Written into the Grave

by Vivian Conroy

  Vicky snapped her fingers at the dogs. “Come on, Coco, Mr. Pug.”

  The dogs got up from their beds at once and came over to her. She clipped on their leashes and picked up her basket with the sewn gauze bags for the soaps.

  Claire was completely immersed in the newspaper and only replied with a vague ‘bye’ to her departing words.

  Vicky left the cottage and turned left to where a steep path led down to the beach. The wind came to play with her hair at once. She took a deep breath and tried to shake the eerie feeling the installment in Seaside Secrets had left her with.

  Still she was glad it wasn’t foggy today. Then she’d be listening for a footfall behind her, glancing over her shoulder to see if she was being followed by a dark figure with a hood pulled over his head.

  On the beach two other people walked their dogs. Vicky greeted them in passing, her eyes trained on the cliffs in the distance. The story had mentioned cliffs with rocks at the foot of the drop. There was such a place up ahead. Trevor must have seen it once as he was himself jogging or perhaps bird watching. She had seen him walking around with binoculars.

  Maybe the wild landscape had inspired him to write the story?

  Maybe he hadn’t meant it to be morbid at all, just a nice bit of free imagination.

  Vicky picked up a shell or two as she went and tried to focus on her soap display, the new gauze bags and some other orders that were coming in today. She wanted to change the window if Marge was free to help her. Marge had called the other night to say she might have to take the morning off as a friend of hers was moving house and she had promised to help out. But the exact date for the move kept being changed as the new house was still undergoing some quick repairs so a family could move in safely and then work on the rest.

  From Marge’s story Vicky had gathered it was a fixer-upper that would take years to get completely set up right. Having dealt with some renovations in her store she knew how daunting it could be and was glad she wasn’t in those people’s shoes.

  Her eyes picked up on activity in the distance by the rocks at the foot of the cliffs that might have inspired Trevor Jenkins. It seemed several people were walking there, looking down. Maybe they were searching for small creatures like crabs hiding? Vicky wasn’t quite sure if the high tide reached those rocks but if it did, there might be wildlife there that visiting biologists found fascinating. Glen Cove had always attracted people who came for nature, be it birds, sea mammals or smaller life on the shore.

  But her supposition didn’t ring true to her own mind. That one person on the left was wearing a hat. Looking a lot like a sheriff’s hat.

  And was that a flash of light overhead near the top of the cliffs?

  As of a police car?

  Vicky shook her head. The story in the Gazette had really driven her imagination wild. She had started to see police activity near a perfectly innocent little spot along the coast just because there were cliffs like in the story. She had to tell Marge that Trevor’s piece had been good enough to get her completely spooked. The gardener would be pleased to hear it.

  A Labrador came running for her, circling her before he licked her hand. Vicky patted him a moment, then focused on the owner who wasn’t far behind. “Good morning, Ms. Templeton. How are you today?”

  Ms. Templeton was a customer who bought lots of gifts for friends at the store. Her friendly face was wrinkled in a worried frown, and her tone was urgent as she said, “You’d better not go in that direction, Vicky. Turn back or use the path just there …” she pointed to Vicky’s right “… to get up to the road. You don’t want to go anywhere near those cliffs today.”

  “Why not?” Vicky asked, her heart pounding.

  “I think there has been an accident. The police are there. I wouldn’t like to see something gruesome so I decided to walk down the beach and warn everyone I meet.”

  “But have you actually seen what the police are doing there? Have you talked to Cash or one of his men?”

  Cash Rowland was the local sheriff and an old friend of Vicky’s. They had been to school and college together and although they had not seen each other for years after that, they had picked up on their old friendship again once they were both back in town. Vicky had helped Cash with two murder cases, more or less against his will, but he had admitted later she had done a good job.

  Ms. Templeton eyed her as if she had gone crazy. “Of course I’ve gone nowhere near the scene. I have no idea what they’re doing there, but as they came with lights and all, I suppose it’s serious. Some people like to run to accident sites to see all the bloody details, but I’m not one of those people.”

  Vicky hastened to assure her she wasn’t either and to thank her for her concern and good advice.

  But as Ms. Templeton rushed on to warn the other dog walkers on the beach, Vicky stared ahead at the cliffs in deep thought.

  She had no wish to see anything gruesome herself, especially not after the rather vivid description of the victim falling to his death in Trevor’s offering in the Glen Cove Gazette. Still she was worried by the police activity on that particular spot and sort of … intrigued what it could be.

  If something had happened there, today of all days, it would be an odd coincidence.

  She put Mr. Pug and Coco on their leashes and led them up the path Ms. Templeton had indicated, then walked along the road to where the police car stood. As long as she stayed away from the edge, she ran no risk of seeing anything horrible down there at the foot of the cliffs.

  One of the deputies was with the police car, talking to the dispatcher over the radio. He just ended the conversation and looked at her.

  Vicky flashed a smile. “Is the sheriff here?”

  “Down there.” The deputy gestured behind him. “But you can’t go there. We’re keeping this whole area locked off for the moment.”

  “Has something happened?”

  The deputy took a breath as if he wanted to tell her it was none of her business, then he hesitated. Did he remember her connection to Cash, or was he just aware that something sensational could never stay under wraps for long in a place like Glen Cove?

  He said, “Someone took a fall off the cliffs. He must have ventured too near to the edge. Or maybe he wanted to look at the view and got dizzy? He might even have had a heart attack or stroke. That sometimes happens when you’re jogging.”

  “Jogging?” Vicky asked, her heart skipping a beat again.

  “Yes, this route is popular with runners. And … he’s dressed in running gear.” The deputy perked up as if he was happy he could show off his deductive talent.

  “Oh,” Vicky said, looking around. “I don’t suppose a car can have gotten near him. You do hear stories about people getting hit by a car when they’re out running at twilight.”

  “Cars don’t come near that edge,” the deputy said with determination. “Besides, his running shirt had those distinctive stripes on it to improve visibility.”

  “Yellow?” Vicky asked, her mouth dry.

  “Yes. Well, at least as far as I could see from up here. It’s not a long drop, but those rocks are …”

  “Unforgiving.” Vicky tried to smile, but she felt queasy. The deputy was just about quoting Trevor Jenkins’ little story. Not a long drop, but those rocks …

  Someone had died here, this morning, in the same way as in Trevor’s contribution to the writing group’s serial!

  Chapter Two

  Of course not, Vicky tried to rally herself. In the story the person is shot by the narrator. Here it was simply a matter of someone falling. Having a dizzy spell, maybe even a heart attack, like the deputy suggested.

  An odd coincidence, nothing more.

  Still she wanted to know just a little bit more about the circumstances of this sudden death. She asked, “And how did you hear about it? Did somebody call it in?”

  “Yes, some man walking his dog. Saw the body on the rocks at the foot of the cliffs
and called the police. Sheriff’s talking to him down there.”

  Vicky felt a moment’s regret she was not down there herself to ask that man a question or two. Like whether he had happened to glance up at the cliffs and had seen movement there?

  Or whether he had heard gunshots, huh, she chided herself. Will you stop going on about that story in the paper? There’s nothing sinister to it.

  “If you have anything relevant to report about this case …” the deputy said with a probing look.

  “Oh, no, I just wanted to talk to Cash for a moment.” Vicky tried to smile again. “I can wait. I suppose he’ll come up here again, when he’s through down there.”

  “The doctor is coming to look at the body. I assume he can tell us what caused the fall. Or at least guess at it. I think doctors can see whether somebody had a heart attack or seizure. By the color of the face, the lips. Maybe how the eyes are?”

  Vicky tried not to think of the dead body. “Probably,” she said briskly. “Well, must be a weird start to your day.”

  “No weirder than chasing loose cattle and almost getting run over by an angry bull.” The deputy shook his head. “That beast had horns … You don’t want to know. At least that body down there is dead and can’t hurt anybody.”

  It can when it’s murder, Vicky thought. Then we’ll actually have to start looking for a killer.

  Again.

  But she said nothing.

  Vaguely, they caught voices down below, but no words could be made out. After a few minutes a car came up to them, and a tall, gray-haired man climbed out. He retrieved a black leather bag from the back seat and came toward the deputy with an outstretched hand. “Got a body for me? Nasty business if he fell down there. Hello.” The latter was said to Vicky.

  “Oh, doc …” Cash had just come up the cliff path. His face was purple, and he was panting. He leaned on the police car’s hood to catch his breath again. Mr. Pug came over to say hello, but Cash didn’t notice. He huffed, “Pretty steep, those cliffs, huh …”

  “Or you’re out of shape, Sheriff,” the doctor said with a sly smile. “Maybe lay off the beer and pizza, huh? And you should take up running.”

  “And end up like that poor guy down there? No thanks.” Cash wiped sweat off his brow.

  “Do you think he died of exertion?” Vicky asked quickly.

  Cash looked her over. “Good morning.”

  Vicky flushed. “Good morning, Cash. I was walking the dogs when I saw the commotion. I was just curious what was up.”

  Cash tilted his head as if he didn’t believe her.

  “Do you think he died of exertion?” Vicky repeated before he could start asking about her reasons for butting in.

  Cash shrugged. “Don’t know. I went over and had a look to ascertain the victim was dead. Not that it was necessary. He was lying at an angle that isn’t quite natural for the human body. But I didn’t look too close.”

  Cash grimaced. “He was dead—that was for sure—and the rest I leave to the police doctor here and the medical examiner if need be.”

  The doctor took this as his cue, excused himself and went down, balancing himself with his bag held high in the air.

  Cash patted Mr. Pug and Coco who vied for his attention. They associated him with the roadside restaurant where Vicky had met Cash during the last investigation to wean some information away from him. To the dogs’ minds the sheriff came with the promise of sausages.

  Vicky asked Cash, “But do you think someone can really fall down here by accident? You’d have to get close to the edge.”

  “Some people take risks for the view. If he got dizzy …” Cash shrugged and studied her. “What do you think? That he was pushed?”

  “It’s possible,” Vicky said.

  “No doubt. But we’d need evidence to support that. And I don’t see right now how we could collect it.”

  “The person who reported the body didn’t see anything suspicious?”

  “Not that I know of.” Cash studied her, mopping more sweat away. “Why are you asking all those questions? Do you suspect foul play? We did have two murders here recently, but those were clearly murders.”

  “It has nothing to do with the earlier murders,” Vicky assured him quickly. She wasn’t too eager either to tell Cash that she had read it in the morning paper. He’d probably think she had gone crazy. “I just don’t see as I stand here and look around me how you can go over the edge by accident. The deputy and I were just discussing that there’s no traffic here that can hit you. Or that you can move away from and take a tumble.”

  Cash raked a hand through his hair. “How it happened might not be important if the doc establishes that the deceased had a clogged artery or a seizure. Maybe once we know who the victim is, it’ll turn out he had some medical condition that explains his fall.”

  Vicky pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure how to address Trevor Jenkins’ story in the Gazette this morning. She didn’t want to get the young gardener in trouble for nothing, but as the deputy had mentioned yellow stripes on the victim’s clothes, it was a weird coincidence.

  The doctor came back up, looking grim. “Not a pretty sight.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know yet,” Cash said ironically.

  The doctor came back at him at once. “How does this grab you? The victim has two bullets in his chest.”

  Vicky gasped. So it was murder. And it had happened in the exact same way as in Trevor Jenkins’ story. Two shots. Two bullets. A fall. Dead.

  “Bullets in the chest?” Cash echoed. “But … I thought he had fallen.”

  “Oh, he did fall, and it’ll be hard to say which killed him. If one of the bullets struck the heart, the victim might have been dead upon impact, so well before he hit the rocks below. An autopsy can tell you more about that. Also time of death and all.”

  Cash shook his head. “Bullets,” he repeated. “So there must have been shots. Somebody should have heard those, right?”

  “Not if it happened early.” The doc gestured around them. “Who would be around here at an early hour?”

  He shook his head. “No, I think it would have been relatively easy to wait for someone here and shoot him.”

  “But why do it?” Cash mused. “Premeditated murder, with a gun brought to the spot, not an altercation and a push in a rage. That means someone hated the victim enough to plan his demise.”

  “No wonder.” The doctor looked even more grim. “Archibald Goodridge was an extremely unlikable type. The way he did business.” He shook his head. “You might not know too much about it, Cash, as you’ve been away from town, but that man was a predator. He used people. He’s even guilty of …” He fell silent.

  Cash looked him over. “Yes?”

  “Nothing. I shouldn’t judge someone who’s now dead.” The doc stepped away. “Let the autopsy fill you in on all the details.”

  “Well, the autopsy won’t tell me what he was supposedly guilty of,” Cash said to Vicky as the doc hurried off. “I wish people wouldn’t drop hints, then retreat.”

  “I guess he spoke half in shock, then realized he might say the wrong thing. Once it’s a murder investigation, you have to be careful.”

  “Once it’s a murder investigation,” Cash repeated with a grimace. “Again, Vicky, again. I can’t believe it.”

  “Who is this Archibald Goodridge anyway?” Vicky asked. “You might as well tell me. It’ll be all over town soon. I met Ms. Templeton on the beach and she was warning everybody who walked there with their dogs that something had happened at the cliffs and it could be a gruesome sight. Once somebody starts to call around about it, the town will be buzzing with rumors.”

  Cash shrugged. “I hardly know Archibald Goodridge. He’s an investment banker who has a second house here.”

  Vicky frowned. “I never met him, but I did meet his wife Gunhild. She makes lovely sculptures. In fact, I was thinking of getting Mom one for the garden, for her b
irthday.”

  Cash seemed to perk up. “You know Goodridge’s wife? You’ve been to her place?’

  Vicky made a dismissive gesture. “Only once, with Marge, to ask Gunhild Goodridge if she wanted to donate a sculpture for our auction. For the old lighthouse, the renovations?”

  Cash waved it off and said in an eager tone, “The occasion isn’t important. You know her, that counts. You’re coming with me to give her the bad news.”

  Vicky was stunned by the suggestion. “What? Why? I hardly know her. You’re in an official capacity. I can’t just tag along.”

  Cash looked her over with a hitched brow. “You’re always tagging along, never caring for my so-called official capacity. Now you can do me a favor and help me solve a very sensitive issue. I have to tell that woman that her husband’s dead, will never come home again. Not just fallen down the cliffs by accident, but murdered. How do you think she’ll take it?”

  “Well …” Vicky considered it, going back over her brief encounter with the woman. “She struck me as a very composed, rational person.”

  “Nonsense, she’s an artist so she’s bound to go all hysterical on me. She might even faint. I have no idea how to handle such a thing. You’ve got to help me.”

  “What about the dogs? I can hardly take them along to Gunhild Goodridge.”

  “My deputy can take them back to your mother’s when he’s done here.”

  Vicky sighed. She wasn’t keen on her mother hearing she was en route with Cash for an investigation. Claire had never liked her sleuthing and pressed her several times to stay away from anything potentially dangerous.

  But Cash had merely asked her to help him convey the news of Goodridge’s death to his widow. There wasn’t any danger in that.

  Of course Vicky didn’t like being the bearer of bad news, but she did know Gunhild a little and could try to soften the blow. Cash wasn’t known for his subtle touch with people and he had obviously already formed an opinion of Gunhild as prone to hysterics, which would make him even more awkward around her.

  Besides, Vicky hadn’t told Cash yet about the odd bit in the newspaper this morning. The striking similarities between Trevor Jenkins’ contribution to Seaside Secrets and the murder here at the cliffs.