Her Hometown Detective

by Elizabeth Mowers

  “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”

  Faith glared at him. He thought he was some purveyor of truth and justice when all he looked like to her was an arrogant jerk who couldn’t see past his own prejudices.

  “Should I cross-stitch that on a pillow?”

  “You’d better get your house in order, because Lady Justice is going to come calling for you.”

  “I can’t wait until she shows up, Officer. Because on that day, I’ll be awaiting your apology in writing and in person.”

  He smiled. “So bold. I recall your dad acting the same when he was arrested. The apple never falls too far from the tree.” And with that he climbed into his squad car and pulled away, leaving Faith dumbstruck. She’d overheard the same words from her high school guidance counselor years before. He hadn’t known she was standing near the doorway, in earshot of his conversation with the principal.

  Keep an eye on the Talbert girl, the counselor had said. The apple never falls far from the tree. At the time she’d nearly dissolved into a puddle of tears. How could she be so misunderstood when she’d done nothing wrong in the first place?

  She may not be that frail young woman anymore, but his words made her doubt that returning to town was wise. After overhearing her guidance counselor, she’d begun making plans to move somewhere far away. And now, as her heart shattered into a thousand pieces, making it hard to breathe, she realized it was probably time to leave Roseley again.

  * * *

  TULLY PUSHED FAITH’S parting words from his mind as he drove along the lakeshore. The afternoon sun shimmered on the waves like gold. The lake was always good for distracting him and helping him think and today he needed it. He wanted to come up with a reasonable explanation for why there had been no crime committed the night before. CeCe’s suspicions about it didn’t sound quite as ridiculous in the morning light. She’d referred to the idea that it was a premeditated plan on Faith’s part, some sort of long con, but to what profitable end, Tully couldn’t say. Dex’s words rang in his ears as he drove, and he wondered how many other people thought he was playing the fool.

  When Charlie called, Tully decided to answer it just to interrupt his ruminating.

  “Have you talked to Faith yet?” Charlie said. “Have you fixed what happened this morning?”

  “What’s to be fixed? It isn’t going anywhere.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  Charlie huffed, “How long have we been best friends?”

  “Forever.”

  “Something like that. I think I know you pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Better than most, but cut to the chase, Charlie. I’m pulling up to Moody Ward’s house.”

  “Forget the case for a second. You need to work on your life.”

  “Excuse me?” Tully threw his truck in Park.

  “You’re letting Dex cloud your judgment, which is something you never let anyone do.”

  “You’re the second person to question my judgment today. That’s the problem.” But it wasn’t Dex’s influence that had him worried. It was Faith’s. He hadn’t been in his typical detective mode over the last few days, and it was letting the town down. He needed logic.

  Charlie continued, “The facts of the case don’t point exclusively to her.”

  “I know,” Tully said. “I know that she’s an easy scapegoat.” Unfortunately, the facts didn’t eliminate her as a suspect either. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  He stepped out of his truck as Cheyanne, Moody’s daughter, crossed from the house to the shed and spotted him. She waved as he approached.

  “Cheyanne, good to see you again.”

  “Detective McTully, I wasn’t expecting you.”

  At her greeting, Cody popped out from behind the shed with a fishing pole and tackle box. Tully offered a relaxed wave.

  “I saw you in the parade,” he said to Cody, who shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Word has it you’re starting with the soccer team this fall.”

  Cody looked at his mom.

  “As long as he can keep his grades up,” she said.

  “I’m sure he can do it,” Tully said. “Have practices kept you busy this summer?”

  The teen shrugged. “It’s been mostly conditioning and drills.”

  “He falls into bed every night.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Take advantage of your energy while you’re young. I’ll be sure to catch your games.”

  “Seriously?” Cody scoffed as if Tully was pulling his leg.

  “Seriously. I caught a few home games last year. It looks like Roseley High is putting together a good team again. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a record-breaking season. Are the games still on Saturday nights?”

  “They are,” Cheyanne said, smiling at Cody. “Cody, now you’ll have four people at your games.”

  Cody flinched like he didn’t care one way or the other, but Tully knew he’d hit a nerve—a good one.

  “Are you catching anything?” He motioned to the fishing poles.

  “He snagged several perch yesterday,” Cheyanne said. “We fried them up last night for dinner. Even Grandma ate two helpings.”

  “Perch is some of my favorite. What kind of lures are you using?”

  Cody held up his fishing pole for Tully to examine.

  “That’ll get ’em. That one’s top rate.”

  “Grandpa bought it for me.”

  “He wants you out of the woods and on the lake.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Go catch us dinner.” Cheyanne chuckled. Cody waved her comment away, noticeably awkward from her encouragement, but Tully had already turned his attention to Cheyanne.

  “Speaking of your dad, is he around?” Tully wanted to talk to Moody more. Aside from CeCe Takes, Moody was most knowledgable about Roseley’s inner workings, and Tully was fresh out of leads—decent ones. At the parade he’d sensed that Moody might have a few more things to say about The Gypsy Caravan.

  “He’s out with my mom for the day. They won’t be back till tonight for a little celebratory dinner.”

  “Oh?”

  Cheyanne beamed with pride. “I graduated from my accounting program.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “And just got a new job.”

  “That’s right. I heard about your interview in Traverse City.”

  “That was where the interview was, but it was for a job in town. The Gypsy Caravan hired me to keep their books.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  “They asked my dad to recommend someone local, so he put in a good word for me. I’ve been in talks with them for a while but had to keep it quiet. We’ve all been crossing our fingers for the last week, hoping I’d get it. It means better pay, better hours and, most importantly, more time with Cody.”

  It all made sense, Moody’s worry the Callahan brothers would leave Roseley. Their store was not just good for the town, it was good for his daughter and grandson.

  “That’s wonderful, Cheyanne. No one deserves it more than you.”

  “Thanks.” She glanced at the dock where Cody was impatiently waiting for her. “What did you need to talk to my dad for? Should I have him call you?”

  “Nope,” Tully said. “Just driving by and thought I’d stop to chat.”

  By the time he made it back to his truck, Cody and his mom had already cast their lines. His instincts had been right. Moody had left out a nugget of important information when they’d talked at the parade. But as he caught a glance at Cody and Cheyanne in his rearview mirror, happily fishing together, he was pleased to see it was for a good reason.

  * * *

  TULLY HAD MADE it to Grandma’s Basement
in time to find CeCe and Dolores paying a visit. He was glad to feel a blanket of cool air greet him at the door.

  “Detective McTully,” Miss Jenkins said, a warm smile spreading over her face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see how the repair company treated you. It feels like they did a good job.”

  CeCe held up two hands to draw his attention to the rest of the shop.

  “The fella got it working about a half hour ago. We’re having a celebratory drink.” Miss Jenkins motioned for him to sit down at what looked like a midafternoon tea. Dolores poured him a lemonade.

  “Have you gotten any business today?”

  Miss Jenkins frowned. “Unfortunately, not much. People have been strolling the walk looking for places to get cool and up until a little bit ago, I didn’t have much to offer in the way of an oasis. Hopefully, it picks up. I’m half tempted to put a sign in the window advertising that I have air-conditioning.”

  CeCe wrapped both hands around her glass, pausing for dramatic effect.

  “I spoke with Gemma Murdock at The Copper Kettle, and she overheard Caroline and Trig Waterson talking at lunch. Apparently, Faith announced to them this morning that she’s packing it in and leaving town for good.”

  Tully could no sooner stop CeCe from spreading gossip than he could wrangle a locust storm, and where Faith was concerned, both were just as damaging.

  “I know you’re sweet on her, Detective,” CeCe said, “but Faith has behaved in the way I warned you about.”

  “Hardly. She’s probably leaving town because people have judged her too harshly. I judged her and the only crime she’s ever committed was being born the daughter of Ray Talbert. I wouldn’t wish that life sentence on anyone.” He kept his words steady, unthreatening as he took another sip of lemonade. Miss Jenkins’s face fell, noticeably distraught at his words.

  “She seems like a sweet girl,” Miss Jenkins said. “I’m so sorry for what happened to her shop. And the part you said about her father... It’s right, isn’t it? It’s a lousy hand to have been dealt, and from such an impressionable age.”

  “She might not be able to change who her father is,” CeCe said, “but she can certainly keep a rein on her attitude.”

  “What attitude?” Dolores said. “She’s never shown an attitude to me.”

  CeCe rolled her eyes. “She’s doled out plenty to me.”

  “You’re not the easiest person to know, CeCe,” Dolores said. “You’re a stinker.” She poured her friend another cup of tea as if to soften the blow.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’re a difficult person with a capital D. I was lucky to land on your good side when we first met twenty-seven years ago, otherwise you and I probably would have found ourselves in an ongoing feud.”

  CeCe scrunched up her face, noticeably offended, but Miss Jenkins was quick to pat her hand, redirecting her the way a preschool teacher redirected a student throwing a tantrum.

  “It’s true, honey. Sometimes you don’t bring out the best in people. You can be a little harsh.”

  “Harsh? I’m not harsh. I’m honest. I’m protective.”

  “You’re also a wee bit—” Miss Jenkins hesitated and glanced at Dolores, who nodded “—divisive.”

  “What on earth are you saying, Betty?”

  “If you think someone isn’t with you, you think they’re against you, but that’s not how life works. For one reason or another, you pitted Faith against you as soon as she arrived. I don’t know why, but your attitude toward her has been...”

  “What?” CeCe softened, leaning away from the table as if a bomb was set to explode from Betty’s mouth.

  Miss Jenkins’s face darkened, her words low and serious. “Oh, so foul.”

  “Betty.” CeCe’s face stretched in horror. Miss Jenkins winced to convey it was unfortunately true.

  “But,” she said, squeezing her hand, “we still love you, dear. Don’t we, Dolores?” Dolores patted CeCe’s other hand.

  Tully lowered his eyes to give the trio as much privacy as their close proximity would allow. Miss Jenkins was as sweet as a bunny rabbit, but she had just landed a punch that had CeCe seeing stars. It wasn’t easy to hear the truth from a friend, but if CeCe could be sure of anything, it was that there was nothing mean in her friends’ honesty. It was compassionate and firm, like words from a good coach.

  He thought of his earlier conversation with Charlie, but pushed it away for the time being. He needed to focus on the case. Well, he needed to focus on the case once the shock wore off. For once, CeCe Takes didn’t have a word to say.

  He watched the women and realized that not everyone agreed with CeCe’s opinion. Dex had made it seem like everyone was doubting his judgment and suspected Faith, but that hadn’t been true. There were people who had seen in Faith what he had seen all along. He wondered if that meant his detective skills weren’t going awry after all.

  “How long have you known this about me?” CeCe asked. Dolores snorted.

  “For as long as we’ve known you.”

  “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “We tried to talk to you all week,” Miss Jenkins said. “You turned your nose up at every kind word we spoke about Faith or every kind thing we did for her.”

  “I was trying to protect you. You’re too nice.”

  “I’m not,” Dolores said. “Betty, you might be a little too nice, but it’s why we like you.”

  “That’s true,” CeCe admitted. “I don’t want you to be like me, Betty. Have you been upset with me all week?”

  Betty sadly nodded. “I haven’t been able to sleep and it had nothing to do with my air conditioner being out. The other night it was so darn hot, and all I could do was fan myself and go round and round about poor Faith and how she’s trying hard to—”

  “It was so hot?” Dolores said. “Did your air-conditioning go out at your house too?”

  “What?” Miss Jenkins said, sitting back from the table.

  “You said you were up at night thinking about it and it was hot. Have you been sleeping here in your store?”

  “N-no. I meant that I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about Faith.”

  Tully sat motionless, waiting. It was a funny thing how people could be drawn to give up the truth when they thought no one was digging for it. By the flush of Miss Jenkins’s cheeks and the sweat percolating on her brow, he sensed that the truth was about to come bubbling out.

  “Why would you spend the night at your shop?” Dolores asked. “Were you worried someone was going to break in?”

  “No, I...” Miss Jenkins wavered on her chair. “I wasn’t in my shop. It was too hot.”

  CeCe frowned and studied Betty. “But you said you couldn’t sleep because it was so hot. You slept here the night before? The night the air-conditioning went out? The night...”

  Miss Jenkins’s eyes now widened in the same horror CeCe’s had only a moment ago, but where her friend had taken offense, Miss Jenkins seemed to be struggling to not break down crying. She looked from one person to another as her fingers fiddled over a napkin, folding and unfolding it again.

  Tully studied each movement as his heart sank. She’d been such an important part of his childhood, of his healing after his mother had walked out on him. He hated to leave her squirming on her seat like a worm wriggling to free itself from a hook, but the truth needed to come out, completely, finally.

  “Miss Jenkins,” he said. Her head swiveled to him. “Are you the one responsible for all the vandalism?” She sucked in her lips, pressing them together as a last holdout. “Miss Jenkins?”

  “I... I...”

  “We’ll still love you, Betty,” CeCe said, now taking her friend’s hand in a moment of solidarity. “You can tell us the truth. You owe us that.”

 
Miss Jenkins dropped her head, tears streaking her freshly powdered cheeks.

  “I never wanted to bother anyone. I want you to believe that. I just wanted to spook the Callahan brothers.”

  “Your competition?” Dolores said, confused. She had good reason to be. Miss Jenkins didn’t have an adversarial bone in her body, making friends with everyone and striving for peace at all costs if it came down to it.

  “It’s not about that,” Miss Jenkins tearfully explained. “I’ve had this business for almost my entire life, and I’ve always made do, even if just barely. When the Callahan brothers announced they were moving in, I knew everyone would go to their shop, especially the tourists who were starstruck by the Callahans themselves. They’ve been on television, for heaven’s sake. I didn’t want to break anything or damage anything in their shop. I only wanted to scare them. They’d said before that they had been considering other towns, and I thought if I made them see Roseley as a more dangerous place, they’d take their store somewhere else. I’m so sorry.”

  “But you broke my window,” CeCe said. “And Faith’s and even your own.”

  “I couldn’t just vandalize the only other antiques store in town or everyone would suspect me.” She covered her face with her hands. “Instead you suspected that poor girl. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen to her. I broke her window hoping it would make her look innocent, but it made you press her harder.”

  Tully pulled his chair closer to Miss Jenkins. When he began rubbing her back, she leaned into him and sobbed.

  “Honey,” CeCe said. “We had no idea you were so worried about losing your shop. We would have helped you. That’s why you’ve got us.”

  Miss Jenkins wiped her eyes.

  “Can you ever forgive me?” she asked. “Do you think Faith ever could?”

  “She’s a tough cookie,” Dolores said. “But she’s a good one too. We’ll help you explain it to her.”