A Case of Deceit Page 3

  I manage to finish busting up the crates. Now to start digging my way out of this hole.

  Hours later, I'm about four feet inside the wall. I'm digging the hole big enough for my body to crawl through. I take a break. I need to find something to put the loose dirt on and drag it out. Otherwise, I'm digging dirt that I’ve already dug. I'm covered in dirt from head to toe. Itchy from where the dirt turned to mud with my sweat.

  I'm dying of thirst. My mouth feels like the inside of this hole. I'm not stopping, though. I'm afraid if I do, I won't start again. I got about another four feet to dig. I can feel the stale breeze through the tunnel I'm digging. That and my temper is the only thing keeping me going. With that breeze might be Tee’s and my freedom.

  I'm angry as hell. I plan on getting out of here, find Angela and that goon and kick some major ass.

  Searching around to find something to pile the dirt on to drag it out of the tunnel, I find nothing. OK, time to get creative. I take off my shirt and tie the arms together to make a loop. I can use the body of the shirt to pile the dirt on, the arms tied together to drag it out of the tunnel. I have my sports bra on and who's going to see me anyway.

  I start digging again. Every once in a while Tee comes inside the tunnel to check on me. Otherwise, he's in the bigger room laying down in front of the hole watching me. He did his part. Now it's time for me to do mine.

  I'm almost there. A couple more feet of digging and I can crawl my way into the bigger space. I'm exhausted and Tee and I need water. We need food. I long for a shower. First though I have to live long enough to be able to get those things. My arms feel like lead. My hands are full of broken blisters, bleeding, but I'm still alive. With each shovel of dirt, my anger builds. I let it.

  I have no idea what time it is. My watch died hours ago. Too much dirt inside I’m guessing. I'm finally at the end. I burst through the hole and collapse in the other space. I'm so damn tired. I just lay there on the dirt floor. I don't even have enough energy to lift my head and look around. I close my eyes. Just a minute. I need just a minute.

  I wake to Tee's tongue licking my face. His whines force me to open my eyes. How long was I asleep? I don't have a clue as I struggle to sit up. I groan as my body lets me know of all the pain it’s in. I need to find my flashlight and the satchel. The shirt I know is history. Towards the end, I couldn't even use it anymore as it's in shreds.

  Oh god, I don't want to crawl through the tunnel again but I have to. The flashlight is in the other room. I take a deep breath and move my body through the tunnel. I grab the satchel with the flashlight inside. I notice the fire has burnt itself down to nothing. I must have been asleep for hours. Time to get out of here for good.

  I crawl back and join Tee. Turning on the flashlight, I look around. The place is huge. Dirt floor with walls made of stone. There are barrels sitting around, it looks to me like it used to be a wine cellar. I must be under the mansion! That means there has to be a door leading to the main house somewhere down here. Then I hear Tee growl. A deep growl from my little dog is unusual so I shine the light to where he is looking and see a couple of red beady eyes.

  I grab Tee up with one hand before he can run after those red eyes because I am looking at the biggest rat I have ever seen in my life! The thing is huge and it's staring right at Tee and me.

  Chapter Six

  I stick Tee inside his satchel and place it over my head and across my chest so I have both hands free. The rat doesn't move, just keeps on staring. Something I need to add to my growing list of dislikes. Rats. I move forward a step hoping it will run in the opposite direction. Nope, it just twitches its long nose and stands its ground. This is one brave rat, I wonder where its brothers are and if they are all as big as he is. I don’t want to find out.

  He probably smells the blood on my hands from my broken blisters. I need to get rid of this ugly monster so I can find the door out of here. I take a step back and slowly squat. The shovelhead is here somewhere. It's not much, but it's the only weapon I have. I feel around with one hand for the shovel as my other hand holds the flashlight aimed toward the rat. I'm afraid to take my eyes off of it. My hand bumps against the shovel and I pick it up. Time for something a bit more proactive.

  As I rise quickly from my squat, I fling the shovelhead at the rat. It hits it dead on. I hear a loud squeak and it disappears. I need to get the hell out of this nightmare before it comes back with reinforcements.

  Now to find that door to freedom. I step forward, searching the darkness with my flashlight. I notice a dim gray light filtering in further ahead. I look up and I see dirt-encrusted windows high on the dirt and stone walls. Too high up for me to reach and the windows are too small for me to climb through if I could reach them. I need to find the damn door.

  My light finally rests on some wood stairs. Yes! I hurry to the steps and see a heavy wood door at the top of them. If I'm very lucky, the wood door isn't locked. I say a small silent prayer that it isn't. On closer inspection, the stairs are in terrible shape. Some are broken with large gaping holes. There are probably about thirty steps in all leading up to the door. Standing here isn’t getting the job done, so I give Tee a pat, settle him more firmly in the satchel and put my left foot on the first step.

  “Here goes nothing, my furry friend,” I croak out. My voice is rusty from dirt and thirst. I place my foot close to the sides, hoping the steps will be more solid there.

  I take one slow step after another. When I reach about half way up, I hear the step beneath my foot crack. I need to slow down. In my haste, I step too close to the middle and the wood gives out underneath my foot. My leg goes through and I grab the railing before I fall too far in. I drop my flashlight in my haste and hear it hit the ground. At least the railing held.

  I pull my leg out of the broken step, put my foot on the step above it and keep moving up. I stay more aware of where I put my feet and after what seems like hours, I reach the top step. I grab the handle of the door and push. Nothing happens. Oh, crap.

  I'm not going back. That is not an option. So, I grab the door handle again, turn it and give it a harder push. It's not locked after all. It cracks open a few inches and then stops. Who knows when it was last opened. OK, I need to give it all I got. Which at this point is not much. I take a deep breath, brace myself and put my shoulder to the door. I push with what energy and strength I can muster. It slowly opens wider with a loud screech.

  Just when I think Tee and I have made it safely, I hear a loud groaning sound. The stairs are giving way under my feet. The next few seconds happen as if they are in slow motion. I feel the stairs beginning to fall so I push in desperation against the door. It finally opens the same time the steps fall away. I jerk my body inside the opening and the steps crash behind me. We made it!

  I take a minute to catch my breath; my heart is beating hard as if I just ran a marathon. After taking a few deep breaths, I glance around in what looks to be the kitchen part of the house. There are cupboards on one wall, with a sink that hasn’t seen a cleaning in years. A round table sitting in the middle of the room is covered in deep dust. A vase of old withered flowers is sitting forlorn looking between old dirty salt and pepper shakers. I don't care what the room looks like; we are out of the dark and out of the hole. Now to get out of the house.

  It's dark in here too, but not because it's night. The windows are boarded up solid. There is just enough light coming between the boards to avoid the table and overturned chairs. I try the back door of the kitchen. Locked tight and its solid wood. I need to find a window or a door with glass and try to break through that way.

  I'll try the main part of the house. I brush aside the cobwebs as I walk through a connecting doorway. In the dining room, the long fancy table is still there with a few chairs around it. Nothing for me here. I trudge into the foyer. Large, with a high ceiling and a huge crystal chandelier. If I was more in the mood, it would impress me. Right now, I'm just thinking of fresh air and water. I move further into the h
ouse and come across what looks to be a study with a fireplace. The fireplace has a poker. It's not a crowbar, but it might work on the boards across a door or window.

  I walk back into the foyer and try the front door. Locked of course and looking through the glass partitions of the door I see sturdy boards across it too. For a second, I think about breaking the glass, but they are too skinny to let me through. I walk opposite of the study into what looks like a sitting room. A room with big windows. I take the poker and slam it against one of the windows as hard as I can. It shatters. Glass showers down around me, but I don't care. What's a few more cuts? My mind is set on one thing. Getting out. Now for the boards. I use the poker to finish breaking the glass around the edges of the window, and then I tackle the boards. Compared to everything else I have had to do to get out, the boards’ turns out to be the easy part.

  Sunshine and fresh air meet us as I climb out the broken window. I take Tee out of the satchel and set him on the ground. Taking several deep breaths of the clean air, I watch Tee sniff around some rose bushes. I have never been so happy to see blue sky and green grass, even if that grass is more weeds than grass.

  Now to find a way back into town. I'm not sure who will pick up a hitchhiker in a sports bra, covered with dirt and blood, but I'm alive. I keep thinking these thoughts as I walk towards the front of the house. I feel like I'm a hundred years old. I'm so thirsty I could drink just about anything. Then I spot something that makes me smile. I pick up Tee and start running.

  I see Angela's SUV. I might not have to hitchhike after all. My luck is definitely coming back.

  When I reach the SUV I try the driver's door. It's unlocked, so I climb in and set Tee and his satchel in the back seat. My luck is holding as I spot the keys in the ignition. I lay my head on the steering wheel. I feel so tired and it overwhelms me for a minute. The joy of seeing the SUV leaves and in its place is a crippling exhaustion. I'm just so tired. My body aches in every square inch of it.

  The putrid smell of dirt, sweat and blood fills my nostrils. It dawns on my fuzzy brain that the smell is coming from me. I give out a bark of laughter, and then a lone tear falls from my eye onto my dirt-encrusted jeans. Another soon follows. I sniffle back more before they drop. A thought suddenly pops into my head; I sit up straight and start laughing. I can't help myself. The laughter just bubbles out. I look back at Tee and he gives a sharp bark. I start laughing all over again.

  “Tee, I'm stupid. Just don't tell anyone, OK? We almost met our death in that wine cellar. A wine cellar! With big kegs in it. Do you know what that means? It means that they didn't bring those kegs of wine down those damn wood steps. There must be an easier way in and out. I just didn't think to look.”

  I'm still smiling when I turn the key in the ignition and spot something that makes me smile even bigger. I see an almost full bottle of some fancy named water. I grab it up and twist the cap off. I take a long drink. God, that tastes good. I look around a bit more and spot an empty coffee cup under the passenger seat. I silently thank Angela for not being a neat freak. I tear the top off the coffee cup and pour the rest of the water in the bottom. I hold it out to Tee. He needs water more than I do. In seconds, the water is gone.

  All right, we are alive, we have a vehicle, and we have water. Now it's time to head back to town and kick some ass.

  Before I turn the SUV around and head back, I check my cell. The battery is dead. I look at the clock in the SUV and am shocked at what time it is. I spent almost twenty-eight hours down in the dark and dirt. Twenty-eight hours of hell. Someone is going to pay for that. First, I have to find Angela and make sure she is all right.

  I realize as I'm turning the vehicle around that I don't know where Angela lives. I have her phone number, of course, but it's not going to do me any good if she is with that heavy-lidded goon. I turn onto the highway and head back to town. I doubt that Angela will be at her place. The men would have taken her either to their boss or to Tony's place to look for the deed.

  I went through twenty-eight hours of hell, but so has Angela. They have had her that long. They must know by now that she doesn't know where Tony put the deed. Will they still keep her around? I hope so.

  ***********************************************************************

  I pull into the Hilton parking lot. I grab Tee and put him in his satchel. All I have on my mind right now is a long hot shower, gallons of water and something to eat. Not necessarily in that order. If I can do all three at the same time, it would be perfect.

  My mind is focused on getting to my room as I walk into the hotel and towards the elevators. Mr. Haughty is in position behind the front counter. I know I look like the guest from hell as his mouth drops open in surprise. I doubt much surprises that man. I continue walking and ignore him. The look on my face must have instilled caution, as his mouth closes without him saying anything.

  The elevator stops on my floor, I push myself away from the elevator wall which was helping me stand upright, with an effort. I exit and walk towards my room. Billy is closing a door further down from me and turns in my direction. He stops and stares.

  “Dee? What happened to you?”

  I give the young man credit. He doesn't tack on a lot of stupid questions. I stop by my door and use the keycard. I hear the click and see the little green light come on. As I push open my door, I get an idea.

  “Billy? Can you come to my room in about half an hour? I need a favor.”

  “Sure I can. You all right?”

  I feel the sting of my blistered hands on the doorknob. “Can you get hold of a medical kit? Some bandages, stuff like that?”

  “Yeah, I know where I can get one. Looks like you might need it too.”

  “Give me about half an hour to get cleaned up.”

  “You're going to tell me how you got in this shape, right?” Billy has an expectant look on his face. His eyes are wide with curiosity, but he stifles it for now. Good man.

  “I'll tell you.”

  “I'll be back in half an hour with the kit even if you wouldn't tell me. But I'm dying to know.” He winks at me and walks away.

  I push the door to my room open and walk inside. I can almost feel the hot water of the shower on me already.

  I set Tee down on the floor and start shedding my clothes, or what’s left of them. Poor Tee is as filthy as I am. I'm tired, so I decide to wash both of us at the same time. Nothing like showering with your dog. Normally I wouldn't do it, but this is not a normal situation.

  Afterward, Tee and I are clean and dry. I put some clean clothes on and wait for Billy. My hands hurt like hell. I get on the room phone and order some food and some extra bottles of water. I will never take water for granted again.

  One of the first things I did when I got in the room was plug my cell to the charger. I have a phone call to make. By the time, I had a shower and brushed the dirt out of my teeth the phone had enough charge to call who I need to call. I look at the time and figure I have a few minutes before Billy or the food shows up.

  I hit a number on my phone and hear it ring on the other end. I wait for a familiar voice.

  “Dee, what a pleasant surprise.”

  “Hey, Fedora. Do you know the Wenner Estate outside of Ashville?”

  Fedora aka Robert Holden, a rich man, high-tech geek and most times a royal pain in the ass. I did a case for him a few months back. In fact, his grandmother is the previous owner of Tee, until I rescued him from his dognappers. It was an interesting case. I nicknamed him Fedora because of his penchant for wearing the hats.

  Fedora and I keep a kind of friendship going now. He wants to date me. I keep turning him down. He keeps asking. It's a game we both enjoy playing.

  “Never one for just calling to say hi, are you Watson?”

  “Sorry, was a long night last night. So, do you know it?”

  “You sound tired, Dee. Everything all right? And yes, I know about the Wenner Estate. Heard it was bought for back taxes a few months ago.”
>
  “It was. My old college roommate Angela and her business partner Tony Bandoni bought it. They were going to turn it into an exclusive hotel, spa, and nightclub.”

  “Bandoni? Rumor is he killed himself not too long ago. I met the man a few times at some functions. Funny as hell and a good guy from what I could tell.”

  “It might not have been suicide. In fact, I'm pretty sure it wasn't, Fedora.”

  There was a short pause. “You on the case, Dee?”

  “Yeah, Angela hired me. Now she's been taken by the same guys I'm pretty sure killed Bandoni. They are after the Wenner deed.”

  “Someone believes that old tale about gold bullion being hidden there? Is that where you are? In Ashville?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to know who else was interested in the place. Have you heard of anyone that might be rich enough and willing to kill to get what they want?”

  “There were several people interested in it. Myself included, for a short time. I can get you a list of names. Where are you staying?”

  “Angela put me up at the Hilton. I would appreciate the list and your personal take on the people.”

  “I'll be there by early evening, Watson.”

  “Hey! No! Don't come, Fedora! I just need the names.” All I hear in an answer is the click of the phone as he ends the call.