by C A Phipps
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Laura took off her apron and walked out with Luke.
Taking her own advice as shadows fell, Maddie locked up and went upstairs to make a soothing cup of tea and take a shower. Big Red had barely left her side, and now as she sipped her tea and watched the clock move as slowly as a sloth, he sat on her feet.
He may be heavy, but it was a reassuring weight.
He may be heavy, but it was a reassuring weight.
Chapter Fifteen
Maddie knocked on the back door of the station at precisely 8pm. She’d texted Ethan to say that they were on their way, and he opened up almost immediately. Pushing Brad, who’d been on the brink of changing his mind, in front of her, they slipped in.
Locking the door, and unfazed by Brad’s lack of eye contact, Ethan led them down the long hall which led to the interview rooms. Once inside, Brad pushed back the hood from his jacket as a shadow loomed in the doorway.
“Thanks for bringing him in, Ms. Flynn. You are Bradley Marsters?”
The deep voice startled her, but Brad literally jumped, his face pale as he backed into a corner, nodding like a bobble-head toy in the back of a car.
Detective Jones was nearly as tall as Ethan, but his presence was much more imposing. Expression impassive, he nodded at Maddie.
“You can wait upstairs in the Sheriff’s office until we’re done. Then I’d like a word with you and Ms. Broome.”
She frowned. “Angel’s not here.”
“Deputy Jacobs will collect her in a little while.”
Maddie gasped. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. “Do you think that’s wise?”
He merely raised an eyebrow. It was taking Jones some time to get used to Maddie questioning his authority.
“I only meant that Brad’s brother is threatening to kill her and Brad. Surely you know this?”
His eyebrows swapped directions. “We’ve had someone watching Angel’s place for the last two days. I can assure you that we wouldn’t have made this decision lightly. The way is clear for her to come to the station and, like you, she’ll be brought in the back way.”
“I’m confused. Why did you insist on the subterfuge with me bringing Brad here if it was safe?”
“Maddie,” Ethan warned, but Detective Jones held up a hand.
“I believe it was at your insistence, Ms. Flynn. But just to ease your mind, there has been an out of town sighting of Caleb Marsters and another man who we have a positive ID on. All things considered, it’s better that she is here with us and it will make our job easier to talk to both of you in case we’ve missed something.”
“One last question?”
He nodded, although his mouth set into a firm line of disapproval.
“Won’t having Angel here create a bigger target?” she asked, envisioning Caleb storming the building, with a crazy side-kick, brandishing a shotgun.
“As I said, with Bradley Marsters and Ms. Broome being the supposed targets, having them in one place makes it easier to protect them. Now, if you’ll excuse us?”
Detective Jones stood to one side, so she didn’t have to squeeze by him. She could see his patience was exhausted. Maddie gave the very pale Brad what she hoped was a reassuring smile then left them to it. She’d hoped to stay, but the Detective was a stickler for playing by the book and really there had never been even a slim chance he’d allow it.
Taking the stairs, which had become familiar to her—as was Ethan’s office which was situated at the end of the hall—she mused that she was probably right above the room where the interview was taking place.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been in this room, but she hadn’t previously had the nerve to look around properly. It smelled of old wood, paper, and Ethan. The combination appealed to her as did the picture of him on the wall behind his desk receiving an award. She’d seen it many times from a distance, and now she walked up to it and noticed that he looked very pleased with himself.
“Sheriff Saves Dog from Drowning,” she read.
A large white Labradoodle sat at Ethan’s feet looking up adoringly. It looked like a young Sissy, Jed Clayton’s dog. Jed was a fan of Maddie’s baking and a life-long friend after she had rescued Sissy earlier in the year. Maddie’s heart did a double-beat. Ethan loved animals as much as she did and had such a big heart.
On his desk was the usual paraphernalia like pens in a container, a large notepad, phone charger, and a laptop with an extra-large screen to the side of it. There was nothing else cluttering up the place, which pleased Maddie’s ordered mind and she ran a hand over his worn chair.
“Would you like some tea, Ms. Flynn?” Deputy Jacobs asked from the doorway.
“I can make it,” she said, embarrassed at having been caught mooning over her boyfriend’s things. She moved toward the door, but he was already headed to the small kitchen/lunchroom, which was half-way along and opposite the stairwell.
“I’m making one for myself anyway. It’s no bother,” Rob called over his shoulder.
Maddie smiled and took off her backpack to sink into the visitor’s chair. Without knowing how long she would be waiting, she’d packed her laptop, and now she gratefully pulled it out and settled it on her knees. She was working on a recipe she wanted to perfect. Doughnuts. Or, rather, the fillings. Angel might have her favorites, but it had become a thing to try new combinations to see if her friends could guess what they were. Other customers had joined in the fun, and now doughnuts were her biggest seller and a challenge she hadn’t yet got tired of.
“Here you go.” Deputy Jacobs placed the tea on the edge of Ethan’s desk with a grin. “It’s seen better days, but I found an actual teacup and saucer.”
“Thanks, Rob. Gran would be impressed.” Gran loved English china and years ago this set would have been beautiful. Faded, delicate pink roses graced the widest part of the cup, and when she tipped it to drink, a larger bloom showed above the tea line. A small chip on the lip and a couple more on the saucer didn’t bother her. In comparison, Rob had a hideous mug that was in an even worse state.
Noticing her look, he grinned. “Maple Falls finest crockery is on show.”
She laughed. “Gran might disagree, but she’d love the strength of this brew.”
Rob gave a mock bow. “I’ve been taking lessons from Laura because I’m trying to cut down on coffee. Actually, I’m far more domesticated these days. Which translates that I spend way more time at home than I used to. I won’t be at the café stage until the little nippers can behave a little better.”
Rob had been kind enough to take in two puppies that had been left behind a few months back when a blackmailer and pet thief left them no way of finding their owners. The Girlz tried everything, but in the end, Rob had said he would take them, and as much as he wouldn’t verbalize it, having the puppies around had made the deputy’s life a whole lot richer. You only had to look at his face to see a newfound contentedness and much more frequently a smile.
Maddie grinned. “I guess your babies are getting bigger?”
“You bet they are, and eating me out of house and home,” he laughed.
“I’ve heard they’re doing great, but I haven’t seen you at the park lately.”
From her apartment, Maddie loved to watch the seasons show off in the colors of the trees and the way people interacted across the road from her. Animals being taken for walks or runs, joggers and kids on bikes heading off around the lake and Noah Jackson with his hardy group of yoga enthusiasts.
“Now that they’re old enough I’ve been driving them down to the lake. It’s a bit far to make them walk there from town.” He took a deep breath. “How’s Laura? I haven’t seen her out and about lately, so I wondered if she was ill or just busy?”
Maddie raised an eyebrow, he sounded like he was hoping that there wasn’t another reason.
“She’s fine, just busy. Working at the bakery and helping Gran, who needs an extra pair of hands to help around the gardens and orc
hard at the cottage is tiring.”
“That’s a relief.” His cheeks flamed. “I mean I wouldn’t like to think that I’d upset her in any way.”
Now Maddie was curious. Something must have happened between them for Laura to have become distant with Rob, and since she’d had no idea they were having issues Maddie wasn’t sure how she could help. Still, he was so earnest that she felt she should try to ease his fears.
“I’m sure that’s not the case.”
Actually, Laura didn’t like to talk about personal stuff too much. She was especially reticent about her past, although the Girlz knew how tough it was for her, having parents who wanted to control her life. Now that she was out from under that oppression, she’d taken a leaf out of Angel’s book in trying to look for the good in each day.
Laura also liked her freedom, and Maddie could certainly appreciate that. Being tied to a business you loved didn’t feel like a chore—unlike the first job she’d had as a business manager helping budding companies blossom and grow while stuck behind a desk for eight or ten hours a day—but a person still needed time out to recharge.
Rob stood a little longer, and she thought he wanted to say more. Instead, he smiled again.
“Nice chat. See you later.”
She held out her cup. “Thanks again for the tea.”
After that she sent a text to Gran, explaining as much as possible, and to say she had no idea when she’d be home. Hoping the interrogation wouldn’t take all night, she resumed typing.
Chapter Sixteen
An hour later she heard footsteps on the stairs. Ethan and Detective Jones appeared in the hall from the stairwell, speaking quietly until they saw her watching them.
When they got to the office, Ethan pulled up a chair next to Maddie, while Detective Jones sat behind Ethan’s desk.
“How did it go?” she asked.
Ethan’s eyebrow shot up. “You know we can’t disclose anything to do with the interview. Now we’d like to hear your side of things.”
Disappointed, but not surprised, she frowned. “I already told you everything that happened up until last week, Ethan. I mean, Sheriff.”
His mouth twitched. “Humor me. And Detective Jones would like to hear it straight from you.”
The tapping of high heels came down the hall towards them.
“Hey sugar, Rob brought me up here. Weird, huh?”
Angel stalled in the doorway when she saw Detective Jones. He stood, the chair slamming back against the back wall. It was the only time Maddie had seen him less than composed, and somehow it was charming.
“Ms. Broome. I’m glad you’re here.” He coughed as the tips of his ears turned pink. “I guess we can talk with both of you together.”
Ethan had stood too and was looking at the detective as if he didn’t recognize this man who appeared to be confused about procedure. He shrugged and pulled another chair around beside the detective and directed Angel to the one he’d vacated.
“We’ve read your statements, the letter, and note from Bradley Marsters, but we’d like a little more detail, please.”
“Whatever you need, Sheriff,” Angel said, although her eyes were fastened on the detective and filled with curiosity.
“When was the last time you saw your ex-husband?” Detective Jones blurted. “Before last night,” he hurriedly added.
“Two years ago. Just before the divorce. We were separated for two years before that.”
“And, you’ve had no communication with Bradley Marsters prior to him turning up in town?”
“No.”
“Did you want to? Have contact with him?” Detective Jones asked, watching her intently.
Angel frowned. “Pardon?”
He coughed. “I mean was the divorce amicable?”
“Not very.”
Maddie shot a look at Ethan. Was this all necessary? She wanted to ask. Without either of them saying a thing, he nodded, while the detective continued.
“And Bradley Masters was violent?”
“Not always, but he could be when he was drinking.”
“Which was how often?”
“Just weekends to start, then every day. It was a couple of bottles of beer at most until he took a shine to whiskey not long after we were married, and that was the beginning of the end.”
“So you and your ex had a rough divorce?”
Angel uncrossed her long legs and crossed them the other way, impatience showing. The Detectives’ ears were now crimson.
“We had a rough marriage in the later years because Brad refused to agree to a divorce. Naturally, once I asked, that made him angrier than usual.”
The Detective glared. “Naturally? Ahem! How bad was the violence?”
“Pushing and shoving mainly.”
“He was a bully, and words were another weapon of choice,” Maddie told him dispassionately.
Detective Jones’ face mottled and his eyes narrowed. He was looking more furious with every answer, and Maddie thought she knew why.
There was an attraction in this room, and despite the nature of his inquiry, all Detective Jones’s questions were potentially, fundamentally, not really about the investigation. She’d suspected that Jones had a thing for Angel when he’d come to town during the chaos of the last case, and now it looked like she was right.
After an awkward silence, the detective turned the questioning to her.
“Bradley Marsters has told us quite a bit, but what is your take on his story, Ms. Flynn?”
She was filled with pleasure that he would care for her opinion. “When you dissect it, everything sounds plausible.”
“I see. And you really did not see the killer?”
She shook her head. “All I heard was the sound of the gunshot, same as the others, then the footsteps and finally the car screeching off in a heck of a hurry.”
He steepled his hands on the table. “You believe it was Caleb Marsters?”
“I do.”
“Because Bradley told you it wasn’t him?”
She tried not to be offended by the innuendo that she was being naive, but it did strike a chord that in fact, maybe she was.
“It’s more than him saying it. Angel is my friend, and as you can imagine, I’m not particularly fond of Brad, oweing to the way he treated her, but he does appear and sound remorseful and horrified at the events that have ensued. I believe that the man who shot Magnus would have no semblance of that. Shooting a friend in cold blood just doesn’t feel like something Brad would do.”
“Feeling is not the same as knowing. Do you have any personal relationship with either of the Marsters?”
She blinked at him. “Am I on trial?”
Ethan stiffened beside the Detective and gave her a pointed look. “Detective Jones is asking questions that need to be asked. I’m sure he’s not attempting to malign your character.”
“He better not,” warned Angel.
Jones looked out the window for a moment. When he turned back, he was somewhat calmer. “Sometimes I get carried away. You’re not our usual witnesses, and you both know more than any of us about Brad’s capabilities, so I do take what you say into account, but a lot of this information about Caleb Marsters can’t be verified at the moment. Most of our questioning around Destiny and Maple Falls has been hitting brick walls. We need to knock a few down to get us further.”
So the two cases were related. Maddie had known they must be, because of how little Ethan talked about it.
“How will you do that?” Angel asked.
“By locating his brother,” Jones said, firmly.
“I thought no one had seen or heard from him.” Maddie pointed out.
“That we know of. It takes time to follow every lead, and while we do that I need you both to stay out of this. As best you can.”
Jones didn’t smile, but Maddie thought she detected a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’m sorry to keep you so long Ms. Flynn and to drag you in here Ms. Broome. You can go now
and thanks for your time.”
“What about Brad?” Angel asked.
Jones gave her an impenetrable look. “He’s in Protective Custody. Mr. Marsters will be fine as long as no one knows where he is.”
Angel nodded. “Of course. Please keep him safe. I believe he is trying to be a better person.”
Detective Jones expression was unreadable. “You have my word. And I’d appreciate you staying close to home. It would make taking care of you a lot easier.”
Angel flushed and nodded once more. It was unusual for her to be at a loss for words, so Maddie gathered her things, wished the men a good night, then Rob drove them home.
They dropped Angel at the salon, where Laura, obviously watching for her arrival, ushered her inside, then Rob waited until Maddie entered the bakery before leaving.
Big Red was waiting and trailed after her as she climbed the stairs to call Gran. She was weary to the bone and hoped that with Brad out of Angel’s place and Caleb out of town, they could all get a decent night’s sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Friday felt like a good day in so many ways. Firstly, Brad was being looked after, and therefore Angel called into the shop as usual, looking more like her old self. Things weren’t sorted completely, but it was a respite from the fear they’d been living under.
Ethan had once more left town, and Maddie could only hope it was to follow a lead on Caleb so that the case could be put to rest sooner rather than later.
That afternoon she’d walked out the back of her shop to take a breath of fresh air after the business of the day when she saw Angel in her garden. They waved.
“I’ve got another trial doughnut for you,” Maddie called across the intervening yard and saw a grin spread across her best friend’s face.
“Perfect timing, I was going to call in to see what you had left.”
Maddie donated much of her leftover baking to the needy or sent some home with Luke, but if it was something she knew Angel might enjoy, she always kept back one or two treats. Lately, with the doughnut testing, there was no way she wouldn’t make sure to set some aside for her.
