by J A Whiting
“Do you know anyone else it could have been?” Jenna asked the woman.
“Really, I don’t. If I think of someone, I’ll get back to you,” Lynette offered.
When the call ended, Angie looked at her sister. “Want to make a quick trip to Nashua? It’s only about twenty minutes away.”
“You bet I do.” Jenna looked at the dog. “How about you, Violet?”
The ghost dog wiggled and wagged her tail.
“It’s unanimous.” Angie started the car and headed for the highway.
24
Forty-three-year old Tom Bass, the dealership owner, was about five feet ten inches tall, fit-looking with broad shoulders, dark hair, and blue eyes. When he smiled, he showed prefect rows of bright white teeth.
“Hello,” the man called to them after being told by a salesperson two women would like to speak with him. “I’m Tom Bass. How can I help you?”
Angie made introductions and before giving her short speech about being police consultants investigating two homicides, she noticed an unusual skull ring on Tom’s finger. She also noticed he wore a diamond earring on one earlobe. She wondered if some of his older customers would be put off by his jewelry choices, but if they were, it clearly didn’t impact his success. His dealerships were always ranked at the top for sales in two states.
Violet kept her eyes glued to the businessman.
Tom’s face lost its smile. “Come into my office.” He gestured for Angie and Jenna to walk inside with him.
The dealership was the typical glassed-walled building where potential customers could easily look in through three sides to see the gleaming new vehicles proudly displayed in the showroom. Tom’s spacious office was on the second floor with two floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Expensive and classy furniture had been chosen to project the success of the man who occupied the office. Framed photos of Tom with sports stars, politicians, and local celebrities hung on the wall behind the desk and various community awards were displayed on the credenza.
“Please have a seat.” Tom moved to the seating area by the windows where he took a club chair while the sisters sat on the pale gray sofa. Violet sat by the windows and watched the man. “What can I help with?”
Angie asked him straight out. “Were you at Lynette Montrose’s farmhouse in Eastford one evening recently?”
Tom blinked at the young woman for a few seconds. “I stopped by the farmhouse to see if Lynette was there. I’d been in Boston and was driving home and decided to detour over to the house.”
“Why did you want to see Lynette?” Jenna questioned the man with a pleasant tone.
Tom squared his shoulders and smiled. “Lynette and I ended our relationship not long ago. We were together for years. Our split was friendly. I still care about her. I was hoping to see her and chat. I also wanted to hear about how the renovation design was coming along.”
“And was she at the house?”
“She wasn’t.”
“Did you happen to run into anyone else while you there?” Angie kept her focus on the emotions Tom was giving off.
The man tilted his head slightly with a questioning look in his eyes. “I did. Two women were trespassing. How did you know about that? Have there been other incidents in the area?”
Angie ignored his questions. “Can you tell us what happened when you ran into the women?”
“Sure.” Tom appeared eager to help. “I saw a car parked near the house when I came down the driveway. The house is set quite far back from the road and has a long, winding driveway leading to the house and barn. I parked near the barn, got out, and headed for the house just as they came down the porch steps. I was alarmed that they were trespassing so I called them out. They told me they had met with Lynette earlier and one of them had left her phone behind. They came to collect it. I wasn’t sure about the story they were telling me. Anyone could make that up.” Again he asked, “Have those two been seen trespassing in other places?”
Jenna spoke with a somber voice. “The two women were murdered recently.”
Tom sat straight, his face showing alarm. “Murdered?” His eyebrows raised and his eyes shifted to the windows for a few moments. “Was one of them the young woman from Hollis?”
“Yes, she was one of the victims,” Angie told him. “The other was an architect who lived in Sweet Cove.”
“I’m shocked. What they told me about why they were at Lynette’s house was the truth? I didn’t believe them.” Tom looked from Jenna to Angie. “How do you know they were the ones at the farmhouse? I mean, they aren’t alive to tell anyone they were there.”
“They did tell some people … before they were murdered.”
“I was a little harsh when I spoke to them that night, but I honestly thought they were up to no good.” Tom ran his hand over his face.
“Did you happen to see anyone lurking around out on the road near the driveway?” Jenna asked.
Tom looked off into space trying to remember. “I don’t think so. I didn’t notice anything like that.”
“Was anyone walking along the road? It’s quite a narrow lane,” Angie pointed out. “If someone was walking in the dark, you would have had to move to the middle of the road to avoid them.”
“I just don’t recall.” Tom shook his head with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry I’m not more help.”
Angie looked over at the dog to see her staring at Tom.
Tom said, “Lynette isn’t being targeted, is she?”
“Why do you ask that?” Jenna held the man’s eyes with hers.
“Because the two victims were at Lynette’s house, and then the farmhouse was hit by an arsonist. Is Lynette in danger? Is the killer after Lynette?”
“Every detail is being looked into,” Angie said. “You’ll probably be contacted soon by Chief Phillip Martin of Sweet Cove. He’ll be following up with you.”
“Of course. I’m happy to speak with him. Have you talked with Lynette? Does she know to be careful, to be on guard?”
“We have spoken with Lynette,” Angie informed the man. “She strikes me as a very smart woman.”
“Good. Maybe I’ll give her a call after we finish.”
Back in Sweet Cove, Angie and Jenna sat in the Victorian’s sunroom with Mr. Finch while holding their daughters on their laps and taking turns reading books to Gigi and Libby. The cats and Violet were curled on a rug in front of the fireplace listening to the stories. When both little girls had dozed off, the books were set aside, and Finch asked for more details about Tom Bass.
“He was very friendly, professional, and personable,” Angie said. “He admitted to running into Rachel and Jessica at Lynette’s the night they returned to the farmhouse to retrieve the phone.”
Jenna pushed a strand of hair from Libby’s forehead. “He was sure they were trespassing and he gave them a hard time.”
“The man was forthcoming then,” Finch nodded.
“He was, but I didn’t like him,” Angie said. “Maybe it was just his salesman vibe. His friendliness seemed forced. I felt like he was dying to sell me a car.”
“I felt the same way.” Jenna stroked her sleeping daughter’s cheek.
“And what did our dog sense?” Finch glanced over to Violet and the dog lifted her head and looked at the man.
Angie shifted Gigi on her lap. “Violet was wary of Tom. Even though he was friendly, he was sort of imposing, with broad shoulders, a loud voice. He seemed to suck all the energy in the room into himself.”
“I’ve known people like that,” Finch smiled at the dog.
Euclid stood, went over to Violet, and gently nudged her glimmering body with his nose as if he were trying to protect her.
“My fine orange boy.” Finch praised the enormous cat, and Euclid trilled at him.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Finch?” Jenna questioned. “You look a little tired.”
The man gave Jenna a kind, caring look. “I have … a feeling.”
“Uh oh. What sort of feeli
ng?” Shivers of unease raced over Angie’s skin and she held Gigi closer.
“The end of the case is coming.”
“And will the ending be a good one or a bad one?” Worry showed in Jenna’s eyes when she asked the question.
“That is yet to be determined.” Finch paused before he spoke again. “We must all be alert, pay attention to our surroundings. Whatever happens, we will act with purpose.”
Josh and Tom came into the room and sat down.
“Kitchen cleanup is complete,” Tom announced. “And a fine job was done, if we do say so ourselves.”
“Why do you all look so gloomy?” Josh studied their faces.
“The case will be coming to end soon,” Angie shared the news.
“That’s a good thing.” Tom’s upbeat expression changed when he saw no one looked pleased. “Isn’t it?”
“Hopefully.” As Angie tried to ignore her nervousness, she turned to her husband, and took his hand. “Everything will be all right.”
Josh held her hand tight in his.
After a minute or two of quiet, Angie said to Finch, “Have you done any more work on your painting?”
“Some.” Finch held his cane between his knees and turned it unconsciously.
“I think I’d like to look at it again.”
“You are welcome to see it any time you wish to.”
“How about now?” Angie met Finch’s gaze.
Tom and Josh lifted their sleeping daughters from their wives’ arms and held them to their chests. Angie reached over and helped Finch up from the sofa, and with the cats and Violet slowly leading the way, the small parade walked through the Victorian to the family room at the back of the house and into Finch’s apartment.
25
Angie, Finch, and Violet went into the sunroom and stood in front of the painting of the farmhouse while the others stayed in the living room.
“I won’t mention what I added or changed. I’ll sit here with you while you take a look.” Finch sat down on the sofa and picked up a book.
Taking a deep breath, Angie took a step closer to the easel. When she looked at the painting, she felt she was back in Eastford standing outside of Lynette’s house. The vibrant colored leaves in the trees, the gorgeous blue of the sky, the handsome antique Colonial. But slowly, the sun faded and the day turned to night.
Angie felt cold standing in the dark outside the farmhouse. Suddenly, her nostrils filled with the acrid, nauseating odor of gasoline, and in a few moments, a flash of orange and red lit up the night with a whoosh and a roar.
She could see flames engulfing the walls of the ell at the back of the farmhouse. The heat was so intense, she wanted to step back, but her feet wouldn’t move. The skin on her face was hot.
Off in the distance, she noticed a dark figure running away. She tried to yell to him, but the words only stuck in her throat.
Something moved around her, but it was elusive and her eyes couldn’t lock onto it.
The dark night pressed down on her, surrounded her, and then her vision dimmed, and went black.
Angie gasped and saw Mr. Finch standing beside her, his hand on her arm.
“You’re all right, Miss Angie. It’s me. You’re here with me.”
After sucking in a breath of air, the young woman blinked and ran her hand over her eyes. “I was back at the farmhouse. The smell of gasoline made me feel ill. The ell was on fire, just like in your painting.”
Finch raised a bushy eyebrow. “There is no fire in the painting, Miss Angie.”
“Yes, there is.” She pointed to the ell on the canvas, and then her arm dropped. “Oh, there isn’t. It was only in my mind.” Her shoulders slumped. “Something was moving around me, but I couldn’t make out what it was. Maybe I should stare at the painting again. Maybe then I could see what I couldn’t the first time.”
“I don’t think so.” Finch patted her arm. “That’s enough for one night. You don’t want to push yourself. Let the images come to you in their own time.”
Angie gave the man a soft smile. “We need to tell the images to stop taking so long to tell me something.”
“Maybe they can hear us,” Finch returned her smile.
Violet rubbed against Angie’s legs and she patted the dog’s head. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
Josh stood in the doorway with worried eyes. “Are you okay, hon?”
“I’m fine.” She reached her hand to him and Josh came into the sunroom and gave her a hug.
“Why don’t we all head to our rooms and relax for a while,” Josh suggested.
Angie hugged Finch. “We’ll get to the bottom of it. I think Courtney should have a look at the painting. She’s been able to see things in your artwork before.”
“I’ll speak to her about it.” Finch gave a nod. “I’ll say goodnight to all of you.”
“Sleep well, Mr. Finch,” Angie told him.
Later when Gigi and Josh were sound asleep, Angie crept into their living room to join Violet on the sofa for a while. It had become a nightly ritual with the two of them snuggling together while Angie talked about the case.
“Why are my powers so slow this time?” She scratched behind Violet’s ears. “I thought my powers were supposed to increase after having Gigi. Well, they seemed to when we were investigating our mom’s death. I wish they didn’t fade at times. It seems they should stay stable, but what do I know?”
Violet sat next to Angie and listened while she articulated her thoughts.
“It bothers me that Jason Field was removed from the suspect list. Some people in the park told the chief they saw Jason there at the time of Rachel’s disappearance, but what if they’re lying? What if Jason paid them to lie?”
Angie went on. “And what about Rachel’s sister? She has a gambling problem, she’s always resented her sister, she was always borrowing money from Rachel. It seems very possible that Rebecca did stop at Rachel’s house, talked to her about another loan, and when Rachel refused, Rebecca killed her. She took back roads to get to Sweet Cove that day and she had her phone turned off. So she couldn’t be tracked. I’m still suspicious of her.”
After massaging at the kinks in her shoulders, Angie continued with her monologue. “Tom Bass was at the farmhouse the night Rachel and Jessica retuned to fetch the phone. He thought they were trespassing. He claimed not to see anyone lurking nearby … someone who might have been watching the young women, waiting for the right moment to pounce.”
Angie ran her hand over the ghost dog. “We’re sure taking a long time to figure this out,” she told Violet. “I bet you want to go back to wherever you were before you came here. If you need to return, we’ll keep working on it. We won’t give up.”
Angie didn’t want the dog to leave, but she knew she couldn’t stay. Euclid had been sleeping in Gigi’s room, and Circe had been on the bed with Josh. Both felines padded into the living room and jumped up on the sofa to sit with Angie and Violet. Each cat touched noses with the dog before settling down.
“My two best cats,” Angie smiled and patted them. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
When Angie was getting ready to close the bake shop the next day, Chief Martin walked in and took a seat at the counter.
“Coffee?” Angie brought him a black coffee. “How are things?”
“About the same.” The chief took a long drink. “I went to talk to Tom Bass.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“Not much. He was very cooperative. Was willing to do what he could to help the investigation. Similar to how he was when you and Jenna spoke with him. He gave the same answers.”
“I don’t like that he just showed up at the farmhouse,” Angie scrunched her forehead in thought. “Why did he think Lynette would be there? Why didn’t he call her first to see if she was at the house?”
“All good questions. He told me he was in the area and didn’t want to pull to the side of the road to make the call. He was nearby so he decided on the spur of the moment
to drive over there.”
“Who knows if that’s the truth?” Angie grumped. “What kind of a car does he drive? Is it an F-150?”
The chief smiled. “The man owns several car dealerships. He drives whatever he wants, whenever he wants.”
“Right.” Angie put her elbow on the counter and set her chin in her hand.
“As far as Rachel’s sister … the techs have been working on the phone. Even though a phone is turned off, signals are still being sent from it. The techs report that the phone was in Sweet Cove, but they haven’t been able to pinpoint if Rebecca was near her sister’s place.”
“And what about Jessica’s ex-boyfriend? He called her when he was drunk and was verbally abusive to her.”
The chief said, “He’s a jerk. Not sure yet if he’s a murderer.”
“Things are moving slowly,” Angie sighed. “What are we going to do?”
“Keep plugging.” The chief finished his coffee and set the mug on the counter.
“Mr. Finch thinks something is going to happen soon.”
“I hope he’s right. The sooner, the better.”
“He means something dangerous. So be careful.”
Chief Martin’s expression tensed. “That’s good to know. I have to get to a meeting. Watch your back, Angie. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Angie finished up the end-of-day tasks, took her apron off and put it in the laundry bin, then went into the Victorian and to the kitchen. She wanted a nice, hot shower and then, a bite to eat. There was a note on the kitchen island for her.
Tom and Josh took the kids to the park. Ellie went to the market and Mr. Finch is at the candy store. I’m heading there now. Jenna’s working in her shop. I looked at Mr. Finch’s painting. It was weird. Everywhere I looked at the picture, I could see a tiny, little skull. He hadn’t painted it. I just imagined they were there. Sorry I wasn’t more help with it. See you later. Love, Courtney.
She’d drawn two little hearts near her signature that made Angie smile.