Suspicions with Murder (A Rilynne Evans Mystery, Book Four)

by Vakey, Jenn

  Rilynne turned away so Nancy wouldn’t see her laughing. Ben’s head popped up when he heard the remark, but he didn’t turn around. Judging by the smirk Tylers wore after looking down at him, she had a feeling Ben was visibly stunned by the remark.

  “That won’t be necessary, Ms. Santos. The staffing agency that fills all of the positions for the Lewis family requires fingerprints upon hiring, so your prints are already in our system,” Tylers explained.

  She opened her mouth to counter but she was interrupted by Cole as he walked in behind her. “Nancy, Mrs. Lewis has requested your presence in the kitchen.”

  She looked furious as her eyes turned back to Ben. Nancy stood in place for close to a minute, but he didn’t turn around to face her. After throwing a hateful look toward Cole, she walked past him back down the east hall.

  “What?” he mouthed to Rilynne. She tilted her head toward Ben and raised an eyebrow. Cole glanced over to the stairs and tossed his head back as he slowly shook it. He turned around without another word and followed Nancy toward the kitchen.

  “Excuse me, miss,” Ben said when they left the room. “Would you mind helping me with this?”

  Rilynne pushed herself off of the wall and walked toward the stairs. “I don’t know how much help I can provide, Mr. Davis, is it? I’m just a maid.” Ben looked down at her with an amused smirk. She climbed up the stairs, stopping just two steps below him. “I’ve been ordered not to have any dealings with the police while you’re in the manor.”

  “Then why are you here?” he asked, returning his attention to the board he had pried up on the steps. “You just wanted to see me, didn’t you?”

  “I will neither confirm nor deny the validity of that assessment,” she replied. She looked around the room making sure no one was coming. “I will say, however, that I was very much looking forward to watching Nancy Santos try to get your attention.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “She wasn’t very subtle, was she?”

  “Not at all,” she laughed with him. “Have you found anything else?”

  “The killer did a fairly good job cleaning up,” he stated. “The only blood on the stairs is the drop that you found. Summers and Scarlett are working through the gardener shed right now. Our warrant is pretty limited, so unless something else is visible, we’ll have to stop there.”

  “I’m not going to lie. I’m completely looking forward to seeing Mrs. Lewis when she sees what you did to her stairs.” She leaned down to examine the board he was combing over. She was surprised to see that the board had been stained on both sides. She hadn’t heard of anyone staining boards before they were laid.

  “I so wish I could kiss you right now,” Ben said softly. She looked over to find him staring at her instead of the board. His chocolate eyes searched over her face before stopping on her lips. She felt heat spreading through her body before it settled on her cheeks.

  “Oh yeah?” she asked.

  His nod was barely visible as he moved slightly toward her. Rilynne’s chest tightened as her breathing became heavier.

  “I hate to interrupt this…beautiful moment, but we really should be getting the evidence back to the lab if we ever want to get our detective back,” Tylers said. Rilynne looked up the stairs to see him leaning against the banister, arms folded and head cocked to the side.

  She sighed and pulled herself back up. “I should get back to my room before someone comes looking for me,” she said. “Let me know if you turn up anything useful.”

  Rilynne was only a few steps into the east hallway when Cyndi Lewis came storming toward her.

  “I told them not to,” she said quickly, trying to sound upset. “They insisted on it, saying they would be careful not to do any damage to the steps. I tried to stop them, but they made me leave. I’m sorry, ma’am.”

  Cyndi looked at her with a mix of curiosity and anger but didn’t say a word. When she stormed past her, Rilynne stopped in her tracks and waited for the fireworks. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rilynne heard before she turned and hurried back toward the west wing. She could still hear her yelling as she neared her room.

  “What’s that all about?” Nancy said when Rilynne walked past her open door.

  She stopped and leaned against the doorframe. Nancy’s room was very similar to her own. The only obvious difference was the bed. Though it was the same size, the bed squeaked when Nancy sat down on the edge of it. Through the sheets she could see that the mattress was much thinner than hers, and appeared to be nothing more than a cheap, standard one. She had just assumed all of the staff rooms held the same feather top mattress that she had.

  “Mrs. Lewis saw what that guy was doing to the stairs,” she said casually. “I didn’t stick around when I saw her headed that way. She looked furious.”

  “What did he do to the stairs?” she asked curiously.

  Rilynne shot her a puzzled look. “You were standing in there staring at him. You mean to tell me you didn’t notice him pulling to boards off of the stairs?”

  Nancy shrugged. “To be honest, I was more interested in looking at him than at what he was doing. I will say I’m a little disappointed by his menial job, but he’s still incredibly attractive. I guess if I can’t have a wealthy man, I could always be happy with a handsome one.”

  Rilynne stared at her in utter disbelief but fought off the urge to throw in her opinion. “His job may be menial, but he seemed to be too distracted by it to pay attention to anything else going on. I guess you’ll just have to go back to your original plan to track him down in town for a chance meeting.”

  “It shouldn’t be hard,” she said. She lay back on the bed, letting her head hang over the end. “I’m sure he won’t be as distracted when he’s off work. All I need to do run into him when he’s out and about. I heard from a friend of mine in town that all of the officers like to hang out at a bar near the station. I bet that’s a good place to start. I’ll probably head over there my next night off. It’ll be as easy as sitting next to him at the bar and striking up a conversation. I’ll bet I could be out of this hellhole within a few months. I’ll make a good house wife.”

  “Well, as long as you have a plan,” Rilynne said as she pushed off of the doorway and walked back to her room. In that moment, she didn’t know who to feel sorrier for, Nancy or Ben.

  From her window she could see officers venturing off of the driveway and stepping through the tree line. She thought back to her encounter with Olsen, trying to think of anything that would explain what he was doing out there.

  She didn’t have to concentrate long.

  The room in front of her was dark. It was so dark that it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust. She was in a bedroom, though she couldn’t make out any details other than the outline of the furniture.

  “Don’t worry.” The deep, scratchy voice echoed toward her. She peered through the dark room and saw Rick Olsen sitting in the corner. “I moved everything days ago. I took care of the large package and put the drugs in your room. There isn’t anything out there for them to stumble across during their investigation”

  He paused and nodded as he listened to the voice on the other line.

  “The warrant doesn’t cover much, but they’ll be back. You need to make sure to move the goods out in the next day or two. The last thing you need is to be caught with the valuables.”

  As her room came back into focus, Rilynne was left pondering the meaning behind the one sided conversation. He spoke of a package, drugs, and valuables. Nothing he said indicated his trip into the woods had anything to do with the murder of Brittney Price.

  Disheartened, she walked to the kitchen for dinner.

  Chapter Ten

  “I heard Nancy had an encounter with the man from the other night,” Lisa said when she saw her walk in. She was the first to arrive. “I heard her side of it. How did it really go?”

  Rilynne grinned and hopped up on the isl
and before saying, “He was working and didn’t pay attention to anything going on around him. I doubt he even noticed there was anyone else in the room.”

  Lisa shook her head. “That’s a far cry from him continuously eyeing her like she stated. Is he even really as cute as she said? You never can tell with that one.”

  “He definitely is,” Rilynne said. “Doesn’t seem quite as rich as she originally hoped, though. She’s decided to go ahead with her original plan and try to track him down in town. I think I would actually pay good money to watch that encounter. She isn’t exactly subtle.”

  Lisa laughed as she carried a plate of potatoes to the table. “No one’s ever accused her of that. Do you want to help me grab the sides?” She motioned toward the five white bowls sitting next to her on the island.

  Rilynne jumped down and started carrying them to the table. “These look fantastic,” she said as she placed them around the plate of baked potatoes.

  “I put my own seasoning mix on them before I put them in the oven. It makes the skin taste incredible,” she said with pride. “I hope you like your steaks medium rare.”

  “That’s perfect,” Rilynne said as the others started to file in.

  Danny walked in just behind Cole and flashed her a warm smile as she sat down.

  “You started at the perfect time,” he said as he lowered into the seat next to her. “Lisa makes the best steaks. We only get to have them once a month, though.”

  “So do you think the police found anything?” Casey asked as he sat down across from her and grabbed a plate.

  “I don’t know, but I heard they did a number on the east stairs,” Cole said. “Mrs. Lewis was furious. Mr. Lewis seemed to find it incredibly amusing, though. I don’t think I’ve seen him that happy in a long time. Although that could have just been due to the fact that she so upset.”

  “Upset is an understatement,” Rilynne said with her own impish grin. “I could hear her yelling from my bedroom. I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s not like they were going to just leave it like that. They assured me it would be put back just the way it was before.”

  Danny shrugged. “I guess it’s just the principle of the matter. Mrs. Lewis feels that anyone with as much money and control in this town as they do should be above the law. She isn’t exactly wrong, though. Do you really think the average Joe would have been able to put off an investigation as long as she did?”

  There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

  “You were in there while they were working on the steps,” Danny said as he pulled a steak onto his plate. “Did it look like they found anything?”

  Rilynne studied his face for a brief moment before making her own plate. There was a note of concern in his voice, though his face wasn’t giving anything away. “I’m not sure,” she said as she added the toppings to her potato. She pondered for a moment about the best way to approach the subject. If she stated that nothing had been found, it would no doubt lull the murderer into a sense of security and make it easier for her to get close to them. On the other hand, if she stated that evidence had been discovered, it could cause the perpetrator to panic and inadvertently reveal him or herself. She knew she had to decide quickly. “It was hard to tell against the finish-which was curiously enough on the underneath of the boards as well-but it looked like they found blood.”

  As the words left her lips, she looked carefully for any reaction around the table. While everyone appeared genuinely shocked, they also all showed signs of worry and fear. Unable to let her eyes linger over anyone’s face for more than a few moments, she wasn’t able to determine if anyone’s fear wasn’t caused by the thought of a murder amongst them, but instead over the possibility of being caught.

  Even though Nancy and Sydney weren’t present, word would surly reach them soon that the police had uncovered something. With any luck, the pressure would start to show on killer over the next couple days. All Rilynne needed to do now was wait.

  “I know they were saying she was killed while on shift, but I didn’t really think it was possible,” Lisa said. “I was sure that she must have sneaked out and something happened to her in town. If she was really killed here, that means…”

  As she trailed off, everyone seemed to tense up and look around the room. Rilynne couldn’t help but think that once again they had found themselves considering the possibility that one of them could be a killer.

  “Impossible,” Casey said firmly. “We’re like family, Brittney included. No one here would have killed her, or even had a reason to do so.”

  Cole shot Casey a wary look, causing the room to spin around Rilynne.

  She was facing the gardener’s shed. There was a sickening feeling building within her that was almost unbearable. It felt like her insides were being twisted in pain. She reached up and brushed her hand across her tear soaked cheek.

  “How could you?” a loud voice billowed from behind her. She turned and found Casey just feet from her, a look of hatred on his normally kind face.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I never meant to-”

  “I trusted you!” he yelled, taking a step closer. She had to look up to see him. “I never would have thought it would be you who betrayed me.”

  She let her head drop as tears ran freely down her face. “I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me,” she pleaded.

  “Forgive you?” he asked, the fury flowing through his words. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t lose everything because of you. I will never forgive you.”

  “Are you all right, Naomi?” she heard Lisa asked. “You kind of zoned out on us.”

  She quickly nodded as she searched her mind for a response. “I was just wondering if there was any possibility that someone could have gotten into the house undetected. You were saying you assumed that she’d sneaked out, but what if she sneaked someone in?”

  “She would never have put her job at risk like that,” Lisa said confidently. “While she and Mr. Lewis did have a bit of a special bond, even he wouldn’t have been able to prevent Mrs. Lewis from firing her on the spot if she were caught bringing someone into the manor.”

  “Well maybe she had an altercation with someone in town and they thought it best to kill her here where no one but the family and staff would be implicated,” Casey stated.

  “If that were the case, they would have just left her here instead of sneaking her back out. A bit counterproductive if you ask me,” Cole said. “Although it’s a stretch to believe that anyone here could have killed her. Casey was right in saying we’re a family. Families don’t always get along, but that doesn’t mean they kill each other.”

  The tension in the room seemed to lift.

  “My money is on Mr. Lewis,” Danny said. “We all know he’s nuts. He probably snapped and killed her. It’s not like the thought hasn’t crossed all of our minds at least once since she was found.”

  “Or maybe she killed herself,” Nancy said as she walking into the room. “Mrs. Lewis would do anything to avoid a scandal, so she could have had someone take care of it.”

  No one seemed to even give thought to her suggestion.

  “First of all, Brittney would never have killed herself,” Danny stated firmly. “She was very religious and thought suicide was a horrific sin. Not to mention the fact that no one would commit suicide by throwing themselves down a flight of stairs. Second, if Mrs. Lewis wanted to avoid a scandal, she’s more likely to bury a body on the back of the property where there’s no chance of anyone actually finding it. Unlike the lake, no one ever ventures out there. Well, at least no one is supposed to.”

  “Really?” Cole asked with his usual grin. “I always saw her as the type to pay off a mortuary attendant and use an incinerator.”

  “Leave the body here and frame her husband,” Casey jumped in. An echoing hum filled the room as those at the table agreed.

  “I don’t know what to think about working for a woman who everyone has pictured murdering someone before,” Rilynne said
with her best hesitantly joking tone.

  Everyone laughed.

  “She may have a short fuse, but Mrs. Lewis is probably the least likely person here to actually kill someone,” Lisa said. “She would never do anything that would risk her losing the kids. Especially losing them to Mr. Lewis. If I absolutely had to imagine her killing anyone, the only person it would be is Mr. Lewis himself. Even then I think she would be more creative than pushing him down the stairs.”

  “Who’s to say the blood they found is even hers,” Casey said. He shoved a large bite into his mouth and looked around. “For that matter, it might not even have been blood that guy found.”

  “He has a name,” Nancy interjected. “It’s Ben, Ben Davis.”

  “So is that why you were late to dinner?” Cole grinned. “Were you out trying to get some alone time with Ben Ben Davis?”

  She threw him an annoyed look. “It’s just one Ben. And I went back to see if I could help him with anything. He really is one of the most attractive men Addison Valley has to offer.” As usual, her eyes shot to Danny, looking for any reaction, but he didn’t give her one. Instead, he seemed to be ignoring the new direction of the conversation completely as he concentrated on his steak. His lack of interest only seemed to annoy her more. “I heard him telling that cop that he would be going to that bar this weekend. He obviously wanted me to hear him. Luckily I’m off that day.”

  “Obviously,” Cole teased.

  Rilynne was taken aback by her arrogance. She had known several girls when she was in school that thought the world revolved around them and every statement a man made was really meant for her ears. They all seemed to have outgrown it by the time they reached their twenties, though. It was all she could do not to stare at Nancy in utter disbelief.

  “He wouldn’t have said it in front of me if he hadn’t wanted me to hear him. It’s not like he could just outright tell me he wants me to meet him at the bar,” she stated confidently. “Not with that cop standing right there.”