by Leena Clover
Her face had paled and her eyes were wide with disbelief.
“Go with him now,” Julie advised. “I’m calling Anna. We’ll be right behind you, don’t worry.”
Cassie nodded mutely and followed Teddy Fowler out of the store. She didn’t say a word on the way to the police station. Teddy took her to a bare room and left her there. He came back after what seemed like ages with a deputy in tow.
“Why have you arrested me?” Cassie demanded, finally finding her voice. “I’m innocent.”
“The evidence is stacked against you, Cassie,” Teddy explained. “You were at the bookstore during the time Parker was killed. We also have proof you went there after the concert.”
“So what?” Cassie challenged.
“That means you were present at the scene of the crime,” the deputy said. “You have a motive and an opportunity.”
“Can you prove I poisoned the man?” Cassie asked.
Teddy looked sad.
“The final reports have come in. William Parker died from a blow to his head. The poison just knocked him off. There are plenty of heavy books in that store, Cassie, as you very well know. You could have hit him with any one of them.”
“Where is it, then?” Cassie demanded. “Show me this weapon.”
“You could have chucked it anywhere. Or just put it back on some bookshelf.”
“That’s your best theory?” Cassie scoffed. “You know me, Teddy. You have known me since we were kids. Do you really think I could do something like this?”
“My opinion doesn’t matter, Cassie,” Teddy sighed. “And there are no other suspects.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Cassie said calmly. “What about Tim Buckner, huh?”
“Tim Buckner has an alibi,” the deputy said. “And he had no reason to hurt William Parker. Any association they might have had ended a long time ago. Now Tim has a business in Blackberry Beach. He’s doing his own thing away from Dolphin Bay.”
“Obviously, you don’t know the whole story,” Cassie scoffed.
“What are you implying, Cassie?” Teddy asked.
“I met William Parker’s lawyer,” she told him. “Parker and Buckner had a falling out, right? Buckner accused Parker of embezzling money from the business. Parker threw it back at him and said Buckner was the one stealing the money. Nothing was really proved so they closed the business and Buckner set up his own gig in Blackberry Beach with his son.”
“We know all that,” the deputy said with a smirk.
“It seems Parker still held a grudge against Tim Buckner. The Buckners were doing good in the neighboring town. Parker’s reputation suffered though and he wasn’t doing that great here in Dolphin Bay. He blamed it all on Buckner.”
“Where’s the motive, Cassie?” Teddy prompted.
“I’m coming to it,” Cassie said patiently. “The lawyer told me Parker wanted to go after his old partner and sue for damages. He was preparing a big lawsuit against him. It had potential to wipe out the Buckners. According to the lawyer, Parker had a good chance of winning.”
“You are suggesting Tim Buckner got wind of this.” Teddy was thoughtful.
“It’s possible, isn’t it?” Cassie argued. “I call that a motive.”
There was some kind of altercation outside and Cassie thought she heard Anna’s voice.
“My Mom’s here,” she sighed with relief.
Teddy went outside, talking to the deputy under his breath. Cassie crossed her fingers and waited. He came back in after another lifetime.
“They are letting you go now, Cassie.”
Cassie jumped up and scrambled out of the room.
Anna was waiting outside with Gino. She opened her arms wide and Cassie ran into them.
“Oh Mom, it was horrible!”
“My poor baby,” Anna said, her eyes welling up. “Let’s go home now. We can talk later.”
Julie and Meg were pacing outside the station. They broke into smiles when they saw Cassie. Julie hugged her first and then Meg moved in for a hug. Cassie felt a curious warmth as the young girl wrapped her arms around her.
“Are you alright?” Meg asked, looking into her eyes.
“I’m fine,” Cassie dismissed.
Gino had to go back to the vineyard. He promised to catch up with them later. Julie drove them all home in her SUV. Anna started a pot of coffee and set out a platter of cookies and cupcakes.
“I must have said something convincing,” Cassie said as she ate some frosting off an orange cupcake. “They actually let me go.”
“Gino had something to do with it,” Anna told her.
“That sweet man!” Cassie exclaimed. “I need to thank him right now, Mom. What did he do?”
“You can say he pulled some strings. He spoke with the current police chief. Gino convinced him there was more than one suspect out there. I did my bit too. Promised him all kinds of consequences if he didn’t release you.”
“Do you think Lara Crawford had anything to do with Cassie’s arrest?” Julie asked them.
Anna shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She turned toward Cassie. “They mentioned you had gone back to the store that night. What were you doing there, Cassie?”
“I thought I might have left the door open.”
“But the door was open the next morning,” Anna said, puzzled.
Cassie looked sheepish.
“Bobby called me just as I reached the store. I turned around to talk to him and walked back to my car. I think I forgot why I went there.”
Cassie didn’t want to admit she had imbibed a bit at the bar earlier that evening.
“How is your search for the real culprit going, Anna?” Julie asked. “Time’s running out.”
Cassie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to relax. Her tryst at the police station had shaken her. She wasn’t ready to go through the harrowing experience again.
“She’s right, Mom. We need to find out what happened to William Parker.”
Chapter 25
Anna slid the chicken breasts into the oven, smothered in her special tomato sauce and lots of fresh mozzarella cheese. She was making Chicken Parmesan as a ‘Welcome Home’ dinner for Cassie.
“Something smells awesome, Mom.” Cassie came into the kitchen, freshly showered, casually dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top.
“I’m making your favorite dinner – Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti and tiramisu for dessert.”
“With lots of garlic bread?”
“Of course.” Anna smiled. “I would never make an Italian meal without garlic bread.”
“Where’s Meg?”
“I invited her to stay over tonight. She’s gone back to Mary’s to get some clothes.”
“I hope Gino’s coming to dinner? I haven’t had a chance to thank him properly yet.”
The doorbell rang just then. Anna rushed to the front door and came back with Gino in tow. He was carrying two bottles of wine.
“These will go great with whatever you’re making.”
“You’re spoiling us with all this great wine, Gino,” Anna grumbled goodnaturedly. “Soon you won’t have any left for yourself.”
Gino laughed.
“Have you forgotten? I have a cellar full of this. And the new vintage will soon be bottled later this year.”
Cassie uncorked the wine and let it breathe. Anna had made some caprese salad as an appetizer. She set it out, along with some juicy melon wrapped in prosciutto.
“How are you holding up, Cassie?” Gino asked. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that today. The police can be a bit bullheaded sometimes.”
“I’m better now, thanks to you.” Cassie was effusive in her gratitude. “How can I make it up to you?”
“Come to my house for movie night. I’ll have the popcorn ready.”
Cassie promised they would set it up soon.
Meg walked in through the kitchen door and headed straight for the canapés.
“I’
m starving,” she apologized to Anna after eating a couple of the melon chunks.
“Don’t spoil your appetite, then. Dinner’s ready.”
William Parker was forgotten as they all exclaimed over the food and tucked in. There was plenty to go around but every pot and pan was scraped clean.
“That was delicious, Anna,” Gino said. “Thank you. I’m going to put on some pounds if I keep eating here.”
Meg looked happy too.
“I second Gino. You’re a fantastic cook, Anna.”
“My mother taught me,” Anna said proudly. “And my Nona.”
They filed into the living room, agreeing they needed some time before they could tackle dessert.
The mood in the room went down a notch when Gino told them what he had been doing all day.
“I found something shocking. Don’t know how it fits in with our little case.”
Gino had spent the day at the police station, doing some research. He had looked into the clippings they had seen on the cork board at the cabin. Anna’s observation about all of them being set free had got him going.
“What do you mean, they are all dead?” Anna asked, stunned. “Were they old?”
“Some of them were,” Gino nodded, “but not old enough to die.”
“What happened to them?” Meg asked.
“Believe it or not, they all suffered some kind of accident.” Gino looked around, noting their reactions.
“That sounds fishy,” Anna said immediately. “What are the odds?”
“Slim.” Gino agreed. “I have been trying to make sense of it.”
Anna was mulling over the information in her mind. Her eyes widened as she thought about something.
“So are you saying someone has been deliberately wiping these people out?”
“Vigilante justice!” Meg exclaimed. “That’s unreal, dude.”
“We don’t know that yet,” Gino warned. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Anna was frowning as she tried to process everything.
“What does William Parker have to do with all this? Where does he fit in?”
“You knew him, Anna. Did he seem like the righteous type? Someone who would take the law in his own hands?”
“I barely remember him,” Anna stressed. “I couldn’t say either way.”
“If Parker was responsible for harming these people, it changes everything.” Gino stood up and began pacing the room. “He could be a target, Anna.”
“What does this mean for me?” Cassie asked. “Does it mean there are more suspects?”
“If what we think is true, there could be any number of suspects out there,” Gino explained. “It will be almost impossible to track them down.”
“As long as it gets the focus away from Cassie,” Anna said. “Have you told the police about this, Gino?”
“Not yet. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I don’t want to go to them with some fantastic theory and get laughed at.”
Anna knew Gino had been a highly respected police chief for several years. He had a certain reputation to uphold.
“We need to do some preliminary research ourselves, Gino.” Anna looked formidable as she came to a decision. “That’s the only way to ensure they won’t take my little girl away again.”
“Little girl?” Cassie objected. “Mom!”
“You’re so fortunate,” Meg said. “You have a mother who will do anything for you.”
Anna felt her eyes well up.
“Time for cake,” she said and hurried into the kitchen before anyone could notice her tears.
They were all quiet while they dug into Anna’s famous tiramisu.
“I think I need to sleep on this,” Gino said after he had reluctantly said no to a second helping. “I’m exhausted.”
“We are all tired,” Anna agreed. “It’s been a helluva day.”
They all said goodbye to Gino.
“I really appreciate everything you are doing for us,” Anna told him as she saw him out. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“We are friends, aren’t we?” Gino asked softly. “This is what friends do for each other.”
The climbing rose near Anna’s front door was redolent with a sweet scent. The summer evening had turned cooler and a starry night bathed them in a silvery light.
Anna impulsively hugged Gino and sprang back, trying to hide a blush.
“I’ll be seeing you, Anna Butler.”
Gino turned around and walked to his truck. Anna stood there long after his tail lights disappeared in the distance.
“Are you mooning over Gino?” Cassie whispered in her ear.
Anna jumped. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped at the sound of Meg’s laughter.
“She’s just teasing you, Anna.”
They all went inside and took a second helping of the cake, giving in to temptation.
“I brought my sleeping bag,” Meg told Anna. “Can I roll it out here?”
“Oh honey, you don’t need a sleeping bag.” Anna felt nervous. “I have a guest room. Your bed is ready for you.”
“Are you sure?” Meg asked. “I’m used to camping out in my sleeping bag.”
“Not tonight,” Anna said firmly. “Let your old grandmother pamper you a bit.”
Anna noticed Cassie was looking uncomfortable. She changed the subject and asked if anyone wanted coffee.
“I prefer hot chocolate while going to bed,” Meg said shyly.
“We can all have some hot cocoa later then,” Anna said. “I know everyone is tired but I’m too full to sleep right away.”
“Me too,” Meg said. “But I would like to change into my jammies if you don’t mind.”
Anna took Meg to the room she had prepared for her.
“It’s such a soothing color,” Meg said, looking around the room with pleasure. “Lavender is my favorite color.” She admired the large canvas mounted over the bed. “I love sunflowers! Did you paint this yourself, Anna?”
“I couldn’t paint to save my life,” Anna laughed. “We bought that in France. John and I went there one summer. We spent two fabulous weeks in the South of France.”
Meg opened the backpack she was carrying and pulled out a set of pajamas. Anna stood up to leave.
“Don’t go, Anna,” Meg said. “I can change in the closet.”
She came out two minutes later, dressed in pink pajamas covered in yellow duckies. Anna wove her arm around Meg’s and kissed her.
“Are you ready for that cocoa now?”
Chapter 26
Cassie felt a bit out of depth as she sat in the living room with Anna and Meg. It was a cozy scene. They were all dressed in their night things and Anna had lit the fire in the grate. Cassie thought it was surreal, like a scene in a fairy tale. Anna and Meg were talking nineteen to the dozen, bonding over little things. Cassie felt like an outsider among them.
She had been shocked when Meg pulled out her sleeping bag. What kind of life had that girl led? Cassie thought she was at least partly responsible for whatever had happened to Meg. Would she ever forgive her?
“Cassie likes the mini marshmallows too,” Anna was telling Meg. “She won’t drink her hot chocolate without them. And oh yes, there have to be seven marshmallows in her cup. Not six or eight. Seven. Go figure.”
“I always add an even number,” Meg said with a laugh. “I can’t explain it.”
“We should make s’mores,” Anna said. “But I don’t have the energy or the room in my stomach. We’ll do it the next time you stay over.”
Cassie yawned widely.
“It’s getting late, you two. Why don’t we just go to bed?”
“I’m going to look up some things on my laptop,” Meg said. “You can turn in, Cassie. You had quite the day.”
“I’ll stay with you, Meg,” Anna said. “We can run some searches together.”
“Now you are making me feel bad,” Cassie sighed. “You are doing all this for me, so I guess I shoul
d at least stick around.”
Anna told Meg to bring her laptop out to the living room.
“Where should we start?” Meg asked. “Any ideas, Anna?”
“We need to make a list of all the victims first,” Anna replied.
“That’s a lot of people,” Meg said. “Why don’t we consider a radius around Dolphin Bay?”
“Good point,” Anna said.
Meg made a list of the people on the computer, then sorted them based on their distance from Dolphin Bay. She made a shorter list of people who had lived in a 300 mile radius.
“7 people?” Anna asked. “That’s a lot for our neck of the woods.”
Cassie was looking over Meg’s shoulder, trying to understand what she was doing. She had never grasped the concept of spreadsheets so it was all a bit too much for her.
“What about the timeframe?” she wondered out loud. “Did all these people die recently?”
Meg did a quick check and shook her head.
“Anywhere from last year to ten years ago. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern here.”
“Let’s look all of them up one by one,” Anna said.
Meg nodded and picked up the first name on the list.
“This is a 25 year old woman whose toddler died in an accident. She was crossing the road with him when she dropped her bag. She bent down to pick it up. Her grip on her baby boy must have loosened. The next thing she knew, he was ten meters from her, run over by a car.”
“That sounds horrific,” Cassie exclaimed. “Poor woman.”
“It could have happened to anyone,” Anna mused. “Did they arrest her?”
Meg read off the screen.
“She was accused of neglect and charged with manslaughter. Public opinion was largely against her. The media crucified her. People blamed her for the loss of an innocent life.”
“I feel sorry for that woman. She must have gone through hell.”
“Did she go to prison?” Cassie asked.
“Jury let her go,” Meg said, reading off the screen. “She was asked to go for some kind of therapy. That’s it.”
“How did she die?” Anna asked, trying to remember.
“Accident,” Meg replied. “She was run over by a car in the middle of the street in broad daylight.”