Sledding Away with Murder (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 21)

by Wendy Meadows

  Miranda’s head jerked up. Her face set as if steel. “I did not kill my husband. I was racing on that sled and hoping to win.”

  “Why would he be along the sled route?” Mac said.

  “Probably to spy on me to make sure nothing was going on between Harry and me. I have no idea what he thought we’d be doing while trying to win a sledding contest.”

  “Maybe, if that’s the case, he was making sure you were on the sled and not off somewhere with Harry.” Brenda didn’t usually surmise situations with suspects, but she couldn’t resist this time.

  “I suppose that would be a possibility.”

  “Who do you believe killed your husband in such a brutal way?” Mac said.

  Miranda thought for a few seconds and made her decision. “It could have been Harry. He sure irritated Travis.”

  “How could Harry have done it if you were both on the sled trying for a win?”

  Miranda spread her hands open and shrugged her shoulders. After she left, Mac told Brenda that the victim’s wife didn’t appear to be all that distraught over her husband’s demise.

  Guests at the B&B decided to break from the heaviness of the murder of someone they recently met. Most walked downtown. Wanda stated she wanted to shop in some of the stores. Jillian and two other guests went with her. Joanna and Ethan got their coats and hats to take a walk around the grounds. Harry paced in his room. Several times he walked to the end of the passageway to look out at the back driveway to see if Brenda had returned with Miranda. The third time he did this, he jumped when he heard Miranda’s voice behind him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I was watching for you and Brenda to come back. She must have parked out front this time.”

  Miranda explained she had driven her own car for the interview. When Harry asked, she told him some of the questions she was asked. The one thing she didn’t tell him was that she slipped in the implication that he could have been the murderer. Harry took her arm.

  “We have to talk now,” he said. Miranda reluctantly went into his room where they could have a private conversation.

  Joanna and Ethan walked in silence. The sun came out, and both wished they were as happy today as they had been at the same time the day before.

  “Let’s sit here for a few minutes, Joanna. We should talk.” Ethan brushed snow from the wooden bench.

  Joanna breathed deeply a few times. “What are we going to do, Ethan?”

  “At this point, nothing. We’ll wait for the process to move along. I don’t think we’ll be questioned again, so don’t worry.”

  “Why did you stop? We could have won that race.”

  Ethan didn’t answer right away. “I wish I hadn’t done that. You do realize that their marriage was already doomed. I admit that wasn’t the way it should have ended, but everything happened so fast.” He looked toward the ocean. For a few seconds, he concentrated on the sound of the waves lapping the far end of the seawall. “We should have continued the race. It was my mistake, not yours, Joanna.”

  Joanna Yoder knew she and her husband would never outgrow obligations to right wrongs in this new world of theirs. She chose to dismiss memories of happier times. It had been a long time since she yearned for her mother and father, but she could never return home again. They had shunned her completely. Joanna never forgot her father’s words. “You are baptized, Joanna. For that reason, if you leave the community, you may never return.” She also vividly recalled the despair in her mother’s eyes.

  Ethan wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. His thoughts were almost identical to hers.

  Wanda looked for Jillian. She wanted to walk down to the beach but needed a companion when it came to sharing something as important as what she held in her brain. She asked Allie if she had seen Jillian.

  “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen her since early this morning when I first got to work. I can call her if you’d like.”

  At that moment, Jillian walked down the stairs. Wanda hurried toward her. “Let’s take a walk down by the waterfront, Jillian.”

  The startled look on Jillian’s face told Allie that she questioned Wanda’s demeanor. “Okay,” Jillian said. “I’m game. I need to get my coat.” Jillian hurried to don her winter coat and gloves and joined Wanda. They closed the front door behind them. Allie stared after them, puzzled about Wanda’s actions.

  “What is it?” Jillian asked her new friend once they were outside.

  “I overheard something that has me disturbed.” She waited to continue until they reached the steps to the ocean. “You won’t believe it.” She told her friend about what she had overheard between the Yoders.

  Jillian’s interest was immediately piqued.

  6

  Miranda had never lacked friends. While still in school, she became the center of whatever group she was in. Her personality drew everyone in her direction. She and several friends chose the same college. Miranda’s goal was to study music. She hoped to become a singer in a famous band, though, at the time, none were uppermost in her mind. Her instructors were impressed with her clear voice. Miranda rarely missed a note. After two years of college, she decided she’d had enough. None of the subjects she needed to keep going held her interest. Miranda was anxious to start earning money in a singing career.

  Her best friend Kayla often invited her to nightclubs to listen to music, meet men, and have a few drinks. The day Miranda told Kayla she was quitting college to find a singing job, Kayla wasn’t surprised. She encouraged her friend to start knocking on doors.

  “You should start in nightclubs, Miranda,” Kayla had told her. “Don’t settle for any place that is not high end. Scouts often show up in the better places. Once they hear you, you’ll be snatched into the limelight.”

  It had all sounded promising for Miranda. Eventually, thanks to her beautiful voice, she landed a well-paying job at The Gypsy Rose in Oakland. She never dreamed she could make money like that. She was happy there and surprised herself when she didn’t want to go anywhere else. This was more than enough for her. She came to know the regulars well. They requested their favorites to be sung and she obliged.

  The night that the handsome Travis Asher walked in with a buddy of his, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She decided that night to sing directly to him, and he noticed. From that night forward, Travis came in regularly. Before she knew what was going on, he asked her to dinner on one of her nights off, and from then on, they were inseparable. Miranda was well aware of the attention they both got when they walked into any place as a couple. Murmurs of how handsome they looked together caught Travis’s ears, too. He had no problem flaunting the fact that his girlfriend was the most beautiful woman in any crowd.

  “Why don’t we get married, Miranda?” he asked.

  They had been dating for a month. Meanwhile, there was another man who’d drawn Miranda in. Harry Brooks was a recent visitor to the nightclub. Harry had moved in on her so fast that she found his approach more exciting. She had to choose between the plastic surgeon and the anesthesiologist.

  Travis saw no flaws in her beauty that called for him to take care of—something unheard of in his profession. His female friends were envious of Miranda’s flawless features.

  “I know this is unexpected, Miranda,” Travis said, “but I want to marry you.”

  It was at that moment that Miranda decided to have both men. She and Harry began their affair a week later. A month later, she married Travis. It wasn’t until she said “I do” that she realized she had married a jealous man. Travis began asking if she was attracted to other men who came into the nightclub. In a short time of marriage, he suggested she finish her education and get a real career. By this time, his colleagues were aware that the famous plastic surgeon had fallen in love with a mere nightclub singer. He felt compelled to instruct her in her mannerisms at his social events. She complied, not to please her husband but to validate that she could stand up to any level of society. She inwardly scoffed at
his actions since she knew how to act when out. Later, she learned many of the women in his circles had their imperfections taken care of by her husband.

  Travis’s disdain for her increased. Her attraction to Harry also increased. She began to make excuses on several occasions to get out of Travis’s social obligations.

  Miranda tried to calm Travis down until he became the loving husband she thought she had married. His suspicions of her relationships outside their marriage were something he had no tangible proof of until he began to suspect Harry Brooks. Miranda vehemently denied it until the fire between her and her lover waned and they ended their connection to one another.

  When Miranda saw Harry at the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was as if they were meeting for the first time. The attraction felt by both was electric. Travis grew sullen, and the simmering jealous feelings resurfaced stronger than ever.

  Miranda had been gazing through the veranda windows. The thoughts and memories of the past flooded through her head. She turned when she heard Brenda’s voice.

  “Miranda, the detective would like to speak with you again later today. I hope you are available.”

  “Am I obligated to answer more questions?” Miranda’s eyes didn’t waver from Brenda’s face. “I mean, am I under suspicion or arrest?”

  “We are questioning anyone more than once who knew Travis. The detective is trying to get the full picture so we can determine who his killer is. You have the right to have a lawyer present during the interviews.”

  “I don’t know of any reason I should have a lawyer present. I suppose I could go back down there around three or so this afternoon?”

  “I’m sure that will work. Thank you.”

  As Brenda returned to the passageway that led to the kitchen, her cell phone rang. Mac told her they had found more evidence near the crime scene.

  “We have been searching the nearby area of the track. We discovered more sled tracks that look as if someone turned around sharply. They were on the left side of the path several yards ahead of the murder scene.”

  Brenda calculated the positions involved. The scene of the crime was on the right side leading to the finish line. Someone either saw something and swerved around, or the couple on that sled swerved around when they saw Travis and came back to do the job. But why, and who?

  “That means two sleds were involved,” Brenda said. “The covered sled tracks at the scene and the ones you are talking about.” Brenda paused. “Maybe the one on the left saw something and came back to assist.”

  “Or came back to kill,” Mac said. “Did you ask Miranda to come in today?” Brenda gave him the news. “If we don’t put her in an interrogation room, maybe she’ll be more talkative. Meet in my office when you get here with her.”

  They chatted more, debating whether the murder was planned or a crime of opportunity.

  In the meantime, Harry Brooks decided to walk downtown. He had learned since his arrival that the Morning Sun Coffee Shop was the place to pick up on local gossip. He overheard Jillian tell Wanda that it seemed everyone in town was talking about the murder of Travis Asher.

  Harry’s pace picked up to the level of thoughts that swarmed through his head. During his conversation with Miranda, he realized how shallow she was. He had received his answer when he’d asked if she was married during their affair. Shocking to him was the fact that the affair started very soon after Travis proposed to her. It confirmed to Harry why Travis didn’t like him. He must have known all along. Miranda showed little remorse about the deed committed against her husband. Harry’s mind went into overdrive. Why had he trusted someone like Miranda? He failed to answer himself. Without thinking, he had walked a few steps past the coffee shop before he realized it. He came back and entered the shop. Harry concentrated on the chart on the wall that listed the various coffee flavors and drinks. When he was ready to order, Molly smiled and asked for his choice.

  “I once had a lungo in Italy. How is that made?”

  “Unlike the espresso we all know, the water is brewed. It’s not as strong as an espresso, but it does have a rather bitter taste.”

  Harry made a quick choice for the lungo. He decided something bitter was what he deserved.

  “Would you like a sweet roll to curb the bitter taste? Sweet Treats down the street makes the rolls we sell here.”

  Harry agreed to two bite-sized cinnamon rolls. He chose a table for two near the window. The surrounding tables were occupied by tourists and locals alike. He tuned in to conversations going on.

  “The man who was killed during the sledding contest was a well-known plastic surgeon out in California.” The woman leaned across to her tablemate as she spoke.

  “He probably had plenty of business out there. Those Hollywood stars are gluttons for beauty even when it’s fake.” The lady in her mid-forties sipped iced coffee after replying. “How did he die?”

  “I don’t have details, but I heard he was knocked out with a club of some sort. Probably a big limb from that tree line near where the body was found. I’m more interested in who did it.”

  “Rumor has it that his wife was on a sled with her boyfriend. They probably did it.”

  The first woman clucked and shook her head. “Who was he sledding with if his wife wasn’t on the sled with him?”

  The second one shrugged her shoulders. Then a man at the next table spoke.

  “He wasn’t sledding. He was just there along the track for some reason.”

  “A few people do watch the middle of races instead of the start and finish lines,” the woman with him said. The man nodded in agreement.

  Harry discovered that few details had reached the local population yet. He looked up when Wanda Daniels asked if she could join him. Harry asked her to take the chair opposite him. The teacher sat down.

  “I’m trying the café mocha this time. I’ve heard it’s very good.”

  Harry smiled at her and explained his drink when she asked. “I understand you teach school in Queens. Do you like teaching on the elementary school level?” He bit his tongue after the words were out.

  “All children and young adults need to be taught in school. I chose the younger children since they are usually better listeners. They can be eager to learn once they put their devices down.”

  “I apologize. I know I sounded as if I put you down for your career choice. I admire anyone who stands in front of any age and teaches them. It’s a huge responsibility.”

  “It is, but I’m thinking of changing careers. I took this time off to come here for peace and quiet so I can think things through.” She chuckled. “It’s turning out to be anything except peace and quiet. I can’t believe I’m in the middle of being interrogated by the police in Sweetfern Harbor. I’m sure we all have, though.”

  “It is too bad for sure. The Winter Carnival has been great, but I’ve lost my enthusiasm since the murder.”

  Wanda was drawn easily into the conversation. “I feel sorry for Miranda. I wonder if she has any idea who did it.”

  “I don’t know that. There were so many tourists here, I’ve thought it could have been someone unknown.”

  “They did say more contestants entered the contest than in past years. Maybe someone sledding did it.” Wanda took a drink of her café mocha. “On another note, we were all surprised that Joanna and Ethan didn’t win after all their stories about their sledding contests. Did you know they used to be Amish? I find that so fascinating.”

  “It is very interesting for sure,” Harry said. “I wondered why they didn’t come in closer to the finish than they did.”

  “They’re sticking around the B&B more than usual. I think this whole thing has shaken them up.” Wanda glanced at her watch. “I have to get moving. Jillian wants to meet me for one last round of shopping at the booths before they close down.” She also wanted to talk more about Joanna asking her husband what they should do.

  Harry twirled the last bite of roll between his thumb and
fingers. He hadn’t learned much except that no one had a clue yet of details, much less of who murdered Travis Asher.

  7

  Allie couldn’t shake from her mind Wanda’s demeanor when she asked about Jillian and her whereabouts earlier. There was something going on between those two, but what? She wondered if she should mention it to Brenda.

  Jillian stopped on the sidewalk and pulled on Wanda’s arm.

  “It’s time to give me more details about what you told me down on the beach.”

  “I don’t have any more details. I only overheard Joanna asking Ethan what they should do about the recent murder. I don’t want to think it, but it told me they had something to do with it all.”

  “No way,” Jillian said, shaking her head. “They are former Amish. They couldn’t have anything to do with it.” She eyed her new friend. “What exactly did you hear?” Wanda reminded her she had already told her more than once. Jillian said she wanted to hear it again.

  “I heard Joanna ask Ethan what they were going to do about the murder of Travis Asher. I swear I heard her say that.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I know what I heard. Do you think I should say anything to Brenda about that? You know that she is a police officer, too.”

  Jillian took a few minutes to think it through. “No, don’t say anything. You don’t want to get that involved, do you? I say leave it all to the police.”

  Wanda felt a conflict within her, but in the end, she agreed with Jillian.

  Detective Bryce Jones called his boss. “Mac, we have a couple detained at the roadway that leads to the old shoe factory on Route 433. They refused to show identity to the officer who stopped them. Two patrol cars are out there. Do you want us to bring them in?”

  “Did they give reasons for refusing?”

  “They both said they had nothing to do with the murder and felt it was against their rights to reveal their identities.”

  “Bring them in for questioning. Maybe that will be their incentive to cooperate.”