by Sarah Fox
“I understand. I’ve known Penny since she was a little girl. If she’s innocent and I can help prove it, then I’m all for it.” He pointed at the computer screen. “As you can see, this security camera doesn’t show the church.”
The screen displayed a frozen frame of a view of the sidewalk in front of his shop.
“I’m sorry,” I said, disappointed. “I guess this was all for nothing then.”
“Not so fast.” He clicked the mouse. “First, watch this.”
The time code on the screen counted away the seconds, but nothing else changed for a moment. Then I noticed movement in the upper left corner.
A red car had pulled up to the curb, not much more than its wheels showing.
“Now we have to fast-forward again,” Mr. Leyland said.
With another click of the mouse, the recording zoomed forward, although it was hard to tell from the static image. Nobody walked past the office and the car remained parked by the curb. After the time code had moved forward about an hour, Mr. Leyland switched the video back to normal speed.
A few seconds later, the car drove away.
My hope of finding important evidence evaporated.
“Thanks for going to the trouble of showing this to me,” I said. “Unfortunately, we don’t know whose car that was. Even if we could prove that it was Penny’s, which is doubtful, this footage doesn’t show where she went between parking her car and driving away again. For all we know, she could have run over to the town hall, killed Freddy, and run back.”
“That’s true. Let’s try the other camera.”
“The one out the back?” I asked, confused. I didn’t see how that could help us.
“No, out front.”
“Emery told me you only had one camera out front.”
“That used to be the case, but then those break-ins started a few weeks ago. My buddy Pete Mintzer owns the dollar store across the street, right next to the church. We were talking about ways to beef up our security and we decided to add extra cameras. Now I’ve got one trained on his business, and he’s got one aimed at mine.”
“And yours shows the church?” I asked with a hint of renewed hope.
“It does. Not the entire front of the building, mind you, but it shows the front door.”
He maneuvered the mouse and called up the footage from the second camera. With a few more clicks, he accessed the files from the day of Freddy’s murder.
I tried not to fidget with impatience as he got the recording to the point where the red car drove up in front of his office. This time, all we could see was the roof of the car, until someone climbed out of the driver’s side. That same person crossed the street and walked into the church.
“That’s Penny, right?” I said.
It was a woman, but she never faced the camera, so it was hard to be sure of her identity.
“I think so.”
I was disappointed that Mr. Leyland didn’t sound any more certain than I did.
He fast forwarded through the footage until the front door of the church opened again. The same woman emerged from the church and walked across the street, getting closer to the camera.
“It is her!” I said with excitement.
There was no doubt about it now. The light of a nearby streetlamp lit up her face, making it clear enough to identify.
As we continued to watch, Penny climbed into the parked car and drove off.
“What do you think?” Mr. Leyland asked as he stopped the recording.
“I think you should share this with the police as soon as possible,” I said.
“This could help Penny?”
“Very much so,” I said.
If the time code was accurate, Penny had driven away from the church right before Shontelle had seen her. And that meant she didn’t have time to stop and kill Freddy before heading off to meet the reporter.
Chapter 26
Before I’d left Mr. Leyland’s shop, I’d experienced a sudden rush of uncertainty. I was worried that when presented with the video footage, the police would say that Penny could have gone out the back door of the church, killed Freddy, and then gone back through the church in the hope of establishing an alibi.
However, when I’d voiced that concern to Mr. Leyland, he’d quickly put it to rest. He attended the church regularly. Apparently, the back door was for emergency use only. If anyone opened it, an alarm would sound, so the only way Penny could have entered or exited the church was through the front door.
That meant she was innocent. I was sure of it now.
But somebody was guilty of killing Freddy and Jade. Somebody who was still on the loose.
And what was good news for Penny could be bad news for Mel. She’d probably be Detective Marquez’s prime suspect now.
I tossed and turned that night, troubled by those thoughts. When morning arrived, I was no less uneasy. I felt like I was letting Mel down. I wanted so badly to prove her innocence, but the only way I could do that was to find out who the real killer was, and I hadn’t made much progress.
I spent some time in my cubbyhole of an office, paying bills and placing some orders with the Inkwell’s suppliers. That helped to keep my mind from going in circles, at least for a little while. I was getting tired of sitting at my desk when I received a text message from Shontelle.
Guess who’s playing hockey this morning.
The brewery? I wrote back.
Will I see you there?
I’ll watch for a while, I replied. I could use some fresh air.
It took only seconds for Shontelle to write back. Fresh air. Right. Wouldn’t want to miss out on that.
She followed that up with a winking emoji.
I responded with one with its tongue sticking out.
When I reached the outdoor rink, Shontelle was already there. She waved and I joined her on one of the wooden benches.
“I brought you some hot chocolate,” she said, handing me a cup.
“Mmm. Thank you.” I took a sip of the rich, delicious drink. It was nice and warm, but not too hot.
The hockey players were out on the ice, warming up. The Spirit Hill Brewery was set to play the grocery store’s team. I picked out Grayson among the players. He was chatting with Jason while he stretched at the far side of the rink.
“Is your mom watching the store?” I asked Shontelle.
“She is. She wanted me to have a chance to get out and enjoy some of the Winter Carnival.”
“That’s nice of her.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Shontelle admitted.
As a single mother and a business owner, Shontelle had a lot on her plate. I didn’t know how she managed to juggle everything so well. Some days I felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities that came with running a business and I didn’t have a child to look after on top of that. Luckily, her mom seemed to enjoy helping out, both with the shop and with Kiandra.
The half dozen picnic tables and benches had filled up with spectators, and the game was about to get underway. The players took up their positions at center ice, Grayson included. The puck dropped and the game began.
Shontelle nudged me with her elbow. “So, what have you decided to do about Christmas?”
“I haven’t decided anything,” I said as I watched Jason pass the puck to one of his teammates.
“Then your plans with Grayson still stand?”
“For the moment.”
I was relieved when two women came over to say hi to Shontelle, putting an end to our conversation. Shontelle introduced me to the women, who both had daughters in Kiandra’s class at school, but when they started chatting about upcoming school events, I focused my attention on the game.
Grayson had a good scoring chance, but the opposing team’s goalie snatched up the puck, preventing it from crossing the line.
I cheered on the brewery’s team as they got ready for another face-off.
As I watched the game, I thought about all the reasons why it would
be best to renege on my acceptance of Grayson’s invitation and suggest we both go to Shontelle’s place instead.
For starters, we had a tendency to rile each other up. At least, he had a tendency to rile me up. And I seemed to have a habit of embarrassing myself whenever I ended up alone with him.
What if the dinner turned out to be painfully awkward?
I recalled the conversation we’d had in his car before we found Jade’s body. I’d managed to say—or almost say—something embarrassing, as usual, but I wouldn’t have described the time spent with him as awkward. In fact, it had been nice to get to know him a little better.
Maybe I was overthinking things.
That was most likely the case.
I let out a groan as the grocery store’s team scored the first goal of the game. My disappointment vanished minutes later when Grayson got a breakaway and scored a beautiful goal.
I jumped up from the bench and cheered along with some of the other spectators in the small crowd.
Grayson zoomed past. His eyes locked on mine and he grinned at me before hopping off the ice to take a seat on his team’s bench. My heart did a funny flip-flop as I sat back down next to Shontelle. Her friends had moved on to find seats elsewhere and she was smiling at me.
“You can’t deny he’s got a great smile,” she said.
Great smile, great eyes, great—
I stopped my thoughts in their tracks.
Despite the cold air, my cheeks heated up.
“Sure, he’s attractive,” I said, trying not to sound too interested.
“Attractive, charming, successful. Do I need to go on?”
“Nope. Not necessary.” I kept my eyes focused on the game.
“I’m sure Lara Hawkes could add to the list.”
My gaze snapped her way. “Lara?”
“I saw them at the bank yesterday.”
My stomach gave an unpleasant quiver. “Together?”
“They didn’t arrive together, but Lara was clearly hoping they’d leave together.”
“Did they?”
Shontelle clapped, reminding me that I was supposed to be watching the hockey game.
She let out a sound of disappointment. “Too bad.”
I had no idea what had just happened on the ice because all my attention was fixed on Shontelle.
“Did they?” I asked again.
Her eyes were wide with feigned innocence. “Did who what?”
“Shontelle!”
She laughed, but then put an arm around me and gave me a squeeze. “You have nothing to worry about, Sadie. He wasn’t the least bit interested.”
I didn’t like how relieved I felt. I had enough on my mind without falling for Grayson Blake.
I forced myself to refocus on the game, but my attention was diverted only moments later.
“Did you hear about Penny Blaine?” a woman seated on the bench next to ours said to the man beside her.
“I heard she was arrested. That’s old news now.”
“Not that. She’s going to be released. Probably tomorrow, if not today. Apparently there’s evidence that she didn’t kill Freddy Mancini after all.”
“Is that true?” Shontelle whispered to me.
“The part about the evidence is,” I said. “I hadn’t heard that she was going to be released, but I figured that would probably happen.”
“Let me guess,” Shontelle said. “You’re the one who found the evidence.”
“I might have helped,” I admitted. “But the police probably would have discovered it eventually.”
I explained to her how Mr. Leyland had been out of town and hadn’t checked his security footage or spoken to the police until the day before.
“I hear that woman who works at the pub had it in for Freddy and his assistant,” the man on the next bench said.
I stiffened, my cheeks burning with indignation.
“He means Mel, doesn’t he?” Shontelle said quietly.
I nodded, too upset to speak. I hated the fact that rumors were flying about Mel. Even worse was the fact that the police were probably thinking along the same lines.
A whistle blew, bringing the first period of the hockey game to an end. I noted that the scoreboard had the game tied at one.
I stood up. “I’d better get back to the Inkwell. It’s almost time to open for the day.”
“Will I see you at the light parade tonight?” Shontelle asked.
The parade was one of the highlights of the Winter Carnival, so I’d been told. Each year people spent weeks, even months, planning and constructing their floats.
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I’d like to, but I’ll have to see if I can get away from the pub.”
I said good-bye to Shontelle and set off for the Inkwell, feeling even more unsettled than I had during the night.
* * *
When I arrived back at the pub, Mel was already there for her shift and Booker was at work in the kitchen.
“How’s the brewery team doing?” Mel asked when I told her I’d been at the outdoor rink.
“The game was tied when I left,” I said.
“Are you rooting for their competition?”
“Because the brewery’s team beat ours?”
Mel shrugged. “You do seem to have a rivalry with Grayson.”
I thought I detected a hint of amusement in her eyes, but I couldn’t be sure.
“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry,” I said. “More like a friendly, competitive spirit.”
Shontelle would have laughed at that.
“And, actually,” I continued, “I was cheering for the brewery.”
“That’s probably a good thing, since we do business with them,” Mel said before changing the subject. “I’m guessing you’ll have a lull tonight during the parade, but be prepared for a rush after it’s over. That’s what happens every year. People like to come in for a drink and something to eat after standing out in the cold.”
“In that case, I’ll make sure the overflow rooms are ready.”
I flipped the CLOSED sign on the front door to OPEN and then checked out the Stewart Room. I’d given it a good clean recently, so everything was still shipshape. I checked the Christie Room next.
As I ran my gaze over the room, I zeroed in on the shelf to my left. There was no longer a gap between the books. I hurried over to the shelf. My eyes hadn’t played a trick on me. The missing books were back in place. I removed them from the shelf and carefully opened the covers, one at a time. There was no doubt about it. They were definitely my books. The inscriptions from my dad proved it.
I flipped through the pages and found with relief that both books seemed unharmed. Maybe someone had simply wanted to borrow them and didn’t want to ask, for whatever reason. Or maybe they’d stolen the books and then their conscience got the better of them.
I sank down into the nearest chair, the books still in my grasp, as I blinked away tears. I’d thought the books were gone forever, and having them back in my hands brought me such a rush of relief and happiness that it was almost overwhelming.
My tears under control, I set the books back on the shelf and left the room.
Mel was in the midst of lining up clean pint glasses on a shelf under the bar.
“Mel, has anyone else been in here this morning?”
She seemed surprised by the question. “Booker’s here, of course. His girlfriend was with him when he arrived, but she only stayed a few minutes. And Gilda stopped by briefly. She was wondering if you were going to the parade tonight. Oh, and Rick from the brewery brought today’s delivery.” She placed the last glass on the shelf. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s the opposite, really.” I told her about the reappearance of my missing books.
“That’s strange. I didn’t see anyone go into the Christie Room, but I was in the back at times.”
The front door opened and the first customers of the day hurried in from the cold.
“It doesn’t matte
r,” I said to Mel.
I put a smile on my face and greeted the customers. I got them settled at a table and returned to the bar while they looked over the menus.
Mel had her phone out, but as I approached, she tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans, her face grim.
“Have you heard that Penny Blaine’s going to be released from custody?” she asked me.
“I found out a little while ago,” I said, my unease returning.
I could tell she knew as well as I did that Penny’s good fortune didn’t bode well for her.
“I think you should start looking for a replacement,” Mel said in a low voice so the customers wouldn’t overhear.
“A replacement for what?” I asked.
“For me.”
I gaped at her. “Mel! Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It would be the smart thing to do, Sadie.”
“But you’re innocent.”
“I might end up having to prove that in court.”
I shook my head, not wanting to believe it.
“I can recommend someone,” Mel said.
“Let’s not jump off that bridge until we get to it, all right?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s right in front of us.”
Fear settled heavily in my stomach.
No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I knew what Mel said could be true.
Chapter 27
When Mel’s shift ended, she told me she was going home to call her lawyer. While I figured that was a good move, I wished she didn’t have a need for legal representation.
“I feel so useless,” I confided to Damien after I’d brought him up to speed. “There must be something I can do to help her.”
“She’s got a lawyer. That’s what she needs most.” Damien shot a glance my way as he filled a pint glass with Hopposites Attract, one of the beers supplied by Grayson’s brewery. “She definitely doesn’t need you getting in trouble trying to hunt down the real killer.”
“The only thing I plan to hunt for is more clues.”
“Same thing, isn’t it?”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond. He set the pint glass on a tray with two others and carried it over to a table where three men were eating nachos and burgers.