Books, Picnics And Murder

by Lori Woods

  “Oh, no,” Clary said quickly, “we definitely have to talk to her now, I’m just saying that it’s not concrete evidence or anything.”

  “I know,” Logan agreed, “but that’s not all they had to say. Everyone thought like you, up until last week. Ava was late picking him up from school. When she got there, he didn’t want to get into the car with her. She got out of the car, argued with him, and then slapped him in front of everyone.”

  “She hit him?” Clary asked, horrified.

  “Yeah, I wanted to brush it off as nasty gossip, but everyone saw her. I’m not talking one or two people, I’m talking at least fifteen. The school called her in for a meeting and everything.”

  “I can imagine,” Clary said. In Valley Springs, most parents wanted to pick their children up from school instead of letting them walk. This meant that when the school let out for the day, the entire street was packed with parents and children. If Ava did something in front of the crowd, the whole town would know about it within minutes.

  When they pulled up to the Northwood mansion, Clary wasn’t feeling very generous towards the lady of the house. Logan stopped the car, and they both hesitated before getting out. Once again, Clary was struck by the absence of Elijah’s presence. No toys, no swing set, just a modern house for a rich couple.

  Clary pushed the door open with a surge of determination. That hat wasn’t Elijah’s. He was out there, somewhere, and she was going to find him and bring him back home so that he would be able to leave some toys outside. So that his father would put up a swing set for him and his friends to enjoy. It was these thoughts that gave her the courage to knock on the pristine white-and-glass door in front of her.

  It took a minute, but finally Ava threw the door open. The beautiful young woman was wearing a fluffy white dressing gown and a green face mask.

  “What happened?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  “We don’t know anything yet,” Clary admitted as Logan walked up behind her. “We were hoping to ask a few questions.” Ava hesitated, but then she nodded slowly and opened the door wider.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” she said, fidgeting with the towel on her head. “I don’t know where Elijah and Payton are.”

  “That’s okay,” Clary assured her, “we just want a little background information. All we need is some information about Elijah. You know?”

  “I guess so,” Ava sighed as she sat down on the couch. She sat perfectly still to avoid messing up the display of throw pillows. Clary and Logan sat down gently on the edge of the couch. There were so many cushions that they couldn’t move without toppling one over.

  “It must’ve been an adjustment for you,” Clary started, “you know, marrying into the family.”

  “I knew what I was getting into,” Ava shrugged, “it’s not like I was surprised or anything.”

  “Still,” Logan said, “it can’t be easy being a stepmother, especially not at your age.”

  “My age?” Ava asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her legs at the knees.

  “I mean,” Logan sputtered slightly, blushing pink, “I meant, you’re so young.”

  “Right,” Ava said, giving him a strange look.

  “How did Elijah react to all this?” Clary asked quickly. “I know some children might act out if a parent remarries.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Ava shrugged. “Eli never seemed to mind much. He was so young when his mother died, I don’t think he really understands what he missed out on. Or what to expect when Bryan got married. He’s a mature kid, I was never worried about him acting out. He does his own thing, and we do ours.”

  Clary’s heart clenched for Eli. What a lonely existence for a young child. She was going to point out that every child knew what they were missing out on when they grew up without a parent. How could they not know? Their friends and peers all had what they didn’t. School functions were like salt in the wound, and the sight of other children with their families was embarrassing. Every Mother’s or Father’s Day was a nightmare. Parent-teacher conferences were worse. Only someone who had both parents could say that a child without one wouldn’t know the difference.

  “He sounds mature,” is what Clary said instead. “Is he happy when you guys came to visit him?”

  “He looks forward to our visits,” Ava hesitated. “I’m sure. We try and get out as much here as much as we can.”

  “I’m sure you’re both very busy,” Clary said kindly.

  “Yeah,” Ava said dismissively. “It’s hard on Bryan, so we try our best. More often than not, he’ll just cancel. It’s not pleasant, being in this house,” Ava looked around with pursed lips.

  “What’s wrong with the house?” Logan asked in confusion.

  “This is where Eli’s mom died,” Ava shrugged. Logan’s eyebrows skyrocketed and Clary felt her mouth fall open slightly. They quickly composed themselves, but they weren’t quick enough. Ava gave them both suspicious looks, but let it go.

  “I can only imagine how hard it is for him,” Clary said softly.

  “Eli doesn’t understand how hard it is for his father,” Ava explained sadly. “When he’s older, I’m sure it will all make sense.”

  “I’d imagine that Bryan would get some sort of comfort out of spending time with Eli,” Clary said in confusion.

  “It’s not Bryan’s fault,” Ava shrugged. “It’s just the way it all happened. He gets all these memories when he looks at Eli.”

  “Why?” Logan asked.

  “Well, because it’s Eli’s fault that Natasha died,” Ava said simply.

  “What?” Clary asked in shock.

  “Yeah,” Ava nodded, “when Eli was about two, Natasha was making something, and she took her eye off him for a second. Next thing she knew, she heard a cracking sound. When she ran outside, Eli was sitting on the pool. It was winter, so it was mostly frozen. She was able to get him off the surface, but then she fell in.”

  “And it’s Eli’s fault?” Clary asked in disbelief.

  “Well, he didn’t mean to, obviously,” Ava said defensively, “but you can’t deny that if it weren’t for Eli then Natasha would still be alive.”

  “If Bryan hadn’t built a pool then Eli would still have a mother,” Logan snapped, surprising them all.

  “Excuse me?” Ava asked, obviously taking offense.

  “An adult who blames a child for a tragedy doesn’t deserve to be a parent,” Logan said angrily. “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Northwood. We’ll call you if we find your stepson. You can get back to your facial now.” With that, he got up and stormed off, leaving them to stare at him in bewilderment.

  “Someone has to be here in case he comes back,” Ava said in a small voice. “He can’t come home to an empty house. Again.” She said the last word so softly that Clary wasn’t sure she said it at all.

  Chapter 6

  “That went well,” Clary commented when she got into the car. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry about that,” Logan said shortly, starting the car with a decisive movement. Clary gave him a sidelong glance and saw that he was holding the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. She tilted her head slightly as she regarded him.

  “You’re lying,” she decided out loud.

  “That’s none of your business,” he shrugged, giving her a quick look before turning his face back to the road. He turned on the radio, effectively ending any conversation. She turned in her seat to watch him as he drove. Logan made a point of not looking at her. For once, Clary decided to let it go.

  When they finally arrived at the lake, it looked like the search party was regrouping. Everyone was standing in huddled little groups, looking around anxiously. Clary saw that the boats were still out on the lake, and she wondered if Luke told Bryan what they found yet.

  “What are we going to do?” Logan asked when he stopped the car.

  “I think it’s time I had a conversation with Bryan,” Clary decided. “I don’t like the way t
hings ended with Ava. We never got to ask if she slapped Eli at the school.”

  “I know,” Logan said as he got out of the car, “I was there.”

  “You left really quickly,” she reminded him. “He’s over there. Let me see what I can find out.”

  Bryan was standing on the lake’s edge all by himself. People looked at him periodically, expecting him to break down but no one came forward. When Clary walked up behind him, she saw that he was watching the boats intently. It was as if he also expected Luke to find his son in the lake.

  “Mr. Northwood,” she said gently.

  “Let me guess,” he said in a dry tone, “you’re here to ask me some questions?”

  “I don’t have to ask anything,” she shrugged. “I just thought you might not want to be alone right now.”

  “What if I do?” he asked brusquely.

  “I’d say you were lying,” Clary said resolutely, “but we don’t know each other well enough yet, so I hope you don’t.”

  “I don’t want to talk about any of this,” he told her, but there was an amused tilt to his expression. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t about to chase her away either, and she let out a breath of relief. She really didn’t know what she’d do if he chased her away.

  “Boundaries are always a good idea,” she agreed. “What am I not allowed to talk about? Just so that I’m sure.”

  “Aren’t boundaries something you struggle with?” he asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. His focus was still on the lake, but she had some of his attention.

  “Let me guess,” she held up a hand, “you’ve been hearing stories about me all morning. Before I say anything else, let me remind you of something. I’ve been hearing some scary stories about you all morning. Why didn’t I listen?”

  “Ah,” he nodded slowly, “small-town syndrome.”

  “It’s okay,” she shrugged. “I knew what I was getting into when I moved here. Besides, it’s turning out to be helpful.”

  “I thought you don’t listen to stories?” he asked, frowning slightly.

  “Where there’s smoke, there’s a fire,” she shrugged. “For example, if someone told me that the town was on fire, I’d ask the fire department if they managed to get the cat out of the tree. People see things, Mr. Northwood, and they add their own spin on it. If you take away their views and opinions, you could see what they saw.”

  “That’s a good way to look at it,” he shrugged.

  “It’s turning out to be invaluable, especially now,” she said casually, looking out onto the lake.

  “What do you mean?” he asked curiously.

  “Everyone’s talking about your family, Mr. Northwood, that means that sooner or later, someone’s going to say something useful. In fact, they already have, they just haven’t realized it yet. Don’t worry, we’ll find your son soon enough.”

  “I already know that,” Bryan shrugged. “Eli’s going to turn up somewhere. He’s probably visiting a friend and forgot to tell us where he is. Although, I think we need to find him a new nanny. That girl’s turning out to be useless. It’s too bad, she worked so well for a while. It’s probably time to get rid of the nannies altogether. Elijah’s old enough now. I don’t want the boy to grow up coddled.”

  “You think he’s being coddled?” Clary asked curiously.

  “Yes,” Bryan said without hesitation, “he’s nearly a teenager. The boy needs to learn to defend himself. Next year he’ll be in middle school. It’s not healthy.”

  “Mr. Northwood,” Clary said slowly.

  “We need to have a serious talk about responsibility when he gets back,” Bryan decided. “I should probably get him a new phone. These older models are always acting up. I just hope none of this gets into the papers. It’s hard to get rid of these childhood mistakes.”

  “Bryan,” Clary said again, but he carried on as if she wasn’t around.

  “Now Luke’s messing up the whole lake. He better pay for all this himself. That’s another mess to clean up. Payton’s going to have to answer for all this. I’ll probably have to dock her pay. Then again, if I’m letting her go then I probably can’t dock her pay. Stupid unions.”

  “Bryan,” Clary said more loudly.

  “What is it?” he asked in annoyance.

  “Elijah’s only ten years old,” Clary said slowly, “he’s not going to middle school next year.”

  Bryan’s whole face went sour as he glared at her, and two red spots appeared on his cheekbones. Clary flinched as she expected a hailstorm of abuse to be unleashed. But Bryan just shook his head at her.

  “I’m sorry,” he said thoughtfully. “I need to make a phone call.” He walked off, leaving Clary to look after him in surprise. Bryan Northwood continued to surprise her. He seemed to forget that he even had a son, or what it was like to be a child.

  “Clary!” Logan called, gesturing wildly. The young woman he was speaking to looked at him as if he were crazy.

  “What is it?” Clary asked, looking at where Bryan was talking into the phone. He laughed at something and shook his head. If she didn’t know any better, she might’ve thought that he was on a mid-morning stroll instead of heading a search party to find his son.

  “This is Layla,” he pointed to the young woman with stunning blue eyes, “she works for the Northwoods.”

  “You make it sound so fancy,” Layla teased. “I’m just a maid. There are like three other maids that also work there. Trust me, it’s nothing special.”

  “So, you know the family well?”

  “I only really know Eli,” Layla shrugged. “When Ava and Bryan come home, it’s usually on the weekends. I don’t see them around much.”

  “What do you think about Eli?” Clary asked.

  “He’s a great kid,” Layla nodded as she spoke. “I used to think rich kids were evil, but you’d never say he was a Northwood. Trust me. Whenever he can, he invites us to eat with him. He even makes his own bed. I’ve got nothing to do at the house most days. The kid is seriously well-behaved.”

  “Well,” Clary said with a small smile, “Ava said that he was mature for his age.”

  “What would she know?” Layla scoffed rudely. “She never spends more than a minute with him.”

  “I was curious about that,” Clary admitted. “She said that he hardly noticed their absence. What do you think?”

  “I think she doesn’t know anything about Eli,” Layla said vehemently. “He’s the loneliest child I’ve ever met in my life. Every single time the two of them cancel on him, he hurts real bad. I wish they’d never tell him anything. That way he wouldn’t be disappointed.”

  “That’s so sad,” Clary said, shaking her head. “I suppose it’s a good thing Payton’s there for him then.”

  “You mean Wannabe Northwood? Yeah, whatever.” Layla flicked her hand dismissively and leaned all her weight on her hip as she spoke. “I’m here to find Eli, I don’t care what happened to Payton. She’s probably doing all this for attention. Poor Eli, I hope they fire her after this.”

  “I heard that she was good at her job,” Clary mentioned. “Someone said that she really loves kids and that she’s good for Eli.”

  “Oh please,” Layla rolled her eyes. “She’s the best actress I’ve ever seen in my life. She turns on the charm whenever someone’s around. Eli could be testing nuclear bombs in the backyard and she wouldn’t even notice. She spends more time with her phone than she does with Eli, and she’s paid by the hour. I have no idea how she got the job, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t care about him.”

  “Then why has she kept the job for this long?” Clary asked.

  “You’ve seen Luke Northwood, haven’t you?” Layla asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “That man would get Cruella de Ville to adopt children. It doesn’t help that he and Payton are about the same age. Whenever he’s around, she turns into super nanny. Eli never knows what’s going on, so he just goes with it. It’s why he’s always call
ing Luke to come visit. When Luke’s around, he gets to pretend that he’s got a family. It’s heartbreaking, and Payton counts on it. Between you and me, I think Luke likes it too.”

  “He likes Payton?” Clary asked in confusion. She hadn’t gotten that impression at all.

  “No,” Layla shook her head, “I think he likes playing family with Payton and Eli.”

  “So, Eli’s parents are never around, and his nanny only pays attention when his uncle is around. How is this kid doing so well?” Clary asked incredulously. “I’ve known kids to act out for a lot less. My niece locks herself in her room if her mom switches the Wi-Fi off.”

  “I know what you mean,” Layla shook her head. “My little sister threatens to run away if we don’t pay her enough attention. Eli’s good though. He’s always visiting friends and such. He keeps his mind off it. I think he knows there’s no point in running around causing trouble.”

  “Do you know any of his friends? Or maybe their parents?” Clary asked, looking around at the crowds of townspeople who were busy preparing for another round of searching.

  “There’s a bunch running around here somewhere,” Layla shrugged, “but no one ever comes to the house. None of the parents want to let their children come. They know that there’s not much supervision going on. Some of them really step up and invite him to sleep over with them. Sometimes I’ll come to the house and find that he hasn’t been there in days.”

  “I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a search party before,” Clary commented, looking around at everyone. “Is it possible that he’s just visiting with some of his friends?”

  “I don’t think you understand,” Layla said sympathetically. “Luke and his parents are here. There’s no way Eli would miss this. He’d be waiting at the house until they came. He’s never missed a visit. Even when they say they might come, he cancels all his plans to wait for them. He’s ten years old, he still loves his family. I wish they’d wake up now, or else the kid’s going to have a meltdown when he’s older. He’s a good kid, but I’ve never known a good teenager. Let alone one with a mansion at his disposal. I’m probably going to be cleaning up after some epic parties in the future. Oh, look, we’re going again. Trust me. Payton’s probably behind all this. She better be sorry she’s making us walk all over the place.”