by Leona Fox
Iris was about to question him more, for she was unsure about the value of consultants, but she did as her commanding officer said and gave Kelly a call. The two of them met outside Maggie's cafe.
“How do you want to play this?” Iris asked, trying to hide the skepticism from her voice.
“For now I think we just should observe. Let's sit in there and see what Maggie does. Maybe she'll say something to give herself away, maybe...hell...maybe we'll get lucky,” she said grimly and pushed the door open, entering the cafe. Iris followed.
They were greeted by a lively atmosphere. The place was packed. They had to sidle through a number of crowded tables until they found one that was empty. Kelly picked up Scampy and carried him, then sat him on her lap so he would not be harmed by the forest of legs.
“I'll go grab us a couple of drinks, you hold the table,” Iris said, and she went off to the counter where she ordered a couple of coffees.
In the meantime, Kelly examined the scene before her. She recognized almost everyone in the cafe and they noticed her too, lowering their voices as they spoke about Ellen and the situation. Kelly was filled with bitterness, for all of these people should have been in the cafe with Ellen. Instead they were here and none of them seemed to care that an injustice had been done. All they cared about was having a place to swill their drinks.
“You look angry,” Iris said as she returned to the table.
“I feel like I'm betraying my friend just by being here,” Kelly replied, but she took a sip of coffee all the same, knowing it was for the greater good.
“Do you really think she did it?” Iris asked in a low voice, gesturing to Maggie. Kelly shrugged.
“I don't know. All I know is Ellen isn't guilty, so somebody else did it, and right now Maggie obviously is the one benefiting from Ray's death.”
“Okay, I have to ask. I know she means a lot to you and Andy,” Iris began, “but why is Ellen such a big deal around here? Wherever I've gone people have been talking about the case and at the station all the officers are offering their opinions. Most of them can't believe the chief put her in that cell. But why? She's just a consulting detective.”
At this Kelly merely smiled, amused by Iris’ naiveté. “Ellen is far from just a consulting detective. She has this way of looking at crimes differently than most people. I don't know what it is about her, but it's like she has this sixth sense. She's helped so many people since she came back to the town but it's more than that. She's just...she's there for people. If you ever needed advice or just someone to listen, then Ellen would be there. I know I'm more than slightly biased because she's my best friend, but she is my best friend for a reason. She's always ready to greet people with an open mind. Like me, now, I'm aware that I can be a little ditsy and I get distracted a lot of the time. A lot of people don't like this and they just didn't really have much time for me. They just thought I was the crazy artist and I was better left alone, but Ellen actually took the time to talk to me. Of course, it probably helped that at the time she just had moved back from the city and was desperate for company given what was going on with her parents. Yet she put up with me when no one else did and I'm not really sure what I would have done without her. She was maid of honor at my wedding as well and, quite frankly, she's the best person I know.”
“But I still don't get why the chief wanted her help in the first place? I was taught consultants are a bad idea. A lot of them go beyond the law and take matters into their own hands.”
“Ellen isn't like that. And I don't know if he'd want me to tell you this or not, but at first Andy shared your concerns. He didn't like working with us either, but the crime happened at the cafe and Ellen wasn't going to sit by and do nothing. It turned out we were instrumental in helping him solve the case. After that Andy was convinced and we've been working with him ever since.”
Iris nodded, impressed because she knew how difficult it was to make Andy change protocol. She found herself wondering what Andy had been like before Ellen came along, for he rarely spoke of his past. However, that was a question that would need to wait for Maggie came over and interrupted their conversation.
“I'm surprised to see you here. Given up on your friend already?” Maggie said. Scampy growled at her, but she took no notice. Kelly did the human equivalent.
“Of course not, but it's a free country. Figured we'd see what this place has to offer while we talk about the case.”
“I don't know that there's much to talk about. You should just lock up Ellen properly and throw away the key. That's what she gets for trying to ruin my opening night.”
“Do you really believe that or are you just that stupid?” Kelly said, letting her anger get the better of her. Iris reached out a hand to try calming down Kelly, and looked at Maggie worriedly, but Maggie merely shrugged.
“I don't really care either way. Look around, business is booming. You think all these people are going to just up and leave even if The Chrome Cafe opens again? Things are changing around here and from what I can tell they're changing for the better. I don't particularly care if Ellen is guilty or not, but if she isn't then she's got a fight on her hands to get people to come back to her. Enjoy your drinks,” she said, giving them a false smile. Kelly boiled with anger and felt the urge to throw her hot coffee all over Maggie.
Seeing this intention in her eyes, Iris said, “Whatever you're thinking, don't. I'll have to arrest you if you attack her.”
This made Kelly smile. “You know, you're not so bad after all,” she said. Iris looked a little surprised.
“Who said I was bad?”
“Word gets around. A new person comes into town, there's bound to be some talk. People just like to wonder, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“But anyway, you can't tell me after all that that you don't think Maggie is involved somehow?”
“I'm not saying she isn't, but just because she's not a very nice person doesn't mean she's a murderer, and the timing of it could have been a coincidence.”
Kelly looked across the cafe at Maggie, who was laughing heartily with a couple of guests. “Yes, well, if she is guilty I will enjoy putting her away.”
However, despite her dislike for the owner of the cafe, Kelly had to admit the coffee was good. Maggie got her supply from a local source and it was a rich flavor, although she instantly felt guilty for enjoying herself so much.
“Come on, let's get out of here. I've had enough of this place. I don't think we're going to learn any more than we already have. We need to find a different lead. There's got to be something that can free Ellen.”
“The full toxicology report should be filed soon. That should shed some new light on the crime,” Iris said.
The two women walked out of the cafe and into the empty, quiet streets. Scampy was let back on the ground again and he started walking in front of the women, sniffing the ground.
“Why has it taken so long?”
“Small towns like this don't have the facilities. The toxicology test had to done in the city and they're always backed up. It's hard enough to get it quickly when you're there and you can badger them. Cases like these, they get pushed aside. They're not a priority.”
“I'll never understand how a man’s murder cannot be a priority.”
“It's not the murder that's the problem, it's the place. People in the city just don't care about places like these. You see it all the time. Most cops who get assigned to small towns hate it, they feel like it's a punishment. Cities are where you get noticed. They are where all the major crimes happen. If you want to make a name for yourself that's where you have to be.”
“What about yourself? Do you feel like you're being punished by being here?”
Iris smiled and tossed her head to the side, as she did so a few strands of dark hair flashed across her face. “Not at all, but I'm still young. This is a good place to learn. I'm not going to be here forever. One day I'm going to be in the city and I'm going to be a big deal
, but while I'm here I'm going to do the best job I can. I'm going to prove that you can get noticed in a small town.” She spoke with a fierce determination and Kelly could see the willpower of the woman glowing in her eyes. In some ways she reminded Kelly of Ellen.
The investigation was at an impasse. It would take a long time to question everyone at the mill properly but it seemed that was the only thing to do. Andy was sitting at his desk, looking at what little evidence they had but it wasn't enough to form any solid conclusions. Even if they did find out something from the workers it still would be a while before Ellen could be freed, and Andy wanted that more than anything. At the start of this he thought Ellen would be in just overnight, and there would be another suspect or some shred of evidence that would prove beyond doubt that she did not do it. Now he regretted taking her into custody. He probably could have worked out a way to keep her free. Even if she hadn't been able to work on the case, it would have been preferable to keeping her in a cell, but that damn Maggie had stirred up such a scene that he felt he had no other choice than to calm things down.
Whoever had killed Ray was smart, and whether they had intended to frame Ellen or not, the fact that it happened at The Chrome Cafe had meant the investigation was not as focused as it could have been, or perhaps should have been. However, soon enough Andy got an e-mail from the city. The toxicology report finally was coming through. The rudimentary examination from the town's coroner had given them a little information but this was far more detailed. As he read the report his lips curled into a smile, and he pumped his fist in the air. He printed off the form, tore it away from the printer and ran through to the cell as quickly as he possibly could.
He ran through the hallway, pushing past all his colleagues. Ellen had been sitting peacefully but cracked her eyes open when she heard the ruckus approaching. Her brow furrowed when she saw Andy barreling down the corridor, and she stood up close to the bars. He was clutching the toxicology report in one hand, and the cell keys in the other. He was so excited that his hands were shaking and it took him a few moments to find the lock, but when he did the key twisted smoothly and the door swung open. He held out his arms and Ellen walked into them. After being apart for so long she fell into his embrace and almost hadn't realized how much she had missed it. His hand stroked her back and they buried their heads into each other’s necks, hugging each other so tightly that everything seemed as though it was going to burst.
But it only lasted a moment for there was a killer still on the loose and Ellen had some catching up to do. She glanced down at the paper in his hand.
“You're in the clear. It shows that the poison was in his system for a few hours. It couldn't have been in the meal you prepared, and since you were at the cafe all day and everyone saw you there's no way you could have committed the crime. Not that I believed you did anyway,” he added. Then, his face fell a little, “I'm really sorry for all of this,” he said.
“You were just doing your job. It's fine,” she replied, and kissed him tenderly, a promise of what was to come later.
The two of them walked back out into the station while Andy caught her up on everything they knew so far, which admittedly was little. As it happened they walked out at the same time as Kelly and Iris returned. As Kelly was stepping into the station she was beginning to feel a little worried because Scampy had sensed something and was hurtling across the floor. She went to chase after him then paused for a moment when she saw who he was running to, and she soon joined him.
When she saw Scampy, Ellen bent down and caught him in her arms, hugging him tightly and kissing his head. Then she hugged Kelly.
“It's good to see you out, but what happened?” Andy updated them on the report.
“So all we have to do is find out who was around Ray on that day, who had the opportunity to poison him. I know for a fact that Maggie was going to and from her cafe as she got things ready. She still could be guilty,” Kelly said enthusiastically, but Ellen didn't seem convinced. Scampy was licking her face eagerly and while this usually tickled Ellen and made her happy, she spoke with a melancholy tone.
“I've come to think that is unlikely. I doubt she could have known when the poison was going to strike, and it's not as if she could have known that Ray was going to be coming into my cafe anyway. If she wanted to make sure someone died in my cafe that night she would have had to poison a lot of people to increase her chances but only one man died. Besides, it doesn't seem like she needs any help in making her cafe a success,” she said.
Kelly glanced at Iris, for they just had been to the cafe and seen how busy it was, but they did not mention this now. Ellen excused herself, saying she was wanted to get back home for a little while to change clothes and get started on the case.
Kelly drove her back home but there wasn't much to be said. Ellen seemed in a distant mood, not that anyone could have blamed her for that. Kelly spoke about the mill and that the killer was probably there. She also told Ellen that Emily was back in town, hoping this would brighten Ellen's mood, but it did not. When the car reached Ellen's house Ellen went to leave but Kelly pulled her back.
“I know this is difficult but you'll get through it. We'll all get through it together,” she said, and squeezed Ellen's hand. Ellen looked back at her and smiled but she did not say a word, and walked into her home.
Now that she was out of the cell Ellen enjoyed her freedom but she still was plagued by the doubts had caused her to be taken her into custody in the first place. Not only had a man been murdered in her cafe but she had lost a lot of business. It was going to be difficult to regain it, especially if she was to take her usual role in solving the case. The words that Maggie had said to her when their friendship first had begun to fracture echoed in her mind.
“Even if you do manage to put up a fight there's a difference between you and me. I'm going to be here all the time. I'm going to live and breathe this cafe and every bit of energy I have is going into making it the best it can be. It is my passion. It is my life. But you can't say the same thing, can you? Whenever a crime comes around you're going to be off solving it, neglecting your cafe. You won't be there to greet the guests, to ask them how their day is going. You'll be leaving them behind, Ellen, and now that they have some other place to go they'll leave you.”
Ellen made some dinner but her mind was constantly on those words. She loved the cafe and wanted it to be a success, wanted people to come and relax in the place she had created for them, but she could not deny Maggie's words. Crimes often took her away, but wasn't that right? It wasn't a job but it was her talent and, like it or not, she had something to offer. However, she feared if she continued helping on this case it would mean the end of the cafe. Would it be possible to leave Kelly in charge of the case and focus on getting the cafe back up and running? Even then, would she be able to? For a while she was torn but then one inexorable truth sliced through the fog in her mind and illuminated everything in its golden glow.
The Chrome Cafe was important, yes, but it was not as important as a human life. Ray had died. Someone had taken everything he had and if Ellen stood by and did nothing to help then she never would be able to live with herself. As difficult as it was to neglect the cafe in its time of need she knew she had to use her skills to track down Ray's killer.
Chapter 7
Although Ellen wanted to get cracking on the case as quickly as possible even she knew she needed to rest. When Andy came over later in the evening they only spent a short time on catching her up with the pertinent details. After that it was time for them to rekindle their love. As the stars shone outside they descended into a loving haze, surrendering to the needs of their bodies and souls. Ellen slept restfully, enjoying the sensations of the rise and falling of Andy's chest, the warmth emanating from his body, and the sounds of his gentle snores. It was a good feeling to be back home, and the following day she felt a renewed vigor and was able to take on anything.
It was no secret Ellen was back, and many people
saw her going to the station with Andy in the morning, working on the case. Word soon got around and a few people grumbled, still convinced she had had something to do with it, especially Maggie, who was boisterous in her appeals. Andy released a statement that said they had found evidence that cleared Ellen, but they were not at liberty to say what the evidence was. Maggie tried to rally people, claiming this was a lie just to get Ellen out, but the swell of public opinion was with the police and with Ellen. Maggie had failed to realize that the goodwill built up over the years was not so easily disposed of, and many people were glad to see Ellen's return. After clearing all that up, Ellen's next job was to re-open the cafe. She walked past Maggie's, and resisted the urge to walk in. Instead she went to her own establishment and flung open the doors, turned on the power, and enjoyed the feeling of being there again. Part of her hoped everyone would come flooding back, eager to hear about the case, but the reality was much different. She knew it would take time for guests to return. However, there were more than a few people who popped in to offer their support and say they were glad the truth had prevailed, and this meant a lot to Ellen.
But what meant even more was Emily's presence. The owner of the mill, and descendant of Michael van De Lay, came out in support of Ellen's presence on the case.
“Ellen Thatch was instrumental in discovering the truth about my ancestry and in helping lay Michael van De Lay to rest. I have every faith in her and I never believed the allegations against her in the first place. Ellen's track record speaks for itself but I am glad she is back on the case. Hopefully the person who committed this crime will be found and brought to justice quickly.”
