by R A Wallace
Megan explained to Caitlyn everything that she had learned so far. By the time she was done, Caitlyn had eaten a second piece of cake.
“So, Janice was right. Blake was just after their property?” Caitlyn asked.
Megan nodded. “Looks that way so far.”
“Goes to show you just never know what someone else is thinking,” Caitlyn said, almost to herself.
Megan thought Caitlyn’s comment sounded personal. “Is something wrong?”
Caitlyn shrugged. “Not wrong. It’s just, I don’t know. Doug seems as interested as he always was.”
“But?”
Caitlyn shook her head. “I can’t put my finger on any one thing. Something just seems different.”
“Different isn’t always bad, though,” Megan pointed out. “Maybe your relationship is just naturally progressing to something else.”
“Maybe. It sounds like the relationship between my mom and Ross is progressing. He sent letters to all of the other shops in the building and offered an extended contract at the same rate. We were wondering why he didn’t send us one but then he told my mom it didn’t feel right.”
Megan made a face as she considered the statement, then her face lit up when the most probable reason came to her. “He doesn’t want to charge his own family rent?”
“Something like that. I guess the two of them are still in negotiations about it. I’m staying out of it,” Caitlyn said.
“Probably best,” Megan agreed.
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about Cy and Jill.” Caitlyn stood. “It looks like the rain has let up. I should make a run for it while I can.”
Megan walked Caitlyn to the front door. Then she texted Erica. Looking up at the skies, she agreed with Caitlyn. It looked like the rain was clearing out. She’d take the frozen apples she just cleaned to Lauren and drop them off. Then, maybe she’d try to catch up with others on her list from the engagement party.
Some of the puzzle pieces were fitting together. But she felt as though there were still some clues that she needed to know before she could see the whole puzzle. Did one or both of the twins kill Blake? If not, was Cy the killer? Megan hoped the answer to those questions was no. But if they didn’t do it, who did?
She thought about any loose ends she hadn’t tied up. There was one loose end in particular that she could think of and she wanted to check on it now. Maybe she could learn more about it in town. Cleaning up quickly, Megan loaded some zippered bags of apples into a box and carried them to her truck. She’d stop at Lauren’s first.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The atmosphere in the precinct was noticeably different when Rhys went in to work on Wednesday before his normal time. He originally had been scheduled for the afternoon shift, but with the recent murder they were giving him extra hours to help with the interviews and anything else Jerry and Erica needed him to do. He was happy for the extra hours and even happier that he’d be able to help with the case.
He did notice, though, that he wasn’t as eager to leave his new home now that he had moved out of an upstairs apartment that boasted a cot, a hot plate, and a fairly regular train route on the track next to the garage he’d been living above. He was falling into a new schedule since he’d moved into Dan Parker’s old house. He enjoyed having a lawn to maintain. He really enjoyed having a deck on the back of the house with a grill. It was a nice neighborhood, and he was still running several miles a day. But he was starting to cook some of his own food instead of eating out all the time. He wasn’t particularly good at cooking, but it was still a nice change to have a real kitchen.
He arrived at the precinct mid-morning just as the rain had temporarily eased and greeted the receptionist, Martha, with a brief nod. She looked like she wanted to speak to him about something as she handed him some notes but someone else walked in and got her attention. Rhys grabbed the notes and moved quickly through the area. She seemed like a nice woman, but she held him captive for ten minutes last week telling him about her youngest niece.
Rhys found Jerry and Erica making updates to the murder board. They looked like they were excited about something. Rhys stopped and examined the board to check for any changes since he’d last looked at it the day before. They had a new name up in a prominent location on the board, Cy Douglass. Apparently, Cy had been heard making negative comments about the victim.
It probably meant Rhys would be pounding the pavement with another round of interviews and tracking people down who were close to Cy Douglass or may have interacted with him recently. Rhys was okay with that. Anything that would help the team. He went to an open computer and checked his email and any new departmental communications, then finished reading the messages Martha had handed him.
Looking back up at the board, he saw newly written notes about mineral rights. Interesting twist, Rhys thought. He knew people had been killed for less. He watched Jerry glance at the time, then take something out of a cooler sitting on Erica’s desk. Since her pregnancy, she’d been trying to make sure that she ate healthier and that included not skipping meals during stressful times like murder investigations.
Since Erica wasn’t particularly good at remembering to follow the new regimen, Jerry was usually the one to remind her. Jerry handed whatever he’d taken from the cooler to Erica. She began eating without even looking at it first, her focus on the murder board and the documents spread out in front of her on a large table. Rhys wondered if she even knew what Jerry had given her. She was so focused on the case in front of her, he wasn’t even certain she knew Rhys was in the room. He was disabused of that when sharp hazel eyes flashed his way.
“Rhys, we need you to do some follow-up interviews,” Erica said.
Rhys listened as Jerry and Erica updated him on what they had learned since the previous day. They gave him a list of things to do. He asked a few questions then headed out to do what they’d asked. His first stop was to speak with the librarian, Linda Spelling.
***
Ava left Ross McMann’s new business incubator with her head still spinning. She was still trying to get used to the idea of having business meetings. In fact, she was still trying to get used to the idea of owning her own business.
Maid in Teaberry was doing so well, she was considering hiring another employee. Ava was having difficulty adjusting from the role of worker to owner and was still trying to complete many of her cleaning contracts on her own rather than assigning them to her employees. Ross had been coaching her on both her time management skills and delegating.
Glancing at the clock in her car when she turned the key, she realized that she still had several minutes left before her next job. And the rain had stopped for now. She looked at the pile of books on the passenger seat next to her. At the rate Bella was reading, she will have gone through every title in the Teaberry Library before the end of the school year.
Ava drove the few blocks to the library and found a parking space further down on the block. She got out and opened the passenger door, then tried to lift the stack of books and close the car door with her hip. Some of the books began to slip and then the whole pile was falling from her hands. Ava was struggling to contain them before they hit the wet ground when she realized that someone else had stopped to help.
Long arms reached out and lifted most of the books from her pile, keeping them safe from ruin. She looked up into the handsome face of Rhys Cunningham. Ava felt her face begin to redden at the memory of her first meeting with him. She’d called the police station because she thought the old elementary school building was haunted. She’d thought the handsome young policeman had dismissed her complaint at first, but then discovered that had not been the case.
“Hey,” Rhys said as he stood holding most of the books in his arms. He pointed to the other books with his chin. “I can take those too if you’d like.”
Ava glanced down at the few books she’d managed to hold on to before Rhys had lifted the rest from her arms. “No, thanks. I have these.”
Rhys looked down at his pile. “You must read a lot.”
Ava smiled. She knew some of the books were advanced topics. Bella was always pushing herself to learn more. “Not me, my daughter.”
Rhys looked at some of the titles more closely. “You don’t look old enough to have a daughter who reads this stuff.”
“She’s twelve, but she’s pretty advanced.” Ava glanced towards the library. “I can take those from you now. I have to drop them off. She gave me a list for another pile to pick up.”
Rhys smiled. “I’m headed that way actually. I’ll carry them in for you.”
Rhys followed her across the street and up the steps of the library. “So, how is the new business going.”
“Good,” Ava said sounding somewhat surprised that it was the case. “With Mr. McMann’s guidance. He’s been very supportive.”
“I hear you have your own employees now,” Rhys said just as they reached the door.
Ava was carrying fewer books than Rhys, so she opened the door for them. “Yes, I’m still adjusting to that also.”
“Does this mean you have more free time now?” Rhys asked as he passed through the door. “Like, maybe to go out to dinner some night?”
Ava felt her face redden again as several people standing at the checkout counter turned to hear her response to Rhys’s question.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The morning rains gave way to a sunny afternoon. Cy Douglass stood on his front porch anxiously waiting for the delivery truck to arrive. He found a piece he was missing from his china set. He had been searching for years for it and was blown over when he discovered it on a web site. Finally, the truck pulled into his drive.
Cy was surprised to see that a police car followed it in. He absently thanked the delivery woman when she handed the package to him. He stood on the porch, waiting for the two police officers to join him.
“Mr. Douglass?” Erica said as she mounted the steps. At his nod, she introduced Jerry and herself.
“Can we go inside and ask you some questions?” Jerry asked, looking curiously at the box.
Cy followed his gaze then nodded. He led the way into the house and then offered them a seat in the living room.
Erica looked around the room with interest. It was a comfortable room. There was a large screen television on one wall. It looked like Mr. Douglass spent a lot of time there. Erica’s gaze dropped down to the box he had set on the coffee table in front of him.
Cy looked at the two police officers. “What can I help you with?”
“We’d like to know what you were doing Sunday,” Erica said.
Cy lifted his eyebrows. “I assume this has to do with the recent death?”
Erica chose not to answer. “Do you live alone here, Mr. Douglass?”
“I do.”
Jerry glanced at his partner. They both waited for Mr. Douglass to add more to his statement. Cy Douglass leaned back in his seat and calmly waited for them to speak again.
“And last Sunday. Where were you last Sunday?” Erica repeated.
“I was here,” Cy replied.
“Was anyone else here with you?” Jerry asked.
Cy shook his head.
“Do you have any way of corroborating your whereabouts on Sunday?” Erica asked.
Cy looked down at the box, then pulled out his pen knife. He slit the box open and began pulling out bubble wrap.
Jerry and Erica watched in interest as the man dug through the box carefully. Finally, he pulled out an ornate antique bone china coffee pot.
Cy set the coffee pot carefully on the table and admired it. It looked even better up close than it had on his computer.
“That’s lovely,” Erica said. “What does it have to do with where you were on Sunday?”
“I was bidding on this piece most of the day,” Cy explained.
Erica looked over at Jerry, wondering how something like that could be proved.
Jerry lifted one shoulder and gave a brief nod, indicating that he had some ideas.
“You spent a whole day bidding on just this piece?” Erica thought it was a nice enough piece but still wondered why anyone would do that. “This piece has some special significance for you?”
Cy Douglass dropped his eyes and looked off to the left before answering. “It was a particularly elusive piece to a set I’ve been collecting.”
Erica shot Jerry a glance, wondering if he’d seen the same thing she did.
Jerry nodded at Erica and then focused his attention on Cy. “Mind if we take a look at the set?”
Cy seemed surprised at the request. Then he stood and carefully lifted the coffee pot. Erica and Jerry followed him into the dining room where they saw a large collection of matching china.
“How long has it taken you to collect the set?” Jerry asked.
“About twenty-five years,” Cy said.
He gently set the coffee pot down on a matching tray where a creamer, sugar bowl, and an odd number of coffee cups were displayed. “They were scattered all over the world.”
Jerry frowned down at the tray and wondered why there was an odd number of cups. Glancing over at the hutch, he saw what looked like all of the plates and matching crystal for a complete set. Yet, there weren’t enough cups for an even number to finish the set.
“Looks like you’re still missing some pieces,” Jerry said.
Cy nodded sadly. “I had hoped to complete the set by now. This coffee pot is the last piece I’ve been able to find, and I looked for that for over two decades. I may never find the one missing cup to fully complete the entire set. It’s the only piece missing now.”
Erica decided to change the subject. “Can you describe to us your relationship with Jill Swindell?”
Cy looked at the hutch and shrugged. “We went to school together.”
Erica flashed a frustrated look at Jerry.
Jerry asked Cy if he had permission to take Cy’s computer to verify his digital whereabouts on Sunday. Cy agreed and even gave Jerry the passwords he would need. Jerry and Erica left shortly after, Cy’s computer in hand, with a promise to return soon.
***
Jerry finished his examination and stood up from the desk. He left the small room he was using to examine Cy’s computer and found Erica in the large room with the murder board. Erica was reviewing their notes again, hoping to discern some nugget that had escaped her before. Rhys had called in with some preliminary comments from his interviews. Erica was trying to weave any salient points from Rhys back into what they already knew.
Erica gave Jerry a hopeful look. “Got anything?”
Jerry leaned against a desk. “From everything I can see, he’s telling the truth. I have logs of timestamps and his IP address. I was even able to see some of the cached pages with that same coffee pot and his bids.”
Erica leaned back in her chair and raised her arms over her head, resting her linked hands on the top of her head. “So, we don’t think it was Cy?”
Jerry shrugged. “I can’t see how. Unless someone else was sitting at his computer and making the bids. But there were also some emails that he sent to family members, he did some banking, and he paid some bills.”
Erica blew out a breath. “So, not Cy. Then who? Are we back to the twins?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The woman held the dress up in front of her and bit her lip as she examined it closely in the full length mirror. She’d been looking at several of the dresses in Togs for nearly an hour, but had continued to return time and again to the one she held now. Giselle Lafitte watched from across the room, then walked over to offer her opinion.
“Those colors would look lovely on you,” Giselle said.
The other woman looked at her with uncertainty in her eyes. “Do you think I’m too old to wear a dress like this?”
“Oh, no. I don’t believe that at all,” Giselle said honestly. “Go try it on and we’ll look at it together. You’ll see what I mean once you have it on.”
Giselle smiled confidently at the other woman and nodded encouragement. The woman hesitated for a moment, then did as Giselle suggested.
She returned looking as hesitant as before. Giselle stood next to her in the full-length mirror and smiled. She guessed the woman was somewhere in her early sixties.
“See? It’s perfect for you.” Giselle thought the colors and style complemented the woman’s skin tone and figure.
The woman turned to view the back. The dress was a little low cut in the back and the slender skirt touched the floor. There was a slit up the back to the knees to allow ease of movement. It would be perfect for a wedding or some other type of formal gathering.
“I guess,” the woman said hesitantly as she turned slowly, checking the dress from every angle. Then she turned to Giselle with a tremulous smile. “I’ll take it.”
Giselle slid a clear plastic cover over the entire dress after ringing up the sale, then tied the bottom of the bag to protect the dress inside it. She told the other woman to have a good time at her upcoming event and watched with happiness as a satisfied customer left her shop.
It was one of the reasons why she’d opened her own place. She had always had a love for clothes and design. She enjoyed helping people to look their best, knowing from personal experience that clothes can impact self-esteem. And now that she’d gotten a letter from the new owner of the building offering an extension on her lease, she could stop worrying about losing the shop she loved.
The bells on the door rung, indicating another customer had entered. Giselle popped around a clothes rack, saw Megan Parker, and took a deep breath. Helping Megan to find clothes might be something of a challenge. For as long as Giselle had known her, Megan had always dressed for comfort rather than style. Running several recent acquisitions through her mind and discarding them all as something that would not tempt Megan, Giselle moved forward to greet her.
“Megan, hello. Looking for anything in particular?” Giselle asked.
