by Sonia Parin
“I’m sorry, did you say something?”
Faith cleared her throat. “Only that you seem to forget the killer. He’s flying under the radar so he could have followed us without you noticing. He might even be waiting for us at the house.”
Oh, Abby hadn’t thought of that. Possibly because she remained convinced of Frankie Short’s involvement. “There’s safety in numbers. The killer wouldn’t dare make a move with the three of us there.”
“Really?” Faith chortled. “He used a gun to kill Sam Peters. I don’t know about you, but if someone points a gun at me, I’m more than likely to put my hands up and surrender. He could back us all up against a wall and use us for target practice. Did you let anyone know where we were going?”
“I think Mitch figured it out.”
Faith groaned. “Not unless you spell it out to him. Haven’t you ever noticed how he looks at you but his mind appears to be elsewhere?”
“No, I haven’t. He’s always been attentive and responsive.”
“And you call yourself a reporter. The man is in love.”
“Huh? Am I the last to know? Who is she?”
“Elizabeth Charles. She came to live in Eden a while back and set up a jam making business. I’m sure you’ve seen her around. She’s a pretty red-head.”
Kinsley tapped Abby on the shoulder. “Can we talk about safety measures, please?”
“I think someone’s had a change of heart,” Faith whispered. “She sounds worried.”
“We should all have our cell phones in our hands,” Abby said. “I have Joshua on speed dial.” Sighing, Abby wished she’d put her foot down, but they were already at the house. Belatedly, she wondered if she’d live to regret it. “The power of three.” She looked down at Doyle. “Make that four. If we walk into a dangerous situation, we can split up. One of us can call for help. Although, the killer would have to be nuts to hang around the scene of the crime.”
“They do tend to return,” Faith warned.
Abby slowed the car down to a crawl. She knew they were taking a huge risk, but she also knew she would not have been able to stop Kinsley from going out. If Joyce saw them together, she would jump to conclusions even before she drew in her next breath.
The house came into view but she continued on at a crawl, her eyes vigilant. “We’ll be fine, so long as we stay close together and alert.” Abby parked the car close to the front door. Opening the driver’s door, she laughed as Doyle leaped over her and jumped out first. “In a hurry? Were you holding it in?” She watched him search for a suitable tree to do his business.
Kinsley visibly shivered. “It feels strange to be back.”
“We can go back to the pub,” Abby suggested.
Kinsley lifted her chin in defiance. “No. I had to come back at some point and you obviously came here to have a look around. So, let’s look around. I’ve been living here for two years and I have a keen eye for detail. I’m sure the house has solid foundations, but it’s crumbling around me. I can’t imagine there’s anything of real value here. Trust me, I’ve looked.”
“There might be a hidden compartment you haven’t noticed.” Although, Abby had to agree with Kinsley. If there had been something hidden, either Kinsley or Sam would have found it by now. Had Sam been killed for some other reason? She’d been creative with Joshua, mentioning anything that came to mind. For all they knew, the killer might be after a document or some sort of proof that might implicate him in some other crime. “I hope Joshua can dig something up about Sam’s past. This might all be about a feud or some sort of disagreement. Remember, that was my first instinct.”
They strode inside the house with Abby and Doyle bringing up the rear.
“Why did we start thinking someone killed Sam because they were after something?” Faith asked. “Not all killers have motives. This might have been a random act of violence.”
Abby couldn’t help smiling. “Are you accusing me of stereotyping killers?”
“You do tend to jump to conclusions.” Faith stopped in her tracks. “Whoa. This place is huge.”
The entry foyer had a staircase at one end with a curved archway leading to what might have been a ballroom or a spacious dining room with a massive fireplace.
“Have you checked inside the chimney?” Faith asked as she peered inside it.
Kinsley’s eyebrows curved up. “For what?”
Shrugging, Faith said, “Hidden compartments. We don’t exactly know what we’re looking for so we should search high and low.” Pressing her foot on a loose floorboard, Faith knelt down and tapped it. “You never know. Wouldn’t you like to find a stash of cash?”
“Of course, and it would go straight toward renovations.”
Abby remembered Kinsley didn’t have a choice in the matter. “How do you feel about being stuck with the house?”
“I actually don’t mind it. At least I have a place to call home.”
For her sake, Abby wished they could find something of value. She couldn’t possibly continue living here under these conditions. The place looked like a health hazard. “You could do something with it. We’re close enough to the ski slopes. Maybe you could eventually turn it into a seasonal hotel or a conference center.”
“Abby’s right.” Faith’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I have the best idea. Not everyone can afford to stay up in the ski resort. I’ve seen backpackers coming through town, looking for alternative accommodation. There are some people who just want to ski but can’t afford the cost of hotel rooms. You could offer them a roof over their heads.”
“A crumbling one?” Kinsley laughed.
“Sure. Why not? You could advertise in backpacker hostels in the city and ask for a minimum fee.”
“I’m sure I’d be breaching several health codes, but thanks for the suggestion.”
As Faith worked out a master strategy, Abby strode over to the end of the ballroom and peered out the window. After they’d had a proper look around the house, she wouldn’t mind going back to the stables for another poke around the place.
“… We could organize a working bee,” Faith continued. “We’ll have this place looking better in no time…”
Thinking she’d caught sight of something in the stables, Abby leaned down and squinted her eyes. “Hey, guys.”
“What’s up? Did you find something?” Faith strode up to her.
“I think I saw something in the stables.”
“You mean, someone.”
“There. See, it just moved passed the window. Yes. There’s someone in the stables.”
***
FAITH GRABBED HOLD OF ABBY’S arm and pulled her back. “Could you run the plan by me again?”
“We wait for the police to arrive,” Abby said. “They should be here at any moment.”
“So where are you going?”
“I’m only going to stand close to the front door. If anyone comes out of the stables, I want them to know they won’t get away. You need to stand by the window and keep your eye on the stable door. If you see any movement whatsoever, holler and I’ll go out.”
When Doyle scratched the door, Abby scooped him up and hugged him against her chest.
“I don’t see any movement,” Faith called out from the other end of the house. “You might have imagined it.”
Abby waited a couple of minutes and then eased the front door open and stepped outside. She’d sent Joshua a text message but he hadn’t responded. If she walked into a dangerous situation, she had no one but herself to blame. While common sense told her to stay put, she figured there wouldn’t be any harm in getting a closer look. They couldn’t let the intruder get away. While Faith had a clear view of the side door, she wouldn’t be able to see someone coming out of the stable’s front door.
“Okay, Doyle,” Abby whispered. “I just want to take a peek inside and see who it is.” It would be foolish to open the stable door but she could edge toward the window at the side and still remain well out of Faith’s line of vi
sion.
A trickle of perspiration ran down her back. Her mouth dried. Her heart pounded against her chest. Tucking her hair back, Abby scooped in a breath. Thinking a sudden movement might be caught by the intruder’s peripheral vision, she would take it easy and do this an inch at a time.
When she got herself into position, Abby peered through the window and stifled a gasp. “I knew it,” she murmured as she caught sight of the perpetrator. Abby eased back, scooped in another breath and leaned in for another look. She couldn’t see any weapons.
The person appeared to be talking but Abby couldn’t see anyone else inside the stable. She strained to hear but the one-sided conversation appeared to be whispered. Going by the hand gestures, she thought the intruder was asking for forgiveness.
Shaking her head, Abby straightened and in that split second her eyes clashed with the intruder’s startled gaze.
While her first instinct was to put a safe distance between herself and possible danger, she hurried around the corner.
Reaching the stable front door, a sense of careless disregard for her safety took over. Using the element of surprise, Abby wrenched the stable door open.
“Hands up in the air where I can see them,” she hollered. “I’m making a citizen’s arrest.”
Chapter Eleven
“I SAID, HANDS UP IN the air where I can see them.”
Frankie Short turned to face Abby but otherwise didn’t move from where she stood in front of the carousel. She actually looked surprised to see Abby. Or, maybe just amused by her.
Shaking her head, she folded her arms across her chest. “If you’re going to use that line, you really need to wield a revolver,” Frankie Short suggested. “You could at least have shoved your hand in your pocket and pretended you were holding a gun. Hoping for my co-operation is kind of lame.”
“Just so you know, I’ve alerted the police and they’re just pulling up.” Abby heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel. Her relief, however, fizzled out when, moments later, Faith and Kinsley appeared behind her.
“What’s going on?” Faith asked. “Oh, it’s Frankie Short.”
Abby lifted her chin. “You’re outnumbered.” And then she murmured, “I thought I told you to stay by the window.”
“And I thought you said you were going to stay by the door.”
Frankie Short raised her hands palms up. “Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Then what are you doing here? Did you come to finish the job?” Abby accused as she wondered how she’d made her way to the house. Joshua had said he’d had a clamp put on her wheel.
Frankie Short snorted. “Finish the job?” She took a step toward them and stopped. “If you must know, I came to pay my last respects.”
When she took another step, Abby held her hand up. “Stay right where you are.”
For a person of interest, Frankie Short seemed to be intent on co-operating. Instead of running for her life, she took a step back.
Her arms rose higher. “I don’t want any trouble.”
Abby’s cell phone rang just as she was about to get tough and question the woman’s motives. She looked at the screen and frowned. “Hello, detective. I’m in the middle of something here.”
“What’s this about you cornering a fugitive from justice?” Joshua asked.
“We found Frankie Short in the stables. What’s your estimated time of arrival?” Lowering her voice, she added, “I don’t know how long we can hold her. She might try to outrun us or tackle us one by one.”
Joshua sighed. “Why would she do that? She didn’t do anything.”
Abby’s voice hitched. “Where is this misplaced trust coming from? You’re supposed to find proof of her innocence first.”
“And I have.”
“Oh?”
Joshua disguised his laughter with a long-suffering sigh. “She made her way from Sydney a few days ago. This can be verified by the trail of speeding violations she collected along the way to add to her pre-existing and unpaid ones. The last speeding fine happened to be at the same time Sam Peters was killed. She was still on the road and about an hour away from the crime scene.”
So, Frankie Short had a rock-solid alibi. “Are you sure? She might have had an accomplice.”
“Some of the photos are grainy but she can still be identified as the person driving.”
“Oh. I see. And when did you come by that information, detective?”
“A half hour ago. My apologies for not contacting you straightaway. I got caught up with police business. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work.”
Putting the cell phone away, Abby wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. She supposed she owed Frankie Short an apology. “So, you’re… you’re paying your last respects.” Abby gave her a small smile.
“It’s where he died. I thought he might still be lingering. If you believe in that sort of thing.” Frankie shrugged. “I just wanted to have a word with him.”
Abby wanted to ask if he’d been talking back from the great beyond. Biting the edge of her lip she took a step back. “Okay. I guess you… you want to be alone.”
Frankie Short looked at the carousel and shrugged. “I’ve said my peace. Whatever he’d said or done, he didn’t deserve to die the way he did and… Everyone needs someone to mourn them.”
And people who mourned needed to be around other people and reminisce, Abby thought. “I’m… I’m sorry for your loss.”
Frankie Short shrugged and lifted her chin. “Yes, well. We all need to go sometime.”
“Did he have any family?” Abby had never stopped to think about what came next with a murder victim.
“None that I know of.”
So, Frankie Short would be the only one mourning him. Abby only now noticed the woman’s shoulders lowered, projecting a sense of defeat.
“I think I should organize something for him.”
Abby watched her visibly swallow.
Faith stepped up. “He’ll be entitled to receive a payment for the burial. I know that because when my great gran died, we were surprised to get several thousand dollars to assist with the arrangements.”
“He’s lucky you came to town.” Abby slanted her gaze toward Faith. She imagined her thinking Abby had been quick to change her tune and offer sympathetic support. “How did you know where to find him? Had he been in touch?”
Frankie Short nodded. “He called me a couple of weeks ago. He knew I’d been wandering around aimlessly. There aren’t that many jobs going for a former weightlifter. He told me a few stories about this little town and thought I might like it. I guess it didn’t go too well for him.”
Abby didn’t want to push her luck, but the woman seemed keen to talk.
Frankie Short’s mouth tightened. “I hope that detective I spoke with will find the person responsible for killing Sam.”
“He will,” Abby assured her. “Sam will get his justice.” Seeing the woman looking at the others, Abby introduced them.
Frankie Short gave Kinsley a nervous smile. “I didn’t expect you’d be here. Sorry, I know I’m trespassing.”
Kinsley approached her. “If you want some more time alone, I won’t mind you staying here. Do you have any idea what you’ll do now?”
Abby suspected Kinsley would offer her a roof over her head. She seemed to be the type. Too trusting for her own good, Abby thought. Despite Frankie Short’s innocence, she’d be asking for trouble, inviting anyone who came along to move in.
Then again, Abby remembered when she’d first arrived in Eden. The entire town had suspected her of being a killer and yet they had now adopted her as one of their own.
“Sam mentioned there might be some work around these parts. I’m sure something will come along, if not here then somewhere else, but until I pay my parking and speeding fines, I’ll be stuck here.”
If she’d been looking for work, Abby realized she might be strapped for cash. How would she be able to afford staying at the pub?
Kinsley nodded. “Something will come along. Meanwhile, if you need somewhere to stay…” Kinsley looked around the stable. “It’s not much. You might not believe this, but it’s actually better than the house. I’ve had plaster fall on me. The structure is old but Sam told me it looked well insulated. And, at least it’s a roof over your head.”
“Are you seriously offering me a place to stay?”
Frankie Short’s body language spoke of relief and surprise. It might have sounded like good news to her, but Abby had to wonder if Kinsley hadn’t just played right into Frankie Short’s hands. Something told her she’d come here for something other than a long overdue reunion.
“If you can’t drive your truck, how did you get here?” Abby asked.
“I did some work at the local garage clearing out some junk and the owner let me use one of his courtesy cars.”
It seemed the woman had a knack for falling on her feet.
***
“SO, WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU looking for?” Frankie Short asked.
Abby gave up on the floorboard and straightened. “A hiding place.” To her surprise, the woman had spent a few more minutes paying her respects and had then tagged along with them.
“Yes, I got that part. But what do you think has been hidden?”
“We don’t know.” Abby’s shoulders rose and fell. “It’s a theory I came up with.” She explained about Kinsley’s inheritance and her surprise at there not being any money. “How long did you work for Warren Kinsley?”
“About ten years. I’d trained for the Olympics but then I suffered an injury and I couldn’t get back to competition level so I had to find an alternative job.”
Ten years! Long enough for her to know if Warren Kinsley had been having any trouble. “How well does a circus do? I’ve only ever seen them in small towns.” And, for some reason, she’d always thought of the circus as a dying trade.
“We did a circuit run every year hitting the small towns. Warren would start advertising a couple of weeks before our arrival. We always had a good turnout. Everyone was happy.”