by K P Stafford
I stepped up to the counter to find Mark scowling at me. He looked over his shoulder as the printer started printing something out and then turned back to me. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I swallowed and looked at the clerk but she simply turned and busied herself with paperwork. Apparently, she wasn't happy that he was behind the counter today. Why was he behind the counter? Maybe he was trying to learn the business so he'd have a job. I looked back at Mark and stared up into his cold eyes, "I dropped by to see Peyton." I tried to be pleasant, but I'm sure my annoyance with him was obvious. I was about to choke as his cologne wafted to my nostrils. Whatever he wore was cheap and strong. His smell was as obnoxious as his personality.
"She's gone to get the kid." He turned and pulled a sheet of paper off the printer.
Anger rose up inside me hearing him refer to Paisley as the kid. She was his daughter and that's the best thing he could think of to say about her. I hoped poor little Paisley never heard him refer to her as the kid, at least not in the tone of voice he'd just used. I tried to remain calm and fake pleasantness, "Oh yeah, she comes in from camp today. I bet Peyton is happy, she misses her so much when she has sleepovers at friend's homes. Having her gone for more than a week was probably torture."
Mark let out a huff and continued studying the paper he'd pulled from the printer.
I glanced down at the paper. It appeared to be some kind of financial report. I'd seen Peyton print them out each month to determine how well her business was doing. I didn't want to appear nosy so I continued my attempt at being pleasant. "I'm sure Paisley will be happy to be home too. I think this is..."
Mark cut me off by slamming his hand down on the counter. The clerk jumped and dropped the papers she had been going through.
I stood in shock for a moment before realizing I needed a quick exit before he completely showed his ass, "I guess you're having a bad day. I'll check on Peyton later when she gets back."
Mark glared at me, "No! You need to leave her alone and stay the hell out of our business." He looked down and appeared to kick a loose page over towards the girl who was squatted down trying to retrieve them all. He raised his eyes to me, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly," I replied to him and then looked at the clerk who was now standing, looking at me. "Tell Peyton I stopped by." I turned to leave when I heard Mark's voice again, "You won't tell Peyton a damn thing. Got it?"
I glanced over my shoulder to see the girl nodding her head. Anger fumed through my body. I didn't like Mark to begin with and now I was pretty sure I hated him. Bad day or not, he had no right to treat people the way he did. Whatever was on that sheet of paper must have set him off. Now I'd worry that Peyton was in financial trouble. Like I didn't have enough to worry about where she was concerned.
I pulled out of the parking lot turning right to head up over the ridge out of town. I probably wasn't in the best mood to go see Alice or Alan, but I did want to let Alice know she was no longer a suspect. Maybe that news would even please Alan. I sure wasn't in the mood to deal with another irate male today.
As I crested the top of the ridge I noticed Peyton's car sitting on the side of the road. There was no mistaking her bright yellow Thing from any other vehicle in town. I pulled in behind her and put my car in park. She got out and stood beside her car as I got out of mine and headed towards her. "Is something wrong, Peyton? Did your car break down?"
She pressed her lips together and then took in a ragged breath. "I saw your car when I left the B&B. I hoped you were headed this way so I decided to wait for you."
"What's wrong? What can I do?"
"I'd like some company to go get Paisley."
I put my arms around her neck, "Why didn't you call me instead of waiting on the side of the road."
"I don't know. Things are strange between us and I was afraid you'd say no." She pulled out of the embrace. I watched her lip quivered a bit before she continued, "I wouldn't blame you."
I put my hands on her shoulders, "Don't be silly. Let's go park my car up at Hayden's Ridge and get it off the road. I'd be happy to go with you."
Once we got on the road I decided to ask her some questions. I didn't want to argue since this was the first time she'd reached out to me in a while, but I couldn't help myself. "How's things with Mark? He was pretty upset the other night at dinner."
Peyton kept her eyes on the road. "He's just dealing with some things right now."
"That doesn't give him a right to be rude to your friends."
Peyton bit her bottom lip. "I know, but he's been through some trauma. I thought I could help him, but he does seem to be getting more distant."
"What kind of trauma?"
"He won't tell me. He just says it's some really bad stuff." She looked over at me, "Can we not talk about it? I'd like to enjoy the trip."
I read that to mean she'd like to enjoy some quiet time. I couldn't blame her for that. If he acted the way in private that I've seen him act around other people, she probably needed some peace. I decided to just sit quietly and stare at the trees as they passed by the car window. It was good to at least spend time with Peyton, even if we didn't talk about anything.
Paisley ran out and jumped into her mother's arms. It was heartwarming to see her smiling face. This was the Paisley we all loved. I could tell camp had been good for her. She bounced over and gave me a hug. I looked at her, her face beamed full of light and joy. "I take it you had a good time?"
"Oh yes. We learned about so many things. I think I want to work with animals when I grow up."
I rubbed her on top of the head, "I think that's an excellent choice. You already have a way with animals, sweetie. You're going to be a natural."
Peyton and I loaded Paisley's things into the trunk of the car as Paisley said goodbye to her new friends. I remembered how close Peyton and I were at that age. I hoped Paisley had made a life-long friend who she'd grow up with and they would do all sorts of fun things together. Part of those years were snatched from me and Peyton when my father decided to uproot us and move us to the city. I still hadn't quite forgiven him. Maybe if I understood it better I would be able to. I made a mental note to ask Grams about it. She'd skirted the topic on several occasions, but it was time I knew the truth.
Peyton shut the trunk and walked around to stand beside me. She hollered at Paisley that it was time to go. She ran over and climbed into the backseat and I got into the passenger seat. Peyton turned the car around and headed down the gravel road back towards the highway. She glanced up into the rearview mirror to look at Paisley. "What do you want for dinner, sweetie?"
"We had roasted hotdogs on sticks one night. That was pretty cool."
"That does sound like fun. I haven't done that since I was about your age. Maybe we can get your dad to build a fire in the fire pit and we can all roast hotdogs."
"He's not my dad. My dad is dead." Paisley replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Peyton looked over at me and then glanced into the mirror again before turning her eyes towards the road. "I've explained it to you, Paisley. I lied to you to protect you."
"I know you lied, mommy, but he's not my dad."
I turned in my seat to look back at Paisley. Her face had a look of seriousness. I reached between the two front seats and touched her legs. "I know it's been tough making the adjustment, just give it some time."
Paisley cocked her head sideways, "I don't want to roast hotdogs with Mark." She returned her attention back to the book in her lap and began flipping through the pages.
I turned back in my seat and looked at Peyton. She tried to hide the look of dismay and frustration that covered her face, but I could tell she'd been dealing with this issue. The strain was apparent. I knew Peyton had changed since Mark's return and the few times I'd seen Paisley recently, her bubbly personality had been suppressed as well. I saw of glimpse of it only a few minutes earlier and now it was gone again.
For the remainder of the ride back to Cryptic Cov
e, Peyton was quiet and reserved. At least I got to share a little bit of time with the mother and daughter team I'd come to love before they retreated back into their shells.
CHAPTER 18
I headed out early the next morning to go see Alice. The sheriff would have Charlie in the office around nine. I felt like I needed to let Alice know she was more or less off the hook, although we still didn't have any answers and her brother was still a suspect. I hoped it would ease her mind some to know that she wouldn't be badgered with a bunch of questioning from now on. Of course, they may still question her about her brother. I knew that would be just as hard on her.
As I pulled into the drive I spotted Alan working in the flower beds. I had hoped to speak to Alice first, but he was already headed towards my car by the time I parked and killed the engine.
I could hear him yelling before I opened the door and got out of my car. "You're not talking to my sister. She's been through enough with the sheriff and everyone else making comments behind her back. And, I told you you're not welcome here either."
I held my hands up, "I'm not here to ask her questions. I'm here to let her know she's no longer a suspect."
Alan's face softened some, but anger was still obvious in his voice. "It's about time. At least someone has come to their senses in this town."
I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised his arm and pointed down his driveway, "You can leave now."
At that moment, I noticed he had on a blue jacket and the front of it was torn. My mind raced back to Ms. Jensen telling us that Will had grabbed someone in a dark jacket. I stepped closer and stared at the torn area. "How did you tear your jacket?"
Alan looked frustrated, "What business is that of yours? I asked you to leave."
I stood straight and crossed my arms over my chest, "Actually, you told me to leave, you didn't ask and for your information, someone saw Will grab a guy in a dark jacket right before he was killed."
Surprise and confusion washed over Alan's face as he looked down at the torn spot. He pulled the material back into the place it should have been. "I lost my footing the other day and a piece of wire caught on the button and ripped it."
I looked more closely. The button was still hanging on the piece of fabric. Holy crap!
I turned and headed towards my car and called over my shoulder, "Tell Alice she won't be questioned again." I hopped in my car, hit the ignition and sped out of the driveway.
I arrived at the office just in time to hear Charlie say, "If I wanted to kill someone I would not have to beat them."
John looked up at me as I entered the office and then back to Charlie, "Explain yourself, son."
Charlie looked around at the officers. He pointed to a rather large cop and asked if he had permission to demonstrate a fight with him without being charged with assaulting an officer. The cop smiled and stepped forward as he looked to the sheriff for permission. The sheriff nodded his head so Charlie stood up and faced the deputy. Within two moves Charlie had him pinned on the floor in a position to break his neck. He quickly let the officer up, backed off and raised his hands in the air. Everyone in the room stood around with their mouths open at Charlie's mad kung fu skills. How did he learn that? Where did he learn that?
The sheriff rubbed his chin, searching his words carefully. What do you say to a guy who can kick your butt so easily? "I see," he said as he sat down across from Charlie. "Do you know who would do this to your father?"
Charlie shook his head, "No, I thought everyone in town liked him. I know our family is odd, but people seem to like him." He paused, "Is it possible it's connected to the death of Will? He was rambling on yesterday about someone not being right in this town, said he didn't belong here."
"He told you this?"
"No, I overheard him talking to the dog. As soon as he saw I was listening he got quiet and wouldn't tell me anything. Said I didn't need to worry about it, he had other secrets to tell me instead."
"What were those secrets? Did he tell you?"
"He didn't get much of a chance, he was late for a job, but he promised to tell me later. He said the whole town would be shocked."
An odd look crossed everyone's faces. The sheriff spoke up, "What do you think he meant by that?"
Charlie looked perplexed, "I don't have any idea." He hung his head, "And now I may never know."
After they released Charlie I gave the button Baxter had found to the sheriff. He wasn't happy with me, said I'd withheld evidence. I explained that Baxter was always giving me things and I didn't think anything of it. After he calmed down, he looked it over closely and thought he saw some blood on it. He and his deputies headed out the door to take the button to Mr. Finche to have it tested for blood with that Luminol solution people use on forensics shows.
I sat at my desk letting my mind drift through thoughts. Sometimes the best way to think is to try not to think of anything specific. The phone rang causing me to jump out of my skin. There were certain times of the day it didn't ring. I glanced at my watch, it was time for Wheel of Fortune and I knew everyone on the gossip train would have their eyes glued to it. I picked up the phone on the third ring. The voice on the other end was Charlie, "Hey Lexi. Don't say it's me on the phone."
"Okay," I said, "What's up?"
"I think my dad was worried about Peyton. I didn't tell the cops that because I'm not sure and don't want to point fingers, but I did hear him tell the dog something about Mark and Peyton."
I lowered my voice to a whisper, "Charlie, everyone has noticed the change in Peyton. We're all worried and as soon as this case is wrapped up, I intend to confront her."
"But what if he hurts her before this case is solved? My dad had a look I'd never seen on his face. You know he doesn't get involved in the lives of others, but he's fond of Peyton." He paused, "I am too. That's why I'm going to snoop around and see what I can find out about this guy."
The line went dead before I could protest. I didn't want to admit it, but I was relieved someone was going to keep an eye on Peyton. This case could drag out a lot longer than we'd hoped for.
CHAPTER 19
Jake dropped by the office on his way out of town. I told him about Charlie's skills in fighting. He looked at me with a smile, "That's why I'm trying to convince you to take classes."
"After what I saw today, I may just do that. It was cool. I've seen that stuff on TV, but it's pretty amazing in real life."
He took both my hands and looked at me, "I'm going to see a friend with the FBI. I won't be back until this evening."
I looked up at him, "It sounds serious. What's up?"
"I'm not sure and it's probably not serious, but I've had him look into some of the names we found at Will's place."
"Maybe he can tell you something that gives us a break in this case."
"Well don't hold your breath." He said as he bent to kiss me, "And you stay out of trouble while I'm gone."
I rolled my eyes. "Since we have no leads, I'm pretty sure I won't be getting into trouble."
After Jake left I went across the street and grabbed a piece of pie for an afternoon snack. I was about half way through it when the phone rang. It was one of the gossip train ladies. She worked at the bank and while she didn't tell about people's banking business, she did like to catch up on other idle gossip.
"Hi Mrs. Dalton," I said after she identified herself. "How are you today?"
"Oh dear, I'm fine. I just called to be nosy."
I let out a soft chuckle. "Now Mrs. Dalton you know I can't tell you what's going on with the case."
"Oh, I know, I wanted to know about Peyton's vacation."
"I haven't talked to her much lately."
"Well, I shouldn't tell this, but she withdrew a hefty sum of money this morning and said they'd decided to take a family vacation. Paisley had so much fun at camp this year, they wanted to go to one of those animal attraction places." She paused, "Maybe it was Sea World or something like that."
"Paisley does lov
e animals."
"Well, I thought it was odd to go now since her new fella, that Mark guy, isn't working."
That did sound odd, but sometimes people do things at last minute that doesn't make good financial sense. After what she'd told me yesterday about his trauma issues, I figured she probably wanted to get away for a while. A family vacation often does wonders for people who are stressed. "Maybe the company is calling him back to work soon, so they decided they should take the opportunity," I said.
"See, that's another thing, Lexi. My husband worked at the docks with him. There wasn't a layoff, he just up and quit that job."
I'd taken another bite of pie expecting her to keep jabbering. I almost choked on it when she said he'd quit his job. He told everyone he'd been laid off.
She continued to speak, "I didn't want to break it to Peyton, but she needed to know. I hope I haven't upset her."
I swallowed my pie. "I'm sure it's okay, Mrs. Dalton. He probably already told her the truth."
"If you see her today, you tell her I'm sorry for being so gossipy, especially on my job. That's no place to be getting into anyone's business."
After she hung up the phone, I picked at my pie. Why wouldn't Peyton call and tell me they were going on vacation? After yesterday I thought we were getting back on track with our friendship. I shoved the last bite of pie into my mouth, left John a note and grabbed my bag. It wouldn't hurt for the office to be locked up for a little while this time of day.
I knocked on Peyton's door. A cold chill washed down my back at the quietness. I could usually hear the TV blaring when I knocked on her door since Mark had moved in. The clerk said she was upstairs in her living quarters and I saw her car in the parking lot. She had to be there.