Numbers Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 7) Read online

  “Four months.” He nodded. “I was only there for four months. It wasn’t a full year contract.” He began to dig through more of the papers in the box. He could remember what he did for Magnus, but maybe he had forgotten some details. He had written down exactly what he had done and even kept a copy of the contract. During that time in his life he had tried to generate as much money as he could and took on far more jobs than he should have. Magnus’ company was one of those. He did it more for the connections it would afford him than for the money, as Magnus wasn’t the most generous person.

  The more Walt searched the more memories returned to him. He recalled holding the offer in his hand. It was delivered by a messenger direct to his door, which impressed him. But when he saw who it was from he hesitated. Magnus’ reputation for being vicious made him think twice about working with him. Yet the benefit outweighed the discomfort.

  Walt always made the logical choice. As he sat back and stared into the box his mind reeled. He wished that just that once he’d gone with his instincts rather than the logical choice. He spent the remainder of the night elbow deep in the box. Every scrap of paper that might provide some insight he settled into a separate pile. However, even as the clock struck one in the morning, he had very little to go on. He closed his eyes for a moment as a wave of exhaustion washed over him. When he opened them again he looked into the empty space in front of him.

  “Why Magnus? Why me?”

  His words vanished into thin air. There was no one to answer his question. The idea that the question might never be answered launched Walt right back into a state of unease. Walt did his very best to avoid unanswerable questions, such as the meaning of life, and what happened after death. He preferred to debate on topics that had set and solid answers. The idea of never being able to come to a conclusion made him break out in a sweat. He took a deep breath and continued to sort through the papers. There had to be an answer. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to survive without one.

  Chapter Four

  Early the next morning Eddy pulled up in front of Samantha’s villa. As she had promised she would be, she was ready to go. When she opened the passenger door of the car the scent of coffee filled the vehicle. She offered him a cup.

  “Just brewed.”

  “Maybe just a little. Thanks.” He took the cup and put it in the cup holder in the middle console. He gripped it so tight that his hand shook in the process.

  “What’s wrong?” Samantha raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m worried about Walt.”

  “You said the alibi would clear him.”

  “It does, mostly. But that’s not what I’m worried about. You know how he is, he’s going to obsess over this. Whether or not he’s a suspect he’s going to want to know who did it, just like we would. He called me just after sunrise this morning. I don’t think he slept.”

  “Did he think of anything that might be relevant?” Samantha asked.

  “Only that he can recall a few things about working for Magnus, but nothing personal. No reason why he would have written down his name.”

  “It must be driving him insane.” Samantha sighed and looked out through the windshield. “You’re right.” She sat back against the car seat as Eddy took off down the road. “He’s not going to let it go no matter what. So, we just have to solve it.” She shrugged. “It’s as simple as that.”

  “I wish it was really that simple. But these high profile cases are never that simple. You know that.”

  “Maybe this one will be. Sometimes you just have to have a positive attitude.”

  “You’re the only person I know that can find the silver lining in murder.”

  “It’s not finding the silver lining, Eddy, it’s not admitting defeat before you’ve attempted the battle.” She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. “You seem more apprehensive than usual? What’s going on under that hat?”

  “I want to be positive about this, Samantha, but I also don’t want to miss anything. One wrong move and Walt could end up in jail. That’s bad enough for anyone, but for Walt it would be his worst nightmare.”

  Samantha rested her hand on the back of his. She met his eyes with a gentle smile. “You’re not responsible for this, Eddy. Yes, we need to do everything we can, but the chips are going to fall, and you’re not going to be able to control where they fall, no matter how much you want to.”

  Eddy cringed and eased the car to a stop at a red light. “So you say, but I’m the one with police experience. I know that the detectives are gunning for Walt. I know that the more nervous Walt gets the guiltier he will look.”

  “Then it’s a good thing he has you to look out for him, Eddy. Just remember, we have to take things one step at a time. Let’s find out exactly what happened first, then we’ll figure out how to best protect Walt. All right?”

  “All right.” He nodded and turned down another road that led to Magnus’ company. “I wonder if we will even be able to get inside.”

  “Leave that to me.” Samantha smiled with confidence. Eddy glanced over at her and couldn’t help but smile back. Samantha had that aura of determination that always made him certain she could accomplish anything she put her mind to.

  After a few more minutes of travel Eddy slowed down in front of a building. He checked the address, then turned into the nearly empty parking lot.

  The building itself was fairly small, square, and paneled with glass windows. Samantha studied it with a hint of surprise.

  “What’s on your mind?” Eddy looked over at her.

  “I don’t know. I guess I just expected it to be bigger.”

  “Not quite as intimidating in reality as it was on paper, hm?”

  Samantha nodded slowly, still fascinated by what she saw. “I have a feeling that will change once we go inside.”

  “Maybe.” Eddy gripped the steering wheel and parked the car. “But in my experience the bigger the bluster the weaker the bite.”

  Samantha narrowed her eyes as she spotted a security guard step out of the building. “It looks like there’s a card reader to get in the door, we have to hurry so I can get the security guard to let us in.”

  “How? Never mind.” He shook his head and climbed out of the car. He followed right behind her as she hurried up to the security guard.

  “Excuse me, Sir?”

  He paused and looked at her. “Yes?”

  “Are you Matthew?”

  “Matthew?” He raised an eyebrow. “No.”

  “Are you sure?” Samantha sighed.

  “Uh, yes, I’m sure. My name is Chuck.”

  “Oh darn, I must have gotten the names mixed up. This is terrible. I was supposed to be issued a security card to get inside, but I’m running late, and I’ve left my paperwork at home.” Her voice shook as she spoke. “Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong today.”

  “Ma’am, the building is closed, why would you need to get inside?”

  “Because I was here yesterday. I had a meeting with Mr. Magnus, and we got into it, you know.”

  “Oh, I know.” Chuck laughed. “He wasn’t easy to get along with.”

  “Well, I guess in my haste I left my phone inside. It has all of my pictures on it of my grandkids, and my cats.” She blinked back tears. “They are the only photos I have and if I lose the phone I will have no pictures of my grandkids growing up or of Boots as a kitten.”

  “Calm down, just calm down.” He frowned and looked past her at Eddy. Eddy did his best to look upset.

  “Please Sir, my wife here, she’s lost without her phone. She knows it’s inside, she just needs to grab it.”

  “I wasn’t informed about any lost phone.” He frowned and pulled out a small notebook. “No one let me know that anyone was coming in.”

  “Maybe they forgot. With what happened last night.” Eddy lowered his voice. “Such a horrible act.”

  “Oh yes, I can see how messages might have gotten lost.”

  “I’m so worried that my
phone might get lost in the investigation. I’ll just be a minute…”

  “I’m going off shift soon. I’ll let you in, but you’re going to have to find your way out. There’s only one person in there today anyway and he’s in his office so I don’t see what harm it could do.”

  “No harm at all, I promise.” Samantha wiped at her eyes. “Oh, you’re such a good man, such an angel, you’ve really saved me.”

  “Just don’t mention my name if you get caught, all right?” He smiled a little and walked back to the door of the building. He ran his keycard through the scanner and the door lock retracted.

  “Thank you, so much.”

  “Hey, I have cats, too.” He patted her shoulder. “They’re so cute when they’re kittens.”

  Samantha and Eddy stepped inside before Chuck could change his mind.

  “Laying it on a little thick weren’t you?” Eddy quirked an eyebrow.

  “Hey, cats and kids will get them every time. It doesn’t hurt that I look so harmless.”

  “If only the world knew the truth.” He nudged her with his elbow.

  “Hush.” Samantha grinned. The long front hall was devoid of any other people. Samantha noticed that as the security guard had said every office they passed was empty. “They probably shut down the building for the investigation.” She frowned as she rounded a slight curve in the hall.

  “I would think they would take a couple of days to get a handle on the loss,” Eddy said.

  “Still, a place like this won’t stay closed long.”

  “There’s the main office.” Eddy pointed out an office that looked a lot like the exterior of the building. It was square with walls formed from glass. Though there were blinds to cover the windows when desired, they were not lowered. Both Eddy and Samantha had a clear view of the man who sat inside the office at a large, maple desk. His back was to them as he stared at a computer monitor. “What do you think?” Eddy leaned closer to her. “Can we get past him?”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think we should. I think we should talk to him.”

  “He might throw us right out.”

  “He might, but I don’t know that he’d go to all of that trouble. Besides, I have an idea. Just follow my lead.”

  “It’s worked so far.”

  Samantha took the lead and knocked lightly on the door. The man inside either didn’t hear her or chose to ignore her. When she knocked again, he turned in his chair. He stared through the glass at her for a long moment. The grimace on his face indicated he wasn’t pleased to be interrupted. Samantha forced a smile to her lips. He stood up from the chair and walked towards the door. When he opened it she found that he was even less pleased.

  “Do you have a reason to be here?”

  “Yes, actually I do. I thought you might be able to answer a few questions for me.”

  “Questions about what?” He stood in the doorway which blocked Samantha and Eddy.

  “Lawrence Magnus.” Samantha managed another smile. “He hired me.”

  “Hired you?”

  “Well us. Well, he hired me, and then I hired Eddy here. He’s a retired detective.”

  “Wait a minute, what are you talking about? What did he hire you for?”

  “You know how concerned he was about his safety. He had me on retainer. In the event of an untimely death he wanted an independent investigation into what happened to him. Unfortunately he is gone, and now I am here. I hired my own detective.” She smiled at Eddy. “Best in the business.”

  “That sounds like something you should discuss with his lawyer.”

  “Oh, I will, just as soon as I have the opportunity to assess the crime scene. Obviously, I take my job very seriously. I can’t trust just anyone, now can I? If I don’t get a chance to look at the crime scene right away then you can expect a lawsuit to be filed against you by the end of business today. I have the contract signed, but if I have to take the time to produce the paperwork I will move forward with a lawsuit.”

  The man rolled his eyes and opened the door wider for them. “What does it matter? He’s dead anyway.”

  “It was important to him.” Samantha frowned as she stepped through the door. “Maybe he didn’t think that anyone would care to investigate his death properly. Who might I ask, are you?”

  “I’m Jimmy Barker. I’m acting in charge until a new CEO is appointed.”

  “Magnus must have trusted you then.” Eddy stepped in behind Samantha and closed the door.

  “Magnus didn’t trust anyone.” Jimmy narrowed his eyes. “He appointed me because he knew that I would have too much loyalty to just walk away. Although, I wish he hadn’t with this mess he left behind.”

  “Mess?” Samantha tried to peer over his shoulder at the computer screen. “Was there some kind of problem?”

  “If there was it’s hard to tell now. Whoever tried to access the computer files triggered a security response. Files have been deleting all night. I can barely figure out what is left. I don’t have any clue how I am going to explain this to the board. It’s as if twenty years of work is completely wiped out.” He ran his hands back through his hair and groaned. “I know the man is dead, but the last thing I want is to be in charge of all of this.”

  “Maybe I could take a look. I know a little bit about computers,” Samantha said.

  “No, thank you.” He locked eyes with her. “I know a thing or two about people who want to be nosy, and you’re coming across very nosy. If I wanted you involved in this I would ask.”

  “All right, take a breath there. She’s only trying to help.” Eddy stepped closer to Samantha. “Now, about the crime scene?”

  “It’s right over there.” He pointed through the glass wall of the office towards an area filled with cubicles. Samantha could see a yellow police line near the hallway. Eddy nodded and opened the door for her.

  “Let’s go have a look,” Eddy said.

  “Sure, just don’t touch the tape.” Jimmy turned back to the computer and struck the keys with sharp deliberate movements.

  “Jimmy, just one quick question.” Samantha paused in the doorway.

  “What is it?” Jimmy sighed and refused to look back at her.

  “Who found Magnus?”

  “Oh, the night shift employee.”

  “He didn’t see who did it?” Samantha asked.

  Jimmy turned in his chair to look at her. “It’s a bit difficult to see when you’re knocked out cold, don’t you think?”

  “He was knocked out before the murder?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was there anyone else working at the time?”

  “No. Any other questions you should probably direct to Detective Jenson.”

  Eddy winced at the mention of the man. If it got back to Detective Jenson that they were allowed to see the crime scene, things could get ugly quick.

  “Thanks, we already spoke with him. We’ll be sure to keep in contact with him,” Samantha replied.

  “Good.” Jimmy nodded and turned back to his computer. Samantha and Eddy made their way down the hall to the area of the crime scene. Yellow police tape surrounded an overturned chair and a few crime scene markers on the floor. Eddy took a few steps back so that he could see the entire crime scene. Samantha zeroed in on the overturned chair.

  “It looks like the intruder was surprised by Magnus.”

  “Maybe if he was sitting at this computer then he might have jumped up fast enough to knock the chair over. But I think it is more likely that it was knocked over when he attacked Magnus because he was hit over the head from behind,” Eddy said.

  “Maybe the intruder saw Magnus enter the building and then approached him from behind,” Samantha suggested.

  Eddy tilted his head to the side and looked over the path between the overturned chair and where he stood. “Did Magnus know that the intruder was here? Or did he just happen to take this path? Is there somewhere else Magnus could have been heading?”

  Samantha looked towards a sign that hung
above the next hallway. “Restroom.”

  “Wouldn’t he have a private one though?”

  “Maybe, but when you have to go you have to go. Maybe this one was the closest. Or maybe he felt comfortable using it since just about everyone else was out of the office.”

  “Yes, that’s possible.”

  “Maybe the murderer saw Magnus on the way to the restroom and panicked and hit him,” Samantha suggested.

  “It must have been someone who had a lot to lose if they were caught.” Eddy squinted at the space on the desk where the computer should have been. “I suppose the police techs are running scans on the computer right this second. They’ll likely be able to pinpoint more information from what they find.”

  “What if the intruder wasn’t just here to get into the computer? What if he was here to kill Magnus from the beginning?”

  “Premeditated?” Eddy looked up at her. “It’s something to consider.” He stood up and glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the main office. “We shouldn’t stay too long. Jimmy might get suspicious and I’m sure the new security guard will be on shift in a few minutes.”

  “There’s not much more for us to see here. Let’s head back and check in with Walt. He’s probably desperate for an update.”

  “You’re right.”

  Samantha turned and took one last look around, then she snapped a picture with her cell phone.

  “There is one thing I’m curious about.” Eddy frowned as he fell into step beside her. “How did the intruder get in without a keycard?”

  “That’s a good question.” Samantha slid her phone into her purse. “I think we should ask Jimmy about it on the way out.”

  “I don’t think we’re going to find out much more from Jimmy. He wasn’t exactly very talkative, or friendly.” Eddy paused beside the glass office.