by Josh Lanyon
In fact, Ellery could hear a tiny, shrill barking in the background.
“Yeah, I still want him. I’m on my way.”
* * * * *
Fifteen minutes later, Ellery had a tiny black puppy snuffling in his neck and making almost human moans.
“He knows me!” He kissed the puppy’s silky ear and beamed at Dr. Vincent and Imelda the receptionist.
“Yes, he does,” Imelda said with a look of relief.
“There’s no escape now,” Dr. Vincent added, and he did not appear to be joking.
Ellery purchased a carrier, a bag of puppy food, and a few other necessities, which he proceeded to lug back to the Crow’s Nest and his car.
He had just reached the seafront when the piercing sound of sirens filled the air.
What the—?
Sirens were not often heard in Pirate’s Cove. Most residents were in good health, there was typically little crime (not including recent events), and the village was small enough that when emergencies did occur, residents could usually get the help they needed as quickly on foot—or golf cart—as by summoning official aid.
Ellery’s heart stopped. His initial thought was that the bookshop was on fire. He had no concrete reason for jumping to that conclusion, but he realized now how much the anonymous note had rattled him. Unconsciously, he kept waiting for the other shoe to fall—or kick him in the teeth.
He started to run, awkwardly clutching the puppy against his shoulder, the carrier banging against his knee, but as the Crow’s Nest came into view, he saw the crowd gathered on the sidewalk—mostly other shop owners working late—staring up the street in the direction of the village square.
He jogged up to Dylan. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. The ambulance was pulling away by the time I got outside.”
“Ambulance?”
Dylan nodded. He was staring at the puppy cuddled against Ellery’s shoulder. “Did you just get a dog?”
“It’s a long story, but yes. I’m adopting him.” Dylan was grinning broadly. “What?”
“If you adopted a dog, you’re here for the duration.”
“Of course I’m here for the duration. I always said I was here for the duration.”
“Yes, but now you’re committed. There’s no going back. Dogs are symbolic.”
Ellery rolled his eyes. “If you say so, Mr. Ibsen.” He looked past Dylan and noticed Mayor Cyrus Jones among the slowly dispersing crowd. The mayor caught his glance and made his way over.
“Shocking, isn’t it?” the mayor said.
“What?” Ellery and Dylan chorused.
Cyrus announced self-importantly, “I’ve just been informed Janet Maples tried to kill herself.”
Ellery had no idea what to say. He realized that, despite a fair bit of evidence, he had not ever really believed Janet was guilty.
“No way.” Dylan looked almost angry.
“I’m afraid it’s true,” Cyrus insisted. “She wrote a full confession on her computer. The paramedics found it. She confessed to everything.”
“What everything?” Dylan demanded.
“She confessed to killing both Trevor and Tommy.”
“There is no way in hell she killed Tommy,” Dylan said. “And I don’t believe she killed Trevor.” He pushed past Cyrus, making his way through the crowd. Ellery and the mayor stared after him.
Cyrus said, “Well! I had no idea he felt that way about poor Janet.”
“She’s part of the Monday Night Scrabblers,” Ellery said.
“Of course. Of course. And she’s a Scallywag. I should have thought before I spoke.”
Ellery was momentarily confused, but then he remembered that the Scallywags were members of the local theater group Dylan directed.
The mayor took Ellery by the arm, guiding him toward the door of the Crow’s Nest. “This is actually very good timing, dear boy. I wanted to speak to you… Oh, did you just buy a dog?”
“Sort of,” Ellery admitted. “We’ve adopted each other.” The pup yawned in his ear and tucked his head more comfortably beneath Ellery’s chin.
“Isn’t he adorable?” the mayor said in the polite tone of a cat person.
They reached the door of the Crow’s Nest, Ellery shifted the dog and his parcels, unlocked the door, and the mayor followed him inside. Ellery dropped his purchases, set the puppy—he was going to have to come up with a name for his little buddy—on the counter. It sat up and blinked sleepily.
The mayor was saying, “I admit, Janet never seemed like the type to take her own life. She’s too stubborn, for one thing, but we can’t discount the evidence.”
“Was there any evidence besides a suicide note?”
Cyrus looked startled. “Do you think more evidence would be needed?”
Well…yeah, frankly. But Ellery shrugged noncommittally. He said, “Aren’t there security cameras at Old Salt Stationery?” He seemed to recall there were. In fact, the Crow’s Nest was one of the only businesses in Pirate’s Cove that didn’t have security cameras. And knowing what he did now about the village’s crime rate, that was a temporary state of affairs.
He added, “Have they recovered any of the security footage yet?”
Cyrus smiled. “Good heavens. You sound just like Chief Carson.”
Ellery started to reply but was distracted by the tinkle of the bell on the front door.
Logan Maples stopped short at the sight of Ellery and the mayor. He said, “Do you know what’s going on?”
Cyrus shook his head. Ellery said, “The rumor is Janet tried to kill herself.”
“What?” Logan looked flabbergasted.
“It’s not a rumor,” Cyrus said. “She left a confession.”
“She confessed to trying to kill herself?” Logan sounded confused.
“No, no. She confessed to…” Belatedly Cyrus seemed to remember who he was talking to. “I suppose we should wait for the official verdict.”
Logan turned from Cyrus to Ellery. Ellery said, “Janet has apparently confessed to killing Trevor and Tommy Rider.”
Logan’s thick glasses gave him a blind look. He said, “Apparently?”
“She typed her confession on her laptop.”
“Then…it’s over. The case is closed.”
“I don’t know.”
“But if she’s confessed… And now she’s dead too?”
“We don’t have confirmation she’s dead,” Cyrus said.
“I thought you said—”
“She tried to kill herself. We don’t know yet if she succeeded.”
Logan seemed even more confused.
Ellery said, “I don’t know much about suicide, but I would think most people would write out their final words.”
“Nowadays they probably text them,” Cyrus said. He looked promptly abashed. “Well, I should be going. I must follow up with Chief Carson on this tragic development.”
“Wasn’t there something you wanted to discuss?” Ellery asked.
“Oh, it can wait,” Cyrus said with a meaningful look at Logan.
What did that mean? Was Cyrus also in the market to buy the Crow’s Nest?
As Cyrus disappeared through the front door, Logan said, “I still can’t figure out how that idiot came to be mayor.”
The competition kept dying off?
Ellery held that thought to himself.
“Awful news about Janet,” Logan said, approaching the counter. “I suppose she’s the type, though. Hysterical. Vindictive. You said they know yet if she’s going to make it?”
Maybe Janet had been vindictive. Ellery couldn’t guess based on their slight acquaintance. But what she had not struck him as—not even remotely—was hysterical.
“We don’t know yet.”
“She must have been desperate to try something like that.”
“I guess so. Did you actually know her?” Ellery asked.
“I met her a few times.” Logan gave the puppy an absent pat, glancing down at the yello
w legal pad Ellery had left lying there when he’d hurried out to fetch the pup from Vincent Veterinary Hospital.
Too late, Ellery remembered what was on the pad.
He watched Logan go perfectly still, watched Logan lose color, watched Logan raise his head, staring at him. “Suspects?” he quoted.
Well, this was awkward. Ellery felt hot with embarrassment. He opened his mouth, but Logan spoke first.
“You consider me a suspect in my own brother’s death?”
“I—”
“I wasn’t even here!”
“I know that. I was just—”
“You were just counting me as another suspect.”
“I’m trying to work through some things in my own mind,” Ellery said quickly, placatingly. “I don’t really consider you a suspect. How could I? As you say, you weren’t even here at the time.”
“And yet I’m on the list.”
“If you’ll notice, I don’t have anything filled in.”
“Why doesn’t that reassure me?” Logan said. He was scarlet with anger. “What is it you have against me, if I may be so bold?”
“Nothing. Really.”
“Don’t give me that. I should at least have the opportunity to defend myself.”
Why, oh why had he not left that pad in his office?
“I…”
“Go on.”
“Well, if I had to attribute a motive to you, I guess it would be something to do with gain. With Trevor owning a third of the village.”
“Ha! That just goes to show what you don’t know,” Logan retorted furiously. “Trevor was broke. He was on the verge of bankruptcy. I’m the one with the money. I’m the one with the investment portfolio. I could buy and sell any one of you a dozen times over. I have a million dollars in my Swiss bank account. And that’s just the beginning.”
Yikes.
“Like I said,” Ellery began, “I don’t really have any—”
“No! You don’t. But that doesn’t stop you and everyone else from speculating. What was my reason for killing the Rider woman? I suppose I knocked her off too?”
“I never said that.”
“It’s implied! If I killed one, I must have killed the other.”
You couldn’t fault his logic.
When Ellery didn’t answer, Logan said, “It’s a little late for diplomacy. Go on. You must have given it some thought.”
Ellery said reluctantly, “I don’t know why Tommy was killed. Her relationship with Trevor must have made her privy to some information that would be dangerous to his killer.”
Logan made a sound of derision. “I can’t even begin to translate that babble.”
Ellery said, “I already admitted I don’t know why anyone would kill Tommy. Maybe she knew something she didn’t know she knew.”
Logan practically goggled at him. “That’s it? That’s your theory? That’s the silliest thing I ever heard.”
“You asked!” Ellery said irritably.
“I suppose you’ve shared all this with Chief Carson?”
Ellery said, “Chief Carson doesn’t need help in his investigation from me or anyone else.”
“Doesn’t he? He’s certainly dragging his feet on finding my brother’s killer.”
“Really, Logan, you’re taking this way too seriously. I was just working a few things out in my own mind.”
“So you said! What does that even mean?”
“It means I’m the person actually under suspicion. Well, now I guess it’s Janet, but it was me. No one thinks you’re involved, and you’ve just pointed out you had no motive, so you shouldn’t—”
“Take it too seriously? If anyone ought to appreciate how it feels being unfairly suspected of murder, it’s you.”
Touché.
Ellery couldn’t argue that one, and Logan didn’t give him the opportunity. He turned, strode to the door, and shoved it open.
“And to think I was going to invite you to dine with me this evening!”
The door swung shut with a bang, cutting off the melodious sway of the bell.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ellery was tempted to spend a second night at the Seacrest Inn.
Nan had the room, and she seemed like someone who would like dogs. Was there anyone who didn’t like puppies? Last night had been the best night’s sleep Ellery had enjoyed in three months, and having someone cook a hot breakfast was an added bonus.
But the very fact that he was dreading returning to Captain’s Seat meant he needed to go back and face his fears. Captain’s Seat was now his home. He could not afford to develop a case of the heebie-jeebies.
Anyway, after Janet’s supposed suicide attempt, he was perfectly safe. Either Janet had really killed Trevor and Tommy, or she had been efficiently framed for the murders. Having successfully framed her, it would make no sense for the real killer to undo his hard work and kill again while Janet had an airtight alibi.
If it turned out that Janet had not tried to kill herself and that her confession was faked, then all bets were off. But tonight, while Janet’s life hung in the balance and all of Pirate’s Cove slumbered peacefully in the belief that the killer of two of their citizens was safely locked up, this was probably the safest he would ever be.
He had to hire the island’s only taxi service to get him home—it seemed a lifetime ago Chief Carson had driven him to the Seacrest Inn and promised that everything would be okay—and the drive out to Captain’s Seat was to the accompaniment of Ezra Christmas’s theories on what would drive a woman like Janet Maples to murder.
“You don’t think there’s any chance she’s being framed?” Ellery asked.
“Left a confession, didn’t she?” Ezra pointed out. “On her own computer!”
And for all Ellery knew, Janet had killed Trevor and Tommy. It was hard not to hope she had, because with the suspicion lifted from him, everyone was being extra nice, no doubt feeling guilty about their previous suspicions.
Even Ezra had declined payment for the taxi ride. “We look out for our own at Pirate’s Cove,” he announced, waving away Ellery’s bills.
Well, sometimes. And Ellery was not the type to hold a grudge.
Ellery thanked Ezra and lugged Watson—he had named the puppy on the drive from the village—and his purchases up the steps and into the mansion.
Having the pup helped. His lively, inquisitive personality—and tendency to get underfoot—kept Ellery busy for the first part of the evening. But once Watson had been played with and fed and played with some more and had finally settled down to sleep, Ellery fixed himself a Lean Cuisine Comfort Glazed Chicken and a glass of white wine and sat down to work out his doubts with a game of Scrabble.
What he’d have liked to do was phone Carson and ask him if he believed in Janet’s guilt, and if he knew whether Logan Maples was as rich as he claimed, and if anyone had checked Logan’s whereabouts at the time Trevor was murdered.
And while he was thinking of things to ask Chief Carson during this imaginary phone call he was never going to make, he’d have also liked to ask him if he’d been saying what he seemed to be saying that afternoon, because the more Ellery thought about it—and he had thought about it a lot—the more confused he was.
Which was kind of funny, given that Carson seemed to be a pretty direct communicator.
But seriously, what had Jack been trying to say?
If things had been different, Ellery would have simply called and asked him straight out. He too was a pretty direct communicator. But the one part of that conversation he had understood without qualification was to keep his distance. Certainly where the murder investigation was concerned, but also in other areas.
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
That had been the message, and Ellery had received it loud and clear.
Maybe, if Janet really was guilty and the investigation was over, he and Jack—Chief Carson—might run into each other at the Salty Dog one evening and have a beer together, and who knows?
&nb
sp; Or maybe not.
Sometimes a moment was all you got, and sometimes you didn’t even get that.
Anyway, Ellery resisted the temptation to phone Carson. He ate his Lean Cuisine, had a second glass of wine, and began to sort through Scrabble tiles.
To his irritation, he got ROMANCE right off the bat (fifteen points + fifty for using all his tiles), and then JILTED (say what? fourteen points), and then nothing. Not NOTHING, mind you. Literally nothing. It was like the Scrabble gods were conspiring against him.
His mind wandered to the events of the day, particularly that unpleasant encounter with Logan. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he was. Not that he didn’t understand how offensive it was to be suspected of something you hadn’t done, but Logan could hardly fail to notice he was last on the list of suspects—and that he was the one person Ellery had been unable to pin a motive on.
Logan had to realize everyone connected to Trevor would be considered a suspect. At least initially. So why had he gotten so bent out of shape?
Another slightly weird thing had been that tirade about all his money and wealth. If true, he really didn’t seem to have any motive for wanting Trevor out of the way (even without the money and wealth, he had no discernable reason for wanting to do away with Trevor). But why was he so angry?
In fairness, he did come across as arrogant, egotistical, and plain-old eccentric, so maybe that was the explanation right there. Maybe it had just been an instance of How very dare you!
Eccentric. Yeah, Trevor had never seemed eccentric. Whereas Logan… Sometimes Logan had seemed like a person in a play. A set of mannerisms rather than a real personality.
Oh, and pressing Ellery to come up with his reasons for suspecting him in Trevor and Tommy’s murders. That had felt very off. What had he been trying to prove? No, what had he been after?
Yes. That was what made Ellery uneasy. The feeling that Logan had been after something.
Ellery’s next draw was COSTUME (eleven points + fifty).
The ironic thing was Logan really had nothing to gain from Trevor’s death. Whereas if it had been Logan who had been murdered…Trevor would be the prime suspect. Logan’s death would have solved all Trevor’s financial problems.
Well, assuming there was no Mrs. Logan Maples. Assuming Logan’s will still named his brother as his main beneficiary. Who would know the answer to that?
