by Bobbi Holmes
“Stoddard has been arrested. But I imagine he’ll be out on bail by tomorrow, if not sooner.”
“On what charges?” Danielle asked.
“Kidnapping, assault, to name a few.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Lily said.
“Which is why I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to pay you off, hoping you’ll be willing to persuade the court to drop some of the charges. He’s probably anticipating a law suit, and if he settles now, he might be thinking he can buy your silence at the same time.”
“He’ll be paying for what he did to me all right,” Lily said angrily. “I intend to sue his butt for maiming my arm, cutting my hair and kidnapping me. But, I also want to see him go to jail.”
“I suggest you speak to your lawyer before you agree to anything his attorney offers. And if you’re serious about wanting him to see jail time you don’t want to do anything that might weaken our case against him.”
“I don’t want that either. I’m furious about what he did to me, but I am also pissed about how he tried to implicate Dani.”
“Has anyone made funeral arrangements for Isabella?” Danielle asked.
“Yes. The services will be at the local cemetery chapel, day after tomorrow. I believe it’s at ten in the morning. But I could be wrong about the time,” Joe said.
“I’d like to go to the service,” Danielle said.
“Who’s planning it? Surely not her uncle,” Lily asked.
“From what I understand, someone from their company is handling the arrangements.”
“I guess this means Earthbound Spirits will be taking over half of the company,” Danielle said.
“From what I understand, they don’t have a copy of her will yet,” Joe explained.
“Well that’s convenient,” Lily said.
“Wouldn’t her attorney have a copy?” Danielle asked.
“Yes, but her attorney was Clarence Renton.”
“Wonder if Clarence and Stoddard are going to be cell mates,” Lily snickered.
“Surely Gloria Comings would have access to his files,” Danielle said.
“Gloria left Frederickport not long after Renton was sentenced. I thought you knew,” Joe said.
“I forgot about that. But someone must have access to his files.”
“I suppose someone does. I just know they haven’t located a copy of her will yet.”
After Joe left twenty minutes later, Lily said, “You know, Joe can be a nice guy.”
Danielle shrugged. “I never said he wasn’t. It’s his partner I can’t stand.”
“That was sweet of him to bring me flowers.”
“It was.” Danielle glanced up to the flowers and then back at Lily. “You haven’t asked me how Walt’s doing.”
“I talked to him last night.”
“Last night?” Danielle arched her brows.
“He visited me in my dream,” Lily grinned.
Chapter Thirty-Four
It was Wednesday morning, the day of Isabella Strickland’s funeral. Lily had been at the hospital for four nights and was improving daily. According to the doctors, she was tentatively scheduled for release on Monday.
Danielle sat at the kitchen table at Marlow House reading the morning paper and waiting for the pot of coffee to brew. Sadie lay on the floor, curled up by Danielle’s feet.
Walt appeared by the table. “Good morning.”
Danielle and Sadie looked up. “Morning Walt. Interesting article in the paper about Stoddard Gusarov.”
Walt looked down at Sadie, who wagged her tail at him. “I thought I heard Ian arrive. Figured he’d take Sadie with him.” Walt sat down at the table. “Not that I’m not happy to see she’s still here.”
“Ian just stopped by to let me know he got into town this morning. He’s on his way to the hospital to see Lily. I told him he could just leave her here since I won’t be taking off for a couple hours. I gave him a key to the house, so he’ll be stopping by to pick her up after I leave for the funeral.”
“Lily’s parents are gone?”
“They left a few minutes before Ian arrived. Where were you? I’m surprised you didn’t hear them. Mrs. Miller isn’t exactly quiet.” Danielle set the paper on the table.
“I returned about the time Ian was leaving. I heard his voice, but when I came downstairs he was gone.”
Danielle arched her brows, looking at Walt curiously. “Returned? Returned from where? Since when have you been able to leave Marlow House?”
“A little dream hopping.”
“Ah, visiting Lily?” Danielle grinned.
“Yes. Our visit was interrupted when a nurse woke her up. Which was a shame, because, we were just getting ready to go skydiving.”
“Skydiving?”
“Lily’s getting a little antsy. I thought an outing would be good for both of us.”
“Wow, skydiving?” Danielle muttered. “Aside from being antsy, how is she?”
“Excited to see Ian. Anxious to get out of the hospital. Still furious over the tattoo.”
“I don’t know what she can do about that. I understand they can remove tattoos, but I’ve heard that can be more painful than getting one, and her arm still won’t look like it did.”
“Do women today really have as many tattoos as I see on television?” Walt asked.
“It’s pretty common these days.” Danielle shrugged.
“Why don’t you have one?”
“How do you know I don’t?” Danielle teased.
Walt replied with a knowing grin.
“Hey! You promised never to go into my bathroom!” The only place I ever undress in this house.
“That was before you set the ground rules. And you weren’t in the bathroom.”
“Yeah, well, that was obviously before I considered I might have an audience if I undressed in my own bedroom.”
“You keep forgetting, it is also my bedroom,” Walt smirked.
“Used to be your room.”
“You never answered my question. Why no tattoo?”
“I don’t care for pain. Or putting anything that permanent on my body.”
When Danielle started to get up to get a cup of coffee, Walt told her to sit back down and went to pour her a cup.
“What’s so interesting?” Walt asked when he returned to the table with Danielle’s coffee.
“It’s the article about Isabella’s uncle. Guess I don’t have to keep mum about all the stuff the chief told me, it’s all in here. Plus some stuff I didn’t know.”
“Like what?” Walt asked.
“They have the tattoo artist Stoddard hired. The guy totally gave it up, admitted to taking a hefty bribe from Isabella’s uncle to tattoo an unconscious woman. In exchange for the money he had to duplicate Isabella’s tat, no questions asked. Apparently he held up his side of the bargain right up until the cops knocked on his door.”
“Do you think Gusarov’s attorney will be able to discredit him?”
“Doesn’t look like it. Gusarov paid with a check, even signed it himself.”
“Gusarov doesn’t sound like a criminal mastermind.”
“I don’t know about that.” Danielle closed the paper and set it back on the table. She looked at Walt. “If it hadn’t been for my—gift—then he could have gotten away with it. Even if I had someway stumbled into the estate and found Lily, without finding Isabella’s body, Lily would now be out of the country, and Gusarov could have very well gotten away with it. After all, when Joe saw Lily the first time, he insisted it was Isabella.”
* * *
Danielle left for the cemetery at 9:30 a.m., hoping to see Isabella. Cheryl hadn’t hung around for her funeral. She had moved on weeks before her service, which was one reason why Danielle knew spirits didn’t necessarily stick around to witness their send off. She hoped Isabella was still lingering. There were still a few questions she wanted to ask her.
While Danielle had always been uncomfortable at cemeteries, the few times she ha
d visited the Frederickport Cemetery she hadn’t been overwhelmed with spirits. The only two she had encountered there were Angela and Isabella. She was hoping today to see just one—Isabella’s.
Danielle parked near the chapel. It was on the opposite end of the cemetery from Angela’s grave. One perk of parking on this side of the cemetery, she might avoid being drawn into a conversation with Angela. She simply did not want to deal with Walt’s wife today.
Before leaving that morning she had talked to Adam on the phone, who told her where in the cemetery Isabella’s family plot was located. It wasn’t far from the chapel. Since the services weren’t to start for another thirty minutes, she had a little time to visit Isabella’s gravesite—and hopefully talk to her.
If anyone had arrived early for the service, they were already in the chapel, because Danielle didn’t see anyone meandering in the area. She began walking toward the gravesite.
It was another sunny day in Frederickport. The temperatures had been hovering in the seventies. Danielle wore a lavender dress, which garnered compliments from Walt before she left Marlow House that morning. She had decided to wear her hair—still holding a curl from the recent braid—free flowing.
Danielle walked by a dozen or more grave markers when she came upon an elderly woman kneeling by a headstone. The sound of Danielle’s shoes crunching the gravel along the walkway caught the woman’s attention. She turned from the headstone and looked up at Danielle, a friendly smile on her wrinkled face.
“Good morning. Lovely day, isn’t it?” the woman said as she stood up and brushed her hands off on the skirt of her pink and white gingham sundress. On her head she wore a floppy white hat, its wide brim shielding her eyes from the sun.
“Yes it is,” Danielle stopped by the woman and glanced down at the headstone.
“My husband…” the woman nodded to the grave. “I like to come down here and tidy up his grave.” She then lowered her voice and said, “I’m afraid they just don’t keep the place up like they used to.”
“I imagine he appreciates that.”
“Oh he does,” the woman said with a smile.
Danielle silently read the dates on the headstone. The woman had lost her husband ten years earlier. Danielle wondered how often the elderly woman visited her husband. Since Lucas’ funeral, Danielle had not been back to his grave—not even when the marker was set.
“It’s what we do for someone we love,” the woman said.
Danielle looked back at the marker. This time she noticed the surname: MacDonald.
“That’s the police chief’s last name. Are you related?” Danielle asked.
The woman broke into a broad smile. “Why yes dear, he’s my grandson. Are you one of his friends?”
“Umm, I don’t really know him well, but we’ve met.”
“Are you married dear?”
“No.” Danielle couldn’t bring herself to say, No, I’m a widow.
“What is wrong with my grandson? A pretty, single girl like you, and he hasn’t tried to snatch you up?”
“Isn’t your grandson married?” Danielle couldn’t help but grin.
“Oh no dear, he lost his wife a few years ago. Cancer. Such a shame, their two boys and all. They need a mother. Do you like children?”
“Umm…” Danielle blushed. “I don’t think I’m your grandson’s type.”
“Well, he is a foolish boy then. You are absolutely lovely! And I think you’d make a wonderful mother for those boys.”
Danielle started to respond, but something caught her eye. It was Isabella. She was walking in her direction and then suddenly she flew by—moving in the direction of the chapel.
Crap, I missed her! Danielle silently cursed. “It was nice meeting you, but I should head to the chapel.”
“We didn’t really meet,” the woman reminded. “You never told me your name.”
“I’m Danielle Boatman, ma’am.” Danielle wondered what Chief MacDonald might have said about her—the infamous innkeeper who’d recently come into not just one but two sizable inheritances. The news of her arrest for her cousin’s murder—even though it had been brief—had made it into the local newspaper.
If the chief’s grandmother recognized the name, she made no indication of the fact. Instead, she said, “My name’s Kathrine MacDonald. You can call me Kathy. Although when my grandson was little he’d call me Gamma Kat.”
“It was nice to meet you Kathy,” Danielle smiled.
“And I enjoyed meeting you. When you see that grandson of mine, tell him to start paying attention to what’s in front of him.”
* * *
When Danielle reached the chapel, people were starting to arrive. She recognized a number of them, including Susan Mitchell from the bank. She was surprised to see Stoddard and his wife, but figured he must be out on bail.
Standing at the door to the chapel, waiting for the people in front of her to go in, she heard someone behind her say, “Good morning Ms. Boatman.” Danielle turned around. It was the police chief.
“Morning Chief,” Danielle greeted.
“I’m a little surprised to see you here, considering you’d never met Isabella Strickland.”
“I figured with all that’s happened, I should at least come and pay my respects.”
“I suppose I understand that.”
“By the way, I just met your grandmother Kathrine, although she tells me you used to call her Gamma Kat,” Danielle teased.
“Excuse me?” the chief frowned.
Danielle pointed in the direction of the cemetery. “She was over at your grandfather’s grave. Said she was tidying it up, she’s not really happy with how they’re maintaining the cemetery. I thought it was sweet. Do you know if she visits your grandfather’s grave often?”
“Did she say anything else?” The chief’s voice sounded strained.
Danielle eyed his odd expression. He seemed uncomfortable. Then it hit her. She suspected his grandmother Kathrine had a habit of playing matchmaker, perhaps in the same way Marie did with Adam, often with embarrassing consequences.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Danielle said, trying to soothe his discomfort.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Yeah, she did do the matchmaker thing—if that’s why you look so appalled. Don’t worry; I understand how grandmas can be sometime. I just love Marie, but she’s constantly trying to hook up her grandson. While I don’t care if she does it with other women, when she tries to get Adam and me together, it’s awkward.”
“My Grandmother Kathrine passed away last year,” he said, his expression blank.
“Oh crap,” Danielle groaned under her breath.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Danielle took a seat on the end of the back row. Sitting alone, she inwardly groaned over her brief conversation outside the chapel with the police chief. After announcing his grandmother had passed away last year, he walked away from Danielle, without looking back. She could only imagine what he might be thinking now.
She watched as more people poured into the chapel, filling the seats. Looking across the room, she spied the chief sitting with the receptionist from the police station. He stared at her, his expression unreadable. Embarrassed, Danielle quickly looked away.
Two rows up, she noticed Marie sitting with Adam. The elderly woman gave her a cheery wave and started motioning for her to come up and sit with them. Before Danielle could respond, an elderly man took the empty seat being offered. Marie frowned and gave Danielle a shrug before turning back around to face the front of the chapel. Adam looked to see who his grandmother was waving to and saw Danielle. He smiled and gave a brief salute, before turning back around.
Glancing around the room, Danielle didn’t see Joe or Brian and wondered if either of them planned to attend the service. The back row began filling up, yet the two seats closest to Danielle remained empty.
“It looks like a good turnout,” came an unexpected voice next to Danielle. It was Isabella, sitting in the se
at next to her. Isabella anxiously looked around the chapel, curious to see who was attending her service.
Placing her hand over her mouth to conceal the movements of her lips, Danielle whispered, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“Here I am,” Isabella said cheerfully. “I see Uncle Stoddard is here with his wretched wife. He wasn’t always so bad. He was actually very good to me when I was growing up. But then he kept getting married, and each wife was worse than the previous one.”
“Can you meet me after the service, somewhere so we can talk?” Danielle whispered, her hand still covering her lips.
“I suppose,” Isabella said reluctantly. “I almost didn’t come today, but then thought it will probably be the last time I see many of my friends—well, until they join me. I assume they will eventually join me, won’t they?” Isabella turned to Danielle as if she might have the answer.
“I think so,” Danielle muttered as she faked a cough, her hand now fisted over her mouth.
“I suppose it would look funny if we got into a discussion around all these people.” Isabella giggled. “Makes me wonder about a homeless man I used to see wandering the streets in Portland. He’d talk to himself. But, maybe he really was talking to someone.” Isabella looked over at Danielle. “Perhaps he was like you and could see people like me.”
Danielle smiled weakly, as she glanced around, looking to see if anyone was watching her. She was too embarrassed to look over the chief’s way. Considering what she had told him about his deceased grandmother, the last thing she wanted was for him to witness her talking to herself. She lowered her hands to her lap, sitting up straight in her seat.
“After the service, I’ll meet you by the trees over at my gravesite. But I can only stay a few minutes. It’s time for me to move on.”
Danielle looked at Isabella, meeting her gaze. She smiled and gave her a little nod, then turned her attention to the front of the chapel.