by Sarah Fox
“To be honest, I haven’t given it any thought.”
“I guess you’re not in a very celebratory mood this year.”
“No. But if Frank continues to get better and I get to see Brett soon, I’ll be plenty happy.”
“The two of you are so sweet together,” she said with a grin as we walked to my car.
I couldn’t help but smile. “So are you and Ivan.”
“We aren’t even a couple. Yet.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
We were still smiling as I drove her home. Once I’d dropped her off and was on my own, my thoughts kept bouncing from Brett to Wally’s murder to Camelia’s long-ago disappearance. I had an idea of how I could check into Glo’s movements outside the hardware store on the night of Wally’s murder, but I’d need Leigh’s help. When I got home, I sent her a text message and then busied myself with feeding Flapjack and Bentley.
I hadn’t heard back from Leigh yet, so I phoned my mom, wanting to check in with her about a couple of things.
“Hi, sweetie,” my mom said when she answered the call. “How are you doing?”
“I’m all right. I miss Brett, though. Is he there at the house?”
“He is. He showed up this afternoon. I made him a sandwich and thought he was going to fall asleep while eating it. He went to lie down in the guest room and I haven’t heard anything since.”
“Hopefully he’s sound asleep.”
“I think that’s a pretty safe bet.”
“Did he mention I might come to Seattle?”
“He did, but it sounded like he was planning to talk to Chloe again before anything was decided for certain.”
“Yes, that’s what he told me too.”
“I know I just saw you for Thanksgiving, but I’d love to have you here on your birthday.”
“I’d like that too. We’ll see how things go.” I wandered over to the large family room window and pulled the curtains. “Mom, do you remember the story about Grace’s older sister, Camelia?”
“Of course. But I haven’t heard that name in years. What made you think of her?”
“I found her diaries in the attic when I was looking for Christmas decorations. And there’s an album full of newspaper clippings about her disappearance. I’m assuming Grace put that together.”
“Most likely. Although I suppose it could have been one or both of her parents.”
“Do you know anything beyond the fact that Camelia disappeared and was never found?”
“Goodness. I don’t think so. I heard about her from Cousin Jimmy decades ago. Grace never talked about her in my presence and I got the sense from Jimmy that it wasn’t a topic she talked about with anyone. All I know is that Camelia vanished without a trace when she was about seventeen or so. I think Grace was twelve or thirteen at the time. From the sounds of things, it put an early end to her childhood. Never knowing what happened must have been terribly hard on the whole family.”
“Yes, it must have.”
“Did you read the diaries?”
“I skimmed through them. I’ll read them more closely at some point. I was hoping to find out more about her disappearance. I’ll see what the newspaper clippings have to say. So far I’ve only flipped through those as well.”
“If you’re looking for answers about what happened to her, I don’t think you’ll find them, sweetie. I gather the police had their suspicions back then, but they weren’t able to solve the case.”
“I know, but I’m still going to take a look.”
We talked for a while longer and then I headed upstairs to my bedroom. I pulled a gym bag out of my closet, deciding to pack a few things in case I did end up going to Seattle. After I’d set the packed bag by my bedroom door, I changed into my pajamas and grabbed a mystery novel from my bedside table, curling up on the window seat. Flapjack jumped up to settle at my feet and Bentley curled up on the floor close by.
I read through two chapters before my phone rang, showing Brett’s picture on the screen. I nearly dropped my book in my rush to answer the call.
“Hey, did you have a good sleep?” I asked.
“I did. I was out like a light the moment my head hit the pillow and I slept like a log up until a few minutes ago.”
“That’s good.” I was relieved not only by the fact that he’d slept, but also by his voice. He sounded so much more like himself than he had earlier in the day.
“I talked to Chloe. She’s taking at least a couple of days off work, so she won’t be heading home yet.”
“I can leave for Seattle first thing in the morning.”
“Actually, I’m thinking it would be best for you to stay put.”
I couldn’t stop the barb of disappointment that poked me in my gut.
“It looks like I might be heading your way.”
The sharp sting of disappointment ebbed away. “You’re coming home?”
“I think so. Before I left the hospital earlier, my dad was awake and worrying about his business. I reminded him that Pedro’s been foreman for years and can handle everything, but he wouldn’t stop worrying. Chloe says he’s still getting worked up about it. I’m going back to the hospital now. I’ll tell him I can check in on things for him if that’ll make him feel better.”
“Okay. I can’t say I wouldn’t be happy with that plan. I’d really love to see you.”
“I want to see you too. I’m not sure when my dad will be awake next, but I’ll text you as soon as I know for sure if I’m coming home.”
“All right. I’ll be awake for a while yet.”
“What are you up to?”
“Reading.”
I considered telling him about the two mysteries weighing on my mind but decided to hold back on that for the time being. I didn’t want to trouble him with talk of murder when he had so much else on his mind. Instead we chatted for another minute or two about his dad and then said our goodnights.
When we ended the call, loneliness settled over me like a heavy blanket. In recent weeks Brett had been spending more nights at my house than at his place. I’d grown accustomed to having him beside me as I slept. I knew from years of being single that I could manage fine on my own, but now that I had Brett in my life, I didn’t want to be without him.
It’s only temporary, I reminded myself. You might see him as soon as tomorrow.
That helped to ease the weight of my loneliness, but not by much.
When my phoned chimed, I was glad for the distraction. My mood got a boost when I read Leigh’s text message.
Greg might be able to help you. Can you drop by the hardware store tomorrow morning?
Yes, I replied right away. Thank you!
Maybe I wouldn’t be able to figure out what happened to Camelia and Tassy all those years ago, but if I had even the slightest chance to clear Ivan and Lisa of suspicion, I intended to pounce on it.
Chapter 12
Before falling asleep, I received a text from Brett saying he’d be heading back to Wildwood Cove the next day. I woke up in the morning with a smile on my face and channeled some of my excited energy into a run with Bentley along quiet residential streets, followed by a walk along the water’s edge. After showering and getting dressed for the day, I set off for the hardware store. Brett wouldn’t arrive for another couple of hours, so I figured the best way to kill some time was to try to make some progress with clearing my friends of suspicion.
When I reached the store, Leigh’s husband, Greg, was helping a middle-aged woman at the customer service counter. As soon as the woman left, Greg smiled and waved me over.
“Hey, Marley,” he greeted. “Leigh says you’re interested to know if anyone was hanging around in the back alley the night Wally Fowler was killed.”
“That’s right. She thought you might be able to help?”
“Sure. I tal
ked to Drew—the store’s manager—and he said to bring you up to his office so we can have a look at the surveillance footage.”
“Perfect,” I said, eager to get to it.
Greg led me through a door with a Staff Only sign on it, and then up a staircase to a hallway with gray walls and gray carpeting. A door stood open to our right. Greg tapped on it before stepping into the room. As I followed him inside, a fifty-something man with dark hair and broad shoulders stood up from behind a nondescript desk, extending a hand to me.
“Ms. McKinney? I’m Drew Garner. I understand you’d like to see our security footage.”
I shook his offered hand. “Marley, please. And yes, that would be great. I know it’s a bit of an odd request…”
He waved off my concern. “Greg tells me you’re an amateur sleuth.”
“I guess you could say that.”
“You can definitely say that,” Greg said. “She’s had a hand in solving several murders.”
“Then I’m glad to help,” Drew said, making a few clicks with his computer mouse. “We don’t want Fowler’s killer running loose around town.” He motioned for me and Greg to join him behind the desk. “I’ve brought up the footage for the night of the murder. It was our ladies’ night event that evening.”
“I was there,” I said. “It was a great event.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He turned his attention to the computer screen. “As you can see, this is the view of the back alley. It’s paused at 5:00 p.m. I’ll fast forward through the evening. Let me know if you want me to stop it at any time.” He clicked a button on the screen and the footage zoomed forward, time-wise at least. The dark image of the alley, illuminated only by a security light behind the store, remained static.
We watched in silence for several seconds before something moved on the screen.
“Hold on a second.” Drew rewound the footage and then let it play at real-time speed.
On the screen, the store’s back door opened and a man emerged into the alley, a load of what looked like cardboard tucked under his arm. He shoved the cardboard into a large recycling bin, and then went straight back into the store.
“That’s one of our guys,” Drew said. “Dave Orton.”
I checked the time code on the screen. “I’m not sure exactly when Wally was killed, but I doubt Dave’s a witness. He didn’t even look around while he was out there.”
“I can ask him if he saw anything,” Greg volunteered. “Just in case.”
“That would be great,” I said.
“He’s downstairs right now. I’ll go see if I can find him.”
Greg left the office and Drew hit the fast-forward button again. This time we had to wait longer before something new appeared on the screen. When Drew had stopped and rewound the video, I checked the time code again. The footage was from right around the time I arrived at the hardware store. With luck, this would be Glo’s appearance in the alley.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the back door opened and a woman exited the building, keeping hold of the door until it had shut gently behind her. She glanced left and right, and then set off briskly along the alley, wearing no coat despite how chilly it was that night.
That fit with what I’d seen when she returned to the store.
“I’m not sure who that is,” Drew said, squinting at the screen as he re-watched the segment.
“Glo Hansfield,” I supplied.
Recognition dawned on his face. “Right. I wonder why she went out the back way, and with no coat.”
“Maybe she forgot something in her car,” I suggested, although I suspected otherwise. “Can you fast-forward to see if she reappears?”
I knew she would, but I didn’t want to explain that.
Drew got the footage moving quickly again, and when a dark shape moved along the alley, he stopped the video and rewound. “That’s her.”
Glo walked along the alley, still moving briskly. She glanced over her shoulder and slipped through the back door to the store, disappearing from the screen.
I checked the time code again and did some math in my head. In total, Glo was gone from the hardware store for about seventeen minutes.
Was that long enough for her to get to the waffle house and kill Wally?
It was entirely possible.
“Should I keep going?” Drew asked.
“Sure.”
Since we were already looking at the footage, it wouldn’t hurt to see if there were any other people in the alley that night. Aside from several employees who left through the back door after the ladies’ night event was over, there was no other movement in the alley. By the time those individuals exited the building, I’d already found Ivan at the Waffle Kingdom and Wally was already dead.
“Thank you,” I said as Drew exited the program displaying the footage. “That was very helpful.”
I now knew for sure that Glo hadn’t stepped outside to smoke or make a phone call. She’d gone in the direction of the waffle house, and that solidified her status as a suspect in my mind.
“Glo Hansfield is a great woman,” Drew said. “She’s always involved in charity work. She couldn’t have had anything to do with Fowler’s death.”
“She could be a potential witness,” I said, not bothering to dispute his opinion.
“She’s probably talked to the sheriff if she is.”
“Maybe. But if she saw something without realizing its significance—like someone else out at that time of night—it might not have occurred to her to tell anyone.”
“Good point,” Drew conceded. “Should one of us talk to her?”
“Talking to the sheriff would be better,” I said, not wanting Glo to get tipped off that she was under suspicion in case she was indeed guilty.
“I can give him a call,” Drew said.
“That would be great.” That way Ray was less likely to get annoyed with me for sticking my nose into the investigation.
I thanked the store manager for his help and made my way downstairs. I met up with Greg in the stairwell.
“Dave didn’t see anything that night,” he said.
“Thanks for checking. We found a potential witness on the footage from later in the evening.”
“So it was helpful in the end?”
“Definitely.”
Once I’d thanked Greg again, I left the store. Out on the sidewalk, I paused and raised my face to the sun that was shining brightly down from the clear blue sky. I could feel only the barest hint of warmth from the sunlight, but the weather was still bright and cheery, matching my mood. It wouldn’t be much longer before I’d see Brett, and I’d managed to move my investigation forward. I still had a ways to go before Ivan’s and Lisa’s names were cleared, but at least I now knew that my top suspect had the opportunity to commit the crime.
At the speed Glo had been walking on the surveillance video, it wouldn’t have taken her long to reach the waffle house. All she had to do was reach the end of the alley, cross the street, and then head around to the front door of the Waffle Kingdom.
As I set off along the street, a tiny speck of doubt worked its way into my thoughts. Glo wasn’t a tall woman. Even in high heels, she would have been shorter than Wally. While I hadn’t heard any official announcement on the way Wally had died, the state of the scene of the crime supported Ivan’s theory that Wally had died from exposure to liquid nitrogen. Whether the burns had killed him or he’d died of asphyxiation, it seemed likely that the murderer had forced Wally’s head into the bowl.
Now that I thought it over, I wasn’t so sure Glo could have done that. Then again, if she’d been mad enough, maybe she could have managed. Or perhaps she threw the bowl, causing the liquid nitrogen to splash into Wally’s face.
She still belonged on the suspect list, I decided. I wasn’t sure what my next step should be in term
s of investigating Glo, but I decided to put that problem aside temporarily.
I’d reached Marielle’s Bakery and wanted to pop inside to pick up something sweet. I still had some of the chocolate fudge brownies I’d bought the day before, but I wanted to have Brett’s favorite treat on hand when he got home. Fortunately, Marielle’s display of butter pecan tarts was still full.
I purchased half a dozen of the tarts and then, on a whim, asked for another half-dozen in a separate box. Although not part of my original plans for the morning, I decided I’d pay Vicky a visit—if I could find her—to see how she was holding up, and I wanted something to give her. I didn’t know if she had many friends in Wildwood Cove, and as much as I didn’t like her brother, I felt sorry for her and what she was going through.
As I left the bakery, I was tempted to make a detour on my way to the waffle house so I could stop in at my favorite store—an antiques shop on Main Street. I’d been in there countless times since I’d moved to Wildwood Cove and I’d made several purchases, rarely leaving the store empty-handed. I hadn’t let myself go into the store for a couple of weeks. I’d spent a lot of money on the kitchen renovations and didn’t want to go overboard with buying antiques, especially since I already had plenty of furniture. Cousin Jimmy had left me a generous nest egg along with his house, but I wanted to be prudent with my money.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to go and have a look for holiday gifts.
Mr. Gorski, the store’s proprietor, had some gorgeous vintage jewelry in stock that I’d practically drooled over on my last visit. Somehow, I’d managed to leave the store without buying any of it, but I hadn’t been able to forget two pieces in particular—a gorgeous seahorse pendant and a gold butterfly brooch. I loved seahorses, and I had the brooch in mind for a Christmas gift for my mom.
I decided I should buy the brooch if it was still there. I didn’t want to leave it until the last minute and end up finding that someone else had bought it in the meantime. If the seahorse pendant was still available… maybe I’d consider buying it for myself. It was expensive, though, so I wasn’t sure I could justify the purchase in my mind.