by Cindy Bell
“It doesn’t sound like that to me.” She looked at him intently. “No matter what, the truth is going to come out in the end, Billy, that you can believe.”
“We’ll see.” He frowned.
“Thanks for sharing lunch with me.” Ally stood up from the table.
“But you didn’t even eat.” He laughed.
“I just remembered that I’m supposed to be somewhere. I’m sorry, Billy.” Ally edged away from the table.
“Don’t worry about it.” Billy shrugged and focused on his food.
Ally rushed back to her car. If Billy was telling the truth, if his arrows had been stolen, that meant that anyone could be the murderer. She decided she needed to get a clear view of what it was like to be the killer that day. She wanted to step into their shoes, and see exactly what they had seen.
Chapter 9
As Ally drove towards the park a sense of danger mounted within her. It was easy to relax when she thought that the police had a suspect, but if they had the wrong suspect, then that meant everyone was still at risk. Of course, Billy could be lying. He was right, it did sound like a lie, or a cover-up for what he did. But if he wasn’t lying, then she was back to square one. Who killed Josh?
Ally took a parking spot near the entrance and started down a paved path towards the river. She guessed that since the picnic and crowd of people were on one side of the river, the killer had likely shot the arrow from the other side. Without an exact location for the shooter, she would just be guessing. She knew that she would probably be walking on the same ground, and through the same trees as the killer. Maybe, just maybe, there was something that the police missed. All she had to do was keep her eyes open to find it. She was so focused on the ground, whether the leaves were trampled or not, and the state of the underbrush, that she didn’t react when she heard the first twig snap. It wasn’t until she heard another that her heartbeat quickened.
Ally was deep enough in the woods that she couldn’t be seen from the river. Because that was where the killer would have been, she guessed. But it also put her at a great disadvantage if someone had followed her. Was she just being paranoid? Was the fear of the residents creeping into her own mind? Another twig snapped, and the whoosh of some leaves followed. No, there was definitely something or someone approaching. As her heart lurched and her stomach twisted she did her best not to panic. If she broke into a run, then whoever it was would know she was on to them. Plus, there was nowhere to go. The river was in front of her, deep endless woods behind her, and a steep incline to her right that would make her even more vulnerable. She held her breath and did her best to creep quietly along. Maybe, whoever it was hadn’t spotted her yet. Then she heard the crush of leaves just behind her. A scream caught in her throat as she felt something brush against her.
“Ally?” A hand curled around her shoulder. She was ready to slam her fist into whatever part of the person she could reach, when the voice registered in her mind.
“Luke?” She stumbled back and spun around to face him. Relief flooded through her at the sight of his familiar hazel eyes. “Why did you scare me like that?” She swatted at his arm.
“Me?” He released his grip on the butt of his gun. “Why didn’t you say something to me?”
“I didn’t know it was you. I just heard someone following me.” Ally shivered and fixed him with a glare. “You shouldn’t have crept up on me like that. It wasn’t funny.”
“Ally, I didn’t even see you until I bumped into you. You shouldn’t be sneaking around back here. It’s not safe, and you know that.” He crossed his arms and returned her stern look. All of her frustration faded. Of course he hadn’t seen her. She was trying to hide.
“I’m sorry, Luke, I just got spooked.” She bit into her bottom lip. “I thought maybe I could figure something out by coming out here. I thought you were done investigating the area?”
“We are, but I thought the same thing as you. I don’t know, I guess I hoped I’d find something that would point me in the right direction.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “The investigation is a little stuck at the moment. Even though we know that it was Billy’s arrow that struck Josh, we can’t prove that he was here. Since he is claiming that his bow and arrows were stolen, we don’t have the rest of them to process either.”
“I’m sorry, that must be very frustrating.” Ally slipped her hand into his. “Did anything come to you?”
“Not really.” He studied her for a long moment. “I have a question for you.”
“Okay.” She eyed him with some reluctance. His tone and expression made her think she was a suspect instead of his girlfriend. “What is it?”
“Did you tell anyone that we suspected Billy?” He held her gaze intently.
“No, of course not. Well—” She cleared her throat. “Mee-Maw of course.”
“No one else?” He raised an eyebrow. “I really need to know the truth.”
“No one else, Luke. I swear. It wouldn’t matter anyway, because everyone that I’ve spoken to already knew.” She frowned. “You can trust me, you know that.”
“I do know that. It’s just that the news spread so fast.” He brushed his hand along the curve of her shoulder. “I wish I did know how the information got out, though.” He frowned and closed his hand over hers.
“I might be able to help you out with that, if you promise you won’t get them in trouble.” She studied him intently.
“I’m not sure that I can.” He hesitated. “But if you know something, you should tell me.”
“I’m sure a quick reminder to use caution will be all he needs.” Ally searched his eyes. “Promise?”
“All right, I promise.” He pulled her close and smiled. “How can I not when you look at me like that?”
“Keep that in mind. Romance can make a person do strange things.” She relayed the information about Mrs. White’s relationship with the desk sergeant. “I’m sure he’s just trying to impress her.”
“Hmm, I thought he’d been a little too cheerful lately. All right, I’ll have a talk with him. I know his intentions are harmless.” Luke slid his hand into hers. She expected him to lean in for a kiss, but instead he glanced over his shoulder at their surroundings, then looked back at her. “I suppose I owe you something now.”
“Owe me something?” Ally smiled sweetly. “I like the sound of that.”
“Ha, later.” He grinned and led her further through the trees. “But for now, I can show you the spot that we believe the arrow was fired from. It took a bit of work from the forensics team, but they were able to at least estimate the location of the killer.” He gestured to a small stump beside a much larger tree. “Our guess is the killer stood here, and fired down towards the water.”
“But there’s so much in the way. How would the killer be able to see Josh as he approached?” She stared down the slope towards the water. There were several small trees along the way.
“Here.” Luke guided her up onto the stump. “Now take another look.”
She could just barely see over the branches and trees that were in the way.
“Oh wow, that does make a difference. But the killer still must have been a few inches taller than me.”
“Yes, our guess is five foot eleven or taller. It doesn’t really eliminate any of our suspects, unfortunately, but at least we have some idea of what we’re looking for.”
“Any of your suspects?” She turned to face him as she stepped down from the stump. “You have more than one?”
“That’s as much as I can tell you.” He gazed into her eyes. “You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do.” She pecked his cheek. “I love you, Luke.”
“I love you, too. Be careful wandering in these woods.” He gave her a small wave before he headed back along the path. She started to follow him, but something just beyond the brush to her left drew her attention. It was a thin trail. It looked as if it had been long overgrown. However, the broken branches an
d crushed leaves indicated that someone had tread there recently. Was this how the killer had gotten in and out of the area undetected? She was tempted to follow it to see where it led. However, before she could take one more step, her phone buzzed. She read a text from her grandmother that indicated she needed her to return to the shop. A glance at her watch showed her that it was almost two.
Ally took a quick picture of the trail, so she’d be able to find it again, and investigate further, then headed back to the parking lot. The path that led to it was much more frequently used. It was crisscrossed with bicycle treads, footprints, and even speckled with piles of dog poop. She couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed at the people who didn’t clean up after their pets. When she reached the parking lot, Luke’s car was already gone. She took one last look at the park, then climbed into the car.
* * *
As Ally stepped inside the shop, she was greeted by the buzz of many customers crammed into the fairly small space. She jumped in right away to help reduce the crowd. When the rush died down, she began to wipe off the counters.
“Sorry to call you in, Ally, but I want to get to the courthouse before it closes.” Charlotte pulled off her apron and walked over to the sink to wash her hands.
“The courthouse? Why?” Ally finished wiping the counters, then began to look over the display case to see if any of the chocolates needed to be replenished.
“Remember, I told you I had a friend there? Meritza. I’m going to see what she can tell me about that lawsuit Billy filed against Josh. Sometimes there are more details in the documents than you would expect.” She grabbed her purse from the hook on the wall near the entrance of the kitchen. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, of course not. Do you think she’ll be able to tell you anything?” Ally raised an eyebrow. “I thought those kinds of things were pretty private.”
“Not necessarily. Most records are accessible to the public. She’ll tell me as much as she can, as long as I bring her some dark chocolate pralines.” Charlotte winked at her as she picked up a box of chocolates. “I’ll try to be back before closing.”
“Don’t worry about that, I can handle things here. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?” Ally added a few chocolates to the display case. The aroma of the sweet treats wafted right under her nose.
“Sorry, I can’t. I already made plans with Jeff.” Charlotte cringed. “I’ve canceled on him the last few times we had plans.”
“Oh, that’s good, enjoy yourself. It’ll be a nice break from all of this.” Ally popped one of the chocolates into her mouth.
“Love you!” Charlotte blew her a kiss, just before she stepped out through the side door. As she walked over to the van she checked her phone. Jeff hadn’t called to cancel. She felt some relief about that. Lately, it had been tough to get together with both of their busy schedules. But she knew it was important to make time for him in her life.
The drive to the courthouse didn’t take long, which was a good thing, as it was close to three. Charlotte knew the courts shut down by four, and sometimes the employees left earlier than that if there were no more cases to deal with.
A blast of air-conditioning struck Charlotte as she walked through the thick, sliding glass doors. It didn’t matter what the temperature was outside, the air-conditioning seemed to always be on. It caused a deep shiver to run along the length of her spine. Once she adjusted to the temperature she approached the front desk.
“Hi, is Meritza available? I’d like to speak with her if possible.”
“She’s in her office.” Ed pointed over his shoulder. “You know the way.”
“Thanks, Ed.” Charlotte smiled at him, then made her way down the hallway. She did know the way, as she often visited Meritza. She cared for her elderly mother, and her grandchildren quite frequently, so the only time they could squeeze in a few minutes to talk was when she was at work. She knocked lightly on the door of her office.
“Meritza?”
“Come on in, Charlotte, I’m free.”
Meritza’s soft, sweet voice drew Charlotte right through the door. Meritza was one of the kindest people she knew. She always had something nice to say, and she worked tirelessly to help those in need.
“Hi Meritza, I’m so glad to see you.” Charlotte sat down in a chair across from Meritza’s desk. Meritza was a tiny woman, at barely five feet tall, but her presence was much larger. When she smiled, it could light up a room, but when she was angry, she had the ability to clear out a room in two seconds flat.
“Me, too.” She smiled as she took the box of chocolates from her. “Oh yes, yes. I need these in my life! Thank you so much!”
“Anytime, you know that. I have to admit though, I’m here to ask you for a favor.”
“Hmm?” Meritza munched on a chocolate as she met her eyes. “What kind of favor?”
“I’m curious about a particular civil suit that likely went through this court.” Charlotte tapped her fingertip on her chin. “I thought perhaps you could provide me with some insight.”
“Sure, sure. What’s the name?” Meritza swiveled on her chair to face her computer.
Charlotte relayed the names of the parties involved.
“Oh yes, it’s right here.” Meritza narrowed her eyes as she skimmed over it. “Let’s see, it was filed about three months ago, and dismissed this week.”
“Dismissed? Are you sure about that?” Charlotte leaned forward in her chair and craned her neck in an attempt to see the screen.
“Yes, I’m certain. The case is closed.” She tapped a few keys, then nodded, as if she agreed with herself.
“Why? Is it because of Josh’s death?” Charlotte frowned.
“No, even after his death the suit would have continued against his estate. However, Billy McArtle dropped the civil suit the morning of the picnic.” She shrugged.
“Really.” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Before or after the picnic.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell. I can tell you that he would have had a better chance of winning without Josh around to mount a defense.”
“Interesting.” Charlotte sat back and gazed into the space in front of her for some time. “Why would he drop the suit like that?”
“Maybe he felt guilty.” Meritza shrugged and popped another chocolate into her mouth. “Who knows. He may try to file against the estate at another time. Anything else I can help you with?”
“No, that was it.” Charlotte chewed on her bottom lip. “I wonder. Has anyone else filed any suits against Josh in the past few years?”
“Let me take a look.” Meritza worked the keyboard for a few moments, then shook her head. “No, it was just Billy.”
“Interesting.” Charlotte nodded. “I suppose it will all make sense in time.”
“It’s terrible what happened to Josh. I’m looking forward to the picnic that Anita is planning in his honor. I think that’s going to be a nice way to bring the community together again after such a tragic event.”
“Oh, I know. It’s wonderful. I’ll have to check in with her about it.” Charlotte stood up from the chair. “Thanks for your help, Meritza.”
“Thanks for the candy.” She grinned, revealing a bit of chocolate smudged on her teeth.
As Charlotte left the office, she was still confused by Billy’s dismissal of the lawsuit. What could he have to gain from letting go of it? Didn’t he still feel that he was owed the property? As she reached her car she received a text from Jeff confirming their dinner. She’d have to set aside her questions until later, for now she was going to focus on enjoying a meal with Jeff.
Chapter 10
A trickle of customers came and went after Charlotte left the chocolate shop. During a lull in customers, Ally decided to sweep the sidewalk in front of the shop. She grabbed the broom and headed outside. This was a routine activity for two reasons. One, to show care and attention to the appearance of the shop, and two, to get an idea of what was going on up and down the street. Sometimes
she’d have the chance to chat with another shop owner or someone walking down the sidewalk.
As Ally began to sweep, she was startled by the sound of a sharp and loud bark. She took a slight step back, as she could never be certain if a dog was going to be friendly. However, this dog, far too small for the force of his bark, didn’t strike her as any kind of beast. She smiled as the small dog approached her, then followed his leash up to the person who walked him. She was more startled by discovering who it was, than she had been by the bark.
“Christian!”
“Ally, it’s good to see you.” He smiled as he tightened his grip on the leash. “This is Max.”
“Hi, Max.” Ally reached out to let the dog sniff her hand. “I thought you didn’t have any pets.” She glanced up at him with a furrowed brow. Hadn’t they just spoken about this very topic?
“Hey, I didn’t pick him. He picked me. Apparently, my apartment is the beacon for all of the wandering animals in this town. He was hanging out on my back porch this morning.” He shrugged. “I thought the name Max suits him.”
“It does.”
“I thought if I walked him around town I might be able to figure out who he belongs to. Any ideas?”
“Hmm, that’s a mystery.” Ally grinned as she stroked the dog’s fur. “Well, I can’t say that I know all of the dogs in this town, but I can say that I’ve never seen this one before. I’d remember such a sweet fellow. Where do you think he came from?” She straightened up and met his eyes.
“My best guess is the trail that backs up to my apartment. It goes through the woods. I have no idea where it ends. The poor guy could be lost from three towns over for all I know.” He shook his head. “I’m sure he’s missing his home.”
“You can file a report with the police and with the shelter. That way if anyone has reported him missing, you can find out. Oh, did you check to see if he has a chip?” Ally picked up her broom again. “Most dogs do these days.”