Florida Heat

  “That’s not much help.”

  “Mitch said he left his card and asked her to have her parents give him a call as soon as they got home. Said he’d update us if he got anything newsworthy.”

  Despite the heat Kate reached for the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. “Okay,” she said taking a sip, “so the guy that you saw wants to either scare you off or do you harm.”

  “Or find an easy meal for his snake.” At Kate’s bland stare Jo just shrugged. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”

  “So we have to assume that he’s really nervous about what he thinks you saw or didn’t see.”

  “Got any bright ideas?”

  “Let me think.”

  “Well, I still think we should set me up as bait.” Jo dropped down in her chair. “’Cause if you don’t catch this sucker, this type of crap could go on forever. And I’m not going to live my life constantly looking over my shoulder or worrying that some jerk is going to harm my dogs.”

  Kate shook her head as she stared at her coffee. “No, not as bait. But I think we might set up some surveillance cameras. You know, something that’s motion sensitive. Then if he tried something we’d have him on tape.”

  Jo sat up straighter in her chair. “Like those nanny cams?”

  Kate nodded. “Maybe something more sophisticated maybe even an alarm with lights that flash on when the sensor is tripped.”

  Jo warmed to the idea. “But isn’t something like that going to be expensive?”

  Kate nodded again. “Yeah, but I can pull in a few favors. I know a guy who runs a small electronics store. He specializes in spyware.”

  “Woo hoo, like James Bond?”

  Kate grinned and picked up Midnight who had finally left the couch and wandered into the kitchen. “He’d like to believe he’s in the espionage business. What I’m thinking is I can offer to test some of his newer equipment for him. See what he says.”

  Jo stood. “I’m in! When can we start?”

  Chapter Seven

  Louise Becker stood in front of her mirror, patted the snow-white curls that ringed her head and eyed herself critically. Okay, she did have a few crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, but who taught high school algebra for 40 years and didn’t end up with a few laugh lines? And she still looked better than Dawn Ackerman. The nerve of that woman, Louise thought, hinting that Bill might go looking somewhere besides home.

  Dawn had shrugged and puffed out her man-made breasts. “Well you’ve been married a long time and I’m just saying, as your friend, that you shouldn’t let yourself go to pot. It’s probably why Bill always has his nose stuck in his computer.”

  Go to pot my ass, Louise thought. She adjusted her gold neck chains then took another moment to admire how they set off her tan. “Bear, stop barking,” she scolded gently. The yellow lab galloped into the room and out again. His constant barking scraped over Louise’s already tender nerves. “Bear, stop barking.”

  Leaving the bedroom, Louise found Bill in his favorite chair with the Sunday paper in front of his face and the TV blaring.

  “Bill, turn that thing down. Bear, stop barking!” she snapped.

  “What did you say, Weeze?”

  “Turn the volume down on the TV. It’s about 50 decibels above fatal.”

  “Okay,” he mumbled without moving.

  “Good grief.” Not seeing the remote, Louise stomped over and pulled the plug. “I NEED YOU OUT ON THE LANAI,” she shouted.

  Bill lowered his paper and stared in confusion at his wife. “What’s the matter? Why is Bear barking?” Bill levered himself out of his chair. “Weeze, just tell me what you want. You don’t need to scream.”

  “Okay, Bill, you are hereby most graciously invited to puh-leese GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!”

  “You know, Louise, if the early church service is going to leave you in such a sour mood, then maybe we should just go to the later one.”

  He ambled to the patio window where the dog was racing back and forth. “It’s just a gator,” he said turning back to his wife. Smiling he picked up the binoculars he used for bird watching on the lake. Shifting the focus he scanned the lake bank. But when he lowered the glasses his smile had vanished.

  “Louise, you need to call Animal Control. I think we have a problem.”

  She snatched the binoculars from her husband and focused on the gator now sunning on their bank. Her hand grabbed her throat. “That better not be mine.”

  * * *

  Curled on the sofa with Bella’s head on her lap, Jo flicked through the stations on the TV. Blitz stretched on the floor at her feet and Kate sat in the rocking chair with Midnight.

  “Animal Control has had a busy weekend,” the reporter said with a smile. “Stay with us, we’ll be right back.”

  Kate looked at Jo. “I thought you said the TV crew didn’t come out.”

  “I didn’t see them. Do you think someone called it in? Or did something else happen?”

  “We’ll know in a minute.”

  When the program came back, the reporter was standing on the lanai of a small white cottage. A white-haired woman with a yellow lab stood beside him. The camera panned across one of Orlando’s many lakefronts then the reporter started.

  “Mrs. Becker, what alerted you to the situation?”

  “It was Bear,” she gave the lab’s head a pat. “He just wouldn’t stop barking.”

  “Isn’t the dog used to seeing alligators?”

  Louise gave the reporter a blank stare. “Well, of course he is,” she replied. “Alligators come up on the bank to sun themselves all the time.”

  “Then what made this time so different?”

  “It was the jewelry.” She reached up to touch the cluster of gold chains that ringed her neck.

  “The alligator was wearing jewelry?”

  Louise smiled patiently. “No, it was caught in its teeth. The sun kept shining off a piece of gold hanging out of the gator’s mouth and flashing in our window. That’s what my Bear saw.”

  “So when the dog alerted you, that’s when you called Animal Control?”

  “Well, actually,” she said looking over at her husband, “Bill, my husband, got his binoculars, the ones he uses for bird watching, and he’s the one who realized the gold flashes were from a chain hanging from the alligator’s mouth.”

  The reporter turned back to his camera. “Well, there you have it folks. Someone either fed their jewelry to the alligator or” he stopped for effect, “the gator made a dinner of someone wearing a lot of gold necklaces. Word is that after doing an autopsy tomorrow, Animal Control will decide if it’s necessary to drag the lake to search for a body.”

  Kate and Jo looked at each other but Kate was already reaching for her phone.

  “The Hispanic guy was wearing a lot of chains,” Jo offered. “Do you think it could be him? Could the other guy have just dumped him in the lake to try and get rid of the body?”

  “I don’t know,” Kate said replacing her phone. “But the powers that be, now know to take a closer look. And we’re going to request the lake be checked no matter what they find in the gator.”

  Jo stroked Bella’s head. “So do you think the kids will be safe tomorrow when we go back to work?”

  Kate looked around and nodded. “We’ve got motion sensors for the front and back, and Andy installed security on all the doors and windows. If anyone opens anything or breaks anything, the security company will know immediately. They’ll call the police and then they’ll notify us. I gave them both our contact numbers.”

  “Okay, then I guess tomorrow it’s back to work as usual. Will you be in on the lake dragging?”

  “No, tomorrow I’m checking banks. I spent yesterday going through Danny Witmore’s financials. What’s interesting is, according to Aggie, he insisted she do the banking across town, but somebody made regular deposits and withdrawals in the two branches closest to their home. I want to know who and why he’d insist she go to a branch further away. That ma
kes no sense to me.”

  “He was a real jerk. Maybe it was just another, 'I’m in charge and you’ll do as I say tactic.”

  “Maybe, but I’m checking it out tomorrow anyway. Other than Aggie, I don’t have any suspects. I’m going to do more digging and see if I can find a few more of his so-called friends. Are you in or out tomorrow?”

  Jo stifled a groan. “I’m Court Officer so I’ll be in the courthouse all day.”

  “Good,” Kate said ignoring her friend’s grimace. “That way I’ll know you’re not in trouble.”

  Jo rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom, are you going to let me stay up and watch the news or do I have to go to bed?”

  Kate tossed a pillow in her direction, which Jo batted away. Blitz decided this was the signal to play and ran for his ball. Not wanting to be left out, Bella jumped from the couch after using Jo’s leg for a launching pad, and Midnight arched her back and hissed at everyone.

  * * *

  First thing Monday morning Kate walked into the bank and looked for the manager. She identified herself and showed a picture of Danny Witmore.

  “I need to ask if you or any of your tellers know this man,” she said simply.

  “I know they do,” Mrs. Norris said. “I believe that Charlotte was dating him. Let me get her for you and you can use my office. I’ll warn you though,” the manager continued, “she was pretty upset when we learned he had died.”

  Kate let the woman lead her to a corner office and wished that the top half of the walls were not glass. She took a seat next to the desk and waited for the manager to produce Charlotte.

  Charlotte turned out to be a petite woman in her early twenties with delicate features and curly blond hair. Her blue eyes were red-rimmed, evidence of a recent crying spell.

  “Charlotte,” Mrs. Norris said, “this is Detective Snow. She needs to talk to you about Mr. Witmore.”

  Charlotte sniffed and took a seat. “Am I in trouble?” She looked at her manager.

  Mrs. Norris shook her head and started to take her seat behind the desk. “No dear, just answer the detective’s questions.”

  “Thank you,” Kate said easily. “But if you don’t mind, I really need to speak with Charlotte privately.”

  “Oh,” the woman stammered and started to rise uncertainly, “I’m not sure that I should leave.”

  “Are you Charlotte’s lawyer?” Kate continued in her easy way.

  “Well, no, but.…”

  “This is just routine. I thought Charlotte would be more comfortable here than down at the station.”

  “Oh, I see, well, Charlotte if you think you’ll be okay….”

  “It’s alright,” Kate patted the young woman’s hand where it rested on the chair’s padded arm. “I didn’t bring my rubber hose today. It really isn’t the accessory for this outfit.”

  Charlotte sniffed and giggled at the same time and Kate watched the tension on Mrs. Norris’s face begin to ease. Nodding, the manager walked out and closed the door behind her.

  She held out the picture of Danny Witmore. “So you know this man?”

  Charlotte nodded and held a tissue to her nose. “That’s Danny.”

  “And how did you know Mr. Witmore?”

  “He was a customer here.”

  Kate said nothing and watched Charlotte become increasingly nervous.

  “I didn’t know he was married,” the girl blurted as she burst into tears. “Am I in trouble?”

  “Did you do anything wrong?” Kate asked gently.

  “I went out with him,” Charlotte sniffed. “I wouldn’t have gone out with him if I’d known he was married.”

  “When did you find out he was married?”

  Charlotte wiped her eyes. “When they said it on the news. You know,” she shredded the tissue with nervous fingers, “the night they reported he’d been killed. The TV said that he was married and had a child.” She sniffed again. “I swear I never knew he was married.”

  “Would that have made a difference? I mean he was a good looking man.” Kate offered.

  “He was hot,” Charlotte smiled. “But I have a policy that I don’t date married men. It only leads to trouble.”

  “And had you been dating long?”

  Charlotte shook her head. “We’ve been out a few times but just during the last three months. He told me he had a busy work schedule, so I didn’t get to see him that often.”

  “And how did he contact you?”

  “Oh he’d call me when he had an evening free.”

  “And did you ever call him?”

  “Oh no,” Charlotte said quickly. “Danny told me I wasn’t allowed to.”

  “You weren’t allowed to call him? Didn’t you find that odd?” Kate pushed.

  Charlotte looked confused. “No, he told me he was really busy with work and that he’d call whenever he had a free evening.”

  “And what did Danny tell you he did?”

  Charlotte sat up a little straighter in the chair and looked nervously at the glass walls. “He worked on top secret stuff for the government,” she said in a hushed whisper. “That’s why it wasn’t possible for me to call him. His numbers were classified.”

  “But when he called you, you couldn’t see his number on your phone’s ID?”

  Charlotte shook her head. “No, it was always blocked. But I understood. I mean Danny was an important man and he was busy.”

  Yeah, Kate thought, busy with a wife and kid. “So where did you and Danny go when you did go out?”

  “Oh, he’d just come over to my place. I mean it wouldn’t have been smart for anyone to see us out together because of his business. He was always looking out for me.”

  “Ah huh, so all the time you were dating, he just came over to your apartment?”

  Charlotte nodded. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone we were an item. But I sorta slipped and told Donna. She’s my closest friend.”

  “And does Donna work here at the bank?”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t supposed to tell her, so please don’t say anything.”

  “Is she the only one you told?” Charlotte looked sheepish. “Well, I sorta let it slip to Kathy and I think she told her roommate.”

  “Does Kathy work at the bank too?”

  “Oh no, Kathy works at the nail salon.” She extended her hand to show perfectly shaped nails painted hot pink with black polka dots.

  Kate flipped out her notebook. “And where would that be?”

  Charlotte’s eyes started to fill again. “Oh, gosh, do you have to talk to her, too? This is so embarrassing.”

  “This is just routine,” Kate said gently. “But why do you think it’s embarrassing?”

  “I mean I was really in love with Danny and then to find out he was married I guess I just feel foolish.”

  “Have you ever been to Danny’s house?”

  Charlotte jerked with surprise. “No!”

  “You don’t know where he lives?”

  “Well, yes, I mean I know his address from the bank records but I’ve never been there. Danny wouldn’t have liked that. He told me he often worked at home and since his work was top secret, not just anyone could show up. You know what I mean?”

  “Yes, I’m getting the picture. Do you have any idea of who would want to hurt him?”

  Silent tears ran down the woman’s face as she shook her head. “It was probably because of the secret stuff he was working on. But I don’t know what that was. Do you think that was what got Danny killed?”

  “I honestly don’t know right now. Did you know Danny was into body building?”

  Charlotte looked confused. “No, he was really buff and you could tell that he worked out but I don’t think his schedule gave him time to do something like that. After all he had a really important job.”

  “Yes, doing secret things for the government you said.”

  “Right,” Charlotte agreed with a whisper.

  “Well, Charlotte, it’s been quite enlightening speaking with y
ou.” Kate pulled out her card and passed it to the woman. “If you think of anything that might help me, I’d really appreciate it if you’d give me a call.”

  Kate stood putting an end to the interview. Charlotte nodded and wiped her eyes again. “I’ll call you if I think of anything,” she said solemnly.

  Kate thanked the manager and left the bank. When she was in her car she called Jo and was surprised when her friend picked up after the first ring.

  “Hey, I thought I’d go directly to voicemail. Aren’t you assigned to court today?”

  “Yep, but I’m between intakes right now so you get the real me.”

  “Good. Describe Danny Witmore.”

  “A good looking man who had a violent temper, beat his wife frequently, and had no respect for the law.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Kate sighed. “Well you can add cheating jerk to the list. I just found one of Danny’s girlfriends and the reason he wouldn’t let Aggie go to this branch of the bank.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope, cute little thing but not too bright. It would make me worry if I banked there. She claims she didn’t know he was married and that he had some top secret job with the government.”

  “Danny?” Jo laughed. “Are we talking about the same person?”

  “Yeah, he really had her snowed. But you know, I think she liked his take-charge power trip.”

  “Okay, oops, I gotta go.”

  “Later,” Kate said and disconnected. Now she had to find out where Danny got the money he was depositing in the bank. And what was going on at the other branch that Aggie was not allowed to use.

  The second bank branch produced much the same results with one major difference. Yes, everyone knew Danny Witmore and, yes, he was dating one of the tellers. Kate sat with Tiffany Saunders in the manager’s office and watched the woman fume. She was petite and blond like Charlotte, but there the similarities ended.

  “He was a jerk,” she snapped, eyes flashing with anger. “That jerk was cheating on me with a wife! If I had known he was married I wouldn’t have given him a second look.”

  “What made you give him a second look in the first place?” Kate asked.

  Tiffany held out her wrist. A diamond tennis bracelet caught the light and sparkled. “If a guy wants to give me jewelry,” she shrugged. “Who am I to say no?”

  “Wow, is it real?”

  Tiffany snorted. “Yeah, I wondered that too.” She turned her wrist to admire the piece. “But I had it appraised and it’s real all right, a full carat of diamonds set in white gold. Worth a cool grand.”