A Case of Deceit Read online

  “They are just waiting for daylight. Once it starts to get light they will make their move,” I tell him. They are smart enough not to want to walk around this place in the dark. Or, they have orders from the boss to wait until then.

  “It might take us a while to set things up, so let's get moving,” I tell the guys. “Here's what I want to do.”

  I tell them my plans and what I want done. Billy is grinning and Fedora is frowning. Of course, Fedora doesn't like my plans, I didn’t expect him to.

  “You sure, Dee? Wouldn't it be easier just to get the drop on them when they get here?” Fedora asks.

  I look at him and hold my hand out. “Give it to me Fedora. You know I hate guns. They aren't necessary if you use your brain,” I wiggle my fingers at him. “I know you have one, just give it to me now before someone gets hurt.”

  He stares at me with his stubborn look. “How did you know I have a gun? It's my gun, Dee. I don't need your permission to carry it,” Fedora states with that stubborn look on his face.

  “Dammit Fedora. You almost got me killed the last time you brought that thing to a fight. We don't need it.”

  “I'll keep it on me just the same, Dee.”

  “Suit yourself. But, if you end up shooting your foot off during all the excitement, don't come whining to me.”

  “I don't whine,” Fedora says with an indignant look on his face.

  I laugh. “Yes, you do. Rich men have that tendency to whine.” I laugh again because of the look he gives me.

  “Guys! Don't we have things to do?” I hear Billy's voice overriding Fedoras’ and mine. Damn the man makes me lose my temper faster than anyone I know, except my brother Mac.

  “You're right Billy; we do have things to do,” I say. I ignore Fedora and tell Billy how I want things set up. Time is slipping by; I do not have time to babysit Fedora. I turn to him next and explain what I want him to do once the men show up.

  “I'm not sure I like your plans, Dee. You are setting yourself up to be a target.”

  “I won't be in their sights for more than a few seconds. It'll work if you do your part.” I am not going to argue with the man further. We don't have time. I look up at the skies and notice that it's starting to get cloudy. Our full moon light will be gone soon.

  “Come on guys, the clouds are coming in and we don't have much time to set things up by the moon's light. We need to stop arguing and start working together if we want this to work.”

  Billy heads off behind the house to do his part. I look over at Fedora. “OK, I'm in and I'll do my part when the time is right. I just hope you don't get shot,” Fedora says and heads off towards the bushes next to the SUV.

  I turn to my bike and start it up to move it behind the shed. I have a few things to do so Tee and I will be ready for our starring roles in this. A calmness settles over me. I take a deep breath.

  Time to put my plans in motion.

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

  While Tee and I sit behind the shed waiting, I go over my plans. So many things could go wrong. I refuse to linger on the doubts. Plans can always go wrong. If they do, I will have to improvise.

  I hear some rustling in the bushes behind me and spin around. Yeah, I'm a bit jumpy. Billy comes strolling out with his ever-ready smile in place.

  “I just got a call from my friend David. They got Angela. He said he saw her, so we know she's still alive. David said they got in a silver sedan and are heading out.”

  “How many men are with her?” I ask Billy.

  “He only saw three. After all how many men does it take to kill one woman?” He asks with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “Daylight is still a ways off, so they are moving her early. It's good we got here when we did.” It should still be dark when they get here, just barely dawn.

  “You get back to your spot. It will take them about forty minutes to get here. Not much traffic this time of morning. I'll inform Fedora. You know what to do right?” I ask the kid. I'm sure he'll be fine, but I have to admit, I’m a little nervous.

  “I know what to do, Dee. You can count on me,” Billy winks at me then disappears into the bushes once more. I hope he's right.

  I walk over to where Fedora is crouched behind some trees close to the SUV. “They are on their way, should be here in about forty minutes. It actually works in our favor as it will still be dark when they get here.”

  I love it when things start to work the way I want them too. The men moving Angela early is a good sign. The dark will help us more than the light.

  “I hope you know what you are doing Dee. I'm still not sure it will work.”

  “It will work. It has to. We won't get a second chance,” I tell him.

  I walk back behind the shed. All we can do is wait now. It’s only the three men with Angela, which evens things out a little bit more. The guns have me a bit worried, but I'm betting on them not having them out until they are ready to use them on Angela. The main thing is to get Angela away from them. That is Billy's job.

  As we wait, my mind goes over the last forty-eight hours. It seems like my life has been on fast forward since Angela's call for help. There are still so many questions that need to be answered.

  Why was Tony killed, if indeed, it wasn’t suicide? Was it really over someone believing there was gold bullion buried somewhere on this property? Why hide the deed if that wasn't the case? Where was the deed? Obviously not at Tony's since the goons didn't find it. If not there, where? Why wouldn't Tony tell Angela where it was?

  My mind spins with all the unanswered questions. I need to clear my head before they show up. I take a few deep breaths and do some relaxing techniques my teacher of Brazilian Jujitsu taught me. One important question lingers as I feel my body relax.

  Who gives these guys their orders?

  A short time later, I hear tires on gravel and open my eyes. I look down at Tee and give him a pat. “Showtime little buddy.”

  He looks up at me and I swear if a dog can smile, that he is.

  I peek around the corner of the shed and see headlights. I watch as they park next to the SUV. So far so good. The headlights go out and I hear the car doors opening. My heart pounds with the adrenaline rush of knowing things are about to happen.

  Then a familiar voice reaches me. “Come on, hurry up, let's get this done.”

  It’s the thug who left me in the hole to rot. I smile. I actually find myself looking forward to what's going to happen. My smile fades; at least I hope it happens the way I plan.

  It's barely daylight so all I see is their shadows, but it's enough to see Billy's friend was right. Three big shadows with a smaller one between them that has to be Angela. The hole that I fell through is just off to my right. I notice only one man has a flashlight.

  I pick up Tee and whisper in his ear. This is a trick we have been working on since I got him. He looks up and me and perks his ears. I tell him again.

  “Howl Tee!” He looks up to the sky and lets loose with a howl.

  “Aaaaaooooouuuuuu!”

  “What the hell is that?” I hear someone shout.

  “Don't be such a baby, Dom. It's just some wild dog or coyote,” I hear the main thugs’ voice say.

  “Aaaaaoooooouuuuuu!”

  Tee goes again and I try not to laugh. For a little dog, he has a big howl. I move further away from the shed and into some bushes, I had scouted out earlier.

  The group of men with Angela moves closer to the hole. The guy with the flashlight is shining the light as if he isn't sure where the hole is. Good. I was counting on them not knowing the area that well.

  I know Fedora is close to the cars. I get Tee to howl once more.

  “Aaaaaooouuuuuuuuu!”

  I move once more to another bush. That third howl is also a signal to Fedora.

  “That sounds close, boss! I'm not liking it,” I hear one of the men say. Then I see the headlights come on. I was hoping they would leave their keys in t
he car for Fedora and it seems they are quite accommodating.

  “What the hell! Who turned on the headlights?” Someone yells, as they all spin around.

  “Gary! Check it out.” I see one of the men take out his gun and head for the vehicles. Fedora should be in his second position by now.

  A minute later, the headlights go out. “Nobody here, boss!”

  As I watch them turn back towards the hole, I put Tee down and whisper, “Find Fedora, Tee! Go!”

  Tee goes running across the opening and heads towards some overgrown rose bushes further down. Just before the bad guys showed up, I had taken some talcum powder that had been in my hotel room and covered Tee with it. In the early dawns light, I’m hoping he looks like a specter.

  “Look! It's a damn ghost! What the hell!”

  I hear the guy named Dom yell, “Boss, don't that look like that ladies dog? That private eye’s dog?”

  “Don't be stupid, man! That dog is dead along with that nosy private detective!”

  I watch as Tee races across the opening again toward me. It's good to have a smart dog that listens. I grab him up as he jumps into my arms and immediately move a little further down into the bushes. Thank god for overgrown rose bushes. I’m a little scratched up from them, but it's good cover.

  “That sure in hell ain't no coyote! That's a ghost dog!” Dom yells again.

  “Shut up, Dom!” I smile as I hear the boss's voice, he doesn't sound quite so sure of himself.

  That's my cue. Earlier I poured the talcum powder over myself after I covered Tee with it. Billy thought it was funny, Fedora complained that I was going to be shot. I was hoping that in the low light and with everything happening so fast, they wouldn't get that good a look at me. I walk out of the bushes. The men are still arguing over the 'ghost dog'. I motion for Tee to stay.

  “Come to visit my grave boys?”

  Heads whip around toward me. The man with the gun I was happy to notice looked too shocked to use it.

  “Shit!”

  “What the hell?”

  I slip back into the bushes, grab Tee and run as quietly as I can back behind the shed. Tee and I step out, “It pisses me off I'm dead. That wasn't a nice thing you did.”

  Heads turn towards me again. I notice the guys are closer to the hole. Now if I can get them even closer. I step back behind the shed as I hear the boss shout.

  “Go after her!”

  Dom yells, “You go after her! I ain't running after a damn ghost!”

  I move towards the house. The shadows are darkest there. I step into the early light.

  “Maybe you should join me in that dark, dank hole.”

  Three guys and Angela swivel towards me again. I take a few steps closer and watch with satisfaction as they move backward.

  “How about it, boys? Want to join me?”

  The man called Dom starts walking backward. The boss thug is reaching into his jacket, so I step quickly back and to the left. I really don't want to be shot. I hear a noise behind the men. That would be Fedora throwing rocks. They turn as if they are in a choreographed dance routine. I see they all have guns out by now. Time to make the final move.

  “I would like company. It gets lonely when you're dead,” I say in my best menacing voice.

  I hear a swoosh sound and watch as a ghostly sheet whips past the men. Thanks to a sheet I borrowed from the house and a few pieces of rope Billy found in a shed, we made a ghost figure to swing from one tree to the other. I’m glad Billy is good at climbing trees. That took us the longest to set up, but from watching the effect it was having, it was worth it.

  Chaos erupts. I hear one of the men scream, or maybe it was Angela. They all scramble back. I watch as in all the confusion Billy sneaks in, grabs Angela, and pulls her towards the shadows.

  I run towards them and as they are grouped close together, it’s easy to shove them backward. Just like dominoes tumbling in a row, the three men tumble into the hole. I hear grunts, swearing, and shouts. I stand well back of the hole as bullets come flying out. Harmless to me, but I don't want to take any chances.

  I am actually hoping they run out of bullets. They have yet to meet the giant rat.

  Chapter Ten

  “Dee! Oh, god, Dee!”

  Angela comes running out of the bushes right toward me. I catch her before she has a chance to tumble me backward right into the hole.

  “Whoa, Angela! You ok? Did they hurt you?” I hold her at arm's length and take a good look at her. Her blonde hair is a mess, her makeup is smeared around her eyes from crying and she looks a bit pale.

  “Dee! I thought you were dead. I really did. Those people tore up Tony's house looking for that damn deed, but they never found it. When they realized I really didn't know where it was they were going to kill me.”

  “It's ok now, Angela. You're safe and I'm a hard person to kill,” I calm Angela as Billy and Fedora walk up to us. We can still hear the men in the ground swearing.

  Billy walks toward the hole to peer down and I grab his arm, “I wouldn't do that kid as they still might have a few bullets left.”

  “Are we just going to leave them down there?” Fedora asks.

  “For now we are.” I guide Angela and Billy toward the cars. Time for us to leave this place. The sun is starting to come up and I want to shower the talcum powder off me. I reach into the sedan and grab the keys. No sense making it too easy for them. I'll toss them somewhere down the road.

  “You can't be serious, Dee. You can't leave those guys down there to die,” Fedora grabs my arm.

  “Why not? That's what they did to me. Besides, there is a way out. They just have to find it.”

  I pick up Tee and set him in his satchel. I look at Fedora who looks decidedly upset. Really, what does the man want from me?

  “Ok, I will call the proper authorities and let them know they are down there. Just not yet. I want us well clear of this place.”

  “I would let them rot down there,” Angela says as she climbs into the SUV. “They would have killed Dee and me if they could have.”

  “When will you call them, Dee?” Fedora's left eyebrow raises as he stands with his hands on his hips.

  “Tomorrow morning,” I tell him as I turn to retrieve my Harley from behind the shed.

  “Dee,” I hear Fedora's voice say sternly.

  I turn around and notice Billy has a huge smile on his face, I swear that boy thinks everything is funny.

  “Look, I said I would call the cops tomorrow. That's the best I'm going to do. They won't die in twenty-four hours. They might even find a way out before then. Plus, that gives us twenty-four hours to find that deed and to find out who they are taking orders from.”

  “You have a couple of good points, Dee. Let's get out of here. As you said, they won't die in a day. Maybe they will even think about mending their evil ways.”

  I doubt being in that hole will make Sid decide to go straight. More likely, he will come looking for me with murder on his mind. It might be petty of me to get revenge this way, but damn it feels good. Besides, I said I would get them some help...tomorrow.

  I retrieve my Harley from behind the shed and follow Fedora back toward town. It’s full daylight when we drive into the Hilton parking lot. Fedora pulls in next to me. A lot of talcum powder blew off Tee and I as we rode the Harley, but I can still see traces of it on my clothing.

  Billy, Angela, and Fedora step out of the SUV and join me. It’s time to figure out our next steps.

  “Angela, you come with me to my room. I don't want you on your own until we figure things out,” I tell her as I see she looks a bit pale yet.

  “What's next, Dee?” Billy asks with his usual bright smile.

  “Don't you have to work, Billy?” I ask him as I take in his eyes glimmering with excitement.

  “Nope. Lucky you. Today is my day off,” Billy says as he gives me his trademark wink. Fedora is unusually silent as he stands next to me. Time for me to up the game I think.

&nb
sp; “Billy, you go with Fedora to his room. Give Angela and me about an hour to clean up and order breakfast. I think she could do with some food in her. Then come to my room and we'll figure out what to do next. We need to work fast, as I don't know if those goons will manage to get out of the hole faster than I want them to.”

  Fedora frowns. I know he doesn’t want Billy to tag along. I think the boy is useful and as long as I curb his enthusiasm, he does what I ask of him without arguing, unlike Fedora.

  “I'll have to go up a different way, Dee. The dragon is on duty this morning. We employees are not supposed to fraternize with the guests, even off the clock, but I'll be there,” Billy assures me.

  “Do we really need him, Dee?” Fedora asks as we watch Billy give a quick wave and disappear behind the back of the hotel.

  “He knows the town and the people. Yeah, we need him,” I say. I need to get Angela to my room and make sure she really is ok. She’s too quiet. I'm worried about her. She looks pale and her eyes are tinged with fatigue. She needs rest, food, and some peace and quiet.

  We walk through the front doors of the Hilton and Mr. Haughty is in his usual place behind the front counter. That must be Billy's dragon. It fits.

  He watches us come in with a frown. Raising his hand, he motions for us to stop. “Miss Watson. May I have a quick word with you, please?”

  The three of us change direction and head to where Mr. Haughty is waiting. He looks us up and down and his nose quivers as if we smell. Well, maybe we do, a bit. Goon busting is hard work. I smile politely and wait for him to speak.

  “How long will you be staying with us, Miss Watson?” he asks. I see by the discrete name tag on his jacket that he is actually Mr. Ellsworth and not Mr. Haughty. I think haughty suits him better.

  “I don't know for sure. Is there a problem?” I ask.

  “I'm just wondering if you might be more comfortable in a different hotel, Miss Watson. Say… the Ashville Motel, maybe?”

  I remember seeing that particular motel as I was entering Ashville, a seedy looking flophouse. It looked like it was probably full of bed bugs and hookers. My smile slips away. After all, I have been through the last forty-eight hours or so, I am not happy with Mr. Ellsworth-Haughty's attitude.