“I can,” Maddie said finally, bobbing her head.
“Have you talked to my mother?”
“A few times now,” Maddie answered. “She was confused when I first came across her. Time moves differently when you’re caught between two worlds. She’s getting better now. She’s remembering things. She still can’t remember who killed her, or how David ended up with her wedding ring, but I’m hopeful she’ll be able to come up with answers soon.”
“Has she mentioned me?” Chelsea’s lower lip quivered.
“She’s worried about you, and she told me you’re the one thing she’s always loved,” Maddie said. “She’s stopped in to see you a few times. She says you seem sad.”
“Can you tell her I love her?”
“She knows that,” Maddie said, patting the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell her to make sure she knows, though. I think she would like to hear that.”
“Will she stay here forever? I mean, maybe I can learn to see her.”
“I don’t know a lot about what I can do, but I was born this way,” Maddie said. “You don’t really want your mother to stay here. She’ll be sad and lonely if she does. Most ghosts willingly move on when they’ve finished what they need to do on this plane of existence.”
“So, you’re saying my mother will leave when her murder is solved,” Chelsea mused.
“I’m saying your mother will leave when her murder is solved and she’s sure you’re going to be all right,” Maddie clarified. “She’s more worried about you than herself. She did tell me that she didn’t think David had it in him to kill her. She also said she didn’t believe your dad killed her. If that’s the case, we’re missing a big clue. We just need to find it.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Now we have to wait for something to fall into our laps,” Maddie answered. “We also have to go back to the house and make sure Granny isn’t doing something crazy. I think that you should probably help us with that.”
“Me? Why?”
“You’re young and you have a lot of energy,” Maddie said, slipping an arm over Chelsea’s shoulders as she led her back toward the house. “Christy and I are old and Granny wears us out. We need a fresh set of eyes to watch her.”
“Do you think she’ll win?”
“I think … this town will never be the same after tonight,” Maddie replied. “I never thought I would say this, but I’m actually looking forward to the pageant.”
“I hope she wins,” Chelsea said. “I know two girls who are trying to win the crown and I would be thrilled if they lost.”
“Then you came to the right place. Granny is going to love you.”
20
Twenty
“Okay, I’m glad you called me on this because I don’t think the theory the prosecutor is floating makes a lot of sense.”
Ron Kelley, the county’s lead medical examiner, moved into the center of the room and positioned himself next to Andrea Johnson’s body.
As a seasoned police officer, Nick was familiar with dead bodies. Given the state of Andrea’s remains, though, he found himself looking anywhere else in the room rather than focusing on her. It was simply too difficult to see the loving mother she used to be when confronted with the sad state of her physical remains.
“I’ve known Steve Douglas since we were in school together, and he was a pain in the ass when he was a kid,” Kreskin supplied. “He’s even worse now that he was elected prosecutor. I can barely stand to be in the same room with him.”
“You and me both,” Kelley said. “He walked me through his theory this morning. The problem is, it doesn’t seem to fit the facts we have.”
“Did you tell him that?” Nick asked.
“I did.”
“What did he say?”
“He said I didn’t know what I was talking about and to make the facts fit his case,” Kelley answered. “I’ve got a rude awakening for him: That’s not how I work. I figured I would talk to you guys before taking it over his head – or to the press, and I will do that if need be – and see what you guys think before doing anything rash.”
“My problem is that I can’t be sure that David is guilty because there’s a ring of truth to the story he told us last night,” Nick said.
“Pun intended,” Kreskin deadpanned, earning an eye roll from Nick. “My partner is right, though. I didn’t get the feeling that Bennet was lying about how he ended up with that ring, and his story is plausible.”
“Well, you’re probably going to like what I have to tell you if you think Bennet is innocent,” Kelly said, moving closer to the body. “Do you see that area there?”
“Just tell us what you see and don’t make us stare,” Nick suggested. “I trust your judgment on this.”
“I’m with him,” Kreskin said, causing Kelley to snort.
“Fine,” Kelley said. “Andrea Johnson was stabbed twice in the chest. The first wound was hesitant. It eventually would’ve killed her if left unattended, but it’s the second wound that ultimately killed her.”
“How long would she have lived after being stabbed?”
“She could’ve lived hours without treatment with the first wound,” Kelley replied. “The second wound killed her within seconds.”
“Maybe the first wound was an accident,” Kreskin suggested. “Maybe someone lashed out in a moment of anger and figured it was too late so they had to finish the job.”
“That’s a distinct possibility,” Kelley said. “Here’s the thing, from the angle of the wound, someone would’ve had to do this.” He mimed stabbing Nick in the chest with an invisible blade. “Do you see the angle I’m holding the knife at?”
Kreskin nodded.
“David Bennet is simply too tall to make any scenario fit,” Kelley said. “He would have to stab downward in an arc given the victim’s size. Whoever killed Andrea Johnson was much shorter.”
“How much shorter?”
Kelley tilted his head to the side, considering. “I’m guessing between five-foot-five and five-foot-eight.”
“That could be a short man or a regular-sized woman,” Nick mused. “How about the force behind the second wound? Does that make you think that someone had to have considerable upper body strength?”
“Not necessarily,” Kelley replied. “It was a big knife, but depending on the size of the handle I think just about anyone – barring a small child or elderly adult – could’ve wielded it with enough force to deliver the death blow.”
“David Bennet is too tall, but Rick Johnson is short,” Nick said. “I would put him right around the tallest edge of your estimate.”
“I can’t guarantee it’s him,” Kelley cautioned. “The only thing I can say with certainty is that I don’t believe it’s David Bennet.”
“You’re not the only one,” Nick said, his tone grim. “I didn’t think it was him from the moment he told that ring story. Now I’m sure of it.”
“If it’s not him, that leads us back to Rick Johnson,” Kreskin said.
“The problem is, I’m not sure it’s him either,” Nick said. “This is turning into a big mess.”
“TELL me what you’re thinking,” Kreskin instructed an hour later, sitting across from Nick at the picnic table outside of the police department and unwrapping his sandwich.
“I don’t think it’s Rick or David,” Nick said, fiddling with his sandwich wrapper and staring into space. “I just … feel … that we’re missing something important.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.”
“What does Maddie say?” Kreskin asked, biting into his sandwich.
“Maddie doesn’t think either one of them is guilty either,” Nick replied. “She keeps asking about Andrea’s car, and I think she’s right. The absence of that car is something we can’t overlook.”
“Everyone thought Andrea left town because her car was missing,” Kreskin said. “Do you think someone hid the car deliberatel
y to throw everyone off?”
“I don’t know,” Nick said. “Let’s say Kelley was right and the first wound was an accident. Maybe Andrea and her killer got into a fight and someone lashed out. That person might have panicked and realized they had to finish the job or go to prison.
“So this person kills Andrea and is stuck with a body,” he continued. “What do you do with a body? Most people would bury it. This person either can’t do that or doesn’t want to risk it. They probably have a car to hide, too. What would you do?”
“Burying a body is risky in case someone catches you,” Kreskin said. “People notice upturned earth, and if someone is in the woods with a dog, the animal might accidentally uncover the body.
“Plus, digging a grave is hard,” he continued. “It looks easy on television and in movies, but it’s difficult. You have to be strong. You would need to park a vehicle close to where you’re burying the body because carrying it is also difficult. Andrea Johnson wasn’t big, but she still would’ve been dead weight.”
“No pun intended,” Nick interjected, his eyes flashing. “So, if you can’t bury a body, you’re stuck finding a place to dump it. I think whoever did this has to be familiar with Blackstone Bay – and for more than just a year.”
“We’re ruling out David, so that means Andrea either ticked off someone else or was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kreskin said. “I think you’re right about it being a local. Only a local would know about the lighthouse. It’s outside of town and you can’t see it because of its location unless you’re over on the bay side.”
“So someone drives out there and breaks into the lighthouse,” Nick said. “They drag Andrea inside and cover her up with garbage. I think we’ve gone through everything inside of the building and all of it looks to have been there a long time, which means the killer used what he had at hand.”
“That still leaves the killer with a vehicle to dispose of,” Kreskin pointed out. “Where would they put it? They could wipe it down and dump it in the woods, but that’s still an iffy proposition because fibers and DNA can be collected no matter how well something is cleaned. It would almost make more sense to burn it.”
“That’s too much of a risk, though,” Nick said. “If you burn a vehicle during the day, someone will see the smoke. If you burn a vehicle at night, someone is more likely to see the flames. Either way, I think someone would’ve seen a vehicle if they abandoned it in the woods. People are all over this area during the summer months. Someone would’ve found it by now if it was out there.”
“So where do you think Andrea’s car is?”
“I think it’s in someone’s garage,” Nick said. “Maddie mentioned the possibility of it earlier while we were lazing around in bed, and the more she talked about it, the more I realized she was right. That car is locked away in someone’s garage and they’re panicking right now because they know it’s the one thing that could put them away forever.”
“Maddie came up with this scenario, huh?” Kreskin teased. “I’m starting to think we should hire her. She’s involved in most of our cases anyway.”
Nick’s smile was sheepish. “She’s very smart.”
“You’re lovesick and it’s cute,” Kreskin said. “I’m not going to argue with your theory. It makes sense. How do you suggest going about looking for the car?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Nick admitted. “We need time to think. I cannot miss the trout festival pageant tonight. Maude is performing a magic act, and her nose is out of joint because Maddie and I haven’t been paying enough attention to her.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve heard all about the pageant,” Kreskin said. “The wife is making me go, too. She thinks it’s going to be the entertainment event of the century.”
“It will be a fiasco, but it’s probably going to be funny,” Nick said.
“How is Maddie taking it?” Kreskin asked, locking gazes with Nick. “She seems like she embarrasses easily. I would think she’d try to talk Maude out of this.”
“Maddie is … sensitive,” Nick replied, choosing his words carefully. “She’s decided to embrace Maude’s efforts this time, though. I think she’s going to have a good time.”
“Does it ever bother you that Maddie is so sensitive?”
“She wouldn’t be Maddie if she didn’t feel things to her core,” Nick replied. “Although … .”
“Although what?” Kreskin prodded, genuinely curious.
“We had our first fight the other day,” Nick said.
“I saw it,” Kreskin said. “I agreed with you and yet I felt really bad for her. I was watching from outside the conference window and she looked as if she was going to pass out while you were ranting and raving.”
“I’m not sorry I yelled at her,” Nick said. “I should have thought it out more, though. I need her to be safe because I can’t lose her again. I wouldn’t survive it. I thought everything was over and done with when I sent her home. I figured she would go home and pout and then we would make up when I got there.”
“I’m guessing it didn’t happen like you thought it would,” Kreskin prodded.
“When I got home the house was dark,” Nick said. “I found her sleeping on the window seat. She’d been crying.”
“And you rolled over and showed her your belly because you can’t stand it when she cries,” Kreskin surmised.
“That’s not it … although I did kind of do that, but I’d made up my mind to do that before I saw her because I didn’t like being angry with her,” Nick admitted. “She was surprised to see me. She thought when I told her I wouldn’t be home for dinner that meant I wasn’t coming home at all.”
Kreskin made a face. “Why would she think that?”
“She assumed I was going to spend the night at my old house or something,” Nick replied. “She was really upset.”
“I’m sure you set her straight.”
“I did,” Nick confirmed. “It bothers me that she thinks I would walk away from her after all we’ve been through, though. She’s not used to fighting. Even when we were kids, we never really fought. She just … assumed … I would abandon her.”
“Listen, I’m not going to tell you your business, but Maddie is a tough nut to crack,” Kreskin said. “She’s very sweet. You should be thankful for that. My wife fights dirty, and she’s not afraid to pull hair or kick me in my tender spot to get her own way.”
Nick barked out a hoarse laugh. He couldn’t help himself.
“I don’t know Maddie well,” Kreskin continued. “She seems like a good girl. You just need to make her believe that you won’t ever leave her. I’m not sure how you’re going to do that, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“Oh, I’ve already figured something out,” Nick said.
Kreskin arched an expectant eyebrow.
“I’m going to ask her to marry me,” Nick said.
Kreskin stilled. “That doesn’t surprise me,” he said finally. “Just make sure you’re asking her because you think it’s the right time and not because you want to paint your life in perfect brush strokes as a way to make her feel safe.”
“Aren’t you going to give me a lecture on moving too fast?”
“No,” Kreskin replied. “You’re not moving too fast. You’ve loved that girl your whole life. You said you wanted to give the relationship time so you didn’t rush things, though. What happened to that?”
“I don’t want to rush things,” Nick said. “I don’t plan on proposing until Christmas. I just realized that I want to be married to her. There’s never going to be anyone else for me. She’s it.”
“And she feels the same way about you, right?” Kreskin teased.
“I hope so.”
“Oh, don’t get all … melancholy,” Kreskin chided. “That girl loves you just as much as you love her. I think it’s great you’re going to propose. Just … don’t tell anyone else if you want to surprise her. Gossip moves faster than a fart in a closet in this town.”
Nick snorted. “I have no intention of telling anyone,” he said. “I want time to plan a big proposal. It has to be special. I was considering asking my mother for my grandmother’s ring, but then I decided to have one designed just for Maddie.”
“That’s a big expense.”
“I just sold a house,” Nick reminded him. “I have the money. I want something that was made specifically for her. I don’t want there to be any other ring like it.”
“You’re a romantic at heart,” Kreskin said. “Maddie is lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky to have her.”
“That goes without saying,” Kreskin said. “Nick, I don’t like talking about feelings and stuff very often, but I don’t worry about you and Maddie getting your happily ever after.
“I don’t know if you want to hear this or not, but I knew the moment I saw you and Maddie back together after her return that you were going to end up together,” he continued. “That night she almost drowned in the lake and you had to swim in after her, I saw on your face that you loved her more than anything.
“Now, I would be lying if I said that your breakup with Cassidy didn’t come sooner than I expected,” Kreskin said. “I thought for sure you were going to act like a tough guy and push Maddie away a little bit longer because you didn’t want to admit you loved her. I never once doubted you two would end up together, though. I think marriage can only make you stronger.”
“I knew the day I saw Maddie on the street that I still loved her,” Nick said. “I took one look at her and my heart just … blew up. When she almost drowned, I realized I couldn’t be without her. I didn’t want to play that game.”
“Well, it’s worked out for you,” Kreskin said. “You’re going to marry the girl of your dreams and I’ll just bet you’ll have an entire family to dote on in a few years.”
“I just need my Maddie right now,” Nick said. “Kids change your life. I want them eventually, but I want it to be just Maddie and me right now. I need to make her feel safe.”
Grave Discovery Page 16
