by Laura Landon
“But it could be anyone. Have you determined what she meant when she said we’d find her killer on bended knees?”
“Not as yet,” Will answered.
Ginny was silent for several moments and Will saw her mind working. “What are you thinking?”
“I just wondered…” She turned in her chair until she faced him. “Do you have a list of suspects you investigated after Lizzy’s murder?”
“Yes. But all of them either had alibis for the time Lizzy was murdered, or we couldn’t find proof that they might have anything to do with her death. Our consensus at the time was that Lizzy’s killer must have been a stranger, but that no longer seems the case. Her words suggest that the killer was someone she knew.”
“Or does it? Why be cryptic if she knows the man’s name?”
“If it is a man.”
Silence settled about them as they each contemplated the other’s comments.
“Alright, then. Who did you suspect?”
Will looked at her with growing unease. She was asking too many questions. “Why do you want to know?”
“I’m only interested in what path your investigation took you. Perhaps if I knew who you considered, something Lizzy said to me might shed some light on one of the suspects.”
Will studied her, wondering if she knew the insult she had just lobbed his way. He had studied every clue from every angle and every character flaw among his list of suspects. Still, he couldn’t argue with Ginny’s line of thinking. Perhaps it would help to have a fresh pair of eyes look at Lizzy’s murder. “As you know, Lizzy had been seeing Wesley Fletcher. I briefly considered him a suspect, but there was no proof that he had anything to do with her death.”
Ginny nodded her agreement. “I can see where you would consider him. He had been courting Lizzy and if he thought her attentions were focused on someone else, he may have become angry enough to kill her in a fit of jealous rage.”
“And if he proposed marriage, it would have been…”
“On bended knee.”
She followed his line of thinking so perfectly that she might as well have been reading from Will’s old notes. He rested his elbows on his knees and watched her clever mind work through various scenarios.
“Who else did you consider?”
“We considered Lizzy’s neighbor, Rodney Baker. He took an uncommon interest in our investigation. It made me think that he wanted to make sure we weren’t getting too close to discovering that he might have had something to do with Lizzy’s death.”
“Why did you dismiss him from your list of suspects?”
“It isn’t that I dismissed him, as much as that I was unable to find any proof to convict him, no tangible evidence that he had in any way planned or carried out the horrid deed. And, one of Elizabeth’s sisters admitted to pressing Baker to get information for her.”
“Explaining his ‘uncommon interest’. Anyone else?”
Will shook his head. “There’s always the possibility that the killer was a stranger.”
Ginny remained silent as if considering that possibility, then she shook her head. “I don’t think the killer was a stranger.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Lizzy said the killer wasn’t what he seemed. To me, that means she must have known him and thought he was someone she could trust. But he wasn’t.”
“Not necessarily. You see a rag lady in the market and assume she’s been poor all her life. But she might just be the Duchess of Penwick merely fallen on hard times. She wasn’t what she seemed.”
Will smiled at her look of surprise, and appreciated her admiring glance.
“Still, we cannot rule out the possibility that she knew the man,” Will said. He was impressed by the way Ginny’s mind worked and did not want to put a damper on her willingness to help him sort through it all. “Which means I’ll have to review my list of suspects again and see if anyone stands out.”
“May I ask one more question?”
“Of course.”
“Where was Lizzy killed?”
Will hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted Ginny to realize how vulnerable Lizzy had been. Or how close his cousin had been to making it home safely. In the end though, he found no reason to keep that fact from her.
“Not far from her house. She’d gone with her sisters to a concert in the neighborhood park earlier in the evening. When they were ready to leave, Lizzy wasn’t about. They assumed she must have gone home ahead of them. But she wasn’t there when they arrived home. When she didn’t return later, they sent for me and we searched the area. But her body wasn’t found until the next day. She’d been strangled and left beneath some bushes.”
“Oh,” Ginny said on a smothered squeak. There was a pained expression on her face.
“I shouldn’t have told you the details like I did.”
“I’m glad you did. The fact that she was killed close to home may indicate that she did indeed know her killer. And that she felt comfortable being with him.”
Will looked at her studious expression and felt again his awe. He was distracted just being so near to her, but she seemed unaffected and was wholly engaged in exploring the case. “I thought the same thing,” he said.
“You mentioned that she became separated from her sisters. Did they happen to see her talking to anyone? Perhaps she walked home with whoever she’d been talking to.”
Will shook his head. “I asked that question at the time of Lizzy’s murder. None of her sisters remembered her speaking to anyone.”
“Then I believe our next move should be to retrace the places your cousin was known to visit.”
Will gathered her hands in his. “There can be no our in this investigation, Ginny. If anyone does anything, it will be me. Do you understand that?”
A sheepish expression covered Miss Wattersfield’s face and although she looked contrite, Will doubted that contrition went beyond what he could see on her face.
“Of course, Will. I was only offering suggestions.”
“I don’t want you involved in this, Ginny. We’re looking for a killer, not a penny candy thief. Just because we only know of one death that he’s committed, doesn’t mean there aren’t more. Or that he won’t kill again if he feels threatened.”
“You’re right, Will,” she said, lowering her eyes. “I’ll leave the investigating to you.” With that, Ginny rose to her feet. “And I’ll return to my work at the emporium. I’ve left the work to Della and Lucy too often lately.”
Will walked Ginny across the room, but before he opened the door, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Remember what I said. Leave the investigating to me.”
“I will,” she answered, lifting her gaze to meet his.
But as he escorted her from the office, he was plagued by the suspicion that she had no intention of following his advice. And she could be in as much danger as Lizzy had been.
Chapter 7
It was Sunday morning, and Ginny sat in a pew near the back of St. Dunstan’s Church. Della sat to her right and Lucy sat to her left. Ginny had chosen this spot so she would have a better view of the people who made up the congregation.
Even though she’d attended church here for years, this Sunday it seemed as if she’d entered a different chapel altogether. Perhaps that was because today she had a goal in mind. Today she intended to study and evaluate the two men Will had mentioned as possible suspects in Lizzy de Wolfe’s murder: Wesley Fletcher and Rodney Baker.
She shifted her gaze from one side of the church to the other. Rodney Baker had already arrived. He sat in the same pew as Lizzy de Wolfe’s sisters, next to the oldest de Wolfe sister, Catherine. A wave of unease washed over her. What if Rodney Baker was responsible for Lizzy’s death? What if his focus had turned to another de Wolfe sister?
Ginny studied Rodney Baker. Although he wasn’t handsome in the way Inspector William de Wolfe was handsome, there was something pleasing about his features. His hai
r was a rich brown that swept fastidiously back from his face.
He sat in the pew with his back straight and his shoulders rigid. He wore an air of confidence that caused the females to notice him. There were always several females vying for his attention after a church service, and Ginny wondered how he’d managed to remain single this long. Or why. She knew he was responsible for two younger sisters who were unmarried, as well as his mother who was rumored to suffer from poor health, so perhaps that was the reason he hadn’t started a family of his own. Or, it could be that he’d truly loved Lizzy de Wolfe and it had taken him this long to get over losing her.
Ginny considered that possibility as she watched several new parishioners enter. The church was filling rapidly. Most of the faces who walked past her were familiar, but they weren’t who Ginny was watching for. She was waiting in particular for Reverend Fletcher’s son, Wesley, to appear.
There was no need for him to arrive early since the front pew of the church had always been reserved for Reverend Fletcher and his family. Wesley Fletcher had sat in the same spot in the front pew for as long as Ginny could remember. The pew was empty except for Ralphy Weston.
Ginny didn’t know how Ralphy was connected to Reverend Fletcher, or if he even was. One theory was that Reverend Fletcher had found Ralphy on the streets and had taken him into his home. Another theory was that Ralphy was the son of a distant relative and when that relative died, Ralphy was left in the reverend’s care. Whatever the circumstance, Ralphy had been a fixture in the Fletcher household for as long as most of them could remember.
Not only was Ralphy loved by everyone in the congregation, but he made himself useful by taking care of the grounds around St. Dunstan’s church and the graveyard. There was nothing Ralphy couldn’t grow or make bloom, nor was there a lost or injured animal or bird he didn’t care for. He had a collection of animals too numerous to count. But no one had the heart to suggest he reduce the number of pets he’d accumulated.
Although Ralphy was estimated to be three or four years older than Reverend Fletcher’s only son, Wesley, and although the two had been raised as brothers, that was where any similarity ended. Ralphy was what everyone in the congregation called simple. His thought process was slow. But because Ralphy was gentle and kind, no one in Reverend Fletcher’s congregation minded. Everyone loved him.
Ginny’s attention was pulled away from where Ralphy sat when the door opened and someone entered. The person was a lone gentleman and at first Ginny thought it might be Wesley Fletcher, but one look at the man’s towering height and broad shoulders, and Ginny realized she was mistaken. The man entering the church was William de Wolfe.
Ginny’s heart shifted in her breast and a warmth she was now used to feeling whenever she saw him seemed to lift her out of her serious contemplation. He was without a doubt the most handsome man she’d ever seen, and he affected her like no one else ever had.
He walked with purpose as he strode down the aisle and stopped beside the pew where his de Wolfe cousins sat. After the initial looks of surprise, the three de Wolfe sisters made room for their cousin to sit beside them. The inspector nodded his greeting, then sat with regal stiffness as the organ music filled the church and the congregation waited for the service to begin.
Shortly before the knolling of the church bell, Wesley Fletcher entered the church. He walked to his appointed pew and sat.
Ginny took a moment to study him. Even though she’d seen him nearly every Sunday when she attended church, this was the first time she really paid attention to his features.
He was a handsome man, but not in the same way Rodney Baker or William de Wolfe were. Where they bordered on the dark side, with hooded features and bronzed complexions, Wesley Fletcher’s features were almost angelic.
The sun shone through the stained-glass windows and bathed him in sunlight. His hair took on a golden shimmer that was almost divine. Ginny was surprised by the innocence in his features. She couldn’t imagine him capable of committing a crime as heinous as what had happened to Lizzy de Wolfe. But hadn’t Lizzy warned her that the killer was not what he seemed?
Ginny’s gaze shifted from Rodney Baker to Wesley Fletcher, and finally to William de Wolfe. The three men were totally different from one another. As Ginny studied them, she tried to imagine either Rodney Baker or Wesley Fletcher becoming angry enough to kill Lizzy de Wolfe. Had Lizzy refused an offer of marriage from one of them? Had the rejected suitor then become so angry that he’d killed her?
Ginny wondered if the inspector was considering the same thing. She looked to the place where William de Wolfe sat next to his cousins and her heart stuttered. The inspector was looking at her.
Their gazes locked and held.
An understanding passed between them that caused a warmth to spread throughout her body. Although she didn’t know when it had happened, or how, or why, Ginny felt a connection to him that made her feel safe. And wanted.
The organ music came to an abrupt end and Ginny and the inspector were forced to focus their attention to the front of the church. Reverend Fletcher had stepped to the center of the chancel to greet his congregation. Not until the organist struck the chords of the first hymn was Ginny able to focus on Reverend Josiah Fletcher.
He was a father figure to her, benevolence seeming to radiate from his face. Kindness infused his words and she felt her heart opening to his message. It took a few moments for Ginny to realize if her exercise today was to be thorough, she had to apply her observation to the Reverend, as well.
Today was the first time she’d ever compared his features to those of his son. Ginny had never seen Reverend Fletcher’s wife, as she’d passed away before Ginny and her family first attended services at St. Dunstan’s. But Wesley Fletcher must have received his blond hair and angelic blue eyes from his mother, because he didn’t resemble his father in the least, except perhaps in his height and the sharp angle of his nose. Otherwise, there were very few similarities that Ginny could see.
The most notable difference was in their eyes. Where Reverend Fletcher’s dark eyes seemed warm and friendly, Wesley Fletcher’s held an uneasy coldness. Perhaps that chilly demeanor went deeper than just the frost in his eyes.
Before Ginny realized that an hour had passed, the organist struck the chords of the final hymn. Reverend Fletcher gave the benediction and the organist played a robust postlude while the parishioners filed out of church.
Since Ginny was seated toward the back, it gave her the perfect opportunity to observe the members as they exited the church, especially Wesley Fletcher and Rodney Baker… and William de Wolfe.
The inspector left with his relatives, and as he came up the aisle, his gaze caught hers. There was a warmth in his hazel eyes that caused her heart to flutter as it swelled within her breast. That warmth remained even after he’d walked past her and exited the church.
Ginny lowered her gaze to her hands in her lap. It had happened without her even knowing, this feeling of fondness for William de Wolfe. She couldn’t say she’d fallen in love with him, but she couldn’t say that the emotion she harbored for him was far from turning into something much stronger. No one had ever affected her as he did.
The church emptied pew by pew, and finally it came time for the pew Ginny and her sisters sat in to join the procession.
The line leading from the church moved slowly. Reverend Fletcher was a man beloved by his congregation, and everyone stopped to say a few words to him. Finally, Ginny made her way to the door and stepped out into the sunlight.
“Good morning, ladies.” Reverend Fletcher greeted Ginny and her sisters with a friendly smile. “As always, looking upon your faces from the pulpit brings me the greatest joy.”
The Wattersfield sisters returned his greeting as he shook their hands.
“Your sermon was very inspiring,” Della said. “The parable you preached this morning is one of my favorites. I always appreciate hearing the parables explained.”
Ginny separated hers
elf from Della. She knew from experience that when Reverend Fletcher received a compliment, he always prolonged the conversation. Lucy must have felt the same, for when Ginny stepped away from Reverend Fletcher, Lucy did, too.
“Good morning, Miss Wattersfield.”
Ginny turned and her heart momentarily misremembered its rhythm when she found herself face to face with William de Wolfe. “Good morning, Inspector. I was surprised to see you here this morning.”
“Were you? After our conversation the other day, this was the most logical place for me to be. Besides, I could hardly pass up the opportunity to come where I knew I’d find you.”
The sincerity Ginny heard in William’s voice caused her cheeks to warm. She knew they must have turned red. Before she could find words to answer him, they were interrupted.
“Inspector de Wolfe. It’s a pleasure to have you worship with us this morning. It’s been far too long.”
Ginny turned to find Reverend Fletcher behind her. She’d always considered him a handsome man. Even though his hair was quite gray, his features didn’t show signs of aging. There was a humorous glint in his eyes which she’d always felt indicated his enjoyment of life.
Ginny scanned the area around her and noticed several middle-aged widows watching him, most likely wondering why he hadn’t taken another wife after the late Mrs. Fletcher died. It wasn’t that he lacked for willing candidates.
“I thought the same, Reverend,” William answered. “And I’m very glad I came. It allowed me to see my de Wolfe cousins, as well as affording me the pleasure of seeing Miss Wattersfield again.”
“I wasn’t aware that you were acquainted,” the reverend said.
“Yes, we’ve recently come to find we enjoy one another quite a lot.”
Reverend Fletcher gave Ginny and William a smiling nod of approval. “How wonderful. I’m glad to hear you haven’t come on a matter as serious as the last time we met.”
“No, no. Although I still hold out hope that I will discover who was responsible for Lizzy’s death and bring them to justice.”
