by Holly Quinn
“Not yet.”
“I can’t believe it.” He breathed deeply and then sighed. “Unbelievable. Just can’t escape the horrible news.” He took his sweaty hat off again and shook it. “Her murder happened in Washington County? That would mean Oberon’s on the case. Do you know?”
“Stan Oberon retired. Heartsford has a new detective from Minnesota who just moved into town.”
“Oh.”
Sammy didn’t want to linger on the new detective, Liam Nash. She did that enough in her own thoughts. “Do you know if Olivia Dunn had a son and if he was put up for adoption?”
“I’m not certain what happened with the baby, to be honest. Social services handled that part after the accident. I think the baby was only a month or two old when she died. He’s looking for his mom, huh?” The retired officer eyed her cautiously.
“What about the father? It said in a news article she was a single mother?”
“Yeah, the father was a soldier in the U.S. Army. Came home, got her pregnant, and then was deployed overseas. To be candid, I don’t even think Olivia ever told the guy. Now that I think about it, I think her older sister Charlotte dated him first or was engaged to him or something. There was some kind of scandal involved, it severed the relationship between the sisters. It’s been so many years, I can’t remember all the details about that. I was focused more on the accident investigation, not so much their personal business. But I do remember that there was a period of time the sisters were not on speaking terms.”
Sammy leaned down and petted Bara for comfort and distraction. “Did you ever find out what caused the car accident?”
“I took Ingrid at her word. She told us a deer had run out in front of the car, she swerved, and they hit a tree. It was raining that night too.”
“Were you aware of Ingrid’s alcoholism?”
“Nah, we were just kids. If you’re asking if the police tested her for alcohol in her system at the time of the crash, the answer is no. She was checked into the hospital where she remained for a few days and told me at the scene she was sober as a judge. I believed her. I cared deeply for her. If she drank at the time, it certainly wasn’t much.” He shook his head and then readjusted the hat back on his head. “Wow, that’s some news you brought me here today. I can’t believe she’s gone.”
“Do you think alcohol was in Ingrid’s system at the time of the accident and could have caused the crash? I guess what I’m asking is … Did she blame herself for the accident or Olivia’s death?”
“I don’t know whether she lied to me about drinking that night or not. I certainly didn’t smell alcohol on her breath. I trusted what she told me happened. Look, it was an unfortunate accident. It wouldn’t be the first time we had a deer-related accident off that highway. Especially in the fall when the deer are in rut. But I could see how Ingrid would still blame herself. Wouldn’t you if someone was a passenger in the car you were driving?” He pointed a finger toward her. “Now that you’ve told me she’s been murdered, I guess we’ll never know. Besides, that doesn’t have any relevance to helping you find your friend’s biological mother, now does it?” He eyed her suspiciously, searching her face for answers.
“You’re right,” Sammy tried to downplay her questioning. “Don’t mind me, I’m the curious type, and it gets me in a lot of trouble with my friends.” Sammy chuckled. “Anyhow, thank you very much for your time. I won’t interrupt your weed pulling any further.”
She backed slowly away, and as she turned back toward the path she heard him say, “No problem. Sorry about your friend. I hope he finds some peace knowing his biological mother died instantly.”
Sammy waved a backward hand as she retreated along the trail toward the parking lot.
The idea that Gary’s biological mother had died at the hands of Ingrid Wilson continued to plague Sammy’s thoughts as she walked. No longer could she enjoy the sound of the birds or the peace in the air as her mind spun, looking for answers. If Gary had been sitting with his biological aunt Charlotte at Liquid Joy, then he might know that Olivia was his mother and that she had been in an accident with Ingrid. The big question was: Did Gary know or speak to Ingrid before her murder? Or did he only discover who his biological mother was after Ingrid died? Sammy didn’t know but found it all very interesting as she came to the end of the trail and then jogged across the parking lot and loaded Bara into the car. And what about the scandal? Could Gary’s father have dated both sisters? Is that why the sisters had a falling out? And the reason why his aunt Charlotte didn’t adopt Gary? Maybe it was too difficult for Charlotte because her baby nephew belonged to her ex-boyfriend who had left her for her sister?
On the drive back to Heartsford, her mind continued to try fitting the pieces of the puzzle together. The multiple possibilities of who could have killed Ingrid Wilson played back and forth like a tennis match in her head. She would have to start eliminating some of these potential suspects soon or she would never solve the mystery of this murder case, and the town of Heartsford would never get back to normal.
During her complete distraction, the car started to sputter and shake. Sammy tightened her grip on the wheel with both hands. She safely pulled to the side of Highway 28 and flicked on her four-way emergency lights. One look at the gas gauge and she noticed something wasn’t right. It read empty. Impossible. She had just filled up the day before, after the storm. She banged both hands on the wheel in utter frustration.
Her mind flew to possibilities of how to solve her current problem. Ellie was at the store. She wouldn’t be able to pick her up. Well, maybe she could leave Deborah alone at the store … but Ellie had refused Bara in her car on several occasions due to his long shedding fur. Her sister was meticulous in both her car and her home and refused to own a pet for that reason. Randy was at the mortgage company. She wouldn’t bother her brother-in-law. Heidi was at the hospital. She wouldn’t be able to pick her up either. She decided to call her last option, Tim.
He picked up the phone on the first ring: “Officer Maxwell.”
“Tim, it’s Sammy.”
“Oh, hey, Sammy, what’s up?”
“I’m in a bit of trouble. My car seems to have broken down. Any chance you can come pick me up?” She turned her head to her traveling companion. “I have Bara with me.”
“I’m actually in a pinch now. But can I send Nash? He’s standing right here with me.”
Sammy rolled her eyes and slumped back in the driver’s seat with a defeated look on her face. “You’re going to make me the damsel in distress?”
“Ummm, no. I’m going to send help. Do you want it or not? You really need to settle down there, girlie.”
“Fine.” Sammy audibly huffed. “Thanks. I’m on Highway twenty-eight, headed east. Can’t miss me.”
“I’ll send him over.”
Sammy looked at the phone in her hand and made the dreaded call to Community Craft. She hoped Ellie wouldn’t be too mad. Instead of calling her sister’s cell phone, she dialed the number to the store.
“Community Craft, how may I help you?”
“Hey, Deborah, is Ellie available?”
“Oh, hi Samantha. She’s tending to a customer. Can I have her call you back?”
“No, it’s perfectly okay. Can you just let her know I’m having car trouble? I have someone picking me up, but I might be a little late getting back to the store.”
“Sure. I’ll give her the message.”
“She can call me if there’s a problem.”
“No worries, Samantha. Just take care of your car. We got this end covered.”
“Thanks, Deborah.”
Sammy sighed with relief and then reached over to pat her pup. He snuggled his head into her lap and left it there, looking up at her with his round dark eyes.
“I know, Bara Buddy. Not what I had planned today either.”
After what seemed like forever, Sammy noticed the familiar silver Honda Civic pulling up behind her. She breathed deep, knowing she w
ould have to be on her best behavior. He was there to offer help, and he certainly didn’t have to. She needed to keep her emotions in check and not get so easily riled, as she so often did in his presence. She carefully stepped out of the car, mindful of highway traffic, waved hello and shrugged her shoulders in defeat as he came forward.
“Having some trouble?”
Sammy and Liam Nash were now within arms distance. “Yeah. Thanks for coming. I do appreciate you allowing me to interrupt your day.”
“Not a problem.” He ran a hand through his dark curls. “I do notice one problem though.”
“What’s that?”
“I smell gas. Can’t you smell that?” He leaned closer to the car, taking a whiff.
Sammy’s eye brows furrowed. “I don’t understand. I did notice the gas gauge read empty, but I filled up yesterday.”
The detective crouched down and then slid his body underneath the car. He poked his head from under the car and said, “Your fuel line has been cut. The pressure side of the fuel pump.”
“What do you mean cut?” Sammy placed her hands on her hips as he crawled back underneath the car. “Why wouldn’t there be a trail of gas behind me on the highway then?”
“Gas evaporates.”
“Oh.”
“That’s not all,” Liam said as he slid his body back out from underneath the car and sat back on his heels. He held up a small device for her to view. “Samantha, I think you may be in danger. Somebody planted a GPS tracker on your vehicle. Who knows how long it’s been there. I hate to be the one to tell you, someone is very interested in where you’ve traveled.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Detective Liam Nash drove Sammy back to Heartsford in his Honda Civic with Bara in the back seat, sticking his head forward between them. Her dog’s tongue was panting from thirst. Sammy hadn’t thought to bring a water bottle to share with the pup, and she was kicking herself for not planning in case of emergency. They had waited thirty-five minutes for the tow truck to arrive to take Sammy’s car back to the local service station, where the car would get fixed and be further investigated by the Heartsford Police Department.
“Where were you coming from today?” The detective held one hand on the wheel, the other sat in his lap casually as he drove, his eyes looking forward out the windshield.
“I took Bara for a walk at Wild Goose State Trail in Dodge County.”
“You are darn lucky no one came after you on that hike.” His tone carried a cautionary warning. “Someone has been tracking you, looking for just the right opportunity. Now, Samantha, more than ever, you must remain vigilant. Don’t be taking any more walks alone in a park. Why go so far from Heartsford anyway?” He turned his head to face her for an instant and then turned back to the windshield.
“There were tons of volunteers out today. It was safe.” Sammy only answered half the question. Then she shifted the conversation in another direction. “Are you ever going to tell me what was in Ingrid’s fireproof safe? Or will I have to beat it out of you?”
Liam laughed aloud. “You are really something.” He slapped his hand on his thigh and threw his head back laughing, almost hitting the headrest of the driver’s seat. His eyes began to tear up, and he wiped them with one hand.
“Well? Come on! What was in it? Did you happen to find the will?” Sammy couldn’t take it a minute longer. Didn’t he know how much sleep she had lost over the contents of that stupid box? Obviously, he was keeping the investigation tight-lipped. As far as she knew, Heidi couldn’t even get an answer out of Tim about what they found locked in the fireproof safe. Didn’t Detective Nash know that she had the power to help him? If only he would share more information.
“No. The safe was filled though.”
“What do you mean filled? Filled with what? Paperwork?”
He paused longer than necessary, and she wasn’t sure if he was going to share what was in the safe. He had better tell her. If he left her hanging with filled she’d go absolutely nuts! She was just getting ready to throw a hissy fit when he opened his mouth.
“Cash.” He quickly looked over at her to try to catch the expression on her face.
“Cash.” Sammy took the information in for a moment before continuing. “Interesting. How much cash?” She felt shocked he had actually shared the information. But relieved too. Maybe he did trust her a wee bit?
“All you have to know is that the safe was stacked with money. In the hundreds of thousands. But it came directly from Ingrid’s bank account. I went through her financials, and she had recently cashed in an IRA. The funds are close to a match. It wasn’t dirty money if that’s what you think. I’m pretty sure it was honest cash.”
“I didn’t think it was dirty money. I was just wondering what was in the safe. I wonder why she cashed in an IRA? What was she getting ready to purchase?” Sammy knew the cash was a strong motive for murder. She kept her thoughts to herself though. She was certain the detective had come to the same conclusion anyway. Sammy wondered what the detective thought about Larry as a suspect too, but she decided to keep her mouth shut on the matter. The less she shared, it seemed, the more amiable he was. She knew the detective was smart enough to look into every angle anyway and she was afraid if she mentioned it, he would feel undermined yet again. It seemed to her that his ego took a hit every time she suggested something. She hoped she was reading that wrong, but at this point she seriously lacked clarity. Sammy leaned over and patted Bara on the head. “I have to go back to Ingrid’s house and gather the rest of her clothes for donation. We didn’t finish the other day. The storm kind of wreaked havoc on our plans.”
“That might not be a wise choice for you right now. You ought to lay low. Someone is following you. And when they find out that we removed the device from your car, they may turn up the heat.”
“Well, it’s not exactly like it’s my first warning.” Sammy let the comment slip by mistake, and she immediately covered her mouth with one hand, wishing she could do a rewind like on a DVR. She really didn’t want to drag that into the conversation. Especially since she hadn’t talked to Liam directly about it. Instead, Heidi had filed the report with Tim and she would later revise it to add her testimony.
“I know about the report. If you think I don’t know every detail going on in my investigation, you’re wrong. I’m only disappointed that you didn’t talk to me personally about it.” Liam’s eyes narrowed as they left the road to stare in her direction. “Why would you try and keep that from me?”
“Some guy in a costume, during the parade at Spring Fling. It’s nothing. I’m fine. See?” She pointed to her face and, for show, gave a big, fake, plastic smile.
“Why didn’t you report it directly to me, though? Especially when you know I’m the lead investigator on this case? Samantha Kane. Why don’t you trust me?” The detective pulled the car in front of Community Craft, turned his body to squarely face her, and laid his hand across Sammy’s seatbelt to stop her from immediately jumping from the car.
“I don’t know why,” Sammy answered honestly. “Maybe I didn’t want you to think I was just a damsel in distress, maybe I was afraid you would keep me farther from the investigation, I don’t always know why I do the things I do.” Sammy surprised herself by sharing with blunt honesty. She really wanted the detective to be impressed with her, to like her. She removed his hand from her seat belt and unclicked it. “Thanks for the ride.” She stepped from the car, walked around the back, and opened the back passenger door to let Bara out onto the sidewalk.
Liam rolled down the driver side window. “I’ll let you know if we find anything else on your car. And when it’s ready to be picked up.”
“No rush, I don’t mind walking.” Sammy held Bara’s leash tight. “I appreciate it, Detective. Thanks again, for the rescue.”
Liam Nash winked, and it sent a flutter to Sammy’s heart. Damn those dimples.
“No problem. Hey, one more thing? I wouldn’t mind going back to Ingrid’s with you
when you want to go. I could do a bit of investigating there myself. Don’t go over there again alone. Okay? Do I have your word?”
His eye contact was intense and direct. He reached from the window to grasp her arm, but she was too far from him. It was obvious he didn’t want to let her go until he had the answer he was looking for.
“No promises,” she smiled and opened the front door of Community Craft, allowing Bara to gallop inside, presumably to his water dish under the counter by the cash register. She held the door and watched Liam pull away and then stop and park in front of Sweet Tooth. The man just couldn’t get enough of Marilyn’s cake.
Ellie rushed to greet her. “Everything okay? What’s wrong with your car? What a bummer!” she slapped her hand to her forehead.
“You’re not going to want to hear this.” Sammy walked directly toward the office and Ellie shadowed.
“Oh, boy. Now what?” Ellie tried unsuccessfully to keep up with her sister’s pace.
“My car is under investigation. The fuel line has been slashed, and someone put a tracking device on my car. I guess someone’s interested in my comings and goings.” Sammy whispered in her sister’s ear as the two moved into the office. Ellie gasped and clutched her chest, just like their mother did when hit with surprise news.
When she finally caught her breath, she asked, “Who would do such a thing?”
“I guess the same person that killed Ingrid Wilson. Someone knows I’m getting closer to the truth. That’s my impression. Why else would anyone take an interest in my boring life?” Sammy shrugged off her sweatshirt and flung it on a nearby metal chair.
Ellie shook her head in disbelief. A worried expression covered her face.
After Sammy had walked out of the office and past the cash register she asked, “By the way, where’s Deborah?”
“Oh, right. Deborah. You just missed her. I sent her home. She got a call from the school saying her son is sick. There’s a lot of crud going around right now. I’m not surprised—it’s probably due to the up and down weather patterns. These thirty to forty-degree temperature jumps can’t be good for our bodies.”
