by Leona Fox
Chaos and The Caper
An East Pender Mystery Series Book 10
Leona Fox
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Chapter 1
It had been a week since Ellen had been face to face with her stalker. Edward Carrey was his name and it made her skin ripple with revulsion every time she thought of him. So she tried not to do so. He had left with an ominous warning that he would return someday, as in his twisted mind he was convinced there was some cosmic plan for them to end up in a relationship. But the very thought of him repulsed her. In the days since seeing him her mind was skittish and she found it difficult to concentrate on even the most menial tasks. Andy was worried about her and commented on her odd behavior.
“This isn't like you, Ellen. I know you've been through a lot but it's over now. He left, we don't have to worry about him anymore.”
How Ellen wished that were true but the last look in his eyes stayed with her. The grim promise lingered on her mind. Whenever she left the house she felt eyes on her, and the constant state of paranoia ate away at her mind. As soon as Edward had left the cafe Andy had called his department and had officers looking for him. They had been sure they would find him. After all, what chance did a single man have of escaping the small town when the eagle-eyed police force was hot in pursuit? Both Andy and Ellen were surprised to find that Edward had slipped through their grasp. He was a wily foe and neither of them could fathom how exactly he had vanished without a trace, but that was part of what made him so dangerous; the mystery surrounding him.
Now that Ellen thought back to their interactions she realized she actually knew little about him. Everything about him was nondescript; there were no defining characteristics or marks to give any clue as to his origin. He was like an ethereal spirit, one that could come back at any time and haunt her. Part of her fear was that he hadn't left at all, and on top of that she was doubting her own skills. How could she not have known his ulterior motive? He had been in the cafe most days, right in front of her, talking to her and she had not been aware of his dark secret. Even when she had been investigating the riddles around town she had been convinced they were meant for Kelly and had only realized they were for her benefit when it had been too late. How could she have been so blind? Especially when it led to the harm of her best friend in the world (not that she would tell Kelly that)? Scampy was fine now; a quick visit to the vet had allowed the dog to get the poison out of his system and he was back to his best. He had found it much easier to recover than Ellen herself, and she wished she could have bounced back so easily.
Even now when she looked out of the window she was convinced Edward was looking back at her and the only times she felt safe were when she was in Andy's arms. Scampy, however, was a perceptive fellow, and he tried to cheer up Ellen by playing and bounding around. It worked for a short time and even made a smile appear on Ellen's face, but she soon drifted back to that place of melancholy that seemed impossible to escape. Never before had she suffered such a lack of confidence, such doubt in her own abilities as a detective and a person. Everything she was, every attribute on which she prided herself, was now cast in shadow and she didn't feel like herself at all.
Kelly noticed this, too. Both she and Andy commented on it but Ellen grew tired of speaking of it and wanted the whole thing to be over. So any time it was brought up she snapped at the two of them and they quickly learned not to talk about it.
“Are you sure you want me to go?” Kelly had asked the minute she had found out about her honeymoon plans.
“I'm not an invalid. I don't need you looking after me,” Ellen barked. She instantly regretted her defensive tone the moment she had uttered it, but her pride did not allow her to relent and apologize for her behavior.
“I don't mean it like that,” Kelly said softly, reaching out a hand to place on Ellen's arm. “You've been through a lot. There isn't any shame in that, it's just what happened, and as your best friend I'm here to try helping you.”
“I don't need your help,” Ellen said, throwing her head back and laughing, “I'm not some child that needs protecting. I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself.” Kelly looked hurt, however, and cast her eyes away.
She also withdrew her hand and there was an odd tension rising between them, something that never usually was there since they were the best of friends and rarely fought or had any kind of dispute.
“I know you don't. I just...look, as much as you want to avoid thinking about what happened the fact is that it did happen. You can't escape that, and there's no shame in admitting you're still having trouble dealing with it. I know, I went through the same thing when we thought he was stalking me.”
“You only thought that because I told you. Because I made a mistake,” Ellen said bitterly.
“Oh no, the great Ellen Thatch turns out to be human after all,” Kelly said wryly.
“We all make mistakes, Ellen. God knows I've made plenty, but we always learn from them and better ourselves. You're still the same person you were before all this started but I am worried about you. If you want me to stay with you, I will, no questions asked. My honeymoon can wait.”
“No, it can't,” Ellen said, smiling sadly.
“You've waited long enough for this already and I'm not going to get in the way of you spending time with your husband. You two have been through a lot as well and I'm not going to be the reason why you have to delay your trip. I will be okay. It'll take some time but I will be okay. You need to go somewhere beautiful and sunny and forget all about this place.”
“Only if you're sure,” Kelly said.
“I am,” Ellen replied firmly.
Since that conversation Ellen had tried preparing herself for the coming weeks without Kelly, which was difficult to fathom. The two of them hadn't been apart ever since their friendship had blossomed and now that she was driving Kelly and her husband to the airport there was a lump in her throat.
“Are you really still not going to tell me where we're going?” Kelly said, tossing her head to the backseat, where Matthew was sitting with a smug grin. He shook his head and Kelly folded her arms, groaning loudly.
“Ellen,” she said, “as this is your car can't you order Matthew to tell me?”
“I think that groom's orders trump that of the car driver. I just hope you've packed the right outfits,” Ellen said.
“Oh, he took care of all of that. I just hope he picked wisely,” Kelly said with a mischievous smirk.
“I'm glad I've actually managed to come up with a mystery that has perplexed both of you. I just hope the destination lives up to the anticipation. You'll find out soon enough, though. Unfortunately, I won't be able to hide it once we get on the plane,” Matthew said.
“And a good thing, too. I don't think I could handle flying somewhere without knowing my destination.”
As the car drove along the freeway the wind whipped in through the open windows. Ellen gripped the wheel firmly and looked at the stretch of blue before her. A few cars were matching her speed and the sounds of roaring engines greeted her ears, almost drowning out Kelly and Matthew's words. There was barely a cloud in the sky and for a moment she enjoyed the freedom as it had been a long time since she had been out this far away from East Pender.
Sometimes it was easy to forget there was a whole world outside the small town. Yet, just as she thought o
f that another thought struck her; was this the path Edward had taken out of East Pender? Could he be waiting for her wherever she went? Ellen snuck glances at the people in the cars passing by, each time filling with dread in case one of them was him.
For how long would this go on? For how long would she be plagued by these thoughts? Taking a deep breath, Ellen curled her fingers around the wheel and tightened her grip as she accelerated along the smooth freeway. It wasn't long until they reached the local airport, a sprawling hub of travel set about an hour outside the city. Buses and cars were all around, and they joined a snaking line of traffic as they made their way into the parking lot. Ellen helped the two of them with their bags, then the three of them made their way into the terminal.
As they walked along they passed a lot of people, some who were arriving and some who were departing. There was a mixture of emotions; sadness, happiness, and stress being the three most prevalent. Wide-eyed tourists spoke in foreign tongues, businessmen walked by swiftly, a cellphone glued to their ear, used to this kind of travel. Families took great delight in spending time with each other and couples, like Kelly and Matthew, looked to be in a world of their own. So many people's lives intersected in this place, and as they entered the main body of the airport Ellen's eyes widened.
Rarely had she seen so many people in one place. The airport was alive with shops, restaurants, and bars. The sound of rolling wheels came in from every angle as people dragged their luggage across the floor. Security scanners beeped and the steely-eyed guards stood resolutely at the security barrier. From here they were connected to the rest of the world. It was all open to them and they could go anywhere. Ellen always had been tied to the place in which she had been living at the time. Never before had she left the country. Yet, now she felt a tempting thrill to buy a ticket and get on a plane. Destination: anywhere.
“I guess this is where we say sayonara,” Kelly said, letting go of her suitcase. She turned to Ellen and hugged her tightly.
“Thank you for all your help with the wedding, and everything before and after it. I'm going to miss you,” she said in a low whisper, “and everything is going to be alright. You have my word on that.”
“You just focus on having a good time without me, and you'll be back before you know it. I look forward to hearing about all the gossip,” Ellen replied.
“Not all the gossip, I hope,” Matthew interjected.
The two women looked at him and laughed then hugged each other again, not wanting to let go. Both of them thought it was stupid since they were going to see each other again soon. Yet, now that they had to say goodbye, tears welled up in their eyes and they began to choke on their words. For two people who saw each other practically every day, the thought of spending a few weeks without that relationship was horrifying. It took all their willpower to drag themselves away. Ellen watched as Matthew escorted Kelly to the security barrier where they disappeared into the airport, and she would have to wait to find out where they were going on their honeymoon.
Ellen dried her eyes and breathed deeply to collect herself. She'd left Scampy back in East Pender because she didn't want him spending so much time in the car, but now she found herself wishing that she had brought him as she could have used the company. The noise suddenly became deafening as she grew aware of the people around her, invading her mind, and the usual calm with which she approached the world was violated. Feeling anxious, she retreated back to her car and breathed a sigh of relief when she was sitting in the vehicle. She pulled out of the parking lot and returned home, chewing her lip, hoping she would feel better when she returned to East Pender.
“I can't remember feeling that way before,” she said when describing the trip to the airport to Andy.
“Maybe I've been in East Pender for so long I simply can't handle being around a lot of people again.”
“Or you just need a little time to adjust,” he replied.
They were sitting in her lounge. He had the paper folded on his lap while Ellen held a glass of juice in her hand. Scampy was on the floor, wrestling with one of his toys.
“I tell you what, though,” she said after taking a sip of her drink, “being in that place did make me think about all the places I've yet to see. There were flights to everywhere! I guess given that I've seen so many movies and read so many books I know enough about the world, but knowing about them isn't the same as being there myself. I don't have many regrets in life but not traveling is the biggest by far.”
“I think you still have a few years left in you yet. We should take a trip together,” he suggested, getting more excited as the idea fermented in his mind. “I'm due some vacation and I think after everything that's happened we deserve some time off. We can go anywhere you like, anywhere in the world. You just name it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you are chief of police and I have the cafe...Can we really leave?”
“Of course we can! I have my deputies and you have people who can look after the cafe.”
“What about Scampy? I don't think I'd want to take him on a long flight, he'd go crazy. And you know a lot of countries have rules about bringing animals in.”
“I'm sure Kelly won't mind looking after him for a little while.”
“And, well, the other thing...”
“What's that?”
Ellen gave him a look.
“Oh,” he said, understanding, “well, there is always going to be bad stuff happening but you can't put your life on hold just in case you’re needed. These people somehow made it before you came back here, and you can't sacrifice too much for them. I'm making an executive decision now. As soon as Kelly and Matthew come back we're going on a trip of our own. All you have to do is tell me where you'd like to go and I will sort out everything.”
Ellen loved it when he took control like this. Part of what first had attracted her to him had been his commanding authority and when he put it on display like this it made her entire body tingle. He looked at her expectantly and she tried to think where she would love to go first. Although there were many ports open to her there was only one that she really wanted to visit.
“Italy, I want to go to Italy.”
“Then Italy it is,” he said, sidling towards her and taking her into his arms, while she smiled happily.
“And why, pray tell, is Italy your first destination?”
“You're going to think this is silly.”
“Perhaps, but you should tell me anyway,” he said, his eyes gleaming with mischief. She pressed her lips together before she spoke.
“People always think that France is the country of the romantics but I always have been drawn to Italy. I read this book when I was younger, when I was at that age when I started to think of myself as a grown-up and I planned for the rest of my life. The book was set in Rome and it was about a dress that got passed down through different generations of this Italian family. The book recounted the lives of these women and how they dealt with love and all the other things that happened to them. I must have read it three or four times that year alone. Actually, hang on,” she said, and rose from the sofa.
She went to her study and rummaged around for a few minutes. Andy waited patiently for her return, but soon grew impatient and followed the sound of frustrated grunts. When he entered the study he smirked for he saw Ellen was bending down, throwing books out of an ottoman.
“I know it's here somewhere,” she said, and then shouted in triumph.
She turned, beaming a wide smile, and handed Andy a dog-eared, tattered copy of the book. The cover was creased and faded and the pages were marked where they had been overturned so many times.
“I can tell it's your favorite,” he said.
“That's not even my first copy. My original one basically disintegrated, and the second one was useless after I dropped it in the bath.”
“You read this in the bath?” Andy said, walking closer toward her, pricking up an eyebrow.
“I did,” she said, her tone of voice c
hanging to a deeper, more seductive one as she walked backward, “the book is filled with romance and longing. It used to get me quite...flustered.”
She gasped as she bumped against the desk. Andy tossed the book aside and lifted her up with his strong arms so she was sitting on the desk.
He leaned in so she could smell his addictive masculine scent, then said, “I like you flustered,” in a deep, growling voice that was everything her dreams were made of. Then he kissed her passionately and everything on the desk was swept to the floor, including her favorite book.
Ellen checked the time and groaned, then tore herself away from Andy. They had moved to the bed and he had fallen asleep. She smiled as she gazed down at his impressive, resting body, and kissed him lightly on his cheek.
She then gathered up Scampy and dragged him outside, where the afternoon sun still was shining. The little animal thought this was an unexpected treat. He jovially leaped around Ellen's feet until something in his mind clicked and he became aware of her plan. Suddenly he started growling and planted his feet on the sidewalk. Ellen huffed and put her hands on her hips.
“Don't be difficult now,” she said, and ordered him to follow her.
She didn't know how he knew she was taking him to the vet but he always had been smarter than most other animals. She ended up having to bundle him in her arms and carry him like a baby. Although he struggled at first eventually he saw this as futile and lay stationary in her arms. Although she had taken him to the vet straight after he was poisoned, she had a follow-up appointment just to make sure he was fine and everything was out of his system.
The vet was a young man named Nick Jones. He had a baby face and seemed much too young to be a vet but he excelled at his job and had a singularly good relationship with his clients and their animals.
“Come on now, Scampy, you know it'll be over more quickly if you wouldn’t be so difficult,” he said, patting his hand on the bed.
