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Millstone - ONE - (Hanging the Chimney Hook)

All Rights Reserved © 2020, Rick Heathen

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Chapter Eight

Before Detective Edgerton gave me the go-ahead to poke around in the Tommy Haines case, we had to tread lightly to not ruffle his feathers or draw the attention of the guy from the tailoring shop. As it stood, we only had to concern ourselves with the man at the shop that I believed threatened us, and while that threat, as oblique as he made it, might prove an empty one, we had to be cautious. I regretted not accosting the guy, frisking him for his wallet, and checking his I.D.; I should have done that, that way we wouldn't have to guess so hard later, and we could get on with our inquiries. I made a note to myself to never make that mistake again.

On the average day, I don't like pointing fingers without evidence, but after Edgerton's assent about my involvement, my poking around could cause trouble, so we needed to find that guy from the shop. I figured I would switch-on the diplomacy, apply little tact, and ask Grey what he knew before we left the mansion that morning.

On the pea gravel out front, as Grey locked the door behind us, I said to him, *quot;So, did Taylor the tailor make that suit?*quot;

*quot;Yes, he did. He told me that because I'm so slender, a tailor would find it easier to make a suit for me from scratch than alter one from the rack.*quot;

*quot;I have a similar problem,*quot; said Max.

Grey smiled. *quot;With your proportions, I've no doubt you do.*quot;

*quot;While at the tailor,*quot; I said, *quot;a young man, about 23 or so, came into the shop. He had pale skin, average height, slim build, long dark hair in a ponytail. Would you happen to know anyone that fits his description?*quot;

*quot;He doesn't sound familiar,*quot; said Grey. *quot;Have you any reason I should know him?*quot;

*quot;He told me to leave the Tommy Haines case alone. That the police said Tommy killed himself, and that I should leave it at that.*quot;

He raised an eyebrow. *quot;What are you implying?*quot;

*quot;I'm doing my damnedest not to imply, but unless your dining room is bugged, there's no way for anyone to know that I had any connection to the case, and where we would be, unless you or your Auntie Winter mentioned it to someone, somehow. I'm not suggesting any malicious intent, and I wouldn't mention it now, but the guy threatened us, and that's a problem.*quot;

*quot;He threatened you?*quot;

*quot;Not in so many words, but I know a threat when I hear one. Have you mentioned it to anyone?*quot;

*quot;Okay, I had coffee with my boyfriend that day, and I mentioned it in conversation, but he's not the man you describe; Derek is Japanese, and he wouldn't bother to repeat it. The description of your guy fits a lot of men in this city.*quot;

*quot;Not all of them have a connection to Tommy Haines.*quot;

*quot;Oh...,*quot; he said.

Max asked him, *quot;Do you know the guy?*quot;

*quot;No, but my boyfriend has a connection to Tommy. They both worked for Alliance Construction. Derek still works there as a journeyman to a master electrician, and when that's not needed, he's a painter, but Tommy had quit. I met Derek while he worked on the mansion.*quot; He thumbed over his shoulder.

*quot;Where were you when you had the conversation with him?*quot; I asked.

*quot;I meet him at The Coffee Dungeon on Baxter Avenue every morning. You'll find it across from where he works. They have excellent coffee, so all the Alliance employees go there, some even on their off-days.*quot;

*quot;Have you not seen anyone who fits the description while going there?*quot; I asked.

*quot;I don't remember, so I couldn't say. I know that's unhelpful, and I'm sorry. Derek and I could sit in the middle of a crowded room, and as far as I'm concerned, we're alone. I apologize if my indiscretion has cause you a problem.*quot;

*quot;Do you know where Derek is working right now?*quot; I asked.

*quot;Yes, he gave me the address, I planned to pick him up so we could have lunch together.*quot; (Grey texted me the address.) *quot;Will you talk to him?*quot;

*quot;Yeah, I'm kind of hoping he isn't as attentive as you.*quot;

*quot;Ugh! Well, that's rude.*quot;

*quot;No offense intended,*quot; I said. *quot;For your sake, I hope he is. You're a nice young man who deserves happiness, but we really need to find this guy before he decides to come looking for us.*quot;

An investigation requires legwork, which means running-down leads and questioning people in person whenever possible. I prefer having those secondary and tertiary cues that indicate when someone is honest, hiding something, or flat out lying. Grey was obviously honest, and his attitude showed a genuine change upon hearing that the guy had threatened us. That demonstrated a positive moral code, and that was a good sign. He even gave us information of his own volition that might help when he couldn't help otherwise.

Grey's boyfriend was named Derek Oshiro pendik escort and, according to the online map, we would find him working a few miles away at an estate in Estonia, a neighborhood on the wealthy side of the bay. The plots of land for that neighborhood had a decent size, probably no more than about five acres each, but they had lots of visual privacy with all the mature trees, and the homes had an interesting mixture of styles.

One of Alliance Construction's brick red vans sat in the driveway of a two story Second Empire home, but with its Mansard roof it appeared to have three stories as the roof allowed the owner to take full advantage of the attic space. I parked behind the van, and we were met at the outer glass door by the owner, an older woman. I would guess her age as in her 80s, with a head of silvery white curls piled atop her head. She wore a pair of comfortable looking Capri jeans and a buttoned blouse with a striped bow tie. When she answered the door, we introduced ourselves.

*quot;So, you're the detectives my dream boat told me would come,*quot; she said.

*quot;Dream boat?*quot; asked Max.

She smiled. *quot;That's what I call Mr. Oshiro, the handsome painter.*quot; She had a British accent and seemed spry for her age. She stood straight, and her head reached the top of my shoulders. *quot;I'm Vivian Baker. Do come in.*quot; The foyer had drop cloths lining the walls and so did the living and dining rooms whose furniture they had shifted for the work. A light scent of fresh paint breezed through the door as we stepped inside, and the air had more movement inside the house than outside, as they had an air-mover in one of the windows. *quot;Please excuse the mess, I'm having a few rooms repainted. I'm about to make tea, would either of you care for a cup? It's no bother.*quot;

We politely declined and heard the creaking sounds of someone descending a ladder in the living area. Derek came around the corner to greet us, and Ms. Baker invited us to join him there, while she left to make tea.

Immediately, I could see why Grey had eyes for no one else but Derek. He wore white painter's pants, boots, and no shirt. The 25-year-old had attractive black hair, and a handsome square face with an angular jawline. His flawless, lightly tan skin had a detailed, symmetrical full-color tattoo that accentuated his full pecs, shoulders, upper back, and down both arms. He had a striking overall appearance. Max and I stood there for a moment as if we gazed upon a work of art; Max spoke first.

*quot;My god you're beautiful,*quot; he said.

Derek smiled, laughed a little, and diverted his eyes downward. He was physically robust and preternaturally captivating, as well as adorably bashful and modest. Grey needed to hold onto Derek with both hands.

*quot;We're sorry to disturb you while you work,*quot; I said. The living room had been painted a shade of blue but would be changed to some mushroom-like color. The paint job looked perfect, smooth, evenly coated, and the cut-in at the ceiling razor sharp. *quot;You certainly do an excellent job. What color is that?*quot;

*quot;Thank you,*quot; said Derek. *quot;Would you believe it's called Dorian Gray?*quot;

Max and I both laughed. *quot;Gotta name it something, I suppose.*quot;

He asked, *quot;What can I do for you, gentlemen? Grey told me you would come, but he didn't say why.*quot;

*quot;We're looking for a man. We think he may have sat nearby you at The Coffee Dungeon on Saturday, average height, slim but fit, long dark hair in a ponytail. We believe he overheard Grey talk to you about our working for his Aunt Winter.*quot;

*quot;That sounds like Douglas Chadwell, and he sometimes has his hair in a ponytail, but most of the time he keeps it shoved under a hat. They had him on the schedule to help me today, but he didn't show.*quot;

*quot;What can you tell us about him?*quot; Max asked.

*quot;Not much. Everyone who works at Alliance has two jobs. Douglas worked removals and as an assistant painter. That's about all. I had worked with him a few times, but he seemed unlikable.*quot;

A thickly built, tough-looking young man with auburn hair, freckles, and scruffy beard, wearing painter's pants and an extra-long, white t-shirt entered the house from the front door. He carried a couple of wet paint brushes. He gave us a wide-eyed stare. *quot;What's going on?*quot; he asked.

*quot;Hello, Mr. Malor,*quot; I said.

*quot;I haven't done anything,*quot; he said.

*quot;We're not here to accuse you,*quot; said Max.

*quot;What do you want then?*quot; He dropped the brushes into an empty can, bristle side up.

*quot;We're private investigators, inquiring about a man that fits the description of Douglas Chadwell,*quot; I said. *quot;Do either of you know where we can find him?*quot;

They both shook their heads. *quot;He didn't show today,*quot; said James, *quot;that's why I'm here. I'm not even sure where he lives, but the main office at Alliance would know. Why don't you go pester them?*quot;

I turned to Derek. *quot;Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Oshiro,*quot; I said, *quot;We appreciate your kindness.*quot; I nodded my head to him, and we made to leave. *quot;Mr. Malor, may we speak to you outside for a moment?*quot;

*quot;The police maltepe escort asked more questions yesterday. I want no more hassles.*quot;

*quot;Since you've done nothing wrong,*quot; said Max, *quot;I imagine all this got old really quick. No one likes to feel they're being accused; but talking to us will ensure that the hassles will stop far faster, and you'll have the opportunity to put this behind you.*quot;

Malor stared at Max while he made up his mind. In reluctance, he said, *quot;Let's do this,*quot; and turned toward the front door.

We joined him at the back of the Alliance van. He had opened the rear doors of the vehicle and sat there. *quot;What do you want to know? You want to know about Tommy and me? I'll tell ya. Tommy and I met at work, and we were both in removals at the time. I got to know Tommy over a couple of weeks, and he wanted to go out. We went on a date, and he had a few drinks. We went back to his place and had sex. Since it was late, and I had to work the next day, I went home to sleep in my own bed. I snore like a buzzsaw, and I didn't want to keep him awake. Tommy and I had a great time and planned to do it again. End of story.*quot;

I said to him, *quot;Tommy had quite a bit of alcohol in his system.*quot;

*quot;Yeah, so? He was plenty coherent during our playtime.*quot;

*quot;He had signs of having been raped,*quot; said Max.

*quot;Yes, of course he did,*quot; said James.

*quot;Of course?*quot; asked Max. *quot;What do you mean?*quot;

*quot;You have to understand Tommy,*quot; he said. *quot;He didn't go around telling this to just anyone, he had a private life that he wanted to keep private. He knew that his father had messed him up, and that he probably wasn't the typical victim of a father's sexual abuse, but he learned to like aggressive sex, and I mean extremely aggressive. He told me that specifically before he and I ever went on the date. In fact, he started working for Alliance just to get close to me.*quot;

*quot;Why would he do that?*quot; I asked.

*quot;I have a reputation among the S