by Esme Addison
“Sorry.”
Pepper’s eyebrows rose. “But you’re here. A perk of dating the detective?” She looked around at the policemen moving about. “Maybe I should date a cop.”
“Celeste asked for me. I’ll give you an update later, I promise.”
Alex watched Pepper walk to her BMW and drive off.
“You came,” Celeste said, stepping out of the kitchen. She rushed toward Alex, who hugged her.
“It will be okay. There’s nothing here to find, right?”
Celeste shook her head slowly. “Nothing to implicate me in the murder, but—”
“What’s this?” Jack strode down the stairs with a small cloth doll in his hand. It was female, with long brown hair made of yarn, a bright red cupid mouth, a beaded necklace around her neck, and a lacy white dress.
Celeste stiffened beside Alex. “It’s a doll.”
“I can see that.” Jack crossed the few steps between Alex and Celeste to stand directly in front of them. “And I’ve also been to New Orleans enough times to know what this is. It’s a voodoo doll. He exhaled loudly. “Is this supposed to be Neve?”
Celeste stood, arms crossed and her lips pressed into a hard line. “No.”
Kamila came down the stairs, wearing plastic gloves and holding the large silver tote Celeste had carried the night of the party. She shot Celeste a “what the heck?” look before handing it to Jack. “Thought you might want to see this.”
He raised an eyebrow, took the bag and opened it. He began fishing out the items, each enclosed in a little plastic bag.
Alex recognized them as the items Celeste had purchased at their store. Verbena. Anise. Seaweed. Crushed oyster.
Jack held each baggie up to the light. “Drugs?” He sniffed the bag holding a dried herb and shook his head. “No, this smells like lemons or …?” He looked at Alex, sighing. “Can you help?”
Alex crossed her arms over her chest. “Really? Now you want my input?”
He shrugged, looking only mildly embarrassed. “Yes, I need your help. Any idea what this is?”
She didn’t have to look at the baggy. She knew. “Lemon verbena.”
“And what is it traditionally used for?”
“Many things. In an oil it can help with muscle pain. As a scent it can uplift spirts—and it builds immunity. It can also be used in teas.”
He gave Celeste a dark look. “You carry ingredients for tea in your purse? Or were you making a witches’ brew the night Neve was killed?”
Celeste flinched as if she’d been hit.
“I don’t understand, Celeste,” Jack said. “Your parents are pillars of the community. You work at Wesley. You’re a professional.” Exhaling loudly, he gave the items back to Celeste. “Bag it up and put it in evidence.”
“Yes, sir.” Kamila glanced at me and then Celeste before sending us a thought. Sorry. We had to search. I figured better me than someone else. She gave Celeste a very worried look before leaving.
“Now the witness account of your strange behavior in the garden on the night of the crime makes sense, somewhat.” Jack retrieved a plastic bag in his pocket, dropped the doll inside of it, sealed it, and handed it to Kamila. “Take this too.”
Jack returned to Celeste, who looked close to tears, like she was barely holding it together. “Celeste Thomas,” he began, his tone ominous.
Alex reached for Celeste’s hand and squeezed it. It will be okay. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Celeste closed her eyes, and squeezed her hand back in response.
“I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of Neve Ryland.” He took a deep breath and refused to look Alex in the eyes. “If you promise not to resist and come with me quietly, I won’t use handcuffs.”
Tears silently rolled down Celeste’s trembling cheeks as Alex looked on in horror.
“Jack, there has to be another way,” Alex said, her voice rising in panic. “I know it looks bad but—” She couldn’t say more because, well, it looked bad.
Celeste took a deep shuddering breath and then wiped the tears from her face and squared her shoulders. “It’s okay, Alex.”
Alex looked toward the door. Where was Tobias? He should be here by now. Don’t say anything to anyone until he gets here, Alex reminded her telepathically.
Celeste nodded mutely as she followed Jack out the door.
Tobias appeared then, slightly out of breath, cheeks a little flushed. “My apologies. I was on a golf course with poor cellular service. As soon as I got your voicemail, I left. He’s arresting her?” Tobias asked as he watched Jack guide Celeste toward his work vehicle, an unmarked sedan.
“Yes,” Alex said.
He nodded. “I best get going. I’ll see you at the station?”
Alex dipped her head in assent, unable to speak. It was the arrest of someone she cared about all over again. And Jack was doing the deed. She really liked him, but she wasn’t sure how much more of this their relationship could stand.
* * *
Once at the police station, Celeste was fingerprinted and her mug shot taken. Alex sat in the waiting room, wondering what she could do. She’d called her aunt Lidia, who had in turn told Minka and called Celeste’s mother, Josephine. Minka had to watch the shop, but Lidia was coming with Josephine. While Celeste was going through processing, Jack appeared in the waiting room, his face grim.
Alex rose from her chair, a frown on her own face. But before she could speak, Jack said, “Look, Alex, I know she’s your friend. But the evidence is overwhelming. You see that right?”
“But she didn’t do it. I just know it.”
“More analysis of the crime scene came in. Her fingerprints are all over the office.”
“She’s dating Jasper. It was his office. She’s probably been in there dozens of times.”
He shook his head wearily. “I was able to convince a judge to issue a warrant to search her house. She was convinced. Motive. Means. Opportunity. Celeste has it all. And this voodoo stuff, this just makes it worse. Did you know about this?”
Alex rolled her eyes. “It’s harmless.”
“She had a voodoo doll of the victim.”
“Yes, but if you don’t believe in magic, how can you think that’s evidence that Celeste is the killer?”
“I wouldn’t arrest Celeste if there was only the doll, but add it to everything else … I’m sorry, I waited as long as I could. Please tell me you understand?”
Alex did. But it didn’t help. “When can I see her?”
“After processing, she’ll meet with her attorney. After that you can see her briefly.”
“Will you give her house arrest like you did Aunt Lidia?”
“I was able to get that for your aunt because she was older and didn’t appear to be a flight risk with all of her family here, and her business.”
“All of Celeste’s family is here. Her job is here—what the heck? There’s no difference.”
“The victim was hit in the head with a rock twice. It’s brutal. The citizens of Bellamy Bay are going to want the person who did that off the streets and safely locked away.”
“Bryce Greenberg thought Neve was sharing company secrets. And Neve was killed in Jasper Collin’s office with his own paperweight!”
“That’s enough, Alex. We’ve been through all of this.”
“No, it’s not nearly enough if you think you’ve arrested the right person. And don’t forget Montgomery Blue. He doesn’t have an alibi. He has a connection to the murder weapon, and he knew Neve before he came to town.”
“Bryce and Montgomery are nonstarters. Jasper Collins is only a person of interest, but even he doesn’t look as good for this as Celeste. She has opportunity and means, and everyone in town knows she has motive. I have to go. An officer will let you know when you can see her.”
Alex stared as the heavy metal door closed behind Jack and locked into place. She sat alone with her phone, doing internet researches on her three suspects, hoping to find something—anythin
g—to move the case in another direction, when finally an officer appeared in the waiting room. “You can see her now, ma’am.”
Alex hurried behind the policeman and walked down several stark white hallways. The air was frigid, and she wondered if that was by design. The policeman stopped in front of a locked door with a small rectangular window on it. Alex could see Celeste sitting alone, her eyes red and her cheeks tear stained.
He opened the door. “You’ve got ten minutes. No touching.”
Alex waited for the door to slam shut, then sat down across from Celeste. “You okay?”
Celeste tried to smile, gesturing toward the Styrofoam cup of coffee before her. “The coffee is better than I expected. TV shows make you think the coffee in police stations will be disgusting, but it’s okay.” She picked up the cup and inspected it. “The cream is powdered, so that’s gross.” She bit her lip, and another tear rolled down her face. “I’m trying to be strong. Can you tell?”
Alex smiled encouragingly. “You’re doing great. What did Tobias say?”
She lowered her voice. “That it doesn’t look good. That everyone thinks I did it. That everyone thinks I was jealous of her—and I was.” She set the cup down. “And that I killed her because Jasper was seeing her when he was supposed to only be seeing me. And he was.” She laughed through her tears. “I totally get why Jack arrested me. I mean, how could he not?”
“But you have the truth on your side,” Alex said. “You’re innocent. You didn’t do this, and that eventually will come out.”
Celeste looked down, and a tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the table. “Don’t waste your time. Jack thinks he’s found the right person. So be it.”
Alex frowned. “It’s not like you to be so defeated. I know it looks bad, you in the garden during the reception, the argument with Jasper, the doll—tell me, are you covering for Jasper?” When Celeste didn’t answer, Alex pressed on. “I know you’re innocent. And if you’re covering for him, why don’t you want to fight this?”
“No.” She shook her head, face still downcast. “He didn’t do this.”
Celeste raised her head and looked at Alex, tears glistening in her eyes. Looked at her like there was something she wanted to tell her.
But then the door behind Alex ground open with a loud metallic sound.
“Time,” yelled the police officer as he stepped into the room. And he stood there staring at them both until Alex hustled out of her chair.
She tried to give Celeste an encouraging look. When she went back to the waiting room, she found Josephine and her aunt there. They both stood when she entered.
“How is she?” Josephine asked, a look of fear darkening her eyes.
“She’s okay,” Alex said.
Josephine gave Lidia a puzzled look. “I thought I’d taken care of this mess.”
Lidia wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I have to run down a few clues,” Alex said, itching to leave. To help. To do something. “Time has run out, and if I can’t prove to Jack that Celeste is innocent …”
Josephine forced a smile, but her cheeks trembled with the effort. “Go on, then. Celeste and I appreciate anything you can do. That girl …”
* * *
Alex began walking home, when her phone rang.
It was Pepper.
Hey,” Alex said, her fingers tightening around the phone. “Please tell me you found something to help Celeste.”
“Yes, I think you’ll find it most interesting.”
There was a pause while Pepper attached a file and then sent it in a text. At the sound of the chime, Alex put Pepper on speaker and looked at the image. It was a screenshot of Bryn Wesley’s Instagram account. The image was dated for the previous year. It showed her on a yacht, fashionably thin, dressed in a designer dress. Her dark hair hung in a precise cut around her haughty face, and her eyes were arrogant as usual. She leaned against the railing while Montgomery stood beside her, dressed in all white and holding a glass of a brightly colored liquid.
Bryn Wesley and Montgomery Blue? What does it mean?
“How did you even find this?” Alex said, after a moment.
“I was researching Jasper’s feed, and something just told me to check on Dylan’s and then Bryn’s. Of course, her feed hasn’t been updated since she went away—where is she again?”
“Kansas, I think. Or Missouri maybe? What does the post say?”
“Just that they’re partying off the coast of Greece.”
“Nice work, Pepper. I wonder if Dylan is aware.”
“No problem. I’ll keep digging. By the way, I got that information you asked for. I’ll text it to you.” There was a moment of silence, and then Alex’s phone chimed with the incoming text.
“Got it,” Alex said. “Thank you. I’ll let you know what I find out, if anything.”
* * *
When Alex arrived home, she entered the house and took a moment to kneel in front of Athena, covering her with kisses and giving her a good rubbing. Athena lovingly nuzzled her head on Alex’s legs and then they walked into the kitchen together.
Minka was at the counter, tossing a salad in a large wooden bowl. “You’re just in time. It’s my famous strawberry summer salad. Goat cheese from the local dairy. Want some?”
Alex sat at the table, sighing. “Thanks, but I don’t have an appetite at the moment.”
“I’ll make some tea,” Minka said and then went about the task with efficiency while Alex explained what Jack had been up to.
Minka pouted. “First mom, now Celeste. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he had it out for our family.”
“I’m sure he thinks he’s doing the right thing. But, I’m not going to let him ruin Celeste’s life in the pursuit of justice. I have another cousin, more family to get to know.” She sat on the edge of her chair. “And I’m going to do what I can to help her.”
Minka handed Alex a cup of tea that smelled of lemongrass. “Here you go.”
Alex thanked her cousin, and was about to take a sip, but stopped. “You know what else bothers me about Jack? His stubbornness. Take this case in the news. The software engineer? I’ve talked to the wife a couple times, and she thinks he’s got it wrong, and now she’s got me wondering too.”
Minka joined Alex at the table with her salad. “What are you thinking?”
“Well, he was wrong about Ciocia Lidia. And I know he’s wrong about Celeste. He’s probably wrong about the software engineer case too. I kind of want to prove to him that if he could be wrong about that case, he might be wrong about Celeste’s. Make sense?”
Minka ate a few bites of her salad. “This is not going to help your relationship with Jack.”
“I know, but what can I do? How many times can I watch the man I’m with investigate people I care about?”
Minka chewed thoughtfully for a moment, her eyes on Alex. “Do you think you’re trying to sabotage things with Jack?”
Alex’s eyes widened, her mouth flew open. “Minka, why would you say that?”
Color flooded Minka’s cheeks, but her gaze was steady. “Honestly?” Alex nodded. “I just wonder why you’re with him. I’ve yet to really see chemistry between you two.”
Alex frowned, lines appearing on her forehead. “We have chemistry. Especially lately, he’s been more … affectionate with me.”
Minka gave her cousin a knowing look. “What about Dylan?”
Alex looked away but Minka reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Am I wrong?”
Alex fiddled with her cup. “Jack is good for me. He’s good and decent and predictable, but in a good way. Do you know what I mean?”
“Of course, I do.” Minka squeezed Alex’s hand before letting go. “And he’s the exact opposite of Dylan. Right?”
“I feel out of control when I’m with Dylan.” Alex said, feeling like she was complaining. “I don’t like that feeling.”
“And when you
’re with Jack?”
“I don’t feel like I’m risking anything. He’s safe. Reliable. What you see is what you get with him, even if he’s a bitter pill at times with his stubbornness and self-righteousness.”
“And just a little bit boring? You’re okay with that?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want, what I need in my life. Stability. Dependability. And I like him a lot. You know that.”
“If you say so.” Minka pushed her empty salad bowl away. “What will you do about this other case?”
“I don’t know. Part of me doesn’t want to get involved. Let the police do their job and all that. But then I know Jack, and he’s already called the case.” Alex stared into her teacup for a moment before looking at her cousin. “Maybe I start with the man’s workplace?”
Standing, Minka found her keys on a side counter and tossed them to Alex. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
* * *
After taking a quick shower and changing into something more presentable than her shop attire, Alex drove to the small office park that Chris Robinson had worked at. A cursory internet search revealed the man’s place of employment and the name of his supervisor, who’d been quoted in a news article about the death. She wasn’t sure what she’d find, but Evelyn had been right about one thing. Alex had solved the murder of Randy Bennett, and she could do it again. Especially if it helped Jack see that he was wrong about Celeste. She sent Evelyn a brief text telling her she’d look into the case and keep her updated.
* * *
When Alex arrived at the office park, featuring a trio of brick buildings around a circular driveway and courtyard, she was greeted by a landscaped campus filled with flowers, picnic tables, and a gazebo. Alex parked in the lot behind the building, and passed a small sign declaring the park was overseen by Wesley Inc.’s Property Management division. No surprise there, Alex thought. If it wasn’t owned by the Bellamys in this town, it was owned by Dylan and his family.
