Chapter 19
The Ombrea liquor store was harder to find than Jenny remembered. She drove twice down the street she thought it was on, but there was no sign of it. She couldn't ask one of the locals for directions. It would be all over town that she is a drunk if she seemed desperate to find the liquor store on a weekday afternoon.
She laughed to herself. This place was so predictable.
Frustrated, she turned at the end of the block. She would have to do another drive around to see if she could spot it this time. The store had a small, red sign tucked away on the window, and she was finding it hard to drive and spot it among the other shop windows at the same time.
She pulled ahead into an open parking space. Maybe the search would go better on foot. She stuffed her notepad and pen into her bag and set out, locking the car securely behind her.
Jenny kept her eyes on the store windows as she walked down the block. She ignored the stares of the people as she passed, her mind on the task at hand. She thought she could see the red sign up ahead between the florist shop and a lawyer’s office.
A hand suddenly touched her arm, and Jenny spun around, her guard up. Her mood softened when she found Norma standing before her with arms full of shopping bags.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to have startled you, dear.” Norma's smile was faint. “I just wanted to say hello and check in on how things are going. How is little Isabelle doing?”
“Well, thank you. She's been coping with everything just fine.”
“Good, good. You'll say hello for me?”
Norma waited until Jenny nodded.
“Thank you. So where are the two of you staying now? At the Best Western?'
“No, we’re staying with a friend.”
Even though Jenny trusted Norma, she thought it best to stick to the basics. “Someone was nice enough to put us up for a few nights while we figure this whole thing out.”
“Yes. It has been a really nasty business, hasn't it?” Norma nodded thoughtfully. “I’m so glad you are both safe.”
“Me too,” Jenny said honestly. “But if you don't mind, I’d best be getting on. I have a few errands to run before I head back.”
“Of course, dear, I understand you are busy, busy, busy right now.”
Norma paused for a moment. She looked a little unsure of herself.
“You know, you and Isabelle are always welcome to come by for something to eat or a cup of tea. You both are always welcome. I'm always at home.”
Jenny was touched. Since arriving back in Ombrea, Norma had been the only person who had extended the hand of friendship to her. It was a very sweet gesture.
“Of course. I'll make sure we come by in the next day or so, okay?”
Norma nodded, her smile wider.
“That would be grand. I’d best be on my way”
“Absolutely. See you later, dear.”
Norma continued on down the street with a spring in her step. Jenny made a mental note to go over to take Norma up on her invitation. She was sure Isabelle would consider it a real treat to see her old friend again.
Jenny was about to hurry on to the liquor store when she caught sight of someone ahead. She was a ways down the block, but she quickly tucked in close to the awning of a nearby store to keep herself out of sight.
Chief Cartright stood in the liquor store doorway, a brown, paper bag in his hand. He looked up and down the street as if he were trying to find someone. She moved in closer to the shelter of the awning, her heart racing a mile a minute. It appeared that he hadn't seen her because he started walking up the street away from her, the bag swinging in his hand.
Jenny remained for a couple more minutes in her hiding spot before stepping out onto the sidewalk. She hadn't expected to see Chief Cartright again so soon, especially not at the very store where she was heading to get some answers about the case. If he had been as busy as his desk clerk had insisted he was, he wouldn't have had the time to make a stop at the liquor store. She knew he was unmarried. Someone had mentioned it in passing at the wake.
Could Chief Cartright be Chloe’s mystery man? He was older than she was, but that didn’t mean much these days. He was handsome in his own way. A little too serious for Jenny's taste. She didn't think he would be Chloe's cup of tea either, but there’s no accounting for taste as they say. Maybe Chloe had taken a liking to the Chief.
She wished she had seen what he had in that bag.
When Jenny entered the liquor store, she found it to be quite dim and dusty. It looked exactly the same as it had the last time she was there. That was a lifetime ago.
There were only three or four small shelves and an old cooler on the side wall stocked with chilled beverages. It was a big step down from the large liquor stores she had encountered in New York. There, you could find one open at any hour and only a couple of minutes away no matter where you were. In Ombrea, if you missed opening hours, you had no choice but to do without until the next day.
The old bell above the door chimed when she entered the store. The tacky, blue, plastic curtain behind the counter shook as an older man stepped through carrying the newspaper. He set the paper down on the counter and cleaned his glasses before pushing them onto his face to get a better look at her. It was clear he knew who she was, but he gave her a curt nod and left her to shop in peace.
Jenny started to hunt for the blue wine bottle. She scoured each and every shelf in the store just in case it had been misplaced, but no matter how hard she looked, she found that the matching bottle was nowhere to be seen. She even checked the cooler, pulling forward a few bottles to check in the back, was so sure she would find it there. Her only other choice was to talk to the shop owner and see what he knew about it.
He looked up curiously when she approached, his eyes looking over her hands for any sign of a purchase. When it was clear they had to speak, he set his newspaper aside and placed his hands on the counter.
“Yes, Miss Dale, how may I help you today?”
He had caught her by surprise.
“You know who I am.”
“Everyone in this town knows who you are. Your brother is Joey Dale.”
“He is.”
Jenny felt uneasy being in the shop. She wanted nothing more than to step outside for some fresh air. She took a deep breath and willed herself to stay calm. She had a job to do
“You know him, then?”
“He is a good man, your brother. He did some odd jobs for me back in the day when he was saving up for that quickie wedding of his.”
The old man smiled.
“Young love throws the odd curveball now and again.”
“Indeed, it does.”
Jenny suddenly felt more at ease. He wasn’t like the others who gossiped and stared at her like she was an animal in the zoo. Maybe this would be an easier task than she had thought.
“I wonder if you can help me. I'm looking for a very specific bottle of wine.”
“Are you looking for a particular brand or variety?’he asked.
“A particular brand. Chloe had a bottle of wine in her fridge, and it tasted so sweet and crisp.”
She knew exactly how she had to play this out.
“I figured she must have picked it up in town while she was shopping. I was hoping to get another one for tonight.”
“Okay.” The old man stepped out from behind the counter and led the way to his wine selection. “White or red?”
“It was a white wine.”
“Do you remember the name?”
Jenny cursed herself for not having written it down.
She shrugged.
“No, unfortunately. I put it out in the recycling box without even thinking about it. Sorry. But there is one thing very distinctive about it.”
“Go on then. What is it? I bet I have it in here someplace.”
“It came in a light-blue bottle.”
She kept her eyes fixed on the old man. And she was glad she had, because made a noticeable jump in surprise. H
is eyes widened for a brief moment before he began to pull himself together. He shook his head quickly.
“I know the wine you mean, but I don't sell it here. I don't think I have ever stocked it.”
He forced a smile for her benefit.
“She must have picked it up somewhere else or perhaps a friend gave it to her.”
Jenny was sensing that something was up. Two of those blue bottles had shown up in the past five days. It seemed unlikely that someone would be making the drive to the city just to pick up some wine.
“Are you sure you don't have any in the back?”
Jenny followed him as he scurried back to the counter, clearly uneasy with her line of questioning.
“Or could I possibly order some from another store to be delivered here?”
“This isn't New York, Miss. Dale,” he barked, his good mood evaporating before her eyes. “You’re better off gathering up your things and leaving this place far behind you. You won’t find your wine here.”
He disappeared behind the plastic curtain and she stood disheartened for a moment. Something wasn't right about this, and she would bet money that it had something to do with Chief Cartright.
Chapter 20
Roy stepped out of the cabin when he saw Jenny drive up. He had spent the entire morning with Isabelle and then sent her to bed for a nap. Despite her initial complaints, she fell fast asleep within only a couple of minutes. Cabin life was doing her some good.
He waved to Jenny as she stepped out of the car. As she approached, he could sense that things had not gone according to plan.
“Well, how did it go?” he asked gently. “Did you see him?”
“Oh, I saw Joey alright. We had a good talk.”
She smiled gratefully. Roy was glad she’d had a good talk with her brother and that they had no doubt mended bridges that had been broken for a very long time.
“That is great news. You've been gone a while.”
“I was only allowed an hour.”
“Well, we knew he wouldn’t make it easy.”
“I think he’s smarter than we give him credit for.”
Jenny hooked her arm through Roy’s and led him down to the lake.
It was mid afternoon, and the air was beginning to chill. The summer days would soon be coming to an end, and autumn would be taking over.
“What makes you say that?” he asked.
“When I was leaving the station, he stood outside and waved good bye. It was weird. It felt like a threat. Like he was letting me know he had his eyes on me”
“He’s just trying to intimidate you. He’s afraid, because he doesn’t know if we have any real evidence to support Joey’s wrongful arrest. And if we do have something, he has no idea what it is.”
Jenny was glad to have Roy on her side. He had a knack for putting her at ease.
“So what happened after you left the station?” Roy said, urging her to continue.
“I went to the local liquor store. I wanted to find out more about the blue wine bottle used in the fire.”
Roy suddenly became tense.
“I saw Cartright leaving the store as I was arriving. He had one of those brown, paper, liquor bags in his hand. He looked around as if he didn't want to be seen and then went up the street to his car.”
“Rosaceae,” Roy murmured.
“What's that?”
“The name of the wine in the blue bottle.”
Roy nodded when she stopped to look up at his face, her hand clenched tightly around his thick biceps.
“It’s a family of roses. Chief Miller from the Ombrea Fire Department called while you were out. I had him check out the blue glass fragments at the scene, and they were a match.”
“That’s good news. Except,” she paused, “when I went into the liquor store, the owner was super friendly and helpful until I mentioned the wine in the blue bottle. Then, he became agitated and I felt as if he wanted me out of there. He said he had never stocked it there.”
“That is odd behavior for Lawrence. He's always willing to order something he doesn't have on hand.”
“I asked him if I could do that. He shouted at me that this wasn’t New York, and if I wanted wine like that I should get out of town immediately.”
Roy frowned.
“And you say Chief Cartright had been in there only minutes before you arrived?”
“He was just leaving before I headed in. Why? Do you think he might have said something?”
“Intimidated Lawrence into lying through his teeth?” Roy said. “I do think he’s capable of that. I just know he is involved somehow. We just need to find out how.”
“How are we going to do that?” Jenny asked as they resumed their walk. “We could search his house to see if we can track down a similar bottle of wine? But we risk getting charged with B and E.”
Roy shook his head.
“We have to go back to the beginning and figure out what we might have missed.”
“The crime scene? The house is a disaster, Roy. It's not safe to go back there.”
“Only the ground floor was damaged,” Roy reminded her. “The second floor is still standing and was in relatively good condition when I was there last. I’ll run it by Adam Miller, but I don't see it being a problem as long as I leave things as they are.”
“But you said already that there wasn't much to see.”
“There wasn’t, but I might have missed something.”
There was no way of talking Roy out of it. He was going to search that master bedroom until he found something.
“I've got to do it, Jenny.”
God, she wanted him in that moment. His determination and his passion were such a turn on. After their discussion this morning, she knew she couldn’t make a move, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be all over him if he started something.
“Okay, but you have to be careful.”
“Of course.” He loosened his grip on her to bend down pick up a shiny, flat pebble from the beach. He stood back up to skim it across the water. The surface rippled as the stone bounced toward the horizon and eventually sank into the icy depths of the lake.
“I'll be back before you know it.”
“You better be.”
Jenny reached up and kissed Roy on the cheek, his stubble scratching her soft lips. She moved her hand to his lower back and massaged him affectionately. For one, long moment, she thought she had made a horrible mistake. He didn't move or speak.
Finally, he reached out to find her hand. She felt a deep sense of relief as he held it tightly in his own. It seemed they had made it past their disagreement from earlier in the day. Maybe this was heading somewhere after all.
Chapter 21
Jenny watched from the kitchen window as Isabelle waved goodbye to Roy from the deck. Isabelle had taken a real shine to him, and Jenny was grateful for it. Roy was a good man, and he had come into their lives at just the right time.
When Roy's truck was out of sight, Jenny continued to watch Isabelle, who remained on the deck, Roy’s dog on guard at her side.
Isabelle patted the dog's head and led her down to the lake. The light was beginning to wane, but neither the child nor the dog had any intention of coming inside the cabin just yet.
It had only been recently that Roy allowed the dog into his home at all. He rationalized his decision, stressing that the nights were becoming colder and that he didn’t want her shivering outside all night.. Isabelle was over the moon.
Jenny felt a tugging at her heart strings. She loved that little girl. It was inevitable. Isabelle was adorable.
Jenny was finding it more and more difficult to rationalize taking her niece away from her life in Ombrea. She was happy here, with Norma and now Roy and her faithful, four legged friend to support her. And the freedom of the outdoors was something that Jenny could not provide in the city.
At least, she thought, if they could prove Joey’s innocence, Isabelle wouldn't have to move away. She could go back to livin
g with her father, and her life, for the most part, would be as it once was. She would have to come to terms with the loss of her mother, but Jenny knew from experience that time would help to heal those wounds. And Jenny would be there for her. She had a lot of lost time to make up for.
Jenny cried. It had been an especially rough few days, and she was desperate for a resolution. She was homesick. She missed her life and her job and the freedom of a solitary life.
Still, she had warmed up to her hometown over the past couple of days, recognizing its drawbacks, but allowing herself to see the goodness in it as well. Roy, Isabelle, Norma and now after so many years she had her brother back.
Thinking about Roy sent her heart spinning. Ever since he had taken her hand at the lake, it felt like she was floating on a cloud. She wished it didn’t have to end.
* * *
Roy pulled up in front of the Dale house just as dark was setting in. He made a point of dropping in on Norma on the way by, so the elderly woman wouldn't call the police when she saw someone snooping around the house.
He packed a flashlight and a spare. If the army had taught him anything, it was to be prepared.
Roy scanned the property but saw no sign of another vehicle. He opened the gate slowly, the creak of the old wood echoing in the silence of the night, and then he closed it quietly behind him. If he were followed, the old gate would alert him to the intruder.
Roy cut across the garden and stepped up onto the old porch. He paused, aware that the shadows of the garden made easy hiding spots for anyone who might have come before him.
Satisfied that he was alone, he pulled at the yellow, crime-scene tape and located the padlock that secured the temporary front door. Adam had given him the key with the promise that he would have it returned to him by morning. He was risking his job, but Roy was a reliable man and Adam trusted that Roy would have it under his mat by the time he woke.
Roy closed the makeshift door tightly behind him. The house was deadly quiet, the strong smell of wet smoke difficult to bear. He lifted his shirt sleeve to cover his nose as he took a look around. With his flashlight beam he searched the floor, careful to watch where he was stepping. The ground was littered with soot and debris, and he did his best to avoid stepping on anything sharper falling through a hole in the damaged floorboards.
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