by Cindy Bell
“I understand that, and I will let him know. But for now, this is all I need, and he said that it could be charged to the account.” Kerri recognized the voice of the man who responded to Peter. It was Elm. Her heart began to pound the moment she rounded the corner of the last aisle. There before her, at the check-out counter, were Elm and Peter.
“And I just want him to know that he can’t expect to continue to add things to this account if he can’t make the payment.” Peter shook his head as he took a container from Elm. Whatever was inside rattled as he tossed it into a brown paper bag. “I’ll let it slide this once, but please make sure he knows that there will not be any more purchases allowed on his account.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.” Elm shrugged and reached up to pull off his baseball cap. “I’m sure it’s some kind of mistake. He gets wrapped up in the job and forgets about things. Thanks for the nails.” He grabbed the paper bag and started to turn around. When he caught sight of Kerri, he froze.
“Hi.” Kerri smiled at him as he studied her.
“Hi.” He slid his cap back onto his head.
“It’s nice to see you off the mountain.” Kerri stepped to the side in the same moment that he attempted to step around her. He paused and stared at her.
“Is it?” Elm eyed her. “I hear you’ve been spreading rumors about me.”
“Spreading rumors?” Kerri arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say that. I did hear something interesting, though. About you, and Pam.”
“Who did you hear that from?” Elm’s eyes narrowed as he took a step towards her.
“I don’t name my sources.” She winked lightly at him. “Anyway, it’s your business, right? I guess your secret was important to keep, even after Pam’s death.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Elm’s jaw trembled some as he clenched it.
“You’re right, I don’t. I have no idea what might have happened between you and Pam, but I do know that you cared enough to try to protect her from the backlash that would have happened if anyone found out that she was seeing you.” Kerri looked at him. “I know you were just trying to protect her.”
“Protect her? From what?” Elm shifted the paper bag from one hand to the other. She heard the nails in the container slide from side to side.
“From the other protesters. I mean, just think of how they might have reacted if they knew that Pam was involved with a logger?” Kerri’s eyes widened and she lowered her voice. “That would have been quite a scandal, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I suppose it would have been. Do you think they had something to do with her death?” Elm shifted a little closer to her. “Who did it?”
“I don’t know who did it. I was hoping you might have a better idea of that. Really, the other protesters weren’t the only ones that would’ve been upset by finding out about your relationship. I would think that your fellow loggers, even your boss, would have been pretty upset by the two of you sneaking off together.”
“No one needed to know. What Pam and I did together had nothing to do with anyone else.” Elm slid past her, with a slight shove of his shoulder against hers. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
“Of course.” Kerri turned to face him as he continued towards the door. “What do you need with nails up on the mountain? Are you building something?”
Elm waved one hand in the air but did not look back at her. When he pushed the door of the store shut, the sharp sound signified the end of the conversation. She could have gone after him, but she thought she’d already gotten out of him what she could at the moment. Peter however, was still available to talk to. She walked back towards the check-out counter and found him in front of his computer.
“Hi Peter.”
“You sure scared him off, didn’t you?” Peter glanced up from the monitor to look at her. “What was that about?”
“Oh, we just had some things to discuss.” Kerri shrugged and looked over the items displayed in the glass counter.
“What can I get for you?” Peter smiled as he followed her gaze.
“Actually, what I need is some information.” Kerri looked up at him and offered a warm smile. “I guess you probably overheard some of that.”
“Yes, I did.” Peter straightened up and met her eyes. “This is about that girl that got killed?”
“Yes, it is.” Kerri noticed the way his eyebrows lifted with interest. “At least, it might be. Have you noticed anyone come in and purchase a large amount of nails or gas cans?”
“That’s an odd combination.” Peter rubbed his hand along his chin as he considered it. “I can’t say for sure that I haven’t. I could check my records. But with the loggers working up on the mountain I have had quite a lot of traffic.”
“Anyone in particular? Someone that comes in to shop frequently?” Kerri glanced over her shoulder towards the door. “Maybe Elm?”
“He’s in here now and then. The only one that comes in at least once a week is his boss, Giani. He’s the one that opened the account. Usually he comes in and makes an order and pays for the week before. But he missed this week.” Peter frowned as he looked back at his computer.
“Giani? Have you spoken to him at all? Did he mention why he hasn’t come down lately?”
“No, I haven’t seen him for a while.”
“Thanks Peter.”
As Kerri left the store, her mind began to weave Giani as a suspect. Perhaps he found out that Pam and Elm were involved. If he had he might have decided to put an end to it. It seemed like a stretch, but she decided that she needed to speak with him. First however, there was someone she was more concerned about. Ever since her grandfather found the container, she’d wondered if Sylvia was safe. What if she wandered into one of the traps set by whoever owned the container? She needed to warn her. On her way back to the house she tried to reach her. However, Sylvia’s number just rang, no voicemail picked up. She unlocked the door to the house and Cashew bounded up to greet her. She bent down to pat her, her tail wagging eagerly.
“Kerri?” Her grandfather stepped out of the kitchen.
“Yes, it’s me.” Kerri flashed him a brief smile. “Did you find out anything about Colin?”
“Only that I can’t find him anywhere. I’m pretty sure that he took off.” George sat down on the couch and opened his arms to Cashew, who happily jumped into them.
“That certainly makes him look guilty.” Kerri sat down beside her grandfather and closed her eyes. “I found Elm at the hardware store buying nails.”
“Interesting.” George nodded.
“But Elm’s boss is the one with the account open at the hardware store, and he has been making frequent purchases, however he missed his last payment on the account. I doubt it’s because he doesn’t have the money. That makes me wonder if he’s afraid to come off the mountain for some reason.”
“Let’s see.” George trailed his fingertip along his knee. “If we connect the money and the account at the hardware store to the container, that connects the supplies to the loggers. We had assumed it was the protesters with the destructive intentions. But what if Giani decided to get rid of his problems? He could use the tack strips to block off trails, and the gasoline to burn out the protestors’ camps.”
“That’s true, but it would be a huge risk for him to take.” Kerri frowned. “I’m honestly not sure what to think.”
“Coffee.” George stood up and headed back into the kitchen. “That’s what we need.”
While George prepared coffee for both of them, Kerri decided to try Sylvia again. She stepped into her bedroom. She wanted to be able to concentrate if she managed to get in touch with Sylvia. If her grandfather was right, and Giani did have plans to go after the protestors, then she might be in serious danger. As the phone rang, she didn’t expect her to answer, but on the fourth ring, she did.
“Hello?”
“Sylvia, I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I noticed. Why do you keep cal
ling? Don’t you know I’m doing important work?” The pitch of her voice grew higher at the end of each word.
“I’m concerned about you. Apparently, there’s someone on that mountain that intends to cause a lot of trouble. My grandfather found tack strips, and gas cans. Have you seen anything like that in the woods? Any unexplained fires?” Kerri sat down on the edge of her bed.
“No, I haven’t.” Sylvia sighed. “I’ll let you know if I do. Bye, Kerri.”
“Wait!” Kerri stood up, as if she could stop the woman from ending the call. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here.”
“Listen, Detective Carver is investigating this right now. I don’t want you to worry too much.”
“More investigation? I wish everyone would just stay off the mountain!” The sudden rise in her voice caused Kerri to pull the phone away from her ear.
“Sylvia, are you okay?” Kerri frowned.
“All of this activity on the mountain, the loggers, the investigation, it’s all very disturbing to the owls. If it doesn’t stop soon, they’re not going to survive. Why can’t everyone just get off the mountain and let nature live the way it’s meant to?” Sylvia’s voice wavered as if she might be close to tears.
“Sylvia, don’t you think it’s important to find Pam’s killer?” Kerri narrowed her eyes as she tried to keep track of the woman’s shifting emotions.
“What’s dead is dead, Kerri. Why sacrifice the owls, too?” The line cut off.
Startled by Sylvia’s reaction, she stared at her phone.
“What’s dead is dead?” Kerri raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that?” George paused in the doorway of her bedroom.
“Sylvia. She wants everyone off the mountain.” Kerri set her phone down on her bed. “Something doesn’t feel right, Grandpa.”
“What do you mean?” He stepped into her room. “Are you sick?”
“No, I just think something is wrong with Sylvia. She didn’t sound like herself. Something was very off about her. Do you think she knows that we took the video off her phone? What if Detective Carver told her we did?” Kerri frowned.
“I doubt she would. Detective Carver is too smart for that. Maybe she really just doesn’t like all of the commotion. She seems like the type that prefers to be alone.” George narrowed his eyes some. “But your instincts are rarely wrong. If you’re concerned, I would give Detective Carver a call. Maybe she has more information about Sylvia, or maybe she can stop by to check on her.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to run out for a bit. Are you going into the shop?”
“Yes.” Kerri looked at the time on her phone. “In fact, I have to hurry.”
“Coffee first.” George directed her towards the kitchen. “Then we’ll head out.”
“Where are you going?” She followed after him down the hallway.
“Not to the mountain, if that’s what you’re worried about.” George met her eyes with a slow smile. “I’m following orders for the moment.”
“Good. But what are you doing?” Kerri stepped past him into the kitchen, and Cashew bounded past her to polish off the last of her breakfast.
“I’m going to see if I can track down Colin. He’s our best link to Pam right now.” George poured her a mug of coffee, then handed it to her.
“I thought you said you couldn’t find any sign of him. Thanks.” She smiled as she accepted the coffee, then added a bit of sugar.
“I have my ways.” George cast a wink in her direction, then poured his own cup. “Want milk?”
“Sure, I’ll grab it.” As they settled at the table together, she felt the pressure of the time ticking by. “I’ve been so caught up in this investigation I feel like I’m losing track of everything. It’s hard to think about anything else.”
“Like you said, we’re a team. Let me do some investigating today. You just focus on the shop. All right?” George looked into her eyes.
“Sure, okay.” Kerri nodded and managed a smile. She knew he was right, that was where her focus should be, but that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach continued to nag her.
After her grandfather left, Kerri loaded Cashew into the car. She had set up a bed for her in the office area at the shop. She didn’t often take her to work, but having her dog with her while she worked was one of the perks of owning her own business. With her around, she always felt a little calmer.
When Kerri arrived at the shop, she found her friendly squirrel perched on the ledge of the front window, waiting for her. He chattered a greeting to both her, and Cashew, who jumped up against the wall in an attempt to get to the squirrel.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back out with some nuts.” Kerri clucked her tongue at the squirrel and grinned. As she stepped inside the shop she felt as if it had been years since she’d been inside of it. It had only been a few days, but her mind had been on other things. She went through her usual routine to open the shop up, and managed to get the closed sign flipped over to open, just before it hit nine.
Kerri began to look through the shelves to be sure that everything was in place, and nothing needed to be restocked. Natalie had done such a good job of taking care of the shop, there wasn’t much left for her to do. As she passed through one of the aisles, she heard the bell over the door ring.
“Welcome.” Kerri smiled as she stepped out from the end of the aisle. However, her smile faded when she saw who stood inside the door. “Colin, are you okay?”
The young man’s cheeks were red and stained with tears. His hair was mussed, and it appeared that there were remnants of leaves peppered throughout the strands.
“Please, I need another one of those flowers that you sold me.” Colin headed down one of the aisles. “Do you have any more? Please, tell me that you do.”
“Colin, calm down, I have a few more.” Kerri followed after him as her heartbeat quickened. The nervous way he twitched his fingers against his legs, and the rawness of his bottom lip made her uneasy. “What happened to the one you had?” Where had he been? It seemed to her that he was more nervous than grief-stricken. What had him on edge?
Chapter 18
Colin continued down the aisle. She noticed a tremble in his hand as he reached for one of the flowers on a shelf.
“I lost it somehow. It was the last thing that I bought for Pam. I just really need another one.” He dug into his pocket for his wallet. “How much is it?”
“Listen.” Kerri pressed the wooden flower gently into his palm and looked into his bloodshot eyes. “You can have it. Okay? No charge.”
“But I don’t mind paying.” Colin’s wallet tumbled out of his pocket.
“Let me get that for you.” Kerri bent down to pick it up, in the same moment that he bent down as well. She drew her head back just fast enough to avoid a collision. “Colin, where have you been?” She handed him the wallet as he straightened up. “I’ve been trying to check in with you.”
“I just needed to be alone. Everyone had so many questions for me, including that detective. She wouldn’t leave me alone.” Colin wiped at one eye with the back of his hand. “Can you believe that she really thinks I could have done something to hurt Pam?” He squeezed the flower so tight between his hands that Kerri thought he might crush it right there in front of her. “I could never do that!”
“I’m sure that you couldn’t.” Kerri tried to hide the tremble in her hand. The truth was that in that moment, she wondered if he did hurt her. The wild look in his eyes, the tension in his hands as they tightened around the flower, made her think that he could be pushed to violence. “The best thing we can all do, is ask ourselves, who could have done it? What might have really happened? If we can get to the truth, then Pam will have her justice, and we can all move on from this terrible tragedy.”
“Move on?” Colin stared at her, his eyes wide, his mouth agape. “Do you think I can ever move on from the love of my life being murdered?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” Kerri took a st
ep back as all of the wildness in his eyes narrowed into a sharp focus on her. “Colin, I’m not trying to belittle your grief. I just really want to know what happened to Pam, who did this.”
“So do I.” Colin sighed, his shoulders drooped, and he closed his eyes. “I keep expecting her to call me or run up to me.” He opened his eyes again and looked at her. “I think I’m going a little crazy.”
“Grief is not an easy thing to deal with.” Kerri shook her head slowly. “Not knowing why, makes it even harder.”
“They’re never going to figure it out.” Colin frowned. “She was alone in the woods, and the only witness is her murderer.”
“Don’t say that.” Kerri forced a small smile to her lips. “Detective Carver really is a great detective, and she is working very hard to find out the truth. You know what might help?”
“What?” Colin’s eyes drooped, as if he was about to give in to the exhaustion that tugged at him.
“Knowing who Pam was around the most. Did you notice her being friendly with any of the loggers?” Kerri held her breath as she knew that she had just stepped into dangerous territory. If he was in love with Pam, and found out about her secret relationship with Elm, she had no idea how he might react.
“Are you kidding? No, of course not. Not unless it was to protest their activities. She was only ever with me, and the other protesters.” Colin gazed at the flower in his hand. “I was going to give it to her that night, the night she died. I never should have waited. I should have just given it to her right away. She would have loved it.”
“I’m sure that she would have.” Kerri turned her gaze to the wooden flower, but her attention remained on him. “So, Pam was never around anyone else? Did she mention spending time with someone? Maybe someone you didn’t know?”
“No, the only other person she was around was that owl lady. What was her name?” Colin snapped his fingers. “Sylvia, that was it.”
“Oh, do you know Sylvia well?” Kerri took a step closer to him.
“Not well myself. But Pam did talk about her a lot. She loved how dedicated Sylvia is. She was also a big fan of owls.” Colin sighed again, his whole body shook with the force of it. “How am I supposed to survive this?”
