The Maine Events, Rodney Riesel [best books to read in your 20s TXT] 📗

get one, he shrugged his shoulders and followed Allen throughthe door.

In the office, Allen said, “Morning, Crystal. Did you getthe fliers printed?”

Crystal spun around and snatched the stack of fliers off thetable behind her. “Sure did,” she said, handing them to Allen.

“Do you think you could look in on Frankie in about an houror so?”

“Sure.”

“Key's under the mat.”

“I got my own key.”

“Oh yeah. See ya later.”

Five minutes later, Allen and Donnie were cruising along US1 in Allen's Cherokee.

“Have you spoken with Jacob's parents?” Donnie asked.

“I spoke with Jay this morning.”

“How's he doing?”

“He looked tired and defeated, but I guess he seemed prettygood under the circumstances.”

“How about the mom?”

“Tess was sleeping. Jay said the doctor gave her somethingto calm her down and help her sleep.”

“Did you tell Jay about the guy who got shot in the head?”Donnie asked.

Allen gave Donnie a look. “No, I didn't tell him, but whywould you ask that?”

“I don't know,” Donnie said. “It just seems like quite acoincidence. Jacob and the other boy go missing, one of them turns up dead, andnow a local mobster gets killed.”

“I don't think it is a coincidence.”

“Yeah, I mean, when do you think the last time was that thissleepy little tourist town saw two murders in the same week?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“So, what are you thinking? After all, you're a mysterywriter—you must have a theory.”

Allen flipped on his blinker and pulled into the parking lotof the York Elks Lodge.

“Why are we stopping here?” Donnie asked.

“You asked for my theory,” Allen replied. He came to a stopin the middle of the parking lot and put the Jeep in park. “Here it is.”

Donnie turned sideways in the seat anticipating what Allenhad to say. “I'm listening.”

“The day I got to York Beach, Frankie and I walked up toStones Throw for lunch.”

“That's when you got into the argument with the man who'snow dead.”

“Correct—Bobby Jordan. We had our little scuffle, he wentdown, and the ambulance was called. The cops took a quick statement from me,the waiter—”

“Cal?”

“Yes, Cal.”

“He's a cutie.”

“Yeah,” Allen said sarcastically, “a real dreamboat. Can Ifinish?”

“Yes.”

“They also interviewed the guy who was with Jordan—VinnyTubbs. I found out later, from Rose, that Vinny works for Bobby Jordan'sbrother, Benny Strong.”

“They don't have the same last name?”

“They're half-brothers. I asked Rose why Tubbs would be withJordan, and he said he didn't know. Fast forward to the next day. Jordan checkshimself out of the hospital and comes to my room looking for me. Now, obviouslysomeone told Jordan who I was and where I was staying.”

“What did he want?”

“He was looking for something of his that he thought I mighthave.”

“What was it?”

“I found out later it was a piece of paper.”

“What's so important about a piece of paper?”

“Well, yesterday afternoon when I was at Jordan's office, hefinally told me that a safe combination was written on the paper.”

“Who’s safe?”

“His brother's—Benny Strong.”

“So, this Tubbs character must have gotten the combinationfor Jordan, and the two of them were going to rob the brother.”

“That's the gist of it. Jordan had told me his brother wasout of town until Saturday evening. Then when he told me about the combination,he said it didn't matter now, that it was too late to do what they'd planned.”

“Because the brother came home Saturday, and they missedtheir opportunity,” Donnie surmised.

“Only Strong didn't come home Saturday night—he camehome Friday night, a day early.”

“Okay, but what does any of this have to do with Jacob andhis little friend?”

“I'm glad you asked. Late Sunday afternoon, the same day Igot into it with Jordan, I see Jacob and Oliver sitting at one of the picnictables out front of the motel; they were looking at a piece of paper, just likethe one Jordan described.”

“You're thinking it's the same piece of paper that had thecombination written on it?”

“Yes.”

“Paper's paper, Allen. To think it's the same piece of papersomeone lost earlier in the day almost a mile away is kind of a leap.”

“You would think, but Mya told me she saw Jacob and Oliverat Stones Throw just before she sat me. They were under the deck looking at apiece of paper. She said she chased them away.”

“Jordan may have set the paper down and it blew over therailing.”

“Exactly.”

“And then what? Those boys would have no way of knowing whatthat paper was for.”

“They're twelve years old,” Allen argued. “When I was twelveyears old, I knew a lock combination if I saw one. Right a number, left anumber, back right, and so on.”

“But they wouldn't know what it was a combination to.”

“Maybe they would, if they were under the deck listening toJordan and Tubbs plan the robbery. Also, Jacob was in my room part of the timethat Jordan was—he had been walking Frankie. Jordan talked about Strong. Jacobeven asked who Strong was, and Jordan told him Strong was his kid brother. Jacob even heard Jordan tell me that Strong wouldn't be home until Saturdaynight.”

“You think those boys broke into Strong's house Friday nightto open his safe, don't you?”

“Yes. They're not bad kids, but I think they probably eggedeach other on, the way boys will do, not realizing how stupid and dangerous itwas. They were just out for adventure and curious to see what was in that safe.And then Strong came home early and caught them.”

“Why didn't Strong just call the cops if he caught them? Imean, they're just kids.”

“Bad guys like Strong and Jordan don't call the cops, theyhandle it themselves.”

“By beating that poor kid to death?”

“Maybe.”

“I hate to say it, Allen, but it all kinda makes sense.”

“It makes sense to me too, but I needed to hear someone elsesay it.”

“So, what do we do now, go to the cops?”

“We can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because I think one of the cops is in Strong's pocket. Hemay have even killed Bobby Jordan.”

“We gotta do something. Do you think Jacob is still alive?”

“I don't want to believe he is, but I'm steeling myself forthe worst. I keep asking myself, if both boys are dead, why was only Oliver'sbody at the dump site?”

Donnie nodded. “Good point. We have to come up with a plan,Allen. That boy