Grave Wedding (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 15)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Confusion kicked Nick in the stomach. “I don’t understand. What are you afraid of? Maddie likes Annie.”

  “I understand that. What I don’t get are the rules. Am I allowed to date?”

  “Ever?”

  “You know what I mean.” George’s exasperation came out to play. “If I date am I somehow going to ruin what we’re building here?”

  Nick was doing his best to follow the conversation, but he honestly didn’t understand where George’s despair was coming from. “I think the only thing that would ruin what you’re building with Maddie would be if you dated Maude.”

  The look George shot Nick was murderous. “Do you think that’s funny?”

  “Maybe a little.” Nick’s lips curved. “Listen, I get that you’re nervous about this – although I’m not going to pretend to understand why – but you don’t have to worry. Maddie just wants to get to know you better, spend more time with you. She doesn’t care if you date.

  “You came into our lives at a weird time,” he continued. “This has been a busy few months because of the wedding. It won’t always be like this.”

  “I’ve liked all the wedding talk,” George offered hurriedly. “I love how happy she is.”

  “I love how happy she is, too,” Nick said. “Still, when we get back from our honeymoon, we’ll settle into a new routine. The store will be completely closed and her days will be open to spend time with you. It’s going to be good.”

  “I think so, too.” George’s smile was earnest and easy. “She’s my little girl, but I never got to treat her like a little girl. It was hard for me seeing her with you in the beginning, even though it was obvious you belonged together.”

  “We’ve all been dealing with some growing pains,” Nick agreed. “That will get better, too.”

  “I think it’s fine.”

  “So fine you’re willing to stop in and visit Maude while we’re gone?”

  George sighed, resigned. “Yes. I already told you I would. It will drive Maude crazy. That’s the only reason I’m agreeing to it.”

  “I think you’re going to have fun.”

  “I think I probably will, too. Although … never tell Maude I said that.”

  “I will agree to your terms if you do me a favor.”

  George was instantly suspicious. “What?”

  “Go back in the kitchen and tell Maddie you want to see her in her dress before you leave.”

  George was taken aback. “I … don’t understand.”

  “She’s been sneaking into her dress every morning after I leave for work. She likes to look at herself. Obviously I can’t tell her she’s beautiful in it. You can, though.”

  The lines of George’s face softened. “You really love her, don’t you?”

  “More than anything.”

  “Then I can’t wait to see her in her dress.”

  Nick grinned. “Thank you. This means a lot.”

  “The fact that it does is only one of the reasons why you’re a good match for my daughter.”

  NICK AND KRESKIN’S FIRST STOP of the day was at the local hotel. Trevor’s parents – Charlie and Julia Clark – had arrived in town and the detectives wanted to question them as soon as possible.

  The woman behind the counter cleared the way for them. Charlie opened the door, his features wan.

  “Thank you for seeing us,” Kreskin offered lamely. “I know this isn’t a great time for you but there are some things we need to discuss.”

  “I’m sure there are.” Charlie sounded weary as he held open the door and ushered the two men inside. “My wife is finishing up in the bathroom. We can start, though. I can catch her up on anything we miss.”

  “Sure.” Kreskin accepted the bottle of water the grieving man handed him. “I’m sorry for your loss, sir.”

  “I’m sorry for it, too,” Charlie said as he sat at the table. “Do you want to know the thing I’m sorriest about, though? It’s that I don’t think I’m sorry enough. I think I should be falling apart or something. I’m not, though. I’m just … numb.”

  “That’s not unheard of,” Nick offered, cracking the ring on his water bottle. “You don’t have to feel anything other than what you’re feeling. I’m sure what happened came as a shock.”

  “I’m still trying to absorb it,” Charlie admitted. “We got the call that he’d been shot and it was as if the ground opened up beneath us. We couldn’t understand. We talked to Vincent on the phone and he said the doctors were hopeful so we got the best flight out we could.

  “Then there was a delay the night before last and we were stuck in Chicago,” he continued. “We wanted to get here as soon as possible but there was nothing we could do. We were on the plane to Michigan when he died.”

  “We’re still waiting on the autopsy results,” Kreskin supplied. “Once we know more, we’ll share information with you.”

  “I don’t understand.” Charlie’s expression was blank. “He was shot. Isn’t that why he died?”

  “Probably, although the doctors were hopeful that he would survive,” Kreskin replied. “We just want to make sure. He never regained consciousness and the doctors seemed convinced it was only a matter of time. We simply have a few questions.”

  “I guess I understand that.” Charlie shifted in his chair. “Are you going to arrest Alicia?”

  The question didn’t surprise Nick.

  “We don’t know yet,” Kreskin answered. “We have a … situation. You see, the odds of anyone else entering the house and shooting your son seem slim. The children were out – Aaron was picking up Catelynn at dance class – and Alicia was in the kitchen cooking dinner when it happened. We can’t see how anyone made it into the house, shot your son, and then escaped without anyone noticing.”

  “Then why not arrest her?”

  “Because we tested her hands for gunpowder and they were clean,” Nick replied. “It’s possible that she could’ve washed her hands, but all the sinks were dry, there were no damp towels anywhere that we could find, and the garbage was free and clear of recently used paper towel.”

  Charlie arched an eyebrow. “So, basically you’re saying that there’s a chance she didn’t do it.”

  “I don’t know.” Nick was truthful. “We need more information. We’re hoping you can provide some of that information.”

  “Okay. What do you want to know?”

  “For starters, were you aware that your son was having an affair?” Nick felt uncomfortable asking the question, but Charlie didn’t as much as blink.

  “My son had trouble with fidelity,” Charlie replied, unruffled. “He was a good father and a terrible husband. I don’t know what to tell you. We tried talking to him about the affairs, but he pretended he didn’t hear us.”

  “I see.” Kreskin ran his sweaty palms over the knees of his pants. “You’re fairly close with your daughter-in-law, right? Do you think she’s capable of shooting your son?”

  Charlie blinked several times in rapid succession. “I don’t know,” he answered finally. “I honestly don’t … know. My son didn’t do right by Alicia, and I would never pretend otherwise. He cheated on her, announced he wanted a divorce right before their anniversary, and basically treated her like a dog.”

  “You knew he asked for a divorce?”

  “I did.” Charlie bobbed his head. “Trevor told us he was going to do it. We told him it was a bad idea. My wife even tried explaining that he was never going to find a woman as good as Alicia. He wouldn’t listen, though. He’d made up his mind.”

  “We talked to your other son,” Nick volunteered. “He said that Trevor went back because Alicia was playing hardball with the money. He thought she would roll over and give him what he wanted, but she stood up to him.”

  “And rightly so,” Charlie said. “She deserved more than what he wanted to give her. That didn’t stop Trevor from trying to hide money. He wanted us to hold onto some of it for him, but we refused. We didn’t think it was right.”

&n
bsp; “Do you think Vincent hid money for him?” Kreskin asked.

  Charlie hesitated.

  “We’re not going to arrest him for it,” Kreskin promised quickly. “We just need to know the specifics. If Alicia did snap and kill him, we’re going to need a motive.”

  “I don’t think Vincent would put himself at risk that way,” Charlie explained. “He loved his brother, but he wasn’t keen on breaking the law.”

  “Okay, then that means Trevor needed someone else to hide the money for him,” Nick said. “Who would he have trusted enough to do it without running away with the funds? I have to think it was one of his girlfriends. Did he ever mention one that he specifically trusted?”

  “He never talked to us about that,” Charlie replied.

  “Well, he kind of did,” Julia countered as she exited the bathroom, her eyes bouncing between faces. “I’m Julia Clark.”

  Nick and Kreskin introduced themselves.

  “You said Trevor talked about one of his girlfriends,” Nick prodded. “Which one?”

  “I don’t know if I can remember her name.” Julia tapped her bottom lip. “All I know is that she was Catelynn’s dance teacher. That’s why Catelynn had to quit dance – which was something of a huge fight in the house because Catelynn loved dance – and she was the one who Trevor was convinced was going to make him happy over the long haul.”

  Baffled, Nick and Kreskin exchanged weighted looks.

  “Sarah Salinger?” Nick asked finally.

  Julia jabbed her finger in Nick’s direction. “Yes. That’s her name. I remember liking the alliteration.”

  “I don’t understand,” Nick said. “Your son was currently sleeping with a woman named Marla Proctor. She’s pregnant. We’ve never heard Sarah’s name mentioned in conjunction with him.”

  “Also, you just said that Catelynn was forced to quit dance class,” Kreskin added. “Aaron was supposedly picking her up from dance class when it happened.”

  “Is there any chance they got her into a new dance class?” Nick pressed.

  “I don’t think so.” Julia sounded certain. “That was part of the disagreement. There was only the one local dance class.”

  “Well … that’s interesting.” Kreskin had no idea what to make of the turn of events. “Maybe Alicia wasn’t home alone with Trevor when it happened after all.”

  MADDIE OPENED HER TENT on time, saw five customers in a row, and then found herself in a lull. It wasn’t what she was expecting, but when she stuck her head out the flap, she realized the dunk tank was in full effect and that was holding everyone’s attention. Even she was amused when the mayor climbed in and eight people immediately lined up to douse him.

  “Everyone seems to be having a good time,” a quiet voice said from her left.

  Maddie turned to find Alicia standing there. The woman was put together – which was normal – but her hair looked greasy enough that Maddie suspected she hadn’t showered. Dark circles dogged her eyes and even though it had only been a few days since Trevor was shot, Maddie was certain the woman had lost weight.

  “Come in my tent,” Maddie instructed, prodding Alicia with her hands. “I think we should talk.”

  “You do, huh?” Alicia’s response was wry. “How come? Do you want to accuse me of killing my husband, too?”

  “I want to help.”

  “Who? Me?”

  “The situation,” Maddie replied honestly. “I don’t know what the answer is here, but I think you need someone to talk to. I can be that person.”

  Instead of responding, Alicia wordlessly followed Maddie into the tent, paying zero attention when Maddie put out the “Be back soon” sign and instead sinking into one of the chairs at the table.

  “You tell fortunes, right?” she asked.

  Maddie nodded and moved to her chair, grabbing the deck of tarot cards as she skirted around the table. “I do. Cut the deck.”

  Alicia stared at her for an extended period of time.

  “Cut the deck,” Maddie repeated. “I can’t read your fortune if you don’t cut the deck.”

  Alicia did as instructed, cutting somewhere in the middle and then handing the deck back. She looked lost, as if life was speeding by as she was stuck in the slow lane. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, huh?”

  Maddie smiled, her fingers brushing against Alicia’s as she tried to reclaim the deck. At that exact instant, a myriad of images flooded Maddie’s head and she had no idea what she was looking at. The visions were cloudy at first, and then they started to clear.

  She heard screaming, and realized it was coming from Catelynn. Not the girl from the real world, of course, but from a memory. She stood in the middle of the Clark living room and stomped her feet as she demanded her father turn the television back to the channel she’d been watching seconds before.

  “You’ve seen that episode a million times,” Trevor complained. “You don’t need to watch it again.”

  “It’s my TV time,” Catelynn screeched. “I have fifteen minutes left.”

  “Well, the Tigers are on.” Trevor adopted a pragmatic tone. “You can have an extra fifteen minutes tomorrow.”

  “No, no, no!” Catelynn stomped her foot. “I want to watch my show now. Now!”

  “I said no.” Trevor refused to back down. “I meant it. You can bend for once. Not everything in this world is for your benefit.”

  The front door opened to allow Aaron entrance. He carried a book bag, which made Maddie think he’d just returned home from school. He halted when he heard the noise.

  “What is she screaming about?” Aaron asked, confused.

  “Her stupid show. I want to watch the Tigers and she won’t let me.”

  “So, just wait fifteen minutes.” Aaron’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “You’re not going to miss anything. The Tigers are terrible.”

  “I’m not giving in to her,” Trevor shot back. “She’s a little tyrant. I don’t have to do what she says. I’m the parent.”

  “Since when?” Aaron made a face before moving to Catelynn. “Come on. You can watch the rest of the episode in my room.”

  Catelynn immediately stopped crying. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Yup. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the stairs, only stopping when a door deeper in the house slammed and his mother came storming into the living room. “W-what’s going on?”

  Maddie had never seen Alicia so furious. The fire in the woman’s eyes could’ve set forest fires the world over.

  “I ran into a friend of yours today, Trevor,” she spat.

  “Oh, yeah?” Seemingly unbothered, Trevor leaned back in his chair and focused on the game. “Who is that?”

  “Sarah Salinger.”

  He didn’t as much as flinch. “And how is she?”

  “I would think you would already know,” Alicia snapped. “She wanted me to give you this.” Alicia threw something at her husband with all her might. Maddie had trouble making out what it was, but it looked to be a watch. “She said you left it at her house when you were there Monday.”

  “Tell her thanks for returning it.”

  Alicia’s cheeks flushed with color. “Is that all you have to say?”

  “What else do you want me to say?” Trevor didn’t bother looking at his wife. He seemed disinterested, as if he was somehow above it all. “You know I’ve been seeing her.”

  “No, I knew you were seeing someone,” she hissed. “I never once thought it was our daughter’s dance instructor.”

  “You shouldn’t have sent me to pick up Catelynn last month.”

  “Oh, so this is my fault?” Alicia was incredulous. “When are you going to stop doing this?”

  “Never.” Trevor flicked his eyes to the stairwell, to where Aaron and Catelynn stood. “You’re making a scene in front of the kids. Perhaps you should focus on dinner. I’m hungry and your voice is like nails on a chalkboard. I want steak, please … and potatoes. That sounds good, doesn’t it?”

  The la
st thing Maddie saw as the vision faded into the ether was Aaron’s furious expression. Alicia reflected hurt, Catelynn confusion. Aaron, though, he was fueled by pure rage.

  Maddie gasped as she climbed out of the vision, dropping the cards on the ground as she fought to regain her breath.

  “What’s wrong?” Alicia asked, alarmed.

  “How many women was Trevor sleeping with?” Maddie asked before thinking about the intelligence associated with asking the question. “Marla, Sarah Salinger. Who else? How could you put up with that?”

  Alicia shakily got to her feet. “Who told you about Sarah?”

  “I just saw it.”

  “You saw it?” Alicia shook her head. “No. Someone told you. I can’t deal with this. Not again.”

  With those words, she turned on her heel and fled, her breath hitching as she made her escape. She didn’t glance back to see if Maddie was still watching.

  Sixteen

  Kreskin met Nick in front of Sarah’s house. The woman’s Ford Focus was in the driveway and the younger detective was watching it with an expression that defied description.

  “You seem agitated,” Kreskin said, meeting Nick in front of his cruiser. “Do you want to tell me what you’re thinking?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Nick admitted, rueful. “I have a lot going through my head ... but I’m not sure what makes the most sense.”

  “Lay it on me.”

  “Did we check to make sure Catelynn was actually attending dance classes? I mean ... we talked about it. Did you call to confirm where the kids were? I know I didn’t.”

  Kreskin looked uncomfortable as he shifted from one foot to the other. “I called. I left a message. She never called back. I kind of lost track of that in the middle of everything.”

  “Don’t you find that suspicious?”

  Kreskin held his palms out and shrugged. “I don’t know. Obviously, you find it suspicious.”

  “I do,” Nick agreed, his head bobbing. “If a police detective called me regarding alibis for two children, I would most definitely call him back.”