by Leona Fox
“All this talk about tossing your cookies when you are on a date. Did that really happen, or are you just testing me,” Zack asked.
“Why would I test you?” Sadie asked. “It’s not like I don’t know who you are.”
“Because some people are different in public than they are in private,” He said. “And maybe you want to be sure I’m the same.”
“One test at dinner wouldn’t answer that question. That’s an ongoing investigation.” She looked at him sternly. “No, that was the truth. I often throw up on dates. Sometimes I’ll get through three dates where I still can’t eat or feel at all comfortable. That’s when I give up. If I’m not comfortable with someone after three dates, then forget it. It’s not worth the hassle.”
“So it’s a plus, being on a date with a guy you are already comfortable with?” he asked.
“Now you’re fishing. But yes. It’s a plus. It saves us both a lot of time. But there are risks too.” She watched him to see if he understood her meaning.
“Because if this doesn’t work out we could lose the friendship,” he said. “That’s why it’s taken so long for me to ask you out. I didn’t want to lose you.”
“So why now?” she asked.
“Two reasons. One, if it didn’t work out, I think we know each other well enough to stay friends. And two, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work out. If I can put up with your shenanigans in my work life it should be a piece of cake in my home life.” He grinned at her.
Sadie felt her smile spread. Instead of butterflies she now had a warm, comfortable feeling in her stomach. Then two things happened simultaneously. The chief’s cell rang and their food was delivered. Sadie saw the look on the chief’s face and took a bite of her food. If the furrow between his brows was any indication, she’d have time for two, maybe three bites before they were out of there.
She ate fast, burned her mouth and got four bites in before he was signaling the waiter to box up their food. He dropped a trio of twenties on the table and they grabbed their to-go bags as they were headed out the door.
“So what’s up?” she asked as they climbed back in the jeep.
“There has been a break-in at the town offices,” he said. “Normally, I’d leave this to my officers but apparently it’s a big mess.” He reached out the window and stuck a flasher on top of his Jeep and pulled quickly into traffic.
They were at the town offices in five minutes. It took another five to make their way through the protective layers of police officers and detectives into the mayor’s office. It was a royal mess.
“Whoever tossed this place was desperate and in a hurry,” the chief said. “What we know?”
A detective stepped forward. “Not much, Chief,” he said. “The alarm went off and by the time we got here whoever broke in was gone. They left a hell of a mess. Who knows if they found what they were looking for.”
Sadie looked around the room. It hadn’t been cleared from when Marjorie was mayor there were pictures of Marjorie and her family scattered on the floor. The books had all been swept off the shelves and some had landed and broken the glass and frames. She bent over and picked up an especially poignant picture of Marjorie and Britt and shook the glass off of it.
“You shouldn’t really be touching anything ma’am,” an officer behind her said.
“I know, I’m sorry. I just thought Britt would like to have this,” Sadie said and set the picture on the credenza. She looked at the chief. “I shouldn’t be here,” she said. “This seems less like a crime scene and more like a betrayal to me. I’m forgetting procedure.” She blinked back tears.
“Do you need me to take you home?” He asked.
“No. I can easily walk from here, and it’s not late.” She held up the bag with her uneaten meal. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Anytime,” he said. “In fact, another time, soon.”
Sadie nodded and made her way across the glass littered floor to the door. She nodded to the officer that was guarding the entrance, the same man who had given her away the last time she was in town hall. That was okay. He was just doing his job.
It was a perfect summer night except for the fact that someone had maliciously wrecked a dead woman’s office. What could she have possibly had in there to justify such destruction? Sadie wondered about that all the way home. Then she grabbed Mister Bradshaw’s leash him to go out to the park for his evening run and thought about it some more. It occurred to her that the murder and the ruin of Marjorie’s office might not be directly related. Maybe the murderer made the break-in possible, but it wasn’t the same person.
Sadie chewed this scenario over in her mind for a while but didn’t come to any solid conclusions. She was still tossing it over in her mind when she and Mr. B. went inside for the night.
The next morning Sadie loaded Mister Bradshaw in the car and drove back out to the college. There was a breeze coming up over the bluff from the ocean and Mister Bradshaw stuck his nose in the air to sniff. Sadie took a deep breath too, enjoying the salt smell of the ocean air. They made their way to the humanities building and into Professor Ives’s office.
Sadie had called ahead, so she knew he had office hours. Luckily, there were no students waiting for him this early in the morning and she walked right in and sat down with Mister Bradshaw at her heel.
“Good morning, Professor Ives,” she said.
“Good morning, Ms. Barnett,” he said.
“Please call me Sadie,” she said.
“Only if you call me Justin,” he said.
“Fine, Justin, what can you tell me about Britt Rumstocking?”
“Not much without breaking student confidentiality,” he said.
“If you’re talking about her poor grades, I already know about that,” she said.
“But where did you find out about it? If Britt didn’t tell you, then I should not be talking about it.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“We could call her,” Sadie said. “And she could give you permission.”
“Written permission,” he said.
“Why are you obstructing me?” Sadie asked.
“Maybe I don’t like being questioned,” Justin said.
“You do know you’re a suspect in her mother’s murder, don’t you?” Sadie asked.
Justin snorted. “Britt’s mother, Mayor Rumstocking, has been in here at least once a week this entire semester. Spring semester too for that matter, trying to get me to pass her daughter. I did not. So while she might have motive to murder me, that doesn’t give me a motive to murder her.”
“She wasn’t threatening your job?” She asked.
“What was she going to do, tell my Dean I refuse to pass her failing daughter?” he asked. “I have plenty of documentation, there’s no way the Dean was going to fire me over this.”
“You seem very certain of that,” she said.
“I am,” he said. “I’ve had long discussions with the Dean and my lawyer about it.”
“Your lawyer?” she asked.
“Let me tell you,” he said. “When the mayor of the town starts harassing you, you get a lawyer pretty darn quick. Because that’s some scary shit.”
“And the lawyer was able to keep you out of trouble?” She said.
“The lawyer didn’t have to, Britt’s mom never approached the Dean. She focused her harassment on me. But I was covered in case she did.”
Sadie’s phone rang and she excused herself and walked into the hall to take the call. It was the chief.
“Thought you’d like to know,” he said. “Ryan Pallone has a rock solid alibi for the break-in last night.”
“How can that be?” She asked. “No one else has motive to trash the mayor’s office.”
“No one we know of,” the chief said. “Ryan’s alibi is not going to shake. I tried.”
“Well, Hell’s bells,” Sadie said. “That totally ruins my hypothesis.”
“Time to get a new hypothesis,” the Chief said. “What are you up to?
”
“I’ve been talking to Justin Ives about Britt’s mom. I don’t think Justin has a motive for murder. Not that he was high on my suspect list, but it pays to be thorough,” she said.
“So what’s next for you?” He asked.
“Not sure. I think I need to go home and rethink my facts,” she said. “And possibly go next-door and eat a donut. I find donuts very helpful.”
“Got to go,” The Chief said. “I’ll come by later.”
Sadie walked back into Justin’s office to find him scratching Mr. B. behind the ears. Mr. B.’s tail was high in the air and quivering and Sadie wondered what that should be telling her. Justin and Mr. B. seemed like an unlikely friendship.
On the way back home, Sadie decided to make a few perimeter sweeps around City Hall, just in case. The first and second blocks out yielded nothing, but on the third block Sadie discovered Shannon Sinkwater’s car parked between two dumpsters in an alley. She followed the alley back towards the hall and found it ran right past Town Hall’s back door. Sadie and Mr. B. sat in Sadie’s air-conditioned car with the engine running before Sadie came to her senses. She called Chief Woodstone and reported what she found.
Then she drove home, slowly, wondering if Shannon had trashed Marjorie’s office or if she’d been framed. It was hard to know. Shannon had been so vocal about her pleasure when Marjorie hadn’t shown up to Lucy’s trunk party, could she have killed Marjorie?
After a quick walk with Mr. Bradshaw in the park, Sadie called Lucy to see if she could come over. She didn’t even pretend it was to plan the trip to Spain. She needed Lucy’s insight into the facts around this case.
Lucy arrived and they grabbed a coffee and donuts from the bakery before heading upstairs to sit on the balcony overlooking the street. Sadie laid out the facts as she knew them.
“The thing is this,” Sadie said, “The only person with a motive to trash Marjorie’s office is Ryan, and he has a rock solid alibi. Shannon’s car is down there, but what would she gain by trashing the office?”
“I have a hard time believing that Shannon would kill Marjorie over a few pieces of jewelry,” Lucy said. “She loves to complain, and she loved crowing over how she’d beat Marjorie to all those pieces of jewelry, but to kill? It just doesn’t seem like her nature.”
“I know,” Sadie said. “I kept thinking she was being framed. But by who? She’s an easy target, but Ryan wouldn’t know that. It would have to be someone in that social circle. Someone who knew they could focus the attention on Shannon.”
“I know this is crazy,” Lucy said. “But at the party, Lois kept pointing out to me how much Shannon was bragging.”
“That’s true,” Sadie said. “She told me I should make her stop. As if I could. And she wasn’t really doing any harm by it. But Lois made a point of bringing it to my attention at least twice.”
“I wonder if the Chief has asked Shannon what her car is doing down by Town Hall,” Sadie said.
“You only just told him,” Lucy said. “Give the poor guy a chance.”
“I could call Shannon and ask her,” Sadie said.
“You don’t have to,” Lucy pointed down the street. “Isn’t that her? It looks like she’s coming this way.”
Sadie waited until Shannon was in front of the bakery before she called out to her to grab a coffee and a pastry and join them on the balcony. Five minutes later, Shannon settled herself into one of Sadie’s folding chairs. She was wearing a necklace and earring set and two rings she bought from the party.
“You look like you are still happy with your jewelry,” Lucy said. “It looks good on you.”
“Thank you. I am happy with it.” Shannon waved her hand in front of herself so the ring sparkled. “So pretty.” She looked between Lucy and Sadie. “What are you guys up to?” she asked.
“Just hanging out,” Sadie said. “Did you know your car is parked in an alley near town hall?”
“Nothing like just jumping in feet first,” Lucy said.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Shannon said. “Lois called me and told me about this great dance party that was going on in the town square, I got down there and parked, but then I couldn’t find the dance party. And I called Lois on her cell but she didn’t answer. I guess she was at the party and the music was too loud for her to hear.”
“So did you just go home?” Sadie asked wondering why Shannon’s car was still parked downtown.
“No. I went into The Hole for a drink. And then I danced for a while. I drank a little too much so one of the guys drove me home, I just haven’t gotten around to picking up my car.” She shrugged and little “what does it matter?”
And it probably didn’t matter, Sadie thought. Shannon could just about walk anywhere she needed to be.
“So Lois told you about the dance?” Lucy said. “And then you couldn’t find her?”
“It’s no big deal,” Shannon said. “She tends to be a bit flaky that way. Once she told me to meet her on Seventh Street when she really meant Seventeenth. I’m used to it. Only this time she told me the square and we only have one square. I’ll run into her in a day or two and she’ll tell me she meant the square in Haverford or Portsmouth.”
Sadie exchanged a glance with Lucy. That was a mistake neither of them would ever make with the other.
“You and Lois are good friends?” Lucy asked.
“I know what you are saying,” Shannon said. “Most people don’t make mistakes like that, but Lois gets mixed up about things. She doesn’t mean anything by it.”
Sadie had her doubts. Lois didn’t seem like the kind to get confused. She wondered what Lucy was making of this.
“I mean,” continued Shannon, “she didn’t have to call and tell me about the dance if she didn’t want me to be there.”
“Of course she wanted you there,” Lucy said. “You are the life of the party.”
“I am!” Shannon laughed. “I love a good party. My momma used to call me a social butterfly. I love to have a good time.”
“What about your car?” Sadie asked. “You going to pick that baby up?”
“Lois asked me to leave it for a couple of days. She thought she might need to borrow it. I’ll go in a couple of days. I don’t really need it to get around town.” Shannon shrugged. “I don’t mind.” She stood up. “I’m headed home. I’ve got plans for this evening.”
“Are you getting dolled up in more pieces of your new bling and going dancing?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, I am,” Shannon said. “I can’t wait. You should come. It’s going to be a rocking party.”
“I’m the exact opposite of a social butterfly,” Sadie said. “I’m uncomfortable at parties with people I don’t know well.”
“What about you, Lucy?” Shannon asked. “Do you want to come?”
“Nah, I think I’ll keep Sadie company,” Lucy said. “I wouldn’t want her to be lonely.”
“You’re a good friend,” Shannon said, “like Lois.” She grabbed her trash and said goodbye.
“You are a good friend,” Sadie said to Lucy, “but you don’t have to keep me company.”
“I know,” Lucy said. “But it seemed nicer to lie than to tell her I thought she was a little old for partying, or at least I’m a little old for partying.”
“You’re right, considering she’s older than you…” Sadie said. “She might take it the wrong way.”
“So what will you be doing this evening?” Lucy asked.
“Tracking down Lois,” Sadie said. “I think she’s trying to frame both Shannon and Ryan Pallone.”
“Both at once? That’s ambitious.”
“And stupid, because it points the finger right back at herself. She would have done better to choose one or the other. Because Shannon doesn’t have a motive to ransack the Mayor’s office, but it’s her car that’s parked nearby.”
“You aren’t going to track Lois down by yourself, are you?” Lucy asked. “Promise me you’ll take Zack with you.”
“You don
’t think Lois would kill me, do you?” Sadie asked.
“I think she’d kill anyone who got in her way,” Lucy said. “So make sure you’ve got backup.”
“Do you want to come and keep an eye on me?” Sadie asked.
“No. Even Zack can’t keep you in line, I’d be useless. But don’t go out there alone, Sadie. Okay. If she murdered once, she could murder again. You know that.”
“Look,” Sadie said, holding up her cell phone. “I’m calling him right now. I’m being safe.”
