Chime and Punishment

by Julianne Holmes

  “The lights in the tower are on a timer?”

  “Yup. You know that the lights themselves are hanging lightbulbs, right? Nothing fancy, just an illumination behind the glass to let it glow.”

  “I need another tour of the tower. It’s been a while.”

  “You deserve another tour, after the hours you spent helping us get it cleaned up.”

  “Those birds did some damage,” he said, putting more potato salad on his plate.

  “Don’t remind me—I’ll lose my appetite,” I said. Five decades of a broken clockface had encouraged a lot of bird’s nests. The cleanup was disgusting, and took weeks. “Want seconds?”

  “I’ll get it,” he said. “You want more ham?”

  “No thanks,” I said. Jeff came over and sat back down. He cut the ham, but played around with it on his plate.

  “What do you think of Fred and Freddie’s story?” I said, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room.

  “I don’t know. It’s so strange. Why would he order the tarts?”

  “Because he wanted to make her sick. He thought better of it, though.”

  “He didn’t want to get Freddie involved, more like,” Jeff said.

  “So you believe him?” I asked.

  “I do, but it is a perfect frame. Or would be, if a nut allergy killed her.”

  “It didn’t? You said she had an allergic reaction.”

  “I said she had a reaction.”

  “A reaction? What does that mean?”

  Jeff hesitated.

  “Jeff, I know you need to keep secrets,” I said, regretting my overeager questions. “Sorry to ask. I completely understand that you can’t talk about it.”

  “The thing is, we still don’t know how she died. She did have an allergic reaction, but her EpiPen had been used, and the drug was in her bloodstream. The ME is running more tests, but it is going to take a while.”

  “Maybe she had a heart attack?”

  Jeff shrugged. “It could be natural causes,” he said.

  “But you don’t think so.”

  “I don’t. It’s a feeling I’ve got.”

  “Plus, the bell on her head.”

  “There’s that,” he said. “Though that may have been a crime of opportunity. Someone saw her lying there and decided to make sure she was dead. Rolled the bell stand over, lifted, and dropped. Possible, especially if they held such anger against her. The bell was one way of showing it.”

  “She had enemies,” I said. Jeff nodded in agreement.

  “They’re running a battery of tests, but we may not know for weeks. It is easy to rule things out, harder to rule things in unless we have more information to help pinpoint the cause of death.”

  “Anything I can do to help?” I asked.

  “Have you remembered any other details?” he asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about it since we talked. Nothing so far.”

  “Well, keep taking your notes. Don’t look so surprised. You notice details that a lot of folks miss.” Jeff picked up his fork and took another bite of salad. “Hey, what’s this?” He gestured to the assemblage of bottles in the middle of the table.

  “Those? Homeopathic drops Jason gave me,” I said. “For allergies.”

  “You have allergies?”

  “Not really, but I stopped by to see him.”

  “To ask about allergies,” Jeff said, shoveling another bite of pasta into his mouth.

  “You caught me,” I said. “But since then I’ve found out a lot of folks have allergies, so not really sure what I found out. Except that there are alternative ways to deal with them.”

  “These drops are the hottest thing in town,” Jeff said. “Kim had two different kinds in her car. One for stress, another to help her sleep.”

  “I hate to even ask, but did you get the drops tested?”

  “Both are in for testing, but seem to be what they say they are,” he said. “She also took a bunch of vitamins, drank shakes, juiced. By all accounts, she was the picture of health.”

  “Until Saturday.”

  “Until Saturday,” Jeff said, pushing his plate back. “I’m sorry to eat and run, but I want to check in with the lab one more time.”

  “I hate to ask, but can we still get back into the Town Hall tomorrow? We need to clean up and get back to work.”

  “We’re done cataloging,” he said. “I let Pat know he could bring a box by this afternoon. Tomorrow should be fine. I’ll call you first thing. Now, let me help you clean up these dinner dishes; otherwise my mother will kill me for being a bad guest.”

  “Absolutely not. Thanks for keeping me company. And, Jeff?”

  “Yes?”

  “Call Moira tonight, before you go home. She needs to hear from you.”

  “Not sure she’ll like hearing from me after today—”

  “I’m sure. You need to talk to her tonight.”

  “Thank you for being a good friend, Ruth. To both of us. And let me know if you remember anything else.”

  chapter 25

  Blue and I went for another walk along the river a little after nine. The sun had finally gone down, and then we headed back inside. I’d texted Ben and tried calling. I even sent an e-mail. It wasn’t that I minded taking care of Blue. I didn’t. It was only that he’d never left Blue with me before. Flo had always been the overnight sitter. I tried her next.

  “What do you mean, where’s Ben? Isn’t he with you?”

  “No, he left a few hours ago to help Pat with something. Maybe they’re still together?”

  “Not unless Pat’s got a clone. Wait a minute. I’m going to put you on speakerphone. Pat and Nancy are here. Pat, where’s Ben?”

  “He helped me unload some groceries at the Sleeping Latte, and then he went over to leave a box of clock parts at the Town Hall. Jeff told us we could leave them in the office space he’d created. Last I saw him he was letting himself in the front door.”

  “Maybe Ben went back over to the Latte to help Moira,” I said. I stepped out onto the front porch and went down the steps. I turned around and looked over at Moira’s shop, which was dark. Maybe they were in back?

  “I doubt that she’s back from Marytown. She had her last accounting class tonight.”

  “Right, I forgot about that,” I said. Moira had been taking small-business-owner classes over at Harris University. I turned and looked at the Corner Market, also closed. “Maybe he’s helping Beckett with something? Looks like there is a light over at Been There, Read That. Oh, wait, it’s just the light he leaves on in the shop. Maybe he went to return his rental car? Do you know what it looked like?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but I was getting worried. Where was Ben?

  “A little red thing,” Flo said. I looked around and saw a dark car parked near the Corner Market. Maybe that was red? It was the only car on the street.

  “Where could he be?” I asked. “Maybe I should take a walk over toward the library? I’ll check at the Town Hall, though there aren’t any lights on over there.”

  “Listen, I’m worried,” Flo said. “That boy is never more than five feet away from his cell phone. Maybe it ran out of power?”

  “He charged his phone in the car,” Pat said. “Listen, Ruth, hang tight. I’m on my way.”

  “No, Pat, I’m sure he’s—”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “I’m calling Jeff,” Flo said. “Maybe he knows where Ben is.” She hung up before I could tell her that Jeff had just left.

  I walked back up the stairs and went back into the Cog. “Hey, Blue, I’m going to take a walk over toward the library. Let Pat know I’ll be right back, okay?” I said, pulling my Pocasset sweatshirt over my head. I put a flashlight and my cell in the front pocket. Orchard was quiet on a Monday night, but at le
ast the library was open for a few more minutes. I set the alarm and closed the front door.

  As I stepped off the front porch I glanced over at the Town Hall. I couldn’t wait until the clock in the tower was my own moon, shining every day. My eyes swept down, and I saw something next to the Town Hall, by the path toward the back. Maybe it was a firefly? But if it was, why wasn’t it moving? Why was it so low on the ground? And why was it blue?

  I crept across the street, my feet familiar with the path. I made my way over to the flashing light, slowly, steadily, not even daring to turn on my flashlight. Why was I being so quiet? I had every right to be over here at the Town Hall. Still, I put my phone on vibrate and took another small step, trying to locate the source of the beacon. I finally hit a wall of dark I couldn’t navigate without help, and I took the flashlight out of my pocket and turned it on. I swept it across the gardens, and it flashed on something. I made my way over and picked it up.

  The flashing light was a message indicator. I recognized the phone. The messages were probably from me. The phone was Ben’s.

  • • •

  I took out my own phone and tried to call Jeff. No answer. I texted him: Come to town hall. I looked up and down the street. Where was Pat? Pat would help me find Ben. But what if Ben was hurt? Maybe he’d gone exploring in the Town Hall and fallen? How did his phone end up out here? I wished I’d brought my own keys to the building. Best to go back and wait for Pat.

  What was that noise? It was coming from the side of the building. I looked around, but no one was coming to my rescue. There was another sound, this one louder. It sounded like an animal grunting. Was that Ben? Maybe he really was hurt. I walked over to the right of the building. I swept the flashlight over in an arc and caught a reflector from a bike, pushed into the bushes. I crept forward and took a closer look. Jason’s bike. I recognized the red and black paint job. A water bottle was strapped to the frame—not his Been Here, Read That bottle, but one from a local radio station. Was Jason here? Why was his bike in the bushes?

  Another sound, this time a crash. I went back around the front of the building. I moved to the left and moved around toward the back of the Town Hall.

  “Ben, are you here?” I called out. The fence door to the portico was slightly ajar.

  I crept forward and peered around the trellis. Jason came around the corner, his pants clipped at the ankles with reflecting wraps. His shirt was untucked, and there was dirt down the front of it. He was disheveled and looked distracted to see me. I took a deep breath and made sure there was distance between us.

  “Jason, what are you doing here?” I said. “I heard a sound and worried that someone was hurt. How did you get the trellis door open?”

  “It was already open.”

  “Really? That seems careless, doesn’t it?” I walked past him. I looked around and noticed that the planters were all a bit askew. I thought back to Saturday night, and Jason walking out with his bike tire. And his dress shirt. Had he stashed his bike back here on Saturday? What had he seen?

  “I was surprised too,” he said. No more information. His eyes darted around, and he was bouncing on his left foot.

  “You haven’t seen Ben, have you?” I asked, filling the time, hoping that Jeff got here quickly.

  “Have you lost him again, Ruth? You really need to keep track of him. He’s a real catch, that one.” Jason walked over and lifted a pot out of its base and then put it back, slightly askew.

  “Are you all right?” I asked Jason. He wasn’t holding eye contact tonight. Instead, his eyes were darting around.

  “This is going to seem odd,” Jason said, “but I’ve been racking my brain, trying to remember the last time I used my bike lock. It was here, and since the crime scene tape was down, I figured it would be safe to look. You haven’t seen it, have you?”

  “No, I haven’t, but I haven’t been back here since Saturday. Why are you looking for it tonight?”

  “Heading out tomorrow, and I need to be able to lock the bike to the car. Not all places are like Orchard, you know. Safe enough to leave houses open and bikes unlocked.”

  “I saw your bike out in the bushes.”

  “You caught me. Don’t tell Harriet. She’ll be furious that I broke a few branches. But that side shrub, it is a great hiding spot for bikes.”

  “You’ve used it before?”

  “Not me. I know, I know, I should use the new bike rack. I was just being lazy. Trying to get packed and prepped for the weekend.”

  “Going for a ride as part of your training?” Where was Jeff? My fingers itched to take out my phone and see if he’d texted back, but I refrained. Jason was acting squirrelly, and Jeff needed to be here in case it meant something more than that Jason was odd. He was still on the list, after all.

  Jason looked puzzled for a moment, but then his brow cleared up. “I’m heading up north. Some family business that is finally getting settled,” he said.

  “Ruth?” Jeff called out.

  “Back here,” I said. Jeff came running back and looked at me, then at Jason.

  “I found this out front,” I said, handing Jeff Ben’s cell phone. “I don’t know where he is. Jason hasn’t seen him either.”

  “Jason, what are you doing? How did you get back here?” Jeff said.

  “The trellis door was open. I’m looking for my bike lock,” he said. He ran his hands along his pant legs. “Sorry to have been a bother. I’ll head home, come back in the daylight.”

  “You want more light?” I said, taking my phone out of my pocket. I pulled up the app Nadia had installed, and hit “clock tower” and “all.” Next thing I knew, all the outdoor lights were on. I stepped away from Jeff and walked toward the gardens. Jason moved to follow me, but Jeff put his hand on his arm.

  “Is Ben back there?” Jeff said.

  “No,” I said, scanning the back area. I looked over toward Been There, Read That and noticed that the Dumpster had been moved aside. Had Jason come through there? Was he lying about the trellis door? Jeff stepped next to me and looked around. I pointed to the Dumpster next door.

  “Where’s Ben?” Jeff asked Jason.

  “I have no idea,” Jason said.

  “Why don’t we all try and look for him?”

  “Maybe he’s in the Town Hall. He was going to drop something off,” I said. “I’m going to see if I can find him. Okay, Chief?” Jeff nodded, but didn’t leave Jason’s side. I swallowed the fear that was rising up and walked in the side door.

  “Ben!” I yelled. “Are you in here?” There was pounding coming from somewhere, and a muffled sound. Ben? I ran across the hall, toward the storage area. I turned to the closet on my right. The key was in the lock. I turned it and opened the door.

  “Ruth!” Ben said, sounding muffled. I opened the door, and he came out, practically falling into my arms.

  “Are you all right?” I said, holding him up and hugging him at the same time.

  “I am now. Did you know that door locks from the outside? Whose big idea was that? Stuff of nightmares—getting locked in a closet.”

  “The doors over here are tricky,” I said. “Probably got stuck.”

  “How did you find me anyway?” he asked.

  “I found your phone out front.”

  “It must have fallen out of my pocket. I was about to text you when I came back here. Glad the phone-finder app worked.”

  “I told you, I won’t use it.” Of course I might have if I’d remembered I had it. “Your phone was flashing and I saw it.”

  “Eagle Eye Clagan,” he said, hugging me close. “Is Jason still here?”

  “Jeff’s with him out back. Why?”

  “It was weird,” Ben said. “I was heading back to your place and I saw Jason over here, by the gate door. I couldn’t figure out how he got there. He said he’d come by to look for a lock he lost on
Saturday—”

  “He told me the same thing,” I said.

  “Maybe he is,” Ben said. “But something seemed off. So I pretended to leave and came back in here to see what he was up to. The garden gate was open.”

  “Why?”

  “Maybe for the streetlight to spill in? It’s pretty dark back there. Anyway, I snuck in and noticed the side door was open. I think he jimmied the lock.”

  “So you decided to follow him in there?”

  “Luckily, I’ve spent a lot of time back here, so I know the ins and outs. When he was turned around I snuck in and stood in the alcove near the kitchen.”

  “You spied on him?” I said, half-horrified, half-impressed.

  “Shh. Keep your voice down. I did. I’m not proud of it, but I did. He stayed in the vestibule area. He was reaching up, running his hand along the wainscoting. You know how it kind of dips with the trim? There’s space for stuff up there. He was looking for something. Then I heard you calling my name. So did he, and he went outside for a moment. He came back in and went back to searching, so I hid. Next thing I knew I couldn’t get the door open again.”

  “Why did you hide?” I asked.

  “Because I went over to where he’d been looking, and found this.” He pulled a blue bottle out of his front pocket. It looked a lot like the one Jason had given me.

  • • •

  “Jason, didn’t you come back here on Saturday?” Jeff said. I’d texted Jeff: Keep Jason here. Play along. I think I have an idea.

  “Maybe you dropped the lock in here,” I said, leading Jason away from Jeff and Ben so that Ben could tell Jeff what he told me. “Let’s take a look. Now, where did you go?” We stood in the side vestibule. The clock tower steps were to the right, but I knew that was locked up. Pat, Zane, and I had the only keys.

  We went into the kitchen area, which looked like a hurricane hit it.

  “This is a bigger mess than I remember,” I said, knowing that I sounded like an imbecile, but I needed to play dumb. That was critical. Ideas were coming together, but we wouldn’t find the answer in here. “I’ll tell you what—I have a bike lock over at the shop. Why don’t I loan it to you for your trip?”