Maple Hills Mystery Box Set 3

by Wendy Meadows

  “Yeah, I shouldn’t be too long,” Brian was talking to Seth.

  “Okay, just remember to get your head out of the books every once in a while,” Seth replied. “I’ll wander over around lunch time and rescue you from yourself.”

  Everyone chuckled, and Brian turned a bit red. He nodded and walked past Nikki out the door. He smiled, and she said goodbye.

  The shop was busy and Nikki really needed to have her head in the game. She was distracted, though. Between customer orders and Seth, she was having a hard time concentrating. Lidia noticed and took her aside. She sat Nikki down and asked her what was wrong.

  “And don’t tell me nothing because I can tell something is bothering you,” chided Lidia.

  “I am okay. I’m just worried because we have not figured out who murdered Susan.”

  “I understand. Remember, though, between you and Hawk we have the best minds on the case. I am sure between the two of you the case will be solved in no time.”

  “I wish I had your confidence,” said Nikki.

  “I have enough for both of us,” Lidia responded with a wink. Nikki thanked her and got up to go to the front of the store. On the way there, she noticed some wet prints by the door.

  “Seth, could you get the mop and clean this up before someone falls?”

  “Right away, Mom.”

  Nikki stopped suddenly. A customer almost ran into her. Nikki’s jaw suddenly dropped.

  “Tori, can I borrow your car?” Nikki asked suddenly.

  “Really? Can I drive you somewhere?” Tori asked.

  “No thank you, but could I borrow your car?” Nikki repeated.

  “Of course,” said Tori and she fished the keys out of her purse.

  “I have to run an errand. I will be back in a little bit.”

  “Take your time and watch the ice,” Lidia warned.

  “I’ll be safe, I promise. Please just keep the customers happy.”

  “We will,” Tori and Lidia reassured her.

  Nikki went out to Tori’s car. She got in and buckled the seatbelt. It was not until she was halfway home that she started to feel nervous. The road was steep in places, but she took her time and made it to the house. That a girl, she thought, grinning from ear to ear as she got out of Tori’s car. Nikki bypassed her front door. She went around back and looked under the kitchen window. There was some snow, but other than that the ground was clear. She checked by the den window and saw the same thing. Next she looked under the guest bedroom. She drew in her breath and gave herself a mental pat on the back. She took out her camera and took a few pictures of the ground. She took a few shots from different angles. That should be enough to convince Hawk. Nikki got back into the car and slowly drove towards town. When she got back to town she stopped by the police department. After tracking down Hawk she showed him the pictures. He took a look. There were footprints under the guest bedroom. Some of them were facing out toward the forest, and some were facing the house. Hawk looked at Nikki and smiled.

  “Let’s get a team out there so they can take molds of the prints.”

  Nikki beamed. She finally found some solid evidence for Hawk. He smiled at her and told her to go back to the shop.

  “Now more than ever, it is important that Brian does not suspect anything. I will meet you there later,” he said.

  “Okay, but keep me filled in.”

  Nikki drove Tori’s car back to her shop. She was still distracted, but she went in smiling.

  “Look at the woman who can drive in snow!” said Tori approvingly.

  “I told you I could do it,” Nikki beamed.

  “Why did you leave?” asked Seth.

  “I thought I had left the coffee pot on,” Nikki lied.

  “Did you?”

  “Nope. The house was still standing when I got there.”

  Nikki took off her jacket and helped answer a customer’s questions. She also made some more chocolate, and before she knew it, Seth was telling her it was lunch time.

  “I am going to get Brian from the library,” Seth said.

  “Okay,” said Nikki distractedly. She wondered if Hawk was done with the footprints. She went into the front of the store to help Lidia. A few minutes later, Seth came back wearing a puzzled expression.

  “Brian isn’t there.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Tori. “Did he go to the diner?”

  “I looked there too but I didn’t see him. I looked around the library, but his backpack and laptop weren’t there.”

  Nikki turned pale. She turned around, but not before Seth saw her face.

  “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I am just a bit tired.”

  “Mom, please stop lying to me. I can tell when something is bothering you. What is going on?” Seth questioned.

  Maybe it was because she really was tired. Maybe it was her maternal instinct kicking in. Whatever the reason, Nikki got up and closed the shop. She put the sign up and locked the door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I am answering your questions.”

  She told everyone to sit down. She started at the beginning with Sarah’s autopsy. She told them about going to visit Dr. Steven. Nikki brought up the notebooks from Susan’s backpack, and it was Seth’s turn to look pale. Tori took his hand, and Nikki kept talking. She told them about the broken bush by the car and the footprints under her window. When she was done she looked around. Everyone was quiet. Seth looked like he was going to pass out. Tori held his hand.

  “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” Seth demanded.

  Nikki had been waiting for this response. It did not make it any easier. She knew she had betrayed him, but she was worried about him. How could she adequately explain this to her son?

  Just then there was a knock at the door. Everyone jumped. Lidia ran over and looked out the window. She opened the door. It was Hawk.

  “What is going on in here?” he asked. Nikki told him that Brian was not at the library where he was supposed to be. She told Hawk she had filled the others in.

  “That’s fine. I was going to anyway. I have enough evidence to arrest Brian. I was hoping he would be here. Now, we just have to find him,” Hawk said.

  Tori and Lidia looked nervous. Nikki thought for a moment. “Wait. Seth, does this mean anything to you?” She showed Seth the list she had found in Brian’s bag. He looked at it and looked in his phone. He said he recognized a few names. He thought they might be Brian’s classmates. He knew that some of them had been friends with Susan.

  Hawk called his father. He asked him to send an unmarked car over to Nikki’s shop to keep an eye out. Then he got the number for the college and called the admissions office. He talked to the head of admissions and after a few minutes he hung up. He got the addresses for most of the names on Seth’s list.

  “Thank you, ma’am, I appreciate that information.”

  Hawk hung up and looked at Nikki.

  “The next student on the list lives in Smithtown; her name is Jill.” Smithtown was the next town over from Maple Hills.

  “I am going to go over there and see if she is okay,” Hawk said.

  “I am going with you,” Nikki said. Hawk knew he couldn’t stop her, so he agreed. He told the others to stay in the shop. Nikki paused. She called the local taxi company and they confirmed they took a young man to that address a while ago. She looked at Seth and he gave her a hug.

  “I understand,” Seth told her. “Just go get him.”

  “What are we supposed to do?” asked Lidia.

  “You can go ahead and open the store. I am sure there will be plenty of customers to distract you. We will keep you posted,” Hawk promised. Lidia protested, but Nikki said that Hawk was right. She told them it would be one less thing she had to think about. She hugged Lidia and reassured her that she would be okay. Tori hugged Nikki and told her to go get Brian. Nikki could tell Seth would be in good hands while she was gone. She hugged Tori back and said goodbye to everyone.r />
  Tori opened the door and sure enough, there were customers waiting on the sidewalk.

  “It’s about time,” said Mrs. Smith. “I have been waiting over twenty minutes.”

  “I am sure it will be worth the wait,” said Hawk over his shoulder as he and Nikki left the store.

  Hawk and Nikki raced to his car. Once there, Hawk put his lights on and tore out of town. He radioed ahead to ask for backup. The dispatch said they would see what they could do. There had been a break-in at the town hardware store and all units were tied up there. Hawk swore under his breath and thanked the dispatcher. As Hawk got closer to the next town he turned off his lights. He parked a half-block away from the house. Close enough to observe, but not close enough to be seen. Nikki looked and saw Brian talking to someone in the front room.

  “I’m going in there,” declared Nikki as she started to take off her seatbelt.

  “Now wait,” said Hawk. “We do not know the situation. Right now the student is safe. If we go barging in there, who knows what will happen?”

  Nikki was anxious, but she agreed with Hawk. She sat back down.

  “Keep an eye on the window and let me know if Brian moves,” Hawk said.

  “Okay.”

  Hawk got out of his truck and walked carefully toward the house. He ducked under the bushes by the front window. Hawk went to the front door and rang the bell. Nikki had been watching Brian and Jill. They seemed to be talking in a calm manner. When Hawk rang the bell Jill stood up. As she turned to answer the door, Brian stood up, too. Nikki flashed the lights on the truck once. Hawk saw and nodded. She wasn’t sure if Brian was going to try anything, but she wanted Hawk ready if he did. Jill looked out the window and saw Hawk. She looked surprised.

  “Can I help you?” the young woman asked when she answered the door.

  “Yes, are you Jill? My name is detective Daily. I am looking for Brian. Is he here with you?”

  “Yes, he is.” She opened the door and let Hawk in. He did not see Brian in the living room. He turned to Jill.

  “He went to the kitchen for a drink,” she explained. She pointed the way and Hawk moved quickly and quietly. He opened the kitchen door, but no one was there. He noticed the back door was opened. He moved cautiously and quickly. He looked out the door and around the corner. No one was there. Just then he heard his truck start up. He ran down the driveway just in time to see his truck take off with Nikki driving and Brian in the front seat.

  12

  Hawk panicked. Usually he was the calm, collected one, but not when Nikki was involved. He did not want that kid in the same state as Nikki, let alone the same truck. If he hurts her... He called his father and told him what happened. His father reassured him that it was not his fault. Hawk paced up and down the road. He felt lost and scared.

  “I am the one who told her to wait in the car,” Hawk said.

  “Quit beating yourself up. It won’t do anyone any good.”

  Hawk knew his father was right. He took a deep breath. Think.

  “Chief, can you call the local dispatch and get them to bring me a car? When I called they didn’t take me seriously,” Hawk said.

  “Absolutely, now you’re thinking. I trained the chief in Smithtown. He owes me a few favors. I’ll give him your location, and he should have a car there in no time.”

  “Thank you, Chief. I have another call coming in. I will talk to you later.”

  “Okay,” said the chief. “We will get this guy and bring Nikki home safe.”

  Nikki drove the car. Her mind was racing, but she was too scared to have any coherent thoughts. Calm down. The only way you will make it out of this is if you keep your head on straight. She took a breath.

  “Drive faster,” Brian demanded.

  “No. You know I cannot drive in snow. Do you want us to wreck?” she asked Brian.

  “Fine, but drive a bit faster. If your boyfriend catches up with us, I will kill him.”

  “Where am I driving?”

  “Back to your place. I have work to finish.”

  Nikki shuddered. “What do you mean?”

  “Seth. He knows too much. So does his girlfriend. They will die in each other’s arms. Isn’t that sweet?” he leered as he put the knife close to Nikki’s throat. She recalled her phone was sitting on the top of her purse, and Hawk was on speed dial. She pushed the button and sat upright. Brian was too busy glancing back to see if Hawk was pursuing them on foot to notice.

  Nikki thought about Hawk as she drove. She had asked Brian when he knew they were on to him. Brian had told her he figured out they were on to him when he saw Hawk at the front door. He knew he would be caught, but he thought he would take his chances and run. He had seen the truck and hopped in. He seemed to consider it a bonus to have a driver included with the truck. “Good thing I stole this knife from the hardware store,” Brian said. “Seems like it’s keeping the cops busy.”

  Nikki thought about Seth and was glad she had told him to stay at the store. She could only imagine the scene if he had come along. He had her level head, but this was a different situation. He had not been taught how to stay calm under pressure. It was one of the things she had been taught at the F.B.I. training facility. She knew if she kept her head on straight, she would come up with a solution where no one would be killed. One thing that was clear to Nikki was that she did not want Brian anywhere near Seth or any of the other people she loved.

  He will not get to Seth. This was Nikki’s new mantra. Brian insisted he would not kill her, but Nikki did not believe him. He needed her to drive to her house, but after that? What would he do when he found out Seth and Tori weren’t there? Would he try to stab her? Nikki was sure that was his only weapon, but she did not want to gamble her life on that assumption. She knew her best chance to survive was to keep him talking so she could figure out what to do.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Brian asked. Nikki had slowed the car down again.

  “I thought I saw a patch of ice. I didn’t want to swerve with that knife by my throat.”

  “Look, you just keep driving, and you won’t have to worry about the knife,” retorted Brian. They drove for a bit, and Nikki could feel herself start to panic. She decided to keep Brian talking.

  “How did you do it?”

  “Do what? Kill Susan, you mean?” Nikki nodded carefully, and Brian went on with his speech.

  “I snuck out of my window in your house. I opened the window and closed it most of the way before I dropped down. I walked into town and went to Tori’s house.”

  “You walked all the way to town?” Nikki asked, surprised, considering that it was about two miles from her house. Not a far distance, but not one she would want to walk in the middle of a cold, snowy night.

  “Yes. Remember, I grew up in New York. I am used to this weather. Anyway, I got to Tori’s house and knocked on Susan’s window. She was surprised to see me. I convinced her that I needed someone to talk to. I made up some sad story about my abusive father and neglectful mother. She reacted just the way I thought she would. She felt sorry for me. I convinced her to come outside and asked her to drive to the parking lot so we could talk. I told her I was too cold to drive. She was so naïve. She looked really worried. It was all I could do to not laugh in her face. She drove to the lot with the heater blasting, and I told her to turn off the car. I explained that I thought I had heard something near the tire. I told her I thought we might have run over some glass or something. I offered to check the tire, and I told her to wait in the car. She waited, good little lamb that she was, and I got out of the car. I walked to the back and pretended to check the tire, but all the while I was packing the exhaust full of heavy snow. I packed the exhaust and mounded snow around the outside. I got back in the car and told her the tire was fine. I told her to start up the car so we could stay warm while we talked. We talked for a while. I told her lies about my parents, and she told me how sorry she was and how hard it must be for me. Soon she told me she was feeling sleepy. I
knew why, but I also knew I was still okay. She was doing most of the talking and sucking up most of the carbon monoxide. I watched as her words started to slur. When I started to feel sleepy, I opened my door and shut it quickly. I took gulps of fresh air, and I walked to the back of the car. I stepped in the bushes to get more snow. I packed the exhaust pipe again and walked back to the front of the car. By then she was passed out. I stayed for about half an hour to make sure she was not waking up. She died peacefully, if you care. She just fell asleep and never woke up. I walked back to your house. I climbed up the side gutter, opened the window, and crawled into bed. It was easy.”

  What a psycho. While Brian was talking, Nikki was no closer to figuring out what to do. She thought about the last time she spoke with Seth. He was nearly grown and had a good girlfriend. If anything happened to Nikki he would be devastated, but he would get over it. He would live his life and become a wonderful husband and father. This thought gave Nikki heart. She was no longer afraid.

  Hawk listened to his phone. He could not believe what he was hearing. Nikki had gotten Brian to confess. As Hawk had been running after his truck his phone rang. It had been Nikki’s call. She had somehow managed to call him. Hawk had started recording the call. He now had Brian’s confession on tape. He also knew where they were headed. Where is my backup?

  Hawk opened another line and called the chief. “Chief, they are headed toward Maple Hills. I have Brian’s confession on my phone.”

  “Do you know which road they are taking?” the chief asked. He did not have to ask how Hawk had Brian’s confession. The man knew Nikki’s background and was not surprised she had managed to call Hawk.

  “Well, I came here on Simms Street. That is the way the taxi would have taken Brian to get here. Nikki will probably drive that way,” Hawk said.

  “Okay, I am going to set up a roadblock.”

  “Is that a good idea? It sounds like he has a knife to her throat. If he sees you, he may kill her.”

  “He won’t kill his driver,” his dad sounded confident. Hawk wished he was feeling as confident as the chief was. He signed off and turned the conversation in the car back on. It was surreal listening to Nikki talk to Brian. Hawk could tell she was delaying and buying time. He just hoped she had enough time to come up with a plan. Just then a police car pulled up.