by Sonia Parin
“What?”
“You can do better than that.”
“Oh, I see. You want me to suggest we can find the killer by studying all the photos and finding everyone who has ever purchased a banana cake from Wallace. We would then proceed to accuse each and every one of them. After which, we could employ a process of elimination by… drumroll… setting me up as bait. I think it’s time we retire that tactic and adopt a more professional one. Something similar to what the police do. Work by the book and gather solid evidence.”
Jill jumped to her feet. “We’re going to need more coffee. Eve needs to start thinking outside the box and come up with her creative ideas.”
“Actually, what we need is a distraction to refresh our minds and gain some proper perspective,” Mira suggested. “Although, your wild ideas do usually produce results, Eve. Perhaps Jill is right.”
Eve put her hand up. “I vote for a distraction.”
“I wouldn’t mind more cookies,” Josh said as his phone rang.
When he answered, he didn’t give away the identity of the caller and the conversation was one-sided, with Josh providing yes or no answers. He ended the call and sat back to stare at the bookshelves.
Mira gave him a warm smile. “Josh, we don’t mean to be inquisitive.”
“That was Jack,” he volunteered.
“And?”
Josh avoided making eye contact.
“This doesn’t look good. What did he want?” Mira insisted.
“He wanted to know if it was safe to come here.”
“Meaning?”
“Apparently, Jill sent him a text saying she was worried about Eve and he should come over as soon as possible because she might become violent.”
They all looked toward the kitchen and then at Eve.
Eve raised her hands in a defensive gesture. “Don’t look at me. I’ve been drinking chamomile tea.”
Hearing a knock at the front door, Josh got up to answer.
When Jack walked in, he scanned the room, greeting everyone with a cautious nod before he walked up to Eve and threw his arms around her.
“Jack, there hasn’t been an attempt on my life. What’s this about?”
“Just showing you I care and I’m behind you one hundred percent.”
Eve stepped back. “Something’s about to happen.” She looked toward the window. “The police are about to arrest me.”
Jack laughed. “No. Why would you think that?”
Her shoulders lowered. “I see… Then you’re trying to make amends for everyone’s atrocious and ill-judged behavior.”
Jack laughed again. “Atrocious? Ill-judged?”
Eve sighed. “I guess I just sounded like my parents.” Oh, heavens! Had they heard about Chad Burrows’ death? Of course, they had. She knew they kept up with island news because they subscribed to the local newspaper. Wherever they happen to be in the world, they would have read all about his death.
An image took shape in her mind. Eve saw her mother looking up from the newspaper and gazing across the table at her father.
Without discussing the matter, they both exclaimed, “Eve!”
“Eve. You’re not blinking,” Jack said.
Eve snapped out of her reverie. “As you can see, I’m fine.”
“I just wanted to show my support because you’ve been through a lot during the last couple of days.” He glanced at the notes Jill had made. “It doesn’t look like you’ve made much progress.”
“We should have started taking notes from day one.”
Hearing her, Jill called out from the kitchen, “We would have, but someone, who shall remain nameless, chose to keep the information from me.”
Eve yelped. “Oh, I just remembered something. Chad had been waiting for deliveries. Did the police catch up with the delivery drivers?” Eve knew she’d sounded like someone desperately grasping at straws.
Shaking his head, Jack wrapped his arms around her again. “I can see why Jill’s been worried. What happened to you saying the police have it under control, Eve?”
She’d probably said that before everyone had turned against her. Eve bit the edge of her lip and tried to dismiss the thought. She really shouldn’t take people’s reactions too personally. They were probably struggling to deal with the fact one of their own had died under suspicious circumstances. Although, strictly speaking, Chad Burrows was not one of them. He’d lived on the mainland and he’d been a recent arrival.
A knock at the door had everyone turning.
“Who could it be now?” Mira asked.
“Ignore it,” Jill said from the kitchen. “Let’s just pretend we’re not here.”
Eve gave Jack a nudge. “Would you do the honors?”
As they waited for their unexpected guest to appear, Eve told herself it couldn’t be the police. Not this late in the day. Then she reasoned that it couldn’t be anyone other than the police. That’s when she remembered Phil Forrester had said they would talk again.
Eve smiled. Perhaps he had found her thoroughly engaging and wished to enjoy more of her company.
David helped himself to a cookie and said, “Eve, I’d give anything to know what you’re thinking right now.”
Still lost in her thoughts, Eve looked at him and then suddenly remembered something. “Did your contact come through with any new information?”
He brushed off a crumb. “If he had, I would’ve told you.”
“David, as a former detective, what do you think about this case?”
“Without access to the scene of the crime, there’s only so much I can say. I imagine the police will want to find out if the victim had any suspicious associates.”
Precisely what she’d been discussing with Jill earlier. Person X, Eve thought.
“You should prepare yourself, Eve. There’s a fifty percent chance the case will be filed as unsolved.”
No. She refused to accept that.
She couldn’t be burdened with this for the rest of her life.
Jill returned, set a tray down on the coffee table and poured everyone a cup of coffee. “I thought I heard Jack.”
Eve settled back with her mug of coffee. “You did. He’s just gone to answer the door.”
Right on cue, everyone turned and looked toward the hallway as if they expected him to materialize.
“I wonder what’s keeping him?” Mira asked. “I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this.”
“Did you hear anyone drive up?” Jill asked. “There might be a mob out there with pitchforks.”
Eve’s look of disbelief had them all laughing.
They were still laughing when Jack returned, accompanied by Phil Forrester. Eve tried to gage his mood, but she couldn’t see past his smiling eyes.
He greeted everyone and accepted a cup of coffee from Jill. Eyeing the plate of cookies, he actually picked one up and bit into it.
Had he had a change of heart?
Had his entrance been delayed because he’d spent the time informing Jack of a new development? One which cleared her of any and all wrong-doing?
“Detective, have you made any progress?” Eve asked.
He took a moment to savor the cookie. “I had a lengthy conversation with Wallace Greenaway.” He chuckled. “Actually, I did a great deal of listening. The man can be forceful and outspoken. He had a great deal to say about you.” His gaze shifted from Eve to Jill. “I take it you’re Jill Saunders.”
Jill exchanged a cautious look with Eve and then nodded.
Phil Forrester smiled. “He had some things to say about you too. Oh, and your dogs. Yes, he definitely had a lot to say about them. They left paw marks on his window sill. There’s no use denying it because he saw it all on the security tape.”
Jill visibly paled. “He has security cameras?”
Phil Forrester nodded. “Throughout the house.”
“That’s great,” Eve exclaimed. “Did you access them? If the cameras captured us, then they also caught the killer.”
He took another bite of the cookie and accepted a cup of coffee from Jill. “The tapes are used on a twenty-four-hour rotation so anything captured during the day in question has been taped over.”
Eve’s thoughts bounced around trying to find a possible solution that might produce a lead. She knew the police would have considered every angle but her inspired input could sometimes be useful. “When did you find out about the cameras?”
“Too late, that’s when. We spoke with Mr. Wallace Greenaway in the afternoon soon after he arrived home. Unfortunately, he is in the habit of resetting the system as soon as he returns to his house.”
How convenient, Eve thought. “Is that really his usual practice?”
“There is no way we can know for sure.”
Meaning, he might have reset the cameras deliberately to cover his own tracks. “So, you admit there is a possibility he might have lied.”
He gave a nod followed by a shake of his head. “It’s always possible but the man tends to do things in a certain way. From what I’ve seen, he is quite methodical. One might even say he is a creature of habit. He is also very particular about his house. I should warn you, he did not appreciate the smudges you left on his window.”
Eve remembered she and Jill had pressed their noses against the otherwise pristine window.
“I suppose he showed you the footage as proof we were there.”
He took another bite of the cookie and took his time savoring it. “Actually… He showed us printouts. As I said, he’s a creature of habit and needed to reset his security system shortly after arriving home. The smudges on the window alerted him to the fact something had happened. He had a look through the tape, printed out what he found and reset the system.”
Thereby taping over the real evidence. “How do you know he didn’t fake those photos?”
He looked surprised. “Why would he do that?”
“The man obviously holds a grudge against me.”
He gave her a whimsical smile. “Surely not.”
“He does. I witnessed his atrocious behavior. People who behave badly tend to want to hide the character trait.”
Digging inside his coat pocket, he drew out a small envelope. “By the way, these are the photos of your…” he cleared his throat. “Or rather, the cake found at Chad Burrows’ house.”
Eve studied the photos.
“Do you recognize the cake?” he asked.
While he’d kept his tone light, Eve picked up on the amusement in his voice.
She wanted to say she didn’t recognize the cake. “It’s hard to say. If I had to guess, I’d estimate everyone on the island owns a similar size baking pan. It’s quite generic.”
He leaned forward. “I couldn’t help but notice the particular swirl of the icing. Do you think that’s rather unique? Or is it a style employed by all residents on the island?”
Eve took a deep swallow. It had taken some effort, but she had managed to fill up a piping bag with only one hand…
He pointed at a corner of the cake. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but that looks like an elaborate letter ‘E’. Could it be the baker signed the cake?”
Eve nibbled on the edge of her lip. “I wouldn’t necessarily call that elaborate.”
Everyone leaned in to take a closer look.
Mira tilted her head from side to side. “Well, it looks impressively elaborate to me. Then again, my writing is squiggly at the best of times and that’s with a regular pen. So anything that actually resembles writing impresses me. This is particularly impressive. Heavens, it’s written with a piping bag.” She gave a firm nod. “Yes, indeed. I’m impressed.”
The detective looked at her. “So, you agree it’s a letter ‘E’.”
“Oh, yes. Absolutely.”
Eve’s eyebrows rose incrementally. Just when she thought they had exhausted every way imaginable to poke fun at her, Mira found another way to tease her.
“Yes, but… Does the cake contain molasses sugar?” she demanded.
Later that evening…
“I think the detective has developed a soft spot for you, Eve.”
Eve could see Mira struggling to keep a straight face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“He could have hauled you off to jail, but he didn’t. Perhaps he’s savoring the moment. You know… making it last.”
After helping himself to another cookie, he had bid them a good night and had left saying he would return soon. “He might be fishing for an invitation to dinner. I’ve already decided to invite him as a thank you for clearing my name. I’m putting all my faith in him.”
Eve picked up one of the photos and studied it more closely. That definitely looked like her cake. She had been adding the first initial of her name since she’d baked her very first cake. And, despite being right-handed, she had managed to produce a decent swirl…
She tried to imagine the killer scraping off the icing, sprinkling the peanut and then piping the icing back on the cake.
“Jack, when you went to answer the door, you took your time returning with the detective. What did you two talk about?”
“He wanted to know if you were a flight risk.”
Eve’s eyes widened.
Jill nudged her and whispered, “He’s pulling your leg.”
He wouldn’t dare, Eve thought.
“She’s not taking the bait.” Mira sighed. “Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted.”
“I’m sorry to spoil your fun, but I’m busy trying to grasp at straws.” Eve tapped her finger against her chin and then gave a firm nod. “Chad Burrows knew the killer. That’s why he ate the cake.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Unless you are good at guessing, it is not much use being a detective.”
Agatha Christie
The next day
Yawning, Eve walked into the kitchen. For the first time in days, she’d had a good night’s sleep. She had no idea how she had managed it. Although, she supposed it had something to do with the power of the soothing cup of tea or two Jill had forced her to drink, she thought.
She flexed her fingers on her right. When she didn’t wince with pain, she smiled. More good news.
Keep them coming, she thought.
Going to stand by the window, she looked out to sea. Another fine day and, for a moment, she imagined it was just another ordinary day. Then, the last few days came tumbling in, flooding her mind with everything that had happened, along with everything that hadn’t happened.
A killer remained at large and if the police didn’t find a solid lead soon, he might just get away with murder. David Bergstrom had warned her to prepare for the worst…
Would people eventually forget about it or would the incident become part of the island’s history? An unsolved case with the killer living among them, because, of course, she would forever remain under suspicion.
How would life change for her? She’d have to become accustomed to people crossing the street whenever they saw her coming…
Branded a killer without a trial.
Roger McLain would insist on setting up security cameras on the island or he might force her to wear some sort of ankle bracelet at all times.
Amused by the thought, she ground some coffee and checked the time.
“Yikes! Ten o’clock?” She’d slept in. “Mira,” she called out. “How could you let me sleep in?”
When she didn’t get a response, she walked out to the hallway and saw Mira’s office door standing wide open. Walking up to the office, she peered inside.
No sign of Mira.
She walked up to the front door. Peering through the window, she saw Mira’s car parked outside but not David’s car.
When she returned to the kitchen, she noticed a piece of paper sitting on the counter.
Mira had left her a note.
“You’re kidding me,” Eve muttered when she read it. They’d gone into town for an early breakfast and would probably stay out all day.
Of course, she thought, the service…
They were going to attend the funeral service without her.
She considered calling Jill but she didn’t want to put her on the spot. No doubt, Jill would attend the service too.
She had a good mind to gatecrash it. People would expect her to do just that. In fact, her absence might be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
Instead of obsessing about her aunt abandoning her, Eve went in search of paper and a pen and settled down at the kitchen table. She picked up the pen with her right hand and tested her grip. When her wrist didn’t complain, she drew a line down the middle of the page and set to work on a pros and cons list.
“Give me ten good reasons why I should stay away from the funeral service.” Eve tapped the pen on the table. Encouraged by the lack of pain, she tried to wobbled the pen. Her success inspired her. “One. My presence could incite the town into a riot which would be talked about for years to come and be referred to as The Great Spring Riot. They might even name it after me. Yes, the Great Eve Lloyd Spring Riot.”
She took a sip of her coffee. Shaking her head, she wrote, “Two, which should really be one, my presence might upset the mourners and disrupt their moment of grief.” She hadn’t known Chad Burrows personally. Of course, she was sorry he had died, but there were bound to be people who’d been close to him and would miss him. She had to respect that.
She finished her coffee. Getting up, she took the mug to the sink and washed it. “Three. Collateral damage.” As her aunt, Mira might suffer some sort of reprisal. She owned the bookstore in town and also employed people. “Four. I employ people at the inn. My business could suffer and affect their livelihood.”
She dried the mug and put it away. When she sat down, she turned her thoughts to the reasons why she should attend the service.
“One. The killer might be there.” She assumed the police would also be present and they were professionals, trained to catch perpetrators. Eve raised a finger. “Yes, but… As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. I might pick up on something they miss.”
Taking a break, she made herself another cup of coffee and, by the time she’d finished it, she had pictured several versions of the day unfolding in her mind. In one, she had arrived at the service, drawing everyone’s attention and prompting Roger McLain to have a fit, after which, several members of the congregation would escort her out. “Quite possibly, resorting to unnecessary force.”
