He explained the video on his phone and the events afterwards. “The chief doesn’t believe she was out for a run but dressed to make it look that way. And you’re right. Up until now, she has either been in hiding or planned to do more destruction when someone stopped her. Did she see or know something she shouldn’t? Did she have a partner and something go wrong between them? Did she double cross him or her? All questions we don’t have the answers to.”
Lily couldn’t speak, fearful she was going to vomit. She nodded against his warm chest. First Sam, then a fire almost kills Aunt Bee, and now Haley? What was going on? Her legs wobbled and although she didn’t want to leave the comfort of Jake’s solid body protecting hers, she feared she might go limp and drag him to the ground, aggravating his back injury. She slumped back into her seat and put her face in her hands and didn’t even try to stop the tears. “I don’t understand.”
Jake pulled up a chair in front of hers. “I am certain she’s the one who broke into my place. I can show you the video.”
After Lily watched the video, she concluded the woman could have been Haley. Although, she wasn’t as certain as Jake. The intruder was dressed in a hoodie that covered her head. They never got a clear shot of her features or even her hair. She gave him back his phone and searched his face. “Why would you install an alarm system here? There’s nothing to steal.”
He hesitated a moment as if struggling to decide whether or not to tell her something. “I think someone has been coming in here. Things have been disturbed. Someone has been watching you at your home, and I believe using this place to hide and spy on you when I’m not here.”
Lily shivered trying to come to terms that someone was stalking her. “Maybe I am naïve because I can’t imagine Haley as a stalker and definitely not as a killer. Yes, she lied to me, but she didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
“Killers come in all shapes and sizes.” He handed her a tissue from her desk.
She pressed the tissue against her face. She hadn’t known Haley long, but anyone’s death was tragic. Being murdered, inconceivable. Haley was young and she had her whole life ahead of her. Like herself and her sisters. What if one of them had been killed? She shivered again. A crazed killer moved about in their safe, quaint shore town. She and her sisters frequently went for early morning walks. She couldn’t bear to lose one of them. “Tell me everything. And don’t hold back.”
“She was pronounced dead on the scene. Besides me and a local resident who reported hearing a gunshot, no witnesses have come forward yet. Haley had no defensive wounds. Shot close range in the head. Whoever killed her, looked her right in her face as he or she pulled the trigger. And he or she is an excellent shot. I’m betting ballistics match the weapon that killed Sam. Chief is trying to locate next of kin. Do you have any emergency contact numbers for her?”
“She has a brother. I’ll pull her file.” She punched in some keys on the computer. “Sending her employment application to the printer.”
“The chief asked me to deliver the news before you heard it elsewhere. He’s got a police car parked out front, and he’s sending in an officer in plain clothes who’s going to park himself in your shop today.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Her head pulsed and pounded. No denying a migraine loomed in the near distance.
She reached into the desk drawer and popped a couple of pain relievers in the hopes of preventing full blown agony. With a migraine, she’d have to take cover in a dark, quiet place until the severe headache passed. She swallowed the pills lodged in her throat with cold morning coffee from a mug cast aside on her desk.
The pills mirrored her sentiment. Stuck. She had to take control of this situation. She had to find out who this monster was, and for the first time, she was glad her sisters weren’t there. She wouldn’t want them to have to deal with all these tragedies. “When the staff finds out, they’re going to be crushed. I have to go out there and tell Denis, but I’ll wait until that bride leaves. Maybe the chief wants me to call the next of kin. After all, we’re the closest people she had here. It’s sad.”
“I’d hold off on doing anything until the chief gives you the go ahead. Did she have a roommate? The chief’s sending someone over to her place to talk to them. Find out her morning routine.”
“She never mentioned a roommate. I’m sure she didn’t need one to help pay the rent. That condo in the complex where she was living is a fortune to rent during the season, but she got a break because she lives there year-round.”
When the bride left, and before their next appointment, Lily called Denis into her office and told him the news. He choked up and Jake snuck a chair under him before he passed out.
Denis fanned himself. “OMG, that poor girl.”
Jake got him a glass of cold water, and Denis pulled himself together for the next bride’s sake. He would never let a bride see him upset. Lily had no choice but to leave him in charge of the shop when the chief asked her and Jake to come to the station.
Jake offered to drive her home first to check in on Aunt Bee.
“Thanks. Aunt Bee is surrounded by her book club ladies who will entertain her with tea and their life’s stories.” Lily was glad they offered to stay with her friend today. “But let’s drop Leo off.”
She shot a glance at Jake. She welcomed his company. With all that had happened, she didn’t want to be alone. He seemed to know when she needed him.
The chief met them in his office.
“I brought Haley’s employment file. In case there’s something of interest. I already gave you the brother’s number when Haley first disappeared.”
The chief nodded and opened the folder, scanning the papers. “Never heard back from him the first time I called.”
“Did you learn anything from Haley’s neighbor?” Jake asked, taking a seat next to Lily.
“Not much. From what the neighbor said and what was found at the condo, Haley had a male roommate. They were quiet. The clothing and personal items located suggests he’s a man of average height and weight. Nothing much was there. No paperwork or identification besides what belonged to Haley. No photos of any kind. Not much paperwork for her either. Some boxes were not unpacked.”
“Like they were here temporarily,” Jake concluded.
Lily was studying Jake the whole time the chief spoke. Focused, intent on the chief, absorbing every fact that the chief revealed. Once again, proving to Lily that fishing was the last thing on Jake’s mind. Anyone could see he was all cop and through unfortunate circumstances gave up a profession he loved. If fate stole away her dream of continuing her mother and grandmother’s legacy of the bridal shop, she would be devastated.
While she was thinking, the chief was searching through the file.
“There’s a phone number listed for Haley’s brother, her emergency contact. Hmm, I see the bogus reference from a New York bridal shop.”
“Yes, that’s why we hired her. You know the story.”
“What reason did Haley give you for leaving that place?” Jake asked.
Lily had to think about Jake’s question for a minute and then she remembered. “She said she wanted to learn the business and thought she could learn more in a boutique shop. Also, she was from a country town and the city was too much for her. Busy. Crowded. Expensive. She begged me to give her a chance.”
The chief put his elbows on his desk. “Makes sense.” He picked up the phone. “Let me call her brother and give him the news. Maybe I can reach him this time.” He punched in the numbers.
“How are you holding up?” Jake whispered.
She gave him a smile signaling she was okay.
“No answer.” The chief spoke into the phone and left a generic message for the brother to call him as soon as possible then hung up.
With nothing much more to offer, they l
eft the station and returned to the shop. She checked in with Denis before heading into her office.
Jake sat down as she slipped into her desk chair and started up her computer. “Lily, you’re at the center of what’s happening. This is about you. Until we find this creep, you have to be careful.”
Jake was right. Bad things started to happen as soon as her sisters left. Something stirred and twisted in Lily’s gut. The mangled sensation brought on nausea, but she fought against the migraine symptoms. Was someone targeting her and the people around her? Did that someone wait until her sisters were gone and Lily was vulnerable? Were Aunt Bee and Haley targeted because they were in the way?
She scrutinized Jake’s serious expression and grew suspicious. All the bad things started to happen when Jake came to town too. He couldn’t have anything to do with what’s been happening. Could he? She was bamboozled with Sam. Did Jake have an ulterior motive? Was he a wolf in sheep’s clothing too?
“The chief trusts you.” And in her heart she did too, but her brain couldn’t deny the tiny nagging thoughts. Neither could her instincts. Her head threatened to explode, fuzzy circular lines danced in one eye. She tucked her head between crossed arms and rested on her desk, fighting the inevitable.
Jake installed an alarm system in a rundown shop, he appeared when she was first attacked, and he jumped at the chance to be her bodyguard. All signs that his bait and tackle shop was the furthest thing from his mind. Jake wasn’t being honest with her, and she needed to find out why. He was more cop now than fisherman.
“He knows I care about you, Lily.”
She looked up and squinted. “Do you?” Even as she asked the question, she knew he did. A pained expression flashed across his face.
“Yes, can’t you tell? I’d do anything for you.”
She put her head back down. Even with her energy draining, she remembered some of his convincing actions. He did save Aunt Bee and her from burning to death, and he did take great care of Leo when she was in the hospital. But she had fallen for that knight in armor routine before. Sam had cuddled her through her mother’s illness and death. And then he crushed her, leaving her standing alone in the church on their wedding day. Embarrassed, confused, and devastated.
She lifted up her head, reached into her bag, and unearthed her sunglasses. She slipped them on. “Anything?” Here was her chance to test her theory.
He raised his brows in question. “Within reason. What did you have in mind?”
Now was not the ideal time to bring up the issue again, with the news of Haley’s death, but she and her sisters needed to make a plan sooner than later. “Did you have a chance to talk to your dad about the shop and the lease?”
His eyes opened wide, and he stepped back. “Wow.”
“No, wait. I’m not being an insensitive jerk. Remember when I talked to my sisters last night? I didn’t have a chance to tell you or Aunt Bee, but when Sam was killed they had planned to end their trip early. I begged them not to. I don’t need to have to worry about something happening to them. It took some convincing, but they agreed when I said I had a bodyguard. I told them all about you. They were shocked at first, but glad that you’re protecting me. Their trip is over, and they snagged the wedding dress designer we wanted. She is planning to join our business exclusively. I insisted they change their tickets and stay a few more days. Hopefully, the chief will have a suspect in custody by then.”
“So why do you need an answer from me now?”
“One of the reasons she is joining us is because of our expansion plans. They showed her that we’ll take over this whole strip of stores.”
“And my tackle shop is centered right in the middle of your expansion, wrecking your plans.”
“If there’s any chance you may give up the lease, I need to know ASAP. Otherwise, my sisters and I plan to sell our part of this building and look elsewhere and that will break our hearts. Our bridal shop has been on this corner for fifty years. We’d like to carry on my grandmother and mother’s legacy. But we can’t lose this designer.”
He took her hands in his and pressed his lips to her palms. “I’ll have an answer for you soon.”
Chapter 24
Two days later, Jake hadn’t learned a thing from his contacts. He searched his messages, emails, nothing. No one had any leads on Haley.
Someone rapped at the door in Lily’s office. Jake looked up from his phone.
“Come in,” Lily’s soft voice invited.
With a turn of the knob, Denis swept in, sidestepped Jake, and waved his hands at Lily. “The chief is here. He has news. He wouldn’t even give me a clue as to what. Maybe it’s about Sam. Or Haley. Hurry.”
They hustled behind Lily as she bolted from the office. A bride stood statuesque in a huge glittery ball gown and a puffy veil upon a circular disk in the main room, while her family dotted their wet faces with wads of tissues. Must have been why the chief hadn’t revealed the reason for his visit to Denis.
“This is a police matter, folks,” the chief said in no-nonsense terms. His meaning was clear. He wanted the customers to leave the premises.
Their faces fell at his request, and the bride’s father looked like he was about to argue with the chief.
Denis put out both his hands and dove in to smooth their ruffled feathers. “Tell you what. Since you can’t decide between the two dresses you love,” Denis said to the bridal party, “why don’t you go to brunch and discuss which one you think will best suit your venue? You had said earlier you were too excited to eat breakfast. There’s a great diner down the street. Talk amongst yourselves which one you all like best and come back in an hour with your decision.”
“Yes, that’s a great idea,” Lily said. “Sometimes you need to mull over your choices. We’ll set the dresses aside and continue your appointment later.”
The bride agreed and a few minutes after she had changed back into her clothes and promised to be back in when they finished their meal, the chief suggested Lily lock the front door and put a sign up that stated they’d be back in an hour.
“Let’s all sit down.” The chief pointed to the couch and overstuffed chairs where the bride’s family had recently vacated. Jake, Lily, and Denis squeezed together on the couch and the chief chose the chair. He parked himself on the edge.
“I still can’t believe someone killed Haley,” Lily said, tears already on the brink of spilling.
Denis cut in. “Neither can I.”
Jake leaned forward to study Denis’s interaction with Lily.
She reached for Denis’s hand. “You and Haley seemed to be developing a friendship.”
“True. I took her under my wing. She was a fragile, lost little bird.”
Denis put his arm around Lily to comfort her. Jake knew better than to think the guy was making moves on her. He shrugged off the pang of jealousy. Lily patted Denis’s knee and they shared a look. Jake could see Denis was her rock around her shop. Denis had been with her long enough to build a natural bond.
For some reason their tight relationship pissed Jake off. He’d prefer she was looking at him that way right now.
“She had a roommate.” The chief leaned forward on the edge of his seat.
“So weird that she never mentioned one,” Lily said.
The chief continued, “The roommate wasn’t at home when my guys went there. A neighbor that shares a wall with Haley’s place said she’s heard a man’s voice in the condo and has seen him come and go a few times, but has never gotten a good look at his face. He always wears a baseball cap and a hoodie. Wears all black. She called us this morning because she heard someone moving around in the condo and thought the roommate might be home. By the time my guys got there, no one was in the condo. We’ve got the neighbor down at the station, and I’m heading there after this to interview her.”
“Don’t know yet. My guys are at the house gathering evidence.”
“I’ve requested some help from the county on this investigation. We scanned the scene of the crime for cameras, hoping one of the beach front properties had surveillance on that area of the beach. Everyone nowadays seems to have these wireless video cameras set up as part of their alarm system.” He shook his head. “No luck.”
He directed his next statement to Jake. “But farther down where she had come from, off the beach, is a strip mall where there’s a bike shop, ice cream shop, bookstore, and a coffee shop. They have cameras. Rich and Sally own the coffee shop, and it’s opened year-round.”
“Nice couple. Great bagels,” Lily added.
“The day before Haley was killed, Rich saw her jogging across the street toward his shop as she did most days. Of course, he had no idea she was a person of interest and that we were looking for her. We didn’t make that public knowledge. Rich was outside cleaning the glass door when a car drove up beside Haley. He said Haley looked frightened when the driver spoke to her for a few minutes and then handed her something before taking off.”
“Did Rich give you a description of the driver?”
“Even better. He pulled his camera footage. Now that we have additional help and they have sophisticated equipment, we were able to get a picture from the grainy footage.” He whipped out a photo from his pocket and showed them. Clearly, the image was of a woman, but her hair was covered with some sort of wrap, and she wore giant sunglasses.
Lily shook her head. “I can’t tell. It could be anyone.”
Denis shrugged in confusion.
But Jake knew who the woman was even with the disguise. Claire. What business did she have with Haley? And what did she give Haley that made her frightened?
Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1) Page 19
