by Jenn Vakey
“A few buildings here and there.” He spoke like it was a common occurrence to own several buildings, or even one for that matter. Rilynne still thought it was strange. “A few of them I fixed up and sold. One building I purchased had to be practically stripped to studs and rebuilt. It looked great by the time they were finished. I turned a nice profit on it, too.”
Rilynne stopped and turned toward him with puzzled amusement. “So what you’re saying is you were flipping entire buildings?” she asked. “I didn’t know people actually did that.”
Ben shrugged and smiled, pleased with the shock and impressment she expressed. “That wasn’t my original plan with it,” he explained. “I was going to rent it out for office space, but I ended up needing the funding for something else I was working on.”
“Well, I guess that’s as good of a reason as any to sell something,” she chuckled. Even the thought of it still seemed so abstract to her, like they were talking about nothing more than a game with play money. She had a feeling it wouldn’t start to feel real until she found herself actually seeing the things he had and did. “And as for my mother, I’m actually surprised she hasn’t already sold her house and made the move. Honestly, I think she’s just waiting for an official invitation.”
“Well, make one,” he said. “I know how happy it would make you if she were closer. Besides, it’s good for her and Elise to spend the time together, too. Since she never knew her own mother, I think yours has started to fill that gap. I was actually surprised your mom accepted her and made her feel like she was part of the family as quickly as she did. I didn’t really know what to expect out of that situation. Elise might not talk to you much about it, but it means a lot to her.”
A surge of gratitude spread through her. “I won’t lie, I was kind of concerned about their first meeting, also. I knew mom wouldn’t ever be anything more than pleasant to her, but she really went above and beyond. Elise may not be her daughter, but I think she sees her that way. They even talk on the phone nearly as much as we do. As for her moving her, having her close doesn’t mean she has to live on the same property as us,” she stated. “I know you’ve offered because it’s what you think will make me happy, but she could just get a place in town somewhere.”
“It’s not like I’m saying she should move in with us,” he said. They stopped at another fork in the road. After looking up and down both paths, they again went left. “We have twenty acres, and I’m in talks with the neighbors behind us to buy their property, which stretches out into the hills. We could build the guesthouse anywhere on there. There’s a pretty nice spot toward the other end that would even give her a private driveway that come out close to the hospital. That way she will be close enough any time you needed her, but we would still have our privacy. You know I don’t like the idea of you being alone when I’m out of town. And it would be nice to have her close when we have kids.”
Rilynne was glad he was a couple steps in front of her so her face didn’t betray her. The color leached from her cheeks. “That would make things a bit easier,” she said, not wanting to broach the subject. The more he spoke of them having children, the more nervous she became. She hadn’t even realized how hesitant she was until he mentioned it the first time after they married. Not wanting to talk about anything so serious while on their honeymoon, she just avoided the topic altogether. “I think Matthews would enjoy having her here, too. She offered to watch the girls for him any time he and Katy wanted a night out to themselves. I swear he’s asked me about her a dozen times since they were born. Now that they’re sleeping through the night, I bet that’s going to only get worse.”
“I imagine part of that has to do with the face Katy’s mom was driving him crazy while she was here,” Ben laughed. “He’s so protective of her, even when it comes to her mom. I really thought he was going to snap at the party they threw to introduce the girls to everyone. When she told Katy that she was being foolish allowing them to be surrounded by everyone’s germs, I thought he was going to kick her out right then and there. I was actually amazed he didn’t. I’m pretty sure Katy was, too.”
Matthews’ love for his wife wasn’t something anyone who’d met them would ever question. It wasn’t a secret that he would do anything in the world to make her happy. When her mother brought her almost to the point of tears at that party, Ben and Katy weren’t the only ones who believed he was going to kick his mother-in-law out in what would have been a very public display. Rilynne, on the other hand, wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d evicted her from their lives instead of just their home.
“I’ll saw one thing, I couldn’t see my mom ever doing anything like that,” she admitted. “And it would be nice to have a nurse around to stitch me up when I get hurt. I won’t pretend it doesn’t happen often enough for it to be considered an upside.”
“It was pretty sexy watching you stitch your leg up, though,” Ben said. “I didn’t see that going as well as it did. You should have seen Matthew’s face when I told him you did it. I think he assumed you must have been joking when you told him to ask me about it. And to think, the guys were actually worried when Wilcome told everyone he’d hired another woman to join the unit.”
“Really?” Rilynne asked, her shock turning into a laugh. “What did they think, that I was going to be a little weakling who couldn’t take care of herself?”
“Pretty much,” he said. “But you can’t really blame them for being a little hesitant. The only female detective that had ever been in homicide before you was Detective Butcher, and you know how everyone felt about her. Despite the fact she was actually pretty skilled, her tendency of wanting to flirt with everyone was pretty damaging to their views of females on the squad. The general consensus was that you would either be a little princess they had to guard or a homely girl they had to deal with unwanted advances from. Instead, they got a stubborn, clumsy detective with a knack for getting herself into trouble.”
“True, but…” she started, pausing to figure out where she was heading.
Ben didn’t wait. “But you are a fantastic detective with wonderful taste in men. You should have heard the talk after your first few days. No one was worried about you making advances anymore. Instead, there was a lot more talk about the absurdity of that old rule.”
Rilynne laughed as they came to another split in the road. Without giving it any thought, they took the first path to the right. It had been twenty minutes since they’d passed the last building. The path was narrowing slightly, and they had begun walking over rougher terrain. She was officially lost.
“I would have to agree with you there,” she chuckled. “I am a pretty fantastic detective.”
Ben pushed her with his hip, causing her to almost lose her balance. They both laughed as he steadied her and they walked hand in hand to the next junction.
“Hey, I think I know where we are,” Rilynne said, eyeing the road carefully. “Isn’t the bed and breakfast down that way?”
Tracking her gaze, he pulled her down the path. “Let’s find out.”
Sure enough, they came upon the bed and breakfast after just ten more minutes of walking. Like before, the front door was wide open. Just inside, they saw Holly moving around furniture. Rilynne was just about to suggest they went in to talk to her when Ben started toward it.
“We’re not open,” Holly called out from the large room to their left when they stepped in. When she turned around and faced them, recognition flashed through her face. “Oh, it’s you. Don’t tell me something else happened.”
“No,” Rilynne said, walking toward Holly, Ben following close behind. “We were actually just out for a walk and thought we would stop in and see how you were doing.”
Holly wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. After motioning for Rilynne and Ben to have a seat on the one sofa in the room that had been left uncovered, she dropped heavily down into a large cushioned chair. “It’s still so hard to believe,” she said. “I keep thinking I should have call
ed someone when she didn’t show up Monday. I really just thought she was dealing with stuff and needed the day off.”
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Rilynne stated, trying to reassure her. “Whoever killed her did so before you even realized she was missing.”
Her words seemed to ease Holly’s mind, but the effect didn’t last.
“Do you have any idea who could have done it?” she asked. For the first time she looked more frightened than just sad. “Being in this old house alone was scary enough before you told me someone had killed Caitlin. Now every noise I hear, I think someone is in here creeping around. I’ll definitely sleep better once I know you have the person responsible. This just isn’t the kind of thing that happens here. This is supposed to be a safe place to live. Most people here don’t even lock their doors.”
“Well, maybe you can help us out that,” Rilynne said, taking advantage of Perez not being with them. “We’ve heard that Mrs. Burton was having an affair with someone on the island. Do you have any idea who it might have been?”
Holly shrugged helplessly. “An affair? I never saw anything that made me think she was doing anything like that. She honestly didn’t seem the type. I don’t want to sound harsh, but she was, you know, old. She didn’t seem to really care about anything other than work. Maybe that’s what she was fighting with her husband about, though.”
“Have you seen her spending time with any men in the time she has been here?” Rilynne asked. “Or maybe she had an encounter with someone that just seemed a little off, like if she was trying to hide something.”
“The only time I’ve really ever seen her was when we were here working,” Holly said. “She did spend a lot of time with Lucas. He’s the contractor. Well, he was before he quit last week. He said something about personal matters, but he didn’t really give me an explanation. He looked a little ill, so I just assumed he was having health issues.” She looked down at her watch before jumping back up from her seat. “Maybe he’s the guy she was involved with,” she added halfheartedly. “Now that you mention it, I did notice things were a little different with them over the last few weeks. They were spending a lot more time together in back rooms. I just thought it was because we were branching into other areas of the house and that’s where they were working. I just really don’t know. Is there anything else I can do for you? I really need to get back to work. With Caitlin, well… you know,” she muttered uncomfortably, “and Lucas taking time off, we’re getting behind schedule. I really need to get back to work.”
Rilynne and Ben thanked her for her time and saw themselves out. The sun had vanished in the time they had been inside, leaving just enough of a glow in the sky for them to see the road in front of them.
“Do you know the way back?” Rilynne asked Ben. She wasn’t going to pretend she could get them back across the island without actually getting lost. She didn’t need to provide Ben with anything else to give her a hard time about. The list was already abnormally long.
“This way,” he replied, pointing to the left. “It’s going to take us a little while to get back, but it’s a pretty straight shot. Do you want to swing by the diner for dinner, or should we just put something together back at the house?”
“Cheeseburger,” she said before quickly changing her mind. “No, steaks! We have those two marinating in the fridge, don’t we?”
“Oh yeah,” he responded excitedly. A breeze swept past them and picked up his hair, making it dance under the glow from the horizon. “I forgot I put those in this morning.”
“How could you forget steaks?” she joked. “They’re one of the best things on the planet. We have everything we need for baked potatoes, right?”
Ben dropped his arm down on her shoulders. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“I knew there was a reason I married you.”
Chapter Nine
Rilynne was standing in the middle of a long dirt road. Lining both sides were thick trees that towered high above her. She looked as far as she could both ahead and behind her, but she couldn’t see anything around.
“Which way do I go?” she asked herself. Nothing looked familiar.
After spinning several times in place, the yellow sundress she wore spinning out around her, she finally just picked a direction and started walking.
She walked for what felt like hours before finally seeing the first sign of civilization.
The police station looked empty as she walked up the creaking steps. The wood was warm beneath her bare feet.
“Hello?” she called out, pushing the door open. It let out a loud screech as light flooded into the dark room. With it, she saw something move quickly behind a desk. She took a quick step back, and considered just turning around and continuing down the road. After taking in a gulp of air to build up her courage, though, she stepped in. “Who’s there? I saw you hiding,” she said, her voice shaking with every word. “Just come out where I can see you.”
After a few moments, she saw a head rise into view.
“Perez?” For the first time, she was relieved to see him. “What are you doing in here? Why are you hiding?”
Sergeant Perez’s face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. As he stood and rose into view, he seemed to be fighting the urge to erupt into full body laughter.
“I’m not hiding,” he giggled. “Now move along, nothing to see.”
Rilynne took another step in, causing Perez to shake with excitement.
“You’re up to something,” she said, growing more curious with every step she took toward him. “What are you doing back there?”
He shook his head violently, though the large grin didn’t leave him.
“Nope, nope,” he said. “Nothing to see. Let’s go somewhere else! We can go talk to some other people. I bet they have something to hide. We can talk to them and I bet one of them has something big to tell us. Secrets; everyone has secrets.”
Rilynne kept her eyes on Perez as she walked around the desk to see what he was up to. When she rounded the corner, he pushed himself against the drawers to block her.
“Let me see,” she insisted. Again, Perez shook his head vigorously, his body jittering with excitement. “Come on. You want to show me, don’t you? It’s too exciting to keep all to yourself.”
Perez giggled again, sounding more and more like a small child. “But that’s important! I can’t let anyone know. There would be so much trouble if anyone found out.”
Rilynne tried to push him aside, but he wouldn’t budge. “It’s alright,” she assured him. “You can trust me. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
He shook his head again and pushed his body back even harder against the desk drawer. She was getting annoyed.
“Just let me see what’s in the drawer. You don’t want me to call the mayor, do you? Then she would make you get out of the way and she would see what’s in there, too.”
“That bag can’t do anything to me,” he said, slightly more serious than before, though not by much.
Rilynne was losing her patience.
“She didn’t seem to have any trouble making you work with us,” she stated firmly. “I bet whatever you have in there is even bigger than that. And then she would probably tell everyone all about your secret. I don’t think you want it to get out like that, do you? If you show me, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“I don’t know,” he said, like a nervous child trying to decide whether lie or tell the truth. “I don’t know if I can trust you. I think you’ll turn me in. I can’t let that happen!” He shot his arms up in the air like he was trying to take flight. “No one will stop me!”
Rilynne had enough. She took hold of Perez with both hands and forcefully moved him out of the way. Before he could stop her, she reached out and pulled the drawer open.
“No!” he yelled. He shoved her with such force that she toppled forward, falling into the open drawer.
Darkness surrounded her as she fell deeper and deeper int
o the drawer. Soon, the light from the opening was almost impossible to see.
She could feel her stomach twisting, but the scream building within her wouldn’t leave her lips. She was sure the ground was going to hit her, but it didn’t come. She just fell.
Just when she was thinking she would never stop falling, she saw a blue glimmer coming toward her. Rilynne didn’t have time to consider what it could be before it was upon her. She crashed into the dark blue water below, but it didn’t stop her. She sank deeper and deeper before she finally saw the bottom below. When her feet touched the wet sand, she felt the panic setting in. The surface was far; it was too far for her to swim without needing a breath. She jumped up and tried to kick up, but it felt like weights were tied to her ankles and dragging her back down.
She tried again and again, but she couldn’t get off the ground. Her lungs started to burn and her vision began to blur.
She was drowning. She couldn’t stop it.
Rilynne shot up in bed, gasping for air. Her heart was drumming in her ears as she looked quickly around the dark room. Aside from her husband snoring gently beside her, she was alone.
Chapter Ten
When Rilynne opened her eyes, she saw Ben sitting on the bed next to her.
“Good morning,” she groaned, reaching for the clock. It was just before eight. “What are you doing up so early? You’re almost never up before me.”
“I had a bad dream that woke me up and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I thought I would get up and get some breakfast ready. Why don’t you go back to sleep and I’ll bring you some when it’s ready,” he said, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead.