Deadly Gamble

Chapter 5 - Part 1

Deadly Gamble: The First Charlie Parker Mystery

By Connie Shelton

© Connie Shelton. All rights reserved

You can buy this book and the rest of the Charlie Parker series at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Google and iBooks.

Chapter 5 – Part 1

At the intersection of Academy and Wyoming, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot. Pulling my yellow sheet of notes from my purse, I reviewed the names I'd compiled this morning. According to my city map, two of the addresses were in the Tanoan Community. I headed east on Academy once more. This time the guard waved me right on through with a little salute, like I was a resident. I found the address for Charles Tompkins with no trouble. The house looked like an elder sibling of Stacy's place. Obviously they'd come from the same gene pool. The place looked deserted and the cascade of pealing chimes brought no one. I got the same non-response at the second address I tried.

Still only two o'clock. I didn't particularly feel like sitting around another three or four hours until the residents came home. Plus, I imagined anyone sitting in a car in this neighborhood, day or night, would attract attention from the roving patrol I'd seen cruising the area.

Detweiller's place was sort of on my way back to the office, so I thought I'd see if I could catch Josh Detweiller at home. I got half-lucky. His mother's car was also in the drive. Jean was sure to question me more closely if I showed up twice in two days. That wouldn't do. I cruised past the place and stopped about four houses away. Rearview mirror surveillance is neither easy nor inconspicuous, requiring a person to keep their head and neck in one position for hours. After about twenty minutes I decided I had to turn around. I started the Jeep and drove to the next driveway where I could make a turn. Just as I was getting positioned again, this time facing the correct way down the street, I noticed activity at the Detweiller house.

Jean Detweiller emerged from the front door, turning to speak back to it. Last minute instructions for Josh, I imagined. She proceeded toward her car, rummaging in her purse and not paying much attention to anything else. She started the car, gunning it loudly while a puff of gray smoke whoofed from the tailpipe. The car clunked into gear with a jerk and she backed out carefully, turning in my direction. I ducked down in my seat until her car passed me, praying she didn't remember my vehicle from yesterday.

When the coast was clear I drove up to the house, hoping Jean had left for work and not some quick errand. Rock music thumped heavy bass clear out to the street. Obviously Josh didn't expect his mother right back. I pounded on the door twice, realizing the futility of it. I waited for a break between songs, then pounded again. The music came back on, about a hundred decibels lower this time, and the door opened.

Josh Detweiller was almost a double for a very young Elvis. Except for the hair, which he wore chin length, the sultry face was nearly identical. He wore faded blue jeans, nothing else, and the sight of his smooth muscular chest was most distracting.

"Josh?" My voice finally began working. "Hi, I'm Charlie."

"Hi." His grin reassured me that I'm not completely over the hill.

"I'm investigating your father's death," I explained, flashing one of RJP Investigations' business cards. I didn't offer to leave the card with him.

"Oh. Come in." He pushed the screen door outward and stepped back. He was pulling a t-shirt over his head when I got in.

"This must be hard for you," I said. "Your mother said you stayed home from school for a few days."

He shrugged.

"Look, I don't have a lot to go on, but I'm trying to find out who did it. Can you tell me what happened that night?"

"I dunno," he said. He disappeared into his room for a minute and shut off the music. "I wasn't even here when it happened. I came home about midnight and Mom was all shook up and she was crying and all, and that's when she told me."

"You'd been out with your friends?"

"Yeah, a coupla guys from school."

"Your dad had been out of town, right?"

"I think so. Coupla days, I guess." His face contorted with anger. "Hell, I don't keep track of him. Nobody did. He was probably out with some chick in some fancy hotel someplace. I don't give a shit." He slumped and turned his face slightly. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Josh. You gotta say what's on your mind."

He flopped down on the couch, oblivious to the pile of newspapers he was crunching. I perched on the arm of the vinyl recliner.

"Did you and your dad get along pretty well?" I tried to ask the question kindly.

". . . Oh, okay, I guess. Dad did a lot of macho image shit. You know, he bragged all the time, played the ponies. He always, you know, dreamed about hitting it big. Couldn't just have a job like everyone else's dad, bring home a paycheck every week. He was always chasing some gold mine. Always thought he'd make a million next week. It just gets old hearing it, you know."

"Your mom was pretty tolerant of all this, wasn't she?"

He huffed a sharp breath out his nose. "What choice did she have? My mom works hard." He pointed his index finger, stabbing at the sofa cushion. "But she still doesn't make enough to get us out of this rat trap."

"Can you think of anyone with a reason to kill your dad?"

He shrugged again. "Maybe lots of people. Hell, I stayed away from most of his friends. Well, his one friend really. This guy Larry Burke. A slimeball. Just like Dad."

He stood up and disappeared into his room again. I thought he was coming right back, but the music came back on loud again and I realized that was all I'd get from Josh Detweiller. I let myself out.

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I will post one chapter each Tueday, but there are 22 chapters, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can buy the complete book and the rest of the Charlie Parker series at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Google and iBooks.

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