by Jessica Beck
“You’d better believe it,” Emma said. “By the time he got finished with Kyle, he’d have no choice but to move away from April Springs.”
“That’s odd; your dad never struck me as the violent type,” I admitted.
Emma laughed. “I didn’t mean that he’d physically attack him, though he might if he thought the threat was credible enough.”
“Then what were you talking about?”
“Nothing short of a complete character assassination piece in his paper,” Emma said proudly.
“Oh. That I can see,” I said, relieved that it wasn’t a question of violence, though I wasn’t sure who could blame him when the threat was to his only child.
“Don’t discount the power of the press,” Emma said, letting her pride in her father shine through. “Dad is a master at that kind of thing.”
“So then, what are you going to tell your folks?”
“My first reaction is to keep it from them, but then again, if Kyle is a possible danger, they need to know that, too. Why do things have to be so complicated?”
“I don’t know, but sometimes they just are. Remember, call me right back as soon as you speak with Emily.”
“Will do.”
I hung up and turned to see Jake standing there watching me. “What was that all about?” he asked me. “Did I hear you offer sanctuary to someone at the cottage?”
I grinned at him. “You don’t have any problem with that, do you?”
“No, ma’am. I do want to say that I’ll stay on the couch, and your refugee can have the upstairs bedroom.”
“That’s awfully noble of you,” I said, and then I kissed the tip of his nose. “You didn’t even ask me who it was.”
“I didn’t need to,” he said with a grin. “If you care about them, then so do I.”
“I knew there was a reason that I wanted to marry you,” I said, kissing him a great deal more thoroughly this time.
The only thing that broke it up was my cellphone ringing, and I was tempted to let it go to voicemail. Only the thought that it might be Emma made me take it.
“Hey,” I said.
“Have you been running?” Emma asked.
“No, why do you ask?”
“You sound out of breath,” she replied.
“I was kissing Jake,” I admitted, and then I grinned openly at him.
He just laughed in response.
“I hope I didn’t break anything up. Get back to it, and we’ll talk later.”
She was about to hang up! “Emma, what did Emily say?”
“She thought it sounded like a hoot. In fact, we’re going to make some costumes for the three guys while I’m there. It sounds like great fun to me.” Emily loved dressing the three beloved stuffed animals from her childhood, all still her closest friends, in outlandish costumes.
“What are you going to make?” I asked, sincerely interested in what Cow, Spots, and Moose would show up dressed as next. It wasn’t all just in fun, though. I knew for a fact that those three stuffed animals, and speculation about what they might be wearing next, kept Emily’s customers steadily visiting her newsstand. My ex-husband, her current beau, Max, had even gotten involved, something that I’d never thought I’d ever live to see. That was how I knew that he truly loved her, and I’d given them my blessing the moment I’d heard that he’d embraced the myth that they were all alive.
“We’ve got some ideas, but we’re still working on them.”
“Let me know when you figure them out. Do you have Jake’s cellphone number?” I asked her.
“No, but I’ve got yours. Why do I need his?”
“Put it in your phone just in case,” I said, and then I rattled off his number. I looked at Jake as innocently as I could, but he just smiled. I was glad that he approved, but it wasn’t a requirement. If I could keep Emma safer just by revealing his number, I’d rent out a billboard on the edge of town and plaster it there if I had to.
“Got it. Thanks for worrying about me,” she said.
“It’s my absolute pleasure,” I replied.
“That’s all settled,” I told Jake after I disconnected the call. “Emma’s going to be staying with Emily Hargraves for the next few days.”
“Why is she doing that? What did I miss?” Jake asked.
“That’s right, you didn’t hear what happened earlier. Apparently Kyle followed Emma into the diner, and when she left, he stole her napkins and her used straw. Trish was really creeped out by it.”
“She has reason enough to feel that way,” Jake said.
“How did you know about what happened to her?” I asked him, genuinely surprised by his statement.
“Suzanne, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Jake replied. “But that happens enough that I’m getting used to it. I’m just saying it had to be eerie to watch him collect Emma’s garbage. Hey, where’s Grace?” he asked as he looked around.
“She already ordered our treats, and Trish is going to join us, too. That means no shoptalk, so tell me one thing before we go in. What was that telephone call about?”
“It’s complicated,” he said. “Can it wait until after I have my treat?”
The expression on his face told me that this was one battle that I had no interest in winning. “Sure. Just tell me this. Has it got something to do with the case we’re working on?”
“It does indeed. We might need to strike Denny West’s name off our list as well. As much as I’d love to pin the murder on him, things might not work out that way.”
“Why not?” I couldn’t imagine the circumstances that would exonerate that hood from murder. Whatever it was, I wanted to hear about it.
“That’s what I can’t say yet. I just got what might be a hot tip, but then again, it might pan out to be nothing, so I’d rather not say anything until I know more. Is that okay with you?”
“No, but I’ll find a way to learn to live with it,” I said. I’d already done a great deal to help Jake transition into his new life on my side of criminal investigation, and frankly, I was afraid to push him too much further. When he found out whatever he was waiting to hear, I knew that he’d tell me all about it.
In the meantime, I was going to respect his privacy, and his source, but until I heard something solid and indisputable, Denny West was going to stay right where he belonged, near the top of my suspect list.
“Trish, that was excellent,” Jake said as he pushed his plate away.
“I like a man who can appreciate a good slice of cake,” Trish said as she gathered the dirty dishes together. “How about another piece, maybe something different?”
“What have you got?” Jake asked, clearly tempted by her offer.
I laughed as I shook my head. “Thanks for the offer, Trish, but I’m afraid that we’re all going to have to pass on seconds. After all, we’re eating dinner in less than an hour. Hadn’t we all better skip another piece of cake right now?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Jake said with a hangdog expression on his face.
“Suzanne, how can you deny him more when he looks at you like that?” Grace asked me playfully.
Trish piled on. “Come on. One more piece won’t hurt anything.”
I looked around at my friends, and finally decided that it wasn’t a battle worth fighting. “Go ahead, then. I seem to be outnumbered.”
“No, that’s okay,” Jake said as he pulled a twenty from his wallet. “You’re right.”
Trish looked at him oddly. “Excuse me, but what did you just say?”
“I think he admitted that he was wrong, but that’s impossible,” Grace added.
“Actually, I never said that I was wrong,” Jake clarified. “I just stated that Suzanne was right.”
“How are those two things different?” I asked him with a smile.
“I don’t know. They just are.” He pushed the bill toward Trish. “Keep the change, if there is any left.”
“As a matter of fact there’s a lot, because I
won’t have you buying me something in my own diner,” Trish said. “Hang on one second and I’ll bring you your change.”
“Tell you what,” Jake said, getting into the spirit of things. “Just start a dessert tab for me. When that’s gone, let me know and I’ll replenish it.”
“I can do that,” Trish said with a grin. “Suzanne, do you have a minute before you go?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Grab a few of those plates and walk up front with me.”
I did as she requested, but I knew that she hadn’t really been asking for my help. I’d seen her carry a great deal more than we were now transporting in one hand before.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Did you happen to speak with Emma?”
“She’s safe and sound. As a matter of fact, she’s staying with—”
“Don’t say it.” Trish stopped me before I could finish.
“Okay. Sorry.”
Trish looked at me for a moment, and then a soft expression crossed her face. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m probably just overreacting based on personal experience.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” I said, and then I hugged her. “I’m glad that you’re okay now.”
“I’m as fine as silk now,” she said after pulling away.
“What was that all about?” Jake asked me softly once we were outside.
“I’ll tell you later,” I said in just as hushed a tone of voice.
“That’s not meant to be payback for me not telling you about my call earlier, is it?” he asked.
“Of course not,” I answered.
Jake stopped and stared at me.
“Okay, I can understand why you would think that it might be a possibility, but you’re going to have to take my word for it that it’s not the case this time,” I amended.
“Good,” he said, and then he turned to my best friend. “Grace, when does your police chief boyfriend get off work?”
“It’s hard to say these days, but judging by the time, I’m guessing that he’s picking the pizza up even as we speak. In fact, we’d better hurry, or we’re going to make him wait.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” Jake said with a grin.
“How can you be hungry after just having a slice of cake?” I asked him playfully.
“The answer to that is in your question,” Jake said. “I only had one slice. Of cake, that is. The pizza is going to be an entirely different story.”
“You’re one of a kind. You know that, don’t you?”
“I should hope so,” Jake said, smiling. “One is probably all the world could take.”
Chapter 20
“How long have you been here?” Grace asked Officer Grant when we walked up to her front porch. He was there balancing two pizzas in one hand, and he also had a box at his feet. She sidestepped the box and kissed him lightly. I was surprised to see the police officer blush from the attention.
“I just got here,” he said as he recovered from the kiss, “but I can’t stay more than half an hour. Things are kind of crazy for me right now.”
“We’re just glad you could make it at all,” Jake said. “Thanks for taking the time.”
“I’m happy to do it,” he said. “Is anybody hungry?”
“I could eat,” Jake said with a grin as he took the pizzas from the acting chief.
I leaned down and retrieved the box. “Are these the photos and tapes you were talking about before?”
“It’s everything that I’ve managed to collect so far,” he acknowledged. “I’m not sure if we’re going to be getting anything else.”
“This is perfect,” I said. “We can look at these while we eat.” The box wasn’t as heavy as I’d hoped it would be. “Were you able to make copies for us?” I asked him as Grace unlocked the front door and we all walked inside together.
“Sorry, but I couldn’t see any way to do that without arousing suspicion. I’m afraid that I’ll have to take these back with me when I leave.”
“Then we’d better get started,” Jake said. “Are all of the photos printed out, or are some of them still digital?”
“Everything has been printed out, but I also managed to snag three videos of Spirit Night. I downloaded them onto my zip drive, so you can at least make a copy of those. Should we watch them first while we’re eating, or start digging through the pictures?”
“I think we should watch the movies first,” Grace said. “I’ll go get my computer.”
“I’ll get the plates and napkins,” I volunteered.
“And I’ll get the sodas,” Officer Grant said as he headed off into the kitchen.
“What can I do?” Jake asked.
“You could clean off the coffee table so we can eat there,” Grace said.
“I’m on it,” Jake answered.
It wasn’t long before we each had a slice of pizza and a soda in front of us. Grace had brought out her largest computer and had set it up in front of her television. It was nearly as good as having the images projected on the big screen itself.
“Here’s the first one,” she said as she tapped a few keys on her computer. A bouncing image appeared onto her screen, and it took me a moment to realize that it was the back of a child’s head. The operator zoomed out after a moment and the park became visible in the foreground. As the videographer carried on a show-and-tell with her child, narrating everything that we were seeing on the screen, I kept looking into the background, hoping to spot something that might be a clue. There were lots of painted faces and more than a couple of ghosts in the crowds, but mostly it was a night for families as they took in the sights of Spirit Night.
“Hey, Suzanne, there we are!” Grace cried out as she froze the image on the screen. Sure enough, I could see us both handing out donuts in the background to a couple of ghosts. “Remember how they had to lift their sheets up to eat because they forgot to put in mouth holes?”
“Sure, but what does this have to do with our investigation?” Jake asked.
“I just thought it was cool,” Grace said, and then she restarted the video and the two of us quickly vanished.
“This isn’t much help, is it?” I asked.
“Hang on a second,” Stephen said. “Here’s what I want you to see on this one. Grace, can you make this move in slow motion?”
“You bet I can,” she said, and after tapping a few more keys, that’s exactly what happened.
“What are we looking for?” Jake asked as we all studied the screen.
“Wait for it. You’ll know it when you see it. There. Pause it.”
When the image froze, I saw the wood piled up for the bonfire. It was still unlit, and from that angle, I didn’t see any sign of Rick Hastings’ body. “He’s not there yet,” I said.
“Notice the time in the corner,” Stephen said.
“6:46,” Jake said.
Stephen nodded. “So, we know that at a quarter to seven, Rick Hastings was still alive.”
“If the clock is accurate,” Jake replied.
“It is. We checked the camera this afternoon.”
“Emma saw the body at 7:05, so that gives us a twenty-minute window,” I said.
“How can you be so sure of the exact time?” Stephen asked me.
“I was looking at my watch when I heard her first scream,” I admitted.
“Okay, then. That’s progress,” Stephen said, and then he turned to Grace. “As far as we’ve been able to tell, there’s nothing else on this video. Can you play the next one?”
She did as he asked, and we all watched the tape, this time taken by a high school boy filming a girl who had to be his date for the evening.
“Wow, he’s really obsessed with her, isn’t he?” Grace asked after ten minutes of solid filming that showed little more than the cute brunette.
“Puppy love can be like that sometimes,” I said. “Stephen, why are you showing this one?”
“Fast forward until yo
u see the dunking booth,” he said. When it came onto the screen, he said, “Now slow it back down again.”
Grace did as directed, and we caught a glimpse of the bonfire again. “Freeze it right there,” Stephen said, and then he put his plate down and approached the monitor. “Here’s a better shot of the bonfire.”
“I still don’t see anything,” Grace said. “Anything out of the ordinary, anyway.”
“Go forward two frames more,” he instructed.
When she paused it again, I could see that there was a man standing alone near the stacked wood of the coming bonfire. He was wearing a sheet just as many of the others were, but at that moment, it was lifted up and we could see him taking a sip of soda from a paper cup.
There was no doubt in my mind that it was Rick, being shown in an image that had been captured sometime in the last few minutes of his life.
“That is almost spooky,” I said as I glanced at the corner of the screen. 6:51 was displayed prominently there. “So, now we’re down to fourteen minutes. That’s a pretty tight window of opportunity. Does the third video show us anything that narrows the time of the murder even further?”
“No, the last one is just general background. I thought it might be good to have it for reference, but we weren’t able to find anything significant on it.”
“We can look at it later if there’s time. What about the high school photographer?” I asked.
“Jake told me about your idea. It was a good one. There was just one problem, though.”
“What was that?”
“The guy forgot to put his memory card into his video camera before he got started,” Officer Grant said with a shrug.
“So that’s a wash,” I said.
“Not completely. He took quite a few still shots with another camera, too, and fortunately, most of them came out great.”
“Do you have them with you?” I asked.
“They’re still in the box,” Officer Grant said as he gestured to the collection.
I pushed my plate aside. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to finish eating later. We don’t have much time, and I want to see what else is in there.”