Murder After Hours Page 21
“She isn’t here. I’m talking to George. He was fascinated to learn his art is part of a major investigation.”
Lea gasped. “You’re with George?”
“Yes and no. I mean, not at the moment. He stepped out after hearing about our adventure recovering his picture.”
“You told him we were involved?”
“I wasn’t bragging, honest, but he was impressed. He wanted to pass on the good news and excused himself to make a call. What’s wrong?”
Lea guessed who he was calling, but there would be no answer. The person George was trying to reach was being interrogated.
“Maddy, hold on a minute.”
She tapped a number. Pick up. Please, pick up.
Counting the rings, she held her breath. When she felt her lungs would burst, the familiar voice answered.
“Tom, are you with Ian?”
“We just left him. He admitted—”
Lea cut him off. “I know who the murderer is.”
“So do I. It’s—”
They shouted the name at the same instant.
“George Johnson!”
“Maddy is at the Johnsons' house now,” Lea continued breathlessly. “She told George about finding the paintings and Shorty’s confession.”
“Then he knows the wheels are coming off,” Tom said. “He may become desperate. Tell Maddy to get out of there as fast as she can. I’m on my way.”
Tom put the phone down and yelled instructions as he hurried back inside. “Call for backup, Pat. Send them to George Johnson’s place to arrest a suspect, possibly armed and with a hostage.”
The lieutenant grabbed Ian’s shoulders and lifted him out of his chair. “I want you to call George. Let him know you talked with the police.”
“Are you crazy! What do you think he’ll do to me when he finds out?”
Ian’s phone rang. His eyes froze when he picked it up.
“It’s George! What should I say?”
“Put him on hold. I’ll tell you exactly what to say.”
Moments later, the detectives raced out of the insurance office and jumped in their car. Tires squealed as they sped in the direction of the Johnson estate.
• • •
George returned to the living room. Maddy felt scared after her conversation with Lea but tried to hide her feelings.
“I should go,” she said.
“Wait for Alberta. She won’t be long.”
He sat beside her on the couch, letting his arm fall on a pillow behind her.
“My wife will want to thank you in person for bringing news about the return of our picture.”
“No thanks needed. I’m glad we got it back.” She reached for her purse. “Tell Alberta I'll call her later.”
His tone turned menacing as he grabbed her arm. “I insist you stay. Let's go to my office and have a little chat.”
He steered her to a room at the end of the hall and shoved her into a chair.
“I didn’t realize I had a celebrity in my presence. I want to hear more about you and your famous sister.”
Maddy’s skin crawled. “My famous sister?”
“Don’t be modest. I’ve been talking with Ian Alexander. Besides recovering stolen paintings, you and your sister helped solve a murder.”
Maddy’s heart skipped a beat.
“We have? I mean, yes, I guess we have.”
“You sound unsure. Are you telling me you don’t know the identity of Sandra Dade’s killer?”
“I’m not being modest, believe me. The police warned us not to discuss the case.”
He smiled congenially.“What harm would it do? I won’t divulge your secret.”
An idea raced through Maddy’s mind.
George wants to talk. Can I get him to confess?
Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than proving herself as worthy as Lea.
This time, I’ll be the one who gets a confession.
She smiled flirtatiously. “What makes you think I don't believe it's you?”
“Me, a killer? What an intriguing notion! But you’re not fooling me. If you believed me guilty, you wouldn’t be here bragging about retrieving the stolen painting.”
Maddy’s mouth turned up in a sly smile. “Except I didn’t come to see you. I came to tell Alberta. Has it occurred to you I might be here to warn her?”
“Warn her about what? That her husband is guilty of defending all that is ours?” He spread his arms to indicate their surroundings. “All I’ve earned through years of hard work.”
He turned to face her.
“Or warn her she’s married to a murderer?”
She was riveted by the expression on his face. It gave her goose bumps.
“Why should she believe you? Don't you think she knows the man she's been married to all these years?”
She took a deep breath.
“I don’t believe you’ve been a murderer for years. Only since events caused by greed escalated beyond your control.”
She took in the opulent setting.
“Who knows where your thirst for power began or when your desire for wealth became your cornerstone? It may have started with something small. An insignificant slight which rankled and grew into resentment. Colored your happiness. Clouded your judgment. Was that it, George?
“Or was it a desire to be rich, to set yourself apart from the struggling masses, until the more money you made, the more you needed.”
He walked to his desk and pulled out a gun which he pointed at Maddy.
“I’m not interested in amateur psychology. I want to know what you and your meddling sister told the police.”
The front door slammed.
“I'm home, George,” the voice called. “Is Maddy here? I see her car.”
He dropped the gun in the drawer as his wife burst in.
She noted the frightened look on Maddy’s face as her eyes darted between the two people.
“What’s going on!” she demanded.
George moved around the desk toward Alberta.
“Nothing for you to be concerned with. I'll take care of this.”
His words were cut off by the blare of police sirens.
Alberta spun toward the entry, her eyes reflecting fear and confusion. “What in the world!”
Maddy jumped up and positioned herself between George and Alberta.
“What are you going to do, George? Hold your wife and me hostage, or be a man and give yourself up?”
Car doors slammed. Shouting was heard from various positions outside the house.
“You don’t have a lot of options,” Maddy said. “Time’s running out.”
They turned at the sound of heavy pounding on the front door.
“Open up, Johnson,” Tom hollered. “You’re holding someone inside the house. I don’t want to enter by force, but I will if you give me no choice. Let’s end this before someone gets hurt.”
“I don’t know what this is all about, George,” Alberta declared, “but you’ll never live to tell if you allow those men to kick down our door!”
He dropped to a chair, emitting a moan like a trapped animal. “Let them in.”
The lieutenant ordered the other policemen to stand down while he and Pat followed Alberta inside.
“George Johnson, you’re under arrest,” Tom said, with a slight nod toward Maddy.
Alberta wilted into the nearest chair. “For heaven sakes, George, what have you done?”
His face darkened.“Ian ratted, didn’t he? I was afraid he’d lose his nerve when the going got tough. He’s not as strong as he thinks. If he’d done what needed to be done, this whole thing could have been prevented.”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked. “Are you referring to the fact that Sandra found out about the insurance fraud scheme and was threatening you and Ian?”
“Ian warned her. She wouldn’t listen.”
“The same way you didn’t listen when Ian told you that stealing your own picture and scamming the insuran
ce company was a bad idea.”
Alberta gasped. “You stole our painting?”
“Of course not,” he scoffed. “I’m hardly a common thief.”
“Perhaps not,” Pat said, “but you arranged to have it stolen.”
“Why, George?” Alberta asked.
“A temporary financial setback, that’s all it was. A way to keep the wolves at bay until the station made money.”
“That stupid TV station!” Alberta cried. “I warned you about getting in over your head.”
“What do you know about business, woman?”
“I don’t know, George,” Tom said. “Sounds to me like your wife’s common sense far outweighs your business sense.”
George shrugged and his lips turned up a fraction. “You may be right, Lieutenant.
“Poor man.” Alberta shook her head. She waved her arms over the contents of the room. “You never understood that all this means nothing. The only thing which matters is us. You and me. And the children we raised together.”
The policeman respected the woman’s pain for a moment before breaking the silence.
“Let’s talk about events prior to Sandra Dade's death.”
George leaned back, overcome with exhaustion.
“Ian called Friday, upset after hearing his office manager talk about revealing a secret. He was afraid Sandra had uncovered our scheme. Either that, or she got wind of my hold over him.”
“Secrets, schemes!” Alberta exclaimed. “What are you talking about, George? Ian seems such a nice man. I can’t imagine he has secrets.”
“Get off your moral high horse!” her husband complained. “Everyone has secrets.”
“Stop you two.” Tom’s voice was firm. “Go on, George.”
George nodded in his wife’s direction. “Unlike my wife who is loyal to her core, Ian’s wife would divorce him at the first hint of scandal. She comes from old money. They don’t appreciate their reputation being tarnished.”
“How did you find out about his indiscretion?” Tom asked.
George paused, then shook his head. “Enough reputations have been ruined. My partner turned on me but that’s not how I operate. You’ll have to figure that out on your own, Lieutenant. It doesn’t matter. As it happened, that wasn’t Sandra’s secret.”
“If Sandra wasn’t threatening to expose Ian’s impropriety, what was your concern?” Pat asked.
George looked sideways at the policewoman, noticing her for the first time. He looked down his nose and sneered.
“Don't play games. You know the cause of my concern. Why else intimidate my friend with threats of prison?”
Pat's response was brusque. “Is it time now, Boss?”
“Go ahead. Read him his rights.”
“George Johnson, we’re arresting you on charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit burglary, and second degree murder. You have the right to remain silent—”
“Hold on a minute!” George shouted. “I’ll admit to fraud and burglary charges, but I didn’t kill Sandra.”
“It’s no use, George,” Tom said. “We have a witness who talked with a man matching your description at the insurance office around the time of the murder. Ian told you Sandra would be at the office. You intended to confront her about revealing your scheme and ended up killing her.”
George threw up his hands. “I admit I was there. I went to talk with her, certain I could be more persuasive than Ian. But I had no intent to kill her, nor did I.”
“We’ve heard that line before,” Pat muttered. She pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
Tom shook his head. “Wait. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
He turned to George, scowling. “Tell us what happened. But I warn you, it better be the truth this time.”
“All weekend, I stewed over our dilemma and worried about Ian’s ability to handle the situation. I talked to him Monday before he left his office. He mentioned Sandra would be working late. It seemed the perfect opportunity to convince her any attempt to impair our operation would have dire consequences.
“Her car was in the lot when I arrived. The office door was open. I walked in and called out, but there was no response. I had returned from checking the kitchen when a man entered. He asked for Sandra. I told him she wasn’t there. After he left, I continued my search from room to room.”
His hands began to shake. “When I got to Ian’s office, I found her.”
“Then you did confront Sandra!” Pat exclaimed.
“Let me finish!” His complexion turned a pasty shade of white. “Her body was on the floor in Ian’s office. There was a pool of blood beside her head.”
“Why didn’t you call an ambulance and the police?” Tom asked.
“I could see there was no need for medical service. For obvious reasons, I was reluctant to call the police.” He hung his head. “I panicked and ran.”
“He’s wasting our time with his bogus story, sir,” Pat said impatiently. “Can I take him?”
“I’ve told you the truth,” George wailed.
“Go ahead, Pat. I’ll meet you at headquarters after I call Lea.”
George called over his shoulder as Pat escorted him out.
“Call our lawyer, Alberta.”
His wife shuddered and turned away in disgust.
“Call him yourself, big shot. And don’t be so sure where my loyalty lies.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Nathan’s wife answered when Lea knocked on the door.
“Hi, Lizzie. We didn’t meet when I was here before. I’m Lea Austin.”
“My husband’s not here,” she said quickly.
“I don’t need to speak with him. He told me you’re anxious about what happened to your neighbor. I came to tell you, it’s over. You can relax because the case has been solved. The police have Sandra’s assailant in custody.”
Relief flooded her face. “Thank goodness!”
Lea turned to leave, but the woman stopped her.
“Can you stay for tea? Nathan will be home any minute. You can give him the news in person.”
“I hate to be a nuisance. I know you’re busy with your children.”
“It’s no bother. I love an excuse to talk with anyone over the age of ten.”
She led the way to the living room. “The kids are doing homework in the next room. They’ll call if they need help.”
They sat beside each other on a sofa and talked for several minutes. Lea admired the furnishings and they shared stories about their children.
Lea liked the woman. She was quite chatty, not shy and nervous as Nathan described. There was an airy, ethereal quality about her.
“Silly me,” Lizzie said suddenly. “I forgot our tea. I’ll boil some water.”
“May I help?” Lea asked.
“Sit back and relax. I’ll only be a moment.”
Lea took her advice until a terrible row started in the next room.
“Give it to me,” the girl cried. “I want it.”
“Go away,” the boy shouted. “I found it. It’s mine.”
“It’s not yours,” the girl whined. “It belongs to Mommy. I saw you take it from her car.”
“It was in the trash bag. She doesn’t want it.”
“I bet she doesn’t know you have it,” the girl insisted.
“Tell her and I’ll twist your arm,” the boy threatened. “I’m not kidding, runt.”
“Children, stop! What’s all the ruckus?” their mother demanded, returning from the kitchen.
She placed a tray with a teapot, cups and saucers in front of Lea.
“You can see why I need a break,” she said pleasantly. She filled a cup and passed it to Lea. “Did you know Sandra well?”
“Not really,” Lea replied. “She was the office manager for our insurance broker. How about you? Were you close to the Dades?”
“Hardly.” Her words were clipped. “I rarely saw Sandra. I spend most of my time with the children. She was always working.”
She poured a cup for herself. “I don’t mean to gossip, but knowing how Henry treated her, I could never be friends with him.”
Lea was tempted to ask about Nathan’s feelings toward Henry. Before she posed the question, Lizzie continued.
“Nathan and Henry have little in common.” She paused to sip her tea. “Other than loving Sandra.”
Lea’s heart stopped. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.
Something frightening replaced the placid look in Lizzie’s eyes.
At that moment, Nathan opened the front door, dropped his briefcase in the hall, and entered the room.
The little girl ran screaming to her father and hugged his knees.
“Daddy, Daddy. Billy’s going to hurt me.”
Nathan put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder.
“Nonsense. Your brother will do no such thing. What’s the problem?”
A rock came hurtling into the room.
“There’s your stupid paperweight,” the boy shouted.
The rock landed at Nathan’s feet. He looked to his wife for an answer.
In that terrible moment, Lea realized the truth.
Her voice trembled when she spoke. “Send your children upstairs, Lizzie.”
Lizzie sank to a chair and calmly folded her hands in her lap.
“Do as she says, children.”
“But, Mommy—”
“Now.”
Startled by their mother’s harsh tone, the children hurried upstairs. A door was heard slamming shut.
“What’s going on?” Nathan demanded.
Lea pointed to the rock lying at his feet.
“That’s the weapon used to kill Sandra.”
His mouth dropped open. “What are you saying?”
Nathan moved toward his wife. Lea reached to stop him.
“Your wife knows about you and Sandra.”
“That’s impossible!”
Lizzie turned on him, her voice brittle like ice. “Did you think me so naive I wouldn’t discover your cheating?”
Nathan was clearly shocked. “We were discreet. When did you find out?”
She laughed uncontrollably. “The first time you returned late from an evening walk. Each stroll after that grew longer.”
“Tell us what happened,” Lea said.
She and Nathan took seats across from Lizzie. She stared over their heads at some invisible place.