“It’s not about what she knew. It’s about what she didn’t know,” he said suddenly, triumphantly. “What an idiot I’ve been! We’ve all been!”
“What?” Nora looked at him, still confused.
“Thank you, Nora.” Tyler took one of her hands, then bent his head to kiss it. “You’ll never know how much you’ve helped. I need to go.”
“Wait…Tyler. What-”
“I need to go. Now.” Ignoring her, Tyler ran out of the house, forgetting even to grab his coat from the rack.
“Harvey! Go after him! We can’t let him leave!” Nora said urgently. “He’s going to do something stupid. I could see it in his eyes.”
“So could I.” Harvey jumped up and gave chase, but it was too late. Tyler’s car was already speeding down the road by the time Harvey and Nora made it to their door. They watched him go, and Nora felt unease bloom inside her again.
“It’s not about what she knew, it’s about what she didn’t know,” she repeated out loud. “What on earth did Tyler mean by that?”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Harvey said. “I’m calling Sheriff Ellerton and telling him the whole story.”
*****
Chapter 12
Run Away With Me
The sheriff dropped in early the next morning, a mask of worry on his face.
Nora was in the kitchen, busy preparing for Hazel’s party. She’d already done some of the work the day before and Tina had promised to handle some of the appetizers but, like usual before a party, Nora felt like a hundred different things were crowding her mind. And, even though she didn’t want it to be, Maybelle’s death was one of them.
Sheriff Ellerton sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and watching Nora rush between the kitchen counter, the table and the fridge. She’d planned a Spanish tapas-style dinner and so a large, glass bowl filled with wine, cut fruits and ice sat on the table - the beginnings of a delicious peach sangria. Next to the bowl were tray after tray of as-yet-unbaked empanadas stuffed with cheese and caramelized onions. Beside them was a large loaf of bread that would soon be used to make pan con tomate - a deceptively simple and delicious Spanish bruschetta.
“Wow, you’re really going all out.” The sheriff whistled.
“Would you like a slice of the tortilla de patatas, Sheriff? It’s great for breakfast and I know you tend to rush out of the house without any.”
“What’s a tortilla de whatever?” the sheriff asked suspiciously. “I’m an eggs and bacon man, myself.”
“It’s a Spanish-style stuffed omelet,” Nora explained. “Try some. I’ve put in potatoes, peppers, broccoli and zucchini.”
The sheriff made a face. “No, thanks. I’ve got a strict policy never to touch vegetables before noon.”
Nora laughed. “What is it about you sheriffs? Sean used to have awful eating habits, too.” She cut a slice from the large tortilla she’d just made and plated it.
“Huh. Looks like a piece of cake…almost.” The sheriff grinned.
“I insist. Eat some.”
“Ah, well, if you insist.” With a sigh, the sheriff forked a piece of the golden omelet, chewed it hesitantly and then eagerly went in for more. “Not bad,” he said between mouthfuls. “I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“How come?” Nora asked.
“Well…this is confidential, right?”
“Of course.”
“Tyler left town.”
“What?!”
He nodded. “He was driving a red Chevy last night, wasn’t he? After Harvey called me, I sent out an APB. A cop in a neighboring county reported seeing a car of that description with an identical license plate cross the state border sometime around 3am last night.”
“Oh no!”
“My reaction exactly. Pity, too. I really did believe that he was innocent.” Sheriff Ellerton shook his head. “I guess you can call off your unofficial investigation now.”
“You think he ran away because he’s guilty?” Nora asked.
“Of course. What possible other reason could it be?” He shrugged. “What an idiot. Where does he think he can go? We’re going to catch him, one way or another.”
“Do you think he’s planning to flee the country?” Nora asked.
Sheriff Ellerton grinned. “Well if he is, he hasn’t taken his passport with him.”
“Still...”
“Running’s gonna get him in even bigger trouble than he can imagine. I’m talking jail for forever and a day. If he’d just pleaded guilty and begged for mercy, maybe he’d have gotten off in twenty years or so, still young enough to live his life at fifty. Now he’s lost any chance of ever being a free man. I’m making it my mission to see him grow old and die behind bars.”
Nora winced at the restrained fury in Ellerton’s voice. It surprised her. She hadn’t known the sheriff was capable of being so emotional. As if he understood, Sheriff Ellerton smiled.
“You thought that the only reason I asked you to help me was because I was angling for the re-election, didn’t you?” Sheriff Ellerton asked.
Nora hesitated, then nodded. “I still do.”
“Well, you’d be right - partially at least. I’ll admit it. I’m an ambitious man and I like being sheriff. I’m determined to hold on to the badge for as long as I can. But the truth is, Maybelle wasn’t a nobody to me. See, her parents were my neighbors. I saw that little girl grow up from when she was eight til about sixteen. I never really spoke to her beyond a ‘hello’ or maybe I tossed a ball back to her when it went over the fence, but I knew that little girl. I saw her grow up. I saw the exuberance and energy with which she tried to conquer the world. She was a sweet, special little girl. She didn’t deserve this.” Sheriff Ellerton’s voice was low with fury. “I saw Tyler grow up, too. His father had business dealings with mine and so they often came over for dinners at my house. Tyler was so different from May, but I remember him as a child, too. I remember how quiet and shy he was. He always had his face buried in a book. Sometimes he’d stutter and get flustered if you so much as greeted him. He always seemed like a good and sensible kid. I was much older, of course, so I mostly just ignored him.” He paused, took a deep breath. “But, you see, I knew him, too. So I got emotional. And, like an idiot, I thought that Tyler couldn’t have done it. I can’t explain why I felt that way…” He paused again and laughed out loud. “Who am I kidding? Of course, I can explain why. I didn’t want to believe that a sweet kid like that, the American dream who married his childhood sweetheart and ran his dad’s local business…I didn’t want to believe that he was a killer.”
“It happens, Sheriff,” Nora said.
“But it shouldn’t have happened,” the sheriff said. “I shouldn’t have gotten emotional, I shouldn’t have been such an idiot. I probably don’t even deserve my badge. Thanks to me, Tyler might escape with no punishment. But he was so convincing.”
“He fooled us all, Sheriff Ellerton. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Nora didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected this.
“I’m sorry.” The sheriff pushed his plate away and smiled down at it. “You know, that really was a tasty tortilla.”
“You do deserve your badge,” Nora said quietly.
“Don’t lie. You’ve thought otherwise more than once.” He laughed. “I know you were always more of a fan of Sean’s.”
“Maybe so,” Nora admitted. “But that doesn’t mean you aren’t a very capable sheriff.”
Pushing back his chair, he got up and hitched his pants up over his belly. “You know what, that’s a compliment and I will gracefully accept it. Now, thank you for all your help, but I’ve got a criminal to catch. I’m relieving you from all detecting duties.” Mockingly saluting her and smiling, he walked out.
Nora went back to the cake she was baking for Hazel. She’d debated a lot of the possibilities and finally opted to make a coconut cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. Something about a sunny-yellow cake w
ith the aroma of fresh coconuts and the tang of lemon appealed to her.
“If Hazel was a cake, she’d be a coconut cake with lemon cream cheese frosting,” she’d confidently told Tina over the phone. Tina had nearly bowled over with laughter, then asked Nora what kind of a cake Harvey would be.
“Hmmm. My darling husband?” Nora had considered this, trying to draw a mental picture of him. “Harvey would most definitely be a coffee cake. Rich and dark with really complex flavors.”
“And a tendency to keep you awake at night?” Tina had laughed.
“Oh, hush.” Nora had blushed.
“Well, either way, I know what kind of cake you’d be,” Tina said. “You’re nutty as a fruitcake!”
Smiling at the thought now, Nora concentrated on adding coconut flakes into the batter she was mixing. Instead of regular milk, she always used coconut milk mixed with sour cream when making this cake - the depth of flavor it brought out was incredible. As she mixed the ingredients, her mind kept wandering back to Tyler. Prickles of unease teased her. She shook her head firmly, telling herself not to be silly. But the uneasiness kept coming back.
“No,” Nora told herself out loud. “We focus on the cake. Just the cake. Beat the butter, oil, eggs and sugar together till fluffy. Add in the coconut milk and sour cream. Mix in the flour…and why would Tyler go to all that trouble to convince us he was innocent? Why?”
There. Now she’d said it out loud and the thoughts came flooding in.
Why had he gone to all that trouble? Why break into their house? Why act like he was innocent and extract information from Nora? What was his game? What was the point if he was only going to run away?
“You’re being silly,” she told herself out loud again. “The sheriff said a policeman saw his car leaving the state. His car, with that exact license plate. So that’s that. Tyler was in that car, and Tyler crossed the state border for some reason. The only possible reason is that he was guilty and he was running away.”
Or was it?
Was there something that Tyler had figured out? Something that somehow required him to go to the next state? If that were so, surely he’d come back. Still, given the seriousness of the charges against him, it was positively foolish of Tyler to take off like that.
Pushing the question aside, Nora focused on mixing her batter once again. The sheriff had said it himself - she was relieved of detecting duties. Her only duty right now was to make sure Hazel had the best birthday ever.
*****
Chapter 13
The Witness
“Grandma!!!” Little Kaylee ran up the driveway and jumped into Nora’s outstretched arms, knocking her back. She rocked on her heels and swung Kaylee around in delight.
“You’re getting too old for that - or maybe I am!” Nora huffed as she gently slid Kaylee to the ground.
“We’re here!” Nora’s oldest daughter, Grace, slammed the car door and smiled brightly at her mother. Nora hugged Kaylee to her side and watched Grace and Jacob as they walked up the drive.
At 6’5, Jacob always towered over everyone around him. Still, there was an almost boyish look of adoration on his face as he smiled at his wife. Grace, looking up at him, was glowing with happiness, too. Nora watched the way her hand unconsciously paused on her stomach and felt a sudden elation - was she imagining it? Could Grace have some good news?!
“We brought plenty of potato salad,” Grace said. “I know you’re having a tapas-style menu, but it’ll go along just fine.”
“Any food’s welcome.” Nora smiled and kissed her daughter on both cheeks, then hugged her tight. “It’s good to see you, sweetheart. As for you,” she turned to Jacob, “you’ve gone missing-in-action since last year! We barely see you anymore.”
“Sorry, Nora. Work’s tough these days, you know. We’re planning on opening a new office in Michigan at some point this year. I’ve been busy scouting locations.”
“You should talk to Harvey about it. If anyone knows real estate, it’s him.”
“Good point,” Jacob agreed.
“Are Hazel and Austin here yet?” Grace looked over Nora’s shoulder and into the house.
“They’re in the backyard setting up the table,” Nora said. “It’s an incredibly beautiful day. Lucky us!”
“I’ll go put these upstairs and then help out.” Jacob lifted the two duffel bags on either side of him and headed toward Grace’s room. Nora had set up an extra mattress on the ground for Kaylee, since the house would be quite full, what with Hazel staying over, too.
“I wanna come!” Kaylee yelled, running after him.
Grace paused in the doorway, studying her mother. Nora tried to hide her smile.
“Oh, Mom! You’ve guessed, haven’t you!” Grace exclaimed suddenly.
“Me? Guessed? What have I guessed?” Nora blinked and tried to play innocent.
“I can see it in your eyes. You’ve got a very smug look,” Grace teased.
“You look good dear,” Nora said, biting her lip to hide a smile. “Have you put on a little weight lately?”
“Oh, hush!” Grace looked around and shushed her. “We’re not telling anybody for a month. Nobody. Got it? Not Dad, not Hazel…no-bod-y.”
Nora made a zipping motion across her lip and then threw away the invisible key.
“What’s this?” Harvey came up to Grace and Nora, looking relaxed in a navy blue polo and khakis. He narrowed his eyes at Grace. “No fair. I should be included in your secrets, too.”
“Nothing doing.” Grace linked her arm with Nora’s. “We stand united.”
A car pulled up and Nora looked at her watch, puzzled. It was still too early for guests.
Jess got out of the car and leaned against the door. She had a paper bag in her hand, and seemed hesitant.
“Come on, Grace. Into the kitchen with you. Hazel’s excited to see you.” Harvey gave Nora a meaningful look and, putting his arm around Grace’s shoulders, he pulled her away.
“Hello, Jess,” Nora said. “Can I help you?”
“I actually came to see Hazel,” Jess said, holding up the paper bag in her hand. “She dropped by the boutique last week and bought this dress. I altered it a bit to fit her and she was supposed to pick it up today, but I guess she forgot.”
“Thanks. Hazel can be so forgetful sometimes,” Nora said, and took the bag from Jess. She peeked inside and caught sight of a lovely white sundress with blue flowers on it. She smiled. Yes, it would suit Hazel perfectly.
Jess shifted from foot to foot, then turned away abruptly. “Thanks. I’ll be on my way.”
“Wait…” Nora called out. “Now that you’re here, stay. We’d love to have you at the party.”
“Would you really?” Jess looked back over her shoulder, clearly hesitant.
“Absolutely,” Nora said. “You’re a friend of the family, Jess. You’re welcome here any time. Besides, Grace is here today, too. You’d like to see her, I’m sure.”
“Yes, of course.” Jess seemed to make a decision. She turned back and hurried into Nora’s house, almost as though she were afraid someone would see her.
“Brooke’s not in town today,” Nora said. “I’m sure you know that already, though.”
“Oh, as a matter of fact, I didn’t know.” Jess seemed to relax. “How did-”
“Peter was supposed to go golfing with Harvey this morning. But he cancelled it a few hours ago. He emailed Harvey that he’d decided to spend the day with Brooke at a bed & breakfast somewhere. Pretty sudden, but I guess she needs time away from all the chaos.”
“Right.” Jess looked even more relaxed now. “Good for her. Peter’s such a caring husband. Brooke has been pretty stressed and upset since May, you know. I guess we all have.”
“Yes, Nat seemed pretty upset when she was talking to James the other day,” Nora said, trying to sound as casual as possible.
A flash of something dark passed over Jessica’s face. “Nat? James?”
“Oh, yes. They’re together,
aren’t they?” Nora smiled, observing Jess carefully. “They seem to care for each other.”
“Yes. Of course.” Jess shrugged, her face a mask of total disinterest. Nora didn’t believe in it for a second. “Of course, I hear you dated him back in high school?” Nora probed.
“Oh, you know how it is in Milburn. Everyone’s dated everyone else at some point.” Jess gave an airy laugh. “James was the golden boy in our high school. In some ways, he’s still the golden boy of the town. Not a girl who sees him doesn’t want him. He knows it, too, which is what makes him such a bad boyfriend.”
“Hmm. A man with his pick of women, eh?”
“Well, except May.” Jess smiled. “She chose his best friend instead, didn’t she?”
“James’s best friend? You mean Tyler? Wait, May chose Tyler over James?” Nora frowned.
“Oh, yes. James and Tyler were really close until the end of high school, but they were always competing for May. When May finally decided to date Tyler, poor James was pretty heartbroken. I think he was just shocked that a girl could pass him up. His ego never really got over it.”
“Well, what happened?”
Jess sighed. “Look, this is gossip from an entire lifetime ago. Forget it.”
“Was James in love with May?” Nora asked.
Jess scowled at Nora. Her entire body was stiff and her nose was thrown up to the sky. “Why do you care? It’s Hazel’s birthday, isn’t it? Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
“Jess-”
“No. No, I don’t think he was ever in love with May. Like I said, I think he was just hurt that he got rejected. James has an ego the size of an elephant.”
“A big ego is a dangerous thing to have,” Nora murmured.
Jessica’s eyes turned stormy. “Look, Nora, I don’t know what you think about me, but I’m not the kind to go about gossiping about my friends. Yes, James has an ego. But James is a good man. He’s probably the kindest, most selfless man I know. I’m not going to stand around and make up stories about him just to make you happy. I know what you’re getting at. You think James was in love with May and he killed her. That’s ridiculous.”
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