Real Murder (Lovers in Crime Mystery Book 2) (3 page)

Cameron waited until they were in Joshua’s SUV before asking the question that had been on her mind ever since he had taken the phone call in the examination room. “What’s going on? Why do you have to go running over to the park? Is someone in trouble?”

“Something like that,” Joshua answered while staring at the SUV’s dashboard without seeing it. “A guy I grew up with … we were friends. Mike had a son the same age as Tracy.” His face contorted as he recalled it. “She went to senior  prom with him. Hunter.” He turned to her. “His dad was a deputy. Hancock County.”

She reached out to grasp his hand resting in his lap. “What happened?”

“He disappeared eighteen years ago,” Joshua said. “We were shipping out to Naples and had come home to see Grandmomma. The day before we left, I ran into Mike. He said he was investigating the murder of a hooker and asked  me to go with him to meet a CI. I blew him off. When I saw him driving off, I got such a bad feeling about it—but it was too late. He was gone …” He looked up to gaze out the  window. “No one ever saw him again. I didn’t even know he had gone missing until nine months later when Tad mentioned it in a letter. When I found out that the last time he’d been seen was that day, I contacted the county sheriff—from Naples. I called all the way from overseas to ask about the disappearance and they had no idea what dead hooker I was talking about. According to the sheriff, there had never been any prostitutes in Hancock County, dead or otherwise.”

“Did they find his body? Is that why Tad called? They found his body in the park?”

Staring straight ahead, Joshua nodded his head without saying a word.

She reached up to cup her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. “You do know your friend’s murder is not your fault, don’t you?”

“I blew him off, Cam.”

“You were moving overseas,” she said. “You were preoccupied. You had kids and a wife and a lot of responsibility.”

“Not so much that it gets me off the hook from being a friend,” Joshua said. “Mike asked me to go with him. He must have sensed he was in over his head and was asking for my help.”

“If he was in over his head, he should have backed off.” Cameron sighed. “That’s in the past. There’s nothing you can do to change what happened. The question is what you’re  going to do now.”

She stared at him until she drew his eyes to her. When he turned to peer into her brownish-green eyes, his expression softened. She leaned across the seat to him. “I’m off for the next two weeks,” she said. “You know what happens when I get bored.”

He answered with a soft kiss on her lips that grew in intensity until they were startled by a sharp knock on the windshield.

“Hey, Thornton, can’t you at least wait until you get her home?” Lieutenant Dugan ordered with a laugh.

Chapter Two

In Tomlinson Run Park, Hancock County Sheriff Curt Sawyer met Joshua when he pulled off the road to park in the grass along the lake. It wasn’t hard for Joshua to find where the cruiser had been dumped. The road blocked off by police cruisers and crime scene vehicles, as well as the medical examiner’s SUV, was a clear giveaway. Picnickers who had been  celebrating the beginning of summer only hours before refused to leave so that they could watch the police and tow truck work down by the lakeshore.

“We’re just about to pull him up,” the sheriff told Joshua, who moved in closer to see for himself. “The diver says he’s strapped in the driver’s seat. As bad as the decomp is, we’ll need dental records to determine if it’s him.”

When he saw Cameron get out of the passenger side of the SUV and come around to grasp Joshua’s arm, the sheriff greeted her with a nod of his head. Then he noticed the bruise across her forehead and cheek. “You look like you’ve had a good day, Detective.”

“I got one more killer off the street,” she replied.

“That always makes it a good day,” he agreed.

Joshua was so focused on the police cruiser slowly  being pulled up out of the water that he barely noticed the red Mustang that swerved around the road block to tear up the grass before screeching to a halt not far from them.

Stopping him with a hand to his chest, the sheriff intercepted the young driver when he jumped out of the car and tried to run down to the lake’s shore. “Hunter, you shouldn’t be here.”

“Is it him?” the young man demanded to know while  trying to dodge the sheriff who, while notably shorter, was much stronger and experienced. “Someone sent me a text that it was a police cruiser. Is it Dad’s? Is he in there?”

A mirror image of his father, the young man stepped around the sheriff where he encountered Joshua, who grasped his arm to hold him back. “Hunter, you don’t want to be  here.”

Tad had come up from the lakeshore to block the young man’s access to the scene. “Hunter, if that’s your dad, you don’t want to see him, believe me.”

“Then it’s not a rumor,” Hunter said. “It’s a cruiser and there’s a body in it. It must be him.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Joshua said.

“I’m not an idiot! How many cruisers disappeared in the area in the last twenty years?” Hunter held up his index finger. “One. And my dad disappeared with it. There’s no one else it can be.”

Hunter attempted to wade through the three men  blocking his way to the lake to get a closer look, only to be held back by Joshua and the sheriff while Tad attempted to reason with him. “Listen to me. If it’s your dad, I can tell  you with certainty that he wouldn’t want you to see him like this.”

The missing deputy’s son paused.

Tad continued, “Remember him the way he was. If  you see him in the condition his body is in now …” The doctor shook his head. “Keep your memories of him the way he was.”

The young man swallowed while blinking back tears in his eyes. “That’s the problem. I was five years old when he went missing. Most of my memories of him are now gone.”

Her eyes also filled with tears, Jan touched his arm.  “I remember him, Hunter.” She clasped her hand on his shoulder. “The place you need to be now is with your mother. I’m sure word has gotten to her already. She needs you. I’ll go with you. As soon as they know something, Tad and Josh will let you know.”

Hunter hesitated before allowing Jan to guide him back to his car. He slid into the driver’s seat and drove off. After loading Tad Junior into their car, Jan followed.

Cameron stepped up to where Sheriff Curt Sawyer was watching to make sure the dead deputy’s son had indeed left. A former police officer with the marines, Curt Sawyer had hung onto his military bearing.

“Did you know this missing deputy?” Cameron asked him.

“I’m afraid not,” Curt said. “I know a lot of people in this town who did. Mike Gardner was a good man. Not an enemy in the world. Hunter takes after him. He’s going into the police academy this fall. Did you know that? Just got out of the army. Did a tour in Iraq. Will be a fine deputy when he graduates.”

“Josh said he grew up with this … ” She knew Curt had just said his name. She wondered if Joshua had told her. Cameron searched her memory.
Why can’t I remember? Curt just said it.

“Gardner,” the sheriff told her. “Mike Gardner was his name.”

“Josh said he was investigating the murder of a hooker.”

“I looked into it when Josh first moved back here,” Curt said. “I wasn’t sheriff back when Gardner disappeared, so  what I know is not first hand. There were no murder cases involving a prostitute, dead or otherwise, back when he disappeared.” He shrugged. “I wish I could help.” Seeing that the cruiser was out of the water, the sheriff excused himself to go down to the lakeshore to join Joshua and Tad in examining the vehicle and the dead body inside.

“Hey, Mrs. Thornton!”

It took a full moment for Cameron to realize Woody was talking to her when he broke through the crowd to join her.

His round cheeks were red with pride when he smiled at her. “I found the car!”

“Good for you, Woody,” she said.

“Donny said it was just an abandoned junker, but I saw the lights and knew that it was a cruiser,” Woody said.  “I thought, why would the police dump one of their cruisers in the bottom of the lake? Then I knew that it was something suspicious. Maybe I have what it takes to be a great detective like you, Mrs. Thornton.”

“Actually, it’s Gates,” Cameron said.

“’Huh?” Woody asked.

“I kept my maiden name,” she explained. “It’s Gates, not Thornton. You can call me Cameron though.”

Woody blushed even deeper.

“What happened to you?” Donny came over to ask when he saw the cut on her cheek and the bruises.

“I jumped off a second-floor fire escape,” Cameron said.

“What were you doing jumping off a second-floor fire escape?” Donny smiled in anticipation of her response.

“I was chasing a killer,” she said.

“Did you catch him?” Woody asked.

“Yes,” she said, “he broke my fall.”

“Good for you.” Woody bumped fists with her.

Joshua was walking slowly when he came up from the lake. Cameron broke from the group to join him. “Is it him?” she asked.

“They found a badge pinned to what is left of his clothes,” Joshua said. “We wiped off the gunk and found his badge number on it. We’ll need dental records to confirm it, but it’s Mike.”

“Cause of death?”

“Body is badly decomposed, but Tad might be able to  determine it,” Joshua said. “His gun isn’t in his holster. It might be in the car under all the mud, but since it’s not in his holster I think he was disarmed.” He looked down at the lake. “This was no accident, Cam. No way he could have lost control of his car and ended up this far off the road and all the way over in that lake. Someone dumped it—most likely in the middle of the night after the park was closed.” He turned around to take in the thick woods surrounding them. “Lots of places around here to hide the cruiser until dark when no one was around.” He turned to her. “Someone killed him, and I’m going to find out who.”

She took his hand and gazed up into his blue eyes. “And I’m here to help.”

Chapter Three

“Sawyer doesn’t know of any murdered hookers in the area,” Cameron said more to break the silence in Joshua’s SUV than anything else. After all, the sheriff had already told her that Joshua had looked into the case after his wife had passed away and he had returned to Chester.

“I know,” Joshua responded.

Cameron rubbed her forehead while resting her head in her hand on the side window in the front seat.

They were on their way to Belle Fontaine’s home. Mike Gardner’s widow had remarried shortly after Mike had been legally declared dead. Royce Fontaine, Belle’s second husband and an executive with a pharmaceutical company in Pittsburgh, had moved his wife and stepson to a luxurious house on Woodland Avenue that looked over the town and Chester Bridge crossing the Ohio River.

Cameron pointed out, “You know, most hookers I’ve encountered don’t exactly list their occupation as ‘prostitute’ on their resume. Maybe he was looking into the murder of a woman who was a hooker but posing as a masseuse.”

“We don’t have any masseuses in this area,” Joshua said. “I did think of that. Didn’t get any leads.” He pulled the SUV around the end of the cul-de-sac and parked in the street in front of a French country, white brick home.

Cameron recognized the red Mustang parked at the end of the driveway as the one from the park. “Nice car.” She hesitated in front of the sports car. “Expensive.”

“Would you believe he paid cash for that car?”

“If you told me he was a drug dealer.”

“Not Hunter Gardner.” Joshua slowly shook his head. “He has always been a very responsible young man. He  started mowing lawns as soon as he was big enough to push a lawn mower. He bought a junker when he got his license, but he always wanted a shiny, fire engine red Mustang and that’s what he put his money away for.” He nodded his head toward the beautiful sports car. “That was a present he got for himself after coming back from his second tour in Iraq.”

“You don’t see young men like that every day,” Cameron said, as she noticed a silver BMW sedan parked in front of the garage.

“Personally, I believe there are a lot of young people like that,” he said. “It’s just no one talks about them.”

Royce Fontaine opened the door for Joshua and Cameron before they had the opportunity to ring the doorbell. Without pausing to offer any greeting, he pelted Joshua with a rapid barrage of questions. “Is it true? They found Mike? Jan Martin just left because that baby was getting fussy. We were hoping Tad would have called her to let her know before she took off. Is it really him?”

“We don’t have a positive ID yet.” Joshua looked around Royce to where Belle was sobbing while her son comforted her in the living room. “But the body in the cruiser was wearing Mike’s badge and it was his cruiser.” He introduced Cameron.

She tried not to judge people by their handshake. Possibly, Royce was more focused on his wife’s distress than  greeting his visitors. Shaking his hand was like shaking a dead fish.

After one pump, Royce released her hand to pursue Joshua, who was on his way into the living room. “Belle really isn’t feeling well right now. This has been a terrible shock to her—to all of us.”

Even though Royce was approximately the same height as Joshua, his slight frame and stooped-over posture, which accentuated his flabby stomach and pear shape, made him appear much smaller. His pasty complexion added to his unattractive appearance.

In contrast, Belle was a stunning brunette—attractive enough to make Cameron feel a tinge of jealousy when she jumped off the sofa to throw her arms around Joshua, hug him tightly, and sob into his chest.

“I’m sorry, Belle,” Joshua whispered while rubbing her back. “I am so sorry.”

“I always wondered … I thought I had grieved and was over it … but when Hunter told me … it’s like it’s started all over again.” Clutching him by the arms, she pressed her face into his chest and cried.

“His cruiser was in the lake?” Royce asked while prying his wife out of the other man’s arms.

“At the bottom of the lake,” Joshua said with a nod of his head.

Royce grasped Belle’s arm. “He must have had an accident. Lost control of his cruiser and ended up crashing into the lake.”

Cameron’s eyes met Joshua’s.
If it was an accident, how did Mike lose his gun?

“Considering how far into the lake the cruiser was, I don’t think so,” Hunter said. “Someone killed my dad.”

“Now, Hunter,” Royce said, “don’t go upsetting your mother.” After easing Belle back to the sofa where she sat down, he handed her a fresh tissue.

Joshua and Cameron sat on the love seat across from them. “Before we start investigating this case, we do need to get a positive ID,” Joshua said. “Tad will do a dental record comparison. Assuming it is Mike, Belle … I asked you this before, but I have to ask again, on the off chance that you remember something—When I last saw Mike, he mentioned something about investigating a murder. The victim was a prostitute.”

Belle was already shaking her head. “I have no idea what he could have been talking about. You must have misunderstood him, Josh. Mike was a deputy. He was a patrolman. He wasn’t a detective. He didn’t investigate murders.”

Even while Belle was objecting, Cameron noticed Hunter sit up in his seat. At first, a questioning expression crossed his face and his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

For the first time since they had come into the Fontaine home, Cameron observed the young man sitting next to his mother. His face was filled with concern. His expression was one of serious contemplation.

A wave of recognition washed over her.
Where have I seen him before?

Joshua noticed the suspicion on Hunter’s face as well.

Royce was on his feet. “Josh, now is really not a good time to be asking Belle all of these questions. Believe me, we have been over Mike’s disappearance forward and backward and never have we ever turned up anything. Frankly, if Belle knew anything, I think she would have remembered it by now.” He ushered them to their feet and toward the door.

“Actually,” Cameron said, “it has been my experience that families of victims often remember, or are able to piece together facts better, after some time.”

“There’s nothing to put together. Mike had a horrible car accident. That’s all.” Royce opened the front door and gestured for them to leave.

After the door slammed behind them, Cameron and Joshua looked at each other.

“He seems rather insistent on Mike’s death being nothing more than an accident, don’t you think?” Joshua asked.

“Extremely.” She let Joshua take her hand and lead her to his SUV. “Hunter knows about the dead hooker. Did you see his face?”

“Yes, I did.” Joshua opened the door for her.

“Why didn’t you ask him about it?” She slid into the passenger seat.

“I don’t have to ask him,” Joshua said. “He’ll tell me … when his mom and Royce aren’t around.”