The Wolf at Bay (Big Bad Wolf)

by Charlie Adhara

  West flapped his hand at them impatiently. “Yes, yes, I know. But enemies? That’s very—oh, I don’t know—dramatic. Isn’t it more likely that he interrupted a burglar or something?”

  Cooper exchanged looks with Park. “What makes you think that?”

  “There were some break-ins in the neighborhood that summer. My own humble home was victimized.”

  “Really? Did you report it?”

  “Of course. To your father, actually.”

  “Were any suspects ever identified?”

  “No...” West said slowly. “There were no arrests made.”

  “But you had suspicions?” Cooper guessed.

  West smiled a weird closemouthed smile that finally made Cooper understand the word reptilian. He had to force himself not to take a step back. “There was a girl living in the neighborhood then, Rose Daugherty. Do you remember her?”

  “The name rings a bell,” Cooper said carefully. “What makes you think she’s the one who robbed you?”

  “A hunch,” West said. “And... I saw her go into the Bells’ house once. Through the storm cellar. I wasn’t sure enough to call the police, weak eyes, but”—he looked at Park, and there wasn’t anything weak-looking about them now—“she was a troubled young thing.”

  “Did the Bells ever report a break-in?”

  “Not that I heard. They wouldn’t want to look that common.”

  Cooper couldn’t argue with that at least. “You know that Rose passed away before Hardwick, though. So that doesn’t support your interrupted burglar theory.”

  “Perhaps she had a partner.”

  “What partner?”

  “Well, I don’t have a storm cellar. So someone small enough to slip into a window, I’d imagine. Her brother, perhaps.”

  “He was barely twelve,” Cooper protested.

  “I always found the Daughertys to be...unusually capable.” West checked his watch, a heavy-looking, deep gold vulgarity that dwarfed his wrist. “Oh dear. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this conversation short. I have my own theft to attend to. I’m stealing some Gorham sterling flatware from under a competitor’s nose. But only if I can get the kill bid in on time. Please give my best to your brother and his lovely fiancée. Good day, gentlemen.”

  West gave them one last tight-lipped smile, then floated back into his house before Cooper could get a word in. He had lost control of that interview. Hell, he’d never gotten control of that interview. West had skirted around Hardwick having enemies very neatly. Though it was interesting that Rose had come up again.

  “So, first murder, then illicit affairs and blackmail, now a family of cat burglars?” Park whispered as they walked out of the yard. “And we haven’t even left the block. I’m never going to believe you when you say you grew up in a boring town again.”

  “He’s off his nut,” Cooper said. “There’s no way Stephen was out here putting the eleven in Ocean’s Eleven. I have a hard time thinking Rose was either.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean the storm cellar might get you into the basement, but the Bells always kept the basement door locked from the inside. So, maybe she picked the lock. Or...”

  “More likely someone inside the house let her in,” Park said, nodding. “You’re saying Rose might have had a boyfriend to avenge her death after all.”

  “Jacob Bell. He was her age, hot, cool, rich, and knowing his mother Catherine, the sort of guy who would keep a romance with your local poor, fatherless junkie on the down low if he wanted to hold on to his allowance.” Park raised his eyebrows as they started across the Bells’ backyard. “What?”

  “Just interested in this hot, cool, rich neighbor of yours. Also, unrelated question, how do you know the inner basement door stays locked?”

  Cooper made an unimpressed face at Park and knocked on the Bells’ back door. Somewhere in the house a small dog started yapping.

  “Interesting,” Park said.

  “Nope. It’s really not.”

  “And what did I just say about not believing you when you say something is boring?”

  “You are seriously howling up the wrong tree. There is absolutely nothing interesting about my relationship with Jacob fucking Be—”

  The door opened, and Cooper felt like he’d been punched in the throat.

  Chapter Eight

  “Cooper Dayton.” Gabriel might have been the first person in town who didn’t look the same as the last time Cooper had seen him. He was a grown man now, pale skin less aglow, edges softer, and thankfully, the imperfections that had always been there were clearer to Cooper’s adult eyes. But all that just made him more frustrated with himself when he felt his heart twinge, like flexing a temporarily forgotten sprain.

  “Wow, look at you. You look great.” Gabriel stepped outside and pulled him into a hug. Cooper’s arms hung stiffly at his sides while a wave of emotions rose in his throat, nearly choking him. He could feel Gabriel’s breath on his neck, his large open hands on his back, feel the warmth of Gabriel’s shoulder radiating against his face.

  There was a split second where he was frozen, overwhelmed by the familiar scent of someone who had once occupied so much of his mind. There was also a split second where he was overwhelmed with the urge to knee Gabriel in the balls. Both feelings brought back strong memories of his teenage years.

  Gabriel pulled back. “It’s been a long time. I wondered if you were coming home for Dean’s do.”

  “Yes,” Cooper managed.

  “Well, I’m so glad to see you.” Gabriel smiled. “Age’s been kinder to you than to me, I think. You look great,” he repeated.

  “No,” Cooper said, and felt choked again.

  Yes. No. He sounded like a nervous witness on the stand. He sounded ridiculous. He forced himself to say something else. “You look fine.”

  Gabriel laughed at him. “Still a sweet talker, I see.”

  Park coughed lightly beside him and Cooper twitched feeling unreasonably guilty and more than a little trapped. “This is my, uh, colleague, Oliver Park.” Cooper flinched at himself, but to his credit, Park didn’t react.

  “Gabriel Bell.” He shook Park’s hand. “It’s great to meet you. Please come in, I’d love to catch up.”

  Cooper didn’t move from the step. “I didn’t think you’d be here. In this house.”

  “I’m just visiting. Helping put some last-minute stuff together for tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  Gabriel clicked his tongue. “Careful, you’re lucky my mom’s out or she’d hit you with a speech and demand a donation. Eliza’s got a fund-raising event tomorrow at the marina. Did you know she’s running for office? Wait a minute.” He searched his pockets and pulled out a little round button pin with bright red lettering. “Here we are.”

  He handed the button to Park, who examined it. “‘Vote Bell.’ Catchy.”

  “There’s a surprising deficit of fun, positive words that rhyme with our last name, unfortunately. And nothing works with Eliza.”

  “Surely one of the worst hurdles women face in politics,” Park said, straight-faced.

  “Very true,” Gabriel said, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm while pulling out a second button. “But if anyone can overcome, it’s Eliza. Stop by tomorrow, listen to what she has to say. I think you’ll really like her platform.” He slipped the button into Cooper’s front shirt pocket and patted it. “Your support would mean a lot to me.” He looked into Cooper’s eyes, hand still resting against his chest, and smiled.

  Cooper took an unsteady step back. “Actually, we wanted to talk to her about something else. Her and Jacob. Your parents, too, if possible.”

  Gabriel laughed. “So you want to talk to anyone but me? Careful there, Coop, or I might start taking it personally.”

  Cooper ignored that. “Can you tell me
how to contact them?”

  “Well, only my dad’s here right now, but Jacob should be back any minute. And we’re all going to your brother’s party tonight.”

  “Everyone? Why?”

  Gabriel looked at Park. “Is he always this warm and welcoming? I thought he’d have outgrown it by now, but”—his expression shifted to something amused—“looks like some people never change.”

  Cooper flexed his fingers behind his back, wishing he’d kneed Gabriel after all. “Well, it sounds like it’s a busy time for you. I’ll just have to catch the rest of your family tonight.”

  “Will you calm down?” He rolled his eyes. “I’m joking. Come inside. Please.”

  He wanted to say no and walk away with every fiber of his being. But they had come here to ask questions, and the only thing he wanted less than being around Gabriel was letting Gabriel scare him away from what he wanted just like he was a kid again.

  “Great. This won’t take long,” he added, more in apology to Park than anything else. As if he was responsible for Gabriel’s behavior.

  The inside of the house was about as pretentious as the outside had led him to expect. There was more than one huge, empty vase in a corner; the furniture was all muted whites and grays that never looked sat on; and the walls had the occasional piece of hotel art that would have been an excellent place to hide secret messages, they were so forgettable. It was expensive, bland, and exactly what Cooper had always imagined the inside of Gabriel’s house would look like. Whatever Park thought had happened, he’d never actually made it farther than the basement. The only odd thing was all the furniture was up against the walls, though the reason for that became obvious when they entered the living room.

  Robert Bell sat tilting a bit to the side in a large electric power chair. A number of tubes connected him to the machines around him. His gray hair had been cut close to the head and his once plump face hung deflated, making him look much older than he was. At his feet an old bichon frise sat up, watching them wearily, sniffed the air, and growled.

  “Massive stroke. Three years ago,” Gabriel offered, walking over to his father and adjusting his head a bit so it wasn’t at such a painful-looking angle.

  “I’m so sorry,” Cooper said. “Can he...”

  “Hear you? Sure. But I don’t know how much he’ll understand. He still has some good days, but this isn’t one of them. I’m here to keep an eye on him while Mom and Jacob are out.”

  “Hello, Mr. Bell. It’s good to see you again,” Cooper tried anyway, just in case. He added a little awkward wave that would have prompted the Robert Bell he remembered to viciously mock him under the pretense of “just joking around”—as a father, he had made Ed look reserved and warm.

  But Robert didn’t react, and after a moment Cooper turned to find Gabriel watching him with an expression torn between softness and annoyance. Which summed up a good deal of their childhood relationship, actually.

  “He can’t answer you,” Gabriel said tightly. Then, in a gentler tone, “You don’t mind talking in here, do you?”

  “If you don’t think we’ll bother him. You said Jacob lives here?”

  “Yeah. Mom needed help after...you know. And Jacob was, uh, in between careers at the time.”

  The bichon had stood shakily and was creeping toward Park, tail between legs.

  “Here.” Gabriel reached into his pocket yet again and Cooper half-expected another button. “Give her one of these and she’ll be your friend for life.”

  Park delicately accepted the crumbly dog treat, his expression extremely unimpressed.

  “I always thought Jacob would take over the marina,” Cooper said.

  “Nah, Jakey was more interested in starting his own business—he has a moving company now, you know, deliveries, too—and Eliza’s always been all about politics. So I took over the marina.”

  Cooper stared. “What happened to being a painter?”

  Gabriel’s face twisted to something ugly before settling into a sort of skeptical smirk. “What happened to being an FBI agent? Ed says you’re in, what’s it called, the BSI now? That’s like management or something, right?”

  “I didn’t realize you two speak.”

  “I always liked your dad. And he’s at the marina every day since his retirement.” Gabriel paused, contemplating Cooper. “He talks about you a lot. About how busy you are, how you’re always in important meetings.” He smiled slowly, like he knew that was just an excuse used to avoid Ed, and Cooper suddenly wished he hadn’t lied to his father. It felt wrong to be allied against him with Gabriel, of all people. “But still, not really like those old secret agent movies you loved, is it? Did you ever picture yourself doing what you do today?”

  “Well...” Out of the corner of his eye, Cooper saw Park delicately sniff the treat and shudder. “There were some surprises.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m just saying, we all make compromises. You got out of the valley like you always wanted but are stuck doing paperwork. I took over my parents’ business, but I still get to flex my creative muscle sometimes. Now we don’t just do boat repairs—we do decals, too.” Gabriel sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him. “Please, sit.”

  There wasn’t room for all three of them, so Park took the armchair pushed up against the opposite wall at an awkwardly removed distance. The dog immediately curled up at his feet.

  “See.” Gabriel pointed. “Told you the treat would work.”

  Park grinned, showing all his teeth. Cooper recognized it as a distinctly unfriendly look between wolves, but of course it went right over Gabriel’s head. His canines were a little larger and pointier than usual, too. Not something your average unaware human would necessarily pick up on, but Cooper spent more time in Park’s mouth than average.

  He cleared his throat. “Gabe, did you hear about what happened yesterday?”

  “Alex Hardwick, right? That name was a blast from the past.”

  This town really couldn’t keep a secret. Fortunately, it was finally working to Cooper’s advantage.

  “I can’t believe he’s been dead all this time. I would have sworn he skipped town.” Gabriel leaned back into the couch and crossed his legs, the tip of his boot brushing Cooper’s knee.

  Cooper pulled back slightly. “What made you think that?”

  “Well, all the Valley Girl drama, of course.” Gabriel grinned. “Actually, you know what’s funny, my mom’s been taking credit for his running off for years. Awkward as heck for her now.”

  Cooper lowered his voice and glanced at Robert Bell, who was staring out the window and apparently not listening. “What do you mean? What did Hardwick have to do with that or Catherine?”

  Across the room, Park cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. He looked a bit like a disgruntled chaperone. “Valley Girl?”

  “It’s a stupid local beauty pageant that’s almost more ridiculous than the name implies,” Cooper explained. “A low bar, I know.”

  “It’s a competition for young women that requires skill and excellent academics,” Gabriel corrected. “It provides thousands of dollars in scholarships every year and is a huge boost to a college application.”

  “Your mother was on the board, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes. She was a former Valley Girl winner herself. So was Eliza.” Gabriel looked at Park. “I know it sounds silly, but every year the young woman who won got a ten grand scholarship. Nothing to sneeze at back then.”

  “I wouldn’t sneeze at it now,” Cooper countered. “If I actually got the money. But they didn’t, did they?”

  “That’s not true,” Gabriel said with exaggerated patience. “And that misconception is exactly the reason why Mother hated Hardwick. He threw around accusations of embezzlement and ruined Valley Girl’s good name.”

  Good name was a distinct overstatement,
Cooper thought. He said, “But those accusations were true. Weren’t they?”

  “No. Well, it’s complicated. The year before, there was another board member, Ron Bartucci, who was mishandling funds. He was fired and the actual cops did their job. It was a dark time for Valley Girl, but the public understood that he was one bad apple. The rest of the board could have handled it and moved forward with all the good work they do if not for Hardwick. He covered the trial and his articles hinted that Bartucci hadn’t been working alone. There wasn’t any indication of that at all in the investigation. It was total bull. But he implied the whole event was corrupt. He never came right out and accused my mother, but he was doing his best to drag Valley Girl down. They almost had to cancel that year, donations and contestant turnout was so low.”

  “Sounds like she had reason to hate Hardwick,” Park said. “Must have been a relief when someone stopped him from writing anymore.”

  Cooper stiffened and tried not to let the surprise show on his face. Park wasn’t usually so brusque in interviews, and it was weird to hear it now. He was the smooth one, the charming one. Not here, though.

  Gabriel laughed. “You’re joking.” He looked at Cooper in disbelief and then back to Park. “You’re not joking? You think she had him killed?” He made a face and seemed to reevaluate Park, this time his gaze was a lot less friendly. “I don’t know what dog-eat-dog world you’re from, but there’s a much simpler way of stopping someone from libeling you here: suing them.”

  “Your mother sued Hardwick?”

  “She warned him she would. She felt she owed him that at least. Call it a neighborly courtesy. A lawsuit would have bankrupted them. Hardwick did the smart thing and backed off. The pageant went on and later that summer he disappeared. It wasn’t a big deal. I really only remember the guy because Mother’s basically been saying ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’ on loop ever since. Because she thought he ran and because he was in the wrong, not because she actually did anything wrong or”—he glanced at Cooper—“inappropriate.”

  Gabriel’s mouth twisted a bit, an expression Cooper recognized from when they were kids and Gabe would regret something he said, like he could suck the words back into his mouth. The regret used to be enough to earn Cooper’s forgiveness back then. Surely recognizing you were a shit was the first step to not being a shit. Pure naiveté. But now the look just clued Cooper in to what Gabriel had really meant. It seemed plenty of people had known about the affair after all.