023
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Thank you.
Nick Lewis
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Nick Lewis lives in Richmond, Kentucky, with his wife, Bonnie. He graduated from Marshall University in the fall of 1970. Upon graduating, he taught school and coached football for one year at Eidson Elementary. He then switched directions and began a forty-year newspaper career. He held circulation and marketing positions at four different newspapers in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. In 2004, he was appointed publisher of The Richmond Register in Richmond, Kentucky. He retired from that position in June 2013 and began his quest to become a full-time author.
In January 2014, Nick created The Detective Carla McBride Chronicles. The first book in the series, The Gold Fedora, debuted in October 2019. The Black Rose, Chasing Truth and Redemption, and Quandary completes the series to date. Book five in the series, Enigma, is forthcoming. He has another published novel, When Eagles Soared.
When Nick is not writing and revising manuscripts, he enjoys golf, gardening, and creating new adventures with his wife of fifty years. Bonnie plays an essential role in his journey of writing novels. He is an avid Marshall University football fan with three grown children, three grandchildren, and two cats named Zorro and Ziva.
