The Last Ride

by Sonia Parin

  “And you believed her?”

  “There’s no reason not to believe her.”

  Abby’s eyes widened. “How did she establish her innocence?”

  “By expressing sincere concern for Sam Peters. I’m prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. The woman broke down and cried.”

  That must have been quite a sight, Abby thought.

  “If she’d killed him,” Joshua continued, “would she have returned to the scene of the crime or even stayed around town?”

  Abby gave a vigorous nod. “If she’s actually looking for something, then… Yes. I can’t believe you fell for her act.”

  Joshua pressed his fingers against his eyes. “Okay. I’ll admit you have a point. Yes, she might have returned to the scene of the crime, but I stand by my gut feeling. If I’m wrong, she won’t get away with anything.”

  “I hope you didn’t release her.”

  “Actually, yes, but she’s been asked to stay in town. We might still have some questions for her.”

  “You let her go?” Abby’s eyes widened. “Are you mad? What if she comes after me? She saw me, I’m sure she did, and she knows where to find me. And now she probably thinks she can find Kinsley through me.”

  “Seriously?” Joshua chuckled. “If she killed Sam Peters, she would have crossed state lines by now and probably disappeared into the dessert.”

  Abby sprung to her feet. “The woman ran away from you. How did she explain that? If that’s not a sign of guilt, I have no idea what is.”

  Faith grinned. “Boy, I’ve never seen Abby so worked up.”

  Abby’s eyebrows curved upward. “Did I happen to mention how well-built she is?”

  “Abby. Calm down. She had a reasonable explanation.” Joshua gestured for her to sit down again.

  “Fine. I’m all ears.”

  “When she saw me,” Joshua explained, “she turned tail because she thought I was looking for Sam Peters and she didn’t want to get him into trouble by being forced to inadvertently answer questions that might reflect badly on him.”

  Doing her best to keep a straight face, Abby asked, “Are those your words or hers?”

  Joshua grinned. “She’s actually quite eloquent. Abby, you should know better than to judge a book by its cover.”

  Abby settled back down and took a bite of her pastry. “Well. I suppose you’re now going to tell me she knew Sam Peters from the circus.”

  Joshua helped himself to some tea. “Yes. He used to work for Warren Kinsley doing odds and ends but left on bad terms.”

  “That’s more like it. Now you’re learning to share.” Abby wondered how he’d get the woman to admit to killing Sam Peters. She really didn’t like coincidences. The fact the woman had shown up the day after Sam Peters had been killed struck Abby as too contrived.

  Would Joshua try to contact people who’d worked at the circus to find out if there had been any bad blood between them? That would take time. The circus had disbanded, so anyone associated with it would have moved on. “What’s her name?” she asked.

  “Her stage name is Tatiana Ustilov. In real life, she’s Francine Short but prefers to be called Frankie.”

  Abby could see why she’d want to use a different name for her act. Abby wrote the names down and handed the piece of paper to Faith. “Do you have a ballistics report?”

  “Why do you want to know?” Joshua asked.

  “You have gun laws in place and anyone owning a weapon needs to register it.”

  “And you think that will lead us back to someone who worked at the circus?” Joshua nodded. “Possibly. But only if the gun had been registered. We’d have to have a list of all employees and then find someone who owns a .45 revolver. Then we’d have to find the person and test the weapon.”

  “You could flush them out.” Abby looked up at the wall. “Someone wants something and they think they can find it at the house.”

  Looking at the contents of his cup his eyes widened slightly as if he’d only then realized what he’d been drinking. “That’s a possible theory. We won’t know for sure until we find the killer and get a confession.”

  Could they circulate a story around? “You could let it be known the police are close to solving the mystery surrounding the Kinsley estate. That could be your bait.”

  “You’re prepared to give me the credit?” Joshua laughed.

  Abby pretended to think about it. “Whatever it takes to catch the killer. Especially if she’s about to beat a path to my door because she thinks I know something.”

  Faith snorted.

  “Are you right there, Faith?”

  She nodded. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I hope Tatiana Ustilov a.k.a. Francine a.k.a Frankie wanders into town so I can catch a glimpse of her.”

  “You say that now, but you’ll change your mind after you see her.” Abby tapped a pen against her chin. “Markus said Sam Peters worked for him at the pub two years ago. I want to know what brought him to Eden and why he chose to return. If he’d just been a drifter, he would have moved onto the next town. Instead, he worked here for a while, then he left and then he returned. At least, we think he left. He might have been hovering around the place, keeping an eye on things. I’m thinking something happened a couple of months ago. Something that became a game changer and he decided to make his move and approach Kinsley so he could be close to the house without it looking suspicious.”

  Joshua stared at her. When she didn’t continue, he raised his eyebrows. “And?”

  Jumping to her feet, Abby strode toward the wall and stared at the notes she’d been adding. “What if someone new appeared in town?” Yes, that would make sense. “Someone who posed a threat. Soon after or about the same time Sam turned up at Kinsley’s, she said she felt someone watching the house. What if Sam recognized that new person? He might have decided to install himself near the house.”

  “Why?” Joshua asked.

  “Because he wanted to look after his interests.” Abby clicked her fingers. “For all we know, Sam might have been sneaking into the stables looking around for… whatever. When he realized someone else had come to town to join in the hunt, he decided to crank up his efforts so he talked his way into Kinsley’s orbit.” He’d been sleeping in the stables for two months, Abby thought. That should have given him ample time to find whatever he’d been looking for.

  But he hadn’t.

  So what hope did they have of finding it?

  Abby paced around the room. “Let’s assume Sam Peters had no idea what to look for. He only knew Warren Kinsley had hidden something in… or around the house.”

  “Are you back to thinking about treasures?” Joshua asked.

  Abby nodded. “You need to expand your search. Warren Kinsley owned a circus. He would have hired an accountant. And… and I’m sure there had to be money. Why did Kinsley only get the house? Did he die destitute?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “There has to be money involved and it’s been hidden.” Although, in order to substantiate her theory of a hidden treasure, there would have to have been undeclared money. No accountant in their right mind would ever own up to cooking the books.

  Abby gasped.

  “You’ve either had a bright idea or you’re about to suffer an attack from lack of caffeine,” Joshua said.

  Abby waved her hand calling for time. She bounced a few thoughts around her mind and smiled. “I’m assuming a circus deals strictly with cash money. It would be an ideal place to launder money. What if the mafia is involved?”

  Chapter Nine

  “I COULDN’T LOCK HER UP,” Joshua said the next morning when he met Abby for breakfast at the pub and she harassed him for letting Frankie Short walk free.

  As soon as she’d spotted him striding toward her, she’d launched into a verbal attack, saying she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink worrying about Frankie Short finding out she lived at the pub.

  “Have you never heard of trumped up charges? Must you play it by the book?” she a
sked.

  “You’re still going on about that?” Joshua grinned. “Would you write an article without checking your sources and facts first? I need a valid reason to lock her up. Solid proof of wrongdoing.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I just don’t understand why you were so lenient. How did she explain following us back to town? Why did she run away from you?” She shook her head. “It just doesn’t make sense. I don’t buy that story about her not wanting to get Sam Peters into trouble. It sets off alarm bells. You know, honor among thieves.”

  Joshua studied the menu. “She also said we spooked her.”

  A likely story. Frankie Short, a.k.a. Tatiana Ustilov, weight lifter extraordinaire, didn’t strike her as the type to be easily frightened by anything or anyone. “She could have taken us both on with one hand tied behind her back. Now she’s free to disappear. For all you know, she’ll be getting away with murder.”

  “She’s not leaving town anytime soon,” Joshua drawled out and picked up the menu. “We’ve hunted down some unpaid traffic fines.”

  “You actually think that’ll stop her from taking off?”

  Joshua smiled. “I had a clamp put on her wheel. She’s been immobilized.”

  Abby snatched her cup of coffee, took a whiff of it and set it down again. “Did you at least let her know she is still a person of interest?”

  “She knows she’s under suspicion.”

  Abby leaned forward. “Did you search her for weapons?”

  Joshua nodded. “Insisting she had nothing to hide, she gave us permission to search her vehicle.”

  Abby snorted. “Well, isn’t that just dandy. She would have ditched the revolver or, worse, hidden it somewhere for future use.”

  “We don’t have a legal right to hold her in custody. It’s enough that she’s been forced to stay on in town.”

  Abby straightened. “Wait a minute. Where is she staying?”

  Joshua looked out the window and tried to hide his smile.

  Abby gasped. “Here? At the pub?”

  Markus strode up to their table. “Ready to order?”

  Without taking her eyes off Joshua, Abby said, “Bacon and lots of it, please.” When Markus didn’t say anything, she looked up in time to see his lips hitching up into a small smile.

  “Are you sure about that?” Markus tilted his head as if in thought. “You sound a tad aggressive this morning. Perhaps you should start with something light. I suggest a fruit salad.” He tapped his pen on his order book. “Actually, Hannah prepared some compote this morning. It has stewed prunes, apricots, apples and pears all soaking in a light and refreshing citrusy syrup.” He nodded. “Yes, that’s what you should have. I’ll be right back.”

  Joshua gaped. “Um. What about me?”

  Abby snorted. “You’re having the same and, in your place, I wouldn’t argue.”

  Sitting back, Joshua loosened his tie. “I do have some news for you.”

  “Oh, do share,” Abby mocked.

  “We’ve managed to track down Warren Kinsley’s accountant.”

  Abby nearly jumped out of her chair. “You waited all this time to tell me? Why didn’t you open with that?” she asked and suddenly understood how Faith felt when she withheld vital information. “How long have you known?”

  Joshua drew out his cell phone and showed her the screen. “As a matter of fact, I received a message ten minutes before I arrived but you didn’t give me a chance to tell you because you wanted an update on Frankie Short a.k.a. Tatiana Ustilov and her whereabouts. Actually, you mostly wanted to air your grievances and let off some steam. Are you feeling better now?”

  Abby took a sip of her coffee and grimaced as she changed the subject. “I have a good mind to lodge a complaint with the health inspectors. For all we know, Joyce could be spiking our coffee with something addictive. This is a poor imitation.”

  “I heard that.” Markus set a bowl of fruit compote in front of Abby and another one in front of Joshua. “Enjoy.”

  After a few moments of eating in silence, Joshua set his spoon down. “Did you actually get any sleep last night?”

  “I tossed and turned for most of it.” Abby licked her spoon. “I have to say, I didn’t feel at all comfortable knowing someone had followed us into town. What if she turns out to be violent?” Since arriving in the idyllic little town of Eden, she had been looking forward to kicking back, relaxing and writing articles about the weekend bake sale. Yes, on any other day, life slowed down to a pleasant meandering pace, hence the need for locals to create their own entertainment. Although… Since her arrival, there had been a couple of incidents. Enough to make Abby wonder if she’d set something into motion.

  “This isn’t the city,” Joshua said. “Yell for help, people will come running.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Abby couldn’t remember ever feeling so vulnerable. She’d actually been too preoccupied to think about it until sometime during the middle of the night when she’d woken up. “So, tell me about the accountant.”

  “He’s retired and living up north so I asked a colleague to question him. I should be hearing back from him today.”

  “You should set up a video link so I can sit in,” Abby suggested, but Joshua drew the line saying it would be unprofessional and breach far too many protocols. Slumping on her chair, Abby said, “Give me something. You owe me.”

  “Fine. No one has reported seeing anyone suspicious around town. I know you’ve been playing around with the idea of someone following Sam. So far, the only new person has been Frankie Short.”

  And, in his opinion, he had to give her the benefit of the doubt. Although, he’d been working on verifying her relationship with him. She’d claimed they’d been friends, but since Sam had been killed, they either had to take her word for it or hunt down someone who could confirm this.

  Abby sat back and looked out the window. “Sorry.”

  “For?”

  “For being such a drama queen.”

  “Are you kidding me? There’s no need to apologize.”

  “Oh, right. I almost forgot. I’m a source of amusement and entertainment.”

  “It takes the heat off me. I saw someone snapping a photo when I approached Frankie Short. I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted around town.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “If word gets out about me not being able to catch up to a heavy-set weightlifter, I’ll be the laughing stock in town.”

  Abby guessed they were both in the same boat. “Did you question Joyce? She always seems to know what’s going on. She might have seen someone you missed.” Abby had planned on having a word with her, but now that she’d placed a full-on embargo banning them from the café, she really wanted to avoid all contact with the café owner.

  He shook his head. “I take it you didn’t catch up with her.”

  “No. I think it’ll be best to avoid her for a while. She’s talking about turning the screws. I don’t want to antagonize her into withdrawing everyone’s coffee privileges.” Abby focused on finishing her fruit compote. “You know we’re going to have to return to Kinsley’s house and have another proper look around. This time, I think we should go inside the house.”

  ***

  A SHORT WHILE LATER, FAITH joined her. “Faith? You don’t normally have breakfast at the pub. What are you doing here?” Abby asked.

  “I’m setting up an office here. We’re still pretending the newspaper is being fumigated and any coffee is better than no coffee.” She set her laptop down on the table and sat down to study the menu. “Was that Joshua I saw leaving just now?”

  Abby firmed her lips. “He ditched me. He’s going to sit in on a video conference while his colleague interviews Warren Kinsley’s accountant. The nerve of the man. I gave him the idea. You’d think that would get me a place at the table.”

  “Yes, well. You do place too much trust on his goodwill.” Looking up from her laptop, Faith smiled, “I see you’ve switched over to tea. H
ow’s that working out for you?”

  “It doesn’t have the same kick as coffee, but I could get used to it.”

  Faith laughed. “Is that the tone you use when you try to fool yourself into believing something that is absolutely never going to happen?”

  Abby grumbled. “You could try to be a little supportive.”

  When Mitch approached their table, Faith clapped her hands. “Thank goodness. I get to order what I want and not what Markus thinks I should have. A full breakfast, please. I want the lot. Sausages. Eggs. Bacon and anything else you can think of. I’m stress eating.”

  After placing the order, Mitch returned and drew out a chair. “What’s on today’s agenda?”

  “The ball is in Joshua’s court. If he extricates some worthwhile information out of the accountant, then we’ll most likely have a new lead. I’m counting on it because I’m all out of ideas. Sam had to have been looking for something in the house and I still can’t believe Warren Kinsley left a house but no money. Frankie Short is the only new person in town and seems to have cleared her name. Personally, I think she’s fooled Joshua into thinking she’s innocent. She might not have pulled the trigger, but she knows something.”

  Mitch grinned. “You said all that without breathing.”

  “Maybe I should switch to chamomile tea.” Abby held out her hand. “I think I’m getting the shakes.”

  “Deep breath, Abby. In. Out.” Faith smiled. “Hey, we could take up yoga.”

  “Is there a yoga studio in town?” Abby asked.

  “No, but we could get something online.” Faith clicked her fingers. “Hey, we should apply for a grant to get a yoga instructor to move into town.”

  “That’s not a bad idea but we’re in the middle of a murder investigation. It’s not exactly the best time to advertise the town as the ideal place to live in.” Would it have stopped her from uprooting her life and trekking half way around the world? She didn’t think so. The man who had hired her had painted a rosy picture, expounding the benefits of small town living. Abby had grown up in a small town in Iowa but had been living in Seattle for a number of years working for a large newspaper. When that door had closed for her, she had set her sights on a similar job, one that would keep her career on track. Working in a small-town newspaper had been at the bottom of the list but, in the end, it had been the only job offer she’d received. She had absolutely no regrets about accepting Dermot Cavendish’s job offer. Although, she did miss her mom. While she’d spent an hour on the phone that morning assuring her all was well down her end of the world, she suspected she hadn’t managed to convince her mom.