CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
TREVOR WAS sweeping the concrete floor when Duane arrived early the next morning. He got up early for his jog then left Randi in his bed with a note that he would be here. Suggested that it might be good if everyone stayed at Spicer Meadows a while longer. He’d be in touch as soon as he knew something.
“Heard anything?” He asked the deputy.
“Just got the call. Gil spent most of the night working on it. Confirmed that it was Deborah Gilman. Her arm was broken and she apparently died from a blow to the head. Also suspects asphyxiation but that might be a little hard to prove.”
“Now we need to find out who would do something like that and why.”
“Haven’t talked to the Sheriff yet so until he gives the word, we’ll keep this under wraps. If you think the project has been jinxed and compromised before, wait till the media finds out about this. Everybody will be here.”
“Do we have to go public?”
“Until the Sheriff gives the go-ahead, no. It has to be someone local and I’d like a little more time to investigate it.”
They heard a noise behind them and turned to find Josh standing in the doorway.
“You okay?” Trevor asked.
“Not really,” Josh sighed. “Me, Norman and Cliff, we haven’t slept too much. We holed up in my room these past two nights. My parents know something’s wrong but we haven’t said anything. I’m supposed to be in school but came here instead. Do you know who it is?”
“Deborah Gilman,” Duane answered.
Josh’s mouth fell open and all color drained from his face. Both men reached for him when he almost collapsed. They led him inside to sit on one of the five-gallon buckets.
“Did you know her?” Duane asked. “Did you know Deborah Gilman?”
“Yeah. She lived with my aunt and uncle. I remember she disappeared a long time ago. That’s Deborah? My Mom was really upset. Cried a lot. She liked Deborah and often asked her to babysit me.”
“What were you? Five? Six?”
Josh nodded. “I thought she was cool. Used to take me to the ball park. I was in little league and she’d help me hit the ball off that baseball tee.”
“Do you remember whether Deborah ever seemed to be upset or depressed?” Trevor asked, remembering their discussion from last night.
“No. She was always in a good mood.” He paused. “Except when we had these family get-togethers. Then she was quiet. I always tried to get her to play with me and then she’d be okay.”
Duane pulled out his notepad. “Who would be at these family get-togethers?” he asked
“Me, my Mom, Dad. Uncle Tom and Aunt Claire. Myra. Uncle James, he’s my mom’s older brother.”
“Do you recall anyone that might have given her a hard time?” Duane asked.
“No, not really. I don’t think she was crazy about Uncle James though. Nobody really likes him. He thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
“This Uncle James,” Duane asked. “Is that James Marshall? The CPA?”
Tears filled Josh’s eyes. “Is it really Deborah? What happened?”
“It looks like there was a blow to the back of her head.”
“You mean like someone really meant to hurt her?” Josh asked.
Duane nodded.
Josh felt sick in his stomach. He’d never known anyone who died. Much less been murdered. Visions of his smiling babysitter flit through his mind. How could anyone have hurt her, buried her behind the firehouse? Then he recalled seeing Trevor’s tools in his uncle’s office and looked at Trevor. “Do you know my uncle? Would you have lent him any of your tools?”
Trevor frowned. “No.”
“Those tools that were stolen, was it a nail gun and cordless screwdriver?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I saw them in my uncle’s office the other day. I know they’re yours. They had your TAG label on them.”
“We think we might have a lead,” Duane told the group when he and Trevor met with them at Spicer Meadows.
“Who?” Cliff asked.
“James Marshall.”
“Tom Marshall’s brother?” Brad asked.
“Why?” Ginny and Brina asked at the same time.
“Turns out Josh Stevens knew Deborah.” Trevor said. “He came by the firehouse this morning. When we told him who it was, he almost collapsed. His mother is James and Tom Marshall’s younger sister. He said Deborah used to babysit him.”
“Yes, I remember,” Marcie said. “Deborah was always talking about him. Used to take him to the ballpark.”
“He mentioned that,” Duane said. “He also said Deborah didn’t like going to the Marshall family get-togethers. Said he thought James made her uncomfortable.”
“Can’t say that I’m crazy about him myself,” Brad said. “I’ve had a couple clients complain about him. Asked about legal advice. Why do you think he might be connected to Deborah?”
“Josh said he saw some of my missing tools in James Marshall’s office.”
“Also turns out James Marshall told Josh and his friends the firehouse was being demolished. That’s why they went there and painted the graffiti on the walls,” Duane continued. “Josh also remembers seeing Mark Smith leaving his uncle’s office one afternoon.”
Brina gasped. “He knew Mark Smith?” She remembered the day she saw Mark at the hospital, then heard he had died. That was the same day Duane called her about the brakes on her car. “The same Mark Smith we suspect tampered with my brakes?”
Duane nodded.
“But how is all this related? What makes you think James Marshall had something to do with Deborah?” Ginny asked.
“James Marshall is part of the family that raised Deborah. Josh seemed to think she didn’t like him. There may be a reason. He may have done something. Then add in the fact that Marshall knew the Smith kid, baited Josh to trash the firehouse, stole some of Trevor’s tools. I think Marshall has a vested interest in wanting to see the firehouse project shut down.”
“And I have an idea how we can find out.” Trevor stated.
Trevor, Cliff, Rafe and Brad sat at a table in the White Rose Diner. They had talked to Scooter who confirmed that James Marshall always ate lunch in his diner every Tuesday and Thursday. Ordered a club sandwich, fries and chocolate cake like clockwork.
Being as it was a Thursday, the men decided they’d have some lunch at the Diner.
Wendy, the waitress had just set four beers in front of them when Marshall came in and sat at his usual table which happened to be next to theirs. Trevor sat closest to Marshall. They wanted him to hear every word.
Moments later, Pete sauntered in and joined them at the table. “The girls told me you were here.”
“Yeah,” Cliff said. “When did you get in town?”
“Had a few days, thought I’d spend them with Marcie. How’s the project going?” Pete asked Trevor.
“Great. Heading down the home stretch. Interior’s just about completed, have the final inspection next Monday. I talked Brina and Randi into putting a patio across the back and we’ll be starting that tomorrow. Next week this time, the job should be finished and I’ll be back at Snowridge.”
“And the girls will be planning their Grand Opening,” Cliff added.
Brad sat where he could observe the man they suspected murdered his fiancé. He watched the man’s head jerk up when Trevor commented about doing the patio and gave a thumb up that he’d taken the bait.
“I need to talk to Randi about her ex-husband,” Brad said. They didn’t want to elaborate too much on the firehouse so he talked about the only other thing he knew to talk about.
“I hope he’s still in jail,” Trevor grumbled.
Rafe chuckled. “I can see him using his governmental position to weasel his way out on bond.”
Brad chuckled. “Oh, he tried, but considering the kidnapping and child endangerment charges, the judge wouldn’t consider it. I think his arraignment is scheduled for next month and it’ll probably be several more months before it goes to trial.”
“Randi will be glad to hear that,” Trevor said. “She’s been worried he’ll somehow get off.”
“She doesn’t have to worry about anything. Considering what he did and the charges against him, he’ll probably never be able to see the boys. I understand Miriam has already filed for a divorce and will be testifying against him.”
“What about his delegate seat?” Rafe asked.
“Next year is an election year and I doubt that anyone will back him much less vote for him.”
“Eat up, boys,” Trevor said. “It might be a long night.”
The women refused to stay at the house and let the men have all the fun.
“It could be a long night,” Rafe stated. “A long, cold night.”
“We’ll wear our long-johns,” Brina responded. “It’s May. Can’t get that cold. There is no way I’m going to miss out on tonight’s excitement.”
Trevor had piled brush and lumber over the site so that it looked like it hadn’t been touched. He and Randi hid at the far corner of the firehouse, behind the two natural gas tanks he’d had installed. They sat on a blanket and watched through the lattice panel.
“You need to think about the baby,” Cliff had said but Ginny refused to stay home. They had assembled at the garage before assuming their positions.
The lights were still on at Marshall’s office so Cliff and Ginny were parked in the bank parking lot within sight of the office and said they would text everyone when he left.
Brina and Rafe hid behind a clump of bushes ten yards away and Marcie and Pete inside one of the cars parked in the parking lot behind the firehouse. Brad and Stacie watched from the garage with Hal. Trevor thought it might be best not to let Brad get too close to Marshall if he showed up.
Duane waited inside the back door of the firehouse, prepared to arrest Marshall once they caught him searching the pile.
It was almost eleven o’clock and Randi’s toes were starting to get numb. She was worried that it might have all been in vain until their phones vibrated. “He’s on the move.”
Trevor nudged her moments later and watched a shadow come around the far corner from the street.
Trevor squeezed her hand, as they froze in place.
The shadow slowly crept across the back of the building. Randi thought he carried a small shovel. As he moved into the darkness, she saw the beam of a flashlight highlight the brush pile. Randi almost gasped out loud when he set the flashlight on the ground and stepped into the light.
They watched Marshall kneel and push some of the brush aside. As he nudged more and more of the debris aside, Trevor stood to shine his LED spotlight on him. Rafe did the same from their position and Pete turned the car lights on him.
“Need some light?” Trevor asked.
Marshall jumped up, shocked at being caught. He turned to run but Duane stepped out of the firehouse and tripped him.