by Cindy Bell
Chapter Four
Ally drove back to the cottage and was relieved to be greeted by Peaches the moment she opened the door. She crouched down and scooped the cat up into her arms. With one cheek buried in the cat’s soft, warm fur she made her way to the couch. Arnold bounded into the room and snorted at her. He expected a snack, or a walk, but she just wanted to enjoy their company first. After a few minutes of her two pets nuzzling and soothing her she was ready to work out if there was more to Emma’s death. She grabbed her phone and dialed her grandmother’s number again. When she answered, Ally was even more calmed by the sound of her voice.
“I just want you to know that I’m home.”
“Oh good, sweetheart. I was worried. How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay.”
“I’ve been fielding phone calls from everyone in town. I guess news has gotten out that you were the one to find her. Be prepared for the questions.”
“I know, I know.” She sighed.
“I wonder if her husband even knows yet?” Charlotte said.
“Oh my, I hadn’t thought of that. I hope they were able to reach him. We should make an effort to do something nice for him.”
“Yes we should, Ally. That’s a great idea. Call me if you need me. Okay?”
“I will, Mee-Maw.” Ally hung up the phone and closed her eyes.
As Ally began to sort through her thoughts there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it.
“Come on in, Luke.”
Arnold walked over to the door to say hello as Luke stepped inside. Luke patted him on the head. Even though he was becoming fond of the pot-bellied pig he still looked a bit uncomfortable around him. Ally went to sit back on the couch next to Peaches.
“Hey.” He offered her a mild smile as he walked towards her. “How are you doing?”
“Okay.” She patted the seat next to her. Peaches lifted her head to look in his direction. She offered a soft meow, then settled her head back down on top of her paws.
“Hi Peaches.” Luke stroked the top of her head. “Keeping Mom company I see. She’s such a sweet cat.”
“Yes, she is.” She glanced over at him. “Did the medical examiner arrive already?”
“Yes. He’s taken custody of the body.”
“Did he mention anything about the death?”
He frowned. “He’s not going to conclude anything until he does the exam.”
“What about Jack? Her husband? Did anyone reach him?”
“We’re trying. We’re having a hard time pinning down exactly where he is at the moment. We’re still looking into it though, hopefully he’ll be notified soon.”
He intertwined his fingers with hers. Ally stared into his eyes for a moment, then smiled.
“You must be starving. Let me make you something to eat.” She stood up and headed for the kitchen.
“Please don’t go to any trouble for me.” Luke followed after her.
“Peanut butter and jelly?” She picked up a butter knife and smiled.
“Sounds delicious.”
“Strawberry or grape?”
“Strawberry.” He leaned against the counter. She felt his eyes on her as she went through the process of making the sandwich. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Whether or not I should cut the crusts off?” She glanced over at him.
“No. About Emma’s death not being an accident.” He leaned closer. “I like the crusts.”
“You’re right.” She offered him the plate and then began to make her own sandwich.
“Your instincts are telling you something, it’s okay to listen.”
“What about your instincts?” She finished her sandwich and they sat down at the small kitchen table. “What are they telling you?”
“All I know for sure is that Emma died. The scene really didn’t tell me anything else. Until we find something to indicate foul play, I really can’t even investigate much more than that.”
“Ah, but that’s not what I asked you.” She took a bite of her sandwich.
“Okay, okay. My instincts tell me that it’s a little odd for a woman of her age and health to fall down the stairs. But it’s not unheard of. The wound on her head could have been caused by the fall, but the paramedic seemed to think it’s unlikely. I want to hear what the medical examiner says.”
“Yes. I wish he would hurry up.”
“Patience.”
She sat back in her chair and finished her sandwich. Luke opened his mouth to speak but the front door opened before he could.
“Ally, we need to talk.” Charlotte bustled right past the two of them at the kitchen table and to the stove where she started to make a pot of tea.
“Mee-Maw, what’s wrong?” Ally stood up from the table with Luke right behind her. When Charlotte turned to face Ally she gasped with surprise.
“I didn’t realize you had company, I’m so sorry, Ally. I thought Luke was coming over later, I didn’t think he would be finished at the scene so soon. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll just see myself out.”
“Nonsense.” Luke shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on? You seem upset.”
“I am a little upset. No, I’m a lot upset.” She sighed and went back to the kettle. As she set it on the stove she continued to speak. “I’ve been thinking about Emma, and how she had so many plans ahead of her. She was just about to move, to start a new life. After what you said, Ally, I just don’t believe it was an accident.”
“That’s what we were just talking about, Mee-Maw. I don’t really believe it was an accident, either. In my gut, I just think that something else happened. Maybe I just don’t want to believe it. My gut tells me that there was someone else there with her.”
“But, there’s no evidence of that. No sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle, nothing.” Luke held out his hands palm up. “I’ve got nothing to base an investigation on.” He paused and looked between them. “Well, not nothing. Your instincts mean a lot to me. But that’s not enough to start an investigation.”
“I can’t blame you for that. I guess hunches aren’t going to get you anywhere.” Charlotte sighed and leaned against the counter. “So, what we need to do is get some proof. I’m sure that we can put our heads together and figure this out. There must have been something we overlooked in her life. Who would be angry enough to push her down the stairs?”
“We don’t even know that she was pushed or that she fell down the stairs.” Ally tapped her fingertips along the counter beside her grandmother. “Couldn’t someone have just made it look like she fell down the stairs? Maybe she was killed somewhere else in the house.”
“I hadn’t really thought about that. But you’re right, Ally.” Charlotte clucked her tongue just as the kettle began to wail. She turned to take it off the burner.
Luke’s cell phone began to ring. “Excuse me, ladies, I need to take this.” As he stepped out onto the back porch, Ally set tea cups on the counter for her grandmother.
“I hope we’re not putting too much pressure on him to agree with us.” Ally frowned. “He has to keep his objectivity.”
“Luke is his own man, he can trust our instincts if he wants to.”
“Do you really think that’s what it is, or do you think he’s trying to be nice?”
“Maybe a little of both.” Charlotte tipped the kettle and poured the scalding water into the cups. The aroma of lemon and honey filled the kitchen.
“That’s what worries me. I’d never want to come between Luke and his job, and I don’t want what he feels about me to taint his decisions when it comes to his work.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that, sweetheart. Luke knows how to figure out how to keep work and romance separate.” She carried her cup of tea to the kitchen table. “Besides, even if he does lean a little more towards your view of things, your view is usually pretty spot on.”
“Maybe.” Ally stirred her tea. A moment later Luke stepped
back into the kitchen. He didn’t look at either of them as he sat down at the table.
“Everything okay?” Ally peered at him. Charlotte nudged his cup of tea towards him.
“Sure.” He nodded. “What were we talking about?”
“Hunches,” Charlotte said.
“Honestly, I’m just a little amazed by your hunches. I just spoke with the medical examiner.”
“And? Did he rule it an accident?” Ally scooted her chair forward.
“No, he obviously hasn’t made a ruling yet because he still has a lot more examining to do, but he said at the moment it looks like it’s accidental. He noted that the severity of the injuries although unusual for a fall down the stairs were still possible to be caused by it. But he can’t tell conclusively, yet?”
“So, at least he hasn’t made a ruling yet,” Ally said.
“He can only go by the evidence that is in front of him. So far he didn’t find any hairs or other trace evidence on her body that could indicate that someone harmed her. Without some kind of proof that someone else was in the house with her there’s no way to prove foul play.”
“What do you think, Luke?” She looked into his eyes. “Now that you’ve heard from the medical examiner?”
“Honestly, I expected him to rule that it was absolutely an accident. The fact that he found something that makes him hesitant, tells me a lot. I don’t know if this was a murder or not, but I do think it just got a little more mysterious.” He sighed and picked up his cup of tea.
Ally rested her hand on top of his. “And?”
“And, I think you might be right. I think I definitely need to look into it more while we wait for his findings as there might have been more to this death. I trust your instincts and the fact that you are so convinced it wasn’t an accident tells me that I might be overlooking something.”
“Oh good, thank you.”
“I might have to do it on the side because I’m working a big case at the moment and I doubt my captain is going to open an official investigation before the medical examiner has made his final ruling or something else comes to light.” He looked over at Ally. “Is there anything you remember from the day of the yard sale that might give me some grounds so my boss will allow me to start an investigation?”
“Yes! Maybe there is!” Ally stood up and began to pace beside the table. “Her ex-husband Gary showed up at the sale. He was livid that she was selling the house. They got into an argument right there in front of everyone.”
“Okay, that might be something. Did he threaten her?”
Ally frowned. “Not exactly. But he was quite aggressive and he took some golf clubs.”
“Took them?”
“He just picked them up and walked off with them. I think they were his, though.”
Luke shook his head and stood up. “That’s not going to give me much. Anything else you can think of? Something he might have said?”
Ally closed her eyes and thought back to the conversation. As she recalled one thing stood out to her.
“He kept saying that she couldn’t sell the house. That it was his house. He was talking about how he did all of these fixes and upgrades on the house and one of the things he mentioned fixing was the stairs.” Ally’s eyes widened. “Do you think he might have done something to the stairs?”
“I’ll see if I can find anything structurally wrong with them, maybe the railings loose and been put back in place.” Luke made a note of it in his phone. “It’s a place to start. I can poke around a bit.” Luke rested his back against the wall and crossed his arms. “I’ll see if I can find out more about him. Do you know anything that can help, Charlotte?”
“Not much.” Charlotte pursed her lips and picked up the empty tea cups. She set them carefully in the sink and turned the water on to rinse them. “Just that everyone knew that their marriage ended horribly.”
“When did the marriage end?” Luke asked.
“A couple of years ago. Of course I’ve never discussed this with her myself, but this is what I’ve heard. She was scared that if she got divorced she would lose the house to him so she stayed in the marriage. But then she met Jack and got the courage to leave him.”
“Sounds like her knight in shining armor.” Ally grabbed a towel to dry the tea cups.
“I’m definitely going to see what I can find out about this guy. But we can’t open an official investigation, yet.”
“Don’t worry about that, Ally and I don’t need a paper trail to open an investigation. Do we, Ally?”
Ally shook her head. “We have our ways. Maybe we can find you the proof that you need.”
“I know it’s pointless for me to tell the two of you to be careful, but remember that this is a sensitive situation involving a man that appears to be quite volatile.” He reached out and pulled the towel from Ally’s hand, then took her hand in his.
“I don’t think that’s something that any of us can forget,” Ally said as she recalled the way he spoke to Emma at the yard sale. She wondered if he knew then what he intended to do. Did he plan it out beforehand? Or was her murder a spur of the moment decision?
“Hey Ally, don’t worry. I’m going to have a chat with him,” Luke said.
“How can you do that without opening an investigation?”
“I’ll say that someone mentioned that he had a confrontation with his ex-wife at the yard sale and that I am following up on it.”
“Do you think you can get away with that?” Charlotte frowned.
“I can get away with some things as long as I’m careful. There’s nothing wrong with a friendly conversation.”
“Fair enough.” Charlotte nodded. “I just hope that it will lead to something more.”
“I can assure you if he confesses to anything he’ll be taken care of right away. I still need to consider this an accident, but it’s worthwhile to see if he says anything to make me think otherwise.”
“All right, I should probably head home. The shop is going to be hopping in the morning. Ally, you don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”
“No, I want to. I’ll be there.” She hugged her grandmother. “I’ll see you then.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart.” Charlotte kissed Ally’s cheek. On her way out she patted Arnold’s head and made kissing noises and then stroked Peaches’ back as she wound through her legs.
“I should go, too. I’ll walk you out, Charlotte.” Luke met Ally’s eyes. “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”
“That’s a silly question, Luke. I’m always okay by myself.”
“But it never hurts to have company!” Charlotte called out before she stepped out the door. Luke met Ally’s eyes one last time, then followed after Charlotte.
Ally smiled to herself as she closed the door behind them. She could pretend to be insulted, but Luke’s concern meant a lot to her. As soon as she was alone the exhaustion hit her like a brick. She barely made it to her bedroom before she had to collapse. She curled up in her bed and stared at the patterns of moonlight on the wall. Her entire body felt heavy, too heavy. She thought about getting up and taking a shower, but she couldn’t bring herself to crawl out from under the covers. As if she sensed her restlessness, Peaches jumped up into the bed with her. She rubbed her furry cheek along Ally’s and purred.
“Thank you, Peaches. It’s been a rough day.” She pulled the cat close and stroked her back. As she fell asleep she thought about the events of the day.
Chapter Five
When Ally opened her eyes she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all. Yet the sun was up and the clock showed that she was actually running late. She had a quick shower, dressed and took care of the pets, then headed out to the shop. When she arrived she was relieved to smell freshly baked muffins waiting for her.
“I’m here, Mee-Maw, sorry I’m running a little late.”
“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. You had a big day yesterday. Just come try one of these chocolate muffins.”
“If I must.
” Ally sighed and grinned at the same time. “They smell so good. Did you add something new?”
“Just a hint of cinnamon. I know it sounds strange with chocolate, but it just gives it a little zing. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.” Charlotte handed her a muffin.
Ally took a small piece off the top. “Yum! It’s delicious.”
The bell over the door chimed and Mrs. Cale, Mrs. White, and Mrs. Bing filed inside. Each had a solemn look on their face.
“Good morning, ladies.” Ally turned to face them and offered a small smile.
“Good morning.” Mrs. Bing sighed and slouched down in a chair at the counter.
“Coffee?” Charlotte patted Mrs. Bing’s hand.
“Yes, please.”
Ally slid the sampler tray towards the three women. “Help yourselves, ladies, we all need some comfort food today.”
“Yes.” Mrs. White looked at the tray deciding which one to choose. “Though I’m sure going to need a lot of those to comfort me.” She popped a chocolate in her mouth.
“Does everyone around town know?”
“Yes, and they know that you were the one to find her.” Mrs. White looked into her eyes.
“How did everyone find out so quickly?” Ally frowned.
“Well, it started with all of the sirens and police. Then, Mavis was standing outside the post office this morning, absolutely ranting about how Emma was murdered.”
“Murdered?” Ally froze where she stood. “But the police think it was an accident.”
“Yes, as do most people in the neighborhood.” Mrs. Cale picked up a piece of chocolate and studied it. “But apparently Mavis believes there is more to the story.”
“Who is Mavis?” Ally looked between the three women.
“She’s a bit of a recluse.” Mrs. White frowned. “And eccentric.”
