by Krista Davis
He was right. “Someone must have coaxed her up here.”
Dave’s mouth pulled tight. “There’s a broken screen at her house. I’ll have to talk to some neighbors to be sure it wasn’t like that before, but it suggests that something untoward happened there.” Dave looked around. “Did you move or touch anything?”
“Leaves. It’s not possible to be down here without stepping on them. But I didn’t move fallen branches or her body, if that’s what you mean. I just cleared the leaves away from her face and checked for a pulse.”
“It’s going to take some work to get her out of here. I have someone coming up the back road in a four-wheeler.”
In the distance, we could hear the faint voices and happy laughter of people who were still walking up the mountain. Their fun was oddly incongruous given the deceased woman beside me.
“So this is exactly how you found her?” asked Dave.
I nodded. “Weird, huh? Like she thought she was diving.”
Dave’s eyes met mine. “Or someone pushed her.”
Nine
“You don’t really think that?” I asked.
“All I know is that when people fall forward, it’s instinctive to hold their hands out in front of them. If she had done that, her hands would probably be under her somewhere.”
“Maybe she didn’t die right away.”
“Uh-huh. And left her face buried in the leaves?”
I had to agree that didn’t make sense. “Maybe she broke her neck. You did say that was a possibility.”
“Or maybe she was already dead. And someone dragged her out here and gave her a shove.” He gazed around. “It’s a pretty good site to hide a body. Not too far from the back road. Chances were good that she wouldn’t be discovered quickly. If ever.”
“But the treasure hunt!” I protested.
“You would have walked right on by like everyone else if it hadn’t been for Trixie. Whoever brought her here wasn’t thinking about Trixie’s nose for trouble. You need a hand getting back up?” asked Dave.
“I think I can scramble to the top.” I turned over onto my hands and knees and tried to stand. How on earth did I get down this far? The terrain looked like a sheer wall of rock from this vantage point. Digging my nails into the stone and taking one careful step at a time, I started the ascent. I could feel my fingernails breaking. Ugh. I loved the outdoors, but this rock climbing wasn’t my thing. How could it be so steep going back up?
As I neared the top, a muscular guy wearing a police uniform reached out to me and propelled me upward. I recognized him and a crew of guys from the Snowball Mountain Police and Rescue Squad.
One of them gave me a grim smile and plucked a little pine branch out of my hair. “Dave called for assistance. Does someone have a broken leg?”
“You obviously didn’t hear Trixie barking.”
The smile faded from his face. “Dave,” he shouted, “do you want us to come down or do you need the camera?”
“Camera?” Rae Rae whispered.
“To document the crime scene.”
She inhaled sharply and placed a hand over her mouth.
The muscular cop from Snowball turned to us. “Thanks for your help. Try to disturb as little as possible on your way out. Okay?”
“What about Stella?” I shouted to Dave.
“There won’t be room for her on the four-wheeler. Think she’ll go with you?” asked Dave.
So far, Stella had stayed by Diane’s side. I wasn’t at all sure she would leave Diane. Dogs were smarter than people about death, so she probably knew Diane wasn’t coming back. Still, she’d stayed by her until help came.
I called Trixie, Gingersnap, and Stella, hoping that if Trixie and Gingersnap made their way up the hill, some pack instinct would compel Stella to go with them.
I watched her reaction when I called the dogs. Using a higher-pitched voice to get their attention, I promised “cookies and treats.”
Stella seemed worried. She gazed at Diane. Wrinkles formed between her eyes, and for the first time since we found Diane’s body, she whined.
I called her again by name. This time Stella came, following Trixie and Gingersnap. I dug in my pocket. “Treats for everyone!”
Trixie and Gingersnap readily took liver cookies from me. But Stella turned her nose away. I couldn’t blame her. She was in mourning.
I knelt next to Stella and stroked her soft fur. “You’re a good girl, Stella. Diane loved you very much. Will you come with me?”
As we walked on the path, I feared Stella would tear away and return to Diane. I leaned over occasionally to touch Stella’s shoulder with my fingertips so she wouldn’t feel alone. I hoped it would reassure her that she was doing the correct thing by coming with us.
As Rae Rae and I cut through the woods back to the main trail and the other dogs ran ahead, Stella walked along with us. She trudged, though, and didn’t leap and sniff like the other two.
“Thanks for helping us, Rae Rae.”
“‘My pleasure’ doesn’t sound quite right under the circumstances, does it? I’m glad I could help. Who was she?”
“Diane Blushner.”
Rae Rae stifled a little gasp. “I heard you say Diane, but . . .”
“Did you know her?” I asked.
“I know a Diane Blushner,” she said. “But it couldn’t be the same one. There must be hundreds of women named Diane Blushner. Right?”
“I’ve never known anyone else named Blushner, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
“What did Diane do? Was she married? Did she have children?” asked Rae Rae.
“Diane bred boxers. She was totally devoted to them and traveled the country showing them. Very respected in her field, apparently. I don’t think she had kids or a spouse. At least not that I know of.”
Rae Rae didn’t say anything. I glanced over at her.
I didn’t expect to see her looking so suspicious. Her eyes narrowed and her lips tucked in.
“What’s wrong?”
She stopped walking and bent to stroke Stella’s head. “Howard knew Diane, too. I can’t help wondering if he arranged this entire trip as an excuse to see her.” Rae Rae straightened up. “My Diane had a very small—”
I knew what she was going to say.
“—beauty mark,” said Rae Rae.
I finished the description for her. “At the outer edge of her right eyebrow.”
Rae Rae sagged and covered her eyes with her fingers. “I can’t believe it,” she sniffled. “I heard you say ‘Diane’ over and over, but it never occurred to me that it could be my friend from so long ago.”
Rae Rae sank to her knees.
Stella nudged her nose under Rae Rae’s hands and licked her tears.
Rae Rae smiled and held Stella close. “It almost seems silly to cry about someone I haven’t seen for so many years. We were roommates back in the day when we were both aspiring actresses. If I had never seen her again, it wouldn’t have bothered me. I would have been okay with it. But to find her accidentally and not be able to hug her and catch up or have a laugh about old times over a drink . . . well, I feel so terribly bereft. Like I lost an opportunity.”
Rae Rae kissed the top of Stella’s head and got to her feet. “She was my age. Way too young to die! It really makes a person stop and think. Why would anyone want to kill her?”
“I have no idea. As far as I know, she was well-liked in the community.”
“Someone didn’t like her.”
We walked quietly for a little bit. In an effort to change the subject, I asked, “So you almost married Howard?”
Ten
“Almost? I’d had my hair and makeup done and was already in my beautiful white lace dress embroidered with the tiniest little pearls you’ve ever s
een. It was my brother who gave me the bad news.”
I looked over at her as we walked. “Howard stood you up?”
Rae Rae snickered cynically. “That might have been preferable. You know, I’ve always been a pretty happy person. I like most things, and I get along with most folks. There just isn’t much in life that I wouldn’t forgive. And I’m a firm believer in second chances. But my best friend wasn’t such a great friend after all. Diane was pregnant with Howard’s child.” Rae Rae scratched the side of her face. “It would have been so much better to tell me before my parents spent all that money on a wedding and the guests were waiting to hear the processional music, but she chose to wait and share that mind-bending information with my brother at the last minute. You can imagine that I went storming down the hall to confront Howard. He reeked of Scotch. To this day I cannot abide the smell. It just turns my stomach.”
“I can see why.”
“The biggest problem for me wasn’t that he cheated on me. It wasn’t that he cheated on me with my best friend. And it wasn’t even the baby who was on the way. My problem was that he didn’t seem to think it mattered! What kind of person wouldn’t take his own child and the mother into consideration? He insisted the wedding should go on as planned. I thought I knew him. But that was the end for me for a hundred different reasons. After the initial shock of it all, I was very grateful that it happened. I would never have been happy married to someone who was so selfish and uncaring. He showed his true nature that day.”
“And that friend was Diane Blushner?”
“It was. As you might imagine, it put a big crimp in our friendship,” she said sadly. “I heard through the grapevine that she lost the baby. Howard never did marry her. Honestly, the man couldn’t even bring himself to do the right thing.”
“I gather you think he continued to live his life in the same manner?”
“Good heavens, yes. He was a star. Very highly regarded, and in those days it didn’t matter what kind of jerk you were in your personal life as long as your shows were a success.”
“So that’s why the producer sent you here?” I wondered if she had been reluctant to get involved or whether she wanted to see Howard again.
“I refused at first. But in the end, I figured I should let bygones be bygones. After all, I’m probably one of the few people who can put Howard to shame. And I know what he’s capable of. Besides, the producer is my brother. I was happy to do him a favor.”
“Did your brother know that Diane lived in Wagtail?” I asked.
“I doubt it,” said Rae Rae. “Why would he have kept up with her? He just knew that Howard can be trouble and that I’m not afraid of telling him exactly what I think.”
“Why did your brother hire Howard if he knew the truth about him?”
“Investors! Howard was part of the package. Say what you will about his personal character—on-screen he’ll make that show sing. And my brother is no dummy. He can smell a good show. Pippin is the star attraction. Those kids are going to make a huge splash.” She smiled at me. “This walkin’ in the woods must be makin’ me hungry. I could swear I smell bacon cooking.”
“You’re absolutely right. They’re serving bacon burgers.”
We walked into the clearing, where dozens of participants were chowing down on lunch. Trixie and Gingersnap had beat us there. Gingersnap waited politely with her nose lifted to the yummy scent. Trixie had no manners at all and nosed around the grill, clearly hoping a burger would land on the ground.
Stella wasn’t interested. She stayed with Rae Rae and me, as though she didn’t know what else to do.
To my great surprise, Marlee and Finch had shown up. They ambled toward us with Camille and Jim. Marlee kept her head down and wore a large sun hat.
“There are our slowpokes!” cried Finch.
Jim swallowed hard. His eyes wide, he shook his head.
I assumed he was trying to tell us that he hadn’t shared what happened to Diane.
“Maybe we shouldn’t mention anything to them just yet,” I whispered to Rae Rae.
“You’re probably right. It would spread through here like wildfire and spoil the day for everyone. I can’t begin to imagine what the parents would tell their children.”
“I’m glad you made it,” I said to Marlee and Finch.
Camille tsked at them. “Can you believe they drove a golf cart up the mountain? They were already here enjoying the view and drinking soda when the first hikers arrived.”
Marlee wore her signature huge sunglasses under the broad-brimmed hat. She wrinkled her nose and spoke so softly that I strained to hear her. “I can’t believe you doubted us. I don’t know about Finch, but I wouldn’t ditch a job. We got some great pictures!”
It was Finch who gazed at us with suspicion. “What took you two so long?”
Rae Rae answered before I could. “Trixie took us on a detour.”
Hmm. Rae Rae was quick with that response. I wondered if she was adept at lying. Actually, it wasn’t even really a lie. Trixie had drawn us away from the trail.
Finch stared at her. A tiny smile flicked on his lips. “Why would you follow the dog instead of the trail? And where did the boxer come from?”
Rae Rae lifted her chin as though she were up to the challenge. “Trixie was after a fox. And this beautiful boxer lost her way.”
“A fox?” screeched Marlee. She clapped a hand over her mouth and lowered her voice. “I’m glad we brought the golf cart. It’s probably rabid.”
That was all we needed. A panic based on a lie. “We took a detour,” I said simply. I changed the subject fast. “I’m starved. How’s the food?”
They all concurred that the burgers were great. Rae Rae and I left their little group quickly to avoid additional probing questions and walked toward the food. We grabbed plates, and Augie slid bacon burgers off the hot grill for us and plain burgers for the dogs.
He frowned when he saw Stella. “What’s Stella doing here? Did they find Diane?” he whispered.
In the lowest voice I could muster, I said, “It’s not good news, but we don’t want to spread it around here.”
He winced. “Aww. I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she’s just sick?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Augie paled. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” That was the truth. Besides, I didn’t want to go into lengthy details.
“It smells divine,” gushed Rae Rae.
I loaded my plate with sides of baked beans, corn bread, and potato salad, thinking that Diane’s death should have made me lose my appetite. But the sad truth was that I was ravenous.
Rae Rae and I found a great perch on a flat stone overlooking the valley between Wagtail and Snowball. Finch came to join us while Pippin and Camille posed for photos.
Marlee steered them away from the food tents.
Finch sat down cross-legged. “I’m glad I didn’t miss this. It’s nice to be out of the city and see this kind of beauty.”
“It really is remarkable,” said Rae Rae in between bites.
It made me feel a little better to see that she had piled her plate full of food, too. I wasn’t the only one who was hungry.
In a low voice, Finch said, “You two are terrible liars. In the future, you really ought to work out a story in advance.”
“Why, Tiger!” Rae Rae exclaimed. “You speak like someone who has a lot of experience lying.”
“Of course I do. People assume kids don’t catch on, but I grew up watching my mom lie to get jobs. She wanted so desperately to be a star.”
Rae Rae handed a bite of hamburger to Gingersnap and coaxed Stella to try a morsel. “It must have been hard on her when you became such a success.”
Finch studied Rae Rae for a moment. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “It was. She didn’t have a sitter, so she took me along
when she was auditioning for the role of Tiger’s mom. They took one look at me and forgot all about her. She was happy for me, of course, but being a stage mom wasn’t how she had envisioned her life.”
“Is your dad in the business?” I asked.
“That’s how they met. But it’s a tough racket. One day my dad decided he had waited on enough tables while hoping for his big break. My mom wanted to stay in LA, so they split. Dad took off for Arizona, opened an ice-cream shop, and now has six of them.” He gazed at the mountain view. “So what’s going on?”
Rae Rae and I exchanged a look.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Trixie found a local woman who was dead.”
Trixie heard her name and perked her ears. I could tell she was hoping for another bite of beef. I pinched off a piece of my burger and handed it to her.
“Dead?” Finch said much louder than he should have. Realizing his mistake, he said, “Dead-on!”
“We’re trying to keep it quiet. This is her dog, Stella.”
Finch blinked at Rae Rae as though he couldn’t believe what she was saying. “You’re making this up.” He gazed from her to me and back. “Whoa.”
“How come Marlee is whispering?” I asked.
Finch shrugged. “She’s been doing that since we arrived. It’s as though she doesn’t want anyone to hear her. She passed on the food too and asked me to bring her a soda. It smells so good that she wound up stealing from my plate!”
In spite of Augie and Finch knowing about Diane’s demise, we were able to keep it quiet on the mountain. But by the time we reached the staging area at the bottom, everyone’s phones were working and the news of Diane’s death traveled fast among locals.
When Pippin and his group dispersed in the main lobby of the inn, I headed for Oma’s office to fill her in on the details.
Oma sat quietly in an armchair in our office, gazing out the window at the lake. Gingersnap ran to her and laid her head in Oma’s lap.