by Carly Winter
“With a wife like her, I would have jumped, too,” one of the men whispered to the other with a snicker.
Thankfully, Belinda didn't hear them.
“And your names?” Adam said, pointing at them.
“I'm Trevor, and he's Art.”
Adam smiled at the woman comforting Belinda. “And you, ma'am?”
“Nancy,” she said.
“Okay, now who is with who?”
“Belinda, Harold, and I are traveling together,” Nancy said, then pointed at Trevor and Art with a sneer. “They aren't with us.”
“Thank goodness,” Art whispered.
Adam stared at the group for a moment, then glanced over at Jack. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
The three of us—well, four of us, if I counted Ruby, which I probably should—stepped aside and gathered closely together.
“What the heck's up with these people?” Adam asked. “They all seem to hate each other.”
“That's putting it mildly,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Belinda, Nancy and Harold are all together. For some reason, they thought they'd be taking the tour alone. Trevor and Art showed up, and they’ve been talking the whole trip. Finally, Belinda had enough and asked them to pipe down because she couldn’t hear me. Trevor and Art said some horrible things, and then Harold got involved. It was like he just lost it. Like I said, I feel like I'm trying to placate a Jeep full of toddlers.”
“What about Harold?” Adam asked. “What do you mean he lost it?”
“He was the worst.” Jack’s brows furrowed. “I hate speaking ill of the dead, but he was a nasty man. Awful to even Belinda and Nancy. I couldn't imagine being married to someone like him, but Belinda isn't any prize either.”
Ruby and I traded glances. It had become abundantly clear that either we hadn't seen what we thought we had, or no one had any idea that Harold had been pushed to his death.
“Why does everyone think he jumped?” Ruby asked.
“Thanks, Jack,” Adam said. “Can you please go stand over there with them?”
Adam grabbed my arm and turned us away from the others. “No one knows that Harold was murdered.”
“I can see that.”
“I'm going to go look for the place where Harold scuffled with his attacker. Do you want to go with me?”
“Sure. We'll do whatever we can to help, Adam.”
“When can we go back to the hotel?” Belinda asked as we approached the group. Nancy still had her arm wrapped protectively around her friend. “I'm exhausted and it seems nothing is being accomplished with us standing out here all night. My wonderful Harold isn't coming back.”
“We're waiting for the sheriff to arrive, ma'am,” Adam said, his voice soft, but official. “I'm sorry for the wait, and for your loss. It won't be too much longer, and then we can get your statements.”
As we walked away from the Jeep headlights, the moon lit our path. I stayed behind Adam as he treaded carefully, using the phone flashlight to search the ground.
“I think it was somewhere around here,” he said.
“Nope. Farther up,” Ruby replied, dancing along the edge of the cliffs. Her precarious position twisted my stomach, but it shouldn't. She was dead. And she'd jumped off a cliff before and bounced right back up, our tether not allowing her to go more than fifteen feet away from me.
“Ruby says it's up the path a bit,” I said.
He nodded. “She's probably right. I can't find any signs of a struggle around here.”
We walked a few more minutes with Ruby leading the way. “Here we go!” she yelled as she plunged over the edge. I gasped and shut my eyes despite the fact I knew she'd be fine.
A few seconds later, she reappeared on the ledge. “There are cars coming into the canyon. I can see their headlights.”
I strained to attempt to glimpse over the side. “Ruby says this is where it happened. She says cars are coming.”
“They're here to collect the body.” Adam shone his flashlight around the dirt, and we easily found where the scuffle had taken place. At the edge, I could make out marks where someone's shoes had left skid marks.
He took a few pictures with his phone, then counted out steps as if he was measuring the area. I stood by quietly and allowed him to do his work.
“Can she see anything down there?” Adam asked.
“Who? Ruby?”
“Yes.”
“Like what?”
His cheeks reddened even in the moonlight. “I don't know... like Harold's spirit?”
I glanced over at Ruby, who stood directly on the precipice. She shook her head. “I don't see any ghosts. But then again, I've proved that I'm not really a good ghost hunter.”
“She doesn't see anything,” I said, turning back to Adam.
“Okay.” He let out a sigh. “I was hoping we could ask him who he fought with and who pushed him.”
“Sorry, but I'm afraid not.”
He turned back to his investigation as Ruby returned to my side. “Well, this night sure turned into a bummer.”
“You're right.”
“When do you think we'll be able to go home?” she asked.
I assumed I was free to leave whenever I wanted, but the thought of that ride in the dark, even with the moon illuminating from high above, gave me the creeps.
“Soon.” I wasn't about to admit my anxiety to Ruby, who feared nothing.
“Not that I have anything better to do,” she said with a snort. “But I find it interesting that no one here realizes that old Harold was murdered. Either one of them is lying or someone appeared out of nowhere and offed the guy.”
I hadn't considered that the murderer could have been someone from outside the group.
“But at least you aren't a suspect in this one,” Ruby continued. “We don't have to try to solve it. We can leave it to the professionals.”
“You have a point,” I murmured. “No one's coming after me.”
Adam's phone rang, causing both Ruby and me to jump and screech. He glanced over his shoulder at me and shook his head as he answered.
“He's not so bad,” Ruby said. “Even for a cop.”
“I like him.”
“Oh, I can see that,” Ruby replied. “I noticed it the first time he showed up at our house when that guy was murdered upstairs.” Adam continued studying the area and walking around while talking on his phone. “He also fills out those jeans nicely.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, even though she was right. Ruby cackled, always appreciating when she could get a bit of a reaction out of me.
Adam hung up the phone and strode over to us. “The sheriff is here. We need to head back to the Jeep.”
“Aye-Aye, Captain!” Ruby said with a salute. “Lead the way!”
I fell in behind Adam with Ruby by my side, the trek back to the suspects seeming longer than when we’d left.
“What happened here?” Sheriff Bruce Walker asked, running a hand through his thick gray hair. In his seventies, he still possessed an intimidating glare as he pointed at me. “And why is she here?”
“We were out riding together, sir,” Adam said. “As for what happened to Harold Berg, he was murdered.”
“Well, hello, you old, cranky coot,” Ruby scoffed, standing right next to the sheriff. “How's the most uptight man I've ever met?”
Walker narrowed his gaze as his nose twitched. He was probably catching a whiff of Ruby’s distinct aroma—lavender and marijuana. “How do you know he was murdered?” he asked, then glanced back at the group. “Have they been smoking dope?”
Adam shook his head. “I'm not aware of any marijuana, sir. As far as the murder goes, we were down at the bottom of the cliffs. We saw two people in the moonlight. Then, one of them left. A few minutes later, two people started to fight and we actually saw the victim fall to his death.”
“No kidding?”
“No, sir.”
“Which one was it?” Walker asked, surveying the people there.
<
br /> “We don't know,” Adam said. “We could only make out silhouettes. We couldn't see any features.”
“That's a darn shame. I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way and investigate it.”
“Yes, sir. They also seem to think that Harold jumped.”
“How interesting. So one of them is lying.”
“Unless there was an outsider around that we aren't aware of,” Adam said. I noted his thought process followed Ruby's.
Ruby ghosted through the sheriff, causing him to shiver, and walked over to me. “Let's go home, Bernie. I can't stand being on the same cliff as that turd of a man.”
Walker glanced around as if searching for something, probably thinking his mind was busy playing tricks on him. Sorry, Sheriff. It's just Ruby.
“Let's get everyone off the cliff,” the man said. “We'll secure the area so we can investigate tomorrow. Jack can drive his Jeep. We’ll put the tourists into the cop cars and everyone will meet down at the station. I want to get their statements tonight and give them orders they aren't to leave town.”
Adam nodded and the two walked over to the group.
“Listen up!” the sheriff called. “Here's what's going to happen.” I studied everyone as he shared his plan. One of them had killed a man not long ago, and the only one who seemed even mildly upset was Harold's wife, Belinda. I tried to match each person with the shapes that we'd seen up on the cliff, but none jumped out at me as being the murderer.
The group moaned and groaned when the sheriff finished. “Hey!” he yelled. “Y'all seem to think that Harold jumped to his death, but that's not the way it went down. I've got two witnesses who watched him being pushed. You are all now part of a murder investigation, so quit your whining!”
Everyone gasped and threw accusing glares at each other.
“He's kind of sexy when he gets riled up like that,” Ruby said.
I personally didn't think there was anything sexy about the sheriff, so I didn't answer. Instead, I continued to study the suspects, looking for signs of guilt.
Who had pushed Harold?
Chapter Four
A moment of silence fell over the group. Belinda’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as her knees gave out and she slid to the ground.
Nancy screamed and dropped next to her friend. Without thinking, I ran over with Ruby in tow and tried to make the poor woman comfortable by situating her head on her friend’s lap.
“Are you all right?” I asked Belinda as our gazes met for a brief second. She shook her head and closed her eyes again. Tears streamed from the corners and fell onto Nancy’s jeans.
“What does he mean we’re in a murder investigation?” Nancy hissed. “Are you saying someone here killed Harold? How does the sheriff know?”
I glanced over my shoulder at the sheriff, then turned back to her. Probably best to keep my mouth shut, but I felt she deserved an answer. “We were down in the canyon. We saw it happen.”
Nancy stared at me a long while as if she couldn’t quite understand what I was saying. With her short, brown pixie cut and sharp green eyes, she made for an attractive woman. “You witnessed his murder?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, jeez, Bernie,” Ruby said from behind me. “I hope she’s not the killer. You may have just put a target on your back.”
“Is she going to be okay?” the sheriff called.
“Do you think she needs medical help?” I asked.
“Belinda?” Nancy said softly. “Honey? Do you need a doctor?”
The woman shook her head. “I can’t believe this,” she whispered. “How did this vacation turn out to be so awful?”
I turned back to the sheriff. “She says she’ll be fine.”
“Now here’s how this is going to work,” Walker said. “You’ll all get into a police car and we’re taking you down to the station. There won’t be any arguments about this. Your statements will be taken there.” More moans and groans from the group. The sheriff pointed to me again. “You and Adam take the ATVs back into town with Jack and meet us at the station.”
I looked at Adam and nodded. Apparently, I wouldn’t be allowed to head home. It was going to be a long night.
“Gosh dang it!” Ruby yelled. “I hate the police station! I want to go home!”
I helped Belinda to her feet and watched everyone file into their assigned vehicles. The two police cruisers slowly pulled away, leaving Adam, Jack, Ruby and me alone.
“We better head back,” Adam said.
Jack nodded. “I’ll follow you two out.”
After straddling the ATV, I slipped on my helmet with a long sigh. We drove slowly and carefully through the desert, a deep sadness and exhaustion settling in my chest. The fun of the ride had died long ago.
“Every time we come out on an ATV, something bad happens,” Ruby said from behind me. “This sucks, Bernie.”
I couldn’t agree more.
I was asked to sit on a metal bench in the hallway right across from Belinda and Nancy. I noted red dirt marks on Belinda’s white pants I hadn’t seen before. Had she fallen or been in a scuffle while pushing her husband off a cliff? Or were they from her fainting spell?
Of course, Ruby was forced to join me and she complained about it, but because of my company, I couldn’t tell her to stop. Instead, I just tried to tune her out, which was difficult at best. So, I concentrated on my rear end going numb from sitting on the hard surface for so long.
“I haven’t been back here in a long while,” Ruby said. “I can’t remember what I was arrested for the last time, but old Bruce brought me into that interrogation room over there.” She pointed at a closed door to Belinda’s left.
Ruby’s arrest record had been… interesting. Adam looked up her sheet once a few weeks back, and he found mostly petty crimes: smoking pot in public, one arrest for instigating a bar fight and another for public nudity. Ruby would never do anything to hurt someone, but she had enjoyed stirring the proverbial pot and living on her own terms.
“Shh,” I whispered. Couldn’t she see I was busy trying to eavesdrop on Belinda and Nancy?
The gunmetal paint and the matching tile on the floor gave me a headache, so I shut my eyes and leaned my head back on the wall, hoping I looked innocent and uninterested in their conversation.
“If he was killed, it had to be one of those men on the tour with us,” Nancy said. “Remember they almost came to blows with Harold when we stopped on that overlook?”
“He was defending me,” Belinda said, her words slurring. “They’d called me some awful names, which was unfair. I had only asked them to quiet down so I could hear what Jack was saying.”
“I know, honey,” Nancy whispered. “Harold loved you very much.”
Belinda nodded. “We’ve had our issues, but yes. We did love each other.”
Nancy sighed. “I don’t have much faith in this sheriff, Belinda. He seems like an idiot.”
I opened my eyes as Ruby shot to her feet. “Don’t you dare call him an idiot! I’m the only one who gets to say that!”
“Well, hopefully he can find the killer,” Belinda said, then broke into sobs once again. “My nose won’t stop running. I need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll come with you,” Nancy replied.
When they were out of earshot, I turned to Ruby. “Do you think she did it?”
“Which one?”
I shrugged. “Either.”
“Heck, I don’t know. What’s their motive?”
“Well, Belinda said she and Harold had their problems.”
Ruby sighed and sat down again. “Although I never married, it’s my understanding that every couple has their issues. I always just walked away if my relationships ever entered the problem zone. Seemed easier than trying to ride it out. Life should be problem-free.”
Figures. As for me, I’d never dated anyone long enough to make it to the problem zone, as Ruby put it. Belinda and Harold’s issues had to be pretty big in order for mur
der to be the answer.
“And I’m warning you now, Bernie… if you date a cop, you’ll have nothing but difficulties, no matter how charming he is or how good he looks in his jeans. I’m still standing by my recommendation not to date the police. This place is bringing back bad memories. Being cuffed is fun, as long as it’s not in a police station.”
Ruby rose and began to pace up and down the small hallway in front of me, as far as she could go.
We’d been in the hallway for hours and I was tempted to curl up on the bench to sleep. Even if I was released, I would have to walk home in the middle of the night. I didn’t think I had the energy. I fought to keep my eyes open and my mind somewhat alert.
Sheriff Walker strode down the hall with a file folder in his hand and entered a room to my left without meeting my gaze. A second later, he poked out his head and glanced at the empty bench across from me.
“Where are they?” he asked.
“Bathroom.”
He nodded and disappeared back inside the room. The two women returned a few moments later.
“Belinda Berg,” the sheriff called. “Please join me in here.” The two women headed for the door. “I need to talk to Belinda alone, Nancy.”
The woman raised her chin and narrowed her gaze but remained quiet. Obviously, she didn’t like the separation from her friend. When the door shut in her face, she shook her head and whispered a few curses, then walked back toward her bench, right through Ruby.
“Watch it, lady,” Ruby muttered as Nancy glanced around with her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Do you smell lavender?” she asked, meeting my gaze.
I shook my head and closed my eyes again.
We sat in silence for a few moments with Ruby continuing to pace.
“She’s very wealthy, you know,” Nancy said. “She’ll have the best lawyer represent us and we’ll be able to leave this dumpy town.”
I opened one eye. No one had ever referred to Sedona as dumpy. In fact, with its majestic rock formations, the quaint town, and the beautiful surrounding desert, I would describe it as a precious gem.
