by Cindy Bell
One of the many benefits of living in a small town was that there weren’t many places to stay, so it kept many of the tourists away. Unless they went to one of the neighboring towns, which were larger. She placed a call to the local bed and breakfast to see if Austin might have been staying there.
“Hi Shawna, it’s Ally. I was wondering if you had anyone by the name of Austin staying there?”
“Austin, you mean the guy that died in Mainbry?”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you’d heard about it. But it wasn’t in Mainbry, it was here in Blue River. On Harris Prudall’s farm.”
“Prudall’s farm straddles Blue River and Mainbry. But where Austin actually died, was Mainbry. I know because a couple of Blue River cops were here a few minutes ago, and they got pulled off the case. Mainbry is taking it over. But to answer your question, yes, he was staying here.”
“Oh wow.” Her head spun as she realized that she’d have little chance of getting any information about the investigation in Mainbry. “Had he been staying there long?”
“Just the night. He said he came from somewhere else local, but I don’t remember where. Anyway, I get people that stay here before skydiving with Harris, so it’s not unusual.”
“Did he leave anything behind in his room?” She grimaced as she knew that Shawna would probably find it strange that she was asking so many questions about Austin.
“That’s the weird thing. He didn’t leave a single thing. I went in there with the cops, and there was nothing to find. He hadn’t checked out yet, but he’d already paid. He got a taxi out to the farm. Are you doing okay, Ally?”
“Sure, thank you. Why?”
“Oh, everybody knows that you and your grandmother were on that plane with Austin. The whole town does. I’m sorry, that must have been horrible.”
“Yes, it was. Thanks for your concern, and your time.” As Ally hung up the phone she wondered what she would face when she went out into the town. Would everyone suspect that she had something to do with Austin jumping off the plane with a damaged pack? She doubted it, as she’d grown up in Blue River and could call most of the people who lived there at least friends, if not family.
Chapter 5
The diner was half full, as it was between the lunch and dinner hour, but all of the chatter filled the empty space. However, the moment Charlotte and Jeff walked in, a hush fell over the noisy conversations.
“Everyone must know,” Charlotte murmured in Jeff’s ear. “Maybe we should go.”
“Nonsense.” He guided her towards one of the empty tables. It was the table they usually sat at. They often went to the diner in Freely as it was close to the retirement community. They’d grown closer over glasses of iced tea and cold French fries. It was hard to eat, when their conversation never paused. He drew a chair out for her, and she sat down in it. With her eyes on the tabletop she tried to avoid the curious stares of her friends and neighbors. She’d run Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven for a very long time, and though she’d passed it down to her granddaughter, she still worked in the shop at least a few times a week. There weren’t many people in Blue River and the neighboring towns that she didn’t know. However, in the ever-changing economy a few faces had disappeared and new ones had arrived. Still, she always made it her mission to get to know newcomers. There was a time when she was so busy with her own life that she barely interacted with anyone else.
Ever since then she had done her best to emerge as the social butterfly that she believed she could be. It had paid off, as everyone in town knew of Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven, and she’d rekindled old friendships as well as starting new ones. Still, as she sat across from Jeff and heard whispers fluttering all around her, she couldn’t help but feel isolated and scrutinized.
“Maybe we should go home.” She frowned as she looked into his eyes.
“I think we should stay right here. There’s no reason to run and hide. Yes, people are going to be curious, not much happens in this town, so they’re going to want to know all of the information, but that doesn’t mean that you have anything to hide.”
“You’re right.” She sat up with a sense of determination and smiled.
“I’m always right.” He chuckled.
“Haha.”
After they placed their order, she began to pay more attention to the people around her. She noticed a group of young women at the table beside her. Maybe they were in their twenties, but they could have been even younger. Each of them clutched a tissue, and they were leaning on each other for hugs between quiet sobs. There were four of them altogether. She couldn’t imagine what they were so upset about, but her heart went out to them.
A few minutes after their food was delivered she was surprised when one woman came over to her table.
“Excuse me.” She dabbed her tissue beneath her eyes. “I’m sorry to bother you, but you’re Charlotte, right? From Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven?”
“Yes, I am.” She reached out and took her hand. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? I noticed that you and your friends are very upset.”
“It’s just, we heard that you were there when Austin died, and I guess we just wanted to find out what happened.”
“You knew Austin?” Her heart skipped a beat. She had been searching for information on Austin all day, and yet these four women apparently knew him well enough to cry over him.
“Yes, well sort of, I guess.” She glanced over her shoulder at her friends, and then looked back at Charlotte. “We met him at a bar last night. Gary’s. Austin was so nice. He bought us all drinks, and danced with all of us, and we had so much fun. At the end of the night, he didn’t even try to make a move on any of us, he just made sure that we all got home safely. We were fighting over him this morning when we heard about him dying. It’s just so terrible.”
“Yes, it is.” Charlotte gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I think you can feel comforted knowing that he died doing what he loved, and I’m sure that he enjoyed every minute that he spent with all of you. He seemed like a very interesting young man, and I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” She sighed and wiped at her eyes again. “People think we’re silly for being upset, when we didn’t really know him. But Austin, he had this grand way about him, and it seemed as if we did know him. You know?”
“Yes.” She smiled some. “I do know.” On the plane, she’d felt an almost instant bond to him because he was so open and friendly and willing to share his life experiences. “I hope it can give you some comfort to know that he really lived a full life. It is quite tragic, but the important thing is that we remember him for the wonderful person that he was. Right?”
“Right.” She smiled, then spontaneously hugged Charlotte so tight that she struggled to breathe. As the young woman headed back to her table, Charlotte looked across the table at Jeff.
“Those poor girls.”
“Sounds to me like you helped her feel better, that was kind of you.” He cleared his throat. “But you didn’t really fall for that from Austin, did you?”
“Fall for what?” She took a bite of her food.
“His charisma. Men like that, who can coax anyone into fawning over them, are full of charisma. But it’s all just a way to con people. There’s nothing genuine about it.”
“Jeff, I don’t think that’s fair. Austin was a very nice man. You didn’t meet him.” She frowned as she set down her fork.
“I don’t have to meet him to know what type of a man he was. I’m sorry, Charlotte, but my instincts are rarely wrong about these kinds of things. It doesn’t really matter what I think, does it?” He shrugged. “I could be wrong. That’s always a possibility.”
“I think you are wrong, in this case. It’s hard for me to say that, knowing how intelligent and cluey you are. But you didn’t have the chance to meet him. Sure, he was a little bit of a flirt, and he definitely had a way of wrapping people around his finger, but that doesn’t make him a bad person, does it?” She finished the last bite of
her food.
“No, I guess not.” He smiled slightly. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Actually, I need to see Ally. I’m going to head to the cottage. Thank you for listening to me, Jeff. I just want to talk all of this through with Ally.”
“I understand.” He paid the bill, then walked her out to the parking lot. “I’ll give you a lift.”
“Thanks.”
As Jeff and Charlotte headed for the cottage she shifted her focus back to Austin.
Ally picked up her phone and dialed her grandmother’s number. She simply couldn’t resist calling her any longer. When she answered, she felt a sense of relief.
“Mee-Maw, I know you said you needed some time alone, but I really want to tell you about something that I found out. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. Open your door.”
“What?” She walked towards the door, confused, and peered outside. She saw her grandmother right outside. “Mee-Maw!” She laughed and pulled open the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t stay away. I have some things to tell you, too.”
After Charlotte greeted Arnold and Peaches she joined Ally in the living room.
“I’ve been trying to find information about Austin all day, but I came up with nothing until I went to the diner. When I was there, a group of girls were very upset. Apparently, Austin bought them some drinks at Gary’s. Austin was quite charming, and made an impression on them. When they heard that he was dead, they were very upset.”
“So, he’s out partying with a bunch of women the night before his big jump. That doesn’t sound like someone who is suicidal.”
“I think you’re right about that.” Charlotte nodded. “If we rule that out, then all we have left is that he was murdered. But by whom?”
“I found out that he was staying at Blue River Bed and Breakfast. I spoke with Shawna, and she said he didn’t leave anything behind in his room. So, my guess is that he had no intention of going back there. Maybe we can figure something out by finding out where he planned to go next. She also said that he got a taxi to the farm. So, I doubt he had a car.”
“I don’t think so either, but if there was a car, I’m sure the police would have impounded it.” She shrugged. “If we know he was at the bar, and at the bed and breakfast, then we have a pretty good idea of what he was up to last night. But let me ask you this, Ally. If this man had jumped in some of the most beautiful and exotic places, why would he come all the way out to Blue River to jump? I love our town, you know that, but it’s not exactly a tourist destination. Harris isn’t some rich and famous pilot with modern technology at his fingertips. Don’t you think it’s a little strange that he would choose to come here?”
“That’s a very good point, Mee-Maw. He must have had some kind of connection that drew him here. It’s nearly impossible to just stumble across Blue River.”
“True.” Charlotte smiled some. “That’s one of the things that I love about it.”
“Are you going to stay for dinner.”
“Yes, thanks.” Charlotte nodded. “And soufflé.”
“Soufflé?”
“I have been craving chocolate soufflé for days. So light and airy.” Charlotte smiled. “Besides, baking helps me relax.”
“I could use some comfort food!” Ally nodded.
After they had had their pasta they made soufflés. Charlotte stirred the melted chocolate and cream. Ally whisked the egg whites and sugar. They both did everything to avoid talking about Austin and tried to distract themselves with baking.
When Jeff picked Charlotte up to take her back to Freely Lakes he joined them for the warm chocolate soufflés. By the time Jeff and her grandmother had left, Ally was exhausted and ready for the day to end.
As Ally cleaned up the dishes she thought back over the day. As difficult as it was for her to believe that it had only been one, very long day, she was glad to see that it was finally coming to an end. Her bones ached with the intense exhaustion that only emotional upheaval could create. She didn’t think that her mind would rest enough for her to sleep so she decided to lie on the couch and watch TV to relax. As she stretched out across the couch Peaches jumped on top of her stomach and Arnold lay on the floor in front of the couch.
As she stroked Peaches’ back she closed her eyes and almost immediately she started to fall asleep. She turned slightly and felt something sharp poking into her thigh. She adjusted her body and tried to ignore the poke. She just wanted to relax and fall asleep. She didn’t care what was in her pocket. However, that sharp poke returned just as she began to drift off to sleep again. Groggily, she pushed her hand down into her pocket. She had no idea what could be in there, as she rarely shoved things into her pockets. Most of the time her purse was packed so full of stuff that she would have to turn it upside down to find anything in it. As her fingers traced over the objects in her pocket, her brain tried to make sense of what they were. Keys? But she was sure she had hung her keys up in the kitchen. She had to put them there each night, or she would spend about an hour the next day searching for them. She could recall hanging them on the hook. So how could they be in her pocket?
Confused, she tugged the keys out of her pocket and looked at them. It was a strange thing to see keys in her hand that she couldn’t remember ever seeing before. She blinked, and wondered if she might be stuck in some weird dream. Then she flashed back to the moments just before Austin jumped off the plane. He’d tossed her a set of keys. She gasped as she realized she had them in her hand. In all of the chaos after the plane landed she’d never once thought about the keys in her pocket. She knew she would have to turn them in to the police, but it was close to ten and she was exhausted. How would she explain that she’d held on to them for so long? Her stomach twisted as she wondered if they’d believe that she’d simply forgotten.
Ally decided that she would go to bed and deal with the keys in the morning. She turned the TV off and walked to her bedroom with Peaches and Arnold in tow. As she walked towards the room she looked at the keys in her hand. There were five of them on the ring. She recognized one as belonging to the bed and breakfast in town. However, the other four were a complete mystery to her. She set the keys on the bedside table and got ready for bed.
She climbed into bed and spread out along the mattress. Peaches jumped up and lay next to her and Arnold got comfortable in his bed at the foot of her bed. As Ally closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, her thoughts kept returning to those keys. Perhaps there was a clue as to who Austin was behind one of those doors. If she turned them over to the detective in Mainbry, they might just get lost in the shuffle of the case. Mainbry was a much busier precinct and she wasn’t confident that they would be using a lot of resources on the investigation. Maybe, just maybe she would hang onto them until she figured out what they opened up. She fell asleep with those thoughts still on her mind.
The next morning when Ally woke up, she saw the keys on the bedside table, right next to her phone. She picked up her phone to call Mainbry PD, but she couldn’t bring herself to dial the number. She’d had them for a day, what could it hurt to keep them a little longer, just to see if she could find out what they opened? She padded out into the kitchen and was soon greeted by a hungry pig, and a hungry cat. Once they were satisfied she settled on the couch in front of her computer. She had no idea how to tell what a key went to. After a little research she found some tricks that would help her identify them. When she inspected the keys closely she noticed that one had three letters on it: A V C.
She studied the letters for a few minutes as she tried to figure out what they might stand for. Then she searched the letters on the internet. Of course, it turned up thousands of results. She narrowed it down by searching for results that were close to Blue River. That left only three results.
“Apple Vacuum Comprehensive Services, AVC Realtors, and Aurora View Cabins,” she said to herself as she flipped the key over in her hand again. “Well, even if he was plannin
g on moving to the area he wouldn’t have keys to a realtor. And, I know he stayed at the bed and breakfast in town, so that rules out Aurora View Cabins. Maybe, he had business with Apple Vacuum Comprehensive Services?” She looked up the company’s website and found that it was on the outskirts of Freely. She decided to visit it before she opened up the shop for the day, which meant she had to get moving.
After she had a shower and got dressed, she tucked the keys into her pocket, and headed off to the shop, with one stop to make along the way. The town was still fairly quiet as many were just starting out their day. She waved to a few people as she passed, and smiled at the sight of the local dog walker struggling with some enthusiastic pups. How could such a simple day follow such a tragic one?
As she pulled up to the address of the shop, she hoped that the owner would have some insight about Austin’s life. Or maybe she would discover that Austin was the owner. She had no idea what to expect.
She reached for the door of the vacuum repair shop, only to find that it didn’t open. She glanced at the hours stenciled on the door. It didn’t open for another hour. She really couldn’t delay opening the chocolate shop that long. For a split-second she considered using the key in her hand. After all, if it opened the lock it would prove it went to this shop. However, she also knew that it could set off an alarm. With a sigh, she started to turn away. Just as she did, the door swung open.
“Can I help you, young lady?” The man in the doorway looked as if he could be in his eighties. He wore a long-striped tie, a gray blazer, and navy-blue trousers.