by Clara Lewis
Jordan was no longer the sheriff of the town. After it had been revealed that he was taking bribes from the residents of the area to keep his position, he disappeared. Olivia felt betrayed by his actions, but after a few days, she couldn't care less about what he was up to. His parents were rich; they just probably sent him abroad.
However, there was a new sheriff in town. Olivia hoped he wasn't as corruptible as the rest of the people were. She needed him to be on her side just this once.
Early in the morning, Olivia woke Marion up. Marion wasn't a morning person and complained as much as she could in the few minutes it took to drive to the police station.
It felt different with Jordan gone. For one, the area seemed less lively. That couldn't be helped though. Olivia had met with the new sheriff, and he was the complete opposite of Jordan. Where Jordan was kind and easygoing, this sheriff was cold and silent.
She met him in the office, and he agreed to their condition.
“The case has been opened recently, so I’ll have one of the detectives taking a lead of this investigation on paper, but you ladies are responsible for getting to the bottom of it,” he said.
Olivia nodded with gratitude and walked outside. Marion stayed to get the necessary documents they needed for the case. They also needed to get the numbers of those involved, just in case something was to happen.
“We don't have much time to go all the way to the Barlowes. Can you call and set up an appointment with Eustace Barlowe?”
Marion whipped her phone out and contacted his secretary. If Olivia were to make the call, they would have put the phone down and blocked her number. They weren’t very forgiving. Marion, however, had stayed under their radar. With her help they had an appointment at three.
The Barlowes made most of their money by developing a brand of whiskey that was sought after by the elite all over the world. One bottle was rent money for many. While John pursued law, Eustace and Liam handled the business end.
Still, it surprised Olivia just how much money the family was worth. She sat with Marion in a waiting room that would have been more fitting to describe as a ritzy hotel lobby.
“I guess I understand why they guard the whiskey recipe so closely. Look at this,” Olivia said quietly to Marion, gesturing to the luxury around them.
“Mr. Barlowe is ready to see you both in his office.”
A secretary had walked up to them and gestured for Marion and Olivia to follow her. Olivia adjusted the strap on her bag and followed.
The secretary led them to two big doors with the label E. Barlowe, CEO hanging on two little pins. She knocked softly on the door and opened it. Eustace’s back was turned to them as he spoke softly on the phone.
Marion and Olivia were directed to the chairs on the other side of Eustace’s desk. They sat patiently until he was done with his phone call.
“Sorry, I was just talking to my wife—”
Eustace’s smile dropped when he saw Marion and Olivia.
“Who died this time?” he asked.
He sounded tired, annoyed even, but he didn't deserve to be annoyed. Olivia glowered at him.
“My sister, actually,” Olivia said in a tone as cold as ice.
Eustace had the decency to feel shame as he looked down.
“Sorry,” he said.
His apology was short lived when the silence had gone on for far too long.
“Why are you here?”
Olivia didn't respond, but she took her phone out and scrolled through her gallery. She may have found a little joy in wasting Eustace’s precious time.
She found the pictures she was looking for and showed them to Eustace.
“Look familiar?” she asked him.
She had shown him a picture of the engagement ring found on Poppy’s hand. She had looked at both Poppy and Ruth’s pictures long enough to know the difference between their skeletal hands, but Eustace would never know.
“That’s Ruth’s engagement ring!” Eustace exclaimed.
“Wrong,” Olivia interjected. “Try again.”
Eustace’s eyes widened as he realized.
“Poppy?” he asked.
As he said Poppy’s name, he looked directly at Olivia. At that moment he didn't see Olivia. He saw her sister.
Olivia refused to let that rattle her.
“Would you like to explain before I start throwing accusations?”
Eustace gave her one long look and then burst out laughing.
“This accusation won’t hold long. You’ve got two similar rings to go by. If you want to accuse a Barlowe, go to my brother.”
Chapter 4
One more push, and Olivia would have to start pulling at her hair. She had let her emotions get ahead of her, and she had forgotten to get Eustace to specify which brother.
Marion was on her laptop, quietly managing the office from their hotel room. So far, nothing had been found on Olivia’s would-be killer. With regard to the background checks Olivia ordered on the entire Barlowe family, it was supposed to arrive sometime in the evening. It had been difficult to get information. There was barely anything to be found on that family.
“You know if you didn't like the one brother, you wouldn't be having this problem.”
Olivia looked up and glared at Marion, who smirked at her. She was aware of that fact, but it still filled her with guilt to suddenly start questioning Liam. As much as she hated admitting that he could be a suspect in Poppy’s case, a small voice in her head convinced her that he could have done it.
She couldn't help but ask herself if his good treatment of her was simply a diversion?
Olivia shook her head and stared at her screen helplessly.
“You call him,” Olivia asked Marion as she held her phone out.
“I can't do that. He’ll get mad. Call, and get it over and done with.”
Marion had a point but how would she even start the conversation? Olivia decided to stall and schedule an appointment with John Barlowe instead. Marion didn't approve of this gesture.
“You’re stalling,” she called out.
“I know that, but I don’t want to talk to Liam yet.”
Eustace clearly didn't want her around. At this point she was sure he had her and Marion’s number blocked. John Barlowe was different. While Eustace pushed them away from him, John wasn't afraid to confront them. That’s what made him dangerous.
His secretary accepted, and within a few moments, they had an appointment the next day to talk to him.
Tonight they had to go through the rest of the notes on Poppy. Marion had gone along with Olivia’s flow. This time, she insisted they be prepared for their appointment in the morning. John would tear their assumptions apart, and if they ever got stuck, the investigation would be paused.
Eustace insisted on the similar rings being a coincidence. Olivia would have believed him if it weren't for the haunted look that occupied his eyes. He knew something, but Olivia couldn't figure anything out with just that information.
“You got anything?” Olivia asked.
Marion nodded and waved her over. Olivia grabbed a chair and brought it next to Marion who turned her screen.
“I see Ruth and Poppy.”
“And?” Marion prompted.
It took a while, but once Olivia had seen it, she couldn't believe her eyes. Olivia and Poppy were identical twins. Everyone, even Marion sometimes, had trouble telling them apart. It was eerie seeing the resemblance that Ruth had to both of them.
If someone were to say that Ruth was somehow related to Olivia and Poppy, Olivia would have accepted it with no question. They had the same shade of dark hair, and they were of similar height and build. The only thing that differed was that Ruth’s eyes were a shade lighter than Olivia and Poppy’s brown. That was nothing. Someone would have had to look closely to even figure out that difference.
“This is creepy, Marion,” Olivia said, expelling breath.
Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but this informati
on was significant.
“As important as this may seem, we can't bring this to John. If anything, this is evidence against Eustace.”
Marion nodded.
“Well, I have something that may interest you. The background reports on the Barlowe family had arrived. I skimmed through them, but I noticed two details. They just might change your mind on Eustace.”
“Tell me,” Olivia said.
Finally, they would reach some kind of breakthrough.
“Well, do you want the weird news or the bad news?”
Olivia shrugged. “The weird news?”
Marion typed on her keyboard furiously and brought up invoices on the screen. They were addressed to John Barlowe. At first it didn't seem to be important, but soon enough, Olivia noticed the businesses stated on the invoices were jewelry stores. Once she had the pictures of the item bought in the stores, her eyes widened.
“Eustace uses his money for the jewelry, but John makes the purchases.”
“I see what you mean. John is acting strange.”
Olivia said nothing as she thought of the many possible explanations for John’s behavior. Suddenly she sat up.
“See if you can pull up any photos of any of the Barlowe wives. I just want to make sure of things.”
Marion was confused, but still she brought up the pictures. Before Poppy disappeared, she had been getting a steady stream of expensive gifts from her mystery boyfriend. Olivia didn't have any pictures of her wearing the items, as she hid them away as soon as she got them. Poppy didn't like wearing anything flashy. All Olivia had were memories of what those pieces looked like.
“Analyze their jewelry, and see if they are somewhat similar. I know that this is a stretch, but we have to be open to all possibilities.”
Ruth and Poppy had almost the same pieces of jewelry. They were in the same style. They were big and expensive and showed off class and power. Olivia saw a photo of Ruth wearing a heavy necklace at a charity gala. She looked as if she struggled with the weight of it. Olivia remembered Poppy getting a box of with necklace, similar to the one Ruth wore.
There was no direct proof of John’s involvement with either Poppy or Ruth. And most of Olivia’s notes were just questions. After all, there was no solid fact that indicated a Barlowe was responsible for Poppy’s death. All Olivia had was information that was creepy but not illegal. Nevertheless, she kept making notes of these instances.
“What’s the bad news?”
“Liam. Well, it’s all circumstantial, but he did leave Dresden the day that Poppy was reported missing. He didn't come back until after the hype had died down.”
Olivia stuttered on her next words. She had purposely ignored having Liam as a suspect but now... it was different.
“I’ll go to the meeting with John tomorrow. I need you to figure out the time line with Liam and if he had a connection to Poppy.”
Marion raised her eyebrow at Olivia.
“Are you sure? You could talk to him first?”
Olivia looked away.
“I-I can't,” she replied.
Marion could barely hear her response. It was as if she said it more to herself. However, Marion trusted Olivia. If this was what she wanted to happen, she’d go along with it.
In the morning, Olivia hurried to her car. Her appointment wasn't for a few more hours, but she felt stifled in the hotel room she shared with Marion. She needed to get a breath of fresh air.
Before she could open the door to her car, a hand rested on her forearm. Panic shot through Olivia’s body, and her first thought was to fight.
“Hey, hey,” a familiar voice spoke. “It’s me.”
Normally, Olivia would relax when she heard Liam’s voice. He made her feel safe. This time was different. This time, her body grew even tenser, and she struggled to get out of his grip.
Liam furrowed his brow in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Olivia looked away and shrugged.
“Nothing, nothing,” she whispered.
Liam let her go and stood. After a few moments he gave her a weird look and put some more distance between them. That kind of hurt.
“I was hoping to talk with you, but it seems that you already have your mind made up.”
Now it was Olivia’s turn to be confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard that you went to Eustace yesterday. Today I heard from John that you had an appointment. I kind of assumed it had something to do with your sister. I...” Liam faltered.
“You what?” Olivia asked.
She had an idea of what he was going to say, but she wanted to stall. She didn't want to talk about it directly just yet.
“I wanted to help you, but judging from your reaction today, it seems that you don't trust me at all.”
Olivia opened her mouth, but what was she going to say? She had doubted him since her conversation with Alice. Liam had come forward. He expected her to reassure him that she trusted him. Her silence, however, had made him pause.
“It’s not that—” Olivia started, but Liam put his hand up.
“Don’t worry about it. Good luck with your investigation.”
That was it? He wasn't even going to hear her out. Olivia grabbed his sleeve to stop him from leaving, and although he could have just pulled his sleeve from her, he stopped to listen.
“You don’t understand,” Olivia explained. “I have to find out about my sister. I can't leave people out of the investigation just because they’d feel bad.”
Whatever she said wasn't the right thing to say. Liam’s face hardened, and he jerked his arm back.
“You're right, I don't understand, but they're my family as well. They’re not the best of people. I know that. I just can't help but feel that by suspecting them, you’re suspecting me, and I guess that hurt me.”
Olivia opened her mouth to respond but Liam wasn't done.
“It’s selfish of me, but I won’t stand in your way. I’ll see you around, Olivia.”
Chapter 5
Olivia watched Liam walk away from her. She stood in the same spot even long after he was gone. It was only after Marion had gone out in search for her that she moved.
As if her day couldn't get any worse, she received a phone call from John’s secretary rescheduling their appointment to a time next week.
With nothing else to do for the day, Olivia headed back into the hotel room, ready to sulk. Marion guided her to a chair and offered her a cup of coffee. Olivia grabbed the cup and stared out the window as she curled her legs up in the chair.
She often wondered if she did the right thing. She also had to do some work eventually. However, today was different. She was allowed to do nothing for a few hours.
“I got the time line you asked for.”
Olivia was brought out of her thoughts and back into reality. She stood up and almost stumbled as she regained feeling into her legs.
“Okay, I’m ready. Tell me what you found,” she said.
Marion didn't just get the information needed, she even had time to make a chart. Just how long did Olivia sulk for?
“So Poppy was reported missing by you. On that day, Liam was reported to have left on the same day to study abroad. I searched through the school records. He was older, and so they were never in the same class, and their groups of friends were polar opposites. There was no way they ever interacted with each other.”
Olivia nodded slowly.
“Right. Eustace was married to Ruth then. Liam was just never in the picture. That leaves us with John.”
Marion tapped her chin.
“Exactly, but we can’t just end it at that. We need something a little more solid.”
Marion was right.
“This is giving me a headache. Maybe we can look around the estate and where Poppy was buried to give us an idea of where we’re going.”
Marion held the phone in her hands and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m guessing I have
to call them and ask?”
Olivia gave her a weak smile.
“Please.”
The house seemed empty. The new gardener had led them to the site of Poppy’s grave. As instructed, no one had touched it.
“Where are the homeowners?” Olivia asked the gardener.
He shrugged but assured them they were all out on business.
When Ruth’s body was buried, it was a proper six feet under. What bothered Olivia was how shallow Poppy’s grave was. A strong gust of wind could have potentially uncovered Poppy’s body. Whoever had killed her was in a hurry or horribly inexperienced.
They found no other pieces of evidence that the police may have missed. Defeated, Olivia sat by a nearby tree and leaned against the trunk.
“Olivia, move. I'm trying to see something.”
Olivia moved.
Marion knelt by where she sat and brushed a hand over the trunk.
“Do you see this?” she asked, fascinated.
Olivia squinted at the area where Marion’s hand rested. She still couldn't see a thing, but Marion pulled her closer.
“Look,” she said.
Then it all became clearer. Something was etched into the tree. Olivia drew closer and shined a light on the trunk. It was still afternoon, but the shade the tree provided made it difficult for her to see the etching clearly.
“It says P+J, but it looks like someone tried to scratch it out. They did a terrible job, by the way.”
Olivia and Marion looked at each other. Poppy was a romantic. Scratching initials into a tree was something she would have done. She would have added a heart, too, if she wanted.
The P definitely stood for Poppy, but they knew that the only brother whose name started with J was John. Olivia stood up and took multiple pictures of the tree trunk.
“Marion, do you think there's any way for us to bump the appointment to tomorrow? We have to talk to John.”
Chapter 6
Appointment or not, they would talk to John. First, they had to get a few details sorted.
“Here’s my theory, “Olivia explained. “Poppy’s secret boyfriend was John. John killed Poppy.”
