Foul Play at the Fair

by Shelley Freydont

  “I apologize, but Rose—”

  “He doesn’t have any right to—”

  “Quiet.”

  Both of them stopped talking, Roseanne scowling at Donnie, Donnie scowling at Liv.

  “Do you think that between you, you could get out a coherent story?”

  They both started talking at once.

  Ted raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I guess not. Donnie, bring that chair into the other office. Ladies, after you.”

  Liv smiled in spite of the current of agitation ricocheting around the room. One thing she’d learned in the last few weeks: this job wasn’t going to be boring.

  They sat around Liv’s desk, Liv in her office chair, and Ted between the two siblings.

  “Now, Roseanne, why don’t you start?”

  She shot a worried look to Liv. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”

  Liv shook her head.

  Roseanne slumped with relief.

  “And she didn’t tell me,” Ted said.

  “Rosie shouldn’t’ve told anybody,” Donnie blurted out.

  “You’ll get your chance, so stifle yourself.”

  Donnie shut up and slouched down in his seat.

  Roseanne shot Liv a beseeching look. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, Ms. Montgomery. About telling the truth and all. I was coming to tell you that I’d decided to talk to Mr. Gunnison. Not those men that were just here. Just the sheriff. I’d just gotten inside and I was kinda standing across the hall deciding, you know. Then I saw those two men come in. They were the same ones that came after Dad, and I was afraid they’d followed me here. So I ducked into the closet right across the hall.

  “I knew for sure I was gonna get caught. I was holding my breath, praying that they hadn’t seen me. And then I heard them go into your office.”

  “Why didn’t you leave when you had the chance?” Donnie asked. “I thought for sure they’d arrested you, too.”

  Roseanne made a face. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Is that why you didn’t even see those two before you came in here?”

  She scowled at him but shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

  Ted automatically went to the window and looked out.

  “Don’t worry,” Donnie said. “I wasn’t so dumb. I parked around the corner and waited until they drove away.”

  “You think you’re so smart.”

  “Smarter than you.”

  “Are you two quite through?”

  Roseanne shot a quick apologetic look at Ted, then turned to Liv.

  “Anyway, I’d been thinking about what you said, and well, I was hoping maybe you’d go with me to tell Mr. Gunnison about what I did.”

  “Oh Lord,” said Ted.

  “Rosie,” Donnie snapped.

  “I know, I know. I shouldn’t have gone there. I shouldn’t have talked to him. But I did. I’m sorry, okay?” Roseanne’s shoulders slumped and she looked down at her hands. “I’ve messed everything up. It’s all my fault.”

  Ted stood up. “I think I’ll call Bill Gunnison and see if he can meet us here.”

  “No. You can’t,” Donnie said. He turned on his sister. “See what you’ve done. The sheriff will have to tell those state detectives, and they’ll keep Dad in jail forever.”

  Ted’s normally pale face turned paler. “What exactly did you do?”

  Liv stood up. “Donnie, I don’t think anything Roseanne knows, at least what she told me last night, necessarily implicates anyone. Unless there was a witness or some other kind of hard evidence, whatever Roseanne tells them will only be circumstantial.”

  “How do you know?”

  CSI? Law & Order? “Well, I don’t know for sure.”

  Donnie groaned. “See, Roseanne. I told you. That’s what you get for—”

  “But,” Liv said, interrupting. “I do know that Rose cannot withhold the information.” She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that she wasn’t condemning Joss Waterbury or his son to life in prison. “Ted?”

  “Considering I have no idea what this is all about, I can hardly make an informed decision.”

  “I saw Uncle Pete. I talked to him. He asked me to open the store for him, so he could surprise Dad. I did it. But I told Donnie, and he locked it again. Right, Donnie?”

  Donnie looked everywhere but at his sister.

  “Didn’t you? Donnie?”

  “Oh my God. Don’t say anything else. I’d better call Bill.” Ted pushed out of his chair and left the room.

  “I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?”

  “I don’t know, honey. But you do have to tell the truth.” Liv leaned back in her chair, fighting some strange maternal instinct to put her arms around both teenagers. But she knew they would both be embarrassed, so the three of them sat looking into their laps while they listened to Ted talk over the phone.

  Three heads turned to the door when he reentered the office.

  “Is he coming?” Liv asked.

  “No, but I brought lunch.” Ted deposited two large paper bags and a carton of drinks on the desk.

  “Um, Ted?” Liv looked a question at her less-than-forthcoming assistant.

  “He wasn’t at the police station. He didn’t answer his cell.”

  Roseanne looked a little hopeful. “I don’t have to tell?”

  “You will eventually,” Ted said. “First I want you to tell me everything that happened and when. Donnie, no commenting. If you have something pertinent to add, then do. But no blaming. Got it.”

  Donnie huffed out a sigh. “Yeah. Yes, sir.”

  “Liv…”

  Liv wondered if he was going to order her out of the office.

  “Do you mind listening to all of this again?”

  Liv listened to it all again. Ted passed around the sandwiches and drinks. Liv didn’t feel much like eating, but she thought the kids would feel better if they ate something, so she lifted the lid off her soup container.

  There was a general rustling of wrappers. Donnie dug into his sandwich, but Roseanne just looked at hers.

  “Eat,” Ted said.

  She unwrapped the paper, took a bite of the pickle, then took a bite of her sandwich. Slowly, between mouthfuls, she told Ted what she’d told Liv the night before: how she’d recognized Pete because of the soccer photo, how she went to his trailer and was caught spying on him. How she promised to unlock the store for him to surprise her dad. How she’d changed her mind and asked Donnie to go lock the store.

  Ted listened intently, expressionless, not interrupting. After she wound down, he asked, “Did anyone see you?”

  She shrugged, washed a mouthful of sandwich down with her soda. “I don’t think so.”

  “If nobody saw her, does that mean she doesn’t have to tell?”

  “Afraid not. Do you want to add anything?”

  “Just that she was stupid to go and meet him. Dad’s gonna have a fit.”

  “Donnie,” Liv said. “That’s not helping. Did you lock the store that night?”

  Donnie suddenly became quiet, began folding his sandwich wrapper until it was a little square.

  “Donnie?” Liv coaxed.

  Roseanne dropped her sandwich. “He didn’t. You didn’t, did you, Donnie? You said you would and you didn’t. I am so screwed.”

  Two dark slashes suffused Donnie’s cheeks. He shook his head, his face averted.

  “Donnie-e-e. You said you would.”

  “I forgot, all right? I was about to do it; then something happened. And I got busy and I forgot. Sorry.”

  “You went out with Brittany Gorse, didn’t you? She texted you, and you went running like the—” She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I hate you. It’s all your fault.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Ted told her.

  “So it’s mine.” Her shoulders heaved. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  Liv bolted out of her chair. “Come on, honey. Can you make it to the ladies’ room?”

  She hustled a b
ent-over Roseanne down the hall and held her head while she lost her sandwich, her soda, and at least a half bag of chips. Then Liv wet some paper towels and held them to the girl’s forehead.

  “Better now?”

  Roseanne started to cry. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  “Shh. It’s all right. None of this is your fault or Donnie’s.”

  “Not my dad.”

  “No, of course not. In fact, if the door was left unlocked, anyone could have gotten in and killed Pete. That could be better for your dad.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Liv said, hoping that she was right and not just giving the girl false hope.

  When they returned to the events office, Ted and Donnie were waiting by the door. Ted looked Roseanne over.

  “Okay now?”

  Roseanne nodded.

  “Donnie’s going to take you home. I don’t want you to say anything about any of this until you talk to the sheriff. Understand?”

  She nodded again.

  “Not even to each other. Try not to even think about it. The more you do, the more things will get blurred, and you want to be very clear when you talk to Bill. You both have to be strong. Just tell the truth.” He glanced at Donnie. “The whole truth. Now go home.”

  They left together, Donnie’s hand on Roseanne’s back as he led her out of the building. Ted and Liv watched from the door until they were gone; then both let out their breath.

  “What a tangled web,” Ted murmured.

  And getting more tangled by the minute. “A lot of confessing going on today,” Liv said thoughtfully as they began cleaning up the lunch things.

  “Yes.”

  “Odd that Roseanne would recognize an uncle she had never seen.” She didn’t want to do this, but she didn’t see any other way to get to the truth.

  Ted didn’t reply, so she plowed ahead.

  “If Roseanne recognized him, other people probably did, too.”

  Ted lifted an eyebrow. “Do you have someone in mind?”

  Liv bit her bottom lip. She liked Ted; he was a great assistant and was becoming a good friend. If he lied to her, things would never be the same. But she had to ask. She had to know.

  “Do you have someone in mind?” he repeated.

  “Well, Dolly might have.”

  Ted snorted.

  Liv took a deep breath. “Or you.”

  Ted stopped with a crumpled sandwich wrapper halfway to the paper bag. “Me?”

  “I saw you. That day of the fair. In the green. We’d just been watching the jugglers. I teased you about being so interested in them. I thought it was charming. But it wasn’t that, was it? You recognized Pete, or at least thought you did.”

  Ted shrugged and pushed the wrapper into the bag. Tossed the bag into the wastepaper basket.

  “You went back, but you still had my clipboard. I called out, but you didn’t hear. I ran to catch you. I saw you go behind the stage. I saw you arguing with Pete Waterbury.”

  Ted gave her a half smile. “Well, that answers your question, doesn’t it?”

  Liv’s knees buckled and she sat down and closed her eyes. Adrenaline and nerves were coursing through her veins, worse than at any opening gala, international business function, or celebrity bat mitzvah. Because, she realized, this was about more than screwed-up events or irate clients. It was about friends, home, and the future. “Please, please tell me you or Joss didn’t kill him.”

  Ted came to stand by the edge of the desk. “You saw Joss when he rubbed that greasepaint off Pete’s face. He had no idea it was Pete until that moment. You can’t feign that kind of surprise.”

  God, she hated this. “But you weren’t surprised.”

  “No. You’re right. Something about the way he moved seemed familiar, even though he was in that ridiculous costume and makeup. It’s just like something Pete would do. Brazen and foolhardy and just plain malicious. I couldn’t place it at first; then, halfway to the market, it hit me.”

  Ted hit the desk with his fist. Not hard. Barely a tap, but it sent a chill through Liv down to her bones. “So I went back. Confronted him. He didn’t even try to hide the fact that it was him.”

  “You threatened him?”

  “You saw. What do you think?”

  Liv shrugged. “You didn’t threaten to kill him, did you? Because I wasn’t the only person who witnessed you push him away. The balloon-making Zoldosky brother was there, too.”

  “Junior,” Ted said. “Since the detectives didn’t mention it or take me away in handcuffs, I surmise that neither of you said anything.”

  “I didn’t. They didn’t ask. They don’t really care who killed the man. They’re just putting in the time. How dare they snigger at a situation that is causing so much pain.” She paused, thought. “I think I’ll have to tell Bill, though.”

  “Ah hell, Liv. Bill already knows. He’s one of us. That’s why they took him off the case.”

  Liv propped her elbows on her desk, chin in her hands. “Really tangled.”

  “Like I said, but, Liv, here’s my truth. I could have killed him. Maybe for a minute I wanted to kill him, but I didn’t kill him.”

  Ted looked at the ceiling and back to Liv. When he continued, he sounded calmer. “Before Pete left town, he and his cronies chased Andy and another boy, Victor Gibson, into the woods. They beat Andy senseless, then went after Victor. It looked like he made it as far as the lake, managed to jump in a boat to try to get away. Or maybe they beat him and threw him in the boat. They found the boat days later at the south end of the lake. Murdered or drowned. Either way, Pete and his cronies killed him. Victor Gibson was my nephew. His mother was my sister. Victor was a sweet kid. Her only child. He didn’t deserve to die, especially at the hands of that—”

  It was exactly the same thing Miss Edna had said. Because Pete Waterbury killed him. “Didn’t anything happen to Pete and the others?”

  “No. Pete denied it. Andy was unconscious when Victor disappeared. They got reprimanded for fighting, were given a few weeks of community service, and Victor’s death was chalked up to ‘an unfortunate water accident.’”

  “And his body was never found?”

  Ted shook his head. “They dragged as much of the lake as they could, but it’s a big lake. And it’s deep. His mother never got over it. She went down to the lake every day of her life and waited for him to reappear. We even put ads in the papers asking him to come home in case he was still alive. He never did. Because of Pete Waterbury. And quite frankly, Liv, I’m glad Pete’s dead.”

  “What happened to your sister?”

  “She got cancer a couple of years after that. Fought it, still hoping Victor would return, but after a while she realized she’d never see her son again. And she gave up. She failed quickly and died. She was forty-eight years old.

  “For that alone I could have killed Pete. And I told him as much that morning you saw us arguing. But for what it’s worth, I didn’t kill him.”

  “And Joss?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Andy? He might have a motive.”

  “Andy’s not one to hold a grudge.”

  “Then who do you think did kill him?”

  Ted shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to know. And anybody who knew Pete doesn’t want to know. Even if the murderer is discovered, Liv, no one will turn that person in.”

  Liv leaned back and let out her breath. “What are we going to do? You heard those guys. They just want to wrap this up and get back to ‘important’ crimes that can further their careers. They’ll take whatever they can spin.”

  “Liv. I’m shocked at your attitude.”

  “Are you? Look, Ted. I didn’t get where I am in my profession by not committing to what I believe in. And I’m totally committed to Celebration Bay. Yes, somebody—maybe somebody we like or love, even—may have to pay up for his crime. But I’ll be damned if I’ll let these guys railroad somebody in my town just to make it easier f
or themselves.”

  Ted smiled and shook his head. “You are something else. We’ll have to give you an honorary citizenship when all this is over.”

  “In the meantime, what do we do?”

  A tap sounded on the outer door.

  Liv groaned. “Now what?”

  “Who?” Ted corrected, and went to answer it.

  It was Mayor Worley, looking meek, apologetic, and just a tad nervous.

  “Good afternoon, Mayor Worley,” Liv said as Ted showed him into her office.

  Worley sat down and gave her a sickly smile. “Sorry to bother you, but were those two detectives I saw leaving here a few minutes ago?”

  “Yes, indeed,” Liv said. “But not to worry. They just wanted information on the Zoldoskys and Pete.” But now that she thought about it, they hadn’t even asked what she and Ted knew about the Zoldoskys. Didn’t want to see the paperwork. Nothing. Because they already had a suspect they planned to railroad through the system.

  “They asked a few questions and left.”

  The mayor cracked his knuckles. Looked at his hands and folded them in his lap. “Ah.” He shifted in his seat. Leaned forward. Gripped the edge of Liv’s desk with both hands. “This is just awful. They were supposed to find the killer, not accuse one of our finest citizens.”

  “Well, someone should have thought about that before they had Bill taken off the case.”

  The mayor’s upper lip glistened with sweat. Now, this was an interesting situation. Had the mayor been the one to call in the state? Was he ruing his decision?

  She must have been staring, because Worley wiped his lip. “Don’t look at me. I thought about it. I thought they would find the killer more expeditiously. But Janine talked me out of it.”

  “Janine?”

  “And it turns out she was right. This is going to be a disaster. There was a camera crew from Plattsburgh here wanting to interview me about the murder. Terrible publicity. We’ve got to do something.”

  Liv was only half listening, because one fact had caught her attention. Janine had talked him out of calling in the state. Now, why was that?

  It seemed to Liv that Janine would want to catch the murderer so she could take the credit and move forward on her campaign to get rid of Liv. Or was it that she was afraid the state police might catch the real killer? Did she know something about the murder that she wasn’t telling?