A New Place, Another Murder (A Sheridan Hendley Mystery Book 1)

by Christa Nardi

  CHAPTER 7

  Maddie was in a better mood and still excited about the puppy, which she’d already named Bella. I laughed, but also warned her it might not happen. She chattered on and on about Karla and Alex as well.

  “We don’t know what they’re going to find out this afternoon. Don’t get your hopes up too much. Legal stuff often moves in slow motion.”

  She grimaced in response to my warning. At home, she shot me a look with eyes sparkling and proceeded to get out of the car and walk to the house in slow motion. Well, she got as far as she could before she burst out laughing.

  Inside, the first thing she asked was “What now? I don’t have anything to do.”

  I said the first thing that came to my mind. “How about if you see what you can find out about the Buchanan and Stories families. A little history of the town?”

  “You mean help you solve the murder mystery?”

  “No. Neither of us has lived here very long and it might be good to learn the history and who’s who.”

  “Okay. I’ll see what I can find. I’m also gonna look up how to train a puppy and Labs.” She leaned down to Charlie and ruffled her ears. “Charlie, you want a new playmate, right? You can teach Bella what dog life is all about.” She disappeared into the study, Charlie at her heels and wanting more loving.

  ***

  The phone ringing interrupted my thoughts and dinner preparation. It was Marty.

  “So what’s new with Maddie and her friend?”

  “I’m not sure. Chief Peabody told his mother to come to the station at 2 o’clock for an update. We haven’t heard anything since.”

  “Well, I have the information for a friend of mine up there – Eric Pinsky. He’s good and specializes in juvenile cases. He does some pro-bono work and often is court appointed. For whatever reason, not many of us get involved in the juvenile side much. Lee’s brother was a bit of a problem and Lee got to experience what the process was and how flawed it can be as a teen. He says that’s why he’s always allotted about 25 percent of his time to juvenile cases.”

  “So, sort of like you and trying to help your nephew, only younger?”

  “That’s about the size of it. But juvenile justice doesn’t follow the same rules all the time and the process can be a lot more traumatic, especially if the kid is innocent.”

  “Thanks for the contact. I’ll pass it on to Angie. Anything new down there since yesterday?”

  “Nope, not really. I have to go pick up Kim for dinner, but stay in touch. I hope everything works out for Maddie and her friend.”

  I wrote down the name he’d given me and quickly looked up his website. A nice looking man sitting at a picnic table with teens was the banner. His credentials were off to the side along with the types of cases he usually accepted, including juvenile cases. I wrote down the URL for the site to pass on to Angie.

  Dinner in the oven, I wondered if Maddie had fallen asleep. Charlie had rejoined me some time earlier, gone out, and slept in her bed. But not a peep from Maddie. Deciding to let her be, I had the table almost set when she barreled into kitchen area.

  “Sheridan, Alex called. He’s at home, but he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. He has to go back on Monday. He sounded so tired and tense.”

  “That’s to be expected, but think positive here. They didn’t detain him over the weekend. He’s home and he can rest up and meet with an attorney. Maybe by Monday, they’ll have figured out who really killed Mr. Stories and stole the money.’’

  “I sure hope so.”

  “What did you find out about the Buchanans?”

  She didn’t get a chance to answer as Brett pulled in the driveway as I finished speaking. Maddie didn’t waste any time giving him a hug, offering to get him a cup of coffee, and telling him how glad she was to see him. Brett looked over to me with brows raised. I chuckled and shrugged.

  “Daddy, did you have a busy day? You look a little stressed. I bet if you sit here and pet Charlie you’ll feel better. I read about it on the Internet. Pet therapy they called it.”

  He sat down, his expression shifting between humor and suspicion of what was to come. I joined him at the table and enjoyed my cup of coffee as I watched Maddie’s theatrics unfold.

  Maddie used a hand signal and Charlie came over. “Daddy, did you see that? I didn’t have to say a word and Charlie came. Dogs are easy to train, and they’re good for you, help you relax, and I forget the other words they used to say how they helped people feel better.”

  “Now we love Charlie…” Maddie hesitated to scruff behind Charlie’s ears. “But maybe Charlie would like company. I think Bella would be great company and Charlie and I will both train Bella. I’d take good care of her. Mom never let me have a dog, you know.”

  By the time she was through, Maddie directed her own puppy dog eyes at Brett. He wiped his hand across his face and glanced at me again.

  “I guess you had a good time at Pets and Paws today, huh?”

  Maddie bounced in her chair as she told him about the puppies and feeding Bella. His eyes twinkled and his mouth twitched as he figured out where this was going. When he discussed the responsibility, she stopped bouncing and listened. He kept looking to me for help.

  “I told Maddie it was up to you and Charlie. Dogs are a lot of responsibility. We’d have to make sure Charlie and Bella got along.” Of course, every time someone said her name, Charlie’s tail wagged and she moved to the person speaking.

  “We’ll take it under consideration. No decisions yet.” Maddie was about to start in on him again, when the oven timer sounded. Saved by the bell.

  CHAPTER 8

  As we cleared the table, I shifted the conversation. “So Maddie, what did you find out about the history of the town of Appomattox and the Buchanan family?”

  “The Appomattox River was named after the Appamatuk Indians, though there were other names for them too. The town and the county were named after the river. Where’s the river, Daddy?”

  “It’s north and east of the town of Appomattox, and flows to the south and east. It goes through the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. That’s the largest state forest and Holiday Lake Park is there. Lots of hiking and horse trails.”

  His face lit up. “We might want to take a drive down there some time. It eventually passes south of Richmond and connects with Lake Chesdin. I think we went there once when you were little, Maddie. A popular place to visit is the Petersburg area, where they have lots of water activities, like kayaking, and hiking trails. It would be a fun long weekend, for sure.” His eyes twinkled and his dimples showed. We’d definitely be going there, the only question was when.

  “For sure. I think we’ve been on all the hiking and biking trails in Appomattox and Clover Leaf.” She hesitated and scrunched her face. “Daddy, what happened to the Indians?”

  “They disappeared, Maddie. They moved away. I’m not sure, but I think it was before the Civil War.”

  “Now, I learned about the Civil War in school. I found a lot about the Civil War and how it ended right here in Appomattox with Lee’s surrender. Sheridan, have you been to the historical park? There’s lots to see and sometimes they have special events. We visited a couple times after Daddy moved here.” She nodded and Brett smiled.

  “Not yet, but I’ll check the calendar and maybe you can show me around?” I wasn’t sure when the park would be open again or if dogs were allowed. We’d only ventured to the small park in the neighborhood with Charlie, and there only once. For sure, though, if there was a special event about the Civil War, we’d have to invite Kim and Marty.

  “That’d be fun. There were no mentions of Buchanans in the Civil War on either side, only a Wilmer McLean. MaryJane’s last name is McLean. Do you think she’s related to him?”

  I shrugged. My knowledge of the Civil War didn’t include him. Brett smiled and responded, “It’s possible, but McLean is a common name.”

  “I bet not as common around here as Buchanan. There’
s some mention of Buchanan right after the Civil War. It looked like two brothers fought in the confederacy and ended up settling in the area right after the war ended, right here where Lee surrendered. The brothers married and were in farming, cotton, and building. They each had eight sons and their sons had sons and they spread out from here to settle in northern towns.”

  “Well, that is a little more detailed than what Mrs. Chantilly and Melina shared at Pets and Paws. From one generation to the next to go from two to sixteen? Wow. Melina mentioned a Blake Buchanan. Did you read about him?”

  As Maddie talked, I noticed Brett was no longer smiling. In fact, he grimaced and drew his hand through his curls.

  “Blake Buchanan was Mayor back several years – what does a mayor do, anyway? Are Luke and Caleb related to him? If so, he would be their grandfather I think cause he’s old.”

  Brett cleared his throat. “Blake Buchanan was pretty influential here in Clover Leaf and he was Mayor of Appomattox for several years. Mayors make decisions about things in the town, like schools and roads. The Buchanan family is very large and they have a lot of clout in the county as well. There’s one or two in politics elsewhere in the state, too.”

  Charlie barked and scratched at the door. “Maddie, how about you go outside with Charlie while it’s still light and play with her.”

  “Come on, Charlie. Let’s get your Frisbee.”

  After she left, the silence was deafening. “How bad are the Buchanans?”

  “They have a lot of influence and money. The combination is power.”

  “Have you had any run-ins with them since you moved to Appomattox?”

  Brett hesitated before he answered. “Nothing big. At least I didn’t think it was big. Blake’s youngest, Shane Buchanan, lives in the northeast part of the county. Married, two sons. I think one is in high school, one maybe about Maddie’s age. Big house. He flaunted his wealth in contrast to the poverty in some of the nearby areas. He is the head honcho for the family’s horse racing endeavor up there. Gambling and violations, allegations of mistreatment of the horses, and some protestors. It was a mess and the State Police got involved. I didn’t like his attitude and he didn’t like me. In the end, it was all resolved with some changes to how he did business. No big deal.”

  He shrugged, but if it occurred to me setting Maddie up could be payback, I was sure it occurred to him. I knew Brett often took cases a distance from Clover Leaf and the town of Appomattox. That was how we’d met.

  “Mrs. Chantilly made a comment about the horses and the family’s power. Is that going to be an issue with this murder case? One of their own?”

  “Yes and no. Stories isn’t a Buchanan. He’s only related by law, not blood. How adamant they are the killer be punished to the highest extent of the law? No idea. On the other hand, if a Buchanan is the killer, or they think that’s the case, they’ll close ranks and do their best to shift the blame.”

  “You mean, to someone like Alex?”

  “Yes.” He shifted to glance outside and then continued. “Later.”

  He picked up my cup and his for a refill just as Maddie bounded in with Charlie behind her. Maddie plopped into a chair and Charlie made a beeline for her water bowl, tracking dirt as she went. Maddie shrugged. “We were playing with the Frisbee and she got into the garden to get it. Plants are all good.”

  I looked at her shorts and tee. Charlie wasn’t the only one in the dirt. “Looks like you get to comb out Charlie and then get yourself cleaned up.” Brett nodded as he reached over and wiped some dirt off her cheek.

  Maddie made quick work of cleaning up Charlie and disappeared to create her own magic. I looked at Brett expectantly.

  “The thing is they don’t have enough to even hold Alex, never mind convict him of anything. Chief Peabody is beside himself and worried about the fallout. When it comes down to it though, he acknowledges all the evidence so far is circumstantial. Even the theft at the school doesn’t stick because the money they found wasn’t the money that was stolen.”

  “Is it possible the admin miscounted the money?”

  “She’s sure it was only $200 and it wasn’t in an envelope. She also said it was all twenties, right from the ATM. What was in the envelopes wasn’t new twenties. No, the money they found in Alex’s pack – and in Maddie’s – wasn’t the pizza money.”

  “Where does that leave Alex and Maddie and the money? Who stole the pizza money?”

  “With what is believed to be drug traces in the envelope, it leaves them in worse trouble than if they stole the pizza money. The good thing is, given the anonymous tip about the pizza money, even the chief thinks it was a set up. He did warn me to stay out of it until Maddie was cleared.” He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair again. Here he was, in law enforcement, and not able to do what he did best – investigate.

  “Okay, so what about Stories? Do they still think Alex killed him?”

  “That’s what really gets the Chief. Again, the only tie in, other than the money envelopes is the gun in the dumpster and an anonymous call telling them where it was. Alex doesn’t live anywhere near the park. Without the call, they never would have checked the dumpster in his neighborhood.”

  He paused and smiled. “Besides, he has the best alibi around. He was in detention until 5. When the police brought him home, a nosy neighbor showed up at the house and she was still there when they came back and arrested him the second time. She says he never left the house. Even if he could have snuck out or if she’s lying, there was no blood on his clothes. And he hadn’t changed since the morning. He’s off the hook for the murder unless he’s a magician.”

  “Well, that’s good news. But both kids still potentially have a problem with what might be drug money?”

  He nodded. We both sat in silence for a few minutes, broken by Charlie’s bounding back into the kitchen, Maddie fast behind.

  “Alex called again. He wants us to come over to his house for lunch tomorrow. His mom wants to pay us back for lunch today. Can we go Daddy, Sheridan? Please.”

  Brett’s brows rose in question at her mention of lunch and I nodded.

  “You get all the information, Maddie. Time and address, okay.”

  As she turned to bolt, I added, “And ask what we can bring.” Then I told Brett about our lunch and meeting Angie and Karla.

  CHAPTER 9

  The morning passed by quickly, with time for a short walk with Charlie before leaving for lunch. A quick drive from Clover Leaf, Westerfield is more rural and older. The houses got closer together as we approached a small main street and turned onto Alex’s street.

  The house was an older ranch style with a touch of decorative trim. The outside was well kept, with lots of gardens. I spotted flowers, a large vegetable garden, and a few fruit trees. As we pulled up beside the older style SUV, three dogs of unknown breed and varying sizes came running from the back of the house. The door opened and a young man walked out and whistled. The three dogs immediately were at his feet. We needed him at Pets & Paws.

  Maddie hopped out of the car all smiles and we followed. “Hi Alex. Who are the dogs?”

  The young man with blonde hair and blue eyes smiled at Maddie. “Duke, Duchess, and Joker.” He pointed from the biggest to the smallest – maybe a mix between a Chihuahua and a terrier of some sort.

  As we walked up the ramp to the porch, Alex turned to Brett and me and extended his hand, which Brett shook. “Hi. I’m Alex. Thanks for coming. Please come in.”

  Alex was taller than Maddie, on the slim side but stood straight and proud even with what he’d been through the last few days.

  Introductions for Brett continued inside as we gathered around a small table in their kitchen. Angie smiled when Alex introduced Brett and then buzzed around the kitchen in jeans and tee shirt, her short blonde hair clipped back. She had prepared quite the spread with sandwiches, chips, salad, and fruit. I added the cupcakes we’d brought.

  Conversation was between bites and mostl
y a repeat with Brett of the questions Angie had asked me. She seemed surprised when he revealed he was a detective with the State Police. Small talk and food done, Angie suggested the kids check the gardens for any fruit or vegetables that needed to be collected.

  As I cleared my plate and put it in the sink, I stopped to watch Karla. She was using the walker and in charge of the basket for whatever they picked. Her wedge cut hair was long enough to swing from side to side as she walked. The biggest dog, Duke, stood next to her and moved with her, as if on guard.

  “Beautiful gardens. Is Duke Karla’s dog?”

  “Yes, he was trained as a service dog for someone else. He’s been with us now for about three years and around the yard he’s always near her. He will become her walker if it tips over or sound an alarm if she needs help. It’s important for her to be able to be outside and do as much as she can.”

  “That’s great. And Duchess and Joker?”

  She chuckled. “Strays, plain and simple. I think Duchess could be trained to be a service dog. She’s pretty smart. Joker? Well, he’s usually good for a laugh for some of his shenanigans – that is when he’s not making a pest of himself. But with Karla? They’re all very loyal and protective.”

  We sat down. “So Detective, what’s going to happen next?”

  “I’m Brett, not a detective here. Chief Peabody has made it clear because of Maddie and her connection to Alex.” He looked at me and raised his brows. I shrugged and plunged in.

  “Angie, are you aware someone also stuck envelopes with money in Maddie’s backpack?”

  “What? No, I only know what the police told me. They found the pizza money in Alex’s backpack. They won’t even give it back – the backpack I mean.”

  I glanced at Brett and it was his turn to shrug.

  “The police were called to the school because the pizza money was stolen, yes. And they had a tip to check Alex and Maddie’s packs. Once they found money in Alex’s, they didn’t check Maddie’s but we did, at home. There was more money and the police have it now.”