by Diane Weiner
“Great,” replied Emily. “All that means is that I was the one who was supposed to die that day. Martha died because of me. That guilt will haunt me forever. Noah is in the clear. We’re back to Peter Taglieri as our prime suspect.”
“Hey, let’s stop by the inn,” Susan suggested. “I saw a sign on the front desk about ordering box lunches. Let’s pick up four of those, then meet the guys for our hike. And while we’re there, it might just slip out that Noah is cleared.”
“That will be a relief to Coralee.”
Emily called Henry from the car to tell him they were picking up lunches and to be ready to go on the hike as soon as they got home. When they arrived at the inn, Coralee greeted them in the lobby.
“Coralee, we came to pick up some of those famous box lunches. We’re going hiking this afternoon.”
“I’m glad to see you’re finally getting in some fun with your friends.”
“How are things going with Noah?”
“The lawyer has it under control. At least the burglary charges. I don’t know what to think about the murder accusations.”
Susan couldn’t resist. “We happened to be the police station when they verified Noah was stealing a necklace at the time of Martha’s murder. He has an alibi. He’s off the hook.”
“Really? That’s good news. My son was stealing a necklace from one of my guests, so he has an alibi for Martha’s murder. But the police are also trying to implicate him in that girl’s disappearance ten years ago. Noah swears he didn’t have anything to do with it and I believe him. He was all of sixteen years old at the time.”
“They don’t have any physical evidence,” said Susan. “All they have is Ashley’s car hidden in a barn. How old did you say he was? Sixteen? I’ll bet he wasn’t even driving then.”
“He was,” replied Coralee, “but, hey, that’s when he had his foot surgery. He’d gotten his permit, but right afterward he had foot surgery. He messed up his right ankle playing soccer. Had two different surgeries that year. He couldn’t have killed Ashley. The college took him off yard work and had him working in the admissions office for months.”
“Really? Foot surgery?” said Susan. “Then he couldn’t have driven Ashley’s car all the way to the barn, right? Get the medical records down to the police station right now.”
Coralee threw her arms around Susan.
Chapter 22
Henry parked the Jeep and slung the backpack with their lunches over his shoulder. The winding, mountain road ended in a large gravel parking lot, surrounded by picnic tables and pavilions. In spite of the cold weather, several tables were occupied. Emily spread out a checkered tablecloth that she kept in the trunk of her car, and they dined on gourmet sandwiches, German-style potato salad, and grapes. The trails were marked according to level of difficulty. Henry suggested the yellow trail, which was somewhere between easy and challenging.
“This takes us past the waterfall. The view from the turnaround is spectacular.”
They followed Henry up the dirt trail, passing a few hikers along the way. Susan saw a familiar face. Joe Sommers and Bridgette, were hiking back toward the parking lot. I know Emily doesn’t think there’s anything going on, she thought, but why is Joe hanging out with this young adjunct?
“Emily and gang,” said Joe. “Nice day to be outside.”
“I see you brought Bridgette along,” said Susan.
“We’re discussing her dissertation. Just as easy to do it here as stuck inside.”
Looks to me like Bridgette would be more comfortable in his office, Susan thought. She’s stiff and certainly isn’t smiling. She looks like she’s yearning to be anywhere but here.
“As long as the work gets done, right?” added Emily.
“Speaking of work, are you reinterviewing your sources for the book?” Joe asked.
“Yes,” Emily replied. “As a matter of fact, I’m talking to a source tomorrow who remembered some new information. I’m hoping it will move things along.”
“New information? After ten years?” said Joe.
“Hopefully it will be a lead. We’d better keep moving,” Emily said.
“Good luck,” said Joe. “Susan and Mike, you’re in for a treat. The view from the top of the trail is breathtaking. It’s so clear you can see for miles. We’ve gotta get going too. I’ll see you tomorrow, Emily.” Joe and Bridgette disappeared down the path.
When they were out of earshot, Susan said, “Emily, do you think Joe is acting professionally, taking that adjunct out on a hike like that? And he took her to dinner the other day. She doesn’t look comfortable with him.”
“Joe’s a bit of a nonconformist. He’ll do pretty much anything to get out of doing work. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Now that it seems Noah is in the clear, are you going to reinterview some of your sources for the book?” Susan asked. “I heard you tell Joe you had a lead,”
“Most definitely. Ashley had a close friend who still lives in the area. When I first interviewed her, she mentioned someone bothering––actually she used the word harassing––her. She couldn’t remember more details back then. I’m planning on talking to her tomorrow. Want to tag along?”
“Of course,” said Susan.
“Look at that scenery,” said Mike. “Come on, pose for a picture.” Mike snapped a photo of his three friends at the summit. After soaking up the view, they turned around and continued on the path back to the car. Along the way, Susan picked up a few smooth stones to bring back for Annalise. Annalise loved the outdoors, and Lynnette had helped her daughter set up a collection of shells, dried leaves, pressed wildflowers, and rocks.
“The college is hosting a community arts fair tonight. Want to go?” said Emily.
“I’d love that,” said Susan. Mike and Henry agreed. They piled into the car for the trip home.
When Henry pulled the Jeep into the driveway, Susan felt an unexplainable chill run up her spine. Something isn’t right, she thought. As they approached the front door, Emily screamed, “Hurry, Henry. Unlock the door. Look, the window is broken.”
Mike grabbed his wife’s forearm and said to Emily, “Call the police first. Someone could be inside.”
“I’m on it. Mike’s right. Stay outside.” Henry pulled out his cell phone and called Detective Wooster.
“Come on, I don’t want to wait,” said Emily. “I want to see what’s missing.” She cautiously opened the door, brushing past Henry. Dusk had fallen, and she couldn’t see. She tiptoed toward the lamp when suddenly something jumped toward her. She let out another scream. Susan froze and followed suit, screaming even louder than Emily had.
Emily caught her breath. Susan’s heart stopped thumping. “Chester! Don’t scare us like that.” The cat ran off and hid under the loft ladder. Emily checked the kitchen, the bedroom, and then climbed up to the loft and rummaged through the dresser drawers. When she came back downstairs, she said. “Nothing seems to be missing.”
“What’s this?” Henry picked up a large rock. “This is how they broke in.”
“What’s that taped to it?” said Susan.
Henry pulled the paper from the rock. “It’s a note.”
Emily read it over his shoulder. “Let sleeping dogs lie.”
“What does that mean?” said Susan.
“Obviously it’s a threat,” said Henry. He put his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Someone doesn’t want you to continue writing your book. Maybe you should pay attention. It’s not worth putting your life in danger.”
Susan, nerves still primed, jumped when Detective Wooster pushed through the partially opened door. “Is everyone okay?”
“We’re fine. This was thrown through the window.” Henry handed him the rock and the note. The detective warned the group to stay put while he searched the house.
We shouldn’t have ignored the possibility that someone may have been hiding in the house when Henry brought it up, Susan thought. If Emily had gone into the bedroom and someone had been h
iding in there…
“All clear,” announced the detective. “Is anything missing?”
“Doesn’t seem to be. My laptop and television are still here,” said Emily. “I searched the bedroom. Jewelry is all there. I had some expensive pieces sitting right out on the dresser.”
“Clearly robbery wasn’t the motive. We’ll check for fingerprints and talk to the neighbors; see if anyone saw anything. I’ve got a squad car on the way.”
Kurt Olav came through the door, startling Susan. “What’s going on? I saw the police car. Are you okay?”
“Someone threw a rock through the window and left a threatening note. Did you see anyone?” Henry asked.
“No, Henry. I was in town. Just got back myself.” He looked at the window. “I’ll help you fix that. Where’s your broom?”
“We’ll replace the glass tomorrow. For tonight, help me cover it over with plywood.”
The detective came back into the house. “Buzz next door thinks he heard a car drive past about an hour or two ago. Didn’t see anyone. He asked if word was going to get around. Something about bad publicity, crime in the area bringing down housing values.”
“They want us to sell our place to Peter Taglieri,” said Emily, “so he can make a tiny house community. Taglieri offered us both a ton of money, but we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Like my wife said,” Henry added, “they want us to sell. Do you think it was them trying to scare us away?”
“Peewee and the tiny houses community,” said Wooster. “He’s persistent all right, but if he’s trying to avoid bad publicity, I’d think no. And does the note make sense in that scenario?”
“Only if he wants me to stop writing my book and bringing up the Ashley Young disappearance.”
“Board up that window and keep the house locked up tight,” the Detective ordered. “I’ll let you know if we get any prints. Meanwhile, if you think of anything else, call the station.”
Chapter 23
The next day, the glass had been swept clean, and the boarded-up window blocked the morning light. After breakfast, Susan and Emily drove to see Ashley’s old friend, Karen Roberts. Karen lived on the other side of the lake with her husband and daughter. When they pulled into the driveway, a snow-covered swing set was visible off to the side of the house. The front yard was full of bare trees with icy branches.
“Come on in, Mrs. Fox.” Karen Roberts was in her thirties. She wore jeans and a Patriots sweatshirt.
“Thanks for agreeing to sit down with me again. This is my friend, Susan Wiles. Someone is going to some lengths to prevent me from writing this book, Karen, which means I’m more convinced than ever of foul play. You know, they found Ashley’s car, so that pretty much rules out a voluntary disappearance.”
“That should have been ruled out ten years ago. Voluntary disappearance? Ashley never would have left like that. She would have told me and her parents if she was planning on leaving.”
A little girl in pink overalls came into the room, whining for a snack.
“She’s adorable,” said Susan. “How old?”
“She just turned four. I can’t imagine how Ashley’s parents feel being without their daughter and not knowing what happened to her. I hope you stir up enough interest with your book that the police will reopen the investigation.”
Karen excused herself to fix her daughter a snack and emerged from the kitchen with a plate of cookies. Everywhere we go we’ve been offered coffee and homemade baked goods, Susan thought. That’s something you don’t see back in New York.
Susan said, “You know, I have a granddaughter who’s a little younger than yours. Children are such a blessing.”
“A handful at times but most definitely a blessing.”
“These are delicious, Karen. Now, you said you remembered something.” Emily wiped the crumbs from her mouth.
“Yes. I told you Ashley mentioned something about being harassed. I think he wasn’t local. She said he was trying to get her to go back with him to meet his parents. He said he’d pay for the plane ticket, so it must not have been close to here. Oh, and something else. We had another friend who moved away, but I ran into her at the store the other day. She’s living here now. Maybe she’d be worth talking to.”
“Great. What’s her name?”
“I don’t know her married name, but her first name is pretty unusual. It’s Kiki.”
After the two women left, Emily told Susan that she couldn’t believe her very own neighbor had been friends with Ashley Young. Neither could Susan. She wondered if the two had been friends, why doesn’t Kiki want to learn what happened? Instead, she’s trying to prevent the case from being reopened.
“Do you think Kiki knows what happened?” said Susan.
“There’s one way to find out. Let’s stop by their place on the way home.”
When they got back to Maplewood, both Kiki and Buzz’s cars were in the driveway.
Kiki answered the door wearing tight leather pants and a silk shirt.
“What are you doing here? Decide to sell yet?”
“No,” said Emily. “I came to talk to you about Ashley Young. I understand the two of you were friends.”
“So? It doesn’t mean I want you stirring up bad publicity. It’s history now. I don’t have any information for you.”
Still standing in the doorway, Emily said, “Just tell us if there’s anyone at all you think could have harmed her. The sooner the case is solved, the quicker Sugerbury Falls goes back to being a safe little town. If a killer is still lurking out here…”
“Okay, okay,” replied Kiki. “I remember she said something about a creepy, old professor giving her a hard time. That’s all I know. And that boy, Noah Saunders. He had a huge crush on her. She said he was coming on pretty strong. A few times we saw him on the way out of class, and she asked me to walk her to her car.”
Buzz, carrying a beer, appeared and put his arm around Kiki. “What’re you talking to this holdout for? She’s not welcome here.” He let out a noisy burp.
“It’s okay. We were just leaving.” Emily got out of the door with Susan seconds before Buzz slammed it closed.
What a jerk. The sooner they move back to the city the better, Susan thought.
Emily rolled down the window and grabbed the mail from the mailbox at the end of the driveway. “What timing. It’s Ashley’s transcript. Came sooner than expected.”
As soon as the women got inside, Emily tore open the letter. “She had five professors that semester. Two were women. The English professor I don’t know. He must have left before I started. The others we can look into.”
“So three men.”
“Including the one who left. If he was involved, that could be why he left. Tomorrow we’ll go over to the campus and ask around.”
When they got up to the house, the men, with Kurt Olav’s help, were in the process of repairing the window. Kurt and Mike lifted the newly cut glass into the frame.
“Guess what?” said Emily. “Turns out Kiki went to school here and was friends with Ashley. She told us Ashley was being bothered by a creepy professor––to use her own words––and Noah Saunders, who we now know is innocent.”
“I’m surprised she was willing to give you any help at all,” said Henry. “That’s the second reference to a professor or being worried about a grade.”
Emily waved the envelope. “And now I’ve got Ashley’s transcript. We can start investigating her professors.”
“Or the police can,” said Henry.
Kurt wiped his brow. “I need some sandpaper. Do you have some?”
“Not in here,” said Henry, pointing to his toolbox. “There are some random odds and ends in the barn. Here, take the key.”
Henry picked up the tools while Mike stirred a can of paint. A few minutes later, Kurt returned from the barn with the sandpaper.
“Here’s the key,” he said to Henry. “You know it was unlocked, don’t you?”
“Unlocked? No
way would I have left it unlocked.”
“I locked it back up,” said Kurt. “After last time…”
“I find it highly unlikely another thief is storing loot in there, but thanks for doing me the favor,” said Henry.
“It’s too bad we missed the exhibit last night,” said Susan.
Emily said, “No, we didn’t. It’s going on tonight also. How about dinner at the inn and we go to the campus afterward?”
“I think we’ve got a plan,” said Henry.
Chapter 24
The inn parking lot was full when they arrived at Coralee’s. They had to wait a few minutes for a table. Coralee came through the lobby, hair mussed and eyes drooping.
“Coralee, what’s wrong?” said Emily.
“I don’t know if I can talk about it. It’s too upsetting.”
“You can tell us.”
Coralee led them into the alcove. “I found something in Noah’s closet. It was crumpled in the back like he was hiding it.”
“What is it?” asked Susan. “Noah has been cleared of the murder charge and is in jail for stealing, so how bad could it be?”
“Come on, Emily. Follow me.”
All four followed Coralee upstairs to Noah’s room. Coralee reached into the back of the closet. “Here.”
Emily took the item. Her mouth fell open. “It’s a red scarf.”
“Unfold it. Look.”
“Oh, Coralee. I see why you’re upset.”
Susan said, “Let me see.”
“It’s a scarf with initials sewn into it. The initials are AY. Ashley Young. Why does Noah have Ashley’s scarf, ten years later, hidden in his closet?”
“It looks dirty, like it was dragged on the ground or run over by a car.”
“Yes, Susan. Maybe Ashley was wearing it when Noah knocked her out and dragged her on the ground. Or worse.” Coralee covered her face with her hands.
Henry said, “You said he had a broken ankle, had just had surgery, right?”
“Yes.”
“There’s no way he could have dragged more than a hundred pounds of dead weight anywhere. He wouldn’t have had the balance.”
