by Leena Clover
“We have already talked to Detective Fowler about this. We just want to hear your version.”
“I was with him,” Cassie repeated. “Teddy had tickets to the concert and he invited me. Wanted to introduce me to his wife. She turned out to be a big fan of mine.”
Cassie beamed at the police man, but he didn’t drop his stern expression.
“What time did you leave the concert?”
“Right after it was over. Haven’t you asked Teddy about it?”
The deputy cleared his throat.
“According to the detective, you were still at the hotel when he left with his wife. They had to go home early because of some domestic crisis.”
“Oh yeah, right, now I remember. Their babysitter called. I don’t know how people raise kids, really. They couldn’t stay for the last set. It was the best one, you know. Before that, the singer was just warming up.”
“Can anyone vouch for how long you remained at the hotel?” the deputy asked.
“I don’t know. Someone must have seen me. Ask Charlie Robinson.”
“Mr. Robinson and his staff are being interviewed,” the deputy sighed. “Your story will be corroborated against what they tell us. But we want you to give us your version.”
“If you’re looking for the exact time I left, I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”
“One last question,” the deputy said. “Did you notice a man with red hair and a Mohawk when you were at the concert?”
“Tall, rowdy man? He got into a fight with the bartender. Said his drink was watered or something.”
“Do you know when he left?”
“Barely five minutes after the program started,” Cassie said. “He was hard to miss.”
“And when did you leave? Right after that?”
“Huh?” Cassie was flustered. “Are you trying to trap me or something? Didn’t I just tell you I don’t remember when I left?”
“Just checking,” the deputy said lightly. “Based on the information we have, you could easily have poisoned the victim while he was at the concert.”
“I didn’t know he was there.”
The deputy ignored that.
“We might call you in again, Ms. Butler.”
Cassie let out a big breath after coming out of the room. Teddy was standing outside.
“That was brutal,” she said. “Am I really a suspect, Teddy?”
“I can’t comment on that, Cassie,” he said. “It’s best to come clean. The more forthcoming you are, the easier they will be on you. You can even cut a deal if you admit your mother coerced you into this.”
“What a load of crap, Teddy! She did no such thing.”
“I’m just trying to help.”
“You call that helping? I thought you were my friend!”
Cassie pulled her phone out and saw she had missed a call from Anna. There was a message telling her Anna was waiting for her at home. Cassie rushed home, eager to tell her mother what had happened. She flew into Anna’s arms as soon as she got home.
“I’m so scared, Mom.”
“What happened?” Anna asked fearfully. “I’ve been worried about you, Cassie. Call it mother’s intuition but I sensed you were in some kind of trouble.”
“Teddy called me in for questioning. Only, he let someone else grill me.”
Cassie poured out the whole story.
“What are we going to do now, Mom?”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Cassie. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
“Are you any closer to solving this, Mom?”
“It’s hard to say. Frankly, I’m stumped. Ethan Lapin had a motive but he has a strong alibi.”
“They asked me about some red headed guy,” Cassie told her. “He was at the concert.”
“Tall, hefty guy with red hair down the middle of his head? I don’t remember what it’s called.”
“That’s a Mohawk, Mom. And yes, that’s the guy.”
“That’s Tim Buckner. Remember, I told you about him? I really think he and his son could be involved.”
“What did you do today? Did you find that guy at the diner?”
“He turned out to be a journalist. He was following William Parker for a story. Gino is going to check up on him.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Bake,” Anna said. “I need to distract myself. There are plenty of leftovers for lunch. Unless you want to go to the Tipsy Whale. If you do, get something for Meg too. She’s alone at the store, poor thing.”
Cassie declared she wasn’t going anywhere.
“I shouldn’t have lied to them about who closed up that night,” Anna said. “Who’s going to believe I’m telling the truth when they find out?”
“I know you did it for me, Mom. And I really don’t remember leaving the door open. But I must have, right? I guess I was in a hurry to get to the resort on time. I should have double checked the lock.”
“It’s an old door,” Anna said. “I think it will open if someone rattles it hard enough.”
“What about those security tapes you found at the record store?” Cassie asked suddenly. “Have you told the police about them?”
Anna had forgotten about that.
“Let me call Teddy,” Cassie said, pulling out her phone from her bag. “They might be able to test the lock and see how robust it is.”
Cassie walked to her room as she talked to Ted. She collapsed on her bed, exhausted and emotional from her latest ordeal. Her hand groped under her bed, looking for the bottle she kept there for emergencies.
Chapter 21
Anna tasted the latest batch of cupcakes she had baked. She was pleased with her final tweak to the recipe and was ready to lock it down. She had come up with a strategy for the café. Every month, she would feature a different cupcake on the menu. It would be the Cupcake of the Month. It would highlight a fruit, preferably seasonal. And Anna would add her own twist to it, using a particular herb or spice.
Cassie came into the kitchen, followed by Gino. Anna urged both of them to try the cupcakes and give their genuine feedback. There was avocado toast for breakfast in case they got tired of eating the sweet stuff. Anna sprinkled some hot sauce on her own toast and listened to Gino and Cassie discuss some old Hollywood movie.
“I didn’t know you were such a movie buff,” she said to him. “You sound as bad as her.”
“I have quite the collection,” Gino boasted. “We should have a movie night sometime.”
“What are you doing today, Mom?” Cassie wanted to know. “Heading to the store?”
“I’m going to check out that cabin Dan told us about,” Gino told Anna. “Do you want to come with me?”
“Try holding me back,” Anna said. “Just give me a few minutes to get ready.”
She pulled off her apron and went to her room. Five minutes later, she was ready for a morning out with Gino Mancini.
“I’ll be home, in case you are wondering,” Cassie said sullenly.
“You don’t have to be,” Anna clucked. “Why don’t you go help Meg at the store?”
“I am expecting a call from my agent.” Cassie supplied her favorite excuse.
“Suit yourself,” Anna said and walked out.
Gino helped Anna into his truck and got in. He fiddled with the radio stations, trying to find something Anna liked.
“Tell me when to stop,” he said. “I’m a country music fan myself.”
“I don’t mind country music,” Anna said. “It can be very relaxing.”
“You’re a girl after my own heart, Anna Butler.”
Anna blushed and began looking out of her window.
“Do you know where this cabin is?”
“I took the address from Dan the other day,” Gino told her. “I know roughly where we are going. We might have to search a bit after that.”
“Didn’t you enter it into the navigation?” Anna asked.
“It’s not on the map exactly,” Gino explained. “We mi
ght have to walk a bit after we park the truck. I’ll try to take us in as much as possible. The 4x4 will come in handy.”
“I didn’t realize it was that isolated.”
“That’s kind of the point, actually. I think I remember my Dad talking about it. He and Dan used to go there sometimes. It was a retreat of sorts for them. There’s a creek nearby with plenty of trout. I might have gone there as a child. I have vague memories of standing in the water with a fishing rod in my hands. We cleaned that fish right there and grilled it on heated rocks.”
“That’s quite a story,” Anna said. “You miss your father, don’t you?”
Gino nodded.
“I’m a sentimental man, Anna. And I make no bones about it. I guess it’s my Italian blood.”
“I know men are supposed to find it hard to express themselves. But I appreciate a man who speaks from the heart. My John was like that.”
They drove through towering redwoods on winding roads that took them further away from Dolphin Bay. Anna hadn’t been out that way for a while. She sat back and enjoyed the view, wondering what they would find at the cabin.
Gino slowed down after a while and abruptly turned onto a dirt road that was barely visible through the trees. It widened after they had gone a few meters and Anna was glad to see there was a road leading into the woods. Gino drove on until they came to a wide bank of pines and he could drive no more.
“I think this is where we get down.”
He rushed to Anna’s side and held her hand while she scrambled down. Gino put two bottles of water in a bag and hefted it on his shoulder.
“Better be prepared,” he said to Anna. “We might not get a cell phone signal once we are surrounded by all these trees.”
Anna felt a bit apprehensive. But Gino looked like he knew what he was doing. She was sure he would take care of them. Plus, she was curious about the cabin.
“Let’s go,” Gino said and led the way.
The ground was uneven, littered with stones and exposed roots. Someone had hacked a path through the trees and they followed it for ten minutes. Anna was going to suggest they turn back when they suddenly stepped into a clearing. Anna stared at the tumbledown structure that lay before them.
There was a scurrying sound and Anna cried out as a dark shadow flashed by. Footsteps faded in the distance.
“What was that? Did you see that, Gino?”
“I did,” Gino answered grimly. “A bit too large to be a chipmunk.”
“Do you mean someone was inside that cabin?” Anna asked.
“I think they were trying to get inside. We must have spooked them. Do you prefer we go back, Anna?”
Anna hesitated. Clearly, someone else knew about the cabin. That meant the cabin was important. She didn’t want to give up now.
“I think we need to go in.”
The cabin was rugged and dilapidated. Years of neglect were evident in its appearance. Anna wondered why Dan or William Parker hadn’t spared a lick of paint for the cabin over the years.
“Here we go,” Gino said and walked up the steps.
There was a cracking sound and his foot went in as the decaying wood gave way.
“Gino! Are you alright?” Anna cried.
Gino had grabbed the railing. He pulled his foot out gingerly and rotated his ankle.
“No harm done, I think.”
Anna stepped forward hesitantly and went up the steps without incident. Gino had already pulled up the doormat per Dan’s instructions and found the key. He inserted it in the rusty lock and jiggled it a bit to open the door.
The inside was musty as Anna had expected. A hearth held the remains of a fire. There was an old leather sofa placed along a wall, faded and torn with stuffing coming out. A bookcase lined the other wall, sparsely stacked with some tattered volumes. Anna was sure they would fall apart when touched.
Gino stamped the floor with his foot and tapped the walls.
“Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean?” Anna asked.
“This room is smaller than it should be. The cabin looks much bigger from the outside.”
“I think you’re right,” Anna said, looking out toward the length of the porch.
Gino lifted some of the books and tapped the back of the bookshelf. He exclaimed in surprise.
“Can you lend me a hand, Anna? Let’s try to move this.”
To Gino’s surprise, the bookshelf moved aside easily.
“It’s on wheels,” Gino cried.
He moved the bookshelf out of the way and stumbled into a room that had been hidden from them.
“Wow!” Anna muttered as she looked around.
They were in a cavernous space, bigger than the living room or whatever room they had been in. An old cherry desk sat in the center of the room with a tufted leather chair behind it. Both the desk and the chair were in excellent condition, unlike the rest of the furniture in the cabin. An old computer sat on the desk.
“This is some hideout,” Anna said. “My guess is your friend Dan knows nothing about this.”
“I agree with you, Anna. Looks like William Parker made himself at home here.”
Gino started taking pictures of the room.
“Over here, Gino.” Anna stared at a wall that had been hidden in the shadows.
A large cork board was mounted on the wall, taking up most of the available space. It was pinned with newspaper clippings, old photos and handwritten notes.
Gino made sure he took pictures of the board.
“I think I’ll have some of that water now,” Anna said weakly.
Gino pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her.
“We have definitely stumbled on to something, Anna. I think we should head back now, before it gets too late.”
“Do you think that journalist guy has been here before us?”
“I have no idea,” Gino said.
“What about that person we saw when we got here?”
“Maybe it was just some wild animal,” Gino mused.
He followed Anna out of the room and repositioned the bookshelf to hide the inner space. He locked the front door after they stepped out and pocketed the key.
“I think I’ll keep this with me for now. Dan won’t mind, I’m sure.”
“Are you planning to come back here?” Anna asked.
“I need to take a look at that computer,” Gino said.
“What does all this mean, Gino?” Anna asked on the way back to the truck. “Do you think this has anything to do with William Parker?”
Gino’s jaw hardened as they reached his 4x4.
“Take it from this old cop, Anna. I’m positive it has everything to do with him.”
Chapter 22
Anna rearranged the cushions one more time and breathed deeply as she looked around the café. She was already beginning to feel proud of the place and was looking forward to making it a success. It would be a one of its kind café in Dolphin Bay. Between the locals and the tourists that traveled along the Pacific Coast Highway, she was sure she could get plenty of business.
“It’s looking good,” Meg said from behind her. “Aren’t you tired of moving these things around again and again?”
“I want it to be perfect,” Anna said.
Meg had surprised her with her hard work and attention to detail. She had transformed the bookstore since the few days she had been working there. Anna was proud of her too. Someone had raised that girl right. Then she sobered as she realized Meg had probably raised herself.
“Have you talked to your parents lately, Meg? How are they?”
“They are good,” Meg replied. “They are traveling to Japan next week. My Dad’s office is sending him there for a conference. They are going to stay on for a week after that and travel around.”
“They must be worried about you.”
Meg gave a tiny shrug.
“Not really. I told them you are looking after me.”
“You got that right, sweetie.
”
Anna started straightening up the bookstore. Meg put the books back on the shelves and dusted everything. Soon they were ready to leave for the day.
“I don’t know how you do it, but sales have improved since you started working here.”
“People are getting excited about the café,” Meg told her. “Things will improve a lot once the café is up and running.”
“I guess I will have to order more books from the bestseller lists,” Anna thought out loud.
She gathered her purse and bid Meg goodnight.
“I’m right behind you,” Meg said. “I just want to finish entering some of these old romance titles into the system.”
“You will have to teach me what you are doing some day.”
Anna walked out and picked up her bike. It was a windy evening, just warm enough to enjoy the salty breeze whipping her hair around. A mosaic of pink and orange covered the sky. There were a lot of people on the Coastal Walk, out with their pets or sitting on the benches, eating ice cream and watching the sun set over the bay. Anna smiled and started pedaling home.
She felt herself topple almost the same moment she heard the roar of a motor and a jarring screech of tires on the asphalt. For a split second, she wondered if it was Cassie driving her Mercedes. The next moment she was on the ground, shaking in fear as an unfamiliar car zoomed past her.
A couple of people from the Coastal Walk ran to help her. Meg came running out of the store. The next few minutes were a blur to Anna. Meg must have helped her up and taken her back into the store. Anna found a glass of water thrust into her hands.
“What was that jerk thinking?” Meg fumed. “You could have been hurt. Really hurt.”
“I’m not sure what happened, exactly. Did I pass out?”
“I don’t know,” Meg said. “I’m calling the police.”
“Is that necessary?” Anna asked.
Given her recent history, she wasn’t sure the police would be on her side.
Meg dialed the emergency number and told them what had happened. She made some sugary coffee and forced Anna to drink it.
A deputy arrived fifteen minutes later. He noted the bruise on Anna’s cheek.
“Did anyone assault you, Ma’am?”