by Bobbi Holmes
“What do you mean?” Danielle looked up at Joe.
He reached over and took the bracelet from her, holding it in his open palm. “Susan Mitchell showed me a photograph of a bracelet and necklace set Isabella Strickland commissioned. Supposedly, she designed it herself, see the little dragon clasp?”
Danielle picked up the bracelet and looked closer. “It looks sorta like the dragon in the tattoo.”
“We found the necklace on her body. We didn’t know what happened to the bracelet.”
“How did it get here?” Danielle asked.
“That’s what I was wondering.”
Something about Joe’s tone gave Danielle paused. She looked up into his face and noticed the intense way he studied her.
“Did you put the bracelet in the teapot?” Danielle asked, dumping it back in his hand.
Her question shocked Joe. “Of course not!”
Danielle stared at Joe. “You knew it was there. Didn’t you? You looked when I was upstairs.”
“Do you have any idea how it got in the teapot?”
“No. I told you I’ve never seen it before,” Danielle said angrily. “What, were you looking at the teapot, found the bracelet and put it back because you knew you needed permission from me to search my property?”
“Danielle, I believe you. I can tell you didn’t know it was there.”
“But you were testing me, weren’t you?”
“You have to understand how this looked.”
“Joe, just go. And take the bracelet. I have no idea how it got there. I’m not in the habit of stealing jewelry. I have a million dollar necklace sitting in my safety deposit box at the bank that I’d love to sell. Not because I need the money, because it’s just too much of a pain in the butt.”
“We need to figure out how this bracelet got into the teapot. Who’s had access to this room?”
“People come and go all the time. Can you give me a time frame?”
“When did you put the teapot on the shelf?”
“I don’t know, before Lily went back to California I guess.”
“Is it possible the bracelet was in the teapot when Lily bought it at the yard sale?”
“No. It was empty.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I washed it before I put it up. You don’t think I’d stick it up there without washing it?”
“Can I take the teapot with me?”
“Why?”
“There might be some fingerprints on it.”
“Yeah, like yours and mine,” Danielle grumbled. “Go ahead.”
Joe looked at the teapot, trying to decide how best to pick it up without compromising the evidence any more than he already had. Danielle let out a sigh and told him she’d be right back. She returned in a few minutes and handed him a large plastic bag.
Walt was in the library when he heard voices from the foyer. Going to the doorway, he looked down the hall and saw Danielle opening the front door for Joe, who was carrying something in a plastic bag.
“Was that your teapot Joe was taking?” Walt asked after Joe left.
“You’re never going to believe this,” Danielle said. “Joe found a bracelet belonging to Isabella Strickland in my teapot.”
“How would something like that get there?”
“I have no idea. You’re here all the time, any suggestions?” Danielle asked.
“I’ve never seen anyone so much as look at that teapot. Do you think Joe planted it?”
Danielle laughed. “That’s what I asked him. But no, I can’t see him doing that. Although I’m a little annoyed about how he handled it.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I went upstairs to get my phone he must have picked up the teapot to look at it and found the bracelet. Apparently, he recognized it. But he couldn’t just tell me he found it. I assume the bracelet would be inadmissible in court had he found it while snooping around on his own. Improper search.”
“But you let him take it?”
“I didn’t really have a choice. And I certainly didn’t want to make a scene. It’s strange enough the bracelet was in this house. I’m surprised our treasure hunters didn’t find it.”
“They were more interested in loose floor boards and old books with secret compartments,” Walt said.
“The only thing I can think of, someone planted it here to make it look like I’m someway involved with Isabella’s murder. I am the one who found her body, and if she was wearing its matching necklace when she was killed, it’s possible the killers took the bracelet.”
“Danielle, if someone broke into this house, I’m sure would have seen them.”
“Then we need to remember who’s been in this parlor over the last few weeks.”
“The only ones I can think of recently are our treasure hunters.”
“No, it has to be someone else. I can’t believe they’d leave the bracelet.”
“But they did mention an Isabella. Perhaps it was Isabella Strickland they were talking about all along.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Danielle called Sadie to the kitchen. She wanted to let her out one more time before putting her back in the house with Walt. Then she planned to go to the hospital and see Lily. Sadie raced through the house into the kitchen and out the back door. Danielle followed her outside. She had locked the back gate, which was why she was surprised to find a woman walking toward her, down her back drive. How the woman got through the gate, Danielle had no idea, because from where she stood, she could see the padlock hanging in the latch, still locked.
Sadie had run off to the trees by the back fence and was now busy investigating possible new smells.
“Can I help you?” Danielle asked as she walked toward the thirty-something woman. The stranger wore faded baggie denim overalls and a tie-dyed tank top.
“I’m looking for Hunter and Claire. They’re supposed to be here,” the woman said.
Danielle stopped in her tracks and eyed the woman suspiciously. “Are you talking about the Stewarts?”
“Is that what they’re calling themselves now?”
“They’re not here,” Danielle said. “They left last night.”
“I was supposed to meet them here.” The woman sounded disappointed. “Do you know where they went?”
“You were meeting them? I understood they were on their honeymoon.”
“Is that what they told you?” The woman began to laugh.
Just as she started to laugh, Sadie raced over from the back fence, charging headlong in the woman’s direction. By the way she was running, Danielle was sure the dog was going to plow the woman down.
“Sadie, stay!” Danielle blurted out. Instead of stopping, Sadie flew through the woman’s body—in the same way she had done with Walt countless times—and then in the next second the woman disappeared. Danielle’s eyes widened as she stared at the spot where the woman in overalls had been standing just moments before. Sadie quickly circled back and began sniffing the ground.
“Walt!” Danielle shouted as she ran back into the house, Sadie on her heels.
Walt appeared in the kitchen. “What’s with all the shouting?”
“I saw another spirit, in the back yard.”
“Spirit as in ghost?”
“I thought you hated that word.”
“Only when applied to me. So who was it? Isabella Strickland? Whatever you say, don’t tell me Angela figured out how to get here.”
“Not Isabella or Angela. I’ve never seen this one before. But she asked for Hunter and Claire.”
“Claire called Hank Hunter sometimes,” Walt said.
“I remember you telling me. When the woman first started talking to me, I thought she was alive. It wasn’t until Sadie decided to charge through her that I figured it out. But then she disappeared.”
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“Only that she was looking for Hunter and Claire, that she was supposed to meet them here. And if I can be
lieve her, I think you were right. Their name wasn’t Stewart and they weren’t newlyweds.”
“I suppose if she comes back, you can ask her about them.”
“I’d rather she not come back. I didn’t get a good vibe.” Danielle glanced at the clock on the wall. “I better get going, I told Lily I’d be there before lunch.”
Five minutes later, after Danielle had opened the back gate and was preparing to back down the drive, her cellphone began to ring. She picked it up off the console and looked at the caller ID. It was coming from the Frederickport Police Station.
“What now?” Danielle grumbled as she put her car in park and answered the call.
“Ms. Boatman, this is Chief MacDonald, I was hoping you could stop in at the station. It’s important.”
“Now? I was on the way to the hospital to see Lily.”
“I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop here first. But if you want me to come there, I suppose I can do that.”
“No,” Danielle said with a sigh. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
After disconnecting the call, Danielle immediately called the hospital and asked for Lily’s room.
“Hello?” came Lily’s voice.
“Hi. This is Dani.”
“You on your way over?”
“I was. But I just got a call from Chief MacDonald. He needs me to stop by the station first.”
“Now?”
“Apparently it’s important, because he told me if I didn’t go there, he’d come to me. And if I’m at the hospital, I don’t really feel like talking to him with your parents there.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“I have a hunch, but I’ll explain later. It’s too involved.”
“Okay. Hey, Ian called this morning. He is so sweet.”
“When is he coming back?”
“Not right away. He’s still getting over whatever crud he has, and he doesn’t want to get me sick, especially with my current condition. But he said it Dani. He told me.”
“Told you what?”
“He loves me!” Lily burst.
Danielle smiled. “Yeah, I know. Did you tell your parents yet, about you staying here?”
“Yes. Funny thing, they took it a lot better than I thought they would.”
“Are they there now?”
“No. They went down to get some coffee.”
“So they’re okay with it?”
“I think Mom was a little relieved. That whole IV thing sorta freaked her out. But Dad insisted he wants to pay for the nurse.”
“No. Please, he doesn’t need to. I want to do this, honest Lily.”
“We can work out the details later. When do you think you’ll be able to come to the hospital?”
“As soon as I’m done at the police station.”
“See you later.”
“Love you Lily.”
“Love you too Dani.”
Danielle drove directly to the police station. Upon arrival, the receptionist showed her to an office where the chief waited. Sitting behind the desk, the chief stood up and motioned for Danielle to take one of the two empty chairs facing his desk. He then told the receptionist she could leave and asked her to close the door on her way out.
“I appreciate you coming in,” the chief said as he sat back down behind his desk.
“What is this all about?” Danielle asked nervously, glancing at the clock on the wall.
“Stoddard Gusarov insists you are in some way involved in his niece’s death.”
“He what?” Danielle sat up straighter in the chair. This wasn’t what she expected to hear. “I didn’t even know the woman.”
“He didn’t come up with a motive, aside from implying there might be something between Isabella’s old boyfriend and you.”
“Are you talking about Adam Nichols?” Danielle couldn’t help but laugh.
“You did call Adam to pick you up after we brought you in the other day.”
“I’m good friends with his grandmother. Hell, Gusarov’s the one who was holding Lily prisoner!”
“He claims he sincerely thought Lily was his niece and insists that even Joe made the same mistake.”
“Stoddard had Lily tattooed so people would think she was Isabella. Ian talked to the authorities in southern California—she didn’t have a tattoo when they found her on Labor Day.”
“Yes, I know about that. But, Stoddard insists they simply don’t remember the tattoo. As far as he’s concerned, all it means is that they failed to note the tattoo. No one wrote down in the reports that she didn’t have a tattoo.”
“He’s just trying to throw suspicion off himself.”
“Stoddard says you put Isabella’s body in the crypt—insisting that not only were you caught with the body, you also had in your possession Isabella’s missing bracelet. According to her friend at the bank, Isabella told her she intended to never take it off. She was wearing the necklace when she was found, but the bracelet was at your house.”
“Why would I…” Danielle paused a moment. “How did he know Joe found the bracelet at my house this morning?”
“Stoddard was here this morning. I showed him the bracelet.”
“You did?” Danielle frowned. “But why would I keep the bracelet? I certainly can afford to buy my own jewelry.”
“Stoddard believes you kept it as a souvenir.”
“So now I am some thrill killer?”
“He believes after you killed Isabella and put her in the crypt, you took her car with you to California. For some reason Lily was driving it, when she got attacked at the rest stop.”
“So now Lily is involved?” Danielle snapped.
“Apparently, since she went out of her way to get a tattoo to match Isabella’s.”
“This is ridiculous!” Danielle fumed. “Do I need to get a lawyer?”
“I wouldn’t get one quite yet.” The chief smiled and leaned back in his seat.
“What is it you find so amusing?”
“I agree with you. Stoddard’s version is a bit—farfetched. And yet, I am left to wonder how it is you happened to stumble across both Lily and Isabella, and how that bracelet came to be at Marlow House.”
“But you don’t think I killed Isabella?”
“No.”
“So you believe me?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Then why don’t you think I killed her?”
“Because I know something Stoddard hasn’t been told yet.”
“What’s that?” Danielle asked warily.
“Isabella’s autopsy is back. She died of natural causes. She wasn’t murdered. Plus, we found fingerprints inside the crypt—they belong to two employees of Stoddard’s.”
“What are you going to do?”
“They’re bringing in Stoddard right now. As soon as he gets here, I’m going to see what he has to say. I suspect they may have planted that bracelet at Marlow House, but we weren’t able to get any usable prints off the teapot.”
“I don’t see how they could have planted the bracelet,” Danielle blurted out without thinking.
“Are you saying you know how it got there?”
“No. I just mean there hasn’t been any sign of a break in at Marlow House. And Sadie’s usually there when I’m gone.” Not to mention Walt.
“But maybe that’s how the dog happened to get out—perhaps whoever broke in to put the bracelet in your house inadvertently let Sadie out. If someone knows what they’re doing they can open a lock without you ever knowing.”
“Perhaps,” Danielle murmured, feeling foolish for arguing with the chief over a point that could cast doubt on her. “I suppose I can understand why he did it.”
“Why is that?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk.
“According to Marie and Adam, Isabella left everything to Earthbound Spirits. That included half of the family business she owned with her uncle. It really was not in his best interest, financially, for her to die. So, if he
happened to find her dead, he might have decided to keep her alive by hiding the body somewhere no one would look. She had a history of just taking off. Maybe he was trying to buy some time to figure out how to have her will changed. And in the meantime, he could continue to run the business as he saw fit. According to Adam, they had a written agreement giving Stoddard full control of the business, and she pretty much stayed out of it. But, she had the power to rescind that agreement at any time.”
“And if he instructed his people to hide the body, then he knew your friend Lily was not his niece.”
“Exactly.”
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully, I’ll get some of them answered after Stoddard arrives. In the meantime, I’d appreciate if you’d keep this conversation between us.”
Danielle stood up. “Can you tell me one thing, Chief?”
“I’ll try.” He stood up.
“Why are you telling me any of this?”
“Honestly?” the chief asked.
“Please,” Danielle said.
“I have my own gut feeling about you, Danielle Boatman.”
“I don’t understand.” Danielle frowned.
“Let’s just leave it at that,” he said with a smile.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Brian Henderson was bringing Stoddard Gusarov into the police station when Danielle exited the chief’s office.
“Are you arresting her?” Stoddard called out when he saw Danielle walking down the hall in his direction. Danielle froze in her tracks, staring at the man who’d implicated her in a murder. The police chief, who’d been walking beside Danielle, stepped in front of her, blocking Stoddard from coming closer. In his hand, he carried a manila folder.
“Not today, Stoddard,” the chief said, redirecting Isabella’s uncle down another corridor and into the interrogation room, leaving both Danielle and Brian standing alone in the hall.
“Afternoon, Ms. Boatman,” Brian said, sounding less hostile than normal.
“Officer Henderson,” Danielle greeted him with a nod. Just as she was about to turn toward the exit door, a woman appeared next to Brian. It was Isabella Strickland. Danielle’s eyes widened in surprise.