by Cindy Bell
“Well uh, after a rough shift, we have to blow off steam sometimes.”
Ally laughed and leaned into his shoulder. “I bet. I’d love to see that.” She gave his hand a light squeeze. “I’ll think about the dance, I promise.”
“Well, you’ll have to let me know soon. It’s on Saturday and I need to get my hair done and buy a new suit.”
Ally laughed and without much thought brushed her lips across his cheek in a light kiss. “You always find a way to make me feel better, Luke.”
“You just did the same.” He stared into her eyes. For just a moment she thought he might lean in to kiss her. Instead he picked up his wine glass, finished the contents and stood up.
“Good night, Ally. Don’t stay up all night investigating.”
“Would I do that?” She took the empty glass from him.
“Mmhm.” He winked at her and walked towards the door. Ally thought about stopping him and asking him to stay, but the truth was the longer she was alone with him the less she could resist him.
“Good night, Luke.”
He smiled at her as he closed the door behind him. Ally finished her wine with thoughts of Luke rolling through her mind. Would she ever be brave enough for there to be a right time?
Chapter Three
In the morning the first streams of sunlight that worked their way through the blinds in Ally’s bedroom, woke her right out of a fitful sleep. Her thoughts were filled with the murder, especially who Nigel’s murderer might be. As she sat up in her bed Peaches jumped onto the bed beside her.
“I know, I know, you’re ready for breakfast.” Ally scratched the top of the cat’s head and behind her ears. “I promise I will get it for you soon. But, first I need to figure out some things. Nigel is dead, and although the press seems to be portraying that his conflict with his family is the reason, I’m not sure that I agree. What could go wrong between siblings or a father and a son that would lead to such a terrible act?”
Peaches purred and rubbed her cheek against Ally’s hand. “I know, not everyone is the same. Some people don’t have that close connection with others.” She stood up from her bed and began to walk towards the kitchen. Peaches rushed past her, so close that she almost tripped Ally. Ally stumbled and caught herself on the counter in the kitchen. As she regained her balance she caught sight of a shadow approaching the kitchen door. At first she thought that it might be Luke, however the moment that the person knocked Ally knew it was her grandmother.
“Morning, Mee-Maw, I’ve told you before you don’t have to knock!” She shook her head.
“I just think it’s polite, dear.” She hurried past her with two cups of coffee. “I thought we might both need these today.”
“Thank you so much. I am having a hard time getting my mind on anything other than Nigel.”
“So am I. I think maybe we need to look into this a bit more.”
“Really?” Ally sat down at the table and gestured for her grandmother to join her. “Do you think there’s some way we can get more information?” Peaches jumped up into Ally’s lap.
“I think we should pay our respects and have a conversation with Nigel’s brother, Colin.”
“How are we going to do that?” Ally stroked Peaches’ fur. “I’m not sure that we can get a personal invite.”
“Oh trust me, I will get us in.” Charlotte smiled. “There’s always a way in. Especially when you bring chocolates. Besides, you said that Colin remembered you. I doubt he’d be rude enough to turn you away.”
“If you think you can get us in, then I would be happy to accompany you. But I don’t know if Colin will welcome me. We only knew each other for a couple of weeks years ago, that was all.”
“Well, that might just be enough. I want to look Colin in the eyes. I watched the news this morning and the reporter interviewed a few people and they said that they had seen Colin talking to Nigel at the farmer’s market. He hasn’t been arrested yet, but I think it’s just a matter of time,” Charlotte said.
“Well, then we’d better get to him before he is.”
“They also mentioned that there was no struggle and Nigel’s wallet was still on him so robbery is not suspected.”
“Interesting. Luke said that the Mainbry police department is not being very forthcoming with information on the case. I doubt they would let us or Luke anywhere near Colin once he is in custody.”
“I guess you need to get dressed. It isn’t proper to visit people in pajamas.” Charlotte smiled.
“Are you sure?” Ally quirked her lips. “I might start a new trend.”
“I don’t think so,” Charlotte said. “But then again, you are always full of surprises.”
As Ally walked down the hall to her room to change her grandmother’s voice followed after her.
“Did you say yes to the dance yet?”
“I’ll be out in a minute!” Ally said trying to avoid the question and change the subject.
She thought she should wear something that would give a more professional impression. What was appropriate attire for visiting a grieving family? She decided on black pants and a light pink blouse. When she returned to the kitchen Charlotte held her purse out to her.
“Let’s get going. There are some flowers at the shop so we can pick them up together with some chocolates on the way. I also want to leave enough time to open the shop after.”
“Okay.” Ally gave Arnold a pat on the head then they headed out to Ally’s car.
After picking up the flowers and chocolates from the shop Charlotte mentioned everything that she found out at Freely Lakes as they drove to the farm.
“Apparently everything went sour between Bob and Nigel when Bob married Linda.”
“Really?” Ally said.
“Yes, it got so bad between Bob and Nigel that he refused to even let Nigel on the property.”
“All over his new wife?”
“Yes, I believe so,” Charlotte said.
“Do you know her?” Ally asked.
“She’s come into the shop a few times, but I don’t really know her. I do know what her favorite chocolates are though.”
“You know what all our customers like.” Ally smiled.
“Yes, it is a pity it won’t help solve a murder.”
“Well, Linda seems to have broken up a family.”
“According to my sources. Popular belief is that she married Bob just for his money. Apparently, she has already been divorced once from a wealthy, older man.”
“Hm.” Ally turned down the long road that led to both farms. “Maybe Nigel found some way to prove that. Maybe we should consider the wife a suspect, too.”
“I think you might be right about that. From what I understand Nigel told everyone that would listen how he felt about his father’s wife. Even if he didn’t find any proof, maybe she didn’t like how he talked about her. Ally turned onto Bob’s driveway. It was long, narrow, and led to a semi-circle parking area. She got out of the car, then helped her grandmother get the flowers and chocolates out.
“Do you think they’ll let us in?” Ally asked.
“I made a call while you were changing. I set up a meeting with Colin. He only agreed to it when I mentioned you.”
Ally frowned as she looked up at the large home. Her heart fluttered at the thought of having a meeting with a possible murderer.
“Ally.” Charlotte rested her palm on the curve of her granddaughter’s elbow. “We have to be careful in there. Bob has a lot of influence in the community. Let’s just remember to be courteous.”
“Okay, I will.” Ally smiled at her grandmother. “I’ll be on my best behavior I promise.”
“Good.” Charlotte looked uncharacteristically nervous as she followed Ally towards the house.
Ally paused at the bottom of the steps. Each of the stone railings that lined the steps was topped with intricately carved stone lions. It was a touch of extravagance amidst the rural setting. She brushed a fingertip along the mane of one of th
e lions.
“Ally? Are you coming?” Charlotte paused in front of the door at the top of the stairs and turned back to look at Ally.
“Aren’t these interesting? I would expect something like horses, or even bulls, but lions?”
“It’s a symbol of rural royalty. It’s tradition around here for the oldest farms to have a lion somewhere in their decor. I guess that Bob decided to have two. That doesn’t surprise me, as originally his family owned both this farm and Tyler’s farm.”
“Wow, that must have been a massive amount of land.”
“Yes, and hard to tend. From what I hear it got to be a little out of control, which is why it was portioned off. But then that may not be true. It’s second hand information.” Charlotte reached up and rang the doorbell. Ally stepped up beside her. After a few seconds the front door opened and Colin greeted them.
“Charlotte, Ally, hello, thanks for coming.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Colin, we both are,” Charlotte said as she handed him the flowers and chocolates.
“Thank you. Let’s go through,” he said as he led them to a large sitting room.
“I have to say, I don’t think it’s quite set in. I keep expecting to see Nigel around town. I just…” He cleared his throat. “I just find it very hard to accept.”
“Of course you do. It will be hard for a long time, Colin.” Charlotte reached out and pressed his hand between both of hers. “Grief is not something that can be rushed.”
He nodded as he sat down in a wingback chair. Charlotte and Ally sat on an elegant couch across from him. Ally noticed the fine, gold thread that wound a subtle pattern through the stiff off-white material. She traced a fingertip along it as Colin spoke.
“I understand that. At least I think I do. But this feels different to me. It’s more than just the loss. I have to know what happened to him. Who killed him? Why he was killed?” Colin said. “I need justice to be served.”
“It will be.” The words slipped past Ally’s lips before she had time to think them through. She wanted them to be true. “With the police looking into it, I’m sure the crime will be solved in no time.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Colin shook his head. “I think the police are eager to sweep this under the rug. They’ve interrogated me and my father several times, as if he would have anything to do with his own son’s death. The truth is that yes, our family was going through a difficult time, but all families do at some point.”
“Sometimes it helps the heart to talk about it, Colin.” Charlotte met his eyes. “I want you to know that we are here for you. The loss of a family member can make you feel very isolated from the rest of the world. I hope that you and your father are able to support each other at this time.”
“We’re trying.” Colin reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “You see, my little brother, Nigel, didn’t have the kind of upbringing that I did. My mother was a big part of my childhood, and unfortunately she passed away before Nigel could benefit from her warmth and wisdom. I tried to spend as much time with him as I could, but he was often left to his own devices, as my father and I worked the farm. He became less and less connected with the family business. For some reason he got it in his head that my father was the one that was on the wrong side of the fight over the land. He turned against the family, in favor of Tyler, and that was not easy for my father or me to take. So yes, there has been some frustration on both sides. But that didn’t stop us from being a family. We always had a strong family bond. You understand?” He looked between the two of them. “Of course you do. Family doesn’t break that easily.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Charlotte smiled softly. “Family is much stronger than that.”
“And your stepmother?” Ally prompted and met Colin’s eyes.
“Who?” Colin narrowed his eyes then nodded. “Oh, Linda, right. I’m sorry I don’t think of her with that title.”
“Is there a reason for that?” Charlotte’s tone was gentle, but she leaned forward some.
“Well, I was an adult when they married. It’s not as if she’s in any kind of mother role. She’s only five years older than I am.” He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ally. “It’s a little shocking to be honest. I didn’t blame Nigel for being upset. But I thought he would get over it. You know, it was my father’s decision, and his life. So why should we care what he does? But Nigel didn’t see it that way. He took it as a personal insult for some reason. They did not get along.”
“What about the way Linda treated Nigel? Was she kind to him?” Ally asked.
“No, not at all. She came on a little strong when she married our father. She wanted to be taken seriously as a member of the family. But she hadn’t really done anything to earn that place. We were both wary of how long she would actually be part of the family. Nigel was a bit more vocal about his misgivings and of course she took offense to that.”
Ally tapped her fingertips on the curve of her knee. “So, she had some animosity towards Nigel.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything.” He shook his head. “I keep trying to explain, every family has its problems. But Nigel wasn’t killed because of them.”
“Then why do you think he was, Colin?” Charlotte looked into his eyes. “You knew your brother well. Why would someone have gone after him like this?”
Colin tightened his lips. He looked down at his hands for some time. “Couldn’t it have been some random person?”
“Sure, it could have.” Ally drew his attention back to her. “However, from what I understand they don’t believe that is the situation as in cases like that, there usually is a pretty clear motive. Such as robbery, or a very visible fight. Your brother still had his wallet on him with all of its contents, and there was no sign of a struggle.”
“How do you know that?” he asked with wide eyes.
“It was on the news,” Ally said.
“I see.” He sighed. “And yes I already know that no one saw what happened to him. So I guess there’s not much to go on.”
“No, it doesn’t seem like there is,” Ally said.
“I am probably their number one target. I mean who can blame them. The way our relationship has been portrayed and of course I was there.”
“Out of curiosity, where were your father and stepmother?” Ally leaned forward slightly.
“They were both on a tour of a neighboring farm. It’s the one behind Tyler’s. My father has been wanting to purchase it, and he thought this year’s crop would put him in the position to be able to. But now that’s changed.”
“Why is that?” Ally asked.
“One of our largest crops has failed for some reason. We’re still investigating why. So there may not be enough money. They decided to go on the tour anyway. I took advantage of the opportunity to speak to Nigel. Now that makes me the main suspect. That’s why I agreed to meet with you this morning.”
Ally’s eyes widened. “Why did you agree?”
Colin sighed and rested his hands on the tops of his knees as he looked at them. “I know you were both there when, what happened, happened. I thought maybe you saw something, or heard something that might help me figure out all of this. I don’t trust the police to find his murderer when they seem so focused on me and my father, so I’m trying to look into things on my own.” He looked towards Charlotte. “You found my brother, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.” Charlotte glanced over at Ally, then back to Colin. “But I’m sorry, I have no idea who hurt your brother.”
“Maybe you know more than you think you do. If you think about it.” He folded his hands together and sat forward. “Sometimes a person can hear or see something that doesn’t seem important. But it might be to me.”
“All I know is that the vendor in the booth next to his said he saw Nigel go back to the barn for eggs, and that he would be back soon,” Charlotte said.
“Well, he was obviously mistaken.” Colin raised an eyebrow. “Unless he is lying.”
“That’s right, the police mentioned that he said he didn’t see anything at all. I wonder how that’s possible? Nigel’s body was on the ground for how long?” Colin asked.
“Try not to think about it too much, dear.” Charlotte clucked her tongue lightly. “Nothing good comes of concentrating on these things.”
“But if I don’t, who will?” Colin shook his head. “I feel like I’m in a race against time. The police seem to be concentrating on pinning this on me or my father, or both of us, and they’re not going to rest until they are able to do that.”
“Colin, I’m sure they’ll discover the truth, but there’s no harm in speeding up the process and making sure that they do. If you tell me everything that you know, I’ll see if I can help you,” Ally said. “If you want me to help, Colin, I will.” Ally couldn’t bear to think of an innocent man going to jail and a murderer roaming free. She didn’t know how she could help, but she wanted to try.
“Ally.” Charlotte stole a glance over at her, but Ally remained fixated on Colin.
“You would do that?” Colin stared back at her. “Why?”
“Because I know what it’s like to be suspected of a murder you didn’t commit. I also know what it’s like to lose someone before their time, Colin. I know how devastating it can be. Someone should pay for what they did to Nigel. The right person.” Ally neglected to mention that she also enjoyed a little sleuthing.
“All right.” He shrugged. “What could it hurt? I already told you everything I could think of, but if there’s something else you want to know, feel free to ask.”
“There’s one thing.” Ally tapped the screen of her phone.
“What is it?” Colin asked.
“Well, people saw you there, talking with your brother. It wasn’t long before he was murdered.”
“Oh, so you think I did it, too?” Colin narrowed his eyes and looked away from her with a sharp tilt of his chin.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying, Colin. I’d like to know what you were talking to him about. If I can get an idea of his frame of mind, it might help.”