by Kathi Daley
Kyle continued when I didn’t answer. “They wanted to speak to you, but you weren’t here, so they settled for Jenna and me. I came up to the house when I saw your grandfather’s truck turn onto the resort road.”
I glanced back at Kyle. I fought the urge to pull him into the house so we could finish what we’d started, but I knew that now was not the time, so I decided it was best to change the subject and share what I’d just discovered. “It seems Judge Harper had an intimate relationship with his next-door neighbor, Martha Wilson. Her son, Sam, found out about it and threatened the judge not long before the accident.”
Kyle frowned. “Do you think he tampered with Judge Harper’s car?”
I shrugged. “Mrs. Wilson seems certain he’d never do such a thing, but I don’t know. The timing is suspect. I don’t know Sam well. He’s generally a nice if somewhat strange man. It has occurred to me on more than one occasion that he seemed to have a very strong attachment to his mother, although until today I didn’t put together the fact that Judge Harper’s neighbor was his mother. I just know that Sam talks about his mother a lot.”
“I suppose it is nice that the man is close to his mother. Sometimes I wish I was closer to mine. But a son protecting his mother is as good a motive as any to kill someone.”
I nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
Kyle glanced off into the distance. It seemed like he was searching for someone on the beach.
“Are you looking for someone?” I asked.
“Jenna. I think we may need to rescue her.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Kyle wove his fingers through mine and led me toward the beach. We’d held hands before. Hundreds of times. But this time it felt different.
“Tj,” Frannie exclaimed when Kyle and I walked up. “I’m so glad you came to find us.”
Hazel Whipple, who was even older and more opinionated than my grandfather, looked intently at my hand entwined with Kyle’s but didn’t say anything.
I greeted the women, then said, “I hear you have a theory you’d like to share.”
Frannie scooted over on the bench to make room for Kyle and me. “We were just explaining our theory to Jenna.”
“They really might have something,” Jenna offered.
“Okay.” I sat down. “I’m all ears.”
“Striker Bristow spent a considerable amount of time in the library the day before the accident,” Frannie informed me.
“What was he doing?”
“Looking at those same old scrapbooks you asked to see when Zachary died.”
The scrapbooks were really a collection of newspaper articles, photos, letters, and other random items from a specific period of time. Each scrapbook covered a couple of years with the oldest one dating back more than two hundred years to the days when Serenity was little more than a lumber mill.
“That does seem odd.” Striker Bristow was a businessman in Serenity temporarily while he tried to get a permit to build a strip mall at the edge of town. What would he want with a bunch of old letters and photos?
“That’s what I thought, which is why I’m bringing it up.”
“Do you have any idea what he was looking for?” I asked.
“Not initially,” Frannie answered. “The day he came into the library he asked about historical documents. I pointed him toward some books that discuss the history of the area, but he said he was looking for original documents. I told him I did have some, but he couldn’t check them out. I figured that would be that because he appeared to be a busy man. I couldn’t imagine he’d want to spend his day sitting in a library.”
“But he stayed,” Hazel added.
“Did he ask for any specific information?” I wondered.
“No. He seemed interested in a certain span of time—between 1968 and 1978—but he didn’t tell me exactly what he was looking for. He did, however, take a lot of notes and quite a few photos with his phone.”
I paused to consider what Frannie was telling me. “I’ll admit that does sound is odd, but what would this have to do with Judge Harper?”
“After Bristow left, Harold came in later and asked to look at the same book Bristow had been looking at. He turned to a specific page, read something and frowned, then left. Based on the timing of the visits from the two men, I’m going to assume Bristow found what he was looking for, left to tell Harper, and then Harper came by to verify it for himself.”
“Do you know what he was looking at?” I asked.
“No. I’ve tried to figure it out. I’ve looked through the book a bunch of times, but I haven’t found anything that seems relevant or shocking. There’s a chance that whatever Bristow was looking for had significance only to him and Harold. I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought once I figured out there was no way for me to identify the page the men were looking at or even if it was the same one, but then Harold was murdered and suddenly the entire thing seemed suspect.”
“You may not know which page the men were interested in, but you know which book it was, and you might have seen if it was opened to the front, middle, or end,” Kyle pointed out.
“That’s true. I do know which book, and I could see they both were looking toward the middle of it, but, like I said, I’ve gone over every page and nothing stood out.” Frannie looked at me. “I thought maybe you could come by to take a look. You seem to have a sense about these things. We’re closed on Sundays, but I’ll go in tomorrow if you think you might have time.”
I glanced at Kyle, who shrugged. “My dad might be moved out of intensive care tomorrow, and if he’s moved to a regular room I’ve made plans to take my sisters to see him. I can come by the library after that. Can I text you with a time once I see how the day is going?”
“Certainly, dear. Any time would be fine. I’m so glad to hear that your dad is doing better. I’ve been praying for him every day since I heard about the accident.”
“Thank you. I’m sure he appreciates all the prayers and good thoughts.”
Kyle and I spoke to Frannie and Hazel for a few more minutes, and then Jenna headed back toward the cook-off with the two of us to see how things were progressing.
Chapter 10
“Maybe we should check on the girls,” Jenna commented as we made our way. “They’re fine with Mom and the others, but it’s been a while.”
“Yeah, about that…” I replied as I walked between Jenna and Kyle. “Kyle and I shared a fairly enthusiastic greeting on the driveway in front of everyone. I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to answer a bunch of questions. So far you’re the only one who officially knows about our change in relationship status.”
Jenna chuckled. “If what you say is true I think they all know by now.”
“Maybe, but I still don’t want to talk about it just yet.”
Jenna stopped walking and turned toward us. I glanced at Kyle, who didn’t look embarrassed in the least by what had happened, but he was wisely letting me do the talking and setting of the pace.
“Look,” she said, “it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. Just get it over with.”
I grimaced. “I don’t know. I never did get the whole Band-Aid-ripping thing.”
“It’ll be fine. Two minutes of ribbing and you can relax and enjoy the journey.”
I didn’t answer, but Jenna took my hand and led me toward the house, Kyle following along behind. When we arrived on the lawn, the girls stopped playing their game. Everyone turned and looked at us.
“So…” Helen began.
“Yes, Kyle and I are together,” I blurted out before she could say anything more.
Doc winked at Grandpa, but, thankfully, neither commented. Bookman seemed to be pinching Helen, which shut her up for probably the first time in her life.
Finally it was Gracie, with a look of confusion on her face, who broke the silence. “Wh
at does that mean?”
Kyle stepped forward and lifted her in the air. She began to giggle as he replied, “It means nothing will really change except that I’m going to be kissing your sister all the time.”
“Eww,” eight-year-old Gracie and seven-year-old Kari said in unison.
Ashley and Kristi began giggling and whispering to each other, but it seemed everyone was fine with the situation.
“I need to call Roy,” I said, desperately needing a few minutes to myself. “He’s bringing his new partner for us to meet. Kyle, Jenna, and I are having dinner with them.”
Kyle distracted the girls while I headed for the house and the bathroom, where I splashed cold water on my face. I really had no idea what was wrong with me. I wasn’t a kid with her first crush. I’d been in other relationships, but I’d never before felt as nervous about what that would mean as I did now. I stopped in the living room and looked out the window. Kyle had teamed up with Gracie and Kari to play badminton against Jenna, Ashley, and Kristi, and the others were talking among themselves on the sidelines. Everyone looked happy and relaxed. It was ridiculous that I was such a nervous wreck. Obviously everyone except the four girls had already figured out what was going on between Kyle and me, probably before we had.
I smiled as I continued to watch the scene on the lawn. It really was good to be home.
I took out my phone and called Roy. He didn’t pick up, so I left a message. “Hey, Roy, it’s Tj. Just checking in about tonight. I know I initially mentioned having some food sent to the house, but there are a bunch of people here. Then I considered the beach, but it’s going to be busy with the bands, so I’m going to reserve a beachside table at the Lakeside Bar and Grill. I was thinking around eight. If you’d prefer another time just call to let me know. Jenna and Dennis are joining us; he should be here by six, so whenever works for you is fine.” I paused and took a breath. “Oh, and just so you know, Kyle and I are together. Yes, we’re very happy, and no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
I hung up and looked back out to the lawn. I stood a little taller as I committed to stop being so weird about everything. If Kyle and I hadn’t been such good friends for such a long time, I was sure I wouldn’t be going through the ridiculous emotions I was dealing with now. I almost felt like I had the time my dad caught me in the closet kissing a kid in my class who was over for a playdate when we were six.
Geez. I really did need to get a grip.
I was about to head out when my phone rang. It was Roy.
“Eight is fine. We’ll be off duty by then, which is just as well because we won’t have to listen to our scanners while we eat.”
“Did they send someone from the main office to help you out with all the tourists in town this weekend?”
“They sent two someones, so unless something really huge happens we should be able to take the whole night off.”
“That’s good. You work way too many hours. Listen, before you come over, I wanted to ask about Sam Wilson. I understand Kate spoke to him about Judge Harper’s murder.”
“Yeah. Someone called in an anonymous tip that Sam had been going around town threatening the judge. Kate spoke to both Sam and his mother and didn’t think he was a serious suspect. Why do you ask?”
“I got a tip as well and spoke to Sam’s mother today. I do consider Sam a strong suspect, but to be fair I haven’t spoken to him directly. He might have said something to Kate that I don’t know about that could eliminate him.”
“Kate’s a bright woman. I trust her instincts. I think you will too when you meet her.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ll see you at eight.”
I hung up the phone and headed outdoors to join the others. I was determined that no matter what anyone said I wasn’t going to be shy or embarrassed. I was an adult with an adequate, although somewhat limited, romantic history. Kyle and I weren’t doing anything strange; I had no reason to act like a shy virgin on her first date.
Just as Jenna had indicated, Kate was adorable. She was about my age and my height, with long blonde hair she wore up but I imagined would be striking when it was down. When I first saw her, an image of a fragile doll came to mind, but it didn’t take long for me to see that she was strong, intelligent, and opinionated. And unless I was reading things wrong, Roy was totally smitten.
“How long have you been a cop?” Dennis asked Kate.
“Seven years. I went to the academy after college. I would have gone right out of high school, but I’d made a deal with my mother that I would go to college before committing to law enforcement and she’d promise not to hound me about it the rest of my life.”
“She didn’t want you to be a cop?” I asked.
Kate shook her head. “She absolutely didn’t. My dad was a cop. He died in the line of duty, trying to protect civilians who shouldn’t have been anywhere near the crime scene in the first place.”
I glanced at Kyle. He raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything.
“Your mom hoped that if you went to college you’d change your mind,” I concluded.
Kate looked me in the eye, paused, and then answered, “Correct. Roy told me you’re a teacher. Is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”
I thought about it. “Yes, I guess in a way I have. It’s not like I sat around in high school and thought about taking over the reins from my teachers when I graduated college, but I’ve always been athletic and I love all sorts of sports, so going into coaching and teaching physical education was a logical move.”
“And you’re retired?” Kate looked at Kyle curiously.
“Not really. I used to be a full-time software developer, but when I came into some money I switched to freelancing. I help out where I can, but I don’t usually charge for it.”
“I think I’d continue to be a cop even if I inherited a hundred million dollars,” Kate said. “I love what I do. It’s important. I feel like it matters.”
“Dennis is the new fire chief in Serenity,” Roy offered.
“I heard the old fire chief killed a guy.”
Kate was great, but one thing was for certain: she needed to work on her social skills.
“It’s a complicated story,” I answered. “How are you liking our little town?”
Kate shrugged. “It’s okay. The people seem friendly enough, but there’s a certain lack of culture and sophistication that’s found in larger cities.”
“I suppose that might be true, but, in general, there’s a lot less crime, not to mention noise and pollution.”
“I suppose.” Kate looked at Roy. “Now that we’ve finished our meal and the pleasantries are out of the way, do you want to tell me what we’re really doing here?”
Roy looked completely shocked by her question. In fact, his mouth hung open for several seconds before he thought to close it. It was obvious to me that Kate was no dummy; she’d probably heard Roy had friends who helped him solve his toughest cases long before this.
“We occasionally help Roy work on some of his cases,” I explained. “I don’t think he wanted to dump us on you before you had a chance to meet us.”
“I’ve heard about your little group, and I want to go on record that I don’t approve. Civilians have no place in an active investigation.”
“You’ve been a cop for seven years. How many murders have you personally been responsible for solving?” Jenna asked gently.
“I solved one and helped in another two investigations.”
“Tj has seven murders under her belt and she’s solved them all. Kyle isn’t just a retired software developer, but a computer genius who can out-research and out-hack anyone you can put up against him, and my husband has been saving dozens of lives a year for the past decade.”
“And you?” Kate looked at Jenna. “What do you bring to the mix?”
“I make a mean cheesecake.”
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I couldn’t help but snicker. Kyle kicked me under the table. I guess it was rude to laugh at the fact that Jenna had just torn Kate a new one.
“I don’t care what sort of talents each of you have. You haven’t been trained and therefore are a liability. My father’s gone because some wannabe superhero type thought he could fight crime better than local law enforcement. If you want to be a cop, go to the academy and get the training like I did. If not, stay the hell out of the way.” Kate stood up. She looked at Roy. “I’m leaving. I’ll find my own way back. I like you and have enjoyed working with you, but know this: if your friends don’t stay out of this case, I’ll report you and them to the sheriff. Do we understand each other?”
Roy just nodded. He looked like he was going to cry. Poor guy; I think he’d really felt Kate would fit right in with our little family.
“I’m sorry,” Jenna said to Roy. “I shouldn’t have said all that.”
“No. It’s okay. It seems obvious Kate has strong feelings about this that aren’t likely to change. I guess it’s best to know sooner rather than later.”
We all sat quietly for what seemed like forever.
“What now?” I asked Roy. “Do you want us to back off?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then he sighed and said, “I’m officially telling you to back off and let the people trained and paid to do the job do it. If you choose to ignore my request there isn’t a lot I can do about it.” Roy looked at Kyle. “Have you ever thought of getting a private investigator’s license? It might make consulting with you a little easier to swallow for by-the-book types.”
“I hadn’t considered it, but I’ll take it under advisement.”
Roy stood up. “I should go see if I can do some damage control. I’m sorry about the way things went down. I could see how she felt about following the rules. I just had no idea she would be quite so adamant.”
“She has a good reason for feeling the way she does,” I murmured. “Officially, we’re off the case. Unofficially, we’ll tread lightly.”