Grave Paths (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 11)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I guess.” Kreskin didn’t look convinced. “I simply don’t know where to focus. The husband is an intriguing choice, but only an idiot would use his mistress as an alibi on purpose. If he’s involved, well, he’s dumber than any criminal I’ve ever met.”

  “Plus he seems legitimately torn up about the kid,” Nick added.

  “He’s a pig,” Maddie grumbled, disgusted.

  “He’s definitely a pig,” Nick agreed. “He treats women as nothing but sexual playthings and seems to believe he’s somehow God’s gift to sex – when we all know that’s me – while refusing to forge an emotional bond with a woman.”

  “Did you just say you’re God’s gift to sex?” Kreskin asked dryly.

  “I was saying it for Maddie’s benefit,” Nick clarified.

  “If it were true, wouldn’t she already know that?”

  Nick turned to Maddie for help. “Tell him.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t do anything of the sort,” Maddie said sweetly. “I believe my brain must be drowning under the added weight of your imagination at this time so it’s impossible for me to swoop in and save you.”

  “Yup. I stepped right into that one. You saw that coming, Dale.” Nick’s smile was rueful. “I take it back. You can’t weigh more than five pounds, Mad. I was clearly mistaken … and maybe even temporarily blind.”

  “Oh, it’s too late for that.” Maddie made a tsking sound with her tongue and focused on Dale. “Do you think he’s capable of killing his wife?”

  “I don’t know.” Dale held his hands palms out. “You talked to her, Maddie. Did she know about her husband’s affair?”

  “She said she didn’t but should’ve known in hindsight,” Maddie replied. “She basically said the signs were there, but she ignored them. She was, however, suspicious of Laura Ferguson from the beginning. She said that she caught Laura throwing herself at Peter last summer. They were at some corporate picnic or something.”

  “If Jennifer recognized the pattern on a subconscious level, that must mean she was prepared for the marriage to fall apart,” Nick noted.

  “Not necessarily,” Maddie said. “I got the distinct impression that Jennifer felt like she was caught in a life she didn’t particularly want. Peter wasn’t the man she thought he was and raising a baby is hard.”

  “What if it was you?” Dale asked pointedly. “What if you’d just given birth to a baby and your husband was messing around?”

  “Hey!” Nick was affronted. “Is this payback for guessing her weight? I took that back.”

  Maddie snickered. “I don’t think he was talking about you, Nicky.”

  “Definitely not,” Kreskin agreed. “You’re so whipped you wouldn’t cheat on Maddie with your own hand.”

  Nick’s cheeks colored. “Did you have to phrase it that way?”

  “Just keeping you on your toes.” Kreskin offered up a wink. “Take Nick out of the equation, though, and look at it from a scientific point of view. If you were Jennifer, Maddie, what would you have done?”

  Maddie absently scratched at her cheek as she considered the question. “I don’t know. Ten years ago, I probably would’ve sat back and taken it.” She risked a glance at Nick. “Heck, two years I probably would’ve sat back and taken it.”

  “I don’t like the turn of this conversation,” Nick announced. “You don’t have to answer the question, Mad.”

  “It’s fine.” Maddie waved off Nick’s concern. “The thing is, both women who were interested in Peter decided to take him on because they thought he would be a good provider. That’s the common thread here. I think Jennifer loved him, but it wasn’t one of those toe-tingling, soul-crushing loves that comes around once in a lifetime.

  “Laura didn’t love him at all,” she continued. “She wanted money and financial comfort. She essentially didn’t want to work and she had no problem using her body to ensure that happened.”

  “She’s right,” Nick said, plucking Maddie’s hand from the table so he could hold it. “Laura definitely doesn’t love Peter. She feels entitled, though. There’s no telling what an entitled individual will do when his or her back is against the wall.”

  “You asked a question,” Maddie reminded Dale, much to Nick’s chagrin. “You asked if I would have sat back and put up with Peter’s shenanigans even if I was suspicious. The answer now is no. I know what real love is and I would never settle.

  “Before, though, I might have,” she continued. “I might have put up with a relationship like that because I was pretty sure I was doomed to an unhappy life. That might’ve seemed normal to me under those circumstances.”

  “Mad.” Nick rested his chin on her shoulder. “Don’t get all deep and philosophical here, okay? I don’t like it and I have plans for you at home tonight. Don’t … don’t tear yourself apart.”

  “She’s not tearing herself apart,” Kreskin pointed out. “She’s simply thinking about the question I asked and answering it. Don’t be such a mother.”

  Nick scowled. “I hate it when you say things like that.”

  “Join the club.” Kreskin rolled his eyes at Nick’s dramatic flair. “Go on, Maddie. I’m interested.”

  “Jennifer Cook seemed like a beaten down woman to me,” Maddie explained. “I’m not sure how much of that was real and how much of that was exhaustion because she was the sole provider for an infant. Plus, you guys said she wasn’t eating. She might’ve seemed depressed because she was simply exhausted. It was pointed out to me recently that when people don’t get enough sleep they act out of sorts, so it’s hard to tell if that was Jennifer’s real personality or she was simply fatigued.”

  “I pointed that out to her,” Nick volunteered, earning a withering look from Kreskin.

  “How proud you must be,” Kreskin drawled. “So we basically have no definitive leads to go on. We’re still dealing with multiple scenarios, all of which could be feasible given the right circumstances.”

  “I’m afraid so,” Maddie confirmed, bobbing her head. “In fact … .” She broke off when the bell over the front door jangled and her attention drifted that way. When she saw the familiar-looking woman standing in the doorway, her heart sank. “Huh. I might’ve spoken too soon.”

  Nick followed Maddie’s gaze, his eyes lighting as they landed on Laura Ferguson. The young woman was dressed down in jeans and a sweatshirt – although she’d thankfully washed and brushed her hair – and her expression was dark as she scanned the restaurant. The second she caught sight of Maddie and Nick, she stormed in their direction.

  “Well, things just got more interesting,” Nick said, gripping Maddie’s hand tighter.

  “How so?” Kreskin asked, confused.

  “Because the mistress just found her way to Blackstone Bay,” Nick supplied. “Don’t look now, but I think things are about to get ugly.”

  15

  Fifteen

  “Where is he?”

  Laura Ferguson stood on little preamble as she stopped in front of the table.

  “You’ll have to be more specific,” Kreskin replied. “It might help if I knew who you were. Then, if you ask nicely and actually say who you’re looking for, we might answer.”

  Instead of having the grace to be abashed, Laura openly glared at Kreskin. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Dale Kreskin. I’m a detective with the Blackstone Bay Police Department.”

  “Oh, well, it figures.” Laura’s tone was derisive. “Shouldn’t you guys be out looking for that missing baby? Isn’t that your job? Let me guess … are you eating doughnuts?”

  Kreskin pressed the tip of his tongue against the back of his teeth and regarded Laura as if she was nothing more than dirt on the bottom of his shoe. “I believe you’ve been dumped,” he pointed out. “Shouldn’t you be out finding another sugar daddy?”

  Maddie was impressed with Kreskin’s tone. Even when he was agitated he remained calm at most times. He never dipped into the rude reservoir. Laura had clearly pushed a button in him, tho
ugh, and he was making an exception.

  “Excuse me?” Laura’s eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. “What did you just say to me?”

  “He asked you a question,” Nick interjected smoothly. “Peter Cook says he ended your relationship. If that’s true, what are you doing here?”

  “He didn’t end our relationship,” Laura fired back. “He’s simply under a lot of pressure. Men can’t perform under pressure. That goes for sex and love.”

  “Really?” Maddie deadpanned. “I had no idea.” She slid a sidelong look in Nick’s direction. “Do you have trouble loving me when you’re under pressure?”

  Nick grinned. “I never have trouble loving you.”

  “Oh, I think I’m going to puke,” Laura muttered.

  “Join the club,” Kreskin said. “As for Mr. Cook, he’s returned to the family abode. He’s waiting for information on his son. We’re still searching for information on his son.”

  “Oh, really? It looks to me as if you’re stuffing your faces.”

  Maddie glanced down at the empty spot in front of her. “We haven’t started eating yet.”

  “That’s not exactly what I meant and you know it,” Laura barked. “Where is this house? I need to find it.”

  “I don’t believe it’s my job to tell you that,” Kreskin said. “If you want to track down Peter Cook, I believe you have his phone number. If he wants you to know where he is, he’ll tell you.”

  “Oh, don’t be so high and mighty with me,” Laura barked. “I know what you think of me. These two didn’t bother to hide their feelings.” She gestured toward Nick and Maddie, the action laced with disdain. “They think I’m trash.”

  “I’m pretty sure that would be a disservice to trash,” Nick muttered under his breath.

  “I heard that!” Laura’s eyes fired with mayhem. “You have an obligation to tell me where Peter is.”

  “An obligation?” Kreskin’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “How do you figure that?”

  “Well, you’re the police,” Laura hedged. “It’s your job to inform the public.”

  “Not when it comes to a private citizen’s home address,” Kreskin said. “If he wanted you to know where he was, he would’ve told you.”

  “And what makes you so certain he didn’t?”

  “Because you’re here asking us where he is,” Maddie answered. She was starting to think Laura was purposely slow and obtuse because she was convinced that no one could be that far behind without doing it on purpose. “You should just go home. There’s nothing left for you here.”

  “Peter is here,” Laura barked. “We’re going to get married. He said we were going to get married.”

  “And yet he said something entirely different to us,” Nick said, deciding to play a hunch. “He said that your relationship was over. He also said that he knew it wouldn’t last, but he liked the sex. In essence, he said that was over now because he has a responsibility to his son and he has to focus on what’s best for his child.”

  “A child that’s probably dead,” Laura hissed, the look of pure hatred on her face causing Maddie to cringe.

  “I guess that’s for him to decide,” Kreskin said. “Either way, we’re not telling you where he lives. If you want to find him, you’re on your own.”

  It wasn’t the answer Laura was expecting and the look she murdered Kreskin with promised retribution. “I’m going to report you to your superiors.”

  “Have fun with that.”

  “You’re going to lose your job.”

  “Not likely.”

  “You’re going to wish you’d never met me,” Laura growled.

  “Honey, I’m already there,” Kreskin said, enjoying the way Laura’s face flooded with color. He was purposely baiting her, Maddie realized. He was trying to push her to see what she would do. He wanted to test her to see if he could instigate a violent reaction. “I think, more importantly, Peter Cook is already there, too,” he added.

  Maddie watched with unveiled interest as Laura made a series of indignant noises under her breath before turning on her heel and storming through the door. She almost knocked over a woman in her haste to escape, but the woman managed to sidestep the furious college student before a collision happened.

  Nick saw the interaction, too. “That’s Angie Martindale.”

  “Jennifer’s sister?” Maddie followed his gaze. “Should we invite her to join us?”

  Nick watched as Angie paid the cashier and collected a bag full of takeout. “I’m guessing she’s not much in the mood for company.” He offered up a half-hearted wave, but Angie’s gaze skimmed right over him as she walked out of the building. “She probably has other things on her mind.”

  “Yeah, I heard she’s been in contact with the funeral home,” Dale said. “She wants to handle the funeral arrangements, but Cook has to be involved in some of that. I’m not sure how it will go.”

  “I feel bad for her,” Maddie said. “She’s here by herself and has absolutely no one to talk to. Maybe I should see if I can offer some help tomorrow. Do you happen to know what hotel she’s staying at?”

  “She left us her number at the office,” Nick said. “I can get it for you tomorrow. That might not be a bad idea depending on what’s going on.”

  “What do you think is going to be happening?”

  “Honestly?” Nick forced a grim smile. “I think we’re going to get to enjoy our dinner, and then I think we’re going to have to go back to the Cook house because Laura is bound to be making a scene.”

  “Really?”

  “You’ve met her. Twice now.”

  “I know but … .” Maddie couldn’t muster the energy to argue. “You’re right. She’s going to go over there and lose it.”

  “We have two uniforms watching the house,” Kreskin supplied. “They’ll monitor the situation for a bit. I’m going to guess that Laura Ferguson is about to go over there and make things very uncomfortable, though. She just needs someone to tell her where the house is located.”

  “That’s what you wanted,” Maddie said. “You wanted her to start a fight with Cook because they’re more likely to blurt something out to one another in the middle of a fight.”

  Kreskin fondly tapped the spot between Maddie’s eyebrows. “You’re very smart.”

  “She’s a genius,” Nick agreed. “I’m a little bummed that our evening entertainment is going to come in the form of infidelity theater, but I promise I’ll make it up to you when this all is settled, Mad.”

  “How?”

  “How am I going to make it up to you?”

  Maddie nodded. “I need to know if it will be worth it.”

  Nick grinned. “I was going to make a call to that guy I told you about on Mackinac Island. I’m hoping to pin down vacation time for the summer sooner rather than later.”

  Maddie beamed as Ruby slid a plate of fish and chips in front of her. “That’s definitely worth it.”

  “I thought you might say that,” Nick said as he snagged a fry from her plate and offered up an onion ring from his own. “Still, it’s going to be a long night. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

  “I’m in,” Maddie said, spearing the onion ring with her index finger. “I need to see this through, too.”

  “I know.” Nick kissed her nose. “Eat up. You’re going to need your strength for the Trashy Mistress Olympics this evening.”

  “Yes, I hear Laura is going to medal in every event,” Kreskin said, stealing a french fry from Maddie’s plate. “What? I thought we were all sharing. Is that just a couple’s thing?”

  Maddie giggled. “You can have some of my fries, but you have to share something to play.”

  Kreskin handed her the pickle next to his burger. “How’s that?”

  “Perfect.” Maddie took the pickle and bit into it. “This is turning into an interesting night.”

  “Isn’t it, though.”

  KRESKIN WAS SPOT ON with his predictions. By the time the trio w
ound their way around to the Cook house for a second time that day, the argument between former lovers had already spilled out onto the front lawn.

  “You can’t treat me like this,” Laura screeched, one of the uniformed officers loosely holding her back as she periodically lunged at Cook. “You swore you would love and cherish me forever.”

  “It looks like we’re a little late to the show,” Kreskin noted, his face placid even as his lips curved. “I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”

  “I never swore I would cherish you forever,” Cook spat. “I said that you were fun and I enjoyed our time together.”

  “It’s the same thing,” Laura argued.

  “In what world?”

  Maddie kept one ear on the argument as she shuffled over to Eloise Martin, Cook’s neighbor. She was the one who reported Jennifer missing so Maddie was eager to get her take on the recent developments.

  “I kind of wish I brought popcorn for this,” Eloise said, resting her elbows on the fence as she watched. “Do you know what’s going on here?”

  “I know most of it,” Maddie replied. “What do you know?”

  “I know that the husband was apparently running around on the wife,” Eloise replied. “If you ask me, that’s downright disturbing given the fact that his poor wife just gave birth and looked like death warmed over on a good day.”

  Maddie arched an eyebrow. “Jennifer was run down? You saw her enough to notice that?”

  “She was,” Eloise confirmed. “I offered to help, maybe sit with the baby while she took a nap. I’m old, but I can handle a baby for a few hours. She didn’t seem keen on the offer. I mean … she thanked me and everything, insisted it was a nice offer, but she declined.”

  “Maybe it’s because she didn’t know you very well,” Maddie suggested. “I wouldn’t take it personally. New mothers are kind of protective by nature.”