by H L Bur
“I know, and I’m sure I would feel the same way if I had stumbled upon a dead body, but I just don’t think there’s much we can do.”
“I didn’t even tell you! You’ll never guess who the lead detective is.”
“Um, okay…who?”
“Mr. Perfect himself.”
“WHAT?” Quinn shouted. “Wait, what do you mean?” she asked, seeming even more surprised than when I first announced what had happened this morning.
“Well, apparently he is now the go-to homicide detective for Northern Lower Michigan. And he was acting like an arrogant jerk at the crime scene. He was treating me like I could be a suspect! Thankfully, the chief put him in his place.”
Quinn glowered. “You’re kidding me? Well, so much for your star-aligned, hot date tonight.”
“I’m still mad at you for that, by the way. But, yeah, he definitely didn’t seem so perfect this morning. I’m honestly glad I won’t have to cart him around Riverton. Blessing in disguise. I had a bad feeling about him from the start,” I said, rambling again. “So wait, where was Gigi this morning? It’s not like her to miss a morning of tormenting us.”
“She’s up to something - I can feel it,” Quinn speculated. “Oh! Speaking of up to something, I got the sawmill manuscript in. Let’s open it and figure out what Brent is up to. We can focus on that mystery for now and leave the dead body to the police.”
I sighed. “I suppose I can agree to that.” For now, I added silently.
We went back to the front counter and Quinn opened the manila folder that had been delivered that morning and pulled out a small bound book. She quickly flipped to the table of contents section, which included the headings: History of Riverton, History of the Logging Industry, Straits of Mackinac, and Original Sawmill Designs.
“Seriously, what could Brent possibly want with this?” I asked.
We quickly flipped through the forty-page book, nothing catching our eyes right off hand.
“Hmm…I mean it seems innocent enough. Still strange, but maybe he just picked up an interest in local history,” Quinn suggested.
“Maybe you’re right. Do you remember him ever being interested in history before?” I countered.
“No! In fact, I remember quite the opposite. In high school, he always said that history was stupid and boring and the only thing that mattered was the future.”
“I’m getting a headache. There is way too much going on in my brain to sort through right now,” I admitted.
“You know what? You’re absolutely right. You just need to relax and take a breather after the morning you’ve had. Why don’t we order lunch and then you just hang out while I finish up preparing for the booth and watch the store?” she offered.
“Actually, I think I’d rather stay busy. If I just sit here I won’t be able to stop thinking about everything. But, I do like the sound of lunch. What did you have in mind?”
“You pick. You deserve it after this morning.”
“You’re being very nice today.” I eyed her suspiciously.
“What? Can’t I be there for my cousin and best friend in her time of need? You are so suspicious all the time!”
“You’re just trying to make up for embarrassing me last night. But I’ll allow it,” I admitted.
“You could be right. So what’s for lunch?”
“I’m in desperate need of some pizza and pop.”
“You are ruthless on my waistline,” Quinn joked.
“What? We had salads last night!”
“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll order from Rest in Pizza. The usual?”
“Yup!” That meant half just cheese, half ham, mushroom, and pineapple, an order of potato wedges, extra ranch, and two Cokes.
Maybe there would be a silver lining to this day yet.
Chapter Six
Ξ
I tried to keep busy around the shop after lunch. I even tried to do the daily crossword, but my mind just wouldn’t focus and I kept reading the same clue over and over again. I finally gave up and headed down to the police station to give my formal statement to Chief Kowalski. The last thing I wanted was to run into Detective Collins again, so avoiding the police station had been a high priority, but my curiosity to see what I could learn about the victim won out.
I made the quick drive and parked in the nearly empty lot of the large, old-fashioned brick building. It looked more like an old cathedral than it did a police station, with two spires reaching up towards the sky on either side of the rust-colored brick facade. In Riverton, the police station shared a building with our local Opera House. Hey, sometimes in small towns you just had to make due with what space was available. The city jail was located further downtown, so it wasn’t like any escaped offenders could make their way on stage during a performance.
As I entered the front lobby, the smell of old papers waiting for an eternity to be filed hit my nose and I breathed in the heavenly scent. I checked in with the office secretary, Lois, and after what seemed like a very long minute of her staring down her nose at me, she raised her glasses and rested them on top of her head. She came out from behind her large desk and walked down the hall without a word. I took it as a cue to follow her.
“Good afternoon, Cadence. Have a seat,” Chief Kowalski gestured to me as I squeezed passed Lois and her cold glare to get through the doorway. I sat at one of the chairs in front of his desk.
He grabbed his pen and pad as Lois closed the door. I couldn’t help but hear the little ‘tsk’ noise she made before the door closed and I could hear the click clacking of her heels against the hard floor as she headed back to her desk.
“I want you take me through step by step what exactly happened this morning,” the chief requested, getting straight to the point.
I sighed and took myself back to this morning. I recounted the events from the time I left the house, making sure not to leave anything out.
When I finished, he thanked me for my time and gave me a curt nod, silently informing me we were done. I felt a little slighted as I was hoping to glean some new intel about the case.
“Have you found anything out yet?” I asked, a little too eagerly.
“I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation with you, Cady,” he said with determination.
“I completely understand. I just can’t stop thinking about it and I think that if I knew something about it, maybe it would help me rest easier tonight,” I pleaded, giving him the best innocent victim look I could muster.
The chief let out a long sigh. “Collins will be out for blood if he finds out I told you anything, so I better not hear so much as a whisper that you have breathed a word of this, do you understand me?” he threatened.
“Absolutely. Understood. Got it, Chief. Scouts honor,” I rambled on nervously, afraid to dissuade him.
He shot me a warning glare and I snapped my mouth shut.
“We have identified the body as Sofie Grant; she was a twenty-six year old woman from Grand Rapids. She was apparently reported missing by her parents two days ago downstate. She was working on her Master’s degree in journalism and has never had any run-ins with the law. For all intents and purposes, it seems that she was a straight arrow. As of now, all we know is that she was coming to visit her grandmother, who still resides in the area. It appears that she died of blunt force trauma to her head, but there also appeared to be ligature marks around her neck, although we won’t know the official cause of death until after the autopsy. So far, no suspects and no motive. Now, do I need to reiterate the importance of this staying between us?”
“She was bludgeoned?” I said in disgust.
He stared blankly at me, obviously determined to give me no further info.
I shook my head while tears welled up in my eyes. “Thank you, Chief. I really do appreciate you filling me in. And I promise, my lips are sealed.” I got up to leave.
“Cady.” He stopped me.
“Yes?”
“Stay alert and be safe. Until we know
more and have a motive, I want you to be extra careful.”
“I will.” I nodded gratefully.
“Oh, and Cady…”
“Yeah, Chief?”
“If it gets around that I gave you information, I will arrest you for interference with a police investigation, interference with public duties, and any other charges I can muster up.”
“Got it, Chief.” I smiled weakly, and walked out of the office.
The breeze coming off the lake had cooled the air while I was in the police station. I wrapped my sweater a little tighter around me, feeling the chill, but not knowing for sure if it was the breeze or the circumstances that had caused it.
I drove back to the bookstore and parked out front. I glanced further down the block and saw Brent, Quinn’s ex-boyfriend, crossing the street. He was heading further down the road. He glanced back behind him almost nervously. I watched him as he walked toward the movie theater. He paused at the edge of the theater and glanced around him one more time. He slipped down the side alley between the movie theater and The Wishing Well restaurant. I knew there was a path that went behind the buildings that led to a little park down by the river, but could not fathom why he would be headed down there in the middle of the afternoon. I made a split second decision to follow.
I jumped out of my car and made my way down the block, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching. I peeked around the corner of the movie theater and saw the alley was clear. I ducked low and walked as quietly as possible down the alley toward the path that led to the park. I glanced back to make sure I wasn’t being followed. My heart was racing, although I wasn’t exactly sure why I was so tense. The path opened up to a group of trees. I ducked behind a group of large, thick lilac bushes and peered between the leaves toward the water. Brent was standing by the river’s edge, talking to a man I didn’t recognize. I looked around the little park, but no one else was around. I could hear them talking, but the noise of the river was just loud enough to distort what they were saying.
The Mystery Man was tall and had a dark crew cut. He was wearing black slacks and a matching black blazer, and he had on large black sunglasses, which obscured his face. I watched as Brent handed the man a large envelope. The second man then tucked the envelope into the front inside pocket of his blazer and quickly glanced around. I ducked down, terrified that I’d been spotted. A few moments later I could hear footsteps approaching. I tried to slow my breathing, but I was positive my heartbeat could be heard a mile away. As the footsteps neared, I shifted my weight slowly to the balls of my feet in case I needed to make a run for it. My heart raced even more and just as I was about to make a break for it, the footsteps passed by the bushes where I was hiding and kept going up the path. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and sank down to a sitting position.
I waited behind the bushes another five minutes before I had the courage to peek out again. I half expected Brent or the Mystery Man to be looming over me when I finally crawled out from my hiding place, but I decided I couldn’t sit there all night and had to risk it. I slowly peered out, but nobody was there. I was alone in the park. A shiver ran up my spine as I felt like I was being watched.
I made a break for it and sprinted back up the path and out through the alley, slowing and leaning against the movie theater to catch my breath as I made it back out onto Main Street. I looked up and down the street, but all I saw was a black SUV turning right at the end of Main Street, heading east. It looked like it could have been the same SUV from the other day, but there was no way to tell for sure. It was too far away to see the license plate. I set off for the bookstore at a quick pace and felt a weight lift off my shoulders once I was safely inside.
Quinn was helping a customer who was checking out, but frowned when she saw the look on my face.
“Have a great day.” I smiled as I held the door open for the customer as he made his exit.
“Now what’s wrong?” She sighed. “Please don’t tell me you found another body?”
“No!” I hurried over to her. I glanced around the store and lowered my voice. “I just saw Brent down by the river giving an envelope to some mystery-business-suit-looking guy.”
“Why were you down by the river?”
“I followed him.”
“You followed Brent or the mystery guy?”
I rolled my eyes. “I followed Brent…pay attention.”
Quinn opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. “I saw Brent walking down the alley between the movie theater and The Wishing Well and he was acting shady so I decided to follow.”
“Oh yeah, that sounds like a logical plan,” she said sarcastically. “So what exactly happened?”
“Well, not much really. I snuck down the path towards the river and saw them standing by the river’s edge. I hid behind some lilac bushes and saw the envelope exchange. I kind of freaked after that and just ducked down because I was scared one of them was going to see me. And, I’m not positive, but I think the Mystery Man is the driver of that black SUV I was telling you about,” I explained. “I saw a car like that turning off Main Street when I came back through the alley.”
“Okay…well realistically, that doesn’t sound like much. There are lots of black SUVs and the exchange could’ve been about anything,” Quinn countered rationally.
“I know you’re right, but I just had a really bad feeling about it and that guy gave me the creeps. And why meet in such a secluded location if it was on the up and up?”
The front door chime went off and we both jumped. Brent walked through the door. My mouth dropped open and I’m sure he must have been able hear my heart start pounding from where he was. Quinn kicked me behind the counter and I closed my mouth and forced a smile.
“Hey girls, I was just seeing if that manuscript got delivered today?” he asked, nonchalantly.
“Oh yeah, I meant to text you,” Quinn replied. She grabbed the small book off the counter and handed it to him.
“Thanks, Quinn. You really are the best. I can’t believe you found it so fast.” He grinned. “Can I take you to dinner as a thank you?”
“Oh, um…you know I would love to, but Cady and I already have dinner plans. Maybe some other time,” she said quickly.
“Yeah, sounds great. Well hey, thanks again,” he said. He glanced back right before he left. I swore I saw his smile waiver as he made eye contact with me.
I let out a huge breath after he was gone, willing my heart to stay inside of my chest.
“Wow, he was acting really weird,” Quinn admitted. “We definitely need to figure out what he’s up to.”
“Crap! Now we don’t even have the manuscript,” I groaned. “How are we supposed to figure it out?” I mumbled, burying my head in my hands.
“What exactly do you take me for? I made a copy of all the pages.” She reached down and pulled a stack of papers out of her tote bag.
I perked up. “And that’s why I love you.” I gave her a high-five.
The afternoon stayed busy, so we didn’t get a chance to go through the manuscript. We were just about to close up when the front door chimed again. In walked Fletcher.
I side glanced at Quinn as she scoffed and crossed her arms.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked tartly, immediately crossing my arms in a defensive stance, mirroring Quinn.
“Hi to you, too.” He smirked. “I thought we were going on a tour of Riverton?”
“Excuse me?” I gaped. “I’m sorry, I thought being treated like a murder suspect this morning negated all subsequently planned activities.”
He had the gall to chuckle. “I’m sorry about that. It’s just…” He paused. “I take my job very seriously and I just needed to make sure your story checked out. I’m hoping you’ll forgive me. I would still really like that tour.”
If it weren’t for the subtle hint of worry in his brow and around his eyes, I would have thought he didn’t even care about the murder given his aloof manner.
“Don’t y
ou have other things to do, like, oh I don’t know…solve a murder?” I baited.
“I’ve done all I can for today, I’m waiting on forensics and I have officers checking up on a few leads,” he stated simply.
I glanced at Quinn and she shrugged, as if saying ‘it’s your call’.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my purse and keys from behind the counter. “Let’s go.” I sighed.
I drove him through town mostly in silence, although I did point out a few of my favorite shops and restaurants. We decided to hit up the drive-in and grabbed two burgers and fries. I ordered a peanut butter malt and Fletcher went with a chocolate shake.
We drove down to Lighthouse Beach, where you could park and look out over Lake Huron. From our vantage point, if you looked down the beach to the west you could see the woods where I found the body this morning, and to the east, further along the shore, you could see the old lighthouse that was now a restaurant. Beyond that you could just make out the old sawmill in the distance. It felt a little eerie being so close to where I found Sofie’s body. I couldn’t help but think about how just through the woods to our left was where she was dumped like a pile of garbage. I cringed at the thought and hoped her final moments went quickly.
We sat there eating our burgers in silence, both wrapped up in our own thoughts from the day. The sound of the waves rolling in on the beach was calming. I was grateful that Fletcher wasn’t trying to make small talk right now, although at the same time, I didn’t really know why we were even spending time together.
“How are you holding up?” he finally asked.
I thought for a moment. “Well, to be honest, I think I’m still mostly in shock,” I admitted. “Things like this don’t happen around here. How about you?”
“Well, I’ve seen my fair share of murders and not to pat myself on the back, but I have an excellent solve rate. This one, though, is troubling me and I’m not sure why. Something just doesn’t feel right,” he voiced.
“Well does a murder ever feel right?”
“Touché. Maybe that’s a poor choice of words. I just can’t help but feel there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye. I don’t know, just a gut feeling I guess.”