After they got settled into the new cabin, they drove to the zip lining area that was a bit further up the mountain. Moira had been looking forward to this for a while – she remembered going zip-lining when she was younger, and she had enjoyed it, but now her thoughts were simply on the dead man. She couldn’t imagine any of them being the killer. She had watched them all closely during lunch, but no one had acted abnormally. She trusted David, Eli, and Candice, of course. She knew Allison would never kill someone. She didn’t know Brian, his girlfriend Victoria, Delia, or Audrey that well, but she couldn’t see what motive any of them could have had either. Chances were, the killer was already out of the state. She wondered if they would ever learn who it was.
It wasn’t until she found herself next in line that she realized what she was actually about to do. She looked down the steep drop and felt butterflies in her stomach. This zip-line seemed a lot more intense than the one she had done when she was younger. It crossed a narrow valley, well above the treetops and huge rocks that waited below. Was she really supposed to put all of her trust in the cable and harness? What if something failed? What had she been thinking when she agreed to this? She was too old to do something like this. Reggie was sitting out — maybe she could go and join him.
She turned to look behind her, contemplating getting out of line, and saw David watching her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“This is a bad idea,” she said. “I’m about to jump off a cliff with nothing but good faith in whoever set all of this up to keep me safe. What in the world was I thinking when I thought I could do this?”
“Wasn’t zip-lining your idea?” he asked, looking amused.
“Yes, but I was imagining the little, safe setup I was on when I was a teen. I don’t think I can do this, David.”
“Of course you can. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. It’s perfectly safe. They wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t. Do you want me to go first?”
“No, if you go first, I may never do it.” She peered into the valley. If it ended up being her final resting spot, well, at least she would have a nice view.
The attendant called for the next person, and Moira steeled herself and stepped forward, feeling dizzy as the woman strapped the harness to her. She didn’t think that her heart had pounded this hard for a long time. She seemed to have developed a fear of heights since the last time she had done something like this. She looked down the mountainside and gulped. Only her pride kept her from backing out. Denise, David, and most of the rest of the wedding group was still behind her in line. If she was the last one, she thought that she might have chickened out, but with everyone watching, she couldn’t. Maybe David was right. Maybe she would enjoy it, if she didn’t have a heart attack first.
Moira heard the instructor say that she was ready. It was now or never. She leaned back in the harness, closed her eyes, and stepped off the edge.
“That was amazing.” The deli owner couldn’t stop grinning. The adrenaline that was pulsing through her body felt good, and the memory of the air rushing past her was exhilarating. The ride had been over before she’d known it, and she had immediately wanted to go again.
“Why do you sound so surprised?” her daughter asked. Candice had been the first one to go and hadn’t witnessed her mother’s doubts.
“I almost chickened out when I got up to the edge,” Moira admitted. “I’m glad I didn’t, though. That was an amazing experience.”
She, David, Candice, and Eli were driving back to the cabin together in one of the rented cars. The thrill of zip-lining had erased thoughts of the dead man from her mind for a while, but as they drew nearer to the cabin, they began to return. Who would want to kill the marriage officiant, and why? At any other time, she would have been more focused on finding the killer, but she wanted to enjoy this last day with her daughter before Candice left on her honeymoon. She kept telling herself that the killer was long gone. There’s no reason for me to worry, she thought. None of us are in danger, that I’m sure of. The police will track down the person responsible eventually, and everything will be just fine.
CHAPTER EIGHT
*
When they got back to the cabin, she joined David outside to look through the shed, which held some equipment for outdoor activities. She didn’t share her husband’s enthusiasm for the huge, multiroom tent. Why would she want to sleep outside on the hard ground in a tent, even a tent with more than one room, when they had a wonderfully comfortable bed in their room in the cabin?
“How about the kayaks?” he asked. “The little mountain lake is supposed to be pretty nice. We would have plenty of time to go this evening.”
“I don’t think we have any way to move them. The cars are too small to strap them on top.”
“Hmm. Good point. Well, how about croquet? It’s been a while since I’ve played, and we should do something outside. It’s so nice out. It will be better to keep everyone busy, anyway.”
“Sure. I’ll go and see who wants to play.”
While he began setting the yard up for a game of croquet, Moira went inside to find her daughter. She had one foot on the stairs when she heard something from the kitchen that made her hesitate. A man’s voice, raised in argument. She hesitated, then decided that with everything that had happened, it would be remiss of her not to find out what was going on. She didn’t honestly think that any of them had hidden the marriage officiant’s body, but it was better to be safe than sorry, especially where her loved ones were concerned.
She was feeling a little bit guilty with the knowledge that she was about to eavesdrop on someone close to her. There weren’t many possibilities for who was inside. David was setting up the croquet set in the yard, so that left either Eli, Brian, or Reggie to be talking with someone in the kitchen.
She was only inches away from the door when it was pulled open and her son-in-law strode out, followed closely by his best man. She jumped back, trying not to look guilty. Eli halted suddenly so as not to run into her.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there Ms. D.,” he said.
“I was just about to grab a bottle of water,” she lied. “You startled me. Is everything okay?”
As she spoke, Brian pushed his way past and strode off, his face flushed with anger.
“I don’t know,” Eli said, watching his friend walk away. “Brian’s just working through some stuff, I guess. I’m going to go find my grandfather. Have you seen him anywhere?”
“Last I saw, he was talking to Denise in the living room. He’s enjoying the chance to get to know the owner of his favorite restaurant.” She hesitated. “Eli… this thing with Brian, does it have anything to do with Mr. Brown’s death?”
Eli shrugged. “I don’t think so. If I did, I’d tell you, don’t worry.”
“Okay. Have you seen Candice anywhere? We’re going to play a game of croquet outside, and I wanted to see if she was interested in joining us. You can grab Reggie and Denise if you want.”
“She went upstairs to get changed.”
“Thanks.”
They parted ways, Eli going into the other room to locate his grandfather, and Moira trekking up the stairs to find her daughter. Candice and her three bridesmaids, along with Victoria, were all in one of the bedrooms. A pile of clothes was strewn out over the bed, and Candice was holding a dress up to herself in the mirror. Moira knocked on the doorframe.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Sure. I’m just trying to decide what I want to bring with me on my honeymoon. I don’t want to pack too many clothes in case I end up buying more while we’re gone. My suitcase barely closes as it is. Do you think you and David can bring back some of my stuff with you?”
“Of course. Just leave whatever you don’t want to take with you on my bed and I’ll pack it for you. I was just coming to find you to let you know that we’re going to play croquet outside, if you want to join us. David wants to do something all together before we leave tomorrow.”
“Sure, we’ll join you,” Ca
ndice said. She tossed the dress onto the bed.
She followed her mother down the stairs. At the bottom, Moira paused. She looked around to make sure they were alone before she spoke.
“I just ran into Eli and Brian having an argument,” she said. “Do you have any idea what that was about?”
“Eli and Brian?” Candice asked, frowning. “I don’t know. I know Brian and Victoria had a fight, but I’m not sure why Eli would be drawn into it.”
“Odd.” Moira frowned. “Do you know Victoria very well?”
“Not really. We’ve gone on a couple of dates with them, but they live down in Traverse City, so it’s a bit far to see them often,” Candice said. “She seems pretty normal, I guess. Why?”
“I just remember seeing her talking to Mr. Brown alone in the kitchen the night of the reception. I don’t know her or Brian at all, so I don’t want to make accusations, but do you think it’s possible that Brian might have gotten physical with the marriage officiant if he thought something had happened between him and Victoria?”
“I don’t think he would have killed the guy over that,” her daughter said, frowning. “He’s been Eli’s friend for ages. He’s a good guy.”
“That’s what Eli said.” She sighed. “It’s probably a reach, I know. Sorry for bringing it up. I just wanted everything to be perfect for you, and then this happens.”
“It’s not your fault at all. I just feel bad for Mr. Brown. He seemed like a nice person.”
“Me, too.” She shoved aside the memory of her annoyance with him. Now that he was dead, she felt terrible for her bad feelings towards him.
They had just finished helping David set up the croquet set, which was easier said than done in the rocky ground, when a vehicle rumbled up the driveway. The three of them stood still, watching and waiting as the vehicle came into view. When Moira recognized it as a police car, she felt a twist of unease in her stomach.
“Ms. Darling?” the detective asked as he got out of the vehicle. “I’m going to need to bring you in for questioning.”
“Me? Why?” she asked, befuddled. David came forward to stand next to her. She had never been more grateful for his supportive presence.
“We’ll explain everything down at the station, ma’am. Will you cooperate?”
Confused and a little bit worried, she nodded. He allowed her to go back inside and grab her purse before getting into the back of the police car. David took a step forward, but halted when the officer held out a hand to stop him.
“This is between your wife and us, sir. We’ll have her back as soon as possible. The rest of you, enjoy your vacation.”
He slammed the car door shut, and Moira leaned forward to look at her husband and her wide-eyed daughter. She hoped that they wouldn’t be able to read the fear on her face as the vehicle pulled away. What could she possibly have done to become a suspect? Her mind raced, nearly as quickly as her heart. If she was certain of anyone’s innocence, it was her own. She knew that she hadn’t done anything. The only question was, would the police believe her?
CHAPTER NINE
*
“Ms. Darling, do you know why you’re here?”
“How would I?” she said, more shortly than she had meant to. Taking a deep breath, she said again, “Sorry, no. I’ve been asking that same question ever since you picked me up. Why am I here?”
“We have a witness who claims that you expressed anger towards Mr. Brown’s presence at the wedding reception,” the detective said. “According to this witness, Mr. Brown was not invited to the reception, and you seemed upset when he arrived. Did you and Mr. Brown have any sort of confrontation that night?”
“No,” Moira said. “I only talked to him for about two minutes out of the entire evening. I didn’t even see him again after that. I didn’t know he was still there when I went upstairs for the night. I was under the impression that he left earlier, along with the other guests that weren’t invited to stay at the cabin.”
“According to our witness, you took issue with Mr. Brown being there. Is this true?”
“Well… yes,” she began. “I was annoyed at first. I asked my daughter if she wanted me to tell him to leave, but she said that she didn’t mind. I decided that if she didn’t care, then I wouldn’t either, and I pretty much forgot about it as the night went on.”
“We’re looking for any motive we can right now, Ms. Darling,” the man said. “Right now, you’re the only person who appeared to have a reason to be upset with him. We found plenty of alcohol in his system, and he has a history of getting into trouble when he’s drunk. I wouldn’t blame you for lashing out at him if he made a scene at your daughter’s reception. You’re the mother of the bride, it’s understandable that you were under a lot of stress.”
“I’m telling the truth. I only spoke with him for a few minutes,” she said. “I didn’t hit him, and I certainly didn’t break his neck. How could I? I’m sure he was much stronger than I am.”
“We believe that his broken neck was caused by a fall down the stairs. In that case, killing him wouldn’t have been a matter of strength. Anyone could have pushed a man as drunk as he was down the stairs, even a small child.”
Moira frowned. “What on earth would he have been doing on the stairs in the first place? I asked all of the guests to stay downstairs where the reception was. The only thing upstairs are the bedrooms.”
“We’re still trying to figure that out. Look, Ms. Darling, I’m going to be straight with you. The simple truth is that while he was at your party, this man was hit in the face, fell down the stairs, and was stuffed into a pantry. Right now, you’re the only one who has any sort of reason to dislike him. This may not have been premeditated, but a man died, and I am going to get to the bottom of it. It’s my job to protect the people of this town, and it’s not something that I take lightly.”
“Detective, I can promise you that I never laid a hand on that man. I’ll cooperate with whatever you want. Fingerprints, DNA, a polygraph… anything. I didn’t do it. Please, I really just want to go back to the cabin and spend this time with my family. My daughter just got married and after tomorrow, I won’t see her for two weeks. I’m sure you can understand how much all of this means to our family. I would never do anything to jeopardize that.” She fell silent, hoping that he believed her. She knew that he couldn’t hold her for more than forty-eight hours without charging her with something, but forty-eight hours was a long time to wait, especially when she had a plane to catch the next day.
The detective looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. “I’ll bring you back to your cabin and let you get back to your family. Are you still planning on leaving tomorrow?”
“Yes. My husband and I both own businesses, and we really can’t be gone for any longer.”
“In that case, I’ll be in touch with your local police department. And further questioning will have to be through them.”
Moira felt a rush of relief. She knew and liked the lead detective of the Maple Creek Police Department. Detective Jefferson had known her for years, and he was a good man. He would give her the benefit of the doubt, of that she was sure.
The detective had a younger officer drive her back to the cabin. By the time she returned, it was getting closer to evening. David and the other guests already finished their croquet game, and someone had started a fire in the fire pit. David broke away from the others to greet her.
“How did it go?” her husband asked quietly.
“Well, I am apparently their only suspect in the case,” she said. “I’m lucky they let me go.” She told him everything that she and the detective had discussed.
“He’s wasting his time on you,” David said, shaking his head. “He should be focusing more on the locals. None of us had any reason to want the man dead, but someone that knew him might.”
“You’re right,” Moira said suddenly. “I forgot, he works at the restaurant that was catering the reception, though I don’t think he was on shift las
t night. That must be why he felt comfortable just walking in like that. What if one of them killed him?”
“It’s a possibility. I would be surprised if the detective hasn’t already thought of that. He may just be putting pressure on you to see what you do. You’re leaving tomorrow, but he’ll have plenty of time to deal with the locals.”
“I hope that’s all it is,” she said. She rubbed her arms. It was getting chilly out. “I’m going to go in and start dinner.”
“Do you want some help?”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Cooking alone helps me to relax, and I need time to think.”
They parted ways with a kiss, him returning to the fire and her going inside. She had a lot to think about. Now that David had mentioned it, the catering crew seemed like the obvious suspects. She felt better knowing that her own group weren’t the only possibilities, and she felt blind for not having thought of it before.
The deli owner began pulling out the ingredients for beef and barley soup, a hearty and filling main course. There was a frozen loaf of bread to go along with it, and leftover cake and cookies from the wedding. It would make for a comforting last meal before they said goodbye to each other the next day.
CHAPTER TEN
*
“Great soup, Ms. D.,” Brian said. “Thanks for making it.”
“It was no problem at all. I enjoy cooking.”
Moira smiled at him, then looked down at her own bowl of soup. She prodded one of the pearl onions. It was good. The beef and barley were tender, the onions had cooked to perfection, and the broth was a perfect medley of spices. In spite of all of that, she didn’t feel like eating. Tomorrow morning, she and David were going to fly out of the state, leaving her daughter and son-in-law to enjoy one last day of exploring the Rockies with their friends before the two of them left for their honeymoon.
Candice and Eli were going on a tour of the United States. The two of them had compiled a list of all of the cities and natural sites that they had always wanted to see and would be spending a few days at each one. Moira knew that as their family and responsibilities grew, travel would become more and more difficult for them. She was glad that her daughter would have a chance to experience the world before the weight of real life forced her to settle down.
Mountains, Marriage and Murder Page 4
