by Cindy Bell
The moment both of Henry’s feet were back on the pavement of the bridge, Luke seized him. He twisted Henry’s arms behind his back, and pulled his cuffs free from his belt.
“Luke!” Ally gasped as she watched him handcuff Henry.
“I knew it! I knew you were lying!” Henry struggled against the handcuffs.
“Henry Fines, you are under arrest for the murder of Martin Everly.” Luke’s voice trembled for just a moment before it hardened. He avoided Ally’s gaze.
“Luke, you can’t do this, I really do have proof that someone else could have orchestrated this.” Ally started to reach for his arm, then drew her hand back. She knew it was best not to interfere when he was making an arrest.
“Then bring it to the station. That’s where we’ll be.” Luke led Henry towards his car.
“I didn’t do this! I am innocent!” Henry wailed.
“Then why would you want to kill yourself, Henry?” Luke guided him into the car.
Ally stared at the car as it drove off. She wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or angry. She was relieved that Henry’s suicide attempt had been prevented, but angry that Luke would immediately put him in handcuffs. She thought she had evidence that someone else was probably involved in Martin’s murder, but would Jill’s confession about the knife be enough to prove Henry’s innocence?
Chapter 9
“What’s happening out there?” Jill stared after Ally as she bolted from the shop.
“I’m not sure but it sounds serious.” Charlotte joined her at the door. She touched Jill lightly on the back. “Ally was right, Jill, this isn’t your fault.”
“I think it is.” Jill sighed, then crossed her arms. “It’s kind of Ally to offer to go with me to speak to the detective, but I’m not sure that I can do it. Maybe I didn’t lie to him on purpose, but in my panic, I certainly threw off the investigation. Leanne called me early this morning, she sounded like she was wasted, and she just kept shouting at me. She kept telling me that it was my fault, that I was in charge of the props, that I did this. Then she saw me in the street and started yelling at me.”
“That’s terrible, I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” Charlotte looked past her, through the door, then met her eyes. “Is there a reason why she would be so cruel to you? Did you two have some problems?”
“Not at first. I was thrilled to work with her. But the moment that Martin started paying attention to me instead of her, her whole attitude towards me changed.” Jill sighed and closed her eyes. “I never should have been taken in by Martin. I thought that he really liked me.” She bit into her bottom lip as she looked back at Charlotte. “He told me that I was special.”
“Sweetheart, you’re not the first one that has been taken in by a charming man. It’s easy to get lost in that kind of charisma.” Charlotte glanced through the door again as another wave of people headed down the street. “I really need to find out what is happening out there.”
“You should go.” Jill’s voice trembled as she stepped outside. “See what happened to Ally. She’s lucky to have someone that cares so much about her.”
Charlotte looked back at her, startled by the sorrow in her voice, then locked the door of the shop. She looked once more at Jill and for a moment wondered just how furious Leanne had been when she discovered Martin’s relationship with Jill. As she joined the crowd that headed for the bridge, her heart pounded. Ally had a tendency to rush into situations without taking the time to think about it. It was both a beautiful thing about her, and a dangerous thing about her. And a trait that she inherited from her grandmother.
“Ally!” Charlotte ran towards Ally as she walked back towards the end of the bridge. “What’s happened? Are you okay?” She cupped her granddaughter’s cheeks and looked into her tear-filled eyes.
“Henry is safe, but Luke arrested him, and I think I just made a promise I can’t keep. He was going to jump off the bridge and I had to stop him.” Ally shook her head as she gazed back at her grandmother. “Mee-Maw, I told him I had proof that he wasn’t guilty of killing Martin. But all I have is a possibility.”
“You told him what you had to tell him in order to get him off that bridge. There’s no shame in that, Ally.” Charlotte pulled her into a tight hug. “What can we do from here?”
“We need to find out who actually gave that knife to Jeff.” Ally wiped at her eyes as she sighed.
“I told you, Ally, I don’t believe that Jeff gave Henry the wrong knife. He would have noticed if it was the wrong one. I believe Jeff.” Charlotte crossed her arms as her gaze swept across the crowd that had gathered. “Just because things look one way on the surface, doesn’t mean that’s what they are.”
“Mee-Maw, I’m not saying that I don’t believe him. But he’s our best source for finding out how that knife got into Henry’s hands. Even if he handed Henry the replica, we know that Henry ended up with the real knife sometime between that moment, and the moment that he walked on stage.” Ally looked towards the chocolate shop and frowned. “I think we need to close up, and find out what we can about this, before things spin even more out of control.”
“I agree.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “I’ll go talk to Jeff again. If there’s anything he knows, I am sure he will be willing to share it. He may have seen something important, and he just doesn’t realize it.”
“Good. I’m going to close up the shop properly, and then I’m heading down to the station. I want to find out what Luke thinks he has on Henry.” Ally looked back towards the bridge. “Though I’m not sure he’s going to want to speak to me.”
“Remember, he has a job to do, Ally.” Charlotte gave her a light pat on the shoulder. “You have to respect that.”
“I’m trying.” Ally’s lips tightened, then she nodded. “Let me know what you find out from Jeff.”
“I will.” Charlotte gave her shoulder a squeeze as they walked back towards the shop together.
Once inside, Charlotte gathered her keys and purse, then headed for the delivery van. As she drove towards Freely Lakes, she thought about her first conversation with Jeff about the knife. Was it possible that he was mistaken? She didn’t think he was. She chose to believe that his certainty was warranted. But what if? She pushed down the thought as she parked near his apartment. She got out of the car to walk towards it, just as his apartment door swung open. To her surprise she saw Jeff thrust forward through it, with Luke guiding him. The sight of Jeff’s arms pinned behind his back startled her.
“Jeff?” Her eyes widened as she walked up to him.
“Step aside please, Charlotte.” Luke steered Jeff away from her, and towards his car.
“Wait, please!” Charlotte’s heart began to pound. “Are you arresting him, Luke?”
“It’s okay, Charlotte. I’ll be fine.” Jeff forced a smile onto his lips. “Just a little adventure.”
“Why in the world do you have him in handcuffs? Luke!” Her tone sharpened as she followed after him.
“Charlotte.” Luke shot her an impatient glare. “Step aside, please.”
“Jeff, I’m coming to the station.” Charlotte clutched her purse as she took a few steps back from Luke’s car. Her instincts told her that she should do everything in her power to get Jeff free of those handcuffs, but she knew that she didn’t have the power to do that. Luke settled in the driver’s seat and started the car.
Charlotte gazed through the rear windshield as the car pulled away. She took a sharp breath, then hurried back to the van. She didn’t know exactly why Luke had arrested Jeff, but she did know that Jeff needed her help. As she drove towards the police station, her stomach twisted. What if there was nothing that she could do?
* * *
Ally shut down the register and put away the sample chocolates. Once she double-checked to be sure that everything was turned off in the kitchen, she stepped outside and locked the door. Her thoughts remained on the scene she witnessed on the bridge. She knew that Luke had to do his job, but it wa
s still upsetting. As she turned towards the parking lot, she caught sight of Leanne on the sidewalk across from the shop. She headed straight for the bar and grill. It would have just opened.
Leanne walked as if she was on a mission. Ally thought about calling out to her, but her voice stuck in her throat. What would she say? She barely knew the woman. As the door of the restaurant swung shut, she continued to debate with herself what to do. After a few minutes Ally realized that she needed to get to know Leanne. She pulled open the door and stepped inside. The shift from the mid-morning sunlight to the dim interior of the restaurant blinded her.
“Leanne?” Ally stepped farther inside the restaurant and squinted in the dim lighting.
“Yes?” Leanne looked up at her, though her eyes couldn’t focus directly on Ally. “Who wants to know?” Her slurred voice made her words difficult to comprehend.
“Ally Sweet.” Ally slid onto the barstool beside her. “Do you remember me?” As she gazed at Leanne, she assessed that the woman had already been drinking that morning.
“Sure, yeah, candy, right?” She hiccoughed, then pointed at a shot glass in front of her. “This place has the worst service. I got one shot, and he won’t pour me another.”
“You’ve had enough, miss.” The waiter, who Ally recognized as a regular at the chocolate shop, took the glass from the counter as he scowled at Leanne. “It’s against the law for me to serve you when you’re clearly intoxicated. I already gave you the number for a taxi service.”
“Taxi.” Leanne nodded. “Just what I need, some stranger to drive me home.” Leanne sighed, then looked over at Ally. “I’m staying in Freely, I don’t know how to get back there. I don’t know where my car is.” She rubbed her hand across one eye and sighed again.
“Leanne, I can take you to your hotel if you would like.” Ally flashed a smile at the waiter, then nodded to Leanne. “Let’s go, it looks like you could use some rest.”
“Thanks.” She stumbled to her feet.
Ally slid her arm around Leanne’s waist and helped her out the door. She led her across the street to the parking lot of the shop. As she settled her in the passenger seat, Ally noticed that Leanne still had the same clothes on that she wore the night before.
“Have you even gone back to the hotel since the play?” Ally started the car as she looked over at her.
“I don’t think so. How could I? After what happened to Martin, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again.” Leanne rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “I keep replaying the moment in my mind. Why did I insist that the scene had to include an actual stabbing? I wanted a collapsible knife so that the attack looked more realistic than just tucking a blade between Martin’s arm and side.”
“There’s nothing wrong with desiring authenticity, Leanne.” Ally started off towards Freely as her thoughts spun. It sounded to her that Leanne was very invested in the knife scene. Was that because she was passionate about her work, or because she wanted Martin to die? “Had you ever worked with Martin before?”
“Just once. When I was first starting out. He was part of a play I directed, and he was not easy, let me tell you.” Leanne sighed and shook her head. “He wanted everything just so. When I tried to give him direction he would laugh in my face and ask me how many television shows I’d been in.”
“It sounds like he was pretty rough.” Ally frowned. “Rather cruel.”
“He could be.” Leanne looked over at Ally. “But what he lacked in personality he more than made up for with talent.”
“I heard that you had originally cast Henry for the lead role, but when you heard Martin was interested in the play you changed that?” Ally turned onto the highway that led to Freely.
“Yes, I did. But Henry said he was okay with it. He said he wanted whatever was best for the acting troupe and the play. After a while he actually did seem fine about it. I had no idea that he could be involved in something like this.” Leanne frowned. “Do you think he is? Do you think he meant to kill Martin?”
“I can’t really say for sure.” Ally headed towards the hotel she guessed that Leanne might be staying in. She knew many of the participants in the play had booked rooms there. “I’d like to think that he didn’t. But without more evidence, I doubt that can be proven. Did you happen to talk to Henry before that scene began? Did he seem any different to you?”
“He was riled up.” Leanne nodded slowly. “I saw him pacing back and forth backstage. I was going to ask him what was wrong, but a man walked up to him, Jeff, I think his name was. He handed something to Henry, and by the time he walked away, I’d been distracted by some problems with the set. Maybe if I had just taken the time to speak to him.” She winced. “Henry might not have seemed like a killer to me, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t do it. I had assumed that Jill had staged the whole thing for revenge, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Everything will be more clear once you get some rest.” Ally’s stomach twisted as she realized that Leanne had likely witnessed Jeff handing the knife to Henry, which only helped confirm that Jeff was probably responsible for providing the murder weapon.
“Thanks for the ride, Ally.” Leanne stepped out of the car.
“I’ll walk you to your room.” Ally stepped out as well.
“No, it’s all right, I can manage.” She met Ally’s eyes. “I’m sorry about all of this. I don’t usually let things get so out of hand.”
“I understand. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” Ally watched as the woman veered towards the entrance of the hotel. She thought about trailing after her to ensure her safety, but she didn’t want to humiliate her any more than she already was. As she climbed back into the car, she noticed a figure near the corner of the hotel. She recognized him as the stagehand that helped Jill with the props.
Trent? Ally narrowed her eyes as another man walked towards him. His uniform bore the same symbol as the hotel. As she watched, Trent handed the hotel employee what looked like a wad of money. The hotel employee then slipped something small and square into Trent’s hand. Ally’s heart skipped a beat. Had she just witnessed a drug deal? Maybe Trent needed something to help him through the trauma of the murder.
“Trent!” She got out of the car and waved to him as she walked in his direction. She doubted that he would be pleased at her interruption, but she wanted the chance to speak to him while he was clearheaded.
“Yes?” Trent turned to face her as he slid his hands into his pockets. Whatever had been pressed into his palm, was now out of view.
“I’m Ally.” She offered her hand.
“You already know my name.” He narrowed his eyes. “You were at the play, right?”
“Yes, I was.” Ally met his eyes. “You were helping Jill with the props, right?”
“I already spoke to the detective.” He frowned.
“I’m sure you did. I don’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to see if you remember a man named Jeff.” Ally pulled her phone out of her pocket, then selected a picture from her photos file of her grandmother and Jeff together. “This is him.”
“Oh yeah, I saw him.” Trent shrugged. “What about him?”
“Did you give him a knife from the props room?” Ally’s heart jumped into her throat as she waited for an answer.
“Are you asking me if I was the one that handed over the real knife?” Trent met her eyes. “No, it wasn’t me. I was busy with the lighting over the stage. You can ask Leanne, she asked me to look at the lighting.” He tipped his head towards the hotel. “I have to get going. But I’ve already told the detective that I watched Jeff hand over the knife to Henry. I could see it from the catwalk above the stage.” He shook his head, then turned and walked away.
Ally stared after him as her stomach churned. Things were not looking good for Jeff.
Chapter 10
Ally stepped into the police station and spotted her grandmother right away. From the look on her face she could guess why she was there.
&nb
sp; “Ally!” Charlotte rushed forward. “You’re never going to believe this.”
“Luke arrested Jeff?” Ally’s heart pounded as she hoped that her guess wouldn’t be correct.
“How did you know?” Charlotte’s eyes widened as she stared at her.
“Just a guess. There are eye witnesses to Jeff handing the knife over to Henry. I think we’re going to have to assume that he might have handed over the real knife.” Ally frowned as she met her grandmother’s eyes. “I know that’s not what you want to believe, but at this point the evidence is stacked against him.”
“Ally, it’s not just what I don’t want to believe. I know that Jeff is telling me the truth, and he is confident that he would have felt the difference in the knife.” Charlotte sighed, then pressed her hand against her forehead. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Just take a breath, Mee-Maw.” Ally rubbed her arm. “I know it’s scary, but as of now, we have all fingers pointing at Jeff as the one who gave the knife to Henry. However, it’s still possible that Jeff gave him the replica, and Henry switched the knives.” She bit into her bottom lip as she realized that she didn’t really believe that Henry had deliberately killed his friend. “It’s also possible that Jill or Leanne had something to do with the knife being switched.”
“While we talk about all of the possibilities, Jeff is sitting in an interrogation room with Luke.” Charlotte pulled away from her and balled her hands into fists. “I can only imagine what he is going through right now.”
“Luke will treat him with respect, Mee-Maw.” Ally’s muscles tensed as she recalled the way Luke had handcuffed Henry on the bridge. There were certain times when Luke became so determined, so focused, that it shocked her.
“Ally, Charlotte.” Luke stepped out of a hallway, and crossed the lobby of the police station towards them. He held up his hands as soon as he reached them. “I know that I’m not your favorite person right now.”