Trouble Vision

by Allison Kingsley

  “That reminds me. I almost forgot. Molly has something to tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know. I told her you were planning on dropping in this morning. She wanted to wait until you got here before she said anything.”

  As if reading her mind, the door opened and Molly appeared in the doorway. “Oh, there you are.” She beamed. “I thought you two might be in here.”

  “Are the customers gone?” Stephanie peered past her.

  “All gone.” Molly looked excited as she closed the door. “I’ve got something to tell you both.”

  “What is it?”

  “Okay, so shoot.”

  The cousins had spoken together and Molly looked from one to the other. “I went on a date with Brad last night.”

  Disappointed, Clara tried to sound interested. “Oh, yeah. How was it? Did he like your new outfit?”

  “Yes, he did.” Molly grinned. “We had the best time. Brad was pumped because he’s been offered a new job. Lionel Chatham’s renovating his inn. Brad says he’s spending a ton of money on it. He offered Brad almost twice what he’s earning on the construction site. Apparently Lionel’s been hitting up most of the workers up there. Brad says he’s trying to get ahead of the competition.”

  “Really.” Clara stared at Molly. “I wonder where Lionel got the money to do all that.”

  Stephanie uttered a soft gasp. “Don’t tell me you think it was Lionel who robbed the bank?”

  “I don’t know what to think. It is quite a coincidence, though—him coming up with all this money a week after the bank is robbed?”

  “He just doesn’t seem the type to do something that rash.”

  “Well,” Molly said, butting in, “that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. We were at the bowling alley and we bumped into Stacey Warren.”

  Clara shook her head. “Do I know her?”

  “She’s Eddie Hatchett’s girlfriend. The one who drove him to the hospital the night Scott Delwyn died?”

  “Oh, okay.” Sensing something important was coming, Clara waited.

  “Remember Eddie said that he hurt his wrist when he fell off his bike and Stacey drove him to the ER in Mittleford?”

  Both cousins nodded.

  “Well . . .” Molly looked really pleased with herself. “Stacey did drive him to the hospital that night.”

  Clara let out her breath. “Oh, I thought—”

  “Wait.” Molly held up her hand. “It wasn’t five thirty when he called Stacey. It was more than two hours later.”

  Stephanie looked puzzled, but Clara jumped on it. “So he doesn’t have an alibi for the time of Scott’s death.”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Molly was almost leaping up and down with excitement. “What’s more, he lied about it. That means he has something to hide.”

  “You’re right.” Clara looked at Stephanie. “We need to talk to Eddie Hatchett.”

  “I’ll do it, if you like.” Molly grabbed Clara’s arm. “We could go back to the Laurel Street Tavern on Friday and—”

  “No, thank you.” Clara smiled at her to soften her words. “It’s going to take wild horses and a herd of elephants before I set foot in that place again.” She turned back to Stephanie. “What are you doing around five thirty this evening?”

  Stephanie grinned. “Guess we’re going to talk to Eddie Hatchett.”

  Molly groaned. “You guys have all the fun.”

  Stephanie put an arm around her shoulders. “Sorry, Molly, but someone has to take care of the Raven’s Nest. Look on the bright side: you’ll be nice and cozy in a warm bookstore while we’ll be. . . .” She broke off and looked at Clara. “Where exactly will we be?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out where Eddie’s working today.” Clara moved toward the door. “We’ll catch him on his way home and talk to him.”

  Stephanie visibly shuddered. “That’s another good reason why you should stay here, Molly. This could get dangerous.”

  Molly frowned. “Don’t you think maybe we should talk to Dan?”

  “I don’t think that’s going to do any good at this point.” Clara glanced at her cousin. “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere?”

  “Oh, crap. Is that the time?” Stephanie grabbed her coat from the hook. “Gotta run. See you tonight. Are you driving or shall I?”

  “I’ll pick you up at five.”

  Stephanie waved as she rushed through the door. “Another pizza night. George will divorce me.” She disappeared up the aisle, and a moment later the doorbell jingled, followed by the door slamming shut.

  “I’ve got errands to run,” Clara said as Molly followed her to the counter. “Could you put these catalogs back in the drawer for me?”

  “Sure.” Molly took them from her. “You will be careful, won’t you? Tonight, I mean.”

  “Of course. We’re always careful. Besides, I’m taking Tatters with me. He’ll take care of us.”

  “I’d feel a lot better if you were taking Dan with you. I wouldn’t trust Eddie Hatchett if he was locked up in a cage.”

  “Don’t worry. He won’t be able to do much if we talk to him on the street with people around. We’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so.” Molly hesitated. “Will you call me after you’ve talked to him? I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight unless I know you’re both okay.”

  Clara laughed, though it sounded forced, even to her. “I will. Now quit worrying, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Stepping outside, she glanced across the street. Tyler was outside the hardware store with a broom, sweeping off the step. They must not be too busy over there. She hesitated just for a second or two, then charged across the road.

  Tyler barely glanced at her when she said hello, and she headed into the store, wondering if Ryan had mentioned her awkward encounter with him. Catching sight of Rick in the back of the store, she walked toward him, belatedly trying to think of an excuse why she was there.

  Rick looked up as she approached, and gave her one of his lazy smiles. “Hi there. What brings you into this bastion of male dominance?”

  She laughed. “Are you telling me you don’t have women customers? I thought most men hated shopping and sent their wives to do it.”

  “Clothes, maybe. Food, absolutely. But power tools?” He shook his head. “Definitely a man’s job.”

  “I stand corrected.” She picked up a gadget that looked like a distorted question mark with a clip. “What’s this?”

  “It’s a carabiner. Used for tightening and holding ropes.”

  “Oh, like in rock climbing?”

  “Well, not this one.” He took it from her and turned the card over so she could read the back. “This is called a Figure Nine and is used for heavy loads. It’s not recommended for climbing.” He put the tool back on the shelf. “You like rock climbing?”

  She shuddered. “No. I have no head for heights. I can’t go up a ladder without getting dizzy. How about you?”

  “I tried it a couple of times, but the first time I fell I figured it wasn’t my thing.”

  “You fell? Were you hurt?”

  “Just my pride, though it was a few weeks before I could kneel without wincing.”

  “Ouch.” She wandered along the shelves, pretending to be interested in the array of tools.

  “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

  “What?” Deciding to give up the pretense, she blurted out, “I was wondering if you’d like to join Tatters and me this evening on our walk. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

  She wasn’t looking at his face, but his voice sounded a little weird when he answered, “Sure. What time and where?”

  “Come by the house. Whatever time you can make it.”

  “Okay. I’ll grab something quick to eat and I’ll be there around nine.”

  “Sounds good.” From the front of the store came the sound of the door slamming shut. “Guess you’ve got a customer. I’ll see you tonight,
then.”

  She almost ran up the aisle, racing past Tyler who was on his way to the counter. Without stopping, she shot out the door and started down the hill. She’d done it. She’d actually invited him over to her house.

  She stopped short with a little moan. What had she done? Jessie would be there and would insist on meeting him and she’d ask him all kinds of awkward questions. Clara had been an absolute idiot to invite him over.

  Walking again, she tried to calm down. She’d wait outside for him. That way, Jessie wouldn’t have a chance for an inquisition. Would he think it strange if she didn’t invite him in? After all, she’d been in his house. Well, too bad. It was better than being embarrassed by her mother’s prying into stuff that was none of her business.

  Reaching home, she let an exuberant Tatters out into the backyard, then turned on her computer. The Hatchetts didn’t have a website, but Bob Hatchett was listed under local electricians. After dialing the number on her cell phone, Clara waited for someone to answer.

  On the third ring, a female voice cheerfully announced, “Hatchett’s Electricians. Can I help you?”

  Clara sent up a silent prayer. “I’d like to speak to Eddie Hatchett, please.”

  “Eddie’s not here,” the voice assured her. “Can I take a message?”

  “Actually, I’m an old friend. I’d like to surprise him. Can you tell me where I can find him?”

  The voice cooled considerably. “Eddie is working on the hotel project on the coast road.”

  Clara felt a jolt of surprise. “Really? I thought he . . . er . . . left there.”

  “The new foreman is a friend of Eddie’s father. He gave Eddie his job back.” The voice sounded suspicious now. “Bob Hatchett is here, though. May I tell him who’s calling?”

  “That won’t be necessary. Thanks.” Clara closed her phone. So Eddie had gotten his job back at the construction site. That was interesting. Could that be a motive for murder? It seemed a bit extreme—to kill a guy just to get a job back. Then again, people had killed for less.

  She spent the rest of the afternoon wrestling with worries over what she would say to Eddie when she caught up with him and wondering how her meeting with Rick would go later that evening.

  By the time she was ready to pick up Stephanie, Clara was wishing she’d never invited Rick along on her walk with Tatters. She looked forward to her nightly jaunt with the dog. It was relaxing, giving her time to sort out her tangled thoughts. What’s more, she didn’t have to worry about her reaction when Tatters spoke in her head.

  With Rick along, it would be anything but relaxing. She’d be weighing everything she said, and she’d have to be careful not to respond to Tatters if he transmitted his thoughts again.

  Stephanie was waiting for her at the front gate, hugging herself to keep warm. “I was just about to go inside again,” she said as she opened the car door and slid onto the seat. “I swear it’s getting colder.”

  “Don’t say that.” Clara drove away from the curb, one eye on the rearview mirror. “I keep hoping spring is just around the corner.”

  “I wish it was.” Stephanie leaned forward to turn up the heat. “I’m so sick of this weather. I don’t know how you go out every night with that dog.”

  A soft growl answered her from the backseat and she swung around. “Don’t tell me you brought him along?”

  Clara glanced in the rearview mirror again and saw Tatters’ eyes staring back at her. “I thought we might need him for protection.”

  “What about my allergies?”

  “You don’t have allergies to dogs.”

  “My kids do.”

  “Then make sure you brush the hairs from your clothes before you go home.”

  Stephanie looked back at the dog. “It’s going to take a mean dog to intimidate Eddie Hatchett. Are you up to the task, Tatters?”

  Watch me.

  Clara cleared her throat. “He can look intimidating when he wants to.”

  “Well, let’s hope he wants to.” Stephanie turned back to stare out the windshield. “So, where are we going?”

  “Out to the construction site.”

  “What? I thought Eddie was fired from there.”

  “He was. The new foreman hired him back. I guess he’s a friend of Eddie’s father.”

  “Hmm.” Stephanie kept her gaze on the road ahead. “That was a little convenient.”

  “Exactly what I thought.”

  “So we’re going out to the construction site. Well, at least it’s not snowing.”

  “Good thing it’s not. This road can be treacherous in the snow.” Clara glanced out over the ocean as they swept around the curve. The black horizon signaled the oncoming night, and she shivered, in spite of the warmth in the car. Tonight she’d be walking with Rick, in the dark. She wasn’t sure if the shivers were from apprehension or excitement.

  “Do you know what you’re going to say to Eddie, if we see him?”

  Her thoughts shattered, Clara jumped. “What? Yes. No. I don’t know. I guess I’ll ask him point-blank about his trip to the hospital.”

  “What if he lies again?”

  “Then I’ll tell him that his girlfriend told Molly the truth.”

  “Won’t that cause trouble for his girlfriend?”

  “I hope not. After all, she probably didn’t know he’d lied about it.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Stephanie nodded at the windshield. “We’re coming up on the site now.”

  Clara squinted at the shadowed road ahead. She could just see the outline of the scaffolding rising against a rapidly darkening sky. “Let’s hope we see Eddie before everyone leaves,” she muttered.

  “I’m sure Tatters will protect us,” Stephanie said, sounding not at all sure. “Won’t you, boy?”

  Tatters whined in response. He didn’t sound too confident, either.

  Clara’s fingers tightened on the wheel. Maybe she should have told Dan what they knew, after all. It was too late now. She’d reached the gravel parking lot, her tires crunching on the stones as she coasted into a space between a truck and a motorbike.

  “Okay,” she said, doing her best to sound positive, “let’s see what we can find out.”

  Stephanie scrambled out and walked around the car as Clara opened the back door to let Tatters out.

  Fastening his leash, she said quietly, “You’re just here for support, so don’t do anything rash.”

  Unless someone makes a wrong move.

  “Unless I give you an order.” Clara looked him in the eye. “I hope we’re clear.”

  Stephanie uttered a nervous giggle. “Do you think he understood that?”

  Clara shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out.”

  “Maybe we should have put a muzzle on him.”

  Give me a break.

  Clara gave him a sharp tug on the leash. “He’ll be fine,” she said, hoping Tatters understood the warning in her voice.

  The workmen were moving about beyond the closed gates, but so far it didn’t look as if anyone had left yet. Clara could see a light in the guardhouse just inside, and wondered if the same guy was on duty.

  “Isn’t that Eddie over there?” Stephanie tugged on Clara’s arm. “The guy standing by the cement mixer.”

  Clara squinted again, trying to see the man’s face. “It’s hard to tell from here. Guess we’ll have to wait until they come out.”

  Before she could stop her, Stephanie stepped forward and put her mouth up to the fence. “Hey, Eddie!”

  Clara seized Stephanie’s arm. “Wait!”

  The burly guy had turned, and was staring at the gates.

  Just then, the door to the guardhouse opened and a familiar figure stepped out.

  Clara groaned. It was the same guy she’d spoken to the last time she was there.

  He walked up to the gate and stared at Stephanie. “Okay, what’s all the fuss about?”

  “We just wanted to speak to a friend of ours.” She smiled up at him
. “Eddie Hatchett. Do you know him?”

  The guy didn’t answer. Instead he looked at Tatters. “So what’s with the dog?”

  “We were just taking him for a walk,” Clara said, hoping he wouldn’t recognize her.

  The hope was short-lived. The guy scowled. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want this time? A blow-by-blow description of how to dig a hole? What the heck are you snooping around here for, anyway? What are you up to?”

  Clara raised her chin. “We’re not snooping, we just—”

  “Did somebody call my name?”

  The harsh voice had come from behind the guard. He turned, and Eddie Hatchett stepped up next to him.

  Staring from one cousin to the other, he demanded, “Do I know you?”

  “You know a good friend of ours,” Clara said hastily. “Molly Owens.”

  Just then a bell started ringing from inside the site. “Time to open up,” the guard said, looking at his watch. “You can talk outside. No dogs allowed in here. No visitors, either, unless you got a pass.” He trudged back to the shack and disappeared inside. A moment later, the gates slid open and clicked into place.

  Eddie’s face was a mask of suspicion as he walked toward the cousins.

  Clara swallowed. Once more, she’d put herself in the line of fire without a clue how to proceed. All she could hope was that Eddie didn’t fly off the handle and cause a scene, because heaven knew what Tatters would do if provoked. She could be in big trouble in more ways than one.

  13

  The first thing Clara noticed was that Eddie wore heavy boots. So much for her hope that he’d be wearing the incriminating sneakers. “We were wondering if we could have a word with you,” she said, trying to sound confident. It wasn’t going to help matters if Eddie realized her heart was pounding way too fast and her palms were sweaty.

  “What about?” Eddie glanced at the gold watch on his wrist. “Make it quick. I’ve got a date.”

  Clara opened her mouth, then shut it again. It was as if every word in the English dictionary had vanished from her mind. She felt Stephanie give her a sharp nudge in the side and opened her mouth again. “It’s about the night you hurt your wrist.”

  Eddie held up his bandaged wrist and stared at it. “What about it?”