by Amber Crewes
Meghan obeyed, and she slowly raised her hand to the large mahogany door. She gave it three quiet taps. No one answered it.
“Well, I guess no one is home!” she said, turning and walking down the steps toward Karen’s jeep. “We tried!”
Karen rolled her eyes. “You can be such a chicken sometimes, Meghan Truman!” she declared as she stepped up and began knocking on the door.
“Hello? Hello! Kirsty? Vince? It’s me, Karen!”
The door was opened by a blonde-haired woman in a stiff maid’s uniform.
“Mrs. Denton! How may I help you?”
“Hello, Cheryl,” Karen said warmly. “I just need to speak with Vince and Kirsty for a moment. No emergency, but are they home?”
Cheryl crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. “They are wrapped up in some things right now and have asked for no visitors,” Cheryl answered. “I can tell them you stopped by?”
Karen began to push past Cheryl. “No, Cheryl, we need to speak to them now! It’s important!”
“Well, what have we here?”
Meghan heard a man’s voice booming in the background. She moved to Karen’s side, and from inside the house, she could see Vince Fisher descending a large staircase in the middle of the room.
“Karen Denton! How are you?” Vince asked, a smile on his handsome face as he walked to them.
Meghan blushed. Vince was gorgeous, and she could feel her face growing warm as she stared at his angular face and perfectly pressed suit.
Karen smiled at Vince. “I’m well! I just had a little question for you!”
“Meghan Truman! Karen Denton! What are you two doing here?”
Meghan saw Kirsty atop the stairs. She was dressed in a violet tea-length dress, and she held what appeared to be a glass of champagne in her hand. Kirsty descended the stairs slowly, her matching violet heels clacking on the marble floors.
“Hi, Kirsty,” Meghan said.
“You’ve caught us at quite the time! I’ve just learned that the Bishops left their entire estate to my charity, the Fisher Foundation! Vince pulled out this bottle of champagne to celebrate! I haven’t told many people this, but my charity has been struggling for the last few months, and these unexpected funds will help us survive and thrive!”
Meghan glanced over at Karen, who was watching Kirsty lean up onto her tiptoes and give Vince a peck on the lips.
“Come in! You must celebrate with us!”
Karen and Meghan walked into the house together.
“Your house is beautiful, Kirsty,” Meghan said, looking at the elegant decor with amazement.
“Oh, how kind of you, Meghan! I’m so happy we’ve made amends. I had a truly lovely time at Truly Sweet with you!”
“Mrs. Fisher?” Everyone turned to Cheryl, who walked into the room holding a cordless telephone. “Officer Irvin is on the phone; he is asking to speak with you.”
Meghan felt her heart drop at the mention of Jack’s name.
“I have guests, Cheryl! What does he want?” Kirsty asked, her voice filled with annoyance.
“He says he has some things to follow up about concerning the Bishop investigation. He says he has some confidential information to discuss with Mr. Fisher.”
Kirsty rolled her eyes. “Just tell him we’re busy and I will call him back later,” she said, folding her hands neatly in front of her.
Cheryl shook her head. “He says it’s urgent, Mrs. Fisher. He says he is going to stop over.”
Kirsty sighed. “Fine,” she replied. “Just have him chat with Vince first; I’m going to visit with my guests, and Officer Irvin will have to wait his turn!”
Cheryl nodded and left the room. Kirsty crossed her arms in front of her chest, the pearl necklace on her bosom jingling as it moved.
“Admittedly, I was surprised that the Bishops left us their money; Amy and I have never been quite close, but they were loyal patrons of the Fisher Foundation, and with those terrible sons of theirs...well, it isn’t a wonder that they didn’t let their wealth go to waste! I can use this money for several little projects in town, and their legacy will live on forever!”
Vince smiled at his wife. “I have some things to attend to before Officer Irvin gets here. Do you mind if I excuse myself, dear?”
Kirsty nodded. “Of course! I’ll take Meghan and Karen to my office to visit!”
Karen shook her head. “I forgot my water bottle and midday meal in the jeep; I’m training for another marathon and need to stay hydrated and fed. You two go chat; I’m going to go grab my things. Be right with you!”
Kirsty smiled. “Of course, you go! Meghan and I can visit!”
Kirsty wrapped her small hand around Meghan’s wrist and pulled Meghan down a long hallway.
“My office is this way! It was designed to look just like Kate Middleton’s private office at Buckingham Palace! You do know who Kate Middleton is, right?”
Kirsty dragged Meghan into a large, airy room. Light shone in from six floor-to-ceiling windows, and there were vases of crisp, white roses everywhere. Kirsty gestured at an overstuffed white satin chair. Meghan sat down, and while she leaned back into the chair, her eyes scanned the room for clues.
“My, my, my, silly me!” Kirsty murmured after settling into her own chair. “I forgot refreshments! What a poor host I am. I’ll go call for Cheryl, and she can bring some refreshments!” Kirsty bustled away, her high heels clacking.
A large glass desk stood in the middle of Kirsty’s office. It matched the decor perfectly, but from her position in the chair, Meghan could see one drawer that was not made of glass. It was dark and unsightly, and amidst the splendor of Kirsty’s office, it did not match the decor.
“That’s strange,” Meghan thought to herself. “Why would Mrs. Matchy-Matchy have one ugly desk drawer?”
Meghan rose from her chair and began rummaging through the glass drawers of Kirsty’s desk. It was brimming with files and documents, but everything was for Kirsty’s sorority alumnae chapter, medical files, and the deeds to the Fishers’ three houses.
“I wonder what she’s put into the ugly drawer?” Meghan thought aloud as she tried to slide it open. The drawer was locked, but Meghan pulled a bobby pin from her hair and jammed open the lock. She pulled out a single black folder. It was thick, and as she opened it, papers fell out and onto the floor.
“Oh no,” Meghan whispered, hoping that Kirsty would not find her with paperwork on the floor. “What are these?”
Meghan read the first piece of paper she retrieved from the floor. It was a bill from a casino in Monaco for over three hundred fifty-thousand dollars!
“What on Earth,” Meghan muttered as she looked at the next piece of paper, a receipt for a hotel in Colombia. The receipt was in Vince’s name, and Meghan continued rummaging through the papers. Each paper was a bill or receipt for an extravagant hotel and casino. Meghan did not understand. The Fishers were well off, but they weren’t wealthy; Karen had told Meghan that most of Kirsty and Vince’s money was tied up in a fancy nursing home for Kirsty’s ailing mother, and that while the couple presented themselves well, they were not as prosperous as they had been in years past. How were the Fishers affording such magnificent excursions if their money was an issue? Meghan wrinkled her nose in confusion.
Suddenly, Meghan was struck with clarity. She glanced down at the bottom of each piece of paper and found the same signature: THE FISHER FOUNDATION. She gasped. The Fishers had been taking money from their own charity to pay for these elaborate trips, and Meghan had proof! What if the Fishers had also used Vince’s role as the most prestigious attorney in town to somehow cheat the Bishops of their wealth? What if the Fishers had arranged for the murder? Meghan hastily gathered the paperwork back into the file; she could sneak out with the information and turn it over to the police!
“I know what you two did,” Meghan said to herself, furrowing her brow as she stuffed paperwork back into the file folder.
“Oh, do you?”
10
“WHAT ON EARTH are you doing going through my wife’s office?” Vince demanded as Meghan’s hazel eyes widened.
“I….I……,” Meghan stammered.
Seeing the concerned look on Meghan’s face, Vince softened. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to snoop,” he said carefully. “I’m sure it was just an accident. Why don’t you put that folder back right now, and let’s have a little chat?”
Meghan’s hands were shaking, and she placed the folder back into its place.
“Good girl,” he said. “Come, sit down.”
Meghan stared at Vince, and he smiled back at her.
“I don’t know what you think you saw in that file,” he began. “But those are private documents. Let’s just forget all about this and go have a glass of champagne with my wife! She’s very excited that the Bishops left their money to our foundation, and I’m sure you would like to wish her well.”
Meghan narrowed her eyes at Vince and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t really understand why the foundation is paying for such fancy trips when as of yesterday, it was nearly in financial ruin,” Meghan said, gesturing at the drawer where she had returned the file. “It’s pretty convenient that the two of you stumbled into this money at just the right time, isn’t it?”
Vince rose to his feet and stood directly in front of Meghan. He smiled, but the smile was menacing; Meghan could see the disdain in his eyes, and his pupils grew small as he peered down at her.
“So it’s going to be this way, huh? Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to pretend like I didn’t find you snooping,” he said. “You’re smart enough. You saw the files. You know what happened.”
Meghan glared up at Vince. “You fixed their will to leave their money to the foundation to cover up for you and your wife!”
Vince shook his head. “Have you met Kirsty? She had nothing to do with this. I started gambling a few years back. Things turned sour. I handle the finances for the foundation, and it was easy to shift some money here, there, and everywhere I needed it.”
Meghan glowered. “You reworked the will and stole their money to cover up for your mistakes. You killed the Bishops at your own event!”
Vince shook his head. “Meghan,” he said. “I had to do what I had to do. I didn’t want to kill them; Brian and Amy have always been a nice couple. But, sometimes, when you’re desperate, you have to do things you don’t want to. They were my best chance to restore the foundation, and it worked!”
Meghan rose to her feet. She was standing nose-to-be with Vince, and she could feel his hot breath on her face.
“Sit down,” he growled. “You will not ruin this. I’ve done too much. I’ll be disbarred. I’ll lose my business.”
“I’ve already lost my business because of you!” she yelled. She lunged, grabbing for Vince’s neck. Vince ducked out of her way, and Meghan crashed into the glass desk in the center of the room.
“You stupid girl!” he snarled. “I gave you a chance to walk away from this, but you’ve made your choice. I’ll end you like I ended the Bishops!”
Vince ran toward Meghan, his fists in front of his face. He reeled back his left fist and pushed it into Meghan’s head.
“Stop!” Meghan screamed. She leaned over and kicked, but she did not manage to strike him. Vince wrapped his hands around her neck.
“That’ll be the end of you,” he said.
He squeezed Meghan’s neck tightly, and she struggled to breathe. Slowly, his grip tightened, and Meghan began to see black spots. She could feel her heart beating furiously in her chest, and her body was hot. Vince’s fingernails dug into her neck, and she could feel the skin breaking.
“Goodbye,” Vince whispered as he squeezed even tighter.
The black spots in Meghan’s vision grew, and soon, she was consumed in the darkness. Her consciousness was slipping away, and the memories of her time in Sandy Bay flashed before her eyes. She thought of how much she adored her friendship with Lori, how kind Karen had been to her, and how she would never realize her dream of turning Truly Sweet into a wild success. Meghan let out a soft moan; this was not the ending she had expected...
11
“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” Meghan heard Kirsty wail.
There was a loud crash, and just as Meghan began to drift into unconsciousness, Vince’s grip on her neck immediately loosened. He clumsily tumbled on top of her.
“Officer Irvin! What are you doing?” Kirsty screamed.
Meghan blinked open her eyes and saw Jack Irvin standing over Vince with the handle of a teapot in his hands. The body of the teapot lay in pieces on the floor, and it was clear that Jack had broken it over Vince’s head.
“Get off of my husband! Explain yourself!” she screeched at Jack. Vince rubbed his head; there was blood pouring from a large gash on his forehead, and he moaned.
“Meghan!” Jack cried out. “You!” he yelled down at Vince. He quickly removed a pair of handcuffs from his belt and secured Vince’s arms.
“What is happening?” Kirsty sobbed as Jack restrained her husband. “Officer Irvin? Why is my husband in handcuffs? What is going on here?”
Jack shook his head. “Ma’am,” he began solemnly. “We’ve had our eye on Mr. Fisher for the last few months; we’ve been monitoring Vince’s accounts, along with the accounts of your foundation, and things were not adding up. There’s been an odd trail of money in and out to several casinos around the world, and from what we’ve pieced together, Mr. Fisher is at the center of one of the biggest scandals of money laundering, illegal casinos, and embezzlement in the history of the Pacific Northwest.”
“That’s impossible!” Kirsty declared. “We are pillars of this community! We have been servants to the people and charities of Sandy Bay for years! This is a mistake!”
Jack shook his head. “From our records, it’s clear that Mr. Fisher has had a gambling issue for several years. We found that he has been siphoning money out of the Fisher Foundation accounts, Mrs. Fisher.”
Kirsty’s eyes grew wide. “He….took from our charity?”
Jack nodded.
“My charity has been in the red,” she whispered, her voice quivering. “Vince said the money ran out because I made a mistake with the accounts. He said it was my fault. I was so relieved to get the money from the Bishops because it put the Fisher Foundation back on top….”
Jack shook his head. “No, Mrs. Fisher. From what the investigators learned, Mr. Fisher is responsible for a considerable sum of the Foundation’s money disappearing, not you.”
Kirsty glared at her husband. “Vince. Is this true?” Vince said nothing, and tears began to stream down Kirsty’s cheeks. She threw a hand to her forehead and fainted, her small body hitting the floor with a loud thump.
“What is going on in here?” Karen yelled as she bustled into the room. “I went out for fifteen minutes to eat my snack, and I come back to this? What is going on?”
Jack glared down at Vince. “Mr. Fisher here has a lot of explaining to do to his wife and the authorities,” he said.
“And the Bishop twins,” Meghan said softly. Jack turned to stare at her.
“What did you say?” Jack asked.
Meghan nodded. “He told me everything. He killed the Bishops and rearranged their will to exclude their sons. He was going to use the money from their estate to cover his tracks with the Fisher Foundation.”
Karen’s eyes glimmered. “That’s my girl,” she said quietly.
Jack nodded at Karen. “Can you check on her?” Jack asked, gesturing at Kirsty. “You were a nurse, and she fainted.”
Karen checked Kirsty’s pulse and gently shook her. “Come on, Kirsty,” she cooed. “Let’s get up, girl!”
Kirsty’s eyes slowly opened, and as she saw her husband in handcuffs, she narrowed her eyes.
“This explains everything!” Kirsty shoute
d. “This explains why you were always gone away on business! I thought you were having an affair! All of this time, you were traveling to casinos overseas to gamble, and you used our foundation money to do it? You are horrible, Vince! I am disgusted! I am ashamed!” Kirsty dramatically raised a hand to her forehead and slumped against the couch. “How will I ever recover from this filth?”
Jack looked sadly at Kirsty. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “We will need to seize your documents, as well as your husband. I will, however, promise you that your name is now officially cleared; you are no longer a suspect in the murder case.”