by Cindy Bell
“Sure, I guess we could do that.” Kerri held back the questions that filled her mind. Right now she wanted to focus on Damian, and Steve.
“Great, first thing in the morning we’ll figure out what our next step is. Goodnight, Kerri.”
“Goodnight, Grandpa.” She watched as he disappeared into his room. Once more she felt a tug of anxiety. It seemed that ever since her grandfather returned to her life, she anticipated the moment he would leave again. He told her he wasn’t going anywhere, but experience taught her not to trust that. She gathered her computer and put it away for the night.
When her body hit her bed, she realized for the first time just how tired she was. Just as she started to fall asleep, her phone rang. She was going to ignore it, until she saw that it was Natalie calling. With her mind already foggy with sleep she answered the phone.
“Nat? Is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier. I got caught up in things with Chloe. She’s so upset.”
“Why? How did she know Damian?”
“Oh wow, you really don’t remember who she is, do you?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Remember I told you I was supposed to be Chloe’s bridesmaid, for her wedding to Damian.”
“Oh!” Kerri sat up in bed. “I had no idea, I’m so sorry. Then you must have been friends with Damian, too?”
“I wouldn’t say friends. We spoke of course, and I’d see him when I spent time with Chloe, but he was too much of a jock for me to really connect with. I mean he wasn’t a bad person, at least I didn’t think so at the time, but we had very different interests.”
“What do you mean you didn’t think so? Has your opinion changed?”
“Since he left Chloe at the altar? Yes, absolutely. Who does that kind of thing? Sure you see it on movies, but you don’t expect to witness it in real life. Chloe was beside herself.”
“Angry?”
“No, not angry exactly. More, surprised, confused. I guess she was a bit angry.” She sighed. “It was embarrassing. She had to tell everyone that there wasn’t going to be a wedding. Pretty much the whole town was there.”
“That must have been mortifying.”
“I tried to tell her that he was the one that should be embarrassed, not her, but I don’t think she heard me. She was pretty upset and her family surrounded her pretty fast.”
“How was she when you told her about Damian?”
“She already knew. I guess when the chief contacted Damian’s family, they contacted Chloe’s family.”
“Do you think there was enough hurt between them to be motive for murder?”
“Uh, Kerri? This is Chloe you’re talking about. I know that you don’t know her, but trust me when I tell you that she’s a very nice person. She’s not a murderer.”
“I’m sorry, I’m a little sleepy, I shouldn’t have said it like that.”
“It’s okay. I’m as curious as you are about who did this to Damian. I just don’t think it’s worth wasting your time thinking that it might be Chloe. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I take you to meet her tomorrow? I’m going to stop over to see if I can cheer her up a little bit. You can come with me.”
“You don’t think it will be too awkward?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’ll double-check with her that it’s okay, but like I said, she’s a very sweet woman and there isn’t much that she wouldn’t do for someone else. Once you meet her, I’m sure you’ll cross her off your suspect list.”
“You think I have a suspect list?”
“I know you have a suspect list!” Natalie laughed. “Oops, I guess I shouldn’t be laughing. Ugh, death is so strange. I never know how to react to it.”
“That’s because it’s usually a shock. No one ever really expects it, especially murder.”
“I guess you’re right about that. I know there are a lot of dangers out there, but I expect to live a good long life.”
“We all do, I think.”
“I’ll let you get some rest. I should be meeting Chloe around noon so we can have lunch, but I’ll text you to confirm it.”
“Okay, great. I’ll see you then.” Kerri hung up the phone and buried her face into her pillow. Even though she and Natalie hadn’t been friends for very long, she knew Kerri very well. She did have a suspect list forming in her head, and of course first on that list was Chloe. Next was the owner of the property the body was found on, and third was Bill Power, the man who had discovered the body. It was just the beginning of what she guessed would be a very long list. As she drifted off to sleep she recalled the shock in Steve’s eyes. No matter what she needed to find the truth, if not for Damian and his family, then at the very least for Steve’s peace of mind.
Chapter 5
As soon as Kerri’s eyes opened the next morning, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. If there was a question she wanted an answer for, her first goal was always to go to the source. Since Bill Power discovered Damian’s body, she considered him the source in this case. Once she was up and dressed she made her way out into the kitchen. There was already a pot of coffee on. She was surprised to find it, as it was quite early and she didn’t expect her grandfather to be awake. However, when she looked out through the kitchen window into the backyard, she saw that he was there chatting with her squirrel friend. The sight made her smile. Her grandfather tended to display a rough exterior, but there were moments, especially more now that she lived with him, when she could see just how sensitive he was. It made her wonder about her father, and whether he might be the same way underneath. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to wait until he retired to find out.
As Kerri poured herself a cup of coffee she turned her thoughts to Bill Power. She didn’t know too much about him, other than he was a local who had been part of the community all of his life. This wasn’t too unusual in the area, as many families had lived there for many generations. The question in her mind was, just how did he stumble on a body? How did he just happen to dig there? She wanted to know if there was any reason he might have strayed past the property line, and if he might know more about Damian’s death than he was admitting to.
“Morning, Kerri.” George stepped inside the back door and closed it behind him. “Don’t worry about Cashew, I already fed her and took her outside.”
“Wow, you’ve been busy this morning.” She smiled. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Is everything okay? Did you sleep all right?”
“Ha, no I didn’t. I didn’t sleep much at all, actually,” George said.
“You didn’t? Why not?”
“Just thinking about this murder, I guess. I know it’s not my business, but it’s hard to keep my nose out of it.”
“Would you like to come with me this morning to speak to Bill Power? I want to find out if there might be more to his story than he’s sharing.”
“Ah, a girl after my own heart.” He tapped his chest and met her eyes.
“True.” She grinned. “I don’t know how we’re going to get him to talk to us though.”
“Leave that to me. Getting people to talk, is one of my specialties.”
“Grandpa, I don’t want him hurt in any way.”
“Oh boy.” He chuckled. “You’ve been watching too many of those movies again, haven’t you? What do you think I’m going to do, hang him upside down? Shake the truth out of him?”
“No, I’m sorry.” She laughed. “I guess I was jumping to conclusions.”
“Well, don’t feel bad. You weren’t too far off. In my day, I was quite good at coercing answers from people. But, I’m retired now, and I think words work better.”
“Grandpa, I never can tell if you’re joking or not.” She stared at him for a long moment.
“That’s probably for the best.” He winked at her, then poured himself a cup of coffee. “Whenever you’re ready to go, I’m up for it.”
“Okay, I just n
eed a few more minutes.” As Kerri walked back to her room to finish getting dressed she stole a quick glance over her shoulder. Was he an interrogator? Did he torture people? The very thought seemed absurd, as he was such a friendly and generous man. But he was also very strong, and disciplined. She’d seen him do over one hundred pushups while he suffered with the flu. No, he wasn’t your average grandfather, but that didn’t mean he was a violent person. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, and soon they were in her car, on the way to Bill Power’s place. The road was no longer blocked off, however there was police tape held up by posts, surrounding the land where the body was found. She turned down the driveway, and took a deep breath.
“What if he’s upset that we’re here?”
“I don’t think he will be” George knocked his fist against one knee. “He’s probably enjoying the temporary celebrity.”
“I’m sure he’s not happy about Damian’s death.”
“No, he’s probably not, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy the attention. In a small town, where nothing much ever happens, this is like winning the lottery to some.”
“I never considered that.”
“You have to know your target. I did some quick research on him. He’s in his sixties, widowed, with no children. All he has is that land, and I’m sure he spends most of his days by himself, he might want some company and attention.”
“Do you think he knows something about Damian’s death?”
“That, I don’t know. But we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”
“I hope so.” She parked a few feet away from the front door of the two-story house. It was in need of fresh paint, and the wooden porch sagged some on one side, but otherwise it was well-kept.
“I’m not sure that he’s home though.” She eyed the house which seemed dim and unoccupied.
“I’m sure he’s not far. He’s here somewhere. His truck is here.” He pointed out a beat-up pickup truck and stepped out of the car.
“Maybe he has another vehicle.” She stepped out of the car as well.
“Nope, he’s here somewhere, trust me.”
“How can you know?” She glanced over at him with wide eyes.
“I just do. See, there he is.” George tipped his head towards the police line that ran the length of Bill’s property.
“All right, let’s give this a shot.”
“Let me take the lead, all right?” He looked over at her. “Maybe you can learn something from your old Grandpa.”
“I’m sure that I’m going to learn a lot.” She smiled at him, then walked towards Bill who turned to look. His puzzled expression confirmed for her that he probably had no idea who they were.
“Hi, Bill?” George held out his hand for a handshake. “I’m not sure if we’ve met before. I’m new to the area. George.”
“George.” Bill nodded and shook his hand. “I’ve seen you across the way at that new shop.”
“My shop.” Kerri smiled and waved to him. “Nuts about Nuts.”
“Yes. That’s it. That’s an odd name, don’t you think?” He quirked a brow. “Is that some kind of new thing that I don’t know about?”
“No, it’s just because I sell a lot of nuts.” She frowned and kicked one toe into the ground in front of her. “I guess it is a little strange.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. People like strange things these days. Anyway, what can I do for you two?”
“Actually, this is going to sound odd, but I was just curious.” George lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about what happened here. We’re new to the area, and I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, by asking too many questions, but I’m concerned about my granddaughter’s safety. You know, things aren’t like they used to be.”
“No, they sure aren’t.” He gave a heavy sigh and looked over at Kerri again. “I can see why you would be worried. But, there’s not much I can tell you. The fellow was a local, about the same age as your granddaughter there.”
“Was he a troublemaker? You know, involved in drugs or anything?”
“No, no, nothing like that. He was kind of the town hero actually. I mean, as he was growing up he was always the star player, made the town proud, that type of thing.” He glanced over his shoulder at the police line. “I just couldn’t believe it when I saw that it was him.”
“How did you find him? Did someone just leave his body there? I mean, do you think he was killed in the woods?”
“No, he was buried. I don’t know if he was killed there or not, but he was a couple of feet down. I never would have found him, except I was trying to install some new pipes.”
“But I thought the body wasn’t on your property?” George squinted as the sunlight broke through the clouds and shined right towards him.
“It wasn’t. I was using this newfangled map on my cell phone, and it sent me in the wrong direction. I didn’t realize it until later. Maybe I read it wrong.” He shrugged. “I dug down where the map said I should, and that was what I found.” He scratched the top of his head. “Can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything like that before.”
“Had you noticed any activity on the property before that? I was surprised when the chief told me someone owns that lot, as I’ve never seen anyone on it.” Kerri tucked her hands into her pockets and looked over the adjacent land.
“I’ve seen some.” He smirked. “Nothing I should have seen, probably.”
“What do you mean?” She looked back at him.
“Never mind, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“If there’s something going on there, we’d like to know.” George’s shoulders straightened as he looked at the man.
“It’s nothing I know for sure. But the only time I’ve seen people come and go from there is in the middle of the night. Odd right? What are they doing out there in the middle of the night?”
“That is pretty odd.” Kerri frowned. “Did you ever see who it was?”
“No, just the cars driving in and out.” He looked at his shoes.
“Have you ever met the owners?” Kerri asked.
“No. I try to keep to myself. Honestly, I felt pretty guilty for going over on their property. But I guess it’s for the best, since I found Damian’s body.”
“Yes, it is.” George nodded. He squinted into the distance. “So the property just runs into the woods?”
“Yes, for quite a ways actually. Not sure why someone would have buried the body so close to the street when it was far less likely to be found in the woods.”
“They must have had a reason.” Kerri chewed on her bottom lip and studied the shape and location of the property. Where the body had been buried was out of direct line of sight with the road, but it was still in the open with just a few sparse trees to shield the killer from view. It was an odd choice, considering the depths of the woods beyond it.
“Anyway, I guess we’ll have to wait until the chief figures it out.” Bill shrugged.
“Thanks for getting us up to date.” George offered him his hand. Bill shook it.
“No problem. We’re neighbors, right?”
“Right.” Kerri smiled. As they walked back towards her car she glanced back to look at the property again, only to catch Bill’s eyes as he stared directly at her. Something about the hardness in his gaze made a shiver shoot up her spine.
“You okay?” George asked.
“Yes, fine. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 6
On Kerri and George’s way back to the house she received a text from Natalie. Only then did she remember that she was supposed to meet her and Chloe for lunch.
“Did I mention I’m going to meet Damian’s ex-fiancée today?”
“No.” He looked over at her. “How come?”
“She’s a friend of Natalie’s so we are going to have lunch together. I want to get an idea of what she’s feeling. Natalie insists that she could never do anything like this.”
&nb
sp; “I’ve heard that many times.” He shook his head. “People never suspect the quiet ones, but they can be just as deadly. Everyone has their breaking point.”
“Do you really think that?” She turned into the driveway of the house. “That anyone can be a killer?”
“That’s a simplified way to put it, but yes. I do.” He gazed out through the windshield.
“I can’t imagine killing someone.” She frowned. “To take someone’s life, that would be horrible.”
“Even if they deserved it? Even if they were a killer themselves?” He shot a glance in her direction, then looked back through the windshield.
“I can’t fathom, extinguishing that. You know? That life, it’s not mine to take.”
“Maybe not, but you’re not always given a choice. What if it was you or the killer?”
“I’m sure there are ways that the killer can be subdued without killing him.”
“You’re sure, but you’ve never been there have you? What if someone had a trigger to my head, would you hesitate to kill him?”
“That’s a loaded question, and not fair at all.” She frowned and turned the car off.
“Okay, fine. What about Steve? You don’t know him that well. Of course, you sure do like him. What if he was about to be murdered by someone, would you be willing to kill then?”
“I don’t know. I mean, of course I’d want to protect Steve, but I’d hope I wouldn’t have to kill to do it.”
“It’s a luxury, not to know.” He stepped out of the car, and closed the door firmly behind him.
“Grandpa?” She followed after him. “I hope you didn’t take offense to any of that. I didn’t mean to imply that anything you might have done was wrong.”
“And what do you think I might have done?” He turned to look at her with that charming smile. She recognized it as a mask, a way to change the subject. She was tempted to press, but she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable around her.