Revenge is Sweet

Chapter Seven Tamera

I hadn't moved in hours. Max sent in food whenever she decided she wanted to eat something, which was like every three hours. The food ranged from potato chips and onion dip, to steak with fries and gravy. I ate what she brought, but I never stopped reading.

Case files. That's all I'd done since leaving Toralee's house 20 minutes after arriving. I had to figure out what tied these seven people together, and the answer was here in these manila folders. I just had to find it.

Victim one had been Sally Jennings, 24, a preschool teacher, no odd bank transactions, no complaints from students or parents or even other staff. Sally seemed like the perfect person, hell I had known Sally real well. She was sweet, how had she ended up on this list?

The only weird thing about Sally was that every weekend for a year four years ago her bank activity showed her renting a car, gassing up, and going about 1,000 miles away to a town called Roanoke. She would go out Friday after school, round 2, and come home late Sunday. This wouldn't seem suspicious, except the rental. Sally owned a car, a nice 2005 Toyota focus. It just didn't make sense that she'd rent a car when hers could make the trip. But as far as I was aware that wasn't a reason to be murdered.

The question was, why make the trip at all? Her family, what was left, lived here in town. Maybe it was time to pay them a visit. Her mother passed away a year ago, her brother lived on the south side of town, and her dad still lived in their house. I finally stood, stretching, and gathered my stuff to go and see them.

As I walked out to my car, not my van but a little run-down second hand Honda Civic, purchased for more professional business, I thought about who to see first. Her father I suppose, although her brother might know more about why she was going out of town.

I pulled up in front of Mr. Jennings house and straightened my clothes, realizing I was looking a tad unprofessional. I knocked on the beautiful white and blue door, hoping Paul was home. I had known Paul a long time, he was a good man, worked for the towns tax office as an accountant and he did my taxes every April. I really hoped he'd have the answers I needed.

I knocked again, a little louder this time. Once again I wait, waiting for what felt like eternity, I finally heard footsteps approaching. The door knob turned and Paul Jennings stuck his head out. At 65 his "receding hairline" was a bald spot, his face was round and kind and he spoke with a softness that seemed odd considering he was half deaf.

"Oh, it's you! How can I help you, Detective?" His voice floated from the small crack in the door, and I had to smile at the formalness of his tone.

"Just a few questions about Sally, hope I'm not interrupting anything Mr. Jennings?" I tried to be sensitive, after all I wasn't implying that Sally had done anything to deserve being murdered, no one deserves that, not ever. So I needed to approach this with grace and care. "Can I come in for a minute Paul?"

"Of course, come, come." He gestured for me to join him in the house. I followed him into the beautifully lit foyer. The walls were citrine colored and the lights hung in tasteful pear shapes. Mr. Jennings led me into the living room, after hanging my coat.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink Detective?" He asked with a polite smile as we sat in the living room, a cozy room with yellow gold walls and decorative white couches giving the room a bright feel. I shook my head and crossed my legs, I was still wearing my skirt and blouse from yesterday and they were a bit more than wrinkled after a night of reading in my office.

"Paul I just have a few questions about something I noticed in Sally's credit card history, during the investigation. I was hoping you could help me figure out an anomaly I found. Do you mind?" I didn't have time to be anything other than direct. I had 7 murders on my hands and I needed to catch this bastard before the 8th.

"No, of course not Tamera. Ask away if you think I can help. Maybe if not me then Parker? Sally and he were so close, so you might want to talk to him too." Paul said, naming his son, I had already planned to go there next. I nodded and smiled, pulling a piece of paper out of Sally's case file.

I handed Paul the bank statement, and quickly explained what was odd.

"As you can see in the highlighted areas, Sally rented a car for each weekend of the year, roughly four years ago. Each time she drove to Roanoke and came back Sunday. Any idea why she made the trip? And why didn't she use her own car for it? Her car is in good shape now, was it having issues a few years ago?" My questions flowed out rapidly, I just needed to breathe, if Paul knew anything he'd tell me.

Paul looked at the document, brows furrowed in confusion, and shook his head slowly.

"I don't see any reason why she'd be going to Roanoke, I don't know anyone there. As for her car, no it was fine as far as I knew. She used it all the time, and she never mentioned anything off to me. I'm sorry Detective. Do you think this has something to do with her... death?" His voice became so quiet on that last word that I genuinely winced.

Maybe it had nothing to do with it... but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was important somehow.

"I don't know Paul. I'll call Parker and if that doesn't help, I'll drive up to Roanoke myself and figure out. I'm sorry, I know how much she meant to you. I'll call you if I figure anything out. Have a nice day Paul." I stood, walked into the foyer, tucking the bank statement into the folder once more.

I grabbed my jacket and walked into the fading light. It was only about five, so I pulled out my cell to give Parker a call. He answered on the fourth ring, just as I was debating hanging up.

"Hello? Parker speaking." A pleasant, but cold voice came through the speaker as I pulled open the door to my car.

"Hey Parker, it's Tamera Boland. I have a question regarding Sally. Do you have a second?" I hoped I wasn't interrupting dinner or something. I knew Parker was recently married, so I probably should've been more considerate before calling at dinner time. Oh well, too late now.

"Yeah, hold on." I could hear whispering to someone in the background, probably his wife. I hear a door open and shut, and then Parker says he's ready for the question.

I sigh, pinch my nose and say, "Okay so about four years ago Sally spent each weekend of the year in Roanoke, which isn't super odd, but for some reason each times he rented a car to get there. But I just spoke with your father and he said her car was fine, so I can't figure out why she'd rent a car. That shit's expensive."

I pause, the end of my rant over. Now hopefully Parker will give me some answers. Parker was silent for a good minute before sighing in an exasperated way and clearing his throat.

"She went to Roanoke to meet some guy she was seeing. She rented the car so her boyfriend at the time wouldn't get suspicious about the miles. He traveled a lot and she wasn't super happy. But about a year into the affair, something... terrible happened. She wouldn't tell me what, but the trips stopped. I don't know anything else. I don't even know who it was. Sally wouldn't say." Parker's words were hushed and quick.

An affair... it made sense, but with who? And what happened to make it stop? I needed to go to Roanoke and figure out some things.

"Thank you Parker, that helps fill in the gaps. Maybe I'll learn something if I visit Roanoke. I'll let you know if I get anything relevant. Enjoy your evening." I hung up and leaned my head back against the headrest, breathing deep.

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to think. I almost died when something tapped against my window, giving me a heart attack. I jumped towards the window and saw Vanessa standing there an amused expression lighting her eyes as she took in my scared face. I rolled my window down, wondering what the hell she was doing here