“I am scheduled for a week from now in upstate New York. I don’t have all the details yet, but it won’t be a competition.” He explained some details about the venue, a quaint town with an inn dating back to before the Revolutionary War. The guest voiced her regrets since she and her husband would be on the opposite coast by then.
From his lack of enthusiasm, Brenda sensed Jake could be thinking there would be no performances in his life for a while. She reminded herself that she had no idea at this point which two guests were killers. So far, lunch together had not revealed any clues.
Allie was instructed to check the guests out. Brenda gave her a list of the exceptions, just in case anyone tried to slip past the young woman. A plainclothes officer stayed behind at the bed and breakfast. Brenda followed the police cars to the police station, with the four guests riding in the cars.
The station had four interrogation rooms. Jake was placed in the first one, Thomas in one next to him. The Cabots were separated into the last two rooms. Sara and Alan were told to wait in the conference room down the hall for their turn.
Mac and Brenda sat across from the young fiddle player. Chief Bob Ingram watched Jake through the one-way glass.
“We know you were seen leaving the grounds soon after your performance, Jake,” Brenda said. “We also know you came back. You told us you window-shopped along the main street to clear your head. What were you clearing from your head?”
“I explained that. I wanted to get away from fans for a little while. Is it against the law to take a walk around town?” His jaw set defiantly at an angle.
Mac stared at him until he dropped his eyes. “It’s not against the law to walk around. It is against the law to lie about it. It could be against the law if you withhold information relevant to the investigation of a murder of an innocent man.”
Jake started to retort but held back. He was saved for the moment when Bryce knocked on the door. He asked Brenda and Mac to come into the hallway. Two officers entered the interrogation room and remained with Jake Smith while Bryce gave them some important news.
Chapter 7
Interrogations
“We know where the jumpsuits were purchased.” Chief Ingram congratulated Detective Jones on his investigative work and prompted him to continue. “They were bought down at the paint store a block over from the thoroughfare. They are affiliated with Johnson Lumber Company and mainly sell these white Tyvek suits to painters. The ones in question were purchased with cash. Their security system is pretty primitive, but I have someone going through the camera footage.”
“If they paid with cash it could be anyone,” the chief said.
Bryce smiled. “They only sold two white jumpsuits in the past three weeks. Took a while to track down in their inventory book, but the cameras won’t lie, now that we have the date it happened.” All joined Bryce with smiles of their own.
Brenda and Mac consulted in low tones before returning to Jake Smith. “Let’s see if we can get him to confess,” Mac said.
“We don’t know if he is the one,” Brenda said.
“No, we don’t have any idea of that, but it could force him to tell us something even if he didn’t do it. He knew Mason better than he admitted. That makes him someone who may know something.” Brenda reminded him that there were many connections left to be explained, sinister or not.
They sat down again in the room across from the young man. Mac asked Jake if he wanted a cold drink or coffee. He declined and then changed his mind. “I’ll take a bottle of water.” Mac signaled the officer near the door who left to comply.
“It seems you knew Mason Eads better than you let on,” Brenda said. “Why don’t you tell us the whole story of your relationship?”
The officer set the bottle of water on the table. Jake shuffled his feet under the table and then took a drink. “Okay, as you probably know, I was in business with him. I hadn’t heard from him or about him since our high school days and then one day he called me. He had seen my success on the fiddling circuit and out of the clear blue he contacted me. By then, I had settled out in Santa Monica. It was my home base in between bluegrass gigs. He was starting the business and wanted to know if I wanted to join him. He said my contacts would help with its success.” He took another drink of the water and a muscle in his jaw clenched tightly. “Mason Eads was not only arrogant, but he was a cheat. He cheated me and the other investors out of a lot of money. He made deals behind our backs when he traveled overseas.”
“What others?” Mac asked.
“There were several investment partners within the first six months.” He evaded the question, claiming not to know all their names, and Mac told him to stay where he was.
The two left Jake where he was seated and joined their Chief of Police. “It seems like some progress,” Bob said. “I’d leave him alone and go to the next one. I’ll watch his movements and reactions while he’s alone.”
Brenda and Mac entered the second room and Thomas Kelly looked up. His eyes darted around the room nervously before they landed on Brenda. She sat down with a pleasant smile as if ready to take notes from a friendly chat.
“Reverend Kelly, can you tell me where you got your theological degree?” she asked.
“I studied online.”
“Which online university did you get it from?”
Thomas folded his hands one over another and then unclasped them. He entwined his fingers together and came to a decision. “I’ll come clean, Ms. Rivers. I don’t have that degree. I’m self-taught and I minister to a very small congregation out in California. It is a country church, and they needed a lay leader.”
“You pretended to be an ordained Episcopalian priest and they believed you?” Mac said.
“They were desperate for leadership. I had experience with youth groups and camps. I only mentioned being an Episcopalian priest once. They accepted me quite well.” He avoided their eyes, looking down.
“Do you mean even after you stole from the collections?” Brenda held her eyes on him.
Thomas’ hands shook, and he looked up instantly. “That only happened once, and they never knew it. I paid it all back when the roof needed repairs. It was just petty cash, you understand, they never had an organized bookkeeper there. When the roof had to be taken care of, I made sure it was all repaid.”
“According to my research, you did that on a regular basis. Perhaps you felt they weren’t paying you enough for your services and you stole from them.” Brenda pushed a paper toward him. “This police report from Santa Monica shows you were an embezzler and served time for your crime. That’s how you made your living…along with California Products Only.” Mac glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Brenda knew when to turn up the heat.
Thomas seemed agitated. “I was asked to join that company when I got out of prison. I served my time and joined it as a good business opportunity.”
“How long had you known Mason Eads?”
“I met him through my cellmate. He was in for laundering money overseas and knew Mason well. He thought I’d fit in with the company and Mason met me the day I was released.”
“What did you do in the business?” Mac said.
“I spent time writing articles for the internet to promote the products. I’m a successful speaker in front of crowds, whether virtual or in person.”
“Did you kill Mason Eads?” Brenda said.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” the man protested loudly. “But that man’s death won’t be a loss to many. He stole from his partners and no one liked the man. We all hoped he would go under financially one day. He was a con. He twisted things his way and remained at the top of his game through deceit.”
Thomas’ brow moistened, and he wiped it with the back of his arm. “I’m not sorry he’s dead. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.” Brenda still had questions about why he no longer played the fiddle like Jake, but decided it was irrelevant for the moment. Thomas was shaken, but was he a killer?
“I served my time,” Thomas repeated quietly, his voice stubborn and hard. Brenda did not trust it one bit.
Mac told the man to stay where he was. He joined the chief in the hall and then they came to a conclusion. “I believe both those men are guilty, but we still have four more to interrogate.” The chief told them Jake sat calmly during their time with Thomas Kelly. Mac said he thought they should put the two men into cells and come back to them in a little while. Instructions to officers were given and each man sat behind bars to wait it out. The chief told them to also begin getting DNA samples from suspects.
Mattie Cabot was chosen to be questioned before her husband. Brenda knew several things she suspected the Cabots of doing, but they had never been arrested for anything on record. Mattie sat erect, and her face was as if set in stone.
“What led to your lawsuit against Mason Eads?” Mac said.
“Oh…that was a long time ago. Well, that was when we were first in business with him. We had our own company at the time and he wanted to merge. We agreed after much discussion but told him we didn’t want our business name used in case we wanted to return to it someday. He toyed with the name and started trying to capitalize on our success when he realized how successful we were. Without our consent, he used our business profile to try to make money overseas. We sued and lost on a minor technicality.” She crossed her arms primly and indicated she had no more to say about the matter.
“We have a witness the night of Mason’s murder who saw two figures run toward the back of the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast property,” Brenda said. “Were you and Drake the ones they saw?”
Mattie looked down, shook her head no and then spoke. “I’m not surprised someone killed him. He was disagreeable, to say the least. Your witness didn’t see either me or my husband that night.”
“I was unable to find information on your company, Handmade Appreciated. Do you have a website?”
“We don’t have one. We had to start over, and the company isn’t well known yet.”
“Do you have supplemental income to tide you over?” Brenda said. “I saw you suffered great financial losses after the lawsuit failure.”
The woman’s cheeks colored darkly. “We work odd jobs and are doing fine.”
“I’m curious about why you arrived in Sweetfern Harbor, and specifically at Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, at the same time Mason Eads came.” Mac leaned forward as if consulting a good friend.
“That was a coincidence. Believe me, if we’d known he was going to be here we would have canceled.”
They left the room and Brenda stated, “She’s one cool cookie. I think her husband will be easier to crack.” Mac agreed and opened the door to interrogation room four.
Drake Cabot sat rigid and barely glanced at them. Mac began by asking the same questions he asked of Mattie. Drake stayed true to her account until asked how they supplemented their income.
“We are doing well in the new business and don’t have worries in that regard.”
“Your wife told us you take on odd jobs to supplement your income,” Mac said. “What kind of work do you do?”
“Ah, well…I didn’t look at your question as all that important. We do help neighbors here and there when they need something, I suppose. I’m talking about odd jobs and they pay us. They know we’re trying to get back on our feet. I didn’t think that was relevant.”
“All questions are relevant, Mr. Cabot. There’s a dilemma here. You stated you are doing well and yet your neighbors are willing to help you get back on your feet,” Mac said. “That sounds like a contradiction.”
“Not at all,” Drake said. “They know what we went through and our losses. They are simply friendly in helping us to begin over again.”
“Did you kill Mason Eads? You had good reason.” Brenda pretended a sympathetic nature.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Drake said with a cool sneer. “I do admit I thought of it often enough and I’m glad he’s gone for good. I’m not the only one who feels that way. There were plenty of people who will be glad to hear the news once everyone learns it.”
“I thank you for being open about your feelings,” Brenda said, a little surprised by his coldness.
Mac stood up. Brenda followed suit. “We are arresting you and your wife for the murder of Mason Eads,” the detective said.
Before Drake had time to protest, handcuffs were snapped onto his wrists and he was led away. The same procedure happened moments later with Mattie Cabot.
“You can’t keep them locked up for long unless you have hard evidence,” Chief Ingram said. “What will the judge say? You better have something good.”
“We’re getting close to all of that,” Brenda said. “The DNA results need to be rushed through, plus when Bryce gets the camera footage searched from the paint store, we’ll know if we are correct or not.”
The chief agreed with them. “There’s no problem right now. So far, none of the four behind bars has even asked for a lawyer. That’s a little strange in my eyes.” The other two nodded.
Brenda asked Sara Haas to accompany her into one of the empty interrogation rooms. Mac invited Alan into the small room immediately next door. They asked the same questions of each one. Brenda encouraged Sara to tell her every detail of the time they left the Jamboree grounds, their walk along the beach and return to the bed and breakfast.
“Tell me again what you observed once you realized the object you noted was a dead body.”
“I was so shaken up that at first I didn’t even think to look around me. A few seconds later I told Alan to look around the backyard. I know I saw one or two figures hurrying toward the back. He missed them, but he did believe me.”
“Were they running or walking fast?”
Sara scrunched her eyes and then her face brightened. “There were two. Now I’m sure of that. One stumbled and fell against the other one. That’s why I thought I had seen only one. I recall the one that almost fell regained their balance and they went around the back of the bed and breakfast and I lost sight of them. It all happened in a split second. Alan was busy calling 911 and then you…”
“Could they have been carrying something, or did they look as if they were empty-handed?”
“I did think they had something with them, especially after one of them stumbled. I can’t be sure of that part, though. I don’t want to say things I’m not certain of.”
Brenda told her they wanted a sample of her DNA. Sara, as did Alan, agreed. They were released and allowed to check out of Sheffield Bed and Breakfast whenever they were ready. Mac cautioned them to leave contact information with the receptionist before they left. Brenda was ready to get home but there was more to do at the station.
“I wonder when the folks in the jail cells will ask for lawyers,” she said.
“I think that will happen when we press them further. There will come a time when they won’t want to say anything else.” Mac suggested she return to her search. “There’s got to be something more we can press them on. Dig deeper into all four of them.”
Brenda went into his office and pulled up a chair in front of the computer. The Cabots intrigued her most of all, and she started with them. She searched for more information about California-only Products and discovered they had begun the business after college. In fact, neither had graduated with a degree and both had dropped out in order to start their own company. This told Brenda they had a lot at stake in the business. There wasn’t much more said about the business and she moved on to the lawsuit against Mason Eads. Mac’s office phone rang and then stopped. She heard voices just outside the door.
“I’ve got it,” Bryce said. She looked out and the young detective held up a plastic evidence bag. He dangled it briefly in front of Mac and the chief. They could plainly see the knife lying at the bottom of the bag. “I’m sure it’s the weapon used to kill Mason Eads.” He reached into the black bag over his s
houlder. “Here’s something else we found, but I’m not sure if it’s significant.” He held the second evidence bag out. It displayed a long, narrow necktie.
“Where did you find it all?” Mac asked.
“The knife was almost to the bottom of the dumpster. It was wrapped in a rag, almost like it had been put into the bin by someone at the bed and breakfast who threw it away. The necktie caught my attention. It was loose and wadded up near the rag. I asked myself, why would anyone throw a necktie into the trash bin used for kitchen trash? I think it is relevant to the knife.”
“The coroner told me this morning that the victim was strangled before he was stabbed.” The chief shook his head. “It was a brutal murder.”
The police station’s front desk clerk interrupted the group. Mac gave instructions to Bryce regarding the evidence. The clerk told Mac he had an important phone call. “It is a Detective Stanton on the line from Santa Monica, California.” Mac hurried to his office. The detective introduced himself.
“We’re familiar with that entourage that Mason Eads ran with,” said Detective Stanton to Mac. “We just got word he was murdered in your town. We’ve been searching for Mattie and Drake Cabot for a long time. They’ve been busy running from their crime sprees across the United States.” He described numerous robberies they managed to commit and escape from, undetected. “We have evidence it’s them, but until now we’ve had no leads as to their whereabouts.” Mac wanted more details. “They need to be locked up right away. It’s not beyond them to kill when someone gets in their way.”
Chapter 8
Edging In
Mattie Cabot paced the small holding cell, which was lined with benches and in full view of the glassed-in booking desk where officers came and went over the hours she was stuck there. When the jailer finally approached, she felt relief to finally be released. Instead, he walked her the wrong direction down the hall, towards the county jail cells, and placed her into a permanent cell. A second jailer did the same with Drake Cabot. The Cabots could not even talk to one another through the thick doors locking them in. Mattie tried to keep her wits about her, though her nerves were beginning to fray.
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