“It doesn’t. What else do you have?”
“Bill Heath is also the Juniper Creek Thrift vandal,” he said. He saw the excitement in her eyes, and smiled in response.
“That’s what we thought! But how do they know for sure? The video recorded across the street from Juniper Creek Thrift, wasn’t nearly as clear as the museum’s.”
“It’s not, and it isn’t enough to charge him with both crimes. But, unbeknownst to us at the time, the police also found traces of blood when they investigated the scene at Juniper Creek Thrift.”
“One of the collectibles fought back?” Claire wondered.
“It would seem so.”
“But—why did he break everything, anyway?” she suddenly considered. “He had to know what was listed on eBay, and which of the items contained research materials. Why didn’t he just look for the clock?”
“Hm. I wonder,” Alec thought. “Allan had multiple items listed that were marked as containing stolen research, we know that. He didn’t pack everything into one doll. Or clock. Did he list this type of item regularly?”
“I’d have to look, but the record of completed listings only covers the past three months. Why, what are you thinking?”
“Maybe he leaked information routinely, as the research progressed,” Alec suggested.
“He had a lot of items that weren’t listed yet,” Claire considered.
“Whoever is behind all this wants the clock, obviously,” Alec continued. “Somehow, they found out Allen’s belongings were donated… what do you bet they posed as his family, and that’s who called and threatened to sue over his missing belongings?”
“In order to motivate them,” she surmised. “I’ll bet it was! They sure wouldn’t reveal their true identity. Sue, or whoever, must have given them a rough list of what she remembered being in his office.”
“Even if she named some of those things specifically, who could remember all that? So ‘collectibles,’ or some similar term, could be how she described the bulk of it,” Alec contributed. “If the competing company or country didn’t know Allen was out on his ear before they called, they did after. They’d want whatever was in his office, which did include the clock and an unknown assortment of small electronics, office supplies, and unspecified collectibles. They’d know there was the possibility Allen had additional research concealed, but not yet listed.”
“They’d want every last little bit of information they could get. Otherwise, they might have to do the unthinkable and perform their own research,” Claire scowled.
“When you think of how much revenue is lost to corporate espionage, and how much there is to be gained from the competition’s standpoint, is it any wonder they’d send someone to search Juniper Creek Thrift, the second-hand stores in Ashland, and the homes of those who purchased from the thrift store?”
“They were looking for the clock, anyway. Might as well go after everything else that might’ve been in Allen’s office.”
“Exactly,” Alec agreed.
“They can give up on getting into the museum, anyway,” Claire said with certainty. “With twenty-four-hour monitoring, armed security on the premises, and the police doing regular drive-bys, they’ve got no chance.”
“I’m glad Martin’s not relaxing because the guy who caused all the trouble is no longer a threat,” Alec commented.
“There’s been so much publicity over this. The number of daily visitors to the museum has never been higher. Mr. Lochlan is concerned a copycat might try and take over where Bill Heath left off. Or, that someone might decide to find out what he was after.”
“Are we not giving the FBI enough information?” Alec wondered. “It’s been a week since your first message.”
“Maybe they’ll respond to the one we left yesterday,” Claire said optimistically.
“I hope so. Are you ready to go?”
“Just about,” Claire replied, collecting their now empty coffee mugs.
“Great,” Alec said. “I’ll load the ice chest, and meet you at the truck in ten minutes. Is that enough?”
“More than. I’ll see you then,” she said. She walked the few steps to the door with Alec, then put the mugs in the sink. She gave Herschel a good petting, and pleased him greatly by plopping the contents of a second can of cat food in his dish. They’d be back before six, but… she couldn’t stand the thought of him being hungry while she and Alec were out enjoying all that Juniper Creek, the actual creek, had to offer.
A ringtone joined the sound of Herschel’s enthusiastic chewing, and the singing and splashing of the birds outside the window. Claire glanced at the screen of her phone. Her eyes widened, then narrowed.
It rang again. Her eyes narrowed even more. It rang a third time, and she answered.
“Dean, why on earth are you calling?” she wanted to know.
“Claire! How are you?” her one-time friend asked enthusiastically.
“Wondering why you’re calling me,” she replied bluntly.
“I miss you. It’s still hard to believe you’re gone. At least the wedding’s only a couple of weeks away.”
“What wedding?”
“Daniel and Daphne’s,” he laughed.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Claire wondered.
“You invited me, remember?” Dean replied.
“So?” she retorted bluntly.
“So, we’ll get to see each other and hang out for a while,” Dean said.
“You don’t think we’re still going together, I hope,” Claire frowned.
“Of course. You invited me.”
“I invited my single guy friend,” Claire corrected him firmly. “And… that’s who I’m going with.”
“What are you talking about?” he sounded confused.
“You were my single guy friend, when I invited you to be my guest. You ceased to be my single guy friend, when you got engaged. There’s no way I’d go to the wedding with you now! Or anywhere else. I can’t believe you’d think that!”
“Look, Rachel’s okay with it. She knows we’re just friends,” he argued.
“You aren’t hearing me, Dean,” Claire frowned. “I am not okay with it. I asked my friend Alec to go with me. He’s my guest.”
“You’re kidding,” he said flatly.
“No. I assure you, I am not,” she replied firmly.
“But—Claire, I was really looking forward to seeing you! I can’t believe this. We’ve been friends practically forever.”
“Two years is a far cry from forever,” she pointed out dryly. “Look, Dean, that’s my policy. It doesn’t make any difference to me whether or not it’s yours, or hers.”
“When did you come up with this crazy policy?” he demanded to know.
“I’ve always had it.”
“You never told me,” he said disapprovingly.
“Since you don’t like it, I guess if I had, we never would’ve been friends in the first place. You’re right, I should’ve told you. Sorry. Now you know. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Who are you going with? You really invited someone else?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“Does he know you’ll ditch him, the minute he gets engaged?” Dean asked irritably.
“Yes. Unless I’m the one he’s engaged to. Gotta go. Bye.”
Claire ended their call with a tap of the screen, then put her phone back in her pocket.
There was a knock on the doorframe, and she jumped.
“Do I have something to worry about?” Alec asked, as she whipped around and opened the door. He didn’t look worried.
“No, not at all,” she replied. She grabbed her purse, then followed him out, locking the door behind her.
“What had you lost in thought?” he wondered.
“Hm. I suppose I was pondering how differently everything looks with a change in perspective.”
“Are you referring to perspective in general, or to something specific?�
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“I’m glad I moved here, that’s all,” she replied.
“That makes two of us,” he smiled.
Puffy white clouds dotted the cerulean blue sky, providing occasional respite from the warmth of the sun as it rose steadily toward its zenith. A brief drive led them to the outskirts of town, where wildflowers grew in bright clumps along the side of the road. Between the gaps in the trees, Claire caught glimpses of lush green meadowland that would rival the finest manicured lawn.
“Would you mind going with me to Ashland after church tomorrow, to have lunch with my family?” Alec asked, as he followed the familiar road.
“Well—sure,” she said in surprise, looking at him quizzically.
“Mom really likes you, if you couldn’t tell,” he informed her.
“I kind of gathered that. She certainly knows all about me,” she teased.
“If she doesn’t, then she hasn’t listened to a word I’ve said in the past couple of weeks,” he replied, and Claire laughed.
“I like your mom, too.”
“Good. My sister and her husband are visiting… you’ll get to meet everyone.”
“I look forward to it,” she smiled.
Alec pulled into a dirt parking lot, and found a space amongst the vehicles already parked there. He and Claire loaded up like pack mules, then he hoisted the ice chest in his arms, and led the way to the picnic site. They chose a table and Alec added charcoal to the stationary grill. While it burned its way to red hot coals, they set the table and arranged the side dishes. Alec tossed the steaks on the grill, and the scent of perfectly seasoned ribeye filled the air.
After eating their fill, they walked along the creek’s edge, enjoying the scents of the forest and the sound of water bubbling over the smooth stones that lined the bottom of the stream.
Shadows darted along the creek’s edge, giving away the minnows that were too pale to spot, otherwise. A turtle sunned itself on a warm stone on the opposite bank, and dragonflies flitted past.
Claire thought they were wandering, but Alec knew where they were going. They reached a bend in the creek, and he led her through the trees on the left. To her surprise, a sunny, wildflower dotted meadow spread out before them. If Alec didn’t lead her straight there, she’d think they were the first to ever set foot in the pristine field.
It wasn’t wishful thinking that motivated Alec to bring the Frisbee, after all. They played until they tired of it, then took their time returning to the campground. The afternoon passed more quickly than they expected. Claire looked at her watch and thought it was fast, but Alec’s had the same time. It was a rush to get everything back into bags and ice chest, and get themselves back to the truck.
“I’m wishing the girls’-only-event wasn’t tonight, after all,” Claire said, with a backward glance as Alec pulled out of the parking lot, and onto the road. “Are you going to the guys’ event?”
“I was planning on it… but to be entirely honest, no. I’m going to spend the evening at the garage, working on your car, instead. I’ll have my phone the whole time, so if you need anything… I’ll answer right away.”
“I wasn’t a bit concerned,” she replied. “How many encounters can one girl have in a weeks’ time, anyway?”
“You’ve had more than you’re allowed. So… stop it.”
Claire laughed.
“Okay. Wow, that was simple. Why didn’t you say that last week!”
“I had no idea I needed to. If you run into any more trouble, forget armor-plating the Blue Lightning. I may armor-plate you,” he said, and smiled when she laughed again.
As soon as the truck rolled to a stop in Alec’s driveway, they were out, and intent on unloading. Claire lavished several seconds’ worth of affection on Herschel, fed him again, then grabbed her keys. She reached the detached garage, where the Blue Lightning was parked, as Alec closed the hood.
“It’s good to go. Next week, I’ll fix that leak. It should also have a tune-up, and the timing-belt replaced, while I’ve got it in the garage. I’ll take care of that too, and have it back to you good as new.”
“You’re the best neighbor and friend, ever,” Claire said, giving him a quick hug.
“I’m so glad you noticed,” he smiled, as she got into her car. “I’ll see you in the morning, if not before.”
“Sounds good,” she replied, and hurried to meet the rest of the single girls at the restaurant where they would begin their evening.
An hour later, she and the other girls hurried out of the restaurant, along with everyone else inside the building.
“I’m soaked!” Gina spluttered, brushing back her wet hair.
“Same here,” Claire said, wiping water off her face with her hands. Which was only so effective, since her hands were as wet as the rest of her.
“I hope it put the fire out,” one of the girls said anxiously. Was it Kate, maybe?
“Is there really a fire?” asked another girl. Claire had no idea what her name was.
“It sure smelled like it,” Gina declared.
“I don’t see any smoke,” Claire pointed out.
“Maybe the sprinkler system extinguished it,” a fifth girl suggested.
“Well… I don’t know about the rest of you,” said Kate. “But that kind of put a damper on my evening!”
Everyone laughed at that. They also did their best to wring out their hair and clothing. One girl tipped her bag, and water poured out.
“Does anyone else feel like calling it a night?” a sixth girl asked, raising her hand hesitantly. All around her, hands shot into the air.
“Yes! Meeting adjourned,” Gina declared. “We’ll pick up on a drier—I mean, another, night.”
The girls scattered to their respective vehicles, then waited patiently as a firetruck pulled into the parking lot, lights flashing, and siren blaring. There was still no smoke, but… what fire could possibly survive a drenching like they just got!
The truck parked in front of the restaurant, and a stream of cars poured out of the lot and onto the street.
Claire saw Alec’s truck parked in front of his garage as she passed by. Not that she didn’t trust him, and was driving past to check up on him. It was the most direct route to get back home. She’d have to go out of her way, not to pass by.
She trusted him. She even felt safe liking him, since she knew how he felt about her. The nice things he said and did, wanting her to meet his family, she didn’t have to wonder if they meant anything, or not. They did.
Claire smiled a little, and parked inside the garage. She was sure Alec would be appalled if she continued to park in the only available space once her classic car was restored. He’d probably offer to clean out the garage for her, so she could park both.
She closed the garage door behind her, and went inside.
Claire flipped on the kitchen light, and was startled for a moment by the sight of Herschel, sitting on the cabinet, fluffy gray tail wrapped tightly around his paws, his greenish-yellow eyes watching her solemnly.
“Herschel… what are you doing?” she wondered.
Was he actually looking at her, at all? She leaned to one side, then to the other. He didn’t move a muscle.
Whether he was looking at her, or through her, she had no idea. Since she fed him two hours ago, he couldn’t be hungry. Although he certainly knew how to act like he was, whether he was, or not.
At the moment, he sat there stoically, as if frozen.
Claire gave up trying to figure him out, and gave him a hug.
“I’m going upstairs. You can come too, if you want.”
Herschel decided to move again.
He hopped off the counter, meowing as if it was years since their last encounter. Claire hugged him some more, then succumbed to his pleas of starvation, and fed him yet another can.
“It’s a good thing I got paid,” she informed him. “I think you eat more than I do!”
Claire collected a bottle of water, then followed the stairs to
her room. She passed through her closet to the sitting room, and retrieved dry clothing from her new walk-in closet. Leaving her wet clothes draped over the side of the tub to dry, she returned to the sitting room and curled up on the little couch. She took her phone out of her pocket, and searched her contacts list for Daphne’s number. And then, it shut off.
The battery must be dead. Or… did her phone get wet? The rest of her certainly did. She looked at her phone with concern, as she wracked her brain to recall the details of a tip she once heard. It involved uncooked rice, she remembered that much. What was she supposed to do, bury her phone in it? Could that really revive a drowned phone?
She didn’t know. Upon careful inspection and further consideration, she didn’t think it got wet enough to matter, anyway.
Claire plugged it in and set it on her nightstand. The phone didn’t come on, and that concerned her for a moment. But… if it was dead enough, it wouldn’t.
She decided to put off worrying over how she’d afford a new phone, until such time as she was certain she needed one. Having made that decision, she returned to the sitting room.
There were so many albums left to go through. Last week, she skimmed right over the ones of her father and his first wife and child. Those had nothing to do with her own life, so what was the point? But now, there was one. They would mean as much to Marlena, as the albums containing Claire’s family, meant to her.
She sorted and stacked the relevant albums on top of the low shelf, then gave them a satisfied look. When her sister came over, she wouldn’t send her home empty-handed.
A glance at the clock told her it was too early to go to bed, and she wasn’t tired, anyway. A glance out her window told her the parking space in front of Alec’s garage was still vacant. A glance at her phone, and the sight of the red battery charging symbol, told her there was hope for it after all.
She thought about leaving a light on so Alec would know she was home, whenever he got back. But… the way he loved her car, he wasn’t likely to get back until late. It would be a waste of electricity.
Besides, she could spend an evening without him. It felt like a long time since she had, but she certainly could. There were plenty of things for her to do. Learn to knit, there was one. She was determined to finish the afghan her grandmother started. Learn to crochet, there was another. Her grandmother left more than one type of project for her to complete.
Lochlan Museum: The Case of the Collectible Killer Page 35