A Fresh Kill

by Eryn Scott

  Ansel slipped out through the sliding glass door along with her, settling in a spot of evening sun bathing the nearest corner of grass while she worked. He blinked contentedly, only getting up to chase the occasional butterfly or gnat.

  By the time the chicken was done—and looking decadently crispy—Hadley could smell the roasted vegetables wafting through the screen door. Upon her calling him, Ansel woke from his nap and followed her back inside. Hadley shut the back door just as she heard the front one open.

  “Hello!” Suze called out as she entered the kitchen moments later. She held a bottle of wine in one hand and a pink box of what Hadley knew were Mickie’s pastries in the other.

  “Yum…” Hadley’s eyes widened in question.

  “Lavender shortbread cookies.”

  “I think I need to invite you over more often.” Hadley laughed as she pulled on an oven mitt and proceeded to grab the pan out of the oven.

  “Well, you’re not getting drop nor crumb until I hear the story about how you and Luke went from despising each other to picking out houses together in the span of a few days.”

  Hadley sighed. “You know better than to believe everything you hear in town.”

  “So it’s not true, then?”

  “Well…” She tipped her head to one side. “We were in the same car, but viewing different houses. I think it’s another one of Deborah’s setup attempts.”

  Suze laughed. “Good ole Deborah. Remember when she tried to match me up with Mr. Moorbaker just because we both once said we enjoyed going to art museums?” Suze snatched a roasted carrot from the tray and popped it into her mouth. “Just be glad your guy wasn’t two decades older than you.”

  Hadley smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  The front door opened again and Hadley could tell it was Paul from the way his heavy boots clomped onto the wooden entryway floors as he pulled them off.

  Suze looked down at her bare feet as Paul entered the kitchen. Wiggling her toes, she said, “Ugh. I can’t believe you still have to wear those big boots in the summer. If I were you, I’d fight for the right to wear flip-flops.”

  Paul smirked. “Yeah, but flip-flops are only fun until I have to chase a perp down the street.”

  “Which happens all the time in Stoneybrook,” Suze said, her tone sarcastic, yet playful.

  Hadley held up a finger. “I saw him chasing Mrs. Holloway’s pet pig, Porker, down Main Street last week.”

  The women laughed.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, Paul said, “Laugh it up, but you seem to have forgotten I am investigating a serious murder. Oh, wait. I know you didn’t forget because you two keep poking your noses into the case.”

  “And you’re welcome for the help,” Suze said, settling onto one of the barstools around Hadley’s kitchen island.

  Hadley began setting the table. “Seems like Sheriff M&M is actually letting you take a lead on this one.”

  Marc McKay—nicknamed by the locals as Sheriff M&M because of his resemblance to the hard-shell-covered chocolate candy and ironically not-so-sweet disposition—spent most of his time in Cascade Ridge, leaving Paul and Kevin in Stoneybrook to deal with most of the goings-on, only showing up quarterly or if something of note happened. When he did make an appearance, McKay treated his Stoneybrook deputies as if they were rookies, right out of the academy. The man had actually been on a mission to get rid of Paul, up until he’d been shot a few months before. Since then, it seemed like he was seeing his deputy in a different light.

  “Yeah, he’s doing some investigating up north, of course, but he’s trusting me a lot more than he ever has.” Paul nodded, and a bit of color brightened his cheeks.

  “That’s great.” Hadley met her brother’s proud gaze as she arranged the food onto serving plates. “That’s way better than being able to wear sandals.”

  Suze stood, grabbing the wine key to open the bottle she’d brought. “Plus, who wants to be subjected to this guy’s hairy Sasquatch toes anyway?” She winked at Paul before taking the open bottle over to the table.

  He let out one of his deep, booming laughs and followed Suze, pulling out a chair for her and then Hadley as she brought the last plate over. For a few minutes, the three of them were consumed with dishing up, eating, and commenting on the way the spices mixed perfectly with Hadley’s chutney. Once they began scooping seconds onto their plates, Paul seemed ready to turn to business.

  “So what’d you find out with Luke today at the grocery store?” Paul asked, setting his napkin down.

  Hadley did the same, though out of exasperation instead of intrigue. “People seriously need to get their own lives around here.”

  “Everyone’s saying you went in, yelled at Tyler’s parents, and then broke a bunch of stuff as you stormed out.” Suze cocked an eyebrow, shooting Hadley an expression that said Suze knew it wasn’t true, but would’ve been proud of her if it had been.

  Spearing another roasted carrot with her fork, Hadley shook her head. “That was an accident.” When Suze’s jaw dropped open and Paul’s eyes widened, Hadley added, “And I only knocked over a display. Nothing broke.”

  “I still don’t get what that has to do with Charlie’s death,” Suze said.

  So Hadley explained how they’d stumbled upon the secret pesticide garden behind the house Deborah had shown Luke, and how they’d learned Charlie had been renting it from the Henleys to earn a spot in the farmers market.

  Paul’s eyebrows knit together as he listened. “And you think Barry killed him to get revenge for taking out so many of his bees?”

  Hadley put up both of her hands. “I’m not saying anything of the sort. Barry’s one of my favorite people; I can’t imagine him having anything to do with this.” She glanced from Paul to Suze. “It was Luke. He thinks Barry should be on our suspect list… and Leo.”

  Raking his fingers across his almost-black beard, Paul nodded. “Well, don’t worry. Both of them were already on my suspect list.”

  “Along with Vivian, right?” Suze asked, her tone tightening at the woman’s name.

  He nodded. “She lied to you, all right. Told me she knew him, but only in a professional capacity. I’m not sure what she’s hiding there. Though, other than that and her presence in Stoneybrook the morning he was killed, I can’t think of any motives for her to want to kill him. Both Barry and Leo had good reason to want Charlie dead, but Vivian… I don’t see it.”

  Hadley pressed her lips together for a moment before blurting out, “I’m going to go house hunting with her, so I can do some more digging.” She immediately felt better having told him. She was worried Paul would tell her not to go through with her plan, but lying to him would’ve been worse.

  Suze watched wide-eyed as Paul’s expression changed from surprise to annoyance to acceptance.

  “Okay,” Paul dipped his chin once.

  “Did he just go through the three stages of My Sister’s a Busybody that quickly?” Suze whispered in awe.

  Hadley put down her fork and focused on her brother. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. You’ve got the perfect cover. Promise me you’ll take Suze with you, though?”

  The women each raised a hand and held up three fingers. “We swear,” they said together, then added, “May the odds be ever in our favor.”

  “And the moment anything seems sketchy, you get out of there. Clear?” His voice dipped low into his I mean it this time range.

  Keeping their hands raised, Hadley and Suze nodded. “Clear,” Suze said.

  “Should we look into Charlie’s assistant manager anymore while we’re up there?” Hadley asked, her brother’s approval of their first plan going to her head.

  “Absolutely not. The sheriff or I will be questioning him further.” He pointed at Hadley. “Stick to Vivian, or I’ll take that away from you too.”

  They promised they would as Paul gathered the dirty dishes. Hadley began to pack up the leftovers, and Suze plated the dessert. Like a wel
l-oiled, three-wheeled machine, they were each sitting down with a cookie and a refilled glass of wine within minutes.

  “So… did you find any houses you liked driving around with Deborah and Luke?” Paul asked around a mouthful of cookie.

  “Meh,” Hadley said. “A few nice ones, but nothing with all of my look-fors.”

  “You’ll find something, I’m sure.” Suze winked at her friend.

  Despite Suze’s reassurance, Hadley only sighed. “I hope so. At this point, finding Charlie’s killer seems like an easier task than finding me a home.”

  12

  Vivian called the next day to set up an appointment for them to go tour a few houses Friday morning. Hadley accepted, and she and Suze set out to Cascade Ridge after grabbing their obligatory lattes.

  “Hmm…” Hadley’s brows knit together as she scanned through the listings Vivian had sent her on her phone.

  “What?” Suze asked, glancing over, then looking back at the road as they pulled into the bustling town.

  “She wasn’t kidding when she said my money wouldn’t go as far up here as it would down in Stoneybrook.”

  “They’re bad?”

  Hadley wrinkled her nose. “Not great.” She shook her head. “What am I saying? I’m not going to buy any of these houses. What do I care if Cascade Ridge property values are ridiculously high?”

  Suze chuckled as she pulled into the parking lot. “I know. I found myself getting excited this morning, thinking you might find a house today, before I remembered this is all a ruse.”

  With the reminder of their mission, the women walked into the realty office. Hadley, looking forward to seeing that wonderful view out Vivian’s office window, was disappointed when the woman came out with her purse and sunglasses, ready to go. She led them out to an immaculate Mercedes SUV which put Deborah’s to shame.

  I guess higher property values means a higher cut for her, Hadley thought, admiring the leather interior as she buckled herself into the passenger seat.

  Suze slipped into the back seat while Vivian started the car, and they were off.

  It was a good thing Hadley didn’t want to buy a house in Cascade Ridge because if she had, she would’ve been sorely disappointed in what fit her budget up north. Two had garages that had been poorly converted into extra living rooms. One had a kitchen that looked like it had been created in the image of every seventies trend. And none of them had even a whisper of a view of the mountains or the valley below.

  Hadley let out a long sigh as they climbed back into the SUV after the third disappointing house. Hadley shot Suze a quick glance. Now was their chance to talk with Vivian about Charlie, to try to get a little more information.

  Anytime either of the Stoneybrook women had tried to bring it up earlier, Vivian had changed the topic back to either the house they were viewing or the one they were on their way to next. Having planned on bringing them to three houses today, the realtor was officially out of houses to discuss. And as Vivian started the car and headed back toward the realty office, Hadley knew she was running out of time.

  “So… Vivian,” Hadley said, smiling over at the woman. “Like I said, I’m selling my place down in Stoneybrook. I want it to look its best for the pictures. Any florists you might recommend to coordinate a few arrangements for me?”

  Vivian answered brightly. “For sure. That’s the great thing about living in a city versus a tiny township. We’ve got choices.”

  “What about Bloom?” Suze asked. “It might be nice to support the place since the owner just died. If they’re staying open, that is.”

  At that, their driver’s jaw tightened and she said, “I wouldn’t patronize that establishment again if someone paid me. The owner was a con artist and I doubt anyone who worked for him is any better.”

  Hadley suppressed any outward sign of celebration as she took in what Vivian had just said. That sounded like motive enough for murder.

  “I thought you said you didn’t know the owner?” Hadley said.

  Slim fingers tightening on the wheel, Vivian took a sudden right turn, taking both Hadley and Suzanne by surprise. They slid in their seats and clung to the door handles next to them.

  “Sorry about that, girls. I forgot a house just lowered into your price range this morning, Hadley. I wasn’t sure you would be interested, but since you didn’t find anything earlier, maybe this will be helpful to look at.”

  Hadley was still reeling from the drastic turn. “Uh, sure.”

  Vivian drove down a street that had a beautiful view of both the mountains and the valley, unlike the other houses they’d seen today. Hadley blinked as the realtor pulled into the driveway of a big, beautiful craftsman home. The cedar siding was gorgeous and the white trim made everything look polished. She wasn’t a professional like Vivian, but Hadley guessed the square footage must’ve been in the three-thousand range. Even the yard was amazing, with pops of bright green and purples in a river-stone design.

  “This is in my price range?” Hadley asked, taking it all in.

  Vivian flashed her an excited smile. “At the tippy top, but it’s there. Like I said, just lowered.”

  “How long has it been on the market?” Suze asked, a wrinkle forming in between her eyebrows.

  “Only a month.” Vivian’s smile faltered, and she glanced down. “This time. Two years before that.”

  Suze pressed her lips into a thin line, eyeing Hadley in her this is suspicious way.

  Hadley felt like rolling her eyes at her friend. Just because a house had been on the market for a while didn’t mean a thing. Maybe it had been priced too high before, but Hadley doubted that after seeing the other options in her price range.

  “Do you know why it’s been on the market so long?” Hadley asked, humoring her best friend.

  Vivian shrugged. “Honestly, it beats me. It’s a little rough on the inside, but nothing someone couldn’t fix with some paint and some sweat equity.” Vivian opened her car door. “Shall we?”

  Hadley nodded and followed her outside. Suze paused, making Hadley wonder if she was going to refuse to join them until she opened the back door and followed them up the pathway.

  The views just got better the closer Hadley got to the house. She reminded herself that even if she liked this house, she was not moving to Cascade Ridge. But… her thoughts prodded as she stood on the porch and looked out over the valley to the right of the house. She could see Stoneybrook down below, hugging the Cascade River as if it were a silvery lifeline in the green abyss.

  No, Hadley scolded herself. I’m only looking at this place to get close to Vivian. It doesn’t matter that it’s quite possibly my dream house.

  Suze stood next to Hadley as Vivian worked on the realtor lockbox to retrieve the key. Suze crossed her ams in front of her chest. Hadley wondered if she was sour about how nice the house was and maybe even worried Hadley might want to move in.

  Vivian opened the door, and the only thing Hadley could think was Suze didn’t have to worry one bit about her buying this house. While the place certainly was something that might visit a person in their sleep, it was more of a nightmare than a dream.

  Immediately upon stepping foot inside, Suze wrapped her arm through Hadley’s, pulling close. There was an eerie feeling hanging in the air. Hadley felt as if someone were hanging over her shoulder, breathing on her neck, and they definitely didn’t have good intentions.

  Inside was dark, musty, and a wreck. The people who had lived there prior—who seemed to have been long gone based on the stale, unlived-in smell—must’ve taken the appliances with them. The kitchen was all cabinetry bones and exposed wires.

  Hadley wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen carpets so dirty. She had a terrible feeling they had been a completely different color when they’d been installed. Now they seemed to resemble a puce shade, dotted with questionable stains every few feet.

  “So… like I said, it needs some work inside.” Vivian seemed like she was trying hard to smile, but it was
coming off as more of a cringe.

  “That’s the understatement of the century,” Suze whispered to Hadley. “I’d say it needs to be gutted, or burned.”

  Hadley shivered and couldn’t disagree.

  “The other rooms have a lot more character,” Vivian said, leading them farther inside.

  The women followed, if only out of a morbid sense of curiosity at that point. Unfortunately, things did not improve in the rest of the house. Vivian hadn’t been wrong about the other rooms having more character, but what she’d failed to mention was how the character they had was the awful kind that made for an irredeemable villain from a horror story.

  There were odd windows into other rooms, something that may have felt whimsical in a cleaner, less terrifying house, but felt like a tool murderers might use to spy on victims in this one. In each room they visited, Vivian tried to focus on the least frightening features, but Suze and Hadley looked right past them to the disturbing ones, clutching each other tighter with each new space.

  And then they went into the “finished” basement.

  “A finished basement is a huge plus in any listing,” Vivian said, tripping on the inexplicably uneven floor.

  “The only thing anyone ever finished in this basement is killing people.” Suze’s whispers grew frantic and high pitched. “Hadley, we need to get out of this murder house right now.”

  Hadley had been trying to think of ways to get Vivian talking about Charlie, but kept getting distracted by the next new and alarming room. She nodded. They needed to get out of there. The someone’s leaning over your shoulder feeling was becoming more of a someone’s holding a knife to your throat feeling instead. She turned to Vivian, who was still going strong with the tour even though Hadley was sure her expression looked equally as horrified as Suze’s did.