by H L Bur
“Hmm, what?” His eyes narrowed at me.
“Oh, nothing, it’s just that?” I hesitated. “Well, we have some stuff we should probably share with you. But you have to promise not to get mad,” I quickly added.
“Or arrest us,” Quinn added.
Fletcher’s eyes widened. “Oh boy, I’m not sure I even want to know.” He sighed again.
“Okay, that works, too.”
“No, I want you to tell me. Just not here,” he said.
We continued a light conversation and enjoyed our meal. As I dipped my last fry in my ranch dressing, Fletcher flagged the waitress down and asked for our bill.
We decided to go back to the bookstore for some privacy, knowing nobody else would be able to overhear us there.
The crisp night air felt good as we walked down Main Street towards Gigi’s Books. As we approached the building, I got the feeling that something was wrong. I glanced around but didn’t see anyone. We got to the front door and quickly saw that a pane of glass from the door had been smashed in and the door was slightly ajar.
“Are you kidding me?” Quinn shouted.
“Who would do this?” I questioned. “Oh no, Henri!” I quickly moved to enter the front door, panic stricken at the thought that my feline baby might be hurt or missing, when Fletcher’s large hand wrapped around my arm holding me in place.
“Stay here,” he ordered as he drew his gun and scanned the area around us.
“But, Henri is in there,” I protested.
“Cady, I need to make sure it’s safe first. Stay here!” His gaze was sympathetic but stern.
I didn’t like it one bit, but I understood his concern for safety first.
He slowly pushed the door inward and started making his way through the store, doing a quick sweep to make sure no one was inside.
“We’ve barely been gone an hour!” I turned to Quinn. “How could this have happened?”
A few moments later, Fletcher came back to wave us inside.
He holstered his gun, but I could tell he was still on high alert. “I’ll call this in and get forensics down here to dust for prints.”
I nodded my agreement. I was so shocked I could barely grasp what was going on. Riverton was a safe place where neighbors respected neighbors. Property crime was low around here and I knew this could only be about one thing - my recent investigative pursuits.
I rushed past him, calling out for Henri as I went. “Henri, here kitty kitty kitty. Mew Mew, here kitty kitty kitty.” What was I thinking? I knew she would never come to me unless she felt like it, but luckily I knew her favorite hiding spot. I made my way over to the Kid’s Korner to the small bookshelf that was packed full of stuffed animals. There she was, tucked in between her favorite green turtle and grey elephant. I scooped her up and headed to the front of the store to meet back up with Quinn and Fletcher.
I noticed they were hovering over by the Recluse Café and I went to join them.
“What does it mean second warning?” Fletcher narrowed his eyes at me while pointing to the coffee table; the look on his face screamed that he was not impressed.
I followed his pointing finger to the coffee table and saw the hastily scrawled note in the same black all capitals writing from the note Quinn and I had found earlier that day in the raffle ticket box. It read ‘I’M WATCHING YOU. THIS IS YOUR SECOND AND FINAL WARNING’.
I shifted Henri in my arms and bent down to pick the note up, but stopped myself, realizing they might be able to get prints off of it.
“That’s one of the things I was going to talk to you about,” I started, but he held up his hand to stop me. He looked furious and truth be told, I was a little scared of him at the moment.
A few minutes later, lights and sirens showed up in front of the store. I groaned, thinking about what people were going to speculate when word got out. I shrugged it off, realizing it would probably be good for business.
Fletcher greeted the officers, gave them some orders, and then gestured for us to follow him. “I’m taking you both home.”
“Woah, hold your horses. I’m not going anywhere until I know my store is secure.”
“Cady, it’s not safe. Clearly someone meant to scare you for a reason. I have to insist that you be escorted home and I’ll have an officer stationed outside of your house.” He crossed his arms in a determined stance.
I took a similar responding stance and held my ground. “I am not leaving here until I am good and ready to leave here, Detective.”
We were in a stare down and I wasn’t sure who would break first. I knew he was trying to be protective, but I am not the kind of girl that lets men tell them what to do. Maybe I was overly stubborn, sometimes to my detriment, but I couldn’t bring myself to yield.
After what seemed like forever, but was probably less than a minute, he hung his head and sighed. “Fine, but we need to finish that conversation we were about to have earlier and you need to tell me everything that’s been going on. And I mean everything.” He towered over me.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, but not here. How do I know they didn’t bug the place?” I scanned my eyes around the store searching for a wiretap. I didn’t pause to consider the fact that I didn’t actually know what a wiretap looked like.
Fletcher’s team finished dusting for prints about an hour later and multiple scans of the store revealed no further clues. For all intents and purposes, everything else seemed to be in order and nothing appeared to have been stolen.
Fletcher nailed up a piece of plywood over the broken window. I couldn’t help but notice the rippling muscles pulling his shirtsleeves taut while he drilled the plywood into place. I shook my head and forced myself to focus on a crack in the sidewalk.
We decided that Fletcher would follow us to our house and we would debrief him there. It would mean risking Gigi overhearing us, but we would just have to deal.
Henri was starting to squirm and attempted to climb up my shoulder to make her escape, clearly over the confinement of being held. It was time to go before she started attacking me.
Fletcher escorted us to my vehicle in the back parking lot, even though I was certain it was unnecessary and I drove him around to the front of the building so he could switch to his truck. He followed us as we drove home - Henri perched begrudgingly by both parties on Quinn’s lap while I drove.
Chapter Fifteen
Ξ
We sat around the kitchen table, thankful that Gigi wasn’t around at the moment. Although I once again questioned where she could be. My mom must have stopped by at some point today because there was a homemade birthday cake for me on the table when we walked through the door along with a birthday card with a hundred-dollar bill inside. It was cute if not slightly odd that I still got birthday money from my parents at the age of twenty-nine. Maybe when I turned thirty, I would have to put a squash on that tradition. At what point did it become wrong to accept money from your parents?
The sound of Fletcher impatiently clearing his throat shook me from my thoughts. Quinn started a pot of coffee and handed me a few small plates along with a knife and I cut into the birthday cake. What? I might as well enjoy this interrogation.
“Mmm, cherry chip!” I exclaimed. It was tied for my favorite cake alongside German chocolate, so my mom alternated which kind she made for my birthday each year. I dished us each up a generous slice and Quinn scooped some vanilla ice cream onto the plates and we all dug in.
Fletcher fell onto the cake like a jungle cat with its prey, clearly forgetting he was supposed to be conducting his interview of me. I saw him catch my eye and he quickly straightened up and pushed the cake aside.
“Okay, Cady, it’s time to tell me exactly what you’ve been up to and why someone is threatening you and vandalizing your store.”
Shoot. I could tell he meant business. “How should I know why someone would do such a thing?” I feigned ignorance while I twirled the ends of my hair in my fingers.
He folded his arms across his
chest and held my gaze.
Shit. He was already learning my tells.
I sighed deeply. “Fine, but I don’t really know where to start.”
“How about from the beginning?” he suggested.
“Helpful,” I chided sarcastically.
I then proceeded to tell him about our jaunt to the old sawmill, the substance I was sure was blood on the floor, our near run in and subsequent chase from Brent and the Mystery Man, the scarf that looked like Rose’s that I found on the beach, the twine tripwire set up across the path, and the first warning note. I also pulled up Sofie’s Instagram and showed him her pictures of the sawmill. I left out our conversation with Patrice and our property search of Elias Rhodes. I trusted Fletcher, but something held me back from playing all of our cards at one time.
Fletcher blew out a deep breath, clearly frustrated. “Why wouldn’t you have come to me with this right away? Do you realize we don’t have a single suspect in this case and here you’ve found a connection between our victim and this creepy suspicious guy and some guy you both know?” His voice was escalating. “Why would you keep that from me?”
Not surprised by his reaction, I tried to remain calm. “Well to be fair, we just realized the connection between them all this afternoon and then we had to close up our booth at the festival and then we went to dinner, so it’s not like I had ample opportunity to tell you everything we had found out,” I offered up, hoping for a Get Out of Jail Free card.
“What about going out to the sawmill last night when you specifically promised me you would not go investigating on your own?”
“I wasn’t alone - I was with Quinn. So technically, I didn’t break my promise,” I pointed out.
“You might be the most frustratingly stubborn person I have ever met,” he said, clearly exasperated. “Look Cady, this is serious. A young woman was murdered and you are obviously getting close to something someone doesn’t want you to. You can’t just risk your and Quinn’s safety like that. How am I supposed to protect you if you are sneaking around and not letting me know what you’re up to?”
That last question of his threw me. “Protect me? That’s exactly what my gra?”
“That’s what I told her.” Gigi had appeared in the living room and was watching us intently.
I panicked not knowing how to pretend she wasn’t there in front of Fletcher.
“See, you’re worrying everyone who cares about you,” Fletcher said.
“I’m sorry, it’s just…wait, what?” I was caught off guard.
“She’s worried about you, too and we just want you to be safe.”
“I’m sorry, who’s worried about me too?”
Fletcher looked at me like I was insane. “Uh, I’m assuming your grandmother…the woman standing behind you. Hello, ma’am it’s nice to meet you.” He got up to shake her hand, but I stopped him, knowing he wouldn’t actually be able to shake her hand.
I looked back and forth between Fletcher and Gigi, extremely confused. I glanced at Quinn and her mouth was agape as well. Gigi just stood there watching the scene unfold with a bemused grin on her face.
“But wait, you can see her?”
“Cady, you’re confusing me. Are you feeling okay?”
“But you can see her?” I repeated.
“Yes Cady, I can see your grandmother who is standing in the living room right now. Quinn is there something wrong with Cady?”
“Welllll…” She dragged out her response, obviously not knowing what to say.
“Did you guys drink more on your way out here?”
“Fletcher…it’s just that, uh…Gigi is sort of, um…dead.”
He blinked slowly at me. “Okay, let’s get you to bed. Quinn could you help me get her to her room? Maybe you should drink some water before bed.” He started opening the nearest cupboards in search of a glass.
“Well, you see,” Quinn spluttered. “She’s uh, sort of um…telling the truth.”
He closed the cupboard door and looked back and forth between Quinn, Gigi, and me. “Am I missing something here?”
“Maybe you should sit down.” I moved to the cupboard, switching roles and poured him a glass of water.
I handed him the glass and he gulped it down in one long swig.
“Soooo…Gigi actually passed away a few years ago, but she is still with us in spirit…literally.” I didn’t have any better way to say it. This was definitely not how I imagined telling Fletcher about our ghostly roommate. Not that I thought I would ever have to try to explain this to anyone. I was getting a headache.
“Cady, what’s wrong with you? How could you say that in front of her? It’s really not funny.”
“Good grief!” Gigi spat from the doorway. “Not too bright, is he?”
“Grandma!” I shot back at her.
“So what you’re telling me is?” He wiped his palms on his jeans.
“I’m dead…get over it,” she menaced.
Fletcher let out a half laugh and did a double take between Gigi and me. “Is this some sort of weird welcome-to-the-family-we-do-silly-pranks type thing?”
“I wish.” I buried my face in my hands. “I really wish…more than you know.”
Fletcher’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making him look like a goldfish waiting for its supper. “I’m having a hard time understanding what’s going on here,” he finally spoke.
“To be honest, so am I. Gigi passed away a few years ago like I said, but she hasn’t moved on yet. We don’t really know why and she can be rather stubborn and is not very forthcoming with any answers. Until now, just the four grandchildren and my sister’s wife have been able to see her. Our parents can’t even see her, so it is quite confusing as to why you can.” I moved closer and rested my hand on his forearm, unsure of how to proceed.
“I’d say you’re handling it quite well,” Quinn added.
“I’d say you should consider yourself lucky,” Gigi said as she sauntered over and sat down at the kitchen table. “Now, let’s get back to business. I knew you two were in over your heads. I can’t turn my back on you for one second without you mucking something up.”
I bent over and softly hit my head against the kitchen table repeatedly. This was beyond comprehension. It was too much. I couldn’t cope. This was it. I was certifiable. They would lock me up forever. I was going to try to strangle a ghost and they were going to lock me up forever.
“Okay, Bright Eyes, why don’t you fill me in on what these two miscreants have gotten themselves into?” Gigi addressed Fletcher.
I looked up at Fletcher and half-shrugged, half-shook my head at him, letting him know I had no better grasp on the situation than he did.
Fletcher got up from the table and I thought for sure he was going to walk out and I would never hear from him again, but he went to the sink and refilled his glass. He stood over the sink, his reflection shining back from the dark windowpane as he downed one more glass of water. He then went to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug of coffee. It was a good thing Quinn had just made a fresh pot. He stopped in front of me. “Whiskey.” It was a demand, not a request. I pointed to the cabinet above the fridge. He pulled down a fifth of Jim Beam Black Double-Aged Bourbon, unscrewed the cap, and poured a rather large amount into his coffee. He put the Bourbon away and came back to take his place at the table.
Fletcher then proceeded to have a conversation with Quinn, myself, and our dead grandmother about the recent events surrounding the investigation.
About a half an hour later, Fletcher got up to leave. He said he needed to get an APB out on Brent and this Mystery Man as well as follow our leads on Rose and Dawn. He confiscated the scarf, twine, and first threatening note I had received and I walked him out to his truck.
“Look, Fletcher, I’m really sorry about everything. I don’t really know what’s going on or why you can see Gigi, but I just want you know I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again.” My chest constricted at the thought of it. I hardly
knew this man and he was about fifty-fifty for driving me crazy in a good way versus a wanting-to-rip-all-my-hair-out way, but somehow I couldn’t stomach the idea of losing him.
“I’ll be honest with you, Cady. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if you are crazy, or if I am crazy, or maybe we both are, but I need some time to think and figure things out.”
It felt like I had been punched in the stomach. My eyes started stinging as I fought back tears.
“I’d like you to go see Chief Kowalski in the morning and tell him everything you’ve discovered. I’ll make sure he knows everything about the break in at your store and he will let you know of any developments there. I would also recommend you call your insurance company first thing in the morning to get someone out to repair that window.”
I cleared my throat, willing my voice not to break. “Sure, thanks,” I managed to get out.
He turned to get into his truck, but paused and looked back one more time. “Oh and Cady.”
“Yeah?” I answered, sounding a little too hopeful.
“You should get an alarm for the store. And maybe even out here.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to say anymore. And with that, he climbed into his truck. I turned to walk back up to the house, knowing I couldn’t handle watching him drive away.
“I like Bright Eyes. He’s respectful and he knows how to handle you two halfwits,” Gigi announced as soon as I walked through the door.
“Nobody asked you.” I scowled. “And I didn’t hear you spilling all of your secrets to him. Like how you knew Sofie was dead in the first place!”
“What bee crawled in your bonnet?”
“Aaaarrrrggghhh!” I stormed upstairs leaving Quinn to deal with Gigi for a change.
I turned the hot water on and stood in the shower. I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry. I let the hot water run over me and suddenly it was mixing with the hot tears running down my face. I cried for Sofie and for Rose even though I wasn’t sure anything had even happened to her yet. I cried about almost getting caught out in the woods by the Mystery Man and being threatened and having our store vandalized. I cried for my failed love life and my failed attempt to swear off men. I cried until the sorrow turned to anger. I was angry that Sofie had been murdered. I was angry that Rose might be in danger. I was angry that someone had threatened me and my family. I was angry with myself for becoming vulnerable to Fletcher without even wanting to. And I was angry with Fletcher for running away so quickly.
