A Stoneybrook Mystery Collection

by Eryn Scott

  Skin prickling, Hadley remembered Josie mentioning Hal telling her someone had mentioned Miranda getting in a fight. Thea must’ve been that person.

  “Then why did I just see Dennis working in the candy shop?” she asked, forehead wrinkling.

  Hadley was glad to see her confusion mirrored on Wendy’s features.

  “Why wouldn’t he be?” she asked.

  “Because if Miranda’s missing, Dennis has to be the one responsible.” Thea’s voice had been shaky with surprise, but at this, her tone became steady and sure. “He and Miranda had a huge fight Thursday night. Phil left a box of books for me behind the bookstore to take with me to the sale. When I was back there picking it up, they were yelling next door.”

  Hadley’s stomach dropped. She’d assumed the fight Josie had been talking about had been with Jaxon. Days had gone by, and they’d all but cleared Dennis from the suspect list.

  “What was the fight about?” Hadley asked quickly, as if she could make up the time they’d lost.

  Thea’s features tightened. “He accused her of stealing.”

  “Candy?” Wendy asked, incredulity dripping off the word.

  “Money.” Thea shook her head, an almost green pallor overtaking her complexion. “He didn’t say how much, but it sounded like a lot. Dennis’s voice was shaking so bad. I’ve never heard him like that. Miranda denied it, was bawling, and telling him he was wrong. I got scared for her, but then she ran down the street, away from him. The last thing he said was that he was going to call the cops on her.”

  Hadley gasped. Dennis had seemed so distraught, had talked about what a great employee Miranda was. He hadn’t mentioned a thing about her stealing from him.

  “Thea, you have to come with me.” Hadley stood. “You have to tell this to Paul.”

  The woman followed her out of the coffee shop and down the street to the sheriff’s station. And even as she clutched Paul’s sandwich next to her own, she knew they’d be going in the fridge to be eaten much later.

  16

  Paul rapped his fist on the glass of the candy shop door five times. He peered in and waited a few seconds before checking the lock.

  Turning back to Hadley, he said, “He’s not in there.” Paul pulled out his phone and pressed the screen a few times before holding it up to his ear. “Anything?” he asked, no doubt talking to Kevin, who’d gone to Dennis’s house.

  From the way her brother’s jaw tightened, Hadley could tell Kevin had struck out as well.

  “I swear, I just saw him in here,” Thea said, peering in past Paul. “He was opening the register when I walked toward the café.”

  Running a hand over his tired face, Paul took a deep breath. His fingers flew across his phone again. “I need access to Dennis Larson’s bank account information, as fast as you can manage. He and the missing girl were arguing the night she went missing. He didn’t tell anyone about the altercation, and now we can’t find him,” Paul said to whomever was on the other end of the call. If Hadley had to guess, she would’ve said Sheriff McKay. Then he hung up without waiting for an answer.

  Thea stayed out front while Paul and Hadley checked around the back of the building. That door was just as locked as the front. Hadley guessed the pounding her brother gave it was more out of frustration than actual hope Dennis might not have heard them at the front door.

  Hadley put a hand on Paul’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have known. He lied. Thea was the only witness, and she was out of town.”

  Paul’s back raised and lowered as his breathing slowed, but he didn’t turn around.

  His phone rang in his pocket.

  Both he and Hadley stiffened. There was no way McKay could’ve gotten the necessary permissions to look into Dennis’s finances so quickly. Right? The twins’ eyes met as Paul answered his phone.

  “James … Yeah. Okay.”

  Hadley studied her brother’s face for any clues, only having it and his end of the conversation to go by.

  His eyebrows pulled together, tight. “And where is she now?”

  The question caused hope to spark in Hadley’s chest. Miranda? Paul’s expression softened and he shook his head.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He was already walking before he’d even hung up the call. Glancing over his shoulder at Hadley on his heels, Paul said, “Brenda Walters was admitted to the ER up in Cascade Ridge for a possible drug overdose. I’ve gotta go up there.”

  Thea straightened as the twins came speeding around the building. She didn’t even ask if they’d had any luck, just continued to wring her hands in concern in front of her body.

  “Make sure Thea gets home okay, please.” He turned to Hadley. “I’ll call you if I learn anything more. You do the same.” And with that, Paul jogged across the quiet street toward the parking lot behind the town hall where his truck was parked.

  Hooking her arm through Hadley’s, Thea pulled her close. “I feel so terrible I wasn’t here. If I had been, we could’ve caught Dennis before he fled.”

  There was a hitch in Hadley’s breath as Thea said what the rest of them had been thinking, worrying. Dennis wasn’t anywhere to be found. Lying about his fight with Miranda then running definitely didn’t help him look innocent.

  Leading the local librarian to the jam kitchen, Hadley grabbed her keys to the van. She knew Thea had walked into town, and could easily walk back, but it was beginning to get dark, and she was worried about the way she still seemed unsteady on her feet after learning the news about Miranda.

  Thea didn’t question Hadley’s choice to drive, climbing quietly into the passenger seat and sitting in stunned silence during the few minutes it took Hadley to drive out to her neighborhood.

  “Let me know if you two need anything else.” Thea’s smile looked more like an apology than a comfort when Hadley walked her to the front door of her small cottage next to the rushing river.

  “I will.” She choked out the phrase, waving to Thea. Helplessness wrapped around her, making it difficult to breathe.

  Getting back into the van, Hadley’s instincts took over, and she was turning off Thea’s street before she realized she was even driving.

  I need to pay better attention if I’m going to be on the road, she realized, blinking her eyes as if it might clear her mind of distractions. After the second blink, her gaze caught on the green street sign for Alder.

  Alder. Cassie’s street.

  Maybe she didn’t have to feel so helpless after all.

  Taking the next right, Hadley turned the van toward Cassie’s house. She’d never been there before, but the place was hard to miss, perched on the side of the small foothill overlooking the river. It was huge as well, and the last rays of sunset reflected off the wall of windows along the front of the mansion.

  Cassie’s white convertible sat in the driveway as Hadley pulled the van up their steep driveway. A Mercedes SUV and a black Audi were parked under an expansive carport. Hadley eyed the three-car garage, wondering what was in there if these were the cars designated to the outdoor parking.

  Getting out of the van before she could change her mind, Hadley picked her way up the pathway to the Lee’s front door. When she glanced back at the driveway, Hadley’s van looked like it was part of one of those scenes from Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the others. The song played in her mind until she rang the doorbell and it played an electronic chime. The button Hadley had pushed glowed and changed color.

  “I got it!” Cassie’s voice preceded footsteps pounding in a quick approach to the front door.

  Hadley saw Cassie’s head poke up into the decorative, cut-glass window at the top of the door. When the teen’s eyes lit up as they landed on Hadley, she realized her mistake.

  The door swung open, practically ripping off its hinges from the force.

  “Did they find—”

  Hadley put up a hand to stop the girl from getting too excited. “No. I’m so sorry. I had a few more questions for you. I didn’t mean
to get your hopes up.”

  Cassie’s face fell, but she covered it with an appeasing smile. “Yeah … sure. Come on in.” She stepped back, making room for Hadley to enter the palatial foyer. “Let me show you where I’ve got Bailey.”

  Following as Cassie led the way up a staircase that would’ve put many hotels to shame, Hadley worried about the phrase where I’ve got Bailey. Hopefully Cassie’s parents hadn’t made her seclude the cat to an unused part of the house like a guest bathroom in a wing they never used.

  All of Hadley’s fears were eased as Cassie stopped by a door with a sparkly, pink sign that said, Cassie. She grinned back at Hadley before opening it and going inside. Hadley entered a bedroom bigger than her living room. The room had an en suite bathroom, a balcony, what she could only assume was a giant walk-in closet since she could only see the entrance from where she stood, and its own sitting area.

  Sprawled on a bright white duvet, just as she’d seen him spread himself out in the middle of the road, was Bailey. A beam of orange-tinted light from the sunset outside bathed his fur as he stretched out even more.

  Chuckling, Hadley said, “Looks like he’s made himself at home.”

  Cassie beamed, walking over to the cat and planting a kiss on his forehead. “He loves it.” She turned to face Hadley. “Would you mind shutting the door behind you?” When Hadley complied, Cassie added, “They think he’s going to ruin all of their expensive pieces.” She rolled her eyes, emphasizing the last word with a snooty tone Hadley might’ve used to mimic her just a few days ago.

  She’d been quite wrong about Cassie.

  Gulping, Hadley walked farther into the room, realizing the same misunderstanding could’ve been the reason she hadn’t seen Dennis as a viable suspect in Miranda’s disappearance.

  “What other questions did you have?” Cassie asked. She plopped onto her bed next to Bailey, scratching the cat’s chin and was rewarded with a loud purr.

  Hadley settled carefully onto a plush, turquoise chair, pulling a golden sequin pillow onto her lap. “Did Miranda talk about her work at the candy shop at all?”

  Cassie shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, mostly just about how good a new chocolate whatever or caramel whatsit was and how I had to try it.”

  “Not ever anything about her boss?”

  Looking down at her bedspread, Cassie’s forehead wrinkled. “She felt bad for him. He always seemed so sad; Depressed Dennis was what she called him.”

  “Did he ever get mad at her?”

  The teen shook her head. “I doubt it. She’d never admit it, but she’s one of the main reasons that place does so well.”

  Unable to argue, and getting nowhere with her questions, Hadley decided to try a more direct tactic. “Did you know Miranda stole from the candy shop?”

  Cassie’s wide eyes flew to meet Hadley’s. She opened her mouth, as if to argue, but froze. “Omigosh … that’s why …”

  “That’s why, what?” Hadley gripped the sparkly pillow tighter, resisting the urge to lean forward.

  Cassie paused. “Uh, it’s just, Miranda was over last week, and she left her phone on my bed when she went to the bathroom. I saw a text come through from Jax. He said something about it not being about money and warned her not to do anything stupid. I pretended not to see the text, and when she came back from the bathroom and checked her phone, she seemed super freaked out. I’d never seen her so anxious, so I guess she could’ve been desperate enough to steal.”

  Hadley bit her lip. She looked down at the almost nonexistent nail polish and chipped off the last few flakes. That had gone quickly. Dennis’s disappearance didn’t look good, but it still didn’t rule out the possibility Jaxon had hurt her and tried to cover it up.

  “What we need to know is why Jaxon thought she might do something stupid in the first place, but he won’t talk to the police.” Hadley sighed, frustration making her want to curl her fingers into fists.

  Cassie perked up. “Want me to call him?”

  “For real?”

  “Sure,” Cassie said with a shrug. “I mean, he still hasn’t returned any of the calls I made to him on Friday after I found out, but … it’s worth a try. If he picks up, I can put him on speaker phone so you can hear too.”

  Glancing outside at the darkening sky, Hadley pressed her lips together. “No, I want to talk to him in person.”

  17

  Hadley insisted on taking the Jam Van, unable to handle Cassie’s driving during the daylight and knowing it would only get more terrifying at night. Driving aside, her opinion of Cassie had only improved when the girl had insisted on telling her parents the truth about why they were headed to Cascade Ridge so late in the evening on a Sunday night, if they asked.

  Her opinion of Cassie’s parents did not improve when they failed to so much as look up from their television show, let alone inquire where their daughter was going.

  Someone’s daughter is missing out there and you’re not worried about yours? Hadley thought to herself as they waved at her and went back to their episode.

  Determined to take good care of the teen, Hadley followed the directions Cassie gave as they wound through the streets of the city. She wondered what Paul was finding out about Brenda at the hospital. Was she okay? Brenda must’ve felt hopeless about finding her daughter to do such a thing. Hadley’s stomach tightened in worry, and she couldn’t blame the mother; the time since Miranda had gone missing was growing uncomfortably long.

  It had already been seventy-two hours, at least, and they needed to find her.

  “I’m still surprised he texted back. Maybe he just needed time to think. Take a right here,” Cassie said, pointing to an ornate sign denoting the Magnolia Oaks development.

  The word quaint came to mind as Hadley slowed and pulled into the neighborhood. At that point, darkness had crept into the valley, and the van’s headlights became increasingly necessary. Until they came upon the first house—mansion would be a better description, actually—then quaint was replaced with ornate at the same moment dark was replaced with light. Along with the many lights lining footpaths and porches, each home had a grand chandelier sparkling away in its entryway window, as if the impressive illuminations were as much of a part in the neighborhood’s housing agreements as perfect grass.

  Hadley remembered Cassie telling her how Jaxon’s family was even more well off than hers and Paul mentioning how Jaxon’s father was a good friend of the mayor.

  “Pull in here,” Cassie said, pointing to a park in the middle of the neighborhood.

  Hadley didn’t have time to marvel at the idea of having a whole beautiful park designated just for one neighborhood because Cassie’s phone screen lit up the interior of the van. Her thumbs flew across the screen as she composed a text. As soon as she sent it, her nimble fingers turned off the screen and she met Hadley’s gaze.

  “He’ll meet me out by the swing set.”

  The word me made Hadley’s breath catch in her throat. “Cassie, there’s no way I’m letting you go by yourself. Jaxon could be the reason Miranda’s gone. I’m going with you.”

  The teenager didn’t roll her eyes as Hadley half expected her to, instead biting her lip and nodding quickly. “Okay, follow my lead, then.”

  They crept out of the van, crispy leaves crunching underfoot as they walked from the sidewalk and onto the grassy expanse leading to a large children’s play structure. Hadley couldn’t quite tell if the air was cooler up on the hill or if the nature of such a clandestine rendezvous was the cause of the extra chill creeping up her spine. The air held the distinct smell of wood smoke, even though Hadley was sure most of the fancy houses surrounding her would be solely outfitted with push-button, gas fireplaces.

  Hadley jumped as she noticed a shadowy figure move out from behind the swing set supports.

  “Who’s she?” Jaxon’s voice was deeper than she would’ve expected for a teenager, more intimidating. She suddenly worried they’d made a terrible mistake meeting him alone.

&nb
sp; “She’s my tutor. My parents won’t let me go anywhere alone since Miranda … so I brought her along. Don’t worry, though. She’s cool.” Cassie’s voice was smooth, holding none of the anxious energy spiking up Hadley’s neck in hot waves.

  Realizing the high schooler was keeping it together better than she was, Hadley shoved her hands in her pockets, hoping to appear marginally more at ease. However, once inside the lining, her fingers closed around her phone—just in case. Jaxon stepped into a beam of light from a nearby streetlight, but Hadley still couldn’t get a good look at his face.

  “I’m glad you messaged, Cass.” Jaxon sniffed.

  Hadley could feel her nose running after a few minutes out in the cold as well.

  Suddenly, the young man lunged forward. Heart in her throat, Hadley watched as he went for Cassie, arms outstretched. About to jump to her rescue, Hadley took one more second to let her eyes adjust in the darkness.

  She was glad she did.

  Instead of harming Cassie, as Hadley feared, Jaxon pulled her into a tight hug. In the moonlight it was hard to see, but Hadley could make out Cassie’s arms wrapping tight around the teenage boy.

  “I’m so sorry. I feel like it’s all my fault.” Jaxon’s words were muffled slightly as he leaned down to give her one last squeeze before stepping back.

  An overwhelming sense of pity came over Hadley. Either the boy was an amazing actor, or he was finally cracking after carrying around the guilt of being the last person to see Miranda. Shining, silvery tears shone in the corners of Cassie’s eyes as she looked up at him.

  “Honestly, Jax, I can’t tell you if it is or not because this is the first you’ve talked to me since Thursday night. You didn’t return my calls, and everyone’s saying you refused to tell them anything.” Hadley wanted to cheer for Cassie and the blunt way she cut right to the point.

  Jaxon’s head dropped. “I know. I’m so sorry. I was pissed after my fight with her. I went to Danny’s and got wasted. I turned off my phone, so I didn’t see anything until I got to school around third period and realized what had happened.” He raked a hand through his hair. “When the police came to talk to me, I got scared, Cass. Asking all of those questions like they thought I’d done something.”