Sifting for Suspects

by Cindy Bell

  “I’m just saying, it has uses, just not nutritional ones.”

  “Derek. I appreciate the effort, but…”

  “But you want to put toilet bowl cleaner into your body?”

  “Derek!”

  She stepped into the kitchen and set her keys down on the counter. It was empty, as was the refrigerator, as was her heart. Derek believed his body was sacred, she couldn’t imagine a single thing that would have driven him to drink alcohol. She grabbed a frozen dinner out of the freezer and tossed it into the microwave. As it spun around on its plate she tried not to think about Derek watching her from whatever distant place he was, primed to point out the preservatives and non-organic compounds that she was about to consume. At one time that drove her crazy, now she longed for it. She missed the way he encouraged her to take care of herself, and never hesitated to remind her of just how valuable she was.

  Mia trotted in at the scent of food. Lucy sat down on the kitchen floor with her and stroked her fur. No matter what she was dealing with, Mia always soothed her. If only her feline friend could talk she was sure Mia would offer her the perfect advice.

  “I knew him best, Mia. I know he didn’t drink. I know that something terrible happened to him. How am I going to live with it if I’m the only one who knows that?”

  Chapter 3

  Lucy’s alarm went off at six-thirty. It was set at six-thirty so she’d have time to get up and go for a walk or a run in the morning. She hit the snooze button, as she did every morning, and tried to go back to sleep. Her mind filled with thoughts of Derek. It was another day, without him. Another day of the police believing his death was an accident, when she was certain that it wasn’t. After a shower she fed Mia, and cobbled together a small breakfast. When she was ready for the day she decided to call the detective on the case. After three rings his voicemail picked up. She hesitated to leave a message, but once she started talking she couldn’t stop. She rambled on about how healthy Derek was and how he would never touch alcohol.

  “Please just consider that something else might have happened. I know that you’re good at what you do, and it’s not my place to question your findings, but my instincts are telling me that Derek’s death wasn’t an accident.” She hung up the phone and wondered if the call was pointless. Would he even listen to the voicemail? Would he be annoyed that she babbled on for so long? She pushed the thought out of her mind and headed for the patisserie. On the drive there her mind drifted back to Derek’s most recent competition at the gym. He was expected to win as he’d done so well in training sessions and other competitions. However, one of his competitors, a fellow trainer and a friend, Sharon, had lifted far more than he could. She got the attention of everyone by doubling the weight of her previous lift. She expected Derek to be disappointed, but he wasn’t, he was angry.

  “Something’s not right.”

  “Derek, I think it’s great that she’s worked so hard to achieve so much. What’s wrong with that?”

  “What’s wrong is that I know Sharon, and that was a lot of weight for her.”

  “Maybe she was doing extra training in private.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Derek, try not to be down. You did a great job. I’m sure next year you’ll win.”

  “It’s not about that.” He shook his head. “I guess I’d better go congratulate her before she gets the impression that I’m a sore loser.”

  As she watched him walk over to Sharon, she couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t with her. She was beautiful, muscular, and fitness-minded. She noticed the way she hugged him, and discomfort curled through her. Jealousy was not something she experienced often, but now and then the way Sharon touched Derek made it rear its ugly head. As she arrived at the patisserie she pushed the memory away.

  Lucy opened by herself that morning and the peace helped to soothe her nerves. As much as she loved her mother and sister she knew they would be all over her about her reaction to Derek’s death, and if one more person asked if she was okay, she might just burst into tears. Not long after she flipped the closed sign to open, a customer walked in. She turned to face him and was a little startled. She had no reason to be, she knew he was there, she expected customers to come into the patisserie, but something about him caused a jolt to run through her.

  “Good morning,” she stumbled over her words as he walked up to the counter. He looked to be a few years older than her, but also in his thirties, and though his face was slightly weathered, his square jaw and wavy hair made him very attractive.

  “Hi.” He folded his hands behind his back, careful not to touch the glass. “I’m here on an errand.”

  “An errand?” She smiled and tried to ignore the subtle tingle in her cheeks. Was she blushing? Could he tell?

  “I’ve been instructed that I cannot return home without a box of your macarons.” He glanced down at the assorted colors in the display. “I suppose a couple of each.”

  “How nice.” She tried not to let disappointment enter her voice. So he had a girlfriend, or a wife, waiting at home. It was silly for her to dwell on the strange sensation he stirred inside of her. Clearly it was some kind of hyper-reaction to Derek’s death. “I’ll make sure I pack a full box.” She turned to grab a box and in the process she knocked down the four stacked under it. “Oh, oops.” She sighed and began to gather up the boxes. However, when she straightened back up she caught her head on the edge of the counter. “Ouch!” She reached up and rubbed her head.

  “Are you okay?”

  It wasn’t until she heard his voice that she realized he was on the same side of the counter, just behind her.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She stumbled forward a step to create some distance between them.

  “I’m sorry, when I saw you get hurt, I just wanted to check on you.” He returned to the front of the counter as she blinked a few times to clear her sight. Her head ached, but her body coursed with warmth.

  “I’m not usually so clumsy.”

  “I must make you nervous.” He laughed. Something that should have been a laugh but sounded more like a cluck escaped her mouth. She cleared her throat and turned to the sink to wash her hands. As she began to load the macarons into the box she realized just how quiet it was. With any other customer she would chat and discuss local politics just to fill in the quiet. But with the man who waited patiently for his macarons, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

  “I hope she likes these.” She slid him the box and turned to ring up the sale on the register.

  “I’m sure she will. She hasn’t stopped raving about them since the free ones you gave her.”

  “Free ones?” She raised an eyebrow. “Was she at one of our catered events?”

  “No, she’s a police officer. Annaliese. Do you remember her?”

  “Oh, yes of course. She was so kind to my nephew.” Her heart dropped even further. Annaliese was beautiful, and brave, there was no way this man could have any interest in her. She wasn’t even sure why she wanted him to.

  “She said to tell you that you can expect a lot of visits from police officers because she shared a few with some of the people at the station and they are all eager to get some more.”

  “Well, that’s just so wonderful. Your wife is a very brave woman.”

  “Wife?” He laughed and shook his head.

  “Oh I’m sorry, girlfriend.” She accepted the money from him and began to count out his change.

  “No, no. She’s my sister. I’m currently unattached.” He smiled.

  “Oh!” She blushed at the enthusiasm in her voice. “I mean, sorry for the misunderstanding.”

  “It’s fine. Most people find it a little odd that I live with my sister, but it just kind of worked out that way. I like to keep an eye out for her, and she doesn’t like to live alone. She’s divorced, and I’m chronically single, so we make it work.”

  “It’s nice of you to be so protective of her. My sister and I are also very close. I think family is so
important.”

  “So do I, especially since it’s just us.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “I’m sorry, I meant, it’s just us here in the state. Our parents live on the other coast.”

  “I see.” She smiled. “There I go making assumptions again.”

  “No worries.” He took the box of macarons and put the change she gave him into the tip jar. “It was very nice to meet you. Uh, well I guess I didn’t actually meet you. I’m Jack Sterling.”

  “Lucy Grant.” She smiled and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  When he took her hand it inspired a shower of sparks that traveled up from her fingertips to the bend of her elbow. For just a moment she thought he had some kind of zapper hidden in his hand. She drew her hand back and stared at him for a moment. He stared at her as well, then smiled again.

  “Thanks.” He picked up the box and left the patisserie. She remained behind the counter for a few moments after he left. What did that sensation mean? Sure she’d been attracted to Derek, but she’d never felt anything like that before. She’d also been shocked and stunned by dangerous, violent men before, even if she only stood behind them in line, or briefly spoke to them. Was it possible that this polite, handsome man was some kind of criminal? She decided to be cautious around him if she were ever to see him again. She didn’t have too much time to think about it as the lunch hour approached and the patisserie became very busy. She ran between the coffee machines and the macaron displays. She cleared out a large crowd and breathed a sigh of relief only to have the door swing open again. She recognized the detective right away.

  “Detective.” She smiled, but braced herself for a lecture about not bothering him with her emotional voicemails.

  “Good afternoon.” He tipped his head to her and rested his hands on the counter.

  “I guess you got my message?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “I’m sorry about that, I was just so upset this morning.”

  “You had good reason to be. I came here to speak to you personally, and to apologize for the assumption I made.”

  “What do you mean?” She pulled out a small box and began to put a few macarons in it for him.

  “When you insisted that Derek’s death was not an accident, I was certain you were wrong. It was such an open and shut case. He had alcohol over him, there was water on the floor, and he slipped and hit his head when he turned the shower on. But I just found out from the medical examiner, that is not what happened. In fact, Derek had two blows to his head and not a trace of alcohol in his system.” He paused a moment and studied her. “How were you certain?”

  “I just knew Derek well enough to know that he would never drink.”

  “Nothing more to it than that, hmm?”

  “Nothing.” She looked down at the box on the counter. “If it wasn’t an accident then someone killed him and tried to cover it up?”

  “Yes, that is our theory right now. I just wanted to tell you that you were right. You seemed so certain, and though I know it’s no comfort, he did die instantly.”

  “It’s a little comfort.” She closed her eyes for a second. “Do you have any idea who might have done it?”

  “That’s another reason why I’m here. I thought you might be able to give me some insight about that.”

  “I can’t even imagine who would want to hurt him.” She bit into her bottom lip.

  “What about your instincts, do they tell you anything?”

  “My instincts?”

  “You mentioned them on the message you left.” He leaned a little further across the counter. “Do you have any hunches?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Her heartbeat quickened. Did he somehow know that she sensed things? “Everyone who knew Derek, loved him, aside from maybe a few high school boys.”

  “High school boys?”

  “They’re just kids with a grudge. I’m sure they had nothing to do with this. The thing I don’t understand is that Derek was very fit and strong. He was also skilled in self-defense. I’m surprised that anyone could do this to him.”

  “When was the last time you saw Derek?”

  “Almost three weeks ago now. The night we broke up.”

  “Did it bother you that he wanted to end things?” He pulled out his notebook. Lucy’s cheeks flushed. She became distinctly aware that she was now a suspect.

  “No, not at all. We were both relieved. Our personalities, just didn’t go together.”

  “No arguing? No crying?”

  “No.” She frowned. “It was amicable. We planned to remain friends.”

  “But you hadn’t heard from him?”

  “We agreed not to see or speak to each other for a couple of months so that we could make a clean break of the romantic feelings, and then we could start our friendship again.”

  “That all seems very logical. A little too logical when it comes to a breakup. Most people are upset by that.”

  “I’m not that type of person, Detective. I believe relationships come and go when they are meant to.”

  “So you didn’t plan to spend the rest of your life with him?”

  “I suppose it was a possibility, but if you mean was I madly in love with him, no. I don’t believe in that sort of thing. I believe in having things in common, and being respectful of each other.”

  “I see.” He tucked his notebook back into his pocket. “If you think of anything, please feel free to reach out to me. Anything at all.”

  “Thank you, I will.” She slid the box of macarons to him. “For you.”

  “Thanks, my wife will love these.” He winked at her, then turned and left the patisserie. Lucy’s heart raced as she considered the validation of the detective’s words. It was a relief to know that they recognized it was a homicide, but now that it was certain Derek had been killed, she reeled with the thought of who might have done it.

  Chapter 4

  After Lucy closed up the patisserie she headed straight for Chantelle’s house. It wasn’t even a decision that she made. When faced with a crisis, Chantelle was the first person she turned to. At the front door she knocked, and Noah answered. He met her eyes with a grimace.

  “Lucy, I’m so sorry to hear about Derek.”

  “Thanks Noah. Is Chantelle here?” She tried to peer past him into the house.

  “Yes, she’s just in the laundry room, come in.”

  Lucy made her way into the house. It was filled with Chantelle’s favorite things from tiny statues of cats, to bright colorful paintings on the walls. Noah’s collection of video game memorabilia dotted the shelves as well, and the old couch he insisted on keeping when they moved in together still had a central place in the living room. Over the years as Lucy witnessed their relationship unfold she always admired the way Noah and her sister managed to compromise. She was on her way to the laundry room when she noticed Greg perched on the love seat against the wall shared with the kitchen.

  “How are you doing, Greg?” She sat down beside him.

  “She took everything away, Aunt Lucy. Computer, video games, TV.” He slumped back against the cushions with a heavy sigh. “It’s horrible.”

  “Not as horrible as jail.” Noah gave him a light slap to the top of his head as he walked past him.

  “It might as well be jail.” Greg groaned and looked over at Lucy with a desperate gaze. “Can I just use your cell phone for a minute?”

  “Don’t you dare, Lucy.” Chantelle walked up from the other side of them. “He doesn’t have a phone either.”

  “No phone?” Lucy frowned. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?”

  “Not at all.” She pointed her finger at her son. “He was caught by the police. He could have been arrested. He could have been put in jail, Lucy.”

  “I hear you.” She managed a smile. “Could I talk to you for a moment, in private?”

  “Sure.” Chantelle grabbed her hand and pulled her out on to the back porch. It was
one of Lucy’s favorite places to relax. She settled into one of the overstuffed rocking chairs and closed her eyes. “Are you doing okay?” Chantelle sat down across from her.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. The detective came in to the patisserie today and told me the police now believe Derek’s death was a homicide.”

  “That’s a good thing isn’t it? Weren’t you hoping for them to realize that?”

  “Yes, I was. But now my mind is filled with questions. How was he killed? Do they know what the murder weapon was? Is there anything more I can learn that might help me to...” She frowned.

  “To what?”

  “You know.” She pushed her fingertips together. “Get a sense of what might have happened.”

  “Lucy.”

  “What?” She looked up at her sister. “Don’t you think I want to know what happened?”

  “Yes, of course you do. But your best source is the police. Why not just ask them what they know?”

  “Maybe they won’t tell me anything. It just seems so wrong to bother them. They’re so busy.”

  “Well, maybe we don’t have to be a bother. You said Annaliese’s brother came in for more macarons, and that everyone at the police station liked them. Let’s bring them a box to enjoy as a thank you for taking care of Greg. If you happen to get some information about Derek’s case, then it won’t be a bother. What do you think?”

  “I think that’s a great idea. We can bring one first thing tomorrow before we open.”

  “Sounds good to me. Now, how are you really doing?”

  “I’m a little worried to be honest.”

  “Worried about what?”

  “If someone decided to kill Derek, could they be after anyone else? Just the thought that a killer is on the loose makes me uneasy.”

  “I can understand that. Hopefully the police will catch whoever it was fast so that you won’t have to worry anymore.”

  “Thanks for being here for me, Chantelle, I really appreciate it.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Lucy, we’re sisters, we’ll always be there for each other, just like when you go in there and tell Greg to quit being mopey.”