“And getting smaller.”
“If Becca got information from her, it probably wasn’t her fault. Becca could be really good about getting info from people. She was the queen of gossip.”
Willow nodded, not sure how to take this information at the moment.
“Do you want to try on the gray outfit with the little jacket?” Cassandra asked, changing the subject.
“Sure,” Willow said, heading back to the changing room. Before she closed the door, she saw Cassandra looking into the mirror solemnly.
“I don’t think Patricia should have betrayed Daniel like that,” Cassandra said. “He takes that sort of thing pretty hard.”
Willow closed the door and thought about what she had just heard as she picked up the hanger with the next outfit. It sounded as if Daniel was in jail because of Patricia’s testimony. Maybe Becca also had evidence about the theft because she owned the salon. Could Daniel have wanted them dead in order to destroy the robbery case against him? Or if what Cassandra said about his feelings were true, could he have wanted to murder them because he felt betrayed?
Willow had just found a prime suspect in this link between the two dead women. She just needed to figure out if there was a way he could have enacted his revenge from prison.
6
“What do you think?” Willow asked.
“Dessert was easy as pie,” Griffin joked, grinning at the strawberry rhubarb cobbler that she had brought home from the store. His blue eyes were shining.
Willow smiled back at him. It was these moments that she realized how truly lucky she was to have someone like him. He was a man who could grill, who was willing to help with her weekly family dinners as well as join her at them, and was someone who she could make corny jokes with.
Between running her business, talking with the dog food ad people, and fitting in time to talk with Cassandra, Willow had ended up falling behind when it came to dinner plans. Griffin had volunteered to man the grill and start cooking while she ran out to pick up some side dishes and dessert.
After placing the food on her table on her backyard deck, Willow kissed her boyfriend.
“Are you trying to distract the chef?” he asked.
“Chef?” Willow teased. “When you learn how to make something besides steak, we can talk about that title.”
“I can make things besides steak.”
“Like what?”
“Cereal,” he said with a wink.
Willow laughed and then bent down to greet the other man in her life. Telescope appreciated her belly rub, but he didn’t let it go on as long as usual. After a few moments, he leapt back up to his feet and focused on the grill.
“I guess I just can’t compete with meat,” Willow said.
Telescope yipped and she figured he understood but wasn’t sorry about his actions. She shook her head and began setting the table for dinner. It was nice enough that they could eat outside, and her deck provided a nice view of her dog gym building, her outdoor obstacle course, and the stunning forest.
Once she finished placing the dishes, she watched Griffin work. Every now and then she could see proof that his shoulder was still bothering him, but he was ignoring the pain and focusing on the task at hand. The more Willow thought about it, the more she thought that Griffin’s enthusiastic offer to make dinner for the family wasn’t just because he was a caring boyfriend. It was also probably because he was bored. Since he still wasn’t allowed back to his contractor work, he was looking for other things to do. Griffin had been right. Neither one of them liked to stay still for long.
Maybe this forced downtime would mean that he could learn to cook a few more dishes. Maybe he could get to those books he was saying he always meant to read. Or maybe he would just continue to add on to his list of items that were under five pounds so he had something to pick up. (While sometimes it was funny, it was actually somewhat annoying when he visited her business office in her home and started picking individual things up. He was allowed to lift paperclips. The stapler too, and so on.)
“What are you looking at?” Griffin asked good-naturedly, accepting her stare.
“I was just making sure that you didn’t burn dinner,” she replied.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be grilled by your detective dad if I messed up the meal. And voila. Looks like they’re done anyway.”
Willow brought a platter over to him and collected the steaks from the grill. He protested that she was stealing his glory, but she reminded him that with all of the food placed on one tray, it could end up weighing too much for him.
“That’s what you get for making so much food,” Willow joked.
Griffin sighed and then grumbled, “I’m never forgiving that ladder.”
Willow set the platter on the table and took a seat. Griffin chose the spot next to her and Telescope hopped onto the chair on the other side. She wasn’t sure whether he was eager for their company or for the chance of table scraps.
“I’m afraid tonight might not be that much fun,” Willow admitted.
Telescope let out a bark as if to reassure her it would be okay.
Griffin said, “Because of Wednesday coming across a dead body or two?”
“Exactly.”
“I like your family a lot. Even under these less than ideal circumstances, I’m sure we’ll all enjoy seeing one another. And I bet everything will work out with the cases,” he said, taking her hand with his on his uninjured side. She felt comforted by the touch, and by what he said next. “And your father is the chief of police. He’s not going to let anyone scapegoat Wednesday as the killer. He’s not going to let anyone throw his daughter in jail, is he?”
Willow squeezed his hand back. “I guess you’re right. Even if this doesn’t stay his case, which it probably won’t to avoid a conflict of interest, he’s still the chief. He’ll make sure that no shortcuts are taken, that everything goes according to the book, and that the real killer is caught.”
Telescope let out a bark that sounded like a “hear, hear!”
“I guess I’m naturally worried about it all because I want to protect Wednesday,” Willow said, glad that she had found a partner that she could talk about her feelings and fears with. “But with the police working on this full-time, I’m sure they’ll figure out who did it soon. I mean, I went on a clothes shopping trip, and I already uncovered a potential motive for the crimes.”
Griffin smiled at her a little too long, and she began to feel self-conscious.
“What?”
He shrugged, albeit with only one shoulder. “You’re smart, and talented, and always on the move.”
“That last part sounds like another way of saying super busy,” Willow said. “And I might have to agree with that. I’m so proud that the dog gym is picking up business, but it’s happening faster than I thought. Also, this dog food campaign is a little more time-consuming than I expected. I just expected them to bring me and Lady Valkyrie in and take a few pictures, but they’ve been asking for my input. They want some ideas about what Lady Val can do that’s photogenic and how her tricks could relate to the food. Sometimes I feel inspired and sometimes I feel stumped by their questions, but it’s all going to lead up to a presentation I’ll have to give to them. Then, combine all my work stuff with my family obligations and trying to make sense of the awful things that happened in town… well, it’s a lot.”
She poured herself a glass of water after all that and took a big swig. Griffin looked thoughtful.
“Maybe I can help you?” he said finally.
“You already help,” Willow assured him, setting down her glass.
“I mean with the gym. I’ve been itching for something to do, and it sounds like you could use an extra hand.”
“You’re supposed to be resting,” Willow said firmly, looking him in the eyes.
He rolled his. “I’m not saying I should walk a Great Dane with my bad arm. But I could take over a shift. I could s
upervise a free play session without needing to pick anything up. And if there is anything to lift at the end of the day, it should just be dog toys. And we already established with Tele that most toys can go on my list as weighing less than five pounds.”
Telescope wagged his tail.
“Please,” Griffin said with his charming smile. “Letting me do this favor for you would be a big favor for me.”
Willow hesitated. In general, she had a rule about not mixing her personal and professional life. Yes, she had decided to disregard this rule when she finally admitted that she liked Griffin as more than a contractor, and he was still putting the finishing touches on her house. However, the rule was in place for good reason. It was knowledge she had gained from her divorce settlement when her ex-husband got to keep her first and beloved business because it had been on his land and she had allowed it to be in his name. She knew that she had learned a lot from that experience and would now only place her trust in people who were worthy of it.
She knew that Griffin wasn’t Benjamin. Happily, he had proven the differences between them again and again. Also, having him work as a temp wasn’t at all the same as giving him legal rights to the gym. However, it was still mixing parts of her life together that she liked to keep separate.
“I’ll think about it,” Willow said.
Griffin nodded and she was grateful that he didn’t press the subject. He must know her well enough by now to know what a big deal this was for her. He wasn’t going to try to force her to accept his idea. This realization made her even happier that they were together.
Telescope began barking happily, announcing that the other Wells’ had arrived. The couple stopped smiling at one another to greet the guests.
Wednesday strode onto the porch all smiles, but Willow could tell that it was forced. Frank followed behind her looking solemn and subdued.
“Who wants wine?” Wednesday asked, jovially displaying the two bottles she was holding. “I have red or white, so there’s something for whatever you’re feeling. I figured we could all use a drink after a week like this. Am I right?”
“Sounds good,” said Griffin, standing to say hello. “I’ll open them right up.”
“I’ll open them,” Willow said, sounding like a nurse scolding a patient. She couldn’t believe that the twisting motion required of the corkscrew could be a good motion for a hurt shoulder.
Wednesday handed the bottles to Willow and then went to give Telescope some affection. The dog happily accepted her petting and baby talk about what a handsome boy he was.
Willow looked at the wine bottles in her hands and couldn’t help noticing their shape and weight. They certainly could do damage if they were swung at someone’s head. She was feeling more certain that the murder weapon used to kill Patricia was her missing wine bottle.
Her thoughts must have been evident on her face because when she met eyes with her father, he was looking serious and nodding.
Willow thought it was best if they tried to forget their troubles for a little while and focused on some good food and being together as a family.
“Let’s eat!” she said.
They took their seats around the table, remarking about how nice the weather was that day and how the candles Willow had lit earlier really did seem to keep the bugs away. She joked that she needed to find some ways to repel bugs because of all the stinky dogs near her home. Telescope looked momentarily affronted, but she assured him she was just teasing and was talking about her clients and not him.
Griffin insisted on serving everything that he could lift to those at the table. He kept saying that most of the food was light and that he wanted to do everything he could to help.
Though Frank could often be introspective and quiet, tonight he was even more so. He just nodded in thanks as Griffin placed a juicy grilled steak on his plate.
However, Wednesday was making up for it by being even more talkative than usual.
“Having a shoulder strain must be so frustrating,” she said, playing with her food as she rambled cheerfully. “You forget how much you use your shoulder until you’re not allowed to anymore. And not being able to lift stuff? That’s rough.”
“I can lift up to five pounds,” he said.
“How much longer is this going to go on?” Wednesday asked.
Willow could hear the slight strain in her voice, but Willow thought that she was still asking about the shoulder injury.
“Another week,” Griffin said, trying to find a comfortable way to cut his meat and finally succeeding.
“If he’s careful and takes care of himself,” Willow added. “He can’t do anything to exacerbate it.”
“And I won’t,” he assured them all. “I don’t want this to go on any longer than it needs to.”
Wednesday nodded several times, took a bite of macaroni salad, and then felt the need to keep the conversation going. “How are things with you, Wills? Anything new to report? Any new troublesome puppies at the gym?”
“Actually, all the dogs lately have been especially good boys.” Then, feeling daring, Willow added, “My only new news is that I’m thinking of having Griffin help out at the gym. He’s been looking for something to distract him while he recovers. And I could use the help.”
“Really?” Griffin asked.
She nodded. He raised his glass to her in a private little toast.
Then, Willow turned her attention back to Wednesday. She didn’t want to bring up anything to do with her job as police secretary because she was trying to avoid talking about murder over the dinner table. Instead, she decided to focus on Wednesday’s other job.
“How has being an Influencer been going? Any new projects I don’t know about?”
Wednesday twirled her fork around as she spoke. “The Hot Air Balloon campaign I did was really successful. I think they might ask me to do another event with them. Something about lanterns. But I’ll see how that goes. I’ll need my string of bad luck to stop for that to happen. You know? Coming across dead bodies and losing my job and all that.”
“Losing your job?” Willow asked, setting down her silverware.
“She didn’t lose her job,” Frank said, finally adding something to the conversation. “It’s just temporary.”
“So, you were suspended?” Willow asked, wanting to get the facts right.
“They can’t have a person of interest in a murder case working as police secretary,” Wednesday said as if it were a joke, but they could all tell that she didn’t find the situation funny.
“Dad’s right though. This is only temporary,” Willow said to her sister. “I’m sure this will all be sorted out soon. And then the chief of police will reinstate you.”
Wednesday winced. “That’s the part I feel worst about. Dad isn’t the chief of police right now.”
Willow turned to her father for confirmation. He was focused on his meal and just repeated, “Temporarily.”
“I can’t believe they’d suspend you,” Willow said.
“They didn’t,” Wednesday said. “They wouldn’t do that to him officially.”
“Pretty close though,” muttered Frank.
“It was very heavily suggested that he use his vacation time now,” Wednesday explained.
“They don’t want either of us at the office.” Frank tapped his knife.
Willow slumped back into her seat, admitting that this was bad news all around. If Wednesday had been suspended, then it seemed as if the police were very interested in this person of interest.
Everyone was silent for several minutes, chewing on their food and on the situation at hand. Then, Griffin asked cautiously, “Is everything all right with your steak?”
Willow peered across the table and realized that her father had been cutting his steak into pieces but was feeding most of it to the dog. Telescope still had several bites by his paws that he hadn’t had the opportunity to wolf down yet.
“It’s delicious, Griffin. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you
r cooking. I’m afraid I just wasn’t very hungry,” he said wearily. “And I didn’t want it to go to waste. I was feeding it to the pup without even realizing it.”
Telescope yipped happily to indicate that he didn’t mind at all.
“Look,” Willow said, attempting to give a rousing speech. “I know this seems pretty disheartening right now, but it’s all going to work out. I already discovered a possible motive for the murders. I’m sure whoever is on the case now will find even more. And will find the evidence to convict the real killer. And then everything will go back to normal.”
Frank made a noise of discontent. “I’m not so sure of that.”
“What do you mean?” Willow asked.
“It means that I’m not confident in the detective that they chose to lead this case,” Frank said angrily, poking his side dish with his fork. “It’s Clint McMillen.”
“Who’s that?” Griffin asked, looking at everyone around the table.
“A detective that Dad never really got along with,” Willow answered.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really explained the source to you of this bad blood between us,” Frank said, crossing his arms.
Willow shook her head and tried not to be obvious about gritting her teeth as she prepared to hear bad news.
“The job means everything to McMillen, and, in general, he’s been pretty good at it. He hoped that it would become a family tradition and that his children might follow in his footsteps. And I can understand that.”
Willow looked away. She had always felt bad about disappointing her father and not becoming a detective. When she was younger, she showed a great aptitude for it, and she was still good at solving puzzles today. And while she had helped solve two cases since moving back to Pineview, she had learned a long time ago that it wasn’t the right job for her. The mistake that led her to this conclusion still haunted her. Her father might be disappointed that she changed careers, but she was glad that he didn’t know the real reason for her decision.
“And McMillen’s daughter, Megan, did join the force. He was very proud that she was working her way up the ranks. However, it came to a stop when I caught her cheating on her detective’s exam. It didn’t thrill me to have to be the one to turn her in, but I felt it was my duty to report it. I feel like every officer on the job needs to earn their rank honestly.”
The Bark of the Town Page 5