A Page Marked for Murder

by Lauren Elliott

Addie unfolded the brown paper and laid it open on the desktop.

  Serena’s gaze scanned over the two columns Addie had written and nodded approvingly. “Did you learn anything else today to add to this?”

  “Actually, I have. Hold that up for me so I can copy it.” Addie picked up a piece of chalk from the ledge and began copying:

  Murder

  Victim—Brett Palmer—Paige’s ex—Emma’s (Martha’s and Ken’s granddaughter) father

  Murder weapon???

  Murder scene???

  Crime scene—alley behind Martha’s Bakery

  Victim involved in two family public disagreements—Brett, Martha, Ken Stringer (Paige’s father/Martha’s ex)

  Keith—husband to Mellissa (Paige’s eldest sister and son-in-law to Martha and Ken) broke up fistfight between Brett and Ken.

  Unknown woman???—Martha had an altercation with

  She moved over to the right side of the board and wrote under Book:

  The Secret Garden—belonged to Paige and Emma, gift from Ken, Martha’s ex—Paige’s father—on loan to Gloria

  Gloria fall—in hospital

  Book last seen—Gloria’s nightstand—by Addie and Martha

  Martha informed of 25K value of book

  Spare key to Gloria’s house—Martha

  Book gone—Martha denies any knowledge—no indication of a break-in

  Cliff—found missing house key in area already searched!

  As she wrote the final words, Serena darted past her and pointed to Cliff’s name. “You can’t be serious about this one?”

  “I am because I found it funny that after I conducted a pretty thorough search of the area, he just happened to find them right at the base of where the ladder had stood and where Gloria had landed. Don’t you find that weird?”

  “It is uncanny, but I can’t believe Cliff would take her keys, sneak into her house, and steal a book. Does he even know how to appraise a book? Why would he do it if he didn’t know the value? Paige had it for years, and she didn’t know what it was worth. No”—she shook her head—“I’m not buying that one.”

  Addie folded her arms across her chest and studied what she had written. “You know, I’m not sure if I am either. I discovered that he and Gloria were high school sweethearts, and the way he behaves around her and talks about her, it wouldn’t surprise me if he still doesn’t see her as the one who got away. But the fact is Cliff found the keys and could have gone in and taken the book. He also might have been the one who closed the photo album. Maybe a picture he saw upset him. Gloria also eluded to their breakup carrying a lot of baggage with it. Perhaps taking the book was out of revenge or something?” Addie shook her head. “No, even that sounds too farfetched once I say it out loud. You might be right. He’s not a viable suspect, but until I have more evidence against someone else, his name stays as a remote possibility.”

  “That’s fair, I guess. Did you learn anything else today from Simon or Gloria that you can add to this, or have you hit a dead-end like with the murder weapon?”

  Addie braced her hand against the board, chalk primed. “Actually, there are a couple of things I’ve learned and remembered since last night. I’m not really certain which side of the board to put them on, so I’ll write them over here on the side. See if you can figure out where they belong.” She scribbled beside the notation she had about no indication of a break-in: Searched Gloria’s with police, absolutely no evidence of a break-in. She underlined the word no, and on the side wrote:

  Ken, Martha, Gloria all high school friends—familiar with house

  Brett, first on scene after Gloria’s fall

  Kalea’s unknown boyfriend argued with Brett in park on Friday

  “Speaking of your cousin, where is she lately? I haven’t seen her around.”

  Addie gave Serena a side glance. “Your guess is as good as mine. This past week she’s been coming and going at all hours of the day and night. According to Paige, this guy”—she tapped the board—“has been picking her up every day for over a week, and since Friday, she’s suddenly decided she doesn’t seem to think she needs to work at all.”

  “Maybe her new boyfriend is rich, and she thinks he’s going to keep her in the manner of lifestyle she believes she’s entitled to.”

  “By the look of the car he drives and the expensive clothes he wears, you might be right. She was exactly the same in college. I thought she’d grown out of it, but these last few days? I can see it only took a fancy car and a good-looking fellow to bring all that out in her again.”

  “What do you know about this guy?”

  “Nothing, which is the weird part. Generally, when the black widow goes hunting, she’s more than happy to expand on the details of her latest conquest, but with him”—Addie tapped the board under the unknown man’s name—“she hasn’t said a word, not even in passing to Paige. We don’t even know his name.”

  Serena’s eyes narrowed in on the board. “But you did see him having an argument with Brett two days before you found his body, so that means he and the victim knew each other.”

  “Yes, and Mr. Unknown happened to come to town the week before, which was when Brett arrived in Greyborne Harbor too.”

  “When did Paige’s father, Ken, show up? He hasn’t been back here for years and then out of the blue—”

  Addie’s jaw dropped. “You’re right! And whose name do I have on the board nearly as many times as Martha’s?”

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “That Brett, Ken, and Mr. Unknown all knew each other, and came here for a reason other than to visit?”

  Serena nodded.

  “I wonder if Marc has found a link between them.”

  “I wonder if he’s even put the three together yet. I think you have to go and talk to him,” Serena said.

  “Easier said than done, I’m afraid. Whenever I’ve dropped in, the dragon lady is standing guard, and she won’t allow me passage into the inner sanctum. She’s made it clear that Marc and I even remaining friends won’t happen under her watch.”

  Serena slipped her phone out of her back jean pocket. “Then it’s a good thing that you have a family connection to His Highness.” Her thumbs skimmed across the keypad.

  “If all it takes for an audience with His Majesty is a text, then I could have done that.”

  “Aw, you see this way, if she’s with him, she really can’t discourage him from meeting with his sister, now can she?”

  “You are a devious one, my friend.”

  “I’ve learned that when dealing with her, it’s the only way to be.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Addie eyed Serena standing with her hands on her hips as she scanned over the information they had written on the blackboard. “We still don’t know who this mystery woman is who was involved in the incident on Saturday night, do we?”

  “Yes,” Addie said, “I have a name now,” and she picked up the chalk, erased unknown with her finger, and wrote Amber....

  “I believe Amber Carr is her full name.”

  Addie and Serena spun toward Marc skulking in the doorway.

  “Hey there, big brother. It’s nice of you to join us.”

  Marc’s gaze darted around the storeroom and rested on Addie. “I see nothing has changed back here”—he glanced at the board—“and the two of you are up to the same no good.”

  “Really”—Serena hung her head, shaking it—“that’s all you have to say after I tell you we have a lead in your case.”

  “All right then, humor me.” He sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. “What’s so important for you to drag me away from the scene of an active investigation?”

  Addie pinned him with a self-assured look. “Because I think we have another suspect in Brett’s murder.”

  “Who?”

  “This guy.” Serena pointed to Kalea’s unknown boyfriend.

  “And why do you suspect him of the murder?”

  Addie set the
chalk down and moved toward him. “Because I saw him in the park having an argument with Brett on Friday, and it just so happens that he came to town around the same time as Brett. Coincidence? I think not. I think they knew each other, and whatever brought Brett to town also brought him.”

  “Have you got a name for this guy?”

  “No, that’s the problem. Kalea has never introduced him, let alone talked about him, but he drives a high-end BMW.”

  “Do you have a license plate number?”

  Addie shook her head. He stood up, and she knew by the look in his eyes that he thought this summons for his presence was a waste of time.

  “Ken arrived in town at the same time as those two,” Serena said hastily. “Do you think it’s all connected?”

  “Connected to what?”

  “Duh, Brett winding up dead!” Serena glared at Marc, a look of disbelief across her face.

  Marc eased back down. “We’ve already established a connection between Ken and Brett, and I have someone checking into how deep it went.”

  “Of course they’re connected.” Addie glanced from him to the board. “Ken is Emma’s grandfather, and Brett was her father.”

  “No, the connection is more recent.”

  “What do you mean?” Serena asked.

  He dropped his gaze from Addie’s. “I mean, it seems Ken Stringer is the maintenance man for the apartment building in Boston where Brett Palmer and Amber Carr just happen to live.”

  Addie swiveled toward the board and began scanning over the clues. “That’s it!”

  “What’s it?” Marc came to her side. “What are you seeing in all this that I’m not?”

  Addie picked up the chalk and drew a line from the Book column to the Murder side of the board. Bits of chalk dust flew off when she stabbed the end of the joining line. “It has to be about the book that was stolen from Gloria’s.”

  “But you were there when Carolyn conducted a search of the property. There was no indication of a break-in.”

  “I know but . . .” Her gaze flashed across the board. “This morning, Gloria identified Brett as the man who was the first on the scene after she fell.”

  “So?” Marc shrugged.

  “So?” Addie paced back and forth in front of the board. “So, she said he was kind enough to adjust her coat from under her to help make her comfortable.”

  “That was nice of him.” He looked at her with reservation.

  “That means he may have gone through her pockets and removed her keys.”

  “I thought you got those back.” Serena searched her face. “You have Cliff down as a suspect.”

  “I know, but it makes sense when you put it all together. Brett took the keys, and then after he took the book, he went back to the scene of the fall and buried them in the snow so it looked like they had always been there. That’s why I couldn’t find them, but Cliff did later.”

  Serena erased Cliff’s name from the list.

  “Addie, that’s a lot of speculation for me to even remotely consider. The facts that we are working with are right here in black and white.” Marc’s finger stabbed at the word altercation. “There are witnesses to a family disagreement about Emma’s custody, and you told me what Martha said about Brett and how she would put an end to it. No, unless you have more proof, that is the evidence we have to focus our investigation around, and to be honest, it’s not looking good for Martha at this point.”

  There was an audible gasp from the doorway. Paige, her face as pale as the chalk, stood with her mouth gaping.

  “I’m sorry you had to hear that, Paige.” Marc raked his hand through his chestnut-brown hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “But if it’s any consolation, your dad is being released.”

  “My dad? In my mind, he’s more of a suspect than my mother is.” The force of her words matched the flash of venom in her eyes.

  “Maybe, and through our investigation that will be determined, but when two of my officers canvassed the neighborhood, they found a witness that saw him arrive at your aunt’s house about ten. This witness said the lights in the house went out shortly after that and swears his car never left again all night.”

  “That sounds like a pretty convenient witness, don’t you think?” Addie scoffed, her face clearly illustrating her skepticism.

  “She’s a credible witness. That’s all I can say at this point. Like I said before, if you have proof for this other theory”—his hand waved toward the board—“then by all means bring it to me. Until then, I have to follow the evidence because the evidence doesn’t lie.”

  “Maybe not”—Addie flipped her head—“but sometimes it doesn’t tell the whole story.”

  His brown eyes softened, and he looked back at Paige. “You mom’s bail hearing is set for tomorrow at nine a.m. That’s when the circuit judge is here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an investigation to get back to.”

  After Marc left, Paige dropped into the desk chair. Pippi jumped out of the basket by her feet and stood in a gopher stance on her hind legs, imploring the distressed girl to pick her up. Paige obliged, hugged the little dog close, and sobbed into the back of Pippi’s furry neck.

  “Oh, honey.” Addie rushed to Paige’s side and gently stroked the girl’s back. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see. I have a theory—”

  “And we just have to find the proof of a connection, and your mom will be released, free and clear,” Serena said, finishing Addie’s sentence.

  “That’s right.” Addie tilted Paige’s chin up and gazed reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry. It just might take a day or so, but we’ll get her off.”

  Paige held Addie’s gaze, her eyes swollen and tear stained. “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  Paige puffed out a deep breath. “Okay.” She set Pippi back into the basket. “I trust you. You’ve never been wrong before, and I have a garden to finish.” She stumbled zombie-like out to the front of the shop.

  Addie’s gaze caught Serena’s. Her friend’s eyes said it before her words did. “You’ve never been wrong before?” Serena rolled her eyes.

  “Never completely wrong. Sometimes maybe I’ve headed down the wrong path to start with, but it eventually came back around, and we figured out who the killer was.”

  “Do you think this murder connection to the book is the right path this time?”

  “For Paige and Emma’s sake, and Martha’s . . . I hope so.” Addie focused her gaze on the blackboard. She didn’t know what else to say to Paige and hoped she wouldn’t have to break her promise to prove Martha didn’t do it. However, the one thing she did know was the answers were somewhere on her board. If it was proof Marc wanted, then it was proof he’d get.

  She stepped forward and wrote beside Ken and Brett’s names:

  Knew each other in Boston

  Came to town the same time

  Did Ken tell Brett about the book prior?

  “Are you thinking they planned to steal it together, and then one got greedy and wanted it all for himself?” Serena asked.

  “It’s a possibility because Ken knew about the book and had access to Martha’s house this week on the pretense of visiting his daughters. But when he found out it was on loan to Gloria . . .”

  Serena’s eyes lit up with an aha moment. “Then Brett took matters into his own hands and tried to double-cross Ken, and so he killed him.” She scanned the board. “What about this Amber? Do you think she fits into it somehow?”

  “I think if there was a plan to steal the book, then she certainly knew about it, but it’s highly unlikely she killed Brett.”

  “Unless she was only in the relationship with him for the money and decided twenty-five thousand dollars wasn’t enough to share three ways.” Serena snapped her fingers. “That could also be why Brett’s body was found behind the bakery. If she could implicate Ken in the murder, he’d go to jail and with Brett dead . . .”

  A soft chuckle bubbled up from Addie’s throat. “You have more of a wild imag
ination than I do.”

  “Think about it, and what about this mystery man? How does he fit into this new theory?”

  “Who knows what his relationship to Brett was? We don’t even have a name for him.”

  “But you saw them arguing in the park, which means they knew each other.”

  “True, but for all I know, Brett may have knocked into the guy in the crowd, and Mystery Man was mad about it. I did see them arguing but don’t have a clue as to why. I think until we can find out who he is, he remains a question mark.”

  “He did show up in town at the same time. Seems suspicious to me.” Serena glanced sideways at Addie.

  “So did a thousand other people. The Fire and Ice Festival was on, remember?” Addie tapped the chalk stick in her hand. “I guess at this point, we’re only speculating, so anything is possible. I need to pin Kalea down and find out who this guy is and speak to Paige more about her father’s visits to Martha’s house this past week. I need to find out if he showed interest in the book before it went missing.”

  “I don’t think right now is a good time, do you?”

  “No, it can wait until tomorrow.” Addie placed the chalk on the blackboard ledge.

  Serena’s phone buzzed. “Gotta go. Elli has some news. I’ll let you know if it’s anything helpful.” She made her way out of the shop, the bells announcing her departure.

  Addie took a final gander at the board, grabbed the tarp, threw it over to cover it from prying eyes, and walked to the front, straightening shelves as she went. She wasn’t certain why she was as there had only been about three customers in all day. Habit.

  Addie slid up beside Paige, who was bent over the backdrop she’d created for the window display “Paige. You’re a rock star! This is magical. It looks exactly like the secret garden when it was in full bloom as depicted at the end of the book.”

  Paige’s eyes blurred with tears. “Emma’s last words to me today before she left were, ‘Make it a happy place for us, Mommy.’”