“Like a long time to wait,” Rowan grumbled.
“Easy, boy-o.” Fred, despite his apparent happiness, gave Rowan a cold stare. “I’ve let your comments slide twice today. It’s not going to happen a third time.”
Father and son faced off for a tense second, each locking eyes with hostility on their faces. Rowan was the first to back down, an ingratiating smile flowing over his face. “Come on, Dad. You know I like to kid. Especially when I’ve had too much to drink.”
“Sure.” Fred nodded. “So let’s eat and soak up some of that booze!”
Whatever Nora thought of Fred, she had to admit he was a great host. He kept up a steady stream of hilarious stories and jokes through dinner and the food was fantastic. The appetizer consisted of crackling shrimp and tiny wontons filled with cream cheese. The main course was a delicate leg of lamb flavored with lemon and tarragon, the meat so tender that it melted in her mouth. Finally, Fred moved around the table himself, clearing the plates. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a container of ice cream, scooping out generous portions to each person.
“I bought it myself when I went to Zurich last week,” Fred said proudly. “It’s from a boutique Swiss ice cream maker and it’s got gold flakes inside. You folks are going to love it!” Fred made his way to the head of the table and Nora couldn’t help but notice the theatricality of it all. Fred was the center of attention and he was loving it. He had them in the palm of his hand and he knew it.
Standing tall, Fred gestured at them to start eating. Spoons plinked against cups as they dutifully ate the dessert. Nora had to admit it was delicious. Unlike the sugar-focused ice creams she was used to, this one coated your tongue with its creaminess and had bitter notes that melded well with the sweet.
Harvey shook his head and pushed aside his own cup. “Can’t have too much sugar - doctor’s orders.”
“Pity.” Fred smiled. “It goes so well with the wine.” He popped open the cork and poured a small amount into a glass. Sniffing, he swirled the wine in the glass and gargled it in his mouth then swallowed.
“Ah…an ’81 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa.” Fred smiled. “Amazing. I’ve been saving this for a special occasion. Now is better than any other.”
“Oh, Freddy, stop keeping us in suspense! I’m not going to have a drop of that wine till you tell us all what’s going on!” Adriana leaned forward, all smiles.
“What’s going on?” Fred puffed his chest out. “What’s going on is that, as of today, Bailey Realty Co is the biggest firm, not just here in Milburn, but in the entire state!”
Harvey crossed his arms and frowned. “Now, Fred, you’re getting too eager. I may have sold Nathaniel Realty, but it’s still a competitor.”
“Ah, but who did you sell it to?” Fred smiled. His eyes glittered with triumph. “You know how easy it is to fake a background check these days, Harv old man? You know how easy it is to buy a shell company?”
The color drained from Harvey’s face. “What?!”
“You were in such a hurry to sell after your little scare. You didn’t do your due diligence very well. Rolfe and Co is just a shell company I set up. Nathaniel Realty is mine now. I’ve wanted it for years and you always refused to sell but I got it, fair and square. I always get what I want, buddy! Always.”
Furious, Harvey leapt up. “You’re not serious.”
“But I am.” Fred hiccuped and put a hand over his mouth. His face had become blotchy and puffed. “You’re out of the game now, Harvey, my boy. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of her like she’s my very own. After all, she is.”
“There’s got to be a way out of this. This is fraud! I never wanted to sell to you. You know what I think of your business practices.” Harvey’s face was getting increasingly red and a vein stood out on his forehead. He clenched his fists. “Say this is a joke, Fred. Say it!”
“Oh, but it’s not. And I’m legally untouchable, too. Trust me, I made sure of it. Your company’s mine, Harvey, and that’s that. You signed it over and there’s absolutely no way for you to take it back.”
There was a huge crash as Harvey lunged at Fred. Adriana screamed and a pool of red spread under the table as the wine bottle in Fred’s hand crashed to the floor. Lillian and Rowan jumped up immediately and separated the men, but not before Harvey had punched Fred hard on the nose.
Harvey held up his hands, panting, as Rowan and Lillian dragged him away from Fred. Fred staggered back, then collapsed on the ground. Adriana kept screaming, her hands clutched tight around her ears and her eyes squeezed shut.
“Stop it! Stop it!” she was screaming.
Nora froze as she saw Fred. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Instead of getting back up, Fred lay still on the floor for a moment. Then he began to convulse and white foam formed at the corners of his mouth.
“Dad?” Rowan gasped.
“Oh my…” Lillian put a hand to her mouth.
“Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!” Nora heard someone shout and then realized that it was her own voice.
Harvey had whipped out his phone and was already speaking to 911 while Adriana was leaning over Fred’s body.
“Freddy! Freddy! No!” Adriana wailed. “No! Please!”
“Dad!” Rowan’s eyes were wide as saucers.
Lead settled in the pit of Nora’s stomach as she realized that it was already too late. Fred wasn’t going to reply. Fred Bailey was dead.
And Harvey had killed him.
*****
Chapter 4
Accusations and Arrests
In the midst of the confusion, Nora and Harvey had been shoved into a study and locked in by an angry Rowan, who’d threatened Harvey with prison and worse. Harvey himself was fairly numb. He’d walked into the room quietly and was now sitting blankly, staring at the wall in shock.
Nora paced the room, keeping her ears alert for the sounds of sirens outside. Fred Bailey was dead! He was really and truly gone. She’d made sure of it herself and there had been no sign of a pulse on the man. He’d lain still on the wood floor, the spilled wine staining his white dress shirt maroon, his nose bloody from Harvey’s punch. Nora shuddered at the thought of it.
But something wasn’t sitting right with her. Something was off.
“That’s the police,” Harvey said, as blue lights flashed outside the window and the sound of rushing feet was heard. “Sheriff Ellerton’s going to want to arrest me, I think.” He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that. I don’t know what got into me. Still, I’ll go quietly.”
“Harvey.” Nora stood up and ran her hands up and down his arms. “You’re going to be fine. I know it.”
“I killed him. I can’t believe I killed him,” Harvey said, his face still blank. “It’s open and shut, Nora. The sheriff has three witnesses. And that doesn’t even include you and me.”
“But don’t you think—” Nora was interrupted by the door being thrown open and Rowan pointing an accusing finger at Harvey.
“That’s him right there,” Rowan said. “He punched my dad and killed him.”
The sheriff stepped in right after Rowan. Pot-bellied and balding, Dave Ellerton didn’t look like the lawmen you saw in action or western films. Unlike Milburn’s previous sheriff, Sean Dracon. Nonetheless, Nora had come to grudgingly respect Ellerton’s ways and she trusted him. He’d come to trust her judgment, too, over the years. Now, Sheriff Ellerton’s eyes widened with shock as he saw Harvey and Nora. “What in the…” He composed himself, and looked at Rowan. “Rowan, you need to tell me everything. From the start.”
“There’s nothing to tell!” Rowan exclaimed. “Harvey here killed my father. I want you to arrest him! I want him hanged! I’ll kill him myself if I need to.”
“There’s a certain process we follow in this town,” Sheriff Ellerton said. “Now I understand you’re upset, son. But you need to take a breath. Don’t do anything stupid and don’t go tak
ing the law into your own hands.”
“Oh, but it was horrible, Sheriff! Horrible!” A sobbing Adriana burst into the room, her eyes red and her cheeks splotched with color. “Harvey jumped on him like a cheetah. It all happened so quickly, we couldn’t even breathe. One punch was all it took and now Freddy…my poor Freddy!” She began to wail loudly and the sheriff winced. He looked helplessly at his deputy who stepped forward and put a consoling arm around Adriana.
“There now, ma’am.” The deputy ushered her outside the room carefully. “I’ll need a full statement from you. If you’d just follow me this way.”
Nora noticed Lillian Harris standing outside, biting the inside of her cheek. She looked pale and shaky, a shadow of the efficient woman that Nora had met just hours earlier. Lillian saw Nora looking at her and her eyes turned to ice.
“It was an accident,” Harvey said, sounding meeker than Nora had ever heard him. “I’m so sorry, Rowan. I know you must hate me right now but I—”
“Hate you? You killed my father!” Rowan looked hysterical.
“I had no idea…I know I lost my temper but…it was just one punch. I had no idea!”
“Here’s a question,” Sheriff Ellerton said. “Why would you throw a punch at Fred Bailey? Tell me your story from the start.”
“He invited us over for dinner,” Harvey said. “Which was unusual. As you may know, Fred and I were rivals and I never much liked how he worked. After dinner, he said he had an announcement to make. He told me that he’d faked a shell company in order to buy my company. You see, Fred had offered to buy my company more than once before, but I never took it. I didn’t want him…” Harvey looked at Rowan, then thought better of completing his sentence. “I didn’t want to, that’s all. So, he basically pulled the wool over my eyes. He was…crowing over me, and I lost my temper. I just saw red and flung myself at him. I punched him in the nose and he staggered back. Then he fell over and...” Harvey sighed and shrugged. “It was an accident,” he finished weakly.
Sheriff Ellerton noted down everything Harvey said and shook his head gravely. “I’ll have to ask you to come with me, Harvey. I know this won’t be easy—”
“Sheriff—” Nora interjected.
“I’d suggest you call a lawyer, Nora,” Sheriff Ellerton said, not quite meeting her eyes. “This is a serious matter.”
“The autopsy,” Nora blurted out. “When do you think we’ll have results from the autopsy?”
Sheriff Ellerton looked at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“Just that…I don’t think Harvey killed him,” Nora said.
“Sounds to me like you’re clutching at straws here,” the sheriff said. “Harvey will be better served if you focus on finding a lawyer, Nora.”
“I’ll call Thomson,” Harvey said. “I will be allowed one phone call, won’t I?”
“Of course,” Sheriff Ellerton said.
“I’m serious, Sheriff. Think about it. How often have you seen a man as healthy as Fred Bailey die because of one punch? It can’t be Harvey. It was something else,” Nora said. “Someone else, maybe.”
“Oh, sure. Some invisible man appeared and shot my dad with an invisible bullet, maybe?” Rowan sneered. “You’re desperate to save your husband, that’s all. Don’t listen to her, Sheriff. Get this man to prison and get me my justice.”
Sheriff Ellerton gave Nora a pitying look. “You must be in shock, too. Perhaps it’s best that you left for home. I’ll take care of Harvey.”
“Oh, you better take care of him,” Rowan growled.
“Rowan. I’d like you to come to the station, too, and give us your statement,” Sheriff Ellerton said. “It’ll be important in the case that follows.”
“You bet, I’ll be there,” Rowan said, springing up. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m doing everything I can to make sure Harvey never steps foot out of prison.”
*****
Chapter 5
The Weight of Memory
The world around her seemed to explode into action, but Nora found herself remaining very still. Grace and Hazel were horrified by the news, as were Jacob and Austin. They all immediately got ready and drove down to the station with Nora in tow. Nora felt as though she were being carried around by a tidal wave.
When they reached the station, Tina and her husband, Sam, were already there, along with Rafael Thomson, a local criminal defense lawyer.
Nora felt like the world was a blur. Her mind was racing, repeating the sequence of events over and over. Fred, standing tall and proud, boasting about his newly acquired company. Then a blur of motion as Harvey leapt forward. The crash of the wine bottle on the floor, the swish in the air as Harvey’s fist drove forward. And, finally, the sickening crack as it connected with Fred’s face.
But before that…
Nora asked herself, What was it that I sensed before it all? Some portent of doom rushing towards us. A clenching in my stomach, some instinct that things were horribly wrong…
“Mom? Mom!” Hazel was waving a hand in front of Nora’s face.
“Eh? Sorry, sweetie. I was lost in thought.”
“It’s been hours since we got here. Austin’s going down to the 7/11 to get some coffee and snacks. Would you like something?”
Nora shook her head. “Any news about your dad?” she asked.
Hazel shook her head, her lips tight. “He’ll be okay. The lawyer’s in there with him now.” She tried to sound confident and failed miserably.
Nora slowly became aware of where she was. The police station was unusually crowded. Nora was sitting on a wooden bench while Grace sat beside her, her head on Nora’s shoulder. Hazel had her hands clasped tight behind her back and was watching the door to the sheriff’s office like a hawk.
“Jacob texted me,” Grace murmured. “He’s managed to put Kaylee to bed. He wanted to come over, but I told him not to leave her alone.”
“I can go babysit,” Tina piped up. “In fact, we can take care of Kaylee for as long as you like.”
“Thanks, Aunt Tina.” Grace smiled gratefully.
“I just don’t understand how this could happen,” Hazel said. “Poor Dad. I wish they’d, at least, let us speak to him.”
“Or anybody, really,” Tina said. “The deputies are all keeping their lips zipped. I suppose they know our reputation.”
Nora raised her head suddenly. “Tina, you know the coroner, don’t you?”
Tina hesitated. “I suppose. Why?”
“Let’s go talk to him.”
Tina shook her head. “He’s locked in the autopsy room with a deputy. No can do.”
“So, they are performing forensic tests? Good.” Nora relaxed a little. “I was afraid that, well, that they wouldn’t.”
“It’s standard procedure, isn’t it?” Tina asked. “What are you suspecting, Nora?”
“I’m not sure.” Nora frowned. She thought for a moment more and then she got up abruptly. “I’m getting out of here.”
“Mom!?” Hazel looked aghast. “Don’t you want to be here when Dad is released?”
Grace didn’t say anything, but clearly she was thinking the same thing Hazel was - that Nora was abandoning Harvey.
Nora shook her head. “I don’t think he’s going to be released for some time, and you’re all here, aren’t you? As for me, I’ve got some people I need to talk to. The sooner the better, I think.”
“Dad would want you here,” Grace said reproachfully.
“I know,” Nora said. She felt torn. Part of her wanted desperately to stay, and part of her was screaming that the more time she wasted, the less likely it was that Harvey would ever walk free. She had to get out right now and go talk to people. To figure out what had really happened. “But I can’t be here, Grace. If he’s released, or they allow us to see him, call me immediately. I’ll come right back.”
“But it’s the middle of the night,” Hazel said. “Where are you going?”
Nora shrugged. She didn’t really know the ans
wer to that. Getting up, she grabbed her coat and headed outside to the parking lot. She wasn’t surprised when Tina followed her.
“Nora, sweetheart, I’m worried about you,” Tina said, jogging to catch up with her. “Are you okay? It’s been, well, it’s been a stressful week. To say the least.”
“I’m fine, Tina.”
“Don’t shut me out,” Tina pleaded. “Whatever it is, let me help you. Please.”
Nora bit her lip. Tina had always been like a rock by her side in times of need. She felt an overwhelming gratitude for her friend. Her eyes teared up. “Thank you,” she said. “I just don’t know what you can do. Well, actually, I suppose there is one thing.”
“What?”
“Talk to the coroner as soon as you can,” Nora said. “Any chance you get, try and wheedle details of the death out of him.”
“You don’t think that Harvey’s punch killed Fred, do you?” Tina asked. Her face brightened suddenly. “That’s why you ran out of there. Because you’re trying to solve the case as fast as possible. Not because you’d lost the strength to deal with this.”
Nora nodded. “I just can’t believe that one punch could kill a man as healthy as Fred Bailey. It didn’t sit right by me. But I don’t want to get Grace and Hazel’s hopes up, either. Nor do I want them doing something stupid. Not with Grace in the condition she’s in.”
Tina nodded. “I get it. But I’m glad you told me, at least. I’d rather be doing something than sitting on my hands waiting for Harvey to be released.”
Nora bit her lip. “It all depends on what the forensic reports say. If I’m right...”
“If you’re right?”
“Then Fred’s death has nothing to do with Harvey,” Nora said. “I think Fred was poisoned.”
“Poisoned?!”
Nora nodded. Saying it out loud was a relief. She’d been building this theory up inside her head since the aftermath of Fred’s death. Now she finally had a confidant. “Tina, throughout dinner, we all shared food and drink. The one thing that nobody but Fred drank was that bottle of wine.” Nora paused significantly. “He took a sip of the wine and then began his announcement. Thing is, he’d already started looking unsteady and a little off by the time Harvey punched him. If I’m right…then Harvey has nothing to do with his death.”
The Milburn Big Box Set Page 181