Chapter 7 - Riley's Dinner

Postcards - Book 2 of The Bingo Killer Series

4 p.m.

“Kate, where’s your bank?” I asked as we drove away from the BPD.

“Why?”

“Just tell me, where’s your bank, Kate?”

“Uh…Green Mountain Federal Credit Union.”

“Good. I know where that’s at. Green building with the ragtag-dressed soldier as a mascot.” I knew I’d enjoy the evening with the money in her account instead of in my pocket.

“Why is that good? What are you doing?” She asked anxiously.

“You’ll see.”

“Tell me now, Sam.”

I reached into my inside coat pocket and pulled out the $5,000 I kept from my earlier deposit. I held it out in front of her. “Here, that’s for you. A little insurance for you going with me tomorrow. Keep it a secret—casino winnings, just like I did.”

Her eyes widened. “NO!!! I can’t. That’s drug or murder money. Why would you—”

“You don’t know that Kate. Take the money!”

“I can’t. It’s not right.”

I looked at Kate. “Stop being stubborn and take this money.

Kate leaned back and looked at me with a slight shock.

“I need to know that if something happens to me, you’ll be able to get back to Bloomfield just fine. That’s important to me. If everything goes smoothly and we make it back safely, the money is yours. No questions asked.”

Kate shook her head in agreement. “You’re right. If I need it.” She grabbed the envelope and held it until we arrived at her bank. “You’re serious about this, Sam? You’ve thought about this?”

A few minutes later, I pulled into a parking spot near the entrance, just like I did at my bank. I turned off my truck. “We’re not leaving this parking lot until you deposit the money, Kate.” What does that tell you?

Kate looked at me and thought for a moment. “Okay, Sam. You raise a good point. Thank you. Really, thank you!”

“You’re welcome!”

“I feel bad for saying—”

“No Kate! No time for guilt. Hurry before they close,” I said.

She stared at the dashboard and shook her head. “Okay.”

After Kate came back to the truck, I noticed her demeanor changed from a bit standoffish to having some pep in her step.

“Everything good?” I asked.

“Oh yeah!” She smiled. “Everything’s great.”

I asked her if there was anywhere else she needed to go before we went to dinner with my parents.

“We could get our snacks and supplies now so we don’t have to do it later?” She said giddily and full of joy.

“I planned to do that in the morning. Get ice for drinks. That way I know how many boxes of Cheez-Its you can get,” I said with a confident head nod. “Budgets and stuff.”

“Oh, shush, Sam!”

“The Cheez-Its’ Express!”

“You’re starting to sound like my parents.”

I laughed. “I wasn’t trying to. I just find it cute how you react to my teasing. Let’s go to the bookstore right quick and kill some time,” I suggested as I drove away.

“Sure. I might find an enjoyable book or two to read along the way.”

We split up and headed to our different areas in the store. I bought an atlas and individual maps of Little Rock and Las Vegas. Kate bought some modern romance fiction novels and another on the psychology of serial killers. She’s definitely my partner.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Kate asked. She found me in the magazine section.

“Yeah, I think so. I was just browsing. Ready for dinner.”

Kate nodded and we walked back to the truck after checking out.

“Alright, dinner at the Riley House,” I said.

6:15 p.m.

I parked in front of my parents’ house like I had done since I got my first car at seventeen, but I’ve upgraded my wheels since then. I joined Kate on the lawn. I walked right in my parents’ house, like I had done for years, often scaring my parents. Kate and I stood in the foyer and announced our arrival. “Mom, Dad, we’re here to eat, take a shit and leave.”

A few seconds passed and my mom staggered into the living room from the kitchen. “Oh my God, Samuel Riley! Is that how we taught you to say hello? Where are your manners?”

“In the gutter where I left them,” I quipped.

“Yeah, no kidding. I can’t complain though,” mom said as she pointed at and hugged Kate “At least you brought someone I like. Kate, how are you, dear? So good to see you.”

“Hi, Denise. Good to see you too. It’s been a long day and I could use some amazing food.”

My dad finally popped out from his office/man cave. “A long day, indeed. She’s been talking my ear off ever since she got home from shopping.”

“Glad I didn’t drag Grumpy Gerald along,” my mom said, looking at her husband.

“Yes, thank you, honey!” Dad said with a smile.” He wiped his forehead as a sign of relief. Gerald welcomed me with a quick hand swat to my stomach and gave me a hug. “Hi Kate,” he said as he shook her hand.

“Mr. Riley, how are you?”

“Hungry and horny,” Dad quipped.

“Okay, then. Sorry I asked,” Kate said, followed by a hearty laugh.

I shook my head. “God, dad!”

My parents both laughed.

“Anyway, who’s hungry?” Mom asked. “Lasagna, garlic bread and green beans. Banana pudding for dessert.”

“Sounds good. I know I’m having seconds,” I said.

Dad patted my stomach and smiled. “Must be your train whistle blowing, aye, Sam?”

“Yeah, long day at the station,” I said. I plopped my briefcase on the couch and went to the kitchen. We all sat down at the table in their usual spots. The lasagna and garlic bread sat in the center of the table. Green beans in a separate dish. Four plates set around the table. Silverware on the napkins. Glasses of sweet tea poured with a few bubbles. A very inviting and welcoming set up, as always.

“This looks great, mom.”

“Your father put everything on the table after I hid the remote. Thank him.”

“It’s like a James Bond movie around here where the bad guys hide bombs and hold the world hostage until we meet their demands.”

“In that case, I’m a sexy bond girl,” Mom said. “I’ll take it when I can.”

“Later, Denise. Not at the dinner table. Let’s have dessert first,” Dad said.

“Oh hush, Gerald. You see what being horny does to him at his age, Sam. Inappropriate potty talk.”

“I’m trying really hard not to,” I said before taking a sip of tea.

“To marriage!!!!” Dad raised his glass and took a sip of sweet tea.

Silence fell for a few seconds as Kate, my mom and I looked at each other.

Mom smiled and tried not to laugh at her husband. “Everyone dig in and help yourself.”

We took turns scooping the lasagna onto our plates with the big metal spoon.

“I’ve been waiting for this all day,” I said.

Kate nodded, as she took a bite of lasagna.

“Well good! I’m glad you are here. We have a lot to talk about I’m sure. Right Sam?”

“Yeah, dad. We actually do,” I said.

“I’ll let you start,” Dad insisted.

I swallowed my bite of lasagna and paused for a moment. My troubled face signaled the pressure in my chest. “Sorry. Indigestion,” he said before taking a gulp of tea.

“Are you okay, Sam?” Mom asked.

“Oh yeah, I’m good! Okay, well there’s no easy way to say everything so we’ll discuss it as we go along. Couple of things will come to you as a surprise.”

“We’re your parents, Sam. It shouldn’t be that hard to speak to us about anything,” Mom reassured me.

“Alright. Kate, feel free to add to the conversation,” I said. You’re a part of this family whether you like it or not.

“If I have to, I will. But I think it’s better if you tell them.” Kate said as she took a drink of tea. “Whoo, that’s really sweet, Denise. Almost too sweet!”

Mom grinned. “Tell us what’s on your mind, Sam. We won’t bite.”

“That comes lat—”

“SHUT UP, GERALD!!!!” Mom yelled.

Dad smiled and looked around the table. “Pardon me!”

Mom shook her head. “Sorry you had to hear that, Kate.”

“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it. Now I know where Sam gets his sense of humor.”

Dad smiled and laughed again. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Crack a few jokes. That’s all.”

I got up and retrieved the newspaper from my briefcase and held it in my lap after I sat back down.

“What’s with the paper?” Dad asked.

“I’ll get to the newspaper in a minute. First, Kate and I are taking a road trip to find Betsy Riddle and Al Dockson. We’re leaving tomorrow morning and honestly, I don’t know how long it’s going to take.” I said.

“Any ideas where they’re headed?” Dad asked.

“We’ve received a postcard from Oklahoma City this afternoon.”

“The letter you got from your mailbox was postmarked from Little Rock,” Kate added.

“So we’re headed there first. Guess what else Betsy Riddle sent me?” I asked my parents.

Mom looked at me with curious eyes.

I held up his right thumb and moved it around. The silence got my parents attention.

Dad looked around the table in disbelief. “You’re kidding me?”

Mom dropped her fork in her plate and put her hand over her mouth in shock. “Are you serious? They sent you a man’s thumb?”

I nodded. “Yeah! To my home address no less.”

“Oh my God! That’s wicked.”

“Yeah, George Nettles’ right thumb. We noticed it was missing when we found his body in his home. We didn’t know where it was until this morning. Apparently, in my mailbox for a few days.”

“Good thing you checked it,” Dad replied.

“Yeah, no kidding,” I said. “I wasn’t going to but I did on a whim.”

Dad asked me how I knew it was Nettles’ thumb.

“Funny you should ask,” I said with a semi-serious look and a head tilt towards him.

“I don’t like what’s coming. Sam, what did you do?”

“Go ahead, Sam. Tell them,” Kate said.

“Thanks, Kate!” I said sarcastically. “Eat your food!”

“You’re welcome!” Kate smiled. “I am and it’s insanely delicious!”

“She always says you’re welcome at the weirdest times,” I quipped.

Kate wiped off a piece of noodle on the side of her face.

I shook my head and pulled out my phone. “Here, here! Look at this. This will blow your mind.”

“What now?” Mom asked.

I pulled up the Nettles video to show my parents. Maybe this will help. “How did I know it was Nettles’ thumb, you ask? Well, I’m not proud of what I’ve done but I had permission to do so from George Nettles.”

“Permission to do what, Sam?” Mom asked, in a serious tone.

I lowered my head and sighed before I answered Mom’s question. “I used Nettles thumb to open his safe and take $100,000.” I nodded furiously.

Mom threw down her fork and gave me the look of disappointment. Her eyes quickly shifted to my dad and then back at me.

“You did what?” Dad asked with a crazy, serious glance.

“Yeah, I put the money into my account this afternoon.” I took a sip of tea. “How else am I going to fund this road trip.”

“Samuel Riley, you didn’t!! Tell me you didn’t?”

I looked at my mom in silence.

“What were you thinking? If this gets out, your career is over. Your credibility is gone! Poof!” Mom said. “I’m so disappointed in you.” Mom looked at Dad to begin where her disappointment ended just then.

“Sam, I never thought you would do something like that. Does Chief Williams know you did this?”

“Yeah, he does. He told me no at first, but I convinced him otherwise. Well, there were a few other things but those aren’t important right now. It was that or ask you for the money, Dad.”

Dad widened his eyes at me like I had lost my mind. “I don’t believe this!”

He looked at my mom. “The nerve of this kid to think about asking me for that kind of money. Can you believe this shit?”

“Relax! I didn’t ask you for it, did I?”

“It’s good you didn’t, Sam,” Dad replied with a mean look.

“Nettles gave me permission,” I said, before sipping my tea.

Kate noticed my glass was getting low so she topped off my glass.

“Thank you, Kate.”

“Wait! Wait! How the hell did a dead man give you permission to take that kind of money out of his safe?” Dad inquired.

“Again, funny you should ask,” I replied. I proceeded to show them the Nettles video on my phone.

Mom covered her mouth as she saw the letters form in the mirror. “What is this? A bunch of scribbles? Who’s doing that?”

Kate looked at my mother with concern.

“Just keep watching, Mom.”

“Are you playing with that damn Ouija board?” Mom looked back at the screen.

Dad wasn’t surprised. He had seen far worse over the years. “I’ll be damned. It spelled out your name on the table, Sam. Kate, Chief Williams.”

“Yes, it does. But—” I started to explain.

“But the video doesn’t tell us anything. You could have made it in some video editing app or something,” Dad pointed out. “Doesn’t prove anything.” Dad went back to eating his dinner.

“That’s what I told him,” Kate said.

I swore up and down I did nothing of the sort. “When would I have had time to do something like that, Dad? Kate? I recorded this entire video this afternoon. You’d believe me if you knew the kind of day I had. This is the best I could do to get proof of his permission.”

“I know exactly how your day was,” Dad said.

“No, you really don’t, Dad.”

“Sam, I’ve had hundreds of those days.”

“Not like today, you haven’t.”

“Close!” Dad nodded in agreement. “But I never took any money from a murder victim to find his killer. It doesn’t work that way. What I still don’t get is how you knew there was a safe to begin with? Let alone any money?” Dad asked. He glanced at Kate with curious eyes. “Did you know about this, Kate?”

“Yes, I did. Sam definitely knows I didn’t approve of him taking the money. Aside from that, we did in fact have a really long day, Mr. Riley. The FBI interviewed us. My interview, and Chief Williams, was for about an hour each. It was pretty crazy, to say the least,” Kate declared.

“Be that as it may, it’s still not right,” Dad said as he shrugged his shoulders and resumed his dinner. “We raised you better than to resort to stealing.”

I paused for a moment. “You’re not going to like the answer.” Why quit now? I was on a roll.

“At this point, you’re probably right.” Mom said as she threw her hands up, leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, expecting the worst.

I held up the Sunday paper and pointed at the headline: Psychic Detective Working The Bingo Killer Case. “I know I said this was not true, but it’s 100% true.” I started to tense up, as my neck started to twitch to the left. “I’m a psychic and I can speak with ghosts. I can also mind-jump into other people’s minds for a few minutes. Communicate with them briefly.”

Dad leaned back in his chair and looked at mom and then at me. “I don’t believe any of this, Sam. That’s your excuse? You’re psychic?”

My smirk dropped to an annoyed look as I put the newspaper on the floor beside me. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. That’s why I didn’t tell you until just now and look what good it did for me.”

“That’s something we needed to know, Sam. We’re your parents. Parents’ need to know if their children can see ghosts and spirits,” Mom said loudly.

“Your Mom’s right, Sam. We needed to know. I mean, I personally don’t believe in all that psychic stuff. I’ve never used one in my cases,” Dad said. “Too unreliable!”

“Oh really, dad? You don’t believe in psychic stuff?” I looked at my dad for a few seconds. “Did you enjoy lunch with Chief Williams this afternoon at Wendy’s while mom was out shopping?”

“How did you know that, Sam?”

“Easy! I read your memories for the past few hours.”

A stunned Gerald Riley sat in his chair and with intense eyes, giving me the look he gave me only a handful of times in his life, growing up. Dad then asked me when I first realized he had psychic powers.

“My first day as a detective. September second. To be honest, I’m not sure why I have these powers. I sure as hell didn’t want them. Whoever thought I deserved them has a wicked sense of humor. I don’t like being psychic. I wish things could go back to normal. It’s a living hell.” I noticed the full moon rising just over the fence in the backyard, through the glass patio door.

“You said you could speak with ghosts. How is that possible?” Dad asked.

“Just like I’m talking to you right now. I can also speak to them with my thoughts. I think it, they hear it and they speak back to me.”

“I see. And how many ghosts have you seen or talked to?” Dad asked.

I counted the five ghosts I had interactions with. “Mystery, Jill Sanders, Kenny “Dead Eyes” Packard, Oscar Tidwell and George Nettles.”

“That’s a lot. I don’t see how it hasn’t driven you crazy yet,” Mom said.

“It’s been a curse and blessing to be honest. Cursed to have one of them show up at the worst and unexpected times. Sometimes for the worst. Then again, I see what kind of person they were in life and in death. Jill Sanders was a beautiful soul and she didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“I’m starting to worry about you, Sam. I’m worried that the stress of the job is too much for you. Maybe you should postpone this trip for a week or two?”

Dad suggested.

“You sure are concerned about me, seeing how you don’t believe in psychic abilities,” I stated.

“Come on, Sam. That’s not fair. You’re still my son, psychic or not.”

“I appreciate your concern, dad, but I’m fine. I’ll be okay. Yeah, it’s annoying as hell sometimes but it’s nothing I can’t handle on my own. I can always ignore the spirit world, if it gets to be too much.”

“That may be true but now I’m going to worry even more. I can’t help but think the devil is going to get you one day, Sam,” Mom said. She got up from the table and walked over to hug me.

“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that. But as much that has happened in the past two months, I have to see this through and keep my promise to Jill Sanders and find Riddle. That’s my mission and priority right now.”

Kate put her hand over my hand. “Our priority.”

Both my parents smiled at Kate and I.

“Aww, that’s so cute,” Mom said happily.

“Yeah, Sam better get used to it. I’m his wife after all, well on this trip we’re going on, I am,” Kate said. “We’re pretending it’s our “Tour America” honeymoon. I’m looking forward to consummating our marriage, Sam.”

I quickly turned my head to the right and spat my tea out on the floor. After clearing my throat, I looked at Kate.

“What?” Dad almost choked on one of the last few bites of lasagna, hearing Kate’s last statement.

Mom let out a loud squeal before she burst into laughter. “That’s a good one, Kate.”

Kate raised her hand up at my mom for a high-five. “I thought that might lighten the mood also. I mean, that’s the best news of the night. Us, married and starting a family, hell yeah, man!” Kate said, then laughed.

“Yeah, I wasn’t going to tell you guys that one.” I looked at Kate like she betrayed or sold me out to the bad guys for a few dollars.

Dad shook his head and laughed. “She’s got you there, Sam! So much for your psychic powers now. You didn’t see that coming, did you?”

I shook my head. “No, I did not.”

Kate winked at me. “In more ways than one!”

“You’re not helping, Kate.” I said, with red cheeks and a slight scowl in my tone.

Mom smiled at me.

I sat at the table confused, looking at my parents and then Kate, trying to figure out what just happened. I wasn’t good at such moments and couldn’t tell if my work wife was kidding around or kind of serious. Am I missing something here? Why does this always happen to me every time we have dinner? We go from one extreme to the other. Is the universe trying to tell me something and I’m just not listening? I looked at my mom and down at my near-empty plate. “I need more lasagna.” I scooped more on my plate and took a bite. “Damn, this is good lasagna! I will miss your cooking, mom.”

Dad stood up, sat his napkin in his chair. He stepped outside on the patio and closed the glass door behind him for privacy. He walked to the darkest part of the yard and stood by the fence. He pulled his cell phone out and called Chief Williams.

I finished my food before I went to the kitchen to clean my plate and I came back with a small bowl. “Time for banana pudding—the one thing that will make my evening better.” I scooped a corner section out and plopped it on my small plate.

Dad knocked on the patio door as loud as he could and scared Kate half to death. He announced, “I’m back. And Sam didn’t wait until I got back inside to get dessert.”

Mom asked Dad if everything was okay. He smiled and said everything was fine. “I spoke to Chief Williams just now. Seems you have his confidence and blessing. We absolutely support you, Sam. But I don’t approve of taking the money, although I understand why you did it. I would have found another way to get the money. But what’s done is done. The psychic thing just don’t pull any of that crap on either of us. Unless it pertains to our safety. Are we clear, Sam?”

I shook my head in agreement. “Thanks! That’s what I was looking for but I didn’t think there would ever be rules between us.”

“Oh really? There will always be rules as long as I’m alive. I hope you two understand that,” Mom said to my dad and me. “Kate’s my witness.” Mom looked at Kate and confidently said, “Lay that law down, girl!”

Kate raised her left hand for another high-five with my mom.

“Hear me when I say listen to Kate. She’s got more experience than you and knows what the hell she’s doing. Don’t play her for a fool, Sam. Your life depends on it and so does hers.”

I told my father those things were not lost on me and promised I would do my best.

“Alright, good luck getting these killers,” Dad said. “Time for pudding.”

Mom got up and walked over to hug me and wish me goodbye. “You be careful out there, Sam. I still love you. Don’t worry about the psychic stuff so much. Just focus on doing your job and everything should be okay.”

I looked at my phone. “Okay, it’s getting late. We still have to pack for our trip tomorrow. We should get going. Thanks for the great food, Mom.”

Kate agreed. “Thank you so much for dinner, Mrs. Riley. It was lovely and I had a wonderful time.”

“Anytime, Kate. Call me Denise, please. We’re family now.”

Kate smiled and laughed. “Okay, sure. I guess we are family. My parents are in Florida, so this is the next best thing.”

“You’re always welcome here, Kate,” Dad said. “I’m glad you’re going on the trip tomorrow. God knows Sam needs you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Riley! I couldn’t agree more. Sam does need me.”

Kate and I put our dishes in the sink and got ready to leave.

Mom hugged Kate and told her to watch over her son, not to let me push her around and ignore her advice and suggestions.

Which I wouldn’t do. I mean, give me a little credit here. I picked up my briefcase and told my parents goodnight and goodbye.

“Be careful, you two.” Dad said as he locked the door behind me as we left.

“That went about as well as I expected,” I said to Kate on the way to my truck.

“It’s not as bad as you think. I expected it to happen like it did,” Kate said.