by Jessica Beck
He clearly didn’t know that my husband’s stubborn streak was wider than anyone else’s he’d ever met. “Then we’ll be glad to wait right here until you do,” Jake replied.
Joe approached my husband, cracking his knuckles as though he were about to use them. I wanted to tell Jake that maybe it was time to back off, but I couldn’t do it without embarrassing him, and besides, I knew that my husband could handle himself. He didn’t need a gun to protect himself, or me either, for that matter.
“I said go.” The repairman spat out his words, and the two men were inches apart now.
“No.”
After the longest ten seconds I could recall in recent memory, Chastain backed off a few steps. “What do you want to know?”
“Did you meet with Teresa Logan last night at seven thirty in her office?” Jake asked as though nothing had just happened.
Joe frowned. “I don’t have to tell you that. It’s, what do you call it? Attorney–client privilege. Yeah, that’s it.”
Why was I not surprised that Joe Chastain knew his rights?
“I’m not asking what you discussed. All I want to know is if you met with her,” Jake said patiently.
“Yeah, of course I did. So what?”
“Was anyone else around the office when you left?”
“No. The place was empty,” Joe said.
“Was she on the phone with anyone as you were leaving, by any chance?” I asked.
Joe looked a little surprised to find me still standing there behind my husband. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, she was making a call right when I walked out the door.”
“Did you leave a threatening message on Teresa Logan’s answering machine within the past week?” Jake asked him.
Joe frowned and shook his head. “Why would I do that? She was my attorney, and besides, she was going to get me off. Now I’m going to have to start all over and go through the hassle of finding a new lawyer.”
“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,” I said sarcastically. Here a woman was dead, and this man was worried about letting his fingers take a walk through the yellow pages. I had a tough time generating any sympathy for him. “Did you happen to catch who she was calling?”
“How would I know?” he asked.
“Joe, is there a problem over there?” a gruff, heavyset man asked the repairman from the office.
“No, it’s all good, Mr. K.”
The man nodded, and then he stared at us for a few moments before turning away.
“Listen, I can’t afford to get fired,” Joe said. “I need this job. I answered your questions. You have to take off now.”
“Are you okay with that, Suzanne?”
“I don’t have anything else for him at the moment,” I said.
“Okay, then,” Jake said. “We can leave. If you think of anything else, be sure to let us know.”
“How about if I call the chief instead?” Joe asked with a nasty grin. “After all, he’s the one working the job. You’re not, remember?”
Back at the Jeep, I turned to my husband and smiled. “I must say that I’m impressed.”
“Why? I didn’t get very much out of him.”
“The fact that he told us anything at all is what’s so amazing to me. I thought he was going to take a swing at you for a second there.”
“He was posturing, and when I wouldn’t back down, he folded. If he’d been drunk, it might have been a completely different story, but I knew where things stood.”
“I’m going to have to take your word for it, but I’m warning you, if you try to go toe to toe with Becky Rusch, things might not end nearly as well for you.”
Jake seemed amused by the idea. “Why, do you think she might take a swing at me?”
“I don’t know, but you said it yourself. She’s a bit of a wild card. If you go over there trying to intimidate her, you’re probably going to run into the same dead end that Stephen did.”
“Do you want to show me how it’s done? Is that what you’re saying?” he asked with a grin.
“I’d love to take the lead, but feel free to jump in during a lull.”
“Only if I have to,” Jake said, and then he took out his cell phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m going to update the police chief about our conversation, and then I’m going to ask him to check Teresa’s cell phone records. If she really did make a call after Joe left, he might be off the hook.”
“If he was telling us the truth,” I said.
After Jake made his phone call, he asked me, “Don’t you believe Joe’s story, Suzanne?”
“The truth of the matter is that I’ve made it a point lately not to take anything a suspect tells me at face value,” I said.
“It sounds as though you’ve been burned in the past.”
“More times than I care to admit,” I said.
“Where exactly does Becky Rusch work?” Jake asked me as I took a side street near the donut shop.
“She’s a clerk at the flower shop,” I said.
“It’s hard for me to believe that someone who works for a florist ever committed road rage.”
“Why shouldn’t she? I run a donut shop, and there are days when my customers drive me so crazy I’d be tempted to run a few of them over if I were given the chance.” I was speaking in hyperbole, and my husband knew it.
“It’s a good thing you’ve got such a short commute from work to home, then,” he answered with a chuckle.
We had to wait in line, since the flower shop was busy. I watched as Becky handled customer after customer with more patience than I showed at times at Donut Hearts. Becky Rusch was a rather plain woman, but she made up for it by smiling brightly at every customer, making each one of them feel as though their order was the most special one she’d take that day. When it was our turn at the front counter, Becky turned her charm on us as she said, “Hey, Suzanne. You must be Jake. What can I get you today?”
I glanced at the flower arrangements in the display case and said, “We’d like to buy something nice. How are the roses this time of year?”
“Sorry, but we’re completely out. No worries, they’re on back order, but we haven’t had any since Valentine’s Day. Our supplier has been having trouble meeting demand, but we should be getting some in next week.”
“Suzanne, why exactly are we buying flowers?” Jake asked me.
“I thought it might be nice to take some to Momma’s for dinner this evening.”
“If you ask me, you can’t go wrong with one of our party arrangements,” Becky said. “I know some folks bring wine, but who doesn’t like a burst of color in their lives?”
“Then again, you have to say that, since you’re a florist,” I said with a grin. It was hard to believe that this mild-mannered woman had committed an act of road rage.
“I’ve got a hunch that you recommend they bring donuts to the party. Am I right?” she asked me.
“Always,” I said. “What’s the freshest arrangement you have right now?”
“All of our flowers are fresh,” Becky said loudly, and then, in a softer voice, she added, “I’d go with the spring bouquet if I were you. They just came in this morning.”
“We’ll take one,” I said.
As I was starting to pay, I asked her, “It’s a shame about what happened to Teresa Logan, isn’t it?”
“It is,” she agreed.
“Did you happen to know her?” I asked.
“I did,” Becky said as she gave me my change.
“Was it privately or professionally?” Jake asked her. I had been under the impression that he’d be letting me handle this interview, but since I had interrupted his, it was only fair that he chimed in on mine occasionally.
Becky frowned a little before answering. “That’s funny. I know you’r
e asking a question, but you sound as though you already know the answer,” she replied, her smile quickly disappearing.
“You were one of her law practice’s clients,” Jake said, again making it a statement instead of a query.
“I am, or I suppose the proper way to say it is that I was. Why did I need an attorney? I’m sure you already know the answer to that, too. I was having a horrible day, and I let my emotions get the better of me. I’m still paying for it, but it just won’t go away.”
“Did you meet with Teresa Logan last night?” Jake asked her.
“No, I did not,” Becky said as she handed me the arrangement. There was no one left in the store, so she couldn’t brush us off in order to wait on another customer, but I knew that she was going to find some excuse to get rid of us, so I had to act quickly.
“That’s a little odd. Your name was in her appointment book,” I said.
“I went to her office, but she never showed up. The truth is that I got tired of knocking on the front door, so I finally left. The next thing I know, the police chief comes over here this afternoon asking me about my relationship with her. What business is that of his, or yours either, for that matter?” The sunny side of her personality was definitely gone now.
“We’re just trying to help,” I said.
“Are you saying that you’re trying to help me? Forgive me for saying so, but I sincerely doubt that.”
“If you didn’t kill your attorney, then why wouldn’t you want her murder solved?” Jake asked, and I could tell that he was honestly curious.
“People get murdered every day all over the country. I’m sorry it happened, but I can’t get too wrapped up in it,” Becky said. “Besides, I was going to have to find a new attorney anyway. She wasn’t doing me much good, and when she missed that appointment last night, I was going to fire her anyway.”
Teresa had the perfect excuse for not making it, since there was a good chance that she’d been dead, but I didn’t feel that was the right time to bring it up. I was about to ask her another question when my husband asked it for me.
“So, you’re claiming that you never went inside her office the day of the murder?” Jake asked.
“That’s not what I’m claiming; it happens to be the truth. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to lock up for the day.”
I glanced at the hours displayed in the front window and saw that she had another ten minutes left on her shift. “Is your boss in back going to get upset if you close up before it’s time? Don’t pretend that you’re here alone. You made it a point earlier to tell us loudly that all of the flowers you have are fresh, though you recommended something that just arrived after that in a softer voice.”
“It’s not my boss; it’s her daughter, and believe me, she’ll jump at the chance to take off early. Do you honestly think she’s going to tell her mother that I let her go before we were scheduled to close for the day? If you do, then you don’t know Cindy at all. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to lock up and balance the cash register receipts.”
There was no way I could think of to stall her, so I did the only thing I could think of doing. “Thanks for the flowers,” I said lamely as I grabbed the arrangement, and then Jake and I made our way out the front door.
“Always happy to help,” Becky said, and then the locks clicked into place as she bolted the door behind us.
“Okay, before you say anything, I know I pressed her a little too hard back there. I’m sorry,” Jake said. “You just seemed to be taking forever to get to the point.”
I shoved the flowers into his hands so I could drive. “That’s usually what you have to do to get someone to cooperate with you that doesn’t have to. You have to sneak around from the side instead of hitting them dead on in the face. It takes quite a bit of subtlety, Jake.”
“Hey, I can be subtle if I have to be,” my husband protested.
“Really? During an investigation?”
“I’m not saying that I’ve ever done it; I’m just saying that I could if I had to.”
“Then start practicing, because you’re going to need a whole new set of skills if you’re going to make it on this side of the law.”
“You make us sound like a pair of desperate bandits,” he said with a frown.
“We’re not criminals, but we’re not in law enforcement, either. We’re simply interested law-abiding citizens.”
“Who happen to be nosey and intrusive,” Jake added.
“Now you’ve got it.”
“I really am sorry, Suzanne. I’ll do better from now on.”
“Don’t worry about it. Becky clearly wasn’t in the mood to say anything, anyway. We’ll figure out another angle and work her from that.”
“And in the meantime?” Jake asked me.
I glanced at my watch before I answered. “We’re due at Momma’s pretty soon. Maybe we should leave our investigation until later.”
“That’s fine with me. What do you suppose this is all about?”
“I wish I knew,” I said. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Momma greeted us alone at the front door of her home. “Flowers! How lovely. Thank you both.” After she hugged us both, she said, “You’re early.”
“What can I say? I couldn’t wait,” I said. I looked around and couldn’t see her husband anywhere. “Where’s Phillip?”
“Unless I miss my guess, he should be arriving at the Outer Banks soon,” my mother said as she glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Did he go without you? What’s going on? Are you two having trouble, Momma?”
“No, we’re perfectly fine,” she said. “The truth of the matter is that I urged him to go. I have some business I need to take care of here in town, and he’s only going to be gone for a few days. After that, I’m joining him.”
“That sounds nice. You work way too hard, so you deserve a vacation,” I told her as Jake and I took off our coats.
“It’s not just a vacation, Suzanne,” Momma said. “Phillip and I are leaving April Springs as soon as we find a place on the coast.”
Chapter 7
“What! What do you mean, you’re leaving?” My mother had lived in April Springs her entire life, and I couldn’t imagine her being anywhere else. If she and Phillip moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, she might as well move all the way across the country. Though the chain of islands was still in the state that we lived in, it was a good eight – to nine-hour drive, and I knew that I’d rarely see her if she made the move.
“Take a breath, child. Your face is turning red,” Momma said.
“We’re both having a little trouble understanding it, I guess. Why the move, Dot?” Jake asked her. His brow was furrowed as well, and I knew that he was extremely sympathetic to my distress. And why shouldn’t he be? He’d have to listen to untold hours of complaining from me if this actually happened.
“It’s simple, really. We need a fresh start,” my mother told him, and then she turned to look at me. I was causing her distress with my reaction, something I hated, but I couldn’t help it. I was in real pain just thinking about it.
“Are you the one who needs to move, or is it your husband?” I asked her point blank.
“We both do,” Momma said firmly. There was a hint of warning in her voice as she said it, and I knew better than to criticize her husband.
“Who brought it up first, though?” I asked, pushing her on it nonetheless. If this was going to happen, I needed to understand why.
Momma sighed deeply before she explained, “Since Phillip retired, he’s been restless. I thought he’d found a suitable hobby digging into the past around here, but it doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. Don’t you worry, Suzanne. This will be good for us.”
“Maybe for the two of you, but I’m telling you right now, if you go through with this, you’re going to make m
e miserable,” I said sullenly. I knew that I wasn’t handling the news like a mature woman should, but this was my mother. I depended on her presence in my life every day. Thinking of being in April Springs without her was something I couldn’t bear. All along I’d been under the impression that she’d needed to be close to me, but now that I was faced with the prospect of her absence, it seemed that I was the one who wasn’t able to handle it.
“Stop treating this as though it’s one of life’s great tragedies! You can visit us whenever you’d like,” Momma said, doing her best to reassure me.
“Really? Do you honestly believe that? Even if I take off the two days I get every week and come see you, it’s going to seem like two days spent driving in the car. I can just see it now. I spend the first day driving, I get to see you for a few hours, go to sleep, and then drive back here.”
“I’m sorry if it’s going to be inconvenient for you, but it needs to be done,” Momma said. It appeared that she was fighting to keep her own emotions in check. That was more than I was managing.
“Aren’t you even going to miss me?” I asked, the tears coming unbidden.
“Of course I’m going to miss you,” she said, her tears coming as she wrapped her arms around me. I wasn’t sure how Jake was reacting to all of this at the moment, nor did I care. He was giving us space to work this out, which was the smartest thing he could do.
“Then don’t go,” I pled with her. Though my mother was quite a bit shorter than I was, I still felt like a little kid when she had her arms around me.
“We all must do things for our marriage that we might not do otherwise,” Momma said as she started to pull away and dabbed at her tears. “Now, let’s eat. I made us all a lovely pot roast for dinner.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”
“Suzanne, it would be rude to just leave,” Jake said.
“It’s fine. Let her go,” Momma said. Before I could bolt out of there, she took my hands in hers. “Take tonight and sleep on it. We’ll discuss this again tomorrow. You’ll see things differently in the morning, I’m sure of it.”