by Leona Fox
“And you are?” he asked.
His lips were compressed in his hard police chief expression, but Sadie could tell he was faking concern.
“Marnie McAdams, Roger Orwin’s sister,” Sadie said.
“Roger Orwin, the artist of the missing painting?” Zack asked.
“Yes,” Marnie said. “I am also Cyrus Dumville’s caretaker.”
“Is that the painting?” Zack pointed at the frame in Sadie’s hands.
Sadie cringed as he frowned at the smeared corners on the canvas. “Yes, let me explain.”
Zack nodded calmly, “I think that might be a good idea.”
It took a few minutes, but Sadie gave him a rundown of what had led the four of them to the Artist Co-op.
“So you think there is something hidden here in this studio?” Zack clarified.
“Yes,” Sadie, Betty, and Lucy chorused.
“No,” Marnie said and scowled.
Zack seemed to take in her response and catalog it for later. “Any ideas on what we are looking for?”
“No,” Lucy answered. “There was a clue on the note that said something about the future, but we weren’t able to figure it out.”
“We think we know where to look, though,” Sadie said.
Marnie glared at her.
“Where?” Zack asked.
Sadie pointed up to the shell-shaped sconce. “I think it matches the drawing here on the frame.”
Zack nodded slowly, staring up at the sconce. “I saw a ladder in one of the other studios. I’ll go get it.”
Zack left the room, and Marnie whirled on Sadie. “Why did you go telling him everything?”
Sadie drew back. “He is the chief of police. I wasn’t going to lie to him, I am not stupid.”
“Not to mention, that they are engaged,” Lucy added.
“Oh great! Now everything is ruined because of you!” Marnie hissed at her and turned away.
“Ruined? Because of me!” Sadie took a step toward Marnie. She didn't often lose her temper, but this was too much.
“Listen, you wouldn’t even have had that painting if it wasn’t for me. I paid for that painting to be shipped to Seagrove. Not to mention that it was me and my friends who helped you get to this point.”
Lucy stepped in front of Marnie to say, “You need to calm down.”
“I am sorry,” Marnie said. “I shouldn’t have become so upset. I am just so darned frustrated.”
Betty patted Sadie’s back. “Zack will help us get to the bottom of this.”
Right on cue, Zack came back in carrying a six-foot ladder. He set it up under the sconce. “Who would like to do the honors?”
Sadie pointed to Marnie. “Whatever it is, this is her rodeo.”
Marnie looked apologetic as she said, “Thank you.”
She climbed up the ladder and looked into the sconce.
“Do you see anything?” Betty asked.
“Yes. There’s something wrapped up. Let me see if I can grab it.”
Marnie leaned forward and brought out a bundle wrapped in a piece of leather. She came down the ladder and looked at them.
“Well, come on. Open it,” Lucy said impatiently.
“Do I have to?” Marnie asked.
Zack nodded. “I am afraid so. Or I could just take it as evidence now, and you might get it back in a few weeks depending on how my investigation goes. Of course, I don’t have a lot of free time being as we are so shorthanded so it might take even longer.”
Sadie rolled her eyes at Zack’s small town police chief act.
Marnie held up a hand. “Fine, fine.”
She set the leather bundle on the table and set to untying the leather strings wrapped around it. Carefully, she unrolled the bundle, revealing several rubber-banded stacks of money.
They all stood there stunned. Marnie picked up a stack, running her thumb along the edges. “They’re all one hundred dollar bills.”
Lucy gasped. “Oh my gosh, hundred dollar bills are sorted a hundred to a stack.”
“That’s ten thousand dollars,” Betty said.
They all looked back at the table.
“Eighty thousand dollars,” Sadie said.
Marnie turned and gave Zack a stunned look. “What now?”
Zack looked thoughtful for a minute. “Well, we’re going to have to figure out who this belongs to…” He paused when the radio on his shoulder squawked.
A voice came over the radio. “Chief, Mr. Dumville is calling again.”
“Thanks, Marsha. Tell him I am on the way to his house with the painting.”
“Will do, Chief.” And the radio went silent.
Zack began rolling the money back into the leather pouch.
“But, what…?” Marnie stammered.
“We are going take this back to old Cy’s house.” Zack tucked the bundle under one arm and picked up the ladder with the other. “With all the players in one place.”
They all filed out in front of Zack, walking back down the hall toward the stairs. He stopped to return the ladder, Sadie waited for him at the door. He smiled at her, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead.
“Sorry about all of this,” she said. “When we left Cyrus’ house he was asleep.”
“Yeah, he was not happy to wake up and find all of you gone.”
Sadie grimaced. “We didn’t want to wake him. Not that I would have recommended he come along either, though.”
“I was worried, too. Luckily, Sally saw your little parade walk down Main Street, and I was able to track where you had gone.”
Definitely an advantage to living in a small town, Sadie thought to herself. “Why didn’t you call me?” As soon as she said it, she realized she had left her cell at Cyrus’ house.
“I tried to, but it went straight to voicemail.”
“Yeah, I just realized I left it at Cyrus’ house.”
They went down the stairs in silence and joined the others at the front door.
“I’ve got my police cruiser out front. Sadie can sit up front with me with the rest in the back.”
Everyone nodded and followed him out to his car. They barely had buckled their seat belts before Zack had pulled up to Cyrus’ house. They followed the path to the door where Marnie let them all in.
Marnie rushed into the living room. “Cy, I am so sorry. You had fallen asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Cyrus scowled and then looked away. “I woke up, and everyone had left. I didn’t know what was going on so I called the Chief here.”
“I know, Cy. I should have left a note.” Marnie sat down next to him. “Don’t be mad at me.”
“Well,” he looked at the frame and leather bundle that Zack had set on the table.
His curiosity overcoming his irritation, he said, “Tell me what you discovered.”
Marnie looked at Sadie where she sat on the couch with Lucy. Sadie’s eyes darted to Zack standing in the doorway. He nodded and she started to speak.
“The frame had clues that led us to Roger Orwin’s vacant studio at the Artist Co-op by the train tracks. We found this leather bundle in a sculpture that hung on the wall.”
“What’s in it?” Cyrus asked.
“Money,” Marnie said quietly.
“Money?” Cyrus whipped his head to Marnie. “How much money?”
Marnie glanced at Zack but said nothing.
Zack stepped forward. “Mr. Dumville, we have to confirm it, but there may be as much as eighty thousand dollars in that bundle.”
“Eighty thousand dollars?” Cyrus nearly fell out of his chair.
“That means I am rich, right?”
“No!” Marnie told him.
Cyrus was scowling again. “Why not? It was my painting that led you to the money.”
“It was not your painting! That painting and its frame were sent to me by my brother!” Marnie stood up. “That money is mine.”
“Everyone calm down,” Zack said, holding up his hands.
&n
bsp; “Until we know where this money came from it doesn’t belong to anyone. If the money was stolen or the result of criminal activity, the money would have to be returned.”
“Returned?” Cyrus asked, his face fell.
Marnie dropped into the chair. “We almost had found it when he showed up.”
Cyrus gave Zack a dirty look.
Zack held up a hand. “Hey, you called me.”
Sadie tried to intervene. “Marnie, any clue as to where Roger got that money?”
“No idea,” Marnie shrugged.
“You must have some idea.”
Betty had been standing at the other end of the couch. The dust and clutter had gotten to her, she was straightening magazines and mail on the credenza.
“What is Roger doing out of the country? I mean, how is he supporting himself?”
“Oh,” Marnie said, realization dawning on her face.
“He is painting murals for clients and then working on his own art during his free time.”
“So this money could have been legitimately earned,” Lucy suggested.
“It’s definitely possible,” Zack agreed. “Of course, I would need to see some sort of proof accounting for the amount of cash.”
Marnie scowled. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“I can’t believe this mess,” Betty groused. “Cyrus, you said you have a cleaning lady. Are you sure she still is coming over?”
“Yes, she was here earlier this week,” Cyrus answered her.
Betty shook her head. “Well, you need to have a severe talk with her. This credenza hasn’t been dusted in weeks, and the postmarks on this mail are almost a month old.”
“I will have Cy’s son talk to her,” Marnie said. “I’ll make sure she dusts in here the next time she comes in.”
“I would hope so,” Betty ran a paper towel across the side she had cleared.
“Oh, good grief.”
“Betty, what’s wrong?” Sadie asked.
“I knocked some envelopes off the back,” Betty said.
Sadie got up. “I see them.”
She reached down and pulled out three letter-sized envelopes. “What’s this?”
“What?” Betty asked.
Sadie held up a large manila envelope. She flipped it over. “It’s from Roger Orwin.”
“It is?” Marnie asked.
“It’s postmarked a month ago.”
“We were still in Europe then,” Lucy pointed out.
Sadie handed it to Marnie. Marnie opened the envelope. She pulled out several papers.
“It looks like receipts. Sadie, you’re probably more familiar with these. Do you mind taking a look?”
“No, not at all.” Sadie moved to stand next to her.
She flipped through several of the pages. “Yes, these all are receipts for either murals he painted or original works he sold before he left the country.”
“Had he sold enough to add up to what was in the studio?” Lucy asked.
“Anyone got a pencil?” Sadie asked.
Betty handed her a pad of paper and a pencil.
Sadie flipped through the receipts, scribbling on the pad as she went. “These add up to $80,533.”
“That’s almost the exact amount found in the studio.”
“What do we do now?” Marnie asked.
“I am going to have to do some investigating and verify the receipts, but it’s a good sign.”
Zack picked up the bundle from the coffee table. “I’ll take this down to the station until we get everything straightened out.”
Sadie stood up. “We should probably go, too.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Zack said and walked out the door.
“Thank you for helping me find the money and the receipts,” Marnie said to Sadie, walking with her to the door.
“I was happy to help. Hopefully, the Chief will be able to get everything verified quickly.”
Sadie caught up with Zack halfway down the path to the sidewalk.
“Did you find out anything in regards to Cyrus getting hit on the back of the head?” Zack asked.
Sadie nodded. “Marnie says Cyrus suffers from dizzy spells. He has fallen before, and his doctor can verify it.”
“Okay, I can look into that, too.”
The next afternoon, Sadie looked up to see Zack coming into the shop.
After a quick kiss, she asked, “What did you find out about those receipts?”
“It looks like Marnie will get to keep all of that money,” Zack smiled. “I was heading over there to let her know. Would you like to come along?”
“Sure.” Sadie called out, “Betty, I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, I’ll hold down the fort,” Betty called back.
A few minutes later they were knocking on Cyrus’ front door.
Marnie opened the door. “Chief Woodstone, Sadie, come in.”
“Thank you,” Zack said, and they walked into the living room.
“Have you found out anything, Chief?” Cyrus asked.
“Yes, I inquired about the receipts and they all checked out.”
Marnie smiled. “They did.”
“What does that mean for me?” Cyrus asked.
“Well, both the note regarding the painting and the envelope of receipts were addressed to Ms. McAdams. The money and the painting seem to have been intended for her,” Zack explained.
“Rats,” Cyrus grumbled.
Marnie laughed. “Don’t worry, Cy. I am going to share the money with you. After all, Roger would want you to have some, too.”
Cyrus looked sad for a moment, before nodding at her. “We both miss him. I hope he comes back to us soon.”
Sadie felt like she was missing something. “Cyrus, how do you know Roger Orwin?”
“He’s my grandson,” Cyrus replied.
“He grew up with his mother on the other side of the country, so I didn't know him very well. He moved here a few years ago and we started to get to know each other.”
Before Sadie could respond, the front door opened, and an older woman came in with headphones over her ears. She walked halfway through the room before noticing Sadie standing by the coffee table. She was carrying a bucket in one hand and a large purse in the other.
She froze in the middle of the room and pulled the headphones off her head. “Oh, I am sorry.”
“Sadie, this is Judith. She comes in two times a week to clean the house.”
Sadie walked over to the credenza. “Two times a week, really? It’s a little dusty in here.”
“No, I…” she stopped talking when she saw Zack standing off to the side.
“I must have missed cleaning in here last week.”
Marnie stood up. “You need to make sure you clean the entire house, including the living room, every time, or I will tell Mr. Dumville he needs to find someone else to clean.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Judith nodded. “I’ll just get into the kitchen now.”
“Thank you,” Marnie said with a smile to Sadie.
Zack shifted. “Come down to the station tomorrow. I’ll have you sign some paperwork, and you can pick up the money. I’ll also escort you to the bank so you can get it deposited.”
“I will,” Marnie said. “Thank you, Chief Woodstone.”
Sadie said goodbye and followed Zack out the door. “I’m glad that ended well,” she said.
He smiled at her. “Of course, you had a big hand in that.”
Sadie shrugged. “Let’s go back to the shop.”
“What do you think? Was Roger forging paintings?” Betty asked. “I think he may have left because he was sick of Sam Cone.”
They were gathered in the shop eating some cookies that Lucy had brought over from The Bakery. Mr. Bradshaw was wandering between them, on the lookout for any crumbs.
“She has a point. Sam can come on a little strong.” Sadie took a sip of her drink before saying, “I know that Cyrus and Marnie think Roger is innocent.”
“I have a hard time believing he would have run if there wasn’t some truth to the accusations,” Zack said.
Lucy nodded. “I am with Zack. A man with nothing to hide would stick around and stand up for himself.”
Betty tilted her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right to make a judgment without knowing all of the information.”
“I agree,” Sadie said.
“And if Sam was half as annoying with Roger as he was with me at the Artist Co-op then I can kind of understand him wanting to leave. Sam couldn’t prove to me that Roger had copied his work. I don’t really see how Roger would be able to prove that he didn’t. It was a no-win situation for Roger.”
Betty got up to get another cookie. “At least we know our trip to Europe was a win. We’ve done really well in the shop since putting out all of the new items.”
Sadie looked over at Zack and smiled.
“Betty, I’ve been meaning to tell you I am giving you a raise,” Sadie said. “You've done a great job.”
“Is this about finding Roger Orwin’s receipts?” Betty joked.
“Well, that was pretty brilliant but, no. You’ve done a great job in the shop. I appreciate your hard work, and you’ve really earned it.”
“Thank you, Sadie,” Betty said.
Sadie smiled looking at her closest friends. She suddenly realized how good it was to be back in Seagrove. She loved being back in the shop and having Mr. Bradshaw keeping an eye on everything. Her eyes landed on Zack to find he had been watching her with a warm smile. She walked over and took his hand.
“Chief,” she said, “you make coming home the best part of traveling.”
“Oh, for cripe’s sake, Sadie,” he said, “you promised to call me Zack.”
“But we just finished a case. I always call you Chief when we’re working. If you want me to call you Zack, you’ll have to take me out on a date. Dinner say?”
“If I must,” he said and grinned. “Let’s take Mr. B down to the barbeque on the beach. You know he hates it when we leave him home.”
Sadie grabbed the leash. “Come on Mr. Bradshaw, we’re going to the beach.”
As the three of them walked out the door, Sadie could hear Betty laughing in the shop and smiled spontaneously. All was right in Seagrove, and that was all that mattered.
Find out what Sadie discovers in book 10 of The Seagrove Mysteries! Coming Soon!