Home is Where the Bark Is

by Stella St. Claire

  “It’s still a good motive. That’s a big betrayal from her lover, especially if it’s paired with her pregnancy. Did you hear any updates on that rumor?”

  “Nothing concrete,” Wednesday said, pulling up some of Tiffany’s social media on her phone. “She didn’t make a baby announcement or show a sonogram or anything like that, but she did post a few child quotes on her page. ‘I believe that children are our future.’ That sort of thing.”

  “Combined with her going to prenatal yoga, it sounds like she’s pregnant,” Willow said. “But it’s not solid proof.”

  “There was also a greeter at the drugstore who swears that Tiffany recently bought a pregnancy test.”

  “That sounds more concrete.”

  “Yeah,” Wednesday said, making a face. “Except the greeter is ninety-two years old and still calls me our mom’s name. So, the information should be taken with a grain of salt.”

  Willow sighed. “I feel like we’re right back where we started.”

  “Are you talking about Tiffany Goodman?” Griffin asked.

  The women looked at him. Telescope jumped off the chair, and they stood up as Griffin moved closer.

  “Yeah,” Willow said.

  “This is the Tiffany that Lee was seeing?” Griffin asked, putting his hands in his pockets as if he wasn’t sure he should join in on the gossip.

  “The same one,” Willow said, hoping he would say more.

  “I told you it was common knowledge that she was his mistress,” Wednesday said.

  “If only her pregnancy were such common knowledge,” Willow said. “Then, we’d know for sure if it was true or not.”

  “I heard she was pregnant,” Griffin said. “It sounds pretty definite.”

  “How come you’re better filled in on the rumor mill than me?” Wednesday asked, crossing her arms.

  “I guess you don’t talk to enough people at the lumber yard.” Griffin shrugged. “Someone there told me that Tiffany had been asking about renovations for her home if she expanded her family. And I actually did get a call from her about a renovation estimate, but I couldn’t give one to her at the time. I knew I was already booked with projects.”

  “That does sound pretty definite,” Wednesday agreed. “Maybe I should talk to more people at the lumber yard. I don’t like being out of the loop.”

  “Where does Tiffany live?” Willow asked, following another train of thought. “Did she make enough money as an assistant to make additions to a house?”

  “Tiffany lives in a pretty Victorian house on the other side of town,” Griffin said. “I actually would have loved to work on it. It’s a great-looking house.”

  “And it’s one that Lee bought for her,” Wednesday said, looking pleased that she knew some extra information again. “He lived there with her most of the time. Though maybe that part isn’t public knowledge. I don’t think he wanted to advertise that.”

  Willow took a few steps away, walking as she thought. “So, Tiffany has a beautiful house.”

  “It’s really beautiful,” Griffin agreed for emphasis.

  “She has Lee living with her, and she’s going to have a baby,” Willow continued. “What’s her motive for murder, again?”

  “She was fired,” Wednesday pointed out.

  “But what if she wasn’t really fired, but stopped working because she was going to be a stay-at-home mom?” Willow offered. “That makes more sense right now. She could oversee the renovations to the house and then raise the baby.”

  Wednesday frowned and plopped back into her seat. “This is getting rid of her motive.”

  “Great news for me,” Griffin said, rolling his eyes. “It looks like I just talked myself into becoming the prime suspect again.”

  “Not necessarily,” Willow said. “Tiffany having a baby and a renovated house might still be a motive for murder. But someone else’s.”

  “Isla!” Wednesday said.

  “What better motive for murder for someone who still wears her ex-husband’s ring than the other woman getting a baby, renovations, and the man?” Willow asked.

  Telescope yipped, and the others nodded. This was a motive that made sense. Finally, it looked like they were on their way to clearing Griffin’s name. They just needed the police to see it the same way.

  10

  “Are you sitting down?”

  “No,” Willow answered. She was pretty much the opposite. Not only was she standing, but she had been standing on a stepladder to look in all the cabinets in her new kitchen when Wednesday called. She wondered what news her sister had to tell her that required such an introduction.

  “Maybe you should be,” Wednesday said.

  “Maybe you should just tell me,” Willow said, though she did climb off the ladder. “What is it?”

  “It’s about Lee Hunter’s murder. There have been some developments.”

  “With Isla?” Willow asked, hopefully.

  “With Tiffany,” Wednesday said instead. “She was brought in for questioning today.”

  “But why? I thought we figured out that she already had everything she wanted. She should have been happy, not murderous.”

  “That’s what we thought until the new developments,” Wednesday said. “Are you sitting down now?”

  “If it will make you tell me, I’ll sit down,” Willow said, getting exasperated. Even though she knew that her sister couldn’t see her over the phone, she did take a seat, opting to use the top of the stepladder.

  “Remember how I told you that Lee fired Tiffany?”

  “Right,” Willow said, wondering why she had to sit down for this.

  “Well, it turns out she was fired on the very day that Lee disappeared and the day he was murdered.”

  “That timing does make it more suspicious,” Willow admitted. “But that doesn’t mean she killed him. It might have been so she could stay home with the baby.”

  “What about the insurance policy?” Wednesday asked in a singsong voice.

  “What insurance policy?”

  “Apparently, Tiffany took out a life insurance policy on Lee Hunter a few days before he died. Looks like she’s the one who is going to make money with Lee’s death.”

  “Okay. Maybe I’m glad I sat down for that,” Willow said. “That’s a surprising clue, but it’s a great one. If it seems more likely that she did it, then they can stop focusing on Griffin. Maybe they’ll release his accounts, and we can continue with the construction.”

  “Better not get ahead of ourselves,” Wednesday said. “I’ll see if I can find out any more information after they finish questioning her.”

  Willow looked around her kitchen and got an idea. “Maybe Dad would be more willing to talk over a family meal. I’ve been meaning to plan one anyway. Tonight could be the perfect time for it.”

  “I’ll make sure we’re there. How’s six?”

  “Perfect.”

  “We’ll see you then!”

  “Wait,” Willow said, not wanting to make the same mistake as last time. “Let’s make sure that we’re all on the same page. I’m going to prepare dinner for everyone. Don’t show up with a pizza or anything like that.”

  They laughed and said their goodbyes, hoping to have more information that night. Willow looked around her kitchen, deciding that she would definitely need to go shopping before they arrived.

  Telescope must have heard her discussing dinner because he walked into the room, looking hungry.

  “You’re in luck tonight, pup.” Willow smiled. “Dad’s favorite food is T-bone steak.”

  “What’s wrong?” Willow asked.

  “It’s a T-bone steak,” Frank said, looking at the plate of food that she had deposited in front of him.

  “I thought that was your favorite,” Willow said.

  She took a seat at the dining room table with her dad and sister. Because there was food, Telescope and Rover were close by, but they knew better than to jump on the table. They would just try to look adorable when begg
ing for scraps.

  Frank was looking at his meal suspiciously. “It is my favorite.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Willow asked as she passed a bottle of red wine to her sister to pour.

  “No problem,” Frank said, picking up his silverware. “Just as long as this is a meal and not a bribe.”

  Willow took a big sip of her wine and then said, “Can’t I just be excited to see my family in my new house?”

  “You certainly can.” Frank nodded. “I’m excited to spend time with both of you. I just wanted to make sure that this wasn’t an attempt to find out more information about an ongoing investigation. Your sister has been trying to pump me for info all day.”

  “Not all day,” Wednesday joked. “Just since you took Tiffany in for questioning. I bet it was a pretty interesting interview.”

  Frank raised his eyebrows and looked at Willow as if to say, “See?” She responded by putting on a big smile and telling him to enjoy his meal.

  Then, she looked at Wednesday who shrugged and mouthed the words “I tried. He won’t budge.”

  Frank took a big bite of his steak. Afterward, he smiled. “An excellent meal.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Willow said.

  She poked at her food as she thought. Her dad wasn’t always so tight-lipped about his work. Was it because it happened so “close to home” that he didn’t want her to get involved? Was he worried that she would do something to hurt a case against Griffin?

  She thought back to the conversations she used to have with her dad growing up. Most of their bonding moments centered around in-depth conversations about crime. After dinner, her dad would pick her brain about the logic of a mystery. Some were real, some were fake, and some were cold cases. She didn’t know which were which when she was younger. It wasn’t until she was older that she realized, and then it had gotten her into trouble.

  She took another sip of her wine. She didn’t want to think about that trouble. It was one of the main reasons that she had originally left Pineview. She didn’t want to dwell on unpleasant memories, and besides, she had other problems at the moment. She needed to find out if Griffin was still the prime suspect or if Tiffany had replaced him.

  There must be a way to connect with her dad and explain why she needed the information. Could the hypotheticals they used to discuss help her now?

  “Dad, do you remember how we used to discuss theoretical situations when I was younger? We used them to figure out what a suspect might do, or what someone should do.”

  Frank looked at his plate. “That was a long time ago.”

  “I guess so,” Willow said, soldiering on. “But I have a hypothetical situation.”

  “I’d prefer not to discuss crime over dinner.”

  “This isn’t about a crime,” Willow said. Frank set down his silverware, giving her his full attention. She continued, “This is a hypothetical situation about a business owner trying to make plans.”

  “Is she a dog trainer?” Wednesday asked.

  “Not helping,” Willow muttered to her before turning back to her dad. “She’s trying to renovate a building for her business, but her contractor’s funds have been frozen. For things to continue on schedule, she’s supposed to receive a shipment of specialty wood for her obstacle course. If things continue the way they seem to be heading, she’ll need to refuse the shipment. This could throw her off track for months and ruin her plans to open on time.”

  “This isn’t subtle,” Wednesday whispered.

  “Do you have any advice for her on what she should do?” Willow asked, ignoring her sister.

  Frank waited for what seemed like an eternity before finally saying, “I think she should pass the potatoes.”

  Disappointed, Willow passed the bowl. Throughout the course of the meal, they chatted about the upcoming 5K and about how Rover was confused when a neighboring dog refused to accept her as his kin. Willow was distracted but tried to be sociable. However, she’d lost her appetite and ended up giving most of her food to the begging pets.

  After dinner, Wednesday offered to take Rover and Tele for a walk, giving Willow and her dad a chance to talk alone.

  “I’ve got a good feeling about this,” Wednesday said, as she gathered the leashes.

  Willow didn’t have the same feeling, but she joined her father in her living room and handed him a beer.

  “So, Dad,” she said with forced cheerfulness. “What’s going on with you these days?”

  He raised an eyebrow and sighed.

  “I’m sorry,” Willow said. “I don’t mean to pester you. I hope you realize how important my business is to me and that’s why I worry about it. But I don’t want it to seem like I’m trying to use you. I am glad that we’ll get to see each other more.”

  “I’m glad of that too,” he said, accepting the beer.

  “And I really do miss our hypothetical discussions,” Willow said, sitting down. “They led to some of our most meaningful talks too.”

  He looked around the room. He looked at the few remnants of her first business. Then, seeing a box from IKEA containing a new table, he headed over to it. Quietly, he got to work, setting the table up. Willow figured the conversation was over for the night, but her dad surprised her.

  “If you miss it so much, I suppose we could have a hypothetical case discussion,” he said, as he organized the parts of the furniture piece. “As long as you know that it’s hypothetical.”

  Willow moved closer. She wasn’t sure that she really heard what she thought she did. He placed the table leg into the proper position and had her hold it steady as he used a screwdriver to secure it.

  “I have a case in mind,” Frank said. “It’s about a man who was murdered by a blow to the head. He had other bruises on him as well. He took a beating that day. And then he was buried in the backyard of an empty house.”

  Willow nodded, feeling both nostalgic and excited to hear the details about the present case.

  “The most likely suspect is a contractor in town,” he continued.

  “Couldn’t it have been his wife or his girlfriend?” Willow piped up. “Isn’t the spouse usually the most likely suspect?”

  “It is possible,” Frank admitted. “His wife is actually his ex-wife, two times over. And he did have a girlfriend who worked for him.”

  Willow waited for him to mention the pregnancy, but he didn’t bring it up.

  “The girlfriend did take out an insurance policy on him, but the detectives checked it out, and it was legitimate.”

  “You already verified it today?” Willow asked.

  “This is a hypothetical situation,” Frank reminded her. They moved onto the next table leg, and he continued, “But the insurance policy was verified. The victim agreed to it and arranged it.”

  Willow frowned.

  “But the contractor did have a strong motive for killing the victim,” said Frank. “The victim was a land developer and landlord. The contractor used to work for him. There was a falling out over the contractor’s dismissal. And it seems like the contractor had trouble bouncing back from this blow to his career. He was angry with the victim. His motive was revenge.”

  “I still feel like the contractor might be innocent and that he’s incriminating himself because he’s trying to do the right thing and abide by a contract,” Willow said. “You know, in this hypothetical situation.”

  “It might not have been planned,” Frank said, as they began the final leg of the table. “He might have acted on the spur of the moment, in rage. Are you telling me that this doesn’t seem possible to you at all? And that those working with this prime suspect shouldn’t be worried at all? Or that their hypothetical family members shouldn’t worry?”

  “I wouldn’t want the hypothetical family to worry,” Willow said, feeling touched at the way her father had found to express his concern. “But I still think there’s an alternative.”

  They finished the table and stood it up. Frank nodded at a job well done. W
illow placed a hand on it, happy that it was solid. However, if her business wasn’t going to be opening anytime soon because of the repair delays, she might not need to advertise at the 5K.

  She was glad that she and her father were able to have this talk. She found out the information she wanted, and it felt like the old days with her dad. However, she didn’t like finding out that Griffin was still the prime suspect.

  Willow decided she was going to have to stop with hypotheticals and find real evidence to prove who the murderer was.

  11

  “Griffin, we need to talk.”

  “Those words are never good to hear,” he said.

  Willow had intercepted him on the porch before he could begin work for the day. She wanted to laugh at his joke but maintained a serious face. She took a step forward and pointed at him.

  “You need to start helping me to clear your name, mister. It’s time you started participating.”

  “Look,” Griffin said, taking a step away. “I’m working on the legal stuff on my end, but right now I can’t break the non-disclosure agreement.”

  “I know,” Willow said. “I’m not trying to fight that again. But right now, you’re still the main suspect. It’s not looking good for you.”

  “But what about the other suspects?”

  “The police are still looking at you,” Willow said. “It seems like you used to work for Lee Hunter and it didn’t end well.”

  Griffin scoffed. He tried to calm down and then said, “I guess that’s right.”

  “You’re the one who was known to have anger towards the victim. I’m sorry, but they still think you did it,” Willow said. “And it comes down to this. Right now, we can’t clear you on your own merit, so we need to find out who the real murderer is. And I need your help.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Griffin asked.

  “I want you to get me into Isla’s house,” Willow said matter-of-factly.

  “What?” Griffin said, trying to walk around her and head towards the house. “I think I need to get to work.”

  “This is your work today,” Willow said, countering and staying in front of him. “We need this case solved so we can unfreeze your accounts and finish construction.”