Lethal Suds

by Sophia Barton

  Lee took a moment to answer. “In the beginning, it was hard. I didn’t know what my place was. I didn’t know what to do. I’ve always been so focused on becoming a famous actor, and when I came back, I was lost.” He took another sip of wine. “But I mean it. It might not be what I dreamed of when I was in high school, but then, who has the life they dreamed about in high school?”

  Abigail couldn’t deny that. She’d always thought she’d be a teacher, yet here she was.

  Lee cleared his throat. “Anyway. I’m not sure I like the way this conversation is going. Too many memories. Why don’t you tell me about Roger instead?”

  Abigail wasn’t even surprised. “What should I tell you about Roger?”

  “Everyone knows you were there when he was arrested. What happened?”

  Abigail didn’t want to answer, but this was Lee, and she was coming to see him as a friend. “Not much, or rather, not much beyond what you can imagine. Chief Holden came in and arrested Roger. Roger protested, said he hadn’t done anything, and I offered to close the shop for him. That’s about it.”

  Lee snorted. “We both know that’s a lie. Come on. I won’t tell you what I’ve heard through the grapevine if you don’t tell me.”

  “I tried to talk to Chief Holden. I don’t think Roger had anything to do with the murder, and neither did Martha.”

  “Well, I’m sure that if Holden arrested Roger, he had a good reason to.”

  “I’d like to think so, but I’m not sure we can trust him.”

  Lee put down his glass. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know the man, so I could be wrong, but Aunt Charlotte wonders if he’ll push. Apparently, the mayor is happy that the murderer was arrested. He wants tourists to feel safe. And Martha, Roger’s…” Abigail wasn’t sure what to call her. She didn’t want to use the word lover, and she had no idea where Roger and Martha stood. It wasn’t her business, and she didn’t want to know. “Well, she thinks that while Chief Holden is a good man, he might do the easy thing and not investigate further.”

  Lee took a moment to answer. “She might not be wrong. I like Chief Holden. He always struck me as a good man. But people have been pushing at him, especially the mayor. That might be why he arrested Roger. He wanted to make an arrest so he could show people he had this.”

  That was what Abigail had been afraid of.

  “But if not Roger, who do you think killed Randall?” Lee added.

  Abigail shook her head. “I’m not sure. There could be a lot of people who had something against him that we don’t know about. Since apparently, he didn’t pay people, it could give us a long list of people who had a reason to kill him.”

  Lee stared at Abigail. “You’re thinking about Dewey.”

  Abigail looked away. Lee didn’t believe Dewey had anything to do with it, but she wasn’t convinced. “Maybe? I talked to him the other day.”

  Lee chuckled and shook his head. “Of course you did.”

  “The kitchen sink was broken,” she protested, but neither of them believed that was why she’d wanted to talk to Dewey. “I asked him about Randall. He told me he didn’t kill him and that it wouldn’t have made sense for him to do so because now, he’s not sure he’ll get his money.”

  “You can’t deny it makes sense.”

  “It does, but what if the murder wasn’t planned? What if the person who killed Randall got angry and acted on impulse? They might not have thought about how their situation would go if they killed him, and once they did, it was too late.”

  Lee tapped his fingertips against his glass. “You’re not wrong about that. I don’t want to think Dewey had anything to do with this, but he is the kind of person who gets angry easily.”

  Abigail was relieved Lee was ready to accept it, but she should have known better.

  “What about other suspects, though?” he asked.

  “Who do you have in mind?”

  “Well, I like the mayor for this, but I think it sounds a bit ridiculous.”

  Abigail groaned. “Not you, too.”

  Lee flashed her a smile. “I know you don’t think your aunt knows what she’s talking about, but it’s not a bad idea. The mayor was angry with Randall. He didn’t want Randall to build his hotel, and neither did most of the town. But as long as Randall got the permits, he wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.”

  “And did Randall have the permits?”

  “He didn’t even have the lots he would have needed to build the hotel. I doubt permits would have been a problem, but not yet.”

  In Abigail’s book, that meant the mayor was out. She tried to think about someone else who might have had a motive, but she didn’t know these people, not as well as Lee.

  “Then, there’s Miranda,” Lee continued, jostling Abigail out of her thoughts.

  “Miranda?”

  “Yes. She works with him. Well, she worked.”

  “I know. She was the one who found him.”

  “I also remember how you two were in high school,” he said, his gaze shrewd.

  Abigail waved his words away. “I don’t know what she had against me back then. Why do you think she might be a suspect?”

  “It’s only hearsay, but apparently, she was supposed to become a partner. It’s what Randall promised her for years anyway.”

  “Supposed to?”

  “Well, she still hasn’t been made partner as far as I know. I might be wrong, though. I also don’t know how that’s going to change now that Randall is dead. If she wasn’t a partner, she might have lost everything.”

  That meant she wouldn’t have had a good reason to kill him, but Abigail couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the killer might have acted on impulse.

  It could have taken only an angry person, a volatile situation, maybe a fight. The killer could have acted without thinking, grabbing the closest object and hitting Randall upside the head. They probably had regretted it as soon as it had happened, but it had been too late.

  Who had done it, though? Roger? Dewey? Miranda?

  14

  Abigail tapped her pen on her notebook and stared at the short list of names. She and Lee had compiled it when he’d come to dinner a few days ago, but they hadn’t managed to come to a conclusion. Lee didn’t want to think people he knew could have murdered Randall, but he couldn’t deny it was a possibility. Still, it made finding out who the murderer was harder. Lee liked Miranda for it, and while Abigail couldn’t deny she wanted that to be the truth, mostly because she didn’t like Miranda, she doubted Miranda was the killer. No matter how angry Miranda had been with Randall, Abigail had seen the shock on her face after she found the body. She hadn’t expected what had happened to Randall.

  Abigail didn’t think Miranda was a killer, which left Dewey.

  Abigail refused to consider the mayor. He might have been a viable suspect in any other circumstances, but not wanting a hotel to be built didn’t feel like a good enough motive. Besides, Randall had been far from getting the permits he needed. As Lee had pointed out, Randall hadn’t even owned the shops he needs to tear down to build his hotel. It would have taken him a while to buy, then to get the permits. The mayor could have found a better way to stop him besides killing him.

  No. Abigail was convinced it was Dewey. She didn’t want him to be because she’d liked him, but she didn’t think his reasoning about him not killing Randall because he wouldn’t get his money worked. Yes, he might not get paid, but apparently, Dewey angered easily, and knowing Martha, she wouldn’t have a problem giving Dewey the money he was owned. Besides, if the man got easily angry, it wouldn’t have taken much for him to fight with Randall and take matters into his own hands.

  Abigail had a suspect. She didn’t have proof, though, which was why she hadn’t gone to Chief Holden. She wanted to. She hated the thought of Roger behind bars, being accused of something he hadn’t done. But what if she was wrong? What if Dewey hadn’t killed Randall? She couldn’t take one innocent man
out of jail only to put it another innocent man in it.

  She rubbed her face. She had no idea what to do.

  “You look worried,” Aunt Charlotte said.

  She was hovering at the open door of the backroom, and Abigail plastered a smile on her face. “I’m fine.”

  “I doubt you are. Everyone knows Kevin has been around.”

  Abigail grimaced. She’d known the entire town would find out about Kevin after the scene he’d made at the bookstore, and later, here, but she’d hoped against all odds that people wouldn’t find out.

  She’d been wrong. “He hasn’t contacted me since that day he came here.”

  Aunt Charlotte wrinkled her nose. “He didn’t contact you before coming here, either. That didn’t stop him.”

  “I think Chief Holden scared him.”

  “For how long?”

  That was the question, wasn’t it? Abigail knew Kevin. Even though he hadn’t wanted to fight with Chief Holden, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be back. Hell, if she knew him at all—and she did—he would be back, as pushy as ever. She didn’t know how to make him understand that she didn’t want him in her life. She thought she’d been clear, but maybe not.

  “You should get a restraining order,” Aunt Charlotte said.

  “Even if I do, what is it going to change? It won’t stop him from coming here.”

  “Maybe not, but he’ll be arrested for it.”

  Abigail wished it were that easy. “He’s a lawyer. He’ll find a way out of it.”

  “But it would take him time, and in the meantime, you’ll be free to live your life. What he’s doing to you isn’t fair.”

  Abigail was aware of that. “I don’t know what to do. I already talked to him, but he won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Restraining order,” Aunt Charlotte repeated as the shop door opened.

  They both turned to see Lee rush in. He looked out of breath, and he was dragging his dog and another behind him. The dogs didn’t seem to like the shop, which made sense with their sensitive noses, and Abigail wondered what had happened. Lee had to know he shouldn’t bring the dogs in.

  “Lee?” she asked, stepping from behind the counter.

  He grinned at her. “Roger is free.”

  Abigail blinked. Aunt Charlotte was faster, rushing toward him. “Are you sure? What happened? How do you know? Why was he released?”

  Abigail couldn’t help but smile. “Why don’t you allow him to speak? He won’t be able to answer your questions if you don’t stop talking.”

  Aunt Charlotte glared at her, but it was playful. Abigail had no idea what had happened, but they were all relieved. Chief Holden wouldn’t have released Roger if he had something against him, which meant he didn’t and that Abigail had been right. “I don’t know. I heard he had an alibi at the time of Randall’s murder, but that’s all I know,” Lee answered.

  Abigail frowned. “I know he and Martha were together, but I thought Chief Holden didn’t believe them.”

  Aunt Charlotte’s smile widened. “He and Martha were together? Wait. He and Martha are together?”

  Abigail should have been more careful. “That doesn’t matter. Are you sure that’s what happened?” she asked Lee.

  “I’m telling you what I heard. He’s out, and the reason for that is that he has an alibi.”

  That didn’t make sense. Martha and Roger had both insisted they were together the entire night, but as Chief Holden had pointed out, they only had their word for it. What had changed?

  Abigail didn’t know. She wanted to find out, though. She wasn’t sure how to get any information without looking like she was sticking her nose into things she shouldn’t be sticking her nose in, so she hovered there.

  The store door opened again. The three of them turned to face the newcomer, and Abigail’s eyes widened when she saw Roger. “Roger?”

  Lee stayed back, but both Aunt Charlotte and Abigail rushed toward Roger. He looked worse for wear, tired, with bruises under his eyes, but he was there, and he was free. He raised his hands, and Abigail paused. Aunt Charlotte didn’t, though. She grabbed Roger, hugging him and hitting him with her cast as she did so. “I always knew you had nothing to do with the murder.”

  Roger chuckled. “I just wish I’d remembered I went to the ATM that night sooner. If I had, I wouldn’t have been arrested.”

  Abigail frowned. “ATM?”

  Roger turned his attention to her. “Abigail. Thank you for taking care of the shop for me.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It was the least I could do. You said ATM?”

  Roger blinked, but to Abigail’s relief, he answered. “Yes. I thought I didn’t leave the house the entire night, but I did. I came to town to the ATM. I needed money to pay for the pizza we ordered.”

  “So you and Martha weren’t alone in the house the entire night.”

  “Not the entire night, no. I was away for about twenty minutes, and apparently, I was at the ATM right when Roger was killed. Chief Holden checked the CCTV.”

  That was what Abigail had wanted. There was proof Roger hadn’t done anything. “That’s good.”

  But she couldn’t help but wonder why Martha had lied. Or had she, too, forgotten that Roger had left her alone for twenty minutes?

  When Abigail came home later that night, Kevin was waiting for her on the porch, and she’d had enough. She took her phone out, dialed the number for the police station, and when they answered, said, “My ex-husband has been harassing me, and he’s standing on my porch right now.”

  There was a pause, then the woman on the other side of the phone asked, “Abigail Kinsman?”

  Abigail blinked. “Yes.”

  “I’m Veronica Kendal. We went to high school together.”

  These days, it felt like Abigail had gone to high school with everyone she met. She remembered Veronica, though. “You work at the station now?”

  “I’m one of the deputies. What do you want me to do? Should I send someone?”

  “Please.”

  “Is he dangerous? Will he hurt you in the meantime?”

  “He’s never hurt me, so I doubt he will. I’m about to confront him, though.”

  “That’s probably not the best thing you can do.”

  Abigail was aware of that. “He won’t hurt me.” Kevin had hurt her in many ways, but never physically, and she didn’t think he would start now.

  “I’ll send someone. Stay safe and stay on the phone with me. That way I can hear if anything happens.”

  Abigail didn’t think it was necessary, but it wouldn’t change anything, so she agreed. “Okay. Wish me luck.” She and Veronica hadn’t been friends, but they’d been friendly, and Abigail could hear the worry in her voice. She didn’t want people to worry about her. She didn’t want them to have a reason to worry about her.

  She lowered her hand and stepped closer to the porch.

  Kevin was watching her. She didn’t know if he’d heard the conversation, and she didn’t care. She wasn’t about to hide the fact that she’d called the police anyway. “You need to leave me alone,” she said as she climbed the porch steps.

  “I wouldn’t have to bother you if you’d just come home with me.”

  Abigail took a deep breath. They’d gone over this again and again. They’d had this conversation more times than she cared to remember, and she didn’t understand why he didn’t get it.

  She placed herself in front of him. “Listen to me. This is the last time I’m telling you this. I am not coming back to you. I am never coming back to you, and if I have my way, I’ll never see you again after tonight. Sign the divorce papers, don’t sign them, I don’t care. Either way, I will get a divorce, and you’ll be out of my life.”

  Kevin opened his mouth, but Abigail wasn’t done. “Stop it. I don’t care what you have to say. I don’t care about your excuses. I don’t care why you cheated on me. You did, and that’s enough for me. I never want to see you again because you have no respect for me. If yo
u did, you wouldn’t have done it.”

  Sometimes, it was hard to say the words. Abigail was at the point in which she didn’t care that Kevin had cheated, but who he cheated with still hurt. She’d trusted Brittany. They’d been friends, or so Abigail had thought. She hadn’t only lost Kevin. She’d lost someone who had been close to her. She’d been betrayed by the two of them.

  She hated it. She hated them for what they’d done.

  “If you’d just let me talk,” Kevin said.

  “No. I don’t want to let you talk. I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I don’t want to hear your lies. You never respected me, Kevin. It’s not only the cheating. It’s also the fact that you always wanted me to do whatever you thought was right. You never let me live my life. You wanted to control me, and you did, for a long time. You told me how to dress, what to eat. That’s over, though. Don’t think I don’t know you’re here to take me home because you can’t bear the fact that you don’t control me anymore. Wrap your mind around that and accept it because I’m. Not. Coming. Back.”

  Abigail swallowed. “And if you keep bothering me, I’ll get a restraining order. People in town have seen you. Chief Holden, the chief of police, had to send you away twice on the same day. Do you think there’s a judge who won’t consider that harassment? I haven’t done anything because I was hoping you’d get the hint, but since you didn’t, I won’t hesitate. Is that what you want? What will your bosses think?”

  Abigail knew she’d hit the nail on the head at Kevin’s reaction. He flinched. It was a tiny gesture, but one she noticed. She was the person who knew Kevin the best in the world. She’d always been aware of that, but she’d never been happy for it, not until this precise moment.

  He’d given her the weapons she needed to get him to leave her alone.