Murder at Black Lake

by Anne Patrick

"You'll just be talking on the phone," she pointed out, adding her best smile. "The first one is Monday with an L.A. radio station. The other is with a reporter for the L.A. Times."

  "What if they ask questions about your dad's murder?"

  A rush of adrenaline surged through Jamie and she found she was at a loss for words. How did he know about her father's murder?

  "I grew up here in Jackson Ridge," Officer Williams offered. "My dad still lives here. He owns the theater."

  Jamie took a drink of her coffee, suddenly unsure if this meeting was a good idea. Was this guy playing her? "So you knew who I was?"

  "I didn't know you were an actress, no. Your name sounded familiar on Wednesday when I took your statement at the hospital. Then it dawned on me a few minutes ago that you were the Jamie Riedel. Your dad was the first homicide we'd had in this area in years. Kinda made an impact." He paused long enough for another drink of coffee. "I was only ten at the time, three grades under you in school. I remember how shocked everyone was and how the whole community was shaken up from it."

  "Well, no one will ask you about it." Unless one of the tabloids went snooping around later. "And if at some point, someone does, I would appreciate knowing about it."

  Jamie prayed she hadn't made a mistake in asking this man for his help.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The following morning Gage arrived right on time. Jamie hurriedly grabbed Bonnie's things and ushered her out the door.

  "I know you two have gotten pretty attached but she's not coming to church with us."

  "She's homesick and I can't stand her pouting any longer. We can drop her off at your mom's on the way."

  Gage got out and lowered the tailgate. Bonnie jumped right in. Jamie placed her things near the cab and Bonnie came over and gave her a kiss. Jamie laughed. She sure was going to miss the company.

  After dropping Bonnie off, they headed to town. On the way, Jamie filled Gage in on her meeting with Officer Williams. He had agreed to do the radio interview with her on Monday and promised to talk to her attorney and the Times reporter once Tamara set it up. Hopefully by debunking the story, there would be no scandal, and she could stay in Jackson Ridge for the time being.

  "It never even occurred to me he was Tom Williams' son or that he was from Jackson Ridge."

  "Me either, and I've talked to the guy twice," Gage said. "He never mentioned he was Tom's son."

  "I got the impression he doesn't spend much time here, so maybe he and his dad don't get along."

  "Come to think of it, I did hear Tom was thinking of selling the theater because he's wanting to retire, and his kids didn't want anything to do with it."

  "That's too bad. I used to love that place. Not just for the movies, but the whole atmosphere. I always admired the architecture. I think it's one of the oldest buildings in Jackson Ridge. Then there is the smell of popcorn when you first go in. Families enjoying one another's company."

  "The sticky floors," Gage added with a chuckle.

  "And the uncomfortable seats." Jamie's dream of becoming an actress had started in that theater. "Remember that time we tried to sneak in without paying and Mr. Williams threatened to call our parents?"

  "I sure do. I was never so scared in my life. I could just picture my dad coming into that office and tearing into me."

  "Thank goodness Mr. Williams chose only to bar us from the place for a month."

  "So, with Officer Williams' help, will you be able to squash the story about you?" Gage asked.

  "I think so. And my attorney is filing an injunction tomorrow that will prevent the tabloid from going to print immediately. Knowing the story is an out and out lie, they'll probably back off."

  "Probably? You mean there's still a chance they might print it?"

  "Tabloids are notorious for printing embellished stories based on a thread of truth. My question is where they got the idea in the first place. I haven't taken a drink or been in a club in three years, and I've never been in a drunken brawl."

  Gage shot her a curious glance and she wanted to bail out the door. "Yes, I've made a few mistakes. Done some things I shouldn't have. I'm not the same person I was then."

  He smiled. "None of us are perfect, Jamie. We've all done things we regret. We wouldn’t be human otherwise."

  That truth was driven home only a short time later as Jamie sat wedged between Gage and Mallory. She listened to the pastor talk about the Apostle Paul and his journey from the time he was known as Saul, to his conversion on the road to Damascus. The man who once persecuted Christians ended up having an enormous impact on Christianity. Jamie knew if God had forgiven him for his past mistakes, He undoubtedly had forgiven her as well.

  When the collection plate came around, Jamie added the check she had made out the previous night with a sticky note attached. Since Gage and Derek had refused payment for their help on renovating Jamie's house, she decided to make a donation to the church's mission fund to cover future mission trips the team would take.

  The choir began to sing again and Jamie stood with the other parishioners and joined in. Across the isle, two rows in front of Jamie, she noticed an elderly woman watching her. Jamie made eye contact with her and smiled, and the woman quickly turned away. It wasn't the first time Jamie had caught her staring. She seemed vaguely familiar, an old Sunday school teacher maybe.

  Jamie waited until the service had concluded before she inquired about her identity. "Hey, Mallory. Who is that woman there in the green floral dress talking to the pastor?"

  "Lucy Jennings. She used to be our church secretary."

  "Dwight's mother?"

  Mallory nodded. "I know. I saw her gawking, too. Sorry, I forgot she came to the early service." Mallory grabbed Jamie's hand. "Come on, we'll avoid the crowd."

  Jamie followed her out a side exit and met up with Gage in the parking lot.

  "Where's Mom?" Mallory asked. "And what happened to Carter and Samantha? I thought they were driving down with the kids."

  "Mom's talking to the pastor, and Carter had a minor emergency come up on the ranch and couldn't make it."

  "It's strange thinking of Carter with a family now." Jamie looked back toward the church and spotted Mrs. Jennings getting into a blue sedan.

  "Why is that strange?" Mallory asked.

  "He was my first kiss," Jamie reminded.

  "Geez, I'd forgotten about that."

  "It's interesting that you haven't forgotten," Gage teased from behind.

  "I'm sure it isn't foremost on her mind. Not when she's locked lips with the likes of Richie Gaines." Mallory's eyes darted back to Jamie. "Is it true you dumped him?"

  "Can we please not talk about Richie?"

  ***

  Gage stole a glance at Jamie as he drove back to his mom's. He wondered if her sudden sour mood was brought on by Mallory's insensitivity or if seeing Mrs. Jennings had done it. There wasn't any question as to whether or not Lucy recognized Jamie. That was pretty obvious. He doubted Lucy would be the one to blow Jamie's cover, though. Except for going to church, the woman was practically a recluse. She had been since Dwight's conviction. That was the worst thing about living in a small town; everyone knew your business. But the good side was if you ever needed help, you could always depend on your neighbors.

  "Do you think Mrs. Jennings blames me for the death of her son?" Jamie asked as he pulled into his mom's drive.

  Gage parked and turned off the engine before he answered. "There's no reason why she should, Jamie. And you shouldn't blame yourself. A jury convicted him, you didn't."

  "I'm surprised she still lives here. It must be hard for her. I mean, there must be some around here who believed Dwight did it, or he wouldn't have gone to prison."

  "It's like those tabloid stories you were talking about earlier. People believe what they want to believe. It doesn't make it true."

  "I think I may pay her a visit next week."

  Gage didn't think it was a good idea, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Maybe t
hey could help one another to find peace with what happened.

  Bonnie and Clyde greeted them as they got out of the truck. Gage didn't much care for the idea of Jamie being alone in her house now, but with the extra patrol in the area and new deadbolts on her doors, she was relatively safe.

  Stella and Mallory pulled in the drive and parked next to Gage. The moment his mom got out of Mallory's silver Camry, Bonnie nearly knocked her over. "Now, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be keeping Jamie company." She looked up at Jamie. "She didn't tear up anything, did she?"

  "No. Bonnie was an angel. She misses you and Clyde, though, and I don't have the heart to keep her from you guys."

  "Well, anytime you get lonesome, you know you can come stay with us."

  ***

  Jamie laughed at Gage as he played tug-of-war with Clyde and Bonnie. After lunch, they had all come outside to enjoy the fresh air and southerly breeze. With June just around the corner, the days were already getting warmer.

  Mallory reached over and placed her hand on Jamie's. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be nosey."

  "It's okay. I'm surprised you hadn't asked before today." Jamie smiled at her. She figured she might as well tell them and get it over with. Jamie would rather they hear it from her than believe what they read. "Richie and I began dating while working on the movie together. The trips we took to Cancun and Paris, we were with friends and we did not share a room together. We didn't secretly elope or any other nonsense you've probably read about us. The only thing the tabloids did get right about our relationship is that I broke it off two months ago."

  "I'm never reading another tabloid," Mallory said.

  Since Jamie was being honest, there were a couple of other things she wanted to clear up. "I will admit that there was some truth in the earlier stories that came out about me before Richie. Soon after my career took off and I started to make good money, I sort of let it all go to my head. Then my grandma died and my life spiraled out of control. There were a couple of years when I did a lot of stupid things. I partied with the wrong crowd, accepted roles I wish I hadn't, but my biggest regret of all was straying from God. I was in a very dark place for awhile."

  "What brought you back?" Stella asked.

  "Hurricane Sandy, and the realization I was turning into my mother."

  "When you were in the Bahamas?" Gage asked.

  Jamie looked up; surprised he was no longer playing with the dogs. "Yes. Most of the crew had evacuated the previous day, but some of us were having such a good time, we thought it would be cool to ride out the storm."

  "Good heavens, child. It's a wonder you weren't killed."

  "As it turned out, it was the wake-up call I needed. I never took another drink, and I started to straighten up my life. I spent a small fortune buying my way out of a contract with the movie studio so I could choose the roles I wanted. Ones I would be proud of instead of embarrassed by, and I started going to church again."

  "I'm sorry about your grandma, sweetheart," Stella said softly. "I wish we'd known." She came over and gave Jamie a hug, then sat in the chair Gage had vacated earlier. "I went through something similar after Dave died. He was the love of my life, and even though I knew he was in a better place, losing him broke my heart. There was a brief spell where I was pretty upset with God for taking him from me."

  "You never told me that," Gage said.

  "Yeah," Mallory chimed in. "Why didn't you say anything?"

  "Because the Lord and I were working it out. Just like He did with Jamie. Only it didn't take a hurricane to get my attention."

  Jamie and the others laughed.

  Stella squeezed Jamie's hand. "I know you don't want to hear this right now, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Sending you away from here was the best thing your momma could've done for you."

  "That isn't the way I saw it. I saw a mother who didn't want her kid anymore and pawned her off on someone else."

  "I know. If you'd stayed, though, you would've been faced with those terrible memories every day. And I doubt your life would've turned out as well as it has."

  "You're right about that. Grandma did love me, and there wasn't a day that went by when she didn't tell me so. And I am thankful Mom left me the house because it brought me back here." Jamie looked at Gage and Mallory. "And it allowed me to reconnect with you guys."

  "Well, we're glad you're back, even if it is only for a couple of months," Mallory said. "Hey, that reminds me, when do you want to start painting?"

  "I still have a lot of packing to do, so how about next weekend?"

  "Sounds good to me. If you need help packing, just let me know."

  ***

  After some homemade ice cream, Gage volunteered to take Jamie home. On the short drive, her mind drifted over the day's events. Spending so much time with the Hansens had made Jamie realize how lonely her life was back in California. Sure she had friends she hung out with, but it wasn't like spending time with family; people who accepted her for who she was on the inside, and didn't try to change her.

  "If you wouldn't mind, I could use a cup of coffee," Gage said.

  Her thoughts shattered, she realized they were already at her place.

  "I'd also like to check your kitchen sink for leaks."

  "Sure. I'll make the coffee while you're checking Derek's handy work."

  Once they were inside the house, Jamie excused herself and went into the downstairs bathroom to remove her wig. She then went into the kitchen and found Gage sprawled on the floor in front of the sink. "Is it okay if I draw some water?"

  "Yeah. Let it run a few seconds afterward."

  Jamie grabbed the pot and carefully stepped over him.

  "I hope Mom didn't make you uncomfortable. You know she's always been one to speak her mind."

  "I appreciate that about her. I'd rather someone be completely honest with me than tiptoe around the truth or try to spare my feelings." Jamie withdrew the full pot of water and went to the coffeemaker.

  A few minutes later, Gage got up from the floor and turned off the faucet. "No leaks."

  "Great."

  "I'll be right back. I want to check the water pressure in the upstairs bathroom. I noticed the other day it wasn't up to par. That happens in these old houses when they sit empty for a while."

  Jamie got the sugar and creamer from the pantry and removed two cups from the cabinet while she waited for him to come back.

  Gage returned just as the coffee finished brewing. He held the cups while she poured. They then moved to the island and sat across from one another.

  "Did you really mean that about people being completely honest with you?" Gage looked at her over the rim of his cup.

  She couldn't see his lips, but his eyes seemed to be smiling at her. "Yes."

  "Then I have a confession to make." He lowered his cup. The corner of his mouth lifted. "That first kiss you thought you got from Carter. It was really me who kissed you."

  "What!" She shook her head. "No." Then narrowed her eyes on him. "Really?"

  He slowly nodded, still smiling. "Cost me fifty bucks. My allowance for a whole month."

  Her cheeks warmed. She had no idea he even liked her back then, other than as a friend.

  "I knew you had a crush on Carter, and I had one on you." He shrugged his shoulders. "Seemed like a really good idea at the time."

  "I see." She took a drink of her coffee, not knowing what else to say.

  "Now I've embarrassed you. I'm sorry."

  "No . . . I mean, well, sort of. All these years I thought it was Carter." Why was he telling her this now? Was he testing her?

  "Why don't we change the subject? I saw Mom giving you a list of doctors in town. It's too early to have your stitches out, isn’t it?"

  "I was just going to call and make an appointment for later in the week. Probably Wednesday. If it hasn't healed yet, they won't remove them."

  "Are you nervous about the interview tomorrow?"

  "Not really," J
amie answered, thankful for the diversion. "I just want it to all be over with."

  "Surely these jerks aren't stupid enough to risk a lawsuit."

  "Usually not." She had a couple of friends who had successfully sued. "Depending on the scandal, the publicity surrounding the lawsuit is just as bad. That's why a lot of celebrities just ignore the stories printed about them. They'll only sue if it's damaging to their career."

  "As this one could be?"

  "Image-wise, yes. There are only a few major production companies that do family oriented or faith-based films, which is the direction I want to go, and a story like this could harm my chances of landing a role."

  "The movie you will start working on in September, does it fit into those categories?"

  "Yes. As does the one I just finished filming."

  "I doubt you earn as much money doing them."

  "No, but I sleep better at night, and I don't get nearly as many marriage proposals."

  Gage laughed. "Tommy said you've gotten a lot of those."

  "Yeah, just none from the right men." Regretting the statement, Jamie stood and retrieved the pot and refilled both their cups. "We're always talking about me. Why is that?"

  "You're more interesting."

  Jamie returned to her stool. "That isn't true. Tell me about your work. What do you like most about being a cop?"

  "Helping people, and the day to day challenges. It's never boring, in other words."

  "Well, from what I've seen, you're very good at it."

  "What have you seen?"

  "Friday, when you were trying to get me to remember the night my dad was killed, the patience you showed me. And the way you handled Ed Bryer."

  "How do you know Ed Bryer?" His voice raised a decimal. She'd definitely hit a raw nerve.

  "I don't know him. I . . ." She stopped herself, recalling how the conversation between her and Mallory had started by Jamie asking if Gage was dating anyone.

  "My little sister has a big mouth."

  "Oh, I see. So we can talk about my past and you can ask questions about it, but yours is off limits?"