PENITENCE: An Andi Comstock Supernatural Mystery, Book 2 (95,893 words) (10 page)

The Liquidator is lying if he told you I paid him in full. I never gave him more than the ten-K, I swear it!

“Why would he lie? What would he have to gain?”

I have no idea. He’s jerking your chain.

“No, I don’t think so.” Andi relayed Clem’s conversation so far to the others. “There’s another problem, too, Clem. I sent a second text telling him not to come around when the kids were there and he responded with, ‘I don’t kill kids, but I don’t leave witnesses, either.’”

What! Oh, God, what have I done? He assured me he wouldn’t hurt the kids. What kind of monster is he?

“One who kills for money.” Silently, she added, you’re no better for hiring him to do the deed.

I’m not! I’m lower than the deepest pond scum. Ask Denise if she can forgive me, Andi. Please! I need to know.

Andi did as he requested.

Anguished, Denise said, “I don’t know, Clem. At this very moment, my answer is no, but if I live, and the kids live, maybe someday I’ll be able to.”

Have you told my parents yet?

“No, we’re going over to see them this afternoon.”

It’s not going to be pleasant. My dad doesn’t believe in anything woo-woo and he won’t want to listen to you. In fact, he may throw you out the door.

“Father Riley and Vaughn will be there with us. I think they can control your dad if he tries anything.”

Denise said to the others, “Berton is a retired full-bird colonel, U.S. Air Force, and he doesn’t suffer fools lightly. He and Clem butted heads more often than not, but he’s a fair person, and reasonable when he’s presented with facts. Clem’s probably telling Andi that Bert might throw her out on her ear.”

Andi nodded.

Denise went on. “Don’t worry, he won’t. Bert’s in a world of hurt right now, and if anything, he’ll grasp at whatever straws he can to get through it. So will Gayle, for that matter. Clem was their only child.”

I hope Denise is right, Andi. Look, it might help if you tell my folks that I love them, and…tell Dad I forgive him for giving me so much shit about joining up and following in his footsteps. Tell him…I’m not sorry he derailed my career as a surgeon.

Andi processed that in silence.

Be sure to quote me verbatim, otherwise he’ll think you’re B.S.-ing him.

“Don’t worry, I will.” She related his words to the others.

Denise shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Are you sure that’s what he said?”

“Positive.”

Denise searched the air, as though if she looked hard enough, she’d be able to see her husband. Finally, she said, “Whatever. Ask him if he’s sure he never mentioned what he was doing to his friend Jim, who he’s known since high school, or either one of his business partners, both of whom are like brothers to him.” She made a little mewling sound. “Or at least, they used to be.”

“He heard you,” Andi said. “Are you thinking, Clem?”

I am, but I don’t remember discussing it with any of them. It was too embarrassing, for one thing. I didn’t want them to know I was such a loser that my wife had to go elsewhere for satisfaction.

Once again, Andi had the desire to smack him for being stupid. Little good that would do now, even if she could. She repeated his words to Denise.

“God, you can be so dense sometimes, Clem. You’re making me wish I
was
the kind of wife you thought I was, just so I’d have some vindication now for thinking you’re a complete idiot. And a fool, to boot.”

I deserve her disdain. I….

Andi could sense he was getting ready to run away, but she had a long-shot idea and she wanted to pass it along. “Before you go, Clem, promise me something.”

I…anything, Andi. If I can, I will.

“Figure out who you can communicate with on that side. Ask questions, help us figure out who this hitman is.”

You’re kidding, right?

“I’m not. One of the Smokies who passed through when we were trying to figure out how to trap Sherry Hemmer’s killer told me that the dentist had killed others. That led us down a brand new path where we gleaned new information that helped convict her for other murders, as well.”

I’ll do my best, and Andi?

“Yes, Clem?”

Please tell Denise I love her and I’m so, so sorry. I’d take it all back in a nano second, if I could.

The odiferous smoke dissipated in a heartbeat.

“He’s gone.” She glanced at Denise. “He wants you to know he loves you and he’s sorry.”

“Sorry, my ass,” Denise said, her voice rough with emotion. “Damn, him. Damn him all to hell!”

Andi stared off toward the Chapel of the Garden.

Hell might be exactly where Clem was headed.

Everyone went thei
r
separate ways and met up again at the elder Naylor’s house at two p.m.

By prearrangement, Denise would make introductions and leave the explanations to Andi. Father Riley and Vaughn would verify her ability, if it could be called that, to communicate with the dead.

Stacy’s sister, Elsbeth, also known as Beth, had agreed earlier to collect the kids from school and take them for the afternoon.

Bert and Gayle Naylor were a sad study in grief. Andi regretted that they were going to be thrown into an even darker abyss. Not only did they have to learn that their son had hired a killer to murder his wife, but they would have to swallow and digest the story of how the contract hit had come to light.

Andi thought they handled it pretty well, if icy glares and frowny faces were any indication. She pulled out her trump card at the moment she suspected Colonel Naylor was about ready to eject her, ass first, from his home. “I have a message for you from Clem.”

The thundercloud over his head darkened. Andi could almost feel the electrical currents running through the room.

“He asked me to tell you that he forgives you for giving him so much shit about joining up and following in his footsteps. He also wanted you to know that he doesn’t regret not being a surgeon.”

Bert Naylor’s mouth literally dropped open. And then he belly-laughed, startling everyone but his wife.

“What’s so funny?” Denise asked with a worried frown.

Bert shared a look with Gayle, who took his hand and gave it a hard squeeze.

His wife’s lower lip trembled, but her eyes sparkled with humor.

“Clem wanted to sign up for the air force as soon as he graduated high school,” he said, “and I talked him out of it. I told him he needed to go to college, and then on to med school and become a wealthy, successful surgeon or something.”

Denise stared at him as if she didn’t comprehend the words coming out of his mouth. Her head swung toward Andi. “I told you that didn’t sound right. Clem hated all the sciences, said they took too much thinking and analysis.”

Bert wiped tears from his cheeks. “Boy howdy, did he. He sucked at every science and math class he ever had to take.”

“It’s true. Clem being a doctor has been a family joke for the last twenty years,” Gayle agreed, her gaze traveling to, and latching on, Andi. “You really did talk to our boy.”

Andi nodded.

Bert pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his face. With his mirth subsided, he said, “Now, what’s the rest of what he told you, young lady, and don’t leave anything out.”

Andi gave them the bad news.

More tears rolled down their cheeks by the time she’d finished.

Gayle looked at her daughter-in-law. “Denise, I don’t know what to say…my boy…I can’t believe he’d do something like this.” Her horrified gaze went to her husband. “Bert? How can we fix this?”

He slid his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I don’t know, honey. I just don’t know.”

Andi hurt for both of them, but there was nothing she could do about it except explain Clem’s remorse. Or try to.

“He should be sorry,” Gayle said, her tone angry. “We didn’t raise him to be no better than a common criminal.”

“Or a murderer,” Bert said, stricken. “Did we do something wrong?” he asked of his wife.

Vaughn spoke up. “You didn’t, sir. Clem was a good man who let his imagination run wild and came up with a scenario that left him a little bit crazy. After that, he made one mistake after another and now he’s trying to rectify it.”

“Can you ever forgive us, Denise?” Gayle asked.

“You’ve done nothing that needs forgiving,” Denise said. “You aren’t responsible for your son’s actions.”

“Still…,” Bert said, but couldn’t go on.

Gayle fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, stretching it out of whack. “What can we do?”

“I need you to take the kids until…until this is over with.” Denise swallowed visibly and Andi imagined she was trying to garner her courage. “And if…if I’m killed, I need you to promise me you’ll care for them. I don’t want them being taken as wards of the state.”

Gayle sucked in her breath and made a sound deep in her throat. “Don’t talk like that, Denise.”

“I have to, and I’m going to see an attorney tomorrow to have the paperwork drawn up for you to be their guardians in the event of my death. It’s a fact that Clem wanted me dead. It’s also a fact that the killer is coming for me. He’s been paid, in full he says, despite Clem’s protestations to the contrary, so I can’t have my kids around when he shows up.” She swallowed a couple of times, then went on. “The hitman says he doesn’t kill kids, but he also said he doesn’t leave witnesses. I think we all know what that means.”

Bert rumbled off a string of profanities that under different circumstances might have amused Andi. “What the hell are you doing to find this bastard?” he demanded of Stacy.

“Everything we can. For her part, Denise is getting a security system and having all her locks updated. She’ll have to become a hermit until the ninth of February. It will help considerably if you have the kids here with you, safe and sound. They can communicate with their mom via Skype, but it’s imperative that they stay
away
from their house. Tomorrow, I’ll help Denise pack up some of their clothing and other personal stuff and bring everything over. After that,
none
of you is to go to her house.”

When they didn’t respond, she said, “Is that understood?” When they still didn’t answer, she said, “Colonel, I know that you’re used to issuing orders, not taking them, but your grandkids’ lives depend on you doing exactly what I’m telling you.”

“I get it, Lieutenant. I just feel so goddamned helpless.”

“We’ll do exactly what you say, but how do we explain this to the children?” Gayle asked.

Denise stood and went to kneel before them. “I’ve given this considerable thought, because the kids and I have talked already about how much we need each other during this time. The only thing I can come up with is to tell them I’ve come been exposed to some highly contagious disease, maybe Ebola. That might resonate with them, since it was in the news not that long ago, and it would explain why I’d be in quarantine.”

“How on earth would you explain coming in contact with that?” Gayle asked, skeptical.

“From the hospital, when Clem was admitted.”

Bert shook his head. “That could work, but it would mean telling the kids they can’t talk about it at school. If they do, everyone will freak out.”

“Maybe you should keep it simple and just say it’s a virulent strain of the flu virus,” Father Riley suggested.

“That makes more sense,” Denise agreed. “Thank you for the suggestion.” She reached up and embraced her in-laws. “It’s all going to work out, you’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right,” Gayle said.

“I am,” Denise said. “Andi promised me it would.”

Andi would have crawled in the nearest hole, had one been available. Instead, she nodded and said, “That’s right. I did.”

She was aware that all the incredulous eyes in the room were trained on her.

. . .

Stacy and Denise went off to Denise’s house.

Father Riley headed back to the rectory.

Vaughn went home to hug his kids.

Andi sat for a few solitary minutes in front of the elder Naylor’s house in a funk.

What was she thinking, making promises she might not be able to keep, even though she’d convinced herself she could?

What was she thinking, worrying that Jack might be throwing her over for a homicide detective from Dubuque, Iowa?

What was she thinking, staying on at Orion’s Belt, when she could find another job, somewhere else where the dead didn’t stop by for chats, almost on a daily basis?

She started up her car and burned a u-ey, headed for home.

Hours later, she wondered yet again what she was thinking, going down to her office with the hope that Clem would show up to talk to her for the second time that day.

Fifteen minutes later, parked in the lot closest to the building so she wouldn’t be completely in the dark, she turned off her headlights, made sure her doors were locked, and turned the radio on low, comforted by an easy-listening station on satellite radio.

God or Providence or Clem must have been watching over her, because moments later, Clem’s smoky essence filled her vehicle.

I did something bad, Andi, and I don’t know how to fix it.

“I know, Clem, but you should find some solace in the fact that your parents now know everything and they’ve agreed to keep the kids until February ninth. They’re going to tell them that Denise is in quarantine from being infected with a bad flu bug when she went to the hospital with you. They’ll communicate by Skype.”

Thank you, Andi. That does ease my mind.

“Tell me, Clem, did you mail or email a picture of Denise to The Liquidator?”

No, I hadn’t gotten around to it yet. I know it seems silly, but I couldn’t decide which one to send. You know, which one was the best shot of her.

Oh, brother.

What are you thinking, Andi?

Andi came up out of her slouch. “I thought you could read my thoughts. You should already know what I’m thinking.”

For a moment there, you were a complete blank. In fact, you still are. What are you thinking?

“Something crazy.”

Like what?
Cuckoo’s Nest
crazy, or
M-A-S-H
crazy?

“
Cuckoo’s Nest
crazy. I’d be Jack Nicholson.”

Okay, now I can read you again. You can’t do it, Andi! Don’t even think about it.

“I don’t have any kids, Clem. Denise has two.”

This isn’t your battle.

“Really? Every time you ‘talk’ to me you start out with, ‘I did something bad, Andi, and I don’t know how to fix it.’ Isn’t that a plea for help?”

I didn’t mean it that way.

“Of course you did, but regardless, I’m engaged in your battle. I’ve wracked my brain and I can’t see any other way around it.”

You should talk this over with the priest.

“He’ll tell me not to do it.”

He’s a smart and wise man. Listen to him.

“I think the person I need to talk to is Stacy.”

The cop, your boyfriend’s boss? She’ll tell you the same thing.

Andi straightened in her seat. “How do you know about Jack?”

I know a lot about you now.

Great, he was super-sleuthing her, but had he done anything about his own predicament? “Did you start asking some questions over there, wherever
there
is? Did you find out something more I should know?”

Pipe down and I’ll tell you, Andi, but first, let me thank you for suggesting I broaden my communication horizons. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe what a guy can learn where I am.

Andi couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “You’re welcome. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Here’s a dossier on The Liquidator in a nutshell. His name is Dex Moran. He’s a former military sniper, Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. He was dishonorably discharged for drug distribution. He served time in Leavenworth and when he was released, he hired out as a soldier of fortune and contract hitman.

“Wow. Where did you get all that?”

You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Suffice it to say, it’s all true. Now get your butt home and try to track him down on the Internet. And, Andi?

“Yeah?”

Forget this nonsense about trying to pass yourself off as my wife.