Murder Rings a Bell

by Thea Cambert

  As Ben escorted Olivia past them, Alice saw a defeated look in Olivia’s eyes.

  “She killed my grandmother,” she was tearfully saying to Ben. “That horrible woman killed my grandmother, and she didn’t even care! She deserved what she got.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ben said, keeping his voice low, not wanting to cause a scene. “Let’s talk about it at the station.”

  He glanced back at Alice and Luke, and then disappeared among the trees.

  Alice looked around and found Seth in the crowd, looking completely dumbfounded, still holding the Smiling Hound gift certificate in his hand.

  Chapter 15

  Owen and Franny, their arms loaded with giant bags of cotton candy, popcorn, and various types of deep-fried foods on sticks, came and joined Luke and Alice.

  “Can you believe this? Vendors are giving Franny and me free goodies,” Owen said, waving a corndog. “The spoils of victory!”

  “I got a deep-fried candy bar for Ben,” said Franny. “Where’d he go?”

  “Probably sulking because the Maelstrom couldn’t defeat the Valkyrie,” said Owen.

  “He’s gone to the station,” Alice said. “He took Olivia Nutley in for questioning.”

  “What?” Franny dropped her candy bar. “Oops.”

  “Olivia’s the killer after all?” said Owen, his shoulders sagging a little. “I’d kind of decided she was innocent. Are we sure about this?”

  “But, she’s so nice,” said Franny.

  “Ben just received the results of the handwriting analysis. Olivia wrote the threatening note. And, she’s got to be PeachJam. As they were leaving, I heard her say Alexandra deserved to die—that she had killed Olivia’s grandmother,” said Alice.

  Owen gave a little whistle. “Well, that is pretty damning.”

  “Now that Olivia’s in custody, I’ll tell you that I had another chat with Zeb this morning while we were watching the race,” said Luke. “His theory is that Alexandra was hit by a car before she was tossed into the lake. I’m sure one of our officers is headed over to the campground to examine the Nutleys’ car right now.”

  “That explains the strong impact part of the story,” said Alice.

  “I suddenly don’t feel like riding the Ferris wheel,” said Franny, looking deflated.

  “Let’s go home,” said Owen. “We’re none-too-fresh after that race. We can get cleaned up and come back out to the lake later on.”

  “Good idea.” Alice felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her after the stress of the past few days coupled with two nights in a row with precious little sleep. She gave Finn a pat on the head and Luke a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry for Olivia. Sorry for Alexandra, too. But, I’m so relieved your name can be cleared now.”

  “Once the details are hammered out, yes. I hadn’t even really let myself think that far,” said Luke, wrapping his arms around Alice and pulling her close. She felt his body relax and when he looked at her again, she noticed his smile had lost the tight tension of the past few days. “So glad it’s almost over,” he said. “Thank you for your help.” He looked at Owen and Franny. “All of you.”

  “Fresh start?” asked Alice, grinning.

  Luke took her hand and kissed it. “Finally.”

  “I wonder what Norman was going to say last night, when I talked to him at the Hound,” Alice said as they walked their bikes up Phlox Street toward Main.

  “That’s right. You said he was about to tell you something important when we walked up,” said Franny.

  “Guess it doesn’t matter now,” said Owen, tilting his head toward the police station as they passed it. “Now that they’ve probably got the killer in custody.”

  “Do you two really, in your heart of hearts, think Olivia ran over Alexandra, hauled her out to the lake, and dumped her in?” asked Alice, stopping.

  “You read my mind,” said Franny. “That’s just not sitting right in my gut.”

  “Could be the fried pizza-on-a-stick you just had for breakfast,” said Owen. “I mean, we know Olivia wrote that note, and I assume she wrote the comments on Alexandra’s Adventures. Even if she was rightly upset about her grandmother, those aren’t the actions of an innocent person.”

  “You’re right,” said Alice, nodding as they turned onto Main Street.

  “Yep. You’re definitely right,” agreed Franny.

  “But still . . .” said Alice, slowing her pace again. “What was Norman going to say last night?” She looked at Owen and Franny. “I’m sorry, guys. I just feel like something’s off. Like the puzzle is still missing a piece or two.”

  “Well, there’s Norman’s truck, right over there,” said Owen, pointing up Main to where the yellow truck was parked, with the Pearl Ann loaded in the back. “We could talk to him one more time.”

  “And look! There’s Norman!” said Franny.

  Sure enough, Norman was just exiting the Blue Beauty Spa, headed toward his truck. Alice, Owen, and Franny hopped onto their bikes and pedaled up just as Norman was digging his keys out of his pocket.

  “Hey, Norman! Hold up a second!” called Owen.

  “Hey! Good race today, everybody,” Norman said with a smile.

  “You, too, Norman,” Alice said, gesturing toward the pedal boat. “The Pearl Ann is lovely.”

  “Thanks. It was a surprise for Pearl Ann,” he said. “You all going to the fireworks tonight?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” said Alice. “Hey, Norman . . . Remember last night at the pub, when you were about to tell me what happened after you and Alexandra left there Wednesday night? I’m so curious. Could you tell us the rest of that story now?”

  “I, uh—” Norman looked nervously back and forth between the three of them, then sighed and said, “Well, it’s embarrassing, but I guess you might as well know.” He glanced toward the spa. “Pearl Ann doesn’t need to know about this, okay?”

  Alice, Owen, and Franny all nodded rapidly.

  “Okay. I’ll make this quick. The lady—Alexandra? She was pretty upset after that argument with the other doctor. She’d clearly had too much to drink and went stumbling out of the pub after a while, like I told you. I had this feeling she might be in danger—probably because the guy seemed so hateful when they were arguing. Anyway, now, I feel like her dying is partly my fault.”

  “Why would you think that?” asked Alice.

  “If I’d done what I’d planned to do—which was to see her safely back to the inn—maybe she would’ve been all right. But she . . . well, she made a play for me.”

  “She what?” Alice hadn’t meant to react with such surprise. Norman was a nice-looking man. But, he was well into his 60s, and not exactly what one might think of as the glamorous Alexandra’s type.

  “She made a pass at me, when we left the pub, halfway down Main Street.” Norman had turned as red as a beet by this point. “All I could think about was how Pearl Ann wouldn’t like it, so I pointed the lady toward the Valley Inn and left her there. Then, when I heard she’d died right after that, I felt awful.”

  “Oh, Norman, that’s not your fault,” said Franny, patting him on the back.

  “Maybe not, but if I’d just walked her back, maybe whoever killed her would’ve left well enough alone. I don’t know . . .” Norman rubbed the back of his neck.

  “You said you felt Alexandra might be in danger . . . That the man she’d argued with seemed hateful. Did you happen to hear what they were arguing about?”

  “Some of it. I heard him say something like, ‘You’re going to pay, Allie.’ I remember that because I have a niece named Allie. Oh! He also said, ‘You ruined me.’”

  “You didn’t hear them discussing anything about medical issues . . . doctor stuff?” asked Alice.

  “Nope. It seemed more personal than professional.” Norman opened the door to his truck and climbed in. “Sorry, kids. That’s all I know.”

  “Thanks, Norman. You’ve been a big help,” Alice assured him, as he put the truck in gear, gave them a wa
ve, and drove off.

  “He called us kids,” said Owen. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since anyone’s called me a kid?”

  “Dr. Steve lied,” said Alice. “He said that he and Alexandra hardly knew each other—that their argument was strictly medical.”

  “But remember, he was at the inn at eleven,” said Owen. “Alexandra didn’t die until an hour later.”

  “I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” said Alice. “But, we have to go back to the inn. We need to double check with the Berkleys.”

  Chapter 16

  “To tell the truth, I’ll be glad when these doctors check out tomorrow,” said Eve Berkley, who was sweeping the front porch when Alice, Owen, and Franny rode up to the Valley Inn on their bikes. “Some of them are downright snotty. And the comings and goings! Our front drive is turning into an interstate highway!”

  “Eve, we need to know about one of the doctors in particular,” said Alice, leaning her bike against a tree. “Dr. Steve Sander? Do you know who he is?”

  “Kind of short? Dark hair?”

  “Bingo,” said Owen. “That’s the one.”

  Eve looked pleased with herself. “We do try to get to know every one of our guests here. Personalized service. That’s what sets the Valley Inn apart.”

  “It certainly does,” said Alice. “We were wondering . . . Dr. Sander said he came back to the inn around eleven on Wednesday night. Can you remember if that’s true?”

  “Oh, yes, the police asked that, too,” Eve said. “I do remember Dr. Sander coming in at eleven, because I was just settling in to watch the eleven o’clock news.”

  “But, then, he went out again,” said Samuel, who’d been watering the riot of colorful coneflowers, daisies, and butterfly weed that grew in the beds in front of the main inn house.

  “What? No, he didn’t,” said Eve. She looked back at Alice. “Our little apartment is right there by the front desk. I always know when people come in and go. Dr. Sander was staying in the main house. He would’ve passed our door. He did not go by twice that night!”

  “Yep, he did,” said Samuel. “Around eleven forty-five.”

  “Did you tell the police that?” asked Franny.

  “Nope, they never asked,” said Samuel.

  “That’s because they asked me, you goof,” said Eve. “I never saw Dr. Sander leave.”

  “Well, I did,” said Samuel. “You fell asleep during the news, like you always do. I was watching the late show when I saw Dr. Sander walk out and get into his car.”

  “So, there’s another lie from Dr. Steve,” said Owen. “He lied about his whereabouts Wednesday night, and he lied about the nature of his argument with Alexandra.”

  “I’m still wondering why, exactly, Dr. Steve would kill Alexandra,” said Franny. “I wonder what happened between those two.”

  “Hold on,” said Alice a light dawning in her memory. “Norman said he called her Allie!”

  “Annnd . . .” said Owen.

  “That’s what they called her back in med school! Luke told me,” said Alice. “She hated that nickname!”

  “Annnd . . .” Owen said again.

  “Dr. Steve said he knew Alexandra from conferences and things. But, if he’d only known her in that capacity, he would never have called her Allie! I’m guessing this means he knew her in med school.”

  “Three lies and you’re out, Dr. Steve,” said Owen.

  “So, they go way back,” said Franny. “Something seriously horrible must’ve happened between them in the past.”

  “Norman said he heard Steve say, ‘You ruined me,’” said Alice. She turned to the Berkleys. “Eve and Samuel, is Dr. Sander here now?”

  “I don’t think so,” said Eve. “Pretty sure he left a while ago.”

  “He hasn’t checked out or anything?”

  “Oh, no,” said Samuel. “The conference goes on through tomorrow. I expect he’s gone into town. But, who knows? They come, they go. We can’t keep track of them. We’ll keep an eye out—let you know if we see him.”

  After thanking the Berkleys, Alice, Owen, and Franny walked their bikes through the picket fence gate and down the tree-lined drive that led out of the Valley Inn’s grounds.

  “I’m calling Ben right now,” said Alice, digging her phone out of her bag.

  When Ben picked up, Alice told him everything they’d just learned about Steve Sander. How Norman had heard him fight with Alexandra, how he’d called her by her med-school nickname, and how he’d lied about when he’d been at the inn the night of her murder. Alice stopped in her tracks as she listened to Ben’s response.

  “What is it?” Owen whispered. “What’s he saying?”

  Alice put a finger up.

  “It must be a big deal,” said Franny, looking at Alice worriedly. “She looks like she just saw a ghost.”

  Chapter 17

  “Olivia didn’t do it,” said Alice, clicking off her phone and dropping it into her bag.

  “So, it wasn’t just the pizza!” said Franny, elbowing Owen.

  “Nope. Your gut was apparently right on the money,” said Owen.

  “What did Ben say?” asked Franny.

  “He said that Olivia did write that threatening letter—and that she confessed to leaving the comments on Alexandra’s blog. She was furious that Alexandra had been so callous about the death of her grandmother and had always felt that there’d been an oversight in the ER that led to her death. She wanted to confront Alexandra, so she followed her here this weekend. But, Olivia couldn’t have killed Alexandra, because she was at the late-night campfire at Cozy Bear. Ten people saw her there!”

  “So, Norman didn’t do it. Olivia didn’t do it. And, we know Luke didn’t do it . . .” said Owen. “Dr. Steve, come on down!”

  “Did someone call me?” Steve Sander pulled up beside them in a tiny car.

  “Ooh, that must be one of those electric cars,” said Owen, swallowing hard. “It doesn’t make a sound, does it? How very charming.”

  “It’s cute!” said Franny, smiling awkwardly. “So tiny . . . And stealthy.”

  Alice’s heart went into her throat. She couldn’t tell how much Steve had heard of what they’d been saying, but the best thing to do was to follow Owen and Franny’s lead and act like nothing was amiss.

  “Um, Franny, could you text Ben and tell him to meet us? You know, for the fireworks?” Alice gave Franny a wide-eyed look.

  “Sure,” said Franny, taking out her phone.

  “I was just telling my friends here about you,” Alice said, giving Steve a friendly smile. “How you said you’d come to the bookshop. Are you still planning to stop by?”

  “Sure, hop in. I’ll give you a ride,” he answered, returning the smile.

  Alice felt a wave of relief. He must not have heard too much.

  “I would, but I have my bike and all. I’ll ride over and meet you there.”

  “It’s a date!” said Steve. “I left my wallet back at the inn. I’ll just run get it and see you in a bit.”

  Alice nodded, inadvertently glancing down at the grill of the car. That was when she saw the blood. At least that’s what it looked like. Just a small smear, as though someone had tried to wipe it clean, but had missed a spot. Steve’s eyes followed Alice’s, and when she looked back at him, there was uneasiness there. Alice quickly recovered her composure.

  “Maybe after that we can get some coffee at Joe’s!” she said. “Franny makes the best coffee in town.”

  Steve’s expression softened. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll see you in a few.” He turned the little car around and went back toward the inn.

  “I guess he hadn’t gone into town after all. That was close!” gasped Alice.

  “Those electric cars make zero noise,” said Owen. “We almost put our foot in it, big time.”

  “Thank heaven he didn’t hear us,” said Franny.

  “Is Ben on the way?” asked Alice.

  “Yes,” said Franny.
/>   “Maybe we should text him again. Tell him to—”

  Suddenly, they heard the sound of gravel flying and too late, the sound of the electric car whirring upon them.

  “Alice! Watch out!”

  Alice heard Owen’s voice and turned just in time to see the glare of the car’s windshield, and the enraged face of Steve Sander behind the wheel.

  Chapter 18

  Alice had never been more grateful to live in a small town than she was that afternoon, because it only took two minutes for Owen to run back to the Valley Inn, get Samuel’s old car, and return—and another two minutes for Franny and Alice to get into the car and drive the short distance to the Blue Valley ER.

  Dr. Steve had driven straight for Alice in his tiny electric car, but thanks to Owen yelling, she’d jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Unfortunately, she’d fallen onto her left arm, which was now swelling up and going numb.

  Doc Howard took a set of x-rays, pronounced the arm broken, and put it into a cast, ordering Alice to take it easy and wear a sling for the next six weeks.

  Meanwhile, Ben had quickly apprehended Dr. Steve when his electric car had run out of juice and he’d coasted to a stop about a block from the inn. Apparently, the little vehicle could only manage to run people down a couple of times on one charge.

  “Why did he kill Alexandra?” Alice asked that evening, as the group of friends sat on blankets in Luke’s yard, waiting for the fireworks to get underway.

  “He gave us his whole sad story after we got him behind bars,” said Ben. “Seems back in medical school, Alexandra and Steve had tried to cheat on an important exam. They’d made a deal between them that if caught, they’d vouch for one another. Anyway, when rumors flew that they’d cheated, Steve kept his end of the deal, and defended himself and Alexandra before the board.”

  “Let me guess,” said Alice. “When it was Alexandra’s turn to tell her side of the story, she threw Steve under the bus.”