Shelley Freydont - Celebration Bay 03 - Independence Slay

by Shelley Freydont

  Hildy Ingersoll snorted. “I’ll just go find out for myself. And if you’ve done anything—”

  “Ma’am.”

  “I’m going.” And, mumbling to herself, she left the room. One of A.K.’s men followed her out.

  Leo watched them go, then turned his attention back to the security guards. His eyes kept darting from one to another and to the windows. One of them moved a step closer to the window, and Leo seemed to relax a little. It occurred to Liv that Leo wasn’t thinking about getting away. It was as if he thought the ghost might outwit his protectors and swoop in through the window to snatch him away.

  He didn’t seem to have any idea that he was being detained, not protected.

  Time crept by with no one speaking. They heard Bill Gunnison and the crime-scene people arrive, but when Ted attempted to go out into the hall, the guard casually stepped in front of the door.

  Ted sat down. “I think I should call Silas Lark.” He punched in the number on his cell.

  Liv nodded. It certainly looked like Leo might be needing a lawyer, and Silas was the best lawyer in town. He also did pro bono work.

  “I want to go home,” Leo mumbled, and shrank down in his chair.

  “We all do,” Liv said. “Hopefully it won’t be much longer.”

  But the minutes ticked by. Leo put his head down on his arms and seemed to fall asleep.

  At last they heard a commotion in the hall.

  Leo’s head came up and his eyes widened.

  “It’s just some people coming down the stairs,” Ted told him. He was beginning to look a little stressed himself.

  Footsteps clattered down the stairs, followed by metal clicking as the EMTs unlatched the wheels of a gurney.

  Bill walked measuredly into the room. His sciatica was definitely acting up.

  “Hello, Leo. What are you doing here?”

  “I wanna go home.”

  “And we’ll try to get you there as soon as we can. Can you tell me what happened when you were up on the roof?”

  “The ghost did something bad to Mr. Rundle.”

  A piercing screech erupted from the hall, and they all turned to see Hildy Ingersoll standing in the doorway and clutching the frame for balance.

  “Hildy, didn’t I tell you to wait for me in your sitting room?”

  “Who’s that they’re taking away on the stretcher? Is that Mr. G they’re carrying away with his head all covered up? Oh, Lord, save us!”

  Leo moaned.

  Hildy stormed into the room and lunged toward Leo. “What did you do, you hooligan? You’ve killed him. He was nice to you and now you’ve gone and killed him. Devil’s spawn!”

  “Hildy! Stop it!” Ted was on his feet and barring her way. “It isn’t Henry Gallantine.”

  Hildy blinked. “Then who was it?”

  “It’s Jacob Rundle,” Bill said.

  “What was he doing up there? He knows better than that. Mr. G don’t like him coming in the house. Dirty and half drunk more times than not.”

  “Well he was up there tonight.”

  Hildy tried to look around him to where the EMTs were rolling the gurney toward the front door. “What happened to him? If I told him once I told him a hundred times, drink would lead him to a bad end.” She punctuated her sentence with a sharp nod. “And what was that boy doing up there?” She lifted her chin toward Leo. “Where is Mr. G?”

  Leo’s eyes rounded. “He’s gone.”

  Bill took her arm. “I will want a statement from you, Hildy.”

  “I’ll give you a statement,” Hildy said. “We haven’t had a moment’s peace since Mr. G let that Phillip Schorr talk him into letting those delinquents from the community center help out around here.

  “And bringing him meals, like I didn’t cook for him and leave things in the freezer.”

  Beside her, Ted smothered a snort.

  “And coming to play games with him.” Another snort. “Games, as if he weren’t a grown man, passed sixty a good time ago. I told him they were up to no good. Stealing things every time I turned my back. And now one of them has gone and killed off the gardener, though he weren’t no great shakes himself. Heathens. All of them.”

  “Thank you, Hildy,” Bill said. “If you could just hold your thoughts until your interview, I would appreciate it.” He took her elbow to escort her from the room.

  “You let go of me, Bill Gunnison. Won’t have nobody manhandling me, even if you are the sheriff. I know where I’m not wanted.” She paused to glare at Leo. “I know Jacob was mean to you, boy, and that weren’t right. But there was no need to go and murder him. And if you’ve hurt Mr. G… well, I hope you get everything that’s coming to you.”

  She huffed out of the room. One of A.K.’s men slipped silently after her, no doubt to keep her where Bill wanted her.

  Leo looked at Bill, then at Ted, then Liv, and back to the sheriff. He didn’t seem to understand that Hildy had just accused him of killing Jacob Rundle.

  “Hildy’s just upset,” Bill said. Which was an understatement.

  Liv couldn’t help but be impressed with the Bayside Security team. They’d worked several events for her since last winter, but never before had she seen them in action.

  Normally she wasn’t even aware of who they were. They were like chameleons blending into the crowds seamlessly and effectively. She knew there were also women working for the company. She just hadn’t ID’d any of them, and they certainly weren’t here tonight.

  “I didn’t hurt Mr. Henry.” Leo said. “He’s gone. He always goes away in July. He said he would teach me to play chess when he got back.”

  “When did you see him last?”

  “Huh? Um…” He was silent for a few seconds, then his eyes got a mischievous look. “Wednesday. He said he was gonna get old Rundle good.”

  Even Bill flinched at that statement.

  “Then he said we’d play when he got back.”

  Liv wondered if they were finding any evidence on the roof. A.K. hadn’t made an appearance downstairs. Was he still with the crime-scene team? Could a civilian do that? Though the more she got to know the man, the more she thought he might have more ties with law enforcement than she imagined.

  Bill didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Maybe he was waiting for A.K. to finish up whatever he was doing and take his men away.

  The only one besides Leo who seemed anxious to get out of there was Liv herself.

  She felt bad for the dead man and was concerned for Leo, but she was neglecting her duties. The main event was over, but she should be touching base with Fred Hunnicutt to make sure people got safely out of the grounds to their cars and homes or to one of the many restaurants and cafés open for the occasion.

  And do it without letting a possible leak about the murder set off a widespread panic.

  She had complete confidence in Fred, who was the coordinator of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, to take care of things in her absence. And there were extra law enforcement officers and A.K.’s staff of security guards.

  But Liv wondered how many of them had been reassigned to the crime scene. She’d paid for an extra two details for the fireworks, an event that drew the biggest crowd of all the events she’d organized for Celebration Bay so far. That was twelve extra staff, but six of them were standing in the kitchen looking like refugees from a tour bus, which cut her down to one extra detail.

  Was that enough to insure the safety of the hundreds of visitors? Especially if there was a murderer at large? She considered asking Bill if she could leave in order to find out, but one look at his face stopped her.

  Bill pulled out a chair facing Leo and eased himself into it.

  “You know I’m your friend, Leo,” Bill said.

  The boy nodded. “The police are our friends. You can always go to them and they’ll help you.”r />
  Liv’s gut clenched. It sounded like a quote from a school safety lesson. She cut a glance toward Ted. She was pretty sure Leo shouldn’t be talking to the sheriff without having his rights read. Though from what she’d experienced, she wasn’t sure the young man would understand what the Miranda warning meant.

  Leo looked pleadingly at Bill. “But I wanna go home.”

  “I know you do. But could you help me and answer some questions first?”

  Leo nodded.

  Liv slowly tilted her head for Ted to meet her at the other side of the room. They both eased out of their chairs.

  “Shouldn’t he have read him his rights?” Liv whispered.

  Ted looked toward the other end of the table. “So far he’s only taking a statement. He doesn’t want to befuddle the boy with all the hoopla. He’ll get closer to the truth if Leo feels comfortable.”

  “And he feels comfortable with all these people listening?”

  “He trusts Bill. But yes. If it starts getting incriminatory, Bill will stop him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Liv, Bill would never do anything to entrap Leo. Or any of us.”

  “Do you think he killed Rundle?”

  “I don’t know what to think. I don’t think he would, but maybe if he were frightened and he thought Rundle was the ghost… I just don’t know.”

  A.K. Pierce appeared in the doorway about as silently and surprisingly as the ghost of Henry Gallantine himself. He nodded slightly to Bill and lifted his chin, and his men filed silently out of the room. It sent goose bumps up Liv’s arms.

  She’d never look at a tourist in the same way again. Any of them could be a well-trained agent.

  They were replaced by three officers in uniform, not nearly as quiet and much more obvious.

  “Now,” Bill said, turning his attention back to Leo, “why were you up on the roof tonight, Leo?”

  “Needed to see Old Henry’s ghost.”

  “And you thought you would see the ghost on the roof?”

  “Oh yeah. Everybody knows it’s the ghost that gives the signal to start the fighting. Just like he did before they hung him.”

  “How did you get up on the roof, Leo? Did Hildy let you in?”

  Leo had been looking at Bill, but now his eyes drifted to the door. He hunched over closer to the sheriff, and said in a lowered voice, “Came in the secret way, so Hildy wouldn’t catch me and chase me out.”

  “Not the way we came up the stairs?” Bill asked.

  Leo shook his head. “The secret way.”

  “You can show me that way later?”

  “Yeah, I can. Old Hildy won’t find us that way.”

  Liv frowned at Ted. Once again Leo sounded like he was quoting someone. One of his friends?

  “Okay then, when you got to the roof, what did you see?”

  Leo thought back. “Somebody lying on the ground. It was Mr. Rundle. So I went over to see why he was lying down. I don’t know why he was up there. Mr. Henry, he doesn’t like him. He came in the house once and Mr. Henry yelled at him. Hildy knows she’s not supposed to let him in.” Leo licked his lips. “Don’t know how he got up on the roof. He don’t know the secret way.”

  Leo stopped and took two deep breaths.

  “And then what happened?”

  Leo shuddered. “He was mad.”

  “Rundle?”

  “The ghost. He jumped out of nowhere and ran right past where I was. And I got awful scared and tried to hide.”

  “Are you sure he was a ghost, Leo?” Bill asked. “And not Mr. Henry?”

  Leo frowned, thinking. “No. It was the ghost.”

  “How do you know he was the ghost?”

  “Cause he had a cape like a general. Old Rundle was dressed like a soldier.”

  Liv exchanged a look with Ted. “Did Rundle participate in the reenactment?”

  “Never.” Ted raised his eyebrows.

  “So what was he doing in a uniform on the roof?”

  “A good question,” Ted said, and turned his attention back to Bill.

  “Then what happened?”

  “He ran right past me growling, like this.” Leo made growling noises. “Then he jumped on the wall and raised up his arms like this.” Leo raised his arms like a bear on his hind legs. “And then he disappeared.” Leo flicked his fingers in the air. “Presto!”

  It was the same thing he’d said on the roof.

  “That’s some story, Leo.” Bill said.

  “It’s the truth, Sheriff. The real truth. Honest.” Leo licked his lips. “Didn’t even wait long enough for me to ask him.”

  “Ask who what?”

  Leo just stared at him.

  “Did you want to ask Mr. Rundle something?”

  “No. Old Henry’s ghost.” Leo’s face scrunched in frustration. “Just wanted to talk to him.”

  “You needed to talk to the ghost?”

  Leo nodded. “Yes sir.”

  “Why?”

  “Wanted him to tell me.”

  Bill waited, but Leo wasn’t more forthcoming.

  Bill let out a slow, controlled breath. “What did you want the ghost to tell you?”

  “Where the treasure was.”

  “Leo, there isn’t really any treasure. It’s just a story that people made up a long time ago.”

  “It’s true. Mr. Henry told me. We found lots of treasure but not the real treasure. So I thought if I asked the ghost. Well, I thought if the ghost knew we needed the money, he’d tell me where he hid it.”

  “You need the money, Leo?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “What do you need the money for?”

  Ted started to say something.

  Bill held up a peremptory hand.

  “For the community center.”

  “The community center?”

  “Yes sir. A man came to talk to Pastor the other day. Said we had to give him money right away or he was gonna take the center away. That isn’t fair. We need it.”

  “You’re right, Leo. The center is very important.”

  Leo nodded. “But I wish I hadn’t done it.”

  Everyone snapped to attention.

  “Hadn’t done what?”

  Ted stood up. “Bill, I don’t think he should answer any more questions without a lawyer present.”

  Bill stood, too, but more slowly. “I believe you’re right. Leo, you just sit here for a minute. How would you like a ride down to the police station?”

  “I want to go home.”

  “And you will go home, just as soon as we finish up some things at the station.”

  “Can we turn on the siren?”

  Bill hesitated. “Sure we can. You’ll like that, won’t you?”

  Leo nodded, looking less scared than he had all night.

  “You know Officer Meese, don’t you? You just go on out to my cruiser with him, and I’ll be out in a minute. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Meese waited for Leo to amble over to him, then he smiled and took him away.

  Bill came over to Ted and Liv.

  “I think it would be a good idea to call Silas Lark and have him meet us. Then I’d appreciate it if you two would come out to the station and give your statements there.”

  “Of course,” Ted said. “What do you think?”

  “I think this isn’t looking good at all.”

  “You don’t really think Leo killed Rundle?”

  “No. But I think he saw who did. And if the murderer saw him…”

  “What?” asked Liv.

  “He might come back for Leo.”

  Chapter Five

  Neither Ted nor Liv felt like talking as they made their way back to Town Hall to get Ted’s SUV. Since Celebration Bay
didn’t have its own police department, Ted drove the nearly ten miles to the Sheriff’s Office.

  Liv had a million questions bouncing around her brain, but she knew better than to discuss things before she gave a statement. Memory was easily befuddled by discussion.

  It sort of freaked her out that she knew information like “don’t discuss a case”; “don’t compare notes of a crime scene”; “don’t make conjectures before giving your statement.” The kind of knowledge she should only know from television and not from experience. She certainly hadn’t needed to use that knowledge on the mean streets of Manhattan.

  But since moving to Celebration Bay nearly a year ago, she’d been involved in several murder investigations. Not because she was from Manhattan, which Roseanne Waterbury thought gave her an eye for crime. Not because she was nosy, according to Chaz Bristow, the missing Clarion editor.

  But because she was the town’s event coordinator, which put her in contact with vast numbers of people, kept her knowledgeable about the details of various sites, and made her the first person anyone called when they had a problem, including, it seemed, murder.

  She’d never been called on to help with an investigation in Manhattan. She’d never even come close to murder or even accidental death. Once she’d seen a taxi hit a bag lady who had stepped off the curb before the light changed, but the driver had stopped—causing a huge traffic jam—and helped her across the street, where she continued on her way.

  Celebration Bay was a small, quaint town with good people and holidays galore. It was also the scene of small-town secrets and smothered anger and was so tightly knit and taciturn that any wrongdoing could fester until it finally exploded either in a yelling match, a fight at the pub, or something more violent.

  But why the gardener? And why had he been portraying a historical figure in full view of several hundred people when he wasn’t even supposed to be there at all?

  Liv thought back to when he’d first appeared, an eerie white aura surrounding him. It was a great effect. His uniform, in her mind’s eye, shone in a ghostly way, which she guessed was the whole point.

  Hundreds of people watched Rundle give the signal, but Liv couldn’t remember seeing his face. Then he backed away from the wall and away from view. And into the killer’s bayonet?