by C A Phipps
“Not as good as it could be. Can you talk?”
She heard his chair scrape.
“Just a minute while I close the door.”
Their shorthand had developed without any pre-determined intention, and Maddie relaxed a little, knowing Ethan would help because he was a great sheriff who cared about every member of Maple Falls. Even the ones who caused him headaches.
After she’d inundated him with most of the information she could recall and not too many embellishments or theories, Ethan stopped her mid-sentence.
“Hold that thought. I can’t take all this in. Let’s meet face to face. I could do with seeing a friendly one after the last twenty-four hours.”
Maddie desperately wanted to ask what had happened, but she’d wait until they saw each other and could talk plainly. “Where shall we meet?”
“Anywhere near the salon is out. How about the park? We can both get there quickly, and if anyone sees us, they won’t think it out of the ordinary for us to be catching up with some private time.”
“Perfect. I’ll leave as soon as I’ve told Gran.”
“Maddie . . .”
“Sorry, Ethan. I promised, and she knows Brad. She may have some insights. I won’t be long.”
She tucked the phone into the pocket of her jeans and ran downstairs, knowing that poor Ethan struggled with her inability to keep information to herself, but Gran and the Girlz were different, and it was true that Gran had an uncanny ability to read people and remember anyone she came into contact with.
Gran was waiting at the table, polishing cutlery, the apples now bubbling on the range. Nodding at the chair opposite her, she was ready for the debrief.
Maddie gave an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, I can’t stop now, but I’ll come down to the cottage tonight and tell you everything. I promise.”
“Hurrumph! I seem to recall you saying that, not five minutes ago.”
“Can’t be helped, I’m afraid. I have to meet Ethan and finish explaining everything to him.”
Gran’s annoyance made way for a beaming smile as she waved her hand. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Off you go.”
Maddie grinned as she went out the back door, making sure she walked at her usual pace rather than run like she wanted to. Big Red, who’d been sitting under the lavender shrub, joined her in the stroll across the street and through the green to the small park, making her outing appear all the more normal.
From the edge of the green, she could see up Plum Place to Gran’s cottage at the end, surrounded as it was by farmland to the south, and the back doors of shops and the library to the north. At Maddie’s end of the road, Plum Place merged into Maple Lane which led along the front of the shops, and opposite them stood the council buildings and the mayor’s office as well as the community center at the farthest end. Maple Lane then segued into the main road in and out of town.
Ethan must have parked on that road because he emerged under a large elm by the small lane between the appliance store, run by Chris Jamieson, and Suzy’s mom’s gallery, having cut through between the two shops.
He removed his hat, and a sudden schoolgirl awkwardness hit her as she walked toward him, knowing he was studying her every move. To be fair, Maddie was certainly reciprocating and hoped he appreciated his view as much as she did hers.
Ethan had been a good-looking teenager when they’d been an item. Now he was a handsome man, wearing a uniform that enhanced every aspect of his physique. Over six foot with dark hair and tanned skin, he was approachable, fair-minded, and willing to lend a hand wherever it was needed. She had a small twinge of the green-eyed monster when she recalled that on her return to Maple Falls she found out that Ethan had a group of ardent female admirers. Including Laura.
Ethan had been a good-looking teenager when they’d been an item. Now he was a handsome man, wearing a uniform that enhanced every aspect of his physique. Over six foot with dark hair and tanned skin, he was approachable, fair-minded, and willing to lend a hand wherever it was needed. She recalled her jealousy when she returned to Maple Falls and found out that Ethan had a group of ardent female admirers—including Laura.
Ethan had set out to get her back, and his single-mindedness had proved to her that he wasn’t interested in any other women. That had cemented the relationship. She and Laura could laugh laugh about it now, which was awesome now that they were such good friends.
He suddenly grinned. Even though he had the ability to look fierce when involved in a case, Ethan never showed it to her—unless he was trying to talk her out of one of her schemes to help him. He didn’t even stay angry long when she went against his wishes, which happened more than either of them anticipated. It was the most remarkable change from the angst-ridden teenager he’d been, trying to look after everyone around him, including a sister who wouldn’t allow it, and a girlfriend who left town partially to avoid it.
They stood a foot apart, smiling at each other as if they’d reverted to that young couple who were unsure of so much. It still happened occasionally when they had been apart for a day or two and was a by-product of what she liked to call (not aloud) ‘their bad years,’ when as much as they had been fond of each other, their inability to compromise had led to their break-up.
It was a wonder to her how most of their problems had been resolved through simply growing up and appreciating their differences and, in a way, celebrating them. They were the same people, and yet now so very different. They’d become better separately which made their relationship stronger.
“Sorry to drag you away from your work,” he eventually broke the silence.
“I think it’s me dragging you away from yours, isn’t it?” she teased.
He gave a small smile. “This is my work. Oddly, my line of work does seem to get very tangled with yours. I don’t believe other Sheriffs are so afflicted with bakers in their midst.”
She blushed. “I hate to afflict you so. It must be terrible.”
Ethan threw back his head and laughed. “We both know that feeling sorry for me hasn’t, and will never, stop you.”
“You’re not the kind of person who requires pity, Sheriff. Anyway, Angel’s my friend. How can I refuse to help her?”
Ethan stepped forward and took her hand, his thumb caressing the top of it.
“I get that. The problem is, Bradley Masters is the number one suspect in a murder. He’s been involved with bad dealings in and around Destiny for years, and he’s an alcoholic who may have fallen on desperate times. You can’t refute any of that, and whatever he states as his reasons doesn’t make them the truth, and certainly not viable if he played a part in either murder.”
“So, you have been checking him out?”
He nodded. “Naturally. Him and his brother.”
“That’s why you’ve been over to Destiny so much lately?”
“In part,” was all he’d offer.
She understood he couldn’t tell her every detail, so she tried to ask the right questions in the right way to get him to impart anything she could work with.
“We all thought Brad was the murderer because it made sense. Now I’m convinced it was his twin brother, Caleb.”
Ethan was unimpressed. “For any other reason other than hearing Brad’s version of things has made you more sympathetic?”
She didn’t like to think she’d been played. “Not that I can prove, but what he said does make a lot of sense, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe. It may make sense but it isn’t proof, and that is what I deal with, as Sheriff. For all we know, Brad is insisting on having Angel and you help him to plead his case as a cover for what actually happened.”
“But . . .”
Ethan rubbed the top of his head, making his hair stick out in all directions. “We, however, do have evidence. Evidence that is strong enough to bring him in. That’s the way it works and the way I have to proceed. When we can rule him out, we will.”
Maddie tapped her thigh. “He said he has proof. We n
eed to get ahold of the papers now.”
“If it’s there, my department will find it.”
“But Brad says Caleb will know if you go out to the cabin. It will be obvious you’re after something, in which case he’ll go after Angel. He has until tomorrow night to produce the papers. I can go with Suzy and Laura, and it will seem as though we’re having another stay at Grandad’s cabin.”
Ethan folded his arms. “I won’t risk you or the Girlz.”
“Then what will you do?”
He shrugged. “You can’t ignore the law and neither can I. What sort of a sheriff would I be if I didn’t arrest an obvious suspect and question them myself? Because my girlfriend says I shouldn’t?”
She flushed and looked at the ground. Ethan was absolutely right, and deep down she’d known this would be his answer. It didn’t help that she had her own theories and wanted to act on them with his help. Something nagged at her to make it happen, but boyfriend or not, he was the Sheriff.
“Can you at least promise to keep him safe?” she pleaded.
He sighed and put a finger under her chin. “You know I’ll do my best. I’ve got someone watching Angel, and Brad will be safer at the station than anywhere else right now.”
She nodded, trusting him completely. It was Caleb, and whoever else was out there with him, that she didn’t trust.
“He said he’ll be ready to leave as soon as it gets dark. Shall I get him to come to the station?”
Ethan frowned. “Doing it that way means you’re giving him a way to run. I should collect him myself.”
Now it was Maddie who folded her arms. “He doesn’t want to run anymore. He’s ready to own up to his part in the whiskey making, he just doesn’t believe he can do that safely. Plus, it puts Angel in unnecessary danger if you go to the salon.”
“I think she’s in far more danger by having him under her roof.” He growled, then sucked in a couple of deep breaths, forcing himself to remain calm. “Brad really thinks his brother will kill him?”
She nodded. “When Brad speaks of his brother, there’s nothing but fear in his voice.”
Ethan closed his eyes tightly for a second or two. “I hope I don’t regret this. Make sure he’s at the station by 8pm, or I’m going to come get him myself.”
“Understood.”
“And, bring him around the back. That should make it safer.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Ethan. I always seem to put you in awkward situations.”
He gave a wry chuckle. “Luckily, I know your heart’s in the right place, and you do read people quite well.”
“I guess I get that from Gran,” she teased.
“Among other things. You and trouble seem to have a personal relationship and by osmosis that means I’m involved, regardless of being Sheriff.” He laughed softly, as he pushed her braid over her shoulder. “Please, be careful. You don’t really know Brad, and if Caleb is as bad as the picture his brother has painted …”
“One person, maybe two, are dead because of Caleb. I do understand that it’s dangerous. The problem is not knowing exactly who is in the most danger.”
“It might sound bad to say this, but just don’t let it be you. Okay?” He kissed her forehead. “See you at the station in a few hours.”
She nodded. It wasn’t going to be easy talking Brad into it, and if he ran she would feel so guilty, but there was something about his story that gelled. The more she thought about it the more it seemed likely that he was being truthful about not being the killer.
Chapter Fourteen
By the time she got to the cottage, it was lunchtime, and Gran insisted she stay for a bite to eat as she listened to the whole story. Naturally, when Maddie finished, Gran was as worried about Angel’s wellbeing as she was.
Big Red had also come along and been suitably treated as his expectations demanded, with a tin of salmon and several hugs.
After lunch, Gran settled into her winged back chair and frowned in a way that allowed the news to sink in and settle, finally asking, “What are you planning to do now?”
Maddie sighed, tired by the morning’s activities—and it was still early afternoon with the night to get through yet.
“I’ve got to get back to the bakery. I thought it would be a quick chat with Ethan, but as you know, it’s a long story. Laura and Luke need a break and will be keen for an update, although I’m not sure how much I should tell them. I want them to be prepared for the worst, but not have them scared out of their wits. But first I have to tell Angel what Ethan agreed to, and hopefully convince Brad into coming to the station with me tonight.”
“I understand that he only trusts you and Angel, just be sure that you don’t take any risks with Brad. He may have made noises about turning his life around, but Caleb is still his brother and blood is thicker than water. For twins especially.”
“I don’t know, Gran. You should see him. He might not be all the way there yet, but I believe he’s trying.”
“Sweetheart, I hope he gets to have a wonderful life, but he has to get past this first and make it right.”
Maddie leaned down and kissed her Gran’s cheek.
“If he’s as serious about it as he says, then I aim to make sure he does.”
Gran patted her cheek. “That’s the spirit. Make sure you let me know how things go. Your Grandad would be so proud of you, taking care of your friends the way you do. And if you don’t want to make me cross then take just as much care of yourself.”
Maddie left with Gran’s soft laughter following. She could barely remember a time when Gran was truly angry with her, and if she had been, it was more to do with practicing Grandad’s survival tactics on various pieces of furniture. They were stern words to hide her worry, and Maddie intended to make sure she didn’t heap more on her. The problem was, as Ethan had remarked, things just seemed to happen when she least expected them to, and she couldn’t resist her need to help.
Back at the bakery, the lunch crowd had thinned, and it wasn’t long before she was able to tell her interns what had been happening next door. Luke had of course been talking with Laura, and he appreciated the update.
“You can’t say a word and neither can Beth. Carry on as normal, and everything will be okay.”
“How can you say that? Angel told me all about Brad, and I don’t believe leaving him there with her is in her best interests.” Laura said, mutinously.
“This is what Angel wants, and Brad will be out of there tonight,” Maddie reassured her.
“I should think so.”
“Beth never said a word about this. I wondered why she didn’t stop by to pick up some lunch. I would have gone there on my break, but we didn’t have much time.”
Maddie blanched. “Oh, dear. Was it so busy you couldn’t have lunch?”
“Well, I did have a pie. And a doughnut. In between customers.”
Guilt etched his features while Laura came to his defense.
“I told him it was okay.”
Maddie laughed. “Of course it’s okay. You know I don’t mind either of you helping yourselves to the stock. Goodness, you also make it. I’m sorry I was gone most of the day.”
“You could be gone all day if it’s helping Angel.” Laura put a hand to her mouth. “Goodness, I didn’t mean to imply that you had to ask my permission.”
Maddie laughed. “Don’t be afraid to say what you mean. Either of you. It was necessary, but I thank you for your understanding and pitching in the way you always do.”
With the tension relieved, they returned to work, albeit with Angel on their minds as well as twins who appeared to be as alike as chalk and cheese.
It proved to be one of those days that goes on and on. Even closing wasn’t straight forward, with a rush just as she was about to turn the sign around. Then Jesse and James bundled through the door like a couple of over-sized puppies.
“Is that man still around?” Jesse asked.
Maddie wiped off a clean
table. “What man might that be?”
“The one who left the note.”
James gave her an incredulous look as if she couldn’t possibly have forgotten. They hadn’t met or even seen the man, so they were simply fishing for information.
“What did your uncle Ethan say about talking to strangers?” she asked, deadpan.
“He said the next time would be one time too many.” Jesse grimaced.
“He said, he’d tell Mom.” James wasn’t as perturbed.
“In that case, I can’t think why you would want to see him again.”
“Some kids at school said he’s a twin and they’re identical like Jesse and me.”
“Is that so? Well, perhaps you should ask your mom about it?”
The boys had until that moment been watching Luke bag up the leftovers for the needy. At the mention of Layla, they backed towards the door.
“We better get home before Mom.” Jesse pulled his brother by the arm.
“You do that, but take a doughnut each for being good and going straight home. No detours, mind.”
They nodded and took the doughnuts reverently from Laura, and in a flash had disappeared down the street on their shiny bikes.
“You sure have a way with kids,” Laura noted.
“Hmmm. I’m not sure bribery would win me any parenting awards.”
“Hah!” Luke said as he began washing the floor. “All parents bribe. It’s how they do it that means the difference.”
The comment made Maddie think about the Marsters brothers. Caleb liked to be in charge and Brad apparently let him most of the time. When he didn’t, Caleb would coerce him. Did he see himself as the elder brother? Or, was it merely a fluke of nature or personality who got the upper hand?
“I’m going back to Angel’s. I’ll feel better if she’s not alone with Brad.” Laura said when they were done. “I can’t believe I slept through his arrival and didn’t have a clue when we were having breakfast that he was in her room.”
“She was keeping you safe until she knew what to do,” Maddie explained. “I’ll see you there when I come by to collect Brad. Make sure the doors are locked until then.”
