Chapter Twenty-One
Liz had never been more nervous in her life. She’d been waiting in the parking lot for Jack Marshall. She’d been beginning to think he’d taken the day off after killing her ex-husband.
She was almost surprised when he showed up. Clearly killing must not bother him as much as what she was about to do. She’d called work and had no trouble getting the day off once they knew about Robert being murdered the night before.
But there was no way she was planning to hang around the house. She had too much on her mind. A part of her wanted to get the pistol Robert had bought her when they’d separated and go pay Jack Marshall a visit he would never forget.
The thought of prison for killing the son of a B wasn’t worth it, she soon realized. No, the real pay she wanted for the deaths of Whitney and Robert was that smug Jack Marshall behind bars. Unfortunately, it looked like he would keep slipping the knot on the noose.
Now as she crossed the parking lot, moving quickly toward his vehicle, she clutched the pistol in her jacket pocket and promised herself she wouldn’t shoot him. Not unless she had to, she amended.
He put down the driver’s-side window as she approached. From his expression, he wasn’t too worried. She was on his turf, and while none of his salesmen seemed to be around, there could be someone watching from the large glass windows at the front of the showroom.
“Let’s go for a test drive,” Liz said as she walked around the front of the car with the dealer plates. She heard him unlock the passenger side. Grabbing the handle, she opened the door and slid into the deep plush seat. “Nice car.”
He looked over at her, and she swore that if he asked her what this was about, she would shoot him. Fortunately, he started the car and pulled out of the lot. “Any place in particular?”
“Drive to your bank.” He swiveled his head in her direction, his expression surprised, but he didn’t say anything.
“You’re going to make a withdrawal.” She saw his jaw tense, his lips forming a straight line across his handsome face.
“I’ve been trying to decide how much my ex-husband’s life was worth.
You’re lucky, it wasn’t worth all that much.
How much did he try to blackmail you for?
” When he didn’t answer, she said, “Doesn’t matter. Tell you what. Make it fifty thousand.”
“I can’t get that much out without raising suspicion.”
“Oh, please. You’re such a smooth talker, and fifty grand is nothing for you.
That wouldn’t even buy one of the cheaper cars on your lot.
I’m sure you can convince your banker to give you the money.
By the way, I know where you bank. I’ll wait in the car—on the phone with your wife. ” He tensed but kept driving.
“She always wanted a house, you know,” she said. He looked confused, as if he didn’t know who she was talking about. “Whitney. She was really excited about you buying her a house.”
“How do I know you won’t be back next week for more money?” he asked as he pulled into the parking lot at the bank.
“You don’t, but I’m not greedy like Robert. He would have bled you dry. I’m sure that’s why you killed him.” When Jack said nothing, she realized that he must have thought she was recording this for the police. “I’m not recording you. I just want the money before you go to jail.”
Liz saw the way he was gripping the wheel and chuckled. “I don’t think you can afford to kill me or anyone else right now. Eventually your friends at the police department aren’t going to be able to protect you if one more person goes missing or ends up dead.”
He parked and started to get out. “Don’t take too long,” she warned. “I wouldn’t want to run out of things to say to your wife, Christine.”
When Russ walked into the department, the chief stepped out of his office and motioned for him. He’d known this was coming. Marshall probably picked up his phone and called the chief the moment Russ left his house. His only hope was that Milt would listen to the evidence he’d found.
“Sounds like you’ve stepped in it now,” his partner said as he passed his desk. “You are one hardheaded SOB, you know that, Tate?”
“I am when it comes to getting justice,” he said as he kept walking.
“I’d say you’re about to get more than you bargained for,” Hanson said.
“Don’t bother to sit down,” the chief said as Russ walked through the open office door.
“You won’t be staying that long.” Milt wagged his head as if confused by the detective.
“Jack Marshall is threatening to file a harassment suit against the department because of you. He said you came to his house this morning and accused him of killing some man on the rims last night. Have you lost your mind?”
“No, sir. The man who was killed last night was blackmailing Marshall. Robert Baker had found out that Marshall had been having an affair with a woman named Whitney Clark. Clark is missing and has been since the night of the murder at the construction site. Our eyewitness has identified Clark as the woman she saw that night with Marshall.”
The chief leaned back as if trying to distance himself from what Russ was saying. “Missing? So no proof the woman is even dead, right?”
“Except an eyewitness saw her killed by Marshall,” Russ said.
“How is it that the eyewitness now can identify this Clark woman as the one she allegedly saw murdered?” Milt demanded.
“She’s been doing some investigating on her own.”
The chief shook his head. “Clearly she is out to get Jack Marshall.”
“I believe she’s merely determined to get some justice for the dead woman.
If you open an investigation, I can get the proof needed for an arrest. But I need warrants for how Marshall flew back and forth from Great Falls that night.
I suspect he buried the body at the construction site.
It might be too late to get a cadaver dog in there but—”
“Stop right there.” Milt’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. “It’s bad enough that this alleged eyewitness is obsessed with seeing Jack Marshall behind bars, but now you’re just as bad. Do you really believe that Jack Marshall killed some man up on the rims last night?”
“I do,” Russ said. “Just as I believe he killed Whitney Clark, the woman he was having an affair with. No one is above the law, not even Jack Marshall. If he didn’t do it, then open the investigation and let me prove that he didn’t. Unless you’re afraid of the truth.”
The chief was shaking his head. “You’re talking about Jack Marshall, one of the most powerful businessmen in the state, hell, the Northwest. He and Christine raise money every year to help this city, this county, this department.”
“The man isn’t who you want to believe he is.
Imagine what that’s going to do to the department when it comes out.
You can’t protect him anymore,” Russ said as he stepped forward to lean on the desk toward the chief.
“And it’s going to come out. Your good friend Jack is a murderer.
Imagine what will happen to you when it comes out that you repeatedly tried to stop me from investigating him.
Here, I want you to have this.” He tossed the paperwork on the man’s desk.
“What’s this?” the chief demanded picking it up. “Your resignation?”
“No, it’s a copy of my sworn affidavit outlining the evidence I found against Jack Marshall following the eyewitness showing up at the police station after seeing him murder a woman,” Russ said.
“It’s all there, including Liz Baker’s ex-husband’s attempt to blackmail Marshall and his untimely death later that night. ”
Breathing hard, Milt took the papers into his two fists and tore them in half and then again into fourths before pitching them into the trash beside his desk.
“That won’t make the evidence go away,” Russ said. “My fear is that he’s going to kill again.”
The chief was shaking his head. “Jack Marshall?” he said as if it was inconceivable. He looked as if he might explode. “I warned you. You have disregarded my orders for the last time. You’re suspended. It’s time for you to go back to the ranch. You don’t belong here.”
Russ nodded. “I’d tell you that you’re making a mistake, but you’re right,” he said as he removed his gun and badge and laid them on the chief’s desk. “I don’t belong in a department where a man like Jack Marshall gets away with murder. But then neither do you.”
With that, Russ straightened and walked out. Behind him, he heard Milt wipe everything off his desk onto the floor. He heard a loud crash, then swearing.
Hanson gave him a questioning look as he walked to his desk. “Should I start looking for a new partner?”
“Sure, why not. I’m suspended, but I’m sure he’ll fire me soon.”
“Picked a great day for it. The chief just dumped another murder on my desk. A man was stabbed to death up on the rimrocks.”
“I already told him who did it,” Russ said. “Marshall’s girlfriend Whitney Clark was also stabbed. Seems to be a pattern.”
“Too bad we don’t have her body so we could compare stab wounds,” Hanson said facetiously. “Guess I’ll start looking for a new partner since it sounds like your days here are numbered.”
“I wouldn’t bother if I were you. Once it comes out that this department tried to keep me from investigating the murders Jack Marshall committed, you and the chief might both be looking for new jobs,” Russ said.
At least he could only hope. But unfortunately, he no longer had much faith in the system, he thought as he headed for the door.
He thought of Amy Sue and Liz and everyone else he was letting down if he quit trying to find the truth.
But he also reminded himself that he was suspended. No service weapon and no authority to carry a gun. No badge. No right to investigate anyone. He didn’t doubt for a moment that he could end up in jail if he didn’t stop.
Maybe Milt was right. Maybe it was time to go back to the ranch.
Jack should have known that he wasn’t finished with Whitney’s good friend.
It was bad enough that he had to contend with Liz’s ex-husband.
As he walked into the bank, he tried to calm down.
Fifty grand was a small price to pay for her to go away.
Unlike her ex, he believed she wouldn’t be back for more.
He walked to the bank manager’s office door and tapped.
Harold Wright looked up, smiled and waved him in.
The entire transaction didn’t take long, and he was walking out of the bank with the money in his briefcase.
He’d have to make Harold one devil of a deal the next time he came in for a new car, but he hadn’t minded.
If there was a way to put all of this behind him, Jack would have given the woman five times this much.
When he reached the car, he saw that Liz was on the phone. With Christine? He doubted that, but wouldn’t put anything past her. Liz disconnected as he climbed in, taking his briefcase from him as she asked, “Any problems?”
He shook his head. He didn’t think she was recording them, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d done enough of that last night. “You can see for yourself,” he said, nodding toward the briefcase.
She flipped the lock and opened it to find the large bills bound together in stacks.
It took only a moment to see that the money was all there.
She took it out and shoved it into her large purse.
“Thanks. You should probably get to work. Christine might be on her way over there.” He shot her a look.
“I didn’t tell her anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.
We talked about her charity work for an interview I’m working on. ”
He told himself that Christine was too smart to fall for this woman wanting to interview her.
Was that why his wife was headed to the dealership—if she was?
Jack thought of how they’d left things this morning and grew more anxious.
He could keep the fifty grand from her because he had a separate account he used for the business.
But Christine couldn’t see him with this redhead.
“I’ll drop you at your car,” he said. “I hope this ends our business.”
“It does,” Liz said, sounding tired as she leaned back and closed her eyes.
He saw that she had her purse on her lap, both hands on top of it.
He wondered if she planned to use the money to bury her ex.
Or if she had another plan for it. The money wouldn’t go far.
He wondered why she hadn’t asked for more.
He really hoped she didn’t come back for more as he pulled into the lot and drove up next to her car. “We’re here.”
Liz opened her eyes, clutched her purse to her and got out. Without a word, she slammed his car door and walked over to her vehicle.
He quickly drove to his parking spot. He didn’t see Christine’s car. As he got out and headed for his office, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake by paying Liz off. He’d certainly made one by killing her best friend and now her ex-husband.
She was right about one thing. He couldn’t lose his temper and do anything rash again.
At least not for a while.