Murder After Hours

by Rayna Morgan

  He looked at her more closely. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  Her mind raced to her meeting with the appraiser. “Nothing I can think of.”

  She remembered her sister’s request to pump Tom for information.

  “I have a question for you. About the recent theft in Lea’s neighborhood.”

  He scowled. “Why do you want to know?”

  She tried to make him smile. “Can’t you answer a simple question without asking why?”

  “Giving you information results in your getting in trouble.”

  She pouted, her anger matching his. “Not giving me answers won’t prevent that. I’m capable of getting in trouble with or without your help.”

  “You can say that again!”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know what you meant. And you know what I mean when I tell you to stay out of it.”

  She rubbed her finger across her lips. “Let’s not ruin a perfect evening. I have more on my mind than stolen paintings.”

  He relaxed and leaned back. “You didn't tell me what secrets you have.”

  “I'm addicted to chocolate.”

  “Your sweet tooth is hardly a secret, Mad. Try again.”

  “Okay. Here’s another one. I never know where I stand with you.”

  He reached across the table. “I thought I made my feelings clear. The way things are between us. How I see our future together.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to discuss that.”

  She saw the look of his pain in his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t imagine a future with you. But life is full of changes. Sometimes, I wish time would stop in a place where there are no disappointments from flawed expectations, no worries about happy endings. We're in that place now. I want to continue this way forever.”

  “Nothing lasts forever.”

  The sadness in his face wrenched her heart. She pressed her hand over his.

  “Then let’s savor our happiness. Drink it in and bathe in it. Let it fill every breath we take. I want to live as if there were no other moment, either behind or in front of me.”

  Once again, Maddy had woven her spell. Tom felt free to let go and experience a joy buried deep inside.

  He squeezed her hand and stopped worrying about the future. In that moment, he had all he wanted.

  • • •

  The waiter cleared the empty plates and brushed the crumbs.

  “Would you like dessert, sir?”

  “Pecan pie for me.”

  Tom tilted his head toward Maddy.

  “Bring her a big slice of chocolate mousse cake.”

  He pushed away from the table and excused himself.

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t go sampling my pie.”

  As soon as he was out of earshot, she made a quick call.

  “How’s the city by the bay?” Lea asked.

  “Romantic, as always.”

  “You’re with the right person for that.”

  “That right person is returning any minute. But wait until you hear what we learned today.”

  She gave her sister the news about Sandra’s baby.

  Moments before Tom walked across the room, she dropped her phone in her purse.

  “You look guilty as sin,” he said, taking his seat.

  She pointed to her plate.

  “It’s the cake,” she replied, licking her fork. “The chocolate is sinful.”

  • • •

  Lea put the phone down, turned off her computer, and walked outside.

  She loved the feel of cool night air and the smell of wood burning on a fire. Paul insisted the weather in Buena Viaje barely changed from one season to the next. Still, she looked forward to sweaters and snuggling under blankets.

  Her thoughts drifted to Maddy’s surprising disclosure.

  What had compelled Sandra to keep her secret?

  Could she close that chapter of her life without wondering what happened to the child?

  Was she so determined not to repeat her mother’s story? Or was it more a matter of shame, fearing negative reactions from those who knew her?

  Lea laid on the hammock, swinging absently, as she imagined being in Sandra’s situation.

  I’d hate to go through something like that without Maddy.

  She put her foot on the ground to stop rocking and sat up straight.

  I wouldn’t have gone through it without Maddy because she would have known. People who are close know by instinct when something is wrong, whether or not the other person tells them.

  According to Sandra’s aunt, no one in Buena Viaje knew her secret. Lea wondered if that were true.

  Brooke and Sandra were like sisters. There’s no way Brooke didn’t know, or at least suspect.

  Perhaps she didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings by talking about it. But what happened when they were no longer friends? Was Brooke willing to use that information to hurt Sandra?

  Did they argue when Brooke threatened to reveal Sandra’s secret?

  Had their argument resulted in a fatal blow?

  She called her sister. “Hope I didn’t call at a bad time.”

  “Of course, it’s a bad time. Make it quick. I’ll be off limits the rest of the night.”

  “I need to talk to Brooke first thing in the morning.”

  “Wait until I get home and I’ll go with you.”

  “I’d rather not. Where will she be?”

  After a brief pause, Maddy answered. “She’s filming tomorrow.”

  “At the station?”

  “No, at the pier. A special on climate change affecting the ocean.”

  “She told the police she filmed that segment the night of the murder.”

  “Tom couldn’t confirm her alibi. Brooke brushed him off claiming confusion about the dates.”

  “What alibi did she come up with?”

  “I’m not privy to that information. Don’t ask me to weasel it out of Tom.”

  The line disconnected before Lea could argue.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Lea arrived at the pier the following morning after confirming Brooke’s shoot. A KETV car was parked in the lot. The weathercaster stood alone in front of the bait shop.

  “Good morning, Brooke,” she called.

  “Hi, Lea. What are you doing here so early? You don’t strike me as someone who likes to fish."

  “I’m glad I caught you before you started filming. I want to bring you up to date on the murder investigation.”

  Brooke looked surprised. “The station has received no updates since we presented it as our lead story.”

  “I have an inside track,” Lea said. “Maddy’s boyfriend, Tom Elliot, is the lead officer on the case.”

  “Oh, no.” Brooke turned pale.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Maddy told me she was seeing someone. I asked if they would join our group. I had no idea.”

  Lea giggled. The other woman joined in and they laughed until their eyes watered.

  “My mascara will be a mess," Brooke said dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “Tina’s off today. I’ll have to repair the damage myself.”

  She pointed to a wall separating the promenade from the beach. “Let’s find a place to sit. The cameraman is running late. I’ve got a few minutes.”

  When they were seated, Brooke wasted no time getting to the point. “Are they close to arresting Sandra’s killer?”

  Lea wondered if her interest was in protecting herself, or getting a scoop on a headline.

  “The police are making headway. They’re tracing your friend's background. Tom went up north to interview her aunt.”

  “Did he learn anything interesting?” Brooke asked, displaying mild interest.

  “As a matter of fact, he did.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Her eyes widened. “What did he find?”

  “Sandra stayed with her aunt because she was pregnant. She had a baby and gave it up for adoption before returning to
Buena Viaje.”

  Brooke seemed unfazed by what should have been bombshell news.

  “I suspected as much,” she admitted.

  “What made you think that was possible?”

  Brooke squinted her eyes and looked toward the horizon.

  “Sandra and I planned to attend the university together. She changed her mind at the last minute. Said it would be a financial strain on her mother. She needed to work full-time and attend night classes at junior college.”

  “How did you respond to the change of plans?”

  “I was disappointed, of course. The university is less than an hour’s drive. Since Sandra and I wouldn’t be roommates, I decided to commute rather than live on campus, a decision that thrilled my parents for the money it saved them.”

  “Did you two stay close?”

  Brooke picked up a handful of sand. “I assumed we would, but everything changed when she left town.”

  “Are you talking about when she moved to her aunt’s house?”

  “Yeah. I went to Sandra's house at the end of May gushing with excitement over my letter of acceptance from the university. That’s when she told me she was moving to northern California to live with her aunt.”

  “What reason did she give?”

  “She was vague about the whole thing.”

  “Did you question her about the sudden change?”

  “Not really. Once I accepted the idea, it wasn't surprising.”

  “Why not?”

  “She and the biker broke up a month before graduation. It was the worst time for that to happen. Henry felt sorry for her. I suggested he escort two dates to the prom. We would make it a threesome.”

  “A precursor to partner swapping?” Lea asked.

  Brooke chuckled. “Perhaps. At any rate, she turned us down. She stayed home alone the night of senior prom.”

  “Who ended the relationship, Sandra or the boyfriend?”

  “Sandra. Once she realized he’d never amount to anything, she wanted to waste no more time with him. She applied for a job at the company where her aunt worked, planning to work on her degree.”

  “Lofty plans. Those jobs are hard to come by.”

  “I didn’t buy her explanation. Still, if that’s what she wanted people to believe, she had her reasons. I let it go.”

  “Did you stay in touch?”

  “I tried. She stopped returning my messages. I sent her pictures of the campus. There was no reply. It made me think things weren’t going well. I considered calling her aunt but chose to wait until Sandra was ready.”

  “When did you see her again?”

  “She moved back before the holidays. I assumed we'd pick up where we left off. Be best friends again.”

  “That didn’t happen?”

  “Sadly, no. Sandra seemed different in some way. We spent a day shopping at the mall. Went bar-hopping once or twice. Pretended nothing had changed. It didn’t work. We ran out of things to talk about. Felt suddenly awkward as though we were strangers rather than friends.”

  “Why did you suspect she had been pregnant?”

  Brooke watched as grains of sand slipped through her fingers. “She seemed more mature and introspective. In ways a significant life event changes a person.”

  Brushing the sand from her hands, she continued. “When I considered the timing, I decided she had an abortion.”

  “Did you ask her?”

  “I figured if she wanted me to know, she’d tell me. People can be close and have things they don’t share.”

  “Apparently, she told no one. Why do you think that was? After all, she wasn’t the only girl to get pregnant in high school.”

  “I’ve never understood, except it was part of who she was. For what it might have meant, I would have agreed with the choice she made. She didn’t ask my opinion.”

  Was Sandra's neglect to seek Brooke’s help what spoiled their friendship? Lea wondered.

  “Did you share your suspicions with Henry?”

  “Henry? No. He was no longer my steady. We stopped dating after graduation.”

  There was a poignant wistfulness to her voice.

  “Our relationship deteriorated after the cheating incident. We spent most of our time arguing. Sometimes, over the smallest things.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair. Her voice hardened.

  “Our decision to end it was mutual. After I started college, I rarely saw Henry. In fact, one of the few times I saw him was the week Sandra returned.

  “A mutual friend threw a Christmas party at the country club. The three of us sat together for dinner. Later that night, I saw them leave hand in hand. Two months later, Sandra called with the news they were engaged.”

  “How did you feel?”

  “About Sandra and Henry getting married? I was happy for them.”

  Her next biting remark didn't give that impression.

  “I’d grown past Henry myself. I don't know why, but she saw enough in him to marry.”

  She tossed her hair. “Different strokes for different folks.”

  Brooke was displaying superior airs, but it was Sandra’s superiority at the Cave which caused the celebrity embarrassment. Had Brooke followed Sandra to her office that night to continue their argument?

  During that conversation, did Brooke reveal knowledge of her friend’s secret? Perhaps, threaten to tell Henry out of spite?

  In a heated moment, did she lash out and strike hard enough to kill?

  A man with a large camera strapped to his shoulder appeared. He was out of breath and his hair was plastered to his head with sweat.

  “Sorry I’m late, Brooke. I had a flat taking my buddy to the airport.”

  “Did your friend make his flight?”

  “I hope so. I had no spare tire, so we hailed a taxi. My friend ran down the side of the freeway to an exit where the driver picked him up. A tow truck came fifteen minutes later to change my tire.”

  “Well, you’re here now. Let’s get rolling.”

  She turned to Lea. “It’s time for me to work.”

  “Thanks for the chat. I’ll call you if there are developments.”

  Lea walked slowly toward her car, mulling over their conversation.

  Suddenly, she stopped and spun to scan the crowd on the pier.

  She hurried to catch the weathercaster before the shoot began. “One more question, please.”

  “What is it, Lea?” No pretense of cordiality. “We’re ready to start.”

  “When were Sandra and Henry together?”

  “I told you. Our senior year before graduation.”

  “Which month? I need to know which month.”

  “Let me think.” Brooke’s forehead creased with lines. “Around spring break in March. I bought a new swimsuit for a weekend trip to Mexico. After I caught them, I was so mad I refused to go.”

  “When exactly did Sandra return to Buena Viaje?”

  “A week before Christmas.” Brooke stared at Lea. “She broke up with her boyfriend in May. Still…”

  “Henry could be the reason they broke up. Henry might be the father of that child.”

  Chapter Thirty

  The siblings sat side by side on wooden chairs in Maddy’s back yard. Crickets and frogs were singing. Now and then, they heard the gentle tapping of moth wings against the porch light.

  “It sounds like you had a good time with Tom.”

  “Yeah,” Maddy said. “It was great.”

  “I'm interested in your conversation about secrets and the darker side of people disguised by a pleasant facade.”

  “I was more interested in the personal secrets we shared.”

  Lea waited further explanation, but none was offered. Instead, Maddy posed a question.

  “What deep, dark secret do you harbor, Sis?” she asked in a melodramatic tone.

  “Let me think.”

  Lea rested her head against the chair and gazed at a sky filled with stars.

  “For one thing, I
like to be organized.”

  “Are you referring to being an obsessed neatness junkie who arranges her spices and vitamins in alphabetical order? Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Lea looked amused before becoming more serious. “Sometimes, I feel lonely.”

  “How could you? You’ve got Paul, Jon, the dogs.”

  “It’s possible to be lonely even surrounded by people. Especially when I catch myself role-playing.”

  “What do you mean? I’m the theatrical member of the family.”

  “Let me give an example. I wouldn’t trade being Jon’s mom for anything. But there are times I feel I’m playing a role rather than being present in the moment. I show up for games, help with fund-raisers, and chaperone field trips. I do it by rote, following the rules and copying other moms. But it doesn't express me as a person. Does that sound crazy?”

  “I get it. As Eric’s wife, I knew how he expected me to look and act. I played the part to perfection. Along the way, I made him happy but short-changed myself.”

  “Between identities as a wife, daughter, free-lance writer—”

  Maddy raised her wine glass. “Don't forget sister and sleuth extraordinaire.”

  “I hardly know where the role-playing ends and the real me begins. It’s as though I dream walk through different personas.

  “I’m not insincere in my actions or feelings,” Lea hastened to add. “But there’s a side of me which has no chance to emerge.”

  “We're too busy doing what's expected. Acting as we should rather than expressing who we are. That’s how my marriage was. I ended up losing myself by fulfilling my role as Eric’s wife.”

  She breathed in the sweet smell of night blooms and looked at Lea. “Who is the real you?”

  “I’m not sure I know. There are times, however, when I feel truly alive.”

  “What are you doing in those moments?”

  A smile played across Lea's face. “Playing detective.”

  Maddy chuckled. “Like I say, you’re a chip off the old block.”

  “I can’t help it. When we’re working on a case, searching for the truth…”

  “Risking our lives!”

  “That’s when I feel I’m in my own skin. Following my instincts. Doing what I’m meant to do.”

  “Well, I give you credit for figuring it out. Most people don’t discover who they are until half their life is over, if they ever do.”