by Dana Moss
Maria cut her off. “I hate to tell you this, but your friend Macy was found with the knife in her hand and all covered in blood.”
Taffy’s mouth gaped to say “Whaaat?” but no sound came out.
From a police car nearby, Taffy heard her name being called. It was Cher’s high-pitched wail. She was calling through a crack in the police-car window.
“Can I talk to her?” Taffy said, frantic.
“No. She’s also a suspect. And she’s in shock. We need to get her statement first.”
“Where’s Macy?”
“She’s already been escorted down to the station, also apparently in shock.”
Taffy grabbed Maria’s arm. “You can’t think that she…” But Taffy couldn’t finish her sentence.
Maria gave Taffy a long look. “How much did you know about Macy’s relationship with Blake?”
“Almost nothing. They’d only dated a few months, as far as I know. Kyla said she thought it was getting serious fast, but…”
Maria’s walkie-talkie squawked again. As she lifted it to her mouth to answer, she said to Taffy, “Just go home for now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
She ducked under the crime-scene tape and walked down the dock toward the yacht without inviting Taffy to come.
Cher was driven away, and Macy was already gone—taken to the jail down at the station for overnight. It’s not like it was their first time, but this was not a partying-overdrive misdemeanor. This was serious. This was murder.
Taffy was certain that neither of her friends was capable of such violence. It had to be some mix-up. But Maria had said Macy had been found covered in blood. Taffy’s stomach churned, and Macy was even more squeamish than Taffy. What had happened? She really didn’t know much about Macy’s relationship with Blake. It had seemed somewhat strained the previous night but… But no, Macy couldn’t have done such a thing. Could she?
Her phone pinged with a text. Ethan. What’s going on? When r u back?
She called him to tell him the news. He was equally shocked.
Taffy paced at the entrance to the dock while police officers came and went. Ethan suggested she come home and go back to bed.
“But I’ve got to talk to Maria about this.”
“You’ve got to let her do her job.”
The medical examiner’s van pulled up.
“But I’m the one who knows them best. Neither could have done something like this.”
Ethan paused. “It does sound pretty gruesome.”
“I have to tell Maria that—”
“It’s late, Taffy. She has to go through her procedure. Macy and Cher have already been taken away. Nothing more can happen until the morning. Come home for now.”
She looked back at the dock. Lights illuminated the hull and deck of the yacht. She could see Maria on the deck talking to crime-scene officers. Taffy had never even had a good look at the yacht on the inside, only that tiny image of the stateroom from Macy’s video phone call.
She tried to catch Eve, the medical examiner, on her way to the scene, but apart from a brief acknowledgement of Taffy’s presence, Eve remained intent on her job. She strode down the dock with an officer at her side, leaving Taffy in the wings to assess this strange situation: Neglected best friend of detective shocked to discover New York friends might be murder suspects. It simply did not compute.
Ethan was right; there was nothing she could do right now. But she didn’t think she could go back to sleep either.
CHAPTER FIVE
Taffy did manage to fall asleep eventually, with Midnight curled up next to her, clear evidence she was already forgiven for her recent New York absence.
But the next morning, after waking groggily and feeling disoriented, the memory of the previous night washed over her.
Ethan made her a cup of coffee, and though he tried to discourage Taffy from getting involved in the case, she was determined to go straight down to the police station to talk to Maria.
When she arrived, Maria invited Taffy into her office.
“I guess I’m not all that surprised to see you here.”
“What did Macy tell you? Can I talk to her yet?”
Maria shook her head.
Taffy dropped her purse on the chair beside Maria’s desk. “There’s no way she could have killed in cold blood like that. She didn’t admit it, did she?”
“No, she’s denying it completely and saying she found him like that.”
“Then you have to believe her.”
“We have a witness who said she was standing over the body holding a knife covered in blood.”
“But there has to be some mistake. There’s no way she would have lashed out like that… She nearly faints when she nicks herself shaving in the shower.”
“Apparently they fought last night,” Maria continued. “Lorne, the captain, says he heard them arguing. You saw her with him at the resort. There was tension.”
“That doesn’t mean she killed him.”
“It also doesn’t mean she didn’t. Anything could have happened.”
“There’s no way Macy could have killed someone, especially like that.” Taffy touched her throat.
“It wasn’t just that.” Maria pointed to her crotch and made a snipping motion.
Taffy’s eyes widened. “No!” She swallowed her disbelief. “So he… what? Bled to death?”
“We’re waiting for Eve, the medical examiner, to confirm the actual cause of death, but that’s what it looks like.”
“But Macy would never—”
“Listen, Taffy, for the time being, she’s our prime suspect. If she weren’t one of your best friends, you’d agree with me.”
“So you’re going to keep her locked up?”
“She has a bail hearing later today.”
The door to Chief Green’s office opened and out walked Mayor Gifford. When he saw Taffy, his eyes narrowed. He stopped in front of her.
“I understand these are your friends?” He rolled back on his heels and gave her the once-over. “You certainly do seem to attract the wrong kinds of people to our town.”
“Me?”
Mayor Gifford glanced over his shoulder at Chief Green. “What’s it been, Rory? Three suspicious deaths since Taffy arrived?”
“That’s not my fault.” She knew the mayor was still mad at her for implicating his nephew in the last investigation, which had cost him his college baseball scholarship.
“Maybe not, but they’ve all had something to do with you, haven’t they? Or you’ve had something to do with them.” He appraised her for a long second and then walked around her, calling over his shoulder. “See you on the links at four, Chief.”
Chief Green grunted his assent and sighed heavily when the door closed behind the Mayor.
“He’s not seriously blaming these deaths on me, is he?” Taffy looked to Maria and Chief Green for assurance.
Chief Green said, “No, but he might be blaming the slow death of his tourism plans for this town on you.”
“But you can understand how this particular incident might matter to me, right? Apparently, one of my best friends is a murder suspect!”
Maria and Chief Green shared a look, and then he sighed again and shook his head.
“Only three people had died of unnatural causes in this town in the past two decades before you moved here.”
“But that’s not my fault.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Maria said. She turned to the chief. “It’s just coincidence. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the world caught up to our sleepy town.”
“The bottom line is we have another murder case to solve. Get on it, Salinas.” He turned to walk back to his office but then paused and turned back.
“Taffy, I realize these are your friends, but to us they’re potential suspects and witnesses to a murder, so do us a favor and don’t get in the way of this investigation.” He shut the door to his office.
Taffy felt misunderstood on all fronts
. She looked wide-eyed at Maria. “How could he think I would—”
Maria smirked. “How could he think that you wouldn’t?”
“You must know I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize a case. You trust me on that, don’t you?”
“Every case is different. This time, you’ll have to see past the personal.”
How could Maria expect her to do that? These were her best friends from home. Girls she’d known since high school and had an instinct to protect. And yet… She’d been involved in a couple of cases with Maria and had learned that things and people weren’t always what they appeared to be.
“Are you going to let me see my friends?”
“You can see Cher.” Maria stood up. “In fact, you can take her home if you want. We’ve asked her all we need to know for now.”
“But I want to take Macy too.”
Maria shook her head. “We’ll see after the bail hearing.”
She led Taffy to the back hall that led to the jail.
There were two separate cells at the station. One was closer to the office, and one was further back, down a second hall. That’s where Macy was, out of sight. Maria led Taffy to the first cell and unlocked it. Cher turned at the sound. Mascara streaks lined her cheeks. Her dark eyes were puffy, and her pixie cut stuck out in all the wrong places.
Maria said, “Sorry about all this, Cher. It’s nothing personal.”
Cher turned up her nose at Maria and clutched at Taffy’s arm through the bars.
“That was worse than any night spent in the slammer back home.”
Taffy glanced past her into the small room. The bed had a mattress, pillow, and blanket, and Taffy noticed some dishes. It looked as if someone had brought her a mug of coffee and toast earlier.
“It’s the situation more than the place.”
“What have they done with Macy?”
“She’s fine,” Maria said. “She’s being taken care of.”
Cher turned to her. “We’ll sue you for this!”
“For exercising the law?” She shrugged. “Go right ahead.”
Taffy wished Maria wouldn’t aggravate the situation unnecessarily.
“Come on, Cher. You’re overwrought. I’ll take you back to my place.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my best friend!”
Taffy sighed. “You can’t do anything for her here. You can freshen up at my place. We’ll come back and see Macy later. Maria will let us see her later.” She turned to Maria “You will, won’t you?”
“Can’t make any promises.”
Cher’s breath caught on a sob.
Maria could be tough sometimes, but Taffy had to remember she was just doing her job. “I’ll call you this afternoon to see if it’s possible.”
Taffy led Cher out of the station.
CHAPTER SIX
Once in the car, Cher seemed to calm down a bit.
“What the heck happened last night, Cher?”
Cher leaned an elbow on the passenger door and held her forehead in her hand. “I’m not sure if I can talk about it. Can’t you tell your cop friend to lay off a little? She’ll listen to you.”
Taffy pulled out of the station parking lot and headed for home.
“Do you fully comprehend the trouble you’re both in? That Blake is dead?”
“Good riddance, I say.”
“Don’t say that in front of Maria.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid. But it only took me a few days to realize what a booby prize he was. He deserved to get his woo-hoo whacked off.”
“Cher!”
She shrugged. “Just sayin’.”
“So then what did Macy see in him?”
Cher removed her arm from the window and sighed. “I guess he had his charming side. With her. And he’s not bad looking, I’ll give him that.”
Wasn’t—past tense now—Taffy thought but didn’t say out loud.
Cher added, “And then there was all that money…”
“But Macy didn’t need money,” Taffy said. “And I know she’s picked her share of duds for dates, but even Kyla thought she was serious this time.”
Cher nodded. “She was.”
“Even though you told her you didn’t like him?”
“She wasn’t going to listen to me anyway.”
Taffy pulled onto the tree-lined, grass-shagged driveway that led to her house.
“You live here?” Cher said peering out through the windshield at the old Edwardian structure appearing through the trees. Taffy heard the barely veiled dismay in Cher’s voice.
“It’s home for now.” Taffy pulled up behind Ethan’s blue pickup truck.
“Does he live with you?”
“He just stayed over last night.”
“As long as it’s not too serious.”
“Why would you say that?”
But then Ethan was on the porch and waving hello, and there was no privacy in the convertible.
“Hello, ladies. I’ve got hot coffee on the go.”
“Homemade coffee? Ugh.” Cher groaned as she climbed out of the car.
Taffy smiled knowingly. “Wait until you’ve actually tasted Ethan’s brew. It’s unlike anything you’ve tried so far.”
Ethan held open the screen door for Cher. “And how did you find last night’s accommodation?”
She sniffed.
“I hear it’s not the first time.” Ethan offered his irresistible lopsided smile, but Cher seemed immune.
She glanced at Taffy. “What exactly have you told him about us?”
“He knows we were a wild bunch back in New York.”
Cher gazed around the house. “I guess those days are over for you, eh? Playing the country housewife now?” She peeked into the different rooms.
Ethan raised an eyebrow in Taffy’s direction. She’d forgotten Cher was such a snob. She’d been giving her the benefit of the doubt after the rough night and morning, but she thought Cher ought to a little more grateful considering the circumstances.
Ethan handed Cher a steaming mug of coffee.
“Is that full-fat cream?” she said, holding up a hand to deflect the mug. “I only take skim.”
“Trust me,” Taffy said. “You’ll like this.”
Reluctantly, Cher took the mug. She took a small sip, making a face as if she’d just been asked to eat ants. As the warm liquid passed over her tongue, her face changed. It softened, relaxed. She closed her eyes. And then she started to weep and then sob.
“It’s that good?’ whispered Ethan to Taffy.
Cher’s sobbing turned to heaving, and her full mug of coffee started splashing. Taffy took it from her and passed in back to Ethan. “I think she’s still in shock.”
Cher was taking in deep, gulping breaths as she sobbed. She pressed up against the arm of the couch, and then she slid onto the soft pillows. Tears and snot mixed with her mascara lines. Her breaths became short and gaspy. She was starting to look pale.
Taffy tried to hold her up on the couch. To Ethan, she said, “Get a paper bag.”
Ethan disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later.
“Here, breathe into this.” Taffy held the bag in front of her.
Once Cher’s oxygen and CO2 had balanced, her sobs returned to stuttered weeping.
“There was just so much bl… blood.”
Taffy rubbed her back. “It’s all right now. You’re safe. The worst is over.”
Cher looked up. “Is it? Or is the worst just beginning for Macy?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Taffy. “What exactly happened out there?”
Cher started to explain that there had been nothing unusual. Blake had dragged Macy up to the yacht’s stateroom for sex—he was a bit of an addict, she said—and because he’d had so much to drink, he passed out pretty quickly after—also not unusual, she said. She’d been watching a movie in the saloon until Macy was free, and then they’d gone skinny-dipping off the back of the boat.
“We we
re only out swimming for about ten minutes. It was pretty cold. When we came back in, Macy went into the stateroom to change, and then I heard her screaming. I ran in, and when I got there, she was standing over Blake’s bloody body.”
“You told the police all this?”
Cher nodded. “She was standing by the bed, shaking, in shock, totally freaked out, and crying. A minute later Lorne was there, and he called for an ambulance.”
Ethan said, “What did you do?”
“I was frozen. I didn’t know what to do.” Her bottom lip trembled as she talked. Fresh tears were building. “You know, when I first saw all that blood, I thought Macy was hurt. I thought maybe Blake had done something to her. I was so scared.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I was relieved when… I was just glad she was okay.”
“But you’d been worried Blake might hurt her?”
“I wasn’t sure. She’d said he was rough sometimes. And you met him last night. Entitled a-hole. She thought she wanted to make a go of it with him, get married and everything, but I didn’t think he was good for her. He could be cruel sometimes.”
Ethan said, “Do you think Macy might have just snapped?”
Both Taffy and Cher turned to him and said together, “No!”
“She was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Taffy said. “She couldn’t have done such a thing. We both know that.”
“But somebody did it,” Ethan said. “If not Macy, then who?”
Cher started heaving again. Taffy glared at Ethan as she rubbed Cher’s back again.
“Don’t think about it now. You need to rest first. You need to get over the shock of it all.”
“But I can’t rest while Macy is—”
“I’ll take care of Macy, don’t worry.” Taffy turned to Ethan. “Cher can stay in Nana’s room for now.”
He nodded. “It’s all made up.”
Taffy urged Cher up of the couch. “You can have a shower, lie down, pull yourself together.”
Cher nodded and, like a frightened child, followed Taffy’s guidance. Passing Ethan, she said, “Is there any more of that coffee?”
* * *
When Taffy had Cher settled in the guest room, she joined Ethan in the kitchen.
He said, “Do you think she’s telling you everything?”
