by Lyndsey Cole
The two women walked in the shadows. They darted across the street to the edge of Edwin’s property and ducked behind a big maple tree.
Annie’s heart pounded. She reached for Leona’s hand. “You wait here. I know the layout of his downstairs. Whistle if you hear anyone coming.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I’ll be quick.”
Annie disappeared into the darkness of the bushes surrounding Edwin’s house. She peeked through a gap in the curtain into his kitchen window. A laptop was open on the small kitchen table, giving enough light for Annie to see into the living room. Something was different from when she was inside talking to Edwin. Her eyes adjusted to the low light and she slowly examined what she could see.
A twig snapped next to her. She held her breath and flattened against the cold siding of the house. Leona peeked over her shoulder.
“Geez, Leona, you practically gave me a heart attack.”
“Hurry up. We’ve got to get out of here. I hear a car coming.”
Annie took another look into the living room. Edwin’s chair, Snowball curled up on the other comfy chair, the T.V., table, corner shelf with all the cat figurines. Her eyes remained on the statues. They weren’t all black. Where did the white cats come from?
A car approached. Slowly. It felt like an eternity before it passed their hiding spot. The two women hurried back to Leona’s car. They quietly closed their doors and sat back, taking in deep gulps of air.
Annie’s foot kicked against something on the floor. “What’s this?” she asked as her hand reached down to feel around.
Leona started to drive. Annie picked up broken pieces of something. The last piece she picked up made the hairs on her neck stand up. “Where did this come from?” A white cat face with blue eyes stared at her when the lights from a passing car shone through the windshield.
Annie texted Tyler, I found something. Are you at the police station?
Yes, he wrote back immediately.
“Leona. Turn around and drive to the police station. I need to show this to Tyler.”
“All right, but what are you going to tell him? That you were spying on Edwin’s house?”
“I don’t know about that yet. I think this is a warning. My guess is that it’s a sick gift from Marty or Phyllis or Sheila. You know, watch out or you’ll end up with your head bashed in just like Alice.”
Leona stared straight ahead through the windshield. Silent. Her face drained of color. Finally she broke the silence, “When and how did those broken pieces of a cat figurine get in my car?”
“It must have been when we were looking in Edwin’s window. It couldn’t have been before that or I would have noticed it sooner.”
“So whoever did this must have known we were lurking in the shadows.”
Annie nodded in agreement. “And gave us a warning.”
Tyler stood in the police station main room when Annie and Leona entered. He ushered them back to his office. “What’s this all about?”
Annie carefully placed the pieces of the broken figurine on Tyler’s desk. He looked at the pieces, then up into Annie’s face. “You’ve got my attention. Fill me in.”
Annie and Leona pulled chairs closer to Tyler’s desk. They looked at each other. Leona jutted her chin at Annie. “You tell him. Everything.”
Annie sighed. “You’re not going to like this, but we saw Marty, Phyllis, and Sheila at the Catfish Cove Pub.”
“That’s an interesting coincidence.” Annoyance in his voice betrayed his feeling.
Leona blurted out, “We followed Phyllis and Sheila from the Heron Inn.”
Tyler rested his elbows on his desk and leaned on his clasped hands.
“Yeah,” Annie continued. “We had a drink with Christy at the pub, then decided to visit Mr. Fleming.”
“At the hospital?” Tyler asked.
Annie shook her head.
“Wouldn’t that have been the logical place to go if you actually intended to visit him?”
Annie felt her cheeks get hot. “Anyway, we drove by his house and it was dark so I took a peek inside.”
Tyler slammed his hands on his desk. Both Annie and Leona jumped. “A peek? Through his window? What is wrong with you, Annie? If you suspect him to be Alice Wolfe’s killer, wouldn’t your warning system tell you to stay away from him? How many times have you gone to visit that guy?”
“I didn’t think he’d be home and I wanted to get another look at his cat figurines. Okay? They’re connected to this murder, Tyler.”
Tyler pursed his lips and sucked in a deep lungful of air. “Of course. One of the figurines is the murder weapon after all.” He leaned forward. “Every time I see you lately, I feel like I’m talking to a grade school child. Have you forgotten that there’s a killer out there? Someone who I believe is smart, devious, and,” he paused to stare into Annie’s eyes, “desperate. Do you know what desperate people do when they feel cornered?”
Annie’s head slumped forward. She couldn’t bear to let Tyler see into her thoughts. “I didn’t come here to get a lecture from you, Tyler Johnson. I thought this might be useful evidence to help track down that desperate killer before someone else gets hurt.” She stood up and yanked on Leona’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, Annie,” Tyler said, his voice softer. “Thank you. Is there anything else you should tell me?”
“Yes. The last time I was in Edwin’s house, I noticed a shelf filled with black cat statues. He told me they belong to Marty.”
Tyler nodded.
“Tonight, I saw white statues mixed in with the black ones. Alice had the white statues. How did they get into Edwin’s house?”
Tyler leaned back and tapped his finger on his cheek. “Phyllis stole one from Alice’s house but we have it here. No one should be removing anything. What’s your theory?”
Annie shrugged. “That’s why I keep being drawn back to Edwin’s house. There’s something there that keeps nagging at me and I haven’t been able to figure it out yet.”
“Will you be happy if I have a police officer keep an eye on those two houses? Then you won’t have to.”
Annie knew his words were a caution. She nodded but wouldn’t let him talk her into promising to stay away.
Chapter 15
Annie woke before Leona and Mia on Sunday morning. She stood at the balcony doors, watching the red strip of sky brighten as the sun peeked above the mountains. What was the saying? Something about red sky in the morning and sailors take warning? She definitely got the warning. What was she missing in her hunt to clear Mia’s name as a suspect in Alice’s murder?
The door opened. Jason entered with a tray of coffee, teas, fresh strawberries, and cream. “Room service.” He set the tray on the table and wrapped Annie in his arms. “Sorry to bail out on you the last two nights.” He looked around the room. “Are you alone?” his tone hopeful.
“I smell coffee.” Leona’s voice drifted from the bedroom. “I could get used to this treatment. Is it the cute room service guy?”
“Sure is, but he’s taken,” Annie yelled back.
“You’re a bad girl, Annie Fisher. I won’t tell Jason you said that if you don’t tell him what I let you do last night,” Leona said as she entered the main room, wrapping a terry robe around herself. “Oops.” Her face turned the same shade of red as the sunrise. “I kept her safe. Just remember that.”
Jason’s smile vanished and his eyes darkened to the color of bitter chocolate. He settled into a comfy chair with a cup of coffee. In a controlled voice he stared at Leona and requested, “Please fill me in.”
She flicked her wrist. “It was nothing, really. We bumped into Christy at the pub and had a drink.”
Jason nodded. Annie fixed herself coffee with a big dollop of cream. She sat across from Jason. “It was all my idea.”
Jason sighed. “Leona, did you try to stop Annie from whatever it is you two did last night? Did you hear my voice in your head, telling you to keep he
r safe? At the very least, why didn’t you call me for back up?”
Leona’s head drooped. “I should have. It all sounded harmless. I guess I was caught up in the moment.”
Jason focused on Annie. “What happened? At least you look like you’re in one piece.”
“We peeked into Edwin Fleming’s house. No one was home.”
“That’s a lucky break.”
“But someone knew we were there and left a warning in Leona’s car,” she added.
Jason lurched forward, spilling coffee on his jeans. “What kind of warning?”
Annie set her coffee mug on the table. “A cat figurine. Smashed.”
Jason stood up. “Show it to me.”
Leona put her hand on Jason’s arm. “We took it to the police station. Tyler has it. He’s going to have a police officer keep an eye on Edwin Fleming’s and Alice Wolfe’s houses.”
Jason’s eyes turned to Annie. “You went to Tyler and didn’t bother telling me about this until now?” His voice ended on a higher, louder pitch. “I spent the last two nights searching for information to help your mother out of this mess and you went to Tyler?”
Jason grabbed his coat and stomped from the suite without a backward glance.
“The sky was red this morning,” Annie mumbled. “A warning. But I thought it was a warning about a different kind of trouble.” Her water-filled eyes stared at Leona. “Maybe you should call the bridal shower off. Mrs. Delaney wouldn’t let me book the Inn for our wedding. Jason is furious with me. I keep feeling I’m not marriage material. All my past relationships crashed and burned and this one seems to be heading down that same path. What should I do?”
“Really? You have to ask?” Leona yanked Annie from the chair and pushed her into the bedroom. “Get dressed and go after the man you love. You can’t give up now.”
Annie pulled on her comfy worn-in jeans and a warm sweater, all the time asking herself why did she go to Tyler instead of Jason? Sure, she knew Tyler her whole life and they had been engaged, but she left him. She broke his heart. She only turned to him first because he’s the police chief. Didn’t Jason understand that?
With her mind churning in circles, she opened the door to leave.
“Wait,” Leona yelled.
Annie turned around as her purse sailed through the air. Over her head. She reached to grab it. Instead, she felt strong arms encircle her.
“I’m sorry. You did the right thing,” Jason whispered in her ear. “After you did the wrong thing.” He tried to keep a stern expression on his face but ended up laughing. It didn’t help that Annie’s fingers had found his ticklish spot just under his ribs. He gently pushed her away and regained control. “Where were you off to now? More reconnaissance?”
“Ha! Wouldn’t you like to know, Mr. Hunter?”
Leona filled in the answer. “Off to chase after you, if you must know.”
Annie threw Leona a dirty look. “Traitor.”
Leona shrugged. “I have to redeem myself after the slip I made last night.” She shooed them out. “You two should go down and have a nice breakfast. Alone. Mia and I will pack up everything.”
Annie slipped her hand into Jason’s and they took Leona’s advice. They found a table for two in the corner and filled their plates from the breakfast buffet. Mrs. Delaney spied them and fluttered over with a fresh pot of coffee.
“So good to see you two lovebirds this morning. Is everything satisfactory?”
Jason glared. Annie nodded. Mrs. Delaney filled their cups. “We should reschedule our meeting and talk about your wedding plans, Annie. I hope you told Jason that we’re back on track?”
Annie patted her arm. “Not yet. There have been some other items to deal with, but don’t worry, I’ll be in touch.”
“Good. Good. Any time. Enjoy your breakfast.” She hurried to the next table with her coffee and friendly chit chat.
Jason cocked his head. “What was that all about? I thought we were on the not-welcome-here list.”
“Let’s say she had a change of heart. Phyllis Morris is not her favorite person and Mrs. Delaney would rather be on my side. And I may have mentioned to her that you might be able to help her out of a small problem she has with Phyllis.” Annie spread jam on her muffin. “What do you think about investing in the Heron Inn?”
Jason rolled his eyes. “You’ve had worse suggestions.”
“Never mind that for now, what did you dig up with all your research?”
Jason looked around the dining room and lowered his voice. “How about we finish up, get your suitcase, and head home to discuss that subject?”
Annie enjoyed sitting across from Jason. Their silence wrapped around her like a favorite sweater. Of course he was the one for her and she needed to smack herself whenever any doubts tried to surface. It was high time she let herself completely trust someone else so she could move on with her life.
By the time their stomachs protested even one more crumb being swallowed, Leona and Mia approached the table.
She harrumphed. “A table for two? Where are we supposed to sit?”
Annie pushed her plate away. “We’re just finished so you can have our spot. We’ve got work to do anyway.” She glanced at Jason who nodded in agreement.
“Oh,” Leona muttered. “I thought we’d all have time to get caught up on the particulars.” She looked first at Annie, then at Jason. “At least your little spat is behind you which is the most important thing. I’m glad I don’t have to cancel the shower.” Annie kicked Leona’s shin. “What? Why’d you do that?”
Annie rolled her eyes. Jason grinned. “Cancel the shower? How do I manage to miss all the good drama?”
Annie’s chair scraped on the wood floor as she pushed it back. “Never mind. Leona needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. Let’s go before something else I don’t want to hear slips out.”
“Before you go,” Leona held Annie’s arm, “what do you recommend from the breakfast buffet?”
“I had a made-to-order omelet filled with roasted peppers, onion, and cheddar cheese, with a side serving of apple cranberry sausages. It was delicious. Jason had blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup and whipped cream. I stole a bite and if you’re in the mood for sweet, get that.”
Leona was already eyeing the buffet. “Everything looks delicious. I should try something I don’t normally make myself. Maybe a popover with the omelet.” She laughed. “Too many choices. Come on, Mia. Let’s get fueled up.”
On the way out of the dining room, Annie snatched a handful of juicy strawberries. She waited outside while Jason got Annie’s suitcase and settled the bill. The crisp air invigorated her and the strawberries filled any tiny holes left in her stomach after the breakfast buffet. At least, that was what she told herself to justify the unnecessary snack.
Jason tucked his arm around Annie’s waist. “Follow me home?”
She gazed up into his dark eyes and every worry she had about whether she was marriage material or not melted away. He had proven over and over again that he might not always agree with her choices, but he was ready to commit to the whole package. “Yes, Mr. Hunter. You lead the way.”
Jason pulled her close. “Don’t look now, but we just walked by Marty Fleming sitting in his car. He’s driving a dark blue VW sedan. Keep an eye on your rear view mirror in case he follows you. You leave first and I’ll stay behind you. Just in case.”
Shivers pricked her skin under her warm fleece jacket. What was Marty up to?
Chapter 16
Annie’s fingers fiddled with her key. The more she tried to hurry, the clumsier her cold fingers became. Where was Jason? He should have waited with her.
She crouched lower, willing her fingers to work the key properly.
The crunch of tires stopped in front of her car. “Need help?” a mocking voice asked.
The key slid into the lock and she twisted it. The sound of the door unlocking was music to her ears. With an escape from the staring eyes behind her, Anni
e found her nerve and turned toward Marty Fleming. “No, thank you. How’s your father? Is he home from the hospital yet?”
Marty rolled his window down the rest of the way. “Why do you care? Planning to break in and have a look around? Or maybe try to poison him again?”
“Such a waste to smash that cat figurine and dump it in Leona’s car. I don’t think Alice would have approved.” Annie had one leg in her car.
Marty’s eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth twisted into a smirk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He rolled up his window but never took his eyes off Annie. Slowly, he drove away, lingering at the edge of the parking lot before speeding down the road.
Annie slammed her door and slumped against the steering wheel. She counted to ten to calm her nerves.
Jason tapped on her window. “What’s wrong?” He tried to open the door but it was locked. Annie rolled the window down. “Did Marty threaten you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. He accused me of poisoning his father.”
Jason shivered. “Let’s get home and finish this discussion. I’ll follow you.”
It wasn’t far to Jason’s house on the other side of Heron Lake. The bright blue sky was a rare December gift but Annie had too much on her mind to appreciate the beauty. Instead, her eyes searched every car and every crossroad, afraid that Marty would pop out and ram her. She pulled into Jason’s driveway next to Christy’s car. Annie groaned to herself. Was Christy waiting to give her a hard time about something to do with Alice’s murder?
Annie didn’t have long to wait for the answer to that question. Christy jogged down the apartment stairs, two at a time, and pulled Annie’s door open. “Perfect timing. I was wondering where I’d track you down.”
Jason carried the suitcase to the door. “Come on in. No sense standing out here in the cold having a discussion.”
Christy followed Jason and Annie inside. “I only have a minute but I need to ask for a favor. Can you get me some of Leona’s cranberry coffee cake and Christmas cookies?”
“What for?”
“You know how Edwin Fleming ended up in the hospital with food poisoning?”
