by Diane Capri
I also wanted to ask her about the foxglove in her flower storage, but I figured the sheriff would never tell me another thing in confidence if I did. Although I didn’t believe for a second that June had murdered Brittany, I wouldn’t hamper the course of the investigation. Sheriff Jackson was following the facts. That’s exactly what he was supposed to do. That left me free to follow my instincts.
While I thought about more questions to ask, a gray tabby jumped onto the back of the sofa. It started to purr when I reached over to pet it. “Oh, what a sweetie. What’s his name?”
“His name is Ash,” June replied in a friendlier way than anything she’d said to me so far.
I petted his little head. “Hello, Ash. You’re so handsome, aren’t you?
He meowed as if to say, “Yes, I am devilishly handsome.” Which, of course, he was.
June got to her feet. “If you don’t mind, I’d really like to get some sleep. It’s been a long and trying day.”
I stood. “I’m sorry. I won’t take up any more of your time.” I petted the cat’s head again and then moved toward the front door. As I passed the kitchen, I got a whiff of hot food. “I didn’t realize I’d interrupted your dinner.”
“Don’t worry. It’s fine.” She opened the door for me.
I walked out. “Thanks, June. Get some sleep.”
She closed the door behind me. As I walked down the steps from the door to my cart, I knew June hadn’t been totally straight with me. The smell I had caught from the kitchen was Chinese. It had that aroma. I suspected that the mystery man I’d been chasing was dining with June and had brought her Chinese takeout.
I’d seen her cat, Ash, before as well. In the wedding pictures of Simon and Brittany Gervais.
So, it wasn’t a huge leap to guess that the man I’d seen in the maze, and running from me on the street, was none other than Brittany’s ex, Simon Gervais.
Chapter 16
After a horrible fitful sleep full of inappropriate dreams about the sheriff, I basically zombie-walked through the next day at the desk. Thankfully, the hotel wasn’t busy. I didn’t have to deal with too many people, and the majority of them were pleasant. I had only one head-scratcher. A disgruntled man who asked me to rearrange the furniture in his suite to match his astrological sign because his bed needed to face southward. The best I could do for him was to find a room that had a bed facing south. He was satisfied and thanked me in the end, but he’d been most unpleasant about the situation for a while.
During my break, I’d called the sheriff to tell him about about June and Simon but got his voicemail. I left a message then I called the station, but Deputy Shawn told me the sheriff was too busy to talk to me. I told Shawn to let the sheriff know I’d called and it was important. He never called back. Either Shawn never gave him the message or Sheriff Jackson was being a stubborn ass about our little…disagreement the night before.
Once my shift was over, I walked down to the ferry dock to catch the boat over to the mainland. I was excited to see Daniel, but mostly because of the information he’d learned about Brittany’s business. He was a great guy—intelligent, successful, fit, and drop-dead gorgeous. So, what was my problem? Any woman should be stoked to be dating him. Why wasn’t I?
Daniel was waiting for me when the ferry docked. I perked up a bit when I saw him in the parking lot. My body definitely reacted to him, so maybe all I needed was more time to really get to know him. We’d only had a handful of real dates.
He hugged me when I got to his car, and I inhaled his woodsy scent. “How was the trip?”
“Uneventful, thankfully.”
He chuckled and gave me a quick kiss. “Good to hear. I hope you brought your appetite, because I’m making pasta and garlic bread.”
“Sounds fabulous. I love any type of pasta.”
He opened the door for me, and I slid into the soft leather seat of his BMW. He got in, and we pulled out of the parking lot. I hadn’t been to the mainland enough to know the layout of downtown Frontenac City, but I did know that Brittany’s shop wasn’t that far from the ferry dock.
“Could we drive by Gervais Flower Boutique?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Curiosity.”
He gave me a disapproving look but didn’t press the matter. “Okay.”
We drove down the main street in town, and Daniel parked in front of Brittany’s shop. I got out and peered through the closed door. It was dark inside because the shop was closed. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Daniel joined me at the door.
“I have the info you requested at home, but her business was in financial trouble.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “She’d taken out a second loan from the bank not long ago.”
Peering through the window again, I asked. “Wasn’t she the only florist in town?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was there a co-owner on the business?”
“Yes, actually. Simon Gervais. Her husband, I presume. They started the business together seven years ago.”
“Ex-husband,” I said. “I’m pretty sure he had an affair with June, who used to be Brittany’s best friend.”
“Huh,” he said with a grin. “The plot thickens.”
“It does indeed.” I looked down the line of shops. “Is there an alley behind these shops?”
“Yeah.”
I started down the sidewalk, toward the intersecting road. Daniel had to take a couple extra steps to catch up to me.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“Not sure yet.”
We ducked down the alleyway, and I counted back doors until we reached Brittany’s shop. It looked the same as all the others. There was no extra building or extension. Daniel must’ve noticed my frown.
“I’m going to bet that you do know what you’re looking for.”
“Do you know if Brittany ordered in her flowers or if she grew them herself?”
“That’s not something I can access as mayor. I have her incorporation papers and business license and her annual reports, and that’s it. Oh, and some financials, since she had to include them with her applications.”
“So, would you have her home address on those documents?”
“Andi, I’m not driving by Brittany’s house.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “This really is a police matter. Let them do their job.”
I sighed and then nodded. “You’re right. It’s just sometimes the sheriff is so damn frustrating.” I clenched my hands. “He makes me want to pull my hair out.”
Narrowing his eyes, Daniel uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yes, I’ve noticed that.”
I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about the case. He didn’t look all that impressed right now. I moved toward him and slid my hand through the crook of his elbow.
“I’m hungry.” I tucked against him. “I’m looking forward to watching you cook dinner for me.”
He shook his head a little and then chuckled. “Don’t think you just get to watch. You are definitely helping.”
“I’m not sure you want me to do that. I’m a bit useless in the kitchen.”
“Nothing too hard. Just cutting up some veggies for a salad.”
I smiled. “That I can do. I’m pretty handy with a knife.”
Daniel’s place was a newer three-bedroom house with a big back deck and landscaped back yard. He used one of the bedrooms as an office. The other was a guest bedroom that he told me was often used by his younger brother when he roared into town. The house was built by Daniel’s own construction company, which was operated by his dad and his older sister since he’d become mayor.
Inside, the place was beautifully decorated. A bit too minimalist for my taste, but it was neat and tidy, much like the man who lived there. The only bit of decorating chaos belonged to his dog, Max, a golden retriever with a big personality. I fell in love with him the second he jumped up and licked my hand after trying desp
erately to lick my face.
The conversation was light and fun as we made dinner together. We talked about crazy stories from college. I didn’t have too many to share because I’d been pretty tame in school, although I did amuse him with stories about what my classmates had done. Daniel’s shenanigans weren’t too wild, either. Just the average amount of college-boy antics. A little drinking, a few harmless pranks, and the time he backed out of streaking across the football field at the very last second, but his friend did it anyway and made the local news. Daniel laughed and said he was lucky he had backed out because his opponent would have made a big deal about it during his campaign for mayor.
After a delicious meal of spinach tomato tortellini and the green salad I clumsily assembled, we did the dishes together. Once I finished the last pot and put it into the rack to dry, Daniel took the dish cloth from me, draped it over the faucet, and moved closer.
Nerves zipped through me as I took a step backward, my back hitting the counter. He leaned in for a kiss.
But I couldn’t. Not when thoughts of Sheriff Jackson invaded my mind.
Daniel sensed my reluctance. He sighed and pulled back to look at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I sighed as well.
“But?”
“I’m sorry, Daniel. I’m just not ready for this.”
He took stepped away and leaned against the island. “Is it the sheriff?”
I made a face, scrunched up my mouth. “No?”
He nodded. “Andi, I really like you—”
“I like you, too.”
“And I’ll be patient. But I won’t wait forever.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” I reached for him and squeezed his hand. “I think you’re amazing, Daniel. I do.”
He gave me a small, quick smile. “I’ll drive you back to the ferry. It’s getting late.”
The drive to the dock was quiet. Daniel only spoke a few words when I asked him a question. I knew he was disappointed with how the evening had turned out. The conflicted feelings I had for Sheriff Jackson stood in the way. I sensed he knew that was the problem, which didn’t help matters any.
After he parked in the lot, he handed me a manila envelope. “Here’s all the info I could get on Brittany Gervais’s business.”
“Thank you, Daniel, I really appreciate it.”
“Just stay out of trouble, Andi, please. You worry me.”
“I will, I promise. It’s not like I’m reckless. I’m just doing a little investigating for June’s sake. That’s all.” I gave him a reassuring smile.
“Okay. Goodnight.”
I leaned over the console and gave him a soft kiss. “Goodnight.” I opened the car door and got out.
Once I had my ticket in hand, Daniel drove out of the parking lot. I waved, and then he was gone. While I waited for the ferry to take on passengers, I opened the envelope and slid out the contents. I flipped quickly through the incorporation papers. Nothing nefarious or odd jumped out at me, except that, yes, there was Simon Gervais’s name listed as co-owner of Gervais Flower Boutique.
The financials for Brittany’s business revealed what Daniel had mentioned about the overspending and insufficient revenue to pay back the initial loan she’d needed to start the company. Another loan had been obtained by Brittany herself without Simon, it looked like.
As I skimmed over the pages, my gaze landed on her home address—345 Lakeside Lane. I suspected her home was probably close to the shop and the town center. I could’ve been wrong since the town was three times the size of Frontenac Village. But it made sense to me that if there was something to find, her house was a good place to start.
The call to board the ferry came over the loudspeaker, and the line of people in front of me started to move forward. I moved with the flow, but then I glanced over at the parking lot and spotted an empty taxi. It was only seven thirty. I could go to Brittany’s home, come back, and still catch the last ferry at nine.
I stepped out of line and ran toward the taxi, waving my arm. No one needed to know about my brief detour. It would be my secret.
Chapter 17
It took only ten minutes to reach the residential address listed on Brittany’s business forms. I paid the driver and got out to stand on the sidewalk in front of the small, darkened house. Lights blazed from every other house on the block. A surge of sadness swelled over me because Brittany wouldn’t be turning on the lights in her little house again.
I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I was doing here. I had no intention of breaking into her house. But I did want to see if she had a greenhouse. There was a connection to Tyler and Ackerman Biosystems somewhere, and I was determined to find it.
As I walked across the lawn toward the back of the house, I went over the conversation between Tyler and Brittany that I’d overheard. At first, I’d thought it was a quarrel between lovers, but the more I considered the words and how they were conveyed, it could’ve easily been an argument between friends, maybe even coworkers. And Brittany’s sister and Tyler had acted pretty familiar with each other, too. Tracy seemed more than just a friend to her sister’s distraught boyfriend, anyway. Maybe it was Tracy and Tyler who had been lovers, and not Brittany and Tyler. If that was the case, why were Tyler and Brittany hanging out together?
The distant barking of a dog startled me a little as I crept along the fence separating Brittany’s property from her neighbor’s. When I came around the corner of the house, there it was—a greenhouse. It was a large glass structure that took up most of the back yard.
I walked toward the building, glad there were no streetlights shining into the yard which might have allowed the neighbors to see me. I was about to reach for the handle to the side door of the greenhouse, when a flash of light nearly blinded me. I dropped down to my knees, smashing my right knee onto a pile of bricks. Biting down on my lip to stifle my grunting pain, I peered through the glass to see where the beam of light had come from. The beam swept over the top of my head. Seemed like a flashlight inside the greenhouse.
Silently, I debated whether to call the police. That was the smart thing to do, but whoever it was might easily get away before the police could arrive. I wanted to know who was rummaging around inside. The sound of clay pots knocking against each other resounded from beyond the glass. Then something fell and shattered on the ground. The intruder was looking for something. Casual thieves didn’t break into a greenhouse to steal house plants.
I moved closer and crouched next to the door. I wrapped my hand around the handle and slowly pulled the door open. Then I jumped up and dashed inside the greenhouse. My sudden arrival startled the intruder. More pots crashed to the floor. The beam from the flashlight swung around and shined directly into my eyes. Momentarily blinded, my eyes closed reflexively, and I stumbled to the side. Big hands shoved me hard to the ground.
I reached out, flailed around, and grabbed a jeans-covered leg. He kicked out and shook me off roughly, with a grunt. I managed to grab something out of his hands. I fell to the ground again, clutching what felt like paper, just as red and blue strobe lights swept over the yard.
I folded the paper and shoved it into my pants just as a man filled the open doorway of the greenhouse, holding a heavy mag flashlight in one hand and a gun in another. “Sheriff’s Department. Don’t move.”
I put my hands up. “I’m unarmed.”
“Stand up,” the Frontenac City deputy ordered.
I did, and he shined the light in my face. Then he lowered his gun and holstered it. I guess I must’ve exhibited an innocent look. I certainly didn’t look like a criminal. He demanded, “What are you doing here?”
“I heard someone rummaging around in the greenhouse and came to take a look.”
“You heard that from the street?”
I pressed my lips together. “Um, yes. It was loud.”
He cocked his head. “Uh-huh. And why are you here at this residence? I know you don’t live here. I know…I mean, I knew the wom
an who lived here.”
“Right. Well, I’m from the Park Hotel, where Ms. Gervais’s body was found, and—”
“And you thought you’d come by here to satisfy your morbid curiosity, is that it?” he said.
“No. Not at all. I thought maybe I could help find out what happened to her.”
“By destroying her property?” He swung the light around the broken pots and ruined plants on the ground.
Squinting, I spotted white and red flowers that could’ve come from the oleander bush, but could’ve easily have been wild roses, too.
“I told you I heard someone in here. I’m not the one who did this.”
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know. He ran off right before you showed up. You didn’t see a man running away from the house?”
“No, I didn’t.” The deputy looked at me. “All I see is you, with dirt on your pants and your hands.”
“Would you believe I fell?”
The look he gave me told me that he didn’t believe that for a minute.
“Look, Deputy, this is all just a big misunderstanding.”
“Show me some ID,” he said, not backing down.
“Okay.” I dusted the dirt off my hands and opened my purse, which was slung across my chest, and took out my wallet. I opened it and handed it to him.
He took it and shined the light onto my driver’s license. “Andrea Steele?”
“My parents liked ABBA.”
He frowned at me, and I realized maybe he was too young to even know who ABBA was. “Your address is in Sacramento.”
“Yes, I moved to Frontenac Island a few months ago.”
“Then why does it say Sacramento?”
“Because I haven’t gotten it changed yet.”
“Why not?”
That was a good question. I could’ve told him because I was holding on to the slim hope that I’d be cleared of all suspicion in my boss’s embezzlement scheme and immediately return to sunny, warm California to practice law. But I didn’t want to say I was living under a cloud of suspicion for a worse crime than breaking into a backyard greenhouse.
