Maddie scowled. “I hate it when you say that.”
“Wow, you really are crabby today,” Christy said. “Do you want to tell me why? You’re not having problems with Nick, are you?”
Maddie sat next to Christy, shifting as the sweat trickled down her back. “Nick is perfect. We’re not having any problems.”
“He is perfect,” Christy agreed. “If Nick isn’t the problem, is it Maude? I know you’re not thrilled with this pageant. It’s harmless fun, though.”
“I don’t understand why Granny is doing what she’s doing, but I’m not upset,” Maddie clarified. “Nick and I talked it over last night. He explained that it wouldn’t irritate me so much when she does these things if I joined her.”
“And that’s why you sat through the coloring consultation this morning,” Christy surmised. “I wondered. If it’s any consolation, Maude loves having you on her side. She told me after you left.”
“As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”
“So, if it’s not Nick or Maude, why are you so grumpy? Is it finding the body? I know that would make me grumpy.”
“I thought I saw a ghost in the window at the lighthouse yesterday,” Maddie said.
“I know. I was there.”
“I knew before we went inside that we were going to find something bad,” Maddie said. “Finding her body wasn’t pleasant, but believe it or not, I’ve seen worse.”
“When you were in Detroit?”
Maddie nodded. “It’s not seeing the body that’s bothering me,” she said. “It’s … for some reason I can’t get her daughter out of my mind. She’s sixteen and yet she was the only one who cared enough to report her mother missing. Everyone else thought she was out enjoying herself.”
Things clicked into place for Christy. “Your mother hasn’t been gone for very long,” she said. “I get why you’re latching onto the kid. You can’t fix this for her, though. You know that, right?”
“I know that I can’t fix this,” Maddie replied. “I just … she deserves to know who killed her mother.”
“And that’s why we’re spying on David Bennett,” Christy said. “He was dating the mother and you’re trying to ascertain if he’s a good or bad guy.”
“I just don’t know anything about him,” Maddie said. “I can’t even remember ever talking to him.”
“You left when you were a teenager,” Christy pointed out. “He stayed. It would’ve been creepy if a twenty-eight-year-old man spent his time talking to an eighteen-year-old girl. I’ve talked to him a few times over the years. He seems like a decent guy.
“He’s not theatrical or dramatic,” she continued. “I’ve never heard of him being skeezy or perverted either. He seems … normal.”
“Is anyone really normal?”
Christy snorted. “Probably not,” she conceded. “Still, what would David’s motive be for killing Andrea? He had no financial stake in their relationship. From what you said, they’d only been dating for a little bit. Why would he kill her?”
“Maybe they got in an argument and things got out of hand.”
“I guess that’s a possibility,” Christy said.
“Plus, David is a local,” Maddie added. “He would know that people aren’t allowed in the lighthouse. He works in construction, so he’d have the tools necessary to go inside. How would a town newbie like Rick Johnson know where to dump a body and get away with it for so long?”
“You have the mind of a cop sometimes,” Christy said. “I never thought of any of that. Still, I’ve never seen David so much as lose his temper. He’s kind of a loner.”
“I’m not saying he’s guilty,” Maddie said. “I just … .” She broke off when a familiar figure exited a vehicle in the parking lot and started moving in David’s direction. She hadn’t even seen the vehicle pull up. “Is that … ?”
Christy leaned forward, intrigued. “Cassidy Dunham.”
Maddie’s heart flopped when she saw the pretty woman hurry to David’s side and greet him with a warm and sultry kiss. “That didn’t look like a friendship kiss, did it?”
“I don’t think you slip a friend the tongue,” Christy deadpanned. “I haven’t seen her in weeks. She stopped coming into the salon. Have you seen her since … well … you saved her life?”
In addition to being Nick’s ex-girlfriend, Cassidy was also a thorn in Maddie’s side. When she returned to town, Cassidy and Nick were involved. Nick was known for his “six-month cycle,” but when he ended the relationship, Cassidy was crushed and blamed Maddie.
In her heart, Maddie knew she was partially to blame for the woman’s unhappiness. Nick was going to break up with her no matter what. Unfortunately, from the moment Maddie returned to Blackstone Bay, all anyone could talk about was her relationship with Nick. Everyone took bets on when – not if – they would get together. It wore Cassidy down until she embarrassed herself – in multiple ways – but the women finally put their problems aside several weeks before when Cassidy was kidnapped and almost killed. Maddie hadn’t seen her since.
“This is the first time I’ve seen her,” Maddie said, her voice low. “I … how long do you think she’s been dating David?”
“I have no idea,” Christy said. “This case just got interesting, though. Now we have multiple suspects and affairs. I just love hanging around with you. This is going to be great.”
Maddie didn’t share her friend’s enthusiasm. “This is going to suck.”
“I CAN’T believe you’re wearing a bathing suit,” Nick grumbled, watching Maddie strip out of her shorts and tank top and turn her head toward the lake. She was wearing a simple purple bikini that showed off her body to perfection, but Nick knew what was underneath the small strips of fabric, and he was dying to see that instead.
It was late in the afternoon, although the sun was only beginning its inevitable descent, and when Nick suggested they go to the lake after dinner Maddie jumped at the chance to cool down. She loved her old Victorian, but due to the age of the house they didn’t have central air and the only relief came from window units.
“Nicky, it’s not even dark out,” Maddie chided. “People could still be down here.”
Nick dubiously glanced around at the empty lake. “We’re the only ones who come down here at night, Mad. I think we’re safe.”
“If you want to go skinny-dipping, knock yourself out,” Maddie said. “I don’t feel comfortable doing it. I’m not going to do it just because you call me a chicken.”
“Oh, someone is feeling forceful tonight,” Nick said, chuckling. “I like it.” He gave Maddie a small shake of his head before stripping his shirt off. That’s when she realized he was wearing his swim trunks.
“You did that on purpose to bait me,” Maddie pointed out.
“That’s an ugly lie, love,” Nick said, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the water. “If you want to pick a fight, can we do it down here? I’ve been dreaming about this water all day.”
Maddie followed him, sighing happily as she waded into the water until it was at chest level. Nick swam around her, dunking his head underneath the lake’s quiet surface before returning to her side.
“This is nice,” he said, resting his forehead against hers and encircling her waist with his arms. “This is exactly what I needed after a long day.”
“You didn’t get anywhere?”
“Not really,” Nick answered. “We’re still sorting through the preliminary stuff. I would like answers, but we’re not there yet.”
“I found out something interesting.”
Nick lifted his head and studied her face. “Am I going to like or dislike what you’re about to tell me?”
“Dislike.”
“That’s what I thought.” Nick gave her a soft kiss and then backstroked a bit to put a little distance between them. “Lay it on me.”
“Well, after you told me I couldn’t go out to the lighthouse looking for Andrea’s ghost, I needed something to do,” Maddie explained.
“Ellie told me that her sister was dating David Bennet, so … .”
“She didn’t tell us that,” Nick interrupted.
“Maybe she didn’t think it was important,” Maddie said. “She seemed scattered when I saw her. It just kind of … came out.”
“How long was Andrea dating David?”
“Not long. Ellie said it was new and not serious yet.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to check on that tomorrow,” Nick said. “Continue with your story.”
“I went to the salon and got Christy so I wouldn’t look out of place while spying … .”
“I already hate where this is going, love,” Nick warned.
“We went to the diner and found out that David was working on the library refurbishment,” Maddie said. “We sat on the bench across the street and watched him.”
“Oh, well, that’s not so bad,” Nick said. “You were in public and with a friend. I can live with that.”
“That’s not the reason I think you’re going to be upset,” Maddie said. “I … someone arrived while we were watching. She got out of her car and ran right up to David and planted a big kiss on him. Christy claims there was tongue, but I have no idea how she could see that from where we were.”
Nick smirked. He loved how innocent Maddie seemed at times. “So David already has a new girlfriend? Is that what you’re telling me?”
Maddie nodded.
“Who is it? That might be a good lead.”
“Cassidy.”
Nick rolled his neck until it cracked, his smile disappearing at the news. “Seriously? That’s just … .”
“The worst coincidence ever,” Maddie finished.
“You can say that again,” Nick said, moving closer and drawing Maddie back into his embrace. “You know I’m going to have to question both of them tomorrow, right?”
“I figured.”
“That’s just going to be … ugly,” Nick said, rubbing his cheek against Maddie’s as he swirled them through the water. “Now you’re definitely going to have to take that swimsuit off. I need cheering up.”
“It’s not dark yet. What if someone comes out here?”
“Maddie, I’m having a rough day,” Nick said, playing his part to perfection. “The only thing that’s going to make me feel better is if you get naked.”
“Not until it’s dark.”
“That’s still an hour away,” Nick pointed out. “What are we going to do until then?”
Maddie’s smile was so wide it almost split her face. “You could catch me a turtle.”
Nick sighed, resigned. Catching turtles was one of their favorite traditions. “It’s sad what I’m willing to do to get you naked,” he lamented.
Maddie kissed him, giving him a preview of what was to come. “I’ll make it up to you in an hour,” she whispered.
“Oh, love, you’re worth every minute spent looking for turtles. Trust me on that. Come on. I need to give you what you want if I expect to get what I want. Just be prepared … I’m going to be handsy when you finally get naked.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
8
Eight
“Thank you for coming in, Mr. Bennet,” Nick said the next morning, ushering the confused-looking contractor into the police station and offering him a seat at the small table.
“I guess I’m not sure why I’m here,” David Bennet said, knitting his eyebrows together. “Quite frankly, I was surprised to get your call this morning. You were kind of vague on the phone.”
“I’m sure you heard about the body found at the lighthouse yesterday,” Kreskin said, taking a seat at the table. “Have you heard who it was yet?”
“Honestly? No,” Bennet said, shaking his head. “I heard a rumor about a body being found at the lighthouse. I didn’t think it was true, though. Who was it?”
“Andrea Johnson.”
Bennet grew silent as he swallowed hard. “I … are you kidding?”
“We don’t generally make jokes about homicides,” Nick said.
“But … I don’t understand how this happened,” Bennet said finally, his eyes bouncing between Nick and Kreskin. “How did she die?”
“She was stabbed in the chest with a large knife,” Nick replied, not missing a beat. His eyes were keen as they scanned Bennet’s face for signs of guilt or remorse. He saw neither, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. “The coroner is still working out some of the details. The state of the body … made certain things difficult.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“We believe Andrea has been in that lighthouse for a little more than two months,” Kreskin supplied. “From what we can ascertain, she’s been dead since she went missing.”
“What’s interesting about all of this is that her daughter is the one who reported her missing two weeks after the fact,” Nick added. “No one else even bothered.”
“I … don’t know what to say,” Bennet said, licking his lips. “I assume you’ve called me in because you heard we were dating.”
“We did,” Nick confirmed. “Is that true?”
“We went out on five dates,” Bennet answered. “I liked her a lot. She was sweet and funny. It wasn’t serious, though. We didn’t … you know.”
“Did you ask about her disappearance?” Kreskin asked.
“I talked to her daughter about three days after she left,” Bennet replied. “Chelsea told me her mother took off down state to hang out with her brother. I believed that. The truth is, though, I was pretty much done with the relationship when I heard she occasionally did that. I didn’t want to be involved with a flake.
“Seriously, once Chelsea told me that, I wished the kid well and moved on,” he continued. “I wasn’t even aware that she never came back. I thought she was back and just decided not to call me. I was actually relieved by that development because I didn’t want to go through any drama when I told her I didn’t want to continue the relationship.”
Nick couldn’t blame Bennet for taking that approach. He wouldn’t have put up with anything even remotely similar. Of course, before settling down with Maddie, he was usually the one putting distance between women and himself. “You didn’t think it was strange that you never saw her again?”
Bennet helplessly shrugged. “She was in town for a year before I met her at the spring festival,” he explained. “I never ran into her on the street. We struck up a conversation at the festival and I asked her out. I don’t ever remember seeing her around town other than when we had a date.”
Nick leaned back in his chair. “Did she tell you anything about her relationship with her husband?”
“Not really,” Bennet said. “She said they were getting divorced and that while they weren’t friendly, they also weren’t overtly fighting for Chelsea’s benefit. My understanding is that they both wanted out of the marriage.”
“Blackstone Bay has a big gossip mill,” Kreskin said. “Rumor has it you’ve already moved on with Cassidy Dunham. The relationships didn’t overlap, did they?”
“I’m not really that kind of guy,” Bennet said. “I’ve known Cassidy for about a year and a half.” He shot a quick look at Nick, worried. “I’ve always thought she was pretty. Once you guys broke up, I wanted to give her a little bit of time before asking her out.
“I met Andrea before you broke up with Cassidy,” he continued. “I liked her and decided to give it a shot. Once Andrea took off, well, I ran into Cassidy in town one night and I finally asked her out.”
“You don’t have to be worried about talking freely about Cassidy,” Nick said. “That situation was … unpleasant … but everyone has put it in the past. There’s no reason to be uncomfortable.”
“I might as well put all of my cards on the table,” Bennet said. “Everyone in town knew you only dated women for a few months before dumping them. I was older than you in school, but even I knew about you and Maddie Graves.
“When Maddie came back to town the two of you wer
e all anyone could talk about,” he continued. “I knew it was only a matter of time before Cassidy was out and Maddie was in. Even knowing that, I didn’t want to push Cassidy. She seemed … really upset … when everything went down. I felt bad for her.
“I was ready to give the situation distance and stay away, but I ran into her not long after that thing out at the Denton place,” Bennet said. “I told her how sorry I was for what happened and we got to talking. Things just spiraled out from there.”
“I’m glad Cassidy found someone,” Nick said. “She deserves to be happy. It still looks weird that you picked up a new girlfriend while your other girlfriend was missing.”
“Andrea wasn’t my girlfriend, though,” Bennet clarified. “I don’t think five dates makes a girlfriend, or a true relationship. We never had sex. We never spent the night together. I have no idea where it would’ve gone if she didn’t disappear.
“I’m very happy with Cassidy,” he said. “I do consider her my girlfriend. I would never wish ill will on Andrea.”
“I understand that,” Nick said. “Did you ever have words with her husband?”
“I’ve never met him,” Bennet replied. “I’m not sure if I could pick him out of a lineup. Andrea told me he was dating someone else himself.”
“Monica Gardner,” Nick supplied.
Bennet made a face. “Gross.”
Kreskin shook his head, chuckling lightly despite the surreal nature of the situation. “You just had the same reaction my partner did when he saw her.”
“I didn’t know he was dating Monica,” Bennet said. “I would’ve warned Andrea if I did. Monica is a walking venereal disease … and not nearly as pleasant to put up with.”
Even Nick had to smile at that quip. “We don’t have a solid suspect right now,” he said, sobering after a few moments. “In cases like this we generally look hard at husbands and boyfriends. You don’t seem to have a motive, but we still have to ask questions. I hope you understand.”
“I do understand,” Bennet said. “I want you to find the person who killed Andrea. She was a nice woman, and she loved her daughter. I feel bad for the kid. She was struggling with the divorce. This is all just … a tragedy.”
Grave Discovery Page 6
