by Bobbi Holmes
“They have my phone records, remember?”
“What about the men from the disposal company who saw Boatman in the neighborhood during that timeframe? They saw her car! We know they’re telling the truth! Who is to say Boatman isn’t paying off someone to give her an alibi! She has the money!”
“I mentioned that to the chief.” Chuck flicked an ash into a silver bowl on the desktop.
“What did he say?”
“He claimed his mystery witness is unimpeachable.”
“Bull. Anyone can be bought.”
“Very true. And Danielle Boatman has unlimited resources. She could easily find someone to come forward as a witness.”
“Exactly,” Darleen said with a nod.
“I think you need to go down to the police station and raise hell.”
“Me? What do you mean?” Darlene frowned.
“You’re Stoddard’s widow. You were there when your husband died in your arms—when he told you and Officer Henderson the name of his murderer. You have every right to be outraged—you should be outraged—knowing his killer is getting away with murder. For you not to be furious wouldn’t be natural, considering the circumstances.”
Darlene stood up. “Of course, you’re right. After all, Todd himself told us who shot him. When Brian asked him pointed questions, he clearly identified Danielle Boatman as his assassin. If Todd was still alive, they wouldn’t be pulling this.” Darlene walked to the window and looked outside.
“If he was alive, then we wouldn’t be discussing the fate of his killer,” Chuck scoffed.
“I know that,” Darlene snapped, looking at Chuck briefly before turning back to the window. “I just meant people listened to Todd; they respected him. He wouldn’t let the police just ignore something like this.”
“And Stoddard also got himself—and others—into one hell of a mess by hiding Isabella’s body and then taking Lily Miller.”
Darlene looked over her shoulder at Chuck. “And he’s paid dearly for his crime, hasn’t he?”
Chuck was silent for a moment, and then said with a sigh, “I suppose he has.”
Darlene walked back to the chair and sat down. “I loved my husband. I would have been happy to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“Yes, I understand that,” Chuck said wearily. “But it just didn’t work out like that. Things happen in our lives that we can’t control.”
“I wish I could have given him a baby while he was still alive.” Darlene looked down and touched her belly. “He always wanted children,” she said dramatically.
“I wonder…” Chuck leaned back in his chair, contemplating a thought.
“What?”
“I wonder if Danielle Boatman plans to go to Stoddard’s funeral tomorrow.”
“Why would she do that?” Darleen frowned.
“She went to Isabella’s funeral,” Chuck reminded.
“Which I thought was ridiculous. She didn’t even know Isabella.”
“But some people feel compelled to attend funerals, even if they barely know the deceased.”
“Danielle Boatman didn’t know Isabella. They never even met.”
“But Danielle found the body.”
“What’s you’re point, Chuck?”
“Just that I wouldn’t be surprised to see Danielle Boatman at Stoddard’s funeral—and just in case she is there, you should be prepared.”
“Prepared, how?”
“Think about it. The woman who murdered your husband, do you really want her at his funeral?”
Darlene silently considered Chuck’s words. After a few minutes, she screwed up her face in a frown and said, “You’re right! That woman—that cold-blooded killer has no business coming to my husband’s funeral! Why is she there…to gloat? To make sure the poor man is actually dead? What kind of a woman does that? Just because she fooled the police—paid off some witness with all her money—doesn’t make her any more innocent!”
Chapter Twelve
“I’m just surprised you took in someone from off the street,” Lily said before taking a bite of chocolate cake. She sat with Danielle and Walt in the parlor. While she couldn’t see or hear Walt, she knew he was there. She and Danielle had finished dinner an hour earlier, which they had shared with William Robert Wayne. He was now upstairs in the Red Room.
“This is a bed and breakfast. Taking people off the street is what we do.” Danielle sat on the sofa with a plate of chocolate cake. She took her first bite and closed her eyes briefly while savoring the taste. “This is darn good cake, if I do say so myself.” Danielle took a second bite.
“You should consider opening a bakery,” Lily teased.
“I’m already baking too much—and eating what I bake!” Danielle grinned and licked off a smudge of chocolate frosting from the corner of her mouth.
“I suppose I will have to take you dancing and work off those calories,” Walt teased.
Danielle flashed him a grin. “I’d love that. Even though it doesn’t work on calories.”
“What are you talking about?” Lily frowned, looking to where she assumed Walt stood.
“Oh nothing, a private joke,” Danielle said with a dreamy smile.
“Geez, please, I feel left out enough around you two.” Lily speared a bite of chocolate cake.
“Sorry Lily, I guess that was rude.” Danielle flashed Walt another smile, which he returned.
“Back to this new guest of yours. Why exactly did you decide to take him in? It’s not that I really care. I mean, I never thought you needed to stop taking guests because of me, anyhow. I’m just curious. Why him?” Lily took another bite of her dessert.
“I suppose I felt sorry for him.” Danielle shrugged. “He’s here to visit the graves of his wife and daughter. Just seemed so sad. And I knew who he was.”
“Yeah, Billy Bob Wayne. I’d never heard of him myself,” Lily said.
“He’s really only famous in the Phoenix area. Or was. He told me he sold his dealership a few months ago, so I imagine there is some new Billy Bob to take his place.”
“Do you know what happened to his wife and daughter?” Lily asked.
“I didn’t want to pry. I imagine he’ll go over to the cemetery tomorrow.”
“Aren’t they having Stoddard’s funeral tomorrow?”
“Yes. Marie called me up this afternoon, quizzed me about the arrest. I guess she heard all about it. While we were on the phone, she mentioned his funeral, told me if I wanted to go, I could go with her and Adam.”
“You aren’t going are you?” Lily asked.
“Heck no! You know how I feel about cemeteries in the first place. And why would I want to go to that man’s funeral? Not with his annoying ghost haunting my yard.” Danielle shuddered at the thought.
She picked up her empty cake plate—now just littered with crumbs—and placed it atop Lily’s. Danielle started to carry them to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Setting the plates on the desk, she went to answer the front door.
A few minutes later, she returned to the parlor with Chief MacDonald. Instead of his police uniform, he wore street clothes—denims and button down shirt.
“Evening Chief, you didn’t come to arrest my friend again, did you?” Lily asked, only half teasing.
“Not today Lily. But I imagine she’ll get herself into some mischief in the future, and I’ll have to lock her up—for the safety of Frederickport.” He grinned and took a seat.
“The chief says he needs to talk to me about something, and I told him you already know all my secrets, so no reason to leave the room.” Danielle sat back down on the sofa.
In the corner, Walt summons a lit cigar. A moment later, he exhaled and watched as the smoke drifted up to the ceiling.
Catching a whiff of the spicy scent—which wasn’t there when he walked into the room—MacDonald took a deep breath. “Cigar smoke. Does that mean Walt Marlow is in the room?”
“Wow, you catch on quickly,” Lily said with a chuckle. “W
hen Danielle told me you understood, I didn’t quite believe her.”
“I don’t understand exactly,” the chief clarified. “But I do believe she has a gift. My grandmother taught me that.”
“As for the cigar smoke,” Lily went on. “It only means he is smoking. Walt might be in the room, and there’s no hint of cigar because he doesn’t smoke all the time.”
“Fascinating. I’m intrigued that I can smell it. I would expect it would only be something Danielle could smell,” the chief said.
“I believe everyone has some degree of psychic powers,” Danielle explained.
“Should I really wow him?” Walt asked mischievously.
Danielle flashed Walt a rebuking frown. He ignored her less than friendly expression and waved his hand. The cigar vanished. He then walked to the curio shelf on the wall and removed a small figurine.
Chief MacDonald sat speechless, his eyes wide as he watched a small porcelain horse float through the air in his direction.
It took Danielle a moment to realize what had captured the chief’s attention. She frowned and said, “Stop showing off, Walt!” The porcelain horse fell into the chief’s lap.
“Holy crap,” the chief muttered, picking up the figurine and looking at it. Warily, he glanced around the room.
“Ignore Walt,” Danielle said as she stood up and snatched the porcelain horse from his grasp and then placed it back on the shelf.
“Yeah, like that is possible,” the chief said nervously, glancing around.
“You never let me have any fun,” Walt said with an exaggerated pout. “See if I take you dancing.”
“So what did you want to talk about?” Danielle asked, ignoring Walt.
The chief shook his head and then continued. “I had an interesting call this afternoon from someone I know over in the probate court. Apparently, Earthbound Spirits has filed a will with the court—Isabella’s will—which leaves them her entire estate.”
Danielle had been the one who told Chief MacDonald about Isabelle’s most current will, which Isabella had hidden at the Gusarov Estate months before her death. Danielle had acquired that information from Isabella’s spirit—something the chief knew. According to Isabella’s spirit, she had changed her will back, leaving her estate to her uncle and not to Earthbound Spirits. Since MacDonald couldn’t very well call Stoddard and tell him where to find his niece’s will, he had made an anonymous call to Stoddard, pretending to be one of Isabella’s friends.
“It’s a fake,” Danielle said. “We know Stoddard has Isabella’s most current will. Not that I care who inherits her estate, but it’s a fake.”
“That’s what’s interesting,” the chief said as he leaned back in the chair. “According to Darlene Gusarov, the night before Stoddard was murdered, he admitted to forging the will and planting it in his house. Darlene’s not contesting Earthbound Spirit’s claim on Isabella’s estate, which should be going to her now, but won’t.”
“While I’m thrilled to know that woman ends up with less money, she’s lying,” Lily said. “Isabella told Danielle about the new will. Stoddard didn’t forge it.”
The chief nodded. “Exactly. And yet, Darlene is telling the court it’s a fake, handing over half of the company to Earthbound Spirits, and why?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.” Danielle frowned.
“Is it possible Stoddard told her that for some reason?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know why he would,” MacDonald said.
Danielle stood up. “There is one way to find out. I’ll ask him.”
“Don’t tell me… he’s here?” MacDonald asked.
Danielle marched from the room to confront Stoddard’s spirit, leaving Lily to explain about the unwelcome haunting. As Lily chattered away, Walt turned his attention to MacDonald. Narrowing his eyes, he silently studied the man. Since adjusting to life—or death—as a spirit, Walt realized he was no longer adept at judging a person’s age. Everyone seemed so much younger than how he remembered from his life in the 1920s. When first seeing Danielle, he guessed she was in her early twenties—never imagining she was thirty.
The chief was obviously older than Joe and Ian, yet younger than Brian Henderson. Danielle mentioned he had several small boys. How young they actually were, he didn’t know. He supposed a woman might consider the tall, stocky man handsome, yet Walt thought he looked rather ordinary, with graying brown hair and blue-gray eyes. He gave the chief points for having faith in Danielle, and perhaps he might actually like the man if they were to meet in another time or place—yet, he didn’t particularly want to like him.
* * *
The moment Danielle stepped from the kitchen to the side yard, Stoddard swooped down from above and shoved his face just inches from hers as he let out an angry howl and waved his arms, reminding her of a wounded bird trying to take flight.
“Would you please stop that for a moment. I have a question for you,” Danielle asked in a bored tone as she did her best to ignore his facial contortions. He didn’t stop immediately. When he couldn’t get her to show fear or anger, he settled down on his feet.
Crossing his arms across his chest, he faced Danielle. “What?”
“Did you, by any chance, tell your wife Isabella’s will—the one you found in your house—was fake? That you forged it?”
In response, Stoddard started shouting again, telling her the will wasn’t fake and asking her what she was trying to pull. “If you’re trying to hurt my wife by…”
“Quiet please, and listen!” Danielle shouted. Miraculously, he did. “I know the will isn’t fake. I know it was not forged. Just who do you think is responsible for you finding it in the first place?”
“What are you talking about?” Stoddard frowned.
“Your niece’s spirit told me about the will. She explained she changed her will months ago—taking Earthbound Spirits out of it and putting you back in. She then told me where to find it. That’s why you received the anonymous phone call.”
“Then why did you ask me that question?”
“Because your wife has told the court you forged Isabella’s will—the one you found—and Earthbound Spirits has filed a second will with the courts leaving them your niece’s estate instead of you.”
“Why would Darlene say something like that?”
“I have no idea. I was hoping you knew.”
Stoddard was silent for a moment and then narrowed his eyes and glared at Danielle. “All this is your fault, if you hadn’t killed me!”
Disgusted with his new outburst, Danielle turned and headed back to the house, leaving Stoddard hurling insults in her direction.
* * *
“He says he never told Darlene that,” Danielle said when she walked back into the parlor. “And I believe him.”
“Why would she tell a lie like that?” Lily asked.
“That’s what I’d like to know. As far as a motive for murder, Darlene is at the top of my list, primarily because she had the most to gain financially. But now this. Why would she tell the courts her husband forged the will and just give away half of the company?” Danielle asked.
“I can only think of one reason. Some sort of payoff.” MacDonald suggested. “Maybe she and Earthbound Spirits were in this together. With Stoddard gone, they divide the company. Although, from everything we’ve uncovered so far, there doesn’t seem to be any connection between Darlene and Earthbound Spirits—no phone calls, no meetings, nothing.”
“But the investigation has only been going on a few days; it’s entirely possible there is a connection you’ve missed,” Danielle suggested.
“Let’s say we do find something—phone calls, meetings—why would Darlene give up such a large share of the estate to get rid of her husband? Isabella’s share was a fortune—why wouldn’t Darlene just wait and find someone she could pay to do the job for far less money?” MacDonald asked.
“I don’t know, maybe hitmen are simply hard to find?” Danielle shrugged.
They
were silent for a few moments. Finally, the chief asked, “Are you going to Stoddard’s funeral?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. Why?” Danielle frowned.
“It might give you a chance to get a closer look at all the players. Maybe you’ll pick up something useful,” he said.
“I told you; I just see spirits. I don’t read minds or have ESP or anything like that.”
“I understand. But would you consider going? You’re the only ones I can discuss this with. I need someone I trust who I can bounce ideas off, and if you go tomorrow, maybe you’ll pick up something I missed. Not because you have any special psychic powers. I can’t very well announce Darlene is lying, that she’s giving away half of her estate for some reason, or even suggest that possibility. I have nothing to back it up, aside from the fact Isabella’s ghost told you where to find her will.”
Danielle let out a deep sigh and said, “Okay, I’ll go.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lily and Will sat in the dining room of Marlow House while Danielle served them a breakfast of homemade blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. She had set three places at the table and intended to join them once all the food was brought out from the kitchen.
“We could have eaten at the kitchen table, like we did last night. I feel bad making you go to all this trouble,” Will said.
“Don’t be silly.” Danielle refilled each of their coffee cups before sitting down at the table. “Eating in the dining room is more civilized. And I can’t have people saying Marlow House is anything but civilized!”
Lily looked down the long dining room table with all the empty seats. “Yeah right. And it’s real cozy too.”
“Oh hush Lily!” Danielle laughed.
“So what are you ladies doing today?” Will asked.
“I’ll be doing the same thing I do every day—lay around the house and wait for the nurse to arrive and hook me up to the IV,” Lily grumbled. Danielle reached over and patted Lily’s hand.