Hazel raised a brow. “Were the Lytle boys among their number by any chance?”
“As a matter of fact they were.”
“And did you or Tensy say anything to them?”
“I warned them to pay closer attention to where they were going otherwise they’d spend the summer having to answer to me.” He rubbed his jaw. “Things seem to keep coming back to the Lytle boys, don’t they?” How had he missed that?
“It could be nothing, but it’s worth noting. Not everything that happened is relevant. For instance, that Saturday was when I got the letter from Aunt Opal saying she wanted to groom me to take over her business.”
That might not have anything to do with the criminal activity but it had certainly complicated his life.
But Hazel was still focused on the board. “As for the incidents themselves, do you think there’s any significance to what was done at each place, either separately or together?”
Ward looked at the list again. “A trampled flower garden, a paint-spattered chicken coop, stealing a few pieces of old clothes from the line—these are all nuisances rather than major crimes. Not that I intend to minimize what happened at Enoch’s place, but nothing about these incidents caused harm or major damage.”
He stepped back to better see the board as a whole. “In fact, I’d begun to wonder why in the world anyone would target Enoch. It didn’t make sense to me—the man’s no saint, but he’s fair in his dealings with folks and is one of the most inoffensive people I know. But if the Lytle boys were out to get even with Tensy for the scolding I gave them on her behalf, that makes a little more sense.”
“So if that was what triggered the incidents at the Lawrence place, what made him move on and why pick on Mr. Carson next?”
“That last time at Enoch’s, Tensy almost caught them. Maybe they figured they couldn’t risk going there again. And by that time they’d got a taste for causing mischief.” Before she could prompt him, he turned and made note of that.
“They skipped a day, then opened the horse pen at Saul Carson’s place and ran his livestock off.” She scrunched her face in thought. “Why his place?”
“You’re asking all the same questions I’ve been asking for days now.” He nearly growled in frustration.
She gave him an understanding smile, no doubt picking up on his frustration. “But now we’re working on it together.” She turned back to the board. “So they might have gotten spooked when Tensy caught a glimpse of them. What are some other reasons?”
“They might have tired of revisiting the same place.”
She nodded. “Good. Anything else?”
“If we’re just reaching for ideas, it could be that someone else caught their attention.”
“So why target Mr. Carson?”
“It’s adjacent to Enoch’s place—maybe location is important. Or maybe the horse pen was an easy target.”
He was doing a lot of writing but he wasn’t sure it was getting them anywhere.
“Anything about the mercantile break-in besides the fact that the Lytle cousins were thrown out that morning?”
“Several things come to mind. It’s the only incident that happened while I was away. It was the first time they focused on a business rather than a residence. And it was the first time they carried out their crime inside of town.”
Hazel nodded. “So let’s talk about what happened between the mercantile break-in and what happened at the boardinghouse.”
“Let’s see, I returned with Meg. My sister’s funeral took place. You announced you were leaving Turnabout.”
She fluttered a hand toward the board. “Write it all down.”
They went through a similar exercise with the last four incidents until Ward was afraid there wasn’t space enough left to fit one more word.
Ward set the chalk down and stepped back, dusting his hands against each other. “Now what?”
“Now we try to see any links or patterns.”
They both studied the board for a few minutes, though Ward still wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for.
“You know,” he mused, “it’s almost as if I called this trouble down on myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing really. It’s just that, several weeks ago, there was an article Everett posted in The Gazette about a big bank robbery that happened in St. Louis and the robbers got away clean. Then the lead detective on the case followed the clues the robbers left behind and captured them.”
He cut her a guilty look. “When I stepped in the mercantile later that day, I saw Doug Blakely reading the article and I told him that I sometimes wished for a bit of excitement of that sort around here to test my mettle.” He grimaced. “It was just an idle comment, I certainly didn’t mean it.”
Hazel rolled her eyes at him. “Of course you didn’t. As Aunt Opal would say, pish posh. Even if you meant it, saying it wouldn’t make it so.” She waved to the board. “Now, focus!”
A moment later, Hazel stiffened. “Oh my goodness!”
“What is it?”
“There’s one thing that many of these do have in common.”
He stared at the board, trying to see whatever connections she’d made. “What’s that?”
“You.”
Ward frowned. “Explain.”
“You confronted the Lytles before the first incident. Eunice was grousing about the job you were doing before her place became a target. The incident in the mayor’s office spurred them to call the town meeting about you. And the attack on my dress was obviously aimed at our wedding.”
“Hold on, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. If my confrontation with the Lytles is what sparked the first incident, why go after the Lawrences? Why not just go after me?”
“Because, as the sheriff, making you the direct target might be too intimidating. All of these could be indirect attacks on you. In the case of the incidents at the Lawrences’, your defense of Tensy might have been interpreted as a sign of personal affection for her. Which would be the same reason for going after my wedding gown.”
It was fascinating to try to follow the way her mind worked. “What about the rest of these?”
“I’m not sure about the Carson place and the mercantile. But everyone knows how vocal Eunice is when she’s unhappy. If they wanted to stir things up against you, then stirring her up was a good way to do it. And the mess they made in the mayor’s office tipped the balance on having him call that town meeting.”
“You think the Lytle boys would think things through that way?”
“I’m still not convinced it is the Lytle boys.”
He wasn’t either. “But you can’t have it both ways. If it’s not the Lytle boys, doesn’t that make your whole argument for what started up this spree invalid?”
She frowned, then sat back appearing deflated. “I suppose so.” Her finger tapped against the desk. “I suppose it could have been one of the other boys that was with them when you scolded them.”
She studied the board again and hopped up to sit on top of the desk. “There’s got to be a connection of some sort. I refuse to believe this was all completely random.”
Ward looked at the notes again. What she said made sense, if only the finger was pointing to someone other than the Lytles. Could it be the elder Lytle cousins? Except this didn’t feel like the way they would act either. But if wasn’t them, then who else would have a reason?
“Maybe it didn’t start with the run in between Tensy and the boys,” he said. “Maybe there was some other trigger.”
She turned to him, her expression hopeful. “You have something in mind?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh.” She went back to studying the board, but he could tell she had something on her mind. Finally she spoke up again. “There was s
omething Tensy shared with me...”
She seemed reluctant to continue. He resisted the urge to press her, waiting instead for her to work through whatever was worrying her.
“The thing is,” she finally said, “it’s her secret to tell and I promised not to share it.”
“But you think it could have some bearing on this?”
“I’m not sure, but as I said, we shouldn’t rule anything out.”
Ward studied her for a moment. “I hadn’t realized the two of you were close enough friends to be sharing confidences,” he said thoughtfully.
She shifted uncomfortably, then waved a hand airily. “It’s a small town and Tensy doesn’t have many close friends. I think she just wanted someone to confide in.”
“And as you were quick to tell me earlier, you’re a good listener.” Come to think on it, Tensy had been spending an unusual amount of time in the dress shop lately. Why? If he’d given it any thought at all, he’d just assumed she was having a dress made.
Dress! He suddenly remembered the image of that other gown that had been in Hazel’s shop, untouched by the vandal who’d destroyed Hazel’s gown. Hadn’t Hazel said something about it being Tensy’s dress when she’d thought it might have been vandalized as well?
Why would Tensy need such a fancy dress? Did she have a beau?
He needed to look at this from another angle. Could all of this possibly be the work of a jealous suitor? Had this mystery man mistaken Ward’s rescue of Tensy as a play for her hand?
But no, that didn’t make sense either. Such a motive wouldn’t lead the man to start with the Lawrences, especially not multiple times. That would only force him, his supposed rival, to visit Tensy and her father more often, not push him away.
Maybe he’d guessed wrong and Tensy didn’t have a suitor—it didn’t make sense that she was keeping her suitor secret if she was already having a wedding gown made. The fancy dress must be for some other occasion.
Still, his gut told him he was right on the edge of figuring this out.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all,” Hazel said resignedly. “We don’t seem to be any closer to solving this than when we started.”
“I disagree. If nothing else, you’ve helped me think through some options I hadn’t considered before.” He straightened. “But we’ve probably left your aunt and Half-pint alone for long enough. I’d best be getting you back to your place.”
He waved to the board. “I’ll leave our notes here until I have a chance to copy them. With school no longer in session, they should be okay.”
“I agree.” Hazel started to hop down from her perch on the desk when she hit a snag—literally.
“Oh bother. I think the back of my dress is caught on something.”
“Here, let me look.”
The edge of her dress had inadvertently caught on a small spindle. He had her freed in no time. Then he put his hands at her waist. “Here, let me help you down.”
But something happened between the time he touched her and her feet touched the floor. It was as if his hands had developed a will of their own and didn’t want to let go. And her hands, resting on his shoulders, seemed to be similarly afflicted. In fact, if anything, she tightened her hold.
His gaze locked with hers and he couldn’t have looked away if he’d tried. He wanted this—this closeness, this warmth, this kiss that he knew was coming. Had wanted it since she burst into his office appearing frightened and looking to him for comfort.
Yes, she would soon be moving away and yes, her matchmaking aunt would probably have her married off to another man before the year was out. But right now, this was their moment, their chance to, as she called it, build memories to draw out like treasures in the future.
He brushed the hair from her forehead, waiting for her to pull back, praying that she didn’t. Instead she lifted her face to him and her eyes fluttered closed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Her upturned face was all the invitation Ward needed. A heartbeat later he was kissing her, gently at first, wanting to let her know how very special she was, how much he cherished her. Then her hands moved from his shoulders to encircle his neck and he deepened the kiss.
When they finally parted he pulled her head against his chest with not-quite-steady hands and all the old doubts came flooding back. Kissing her like this, when he knew he couldn’t give her the kind of love and commitment she wanted, she deserved, had been wrong.
But it hadn’t felt wrong and Ward couldn’t find it in himself to be sorry.
He moved back and put his hands on either side of her face, looking for any signs of contrition or regret. He saw none.
He smiled down at her. “I’ve been wanting to do that for quite some time. I must say, it was worth the wait.”
Her face turned a becoming shade of pink. “I agree.”
Then he tapped her nose, stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. Primarily to keep himself from reaching for her again. “Let’s get you home.”
He saw a look of confusion cross her face. She’d expected more from him, sweet words perhaps, hugs, declarations of love? Those were things he couldn’t give her.
Much as he might want to.
* * *
On the short walk back to her place, Hazel didn’t know whether to be angry or sad. She did know that if she’d had a bucket of water right now she’d gladly have chucked it at him.
That spontaneous kiss they’d shared had been so wonderful. Feeling the warmth of his touch, the gentleness combined with that tightly leashed strength—it was everything she’d ever dreamed a kiss from him would be and more.
It had given her real hope that they could have a future together, one built on love and trust.
Then he’d gone and ruined it all. He’d pulled away again in that maddening way he had, returned to the closed-off Ward he’d been before. She wasn’t sure she could bear much more of the ups and downs she’d endured these past few weeks. Perhaps it was time to pack up and head for New York, sooner rather than later.
* * *
Ward spent most of the evening and night trying not to think about that kiss.
Instead he focused his thoughts on the work the two of them had done before he’d lost his head.
He went back to the schoolhouse after he returned Meg to Hazel’s that evening and studied the board again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the answer to this puzzle rested with Tensy’s secret that Hazel had alluded to.
And there was only one way to figure it out.
As soon as breakfast was over the next morning, Ward headed out to the Lawrence farm.
He found Tensy in the garden, a sunbonnet on her head and a hoe in her hand.
She paused when she saw him and leaned on the handle of her hoe. “Good morning, Sheriff. Isn’t it a fine day?”
“It certainly is. Miss Lawrence, I—”
She waved a hand. “Call me Tensy, please. And if you’re looking for Pa, he’s out in the barn.”
“Actually, I wanted to speak to you.”
She smiled in obvious pleasure and waved toward the house. “Of course. Let’s get out of the sun and sit on the porch. I can fetch you some lemonade if you like.”
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.” He waited until she’d sat on the bench, then doffed his hat and leaned a hip against the porch rail. “I wanted to speak to you one more time about those three incidents that happened here.”
“Of course. But I’m not sure what else I can add to what I’ve already told you.”
“I don’t want to ask about what you saw. Right now I’m more interested in figuring out why these things are happening instead of who’s doing them.” Though he was pretty sure the who would follow close on the heels of the why.
But Te
nsy was frowning and shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can be much help there either.”
“Your father has already told me that there’s no one he could think of who might have reason to do mischief against him, but I was wondering if you can think of anyone who might want to do mischief against you?”
Her hand flew to her heart. “Me? You think someone might be trying to get back at me for something?”
“I’m not trying to alarm you but I need to be thorough and check every possibility.”
“I truly appreciate your concern, Sheriff, but I honestly can’t think of anyone.”
Ward tried to curb his impatience. What had Hazel been alluding to in regard to this woman? But he couldn’t betray her confidence by asking Tensy outright what secret she might be hiding.
“Are you sure there haven’t been any changes in your life lately, any new friends or changed relationships?”
Her face reddened and she gave him what could almost be called a coy smile. “Why, Sheriff, you know what’s changed. You—”
“Hello there.”
Ward turned to see Enoch approaching from the barn. Hiding his irritation at the untimely interruption, Ward returned the man’s greeting.
“What can we do for you this morning, Sheriff?” Enoch asked as he reached the porch.
“I was just talking to your daughter to see if she had any insights about the trouble that happened out here a few weeks ago.” He turned back to Tensy but she’d already closed off.
She stood, wringing her hands nervously. “I’m afraid I don’t have any more to add to what I’ve already said. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get the stew on the stove for lunch.” And without another word, she all but bolted for the door and disappeared inside the house.
Ward spent another few minutes chatting with Enoch, then took his leave.
Something about the way Tensy had looked at him just before Enoch showed up, something about the words she’d almost said. Could it possibly be...
Ward mulled it over, went back to the schoolhouse to study the board. The theory that was trying to take root in his mind was too outlandish, too incredible to believe. Yet the more he studied the board, the less outlandish it seemed.
A Tailor-Made Husband Page 21