by Lee Hollis
She was scared.
Worried.
Purposefully vague.
“Because Bessie was the one who took these pictures,” Hayley said. “And I get the feeling you’re not being forthright with me about barely knowing her.”
“It’s true. I knew her name, but we hardly spoke,” the mayor said, eyes downcast, “until Cody told me she was blackmailing him. I was shocked. I had no idea she had been following us around. But it didn’t matter that Cody was sleeping with the mayor of Bar Harbor. She was only interested in him approving her bank loan. I begged Cody to give her anything she wanted, but he was resistant. So I went to her house to offer her money for her business if she gave her assurances that my name would never be dragged into a scandal.”
“So you were going to bribe her into keeping quiet about the affair?”
“When you put it that way, it sounds so unseemly. But I suppose you’re right.”
“Did Bessie agree?”
“I never had the chance to make my offer. When I pulled up in front of her house, she was on the front lawn talking to someone else.”
“Who is it she was talking to?”
“I forget his name, but he didn’t look happy. He was shouting at her. It was getting very heated. I don’t know what happened after that, because I was afraid they would see me, so I drove away.”
“So you know the man?”
“Yes. The vet. I can’t remember his name. I don’t keep pets.”
“Dr. Winston?”
“No. I know Dr. Winston. He’s been around for years. We served on the school board together. No, it was the new one—the one who replaced Dr. Winston.”
“Dr. Palmer?”
“Yes, that’s the one. It was him. Dr. Palmer.”
Chapter 28
“Oh, Hayley, I’m so sorry. I was really hoping it would work out with him, “ Liddy said, sipping her piping-hot Baileys Irish Cream and coffee.
“It was pretty much over at the Hayseed Ball,” Hayley said.
“So the cute doctor is a brutal killer. Gotta admit, I didn’t see that one coming,” Mona said, chugging her beer.
The three of them were sitting side by side on stools at Drinks Like A Fish. Hayley met her two besties for cocktails after she got off work, which was an hour later than usual, since she had to put in that extra time for being late.
“Mayor Richards just saw them talking,” Hayley said. “Maybe he was making a house call. Bessie had something like seventeen cats.”
“Don’t try putting a positive spin on it. He killed her,” Mona said, slamming her Coors Light down on the bar and waving at Michelle, the bartender, to fetch her another.
“You don’t know that,” Hayley said.
“Mona’s right. It’s always the handsome, flawless, square-jawed, heroic-looking romantic interest whom no one suspects. You gotta have the twist ending!” Liddy cried.
“So, what should I do?”
“I have an idea,” Liddy said, spinning around on her stool to face her friends.
“I never like it when Liddy has one of her big ideas,” Mona replied, groaning.
“Too bad, Mona. Because it involves you and that scruffy, ungroomed mutt of yours, Bagpipes.”
“Bagley. His name is Bagley, and he’s not a mutt. He’s a komondor,” Mona retorted.
“Who cares? That Hungarian shepherd dog with the chronic flea problem, which is the chief reason, by the way, I never step foot inside your house,” Liddy said. “Well, that and the fact you have a bazillion kids and there is bound to be head lice.”
“Get to the point, Liddy.”
“I say we swing by Mona’s house and pick up her dog, and then show up at Dr. Palmer’s office to see if he has a cream or a spray or something he can prescribe to alleviate poor Bagpipes’ itchiness.”
“Bagley,” Mona said through gritted teeth.
“Hayley already has used Leroy and Blueberry as decoys,” Liddy said, ignoring her. “If they show up again, it’s bound to arouse suspicion. We’ll have to use Bagpipes. Just keep him away from me. God knows what else is living underneath that mangy coat of fur.”
“Bagley!” Mona shrieked. “And it’s an awful idea!”
“No, it just might work,” Hayley said, her mind racing.
“Two against one,” Mona groused. “It’s always two against one.”
Within twenty minutes Mona was carrying Bagley underneath her arm, depositing the dog on top of the reception desk at Dr. Palmer’s clinic. Hayley and Liddy hung back by the door to the waiting area as Mona slowly explained why her dog needed to be examined.
Marla Heasley, Dr. Palmer’s perky assistant, scratched Bagley’s head. “Fleas, huh? Well, the doctor is out right now, and I’m not sure when he will be back.”
“As you can see, the poor thing is very distressed from all the itching and scratching,” Mona said.
Bagley licked Marla’s face, panting, smiling, jowls flapping.
“I think he’s handling the discomfort just fine,” Marla said, not the least bit suspicious, “but let me take him in the back until the doctor returns. In the meantime you can fill out some paperwork. Come with me, Bagley.”
Marla led Bagley out through a door into another room in the back of the clinic. The happy dog trotted loyally behind her, tail wagging.
“Why doesn’t he obey me like that?” Mona asked, perusing the papers.
“What is it with her and animals? They all seem to love her. Frankly, I don’t see it,” Hayley said, annoyed.
“If she comes back, Mona, give us a signal,” Liddy said, pretending she was in a John le Carré novel.
“Like what? Smoke signals?”
Liddy sighed. “Just text me from your phone, okay?”
“Liddy, I’m not so sure this is a good idea . . . ,” Hayley said.
Liddy grabbed Hayley by the hand and dragged her into Dr. Palmer’s office, which was to the right of the reception area in the opposite direction from where Marla escorted Bagley.
They looked around before setting their sights on the desktop computer with a large, flat-screen monitor.
Liddy sat down and began clicking on all the files.
“Liddy, I have a bad feeling about this—”
“Would you relax? We’re not going to get caught. Now where should I start first?”
“Marla keeps a detailed calendar of all the doctor’s appointments. Maybe we can see if he met Bessie more than just that one time.”
Liddy nodded and opened the calendar program. She scrolled down the days, the weeks, the months.
“Look at all the times he went to the gym. At least we’ve solved ‘The Mystery of the Six-Pack Abs,’” Liddy said, impressed.
Hayley pulled the keyboard away from Liddy and typed Bessie into the search engine of the calendar program.
“He met with Bessie on three occasions. And look at what he typed in the notes column from the meeting. ‘Last warning.’ What was he warning her about?”
“Beats me. But Mr. Perfect is hiding something. I can feel it,” Liddy said.
Hayley heard a buzzing sound. “What’s that?”
“What?”
Another buzzing sound.
“Don’t you hear that?”
“Oh, it’s just my phone,” Liddy said. “We’re in the middle of a spy operation here. Whoever it is, I can call that person back.”
“But didn’t you tell Mona to text you if something was wrong?”
Liddy gulped, suddenly realizing that, and grabbed the phone out of her pocket.
She read the text.
“What does it say?”
“He’s back.”
“Dr. Palmer?”
Liddy nodded.
“We have to get out of here before he comes in and finds us.”
“Too late,” Liddy mouthed to Hayley.
Hayley pivoted to see Dr. Palmer standing in the doorway.
He did not look happy to see them.
Chapter 29
> “I’m calling the police!” Marla screeched as she poked her head over Aaron’s shoulder as he stood in the doorway.
Aaron turned to her. “No, Marla, no one’s calling the police.”
“But, Dr. Palmer, they can’t just burst in here and rifle through your files. That’s against the law and they should be arrested!”
Aaron took Marla’s hands into his own and squeezed.
She swooned, and the hard look on her face instantly melted.
“I’m guessing Ms. Powell and her friend—”
“Liddy Crawford,” Liddy cooed, batting her eyes, struck by the doctor’s good looks.
“Nice to meet you. I’m guessing Ms. Powell and Ms. Crawford were just being overzealous in their pursuit of justice.”
He made their breaking-and-entering attempt sound almost noble.
God, he was sexy.
“Pursuit of what? I don’t understand,” Marla huffed. “I really think I should call Chief Alvares and get him down here. This woman has clearly been trying to insinuate herself into your life for nefarious reasons. It’s a good thing we found out now before you opened your heart and she stomped on it. You need someone who would rather be dragged along the ground, tied to the back of a speeding pickup truck, than do anything that would make you unhappy. . . .”
Aaron held his hand up in front of her. “Okay, Marla, I want you to stop and take a deep breath for me.”
Marla obediently followed his instructions, mesmerized by his penetrating eyes.
“That’s good. Now hold it a minute and release,” he said, still holding her hands.
Marla let out a whoosh of air.
“Feel better?”
She nodded.
“Good. Now there are a couple of pet owners out in reception still filling out paperwork. Why don’t you go check on their progress?”
“Yes, Dr. Palmer,” Marla said, with a fawning smile, spinning around like Julie Andrews in the Swiss Alps, and floating back out front.
Aaron watched her go; then he turned back to Hayley and Mona. “Am I right to assume this has something to do with Bessie Winthrop?”
Hayley nodded.
Liddy stepped forward and smiled brightly at the doctor. “I’m surprised at you, Hayley. How could you think this tall hunk of a man could possibly have done anything sordid? One look into those gorgeous eyes will tell you the man is completely innocent.”
“I never said I thought you did it,” Hayley tried to explain to Aaron, who was still not smiling.
“Then what are you doing in my office, on my computer?” Aaron asked, stepping into the office and closing the door.
“As you know, I’ve been conducting my own little investigation, trying to prove that there was more to Bessie’s death than clogged arteries—”
“I’m aware of that, Hayley. I was with you at the Garbers’ house when you decided to tear apart their bedroom, looking for evidence to connect them to this so-called crime.”
“Yes, well, recently I came in contact with someone who saw you having an argument with Bessie on her front lawn before she died.”
“That someone was Mayor Richards, I presume?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“It was hard to miss her. She was gawking at us for so long as she drove by the house that she almost drove her Volvo right into a telephone pole.”
“So it’s true? You were arguing with Bessie?”
“Yes,” Aaron said matter-of-factly.
Liddy moaned. She wasn’t quite ready to face the fact that Dr. Palmer was anything but Mr. Perfect in the flesh.
“I was making a house call. One of Bessie’s cats was hiding under the couch and not eating. Turns out the cat was pregnant. Just what that household needed. More cats. As I left, I scolded Bessie for having too many pets. The condition of her house was unsanitary. It was an unhealthy environment for her and the cats. I told her she needed to find other homes for some of them. She didn’t take kindly to me telling her what to do. She just blew up at me.”
“Yes, Bessie did have a temper,” Hayley said. “So that’s what you were talking about when you said you were giving her a last warning?”
“I told her if she refused to take action, I was going to be forced to call animal control. That’s when she really went nuts. I barely got out of there with my life.”
“I see,” Hayley said, suddenly feeling foolish.
“You could’ve just called me up and asked me, instead of breaking into my office,” Aaron said.
“That’s what I told her,” Liddy said, before turning her head sideways and then whispering to Hayley, “I figure you’ve already blown it, so maybe I have a chance.”
“So you honestly thought I was capable of murder?” Aaron asked. There was a sad, disappointed look on his face.
Hayley suddenly knew what Marla was talking about. She would rather be dragged through the streets, tied to the back of a pickup truck, than see that hurt look again.
Her phone buzzed and she yanked it out of her jeans pocket.
It was a text from Sal.
Another break-in at pharmacy. Get over there now.
Hayley looked up at Aaron. “I’m sorry. I have to go. It’s a work thing.”
Aaron nodded. “Okay. See you around.”
It sounded like he didn’t mean it.
“I have nowhere to go,” Liddy said. “I can stay.”
“I’m afraid I have some work to do. Like your friend Mona’s dog. The flea problem? She’s outside waiting. Unless that was just an excuse to come over here.”
“No, trust me. That’s real. They’re going to have to put a tent over Mona’s house,” Liddy said as Aaron opened the door to his office and ushered them out.
Hayley stopped and opened her mouth to say something to Aaron, but nothing came out. He gave her a slight nod and a thin smile. She felt silly, just standing there with her mouth hanging open, so she kept going. She walked out of the vet’s office and never looked back.
It was a short walk down Cottage Street to the pharmacy. Liddy spent the entire time apologizing for inappropriately hitting on Hayley’s man. Hayley explained that he wasn’t her man. There was nothing between them, so Liddy should absolutely go for it. Liddy veered off to Drinks Like A Fish to pick up her car, and Hayley continued on to the pharmacy. A squad car was parked out front, with the blue lights flashing. Hayley entered to find the pharmacist on duty, Jimmy MacDonald, being interviewed by Officers Donnie and Earl, two young local cops with reputations for being, well, young and wet behind the ears when it came to police work.
So wet they were almost drowning.
Hayley waited patiently for the officers to finish with their questioning and start writing out a report.
Jimmy noticed Hayley and waved her over.
“You covering this for the paper, Hayley?”
“Yeah, how’s it going, Jimmy?”
Jimmy MacDonald was in his sixties, born and raised in Bar Harbor, a retired fireman who wasn’t ready to spend the rest of his life fishing and arguing politics, so he went back to school for his PharmD and now worked the late shift at the local pharmacy.
“Not too good,” Jimmy said, wiping his sweaty hands on his white lab coat.
“Mind if I ask you a few questions now that Crockett and Tubbs are done?”
Jimmy snickered and shook his head. “Idiots. I don’t know why Chief Alvares puts up with them.”
Officers Donnie and Earl were bickering with each other while leaning over the checkout counter, trying to fill out the report.
“What was taken?” Hayley asked.
“OxyContin. What else? I know it’s a couple of tweaked-out teenagers who ran out of Robitussin to chug and decided to kick it up a notch and grab some stash from here while I was in the back filling a prescription.”
“Did you get a look at them?”
“No, like I told the cops, they were gone before I knew they were even here. The only reason I noticed anything missing is beca
use they knocked over a Tylenol display when they were running away.”
Hayley jotted everything down on a notepad she kept in her jacket breast pocket.
“I thought working in a pharmacy would be calm and relaxing after thirty years of running into burning buildings, but I tell you, Hayley, there’s more stress here than you can imagine. I never took into account all the crazy people I’ve had to deal with on a daily basis.”
“I hear you, Jimmy.”
“Believe me, I know everybody’s secrets,” he said, cackling. “And I mean everybody’s. Let’s go out for a drink sometime and I’ll fill you in. Some of the stories will haunt you in your sleep.”
“Isn’t that unethical?”
“Sure. But I could give a crap. I’m old. What can they do to me?”
Hayley laughed. “Well, if you remember anything else, Jimmy, be sure to give me a call. And I will take you up on that drink.”
Hayley turned to go.
Officers Donnie and Earl were now fighting over the police report itself. One trying to grab it from the other. Both probably wanting to hand it to the chief personally. It tore in half.
And then they argued over that.
Hayley turned back to Jimmy. “Did you ever wait on Bessie Winthrop?”
“Of course. That one wasn’t just crazy. She was professionally crazy, if you know what I mean.”
“I do know. I was friends with Bessie. She certainly was colorful.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I liked the broad. She never cut the line or yelled if her heart medication wasn’t ready. And she liked me because I bought a box of chocolates from her. They were awful. I dumped the box after trying just one. But I never said anything to her. Why not stay on her good side? In fact, she came in here on the day she died and asked if I wanted to buy another box. I said sure. Mostly because I felt sorry for her. But I never got it. She died that night.”
“How did she seem that day? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“No, not really. She seemed pretty normal. I mean, for Bessie. She just picked up her medication and then they left.”
“They? She was with someone?”
“Yeah, a lady.”