by Cindy Bell
“Let's see if we can get him to open up,” Suzie said. She tapped lightly on the door. No one came to unlock it. Suzie sighed.
“Maybe we should just go,” Mary said.
“Wait, let me try calling him,” Suzie suggested. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number printed on the window of the shop. After the third ring someone answered.
“Freeland's Fudge, Harry speaking,” the voice said crisply.
“Harry, this is Suzie Allen, I run the bed and breakfast, Dune House,” she explained quickly.
“Oh yes, of course,” he said. “How are you, Suzie?”
“I'm fine, but I have a guest that is just dying for the best fudge in town and I know that has to be your fudge. Unfortunately, I need it as fast as possible, any chance I could sneak in and purchase a box?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course, come on down I will open up a little early for you,” Harry said quickly.
“I'm already here,” Suzie replied cheerfully and waved through the window.
“Just one moment,” Harry said before hanging up the phone. Mary gave Suzie a look. Suzie smiled back innocently as she tucked her cell phone away. Harry unlocked the door and welcomed them into the store.
“What kind of fudge is your guest looking for?” he asked as he walked over to the counter.
“Peanut butter,” Suzie replied warmly. “Thank you so much for doing this, you're a real life saver.”
“Is this for that couple that is staying at your place?” Harry asked curiously as he packaged up a box of peanut butter fudge. “The young woman liked the fudge very much.”
“Daria?” Suzie asked as she handed over her credit card.
“Yes, I think that is her name,” Harry nodded and rang up the sale.
“Has she been in here since yesterday?” Suzie asked.
“No, in fact, they left so quickly when they did come that I didn't even get to give her the receipt for her purchase,” he frowned and then lowered his voice. “I try to stay out of other people's business but, that man she was with, he was very gruff with her.”
“Gruff how?” Mary asked.
“He kept rushing her. Everything was fine, then his phone rang, and all of a sudden he was trying to get her to leave as fast as he could,” he sighed. “I was hoping to make a bigger sale.”
“Do you remember if either of them said anything about where they were going?” Suzie asked.
“Actually no,” he shook his head. “I asked her if everything was all right, and she smiled at me and said everything was fine,” he shrugged. “Are they in some kind of trouble?”
“We're not sure,” Mary replied. “Please do call us if you happen to hear from or see Daria, okay?”
“Sure,” he nodded. Suzie slid a business card across the counter to him.
“Thank you for the fudge,” she said as they walked out. As soon as they were outside, Suzie glanced over at Mary with a troubled frown.
“This is getting more suspicious by the moment.”
“I know,” Mary glanced up and down the street. “I wonder where they were heading off to in such a rush.”
They walked back to their car and saw Jason standing outside the police station talking on the phone. As they walked past him he hung up.
“I have to go to the medical examiner's office?” Jason said.
“Why, did something come up?” Suzie asked.
“Why don’t you meet me there and I'll fill you in,” Jason said as he hurried towards his patrol car.
“He seems in a hurry,” Mary said.
“Must be important,” Suzie replied with intrigue as they got back in the car.
“Sounds it,” Mary said as she started the car and pulled onto the street. “Why do you think he wants us to meet him there?”
“I'm not sure,” Suzie frowned. “But I'd imagine that he just got confirmation that this was no accident after all and he wants to fill us in.”
As they were driving towards the medical examiner's office, Suzie caught sight of someone walking along the side of the road. She couldn't quite place who the person was, which was unusual as she had gotten to know most of the people in town. She narrowed her eyes as she studied the man in the low brimmed hat. He was walking with purpose as if he had a place to be rather than being out for a casual stroll. His clothes looked too expensive for someone to be just out for a walk.
“Slow down a little,” Suzie instructed Mary quietly.
Mary glanced out the side window at the man Suzie was watching. She slowed down as Suzie had instructed her. As they slowed beside the man, he suddenly turned down one of the neighborhood streets.
“Do you want me to follow him?” Mary asked. “He does look very suspicious.”
“No, we better not,” Suzie said and frowned. “Jason's waiting for us. I don't want someone making a complaint against us for following them for no reason, either,” she added.
“He does seem out of place,” Mary said as she continued to drive towards the medical examiner's office. “Did you get a good look at him?”
“I couldn't see his face,” Suzie sighed. When they reached the parking lot of the office, Suzie saw Jason's patrol car parked out front. She and Mary walked up to the front door and stepped inside. There was no one in the front office area.
“Hello?” Suzie called out. She knew better than to slip past the double doors without permission. It was a medical examiner’s office and she was a bit worried about the possibilities of what she might find.
“Suzie?” Jason called back and then pushed through the double doors. “Come on back,” he said with a grave expression. Suzie held the door open for Mary. They were greeted by the sharp scent of disinfectant and the chemicals used for preservation. Soft music was playing, something classical with lots of violins. Summer was in a gown with clear goggles over her eyes and gloves that seemed to go up to her elbows. Sprawled out on the table was Antony, looking much better than he did when they first found him, but still quite dead.
“Stay there,” Summer warned sharply. “I don't want anything to contaminate the evidence.”
“What's happened?” Suzie asked. “Did he at least die quickly from the accident?” she asked hopefully. She hated to think of anyone suffering.
“Yes, he did suffer some injuries from the accident,” Summer explained as she swept her gaze over the report in her hand. “But that isn't what killed him.”
“That's what I don't understand,” Jason said. “He looked pretty beat up from the crash.”
“He was, but he did survive the crash,” Summer explained. “At least for a little while. I can't predict exactly the amount of time between the crash-inflicted injuries and his death. But I can say with confidence that the bruising around his nose and mouth was caused by forceful suffocation. He probably was too injured to defend himself against the killer. The suffocation is what actually killed him. This wasn't just a car accident, this was a homicide,” she closed the folder and handed it over to Jason. “Sorry to increase your workload.”
“Great,” Jason said as he ran his hand back through his red hair. “This is going to turn into a big mess. We've got a murder, plus a missing person.”
“Were the injuries that he suffered from the accident life threatening?” Suzie asked with a frown.
“I think so,” Summer nodded. “I believe that without medical attention he would have succumbed to his injuries in a short period of time. Obviously that can't be said with absolute certainty, but it is my best estimation.”
“Maybe someone thought they were committing an act of mercy?” Mary suggested as she gazed at Antony's remains. “Perhaps they came across him as injured as he was and decided to end his life.”
“I doubt it,” Jason said with disbelief.
“It just doesn't make sense to me that after an accident like that a murderer would go to all the trouble of suffocating an already dying man. Why risk murder charges when they could have just waited it out?” Suzie asked.
“Maybe they were concerned that he wouldn't die fast enough,” Jason sighed. “If someone went to all this trouble it was very likely that they wanted to keep him quiet about something. Whoever ran his car off the road probably didn't want to risk the possibility of Antony being revived and being able to talk.”
“So, Antony likely knew something,” Suzie said softly. “Something that he shouldn't have known.”
“Something important enough to kill over,” Jason added grimly.
“All I know for sure is that he died sometime between two and five in the morning,” Summer explained. “I'm still waiting for the toxicology reports but I didn't find any evidence to suggest that he was under the influence of anything at the time of the accident.”
“Okay,” Jason nodded and tucked his hands deep into his pockets. “Thanks for your help, Dr. Rose,” he said in a professional tone, though his gaze lingered on hers in a less than professional manner.
“Anything I can do to help,” she replied warmly. Mary and Suzie exchanged a knowing glance before they walked out of the exam room.
“Wait up you two,” Jason called out as he walked after them. Suzie felt a little uneasy. She wondered if Jason had discovered that they were holding back some information. “The reason I asked you to come here when I found out this wasn’t an accident was so you would be informed and know that you need to be very cautious, please. Lock the doors and windows at Dune House and stay safe.”
“Okay,” Mary said and Suzie nodded in agreement.
“Also, with this being a homicide investigation now it's even more important that we locate Daria. If you hear from her, or come across anyone who has seen her, I want you to tell me right away,” he looked between Suzie and Mary. “I really hope that she turns up alive and well. I don't want this turning into a double homicide.”
“We'll let you know if we hear or see anything,” Suzie assured him and shot a furtive glance in Mary's direction.
“I'm going to check in at the station and see if there were any tips or reports of an accident last night,” Jason said. “Sometimes people wait until the next day to report hearing strange noises.”
“Can't they get more people out here to help find her?” Mary asked with obvious frustration. “That poor woman could be hurt or being held somewhere.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll get more resources. But, I will try,” he assured them both. “Daria might just be the key to understanding what happened to Antony.”
“Let's hope we find her quickly,” Suzie said. Jason nodded and headed out to his patrol car. As Suzie and Mary stepped outside, Suzie spoke softly. “You know it is possible that Daria really did just take off. She might not have anything to do with any of this,” she sighed.
“Honestly, I hope that is the case,” Mary said grimly. “Because if she was involved, she's either another victim, or a potential murderer.”
“I think we need to take another look at the crime scene,” Suzie said thoughtfully. “If we can find a way to prove that Daria was in that car or near it at the time of the accident then maybe Jason can get some more help in searching for her.” Mary nodded as they walked over to their car.
Chapter Five
On the drive back to the country road they had been on that morning, a tension began to build between the two friends. Suzie could sense it as Mary was driving. Mary normally would turn on the radio, or chat about the weather, anything to keep a friendly, comfortable conversation going. If they weren’t talking about anything the atmosphere still felt relaxed. But this time Suzie could feel the tension as Mary was perfectly silent, clasping the steering wheel firmly and staring hard through the windshield. Suzie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“What is it, Mary?” she asked with a frown.
“Hmm?” Mary glanced over at her.
“I know something is on your mind, spill it,” Suzie insisted. Mary eased the car down the country road. She slowed her speed to make sure that they wouldn't get stuck in the sandy dirt.
“You know me too well,” Mary shot Suzie a half-smile.
“So, tell me,” Suzie insisted as she studied Mary.
“All right,” Mary sighed as she parked the car several yards away from the area where the accident had happened. A large space was now isolated by yellow police tape. “I'm a little concerned about what we're keeping from Jason,” she admitted.
“Oh,” Suzie nodded slowly. “I understand what you mean. I guess we are treading on dangerous ground by not sharing everything with him.”
“It's not just that,” Mary insisted as she looked over at Suzie. “He's your cousin, Suzie, don't you think we can trust him? Don't you think he would take your concerns about keeping Daria safe seriously?”
“I do trust Jason,” Suzie stated firmly, and then sighed. “Mary, I worked for so many years as an investigative reporter. The problem I always faced when it came to the police was no matter how honest they were, no matter how eager to help, once a crime had been reported they no longer had control over it. They have to follow protocol or risk losing their job, and possibly even facing legal trouble themselves. I trust Jason, but I also know that he will follow orders. Daria isn't a killer, I know it. I feel it in my bones. But if I tell Jason about the argument I overheard, he's going to see things very differently.”
“Maybe you should give him a little more credit,” Mary suggested. “He might surprise you.”
“Maybe,” Suzie shook her head. “But I'm not going to put Daria at risk on a whim. It's not like I'm concealing evidence, it's something I heard. I might have heard wrong, after all.”
“You know you didn't hear wrong,” Mary said as she met Suzie's eyes. “You have a mind like a steel trap. I'm sure you remember the conversation word for word.”
“I do,” Suzie whispered softly. “That's just it. I remember the way Daria's voice shook, not with anger but with fear. She wasn't trying to scare Antony, she was terrified of what would happen to her family. I believe she was terrified of whoever ultimately killed Antony.”
“Well, hopefully whoever it is has already left Garber,” Mary said with a frown. “I really do not want to deal with a murderer.”
“Me neither,” Suzie agreed. “But I won't rest until we figure out where Daria is.”
As they stepped out of the car the temperature had dropped by several degrees. Suzie shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Should have worn a jacket,” she muttered to herself.
“It looks like they've already taken the car,” Mary said as she tilted her head towards the area of the road where the car had been. “I'm not sure what we'll find here that Jason and Kirk could have overlooked,” Mary said as she stood beside the tall grass. “Kirk seems to be quite good at searching for things.”
“Maybe so,” Suzie said as she brushed the tall grass back. “But at the time we didn't know that this was potentially a murder investigation, or even that Daria was definitely missing. So, maybe he just didn't notice something that now will seem out of place.”
“Maybe,” Mary agreed. She began combing through the tall grass as well.
“You know, maybe we need to think this through a little more,” Mary suddenly said.
“What do you mean?” Suzie asked.
“We considered that Daria had been standing in the middle of the road, causing the car to swerve. We considered that she might have been thrown from the car when it crashed, but what if she just got out and walked away?” she glanced over the trees that lined the road. “What if it was her intention to disappear?”
“Then she would have hidden her trail,” Suzie said with a snap of her fingers. “We need to look deeper into the woods. At some point she would have felt as if she was far enough from the accident scene not to be detected.”
“Exactly,” Mary agreed. They began walking through the trees, deeper into the woods. The trees were fairly widespread. In daylight they didn't provide a lot of cover. But in the dark they would ha
ve kept Daria hidden.
“Here,” Suzie called out with excitement. “Look at this,” she said and pointed to a branch that was half-torn from the trunk of a tree.
“It looks like someone was hanging onto it,” Mary said. She peered down at the ground. “Here look, there's a high, thick root and the dirt is disturbed. She probably lost her footing and grabbed onto the branch to steady herself.”
“This would be from her sweater then,” Suzie said as she pointed to a tuft of pink material that was clinging to the bark of the tree.
“That is evidence, don't touch,” Mary warned. “Suzie, I really think it's time we clued Jason in to what we suspect.”
“All right,” Suzie nodded reluctantly.
“I think it was time for that quite some time ago,” Kirk said from behind them. Suzie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound of the voice, one she still wasn't entirely familiar with. She spun around swiftly to face him.
“Kirk, what are you doing here?” Mary asked breathlessly, as she too had been startled.
“I'm the police officer, and you're asking me what I'm doing at the crime scene?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes and looked between the two of them. “I think I'd be better off asking the two of you that. Just what have you two been holding back about this case?”
“I think we'd rather speak with Jason about it,” Suzie said nervously. Kirk seemed like a decent man, but she didn’t want Jason to get annoyed about them keeping the information from him but telling Kirk.
“I think you should tell me, here and now, because until you do nobody is going anywhere. So, tell me,” Kirk said and folded his arms across his chest. “Everything,” he added and furrowed one brow. Jason had a boyish nature but Kirk had a naturally more forceful presence although they could both be very authoritative when they chose. Kirk seemed to be choosing to exercise his authority as he studied the two women.
