by C A Phipps
“Now you all know what may have happened. Let’s stay calm and answer some questions I have as best you can. Did you see the incident?”
He had a no-nonsense voice and Gran shook her head.
“No, I can’t say that. We were all at the cottage. I live at the end of Plum Place, so we couldn’t have seen much from there. But we did hear the screech of tires and raced outside to see what was going on. Whoever it was, had gone by the time we got to the porch. I caught a glimpse of tail lights, and I can’t be sure, but I think it was a jeep. I daresay the girls have better eyesight.”
“Is that what you saw?” he asked Maddie and Laura.
“That’s exactly what happened, and I’m pretty sure it was a car, but not a tiny one. The lights were higher than that.” Laura said.
Maddie felt stupid. “I must have been in shock, not to have remembered that. It’s so obvious now.”
Detective Jones looked up. “There’re not many obvious things about situations like this, so don’t beat yourself up over it. When was the last time you saw Mrs. Oliver?”
“Today. She came into the bakery. Oh my goodness, Ethan. She was very upset about something.”
“Did she say what was bothering her?”
“No. I asked, but she wouldn’t talk about it and she was so shaken she forgot to pay for her tea.”
He tapped his pen on the notepad. “I will need proper statements from everyone, but it’s a bit late now. Let’s schedule that for tomorrow.” Standing, he turned to Ethan. “I’ll be back when it’s light to search the area more closely, if you’d like to meet me here?”
“Definitely,” Ethan said.
Maddie got up to look out the window and had a strong sense of de jevu as she crossed her arms. Everything looked as normal as it had an hour or so ago, but it didn’t feel that way.
Ethan stood beside her. “Whose car is that?”
“What car?”
“Under that huge Maple. My deputies are running the plates, but It occurs to me that it could be Mrs. Oliver’s?”
Maddie peered across the street. She hadn’t noticed it before, because it was a dark color and almost hidden by the dropping branches. “That does look like her little beetle.”
He nodded. Suddenly, Ethan took hold of her arms. “Did you walk to Gran’s for Sunday dinner?”
She was shocked by his forcefulness. “As usual, yes.”
“You didn’t take your car and leave it there?”
She pulled her arms free. “What are you talking about? It’s only down the road.”
“Maddie, is Honey parked in your garage?”
Her heart began to flutter, and not in a good way. “I sure hope so. Why wouldn’t she be?”
“I might just take a look. Wait inside. All of you.”
She was confused, as were Gran and Laura. What did her car have to do with anything? They huddled together by the door and he was soon back with a way too serious look on his face.
“She’s gone. As I drove past earlier, I noticed the door open, but didn’t register whether your car was in there or not, since it was just a glance.”
Maddie jumped up and ran out to the garage. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Ethan, but Honey was her pride and joy. She had to see for herself.
The garage door was certainly wide open and the space where Honey had lived for such a short time was empty. She had closed it after returning from the retirement community. Hadn’t she?
Ethan had followed her, and she looked up at him. “She’s really not there.”
His eyebrow lifted. “I noticed.”
She threw her hands out, not a sliver of amusement touching her. “Where would she be? Who would take Honey? Even if the thief gave her a new coat of paint, she’s pretty distinctive, since there’s not another like her hereabouts. Everyone knows who she belongs to.”
“Exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
He shook his head. “It means there will be a reason that isn’t clear to me yet, and can you please leave this to the professionals?”
Maddie knew he was referring to her need to get answers first-hand, and she wouldn’t pretend otherwise. “First Big Red, now my car, and you want me to sit back and not do anything?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Look, we don’t know that the two are connected. This could be a coincidence or far more serious than . . .” he finished abruptly.
“More serious than Denise’s murder?” She finished for him.
“If you must know, yes, it could very well be. Promise me you’ll let me, my deputies, and the detective handle this?”
She looked him in the eye. “I promise I won’t interfere with your investigation.”
He sighed again. “I guess that will have to do for now. But I will be watching you.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Maddie nodded.
He made a rude noise. “Will you be okay on your own tonight?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He nodded and as he went to the door, Ethan gave them all a rueful look. “Good night then, ladies. I’ll see you in the morning.”
When he’d left, Maddie tuned to Gran and Laura. “You two should go as well.”
Gran hesitated. “I don’t know how we’ll all sleep after this. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to come home for the night?”
She lifted her chin. “No one’s going to scare me out of my bakery.”
“I’m not sure that’s the plan.” Laura offered.
“Whatever ‘the plan’ is, I don’t much care for it.”
“I can see there’s no point in reiterating what Ethan said, but please be careful, sweetheart.”
“Always.”
Gran raised an eyebrow, but left it there, and soon she was alone.
Maple Falls-was the most peaceful town she knew. Until Denise’s murder and then Big Red’s disappearance. Now there was another murder. None of it made sense, and Maddie spent several moments wondering if she had stayed in New York City whether things might have been different.
Moving her large and faithful feline three times in as many months had undoubtedly been too much for him. She desperately wanted to believe he had wandered too far because of this. She didn’t think so, but it was preferable to imagine him being fed and cared for by a nice family somewhere, who had no idea that the woman he ‘owned’ desperately wanted him back, than the alternatives.
Making sure she locked up securely, she began to bake with a vengeance. Missing pets, a potential murder, and Honey’s disappearance required busy hands to get her mind to quieten even a little. Baking was her go to for thinking, and solving this mystery would take a great deal of that.
It promised to be a very long night.
Chapter Fourteen
On Tuesday, after the worst sleep possible, Maddie had baked bread and buns. There were also brownies and cookies she’d made last night. She was greasing pans for the muffin mixture when Ethan arrived as promised.
In truth she’d hardly slept at all, and wasn’t going to be admitting any time soon that she had kept a couple of lights on.
“I need to get out to the site again, but wanted to see if you were doing okay?”
“I’m hanging in there.” She managed through a throat tight with tears. “Laura will be here soon.”
“Good. I’m only down the path if you need me.”
She nodded as he went to where his deputies were already huddled around the grass. From the kitchen window she could see over the wall to where Ethan was greeting the detective. Between them, they had notebooks, cameras, and tapes to measure distances. She knew Ethan had done this last night, but in the light of day it looked strangely more eerie, as they rechecked everything.
Despite being upset about Maude, she couldn’t deny an eagerness to hear their findings. Knowing Ethan wouldn’t take too kindly to her being anywhere near the evidence just yet, if at all, she restrained herself from going out there.
With the muffins in t
he oven, Maddie was happy to see Laura when she arrived, just to have someone to talk to.
“Morning,” Laura called out warily, as she put her bag in the small alcove where the office was, and tied her apron. “Any more news? About anything?”
She must have skirted around the group outside, and be as aware as Maddie that there would be plenty of questions coming their way.
“What’re the police doing out there?” Luke asked as he followed Laura inside.
Laura let Maddie tell the story and they watched his eyes widen.
“I can’t believe it! She was just in here yesterday and now she’s dead! Do you think it was something to do with how upset she was? She looked like she might have a heart attack any minute, but that’s not what happened is it?”
Maddie shook her head, sadly, although, not for a minute wishing Maude Oliver had had a heart attack. “I have no idea if the two things are related. They could be, or it could have been a case of hit and run and not someone out to kill her. Either is bad, and I hope that Ethan finds the culprit quickly. With it happening right outside, it gives me an awful feeling of not being safe.”
Laura looked upset. “Then you should come stay at the cottage. It’s your real home after all.”
“No way. Like I said, I’m staying put. At least until I get Big Red back.”
“And Honey. Maddie’s car,” Laura added for Luke’s benefit.
Luke was puzzled. “I knew you’d lost your cat, but what’s wrong with your car?”
Maddie could only take so much concern, but it was no good pretending things were better than they were. She sighed, taking a seat at the counter. “She’s gone from the garage. Someone must have taken her when I was at Grans’ for dinner last night. How they knew I’d be out is a mystery. It wasn’t Sunday, Monday dinner is rare, and we decide any other nights day-to-day.”
That seemed to trouble him even more. Then again he had his own issues to worry about. Luke hadn’t moved in, which was fine with Maddie. Apparently the family had a discussion to work out a compromise. He wasn’t very forthcoming about the details, and she could see he was embarrassed when he’d told her.
Which didn’t quell the feeling he was getting a lot of negative talk at home about his career choice, because she’d caught him looking worried several times. She’d mentioned it yesterday, but he’d given her a sunny smile, and said he was merely trying to retain all the information he’d been given. Which was totally plausible, yet Maddie had a sense that all was not as right as he made out.
She was touched when he brought her a glass of water, while Laura put the kettle on.
“I’m sorry Ms. Flynn. I know from how you talk about her, how much you love that car. Here I am, thinking I’m the only one with a hard life. Mine is a walk in the park,” he said.
She couldn’t help smiling. “What happened to Maddie? Ms. Flynn sounds too old, or you’re referring to Gran.”
“Sorry, all this business this morning has me spinning.”
“How is everything going at home? Should I get the spare room ready?”
She hadn’t intended to bring it up, but he merely shook his head.
“It was so kind of you to offer. To be honest, I’d decided I would, but Dad talked me out of it. For Mom’s sake, I needed to make that compromise.”
“He was awfully mad that day,” Laura shuddered.
He dropped his head. “I know, and I’m sorry you had to witness it.”
She tentatively asked, “So, he was fine when you got home?”
That made Luke laugh. “Let’s just say that it wasn’t the best scenario. Dad was waiting for me when I got home and we had a predictable argument. I was all set to leave when Mom arrived. They had some heated words with each other in another room, and whatever she said made him back down.” He shrugged. “After that I had to stay.”
“Are you okay about it?”
He gave a wry grin. “I’m going to try. My brother and father can make life miserable if they choose, but for now I’ll stay. My mom’s cool. You’d like her.”
Maddie shared a smile with Laura as she placed a cup of tea in front of her. He was such a nice kid. She could tell by his up and down manner that his decision to stay at home was entirely based on his mother’s happiness and that touched a chord with her.
His good humor and willingness to share were important too. In a small business like this, they needed to be there for each other. Working so closely every day, there was the potential for upsets and annoyances, and even though it was early days, especially for Luke, Maddie trusted that they could make it work.
“I’m sure I would. And if you do need to move out in a hurry, the offer stands. I should mention that Gran has also offered you a room.”
He nodded, his emotions warring with each other on his face, no matter that he was trying to be blasé about his home life. It was time to get things moving before he got upset.
Finishing her tea, she stood. “Right. If we’re going to open on time, let’s get the rest of the cookies and cakes made.” She went to the board by the alcove. “I was up earlier than usual and since there are now four of us, I thought I would get a weekly schedule done, and also a daily schedule, so we each have our own tasks and allocated time for training.”
Laura grinned. “I wondered how long it would take you to make some lists.”
Maddie had to laugh. Lists were her thing after all, and she knew that Angel, Suzy, and Gran, would say the same thing. Laura had clearly seen enough evidence to form her own conclusions.
When the knock on the door came, their smiles evaporated like spun sugar on a hot day. Not that Maddie or the others had forgotten what was happening outside, but for a few moments they had managed to keep it at bay.
Ethan entered, his hat in his hands, looking sorry that his presence today wasn’t around better circumstances.
“I’d say good morning, but it’s probably not the best any of us have had. I’m going to be taking statements from everyone and I’m sorry Maddie, you’ll need to come down to the station. It’s just the procedure. No need to be alarmed,” he said to them all.
She nodded. “Unfortunately, I do remember how this works.”
“Can I take you now?”
“No, I’ll . . .” She had been about to say that she would drive there. She gulped. “I guess I will come with you. Can you give me five minutes?”
“Take as long as you need. I’ll be out back when you’re ready.”
Chapter Fifteen
Maddie made sure that Laura and Luke could cope without Gran, before leaving with Ethan. They drove in silence. No doubt he was trying to piece this together just as she was. The difference was he undoubtedly had far more clues and she was curious to find out what they were.
Deputy Robert Jacobs was already in one of the interview rooms setting things up when Ethan led Maddie inside. He gave her a small smile as Detective Jones entered.
“I’m sorry you’re in this situation again, Ms. Flynn. We’ll try not to keep you too long, but you can appreciate that we have to be thorough.”
She nodded, surprised he had reverted back to formality. Then again, this was a murder investigation and he certainly was more pleasant than he had been during their last encounter over a dead body.
The Detective waited until she was settled and motioned for Ethan to leave. “It’s come to my attention that you and Sheriff Tanner have some history, and since I’m heading this investigation, I’ll also conduct the interview. I’m sure you understand?”
Talking to Erhan would naturally be easier, but she nodded.
“Good. Let’s start at the beginning. Where were you last night when the alleged murder occurred?”
So, they were still not sure? The detective was thorough and pleasant, if cooler than Ethan or Rob. When she had given all the information she could think of, she thought she was done, only Detective Jones wasn’t impressed with her alibi.
“There has to be someone else who saw what happened l
ast night. It’s not that dark in Plum Place and your car is missing.”
For a moment, Maddie was stunned. Surely she wasn’t a suspect? “Did you talk to the residents of the other shops? The library was closed just like all the shops, so it would only be the people who live above them, like Angel, who may have seen or heard something.”
He regarded his notes. “Ms. Broome wasn’t at your grandmother’s last night?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Because her lights weren’t on and she didn’t come by like your grandmother and Ms. McKenzie.”
“She was probably asleep.”
“At 8:30? I can’t imagine that. What makes even less sense, is why Mrs. Oliver was at your place.”
Maddie was confused. “But she wasn’t. I never saw her that night, until I found her body.”
“It may have been earlier that she came by to see you. When you weren’t home.”
“What makes you think she came to see me?”
He placed several photos in front of her.
“There were footprints all the way to your door. She had dirt on her shoes from where she stood in the garden under your kitchen window.”
Maddie gasped. “You think I killed her?”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“I think you were supposed to say ‘no’ right about there.”
He looked up in surprise. “Unlike Sheriff Tanner, I don’t know you, and someone committed a murder near your property. You can surely see why these questions are necessary?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “So, I’m asking, did you kill Mrs. Oliver?”
She folded her arms. “No, Detective. I did not.” When he put it like that, she even felt guilty, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“Now that we have that out of the way, let’s go over once more about what you did prior to going to your grandmother’s.”
She glanced at Deputy Jacobs who was taking notes, and trying not to look at the two of them. Letting out the breath she’d hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she explained her day. It was difficult with him studying her so closely.
