by Sonia Parin
“If Doyle is leading you this way, shouldn’t he be in front of you?”
Abby peered over her shoulder. Doyle was lagging behind and looking over his shoulder, probably thinking about his special spot by the lovely fireplace at the pub. “He was in front of me a moment ago, now he’s sniffing something. That’s what dogs do, mom. Come on, Doyle. Keep up.”
Doyle scurried on ahead, stopped outside a store and looked at Abby.
When Abby reached the store, she looked in the window. “I’ve been meaning to get a new pair of jeans. Maybe I should go in and have a look around.” And kill some more time, she thought, trying to delay her return to the pub for as long as possible.
“Do you think this is the best time for it, Abby? You’ve just pigged out. You’d have to shoehorn yourself into them.”
Abby smiled. “Thanks for the motherly advice. More reason to keep walking.”
Doyle sighed and hung his head as if to say he had no reason for the extra exercise because he hadn’t pigged out.
“Here comes trouble,” her mom exclaimed.
Abby looked up and saw Detective Joshua Ryan headed her way. When he saw her, he stopped and ducked inside a store.
“That looked odd. I get the feeling he’s trying to avoid you, Abby.”
Abby guessed he wanted to avoid being seen by her mom. Too late, she thought, knowing very little escaped her mom’s attention. “Why would he do that? We get along great.”
“Oh, do you? Tell me more.”
“Mom, you’ve never been a matchmaker. Please don’t start now.”
“You said it yourself, you get along. That’s a solid foundation.”
“For friendship,” Abby clarified.
As they strode past the store, Joshua waved to her. Abby kept the phone pointed in the opposite direction and mouthed, “What?”
Joshua wrote something down on his notebook and held it up.
Why did he want to meet?
Nodding, she continued along her way. When she turned the corner, she peered over her shoulder and saw Joshua following several steps behind.
Had she set something into motion?
***
“THIS IS THE RESIDENTS’ ENTRANCE to the pub,” Abby said. “I usually come in this way to avoid being distracted when I just want to get to my apartment.” Or, she thought, when she wanted to keep her mom in the dark…
Abby took the stairs two steps at a time and hoped she wouldn’t bump into any of the tourists along the way. “You must be getting sleepy.”
Right on cue, her mom yawned. “I’m trying to adjust to your time but I think it might take a couple of days. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a quick nap.”
Striding into her apartment, Abby nearly collapsed with relief. “You go ahead and do that.”
“I should be awake in time for dinnertime,” her mom said. “I wouldn’t mind catching up with the group.”
One hurdle at a time, Abby thought. “Okay. You call me when you’re ready and I’ll set up the video chat again.”
She sank into the couch and groaned. “Doyle, if you could talk I’m sure you’d have a few choice words to say about human behavior. What was I supposed to do?” She sent Joshua a text message. A few minutes later, he knocked on her door.
Abby smiled. “Come in at your own peril. I might be contagious.”
Joshua chuckled and looked at her cell phone.
Abby nodded. “It’s safe to talk. My mom’s taking a break.”
He sighed. “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to organize an entire town to do your bidding. Everyone is speaking in hushed tones and looking over their shoulders to make sure you’re nowhere near them.”
“Well, I’ve been here long enough to know they’re going along because they know I’m going to fall on my face at some point. This will backfire on me, I’m sure it will, and the good folk of Eden just love the entertainment factor, especially on a slow news day. Please tell me this is one of them.”
“Looks like it,” Joshua said.
“So, what are you doing in town?”
“A tourist dying while on vacation?” He slumped down on the couch. “It’s usually up to the police to notify the next of kin.”
“Oh. I see. That must be tough.”
“Yeah,” he raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s the grim side of the job. The relatives live in Melbourne so the local police had to take care of it.” He looked around. “I don’t suppose you have a drink here.”
Abby strode over to her tiny kitchen and dug out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. “Wine?”
He checked his watch. “That’ll do. I’m officially off-duty.”
“So, what happened?” Abby hadn’t had any time to think about the events that had ended with a tourist dead outside the pub. She had gaps and her natural curiosity needed them to be filled.
“The bus driver made a call to emergency services saying someone on the bus appeared to be having a heart attack,” Joshua explained. “He asked the operator where the ambulance would be coming from. Rather than stopping the bus, he decided to meet them half way and so he drove into town.”
Abby gave a pensive nod. “Oh, yes. I think he tried to clear the way by tooting his horn. That’s when we noticed the bus cannoning into town.” Abby brushed her hand across her face. She too had been thinking on her feet. In that split second, Abby had decided to bide her time and withhold the information from her mom for as long as possible. Had it been the right decision?
“Despite the bus driver’s efforts, he didn’t make it in time.” Joshua took a sip of wine and then pushed out a breath. “So, what’s this about you keeping your mom out of the loop?”
Abby sat down and tucked her feet under her. “Yeah, it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas. I’m afraid I fell victim to my own kneejerk reaction. Mom’s so reluctant to travel, I didn’t want her to think about the risks she could face.” She leaned back and groaned. “I cannot believe this.”
“Yeah, how dare he die while you’re trying to impress your mom.”
“Go ahead. Have fun at my expense.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Joshua asked. “You can’t possibly keep this from her. She’s bound to notice someone missing from the group.”
Nibbling the tip of her thumb, she shrugged. “I’ll have to find the appropriate moment to break it to her. That reminds me, I have to make a call.” She searched through her contact list and found the number for her mom’s neighbor. When she finished the call, she poured herself another glass of wine. “Lou-Anne is level-headed and knows how jittery my mom is about traveling. She’ll be at hand when I decide to come clean.” A load off her mind, Abby thought.
“Do you actually think your mom will be upset?”
Abby gave a small shrug. “Despite her strange aversion to traveling, mom is level-headed too.” She brushed her hand across her forehead. “After dad died, she brought me up alone and did such a good job, I never felt I was missing out on anything. Our lives had been shattered and my life could have been shadowed by the loss but mom filled each day with brightness. I don’t know what to think at this point. I know she’s strong. Regardless, I can’t help thinking this is bad news and she shouldn’t be alone when I break it to her. I’m sure I would have done the same for anyone else.”
Doyle clambered up onto the couch and curled up on her lap.
“Did he have a pre-existing condition?” Abby asked.
“There will most likely be an autopsy so we’ll have to wait for the results.”
Abby wondered if there had been any warning signs. “He looked fit and healthy.”
“Stress can be a killer,” Joshua mused.
Abby frowned. “While on vacation? I don’t think so.”
“Who knows? He might have forgotten to take his medication.”
“What’s everyone in town saying?” Abby asked. “I’ve been with mom for most of the day so I haven’t had a chance to talk with anyone else.”
“Th
ey’re mostly talking about his age. The usual stuff. Too young to die. They have a point. You work all your life. Then you retire and you think you’re finally enjoying life when it’s suddenly cut short.”
They both sipped their wines in silence for a few minutes.
“You just never know when it’s all going to end.”
Abby agreed. “It serves as a reminder to always make the best of it and never leave for tomorrow what you can do today.”
“That reminds me…” Joshua finished his drink and checked his watch. “I have one more thing to do before I head on home. The pathologist wants a list of his medication or the actual meds. He assumes he’d been taking something.”
Abby had no idea what compelled her to follow Joshua. He sent Mitch a text and within a few minutes Mitch came up with the room key.
While Mitch stood by the door, Joshua dug inside his pocket and produced some rubber gloves.
“Really?” Abby asked. She didn’t have any business going inside, so she remained by the door.
“Habit,” he said. “Also, it pays to play it safe.” Joshua did a thorough search through the room looking for all the meds.
He found a bottle on the bedside table and another two in the toiletries bag.
“Okay. All done here.”
“What about his personal effects?” Abby asked.
“I organized another officer to come tomorrow and collect everything, but his daughter insisted on doing it herself.”
Really? Joshua had said she lived in Melbourne. She’d have to drive for over three hours. “You’d think she’d want to avoid making such a trip so soon after hearing about her loss.”
Joshua shrugged. “She’s determined. The police officer I spoke with said she came across as the type who enjoys being super organized and in control.”
“That’s a blessing in disguise,” Abby said. “At least he didn’t have to deal with someone in shock.”
Joshua looked pensive. “Shock. Disbelief. Denial. Hysterics. I’ve seen it all. I’m just glad I didn’t have to tell her myself. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but it always leaves me slightly shaken. Sometimes I think a part of me crumbles a little… Who knows? Maybe it does, but I…”
“But you soldier on.”
“Yeah. You have to.”
When Joshua finished his search, he gave a firm nod and stepped out of the room.
“He kept a tidy room,” Abby couldn’t help saying as a feeling of awkwardness swept through her. A person’s life had ended and suddenly, everything that had been private became public.
Mitch locked the door and asked, “Will you be coming down?”
“Yes, later on. My mom’s taking a nap.”
“Traveling can be exhausting.” Mitch nodded. “Give me a heads up when you decide to come down. I might have to remind everyone to steer clear of the subject. It’s all everyone can talk about.”
“What about the tourists?” Abby asked. “Have they been out and about?”
Mitch shook his head. “No. They’ve kept to themselves. One of the women took it really hard and had to be sedated.” Shrugging, Mitch went back down to the bar.
Joshua held up the bag of medication. “I should deliver these to the pathologist. I’ll see you around, Abby.”
Returning to her apartment, Abby couldn’t shake off the feeling of death lurking nearby. A man who’d died had been staying in a room two doors down from where she slept. If he hadn’t had the heart attack out on the road, he might have died in his sleep or in the pub.
Hearing her cell phone ringing, she hurried her step and answered on the last ring. “Faith. What’s up?”
“How did I do today? I hope I didn’t give anything away. I’m worried I might have put my foot in it.”
“Relax. You did great.”
“Relax? I thought you were cross with me.”
“Oh, yeah. The slash your throat motion.” Abby chuckled. “You did well. My mom doesn’t suspect anything.” She stretched out on the couch with Doyle at her feet. “I can’t believe the day I’ve had and now I’m having the strangest thoughts. Serves me right. I should have stayed put. It felt strange going into a room previously occupied by someone who is now dead.”
“You’d think you’d be immune to it all,” Faith said.
“No. It’s all so final…” Looking up at the ceiling, Abby remembered waking up that morning on the couch.
Abby sprung upright as she recalled a stray thought she’d had that morning. “Last night, on my way up, I felt really out of it and I think I might have tried to go into the wrong room.”
“Without a key?” Faith asked.
Abby scratched around her mind. “I only had a couple of beers but after my three-hour drive and the long flight over before that, I felt exhausted.”
“You had three beers.”
“Fine. Three beers. Anyhow, I remember apologizing to someone. They opened the door just as I was about to insert the key.”
“What did they say?”
Abby tried to remember. “Nothing. When they saw me at the door, they closed it again.”
“That’s odd. You’d think they would have said something or… come out. Why did they open the door?”
“Maybe they heard me trying to open it.” Tapping her chin, Abby remembered having the key in her hand. Doyle had led the way and…
Yes, she’d been tired from all the traveling. She must have been really out of it to try to open the wrong door or maybe she’d been distracted. She would have asked her mom, but after waving goodnight to the tourist group, her mom had said she needed to get some shut-eye so she could get up at the same time as Abby.
“What’s going through your mind?” Faith asked.
“Now? I have no idea.” Yes, she had been distracted. “Last night, I’d been thinking about the tourist group staying at the pub. I haven’t been here long enough to see the pub in full swing. I know it gets busier during the skiing season…” Yes, she’d been thinking about that as she’d made her way to her apartment. Maybe that’s why she’d ended up trying to open the wrong door.
Three beers were not enough to kill all her brain cells. Needing to prove the point, she searched through everything she could remember from the previous night.
When Abby had decided to call it a night, her mom had insisted she hold the phone up so she could say goodnight to everyone in the group.
Yes, they’d all been at the bar. Or had they? She closed her eyes and tried to picture their faces. Had Steph been with the group? What about Alice and Linda?
Abby shook her head. “Here’s a stray thought… I think one of the women had been in his room and… I think he might have been having a fling.”
Abby sank back down on the couch. “Being sneaky is hard work. Mom will expect me to go down to the bar tonight. I don’t know how long I can keep this up without falling on my face.”
“Do you want me to come to the pub?” Faith asked.
“Yes, please. I could do with the extra support. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
Doyle stirred and yawned.
Giving him a scratch under the chin, Abby asked, “Did I feed you today? Sorry, Doyle. I’m in a bit of a daze.” She changed the water in his bowl and opened a can of his favorite food. “While you have your dinner, I’m going to freshen up and see if I can find a loose pair of jeans.”
Chapter Four
“HOW WAS YOUR SLEEP, MOM?”
“Great. I dozed off in my armchair. I think it sort of gave me an authentic feeling of dozing off in a bus. Oh, and I checked my inbox. Would you believe it? Bert sent me an email asking for my address so he can post the Beatrix Potter drawing. I felt awkward for about a minute and then I got over it. It’s going to take pride of place in my study. I suggested the postage might cost less if he sent it to you. I guess I’ll have to wait to hear back from him. Anyway, I’m all set for the rest of the night. When we go downstairs to the bar, pan the cell phone around. I want to see what you
see when you go down.”
Abby took a moment to make sure she didn’t walk out looking like roadkill. “Come on, Doyle. It’s happy hour.”
Doyle scurried on ahead and made a beeline for the fireplace. Abby scanned the bar and then panned the cell phone, her time delay, she thought pleased to see everyone going about their business as usual.
Or so she thought.
Someone noticed her and nudged the person next to them. That set off a domino effect. Within a few minutes, everyone in the bar looked her way and waved, the smiles on their faces not quite matching their worried expressions.
The waitresses had stopped in mid-stride as if waiting for a prompt from Abby. Even Mitch froze in place.
Abby made a rolling motion with her hand.
“What just happened?” her mom asked.
Abby grinned. “I have no idea. After several months of living in this town, I have decided to just go with the flow and not ask too many questions.”
“I don’t see the tourist group anywhere. Could you go into the dining room, Abby? I’d like to find out how the rest of their day trip turned out.”
Panicking, Abby dug deep for a distraction. “Oh, look. Here’s Markus sitting on his comfy chair by the fireplace. Say hello, Markus. He actually mentioned wanting to give you a guided tour of all the photographs in the pub. There’s quite a lot of history here, mom. I think you’d enjoy it.” Abby didn’t give her mom or Markus time to object. Handing the cell phone over, she backed away and sank into a barstool.
Mitch leaned forward and whispered, “You haven’t told her yet.”
Abby shook her head. “You know me well enough by now. I’m not the type of person to say this, but I need a drink.”
Mitch wagged a finger at her. “You’ve made it too complicated. I’ve had some people say they’re afraid of putting a foot wrong and think they should stay away but they don’t dare because they’re afraid they’ll miss out on you putting a foot wrong.”
That didn’t surprise Abby. “Hey, do you remember the tourist group coming into the bar last night?”
He nodded. “They had a late dinner and then finished up here. Why?”