by Diane Capri
I took a breath. “I guess I was waiting until my license expired, and I had a more permanent address so I could get it all done in one swoop.”
“You don’t have a permanent address? That makes you a vagrant,” he said.
Seriously? Did I look like a homeless person? “Well, I live at the Park Hotel. I’m not a vagrant. Not at all.”
His eyes narrowed, and he handed my wallet back. “Okay, let’s take a drive down to the station.”
“Couldn’t you just let me go?” I smiled and batted my eyelashes in an unabashed display of flirtation.
“No.” He wasn’t moved by my flirting. Not even a little bit. I must have been losing my touch.
He put me in the back seat of his cruiser. It wasn’t the first time I’d been in a cop’s car. I went on a ride-along with Sacramento’s finest once. It was an eye-opening experience. We responded to three separate domestic-abuse calls and a trespassing complaint. But the most eye-popping incident was a drunk and disorderly after a very tall and muscular drag queen threw her size 12 stiletto into a group of rude college boys who were catcalling her. One of the boys caught the heel on his forehead, and it drew blood. We all figured he deserved it. The officers let her go.
When we got to the station, Deputy Frank Nelson (I could read his name tag once we were inside), marched me in and told me to sit in a chair by his desk. He said he wasn’t booking me or anything, for which I was grateful. That wouldn’t have helped out with my California legal troubles at all. But he was going to take my statement and make my night miserable. I’d miss the last ferry back to Frontenac Island, for sure. And that meant I’d be late for work tomorrow. Which would be another whole can of worms. So I asked if I could make a call. He allowed it.
The phone rang only twice before he picked up.
“Hey. So, I did something I promised I wouldn’t do.” I heard him groan. “Can you come get me?”
Chapter 18
Less than an hour later, my savior walked into the station, his face a stern mask. I got to my feet and walked over to him.
“Thanks for coming, Sheriff.”
He looked me over, his eyes narrowing when he noticed my torn pants. They’d ripped at the knee when I’d been pushed to the ground. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “A couple of scratches. Nothing serious.”
He looked over my shoulder at the deputy. “Any charges here, Frank?”
“Nah. I think she got more than she bargained for while trespassing. I know where to find her when the owner wants to be reimbursed for the damages. Meanwhile, I don’t want to deal with all that paperwork,” Deputy Nelson replied.
“I wasn’t really trespassing, Deputy.” Although, I was, clearly. I had no idea how I’d pay for the damages to the greenhouse and its contents. Which meant I’d need to find the real culprit.
“Don’t push your luck,” the sheriff grumbled low under his breath. Then to Deputy Nelson, “Thanks. Have a good night, Frank.”
“You too, Luke.”
I turned and waved at the deputy. “’Night.”
He shook his head and returned his attention to the mound of paperwork on his desk.
Giving me another stern look, Sheriff Jackson walked out of the station. I had to rush to catch up. When we reached his sedan, he opened the passenger door for me. I jumped in, and he shut it, and then came around to get into the driver’s side.
The second he pulled out of the lot, he twisted to glare at me. “What the hell were you doing? I thought you were having dinner with Daniel.”
“Don’t get your boxers in bunch,” I said a little defensively. “I had a suspicion that things weren’t all that peachy in Brittany’s world, and I was right. Her company is having money troubles. And I found out that her ex-husband, Simon, is still part owner. I think it has something to do with plant genetics.”
“Plant genetics?” he said, eyebrows arched.
“Yup. I overheard two guys, one a bioengineer from Ackerman Biosystems, talking at the Park Hotel. They are on the island looking for Tyler. I’m not sure what he’s done, or how he’s connected, but I did manage to grab this before the guy in the greenhouse shoved me to the ground. I think it was probably Tyler, by the way.” I reached into my pants, and the sheriff’s eyes widened as I pulled out a folded piece of paper. I unfolded it and handed it to him.
I’d already taken a peek at it when I excused myself to go to the restroom back at the Frontenac City sheriff’s office. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what it was, but the writing was definitely chemical formulas of some sort. My best guess was that Brittany and Tyler were playing around with plant DNA. It looked like they’d been mixing various plants and recording the results. For what purpose, I didn’t know for sure, but it seemed likely the formulas had some connection to Ackerman Biosystems.
Sheriff Jackson looked at the formulas on the paper, his frown deepening. “What am I looking at?”
“Chemical compound equations.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know, but they were playing around with certain plants. Some of the plants are highly toxic. Maybe they were making something dangerous, and someone from Ackerman killed Brittany over it. Or maybe Tyler killed her to keep something secret.”
He made a humming noise. I recognized it as his I’m considering what you are saying but not quite buying it sound.
He folded up the paper and slid it into his pocket. I was going to argue with him about it, as I’d found the paper and had plans of my own for using it. But since he had bailed me out, I figured I’d better not push my luck. Besides, I’d taken photos of the document with my phone when I first examined it myself.
“You don’t have a lot of faith in me, do you? I knew about Brittany’s financial issues. I pulled her bank statements,” Sheriff Jackson said, still frowning. “There was a lot of money going out of her account. I also knew Simon was the co-owner of Brittany’s business.”
I’d considered telling the sheriff that I thought I’d found Simon, who’d been shacking up with June, but that would look bad for her. I wanted time to make sure that what I’d seen, or assumed, was true first. I really hoped I’d made a mistake. I hoped even more that we weren’t all wrong about June. And that she wasn’t responsible for Brittany’s death.
But the circumstantial evidence against June was stacking up. I wasn’t sure what to believe, and I knew how important it was to remain objective. I’d placed too much faith in my old boss, and it had cost me everything. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Chapter 19
The ferry ride over from the mainland to Frontenac Island was pretty quiet. I’d moved up to stand on the top deck to enjoy the view. But the sheriff went to find a quiet spot to make some calls. I didn’t think he wanted to talk to me anyway. Luke Jackson wore his anger, disappointment, and annoyance with me on his sleeve.
When we docked on the island, the sheriff offered me a ride, and I accepted. When he pulled up in front of the hotel to drop me off, he asked, “Who did you surprise inside the greenhouse?”
I guess he’d tired of waiting for me to volunteer the information. “I don’t know. I didn’t see his face. I don’t think he was a very big man. His legs were pretty skinny.”
He frowned.
“I grabbed his leg. It was thin,” I explained.
He nodded. “If you were forced to guess…”
“Then I’d guess Tyler.”
“Why?”
“He keeps coming up, doesn’t he?” I shrugged. “He’s connected to Brittany and to this biosystems company. So he’d know where Brittany lived. He’d know she had the greenhouse and probably what was inside. Maybe they were making something they shouldn’t have been.”
“Like what?” he asked, his eyes narrowed. I liked that he was taking me seriously and not shrugging off what I had to say. Early on in our uneasy partnership, he hadn’t wanted to hear anything I might suggest.
“New plant species maybe?” I chewed on my cuticle
, thinking. “Brittany was in financial trouble. Maybe she employed Tyler and they were working together on something new that they could sell. Maybe to the biosystems company.”
“And what about the ex, Simon? How does he fit in?”
I shrugged, trying to keep my gaze level. “Maybe he doesn’t.”
But I believed he did. Maybe he didn’t kill Brittany, but he would definitely have known something was going on. Maybe he was in on it, or maybe he wanted a piece of the potentially lucrative pie. He owned part of the company, and he would be responsible for the debts as well. Was June covering for him? Was she an accessory to murder?
The sheriff frowned and narrowed his gaze. “Are you telling me all the facts?”
I scrunched my face into mock indignation, which was the best I could do. He’d asked about the facts, not my educated guesses. So I replied truthfully, “Yes, of course.”
“Okay, I’m going to bring Tyler in again. See if he has an alibi for tonight.”
“Thanks for believing me.”
He looked me straight in the face. “Of course, I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?”
We stared at each other for a long uncomfortable moment over the console separating us, and then he cleared his throat and settled back into his seat. “I’ve got to go.”
“Er, right.” I opened the door. “Thanks for picking me up.”
He nodded, then as I slid out of the car, he said, “Andi?”
“Yeah?”
He licked his lips and then gave a sharp shake of his head. “There’s a killer out there. Don’t get into any more trouble, okay?”
“I’ll try not to.” I shut the door, and he slowly pulled away from the curb.
I was able to make it to my suite without being intercepted by anyone who needed something. I also didn’t want to answer questions about why I looked like a homeless person, since my clothes were dirty and torn, and my hair had escaped from its ponytail during my scuffle with the greenhouse burglar. Living in the luxurious hotel I worked for had its advantages, like free room and board, amazing food, and access to the pool and fitness center. But privacy and downtime was rare indeed. I had to get serious about finding a place to rent in the village. On top of everything else, I really missed my cats.
While I changed out of my ruined clothes, I started a bath. It would feel good to soak my sore knee and hands. I grabbed the bathtub caddy and positioned it across the tub. The caddy was a clever thing I picked up at one of the shops in the village. It had a slot for a wineglass and holders for candles and a tea cup. It also had a groove in the wood that could be used to set up an electronic device for reading or web surfing or email and texting. I used it the old-fashioned way, though. I put a notebook and pen on the wood surface. After I added lavender-scented salts to the tub, I sunk into the hot, silky water with a long groan of pleasure.
As I soaked, I made a list of the things I knew and things I needed to find out:
1. Brittany Gervais was poisoned according to ME
2. June’s pink gardening gloves were found at the scene (she claims they were stolen)
3. Last person to possibly see Brittany alive was Simon Gervais, ex-husband, who is also co-owner of the flower boutique and maybe June’s lover.
4. Brittany’s company’s in debt; large withdrawals from bank account.
5. Something transpired between Simon and June, which caused a rift between Brittany and June (affair?)
6. Brittany and June had a five-year-long feud over the Flower Festival floral award.
7. June doesn’t have a solid alibi for the time of Brittany’s death.
8. June does possess foxglove, which is a poisonous flower that can cause death and might have been the cause here.
9. Tyler and Brittany argued on the day she died.
10. Tyler and Brittany may have been working together on some project (What? Possible plant development)
11. Tyler is possibly involved with Tracy (Brittany’s sister)
12. Two bioengineers are on the island looking for Tyler (Why?)
13. Tyler (maybe) removed something (evidence?) from Brittany’s greenhouse. Were there oleander flowers there?
I put the pen down and leaned back in the tub, closing my eyes and allowing the water to slosh up to my neck. I dipped my hands into the water and rubbed them over my face, letting the water’s heat soothe my tired, sore muscles.
There was a lot I was missing. Where was the money going? Why was Ackerman Biosystems interested in Tyler? Was there a connection between the engineers and whatever was going on in Brittany’s greenhouse? Was Simon involved in everything? Had he planned to profit, but something went wrong? Did Simon use June’s botanical skills to create a poison to kill Brittany?
Looking at my list again, it seemed like one giant conspiracy that involved everyone. But giant conspiracies rarely existed. Most often, Occam’s Razor applied. One should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed. The simplest, easiest answer was usually the correct one.
I closed my eyes and sank under the water again until just my nose stuck out, like a snorkel tube. I took in some deep breaths, relaxing my body from my toes to my head. The sound of my phone vibrating brought me up.
I reached over the tub for my towel, wiped my hand, and then picked up my phone to see a text from an unknown phone number.
I need to talk to you.
I texted back: Who is this?
A friend of June’s. Meet me at the fountain ASAP.
I texted: Is this Simon? Did you get my number from June?
I waited, but no texts came back.
I set my phone on the caddy and climbed out of the tub. My entire body felt like one big limp noodle. After toweling off quickly, I dressed in leggings and a baggy top. I put my hair up into a messy bun and slipped my feet into a pair of running shoes.
Briefly, I allowed myself to wonder whether I really was going to meet some anonymous texter in the middle of the night. Of course I was. I could defend myself. And this wasn’t a dangerous spy mission or anything.
The texter was probably Simon Gervais, because he’d said he was a friend of June’s. Seeing me chasing him today must’ve rattled him.
I wouldn’t be unarmed, either. I had a can of pepper spray in my purse. Ginny had given it to me because of the last time I went chasing after a guy alone in the dark. Besides all of that, it wasn’t late enough that I’d be the only one out in the gardens. Guests frequently went for nighttime walks through the fairy-lighted trees and bushes.
When I arrived at the fountain, there were a few couples meandering along the garden paths. I sat on the edge of the stone basin, vigilantly watching the shadows for my mysterious texter. I took out my phone and texted: I’m here.
After about fifteen minutes, I considered that my anonymous friend had chickened out. And then I spotted a man stepping out from behind the huge topiary bush trimmed to look like a swan. The closer he came, the more recognizable he became. He was indeed the man I’d seen in the maze, the one who’d run from me on the street. He hadn’t changed much from his wedding photos. Brittany’s ex-husband, Simon Gervais. June Biddle’s secret lover.
His gaze darted all over the garden. “I thought you might call the sheriff.”
“I didn’t think I had reason to. Yet.” I stood as he approached. I didn’t want to be at a tactical disadvantage. “What did you want to talk to me about, Simon?”
His eyebrows popped up but he nodded. “Yeah, I thought you might have figured that out.”
“You need to go talk to the sheriff. You may have been the last person to see Brittany alive.”
“You assume I killed her, then?”
“Did you?” I asked. My hand slid into my pocket and wrapped around the pepper spray.
“No.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I did see her, though.”
He paced as he spoke, as if he needed the activity to lay out his logic. “She asked me to meet her in the maze. It was an ironic and bitter choice becaus
e that was where she caught me kissing June the first time. She wanted to make an impression. Brittany was like that. Always making points. Showing she was superior.”
“Why did she want to meet with you?”
“She didn’t. Meeting her was my request. She just picked the spot.” He rubbed his neck again. “We were divorced but still connected by her floral business. I wanted to tell her that I was done and that she could buy me out. I wanted a clean break from her.”
“You were planning to marry June.”
He nodded. “I proposed to her a couple months back.”
“What happened?”
His pacing increased, and sweat beaded his brow. “Brittany said she couldn’t afford to buy me out. Not right now. If I held on for another few months, she said she could pay me double.”
“What did she mean? How could she pay you double in a few short months?”
“I don’t know. But she didn’t look good. She was sweaty and pale. She kept swiping at the air as if there was a bee trying to sting her. That’s when I noticed the pink gloves she was wearing. They belonged to June. I knew that because I bought them for her.”
I nodded. At least the mystery of the garden gloves was solved. “But why was Brittany wearing June’s gloves?”
“I didn’t have a chance to ask her. I don’t know.”
“Then what did Brittany do?”
“She babbled on a bit about changing the world.” He shrugged. “I told her I wanted out now, so I could move on with June. She tore off the gloves, balled them up, and threw them at me, telling me I could go to hell. She had quite a temper, and I knew I couldn’t reason with her until she had a chance to cool off. So I left.”
I said, “And that’s when I ran into you.”
He nodded again. “I swear that Brittany was alive when I left her.”