Color Me Dead (Henry Park Book 1)

by Trent, Teresa

  Darla answered on the second ring, which made me wonder if this was a line solely dedicated to skimming the savings off the tourists.

  “Darla? Hi. It’s Gabby Wolfe.”

  “Yes?”

  “I was wondering if we could get a cup of coffee. I need to ask you something.”

  “What could you possibly need that we couldn’t discuss over the phone?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’re busy, but I wanted to ask you about Amelia.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I know it sounds strange, but, well, my brother Mitch really liked her and …”

  “Really, now? Isn’t that interesting? Your brother is the murderer?” Talented or not, she was still a witch.

  “Look, Darla. I’m only calling you because when they recovered Amelia’s body from Lake Henry, she had a blue button in her pocket. I’m about as excited to get together with you as you are with me, but this is for my brother.” The other side of the phone was quiet as Darla thought through my words.

  “What does your brother have to do with a blue button?”

  “Just tell me, did she have any boyfriends you know of?”

  Darla’s response was immediate and sharp. “If she did, what did it matter to me? She worked for me. All I care about is whether or not she does windows.”

  “Okay. Let me just ask this: Did she ever have an attraction to Tim?”

  “Tim? As in my Tim?” From the pause that followed, I knew I’d just hit her most vulnerable point. Her pause was palpable.

  “Even if she did have an interest in him, Tim is not available, so it wouldn’t be any concern of mine. Tim loves me, not every woman he flirts with. Oh, by the way, he told me about your past. I have to wonder if you are asking these questions because of your stupid teenage small-town trivial crush?”

  I released a slow breath and tried to stay civil. “Okay, but—”

  The resounding click from her end cut me off. I put out my cigarette and leaned back. All I had accomplished was to make Darla crazy—evidently that wasn’t hard to do.

  I had an awful feeling my little brother was about to get into some big trouble. Being a suspect in a murder was much more serious than flunking out of chemistry because of a beer pong tournament. I had to know more.

  Pulling my sketchbook from the back of the car, I tried to make a vision happen on my terms. I closed my eyes and leaned my head on the headrest, willing the night of Amelia’s death to come to me. If I could just somehow control this thing, it would be worth more than a few nightmares. I might be able to concentrate if I could drown out the rush of passing cars and the crunch of people’s shoes across the gravel parking lot. I tried to imagine that night again. I willed the darkness to come to my closed eyelids. I wanted the smell of the forest around me. As the sounds dimmed, I started to feel the darkness and see the forest. I was back in the woods. The smell of the water floated up into my nostrils.

  “Gabby? Are you okay in there?” I snapped my eyes open to find Katy, Tim, and little Timmy all standing outside the window. I straightened up, embarrassed they had found me trying to channel my visions.

  “Yes, yes. I’m all right.” Nothing to see here. Move along.

  Tim leaned down, and I couldn’t help but notice he was holding not only Timmy’s hand but Katy’s as well. “Did you fall asleep in there?”

  I nodded my head and forced a yawn. “Working with Clarence. All those late nights.”

  “We were just having lunch at the restaurant. Do you want us to follow you home?”

  “No. I’m fine. Just needed to catch twenty winks. I’m great.” I glanced at my watch. “Yep. Have to get heading. Nice to see you folks.”

  I started up the engine, and they stepped back from the window. I was embarrassed to be so awkward, but I was very interested to observe how they had become a cohesive little family. No wonder Darla was losing her mind.

  When I returned home, Mitch was sitting on the couch with his laptop, deep in concentration. Luigi lay next to him, belly up, snoring softly. It looked like another junk food hangover to me.

  “Hey, Gab. What’s up?” he said, his eyes never leaving the screen.

  “Not much. What are you doing? I can’t believe you’d be playing video games at a time like this.” I leaned over Mitch’s shoulder to find Amelia’s picture centered in a flowchart with several boxes branching out by connected lines.

  “Amelia’s the victim. The boxes are suspects,” Mitch explained.

  I started reading through his theories, which included Ryan, Tim, Darla, and even Clarence. “This is incredible.”

  “Sure. It’s like the puzzles in the video games, except for this time it’s real. It’s Amelia.” His voice trailed off on the last word.

  I placed my hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s real. I’m sorry you didn’t get more time with her. You were just figuring out how infatuated you were with the woman.”

  Mitch sighed. “Infatuation.” He grinned. “One of my favorite parts of romance.”

  He refocused on the screen, serious again. “Her killer is out there right now. Maybe he’s gassing up at O’Henry’s. Maybe he’s mowing his grass. Whoever it is, I’m going to find him.”

  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was something slightly different about Mitch. Given all of the things my mother complained about, all of the desperate cries for help she put out about him, you would think Mitch was a hopeless ne’er-do-well, not the motivated man sitting on the couch in front of me. He was a focused, driven, involved young man.

  “What I’ve been trying to do is to make a list of suspects in Amelia’s murder. According to everything I’ve read—forgive me for saying this—even using my experience from the video games I’ve played, we need to find people who’ve had motive and opportunity. You had an opportunity, but you’re my sister, so I know I can cross you off my suspect list.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  He smiled. “Ryan Bradford had an opportunity, but he didn’t have a motive. Why would Ryan want to kill Amelia? It makes no sense. Of course, there could also be parts of his motivation we don’t know about yet.”

  “So true.”

  “So now, who else does that leave us?”

  “There’s Darla.”

  “Darla? Why her?”

  “And there’s Tim,” ignoring the question. “Tim is a big flirt. He lives off of attention from women. He probably doesn’t do too well with rejection. Darla, on the other hand, is insanely jealous. He can make her crazy.”

  “Wait a minute. Are we talking about the same Darla I’ve seen? I know she’s a little eccentric, but she’s this beautiful, classy woman.”

  “Well, maybe now you’re finally seeing her inner self. Darla is very insecure, and she has anger issues. What would stop her from killing Amelia if she thought she was after Tim?”

  Mitch leaned forward and thought about my question. “No. I just don’t see it in her.”

  “Not everybody has to be a big, brawny guy with tattoos to be a killer. Anybody can be a murderer.”

  Mitch leaned back on the couch with his hands behind his head as he thought about my statement. He was just about to say something when the doorbell rang. Luigi jumped off the couch and threw himself against the door. What a guard dog.

  I opened the door to find Sheriff Bennett standing on the other side. “Hey, Miss Wolfe. I was wondering if I could take a few minutes to talk to your brother.”

  I beckoned the sheriff inside. Mitch put his laptop down and rose to shake the sheriff’s hand.

  “What can I do for you, Sheriff?”

  “Please, have a seat.”

  The men sat across from each other. I settled on the couch next to Mitch. The sheriff took a small black notebook out of his pocket. “You didn’t tell us you were dating the victim, Amelia Jones.”

  Mitch nodded slightly. “No, I guess I didn’t. We only went out the night of the party, so I didn’t even know if it was important.”<
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  “Anybody who’s had contact with the victim in the last forty-eight hours of her life is critical. I would like to know why you chose not to reveal your relationship to the police.”

  “As I said, I didn’t think it was important. I’ll be glad to give you any information I can to help you.”

  The sheriff smiled and poised his pen, “Now that’s the kind of thing I like to hear.”

  It seemed like the sheriff was heading down one path and one path only, and it led toward my brother, Mitch. I had to widen his list of suspects. “Some people didn’t like Amelia. Have you asked them?”

  “Like who?”

  I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but come on, this was my little brother. “Darla Hobbs. She was very jealous of Amelia.”

  “Was Amelia having an affair with Tim Bradford?” the sheriff asked.

  “I don’t know, but Darla can’t handle any beautiful women being around Tim. Bring her in for questioning.”

  “Thanks. I think I will.” The sheriff turned back to Mitch. “Can you tell us the last time you saw Amelia alive?”

  Mitch’s lips thinned. “The night I met her. We danced at the party and then we … sat and talked. That was it.”

  “Yes, we heard your voice mail on her phone, so we know you were trying to meet with her again.” At least the sheriff believed that part of Mitch’s story.

  “And can you tell us where you were on the night Amelia was killed? That would be the night your sister saw her in the woods.”

  “I was here. I was playing video games.”

  “Was anybody with you?”

  “No. I was playing alone. Well, Luigi was here, but I don’t think he could testify.”

  “I see.” The sheriff wrote down some more notes. “I was wondering if you could tell me,” he pulled a baggie out of his pocket with a blue button in it, “if you can recognize this. I think you’ve seen it once before. We found this in Amelia’s pocket when we pulled her out of the water. Does it belong to you?”

  Mitch took the small bag in his hand and examined the item. “No. It’s not mine.” It felt like a brick now rested in my stomach. My brother was lying to the police.

  “Take a look at it one more time. Now you’re sure you’ve never seen it?”

  “Absolutely. I’ve never seen it before. It’s a pretty standard button, though. It could be on anybody’s shirt.”

  The sheriff closed his notebook. “That it could. I think it would be a good idea for me to say right now that deceiving the law is also a crime. Withholding evidence, withholding statements. I want you to think about that, Mitch, because you could be in a lot more trouble than you think. Now, I know you and Miss Amelia were hot and heavy that night. I found out the whole story from the folks at the bar. You were also photographed by the town’s newspaper when you were out on the dance floor with Amelia. You had on a light-blue shirt and blue jeans. So let’s take that question one more time.”

  Mitch didn’t answer.

  “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you meet me at the police station tomorrow? That’ll give you enough time to find a lawyer. I think you’re going to need one.”

  “But I was falling in love with her. Why would I want to kill her?”

  “You’d be surprised how often that question comes up in these investigations,” Sheriff Bennett answered.

  It was a perfect storm. A young guy whose own mother thought he was useless, new to town, had dated the victim, and now he was lying about the evidence. My first call would have to be to a lawyer. The second call would be to our mother.

  Chapter 21

  I decided to talk to Maybelline at the art school and see if she could help me find a criminal attorney for Mitch. I was due to teach class anyway and was pleased when I entered the tiny classroom to find Maybelline and Marcus up front. Gigi, Jane, and Nancy were sitting in the classroom space. Maybelline smiled as I drew closer. Jane looked up from her book while Gigi worked on a canvas through her Tobii.

  “Can you believe it, Marcus? First Billy is found dead and now Amelia? I don’t know what’s going on around here, but I’m beginning to think it might be something to do with drugs. Everything always has to do with drugs.”

  “Our little community used to be untouched by all of this. Now we have two murders? I think people will start locking their doors at night,” Marcus said.

  He was right about the two murders. Could the two crimes be connected? Could there be some serial killer out there killing everybody with the last name Jones? I turned to Maybelline.

  “I was wondering if I could get your advice on something,” I asked.

  “Sure, honey. What do you need?”

  “Well, this is going to sound strange, but do you know of any good criminal lawyers around Henry Park?”

  Marcus’s eyes widened. “My God, girl. You’ve only been in town for less than a month. What has happened?

  “It’s not for me. It’s for my brother, Mitch.”

  “This is about Amelia.” Gigi’s computer voice said from across the room. “This is about Amelia isn’t it?”

  She was twisted in her chair, looking at Jane. She twitched, and it was as if she wanted to crawl out of her chair and come over to me. “Yes. Mitch is the prime suspect. They found a button in Amelia’s pocket, and the sheriff thinks he can connect everything to Mitch. They have surveillance footage of him in the bar with her.”

  Nancy came up now and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I know a criminal lawyer.”

  Marcus’s eyes shot up. “Why, Mayor Farnham, is there something you’re not telling us?”

  “Let’s just say,” Nancy’s eyes sparkled, “in my line of business, sometimes the town’s leaders need legal representation.” She pulled out a piece of paper. “Let me write down his name. I’ll have to look up the number.”

  Maybelline looked over her shoulder and recognized the name. “This guy is good. He helped one of our quilting ladies who was unfairly accused of assault.”

  Marcus put his hand over his mouth in utter shock. “You do surprise me.”

  “I’m a representative of the people. The people get into trouble. The people need lawyers.” The mayor handed me the note, and as I read the name, Gigi once again interrupted. “It isn’t Mitch.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I snapped. I felt guilty being rude to a woman in a wheelchair, but then again she was a woman first, then she was in a wheelchair.

  “Thank you, Nancy. I hope this helps. Mitch is innocent, but we know nothing about working through the legal system.”

  “Nobody ever does,” Maybelline assured me.

  “Do I need to cover your class today?” Marcus asked. “Because if I do, it’s no problem. I’m happy to help.”

  “I’d appreciate that. I promise I’ll be back for the next class.”

  I walked over to Gigi, who had been typing out a message for me. “She wants you to read the screen,” Jane said.

  I read through her message. “Another vision. Still in the dark. Still searching. Be careful.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Good, because we paid in advance for this class.” It was a joke. But a sweet one.

  “Uh, Clarence, could I talk to you for just a minute?”

  “What can I do for you, Gabby?”

  I glanced over at Ryan, who was now leaning forward. “Can we go into your study and discuss this?” I was hoping I’d made it very clear I didn’t want Ryan in on the conversation.

  Before Clarence could agree, Ryan cut in, “If this is a business matter then you need to discuss this in front of me. Is it a business matter?”

  Hiring a lawyer was a business transaction. “No. Well, sort of.”

  “Then I’m in.” Why did he always have to win?

  “Whatever it is, Gabby, I’m sure it’s okay for Ryan to hear.”

  “Uh, it’s about my brother, Mitch. He’s gotten himself into some trouble. I thought you should know.”

  Ryan
rolled his eyes. “What kind of trouble?”

  “Sheriff Bennett is questioning him about Amelia’s murder. The blue button she had in her hand was the same button missing from one of his shirts.”

  “Oh my,” Clarence uttered. “That’s a problem. You couldn’t think that Mitch would ever …”

  “Of course not.” My head was spinning. How could they think, even for a minute, that Mitch would hurt Amelia? He was falling in love with her. Sure, he had some rough edges and sometimes spoke before he thought, but he would never kill another human being.

  “You’re sure? Isn’t Mitch here because he couldn’t make it at his last location?” Ryan remembered our history well.

  “Yes, I’m sure. You can trust me, and you can trust my brother. I don’t know what kind of people you’re around all the time, Mr. Bradford, but my family does not go around murdering people.”

  “You have to admit, Gabby, things are stacking up against you. A button from your brother found on the body? Sounds like an open-and-shut case to me.” Ryan rose to go. “I can see this has nothing to do with your illustration duties, which, frankly, is all we should be concerned with regarding you and your family, so I’ll excuse myself.” Ryan strode out of the room.

  “Gabby, please excuse my son. I don’t understand it. He’s usually a pretty nice guy except for when he’s around you. I guess you’re oil and vinegar. If there’s anything I can do to help, you just let me know.”

  I had so much at stake here. I wanted to do all I could to help my brother. Because of our time together at this lake house, he was someone I was getting to know all over again. Like Mitch losing Amelia right as he tapped into the wonderfulness that was her, I was suddenly terrified I was going to lose Mitch before I got to know the grown-up version of my little brother.