Murder Deja Vu (17 page)

“Okay, then. You were bleeding like a stuck pig.”

“Yeah, right. So the other son of a bitch swiped a blade up Reece’s side.”

“Oh—” Dana couldn’t muffle the gasp. Now she knew why Reece never told her how he got the scar.

“Reece didn’t quit until he took down that bastard too,” Frank went on. “He learned fast. He’s quiet, but you know what they say about still waters.”

Yes, Dana knew from the beginning that Reece’s feelings ran deep from the beginning.

“Your man holds his anger inside, where it festers. But when it erupts, it’s something to see. It erupted that day. Blew like Mount St. Helens. He ripped off his shirt and pressed it to my throat. Blood poured out of him, but he kept on like he didn’t have this gaping slice down his torso.” Frank sighed. “We both almost died that day. Quarter inch more, and that asshole would have nicked my carotid artery. If it wasn’t for Reece, you’d be in someone else’s house right now.”

Dana started to say something when the doorbell rang. Frank and Lana exchanged glances.

“Who the hell is that? It isn’t Reece.” Panic crossed Frank’s face. “See who it is.”

Lana’s eyes darkened. She pressed the intercom button, hesitating. “Um, yes?”

“Police,” the voice announced. “We’re looking for Frank Vance. We have a warrant to search the premises.”

Harold County, North Carolina

C
larence woke late. His head felt like a bowling alley resided inside. All the liquor he had poured into his body the night before wasn’t sitting well in the light of day. He remembered going to his room and crashing as soon as his head hit the pillow. He’d call Jeraldine after he brushed his furry teeth and injected a pot of coffee directly into his vein. If he’d called last night, he wouldn’t have made much sense. It had been years since he’d drunk that much, and he wouldn’t do it again anytime soon. He checked his cell. Jeri hadn’t called him either. Maybe she didn’t speak to her source. He called room service and ordered coffee and a couple of slices of dry wheat toast.

He needed to research Harry Klugh.
PI, my ass.
Stroud made it sound like Klugh was a gun for hire. If he had to go to Atlanta to check him out personally, he would. In fact, the idea appealed to him. No better way to research.

After his bathroom chores, room service arrived with his order. This must be what junkies felt like when they needed a fix. He blew the steam off the top of his coffee, took the first sip, and followed with an appreciative sigh.

He connected with Jeri’s voice mail. “Hey, babe, give me a call when you’re free.” Ten minutes later she called back.

“Sorry, I had court, and my source didn’t call until early this morning. Okay, here’s the deal. Dana’s theory about Robert’s case in Charlotte was on the money. This is straight from the horse’s mouth. Though they couldn’t prove it, the bosses believed Minette was directly involved in the witness’s disappearance. He acted cocky, as if he had the case cinched when he clearly didn’t. Minette resigned and moved back to his home county with a job in the DA’s office. There must have been a deal, but no one knows what it was.”

“Stroud told me the same thing, only I think he has proof.”

“Will he talk?”

“No. Minette has something on him. I couldn’t get him to budge, and I tried. Can we talk to the boss?”

“I already went that route. He’s dead. Died a couple of years ago.”

“Sounds like Minette had something on the boss, doesn’t it?”

“Like Dana said. He wants to know where everyone’s bodies are buried. When he left the firm in Charlotte, he told his co-workers that he’d had enough of getting off guilty slugs. The case is old news, Clarence. Cold and dead. I doubt we could prove anything now unless we flip Stroud.”

“I’m sure you’re right. This fits Minette’s profile. He doesn’t lose well. Any other scandals?”

“Not that I’ve found. He made a name for himself in the DA’s office, and the governor appointed him to the judicial district encompassing Harold County. He’s not well liked, and some question his methods, but he’s put away some bad people, so the voters keep re-electing him.”

“Yeah, his methods. That’s what Minette is all about.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to see the sheriff one more time, then I might detour to Atlanta to see what else I can dig up on Minette’s hatchet man. I have a contact there who’ll help if I need him.”

“You’ll fly home from there?”

“Unless I get sidetracked again.”

“Be careful.”

Clarence cut the connection and called Sheriff Payton to make sure he’d be in his office. Yesterday, when he drove to the Harold County Sheriff’s Office, Clarence thought it was way the hell out in no man’s land, and it took forever to get there. This time, he took in the scenery. The area, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, wound through small towns along forests, rivers, and lakes. He liked this area. The majestic, serene beauty beckoned him to return some day when he wasn’t on a case.

The sheriff had someone with him when Clarence arrived. After a few minutes Payton called him inside. Clarence took a seat. “I wanted to let you know what I found out before I took off, Sheriff.”

“I appreciate that. I’ve been conducting my own investigation, as any cop with two murders on his plate would do.”

From the beginning, Clarence pegged Payton for a sharp cop, so he had no doubt the sheriff stayed on top of things. “I’m betting one of the men with Reece Daughtry that night in Cambridge killed Rayanne Johnson. All four have alibis, including Reece’s brother, and no one could shake them. But I have an idea how the murderer did it.”

“Want to share?”

“Not yet. First, I’m going to Atlanta to check on the man I think killed Lurena Howe.”

“Harry Klugh?”

Yeah, Payton was a smart cop. “How’d you know?”

“One of my deputies saw Minette with someone at a diner way out of town yesterday. He thought it strange, so on a hunch he took down the Georgia license plate. I ran it, found out a little about him. I wondered what Minette had to do with an out-of-town PI, so I pulled his phone records. He never called Klugh, but Klugh called him. Proves nothing. Just curious.” He pursed his lips. “Not really kosher to check on the district attorney of your own county, is it?” Payton didn’t look one bit ashamed.

“I’d do it if I thought he was doing something crooked. My boss says Minette keeps getting re-elected because he’s cleaned up the county.”

“He gets results. You don’t have to like someone to think he’s doing a good job, although—”

“Although, what?”

“There’ve been a couple of cases where I think he acted overzealous. Like I said before, he prosecutes everyone like they’re serial killers, even if the crime’s nothing near.”

“One way to make a name for himself. What did you find out about Klugh?”

“He keeps a low profile. I didn’t really dig back very far, but I imagine he does the dirty work for others like
Minette
.” Payton took a stick of gum, offered one to Clarence, who reached across the desk and slipped one out of the pack. “How am I doing for a yokel?”

“You got an inferiority complex or something?”

“Nope. I know how you guys think. Gotta admit, though, you don’t come off like most of them who come down here thinking they’re in Mayberry.”

“Boy, that show left an indelible mark on North Carolina law enforcement. Like I explained to the chief over in Corley, I’m from a small town in the middle of the country. Hicksville, though that isn’t the real name. I rather like it here. Pretty scenery. Nice weather. Friendly people. Cheap compared to Boston. Might drag Jeri here to retire.”

“You could do worse.”

“I believe I could.”

“Here’s my problem, Mr. Wright. A guy visiting Minette doesn’t make him a murderer-for-hire. Not unless someone can ID him with Lurena Howe, and so far no one’s stepping up to the plate.”

“I know.”

“Even though Minette has an investigator on his staff, nothing says he can’t consult with someone else. I’d bet he pays Klugh out of his own pocket to keep things on the up and up and to keep him off the radar. So we’re back to square one. We can think whatever we want, but proving it is another story.”

Clarence rubbed his chin. “Earlier, I thought I’d go to Atlanta to do a little digging, but I don’t have any bargaining chips to put to Klugh. I think I’ll hop on over to Minette’s office and irritate him.”

Payton worked his gum with a slow steady grind, then curled his mouth in a lopsided smile. “Watch yourself with Minette. He might set
Klugh
on you.”

“I hope he does. I’ll call you if anything good happens. These are your cases. I don’t want to step on your toes.”

“They’re mine until someone else comes to take them over.”

“Been there, back when.”

“And if Daughtry left North Carolina,” Payton said, “you can be sure the federal boys will be on his ass.”

“I know.”

“I might do some more checking on
Klugh
. Let’s keep in touch.”

“Definitely.” Clarence left the sheriff’s office and found the courthouse in the middle of town. As the DA for three counties, Minette employed a sizeable staff of ADAs. Reece would be his ticket to the big time. A national case, eyes on him. Clarence hoped he could stop the snowball from gathering more speed. Then he thought of Reece on the run and figured too much speed had gathered already.

The receptionist in the lobby regarded him with a smile. “May I help you?”

“I’d like to see District Attorney Minette.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Tell him the investigator for Reece Daughtry is here.”

The woman looked confused, but she picked up the phone, punched a couple of numbers, and conveyed Clarence’s message. After listening, she said, “Mr. Minette is with someone right now, but you can wait in his outer office. Down the hall.” She pointed to the only hall off the lobby. “You’ll see the sign.”

Clarence smiled at her. “Thanks.” He found Minette’s office and entered. The secretary greeted him, said Mr. Minette would be with him shortly, and to take a seat. Clarence did. About ten minutes later, a well-dressed man came out of the office and left, nodding to Clarence as he passed. A few minutes later, the secretary answered the phone, then ushered Clarence into Minette’s office.

The district attorney looked exactly as  what Clarence expected. Slick, tanned, expensive suit, and he wore a pinky ring. Beware of pinky rings, his mother told him. They said something about the men who wore them. He’d found his simple, Midwestern mother had made a good observation, and over the years, he decided men who wore them fell into one of two categories: either they’d gained too much weight since they bought the ring for another finger or they weren’t trustworthy. When he stood to offer his hand, Minette didn’t have an extra ounce on him.

“How can I help you, Mr. Wright?”

“Actually, you can’t. But I can help you.”

“Really. How?”

“I thought I’d give you a heads up. I’m going to prove you’re complicit in murder.”

Minette’s face turned red, then he burst out laughing. Between guffaws, he managed to say, “And you’re going to do that how, exactly?”

“Harry Klugh.”

Minette’s laugh came to a halting stop, until his expression turned serious. “You’d better be sure of your facts before you sashay into my office making slanderous remarks.”

“You mean you don’t know Klugh?”

The DA didn’t miss a beat. “Of course I know him. I’ve known him for years. He’s worked for me on occasion. In fact, he drove here from Georgia a couple of times this week to help me on a case.”

“So I heard. And here I thought Klugh came here to murder Lurena Howe. How misdirected was I?” The flush started on Minette’s neck and blossomed to his face. Clarence saw how imposing he could be when drilling a witness.

“Reece Daughtry murdered Lurena Howe to stop her from testifying that he and Rayanne Johnson were lovers. He killed Ms. Johnson too, the same way he killed that woman up north years ago. And I’m going to prove it.”

“Reece Daughtry didn’t kill the woman in Cambridge. Someone else did, and that someone came down here and killed Rayanne Johnson to make it look like Daughtry’s handiwork.”

“Why would your so-called killer do that after twenty-one years? He was home free.”

“Because I started looking deeper into the case. My poking around scared him into thinking I’d uncover the real murderer. He couldn’t have that. Not after fifteen years of freedom denied to Daughtry.”

“Nice story, Wright, but I don’t buy it. And I had nothing to do with Lurena Howe’s murder. Saying otherwise could get you slapped with a lawsuit. I’d win too. As far as Harry Klugh taking orders from me, you obviously don’t know Harry Klugh.”

“Maybe he did it on his own, maybe not. But if he’s tagged for the murder, he’ll shift blame in a New York second. And if I’m right, you’re in a shitload of trouble.”