by Lorena May
Mel dials, waits, looks up at Darby. “No answer on his cell. I’ll try his house.” He dials, waits, and speaks. “Hello, is this Mrs. Goodall? Oh, hello, Abi. Is Matthew there?”
Darby watches as he listens, concern on his face. “Okay. Thanks.”
“He’s not there?” she asks.
“They were at Em’s earlier, and Matthew came home upset, Abi says. He dropped her off and left again. She doesn’t know where he’s gone, but she sounded worried.”
Darby’s dark eyes are troubled. She pulls her phone from her pocket and dials. “I’m calling Em.” She paces, holding the phone to her ear. “There’s no answer. Can we trace Matthew’s and Em’s phones?”
“Sure.” Mel taps in his phone, keying in their numbers, staring at the screen. “They’re triangulating.” It’s not long before he finds what he’s looking for. “Okay. Both phones are on River Road.”
Darby grabs her coat from her chair. “They’re together. Let’s go!”
Mel tilts his head and looks at her through narrowed eyes.
“I’ve got a bad feeling,” she says.
IT’S DARK NOW, AND no street lights brighten the road. Sitting on the edge of her seat, Darby stares straight ahead. Am I being paranoid? Abi said he was upset after being at Em’s earlier. Why? The roads are icy and Mel’s a careful driver. Darby jitters in her seat, frantically running her fingers through her hair. Let’s go!
They drive by snow-laden spruce trees and mailboxes, past driveways, past the Hogshead as Mel follows the signal on his phone. Turning onto a twisting, gravelled lane, Darby sees tire tracks ahead. The car moves sluggishly through the deep snow. Finally, Mel stops, turning off the ignition. “They’re just ahead,” he says.
Soundlessly, the two police officers step from the squad car. A green SUV sits idling. Peering into the windows as they walk by, they see it’s empty. They walk around the SUV to a clearing. A large, dark figure stands on the edge of the river-bank, looking down.
Darby bolts toward it, with Mel beside her. It’s Matthew. Just Matthew. He’s staring down at the river, his face a mask of horror. Upon hearing the two officers rush toward him, he turns. His body lurches sideways. He breaks into a run, heading toward the thick forest nearby. But he’s too late. Mel lopes after him, grabbing his legs, falling on the terrified young man.
Darby stares over the bank to the river. She spies a dark bundle lying on the edge of the fast-flowing water. A body? She scrambles downward, digging her boots in the snow. Through clumps of grass she falls, shimmies on her backside, legs propelling her downhill until she reaches it. Emily’s body lies motionless, legs and arms akimbo, partly immersed in the river. “Em! Em! No!” Darby turns the young woman onto her back, carefully, praying there is no spinal damage, yanking her out of the freezing water She touches her fingers to Em’s throat. There’s a pulse, weak, but it’s there.
Madly, Darby grabs her phone and calls 9 -1-1. No signal! We’re too far down. Can I risk moving her? She looks up. Mel is gone. Probably holding Matthew. There’s no choice. Darby grabs Em under the arms and pulls. Luckily, she’s a small woman. I can do this. Yanking Em bit by bit, Darby hoists her onto her own body, keeping her neck and back as straight as she can. Half-sitting, half lying, she pushes herself upwards, gripping tufts of snowy grass and soil with her feet, stopping to catch her breath, then up, up, up again until, finally, she reaches the top. With one last tug she heaves herself, Em’s lifeless body still on top of her, and gently rolls, setting the young woman on the ground. She dials 9-1-1 and heaves a quick sigh of relief when they pick up. “Quick! We’ve got an unconscious woman, first turnoff after the Hogshead Pub. We’re on the bank of the river!”
Em’s breathing is shallow, but she’s breathing. Darby takes her coat off and wraps it as best she can around the unconscious woman. She looks around. Mel is trudging madly through the deep snow toward her. She can see Matthew, his head bowed, in the back seat of the car. “He’s cuffed,” Mel says as he pulls off his coat. Wrapping it over Darby’s, he kneels to look closely at Em, and rolls her body to the side, bending her knee, gently tilting her head back.
“I don’t know how much pull I have, but oh my God, I’m praying my little heart out here,” Darby tells Mel and the 9-1-1 operator.
Mel’s face is grave, his eyes glossy.
Darby continues, “I hope I didn’t damage her back. But I couldn’t leave her down there. The river’s wild. And so fucking cold.”
“I think you did the right thing, Darby. Hard call.” Mel says.
“Did Matthew say anything?”
Mel’s jaw tightens. “Lots. He raved on about how he didn’t mean to kill Scarlett. That it was an accident. That she should have known it was just a fling. How he couldn’t possibly be with a girl like that.”
Darby feels the revulsion produce a bitter taste in her mouth. “What is it about some people that makes them think their lives are so much more important than others?” She curls her lip. “So for his good name both Scarlett and Em had to be sacrificed. What a fucking prick.”
They look up. Sirens! Thank God! Darby rubs Em’s cheek. “Em, can you hear me? Help is here!”
Chapter 28
~Darby~
Bile rises in Darby’s throat as she watches the blubbering young man across from her feel sorry for himself. “She came onto me. The flesh is weak. I couldn’t help it.”
She forces her voice to remain neutral, but her eyes are cold and flat. “Okay, Matthew. Let’s start from the beginning. For how long had you been seeing Scarlett?”
He lowers his eyes. “About six months.”
“Tell me about your relationship with her.”
“It wasn’t a relationship.” He emphasizes the word, his lip curling. “She waited on me at Hunter’s one night, and practically threw herself at me, so I asked her to meet me after work.”
“Go on.”
Tears flow down his cheeks, and he moans. “I had keys to the church, so I took her there. It was purely weakness of the flesh, and I’m so sorry.” He looks up at the ceiling. “God forgive me. I was weak.”
Darby sits immobile, staring at him. “So you had sex. How often did you see each other and for how long did this go on?”
“A few times a week for the last few months. Well, then I met Abi and I tried to stop.”
“Tried to?”
“I knew I was falling in love with Abi, and it was wrong. But Scarlett kept wanting to meet so I did.”
“Did Scarlett know about Abi?” Darby wishes she could spit.
“No.”
“What happened the night you killed Scarlett?”
He closes his eyes, evidently thinking back. “Scarlett asked me to meet her at the Hogshead. Said she had exciting news. I went there determined to break it off. She was sitting with Em, so I just beckoned her over. I didn’t want Em to know. “
Darby interrupts. “So nobody knew you were seeing each other?”
“No. My parents are very strict, and Scarlett knew that. She agreed not to tell anyone.”
“That was awfully nice of her,” Darby notes.
Matthew stares uncomprehendingly and continues. “She wanted to talk to me about something important, so we went outside. She told me she was pregnant and she had money, we could get married . . . I was shocked and upset beyond belief. I tried getting away from her but she kept following me. Through the forest. She wouldn’t stop.” He is wringing his hands now, his feverish eyes darting around the room. “I tried to reason with her. Offered to pay for an abortion even though I know it’s a sin. But she wouldn’t listen.”
His eyes bore into Darby’s, willing her to understand. She averts her gaze, her jaw tight. She wants to throw up.
“Then she started beating on me and I had to defend myself. I pushed back and she fell down the bank into the river. It was an accident.”
He sobs uncontrollably, his head in his hands. “Does my father have to know?”
Darby can’t restrain her q
uick disgusted snort. “Man, do you not realize that you’re up on murder charges? And the attempted – premeditated, I might add - murder of Emily Sims.”
“I didn’t plan to kill Em. I just went there to get the locket.”
“What locket?”
He huffs. “Scarlett had a locket that belonged to her mother. When she fell into the river I found it and her phone on the ground. I wanted Abi to have the locket. But Em took it away from her, and she wouldn’t give it back. She was going to go to the police. . .” He covers his face with his hands. “That’s what I get for being too sentimental.”
“So the drugs you gave her you didn’t plan ahead?”
“I was planning to throw the cocoa away if she gave me the locket.”
“Oh. So the possibility of murder if you didn’t get your way was premeditated. Where did you get the drugs?”
“I work at a vet’s office.” His expression says, ‘Stupid!’
Darby’s tone oozes sarcasm. “You think because you’re so sentimental that your life is more important than two others?”
He just sniffles, looking at her through wet, red eyes. “I didn’t mean to ...”
Darby can no longer stomach being in the same room with him. Rising she strides out the door, closing it firmly behind her.
Chapter 29
~Christmas Day~
The mouth-watering smell of roast turkey and fresh buns fill Darby’s little town-house. She’s managed a table-top tree decorated with popcorn strings, red bows and twinkling white lights. Bing Crosby’s ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’ plays softly in the background, and scented candles placed here and there complete the effect. It’s festive. Cozy. Perfect! Darby, and Skye stand between the kitchen and living room surveying the results of their hard work.
Darby chuckles, poking Skye playfully in the ribs. “Not bad for a couple of amateurs, eh?”
Skye’s grin fills her face. “It’s beautiful!”
The door-bell rings and Darby greets Rose, who has walked over from her new place. With the help of Darby and Jim, she’s moved her treasures and her little TV to a small suite in the lodge near Darby’s place. Meals are provided, along with card-games and social activities. And it’s centrally located in Rockydale. She can easily get to wherever she needs to go.
“Rose!” Darby hugs the little woman as she enters. “How are you doing in your new place?”
Rose’s eyes twinkle, and she gives an apologetic little shrug. “I know it’s not nice to say,” she says,” but I’ve never been so happy.”
Darby leads her into the house. “We’ve got a big surprise for you today. You’ll be even happier.”
Rose giggles, eyeing the wrapped gifts under the little tree.
When Jim arrives, Skye drags him into the living room, giggling. “We got you a present.”
“What? Can I shake it?” he asks, laughing, as he pulls gifts from a bag, setting them on the table beneath the Christmas tree.
Darby stands to look out the window. “Aha, Rose. Here’s your big surprise!” She goes to the door. “Come in! There’s a lady here who is going to be very happy to see you!”
Abi leads the way. Em, on crutches, a leg and an arm in casts, hoists her body skilfully up the steps. Her neck and face are still covered in bruises. Luka traipses up the steps behind her.
‘Wow!’ Darby gives her a thumbs up, smiling broadly. ‘She’s only had a few days to get the hang of it.’
“We can’t stay long, Em says. “We’re stopping in Red Deer to see our dad, and we need to be in Edmonton by five. I don’t want to make a bad first impression on Luka’s parents.” She smiles a crooked smile, shoving her crutch under her arm-pit and sweeping the air in an ‘look at me’ gesture.
“It’ll be a dramatic first impression,” Jim says.
“What do you say in English?” Luka laughs. “We’re heading to the lion’s den!”
When they enter the living room and see Rose, Em’s face is filled with delight. Rose’s mouth falls open and she lets out a little squeak of joy. “Scarlett! Emily!”
Darby comes to the rescue. “Rose, this is Abi and Em. Abi was a baby when you last saw them.”
Rose clamours from her chair, tears of joy streaming down her face. “You look just like Scarlett!” She hugs Abi. “Oh, my dear, dear girl!” She hugs Em. Embracing, they rock together, crying and laughing at the same time.
Flushing, Abi extracts herself from the happy huddle and kneels on the floor near Darby. She looks up at the policewoman through wounded eyes. “I’m so sorry I brought him into our family.”
Darby bends to hug her, her dark eyes boring into the grieving girl. “Abigail, you didn’t. He knew Scarlett before he knew you.”
“How could I have been so stupid?”
“He fooled all of us, Abi. He fooled me, and I’m supposed to be a detective.” She places her hands on Abigail’s shoulders. “You have done nothing wrong. Scarlett would not want you to blame yourself. You have nothing to feel ashamed of.”
Abi shakes her head. “Thank you. We’re saving money to pay his parents back the five-thousand dollars he lent us, and I’ve found another job. At the library.” She manages a small smile. Rising, she joins Em and Rose.
Sighing, Darby sits back on the love-seat, watching the three women in the centre of the room. She looks at Luka who stands by them, misty-eyed, his face filled with joy. Out of the ashes rises hope.
Skye and Jim sit on the couch chatting. She with a bright, animated face. He with kindly eyes and deep dimples.
Their work on the case is done. Jed is in jail, charged with the murder of Rick Mullen. Stacey has unearthed the drug-dealing operation at Hunter’s, and at least some of the dealers have been rounded up. Those most closely associated with the restaurant, at least. A warrant for ‘John Smith’, the scar-faced man has been issued. And Matthew will go down for a very long time.
Darby talked to her parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews for an hour this morning.
“When are you coming home, Auntie Darb?” her niece asked.
“Soon,” she replied.
But as she looks around she realizes something. She is home. This little town-house, filled with love and promise is where she belongs right now.
Murder at the Ritz
Murder at the Ritz
A Darby Greer Mystery, Book 3
By Lorena May
MURDER AT THE RITZ, Table of Contents:
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
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br /> Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Prologue:
It’s a dull Monday morning with just a smattering of rain. Big, fat droplets drip from sodden leaves, plop into puddles on the streets and spray cars splashing along Main Street. Rumors float throughout Rockydale; skittering across beer-sodden table-tops in the Imperial Hotel saloon, buzzing through phone lines, flashing on the faces of cell-phones, furtively uttered on street corners . . .
“Someone’s been murdered over at the Ritz!”
“Who?”
Ruddy-faced farmers in John Deere hats, button-up shirts and freshly washed overalls gather in Lou’s Coffee House before the cattle auction which will begin at 11:00 am.
“One of the rich mucky-mucks? That stuck-up red-head who acts like her shit don’t stink?” a tall fellow in a checkered shirt snorts.
“Maybe that cute little Mexican gal. An illegal, I heard,” says another, wiping his brow with large, knarled hands.
“Or Austin Starkie’s kid? The big, blonde, guy?” Snickering lapses to quiet respect.
“I ain’t never been there. But I seen the red-head who runs the place around town. Whoooeee. She’s a looker.” Ahs and ooohs, head-nodding and smiles show agreement.
“She’s married to Steve Williams, one of the guys that own the place. He and his partner have a bunch of those restaurants across Western Canada. No shortage of cash there!” The speaker winks an exaggerated wink. “Got him a young trophy-wife.”
Outside the hospital a cluster of staff in scrubs huddles.
“I hope it wasn’t that gorgeous co-owner,” says a young blonde, brows furrowed.
“Was it a robbery?” A middle-aged tech asks, earnestly.
“I’ll bet it’s that brash sex-pot manager,” a young nurse says, sticking her chest out and wiggling her hips. “You know, the one who flaunts her boobs, mouth like a truck-driver?”
Laughter. “With big red lips and fake lashes to here?” Another bats her eyes and purses her lips.
A group of high-school girls on their way to school peer across the velvety-green lawn toward the restaurant, now dark, girdled with bright yellow Crime Scene tape. Through tall, arched windows they catch a glimpse of carefully spaced tables covered in white cloths. Wine-glasses glitter in the trace of sunlight that shines through the room. There is no sign of life inside, yet it screams ‘class’.