Throw a Monkey Wrench (an Emma Cassidy Mystery Book 1)

by Karen Chester

  “You know?” Emma asked when Caitlyn finally let her go from her python squeeze.

  “Everyone knows.” Caitlyn flapped a hand as if it was a silly question. “You’ve forgotten how many bored people around here have police scanners. It’s all over town. Oh God, Emma. I’m so glad to see you in one piece. I hope that Kyle gets what’s coming to him.”

  Just then, Emma’s cell phone started ringing, and she saw it was her dad. She groaned, silently cursing the small town gossip channels that had undoubtedly worked its way to her father. She hated that she was the cause for his rare time away being interrupted.

  “Excuse me,” she said to Caitlyn. “It’s my dad calling.”

  Climbing up the stairs, she answered the call. It took several long minutes before her father was satisfied that she was safe and unharmed and the perpetrator was behind bars. Then she spent several more minutes convincing him that there was no need for him to rush home early.

  “I’m fine,” she repeated for the umpteenth time. “I insist that you stay where you are and enjoy the rest of your seminar.”

  “I don’t know,” he said uncertainly. “Maybe I’ll call Owen just to reassure myself.”

  Emma pressed her lips together. “You do that. He drove me home last night and checked under all the beds and in the closets for me.”

  “He did? Oh, that’s a relief. I’ll definitely call him and thank him for looking after you.”

  Wow, did both her dad and Owen think she was such a helpless lamb? But she didn’t protest. To be honest, she secretly appreciated Owen’s protectiveness last night. Even if it did spring from his opinion that she was too reckless for her own good.

  After her father’s call, she dropped into her chair behind her desk and hunted through her bag for a breath mint. Popping the mint into her mouth, she leaned back in her seat. From her position by the window, she had a clear view of Becky’s Diner across the road. As she sucked on her mint, she spotted Sherilee walking out of the diner holding a takeout coffee and a brown paper bag. Ah-ha. Just the person she wanted to see.

  Emma shot out of her chair and clattered down the stairs. As she hurried across the street, Sherilee caught sight of her and frowned.

  “Any news?” Emma asked as soon as she reached the sidewalk.

  The officer sighed. “I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation with you, sorry.”

  “Oh, come one, Sherilee.” Emma huffed out a breath as all her brewing emotions came to a sudden boil. “A man assaulted me and threw me into his truck, and God knows what he would have done to me if I hadn’t managed to get away. So don’t hide behind your badge. Tell me what’s happening with Kyle!”

  Her determination must have made an impression because Sherilee blinked and stepped back. The cop looked like she’d been up all night. Her shirt was creased, her make up had melted away, and dark circles showed beneath her eyes.

  Sherilee let loose with a deep sigh, part tiredness and part resignation. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I know, but you didn’t hear it from me, got it?”

  Emma nodded.

  Sherilee took a gulp of coffee before continuing, “We’ve arrested Kyle Barnet for assault, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. He’ll be transferred to the county lockup today, and most likely he’ll be arraigned tomorrow. You may have to testify at his trial, of course.”

  “And Sean McCluskey? The district attorney will drop the charges against Sean, won’t he, when he reads the evidence?”

  The police officer pulled a face before meeting Emma’s eyes. “No, Sean is still facing murder charges.”

  “But he’s innocent!” Emma protested, her head spinning. “It was Kyle. He killed Tony.”

  “I’m afraid he didn’t.”

  “You sound very sure of that.”

  “We are. I’m sorry, Emma.”

  The sympathy in Sherilee’s face only made Emma more frustrated. “Kyle did it. He knew I was trying to clear Sean’s name, that’s why he stalked me in his SUV the other day. To frighten me off.”

  Sherilee rubbed her forehead, looking even more exhausted. “Kyle denies stalking you.”

  “What?” Emma shook her head in disbelief. “But it was him. He ran me off the road.”

  “We questioned him thoroughly about that, and I spoke to Owen, seeing as he drove you home after the incident. You couldn’t give a clear description of the vehicle, and there’s no evidence on Kyle’s car linking it to yours, so we can’t charge him with that.”

  “But why did he kidnap me last night, then? He wanted to shut me up because he knew I was getting closer to the truth.”

  “Kyle was angry with you because he thought you were coming between him and Madison White. Then yesterday he saw you talking with a certain Sergio Garcia—and yes, we’re aware of what Garcia does—and Kyle confessed to us about the money he owes to Garcia’s employer. He thought you were plotting to hand him over to his, uh, creditors. He went away, drank too much alcohol, and concocted a crazy scheme to teach you a lesson. That’s why he kidnapped you. Not because he’d murdered his father.”

  “Is that what he told you?” Incredulous, Emma crossed her arms, her body twitching uncontrollably. “And you just took his word for it?”

  The tiredness faded from Sherilee as her expression firmed. “No. I believe he didn’t kill his father because he has an alibi.”

  “Ha,” Emma snorted. “I’m sure he has plenty of rich, spoiled buddies to give him a false alibi.”

  “Do you think Madison White would lie for him when it’s her fiancé in the firing line?”

  For a couple of seconds Emma couldn’t breathe, all the air knocked out of her by Sherilee’s bombshell. “I…I can’t believe it,” she wheezed.

  “Well, it’s true. I spoke to Madison myself. On the night that Tony Barnet was killed, she was with Kyle for several hours. He can’t possibly have killed his father.”

  “But maybe the coroner got the time of death wrong. Maybe Kyle killed him before or after he’d seen Madison.”

  “The coroner didn’t get it wrong.” Sherilee was beginning to look exasperated. “Madison met Kyle in La Quinta at six-thirty that night, and they were together until ten-thirty. Tony Barnet died between six and eight pm. Given the distance between his house and La Quinta, there’s no way Kyle could’ve killed his father and then met Madison at six-thirty. She was with him in a bar for four hours, as confirmed by the bar tender and the CC footage. He didn’t do it, Emma.”

  Dazed, Emma limped over to a nearby building and leaned against it. “I got it all wrong,” she muttered. An image of Sean’s face from last night swam into her head. Oh damn. He’d looked so optimistic. She’d raised his hopes for nothing. When he heard of this latest twist he’d feel even worse.

  “You don’t look so good.” Sherilee wrapped her fingers around Emma’s wrist and peered at her.

  Emma forced herself to straighten up. The last thing she needed was to faint at Sherilee’s feet. “I’m okay.” She pushed her hair away from her face, feeling sick. A sudden thought hit her. She turned back to Sherilee. “What about the food poisoning at the housewarming party? Are you charging Kyle with that, too?”

  “He denies doing that. You said in your statement that he admitted to it, but there’s not much evidence.”

  “But he was seen at the party dressed up like one of the wait staff.” Was Kyle going to get away with this too?”

  “Who saw him? You?”

  “No, not me. It was…” Suddenly Emma came to a screeching halt. Was it safe to drag Mateo into this mess? What if the police became interested in him and found out about the cigar thefts? The nausea intensified. She couldn’t risk getting Mateo into trouble. “Um, I can’t remember who it was.”

  Lips pursed, Sherilee regarded her silently for several seconds. Finally, she lifted her shoulders. “Well, if you can’t remember, then it boils down to hearsay, and we need more than that to charge him. But look on the bright side. He’s already facing some serious felony cha
rges.” She patted Emma on the arm. “You shouldn’t be stressing out over all this. You should be resting up. Do you want me to drive you home?”

  Emma shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said, feeling anything but.

  “Okay. Well, give me a call if you think of anything else.” Juggling her coffee and brown paper bag, she fished out a business card and pressed it into Emma’s hand. “That’s my cell phone number. You can call me directly.”

  Biting her lip, Emma pushed the business card into the pocket of her jeans.

  “I need to get back to the station,” Sherilee said. “Gotta fill in a mountain of forms before I can finally go home and get some sleep.” With a final nod, she walked away.

  ***

  Feeling like she’d been run over by a bus, Emma limped into Becky’s Diner. Preoccupied though she was, she couldn’t help noticing that the entire diner fell quiet when she walked in.

  Then Faye Seymour piped up from the nearest booth. “Hey, that was quite an exciting night you had, hmm?” Her avid gaze took in every scratch and nick on Emma’s arms and face. “You don’t look too bad, considering.”

  “Er, thanks, Faye,” Emma murmured as she shuffled toward the counter, heading for the empty stool at the far end. To her relief, Becky quickly bustled up to her, placing a glass of water in front of her and pouring a cup of coffee.

  “You just sit there and relax.” Becky patted her hand. “Anyone starts to pry, I’ll deal with them. Can I get you anything to eat, hon? How about some pancakes with a side order of bacon?”

  Tears welled in Emma’s eyes, and she could only nod. Becky flitted away, leaving her to re-gather herself. She sipped her coffee and felt the hot liquid slide down her throat, warming the chill inside her. This morning she’d felt fretful but positive, buoyed by the conviction that Sean would soon be free, but now gloom threatened to overwhelm her.

  She’d tried hard to clear Sean’s name, but she’d failed, just like she’d failed at her relationship and her business. Just like she’d failed to heal the rift between her and Owen.

  Becky brought her pancakes and bacon, but the aroma failed to lift her spirits. Listless, she poked a fork at the pancakes and wondered if she should go home instead.

  The diner door jingled, but she barely paid it any attention. Seconds later, she sensed someone standing close behind her. Glancing at the mirrored wall, she saw it was Madison. Her surprise grew as she registered her gray complexion and red, puffy eyes.

  “Madison?” She spun around on her stool. “What’s wrong?”

  “You!” The woman’s lips quivered. “You’re what’s wrong. Sean broke off our engagement, and it’s all your fault!” And she broke into noisy sobs.

  ***

  It was a nightmare. Somehow, Emma managed to coax the weeping Madison out of the diner away from all the curious onlookers and across the road to Emma’s office. She ushered Madison to the comfy couch in the corner, fetched two bottles of water from the refrigerator, and set a box of tissues on the coffee table.

  “Right,” she said in a brisk tone she was far from feeling. “Now that we’re in private, do you mind telling me what’s going on?”

  Hiccupping, Madison grabbed a few tissues and blew her nose. “It’s j-just like I told you. Sean broke off our relationship. He’s f-furious with me.”

  It didn’t seem possible, but Emma’s heart sank even lower. “Because he found out about you seeing Kyle on the night Tony was murdered.”

  Madison swiped at her swollen eyelids. “It wouldn’t have come out if you hadn’t accused Kyle of killing his father.”

  The accusation in her tone made Emma pull back in surprise. “I was only trying to clear Sean’s name,” she exclaimed. “And why did you see Kyle anyway? I thought you two were through.”

  “We are, but…but I felt sorry for Kyle. He was so down because of his debts. He couldn’t see a way out. His father refused to help him, and his mother doesn’t have enough cash it seems. Kyle was worried. These people he owes money to aren’t nice. He was afraid they’d hurt him. So I agreed to meet him. We just talked, I swear. Nothing else happened. But Sean doesn’t believe me.” She sighed, her long hair falling over her drooping shoulders.

  “Do you blame him?” Emma asked with a touch of tartness. “You didn’t tell him about the meeting.”

  “Because I knew he’d kick up a fuss.”

  “But Kyle was just using you. He was trying to get between you and Sean because he probably thought he’d get some money out of you.”

  The young woman winced. “I can’t believe he’d do that.”

  “Only you can answer that for yourself, but Kyle was desperate enough to kidnap me because he thought I was coming between you and him and because he thought I was colluding with those people he owes money to.”

  Fresh tears shone in Madison’s eyes. “Oh God, I’ve made such a mess of everything.” She buried her face in her hands as renewed sobs shook her slim figure.

  Emma patted her shoulder until the storm passed. When Madison had wiped her face dry, Emma opened a bottle of water and passed it to her. “Here, you probably need some rehydrating after all that.”

  After several deep gulps, Madison lifted her head. “I’m sorry for accusing you like that. Of course it’s not your fault at all. I lashed out at you because I’m so crushed. And it’s made me realize how much I love Sean. He’s angry with me now, and I don’t blame him. I deserve it because I hurt him, but I’m not giving up on him. I’ll find a way to make it up to him.”

  Her conviction touched Emma. These two people truly loved each other, and the obstacles thrown in their path only confirmed that.

  “I’m glad,” Emma said. “Sean needs all the friends he can get. It’s only going to get tougher.”

  Madison sniffled into a tissue. “Well, I suppose you should cancel the entire wedding. There won’t be one now, small or otherwise.”

  “I guess not. You do know there’ll be cancellation fees.”

  “Sure. My parents will take care of those.” Madison waved her hand, as only a woman who had never suffered financial embarrassment could.

  If only she could be that blasé about money, Emma mused. For herself the cancellation would mean another dip in her income at a time when she was struggling to stay afloat. She wouldn’t be moving out of home any time soon, that was for sure. Maybe she’d be forced to mooch off her dad for years, tiptoeing around him and Janet Ramos. Now that was a depressing proposition.

  “I should go,” Madison said with a sigh, rising to her feet. “Before my parents start calling and asking where I am.” She took a couple of steps before adding, “It’s strange, but my mom’s been really sympathetic about all this. I know she’s glad the wedding’s off, but she’s not gloating like I thought she would. She seems to understand what it’s like to have a broken heart. And my dad is being surprisingly supportive, too.”

  “You’re their daughter,” Emma said. “They want you to be happy.”

  “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. If I hadn’t, Kyle wouldn’t have attacked you.”

  “You didn’t drag me into anything. I still believe Sean is innocent.”

  Madison heaved a mournful sigh. “Besides us, no one else does.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emma woke to the rays of the setting sun pricking her eyes. Squinting, she sat up. She’d fallen asleep on the couch in her office, and now there was a crick in her neck and pins and needles in her left leg. Wriggling her foot, she saw it was almost six, which meant she’d slept for over two hours. Her body had needed it, since she hadn’t seemed to mind the cramped couch.

  But instead of refreshing her, the nap only left her feeling gloomy. It wasn’t like her to be so negative; she’d pulled through some tough times, but Tony’s murder was a different kind of tough. The wrong man was facing decades in prison, his entire life ruined, and despite her efforts it seemed she was powerless to prevent it.

  She may as well go home. And treat herself to a
glass or two of good wine to take her mind off her troubles. Since her dad wasn’t much of a drinker, she doubted there’d be anything decent at home. She’d stop by Scott’s liquor store and pick up something nice, she decided, a lovely cabernet or shiraz with maybe a chunk of blue cheese.

  The daytime stores were shutting as she drove down Main Street, while the nighttime restaurants and bars were just beginning to come alive. Traffic was light, but she couldn’t help glancing in her rear view mirror from time to time. Logic told her that Kyle was safely locked up and no longer a threat to her, but her primitive instincts hadn’t yet got the message.

  When she reached the strip mall where the liquor store was situated, she swung into the parking lot. The spaces near the liquor store were all taken, so she pulled into an empty spot in the far corner. It was probably prudent to stay away from the main traffic, considering how the last time she’d been there, she’d witnessed a truck full of college students narrowly miss crashing into the front of Scott’s store.

  As she recalled that day, something nagged at the back of her brain, something that didn’t make sense. Turning off the engine, she leaned back in her seat and tried to tease out what was bothering her. She gazed at the liquor store, the parking lot, the security camera, and then back at the store. What was it that didn’t add up? Was it something genuine, or was her brain still fuzzy from that knock to the head?

  A couple of cars in front of the liquor store left. Seconds later, a white sedan pulled into the parking lot, made a wide turning loop, and exited the lot, heading in the opposite direction from where it had come.

  Emma stared at the trajectory the sedan had made and then up at the lone security camera mounted to the right of Scott’s store. Her heart began to beat faster. Something definitely didn’t make sense.

  Just then, Scott came out of his store to light a cigarette. She jumped out of her car and scurried across the parking lot to him.

  “Hi, Scott,” she called out.

  He looked up in surprise. “Hey, Emma. I heard what happened to you last night. You must be pretty shaken up. Are you okay?”