Cause for Murder (16 page)

Hawkman raised his hands and grinned. “Well, it's the truth. I don't think they're in any danger. They were more in harm's way when that bunch of rowdies came hauling down the road."

She pushed her hair behind her ear and grimaced. “You're right. But I sure am glad they're both home safe and sound."

He patted her shoulder. “Me, too. Why don't you split that last piece of blackberry pie between them. If you don't, I'll go eat the whole thing."

She laughed, gave him a peck on the cheek and pinched his love handles. “You don't need it. I'll go do that right now."

When she headed for the kitchen, Hawkman knew he shouldn't worry her about his fears. Because, if her motherly instinct kicked in, she could make it hard for Sam to return to the Parker place.

After both boys showered and enjoyed their piece of blackberry pie, they exited to Sam's room. He had an older Nintendo system from his high school days and they decided to try their hand at one of the games they hadn't played in years. After an hour of much laughter, they turned off the set.

Richard expression turned solemn. “Do you think it's safe for you to go back to the Parker house alone?"

Sam waved his hand. “Naw, there's no danger, especially during the daylight hours. I'll keep my eyes open, my cell phone charged and will call Hawkman if I sense any problems."

"Good idea. If I can get away from the ranch, I'll join you."

"I'd appreciate it. I'm more anxious than ever to get that job done. It's getting right down scary to be around that place."

"I agree.” Richard stretched and yawned. “Think I'll hit the sack."

After his friend retired to the guest room, Sam turned out the light and lay down across his bed. He stared out the window at the star lit heavens and let his mind drift.

He wondered where Maryann had gone for the day, since she never showed up at the house while they were there. Had she met Maduk in some secluded place and told him of her rendezvous with Richard over the holiday weekend, or did she tell him I knew he was her real dad? Both of those stories could put us in danger, he thought. Especially if Maduk or Maryann killed Burke Parker.

Sam took a deep breath and wondered where Hawkman found the photo of Maduk? He had no doubt something troubled his dad. If Burke Parker died of natural causes, why would Hawkman tell us to get the license plate number if we ever saw the Buick again?

His mind drifted to the picture of Maduk. The face reminded him of an Indian movie star, and the man had shoulders like a football player. He couldn't tell his height, but figured he wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. Rolling onto his side, he clenched his arms around his chest and fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, light rays danced across Sam's face as the sun rose over the hills. He blinked his eyes and groaned, realizing he'd forgotten to close the blinds. Pulling the sheet over his head, he turned away from the window. He heard Richard's truck roar to a start, then the crunch of gravel as his friend left for work. Sam finally gave up on trying to go back to sleep, got up, dressed and went into the bathroom. After splashing cold water on his face, he brushed his teeth, then headed for the kitchen.

Jennifer glanced up from the computer. “Good afternoon, sleepy head."

"Uh? What time is it?"

She smiled. “I'm only kidding. It's only eight thirty. Richard and Hawkman have already left. Want me to fix you some breakfast?"

He shook his head. “No. I'll just have some toast. I've got to get moving.

Any calls?"

"Nope. Expecting one?"

"I left Mrs. Parker a note to notify me if it wasn't convenient to come in today."

"The phone's been silent, so guess it's okay."

Sam browned some toast and washed it down with a glass of milk. “See ya this evening,” he called, dashing out the door.

When he arrived at the Parker's, Maryann answered the door. “Hi, Sam, come on in."

"Your mom here?"

"Yeah, I'll get her."

He waited patiently, wondering how Maryann could act like nothing had happened. But that shouldn't surprise him; typical of her behavior.

Soon, Lilly appeared in her work uniform still brushing her hair. “Hello, Sam. Don't mind me. I've got to go to work early today. So, I'm having to hustle. I love the living room and kitchen. They look absolutely fantastic, so fresh and clean."

"Thanks, Mrs. Parker. I'm glad you're happy with the colors."

Her eyes sparkled. “I'm very pleased. What room are you thinking about doing next?"

"I thought I'd get one of the bedrooms ready and paint it tomorrow. You ladies could either bunk together or one of you might sleep in the living room for a couple of nights."

"Okay, why don't you start with my bedroom. I'm going to be out of here in a few minutes."

"Great. I'll wait in my truck until you're through."

Before long, Lilly came bounding out of the house and headed straight for his truck. “Okay, Sam. I'm on my way. I made Maryann promise that she'd help you with my room. It's a mess and I'm embarrassed for you to see it. But I know you'd like to get this job done and I'm so appreciative, I don't want to slow you down.” She patted him on the arm and dashed toward her car.

Sam exhaled loudly. He didn't need Maryann's help, but what could he do? He got out of the car and strolled toward the front door. He poked his head inside. “Okay if I come in?"

"Sure,” Maryann called. “I'm in Mom's room trying to decide where to start."

He made his way to the bedroom, stood in the doorway for a moment and watched Maryann hanging up clothes. “Well, I'd advise you not to put things in the closet, as we've got to clear it out so we can paint the inside.

She straightened after picking up a pair of sandals from the floor. “Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought about that. I guess the best thing is to pile the stuff on the bed and cover it."

"First, let's move the furniture toward the center of the room so I can maneuver around it. Then we'll get the pictures off the wall."

"I can see you have a system."

"Not sure how good a plan it is, but it worked for the living room."

"It's a good one.” She tossed the shoes onto the bed, and helped him push the furniture toward the middle. Then taking an armful of hanging clothes out of the closet, she dropped them onto the bed. Sam reached above her and took a stack of boxes off the shelf. The top shoe box slid off the pile and plummeted to the floor. When it hit the carpet, the lid flipped off and the contents scattered.

When he reached down to collect the small digital camera and several pictures, he gasped. “Oh my God."

Maryann quickly moved to his side. “What is it?"

He handed her the camera and photos. Placing a hand over her mouth, she stared at the images as tears welled in her eyes.

Sam nervously gathered up the rest of the pictures and dropped them into the box, then flopped down on an overstuffed chair. “I feel like I've invaded your mother's privacy.” He glanced at Maryann and noted this was the first time he'd ever seen her display any emotion. Those were real tears flowing down her cheeks.

She took a breath and quickly wiped them away. “I personally showed Mom how to take pictures of herself with this camera. I didn't think she'd ever used it."

"It appears you taught her well. Those are very graphic."

"Burke beat her so bad at times, she wouldn't go out of the house for days because she felt so ashamed. I told her to keep a record of his abuse.” She flipped several of the photo's over and checked the backs. “Thank God, she dated them."

Sam stood. “I'm glad you're here. I don't know how I'd have handled this if I'd been alone. What are you going to do with them?"

Maryann replaced the lid. “They're going into a safe place. Who knows, she might need the proof of what he did to her in the future."

Sam pointed toward the closet. “Could you check the rest of those boxes and make sure there's nothing personal inside?"

"Sure.” She quickly went through the remaining containers, then examined the inside of the closet. “There isn't anything else here you'd be uncomfortable handling.” She picked up the questionable box and headed for the door, but turned before leaving the room. “You can proceed. This will only take me a few minutes."

Sam continued preparing the room for painting. As he taped the windows, his thoughts went to the pictures he'd just seen. Some showed blood oozing from fresh wounds around Mrs. Parker's mouth. Another showed her eyes almost swollen shut. A couple revealed bruises on her chest and back. He couldn't image the horror the woman must have gone through during such a beating. She probably wondered if she'd survive the next one. A chill ran down his back. Suddenly, he realized he'd stopped taping and was just staring out the window. Shaking his head, he got back to work, thankful Richard hadn't made it in to help him today.

Hawkman entered his office after negotiating with a potential client at a coffee shop downtown. He'd discovered the majority of female customers didn't want to come to his office, put preferred neutral ground for the initial meeting. The exchange he had today proved true to form, as the woman appeared quite comfortable and relaxed.

He stored the new folder in the desk drawer and checked his answering machine. Still no message from Detective Williams. His calendar showed no appointments for the rest of the day, so he decided to make a trip over to the Three C's Indian casino to ask a few questions. The strange encounter the boys had last night bothered him. Even though he'd tried to relieve their fears, he had a hunch someone had tailed them. He needed to find out who and why.

When he reached the casino, he went straight to the manager's office. He'd met Joshua Rainwater on a previous case and found him cooperative. The door stood open and the receptionist, who had the phone to her ear, motioned for him to have a seat.

After she hung up, she glanced his way and smiled. “Hello, Mr. Casey. How have you been? Haven't seen you in a long time."

Hawkman nodded. “Real good, Ms. Nancy. Is Mr. Rainwater in?"

"Yes. Just a moment and I'll check if he can see you right now."

She left her desk and went into an adjoining office, then returned within a few moments. “Give him a minute or two; he's on the phone. He'll come out and get you."

"Thanks."

She'd hardly sat down at her desk before Mr. Rainwater strolled into the outer office and extended his hand toward Hawkman.

"Hello, Mr. Casey. Good to see you. Come on in."

As Mr. Rainwater gave instructions to his assistant not to be disturbed, Hawkman took the chair in front of the large oak desk.

When the manager entered the office, he closed the door. “I'm assuming this isn't a social call, knowing your type of business,” he said, settling into the leather chair. “So, how can I help you?"

Hawkman leaned forward, placing an arm on the desk. I'm trying to find a man who works for one of the casinos. I don't know which one, so thought I'd start with yours."

"Is he in some sort of trouble?

"No. I need to contact him for information about another person."

"Do you know his job title or better yet, do you have a name?"

"I don't know his position. And I've only heard him called, Madukarahat."

Rainwater didn't seem a bit surprised at the single title and immediately turned to his computer. His fingers flew across the keys as he studied the screen. “Hmm, don't see anyone on our staff by that name. Let me check the head office.” After a few seconds, he smiled. “Ah, here he is. Looks like he's what the white man might call a roving cop."

"Is there an address or phone number?"

"No, not in this file. You'd have to get that data from headquarters."

"What does that job involve?"

"He travels to all our casinos in the area gathering certain reports and statistics. He then transports them back to the main office."

"Then I'd assume he'd get his paycheck from there?"

"Yes, they're located in Medford.” He jotted down the address and handed it to Hawkman. “They can probably give you more information."

"Do you know if he's furnished a vehicle?"

He looked thoughtful. “I'm sure they'd give him a car, as that job requires traveling every day."

"When does he hit here?"

"There's no set schedule. We're required to report casino activity every twenty-four hours. If we slack our duty, we could get a big fine slapped against us from headquarters. So, to keep us on our toes, they don't tell us when he might appear.” He smiled. “He could hit here today, tomorrow or maybe not until next week."

"Does he report to you?"

"No, I've never met him. He picks up the reports at the financial office."

Hawkman stood and held out his hand. “I won't take up any more of your time. I really appreciate the information. It makes my job a lot easier."

He grasped Hawkman's hand in a firm grip. “Glad I could be of help. Drop by anytime."

Hawkman felt no need to stop by the business office. Mr. Rainwater had furnished enough facts about Maduk to continue his search. He left the establishment and by the time he arrived back in Medford, the casino head office had closed. He took out his cell and punched in Sam's number. When he received no answer, he hung up and didn't leave a message. Either Sam had left his cell in the truck or happened to be in a poor signal area. Instead, Hawkman decided to bypass the cutoff at Hornbrook and go into Yreka. If Sam hadn't left the Parker's, he could follow him home in case he ran into any more problems. Reaching the house, he saw no sign of his son's truck, so he circled the block and headed toward Copco Lake.

When he entered the house, he found Sam and Jennifer in the living room. Their expressions told him, they were engaged in a very serious conversation.

"What's going on?"

Jennifer waved for him to join them. “Come in here and listen to Sam's story."

Hawkman hung up his hat, adjusted his eye-patch, and ran his fingers through his hair. “Don't tell me you've another tale of woe.” He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, then moved to his favorite chair.