“Because ... we grew apart.” It was a lame answer, something Eric must’ve realized because he quickly tried to fill the silence in the room with a better response. “I thought we were compatible when we first started dating, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Valerie was ... I don’t know how to phrase this without sounding like a jerk, but she was a defeatist.”
That was an interesting take on the woman. I revisited some of my interactions with her. Now that he’d pointed it out, I could see it.
“I don’t understand what that means,” Landon prodded.
“She never saw the bright side of life,” Eric volunteered. “She was never excited about anything. Even when something good happened, she immediately started in on the, ‘Well, it won’t last’ stuff. Occasionally it’s okay to celebrate.”
“I think that’s just a woman thing,” Landon countered, causing me to frown.
“I’m not a defeatist,” I muttered, earning a sidelong look from him. He almost looked amused at my discomfort, but he returned his attention to Eric.
“Women do have a tendency to see the bad in things depending on their moods,” he agreed. “Valerie always took it to the extreme. She would see the absolute worst in every situation — and person, for that matter — but never look for ways to fix things. She was happy just to accept that things were crappy and move on from there. It became frustrating.”
“So you broke up with her,” Chief Terry said. “How did she take it?”
“Not well, and that wasn’t the only reason I broke up with her,” Eric hedged. “I planned to break up with her but was looking for the right time. Then something happened that made me realize I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“And what was that?”
When Eric didn’t immediately respond, I did it for him. “He met someone else.”
“Is that true?” Landon asked.
“If you’re asking if I cheated on Valerie, that’s technically true,” Eric said. “It wasn’t a conscious decision. I didn’t even know I was developing feelings for this woman until it had already happened. It was ... quick.”
“I see. Did you tell Valerie you’d met someone else?”
“I tried not to. I didn’t want her blaming this particular individual. She tends to hold a grudge. If she was going to be angry with someone, I wanted it to be me. She kept pressuring me after the breakup. I held her at bay as long as I could — but then she started following me.”
I straightened in my chair. Now we were getting to the meat of the story. “She saw you with this other woman,” I supplied. “Did she interrupt a date or something?”
“She followed me to Heather’s house. We were inside having dinner when a rock came through the front window. I went outside to check, assuming it was kids, but it was Valerie. She absolutely melted down.”
“Did she threaten this Heather?” Landon asked. “Do you think she was dangerous? I ask because it’s possible she attacked Heather and there was a struggle. Maybe Heather was simply trying to protect herself and panicked.”
“I can’t see Heather doing that.” Eric was firm. “She’s the gentlest person I know. She felt bad for Valerie. She suggested we ignore the behavior. That Valerie would lose interest in hounding us.”
“That was probably sound advice,” Landon acquiesced. “It’s my understanding Valerie was still working for you. Is that correct?”
“Well, technically.” Eric looked increasingly uncomfortable. “I thought she’d quit after the rock incident, just didn’t offer any notice. There was a lot of yelling that night. I didn’t fire her, but I told her that respect was expected in a professional setting.
“She was ranting when she left,” he continued. “She swore she was going to get revenge on both of us. When she didn’t show up for work the next day, I just assumed she wasn’t coming back. I had her things packed and I was going to have one of the other agents drop it off at her house.”
Chief Terry rubbed his chin. “And who is this other woman you’ve been dating? You mentioned a first name but not a last name.”
Eric balked. “I don’t want her dragged into this.”
“There’s no way around that. We need to question her. It sounds as if she has nothing to worry about, but we have to talk to her.”
Eric looked resigned. “Heather Castle.”
Landon looked to Chief Terry for explanation but received only a head shake.
“I don’t know that name,” Chief Terry said.
“She bought the old Lakin house out on the lake,” Eric said. “She’s recently divorced and moved from a suburb down south. She bought the house with her settlement.”
“Ah.” Realization dawned on Chief Terry’s face at the same moment some of the cobwebs cleared from my mind. “She’s rich.”
“That’s not why I care for her,” Eric countered hurriedly.
“Maybe not, but I’ll bet Valerie jumped to that conclusion,” Chief Terry argued. “Heather lives on the lake where the body was found. We definitely need to talk to her.”
“You’re looking in the wrong direction.” He was insistent. “Heather doesn’t have it in her to murder anyone.”
“Because she’s such a good person?” Landon challenged.
“Because ... she doesn’t like getting dirty.” Eric’s expression turned petulant. “She’s an indoor girl. That’s a regular joke between us. She likes the view of the lake, but she doesn’t like the woods or anything. She’s really turned off by that camp. She says it reminds her of a horror movie. I said you planned to tear it down, but she doesn’t think you’re moving fast enough.”
Landon arched an eyebrow and I could tell what he was thinking. He had no intention of spending money to tear down the old buildings just to appease a neighbor. “Well, we’ll do our best to accommodate her,” he said dryly, shaking his head. “Does Ms. Castle work?”
Eric hesitated and then shook his head. “She doesn’t have to. She made out quite well in the divorce.”
Landon tilted his head and pursed his lips. “The medical examiner believes Valerie went into the water about thirteen days ago. We’re going to need you to account for your whereabouts for that time.”
Eric was incredulous. “I ... don’t know. I’ll have to look at my date book.”
“That’s fine. What about at night? Were you with Heather that night?”
“Thirteen days ago was about the time Valerie threw the rock. I’m pretty sure that was the same day, because I was just thinking earlier that it had been almost two weeks.”
“So ... you were at Ms. Castle’s house,” Chief Terry prodded.
“Until about eight o’clock,” Eric replied.
“Where did you go after that?”
“Home. There was a game on I wanted to watch.”
“Can anybody corroborate your alibi?”
“I didn’t know I was going to need an alibi.” Eric sounded exasperated. “Should I get a lawyer?”
“That’s up to you.” Chief Terry stood, causing Landon and I to follow suit. “Have you talked to Ms. Castle since that night?”
“Yes. I told you we’re seeing each other. We talk several times a day.”
“Have you seen her?”
Eric hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. We’ve eaten in town several times since then.”
“But you haven’t been back to her house?”
“Um ... not that I can think of. We both agreed we didn’t want to antagonize Valerie and cause her to return there. We’ve been meeting in town so Valerie would have no reason to return to the house.”
“It looks like she never left,” I murmured.
“Yes, well, I don’t know that.”
Chief Terry glanced at Landon and then motioned for the door. “Thank you for your time, Eric. We’ll be in touch.”
Eric was flabbergasted. “Wait. That’s it? You have to tell me what you think happened to Valerie.”
“We don’t know yet. You’ll be the first to know when we do.”<
br />
BACK IN CHIEF TERRY’S VEHICLE, opinions started flying fast.
“This situation is messed up,” Landon said. “It’s possible Valerie attacked this other woman and Heather Castle killed her in self-defense.”
“It’s also possible this woman got fed up and went after her,” Chief Terry noted.
Landon slid his eyes to me. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s weird that you think you’re going to die,” I answered without thinking. “How could you leave all that stuff for me and not bother to give me a heads-up?”
“Oh, geez.” He stared out the windshield. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation in front of an audience.”
“I’m mildly curious, too,” Chief Terry admitted. “Isn’t that something you should talk about?”
“The possibility of me dying on the job?” Landon shot back. “No. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to think about that. I just want Bay taken care of in case it happens. I don’t see how that makes me a bad guy.”
“It doesn’t make you a bad guy,” I argued. “I just ... don’t want you to die.”
“Sweetie, I have no intention of dying. You’re the most important thing in the world to me. I need to make sure that you’re taken care of. I also don’t want to talk about it. As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to have decades together ... at a house we build on the lake. Don’t go getting crazy over this.
“Every year, all my paperwork with the bureau comes up for review,” he continued. “Last time I changed the beneficiary on everything to you. That’s what you do when you’re in a relationship with someone.”
He sounded so reasonable and still ... . “What if you change your mind?”
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
“But ... .”
“I’m done talking about this.” Landon tapped the steering wheel to get Chief Terry’s attention. “This is not funny,” he said when he caught the older man smiling. “I want Bay taken care of. That’s it. End of story.”
“I didn’t say anything.” Chief Terry stuck his key in the ignition. “I think it’s a sweet gesture.”
“Yes, well, it’s what I wanted.” Landon turned to look at me. “Don’t read anything into this. I don’t think I’m going to die. You are the single most important thing to me, and this way your future is guaranteed.
“I can’t control everything,” he continued. “I know in the Winchester world that’s unheard of, but in the real world horrible things happen. I’m going to make sure they don’t happen to you. Is that so terrible?”
I shook my head, momentarily overcome by emotion. “I just wish you would’ve told me.”
“I didn’t realize it was important. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I turned to the window to blink back tears. “Thank you.”
“Oh, good grief.” Landon sounded aggrieved. “I knew this was going to turn into thing. Let’s go,” he prodded. “I want to talk to Heather Castle before Eric warns her that we’re coming.”
“I guarantee that’s what he’s doing right now,” Chief Terry said.
“And you.” Landon turned back to me again. “Don’t turn into a weepy mess. You and I will be together forever. I did this because it made sense. That’s all there is to it.”
“I know.” I forced a smile for his benefit. “It’s just ... a big step.”
“Not really. You only think that because your mind goes to strange places. Everyone else will find it reasonable. Mark my words.”
Six
I tried to push Landon’s bombshell — whether he believed it or not, that’s exactly what it was — out of my mind as we headed toward the lake. I was in my own little world, gazing out the window when we turned into the driveway of the house.
“This is set pretty far back,” Landon noted. “I didn’t even know this house was out here.”
“Yes, you did,” I countered, forcing myself back into the conversation. “It’s the house with the big balcony that overlooks the water. We saw it the day we took the canoes out to see if they would float.”
“Really?” Landon turned to look at me. “I never thought about it. This must be a long driveway.”
“It is,” Chief Terry confirmed. “This house is a pain to get to in the winter. I’m surprised she moved here full time. Before, the house was only used during the summer.”
“Well, we’re going to build a house that puts that one to shame,” Landon said, grinning. “I do like that balcony, though. We need a huge balcony like that so we can sit and stare at the stars without having to worry about naked witches dancing around us.”
I smirked. He talked big but he liked the naked dancing — though he made a point to look anywhere but at my mother and aunts when the gyrating started.
“And when are you going to break ground on this mansion?” Chief Terry asked.
“Not for a few years.” Landon turned sheepish. “I make a decent living, but we need to put money away. If we put our heads together we can come up with a five-year plan.”
“Five years, huh?” Chief Terry looked amused. “Are you going to be happy living on the Winchester land until then?”
Landon shrugged. “I’m used to it. I don’t even think about it now. I’m fine with our living arrangements.”
“What about you?” I asked, directing my attention to Chief Terry. “Are you going to be happy living at the inn?”
Chief Terry jolted at the question. “What do you mean?”
“You spend every night there,” I pointed out. “It’s only a matter of time before you decide to pin down your living arrangements. Mom isn’t going to leave. She can’t, really, because she’s the only one Aunt Tillie listens to.”
“Tillie won’t be around forever,” Chief Terry said.
“I guess.” As much as Aunt Tillie drove me crazy — and she did — that wasn’t something I wanted to think about. She was in her eighties and still spry, but no matter what she declared, she couldn’t live forever. “Have you talked to Mom about moving?”
“No.” He met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s possible Tillie will outlive us all. She has plenty of good years ahead of her.”
“That’s truly frightening,” Landon muttered. “She really could outlive us all.”
I smirked as Chief Terry crested the final hill that led to the house. Landon let out a low whistle when he saw it for the first time.
“Wow,” he intoned, shaking his head. “This is even better than I expected. What we see from the lake is nothing compared to this. Maybe we won’t have the best house in the area after all.”
“We don’t need this,” I reassured him as Chief Terry parked and I unbuckled my seatbelt. “A smaller house is fine. We basically live in a closet now.”
“No, we’ll have a big house.” Landon was firm as he met me outside of the truck. “It’ll be a great house. I just don’t see ever being able to afford something like this.”
That made two of us. I glanced around. “So how mad will you get if I start looking around for a ghost?”
“Mad,” Landon replied without hesitation. “Stick close. We’ll question Heather and then look around ourselves. I don’t want you wandering off unattended.”
“If she’s with you I’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Unless she’s not our killer and there’s some wacko running around out here.”
He had a point, but I didn’t want to admit it. “Okay. I’ll stick with you.”
“Thank you.”
Chief Terry knocked on the door. We waited a good two minutes — he had to knock twice more — before someone finally answered.
The woman who stood on the other side of the threshold looked fresh off the pages of a magazine. She was striking, to the point of looking fake. Her cheekbones were so high they looked to be chiseled from marble, her hair so blond the sun glinted off it. Her makeup was absolutely perfect and her eyes were a vibrant blue that made me think of t
he beaches of a tropical island.
“Hello,” she practically purred as she came face to face with Landon. “Are you delivering something? If so, I’ll have to order more of it.”
Her flirtation raised my hackles. “He’s delivering law and order,” I volunteered.
Landon pinned me with an admonishing look, but it was obvious he was amused by my reaction. “I’m with the FBI, ma’am.” He held up his badge for proof. “My name is Landon Michaels. This is Terry Davenport. He’s the police chief here in Hemlock Cove. We’re here to discuss a serious matter with you.”
“I see.” Heather’s gaze moved to me. “Is she your secretary?”
I’d barely met this woman and I already wanted to shake her. “Only when he’s feeling really dirty,” I replied with faux sweetness.
“What?” Heather’s forehead creased in confusion.
“This is Bay Winchester,” Landon replied. “She owns The Whistler in town.”
“Oh, is that the advertorial thing?” She beamed at me. “That’s kind of cute, the way you guys try to come up with news for the town every week. I absolutely loved that story about the woman who was trying to grow pumpkins in June. You’re very gifted.”
I felt patronized but flashed the smile I knew was expected of me. “Thank you.”
“She is very gifted,” Landon agreed. “She’s also a property owner here on the lake.”
“Really?” Heather brightened considerably. “That’s great. I didn’t know anyone else lived out here. We should hang out when you have some free time. Where is your house?”
I shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “We own the old campground. We’re going to build a house on the property eventually. We just bought it.”
“Oh.” She nodded her head. “That’s you. I heard someone had bought that property. I’m glad something is going to be done with it. Nobody wants an eyesore like that around.”
“It’s not so bad,” I argued. “I went to that camp as a kid. I enjoyed it.”
“Well ... that’s nice.” Her smile never wavered, but it was obvious she was quickly losing interest in being best friends. “You said ‘we.’”
To Love a Witch Page 6
