Bones and Brew Page 15

  “Tomorrow!” Louise shot up out of her chair.

  Ben leaped to his feet, his head swiveling back and forth, seeking the source of Lou’s excitement.

  “This is it!” Eyes wide, heart pounding, she shook the map in the air. “This is what he was talking about.”

  “Who … Porter?” Milt rumpled his face. “Lou, I’m not following you.”

  “With his dying breaths, Porter said he knew who killed Tom and would tell me tomorrow. He knew he was dying and knew I would receive this map.”

  Jason cleared his throat. “Didn’t Porter just die this morning?”

  “Yes, but he had no idea how the day would end and no idea Norma Rae would give me the map today.”

  “Do we need to call Pete or inform Sgt. Filburn?” Jason shifted in his chair. “I’m sure they’re curious to learn the meaning of Porter’s words. Maybe they can decipher the map.”

  “No.” Louise rapidly shook her head and melted back onto the dining room chair.

  Ben exhaled a huff and traipsed into the family room. He moseyed over to the big plaid sofa, crawled up onto it and threw himself down, making himself at home.

  “I didn’t share Porter’s tomorrow promise with Pete or the MTAF.” She shrugged and raised her chin. “I figured Tom’s murder had nothing to do with the MTAF’s investigation into the Barrs, so I kept it to myself. Now you two know about Porter’s dying words.” She wagged her finger back and forth, pointing to Jason and Milt. “I trust you will keep Porter’s words and this map between us.”

  “This is your news,” Milt assured. “I want my brother’s murder solved as much as you do. Yet I respect your privacy and have no reason to blab a word about it to anyone.”

  “That includes Jen—”

  “And Rachel and Stella,” he added with a wink. His features sobered. “You have my word, Lou, I won’t tell a soul. Not even Detective Poulson, though I think you should tell him. And the sooner, the better. It might prove to be the missing link that breaks Tom’s case wide open.”

  Louise sensed a hint of a lecture in his words. Although a bit insulted, Milt had a valid point.

  “Ditto and my lips are sealed as well.” Jason gestured to the map. “Do you mind if I take a look?”

  “Please do.” She placed the map in front of her on the table and motioned for the men to stand on either side of her.

  “I don’t mean to be critical of Porter’s artistic talent,” Milt flashed a goofy smile, “but it looks like a kindergartner could have drawn a better map.”

  Ignoring him, Louise pointed to a section of the map. “With the cross on top of the building, that’s a church. These arches are headstones with the jagged markings at the bottom indicating grass.”

  “Looks more like shark fins in the water to me,” Milt joked.

  “Why is the church circled so many times?” Louise thought aloud. “Clearly, Porter marked it for emphasis.”

  Jason tapped his finger on the X. “What do you think the letters R-A-T mean … other than the name of a rodent?”

  “Since the X and RAT are among the graves, it could be the name of the person buried there,” Louise speculated.

  Milt rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want to rain on the parade, but we have no idea where to begin to look for the X. Preacher Timothy holds meetings in the library because Tumble Lake doesn’t have a church.”

  “However, we do have an old cemetery where some of the pioneers are buried,” Jason offered.

  “I should talk to Stella.” Louise’s mind spun a million miles an hour. “She knows every book in our library. If the Tumble Lake settlers kept burial records, she would know it.”

  “Great idea, Lou.” Jason rubbed her shoulders. “Worst-case scenario, we could always walk through the graveyard and look for RAT.”

  “While on the subject of the dead,” Milt settled back into the dining room chair, “may I suggest we put the RAT map on the back burner until Porter, Preston, and Dorothy are laid to rest? Plus we have Aubrey’s memorial ceremony Saturday. It’s going to be a zoo in town for the next several days, and the folks will expect the mayor to be front and center.”

  “Lest we forget the Jones brothers, as well as the Barr brothers, could still pose a threat to you, Lou,” Jason added. “I know how much you want to solve Tom’s murder and the hope you’re hanging on this map—”

  “Say no more.” Louise flattened her palm and straightened her arm, holding it in front of her. “You’re right. You’re both right. Thank you for getting my head out of the clouds. When the time comes to explore the RAT map further, I’ll call Roger and hand it over to the Tumble City homicide squad.” Louise turned to Jason. “Meanwhile, is there somewhere safe you can store this map for a few days?”

  “Sure. I have a wall safe in my bedroom.”

  “Speaking of a bedroom, I’m beat.” Milt eyed Louise and Jason. “If you two don’t mind, I’m gonna head home.”

  “Thank you for launching a search and rescue effort with Ben for me.” Louise wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you so much for everything. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Forget the Map or Else

  BZZT-BZZT. BZZT-BZZT. BZZT-BZZT.

  The vibration of her cell phone dancing across the nightstand wakened Louise. Squinting to focus, she eyed the glowing blue numbers on the digital alarm clock.

  12:17

  “Who would be calling at this hour?” Alarm shot adrenaline through her system. She lurched into an upright position.

  Ben, lying next to her, jerked his head up.

  She picked up her phone. UNKNOWN displayed on Caller ID. “Hello?”

  “If you know what’s good for you…”

  Louise gasped at the sound of the deep voice that sounded almost robotic.

  “You’ll lose the map and forget you ever saw it.”

  “What?” She flung her legs to the side and rested her feet on the floor. “Who is this?”

  “Lose the map or that mutt of yours will lose his life.”

  She squeezed the phone so hard her knuckles ached and curled her lips into a snarl. “You lay one finger on Ben and—”

  “Start digging your dog’s grave now.”

  Anger trembled her body.

  “Get your boyfriend to help you.”

  “My boyfriend?”

  “Jason. Jason Paxton’s your beau, right?”

  “How do you—”

  “Everyone knows.”

  Louise gulped hard.

  “This is your one and only warning, Miss Louise.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll destroy the map.”

  “Do not contact the police about this call or the map. And don’t attempt to research the meaning of the map on your own either.”

  “How do I know you won’t hurt my dog even if I do everything you ask?”

  “You don’t. I’ll be watching and listening. One word to the cops and it’s bye-bye Ben,” the voice promised with a maniacal cackle before disconnecting the call.

  Frozen in place, Louise stared at the phone in her hand. She eyed Ben, burst into tears, and screamed, “Jaaaaaason!”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  No Deal

  Louise sat on the big plaid sofa in the family room. Ben stretched out next to her with his head on her lap.

  Jason carried two frosted mugs from the kitchen. “Strawberry-lemonade Sprite slush,” he announced, handing one to Louise and keeping the other for himself.

  “Thank you.” Louise gulped half the mug down, inducing an instant, stabbing pain in her head. She scrunched up her face and rubbed her right temple.

  “Are you okay?”

  She bobbed her head. “Brain freeze.”

  He settled into the overstuffed leather recliner positioned at the side of the couch. “I have an idea.” Setting his drink onto the end table, he opened the drawer. Retrieved a spiral notebook and pen. “How about you relax and take a few
deep breaths. I’ll be the scribe while you recall as much of the conversation as you can.”

  “I hope you’re a fast writer because I’m a fast talker.”

  “Good point.” He pulled the cell phone from his pajama pocket and tapped the screen several times. “Let’s record it.” He chuckled, adding, “I’ll pretend I’m a cop.”

  “The voice said not to contact the police.”

  “Then how about I play a news reporter?”

  “Perfect. The voice didn’t say a word about not contacting the media.” Louise swallowed more slush, set the glass onto the coffee table, and recounted the disturbing phone call.

  After a few minutes recounting the call, “There you have it,” Louise sighed. She closed her eyes and lightly massaged her eyeballs with her fingertips.

  “Did you notice any background noises or a certain cadence in his or her voice that might offer a clue?”

  “Honestly,” she opened her eyes, “I was half asleep and too rattled to think about listening for background details.”

  “The caller addressed you as Miss Louise. What’s your gut feeling? A slip of the tongue or purposeful wording?”

  “Most, if not all, of the locals know Porter…” She bowed her head thinking of the slain man. “His whole family, for that fact, calls me, Miss Louise.” She raked her teeth over her lower lip. “The Barrs are smart. If they were behind the call, I doubt they’d call me, Miss Louise, because that would tip me off to their identity. Plus it makes no sense why Norma Rae would give me the map if someone in the family didn’t want me to have it in the first place.”

  “They knew about us having a romantic relationship as well as how much Ben means to you.” He shook his finger in the air. “To me, that means this person is local. Especially if he threatened to keep an eye on you.”

  Louise stared at Ben. Her mind ping-ponging between surrendering to fear and the demands of a madman—or madwoman—and the desire to fight back. All of a sudden something Norma Rae said streaked across her mind. “Oh my gosh.” She cupped her hand over her mouth.

  “What is it?”

  “There’s another envelope.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Norma Rae handed me the envelope. Then in a bit of a panic, wanted to see it again. She wanted to make sure it was the right one, the one addressed to me because she had another envelope to deliver.”

  “Porter may have sent the exact same map to the killer to make him sweat,” Jason theorized.

  “In that second envelope, Porter might have taunted the killer. Told him I have a copy of the map too and it was only a matter of time before we figured out he killed Tom.”

  Jason rose from the chair and nestled his butt into the small space between Louise and the armrest of the couch. “I might be out of line here, but I feel we should contact Roger. You’ve known him for a long time. You can trust him. Besides, Ben’s life is too precious to risk on the whim of a lunatic.” He brushed her long hair out of the way and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Moreover, I’ve waited too long for you, for our budding love, to have a killer ruin things now.”

  Tingling sensations, like fizzy champagne bubbles, electrified her entire body. She stroked the side of his face, whispered as her lips touched his, “You’re right.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Good News, Bad News

  RING-RING. RING-RING. The house phone startled Louise. As well as Jason and Ben. The three had fallen asleep on the couch.

  “I’ll get it.” Jason pointed to the kitchen. He pushed himself up off the couch, pulled a face as he straightened, and rubbed his lower back. Employing a series of short, fast steps—a telltale sign of stiff knee joints to which Louise could relate—he hobbled to the phone. “Hello?”

  Louise yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She retrieved her cell phone off the coffee table and checked the time. “Seven-fifteen? Geez, at this hour, we’re usually well into our morning stroll around the lake,” she whispered to Ben who remained curled up on the sofa.

  Distracting herself to keep from eavesdropping on Jason’s call, Louise stretched her arms above her head and rose off the couch. “Need to go pee-pee?” she quietly asked Ben.

  The dog leaped off the couch, took a few long, slow steps stretching, shook to fluff his coat, then trotted to the French doors leading to the backyard.

  Starting off much like Jason’s awkward walk, Louise headed toward the dining room to let Ben outside.

  “Lou…” Jason waved the cordless phone in the air and approached her. “It’s Roger. He has some news and wants to talk to you.”

  “Okay, thank you.” She opened the door for Ben and pressed the phone to her ear. “Good morning, Roger.”

  “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

  Her eyebrows gathered as she recalled Jason presenting her with the same good news, bad news option yesterday at the police station. “Hit me with the bad.” She walked out onto the covered patio and lowered herself into one of the padded rocking chairs. A cool summer breeze glided over her. For a moment, she closed her eyes and tilted her head upward, allowing her cheeks to soak up the sun’s morning rays.

  “The Jones brothers are still on the run.”

  “If that’s the bad news, what’s the good?”

  “They’ve been sighted crossing our southern border.”

  “Oh, dear. That might be my fault,” Louise confessed, remembering the fiasco of being held hostage in her home by the brothers. “Believing the odds they’d elude law enforcement were slim to none, I suggested they flee to Mexico.”

  “As you recall, your odds proved accurate. We arrested them before they left your garage. So don’t blame yourself for them running to Mexico.”

  “I’m not, really. Making one’s getaway to Mexico isn’t an original idea.”

  “Mexican officials refuse to expend any of their law enforcement resources on apprehending two US citizens convicted of murdering one person in our country. They have much bigger fish to catch, dealing with drug lords who have tortured and killed dozens of people in their own country.”

  “Let me get this straight, Roger. And, please, correct me if I’m wrong. Aubrey’s murderers are escaping justice. And that’s supposed to be good news for me, simply because they’ve been sighted far away from Tumble Lake?” Louise drew her lips into a deep frown. “Wow. That’s a twist I doubt even the most creative of political spin doctors would dare concoct.”

  “What can I say? I applied the old adage about making sweet lemonade out of a sour lemon.”

  “Freezing that lemon then throwing it really hard back seems more appropriate in this case.”

  He bellowed a hearty laugh. “I was going to ask how you were holding up, but I can tell you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  “Roger, something’s happened I need to tell you about.” She glanced out into Jason’s pristine yard in time to catch Ben lifting his leg on the edge of a decorative boulder.

  “Okay,” he answered, all playfulness in his voice gone. “I’m listening.”

  “I’m not sure where to start.”

  “How about at the beginning?”

  Unease washed over her. Was spilling her guts about the map to the cops, even someone she greatly trusted, the right thing to do? Gnawing the inside of her cheek, she vacantly stared into the yard, her heart and mind in conflict. Ben’s life could hinge on her decision.

  “Lou? What’s going on? Talk to me.”

  “Okay.” She exhaled a short, swift sigh. “Long story short, Norma Rae, Morton’s wife, delivered an envelope to my home last evening. She said Porter had instructed her to give it to me after he died. Inside the envelope was a single sheet of paper with a hand-drawn map.”

  “A map … to what?”

  “Despite the fact it looks like a child drew it, that map may hold an important clue to who murdered Tom.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  She fidgeted in the rocker.
“Well, before Porter died, he told me he knew who killed Tom.” She sensed Roger’s jaw drop through the phone. “But he said he would tell me tomorrow. Of course, he didn’t live—”

  “The MTAF’s report didn’t say a single word about that,” he said with a huff that revealed he was more than a tinge peeved.

  “Uh, well…” she raked her fingers along her scalp, pulling back her hair. “You didn’t read about it in the MTAF’s report because I didn’t tell Filburn.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t tell Filburn?”

  “I figured the MTAF’s case had nothing to do with Tom’s murder.”

  “You know better than that, Lou. You should have told him. Filburn’s not some small-town sheriff you can push around.”

  “I don’t push around Pete, and I greatly resent that comment.”

  “You’re messing with an agency that has zero-tolerance—”

  “Oh, for crying out loud, Roger. You act like I’ve withheld major evidence. Rather than muddy the waters, I stuck to information related to Dot, Preston, and Porter being murder and me being taken hostage.”

  “Fine. Send me a picture of the map. I’ll do what I can for you, but fair warning. If the MTAF wanted, they could charge you with obstruction of justice, issue a warrant for your arrest, haul you away in handcuffs, and send you to prison for up to ten years.”

  Louise felt the color drain from her face. No point continuing to defend her actions. “I received a threatening phone call at twelve-seventeen this morning.”

  “From the MTAF?”

  “I wish,” she huffed with sarcasm.

  “You need to come clean with me.”

  “The person, who I assume was a man, digitally altered his voice to sound like a robot.” She twirled a lock of her long hair around her finger. “He told me I needed to lose the map, forget I ever saw it, and not to talk to the police, or…” her voice quivered, “he’d kill Ben.”

  “Have you talked to Pete?”

  “No!” She shot up straight and slapped the heel of her hand against the armrest. “You’re the only cop I’ve told, and I want to keep it that way. Someone who knows a lot about me is behind this.”