by Diane Weiner
The cabin went dark. Emily screamed and grabbed Henry’s hand, not allowing herself to breathe.
Henry reached into his jacket pocket for his phone and found the flashlight app. “There, it’s okay. The wind probably knocked down the power line. We’ll stop by Kurt’s and let him know.”
Emily screamed again. “Henry, that was the front door slamming shut. I locked it from the inside. Call the police.”
Henry fumbled with his phone. “There’s no service. Wait here.”
“Don’t leave me alone.”
“Let me make sure they’re gone.” He crept into the living room, listening for the prowler. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingers felt numb. He hugged the wall, looking up and down, left and right. Creeping noiselessly, he went into the kitchen. A flood of light blinded him. Headlights glared through the kitchen window illuminating the room like a stadium at a night game. Screeching wheels like nails on a chalkboard assaulted his ears. Catching his breath, he said, “Emily, he’s gone. Come on out.”
Emily exhaled. “I heard a car. Who do you think it was? Brody?”
“As far as we know he’s in Falls Church. We’ll stop at the police station.” Henry opened the kitchen door and saw skid marks in the dirt. “I’ll bet the police can take a tire impression. It may help them find the creep.” He noticed something hanging on the outside wall. “The fuse box isn’t shut all the way.” Using his phone flashlight, he pulled it open and moved the levers.”
“The lights are back on.” Emily allowed herself a much needed breath.
“The fuse box was deliberately tampered with. Someone didn’t want us snooping through Danielle’s things.”
“Henry, look.” She pointed to the ground at a half smoked cigarette. “Should I pick it up with a tissue?”
“Leave it there. The police will be coming out and it may be more helpful if it’s left where it fell.”
They got back into the Jeep and drove to the station. Emily clutched Henry’s free hand. The wind, sounding like a ghost in the dark, whipped through the partially opened windows. Her cheeks stung from the brisk night air.
Emily’s stomach did somersaults as Henry sped along the dark, twisty, mountain road. Time passed in slow motion. Her fight or flight reflex was still in high gear when she spotted a cruiser parked in front of the illuminated police station. They ran through the station door.
“Detective Wooster, we have something to report,” said Emily, trying to catch her breath. Detective Wooster was Megan’s partner and looked like a young Ron Howard.
Emily and Henry spat out the details. “We were packing Danielle’s things since her parents are coming in tomorrow. We heard a noise, which Henry thought was just an animal. Then the lights went out and…”
“We heard the door slam and I saw headlights through the kitchen window. The fuse box had been tampered with.”
Detective Wooster said, “I’ll call Megan and head over there. Go home and lock your door. It was probably a burglar looking for electronics.”
Henry put his arm around Emily and led her back to the Jeep. She rested against his shoulder as he drove home. When they walked into their cabin, Maddy immediately ran and grabbed onto them.
“Maddy, what’s wrong?” said Emily. “You’re trembling.”
“I…I. I tried to call you. Someone was peeking through the window right after you left. I was so scared. I locked myself in my room with Chester.”
“Why didn’t you call the police?” Emily was inadvertently yelling.
Henry stroked her arm. “Maddy, I’ll call them now. We were at Kurt’s cabin and someone else was there too. I’ll bet it was the same person.” Henry went outside and walked around, making sure all the windows were secure. Next to Maddy’s window, he saw something on the ground—a partially smoked cigarette.
Chapter 16
The next morning, Henry, Emily, and Maddy sat together at the table. Henry had made scrambled eggs.
“Do you think the police caught whoever was here last night? What do you think he wanted?” Maddy looked at Henry, then Emily.
“We found a blackmail note on Danielle’s computer. I think whoever she was blackmailing was there looking for whatever she had on him. That reminds me, in all the commotion last night, I forgot to tell the police about the blackmail letter and Wallace Hartman’s business card. Wallace Hartman owns Nature’s Vista.”
“So you think this nursing home owner killed Danielle and was spying on me?” said Maddy.
Emily didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know. Danielle’s parents are coming in today. Maybe they’ll shed some light on the situation.” She looked at the rooster clock. “I have a few minutes. Maddy, Henry and I want to talk to you about something.”
“Sounds serious. Are you worried the prowler is coming back?”
“No,” said Henry. “The police are onto him. He’d be stupid to try again.” Henry cleared his throat. “Emily and I were talking, actually we’ve been talking about this for a while.” He fidgeted with his Fitbit.
“What he’s trying to say is,” said Emily, “Henry and I would like to adopt you. We want to officially become a family.” She held her breath, thinking how lame she just sounded. She looked at Maddy for a hint of a response.
After an uncomfortable silence, Maddy said, “I don’t know what to say. Not that I don’t appreciate what you two have been doing for me…”
Henry said, “You don’t have to tell us right now. Emily and I love you, Maddy. That won’t change no matter what your answer.” He felt a gnawing in his stomach as he watched Maddy grab her backpack and head for the school bus.
“I think she was open to the idea,” said Emily. “She needs time to process it, that’s all.”
“Well, like I said, it won’t really change anything.” He couldn’t finish his breakfast. “I have to get over to the hospital. Have a good day at work.”
Emily cleared the dishes and turned off the coffee maker. She knew how much Henry was hoping Maddy would jump for joy at the adoption offer. She herself was ready to take the next step. In actuality, she felt Maddy should be grateful they’d taken her in and wanted to call her their daughter. She should have appreciated the offer and jumped at the chance to be legally part of their family. After all, if they hadn’t rescued her, she’d be living in some foster home. She drove to work, and again ran into Nancy in the parking lot.
“Emily, you look exhausted,” said Nancy.
“We had quite the night. I’ll fill you in later.”
“I did some more digging on our friend Mair. Guess what? Mair’s father is a retired detective. I was reading an interview with Mair’s ex and he claimed his ex-father-in-law covered up the murder and that’s why they never found a body. If you are serious about writing that new book, you should go talk to the ex.”
“I was thinking I would as soon as I get things settled at home. Maddy’s schedule got changed. Hopefully she’ll be happier.”
“Hope so. Did you notice how Mair doesn’t have a single family photo on her desk or anywhere in her office?”
“I did. At first I figured she had no family—after all, who would live with her?”
Emily and Nancy walked into the mail room, where an elderly woman with glasses was stuffing mail into faculty boxes. The smell from the copier gave Emily a headache.
The woman paused. “Emily, did that guy with the beret ever find you?”
“What guy?”
“I was here late catching up day before yesterday and I ran into an older gentleman I’d never seen before. At least I think he was older. His hair was gray. He said he was the father of one of your students and needed to speak to you. He wouldn’t leave his name.”
“Really? This isn’t elementary school, and the semester’s just starting. I wonder what that was all about.”
“If he really needs to see you, he’ll be back.” She continued stuffing boxes.
Emily felt uneasy and it wasn’t just from the headache. So
meone stalked them at Danielle’s cabin last night, someone peered into their windows when Maddy was home alone, and now an elderly gentleman wearing a beret was looking for her. Elderly gentleman—that wasn’t Brody. She taught her morning class, then brainstormed ideas for her new book. While working on an outline, Henry called.
“Hey, Em, do you want to meet me at the inn for lunch? Pat says Danielle’s parents are in town.”
“Did the police interview them already?”
“Yeah, first thing this morning.”
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you there.”
Emily finished her notes, then googled Wallace Hartman. Could he be in town looking for her? A photo would help. She scrolled down the screen. Hartman owned Nature’s Vista as well as two other assisted living facilities. She found a bio and a photo. Hartman was bald, not gray like the secretary described the man in the beret. Multiple rolls of fat piles supported his chin like a pillow. It was unlikely he’d have been capable of climbing roofs and stuffing a chimney.
On the way to the inn, Emily wondered if the gentleman claiming to be a parent was the same one who broke into Danielle’s and spied on Maddy. For that matter, was he also Danielle’s murderer? Her stomach growled as she’d barely eaten breakfast this morning.
The inn was slightly busier than it had been the past couple of weeks. Max was perched on top of the front desk, soaking in the sun that shone through the front doors. Emily spotted Henry, seated near a window overlooking the porch.
“Hey, Em. Over here.” He got up and gave her a kiss. “I’ve eaten most of the rolls that were in the basket, but we can get more. You okay?”
“Yeah, just hungry.” Head now pounding, Emily couldn’t decide if eating would make her feel better or worse. She opted for minestrone soup and a rustic salad with heirloom tomatoes. Henry, teetering on becoming vegetarian like the rest of his family, ordered a spinach frittata with baked fries.
“Henry, someone is stalking us. The lady who works in the office said a man was looking for me the other day.”
“Have you been leaving your wedding ring at home again?”
“Seriously. It’s most likely the same man who spied on us at the cabin and the one who scared Maddy.”
“Brody?”
“He had gray hair and the secretary referred to him as older.”
“Wallace Hartman?”
Emily pulled out her phone and showed Henry the picture she’d found.
“Nope, not Wallace Hartman.”
Coralee, always the hostess, stopped by their table. “How’s the food today?”
“Delicious as always,” said Emily. “Did you meet Danielle’s parents? We heard they are staying here.”
Coralee pointed to the next table. “That’s them. I don’t even know what to say to them.”
“What can you say that doesn’t sound hollow?” After all these years, she still shuddered when she remembered all the we’re praying for you and she’s with God and not suffering anymore comments that were meant to make her family feel better after her sister died. A simple sorry for your loss would have been enough.
“They’re leaving tomorrow.” Coralee wiped her hands on her pinafore.
“I’ll talk to them and arrange a time to bring over Danielle’s things.”
When they’d finished eating, they approached the LaPierre’s. “Excuse me,” said Emily. “You’re Danielle’s parents, right? We’re sorry for your loss.”
Mrs. LaPierre looked at her blankly. “Yes. Did you know Danielle?”
“We’re friends of the man whose cabin she rented. I was asked to gather up her things and I wondered when would be a good time to bring them over.”
Danielle’s father, tall and lanky with the same blond hair as his daughter said, “Anytime. We aren’t going anywhere today.”
Emily sat in the empty chair. “The detectives are working hard to find your daughter’s killer. Were you close to her boyfriend, Brody? He must be taking her death hard.”
Mrs. LaPierre said, “He was no longer her boyfriend. Danielle defended him at the trial and after that things went south. She regretted defending him, and in fact, that was the last criminal case she did before switching into estate law.”
“She’s been—I mean, she was––working for an international firm. Paid better and the hours weren’t so crazy,” said her father.
Emily said, “Do you think she uncovered something that angered someone enough to murder her?”
Mrs. LaPierre’s eyes teared. “All she said was something about the whole thing being a farce. The testimony from residents’ families about how their loved ones died from the heat kept her up at night. Danielle was very close to her own grandmother and the story hit her hard.”
“Even though she defended Splash Panels?”
“When she was working on the trial, she believed it was all an accident. After they won, she had second thoughts.” Mr. LaPierre put his arm around his wife. “Brody was always scheming to make a buck. Danielle found out he had invested money in Splash Panels and had a lot riding on the system being up and ready to operate.”
“In other words,” said Mr. LaPierre, “he cut corners on preliminary testing.”
Coralee came to the table. “On your way out, would you like to see Max, Danielle’s cat? I thought you might want to take him home with you, though we’d miss him terribly.”
Emily hadn’t considered the idea of Danielle’s parents whisking Max away from Sugarbury Falls. Her stomach ached thinking of how painful it would be for Coralee, and especially for Maddy.
“No,” said Mr. LaPierre. “I have terrible allergies. Had to pop a few Zyrtec every time we visited Danielle. I’m sure he’s happy here.”
“Happy as a clam. He gets lots of attention from the guests. If you’re sure you can’t take him…” Coralee’s eyes sparkled.
“Danielle would be thrilled her cat is living out his life as the Outside Inn mascot. We appreciate you giving him a home.”
Emily and Henry said their goodbyes. Her heart ached for the LaPierres, who would never experience the sweet events of Danielle’s future—marriage, grandchildren, professional success. How would they ever get over the loss? On the way to the parking lot, Emily’s phone rang.
“Yes, thanks for getting back to us so soon. Really? Okay, then I guess we’ll have to keep looking.”
Henry put his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “What was that all about?”
“It was Detective Wooster. They lifted prints off of the fuse box at the cabin. They aren’t Brody’s.”
Chapter 17
After lunch, Emily went back to her office and saw the list she’d brainstormed earlier. She grabbed a legal pad and started making a preliminary outline of her new book. Needing more background information, she took a chance and called Mair’s ex-husband, hoping he would be willing to talk to her.
She looked up the number, took a deep breath, and made the call. “Mr. Rose, this is Emily Fox. I’m a true crime writer and I was hoping to interview you for a book I’m planning to write on your son’s disappearance. With your permission, of course.”
“For the past two years no one’s shown much interest. They say he wandered off and since they didn’t find a body, that was the end of it.”
“I’m hoping to draw attention to the case and renew interest.”
“Mair’s father is on the force, or at least he was. He blocked the investigation from the start. I’ll help you any way I can. My son disappeared without a trace and I want to nail my ex-wife. I’m positive she killed him. Even her story about falling asleep on the sofa didn’t ring true. She never, ever fell asleep by day. She guarded against it because she was an insomniac and did everything she could not to stay awake all night.”
“Tell me what you think happened.”
“The police didn’t find any traces of blood, but they ignored the fact that the area carpet had been removed. I think she wrapped his body in it and disposed of him before I got home.�
��
“How do you think she killed him?”
“He was big for a twelve-year-old, and strong, too. I think she poisoned him. I told the police that there was a huge bottle of juice, you know the kind––so heavy they wrap a plastic handle around the opening so you can carry it?”
“Like the ones you get at Costco, right?”
“Yeah. It was in the fridge that morning. Nathan gulped that stuff like it was water, but even at that, there’s no way he went through an entire bottle by the afternoon. It was gone when they searched the house later that day.”
Emily frantically took notes as she listened. “And without a body, poisoning couldn’t be proven. Did you look for the juice bottle?”
“By the time I thought of it, the trash had been picked up. If only we could find his body, perhaps it’s not too late to test his remains. I don’t know what she did with him. He was pretty heavy, so she must have had a time of it dragging his body out.”
“Or, she poisoned him, got him in the car, and took him to another location until the poison killed him.” She jotted that on her legal pad and marked it with an asterisk.
“I checked the gas in her car. I’d filled it the day before and the needle hadn’t moved. The police sent divers into Lake Pleasant, and volunteers searched the woods for days. Without a body, we can’t prove murder.”
“What did you have at home that was potentially fatal?” Emily doodled on the legal pad while she waited for an answer.
“Mair took sleeping pills, for the insomnia. And I had gasoline and antifreeze in the garage, but those containers were intact.”
Emily looked at the clock on her desk. “I’m sorry, but I have to teach a class in a few minutes. Do you mind if we talk again?”
“Mind? If you can stir up interest, perhaps the police will reopen the case. Are you a mother? If so, then you know you would work until your dying day searching for your child.”
“Yes, I have a daughter and you’re right. I’d never stop looking.”
Emily walked to class tossing around ideas. Where would Mair have hidden the body of a twelve-year-old if not the lake or the surrounding woods? Would she have used her prescription sleeping pills to kill him? It would have been difficult to save enough of them if she was using them herself. What about the shoes? The father said his son would never go outside without shoes, so if he was drugged, would he have still insisted on wearing shoes?