Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece

by Rose Pressey

  He didn’t have to say it. I read between the lines.

  “Would you mind walking with me back to the scene to show me exactly where you first saw Caleb?”

  I frowned. “Yes, if you think that will help. I’ll leave Van in the trailer.”

  I remembered the ghost. Would she still be there? I eased the door open and peered inside.

  “Are you looking for someone?” the detective asked.

  “Um, no, just a habit.”

  Whew. I had to remember not to be so obvious about looking for my new ghost friend. Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. Was she hiding from the detective? I placed Van in his bed, although I figured he wouldn’t stay there. He’d probably play with his toys. At least he seemed to like the ghost. If she came back while I was gone, he would probably ask her for another belly rub.

  CHAPTER 10

  Travel trailer tip 10: Have the proper tools on hand. You never know when you might have to do a repair. Never leave home without your duct tape.

  I locked the trailer door and turned to face the detective. “All set.”

  “I appreciate you helping me out,” he said.

  Like I had a choice. “You’re welcome,” I said.

  The detective and I started down the path toward Evan’s trailer. It was eerie now when I had to walk by the place. The gleaming moon provided the only source of illumination, washing the area in a white glow. Fireflies flickered in the dense trees along the edges of the dirt path. Their branches reached out, creating a canopy over the trail. The four-day craft fair would be over soon. Maybe I could put this all behind me. Who was I kidding? I’d never be able to completely put this behind me. I’d always remember what had happened.

  We fell into step with each other. Well, the detective had to slow his steps to match mine. My short legs were no match for the stride of his long legs. There was no way our gait could have synced up.

  “I didn’t mean to alarm you by showing up here tonight,” he said.

  “I’m trying to figure out if I should be alarmed,” I said. “After all, there is a murderer out there somewhere.”

  “That’s why we’re trying to find the killer,” he said.

  A million dazzling stars danced in the black sky. Crickets chirped in the nearby trees. This brought back memories of the night I’d walked over here and found Evan.

  “Are you okay?” Detective Meyer asked.

  He must have sensed my uneasiness.

  “I just thought about that night,” I said.

  “If this is too much for you, we can turn around.” He gestured over his shoulder.

  “No, I’m fine,” I said with a wave of my hand.

  I didn’t want to appear weak. I had to go through with this. The moonlight bounced off the shiny silver parts of Evan’s trailer as it came into view and my anxiety increased. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this after all. No, I had to push through. A slight breeze rustled the nearby tree branches and I jumped. Yes, I was a bit skittish.

  Detective Meyer grabbed me as if he thought I may fall. “It’s all right. That was just the wind.”

  I hated to admit I felt safer with his arms around me. He realized I was looking at his arms around me, so he quickly moved.

  “I was a little on edge,” I said with a smile.

  “That’s understandable,” he said.

  We stepped in front of the trailer. I wasn’t sure what would happen to it now. Once the fair was over, I assumed the fair would move. I wasn’t sure if Evan had been single, married, or divorced.

  “So you said when you came around the side of the trailer you bumped into Caleb?” Detective Meyer asked.

  I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “Yes, that’s right. I’m not sure which direction he came from.”

  “You can’t say for sure he wasn’t already here?”

  “It was kind of like he popped up out of nowhere,” I said.

  “Did he say why he was here to see Evan?” the detective asked.

  “Didn’t you ask him that?” I asked in return.

  “Yes, but I was curious if he gave you the same answer.”

  “Well, he said he was upset with Evan and wanted to discuss issues with the fair. Are you going to arrest him?” I asked.

  The detective peered into the darkness. “We don’t have evidence for that.”

  Was this just a ruse to get me here and ask me questions about why I’d been at the trailer? A pair of handcuffs was attached to the back of his pants. A flash of him placing me under arrest darted through my mind.

  “Are you going to arrest me?” My voice wavered. I hadn’t planned on asking that. It just sort of came out.

  He turned to face me. “Should I?”

  “No way.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets in case he wanted to handcuff me. “The thought occurred to me that if you’re suspicious of Caleb, you might be suspicious of me too.”

  The thought made my stomach turn.

  “Don’t worry, Ms. Cabot.”

  That was easy for him to say. He hadn’t specifically said he wouldn’t arrest me. Just for me not to worry.

  “You can call me Celeste,” I said.

  He studied my face. “All right, Celeste. As long as you remember to call me Pierce.”

  A faint smile crossed his lips. That was the only time I’d seen him smile other than when petting Van.

  “I’ll walk you back to your trailer, Celeste,” Pierce said.

  As we walked back toward the path, he said, “I thought I heard you talking to someone in your trailer tonight.”

  “I was talking with Van.”

  At least Van couldn’t tattle on me and deny that.

  “It sounded like a lengthy conversation,” he said.

  “Did you think I was hiding someone in my trailer?” I asked.

  “Oh no, I just assumed it was your little dog.”

  I didn’t believe him.

  We reached the trailer.

  “Thank you for going back to the scene with me. I know it can’t be easy for you.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said. “I want to help any way I can to find the killer.”

  Pierce looked at my trailer. “I like your home. Do you live in it full time?”

  “Actually, I’m from Gatlinburg.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  Pierce didn’t sound that surprised. He was probably just pretending. I suspected he’d checked into my background after the murder.

  “It was just easier for me to bring the trailer than driving back and forth to set up each day. I plan on traveling around the region to craft fairs with my Shasta.”

  “Sounds like you’re having a lot of fun. Well, other than the discovery of a murder victim.” He grimaced after his comment.

  “Yes, that did change things a bit,” I said.

  I peeked around to see if I spotted Elizabeth. I was curious to see if she was back in the trailer waiting for me. A slight mist traveled around the side of the trailer. Had that been her?

  “Well, have a nice evening,” Pierce said.

  I opened the door and stepped inside. He watched me until I closed the door. Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. I expected her to show up again soon. I never knew when she might pop up.

  I peeked out the window to see if the detective was still around. He had gone, but I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. A woman stepped out from the shadows. She’d been standing behind a large oak tree. What was she doing back there? Was she looking in the direction of my trailer? I sensed she may have been watching me. Had she seen me talking with Pierce?

  Darkness concealed the woman’s identity. After a couple of seconds, she stepped out onto the path. Light from the moon gave me a better look at her face. It was Shar, the jewelry vendor. Why had she been here? She looked in my direction, so I stepped to the side. Could she see me watching her?

  What if she was the killer? What if she was coming for me next? I had to know what she was doing now. I eased back to the window for a peek. Shar was nowher
e in sight. Whew. Thank goodness. Maybe she had gone back to her trailer. I released a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves.

  There was no way I was going out there to ask her what she was doing. Maybe she was the one sneaking around and stealing people’s money. I should call Pierce to let him know. But what if she was just out for an innocent walk? Though I didn’t think people hid behind trees when they were out for an evening stroll. Checking out the little window, I looked to the left and to the right. Where had she gone to so quickly?

  A knock sounded on the door and I screamed. Van started barking again. There was no way to pretend I wasn’t here. Everyone at the fair probably had heard my scream. I reached down and picked up Van and eased the door open to find Ruth on my doorstep.

  “Good evening, Ruth.”

  She eyed me up and down. Obviously, she was upset about something. Her plain white T-shirt had a smudge of what appeared to be mud on the front. Her long, gauzy, light blue skirt had the same stains. She wore the same muddy tennis shoes.

  “Were you just messing around my trailer?” she asked.

  “No, I’ve been in here,” I said.

  She studied my face as if trying to gauge if I was being truthful.

  “I thought I saw you.” She crossed her arms in front of her waist.

  “Maybe it was Shar. I just saw her. Did someone knock on your door?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “No, but someone twisted the doorknob. When I went to the window to look out, I just caught a glimpse as the person moved around the side of my trailer. I thought the person walked in this direction. That’s why I thought it was you.”

  “I would never try your door without knocking,” I said.

  If it was Shar, why did she turn back toward my trailer? Her booth was in the opposite direction. Van growled. Was he growling at Ruth or someone else?

  “If I see someone around my trailer again, I’ll let them have it,” Ruth said through gritted teeth.

  She marched back toward her trailer. I peered around to see if I spotted Shar, but nothing seemed unusual. It had to be her, though. Why had she tried Ruth’s door? Maybe it was Ruth’s imagination. Still, I’d better share this information with Pierce. Van growled again.

  “It’s okay. She’s gone now.”

  He continued with the sound. Ruth had gone back into her trailer.

  “What are you growling at?”

  An uneasiness came over me. Stepping back inside, I locked the door. “We’re safe now.”

  I moved back over to the window for one more look. It was eerily quiet out there now. At least Van wasn’t growling anymore. Someone had been around. I had a feeling Shar had been lurking.

  I picked up my phone. Should I call Pierce now or wait until morning? I hated to call after I’d seen him just a short time earlier. I set the phone back down. It could wait until morning.

  What if Shar had been looking for a trailer to break into to steal money? It had been a long day. I should just try to rest and address this in the morning.

  CHAPTER 11

  Travel trailer tip 11: Make the space like home by adding things like cozy lights, pictures, and quilts. If you feel cramped, put up a poster of a window into a beautiful scene. A pretend window is better than no window at all.

  The sun bathed the morning in warmth. I decided to take Van for a walk to a nearby café. He could get exercise and I could get a pastry, though he was so tiny, he usually tired out on walks and I had to carry him. Having Van snuggled in my arms was my favorite thing on earth. At night he liked to curl up next to my head to sleep. One of the sweetest sounds was his breathing in my ear.

  Not far from the fair was a stretch of little shops, a café, and a coffee shop. The coffee shop had the best croissants I’d ever eaten. Luckily, they had outside seating, so that Van and I could enjoy breakfast outside in the beautiful weather.

  Dressed in my knee-length white shorts, a pink T-shirt, and sneakers, I headed down the sidewalk with Van on the leash trotting along beside me. He stopped several times to sniff various items along our path. Traffic was light because it was early morning. A few people walked up and down the sidewalk, but things were quiet.

  Soon we reached the little café. White tables and chairs sat along the patio area out front. A couple of tables were occupied, but Van and I had our pick of the others. I wanted to sit closer to the building so Van wouldn’t be tempted to bark at people as they walked by. Well, he’d still bark if he saw them, but he wouldn’t be within reach to bite.

  Van sat on the chair next to mine as if he was ready to order from the menu. The waitress brought a glass of water for me and some water for Van as well. I had a dish for him that I carried in my tote bag. A breeze drifted across the morning air as I enjoyed my croissant, fruit, and latte. Van was waiting for a bite.

  “This is the life, isn’t it, Van?” I asked as I gave him a piece of my banana.

  A few people had sat down at the table behind us. I hadn’t seen them come up because they’d entered from the other side.

  “He really made a mess of everything,” the man said.

  Van was interested in the people at the table, but I couldn’t turn around to look without being obvious. The man’s voice sounded familiar. I had to peek over my shoulder. I dropped my napkin onto the ground and reached down to pick it up.

  As I grabbed the napkin, I looked to the left for a glimpse at the people sitting behind me. I recognized the man. It was Max, who’d taken over for Evan as the craft fair organizer. Was he talking about Evan? He didn’t notice me looking at him. I turned back around and continued to listen to their conversation. I didn’t recognize the women with him.

  “They’re lucky they had me to step in and run the thing. I plan on doing a lot with the craft show. As you know, I’ll be taking over for Evan at the museum too.”

  He sure did talk a lot. And it seemed as if all the talk was strictly about him.

  “Do they have any leads on who killed him?” one of the women asked.

  “Not that I’m aware of. Did I tell you that I have a new project I’ll be doing at the museum?”

  Wow. He had immediately switched the conversation back to himself. He didn’t seem interested in the least if the police found Evan’s killer. Maybe that was because he already knew who had killed Evan.

  When my phone rang, I almost jumped out of my chair. I snatched the phone so that it would stop ringing. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I would have sent the call to voice mail but Mom’s face was splashed across the screen. It was the picture of her next to the Dolly Parton statue outside of the Sevier County courthouse. My mother wanted to have her picture taken with Dolly Parton, but until that happened, the bronze statue would have to do.

  “Hello,” I whispered.

  My mother paused. “Celeste, what’s wrong? Have you lost your voice?”

  Just as I was ready to tell her that I’d call her back, Max and his dining guests stood from the table.

  “Hold on just a minute, Mom,” I said.

  Max and the women walked by my table. He didn’t even glance my way. Van refrained from barking at them. It was as if he knew I was trying to go unnoticed. As they walked down the sidewalk away from the café, I assumed they were headed back to the fairgrounds.

  “Okay, I’m back,” I said.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “I’m at a café. I just overheard the man who took over operations of the fair talking about what a mess Evan made of everything.”

  “He said that?” my mother asked.

  “Yes. His name is Max. He thinks it’s a good thing he’s here to take over, now that Evan is gone.”

  “Do you think he got rid of Evan so he could take over?” my mother asked.

  “That doesn’t sound like a reason to murder someone,” I said.

  “Some people really don’t need an excuse. Sociopaths will find the slightest thing to use as their reason. Is he gone now?”

  I released a deep brea
th. “Yes, thank goodness. I’m going to finish my breakfast and head back to the fairgrounds.”

  “Just be careful,” my mother said. “I worry about you.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  After ending the call, I finished the croissant so that I could hurry back to the fairgrounds. I wanted to find out more about Max. Who was he and where had he worked before coming to the craft fair?

  Instead of walking Van with his leash, I carried him so that I could get back to the fairgrounds quicker. I had no idea where to start in my quest for more info about Max. I supposed I should find out who the women were. Maybe I could ask them questions about Max, though they probably wouldn’t give details to a stranger.

  After a short walk, Van and I arrived back at the fair. Now I had to track down Max. He was staying in a small white trailer by the office. He probably wondered why his trailer wasn’t as big as the one they’d let Evan use while running the craft fair. His was half the size of the one Evan had, and not nearly as fancy-looking. If he wasn’t there, I would have to find out where he’d gone. I didn’t even know for sure he was going back to the fair once he left the café. I put Van back in my trailer so he could take a nap. It had been an eventful morning for him, and I knew he liked to sleep in the mid-morning.

  Customers would be arriving soon. If I hurried, I could stop by Max’s and, with any luck, track down the women he’d been dining with this morning. After that, I’d rush back over to my trailer and put out my paintings. Every time I thought of my paintings now, I thought about Elizabeth. I wondered if she’d make another appearance or if she was gone for good.

  Because it was Saturday, the office was closed. It only opened Monday through Friday. I had the rest of today and tomorrow and the fair would be over. The small trailer next to the office had been where Max said he was staying. Tall oak trees surrounded the little trailer. Should I knock on the door? I paused, standing by one of the trees. Maybe I’d just watch for a few seconds and see what happened. No one was around.

  Just as I was getting up my nerve to walk up to the trailer to knock, the women stepped out. They waved at Max and headed down the path away from the trailer. I had to make a decision. Should I talk with Max or follow the women?