“Jeez, Chloe.” Blake ran a nervous hand through his hair. “You took ten years off my life, and I can’t afford to lose them.”
“Right there with you,” she murmured.
He leaned in and studied her expression as he rubbed her back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” She exhaled in relief. “I’ll be fine.”
I was watching the exchange. My heart was still slamming in my chest as part of my brain went over everything that might have happened if Diego hadn’t reacted so quickly. I had set the rungs in the extension ladder myself so I knew they’d been locked. And yet—the locks had failed. The ladder had collapsed and there hadn’t been a thing I could do about it besides watch my baby sister fall.
Was this just an accident? Or was someone trying once again to hurt Chloe? And if so . . . who? And why?
“We’ve had this ladder for years,” Blake was saying, “but it was meant to last forever. I really don’t get it.” He shook his head. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”
“You and me both.”
He studied her for another long moment, then gave a brief nod. “Okay, guys,” he announced. “Everyone’s alive. Chloe’s fine. Let’s take a break.”
Most of the crew walked off toward the catering tables.
I stared up at the ladder for a while. It hadn’t been taken down yet, but it no longer extended farther up the wall, having retracted completely. I shook my head. After my spiel about safety, I felt pretty stupid. So once everyone had left the area, I got up close to see if I could figure out how it happened. The rope-and-pulley action looked like it was still functioning, so I took a look at the rung locks. Both of them had snapped in two. “That’s impossible,” I whispered. They were hard-cast aluminum and meant to last at least twenty years if not forever, as Blake had said.
But I looked closer and realized that both of the locks had been sawed almost in half from the inside. And someone had filed down the jagged surface so you wouldn’t notice the saw marks. They were clearly intended to break at the slightest bit of pressure. An attempt on Chloe’s life? But that couldn’t be, because whoever had sabotaged the ladder couldn’t have known which of us would be climbing the thing. Or could they?
I didn’t say anything but pulled my phone out and took close-up pictures of each of the rung locks. Then I sent them by text with a short message to Chief Jensen.
* * *
• • •
Eric showed up ten minutes later. I tried to ignore the looks on the faces of the crew as I greeted him. They were probably getting tired of seeing the police always around here, but I didn’t care. I walked him around to where the ladder had been moved onto its side and was leaning against the house.
We knelt down and I showed him the sawed-off rung locks. “I don’t know if Chloe was the intended victim, but she’s the one who does most of that kind of work on the show. Because she’s quick, you know? Diego is the muscle and Blake is the talker. Still, in fairness, it could have been any of us on the ladder today.”
“I’ve seen the show a few times but I never realized the tasks broke down like that.”
“Chloe pointed it out and I’ve noticed that they pretty much stick to that formula.” I stood, still a little shaky and worried about the might-have-beens. “We used the ladder earlier today and it worked fine. So either it hadn’t reached its breaking point yet, or someone did this during our lunch hour.”
He stared at the rung locks. “We might be able to get some prints off this surface.” He sighed. “It was obviously done with the intent to hurt someone. We just have to figure out who did it and why.”
I looked over at the crew milling around the craft tables and wondered just which one of them might want Chloe dead.
“I’m tempted to shut down the entire production,” Eric said.
“No!” I cried. “I mean, of course you can. But I hope you won’t.”
“I won’t,” he admitted. “For now. I know everyone is depending on these shows to attract some good attention and new business to the town. But that doesn’t mean I won’t take action if something else occurs.”
“I appreciate that,” I said, as we walked slowly around to the front lawn. “But look, if you shut it down, how will we ever find out who killed Bree Bennett and Richie Rich?”
His eyes narrowed on me. “And by ‘we,’ I know you mean the police.”
“Absolutely.” I nodded briskly. “Yes.”
“Good. So I’ll allow the production to keep rolling, but just to warn you, I’ll be making a few changes.”
“What do you mean? Are you planning to bait the killer? Can I help?”
“No, and no. Just let that thought go, Shannon.”
“All right, all right.” My jaw was starting to hurt from clenching my teeth so much lately. “But whoever sabotaged that ladder had to be the same person who killed Bree and Richie.”
“I’m not willing to agree with you yet,” Eric said. “But I do know that your sister is in danger.”
* * *
• • •
Despite Eric’s dire words, I managed to sleep well and woke up feeling a lot more refreshed than the day before. I planned to keep an eagle eye on Chloe today whether she liked it or not.
As we stepped onto the property, I felt a little gun-shy. We had already found two bodies at the Bloom house and I was scared to death we might find a third. Not to mention, I was still traumatized after watching my sister tumble off a ladder.
Chloe and I walked up the walkway and stopped at the bottom of the front stairs. “Everything looks copacetic.”
“Thank goodness,” Chloe said. “No bodies.” Clearly she was feeling the same sense of anxiety that I was.
“And no yellow tape on the door.”
“Does that mean we’ve been cleared to work inside today?”
“I hope so,” I said, but then remembered Eric Jensen’s words. I still wondered what “changes” he had in mind.
We walked back across the lawn and crossed the street to the hair and makeup trailer, where Josie worked her magic on both of us. I had to admit I was enjoying this luxury lifestyle.
A half hour later, we stopped at the catering table for a cup of coffee and a quick chat with Emily and her helpers.
“How are my girls this morning?” she said.
I smiled. “Much better than yesterday.”
“I’m just hoping we get through this day without any mishaps,” Chloe said after a quick sip of coffee.
“Me, too,” I said, smiling at her. “Please don’t try flying again.”
She grinned. “But I’m so good at it.”
I gave her a sideways look. “And Diego is so good at catching you.”
“He definitely qualifies as hero material.”
Emily smiled. “He’s a lovely man.”
“Good morning, you two.”
I turned and saw the owner of the Bloom house standing a few feet away. “Margaret!” I gave her a quick hug. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. How are you?”
“I’m wonderful.” She glanced around. “I can see changes happening already.”
I chuckled slightly. “Well, it’s slow going but things should start to pick up.”
“Good. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I heard you took a fall.”
“That was Chloe. But she’s fine.”
“Thank goodness. Well, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to check in.”
“I’m glad you did. Help yourself to coffee and a donut.”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she stepped closer to the table. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Chloe.”
I felt a strange chill as my sister and I turned and saw Eric Jensen looming a few yards away.
“Good morning, Chief,” Chloe said.
; I didn’t like that look in his eyes but I greeted him, too, trying to keep things light and breezy. “Hey, Eric. Is the porch still off limits?”
“No, you’re cleared to use it. And they should be finished inside the house within a few hours.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Chloe.” His voice sounded more strained than I’d ever heard before. “I’ll need you to come with me down to the station.”
“What for?” I demanded, before Chloe could say a word.
“Shannon, it’s okay,” Chloe said softly, her attitude much different than the last time he had shown up to drag her down to police headquarters.
“No, it’s not.” I scowled at Eric. I couldn’t lie about it. Eric taking Chloe down to the station a second time felt like a personal betrayal. He had to know she was innocent. “Why are you taking her? What’s going on?”
He held up his hand. “We just want to ask her a few more questions.”
“You can ask them right here,” I said.
“No,” he said firmly. “I need to record her answers and I want a more private setting.” He glanced around. “This won’t cut it.”
I gave him a death glare and was pleased to see the discomfort in his eyes even though he didn’t budge on his demand. “Then I’m going with you.”
“Shannon, no,” Chloe said. “I’ll be all right.”
“I know,” I said, with another hard look at Eric. “Because I’ll be with you.”
Chloe sighed. “Look, the sooner I go, the sooner I can get back to work.”
“We will get back to work. I’m going with you as your legal counsel.”
Eric looked as if he might’ve wanted to laugh but knew I would kill him if he did. “You’re not a lawyer, Shannon.”
“Do I have to be a lawyer?” I asked, then answered my own question. “I don’t think so.”
“Why would I need a lawyer?” Chloe asked sensibly, her tone casual as she reached out and squeezed my arm. “I’ll be okay. And while I’m gone you can follow up on the boom lift. We’ll need to use it today. And by the time it arrives, I’ll probably be back.”
I glared at the police chief. “Will she?”
He hesitated, then said, “You might need to take her place for a few hours.”
“Are you kidding me?” I might’ve screeched the words. It happens when I’m a little overwrought. Like when my sister’s about to be dragged off to the big house by the cops.
Yes, I was being dramatic, but I was scared witless. Why did Eric want to interrogate Chloe? Was it connected to Richie’s death? Or did it have something to do with Bree?
Unfortunately, Chloe was connected to both of them and not in a good way. That didn’t mean she would ever hurt either one of them. Eric had to know that.
“Look,” I said, trying to sound rational. “You know Chloe is innocent. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I moved closer and lowered my voice. “You know she was the victim yesterday. Why aren’t you talking to Rolly Wagner? Or Mrs. Wagner. She’s whiny but I’m willing to bet she packs a wallop. And they both hated Richie. And they hated Bree, too. In fact, half the staff hated Bree. And one of them probably slipped a roofie into all those water bottles to keep Blake from coming to Bree’s defense.”
“Shannon,” Chloe said. “Calm down.”
But I was on a roll. “I saw the production manager talking to Richie the other morning. And she also had a very suspicious conversation with Blake the other day. And now that Bree’s gone, they’ve made her the producer. You should talk to her. Her name’s Suzanne. Maybe you should haul her off to jail instead of Chloe. In fact, I’ve got a whole list of people you could take with you. Just not Chloe.”
“I’ve already spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Wagner,” Eric said calmly, “They have an alibi for both nights.”
“Oh, really?” I frowned. “Well, somebody’s lying.”
“And just because the producer talked to Richie is no reason to arrest her.”
“Does she have an alibi? And by the way, did you see how tall she is?”
Chloe choked on a laugh. “Will you relax, Shannon?”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“Just chill,” she said, and for the first time, real impatience colored her tone. “I’ll be back in a little while.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we walked toward the driveway.
Once again, Chloe was trying to comfort me while she was the one being carted off to police headquarters. It just went to show that she was way too good a person to be treated this way.
I watched helplessly as Chief Jensen opened the back door of the SUV and cushioned the top of her head as she climbed inside. As if she were a hardened criminal! I knew in my gut that Eric going after Chloe was the biggest mistake he could’ve made. She was a victim, lest he forgot! And she was as innocent as the day was long.
If this was all the cops were doing to try to find the killer, they were wasting their time. But apparently I was the only person who realized it. Which meant that it was now up to me to track down the real killer.
As Eric drove off with Chloe in the back seat, I suddenly felt adrift. How long would he keep her at the police station? How long would he interrogate her? I had been in that interrogation room. They had kept me there for hours. I knew how frustrating and demoralizing and unfair it could be.
“I should be there with her,” I mumbled, and turned to head back to the house. But my feet, of their own accord, took me straight back to the donut table and walked me closer to the box of cream-filled maple bars. What else could I do but take one?
“Those are my favorites,” Emily said.
“I thought you liked the napoleons best.”
“I do,” she said. “And the crullers, and the maple bars, and the tartlets, and the eclairs. They’re my children and I love them all the same. How can I favor one above the others?”
“You are a strange woman, Emily Rose.”
She laughed. “I consider that a compliment.”
“I meant it that way.” I took a bite and swooned from the intoxicating blend of luscious creamy custard, fluffy doughy wonderfulness, and maple-sugared yumminess. “You have the best job in the world.”
She gazed at me. “I always thought you had the best job, love.”
“Sometimes I’m not so sure.” I wiped my chin with my napkin. “I mean, I love my job. I do. But then comes the day when I walk into an old Victorian house that’s just begging to be rehabbed, and I find a dead body. And then I’m not so sure about the job I do.”
She came around the table and gave me a warm hug. “I’m sorry Chloe was the one who found Richie Stoddard.”
“She found Bree Bennett, too.”
“I know.”
I twisted my lips in a wry smile. “Seems to run in the family now. Who knew?”
With her arm around my shoulder, she led me away from the table and away from the crowd. “Come to dinner tonight. I’ll call the girls and we’ll have a fun evening of wine and pasta and giggles.”
It felt as though I hadn’t seen Lizzie or Marigold or Jane in weeks. And right then, the thought of going another day without seeing my posse, my inner circle, my girls, was almost too much to fathom.
“I would love that,” I said, leaning into her. “Thank you, Emily.”
“And you’ll bring Chloe with you.”
“I will.” But then I frowned. “If they let her out of jail in time.”
“She’s not in jail, Shannon. She hasn’t been arrested,” she said with more assurance than I felt. “Eric just wants to ask her some questions. He’s a smart man and like you, he’s very good at his job. He might have a compelling reason for getting her away from here.”
I gaped at her. “What do you mean?”
“He’s trying to find a killer.”
“Of course, but—�
��
“And Chloe did have that fall yesterday.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’ve got to get back to the table, love. I’ll see you tonight at seven.”
* * *
• • •
An hour later, I had filmed two more segments with Blake and one with Diego. I had to admit it was great fun to work with Blake. He had a corny sense of humor that I loved, and he really did know how to blather on cue. It was a real gift.
But wow, the man was a first-class klutz. He dropped the hammer twice and that was when he was just standing there! He didn’t even bother to try to pound a nail. Chloe was so right about his incompetence with tools.
Thank goodness for Diego, I thought. He was a talented carpenter and he could get the job done fast. He was fun to work with, too, in an entirely different way from Blake. Diego might not be a great talker, but dang, the man looked good. His smile was like a gift from the gods. And he had snatched my sister out of midair, so I was predisposed to like him.
But maybe his good looks hid a sinister streak. He was so strong, he could’ve easily shoved a crowbar into Richie’s neck, cutting his artery. He could’ve dragged Bree across the floor and effortlessly knocked her out or strangled her—or both.
I was giving myself chills. I forcefully shook off those thoughts and as soon as we took a short break, I grabbed my phone and texted Chloe. But there was no response. I stared at the empty screen and wondered if they had confiscated her cell phone.
“Oh, jeez,” I whispered. Emily was right, it wasn’t like she was under arrest. She probably just turned off her phone while she answered questions. Still, my head was ready to explode. As soon as we broke for lunch, I intended to drive over to the police station and make sure my sister wasn’t being flogged.
Glancing around, I noticed that the crowd size was even bigger than yesterday. I wondered if the news about a second body being found at Bloom house had brought out the lookie-loos. Usually when people heard about a killer on the loose, they stayed inside and locked their doors. But not in Lighthouse Cove. Here we couldn’t get enough of the gory stuff.
A Wrench in the Works Page 20