by Leona Fox
Chapter 7
When Ellen first heard the news about the burglary she rushed around, hoping that Maggie would have calmed down and have had enough goodwill to let Ellen apologize to her. However, as soon as Maggie laid eyes on Ellen she began yelling at her, and demanded for Ellen to be arrested. There was already quite a crowd, as people were often drawn to such scenes, and Ellen felt the glare of all of them on her.
“She did this, I'm sure of it! You've all been fooled by what she is. She's just a petty person and she doesn't want me to open this cafe. She knows it'll be the death of her business. I know you're all fond of her but I'm sure of it. Arrest that woman!”
Jimmy glanced at Ellen, who was shocked by the accusation and so stunned she couldn't even respond.
“And what's more is that your hero has been lying to you. There's a company called Longthorne that is trying to open a mall here. I think Ellen is a part of the project, trying to sell out all of you. She's a fraud and she's taken you in for too long!”
The accusation spread through the crowd like wildfire and they all began talking hurriedly. Ellen and Jimmy shared another worried look as they both knew that this knowledge would cause panic among the people of East Pender. Those who already had been burgled had frayed nerves, and it didn't take much to push them over the edge, while others looked upon her with disappointment.
“Is this true?” they called out.
“I'm not part of any scheme! I didn't do this!” Ellen said, caught in the middle as a circle formed around her, turning her around, making her dizzy with all the judging voices crashing like lightning.
“But you knew about the scheme? Why didn't you tell us?”
“It wasn't my place! It's not finalized yet. Please, we have to be calm, we have to remember who we are. You know me. You know I never would do something like this. I only have your best interests at heart,” Ellen pleaded. Her voice cracked as she felt the trust she had built with the town crack under the weight of these accusations.
“If that were true then you would have been honest with us and not kept something like this hidden. We deserved to know about this,” she heard.
She wasn't even sure who said it but it didn't matter. They may as well have been speaking as one entity. Ellen felt her knees grow weak and she wished the ground would have just swallowed her up. Maybe she had been at this for too long and finally had reached her breaking point. Maybe she had lost whatever it was that made her special and never would get it back. Maybe she would be better served returning to an ordinary life. Scampy remained by her side, as loyal as ever, growling and barking at all those people who were yelling at his owner.
As her head spun and her vision blurred she saw Jimmy trying to placate the crowd but he lacked the authority to make any real difference. His gesticulations went unnoticed, his soft voice fading into the background. Ellen also saw Maggie, who looked upon her with a stern gaze, eyes made of iron; firm and uncompromising. She folded her arms and wore a smug look on her face.
But then, out of the crowd came another figure, another voice that was loud and strong. Richard Robins came up to Ellen and supported her, holding her up.
“Are you really so quick to believe that Ellen could have done such a thing?” he yelled, his voice booming out, dominating the crowd.
“After everything she's done for you are you really going to forsake her now? There is not one person among you who she hasn't helped. Sure, she may have made an error by not telling us the truth about this big company but are we not going to allow her to make mistakes? Are we going to hold her up to a higher standard than we would ourselves? Ellen has done so much for this town and I can't believe she would do something like this. I don't see how any of you could. I for one will not stand by and watch this witch hunt take place!”
His staunch defense of her rallied some more people to his cause and the crowing of the crowd abated. Ellen, feeling weak, rested against Richard and thanked him. The police were able to get everyone under control, and Richard walked Ellen away. Jimmy came up to her.
“I'm sorry about that. I tried to get them under control but they just wouldn't listen,” he said.
“I know. I saw, thank you. They're just scared, that's all.”
“Did you want to come and look at the crime scene?”
“I don't think that's the best idea, considering what just happened,” Ellen said. She had no urge to be in close proximity to Maggie at the moment either.
Now she knew there was no hope of ever getting back on Maggie's good side. Whatever chance they had of being friends was gone, and it had been her fault, but she had to deal with that. She was breathing in deeply, trying to recover her strength after the shock of having everyone turn on her. Richard had gone away again, but she was glad of his intervention because she had been feeling light-headed and who knew what would have happened had he not talked some sense into the crowd.
“You can handle it, Jimmy. I have faith in you,” she said, squeezing the man's arm, “besides, there's somewhere else I have to be.”
Ellen made her way to the best restaurant in town and found Tom and Stephen Longthorne enjoying lunch. It hadn't taken much to track them down. She knew they still were hanging around town and there were few places that would cater to the specific needs of wealthy businessmen. It wasn't as though they were trying to hide their movements either, which also made Ellen consider the possibility that she had indeed been mistaken in accusing the elder Longthorne of the break-ins.
On the way to the restaurant she reflected on what just had happened. Her heart was buoyed by Richard's defense and the way other people had followed his lead, but deep inside she felt guilty and ashamed that she had betrayed Maggie's trust. Looking back on it, it wasn't something that was true to her nature and she didn't like how she had trusted other people's opinions before her own. Maggie had done nothing to suggest she was anything other than genuine and true with her intentions. Ellen should have believed her, and now she would have to pay the price for not doing so.
It made her think about herself and the way she had been ever since she had discovered that Edward Carrey had been stalking her, and she knew she couldn't go on like this. She also thought about Jimmy and the advice she had given him, to act like he was confident and eventually it would become a reality.
It had been difficult to function in the absence of Andy and Kelly but perhaps the independence was needed as she couldn't use them as a crutch. When the people of East Pender needed her she stepped up to the plate, and that had to count for something. So, when she burst into the restaurant, she projected a confident aura and strode up to the table where the two men were sitting. Tom Longthorne eyed her with curiosity, intrigued by her brashness, while his son glowered, his leg shaking with nervous energy.
“Ah, Miss Thatch, so lovely to see you again. Would you care to join us?” Longthorne said, gesturing to an empty chair.
He picked up a napkin and brushed a few crumbs away from his mouth, then took a sip of water. His son stared at him incredulously.
“No, I don't have time for that, and I don't think you do either. They know about the deal, Longthorne. Everyone knows now.”
Longthorne sighed, “Well, that is a rather unfortunate turn of events. The truth does have a way of squirming out though, doesn't it? And were they as panicked as you imagined they would be?”
“There's...a lot going on. But you know what this means, don't you? Your deal never is going to go through, not now that people know your plans. The mayor never would go against public opinion. So it doesn't matter if you were responsible for the burglaries or not.”
“I've already told you, Ellen. I was not-”
“We can't afford to miss out on this deal! It's too important,” the younger man at the table said.
He leaned forward and his voice was so loud his words were carried throughout the room. There were only a couple of other customers in the restaurant, but they turned their heads, startled at the sudden noise. The
elder Longthorne glared at his son, a reaction that was all too instinctive.
It conflicted with the measured approach Ellen had been used to during her admittedly few interactions with him. She watched with curiosity as the elder man leaned forward and glared at his son, his amicable demeanor disappearing, replaced with a cruel and foreboding countenance that instantly made his son wilt.
“Shut up you fool! You say too much,” Longthorne said in a harsh whisper.
He then turned to Ellen. The dark cloud dissipated and he wore the same false smile that she had been used to.
“I must apologize for my son. It is difficult to control the impetuosity of youth,” he said.
Ellen noticed that Stephen blanched at this remark, evidently not appreciating being treated like a child. It was an odd relationship the two of them had. Ellen always had wondered how people mix family and business and, looking at the two Longthornes, she saw a prime example of how it wouldn't work. Stephen obviously resented his father and only was waiting for him to retire so he could gain control of the company. Meanwhile, Tom didn't trust his son, and had been in power for so long he would not relinquish control easily. It only would spell doom for the future. Power struggles were never easy things to deal with, let alone when they were between father and son. At least, Ellen thought, that's what her instincts had been telling her, and for the first time since the Edward Carrey incident she believed she could trust them.
“Of course, I understand. But it would seem you have no reason to stay in East Pender now. I'm sure men of your character won't find much amusement in the offerings of our little town.”
“So it would seem,” Longthorne said through a thin smile.
“Besides, I don't think you're going to prove to be very popular characters around here. So, for your own sake, you probably should make a hasty exit before everyone finds out where you're staying and starts harassing you.”
Ellen tried to hide her smug tone as she spoke but it was difficult. She left the Longthornes stewing over their meal.
As she left she could feel the glare of Stephen on her, and smiled when she heard the hushed mutterings of the two of them as they discussed their wrecked plans. Not everything had gone her way recently but after that encounter she was beginning to feel like herself again. Now she set about to solve the case with renewed determination for she wasn't about to let the responsible party get away with it. Even if Maggie wouldn't thank her for catching the thief Ellen at least wanted to do something to make up for the rift she had caused between them.
Chapter 8
“What shall we do, Father?” Stephen said in a respectful tone after Ellen walked out. The elder Longthorne gazed at the doorway.
“There goes a fine woman. She reminds me of your mother back in the day,” he said before turning to his son.
“We do what we always do, carry on and follow our convictions. I am not about to be dictated to by some cafe owner. We are doing business with the mayor and I do not care if the people start pressuring him. They lack the one thing we have.”
“What's that?” Stephen asked.
Longthorne reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, then threw it on the table to emphasize his point. Stephen smiled and the two men rose from their table and marched out of the restaurant.
“I don't understand how anyone can live in a town like this,” Stephen said as they walked along, “there's no fun around here. Where are all the bars? I can't wait until we get back to the city.”
“Don't be too hasty, these towns are the lifeblood of America. They remind us of where we come from, and when we transform them we can learn from the mistakes we made previously. It is curious how people have such a yearning for the old way of life when what we offer is so much better, but they just need to be shown.”
“I don't like how this is going, though. If we don't get this deal...”
“Don't trouble yourself too much. There are always people to be exploited and if East Pender doesn't work out there are plenty of other towns to visit. Things will be fine. I haven't worked so hard all my life to see things crumble now. Setbacks are simply challenges to forge us and keep us true to our course. You can learn from them, my son,” he said. The two of them stayed in East Pender even after Ellen's warning, not easily deterred from their ultimate goal.
“Do you think we should go see the mayor and tell him what happened?” Stephen asked.
“No, we'll let him stew for a while. I think we almost have him with that last offer. Every man has his price and it won't be long before he cracks.”
Stephen seemed satisfied with the answer and looked at his father with admiration. The two of them spent the rest of the day taking calls and discussing important business matters with people back at their base of operations, before heading out to dinner in the evening. Despite their low opinion of the town, Tom Longthorne had to admit there was something appetizing about the local cuisine and it wasn't something that easily was replicated elsewhere. Their good mood, however, was spoiled when they returned to their room and found it ransacked. The elder Longthorne's face reddened and his entire body turned rigid as he bristled with anger.
“Get the police,” he said tersely.
Ellen had been sitting at home when Jimmy called her. She had been puzzling over the burglaries. In her heart she almost hoped the Longthornes were responsible. Even though there was no evidence against them, the burglaries had stopped now that their deal was in jeopardy. However, given what she had learned about the two of them she wasn't convinced they were actually to blame but there were no other suspects that sprung to mind. Then she answered the phone, and she practically was convinced. Jimmy was ready to beg her to come and help but she didn't need any urging; she grabbed her coat and headed to the hotel as fast as she could.
When she arrived the Longthornes were giving statements to the police and blasting Jimmy, threatening to sue the city if the culprit wasn't found. While Tom Longthorne mostly had kept his emotions under control during his stay in East Pender they were now on show in full force. Ellen felt great sympathy for Jimmy, who was standing there helpless as he bore the full brunt of Longthorne's onslaught.
“...and if you do not find him I will hold you personally responsible. I have connections in the city and I will see you are busted back down to a traffic cop. Nobody steals from us. No one!” he yelled, his voice almost strong enough to make the foundations of the building tremble.
“Would someone care to update me?” Ellen said gently, diverting attention from Jimmy, who flashed her a grateful smile.
“Some cretin has stolen from us. It happened when we were out to dinner and you people better find the ones responsible. Otherwise, I will bring in my own people and they will turn this town upside down,” he thundered.
“Mr. Longthorne, we have the matters in hand.”
“Forgive me for saying so Miss Thatch but I have a lack of faith in your abilities since you accused me of having something to do with the burglaries. As you can see,” slowly sweeping his arm around the room, highlighting the chaos, “we are the victims here, not the perpetrators.”
“Unless, of course, you set up this scene to divert suspicion from you before you left,” she replied. Longthorne looked exasperated.
“I am getting tired of protesting my innocence. I am a respectable businessman and I do not appreciate this treatment. I have done nothing but conduct business in this town and I continually have been harassed. Now, if you people kindly would do your jobs we can get this matter sorted.”
Scampy growled after hearing Longthorne's harsh tone, and the man growled back. Ellen told Scampy to quieten down and the dog settled beside her feet, and he did not make another move.
“Actually, I no longer think you are responsible. But since everyone knows of your plan more than a few people would have liked to steal from you. Maybe they even saw it as poetic justice. So it may not be related to the other burglaries at all.”
“I don't care about your
theories! Just find whomever did this and get my money back!”
Ellen left the Longthornes and went to confer with Jimmy.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think I want to get out of here. How could the mayor even think about doing business with them in the first place? They're so...mean.”
“From what I can see the mayor didn't have much choice. They strike me as the type to try pushing through a deal even when they know the other party isn't interested. But despite their character I don't think they did it. All this is rather convoluted, especially since they weren't being investigated seriously. I don't think they would be so petty as to arrange those thefts anyway. They probably think problems can be solved by throwing enough money in their direction. So they wouldn't need to start any other ploys.”
“But that leaves us back where we started, with no suspects. We don't even know if this crime is related!”
“It wouldn't surprise me. It's the same as the other places, organized chaos, and again no clues are left. Whoever is doing these burglaries is good, there's no doubt about that.”
“Then how are we going to catch him?”
“I don't know, but we will.”
“Is it usually like this, so hopeless?”
“Sometimes,” Ellen said smiling widely.
“I can't help but think this case would be solved if Andy were here. I feel like I'm holding everything back,” his tone was still despondent and he looked as though he still hadn't slept all through this case.
“Don't worry Jimmy, it'll be over soon and you can go back to your old job. Don't blame yourself for this, though. Some cases go this way, you can't take it too personally. It's just part of the job,” she said, but Jimmy didn't seem to be reassured.
They finished taking the Longthornes’ statements and Ellen looked around the room again, but there wasn't anything that presented itself. She also was frustrated, almost wanted to crack the case just for Jimmy's sake, if nothing else. Being there for the solution would help give Jimmy some confidence, or at least she hoped it would, but something definitely was lacking in the man, something that Andy had in abundance.