by Ella White
“Did your computer guys find anything?”
Susan shook her head. “Nothing. If Chris was at any of the events that were filmed, he or she wasn’t anywhere the cameras could see.”
“Rats,” Vickie swore. She scratched her head. “So…what now?”
“Now, I think you need to get some sleep in a proper bed,” Chief Miles suggested. “I’m going to talk to Bridgette again. Maybe this Chris person was just a wild goose d chase.”
Vickie took a moment to think before snapping her fingers. “Wait, what day is it?”
“Thursday. Why?”
“I’ve got an idea.” Vickie was about to leave when Susan grabbed her arm. “What?”
“Every time you say something like ‘I’ve got an idea’ you run off to start it without telling me,” Susan complained with a frown. “I don’t want to be left in the dark this time.”
Vickie smiled timidly. “Sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Just tell me your plan.”
“Okay, well, the first Wine and Cheese Club meeting is tonight,” Vickie explained. “I was thinking we could invite Bridgette over, to relax and loosen up, you know? Maybe she’ll be more willing to tell us something useful then.”
Susan tapped her nose. “Sounds like a good idea. You’re right that she’s pretty uptight normally.”
“But maybe we can get onto the topic of husbands and see what she has to say,” Vickie continued. “She clearly has a strong opinion about it.”
“Doesn’t that sound a little too much like leading the conversation?” Chief Miles asked.
Vickie smiled. “Not if I’m not the one to ask her.”
The remainder of the day was spent making plans for the evening (and sleeping to catch up on rest). Rachel made sure she was available that night. She was planning to practice candle-making again, but when Vickie explained her plan Rachel knew she would need to reschedule it. Rachel had never spoken to Bridgette, so she was the natural choice for who could try to get more information out of the suspect.
“And you’ve grown used to using me as your own personal undercover agent, right Mom?” Rachel commented after her mother had finished describing the plan. “Otherwise you could just do it. She hasn’t met you either.”
Vickie stared at her daughter, and she chuckled. “Yes, that could be a good reason too, but she’s more likely to talk to someone closer to her age, right?”
“True.”
Once closing time had arrived, the Sip and Read Café was quickly reorganized to get ready for the new Wine and Cheese Club’s first meeting. Tables were moved, chairs were rearranged, and wine bottles were brought out and opened. Rachel set up a few appetizers for the group; cheese, vegetables, and other snacks, just to clear the palate between wines. It wasn’t meant to be a meal, but it was enough to nibble on.
Vickie wasn’t sure how many people were going to come. She had spent lots of time giving out flyers in the small town, but that didn’t mean people had the time, or even the interest, in coming. The mystery book club she held every Wednesday (with the exception of yesterday, since she was busy looking at internet footage) had twenty members, and Vickie hoped this one would be just as successful.
She didn’t need to have worried though. By the time seven o’clock rolled around, there were already fifteen people enjoying glasses of wine and just discussing their everyday problems. Most of it was just so someone could lend an ear to the member, which was sometimes all a person needs to feel better. All in all, the club meeting was going well.
Vickie was most pleased, however, when Bridgette accepted her invitation and showed up at about seven-thirty. She glanced around nervously, as if she wasn’t sure if she should be there, but Rachel immediately bade her over to the table where some of the younger club members had gathered. Although she was older than them, it clearly put Bridgette at ease to be with a younger group. She quickly joined in the conversation and sipped on a glass of red wine.
Rachel really was perfect as an undercover agent. She knew just when to speak, what to say, and how much she should talk about a certain subject. She also made sure to covertly fill Bridgette’s wine glass every so often, which ended up being harder than it looked. Still, as the evening wore on Bridgette’s tongue slowly began to loosen. Vickie wouldn’t call her drunk (she certainly didn’t want to encourage that behavior) but she was more willing to talk about things that bothered her.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m the marriage type.” Vickie heard Bridgette admit to Rachel as the time reached nine o’clock. “I have the worst luck with men.”
“Pretty girl like you?” Rachel asked. “Are you serious?”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Bridgette responded. “All they see is my looks and don’t care about anything else.”
“That does bite,” Rachel commented. “I can’t say I know how that feels, but I sympathize.”
Bridgette smiled at her. “Thanks.”
“How is everything?” Vickie asked them, as she sat down across from Rachel.
“Great Vickie,” Rachel answered, trying to keep their relationship a secret from Bridgette. Thankfully, most of the others had either left for the night or were sitting at different tables. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Yes, thanks you,” Bridgette added. “It’s nice to take a break from things.”
“I heard things have been rough for you lately,” Vickie contributed.
“How do you know about that?”
“Lots of people trust Vickie,” Rachel explained. “They tell her all sorts of things.”
“Actually I heard it from Chief Miles,” Vickie added. “She’s been looking into something involving Gerard Samson, and she said she needed to talk to you.”
“Yeah, he’s missing apparently,” Bridgette explained as she took another sip of wine.
“I heard about that,” Vickie shared. “I’ve heard about it all over town.”
“Yeah, he’s a popular guy.” The young woman took a bigger gulp of her drink. “The Chief wanted to know when I had last seen him and if I knew anyone who might do something to him.”
“And do you?” Rachel inquired.
“I don’t know.” Bridgette sighed. “I’m starting to doubt if I know Gerard as well as I thought.”
“Well that sounds ominous,” Rachel joked as she poured some more wine. “Is the perfect millionaire scientist not as perfect as he seems?”
“Or is it scientist millionaire?” Vickie joshed. “I can never get it straight.”
Bridgette giggled a little. “Maybe. I mean, everyone’s got their secrets and such, but I thought I knew him better.”
“Well, I’m not trying to pry too much into your personal life,” Vickie reassured her. This wasn’t a lie, but mostly because she already knew about Bridgette’s past with Gerard. “But that would explain why Chief Miles thought you might know something, if you’re so close to Dr. Samson.”
“I guess, but there are a lot of people who would try to say they have a closer relationship than they actually do.”
“Like who?”
“There’s this kid named Chris,” she described. Vickie knew they were on the right track with the mention of this name. “He was always calling Gerard, asking him about neurobiology stuff. Went completely over my head.”
“Neurobiology?” Rachel repeated. “Yeah, that goes over my head too.”
“Why would this…‘kid’ need to ask Dr. Samson about that?” Vickie wondered aloud.
“I don’t know, but Gerard was always annoyed by it.” Bridgette took a bite of a piece of cheese. “Gerard is a genius, but he’s never known much about neurobiology, so he was never any help to the kid.”
“Why was Chris calling him then?” Vickie asked.
“Beats me. It was one of the few things Gerard never got the hang of,” Bridgette said. After a pause, she muttered under her breath. “Along with love and honesty…”
Vickie looked over at her daughter, who nodded ever so slightly. Yes, s
he heard that comment too.
“You sound kind of bitter,” Vickie remarked.
Bridgette huffed. “Let’s just say, Gerard is not the man everyone thinks he is.”
This time, Vickie and Rachel visibly glanced at each other.
Chapter 7
“I told you the woman Gerard Samson was spending time with was his lover,” Thomas told his wife over breakfast the next morning. He shrugged sarcastically. “Didn’t I tell you?”
“Yes, yes, you were right,” Vickie conceded with a laugh. “Thank you for rubbing it in.”
“Maybe the Chief should ask me to help with investigations sometime.”
“Oh yes, because you are so insightful!”
“Well, she ended up being a dead end anyway, right?” he asked, ignoring the good-humored jibe.
“Unless Chief Miles can find someone with the name Chris who is connected to Mr. Samson, then yeah, it’s a dead end.” Vickie took a bite of her eggs. “I feel like we’re missing something.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being married to you, Vickie,” Thomas described. “It’s that a good mystery always has a point where the detectives wonder if they’ve missed something.”
“Sometimes I wish I was a real detective.”
“Don’t say that. You were brilliant as a literature professor, and you’re still brilliant as a crime investigator.”
Vickie’s cheeks turned a little red. “Thanks, Tom.”
Tyler leapt onto the table and stared at their food. Thomas glared at him playfully.
“You’ve already had your breakfast,” he teased, and the cat meowed in response.
“Has he taken his deworming medication?” Vickie inquired.
“No, I couldn’t get him to,” Thomas admitted. He stood for a moment to grab the small bowl the pill was still in. “Short of knocking him unconscious and shoving it down his throat, he just won’t swallow it.”
Tyler hissed at him. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen! Vickie gave him a sympathetic glance.
“Well we’re not about to try that.” She paused when she heard the doorbell ring. “I’ll get it.”
Vickie walked through the living room to the front door, and was greeted by the unexpected face of her daughter.
“Hi Mom!” Rachel said excitedly. “Guess what I have?”
“I don’t know. What?”
She held up a paper bag, a huge smile on her face. Rachel didn’t answer right away, so Vickie let her come inside before she got too cold. Thomas glanced up as the women entered, and he stood to give his daughter a hug.
“Evening Rachel.” He pulled back and headed for the kitchen cabinets. “Have you had breakfast yet? We can make up another plate.”
“Thanks, Dad, but I’ve already eaten.” Rachel put the bag on the table, next to their plates. Tyler walked over and gave the bag a sniff. “I hope I didn’t come at a bad time, but I have something to show you!”
Thomas stared at the bag. “What do you have there?”
“Check it out!” Rachel pulled a few items out. “I made these myself.”
Rachel’s pride and joy was a set of deep green candles. Vickie knew she had been working on making her own candles for the online store, but she thought it was the simple process of solidifying wax on a line of wick. She certainly didn’t expect to see the elaborate creations before her.
The candles were about an inch in diameter and three inches tall, so they weren’t terribly big. They were the deepest forest green she had ever seen, and Vickie wondered if the Rachel had added some kind of scent to the wax, because they smells like a deep forest after a fresh rainfall. The most beautiful thing about the candles was the intricate leaves carved into the sides. They were so realistic, it almost looked like the leaves had been pressed into the wax.
“These are beautiful, Rachel!” Vickie took a close look at the candles’ sides. “Did you carve these?”
“I used a guide, but yeah, I carved them myself,” Rachel answered. “What do you think?”
“They’re beautiful!” Thomas declared. “I knew you were creative, but I never thought you could do something like this.”
“Jenny showed it to me,” she explained. “I’m thinking I could sell them online on her store.”
“I think you’d sell out pretty quickly if you did,” Thomas complimented her. He sniffed the candles in a manner strikingly similar to his pet. “What is that smell?”
“It’s a fragrance oil.” Rachel inhaled the scent as well. “It’s called Rainforest Blossom. What do you think?”
“It smells wonderful,” Vickie whispered as she continued to sniff.
“You can smell it better when the candle’s actually lit.” Rachel grabbed her lighter and lit the candle, and soon the entire room was filled with the fresh scent of rainfall.
Rachel’s proud moment was interrupted when Vickie’s cell phone rang. Thomas continued to praise Rachel’s work as she went to her purse to answer it. Seeing that it was Chief Miles, she answered it immediately.
“Good morning, Chief,” she greeted. “How are you?”
“I’m all right,” Susan replied. “I have some information about the Samson case. Is Rachel there?”
“She is.”
“Can you put me on speaker phone? She should hear this, since she helped too.”
“My husband is also here. Is it all right if he hears?” Susan was silent, and that was all the answer she needed. She held her hand over the mouthpiece and looked at Thomas. “Tom, could you give us a few minutes?”
“A few minutes for what?” Thomas crossed his arms over his chest, but the smirk on his face revealed he wasn’t upset. “To talk to the Chief of Police about an ongoing missing person case for a millionaire scientist—”
“Or scientist millionaire.”
“—Who had been having an affair?” Thomas finished with a playful shrug. “Yeah, I guess I can give you a bit. I need to get to work anyway.”
Thomas gave Rachel one last hug before grabbing his coat and heading out the front door. The women waited until they heard his car drive away. Once they were sure Thomas was gone, Vickie pressed the speaker phone button and put it on the kitchen table. Tyler sat next to the phone, nearly sitting on it in the process.
“Okay Chief, we’re ready.”
“Are you there, Rachel?”
“I’m here, Chief,” the woman in question replied. “What’s up?”
“I needed to tell you, my computer geeks went through the footage of Gerard Samson’s lectures again,” Susan explained. “It turns out that Bridgette Sommers attended a majority of his talks all over the nation.”
“So she saw him outside of Carriage Cove,” Vickie concluded. “Chief, remember when she told you she didn’t know Mr. Samson was married? Why do I get the feeling she was lying?”
“I had the same thought,” Chief Miles agreed. “It’s sort of hard to spend so much time with a man and not learn he’s already spoken for.”
“Does that mean you have enough to arrest her?” Rachel inquired.
“Not really. Lying about having an affair isn’t grounds for a kidnapping arrest.” Susan cleared her throat on the other end of the line. “So I went back and tried to find anything about Chris and neurobiology.”
“Did Dr. Samson give any talks about neurobiology?” Vickie asked suddenly. “If Chris was asking him about neurobiology as often as Bridgette says, maybe he attended one of the lectures?”
“Once again, you and I are on the same page, Dr. Matheson,” Chief Miles informed them. “I already looked through them. Are you sure you’re not a psychic?”
“Pretty sure. Did you find anything?”
“Nothing. Not a single one of Dr. Samson’s presentations were on the topic of neurobiology,” she answered. “Which I suppose makes sense. Miss Sommers did say it was the one topic he didn’t study.”
“But that still doesn’t tell us who Chris might be,” Rachel contributed, putting her ch
in on her palm. “It’s such a pain having only a first name, and it’s probably not even his full name.”
“Too bad you can’t just look someone up online…” Vickie trailed off as an idea came to her. “Wait a minute…Would someone as famous as Gerard Samson have his own website?”
“Probably,” Rachel concurred. “Almost absolutely, in fact. It’s one of the most common ways of spreading news and sharing information after all.”
“And that website would have a blog, wouldn’t it?”
Rachel stared at her for a second before smacking her palm to her forehead. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that before? Can I borrow your laptop?”
“It’s in the living room.”
“What’s she doing?” Chief Miles asked from the phone.
“She’s looking up Gerard Samson’s website,” Vickie described. Rachel brought the computer into the dining room, put it on the table and started typing away. “Maybe Chris has posted on it.”
“Or anything related to neurobiology,” Rachel corrected her. “I can narrow the search that way, in case there’s more than one Chris.”
“I remember social media helping us with other cases too,” Vickie observed.
“Yes, I really should check that more often,” Chief Miles admitted.
“Hello! I think I have something,” Rachel announced.
“Already?”
“Christopher Park,” she continued, pointing to the computer screen. “Wow, he posts on here a lot. No surprise, most of it is about neurobiology.”
“Does he post anything specific?” Susan inquired.
“He talks about a project in most of them. He says Dr. Samson was his professor a few times in school. Let me check something.” Rachel typed for a few minutes. “Well, well, looks like Chris has had multiple accounts on this blog. Many of them have been blocked.”
“Sounds like Dr. Samson didn’t like Chris contacting him so much,” Vickie deduced.
“Most blogs have location sharing,” Rachel said. “Let me see what Chris’ most recent profile says.”
“If you can find it, I can send some officers to pick him up for questioning,” Susan offered.
“Sorry, Chief. It’s no good.” Rachel shook her head. “He turned off location sharing. I can’t tell where he’s posting from.”
