“That will be enough sass out of you, Rene. Let the poor man finish his coffee in peace,” Liddy Lou scolded.
Andy drained his cup and said his goodbyes to her family then leaned over and kissed Q’Bita on the top of the head. She walked him to his truck, and they shared a long kiss.
“I liked waking up next to you,” Andy whispered. “I could get used to it if you want to do it more often.”
“Even if it means being harassed by my family while you drink your morning coffee?”
“I could get used to that, too. Well, most of it. The sight of Rene in a purple silk kimono and furry slipper pumps at 7 AM might take a while to get used to.”
Q’Bita hugged him again and hated to let go but they’d uncovered a lot last night and Andy needed to get to work on it.
“I’m going to call Orvis on the way in and get him started on the cinnamon, then I’m gonna see about getting Hadleigh Banks back in for questioning. Since I’m down a deputy now, it could be a long day, especially if we locate Antonio and bring him in. I’ll try to call you during the day and give you an update if I can.”
The rest of the day crawled by as Q’Bita waited for her phone to ring. She’d filled Jamie in when he got there and made him promise he wouldn’t tell anyone else in the family until Andy gave them the okay. She didn’t want to get her nana or her family’s hopes up unless there was something solid to tell.
It was almost 4 o’clock when Andy finally called.
“Hello, gorgeous. How are you hanging in?” Andy asked.
“Well, that depends on what news you have for me.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much to tell. Orvis is having the lab run a few more tests but they’ll take a day or two. I’m not too worried, though. Orvis pretty much agreed with everything you told me. What does have me concerned is that both Hadleigh and Antonio seem to have disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yeah. I went by Antonio’s place this morning on the way in to the station, and his roommate says he hasn’t been there since he left for work yesterday. I issued an APB and we’ve contacted all the bus and train stations nearby, but so far, he hasn’t turned up.
“I also had Mike go by Hadleigh’s, and he said it looked like she’d left in a hurry. Her closet was cleaned out and there were a few empty picture frames and signs that other personal belongings had been taken. He stopped by the Dixons’ place and the maid said she hadn’t been around since Macie died.”
“Do you think they left town together?”
“For Liddy Lou’s sake, I hope neither of them left town, but if they did, I hope both left willingly.”
The rest of the afternoon didn’t move any faster, and Q’Bita was relieved when Andy finally pulled into the driveway around eight. She went outside to meet him and noticed he looked exhausted.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Andy said as he bent to give her a kiss. “It’s a nice night. I’ve been holed up all day. You up for a walk and some fresh air?”
They held hands as they walked. Q’Bita could feel the tension in Andy’s grip.
“So, are you going to tell me what has you all worked up or are we just going to keep walking until you explode?”
“I got a call around five from the night manager at the bus station. Seems he sold a ticket last night to a very nervous girl matching Hadleigh’s description. He says he remembers her because her purse was open, and he could see a huge wad of cash and a small handgun inside. She asked for a ticket on the next bus leaving Castle Creek and didn’t seem to care where it was headed.”
“Was she alone or was Antonio with her?”
“She was alone.”
“A hand gun and no Antonio. That doesn’t sound good at all.”
“I’m sorry, Q’Bita. I know you like Hadleigh, but this looks really bad.”
“I do like Hadleigh, but I love my nana. If Hadleigh is the killer, then she needs to face the consequences of what she’s done.”
When they reached the pond at the far end of the property they stayed for a while, watching the stars and listening to the crickets and bull frogs. The sound of Andy’s stomach growling finally got them moving again.
They were almost finished with dinner when Andy’s phone rang.
“Damn it, it’s Mike. I hope to hell he doesn’t need me to come back in. I haven’t even had pie yet.”
Q’Bita could only hear one side of the conversation but the look on Andy’s face said he was about to miss that pie.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I gotta go. A couple of hikers just came across a car in Cope’s Ravine, and there’s a body inside. Mike says it sounds like it might be Antonio Vartan.”
“Oh my God. No wonder it seemed like he’d disappeared.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I can, but don’t wait up; this could take hours.”
Q’Bita tossed and turned most of the night and kept checking her phone but Andy still hadn’t called. At one point near morning she must have fallen asleep, because she was dreaming of a giant bumble bee chasing her around the garden. The bee was so close she could feel the vibration of its buzz against her cheek, then it stopped and was replaced with a loud ding that woke her up.
She felt ridiculous when she realized her phone had slipped under her pillow and it had been ringing. She dialed Andy back without listening to his voicemail.
“Hey, Q’Bita, sorry to call so early. Did I wake you?”
“No, I’m up. What happened? Was it Antonio?”
“Yes, but this was no accident. What I’m about to tell you must stay between us. I’d prefer it if you didn’t even tell Jamie, at least for now.”
“Okay.”
“The tire impressions at the scene show Antonio stopped before going over the edge of the ravine, and there were two sets of foot prints near the tire impressions. When we pulled up the vehicle and Orvis got Antonio out there was a lot of blood, too much for this kind of an accident. Orvis did a preliminary examination and found a gunshot wound in the center of Antonio’s chest. He estimates time of death to be late yesterday afternoon.”
Q’Bita could feel the blood racing through her whole body and she wanted to throw up.
“Q’Bita, you still there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I was just, ugh, I can’t even say it. I don’t want it to be Hadleigh.”
“I know you don’t, sweetheart, but people aren’t always what they seem.”
“So, what’s next?”
“I’m headed to the coroner’s office now to meet up with Orvis. He’s going to do the autopsy and see what else we can find. I sent Mike back to the station to start coordinating the search for Hadleigh. I’m going to do my best to tie this all together as soon as possible. I’ll call you when I get a chance.”
Chapter 34
Q’Bita didn’t have to worry about keeping the details of Antonio’s death a secret for long. By 6 PM it was the top story on every news station in the tristate area, and speculation was running rampant. Word had gotten out to the media that Antonio was wanted for questioning in connection to Macie Dixon’s death and that he was the former foster child, and current employee, of the main suspect in the Dixon murder.
Their phones had been ringing non-stop with reporters wanting a quote from Liddy Lou or the family.
Q’Bita glanced around the library and noticed her nana had snuck out at some point. She found her sitting on the porch in her favorite rocking chair, sipping a cup of tea.
“Hi, Nana. Mind if I join you?”
“I’d like that, Q’Bita.”
“How are you doing?”
“Well, I’ve been better, that’s for certain. Evie’s coming over in a bit, and I’m sure she’ll find some way to lift my spirits.”
“I’m sorry, Nana. I can’t imagine how hard this must be on you.”
“It’s a trial, to be sure. I didn’t think it could get much worse than having Red Dixon force me into a plea deal, but finding out Antonio is mixed up in all this, well, that just twi
sts the knife that Red stuck in my heart. I tried so hard with that boy, and I just don’t know where I went wrong or what I did that hurt him so much he could do this terrible thing. Lord knows I didn’t care for Macie Dixon, but she didn’t deserve to die.”
Q’Bita heard the screen door open and glanced up to see Jamie looking panicked.
“Hey, Q’Bita. Can you come in here for a minute?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, nothing. I just need your help with something, is all.”
“It’s okay, darling. Evie will be here soon. I’ll be fine,” said Liddy Lou.
Q’Bita followed Jamie into the front office, and he closed the door behind them.
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“I just got a call from Hadleigh. She’s been trying to reach you. Says she’s going to call back for you in a few minutes. She sounds terrified, Q’Bita.”
“Damn. I’ve gotten so many calls today, I’ve been rejecting them all.”
Q’Bita’s phone rang and she showed the screen to Jamie.
“That’s her. She’s in a bus station in South Carolina.”
As soon as Q’Bita said hello, Hadleigh started talking.
“Q’Bita, is it true what they’re saying on the news? Is Tony really dead?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
Hadleigh was quiet for a few seconds, and Q’Bita could hear her sniffling like she’d been crying.
“Do they know what happened yet?”
“If you mean do they know he was murdered, then yes, they know. Hadleigh, the man who sold you the bus ticket has already talked to the Sheriff’s department, and they’re looking for you. It won’t be long until they find you. It would be best if you just went to the nearest police station and turned yourself in.”
“Looking for me? Why? It’s not a crime to leave for my own protection.”
“For your own protection? Are you saying you killed Antonio in self-defense?”
“Q’Bita, what are you talking about? I didn’t kill anyone. When I saw Tony with Rene, the way he looked at me scared the hell out of me. I went from your house right to Dixon Manor. I wanted them to tell me everything they knew about Tony and those stolen recipes. I’ve never believed your nana killed Macie, and I think Tony’s somehow involved in all this.”
“Okay, slow down, you’re losing me. What did the Dixons tell you?”
“Well, nothing at first; they weren’t there. But a few hours later Mrs. Dixon came to my apartment. That’s when she told me how Tony stole the recipes and gave them to Mr. Dixon thinking he could score points with Macie.
“She said Tony got angry when Macie used the recipes but wouldn’t go out with him. He tried to blackmail Mr. Dixon over the recipes but Mr. Dixon told him no. Cookie thinks the police have it all wrong, and that Tony killed Macie to punish Red. She said it was only a matter of time until Tony found out that I’m…”
“That you’re also Red’s daughter.”
“You know about that?”
“Yes, and so does the Sheriff’s department, and they’d like to discuss it with you.”
“Q’Bita, I know how this all looks, but I swear, I told Macie and she understood. The only thing I wanted was to know who my mother was. It wasn’t about money. I don’t want anything to do with Red Dixon or his money. It ruins everything it touches.”
“The man at the bus station said you had a large amount of cash and a hand gun. He saw them in your purse when he sold you the ticket.”
“Yes, but I haven’t touched the money and the gun isn’t mine. I don’t even know how to use a gun. Guns scare me. Mrs. Dixon gave me the money and the gun when she suggested I leave town.”
“Cookie suggested you leave?”
“Yes. I wanted to go to the sheriff, but she said if I did he might think I was working with Tony and arrest me. She didn’t think it was fair Mr. Dixon should have to lose both his daughters.”
Q’Bita wasn’t sure how she could tell, but she felt certain Hadleigh wasn’t making this up. Yet something still didn’t add up.
“Hadleigh, I want you to stay put until I get to the bottom of this. Once I know what’s going on, Jamie or I will call you back and let you know it’s safe to come home.”
Hadleigh agreed, but Q’Bita couldn’t tell if she really meant it or not. They ended their call and Q’Bita relayed Hadleigh’s story to Jamie.
“So what do we do now?” Jamie asked.
“Now we call Andy and let him know where Hadleigh is, so he can have someone pick her up.”
“But I thought you said you believe her.”
“A big part of me does, but she’s wanted, and walking around with a gun in her purse that might be a murder weapon. Turning her in is the safest thing for her. If I’m wrong, and she did kill Tony, then turning her in is the safest thing for the rest of us.”
“Okay, so we turn her in. Then what?”
“I need you to stay here near the phone and keep an eye on things while I go have a heart-to-heart with Cookie Dixon. I don’t know if it’s the protective step-mother thing or Cookie parting with a wad of cash that has me suspicious, but something just doesn’t feel right to me. If she’s so concerned about Red losing another daughter I’m curious to know why she’d want Hadleigh to leave town.”
Q’Bita tried calling Andy twice on the way to Dixon Manor but both calls went to voicemail. She left him a message to call her as soon as possible, then hung up and called the station.
She spoke to Maggie, who said Andy was back out at the crime scene doing a final walk-through, and transferred her to Mike, who promised to contact the local police in South Carolina and have them pick up Hadleigh.
Chapter 35
Andy finished the final walk-through with the crime-lab folks and released the scene. He reached down to pull his phone out of its leather side holder and realized the holder was empty. He walked to his truck and saw his phone laying on the dash board. The message light was blinking. He’d missed two calls from Q’Bita and one from Clarity Fessler from the lab. He dialed the lab first.
“What have you got for me, Clarity?”
“When Orvis asked me to rerun tox on the cinnamon buns I remembered seeing a folder of recipes in the evidence. I decided to look through them and see if there was a cinnamon bun recipe in there that might tell me what other ingredients to test for.”
“Wow, I’m impressed. That’s good thinking.”
“There’s more. We originally dusted the folder for prints but not the recipes themselves. I dusted all the individual recipes and found the prints we’d expect, given who handled the recipes, but on the cinnamon bun recipe there was another set of prints that weren’t on the folder or any of the other recipes.”
“Interesting. Did you get a match?”
“Yes. They belong to Cookie Dixon.”
“Okay. I didn’t see that coming. Sounds like I’ll be having a chat with Mrs. Dixon in the near future. You’re a superstar, Clarity. Don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Andy was so preoccupied thinking about what Clarity had found, he completely forgot to listen to Q’Bita’s voicemail. He was on the way back when he finally swiped the screen to play the voicemail and put it on speaker.
“Hey, Andy. It’s Q’Bita. I got a call from Hadleigh and I think we’re wrong about her being the killer. She left town because Cookie spooked her. The gun and cash belong to Cookie. I know you’re going to be mad, but I’m headed to Dixon Manor now to talk to Cookie and convince her to come in and tell you what’s really going on. Call me as soon as you can.”
Andy slapped the steering wheel so hard his fingers stung.
“This woman is going to be the death of me.”
He tried calling back, but Q’Bita’s phone went straight to voicemail. He tried three more times and still didn’t get through. Andy could feel himself starting to panic. He whipped a U-turn in the road and started back towards Dixon Manor.
Chapter 36
As sh
e pulled into the front drive of Dixon Manor, Q’Bita was relieved to see Cookie’s atrocious purple sports car—the gaudy Maserati, as Beecher liked to call it. She parked behind it and started for the steps. As she reached the top step, she looked up and saw Cookie glaring at her from the other side of the screen door.
“I don’t know what brings you here, Q’Bita, but whatever it is you’re wasting your time and you’re not welcome. Just turn around and go back to The Pickled Herring or whatever you call that ridiculous motel of yours.”
Q’Bita stopped half-way across the porch and planted herself with both hands on her hips. She had too much to lose to let Cookie Dixon intimidate her into leaving.
“It’s the Red Herring, and it’s an Inn, not a motel.”
“Whatever. I knew it was named after some kind of fish.”
“The name has nothing to do with fish. Oh, never mind, I’m not here to argue with you.”
“Then why are you here?” Cookie asked, sounding annoyed.
“I want to talk to you about Hadleigh Banks and why you told her Antonio Vartan killed Macie but didn’t bother to share that information with the sheriff.”
Cookie flung the screen door open and stepped onto the porch. She sauntered towards Q’Bita, her stiletto heels making tiny clicking noises with each step. The look on her face gave Q’Bita goosebumps even though it was well over eighty degrees out. Cookie was smiling but there was a mixture of rage and disdain behind her smile that would have looked more at home on a maniacal clown.
“Did it occur to you Hadleigh might be lying? She’s not as innocent and meek as she’d have everyone believe. After Macie caught her stealing and fired her, she tried to convince Red she was his daughter so she could con him out of money. It wouldn’t surprise me if she turned out to be the killer. It’s quite a coincidence Hadleigh leaves town the same afternoon Antonio ends up shot to death, don’t you think?”
Cookie was now standing toe to toe with Q’Bita. Her hand darted out and grabbed Q’Bita’s left shoulder like an eagle snatching a fish from a river. Pain shot through Q’Bita’s arm as Cookie tugged her towards the door.
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