A Wrinkle in Thyme

by Sarah Fox

  By the time I closed The Flip Side in the afternoon, Leigh and I were both worn out. Ivan probably was too, but he didn’t show it, aside from allowing me to help him in the kitchen for a short while after closing. Eventually, however, he shooed me out of his domain and insisted that I go home.

  I didn’t have it in me to argue. Not that arguing with Ivan was something I would normally want to do anyway. Even though I knew he had a heart of gold beneath his scowling and tattooed exterior, I found it hard to withstand his intimidating glare.

  I stopped in the office and checked The Flip Side’s email account. So far, no one had replied to the help-wanted ads in the paper. Hopefully tomorrow would be a different story.

  After shutting down the computer, I grabbed my tote bag and headed out the front door, planning to walk home along the beach. I locked the door and then turned around, nearly crashing into someone who loomed over me. My heart almost stopped.

  “Dean?” I took a step back, which left me pressed up against the door. “You startled me.”

  Dean moved closer, crowding into my personal space. His dark eyes bore into me. “You need to keep your mouth shut.” His voice was low and menacing.

  My heart hammered in my chest. “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t need any trouble from the cops. You didn’t see me at the museum the other night. Got it?”

  I slipped my hand into my tote bag, hoping I could find my phone by touch alone. “You want me to lie to the police?” Somehow, I kept my fear out of my voice.

  My hand closed around my phone, and I gripped it like it was a lifeline.

  Dean leaned in closer, so his face was mere inches from mine. I smelled stale cigarettes on his breath.

  “I want you to keep your mouth shut.” He smirked, his eyes cold. “If you don’t, you might find out that rats have short lives.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “He threatened you?” Brett halted the motion of the porch swing with his foot. A mixture of anger and concern had clouded his blue eyes as I told him about my encounter with Dean. “What else did he do?”

  “Nothing,” I assured him. “He walked away.”

  Brett’s frown didn’t ease up. “You should tell Ray.”

  “I left a message for him as soon as I got home.” I’d been tempted to phone Brett at the time, but I’d decided to wait until I saw him in person and phoned the sheriff—Brett’s uncle Ray—instead, leaving a message for him at his personal number. “I told him about the threat and how we saw Dean at the museum the night before Jane’s body was found.”

  Little did Dean know that I hadn’t given him a thought over the past few days. When he threatened me at The Flip Side, he’d reminded me about his shifty behavior when Brett and I had seen him while we were walking Bentley. There was no way I was going to withhold that information from the sheriff, so really, Dean had achieved the opposite of what he’d hoped.

  Brett put an arm around me and started the seat swinging again. “I don’t want that guy coming near you again.”

  “Neither do I.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “I’ll watch out for him, but hopefully he won’t bother me anymore.”

  “If you see him hanging around the pancake house, get Ivan to deal with him,” Brett suggested.

  “Good idea.”

  Ivan could scare away just about anyone when he put his mind to it, and even sometimes when he didn’t intend to.

  “Do you think Dean could have had something to do with Jane’s death?” Brett asked as we enjoyed the view of the ocean from our back porch.

  Flapjack jumped onto my lap and curled up, purring.

  I stroked his orange fur. “I’ve been wondering about that since he threatened me. He wasn’t up to anything good when he was at the museum that night. I’m sure of it. I don’t know exactly when Jane died, but it could have been that evening.” I shuddered. “What if he killed her right before we saw him? She could have been inside, bleeding on the floor…”

  Brett kissed the side of my head. “If that’s the way it happened, we had no way of knowing.”

  He was right, but it still unsettled me to think that we could have run into Jane’s killer right after he’d struck her in the head. Even worse was the thought that we could have tried to help Jane if we’d known she was hurt.

  The sound of a vehicle crunching along the gravel driveway reached our ears.

  “That’s probably my dad,” Brett said, getting to his feet.

  My father-in-law, Frank, was coming over to help Brett work on one of the building façades for Wild West Days. The event would take place mostly at Wildwood Park, and the town was setting up a wild west town of sorts. Volunteers like Brett and his dad were constructing and painting various faces for the different stores and establishments. At the moment, Brett and Frank were working on a façade for the saloon, complete with batwing doors.

  I shifted Flapjack onto the seat of the swing, so I could get up. Bentley was sniffing around the logs at the top of the beach, but when a car door slammed, he raced around the house to greet our visitor.

  As I stood up, I spotted Sienna down near the water’s edge, skipping stones.

  “I’ll be around to say hi in a few minutes,” I told Brett.

  I followed him as far as the bottom of the porch steps and then turned the opposite way, heading down to the beach. Sienna was on her own, searching the rocks at the water’s edge. As I approached her, she picked one up and flicked it out over the ocean. It skipped across the water four times before sinking out of sight.

  The evening sun still had some warmth, and I breathed in the familiar smell of the sun-baked seaweed that clung to the shore.

  “Sienna!” I called as I drew closer to her.

  She brushed her hair out of her face and turned my way. As long as I’d known her, she’d always had colored streaks in her dark brown hair. At the moment, they were turquoise. She used to have a pierced lip, but a few months ago, she’d removed that silver ring, leaving only the piercings in her ears.

  “Hey, Marley.” She stuffed her hands in the kangaroo pocket of the white hoodie she wore with her denim shorts and flip-flops.

  As had been the case lately, she didn’t seem her usual chipper self.

  “Everything all right?” I asked her.

  “Sure.” She didn’t move as a wave lapped over her feet.

  I almost shivered at the sight. Despite the warm spring weather, the water was still too chilly for me.

  “I talked to Tommy today,” she said, her face brightening slightly. “Well, not talk talked, but online.”

  “How’s he doing today?” I asked. I’d sent him a quick email to check up on him while I was waiting for Brett to arrive home from work, but I hadn’t yet received a reply.

  “He says he’s good. He’s moving from the motel to his place today. His parents are heading home in the morning, though they might be back next week sometime. It’ll be ages before Tommy can work again, right?”

  “It’ll be a while,” I said. “Doing his job on crutches wouldn’t be easy, but I’ll make sure he gets his benefits.”

  Before I’d inherited the pancake house from my cousin Jimmy, he’d set up benefits for The Flip Side’s full-time employees. Now I was more glad than ever to have them in place.

  “By the time he gets back, I might already be gone.” Tears pooled in Sienna’s eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

  I put an arm around her, surprised by her tears. “What’s wrong? Tommy’s going to be okay.”

  She brushed at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I know, but everything’s changing.” Another round of tears escaped her eyes.

  “Hey.” I gave her a squeeze. “Is that why you haven’t been yourself lately? Because of all the changes ahead?”

  She stared down at her feet. “Kind of. This will sound dumb, but…I’m scared a
bout going away to college.”

  “That doesn’t sound dumb at all.”

  Her eyes still shone with tears when she raised them to meet mine. “It doesn’t?”

  “Of course not. It’s going to be a big change for you—leaving home, being in a new environment with new people.”

  She scuffed the toe of one flip-flop in the wet sand. “Most of my friends can’t wait to go away. They think Wildwood Cove is too small for them. They’d probably think I’m weird if they knew that I really love it here.”

  “I can’t say what your friends would think, but you’re definitely not weird,” I assured her. “It’s totally normal to feel both those ways. Some kids can’t wait for the freedom and excitement of leaving home after high school, but you have a great family, and you’ve lived in this beautiful town your whole life. I promise you that it’s not strange to have reservations about leaving.”

  “Really?”

  I gave her another hug. “Really.”

  When I pulled back, she still looked sad, but her eyes were free of tears.

  “Have you told your mom about this?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I just told her I’m stressed about school and stuff. I don’t want her to know I’m scared because then she’ll worry.”

  “She already knows something’s not quite right. I think you’d both feel better if you talked to her about it.”

  Sienna nodded glumly. “Maybe.” She stared out over the ocean. “Do you think I’ll be able to come home? After I’m finished with college, I mean.”

  “Sure,” I said, “if that’s what you want. Some professions might require you to live elsewhere, but there are lots of things you can do here in Wildwood Cove. Do you have any idea what you want to do after college?”

  “Maybe,” she said again. She bit down on her lower lip. “Thanks, Marley.”

  I sensed she’d been about to say something else but changed her mind. I didn’t push her to tell me.

  “You’re welcome,” I said. “You can talk to me anytime about anything, okay?”

  She managed a small smile when she nodded. A split second later, her eyes brightened. “What we should be talking about is the murder. We need to solve it!”

  It didn’t surprise me that she’d had that thought. Sienna was almost as good as me at getting involved in murder investigations. Although I was certain that “good” was not a word the sheriff would have used.

  “Who are your suspects?” Sienna asked.

  “Suspect. Singular,” I said. “Probably because I haven’t thought much about it. I’ve had so much else on my mind.”

  Sienna hooked her arm through mine as we walked slowly along the beach in the direction of her house. Bentley appeared, bounding along beside us.

  “I get that,” Sienna said, “but now that we know Tommy’s okay, we should put our heads together. Who’s your one and only suspect?”

  “Dean Vaccarino, but you have to promise me you won’t go anywhere near him.” I told her how Dean had threatened me earlier in the day. “Even if he’s not the killer, he’s dangerous.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll steer clear of him.” When I shot a sidelong glance her way, she added, “I promise.”

  I stopped short and smacked a palm to my forehead. “I can’t believe it.”

  “What?” Sienna asked.

  “I actually have two suspects, but I’d forgotten about the other one.” Apparently, I’d been even more distracted than I’d thought in recent days.

  “Who is it?”

  “Angus Achenbach.”

  “I don’t know him,” Sienna said with a hint of disappointment.

  “He’s the nephew of the woman who bequeathed her house to the museum.”

  “Oh, okay. Now I know who you’re talking about. The guy who had a tantrum at The Flip Side. Wasn’t he ticked off that he didn’t inherit the house?”

  “More than ticked off,” I said as we resumed walking. “Apparently, he took the matter to court and lost, but he still came by the museum and accused Jane of influencing his aunt when she was making her will. His temper’s a bit frightening.”

  “Definitely a suspect, then,” Sienna agreed.

  And one I needed to tell Ray about.

  Another memory surfaced. “And there was a strange moment between Jane and Evangeline Oldershaw-Hobbs.”

  “Evangeline is super-rich,” Sienna said. “You know about her family’s candy company, right?”

  I nodded. “Oldershaw Confections. Evangeline donated money to cover the cost of the museum’s reopening party. She and Jane were butting heads over organizing the event.”

  “That doesn’t seem like enough of a reason to kill someone.”

  “It doesn’t,” I agreed. “But I overheard Jane say something strange to Evangeline. It sounded like a threat. She said she knew something about Evangeline. When Jane brought it up, Evangeline went as pale as a ghost.”

  Sienna considered that. “So, Evangeline might have wanted to keep Jane quiet. To keep some dark secret from coming to light.”

  “It’s possible,” I said. “I have trouble picturing Evangeline killing someone, though. I don’t think she’d want to risk getting blood on her designer clothes.”

  We drew to a stop, now in line with Sienna’s house, a yellow and white Victorian.

  She surprised me by changing the subject. “Has anyone applied for the job postings?”

  “Not yet,” I said with a sigh. “Hopefully soon, otherwise we’re going to be run off our feet.”

  She looked thoughtful. “Maybe Logan can help out in the kitchen temporarily.”

  “You think he’d be interested?”

  Logan was a friend of Sienna’s and my next-door neighbor. He planned to attend culinary school in the fall.

  Sienna shrugged. “He might be. He worked at a restaurant in Port Townsend last summer. He’d only be available on weekends until school’s out, though.”

  “We’re busiest on the weekends, so that would still help,” I said.

  “I’ll text him, and if he’s interested, I’ll tell him to get in touch with you.” Sienna already had her phone out.

  “Perfect. Thank you, Sienna.”

  “Thank you. You know, for talking with me.”

  I gave her a quick hug. “Any time.”

  She took a couple of steps up the beach but then glanced back over her shoulder. “Don’t forget to do some snooping,” she called with a mischievous smile.

  “I prefer to call it sleuthing,” I called back.

  “Potayto potahto,” she said in a sing-song voice. Then she waved and ran up the beach to her house.

  I didn’t mind letting her have the last word. I was just happy to see her smiling again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ray showed up at The Flip Side in his sheriff’s uniform the following morning. I’d left another message for him after talking to Sienna, telling him about Angus Achenbach’s visit to the museum and Jane’s threat to Evangeline.

  “Could we talk for a moment?” he asked when I greeted him by the front door.

  I glanced around the crowded dining room. I didn’t want to leave Leigh working on her own for too long, but I also didn’t want to decline Ray’s request.

  “Sure,” I said. “Let’s go to the office. Would you like some coffee?”

  “That’s all right, thanks.” He removed his hat and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll only keep you a minute or two.”

  “Have you found the driver who hit Tommy?” I asked as I led the way into the office.

  “Not yet, but we’re still working on it.”

  “Have you got any leads?” Even before I asked the question, I knew what his response would be.

  The corners of his mouth twitched, almost turning up into a smile. “You know I can’t talk about an
ongoing investigation, Marley.”

  Exactly as I’d expected.

  “I know.” I leaned against the desk. “But it’s hard knowing that the driver is still out there, enjoying their freedom after what they did to Tommy.”

  “I understand that,” Ray said. “I promise you that my deputies and I are determined to solve the case.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second,” I assured him. “Are you here about the messages I left for you yesterday?”

  “Particularly the first one.”

  That was the one about Dean.

  “Do you think Dean could have killed Jane?” I asked.

  “I don’t like that he threatened you.”

  I didn’t fail to notice that he hadn’t answered my question.

  “I don’t like it either,” I said. “He creeps me out.”

  “He’s got a record, Marley, and he’s got a history of violent behavior.”

  That didn’t surprise me, but hearing it from Ray sent a shiver down my back.

  “Do you think he’ll try to hurt me?” I couldn’t keep the alarm out of my voice.

  “He might be content with the threat he already delivered, but I want you to be extra vigilant, just in case. If he comes near you again, call 911.”

  “I will,” I promised.

  Ray asked me a few questions about my encounters with Dean and Angus and what I’d overheard between Jane and Evangeline. Then he took his leave, but not before I put a maple pecan sticky roll into a paper bag so he could take it with him.

  I got back to work after Ray left, but whenever I wasn’t chatting with customers or taking orders, my thoughts zipped back to Dean. His history of violence made him a strong murder suspect in my mind. It wasn’t hard for me to picture him grabbing the antique clothes iron and smashing it into Jane’s head. In fact, I could picture it so clearly that my stomach twisted into a knot.