by Leena Clover
“She got that when she hit the ground,” Meg explained. “The car was speeding. The driver didn’t actually hit Anna but he was too close. She lost her balance and fell.”
“Do you think he wanted to hit you?” The cop looked at Anna.
Anna felt bewildered. “It all happened too fast. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
Meg explained where the car had come from.
“Isn’t this part of Main Street supposed to be a No Drive zone?”
“That’s right,” the deputy nodded. “The spot you mention is part of the Downtown Loop. Most of the locals know they can’t bring their cars in here. It’s been like that for years.”
“Are you saying this reckless driver was from out of town?” Anna asked.
“Hard to say at this point,” the deputy answered. “Did you get a look at him, Miss?” he asked Meg.
“I got a fleeting glimpse. I don’t think I will be able to recognize him if I saw him again.”
“Can you describe him?”
“He was a young kid, about my age. Early twenties maybe?”
“Was he local? What about the car?”
“I’m new in town,” Meg explained. “So I couldn’t say.”
The deputy offered to call the paramedics or give Anna a ride to the hospital.
“You need to get that cleaned up.”
“I can do it at home,” Anna assured him. “Thank you for your support, Officer.”
“I’m taking you home,” Meg said sternly as soon as the policeman left. “Can you walk or should I call Cassie?”
“We’ll walk,” Anna said quickly. “No need to worry her.”
Anna summoned an inner store of energy she didn’t know she had. The walk seemed to drag on forever. Meg kept her entertained with stories of people who had come to the bookstore in the past few days.
Cassie sprang up from the couch when they entered the house.
“Is something wrong, Mom?”
“Anna had a little accident,” Meg told her. “Some kid in a car almost ran her down.”
“Where were you when this happened?” Cassie demanded. “Couldn’t you have protected her or something?”
“Meg was wrapping up in the store,” Anna said. “Calm down, Cassie. No reason to get all het up.”
“You’re hurt, Mom.” Cassie must have noticed the bruise on Anna’s cheek.
“Do you have a first aid box?” Meg asked, urging Anna to sit down and put her feet up.
Cassie came out with some cotton and antiseptic. Meg took over. She cleaned up the bruise and put a Band-Aid on it.
“Tell me everything,” Cassie ordered. “Don’t leave anything out.”
The doorbell rang. Cassie went to open the door. Gino stood outside, carrying a large canvas bag in his arms.
“I come bearing gifts,” he said. “Where is she? Is she okay, Cassie?”
“You know.”
“I heard about it on the police scanner. I wanted to make sure Anna’s fine.”
“What’s in the bag?”
“I brought dinner. Food is the best cure for shock. It’s my special pot roast with fixings.”
“Meg’s here too,” Cassie said, walking back to the living room.
“There’s enough for everyone,” Gino assured her.
Anna was surprised to see Gino. He fussed over her, making sure she had enough cushions and suggesting she see a doctor anyway.
“I don’t like this, Anna,” Gino said. “What have you done since yesterday?”
“Nothing much. I was in the store all day today.”
“I don’t think this was an accident.”
“What do you mean, Gino?” Cassie asked, aghast. “You’re saying someone hit her on purpose?”
“I didn’t actually get hit,” Anna corrected her.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Cassie muttered.
Anna rubbed her forehead and sighed.
“Can we eat? I feel a headache coming on.”
They all trooped into the kitchen. Anna was relieved to see Cassie pulling out plates and silverware. She told her to serve the food.
They sat around the small kitchen table, enjoying the hearty pot roast with roasted potatoes and a red wine pan gravy that was Gino’s specialty.
“I spoke to Teddy Fowler about your little accident,” Gino told Anna. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“What for?”
“I think this was a deliberate attack and I made sure Teddy knew it,” Gino told them. “Although I am not crazy about what happened, it does work in your favor, Anna.”
“How so?” she asked.
“It means you are getting close. You have scared someone. I think he or she was trying to warn you to stay away.”
“It was definitely a guy,” Meg said.
“Does this let us off the hook?” Cassie asked eagerly. “Will the police stop thinking we had anything to do with William Parker?”
“Teddy didn’t say that right away, but I think I have got him thinking in the right direction,” Gino told her.
“That was nice of you, Gino,” Anna said. “You think this happened because we went to that cabin?”
Gino shrugged.
“We need to go back there and look at that computer.”
Anna looked at Meg.
“I know you have been doing some fancy stuff on that old computer at the bookstore. Are you some kind of tech wiz?”
“More of a geek, I guess,” Meg owned up. “I took some advanced courses in computers. Network security, ethical hacking, that kind of stuff.”
“Sounds like Greek and Latin to me,” Anna grunted. “But you might be able to help us.”
“We sure could use your help, Meg,” Gino nodded. “I would rather not ask an outsider at this point.”
“Cassie can manage the bookstore tomorrow,” Anna said. “We are going to the cabin.”
“Wait a minute,” Cassie cried. “I want to see this cabin.”
Anna rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be a crybaby. You can go there some other time.”
“That’s settled, then,” Gino said, playing peacemaker between mother and daughter. “I think it’s time to call it a night, Anna. We have a big day tomorrow.”
Chapter 23
Anna woke up feeling refreshed. She had slept well and was ready to face the day. She was surprised to see Cassie in the kitchen.
“Here you go, Mom,” Cassie said, placing a steaming cup of coffee before her. “Freshly ground beans, brewed just the way you like.”
Anna thanked her and took a sip of the delicious coffee.
“Are you sleepwalking or something, Cassie?”
“Laugh all you want. I am making breakfast today. My famous cheese omelets with fresh orange juice and sourdough French Toast.”
Anna wasn’t sure Cassie could manage all that but she smiled encouragingly.
“I’m making enough for Meg, don’t worry,” Cassie told her. “I asked her to come and eat here.”
“You’ve been busy,” Anna observed.
“I can’t send you off to the jungle without a proper breakfast, can I?”
“It’s not that far from town,” Anna said. “But thanks, Cassie.”
Meg came in through the kitchen door. Anna greeted her and smiled when Meg hugged her.
“Did you sleep well, Anna?” she asked. “We should change your dressing before we go out.”
“Don’t worry,” Anna said. “I think it’s already dried up.”
Anna was upbeat as they sat at the kitchen table, devouring the food. Cassie sat on her left and Meg on her right. She could almost believe they were one happy family.
Gino arrived just as they finished eating. He assured Anna he had breakfasted before starting from home.
“How far is this cabin?” Meg asked as they set off in Gino’s truck.
“About half an hour by car and fifteen or twenty minutes by foot,” Gino told her.
Anna wished
the Firecrackers were going with her.
“I talked to Julie last night. She really wanted to come but she’s on a strict deadline. Mary’s gone to San Jose. Her daughter isn’t feeling too good and needs some help with the kids.”
“You miss your friends,” Gino observed.
“We have always hung out together,” Anna told him. “I don’t know what I would have done without them these past two years. Cassie was home of course, but there are some things I can’t share with her.”
“Like what?” Meg asked. “Do you mean you two aren’t close?”
Anna swallowed a lump as she saw the wide eyed curiosity Meg displayed.
“It’s not that,” she said hastily. “It’s hard to explain, sweetie. You’ll understand when you are my age.”
“That’s what grownups always say when they don’t want to give a straight answer,” Meg said with a smirk.
“We’re almost there,” Gino announced as he took the little turnoff and eased his car onto the dirt road.
They got out a few minutes later and started walking. Meg gave a low whistle when she saw the cabin.
“Why would anyone want to live here?” she wondered out loud.
“Wait till we get inside,” Gino laughed.
Meg’s eyes popped when Gino wheeled the bookshelf away from the wall to reveal the room inside.
“Whoever did this was up to no good,” Meg observed. “Why go to so much trouble to hide this space?”
Anna pointed toward the computer that sat on the desk.
“We are hoping to find an answer there.”
“All yours, kiddo,” Gino said. “Try to work your magic.”
Meg sat down in the chair and tapped a few keys. Anna watched the computer screen light up after a while.
“My guess is we are going to need a password,” Meg said. “Do you know anything about the person who used this computer? His name, date of birth, the names of his pets or family members?”
“As far as I know, William Parker lived alone,” Anna said. “He did have a family but they left him long ago.”
Meg was looking through a stack of files on the desk. She opened some drawers and rifled through them. Anna saw her smile.
“This may be it,” Meg said, ripping something off the inside of a drawer.
She waved a tiny slip of paper that seemed to be torn off a Post-it note.
“Does it work?” Anna asked eagerly as Meg typed the letters from the piece of paper into the computer.
“Awesome!” Meg crowed as the home screen appeared on the computer. “I’m in.”
Gino had been standing in front of the cork board, studying the photos and news clippings.
“What have you got there, Gino?” Anna asked.
“You remember I took pictures of this board the last time we were here? I have been studying them a bit.”
“Anything interesting about them?”
“They seem to be news items related to old murder cases from around the country.”
“That’s odd,” Anna said. “What was Parker doing with them?”
There was a thud outside. Anna remembered how Gino’s foot had gone through the rotten porch step.
“Someone’s coming,” Gino whispered, warning Anna to be quiet with a finger on his lips.
He rushed outside just as a man came in, muttering a string of curses.
“Stop right there!” Gino commanded in a stern voice that meant business. “This is private property.”
“Joey Bellinger!” Anna exclaimed as she recognized the journalist they had met at the diner. “What are you doing here?”
Joey planted his feet wide and folded his hands.
“This is not your property,” he challenged Gino.
“I have permission from the owner to be here. I can bet a case of my latest vintage that you don’t.”
“Look, I’m just working on my story.”
“You are a freelancer who hasn’t published anything under his byline in three years,” Gino said.
“So you checked up on me,” Joey sighed. “I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a former police chief.”
“How did you find this cabin?” Anna asked Joey. “Did someone tell you about it?”
“I followed Parker,” Joey admitted. “He used to come here almost every day.”
“What is your interest in William Parker?” Gino asked. “Do you know he died recently?”
Joey told them he knew about it.
“Did you come to Dolphin Bay before that?” Gino asked. “How do we know you didn’t have a motive to kill him?”
“William Parker was a bad man,” Joey said. “A dangerous man. Whoever killed him did the world a favor, believe me.”
“We know he was disliked by most,” Anna told him. “Why did you hate him?”
“I didn’t have any particular feelings for him. He was just the subject of my investigation.”
“Care to elaborate more?” Gino asked.
“I can’t,” Joey said with a shrug. “Not without compromising what I am working on. As you said, I’ve been at it for three years.”
Anna saw Gino hesitate.
“I’m going to go with my gut feel and let you in,” Gino said. “Tell me what you make of this.”
He led Joey Bellinger to the cork board. Anna saw Joey’s mouth drop open in surprise. She walked over to the board and began reading, trying to make some sense out of it.
“From your expression, I think you have seen some of this before,” Gino said, narrowing his eyes at Joey.
“You are right,” Joey sighed. “It kind of confirms my theory. That’s all I can tell you right now.”
“There’s a common thread here,” Anna commented, moving closer to read something in really fine print. “All these people were acquitted, Gino. I guess they were wrongly accused.”
“Or they had really good lawyers,” Gino offered. “That’s a smart observation, Anna. I don’t know how I missed that.”
“You would have caught it sooner or later,” Anna soothed. “Where do you think these people are now?”
“I am more curious to know why Parker had them on this board,” Gino quipped. He turned to Joey. “Anna is a suspect in William Parker’s murder. I believe she is innocent. If you have any information that will help us exonerate her, I urge you to reveal it. You don’t have to tell us. You can go directly to the police.”
“I’ll think about it,” Joey promised them and left the cabin.
“I can’t figure him out,” Anna said. “And I am not sure we can rule him out as a suspect.”
“You’re right, Anna. Let’s go see what Meg’s been up to.”
Meg was sitting back in the armchair with her hands behind her head. She looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“You are looking quite pleased,” Anna said. “Did you find something useful on that computer?”
“I can tell you what I found,” Meg said, getting up to stretch. “There’s a bunch of files which look like accounts related to a business. Some emails with someone who could be his son. And one more thing …whoever used this computer was very fond of chess.”
“Chess?” Gino asked. “What makes you say that?”
“The logs show he used to play chess on the Internet and chat with someone.”
“That sounds encouraging, Meg,” Gino said. “Did you read the messages?”
Meg nodded.
“They make absolutely no sense.”
Chapter 24
At the bookstore, Cassie dusted some shelves halfheartedly, mulling over the conversation she had just had with her agent. She had been offered a small role in an indie film. It felt like a slap in the face to Cassie. The filmmaker, a recent film school graduate, thought she was perfect for the role of a fifty year old matriarch. He couldn’t afford to pay her, of course. Cassie had given her agent a piece of her mind. He told her she couldn’t expect anything more after her long hiatus from Hollywood.
Cassie sat at the
reading table near the windows, staring out at the bay. The bell over the door jingled and Julie swept in.
“I thought you were working on a deadline,” Cassie exclaimed.
“I was,” Julie nodded with a grimace. “Or I am supposed to be, but my mind’s buzzing with too many ideas. I needed a break.”
“We can’t leave the store but we can talk here.”
“Tell me some latest gossip,” Julie cajoled. “I can use a laugh.”
“The gossip is that I have become a laughing stock myself.” Cassie told her about her conversation with her agent.
“Fire that ingrate and get a new agent,” Julie advised. “You don’t work for them. They work for you. Show them who’s the boss.”
“But I’ve been with this agency for ten years,” Cassie cried.
“That’s why they are taking you for granted. Believe me, I’ve been there.”
Julie was a popular author who had sold millions of books so Cassie trusted her. She promised to consider her advice.
“How’s Anna recovering from last night?”
“She seemed fine this morning,” Cassie said. “I invited Meg for breakfast to cheer Mom up.”
“That was nice of you, sweetie. How are you getting along with her?”
“Okay, I guess.” Cassie dodged the question.
“Alright, I get the message.” Julie didn’t press her. “Let’s go to the Tipsy Whale for lunch. They are having those roast turkey and avocado sandwiches today, with the pepper bacon.”
“That sounds yum!” Cassie smacked her lips. “But it’s barely 10 AM, Aunt Julie.”
“I don’t need a time to talk about food,” Julie laughed. “I think I have a problem.”
They both looked up at the same time when the bell behind the door jingled again. Teddy Fowler came in, looking grim.
“Hey Teddy!” Cassie greeted him. “Are you here to pick up those books your wife wanted?”
“I’m here on official business,” Teddy said. “You need to come with me, Cassie.”
“What’s going on, Detective?” Julie stood up.
“I am here to arrest Cassie for the murder of William Parker.” He looked at Cassie. “I hope you will come without a fuss. I really don’t want to handcuff you.”
“Wha … what are you talking about, Teddy?” Cassie croaked.