Festival Turmoil Page 6

  After hours of fruitless questioning, Mac motioned for the Chief and Bryce to come out into the hallway to talk. They left Richard in the room alone with cameras on him.

  “I’m going to try to find Thomas Wellington. I have a feeling he’s not asleep at the bed and breakfast,” Mac said.

  “I’m coming with you,” Bryce said.

  Bob Ingram knew his detectives well enough not to argue. After all, if the missing person was his daughter or his fiancé he’d be desperate for answers, too. He took another officer back into the room to begin another round of questioning with Richard Martin.

  “Where are we going first?” Bryce asked as he followed Mac out to the parking lot.

  “We’re going to cruise the streets and look for his SUV. He’s driving an Escape, according to Brenda. It’s a deep grey color. If we don’t see it, then we’re going into any business still open this time of night.”

  Bryce looked at his watch. “That would be the tavern then. They’ll be closing in half an hour. Shouldn’t we go there first?”

  “We will after we cruise down the alleys behind all the shops. Look for anything unusual. Then we’ll head for the bar if necessary.”

  “Do you think he’s Neb Tyler?”

  “It could be. The physique matches, but not the looks or hair color. He could have undergone plastic surgery but it would have to have been expensive and a complete job.”

  The streets and alleys were empty except for a few parked cars belonging to people who lived over businesses in downtown Sweetfern Harbor. They neared the Octopus Tavern.

  Bryce pointed. “Is that him?”

  “That’s Thomas Wellington for sure. Let’s go.”

  The officers got out of the patrol car and walked briskly toward the slightly inebriated man coming from the bar. He saw the two cops and ran. Bryce chased him until he caught up with him. Mac was on his heels.

  “What are you running from, Thomas, or is it Neb?” Mac asked.

  Expletives exploded from the man’s mouth as Bryce jerked him around and snapped handcuffs on him. He shoved him into the back of the patrol car and they headed for the police station.

  Chief Ingram came from the interrogation room. He smiled to himself when he saw the two officers come in with the suspect.

  “That was quick work,” he said. “This is Thomas Wellington, I take it?”

  “That’s who he says he is. He ran from us when he saw us,” Bryce said. “He staggered out of Octopus Tavern.”

  Bryce pushed him toward the booking counter, where he couldn’t wait to get the fingerprints of the man. If he was responsible for the disappearance of Jenny, then she was all right where she was since Thomas, or Neb, as well as Richard were in custody. The detective’s adrenaline raced. Any minute now he would be on his way to rescue the woman he loved so much.

  “Fingerprints will tell us if this man is Neb Tyler.” The Chief agreed with Mac. “I’m not leaving tonight until one or both of them tell us where Jenny is. I have to find her.” The Chief nodded.

  The officers didn’t spend time wondering about Neb’s changed appearance if that was indeed who they had in their hands. Bryce spent his time hovering over the shoulder of the tech while she ran the fingerprints. She felt his hot breath on her neck and turned to glare at him.

  “I’ll have them as soon as possible. If he’s who you think he is, they will match since he’s been in prison before.” She paused as she waited for the detective to step back. Then the printout erupted from the printer and Bryce grabbed it before she had a chance to hand it to him. When he raced from the room, she said aloud, “I guess you got what you wanted.”

  Mac and Bob turned when the straight-backed chair in the narrow hallway tumbled over. The young detective didn’t bother to upright it. “It’s him. It’s Neb Tyler.”

  “I’ll send officers to the bed and breakfast to get his wife down here,” the Chief said. “That means Rachel Wellington is really Rachel Tyler. She’s been in on things with him before, even though we never had tangible proof.”

  In the meantime, the two suspects sat alone in their interrogation rooms. Mac called Brenda to alert her. She dressed quickly and walked on tiptoe down to the foyer to wait for the arresting officers to arrive. She barely had time enough to regret the fact that her bed and breakfast housed criminals. When the cops arrived, she told them to follow her to Rachel’s door. As far as she knew Rachel slept. She was right about that.

  The woman’s eyes opened at the sound of the heavy knock. She glanced at her watch on the nightstand and felt for Thomas. He had not slept in the bed and it was early in the morning. She imagined him dead drunk in some alley, knowing he was on edge about their deeds. A drink or two usually calmed him down but he must have had more than a few.

  “Who is it?” she called.

  Then she heard the key in the lock and Brenda stepped inside the room after flicking on the overhead light. A female officer stepped around Brenda and told Rachel she was under arrest for suspicion in aiding her husband in the kidnapping of Jenny Rivers. Rachel was silent. The officers allowed Rachel to get dressed and then handcuffed her without incident. Brenda was thankful everyone else slept peacefully through it all.

  The familiar twisting of fingers started until handcuffs were snapped in place. Rachel’s eyes filled with trepidation when she passed Brenda. When they all left, Brenda finished getting ready to face a long day and headed for the police station. She wanted to listen to more interrogations and to hear what Rachel had to say.

  Above all, she wanted to be there to hear where Jenny was being held, and to rescue her.

  Chapter Eight

  Criminal Activity

  Brenda went into the police station and asked which room Neb Tyler was in. The clerk told her and Chief Ingram to meet her at the one-way window in the hallway.

  “If you want, Brenda, you can sit in on the interrogation. Jenny is your daughter, too.” Bob looked at her carefully when he spoke the words. “If you think it will upset you too much, take it only as an offer. I know you are anxious like the rest of us to find her.”

  “I do want to sit in there and look at him eye to eye. I had no idea I housed criminals. I can’t believe they would pretend to be my guests and then commit crimes like this. I’m sick to my stomach over it.”

  The Chief paused, seeing her distress. “None of this is your fault, Brenda. Criminals aren’t known for their honest. How could you have known?”

  Brenda barely smiled. “I know you are right. We all commented on how much time Thomas Wellington spent on the phone about business. Who knew it was criminal business all along?” She brushed her hair back with her right hand. “Have they said anything to Mac as to why they took Jenny?”

  Chief Ingram explained one or both came up with the idea to punish Mac. “The notes indicate one had his family taken away when he went to prison and wanted Mac to see how that felt.”

  Brenda shuddered. “Let’s get this going. You can rely on me to keep quiet. I want to observe and listen to what Neb has to say.”

  Bob Ingram smiled to himself. It would be something if Brenda Sheffield Rivers held back from asking pointed questions. Mac joined them. The Chief told Bryce to observe from the window and they would call him in halfway through. The young detective was too emotionally involved and the Chief didn’t want him riled up, trying to force confessions. Bryce wasn’t happy about having to stand on the sidelines. The Chief told him it would give him time to calm down and think rationally.

  Just before opening the door, Brenda stopped her husband and the Chief. “Do we know who actually planned things?”

  “That’s what we’ll find out,” Mac said. “First of all, we’ll make sure one or the other tells us where Jenny is.”

  Brenda took a deep breath and went into the room. Neb Tyler’s demeanor was one of anger and resentment. He glared at Mac until he noticed Brenda. “What’s she doing here?” His voice snarled like a wild animal.

  The Chief stopped t
he prisoner before he had a chance to object further. “You are in no position to question anything right now. That includes who comes into this room and who doesn’t.”

  Mac started to read his rights to him. Neb waved his hand back and forth. “I’ve heard all of that from you on the street. I don’t need to hear it again.”

  No one reminded the man he could ask for a lawyer. He didn’t seem interested in doing so anyway. Brenda thought that meant he didn’t plan to give out any information to anyone in the room.

  “From the notes you left around, we know you have Jenny.” Mac moved forward to stare down the man. “Was that your idea or did you have help?” Neb didn’t correct Mac that it was Richard Martin who left the notes. He cocked his head, looking at the detectives. That piece of information could remain a mystery for the time being. The cat and mouse game began.

  Neb Tyler leaned back and shifted to a more comfortable stance. “I had help. It took some planning.” This was more than Brenda expected. The man admitted to his part without much prodding. He smiled at Brenda. “You have a comfortable place. We had everything we needed and were waited on by your idiot staff like we were royalty.”

  Just as he sent the poisonous compliment her way, he turned to Mac. Anger washed over his eyes until they resembled black holes in his face. “It was because of you I was sent to not so luxurious accommodations in the past. You are the one who took what meant most to me and that was my own child. How does it feel to have yours taken away from you?”

  Mac opened his mouth to answer. Chief Ingram interrupted before words actually left his mouth. “You put yourself there, Neb. You robbed yourself of your daughter. Neither Detective Rivers nor anyone else took anything from you.” Another sneer was the only response. “Where is Jenny Rivers?”

  Neb shrugged and remained silent. Brenda stood up. Everyone looked at her. She asked the Chief and Mac to come outside the room with her. Bryce whipped around to meet them.

  “Why are you leaving him so soon?” he demanded.

  “Calm down, Bryce. I have an idea,” Brenda said. She went on to tell them she felt Richard Martin would be more cooperative in giving answers. “I’d like to interrogate him while you keep hammering at Neb. Bryce could join me. I think Richard will be ready to spill things in hopes it will benefit him in the long run.”

  The Chief agreed and reminded Bryce to stay calm if they wanted to find out where Jenny was. “If you lose your cool, you may destroy all chances.”

  “I know that. I’ll conduct myself as if this is another matter entirely.”

  Chief Ingram and Mac returned to Neb. They settled in, expecting a long interview day.

  Brenda and Bryce passed the second window and noted Richard Martin bent over the table with his head in his hands. They entered the room. The surprised look on the man’s face when he saw Brenda was a hint that he had been caught off-guard by something.

  “How’s Marilyn doing?” He stammered.

  “She’s fine, though deeply disappointed to hear you are in jail.” Was that a flash of regret, Brenda wondered.

  “We have to get to the bottom of things,” Bryce said. “Tell us everything you know, from the beginning when you first met Neb Tyler.”

  “So you know the man is Neb for sure?” Neither Brenda nor Bryce answered him. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know. I first met Neb when we played poker together in a nearby town. He seemed to be an all right guy and we saw one another on occasion. I guess he started to trust me enough to let me in on what kind of man he really is.” He looked at the two across from him. “Can I have a drink of water?” Bryce motioned to the cop at the door who brought a bottle of water to Richard. They waited for him to continue.

  “He had robbed a bank and kidnapped one of the tellers. He told me he and his wife Rachel were desperate for money. They had a kid by that time and no food to eat. That’s why he robbed it. He spent the better part of his adult life in prison and his kid grew up without him. He never got over that part. Every day that passed he resented Detective Rivers more and more. His kid is about the age of the detective’s daughter. I don’t know where Neb’s daughter is today, but I know she won’t allow any contact. Neb wanted to teach the detective a lesson once he got out of prison and he told me all about it.” Brenda felt Bryce tense up.

  “The biggest question is where is Jenny being held?” Brenda didn’t dare ask if she was alive or dead. She wanted to keep things on an even keel. Richard Martin appeared ready to talk and she didn’t want to lose that momentum. Bryce got the message when she nudged him. Richard Martin seemed reluctant to answer the question, however, hesitating as he took a sip of his water.

  “There’s something off in your story about Neb Tyler,” Bryce said. “He confessed to it, but he swore under oath he didn’t plan that bank robbery alone. He had help.” Bryce leaned back. “How did you manage to get away with it and only Neb went to prison?”

  Brenda admired Bryce. He was more knowledgeable about Richard’s and Neb’s past lives than she was, or he was fabricating things to encourage Richard to tell more.

  Richard shrugged his shoulders. “I got lucky. Okay, it’s true I knew Neb before the robbery. We hadn’t seen one another for years while he was in prison. When he got out, he looked me up and vowed to turn me in if I didn’t help him take the detective’s daughter. He said I owed him since he took the fall for the robbery and kidnapping. I had no choice.”

  “You had a choice. You could have warned Detective Rivers before you acted.” Bryce simmered quietly. “Kidnapping is a serious felony offense. Neb was lucky some judge let him out long before he was due, just for good behavior. Are you two responsible for all the shop robberies around town?”

  Richard nodded his head yes and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “We did that as a trial run to see how sharp your police force was. Each one was a little worse, a little more risky. When we did Jenny’s shop successfully, Neb said it was time to go to the next step in the plan. You were getting outside help involved and we didn’t want to get caught before Neb could finish the job he came to do.”

  By this time, Brenda’s adrenaline had increased until she was on the same level as Bryce. “Again, where is Jenny? You’ve nothing to lose at this point,” she said.

  “Listen, I only participated because I owed Neb something. He never turned me in and it was time for me to give back to him. She’s alive even though he wanted me to kill her. I drew the line at murder.” He was so caught up in his explanations he had no idea of how ludicrous this sounded to Bryce and Brenda.

  “Which of you knocked Mac out on the back stairs?” Brenda asked, switching tacks. If she knew the assailant, she would know who kidnapped Jenny. It took two people to carry it all out, but they couldn’t have been in the same place at the same time.

  “I did,” Richard said with a half-smile. “Neb typed up the notes and I placed them where he wanted them. He waited for Jenny to get home while I took care of Mac. We didn’t want them trying to contact each other before we had her.”

  “You’ve confessed to everything. Now tell us where she is.” Bryce had moved forward at the table, his knuckles white as he gripped the table. Richard’s life was in his hands if he didn’t tell them where Jenny was being kept.

  “She’s in a warm place. At least Neb said he turned on that furnace down there. I’m not even sure there is a furnace in that fishing hut…I haven’t seen her but he told me she is still alive though he’s thinking of killing her himself…”

  Bryce suddenly slammed one fist into the surface of the table, startling Richard into silence. The detective seethed with impatience and his eyes burned into the man cowering across the table from him.

  “Where is she?” Brenda repeated in a quiet tone.

  Richard gave directions to the spot near the ocean where several fishing huts stood, eyeing Bryce carefully to make sure the detective didn’t move towards him with those fists. “He put her in one that is empty all winter long. He told me it
is the only one with a weathered grey door on it. That’s all I know. I didn’t take her there and I haven’t seen her.”

  Before he finished his sentence, Bryce was at the door. He instructed the cop to take the prisoner to his cell and keep him there. Brenda raced after him. “Tell the Chief we’re on our way to get Jenny,” Bryce told the clerk as they sprinted to the door.

  Brenda buckled her seatbelt as Bryce, with sirens blaring, raced to the beach. They parked and ran to the row of six fishing huts. The weathered grey door was there, as described. All the other doors were shades of blue or brown. Bryce pulled the grey door open on its rusty hinges and light flooded into the dark interior. Brenda caught her breath when she saw Jenny. Her mouth was taped and wrists tied with a rough rope behind her back. Bryce carefully ripped the tape from his fiancée’s mouth and kissed her long. The cabin was cold. Bryce shed his coat and wrapped it around Jenny while they worked to free her from the ropes. Brenda called Mac to give him the news. The Chief had already sent patrol cars to the beach to secure it as a crime scene.

  Things moved fast as police officers swarmed around the little cabin. Brenda finally spoke to Jenny. “Are you harmed, Jenny? Do you need an ambulance?”

  “Oh, Brenda, I’m more than good now. I knew you would find me. I don’t need an ambulance at all.” Jenny’s teeth chattered with cold but her eyes were bright as she spoke on. “It’s been horrible not knowing what was going to happen to me.” She looked at Bryce. “I was afraid I lost you forever, Bryce. That man had sheer meanness in his face. I thought he was going to kill me.” He reached again for her and pulled her close.

  “You need to get checked out, Jenny,” Bryce said. “If you don’t want an ambulance then we’ll take you to the emergency room ourselves.” Brenda agreed right away. She knew the full impact of Jenny’s ordeal would only kick in once the relief of being found subsided.