It was almost five o'clock before Dani slid behind the wheel of her truck again. The tests had proven the thirty-eight was the murder weapon. It also turned up one fingerprint. It was a small print and one Dani did not have to guess who it belonged to. But what seemed strange was the location of the print. She had found it on the barrel. The handle had been wiped clean. If Brian Franklin had fired the gun his prints would be all over that gun. A child of four years old was not knowledgeable enough to remove his fingerprints from a murder weapon. There had to be something she was overlooking.
At the Franklin estate, Dani went directly to the study, locked the doors behind her then leaned against them. "It has to be something obvious," she said aloud.
"What's,... obvious?"
Dani spun to see a small head protruding from behind the bookcase. She smiled. "Hi."
"Hi," Brian Franklin gave her a smile that instantly faded. "What's,... obvious?"
"It means something that's real easy to see."
"Oh." The smile returned. "Have you got time to play cars today Dani?"
"I'm afraid not." Suddenly Dani realized Brian had come in only seconds after she had arrived. "How'd you know I was here?"
He grinned sheepishly. "I saw you drive in with your big black truck."
"Oh," she said, sinking to the couch. "Were you playing in your room?"
"Yeah," he said disgustedly. "I was playing house with Rosie."
"Rosie?"
Brian slid onto the settee beside her. "Yeah. She likes to play house with her stuffed animals." He displayed a sour face. "I hate playing house. She always makes me be the Daddy."
"Some girls like to play house. Is she your age?"
"No, she's littler than me. She's only seven. But Auntie Maria and Grandmother say I have to play with her so I do."
"Sometimes we have to do things we really don't want to do," Dani pacified. "Does Rosie live here with you?"
"Yes. She's Auntie Maria's little girl."
Dani's thoughts were spinning. "I didn't know Maria had children."
His voice lowered and he leaned closer long enough to say, "Her husband went away just like Grandfather did."
"Where's Rosie now?"
"She's up in my room," Brian informed. "When I saw you come I told her I had to go to work and went into my closet. That's where the secret door is."
"Does Rosie know about the secret door?"
"No."
"Does anyone else know except you and me?" Dani almost burst into laughter at the seriousness of the lad's expression.
"Grandfather knows," Brian replied after several seconds of thought. "And I guess my Daddy does too. He had my room when he was a little boy."
Was it just coincidence that Jeremiah Franklin's name kept coming up in this investigation? "What about your Grandmother or Maria?"
"I don't think so." He leaned close again. "They're girls you know. Girls don't know as much as men do."
Dani chuckled. "Oh? Why's that?"
Brian grinned. "That's what Grandfather used to say. But I know it ain't true."
"How do you know that?"
"Cause you're a girl Dani," he beamed. "And you know everything."
When the sound of a car filtered into the study, Brian scrambled to his feet. "I'd better get back upstairs before Rosie misses me." He tossed a quick wave over his shoulder then disappeared into the secret passageway.
Dani heard the doorbell ring, listened to muffled voices in the hallway before a knock came on the study door. She knew who was waiting on the other side. "Come in Captain," Dani said, swinging the door wide.
"What'd you get from those ballistics tests? I couldn't get a thing out of Ted."
She had told Jeffers the tests were strictly confidential and he was to reveal nothing to anyone. He had agreed. It was obvious Ted Jeffers could be trusted. "Nothing much."
"Damn it Miss Hayward," Thompson grumbled. "Are you going to keep us in the dark during this entire investigation?"
"You had your chance eight years ago Captain," Dani replied. "Besides, the investigation's over. I think I know who murdered Joshua Franklin."
Jerry Thompson's jaw dropped. "You do? Who?"
"Before I tell you I want you to find out when Mrs. Franklin will be home. In the meantime, I have to make a phone call."
After Thompson had gone to find Maria, Dani closed the study door then pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number Jeremiah Franklin had given her.
"Covington," came the one word reply when the phone on the other end of the line was answered.
"I was told I could reach Jeremiah Franklin at this number."
There was a pause and Dani heard a soft click. Was she on a speaker now? "What was the name again Ma'am?"
"Jeremiah Franklin," Dani obliged. "Tell him it's Dani Hayward."
It was only seconds before, "Miss Hayward this is Jerry Franklin. What can I do for you?"
She recognized the voice and the echoing sound of a speakerphone. "I need to see you at the house, Mr. Franklin."
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." The call was disconnected.
Dani was standing at the glass doors when the Captain returned.
"Maria said she expects Mrs. Franklin any time. Did you make your call?"
"Yes." She turned. "Let's go for a walk."
"So," Thompson drawled as they strolled across the vast lawn toward the gazebo. "Who killed Franklin?"
She ignored his question. "What'd the Chief do with Sergeant Smith?"
"He sent him back out on the road."
"Good. That's exactly where he should be."
"He should lose his badge for removing evidence from the scene of a crime and interfering with a police investigation."
Dani scowled. "Under most circumstances I would agree with you. But," she said and met the Captain’s questioning gaze. "If you would have found that gun you would have locked the owner up and thrown away the key."
"Which one of our officers does it belong to?" Thompson insisted.
"Sorry Captain. I'm not saying a word until I get all the facts."
"So you aren't sure who murdered Franklin."
"Oh I'm pretty sure I know who killed him and why," Dani corrected. "Let's just say I have a couple more questions to ask before I name the killer." She looked up to see a tan car pull through the front gates.
"That's Mrs. Franklin," the Captain reported. "Should we go back to the house?"
"Not yet. I'm still expecting someone else."
"Franklin?" He chuckled throatily. "I doubt if he's anywhere within a two county radius of Kensington Heights."
Dani checked her watch. "He'll be here in three minutes."
It was two minutes later when a red convertible sped up the driveway.
"Well I'll be damned," the man said in disbelief.
Dani watched a sober-faced Jeremiah Franklin come around the corner of the house. "Go in and keep Mrs. Franklin company," she instructed the man beside her. "I want a few words with Franklin."
Thompson eyed her curiously then turned and went toward the house, throwing the newcomer a sideways glare as he passed him.
"Looks like the Captain has a chip on his shoulder," Franklin said when he reached the woman's side.
"He doesn't like you very much does he."
"No but that's alright. We're not supposed to be well liked." He met her level gaze. "But then I think you understand that don't you."
Dani saw a glint in his eyes that had not been there before. "I gather you've been doing some investigating of your own."
"I don't know a thing," he said with mocked innocence as a smile tickled the corners of his mouth.
She gave him a smile that faded as quickly as it had appeared. "What do you know about Rosie?"
"Maria's daughter?"
Dani nodded.
"I know she's about seven. She was born a few months after Dad was killed."
"What about the child's father?"
"I was on the west coast when he was around.
Mother said he was a drifter."
"What happened to him?"
Jeremiah Franklin's shoulders heaved. "I guess he moved on."
"Maria was never married to him?"
"No." His brow furrowed. "What does Rosie have to do with this?"
Dani decided it was time to start laying her cards on the table. "We've got the murder weapon."
The expression on Jeremiah Franklin's face fell. "It was mine wasn't it,... the thirty-eight special."
The brunette nodded.
He nodded. "I was afraid of that. I searched the house twice for that revolver after the police left. I didn't dare report it stolen or my cover would have been blown," he offered somberly. "It was issued to me when I worked for the King Harbor P.D. I liked it so much I bought it when I crossed the fence to DEA. I kept it in the safe in the library." His sigh was a deflated one. "I know it doesn't look good but I swear I didn't kill him."
"I know you didn't."
Suddenly the man's face paled. "You can't think that Brian,..."
"Let's go in the house," Dani interrupted. "Your mother and Captain Thompson are waiting for us."
Jeremiah Franklin laid his hand on the slender arm then met the woman's gaze. "Let me confess," he pleaded frantically. "I'll say we got into a fight and I shot him." His hand fell away. "Brian had such horrid nightmares after Dad died. For months, he'd awaken in the middle of the night screaming. We finally had to take him to a psychiatrist. If Brian thought he killed his Grandfather it would destroy him."
"The truth is going to have to come out no matter what the consequences," Dani informed. "I know you want to protect Brian. But right now, he's the least of your worries. Thompson knows about the weapon. I have to reveal who that revolver belongs to. He's going to be there to hear it."
Franklin's expression twisted into a scowl. "That means my job is going to have to come out."
"Don’t worry about Thompson," Dani assured as she started for the house with Franklin by her side. "But you're going to have to tell your mother the truth. I suggest you have Mindy here to help you."
"I'll call her and ask her to come over." His voice dulled. "Honestly, I'll be glad when it's all out in the open. I'm so tired of living a lie." He offered a weak smile. "Thanks for understanding about Brian. Just don't forget what I said,... I'll confess to protect him."
Dani searched Jeremiah Franklin's face then turned and entered the house.
"Good afternoon Miss Hayward," Jessica Franklin smiled when the brunette entered the living room.
Dani smiled at the elderly woman. "Good afternoon Mrs. Franklin." Her gaze shifted to the Captain. "Could I have a word with you in the hallway?" Gerald Thompson met her near the front door. "There are going to be some things that will come out in the next few minutes that must be kept under wraps."
His frown was instant. "You want me to conceal a murderer?"
"I didn't say that," the woman corrected. "I'm telling you, for reasons that will become clear, there are certain things you will hear that must be kept in the strictest confidence."
Although Gerald Thompson had not learned a thing about Dani Hayward she had achieved something no other P.I. had ever done; she had gained his admiration, and his respect. "Alright," he agreed. "They will be."
Dani picked up her handbag from where she had deposited it near the study doors and returned to the living room as Jerry Franklin came through the doorway.
"When did you get home Jeremiah?" Mrs. Franklin asked as he dropped to the sofa beside her.
"About ten minutes ago," he replied and shot a sidelong glance at the brunette.
Dani sank to a chair near the fireplace. "Captain, why don't you shut the doors." When he had, she continued. "I want to thank you for allowing me into your home to conduct this investigation Mrs. Franklin."
"You are quite welcome Miss Hayward." She gained a soft frown. "Does this mean you have found my husband's killer?"
"Yes." Dani reached into the handbag and removed a clear plastic bag that contained the revolver. "This is the murder weapon," she announced. "Unfortunately, the night your husband was killed the officers removed it from the study before the homicide detectives arrived."
"But why?" Jessica Franklin frowned. "Why would they take the gun that killed Josh?"
"Because it's a police issue revolver," the brunette informed. "They thought they were removing incriminating evidence that would point the finger at someone in their department."
Jessica Franklin's face paled. "Are you saying it was a police officer who killed my husband?"
"No, but that's what the officers thought," Dani replied, knowing Captain Thompson's gaze was not the only one that was boring into her. "They were aware of the trouble their department had been having with your son and thought your husband had been mistaken for him."
"Jeremiah has always been a handful," the older woman said sadly. "He was a hellion even as a child. No matter what his father or I said he did as he pleased." Her gaze slid to her son. "You have always been one step ahead of trouble Jeremiah." She brushed a stray tear from her cheek then turned back to the other woman. "Do you know who the gun belongs to Miss Hayward?"
"The revolver's registered to Jeremiah Franklin." Dani knew what shock that statement would raise. She was ready.
All eyes jetted to the seated man but it was Jessica Franklin who spoke. "In heavens name Jeremiah what are you doing with a police gun?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Thompson snapped, his hand moving toward the weapon that what strapped to his hip.
Dani saw the motion and raised her hand toward the uniformed officer. "Easy Captain." He gave her a strange look then relaxed his arm. "Jeremiah Franklin was issued that revolver when he worked for the King Harbor Police Department."
Thompson’s gaze jetted to the seated man. "He was a cop?"
"Not only was he a cop but he now works for the federal government," Dani informed. When she looked at Jeremiah Franklin a mutual understanding passed between them.
"Franklin's a Fed?"
"Yes Captain," Dani confirmed, meeting the officer’s gaze. "I can't go into detail but, I assure you, his credentials are in order. His cover here was perfect." Her eyebrows descended. "See that it stays that way."
Thompson nodded. "I will. But I do have a lot of questions," he said, looking at the only other man in the room.
"Maybe I can answer some of them later," Jerry Franklin offered with a tentative smile. He took his mother's hand tenderly. "And yours too."
Jessica Franklin squeezed her son's hand. "I would like that my dear." She turned to the brunette. "Please go on Miss Hayward. Jeremiah and I can have our discussion another time."
"After I examined the police file," Dani continued. "It was apparent that not one but two shots had been fired that night. But the other bullet had never been found." Dani held up two small plastic bags. "These are the two bullets. The first grazed your husband's temple, probably rendering him unconscious. Mr. Franklin was not killed until several minutes after the first shot was fired, as he lay dazed, perhaps unconscious, on the floor."
The grey haired woman's hand flew to her mouth. "But who would do such a thing?"
A light tap sounded on the closed doors before Dani could respond.
"That will be Maria," Mrs. Franklin announced apologetically. "I asked her to brew a fresh pot of tea for us. I had no idea why you were here."
"That's alright," Dani replied then shifted her gaze to the officer at the door. "Let her in Captain."
Thompson slid the doors open and allowed the maid to enter. The maid sat the silver tea service on the coffee table then started for the doors.
"Please stay Maria," Dani requested and saw the woman stop.
Captain Thompson did not understand why she would want the maid to remain but he closed the doors and returned to his sentinel stance in front of them. After what Dani Hayward had discovered he was not about to second guess her.
Dani watched the maid. "You've been a membe
r of this household for a long time Maria," the brunette noted. "This concerns you as much as it does everyone else."
"But I am only a servant Miss Hayward," the maid offered meekly. "It's not right that I be present for family conferences."
Dani ignored Maria's protest. "I was telling Mrs. Franklin that we've located the murder weapon and both bullets that were fired the night Mr. Franklin was killed." She held up all three bags. "I was also explaining how the murder occurred. Someone entered the study and fired the first shot which grazed Mr. Franklin's temple." She met Jerry Franklin's gaze for an instant. He was waiting for a signal that would never come. "They ran from the room dropping the gun as they went. Then as Joshua Franklin lay on the floor dazed and bleeding from the first bullet, the second person came in, picked up the revolver and fired the fatal shot." Dani surveyed the maid's ashen face. "Isn't that how it happened Maria?"
Silence dripped from the walls for what seemed like eons.
"Oh Miss Hayward," Jessica Franklin cried. "You are terribly mistaken. Maria would have no reason to kill Josh."
"I'm sorry Mrs. Franklin," Dani frowned. "Maria's the only one who could have killed your husband. As for the motive..." She turned to the maid. "Did Joshua Franklin find out you were pregnant with his child? Is that why you killed him?"
The maid sank to the chair behind her and buried her face in her hands. "Yes," she said feebly. "I had went to the doctor that afternoon and he told me I was pregnant. It was Mr. Franklin's baby. That evening after Mrs. Franklin left for her meeting I went into the study and told Mr. Franklin that I was pregnant. He was very angry and told me I had to have an abortion." She brushed back her tears. "I couldn't do that. I wanted the baby. I told him I would not give up the baby. He told me if I didn't he would find a way to fire me." Her sigh was heavy. "Later while I was in my room trying to decide what to do Brian came running in crying. He said he'd been playing soldier with his Grandfather and now Mr. Franklin was laying on the floor bleeding and wouldn't talk to him. I told Brian to watch TV and I went to see what had happened."
"Using the secret passageway in Brian’s closet," Dani interjected.
Maria nodded. "I had discovered it one day while I was cleaning his closet." She collected her thoughts. "I went down the passageway and found Mr. Franklin on the floor. The side of his head was covered with blood and there was blood on the rug. I thought he was dead until I heard him moan." Tears flooded her eyes again. "I saw the gun on the floor and knew what I had to do. I picked it up and shot him." The look that blanketed her face was one of terror. "I couldn't let him kill my baby Miss Hayward," she cried. "I just couldn't." She brushed her hair back with a trembling hand. "I wiped the fingerprints off the gun and put it back on the floor then went back up the passageway and returned to my quarters. I told Brian his Grandfather was fine and had told me to tell him that he had to go away on business for a while then I gave Brian some warm milk and put him to bed in my quarters."
Epilogue
"I'm sorry Mrs. Franklin," Dani said after the Captain had taken Maria away. “I wish I could have made it easier on you."
The gray haired woman offered a weak smile. "It might have been easier if,..." She stopped and covered her mouth with her hand as stark realization set in. "Rosie is Josh's daughter!"
The brunette nodded.
"Oh Miss Hayward," Jessica Franklin sighed forlornly. "If I would only have done things differently. I suspected Josh was unfaithful but I never suspected Maria. Maybe I could have saved all of us a lot of pain if I would have known."
The two women looked up to see Jeremiah Franklin enter the room with Brian on one side of him and a tall shapely redhead on the other. Brian ran to Dani and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Daddy says you're going away Dani. You're not going to die like Grandfather did are you?"
"Brian!" Jessica Franklin cried.
The lad went to the elder woman and took her hand in his before patting it tenderly. "It's alright Grandmother," he said in a voice that was much older than his years. "I've known Grandfather was dead for a long time. I just didn't think you knew so I kept it a secret."
Dani said her goodbyes then left the room with Jeremiah Franklin at her heels. "I have so much to thank you for," he smiled gratefully. "Mindy and I have decided to ask Mother to move to D.C. with us and take care of Brian. I think she needs the change of scenery."
"That's a marvelous idea," the brunette replied as the pair stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.
"Give me a call next time you're in D.C.," he suggested as the woman open the driver's side door of the black truck. "I'll buy you a cup of coffee."
"I just might do that," Dani said with a quick smile. "You never know where I'll be tomorrow." With that Dani Hayward slid in behind the wheel and closed the door.
"That's what I've heard," Jeremiah Franklin said under his breath as he watched the black 4x4 drive away.
~~ THE END ~~
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends