Secrets in a Still Life

by Kari Ganske

  Colleen's confusion turned to excitement. "Good idea," she mouthed back and stopped rubbing her arm where I'd flicked it to give me a thumbs-up.

  "I'm not going to wait forever. I deserve better than to be your side piece," the woman said, her voice as loud as before.

  "Let's go inside if you're going to continue to act like a crazy person," Mike said, his voice clear as a bell.

  I snickered. That wouldn't sit well with the side piece.

  "Excuse me!" she shouted. "Now I'm the crazy one?" She paused for a moment, and I swore I heard her breathing heavily. But when she spoke again, her voice sounded much calmer and at a pitch everyone, not just dogs, could hear. Maybe she realized screeching did make her sound a bit crazy.

  "Fine. I've waited this long; I can wait a bit longer. But not forever, Mike. Don't make me give you another ultimatum. I don't like being that woman," she said. I heard a chair squeak.

  "Another ultimatum?" I mouthed to Colleen. "Another" implied a first. Could that first ultimatum have been getting rid of Missy? How did she put it earlier? Once Missy was out of the picture? Well, she was out of their vignette and into her own gruesome version of a still life.

  The couple behind the fence were quiet for a while, then began murmuring again. I turned off my phone; we'd probably gotten all we were going to get for the evening. Colleen thought the same; she motioned for us to head back to the car. I nodded and, after putting my phone in my back pocket, hobbled after Colleen back across the street.

  We managed to hold in our excitement until we got in the car, but as soon as the doors were closed, we looked at each other, happy-screamed, and danced around in our seats.

  "I can't believe we just did that," Colleen gasped between laughs.

  "I can't believe we got away with it," I said.

  "Okay, okay. Deep breaths." Colleen took her own advice. "He totally did it, right?"

  "Oh my goodness, totally. This definitely proves motive! And will hopefully get the police off my back. Adultery is a much better motive than high school rival."

  "We should go into business as private investigators. You already have the camera gear," Colleen said. "We've already proven how great we are at it by getting away clean tonight. Despite your green pants."

  Colleen had such a smug expression on her face, I almost didn't have the heart to tell her how ridiculous that was. We were only trying to prove my innocence so I could go back to living in anonymity.

  "Don't be ridic—" I started, but a sudden rap on the passenger window had us both jumping and screaming again. Though this time from fright.

  Chapter 14

  Injured ankle or not, I practically climbed over the console to get away from my window. The shadowy figure standing there yanked open the door, and I instinctively kicked out. Unfortunately, I used my injured ankle and the screams of fright turned into yelps of pain as I connected with something solid.

  "Hey, hey, hey," a male voice said. "It's Lincoln. Calm down."

  Colleen's scream died out, but her breaths came in short rasps. I stopped whimpering and opened my eyes. Sure enough, Linc was leaning his broad body into the car. He held out his hand to help me right myself. Reluctantly, I took it.

  "I'm afraid to ask, but what are you two doing here?" Linc asked when we were both sitting back in our actual seats and breathing normally. He squatted beside my open door, rubbing his stomach.

  "Was that you I kicked?" I asked, astonished. From the solidity of the object, I thought I hit the door. Man oh man, the boy worked out.

  "Answer the question, Alex," Linc said, ignoring my question.

  There were a few things that really irked me into a slightly less than homicidal rage: being mean to defenseless animals, chewing with an open mouth, and social media filters, to name a few. But top of that list was being treated like a child. And that had happened a lot since I'd been home. The only person who got a pass was my mother—mainly because I was her actual child. I narrowed my eyes at him. Add to that I was getting rather annoyed that Linc always managed to show up at the most inconvenient times.

  "I could ask you the same thing. Are you following us?" I asked, turning the accusation back on him.

  "I live over there." He pointed to a house a few doors down from the one we were watching. Of course, Linc, forever bemused, lived on a street named Sunshine. I felt my righteous indignation slip a little.

  But I wasn't going to let him know that. I doubled down.

  "Still, sneaking up on two women in the dark is not a great idea. We thought you were an ax murderer."

  "And sneaking onto someone else's property is any better?"

  I shifted my attention out the front windshield. "I don't know what you're talking about. Colleen? Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

  "Nope," she confirmed without hesitation. "We were just sitting in the car talking, laughing, catching up on old times."

  "Really?" Linc asked, dripping with sarcasm. "So there just happens to be another woman with fiery red hair sneaking around my neighborhood at night?"

  "Must be," Colleen mumbled. "What a coincidence, huh?"

  "And don't get me started on you, Gimpy McHopalong," he said to me. "You're about as subtle as a rhino in a china shop—and that's even without the added awkwardness of a crutch."

  "Okay. Now you've insulted us enough, and you can be on your way. Colleen, start the car." I tried to reach around him to shut the door, but he was like a freaking bull—all muscle and broad shoulders and unmoving.

  "Excuse me," I said, looking into his face. Bad idea. He wore that irresistible half-amused smirk. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to join us or to scold us. His expression was a perfect mix of devilish, rebellious boy meets responsible, handsome man. I couldn't look away.

  Luckily, he stood and peered over the top of the car, leaning his arms on the roof. Unluckily, this put me at eye level with his midsection and parts south. I gulped and tried to pry my eyes away from that delicious expanse of skin that appeared between the bottom of his T-shirt and his low-slung jeans. Even in the dim light, I could make out the outline of that muscular V men have pointing toward their—

  "I'll give you a dollar if you lick his abs," Colleen whispered beside me. Her voice broke into my thoughts and made me jump about a mile. I accidentally hit Linc in the upper thigh with my flailing arm. At least I thought it was his thigh. I scowled at Colleen whose eyes lit with amusement.

  "Ow," he said, leaning back down. "What was that for?"

  "Sorry," Colleen said. "My fault. I said something and it scared her."

  "You guys wouldn't happen to be coming from the house with the sports car in front of it?" Linc asked.

  "What? No, of course not," I said at the same time Colleen said, "So what if we were?"

  Linc simply raised an eyebrow. We held our tongues.

  "I find it oddly coincidental that you, Alex, happen to be sneaking around the same neighborhood that Mike Vandenburg's mistress lives in," he said.

  My mouth dropped open. "You knew he was having an affair?"

  "Everyone knows. I'm sure Missy knew. As I'm sure Mike knew about her affairs."

  "Missy was having an affair too?" Colleen asked, equally as shocked.

  Linc rolled his eyes. "Get out of the car, Alex."

  "Why would I do that?" I asked.

  "Maybe he wants to punish you," Colleen whispered under her breath. I smacked her chest.

  "So I can get in the back seat," Linc said. "I'm tired of having this conversation out here on the street. I'm sure half the neighborhood is spying out their windows by now after all the screaming earlier." I didn't move. "Come on, Alex. Either that, or you get in the back."

  Getting into the crammed back seat with my hurt ankle was less than appealing. Besides, seeing Linc try to squeeze his tall body into the back of the VW would be funny. He deserved it for treating us like common criminals. Or worse, children.

  "Fine," I huffed. I swung my legs out first, grabbed the to
p of the doorframe to try to lift myself out of the low car without the aid of my crutch. Linc grabbed me under an armpit to help. He placed my hand firmly on the roof.

  "Don't let go." He gave me another unreadable look and folded himself into the back seat of the VW bug.

  When he was stuffed back there, I awkwardly plopped back into the front seat.

  Colleen put the car in gear. "Where to?"

  We ended up in a back booth at Plum Crazy Diner. Again, nostalgia hit me like bird poop hits a shoulder—unexpected and unwanted. How many times had the three of us sat here just like this over milkshakes and fries? Too many to count. We'd been almost inseparable in elementary and middle school. I was the glue that held our trio together. I'd been friends with both Linc and Colleen individually first, then introduced them to each other. Later, after Linc joined the Snob Blob in high school, it had been me and Colleen. He tried to join us a few times, but we quickly found we no longer had that much in common with him. I focused on photography and art classes; Colleen had her early childhood internship. And Linc had sports and parties with the "in" crowd. Parties that Colleen and I were not invited to. Nor did we care to be.

  Or at least that's what we told ourselves.

  Linc helped me slide into the booth beside Colleen. He propped my crutch against the wall beside us, then took the bench across. Colleen sat with head lowered and hands folded on the table as though about to get scolded. I drummed my fingers on the table as we sat in awkward silence.

  Linc looked about to say something when Ms. Peggy Sue—yes, that was her actual name—wandered over to take our orders. Her hair may have had a bit more gray in it and her hips a bit wider, but her bright, welcoming smile and raspy, I-smoke-a-pack-a-day voice was just as I remembered.

  "Well, look what the cat dragged in," she said. "I haven't seen you three in here since before the last president."

  "Hi, Ms. Peggy Sue," I said. "Long time no see."

  "No kidding. Still want the sweet and salty, or do you have more adult palates now?" she asked, remembering our usual order of milkshakes and fries.

  "I mean, I don't think you're ever too old for a milkshake," I said, smiling. "Make mine a double-thick malt. And can I actually see a menu?"

  Peggy Sue pointed to the laminated rectangles sticking up from the napkin holder. Of course. This wasn't New York where anything not nailed down would walk. Here, in Piney Ridge, you could leave the napkin holders with menus and even condiments right on the tables.

  I looked over the choices while Colleen ordered a Coke and a piece of apple pie, and Linc ordered a coffee—black.

  "You ready?" Peggy Sue asked, eyebrows raised toward me.

  "I think so. You might want to write this down; I'm a bit hungry." My stomach rumbled in confirmation. I hadn't had much to eat today, since moving from the couch to the kitchen was a bit of a production with my ankle.

  "Honey, I've been working this diner for longer than you've been alive, and I haven't written down an order yet. Hit me with your best shot."

  "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you." I ran my finger down the menu. "I'll have the honey-glazed chicken, but can I substitute the pepper jack cheese for provolone? And add a side of seasoned fries and an egg over medium."

  "That all?"

  "And some bacon. On the side. And a piece of wheat toast with butter," I added, replacing the menu where I found it.

  "One bee's knees sub round for spicy, sassy fries, sloppy eggs and wheat, and pig parts. Got it," Peggy Sue repeated and sauntered away.

  I looked from Colleen's astonished face to Linc's amused one. "What? Spy work makes me hungry."

  "Ah-ha!" Linc said, pointing a finger at me across the table. "You admit you were spying tonight."

  "So what if we were? Whose house was Mike visiting?"

  "Nope. I'm not helping you two on your path to self-destruction. And I'm not ratting out a neighbor." Linc sat back with his arms crossed. Like the mature, world-savvy adult I was, I stuck my tongue out at him.

  Peggy Sue brought over our drinks and some complimentary bread. As I watched her dole them out, I got an idea. Didn't Linc mention that everyone knew about Mike's affairs? And didn't everyone in Piney Ridge end up in Plum Crazy Diner at one point or another?

  "Isn't it awful about Missy?" I asked Peggy Sue as she placed the milkshake in front of me.

  "A life ended too soon. And in such a violent way. Things like that don't happen in Piney Ridge," Peggy Sue said and made the sign of the cross.

  "And poor Mike. He must be devastated to lose his wife."

  Linc sat up a little straighter, not trusting me.

  Peggy Sue snorted. "Yeah, right. He might not even notice."

  "Really? Why is that?" I tried my best to look innocent and wide eyed.

  "Please. That man didn't even wait for the ink to dry on his marriage certificate before he cheated on Missy. And about as discreet about it as a catfight."

  "Wow. I missed so much gossi—er, news, being away."

  I waited a beat, then gasped as though I just thought of something. Linc rolled his eyes at my theatrics. I ignored him.

  "Do you think maybe the mistress killed Missy, so she could have Mike all to herself?" I asked.

  "Who, Crystal?" I tried not to look too smug. Linc frowned. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. Besides, even with Missy out of the way, she wouldn't have Mike all to herself."

  "Oh, because of the kids," I said, shaking my head in mock pity.

  "Them too. But mainly on account of Mike having more than one bed to warm in town. Even though Crystal is his main fling, he never met a pretty woman he didn't try to seduce. And he was successful more times than not, from what I hear."

  "Order up!" a voice called from the kitchen. Peggy Sue excused herself to grab the order.

  "Crystal, huh?" I said. "Is that the woman from tonight?"

  Linc pressed his lips together and shook his head.

  "Come on, Linc," Colleen said. "We're just gonna look it up online. You're merely delaying the inevitable."

  "Fine. Her name is Crystal Coyne. And yes, she's my neighbor. She also volunteers at the fire department. And, her affair with a married man notwithstanding, she's a very nice woman."

  "I didn't say she wasn't," I said defensively. "But sometimes love makes people do things they normally wouldn't do."

  "Yeah, like trying Thai food or jumping out of an airplane. Not murder," Linc shot back.

  "But someone did murder her, Linc," I said, gentling my voice. "I realize I don't know these people as well as you two do, so I'm sorry for suspecting them. But someone did murder her."

  Linc sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "I know. I just can't imagine anyone in Piney Ridge doing it."

  "Listen, Linc," Colleen said. "I don't want it to be anyone I know either. But we overheard Crystal say something about an ultimatum."

  "Yeah," I added. "She also implied that she and Mike could be together when the—and I quote—'crazy cow' was out of the way."

  Peggy Sue interrupted us to bring our food.

  "I'll give you a dollar if you eat all of that," Colleen said, pointing at the stacked plates in front of me.

  "Just watch me."

  "Where do you put it all?" Linc asked, astonished. "You're like the size of my little finger."

  "Mostly in my hips," I said around a mouthful of chicken. "Help yourself to some fries."

  Linc picked up the conversation while I ate. "If what you said is true, then Mike is definitely on the suspect list."

  "Duh," Colleen said, dipping a fry in some ketchup. "He'd be on the list regardless of the conversation. The people closest to her always are."

  Linc was quiet for a moment. He watched me eat with his half smirk. I tried to ignore him; his constant scrutiny made it hard to swallow.

  "What?" I finally asked, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "You never see anyone eat before?"

  "You never cease to amaze me," he said, shaking his head. He reached across to grab a piece of bac
on, but I slapped his hand away.

  "I said you could have some fries. But touch the bacon and you may lose a finger."

  His smirk turned to a full-on smile as he wrapped his hands back around his coffee mug. "Are you going to be well enough to come back to the firehouse tomorrow?" he asked me. "If you can roll out of bed after all this food, that is."

  "Sure. What grunt work do you have for me to do?"

  "I thought we could get started on the calendar. It's Crystal's day to volunteer. I can tell her to come prepared."

  "And we can question her!" I said, almost knocking over my milkshake in my excitement.

  Linc glowered at me. "We can have a conversation. A light, non-accusatory conversation."

  "Sure, sure, sure," I said. "This'll be great."

  "I'll draft a list of questions tonight," Colleen said. "And then call me immediately when you finish. Man, I wish I could be there."

  Linc groaned. "I have a bad feeling about this."

  I shot him a wide smile. This could be the break I needed to completely wipe my name off Chief Duncan's suspect list. I went to grab another fry, then realized they were gone. I sucked down the last bit of my milkshake and held out my hand to Colleen.

  "Do you want a high five?" she asked.

  "No, you owe me a dollar."

  Chapter 15

  Armed with a list of questions from Colleen and a welcoming smile, I tottered my way into the firehouse the next morning. Nana K had graciously agreed to be my chauffeur in the mornings. I'd have to rely on my parents or Linc for the way home. At least for this week. When I moved to the loft, I'd be out of everyone's way. I made a mental note to call about the safe-driving class later. Even though I'd lasted months without driving in New York, I'd had umpteen number of taxis at my immediate disposal. I would bet Lash that Piney Ridge didn't even have rideshares, much less a taxi service. And I was really attached to my fish.

  But those were worries for another day. Today I needed to focus on what to say to Crystal.