by C Farren
Keegan and Lenny hadn’t compared notes on Brock just yet. That’s good.
“Why are the beautiful ones so dumb?” said Lenny.
Wren stared daggers at him. “Hey! You belong with Keegan. No shopping around.”
“I can look. Are you telling me he isn’t the most stunning human being you’ve ever seen in your entire life? He’s like a god, he’s like... an angel.” He blushed and said, “Sometimes, out of the corner of my eye, it almost seems like he’s glowing.”
Wren couldn’t not agree with him. She’d found herself looking at Brock often, trying to stop the drool coming out of her mouth. She wasn’t falling in love with him or anything like that. Benedict was the man she was falling in love with. Brock was just... eye candy?
Oh no. I called someone eye candy. I’m just as bad as those builders who wolf whistle at passing women.
“He’s got a good soul,” said Wren.
Lenny smiled. “I guess so.”
Brock’s eyes flickered open and he smiled. “I heard you talking about me. I only have eyes for one woman.” He started to get up, saying, “The people of this century are sex mad.”
Lenny laughed. “Glad to see you’re fine.”
SEBASTIAN TRIED TO make a run for it when they went back to the unemployment office. Brock just gave him a look, stunning the man into staying still. The very slight head injury the angel had gained was gone now, almost as if it never happened. She only hoped Lenny hadn’t seen it too. He might ask questions.
“Did you warn Rosa we were coming?” Wren demanded, pushing herself into his office. Flora laughed behind them. “Well?”
Sebastian sat back down at his desk nervously and said, “Of course not! I was going to the restroom if you must know.”
Wren sighed theatrically and gave a nod to Brock. The angel marched up to the slimy office manager and stared down at him. He didn’t speak a word or raise his fists. He just stared. Sebastian looked like he was about to wet himself.
“Did you tip her off?” Wren asked again, arms crossed.
She wasn’t going to take any lies this time.
“I had to do it,” Sebastian blurted out. “I love her! I don’t want to see her arrested!”
“Do you know what she has in her apartment?” Wren asked.
He nodded. “The bronze statue? I had it made for her.”
“Not that. She has a whole room full of photos of Maureen,” Wren explained. “She’s been stalking her for years. She’s obsessed.”
“Rosa is obsessed with Maureen?” Sebastian laughed. “Don’t be silly. Rosa is everything Maureen isn’t. Why would she want to stalk her?”
“You tell me. What has Rosa said about her?”
“Nothing. She’s never mentioned Maureen, not once.” Brock growled. Sebastian panicked and said, “I swear it! She never mentioned her! I’m telling the truth!”
Wren nodded. She believed him. He didn’t know a thing about Rosa’s obsession with Maureen. He was just an idiot who’d fallen in love with a psycho.
Wren sat down.
“Does Rosa have any other houses?” she asked. “Seaside condos? Mountain hideaways? Secret lock-ups?”
“She has a house in Hong Kong,” said Sebastian. His face split into a grin. “She played there once when she was a child and fell in love with the place.”
“She isn’t renting somewhere in Snowflake Bay?” Brock asked.
Sebastian shook his head. Wren sighed and wrote her cell number on a piece of memo paper. She stuck it to the front of his computer monitor.
“Please call me if she gets in touch,” Wren told him. “This is serious. People’s lives are on the line here.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
They drove back to Snowflake Bay. Lenny and Brock went back to her house to sort through what information they already had, and Wren returned to the Metropolitan. She’d been gone nearly four hours. She hoped Aarna and Reo hadn’t burned the place down in her absence.
“Hello?” she called, walking through the door.
Aarna was stood on the little stage at the back of the room, playing a guitar. The place wasn’t packed with people but there were more than there had been earlier. They were drinking coffee and appeared totally entranced with the performance.
She walked up to Reo, who was manning the counter. His hair was blonde today. It made him look really funky.
“I knew she could play the guitar, but I didn’t know that she’s that good,” said Wren. “I’m really impressed.”
“She invited some friends over to hear her play,” said Reo. “She said she got bored of having no one to serve.”
Aarna’s cellphone was set up at an angle on the closest table to the stage, obviously recording the event.
“Has it really been that quiet in here?” Wren asked miserably.
“You must have known this place wasn’t exactly an earner,” said Reo.
“I did, but for some reason...”
She didn’t know what she was going to say. Maybe it might be different because there was a new owner? People missed having a coffee shop in the village?
No wonder Garrett was almost broke. He was keeping this place alive through sheer will.
“No,” she announced, determined. “I’m not going to get maudlin this early. I’ve only been open just over a day. There’s plenty of time to turn this place around. Look at the all the people enjoying Aarna’s musical performance! There was a reason I decided to keep this stage.”
“Good for you in not giving up,” said Reo.
Wren shrugged. “Yeah. Not yet I’m not.”
A message came through on Wren’s cell. It was from Maureen, reminding her of the barbeque at her apartment building that night. She considered making an excuse to miss it but decided against it. Maureen needed her friends more than ever right now.
And she needs me to find out who wants her dead.
Chapter 15
Wren’s car pulled up outside of Maureen’s apartment building. She’d fished out a bottle of decent wine from the pantry that was left over from Christmas. She couldn’t really turn up without anything. If it turned out the evening was going to be a bust she could always get drunk and pretend it was the most exciting night of her life.
She wished Benedict could have come with her, but Paula was having trouble with her Math homework and needed help. Wren wished him luck with that.
Her cellphone rang. It was Paula.
“What’s up, Paula?” Wren asked.
She didn’t really want to go to this barbeque. Talking to Paula would put off the inevitable a little longer. She should’ve pretended she was ill and either stayed with Brock and the cats or gone to be with Benedict.
“I went to use the bathroom and I looked out of the window and I saw Brock flying about,” said Paula. “Is he allowed to do that?”
Wren sighed with annoyance. She’d only told him off about this yesterday.
“No,” said Wren. “Did you tell your daddy?”
“Yes. He said to ignore him.”
Wren really didn’t want there to be another confrontation between Brock and Benedict, but it was inevitable really. They did live opposite each other.
“What has your father told you about Brock?” Wren asked.
“He said Brock used to be his angel but that he was very naughty,” said Paula. “He was Granny’s friend and it’s why she’s sad now.”
Wren mused for a few seconds. “Yes. Brock was naughty, but he’s good now.”
“Did he put someone on an island like Fiona did with Becky?”
Wren had told Paula and Benedict just after Christmas about Becky’s fate. They’d been relieved to know the person who sent Paula threatening emails couldn’t get to them now. Wren knew Benedict secretly hoped his daughter would forget about it all when she got older, but he never forgot about Brock.
Did having an angel in your life as a child mean you could never forget them?
“Anyway, I thought better tell you,” said Paula. “
Bye! See you tomorrow!”
She looked up, noting the lights of Maureen’s apartment were on. She still had her Christmas lights up. Wren couldn’t help but laugh. Maureen had told her she kept her decorations up until Easter. She just liked her apartment to have a festive aura for as long as possible.
Her cell rang once again as she was about to get out of her cat. It was Sheriff Fisher. She’d been dreading this call ever since she’d told him what she found at Rosa’s apartment.
“What can I do for you, Sheriff?” Wren asked.
“I hopped over to the city and coordinated with their local police,” he explained. “We went over Rosa’s apartment with a fine-tooth comb.”
“What did you find?”
“The photo room was quite disturbing.” He was quiet for a while. “We also found traces of blood in her bathroom. A lot of blood. It had been cleaned well, but our black lights picked it up.”
“Is the blood Kegan’s’? Wren asked, her voice wavering with emotion.
“We haven’t gotten the results back yet.”
She clutched the steering wheel tightly. “Tell me the moment you find out.”
He hung up, and Wren had to access every reserve she had not to break down. Until she found proof that Keegan was dead, such as a body, then he was still alive. He was being held captive somewhere, unable to escape, helpless, scared.
Are they feeding him?
Are they hurting him?
She shook her head. She had to ignore the doubts. They’d only overwhelm her. Maureen needed her tonight. It was best to concentrate on that.
“Hello?” called a voice.
She looked out of her car window. There was a boy standing there. He was about six-foot tall, maybe fifteen years old. He wore a thick black coat.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.
“I’m fine,” she said, getting out of the car, bottle of wine in hand. “It’s just been a busy day.”
“I know what you mean,” said the boy. He had a shaved head and looked like he was going to be handsome one day. “Hi. I’m Javier.”
“Jose and Pilar’s son,” said Wren. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Mom saw your car pull up and told me to bring you around back,” said Javier. “The barbeque is going to awesome, and we have a firepit going to keep us warm. Ginger is making mulled wine.”
She was led out the back of the apartment building. There was a large garden area, still slightly covered in snow. A group of people was sat around a small firepit, drinking. It looked very inviting. Jose was stood by a very modern looking barbeque set, poking burgers with a set of metal tongs. He waved towards her and smiled.
“Where’s Maureen?” Wren asked.
“I think she’s feeding her cats or something,” said Javier. He grinned. “I love her cats so much. Mom hates it when I feed them, though. She’s allergic.”
“I’ve got two cats myself. They can be a handful.”
She was quickly introduced to the waiting guests, all of them wrapped up warm. Ginger was wearing a cute pink bobble hat, and Pilar and Jose had on matching white coats. Wren felt a little out of place with these virtual strangers, but she was determined to relax a little.
“Hi Ginger,” said Wren. The woman’s hair really was red and luxurious, like the sun.
Ginger was talking on her cellphone. “I’ll call you later, Mom.” She hung up and forced a smile as she faced Wren. “Good to see you again.”
There was another man there, whom Wren recognized him almost instantly. It was Ryan, the man she’d gone on one date with a week or so before Christmas. He was obsessed with true crime stories and had become quite animated upon finding out she’d had a brush with a killer.
“Wren!” said Ryan, giving her a kiss on the cheek like they were old college buddies. “How good to see you again!”
“Good to see you too,” Wren lied, wanting to go home now. Spending another evening with this man made her feel ill. She had to get away from him. “How are you doing?”
“He’s doing great,” said Ginger, putting her arm protectively over Ryan’s shoulder. “The day after he dumped you he met me. We’ve been so happy.”
He dumped me?
Wren gritted her teeth and played along. “Ryan was just too much man for me. I’m glad he finally found someone.”
Pilar and Jose exchanged knowing looks. They obviously thought Ryan was the worst person on planet Earth too.
Jose handed her a plate. On it was the thickest steak she’d ever seen. It would take her years to eat it.
“Thank you,” said Wren. The steak was almost as big as Gracie. “It really looks wonderful.”
“Do you want some ketchup?” Jose asked.
She shook her head. “Can’t stand the stuff.”
She started to eat, finding the steak medium rare, juicy, and tender. It was the most delicious thing she’d ever put in her mouth.
“So how long have you lived here?” Wren asked.
“About ten years,” said Ginger, her hands firmly clutching Ryan’s, as if daring Wren to take him from her. “Though my family comes from Snowflake Bay. My parents live in Florida now. It’s good for their arthritis.”
She hadn’t seen any of these people around Snowflake Bay before, and the town held many events every year. They must go into the city to shop.
“I’ve lived in Snowflake Bay my whole life,” said Wren, keeping the conversation going. She wished Maureen would turn up. “I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else.”
That wasn’t strictly true. After her break-up with Alex she’d briefly considered moving away from Snowflake Bay. The idea didn’t last long.
“I want to live somewhere warmer,” said Pilar icily. “The winters here seem to last for a lifetime.”
“One day,” Jose promised her. “One day.”
Wren continued to eat her steak as the others talked. She felt a little like a third wheel, but it was nice just to sit there and listen. It gave her time to think more about Rosa and why she would want Maureen dead. It couldn’t be about money. Rosa appeared quite well off. It couldn’t be about men. She could have any man she wanted. Maybe Rosa was the type of person who became fixated on tiny things to the point of obsession. Maybe Maureen accidentally ate her lunch one day?
“Where is Maureen?” said Ginger, scratching her arm. “I better go and see where she is.”
As soon as Ginger had left Ryan made his move. He smiled and sat down next to her. Wren was so uncomfortable she wanted to vanish into thin air.
“Ginger is so great,” he said, moving closer to her. His aftershave was so strong it could be used as chemical warfare. “But she’s not you.”
“If you even think of flirting with me, I’ll stick this steak where the sun doesn’t shine,” she whispered.
He grinned. “I wasn’t going to flirt.”
“So why are you with Ginger? She doesn’t seem your type.”
“Oh, she’s my type.”
He didn’t elaborate, but Wren could guess. She’d probably had a brush with death and he was latching on to that.
Weirdo.
“How well do you know Maureen?” Javier asked. He was eating a really big German sausage in a hot dog roll. It looked delicious.
Ryan took this as his moment to slink away.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Wren told him, patting him on the arm. “You saved my life.”
“I can see why it didn’t last with him,” said Javier. “He really is creepy. Still, Ginger is creepy too. Maybe they deserve each other.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are perhaps the friendliest fifteen-year-old I’ve ever met. Most kids nowadays are glued to their phones and oblivious to the world around them.”
Javier shivered. “I do have a phone, but there are more important things in life. I want to be a doctor, so I’m always studying.”
This wasn’t the boy that Maureen was discussing with Jose and Pilar the other day.
“M
aureen said you got suspended,” said Wren.
“I did, but it wasn’t my fault,” Javier insisted. “I took on two bullies at school who thought I was being too big for my boots.” He looked ashamed of himself. “They attacked me, and I hit one of them, and because they’re rich and I’m only on a scholarship I was the one who got suspended. It’s not fair, but it is what it is.”
Pilar walked up to her son and kissed him on the head. “And I’m very proud of him. One day he’ll be a doctor and those rich, entitled freaks will still be living at home with Mommy and Daddy, spending their money, doing nothing with their lives.”
“I hope it goes well for you,” Wren told him.
Wren looked across at the well, a few yards from where they were. Just looking at it made her shiver. Someone pushed Maureen down that well to try and kill her. It was only by sheer luck that the well turned out to be quite shallow.
“It wasn’t as deep as we all thought,” said Jose. “The well, I mean.”
“Do you know anyone who might want to kill Maureen?” Wren asked them.
“Maureen doesn’t really interact with many people,” said Pilar. She was drinking from a bottle of beer. “She goes to work and back, and she talks to us sometimes, but that’s about it. She never goes out. She never has friends over. Until you, we thought she didn’t have any friends, though I suppose you could call Ginger her friend.” She finished her beer and threw it in a waste bin near the firepit. “I’ve tried making friends with her, but I haven’t the patience. When she insults me, I get so irritated I have to get far away from her. I know she doesn’t mean it, it’s just the way she is, but I can’t help but feel the insults personally.”
“I know what you mean. It took me a while to warm to her too, but once you persevere you end up with a friend for life.”
Pilar shrugged. “Like I said, I haven’t the patience.”
Wren knew why Pilar felt that way, but couldn’t help but be a little offended by her attitude. The way she’d acted towards Maureen at the hospital, all fake sincerity and smiles, and now this.
I think I want to go home now.
Ginger reappeared again, a couple of cats following her, obviously tempted by the delicious aroma of meat. Wren petted one of them, a beautiful black and white cat she was sure was called Tiddles. She’d tried to remember all of the cat’s names but there were too many of them.