Murder at the Lakeside Library

by Holly Danvers

  “No clue.” Rain shrugged. “I have no idea what a book is doing there. Or whose necktie is hanging out of it. I’ve heard of strange bookmarks in the past, but never a tie. It’s a little big for the job; a slip of paper would’ve done better,” she rolled her eyes and a disbelieving laugh nervously fell from her mouth. She realized the seriousness of the situation was anything but funny, but after the initial shock of finding a body on her property, she didn’t know quite how to handle herself. It was as if to handle the gravity of the situation, her mind made it feel as though she wasn’t witnessing anything real. Rather, it was as if a movie was playing out in front of them. A movie she’d be happy to switch off.

  “So, you’re confirming you didn’t take a book along for a visit to the outhouse today? Or you don’t know anyone else who had been out here recently to use the facilities?”

  This question made her laugh aloud. The nervous tension was finally getting the best of her. “No. Despite the outhouse still being in working order, I prefer to stick with indoor plumbing.” Rain said, flinging a hand toward the log cabin. “Besides, I would have no reason to walk behind the structure. Nor, in my opinion, would anyone else—including your victim.” She nodded her head in the direction of Thornton and shuddered at the thought of this sickening act happening so close to home. It was unimaginable.

  Jace pulled a set of rubber gloves from a compartment on his thick police belt. He reached for the book and held it in his hands. The minute he flipped open the front cover, Rain recognized the familiar stamp of her family emblem, which caused her to gasp aloud. One thing she knew about the generational library; every book was coded with a stamp of two crossed American Eagle feathers inside the cover. And the stamp was now glaring back at her.

  Rain stumbled backward, unable to comprehend this new revelation. The library hadn’t been open for months. So how did the book get there? After Jace closed the book, she noticed the author’s name stamped on the front cover: Luis Russo. The book he’d found beneath the bush, a few feet away from Thornton Hughes’s lifeless body, wasn’t just any random novel; it had been written by her own grandfather.

  This was one novel that didn’t belong outdoors—never mind behind the outhouse. It belonged on the special shelf in the local author section of the library. Rain didn’t think her mother would even consider loaning out her grandfather’s book. Especially after he’d passed away two years ago. Grandpa Luis’s written words were always considered sacred in their home. As the novels and poetry books were long out of print, the library owned only a few precious copies of each of his works. Rain was sure her mother would only allow patrons to read her grandfather’s work on site and not remove it from the safety of the hand-hewn logs or the library grounds. So, how had it gotten out here? Out beneath the forsythia bush?

  Unless …

  The lack of dust and dirt proved that it must’ve, at one time, been in the victim’s hand. It was too clean to have been lying beneath the bush for very long. The book hadn’t been under the forsythia overnight—not a chance. Rain had checked the forecast before her ride up north, and Lofty Pines had been expecting heavy storms the previous night, and the bush wouldn’t have provided ample coverage for the book not to have gotten soaked. Especially since the spent yellow flowers of the forsythia now littered the ground. It had been a delayed spring with snow showers clear up until the end of April, and the bush had already finished its late blooming glory. Plus, it was obvious the necktie must have belonged to the victim, as his well-dressed attire was only missing that one piece of the ensemble. Anyone could clearly fill in the blanks and conclude that the tie was his.

  “That’s my grandfather’s work. The book he wrote … this family heirloom barely leaves the library …” she stuttered. “The book … it’s … precious to our family’s collection …” Rain’s voice trailed off as she tried to make sense of it.

  Could her mother really have let Thornton borrow the book? Something this sacred to the family? They must’ve been having an affair. There was no other explanation, was there? Rain could feel her blood run cold and her body begin to sway. Jace reached out a strong arm to catch her.

  “Hey, you okay? You look a little pale. Should I go and grab a paramedic?” Jace placed the family heirloom into a plastic bag that he also retrieved from his police belt and placed the book on a nearby rock. He then guided her a few feet away to the front side of the outhouse and encouraged Rain to rest on a nearby fallen log, with her head between her legs. “I’m going to have to hold on to your book for a bit, maybe forensics can tell us something. I’ll make sure they take good care of it, though. Don’t worry, it won’t be returned damaged.” He nodded his head in the direction of the new evidence.

  Rain inhaled deeply, trying to catch the breath that seemed to be evading her.

  “Are you sure you don’t need medical assistance?”

  “No, really. Please don’t bother them. I’ll be okay, I think I just need a minute,” Rain said. Her words were spoken into her arms and she felt herself begin to tremble. Tears came now, her body shook, and she could feel a strong hand rubbing her back to soothe her. She was a little embarrassed, but by this point, she couldn’t hold back. It’d been one heck of a summer homecoming.

  “Hey … I’m just going to leave you for a brief second. See if I can get Julia to grab you a bottle of water. Okay? It’s so warm out here today.” Rain felt the rubbing subside and a pat on her sweaty shoulder. Rain didn’t answer, she just lifted her head numbly and blinked back the tears in her eyes.

  “Will you be all right if I leave you for a minute?” he prompted again.

  Jace’s tenderness sent fresh tears to her eyes and she nodded slowly.

  “Okay, hang on. I’ll be just a minute, I promise.” Jace said and then quickly turned away from her. Rain watched him sprint with athletic ease toward his sister. She inhaled deeply and tried desperately to even her breathing. She wiped her eyes with her arm, leaving a wet patch and streaks of mascara on the sleeve of her navy T-shirt. Yes. She was officially a hot mess.

  Rain heard a car door slam off in the distance, but she couldn’t see the latest arrival in her driveway. She assumed it was the chief of police or the coroner, as the ambulance crew refused to move Thornton’s body until both had gotten a good, thorough look at the scene. Standard protocol, she thought—just not standard in her world.

  Julia and her brother came running, each carrying water. Rain was thirsty, but the amount of water they were bringing to her aid might be overkill. She attempted to stand, but her legs still felt a bit rubbery. Still, not wanting to appear as weak as she felt, she forced herself to stand and greet them with a timid smile.

  “You okay?” Julia reached out and handed her a bottle of water dripping with condensation. “Here, take this.”

  Rain uncapped the bottle immediately and took a drink before answering. “Yeah. Thanks so much for this. I am super thirsty. It’s hotter than a sack out here.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and then raised the bottle back up to her lips in gratitude.

  “Do you think there’s a chance you might be dehydrated?” Jace leaned in closer to make direct eye contact and check her eyes. “Are you sure I shouldn’t flag a paramedic to come take a quick look at you? It would only take them a sec.” He waved a hand in the direction of the driveway to wave down a paramedic, as if he was at a restaurant calling on a waitress. “You might be suffering from heat stroke. It’s pretty hot out here this afternoon.”

  “No,” Rain reached to deflect his call of the paramedic and then took another long sip of water. “I appreciate your kindness, really … seriously, I’ll be okay. I haven’t had much to eat today, and I had a long day of packing up from Milwaukee, traveling up here, and now all this …” She sucked the air into her lungs and then blew it out slowly. “I’m probably just a bit tired, too.” She blinked her gritty eyes and held back a yawn before displaying a weak smile.

  Julia looked crestfallen. “I’m so sorry I
pushed the meeting on you tonight. How rude of me. Can you forgive me, Rain? This is all my fault.” She ran her hand aimlessly up and down a second water bottle to remove the condensation, as if there was something she might be able to fix, before uncapping it and taking a sip herself.

  “Oh, Julia, please don’t even think such a thing.” Rain reached for her hand and gave a tight squeeze. “Please, friend, no worries.”

  Julia looked defeated; her eyes downcast.

  Rain then pleaded, “Please don’t take all this on yourself. This was definitely not your fault … none of it.” Rain’s eyes then traveled in the direction of the crime scene tape. She took another long swig of water and nearly emptied the bottle. Water had never tasted so good.

  “Julia, do you have any idea why a library book might have been out there behind the outhouse?” Jace’s eyes narrowed on his sister.

  “No idea. Why?”

  “Not just any book. Grandfather Luis’s book,” Rain chimed in quietly. So quietly, she doubted either one of them heard her grumblings.

  “The library hasn’t been open recently?” Jace pressed.

  “No, Willow usually waits until Memorial Day to open. And she hasn’t been up here. Why do you ask?” Julia asked. Her brows furrowed in question as her eyes traveled between Rain and her brother.

  “Never mind, looks like we have company,” Jace said as he nodded his head in the direction of a newcomer. The chief of police joined them, and after a few introductions, he and Jace moved off in the direction of the crime scene tape.

  Julia steadied Rain by the arm and they turned in the opposite direction and headed toward the wraparound deck.

  “What was that about?” Julia’s look of confusion did not go unnoticed as she looked back toward her brother and the chief of police and then back to Rain.

  Rain was not at all ready to discuss why her grandfather’s book was found at the scene of the crime. She wasn’t yet comfortable openly discussing her mother’s relationship with this victim, and suddenly the book made their so-called relationship all too real. Otherwise, why would Thornton have it? Instead she deflected by changing the subject.

  “Where’s Nick? I’m surprised with all the commotion he didn’t head next door to check on you,” Rain asked. “There’s no way he didn’t hear all the hoopla going on over here.”

  “I called him on my cell and instructed him to stay put. No sense muddying the investigation by adding more people to the mix. I’ll fill him in when I get home. I also phoned the other Lakers that might happen to stop by tonight knowing we were having a meeting. Jace would’ve been so pissed if more people showed up for him to sift through.”

  “Ah, good point, thanks for handling that. Well, hopefully, the officers will wrap up here and you’ll be able to get back to Nick. I’m sure after they take our statements, we’ll be free to go. And besides, now that the chief is here, it shouldn’t be much longer. You think?”

  Rain couldn’t wait to get a little food in her stomach and a good night’s sleep. The adrenaline was starting to wane, and suddenly she felt very weary.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t think it’ll be much longer. But Rain, I’ll stay with you if you need me to. You don’t have to be alone tonight.” Julia laid a gentle hand upon her arm and she instantly felt a rush of genuine encouragement.

  Rain appreciated her friend’s empathy but alone was something she’d grown accustomed to as of late. “Thanks, Julia, but I’ll be okay. Just knowing you guys are right next door helps. I suppose they’ll want to get Thornton’s body off to the morgue real soon, for a proper autopsy. I can’t believe these words are even coming out of my mouth.” Rain emptied her water bottle and Julia offered the rest of hers, which Rain accepted willingly.

  “I hear you. Nothing like this has ever happened around this lake. I can’t believe it either.” Julia held a hand to her heart and tapped lightly, her usual friendly smile now downcast.

  Rain turned her attention back to the area of the crime scene. “Your brother is pretty amazing, taking on this kind of work. It sure is different than reading something like this in a crime novel. He’s taken up quite the noble cause, and right here in Lofty Pines.” She kept her musings to herself that Julia’s brother had grown into a handsome man, too. The timing of stating such a thing was very much off, but she’d have to be brain dead not to notice.

  “Yeah, I agree, Jace is pretty amazing. My brother has always had a way of putting others before himself. He’d storm a burning building for a friend … I’ve always admired that about him. To be honest, I hated how overprotective he was when I was younger, but now that I’ve grown up and look back at it, I see him in a whole new light. It’s too bad Abby didn’t feel the same.” She added under her breath.

  “Abby?”

  “Yeah, Jace proposed a year ago to a gal named Abigail, we all called her gabby Abby.” Julia chuckled. “Holy Maloney, that girl could talk!” Julia slapped a hand to her thigh in jest.

  “What happened to her?”

  Julia kicked a stone and toyed with it on the grass. “She’s a photographer, who did a lot of traveling, and Lofty Pines was too small for her. She wanted out of the Northwoods. Broke my brother’s heart.”

  “Oh.”

  “I realize it’s nowhere near what you had to deal with last year, but Jace really took it hard.”

  Rain looked back at him with fresh eyes and Julia followed her lead by turning her head, too. They watched as Jace took control of the situation pointing out things to his boss.

  “What do you think happened to Thornton anyway? What would be the motive?” Rain asked as the two watched the body now being covered with a tarp.

  “I have no clue.” Julia said. “I’m really sorry, Rain. I should’ve taken into consideration your move up here before suggesting we have the meeting tonight. And now all of this on top of everything else … I feel awful.” Julia lifted a hand to her flushed cheek.

  Rain turned to Julia, “It’s okay.” You’re not responsible for this. Any of it. Please, don’t keep putting this on yourself.” But Rain knew someone was responsible.

  The question was … who?

  Chapter Six

  Rain woke to only one thing pressing heavily on her mind. Why was a dead man found on her family compound and what was the truth behind her mother’s so-called affiliation with Thornton Hughes? Had he been expecting to meet Willow for a tryst, and instead wound up dead? Or had he been placed there? To send a strong message. Or worse, was his body dumped there to frame someone in her family?

  What was he doing there of all places? Out behind the outhouse?

  These musings had resulted in a fitful slumber of tossing and turning throughout the night. Uncomfortable thoughts seared through Rain’s mind, causing a dull ache to land behind her eyes. She had a hunch that, despite ibuprofen, this kind of pain would linger. Unless she got to the root of the problem.

  Rain tossed the cotton sheet aside and decided a cup of strong coffee might help clear the cobwebs as she pressed her fingers deeper into her throbbing forehead.

  Sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the open concept living room, and causing Rain to blink and readjust as she entered. She tented her eyes and awkwardly stumbled her way blindly with an outstretched arm, toward the kitchen sink to fill a tall glass with water. She dumped the water into the coffee machine and popped in a full caffeinated pod before hitting the start button. The buzz of the machine filled her with aching anticipation.

  An uncorked wine bottle atop the quartz kitchen island reminded her of the other reason she might have woken with a pounding headache. Unable to unwind from the day, she’d popped a bottle of red, long after Julia had returned home. At the time, she hadn’t realized how much wine she’d consumed, but now looking at the half-empty bottle, she recognized what she’d done and remembered the room spinning before she’d fallen into bed. Unusual behavior on her part but well warranted under the circumstances. She didn’t feel remorse for her behavior
but more for the aftermath of alcohol consumption. She squeezed her eyes shut again, hoping to relieve the pain behind her eyes.

  Tried as she might, Rain couldn’t shake the image of Thornton Hughes from her mind. No amount of wine could erase it. His distorted limbs, stiff and awkward, lying on the soiled ground. The blood that had pooled around his head. She shuddered, knowing his last moments on earth must have been disturbing and painful. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock coming from the rear entrance. Thinking it might be Julia, she rushed through the house to greet her friend. Instead, she was met by a man of equal height to her own. Rain stumbled backward in surprise.

  “Hi, I was wondering why the library wasn’t open? I was told I’d be able to borrow a book. Do I have the right place?” the man asked, pointing in the direction of the catwalk leading to the library.

  “Oh.” Rain shook her head to redirect her thoughts. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry, not yet. We will be opening, however, I’m not quite sure when. I can take your phone number and give you a call when we open. How does that sound?”

  “No, that’s okay. I rent a cottage about a mile down the road, I thought I’d pop in on my morning walk. I can check back again. What happened out there?” He turned away from her looking at the blaring yellow police tape.

  “An accident.”

  “Accident?” The man winced at the comment. “What kind of accident?”

  Rain swallowed. “A murder actually.”

  “A murder?” The man’s eyes doubled in size. “Who killed him? Was it someone he knew?”

  Rain hadn’t mentioned the sex of the victim. It was then she realized the library patron wasn’t here to pick up a book, instead, she surmised, he was here to pick up gossip. “I’m sorry, how about you check back again on one of your walks. I’m sure the library will be opening soon. Thanks for stopping by.” Rain managed a weak smile.