“Speak of the devil,” Garrett said, as Chief Meyers’s squad car zoomed past us with its lights flashing and siren wailing.
Walking up the hill toward Nitro left me winded, and my body refused to stop shivering. Thank goodness they had come along when they had. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could have withstood the cold.
“Should we slow down, Sloan?” Garrett asked as we crested the hill. Nitro was less than a block away.
“No. I can make it.” I tried to sound more confident than I felt. The stress of the ordeal must have been catching up with me, because suddenly I felt like I could collapse and sleep for a week.
Kat raced from behind the bar when we entered. “Oh my God, you’re okay. Oh thank goodness.” She held her phone in one hand and started texting with her thumbs. “I have to send out an update. Everyone has been looking for you.”
Garrett helped me into a chair by the front window. “Wait here.” Then he instructed Taylor to sit with me while he went to find a blanket and Advil.
Kat brought me a steaming mug of cinnamon tea. “Here, Garrett said to drink this.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at her.
“I’ve texted everyone to let them know that you’re safe.” She sat next to me. “We were really worried, Sloan.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I reached for her hand, but the movement sent a new wave of pain down my shoulder.
Taylor paced next to us. “I feel terrible. I can’t believe she killed Lily because of me.”
“Not because of you.” I warmed my hands on the tea. “Ali’s responsible for her own actions.”
“I guess.” He didn’t sound convinced.
Garrett returned with a wool blanket, a heating pad for my shoulder, and a bottle of Advil. “Take these,” he said, pouring a few capsules in my trembling hand. “Should we run you over to the hospital and have them take a look at your arm?”
I swallowed the pills and rested the hot, lavender-scented pad on my injured shoulder. “I think it will be fine.”
Garrett made a grunting sound under his breath, but sat down next to me. I could tell they were worried about me from the way they all surrounded me and kept checking in with one another. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Chief Meyers arrived.
She stomped snow from her boots on the front mat, and then ambled inside. “Figured I’d find you here.” She came over to the table. “Thought you might want a recap.”
“Yes, thank you.” I huddled under the blanket while the chief explained that she had arrested Ali and was waiting for the official transport to arrive to deliver Ali to the Chelan County Jail. I didn’t feel particularly relieved that the ordeal was over. The entire situation was sad.
“What’s going to happen to her?” I asked the chief, taking a sip of the spicy cinnamon apple tea.
“The only thing she has going for her is that she’s confessed. That may give her a bit of leverage with the court. It’s always better to work with the judicial system than against it.”
“But she’ll do jail time, right?” I tried to ignore the throbbing pain in my arm.
“Twenty years to life,” Chief Meyers said with a curt nod.
I thought of Brad. He had seemed genuinely interested in rebuilding their marriage. Would he stand by Ali now?
“Did you know it was her?” I asked, tucking my hands under the wool blanket. Feeling was starting to return to my fingertips.
“I had my suspicions. Kevin confirmed them. When I went to Spokane, I met with Ali’s parents. They told me their ordeal with losing Chloe. I started putting two and two together. Thank you for encouraging Taylor to come in.” She turned and gave Taylor a half nod. “You helped solidify my case.
Taylor still looked shell-shocked.
The chief continued. “Kevin closed the deal for us with some tangible evidence.”
“Kevin had evidence?”
She twisted the volume button on her walkie-talkie. “He had pictures on his cell of the two of them on Blackbird Island that night.”
“Why didn’t he show you sooner? He’s been complaining about being stuck here for days.”
“The photos implicate him in a crime as well.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Huh?”
“Hold on.” The chief reached into a canvas bag she’d set on the floor. She removed several eight-by-ten glossy photos blown up from selfies. They revealed Kevin posing as he battered Lily’s car with a baseball bat and splattered it with a gallon of the paint we had used for renovations.
“So that’s who vandalized her car.” I stared at the photos. “Why would he take selfies?”
The chief shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Trying to stroke his ego. Maybe he hoped it would prove his manhood.”
“I don’t see Ali or Lily in these.”
“Look closer.”
I stared at the pictures. Sure enough, in the background there were two women at the entrance to Blackbird Island. Then I passed them to Garrett.
“We had tech enhance the images. They’ll be used in court along with Taylor’s testimony and Ali’s confession. It should be an open-and-shut case.”
“I still don’t understand why Kevin didn’t come to you sooner.”
“He didn’t realize that in his moment of destruction, he had caught the real killer in the background.”
“How did he figure it out?”
“Jenny. She found the photos on his phone. She was sure that he had killed Lily. We weren’t disputing that, either, until the tech department got ahold of the photos and was able to discern that there was more than Kevin’s rampage going on.”
“Wow.” I shifted in my chair, trying to reposition the heating pad. “So Kevin must have been the one who took Lily’s room key and went through her things, too?”
“Yeah. He admitted to everything.” Chief Meyers looked concerned. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.”
“You’re pale and shivering. You’ve barely touched that tea. I’d say you’re on the verge of hypothermia.” She turned to Garrett. “Did you give her Advil? Maybe give her a couple more.”
My cup sat barely touched. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the reason I hadn’t drunk the tea had more to do with the fact that it had gone cold in the last half hour than with my state of well-being.
“I’m right here,” I replied. “And I don’t need more Advil. It’s taking the edge off.”
We talked more about what Ali had confessed to me. Chief Meyers recorded my statement and took notes. Taylor continued to pace. I felt sorry for him. Living with the guilt of his high-school friend’s death all these years must have been hard enough.
“I don’t think you’ll be needed in court,” she said when I finished. “But there’s a chance the prosecution will call you.”
“That’s fine.” I could handle testifying against Ali. I was sorry that her grief had led her down a path of retribution, but I was also a firm believer in justice.
“Hello?” I heard a familiar voice as the door to the police station opened. Hans and Alex walked in together.
“Mom!” Alex ran to hug me. “You’re okay. We were so worried. We looked all over the village. We went to the cottage, then we went home to the farmhouse, in case maybe you ended up there.”
Garrett moved so that Alex could sit next to me.
“Uncle Hans and I heard you were attacked.” Alex plopped into the chair Garrett had vacated.
“It’s not that dramatic.” I squeezed his hand with my good arm. “I’ll probably have a nice bruise tomorrow.” I touched the heating pad.
“Your hands are like ice, Mom.” Alex looked worried.
“I promise I’m fine. A little cold, a sore shoulder, but otherwise fine.”
Hans scowled. His intentionally faded brick red baseball cap made his skin tone look more pinkish than usual. “You and your need for drama, Sloan. I don’t know what to do about you.” He bent down to kiss my cheek “Don’t do that again, okay?”
“I have an idea to help make you feel better,” Alex said.
“What’s that?” I released his hand.
“Pizza. The answer to any problem is pizza. You told me that once, remember?”
“Did I?” I chuckled. Suddenly I was famished. It wasn’t a surprise, given that I had walked the equivalent of a half marathon and spent hours out in the cold. Not to mention the massive adrenaline rush from escaping Ali’s shovel.
“That is a great idea.” Hans smiled. “What do you say, Chief? Want to come grab a slice with us?”
“Duty calls. The transport will be here soon, and I need to give the green light for our other suspects. Are the guests upstairs?” she asked Garrett.
Garrett nodded. “Yeah, I believe so. You’ll have some very happy campers when you break the news that everyone is free to go.”
“Except for Brad,” I interjected. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Brad and even Ali. Not that I condoned her choices, but the pressure of losing her younger sister, coping with Brad’s infidelity, and struggling through fertility issues had to have taken an emotional toll. I thought of my own situation. It made me even more grateful for my friendship with Garrett and the community around me. Revenge wasn’t for me, but without the support of the people near and dear to my heart, I could imagine myself on a path of destruction. Maybe not to the extreme that Ali had gone, but to a place of darkness and despair.
“Right.” Garrett frowned.
“I’ll speak with him first. He can come have a few words with his wife before they take her to Wenatchee.”
Leavenworth wasn’t big enough for a jail. The Chelan County facility was located in nearby Wenatchee.
“I’ll head upstairs now.” Chief Meyers stood. “Thanks for your help, Sloan. Take it easy tonight.” To Hans and Alex she said, “Make sure she eats an entire pie, and keep an eye on that shoulder.”
“We’ll make sure she doesn’t leave the table until she’s devoured a Bavarian.” Garrett saluted Chief Meyers.
Hans wrapped his arm around my waist. “If there’s one thing I know about my sis-in-law, it’s that she’s never afraid to eat. I concur with Garrett—an extra-large Bavarian should do the trick.”
I felt my back stiffen.
“You cool?” Hans asked.
“Yeah. Fine. Just recovering from the shock.”
Kuchen, the pizza shop, was famous for its German take on the Italian classic. It was located a few blocks away in a rustic three-story building complete with arched stained-glass windows and balconies. The Bavarian that Garrett and Hans referred to consisted of hand-tossed sourdough crust smothered with stone-ground mustard and loaded with brats, sauerkraut, and peppers. It was a local favorite.
Hans and Alex each took one of my arms and escorted me to the pizza shop. “Guys, I’m fine, really,” I protested.
They ignored me and guided me to a red leather booth. It was cozy and warm inside from the heat of the pizza ovens. Hans ordered a bottle of red wine, the Bavarian, a meat pizza, three salads, a root beer for Alex, and a German pretzel with fondue dipping sauce for a starter.
“How much do you think I’m going to eat?”
“Chief’s orders. We can’t go against Meyers, can we, guys?” He looked to Garrett and Alex for support.
They shared a look of solidarity.
“No way,” Alex agreed.
Garrett clapped Hans on the back. “That’s right. Let’s fatten her up.”
I was glad that they all got along. Hans had connected me with Garrett when I first discovered that Mac was cheating on me. He and Garrett had developed a friendship when Garrett hired him to help with Nitro renovations. If Otto and Ursula really had fled due to their Nazi ties, it was impossible that Hans knew anything of their past. Suddenly the weight of digging into my roots felt overwhelming. Tiny beads of sweat pooled on my forehead. Depending on what I learned and what Sally uncovered, I wasn’t just going to be destroying my stability. I was putting Hans’s and Alex’s futures in jeopardy, too.
For a brief moment, I thought about calling Sally and telling her to forget it.
Stop, Sloan.
You didn’t do this. Otto and Ursula were responsible.
I looked to Alex. I’d always appreciated Mac’s connection to our son and the fact that Alex had doting grandparents and an uncle. Now I wasn’t so sure. I knew that I couldn’t shield him from pain, but I had thought that I had created a foundation for success through the Krause family. Now it seemed that very foundation might be our undoing.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
AS IT TURNED OUT, I didn’t polish off an entire pizza, although I did manage to devour three slices of the hearty Bavarian pie. By the end of our meal, Garrett, Hans, Alex, and I were all stuffed. I recapped the afternoon and evening’s strange turn of events for them as we sipped wine and nibbled on an order of dessert pizza, put in at Alex’s request.
“That’s a really sad story, Mom.” Alex sprinkled extra chocolate chips on top of his slice.
“I know. It’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine something like that happening to you.”
“Hey, what are you saying?” His face crumpled. “Mom, I would never do something like that. You know that, right?”
Garrett caught my eye across the table as if to say, I told you so.
“Absolutely. I just meant having you be in a position like that.”
“Okay.” Alex didn’t sound convinced.
Hans ruffled his nephew’s hair. “Cut your mom a little slack. It’s her job to keep you humble.”
The conversation turned to school and skiing. “You haven’t been to an IceFest yet, have you?” he asked Garrett.
“Not in a long, long time. I came a couple times when I was a kid, but my memories are pretty fuzzy.”
“It’s awesome.” Alex went on to tell Garrett all about next weekend’s events, including the fact that he and his buddies had been training for the smooshing competition for weeks.
“I know I’m going to sound like I’m out of the loop, but what’s smooshing?” Garrett asked.
“Basically, you and three of your friends strap your feet to two-by-fours, like skis, and race down Front Street.”
“That sounds like good balance is required.” Garrett chuckled.
“Yeah, and teamwork,” Alex added. Then he turned to Hans. “And this guy holds the record for the snowmobile sled pull, isn’t that right, Uncle Hans?”
Hans gave a half shrug. “I’ve done all right in the sled pull.”
I knew he was being modest. Hans was a natural athlete. His carpentry work kept him in excellent shape, but on top of that he was agile and had grown up riding snowmobiles in the backcountry. The sled pull was always a flurry of frivolity with Hans, stepping outside of his more reserved personality, and hamming it up for the crowd by driving one-handed and backward during his victory lap.
I nursed my drink and watched the three of them laugh with ease. It seemed impossible that a few hours ago I had been out in the middle of the wooded island face-to-face with Lily’s killer. It seemed even more impossible that my kind and intuitive brother-in-law could have been raised by Nazis.
“You look tired, Sloan,” Garrett noted after paying the bill and boxing up leftovers.
“Mom, he’s right,” Alex agreed. “We should get you home.”
I loved that Alex was always looking out for me. “Fair enough. I won’t put up a protest.”
Before we parted ways, Garrett demanded that I take the morning off. “I’m guessing that Kevin and Jenny and that crew are probably already halfway to Seattle, and if Brad decides to stay tonight, I’ll have Kat make him coffee and toast.” He paused and looked to Hans. “You’re with me on that
idea, right?”
Hans nodded. There was a flash of melancholy behind his eyes that I chose to ignore for the moment.
“Okay,” I agreed, wincing as I tugged my coat on.
“I’m serious, Sloan Krause, I don’t want to see your face at Nitro until sometime after noon. We can brew our new Northwest hops beer tomorrow and chill out.”
“Okay, I already said I wouldn’t come in early.”
“Right, but I know you.”
“Totally,” Hans seconded. “She’s a workaholic, to say the very least.”
I scowled.
He reached out and kissed my cheek. “Not that you don’t come by it naturally, sis. My parents are consummate worker bees. It’s one of the cons of loving what you do.”
“I get it. I promise I won’t come in early.” Ignoring his comment about Otto and Ursula, I waved them both away and left with Alex. I didn’t remember the drive home or falling asleep.
* * *
The next thing I knew, I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing. How long had I been asleep?
I rolled over and reached for my phone. The time read ten. Had I actually slept in until ten? Waking at seven would have been a leisurely morning. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept so late.
The call was from a number I didn’t recognize. I let it go to voicemail and went to shower. My entire left side was stiff. Sure enough, there was a bruise the color and shape of an eggplant that stretched from the top of my shoulder to my armpit. I was careful not to move the joint any more than I had to while getting dressed.
Alex had left a note on the kitchen island that Mac had given him a ride to school and he would meet me later at Nitro.
Per Garrett’s instructions, I lingered over a cup of strong coffee and a sweet roll, along with another dose of Advil. Die Zeitung, our local paper, had news of Ali’s arrest. There were sparse details of motive and nothing about her sister Chloe’s drowning. I had a feeling that Chief Meyers was trying to protect her anonymity for as long as possible. When she went to trial, I was sure everything would come out, but in the short term, I was glad not to see my name in the paper so I didn’t have to worry about being bombarded with questions about the arrest.
Without a Brew Page 22
