And who was calling pretending to be a dead person?
She sighed and rolled over. She tried to tell herself everything would be okay. The last thing she remembered was the clock reading two-thirty.
After Sean left in the morning, Ashley packed their bags, filled up two large bowls with dry food for the cats, and left extra water bowls out. Her parents would stop by and give them wet food and keep them company every other day. They would be fine.
Charlie came around the corner, looked at the travel bags and sniffed them, then shot her an accusatory look as if to say, “You just got back! You can’t leave again so soon.”
Ashley picked him up and buried her face in his neck. He started to purr.
“Mom and Dad will be here to check on you and Susie while we’re gone. Sorry, but it’s going to be a few days. I’ll leave lots of treats.”
As if on cue, Susie Q walked around the corner and let out a yowl. Ashley put Charlie down and walked into the kitchen and gave them some of their favorite filet cuts. Both cats gobbled it up and went into the living room to groom themselves.
Ashley looked around their small but perfect little apartment. She loved it here. Maybe next year they would be able to buy a house, but in the meantime, this was home, and what a snuggly little home it was. She went around, straightening everything up so it would be nice and clean when they got back. She walked into the kitchen to put away the dishes and make sure everything was tidy.
Just then she heard a loud crash from the living room. She ran in and Charlie was crouched and hissing. He had knocked over a stack of Sean’s old books piled on the end table. No big deal, but the sound had scared him.
“Sorry Charlie! Sean was supposed to have put those away a few weeks ago.”
She walked over and petted him, then started to pick up and re-stack the books. As she bent over, she noticed one thinner book had fallen open to a page with black and white photos on it. It was an old yearbook from Heatherton middle school. Her eyes zeroed in on one photo. It was a cute, smiling boy with thick, dark hair. The inscription was written in a flowery hand.
To Sean,
Thanks for always being so nice to me. When everyone else made fun of me, you didn’t. When everyone else wouldn’t be my friend, you were. Hope we’re on the next soccer team together,
Ben
Ashley stared at the book. Ben must have moved out of town right after middle school. That’s why Sean didn’t keep up with him. But it seems that Ben had been very appreciative of Sean’s friendship long ago. How sad to have met such a fate.
She held onto the book and pressed it tight against her. Charlie was staring at her.
“Thank you Charlie. Maybe Detective Miller will want to see this.”
Tomorrow would be quite a day. She wasn’t sure she was ready for it, but it seemed to be all planned out exactly as it should happen.
Another Shakespeare quote came to Ashley. This one from Hamlet. “Our wills and fates do so contrary run.”
***
Sean and Ashley set out early in the morning so they would arrive in Brewer by lunchtime. They stopped and took photos along the way, along with a few quick rest stops. The scenery was breathtaking. Everything was a brilliant early summer green and the trees glistened with dewdrops from the rain the night before. The sun shone on the mountain slopes and the air was clean and fresh. When they pulled into the small town of Brewer, beautifully colored banners and signs hung everywhere advertising the plays and the players. Shakespearian actors roamed the streets in their period garb and chatted with the tourists in town. There were stalls selling ale and honey mead, and produce in baskets and flowers everywhere. A little tea shop in town was doing brisk business, and the pubs were all full of tourists. One gentleman moved through the crowd juggling, and another group did period dances in an opening next to a restaurant.
“A good day to you sir!” one actor shouted.
A woman was complaining to a friend that she couldn’t get a ticket for that night. The actor swooped in close and exclaimed. “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much!” Laughter was heard all around from the crowds.
It was lively and festive and belied the terrible tragedy that had taken place not so long ago. On one hand, it was good to see business going so well for the troupe and the town, on the other, it was eerie that “the show must go on,” especially for Ben’s family and friends.
Ashley and Sean checked into their little B &B and quickly unpacked their clothes. It was cute and quaint, and had a small basket on the dresser with fruit and chocolates and two bottles of water in it. Ashley read the card:
Welcome to Brewer, home of The Play’s The Thing. We hope you enjoy your stay, Green Forest B&B
“How nice. We can take the fruit and water with us and get some sandwiches in town before we head to the police station,” Ashley said. She noticed the bottles of water had “Courtesy of PWCS Company” on them, and a drawing of trees and smiling forest animals.
They got two sandwiches at a deli and sat on a town bench while they ate. The police station was only a few blocks away. They’d have plenty of time to really talk to Detective Miller.
People were milling all around as they ate and talking about the shows that had just opened.
“I loved The Taming of the Shrew,” one said. “So funny!”
“And Midsummer’s Night Dream too,” said another. “My husband laughed so hard.”
“What are you seeing tomorrow?” another one asked.
“Romeo and Juliet,” came the answer.
“Oooo, I can’t see that! An actor was poisoned in it!”
“Yes, but that’s just a plot line.”
“No it isn’t. It really happened. Haven’t you heard? The actor actually died in rehearsal. Someone poisoned him.”
“Really? Oh no! How awful.” The person paused. “I really want to see it now.”
“It’s been a big hit. Not only because it’s always a popular play, but because of the murder.”
As they walked off, an old man muttered sarcastically to his wife.
“How ghoulish. Human nature at its finest.”
Ashley and Sean finished their sandwiches and stared at one another quietly.
She cleared her throat and sighed. “Time to go.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Before we have to listen to any more stories of how much people never cease to disappoint.”
***
When Ashley and Sean got to the police station, a receptionist called Detective Miller right away.
Miller walked out of his office and briskly extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Detective,” Ashley said. “This is my husband Sean.”
“Come in, come in. I have lots of questions.”
“So do we,” Ashley said. Sean handed the detective his phone to look over, and Harley handed Miller the old yearbook.
“What’s this?” Miller asked.
“It’s my middle school yearbook. With a photo and inscription to me by Ben Colton. I forgot I even had it,” Sean said.
“My cat knocked it off a shelf. When I saw Ben’s photo, I thought you might like to have it for the investigation,” Ashley said.
Miller looked at the young, smiling face in the book. “Looks like a sweet kid. What a shame. Thanks.”
Miller went over everything he knew about the case from the time the body was found until now. He talked about what appeared to be the motive, what the rumors were about a love triangle, and what the parents had to say about Ben’s last phone call telling them about corruption and a cover up over the water rights in town. They in turn elaborated on the attempted break in of their apartment and the phone calls.
“And Harley?” Ashley asked. “Do you think her disappearance is tied into Ben’s murder?”
“Don’t know for sure,” Miller said. “But it seems to be.”
“Any word on where she might be?”
“Not yet,” he said. “The calls were traced
from your phone, as you know, and we raided the warehouse out of town in the area where they were made from. Nothing much to go on. There was a mattress and a blanket there. Either she was moved, or…” His voice trailed off.
Ashley swallowed hard.
Sean sat there quietly. He looked at the detective. “What about the phone call from the man saying he was Ben Colton?”
“I’ve thought about that. I think it was the person who abducted Harley.”
“What?” Ashley stuttered.
“Well, it’s obviously not Ben, of course. A full autopsy has been done and the deceased is Ben Colton. So someone is trying to toy with you, to spook you, to get you to go away. Simple.”
“To make me go away? Or Ashley?” Sean asked.
“It’s one and the same, isn’t it? You’re a team, right?”
Ashley and Sean looked at each other. Yes of course. They had always been a team, but now with the marriage, even more so.
Ashley looked back at Miller. “What do we do now?” she asked.
Just then, Sean’s cell phone rang again. He didn’t recognize the number. The detective handed the phone back to him and gestured for him to answer it. Sean put his cell on speaker phone.
A soft male voice was on the line. “Sean?”
“It’s me,” Sean said.
“It’s Ben.”
“Uh, hi. Ben, how are you doing? Where are you right now?” Sean spoke softly and deliberately.
“You know where I am,” the voice said.
Then the line went dead.
The detective and Ashley stared open-mouthed at Sean.
Miller jumped up from his chair. “I’ll get someone to try and trace that call now! And let’s go over everything you remember about Ben Colton. And Grant.” He looked at Ashley. “And then whatever else you can tell me about Harley. I have to piece this all together.”
Miller took Sean’s phone and waved in one of his men to try and figure out where the call came from.
They sat and talked for quite a while. Miller listened intently. He asked them the same questions more than once. Ashley was exhausted. Finally, Miller let up.
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll let you go. Please stay close in your hotel and in town.”
Chapter Ten
Sean and Ashley headed back to their B&B. They took in the street fair sights again and stopped for a fruit drink at a small booth, but both of them were distracted and quiet.
“I can’t figure any of this out, Ash. None of this is making sense,” Sean said.
“I know. It’s crazy,” Ashley said. “I need time to think too.”
“But we have the play to see tonight,” Sean said.
“Right, and that will help me figure things out,” she replied.
They went out to dinner before the show and noticed the mood of the townsfolk was lighthearted. Most everyone was here to see the plays, but people were also in town to visit this beautiful part of the northwest. There was hiking, sightseeing, and rafting in the area. The tourists promised to be a good source of income for the region. Every now and then, they saw pamphlets in the newspaper stand with “PWCS News” on them. Next to them were other pamphlets with “Citizens Rights” on them. Ashley collected a few to read later. They found a small cafe with a good menu and settled in for their meal.
As they were eating, Ashley noticed a group of men come in and wait to be seated. A server looked as if he knew them and sat them right away at a large table in the back corner of the restaurant. They had suits on and something about them made it look as if they weren’t here to see plays. Were they businessmen? They were too far away for Ashley to hear what they were talking about. The men leaned into each other intensely as they talked. As Ashley and Sean ate, she kept trying to peer at them and record their faces in her mind.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Sean asked.
“I don’t know what’s going on at that table over there in the corner, but somehow those guys look like outsiders,” Ashley said.
“Ash, it’s a summer festival. Most of these people here are outsiders,” he said.
“No. I mean that they aren’t interested in theater. They’re here for something else.”
Just then, a couple sat down at the table next to them. They were older, perhaps in their late sixties, or early seventies. Their faces were downcast, as if they were very troubled. They didn’t say much at first. Instead, they just ordered their meal and got quiet again. Finally, the woman spoke.
“That’s them,” the woman said, glancing in the direction of the men at the far table. “Those disgusting human beings who want to control this town and steal the water. I’ve read up on that company and they must be the people that Ben said were involved in the corruption up here. And I don’t care what anyone says, I know they had something to do with Ben’s murder.” She choked on her last words and her eyes filled with tears. The man reached over the table and gently put his hand on hers.
“I’m not going to turn around and stare at them, dear. We don’t know anything for sure yet. Those men could be part of it, or they could not be involved at all. I know this is hard, but we have to just get through the investigation and hope that the police will bring Ben’s killer to justice.” His eyes were filled with pain as he looked at her. When their food arrived, the couple fell back into silence, no doubt unable to engage in idle chit-chat.
Ashley nudged Sean under the table. He looked at her, then at his phone. Ashley had sent him a text that read, Ben’s parents.
Sean texted back, Sounds like it.
Ashley and Sean didn’t talk much as they ate either. Ashley shot another glance at the table in the rear corner and saw one of the men laugh and slap another man’s back. They shook hands, and the man who laughed got up and started to walk out of the restaurant. He didn’t slow down as he walked by Ben’s parents’ table, but his eyes darted to the left to look at them quickly as he passed by. A label on his jacket said PWCS.
The wife hissed at him in a low voice, “Murderer.”
The man didn’t acknowledge the remark. He just kept walking to the front of the restaurant and out the door.
The woman dabbed her eyes. “Let’s get the check. I have to get back to the hotel and lie down.”
Her husband quietly nodded and signaled for the check.
He slowly glanced back at the group of remaining men and saw them looking in his direction. He quickly turned back around. “We need to be careful, dear. Let the police do their work.”
Ashley didn’t want to discuss the case or that they knew about Ben, but she leaned over and said, “Didn’t mean to listen in, but we couldn’t help it. Sorry to hear about your son. Our condolences.”
The couple looked startled and stared at them for a moment.
Then the husband spoke softly, “Thank you.” He didn’t question anything. He just got up from the table and reached for his wife’s arm.
Then they left the restaurant as quietly as they had come.
Like ghosts, Ashley thought.
Ashley and Sean paid their bill and left. That evening they were seeing A Midsummer’s Night Dream. It was a good performance and they laughed along with the audience. A separate notice in the playbill said that the roles of Helena and Demetrius would be played by the understudies. Of course. Those two roles were originally scheduled to be played by Harley and Grant.
***
When the show was over, the playgoers spilled out into the streets. Ashley glanced around at the crowd before they walked back to their B&B, which was located on a side street. She thought she heard footsteps behind and twice looked around to see if they were being followed. But she couldn’t see anyone, just the crowd off in the distance. As soon as they got back to their room, Ashley opened up their window and looked out at the clear sky and the full moon. She had a thought to look up PWCS and learn more about the company. She remembered the pamphlets and quickly perused them. They were totally at odds with each other.
PWCS talked glowingly
about how their dedication to preserving the pristine environment in this corner of the world was paramount.
“With the right controls and oversight, only a small percentage of the water will be bottled and sold. The effect on the environment will be minimal, while much needed jobs and economic prosperity will continue to buoy the region. And this water will satiate so many who need access to pure, clean water.”
There was a chart of growth for the region outlined in bright colors, and those same smiling animal faces dotted throughout. And a reminder that those who did not live near such a bountiful water supply could benefit from having access to the bottles sold throughout the country. It looked so tidy, and believable. And the pictures of animals and trees were designed to make it look like an “earthy company in harmony with nature.”
The pamphlet for Citizens Rights was a different story altogether. It lambasted PWCS and outlined all the devastation the company would leave in its wake. There were scientific reports of the damage it would do to the environment, and statistical reports that seemed to belie any long term economic growth except for the company itself. Lastly, it bemoaned the question of why should the locals give up their water rights only to have their water sold back to them for a profit?
After reading the material, Ashley immediately looked up the company and studied the top level executives. Not to mention their official titles.
Nothing wrong with that, she thought. Drive and hard work can pay off. But it depends on what you do to get your money.
The Chief Executive Officer’s face stared out at her. His name was Douglas Anderson. He was married and had two kids. He also owned multiple homes.
His was a pleasant smiling face. There were pictures with his employees, shaking hands and walking through the bottling plants. It listed his hobbies as sailing and piloting small planes. And said that he loved to relax with his family and friends while vacationing in exotic locations. How nice for him.
Ashley Crane Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 66