“Because of that, I can’t be involved. Besides, it’s not a State Police case any way. Nonetheless, I can tell you though most of the evidence against Alex is circumstantial for both theft and murder.”
“That’s what the attorney I talked to said. He thinks the charges will be dropped.”
“Oh, you have an attorney? Our friend Marty called with a name in case you needed one.”
“Well, I never met this man. He’s the one the court told me to contact. Eric Pinsky. He seemed nice enough on the phone.”
“He’s the same person Marty recommended.” I nodded in affirmation.
“Good. I…I don’t have much experience in this stuff. It’s hard to know who to trust.”
I nodded. She opened her mouth, but closed it. She glanced out the window before she spoke.
“I don’t know what will happen. Monday we go to court. I have to work and Alex will stay with my neighbor. He loved the camps and all he was learning, but …”
Brett leaned toward her. “We aren’t letting Maddie go back either. Not until this is all resolved. Did Alex ever mention any of the other kids at the camps?”
She smiled. “He talked a lot about Maddie. Maddie did this. Maddie said this.” She paused and the smile disappeared. “He also talked about some snobby girls and some older boys. I got the feeling there was some bullying go on though he never actually said.”
Brett nodded. We talked a while longer and then joined the kids outside. Both Maddie and Alex would need showers for sure and not just from the heat, but the dirt. Karla was all smiles and egging the other two on.
“You about ready to go home, Maddie?”
Her shoulders slumped. “Do we have to go?”
“Yes, we do. We have errands to run and Charlie needs a walk. Ms. Champlin has things to do and I’m sure Karla and Alex have chores, too.”
“That’s right, laundry needs to get done and we promised Mrs. Daniels we’d make her an apple pie for the picnic tomorrow.” Angie looked from Alex to Karla. They nodded. “Now, Alex grab a bag and put some of the fruit and vegetables in it for the McManns.”
“That’s not necessary, really. Thank you and thank you again for lunch.”
She ignored me and we left with a bag of fruit and vegetables. I liked Angie and hoped we’d be friends when this was all over.
CHAPTER 10
I woke up to the smell of coffee brewing and sizzling bacon. A good day for sure, I thought. Until I ventured to the kitchen and Brett turned toward me with scowl on his face.
“Smells good. Why the scowl?”
He shook his head, turned the stove off, and tilted his head to the garage. I followed, not quite sure what he had in mind.
He closed the door to the kitchen and took a deep breath before he spoke. “I got up early to get a quick run in before it got too hot. I found this box…” He pointed to a nondescript brown shipping box.
“On the front step. Almost tripped over it. It’s addressed to Maddie.”
I started to open the box and he stopped me. “You don’t need to look. Inside is a dead rat, a joint, and a note with ‘watch out’ in block letters. I called Chief Peabody and he’s going to stop by a little later.”
I gasped and pulled him to me. His hands shook and he gripped me in a tight hug as he pulled himself together. “Come on. Let’s try to keep things normal and finish getting breakfast cooked.”
I nodded. As he prepared the eggs and toast, I set the table. I washed and cut up some of the fruit we’d brought back from the Champlin’s and made a fruit salad. As usual, Maddie slept through it all, leaving Brett and I to eat alone.
“Any thoughts?”
“How about you and Maddie go on a bike ride? Or take Charlie for a walk? I don’t want her hanging around when Peabody gets here.”
“That’d work.” I thought back over what Maddie had told me about Caleb and Luke. “Did I tell you what Maddie said about Caleb? The way he had an odd sweet smell? Do you think it could be from smoking a joint? Isn’t marijuana in that form still illegal, even for medicinal purposes?”
“Medical marijuana is legal for the oil form only right now, and not likely to give off the sweet smell. The smell, well, it could be from smoking pot or it may be a bad choice of cologne. Some of the men’s stuff is pretty bad. I hope they…”
“Good morning.” Maddie shuffled into the kitchen in her boxer-style pajamas and slid into her chair at the table. Charlie put her nose on Maddie’s lap, hoping for a stray piece of bacon.
“Morning yourself. Have some orange juice, while I whip you up some eggs.” Brett poured her juice and I slid the fruit salad in her direction.
“Did you have any plans for today? It’s a beautiful day outside and not too hot yet.” At her shrug, I continued, “Your dad mentioned cleaning out the garage. Maybe after you eat and get dressed, we’ll take Charlie for a walk, maybe go for a short bike ride later on. What do you think?”
She nodded as she ate her fruit. In no time, her eggs were ready. As she ate, I started the clean up with furtive glances to Brett as he hovered a bit more than usual.
Timing is everything, and Maddie emerged from her room in shorts and tee shirt, hair braided at the same time Chief Peabody pulled in the driveway. I had Charlie haltered and leashed and she was ready for her adventure.
Maddie’s smile disappeared when she saw the policeman. “What’s he doing here again?”
“Probably talking business with your dad, following up on the money in your back pack, something official or he wouldn’t be here on a Sunday morning. We’ll let them be and take Charlie here for her walk, okay?”
“I guess.” She fingered her braid. Charlie pawed at her and licked her hand. That got a chuckle out of her. “Okay, I get the message. Let’s go. Do you have the baggies, Sher?”
I nodded and we were on our way. Brett had intercepted the chief outside the garage, and we exchanged the usual pleasantries as we set out on our walk around the neighborhood.
Ours was one of a group of condominiums in a settled neighborhood. The greens around the eight condominiums were well groomed, though the heat of the summer had taken its toll in a few places where the sprinkler system didn’t quite reach. The other residences were relatively newer construction, ranch style like the condos, and most had a few gardens and a tree or two in the front yard. Someone had spent time and money to ensure the condos matched the style of the existing homes and the same with the newest homes.
Brett had said the neighborhood was pretty much all families, however, I’d yet to meet many of the neighbors. With our condo on the end, our closest neighbors had gone on vacation soon after I moved in at the end of the school year. They were friendly in a polite way with younger children. This was only our second foray into the neighborhood with Charlie. There was a small neighborhood park and playground and that’s where we headed.
It was starting to get warm and I was glad I’d brought water with us. We stopped by a bench and Maddie pulled out a collapsible bowl, garnered from the camping gear, to let Charlie have a drink. I looked around and noticed a few teens, probably Maddie’s age, and a bench in the shade near some other adults. We meandered in that general direction. The grass had just been cut and there was a sign directing people to “Frisbee Golf” I hadn’t noticed the only other time we’d been here.
As if on cue, I heard “Watch out!” Probably the exact wrong thing to do, I turned toward the person yelling and immediately pulled Maddie to the side. Charlie saved the day as she jumped up and caught the Frisbee in the air. She sat with her tail wagging, Frisbee in her mouth, pleased with herself.
“Good girl, great catch.” I looked up as a young man sauntered over, shaking his head.
“Sorry about that. I’m trying to teach my sister how to throw a Frisbee – preferably in the intended direction. Not working so far.”
I felt Maddie tense up, but she was looking past the young man. A pretty girl, long blonde curls loosely tied back, walked toward us. She
sported what reminded me of a golf outfit, with the Puma name displayed prominently. Her outfit accentuated her developing curves.
“Hi, MaryJane. This is Sheridan. She and my dad got married in June.”
“Hello yourself, Maddie. This is my brother, Drew. He’s the captain of the football team at Clover Leaf High.”
“Nice to meet you and all, but can we get our Frisbee back now?” He glanced at his watch and then his sister. “We only have a little longer before we need to get back home for lunch.”
His comment brought all the attention back to Charlie, still holding the Frisbee. “It’s nice to meet you both as well. MaryJane, I think Maddie mentioned you from the camps. Drew do you attend the camps, too?”
“No, ma’am, I have football practice every day. The Frisbee?”
“Oh… Charlie, drop.” Charlie complied and I picked up the Frisbee. “Here, let me wipe if off for you. She kind of slobbered all over it.”
I looked around for something to use and Maddie handed me the paper towel she’d used to wrap Charlie’s bowl. Drew shifted his balance from one foot to the other.
“So you’re at the High School? You must know the two high school boys at camp with Maddie and MaryJane then.”
Drew’s eyebrows raised and jaw clenched, he turned to his sister. “You never mentioned any boys in high school only the one arrested for stealing the pizza money.”
“Um, not important.” MaryJane shrugged and reached for the Frisbee.
Maddie caught on and offered, “Luke and Caleb, right? They’re both in high school, I think. No, never mind, they’re going to the Academy, right MaryJane?”
MaryJane’s face fell and color seeped up from her chest into her face. Her brother’s face turned red much faster and he worked his jaw for a few seconds before he responded. “Yes, they are. MaryJane, I told you to steer clear of those Buchanans. They’re nothing but trouble. Now come on or we’ll be late for lunch.”
I extended the now cleaned off and dry Frisbee. He nodded and walked away. Then he turned back. “Maddie? You stay away from those two, too.” He glanced from Maddie to me and I nodded. Message received.
“Wow. He’s cute.”
“Yes, he is and he’s obviously not a fan of Caleb and Luke. There are some other kids over there. Do you recognize any of them?”
Maddie stared in that direction for a while. “I can’t tell. Can I take Charlie over there? I bet the girls will want to pet her and play with her.”
I nodded and marveled at the draw of a dog as a means to make friends. Maddie had a point. If you’re walking a dog, many more people will strike up a conversation. While I waited, I sat down and checked my phone for any messages from Brett. Hopefully, he’d give us an all clear on when we could go home. Nothing yet.
“Hello, are you new to the neighborhood? We don’t recognize you, though Heather here thinks she recognizes the young girl.” The brunette standing in front of me, flanked by two other women, sounded friendly, curious, and suspicious all at once. Her body language was stiff and her smile didn’t meet her eyes.
“Yes, I’m new to the neighborhood. I’m Sheridan and the young girl is Maddie. Maddie’s been visiting her dad here weekends for about two years now I think. She moved up here permanently sometime in April. Her dad and I were married in June and that’s when I moved here.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood then. I’m Kristen Brewer, this is Heather Hamilton. The pushy one is Ashley Jones.” Kristen’s smile was real and she beamed her welcome. Ashley relaxed a bit, no longer quite at attention. Heather was the youngest of the three and obviously pregnant.
“Nice to meet you. Heather, I hope you don’t mind me asking – when are you due?”
“Not a problem, no way to hide my bundle of joy anymore. The doctor says I’m due in three weeks and that’s not soon enough. We’re here walking and hoping it speeds up Katie’s arrival.”
“I think that’s a hint, Sheridan. It was nice meeting you and we hope to see more of you.” Kristen smiled again, and the threesome walked on past me, Heather working hard to keep up.
Sitting on the bench, I pondered what we knew and didn’t know. My thoughts were interrupted by the beep of my phone with the “all clear” from Brett. I stretched and walked toward the group of kids having a fun time with Charlie.
“Hi Sheridan. This is Nedra and these are all friends of hers who might be in my class. And Charlie here is a total hit.”
“Nice to meet everyone. Maddie, do you remember Ms. Melina at Pets and Paws?”
Maddie nodded her head and Nedra chimed in, “She’s my mom.”
Maddie immediately started in on the puppies and everyone laughed at her descriptions of their antics. It took me a few minutes to get a happier Maddie pointed back toward home, with Charlie in tow.
CHAPTER 11
Brett was hard at work in the garage when we got home. Maddie quickly told him about the friends she made at the park. I took Charlie inside and got a bottle of water for Brett.
“What’s the plan for today? Do we have one?”
“You said you hadn’t been to the Historical Park, so one option is to go there and walk around. Is there anything you want to do or need to do? Shopping? Laundry? I should be through in here in about an hour. After lunch, we can do whatever you girls want.”
“Maybe we could stop and see Bella at Pets and Paws? And then go to the park?” Maddie bounced as she asked.
Brett looked over at me and I chuckled. “I think there’s a certain bedroom that needs to be cleaned up. And speaking of shopping, I’ve noticed some of your pants aren’t fitting right – you’re growing or the fabric is shrinking.”
“I can totally clean my room and figure out which clothes don’t fit any more. So, we can go after lunch?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Brett conceded with a grin. “But you need to get to work on your room and help Sheridan with lunch.”
Maddie dashed into the house and we moved as far from the door as possible before Brett shared his conversation with the chief.
He shook his head. “Peabody took the box, rat, and joint though he’s not too sure there’s any way to identify who sent it. He suggested Maddie go stay with her mother for a while.”
Brett shook his head again and took a deep breath. “I told him Victoria and Roger were out of the country and they weren’t likely to come back for Maddie. It got a little awkward there, but he got the picture.” Their whole trip abroad for business reasons had been dumped on Maddie suddenly along with the decision she move in with Brett full time.
“What now?”
“They’re still investigating the murder and the drug leads. I mentioned the ‘sweet smell’ and he nodded. My guess? He wouldn’t be surprised in the least, but there’s no evidence other than the envelopes of money of any connection between the murder and drugs. Stories’ prints weren’t on the envelope.”
“So somebody could have planted them with the body to confuse things?”
Brett shrugged. “You never can tell. If Stories was into drugs – taking or dealing – Peabody didn’t have or share that intel. I’d gotten the impression Stories supported anti-drug campaigns myself.”
Brett continued to organize all the additional “stuff” that came with my move, while I cleaned up the kitchen and got lunch ready.
I heard Brett’s phone and stuck my head into the garage to be sure he got it. He nodded. A few minutes later, he came in, his jaw set, and I knew it wasn’t good news. I immediately thought of Alex and Maddie. Nothing even close.
“That call was from headquarters. They’re short on manpower. I have to go to Hixburg in the morning, it’s not clear if I’ll have to stay there or be able to come home.”
Hixburg was only 20 minutes away, maybe 30 in bad weather. “What’s going on? Why would you need to stay over?”
“So far there’s no crime. There are significant concerns there might be trouble and things could potentially get out of hand. The governor is concerned
but doesn’t want to go overboard. Mr. Barrymore Whistklan is scheduled to spout his beliefs. He and his friends like to stir things up. You know who he is, right?”
“Yes, one of those extremists. Talks a lot about every controversial topic to try and get people riled up, whether he believes it or not. That’s him right?”
“It is and around here, with all the battles fought in the Civil War, the confederacy is an easy focus. The Civil War might have ended, but even generations later, the sentiments of the confederacy sometimes persist. Unfortunately, when Whistklan spouts, other groups feel a need to speak out in rebuttal. I don’t understand why Hixburg allowed him to purchase a public forum, anticipating what would likely happen. He stirs up hate and people get hurt.”
“We’ll hope you can get home. Maybe other people will be smart enough not to show up. That would be the best option. If he didn’t have an audience, he might shut up. Instead, he gets a lot of free publicity with his hate speech repeated over and over through the media.”
He nodded and took me in his arms.
“Right now, let’s have lunch and you can meet Bella. Have a seat and I’ll go get Maddie. Hopefully, she’s not too excited to eat.”
***
Maddie chattered the entire drive to Pets and Paws, sharing everything she’d learned about the old house and the dogs, especially Bella. Sunday was always an open house, with the intent to encourage people to come adopt the residents. There were a few cars in the parking lot and Mrs. Chantilly was helping a couple to their car with the new addition to their family, a beagle mix was my best guess. Mrs. Chantilly gave out baskets with food, toys, treats, and basic instructions for obedience training to help new owners. She joined us on the steps.
“Hello Sheridan, Maddie. You must be Mr. McMann. I’m Mrs. Chantilly. Please come in and Sheridan and Maddie can show you around.” She was all smiles though obviously busy. She bustled over to a family playing with Razor.
“Come on, Daddy, this is the way to the new mamas and puppies.” Maddie took his hand and I followed behind.
A New Place, Another Murder Page 5
