by Cindy Bell
“Just thought I'd give you a heads up,” she frowned. “Your little amateur detective got herself into some serious trouble again,” she sighed and rolled her eyes. “I intercepted the call, and told the uniforms that you would take care of it. But you better get out there fast. Sounds like she broke into the bakery, and Lydia's son caught her.”
“You can't be serious?” Nick sighed as he wiped a hand across his face. “I can't believe she did it again.”
“I am serious,” she replied and leaned a little closer to Nick. “Look, she may seem pretty sharp but you've got a good reputation right now Nick. If you keep covering for her, you could lose it, and even your job,” her tone was full of warning as she added. “I won't get involved again.”
Nick nodded and drew his fingertips along his temples. He knew that she was putting her own job at risk by interfering.
“I know, thanks,” he frowned and stood up from his desk.
“I mean it Nick, you need to get a handle on this situation,” she insisted.
“I know, I know,” he repeated, his heart pounding harder with each word he spoke. As he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door anyone watching would have been certain that he was a man on a mission.
***
Waiting in the bakery for the police to arrive was tedious for Bekki. She knew that she would have no good explanation to offer. She had to come up with some reason why she was there. If she didn't she might find herself spending the night in jail. Dan was standing sullenly beside the counter, doing his best to ignore her. Bekki decided to try to reason with him. Maybe he would let her leave before the police arrived.
“Listen, I didn't mean to upset you,” Bekki assured Dan. “I didn't think anyone would be here. I just wanted to help.”
“Well, you didn't,” he shot back with a stormy expression. He had begun pacing back and forth as he waited for the police to arrive. His eyes kept traveling back to the chair that Bekki had placed back in the center of the room. “You think it helps to see that?” he gasped out and shook his head. As his shoulders began to shake Bekki realized that he was not as angry as he was sorrowful.
“I'm sorry,” she said again and took a step towards him. She truly did regret causing all of his pain to be stirred up by the way she had set up the scene. For just an instant she wondered what might happen if she turned out to be wrong.
“Don't,” he warned her. “Please. I just need all of this to be over with. The media is going to have a field day with it. I have her funeral to plan. I just can't take anything else,” he said with frustration. “I just want to get my wife and myself out of this little town,” he shot a disgusted glare through the front window of the bakery.
Bekki stared hard at the floor as she realized she had caused him more pain than he was already in. Even if she did find out the truth, it would not necessarily make things better for him. Could he survive knowing that his wife had killed his own mother? What if she didn't find the proof she needed? Could she just let Dan walk away, knowing that he was married to a murderer? Bekki fell silent as she resigned herself to waiting for the police to arrive. She could only hope that she would not end up in handcuffs.
***
When Nick stepped into the bakery Bekki sighed with relief. But when he turned his professional glare on to her, she cringed and realized he might not be able to protect her this time.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asked Dan, his words careful.
“This woman broke in here,” Dan said sternly and pointed an accusing finger at Bekki.
“Nick I…” Bekki started to speak.
Nick snapped his gaze toward her before she could continue. “Not a word,” he warned and then pointed at the wall. “You, against the wall.”
Bekki's lips parted to protest but Nick's intense gaze made it clear that she needed to do as he instructed.
“What's going on here?” Dan demanded as he looked between the two. “Do you know her?”
Bekki bit into her bottom lip to keep from offering yet another explanation, or more likely another lie. She reluctantly rested her shoulders against the wall, and watched as Nick turned back to Dan.
“I'm sorry if there's been some confusion here tonight,” he began carefully. “Bekki, as you may be aware runs the local salon.”
“And?” Dan asked with annoyance. “What does that have to do with her breaking in here?”
“She knew your mother quite well,” Nick explained patiently, as if he was trying to reason with the man. “And had asked her to bake a special cake for her friend's birthday. I'm sure she was just here, hoping to get the cake. Weren't you Bekki?” he asked without turning to look at her.
“Yes, of course,” Bekki gasped out. She was very impressed with Nick's quick thinking, but she also knew it had to be going against his moral compass to be fabricating a story to cover for her illegal actions. “I just didn't want to sound crass by asking you for it, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have come, but it's for a very good friend of mine, and I didn't want to see it go to waste.”
'A cake?” Dan said skeptically. “Then why were you accusing my wife of horrible things? Why did you put this chair here?” he demanded, his rage resurfacing swiftly.
“I'm not sure what you mean,” Bekki said quietly. “There are some rumors going around town. Working where I do, I hear them all. I was just saying them out loud. I guess, I just didn't believe that what happened could be true.”
“Well, this isn't some piece of gossip to feast on,” Dan hissed. “My mother is dead, she's gone, and you and this entire tiny town seem to think it's just something to talk about.”
“It's not that at all,” Bekki insisted, her voice softening. “It's just that everyone who knew your mother cared about her.”
Dan still did not look pleased but Nick planted himself firmly between Dan and Bekki.
“I'll tell you what Dan, I'll take her over to the station, question her a little further, and you can decide if you want to press charges,” he said with a mild shrug.
Bekki held her breath, wondering if Nick really would arrest her. He was pulling handcuffs off of his belt, and she knew they were meant for her.
Dan sighed and reluctantly shook his head. “Look, I've been a bit overwhelmed by all of this. She didn't steal anything, and she didn't break anything. Maybe we can let it go.”
“Are you sure?” Nick asked with concern. “I want you to know that our entire community is here to help you with whatever you need.”
“I appreciate that,” Dan said quietly. Then he looked past Nick to where Bekki was still standing against the wall. “Just keep her away from me, and my wife, and everything should be fine.”
“No problem,” Nick assured him with a polite smile. “Rebekah?” he summoned her and she winced at the use of her full name. Bekki walked towards him slowly, each step feeling as if she was delivering herself to her judge and jury.
“I'm sorry again Dan,” she said with genuine remorse. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him more pain. Nick was obviously tense as she stood beside him. She could tell his patience was running thin.
“Just, do me a favor, and stay out of my business,” Dan said, his tone short. “I don't need a media frenzy right now. I just need some time to say goodbye.”
Bekki nodded, but she knew that she couldn't promise him. She knew that with everything she had discovered she could not simply let this go.
When she felt Nick's hand curl around her elbow she could tell from the tension of his grasp that he had quite a bit to say to her about the incident. He steered her out of the bakery and around to the parking lot behind it where his car was parked. He was silent as he opened the passenger side door to his car.
“Oh it's a nice night, I could walk,” Bekki said lightly and started to pull away from him. He settled his gaze on her with absolutely no compassion, and she felt her next words stick in her throat. She recalled his extreme sense of justice, and his belief that breaking the law was never ju
stified. Maybe he was still going to take her to the station, just to make a point. He continued to hold the door open for her. Feeling a sense of dread rise within her, Bekki slumped into the seat. He closed the door sharply behind her and walked around to the front of the car. As he was opening the door, his cell phone began to ring. He shot her a look of warning, and then answered the phone.
“Malonie,” he said with more animosity than was meant for the caller. “Are you certain?” he asked with a slightly milder tone. “Make sure you have that information on my desk by the morning. Right, yes, we'll need to change the status of the case. Thank you.”
He hung up the phone and slid into the driver's seat of the car. He tossed his phone into the console between the seats and grasped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white as the skin pulled taut.
“Can you please tell me one thing Bekki?” he asked through gritted teeth. Bekki braced herself, prepared for a lecture, or worse, for Nick to make it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her.
“Anything,” she agreed nervously.
“How is it that you are always right?” he demanded and shot a glare in her direction.
“Nick it's not what you think…” she started to defend herself, and then blinked slowly. “Wait, what did you say?”
“You heard me,” Nick said smacking the heel of his palm against the steering wheel. “How am I supposed to get it through your head that what you're doing is wrong, if it always turns out to be right?”
Bekki fell silent as she wondered just what kind of game he was playing. Was he trying to get her to confess something? Was it some kind of trick?
“Well?” Nick asked again. “Any explanation?” he narrowed his eyes.
“I just like to get to the truth,” Bekki said quietly.
“I see that,” Nick nodded and wiped his hand across his face, rubbing lightly at his eyes as he did. “I sent in the note for handwriting analysis. I just got the results.”
“Oh?” Bekki asked.
“The note was forged Bekki, it wasn't written by Lydia,” he shook his head in disbelief. “You were so sure this whole time.”
Bekki was silent as her heart thumped against her chest. “Can they tell who wrote it?”
“Not without a sample to compare it to,” Nick explained. “But it certainly means that the case will be looked at more closely now. Thanks to you we already have a suspect.”
“Why does it seem like that doesn't make you happy?” Bekki asked hesitantly.
He sighed and stared through the windshield. “Bekki I just don't want you to put yourself in these dangerous situations. What if it hadn't been Dan that walked in? What if it had been Julie? Do you think you're immune to danger?”
Bekki shook her head. “Of course not. But I can take care of myself, Nick,” she said firmly.
“Until you can't,” he said sharply. “Then what? I'll be showing up to investigate?”
“Nick, I was never in any danger,” Bekki said, her eyes narrowed with determination. “Lydia was the one who was in danger, and no one was there to help her. No one was there to stop it from happening.”
“What makes you so different from Lydia, Bekki?” his voice raised some as he struck the steering wheel hard with his palm again. “That's my point. What makes you different from her?”
Bekki sat back in her seat, a little startled by his anger. She lifted her eyes to his and spoke with pure confidence.
“I have you.”
Nick grumbled and tightened his lips into an even line, but she could see the warmth rising in his eyes. “Well, I guess we should get back in there and start an investigation,” he sighed.
“We?” Bekki asked hopefully.
“Yes we,” he reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
***
Nick knocked on the front door of the bakery, but no one answered. The door was locked.
“Dan must have left,” he frowned. “I'll have to get someone over here to open the door,” he pulled out his cell phone.
“Or...” Bekki drew out her word with a subtle smile.
“Or,” he frowned and then rolled her eyes. “All right fine, but just this once.” Bekki smiled and deftly withdrew the hair pin she had recently discovered doubled very well as a lock pick. She fiddled with the knob until the lock gave way.
“You really are good at that,” Nick said begrudgingly.
“One of my many talents,” Bekki quipped and swung the door open. As they stepped inside Nick flipped the light switch on. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he studied what was left of the scene.
“Lydia really was murdered,” he said solemnly. “You were right all along, I really thought it was a suicide.”
Bekki was silent as she stared into space. She still could not comprehend how Lydia had ended up in the noose. How could a person be murdered and have only what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds?
As if taking the thoughts right out of her mind Nick shook his head. “Someone had to be really sick to do this Bekki,” he turned to look her straight in the eye. “This is why I ask you to stay out of things like this. If it really was Julie that did this, who knows what else she might be capable of,” as his lecture continued Bekki could barely hear him. Her eyes were slowly widening as a horrible thought formed.
"You're right," she whispered again, tears beginning to fill her eyes as she stared at the empty chair in front of her still positioned right beneath the area where the noose had hung.
"Bekki," he reached out to grasp her shoulder gently when he saw the tears. "Don't cry, please, I don't mean to frighten you."
"No, it's not that," Bekki shook her head slightly. "I mean you're right, Lydia did kill herself."
"No," he shook his head. "Didn't you hear me Bekki? The handwriting analysis came back, it doesn't match Lydia's. Someone forged the suicide note."
"Oh yes they did," Bekki nodded as she reached up to wipe at her eyes. "But Lydia still killed herself."
"I don't understand," Nick frowned. "Did you figure something out?"
"There was one piece I couldn't understand," she explained. "How did Julie get Lydia into the noose. She couldn't lift her, she didn't drug her, so how did she do it?"
"I don't know," Nick shook his head. "Forensics is going to have a hard time figuring it out, since the crime scene has already been compromised."
"She made her," Bekki uttered, absolutely horrified by the idea. "She made her do it herself."
"How? How could someone force someone to do something like that?" he asked, scratching at his light brown hair.
"There's only one way, and there's no way to prove it,” Bekki felt her horror transform into hopelessness as she murmured her next words. "She's going to get away with it, isn't she Nick?"
Nick slid his arm around her shoulders and studied her intently. "Not with you on the case Bekki," he said firmly. She took a deep breath and felt her resolve to capture Lydia's murderer return. Maybe there would be no evidence to prove her claim. But evidence wasn't the only way to get a conviction. A confession could be just as damning.
“I'm going to go,” Bekki said suddenly as she walked towards the door.
“Bekki wait,” Nick followed after her. “I don't want you to be alone. If this woman already knows that you're on to her and finds out that we suspect her, she may come after you again.”
“I can take care of myself Nick,” Bekki said sternly. “I'll be careful.”
“She's going to try to confront you,” Nick frowned. “She'll wait until you're alone.”
“That's what I'm counting on,” Bekki said under her breath.
“What was that?” Nick asked, as he did not hear her clearly.
“Nothing, I just said I would be very careful. I have my phone. I'll call you the minute I sense any danger, okay?” she smiled a little at him. “Remember, I'm always right.”
“Until you're wrong,” he warned her with one furrowed brow.
“I'll
be careful,” she assured him a final time. “You see what you can figure out here, I have an idea I need to follow up on.”
“Call me,” he reminded her as she stepped out of the bakery. As the door fell shut behind her she caught a glimpse of him through the window. She could tell from his expression that he was not at all convinced she would be safe. She was surprised that he let her leave.
Chapter Five
Bekki hurried across the street to the salon. She ducked inside and kept the lights out so that no one would notice she was there. She began digging through the drawers in the receptionist desk. She knew exactly what she was looking for. Bekki had found that having a voice recorder around when you needed it could be very helpful. The only problem was, she was having a hard time finding it.
“Aha!” she smiled as she closed her hand around the device in the bottom of the lowest drawer. She pulled it out and flipped it over to put in fresh batteries. Once she had it stowed safely in her pocket she sat down at the desk to consider her options. She knew with Dan being suspicious of her, and Julie likely knowing that Bekki was aware of what she had done, the entire situation was going to be quite complicated. Bekki needed to find a way to contact Julie without alerting Dan. She recalled the app that Julie had been using to track Dan, and an idea formed in her mind. She knew that Dan was now staying with Julie at the Harroway Harbor motel.
As she sneaked out the back of the salon she knew that Nick would not approve of what she was about to do, but as long as it worked out the way she hoped, it would be worth the risk in the end. When she arrived at the motel most of the staff were gone for the day. The front desk was empty. Using her cell phone she called the number of the hotel and selected room nine. She waited a few moments, but no one answered. She crept closer to the room and called again. This time she could hear the phone ringing inside the room. She also heard a frustrated huff.
“Answer it, just see who it is,” Dan's voice demanded.
“Who would be calling us here?” Julie protested. “It's probably a wrong number.”