Finding Reginald Markham

"I didn't mean it. It just seemed to be a better way to end things than to say "You are an asshole and I want nothing to do with you."

"I can see that. Do you have any idea of what he did between the time you broke up with him in college and when he came back here and called you?"

He says he went to work for Chapin and Associates in Atlanta and they transferred him here. Why?"

"Just curious."

"Bullshit Heck."

"No. You didn't know me back then, but I had a crush on you from the first day I saw you in the ninth grade and it carried all the way to college so I'm just naturally curious."

"You had a crush on me?"

"What can I say? As far as I was concerned you were the best looking girl in our class. The reason I wanted to meet you today was so I could give you this" and I passed a check to her. "It is a refund of part of your fee. I can't find a thing that gives me a starting point. It is as if your husband was snatched by an alien probe or something. One minute he was here and the next minute he was gone.

"I mentioned earlier that I had an in at the police department and from him I found out that your fears are groundless."

"My fears?"

"When you first came to me you felt the police weren't even looking for your husband and all they were doing was trying to find a way to pin things on you. Not so. They hit the same dead end that I have. It is still an open case, but they are not looking at you as the cause of your husband's disappearance."

That wasn't necessarily true. At the time Phil let me read the file it was more or less true, but that might have changed some since I'd let Phil know about Dave Bart. I still didn't believe she had anything to do with hubby's disappearance, but I couldn't speak for Phil.

Liz took the check, looked at it and said "You can't do anything?"

"I can find absolutely no one who saw your husband after he walked out of work on the day he disappeared. I'm at a dead end. I can find absolutely nothing to work with. I'm sorry."

She put the check in her purse, thanked me for my time and then got up and left.

++++++++++++++++++++

I have a problem. When something grabs ahold of me I stay after it until I'm satisfied. That is where I was at that point. I lied to Elizabeth Markham. I did have a starting point. Dave Bart.

As I mentioned earlier I had sources the local police didn't have access to. I flipped through my Rolodex until I found the number I was looking for and then I placed the call.

"Good morning, Atlanta Police Department. How may I help you?"

"Detective Parsons please."

"One moment."

A bit of background here. I attended college on an ROTC scholarship and on graduation I went into the U.S.Army. The Army decided that I should be assigned to the Military Police. Eventually I ended up in the Criminal Investigation Division. I made a lot of friends there and a lot of them, like me, ended up going into law enforcement when we left the Army and we have stayed in touch.

Two rings and then "Robbery Homicide. Detective Parsons. What can I do for you?"

"I have a terrible itch on my left shoulder blade. Could you scratch it for me?"

"Heck?"

"One and the same."

"How the hell have you been? What's it been; a year since we last talked?"

"About that."

After ten minutes of catching up small talk I told him what I was looking for, gave him all the info that I had and he said he would do what he could. I might have been wasting my time, but I just couldn't get past the way Dave Bart insisted he was going to marry Liz Markham and be on easy street for the rest of his life.

I'd gotten Bart's address from the file Phil let me see and I knew where he worked because Liz Markham had given me that information so I decided to take a look at Dave. I was parked outside Chapin and Associates at seven in the morning when the employees started arriving for work. At ten to eight a Mustang convertible pulled into the lot and Dave Bart got out of it. He hadn't changed any, appearance wise, since college. A call to Chapin got me their hours and I left and got busy with what I had on my plate for that day.

I was back at Chapin a half hour before quitting time and I sat and watched the Mustang. At five on the dot Dave came out. I followed him when he pulled out of the lot and he drove over to the Landing Strip Lounge. Fancy that! He drives to the place Reginald Markham's car was found after he disappeared. Could be a coincidence, but I'd never much believed in coincidences. I probably don't need to point out at this point that I was pretty sure Dave Bart had something to do with the disappearance of Liz's husband.

I sat outside and waited in my car for Bart to leave and then I followed him home and watched until the lights went out and then I went back to the Landing Strip. I knew the place well. Been drinking there since I got out of the service. I'd even seen Reggie Markham in the place a time or two. I knew who he was, but I didn't know him. The place was owned by Jake Winters and I'd known Jake since our first year in college where we had played on the football team together.

I took a seat at the bar and when Jake put my PBR down in front of me I asked him about Bart. He knew Bart because Bart had been on the team with us. According to Jake Bart was a regular since moving here from Atlanta and was in four or five times a week.

"Did you ever see him in here with Reggie Markham?"

"I've seen them both in here at the same time, but I never saw Dave talk to Reggie. Why would you ask me that?"

"Just curious."

"Don't give me that shit Heck. Come on; give."

"You remember when Dave was bragging about how he was going to marry Liz Parkington and be set for life?"

"Yeah."

"Liz married Reggie Markham so I was just curious if Dave might have gotten in Markham's face."

"Never had anything to do with each other in here."

I changed the subject to sports, had one more beer and went home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the morning I was outside Bart's condo and I followed him to work. Once he was inside I went back to his place and used my lock picks to get inside. Okay, so I'm not squeaky clean, but as a paid snoop not everything I do can be completely above board.

It was a two bedroom and he had one bedroom set up as a home office so after a check of the rest of the place I concentrated on the home office. I'd gone through the room and desk without finding anything to back my suspicions and I was getting ready to call it quits when I saw a Carhart coat hanging on the back of the door. I went through the pockets and struck gold. It was to me anyway; probably wouldn't have been to anyone else, but then not many people were always looking for the bad in things.

I found a receipt for a storage unit dated five days before Markham disappeared. That in itself meant nothing, but I also found a receipt from Home Depot for a chest style 21 cubic foot freezer dated two days before Markham's disappearance. There was no freezer in the condo so I guessed it would be in the storage unit. Granted; there could be many uses for it. He could be a hunter and he kept the meat from his kills in the freezer, but it was three months until deer and elk season. Of course I had already decided that Bart had something to do with Reggie Markham's disappearance so it wasn't hard for me to figure out what I thought the freezer and storage unit were being used for.

Bart had a printer/copier on his desk so I used it to make copies of the receipts and I put the originals back in the coat. I took one last look around and then locked the place back up and left.

I drove over to the U-Stor-It on Elmont and went into the office and inquired about renting a unit with electricity. The guy behind the counter gave me the prices of the different sized units and I asked to see the smallest. On the way to the unit we walked right past 201C which was Bart's. I saw that the lock on it was a Master and I smiled because I knew I could I could pick a Master.

I looked the small unit over and told the man I'd take it. We went back to the office and did the paperwork and I paid for a month's rent and he gave me the code to the gate so I could get in after the office had closed for the day.

I left, went over to the Village Inn, had a bite to eat and then went and caught a movie to kill time. When the movie let out I went home, changed clothes and swapped the car for an old pickup truck that I used for stake-outs and sneaky things like I was about to do.

At ten I was back at the storage place. I let myself in using the code I was given and I drove to unit 201C. On my earlier visit I had looked for security cameras, but hadn't seen any. That didn't mean that there weren't any. If there did happen to be one that covered the area containing 201C it wouldn't get much. The bulb for the license plate light had been removed and the plate was smeared with mud and I was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt.

It only took me two minutes to pick the lock and once inside I was not surprised to see that the only thing in the unit was the freezer. I hesitated opening it because I was almost sure of what I was going to find inside and I wasn't sure I wanted to see it. I really, really did not want to be the one to tell Liz Markham that her husband would never be coming home.

I opened the freezer and my fears were confirmed. Some bones had to be broken so the arms and legs could be positioned to get the body in the freezer, but Bart had managed it. I closed the freezer, left the unit and locked it back up and headed home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I had some thinking to do. I needed to find a way to let Phil know what I'd found in such a way that my role in the finding wouldn't be revealed. I'd broken several laws in doing the finding and a good defense attorney might be able to get Bart off or get him a reduced sentence for some lesser charge if my actions were to come to light. To say nothing of the fact that I could lose my license.

At home I settled into my easy chair with a large glass of Jack over ice and began running various scenarios through my mind, but I couldn't come up with anything that would work. I finished the Jack and went to bed.

When I woke up in the morning I gave the problem more thought over my morning coffee and still couldn't come up with a workable solution. I decided to just bite the bullet and let the chips fall where they may.

I called Phil and made sure that he was in his office. I told him I had something on the Markham case and I would be right down. Then I called Liz Markham and asked her to meet for a drink when she got off work. I told her I had something on her husband. She pressed, but I told her I couldn't do it over the phone. She told me she would meet me at Tricocci's at five-thirty.

On my way over to the Tenth Precinct my cell chirped and I activated my Bluetooth and took the call. It was Frank Parsons from Atlanta.

"Got something for you Heck. Your boy Bart is in deep trouble. He is a compulsive gambler and is into several bookies and loan sharks. They wanted their money and he didn't have it. These guys tend to make examples out of guys that don't pay up. He got out of town just ahead of a couple of broken bones. Word on the street is he owes over eighty grand and people are looking for him so they can either recover their money or make an example out of him.

"I have one confidential informant who says that Bart told one of the loan sharks he would be coming into some money and he would settle up if the guy could just give him ninety days. Don't know if any of this helps, but it was all I could come up with."

"It helps a lot. Thanks Frank; I owe you a big one."

I sat down in the chair opposite Phil and laid the whole thing out for him.

"I can't believe that you did something that stupid."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Why? Why did you risk it?"

"It was a cold trail, no leads to work with, but I had a feeling deep down in my gut that Bart had something to do with it. So I went with it. And you know he would have gotten away with it if I hadn't dug in my heels and gone for it."

"I don't know if I can, but I'll try to keep you out of it. Now git! You've just dumped a pile of shit in my lap and I've got to figure out what to do."

I went back to my office and spent the rest of the day catching up on paperwork. At five I left the office and headed over to Tricocci's to meet Liz Markham. I was sitting in a booth nursing a Jack over ice when she came in and took the seat opposite me.

"You have something for me?"

"I do, but you aren't going to like it."

I'd ordered a drink for Liz when I got there and told Mandy to wait and bring it to the table when my guest arrived. As soon as Liz was seated Mandy was there with her drink.

"Take some" I said, "You are going to need it."

She took a sip and I took a deep breath and said "I've found your husband, but he won't be coming home to you. He's dead."

Her face paled and she was silent for several seconds and then she said "I think I've known it all along. It seemed to be the only thing that would have kept him from coming home. What happened?"

"I can't tell you now because it is still a police matter. I turned over what I found to them and they will probably contact you in a day or two to let you know what they've found. I'll be in deep shit if they find out I've told you even this much while their investigation is still in progress, but I felt you had a right to know.

"He was murdered and we know who the killer is, but he hasn't been arrested yet so please don't mention what you know to anyone. If word somehow gets out the killer could hear about it and get away before he can be arrested. I'll tell you the whole story once the police have officially notified you. Rest assured that you will get it all from me, but not for a couple of days yet."

She took a large pull on her drink and then said, "I guess I'll go home now and cry."

She got up to leave and then turned back to me and said "Call me as soon as you can. Okay?"

"Call me as soon as you hear from the police and I'll fill you in."

She turned and left.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Phil did manage to keep me out of it. I have no idea of what he used as probable cause to go to the storage place and get into 201C, but the day after I filled him in Bart was in custody and charged with First Degree Murder. Phil called me at four in the afternoon and told me they had Bart and an hour after that Liz called me and told me that the police had notified her that they had found her husband. We arranged to meet at Tricocci's at five-thirty.

I gave her the entire story and she did not take it well. She started crying and said "I killed him. It was me that killed him. It was my fault; I killed him." I tried to settle her down, but she kept ordering drinks and sucking them down all the while saying that she was to blame. She was so out of it that I didn't dare let her drive so I took her home with me.

I carried her into one of the spare bedrooms and put her to bed. Then I locked the place up and went to bed myself. Something woke me up and I glanced at the clock and saw that it was ten after two. The something that woke me up was Liz Markham getting into bed with me. Her words were slurred, but I understood them.

"Hold me. Please hold me."

I pulled her into my arms and we fell to sleep together.

She was still sound asleep when I woke up in the morning. I carefully disentangled myself from her and got up. I was on the patio working on my third cup of coffee when I heard the sliding door open and then close. Liz came over and sat down beside me and I noticed that she had found the coffee and cups. She took a sip of hers and then said:

"Sorry. I didn't mean to come unglued on you yesterday, but what you told me hit me hard."

I took a sip of my coffee and stayed silent. After a bit she said "I did do it you know. I killed Reg. I might not have done the actual deed, but my seeing Dave caused it."

"Nonsense."

"No it isn't. If I hadn't kept on seeing Dave and thereby giving him hope he would have left me alone. And then I stupidly told him that I wouldn't cheat on Reg, but the way things were going I might be single again soon and then we could pick up where we left off in college. Dave obviously took that to mean he was home free if Reg was gone.

"Given what you've told me about his gambling debt problem he couldn't wait for six months for a divorce to go through so he killed Reg to speed things up. Reg would still be alive if I had just shut Dave down when he came to town. What makes it even worse to me is that the only reason I met with Dave was to piss Reggie off."

I could tell I would be wasting my breath trying to convince her otherwise so I changed the subject by asking her how she liked her eggs.

"Why would you want to know that?"

"Because I'm going to go into the kitchen and make us breakfast."

"Scrambled with some cheese if you have it."

Over breakfast she asked me what a bachelor was doing with a four bedroom house and I told her the sad story of how Sandra, my wife of three years, was killed by a drunk driver a little over two years ago and the other three bedrooms were for the kids we were going to have.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject."

"I've adjusted. The pain goes away after a while. The memories are still there, but they are all good ones."

"Seeing anybody now?"

"No. I date some, but I'm not sure I'm ready for another relationship."

After breakfast I drove her back to get her car. Just before she got out of my car she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you" she said and she got out of the car. I sat there and watched her get in her car and pull out. As she drove off I had to smile. I had crushed on her all the way through school and here all these years later she kissed me.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A week later Liz walked into my office and handed me a check. I tried to refuse it, but she wouldn't let me.

"I hired you to find my husband and you did it. You like being a private detective?"

"It pays the bills."

"Would you do something else if you could?"

"I don't know."

"I have an idea I would like to discuss with you. Have dinner with me tonight?"

"I can do that."

"Meet me at Emily's at six?"

"I'll be there."

She was already at a table when I got there and she wasn't alone. I approached the table where they were sitting and they both stood up.

"Heck, I'd like you to meet my father Sam Parkington. Dad, this is Hector Stiles. He prefers to be called Heck."

We shook hands and he told me to call him Sam. I sat down and as soon as I was seated a waitress showed up with a drink for me.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you. It was what you were drinking at Tricocci's. Is it all right?"

I smiled and said it was and took a sip. As I set the glass down Sam said "I'm assuming that my being here is a surprise to you?"

"It is."

"You seemed to have impressed my daughter and that is no easy thing to do. She's told me all about what you did for her and we have talked it over and we think you might be just what we need."

I raised my eyebrows at that and he went on.

"Parkington Industries has several patents and proprietary processes and we are a target for industrial espionage. So far we have been lucky and have managed to stop it, but I don't think we can count on luck forever. Liz has convinced me that we need a security unit and she has also convinced me that you should head it. Would you possibly be interested in something like that?"

I looked over at Liz and could see "Please?" written all over her face. I said I was interested and I took the job.

After a year of us working together I asked her out and she said yes. I would have asked sooner, but I felt I had to let her have a period of mourning before making a move. Six months later we were married.