by Lynn Cahoon
“I got curious, so sue me. Aunt Jackie wrote down the list of names Pat gave me, and I started looking them up.”
“How are you looking people up? If Esmeralda gave you passwords to the office servers, I’m going to fire her.” He frowned. “Or was it Toby?”
I held my hand up. “Stop. I looked the names up on Facebook.”
Greg laughed. He kept laughing. Then he threw Emma’s ball again and wiped the moisture from his eyes. “Okay, super sleuth. What did Facebook tell you?”
Okay, so maybe Facebook wasn’t a high-tech search engine, but I had found something. “I went through the list of names and found that Evelyn Baker is married to Thomas Baker and maybe had something to hide from her husband.”
“Like an affair with Kent.”
I nodded. “So Amy and I drove to Bakerstown to talk to her today.”
“Are you kidding me? You just drove off to her house and accused her of killing Kent?” He leaned closer. “How’d that turn out? I didn’t get a call from the Bakerstown police that you’d been thrown in jail.”
“I was more tactful than that.” I thought about my approach and decided I didn’t have to tell Greg everything. “Anyway, she claims to have an open marriage and she was in the city the night Kent was killed. With her husband.”
“So neither one could have killed him?” Greg pulled a notepad out of his pants pocket. “Give me their names and address again. I’ll check them out, just in case. Sherry is throwing anyone and everyone under the bus to keep her own butt out of jail.”
I listed off the names and then gave up the other thing I hadn’t told Greg. “The afternoon of the dress rehearsal, I saw Kent making out at the beach with some girl.”
He tapped the notebook. “This woman?”
It was my turn to shrug. “Unless she was wearing a red wig, someone else was kissing Kent’s face off in the car.”
“I’ve got to get back to the office and see if we can pull footage from the beach cameras. You should have mentioned this before.”
I had tried to tell him, but he’d brushed me off. “Look, I’ve been trying to tell you about her, but …”
Greg’s phone rang. He scowled at the display, then took the call. “I’ll be back at the desk in ten minutes tops. Can’t this wait?”
I heard a man’s voice on the other end. Tim took dispatch calls on the weekends when Esmeralda had readings. Greg’s gaze caught mine as he returned the phone to his side holster.
“What’s wrong?”
He walked over to me and sat next to me on the bench. “Jill, it’s your aunt.”
My stomach rolled at his words, and I couldn’t hear from the blood rushing in my ears. I repeated my question, not sure I wanted an answer. “What’s going on?”
“She’s been arrested.”
CHAPTER 13
Mary Sullivan met Amy and me on the courthouse steps. We’d driven not to the city, where my aunt had claimed to be taking a girls’ night, but instead, the short distance to Bakerstown for the second time that day. Greg had offered to come, but I knew he wanted to work the Kent case. Besides, with Amy riding along, at least we’d talked during the drive.
Greg had called as we pulled into Bakerstown, letting us know he’d gotten my aunt released to his custody. Moreover, he wanted us to stop at the station so he could have a chat with her. I had a feeling neither of us were going to be on Greg’s good list for a while.
Mary pulled me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Jackie told me not to call anyone, that she’d talk her way out of it, but then she didn’t come out. I waited in the car forever, but I was getting nervous.”
“You should have called anyway,” I chided, sounding more like a mom picking wayward teens up from their night of street racing than the two older women.
When Mary’s face crumpled into tears and she leaned against my shoulder, I knew I was preaching to the wrong party. “I know,” she sobbed into my T-shirt.
I passed her over to Amy. “Why don’t you wait here and I’ll go get Aunt Jackie. Amy can drive her car home and the two of you can ride with me.” Where I can keep an eye out on you was what I didn’t add.
I pulled the big doors open and stopped to drop my purse and clean out my pockets for the metal detector. Security had heightened even in little counties like ours. Although the last time someone had brought a gun into the courthouse, it had more to do with a cheating wife than terrorism. The guard nodded me through and I retrieved my items.
Greg had told me Aunt Jackie would be waiting for me at the county sheriff’s office. I checked the building directory and headed up to the second floor. When I reached the top of the stairs, the waiting room was crowded with women and children. Confused, I walked up to the desk. The officer sitting there must have been in her twenties, her dark hair pulled back into a severe bun. She looked up from her computer. “Sign the log and we’ll be starting visitation in ten minutes. You’re cutting it pretty close. I’m closing out the group right now. Did you bring your license?”
“I’m not here for visiting hours.” No wonder the room was filled. “I came to pick up my aunt? Jackie Ekroth. Greg King from South Cove talked to someone about her release?”
The woman focused on her computer. “Hold on. I’ve got to finish the visitation group, then I’ll get your aunt. I think she’s in the drunk tank.” The officer nodded to the rows of benches near the wall. “Have a seat. It will be a few minutes.”
I turned around and viewed the room. Finally, I spied a spot next to a young woman with a three-year-old at her feet and a crying baby on her lap. No wonder no one wanted to sit next to her.
When she looked at me, I nodded a greeting and smiled. “The baby is pretty.” Although really, all I could see was the red face scrunched up in an Amazonian yell.
The girl laughed. “She is, just not right now. I don’t understand why she always gets so upset when we visit Thom. It’s like she knows her daddy did a bad thing and she’s upset about it.”
“Daddy is in jail,” the little boy repeated. “He did a bad, bad thing.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
The girl held out her hand. “I’m Mary Beth. This is my little boy, Jax, and the princess, Lizzie.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jill.” I guessed first-name anonymity at jail visitation was the protocol. “You have a beautiful family.”
“Thanks. I’m trying. As soon as Thom gets out, we’re going to move to Oregon and live on a farm. My uncle has already found us a place to live and Thom a job. I think getting him out of the area will help.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.” I smiled at the baby, who had stopped crying and was now staring at me, waving a chubby pink hand.
“It’s a new start.” She pushed her son’s hair out of his eyes and then asked, “What’s your man in for?”
“Oh, I’m not here to visit.” I wondered how much information this woman I’d just met would share with a total stranger. “I’m picking up.”
The girl looked at me, nodding. “You didn’t look like one of us.”
“Line up against the right wall for visitation,” a male guard called out and everyone stood, grabbing their children’s hands and stepping toward the line.
Mary Beth rose and took Jax’s hand. “Good luck with everything.” She smiled and then disappeared into the crowd.
When the room cleared, the woman at the desk waved me toward her. “She’s coming out now. You can meet her over at the left door.”
I stepped toward the steel door and waited. When it opened, Aunt Jackie emerged. She was dressed in black cashmere pants and a black sweater. Her normally poufed hair had been pulled back and she pulled a beanie out of her bag, covering her hair quickly. She was without makeup, and when she saw me, her face paled. “Jill, I didn’t expect you to be here. Where’s Mary?”
“She’s in the car with Amy. Give me your keys, you’re riding home with me so we can talk. Amy
can drive your car back to South Cove.” My voice held a hint of displeasure. For the second time in less than a few minutes, I wondered why I was taking the parental role and how long it would be before it happened more often. My aunt was getting older, and I was her only relative. Could this be the start of some type of dementia?
As we walked out of the courthouse, Aunt Jackie dug in her purse for her sunglasses. “Hold up, can’t have the paparazzi recognizing me.”
Holding the door open, I groaned. “Seriously? You spend a night in jail and that’s all you got?”
Aunt Jackie strode past me. “I didn’t spend a night in jail. You need to get your facts straight. I’ve only been in the big house for”—she looked down to check her watch—“five hours. It would have been less if they would have let Mary bail me out.”
I herded her toward my car. “Why were you arrested anyway? What about your girls’ night out with Mary?”
We’d reached Mary and Amy by then, and Mary flew out of the car to hug my aunt. “I was so worried. I can’t believe you did all of this for me. You’re an amazing friend.”
“Wait, what did she do for you?” My Spidey sense was tickling.
Aunt Jackie shrugged and handed Amy her keys. “I’ll tell you on the way home. I seriously need a shower and a change of clothes after sitting on that awful cot for so long. And a bathroom. Did you know they have metal toilets in your cell? With absolutely no privacy? No way was I going to give the guards a peep show.” She stopped Mary. “Do you still have the notebook?”
Mary nodded and took a brown leather-covered notebook out of her purse and handed it to Aunt Jackie.
“This is going to fix everything, you’ll see.” Aunt Jackie hugged Mary and sent her off with Amy in the direction of her car.
When we got into the Jeep, I turned down the stereo. “You want to tell me what’s going on now?”
“Of course. We had to get evidence that Mary was swindled, and it’s all right here. That travel agency takes money up front, then refuses to book the trips without additional funds. More than a trip to the moon would cost.” She tapped the book. “The proof’s all right here.”
“Wait, you broke into a travel agency and stole their records?” I glanced in horror at the book in my aunt’s hands. The verification that could land her in jail for her breaking-and-entering charge. “Throw that out the window.”
“Now, Jill, don’t be silly. They aren’t going to charge me with B&E, because if they do, I’m going to prove they are crooks. This book”—she held it up for emphasis—“proves that they were scamming a lot more people than just poor Mary.”
“Why didn’t she use their regular agent? I don’t understand why she went with someone like this.” I kept my eyes on the narrow highway, wanting to stop at the beach and run some negative energy off, but I drove past the parking entrance and toward South Cove.
“Mary was trying to surprise Bill for their anniversary. Nice sentiment, but poor execution. She really does have a good heart.” Aunt Jackie turned and stared out the window. “Your uncle Ted gave me a cruise for our tenth anniversary, then one for every five years after. He called it our marital checkup time.”
“You still miss him.” I hadn’t really known Uncle Ted. He worked a lot of hours and wasn’t home the times I visited.
“Every day.” Aunt Jackie patted my leg. “Thanks for coming to save me. I suspect your boyfriend is a little miffed at me.”
“You and me both today.” I turned the Jeep onto Main Street and drove past my house. I’d turned a light on before I left, and the house glowed a friendly welcome. “He wants to talk to you before you head back to the apartment.”
“I figured. You don’t have to wait, my dear. I’ll have Amy leave my car at the station and I can drive it back to the apartment. Thanks for covering for me today.”
I should have walked her inside, but a part of me felt relief when she refused my company. “This is one conversation I need to have alone with our local detective.”
Waving to Amy, I drove back to the house, parked my Jeep, and unlocked my door. Emma was outside the back door, waiting for me. I let her in and went to the sink to get a glass of water.
My aunt had put herself in danger to help a friend. Was my playing investigator making her reckless, as well? Was I being reckless? I sat and stared at my list of suspects for Kent’s murder. I crossed off Evelyn Baker. After talking to her that morning, I knew she couldn’t hurt a fly. Maybe I should leave this investigation to Greg. He was a detective, after all.
I finished the water, locked up the house, and took a book upstairs with me to read myself to sleep. But sleep came late, long after I’d turned off the lamp near my bed.
The next morning, sunshine streamed into my bedroom window, waking me and letting me know I’d slept way too long. I needed to talk to Aunt Jackie. I needed to call Greg and let him know I wouldn’t be doing anything stupid ever again. I’d been on the other side of finding out someone you loved was taking risks with their life. I needed to go cold turkey from now on.
Emma raced me to the kitchen, where I let her out and made a pot of coffee. I’d just had time to brush my teeth and pull my hair into a ponytail when I heard the knock on the door. Greg stood on the porch, petting Emma when I peeked out the side window, another resolution I’d made in the wee hours of morning.
“What are you doing out so early?” I swung open the door and he stepped into the living room, pulling me into a tight hug and covering my mouth with his own.
When he pulled back, I saw the smile on his face. “Good morning, beautiful.”
A buzzing sound filled my ears, and all of a sudden, I was back in bed. Emma put her cold nose on my cheek, and my alarm was blaring. Greg’s kiss still felt warm on my lips. I needed to talk to him today. I dragged myself out of bed, the sunshine not warming my face as brightly as it had in my dream, and went to let Emma out, for what seemed to be the second time that morning.
I sat with my cup of coffee and made up a to-do list. I had to make a third trip into Bakerstown in the last two days, this time for groceries. My cupboard and Emma’s bag of dog food was down to crumbs. The only things I had in my fridge were the leftover cheesecakes I’d brought home from the store on Sunday and a bag of caramel-flavored coffee beans. I could make it another day or two, but Emma would be hunting down small animals in the yard. Which might just include Esmeralda’s cat, Maggie, if she pulled her Houdini act again today.
I planned for two weeks of healthy dinners, adding in a few necessities, like a bag of kettle-cooked chips and a few bags of fun-size candy bars. The only thing fun about the bags was how long it took you to unwrap the things. But I liked having one or two after a run, just to keep my blood sugar up.
Oh, the lies I told myself. I went through the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom, to make sure I didn’t need any other supplies, and when I was done, I had a complete list.
I glanced at the clock. If I threw a load of laundry into the washer, I’d have time for a run with Emma to clear my head. Then I could stop by the police station, and with a bit of luck, Greg would be at his desk and we could talk.
The beach was empty, mostly due to the hour and the fact that the tourists this time of year tended to be weekenders. They were all back in their cubicles by now, making money for their next trip, while I got to enjoy the sound of the gulls and splashing waves any day of the week. After a few minutes, I let Emma off the leash and we ran side by side to the large rock. The cliffs started a few steps more and I sat on the beach, getting my breath back and watching Emma explore the water. The gulls kept flying over her, wondering what this dog was doing on their turf and probably hoping she’d find something they could eat after we left.
Sitting there, I thought about my dream that morning. I’d been convinced I needed to keep away from investigating, not only for my own sake, but for the people I loved. Greg would be happier, I knew that. And what kind of example was I setting for Aunt Jackie, who just got arrested
for her own detective work? But I realized it didn’t matter. My natural curiosity was part of me. And probably something I’d inherited from my aunt. I knew what I was going to say to Greg this morning, and for once, I felt confident about the discussion.
Looking back on the Tiger book, its ideas had been out of my comfort zone, because they weren’t me. I wasn’t aggressive, or in your face. I was me. And that was enough. Curious, determined, headstrong, and caring. I stood up and brushed the sand off my running shorts. Maybe I had just found the secret to happiness: being true to yourself.
As Emma and I ran back to the parking lot and the rest of my day, I thought about what I enjoyed and hoped that Greg would see my epiphany as a good thing, rather than the straw that broke the camel’s back. Either way, we needed to talk.
Showered and changed into jeans and a peasant blouse, I started the Jeep and took a right to go into South Cove. At the police station, Esmeralda sat at the desk reading a biography of a recent First Lady. The woman had become a good customer, even if I had to order in most of her choices. There wasn’t much of a market for the books she enjoyed, but that was the good thing about reading. You didn’t have to follow the trends. You could read anything you wanted. And the dispatcher /fortune-teller did. The one thing I never ordered for her was what I’d expected, the magical arts books.
“How’s the story?” I nodded toward the book. I’d been interested in how anyone could have stood by her man in such a public way, but not enough to actually read the biography.
She smiled and put a bookmark into the book, laying it on the counter. “I never knew how much she’d struggled, even before becoming First Lady. That’s one job I’d never want. Too many people up in your business.”
“Kind of like living in a small town, right?” I joked.
Esmeralda cocked her head. “I wasn’t going to ask how your aunt was, but since you brought it up. What the heck was she thinking?”
“If I knew that, I could rule the world. You know Aunt Jackie works on a different set of rules for herself.” I nodded toward Greg’s closed door. “My guy in yet?”
