Murder Past Due Read online

  “Come with me, sir,” Bates said. “We’ll be using the manager’s office.” I had seen Bates around town, but I didn’t know him. He appeared to be about Kanesha’s age, mid-thirties.

  Praying that Julia could get here quickly, I followed Bates around the desk. The manager came with us into her office and flapped about for a moment, still obviously unsettled. Bates calmed her down and asked her to step outside.

  When we were alone, Bates sat behind the desk and motioned for me to sit across from him.

  I sank into the chair, my stomach churning. Images of Godfrey, dead on the floor, flashed through my mind. Lord, I needed something to settle me down. A nice shot of brandy would do the trick, but I doubted Bates would let me ask for one.

  Bates asked me my name, address, and so on. Then he got down to the meat of the interview.

  After a couple of false starts, I was able to give an organized account of finding the body. I carefully omitted for the moment that I hadn’t been alone.

  “How’d you get in the room?” Bates asked when I finished.

  “I had a key.”

  “And how’d you come by that?” Bates eyed me with suspicion.

  “Godfrey’s son gave it to me. Godfrey had given it to him earlier.” That much was true.

  Bates jotted something into his notebook, then he asked me to go through it all again, starting with why I came to check on Godfrey in the first place.

  I explained again about the party having been canceled and my worries that Godfrey was ill, because he would have never, as far as I knew, skipped an opportunity for a lot of attention.

  “I tried calling, but there was no answer.”

  “And you didn’t ask somebody here to check on him?” Bates watched me, his face blank.

  “No, I didn’t think of that,” I said. “My house isn’t that far away, so I just hopped in the car and came here.”

  Bates nodded, and I continued telling my story for the second time.

  During all this, I continued to worry about Justin. Surely Julia had arrived by now. She’d be upset at the news too, but the most important thing right now was looking after her son.

  Bates sat examining his notes, and I ventured a question.

  “Is Deputy Berry in charge of this investigation?”

  Bates nodded, his expression unreadable. “Acting Chief Deputy Berry,” he said. “Chief Deputy Dan Stout is out on medical leave right now.”

  “I see.” And I did. This case could be a big break for Kanesha if she managed to solve it quickly. She was the only African-American woman deputy in the department, and I knew her well enough to understand how ambitious she was.

  Justin and I both were probably in for a rough time. Kanesha wouldn’t put on kid gloves for us, even though I’d bet her mother would have a few things to say if she pushed us too hard.

  The door opened, and Bates rose to his feet. I turned in my chair.

  Kanesha stood a couple of paces inside the room. She held up a plastic bag with a cell phone inside. A purple cell phone.

  “Mr. Harris, did you lose this?”

  NINE

  My eyes fixated on the cell phone in the plastic bag. “No, that’s not mine.” The land mines lay ahead, and I had to avoid them.

  “Do you know whose it is?” Kanesha lowered the bag but her gaze did not waver from my face.

  “I do not.” That much was true. I thought it was Justin’s, but I didn’t know for sure.

  “Do you know someone named Justin?”

  I did not reply for a moment. Kanesha ought to know very well that I had a boarder named Justin. She lived with her mother, and I couldn’t imagine that Azalea hadn’t mentioned Justin to her.

  “I do,” I finally said. “Justin Wardlaw. He boards with me.”

  “Where is he now?” she asked.

  “I don’t know.” That was the truth. Justin might still be waiting in the hotel restaurant, but it was likely that Julia had arrived and taken him away. “If you want to come by my house tonight or tomorrow, you’ll probably find him there.”

  Kanesha nodded. She moved closer to the desk and set the bag down. Deputy Bates vacated his chair, and Kanesha took his place. She held out a hand, and Bates gave her his notebook. She read through his notes, and I saw her frown a couple of times.

  When she finished, she pushed the notebook aside, and Bates retrieved it. Kanesha settled back in the chair and regarded me, her eyelids slightly hooded.

  I tried not to squirm in the chair.

  “I believe that’s all we need for the moment,” Kanesha said.

  What the heck? I thought. She can’t be serious.

  “I’ll have more questions for you and young Mr. Wardlaw later, but I know where you live.” The ghost of a smile played across her lips.

  It wasn’t a benevolent ghost.

  “Fine,” I said. “I’ll be at home tonight.” As I rose, I nodded at both deputies. I knew I’d eventually catch hell from Kanesha for not telling her I wasn’t alone when I discovered Godfrey’s corpse. But I don’t think I would have done anything differently. Justin needed time to recover from the shock of Godfrey’s violent death before he had to deal with the law. I had bought him some time, though it could cause me trouble.

  I made a beeline for the hotel restaurant, but the table where I left Justin was unoccupied. I hurried to my car. When I reached home a few minutes later, an aging Honda was parked near my mailbox.

  In the kitchen, Julia and Justin sat at the table. Diesel was ensconced in Justin’s lap, and the boy cuddled the cat to his chest. Teapot, cups, spoons, and cream pitcher were neatly arranged on the table between mother and son.

  Julia looked up at me, her face troubled. “Oh Charlie, what an unholy mess this is. I’m so sorry you and Justin had to see something like that.”

  “I’m okay,” I said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Justin, how are you?”

  “Okay,” he said, his voice muffled. He was rubbing his head against Diesel’s neck. Diesel’s purr rumbled through the room.

  I fetched a cup and saucer from the cupboard, and when I sat down Julia poured me some tea. I added cream and sugar and sipped. The warmth of the tea soothed and comforted, as always.

  After a few sips, I set the cup down. Neither Julia nor Justin had spoken, perhaps waiting for me to break the silence. I could feel the tension in the room emanating from both mother and son.

  “I spoke with the investigators from the sheriff’s department,” I said. “The person in charge of the investigation is Kanesha Berry.”

  “Azalea’s daughter?” Julia frowned. “I hadn’t heard she was promoted, but that’s good for her, I guess.”

  “It’s apparently temporary.” I shrugged. “The chief deputy is out on medical leave, and Kanesha is the acting chief deputy.”

  “Why aren’t the police in charge?” Justin asked.

  “In a big city, they would be,” I said. “But here it’s the sheriff’s department that investigates homicides. Our police department isn’t equipped for a major crime.”

  “Thank the Lord things like this don’t happen very often in Athena.” Julia cradled her teacup in both hands and gazed down into it.

  “I didn’t tell Deputy Berry that Justin was with me at the hotel,” I said. There was no gentle way of doing this.

  “Thank you.” Julia smiled, but the lines across her forehead deepened.

  “But they’re going to know, of course, that Justin spent time with Godfrey in that room today,” I said.

  “Yes, he did. But other people could have visited him. Obviously, someone else did.” Julia’s tone was as sharp as her gaze at me.

  “Obviously.” I looked at Justin. “When was the last time you used your cell phone?”

  Justin didn’t meet my gaze. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and stuck his hand in his jeans pocket. He pulled out my cell phone and returned it to me without a word.

  “Thank you.” I put the phone on the table. “Now how ab
out answering my question?” My tone was as cutting as Julia’s had been, moments ago. Justin’s lack of response annoyed me.

  “Don’t speak to him that way.” Julia glared at me. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

  “I didn’t say he had.” I returned Julia’s fierce look. “But he needs to answer my question. It’s important.”

  Julia leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. I thought she was going to speak again, but after an intake of breath, she remained silent.

  I repeated my question to Justin.

  Diesel rubbed his head against Justin’s chin, and the boy finally looked at me. “I dunno, sometime this afternoon, I guess.”

  “Do you have your cell phone now?”

  Julia watched me intently.

  “No, sir.” Justin pushed his dark bangs back from his face. “I lost it.”

  “Why is this so important?” Julia leaned her elbows on the table, her hands clasped together. “People lose cell phones all the time.”

  “Because they found Justin’s cell phone with Godfrey’s body.” I watched them both carefully to gauge their reactions.

  Julia blinked rapidly, and Justin remained mute.

  “Justin, was Godfrey alive when you left him this afternoon?” I made my tone neutral, unthreatening.

  “Yes, sir,” the boy said.

  “But you went back to his room and found him dead. How long was it between the time you left him and came back?”

  Justin thought for a moment. “About an hour, I guess.” He glanced at his mother, clearly concerned about something. She avoided his gaze.

  “Why did you go back?”

  “I wanted to talk to him some more.” Justin focused on me again. “He didn’t answer when I knocked, so I used the key and went in.” His voice caught. “I thought maybe he’d gone somewhere, and I was just going to write him a note. But . . .” His voice trailed off, and I thought he might start to cry.

  “When he found Godfrey’s body,” Julia said, her expression bleak, “he got out his phone to call someone. But he panicked.”

  “And he dropped the phone and didn’t retrieve it.” I could picture it very easily.

  “Yes, sir,” Justin said. He had his voice under control. “I was really scared. I got out of the hotel, but I didn’t know what to do. So I went across the street and sat there until you came.”

  “What are we going to do, Charlie?” Julia sounded angry. “Kanesha will probably think Justin killed Godfrey. But he didn’t. The idea is totally ridiculous. I’m not going to let anyone treat my son like a vicious killer.”

  “No, I didn’t kill anybody.” Justin hugged Diesel to him. He eyed his mother warily, it seemed to me.

  “I believe you,” I said, putting as much conviction into my voice as I could. “I mean, what motive would you have?”

  Justin shifted in his chair, and Diesel protested. He rubbed the cat’s head, but then he lifted Diesel and set him on the floor. Diesel chirped before stalking off to the utility room.

  “Sorry,” Justin looked straight at me. “We did have an argument, and I guess I kind of yelled at him.” He paused and turned to his mother.

  Julia sighed. “Godfrey wanted Justin to go back to California with him, stay a few months. But he didn’t want to go. Godfrey . . . well, you know what he was like when he didn’t get his way. As if I’d let him take Justin to California anyway.”

  “I remember only too well.” I remembered Godfrey’s rages when he was thwarted. “He could be extremely unpleasant.”

  “He was,” Justin said, his eyes sad. “He kinda calmed down after I yelled back. But I could tell he was still mad. So I left.”

  “And when Justin went back, Godfrey was dead.” The horror in Julia’s voice brought the nasty scene back to mind.

  I squirmed in my chair. It would be a long time before I could get that vision out of my head.

  I sipped at my tea, hoping to settle my stomach a bit. “You’ll have to tell all this to Deputy Berry.”

  Justin looked mutinous, and Julia was none too happy, either.

  “I know you don’t want to,” I said. “I’d like to keep Justin out of this too, but I don’t think we can.”

  “If you don’t say anything, they’re not going to know Justin was there.” Julia looked ready to throw the teapot at me. She intended to protect Justin at all costs, it seemed. She wasn’t being rational.

  “Show some sense.” I had just about had it with both of them. I had tried to buy Justin a little time to recover, but there was no way I was going to lie any further about his presence at the hotel. “They have his cell phone, and they’ll probably find his fingerprints all over the place. How are you going to explain that away?”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Julia said after a moment’s silence. “Honey, we have to be truthful. They need to find out who really did this, and if we lie to them, it only makes things more difficult.”

  “Is it okay if I go up to my room now?” Justin stood up. “I’m really tired.”

  “Of course, honey,” Julia said. “Get some rest. But you haven’t had any dinner. Are you hungry?”

  “I’ve got something to eat in my room,” Justin said. “Can I just go, Mama?”

  “Yes, you can.” Julia stood and held out her arms. Justin approached her for a hug, but he didn’t let it last long. He pulled free from his mother and walked swiftly out of the kitchen. Moments later we heard him clumping up the stairs.

  Julia and I sat at the table and watched each other for a moment. She was still unhappy with me, I could tell, but I wasn’t particularly happy with her, either. Protecting her son was one thing, but trying to pretend he was never in the hotel was completely absurd.

  “How about you?” I said. “Have you had anything to eat? I haven’t.” As an olive branch, it might do.

  “No, I was still at the hospital when Justin called. I got over to the hotel as quickly as I could to get him away from there.” Julia relaxed enough to lean back in her chair.

  “Is Ezra still in the hospital?” I had forgotten about him until now.

  “Yes.” Julia glanced away from me.

  “Was he that seriously hurt?” I frowned. Something didn’t add up here. “Surely Godfrey didn’t injure him that badly.”

  “He didn’t,” Julia said, her tone flat. “But being in a fight didn’t help anything.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “He’s dying.” Julia burst into tears.

  TEN

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, knowing how inadequate that was. “I had no idea.”

  I got up and found a box of tissues for Julia. She pulled a couple from the box and dabbed at her eyes as I sat down again.

  “No one knows except Ezra and me and his doctors.” Julia’s voice was husky from the tears.

  “You haven’t told Justin yet?”

  “No,” Julia said. “But I have to, I know. I was putting it off until after he met Godfrey, but now . . .” Her voice trailed away.

  “Is it cancer?” I asked. I had noticed, when Ezra was in my house assaulting Justin, that he looked thinner and older than I remembered.

  Julia nodded. “Pancreatic cancer.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “My wife had it too.”

  “I know,” Julia said softly.

  “Where has he been going for treatment?”

  “Memphis,” she said. “They wanted to send him to Houston, to that big cancer hospital, but Ezra doesn’t want to go.”

  That big cancer hospital in Houston, M.D. Anderson, had done its best for Jackie, but the cancer had won.

  “The survival rate is so small,” I said.

  “Yes, it is.” Julia rubbed her temples as if her head ached.

  “There’s not much you can do, then,” I said.

  “No, there isn’t.” Julia smiled so sadly that I wished I could do something to comfort her. “And miracles seem to be in short supply at the moment.”

  Before I could
respond, I heard the doorbell.

  Startled, Julia glanced at me.

  “Probably Kanesha,” I said, rising.

  Julia paled. “I wish I didn’t have to talk to her tonight.”

  “It’s best to get it over with. Maybe I can stay with you while you talk to her.” I smiled at her before I left the room.

  I peered through the peephole in the front door. Kanesha Berry, along with Deputy Bates, stood on the front porch. I couldn’t postpone this, no matter how much I wanted to. I opened the door.

  “Hello again, Mr. Harris.” Kanesha nodded at me. “I have more questions for you, like why you forgot to mention the fact that you weren’t alone at the hotel.”

  “I’ll be happy to explain that. Come in, please,” I said, standing aside.

  “I also want to speak to Justin Wardlaw. Is he here?” Kanesha remained on the doorstep.

  “He is, and so is his mother. I think she would like to speak to you first.” I motioned for her to enter, and this time she did.

  “How long has Mrs. Wardlaw been here?” Kanesha turned to face me after I closed the door.

  I thought for a moment. “Perhaps half an hour.”

  Kanesha grimaced, and I could tell she was not happy about this. She probably thought Julia and I had been cooking up alibis together.

  “This way, please,” I said. “Mrs. Wardlaw is in the kitchen, if you don’t mind talking to her in there.”

  “Wherever you like.” Kanesha and Bates followed me.

  Julia was standing by the table when we entered the kitchen. Diesel had disappeared, probably upstairs with Justin. Julia appeared composed, but I knew how anxious she must be.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Wardlaw,” Kanesha said, halting on the other side of the table from Julia. “This is Deputy Bates.”

  “Ma’am,” Bates said, removing his hat and sticking it under his arm.

  “Good evening.” Julia nodded at them each in turn. “Is it okay if Mr. Harris stays with me?”

  “He might as well.” Kanesha’s tone was sharp enough to cut through stone. “I’m sure he’s already heard everything you have to say.”

  Julia frowned at that, and I shrugged. The damage was done. Any investigator with a shred of intelligence wouldn’t take anything we said at face value anyway.