The Locked Room

by Marti Talbott

  Colette giggled. “I would have loved having brothers or sisters. As it is, I don’t even know who my mother is...or was.”

  “Really? Your father didn’t tell you?” Oliver asked.

  “Not a word. We had a terrible fight because of it and I took off. I shouldn’t have. The world is not a friendly place when you’re only seventeen.”

  “No it isn’t,” said Steven.

  “Dad kept an upstairs bedroom locked and I was dying to know what was in there, but he just wouldn’t give in and let me see. Know what? I found the key and you’ll never guess what’s in there.”

  Both Steven and Oliver held their collective breathes while she paused to take another drink of her soda. “What?” Steven asked finally.

  “Nothing but a rocking chair and a wedding dress.” If she noticed both of them exhaling at the same time, she ignored it.

  “Can we pay you for the drinks?” Oliver asked.

  “No need.” Colette couldn’t hide her grin. “I just came from the bank. Dad started a savings account for me years ago. I never knew about it and a whole bunch of other things, it seems. Anyway, I can now write you a check for painting the house.”

  “Great,” said Oliver.

  “We’ll just send you a bill after we’re finished,” said Steven.

  She glanced at the finished front of the house. “When do you think that might be?” She didn’t get an answer before she noticed Ben coming across the street. She introduced him, mentioned he’d been away in the Navy and waited for him to sit beside her. “Dad left me some money after all.”

  “Cool,” said Ben. “I was afraid we’d have to go put you on food stamps.”

  “Me to,” she admitted.

  “Colette,” Ben said, “when you left, that man parked up the street followed you.”

  “Really?”

  “I had Artie go to the bank, but he said I was imagining things.”

  “You must have been, no one came into the bank but Artie. Are you sure he followed me?”

  “Not really, not now that I think about it. It just seemed odd. I called the sheriff. He said he’d check it out.”

  Steven nodded toward Colette, “She’s quite beautiful. I would be tempted to follow her too.”

  “Really,” Ben suspiciously asked. “Is that why you two followed her?”

  “Oh, I bet that did look odd. We grabbed something to eat,” said Steven.

  “That makes sense,” Ben admitted. “I guess...”

  “Hey, it’s nice to know the Navy is looking out for all the pretty girls,” said Oliver.

  “So, how did you survive after running away at seventeen?” Steven asked Colette. “The Sheriff said you only came back a couple of days ago.”

  Colette looked Steven in the eye, “I lied a lot. Denver is huge and I thought it would be easy to find work. Seems most people don’t hire children, even if they do look older. I finally struck gold, or at least thought I did. No one was hiring except the candy factory, and they weren’t going to be hiring for another month. My hopes were high that I’d get hired, but meanwhile I needed to eat. So I lied about my age and got a job waiting tables in a bar.”

  Ben raised an eyebrow, “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. It didn’t last long though.”

  “They caught you?” Oliver asked.

  “Not until later that night. There was this table of four guys and when I delivered their drinks, one of them tried to slip his hand up my skirt. I was horrified, went to the bouncer, and asked him what to do. He said I could do anything I wanted, so when I went back to the table, and the guy did it again, I doubled my fist and hit him right under the chin. He was being mister cool, balanced on the back two legs of his chair and when I socked him, he fell backwards and went sliding across the floor. Next thing I knew, the bouncer had the guy up by the collar and was throwing him out the door.”

  Steven chuckled. “Good for the bouncer.”

  “That’s what I thought too, only after the bar closed the manager asked me if I knew who I hit? Of course I had no idea. Turns out he owned the candy factory.”

  Ben chuckled. “He got your fired?”

  “Yep, the very next day. After that, it was a hamburger joint or go back home. I chose hamburger joints.”

  Ben enjoyed the story as much as the painters. “Guess what?”

  “What?” Colette asked.

  “I don’t have your phone number.”

  She grinned. “I don’t believe it. You’re the only one in this town who doesn’t.”

  “And boy am I upset about it,” said Ben. “Wait till I get ahold of Emma Rose.”

  “Speaking of Emma Rose,” Colette said, “I need to talk to her. I can let her turn the restaurant into a bakery now and sell it to her – only, I don’t have the title. At the bank,” Colette explained to Steven and Oliver, “Bonnie said Dad has a safety deposit box, but I can’t open it without a court order.” She shrugged, “Oh well, there’s no rush to do that, we can open the restaurant...bakery without the title, I suppose.”

  Ben pretended to pout. “Does this mean we’re not having a yard sale? I was thinking of selling Sylvester.”

  Colette giggled, “Admit it, you love that old dog.”

  Steven finished his drink, got up and then offered his hand to help Oliver. “We better get back to work.”

  Oliver moaned, “Must we?”

  “Come on, ugly, we have work to do,” said Steven. “Next, he offered his hand to help Colette. She took it, but she didn’t let go even after she had her balance.

  Instead, she stared in horror at the scar on his forearm. “How did you burn it?”

  “I was in a fire a long time ago,” he answered.

  “Does it still hurt?”

  “No.”

  “May I touch it?” Colette asked.

  Steven was surprised by her question. “Sure.” When she put her whole hand over the scar, her touch was especially tender as though she was trying to comfort him. Before she took her hand away, she looked into his eyes and her expression was one of great sadness.

  Just as quickly, she grinned, let go of Steven’s arm and grabbed Ben’s hand. “Come with me, neighbor, I’m hungry and I know just where to get a great casserole. Besides, we need to have a nice long talk about Sylvester. I like him a whole lot better than I like you.”

  “How can you say...” Ben started to complain as she pulled him up the steps and into the house.

  As soon as they were gone, Steven walked to the side of the house and called Margo. “She found the key to the locked bedroom,” Steven whispered as soon as Margo answered. “Nothing in it except a rocking chair and a wedding dress.”

  “A wedding dress?” Margo asked.

  “That’s what she said, and that the bank told her Davet has a safety deposit box, but she can’t get in it without a court order.”

  Margo asked, “Good. Anything else?”

  “She brought us some cold drinks and we talked for a while, but she didn’t mention the article. I don’t think she’s read it. I have to go.” Before Margo could answer, he hung up.

  Listening to every word, Oliver said, “We can’t see the street from here.”

  “I know, but my guess is Paige will walk right up and knock on the door. We should be able to hear that.”

  “Good point,” Oliver agreed. “I think I’ll just stand near the corner of the house and watch you work.”

  “No way,” Steven grumbled.

  Oliver moved his shoulder up and down trying to work the stiffness out. “No way am I doing this for a living. It’s too much like work.”

  “Me either,” Steven admitted. He took a moment to check his messages and his texts. None of them were from his wife, so he turned his phone back off. “All I can says is, Paige better show up before my wife’s divorce goes through.”

  Oliver chuckled. “You remind me of why I’m not married.” He picked up the paint brush, dipped it in the off-white paint and decided to sit down an
d work on the bottom layer of the siding instead of the top.

  FROM BEN, COLETTE GOT Emma Rose’s phone number and called her. “You still want a bakery?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Come on over then and we’ll work out the details.”

  “You suddenly get rich?” Emma Rose asked.

  Colette pulled one of the casseroles out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter. “Something like that. Are you coming?”

  “Give me an hour, okay. I’ve got cookies in the oven.”

  “You got it.”

  Colette filled two plates with the yummy casserole Ben’s mom brought over and put his in the microwave. He got forks out of the drawer and then asked, “So you plan to stay here then?”

  “Truly, Ben, I have no place else to go.”

  “You could come with me?”

  As soon as the microwave buzzed, she pulled the dish out, put the other one in to heat, and then turned to face him. “Why do you keep saying that?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “No.”

  He drew in an exasperated breath. “I want you to marry me.”

  Colette was truly shocked at first and then she glared at him. “That’s not funny.”

  “I’m not joking. We’ve known each other for years, and although I have tried to fall in love with other girls, I know now it was you all along.”

  “Me, and not Emma Rose?”

  “I was just a stupid kid with hormones back then.”

  “You don’t have any hormones now?” she teased.

  “You know what I mean.”

  She handed his plate to him. “What happened to I love you?”

  “You know I do,”

  “No, I don’t know.” As soon as the microwave buzzed, she pulled her plate out, carried it to the dining room and sat opposite Ben at the table. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I just buried my father, maybe because Emma Rose might still love you, and maybe because I have no clue what I want. It’s all happening too fast.”

  Ben looked away. “You’re right, it is too soon. Just so you know, I’m not ever giving up.”

  “I might not want you to, I just don’t know yet.”

  “Fair enough.” He smiled to let her know he wasn’t upset, handed her a fork and took a bite of his lunch. A moment later, someone knocked on the door. “I’ll get it.”

  She watched to see who it was and then rolled her eyes when Mr. Phillips of Phillips, Phillips and Phillips walked in. “No,” she answered before he could ask.

  Colette was a little surprised by her own abruptness and stood up. “Did you come for lunch?”

  “No thanks,” Phillips answered as he walked to the table, set his briefcase on it and then opened it up. “I have all the papers for you to sign.”

  “That’s a little presumptuous of you,” said Ben.

  “I heard you were back in town, Walker,” Phillips said. “I’ll thank you to stay out of this. It’s business.”

  Colette stood up. “Mr. Phillips, I’ve decided not to sell.”

  “You can’t do that!” Phillips said. “I’m making you a very good offer, and you’d be nuts not to take it.”

  “She’d be nuts to take it,” Ben said.

  Phillips raised his voice. “Stay out of this!”

  Ben doubled his fists and narrowed his eyes, “Make me.”

  “Please,” Colette said, putting her hand on Ben’s chest to calm him down. “I can handle this, truly I can.” She turned her attention to Phillips. “As I said, I’m not interested in your offer. I’ve decided not to sell.”

  Phillips tried a more professional smile, “Suppose I double the offer. Would you sell then?”

  “Sorry, I won’t sell to you at any price.”

  His grin turned to a frightening glare, “I highly advise you to take the offer!”

  “No thanks, Mr. Phillips,” said Colette.

  Phillips’ rage was already turning his face bright red. “I’m an attorney and I’ll sue you, just watch me. We had a deal!” He slammed the lid down on his briefcase and picked it back up. It was not until then that he spotted the two painters standing just inside the door. “What do you want?”

  “We want what she wants,” said Steven. “She wants you gone and so do we.”

  Phillips marched toward them, but when the painters didn’t part to let him pass, he was forced to stop.

  “Don’t come back,” said Oliver.

  “Mind your own business,” Phillips said as he walked around Oliver, shoved the screen door open hard enough to make it hit the side of the house and then stomped down the steps.

  Steven was paying more attention to Colette than Phillips and instinctively went to her. “You’re trembling, are you okay?”

  “I’m just mad. I’m not really as bold as I pretend to be sometimes.”

  Ben took her arm and helped her sit down. “That jerk. You should have let me knock him out.”

  “Will the Navy bail you out of jail?” Colette asked. She made Ben smile.

  “Don’t worry,” said Ben returning to his seat. “The sheriff won’t arrest me. Half the town wants to knock Phillips out and so does the sheriff.”

  “If you’re ok, Miss,” said Steven, “We’ll go back to work.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” She turned her attention back to Ben, “I wonder why he is so eager to buy the house and the restaurant. I can understand how he might want the restaurant, but this is not the greatest house in town. It doesn’t make sense.”

  That’s all Steven needed to hear and once he and Oliver were outside, he walked down the street and called Margo. “Paige hired a lawyer to find the money.”

  “What?” Margo asked.

  “He was just here trying to get Colette to sell him the house and the restaurant. The lawyer wants it bad – really bad. He yelled at her and then threatened to sue her. We got rid of him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be back.”

  “What’s his name? I’ll do a little research.”

  “Phillips. He’s probably a local attorney. He knew Colette’s boyfriend’s last name.”

  “Got it.” This time, Margo hung up first.

  AFTER HE FOLLOWED COLETTE back from the bank, Ex-detective Andy Tucker parked in the same place up the street where he parked before. It had a good view of Colette’s house and with great interest, he watched a man knock on her door and go in. Soon, the painters came around from the side of the house and hurried inside to. Andy was worried and about to get out of his car to go see what was going on, but then the first man stomped out and the painters went back to work. He would have loved knowing what that was about, sighed and relaxed again. It had been a long time since he worked a stakeout and forgot how hard it was to sit for hours on old bones. Nevertheless, if he wanted to catch Paige, this was the best place to do it.

  A few minutes later, he watched the sheriff park his cop car at the house across the street, get out and walk up to his open window. “What’s up, officer?” Andy asked.

  “Seems the neighbors think you’re acting a little strange.”

  Andy chuckled, “I bet they do. You know about the Fowler case?”

  “A little, what has that go to do with you?”

  “I was the lead detective on the case. The money was never recovered, so I thought I’d hang around just to see what I could see.”

  Sheriff Steele looked toward the Bouchard house and then looked back. “We should probably talk. That’s a sweet little girl in there and I’m thinking I might need a little help protecting her.”

  “You know more than I thought.”

  “I know enough to be worried about Colette. How about you come to the house so we can talk?’

  “Sure, where do you live?”

  “Let’s just say you’re in my parking place.”

  Andy laughed. “Want me to move?”

  “Nope, just come in and we’ll p
ut all the neighbor’s minds at ease.”

  CHAPTER7

  SHERIFF STEELE GREETED his wife with a kiss and then led the way into his office. He intentionally had his office in the front of his house so he could see what was going on in the neighborhood. More often than not, he brought paperwork home with him and several folders were spread out on his desk. He motioned for the detective to have a seat and then went to his on the other side of his desk.

  “They seem like pretty good kids,” Andy said.

  “They better be. One of them is my son.”

  Andy smiled. “Then Miss Bouchard is in good hands.”

  “In the daytime, at least. Mr. Tucker, I...”

  “Andy.”

  “Andy, you should know Colette doesn’t know anything about the trial or Dave’s involvement.”

  “She didn’t read the article?”

  “She read the first couple of lines and it made her mad. Artie says Ben didn’t want her to get even more upset than she already is, so they hid the article from her.”

  “So she doesn’t know about Fowler’s wife or that the money is still missing?”

  “Fascinating, isn’t it. Of course, I can see why Dave didn’t tell her, now that I know the whole story.”

  “Me too. How did you find out?”

  “Margo Allen told me.”

  “She’s here? I thought I recognized her at the funeral, but I wasn’t sure. So, how can I help? I probably want to catch Paige Fowler even more than Margo does.”

  Sheriff Steele explained that he was having a couple of friends paint the house just in case there was trouble, “But the painters can’t stay at night and I figure if Paige fowler is going to show, it will be at night. We just don’t know which night, and she might not be our only problem. There were several people at the funeral I didn’t recognize and I’m afraid some are here hoping to find the money.”

  “Probably so. Anyway we can get Colette to spend the night somewhere else?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. The only way I can think of, is if the electricity gets turned off.”

  “Where would she go?”

  “The people across the street would probably take her in, or she might spend the night with her best friend, Emma Rose, who lives a couple of blocks away. We can keep the lights turned off for a couple of days and nights if we have to.”