Ruff Justice

by Laurien Berenson

  “I think you’re wrong about that.”

  Watching me as intently as I was watching her, Sadie sidled over to a nearby table. She swept a small object into her hand, then twirled it between her fingers.

  I still had no idea what she’d picked up when I heard a lid flip open. Sadie’s thumb snapped downward and there was a sharp hiss. My stomach plummeted as a bright orange flame appeared.

  “Now it’s time to end things,” she said.

  Chapter 26

  My next move was pure reflex. Both my hands shot upward. I held them in front of me defensively.

  I didn’t dare turn my back on Sadie as I began to scramble backward. Faith knew something bad was happening. She had the good sense to get out of the way.

  Sadie was coming toward me as quickly as I retreated. I couldn’t seem to widen the distance between us.

  “Let’s talk about this,” I said. “You’re making a huge mistake.”

  “It doesn’t look to me like we have anything else to say.”

  Stalling for time, I began to pepper Sadie with questions. Anything to keep her talking. Anything to distract her thoughts from the lighter that was still flaming brightly in her hand.

  “You told me that you and Jasmine settled things. Your disagreement was dealt with years ago. So how did she end up dead now?”

  “Maybe I wasn’t entirely truthful with you,” Sadie admitted. “You see, I did know about Jasmine’s side business with the robberies. That woman never saw a money-making idea that she didn’t want to grab with both hands. She was smart like a fox.”

  Sadie paused as if waiting for me to agree. I didn’t bother. Clearly she was only humoring me because she felt she had nothing to lose. The realization roiled in my gut like acid.

  “Anyways,” she continued, “everything was swell until Amanda’s boyfriend started hanging around.”

  “Rick Fanelli,” I said. The person she’d claimed to barely know.

  “Yeah, Rick. He got this notion in his head that he should be part of what was going on. Not the work end,” she clarified unnecessarily. “But the money part. And when Jasmine said no, he got an even better idea.”

  “He was blackmailing her.”

  Sadie grinned. “I take back what I said earlier. Maybe you’re not as dumb as you look.”

  Under the circumstances, that was debatable. Right then, standing there covered in turpentine, I was feeling very stupid indeed.

  “I didn’t really care about that,” she said. “I figured it was Jasmine’s problem. But then that sorry bastard made it my problem too. When that happened, I had to do something about it.”

  The fumes must have been making me light-headed, because I didn’t get it. “How did Rick make it your problem?”

  “That guy was always snooping into things that were none of his business. And somehow—probably Jasmine let it slip, although she denied it—he realized she wasn’t the one making all those paintings she was selling. After that, it didn’t take him long to put two and two together. That’s when Rick came up with the bright idea that if Jasmine would pay good money for him to keep quiet about her secret, I ought to be willing to do the same.”

  “Rick was blackmailing you too?” I blurted. I hadn’t seen that coming.

  “Well, he was trying to. Except that I didn’t have as much disposable income as Jasmine, and I wasn’t about to pay. First thing I did was tell Jasmine what Rick was up to. Then I let her know that it was time for the two of us to come clean. Our customers might be surprised at first, but eventually they’d get over it. Nothing about our business model would change except the signature on the bottom of the paintings.”

  “Jasmine didn’t like that idea, did she?”

  “She hated it,” Sadie replied. “She turned me down flat and we had a huge fight. I pointed out that if I didn’t give Rick the money he wanted, he was going to reveal the truth anyway. So we might as well beat him to the punch. But logic was never Jasmine’s strong suit. All she ever cared about was what she wanted. Everything else was just background noise to her.”

  “How long ago was that?” I asked.

  “Around the beginning of the month.”

  “So Jasmine was happy with the status quo and you were deciding what to do about Rick. Then what happened?”

  “The Sedgefield dog show.”

  The flame in Sadie’s hand sputtered, then went out. Quickly she relit it. I hoped that holding on to that lighter was causing her fingers to cramp.

  Then to my dismay, Sophie came up with a solution. Still standing near the doorway to her studio, she reached inside the room and picked up a paint-smeared rag. She dipped the tip in the same noxious liquid she’d poured on me, then lit it. Immediately the rag flared like a small torch.

  “I thought you didn’t go to the shows,” I said, averting my gaze from the potentially lethal weapon in her hand. “Wasn’t that Jasmine’s job?”

  “It was just a fluke that day. Soon as she got to the show that morning, Jasmine called me. She’d forgotten some custom orders at home. You know those beaded leashes she was making?”

  I nodded. Aunt Peg’s lead had probably been among them.

  “Jasmine wanted me to go pick them up at her house and deliver them to her. As if I had nothing better to do on a Saturday. I was the backbone of the whole business, but Jasmine had the nerve to act like I was just her errand girl.”

  “But you did what she asked,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, I did.” Sadie didn’t look happy about that. “I got to the show and the first thing Jasmine did was ask me what took so long. Not even a thank-you for going so far out of my way. She just grabbed the box out of my hands and turned her back on me. She was still mad about the fight we’d had. But so was I.”

  Sadie drew in a deep, angry breath. “When Jasmine ignored me like that, I just saw red, you know what I mean? I was over it. So I gave her a good shove. And it felt great.”

  The hand holding up the flame began to wobble. Sadie’s arm must have been growing tired. But she continued to tell her story with relish.

  “Jasmine lost her balance and dropped the box of leashes. All those little geegaws she’d made went spilling out all over the grass. Man, Jasmine was pissed. She whirled around, pointed to the ground, and told me to pick everything up. Like that was going to happen. I told her what she could do with her stupid leashes—and she hauled off and socked me.”

  Sadie winced at the memory. Her free hand rose to touch the tender skin beneath her eye. “So there you have it. Everything that happened after that was her fault.”

  It seemed like a stretch to blame Jasmine for her own death. I stopped just short of shaking my head.

  “It was all her fault that I fell down and landed on those stupid beads. Which hurt like hell, by the way. And it was her fault that when I got up I had a leash in my hand. Meanwhile Jasmine had turned her back on me again. She was going to walk back into her booth. She just assumed I’d do what she said. I don’t even know how it happened, but that fancy leash got wrapped around Jasmine’s neck. And when she struggled, it pulled tight.”

  Sadie’s eyes sought mine. She wanted me to believe in her innocence. “I was angry, but I didn’t mean to kill her. All I wanted to do was teach her a lesson.”

  “And you succeeded,” I said softly. “Jasmine will never have an opportunity to make you angry again.”

  “Damn straight,” Sadie agreed. She punctuated the comment with a sharp flick of her wrist.

  I jumped back reflexively and barked my shin on a table. That was going to leave a bruise. I hoped I lived long enough to care.

  “Jasmine hit you first,” I said. “So you acted in self-defense. Anyone can see that. You should hire a lawyer to explain your side to the police.”

  Sadie wasn’t buying it. “Don’t think you can fool me by spinning a pretty story. That’s not how this is going to work. It’ll be much cleaner if we end things here and now.”

  We. As if I was a willing partn
er in the process. I didn’t think so. And I was done trying to placate her.

  “So what’s your plan then? Are you going to use that rag to set me on fire?”

  “That’s the idea.” Sadie sounded entirely too calm for my peace of mind. “With you covered in turpentine like that, I don’t see how I can miss.”

  I’d slid sideways when I hit the table. Now there was an upholstered chair behind me. I was stuck. I didn’t dare turn around to chart a better course.

  “If you throw that rag at me, you’ll burn your house down too.”

  “That’s okay. I’ve got insurance. Besides, it’s probably time I made a fresh start somewhere else anyway.”

  I was barely listening to what she said. My entire worldview had narrowed to a six inch flame that danced in the air in front of me. The only thing I cared about right then was keeping that lit rag as far away from my hair as possible.

  I could hear Faith whining under her breath from somewhere behind me. I couldn’t take my eyes off Sadie to reassure her—not that I had any reassurances to offer. Faith was a smart dog. Hopefully she would figure out a way to save herself if things went from bad to worse.

  The upholstered chair was pressed against the back of my legs. It was still blocking my path. I knew it matched the couch I’d been sitting on earlier. I pictured its size and shape, debating whether to go over or around if I had to move fast. And with that thought, inspiration suddenly struck.

  The couch had a big, plump cushion on its seat. The chair had a smaller version. I desperately hoped those padded pillows weren’t attached to the furniture. Because I was only going to have one shot to try to make this work.

  I darted a quick look back for Faith. She was on the other side of the room. She’d walked as far as the door, probably hoping that I would follow. The Poodle was trying to help in the only way she knew how: by showing me the way out.

  Good girl, I thought. Get ready.

  “I think a fresh start is a great idea,” I said brightly. “Where would you go?”

  Sadie actually appeared to pause and think about that. That brief moment of distraction gave me the opening I needed. I whipped around, grabbed the cushion off the seat of the chair, and launched it at Sadie like a big, fat Frisbee.

  By the time she saw the projectile coming, it was too late to react. The cushion slammed into her outstretched arm and sent her staggering backward. I’d been hoping that the blow would cause Sadie to drop the rag. Or that it would hit the flame and smother it.

  Instead, as soon as the fire came in contact with the cushion, its polyester cover sizzled, then flared. I felt a shocking burst of heat. Suddenly the open flame between us was exponentially larger than it had been only seconds earlier.

  For the space of an instant, Sadie and I locked eyes in mutual horror. Then I spun around and ran. I swept my purse up off the couch without breaking stride and was through the front door with Faith before there was even time to draw another breath.

  I assumed Sadie was right behind me but I didn’t stop to look. Racing side by side, Faith and I ran from the house like the devil was chasing us. We didn’t slow down until we were both on the opposite side of the quiet road. Even there, I wasn’t sure I felt safe.

  Gasping for air, I yanked my purse open, pulled out my phone, and called nine-one-one. When the dispatcher had assured me that police and fire trucks were on the way, I finally had a moment to take stock of my surroundings. That was when I realized that Sadie was nowhere to be seen.

  Abruptly my stomach plummeted. Already I could see tall flames licking up the walls and shooting out the door I’d left open behind me. Sadie couldn’t still be inside the house, could she? Surely she’d have made a hasty escape just as I had. Hopefully the house had a back door.

  Faith and I moved behind the parked Volvo, putting even more space between us and the burning building. The Poodle was still uneasy. Her lips quivered as she continued to whine softly.

  I started to crouch down. I want to give her a hug. But as I drew near, Faith reared away from my touch. I was still coated in turpentine. Her nose wrinkled at the foul stench. I settled for giving her a pat, but both of us wanted more. Unfortunately that would have to wait.

  The first of the emergency vehicles arrived within minutes. The police cruiser was quickly followed by two fire trucks. I informed the first officer on the scene that there might still be a woman in the house, then Faith and I withdrew once more.

  Soon we were joined on the side of the road by some of Sadie’s neighbors. Faith drew several curious glances. Everyone gave me a wide berth. I couldn’t blame them for that. It took the firemen an hour to contain the blaze. The cottage hadn’t been completely consumed, but I suspected that it would be a total loss anyway.

  When there was a lull in the activity, the officer I’d spoken to previously came to find me. He introduced himself as Officer Magner, then said, “What can you tell me about what happened here?”

  Before I had a chance to reply, he frowned and took a step back. “What’s that smell?”

  “Turpentine. The woman who lives in that house threw it on me. She also threatened to set me on fire.”

  “Why would she do something like that?”

  “Because she had just confessed to murdering her business partner.”

  Magner’s eyes narrowed. He looked like he wasn’t sure whether or not to believe me. “You’d better come down to the station with me,” he said.

  “I will. But not until I’ve had a chance to take Faith home and have a shower.”

  “Who’s Faith?”

  At the sound of her name, the Poodle looked up eagerly and wagged her tail. Nice to meet you, she told him.

  Magner didn’t get it. Even when I nodded in her direction. He spared Faith a quick glance, then asked me where I lived.

  “In Stamford.” I got out my driver’s license and showed it to him. “But if you contact Detective Raymond Young of the Greenwich police department, he’ll vouch for me.”

  At least I hoped he would. I waited while Officer Magner wrote the name down. “He can also tell you about Jasmine Crane, the woman who was killed two weeks ago.”

  “So it happened in Greenwich, then?”

  “No, in eastern Connecticut. It’s kind of complicated.”

  The adrenaline that had been coursing through me must have been wearing off. Suddenly I felt totally drained. I gestured across the street. “Did the firemen find anyone inside the house?”

  “No, it was empty. You’re sure someone was supposed to be in there?” Magner still sounded skeptical.

  “Sadie Foster is the person who started the fire,” I told him. “This is her home. She was still inside when I came running out.”

  “According to the fire chief, there’s no one in there now.”

  I didn’t know whether to be relieved by that news or not. I was glad Sadie hadn’t died in the blaze, but I was sorry she’d succeeded in eluding the authorities. I had figured out who’d murdered Jasmine Crane, only to allow her killer to slip through my fingers.

  It looked as though Sadie was going to get her fresh start after all.

  Chapter 27

  Officer Magner verified my ID, then told me I was free to go.

  Later that afternoon, I returned to Darien and told my story to a sergeant in the police department there. He had been in touch with Detective Young and had plenty of questions. I was happy to have answers for most of them.

  Two days had passed since Detective Young and I had spoken, and he’d been busy in the meantime. Now that the authorities in numerous jurisdictions were comparing notes, a cohesive story was beginning to emerge. Everyone whose name I’d supplied to the detective was being interviewed, beginning with major player Rick Fanelli. With so much new information coming in, the police were also able to start rounding up the members of Jasmine’s band of thieves.

  Detective Young and I had a long conversation a few days later. He even thanked me for my input. That was new and different.
I hoped it might bode well for our relationship going forward.

  Aunt Peg made sure that Amanda Burke was accompanied by a lawyer when she told her story to the authorities. “One mistake shouldn’t be allowed to ruin a young person’s entire life,” she told me firmly.

  Though she’d played only a peripheral role in the crimes that were committed, Amanda was deeply ashamed of the poor decisions she’d made. In exchange for a complete accounting of everything she knew about Jasmine’s illegal activities, Amanda was sentenced to a year’s probation and two hundred hours of community service.

  Aunt Peg had her own idea of how the girl might make restitution for her actions. It took her nearly a week, but she’d finally managed to track down Hazel and Toby. Sadie had dumped Jasmine’s dogs in a pound in West Haven. Aunt Peg reclaimed the pair and delivered them to Amanda, who promised to care for them for the rest of their lives.

  As for Sadie Foster, she was still missing.

  Though I was the only witness to her confession, there was enough circumstantial evidence for the police to be convinced of her culpability in Jasmine Crane’s murder. The fact that Sadie had disappeared after her house burned down didn’t help her case either. Amanda probably could have told her that.

  Now the authorities were hot on Sadie’s trail. Detective Young seemed to think it was only a matter of time before they would have her in custody.

  A few weeks later, Augie’s official championship certificate arrived in the mail from the American Kennel Club. Sam fired up the grill, Davey oiled his blades, and we held a coat-cutting party. The shocked expression on the Standard Poodle’s face when—for the first time in his life—the clipper ran all the way up the middle of his back, and a huge hunk of hair fell to the floor, was almost laughable.

  After years spent “in hair” some Poodles are embarrassed by how naked they feel when they’re cut down. Augie adjusted to the change right away. He couldn’t wait to get down off the grooming table and race around the yard with the rest of the gang.

  The other Poodles had seen it all before, but Bud was confused by Augie’s new look. He kept staring at the big male Poodle as if he wasn’t sure who he was. The little dog even offered a halfhearted growl, which Augie was kind enough to ignore. Luckily it only took a few minutes for canine equanimity to be restored. Too bad people weren’t that easy.