by Bobbi Holmes
* * *
Sadie rode in the back seat. Danielle knew Walt was annoyed at her for not trusting him to watch the dog, but at the last minute, she just couldn’t bring herself to leave Sadie alone at Marlow House, knowing the Stewarts would be returning.
Walt’s feelings were hurt, yet Danielle kept remembering Walt was also supposed to keep an eye on the Missing Thorndike when she wore it to the open house. That turned out disastrously, considering her cousin Cheryl managed to steal the necklace and ended up murdered for the prank.
Even if Walt focused all of his attention on keeping the dog safe, he couldn’t protect Sadie when she was outside, and it didn’t seem like a terrific idea to keep the dog locked up inside Marlow House all day long. Danielle wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she got to the hospital, but she’d figure out something.
* * *
Danielle noticed the police cars first, parked along the street adjacent to the cemetery. There were no officers in sight, but by the yellow tape roping off the path leading to the Marlow Crypt, Danielle had a good idea where they might be. She hadn’t considered that the area where she had found Isabella would now be a crime scene.
It would be awkward to have a conversation with Isabella with the police on site. As far as she knew, Joe, Brian, or the chief could be somewhere at the cemetery and the last thing she wanted was for one of them to sneak up on her while she was in the middle of a serious conversation with someone they couldn’t see.
Reluctantly, she parked her car. Debating if she should get out, she spied Angela sitting on a headstone.
“Well girl…” Danielle reached into the back seat and patted Sadie’s head. “I’ll just be a minute. Be a good girl.” Danielle got out of the car and started walking toward Angela.
“You didn’t bring Walt?” Angela asked when Danielle reached her.
“I’m sorry. I gave Walt your message. But, well, he can’t leave the house.”
“He’s still mad at me, isn’t he?” Angela asked in a pout.
“He’s still a little annoyed over that murder thing,” Danielle said, keeping her voice low. “I was wondering, have you seen Isabella around?”
“You mean the one they put in the Marlow Crypt?”
“Yes. Is she still here?”
“I haven’t seen her since last night, after you found her body.”
“Did she happen to say anything? Do you know if she’s left for good?” Danielle sat down on a stone bench next to Angela.
“I don’t have any idea.” Angela then added with longing, “But I wish she’d stay around for a while. I’d love to know how she did that trick with the rock and the way she moved the stone door to the crypt! That could really come in handy around here!”
“You didn’t happen to see who put Isabella in the crypt, did you?”
“Why certainly. I see everything that happens around here.”
“Who was it?” Danielle asked.
“I don’t know.” Angela shrugged. “I don’t know anyone alive. Except for you, of course.”
“But you did see who it was, who put Isabella’s body in the crypt?”
“Didn’t I just say that?” Angela tossed her golden curls dramatically.
“How many were there?”
“Two.” Angela sounded bored.
“Were they men? Women? A man and a woman?”
“Two men. About Walt’s age. Not bad looking. They didn’t speak English.”
“Do you know what language they spoke?”
“I know it wasn’t Spanish or French. I know a little of both.”
“Could it have been Russian?”
“Russian?” Angela considered the question. “Yes, perhaps. Yes, they might have been speaking Russian.”
“Do you remember anything about that night?” Danielle asked.
“I remember it was late. The sun had set hours earlier. I heard voices and saw two men carrying a woman’s body. At first, I thought they were bringing her into the cemetery to have their way with her. But then I realized she was dead. As dead as me.”
“And they went directly to the Marlow Crypt? Like they knew exactly where they planned to take her?”
“It seemed that way.” Angela shrugged. “You know Walt and I were supposed to be buried in that horrid crypt. Can you imagine me having to spend eternity sharing that small space with my in-laws?” Angela cringed. “I’ll have to thank Walt for changing his will so they didn’t bury us there. That is, if he ever forgives me and sees me again.”
“Angela, just like you’re confined here, Walt really can’t leave Marlow House.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“What I mean is, when he does leave, he’ll have to move to the next level. He doesn’t have the option of coming down here to see you or anywhere for that matter.”
“I don’t understand. It’s not like he tried to kill anyone. Why is he being punished?”
“I don’t think he’s being punished. I just think you each have your own separate destinies. And because of that, you don’t necessarily have the same rules.”
“Perhaps. But I don’t believe Walt is really confined to Marlow House. He’s simply holding a grudge. And frankly, I’m surprised he’s being so petty.”
“Danielle Boatman?” a male voice called out. Danielle turned around to see Officer Brian Henderson walking from the path leading from the Marlow Crypt.
“Officer Henderson,” Danielle said standing up.
“He’s rather nice looking for an older gentleman,” Angela noted.
“What are you doing here? It’s a crime scene.”
“He doesn’t seem very friendly,” Angela observed.
“I didn’t cross over the yellow ribbon,” Danielle said. “I stayed on this side.”
“Why are you here?”
“I don’t think he likes you.”
Danielle tried to ignore Angela. She wanted to tell Brian It’s none of your business, but instead she said, “I was on the way to the police station and decided to stop a moment, collect my thoughts. Yesterday was a bit overwhelming.”
“Yes,” Brian glanced down at his wristwatch. “The chief mentioned you were coming in this morning.”
“Have you figured out who put Isabella Strickland in the crypt?”
“I don’t know, you tell me, Boatman.”
“What are you saying? You think I know who did it?”
“You seem to know everything else. You knew Lily was the one at the Gusarov Estate. You knew Isabella was in the crypt. You even knew your cousin Cheryl was at the beach hut.”
“I had nothing to do with my cousin’s death.”
“I didn’t say you did. But I’m not so sure about Isabella Strickland’s.”
“I didn’t even know the woman.”
“Maybe he’s not that attractive after all,” Angela decided. “In fact, he’s rather unpleasant.”
“It’s funny how she went missing right about the time you took off for California.”
“You mean when I went to Cheryl’s funeral?” Danielle said angrily.
“Why was that again you waited so long to have her funeral? What was it a month and a half after she was killed?”
“What are you getting at Officer Henderson?”
“Just trying to get to the bottom of this. Seems whenever Danielle Boatman is around unpleasant things happen.”
“I don’t know what it is I did to make you dislike me so much.”
“He really doesn’t like you,” Angela agreed. “He almost acts like you plotted to kill him. You didn’t, did you?”
“Trust me; it’s not all about you. Although you seem to think it is,” Brian sneered.
“What does that even mean?” Danielle asked.
“Spoiled little drama queen, nothing but a magnet for trouble.”
“How is any of this my fault?” Danielle asked angrily.
“To begin with, did you have to wear that ridiculous necklace to your open house? Nothing but
trouble.”
“Okay, you’re right. If I had it to do over, I would never have worn it. It wouldn’t have been stolen and my cousin would still be alive.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment,” Brian laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t do anything different. If your cousin hadn’t been killed, then you wouldn’t have inherited all her money.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say!”
“I call them as I see them.”
“Well maybe I was foolish in the extreme to wear the necklace as a publicity stunt, but none of this with Lily or Isabella is the result of anything I’ve done.”
“You say that, and yet, you are the only one who knew where both women were.”
“I imagine Isabella’s uncle also knew.”
“We’ll see. I have to go back to work. Just make sure you stay out of the roped off area.”
“Why certainly, Officer Henderson,” Danielle snapped.
“He really doesn’t like you,” Angela said when Brian returned to the crime scene.
“The feeling is mutual.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Danielle sat with Sadie in the interrogation room waiting to be questioned. She was five minutes late because she’d stopped by Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee to take with her. Sitting in the interrogation room, she glanced up at the clock. It was now 9:15 a.m. She had been waiting in the room for ten minutes.
When the door finally opened five minutes later, Joe Morelli walked in.
“Good morning, Danielle,” Joe said as he shut the door behind him. “I thought you agreed to be here by nine?” He dropped the manila folder he was carrying on the table and sat down.
“I was five minutes late. Is that why you kept me waiting fifteen minutes?”
“It’s rather hectic around here. A lot has been going on. When you weren’t here at nine, there were other things vying for my attention that I had to jump on.”
“A little crazy for me too right now.” Danielle sipped her coffee.
“I see you brought Sadie.” Joe looked down at Sadie who lay next to Danielle’s feet. At the mention of her name, the dog lifted her head and looked at Joe, then set it back down on her front paws again, and closed her eyes.
“Is there a problem?” Danielle asked.
“No. I like dogs. Just surprised you didn’t leave her at home.”
“After yesterday, I’m not comfortable leaving Sadie alone at the house when there are guests coming and going.”
“It seems your dognapper has quite a record. They found enough at his house to put him away for a long time.”
“I hope they throw the book at him. I’ve no sympathy for anyone who’d do what he does to animals.”
“It is a little strange. He keeps insisting you’re lying. Swears he never said anything to you about dog fighting. He admits he was going to tie you up, but he swears he never said he was going to kill you.”
“Does it really matter what he said to me? Didn’t you just say they found enough at his house to lock him up?”
“But did we obtain it under false pretenses?”
“Seriously, Joe? The man had Sadie. Held a gun on me, and you’re now wondering if he’s being treated unfairly? What side of the law are you on anyway?”
“I’m just trying to understand, Danielle. What you told me just doesn’t add up. A lot of what you told us doesn’t add up. Why don’t we forget the dognapper for right now and talk about Lily, and how you knew it was her and not Isabella at the Gusarov Estate.”
Danielle didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked over at the two-way mirror. Finally, she said, “Before I say anything, I want to know who is in there watching us.”
“Don’t worry about that now. If you focus, we can get through this quickly and you can get out of here.”
“Joe. Unless you want me to invoke my right to an attorney and stop talking, I suggest you tell me what I want to know.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Danielle, you aren’t under arrest.”
“Then I’m free to go?” Danielle stood up.
The door to the room opened and the chief walked in. “What is this about?” he asked.
“Morning Chief. I take it you were in the next room? Who else?” Danielle asked, still standing.
“What is this about Ms. Boatman?” The chief asked. “Joe’s correct, you aren’t under arrest. But considering all that went down yesterday, you can certainly understand why we need some more information from you. I would think you’d want to help, since Ms. Miller is such a close friend.”
“This morning I ran into Officer Henderson at the cemetery.”
“Why were you there?” Joe asked.
“Why does everyone keep asking that?” Danielle was clearly annoyed. “If I want to stop by the flipping cemetery, why is that anyone’s business?”
“Considering what we found you doing there last night, I don’t think the question is unreasonable,” the chief said.
“Perhaps, but I didn’t appreciate all the other stuff Officer Henderson said to me. I don’t know what I did to that man, but he hates me.”
“I don’t think he hates you,” the chief argued.
“You’re probably right, Chief. He doesn’t care enough to hate me. But he made it clear he believes I’m nothing but trouble. According to him, everything bad that’s happened in Frederickport since I arrived is my fault. Even Isabella Strickland’s death.”
“I’m sure he didn’t say that,” the chief said.
“Oh, I’m sure he did. My point in all this, the only way I will ever again speak to Officer Henderson is if my attorney is present. That includes discussing anything with anyone in this room if I even suspect that man is in the next room listening.”
“I know Brian can be a little abrasive,” Joe said.
“The man is an ass.”
“Would you feel more comfortable if Joe took you into his office? You could talk there?”
“That would be fine, Chief,” Danielle agreed.
* * *
“I can’t believe you let her manipulate you like that!” Brian fumed when the chief walked into the office next to the interrogation room.
“We kept her waiting until you returned from the cemetery because you were so determined to listen to the interrogation. What in the world did you say to that woman this morning?”
“Just the truth. You know how I feel about her.”
“There’s an old cliché about catching more with honey. I’d suggest you familiarize yourself with it.”
“I’m too old and have been at this too long to tolerate bull. You should know that better than anyone,” Brian said.
“The fact is, Danielle Boatman hasn’t broken any laws. She’s also a very wealthy woman, and if she wants to make our lives miserable, she has enough money to do it. I don’t know what it is about her that irritates you so much, but back off.”
“Are you serious? She hasn’t broken any laws? Breaking and entering, to start with.”
“That one would be a little hard to stick, considering Stoddard was holding her friend,” the chief reminded.
“Maybe we can’t charge her with anything, but it’s pretty obvious she’s involved in something,” Brian said.
“It’s not that I disagree. But we’re not going to learn anything if she lawyers up and refuses to talk to us. Let Joe handle Boatman. I think she trusts him. She definitely doesn’t trust you.”
* * *
“Can I get you more coffee?” Joe asked after Danielle and Sadie settled into his office.
“No, I’m fine.” Danielle tossed her empty coffee cup in the trashcan.
“Have you been to the hospital yet?” Joe asked.
“No. I called over there, but they won’t really talk to me. I’m not family. But her parents are coming in this morning. They’ll be staying with me. I hope to see Lily this afternoon.”
“When will Ian be back in town?”
> “In a day or so. He came down with the flu while he was down there, so I imagine he’ll want to be better before he gets on a plane. Not really cool to spread those germs. Plus Lily doesn’t need them.”
“I’m sure he’s anxious to see Lily.”
“We all are. But she’s still in a coma, so we’ll have to take one day at a time.”
“You’re right.”
“I know you didn’t bring me down here to chat, Joe. What is it you need from me?”
“Can you explain how it is you knew Lily was at the Gusarov Estate? Did someone tip you off? Is that why you broke in?”
“Tip me off?” Danielle frowned.
“Maybe someone who worked for the Gusarov’s knew that wasn’t Isabella. Was that what happened?”
Not unless you consider Lily a tip. But you’d never believe that, Danielle thought.
After a few moments of silence Danielle said, “As you already know, I had a gut feeling Lily wasn’t the one killed in the accident. Things didn’t add up. For one thing, she would never race down the freeway that fast. I know Lily. Plus, she was supposed to be home on Labor Day. She was going to leave early to beat the holiday traffic. Instead of being back in Sacramento on Monday night so she could go to work on Tuesday, her car was involved in the accident not far from Palm Springs.”
“But what does that have to do with Isabella Strickland?” Joe asked.
“There was an article in the newspaper about Isabella, with a photograph of the rest stop where they found her and her car. At least they thought it was Isabella. I started thinking of Lily, and how if she had started for home when she was supposed to, she might have stopped there on Labor Day—the same day they found Isabella. What if she did stop there? Maybe they took her car because Isabella’s was broken down. According to the article there was something wrong with the car.”
“So you jumped to the conclusion it was Lily they found at the rest stop, and not Isabella?”
“I don’t know what I was really thinking at that point. I just thought maybe Isabella knew something.”
“But she was in a coma. Or at least, who everyone thought was Isabella, was in a coma. How did you think Isabella was going to help you?”