Cupcakes and Killers Page 6

  “I’m better. Dr. Richardson gave me some sleeping pills to try a couple days ago, and actually getting a full night’s rest does wonders. Who would have thought?” she said, smiling shyly.

  She was much happier than I had seen her in a while. This was good. “I’m proud of you, Phyllis.”

  She beamed with happiness. She’d made such progress in the weeks she had been here. Phyllis was becoming more relaxed and regaining some self-esteem and confidence through the counseling the shelter offered, plus all of the hard work she had put in on her own. It made me that much more furious that Stephen had left this note with her, and I couldn’t begin to imagine how he knew she was close enough to me for that to work. Clearly he was following us, but he wouldn’t have seen who I was seeing while I was inside the shelter. So where did he get that information, and how did he get in to deliver the letter? I might have been scared before, but now I was also a lot pissed off.

  “He left a note for one of the girls I have been working with at the shelter, Clive.” I had called him when I left the shelter. “How did that happen? How could he get access? This place has great security.”

  “I’m not sure, and I’ve asked for help from the Cedar Creek Police Department to double it. We have cars up in that area all the time, due to the nature of problems we regularly have there. Trust me, the women are safe.”

  “I hate to argue, but how safe can they be if he, or someone else on his behalf, was able to get to the residents’ mailboxes, which are at the back of the main office?”

  “Trixie, I can understand how you feel, and I am working with Katherine on this. I promise we will keep these ladies safe.”

  “I hope so. I really hope so. I couldn’t bear to be responsible if anything happened to any of them because of me. They’re dealing with enough as it is. This is supposed to be a safe place.”

  Chapter 11

  “Don’t be mad, but Jonathan looked into Stephen,” Cora said, sliding into her seat. We were all sitting down enjoying a coffee—hazelnut decaf, since I certainly didn’t need anything keeping me up—after closing the shop. “That’s why I’m late. He was filling me in.”

  “What do you mean by looked into Stephen?” I asked.

  “He did a computer search in some areas that maybe he doesn’t have full authorization to be in,” she said in a casual manner, knowing full well we were going to jump all over that.

  “Okay. Wait a minute!” Sally said, holding up her hand. “Rewind. When did Jonathan start doing computer searches on people?”

  “And what do you mean, unauthorized? Did he hack into the police computers or something? How does he even know how to do that?” I asked.

  “Close. FBI.” Cora tried to maintain her calmness, although I could tell she could barely contain herself.

  “What?” Sally and I said, simultaneously sitting up straighter in our seats.

  “You need to explain yourself,” I demanded.

  “There’s more to Jonathan than meets the eye, which we already know, but it’s even more than you two realize. He keeps a lot of things secret because, well, he has to. However, he told me I could tell you both if you both promise not to tell, and, of course, I know you won’t.”

  “Tell us! Tell us!” I exclaimed. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”

  “Remember when Jonathan went off to serve in the Marines?”

  “Yeah, right after high school. He said he wasn’t a college type and thought the military would keep him out of trouble,” I said. “Which I think seemed to work. He came back much more settled.”

  “When he was discharged from the military, he was recruited by the ATF to work undercover.” Cora nodded and had a big smile on her face.

  “So you mean to tell us Jonathan is an ATF agent?” I asked.

  “Undercover. Which is why you didn’t already know.”

  “Does Clive know?” I asked.

  “Clive does, only because of Jonathan’s involvement in a few arrests. It’s all very much on the down-low.”

  “I’m having a hard time reconciling the Jonathan I know with someone who is a government agent,” Sally said.

  “Me too,” I added. “How did this happen? I mean, how did this come about? Jonathan was always such a nonconformist. I was shocked he went into the military. I thought the strict authority would be too much for him. And why undercover here?”

  “He didn’t give me all the details. I don’t think he likes to talk about it. He does like to pride himself on being a nonconformist. But also, he believes in justice. From what he told me, his dad and some of the other guys in the motorcycle club twenty years ago were engaged in illegal activities. Jonathan didn’t agree with it, but as a kid, he couldn’t do much and didn’t say anything. When he got the chance as an adult to do things on the up-and-up, he felt he could make a difference.”

  “I always wondered if Jonathan knew what his dad was doing. It was one of those known secrets about town that the club was selling drugs. I knew Jonathan would never do that, but I thought maybe he was in denial, or that the rumors were all false,” I said.

  “Nope. It seems like the rumors you heard back then were true,” said Cora.

  “Well, I’m glad we have his help,” I said. “Though I am a bit surprised there was enough other crime to warrant our town having an undercover ATF agent here.”

  “No kidding. That’s a scary thought. What did he find out about Stephen?” Sally asked.

  “You know how Stephen is connected to the mob and was blackmailing Sylvia? He also double-crossed the mob back in California. So not only is he wanted by the authorities in connection with what he did here, but he is being hunted down by his former employers, whom, Jonathan said, he should fear more than the police.”

  “So, is that why he’s taking the risk to come back here and get money? So he can escape?”

  “That’s what Jonathan thinks. Stephen needs to skip the country and needs cash to make that possible.”

  “If he’s trying to get out of the country, then he’s getting desperate. More desperate than what we thought, and he’s already proven he will take drastic measures.”

  “That’s also something Jonathan said. I do have some good news, though. Now that Jonathan is tracking him, we know how he knew Trixie spent time with Phyllis at the shelter and got the letter in Phyllis’s mailbox.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Phillip Hartley.”

  “The mailman?” Sally asked.

  “Yep, that Phillip Hartley.”

  “How did Jonathan find that information out? Or do I even want to know?” I asked.

  “I’m not exactly sure, but you can ask him yourself. He wants to talk to you both and thinks you should confront Phillip. He would do it, but it could blow his cover.”

  “I’m game,” I said immediately..

  “Me too,” added Sally. “When can we meet with Jonathan?”

  “I had a feeling you both would feel this way, so he’s waiting out in my car. He needed to come into town anyway. I just need to send him a quick text, and he’ll join us.”

  Just as Cora said, a few seconds later Jonathan walked through the door. With his scruffy beard and work jeans, it was no wonder he was so good undercover. No one would ever suspect he had a genius IQ, much less that he could possibly be an ATF agent. He looked more like the guy you’d cross the street to avoid. I jumped up to give him a hug.

  He looked at Sally, who had remained sitting. “What? No hug, Sally? You’re breaking my heart.”

  She raised her eyebrows disdainfully at him. “I’m pissed I kept your secret all through school about how smart you were, and you don’t let me in on this secret?”

  “Don’t be like that. You know you can’t stay mad at me forever, freckle face.” I could tell she wanted to smile when Jonathan called her by her grade school nickname, and, of course, she wasn’t really mad at him.

  “Fine. I better not find out you have any more secrets you’re keeping from me, Mister,” she
said, pointing her finger at him.

  “Nope.” He shook his head. “This is pretty much it. Other than this little side job, I’m just a mechanic.”

  “So tell us how you found out Phillip was Stephen’s errand boy,” I said, dying to know. Phillip had been a mailman here for years. It was a shock to find out he couldn’t be trusted.

  “By accident, if you can believe it. I have a few wiretaps on some people I’m investigating for illegal gambling, and Phillip happens to be one. I heard a transcript of a conversation between him and someone. At the time, I didn’t know it was Stephen. Phillip was offered money to pick up an envelope and deliver it to the shelter. The caller, Stephen, said if he could personally see it made its way to someone you, Trixie, had contact with, there would be an extra thousand in it for him. Phillip knows Katherine well, so I would imagine he asked a few questions to find out you spend a lot of time with Phyllis.”

  “It was that easy?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately, it usually is. Criminals aren’t nearly as smart as they’d like to believe.”

  “Do you think Phillip knows all that’s going on?” asked Sally.

  “Nah. He’s just an errand boy.”

  “Scary thought that it’s that easy to get someone to do your dirty work. Phillip, of all people! He’s been a mailman for as long as I can remember. And you say he has a gambling problem?” I slumped back in my seat. I just didn’t understand people.

  Jonathan nodded. “He plays with your ex a lot,” he directed at me.

  “Is that why Phillip was such a willing participant to Stephen’s scheme?” Sally asked. “Does he need the money?”

  “We all could use money, and you don’t see us committing crimes,” said Cora.

  “How would Stephen have this information about Phillip to know he would be an easy mark?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but it’s not hard to find things out if you look hard enough. Where there’s a will, there’s a way and all that,” Jonathan said. “Anyway, you all need to be careful. This Stephen character is a bad dude, and he’s desperate. That doesn’t make for a good combination.”

  “What are we supposed to do when we don’t even know where he is?” I asked. “Clive can’t arrest him if he can’t find him, and so far, he has been able to stay one step ahead of everyone who’s after him.”

  “I know. It’s frustrating,” Jonathan said. “Clive has his men on it, and I’m doing what I can on my end. Other than that, you all need to be careful and vigilant. I’ve got a few guys from the club that will be cruising by your places and the shop. Between them and the cops Clive has assigned to do the same things, Stephen will hopefully think twice about coming after any of you.”

  Chapter 12

  I walked out to my car after running to CVS to pick up a few things I couldn’t live without. I needed the important stuff, like gum, Vitamin Water, and new mascara. I was horrible at remembering to write down a list of what I needed and subsequently, I ended up making a lot of quick trips to the store, which, of course, caused me to spend too much money. Sticking to a budget was another weakness of mine. Although CVS wasn’t bad price-wise. Especially if you used your CVS card and tracked your coupons, which I normally forgot. But today I was in luck, and the five dollars off any purchase coupon in my wallet from last week was still good. I opened the back door to throw my bags in, then opened the front to get in myself. Just before I settled in, I saw something on my windshield. I reached my left hand around to grab it and then slid back in my seat. Shutting the door, I opened the note, my hands trembling a little with apprehension. Already steeling myself for it to be bad, I almost didn’t want to open it.

  If you want information that will help you catch Stephen, meet me in the parking lot here at eleven tonight.

  I turned it over, feeling a little sense of relief it wasn’t from Stephen. That was it. What was the deal with all the cryptic notes? It didn’t say who it was from, nor give me any idea as to who it might be from. CVS was on a busy corner of town, so there were always tons of people around who could have seen me pull in. I was heading to the shop, so I decided I would tell the girls and hope they would have an idea. The note could be from Stephen, trying to trick me for all I knew, and meeting him late at night in a deserted parking lot wouldn’t be a situation I wanted to find myself in.

  “So you didn’t see anyone by your car when you came out?” Sally asked me, after I showed her and Cora the note when I got back to the shop.

  “No. CVS was pretty busy, as usual. I didn’t notice anyone who didn’t seem to be there just shopping like I was.”

  “What are you going to do?” asked Cora.

  “That’s what I’m asking you guys. What should I do? I mean, what if it’s a setup?”

  “You think Stephen could have sent this note?” Sally said.

  “Sure. He got the note to Phyllis. Leaving one on my car isn’t much of a stretch.”

  “This handwriting looks female, though,” Cora said.

  “You think so?” Sally said, peering over Cora’s shoulder.

  “Definitely. Don’t you think so, Trixie?”

  I leaned over to look. “Yeah, it does look like a female’s handwriting, but still, that could be easily accomplished. Stephen has proved to be resourceful.”

  “How about all three of us go? If there are three of us and one of him, we’re pretty safe, right?” Sally said.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Cora asked. “Maybe we should turn it over to Clive.”

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but it is a better one for us to stick together than for me to go by myself, and I don’t think we can just not go. What if it really is someone trying to help us?” I said. “There is a little more safety in numbers.”

  “And I’ll tell Jonathan where we’ll be,” Cora said. “Although I’m sure he won’t like us meeting someone at night when we have no idea who it is.”

  “Then it’s set,” Sally said. “Meet back here at ten thirty, and we’ll drive over together.”

  “No one’s in the parking lot,” Sally said as she pulled her Navigator in.

  “We are five minutes early,” I said.

  Sally shut off the engine, and we sat there in the darkness. “I thought there would at least be employees here.”

  “They changed the hours a few weeks ago. They close at 10 p.m. now,” I said.

  “You have your phone ready to dial Jonathan?” Cora asked me.

  “Yep.” Jonathan was across the street at the gas station. He said he wasn’t about to let us meet some stranger with everything that had been going on, when we weren’t even sure who he was. Jonathan had instructed me to call him and leave the line open while I met whomever this turned out to be. He wanted to record the conversation, and, of course, hear if I screamed bloody murder and come save me if need be. Though he hadn’t phrased it that way.

  “I think I see a car slowing down to pull in,” Cora said excitedly. “Yes, yes, it’s pulling in.”

  “It could be someone who doesn’t realize CVS changed their hours,” I said dryly, trying not to give in to how scared I was. But then the car pulled in two spaces from where we were parked and shut the engine off. The windows were dark, which made it difficult to see in, but I could only see one person in the car. And it looked like a female. So it wasn’t Stephen, though it could still be someone sent by him.

  “Shouldn’t you get out of the car now?” Sally asked me.

  “Yeah, I should. Wish me luck.” I was nervous, but knowing Jonathan was across the street made me feel better. As much as I prided myself on being an independent woman, men, especially ones Jonathan’s size, came in handy. I dialed his number and slid the phone in my pocket, then opened the car door and stepped outside. It was chilly, and I pulled the belt on my green coat tighter. I should have worn a warmer jacket, but it hadn’t been this cold earlier, and my shivering was just as much due to nervousness as it was the cold. I stood by the car for a second, wondering if I sho
uld walk over to the other car or wait for the person to get out.

  I was about to walk over—it was too damn cold to just stand here—when the car door opened. A petite woman with brown hair pulled up in one of those cool teased high ponytails got out. She had on jeans with UGGs and a long corduroy jacket. She looked a few years younger than me, early thirties, and was quite attractive. She tentatively walked over.

  “Are you the one who left the note on my car?” I asked her as she reached me.

  “Yes. I’m Rachel. Rachel Slydell.” She held her hand out to shake mine. I was getting more comfortable by the minute. Cold-blooded killers didn’t usually shake your hand, did they? She seemed harmless, although maybe that was her angle.

  “I’m Trixie. Though I guess you already know that,” I said.

  “Yeah. I’m sure you are wondering why I left that note on your car.”

  I nodded. That was the million-dollar question.

  “I used to be Stephen’s girlfriend.”

  My eyes widened, and I took a step back. Her comment put me a little on edge, wondering what her motives were with this meeting, and if Stephen was lurking about.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, sensing my discomfort. “This isn’t a trick to get you here. He doesn’t even know I’m in town. I know he has been harassing you for money because the guys he stole money from are after him. I can help you.”

  Harassing was a bit of an understatement, but I wasn’t going to argue. “Help us do what?”

  “Get Stephen off your back. Help the police catch him. Whatever needs to be done to stop him from making things even worse.”

  “I know you said you aren’t his girlfriend anymore, but why would you help us?”

  “Because, at one time, I cared about him. If he doesn’t either get out of the country or go to jail, where he can be reasonably safe, the guys he used to work for will kill him. I don’t want him to die.”