Chapter 20. Pinning Them Down #2
“I can’t swear to it, but I’m fairly certain I saw him when I attended the service.
I’ve since learned that Gentry is behind River Valley Ranch, a subdivision that’s going in next to Gail Pittman’s property.
If you let me come to the church with you today, I promise I won’t speak without your permission.
I just think I might be able to help. I’ve read most of Tyler’s articles online and listened to all of his podcasts.
Every single one. I’m guessing you haven’t had time to do that.
I know how busy homicide detectives are. ”
She issued a soft snort. “Busy doesn’t even begin to describe it. One of the other detectives is out on medical leave for a heart attack, and I’m handling his workload until he recovers.”
“I might be able to save you some time,” I said. “If you get a list of the church’s members, I might recognize a name from one of the podcasts or articles. I could feed you information that might help with your interview.”
“All right,” she conceded. “You’ve convinced me to let you sit in while I question them. But keep your mouth shut. If the Carmichaels address you directly you will…?”
“Say nothing without your permission.”
“Exactly. Either write me a note or point to the door and we’ll step outside to discuss it.”
“Got it.”
I arrived at the church to find Detective Alonzo waiting in her car.
Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun atop her head again, a look that was simultaneously severe and feminine.
She wore a fitted sienna-colored pantsuit with a cream-colored blouse underneath.
We joined forces on the sidewalk, where I handed her the pin.
“I didn’t realize what it was until I ran my thumb over it to remove the dirt. ”
She held it up by the edges and looked at it closely. “There’s dried mud in the grooves. The mud probably absorbed any fingerprints that were on the pin, but I’ll have the lab take a look anyway.”
After she looked the pin over, she dropped it into an evidence bag, tucked the bag into the pocket of her blazer, and headed inside with me trailing along like her only apostle.
Female voices raised in song drew us to the worship hall.
The Grace Notes were practicing an a cappella piece.
Tess, whom I identified by the left-side part in her hair, was singing melody.
Bess sang harmony. Both had their eyes closed as they held their mics to their lips with one hand and raised the other to the heavens.
We’d made it halfway down the center aisle before Tess opened her eyes and noticed us. Bess kept singing, pumping her fist now as if celebrating a victory in the game of the Devils versus the Angels. Which side is she on in this proverbial competition?
“Hi, there,” Tess said through her microphone, at which point Bess stopped singing, opened her eyes, and lowered her hand. “Can we help you with something?”
Bess, too, spoke through her mic. “That’s Whitney, the woman I told you about. The one who found Tyler Yee dead.”
Seeming to realize they’d broadcasted their conversation over the speakers, they returned their microphones to their stands. Bess descended the stairs and met us in front of the dais. Tess followed her.
“Is your husband around?” Detective Alonzo asked Bess. “I need to speak with the two of you.”
Bess’s smile faltered. “I believe he’s in his office working on his sermon. I’ll take you there.”
Leaving her sister behind to practice on her own, Bess led us to her husband’s office, giving a cursory greeting to the assistant sitting at a desk outside his door before knocking on it. “Devin? It’s me. We have visitors.”
Devin’s voice called out from inside. “Come on in.”
As we entered, Devin’s eyes widened in surprise. He stood and circled around his enormous modern glass and chrome desk. Bess introduced him to the detective, then held out a hand to indicate me. “You remember Whitney Flynn.”
“Of course I do.” Devin gave me a smile and nod. “Nice to see you again.” He gestured to four chairs arranged in a circle with a round coffee table in the center. “Why don’t we sit over there where we can be comfortable?”
As Detective Alonzo and I headed over to the chairs, he asked, “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Bottled water? There might even be a donut or two left in the breakroom.”
We declined the refreshments, and he and Bess joined us, taking seats side by side.
“I’ll cut to the chase,” Alonzo said. “One of your church’s pins was removed from the crime scene where Tyler Yee was killed.” She pulled the bag containing the pin from her pocket and placed it on the coffee table. “That pin belongs to…?”
Bess and Devin eyed the pin, then each other. “May we pick it up?” Devin asked.
“As long as you don’t remove it from the bag.”
He picked up the bag. Bess leaned over to take a closer look, too. “It’s platinum,” she said. “Our most exclusive pin.”
Devin nodded. “Only about a hundred people in our congregation have achieved platinum status.”
Detective Alonzo asked the question that was on my lips, but which I was biting back per her strict instructions. “Someone achieves platinum status by…?” She held out a hand, inviting them to complete the sentence.
Devin ran through the requirements to earn each level of pin.
“A member can get platinum status with a one-hundred-thousand-dollar contribution to the church, either at one time or cumulative. A member can achieve gold status with a donation of fifty grand. Silver status is achievable with only a twenty-five-thousand-dollar donation.”
Only? Sheesh. Twenty-five thousand was hardly chump change. The pin levels were like membership levels for timeshares. Looked like Devin brought some of his timeshare sales strategies into fundraising for the church.
My judgment must have been written on my face, because Bess took one look at me and said, “A monetary donation isn’t an absolute requirement.
A sacrifice is. People can either sacrifice their money or their time to earn the pins.
We recognize that not everyone is wealthy, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to have their support of the fellowship recognized.
A silver pin can be earned by one thousand hours in volunteer service to the church.
Gold requires two thousand hours, and platinum requires four thousand hours. ”
Devin added, “We want our members to feel invested here. That keeps them involved.”
Alonzo circled back to the pin in the bag, pointing to it. “This pin belongs to…?”
Devin shrugged. “One of our platinum members. That’s all I can tell you. The pins aren’t personalized in any way. I award them directly. People can only get them from me.”
“Is anyone missing their pin?” Alonzo asked.
“Not that I’m aware.” Devin looked to his wife and she raised her shoulders to indicate she, too, was unaware of anyone missing their pin.
He turned back to Alonzo. “I’m not sure I would have noticed, to be honest. Many members, especially newer ones, don’t have pins.
Those who have pins aren’t required to wear them, though they generally do. ”
Alonzo held out her hand for the bag containing the pin and returned it to her pocket. “I’d like to see a list of your platinum members.”
“No problem.” Devin stood, walked over to his desk, and leaned over his computer. He manipulated the mouse and tapped a few keys. The printer on the stand behind him whirred to life, spitting out four pages in quick succession. He carried them over and handed them to the detective.
She held the pages so that I could see them. We both ran our eyes over the first page. Sure enough, Thaddeus Gentry III was the third name from the top. I might have gotten excited had I not known he’d flown to South Carolina the morning Tyler was murdered.
It was another name that popped out at me.
Senator Kingsley Atkinson.
Though my heart pounded, I did my best to appear calm.
I’d been given strict orders not to communicate with the Carmichaels, and body language could say a lot.
My rapid pulse might be visible in my neck.
I cocked my head in the other direction to hide my throbbing jugular. Apparently, I was too late.
Bess leaned forward, eyeing me. “You okay? You look flushed.”
“It’s probably hormones. I’m pregnant.” Alonzo had told me to keep quiet, but how could I not respond when Bess had addressed me directly? Besides, my pregnancy had nothing to do with the murder investigation.
“A fast pulse means you’re going to have a girl,” Bess said.
“That would be wonderful,” I said. “But I’d be just as happy if it’s a boy.
” My mind conjured up Kingsley Atkinson’s online photo, the one in which he’d worn a shiny platinum tie clip partially obscured by his jacket.
The part of the clip that showed read MED.
Was the rest of the word Redeemed hidden under his lapel?
I retrieved my phone from my purse and ran a search for the image.
Once I found it, I held my phone so that Detective Alonzo could see it, but not the Carmichaels.
She gave me a quick nod and turned to the next page, which listed members with last names M through P.
None of the names on that page jogged my memory, nor did any on the final page with names Q through Z.
Detective Alonzo locked her gaze on the Carmichaels. “I’m going to ask you about a couple of these members, but you are under strict orders not to tell anyone who I’ve inquired about. Understood?”
Devin dipped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
Bess raised her palm. “Hand to God.”
“Thaddeus Gentry,” she said. “Tell me about him. He’s…?”
Devin and Bess exchanged a knowing look before Devin returned his attention to Alonzo and filled in the blank she’d drawn with her question. “Been a member for about a year.”
Bess turned to me. “He’s one of those people I told you about, Whitney. He came here for the wrong reasons.” She shifted her attention to Alonzo. “Of course, we hope that God will change his heart.”
Devin was much more blunt. “Thad Gentry is an opportunist.”
Alonzo’s eyes narrowed. “You think he’s an opportunist because…?”
“Well,” Devin said, “first of all he tried to negotiate for the platinum pin. He wanted to get it for just ten grand up front, plus a pledge to pay the remaining ninety thousand over the next five years. When I told him that pins were not awarded until the money was paid in full and that the requirements for the pins were nonnegotiable, he laughed and said everything is negotiable. I told him the pins were not, and that the conditions were set in stone, like the Ten Commandments. He said he’d need to check with his accountant before making the contribution.
He must have gotten the go-ahead from his CPA, because he made the contribution in full a few days later with a check written on his corporate account.
That told me he considered the payment to be a business expense, not a personal contribution.
I was a little put off by that, but I hoped he’d come around. ”
“You said ‘first of all’ before talking about his donation,” Alonzo pointed out. “What else did Gentry do that made you think he’s an opportunist?”
“He attends most of our Wednesday evening fellowship dinners,” Devin said.
“He’s approached several other members about investing in his real estate projects.
We don’t mind if people want to talk a bit of business, but Gentry passed out promotional materials and showed folks a slideshow on his tablet.
That took things too far in my opinion. The focus of the dinners is supposed to be on spiritual fellowship, not making a buck.
If they expressed interest, he should have followed up with them later.
I took him aside as he was leaving and asked him to tone down the sales pitch. ”
“And…?” Alonzo asked.
“He agreed,” Devin said. “He didn’t look happy about it, though.”
“Does he wear his pin at these events?”
“He does,” Bess said. “I think he wants to impress people with the fact that he could afford the platinum-level pin. It’s supposed to be a sign of commitment to the church, but some see it as a sign of success, like driving an expensive car or wearing expensive clothing or jewelry.”
I figured Alonzo had asked about Gentry simply to be thorough, or to have more than one name to inquire about so that her inquiry didn’t seem quite so accusing.
After all, Gentry had been at thirty thousand feet when Tyler was killed.
His flight might have even already arrived in Charleston by the time the killer skewered Tyler like a marshmallow to be roasted.
Alonzo switched gears. “Kingsley Atkinson. He’s…?” She raised a palm, once again inviting them to fill in the blank.
“Another opportunist,” Devin said with a sigh.
“When he was running for reelection, he attended every Sunday service and many of our other events. He was as bad as Thad Gentry, passing out bumper stickers and yard signs, and soliciting contributions to his campaign. I had to ask him to back off, too.”
Bess added, “We haven’t seen much of him since he lost the election. He shows up every now and then at the dinners or to talk with folks after the Sunday service, but his seat in the worship hall sits empty most Sundays.”
Devin’s brow furrowed in concern. “You think Thad Gentry or Kingsley Atkinson could have something to do with Tyler Yee’s death?”
Alonzo said, “Just covering all the bases. Mr. Yee published a story about Senator Atkinson’s lawsuit against a children’s hospital. It’s possible that left some hard feelings. Mr. Yee had also been trying to get an interview with Mr. Gentry.”
Bess gnawed her lip. “I hate to think we might have a devil in our midst.”
Alonzo asked if there was anyone else on the platinum-member list they thought might be capable of murdering Tyler Yee. “Anyone who seemed especially upset by his article or podcast about the church?”
“No one comes to mind,” Devin said, “but it can be hard to know what’s going on in a person’s soul.”
Bess’s head bobbed in agreement.
Detective Alonzo stood, folded the list of platinum members into quarters, and slid it into her pants pocket.
She then reached into the breast pocket of her blazer, pulled out two business cards, and handed one to each of them.
“Thanks for your cooperation. If you become aware of any member who has lost their pin, please get in touch with me immediately.”
“We will,” Devin said with a nod.
Bess opened the door. “I’ll walk you out.” She led us down the stairs and back to the front doors where we’d entered. “Take care.”
When we reached the parking lot, Detective Alonzo used her fob to unlock her car. “Get in,” she ordered.