by Essie Lang
Obviously, he wouldn’t. So, there must be two different suspects. Two different motives was also a given. Which left one major question—who had wanted Savannah Page dead?
Chapter Fourteen
Shelby’s landline light flashed to tell her a message was waiting as she walked into the houseboat that night. It was a request from Savannah’s agent, Bryce O’Connell, to meet for a drink later that night. She glanced at the clock and thought, I can do that, wondering why he wanted to see her. She had to content herself with leaving him a message that she’d be at his hotel bar at eight PM. Then she dug through the fridge until she found the beef patty she had stashed in the freezer along with a frozen bun.
It still looked like summer outside, even though the temperatures had certainly dropped. Still a good time to barbecue a burger. She intended to make as much use as possible of the small portable charcoal grill she’d purchased at the beginning of summer, before it became too cold or too white outside. But of course, by then she’d be off the boat and living with her aunt.
If only it were available year round, in which case she’d seriously consider trying to buy it. The sale of her dad’s house in Boston had left her with a comfortable sum she hadn’t dug into yet.
She wondered if it was possible to remain living on the houseboat when it was in dry dock. Her landlord hadn’t even suggested it, but she might ask the question next time she spoke to him. He might have assumed she wasn’t interested. She wondered about insulation and if it would be warm enough, although she’d think that once it was in dry dock, it would be warmer than in the water. But what did she know? She had already arranged with him that the furnishings could stay on board during the storage.
After supper, she quickly washed the dishes, then looked at the clock. She still had plenty of time before she needed to leave. Maybe Cody would be available for a quick phone call. She really did need to talk to him about the plan, now that the chief knew about it, and she didn’t want to wait for the weekend. She pulled out her cell phone and gave him a call. No answer after four rings, and she didn’t feel like leaving a message. Tomorrow would have to do.
She decided to upgrade to a warmer jacket for the evening, then took off at a brisk pace to the Skyliner.
When she arrived, she spotted Bryce at a table for two beside a large window overlooking the bay. He was obviously watching for her and waved her over. He greeted her with a large smile and asked what she wanted to drink. After she placed her order for a glass of red wine, he leaned forward, arms crossed on the table.
“Thanks for meeting with me, Shelby. I just wanted to know if you’d heard anything more about the investigation.” Lines of concern creased his forehead.
That surprised her, although why, she didn’t know. When she’d gotten his message, she’d thought maybe he wanted to ask her some questions about Erica. What was she doing thinking of playing matchmaker, anyway? Better question, how much could she tell him about either Erica or what she’d learned? Of course, he didn’t know she had been asking questions. His main interest was the police investigation. The theft wasn’t public knowledge yet. So, really, she didn’t have much to say.
“I haven’t heard much. I know the police are going all out, but they don’t share information with me, and anyone who I’ve talked to at the castle is as much in the dark as I am. How’s Liam holding up?”
“He’s getting a bit antsy and would like to get back to Buffalo. I guess I can understand that.” He hesitated before continuing. “He does have a job, although he works from home and has been telecommuting from the hotel, but as he says, there’s nothing he can really do here.”
Something in his voice alerted her. “What? Do you fault him for wanting to leave?”
“Well, I know if it were my fiancé who had just been murdered, I’d want to have as much to do with the investigation as possible.” He picked up his empty glass and signaled for another. Shelby declined.
“What about you?” she asked. “Are you also anxious to leave?”
Bryce shrugged. “Not really. I know I can’t be much help, but I do want to keep on top of what’s happening with the investigation. I guess it’s still sinking in. But I think I should try to stay on top of it all, in case something negative turns up, and get right on damage control.”
That totally surprised Shelby. “Like what?”
He leaned closer. “Like, what was she doing wandering around at night? Why was her body at the bottom of the stairs? Oh yeah, the police told me that much. Was she just being curious, or did she have something else in mind?”
“I’m not sure what you mean. You don’t think Savannah was planning on stealing anything?” Did that make sense? Was she involved in the thefts? No, it didn’t.
Bryce shrugged. “I can’t imagine that, but then again, I couldn’t have imagined she’d steal someone else’s research subject either. I believe in her, I truly do, but again, just in case, I have a business to run, and that means doing damage control wherever and whenever needed.”
He leaned back in his chair. Shelby realized he was watching her for a reaction. She was flabbergasted, to say the least, but tried not to look it. “I hope you’re wrong.”
“Believe me, so do I, but I’ve had stranger things happen with clients before. But I’m also thinking of the next book, and if there’s any way to salvage it. As I already mentioned, I’m not sure how far she’d gotten in writing it. I need her laptop, and the police haven’t had any success in finding it. Do you think you could have a look around the castle, in the room she stayed in, maybe? It might have fallen down behind some furniture or something.”
“The castle is cleaned on a regular basis, and I’m sure they would have found it if it was there. Plus, the police thoroughly searched the room.”
Shelby felt a shiver snake across her shoulders. It all sounded a bit heartless. She had to wonder, why he was really still in town?
He took a long swig from his beer glass when it was brought over, and looked straight at her. “I know that sounds cold, but there’s nothing I can do for Savannah except maybe publish something posthumously. And if you knew her, you’d know Savannah would have wanted that.”
Shelby had no doubt that it would have been Savannah’s choice. She’d seen that drive in her actions and heard it in her voice. But it still sounded cold.
Bryce sighed. “I’m probably in your bad books now, aren’t I? And I know this really isn’t the right time to be asking, but what can you tell me about Erica? Does she have a boyfriend?”
At that moment, after the way he’d talked about Savannah, Shelby didn’t want to tell him anything about her friend, but she thought Erica deserved the chance to make up her own mind about him.
“She’s not seeing anyone at the moment. Chocomania is her business, you know, and she’s great at making chocolates. But it does take up most of her time.” Let him find out the rest for himself.
He grinned, and Shelby relented. “She’s really nice, a good person who’d do anything for her friends.”
“That’s sort of what I thought, even though we met only briefly. Do you think she’d say yes if I asked her out to dinner?”
“Sorry, I’m really bad at reading people.”
Understatement of the year.
* * *
Edie phoned a few minutes after Shelby arrived home.
“Are you all right?” Shelby asked, surprised at the late-evening call.
“Fine, fine. Just getting antsy, you know. My brain and all parts of my body, except for me knee, are raring to go. So, my mind has been working overtime.”
Uh-oh!
“What’s on that overly busy mind of yours?” Shelby asked hesitantly.
“Well, you should expect a phone call from Cody at some point, hopefully not too late tonight. I tried reaching him, but there was no answer, so I left him a message to call you. I just want to know more about our missing plan, in case he has any information. I can’t wait until Saturday. It’s really bother
ing me not knowing if this was part of what led to Savannah’s death.”
Shelby sighed. “I know. I’m wondering too, and I tried calling him also, but there was no answer. Okay, let’s hope he does as you ask. I’ll let you know when I hear from him.”
“Would you? Thanks, honey. It will put my mind at rest. I hope.”
“You’re sure you’re feeling okay, aside from the restless brain?”
“Oh, sure, sure.”
“By the way, do you know where Frank White lives?” Another unknown on Shelby’s list.
“Frank? Why? Are you planning to visit him and ask some questions? I don’t know him all that well, since he’s about ten years older than me, but I think he’s a pretty straight-up guy.”
“You’re probably right. I already talked with him, but I thought in case I miss him at the soup kitchen when I go back, I’d try his home. I’m curious why he didn’t hear Savannah scream, because she must have. I mean, that makes sense. Right?”
“I would think so. Where are you going with this?”
“I’m not sure. I just want to check back with him again, but I’m assuming he works over the lunch hour, and I’m usually at work then.”
Edie chuckled. “That place is on my list of volunteer jobs when I finally retire. You’re right, though, it does conflict with running a store unless you give a midday shift to someone else.”
“You mean, like the other part-time employee we don’t have as yet?” She couldn’t resist saying it but hoped she didn’t come across as too sarcastic.
“Yup. My fault, I know. I will get organized again someday soon. I promise.”
“Good to know. Now, I hope you get a good rest tonight.”
“Oh, I will. In fact, Matthew has just brought me a hot chocolate. Gotta go. Sleep tight.”
Shelby was smiling as she hung up, although she realized she hadn’t gotten an answer to her question. At least somebody would be getting a good night’s sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
The phone call came at eleven, just as Shelby had turned off the reading lamp on her bedside table.
“I wasn’t sure if this was too late to call,” Cody explained to a sleepy Shelby.
She glanced at the bedside clock. “No, it’s okay. I gather you got Aunt Edie’s message.”
“Yeah, and I’m really curious, you know. Does this have to do with my weekend shift? Is anything wrong? Did I do something I shouldn’t have?” He sounded nervous.
Oh, boy. How to put it so as not to upset him? “We just had a question about the castle plan in the back room at the bookstore. Did you happen to borrow one of them or put it aside somewhere?”
“What? No, I didn’t. I haven’t touched any of them. Is one missing or something?”
“It looks like it. We can’t find the ones of the architectural plans for the castle.”
It took Cody several seconds before he answered. “Is that tied in to the murder at the castle? Why else would you be asking?”
“It could be. Or maybe not. We just want to track down the plan. You see, there were some items that went missing from the castle. They’re not really sure when they were taken, but it could have been at the same time as the murder.”
“I didn’t do anything to them, I promise.”
“Okay. I have another question. Do you think anyone else besides us would know about them?”
“Uh, well, yes, now that you mention it. I guess so. I guess I sort of told some friends of mine. Well, not close friends, but guys I knew from high school. They were talking about the castle and how cool it would be to sneak in one night and hang a sign from the second floor, you know, a message from the grad class.”
“And how did they think they’d pull that off?” She hoped he hadn’t shown them the plans.
She heard him take a deep breath. “I told them it couldn’t be done, that there was security. And one of them wondered if there were secret passages or something, being a castle and all. I said I’d seen the plans, that they were in the back room at the bookstore, and there were no passages. I didn’t know if that was true, but I wanted to derail their planning. I was pretty sure there was more involved than just hanging a banner, and I didn’t want any trouble.”
“Good idea, but it may not have worked. Do you know if they attempted to get into the castle?”
“I haven’t seen them since then, so I have no idea.”
“Are they the type of guys who might give it a try?”
“I don’t really know. Like I said, I knew them a bit from school. They were a year behind me, and we didn’t hang or anything like that.”
“Who are the guys?”
“You think they broke into the bookstore and took the plan?”
“I think it’s possible that one or more of them stole it, yes. But maybe not. I don’t think you owe them anything though, Cody. Just in case they did it, the police need to know.”
It took even more time before he answered. “You’re right, of course. Oh boy, my bad. Am I in any trouble? No, don’t answer that. I don’t think I should tell you their names, I’m sorry. What if they’re innocent? But how about I call Chief Stone tomorrow morning?”
Shelby wanted to know the names of the boys but thought this might be the better plan. Cody needed to feel he was doing the right thing, but she’d be sure to call the chief herself later in the day, hopefully for an update. As if …
She checked the clock and decided to wait until morning to fill Edie in on what had just happened. She tried to fall asleep quickly, but her mind wouldn’t stop turning, trying to figure out how the hellions had possibly broken into the bookstore without leaving a trace. She knew Edie would want to know. too.
* * *
The next morning, Shelby gave Edie a quick call before heading to work to fill her in on her talk with Cody. As the morning progressed, she saw a bit of what Chrissie had been talking about earlier in the week. The store got very busy for a while, and most of the questions the visitors asked were about the murder, not about books. However, if she’d had more copies of Savannah’s book, she probably would have sold out several times. She didn’t mind in the least that that didn’t happen. She didn’t want to profit from the death, and she was sure that’s what had driven up the interest.
Edie called just before lunch. “I know how they broke into the store.”
“What? You didn’t go there, did you?”
“No, but Tekla Stone did. Looks like they jimmied the back door but then managed to glue the wooden frame back in place so we didn’t even notice. In fact, I don’t think that door’s been used in a while. They were smart and came prepared.”
“Did she manage to get any fingerprints off it?”
“That she did, although we’re not sure if they belong to the hooligans or not. You’d think since they thought to bring glue, they’d also be wearing gloves.”
“You’d think. Well, I’m glad that’s sorted out. Cody’s not in any trouble, is he?”
“Not in my books, and I don’t think Tekla’s thinking he’s part of it. Apparently he called her this morning and that’s why she went to the store. So, we know how they got it, but I would hate to think that some teens were responsible for Savannah’s murder, though, if it turns out that’s who stole the plan. It’s bad enough they broke into the bookstore.”
“Do you buy their story about wanting to hang a banner from the grad class in the hall?”
“Anyone who would break into a bookstore—I mean, who would do that?—would probably do much worse, like maybe graffiti the hall. That would have been a terrible mess. But that didn’t happen, nor did the banner. So maybe they didn’t get around to breaking into the castle after all.”
“I hope not. You’re right, they’re teens, and although the plot doesn’t surprise me, a murder would. Oops, gotta go. I’ve got an official visitor,” she added as a familiar-looking face walked through the open door and headed straight toward her.
“Chief Stone, hi.”
“Shelby. We need to talk.” Stone walked over to where Shelby sat behind the counter. She looked rather stiff, and Shelby wondered if she was in pain. Maybe bad knees, like her aunt? They were the same age, after all. It probably wouldn’t do to ask.
“Sure. How are you?” She couldn’t help herself.
Stone grimaced. “My arthritis is acting up. It happens. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Tell me about Cody and those pals of his who were so eager to find out about the plan.”
Uh-oh. “Would you like some coffee while we talk?”
Stone’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like you’re stalling, but I would definitely like some.”
Shelby felt Stone’s eyes on her as she went to the back room and returned quickly with two mugs of coffee. She waited until the chief had blown on it and taken a sip before she told her what she knew.
“Well, all I know is what Cody told me when he called last night. It seems some guys from his high school told him they wanted to sneak into the castle and hang a banner for their grad class or something equally ridiculous. They weren’t really friends of his, though.”
“I know, I know … one of those grad pranks. So, he offered them the plans of the place?”
“What? No. He said he didn’t. Cody happened to mention the plans to them but told them there were no secret passages. That was their original question. But he tried to throw them off. He didn’t, and wouldn’t, give them the plans.”
“Well, it sounds like they very well may have wanted to see for themselves.”
Shelby didn’t have an answer to that. “But Cody tried to throw them off by telling them there weren’t any passages. He wasn’t part of it. I’d stake the store on it.”
“I like how you have that boy’s back. He called me this morning, by the way. But I’ll bet you already knew that. I just wanted to get a better take on it all. But I’ll be talking to him some more this weekend, and I hope you’ll encourage him to give up the names of these boys. He said he wasn’t comfortable telling me this morning.”
