Whispering Pines Mysteries Box Set 3

by Shawn McGuire

  I gave his question serious consideration before answering. “I can’t imagine that he is. He’s erratic, but I don’t think he’d hurt anyone.”

  In the seven years we were together, I never saw him like this. He had a mean streak and could be controlling when stressed, but I’d never known him to be violent.

  “I can’t see that, but my brain is too tired to think about this anymore.” A yawn struck suddenly as though proving my point. “The storm is supposed to end by morning. Jonah and Millie will go on their way, and we’ll probably never hear from him again. Rozzie has to go back to school. The ambulance will come for Leslie. Another ambulance will come for Benji. Dr. Bundy and a truck will come for Esther and the car in the garage. Morgan and Briar will go back to their cottage.” I sighed. “Then we’ll have the house back to ourselves.”

  “Don’t forget River.”

  I smiled. “He’s housebroken and can fend for himself.”

  Tripp stared, not blinking. “When you list it all out like that, no wonder we’re like zombies. Tourist season is a cakewalk compared to the last day and a half.”

  “Let’s go get some tea,” I suggested. “Maybe sit with Morgan and Briar for a bit if they’re down here. They always calm me.”

  “I like that plan.”

  The kitchen and great room were full of people. Only Jonah and Millie were missing. Dad and Rosalyn were playing a card game at the dinette. Morgan and Briar were sitting together by the fireplace. River was there, too, reading a book.

  As I made my way from the kitchen to the great room with my mug of tea, something out the back windows caught my attention. Meeka’s too. She started howling again, except this time her tail was wagging like crazy.

  “Meeka, shush,” I ordered.

  She looked at me, looked at the wolf standing on the line between the yard and the lake, and gave one last little ruff. Then she sat by the window and stared at the animal outside.

  “Look,” I told the others and pointed. Farkas just stood there, watching the house. “Igor told me yesterday that one of the wolves had escaped the enclosure up at the circus. His name is Farkas. I’ve been seeing him and hearing his howls for a couple of days.”

  “Come sit,” Briar beckoned with a wave.

  Happy to discuss anything that didn’t involve car accidents, strangers, or once-familiar people who’d become like strangers, I dropped onto the empty sofa. Tripp sat next to me.

  “You say you saw him earlier?” Briar asked.

  “Several times.”

  “I heard him,” Tripp volunteered, “but haven’t seen him until now. He’s a big guy.”

  “Do you understand the significance of a wolf as a spirit animal?” Briar pulled her blanket from around her shoulders and draped it over her legs.

  “Oh, goodie.” I snuggled closer to Tripp. “Story time.”

  Dad and Rosalyn joined us with their own mugsful of something.

  “Wolves, as you’re surely aware,” Briar began, “live in a pack of five to ten animals, including the pups from the current and prior year. There is only one breeding pair, the alpha male and female.”

  “In case you wondered,” Morgan said with a smile, “Mama loves wolves.”

  “Indeed I do.” Briar continued, her eyes sparkling, “New packs form when a male pup reaches adulthood and finds a mate. Wolves mate for life, are quite social, and very loyal to their pack members.”

  She paused to sip her tea, and I asked, “What about a wolf as a spirit animal?”

  She gave me a be patient look. “If a wolf is your spirit animal, he represents high intelligence, loyalty, strong instinct, and a longing for freedom.”

  Rosalyn, sitting at the far end of the couch from Tripp and me, tapped my leg with her foot. “Sounds like someone we know.”

  I touched my chest. “Me?”

  She made a face. “Well, duh. Except for the high intelligence part.”

  Briar waited until she had our attention again. “If a wolf appears to you, whether in person or in representation, it can indicate those things I just mentioned or it can mean you’re feeling threatened by someone or something. He’s here to remind you to trust your strong instincts and help you get back on track.”

  I looked out the window, but the wolf wasn’t there anymore.

  “Lady Jayne’s wolf,” River noted, “isn’t traveling with his pack. Is that significant?”

  The corner of Briar’s mouth turned in a slow smile. “It is. A lone wolf represents learning to make it on one’s own. They become strong without social ties, and when they return to their pack, they make the entire unit stronger.”

  Everyone was looking at me.

  Morgan picked up where her mother had stopped. “You came to this village on your own and carved out a place for yourself here. As you’re hitting your stride and growing in ability and confidence, you’re making us all stronger and more confident at the same time.”

  I glanced at Dad, who had a definite proud papa look about him, and then laughed, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. “Do you think his pack kicked Farkas out?”

  “That’s doubtful,” Briar replied. “It’s more likely he left because he heard your call and came to help.”

  I laughed again. “That was Meeka howling, not me.”

  Briar pierced me with her blue eyes. “Not all calls for help are out loud.”

  Thankfully, the phone rang at that moment.

  “I’ll get it.” I stood from the sofa. “It’s probably Captain Grier returning my call.”

  As I ran down the hall to the office, Meeka hot on my heels, I wondered if I had unknowingly put out a call to the Universe for backup. Martin Reed had become a solid deputy and partner for me. Quite honestly, I felt a bit off my game for these past months while he attended the police academy. Tripp had done a great job while we were at Abner’s fishing shanty. I probably wouldn’t have thought to check that vent. And even though we handled the Esther situation, it hadn’t gone as smoothly as I would have preferred. I was definitely ready to get my deputy back fulltime.

  “Pine Time Bed-and-Breakfast,” I greeted into the phone.

  “Is that Sheriff O’Shea?” a familiar voice asked.

  I smiled. “Is that Captain Grier?”

  “How’s it going up there, O’Shea? I hear you’re getting smacked hard with some weather.”

  “That we are, sir. It’s supposed to end sometime overnight.”

  “I don’t imagine you’ve got a lot of rescue equipment at your disposal. Hopefully everyone’s staying put and not being stupid.”

  “You’d think they would, wouldn’t you?”

  “Uh-oh. What’s going on?”

  I gave him a two-minute recap on the Abner and Benji situation and then the Leslie and Esther situation.

  He made a surprised huh sound. “That’s kind of a lot for a community of that size, isn’t it? Especially in only twenty-four hours.”

  “Again, you’d think so. The first was a prank gone bad. I’d expect men of a certain age to act more responsibly.”

  He chuckled and echoed me. “You would think.”

  “With the second incident, I’m not sure what happened, since one passenger didn’t make it and the other hasn’t woken up yet.”

  “You’ll get your answers. You always do. I don’t think this is why you called, though.”

  “No, sir, it’s not. I’m wondering if you’ve heard any word on a missing woman from the Madison area. Name is Camille Gordon. Might go by Millie Gordon.”

  “Why is that name familiar?” I heard computer keys clacking. Was he checking the same database I had or someplace different? “Ah, here. Why do you think this person is missing?”

  “Because she’s here at my B&B, and her behavior is quite strange. She won’t answer some questions and flat out lies about others.”

  “We’ve got two Camille Gordon’s then. The one I’m looking at was taken to the hospital yesterday with a gunshot wound.”

  “
Gunshot?”

  “She’ll be okay. It wasn’t a life-threatening injury. In fact, they’re releasing her in the morning.”

  Farkas howled again. I looked out my window, and there he was, standing near Jonah’s BMW with his nose pointed to the sky and a low mournful cry coming from his throat. Meeka whined, jumped onto my lap then onto the credenza and over to the window. She tilted her head back to answer the howl, and I shushed her.

  “Sorry. My K-9 saw an animal outside.”

  “Your K-9? That same stubborn little Westie?”

  “The same one.” I smiled. Captain Grier had been furious when he’d learned that the precinct had spent so much money training a dog that wasn’t interested in obeying commands. Turned out, she didn’t have the right partner. “Captain, where did your Camille get shot? I mean, where was she found?”

  He got halfway through the address, and I froze. I stood at the window, staring out at my spirit animal, and couldn’t decide if I was grateful for his help or freaked out by it.

  “Jayne? You still there?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.”

  “Something wrong?”

  “That address, it’s Jonah’s apartment.”

  “Jonah?” He paused. “Your Jonah? As in your ex?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We’ve got an APB out on him. He’s our alleged shooter.”

  No, Jonah couldn’t have shot her. He didn’t have a gun. In fact, that was part of his political platform. He was in favor of stricter gun laws. There must have been someone else in the apartment with them.

  “Ms. Gordon claimed he took off,” Captain Grier continued. “Didn’t check to see if she was okay or . . . Hang on. These two Camille Gordons, this isn’t a coincidence, is it?”

  “No, sir. Jonah Price is also here at my B&B.”

  What in the name of all that was holy was going on? If Jonah took off after Millie got shot, he must have fled because he was afraid for his own safety. Jonah had taken sides on numerous hot topics over the years. People got in his face all the time. He knew encounters with enraged citizens would become far worse once he started working at the state capital, the dream job he’d talked about since we met.

  “Captain, are you sure your Camille Gordon is the same woman who’s been dating Jonah?”

  “Positive. We’ve got her ID and ran her prints. She works for the Price, Maroney, and Associates law firm. Same as Mr. Price.”

  “What is going on?” I muttered out loud even though I hadn’t intended to. "Who is the woman upstairs?”

  “Our Ms. Gordon didn’t say anything about an accomplice. So no one is coming after your pair if that eases your mind. I know that doesn’t answer your question. But—”

  “I’ll get my answer,” I concluded.

  With a touch of fondness, he replied, “You always do. Look, I’ll put out the word that you’ve got Price. You’ll make sure he stays put?”

  “Yeah. No worries there.” If he’d wanted to leave, he already would have. To be sure, I’d put Tripp, River, and Dad on security duty.

  “Once the roads are clear and safe, we’ll be there to collect him.” He waited before asking, “Anything else you need my help with at the moment?”

  “At the moment, no. I sure would like for things to even out here. As soon as it seems I’ve got a handle on one issue, another pops up or comes back to life.”

  “You know full well that’s status quo for this job. Hang in there, Sheriff. Morning isn’t that far away.” He gave me his personal cell phone number. “You call me for any reason. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  The supposed lack of an accomplice did the opposite of easing my mind. My head spun with questions as I returned the phone to its base. What had happened between Jonah and Millie at his apartment? Had there been a third person there that she was covering for? If, in some totally unforeseen change of platform, Jonah had acquired a gun, had he meant to shoot her? It could have been a case of an argument gone terribly wrong. Maybe it was her gun and she’d intended to shoot him. There might have been a struggle and she ended up wounded. And the question eating at me most, if not a second Camille Gordon, who was the woman upstairs?

  Chapter 21

  TWELVE HOURS LATER

  The wind died down sometime around four in the morning. By seven thirty, the county plows had cleared the highway that split Whispering Pines in two. The clouds were a memory, and the sun shone down on us around nine. Dr. Bundy arrived with the flatbed truck about ten thirty. Two ambulances shortly after that. Next, two squads from the Madison Police Department pulled into our driveway. A little after eleven, Deputy Evan Atkins was there as well. If we lived in an actual neighborhood, or even on a street with other houses, the neighbors would’ve been sure a massacre of some kind had happened inside Pine Time.

  With Atkins on one side of me and Tripp on the other, we stood and watched as Dr. Bundy’s crew worked on removing Esther Rowe from the Civic.

  “They’ve just about got her out,” Dr. Bundy told us as he waddled over in full snow gear including what I now thought of as his signature fur-lined black-and-red checked hat with earflaps. “Then they’ll take her via ambulance to the morgue. An autopsy won’t be necessary. There’s not a lot of question over how she died.” He gave a weary sigh. “Unless the family wants one, of course.”

  “Does that happen?” Tripp asked.

  “Some people want to know the exact manner of death,” Dr. B confirmed. “Which organ did the branch pierce? Would that have caused instant death, or did she suffer for a few minutes first?”

  “Seems disrespectful,” Atkins murmured. “To cut up a loved one just to ease your mind, I mean.”

  Dr. Bundy nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. Your office or the insurance company may want to rule out drug or alcohol use as well for the accident report, so I’ll do a blood draw once she thaws.”

  Atkins agreed with that.

  The ME stepped in front of me. “I figured I’d make it to your bed-and-breakfast eventually. Sort of hoped it would be to enjoy your hospitality. I’m sorry this happened in your home. Are you okay?”

  I gave him a grateful smile. “This hit pretty close, but I’ll be fine.”

  He turned to Tripp next. “She’s looking a bit shell shocked. You’re going to watch our girl, right?”

  “Nothing’s more important right now,” he responded.

  Dr. Bundy leaned back and eyed Tripp. “You’re looking a little rough too. Are you okay?”

  “It’s been a rough thirty-six or however many hours.” Tripp’s voice was ragged with emotion. “I’ll be fine once Jayne is.”

  “We’ve got people,” I assured Dr. B. “And each other.”

  Tripp’s support from initially going with me to Unity when Jola summoned me, to helping rescue Benji, to now standing at my side while all the emergency folks did their jobs meant more to me than I could ever say.

  “It’s good to have people.” Dr. Bundy jerked a thumb toward the crew. “I better get back over there. Not that I can help. Although, I can use power tools for more than cutting open a rib cage.”

  “Yeah?” I asked. “Do you do projects around the house?”

  He weighed his words before answering. “I’m good at taking things apart. My wife has a handyman on speed dial and puts him on standby as soon as she hears the reciprocating saw.” He shook his head as we laughed. “Thirty years together. Where’s the respect?”

  “It’s more like,” Atkins teased, “thirty years together and she knows you that well.”

  “Can’t argue with that.” Dr. B patted my arm. “I’ll probably call in a day or two to see how you’re doing.”

  That wasn’t necessary. Over the eight months since we’d first met, however, I had also gotten to know Wolf Bundy pretty well. I knew it would be pointless to tell him he didn’t need to call, so instead I said, “I’ll probably answer if you do.”

  He toddled off to the garage to check on the p
rogress with the Civic.

  “The officers are done using your office,” Atkins stated. “Dr. Bundy doesn’t need us for anything. How about we go sit in there and you can tell me your version of the events? That way we won’t bother your remaining guests. I’ll also want to speak with them before I leave.” He sighed. “This is going to be a long day.”

  “Jayne already talked to the guys from Madison,” Tripp stated. “Does she really have to go through it all again?”

  “She does,” Atkins replied leaving no room for argument. “The MPD guys will deal with what Price did to the woman down in Madison. I’m here because of the two crimes that happened in my jurisdiction—the accident on the highway and the incident that occurred here in your home.”

  “All right. You’re good with this?”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I’m not. This is how these things go.” I looked at Atkins. “Tripp can sit with us, right?”

  He debated this for a moment. Normally we kept witnesses apart so one didn’t influence the other’s memory of events.

  “It’s not my first choice,” he told Tripp, “but as long as you remain silent, I’ll let you be in the room to support her. I’ll take your statement when she’s done. You’re free to jot down notes if that will help keep your thoughts straight.”

  Tripp agreed, and I asked him, “Would you bring coffee and something to eat to the office?”

  He headed for the kitchen, and I led the deputy to the office. Atkins pulled my desk chair around and positioned it into a triangle with the other two chairs. Next, he took out a voice recorder, a portfolio with a legal pad, and a pen. Once Tripp arrived with a carafe of coffee, three mugs, and a platter with crackers, cheese, and fruit, Atkins hit the start button. It was weird to be on this side of an interview.

  For the recording, he began, “This is the statement of Sheriff Jayne O’Shea regarding the events of Friday, January eighteenth and the early morning hours of Saturday, January nineteenth. I understand that Jonah Price arrived in Whispering Pines the afternoon of Thursday the seventeenth and requested a room at your establishment, Pine Time Bed-and-Breakfast. Accompanying him was a woman you believed to be Camille Gordon.”