Trick or Deceit

by Shelley Freydont

  “I think secrecy is just an occupational habit,” Ted said.

  Bill nodded in agreement.

  A.K. came back into the room. “Chaz can have the boat ready in half an hour. We’ll meet him at Cove Marina and he’ll take us close enough to shore to wade into position.”

  “Amazing,” Liv said. “How did you get him to move so fast? He never wants to help out.”

  “Trade secret.” A.K. turned to Bill. “Let’s get the rest of the details ironed out.”

  It took less than twenty minutes to get the plan rolling.

  “Ted, we’ll call you as soon as everyone is in place and you can start the rumor mill.”

  Bill and A.K. both stood to go.

  Liv realized that they weren’t including her in their plans. Which was reasonable, but it was her idea, and besides, she’d just thought of something.

  “Wait!”

  All three men turned to look at her.

  “I have an idea.”

  Bill automatically shook his head. “If it includes you coming with us, the answer is no.”

  “Not me, necessarily. But . . .”

  Bill groaned and eased himself back into the chair. A.K. just stood where he was, using every intimidating inch of himself to let her know that he wasn’t going to let her come.

  “First of all, you great big planners forgot to get the duplicate scarf.”

  She could tell by their lack of expression that she’d caught them. Only Ted was smiling. And he was trying to hide it.

  “Before you shut me down, just tell me what you think.” Not getting a verbal no, she went on. “If whoever the killer is does come out, and he picks up the replacement scarf and it isn’t even the right scarf—there’s got to be a technicality there.”

  Bill sighed.

  “We’ll just get him to confess,” A.K. said.

  Even Bill looked alarmed at that.

  “You might frighten him—or her—into confessing. But you might not.”

  “No,” said Bill.

  “No, what?” asked Liv.

  “No to whatever you’re planning that places you in jeopardy.”

  “Trust me, I don’t want to be in jeopardy. But maybe we’ve got a better chance at confession if the killer is goaded by a helpless female.”

  Someone made a rude noise. Liv was sure it was A.K., but when she looked around his face was perfectly masked.

  “She’s right, though I hate to admit it,” Ted said. “Are you sure there will be DNA that will stand up as evidence on the original scarf? Maybe the scarf fell off in the struggle.”

  “Or when Ernie bumped into her on the awards night,” Liv added. “Or maybe her husband helped her on with her coat. No telling how many people’s DNA is on that scarf; I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “If we can get evidence off the body, then we won’t need the scarf. She wasn’t strangled with the scarf.”

  “Fine and dandy,” Liv said. “You try keeping everyone in place while the state gets around to testing your DNA samples. Hmm, let’s see . . . weeks? Months?”

  “True, I doubt we’re a high priority.” Bill sighed. “Ted, give us twenty minutes until we can get the fake scarf in place, then make the calls.”

  Ted looked from Bill to A. K. to Liv. “Then what?”

  “Then,” Bill said reluctantly.

  “We’re going on a stake out,” Liv said. “After you, gentlemen.”

  • • •

  It was only five o’clock but already dark. Liv shifted in the makeshift bunker she was sharing with two of A.K.’s men. The replacement scarf had been surreptitiously placed back under the bush where Liv—or Whiskey, to be exact—had found it. And they were sitting about twenty feet away behind a wall of tangled bushes.

  For once, Liv really hoped the town gossip mill worked quickly. She was bored, cold, and though she didn’t want to admit it, a little nervous. She didn’t really think anything would happen to her. There were enough men covering the area to subdue a small army.

  And hopefully this would be only one man—or woman—if the killer took the bait. With the way things had been going, this would be the one day the murderer decided to go to Albany shopping and missed the rumors until it was too late.

  She sighed. The minutes ticked by and Liv was beginning to think the trap wasn’t going to work. Then one of the men suddenly put his fingers to his lips and moved silently to get a better view of the path to the meadow.

  Liv hadn’t heard a car, so the person must be on foot. Or had parked back at the fish camp and was walking the rest of the way.

  That’s when she saw the round beam of a flashlight swing across the meadow, getting closer. As it got closer, she felt the men around her tense with readiness.

  Even Liv felt a little ripple of energy, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t anticipation of a good fight, just plain old fear.

  The light stopped; swung away. Liv saw someone go up the steps to one of the cabins, fumble with the lock, then the door swung open. The person shined the light around, but didn’t go in. The light moved on. Slower now, and right past where Liv and the others were waiting.

  It was a man, Liv could tell that much, but the flashlight pushed his features into deeper shadows.

  He bent over, looking along the edges of the path, then straightened, and before he could move on, Liv recognized Rod Crosby.

  One of her companions nudged her. She nodded. It was now or never. Liv stood. Was surprised at how stiff her legs were. Damn, she hoped the circulation returned before she had to run for her life.

  Rod slowed again, shining the light along the ground. He was almost to the bush where the scarf was hidden.

  Come on, come on, Liv thought. Just look under the bush.

  The light moved over it and continued on.

  He’d missed it. He took another step. Liv wanted to scream. Then Rod hesitated, turned the flashlight back to the ground. And stopped.

  Eureka.

  Liv’s companion touched her shoulder, her cue to go as quickly and as silently as possible. She didn’t know where the police or the rest of A.K.’s men were, but she knew they were close by and ready to come save her bacon.

  She stepped out into the clearing. Rod had dropped the flashlight on the ground and was pulling at the scarf, which Liv had intentionally tangled around the branches to slow down his escape.

  She reached him just as he pulled it free.

  “Find what you’re looking for?”

  Rod let out a yelp and jumped to his feet. Tried to hide the shawl behind his back, but realized the futility of it.

  He glanced down at the flashlight.

  “Don’t do it, Rod.”

  “Do what? I’m just cleaning up the campground because of those damn witches.”

  “In the dark?”

  “I’ll clean up when I damn well please. It’s my property and you’re trespassing.”

  “It’s Marlton property and you murdered Lucille Foster.”

  He looked quickly around. “Who did you bring with you?”

  Liv shrugged. “No one. The police aren’t planning to look for the shawl until tomorrow. But when we were cleaning up after the jackass who vandalized the women, we found the shawl.”

  Rod growled low in his in throat.

  “I was afraid Jon killed Lucille, but I wanted to make sure, so I could help him get away before they came to arrest him.”

  Rod snorted. “Him? You shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”

  “Oh, I know he didn’t kill her,” Liv said, stalling for time. Surely her backup was in place by now. “Because you killed Lucille.”

  “Think you’re so smart.”

  “About this, I am. What do you plan to do with the shawl now, Rod? Burn it? Throw it in the lake?”

  “I’ll
wrap it around your damn throat.”

  Liv took a cautious step back.

  “You women are all the same. Take, take, take. Nothing I ever do is good enough. Amanda is on my back twenty-four/seven. Lucille was after me to leave Amanda. Ha. She was nuts to think I’d jump off that gravy train. I’ve been putting up with enough crap from Amanda. No way was I going to give up my chance of all that money when I was so close.”

  A chill ran up Liv’s spine. “So close to what?”

  “None of your business.” He stepped toward her, the scarf wadded in one hand.

  Okay, this was getting a little too exciting for Liv’s comfort level.

  “You’re going to kill me just like you killed Lucille?” She didn’t have to fake the tremor in her voice. Confess already.

  “The silly bitch tried to run, tripped over her own feet, and knocked herself out. She didn’t feel a thing when I wrapped these babies around her pathetic neck.”

  He raised both his hands. He was wearing driving gloves. “You, on the other hand, will feel plenty. And I won’t leave the scarf around for the police to find in the morning when they come looking.”

  Dummy, Liv thought. Come and get him now, please.

  He snatched the scarf in both hands, and before Liv could react, threw it over her head and yanked her forward.

  Where the heck were those guys?

  “Freeze.” A.K.’s voice.

  Rod froze but he didn’t let go of the ends of the scarf. Liv knew exactly what he had in mind. Just before he lunged forward, she dropped to her knees, leaving the scarf wrapped around air instead of her neck. Rod stumbled over her—right into the arms of two Bayside Security operatives.

  Floodlights popped on. Car doors slammed. Running feet, and the county police were on the scene, followed by a slow-moving sheriff.

  A.K. pulled Liv to her feet. She brushed off her hands. “Cutting it a little close, weren’t we?”

  One side of A.K.’s mouth lifted and then as she watched, the other side lifted into a full smile. Liv nearly sat down again. That smile was lethal. She smiled back.

  They were smiling at each other when Chaz and the rest of the crew crashed through the woods.

  Chaz skidded to a stop. “Guess I missed all the fun,” he said, looking at A.K. and Liv.

  “What are you doing here?” Liv blurted.

  “Doing my civic duty. I came for gossip.”

  “Yep, the good guys won again,” A.K. said.

  Chaz scowled.

  “He confessed,” Liv said, trying to defuse the standoff between the two men.

  “And is on his way to jail,” Bill added.

  Chaz shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “And did it occur to you that the Marlton money could pay a fortune to get him out on bail? And if he gets out, your life won’t be worth a dime.”

  Liv had not thought about that.

  “Well, let’s ask her.” Bill raised his chin toward the road. Amanda jumped out of the driver’s side of Rod’s jeep. She ran toward the group while Jon was still getting out of the passenger side.

  “Looks like Amanda and your Manhattan swain to the rescue, a little late,” Chaz said.

  Liv shot him a quelling look, then waited as the police escorted Rod past the newcomers.

  “It was you?” Amanda asked incredulously. “You? I let you have everything, including your women. Why did you kill her? Why?”

  Rod shrugged. “I was sick of being stuck with both of you.”

  Amanda fists tightened, and before the police could take Rod away, she slugged him. His head snapped back. Even his two guards staggered beneath the strength of the blow.

  “Whoa,” Chaz said. “She packs a punch for such a little woman.”

  Amanda jutted her chin at her husband. “We’ll see how you like having a court-appointed attorney to handle your case.” Then she sagged; Jon put his arm around her as she started to cry.

  “I guess we don’t have to worry about Amanda getting him out of jail,” Chaz said.

  Jon caught Liv’s eye, then looked to Bill. “I’ll take her to the house, if that’s okay with you.”

  Bill nodded, and Jon slowly led Amanda back to the jeep.

  The rest of them stood where they were until the jeep drove away.

  “Ted’s going to be upset that he missed all this,” Chaz said.

  “He was manning the phone chain,” Liv said.

  A.K. rounded up his men. “Thanks for the use of your boat, Chaz.”

  Chaz nodded.

  “Good work, Ms. Montgomery.”

  Liv nodded. She would have said something but she was beginning to feel a little shaky in the aftermath.

  “I think a brandy would do wonders,” A.K. said, but he was talking to Chaz.

  “Wait a minute,” Liv said. “Stop bossing me around.”

  “I think Liv could use one, too.” Chaz grinned.

  A.K. shook his head and left. Bill sent the rest of his men back to the station, then stopped by Chaz and Liv. “Come on, I’ll give you a lift back to town. I promised Ted we’d tell him the whole story before the night was through.”

  “Not ’til I get there,” Chaz said. “I just have to return the boat to the marina.”

  • • •

  Liv slept in the next day. She figured she deserved it. She and Ted met in time for the opening of the Museum of Yankee Horrors. A ribbon-cutting ceremony by the mayor was accompanied by the zombie band, now back in their high school colors.

  Bill walked back with them to town hall. He’d gone to yoga that morning and his sciatica was already feeling better. On the way, they stopped by the Apple of My Eye for some of Dolly’s caramel apple cake and the Buttercup for two lattes and a tea.

  “You two sure know how to enjoy the workaday world,” Bill said. “If I’m lucky, I get stale donuts and motor-oil coffee.”

  “You’re welcome to join us anytime,” Liv said as Ted pulled up an extra chair to Liv’s desk and laid out the morning fare.

  “I have news,” Bill said.

  “Do tell.” Ted handed him a china plate with a piece of cake.

  Bill took a sip of coffee. “Got a call that the state troopers picked up Stanley Riggs yesterday morning. He was hitchhiking south on Route 87. When they picked him up he was incoherent and they took him in for psychiatric testing.

  “He admitted to vandalizing the museum. But he kept insisting that the others weren’t his fault because someone had made him do it.

  “At first they thought he was talking about ‘voices’ in his head, but they finally realized that he meant an actual person. It seems he’d been camping out in one of the cabins at the fish camp.”

  “We saw the one where he stayed.”

  Bill nodded.

  “Rod Crosby found him squatting and threatened to have him arrested unless he agreed to vandalize, for a fee, the Mystic Eye and Ernie’s haunted house.

  “And the fish camp?” Liv asked.

  “That he did on his own when Rod refused to pay him what he thought he was due.”

  “Why did Rod want all the places vandalized?”

  “Misdirection, I suspect,” Bill said.

  “But what about Lucille?”

  “Well, according to Rod, who yo-yos between babbling and enforced silence . . .” Bill shook his head. “That’s another nutcase.

  “I guess he and Lucille went up to the fish camp to ‘talk.’ She was insisting he leave Amanda. He said no. She had a fit and he’d had enough. He grabbed her and she ran away. That’s when she lost her shoes and scarf, and fell and hit her head.”

  “And he killed her while she was unconscious,” Liv said. “That’s just the worst.”

  “It was certainly the easiest,” Ted said. “And it had the secondary feature of making the suspect list even longer. A
lot of people could have strangled her easily when she was unconscious.” Ted helped himself to another piece of cake. “Did he say why he threw Lucille’s body in the vacant lot?”

  “And why he used Jon’s car?” Liv added.

  “He used the Mercedes just because it was handy and he didn’t want any evidence left in his jeep. Evidently Jon had left his keys downstairs. Rod didn’t even have to hot-wire it.”

  “And it almost worked,” Liv said.

  “We would have gotten to the truth in the end.”

  Liv wasn’t totally sure of that, but she wasn’t going to quibble.

  “And the vacant lot?”

  “Pure serendipity. He was driving back to the town parking lot, where he planned to drop Lucille’s body near her car. But as he passed Barry’s Museum, he saw Riggs carrying the mannequins and dumping them in the lot. Rod said he just waited for Riggs to leave, then dumped Lucille along with the rest.”

  “And that’s when Lola Bangs saw the Mercedes,” Liv said. “That’s diabolical.”

  “Certainly nasty,” Ted agreed. “But why leave the shoes in Ernie’s yard? More muddying the waters?”

  “I think at that point it was just plain mean. He’d left the shoes in the car, he was going back for them and then had the brilliant idea of implicating Ernie. He actually chuckled when he told us that. If I hadn’t been an officer sworn to uphold the law, I think I would have clobbered him.”

  Liv sighed. “Poor Amanda.”

  “She’ll be better off without him.”

  “That’s for sure.” Ted said.

  Bill reached for another piece of cake. “True. But women don’t always reconcile their brains with their hearts.”

  “Bill,” Ted said, “that was downright poetic.”

  “Yeah,” Liv said. “But poetry won’t buy us a new community center.”

  “You think Jon will turn us down?

  Liv shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  • • •

  They only had to wait until Monday morning to find out. Ted and Liv were reconciling the Pilgrim dinner sales with the number of tables and chairs that had to be confirmed for delivery when Liv’s cell rang. “It’s Jon.” She walked to the window to take the call. When she hung up, she turned to Ted. “He’s taking Amanda back to the city for a while and he wants me to meet him for a quick lunch at the inn. Do I look okay?”