by Essie Lang
Before she knew what had happened, Zack pulled her toward him into a long, deep kiss. She felt breathless when they pulled apart and not quite sure what to say.
“Keep that on your mind while you’re getting ready. Tonight is for us, okay? It’s not a night for solving murders.”
She nodded and placed her hand on his cheek for a moment before going up the stairs. She felt dazed and just hoped she wouldn’t trip. That man did know how to get her attention.
She wondered if the outfit she’d chosen was just the right touch of casual and sexy. The red cashmere off-the-shoulder sweater was an extravagance she’d bought before coming to Alexandria Bay, and one she’d not worn before. The length begged for it to be paired with black leggings, and the black suede booties added the final touch. She took a look in the mirror and wondered if she needed to change into something less … She wasn’t quite sure what; maybe less contrived. She had never been a fashion plate and was even less comfortable wearing something out of the ordinary, but somehow this felt right.
Zack’s face confirmed it when she reached the bottom stair.
“Wow. You look amazing. And you never cease to amaze me,” he added as he kissed her cheek.
She wondered briefly if he’d felt a heat transfer from the blush that took over her entire body. Her smile never left her face as they made their way to his Jeep. A few minutes later, he pulled into his driveway. The blush seemed to be her default for the evening.
Although she’d been to his house a few times for barbecues over the summer, he’d planned to take this meal up a notch, she realized when she saw the table set, complete with a tablecloth, flowers, and candles. Was there an occasion?
“It’s just finishing off in the oven,” Zack said as he hung up her coat and led her to the sofa. “May I get you a glass of red wine?”
“I’d love one.” She tried to relax while waiting but felt keyed up. She took a deep breath, knowing she should just be enjoying, not analyzing. When he brought her drink, she was mentally ready.
“Is this a special occasion?” she asked, wondering if she’d missed his birthday. She realized that was information they’d never discussed.
He grinned. “It’s special because I wanted to spend more time with you and not be bothered by servers or other diners. And I keep telling you how talented I am in the kitchen, so I think I have to prove it.”
She could tell he was being playful about his kitchen skills but truly believed he wanted more time for them both. Well, that worked for her.
“I like that, both the spending time together and being fed. And I have been treated to your feasts before.”
“Ah, barbecuing is fun, but not quite the challenge of cooking indoors and from scratch. No prepackaged ingredients here.”
“Just how did you have time for all that? I thought you were out of town all day.”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t prepared beforehand, which some of it was.”
“I’m still impressed.”
“Good. That’s my goal.”
Shelby smiled. “You know, a girl could get used to this.”
“Not just any girl. I hope you know, you’re the one who’s got my attention, don’t you?”
Shelby nodded, not quite certain she could speak without getting overly emotional. Zack watched her intently for several seconds.
“Good. Now, let’s eat.”
She helped him bring the dishes to the table and then sat when he pulled out her chair.
“That’s the good thing about fall,” he said, lighting the two candles on the table. “The earlier darkness encourages romance.”
So does the right man, she thought as he topped up her wine glass.
Chapter Twenty
Sunday meant another dinner out, this time at Edie’s. Family time. It had been a surprisingly busy afternoon at the bookstore, much to Shelby’s delight, so she was ready to be pampered. She just hoped her aunt hadn’t gone to too much trouble nor spent a lot of time on her feet. Matthew arrived just after Shelby, something that was happening increasingly, and voiced the same concerns.
“Believe me,” Edie said, sitting at the kitchen table, “there’s nothing easier than putting a roast in the oven. Especially since I’ve left the veggies for you two. I’m ready for a drink, thank you.”
Matthew looked at the bottles set out on the counter and poured the women each a sherry and a Jack Daniels with water for himself.
“Why don’t you two go and relax in the living room while I take care of these?” Shelby suggested.
When she was on her own, she took a sip of the drink, let out a sigh, and set about peeling the carrots, then cutting them up and setting them to boil. She added sugar peas for the final few minutes and sat at the kitchen table to wait for it to be ready. Besides, she probably wasn’t being missed.
She’d taken the chair closest to the window and tried to relax, looking out at the garden. Edie had the green thumb in the family, that was for sure. She couldn’t remember her dad having had even a houseplant at their place, while she enjoyed buying some cut flowers every now and then. She knew the shelf life for those and didn’t feel bad when it had been reached. At least she knew it wasn’t her fault.
She’d often wondered if Matthew was partly responsible for the colorful scenery out there. Whatever, or whomever, was to thank, it provided a restful spot. She wondered briefly what it would look like in winter.
She checked the clock and tested the carrots. Nicely done, not too crisp nor soggy. She transferred the food to the serving dishes Edie had set out and brought them out to the dining room table, announcing that it was time to eat.
It didn’t take long for everyone to serve themselves. After taking several bites, Matthew leaned toward Edie and said, “You’re an amazing cook. You really know what to do with a roast.”
Edie looked pleased, and Shelby felt like a third wheel. She was content to enjoy her meal without feeling she had to offer a lot to the conversation. She’d been right; it seemed the other two had a lot to get caught up on.
Shelby had just finished clearing away the final dishes and carried her cup of tea into the front room, having decided she’d drink quickly and discreetly leave, when a sharp knock at the front door had her jumping to her feet.
“Are you expecting someone? Trudy?”
Edie shook her head.
“I’ll get it.” Shelby decided to be cautious and open the door a fraction; after all, it was dark outside. “Chief Stone, what are you doing here?”
Stone shoved her way inside and looked into the front room. “Ah, I thought I might find Mr. Kessler here.” She walked farther in, uninvited. “I’d like to have a few words with you.”
Edie struggled to stand. “This is very intrusive, Tekla, even for you.”
Stone ignored her. “Now, I thought I was being discreet, talking to you here, Kessler. I could, however, take you down to the station and do it more formally. Your choice.”
Matthew looked at Edie and shrugged. “Here’s fine, if Edie doesn’t mind.”
Edie looked like she did mind but shook her head. “You’re welcome to use the dining room,” she said as she lowered herself back into the chair.
Stone grunted. She held her hand out to the side, indicating Matthew should lead the way. Before she stepped into the room behind him, she turned to Shelby. “You might as well come, too. That way you won’t have anything to go sticking your nose into later.”
“You don’t mind this nosey parker being here, do you?” she asked Matthew after they’d both sat.
Matthew looked at Shelby, his eyes hooded. She wondered what he was thinking. “That’s okay.”
Shelby sat down as quietly as she could, not wanting to draw attention to herself.
“So,” Stone began, “we have Ms. Page’s laptop, and I’ve spent time going through it. What gets my curiosity up is the fact that you had corresponded with her several times. Something you hadn’t mentioned before. Would you care to enlighten me?
”
Shelby sat up a bit straighter. She hadn’t known Savannah and Matthew had been in contact. Why hadn’t Matthew said something? Like what?
Matthew shrugged. “You’ve read the emails, I’m sure. I don’t have much to add.”
“Well, we’ll get to why you didn’t mention this before, a bit later. It looks like Ms. Page wanted to do a book about your wife’s murder. But you refused to cooperate. Is that right?”
Shelby had noticed a slight jerk in Matthew’s body at the mention of his wife. She guessed that answered her question. He didn’t like to talk about nor be reminded of her, even now.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Why did you refuse to take part?”
He shifted in his seat, looking more uncomfortable than Shelby had ever seen him. Finally, after a few minutes of staring at his hands, folded on the table, he looked back up at Chief Stone.
“Because it was a painful time … and still is, when I think about it. The case was thoroughly looked at by the investigators and by me, with no satisfactory outcome. I didn’t want it dredged up again, just so some hot new writer could publish another book. Not unless she had new information, but I highly doubt that. There was no way she’d find the killer. I’d been there and failed.” He paused and sighed. “I mainly didn’t want to have to relive it all again.”
“And that’s it? Here’s a … how did you describe her? A hot new writer, and she’s writing in your field, where you’ve been a best seller for many years? Now you’re a forgotten name and she’s heading for the top. There was no feeling of jealousy? Maybe after a few years of hiding out on an island, you’ve been longing for the limelight again? How did this make you feel, Mr. Kessler?”
Matthew’s expression hadn’t changed, and it didn’t look like he was about to provide an answer anytime soon. His body had tensed, though, and his fingertips turned red as his clenched hands tightened still further.
Shelby was glad Edie was in the other room. She’d have felt dreadful for Matthew, just as Shelby now did. She wanted to run over and put her arms around him but knew the chief would definitely frown on that. She looked at Tekla Stone, wondering how she had known Matthew would be at Edie’s. Had she been following him? That wasn’t something she should ask. She searched the chief’s face for a hint of compassion but couldn’t find it. What she did see was annoyance and impatience bordering on anger. Now it was her turn to sigh.
“Are you finding this tedious, Shelby?” Stone asked, glaring.
“No, not tedious.” She decided to leave it at that.
“Well then,” Stone said, her voice rigid as she stood, “we’ll leave it at that, for now. But you think long and hard on this, Matthew Kessler, and if there’s anything you should be telling me, you’d better do it, and soon. Before I find out on my own.”
Shelby decided this was not the right time to ask the chief where Savannah’s laptop had been found.
Chapter Twenty-One
Shelby found it hard the next morning to concentrate on her weekly household cleaning. That wasn’t a big surprise. She had to admit, this was her least-favorite task of the week, but she forced herself to do the most obvious chores. All the while her mind kept wandering back to how Sunday evening had ended. Chief Stone had really dropped a bomb. After she’d left, Matthew had been quick to follow. Shelby could see how upset he was, even though he tried to hide it from Edie. It was left to Shelby to soothe her aunt’s worry while keeping her own mind from wondering about those emails. She had believed in Matthew when Loreena Swan had died; she needed to do the same now. Besides, this didn’t count as a valid motive, she was sure of that.
Of course, Edie had known just how to add to all those concerns running through Shelby’s mind when she’d phoned earlier that morning, telling Shelby she would be working at the main bookstore that day. Shelby had to do some talking to get her aunt to agree to put in a half day only. She wanted Edie back at work as soon as possible but remembered the hazards after the knee replacement surgery. Edie had often felt exhausted after short work periods, which could, and had, led to falls.
She’d just given the countertop a final swipe when her cell phone rang. The number didn’t look familiar, but she answered anyway.
“Is this Shelby Cox?” The caller was female and sounded like she might be around Edie’s age.
“Yes, it is.”
“That’s good. It always helps to have the right person on the phone.” She chuckled. “I’m Izzy Crocker. I was a friend of your mama’s.”
Shelby already knew the name and had been meaning to track her down, but that hadn’t prepared her for this surprise call.
“It’s nice of you to call, Mrs. Crocker.”
“First of all, please call me Izzy. And secondly, I’ve been wanting to get in touch with you since I’d heard you’d moved back to the Bay. I thought you might want to hear more about your mama. We were good friends, your mama and me, as you’ve probably been told, but only for a few years. And that was so long ago. My memory isn’t what it should be. But I’m happy to try to fill in the gaps for you. Would you like to come over?”
“I’d love to. When is best for you? I do work most days, though.”
“Well, it sounds like you’re not working today. How about afternoon tea, at three? Do you know where I live?’
“Yes, I do, and I’ll be there. Thank you. I look forward to meeting you.”
“And me you.”
Shelby stood with her hand over her heart, willing her pulse to stop racing, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. Suddenly, her mother was foremost in her thoughts again. This was what she’d been hoping for when she’d moved back to Alexandria Bay, information about her mom, who she’d believed had passed away almost thirty years ago. Although she now knew Merrily hadn’t died but had instead run off with a banker from Georgia, never to have contact with her daughter again, Shelby had been trying to put those upsetting thoughts out of her mind. But she still wanted to know more about the woman who had given birth to her. She needed to know more.
Shelby made herself some coffee and sat at the counter to make a list of questions she wanted to ask Izzy. Then she ripped up the list, deciding that was too rigid. She just wanted to hear the memories.
So, instead, she started a new list … of suspects. She doubted that Frank White should be on the list but decided to put him in the Unlikely column. He was the only name there. She glanced at the clock. He should be at the soup kitchen by now, if he was going in that day. This would be the perfect time to pay him another visit. As much as logic told her he wasn’t the murderer, there was a part of her that couldn’t quite give him up. He wouldn’t have killed Savannah, but might he have been complicit in some way? Maybe without even knowing it? She thought briefly about Cody and his mentioning the plans to the boys.
She knew it was foolish to get so involved in another murder, but really, she’d been drawn into the investigation. Again. It wasn’t her fault. Besides, it would keep her mind off thoughts of what she might, or might not, learn that afternoon.
She quickly changed and did a fast walk to the soup kitchen, pausing outside to slow her breathing. She really must be out of shape. Inside, the kitchen looked busy, with even more volunteers than the last time she’d been there. She spotted Frank at the same moment he looked over at the door. She gave a small wave, and he nodded. A couple of minutes later he joined her at the table she’d chosen close to the door.
“I assume you’ve thought of something else to ask me,” he stated. “Not that you’re here to volunteer?” He added a small smile, which put her at ease but made her feel a bit of guilt for bothering him in the middle of such worthy work.
“I think it’s a great cause, and someday I’d like to try to get involved. But right now, I just have a few quick questions. I hope you don’t mind.”
He looked resigned, even though he didn’t answer, so she continued.
“I guess you’d been to the castle before.”
/> “Are you kidding? Of course. I grew up in the Bay, after all. In fact, I knew your dad.”
“You did?” That threw her off. She’d been so busy trying to get information about her mom that she hadn’t wondered much about her father’s earlier years. She felt ashamed.
“Well, not so well. He was a few years younger than me, and he didn’t really hang out with any gangs. I see that look on your face, but in those days gang didn’t always mean the same thing it does today. We were just a bunch of kids hanging out together because of where we lived or what sports we played or, in your dad’s case, what clubs we were in at school. As I seem to remember, he was the brain, used to play chess and such things. It’s your aunt who everyone knew. She was quite the figure, all hippie-like all the time. A real ball of fire and always into everything. I haven’t seen her in a while, though. I hope she’s doing okay.”
“Well, she had a recent knee replacement, but other than that, she still runs the bookstore.”
He chuckled. “I can relate to the replacement part. Had a couple myself.”
Shelby felt she’d completely lost control of the conversation. How had this evolved into a discussion of old times and new ailments? Time to get back on track.
“I should have asked the other day—did you hear Savannah when she got up and was wandering around?”
“Not a thing.”
“Not even when she fell? She must have screamed.”
“Like I said, nothing.”
She stared at him. That didn’t sound right. Finally, he shifted in his seat and added, “I wear hearing aids, and I take them out at night. I would have heard the bell, though. I’d tested it.”
It made sense, but she was curious to know what the chief had made of it. Or maybe Edie would be a good one to ask. She was always saying how her hearing wasn’t what it used to be. Perhaps she could relate.
“Thanks for telling me. I’m also curious, after you’d been hired to do that shift at the castle, did anyone approach you about what you’d be doing there or ask you any questions about the castle itself?”