Peril in Paxton Park

by J A Whiting

  Shelly removed the tacos from the oven, lit the candle on the table, and then they sat down to the tasty looking meal. A pleasant breeze entered through the open glass doors.

  “A detective came to the diner to see me today.” Shelly passed a bowl of Spanish rice to Juliet. “I didn’t like some of the things he said to me.”

  “Who was it? What did he say?”

  “Andrew Walton. Tall, slim, blond. He made remarks about how I’d been involved in some unusual circumstances.”

  Juliet lifted two tacos onto her plate. “He’s right. You have.”

  “It made me feel like he thought I was responsible for the incidents.”

  Juliet looked across the table at her friend. “He was probably trying to unnerve you so you’d speak freely.”

  Shelly’s jaw set. “It made me want to clam up.”

  “What else did he say?”

  “He asked me to give an account of the day we found the body and the night I met Maria Stores. He said they haven’t been able to get in touch with Maria.” Shelly made eye contact with Juliet. “The way he said it made me think something has happened to her.”

  Juliet put down her glass of ice water, a look of concern on her face. “You think someone kidnapped her after you left the house?”

  “I don’t know. My stomach filled with anxiety when the detective said they couldn’t find Maria. I can’t get it out of my head that something bad has happened.”

  “Jay said the police have taken that note Maria claims she found in her sister’s files and will have it analyzed for fingerprints. She said they don’t have any solid leads in either murder case. Every angle is being investigated, but nothing has panned out yet.”

  “Not very encouraging.” Shelly’s heart sank. “They must think the deaths are linked?”

  “They’re going on that assumption, yeah.”

  “Are there surveillance cameras at the mountain?” Shelly asked.

  “There are cameras around the resort area … the hotel, diner, bakery, the other dining and coffee spots, but there isn’t anything near the trails or the woods or the lake.”

  “The two women’s bodies were found not far from one another,” Shelly noted. “Is there any reason for someone to be in that location? Do guides take hikers or bike tours by the crooked trees? Are there any particular cross trails that pass there, like fire roads or something? Anything that would make escaping the area easy?”

  “There’s a fire road not far from where we found Jill Murray.”

  “Has Jay said anything about where the police think the women were killed? In the woods? At another location and then dropped in the woods?”

  “Law enforcement’s current theory is that the killer may have parked a vehicle on the fire road or maybe he hid a bike in some underbrush. The person waited for Jill to come by and then attacked as she looked at the crooked trees. They’re still unsure if Meg was killed in the woods or in another location.”

  “I suppose that could mean the attacks were random.” Shelly’s mind raced.

  “It could also have been planned. The killer didn’t necessarily use a car or bike to escape. Jay disagrees with the idea. She thinks that using some kind of transportation would make the killer too conspicuous. Jay thinks the guy attacked the women and then hiked away. A hiker would be less obvious than someone driving away on the fire roads and the guy could keep to isolated trails on foot. He could have parked at any of the small parking spots around the mountain. There are lots of them.”

  “If it was planned, is the thought that the killer followed Meg and Jill into the woods and kept his distance until the moment he attacked?”

  “That’s what they think.”

  “The guy must have good skills in order to follow someone in the forest without being heard or seen. He must be an outdoorsman … or maybe, ex-military?”

  Juliet smiled. “That’s exactly what Jay told me today. Nothing official has been said, but that’s what she and a couple of the other officers have been talking about on their own. They think the killer is strong and has a good sense of the outdoors and is probably very familiar with the area trail system.”

  “When I went to the market last night, the owner, Chet, was talking to a couple of people about the murders. I joined them. Chet told me that Meg Stores had been a real estate agent before moving here. Meg wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in the business, but she was working part time at Park Realty helping out in the office.”

  Juliet said, “Park Realty is the agency I used when I bought my house.”

  “Who was the agent you worked with?”

  “The owner of the place. Lisa Bennett.” Juliet leaned forward. “We should talk to her, ask about Meg. Maybe she could give us some information.” Standing up, she crossed the kitchen to get her phone from the counter. “I’ve met up with her a few times for a drink. She’s just a little older than us. I’ll text her right now and ask if she can get together some time.”

  Shelly was hopeful that the woman would be willing to meet to talk about her ex-employee. Looking out at the darkening yard, she realized that something had been nagging at her ever since the fire, but she hadn’t yet been able to sort out what it was.

  “Lisa suggests we come out to meet her in an hour. She’ll be at the pub at the resort.”

  Shelly nodded agreement and Juliet sent the reply.

  “Meg and Jill must have something in common besides running into a crazy person.” Shelly ate the last of her salad. “Or are you thinking the killer randomly chose them?”

  Juliet thought for a few moments. “Don’t ask me why, but I don’t think it was random. I think he picked them for a reason.”

  “I have the same feeling. I don’t think he was waiting in the woods for a victim. Maybe he didn’t know them, but there was some reason why he chose those two women.”

  “They looked alike,” Juliet said, and then added, “they also look like us. Our hair color isn’t exactly the same, but we all have long hair, slim builds, athletic bodies. Sometimes, that worries me.”

  “Don’t ever go into the woods alone.” Shelly’s voice was forceful. “We shouldn’t walk alone anywhere that’s isolated. We need to be on guard. Just in case.”

  “The murders have made me think twice about where I’m going and how I’ll get there. I always go for a run where I know people will be around.” Juliet squared her shoulders. “I don’t like having to change my life because of a nut.”

  “I know … I feel the same. If that’s the way to stay safe, though, then that’s what we have to do.”

  They cleared the table and Shelly set out dessert plates and cut the coconut cake.

  Juliet practically swooned at the first bite. “This is fabulous. No wonder they hired you to be the baker.” She licked the frosting from her fork. “If you weren’t already employed, I’d have to hire you to be my personal baker.”

  Shelly chuckled. “Then you’d have to up your exercise regime. My repertoire is loaded with calories.”

  Juliet groaned. “Don’t say another word. Let me enjoy this.”

  “Actually, it’s not that bad. I’ve experimented with different ingredients and recipes to make my baked goods as tasty and as healthy as possible.”

  “I love you,” Juliet kidded. “I’m so glad you live next door to me.”

  The conversation caused something to ping in Shelly’s head, but trying to grasp what it was only caused the notion to float away from her.

  “We haven’t thought much about Jill Murray,” Shelly said. “We’ve been focusing on Meg.”

  “That’s because Meg lived here. Jill was only staying for a few days for her teaching interview. Nobody knew her.”

  Justice padded in from the living room and let out a high-pitched howl that caused both young women to jump.

  “What’s wrong, little one?” Shelly patted her lap to invite the calico to come sit with her. “No need to screech like that. You have a home now. You’re not alone anymore.”
>
  As the cat leapt onto Shelly’s lap, moved in a circle, and then settled down purring, some words kept repeating in Shelly’s head.

  Nobody knew her. Nobody knew her.

  9

  “Shall we walk to the resort?” Shelly asked Juliet as they descended from the porch on the way to meet the real estate broker to talk about Meg Stores.

  “It’s dark,” Juliet had responded. “Let’s take my car.”

  Ever since the accident, Shelly did everything she could to avoid riding in automobiles and the two-mile drive to the resort pub in Juliet’s small car seemed like an eternity and caused her blood pressure to rise and sweat to trickle down her back. When the car pulled into a parking place, she practically leapt from the vehicle before the engine had even stopped.

  They found Lisa Bennett, the owner of Park Realty, standing at the bar with a group of men and women who were chatting and laughing together. In her early thirties, Lisa was a tall, slim redhead with her hair cascading down her back in long ringlets. She was dressed in a short, black skirt, white blouse, and a pale yellow blazer. Spotting Juliet walking towards her in the crowded pub, Lisa waved her over.

  The pub had a glossy wooden bar and huge windows that looked out towards the mountains. A country-rock band played in one corner of the place.

  “Nice to meet you,” Lisa beamed at Shelly with a wide, friendly smile as she moved with the young women to a newly-vacated table.

  After ordering drinks and making some preliminary pleasantries, Juliet brought up Meg Stores. “Shelly lives next door to me. She was in Meg’s house with Meg’s sister, Maria, just a few hours before the fire started. We stood together watching the place burn.” Juliet gave an involuntary shudder. “It shook us up.”

  “I rented that house to Meg.” Lisa sipped from her wine glass. “That’s how I met her.” She turned to look out the window at the dark trees and the mountain. “I can’t believe what happened.”

  “She worked for you?” Shelly asked.

  Lisa shifted her attention away from the window. “Part time. She helped out in the office, helped out the listing agent, answered calls. She was a pleasant person. She added a nice vibe to the team.”

  “How long had she worked for you?”

  “Let’s see. How long ago did she move to town? She started in the office right after we finalized the rental agreement for the house.”

  Juliet asked, “Meg had been a real estate agent before moving here?”

  “She was. She told me she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue with the career. She liked real estate, but wanted something with regular hours. She didn’t want to meet clients at all hours of the day and night.”

  “That was the reason she didn’t want to work as an agent?” Shelly questioned. “She wanted more regular hours?”

  Lisa sighed. “That was part of it.”

  “There was more to it than wanting regular hours?” Juliet leaned slightly forward.

  “Meg had a bad experience.”

  A shot of adrenaline raced through Shelly’s body.

  “She was running an open house. A man came in to see the place. He pretended interest and called Meg to see the house again. He decided against making an offer, but asked to see a number of other homes that were on the market. Meg started to get a strange feeling from the guy, nothing overt, but she let him know she wouldn’t be able to work with him anymore and handed him over to another agent.”

  “How did that go?” Shelly asked.

  “The man kept contacting Meg … calling, emailing. This guy even showed up outside Meg’s home on a few occasions. He was a real pain. She told me she wasn’t sure if the guy was interested in her romantically and this was his awkward way of showing attention or if he was a creep. She didn’t want to take a chance. She had no interest in him. Finally, she told the guy that the real reason she had to let some clients go was that she had a health problem. The only problem Meg had was this guy bothering her.”

  “Did he accept her explanation?”

  “At last, it seemed he did. He stopped contacting her.” Lisa shook her head. “This can be a tough business. I’m often alone at open houses or when I’m showing a house to a client. It’s very important to stay vigilant and not let your guard down.”

  “Did this happen in her home town?” Juliet asked.

  Lisa gave a nod.

  “Did Meg tell you when it happened?” Shelly asked. “Was it recent or some time ago?”

  “She said it happened a year before she moved here.”

  “How about the guy’s name? Did she mention it?”

  “She might have, but I don’t recall what it was.”

  “Did the police talk to you about Meg?” Juliet questioned.

  “They did, yes.” Lisa’s happy mood had flattened from the topic of conversation. “I don’t think I was any help.”

  “Did you tell them about this guy who bothered Meg?”

  “I did. I bet they looked into it. I bet the agency that Meg used to work for would recall the incident. Maybe someone there remembers the guy’s name.”

  Shelly exchanged a look with Juliet, both thinking the same thing – that Jay might have some information to share with them about this man who harassed Meg.

  A pretty blond woman wearing a sleeveless navy dress came up to their table and sat down. “Can I join you?” Her words slurred slightly from one drink too many.

  Lisa introduced her friend. “This is Lucy Millhouse. We’ve known each other for ages.” Although Lucy was short and petite, her bare arms showed well-defined muscles that could only come from hours of working out.

  Lucy shook hands and smiled, her lids drooping a bit over dark blue eyes. “Not ages, that makes us sound so old. We met in kindergarten.”

  Chuckling, Lisa said, “That was ages ago.”

  “Do you work at the real estate agency?” Juliet asked.

  “Oh, no,” Lucy said giving Lisa a teasing look, “I have a real job. I teach physical education at the high school and I teach yoga, martial arts, and weight-training on the side.”

  The four discussed their jobs and what they liked and didn’t like about them. They voted Juliet’s job as best occupation since she could be outside and active in every season.

  “I’m active in my job,” Lucy said, “but some of the kids can be a handful so it can be difficult at times.”

  Shelly’s job was voted best occupation for your good friend to have.

  “I wouldn’t want to be a baker because I’d eat everything I made, but it would be great to have a friend who baked,” Lisa told them. “All those yummy things whenever you get together.” She kidded Shelly, “I bet you’re very popular.”

  A cloud settled over Lucy’s face. “I’ve been thinking about that poor woman. Jill Murray. I was with her the night before … she died.”

  “You knew her?” Shelly was hopeful that they might learn some things about Jill.

  “Not really.” Lucy gave a head shake. “I was asked to show her around town. She interviewed at the high school for the open math teacher position. The interviewers were so impressed with her. They asked if I could answer Jill’s questions about the school and the town, take her around, show her the sights. The committee was going through the necessary channels and doing the paperwork needed to make her an offer. They really wanted her to accept the job.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “We were all hoping that Jill would accept. If she didn’t, it was a pretty sure thing that the superintendent’s son would get the job. Not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Juliet asked.

  Lucy and Lisa exchanged a look of disgust.

  “Scott Bilow isn’t teaching material,” Lucy explained. “He’s full of himself, arrogant, has a nasty temperament. He has a reputation for one-night stands, hooking up with the tourists who come to town. Not the best role model for high school students. Scott is an engineer, but he’s always getting fired from his jobs. I’ve heard he’s in big financial trouble. He only wanted the teachin
g position because it was something he wouldn’t get fired from since his daddy was in charge of the school district.” Lucy let out a sigh. “I liked Jill. She would have been a great addition to our staff.” She reached for her wine glass and Shelly could see the woman’s fingers shaking.

  “Did Jill seem like she’d accept the job?” Juliet asked.

  “I thought she might. We had fun together. I took her on the ski lift to get a view of the area. We went biking, took a hike. I showed her the crooked trees.” Lucy passed her hand over her eyes. “I took her to lunch. We came here for drinks one night.”

  “Was that the night before she died?” Shelly asked gently.

  “Yeah.” Lucy’s face hardened. “That stupid Scott Bilow was here. He came by and was a real pain. He’d had too much to drink … he was leering at Jill. He told her he was getting the job at the high school and they only brought her in so they could prove they’d interviewed other people. Jill looked devastated. I told her that wasn’t true at all. I told her the committee was going to make her an offer. Scott burst out laughing. I wanted to kill him.”

  “What happened?” Shelly asked, apprehension flooding her body.

  “Scott put his arm around Jill and she got up so fast her drink fell off the table into his lap. He was livid.” Lucy glanced at Lisa. “You know how he is, such a hot-head. Jill stormed away. Scott stood up and grabbed a napkin and tried to dry his pants. He was muttering. I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I got up and told him thanks a lot for ruining a nice evening. I went to look for Jill, I even went up to her room and knocked on the door, but no one answered. I sent her a text apologizing for Scott’s behavior and asking her to meet at the diner in the morning for breakfast. I didn’t hear from her.” Lucy swallowed hard. “I … I never saw her again.”

  10

  When Shelly got off work from the bakery, she rode her bike to the other side of the mountain to take part in an activity that Juliet had recommended to her. Shelly had never done zip-lining before, and although she was looking forward to the adventure of it, she had some trepidation about the heights involved and with being hooked to a slender cable as she flew over the woods and valleys. Juliet assured her she would love it so she swallowed her fears and signed up for the tour.