by Holly Quinn
He returned his hand to his holster and belt, his face washed crimson. “As a matter of fact, when I call Nash in on this one, I’m pretty sure it’ll worsen Randy’s case because it looks like you’re all trying to tamper with evidence by covering something up. So, what is it? What are you mining for over at the Wadsworth place? Or what are you trying to cover up for Randy?” He smirked. “Which, by the way, I’m very close to making the call to Nash about. Give me one good reason not to.” He wagged a warning finger.
Sammy didn’t like the smug smile on Tim’s face as he talked about her brother-in-law in a flippant manner, or the way he was bringing Nash’s name into it. It set her off. Not to mention, a night without sleep had left her last nerves shot and raw. She tried as best she could to remain diplomatic, but the words spilled out like a waterfall. “You’re barking up the wrong tree hauling Randy to the station today. You know the guy; he’s not capable of any kind of crime.” Sammy rolled her eyes. “You guys should be going after the real perps behind this case instead of wasting your time bringing my brother-in-law in for questioning. What a waste of taxpayer dollars.” She added with a huff, “what’s wrong with you people?”
“Oh, and I suppose you have it all figured out, do you?” Tim snapped as he pointedly moved his laser stare from Heidi to Sammy. “Tell us, oh wise one. I’m sure in your mind you have Wanda’s death and our investigation into her missing husband in the bag, do you?”
“Well, at least I’m looking in the right direction and not barking up the wrong tree. I bet you don’t have anything on Randy. What evidence do you people possibly have to even bring him in for questioning? Give me a break.” Sammy’s eyes left his pointed stare and she glanced at the staircase, hoping her sister wasn’t within earshot for this.
“Randy’s fingerprints are all over their house.”
“Yeah, he’s their realtor! What do you expect?”
“His fingerprints are in places they shouldn’t be. And that’s all I’m going to reveal on this matter,” Tim said with finality, placing his lips together in a firm line.
“Just wait a minute here. Can you explain how Randy’s fingerprints are even in the system?” Heidi interrupted. “How’d you get a match? He hasn’t been questioned at the police station yet, nor has he had his prints taken—he hasn’t yet, right?”
“Randy had a DWI when he turned twenty-one. According to our records, it was on his twenty-first birthday.” Tim shifted his stance and crossed his arms across his broad chest.
“What?” This was news to Sammy. How could she not know this about her own brother-in-law? Did Ellie know that he’d had a DWI and kept it from the family all these years out of embarrassment? Or was Ellie not even privy to this bit of information? Maybe there were things about Randy even her sister didn’t know?
Sammy’s rising voice caused Heidi to tap her on the leg, a signal to tone it down, but it was too late. “You don’t know anything! There’s a ransom on Marty’s head, and you’re looking at Randy?” Sammy spewed. And that’s when she realized Heidi had not confided in her boyfriend, not for a second, because the shock on Officer Maxwell’s face was priceless.
“Whoa.” Tim’s eyes narrowed, and he put up a hand of defense. “Back the train up. What did you say? You mind repeating that?” He cupped a hand to his ear.
Sammy felt a warm crimson climb from her neck to her face. The burning didn’t stop until it hit the outer parts of her ears. Her heart began to thunder again.
Heidi slapped her leg with the back of her hand. “Way to go,” she said out the side of her mouth.
“Wait a minute.” Tim’s eyes traveled between them and finally landed back on Sammy. “What exactly is going on here? Are you telling me there’s more to this fiasco than you three taking me for a joy ride through the snow in the dead of night?”
Sammy cleared her throat. “Umm … I think we might have something to tell you …”
Heidi laid her hand on Sammy’s lap to stop her from speaking and said, “Let me be the one to explain.”
Tim planted his hands firmly on his hips and shook his head disapprovingly. “What did you three S.H.E.s get involved in this time? I can’t even believe this nonsense! Do I really want to hear this from you?” His eyes rose to the ceiling as if he were prompting the Good Lord above to please have mercy upon him.
As Heidi began to explain all that had unfolded the previous day and what they had learned from their visit to Jackson’s farm, Sammy noticed Ellie slowly making her way down the stairs, holding the oak railing to keep herself from falling. She couldn’t remember a time Ellie had looked so frail. She knew her sister didn’t handle stress well, and this level of stress was beyond insurmountable.
Sammy interrupted the officer by nodding her head in the direction of her sister. “I need to go tuck her into bed. Ellie’s not going to be any good to anyone if she ends up in the hospital, or worse, loses the baby due to all this stress. Plus, with you taking her husband for questioning tomorrow … I mean today …” Sammy eyed the clock on the wall, which revealed the early morning hour. “She’ll have no one to watch Tyler. She needs her rest. Please? Just a little bit while we straighten all this out?” She hoped Tim would have compassion on her sister and let her go to bed before she quite literally passed out in front of them.
One look at Ellie and he agreed. “Fine.” His eyes lasered back to Heidi, who remained on the love seat. “Don’t you move a muscle. I’m not finished with you yet.”
Sammy had never heard Tim talk to Heidi in such a stern manner. He normally melted at anything she had to say. But not this time. Sammy walked quickly over to her sister and nudged her to turn around and head back in the direction of a warm bed. Ellie didn’t argue and made the return climb. They entered the spare bedroom without flipping on the overhead light. Sammy rushed in front of Ellie, pulled back the worn comforter that lay atop the old twin bed from their youth, and waited for her sister to rip off her socks and slip into bed. She tucked the sheet and blanket up around her neck so only Ellie’s head was visible and then sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
“Do you think you need a bucket by your bed? Or are you feeling better?” Sammy asked as she removed her sister’s hair from her face and laid her hand aside her cheek, which was clammy to the touch.
“I think I just need sleep,” Ellie said as her eyes drifted shut. “I’m so tired.” She yawned.
“Okay, I’ll be in to check on you later,” Sammy said. She heard her sister grunt an acknowledgment as she rose from the bed and softly closed the door behind her, then held the doorknob and rested her head against the door.
She wished she could just walk across the hallway and crawl into her own bed, but that would be terribly unfair to Heidi. Besides, the way Tim was acting, she didn’t think he’d allow it anyhow. For all she knew, they weren’t out of the woods yet and might be spending the day behind solid metal.
Sammy could hear the muffled sounds of Heidi and Tim’s rising and falling heated conversation but couldn’t make out any specific words. She released the doorknob and wiped her grit-filled eyes with the back of her hand. Before retreating downstairs, Sammy stopped at the small bathroom at the top of the stairs, stood at the pedestal sink, and looked at the worn-out reflection staring back at her. The skin under her eyes was shadowed with gray, just like Ellie’s, and her healthy rosy cheeks from traipsing around in the cold had now grown pale. She stifled a yawn, then splashed her face with cold water and dried off with a nearby towel. The cold water did little to revive her, so she reached into the bathroom cabinet for eye drops and dropped a few in each gritty eye, blinking them back to vision. She abandoned the eye drop bottle on the back of the toilet and then turned her body in the direction of the stairs.
As she began the descent, she saw Tim open her front door and Detective Nash step inside the foyer. Apparently, news of the ransom had caused Officer Maxwell to make the call after all. Actually, the call had probably been made long before Tim even showed up on
her doorstep.
The detective’s eyes traveled to meet her on the stairs, and he did not look amused. Sammy stopped midstep and slumped down on the stair. She rested her head in her arms and wished it all away. Liam came to greet her and, without words, encouraged her off the oak staircase to join the others in the living room.
Sammy noted her cousin’s somber body language as Heidi sat quietly on the love seat with her eyes downcast and her hands tucked neatly in her lap. Her eyes rose when Sammy took a seat beside her, and a look of sadness swept across her face.
Meanwhile, the firing range of Officer Maxwell and Detective Nash stood before them, looking as if they were ready to fire off another barrage of questions.
Sammy broke the silence. “I’m guessing everyone is up to speed? And now that Jackson’s ransom note was shared with you two, this might take Randy out of the hot seat, no?” Sammy almost felt relief. If telling Jackson’s secret would take the pressure off her brother-in-law, maybe it was a good thing that the cat was out of the bag. She hoped for Ellie’s sake that that was the case, at least.
The detective spoke first. “With this new development, we’re going to hold off on bringing Randy in for questioning.” He held up a hand of defense. “Not because we don’t have reason to question him, but because it seems we’re forced on to more pressing matters now. Let it be known Randy’s not off the hook just yet. We will eventually bring him in because there are a few things that require answers. However, if what you’re saying is true about a ransom note, it looks like the FBI will likely soon be involved.” He stopped his speech to pause and eye them each directly. “Which means you three S.H.E.s need to stand down.” He pointed a lean finger at them. “Let me make this perfectly clear: this is my last and final warning. It’s one thing to involve yourselves locally. It’s a whole other level when you mess with an investigation that the federal government is involved in. You will be arrested for obstruction of justice if you continue to meddle in this investigation. You three need to back off. Now.”
Tim interrupted. “And it won’t just be breaking and entering, we’ll slap you with a whole host of statutes as well. You three S.H.E.s aren’t above the law.”
“Breaking and entering?” The detective turned to his coworker, confusion riddling his face. Evidently Tim hadn’t shared everything with Nash yet. Sammy wondered if he would or whether he’d keep that under wraps to save his own skin.
“Nothing.” The officer waved a hand of deflection and then said, “Please continue.” He gestured toward the two guilty parties, left to their own defenses, huddled on the love seat.
Nash turned back to face them. “Anyhow, if you three don’t stay out if it, I’ll have no way to stop a warrant on each of your heads.”
The detective turned on his heel and headed toward the front door, but not before Bara came to greet him. He stopped, patted Bara on the head, and then scratched under his jaw. Despite Liam’s frustration, he was still loving toward her dog, Sammy noted. He summoned Sammy to the front door with a finger and said, “A private word, please.”
Sammy quickly made alarmed eye contact with her cousin before she did the detective’s bidding. Meanwhile, Heidi rose from the love seat, and she and Tim headed toward the kitchen, seemingly to have their own private moment.
When Sammy reached the detective, she stood defenseless, her shoulders slouched, and didn’t say a word. He pinched the bridge of his nose, as if in doing so he could will away the frustration coursing through his head. It was quiet between them until he spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? You had every opportunity to share pertinent information about my case, and instead you chose to lie to me? What’s that about?”
“I didn’t lie … I just didn’t tell you everything I knew.” Her eyes left the floor to look directly into his, and what she witnessed was sheer disappointment. His dark eyes didn’t show anger, just sadness. Sammy didn’t know which was worse: him calling her out for not telling him everything or him being visibly disappointed in her. “What was I supposed to do? It wasn’t my call to make! Jackson begged us not to say a word. I wanted to tell you. Really, I did!” Her words fell flat, even to her own ears. She reached out to touch him on the arm.
“Don’t.” He flung out his hand to avoid her touch and stepped back.
His reaction stung. It would have been better if he’d slapped her. She’d completely lost his trust. She saw it clearly in his demeanor.
“I came after you, but you left my office before I had the chance.”
Her response fell on deaf ears. He looked away from her and said, “I don’t have time for this nonsense.” But his eyes met hers again, begging to understand, and his hands slipped onto his hips as he waited for an answer.
“I’m sorry,” Sammy said. “I’m really sorry.” Her lip quivered, and her eyes fell to the floor. “I should’ve told you everything that happened at Jackson’s farm.”
“I’m not sure if your apology is good enough this time,” he said evenly, before turning toward the door. “Tell Officer Maxwell to meet me back at the station. We have a lot of work to do,” he said over his shoulder, and then he was gone into the cold snowy night, leaving a chill deep within her heart.
Chapter Seventeen
Sammy awoke to Bara licking the side of her face and her left leg dangling off the love seat, causing her body to nearly roll onto the floor. Disoriented, she patted her dog on the head and then shook her own, trying to figure out what had happened. Her head pounded as if she were suffering from a bad hangover. The sad part was, she didn’t recall dancing atop tables the previous night, nor a single sip of liquor. The gas fireplace was glowing, keeping the small living room comfortably warm, and the smell of coffee percolating tickled her senses. She noticed a chenille throw blanket tossed on the floor next to the recliner, where she assumed her cousin must’ve crashed for the night.
Heidi stepped cautiously into the room, navigating her way with two cups of steaming coffee without spilling a drop. She set one on a coaster on the end table next to the love seat.
“You’re finally up. I was just about to wake you.”
“Oh, don’t tell me! What time is it? I have to open the store!” Sammy jerked upward, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and blinked several times to focus.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Winter storm warnings were issued late this morning; the town is paralyzed. Nobody, I mean nobody, is going anywhere. I hope you have cereal. I didn’t check the cupboard,” Heidi said before slumping into the recliner, causing the leather to groan.
“Ellie?”
“Still completely zonked out. I think we should let her sleep; she needs it. Besides, it’s not like any of us is going anywhere anytime soon.” Heidi shifted in her seat and cupped the mug of coffee with both hands.
“Has Randy called looking for her?”
“Uh-uh, not yet.” Heidi shook her head. “He probably would rather she stay put anyway, gauging by the roads out there. Especially now with a baby on board. I can’t believe Ellie’s having another baby!” She blew the steam emitting from her mug.
“I know. It hasn’t sunk in for me yet either. I’m so happy for them, though. It’ll be nice for Tyler to have a sibling too. I wonder how he’s going to feel about being a big brother.” Sammy silently realized that in about eight months, she’d have to hire additional staffing to pick up the loss of Ellie working at her shop. “Do you think I should post Community Craft’s closing on Facebook?” She tossed aside the lap quilt currently hanging from her leg.
“Yeah, I guess so. But honestly, I really don’t think it’s necessary. I checked my phone earlier; everything is shut down, including the schools. Even the credit union is calling a late start. If they decide to open at all, it won’t be until later this afternoon. I can’t imagine anyone would expect you’d be open today.”
“Crud … that’s a real problem.” Sammy lifted the mug off the side table and lifted it in cheers. “Bless you,” she added before takin
g a slurping sip. Her mouth was like asbestos, and the coffee was scalding. The hotter, the better, and Heidi knew it.
“Why is it a problem? I figured you’d love the chance for a day off. Remember how much we loved snow days as kids? We’d spend the whole day building snow forts around the farm. We had so much fun, didn’t we?” Heidi smiled wide, showing her dimples.
“Yes, I remember. Despite the weather, my parents would find a way to bring us over to your house. At the time, I thought they were just being nice, navigating the treacherous roads to drop us off. Now I know they just didn’t want to get stuck home with two energetic daughters with nothing to do.” Sammy returned the smile before getting serious. “The quilting group meets tonight. We’re working on sewing quilts for hospice patients in our area. This way, not only are the patients comforted, but the families will have something to remember their loved ones by long after they pass away. And besides, I was really hoping I’d have a chance to talk to the quilters about Wanda. Maybe if the roads clear, I’ll call everyone to see if they can still make it downtown.”
Before Sammy had a chance to mention the odd rhyme she’d found between the seams of Wanda’s lap quilt, Heidi interrupted her train of thought by swiveling the recliner to face the love seat directly. Her face grew serious. “I think we’d better drop the amateur sleuthing.”
Sammy rolled her eyes. “You know I can’t possibly do that. This is me we’re talking about.” She chuckled.
Heidi made sure she had Sammy’s full attention before she stated, “I’m serious, Samantha. Listen to me clearly now. Tim suggested we take a break.” The mug of coffee was cupped between Heidi’s two hands as if she was warming them. But suddenly, after noting her cousin’s demeanor, Sammy realized Heidi was looking for more than warm hands. She was looking for comfort.
