Gooseberry Christmas

by Kathi Daley

Chapter 11

  I woke on Saturday to find large flakes of snow drifting through the air. Pulling the covers up under my chin, I turned on my side and looked out the window. The clouds hung low this morning, causing the view from my window to appear murky and gray, but I’d been longing for snow, so even with the obstruction to my normally expansive view, I found it breathtaking.

  It was chilly in the cottage, so I pulled a heavy sweatshirt over the t-shirt and leggings I usually slept in. After tossing a log and a match onto the fire, I went into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee. The dogs would need to go out, but even they seemed lazy this morning, so I decided to curl up on the sofa with my coffee before bundling up and heading out. I had a day off from volunteering today since apparently, most of the locals who worked nine to five jobs preferred to do their volunteer hours on Saturdays, which meant that those of us who’d been available during the week had been offered a break. My plan was to go into town and walk around the festive little boardwalk. Maybe I’d have a cup of cider and browse through the shops that lined the main drag. I didn’t have a lot of gifts to buy for the upcoming holiday, but I did want to buy something small for my new friends, and I figured I’d have something delivered to Keni.

  By the time I’d finished my coffee, the snow had stopped. The ground outside my window had only received a dusting. Barely more than an inch, but the sky was still dark, which hinted at the fact that there might be more of the white stuff on the horizon. I dressed warmly in lined sweat pants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, a heavy hoodie, thick socks, and running shoes. I was tempted to head for the path that would take me up onto the bluff, but for some reason, I found myself walking down the snow-covered beach instead.

  The dogs didn’t care if we walked or ran. They were simply delighted with the snow. They rolled in it, ran up and down the beach, and then rolled in it again. When I’d adopted the pups, I’d lived in Savannah, so the dogs were used to the hot and humid weather, but even with the short haircuts I gave them each spring, the weather wasn’t ideal for the naturally long-haired dogs. But snow — the snow was exactly the sort of weather that would allow the dogs to thrive.

  When we reached Coop’s cottage, we found him standing at his sliding glass door, looking out over the bay. The dogs had seen him even before I had and had run up onto the deck to say hi. Coop opened the door, and Jackson poked his head out from behind him. Coop greeted me and invited me inside. I hesitated to interrupt our walk, which had only just gotten started, but Jackson looked distressed, so I accepted the offer, and the dogs and I joined the men.

  “Beautiful morning,” Coop said.

  “It really is,” I agreed as I took my heavy hoodie off and accepted a mug of coffee.

  “I’m actually glad you dropped by,” Coop said.

  “Oh?” I asked, wrapping my cold hands around the warm mug.

  “Jackson was hauled in to talk to Deputy Todd again this morning.”

  I glanced at Jackson, who hadn’t spoken to this point. “Oh, no. Is he still hounding you?”

  Jackson nodded. “I think he really believes I’m guilty. The only reason I’m sitting here and not in a jail cell is because he can’t prove it. But it seems obvious that he’s not going to give up on his quest to either prove I killed the man or get me to admit it.” He looked directly at me. “I’m innocent. I promise. The only reason I was even at the Christmas tree lot the morning someone killed the guy is because I wanted to confront him with what I knew and ask a few questions. That’s it.”

  “I believe you. How can I help?”

  “Actually,” Coop said, “Jackson and I were sitting here discussing how you might be able to help before you arrived. When we met, you said you’d been a private investigator before coming to Gooseberry Bay.”

  “Yes. That’s right. My dad was a detective, and after he was injured, he opened his own agency. I moved home to help him.”

  “So, you basically know how to investigate a situation to get at the truth.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I answered Coop.

  “I want to hire you to find the real killer,” Jackson said. “I know you’ve been working with the girls to try to come up with a viable suspect, but I want to hire you to really dig into things.”

  I hesitated. “I don’t want to take your money. Even if I was looking for a job, I’d need to look into the licensing requirements here in Washington before I could conduct an official investigation. But I am willing to help you in an unofficial capacity if there’s something I can do that isn’t already being done.”

  “Great,” Jackson smiled. “Consider yourself unofficially hired. Where do we start?”

  I paused to consider his question. I wanted to help Jackson, but I was new to the area, and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I knew Parker had already put quite a bit of time looking into Bradford’s murder, as had Jemma and Josie. I also knew they hadn’t really gotten anywhere.

  “I know that Parker and the others have spent a lot of time identifying and speaking to the men and women in the community who might have had a motive to want to do harm to Bradford. I also know that the list they came up with was extensive, and while there are still several people they haven’t cleared, so far, no one really stands out. It seems to me that the man lived a lifestyle that resulted in him having made a lot of enemies, so I’m not sure that looking for someone with a motive is going to be all that helpful in finding the person who killed him.”

  “I agree,” Jackson said. “There are a lot of folks in town who had a reason to want the guy dead. Too many to make identifying them of much use.”

  “In the absence of a clear motive for murder, I think I would look at the opportunity. The lot where the man died is right there at the end of the boardwalk near the harbor. Whoever killed him had to have either walked to the Christmas tree lot from a nearby location, or they had to have driven there, in which case, someone might have seen something.” I looked at Jackson. “Based on the proximity of the tree lot to the harbor, I assume you walked over from work.”

  He nodded. “I arrived around eight to help Noah with an engine he’s rebuilding. We’d barely gotten started when Noah realized we were going to need a part we didn’t have, so he left to pick the part up, and I went into the office to make a fresh pot of coffee. While I was in the office, I noticed that Bradford’s truck was parked up at the tree lot. I’d just found out the day before that he was probably my grandfather, and I really wanted to talk to him, so I headed in that direction. When I arrived at the office at the tree lot, I didn’t see him at first, so I called out. When he didn’t answer, I was going to leave, but then I noticed the door to the storeroom was partially open. I stuck my head in the room and saw him lying there in a pool of blood. I freaked out and ran. I guess I closed the door, but to be honest, I don’t remember doing that. My instinct was to get the heck out of there, so I went back to the harbor to wait for Noah. I never said a word about it until Parker confronted me and convinced me to tell Deputy Todd what happened.”

  “And what time did you go over to the office to talk to Bradford?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Eight-thirty or maybe eight-forty. You were there when I left, and I’d only been there for a minute before you saw me running away.”

  “Did you notice anyone at the Christmas tree lot before that?” I wondered.

  “No. The boat Noah and I were working on is dry-docked on the other side of the wharf. The restaurant blocked the view of the boardwalk. I didn’t notice that anyone was at the tree lot until I went into the office to make a fresh pot of coffee and saw Bradford’s truck in the parking area.”

  I paused to think about things before I replied. “When I first arrived, after I saw you run away but before I’d made it into the office to check-in, there was a man there to deliver a load of Christmas trees. He wanted me to spot him while he backed in. I agreed to do so. Once he was inside the gate, he began tossing the trees off the truck, and I went into the office to check-in. When he first c
ame up from behind me, I didn’t see his truck. He said it was parked on the street. Apparently, when he’d first arrived, there had been a white delivery van blocking the gate. He had planned to stop in Gooseberry Bay for breakfast anyway, so he just parked on the street and walked across the street to the diner. He ate his breakfast, came back to see if the gate was free, saw me, and then asked for my help.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not sure that I ever thought to wonder if the van that had been blocking the gate when the man first arrived might have belonged to the killer.”

  Jackson’s eyes grew wide. “It sounds like it might have. This might be the clue we need.”

  I nodded. “Maybe. I’ll track down the guy with the Christmas trees and ask him about the van. Perhaps he saw enough to help us identify the owner. If not, then maybe he saw enough so we can ask around and see if anyone else can identify the owner. I’ll work on this today, but it will be best if you don’t mention this to anyone else.” I paused. “At least don’t mention it to anyone you don’t trust to keep it quiet. If word gets out that we’re looking for the van before we’re able to track it down, that will give the killer time to take evasive action.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Jackson said. “I’ll keep my mouth shut while you look into it.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Coop asked.

  “Maybe. I have both your cell numbers. I’ll go home, get cleaned up, and then I’ll start working on it. Look for a text from me in a few hours.”

  When Jackson hugged me goodbye with so much gratitude, I found myself hoping that I could identify the killer so my new friend could enjoy the rest of the holiday season without a murder charge hanging over his head.

  After I fed the dogs, showered, and dressed, I headed into town. I hoped to find someone at the Christmas tree lot who might know how to get ahold of the delivery guy I’d helped the day Brenda found Bradford’s body. Luckily, when I arrived, a regular volunteer named Vivian was there and knew who to call to get the information I needed.

  “The Christmas trees came from a farm up north called Abe’s Tree Farm,” she informed me after speaking to someone at the chamber of commerce office. “Here’s the number.” She handed me a piece of paper.”

  “Thanks, Vivian.” I looked around at the busy lot. The light snow we’d had made all the trees look flocked, which was really very pretty. “It looks like we might sell out this weekend.”

  “It is busy, but I doubt we’ll sell out of Christmas trees. They’ll probably be pretty picked over by the end of the weekend, though, and I have a feeling the wreaths and boughs of garland will be gone.”

  “I noticed that someone brought handmade Christmas stockings to sell.”

  She nodded. “After we ran out of the reindeer headbands and the hand-painted nativity pieces, I called a few local crafters to see if I could get some new inventory. Brenda also brought more poinsettias and a few table displays, which have been surprisingly popular. It seems that folks who come for a Christmas tree really enjoy having crafts and food items to purchase as well.”

  “Well, thanks for your help,” I said as the song playing through the loudspeaker changed from Frosty the Snowman to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

  “No problem. Will you be here this weekend?”

  “Actually, no. I have the weekend off, and then I’m scheduled to work at the Santa House next week.”

  “The Santa House is fun. Actually, it’s my favorite venue. Normally, I wouldn’t have taken on quite as many shifts at the Christmas tree lot as I have, but now that Bradford isn’t here to run things, I figured that someone should take on the management role.”

  “I agree. It was nice of you to jump in to fill the void.”

  She shrugged. “I do what I can, and I go where I’m needed.”

  I returned to my SUV and called the number on the sheet of paper Vivian had given me. It turned out that someone named Stan had been the one who delivered the Christmas trees. It took me a while to track him down. When I finally got ahold of him, all he could tell me was that he’d shown up with the Christmas trees, found the van parked in front of the gate, realized he was hungry, so he made the decision to park on the street, eat breakfast, and then deliver the Christmas trees. I asked if he remembered anything about the van, and he said he hadn’t been paying all that much attention, but he did remember that it was a large white van, the windowless sort used for cargo.

  I got out of my vehicle after I’d completed my conversation. I walked around behind the fenced-off area to where the van blocking the gate would have been parked. I tried to imagine in my mind who might have seen the van that morning. Peg’s Diner, the diner where the truck driver ate breakfast, was across the street from the Christmas tree lot. Maybe an employee or a customer at the diner had noticed the van. There was also a gift shop on the same street, although it didn’t open until ten, so it seemed unlikely that anyone from the shop would have seen anything. The ticket office for boat tours was situated between the diner and the gift shop, but it was closed for the season, and based on the sign in the window, it had been since mid-October. Based on what I could see from where the van would have been parked, the diner was my best bet, so I headed in that direction.

  “There’s a fifteen-minute wait for a table, or you can sit at the counter,” the hostess told me the minute I walked into the diner.

  I guessed that I should have realized that a Saturday morning would be busy and not the best time to talk to the staff who were busy taking care of a roomful of customers.

  “I’m not here to eat. I really just wanted to speak to someone in charge. The owner or manager if either is available.”

  “Peg’s in the kitchen, but she’s got her hands full, so unless it’s really important…” she let the sentence dangle.

  “I can come back. When would be a good time?”

  “We close at two. Peg will be here until at least three, cleaning up and balancing the cash drawer. If you really want to talk to her, I’d come back then.”

  “Okay. I will. And thank you.”

  After I left the diner, I looked at my watch. It was ten-thirty, which meant I had three and a half hours to kill. I could go home and then come back, but I’d been planning to walk around the boardwalk area and maybe even get started on my Christmas shopping, so I decided to just leave my vehicle where it was and take off down the boardwalk side of the street on foot.

  Being that it was Saturday, all the little carts and booths were open and peddling their wares. It was fun to meander along, stopping to chat with some of the vendors as I did so. I purchased a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll at a cart selling pastries and hot beverages, and a hand-painted ornament for my tree from a man who’d set up a booth in the center of town. I found a red knit scarf and mitten set that I thought Josie would enjoy, so I picked it up, along with a matching set in dark green for Jemma. I didn’t want to go overboard with the gifts since I wasn’t sure the gang even exchanged gifts, but both women had been so nice to me since I’d moved to the area that I wanted to get them something. I figured I’d buy them each a box of chocolates to add to the scarf and mittens. I’d noticed a stand selling homemade candy when I’d been in town last week, and I had to admit the candy had looked delicious, so maybe I’d get a box for myself while I was at it.

  After I made my way down the boardwalk side of the street, I crossed and headed back toward my vehicle on the side featuring mom and pop shops. I stopped and browsed in a few of the shops, but with today being a Saturday in December, all the shops were packed to capacity, so I mostly just wandered down the street and looked in the windows.

  When I arrived at the hotdog stand, I realized I should check in with Coop and Jackson, so I found a bench to sit on and sent them each a text letting them know what I’d found out and who I still hoped to talk to.

  “Ainsley, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?”

  I looked up from my phone and smiled at Parker. “Sleuthing and shopping.” I
held up my bags. “So far, more shopping than sleuthing, but I’m hoping to accomplish both.”

  “So is your sleuthing related to your mission to find out about your past?”

  “Bradford’s murder, actually.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  I filled Parker in on my conversation with Coop and Jackson, and the clue I hoped would lead to the killer. I trusted Parker, and I figured that she knew how to keep her mouth shut, so despite my warning to Coop and Jackson this morning not to talk about the white van that the Christmas tree delivery guy had noticed, I figured that bringing Parker into the fold wouldn’t hurt, and might just help.

  “A white van isn’t much to go on,” Parker admitted. “But it is something. Did the guy remember about what time he saw it?”

  “Around eight o’clock. Jackson said he showed up for work at eight, but that he was working with Noah on an engine on the other side of the wharf, so the buildings on the wharf would have blocked his view of the street and the Christmas tree lot. It did occur to me that he would have passed the tree lot on his way into work, but I guess he came from the other direction and didn’t pass the tree lot.”

  “Yeah, Jackson lives just north of the marina, so he would have accessed the marina parking area from the north.” She paused. “Maybe Peg will remember something. I’d show up right at two so that her staff is still around to talk to as well. If you want, I can go with you.”

  “That’d be great,” I smiled. “I think it will help to have someone they know along for the questioning.”

  “I wonder what time Noah showed up at the marina,” Parker said. “He lives south of town and would have passed right by the Christmas tree lot on his way to work.”

  “I guess we could ask him. I know Jackson is off today, which most likely means that Noah is working.”

  Parker stood up. “Yeah. Let’s go and talk to him now.”

  As it turned out, Noah had arrived at the marina around six-thirty. At that point, he hadn’t noticed any vehicles at the Christmas tree lot. I knew I showed up around eight-forty to eight forty-five, and Jackson had shown up just a few minutes before I had. The man who delivered the Christmas trees said he had arrived around eight o’clock, although he didn’t have an exact time. Still, given the fact that he parked and ate and then made it back to the Christmas tree lot when I showed up around eight forty-five, eight o’clock seemed reasonable. That meant that both Bradford and whoever was driving the white delivery van must have arrived at some point after six-thirty. I wasn’t certain if that bit of information would be helpful, but I supposed once we started looking for other residents who might have seen the van, having a timeline might be helpful.