by Amber Crewes
Karen peered at the cut. “That’s deep,” she admitted as she peered into the gash. “And the dried blood around the edges concerns me. I think you need to get into your doctor fast, or this will scar….”
“SERIOUSLY?”
The trio of ladies and Lee turned around. The front door had opened, and Jack Irvin was marching inside, his face angry, and his fists clenched.
8
“This is unbelievable,” Jack spat as he stormed over to the group. “You’ve been out of the police station for what, five minutes? And now you’re conveniently here with my girlfriend? Seriously, man, what’s it going to take for you to learn your lesson?”
Lee puffed up his chest and faced off with Jack. “Stay away from me,” he growled. “You don’t know who you are dealing with, Jackie Boy. Stay away from me, or you won’t like what’ll be coming to you.”
Lee turned on his heel and stomped out of the coffee shop, Jack screaming after him. “You’re going to threaten a detective? I have witnesses who just heard you, Lee. I could have you thrown in jail for what you just did.”
Meghan’s face was pale as the door slammed behind Lee. Everyone in the coffee shop was staring at Jack. “Look what he made me do,” Jack muttered as Jackie and Karen rose from the table.
“I think we’re going to get out of here,” Karen whispered into Meghan’s ear as she hugged her. “Give you two some time to work this out…”
“See you later, Meghan,” Jackie said. “Let us know how this goes.”
Meghan nodded as Karen and Jackie left the coffee shop. She looked down into her coffee mug, unable to make eye contact with Jack.
“You’re shaking,” he said as he sat down beside her. “Are you okay?”
She forced herself to stare into his blue eyes. “I’m not okay,” she glowered as Jack raised a blonde eyebrow. “What you did earlier, and just now was unacceptable. You made such a scene, and you were so terrible to Lee. He just lost his mother, Jack. Why did you have to act like a total brute?”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “You’re thinking about him right now? Wow. That tells me where your head is…”
Meghan shook her head and rose to her feet. “I’m going to the bathroom,” she told him. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried to the bathroom, splashing water on her face as soon as she was in front of the sink. She didn’t understand why Jack was being so insecure. She had never seen him like this before, and she wondered if there were more problems beneath the surface than she had known.
When she returned to the table, she found Jack eating a croissant. “That looks good,” she commented as she slid into her seat. Jack said nothing.
“Are you not going to say anything to me?” she asked, feeling more annoyed than concerned. “You had more than enough to say earlier…”
Jack dropped the croissant and crossed his arms over his chest. “I just don’t know if I can do this anymore,” he told her. “Having to constantly question your loyalty is just exhausting. I work long hours at a stressful job, and if I have to worry about you running around after some...criminal...it just won’t work.”
She glared at him. “You’re going to threaten to break up with me because of this? Really? Jack, this behavior is so unlike you. What’s going on? What’s the matter with you?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, Meghan,” he answered coldly. “I just don’t appreciate the fact that my girlfriend of over a year seems to care about some random guy she met a few weeks ago more than she cares for me.”
“That’s absurd,” she argued. “And you know it. What is really going on here, Jack? Tell me. Why are you being so weird about Lee?”
He said nothing. Meghan saw the anger in his eyes, and her heart nearly broke. She reached across the table and took his hand, hoping the gesture would soften him. “Hey,” she murmured. “What’s going on? How are you doing? Let’s talk, babe.”
Jack didn’t pull his hand away. “There’s a lot going on at work,” he admitted. “Stuff I haven’t told you about.”
“Let me be there for you,” she urged, squeezing his hand. “Let me support you.”
Jack scowled. “You’re only making things worse,” he told her as he yanked his hand away. “I have so much going on at work, and now this suspicious death at your barn…”
“Are you really blaming me?” she interjected. “That doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
He frowned. “If you didn’t have that barn, I wouldn’t have this case. This has been the worst day, too. I had to release Lee because his alibi added up. Jacob died on impact, but the paramedics and officers at the scene reported his body was in a suspicious position when they found him. There’s something fishy about this, and I think your boy, Lee, is involved. I just know it, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it no matter what it takes.”
She rose from the table. “He isn’t my boy,” she declared. “You are my man, Jack!”
He rose from the table as well. “Not if this keeps going on,” he threatened. “I need to know you’re on my side, especially since Lee Shepherd is a shady character, and I just know he had something to do with Jacob’s death.”
9
The next day, Meghan found herself pushing a cart around the grocery store. She was searching for romaine lettuce, and she wasn’t having luck finding a fresh bushel; she could only find bags, and she did not want to pay for bagged vegetables.
As she wandered, she spotted a familiar face in the baking aisle. It was the paramedic who had spoken with her on the day of Jacob’s death. She waved, but the woman turned away. Meghan walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey.”
The paramedic waved dismissively. “Sorry, I can’t talk—“
“What’s wrong?” Meghan asked, genuinely confused. “Do you have a minute? I want to talk to you.”
The paramedic shrugged. “I really can’t.”
“Oh, come on,” Meghan urged. “Talk to me. Surely you can spare five minutes?”
The paramedic sighed. “Fine,” she said. “What can I do for you?”
Meghan stared into her face. “I need some information,” she whispered. “About Jacob Chambers’ death.”
The paramedic laughed. “I don’t give out information like that at the drop of a hat.”
“You did on the day he died.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “That was different,” she stated. “That was in an official capacity. There, you were the owner of the property where a man had died. Now, you’re just a person at the grocery store.”
“I need some information,” Meghan repeated herself with more urgency in her voice. “Come on. Why were you so forthcoming about his death then, and now, you’re being so dodgy about it?”
The paramedic’s face paled. “I don’t want to talk to you…” she murmured. “The rumors...”
“Rumors?”
“The rumors about your boyfriend,” the paramedic said. “Everyone is saying that your boyfriend killed him. If you date a killer, surely you aren’t a good person either.”
“Jack? People are saying Jack killed Jacob?” she shrieked. “Are you kidding me? Where are these rumors coming from? Who told you this?”
“Jack? No, Lee. Aren’t you dating Lee Shepherd? Everyone is saying he killed Jacob. He killed Jacob, and perhaps you had something to do with it.”
Meghan was livid. Her face burned with rage, and she clenched her hands into fists. “Lee is not my boyfriend,” she insisted angrily. “I am not with Lee Shepherd. My boyfriend is Jack Irvin. Detective Jack Irvin, in fact. Jack Irvin, an upstanding member of Sandy Bay Society. Are you even from this town? Everyone in Sandy Bay knows Jack and I are together. I am not with Lee, nor have I ever been with Lee, nor did I have anything to do with Jacob’s death.”
“I am just telling you what I heard,” the woman said defensively. “I am just telling you what I heard around town. I heard that you, the owner of the barn, was with Lee, and that Lee killed Jacob. I heard that Le
e pushed the ladder, Jacob fell, and the owner of the barn tried to cover it all up.”
“That’s insane,” Meghan told her. “Do you realize how bad this situation is for my business? Why would I ever want to bring bad press to a business of mine?”
“Bad press is better than no press.”
“That’s terrible logic,” Meghan countered. “For your information, there are two owners of the barn, but neither of us are with Lee Shepherd. I am happily with Jack—“
“Are you?”
“Excuse me?”
The paramedic raised an eyebrow. “I saw you and the detective fighting at the barn as we were cleaning up the scene. That didn’t look too happy to me.”
“My relationship is none of your business,” Meghan insisted, growing angrier by the second. “I want you to take this piece of information back to whomever you gossip with: I am not with Lee Shepherd, nor is my business partner, Jackie. I am with Jack Irvin, and Jackie is happily single. Neither of us are with Lee. Lee didn’t have anything to do with that death; he’s a good guy, and I know he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“If that’s your story…”
“It IS,” Meghan declared. “And I want you to stop dragging my name around Sandy Bay. It sounds like the gossip has gotten out of hand, and I am done being a part of it. Myself, my business partner, my boyfriend, and my friend are not complicit in Jacob’s death. You need to stop running your mouth about all of this, or else.”
“Or else what?”
“I will file a lawsuit,” Meghan announced. She hadn’t intended to say this, but in the heat of the moment, she was on a roll. “You are defaming me, and this negative attention could get back to both of my businesses. I will file a lawsuit if you don’t back off, and I will certainly find out if you continue gossiping about me.”
“Understood,” the paramedic said, her eyes large. “I’ll just be going now.”
“That would be best,” Meghan declared, and she turned on her heel to return to her cart.
“Owww! That really hurt!”
Meghan twirled around to find Isla staring at her, holding a basket of vegetables. Meghan had been daydreaming as she wandered the aisles, and she realized she had accidentally bumped into the grieving receptionist.
“I am so sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to run into you, Isla. How are you doing?”
She could see Isla’s eyes were red and swollen, and her heart sank. “I’m hanging in there,” she told her. “I’m sorry I was screaming so much at the barn. I was in total shock; I was having a migraine that morning, and then to see my first dead body, and to have it also be my sweetie... it was a tough time. I’m sorry if I shocked you.”
Meghan put her cart to her side and hugged Isla. “Don’t apologize,” she ordered. “You have been through something terrible. Your reaction was perfectly fitting for such a terrible situation. Dear Isla, I am so sorry for your loss.”
Isla leaned into the embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered to Meghan. “And thank you for giving me the week off. I’ve never really lost anyone, and it’s been nice to have time to grieve.”
Meghan nodded. “Jackie and I discussed it, and we feel it is important that you have bereavement time,” she assured her. “You have been such a wonderful addition at the barn, and we want you to take care of yourself during this difficult time.”
Isla pulled away and nodded. “I am thankful for your support. That day is just etched into my mind, and I think I would be more of a problem at work right now than any help.”
“Do you remember anything else that happened?” Meghan asked, curious to hear more about the incident. “I know the police are investigating, but was there anything they missed?”
Isla wrinkled her nose, thinking hard. “The morning was a blur,” she told Meghan. “I nearly overslept, but I made it into work on time. Jacob came in around eleven with a buddy of his. Declan? He’s quite a charmer, but can be shifty at times. He’s gotten into a few scuffles with the law before, but Jacob swore up and down that Declan had grown up and matured since the last incident. They met at the pool hall last fall and have been friends ever since.”
“Declan? Was he around when Jacob….had his accident?”
Isla shook her head. “He left an hour before. He came inside and asked if I wanted him to go out and grab a coffee for me, but I told him no. He left right after that, and then…”
“The accident,” Meghan murmured, finishing Isla’s sentence. “Is it possible Declan came back to the barn and caused the accident? Were he and Jacob on good terms?”
Isla pursed her lips. “They did have a little scuffle a few nights ago,” she admitted. “Declan was angry that Jacob wasn’t going with him to a bike race in Bend, Oregon. Jacob and I had made plans to go to Sonoma, but Declan was irritated that he wouldn’t cancel our plans…”
Meghan nodded. “Interesting…”
“I don’t think Declan would hurt him, though,” Isla protested. “They were dear friends. I think the ladder was faulty. I took a look at it before I left the scene, and it looked like some of the rungs were broken…”
“Does the ladder belong to us at the barn?” Meghan asked in horror. “Was he using a ladder of ours? Oh, Isla! I will feel so bad if we provided a broken ladder…”
“Actually, he borrowed it,” Isla told Meghan. “Declan lent it to him; Jacob’s ladder is in the shop getting updates, and Declan had a spare one.”
“So Declan lent his friend a broken ladder,” Meghan thought to herself as she pasted a smile on her face. “Well, please let us know what you need. We are happy to accommodate any changes to your schedule. Jackie and I are so sorry for your loss, and we want to help in whatever ways we can.”
“Thank you,” Isla told her as she gave Meghan a hug goodbye.
As Isla walked away, Meghan’s phone began to vibrate in her pocket. “Hello?”
“There’s been another crime at the barn! Someone painted graffiti on the wall,” Jackie screeched.
“What? When?”
“I don’t know,” Jackie wailed. “The security cameras were never finished being installed because Jacob…”
“Ugh,” Meghan replied.
“Can you call Lee?” Jackie pleaded. “We need to install security cameras as soon as we can, and I would like his recommendations for another camera guy.”
“I don’t know if that is a good idea,” Meghan told her. “Things with Jack and I are really weird, and I don’t want to bring Lee into the mix. He’s a nice guy, and I wish I could be friends with him, but I need to put Jack first right now.”
“Come on,” Jackie begged. “He’s the best of the best! He was the speaker at a security conference. We need his expertise.”
“I think you just want his phone number,” Meghan teased. “You did tell me how cute you think he is.”
“That aside,” Jackie said. “We do need those cameras installed quickly. The graffiti is really bad, Meghan.”
“What does it say?” she asked, her stomach churning.
“It says, PEOPLE GET KILLED HERE.”
10
The next day, Meghan and Pamela were boiling peaches in the kitchen at Truly Sweet. Meghan had decided to introduce her new peach treats to the public, and they were working to prepare the fruit to make a batch of tarts.
Meghan liked working with Pamela; the teenager was typically jovial, and Meghan knew she had a real talent for baking. She envisioned Pamela attending culinary school someday, and she hoped that with her guidance, Pamela’s baking hobby could turn into a future career.
“So, what’s new with you?” the teen asked good-naturedly. “How’s Jack? I feel like I haven’t seen him around lately.”
Meghan’s face darkened. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Pamela assured her. “I was just asking to ask.”
Meghan’s heart sank. “We’re having a bit of a rough patch,” she admitted. “I suppose all couples go through this, but it’s been hard la
tely…”
Pamela’s face fell. “Oh no!” she cried. “I hate to hear that. You two are such a good couple. I look up to you so much. I hope you can fix things.”
Meghan sighed as she thought of Jack’s behavior over the last few days. She loved Jack, but she knew she could not be with him if he continued to act irrational and jealous about Lee. She shrugged. “I hope we can make it work,” she told her. “Relationships aren’t always easy, but when two people are committed to each other and have unconditional respect for the other, they can be so wonderful.”
“I hope to find someone who has that kind of love and respect for me,” Pamela said dreamily. “My last boyfriend, Roberto, only cared about sports and himself!”
Meghan laughed. “Most teenage boys only care about sports and themselves,” she informed the teen. “Don’t worry about finding love; you are so young, smart, and gorgeous, and whether or not you find someone, you will have a wonderful life.”
Pamela reached to hug Meghan. “You are the best,” she murmured as she embraced her. “You have the best advice. You’re like a big sister to me, Meghan.”
Meghan smiled. “And I think of you as a little sister. I’m glad you work here.”
“Hey, Meghan? Kirsty Fisher is looking for you.”
Meghan and Pamela turned to see Trudy standing in the doorway. “She wants to talk to you about that conference?”
Meghan frowned. “I’ll be right out.”
She straightened her hair and walked out to the dining room. Kirsty was typing away on her cell phone. She smiled as Meghan approached. “Darling, so lovely to see you,” she greeted, kissing Meghan on both cheeks. “I wanted to follow up with you about the conference!”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of a workday, Kirsty,” she said patiently. “I can’t really talk right now.”
“Oh, nonsense,” she dismissed. “It’ll take five minutes to chat.”
Meghan took a long breath. “Okay, fine,” she said. “Let’s chat.”