Death by Intermission

by Alexis Morgan

  “Well, you’d better get to class, and I’ll let you know how my meeting with Gage turns out.”

  Jada adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder. “Would you like me to order something in for dinner tonight? My treat.”

  Abby wasn’t sure if Jada could really afford to do that, but she understood the girl’s need to pull her own weight. “That sounds good. Right now I’m not sure who all will be here, so we can figure out what to order later.”

  “It’s a deal. See you then.”

  Once she was gone, Abby packed up the scrapbook, a container of cookies, and everything Zeke would need for his walk and took it all out to the car in two trips. She didn’t think Gage would mind the dog coming in with her since their meeting shouldn’t last all that long. His presence would also give her a perfect excuse to keep the time she spent with Connie short, and she could leave her library books in the drop box in the lobby.

  Zeke waited patiently for her to let him into the back seat and then stretched out on his blanket with his tongue lolling out in a doggy grin. At least one of them was happy to be heading out on an adventure. For her part, she couldn’t shake off her worries about Jada, her mother, and even Owen.

  Right now it didn’t seem like she could do much to help any of them. Talking about her problems with somebody would help, even if the only one who was handy couldn’t actually offer her any advice. As always, Zeke was a great listener. That thought had her smiling a little as she glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “You know, Will Swahn could be a great guy who only just now realized that he needs to step up to bat and help his old friend’s daughter. But I’ve got to admit I’m thinking you were right on the money about keeping a close eye on him.”

  Zeke briefly met her gaze before sticking his head out the window into the breeze. His joy in the simple pleasure brightened her own mood. “Yeah, you’re right. If there’s nothing I can do about him right now, I should just let it all go for the time being.”

  Which was easier said than done, but she’d try.

  Unfortunately, the most direct route to city hall took her right past Owen’s restaurant. The parking lot was empty, and the CLOSED sign was posted in the window. She wasn’t surprised that the place wasn’t open for business, but wasn’t he in there working on getting back things back to normal? She’d never been impressed with his work ethic, but that was his problem.

  She was more worried about where her mother was right now and what she was doing. “Zeke, I really wish Mom would back off on her involvement with Owen until he’s officially cleared of being a murder suspect.”

  This time her companion abandoned the window long enough to poke his head in between the front seats. When she reached up to pat his jowls, he rewarded her with a snort aimed right at her face in a show of mastiff love and sympathy. His job done, it was back to sniffing the wind and drooling on the side of her car.

  Rather than commiserate anymore, she wiped her face with her sleeve and pulled into the parking lot behind city hall. “Come on, Zeke. Maybe Gage will prove to be more useful in solving my problems than you’ve been.”

  But somehow she doubted it.

  CHAPTER 22

  Gage didn’t seem to mind Abby hovering over his shoulder while he studied several of the newspaper clippings in Jada’s scrapbook. The magnifying glass he’d scrounged from the back of his desk drawer hadn’t proved to be very helpful. The pictures were too faded for either of them to pick out many useful details.

  He glanced up at her and tapped his finger on the framed picture Jada’s father held in his hands. “All I can say is that this looks like any number of pictures I’ve seen over the years. In fact, I have an album at home with similar photos of the guys I served with back when I was in the army.”

  Well, rats. She’d been hoping Gage would pull off a Sherlock Holmes moment by pointing at the picture while shouting, “Gadzooks! Our culprit is the third man from the right, the one with the shifty look about his eyes.”

  While disappointing, his comment about his own collection of pictures did leave her feeling curious. “Is Tripp in any of those shots in your albums? I’d love to see how he looked back in the day.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not sure he’d appreciate me sharing them with you.”

  She retreated to sit in one of the chairs arranged in front of Gage’s desk. “Come on, why not? It’s no secret you two served together.”

  Gage set down the magnifying glass and leaned back in his chair. “That may be true, but you may have noticed that Tripp is pretty closemouthed about his life in general and especially when it comes to his time in the service. Besides, you saw him in uniform back when he was sneaking supplies to Sergeant Kevin out in the woods. Tripp didn’t look all that different when he was younger. Use your imagination.”

  Kevin was one of the former soldiers that the veterans group Tripp belonged to had been trying to help. Whenever Tripp had met with him out in the national forest, he’d worn his uniform because it helped keep the homeless vet calm. She’d also seen him in a vintage uniform at the USO-style dance she’d helped organize to raise money for the various outreach programs run by his veterans group. That night was definitely at the top of her Top Ten list of best dates ever.

  But back to the matter at hand. “So, do you think it’s worth asking Reilly if he has the original JPEG of that shot so we can enlarge it? Jada wouldn’t care if it wasn’t as clear as the original. She’d just like to have a copy for her scrapbook.”

  “It’s a long shot, but I’ll give him a call. Considering we know the date the picture was printed in the paper, he should be able to check pretty quickly.”

  Zeke appeared in the doorway of Gage’s office. Earlier, he’d grown bored watching the two of them studying the scrapbook and wandered out to the bullpen to visit the deputies working at their desks. That he didn’t come any closer was his way of hinting that it was time for them to leave. She’d promised him a walk along the river, and he was more than ready for her to get with the program.

  Surrendering to the inevitable, she joined Zeke at the door. “Well, I guess I have my marching orders.”

  Gage stood up, too. “Rather than me hanging on to Jada’s scrapbook, I’ll make a photocopy of the page to show Reilly.”

  She followed him around the corner to the copy machine. As they waited, she found herself asking, “Do you think this picture has anything to do with the murder?”

  As soon as the question popped out of her mouth, she cringed and waited for yet another lecture on staying out of Gage’s business. This time, though, he surprised her. “It’s too soon to tell, but I have to think there’s at least a chance it does. I’ve said before I’m not a fan of coincidences, especially when it comes to murder cases. Mitch Anders hadn’t been here long enough for him to have built many personal connections here in town. From what I can tell, he’d barely started reaching out to his clients.”

  Abby cringed. “The new job didn’t exactly work out for him, did it?”

  “Not so much.” Gage pulled the photocopy out of the machine and studied it. He hit the button that would darken the next print and tried again. “Anyway, as I was saying, Jada was one of the few people we know Anders talked to several times. I only have her side of those conversations, of course, but I tend to believe her.”

  That was a relief, but it still left the question unanswered if the thief had gotten what he wanted or if Jada might still be in danger. “She’s planning on staying at my house again tonight. Do you think I should encourage her to stay longer?”

  He paused to study the print the machine had just coughed out. He seemed a little happier with the second copy. “I wish I could give you a definitive answer. Without knowing for sure if there’s actually a link between the break-in and Anders’s death, it’s hard to know what’s going on.”

  There was one more person who had definite ties to the murder, at least on the surface. “Do you know if there’s a prior connection between Anders and Owen
Quinn?”

  “I’m still trying to find out if they—”

  Gage abruptly stopped midsentence to glare down at her. “Darn it, Abby, I’m not sure how you always manage to get me to tell you things that I shouldn’t be discussing with a civilian.”

  He shoved the scrapbook into her hands. “To answer your original question, see if you can get Jada to stay another couple of days, if it’s not too inconvenient. I keep thinking about the scratches on the filing cabinet. If they mean the culprit didn’t get everything he wanted that night, there’s a good chance he might try again. As long as that’s a possibility, I’d rather Jada not be there, even if my people are still keeping a close watch on her house.”

  “I’ll tell her. As guests go, she’s not the one who’s a problem, and I’ve got the room.”

  That comment earned her a smile. “You and your mom still having issues?”

  When she frowned, he added, “Tripp might’ve mentioned something about flashing porch lights.”

  Her face flushed hot. “I can’t believe he told you about that.”

  “Oh, come on, Abby. He thought it was funny.”

  Evidently so did Gage, which just made her crabby. “Well, I didn’t. It’s like she’s regressed to when I was teenager or something. Mom is upset that Owen is caught up in this mess, but that’s no excuse for how she’s acting.”

  And Gage had more important things to do than worry about Abby’s issues with her mom. “I’d better get a move on. I need to talk to Connie Pohler while I’m here. She wants my final report about how well things went on the movie night. Well, other than the murder.”

  Not wanting to get back onto that track, she offered Gage a wobbly smile. “Wish me luck. I suspect she’s going to try to rope me into heading up the program next summer. If not that, then one of the other committees, boards, and who knows what else she has on her agenda. I’ve been practicing saying no over and over again in front of the mirror, but it probably won’t stand up to that smile she breaks out on special occasions. You know, the one that makes you feel as if she’s doing you a favor by letting you take on an enormous project that you never wanted to do in the first place.”

  By that point, Gage was laughing hard. Still, he patted her on the shoulder and even sounded sympathetic when he said, “Good luck with that, Abby. I should warn you that I’ve heard rumors that the city council wants to do a big art festival next summer.”

  Abby shuddered. That was the last thing she needed to get roped into handling. Besides, the timing seemed a little fishy. “Or maybe Connie started that rumor so taking on the movie program wouldn’t sound so bad—you know, the lesser of two evils.”

  “Could be. She’s crafty that way. Let me know how it turns out.”

  She gave Zeke’s leash a tug and headed out to the lobby shared by the Snowberry Creek police department, the library, and the mayor’s office. It was so tempting to make a break for it and hightail it down the street to the park. It might be cowardly, but she could live with that.

  Unfortunately, the woman she most wanted to avoid chose that moment to walk in the front door of the building. Connie grinned and headed straight for her. “Hi, Abby! And is this handsome fellow Zeke? I’ve heard so much about him.”

  Her traitor of a dog ate up Connie’s praise like it was his favorite dessert. With a wag of his tail and a minimum of drool, he positively preened as he encouraged Connie to give him a thorough scratching. “What a charmer! Can we step into my office long enough for me to give him one of the treats we keep on hand for special visitors?”

  She immediately set off toward the door that led to the mayor’s office. Zeke had picked up on the all-important word “treat” and lunged forward to follow close on her heels. Abby surrendered to the inevitable and let him drag her along behind.

  * * *

  Abby handed in her report that contained all the pertinent information about the movie night. As soon as Connie skimmed over it, she immediately pulled out her tablet and started studying a list. Abby knew—just knew—what was coming next. Connie would start by offering up sincere flattery about what a terrific job Abby had done taking over when circumstances forced the original co-chairs to step down. From there, she would move on to pointing out all the other wonderful opportunities that would showcase Abby’s dazzling organizational skills. To ward off the power of Connie’s magic, Abby mentally stuck her fingers in her ears and did the “just say no” chant she’d been practicing at home.

  Maybe it worked, because Connie hadn’t yet launched into her spiel when the mayor, Rosalyn McKay, stepped out of her office and headed straight for them. Her eyes flared wide when she spotted Zeke. “Wow, Abby. I’ve seen you out walking your friend there, but I never realized how big he is.”

  Abby was only too glad to have everyone’s attention focused on Zeke rather than herself as Rosalyn slipped him another treat. “Sorry to interrupt, Abby, but I really need Connie’s help with a report that’s due to the council by this afternoon.”

  It was the perfect opportunity for a quick exit. “No problem. We were pretty much done. I promised Zeke a walk in the park, and we need to get home before my houseguest gets back from class.”

  Both women froze. It was the mayor who spoke next. “I heard that Jada Davidson is staying with you for a few days. That’s really nice of you to open your home to her until Chief Logan can figure out what’s going on.”

  Connie joined in. “Let me know if there’s anything we can do to help. She’s been through so much already with the recent loss of her father.”

  “Things are tough for her right now, but she’s doing better. I’ll let her know you were both asking about her.”

  Then she made good on her escape. “Come on, Zeke. Let’s hit the park.”

  * * *

  Whether it was the bright sunshine outside or the fact that Abby wasn’t the proud owner of a brand-new committee chairmanship, her mood had taken a definite upswing. Zeke was also happy to wander along the river that wound through the park. He especially enjoyed the trail that made a long loop through the national forest that bordered the town on one side. There, the towering firs and cedars crowded close to the path and filled the air with their fresh scent. Drawing a deep breath, Abby let the tension she’d been living with for the past few days fade away a little more.

  However, it was hard not to think about the murder when it had happened a short distance from where she and Zeke were now walking. She tried to avert her eyes as they passed by the hillside where everyone had spread out their blankets and lawn chairs to watch the movie, but her resolve lasted all of thirty seconds. She had no business wandering around the murder scene, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to check it out in the daylight.

  Skirting the front edge of the trees, she and Zeke walked nearly halfway around the curve of the slope when she spotted a piece of yellow crime-scene tape stuck to a tree trunk. It was only a few inches long, no doubt accidentally left behind by whoever had cleaned up after Gage and his deputies had finished their investigation.

  She coasted to a stop a few feet away from the tape. “Zeke, I don’t even know why I’m here or what I’m looking for.”

  He put his nose to the ground and sniffed his way toward the trees. There was no telling what he found so fascinating, but he was relentless as his big head swung from side to side as he kept moving in the general direction of the spot marked by the tape. She gave in to her own curiosity and trailed along behind him. When he finally stopped, he looked back over his shoulder and grumbled.

  Maybe he was picking up the scent of old blood. If so, she didn’t blame him for being creeped out. She patted his head and offered what comfort she could. “It’s all right, boy. Let’s forget we ever stopped here and head back toward the trail.”

  She walked about twenty feet past the tape and then cut through the trees. As they made their way back toward the trail, she studied the ground. From the wear pattern in the grass, it was clear that she and Zeke weren’t
the only ones who had taken that particular shortcut. All things considered, she figured that it was likely Mitch Anders had done the same thing in reverse the night of the movie, most likely so he could sneak in alcohol without getting caught.

  It also seemed logical the murderer had come through there. Using the trees as cover would certainly explain why the attack had gone unnoticed by anyone in the vicinity. The idea of a killer stalking his victim so close to where families were watching a movie gave her the shivers. Would Mitch Anders have realized his peril if he hadn’t been sucking down all those cans of beer? Or had he already passed out by that point?

  One part of her really hoped so, that he’d died without feeling the pain and terror of being stabbed to death. It was the only thing that made sense to her. Otherwise, why hadn’t he fought his attacker, or at least screamed for help? It wasn’t as if he’d been alone in the darkness. There’d been dozens of people within shouting distance. Or had he been expecting his attacker and had no reason to suspect he was in danger?

  All good questions, but ones she had no answers for. Regardless, she was convinced that this hadn’t been a random attack. Had the killer come prepared to execute his victim or merely to confront him only to have the situation turn deadly? If so, did that mean stealing one of Owen’s knives had been a spur of the moment decision, one that would deflect suspicion in his direction? Regardless, the execution had been carried off without a hitch, and it took someone with stone-cold resolve to commit murder when the risk of discovery was so high.

  Even though the sky above was a vivid blue without a cloud in sight, the day had taken a dark turn. Abby tugged on Zeke’s leash. “Come on, boy, it’s time to go home.”

  Where they’d have a solid wood door with a stout lock between them and the rest of the world.

  CHAPTER 23

  There was one major glitch in Abby’s plan. When she and Zeke returned to the parking lot behind city hall, her keys were nowhere to be found. After patting down her pockets, she dumped her pack out on the hood of the car. No luck there, either. Darn it, when was the last time she’d seen them? In her mind’s eye, she clearly pictured them in her hand as she and Zeke walked away from the car in the parking lot.