Mia nodded toward the kitchen. “Coffee’s fresh.”
“Thanks,” I said, heading over to get some.
“You were out late. Did you have fun?”
I paused for a moment to consider my answer. What I wanted to say was ‘Not in the slightest,’ but that response would likely take us down a conversational road and away from what was really important. As I was reconsidering, Mia read my non-answer in a way I hadn’t intended.
“Oh no. You’re not going to tell me you were home early again, are you?” She sounded like she was trying to be funny, but when I glanced at her, her smile was strained and forced.
There was something going on. I needed to ask her about it. But it would have to wait.
“No, nothing like that,” I said quickly, trying to reassure her. “And, no, ‘fun’ is not the word I would use for what happened last night.”
“What? Did you and Daniel have a fight or something?”
“I wish it were that simple.” I took my coffee and carried it to the table to sit next to her. “Ellen is dead.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Ellen is dead,” I said again.
“Are you sure?”
“Very.”
She sat very still, processing what I said. “What happened? How do you know? Was Daniel called in? Is that how you know?”
I took a deep breath. “I know because I was the one who found her body.”
Her jaw fell open. “What?!? How did that happen? You were with Daniel.”
I shook my head. “No, I lied about that. I ... okay, it’s too confusing, unless I start at the beginning.”
I told her everything—Gwyn, the emails, the dark figure, the truck, the meeting that wasn’t, and everything that happened after.
“So Gwyn thinks she’s being stalked? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Well, for one, you’ve been working so much, we haven’t had a lot of time to chat.”
Mia inclined her head. “That’s true.”
“And another, it all happened so fast. It went from being a weird, one-off voicemail on Gwyn’s phone to an actual thing, just like that. Which reminds me, why on earth is Gwyn working at a nursery? I thought she was a teacher.”
“I don’t know why you thought that. She’s actually a photographer.”
I did a double take. “A photographer?”
“Yeah. Well, she does teach photography at the local college. She teaches Sunday School too, now that I think about it.”
“So, she’s doing a lot of odd jobs, then.”
“Basically.” Mia smiled slightly. “Honestly, I thought that was part of the reason Daniel fell for her. In that sense, she sort of reminds me of you.”
“Of me?”
“Yeah. She’s an artist, like you. Loves to garden, hence the job at the nursery. She’s creative. Not really locked into a straight-forward career. That sort of thing.”
“That probably explains why I saw her at A Good Yarn buying matte boards.”
“Yeah, she’s there a lot. Always picking up supplies for herself or her students.”
“There’s one mystery solved.”
Mia snorted. “One of about two hundred. And not even the most interesting one, at that. What I want to know is why you would have gone by yourself to meet some stranger. Didn’t you think it was dangerous?”
“It was a public place, so honestly, I thought I was safe. And, besides, I thought I knew.”
“Knew ...”
“Who was behind the emails. And the stalking.”
Mia’s eyes went wide. “Who?”
“Louise.”
“Louise?”
“Or someone close to her,” I amended.
“You thought Louise was sending you emails?”
“No, I thought Louise was the one stalking Gwyn.”
“What?”
I slumped over. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything. Not until I had proof.”
“But I don’t understand. Why would Louise stalk Gwyn?”
“To get rid of me.”
Mia shook her head. “I’m not following.”
“At the memorial service. You heard Louise. She wants to get rid of the evil in this town. In other words, me.”
“But Louise would never hurt you,” Mia protested. “Yeah, I heard what she said, but she’s just grieving. She finally knows the truth—that Jessica is never coming back. That has to be a blow.”
“Are you sure she’d never hurt me? I’m not talking physically, but there are other ways to hurt a person.”
Mia paused. “I guess ... I hadn’t really thought about it like that.”
“So, just consider it,” I pressed. “She wants me to leave Redemption. That seems pretty clear. So, if you wanted someone to leave, what would you do?”
“I ... I don’t know,” Mia said.
I leaned forward. “Well, what about ruining her reputation?”
Mia stared at me, the light slowly dawning in her eyes.
“What better way to get rid of me then to set me up as some sort of psycho stalker?” I continued. “I mean, think about it, if you thought I was capable of harassing Gwyn like that, wouldn’t you move out? Wouldn’t you stop being my friend?”
Mia cocked her head to the side. “Well, when you put it like that ...”
“Daniel would most certainly break up with me. He’s a cop dedicated to upholding the law. How could he justify being with someone who was breaking it? I also can’t see Daphne wanting to have anything to do with me. So, with no friends or ties, why wouldn’t I leave?”
“Okay, I see where you’re going with this. But that doesn’t explain the emails. Louise wouldn’t be emailing you.”
“No, not her. I thought it was CB.”
Mia looked bewildered. “CB? But he’s in jail. How would he even know what was happening here?”
“I figured he had a friend in town telling him, or something. And I thought he might know Louise was capable of this, because Brittany might have said something while he had her.”
“Well, I guess that all makes sense. In a weird way.”
“That’s why I thought I was basically safe,” I said. “I mean, even if Louise is trying to drive me out of town, I agree with you about her being incapable of physically harming anyone, even me. And CB wouldn’t hurt me. Especially if he was the one behind the emails. So why would he be reaching out unless he was trying to help?”
“I guess. Still seems to me like you took a pretty big risk.”
“At the time, it seemed like the obvious choice,” I said. “I had to do something to keep my reputation from being ruined. And this seemed safe enough. Of course, now we know differently.”
Mia shivered, running her hands up and down her arms. “And you think he’s following you? Whoever led you to Ellen?”
I raised my hands up. “That’s how it appears.”
“Do you recognize him?”
I shook my head. “No. Actually, to be honest, I never got much of a look. Just glimpses of a figure … like a dark shadow following me.”
“That’s really creepy.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Do you think he’s followed you here?” Her eyes widened.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never seen the truck here.”
“But the footsteps,” Mia said. “And Oscar.”
We stared at each other, horror blossoming between us.
The night Oscar had uncharacteristically hissed was the same night I thought I heard the click of a closing door … the same night I thought I saw a shadow in the yard.
Until that moment, I hadn’t put all the pieces together.
Had he been inside the house?
“We checked the locks,” I said through nu
mb lips. “We checked the house. There was no sign anyone had been in here.”
“I heard footsteps again last night,” Mia said, her face white, emphasizing the dark circles under her eyes. I was reminded again about her not sleeping and a jab of guilt hit me. If she wasn’t living here, she likely wouldn’t be under so much stress. Although, if she wasn’t living here, she wouldn’t be able to cut her hours back when school started, so maybe the stress level would have been the same either way. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to add to her fear.
“It was probably me,” I said. “I got home late.”
Mia pressed her lips together. “I think we should install an alarm system. And maybe change the locks while we’re at it.”
“I’m sure it was me last night,” I said, unclear as to whether I was reassuring myself or my friend. “I walked around after I got home checking things.” Thinking back, I realized I had only checked that the doors were locked—not the windows. I had also paced around peering through windows and trying to see the backyard. Was anything there? Had anything ever been there?
Was anything there now?
“Even so,” Mia said. “I think it would be smart to put in an alarm system. And change the locks.”
“You’re right,” I said, as I mentally checked my bank account. The picture wasn’t pretty. “Any idea how much it costs for an alarm system? Maybe we can start with the locks.”
“I’ll pay for it,” Mia said immediately. “You can pay me back.”
“But ...”
“It’s fine,” Mia said shortly. “I know you’re good for it. Besides, it’s still cheaper than paying rent.”
“Okay,” I said as my phone buzzed. “Thanks. I’ll start making a few phone calls today.”
“Call Redemption Lock and Key,” Mia said. “It’s a father-and-son shop. They’ve lived here for years. They may be able to help with recommendations for the alarm system, too.”
“Done,” I said, reaching for my phone as I heard a text notification.
It was my mother. When can we expect you?
My hands went from cold to hot. Sweaty, actually. I wiped them off on my yoga pants.
I was going to have to tell my mother what was going on.
The doorbell rang. Both of us froze, and I knew Mia was thinking the same thing I was—what if it’s Ellen’s killer? Had he followed me home after all?
Mia stared at me, her eyes wide. “Expecting someone?”
“I ... ah ...” Then I remembered. “It’s probably the cops,” I said. “They said they’d be by today to pick up my computer.”
Mia briefly closed her eyes, letting her breath out in a huff. I decided to prioritize the alarm system installation and lock change. I’d figure out how to pay Mia back for it later, especially if I ended up selling the house.
Maybe, I mused as I went to answer the door, I could simply let Mia live here, rent free, until she graduated. After all, if I went home to New York, I wouldn’t need the money right away. I’d have an already-paid-for apartment and a job. With an alarm system and new locks, Mia would feel safe. Plus, without me there, she was bound to feel even safer.
One thing at a time, I told myself, as the doorbell rang again. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I muttered to myself. I’d deal with the cops first. Then my mother.
I opened the door.
“Took you long enough,” Daniel said.
Chapter 16
“I ... uh,” I stammered. “You’re not the cop I was expecting.”
He smiled, but there was no humor behind it. “And which one were you expecting?” He wore the same outfit he had on the night before—faded jeans and a white tee shirt. His hair was mussed, and his face was dark with stubble. I wondered if he had slept at all.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Are you here to pick up my computer?”
He shot me a look. “I’m here because we need to talk. Are you going to let me in?”
“Oh, sure,” I said, backing away from the door. “Coffee?”
“God, yes,” he said, following me to the kitchen. “Oh, hey, Mia.”
“Morning, Daniel,” she said. “Nice to see a friendly face.”
“Maybe not so friendly,” he said darkly, staring at me.
Uh oh. “I’ll get your coffee,” I said quickly, as Mia grabbed her cup and stood up. “I’m going to go ... get ready,” she said. “Becca, let me know about the alarm system.”
Daniel raised his eyebrow at me as I handed him his coffee. “Alarm system?”
“As Mia has correctly pointed out, someone who is at least involved with Ellen’s death is following me around. I think it’s prudent to get an alarm system installed and the locks changed.”
Daniel sipped his coffee. “‘Prudent,’ you say. Well, I guess it’s better late than never to be prudent about your safety.”
I sighed. “You’re angry with me.”
“Now why on earth would you think that?” he asked. “Being blindsided by the woman you thought was becoming your girlfriend in the middle of the night is certainly nothing to get angry about.”
I blinked stupidly at him. “You want me to be your girlfriend?”
Daniel’s eyes went wide. “Are you kidding me? That’s what you took away from what I just said?”
“Well, uh, it’s just I didn’t think we’d progressed that far,” I mumbled.
Daniel put his coffee down on the table and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Becca, do you understand how much trouble you’re in right now? You found a dead body. In the middle of the night. In the middle of nowhere. And you have this, this uncorroborated, bizarre story about how you ended up there!”
“But the story is true.”
“But it doesn’t sound true,” Daniel said. “It sounds crazy.”
“Wait a minute,” I said slowly. “Are you saying I’m seriously suspected of killing Ellen?”
“Right now, what I’m saying is you’re the only suspect,” Daniel said.
“Oh my God.” My knees started shaking and I jerkily lowered myself into a chair. “Oh my God. Seriously?”
Daniel ran his hands roughly through his hair and sat down as well. “Seriously.”
“But ... what do I do?”
“We need to find some proof to corroborate your story,” he said grimly. “Did anyone else see this figure following you ever? Like Mia or Daphne? Or even Chrissy?”
I shook my head.
“What about the truck?”
“No.”
“Did you tell anyone about what you were seeing? Before last night?”
I slumped in my chair. “No.”
“How about the emails? Did you tell anyone about the emails?”
“No.”
“Did you get out of the car at all last night? Walk over to the trunk?”
“No! I told you, I drove away and called you.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Becca, if they find any of your DNA or fingerprints by that trunk ...”
“I already told you, I didn’t go near it,” I said, struggling to keep the ragged edges of my temper in check. I forced myself to take a deep breath. He has a right to be miffed, I told myself. “There was no way I was getting out of my car by then.”
“Okay,” he said, but it didn’t sound like he completely believed me. “Is there anything else you aren’t telling me?”
I stared into my coffee. “You don’t trust me.”
“I could say the same to you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly at the end. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“No, it wasn’t like that,” I said. “I just told you, I didn’t tell anyone.”
“But I’m not anyone,” he burst out. “I thought ... well it doesn’t matter what I thought, I guess.”
He picked up his cup and angled his face away from me, but not
before I saw the hurt etched there. My anger dissolved, leaving me feeling sick.
“It wasn’t ... I didn’t ...” I stopped and tried again. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you,” I said.
“Then why wouldn’t you tell me? I’m a cop, for God’s sake.”
“And that’s why!”
He shook his head, refusing to meet my eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Look, I knew you were talking to Gwyn,” I said. “Or Gwyn was talking to you.”
He glanced up, surprised. “Are you saying you were jealous?”
I squirmed. “Not ... well, maybe a little,” I admitted. “I saw you two talking at the memorial service.”
He looked puzzled. “Talking to Gwyn? I don’t remember that.”
“It was after the service,” I said. “I was in line to leave the church. You were in the lobby.”
Daniel’s face cleared. “Oh, yeah I guess we did talk then.”
“And, after all that happened with Louise, and her clearly wanting me to leave Redemption, I don’t know.” I rubbed my face with my hands. “I guess I was worried you might start to believe I was actually capable of stalking Gwyn.”
He started shaking his head. “You really think so little of me.”
“It’s not that,” I blurted out. “I thought they would wear you down.”
“Wear me down?”
I raised my hands helplessly. “Just ... everything. Louise. Gwyn. Other people who didn’t want me here. I thought they would just keep at you and at you until,” my voice dropped as I struggled to keep my tears from falling, “until it was easier to believe them than me.”
Daniel ran his hands through his hair roughly. “Oh God, Becca. You’re focusing too much on a few negative people. There are a lot of people here who don’t want you to leave, who think Louise is just stuck in the past. That has made her bitter and vengeful.”
I raised a hand to stop him. “That may be true,” I said. “But I’m trying to explain why I didn’t tell you. I thought if I could just get proof, then all of this would be fine.”
The Evil That Was Done (Secrets of Redemption Book 3) Page 14