Orange Thyme Death

by Leena Clover

  “Sounds like poetic justice,” Cassie murmured. “Or a bad horror movie.”

  “What about her family?” Anna asked. “Did anyone support her through the trial?”

  “Doesn’t look like it,” Meg said. “Her husband abandoned her. He got married a month after she died. That’s all I can find out right now.”

  “When and where did this happen?” Anna asked.

  Meg mentioned a suburb in the Bay Area. The young mother had died three years ago.

  “If there’s a connection with Parker here, I don’t see it,” Anna said. “Let’s move on to the next one, Meg.”

  Meg poured out another shocking story.

  “What do you mean, the woman killed herself?” Cassie asked.

  “The guy on our list supposedly abused her. Some women’s group forced the woman to sue him. It was a big scandal and people were judgmental. Some said it was her fault. The woman couldn’t take all the unwanted attention so she committed suicide.”

  “What about the man on our list?” Anna asked.

  “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn’t have any actual evidence against him so he was let go.”

  “What happened to him?” Cassie asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

  “He went missing,” Meg told them. “His body was found in some woods a year later, identified based on dental records.”

  Anna and Cassie grew increasingly sober as Meg narrated a few more stories.

  “Stop!” Cassie exclaimed, holding her hand up. “I’ve had enough of this. It’s just too depressing.”

  “I have to agree with you, Cassie,” Anna said. “I’m going to have nightmares for a week.”

  “I find it very confusing,” Meg told them. “I mean, who’s the bad guy here. It’s hard to say.”

  “I think your theory about vigilante justice was correct, Meg,” Anna said thoughtfully. “The court may have let these people go, but someone thought they didn’t deserve to live. They took the law in their own hands and decided to get rid of these people.”

  “How could they be sure, Anna?” Meg asked.

  “These people have big egos, I guess,” Anna offered. “They are sure what they think is right, and they want to enforce it on everyone else.”

  “But that’s cruel!” Meg exclaimed.

  “I think it’s time we all turned in,” Anna said, coaxing Meg to shut down her laptop. “Promise me you won’t be looking at it any more, young lady!”

  “I know that tone,” Cassie said. “You don’t want to cross her when she talks like that, Meg.”

  “Okay, okay.” Meg laughed easily. “I’ll keep my laptop right here on the coffee table.”

  They bid each other goodnight and went to their rooms. Cassie hesitated outside Meg’s room.

  “You’ll be alright, won’t you, Meg?” she asked her, peeping in.

  “I’m a pretty sound sleeper,” Meg assured her. “Once I’m out, nothing can wake me up.”

  Cassie slept fitfully that night. She finally got up when the first rays of the sun filtered into her room through the sheer white curtains. She decided to go for a run.

  As luck would have it, Teddy Fowler was the first person Cassie ran into on the Coastal Walk. She ignored him and started jogging toward the Castle Beach Resort. Teddy called after her a couple of times before giving up.

  Cassie reached the end of the trail and sat on a bench overlooking the bay, biding time. She hoped Teddy would be gone by the time she went back. She had no such luck. Teddy was doing situps against a bench. He hailed her immediately.

  “Wait up, Cassie. We need to talk.”

  “I did all the talking I wanted to yesterday,” Cassie quipped. “I have nothing to say to you, Teddy Fowler.”

  “But I do. I have news for you.”

  Cassie’s eyes filled with fear.

  “Are you taking me in again?”

  “No, Cassie. Calm down, okay? There’s been a new development in the case.”

  Cassie collapsed on the bench and took deep breaths, trying to calm down her racing heart.

  “You know that van we saw on the security video?”

  “The one that belonged to Tim Buckner?” Cassie asked. “Wasn’t it supposed to be stolen?”

  “That’s what he claimed, yes. And he may have been telling the truth.”

  Did that mean Tim Buckner was innocent? Cassie didn’t understand how it was good for her.

  “Buckner told us where he had parked the car. We have been trying to find someone who might have been in that area on the night in question.”

  “Go on,” Cassie prompted impatiently.

  “A witness came forward. To make a long story short, we found the man who was seen stealing that car. He was a valet at the Castle Beach Resort.”

  “What?” Cassie’s mouth hung open.

  “That’s all I can tell you now. We’ll be questioning him later today.”

  “Is this good for me?”

  “Keep your fingers crossed, Cassie,” Teddy nodded. “You might be off the hook by the end of the day.”

  Chapter 27

  Anna sat on a bench in her garden, admiring the roses in bloom. Her mug of steaming coffee cooled in her hands. There was a slight mist in the air and the sun was just beginning to peep through the clouds, a few watery rays of sunlight filtering through.

  Anna was happy. Cassie had gone for a run and Meg was still asleep. Having Meg in the house felt like a dream. Anna hummed a tune and went inside, eager to cook a hearty breakfast.

  Meg was the first to come in to the kitchen.

  “Something smells nice, Anna.”

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Anna said. “I’m making chocolate chip pancakes with bacon. And there’s avocado toast.” She remembered Meg liked avocadoes.

  “Did someone say pancakes?” Cassie asked, bursting in.

  Anna was surprised to see her grinning broadly.

  “Oh Mom! You’ll never guess what has happened.”

  She told them about her little chat with Teddy Fowler.

  “At least we have some breathing room,” Anna said. “But we can’t rest easy. We need to get back to our search as soon as we finish eating.”

  “Don’t worry, Anna,” Meg assured her. “We’ll find something today.”

  They ate the yummy food, Meg complimenting Anna on the pancakes.

  “These are intense,” she said. “And unlike any I tasted before.”

  “I have a secret ingredient,” Anna beamed. “And I use special chocolate chips, of course.”

  Meg helped Anna clear the table and loaded the dishwasher.

  “I can go ahead and open the store,” she told Anna. “I have my laptop with me so I can start some research right away.”

  “I’ll be there soon,” Anna promised her and said goodbye. “Do you need a ride?”

  Meg assured her she could walk the short distance and said goodbye.

  Anna went back in to check on Cassie. Cassie was reading something off her phone.

  “Bobby says I should swim ten extra laps to work off the pancakes.”

  “Are you interested in what’s going on, Cassie?” Anna asked, exasperated.

  “Of course I am, Mom. I really appreciate what you are doing. Both of you.”

  “Looks like you’re planning to stay home.”

  “I’m waiting for a call from my agent,” Cassie replied. “I’m going to wait at home for a while and then come to the store. We can have lunch together.”

  “Let me know if Teddy calls you with an update,” Anna warned. “This is no laughing matter, Cassie. Get your head out of the clouds.”

  Cassie’s face fell.

  “Of course I know that, Mom. I’m trying to deal with it the best way I can. You tackle your problems head-on. I try to pretend they aren’t there. We are two different people.”

  “I don’t have time to get into this now, Cassie.”

  Anna showered hurriedly and got ready.

  �
��Keep your phone close,” she warned Cassie on the way out.

  “Where’s your scarf, Mom?” Cassie asked. “It’s going to be hot later.”

  Anna muttered something under her breath and wound a scarf around her face and neck. She couldn’t wait for the day when she had to stop covering herself up.

  At Bayside Books, Meg sat at the reading table, feverishly tapping keys on her laptop. She looked up when Anna went in.

  “I started on this right away, Anna. I haven’t dusted the shelves yet.”

  “Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Anna smiled. “What you are doing is more important. And you do it better than me. I can take care of the chores around here today.”

  Anna went into the pantry and started a pot of coffee. She picked up a duster and began cleaning the bookshelves. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee soon filled the air. She fixed Meg’s coffee with lots of cream and four sugars, then filled her own cup.

  “Any luck so far?” she asked Meg, placing her coffee before her.

  “Thanks Anna,” Meg said brightly. “It’s all really confusing. There are so many people. I can’t keep this straight in my head. Maybe the coffee will help.”

  “Are you going through the seven people we talked about last night?”

  “Yes,” Meg nodded. “I’m just on the fifth one. And this is only the first time I’m reading this. I can’t keep it straight in my head.”

  “What’s confusing me is there are two victims,” Anna thought out loud. “There is the person or persons who died first. Then there is the person who was accused for that crime and died later.”

  “The accused person is of interest to us,” Meg said. “Does it matter what this person was accused for?”

  “We don’t know at this point,” Anna said. “We don’t even know how these accused dead people are connected to William Parker.”

  “So we can’t ignore anything yet,” Meg summed up.

  The bells on the door jingled and Julie swept in. She raised her hands in the air and let out a little whoop.

  “It’s done, Anna. My draft is on its way to the editor. Get ready to par-tay.”

  She sobered when she noticed Anna’s grim expression.

  “Where’s Cassie, Anna?”

  “Cassie’s at home,” Anna sighed. “Meg and I are following a hunch.”

  She explained what they were doing. Julie pulled out her tablet from her voluminous bag and settled down next to Meg.

  “Let’s divide these names up, kiddo. We’ll get through them quicker.”

  She started reading up on the old news stories, exhibiting the same horror and sadness the Butler women had experienced the night before.

  “Some of these stories seem unreal,” she cried. “Look at this one. This man, a construction worker, was accused of messing with a ladder.”

  “What’s that?” Anna asked curiously. “We haven’t seen that before.”

  “I started backwards,” Julie explained. “That way, Meg can continue with her list and we can meet half way.”

  “What about the ladder?”

  “Sounds like nonsense to me,” Julie grunted. “Some man fell off a ladder and broke his neck. This other guy was accused of negligence or something. It says it was his responsibility to make sure the ladder wouldn’t give way.”

  “Isn’t that farfetched?” Meg asked.

  “Looks like the court agreed with you,” Julie said, reading the rest of the story. “And the man who fell was overweight. He didn’t check how much weight the ladder could bear.”

  “So this accused man was let go?” Anna asked. “I’m guessing he died later?”

  “He died in a construction accident,” Julie cried. “The family thought it was suspicious but the police closed the case.”

  “This is all too demoralizing,” Anna grumbled. “Can you believe we have been reading about one sordid tale after another since last night?”

  “Look … this is all so sad. The man had a family, wife and two little kids. The child was some kind of prodigy, it seems. There’s a picture. Oh Anna, this is so heartbreaking.”

  Anna and Meg leaned over and started watching the screen. Julie clicked on a picture of a perfect family, shot on some beach. A small boy in swimming trunks held his mother’s hand. A young girl stood next to him, beaming at the camera. The man had his hands on her shoulders.

  Julie shivered suddenly.

  “I just had a déjà vu moment. There’s something familiar about this photo, Anna.”

  “Really?” Anna moved closer and asked Julie to enlarge the picture. “It’s that little girl. I think I have seen her somewhere.”

  “Let me look,” Meg said, taking the tablet from Julie’s hands.

  She stared at the screen for a moment and made a weird noise.

  “Unbelievable! This looks like Ashley.”

  “Who’s Ashley?” Julie asked.

  “That blues singer at the Castle Beach Resort?” Anna asked. “She’s almost your age, isn’t she, Meg?”

  “She’s 19 now, I think. But this photo is old.” She turned toward Julie. “When was this taken?”

  “It doesn’t say that,” Julie said. “But this news item is almost seven years old.”

  “Ashley’s father died when she was 12,” Meg cried. “She told me when we met for our surfing lesson.”

  “What else did she tell you?” Anna asked urgently. “Did she say how he died?”

  Meg shook her head.

  “Her name is Ashley Morton. She’s from Monterey. All she said was he died suddenly and their life kind of fell apart after that. She started singing at a very young age. She had to, in order to support her family.”

  Julie was tapping the screen, nodding her head.

  “It all adds up. This accused man is Peter Morton from Monterey, California.”

  The three women stared at each other.

  “Does this mean Ashley is involved in all this?” Meg asked.

  “It’s a connection worth exploring,” Julie said. “And we don’t have any other leads.”

  “I’m calling Gino,” Anna said, springing into action. “He can take it from here.”

  Chapter 28

  Anna sat in the China Garden restaurant with Julie and Meg. She had asked Cassie to join them for lunch. They were waiting for her to arrive before they could order.

  “This girl has no sense of time,” Anna muttered.

  “She’ll be here soon, Anna.” Julie defended Cassie. “Why don’t you go ahead and check out the menu, see what you want.”

  “I know what I want,” Anna said. “Orange Chicken.”

  “I’ll get the same,” Meg said.

  Cassie rushed into the restaurant and weaved her way to their table.

  “Sorry it took so long. I was on a call.”

  “Aren’t you always?” Anna rolled her eyes.

  They placed their orders immediately and sat back, looking at each other in excitement.

  “Did they do it?” Cassie breathed. “Did they arrest that singer?”

  “Gino called once to tell us they took her in,” Anna told her. “I guess they are still questioning her.”

  “Why don’t we go to the police station?” Cassie asked. “Teddy Fowler owes me an explanation after everything he put me through.”

  “I’d rather not go there,” Anna said.

  Julie agreed.

  “Let’s enjoy our lunch. We can go back to the store after that and wait.”

  “That sounds boring,” Meg said.

  “Right?” Cassie jumped in. “I’d rather find out everything right now.”

  Finally, Anna convinced the girls to settle down. Lunch arrived but they were all too distracted to focus on the food. No one wanted dessert. They walked back to the store after that. Anna decided to do the accounts. Julie and Meg picked up a book to read and Cassie paced around the store, messaging Bobby on her phone.

  “Why don’t you call Gino, Mom?” Cassie suggested a couple of hours later.

>   “His phone is switched off.”

  It was past five when Gino walked into the door. They attacked him with a barrage of questions. He held up his hand and told them to calm down.

  “Anna, can I bother you for some coffee, please?” he asked. “It looks like I’m going to need a lot of energy to face you ladies.”

  There was a twinkle in his eye and Anna nodded, going into the pantry to start a fresh pot.

  “Ashley Morton confessed to killing William Parker.” Gino cut to the chase after he had taken a few sips of the steaming coffee Anna handed him.

  Everyone started speaking at once.

  “Do you think she really did it?” Anna asked Gino.

  “It seemed a bit farfetched, looking at her. You need to hear the whole story.”

  Gino started at the beginning.

  “Ashley was 12 when her father died. They were a middle class family, very close knit based on what she said. Peter Morton doted on his wife and kids and worked hard to give them what they needed.”

  “She talked about them when we first met,” Meg nodded.

  “Ashley was something of a child prodigy. They arranged music lessons for her.”

  “She dreamed of going to Juilliard,” Meg interrupted again. “Her father was all for it.”

  “How do you know so much?” Cassie asked.

  “We took a surfing lesson together, remember? She was quite talkative.”

  “Why don’t we let Gino speak?” Julie interrupted.

  “Peter’s death was a shock,” Gino continued. “Something happened at his construction site. His wife thought there was some foul play. The police did some cursory investigation and ruled it out.”

  “What about the time he was arrested for negligence?” Anna asked.

  “Oh yeah.” Gino yawned. “That’s when their troubles started. Peter had to go through that trial. He was acquitted and the family slowly got back to normal. Peter died a few months after that.”

  “It was really tough on Ashley,” Meg supplied. “They could barely make ends meet. She started singing professionally to support her family.”

  “That’s true, Meg,” Gino agreed. “Ashley had to grow up overnight. One minute she was this innocent 12 year old, the next she was shouldering the responsibility of her mom and brother.”