Jeopardy in January

by Camilla Chafer

  I nodded, grateful. "That would be really helpful, thank you."

  "I'll follow you to the station and take you home after," added Jason.

  "That sounds like a good plan," agreed Detective Logan, "You should probably take a look at the photos too. Maybe you'll recognize someone."

  After I gave my car keys to Gwendolyn and she copied down my address, I got into the front of the squad car with Detective Logan. We were silent on the way to the station but every so often, I noted him taking a look in his rear mirror, checking to see if Jason still followed. I knew that was what he was doing because I was doing it too.

  "How well do you know that guy?" asked Detective Logan when we turned into town.

  "Jason? I met him a few weeks ago when he first came to town. I know him professionally better than personally," I said, then frowned. Did I? Before Jason had given me a ride into town, that would have been true; but now, after his kiss, I wasn't so sure.

  "I had concerns about him after your friend was killed so I looked into him. He appears to be everything he claims to be."

  "That's reassuring."

  Detective Logan darted a glance at me and I thought I saw him smile in the dark. "I thought you might like to know."

  "I'm glad you told me. If you hadn't, I might have really worried about why he was at the housing development tonight."

  "He didn't say?"

  "No."

  "Huh. What were you really doing there?"

  I knew that question was looming and at some point I would have to come up with a really good answer. As I hesitated, I thought about lying but figured that wouldn't help at all. "My mother said someone mentioned seeing Bree there. I thought it was strange, so I wanted to go check it out."

  "You didn't think of mentioning it to me?"

  "I wasn't planning on going out there. I just thought about it and kind of ended up there. I was taking a look around when I saw someone trying to break into the house."

  "You figured Bree hid her loot there?"

  "No! Well, yes, but I wasn't looking for it exactly. I don't care about the stupid jewels. I was just curious."

  "It seems to me like someone else was too. Can you think of anyone else who knew about Bree's visit there?"

  I shrugged. There was so much gossip flying around. "Anyone could have known."

  "Damn!" Detective Logan hit the steering wheel with his open palm. "I hoped you weren't going to say that."

  We fell into silence again, only speaking when we pulled up in front of the station. A moment later, Jason's car slid in behind it. We all got out and walked into the station together. Detective Logan had the new officer shine a light into my eyes, and do simple tests like following his finger with my eyes, and he also examined my head under a good light. He declared me absolutely fine with the possibility of a nasty bruise in the morning.

  "Can I get either of you a hot drink?" asked Detective Logan. "It's the bump-on-the-head special treatment."

  I laughed, the somber mood suddenly lifting, and declined. Jason, who followed us in, requested a coffee and Detective Logan sent one of the junior officers to fetch two cups. As we waited, he laid out a selection of photos on his desk. "I've been conferring with other police departments while looking into any suspected associates of Bree and these people are generally considered persons of interest. Take a look and let me know if any of them look familiar."

  I started with the top column, carefully examining each face, knowing it was fruitless. I hadn't seen anyone in the library the night Bree was killed and it was too dark to see a face tonight. None of them triggered a memory. As I moved to the second row, Detective Logan said, "Perhaps you saw one or more around town before Bree was killed. Maybe you saw them speaking to her? Or parked outside the library?"

  Moving to the end of the row, I shook my head, and continued to the third row. I stopped at the second photo. A woman looked familiar. In the photo, she had bangs and a blunt haircut, but I had seen her face before. I imagined the face without bangs and added lighter hair. "I know her," I said, pleased with myself. "This is Bree's sister, Angela Daniels. She called me yesterday and I met her earlier today when she got into town."

  "Bree's sister?"

  "Yeah, she looks different here but it's definitely her. She said you've been really helpful." I started to move on to look at the other photos but Detective Logan's next words stopped me.

  "Bree didn't have a sister."

  "Yes, she did. I met her."

  "We looked into it, Sara. She doesn't."

  "She said she spoke to you..." I trailed off at Detective Logan's pointed look.

  "I haven't spoken to any member of Bree's family. As far as I can ascertain, she didn't have anyone and certainly, no siblings. As for this woman, her name isn’t Angela Daniels. It’s Angie Ackler."

  "Then who..." I gulped as the implication became crystal clear. Angela wanted me to think she was Bree's sister, and she could only want that if she needed information about Bree from me.

  "Did you tell her Bree was seen at the housing development?" Detective Logan inquired.

  I thought back. "She was interested in all the places where Bree went around town and... oh, no! I did mention Bree was seen there."

  "Could she have been around the same height as your attacker?"

  "I'm not sure. Maybe. I thought it was a guy but I guess it could have been her." I clapped a hand over my mouth as the realization of how much danger I was in became apparent. "She told me she was staying at a motel out of town."

  "Write down the name and address." Detective Logan got up and walked around the desk. With the notepad in hand, he leaned out of his office and called over two officers. He spoke to them quickly and they nodded, and jogged out of the small room with the address I’d written. "They're going to pick her up if she's still there."

  "Who is she?" asked Jason. He'd been quiet all this time but I noted the anxiety in his voice.

  "A suspected member of the same crew Bree worked with. Her fingerprints were picked up at one crime scene and her face turned up in security footage several times in the days before another one. We think she cases potential places and perhaps operates in some other capacity, like distraction. If she knows about the jewels, then she could have been in on Bree's final job."

  "She thought I could lead her to the jewels," I realized. “How could I have been so stupid!”

  "She probably took the information you gave her and used it to check out the housing development."

  "If she thought about it seriously, she'd have to know that Bree couldn't have hidden the jewels in any empty properties," I said.

  Jason frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, the four almost finished houses might not have any residents yet but any number of contractors continue to work inside them. Bree wouldn't hide a stash that big in a place where they could be so easily discovered. Plus, she couldn't bury them on the land anywhere because they could get dug up, found, or lost. It would be too big a risk." Detective Logan and Jason both stared at me but I carried on. "I figured the only place Bree would hide the jewels if, and it's a big if, she intended to hide them there, would be on the one finished property. The show home. She could be almost certain that the house would be left alone since it's fully fitted out. She could walk in any time she liked."

  "I'm impressed," said Detective Logan. "You've really thought a lot about this."

  "It makes sense to me."

  "Me too," he said, rising for a second time and waving a hand to the last remaining officer at his desk. Within minutes, he was also jogging out the door, armed with Detective Logan’s instructions. "I'm going to take a look at the show home again. You don't recognize any other photos?"

  I took another look, scanning each one. "No," I said.

  "Okay. Can I trust you to go home and not investigate anything else?"

  "Yes," I said with absolute certainty.

  "I will walk Sara to her door and make sure she goes inside," said Jason.<
br />
  "And I promise not to escape out the back," I added, trying not to smile.

  "You make sure you don't do that," said Detective Logan. "We're all out of officers to respond tonight thanks to the new leads you've provided us with."

  "Glad to be of help."

  "Any point in asking you to stop helping?"

  "I really will try," I said, which probably wasn't the answer he was looking for but the best and most honest one I had. Detective Logan opened his mouth, as if to tell me to try harder, then shut it again and shook his head.

  "I'll walk you both out," he said after a long pause. He grabbed his jacket from where he draped it around the back of the chair and shrugged it on.

  "I hope you catch her," I said as we walked out. "I can't believe I fell for all her lies. She seemed so upset about Bree."

  "Don't beat yourself up about it. She's a professional, just like Bree."

  I winced, his comment hitting the mark even if I thought he didn’t mean to be so harsh. But Detective Logan was right, Bree was a professional liar and managed to sucker me a hundred percent. Now, with Angela’s appearance, it seemed more likely than ever that she must’ve double-crossed her gang, so it shouldn't have been any surprise that those people would come sniffing around eventually.

  "I feel like an idiot," I told Jason as we got into his car.

  "Why?"

  I pointed to my bruised forehead instead of replaying the night's events. "At least Detective Logan didn't rub it in too much," I said, "but he's right, I should have told him sooner but I believed her. She seemed so sad."

  "It just goes to show what a nice person you are," said Jason.

  I turned to him. "You think?"

  "Sure. You see the best in people. She gave you a grieving family member, exactly what you expected. Detective Logan said she was a professional." Jason hesitated.

  "What is it?"

  "You're just lucky she only wanted information."

  "Yeah," I huffed, "I gave her exactly what she wanted." I paused, replaying the events in my mind again, knowing I would probably do so again that night. Something else occurred to me. "What were you doing there?"

  "Where?"

  "The housing development?"

  "Oh. It's on my way and I thought I'd take a look."

  "But the realtor called you by name."

  "Did she?" Jason shrugged. "Here we are," he said, stopping almost outside my house. My car, as promised, had already been dropped off. I made a mental note to thank Gwendolyn for kindly arranging it although I suspected her eager goodwill had a lot to do with not getting the construction firm sued or losing her job.

  "Thanks," I said. "I appreciate the lift."

  "Take it easy tonight. I'll check in on you in the morning and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call," he said, making to reach for the handle.

  "Oh, no, don't get out. It's too cold and I'm sure you want to get home, I mean, to your hotel," I told him, resting my arm on his to stop him. I thanked him again, promised I would call if I needed anything, and hurried to my house. Jason waited until I opened the door and waved but he didn't leave until I closed the door. I watched his tail lights from my living room window, waiting until he turned the corner.

  There was a lot to contemplate and I almost wished I was officially involved. I was dying to find out whether they found Bree's fake sister tonight or any traces of the person who pushed me over at the construction site. I thought about calling but figured Detective Logan wouldn't appreciate it. I was sure the only thing that saved me from his wrath tonight was the bump on my head. I hoped that he would have some good news in the morning.

  One thing was very clear to me: just like Bree, Jason had definitely been to the construction site before, but why?

  Chapter Twenty

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I reached for it, checked the screen and replaced it. That was Jason's second text and the second one I chose to ignore. I wasn't quite sure how to reply to his friendly inquiry about my head this morning. The questions of why he was at the development, and managed to arrive exactly when I got knocked down, continued to echo in my head and I couldn't come up with a good conclusion.

  Detective Logan's warning about trusting people had also shaken me. I blindly trusted the fake sister and she used me. I'd also come to trust Jason, but was he using me too? Detective Logan said he checked him out and he was fine but was that enough? It wasn't the first time Jason had suddenly arrived on the scene when I'd been hurt or in need of help. Was it all a big ploy? Was he trying to make me trust him before he revealed his desire to find Bree's loot too? I felt horrible for thinking so but I couldn't help it. Yesterday's events made me more than a little suspicious.

  Unfortunately, I had something more pressing to think about now.

  "Sara?"

  "Hmm?" I didn't realize Detective Logan was speaking until he said my name.

  "I said, it looks like someone did try to force open the window," said Detective Logan. "There're tool marks on the outside and it’s quite possible they tried another window further along too. My guess is they tried to pick the lock but the door held fast so they went around back and tried to open all the windows."

  "It doesn't look like they got in though," I said.

  "I think they got scared off after they smashed a pane. I patched it up as best I could. There's a lot of public interest in the library right now and no telling how many people were sneaking around throughout the night."

  I shivered. "That gives me the creeps."

  "The rain washed away any prints so there's not much I can do, other than just file a report and give you a general warning. Make sure all windows and doors are locked when you leave. Is there anyone who can stay with you until you finish locking up?"

  Just as I was trying to decide who might have been available, I got his implication. "You think someone would have the gall to try and force their way in when I'm locking up?"

  "I hope not, but it's not unheard of. Would you consider shutting the library down? Just for a few days? I can speak to your boss if it's an issue."

  I shook my head, knowing that wasn't possible. Any hint of forcing a closure would mean the library almost certainly wouldn't open again. Plus, I had to take advantage of the upsurge in interest if I intended to gather anymore signatures for the petition. "You know how the council feels about it; they want to shut the library. I don’t have too long before it closes for good. If I close it up now, I doubt it will ever reopen."

  "Could that possibly be a good thing?" asked Detective Logan.

  "Not if we want to keep this library!" I offered the petition to him. "Can the town and I count on your support?"

  "Already signed it," said Logan. "Okay, well, since you're probably the most stubborn person in town this week, can you at least think about changing your closing time? Your routine is too well known. I don't think opening should be a problem since there are plenty of people around, even in winter; but at closing, it's dark and most people have already gone home. If I intended to bully my way past you, that's when I'd do it."

  "I agree. How about if I close up fifteen minutes earlier?" I replied.

  "Fine. I know you haven't asked me, but I'm sure you want to, although I don't think this news will make you happy at all. We didn't find any clues at the construction site. Gwendolyn Cooper didn't see anything more than a fleeing figure and a dark car. Jason Rees only saw the flash of a tail light."

  "I guessed that might be the case. What about Bree's fake sister?"

  Detective Logan shook his head. "She was already gone. I'm not sure she even registered at the motel she told you about. It was probably just another lie. She might have pumped you for information, passed it on to a contact and left town; or she might be hiding out somewhere closeby, getting ready to try again. She might even try and contact you again."

  "Do you think so?"

  "It's a definite possibility. She can't be sure we've spoken unless she's watching one of us, so she might
think it's safe to try again. My money, however, is on her not making another approach. She wouldn't want to arouse your suspicion."

  "Who me?" I laughed, but it was hollow and my smile didn't match my eyes. The idea of being targeted, watched, and carefully interrogated made me incredibly uneasy. With Detective Logan's warning that someone might try to break into the library again, I was sure my uneasiness would not subside.

  "Take care," said Detective Logan. "I wish I could get this thing wrapped up faster but this case is a helluva lot bigger than Calendar."

  I waved to him as he left, my phone already buzzing again. I checked it and saw another text from Jason. This time, I tapped out a short reply. At work. Feeling okay. Thanks for checking in on me, and hit send, hoping that would suffice. There wasn't anything else to say and I didn't want to feel that he, too, was drilling me for information. That would have been too disappointing. I trusted Bree and she let me down. I hadn't even liked Jason at the start but in the past few days, he was good company. After the kiss, I even allowed myself to daydream about dating him in an ideal world, one where he wasn't trying to bulldoze my favorite town landmark. An undeniable attraction to him had been brewing in my head even before we kissed. Now, with my newly suspicious thoughts, I was conflicted. What if Jason were only cozying up to me to get to the jewels too? That could explain his Knight in Shining Armor act.

  However, I shouldn't have been thinking about another man when I'd already gone out with Tom and agreed to another date. At least Tom wasn't conveniently appearing every time danger popped up. Actually, we hadn’t even spoken yesterday like we said we would. I swallowed the guilty feeling that my preoccupation with Jason meant Tom hadn’t even popped into my head until now.

  Back at my desk, I toyed with my phone. I had only just opened the library for the day when I immediately had to call the police at the discovery of the attempted break-in. So I hadn't yet started any work. Instead, I took a few moments to ponder the idea of calling Tom and suggesting we meet for lunch or supper. I hoped that would get my mind off other things, especially Jason.