by Cindy Bell
“What's this?” She leaned down to look at it.
“Ally don't!” Charlotte warned. “Just leave it alone and let's get out of here.”
“But what if it's important to the case, Mee-Maw?” Ally frowned. Her mind filled with all of the possibilities of what might be inside. Not the least of which were the potential diamonds that she had imagined earlier. She tried to open the latches on the case, but they weren't budging.
“Ally, you're right, we need to go now.” Charlotte looked through the open door and down the driveway anxiously. “Anyone could show up at any moment.”
Ally frowned and tried the latches one more time. Finally, they popped open. She lifted the lid of the case. What she saw inside had nothing to do with diamonds. It was a gun.
“Ally, put that down right this instant!” Charlotte demanded. Ally didn't think she could. She was mesmerized by the sight of it. Could it have been the weapon used to kill Connor? Had the man who left dropped it there? “Please, Ally put it back and let's go.” Charlotte tugged at her arm. Ally snapped out of the state of shock. She knew that her grandmother had reason to be concerned. However, she couldn't imagine leaving the gun there for someone else to find or to use to hurt someone. She closed the latch on the box and used her other hand to guide her grandmother out of the building.
“I'll meet you at the cottage.” Ally nodded towards the building. “My car is back there.”
“Are you sure?” Charlotte frowned. “I'd feel better if you were with me.”
“Me too, but if I leave my car here then whoever comes back will know who was snooping around.” Ally gave her grandmother's hand a quick squeeze. “I'll be careful I promise.”
“The gun?” Charlotte looked at the case.
“I'll take it to the police station. I'm not going to risk it disappearing or being used to hurt someone.” Ally felt uneasy at the idea of actually taking it to the police station, but she thought it was her only option. She watched while her grandmother got into the van. Once she was safely driving away, Ally walked around the side of the building to the back. She hoped that neither of the men had noticed her car there. It didn't look like it had been disturbed. However, she did notice something odd as she moved closer to it. Tiny curls of wood shavings were piled up not far from where her car was parked. They stood out against the sun-ravaged pavement. There was no time to dwell on it. She hopped into the car and began driving.
Her first stop was going to be the police station to turn in the gun. However, as she drove the wood shavings stuck in her mind. She remembered that Luke had given her grandmother the tiny, wooden hummingbird for her collection. Was it possible that those had been the wood shavings left behind? If so then it was clear he had spent a lot of time at the old factory, which confirmed in her mind, yet again, that Luke had to be involved in what was happening at the factory. How would it look if she turned in a gun that she had found there? It would be like painting a target on her back. As uncomfortable as it made her to think of holding onto the gun, she didn't know what else to do with it. She decided she would consult with her grandmother for advice.
As Ally pulled into the driveway she saw her grandmother waiting outside for her. Despite the distance between them Ally could see the strain in her grandmother's expression. She knew that her grandmother was not at all pleased with what she had done. Although Ally had lived on her own for many years at times, she still felt like a scared child under her grandmother's scrutiny. With reluctant steps she made her way to the front of the cottage. She knew having the gun would only make things worse. Ally decided to keep the fact that she still had it to herself for the moment. Once she stepped inside the cottage, her grandmother began pacing back and forth with frustration.
“What were you thinking? Why would you go back to that place without telling anyone, without taking anyone with you? Do you know what kind of danger you were in? What if you hadn't had your phone? What if someone had found you before I did?” By the time she was done with the rant she was winded.
“Mee-Maw, I didn't think it would be dangerous. I just wanted to figure out what was happening there. No one else was looking into it. I wanted to be sure that my suspicions were right before I asked for help with it. Was I supposed to just let Brent get locked away for the rest of his life?” She crossed her arms. “How is that fair to him? He's innocent in all of this, I know he is!”
“What you're supposed to do is take your concerns to the police. That's what they're there for. That's what they're trained for. Brent could still be involved in all of this.” Charlotte shook her head and stormed off towards the kitchen. “I don't think you should have gone there. You should have told Julian.”
Ally followed after her grandmother. “How could I tell Julian? What happens if he doesn’t believe me and he tips off Luke!”
Charlotte spun around to face her granddaughter. “You really think he would do that?”
“I don't know what to think anymore,” Ally said feeling very perplexed. “It's all very confusing. How do you think he would react to me accusing his partner of a crime?” Ally cringed. “I don't think he'll believe me. He barely knows me, but he's with Luke day after day. They have to have some kind of relationship. Maybe Luke isn’t involved after all, how would that make me look.”
“You don't know until you try, Ally. It is possible that Julian won't believe you. But it's possible he will. If Luke is involved then Julian is in as much danger as we are. Even if he isn’t involved we need to let them know about the men at the factory before someone else gets hurt. What if the men work out that you were at the factory? Then you will be in even more danger. If Luke and Julian don't know what's going on, who is going to protect you?”
“No one.” Ally grimaced. “I can't even go to the patrol officers because the moment I mention Connor they're going to refer me to Luke and Julian. There's no way out of this, Mee-Maw, and I'm sorry that I pulled you into it.”
“Ally honey, if you're in it I'm in it, too. There's no pulling needed. I want Connor to have justice, too. I just don't want to see you get hurt.” She patted Ally's cheek. “Sweetheart, I hope that you know I am always here for you. I am always on your side. I just want to know that you're making the safest choice you can.”
“I think there's only one way to know that.” Ally sighed. “I'll look into it tomorrow. I need to think through a few things. I promise, I will be careful. Are you going to be okay at the shop by yourself?”
“Yes, but I hate to leave you alone. I can close up for the rest of the day.”
“No, we need to keep everything as normal as possible. I don't want anyone involved to get suspicious, and your shop not being open will be suspicious.”
“I guess you're right.” Charlotte nodded. “But call me right away if you think of anything. I still think it would be best if you talked to Julian.”
“I'll think about it.” Ally turned and walked down the hall to her room. She tried to clear her mind with each step she took. She heard the front door close and knew that she was alone. She waited a few more minutes, then headed back out to her car. She grabbed the metal case that held the gun and carried it back inside the house. It was unnerving to have a weapon so close to her, especially the one that had likely killed Connor. She tucked it into her closet behind her suitcase where she hoped that it would be safe until she could figure out what to do. Then she sat down on her bed. Peaches nudged the bedroom door open. She jumped up into Ally's lap.
Ally stroked Peaches' fur and tried to settle her nerves. After being trapped inside a locker and nearly discovered by a criminal, possibly a murderer, it was hard to calm down. Peaches helped by purring and nuzzling Ally's hand. Now that she could relax and breathe she could try to make sense of what had happened. Her mind ran through what had happened at the factory. The first thing she remembered was the smell in the factory. She now knew the smell was the tobacco. Ally gasped as suddenly she knew that it was the same scent she had smelled on Julian.
&n
bsp; “The question is, why would Julian smell like the tobacco? Maybe he's been trying to figure out what Luke is up to? Maybe he followed Luke and picked up the smell on his clothes? Maybe he had been looking into the factory? If Luke is involved in something criminal like this Julian could be in serious danger.” Ally stood up from the bed, causing Peaches to jump down. “I have to find out what is really happening with Julian. Does he suspect Luke? Does he know that Luke is innocent and I am completely off base? Does he have solid evidence against Brent that I don’t know about? Could both Julian and Luke be involved in this? Could Julian be protecting Luke? Or is he just oblivious to Luke’s involvement?” She needed to uncover the truth and she knew exactly what to do in order to do that.
“Peaches, I've got to talk to Julian. But I can't let him know that I know. If I do and he's more involved than I think, he might alert Luke, and then Mee-Maw and I could both be in danger.”
Ally felt anxious about the idea of speaking to Julian. He was all charm on the surface, but she was worried that he was hiding something darker underneath. Why would he trust her over his partner? She stretched out on her bed. The morning had taken a lot out of her. Her body still ached from being stuck in one position for so long. She closed her eyes and continued to try to sort through her thoughts. She only succeeded in falling asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
When Ally woke a few hours later the sun was low. She knew it was getting close to evening. As she listened, she heard the sound of her grandmother moving things around in the garden. Whenever Charlotte was stressed she would garden. It had led to some very interesting plant designs. Ally sat up slowly. Her back still ached a little but she felt better than she had. Right away her mind began to spin. She decided it was time to confront Julian and find out what he knew about Luke. She would rather see him away from the police station, and more importantly away from Luke. As she stood up Peaches ran around her ankles. Ally knew that she was hungry. She walked out into the kitchen and set out some food and water for the cat. There were freshly baked rolls on the counter. Ally snatched one up.
She sighed and peeked out the window. She could see her grandmother was still working in the garden. Ally suspected that she was partly still out there to keep an eye on Ally. How was she going to slip past her?
“Honesty is always the best policy, right Peaches?” Ally reached down and scratched the cat's chin. “Or at least something close to it.” Once Peaches had eaten she carried the cat and her water dish to her bedroom. Peaches was still kept inside because she wasn’t used to her new surroundings, but she usually had free run of the cottage as Arnold spent most of his day outside. However, for the next few hours she was going to be stowed away in Ally's room. She made sure that Peaches had plenty of water then closed the door to her bedroom. With the plan forming in her mind she needed to be sure that the cat didn't escape. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. As she expected, the moment she stepped outside her grandmother stood up.
“Where are you going, Ally?” Charlotte’s tone had a friendly edge, but her eyes contained authority. Ally could tell that she was very worried about her. She paused in front of her grandmother and frowned. Charlotte straightened her shoulders as if she was preparing for a fight.
“I thought about what you said, Mee-Maw, and I decided that you're right.” Ally managed a small smile.
“I am?” Charlotte smiled with relief.
“Yes. I've been going about this all wrong. I am going to visit Julian and tell him about everything. I should have done that in the first place.” Ally gestured to her car. “I'm just going to drive over.”
“Oh Ally, I think that is the best choice. If Luke is up to something Julian will handle whatever it is. You can just tell him everything and wash your hands of it. It will be for the best.” Charlotte gave her a warm hug. “I'm glad you understood why I was so upset. I'm sure Julian will prove himself, and make sure that your name is kept out of all of this.”
“I do, I really do understand, Mee-Maw. I know that you just want me to be safe. I'm going to try to make sure that this whole situation gets settled.” She hugged her grandmother. “Make sure that you take Arnold for his walk, I saw him rooting around in the backyard.”
“I will.” Charlotte waved to Ally. “Let me know how it goes.”
Ally climbed into her car and drove off down the street. As she drove she thought once more of the wood shavings. Had she just assumed that they were connected to Luke? They could have been from anything really. Maybe she was letting her paranoia get the better of her. Julian's house was on the other side of town. It wasn't exactly the rich side, but the houses were larger and the lawns were greener.
Ally parked her car a few blocks away from Julian's house. She wanted it to look like she was walking, but she also wanted her car close enough to get to it fast if she needed to escape. She walked along the sidewalk with a concerned frown.
“Peaches!” She clicked her tongue a few times. “Here kitty, here kitty!” As she neared Julian's house she raised her voice even louder. She noticed that his car was in the driveway. Was Luke there with him? She had no idea. As she had hoped, Julian's windows were open. It was a beautiful day, and the breeze carried easily to cool off the interior of the homes in the small town.
“Peaches! Peaches! Here kitty kitty!” Ally felt a little ridiculous calling for a cat that she knew was probably snoozing on her bed at the cottage, but she thought it was the best way to get Julian's attention. He already knew that her cat had a habit of escaping, so it would not be too hard of a story for him to believe. After the next shout, Julian's door swung open.
“Ally, is that you?” Julian said cheerfully.
She paused at the end of his driveway. “Oh Julian, I'm so glad to run into you! My cat, Peaches, got away from me. I thought I saw her run down this street, but now I can't find her!” She did her best to summon tears to her eyes. “I'm so worried, she’s not used to this area yet. I’m scared she’s going to get lost. What if she can’t find her way home and I never see her again.”
“Ally, it's okay, don't worry.” He hugged her. Ally didn't smell anything on his shirt. Had she imagined the smell before? Had she imagined that connection between it and the smell of the tobacco in the old factory? “I'll help you look for her. Cats.” He shook his head. “They're moody little creatures that's why I never got one myself.”
“Thanks Julian. I'm sorry to pull you away from anything you might have been busy with.” She looked apologetic.
“It's no trouble. I was taking a break from filling out paperwork. Getting Brent's case ready for trial.”
Ally bit her tongue to keep from pointing out that she believed Brent had nothing to do with Connor's death.
“I've been chasing her all around town. I don't know if I can even call her anymore, my throat is so dry.” She sniffled.
“Oh, do you want to come in and get a drink? It might give Peaches a chance to come out of her hiding place. You could probably use a few minutes of rest.” He smiled that charming smile that had made her heart dance in high school. She had to admit that it still did. She stared into his eyes for a moment. Please, she thought, don't be in the middle of all of this, Julian.
“Thanks, that would be great. I'm really parched.”
“Come right in.” Julian led her up the driveway to his house. Ally felt a little guilty for deceiving him. She wanted nothing more than to get inside his house and see if she could find anything that connected him to Luke and the criminal activity. She wanted to speak to him and try to find out if he knew anything about the illegal cigarettes, the factory and Luke’s possible involvement? If she could prove that he was not involved in any way then she could trust him. Julian walked with her into the house. Ally noticed that the furniture was arranged in a symmetrical pattern. It appeared that everything had its perfect place, and everything was in it. She followed him into the dining room which faced an open kitchen.
“Here, just sit here for a mom
ent.” He gestured to a chair at the dining room table. Ally noticed how neat and tidy Julian's kitchen was. Her ex had been rather messy and expected her to keep everything clean. It was refreshing to her to see that Julian found cleanliness to be important. She sat down in the chair.
“Thanks Julian. I really appreciate you taking time out to help me. I'm sure that you have other things that you could be doing.”
Julian popped open the fridge and grabbed two cans of soda. Ally wasn't much of a soda drinker, but she didn't protest. She was more interested in finding out what Julian knew than what she had to drink.
“Here you go.” He set the can down in front of her. “Or would you like a glass with ice?”
“This is fine, thanks.” Ally opened the soda and watched as Julian sat down across from her.
“It's really no bother, Ally. I needed a break from all of the paperwork. The whole town seems to have an opinion on the situation, and they love to call the police station about it. I just thought I'd do some work at home so that I could be away from all of that chaos.” He shook his head. “I guess it's so much of a scandal that everyone wants to be involved.”
Ally smiled a little. “Well, good thing we have such a good detective to rely on.”
“I try.” Julian grinned. He opened his can of soda. “So, how long are you staying in town?”
“I'm not sure really.” Ally shrugged. “My job is pretty flexible and I have a lot of vacation time owing.”
“Sounds like a great job to have.” Julian groaned. “Detective work is not flexible.”
“Actually, it's pretty tedious, I don't really enjoy it, but flexibility is one of its perks. At least your job isn't boring.” She took a sip of her soda.