A Puzzle in Paxton Park

by J A Whiting

  “Those are my thoughts as well,” Jay nodded. “I think there’s a third thing, too. What if Charlie found his old phone? He’d already bought a new one. He decided to give the old phone to someone else. That particular someone broke into my house and the phone slipped out of his or her pocket ... or, how about this … the person dropped it intentionally to point law enforcement to Charlie.”

  “You mean to make Charlie appear to be the guilty one?” Juliet asked.

  “Possibly,” Jay said.

  “Too many possibilities,” Juliet moaned. “When we came here, I assumed Charlie was the guilty one. Now it’s possible someone who had his phone broke into your house and either lost the phone in there or dropped it specifically to finger Charlie.”

  “Who could that someone be?” Shelly asked.

  “I hate to say it,” Jay began, “but maybe Charlie gave the phone to one of his kids. Perhaps, one of them has a king-sized grudge against his or her parents.”

  “Oh,” Juliet almost gasped. “One of the kids? One of the kids might have murdered Emma? It’s too terrible to even consider.”

  “Charlie might have given the phone to a friend,” Jay said. “A few times when we’ve upgraded our phones, we’ve given the old one to a family member or a friend. It’s not uncommon to do that. Charlie may have given his phone to someone besides the kids.”

  “This is an impossible puzzle.” Juliet rubbed at her forehead.

  “What will you do next?” Shelly asked.

  Jay sighed, “First, the case detective and I will have another talk with Charlie. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”

  On the sidewalk outside of the police station, Shelly and Juliet complained about how complicated the case was and spoke admiringly about Jay’s investigative skills.

  “I wish this thing was over,” Juliet muttered. “I’m worried for Jay’s safety. It makes me feel helpless.”

  Shelly suggested, “You wanted to go visit the photographer who took the photo that was damaged during the break-in. Why don’t we head over to the shop and ask whether she still has the photos from the family shoot she did with Jay? You can order it and pick out a frame. It will take the worry off your mind for a while and it will be a nice thing to do for Jay’s family.”

  “Good idea. Let’s do it,” Juliet agreed and they turned around to head to the other end of Main Street.

  Two photographers owned the shop in Paxton Park doing photo shoots, portrait sessions, photo repair, and framing. Juliet spoke with Elise, the photographer who remembered doing the family shoot with Jay, her husband, and son. The woman went to the computer to look up the session’s photos.

  While she was searching, the second photographer came out of the back room alongside a woman carrying a little baby boy. The woman was medium height and slender, with green eyes and long, straight strawberry-blond hair.

  Elise glanced up from the computer screen. “How did he do, Peggy?”

  “He did great,” the woman said.

  The photographer said, “His photos are going to come out terrific.”

  While the woman held her baby and stood at the counter to pay and make arrangements to see the digital proofs, Shelly and Juliet smiled and cooed at the little boy.

  The receptionist processed the payment. “Here’s you receipt, Mrs. Lane,” the young woman said.

  Shelly looked at the woman. Peggy? Peggy Lane? Emma’s good friend? “Are you a friend of Monica Jones?”

  A look of surprise washed over Peggy Lane’s face. “Yes, I am,” she said cautiously.

  “I work in the kitchen at the resort’s diner,” Shelly said. “I’ve talked to Monica several times when she comes in for breakfast. She mentioned your name. I’m sorry for the loss of your friend, Emma.”

  Peggy relaxed and rubbed her baby’s back. “Thank you.” She asked Shelly some friendly questions and shared a few words with her about Emma.

  “Monica mentioned that you and she missed the dinner out with Emma not long ago,” Shelly said.

  Something passed fleetingly over Peggy’s face. “I did go to the dinner. My little one wasn’t feeling well that night, but when my husband got home, I decided to go meet them at the restaurant. Dinner was almost over by the time I got there, but I had a soft drink with them.”

  Shelly said, “Monica told me Emma got really sick right after the get-together.”

  “She did, yeah. She was sick for two full days.”

  “Did anyone else in the group come down with the flu or whatever it was?”

  “I don’t think Emma had the flu,” Peggy said.

  “What do you think caused her illness?” Goosebumps started to form over Shelly’s arms.

  Peggy seemed like she was going to say something, but then changed her mind. “I don’t really know. Maybe her drink didn’t agree with her.”

  Emma’s drink? The dream of Lauren taking her drink away from her flashed in Shelly’s brain and a shiver ran over her skin.

  Just as Shelly was going to ask the woman about the drink, Peggy said, “I need to get my boy home for a nap. Nice to meet you.”

  Peggy and her son left the shop, but the feeling of unease that Shelly experienced when the woman mentioned Emma’s drink remained … and caused Shelly’s heart to race.

  19

  Why would Peggy Lane say Emma’s drink might not have agreed with her?” Shelly asked. “Why not say maybe her meal didn’t agree with her? Isn’t that more likely?”

  “Maybe Emma had too much to drink and Peggy didn’t like her friend overdoing it.” Juliet lifted a spoonful of ice cream from her bowl.

  “But my dream,” Shelly said. “In my dream, Lauren takes the wine glass away from me. She doesn’t want me to drink it.”

  “But Lauren doesn’t take the wine glass away from Emma,” Juliet said.

  “It’s symbolism,” Shelly said. “I’m representing Emma.”

  “Really?” Juliet scrunched up her forehead. “These are very complicated dreams.”

  Shelly plopped onto the sofa with a second bowl of ice cream and mumbled, “Lauren should take the ice cream bowl away from me.”

  “What does the floating money in the dream represent?” Juliet asked as she dipped her finger in the ice cream and offered it to Justice to lick. The cat didn’t hesitate.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t figured that out.”

  “I don’t understand why all this symbolism shows up in your dreams. Why not just come right out with it instead of being so mysterious and confusing?”

  “Lauren doesn’t speak in the dreams,” Shelly explained. “So I have to figure things out.”

  “Well, couldn’t she write things down for you? Write you a message so you don’t have to connect the dots. So you don’t have to figure out what every little thing means. What if it’s so confusing you can’t figure it out and you get it all wrong?”

  Shelly shrugged. “Then I guess I get it wrong.”

  Juliet sniffed. “It’s not a very efficient way to work.”

  “It’s the way it is though.” Shelly put the bowl with her half-eaten ice cream on the side table. “I’m feeling antsy. I need some fresh air. Want to go for a walk?”

  Justice quietly jumped up onto the side table and worked on the remaining ice cream. Shelly noticed and took it away from the Calico. “No, Justice. Too much of that will make you sick.”

  Standing up to take her bowl to the kitchen, Juliet said to the cat, “You don’t want the vet to think Shelly poisoned you.”

  Suddenly, Juliet stopped walking. She and Shelly shared a look.

  “Poison?” Juliet asked with wide eyes.

  “The wine glass. Is that why Lauren doesn’t want me to drink it?” Shelly shuddered. “Was there poison in Emma’s drink? Did someone try to poison her? Is that why Emma got so sick that night? Did Peggy Lane notice something?”

  Juliet asked, “Is that why Peggy said maybe Emma’s drink didn’t agree with her?”

  Shelly picked up her phon
e and did a search for Peggy Lane’s address. “The Lanes live right off Main Street.” She looked up. “Should we go over there and ask her what she meant about Emma’s drink?”

  “I don’t know. She might think we’re odd. We only talked to her for a few minutes. I don’t think she’d confide in us. I’m going to call Jay and tell her what we think.” Juliet placed the call and spoke with her sister while Shelly went to get their jackets.

  “Jay said she’ll arrange a meeting with Peggy. That makes me feel better. It’s best that the police handle all of this.”

  The young women walked along the brick sidewalks to the town common. Tourists and townspeople wandered around the common looking at the Halloween scarecrows set up for the contest. The nightly bonfire blazed at the far end of the common and a crowd gathered around to warm up from the chilly October evening.

  Store windows were lit up, pumpkins and chrysanthemums decorated every establishment, and the golden glow of the streetlamps made the cozy town seem warm and snug nestled beside the majestic mountain range.

  Julie sighed. “Why can’t everything always be pretty and nice and pleasant?”

  “Because of greed and jealousy and power and hate,” Shelly told her.

  Rolling her eyes, Juliet said, “I guess that sums it up.”

  “Which one of those is the reason Emma Pinkley got killed?”

  “Probably all of them.” Shelly shoved her hands in her pockets.

  Juliet let out a groan and they walked the length of Main Street before turning around and heading back the other way, occasionally stopping to look into some of the shop windows.

  Juliet paused in front of a window display of winter jackets and noticed someone waving at her from inside the store. It was Linden Parker, from Windsor Manufacturing, the young woman who came into the conference room a few days ago to speak to Jay and Shelly about Steve Carlton and his behavior towards Emma.

  Linden came out of the store. “I came into town with my boyfriend. We had dinner and now he’s shopping for a new ski parka.”

  The three women chatted for a few minutes.

  Linden asked, “Did you hear about Steve Carlton?”

  “What about him?” Juliet asked.

  “He got fired. For harassing some of the other employees.”

  “He did?” Shelly’s jaw had dropped.

  “Yup,” Linden said. “And guess what else? Steve’s wife is leaving him. She found out about his obsessions with other women and is divorcing him. I bet she knew about Steve and his weird ways a long time ago, but she’s finally had enough. We heard Steve was acting oddly at home, cleaning his guns at the kitchen table and muttering. His wife got scared, told him he should go see the doctor for anxiety and depression. Steve yelled and swore at her and that was the last straw. She left him.”

  “Wow.” Juliet was amazed at the turn of events.

  “Steve owns weapons?” Shelly asked as a zing of nervousness raced through her stomach.

  “That’s what we heard. A rifle and a handgun. Their house is on the market, too. Steve’s wife has taken the kids and has gone to live with relatives.”

  “Is Steve living in the house?” Shelly asked.

  “A guy at work told us Steve is living there until it sells. I heard he’s a mess with his life falling down all around him.”

  “I almost feel sorry for the guy,” Juliet said. “Almost.”

  A good-looking man appeared at the shop door and held up a ski jacket for Linden to see.

  “I’m going back inside to help my boyfriend pick something out,” Linden said. “Nice to see you again.”

  When she closed the door behind her, Shelly and Juliet stared at each other.

  “I wasn’t expecting that,” Juliet said with a shake of her head.

  “You can say that again.” Shelly blew out a long breath. “It sounds like Steve Carlton is going off the deep end.”

  Juliet’s eyes widened. “What if it was Steve who broke into Jay’s house and trashed the living room?”

  “The mess of it and the way the knife was stabbed into the picture suggested rage and violence, like someone was out of control. The way Linden described Steve makes him sound like he’s out of control, angry, and depressed.”

  “We need to tell Jay,” Juliet said.

  “What about Charlie’s phone?” Shelly asked. “It was in Jay’s house. If Steve is the one who broke in, how do we explain Charlie’s phone being in there?”

  Juliet thought for a few moments. “Jay wondered if Charlie gave his old phone to someone. Maybe Charlie knows one of the construction guys who were there to repair the windows. Stranger coincidences have happened.”

  “Have they?” Shelly asked skeptically.

  A woman’s voice could be heard loudly cursing and the two friends turned towards the sound to see Dawn Barry standing near a parked car outside of the leather shop. Dawn cursed again and kicked the driver’s side door with her foot.

  “It looks like someone else is out of control,” Shelly said. “Let’s go see what’s up.”

  Crossing to the other side of the street, Shelly and Juliet approached Dawn Barry.

  “Are you okay?” Juliet asked. “Do you need some help?”

  “My stupid car won’t start. I called a garage to come tow it away,” Dawn fussed. “I have to wait for them to get here. Stupid car is always breaking down.”

  “Can we get you a coffee or tea while you wait?” Shelly asked.

  Dawn took a deep breath and sighed. “No, thanks anyway. I’m exhausted. I’ve been working all day since the shop opened.”

  Knowing that Dawn had been seeing Charlie Pinkley while claiming to be Emma’s friend didn’t make Shelly feel too sorry for the harried woman. She decided to ask Dawn a few questions.

  “Have you seen Emma’s family recently? You told us the other day you were a close friend of hers. I was wondering how her husband and kids were doing,” Shelly said trying to get Dawn to talk.

  “I haven’t seen them.” Dawn looked down at the ground.

  “Are you friends with Charlie?” Shelly asked.

  Dawn’s head snapped up, her eyes flashing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Were you friends with Emma and Charlie?”

  “No. Charlie’s a loser. Everyone knows that.”

  Juliet took a quick look at Shelly.

  “Why do you say that?” Shelly asked, wanting Dawn to say more. “Why is he a loser?”

  “Because he is. He’s an idiot. I can’t stand him.” Dawn practically growled.

  Juliet asked, “Was Charlie mean to Emma?”

  “Yes. He was a jerk to her. I don’t know how Emma could stand him.” Dawn poked her toe against the curb.

  Shelly said, “I was talking to one of Emma’s friends. The friend told me Emma got really sick not long ago. A group was out for dinner with her and when Emma got home, she was terribly ill. The friend told me she came down with something similar the next day. The friend said she wondered if they’d had food poisoning. Did you go to that dinner?”

  Dawn looked at Shelly with narrowed eyes. “I was there that night. Who told you she got sick?”

  “Monica Jones,” Shelly said.

  “Monica got sick, too?”

  “She told me she did. Did you all eat something different?”

  “I thought so.”

  “So you didn’t get sick?” Shelly asked.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “If it was food poisoning, I’ll make sure I avoid that place,” Shelly said. “Did Emma and Monica order the same thing?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “What about the drinks?” Shelly asked.

  “What about them?” Dawn asked.

  “Did Emma and Monica drink the same thing? I wonder if there was something wrong with the wine?”

  “I have no idea.” Dawn seemed agitated and checked her phone for the time. “Where is that tow truck?”

  “Can we drop you at home once the to
w truck comes?” Juliet asked.

  “What?” Dawn snapped. “Oh. No, thanks. I’m good.”

  Shelly was pretty sure Dawn was not good.

  20

  Carrying a watering can to the front porch, Shelly gave her pots of flowers a drink. Justice acted as supervisor sniffing each pot after it had been watered and when she’d checked them all, the Calico sat on the step next to Shelly.

  “Are the pots satisfactory?” Shelly asked the cat.

  Justice rubbed her cheek against Shelly’s arm and purred.

  The afternoon was pleasantly warm and the young woman and the cat soaked up the sun together while sitting on the front steps. Shelly would have liked to have gone for a bike ride on the mountain trails, but Jay was coming by in a few minutes to talk with her about the case.

  Jay’s husband had returned from Boston and hired a company to install a security alarm for the house. They should have done it long ago, he said, especially with Jay in law enforcement since the job could attract revenge seekers and people who didn’t particularly care for officers of the law.

  Looking up at the mountains rising over the town, Shelly could see some of the ski trails weaving in and out of the forest. There wasn’t any snow yet, but it wouldn’t be long before the snowboarders and skiers descended on the mountain and filled the hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts. Paxton Park attracted tourists all year round, but the winter season was the most crowded and Shelly looked forward to the hustle and bustle of people enjoying the area.

  The sound of a car’s engine caused Shelly and Justice to turn their heads to see Jay’s police cruiser pulling into the driveway. Jay climbed out and joined the woman and cat on the porch.

  “The sun’s great today,” Jay lifted her face to the rays. “It feels good.”

  Justice stepped onto the police officer’s lap and settled down, purring.

  “This cat doesn’t miss a chance, does she?” Jay chuckled and ran her hand over the multi-colored fur.