by Sonia Parin
“Am I? Think about it. Someone’s after you. They see me with you. Soon enough, they’ll figure out you’re staying at my place. What if they come after you there, do away with you and then kill me too? They’re not likely to leave me behind as a witness.” Jill shook her head. “Be honest, do you really want to be out and about on a night like this?”
“We have to eat and I’m feeling too jittery to cook and that’s saying a lot because cooking usually calms me down.” After checking the house, Eve had insisted they drive into town for dinner. There hadn’t been anything missing in the house. That meant she had been the target. “Anyway, the danger’s passed. I’m sure of it.”
Jill chortled. “So you had a lucky escape. Great, you live to tell the tale.”
“Again with that menacing tone. You remind me of Puss in Boots. All sweetness one moment and then the claws come out.”
“I’m cranky. I’m missing my favorite show.”
“You sound like a teenager with a short attention span. Whatever happened to solving the mystery?”
“Is that what we’re supposed to be doing? I thought the police were handling that. And, for the record, I’m here with you under duress.”
“Well, the police are taking too long. Clearly, they need help.” Eve made a point of driving past the squad car parked on the main street a couple of times before finally finding a parking space.
“Whatever happened to you coming to the island to relax?”
“There’s no chance of me doing that now. The killer has seen to that.”
“You could at least try,” Jill said. “Rise above your circumstances.”
“How do you suggest I do that? Change the subject? Discuss the weather? Take up knitting?”
“Have you read Mira’s latest novel?” Jill asked. “Her books suck you right in. You could try losing yourself in reading.”
Eve dipped her head in embarrassment. The last time she’d tried to lose herself in one of Mira’s books, she’d fallen asleep. All those boy meets girl and hits it off but decides it’s not a good idea to get mixed up in a relationship stories always had her rolling her eyes. Why start a conversation with someone, get them all hot and bothered, if you were going to find an excuse not to follow through?
Eve cleared her throat. “You know I can never go home again. Not until this sordid business is finally wrapped up.”
“My house is your house. But I’m still not happy about you making me a sitting target by association.”
Eve parked the car and they strode off in search of a place to have dinner. “I’m thinking I should pack up and leave now. Go back to New York.”
“What makes you think you’ll be safe there,” Jill said and twirled an imaginary evil villain mustache.
“Please stop doing that.”
“I will if we can share a pizza.” Jill didn’t wait for her to answer and instead gave her a tug toward the island’s only pizza place. Eve went willingly because it carried a full menu of mostly Italian dishes and she needed something hearty to keep her going.
They sat at the only available table, which happened to be by the window. A bad idea, Eve thought since she could be seen from the street. She shook off the thought and switched her attention to the menu.
“Stop looking at the pasta. They make the best pizza in the world here.”
“No one’s stopping you from having some.”
“That’s just it. I can’t stop at having some. If I order a small one, I’m always left wanting more. But if we share a large one, I can have half and a bit more. Come on, you owe me.”
“I get the feeling I’m going to be paying for dragging you along for the rest of my stay on the island.” She scanned the menu but before she could make an alternative suggestion, Jill placed their order. “Pizza with the lot?”
“You can pick out the bits you don’t like. I suppose you’re used to gourmet pizza with things like pesto and ricotta cheese.”
“And sun dried tomatoes,” Eve agreed. “You should try it. Variety is as good as a vacation.”
Jill shrugged. “I’m attached to my predictability. There’s nothing wrong with being humdrum.”
“I’m sure the artist in your just shrunk back in horror.”
When their pizza arrived, Eve discovered she was actually quite hungry and happy to focus on just eating. However, as they ate quietly, she noticed several glances shot her way.
“What do you suppose they’re saying about me?”
Jill looked around them and smiled. “They’re probably taking note of as many details about you as they can. I’m sure I saw someone taking a photo of you... in case they’re interrogated by the police.”
“It’s good to have a sense of humor. Serves a purpose in time of need. But I’m not sure I like it when it’s at my expense.”
Jill finished the last of her pizza and they ordered some coffee. “Are we going to talk about the phone?”
“Not so loud,” Eve warned.
“It’s evidence, Eve. You have to turn it in. The sooner, the better.”
“It can wait until tomorrow, what do you think the police will do with it tonight? They’ll tag it and just dump it in an evidence locker and probably not get around to doing something about it until it’s too late.”
“Eve, what are you thinking?”
“Please don’t take that tone with me. I’m not a complete idiot. I’ll hand it over... after we see if we can find anything. Who knows, the phone might still work.”
“I’m not comfortable with this.”
“That’s because you already have a police record. What’s the worst that can happen? Are you afraid of being charged as an accomplice?”
“It’s all right for you. You’ll have your fun and then leave, but I have to stay on. I like my life nice and quiet. At this rate, I’m going to have fingers pointed at me, and accusations of hanging out with the wrong type made.”
Eve laughed. “I’ve never been thought of as a bad influence. Okay, how about we go back to your place and watch a film on TV. There’s bound to be something on. Get our minds off this business.”
“Before or after we pull the phone apart?”
* * *
“Well, that was disappointing,” Jill said and grabbing a cushion, curled up on the couch.
“I’d been hoping for a better result,” Eve agreed and set the phone down. “I guess I’ll have to turn it over to the police after all.”
“And get an earful while you’re at it. Detective Yummy is not going to be pleased about you poking around and withholding evidence.”
“He won’t know I’ve been poking around.”
“So you just happened to find the phone on one of your walks?’
“I could slip it into an envelope and drop it off at the precinct. That way I remain anonymous. Do you have any more chocolate chip cookies?”
“You’ve already eaten a bagful.”
“Brain food.”
“More like sugar rush and you don’t need more of that.” Jill grumbled. “I thought you were giving it all a rest.”
“I am but I still need to think.” She yawned and getting up from the couch where they’d both collapsed when they’d returned to Jill’s place, she strode over to the window. “The police are still out there.” It was actually a comfort to know they’d been followed back to Jill’s place. If anything happened and they yelled, none of the neighbors would hear them. The houses sat on large properties, some separated even further by patches of wilderness.
“Milk and cookies,” Jill said as she set a tray down on the coffee table. “You’re looking thoughtful. Stop it.” She threw another log in the fire and gave Mischief and Mr. Magoo a scratch behind their ears.
“I can’t. Any thoughts on who might have been coming out of Mira’s house?”
“Someone tall, and definitely a man. Let’s drop the subject now.”
“Maybe the same someone who threw the phone over the cliff?”
“I thought you’d
given up on making that connection. Talking about it back at the beach was one thing, now I’m going to toss and turn all night and I’ll never be able to look at Richard Parkmore and not want to run off in the opposite direction. You know what they say about mud sticking.”
“I wish I could figure out what he might have been looking for?” She strode over to the couch and picked up a cookie to nibble on. “He... the hypothetical man... not Richard Parkmore. Okay, I actually meant Richard. I’m sure it was him slinking off.”
“You’re forgetting he reported a break-in at his place.”
“That could have been a ruse to throw everyone off his scent. You know, a red herring. He said he thought he recognized me from somewhere and I can’t put my finger on it, but the more I think about it, the more I’d have to agree with him.”
“Manhattan is a big place.”
“What if he was somehow connected with Alex?” Eve shot to her feet. “The last time I saw Jack, my mind went off on a tangent weaving a tale about Patrick killing Mira—”
“You said that in one breath without blinking.”
“Mira is fine. She’ll return my call in her own good time.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I know my aunt.” She refused to think anything bad had happened to her. “Anyway, what if Richard had been somehow connected with Alex. That would mean bad news because Alex was always getting mixed up in one scheme or other that never ended well. Anyway, Richard would have known how to get in touch with him and lure him to the island. By the way, that’s the little story I’d spun about Patrick, not that I really think he’d be capable of murder or anything underhanded.”
Jill shook her head. “That sounds too farfetched.” She shrugged. “Square pegs and round holes.”
“I need something to work with.”
“Eve, you’re not the police. You don’t need anything.”
Eve ignored her. “I’ve entertained thoughts about a crime of passion, an accidental one where Patrick declares himself to Mira and when he’s scorned, he’s overcome by a lover’s rage—”
“A scorned lover’s rage,” Jill asserted.
“Yes.” Eve dunked her cookie in the glass of milk. “We need to start looking at a bigger picture. You heard Richard claim he had money trouble. My ex, Alex, might have been the source of those troubles. He was very good at that. If Richard had in any way been embroiled with Alex—”
“That’s it, I’m going to bed. Coming?”
Eve shook her head. “I want to finish my milk and do some thinking.”
Jill clicked her fingers and her two Labradors jumped to their feet only to stop. “I think they want to stay and keep you company. If they nudge you, take them out for a bit. They’ll have a sniff around the yard and do their business.”
“Okay.” Eve sighed. Maybe she really did need to give it all a rest. Let the dust settle.
A few minutes later, Mischief, the smaller of the two Labs, pressed his wet nose against her. “All right.” She grabbed a jacket and let them out, folding her arms against the evening chill. “Don’t go too far. Evil things are lurking out there.” The full moon was on the wane but there was enough light to make out the surrounding bushes. Like Mira’s house, Jill’s place sat on the beach.
Eve listened to the gentle lapping of the waves and watched a lone seagull fly by.
What had Alex been thinking, making her his beneficiary?
Had he been trying to make up for his past misdemeanors? And why had he been trying to contact her? Their divorce hadn’t exactly been amicable. She’d been furious with him for derailing her life just when she’d thought it would be smooth sailing all the way.
He’d called, but he hadn’t spoken...
She imagined him trying to get in touch with her to explain and clear the air... to maybe apologize and then at the last minute deciding it would be best to speak with her face to face.
She let her thoughts hover in her mind, not grabbing hold of any of them. When she went back inside, she’d keep her mind focused on tidying up and brushing her teeth... anything mundane. One step at a time, she thought. She might even focus on counting her breaths. By then, she would have fallen asleep and in the morning she might wake up refreshed with only thoughts about coffee and donuts, instead of suspects and their motives.
Mr. Magoo slumped beside her and sighed.
Eve looked up and around. Mischief was nowhere in sight.
Then she heard a light whimper.
Huffing, she strode off in the direction of the sound. It had come from the trail that meandered along the beach. Eve decided she wouldn’t venture far, only to the edge of the clearing and call Mischief from there.
She picked up some rustling noises and some more whimpers. “Mischief. Come back, boy,” she called out lightly, although she didn’t really think the dog would obey. They’d only met a couple of times now. It would probably be presumptuous of her to think Jill’s dogs would respond to her.
Mr. Magoo padded ahead of her and stopped to look back. “I’m right behind you. Lead the way, but I’m warning you, I’ll only keep going if the path remains lit. No dragging me into the dark, please.”
She looked over her shoulder to make sure the house remained in sight. Another whimper had her picking up her pace. Mr. Magoo trotted off only to again stop and check on her progress.
“Good boy. I’m coming.” She stabbed the toe of her boot on a tree root and nearly stumbled. Keeping her eyes to the ground, she made her way, her steps cautious. The last thing she needed right then was to fall and twist her ankle. She doubted Jill would hear her. When she looked ahead and saw Mr. Magoo disappear around a bend, she picked up her pace.
“I think you two are having fun at my expense. Come back.” A branch brushed against her face. Eve twirled around and swatted it. When she turned back, she took a step and made contact with a solid form. Her arms flailing, she tried to catch her balance by stretching her leg and leaping over the obstruction.
Mischief woofed.
“You could have warned me—” Her hands came up to her mouth.
Mischief woofed again.
Eve stumbled back then took a step forward to see what had nearly tripped her over.
Another body.
Chapter Fourteen
Eve gazed up from her cup of hot cocoa. Detective Jack Bradford didn’t look pleased. His mouth was set in a hard line, and his eyes had probably only blinked once in the last five minutes.
Someone had spread a blanket around Eve’s shoulders and had thrown another log in the fire. She sat huddled on the couch, her feet tucked under her.
“Finished with your drink?” he asked.
She took another slurp. “Not quite.” He’d been decent, giving her time to gather her composure.
Eve closed her eyes. Her head was still spinning.
After nearly tripping over the body, she’d sprinted back to the house, desperately searching her pockets for her cell phone, which she’d actually left behind in her handbag. When she’d reached the front door, she’d pushed herself off it and had sprinted off toward the road where she knew the squad car would still be parked.
She’d slammed against it, her hands pounding on the driver’s window.
The officer had had to wind the window down to ask her to please step back so he could open the driver’s door.
She’d been frantic and had struggled to catch her breath.
“Eve.”
Her finger twitched then sprung up, calling for another minute.
Jack checked his watch then strode off to speak with one of the police officers standing by the door.
When he returned, he again sat opposite her.
Eve nodded. “Okay. What do you want to know?”
“I want you to tell me everything that happened tonight.”
“Jill and I went to dinner—”
“I’m aware of that. I meant the moment you went outside. Why did you go outside?”
“Mischief,
” she took a sip of her drink.
“Yes, I know. I warned you to stay put.”
“Mischief and Mr. Magoo, they’re Jill’s Labradors.” She took another sip. “They needed to go out and Jill had gone to bed so I took them out... and...”
“And you felt compelled to go snooping around?”
“Hey, blame Mischief. He took off. What was I supposed to do? Call for backup?” She finished her drink but instead of setting the mug down, she held it against her and told Jack everything she could remember from the moment she’d stepped outside. “I didn’t see anything to suggest there was something wrong, but then I heard Mischief’s whimpering.”
“And you didn’t hear anything before that? No approaching footsteps?”
“If I had, I would have run out to the squad car straight away.”
He nodded as if in approval. “Would you like another drink?”
“No, thank you.” She gave the blanket a tug and drew it closer to her. “What’s going to happen now? You know I didn’t kill him.”
Jack shook his head. “You didn’t. Henry Parkmore is alive.”
“Poor Henry.” Her lips parted and she pushed out a sigh of relief. “I didn’t stop to see who it was. I just ran. Then the police officer went to investigate, and soon after the ambulance arrived. I then heard the police officer reporting the incident and mentioning Henry’s name.” Another victim, she’d thought, and then she’d worried because the officer had guided her back inside the house. By then, a backup squad car had arrived and an officer had stood guard over her.
“So what happened to him? Did someone try to kill him too?”
“We won’t know that for a while. Henry Parkmore hasn’t regained consciousness.”
But he was alive. If the death toll rose, and she had anything to do with it, she’d never be able to live with herself. Bad enough Alex had lost his life and she knew, without a doubt, that it had something to do with her. She was the only solid link to Alex. Sure, she’d been trying to connect Richard Parkmore to him... but that remained an assumption.
“Where was Jill while all this was happening?”
