I pulled it out and held it in my hand. It weighed about the same as my cell phone. I flipped open the lid and pushed the stop button.
“It’s one of those pocket camcorders,” Aunt Shirley said. “We definitely need to see what’s on that tape.”
“It’s back here.” Mom’s voice reverberated in the quiet barn.
I started to put the camcorder back where I found it when Aunt Shirley grabbed my arm. “Keep it.”
“No!” In a panic I shoved the camcorder at Aunt Shirley. “You keep it!”
“You’re sure he’s dead?” Gary Wainwright asked. Their voices sounded close.
“I got nowhere to store it,” Aunt Shirley insisted, shoving the camcorder back at me. “These leather pants are really tight!”
My heart was practically leaping out of my chest. They were four steps from the door and Aunt Shirley and I were still playing hot potato with the camcorder.
“Put it down your shirt,” I hissed. “You’ve had a flask down there before. This is even smaller.”
“True.” Aunt Shirley quickly unbuttoned the top two buttons on the leather vest, dropped the camcorder in her bra, then hastily buttoned the vest back up.
“No!” Gary Wainwright gasped. “It is Trent!”
Aunt Shirley and I turned to the doorway as Gary Wainwright knelt down by the body. He reached out to pick up the hammer.
“Don’t touch that!” Aunt Shirley cried. “There could be fingerprints on it.”
“Oh, right.” Gary stood up looking dazed. “I can’t believe this. I guess I better call Sheriff Simpson.”
“No offense,” I said. “But I think we need a real Sheriff, not one of your actors.”
Gary Wainwright frowned and then gave me a weak smile. “Actually, Sheriff Simpson is a real Sheriff. He’s usually slow most days. It’s not like these parts see a lot of criminal activity out here. He drops in when he knows we need him during our murder mystery weekends.”
Gary called Sheriff Simpson to tell him what had happened, and then suggested Mom, Aunt Shirley, and I go back inside the house to wait. He’d stay with the body to make sure nothing happened to it. Without accusing him of tampering—which we’d just done—there was nothing we could do but go back to the house and wait.
I carefully stepped over the body again and looked to my left. I hadn’t noticed the door there before. “Where does that door lead?”
Gary Wainwright looked where I pointed. “That’s just a back door to the barn. More of an emergency door. No one really uses it.”
We carefully made our way out of the barn and I blinked my eyes a few times to get used to the glare of the sun.
“I want to look at something real quick,” I said.
Mom groaned. “What?”
“Just follow me,” I said.
I led them around the back of the barn. It was the beginning of the walking trail the brochure had mentioned…five acres of woods and trails to explore. It was also where the back door of the barn opened up. My stomach sank. “Do you guys remember when we were going out to the barn and we saw Dayna? She came from this back area. I guess she could have been walking the trails in the woods, but…”
“But she could also have been coming back from beating Trent Starnes over the head,” Aunt Shirley finished.
“Now wait just a second,” Mom interjected. “That’s a pretty big leap.”
“But look how upset she’s been over his behavior,” I said. “Plus she was wearing black so there’s no way to tell right now if there was blood on the clothes. And I’m not saying she did it—”
“Good,” Mom said firmly.
“But she very well could be our number one suspect,” Aunt Shirley said.
“Leave it alone,” Mom warned. “Let the police handle this.”
“Sure thing, Janine.” Aunt Shirley looked at me and winked.
Chapter 7
Just like last night, Sheriff Simpson arrived within a few minutes of the nine-one-one call. He immediately ushered us all into the parlor while the emergency crew took care of Trent Starnes’s body in the barn.
“Don’t forget to watch reactions,” Aunt Shirley whispered to me as she crossed in front of me to stand on the opposite side of the room.
Dayna Bowers sat on the couch in between her aunt and uncle. “I just can’t believe this,” Dayna sniffed as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
Sheriff Simpson held up his hand. “Folks, I want each of you to take a seat, please.”
The cook, Bessie Terrance, strode angrily into the parlor. “What’s this about? I’m in the middle of preparing lunch. If I don’t get back to the kitchen it will burn.”
Tina Collins sat on the fireplace hearth chewing on her fingernail and shooting daggers at her husband. Stewart Collins was on the phone yelling and telling the other person he wouldn’t be able to make his meeting because some imbecile went and got himself murdered and now no one could leave.
You’re all heart, Stewart.
“Sir,” Sheriff Simpson hollered at Stewart, “I’m not telling you again to get off the phone. Next time I do, I’m confiscating the phone.”
Stewart promptly hung up and scowled down at his wife. He elected to stand while she sat chewing her nails.
Wayne Skaggs was sitting in the overstuffed chair next to the fireplace. Every so often he’d run his hands through his hair and mutter to himself.
“I don’t suppose we have any champagne?” Olivia Banner asked as she made her way to the bar cart located by the wall where Aunt Shirley was standing. When no one answered, she picked up a glass tumbler and poured some whiskey into it. She took a long swallow and smiled at me.
“Like I’ve already said, I have my deputies on this urgent matter,” Sheriff Simpson said, “but until we get a chance to talk to all parties, I’m going to ask that you not leave the premises unless I give you permission.”
Stewart Collins started cursing at his wife. “You better hope this gets resolved by tomorrow, because I’m not calling in Monday to work over a stupid murder we know nothing about.” He strode angrily for the door. “I’ll be in my room working if anyone wishes to find me.”
I glanced over at the Wainwrights. Even though Cybil was comforting Dayna, I could tell she was only half into it. Interestingly, both Cybil and Gary didn’t look upset by the murder, they looked worried.
Are they worried because they’re afraid of losing customers? Or could it have something to do with what Gary and Cybil were whispering about in Gary’s office this morning?
“I’ll leave you all to either retire to your rooms or move about freely in the house,” Sheriff Simpson said. “Again, please do not leave the confines of the house. Aunt Shirley and Ryli, may I speak to you in the library, please?”
I figured it made sense he’d want to talk with us first, since we did discover the body. We followed him out of the parlor, through the foyer, and down the corridor into the library. I sat down in one of the chairs.
“I’ll keep this brief,” Sheriff Simpson said. “I know you both have experience working crime scenes.”
We do?
“What I’m about to ask you to do is not unheard of. I’d appreciate it if you could infiltrate the troops and maybe try to pick up on some information I might not be privy to. They’ll probably open up to you two more than they will me.” Sheriff Simpson took off his cowboy hat and ran his hand over his head. “I don’t want you looking for clues, or taking it upon yourself to solve this case, mind you…but just talk to the others, see what they have to say.”
Aunt Shirley’s face lit up. “You bet we will. Ryli and I are pretty good at solving murders. What’s this make now, Ryli? Three or four?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. I wanted no part of this, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. “I don’t know, Aunt Shirley. I’ve lost count.”
Aunt Shirley patted Sheriff Simpson’s arm. “Well, never you mind, Sheriff. Ryli and I are on this for you.”
Sheriff Simson furrow
ed his brow. “Well, now, like I said, I don’t want you doing any actual investigating, just talking.”
“Of course,” Aunt Shirley said reassuringly. “We won’t try and solve the case. We’ll just talk with the others.”
I knew there wasn’t a bit of truth in what she’d just said.
Sheriff Simpson shoved his hat back on his head then tipped his hat to us. “Thank you, ladies. Now, tell me about the body you found.”
***
After we spoke to Sheriff Simpson, he left us alone in the library so he could go question the others. I picked up a pen and paper and started making a suspect list and motives. I’d just started the list when Aunt Shirley and I heard excited voices coming from next door.
“That’s the private office,” I said.
“Let’s go see what’s going on.”
I sighed and picked up the pen and paper I’d snagged from one of the library end tables. I could already tell it was going to be a long day.
We stood in the hallway and put our ear against the door, hoping to hear something.
I could only make out Gary Wainwright’s every second or third word. “Burn…pictures…ever know.”
“I say we go in.” Aunt Shirley knocked on the door and then turned the knob before they even told us to come in.
“We heard some of what you just said,” Aunt Shirley declared. “And I think we need to talk.”
Gary Wainwright was standing resolute behind his desk. A handful of pictures were scattered in front of him. He frowned at Aunt Shirley. “This is a private matter between me and my wife. I’m afraid I need to ask you to leave.”
Cybil was sitting in a chair in front of the desk, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “Let them come in, Gary. We have nowhere else to turn. We can’t keep hiding.”
“We heard mention of pictures,” Aunt Shirley said from the doorway. “What pictures?”
Gary Wainwright handed me the photos on his desk. I flipped through them, but it didn’t take me long to see they were pretty scandalous. The man’s back was to me, but I could make out the side of his face. There was no denying it was Trent Starnes. The woman’s face and body, even though facing the camera, was hard to make out. The only thing I could see for sure was the flowered dress and brown, wavy hair.
“Is this you?” I gently asked Cybil Wainwright.
Cybil started crying again. “I swear to you, it’s not. I don’t know how this has happened. I mean, it’s my dress, but that’s not me. I wasn’t sleeping with Trent Starnes.”
A gasp sounded behind Aunt Shirley. “You were sleeping with Trent?” Dayna cried. “How could you?”
Aunt Shirley reached out and grabbed Dayna, hauling her inside the room. “Oops. Sorry about that. I should have made sure the door was closed.”
“I can’t believe this!” Dayna cried. “It’s bad enough I had to watch Trent hook up with every woman that came here, but my own aunt! You should be—”
“That’s enough!” Gary Wainwright ordered. “Dayna, I believe Cybil when she says she was not sleeping with Trent.”
“May I see the pictures?” Aunt Shirley said.
Gary handed the photos to Aunt Shirley. She flipped through them without saying a word. “When did they arrive?”
“Yesterday,” Cybil whispered. “They came in the mail. Only with everyone arriving and such, I forgot to remind Gary to check his mail. It wasn’t until this morning that we saw them.”
I thought back to when I first overheard them talking about the pictures. It had been this morning after breakfast and before I went out to talk with Trent about the horseback riding. I remember thinking that the house was eerily quiet and no one was around.
“No!” Dayna’s hands flew up to her mouth as she stared at the pictures. “Where did you get these pictures?”
“These are the pictures that were addressed to me,” Gary Wainwright said. “I’m assuming Trent sent them.”
“Why do you assume Trent sent them?” I asked.
“Well, who else would send me pictures of Trent and Cybil…doing this?”
“That’s not Aunt Cybil,” Dayna whispered. “That’s me!”
We all turned and stared at the girl. She carried the pictures with her and sat down in the chair opposite her aunt. “I remember this day. I had just finished my morning chores and was going to retire to my room until the lunch hour rush. I opened my bedroom door and there was a note slipped under the door from Trent. It said to change into a pretty dress with flowers on it and he’d take me on a walk before lunch. I remember he specifically asked me to change into a pretty dress with flowers like the one my aunt had, only he knew I didn’t have a dress like that. So I sneaked into Aunt Cybil’s room and borrowed the dress.” The young girl turned to her aunt. “I’m so sorry I thought it was you.” She put her hands over her face and started to cry. “I’m so ashamed and embarrassed.”
Cybil Wainwright got up from her chair and enveloped the sobbing girl in her arms. “Oh, honey. I’m the one that’s sorry. I’m sorry that rotten man ever got anywhere near you. I’m so sorry he obviously used you.”
“There was a letter that came with the photos.” Gary reached under his desk and pulled out a middle drawer. He rummaged around in the back before pulling it out. “I didn’t want anyone to find it.”
He handed the note to Aunt Shirley. She read it aloud. “Just a little hint of what your wife does when you aren’t around. Put five thousand dollars cash in the enclosed envelope and put it in the mail. I want the money by next week.”
“Why just five thousand dollars?” I asked Aunt Shirley. “If he was blackmailing them, why not ask for more?”
“I’d say because he was demanding payment immediately,” Aunt Shirley said. “He couldn’t ask for too much because then it would take a while to get. Something tells me the Wainwrights aren’t the only ones he was blackmailing.”
I sighed and did my best to soften the blow. “Dayna, I’m sorry to ask you this, but I saw you running from the back of the barn area this morning. It was right around the time we discovered the body. What were you doing back there?”
Cybil Wainwright gasped and Dayna scowled at me. “I wasn’t in the barn. I was out for my morning walk. There’s a trail back behind the barn I like to walk. I do it most mornings. You can ask anyone!”
Cybil Wainwright stroked her niece’s hair. “Shhh, baby. No one thinks you killed Trent.”
Hmmm…I wouldn’t go that far.
“And just because all bases will need to be covered,” Aunt Shirley said. “What about you two? I mean, you discover this note, and yet a lot of time passed. Why didn’t you confront Trent? Because if I got pictures like this in the mail, I’d be seeking some vengeance immediately.”
Cybil and Gary looked at each other before Gary spoke. “I’ll admit my first reaction was to go throttle the boy. But then we started to panic. Cybil and I agreed we’d give him the money and then fire him. We were in this room the whole time this morning trying to figure out a way to come up with the cash quickly.”
“Can I see the envelope you were supposed to send the money in?” Aunt Shirley asked.
“Sure.” Gary rummaged around on his desk for a few seconds and then pulled out a large manila envelope. “Here it is.”
“The name is John Smith, but it’s a P.O. Box,” Aunt Shirley said. “This pretty much solidifies it for me that you guys weren’t the only ones he’s been blackmailing. He sends evidence out to a few women and their husbands and then demands small payments to a P.O. Box.” Aunt Shirley looked at the address closer. “Where is this town, Millsap? Is it around here?”
Cybil nodded. “Yes, it’s about thirty minutes from here.”
I suddenly remembered the camera in Aunt Shirley’s bra! Things had been so crazy that we hadn’t had time to look at it, much less turn it over to Sheriff Simpson. We really needed to get to our rooms and watch it. If luck was on our side, the killer would be on the tape.
Chapter 8
&nbs
p; “So what did Sheriff Simpson say to you two?” Paige asked as Aunt Shirley and I walked into their bedroom a few minutes later.
Mom was sitting on the bed refolding clothes. A sure sign she was upset. “He didn’t ask for your help, did he?”
“He sure did!” Aunt Shirley exclaimed. “Said he heard about how we’re always solving murders. I told him not to worry, we were on it.”
I suppressed a smile when Mom closed her eyes and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Mom. He only asked us to talk with the people here. He warned us we were not to do any actual investigating, just talking. And, really, how much trouble can we get into? You’ll be here to make sure we don’t do anything foolish.”
Mom scoffed. “I was with you at Paige’s bachelorette party. And we all remember how that turned out, right?”
I scooted the folded clothes over so I wouldn’t sit on them. “I promise we won’t do anything too crazy, okay? I know how much you worry.”
“And I’ll be watching over the girl,” Aunt Shirley added. No surprise Mom let out a huge groan.
Paige giggled then winked at me. “Not exactly the shining endorsement your mom was hoping for.”
“We’re gonna go to our room,” I said. “Since it looks like Aunt Shirley’s birthday lunch is out, how about we meet down in the parlor for lunch.” I checked the clock on my cell phone. “Say in twenty minutes?”
“Sure,” Mom agreed.
Aunt Shirley and I retreated to our room. I was anxious to view the camcorder, and with only twenty minutes until lunch, I knew we had to be fast.
“Let’s see it,” I said as I stuck my hand out to Aunt Shirley.
“Hold on.” I watched in fascinating disgust as Aunt Shirley reached down and dug around in her bra. “Eureka!”
I suppressed a gag as she handed the hot, sweaty box to me. We sat down on the bed next to each other, neither one of us saying a word as I flipped open the top and started rewinding the digital recorder. When it stopped I pushed play. We both leaned forward.
Bed, Breakfast and Murder (A Ryli Sinclair Mystery Book 4) Page 5