Porterville

CHAPTER EIGHT

Britt made the call to the police department. While he waited for someone to arrive, thoughts raced through his mind. He had written far too many stories not to realize what was going on. It was clear his mother hadn't been robbed. She didn't have a thing they were interested in. That was evident by the expensive silver left in her china hutch, along with many other expensive pieces in the house. They hadn't touched her room, and she had some very nice jewelry in plain sight. Instead, they had torn his room apart, trashing it along with the living room. Without a doubt, Britt knew that someone had been looking for something in particular. That something had to be the diamond he had found. The intruder, whoever he was, had thought it would be hidden in his room, or perhaps in the living room among the books his mother had collected over the years.

The doorbell rang and Britt let two police officers inside the house. He had decided not to say anything about the diamond, or his theory concerning the break in.

Neither he nor his mother recognized the men. They introduced themselves and began looking around, first in the living room and then Britt's room.

"Is anything missing?" one of them asked.

"From what we can see, no," Britt answered, and his mother acknowledged the same thing.

The other officer said, "Doesn't appear to be any damage, just a lot of your stuff thrown everywhere."

"How did they get inside the house?" the first one asked.

"From my room," Britt answered. "I like to sleep with a window open at night. I must have forgotten to close it this morning. The screen's been ripped off.

The officers walked over and discovered Britt was telling them was the truth. The window was still up. A warm breeze came into the room to greet them.

Coming back into the living room, one of the officers asked, "If nothing is missing that you can see, just what could they have been looking for? Do you have any idea?"

"I have no idea," Catherine answered. "I have nothing worth taking," she ended.

"Mrs. Williams, I hate to disagree with you, but there are many valuable things here that could be taken and sold for a nice price." He looked at Britt. "Do you have any idea what they were searching for?"

Britt swallowed before he answered. His throat was suddenly dry, and he experienced the same quilt he had as a child, when his mother would catch him in a lie. Aloud, he said, "I haven't a clue. Like my mother, I'm dumbfounded that anyone would want to break into her house." Britt would soon regret keeping his thoughts to himself. Later he would wish to hell he had voiced his idea, his concerns, to the police.

The officers said they would be in touch if anything turned up. They also told Britt and his mother to contact them if anything else turned up.

Left alone, Britt and his mother worked together cleaning up the mess their intruder had left behind. They were both lost in their own thoughts as they cleaned the rooms up. When they were finished, Catherine Williams asked her son to follow her to the kitchen.

"It's a little early, I know, but I could use a sip of wine. How about you, Britt?"

Britt agreed with her. He told her to have a seat at the table and he would pour them both a glass.

When he sat the drink in front of his mother, she said, "Britt, have a seat. There's something I need to ask you."

Britt did as he was asked. He took a sip from his glass and waited for his mother to speak.

When she did, it was in the form of a statement, rather than a question. "You may not know who, but I think you know why the break in happened."

Britt felt his face turn red. He knew it wasn't because of the wine. He remained silent.

"Don't you?"

"Well, perhaps."

"And for some reason you didn't feel right about telling the police officers." Again, a statement rather than a question.

Britt nodded. "Not just yet," he answered.

He told her about finding the diamond at the scene where Margaret had died.

"You think someone was after the diamond?"

"I do. And whoever it was, had to be someone that George Carson knows."

"Why George?"

Britt added, "Or Sam Taylor. They are the only two I told about the diamond. And for some reason, I don't think Sam said a word to anyone."

"But who would George tell? And why?" his mother asked.

"Well, I am sure he knew who the diamond belonged to the moment I showed it to him. My God, Mom, he's a jeweler by trade. He knows his business. If I'm correct in my thinking, I believe he sold the diamond originally to the actual owner. I think after I left his shop with the diamond, he immediately called the owner. I just can't prove it. All I know is that he was very disappointed that I wouldn't leave it with him. He wanted to look for the owner himself."

"Oh, my, Britt, what have you opened up here?" his mother asked, her voice sounding worried.

"I'm not sure, Mom." He smiled. "Now, Mom, weren't you the one who said there would be nothing here in Porterville to write about? I seem to remember you telling me that."

"I guess everyone has a secret or two they don't care to have drudged up." Saying no more, she finished her wine and left the table.

Britt watched her leave the room, wondering just what the hell she was talking about. Could it be possible even his mother knew a secret about the town of Porterville?

Britt changed clothes and came back to the living room. His mother was already there. He smiled at her. "You okay, Mom?"

"Of course I am. You have plans this afternoon?" she asked. "I see you've changed gone casual."

"I did, but I may change them."

"Why? I am certainly all right here by myself," she told him rather staunchly.

"I'm not sure how safe you will be here alone."

"Nonsense," she declared. "First of all, who ever the prowler was, he didn't find what he was looking for. He's through with us."

"I'm not so sure about that," he shook his head.

"Well, whatever the case may be, I can definitely take care of myself. There is absolutely no reason for you to stay here and baby sit me. I will be fine."

Britt was thoughtful for a moment before he replied. He said, "Maybe I will step out for a bit. I'll return shortly. Are you hungry? Would you go out for lunch with me?"

"I told you I will be fine."

"Well, tomorrow is Sunday. Would it be all right if I went to church with you and took you out for lunch afterward? Would you at least consent to that?" Britt gave his mother a warm contagious grin.

She smiled at him. "I think I would like that very much."

"Good, we have a date then."

Britt made a phone call to Devon told him he had an errand to run before he saw him. He had decided to "pay his respects" and drop by Alice Cooper's for a few moments. He wasn't exactly sure why, but for some reason he wanted to meet Margaret's two sisters...that is, if they actually were her sisters.

A short time later he pulled in the Cooper drive and walked up to the door. He rang the bell and stepped back to wait.

When the door opened, he was greeted by Alice. She seemed a little surprised to see him, but she invited him in.

He smiled and said, "How are you doing, Alice?"

"Okay, I guess."

"I wanted to stop by and tell you again if there is anything at all I can do, you only have to ask."

"I'm going to be all right," she answered. "Britt, I would like for you to meet my two aunts. They are Mother's sisters. Mary Nell Thomas and Sarah White."

Both ladies greeted him warmly, and Alice invited him to have a seat. She asked, "May I offer you something to drink, Britt?"

He shook his head and said, "No thanks. I can only stay a few moments. I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing, Alice"

"Mr. Williams, may I ask you something?" Mary Nell Thomas asked.

Britt turned to the woman and said, "Anything you like."

"Alice told me you had been here to see my sister the day before she died."

"I was," he answered.

"How did Margaret seem to you that day? Was she mixed up or confused about anything?"

"Not on my first visit," Britt answered thoughtfully.

"Your first visit?"

"Yes. You see, I had asked Alice if she thought it would be all right for me to drop by and see her mother. Mrs. Cooper has lived in Porterville all her life, and I thought maybe she could give me some information on the town's history. I am in the process of collecting facts about Porterville to see if there is anything I can turn into a good story line."

"A good story line?" Mary Nell repeated.

"Britt's an author, Aunt Mary Nell," Alice explained.

"You don't say!" Sarah White exclaimed. "I thought your name sounded familiar. I have read several of your books."

Britt smiled. "I guess if you have read more than one, you must have liked them."

"Mr. Williams, back to the topic at hand." The words held a sharp ring to them, and they came from Mary Nell. "I repeat, was Margaret confused when you visited her?"

"Well, like I said, not the first time. Alice had told her I was coming to visit, and it went very well. We had a very nice visit."

"You mentioned a second visit," Sarah prodded.

Britt nodded and said, "Yes, I did. On the first visit, Margaret suggested I make a trip out to the town cemetery. She said all kinds of facts could be found, all sorts of town history written on those stones. I told her I had already been there, and nothing had really drawn my interest. She told me perhaps I should go back and take a second look. She said perhaps I should start with the McKenzie family and all the family before them. When I asked her if she knew something, all she would say was it wasn't her story to tell. As for confusion, the only thing she was confused about the first visit was the fact that my dad was gone. She accepted that he was, but kept saying it seemed odd, because it seemed to her she had seen him only a few days before my visit.

Britt went on, saying, "However, on my second visit, maybe an hour or so later, she was confused. When she opened the door, she thought I was my father, and I couldn't convince her otherwise. That was when I realized she must have seen me around town early on, and thought I was my father. About that time Alice came home from work, and I left shortly after that."

"Mr. Williams, do you truly believe Margaret died of an accident?" The question was asked by Mary Nell.

"I believe she had an accident, and that she died from it. That's all I can say for now."

"Then you think the accident was caused by someone?" asked Sarah.

Alice had tears come to her eyes, and she said, "Please, let's not discuss this. I can't bear to think Mother may have met some sort of ill fate, caused by anyone other than herself. Mother certainly did not have any enemies."

Britt disagreed with her, but remained silent. Aloud he said, "All I can say is that for some reason this does not add up; I'm just not sure what does at this point."

"Will you try and find out, Mr. Williams?" Mary Nell asked the question, and this was the first time she had spoken to Britt without a sharp tone in her voice.

"I'm doing just that, Mrs. Thomas," Britt told her.

As he was leaving a short time later, Britt turned and said to all three of them, "Please promise me something, ladies. Promise me you won't say anything to anyone about what you might suspect. I can tell you from personal experience, this could get really nasty. In fact, I can assure you, it already has. I advise you to be careful what you say and to whom you say it to.

The advice given, Britt turned and walked out the door.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

He pulled out of the drive and headed for Devon's place. As he drove down the street, he picked up his cell phone and made a call. "Hey, Dev," he greeted.

"Britt, it's good to hear your voice."

Britt laughed. "Yeah, it's been so long, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has," Devon agreed.

"I'm heading your way. See you in a few minutes."

Moments later, Britt pulled up to the gated apartment complex and punched in the code Devon had given him. The gate swung back, and he drove slowly inside. He pulled in the parking space, shut the car's engine off, and hurried to the door.

He started to ring the bell, but the door was opened, and he felt himself being pulled inside and the door shut behind him. Devon pulled him into his arms and held him tightly.

When Britt could finally pull away, he smiled and said, "Well, someone must be glad to see me today."

"Always glad to see you." Devon pulled him into the living room and pushed him down on the couch. He took a seat beside him and asked, "How was the service?"

"It was a typical small town funeral," Britt answered. "When someone like Margaret Cooper has lived all of her life in the same place and knows everyone, there is naturally a large crowd. Everyone was there, I think. Including your parents," he added.

"Doesn't surprise me," Devon answered. "I'm sure they felt it was their duty to be there since she was such a life long citizen of the great town of Porterville."

"Now now, they might have attended because they were sincere, and for the family's sake."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Devon, I want to tell you about something that happened this morning. Whatever else we may have planned for the rest of the day, I need to check in on my mom a time or two."

Concern showed on Devon's face. "Is she all right?" he asked.

"She's fine," Britt hastened to assure him. "However, something has happened. Her house was broken into."

"What the hell?"

Britt said, "When we got home today from the funeral, we discovered everything torn apart in the living room, as well as my bedroom. As far as we can tell, they didn't take anything, which really surprised the hell out of me. She had all her jewelry sitting on the dresser in her bedroom. Not a thing was touched. My room was torn completely apart, even my bed. There wasn't a thing untouched there, yet nothing was taken. My laptop was sitting on the desk. They never moved it."

"Wow, that doesn't make any sense at all," Devon said thoughtfully. "Computers are a hot item these days, I hear."

"It beats the hell out of me," Britt said shaking his head. "Can I ask you something, Dev?"

"What's on your mind."

"How well did you know Margaret Cooper?"

"Not very well at all. Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered if she could have had any enemies."

"What the hell are you talking about? For God's sake, this is Small Townsville here."

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

Britt was thoughtful a moment before he answered. Finally he said, "Devon, I would like to tell you something. You have to promise, however, not to mention it to any one. And I do mean anyone," he repeated.

"This sounds serious." Devon grinned.

"I'm damn serious here. You have to give me your word."

Devon said, "I'm sorry, Britt. I'm listening," he finished.

"I think I have a pretty good idea what they were looking for in Mom's house. You see, the day Margaret Cooper died, I went to visit Alice and pay my respects. When I found out that Margaret had died from an accident, I asked Alice if I could see where it happened. When I found the spot, I discovered something. I found a diamond almost hidden by the side of the deck. I showed it to Alice, but she said it hadn't belonged to her or her mother. I asked her if I could keep it and see if I could find out who it belonged to."

Devon sat with his full attention on Britt as he listened to the latter's account of what had taken place. Britt went on to say how he had taken the diamond to George Carson and asked him about it.

"It was after I had talked with George that my mother's home was broken into," he finished.

"So you think whoever it was, they were looking for the diamond?"

"Well, when you think about it, what else could it be? I mean they could have taken all kinds of electronic appliances, not to mention Mom's jewelry and her silver. There was all kind of potential there, yet nothing was removed."

"You think George Carson had something to do with it?" Devon had a hard time believing that, as he had known George all his life.

"I'm not sure," Britt answered. "George might not have had anything to do with the break in, but I do believe he knows who the diamond belongs to. I also think the moment I left his store he got in touch with the owner. After all, think about it, Dev, the man has been in the jewelry business all his life here in Porterville. I would even go as far as to think he most likely sold the diamond originally."

"God, Britt, what have you stirred up?"

Britt laughed in spite of the heavy feeling he felt inside his chest. "I know," he answered. "My mother asked me the same thing."

Devon suddenly remembered Catherine Williams. He asked, "Is your mother all right?"

"She's a little shook up, but other than that she's fine. She insisted I come over here and see you."

"Maybe you should spend some time with her this afternoon," Devon suggested.

"I will. I wanted to see you and to fill you in on the excitement in my life. Speaking of which, do you have any plans tomorrow for lunch?"

"None that I know of at this time," Devon replied. "Will I have some?"

"I think so. I told Mom I'd go with her to church in the morning, and take her out for lunch afterward. How about joining us?"

"I would love that."

"Care to join us for church? I'm sure Mom would love having two attractive men sitting beside her in the pew."

"You think she wouldn't object to my being there?"

"Of course not," Britt hastened to assure him.

"All right then, I will join the two of you."

"Good. Now, how about going out for a bite of lunch? I could use a burger or something."

"Sounds good to me," Devon said. "Afterward, we can check in on your mom."

Britt kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks. I would really appreciate that. She was very adamant that she could take care of herself, that she would be fine; all the same, I would feel much better if we would drop by and see how she's doing. We don't have to stay long."

They left in Britt's car and headed for The Burger Shack, the best spot in Porterville for burgers. They ordered their food, and when it came, enjoyed it, along with some gentle easy conversation. During their meal, nothing was said about the diamond or the break in to Catherine Williams' home. They ate rather quickly and left once more in Britt's car, this time heading for his mother's home.

A few moments later he pulled in the drive, and the two of them headed inside the house. "Mom, I'm home," Britt called. "I've brought company."

"In the kitchen, Britt."

Britt and Devon walked through the dining room and out to the kitchen, where they found Catherine Williams sitting at the table. When Britt saw his mother, his heart skipped a beat. "Mom, are you all okay?"

Catherine Williams gave a faint smile. "Hello, Devon. It's nice to see you again."

"Hello, Mrs. Williams," Devon greeted.

"Mom, are you all right?" Britt pulled a chair out and sat down beside his mother.

"After you left, Britt, I decided to eat lunch. Afterward, I decided to take a little nap and went to lie down on the bed. When I pulled the pillow out from under the spread...I found this." She handed him a fairly good sized sheet of paper.

Britt took it from his mother, reading the words as he did. "YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR SON TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE AND RESPECT THE PEOPLE OF PORTERVILLE AND THEIR PRIVACY. THE TOWN'S BUSINESS IS NOT HIS BUSINESS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT.

As Britt read the words, he could hardly believe what they were saying. This was an out and out threat. "Oh, Mom, I am so sorry," he said. He reached out and put his arm across her shoulders. "I never meant for any harm to come to you."

"No harm has come to me," she answered, showing a bit of her old spunk.

"I guess the intruder must have left this note when he was here earlier," Britt decided.

"I guess so," she agreed.

"Britt, you need to show this to the police," Devon advised.

"Probably should, but for now, think I will hang on to it," Britt answered thoughtfully.

"This is a threat," Devon went on, "and it's nothing to take lightly."

"Even for Small Townsville?" Britt asked a smile of sorts on his face.

"It's gone far past that point," Devon pointed out.

"What do you want me to do, Mom?" Britt asked his mother.

"You do whatever you feel is best," she told him. "I trust you completely."

"I think for now, I will hang onto it," Britt decided.

"You realize it will probably get worse, don't you?" Devon asked. "Who ever this is, it appears they really want that diamond back."

"Britt told you about that?" Catherine Williams asked.

"Yes, he did. I think the police need to know about it as well."

"I'm going to," Britt answered. "For the time being, I'm going to see what I can find out myself."

"You have my help if you want it," Devon assured him.

"Good, because before this is all said and done... Well, who the hell knows what may happen."

"Just promise me that you will be careful," Catherine begged her son. "Please, Britt, you're all I have left."

"I'll be fine, Mom. Devon will take good care of me," he said giving Devon McKenzie a punch on his shoulder.

"Mrs. Williams, your son has invited me to go with you to church in the morning, and for lunch afterward. Do you have any objections of me accepting his invitation?"

"Devon McKenzie, don't you dare say another word! I would love to have two handsome gentlemen escorting me to church in the morning, and to lunch afterward."

Britt suddenly felt better, at least where his mother was concerned. When they had first arrived, she had been quite upset over finding the note. It looked now as if she was feeling much better, and for that, he was damned glad.