Grave Discovery

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Well, I can’t argue with that,” Nick said. “He’s sleeping with Monica Gardner. Would you want her near your kid?”

  Christy made a face. “I can’t believe she hasn’t died of some rare venereal disease yet,” she said. “I hate her. She’s banned from my salon, too.”

  “What do you think that means?” Maddie asked, shifting her gaze toward Nick. “If Rick Johnson thought his wife was going to take his daughter away, that gives him a motive for murder. No matter how you want to spin it, I can’t find a motive for David.”

  “I agree that David doesn’t have a motive,” Nick said. “That doesn’t mean he didn’t snap and kill her in a moment of rage. We can’t focus on one suspect to the detriment of others yet, Mad.”

  “Fine.” Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed.

  “Mad, I know why you want David to be innocent,” Nick said. “You think that if he’s guilty Cassidy is going to be hurt again. If Cassidy gets hurt a second time, there’s a good chance she’s going to go after us again. I know what you’re thinking. I can’t rule David out as a suspect to make Cassidy happy.”

  “I heard Cassidy made a scene at the department yesterday because she thought Maddie was going after her man again,” Christy said, snickering. “How did that go?”

  “How can you possibly know that?” Maddie asked, dumbfounded.

  “Dale told his wife and she stopped in at the salon before I left last night.”

  “This town is like one big psych experiment,” Nick muttered.

  Maddie sympathetically patted his knee. “What are you going to do about this new information?”

  “I’m going to have breakfast with you and then question Rick Johnson again,” Nick answered. “This time I want Chelsea there to answer questions, too. I’m sick of people lying to me. It’s time to get to the truth.”

  15

  Fifteen

  Andrea Johnson stood in front of the lighthouse, her face blank as she stared out at the rolling water, completely oblivious as Maddie approached. Maddie had experience with numerous ghosts, but Andrea was different from all the others. Maddie just couldn’t figure out why.

  “I see you came back,” Maddie said, cautiously moving closer to Andrea while simultaneously scanning the area to make sure they were alone. “Did you make it to your house?”

  “What am I doing here?” Andrea asked, snapping her eyes to Maddie and fixing her with a confused look. “I don’t understand why I’m here.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re here either,” Maddie admitted. “You know you’re dead, right?”

  “I guess,” Andrea said, tilting her head to the side and listening to the sound of the water. “If I’m dead, why am I here?”

  “Your soul stayed behind,” Maddie explained.

  “Why?”

  Maddie shrugged. “You probably have unfinished business,” she said. “I’m guessing you either want revenge on whoever killed you, or you want to watch over Chelsea.”

  “Chelsea,” Andrea intoned, her face contorting. “My poor Chelsea.”

  “Chelsea is in a lot of trouble, Andrea,” Maddie said, adjusting her interrogation tactic midstream. She hoped appealing to Andrea’s motherly instincts would be the best way to snap her into this reality. For some reason, Maddie had the distinct impression that Andrea was so out of it because she was straddling the line between two worlds. She didn’t have one foot firmly planted in either, so she floated between them with no real understanding of her new reality. “She needs you to focus on me so we can help her.”

  It might have been her imagination, but Maddie was almost positive Andrea’s form solidified a tiny bit.

  “I tried to see Chelsea, but I couldn’t find the house,” Andrea said. “I keep trying to leave this place, but when I do, I end up going nowhere.”

  “I think you’re anchored here for some reason,” Maddie said. “I’m not sure why. Some ghosts can’t leave the spot where they died for whatever reason. I’m not sure you died here, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The forensic team didn’t find any blood inside,” Maddie replied, opting for brutal honesty. “You were stabbed in the chest. There should have been some form of … mess.”

  “I guess that’s why I don’t ever remember being here,” Andrea murmured. “Maybe I never visited until after I was already dead.”

  “That’s a distinct possibility,” Maddie said. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  “Seeing you here and trying to find Chelsea.”

  “I mean … what’s the last thing you remember about being alive?” Maddie prodded. “As far as we can tell, the last time anyone saw you was before work on the first day of June.”

  “How long ago was that?” Andrea asked. “It feels like it’s been a long time.”

  “That was more than two months ago.”

  Andrea stilled, her shoulders unnaturally stiff when she swiveled. “I’ve been dead for two months?”

  Maddie nodded.

  “But … you just found me, right? How long ago did you find me?”

  “A few days ago,” Maddie replied, her heart going out to the spirit. She was woefully lost and confused. “I thought I saw you in the window when I was out jogging with a friend. I came back with my boyfriend – who also happens to be a police officer – and we found you inside.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve been gone that long,” Andrea said. “What about Chelsea? How is she handling things?”

  “Not well.”

  “What does that mean?” Andrea asked, her eyes flitting fearfully around the open expanse. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She’s having a few … issues,” Maddie explained. “She’s living with Rick, and I believe they’re struggling to get over your death. They thought you … took off … to stay with your brother and never bothered to come back. That’s what Rick is telling people anyway.”

  Maddie knew it was a leading statement, but she was dying to see if Andrea would react negatively to the news.

  “Rick is an idiot,” Andrea muttered. “He wouldn’t know how to make Chelsea feel better if the solution was in the middle of the television screen during a football game.”

  “Why would they think you took off?” Maddie asked. “Was it normal for you to be gone for weeks at a time?”

  “I’m not going to lie and say I was some perfect wife and mother,” Andrea said. “I wasn’t. I had to take breaks occasionally. I never left for more than a week, though. If Rick is saying something to the contrary, well, he’s lying.”

  “He said he thought you were with your brother and then decided to run away without saying goodbye,” Maddie said. “Is that something you would’ve done?”

  Andrea was scandalized. “Of course not!”

  “Tell me about David Bennet,” Maddie instructed, switching gears. “What was your relationship like?”

  “He was nice,” Andrea said, the corners of her mouth tipping up. “He was thoughtful and listened when I talked. We only went out a few times. I wouldn’t really call it a relationship. We might have gotten there some day, but we weren’t there yet. Now … well … I guess we never will find out if we had a shot of making it work.”

  “Do you think there’s any reason why David would kill you?”

  “No. No way.”

  “What about Rick?” Maddie asked.

  “Rick was a deadbeat who never wanted to leave the house unless it was to visit a sports bar,” Andrea explained. “I got tired of being held hostage by a lazy husband. He’s not a mean man, though. He wouldn’t kill me.”

  “And you can’t remember anything about your last day of life?”

  “My mind is fuzzy,” Andrea explained. “It’s like my brain doesn’t want to work correctly.”

  “Or it doesn’t want to remember,” Maddie mused. “You need to keep trying. You also need to escape from here if you can. I think you’re being anchored here for a reason, although I have no idea
why.

  “Save up your energy,” she continued. “Next time you try to make a break for it, think of your home. If we’re lucky, you’ll pop in there and be able to see Chelsea. Even if she can’t see you, she might feel you. That also might shake your memory loose.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Andrea said. “Can’t you bring Chelsea out here so I can talk to her? You could tell her what I say.”

  “I’m not sure,” Maddie hedged. “Chelsea is already struggling. I can’t give her messages from beyond the grave and screw her up even worse than she already is. I need to think about that.”

  “I understand,” Andrea said. “Just … make sure she’s okay. She’s the one thing in this world that I always loved.”

  “I’ll watch her,” Maddie promised. “Try to remain focused and see what you can remember. I’ll be back.”

  NICK kept his face impassive as Rick Johnson reluctantly let him into his home. He wasn’t thrilled with the police officer’s presence, but he knew he had to answer questions on his turf or travel to the police station. He had no intention of going downtown and fueling the rampant gossip mill, so he led Nick to the kitchen and sat across from him at the table.

  “You said on the phone this wasn’t about Chelsea,” Rick said. “If you’re here to arrest her again … .”

  “I’m not here to arrest her,” Nick said, cutting Rick off before he got a full head of steam. “I’m here to ask some questions. I would appreciate it if Chelsea joined us.”

  “She’s asleep.”

  “Wake her up.”

  “I’m not going to do that,” Rick argued. “She had a terrible night. She wouldn’t stop crying the whole way home. She won’t talk to me and let me help her. The least I can do is let the kid sleep. She needs it.”

  Nick wet his lips as he internally debated pressing the matter. “Fine,” he said finally. “We’ll start without her. I need to know when you started dating Monica.”

  “I … .” Rick furrowed his brow. “What does Monica have to do with this?”

  “Answer the question.”

  Rick made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat as he rolled his neck and stared at the ceiling. “I guess it was about three and a half months ago,” he said. “It was right after Andrea and I realized the marriage was over and we wanted to go our separate ways.”

  “How did that conversation come about?”

  “What? The talk of divorce?”

  Nick nodded.

  “We’d been unhappy for years,” Rick said. “Andrea wasn’t a bad person. That doesn’t mean she was my soul mate. Do you believe in soul mates?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you think Maddie Graves is your soul mate?”

  “I do,” Nick replied.

  “Imagine being with someone and knowing she wasn’t your soul mate,” Rick said. “I don’t want to sound schmaltzy, but I really want someone to love me for who I am. Andrea never loved me.

  “She was a good person, don’t get me wrong,” he continued. “She wasn’t my soul mate, though. We were never going to be in love with one another. That got harder and harder to ignore with each passing year.”

  “Who broached the subject of divorce first?”

  “She did.”

  “Did you know she filed divorce papers at the county courthouse?” Nick asked, keenly studying Rick for a reaction.

  “I was served at work.”

  “Did you know she cited infidelity as the reason for the marriage dissolution?”

  “Yes,” Rick replied, gritting his teeth. “She didn’t like Monica and she did it out of spite.”

  “You just told me you were trying to get along for Chelsea’s sake,” Nick reminded him. “Why would she use that in her filing if you were getting along?”

  “I moved on quicker than she wanted me to,” Rick answered. “She was bitter. Once she got used to the situation, though, she was going to amend the filing and put irreconcilable differences.”

  “My problem with that is the documents also state she wanted sole custody of Chelsea,” Nick said. “Even if she didn’t like Monica, why would she try to keep Chelsea away from you?”

  “She said she would take that out if I broke up with Monica.”

  “Did you consider breaking up with Monica?”

  “I did,” Rick said. “Listen, I’m not an idiot. I know all about Monica’s reputation. If you’re wondering, I don’t consider her a soul mate either. She’s fun, though. She doesn’t put a lot of pressure on me.

  “I’m not looking for another wife right now,” he continued. “I am looking for fun and relaxation. You found your soul mate and you’re happy. I just wanted to have a good time and Monica fit the bill. I was never considering her as Chelsea’s stepmother, no matter what Andrea may have thought at the time.”

  “You realize this divorce filing makes you look bad, right?” Nick pressed.

  “Yes.”

  “My dad didn’t kill my mom,” Chelsea announced, barreling into the room and taking both men by surprise. Her hair was in disarray and she was still dressed in fuzzy sleep pants and an oversized shirt. She looked furious. “I don’t know why you’re going after him when her boyfriend is clearly the one who killed her!”

  “Calm down, Chelsea,” Rick said, tentatively grabbing her wrist. “We’re just talking. There’s no reason to get yourself all worked up. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

  “It’s not going to be okay as long as … that man … is running around free,” Chelsea argued. “He killed my mother and you people are going to let him get away with it.”

  “We’re investigating David Bennet,” Nick said, tugging on his patience as he internally fought the urge to yell at the distraught teenager. “The fact that he bought the lighthouse where your mother’s body was discovered is a problem. We’re trying to look at every angle, though.”

  “You’re not looking hard enough.”

  “Sit down, Chelsea,” Rick instructed, patting the seat next to him. “Detective Winters has some questions to ask you.”

  “I don’t want to talk to him,” Chelsea shot back, petulant.

  “Sit down.”

  Chelsea did as instructed, but the look she scorched Nick with was one of pure spite.

  “Did your mom mention any problems she was having with other people?” Nick asked. “Did any co-workers dislike her? Any other parents?”

  “The only one who disliked my mother was Monica,” Chelsea said. “She’s the Devil. You know that, right?”

  “I do know that,” Nick confirmed. “We went to high school together. I knew she was the Devil before you did.”

  His flippant answer was enough to loosen Chelsea’s resolve. “Does your girlfriend really talk to ghosts?”

  “Maddie is the best person I know,” Nick replied, choosing his words carefully. “She can do a lot of amazing things. If she told you that she’s going to try and talk to your mother, then I have to believe she’ll keep her word.”

  “She told me last night that she fell in love with you when she was a teenager but couldn’t admit it until she was an adult and that I was being too hard on Mr. Bennet because he only went out with Mom a few times before she disappeared,” Chelsea said. “She said I wasn’t being fair and that it takes people longer to form a relationship. Do you believe that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think Mr. Bennet killed my mother?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Nick answered. “I think when all the pieces come together, we’ll better understand what happened to your mother.”

  “My dad didn’t do it,” Chelsea said. “I know that.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Nick said, turning his attention back to Rick. “Before I go, I have one more question. I had a talk with Andrea’s lawyer before coming over here. I wanted to talk about the divorce papers and make sure I wasn’t missing anything. He told me that Andrea changed her will about a week before she disappeared.”

  Rick straight
ened his shoulders, and Nick could tell the information was a surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “You were listed as the beneficiary up until the week before she died,” Nick explained. “Even after she filed for divorce, she kept you on until that last meeting with her lawyer.”

  “Who was the beneficiary?” Chelsea asked. “Whoever it is had the best reason to kill my mother. Was it David?”

  “No,” Nick said, sympathy squeezing his heart. “It was you.”

  “What?” Chelsea glanced at her father with fearful eyes. “I didn’t kill my mother.”

  “I know you didn’t,” Nick said. “Your mother changed her will so you would get everything and her sister would act as an executor until you turned eighteen.”

  “My aunt wouldn’t kill my mother either.”

  “She’s right,” Rick said. “Ellie and Andrea were close. Ellie wouldn’t kill her for money.”

  “We’ve already nailed down Ellie’s alibi for the entire week in question,” Nick said. “She was at a retreat in Florida. She couldn’t have killed Andrea. I just wanted to know if you were aware she changed her will right before she disappeared.”

  “I had no idea,” Rick said.

  “Well, I’ll keep you updated as we move forward,” Nick said, pushing himself to his feet. “We’re still trying to figure out things. When we know more, I’ll make sure you know more. That’s all I can do for right now.”

  16

  Sixteen

  “It’s beautiful out,” Maddie said, exhaling heavily as she strolled through the woods behind her house, her fingers linked with Nick’s. “You know we only have a few weeks of this before fall hits. I’m going to be sad when the weather changes.”

  “You love fall, Mad,” Nick countered. “You love carving pumpkins and watching scary movies.”

  “You like watching scary movies,” Maddie corrected. “I have to cover my eyes and crawl on your lap so I’m not terrified.”

  “That’s why I like scary movies.”

  Maddie rolled his eyes. “I do love carving pumpkins,” she said. “Can we dress up for Halloween this year?”