Thea couldn’t help but think of Ashley’s journal and that Zach had a point.
“I’m sure they’ll all just be there to remember Rebecca.”
Zach nodded. “And maybe they’ll all be a little less on edge now that Miranda has been arrested.”
Thea was surprised Zach knew about that, but before she could say anything he was gesturing with a nod of the head toward the nearby wall, where the hobby knives were hanging.
“You know, I remember Miranda using those things to cut up canvas or scrape paint all through high school art class. Kind of creepy to think about her... you know, stabbing....” He shuddered.
I’ll have to check that with Jesse, too, Thea thought, and filed it away for later.
Chapter 21
In the evening, Thea decided to talk with Eric again. After everything that happened, she still didn’t rule out the possibility that he was involved in this case somehow.
Knowing that he worked at an upscale club, Thea hopped in her car and made her way over to the establishment. After she parked her vehicle in a secluded area, it didn’t take long for her to find out where Eric was.
A long line wrapped around the outside of the club as the security guards gradually let one or two people in at once. Thea spotted him easily, considering how he towered over most of the other people around him.
“Hey, Eric!” Thea called out to him from a distance, waving her arm.
Once he spotted her, he frowned. He glanced at the bouncer beside him and then back to Thea, wondering what she was doing there.
“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked, taking a few careful steps closer.
Although he was reluctant to agree, he eventually leaned over to the other security guard and mumbled a few words. He was telling him to keep watch of the line and that he would be back soon. He had some business to take care of. Without questioning it, the bouncer nodded.
Thea led them around the corner, away from any wandering eyes. She also wanted to make sure that no one could hear them. There were a lot of people in the vicinity, and she didn’t want the wrong person to catch on to their conversation.
“What are you doing here? Why are you at my job?” Eric hissed out, taking a brief look around. “What is this? Is this a set-up?”
“No, Eric, I’m not setting you up for anything. I wanted to talk to you,” she replied. Without hesitation, she looked him directly in the eyes. “Did you kill Rebecca because she was a Smith?”
His mouth fell open at the accusation. Soon enough, he was twisting up his face in anger.
“What are you even talking about? You’re asking if I killed that girl?” he asked, pointing to himself incredulously. “Of course I didn’t kill her!”
“Eric, I know what happened between you and Devin Smith. I looked in the public records and Devin is a distant family relative to Rebecca. You’ve assaulted a Smith family member in the past, and then Rebecca turns up dead after you yelled at her in my shop. I’m sorry, but it all looks a little suspicious to me,” Thea reasoned.
After hearing her ramble on, Eric held up a hand to pause her. “Wait, hold on. The thing that happened between me and Devin had nothing to do with all of this. That dude keyed my car, so he got what was coming to him.”
Thea shook her head. “What about the blood feud you kept mentioning between the Smiths and the Beals? You attacked a Smith once already, how do I know that you didn’t go out and do it again?”
Those words took him aback. He scrunched up his face in confusion, before shaking it off. Eventually, he began to explain his side of the story.
“When that whole thing happened with Devin, I didn’t even know about the blood feud yet. I didn’t care that he was a Smith. I just didn’t like him because he messed up my car,” Eric replied with a shrug. “All of that is unrelated to this. And sure, after learning about our family history, I didn’t really like the Smiths anymore. That’s why I yelled at that girl when I saw her in your shop. That doesn’t mean I killed her.”
“It still looks bad for you regardless. It’s way too suspicious,” Thea pointed out.
“I don’t care that it looks suspicious. I’m innocent in this case. I wasn’t even near that girl when she was killed, why would I be?”
Staring at him skeptically, Thea sighed. “Okay, so if you weren’t at the scene of the crime, where were you? If you tell me, this can help clear up your name, you know.”
“I...” Eric began, but then he held back. He scratched behind his ear nervously. “Do I really have to say it?”
Thea tilted her head at him, waiting for an answer. She didn’t have to communicate it verbally. The expression on her face told him that she wanted to hear what he had to say. Swiping his tongue across his teeth in thought, Eric knew that he didn’t have any other option.
“Okay... I volunteer at the local animal shelter. I like to do it in my free time.”
Out of all the things Thea expected him to do when he wasn’t at work or being angry all the time, she certainly didn’t expect that. It evoked a bit of an amused reaction from her, as she tried to hide the beginnings of a smile under her hand. Eric scowled.
“See, this is why I didn’t want to talk about this so openly. People are gonna treat me differently, I just know it!”
“Wait, I’m not going to tell anybody about this, don’t worry,” Thea reassured him. “Your secret is safe with me, even though I don’t really see why you need to keep it a secret.”
“Really?” he deadpanned. “You think people are still gonna respect me as a bouncer after finding out I like to help cute puppies and kittens when I’m bored? It’ll ruin the perception people have of me!”
“Like I said, Eric,” Thea began, holding up a hand to try and calm him down. “I won’t tell anybody. I promise.”
“Not even the police?” he asked, almost nervously. “I mean... I know that there’s an investigation going on and all that, but if the shelter finds out that I’ve been criminally charged or I’m involved with some murder case, they may not let me volunteer anymore.”
Thea hadn’t thought about that. By the tone of his voice, she could tell that he was being sincere about it. It struck a chord within her. She didn’t want to ruin his opportunity to do something he genuinely loved participating in. That wasn’t right.
“I’ll do my best, Eric,” she said, offering him a small smile. “I’ll see what I can do to get this mess sorted out.”
Chapter 22
“Hey Blaine?” Thea asked him over the phone as she tidied up the shelf in her shop that held all of the acrylic paint bottles. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I talked to Eric last night about the investigation.”
She heard a small sigh on the other side of the line, but she ignored it and kept going.
“I asked him whether or not he was capable of killing Rebecca and he denied it. Instead, he told me about a potential alibi that can help clear his name. He volunteers at the local animal shelter.”
Blaine chuckled lowly. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. And I figured that it was worth checking out. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and confirm his story.”
She glanced down at her hand, waiting for his response. After a few moments of silence, she was almost convinced that the call had dropped. However, she eventually heard some scuffling over the phone that signified that he was still there.
“You know what? Let’s do it. I’ll head over to your shop and we can handle this during my lunch break.”
“Perfect,” Thea said with a smile. “I’ll see you then.”
As she waited for him to come by, she decided to finish up a few more small errands around A Stitch in Time. She kept herself preoccupied, doing her best to get as much done as possible. After all, she anticipated that she would be returning late to the shop. Thus, she was motivated to get as much done in the little time she had available.
A few minutes after on
e o’clock, the door to her shop opened. Blaine walked in, wearing a style of clothing that differed from his usual get-up. He wore a plain black shirt with jeans and sneakers. Thea let out an amused hum.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, motioning behind him with his thumb. “I parked my car outside.”
“Yeah, let’s get going,” Thea said, untying the splattered apron she wore and setting it on her counter. “I like your outfit today.”
“Really?” Blaine took a look at his own clothing. “I mean, it’s okay. I just threw it on because I needed something to wear.”
“It’s casual. I like it. You’re usually wearing that big green jacket and those boots that make a lot of noise when you walk.”
“Hey, I kinda like that outfit, y’know,” Blaine threw back playfully, opening the door for her as they exited the shop. “But thanks anyways. Glad to know you like my style.”
The ride to the animal shelter was relatively short and sweet, as the two of them talked like a pair of old friends. Conversation came easily to Thea when she was around him. There was a comforting air that radiated off of him that made it easier to open up.
If only she would have known back in high school that this was how Blaine truly was. An easygoing, intelligent guy who could keep a discussion going naturally. She might have befriended him sooner.
When they finally arrived at the shelter, Thea was excited to see the displays of small animals that surrounded them the moment they walked through the door. There were so many puppies and kittens, eager to be held by someone. Although Blaine wanted to begin talking with the receptionist, Thea dragged him over to where a pair of kittens were. She encouraged him to pet one, and after a bit of insistence on her part, he eventually did. It made her smile.
“How are you two?” an older woman came by to ask. She was wearing a bright blue shirt with the name of the shelter across the front. “Are you two looking to adopt one? They’re cute, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are!” Thea agreed, cooing as she held the small kitten in her palms. She was almost reminded of Sybil.
“We were mainly just looking around for now,” Blaine replied to the woman, smiling as he turned back towards Thea. “Who knows? We may even decide to take one of these little guys home.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” the woman exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together. “Are you two a couple? A pet would be a great way to unite your home.”
Blaine let out a small laugh. “We’re just–”
“Yeah, we’re a couple!” Thea interjected, earning a wide-eyed look from Blaine. “We wanted to stop by and see the animals. Even though we weren’t planning to adopt, we could always change our mind. Right, babe?”
Catching on to her game, Blaine was quick to nod his head and reassure the woman. However, the whole situation still managed to take his breath away. “O-Of course.”
The lady was eager to show them around, pointing out the various puppies and kittens that they were nursing. There were a few that truly made Thea’s heart melt when she gazed at them. If she could have, she would’ve taken them all home and cared for them herself. Besides, she was thinking about getting Sybil some company for a while now.
“They’re all so cute,” Thea whispered, petting a kitten’s head with two fingers. “And you guys take care of them until they’re fully grown?”
“Yep! Most people tend to adopt them before that happens, though,” the woman replied.
“Do you guys allow volunteers?” Blaine asked, glancing over at Thea who was too focused on the various kittens meowing in their carrier.
“Yes, actually! We encourage people to help out and volunteer. Some people become regulars around here!”
“Really? Like who?” Blaine questioned, hoping to ask about Eric soon.
“Oh, we have a few people who like to come by and help out whenever they have the time. We actually have a sweetheart who is great with the puppies and he loves working with them. He doesn’t even ask to be paid or anything, he just likes spending time with them! I think the puppies like him, too.”
Blaine raised his eyebrows. “Wow, he sounds like a great person. Who is he?”
“His name is Eric. I think he’ll come by later! He almost always spends his nights here at the animal shelter, cleaning and feeding the animals.”
At that, Thea and Blaine exchanged surprised looks. It seemed that Eric was telling the truth about where he was on the night Rebecca was killed. He really did spend his free time helping out at the animal shelter. Although she wouldn’t have expected to find out like this, she was somewhat glad she did. She could tell that Blaine was, too.
Chapter 23
After parting ways with Blaine from the animal shelter, Thea decided to return to the library. Eric’s alibi seemed legitimate, so she wanted to find out if there were other possible suspects in the Beal family who might know about the blood feud between them and the Smiths. She wanted to make sure that she left no stone unturned in this investigation.
As she walked through the front doors of the library, she was excited to see Granny again. It was another unexpected visit, but she knew that Granny liked them all the same.
Turning the corner to catch a view of the counter, Thea stilled in surprise to see Aunt Tiegen and Granny engaged in a quiet conversation. She raised a brow as she continued to watch them. They were so focused on their discussion that they hadn’t even realized that Thea was standing near by.
Even though their behavior seemed suspicious, Thea was willing to brush it off. She trusted them with her entire being and she knew that neither of them had any malicious intent.
However, she did get tired of standing there like a lost child. She cleared her throat, which jolted Granny and Aunt Tiegen upright.
“Oh, Thea!” Granny exclaimed, beckoning her over. “Are you going to start surprising me with a visit everyday now? C’mere, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Granny, don’t worry,” Thea responded, taking Granny’s outstretched hand and entwining it with her own. “Aunt Tiegen, I didn’t know that you’d be stopping by here today.”
Her aunt straightened out her clothing. She was wearing a pristine, dark suit as she usually did.
“I was looking for a book about the local zoning laws. I know a bit about the subject matter, but I just wanted to double check and make sure. It’s always good to get a helpful second opinion,” Tiegan replied, glancing briefly towards Granny. “She knows a lot about almost everything.”
“Almost everything?” Granny quipped. “I know everything about everything. I’m like a walking encyclopedia at this point.”
That comment made Thea laugh while Aunt Tiegen sent her a playful roll of her eyes.
“Wait, why do you need to know the local zoning laws? What’s going on? Are you building something in town?” Thea asked, curious to what projects her aunt was developing.
“It’s about the gazebo in the park,” she explained. “Considering that we managed to retouch the old thing, we have to make sure it’s still up to park code. Otherwise, it would get us a little fine for not following the rules. And of course, I’m not going to allow that.”
Granny let out an abrupt laugh as she scanned the book Tiegen wanted and slid it her way. Thea watched as her aunt took the book and placed it under her arm.
“You have a lot of money as the town mayor, don’t you? You shouldn’t be afraid of spending a little cash here and there,” Granny said.
Aunt Tiegen shook her head. “It would be a waste. Who wants to lose their money, anyway? I’d rather reinvest it back into Ardensville.”
While Granny nodded her head in agreement, Tiegen looked over to Thea.
“I hope you’re staying out of trouble,” she said quietly. “Don’t mess around too much, Thea. For your own good.”
“I’m not messing around in anything, Aunt Tiegen,” Thea responded with a hint of a frown, wondering why she would say that in the first place.
Although she felt that
her aunt didn’t believe her, Tiegen didn’t press into the matter further. She said her goodbyes to both Thea and Granny before exiting the library hastily. As Thea watched as she left, she couldn’t help but muse about what was going on with her aunt. Maybe stress was getting to her? Who knows.
“Come here, Thea,” Granny said suddenly, beckoning her to follow. Her words knocked Thea out of her daze. “I’ve got something I wanted to show you.”
“What’s going on?” Thea asked, trailing behind the elderly woman.
Granny led her to a table. Sprawled out over its surface was the Beal family tree, depicting generations of their family spanning back to the town’s founding. Thea skimmed over the various names and the years in which they lived, starting from the top and gradually making her way towards the bottom.
She found herself gazing at the most recent generation, which had her own name listed right below the names of her parents. Once again, she was confused to see how the dates of their deaths weren't listed. Every other Beal that passed away had that under theirs. Why didn’t her parents get the same treatment?
“Granny, there’s that mistake I was telling you about,” Thea said, pointing to the empty area underneath her parent’s names. “Their deaths aren’t recorded. It makes it seem as if they’re alive.”
“That’s because they are alive, Thea.”
Thea furrowed her eyebrows together. She couldn’t understand what her grandmother was telling her. What did she mean that her parents were still alive?
“What... Granny, what are you talking about?” Thea managed out slowly. “You’ve gotta be joking, right? This is all a little joke. You’re not serious, are you?”
“I’m entirely serious,” she replied. Granny didn’t have that typical flare in her voice that she had when she was playing around. She was stoic. It made Thea’s blood run cold. “The records and the family tree are correct. They were never updated because your parents never died.”
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