I'll Protect You (Clueless Resolutions Book 1) Read online

“It was nice meeting you Carrie, I like your car” said Max, using his most tactful tone. There was no response from Carrie whatsoever.

  “I’ll catch you later, Bruce” he continued. With a puzzled look on his face, Max got back into his car and drove away. In his rear view mirror he caught a glimpse of the Porsche burning rubber out of the driveway as it sped off in the opposite direction.

  Max’s cell phone showed that Maggie had called earlier that morning. As he drove to his office he dialed back. While swapping recaps of current events, Max told Maggie about having met Grover’s new girlfriend.

  “Oh, that sounds exactly like that new sales trainee that Francine hired. You’re right about the miss-match with those two!” she exclaimed. “Is she living there with him? What’s that all about?” she asked rhetorically. Max had no answer. None was necessary.

  Probably instigated by Grover’s change in demeanor and his abrupt rudeness on this Saturday morning in April all of these flashbacks concerning Grover and Carrie were whirling through Max’s thoughts as he drove on to meet up with Maggie. He was trying to pin down something that was nagging on his mind. That perfume, why did the smell of that perfume linger in his thoughts?

  Chapter 5

  During the TV news early on a Tuesday evening in mid-May, a local television breaking news flash showed an abandoned mill building with the headline;

  “A dead body was discovered, the second one in the past three weeks. This one was located in a vacant industrial building on Farm River Road. The building is situated on an old dam site along the banks of ‘County River’.”

  The news commentator went on to describe the scene as the setting around the old mill building was being shown, including yellow police ribbons which were set up around the scene.

  It was explained that a call from a cell phone had been received by a 911 operator and had been relayed to the East Wayford Police dispatcher. The announcement continued;

  “The immediate area was searched and the body was transported to the Yale-New Haven Hospital. The cause of death was unknown at the time of this broadcast. Stay tuned for additional information relating to this second mysterious death in East Wayford within three weeks.”

  Maggie and Max had been muddling over the idea of a get-away long weekend for the Memorial Day holiday as they enjoyed their evening meal. Now, with her mouth hanging open as she and Max watched the forty-inch television above the bar at Jerry’s , she spoke first;

  “Max, we have that listing. Do you remember inspecting that property, last fall?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Max responded. That property went on the auction block in February but the only bid that met the minimum didn’t pass muster with financing. Is it still listed for sale?”

  “I think so” Maggie said flatly, but I think it’s a dead issue. A lot of the manufacturing space in the property is beyond repair and the amount of the liens against the former owner will hamper a clean purchase.

  “Holy shit!” exclaimed Max. “Do you realize that this is the second dead body, in less than a month, discovered in a property that we inspected?”

  Maggie looked at Max across the corner of the bar with a blank gaze as she nodded, but she had no response. They were both rather astounded as they finished the meal and cocktails that evening.

  On Wednesday morning Detective Salvadore was waiting in his car across the street from Max’s apartment building. As Max came out of the front entrance, Salvadore got out of his vehicle and approached with a manufactured, pleasant greeting.

  “Good morning, Mr. Hargrove, could I have a word with you?”

  Salvadore asked Max if he had seen the news flash concerning the body discovered at the abandoned mill site. Max indicated that he had seen the news the evening before.

  Salvadore wanted to confirm the information he had gotten from the Stanley Real Estate office regarding Maggie and Max having done an inspection together on the property.

  Max was getting irritated at the vague questioning by Salvadore. What in hell is he driving at? Why did he ask the realty company about this and why is he questioning me about this? he wondered.

  “I did inspect the property some time back and yes, Ms. Marshall unlocked the buildings” he responded rather curtly. “She and I cross paths doing our business quite frequently” he added. The detective nodded silently. He made some notes in a pocket note book while Max stood looking at him with a quizzical expression on his face. After a long half minute with no conversation between them, Max asked;

  “Is there anything else Lieutenant? “If not, I’d like to get on to my office.” he said coolly without waiting for an answer.

  “Oh, nothing else right now,” answered Salvadore. “Your office, now that would be “Jenson’s auction house, correct?”

  Max had turned toward his car at “nothing else”. He stopped, turned back to face Salvadore and snapped;

  “That would be Jenson & Associates, just so you get your notes correct. If you’ll excuse me, I’m running a little late and I don’t want to get a speeding ticket.” he added with thinly disguised sarcasm.

  Salvadore was back in his vehicle, assumedly making notes, as Max passed him while exiting the driveway.

  “This guy is starting to piss me off!” he mumbled to himself. He dialed Maggie’s cell phone to tell her about Salvadore and alert her to his seemingly non-directional probing, just in case that she might be his next “pincushion.”

  “Hi Max”, she answered. Before Max could start telling her about being questioned, Maggie blurted out;

  “That damn Salvadore nailed me as I came to work this morning. He had already talked not only with Francine, but with Sheena and Aggie, her two sales women! He was asking them about anything they knew about the old mill property where the second dead body was found. Then he quizzed me on anyone that I might have worked with on the sale of that property. I told Salvadore that nobody else worked with me on the marketing efforts of properties. I told him that all I do is open the door for co-brokers or for clients when the sales staff can’t be there. I didn’t bother to explain that my involvement with Stanley Realty did not include direct sales. He didn’t press me on the auction effort, so I didn’t mention you at all. Let the dumb ass learn what he’s quizzing people about if he wants the facts.”

  Calming down some, she caught herself using Max as a sounding board and asked how everything was with him.

  “Well, guess what, Salvadore caught me coming out of my apartment and quizzed me the same way. Although you didn’t mention my name, it sounds like one of your co-workers brought up how often we work together. He pressed me on that point and I told him straight out about how you and I inspected the property, way back when. I also told him we worked together quite often.”

  “Oh shit!” Maggie muttered, “Now he’ll think I’m holding back something. That’s all we need is that creep prying into our business! Why doesn’t he go find out who-in-hell is killing these people?” she asked no one in particular.

  “I hear you. I know the police chief pretty well from the tennis club,” Max suggested, “Maybe we should have a chat with him about Salvadore, just to see if this questioning is official, or if his detective is doing this on his own.”

  “That’s a thought, let’s think on it” Maggie rationalized verbally.

  Chapter 6

  Maggie had joined the tennis club around 6 years back. She had taken lessons from an instructor but it turned out that he was more interested in stroking her than teaching her to stroke the racket. She hardly ever played.

  Max had played tennis in high school and was a fairly good recreational player. He had joined the same club the year before he and Maggie met. He played on the men’s Friday afternoon league for a while and then played occasionally. His boss Carl was a member, as was Chief of Police Louis “Lou” Devaro.

  Around 10:00 o’clock Friday morning, Maggie and Max arrived at the East Wayford Tennis Club within ten minutes of each other, in separate cars, Max first. They each checked
in with the club tennis pro to ask about open times for the courts and if any members were looking to pair up for a game. Max knew that Chief Devaro’s wife usually played on Friday mornings. The chief, himself, often stopped in to play a warm-up game in the morning, to get his game in shape for the afternoon league matches. Maggie and Max went to their respective locker rooms to change into tennis clothes and equipment.

  “Well, hi Max, are you in for a mixed doubles match this morning?” boomed Lou Devaro, in his distinctive bass voice, as he passed Max’s locker.

  “Sure, Lou, are you and your ‘better-half’ playing this morning?” Lou nodded as Max continued, “I saw Maggie Marshall checking in for court times, how about a foursome?”

  “You’re on!” answered Lou.

  The couples switched partners as they took over a tennis court. Max was partnered with Rose Devaro. Rose was a stout, late fifties woman who was quite energetic, but not well coordinated. Maggie’s partner, Lou, was in fairly good athlete but nearing retirement age. His knees were arthritic and that had slowed him down a little, year after year.

  The game started slowly with Lou serving to Max in the backcourt position. Both women were playing the forecourt positions. Max returned the serve with a friendly lob to Maggie. This tempo of play continued through several points for each team. The points were scored, not with expert ball striking, but when one of the players made a poor shot or missed an easy return.

  Lou and Maggie won the first set 6 -3. Lou was beaming as he gave his partner a one-armed hug.

  Max had played quite a few games with Lou, over the years of his club membership, both as a partner and as an opponent. He had learned how to gauge Lou’s temperament. His demeanor would shift dramatically depending on whether his was winning or losing.

  Max was mindful of the fact that Maggie and he were there for the purpose of approaching Lou about the harassment from his investigating officer, Detective Salvadore. Lou would normally not talk about police matters while at the club, so the approach would have to be subtle and as friend-to-friend. Lou would be expecting to win this morning, especially with Maggie as his tennis partner, rather than his wife, and his reception to this approach would be especially negative if, after the game, he was on the losing side.

  Lou Devaro was a strong, aggressive and determined player but Max, younger and more even tempered than Lou, was better. Both of the men knew that, so Max would have to be especially careful that he wasn’t obviously laying-off to make Lou the winner.

  While the pairs switched sides of the net before the start of the second set, Max quietly talked strategy with Rose. Knowing that both Lou and Maggie, when they served, would be going right at Rose since she was weaker on the returns, Max suggested that she sidestep the serves and volleys and let the ball pass. Max would move directly behind her to effectively handle the returns. When their serves were returned the same strategy would be used. Rose was a little puzzled but, she had a soft spot where Max was concerned. She nodded in acceptance of his coaching, relishing the idea of possibly beating her dominant husband. This plan would not be effective once it became obvious, but Max guessed that he could score enough points to get the advantage, win the set, and even up the game.

  The second set began with a little more intensity. Max’s plan was working well. Rose was allowing shots that were aimed her way to pass by and Max was very effective with the returns. The set was 4 -2 in their favor. Lou was getting a little heated and he was hitting his shots harder, though less accurately.

  When trying to return a hard, fast shot from Max, he reached way out as he lunged, taking a mighty swing at the ball. Lou grunted as he missed the speeding ball and, with the swishing of his racket, he let out a loud fart.

  There was an awkward moment of silence. Then Rose burst out with a guffaw that echoed around the courtyard. Lou gave an embarrassed, quick look around to see if anyone but the four of them had noticed. Maggie glanced quickly at Max. He was pretending to wipe the sweat off his forehead but Maggie detected a look in his eyes and knew that he was struggling to suppress a laugh.

  Maggie quickly turned away from Lou to look at something irrelevant, anything so he would not notice her grinning. She spotted the clock and said; “Oh-my-gosh, look at the time.” Rose was looking at Lou with a surprised, curiously blank, stare. The set went to Max and Rose. They were even, one to one.

  As the foursome crossed the court to switch sides, they agreed, in the interest of time, to play a sudden death tie breaker, the first side to commit a missed shot would lose. They flipped a coin to determine which team would serve. Max and Rose won the toss. Rose served a rather soft blooper just over the net toward Maggie and turned away to let Max handle the return. With a flushed face, Lou rushed in front of Maggie and gave the ball a mighty swat. The ball zoomed past Max and hit the back-turned Rose squarely on her rather generously sized left buttock.

  “Yipes” Rose yelled as the ball bounced outside the foul line. “Ouch, that hurt!” she shouted, glaring at Lou.

  “That’s game!” exclaimed Lou, with a big grin on his face. With a disingenuous frown, he walked around the net post to approach Rose.

  “Sorry, sweetie” he said with a now genuinely concerned expression, “Are you okay?”

  The men shook hands as they walked to the side bench. Lou, ‘the humble winner’, shook Max’s hand and Max ‘graciously’ congratulated him on the win. The two women were indifferent as to who won or lost. They chatted while walking to the women’s locker room. Rose was rubbing her posterior most of the way.

  Rose had to leave for a hairdresser appointment after she had changed. Lou suggested to Max that he and Maggie should join him for lunch in the club lounge.

  After being seated the trio ordered and sat discussing the weather, always a relevant subject in the changeable New England environment, and other minor matters for a few minutes. They enjoyed a light salad and sandwich lunch and were finishing their tapioca deserts when Lou complimented Maggie on her athletic prowess and noted that she seemed very fit in a physical sense. Taking advantage of the opening, Maggie thanked Lou for the compliment and told him that she wished that his detective, Lt. Salvadore, was as much a gentleman as he was. Lou Devaro hesitated, then looked directly at Maggie and asked what she meant. Maggie answered in a slightly more colorful detail than the chief had bargained for, and Max chimed in with what the two had gone through since the discovery of the first death three and a half weeks earlier.

  Lou listened without comment, and was acting the somber police chief now, as he ended the conversation. He had to skip his afternoon league play because he had a news conference to do, which was scheduled at 2:30 PM. He indicated to the two fellow club members that he would get Salvadore’s side of the situation.

  Chapter 7

  The Saturday morning newspaper included coverage of a media release by the East Wayford Police Chief. The report in the paper was essentially a repeat of the Friday evening television report. Chief Luis Devaro had announced that the medical examiner’s report confirmed that the death of a known local man, which was discovered in East Wayford at the vacant house on Whitmore Lane, in April, was now being investigated as a homicide. The exact cause of death and the exact time of death had yet to be determined.

  He added that a second dead body, located at the abandoned mill on Farm River Road, and which had been reported on the previous Tuesday, was being examined for identification and probable cause of death. He had no further information to release on that matter.

  In answering questions from the television news crews about the first mysterious death, the chief indicated that no arrests had been made and that the investigation had not produced a suspect, or suspects, as of that time. He indicated that the case was now proceeding as a homicide investigation. All other questions were deferred with “As a homicide investigation is underway, no further information can be released at this time.”

  At the police headquarters on this Saturday morning an unusual closed conferen
ce with all police personnel was underway. Instructions for the investigation procedure were given by the respective department commanders. Once the meeting was adjourned Chief Devaro asked detective Salvadore to come to his office. Salvadore, with a quizzical look on his face, followed the chief to the office in silence.

  “Close the door, Sal, have a seat” commanded the chief.

  “What’s up Lou?” asked Salvadore.

  Lou Devaro had worked together with Joe Salvadore on their small town police force for over six years. Devaro had recruited Salvadore and swore him in as a rookie patrolman. After Salvadore had completed the required law enforcement educational courses the chief had promoted him to Detective Lieutenant.

  Salvadore had maintained a clean record but the one thing Chief Devaro knew about him was that, since he became a detective, he would sometimes fixate on an unfounded theory he had developed, about certain things, to the exclusion of other possibilities. This usually did not go well since many of the alleged perpetrators would be proven guiltless. Nevertheless, Salvadore would hold onto his erroneous theories way too long and sometimes waste valuable time which could be better spent on other cases.

  “Have you picked up any solid leads on the killing on Whitmore Lane since we discussed it last week?” asked the chief.

  “Well, there are a couple of things I noticed which are common to that case and the body found Tuesday,” he answered.

  Salvadore went on to hypothesize about the fact that both bodies were found in empty properties which were being marketed by Stanley Realty, and that both had been slated for auction. In both cases, the auto belonging to the victim was found at the scene, or nearby, indicating that they were probably meeting with someone on a pre-arranged appointment.

  “These things occur pretty often with properties that don’t sell right away, Sal, so where are you going with that?” asked the chief. Salvadore began to get a little nervous but he went on.