“Harlan and I were housesitting. I owe you a bottle of brandy,” Sidney informed her with a tiny smile.
Mary waved a hand. “Don’t even think twice about it. I’d empty a bottle myself if I wasn’t so tired. Your mother is staying with Trisha, so I can get some sleep. I won’t be going to work today.”
“How’s Trish doing?” Sidney asked gently.
“Trisha’s doing great. She was alert the first two hours I was there,” Mary replied. “I’m a one-woman disaster though. I almost wish you hadn’t told me about Billy Randall. With her in the hospital, I’m a complete wreck. Isn’t there something we can do? Isn’t there some proof?”
Sidney shook her head. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone what we suspect. It’s slander to his good name,” she snapped with a frown.
“But you’re convinced he’s the one?”
“Almost one hundred percent. Though I could be wrong, it seems unlikely,” Sidney replied simply.
“I’m going to get a couple of hours sleep, if it’s possible, then I’m going right back to that hospital,” Mary announced. “I don’t want him anywhere near Trisha. Until she’s released, I’m not leaving her alone, not for a minute.”
Sidney nodded with understanding. She watched Mary leave the living room and walk toward the stairs. Sidney wondered if Billy would dare try anything. Trisha was recovering nicely. She’d probably be out in another day or two. A fatality would be very suspicious. What about her safety once she returned home? Would he consider trying anything then? It wasn’t safe for her. She wondered if Trisha remembered anything more about her abduction. She was never fully awake to have that conversation. Sidney slipped back into reality and looked at Harlan with alarm.
“Lyle!”
Harlan stared at Sidney with some confusion. They heard Mary scream. Sidney and Harlan ran upstairs as Lyle ran into the hall from the master bedroom. Sidney was just thankful he was fully dressed. Mary ran out of the bedroom with a baseball bat.
“Get out of my house, you pervert!”
Sidney jumped into Mary’s path and stopped her. “Mrs. Allister, wait!”
Mary stared at Lyle, who ducked behind Harlan. She had a wild, half-crazed look in her eyes.
“This is Lyle,” Sidney announced nervously while attempting to calm her.
Mary looked at Sidney with knitted brows. “Lyle? That name sounds familiar.”
“Trisha’s potential love interest,” Sidney announced firmly and raised her brows.
Mary’s eyes widened as she lowered the bat. An embarrassed smile crossed her face. “Oh, that’s where I’ve heard that name.” She looked at Lyle and nervously touched her temple. “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t know what to think. There hasn’t been a man in my bed for fifteen years.”
Lyle gave a weary wave with one hand while clinging to Harlan’s shoulder from behind with the other.
“As long as you’re willing to put the bat down, we’ll call it even,” Lyle announced and grinned.
§
Sidney and Harlan went to town to get something to eat at the diner before visiting the office where Denny worked in the neighboring town of Brighton. Harlan parked his rental car by the curb near the diner and both got out. Mrs. Cooper hurried along the sidewalk and nearly knocked Sidney over, surprising her when she grabbed her arm. The older woman had a look of distress on her wrinkled, tired face.
“Have you heard the news, Sidney?” Mrs. Cooper gasped.
Sidney shook her head with a concerned look.
“The police arrested Denny last night. They caught him breaking into Sam’s Tavern,” Mrs. Cooper announced with wide eyes. “He’s Billy’s friend, isn’t he? What would possess that boy to do such a thing?”
“I--I don’t know. Did the police say anything?” Sidney asked with surprise, although she already heard that news.
“Nothing was missing, so they claim,” Mrs. Cooper announced. “I’m very concerned. There was something Mrs. Randall said to me after we heard Sam was dead.” Mrs. Cooper’s attention shifted to Mrs. Lamont, who approached them wearing a short, leopard skin, miniskirt, and a tight, thin sweater with no bra. She seemed reluctant to talk in front of the prowling cougar. “Stop by my house later today. I’ll be at the library for a while, but I should be home by three. We can talk in private.” Mrs. Cooper scurried away as Mrs. Lamont paused alongside Harlan.
Sidney looked at Harlan as Mrs. Lamont placed a dainty hand on his lower arm and gave him a long, seductive look.
“So, we meet again,” Mrs. Lamont cooed and tossed her long, blonde hair.
Harlan looked at Mrs. Lamont and forced a tiny smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Lamont. I hear there was some excitement around town last night.”
Sidney folded her arms across her chest and glared at the painted woman clinging to her recently acquired boyfriend.
“It’s too exciting,” Mrs. Lamont said with lust in her eyes and glanced over his body. “Denny was arrested for breaking and entering Sam’s Tavern, of all places.”
“Are there any details?” he asked.
Mrs. Lamont looked toward Sidney then back at Harlan and placed her hand on his chest. “Why don’t you come to my place for some coffee, and I’ll give you all the juicy details.”
Harlan smirked and removed her hand from his chest. “I don’t think so. Sidney and I have a lot to do today,” he informed her.
Mrs. Lamont pressed against the arm she held. “Perhaps you could stop by later tonight. I have some really exciting stories I could tell you.”
“I wasn’t interested the other night, Mrs. Lamont, and I’m still not interested,” he said simply and casually removed her hand from his arm.
Mrs. Lamont eyed Sidney then looked back at Harlan. “Suit yourself.” She turned and walked back toward her house with an added swing to her hips.
“What a tart,” Harlan muttered lowly under his breath. “Absolutely no morals.”
Sidney watched Mrs. Lamont flirt with the mailman as he approached Mr. Taylor’s house.
“She touches you again, and I’ll give her something to think about,” Sidney growled coldly.
Harlan chuckled lowly in his throat, causing Sidney to look at him with limited patience. He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
“You’re beautiful when you're jealous,” he teased warmly while holding her close.
Sidney hid her embarrassed smile and uncertainly placed her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t want to lose you, especially to someone like that.”
“That’s something you’ll never have to worry about,” he said and sighed softly. “I’ve invested too much already to give you up without one hell of a fight.”
They received several looks from people just inside the diner near the window.
Sidney gently bit her lower lip and smiled timidly. “We’re attracting some attention,” she said softly.
“Let them talk,” he said simply and kissed her passionately in front of the dining spectators.
She returned the kiss without hesitation. When he pulled away, Sidney blushed.
“We have a busy day ahead of us,” Harlan said simply. “We’ll visit with Denny at the local jail, stop by the prison to talk to Alex, and then see what Mrs. Cooper wanted. It should be three o’clock by then.”
Chapter Forty-four
Sidney and Harlan entered the sheriff’s office within the municipal building. Sheriff Drukard was sleeping at his desk with his feet propped and his chin to his chest. His snoring sounded like a snarling, wild boar. Harlan frowned and shook his head in disapproval.
“It’s a good thing there isn’t much crime in this town,” Harlan announced.
“Sheriff Drukard?” Sidney announced.
He didn’t stir. Harlan went back to the door and slammed it. Sheriff Drukard woke and nearly fell over backward in his chair. He looked around with surprise then stared at them. His lips twisted into a frown.
“Oh, it’s you,” he announced to Sidney.
“What do you want this time?”
“We want to see Denny,” Sidney replied lowly.
Sheriff Drukard snorted a laugh. “Of course you do. Should’ve known you two were friends. You certainly know how to pick them.”
“It could be worse,” Sidney retorted. “I could’ve voted you into office.”
Sheriff Drukard glared at her as he removed the keys from the desktop. “You watch your tone, missy.” He then shot a look at Harlan. “I’ll need to see some identification before you can see the prisoner.”
Sidney’s brows lifted as she glared at him. “You mean you don’t know who he is?”
Sheriff Drukard pointed the keys at Sidney. “With the company you keep, you consider yourself lucky I don’t run a background check.”
Harlan rolled his eyes and removed his wallet. He flashed his driver’s license. Sheriff Drukard compared the picture and examined the license. Drukard glared at Harlan without emotion.
“What country are you from?” Sheriff Drukard demanded to know.
“England,” Harlan remarked lowly.
“Let’s see the green card, son,” Drukard snapped.
“I’m a United States citizen,” Harlan replied sternly and replaced his wallet. “Don’t harass me; I know my rights.”
Sheriff Drukard frowned. They were led into the basement with four cells beyond a large, steel door. Sheriff Drukard left them at the entrance. Denny, the only prisoner, was lying on a cot in the fourth cell.
“Sheriff Drukard doesn’t even know who you are,” Sidney remarked lowly. “He still hasn’t made the connection. I can’t believe everyone else in town remembers you except the man who should.”
“Amazing he can get himself dressed in the morning,” Harlan muttered under his breath.
As they approached Denny’s cell, Denny looked at them from where he lay on his cot then sat up. A relieved smile crossed his face.
“Sidney,” Denny announced overjoyed to see her as he sprang to his feet. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” He approached the cell door and clung to the bars. “You have to get me out of here. I didn’t do anything, I swear. There was someone else in Sam’s house. I thought I’d play the hero and capture him, but Sheriff Drukard doesn’t believe me.”
Sidney hoped that wasn’t true. Lyle seemed convinced Denny was there for reasons of his own and was surprised to find someone else there.
“I even injured the guy, but they couldn’t find my knife with the blood on it,” Denny said with a concerned look on his face. “I wasn’t stealing anything, I swear.”
Sidney shook her head. “I don’t know, Denny. It doesn’t look good.”
Denny tilted his head with concern in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Sidney moved closer to the bars. “When Sam kidnapped Trisha, there was another man involved. Sheriff Drukard may suspect you were the driver in her kidnapping. You know how things are around here. Rumor has it Sam could have been involved in the murder of Emily Fisher as well. That puts you in a very bad position.”
Denny’s eyes widened with horror. “I had nothing to do with her death.”
“Maybe not,” Sidney replied. “But you were found in Sam’s Tavern. That makes it look very bad for you.”
“I wasn’t anywhere near the woods the day she was murdered,” Denny informed Sidney. “I was late leaving school that day. Malcolm caught Billy and me smoking in the boy’s bathroom. He kept us there until nearly four o’clock. I went straight home after that. My mother and two sisters were there; they can vouch for me.”
“That still doesn’t clear you of any wrongdoing in Trisha’s kidnapping and attempted murder. Sheriff Drukard knows you weren’t stealing, Denny,” Sidney announced in a tone that conveyed concern. “In fact, he’s looking for evidence that connects you to Sam. We’re trying to help. If you know something, you should come out with it now, before it’s too late.”
Denny looked from Harlan to Sidney with a nervous look in his eyes. “I was looking for something,” he announced quickly. “It’s an old, wooden cigar box. Sam had it somewhere on the first floor. Billy asked me to get it,” he informed her. “He offered me a lot of money if I’d break into Sam’s and find it. I don’t know what was in it, but I have a feeling it has something to do with Trisha’s kidnapping.” His eyes then pleaded with hers. “I think Billy may have been involved. If he finds that box, he could tamper with it, couldn’t he? He might attempt to make me look guilty of something.”
Sidney’s mouth opened slightly as she stared at him. “Why do you suspect Billy was involved?” she asked while her heart pounded with excitement.
“After Sam’s death, Billy was upset. He wasn’t the sad sort of upset; he was more nervous and edgy. That’s when he asked me to get the cigar box for him. I needed the money. I’ve been on a losing streak at the racetrack,” Denny said gently.
“Unlike Sheriff Drukard,” Sidney announced, “I believe you, but it’s going to be difficult to prove anything without the cigar box or evidence against Billy. Are you sure there’s nothing else you can tell us about Trisha’s abduction? Is there any reason to believe Billy was involved in the death of Emily Fisher?”
Denny stared at Sidney with wide eyes and a blank expression. He looked at Harlan then back to Sidney. “Billy was in love with her. He typed a letter to her that afternoon in the school while she was at lunch. I don’t know what the letter said; he wouldn’t tell me.”
Sidney remained calm, but her heart was pounding wildly as he told her everything Trisha had suspected.
“I remember telling him he was crazy. There was no way Miss Fisher was going to date him ever, but he was insistent she was in love with him too. More than that, he didn’t tell me.” Denny inhaled deeply. “He didn’t go directly home that day. He took that steep, rocky path that comes out by Cressman Road.”
“When you cross the road, that takes you to the stone bridge,” Sidney interjected.
Denny nodded. “It’s not a popular path, but if he didn’t want his grandmother to see him pass her house, it would have been the ideal route. We’ve gone that way before. We’d smoke some pot on that path without fear of being caught. No one ever goes that way. He seemed to be in a hurry.”
“What about after the murder? When did you next talk to Billy?” Sidney asked.
“That evening, after word about the murder got around. I thought he’d be upset,” Denny explained. “He didn’t want to talk about it. I assumed he was having a difficult time dealing with her death.”
“Do you think he could have done it?” Sidney asked with fear in her eyes.
Denny held his breath while staring at her. “He would’ve had enough time, I suppose. But I don’t think he’d kill anyone, especially Miss Fisher. I mean, he was in love with her. If anything, he would have killed Alex.”
“Where was he the evening Trisha was abducted?” she asked gently.
Denny shook his head. “I really couldn’t say. He wasn’t home,” he announced. “I would’ve seen his car parked outside the house like always.”
“Weren’t you at Sam’s that night?” Harlan interrupted.
Denny looked at him nervously. “Well, yes, for a short while, but I went right home afterward.”
Sidney clutched the bars near Denny. “I must warn you,” she said gently. “Friend or no friend, if Billy is guilty of either Trisha’s kidnapping or Miss Fisher’s murder, he’s about to frame you for it. If he comes here to see you, I suggest you just play it cool. Harlan and I will check into this cigar box, but Billy can’t know what you’ve told us. If he is guilty, he’s going to protect himself even if it means sacrificing you.”
Denny nodded. “I’m interested in protecting my own ass,” he announced firmly. “You just do whatever it takes to get me out of here.”
§
Harlan and Sidney left the municipal building and walked toward Harlan’s car parked not far from the diner. Both were preoccupied with what Denny had told them.
“Th
at certainly sheds some light on the situation,” Harlan announced. “So there’s a cigar box somewhere? Do you suppose Billy already has it?”
Sidney shook her head as they reached his car. “I don’t think so. I think it’s still at Sam’s place.”
Harlan took a deep breath, removed his cellular phone from his jacket pocket, and punched in a number. He only waited a moment before the call was answered.
“Lyle?”
There was a click. Harlan looked at the phone and frowned. He punched in the number again.
“Lyle, don’t hang up on me,” Harlan snarled into the phone. “I need one last favor.”
Sidney could hear the voice shouting on the other end. Harlan held the phone away from his ear a moment.
“Yes, I’m aware you’ve only had a couple of hours sleep.” There was more shouting. “Yes, I know you were stabbed last night. This is important,” he explained. “The man you ran into last night is in jail. He claims Billy paid him to break into Sam’s to find a wooden cigar box. There must be some significance to this box.” Harlan was silent a moment then smiled. “Thanks, Lyle, you’re a real friend.”
Sidney waited for him to disconnect the call then eyed him with a humored look. “He won’t be your friend much longer,” she announced while grinning. “I hope you’re compensating him for all he’s done.”
“Of course I am. I promised to buy the first round of drinks once we get home,” Harlan replied simply.
Sidney rolled her eyes and groaned. “I’ll never understand the male relationship.”
“It’s far less complicated than the female relationship,” he remarked. “Let’s visit Alex.”
Chapter Forty-five
Sidney felt very uncomfortable in the dreary, cold prison visiting room. Both sat on the opposite side of the smudged glass and waited for the guard to bring Alex to the area before them. Alex looked much older than Sidney had remembered. His dirty, blonde hair was now streaked with gray, and there were noticeable wrinkles on the outer corner of his eyes. He wasn’t much older than Harlan, but he looked to be about forty-five. Alex stared at them with a strange look and uncertainly picked up the phone on his end. Sidney and Harlan did the same. Sidney’s heart pounded nervously as she watched him. She was convinced he was innocent, but he still made her feel uneasy after all these years.
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