Halloween Hayride Murder

by Linnea West

  I read through the list and then looked up, arching an eyebrow at him. The cop and robber idea was particularly unclever even though he had indicated next to it that I would be the cop while he was the robber, which was a little better.

  "Okay, I know most of them aren't even original," he said, putting his hands up in the air. "But to be fair, you didn't come up with any ideas. So I win on that front."

  "You've got me on that one," I admitted. "Do you have a pen? I'll narrow this down real quick. How about I narrow it down to three choices and we will decide together from that."

  "Sounds good," he said. He handed me a pen from his breast pocket and I got to work. I had to admit, he had a few out of the box ideas and a few that were actually pretty good. I crossed off the few that were really dumb right away. That meant cop and robber was the first one to go. Even if we switched roles, it still seemed too cliche to me to have a cop dress up as a cop.

  Suddenly, Max's phone rang. He fished it out of his shirt pocket and took a look at the screen. His eyes popped open in surprise. I tried to surreptitiously watch him while he answered it.

  "Max here," he said into the phone. "Mhmm. Mhmm. Okay."

  I was dying in the chair next to him. This could be related to murder case and he was giving me nothing to go on. I took a sip of coffee and sat back, pretending to be immensely interested in the list of costumes. Max shifted in his chair, trying to turn away from me, but he couldn't manage to turn his large body much in the narrow chairs.

  "Do you need me to help bring him in?" Max asked as quietly as he could without actually whispering. "Ralph's a pretty big guy."

  I knew it. I knew they would be bringing him in soon. Max noticed my triumphant look and silently slapped his forehead, realizing he had failed at keeping his conversation a secret.

  "Well no matter what, I'm on my way," he said. He pressed the end button and looked over at me, rolling his eyes at my glee.

  "Just don't go trying to investigate any more," he said. "We were finally able to arrest our suspect so we don't need you to do anything. I mean, we didn't need you to do anything before, but we really don't need you to do anything now."

  "Aww, I didn't know you thought so highly of me," I said. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

  I walked by Max's chair to lead him to the front door. Max stood up and grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around into a hug. We were almost the same height, so I rested my chin on his shoulder as he squeezed me tight.

  "I'm so glad you came back to town," he said. "I didn't know just how much I missed you until you came back."

  My eyes welled up with tears.

  "I feel the same way about you," I said. I was so glad we had reconnected, even though we weren't quite sure where our relationship might go.

  Chapter 17

  As I walked Max out to his squad car, Clark's truck pulled up next to it. Uh oh, I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. I felt like I'd swallowed a big rock that was just sitting in my stomach. While Max and Clark actually liked each other quite a lot as friends, when it came to me they were definitely in competition. It was a friendly, but also heated competition that I neither encouraged nor discouraged. It was just a fact of my life.

  "Hey there Max," Clark said as he hopped out of his pickup. "I'm surprised to see you here. Tessa texted me earlier to ask if I'd like to go out tonight."

  "Well I had a little free time and figured I'd spend it here discussing our Halloween costume," Max said with a smile. "Good timing though. I just got a call that I need to take, so I was just leaving. No need to get into an argument."

  "What do you mean discussing your Halloween costume?" Clark said. My heart leapt into my throat. "Tessa and I are dressing up together."

  "Sorry partner," Max said. "But Tessa and I were just deciding on what we wanted to be together."

  Clark looked at me with a pained expression on his face. I really didn't think he would take it as hard as he was. But I also figured I would be the one to give him the news, not Max. The disappointment was probably doubled when it came from your romantic rival.

  Max hopped in his squad car and gave one last triumphant wave as he pulled out of the driveway. He just couldn't help but rub his win in Clark's face. Clark turned and looked at me. He was still looking really hurt. I figured if anything, his temper would mean he would be angry. But he just looked sad. I wondered briefly if I had chosen the wrong man to dress up with. I quickly shot that down because that line of thinking would bring me nowhere.

  "So when were you going to tell me that you didn't want to be in a costume together," Clark asked.

  "Tonight," I admitted. I shuffled my feet a little bit as I tried to avoid making eye contact. "You both asked me to dress up as a couple within an hour of each other and I panicked and said yes to both of you. I've been trying to figure out what to do about it ever since. I kind of got myself in over my head with this one."

  "Yeah, you did," he said. "Because I have an idea for a couples costume that I think would be kind of fun. So I will just have to find someone else to dress up with."

  I nodded at him, trying to decide what to do. How come I can be a full-fledged adult and still not know how to handle these situations? I decided honesty and sincerity were the best route to take.

  "I really am sorry," I said after taking his hand. "I didn't want you to feel like you were second best, but you both asked and then I was really in a pickle. I'm sorry."

  "It's alright," Clark said. "Let's just go get a drink or something so we can move past this."

  I hopped up into the cab of Clark's truck and he headed towards the Loony Bin, which was the hip bar that everyone our age frequented. Before it came around, there was a sports bar, a veteran's bar, some townie bars and a few bar and grills. This new one, the Loony Bin, was where everyone went for a casual drink. It was nice enough that people dressed up to go there. I had heard a lot about it, but had never actually been there until now.

  When we walked in, everyone recognized Clark. They all called "hey!" and waved at him. I got a few hellos also, but not like Clark. We sat down at a little two person table towards the back and I gave him a look.

  "What?" he said. "I maybe come here sometimes."

  I laughed. I thought it might be more than sometimes, but either way it was fitting for him. A young waiter came over and we each ordered; a glass of white wine for me and an IPA beer for Clark. There was a look of slight horror on Clark's face.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, wondering if this had to do with the Halloween costumes again.

  "You know what's weird?" Clark said. "I taught that kid in high school and now he's bringing me my beer. It makes me feel pretty old."

  I threw my head back and laughed which made Clark laugh a loud laugh also. While I didn't have the same kind of personal connection that he did, it did always make me feel old when I went out and a high schooler was the one taking my order.

  I was glad to see that Clark was in a better mood now. I really hadn't expected him to react so sadly, but I was hoping he was over it by now. Judging by how many attractive women greeted him when we came in, he wouldn't have trouble finding someone to dress up with. I just wish those women would hold off on the cutesy talk and touching his arm at least until Clark and I were done with our date.

  The waiter brought our drinks and I tried to make more small talk with Clark. As I took a sip of my wine, the front door opened and, judging by the shouts of hello, another regular had walked in. I was surprised to look and see that Candy was the one being welcomed.

  She spotted me and made a beeline to the back to say hello. It took her a while because she was continually intercepted for hugs and condolences. It looked like Candy was living the life she had dreamed of in high school. It made me happy for her. I was glad to have a little time to compose myself before she made it to our table.

  "Hi Tessa! Hi Clark," she bubbled. "It's so nice to see you here Tess! I mean, I see Clark all the time, but it's a nice surprise to see you."<
br />
  "I didn't know you were a regular here Candy," I said. I looked her over. She was dressed in a somewhat dramatic, black outfit obviously partially to mourn and partially to catch some attention. Her shirt was so low-cut I was sure I could almost see her navel. She never stopped being Candy.

  "Oh yeah, I used to be here all the time," Candy said. "In fact, this is where I celebrated my five year work anniversary with a big party. But I haven't been here for a while because Earl didn't really like to go out very much."

  Clark rolled his eyes as he quickly looked away, but I knew what he was thinking. She could try to paint Earl as a good guy with the broadest brush and it wasn't going to fool anyone. But she was a grieving girlfriend and obviously no one was going to argue with her about it.

  "Well I'm glad you are here," I said with a smile.

  Candy grabbed a chair from a different table and pulled it up between us at our intimate table. The chair didn't quite fit right away, so she just stood there trying to slowly jam it between our chairs until Clark grudgingly got up and moved his chair over to let her in. She grabbed the waiter as he went by and ordered herself a hard cider.

  "Did you hear that they arrested someone?" Candy asked. "When I heard the good news, I just had to come celebrate. It's what Earl would have wanted."

  I had some serious doubts that Earl would have wanted her to come celebrate with a hard cider wearing a provocative outfit, but I wasn't going to call her on it.

  "I heard that you were the one who found the footprint out by the tractor," Candy continued. "So I wanted to thank you for being the one to find the major evidence in this case."

  My mind flashed to the watch I had picked up out there. I didn't really know what I was supposed to do with it now, but I felt like I needed to hold onto it for just a little while longer. I suppose it would just live in the little nest I'd made for it in my glove box.

  "Oh, well no problem," I said. I was a little flustered because even though I was pretty sure the boot print matched Ralph's boots, I still wasn't sure that Ralph was the killer. It made me feel a little sick to my stomach that it was the evidence I had found that put Ralph behind bars.

  Before I had to think of something else to say, the waiter appeared with Candy's drink. She flashed a million watt smile at him while she took a long swig and then turned back to us.

  "Well, I really shouldn't keep you," she said. "I can see you are out on a date. I fear it will be too long before I'm on another one of those."

  Candy snorted in laughter as she got up and walked back into the crowd of regulars, not bothering to put back the chair she had commandeered. I looked at Clark, who was just as confused as I was.

  "Okay, so you thought that was weird too, right?" I asked.

  "Ah yeah," Clark said before taking a swig of beer. "Either she is way too happy or she has a super morbid sense of humor."

  "Do you think maybe she is just enjoying all of the attention?" I asked. "I know you didn't go to school here, but she was always desperate to be noticed back then. Now she finally is being noticed and I'm going to guess she doesn't want that attention to leave, even if it takes exploiting a death."

  "But is she sad at all?" Clark asked.

  "I think so," I said, remembering our encounter earlier that day. I told Clark all about her crying over Earl and her story of their argument. It was nice to have an outsider's view on what may have happened. Max was a cop and Mandy was a townie, but I could count on Clark to be a bit more objective about things.

  "So it sounds like she is sad," he said. "But also enjoying the attention. I think human beings have space enough to carry around two emotions at once, no matter how strange it may seem."

  "You have a point," I said. "But the reason I asked you out is so we could discuss the haunted house, not the murder that might cause all of the plans to fall apart. How is that coming along?"

  Clark launched into a gratuitous description of the haunted house he and the students were planning. It seemed like he was almost more excited than they were. I was just glad to be done talking about the murder. It seemed like the murder investigation was done and over with, even if there was something odd that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

  Chapter 18

  The next morning, the front page of the Shady Lake Tribune carried a large picture of Ralph being led into the courthouse along with a smiling byline photo of Chelsea. I'm sure she was thrilled to finally get a front page story that was about something exciting, not just a picture of a tractor or a story about a farmer who grew a giant pumpkin, like the headline the day before had been.

  "It'll be nice to finally have this town back to normal," my dad remarked at breakfast. After we served the guests, we always had our breakfast in the kitchen together. My parents usually cooked enough for the guests to have plenty and also to feed the four of us. Unlike some bed and breakfasts, the breakfast at this one was just good old fashioned breakfast food with only a touch of fancy. Today we had scrambled eggs, pumpkin pancakes, and a side of bacon.

  "Yeah, I guess," I said. I was tired because it had been really hard for me to fall asleep after hearing about the police bringing Ralph in. I still felt like Ralph wasn't the murderer, but I didn't know who was and I didn't have any evidence besides the watch that I kept checking to make sure was still in my glove box. I just couldn't accept that Ronald had killed Earl. Would Mayor Panda really do that?

  "Tessa, it is your turn to check on the guests," my mother said. While we ate our delicious breakfasts, each of us had to take a turn to check on the guests and make sure they were happy and satisfied. Every fifteen minutes, we would go out and refill coffee and juice and get seconds for anyone that wanted more. After we each did it once, breakfast was generally over.

  I stood up and grabbed one more piece of bacon to eat while I headed for the dining room. There was a swinging door that separated the dining room from the kitchen. I grabbed another full coffee carafe in one hand and pushed the door open with my back as I swallowed my last bite.

  The dining room table was encircled by the seven guests we had that day. Besides a honeymoon couple that had been here all week, we also had two older, retired couples who were in town visiting their grandchildren, and then there was Susy.

  When I walked in, they were all amiably talking about the Halloween Hayride. The young couple that was staying on their honeymoon had grown up in Shady Lake and were excitedly describing it to the rest of the table. It was always nice to have the same guests for a few days in a row because they would get along nicely without using the conversation cards my parents left in the middle of the table to otherwise facilitate conversation between the guests.

  "Would anyone like some more coffee?" I asked, showing them the fresh pot. I checked the carafe in the middle of the table to find it had been drained. The two older couples both indicated they would like more, so I poured them all a fresh cup. Susy's coffee cup was upside down. She must not like coffee very much.

  "Tessa here is actually a chair of the Halloween Hayride this year," the young girl said. She was a somewhat familiar face, but I wouldn't have known her name if she hadn't stayed here. Peter could never get used to how people just knew who you were in Shady Lake. He thought it was creepy. I thought it was nice. "Tell us some more about the Hayride. I'm trying to make sure they bring their grandchildren to it."

  "We are changing things up a little bit this year," I said as I poured another cup of coffee. "We will have the same old hayride that we tweak each year. That is perfect for any younger grandchildren. But the most exciting thing this year is a haunted house that is being put on by the high school student council. I just got the rundown on it last night and let me tell you, it sounds terrifying! It'll be perfect for any older grandchildren or maybe even you."

  The older couples chuckled and started to make jokes about who was too scared to go in, daring each other to go in. I caught Susy's eye and she was smiling also. For once, it looked like a genuinely, happy smile, even though it
only lasted for a fleeting moment. I smiled back at her and she jerked her head towards the hallway as she got out of her chair. I lifted the coffee pot and then put up one finger. Susy nodded, understanding what I meant.

  After I switched the coffee carafes and put the empty one back in the kitchen, I met Susy in the hallway. She was pacing back and forth, the happiness gone from her face. It had been replaced by her chewing worriedly on her lip.

  "Oh Tessa, I saw the front page of the paper," Susy said when she saw me. "Did they really bring Ralph in? I'm afraid this may have gone too far."

  "Yes they did bring Ralph in, but what do you mean it's gone too far?" I asked. "All of the evidence points to him, I'm afraid."

  At least, all of the evidence the police have, I thought.

  "Well, it wasn't him," Susy said, wringing her hands. "I know it wasn't him, but I can't really tell you how I know that."

  "Wait, are you saying you know Ralph?" I asked. "Like you know him besides the fact that he was Earl's crony?"

  Susy looked around nervously. She was obviously worried that someone would overhear. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what she could be hiding. I needed to get her somewhere where we could talk without fear that anyone would overhear.

  "Let's go get some donuts," I said. I knew Mandy would let us use the kitchen to talk and since it was a weekday morning once the morning rush was done, she would be the only one there.

  Susy nodded and before I knew it, we were driving downtown in the station wagon. The Halloween decorations were now out in full force. Besides the Halloween wreaths that had previously been there each streetlight was flying a flag with a picture of a pumpkin on it and garlands of jack o lanterns were strung across the intersections, along with white lights that were lit when it got dark at night. I made a point to take a drive down Main Street every night once the decorations were up.

  I parked in my usual alley spot and led Susy in through the back door of the bakery without knocking. Mandy looked up smiling at me, but her face quickly turned to confusion as Susy came in behind me.