“You did a great job. I’m impressed,” Linc said as he started the truck.
“Thanks. I was kind of surprised myself,” she said with a smile. Her cell phone began to ring, interrupting their conversation.
“Hello?” she answered, not recognizing the number on her cell phone screen.
“Hey, Brigid. This is Deputy Davis down at the sheriff’s station. I was wonderin’ if maybe ya’ had a bit of time ya’ could come down here? Sheriff Rich said you’d be willin’ to help out with the case. I could sure use someone to brainstorm with fer a bit. He’s gonna’ be off fer a few days. It’s all been a bit much for him. Can’t say as I blame him.”
“Sure. That’s not a problem. I feel so bad for him. No one should have to see their sister like that. Poor man,” she said. Linc was listening intently as he drove.
“Jes’ wanted to make sure yer’ on board. I wanna’ get started soon as possible. Can’t waste time in a case like this. Every minute counts, and Lucy deserves to have her killer brought to justice soon as possible.”
“I completely agree, Deputy Davis. Give me about an hour, and I’ll be there.”
“Works for me. See ya’ soon.” The deputy hung up and Brigid put her phone away.
“What was that all about?” Linc asked.
“The deputy wants me to go down to the station and help him brainstorm on the case,” she said as she looked out the window. “I hope I can help. Although I do pretty much know everyone around here, I’m still not entirely sure I can help.”
Linc pulled into her driveway and shut off the truck. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Brigid. Although you may not be well-versed in the law, that doesn’t mean you can’t help. If anything, you may be even more of an asset than someone who is. People might tell you things that they wouldn’t tell an officer.”
They got out of the truck and walked up to her door. “I hadn’t thought of that, Linc, but you may be right.” She remembered everything Missy had told her and wondered if she’d mentioned any of it to the deputies. Things were pretty much a blur after she and Missy discovered Lucy’s body.
“Be careful and make sure you take Jett with you,” Linc said.
“I will. I could use the company, so I’ll be sure and take him with me. Thanks for being patient with me this morning.” Linc went back to his truck and headed home while Brigid went inside her house to get Jett.
As soon as she got inside, her cell phone rang and she saw Missy’s name on the screen. “Good morning Missy, how are you doing?” she asked as she answered the phone.
“I’m doing okay. How about you?” she asked.
“About the same. I’m getting ready to go down to the sheriff's office to talk to Deputy Davis. He wants me to help him with the case, since Sheriff Rich can’t take it.” Brigid opened the door to the back yard and stepped aside as Jett came trotting through the door.
“Tell him I’d be happy to help, too. I’m worried about Jordan. He’s so upset. He feels like he let Lucy down,” Missy said.
“Why does he feel that way?” Brigid asked as she headed towards the front door.
“I guess Lucy had wanted to meet with him, but he’s been so busy lately he put it off for two days. He keeps thinking if he’d taken the time to talk to her, maybe she’d still be alive.”
“Poor man. That’s not his fault,” Brigid said as she stood outside her house, waiting for Jett to take care of business before loading him in her car.
“I know, and on some level, he knows, too, but you know how that goes.” Brigid could tell by Missy’s sniffles that she was crying. “Oh, and Henri called our house late last night. He’s devastated. He feels like the whole thing is his fault because he was so late getting home. He was a complete and total mess. He kept going on and on about how he didn’t know if he could run the B & B all by himself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Lucy was excellent at staying on top of things. She really was a unique and strong woman.” Brigid felt her throat tighten as she thought of her friend. “Missy, it’s going to take time for all of us. It’s not Henri’s fault. At least I don’t think it is. I mean, if any of us had known…,” she let the thought trail off.
“I know. I told him I thought I knew someone at the church that could probably help him with the breakfast part of things. He said that was his main concern right now. He doesn’t even know how to cook. He said they had people working for them who cleaned the rooms and did the yard maintenance. He’s going to try to handle the check-ins and the registration stuff.” Missy said.
“I’m sure he just needs time to figure things out. It can’t be easy. Dealing with his emotions would be hard enough, and then to have to greet guests? I can’t imagine,” Brigid said with a sigh.
“I still can’t believe she’s gone, Brigid,” Missy said tearfully.
“I know. It doesn’t feel right. The whole world seems a bit darker without her in it.”
CHAPTER 14
“Good late morning, Corey. I hope you don’t mind that I brought my dog, Jett, with me,” Brigid said as she sat down across from the deputy at his desk. Deputy Davis looked much worse than he had the evening before. His eyes had dark circles under them and his complexion looked pale. Brigid wondered if he’d been up all night. He certainly looked like it. Papers littered his desk, and a half-eaten breakfast burrito sitting on a Styrofoam plate had been pushed to one side of his desk.
“Not at all. Maybe he can help, and I sure can use all the help I can get,” he said with a smile as he looked at the big dog. “Talked to Rich this mornin’. Figgered we need to get started on a list of suspects like right now. He said Lucy was worried about some woman that got outta’ prison a few months ago. I’m gonna’ look into it and see if I can dig anythin’ up. Maybe where she went when she left prison, or what she’s been up to after bein’ released.”
“That seems like a good place to start,” Brigid said. “Did he mention anything else?”
“He also talked about Henri. Said he never did like the guy, and he’s suspected fer a long time he was havin’ an affair with another woman. Said he'd never talked to Lucy about it, ‘cuz he didn’t wanna’ hurt her. Rich felt that Henri was gone a whole lot more than takin’ care of B & B business would justify.
“Tol’ me he really wanted to go over there and confront him about everythin’ this mornin’ but thankfully I was here to talk him outta’ it. Finally got him calmed down and convinced him to stay home. I tol’ him I’d go talk to Henri ‘bout it, but I gotta’ tell ya’, I ain’t lookin’ forward to it.” Deputy Davis began to fidget with his pen.
“I can do that for you. Why don’t you let me go over there?” Brigid asked. “As Lucy’s friend, it would be much more natural for me to go over and ask him about it. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to have that kind of conversation with a sheriff after their spouse was murdered. Especially if he didn’t do it.”
From what she knew about him, Brigid had always liked Henri. She couldn’t believe he’d been having an affair and then murdered Lucy. That kind of betrayal would be the absolute worst.
“Ya’ got a point,” he said, thinking. “It’d only be natural for ya’ to visit, kinda’ like payin’ yer’ respects. Then ya’ could maybe bring up you’d heard concerns ‘bout their marriage.” He picked up a pen and tapped it against his lips. “If he was cheatin’ and then his wife goes and gets murdered, he’s probably already feelin’ purty guilty. No need to make him feel worse if he ain’t our man.”
When I said I’d help the deputy I had no idea anyone really butchered the English language like this. Next time I see Fiona I’ll have to ask her about his background. I thought people only spoke like this in the books I edit.
“I agree,” Brigid said. “I’ll do that today. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can find out and get back with you. I’d feel better trying it this way first. If he is simply a grieving widower, I’d hate to be the one responsible for putting him through more pain. Did Rich
mention anything else?”
“Only other person he could think of at the moment was the handyman for the B & B, Mike Loomis. Rich hates him. Said he woulda’ busted him a while ago, but he worked for Lucy, and she said he was a good employee. Guess the guy has a bit of a record or somethin’. Mainly drug related, but from what Rich said, looks like he deals the hardcore stuff, and if he’s dealin’, dude’s most likely usin’. Ya’ know how them meth heads are capable of doin’ anythin’ when they’re strung out on meth,” he said with a sigh.
“Gotta’ look into where he was at the time of the murder. Jes’ might be a good suspect.” Deputy Davis began to write in his notebook. “That’s where I’m at right now. Got anythin’ to add?” he asked.
“Maybe. Have you heard anything about a man named Ouray Smith?” she asked.
“Who is he?” he asked as he leaned forward, his pen ready.
“Apparently he’s a somewhat local Native American man who was a guest at a book club meeting. He wrote a book on Chief Ouray, and the book club had it as their book of the month. He’s big into preserving the heritage of the Ute tribe, and I understand Lucy mentioned to him she had some Ute artifacts. I heard he wasn’t too fond of the idea, and I guess that would be putting it mildly. Anyway, he insisted she return them to the tribe. When she refused, he started harassing her.”
“Ain’t never heard of him,” Corey said. “Better put him on the list. Don’t hurt to check everyone out.” He wrote the name down and dropped his pen.
“I agree, he might be a possible suspect. I’ll see if I can find out more about him, too,” Brigid said. “I guess I better get started. I’ll head over to the B & B now and see what Henri has to say.” Brigid picked up her purse and stood up, glad to be free of the hard-wooden chair she’d been sitting on.
“Lemme know what ya’ find out. Don’t leave nothin’ out, ya’ hear? I’ll be waitin’ fer yer’ call.”
“Absolutely. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can,” she said with a reassuring smile. She planned to tell him every little detail she came across. She was not going to let her best friend’s killer get away. “Come on Jett.” She slapped her leg, and the dog quickly climbed to his feet. His nails clicked on the old tile floor as they headed for the door.
Jett stuck by Brigid’s side as they approached her car. She opened the back door for him and said, “Climb on in, big guy,” before shutting it behind him. Once in the driver's seat, Brigid dug her phone out of her purse and began to scroll through her contacts until she found her sister, Fiona. She pressed call and held the phone up to her ear.
“Fiona, it’s Brigid. I’ve got a couple of quick questions for you,” she said after her sister answered.
“What’s up?” her sister asked from the other end.
“What can you tell me about Sheriff Rich’s deputy, Corey Davis. He speaks the worst English I’ve ever heard. I’m an editor, and this is killing me.”
Fiona laughed. “We’ve all thought the same thing, but the guy has a heart of gold. The only thing I know about him is that supposedly he was an orphan who was taken in by an old guy who didn’t work, just hunted and fished. He raised Corey and from what I heard, when he was at the sheriff’s academy he spoke perfect English. The guy is serious smart, but he talks like that because the guy who raised him talked like that. It’s kind of a weird way to honor someone’s memory, but kind of sweet at the same time.”
“Thanks. Knowing that, I can handle it, it’s just that my editor’s brain spent the whole time I was with him inwardly correcting him. I’ll have to let that go. Here’s my second question. Remember that Ouray Smith guy you told me about?”
“Sure, what about him?” Fiona asked.
“I think since he’d been harassing Lucy, it would be worth it to pay him a little visit. Can you send me his address and anything else you might have about him?” Brigid asked.
“Sure. I have it all written down in my notebook. I’ll take a picture of the page and send it to you, but why are you going to visit him? Isn’t that the job of the sheriff department’s?” Fiona asked.
“Probably, but it looks like I’m officially helping Deputy Davis. Here’s what happened.” She told Fiona about Rich’s visit last night and her recent meeting with Deputy Davis. “Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Thanks in advance for sending me the information about Ouray. I’ll talk to you later,” Brigid said, ending the call.
She’d started the car and was heading over to the B & B when she received a picture message from her sister with all of Ouray’s contact information. “Perfect,” she said out loud. Turning to Jett she said, “Now we know how to get ahold of him.” Jett woofed as if he understood perfectly.
While she was saving the photo message to her phone, it began to ring. She saw that it was Linc and pressed the green answer icon. “Hi, Linc.”
“Thought I’d check up on you and see how things are going,” he said.
“They’re going fine. Can I interest you in taking a ride later on today?” Brigid asked.
“Sure, where to?”
“Well, there’s a guy I need to talk to, Ouray Smith. He’s a Native American with the Ute tribe. The headquarters of the Ute Tribal Council is in Ignacio, but I just found out that Ouray lives only about an hour away from Cottonwood Springs. I thought I’d take a little drive over there and see what he knows.”
“I’m assuming this is about Lucy’s murder? Why do you need to talk to this guy?” Linc asked.
“Apparently he was pretty upset that Lucy had a large collection of Ute tribal artifacts she was using as decorations in the B & B, and he kept trying to convince her to hand them over to him. Of course, Lucy said no, but the guy got a bit forceful and was harassing her.”
“I know who you’re talking about. I stayed at the B & B for several days while I was waiting to move into my house, and one day they were having quite a heated discussion. I didn’t stick around to see what it was all about. Didn’t feel it was my business. Sure, I’ll go with you.”
“Great,” Brigid said smiling. “I’ll swing by and pick you up in about an hour.” She ended the call, feeling good for the first time since she’d seen Lucy at the B & B. She knew she was doing everything she could to make sure her friend’s killer was caught.
CHAPTER 15
A short time later Brigid pulled into the B & B parking lot. Jett was sound asleep in the back seat. He was obviously dreaming, because his feet were twitching as if he was in hot pursuit of something, probably a squirrel or a chipmunk. Rather than trying to wake him, she rolled down the windows and quietly slipped out of the car. The gravel crunched under her tennis shoes as she approached the back door.
When she was at the kitchen door, she took a deep breath to calm herself and quietly knocked. This was completely new territory for Brigid. She had no idea how this was going to go, but she was fully committed to it. She had to talk to Henri. Even though Lucy was dead, Brigid felt some sort of explanation was needed from Henri as to what had been going on in their marriage.
Brigid knew she was probably going to have to ask some tough questions that were really none of her business, but she felt she had to for Lucy’s sake. She saw Henri’s big green extended cab truck parked in front of the garage, but there was no response to her knocks. After several minutes, she tried the doorknob. It turned and she quietly opened the door.
Peeking her head inside the kitchen, Brigid flashed back to when she saw Lucy lying dead on the floor. Her eyes couldn’t help but linger on the spot as she stepped inside, quietly shutting the door. She heard the gentle murmur of a voice and took a few steps closer to where it was coming from. She recognized Henri’s voice speaking in rapid French.
One of Brigid’s life-long dreams had been to go to France, and determined to do so, she’d been studying French in her spare time for the last two years. She’d come to a point where she could speak it and understand it, although she had to really concentrate to make out what Henri was saying, since he was speaking
so fast.
“I’m going to have to tell the sheriff, Joelle,” he was saying. “I know… but he is going to need to know where I was when Lucy was murdered. I don’t like it any more than you do, but it must be done. They need to find out who killed Lucy, and as her husband, and because I wasn’t there when she was murdered, I will probably be the number one suspect.” He was quiet for some time and then continued, “I know my cherié, my sweet little butterfly. Don’t worry. We will be together soon, but we have to wait a proper amount of time. To do it right away would make them look even closer at me.”
Brigid remained very still, not wanting Henri to know she was listening to his phone conversation. Even if he did discover she’d overheard it, she was certain Henri would never suspect she’d understood what he had said because he was speaking French. She continued to listen, hoping to find out if he’d murdered Lucy or if he knew who had.
“Yes, it’s a very good thing your cat got out last night. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have anyone to vouch for us. Thankfully, your neighbor was outside, and can verify that we were nowhere near the B & B when Lucy was murdered. My brother-in-law, the sheriff, has never liked me much anyway, and he’ll probably try to pin this on me.”
There was a pause as Henri listened. “I hate to say this, cherié, but you will be a suspect, too.” He listened for a moment and then said, “I understand, my sweet, but being the lover of the man who was married to the woman who was murdered in cold blood, does look a little bad, n’est pas? We need to keep our distance for a week or so. Just until everything calms down, and they catch the murderer. At least we both have an alibi. They cannot touch us. I love you, now I must go.”
Brigid turned around and rapidly walked back towards the door when she heard him ending the call. She didn’t want him to know she’d overheard his conversation. She hurried out the door and closed it, then turned and knocked loudly on it. This time, Henri answered the door.
Debut Cozy Mystery Box Set 2 Page 34