by Holly Quinn
“Pull them up one at a time so we can zoom in,” Heidi suggested.
Sammy enlarged each photo and didn’t initially see anything of interest. The home was well staged, meticulously clean, and perfectly photographed, as if no one lived there. She wondered how many hours Wanda must have spent in preparation before the photographs were taken. Personal items looked as if they’d been tucked away in storage, as the rooms were void of any clutter. Sammy wondered if Randy was the one who had taken the photos. She’d have to ask.
When they came to the photo of the Wadsworths’ living room, Sammy enlarged the photo just as she had done with the previous ones. Something familiar caught her eye. She enlarged the photo to capacity. Her fingers scrolled over to a framed picture on the wall. “A barn-quilt picture; how pretty.” The painted quilt block on the side of the barn looked a bit familiar, but Sammy didn’t mention it. Instead she added, “What a lovely farm.”
“I think that’s a framed picture of Wanda’s parents’ farm,” Heidi said. “Her parents were friends with mine back in the day, when my parents still had our family farm. I’m not sure how much they’ve kept in touch over the years, though, especially with Mom and Dad retired in Arizona.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, If I remember correctly, I think Wanda’s brother Jackson still farms that old homestead. I’d have to ask my mother to be sure. I’m pretty sure the farm stayed in the family, long after their parents retired. I wonder how Jackson’s doing with the loss of his sister. So sad.” Heidi’s smile faded.
“Do you know Jackson? Maybe we should bring him a casserole or something and pay our respects. I feel like Ellie and I should go with you. We can convince Ellie to prepare the meal and we’ll deliver it,” Sammy teased. “Just kidding. I have a few decent casserole recipes in my arsenal I think we could prepare. Why don’t we?”
“Yeah, we probably should. I haven’t seen Jackson in years, but I’m sure when I talk to Mom in Arizona and tell her what happened, she’d say the same thing. I was waiting to see what the police found out about Marty before I called my parents to tell them about Wanda, because I wanted to be sure she died from a heart attack before I shared the news with them. If I called them now, I’d just be peppered with unanswered questions like the rest of us seem to be wrestling with.”
“Unfortunately, I’m sure Aunt Beatrice already knows. Because if Ellie has phoned our mother, that news will have traveled like wildfire.” Sammy knew that, with Heidi’s parents living close to her own in Arizona, there was no way they hadn’t already heard the news. Ellie spoke with their mother almost daily.
“You’re probably right about that,” Heidi agreed with a nod. “Well, the farm community really looked out for each other back in the day. I’m sure when I talk to Mom, she’ll want me to stop by and see Jackson on her behalf. I doubt if they can make it back from Arizona after just visiting Heartsford for Christmas. Besides, even if Jackson’s farm is a bit outside the confines of our tight-knit community, he’s still considered the outskirts of Heartsford. It’s the right thing to do.”
“And maybe we can ask a few questions?”
Heidi nudged Sammy playfully with her elbow and then rolled her eyes. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Dinnertime!” Ellie hollered from a nearby room.
Sammy wiggled her toes, causing Bara to lift off her feet and saunter back to his original spot in front of the fireplace. “We’d better hurry up so Tyler can open his birthday presents. The poor kid is having a hard time being patient, and I can’t half blame him.” Sammy set the laptop carefully on the coffee table next to Tyler’s stack of gifts.
Heidi took the lead into the dining room, and Sammy followed. The table was set with a colorful birthday-themed tablecloth and matching napkins. A set of red, yellow, and blue helium balloons were tied to the back of Tyler’s chair, where the little boy sat at the head of the table. His cheeks were rosy, and he was grinning from ear to ear. Ellie set a large glass bowl filled with a salad onto the table, and Randy followed with a large steaming casserole dish.
“Have a seat,” Ellie said, moving a red rooster trivet closer so Randy could place the hot dish on it. “Make yourselves at home.”
Sammy took a seat at the long wooden farm table beside her cousin, and Ellie, instead of waiting for birthday cake, broke out in song: “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …” By the second line, they all joined in and watched as Tyler clapped his hands, stretching his fingers to the max as if he were banging cymbals again.
“Happy fourth birthday, Tyler,” Randy said when they all finished singing. “I hope you like this special dinner your mama made for you. She wanted to make sure the meal she prepared was something very special, just like you,” he said as he ruffled the boy’s golden head.
Tyler beamed.
Sammy hoped secretly she would like the “special dinner” as much as her nephew, but she wasn’t so sure.
After the casserole dish was passed along and each scooped a portion, Sammy tentatively took her first bite of “cauliflower mac and cheese” and was pleasantly surprised. Ellie must have seen the acknowledgment on her sister’s face, because she said, “Not bad, eh?”
Sammy smiled at Tyler, who was looking in her direction. “So, this is now your favorite, huh, Ty?”
The little boy nodded his head like a bobblehead with a mouthful of food, and Sammy said, “Yummy! Good pick!” and winked at her sister, who smiled with satisfaction.
The five talked amiably among themselves, keeping things light, and all focus remained on the newly appointed four-year-old.
After they finished their meal, Randy rose from the table, regarded his wife, and said, “I think we’ve held our boy back long enough. I’m going to go grab Tyler’s first birthday present from the other room.”
Ellie looked at her husband disapprovingly. “What about the cake?”
“Tyler.” Randy looked at his son. “Do you want to open a present first or have a piece of cake?”
The little boy’s eyes widened like saucers as he bellowed, “Present!” which made Sammy and Heidi laugh.
Ellie dropped her shoulders in defeat. “Don’t you want me to clean off the table first?”
“Nah,” Randy said as he left the room and quickly returned with a large box. He set the large wrapped package on the floor, and Tyler bolted from the dining room chair. Sammy watched as Tyler tore into the wrapping, revealing a large yellow dump truck that when pushed along the hardwood floor made rumbling noises. Tyler pitter-pattered his way out of the dining room, pushing the toy farther into the living room, leaving the adults alone. Randy was about to follow his son when Sammy stopped him.
“Hey, do you have that listing sheet? I’d like to put it in my purse before I forget.”
Randy walked over to the dining room hutch, where he had abandoned the sheet of paper, and Sammy followed.
“Did you take the listing photos at the Wadsworths’?” Sammy asked. “They’re very professional looking.”
“Yeah, I did. Thanks,” Randy said as he handed her the listing sheet. “It’s been fun to get a real camera back in my hands to take some shots. I used to love photography, but my hobbies sort of took a back seat when Tyler was born. That’s how it goes when you have kids.” He rubbed the back of his neck as if to relieve the building tension.
“So, now knowing that there seems to be an ongoing investigation into the lives of the Wadsworths, can you think of anything out of the ordinary that might help the police?” Sammy placed her hands on her hips and waited expectantly.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Randy crossed his arms across his broad chest and tilted his head to the side.
“Well, the house has only been on the market a few weeks, right? I mean, it wasn’t on the market over the holidays, because I was invited to Wanda’s party and Deborah mentioned it wasn’t for sale then. I’m just wondering what’s been going on in their lives the last few weeks that might have caused Wanda’s death and her husb
and to be seemingly in some sort of trouble too.” Her tone changed to a whisper. “I didn’t tell you earlier, but I was actually in the room when Detective Nash found Wanda’s phone, and I heard Marty’s cry for help.”
“Oh, that’s awful! No, I didn’t hear that.” Randy rubbed the side of his jaw hard as if trying to release some tension there. “The police just mentioned that Marty was still missing, they hadn’t yet located him to inform him of his wife’s death, and that I needed to put a hold on showings. Other than that, they didn’t disclose any further details,” he said with finality, seemingly trying to end the conversation.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what else to tell ya, Sammy.”
“Well, you can see that something is amiss here, and I’m just trying to pick your brain to see if you thought anything was unusual when you were over at the house taking photos. Do you recall anything? Anything at all?” she pressed, hoping for a small detail he had potentially overlooked.
Randy folded his arms across his chest again and then rested his right fist underneath his chin to think. He held the pose thoughtfully before saying, “Huh. The only sort-of-weird thing … and it’s probably nothing …” He brushed it off with a toss of his hand.
Sammy didn’t dare interrupt. She waited patiently for her brother-in-law to internally review things, as if he were retrieving a file from the Rolodex of his mind. After a few moments, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “The one thing … Yeah? Go on …” She tapped him gently on the arm as if to wake him from his reverie.
“Well, it could be nothing—and probably is—but when I arrived to take the listing photos, I felt like I had just walked in on something. Like an argument between husband and wife. At first I thought it might have something to do with putting the house up for sale. Like maybe they were changing their mind or something along those lines. But then Wanda asked Marty to put some papers away that he was holding in his hand so they wouldn’t get in the way of the pictures. I told him to just shove them inside the desk and assured him that it was no big deal, but instead he refused. It was like he didn’t want me to know what was in his hand, like some big secret between them or something. I thought he was overreacting, because it’s not like I was going to go through their desk drawers to take photos. I didn’t care what the papers were about. Hey, none of my business.” Randy lifted his hands in defense. “The reaction was just a bit over the top, in my opinion. But again, I’m learning people get anxious sometimes when listing their house. After all, it’s a big decision. Maybe I just read the situation wrong. Hard to say,” Randy added, dropping his arms to his sides and shifting his weight.
“Maybe that’s something you should share with the police? Or maybe, since you have the lockbox number, you could sneak inside and try to find those papers he was so desperate to keep private? They might hold significant meaning that could get to the bottom of this tragedy.”
“Oh no. The police made it perfectly clear they didn’t want anyone over there. Don’t be getting any hairbrained ideas there, Sammy,” Randy warned, wagging a long finger.
“No, you’re right,” Sammy acquiesced. But in her mind, she couldn’t help but go over potential combinations her brother-in-law might have chosen for the front-door lockbox on that historical Queen Anne Victorian.
Chapter Eight
The next day, Deborah provided a few hours’ coverage in the afternoon at Community Craft, and Sammy jumped at the opportunity to join Ellie and Heidi on a house call to pay their respects to Wanda’s brother Jackson. The three piled into Heidi’s black Jeep and headed out on their errand. Ellie called shotgun and said it was because she held the prized lasagna on her lap. Sammy thought it was only fair. After all, Ellie had done all the heavy lifting by preparing the meal for delivery, so she guessed she should get the honored position up front. Sammy wished she could snag a bite, though, as the tantalizing scent permeated the vehicle and her stomach rolled from her serious cheese addiction and hunger pangs.
“Do you miss Scarlet?” Sammy asked, referring to Heidi’s cherry-red Pontiac Solstice, as they bumpily drove along the back roads of Heartsford toward the outskirts of town. With every bounce of the Jeep, Sammy had to reach out and grip the side of the vehicle or the seat in front of her. She wondered if Ellie would be able to make it to Jackson’s farm without a lapful of sauce.
“Nah, the convertible’s in storage, where she ought to be. Don’t worry, Scarlet will be back running the roads in the spring,” Heidi said with a chuckle, regarding her in the rearview mirror. “Plus, this baby is great in the snow with the four-wheel drive. I’m glad I bought this one and not another car,” she said as she tapped the dashboard approvingly.
Sammy gazed out the rear passenger window and noted that snow was beginning to fall again. Soft wispy flakes fell from a blindingly sunny sky, causing them to sparkle. Her attention was quickly diverted, though, when she heard Heidi say, “Oh boy, what’s going on here … Ohhh nooo, this doesn’t look good.”
Sammy turned her eyes toward the front windshield, where she noticed flashing lights from a police vehicle ahead. Heidi slowed the Jeep on approach, and all three within the vehicle noticed a police officer’s cruiser parked sideways, blocking the road and halting traffic.
“Is that Tim?” Ellie asked.
“Hard to tell with all that winter garb on, huh?” Sammy answered. The police officer was dressed in full uniform and wearing a dark hat and matching black neck warmer, so only his eyes were visible. It was so cold, visible steam rose from the officer’s breath, penetrating the fleece as he adjusted it around his chin.
“Looks like it,” Heidi said, as she pulled the Jeep to rest a few hundred feet in front of the officer. She immediately exited, and Sammy mirrored her and followed close on her heels. Ellie however, remained in the vehicle with the lasagna resting on a thick towel on her lap.
“What’s going on?” Heidi asked as the two moved toward the officer, who was trudging through the recent snow, leaving fresh prints.
“You girls are going to have to make a U-turn,” Tim said in an official tone, his dark-gloved finger making a lassoing motion around his head. “Road’s blocked and tow truck is on the way. I’m going to need you to move outta here pretty quick.” He then rested his gloved hands on his thick police belt.
Heidi reached to adjust the hat on her boyfriend’s head. “You stay warm out here. Despite the sun, it’s still freezing,” she added with concern as she laid a gloved hand tenderly on his cheek. This melted the officer like butter in her hands, and his “officialness” immediately dropped back down a few pegs to casual Tim. He pulled his girl Heidi in for a half hug, then turned to her for a quick kiss after he adjusted his neck warmer again.
“What happened here? An accident?” Sammy swayed next to the officer to get a better view but didn’t see a crashed vehicle anywhere on the road, leaving her perplexed.
“I just found Marty’s abandoned car.” Tim jutted a thumb down an embankment into the thick wooded pines behind him.
Sammy gasped.
“Where’s Marty?” Heidi asked as her eyes darted around them.
“That’s the problem. His whereabouts are still unknown at this time,” Tim answered, all official again, as if he suddenly wanted to dismiss them and their questions. “You’d better get outta here before …” Tim huffed aloud. “Never mind. Too late.” He threw up his hands in defeat.
Sammy turned her head to see Detective Liam Nash moving at a rapid pace toward them. Ah. That explained Tim’s sudden rush back to official capacity.
“Please tell me they haven’t already tainted my crime scene.” The detective eyed Heidi’s boyfriend and placed his hands firmly on his solid hips.
“Crime scene?”
Nash ignored Sammy’s question and instead regarded the officer. “Tell me you didn’t call them over here.” He studied Tim as if he was looking for a slipup.
Tim shook his head. “No, sir. I can assure you I did not. They happ
ened upon the scene, as they are headed …” Tim turned his attention to Heidi with a look of question. “Where are you headed, exactly?”
Sammy interjected, “We’re on our way to pay our respects to Wanda’s brother. We brought lasagna.” She turned to point out Ellie in the front seat, who regarded the officers with a wave of her hand through the windshield.
“So you didn’t call them over to come see this?” Nash said, utter confusion washing over his face.
“No, he wouldn’t do that,” Sammy defended Officer Maxwell, hoping this time she wouldn’t get him in trouble yet again. She had a bad habit of causing angst, and if it continued, she could lose future intel within the police department. “Seriously. Why would we show up here with a lasagna? Go over and talk to Ellie. I promise you’ll find we’re telling you the truth.” Sammy looked at the Jeep and waved her sister over to join them. Ellie took the cue, placed the lasagna on the driver’s seat, and then opened the passenger door to join the group.
The detective threw up his hands in frustration and then rested them back on his hips defensively and hovered over Sammy, waiting for an answer. “Tell me you didn’t approach the car, then?”
“Nope,” Sammy replied innocently. “We’ve been standing here the entire time.” She pointed a gloved finger to the frozen ground. “But what are you looking for? I mean, did Marty crash? Is he hurt? Is that why he was asking for help on Wanda’s phone?” She couldn’t help but ask.
The detective must have realized the group wouldn’t retreat without a few answers, because he said, “After finally getting the trace back on the cell phone, we discovered the last tower Marty’s phone pinged off was within a mile radius of this area. We’ve been searching ever since, but due to all the snow, we didn’t find his car until now.” Nash gestured his hand toward Tim. “Officer Maxwell just called dispatch to send me over here. I’m glad to hear you didn’t actually disturb my scene,” he added, puffing a sigh of relief.