Abbie straightened. “Because they found the body here?” She shook her head. “It might not be her.” Even as she said the words aloud, she knew better.
“Safe bet it is. Looked like she’s wearing a dress.”
CHAPTER 14
Abbie turned away from the window and went back to the stove, where she drained the water off the potatoes and eggs. She rinsed both in cold water and set them aside.
Moments later, the front door banged open and Travis stalked in.
Jake came in right behind him. “Travis, for crying out loud, settle down before you get yourself arrested.”
“They think I did it.” Travis sank onto the couch and covered his face with his hands. “They actually think I killed her.”
“The sheriff is speculating—he has to ask questions.”
“You heard what he said. I’m a suspect.”
“So am I.” Jake lumped his hands into fists and rested them on his hips.
Abbie filled two mugs of the freshly brewed coffee and brought them to the men. “Sounds like you could both use some.”
The men stared at her as if she’d grown horns. They’d obviously forgotten that she and Pops were there.
“Thank you.” Jake lifted his cup in a salute of sorts. Travis thanked her as well.
“It was Barbara then?” Abbie swallowed back a lump in her throat. The enormity of the situation pressed itself into her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Jake nodded. “No doubt.”
“She drowned?”
“No. She was murdered.” Travis barked out the words as though each took every ounce of strength. He then leaned back into the couch.
“How?”
“She was shot, Abbie.” Jake took a seat beside his friend. “There’s no way to tell where it happened. The coroner might be able to give us a time of death once he’s examined her body and runs tests, but that’s going to take time.”
Abbie’s only connection with solving crimes came from mysteries she’d read as a teenager. But her mind reeled with possibilities and questions.
“What about her car?” Abbie asked. “Didn’t you tell me it had gone over a cliff near Oceanside?”
Jake nodded. “There has to be a connection between what happened to her car and her disappearance. It looks as though whoever did it wanted to throw the cops off track.”
“I’ll tell you what happened.” Travis warmed his hands around the cup then took a tentative sip. “Whoever did this dumped her body in the lake to throw suspicion on me.”
Abbie thought about the article in the drawer. “Jake, earlier you’d mentioned that the bank robbery might be connected to her disappearance.”
“What bank robbery?” Travis leaned forward. He genuinely seemed not to know. But that didn’t make sense. Why would he have the article in his kitchen drawer and not know about it?
Jake told him about Barbara and her friend and that the friend had been abducted by the bank robber and never found.
While he spoke, Abbie watched the ambulance driver load Barbara’s body into the back and close the door. She hadn’t met Barbara, but they were joined together by this property and Jake.
“I had no idea,” Travis said, once Jake finished the story. “I suppose it explains her preoccupation.” He offered his friend a wry smile and shook his head. “Here I thought I wasn’t interesting enough.”
CHAPTER 15
More than anything Abbie wanted to get away from Bear Lake and Cold Creek. She wanted to go back to Grand Forks to familiar ground. Back where she and Emma had at least had a modicum of safety.
The sheriff entered the house and Travis introduced them. He already knew her father and seemed to like him. He verified that Abbie had seen the scarf and pointed it out to Pops, who had fished it out of the water. Then he seemed to be finished with her.
Abbie didn’t know whether to be upset or relieved. A bit of both, she supposed. Jeff wrote some notes in a small black notebook and then tucked it away in his shirt pocket.
Travis thanked her for making lunch and finished the job, taking out paper plates, napkins, and silverware. Abbie busied herself with pouring coffee for Jeff and the sheriff.
“We should go, Pops,” she said as she set the coffeepot back on the stove.
He nodded. “Good idea. I imagine your mother is fit to be tied. I should have called her.”
Abbie opened the door and came face to face with a man she’d known since childhood but barely recognized.
“Hey, Abs.” He swept her into his arms and whirled her around. “Mom said I might see you two out here.”
Her little brother had turned into a hunk of a man, over six feet and sturdy as an oak. She hugged him back, reluctant to let him go. “I had no idea you were coming or I’d have stayed home.”
“Did Mom tell you I was moving back home?”
Abbie nodded, still in shock over how her brother had changed. He was all dressed up now, wearing slacks, a white shirt, and a sports jacket. “She said you were looking for a job out here.”
“Was looking. Got hired by the Oregon State Police this morning, and I’ll be working out of Oceanside with Detective Meyers.” He stepped aside and motioned to the man beside him. He was about a head shorter than Tim and much older—maybe in his fifties. He wore a suit as well.
“Are you kidding me?” This from Jeff, who reached out to shake Tim’s hand. “Man, I thought we got rid of this troublemaker for good.” Jeff winked at Abbie. “But they always come back.” In explanation, he added, “Your brother used to spend hours at the police station before he decided to become a cop.”
Tim laughed. “Good to see you too.” Glancing at his sister he said, “That’s not quite accurate. I got arrested once for underage drinking when the cops raided a party I happened to be at and it scared the you-know-what out of me.”
Pops joined the cluster and clapped Tim on the back. “Good to see you, son.”
Once the introductions had been made, the momentary joy of seeing her little brother slid into the background as Jeff and the sheriff filled Meyers in on the morning’s activities.
“I appreciate the heads-up on the Nichols woman, Jeff.” Meyers looked up from his notebook. “I’d have been here earlier, but I was assigned to train our new rookie here and had some things to take care of in Portland before we could be on the road.”
While the men talked about the murder case and speculated as to motive, means, and opportunity, Abbie slipped out through the patio doors onto the deck. She rested her arms on the railing and breathed in the fresh clean air, watched an egret stand on one leg in the marshes. What a painting that would make. And how pristine. No one would ever guess that a murder victim had been stowed away in the lake’s depths.
Abbie tried to pull her mind away from the horror of what they had witnessed. She focused instead on the beauty and tranquility of the lake and the trees. She’d only been out there a few minutes when she heard someone come up beside her. Funny, but she knew without turning who it was. Had they formed that close a bond in such a short time?
Jake stepped up beside her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just processing.”
“I’m sorry our outing took such an ugly turn.” Jake rested his arms on the railing as well.
“Me too.” Abbie turned toward him. “I’m sorry she’s dead, Jake, but I’m glad you guys found her.”
He pressed his lips together and stared out at the lake. “I still can’t get my mind wrapped around this. As far as I know she didn’t have any enemies.”
“Unless her death is tied into that bank robbery. Maybe she found the man she’d been looking for.”
He gripped the porch railing. “That’s what Detective Meyers is thinking. Unfortunately, the sheriff is ready to arrest Travis because he was supposed to have had a date with her just before she disappeared. Plus, her body was found here in the lake.”
Abbie thought about the grief she’d seen in Travis’s face. He hadn’t kn
own about the robbery either, she was certain of that. Yet, the article had been in his drawer.
“The only reason he hasn’t arrested Travis already is that there isn’t any concrete evidence.”
She considered telling Jake about the article but didn’t. Abbie couldn’t say why she decided to remain mute about the article except that she hoped to have as little to do with the police as possible. Besides, if Travis was a suspect, wouldn’t the police search his house, looking for clues? The less attention she brought to herself, the better.
“Travis is quite the artist,” she said, hoping to change the subject.
“He is. I bought one of his carvings some time back. An eagle scooping up a salmon in its beak. The detail is phenomenal.”
“Do you think he’d consider being part of the artist community?”
Jake straightened. “You mean you’d still consider buying the place? I thought you’d probably take the next train back to Grand Forks.”
“No. I meant what I said about not running anymore. I don’t know about buying the town, but I’ll consider it.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I need to settle my accounts and be here for Skye.”
“I’m glad.”
She smiled. “Though with Tim coming back, the house is going to be a bit crowded.”
“You could always stay at my place.” He winced. “But I don’t suppose that’s an option.”
She shook her head. “It’s an option. Just not a good idea.”
“Right.”
They stood for several long moments in silence before Jake offered a suggestion. “I don’t know if you’d be interested, but you could consider staying at the bed & breakfast here in Cold Creek for a few days. Get a feel for the place. If you decide to stay, you’d probably want to move into one of the houses eventually—of course you’d need to remodel.”
“I’ll think about it.”
CHAPTER 16
The more Abbie thought about Jake’s suggestion, the more sense it made. If she bought Cold Creek, then living out here prior to making the final decision would be a logical solution. Still, there was the matter of Barbara’s murder and her body turning up in the lake. Had it been connected with the bank robbery or something else entirely? How did it affect Cold Creek and the possibilities it offered?
Abbie mentally stepped away from the murder. She needed to see the property and its possibilities as an entirely separate entity. Yes, Barbara’s death was tragic, but it shouldn’t factor into her plans to build an artist community there. Unfortunately, her attempt to separate the two proved impossible. Still, she managed to spend two hours of the afternoon looking at the town and counting the costs of the purchase and the remodeling that would have to be done.
That evening after dinner, Abbie announced her plans to stay in Cold Creek for a few days.
“Good idea.” Pops forked the last piece of his apple pie. “Give you a chance to get to know the place inside and out.”
“I agree.” This from her mother.
“Really?” Abbie had expected an objection.
“Don’t misunderstand. I would love for you to stay here with us, but you do need to spend some time there. You’re the artist, after all. Your father and I love the place, but you’re the one who’ll have to live there and run it. You’ll need to decide if it’s feasible or not. And after what happened at Bear Lake, I would understand if you gave up on the whole thing.” She shuddered.
“Can I come too, Mommy?”
Abbie and her mother exchanged glances. It was one thing for Abbie to explore this unknown territory on her own, but quite another to bring Emma. “Not right away. I’ll need to find a place to stay and have a look around. Maybe in a couple of days.”
Tears filled her daughter’s eyes. “But I need to be with you.”
“Oh, honey.” Abbie leaned over and gathered Emma into her arms. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Emma had had too many changes in the last few days. It wasn’t fair to leave her.
“Emma—did you forget about our shopping day?” Carlene rose from her chair and came to kneel between them. “Let’s let Mommy do her work and we’ll go play. And then, when Mommy’s done working, we can go see her.”
“Can we play on the merry-go-round?”
Carlene clapped her hands. “Yes! We can ride on the carousel! And go swimming!”
Emma’s sadness evaporated. “Can we go now?”
Carlene laughed. “It’s too late to go tonight, but in the morning. We’ll go as soon as they open.”
“Okay. Let’s go to bed now.”
Abbie felt a little jealousy coming on and wanted to join them. The adventure sounded like fun. The Oceanside Amusement Park offered rides, roller skating, swimming, and all sorts of things that would take her mind away from Barbara and the murder. Maybe she would join them. After all, no one would blame her for backing away from the purchase.
Abbie spent Sunday with her family and Jake in church and then picnicking at the beach. They had all needed the respite, and after hiking on one of the coastal trails, she realized that she loved the area more than ever. Even with everything going on, she managed to enjoy herself. Of course Jake had a lot to do with that.
By Monday morning, Abbie had reverted to her original plan to drive out to Cold Creek. She pulled her thick chenille robe over her flannel pajamas and padded downstairs.
She found Pops in the kitchen running water into the coffeepot. He assembled it, spooned coffee into the basket, and set it on the stove. When the coffee bubbled up rich and brown in the glass lid, Pops poured while Abbie set cinnamon toast on the table along with a couple of plates. They began talking about Cold Creek, and Abbie jotted down ideas for the artist community.
Several minutes later, they heard a sharp knock at the door. Father and daughter simultaneously pushed back their chairs. “I’ll get it,” Abbie offered.
“Expecting anyone?” Pops asked.
Abbie shook her head and opened the door then stepped back in surprise.
“Hey.” Jake stood on the porch, grinning and looking much better than anyone had a right to at six-thirty in the morning. “Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“For our walk on the beach.”
“What are you talking about?” Abbie struggled to recall him saying anything about a beach walk but couldn’t. “You never—”
He chuckled. “I sent you a telepathic message. You didn’t get it?”
Abbie smiled and motioned him in. “Sorry, Jake. My brain doesn’t pick up telepathic messages until after I’ve had my coffee.”
By the time Jake had come in and settled into a chair, Pops had poured him a cup and set it on the table.
“Thanks.” Looking over at Abbie, he asked, “So what do you think? Are you up to a walk on the beach?”
“I’d like that.” Abbie took a final sip of her lukewarm coffee. “While you finish, I’ll go get ready.”
Pops laughed at something Jake said as she headed for the stairs. Abbie supposed she should have said no to the walk. She had a to-do list a mile long. But a walk on the beach sounded perfect, and a walk with Jake filled her with an anticipation she couldn’t explain.
By one that afternoon, Abbie was packed and ready for a stay at the B&B. At Jake and Pops’ insistence, she’d called for reservations. Dawn, the woman who ran it, sounded delighted to have her there and was anxious to meet her. She’d met Abbie’s parents already and wanted to hear more about her plans for Cold Creek.
Earlier, around ten, she’d shared a tearless good-bye with her mother, Emma, and Skye, who had gone seeking adventure in Oceanside.
She planned to have her father drive her to Cold Creek, but he stopped her on the way out to the car.
“Decided it would be best if you drove yourself.”
“But you’ll need your Jeep.”
“I wasn’t planning on giving you the Jeep.” Gesturing with his arm, he grinned. “Come on over to the garage. Got a surprise for you.”
He swung open the double garage doors, revealing a vehicle covered with canvas. Pops pulled off the cover and Abbie’s jaw dropped. It was her old ’52 Mercury—the one Pops had bought for her when she went off to college. When she married Nate, she’d insisted Pops take it back and maybe give it to Tim or sell it. Tears clouded her vision. “I don’t understand. Why would you keep this old thing?”
He shrugged. “Figured you’d come back one day.”
Abbie hugged him. “I can’t believe this.”
He dug in his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and tucked them into her hand. “She still runs good. I gassed her up before you came.”
Abbie shook her head. “I thought Tim would have it, or Skye.”
Pops sighed. “They didn’t meet the criteria. Grades weren’t up and…well, you know the drill. ’Course, Tim’s doing good, but you’re here now.”
Abbie nodded. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for them, Pops, especially Skye.”
“Don’t even think about blaming yourself. Your mother and I have done more than enough of taking on the blame. Does no good at all.” He picked up Abbie’s suitcase and set it behind the car. “We weren’t the best parents, but not the worst either.” Taking the keys from her, he opened the trunk.
“You were wonderful.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can’t imagine having a better childhood.”
He smiled. “You were an easy kid to raise. And, maybe retiring from the music scene changed us. We went through a tough transition for a while there. Seemed like some of the fun went out of our lives—mine at least. Your mother loved being a homebody. I was a bit lost.”
“Oh, Pops.” Abbie understood being lost. Giving up her art had nearly destroyed her.
“We thought settling down and giving you kids more stability would be a good thing. We finally realized we couldn’t give up the music altogether, but by then, Skye had gone.”
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