by Raven Snow
“Strawberry.”
“Is it any good?” asked Ben. Rowen offered him a sip. He took a swig then shrugged. “Tastes about the same to me.”
“So, what are you doing all the way out here?” asked Rowen, trying to figure a few things out for herself before she got to what she was here to tell him. “And why so late?”
Ben seemed to consider that question as he stared back out toward the horizon again. “I used to come here to think sometimes, even after we broke up. It’s a nice spot.”
“It’s pretty,” Rowen agreed. It was quiet, too. That was a definite plus for a guy like Ben. He undoubtedly spent his days around a lot of noise.
“And I’d had a couple of drinks when you first called. I wanted to sober up before we met. It would be irresponsible of me otherwise, especially if this has something to do with official police business like you said.”
Rowen tried to fight back the beginnings of a smile. Knowing Ben like she did, she doubted he had been anything more than the slightest bit tipsy. Sometimes he was too uptight for his own good. “Have you talked to Rose since the wedding?” Rowen knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help it. It was obvious how much it was bothering him. It would almost be more awkward not to talk about it.
Ben took a sip of his fizzy mango drink. He didn’t take his eyes off the horizon as he spoke, “No, and she hasn’t called me either. I kind of wish she would. I really don’t know what to say. Have you talked to her yet?” He looked at Rowen, his expression hopeful.
This wasn’t very much like Ben at all. Rowen felt intensely uncomfortable as she did her best to navigate through the conversation. “I talked to her before the wedding—I didn’t convince her not to marry you or anything!” she added that last part quickly. “I just told her to follow her heart, you know? I told her that she needed to do what she thought was right.”
Ben slouched a little more against the hood of his car. That probably hadn’t been the best thing to tell him. Rowen probably wouldn’t have felt great if telling Eric to “follow his heart” meant not marrying her. “I probably should have caught on before now. She’s been acting angry a lot lately. She had a short temper all the time and, you know Rose. She’s usually so practical and pragmatic about things. She’s nice. She doesn’t pick fights. I mean, we get into fights every now and again. Who doesn’t right? They were never serious, though. They were never something we couldn’t talk through. I should have known when she just started dropping things. It wasn’t like we were coming to any kind of common ground. We were just dropping arguments like we were saving them for later.”
Rowen wasn’t sure she had ever heard Ben say this much all at once. It was a lot to take in. He was speaking so quickly. “Well, then you’re both kind of at fault here, right?”
“I feel like Rose was saying plenty. I was just being thick about it.” Ben frowned out at Lainswich. “I really do love her, you know?”
“I know.” Rowen didn’t hesitate there. It was obvious to her that Ben loved Rose. Maybe it wasn’t that obvious to everyone, but Rowen had dated Ben for a while. She knew how he showed his affections. He adored Rose. More than that, he was impressed by her, thought highly of her in a way he’d never quite regarded Rowen.
“I know I told you I loved you way back when, but that wasn’t like this. I actually love Rose.”
“Yeah. I get it. You don’t have to explain.”
“So, what do I do now?” asked Ben. It was like he had completely forgotten that Rowen needed his help. He probably had. “Is there even anything that I can do?”
Rowen considered that question. It was a good one. She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer. “You talk it out, I guess. That seems like it would be the first step. I’m not sure there’s anything else you can do before that. You actually have to reach out to Rose, if she doesn’t reach out to you first. You two need to sit down with one another and just… talk.”
“What do we even talk about?”
Rowen shrugged. “The problems in your relationship, I guess.”
“Any idea what those are?”
That really put Rowen on the spot. She stared at Ben, not certain that he really wanted her to answer that question. “Ah… well… I mean, you would know better than I would.”
Ben gave Rowen a blank, disbelieving look that was much more like the normal him than anything Rowen had experienced in the last few minutes. “Come on. Don’t think I don’t know you and your family talk about me plenty. What do they think I do wrong? I bet there’s a list.”
“They have a list for everyone,” said Rowen, hesitant to start listing the things on his. “You can’t really trust all the things they think. They can be overly critical.”
“What do you think then?” asked Ben, a question that was altogether more difficult to answer than the last. “Tell me,” he said, firmly. “Please. I want to know.”
Rowen sighed. She supposed it was better to just come right out with it. “Just remember that it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you and Rose think. You two are the ones who need to sort things out.”
“Stop stalling and just tell me.”
Rowen came right out with it. “The general consensus is that you’re a little embarrassed of the Greensmiths.”
“I don’t-”
“You asked what we thought,” Rowen interrupted. “But maybe embarrassed is the wrong word. It’s more like… You prefer your job. Or maybe you’re just a workaholic. There’s not anything wrong with that in and of itself, but your job puts you at odds with our family a lot. And then you’re spending so much time with work and… I don’t know. We remain separate from your professional life, but your professional life is your life— Or, at least, it’s a big chunk of it. Does that make any sense?”
Ben didn’t say anything at first. It was difficult to tell if he was able to make sense of what she had just told them. “And Rose feels this way? Like I’m… everything you just said?”
Rowen shrugged. “I don’t know for sure really. That’s something you’ll have to sort out with her, like I said.”
“I just don’t want my work as Chief of Police to conflict with yours. I don’t want to lose my men’s respect or my job over someone thinking I’m doing you and your family favors.”
“And that’s kind of the problem.” Rowen took a sip of her drink before continuing. “It’s like your romance with Rose is still on the down low even though everyone already knows. Maybe you need to try the opposite and see how that works out for you? Maybe you need to be more transparent about things. I mean, crime is down ever since you took over. You’re great at your job and, forgive my modesty, but the Greensmiths have a history of helping this town whether they like it or not. Maybe it’s time to stop pretending we don’t.”
"It’s not me,” Ben said, quickly. “I know you and your family help. I’m the one who calls you in on cases, am I not?”
“And then you distance yourself from us when things start getting… murky.”
“You mean illegal.”
“Same difference.”
Ben raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue with her about semantics. “I have to distance myself from lawbreaking. I have to look the other way and remain uninvolved.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t marry into my family.” Rowen really wasn’t sure what else to tell him. “There’s always going to be this distance, a kind of divide. We’ll always be hiding things from you, and you’ll always be trying to pretend you don’t know what we’re hiding. That’s no way to live. If anything, that’s doing the law a disservice. Either be the Chief of Police or a member of the Greensmith family… or both, for however long it lasts. I mean, I won’t lie, that last one is a big risk. It’s up to you, though. Well, you and Rose. I suggest you talk things through.” Rowen was suddenly very aware that Ben had been staring at her this entire time. His brow was furrowed, his mouth a firm line. He nodded like what she had said made sense. Thank goodness. Rowen wasn’t sure she could para
phrase all that if she tried. “Whatever you decide, the Greensmith family will still like you… At least I think we will. You’re a good guy, Ben.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Ben’s mouth. He looked ahead of them again. “Thanks.” Whether that was for her family liking him or for the jumbled advice, Rowen wasn’t sure. “So, what is it you came here to tell me?”
“Oh.” Rowen had almost forgotten she had come here for anything at all. “Will you do me a favor?”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Didn’t we just have a talk about me doing your family favors?”
“There you go again, distancing yourself from my family.” Rowen rolled her eyes right back at him. “Look, I found out a bunch of things today. I want to tell them to you, but I don’t want you to act on them yet.”
“What an incredibly illegal way to offer me information.” Ben slumped further down on the hood of the car, looking wearier than ever.
“I just don’t want to complicate things for people any more than they already are.” Rowen thought back to Veronica. She had told her she would help. She needed to at least try. “I think I know who killed Dina.”
“Killed Dina?” he repeated. “Our people determined that was natural causes.”
“Well, it’s not. At least, I don’t think it was. I’m pretty sure it was just made to look like an accident. Dina was really done in with poison.”
Ben didn’t look convinced just yet. He wasn’t outright dismissing her either, though. They both knew she had a good track record in this department. “And who poisoned her?”
“Dimitri Harris.”
“The dead guy?”
“He wanted to open a grocery store where her house stands now. It’s prime real estate. He couldn’t get it from Dina herself, but he felt good about his odds getting it from the kids.”
“So, he murdered her? With what?”
“Perfume, I think.”
Ben fell silent for a while, like he was considering what she had just said. “I’m not sure I buy it. He doesn’t seem like a murderer.”
“Exactly, that’s why he tried to sneak in! He was trying to remove the murder weapon. He couldn’t leave well enough alone. The idea that it was there and that it might, somehow, tie him to the crime was eating away at him.”
“Then how did he end up dead?”
Rowen bit her bottom lip. “I’ll tell you… But I want you to promise that you’ll be careful with the information. They’ll come out with a full confession if you ask. Don’t, like, send the cops out to swarm their house or anything.”
“These are still highly illegal things to say and demand from me.”
“Promise?”
“Fine. I promise.”
Rowen believed him. Ben looked annoyed, but he was an honest guy. If he said something, he meant it. “Veronica killed him in self-defense… Well, more like she killed him out of sheer surprise, I think. It didn’t sound like he had a chance to do anything but trespass.”
Ben didn’t look too surprised as Rowen recounted Veronica’s story in detail. He nodded often. “I thought it might be her,” he said when Rowen was finished. “I really wish she would have just called us when it happened.”
“She panicked.”
“I can tell.” Ben finished the last of his drink and sat the bottle aside. “I’ll reach out to her. We’ll work something out that involves her coming forward with this information. I’ll also look into having the contents of that perfume bottle tested. You didn’t take it from the house, did you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. I’ll look into it tonight. I’ll tell them I got a hot tip.” For once Ben actually looked annoyed at the prospect of going to do his job. He sighed heavily, like standing up was about to take every ounce of his energy.
“Actually, I have one more favor.”
Ben groaned and sank back down onto the hood of the car. “Of course you do.”
Chapter Fourteen
The body hadn’t been released to the funeral home yet. That was a stroke of luck. The mortuary in Lainswich was a small, family run establishment. The fellow in charge of the place lived in a house just next door. He was a large, oddly jolly looking fellow. He reminded Rowen a bit of Santa Claus. He handed Ben the key like they were old friends. “Just drop it by when you’re done,” he told him with a smile. “I trust you’ll lock everything back up the way it’s supposed to be.”
“Of course.” Ben smiled right back to his friend.
“You come here often?” asked Rowen as they walked to the front door.
“Not too often,” said Ben, shoving the key in the lock. “Just when we bring someone in and, sometimes, when there’s a lot of paperwork to do.”
“A lot of paperwork to do?” Rowen stared at Ben, not quite sure what to make out of the nonsense he’d just said. “Don’t tell me you find this place relaxing?”
“What? It’s quieter than my office. Plus, sometimes the information I need for the paperwork is here. It just makes sense. Ben left things at that and led the way to what looked to be an autopsy lab. Not that Rowen needed the directions. She could have found her own way there. Someone was making a lot of noise.
Hello? Hello, is anyone there? It was the voice of a spirit, a female spirit by the sound of it. She groaned.
“Someone’s here,” said Rowen as they entered.
“What? Like a spirit? Isn’t that what you were hoping for?”
“It’s not Dimitri. It’s someone else.” Rowen closed her eyes and strained to hear the voice again. She didn’t have to wait long.
Oooh, that’s a handsome man. Can you hear me, Handsome Man? I like me a blond, and I certainly like me a man in a suit.
“He can’t hear you,” said Rowen.
“Did a ghost say something about me?” asked Ben.
“It’s not anything important.”
You can hear me?! Finally, someone to talk to! Oh, it’s about time!
“Who are you?” asked Rowen.
My name is Natalie Marie May — and you are?
“Rowen Greensmith. Listen, Natalie. I hate to break this to you, but you’re—”
Dead. I know. I see the light or whatever. I’m just hanging around to see who goes to my funeral.
“Oh… um. Okay then.” Rowen supposed that was fine. “Have you been here long?”
It certainly feels like ages with no one around to talk to.
“I don’t suppose you were talking with a man named Dimitri Harris?” asked Rowen.
Yes, he was around until just a little while ago. Gosh, I miss him. I mean, he wasn’t very interesting, but it was better than the silence, you know?
Oh, no. Was Rowen too late? “Did he move on?”
No, Natalie sounded bored by the subject. I made the mistake of telling him he wasn’t tied to his body or anything, so he up and left. I mean, I guess I could go wait around somewhere more interesting for my funeral, but I just hate the idea of leaving my body, you know? They’re going to have an open casket, and I want to make sure they get my hair right.
“Do you know where Dimitri went?”
Heck if I know. He talked about a lot of things.
“Like what?” Rowen was suddenly curious about what this ghost knew. Her curiosity must have been obvious, because suddenly the spirit grew evasive.
Oh, you know… Lots of things… It depends on what you want to know, I guess.
“Did he ever talk about a woman named Dina Drew?”
If I tell you all I know, what’s in it for me?
Rowen couldn’t believe a ghost was trying to extort something from her. She glared in the general direction of the spirit. “Seriously? What can I possibly offer you? You’re dead.”
“What’s happening?” asked Ben.
“A ghost wants me to bribe her,” Rowen answered, quickly turning her attention back to the spirit in question.
Ben just shook his head. “Of course that’s what’s happening.”
You’re a Greensmith,
right? I recognize you. I went to school with your mom. I’ve lived in this town all my life. You do, like, witchcraft and talk to the dead and stuff.
“Obviously.”
Well, talk to the dead! Go tell my jerk of a sister that I know she slept with Billy after I told her I liked him. Tell her that I also know she’s the one who stole my favorite shoes. There’s no way she bought her own pair. They didn’t even have them at the store anymore.
Rowen wasn’t sure how she felt about all of that. “Anything else?”
Yeah. Tell her goodbye… Because I’m never seeing her again. We’re not going to the same place. Maybe it won’t be so bad. She and Billy went on that beach vacation. I know she likes warm weather.
“Wow.”
Do you need to write it down?
“No, I think I’ve got the gist of it.”
I’d rather you got a pen and paper so you can read it to her exactly, the spirit insisted.
Reluctantly, Rowen did as she was asked. She took her own pad and paper from her purse and got to writing. Ben read over her shoulder as she took dictation. “Wow,” he said.
“All right. I’ve got it right here.” Rowen waved the paper. “Now can you tell me about Dimitri?”
Say all that to my sister first, Natalie instructed.
“No,” Rowen said, being firm this time. “I’ll do it afterward.”
There was silence for a while, like Natalie had decided against helping them. Rowen started to say something. She really had no intention of doing this favor for Natalie, and she was afraid the spirit had figured that out. She held off on speaking. She took a step toward the door and motioned for Ben to follow. Wait! Blurted the spirit. Fine! What do you want to know?
“Anything he said about Dina Drew.” Rowen turned back in the direction of the spirit. She couldn’t see her, but she could still sense her whereabouts.
He said plenty. Natalie’s thoughts were coming faster now. She was more open with information. As much as she had complained, she was clearly quick to get lonely. She must have been quite the gossip in life. They met when he approached her about buying her house.