A few moments later, they found blood stains in the snow, and then the large, unmoving form of Demsey not much further beyond. He’d reached a tree, clutching it around the base like he was holding a teddy bear and tears frozen on his cheeks. Abby came up and held a sobbing Gloria as Lanie pulled out her radio, talking into it quickly.
Suddenly the snow didn’t look so picturesque.
Chapter 16
“It’s all my fault!” Gloria wailed into her hands as she sat on the couch in her living room. “Why did I let him go out for a walk? What was I thinking!?”
Abby just rubbed Gloria’s back, not answering. To be honest, she couldn’t disagree. That had been the whole point of Gloria coming to them in the first place, was that she thought Demsey and she had been stalked and their house had been broken into. Clearly Demsey had been in every bit of danger that Gloria had thought, but now it was too late. Demsey Danson was dead.
Despite her thoughts, Abby didn’t voice her opinion and just gave as much silent support as she could to the teary-eyed woman. No matter what the reason, Gloria had lost her cousin and the person she’d been responsible for. Clearly, she was torn up.
Lanie, Sheriff Pearson, and the two other deputies were out with the body and the county coroner. After the police had arrived, they’d been told to go back to the house and stay there until someone came to talk to them. Abby was more than happy to do so, even with the dolls staring at her.
Gloria had reached for yet another tissue, blowing her nose loudly when the sheriff came in from the outside. Abby looked over, watching as the slender man stomped his feet, knocking the snow off and then closing the back door.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Sanborn,” the sheriff said as he sat down, folding his hands in his lap as he watched them both.
“I’m so sorry,” Gloria replied softly, blowing her nose. “I just can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know, ma’am. Do you think you might be able to talk about it? I’m sorry to have to ask, but the more we know the earlier, the better.”
Gloria sniffed, her eyes red and puffy as she looked at the sheriff and nodded slowly. “Okay. Yes, I can do this. Go ahead and ask your questions, sheriff.”
“Thanks,” the sheriff said, pulling out his notepad and pencil. “Do you remember what time Demsey left the house? Did you hear anything odd after he’d left? Gunshots?”
Gloria narrowed her eyes as she thought back on the morning. “I think it was just after eight. Dad’s alarm had just gone off, and as usual, he was sleeping through it. It irritated Demsey, so he told me he was going out by the creek and I let him go. Lanie and Abby were supposed to come by at eight-thirty, so I figured that would work well. He was still jumpy from the last time the police had been here, and I hoped it would settle him. We didn’t hear anything, but I had the TV turned up.” Gloria’s face froze, and then fell again as she sobbed. “Why was I such an idiot. I was just thinking about keeping him quiet, not his safety!”
“Calm down, Gloria,” the sheriff said. “I take it he’d been down at the creek a thousand times. I know it won’t help, but it makes sense for things like that to happen. We get into habits. It happens.”
“But Demsey is dead!” Gloria answered before burying herself into her tissue again.
The sheriff sighed and leaned back, folding up his notebook. It was clear he wasn’t going to get any more out of Gloria. She was beating herself up too much, and wrestling with the sudden shock and grief. Instead, he looked at Abby with an unreadable expression. Abby just returned his gaze levelly. Anything she said now would just probably trigger a lecture, so she waited until he spoke first.
“Well, looks like you’re here in the middle of this thing, aren’t you?” the sheriff half-asked, but there was clearly an element of statement to what he’d said. “At least the snow was here. It allowed us to rule out anyone from the house, since the tracks never came close to here.”
“Where did the tracks go? Or come from?” Abby asked quietly as she continued to rub Gloria’s back.
The sheriff pursed his lips and Abby didn’t think he was going to answer at first, but he surprised her. “Back deeper into the forest. We found a place where someone had set up a hide. I don’t know exactly how long they’d been there, but by how stomped down it looked, it had to have been for a few days. I’m guessing they saw Demsey, and then just took advantage of him being outside and alone.”
Abby looked up, staring at the sheriff as it dawned on her that someone had been lying in wait like some sort of cat at a mouse hole. “So, someone was out there in the cold waiting for some opportunity? It had to have been those men that tried to break in earlier.”
The sheriff shrugged. “No way to tell, but they are our prime suspects. I’ve been working on getting a warrant for the hotel where those men have been staying in and unfortunately have been getting a lot of…interference. Now, the judge won’t have a choice. I’ll most likely be heading out there later today.” The man slapped his knees and stood up, preparing to go back outside.
“Are we free to go, sheriff?” Abby asked. She planned on staying with Gloria for a while longer, not trusting the woman to be on her own after such a tragedy.
“Yep,” Sheriff Pearson said. “Keep checking in with Lanie or myself, though. I’m thinking things aren’t over yet, and I’m highly worried about Samantha Green, now. I’ve been having a heck of a time getting information out of the prison or the hospital.” At Abby’s questioning glance, he gave her a look saying she’d understand. “Like I said before, Interference. If your lawyer friend can get anything out of them, I’d be eternally grateful if you’d keep me in the loop. I’m not too proud to ask. In the meantime, you’re free to go.”
He let out a few wet coughs, covering his mouth before heading back outside. Abby watched him go, not liking the sound at all but dismissing it as she went back to consoling Gloria. If he had a cold, he was a big boy and could take care of himself.
“What am I going to do?” Gloria said softly, finally looking up from her tissue.
Abby frowned at her friend but firmed her resolve. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, and we’re going to find Demsey’s murderer, that’s what.”
She just wished she knew how.
Chapter 17
After leaving Gloria’s house, Abby made her way to her car and called Gabe to let him know everything that had been going on. At the end, she was in tears as she described finding Demsey cold form leaning up against the tree with a look of terror and fear on his face.
“Are you sure you can drive, Abby?” Gabe asked carefully. “I think you need to stay there and let me come get you.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” she said. “I’ll meet you at Becky’s café. I can make it that far.”
“Okay, I’m leaving now,” Gabe answered. “I love you, stay safe.”
Abby sniffled a reply, hanging up and then took a deep breath before starting her car. She made her way carefully back into town and then parked on the street outside of Becky’s café without even noticing the beauty of the tree-lined lane covered with snow.
She decided to stay in her car rather than go in, not really wanting company right now. She loved her friend Becky, but didn’t think she could relate the story again. At least, not now. A few minutes later, Gabe’s massive truck pulled up behind her and he came bounding out almost tripping on the snow before making his way to the driver’s side of the PT Cruiser and opening the door.
Abby fell into his arms as he reached out for her, whispering into her ear as she cried. “It’s okay, Abby, I’m here now.”
They stayed like that for a few minutes before Abby got control of herself, finally looking up into Gabe’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Gabe,” she said. “I was doing okay until I called you.”
“Don’t worry,” Gabe said while helping Abby out of her car. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
They drove in silence with Abby’s hand curled around Gabe’s and le
aning against his shoulder. She let it go when he needed it, but immediately trapped it back when she could. They rode in silence for the short time it took to get to the bridge. Abby was just beginning to relax when she realized there were a few cars parked in front of their house. None of which she recognized.
Both of them tensed, looking at the small group of people standing on the porch and Hazel looking out through the screen with a disapproving frown on her face.
“What’s going on?” Abby asked as Gabe’s truck rolled to a stop. She got out with Gabe, and recognized three of the people that turned around. Rachel and Rick Clawson were standing next to Ruby Anderson and another man who was carrying a briefcase.
The man she didn’t recognize had a weaselly, narrow face. Abby thought he was either an accountant or a lawyer but his identity was confirmed Ruby said “that’s her” to him, and he pulled out some paperwork, walking toward her with a purpose.
Gabe began to step in front of her, but Abby put her hand on his arm and shook her head at him, letting the man close.
“Mrs. Abby Morgan?” the man asked in a robot voice. When she nodded, he pushed the pile of papers into her and continued. “You’ve been served.”
Abby didn’t even look down at the paperwork. Instead, she glanced at the triumphant faces of Rachel and Ruby who were acting like she’d just been caught stealing from a bank. Rick was standing behind them wearing some sort of brown uniform and jacket. It looked like a security guard uniform but Abby couldn’t tell anything other than it wasn’t a police uniform. “Can I ask what this is about?”
She addressed the question to Ruby and Rachel but it was the small man that answered. “It’s all in the paperwork, Mrs. Morgan. Please read it through carefully and address any questions to the county courts. If you can afford a lawyer, they will be able to advise you.”
By his smarmy smile, the little man didn’t think they could and didn’t seem bothered by that at all. Rachel reinforced that by laughing. “They can’t afford a lawyer, Mr. Beemier. Everyone knows they are just holding on by their fingernails. Their house has been up for auction twice in the past few years.”
Abby saw Hazel’s eyes flash, but she didn’t respond otherwise. Abby struggled to keep a smile from her face, instead schooling her emotions and simply staring back at Rachel. “I’ll read it later, why don’t you just tell me instead.”
“Samanth…” Rachel began in a screech, but was cut off when Ruby stepped forward and gave Rachel a dangerous look, making her go quiet. Then and there, Abby could see the full snake that Ruby was.
“Rachel’s daughter has been distraught since you visited her. Clearly your presence caused her injury and set back her treatment,” Ruby said, giving Abby a cold look. “We’re not inclined to let you get away with that. I’m afraid your constant interference in our town finally caught up with you. Next time I hope you’ll think twice before deciding you know best.”
Abby could feel the blood pulse up through her face and her teeth actually made a sound as she ground them together. “You think I caused her distress? Are you even aware that she thinks she’s being stalked?”
“Do you mean that idiocy about Buck being killed?” Ruby scoffed. “Buck was a waste of humanity. That was nothing more than him getting his due in some scuffle. It was a mistake for anyone to tell her that happened. Now her imagination is running wild. No one is stalking Samantha. If you encouraged Samantha in this in your visit, it’s no wonder that she’s hysterical.”
Abby shook her head. “Do you know that strange men have been visiting her and asking her questions? Or that Demsey was killed this morning.”
The bombshell fell on the conversation like a passenger jet crashing into the middle of a city. Everyone blinked, staring at Abby as if she’d grown a second head. It was Hazel that broke the tension, the front screen door creaking as she opened it. “Demsey is dead? Oh dear!”
Abby nodded slowly, continuing to stare at Ruby whose self-satisfied smile had soured into grim, half-disbelieving grimace. “Yes, he was behind his house at the creek. Someone chased him down and shot him.” Abby paused, then looked over at Rachel. “He’s dead. So that’s Buck and now Demsey. Guess who’s next, except I’m sure it’s just her imagination.”
Rachel, despite her distaste for her daughter, actually blanched though Rick remained his usual, glum self. Ruby sniffed, then marched off the stairs without another word, forcing the other three to follow. They climbed into their cars and before Abby knew it, they drove out of sight, leaving her holding a bunch of unwanted paperwork.
Thankfully, Gabe took it out of her hands and put his arm around her, guiding her inside to a warm cup of tea. It had been a very long day, and the paperwork could wait until tomorrow. If it weren’t for all the deaths, she was almost looking forward to her discussion with Robert Carrington.
Chapter 18
The next morning Abby and Gabe were sitting at the kitchen table while Hazel made blueberry pancakes. She was just grabbing another helping when her phone buzzed lightly on the table. Picking it up, she blinked as she saw Robert Carrington’s name before answering.
“Good morning, Abby,” Robert said slowly, clearly leading up to something.
Abby covered the phone before answering, mouthing the word Robert to Gabe before turning her attention back to the phone. “Robert! Good morning. How are you today?”
“I’m doing well,” Robert said followed by the sounds of paperwork in the background. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone filed a lawsuit against you in the past few days.”
“I just found about that last night,” Abby said. “In fact, I was going to call you after breakfast. I had the delightful experience of being served yesterday by a Mr. Beemier and an accompanying group of the Clawsons.”
“Ah,” Robert said with a slight chuckle. “Well, I’m glad I wasn’t the one that broke the news to you. However, I don’t want you to worry too much. Mr. Beemier clearly isn’t as good as he thinks he is, nor, I suspect, does he think another lawyer would have anything to do with this case. If I were a guessing man, he thinks he’s just taking money from the Clawsons and really doesn’t believe this case has any merit. He’s made a number of mistakes, but it may open an opportunity for us.”
“Opportunity?” Abby asked, leaning back into her chair. “What sort of opportunity? Also, can I put you on speaker phone? Gabe and Hazel are here as well.”
“Yes, you may,” Robert said, waiting for a few minutes for Abby to put him on speaker before continuing. “Well, because of our friend, Mr. Beemier’s action, he’s opened up the question of how Samantha has been treated. I can use this not only to defeat his motion, but turn it back on them and replace Samantha’s guardian.”
Abby paused, looking up at Gabe and then Hazel. “That would allow us to talk to her, right?” she asked. “I think we need to talk to her, because someone killed Demsey Danson this morning.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Robert continued, clearly taken aback by the statement. “Really? Well, It seems the evidence is mounting that Miss. Greene wasn’t lying about her concerns. But to answer your question about talking to her, the answer is yes. However, it would also mean really becoming her guardian,” Robert said slowly and concisely. “That’s not something to take lightly. Do you understand?”
“We do, Robert” Hazel said with her hands on her hips. She paused for a few moments as she looked at Abby, then back to the phone. “I’ll be her guardian. She needs someone that cares about her in her life, not a bunch of people who would send her off for some bad choices that she wasn’t equipped to make in the first place.”
“Are you sure, Hazel?” Robert asked.
The old woman nodded confidently, and almost angrily. “Yes, I am sure. I’m getting married in a few months, I might as well add a new child.”
“Okay, then I’ll put you down for that,” Robert answered.
Hazel sniffed and shook her head. “Well, I guess t
hat means we won’t be inviting any of the Clawsons to any of my parties” she said before cocking her head at the phone. “How long should we expect this to take Mr. Carrington.”
“I’m not sure,” Robert said, making the sound like a tapping pen on a table over the phone. “It might take some time, but I might be able to use the good senator’s interference against him. I’m betting when he hears about this, he’ll push it to happen sooner than later.”
“Oh, I like that,” Abby said, grinning. “I think that would be fairly ironic considering who’s probably putting her in danger. Do whatever you have to, Robert. I think it will do two necessary things. Find a murder, and take care of someone that needs taking care of.”
“Okay, I’ll get right on it,” Robert said. “I’ll keep you informed. Do you need anything else, Abby? Hazel?”
“No, Robert,” Hazel answered. “I think if you can do this you’ll be doing enough. Keep in touch please.”
There was a grunt and then the line disconnected. Gabe took a breath and slapped one of his legs. “He’s pretty impressive for a lawyer. How did he even know?”
“Robert and his firm have been keeping a close eye on us since the senator has been more active toward us. I’m not surprised they knew that someone tried to sue us so fast. They are quite capable. I’m afraid Mr. Beemier and the Clawsons have no idea what or who they’ll be dealing with.
“That’s a good thing,” Abby said. “It’s about time something started to go our way but there’s something I don’t understand. If they are trying to find out where Buck might have hidden something, why are they killing them? I don’t know about Buck, but Demsey was chased, and then killed. That doesn’t sound like someone trying to get information out of them.”
Deadly Desires and Killer Instincts Page 6