The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “Forget the hypotheticals,” Nora said. “Someone did something, you found out, and you are wondering whether or not to go to the cops. Correct?”

  Sloane nodded. “I just…” She hung her head. “Daddy would kill me if he found out and…” She looked up, horrified. “I don’t mean that he’d actually kill me. Oh, God. I can’t even say that anymore, can I? My dad is the sweetest man on the planet.”

  “Sloane, if you want to help your dad, the best thing you could do is talk,” Nora said, “if you have evidence that he did something that led to Mia’s death.”

  “What? No!” Sloane shook her head vigorously. “My dad’s got nothing to do with this. I came here to talk to you about Patrick!”

  “Patrick?”Nora asked. “What about him?”

  Sloane took a deep breath. “Look, after I graduated, I thought I’d come live with Dad for a while. He has an apartment to himself at the B and B. Nothing fancy, they just remodeled the attic so that he’d get two rooms and a bathroom. But the place feels like home to me. I love how cozy it is, I love how relaxed and happy Dad is. I liked hanging out with him. Mom divorced him when I was, like, eleven, and we never really connected after that. So, these last three months have been pretty amazing, to say the least.”

  Nora nodded. “I can imagine.”

  “Yeah. Dad’s had his own share of rough times, and I didn’t want to... well... let’s just say it was really good to see him blossom. It feels like working at Bellewood’s made a new man out of him.” Sloane paused. “So basically, what I’m saying is that I was really happy for my dad, and really happy to be with my dad. Until I got this email.”

  She drew out her phone, and showed Nora.

  My Darling Lover

  I look at your lips, and feel a pulse in my own,

  I look at your eyes, and the universe is known.

  The moon hides in your hair, the sun sets by your cheeks,

  And you are the only thing my lonely heart seeks.

  With Love,

  Your Lion

  Nora looked at Sloane. “That’s... well... that’s pretty bad. Who’s “My Darling Lover” supposed to be?”

  “Me, I guess,” Sloane said, “since the emails were all addressed to me.”

  “Do you know who sent it?”

  “The email address is clearly a fake: lionloveshislover@xyz.com. I blocked the sender after the fifth icky poem.” Sloane sighed. “I didn’t know what to do, really.”

  “So you didn’t feel curious about who sent them?”

  “I knew who sent them,” Sloane said. “It was obvious. Lion. The first day I came to Bellewood, I complimented Patrick on this pendant he was wearing. He looked pretty proud, and told me it was a lion's tooth pendant his grandfather had given him. Then he went off into a bunch of stories about how his grandfather was a big game hunter in Tanzania and used to hunt down man-eaters back in the 1940s.”

  “Wow,” Nora said, “have you showed this to Sean?”

  “I don’t know if I should,” Sloane said. “That’s the thing, isn’t it? I mean, first of all, even if Patrick did send this, it doesn’t mean he murdered Mia. Right? I mean…” She looked horrified, and trembled slightly. “He’d have to be completely psycho to do that, and he looks so normal.”

  “You know, believe me when I say that when it comes to people, there is no such thing as normal,” Nora said. “We’re all capable of murder if the right buttons are pushed, and there’s a little bit of crazy in each one of us.”

  “Yeah but…” Sloane shook her head. “I mean, I still haven’t told Daddy, because I thought he’d get mad that I hid it from him. I just didn’t want him to worry, or to go beat up Patrick or something. I didn’t want him to lose his job, you know?”

  “I understand.” Nora nodded.

  “Agh.” Sloane pushed her head back, butting the sofa. “It’s just so complicated. Plus, if I tell Sean and they arrest Patrick and he he gets sentenced to jail, it’ll be my fault!”

  “Your fault?” Nora shook her head. “Sloane, you’ve got it all mixed up. If Patrick has killed Mia, it’ll be all his fault.”

  “Yes. But…” Sloane shrugged. “I’m just saying, I wish they found like, his fingerprints on a gun or something, you know? Super-solid proof that would indict him and leave me out of it.”

  Nora shrugged. “Sadly, they haven’t. But you still need to tell the police this. Look at it this way, maybe it’ll turn out to be someone else altogether. Like someone from your college, or some other local boy who has a crush on you. Wouldn’t you feel better then?”

  Sloane shook her head. “I know it’s Patrick,” she said. “He likes me. You know? A girl can tell, sometimes. He makes it so obvious, the way he looks at me, and how enthusiastic he gets if we bump into each other.”

  “Has he ever said anything to you?” Nora said. “Made an overt move?”

  “Oh no. Thank goodness.” Sloane shuddered. “I don’t know what I would have done if he had. Actually, I do know. I think I would have left town. I couldn’t afford to annoy my father’s boss, and I couldn’t stand actually being the object of his affections!”

  *****

  Chapter 5

  The Syringe

  “They’ve made an arrest!” Tina exclaimed, pulling Nora into the back of the diner as soon as she walked in.

  “Already?” Nora exclaimed. “That’s incredible! So Patrick did it after all? Has he confessed?”

  “Patrick?” Tina shook her head. “No, not him. They’ve arrested Alvarez! He’s the one who did it.”

  “What!” Nora’s eyes widened. “How do they know? What happened?”

  “Look, Burton’s here to fix the windows,” Tina said, as a rusty Ford pick-up parked outside the diner. “He’ll tell you all about it. Come on. It’s pretty cool. They’ve got an airtight case, from what I’ve heard. Sean’s a quick-acting sheriff.”

  “Is it true, Burton?” Nora asked, as the big man opened the door. He looked reluctant to talk for a second, but his reluctance faded when Tina offered him a hot cup of coffee and a slice of their famous blueberry pie.

  “Well, they arrested him this morning.” Burton nodded. “Apparently, they found a syringe in one of the potted plants by the windowsill yesterday. They tested it and found a fingerprint on it. Alvarez’s fingerprint. Plus, he is a writer who was working on a novel about poisoning a woman. So…yeah, I’d say he did it.”

  “I’m not so sure I see his motive.” Nora frowned. “Why her? What did Alvarez have against Mia?”

  Burton shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. These artistic types are all crazy. I’m not surprised it’s him. He’s always struck me as a singularly unpleasant man.”

  “What I heard,” Tina said, leaning in, “Is that his real name isn’t even Alvarez. He’s actually named Arnold Atkins, and was in jail for a year!”

  “No way.” Burton’s eyes widened. “Really? I knew he was a creep! I can’t believe he was that bad, though.”

  “Oh, he was.” Tina nodded. “Look, I Googled it.”

  Arnold Atkins, best-selling author of “Fifteen Lives per Second”, charged with Domestic Abuse.

  Author Arnold Atkins, 34, who shot to fame with the crime-thriller Fifteen Lives Per Second was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence stemming from an incident that occurred Monday morning in his home at Bristol, Maine. Police responded to a call at the author’s $3 million mansion around 2 a.m., and Atkins was taken into custody without incident. Lawyer Robert Smith, who has worked on similar cases in the past, said that while the details of each case make it unique, it was likely the author would be able to cop a plea bargain and get off without jail time. Atkins’ book Fifteen Lives per Second is currently being made into a movie starring Robert Dashwell and Emma Bryce, which will be released in June 2018.

  Nora whistled. “Well, then. So he’s a millionaire author with a bad temper.”

  “Do you know, May Almand says she caught the two of them talking together once,” Tina
said, confidentially. “Maybe they were having an affair.”

  “Oh, come on!” Nora exclaimed. “A man and woman talking together once doesn’t mean they were automatically…”

  “May said she’d gone up to the bakery to buy a few cupcakes, when she saw Mia having a heated conversation with Alvarez.” Tina waggled her eyebrows. “Suggestive, isn’t it?”

  “Well...” Nora sighed. “Maybe.”

  “An affair?” Burton exclaimed. “Well, I’d never have guessed!”

  “Gives him a pretty solid motive.” Tina pointed out.

  “Maybe it does, but we’re all worse off now that he’s killed her.” Burton said. “Worst part is, the movie folk will probably be glad this happened. Any publicity is good publicity for those guys.”

  “I just hope that we don’t have a lot of paparazzi invading Milburn.” Tina sighed. “I’d hate that. So would most of the town folk, I guess.”

  “Some would profit off it.” Burton shook his head. “Human nature is a weird thing. We tend to seek gold in the darkest places. I’m just glad Alvarez is out of Bellewood. I can’t imagine him being near my Sloane! Jail will suit him a lot better.”

  “How about Patrick?” Nora asked. “Is he ok? We should go talk to him.”

  Burton looked startled. “I hadn’t thought about that,” he said. “Poor guy must be relieved, in a way, you know how gossip spreads in this town, Nora. I’m sure people were talking about Mia, and pointing fingers at Patrick!”

  Nora, who’d been doing just that last night, felt her cheeks color slightly. “And Sloane?” She asked. “How is she?”

  Burton’s lips thinned. “I don’t really know.” He sighed. “She’s at that age where she prefers one word answers to any of my questions. I’m afraid she’s quite affected by Mia’s death, but just doesn’t want me to know it. I wish she’d talk to me.”

  Tina nodded. “Well, I suppose she’ll be more comfortable talking to her friends.”

  “Maybe. I wish I could see inside her head sometimes, figure out what she’s thinking. On the one hand, she looked worried, and on the other hand, she actually seemed relieved that Alvarez was arrested.”

  Nora nodded. She knew exactly why Sloane was relieved. Now, Sloane wouldn’t need to go to the police about those mysterious letters nor open up to her father, and her father’s job could continue unhindered.

  “Patrick’s a good sort.” Burton sighed. “I admit, I’d suspected him myself, when I first heard Mia had probably been poisoned. I mean, he seemed exactly like the kind of guy who’d snap and kill her.”

  “Really?” Tina asked. “Was Mia that bad to him?”

  Burton shrugged. “She treated him like a baby, which is exactly what a woman shouldn’t do if she wants a man to love her.”

  “Well, maybe he behaved like a baby.” Tina pointed out. “And she couldn’t help but nag him.”

  Burton laughed. “Hit on a sore spot there, Tina? Yeah, I’ll admit Patrick is a bit of… well, I guess the politically correct term would be wimp. Mia was the CEO of that little company. To give her credit, she’s the one who made the B and B what it is today, and the bakery too. Insanely talented, insanely hardworking. Problem was, she expected Patrick to be the same, and he’s just a chill, fun-loving guy. His idea of a good time is five hours spent vegetating in front of the TV with a six pack of beer and a lot of chips.” Burton sighed. “Anyway, I guess that’s why I thought Patrick was the one, you know. Logically, he should have been the one.”

  He took a last, long gulp of his coffee, shook out his head and shoulders, and stood up. “OK, enough gossip. Time for me to get a look at that window of yours.”

  “Sure.” Tina led him around to it. “Someone threw a brick right at the center of the window. We’ve got a huge crack running down it now. I guess we’ll have to replace the whole thing. We’ve left it as is for now.”

  The two of them headed off, leaving Nora behind the counter, still thinking about what Burton had said. Alvarez—or Atkins—was surely the criminal. Sean had every right to arrest him, what with his history and the proof stacked up against him.

  Yet Nora felt disturbed. She wished she could just shrug off her doubts, and yet they clung to her. Some instinct kept telling her that Alvarez might yet be innocent. She wished she had a chance to talk to him—to really talk to him—about whether he’d done it.

  She looked over at Burton and Tina, who were standing by the picture window, discussing what to do. Burton gently tried to dislodge the brick, then winced when a small splinter of glass fell to the floor. He removed his hand, and drew out a handkerchief, leaving a red streak of brick dust on it as he wiped his hands. With a start, Nora jumped out from behind the counter, hastily untying her apron.

  “Tina! Could you handle the diner for a little while? I need to go see Sean!”

  “What? Why?” Tina asked.

  “Just a hunch!” Nora said.

  *****

  Chapter 6

  Sean’s Suspicions

  A light rain had begun to fall by the time Nora reached the police station. Wishing she’d thought to bring an umbrella along, she pressed her jacket tight around her body, put her head down, and made a run for it. There was a sudden crash as she bumped into a soft body, and then a louder one as she found herself on her back in the parking lot, quite thoroughly soaked.

  With a muttered exclamation, Nora managed to sit up, and glared at whoever had swept her off her feet. May Almand’s shrewd eyes glared back at her, dancing with anger.

  “Watch where you’re going!” May exclaimed. “One of these days, Nora, you’ll end up breaking my bones.”

  “Sorry,” Nora said, “what are you doing down here at the station anyway, May?”

  “I’m still the sole journalist for the Milburn Report,” May said. “I came here to see if Alvarez wanted to give a statement.”

  “Well, did he?” Nora raised an eyebrow.

  “He’s locked in there with Sean and a million lawyers.” May sighed. “I hear he’ll be posting bail today. Can you believe that? I’d have thought they’d want to keep him locked up. The man’s a menace. He’s also a flight risk.”

  “I’m sure Sean will do his best to keep him in check.” Nora said.

  May scoffed. “Sean’s already trying, but Alvarez has a regular army of well-paid lawyers. It’s a shame, but these days, if you have enough money, a good lawyer can figure out a loophole in the very fabric of space and time! I’m sure they’ll be able to bail him out.”

  Nora sighed. “Probably. Tell me, did Alvarez strike you as being capable of murder?”

  May’s eyes narrowed. “Now what’s your game, Nora. Why ask me that?”

  Nora shrugged. They’d taken refuge under the roof of the police station, but were still standing outside. A gentle gust of wind blew splatters of rain onto May’s dress, and she yelped, jumping closer to the wall.

  “All I know is that Alvarez looks like a mean, narcissistic blowhard,” May said. “In other words, a typical famous artist.”

  “What was his motive for killing Mia, though?” Nora wondered.

  “Oh, nobody doubts his motive!” May exclaimed. “I saw them whispering together once, when I went up to Bellewood. He was having an affair with Mia. When the police searched his room, they found some of Mia’s blouses and skirts in his closet. Pretty incriminating, right? Even without his fingerprints on the syringe, I’d say that was enough to convict Alvarez!”

  Nora dragged a hand through her hair, suddenly frustrated. “But that makes no sense to me!”

  “Why not?” May asked. “The man’s had a history of attacking women anyway. He was arrested before for domestic violence.”

  “I read up about that online,” Nora said. “The full story is that his girlfriend was cheating on him, and he found out while snooping through her phone. The two of them got heated, and he threw the phone at her. He claimed he didn’t mean to hit her, but it bounced off her shoulder.”

  “Surely you’re
not defending him!” May looked appalled. “Nora, a man who uses violence on women, whatever the excuse, isn’t much of a man.”

  “Maybe so,” Nora said. “But it doesn’t mean he’s a murderer, does it?”

  May shook her head. “I don’t understand you sometimes. Look, Mia had an affair with Alvarez, and then he killed her. Oldest story in the book. Alvarez is a criminal, and as for Mia, well, she didn’t win any popularity contests either. Poor Patrick. She was flirting with every man in front of her and he didn’t even notice. Before Alvarez came along, she was even flirting with Burton.”

  “Burton?” Nora raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know this.”

  “Oh yes.” May nodded. “I heard it from Jane Oswood. Her husband was helping Burton with the roof, and Mia flirted with them both shamelessly. Came up in a low-cut top, offering them lemonade, made comments about the weather being too hot… Ron Oswood said it was obvious she had her eye on Burton, but it looks like he didn’t pay her much attention.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “Oh, you should.” May said. “Even Donna—you know Donna is friends with Sloane, right? She was telling me that Sloane was complaining last week about how Mia flirts with Burton all the time, and it’s downright awkward.”

  “Well, at any rate, that widens the possibility of Alvarez being innocent.”

  “Why can’t you let this rest? His fingerprints were on the syringe, for heaven’s sake!”

  “Ok, let me ask you a question,” Nora said. “Do you think that the murder was premeditated? Or do you think it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of crime?”

  “Premeditated, of course,” May said. “He injected a croissant with poison, knowing Mia would eat it. There was a lot of thought put into it, which is why he definitely deserves to be locked up for a long time!”

  “Well, here’s the thing,” Nora said, “if it was premeditated, why did Alvarez act so foolishly disposing the evidence? He should have known the police would find the syringe. He should have at least wiped off the fingerprints.”