by Dana Moss
Just beyond the vigil, in the school’s pick-up zone, a white SUV pulled up to the curb. Jenny, carrying a purse and an armful of books, walked past the vigil and climbed into the passenger seat.
After the SUV drove off, Maria said, “I’ve got to stop by the Bradford residence before going back to the PD. Why don’t you come? That’s actually why I was calling you this morning. To ask you to join me.”
Taffy thought about her plan to go to the mall to pick up a new phone, but that quickly faded at Maria’s invitation. “You know I love tagging along on investigations.”
Maria gave her a sheepish look. “To be honest, Noel Bradford insisted that you come back to the house with me. He said he felt ‘calmed by your presence,’ which I think was a nice way of saying I came across too strongly in my questioning yesterday. I’m still trying to get the hang of talking to people in distress when I’ve got a suspicious death to sort out.”
“That’s understandable.”
Maria slid into the passenger seat. “Oooh. I see what you mean…”
“Right?” The engine clicked on, and they were surrounded by a hum and a purr.
The only downside was that Taffy couldn’t speed with Maria in the car.
CHAPTER NINE
They grabbed a quick lunch at the Magpie Brewing Company, the local coffee shop Ethan had taken over a few months ago, and then they carried on to the Bradford residence.
This time, Taffy parked in their driveway next to a charcoal-grey Lexus. Maria cleared her throat critically but said nothing about Taffy’s parking job.
“I’m hoping to speak to Cara and Shannon today. Keep your eyes open and see how they react to different questions. I’m still trying to figure out this family.”
A curtain flicked open and then closed as they walked to the front door.
Taffy rang the bell.
The door opened almost right away, revealing a full-lipped, elegantly coiffed woman in her early thirties. “Are you the police?”
Maria showed her badge and introduced Taffy. The woman offered a charming smile.
“I’m Cara Bradford, née Kearney, and I’ve got nothing to hide. Please come in.” Her straight auburn hair, cut into a sharp bob, swung smoothly against her jaw as she turned and led the way into the house they were already familiar with. She had bare feet and wore denim capris and a low-cut but loose-fitting white tank top.
“Please remove your shoes. Noel insists on it.” Taffy looked down at Cara’s delicate-looking bare feet and elegant toes with their manicured nails. She slipped out of her flats and compared their colors. Almost identical.
Maria fumbled with her laces. “Is your husband home, too?”
“He’s just changing into gym clothes. He’s been so stressed I told him he’d feel better sweating it out at the gym.” She glanced slyly over her shoulder. “And between you and me and the lamppost, he’s getting a little bit of paunch on him. But don’t tell him I told you so.”
She seemed so casual, given the circumstances, as she flounced onto one of the white couches. There was already a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and three glasses on the coffee table. “You wanted to speak to me today, anyway, not him, didn’t you?”
“And the other Mrs. Bradford, Shannon, if she’s here. She was sleeping yesterday.”
Cara’s jaw clenched as she frowned, and then she tucked a smooth lock of hair behind one ear. “Shannon is staying in a bed and breakfast a few blocks away. When we got news of the tragedy, Tyler’s best friend from Eugene said he wanted to come down to be with us. Shannon knows him well and was fine with giving him the guest room.”
Maria opened up her notebook. “So you were out of town when you got the news?”
“Noel called me right away. I came home as quickly as I could.” Cara’s cheerful sky-blue eyes quickly darkened as if storm clouds had just rolled in. “Horrible, just horrible. How could such a thing happen? I’m hoping you’ll be able to tell me, Miss Salinas.”
Maria raised an eyebrow at the request. She laughed lightly. “I’ll need you to tell me a few things first, I’m afraid.”
“And you,” Cara said, turning her charm on Taffy. “Is that your gorgeous beast of a car in my driveway? I had a friend in LA who had one of those once. They purr like kittens in Neutral and growl like panthers in Drive, am I right?”
Taffy smiled. She liked this woman. “Pretty close.”
Maria’s pencil hovered. “Is that where you’re originally from, Mrs. Bradford? Los Angeles?”
“Please call me Cara. Yes. City of Angels. And I bet you’re wondering how I ended up in a place like this. The oldest story in the book. Love.” She reached for the pitcher. “Iced tea?”
Taffy said, “Yes, please.”
Cara poured her a glass.
“You’re from New York, aren’t you? I thought I’d heard that around town. Such a small town. Is it love that’s trapped you here, too?”
Taffy swallowed her first sip of iced tea. “You could say that.”
It felt refreshing to be chatting with someone as sophisticated and cosmopolitan as Taffy had once been in New York. It made sense that Cara was from LA.
Maria’s pencil was tapping against her notebook when Taffy glanced over. “Mrs. Bradford, could we—”
She was cut off as thumping steps echoed from the stairway and then the hall. A moment later, Noel walked into the living room. “Oh, you’re here already.”
He looked haggard despite his well-fitting gym clothes. Taffy didn’t see much evidence of a paunch, but he had to be at least fifteen years older than his new wife. Perhaps she had standards.
“Nice to see you again, Taffy. Detective Salinas.” He nodded at each of them and then turned to his wife. “I’m not sure I’m up for the gym, sweetie. I feel so out of sorts.”
He was all dressed and ready to go, except for his shoes. “You’ll feel better if you try. You’ll get depressed hanging around the house all day.”
“I’m supposed to be depressed. My son just died.”
Cara flushed. Her jaw tensed. And then her blue eyes got all watery. She jumped up and went to him. “I’m so sorry, my love. I’m just trying to take care of you. Maybe I’m doing it wrong. I’m all mixed up with this, too. I don’t know what to do.” She held him and cried into his shoulder.
“It’s okay, Care-bear. I know this is a shock for you, too. I’ll go for a little while. God knows I could use a distraction. But I don’t want to cry in public.”
“Stay home then. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t want you to be far from me now.”
He pushed her gently back so he could look into her face, at her eyes full of tears. “You’re so good to me. The one good thing in the midst of this nightmare.” He kissed her on her forehead. Then he looked over her head at Taffy and Maria and said softly, “What would I do without her?”
Maria stood up. “Mr. Bradford, we understand your first wife is staying at a nearby B and B. Could you give me the address?”
Noel and Cara stared at her as if she had three heads. Maria really didn’t have a flair for this. Taffy jumped up. “Noel and Cara, this is such a difficult time for you. We both know that. The shock, the confusion, the grief. I know from my own experiences. It’s all quite disorienting.”
Cara stared at her and wiped her tears. Noel nodded.
“But right now the police need to find out all they can to make sense out of Tyler’s untimely death.”
Maria cleared her throat. “Taffy’s right. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”
Cara let her husband go and returned to the couch. He seemed adrift for a few seconds, and then he went to the hall closet to get his gym bag. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
The door closed.
“I want to be helpful.” Cara’s blue eyes looked sincere as her gaze bounced between Taffy and Maria. “This has been so hard on Noel. It’s tragic for him. I want to do everything I can to help him get through this.”
“I appreciate
that,” Maria said. “I understand Tyler hadn’t been living with you for very long?”
“Since just after Christmas. He asked to move in with us. I’d only really seen him on the occasional weekend, when I wasn’t away traveling or at golfing events. I always made an effort to make him feel welcome and liked, and I also tried to give him and Noel time to bond. But I was surprised when he moved in with us.”
“Just surprised?”
Cara frowned. “To be honest, Noel didn’t consult me. At Christmas, he told me Tyler would be moving down here and we’d ‘see how it goes,’ by which he meant he and Tyler would see. And Shannon.” Cara’s frown seemed to turn into a pout.
“We haven’t met her yet,” Taffy said. “Is she nice?”
Cara took a long sip of iced tea. “She’s nice, yes. She and Noel have a nice relationship. She’s always been nice to me.” But Cara had stopped smiling.
Maria cleared her throat. “How did you and Noel meet?”
Cara’s smile returned. It was soft and sweet as her gaze slipped off to the side in reverie.
“At a golfing conference in Palm Springs. I used to be a pro, you know.”
Maria shook her head. “No, I didn’t know.”
“I was head over heels for him when we first met. He made me laugh. He only had eyes for me. It was the first time in my life I felt truly safe. Truly loved. I soon learned he had some baggage, of course. An ex-wife and a teenager, but I overlooked those things. He was my dream guy.”
“There’s a bit of an age difference, isn’t there?”
Cara flipped her hair. “That doesn’t bother either of us.”
Taffy asked, “Do you think you’ll have kids together?”
“Oh no,” Cara laughed. It seemed forced to Taffy. But Cara’s charming smile was back. She tugged at her loose tank top and said. “Noel was pretty up front from the get-go that he didn’t want to start another family. And I was totally fine with that. Never thought I’d have kids anyway.” She found a loose thread in her seam and ripped it off. “I didn’t have the greatest experiences growing up and wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a mother. When I fell in love with Noel, the decision was made for me. And now, well… But what does this have to do with Tyler?”
“He became your stepson, didn’t he?”
Cara blinked. “I guess so. It never felt like that though.”
“Did you get along?”
Cara shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She tucked one foot up under her leg. “I made more of an effort than he did. When Tyler moved here, it seemed like he wanted his father all to himself. He was jealous of me. I think Noel felt torn between us.”
“Did he like you?”
“I gave him every reason to. But no, I don’t think he did. He was always making things difficult for me. Taking my stuff, not respecting my rules. Like he wouldn’t really give me a chance. Moving here from LA was difficult enough.” She turned to Taffy. “You must know what I mean.”
“I do. Sometimes it’s still hard.”
“Small towns have their quirks and quaintness, but there can be small-mindedness too. I stood out when I first got here. Didn’t make many friends.”
Taffy gave an understanding nod. “I went through that too.”
“Nowadays I keep to myself when I’m here. I socialize more when I’m traveling or doing my sponsorship gigs for golf. It’s enough.” But the resignation in her voice implied otherwise. Taffy felt for her. Maybe she was the only one in town who could truly understand Cara’s situation.
“Tyler, on the other hand, was adjusting well?” Maria said. “According to the high school principal, he had good grades, especially for starting in midyear, a good group of friends, even a girlfriend—”
Cara huffed and crossed her arms. “Have you seen that tart?”
Both Taffy and Maria were surprised at her tone.
Maria said, “She seemed mild enough when we met her at the school.”
“Oh, she can play the part all right. Takes one to know one.” Cara bit her lip then, as if she’d said too much. She picked up her iced tea, sipped, and then added, “I just mean there’s more to her than meets the eye. She had Tyler wrapped around her busy little finger. He was utterly smitten. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she knows something about what happened the night he died.”
Taffy agreed, but she and Maria hadn’t been able to get it out of her at the nurse’s office. They would have to speak to Jenny again.
“What do you know about that night?” Maria said.
Cara blinked. She put down her iced tea. “Nothing. I wasn’t here.”
“What did you say you were doing in San Diego?”
She smiled demurely. “It’s a trade secret. You’d have to promise not to tell.”
“As a detective, I can’t promise anything like that.”
Cara laughed and waved it off. “Oh, well, whatever, I’ll tell you. Semiannually, I go to this exclusive health spa to trim down and train up for peak performance. A lot of pro golfers go there, and even though I gave up competing after I married, I keep to my healthy habits. I cut my trip early to get back here for Noel.”
“What’s the name of this spa?”
“Don’t you believe me?”
“Sure. It’s just for my notes.”
“Halcyon Health Spa. In Encinitas.”
Maria made a note and then stood up.
“Are you going already?” Cara seemed surprised. Taffy was too.
“You’ve been really helpful, Cara. If you think of anything else…” Maria handed her a card.
“Oh, okay.”
Maria still had her notebook out. “Do you happen to recall the name of the B and B where Shannon is staying?”
Cara looked up from reading the card.
“It’s called the Blue Bird or the Blue Jay Inn. Something like that. Over on Hanes Street.” Maria made a note.
“Thank you, Mrs. Bradford.”
They walked back to the foyer.
Cara placed her small, smooth hand on Taffy’s forearm. “It was so nice to meet you…I can see why Noel wanted you to come around. You’re very understanding.”
Maria frowned at them as she tied her shoelaces.
As Taffy slipped on her flats, Cara said, “Hey, we have the same color!” She wiggled her toes.
Taffy said something about great minds thinking alike, and that drew a warm smile from Cara’s perfectly tinted lips.
~
Outside in the driveway, Maria looked at her phone and said, “Malcolm will be by any minute to pick me up.” Then she looked back at the house. “That Cara’s a strange, complicated woman.”
“I kind of liked her.”
Maria raised an eyebrow. “No wonder. Charm up the wazoo.”
“Maybe it’s her way of dealing with shock?”
“Her way of dealing with everything by the looks of it.”
Maria stood on the passenger side of the car while Taffy walked to the driver’s side. They talked over the exposed leather seats of the convertible.
“She seems a bit lonely,” Taffy said. “She admitted she doesn’t have many friends.”
Maria tucked her notebook in the breast pocket of her jacket. “Did you notice she showed no signs of grief over Tyler’s death?”
“She was pretty affectionate and emotional with her husband though.”
“But it’s Tyler who’s dead.”
“She did say they weren’t very close.”
Maria nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll check out her spa reservation.”
“You think she had something to do with it? You’re quick to paint the stepmother black.”
“I’m being careful not to entertain stereotypes. She’s not exactly the evil stepmother, but there’s something a little off with her story.”
“I didn’t think so.” Taffy felt a little defensive about Cara. Maybe she felt sorry for her.
Maria met Taffy’s gaze. “I’m not an expert in relationships, but I found it strange tha
t Noel left for the gym, and their interactions seemed a bit strange to me.”
Taffy shrugged. “Relationships can be complicated, as we both know. Particularly at a time like this.”
“Cara clearly didn’t approve of Jenny.”
“So she doesn’t like the girlfriend and she’s not a fan of the ex, Shannon. But that’s not abnormal.”
Maria nodded and looked down the street. A patrol car had paused at the stop sign. “There’s Malcolm.”
Taffy said, “Hey, did Finn get back to you about dinner tonight?”
“Oh, right. Yes. We’ll both be there.”
Malcolm nosed the patrol car into the driveway. Lucy Smye, the officer riding shotgun, rolled her window down. “Ready to go, Boss?”
Maria nodded and then turned to Taffy. “I’m going back to the office to file these two reports before going home. See you later at Ted’s?”
Taffy nodded. “At seven. I’m going to swing by the park to remind Ethan about dinner.”
“Still no phone?”
“I’ll get it tomorrow.”
Maria climbed in with Malcolm and Lucy, and the three of them drove off.
CHAPTER TEN
Taffy left the Bradford home and headed toward the park. She rarely visited Ethan at work, but without a functioning cell phone, she wanted to make sure he hadn’t forgotten about their double-date dinner plans with Finn and Maria.
Ethan’s friend Ted, the bartender at the karaoke bar, had just opened his own bistro down by the marina, and they had promised to try it out in the first week so they could post good reviews before the busiest part of the tourist season picked up. Mayor Gifford had spearheaded a plan to improve tourism in Abandon and several new businesses received special subsidies. Ethan had benefitted, too, when he’d taken over the local coffee shop a few months back. He’d renamed it the Magpie Brewing Company, and it practically ran itself, which was a good thing, because Ethan was still a full-time park ranger and also had stakes in a local microbrewery. As he’d once told her, everyone in a small town does at least two things.
Ethan’s blue pickup truck, which Taffy had nicknamed the Blue Bear, was parked next to the log cabin that served as the park ranger office. The spring and summer displays were up on the outer boards, along with the campsite reservation schedule, which was almost completely full already.