A Chilling Conundrum (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 9)

by Leona Fox

  'In our salute to freedom I place a symbol to you, for I shall never be free of my longing, of my love. The gift has already been given.'

  For a few moments after she had read the clue, the two of them sat in silence. Andy's finger tapped absently on the table while the clock ticked loudly in the background.

  “What gift? Is he talking about the clock, or the other riddles?” Andy asked aloud.

  Ellen stared at the riddle and left his question unanswered for her mind was locked into finding a solution. While Andy found the exercise wholly frustrating Ellen relished the intellectual challenge. She threw all her effort into solving the riddle, and soon she was exclaiming in triumph.

  “What is it?” Andy said. He still had a blank look on his face and couldn't fathom how Ellen had solved it so quickly.

  “We have to go to the park. The gift was the flowers left by the wedding presents, and 'our salute to freedom' is the park! We have to find those same flowers in Freedom Park.”

  Ellen quickly threw on some clothes, for she had been sitting in a towel. While he waited, Andy looked down at the riddle and raised his eyebrows, impressed at Ellen's skill.

  They quickly made their way to the park, the scene of Kelly's wedding. There were a few people around but it was still rather early so the park was quiet. Andy was looking around warily, searching for any sign of suspicious behavior.

  “I really hate that we don't have any information about this person. It could be anyone,” he said.

  “The longer this goes on the more chance we'll have of finding out. This whole thing is going to end with them revealing themselves. That is the point of the game, after all, for Kelly to find out and go to them,” Ellen said.

  “I wonder if they even know that she hasn't found any of their clues, that all they've been doing is writing to us?”

  “I hope not. If they think anyone is interfering...these are personal, they're supposed to be for Kelly's eyes only. The way this person's mind works, they probably don't even think anyone else but Kelly could understand what's going on.”

  The concrete path curled around a fountain and split off into a variety of directions. They took the northeast fork and followed it until they reached the clearing where Kelly's wedding had been set. Even though it only had been about a week ago it still seemed as though it was a long time ago. Ellen still smiled when she thought of how beautiful Kelly had been, and how happy she had looked when she joined Matthew up at the altar. Now the place looked barren and the only remnants of the day were in the memories of those who had attended, but that was the way of life, she surmised.

  “Over here,” Andy said, pointing to a flower bed at the edge of the clearing.

  Beyond that stood an array of trees, but they didn't make it that far. As they approached the flowerbed they noticed that much of it was scorched. Ellen gasped. Andy moved closer, urging her to stay back while he inspected the scene. The flowers had been robbed of their life. The heads were blackened and charred, creating the pattern of a heart. The ground was ashen and devoid of life now. Nothing would grow there again.

  Whatever kind of love this mystery person thought he had for Kelly, it was destructive. It saddened Ellen to see the flowers treated in such a way, and it made her wonder what other lengths this man would go to if he was unsuccessful in his pursuit of Kelly.

  “Look at this,” Andy said.

  While Ellen still was busy looking at the bed of burned flowers, he walked through the heart-shape to the other side, where something was hanging off a branch. It was a note hanging from a piece of ribbon, something else that had been present at the wedding.

  “Doesn't it seem strange to you that they're only starting this now, after the wedding?” he said as he made his way back to Ellen and handed her the note.

  “I guess they think they have to try now or it'll be too late.”

  “Surely it's already too late,” Andy mused.

  “It's also a shame that Kelly invited everyone in town to the wedding. It hardly narrows down the suspect list.”

  Ellen would have agreed, but she was busy reading the latest clue to herself. As she read it, her eyes widened.

  “Oh no,” she said as she finished reading it.

  “What does it say?” Andy asked, moving closer toward her.

  Ellen turned and handed the note to him, not wanting to look at it again. Andy took it from her, wondering what was so bad. Then he read it himself and his expression changed in a similar manner.

  'You have betrayed me once so don't fool me twice. You are my flower, and love is never forever. We are almost at the end. Do you know who I am yet?'

  “This does not bode well,” Andy said.

  “If he thinks Kelly is his flower...” Ellen said, unable to finish her thought.

  Instead she just looked at the destroyed flowers in front of her and she realized that perhaps now was the time to tell her friend just what was going on.

  Chapter 5

  Kelly was humming to herself as she wandered around town. The day was fresh and there was something in the air, or perhaps it was just her new state of life that had changed the way she looked at things. For a long time, she had been plagued with feelings of self-loathing for she had kept a secret from everyone closest to her. Yet now she was free and her soul was soaring. On top of that, she was married to the most wonderful man she ever had known and whenever she thought of him, which was often, a smile played upon her lips. It was not just her marriage that had benefited her, however. Mentoring Mickey had given her a new lease on life and reinvigorated her artistic side.

  For a long time now she had been indulging herself by painting whatever she liked, when she liked. Since she had financial security from her lottery winnings in her youth, she never had any pressure actually to push herself. She lived a life of whimsy. Yet now, with Mickey's future in her hands, she felt the responsibility, and rather than being a burden it gave her a renewed sense of purpose. She enjoyed teaching him and offering her wisdom. And when he asked her questions it forced her to look at things in a new way. It made her rediscover her passion and she was only sorry that she hadn't done it a long time ago.

  Mickey seemed to enjoy it as well and she was confident that it was having a positive effect on him. When they first had started he was shy and quiet, and she had to force the conversation, but since they had spent more time together he was growing more confident and she enjoyed his company. Although most of their conversations revolved around art she did find that he opened up to her about how lonely he felt. She pitied him in a way, for she knew what it was like to not fit in. But she hadn't been lying when she told him that he had genuine talent and she hoped it would carry him far.

  Although she loved East Pender she could tell he was meant for greater things, and he was going to be a better artist than she ever could be. Whenever she told him this he denied it, for he did not have much in the way of self-confidence, but she could see it. The greatest tragedy would be him not making a living from painting, and not sharing his talent with the world.

  While she had this on her mind people chatted with her and she still was enjoying the good feelings the wedding had engendered. When she decided to invite everyone she did have second thoughts since, well, it wasn't as though everyone had been friendly with her in the past. Yet now she was glad she did and hoped that she could prove as popular as Ellen, who seemed to make friends easily and never had a problem with drawing unwanted romantic interest.

  However, as she walked through town she spotted Bob up ahead and her pace stalled. For a moment she considered ducking into a store or crossing to the other side of the street, before chastising herself. She couldn't be concerned with matters like that. She had explained her position to Bob and there was no use making the situation more awkward by avoiding him. So instead, she resumed her stride and greeted him with a smile. Bob merely nodded at her and didn't say anything. He carried on walking even though she was about to stop and talk with him.

 
“You know, we still can be friends,” she said. Bob stopped and spun on his heels, turning back to face her.

  “I don't need any friends. I have enough friends. We had something good going, Kelly. Then you had to ruin it. It's better if we just leave it now,” he said and stormed away, leaving Kelly with a confused look on her face. A few people turned and stared at her but they soon moved away.

  He looked at her, watched her walk with such grace. Everyone seemed to move for her as though she were Moses parting the Red Sea. None of them were worthy to be in her presence. She was a queen, and they all should be bowing to her. It frustrated him to think that none of them properly could see her greatness. Recently, of course, there had been a tribute to her, a celebration of her, but it wasn't enough. Only he could worship her properly and give her the appropriate amount of attention. Only he could love her in the right way.

  Everything was going as he had planned. His mind was alive with new hints and clues that would lead her to him. It was a private game and they both would win, and nobody else would understand what was happening. Nobody else could understand. It was still torture seeing her with him, seeing her believe she was happy, but soon she would realize that it was a lie, that she only could be happy with him.

  The time was drawing near. Yes, soon they would be together and everything would be right with the world. Destiny took its time but it was worth the wait, even though there was nothing more he would have liked than to have walked up to her now. No, patience, he had to be strong, had to wait for the perfect moment, the moment that his life had been building toward. He smiled in anticipation.

  Just after Kelly had shaken away her encounter with Bob she ran into Ellen who had a worried look on her face. There was much that Kelly wanted to share with her friend. They had had little opportunity to talk in recent days since she had been so busy with Mickey and Matthew and Ellen had been busy with, well, being interviewed she imagined.

  “I can't believe you didn't tell me more about this. I had to find out with the paper!” Kelly said when they met. Ellen had an apologetic look on her face.

  “I'm sorry, I just had other things on my mind.”

  “Other things! You get interviewed by the paper and you don't even invite me along! I could have given them a few interesting stories myself. What have you been distracted with anyway? There's not another case is there? If I find that you've been working on something without me I shall be very cross!” Kelly said, wagging a finger in Ellen's face.

  Ellen sighed and looked around, then pulled Kelly into an alleyway. Kelly suddenly looked worried at Ellen's serious demeanor.

  “You are, aren't you?” Kelly continued, “Look, I know you think that it's too dangerous and I know I've been busy recently but I don't want to be kept out of the loop like this. I love working on these cases with you and I don't want to lose that just because I'm married. I've spoken about it with Matthew and he understands.”

  “It's not like that Kelly,” Ellen began, but Kelly was too worked up and continued her rant until Ellen grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to stop.

  “The case is about you, Kelly. It's about you,” Ellen said, and wished that she had been able to tell her in a gentler way.

  “What do you mean?” Kelly asked.

  Ellen told her all about the riddle she had found at the wedding and the subsequent notes that had been left all over town.

  “I'm sorry I didn’t tell you before but I didn't want to worry you. You didn't need something like this to distract you so soon after you've been married. And I wasn't even sure if it was going to be anything serious. It could just have been some sick joke or a harmless delusion. I should have told you, but I hope you understand why I didn't.”

  “So somebody has been leaving me these things all across town? Huh, who knew that I could have driven someone to such lengths? Guess I've still got it even though I'm married,” she said with a playful look in her eyes, but Ellen was far from impressed.

  “Kelly, this isn't a joking matter. You need to take this seriously. Whomever this person is they're obsessed with you and they're not going away anytime soon. I'm telling you this now because I'm worried. I don't want to see you get hurt. You're going to need to be careful and we need to have a talk about this.

  You didn't see the park. They burned all the flowers and they did it for you, because they think you two are destined to be together. So what do you think he is going to do when they realize you're not meant to be together? I think you should tell Matthew about it as well, and you're going to have to meet me and Andy at some point to talk about potential suspects. Someone in this town is obsessed with you and it's not going to be over anytime soon. We're treating this as a dangerous matter now, and you should, too.”

  “Then I'm glad you told me,” Kelly said gravely, although she wasn't quite sure what she should think. Ellen hugged her tightly and then left, while Kelly made her way back home in a daze.

  Chapter 6

  Kelly returned home. This time she avoided contact with the town’s residents as much as possible. The things that Ellen had told her made her feel vulnerable, as though her life had been invaded. She had opened up her wedding to everyone to express her appreciation for the communal spirit of the town, and the thought that somebody had been lurking with these things on their mind was sickening.

  Anyone could have been the culprit, and as she walked along she got the sense that there were gazes lingering on her, or was she just imagining things? The last thing she needed was for paranoia to take hold of her but it was impossible to think of anything else. Soon enough she found that her legs were moving as quickly as they could for she was afraid to stay outside for too long, and she wanted to get home to her husband.

  When she got home she closed the door behind her and leaned her head against it, breathing in a sigh of relief. After spending a few moments like that she went to her studio to drop off the paint supplies. Then she moved into the front room, where Matthew was reading. He said hello as he turned the page, but made no motion to go toward her. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Then she returned to the lounge, moving in and perching herself on the edge of the seat, holding the glass in between her hands. There she stayed, trying to figure out how to broach the subject with Matthew. Eventually he noticed she had an odd expression on her face. He put the book down beside him and leaned forward.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I don't know, I don't think so,” she said.

  “What's the matter? You seemed fine when you went out. Did something happen?”

  “Yeah, kinda, I ran into Ellen,” she began, and then repeated what Ellen had told her.

  As Matthew listened to her his face turned into a scowl and he rose, anger flowing through his body. As Kelly told the story her voice became hollow and detached for it seemed surreal that she was the subject of such a thing. Matthew was seeing red and seething as he paced along the floor.

  “Well, do they have any idea who is doing this? Do you?!” he said in a harsh, accusatory tone.

  “What do you mean by that? No I don't know who could be doing this. It could be anyone.”

  “Yeah, of course it could,” he said bitterly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I'm sorry, forget I said it.”

  “I don't think I can. What did you mean by that?” she said.

  Matthew's anger had cooled as he knew that he had said something wrong, and he looked at Kelly with regret.

  “I just...you know, you've always been...friendly with men,” he said, his voice trailing away. Kelly threw up her hands and shook her head.

  “I'm sorry!” he protested, and fell to his knees, clasping her hands in his.

  “You can't blame me for being annoyed at hearing someone else has designs on my wife.”

  “No, I don't. But you don't have to make it sound like it's my fault,” she said.

  Kelly was almost tempted to wrench her hands away from him but she
had enough self-awareness to know that she was feeling frustrated at the situation, not at him. The last thing she needed was a fight, and she certainly didn't want their first fight as husband and wife to be over this. He rose and sidled into the seat next to her, holding her tightly.

  “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm just...it's hard having the most beautiful woman in the world as your wife,” he said, kissing the side of her head. The compliment made her smile but the attitude still troubled her.

  “You're only like this because you've been cheated on in the past. I don't want that to overshadow what we have. You know you can trust me, and you know I'd never do anything to hurt you. I love you. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else ever and you have to know that. I don't mind a little jealousy. It's nice to know you care, after all, but you're making this about yourself, about how you feel. I'm the one who has been targeted.”

  “I know. I'm sorry, Kelly, it was my mistake and I shouldn't have made it about me. I'll do better in the future. I'll be better. But I'm here for you, whatever you need. I'll keep you safe and whomever this person is I won't let them do anything to you. How are you feeling right now?”

  “I'm scared,” she said, allowing herself to melt into his strong, caring arms.

  She buried her head in his chest and breathed in his strong masculine scent and tried to forget there was someone out there stalking her, watching her, lusting after her.

  “I'm worried. I'm freaking out that this person has been around me before and I've not known anything about it. How can I go on like this? I was just walking home after Ellen told me and it felt as though everyone was after me. I couldn't see anyone without thinking, 'Is it them?' How can I go on like that? It's driving me crazy just thinking about it,” she said, her voice trembling with raw emotion. Matthew pulled her close to him and caressed her gently, soothing sounds filling the air.