Abby felt like her jaw was about to hit the floor as the Mayor spoke. Lara Clark? A Senator’s sister? “Wait, so you are saying the Senator’s sister left at the same time as Rob Morgan? But if he’s dead, that means maybe she did it?”
The Mayor shrugged. “That would be one of the questions, now, wouldn’t it? Lara and Rob were pretty close, so I just can’t see that happening, but they did run with a somewhat rough crowd.
“Is there anyone left we can talk to?” Becky asked.
“Not many but there’s a few,” the Mayor answered. “Sarah Byrn. She’s the head postmaster now, but if I recall she used to have a thing for Rob back in the day. There was a young scamp named Ben Martinez before he grew up and took over Butters Ice-cream. Also, if I remember correctly, Bill Wilberson was one of his friends. At least, at one time. In fact, if I remember correctly, he had a huge blow-out with Rob and Lara right before they disappeared.”
“Mr. Wilberson? The one that does handiwork for Hazel?” Abby asked, her eyes wide.
“The very one,” the Mayor answered slowly.
“Oh, jackrabbits,” Becky breathed.
Chapter 8
Abby and Becky walked back to Abby’s purple PT Cruiser when suddenly Cheerio raced ahead, barking like mad. A stray squirrel had wandered too far from one of the many trunks making Cheerio think he might have a chance, though neither woman was worried he might catch the squirrel. Not in a town where there was a tree almost every twenty feet.
The squirrel raced off, easily beating the poor black and white dog to the tree, then stayed about fifteen feet up the trunk, circling the tree and making the dog work harder and harder as he bounced and dug at the roots.
“Cheerio!” Abby shouted. “Cheerio, get back here. I’m not going to save you if you get dirt all over the back seat. Hazel will cook you!”
Cheerio gave one last bark, and then came running back to Abby’s side, looking up at her with his pink tongue hanging out. It was clear he didn’t believe Abby at all about being cooked. She gave him one last look before turning back to Becky as they both got into the purple PT Cruiser. “Do you think Mr. Wilberson has anything to do with it? He is kind of scary.”
Becky frowned as she returned Abby’s look, feeling the same way. “I don’t know, but it is kind of creepy how he just lives out in your garage.”
“I know,” Abby said in a low voice as she pulled out onto the road. She and Becky both rolled down their windows since it was a rather warm, fall day. Cheerio let out a happy bark and stuck his nose outside as they began to head slowly back to the island. “I really try to like him, but I just don’t know him well. He only grunts at me most of the time. But Hazel trusts him and likes him. I don’t know what the story is with them, but there’s something there.”
“Have you ever asked her about it?” Becky asked.
Abby scoffed and shook her head. “I haven’t been brave enough. Nor am I sure I want to know. But really, would you ask her, miss smarty pants?”
Becky grinned and shook her head quickly. “Do I look stupid to you? No, ma’am!”
“Exactly!” Abby said, grinning along with her friend.
They had just pulled onto Second Street and were about to cross the highway when they heard several gunshots. Either someone in the small block of houses was shooting, or it was coming from the Morgan Family Island which was directly ahead of them. The sound was louder and more booming than the thirty-aught-six that Buck Dansen had used to shoot at her a few weeks ago. She decided it wasn’t coming from the houses which meant it had to be coming from the island.
She and Becky looked at each other and almost at the same time, Becky pulled her phone out, and Abby stepped on the gas. Cheerio, sensing the change in mood, let out a short whine of concern as they picked up speed. As they passed over the bridge, the sound loud and rattling, Abby caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. A small motorboat with a figure crouched low next to the wildly sputtering engine was just speeding around the edge of the island. Abby’s heart began beating fast because she could see a slowly spreading cloud dissipating in the air from up near the house.
What had happened?
“Did you see that boat?” Abby asked excitedly, still straining to see anything of the now out-of-site craft. Becky’s excited talking on the phone suddenly turned into a scream, which caused Abby to look back at the road just in time. The thick, wooden post of the bridge was coming up fast. She pulled the steering wheel hard to the right, but the PT Cruiser still clipped the wood, sending the car bouncing hard as she heard a sickening crunching sound from both the vehicle and the wood. She joined Becky’s panicked screaming and Cheerio’s yelping with her own wailing yell.
It seemed like an eternity, but it took only a few moments before the car came to a stop in the fall leaves and bushes to the side of the small road that led up to the house. They were on the island but just barely, and when Abby looked back, she could see the massive post splintered along one side. Becky was making noises next to her, but they didn’t sound like she was in pain, only scared, but poor Cheerio was whimpering in the back seat.
Cheerio.
She quickly turned and saw Cheerio crumpled on the floor. He was trying to get up, but he was on his back between the seats. Abby immediately saw his front paw bent at a bad angle. He was looking up at her with his brown eyes, pleading with her to fix it and make the pain go away.
“Cheerio! Oh God!” Abby tried to open her door, but something had happened when they’d struck the post, and at first, it didn’t move more than an inch. She unhooked her seatbelt and twisted her body, pushing against Becky so she could angle her leg up and kicked hard. It took a few tries, but she finally managed to kick it open and leaped out. Pulling the back door open she reached down for the poor, whimpering animal.
Becky turned and saw the state Cheerio was in. She practically vaulted out of the passenger seat and raced around to help her friend. Between them, they managed to get Cheerio up onto the back seat and more or less comfortable. Abby caressed his soft head, closing her eyes and putting her forehead to her injured puppy.
“I’m so sorry, Cheerio,” Abby half-whispered as tears came down her cheek. “I’m so, so sorry.” Cheerio nuzzled her back, still whimpering but thankful for the presence of his family. Becky was right there as well, caressing the poor dog’s side.
“Hello! Hello!?” Came a voice from the front seat.
“Oh, jackrabbits,” Becky said, leaning into the front driver's side and pulling her phone from the passenger side floor. “Sorry, Lanie! We were just in an accident out at the Morgan Bridge!”
With the phone up to Becky’s ear, Abby couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but she remembered Lanie as one of the deputies that worked with the Sheriff. She could well imagine the other side of the conversation as Becky said yes or no.”
“Yes, we’re okay, but we heard shots coming from the Morgan house. They sounded like a shotgun, and Abby said she saw a boat.” She paused, listening before covering the phone with her hand and looking at Abby. “They’re sending help.”
Abby nodded, already hearing the sound of a siren off in the distance. A moment later the Sheriff himself crossed the bridge and stopped next to them. Abby was thankful that the solid bridge didn’t seem to be suffering from anything but cosmetic damage. The Sheriff got out, looking concerned for them but he also had his hand on his gun and was trying to pay attention to deeper into the small trees on the island, looking for trouble.
“Abby? Becky?” he said, cautiously. “Are you two okay? What happened? What was this about gun shots?” He squinted at Abby suspiciously. “Someone’s not shooting at you again, are they?”
“No!” Abby said, then blinked before glaring back at the Sheriff. “No! Just because it happened once!” She flailed an arm out toward where she’d seen the smoke. “I think it came from up there. We weren’t even here when we heard it. I saw a boat disappearing around the side of the island, thoug
h.”
The Sheriff gave a considering noise before stepping a few paces out onto the bridge and looking in the direction Abby had indicated. “Do you remember what kind of boat it was? Or did you see anyone in it?”
Abby shook her head. “No, not really. I just barely caught a glimpse of it. Small and white, I think? With an outboard motor? It had a figure in it hunched way down by the engine. I couldn’t see much of them before I tried to drive off of the bridge.”
The Sheriff gave another one of his grunts before coming back and inspecting the PT Cruiser. When he returned to the side door, he peeked in and frowned. “Ah, dammit. The dog got hurt?” He gave Abby another look, then headed back to his cruiser before reaching in and pulling out the radio. Still keeping his eye up toward the house, he spoke into the receiver before clicking it off and coming back.”
“All right. Lanie and Sam are on their way. When they get here, you two stay put while we check things out up at the house. I’ll let you know when it’s clear. ” He emphasized the last part by looking at Abby directly, his eyebrows low over his eyes. Abby could tell he was deadly serious and nodded.
Then it occurred to her what he was saying. “Do…do you think Hazel or Mr. Wilberson are hurt?”
The Sheriff shook his head. “No, to tell you the truth. I think Bill fired off some of his black powder at some kids. I hope that’s the case, anyway. But I have to be sure.”
A Second squad car pulled up then, with Lanie and another deputy. They both got out with serious looks on their faces.
“Sam, stay here with Abby and Becky,” the Sheriff said to the dark haired, thin deputy. “Lanie, come with me. Don’t shoot unless I tell you, okay? It’s probably just Bill scaring off some kids again, but I don’t want to spook him.”
Sam leaned against the hood of his cruiser and stayed watchful, but the Sheriff and Lanie began to move up through the forest toward the house. Abby felt helpless and scared. What would happen if someone had hurt her grandmother or even Mr. Wilberson? What if it hadn’t been just kids?
A small whimper and a soft head moved onto her lap, and Abby reached down and caressed her pet. As much for her own comfort as Cheerios.
Chapter 9
Waiting was murder, and then Abby scowled at herself for even thinking that word. It wasn’t murder. It wouldn’t be murder, and the Sheriff would find her grandmother and Mr. Wilberson safe and sound. Over and over she said that to herself, all the while imagining horrible things. It must have been obvious because, at one point, Becky reached out and squeezed her hand.
“It will be okay, Abby,” She said softly, her eyes full of concern. Abby just nodded, then looked anxiously up toward the house. She didn’t want to talk about it. Talking about it would just make her think about what could have happened even more.
Finally, the radio from one of the squad cars crackled, and Sam ran over to it to the driver’s side and leaned in, talking quietly. A Moment later the tall, thin man stood back up, and while he didn’t look happy, he didn’t look like someone had been killed either.
“Okay, everything is clear,” Sam said. “The Sheriff told me to give you a ride up to the house and to make sure the dog was comfortable.”
Abby felt relief flood through her like a tidal wave at the man’s words. She hiccupped at the reaction and felt tears course down her cheeks when Becky hugged her, and they shared each other’s relief even as they sat together. Sam came over and waited patiently for the two women to move out of the way. Then reaching in and carefully picking Cheerio up and transferred him to the police car. Abby slid in next to him, caressing his head as they made the very short journey up the driveway.
They could see the Sheriff and Lanie talking to Hazel and Mr. Wilberson. No one was happy, and the Sheriff was holding what looked like an old double-barrel shotgun, but other than that things looked peaceable as they chatted on the porch.
Once the police car pulled up, Sam came around and carefully lifted Cheerio off of Abby’s lap and held him as Becky and Abby got out. When Hazel saw the poor dog in the deputy’s arms, she put her hands up to her mouth and took a few steps forward.
“Oh, heavens!” she said. “We heard the accident from up here, but I didn’t know poor Cheerio had gotten hurt. Oh dear!”
“I’m sorry, Grandmother” Abby said, feeling terrible. Hazel had let her borrow her PT Cruiser without any concern, and she’d managed to damage the vehicle. “We heard a gunshot, so I came across the bridge too fast. I…I wasn’t paying attention and clipped the end of the bridge. I don’t know how bad the car is.”
Hazel waved her arms and shook her head. “Never mind that, Abby. We need to get Cheerio someplace comfortable.” She immediately turned and opened the door, moving inside with a purpose. “You all can stay out here jawing or come in for some tea, but I need to take care of one of our family members.”
The Sheriff opened the door, holding it wide so Sam could carry Cheerio inside and not bang anything on the doorway. Becky and Abby followed them in, with the Sheriff and Mr. Wilberson bringing up the rear. Hazel had pulled out several comforters and placed them on the floor in the living room by the fireplace. Folded and bunched up around the edges, it made a perfect nest for the deputy to place the injured animal.
Cheerio whimpered for a few moments as his foreleg got jostled but finally settled down when Abby sat next to him. She wasn’t happy about how much pain Cheerio was in, and after the trauma of crashing, she was feeling shaky. However, they had been racing here for a reason. Gunshots.
“So, what happened?” Abby asked the Sheriff, her eyes flickering to Mr. Wilberson and then back again. “Would someone please tell me why I almost killed Becky and my dog getting here?”
“Pretty much exactly what I suspected had happened,” The Sheriff said sourly. “Bill here was firing some of his black powder rounds to scare someone away. I keep telling him just to give us a call, but he insists on handling it himself.”
“It’s our property,” Mr. Wilberson said evenly. “Don’t need you to come here and waste all of our time. Black powder has worked for twenty years.”
“Dammit, Bill,” The Sheriff said, angry with an old argument. “Do we have to go over this again? It may work, but it scares the garbage out of your neighbors.”
“Bill shrugged, unimpressed. “I don’t think I care what fish think. Will I be able to pick up the shotgun at the usual place?”
“It’s not the fish, Bill, and you know it. You have people that live just across the river and every time you shoot that thing; it makes them think you’ve gone crazy. Maybe they’re right.”
Mr. Wilberson snorted. “We’re not in city lines. You know it, and I know it. I have a right to defend my property. Besides, there’s no shot in those rounds. Now just tell me when I can pick up my shotgun. It’s an antique.”
The Sheriff stared at him for a few more minutes and then just turned toward the door, but stopped. He looked back at Abby and then at Cheerio. “Mrs. Morgan. Do you need a lift to the vet? I don’t know if it’s a good idea to try to drive the PT Cruiser. No telling how damaged things are inside and you don’t want to take the chance. It’s early enough in the day the vet should be there, and I can spare Lanie for a bit if she’s willing to help.”
Lanie nodded, and Abby breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worrying about that. Vets and doctors may make house calls in TV shows, but in real life that rarely happened. “Yes, thank you, Sheriff. I would like that. Let me call and give them a heads up, Lanie, if that’s ok?”
“Not a problem,” the blond deputy said, giving them a smile.
The Sheriff tipped his hat and left as Abby pulled her phone out to make the call. Not a few moments later Sam had picked Cheerio back up, and they were out to the squad car.
“Thank you, Lanie; I really appreciate this.” Becky sat in the front seat with the deputy while Abby stayed in the back with Cheerio. She looked forlornly at the crumpled fender of the PT Cruiser as they passed by. She was glad that
worse hadn’t happened but sad poor Cheerio had to pay for her carelessness.
Still, the mystery of whoever was in the boat spun in her head. Who could it have been? Were they dangerous or just some curious teen? Or was it something far darker related to the death of Rob Morgan?
Chapter 10
It was not a busy day for the veterinarian, so they got in to see the vet right away. He listened to the story of what it happened and carefully inspected Cheerio’s paw. He tsk’d the few times, but when he stood up, he did not look overly worried.
“Looks like a clean break but I want some x-rays just in case to be sure. Cheerio’s still pretty young, and it looks like the bone broke cleanly, but no sense in risking chips or anything.”
“Just tell us what we have to do, Doctor. He’s hurt because of me, and I want to make sure he heals well.”
“Good,” the doctor said as he picked cheerio up and put him on a padded gurney. The dog whimpered slightly but licked the man’s face anyway. Cheerio always seemed to know when someone was trying to help him. “Just stay here, and I’ll be right back. I know you want to be with him but it’s just like any x-ray, and we want to keep exposure to a minimum. Will be back in a minute.”
Abby, Becky, and Lanie all watched the vet as he wheeled Cheerio away. It broke Abby’s heart to see the sad look in her dogs face, but it wouldn’t be long, and she knew he’d be okay.
“Thanks for sticking around, Lanie,” Abby said as she turned to the deputy. “I appreciate this. If I hadn’t been so stupid and paid attention, I wouldn’t have wrecked the car.”
“No one expects to have an accident,” the spunky deputy said. “But they do happen. I’m just glad it wasn’t more serious. Imagine what would’ve happened if you’d gone into the water, and be thankful it was just a fender-bender.”
“That’s true, Abby,” Becky said squeezing her friend's arm. “We just heard a gunshot, and you saw someone strange in a boat. It’s not like it was a normal thing.”
Cold Murder and Dark Secrets, A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 4
