by Amber Crewes
Before Jack could respond, Meghan tore out of her seat and ran across the parking garage toward the man and Sofia.
“Hey!” Meghan screamed. “Don’t hurt her! Don’t hurt her!”
Sofia’s eyes widened. “Meghan?”
Meghan wrapped her arms around Sofia and yelled at the man. “Leave her alone! I’m here with a police officer, and if you think you’re going to hurt her, you are wrong. Stay back!”
Sofia glared down at Meghan and shoved her off. “Get off of me, Meghan.”
The man looked amused. “Sofia? Who is this?”
Sofia rolled her eyes. “A friend of my mother’s,” she replied as the man chuckled.
“Meghan, seriously. He’s not going to hurt me. This is Simon. He’s my boyfriend.”
Meghan gasped. “Your boyfriend? But I thought Brody was your boyfriend?”
Sofia shook her head. “Brody was my ex,” she said, snapping her gum and shooting a smile to her boyfriend. “Simon was his friend for years, and then we all went into business together. As soon as Brody started getting mean, Simon and I got together.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “So you broke up with Brody and started dating his friend?”
Sofia nodded. “Simon was nicer,” she explained. “Brody could be such a monster, and Simon took care of me. He’s still taking care of me. He drove all the way up here to bring me my babies.” Sofia walked to Simon’s car and opened the back door. Two poodle puppies jumped out and started licking Sofia’s legs. “I had to leave them behind when I skipped town,” she said. “Simon promised to bring the puppies to me, and here they are. He’s the best.”
Simon beamed at Sofia. “Anything for you, my love,” he said, pushing past Meghan to plant a hard, long kiss on Sofia’s lips. “I knew that Brody was a threat to her safety, and I encouraged her to come here to hide out. I can’t believe he found her already. He was horrible to her, and he nearly sank our business. Now, I’m here to stay. I’m going to keep my woman safe, and nothing bad is ever going to happen to her again.”
Meghan heard Jack’s footsteps, and she turned to face him. “Jack,” she said.
“Everything okay over here?” Jack said in an authoritative voice. “You were driving erratically for several miles, Sofia, and I’m concerned.”
Sofia shook her head. “I was just excited to see my puppies and my boyfriend.”
Jack frowned as he stared at Simon. “You didn’t mention a boyfriend when you were interviewed at the station,” he said flatly. “Were you intentionally keeping that from us, or did you just forget?”
Sofia rolled her eyes. “I don’t need any more attitude from you. I don’t have to answer any of your questions without my lawyer present. Simon, let’s get out of here.” Sofia and Simon picked up the two puppies and settled into Simon’s black car.
“Well then,” Jack said as Sofia and Simon sped out of the parking garage. “This certainly makes things interesting.”
8
Jack was quiet as he drove back toward town, and Meghan could sense the tension between them.
“Why are you mad?” Meghan asked. “What did I do?”
Jack frowned at Meghan, his blue eyes flashing with anger. “You put us both in jeopardy, Meghan. You ran out of the car before I could assess the situation. You could have been hurt. I could have gotten hurt trying to save you.”
Meghan shrugged. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I was just excited that we found Sofia, and I thought that man was trying to hurt her. I didn’t know Simon was her boyfriend. She’s Karen’s daughter, Jack.”
Jack shook his head. “She’s a murder suspect, Meghan,” he glowered. “It wasn’t your place to run over there before I had given you a directive. And what were you thinking by talking to Simon? He’s a suspect now, too. You’ve sullied the investigation with your meddling. I shouldn’t have let you help. This was a mistake.”
Meghan burned with shame and anger. She knew that she had been wrong to jump into the situation before Jack had given her instructions, but she also didn’t appreciate Jack’s condescending tone. She was an intelligent, competent adult woman, and she didn’t like being spoken to as if she were a petulant child.
“Just let me out of here,” she said coldly as Jack passed the large, wooden WELCOME TO SANDY BAY sign.
“Absolutely not,” he replied. “With a murderer on the loose, the last thing I’m going to do is dump you in the middle of the road, Meghan. Give me a little more credit.”
Meghan crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I just want to solve this thing and give Karen some peace of mind,” she said quietly, fighting the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “It’s been so hard on her to have Sofia here, and she was so upset when Brody made a scene at Winston’s.”
Jack gritted his teeth. “I know,” he said. “Meghan, I know you’re worried about Karen, but I have to be honest with you. We’re keeping an eye on her.”
Meghan’s mouth fell open. “What?”
Jack nodded. “She allegedly gave Sofia sleeping pills, and then she couldn’t be found for hours on the morning of the murder.”
Meghan shook her head. “She was at the gym.” she insisted.
Jack shrugged. “I haven’t been able to find any witnesses to corroborate her story. According to Karen, she was at the gym at a quiet hour, but until I find someone who saw her….And, think about it, Meghan, Karen’s life has always been about Karen, and now, Sofia and her troubles are here. It just seems like Karen has more of a motive than you’d like to admit….”
“That is enough of this conversation, Jack,” she said. “Drop me off now.”
Jack bit his upper lip. “I can’t do that,” he said. “I’m scheduled to interview Winston again in ten minutes. You’re going to have to come to the station with me and give information about Simon, anyway.”
At the station, Jack led Meghan to a small, dimly-lit room. There was a large window in the middle of the wall, and Meghan could see Winston sitting alone in the next room.
“He can’t see you,” Jack said to Meghan. “Just wait here. This shouldn’t take long. I need to speak with him, and then you can talk with me, or someone else, about what you saw in the parking garage.”
Jack walked out of the room, and Meghan watched as he entered the dimly-lit room where Winston sat. Meghan could see Winston was nervous; he was rocking back and forth in his chair, and he couldn’t keep his fingers out of his mouth.
“Winston,” Jack began. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell me about the night you and Brody fought at your bar?”
Winston shook his head. Meghan saw his body shaking. Winston wasn’t making eye contact with Jack.
“Winston?”
Winston looked up at Jack. “I told you, Officer Irvin. When that man left my bar in ruins, I was angry, but not angry enough to kill him. I went upstairs and went to bed.”
Jack frowned. “Is there anyone who can prove that you were in bed, as you said?”
Winston lowered his head. “My wife has been gone for a few years now, Jack,” he said. “You know that. I live alone. I don’t know who else could prove it.”
Jack nodded. “Well, the reports from the lab have come back, and it looks like the guns we confiscated were not the murder weapon. Chief Nunan and I have talked, and you are free to go home.”
Winston’s face broke into a smile. “Really?”
Jack nodded. “We’ll need you to stay in town for the time being, but yes, you can go home.”
Winston raised his hands toward the sky. “Thank Heavens! This place has been terrible.”
Jack raised a finger. “Just a moment though,” he said, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small, golden gun. Meghan’s eyes widened.
“We found this under your bed in our last search,” Jack said. “Anything we need to know about this gun before we send it off for testing?”
Winston shook his head. “That’s an antique,” he said. “It’s an ex
pensive one, Officer. I take good care of that gun.”
Jack nodded. “Well, I’ll hold onto it and send it off. You can get on out of here. Take care, Winston.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. Jack walked back into the room where she had had been waiting.
“That was the gun, Jack! That was the same type of gun that Sofia had.”
Jack’s mouth turned downward into a frown. “That’s what I was afraid of,” he said. “Those golden guns are a rare collector’s item. From what I can tell from the autopsy report, the bullets in Brody’s body had to have come from one of those golden guns. There are only a few hundred in the entire world, Meghan. They’re rare. And between Sofia and Winston, there just happen to be two in Sandy Bay right now….
Meghan gasped. “Why did you let Winston go?”
Jack sighed. “Chief Nunan gave me the order. She said that we didn’t have enough evidence to hold him. His alibi is shaky; no one can vouch for his whereabouts, and I have a feeling that he is our prime suspect, but I can only do so much, and when my boss says to let him go, it’s what I have to do.”
Meghan grimaced. “Winston is out, and Sofia is on the loose? This isn’t good, Jack. What are we going to do?”
Jack looked down at his shoes and took a long, deep breath. “I think you’ve done enough today, Meghan,” he said flatly. “We aren’t going to do anything. I think you need to back off, Meghan. I’m worried that if you don’t leave this mess alone, you’re going to get hurt.”
9
The next afternoon, Meghan was surprised to see a missed call from Jack. Things had been so heated between them the day before, and she was not in the mood to be lectured again. Thinking about the murder case, however, Meghan dialed him back. Jack answered on the first ring.
“I need to talk to you,” he said. “Can I come over?”
“Sure,” Meghan said coldly. “Whatever.”
Less than five minutes later, Jack was knocking on the door of Truly Sweet. Meghan let him in, and was happy to see that he had brought Dash with him.
“What do you need?” she asked, seeing Jack’s concerned face.
“Meghan,” he began. “Sorry if I was a jerk yesterday. I’m under a lot of pressure right now, and it just scared me to think about you getting hurt.”
Meghan’s heart warmed at his admission; he had been worried about her, and Meghan could hardly keep the smile off of her face. She couldn’t help being good-natured, and she shrugged as she gestured Jack into the bakery.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I understand. I was stupid and shouldn't have put us in danger.”
Jack sighed. “I’m going to be honest with you, Meghan,” he said. “This case is difficult. I have a prime suspect, Winston, but I have several other suspicious people in the mix. I know I snapped at you yesterday, but I think I need your help. You’ve been in the middle of so much here, and I think your experiences might come in handy as I sift through this disaster of a situation.”
As Meghan opened her mouth to speak, Winston burst into the bakery. “Meghan! Officer Irvin! Good to see you both.”
Jack placed a hand firmly on the holster holding his gun, and Meghan stepped behind him.
“What can I do for you, Winston?” Jack asked. Meghan tugged on Dash’s leash and pulled him close to her.
“I wanted to bring an invitation to Meghan.” Winston exclaimed.
“An invitation?” Jack asked as Winston nodded.
“To the grand opening. I’m opening an antique gun dealership, and the opening is on Friday.”
Jack could hardly contain his shock. “Winston,” he said slowly. “You were let out of jail, but you do realize that we have not yet caught our murderer? Consider the aesthetics of opening a gun dealership the week you were released from jail after having your own guns tested for a murder.”
Winston frowned at Jack. “Officer,” Winston began. “I’m getting too old for the bar scene, and opening the antique gun dealership has always been my dream. My wife and I spent years saving our pennies for this, and I’m not going to let some ruffian who cost me a fortune in repairs for the bar, ruin my grand opening.”
Jack shook his head. “I think you should reconsider, Winston,” he said slowly.
“Officer, I know that you all think that I had something to do with the murder, but I didn’t.” Winston insisted. “I’ve always owned guns. Always! I’ve collected them, bought them, sold them, shown them, and used them to hunt animals. That nasty fellow who came into my bar and caused a scene? I had nothing to do with that, and proceeding with the grand opening will help show the people of Sandy Bay that I have nothing to hide.”
Winston tossed a red and white invitation on the counter and stormed out.
Jack sank down into one of Meghan’s little white iron chairs. “This is outrageous,” he said. “Now I have a prime murder suspect who is opening a gun dealership on the week he was held for a gunshot murder? I don’t have words for this, Meghan. I’m losing it, here.”
Meghan softly placed a hand on Jack’s muscled shoulder. “Hey,” she said, stroking his arm. “I’ll help you. I’m on your side, Jack. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I’m just sure of it.”
Later that afternoon, Meghan was shocked when Sofia sauntered into Truly Sweet.
“Sofia!” Meghan exclaimed. “Hey!”
Sofia sat down and pointed at the chair next to her. “Sit, Meghan. Let’s talk, woman to woman.”
Meghan obediently sat down.
“We need to talk,” she said. “I can tell that you think I had something to do with Brody’s death, and I want you to know the truth. There’s something I need to say, and I think you’re the only one who is going to listen to me.”
10
Meghan leaned closer to Sofia and braced herself for what she was about to hear. Ever since she had met Sofia, it had been a rollercoaster of emotions as she discovered more and more about her.
“What is it, Sofia?” she asked, her dark eyes wide.
“I need to tell you about Brody,” Sofia said. “Simon is a good man, and he treated me well, but I never stopped loving Brody. Even when I left town, I secretly hoped that Brody would find me and steal me away. I loved him, Meghan. He was mi amor.”
Meghan clenched her jaw. “But Simon was your boyfriend. You told us that, Sofia.”
Sofia shrugged. “The heart wants what it wants, and my heart always wanted Brody. I didn’t kill him, Meghan. You have to believe me.”
Meghan leaned her head to the side and sighed. “I don’t know what to believe anymore, Sofia,” she said.
Sofia nodded. “Believe me. I loved Brody. That’s what I wanted to tell you. I loved him with all of my heart.”
Meghan rolled her eyes. “So, what about Simon, huh?”
Sofia bit her lip. “I liked him and his calm and measured approach to life was a welcome relief from what I experienced with Brody. Now, after the last few days together, I feel like I’m really falling for him. He drove my puppies across the country to be with me, and he’s so strong and sweet. I think I’m going to stay with him.”
“Meghan!”
Meghan turned to see Mrs. Sheridan walking into the bakery. “I came for that refund. Do you have my money?”
Meghan groaned. “This isn’t a good time, Mrs. Sheridan,” she said, trying to be polite to the elderly woman.
Mrs. Sheridan glared at Meghan. “I don’t care what time it is for you, but it’s time I got my money back.”
Meghan reluctantly walked to the cash register and removed a five-dollar bill. She pressed it into Mrs. Sheridan’s outstretched hand. “Here,” she said. “For you.”
Mrs. Sheridan smiled as she tucked the money into the pink fanny pack around her thick waist. “About time. Good. Those cookies were rotten!”
Meghan inhaled. “I hope next time Truly Sweet can provide better service for you,” she said through gritted teeth. “So sorry for the inconvenience.”
Mrs. Sheridan hobbled to the door. J
ust before she stepped across the threshold of the bakery, she turned to address Meghan. “Say, you going to Winston’s opening tomorrow?”
Meghan shook her head. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. “There’s a lot going on right now, and I think I’m going to sit it out.”
Mrs. Sheridan scowled. “There will be freebies there. Door prizes. Your loss, I guess.”
Meghan sank back into her seat as Mrs. Sheridan slowly walked out. “Good riddance,” she muttered. “Sorry,” she said, looking at Sofia. “That was unkind. I’m sorry I said that.”