Death by Auction

by Alexis Morgan

  Even from a block away it was clear that he wasn’t alone. As Abby followed them into the driveway, she told herself it was a good thing that Valerie’s attorney had been able to arrange bail. Tripp had taken her arrest hard and having her back out on the street should go a long way to improving his mood. She didn’t know what would happen if the police didn’t find the real killer soon.

  But that was a worry for another day.

  Plastering a smile on her face, she parked the car and let Zeke out of the back seat. As usual, the dog charged across the grass to where Tripp and Valerie stood on his front porch. His smile looked far more genuine than did the barnacle’s, but Abby didn’t hold it against the woman. She’d had a tough few days, and her future wasn’t looking that much brighter.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Valerie didn’t look convinced of that, but she managed a small smile. “Thanks for letting me come back. My attorney said your offer of a place to stay and Chief Logan showing up at court made all the difference in how things played out.”

  Tripp unlocked his front door, but then turned back to join the conversation. “Val and I were headed inside to update Becca on what’s happening. Later, I thought I’d drive over to the diner and pick up dinner for all three of us. How does that sound?”

  “Great, actually. I’ll have whatever the special is and a piece of chocolate cream pie. If they’re out, then coconut cream will be fine.”

  “Got it. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to eat.”

  Then he followed Valerie inside and closed the door. Abby stared at the empty porch for a few seconds before calling Zeke to her side and heading back to her own place, feeling more alone than she had in a long time.

  * * *

  Two long hours later, she finally got a text from Tripp that he’d gotten back with dinner and to head on over to his house. She thought about offering to have them eat at her place, which had far more room. However, this was the first time he’d ever invited her over. She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.

  Even though his house was small and might feel a bit cramped with three people and a big dog, she wasn’t going to leave Zeke behind. It would hurt his feelings, and she knew Tripp wouldn’t care. She grabbed the bottle of wine she’d chosen as her contribution to the night’s festivities.

  Tripp opened the door as soon as she stepped onto his porch. “Come on in. Valerie will be out in a minute. She didn’t sleep much the whole time she was in jail, so she took a nap after we talked to her sister.”

  “I’m sure she’ll sleep better tonight.”

  Valerie walked out of the bedroom. “I hope so. I’m still feeling pretty ragged. I have to say that my cell here in Snowberry Creek was a luxury resort compared to the one at the county jail.”

  She shuddered, but then laughed a little. “I never thought I’d see the day that I could do a personal comparison of two different jails.”

  “Well, we don’t need to think about that tonight.” Tripp motioned them to have a seat at his tiny kitchen table. “Let’s treat Frannie’s cooking with the respect it deserves.”

  Abby smiled at Valerie. “He’s right. Her pot roast is to die for, and her pie is perfection.”

  Valerie must have agreed with their assessment of Frannie’s pot roast because she finished every bite on her plate. They had to wait for Tripp to finish his double order of pot roast before he’d let them have dessert. He was just passing out the individual cartons containing their pie when Valerie frowned and pointed toward the front window. “What’s that flickering red light?”

  By that point, Zeke stood at the door, his deep growl filling the silence. Abby didn’t answer even though she had her suspicions about what was going on outside. They were confirmed as soon as she crossed the short distance to the window and pulled the curtain aside. There were at least three police cruisers in the driveway and maybe a couple more out on the street in front of the house.

  “What’s going on, Abby?”

  She glanced back over her shoulder to look at Tripp. He was standing next to Valerie, his hand on the woman’s shoulder, his protective instincts clearly on the rise. Doing her best to sound far calmer than she was, she said, “There’s a whole bunch of cops here. You two stay here and keep Zeke with you while I go see what they want.”

  Tripp started to protest, but she cut him off. “No, it’s my house, my responsibility. I’ve got my phone. As soon as I know what’s going, I’ll let you know.”

  She drew a deep breath and stepped outside. Several officers stood on her back porch while one pounded on the door. Rather than charge into the middle of whatever they were doing, she stayed where she was and called out to get their attention.

  “If you’re looking for me, I’m over here.”

  When no one responded, she tried again but louder this time. Finally, one of the officers tapped the man knocking on her door on the shoulder. She hadn’t left the porch light on, so it was hard to make out any details, but she recognized Ben Earle’s voice when he finally answered her. “Ms. McCree, I need you to come here. I regret to tell you that we’re here to execute a search warrant on these premises.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  After telling Tripp what was happening, she stepped down off the porch. Her stomach did a slow roll, and she struggled not to lose her dinner right there in the backyard. It was with some relief that she reached her back porch with her dignity intact.

  All of the deputies seemed to tower over her, including Ben himself. That didn’t mean she was going to be intimidated by either their superior height or numbers. Deliberately using his first name to remind him that he’d been a guest in her home more than once, she asked, “What’s this all about, Ben?”

  Even in the shadows, she could see the sympathy in his eyes. “We just received new information that leads us to believe that there is evidence hidden in your house regarding the murder of Bryce Cadigan.”

  There was no way to prevent them from doing what they had to do. Rather than defend her territory, she stepped back out of the way. “The door’s unlocked. Do what you have to. Should I go back over to Tripp’s house to wait, or do you need me to be here while you go rampaging through my home?”

  Okay, that was probably out of line, but having them root through her possessions just because she’d been nice to Valerie left her feeling violated.

  Ben knew it, too. “I’m sorry about this, Abby, but we have no choice but to follow up on any credible lead. Gage and his men are here, too. I promise we’ll take care with your home. Even so, it might be easier for you if you wait with your friends. Gage and I will come talk to you when we’re finished.”

  She didn’t trust herself to say another word. It was bad enough that she was having trouble seeing clearly through a thick sheen of tears. After giving him a quick nod, she walked away.

  * * *

  Tripp paced his small living room like a caged animal while Valerie sat at the kitchen table with her arms wrapped tightly across her chest. “What’s taking them so long?”

  Abby prayed for patience. “It hasn’t been even fifteen minutes, and I have a big house. It could take hours for them to go through everything. I’d just like to know what they’re looking for.”

  She gave Valerie a questioning look, but the woman only shrugged. “I have no idea. All I have with me is a few changes of clothing, my laptop, and some toiletries. Nothing incriminating if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “Actually, I believe you. Detective Earle said they’d received information that there was evidence hidden in my house. He didn’t say where they got the information, but you have to think the real killer is trying to make sure they have good reason to focus all of their attention on you.”

  Tripp stopped pacing. “Do you have any idea who that might be?”

  When the doorbell rang, it brought their conversation to a screeching halt. Tripp jerked the door open to reveal both Ben Earle and Gage Logan standing on the porch. At le
ast this time he made no effort to prevent the pair from coming inside. If the small house had felt crowded before, the addition of two more big men made it so much worse. The tension ratcheted up so high that it was hard to draw a full breath.

  Ben looked past Tripp toward Valerie. He held up a silver clutch that was wrapped in a plastic bag sealed shut with duct tape. “Ms. Brunn, do you recognize this purse?”

  She left the table to get a closer look. “It looks like mine, but I haven’t seen it since the night of the auction.”

  Turning her attention to Gage, she said, “I told you then it was missing, and Abby said her people didn’t find it when they cleaned up the hall after the auction.”

  Ben glanced at Gage, who nodded in confirmation. “That was her story at the time. I didn’t put it in my official report. All things considered, I should have.”

  Valerie’s worried gaze bounced back and forth between the two men. “It’s the truth. Tell them, Tripp. We looked all over for it that night.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, his feet planted wide apart. “We did look. She said she left it on the table when she went to confront Bryce. It wasn’t there when she got back.”

  Gage didn’t look convinced. “An eye witness insists you had it with you when you followed Bryce outside.”

  Valerie shook her head. “That’s a lie! Besides, what kind of idiot would hide something incriminating where it could be easily found. Wouldn’t it have been smarter to throw the darn thing in the trash if there was something in it that would tie me to the murder?”

  Abby couldn’t argue with the logic of that. She closed her eyes and let her memory of that night play out in her head. “I watched her talking to Bryce right up until they walked out to the parking lot. I don’t remember seeing her holding anything in her hands. Does it have an over-the-shoulder strap or chain?”

  Ben held the purse up to examine it through the plastic. “I don’t see one. But don’t some women’s purses have a chain that tucks inside when they don’t want to use it?”

  Valerie sounded a little calmer when she answered. “They do, but not that one. You have to carry it in your hand.”

  Abby had a question of her own. “It didn’t take you very long to find it. Did the person you talked to tell you where to look or something?”

  “No, they didn’t. We split up. Some of the officers went upstairs to search. The rest of us started on the main floor. We found it in the downstairs bathroom.”

  Well, that didn’t make any sense. Why would Valerie have hidden something in a room that everyone used? Besides, Abby had been in and out of that room herself and hadn’t seen it. “Where was it hidden? It’s such a small room. Something like that would’ve been hard to miss.”

  Gage answered this time. “I found it at the bottom of the toilet tank.”

  Tripp blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. “Wait a minute. You’re talking about the downstairs bathroom, right? The one in the hall between the entry and the kitchen?”

  When both men nodded, Tripp smiled and gave Abby an expectant look. It took her a few seconds to realize why. As soon as it hit her, she grinned back at him and then turned to face Gage and Ben. “Gentlemen, I know for a fact that Valerie didn’t put that purse there. She couldn’t have.”

  “Why not?”

  “For two reasons. First, she hasn’t set foot in my house since Tripp picked her up today. She’s been over here the whole time. But more importantly, you both know where she was yesterday. She was in your custody, and that’s when Denny Moller came over to replace the float and everything in that toilet. If the purse had been in there then, he would’ve said something, and I know he didn’t put it there afterward. When he was done, he called me into the room to show me how the new style of float worked. I will cheerfully sign a statement that there was nothing in the tank besides the new stuff he put in and water.”

  Ben’s stance relaxed as his attitude shifted from suspicious to curious. “So how do you think it could have gotten there?”

  “I was gone most of the afternoon, and Tripp was gone picking up Valerie. I’m pretty sure I locked the doors when I left to run errands, but I honestly can’t swear to that. Regardless, I know I didn’t lock it when I came over here.”

  She gave them a little time to digest that much before asking, “When did you receive the tip about the evidence?”

  Gage waited until Ben nodded before answering. “An anonymous e-mail came in to our office just over an hour ago. We’re still trying to trace the source, but it could take some time.”

  Tripp was back to frowning big-time. “So this helpful person doesn’t want you to know his or her identity. Doesn’t that seem a bit suspicious, not to mention a little convenient, considering Valerie just got back here a few hours ago?”

  Neither policeman denied that. Ben said, “That doesn’t change the fact we had to investigate.”

  Valerie looked far less haggard than when the conversation started. “Of course you did. My only question is what happens next?”

  Gage answered first. “We do our best to track down the author of that e-mail.”

  Then Ben added, “And once we know who sent it, we’ll know who is trying so hard to point us in your direction, Ms. Brunn.”

  Both men started for the door, but Abby reached out to stop Gage. “Can I go home now, or are your people still going through it?”

  Ben Earle left with the purse, but Gage stopped to answer her. “We called them off as soon as we found the purse, so you can head back over anytime you want. If you want to go now, I’ll walk you over.”

  The realization that someone had been sneaking around in her house creeped Abby out big-time. She’d definitely feel safer with a police and mastiff escort. “I’d like that. Valerie, are you coming?”

  The barnacle stepped closer to her ex-husband and said, “If it’s okay with you, Tripp, I’d rather stay here tonight.”

  He didn’t look happy, but he also didn’t say no. That left Abby no choice but to go home alone. She carefully schooled her expression and said, “Well, I’ll be going. Come over for breakfast in the morning if you want to, Tripp.”

  Faking a smile, she added, “Of course you would be welcome, too, Valerie.”

  Then she almost bolted out the door with Zeke and Gage right behind her. For a second she thought Tripp called her name, but she didn’t slow down to find out.

  Her escort didn’t say anything until they reached her back porch. “After we get this mess cleared up, she’ll be heading back to California.”

  She didn’t want to talk about it, but she appreciated Gage’s heavy-handed effort at offering comfort. “I know.”

  “Not to mention our boy is too busy watching you to notice that she wants more from him than a chance to sleep on his couch. She’s pretty fragile right now. Hanging on to him helps.”

  “Yeah, the barnacle has a pretty firm grip on him right now.”

  Gage’s laughter rang out across the yard. “Seriously, you call her the barnacle?”

  Abby slapped her hand over her mouth. Good grief, she couldn’t believe she’d let that slip. She must be more tired than she thought. “Yeah, I do, but just in my head. Please don’t say anything to Tripp. He wouldn’t appreciate it.”

  Still chuckling, Gage held up his hand as if swearing an oath. “My lips are sealed. Just remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  It was well past time to change the subject. “So what comes next?”

  “We’ll check in with Denny to verify what you told us. Hopefully the D.A. will believe Ben when he tells him that Valerie couldn’t have hidden the purse herself, and that neither you nor Tripp would’ve been that stupid.”

  She managed a small laugh. “Thanks—I think.”

  He followed her into the house to make sure everything was locked and secure. “I’d better hit the road. I’m headed home, but call if you need me.”

  He was out on the front porch headed for his cruiser when she finally
figured out what was bothering her about the whole situation. “Gage, can I tell you a couple of quick things before you go?”

  He hesitated, but then finally said, “Sure.”

  “I’m ninety percent sure Valerie didn’t have her purse with her when she went outside with Bryce. In fact, she never had it with her anytime I was around her.”

  “Okay, we’ll take that into consideration.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. Have you seen Robin Alstead lately?”

  “Not since a day or so after the auction. Why?”

  “She made a big show of crying that night as if Bryce’s death hit her harder than it did anyone else. But since then, she’s gone through this amazing transformation, to the point I almost didn’t recognize her. She’s also quit her job at the discount store, and I overheard her and Pastor Jack talking about her leaving Snowberry Creek for good.”

  By that point Gage was reaching for his notepad and pencil. “Go on.”

  “When I left his office, she was waiting for me out in the parking lot. She went on a total rant, blaming me because you talked to her about Bryce’s death. She made a point of claiming Valerie had been flashing that fancy silver purse all over the place the night of the auction and no doubt it held the cocktail of poisons she’d used to kill Bryce.”

  Gage looked up from his notes, his gaze intense. “You’re sure that’s how she described it? As a ‘cocktail of poisons’?”

  “Yes, that’s what she said. Why? Is that important?”

  “We’ve never released the details on what killed him, just that he was poisoned. Only the killer would know for sure that it was a mix of drugs, not just one.”

  He dropped down into one of the chairs. “But why would she kill him, though? As far as I can tell, it’s been years since their paths have crossed.”

  Abby paced the length of the porch as she tried to piece together everything she’d heard about the woman. “She started teaching the year Bryce and Denny were juniors. I’ve heard that she was only about three years older than they were at the time since she graduated from college way early. Someone said she taught for two years and then took a year off for some reason. What if that had something to do with Bryce? Maybe Valerie’s sister wasn’t the only person he’s been blackmailing.”