by Cindy Bell
“Trudy?” She ran after her around the corner. However, when she reached the next hallway, there was no sign of her. Maybe it was her imagination.
Chapter 11
When Ally arrived at the cottage, she closed the door and released a heavy sigh. It was good to be home, even if it worried her to leave her grandmother alone. She knew that Charlotte liked her space, and she had her own way of sorting through things. However, with a killer on the loose, as well as someone breaking into homes, there was a lot to be concerned about. She wondered how things were going between Charlotte and Jeff, and whether her grandmother would be annoyed that she had tried to interfere.
“Peaches, just who I needed to see.” She scooped the cat up into her arms and carried her over to the couch. “You’re going to help me figure this out, aren’t you?”
Peaches rubbed her cheek against Ally’s and purred. Arnold lay down by Ally’s feet. A wave of relaxation washed over her. All of the muscles that were tense in her body without her even knowing it, eased, and the release created a warm sensation. She closed her eyes, and released another deep sigh. Then her mind began to clear. Yes, the murder and the break-ins were probably connected. It was too much of a coincidence for them to have taken place so close together.
“I think that whoever killed Martin, is looking for something. But what could be found in the kitchen that would drive someone to kill in order to find it? I mean, most valuables are hidden in closets, or safes, or under the bed. Not in the kitchen.” She kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up on the couch. She continued to stroke Peaches’ fur. Was it possible the break-ins weren’t being committed by the killer at all, but by someone intent on solving the crime? Maybe they thought evidence could be found in the kitchens of one of these people? But why did they take random items from Benjamin’s? To cover their tracks? Or did they find what they were looking for? She had no idea who would be bold enough to do that. But after thinking that she caught a glimpse of Trudy, she had to consider her. She also couldn’t rule out Beth, as everyone who experienced a break-in was in her class. Maybe she knew more than she’d told anyone, even the police. Maybe she had her own list of suspects and was trying to narrow it down by breaking into their homes. A few minutes later she heard a knock on the door. Before she could reach it, the door swung open.
“Mee-Maw, I didn’t think you’d come over so late.”
“I hope you don’t mind, I just need to work some things through and you’re the only person I can do that with.” She hugged Ally. “Thanks for looking out for me with Jeff, Ally.”
“I’m sorry if I overstepped.” She frowned.
“Not at all. You should hear about some of the conversations I’ve had with Luke.” She winked at her.
“Wait, what conversations?” Ally’s eyes widened.
“Never mind that. I need to tell you what happened tonight at class.” She recounted Beth’s break down, and the information that Mary had given her.
“It’s funny, I was just thinking that maybe whoever is breaking in is looking for evidence.” Ally raised her eyebrows. “Do you think it’s possible?”
“Yes, I think it’s definitely possible. But that’s not the only thing I found out. Jeff told me that he’s heard of two more people in the gift making class that had their homes broken into. That makes four. I really don’t think that can be a coincidence, do you?” She met Ally’s eyes.
“No, I don’t. It seems like a pattern to me. So maybe whoever is breaking in is after something that is related to that class?” She narrowed her eyes as she sat down beside her grandmother on the couch. “But what could it be? And why were they taking worthless, random items?”
“No idea.” Charlotte sighed. “I did find out that the rumors were right, Beth has quite a history with Martin. I read the article about Beth and Martin and it practically painted Beth as the perfect suspect, getting revenge for all of the money she lost. I hate to say it, but their past might be connected to his murder. Let’s see what we can find out about the business that closed and who lost what.”
“Sure, I’ll get on that now.” Ally grabbed her computer and carried it over to the dining room table. As she settled down in front of it she felt Peaches push her nose up against her knee. She slid back enough from the table so that the cat could jump up in her lap. Peaches curled up, and her steady purr helped Ally to relax a little. As much as she wanted to know exactly what was going on she knew that she had to find the pieces that would fit together. Just guessing, or rushing to judgment wasn’t going to help the situation.
As Ally began to dig into Martin’s past she saw the same things she’d seen before. He barely had an online presence and from what she could find there was nothing remarkable about it. She decided to shift gears, and see what she could find out about Beth. As she began to look into her, a photograph popped up. It was part of an article written about a local women’s group. Beth stood in the middle of a group of women. She appeared to be in her forties at the time.
Peaches flicked her tail and opened her eyes. As she gazed at the screen, Ally felt her muscles stiffen. A low growl began deep in the cat’s belly.
“What is it, Peaches?” Ally looked down at her. Could the cat really be looking at the photograph on the screen? “Mee-Maw, do you know anything about the Blue River Belles?”
Charlotte looked up from the notebook she’d been making lists in. She was attempting to connect the four victims of the break-ins and Martin in any way that she could.
“Oh wow, I haven’t heard that name in a long time. It was a women’s small business group. Beth started it, and any woman in Blue River and the surrounding towns that ran a business or was interested in running a business could join it. A lot of the local women joined. I think Diana was in it, too.” She tapped her pen on the notebook. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m looking into Beth, and the picture came up. Were you in the group, too?” Ally shooed Peaches down from her lap as the cat continued to growl. She wasn’t sure if Peaches’ instincts were telling her something, or if she was just in the mood to play. If she was in the mood to play, then it wasn’t safe to have her on her lap in front of a computer screen.
“No, I wasn’t. It turned into more of a coffee club than anything else. I already had my business up and running, and to be honest, I wasn’t very social in those days. I just thought it was a little silly that a bunch of women would sit around and chit chat, and call it a business meeting.” She rolled her eyes. “But it was a very popular group, just about everyone that I knew joined.”
“Interesting.” Ally printed the picture. “I wonder if the women in this group knew about the failed business that Beth and Martin ran?” She typed a new query into the search bar. “I’m not finding out much about it so far.”
“Try looking in the Mainbry directory of businesses. There’s one kept on the library’s website I think. It’s hardly ever maintained, except to add new businesses. I don’t think they ever delete the old ones. If they shared a business at one time, it’ll likely still be listed on there.”
“Great idea, thanks Mee-Maw.”
Ally navigated to the library’s website, and found the list that her grandmother mentioned. It was so long that it took her quite some time to scroll through. Eventually she came to a travel agency.
“M and B Vacations?” She glanced over at her grandmother. “What do you think?”
“That sounds right. M for Martin, and B for Beth.” She shrugged. “That should help you get some more information on the business.” Charlotte stifled a yawn.
“Mee-Maw, why don’t you go on to bed? I won’t be far behind you.”
“No, I can’t just yet, I think I’m on to something.” She swept her pen across the notebook paper, then tapped it twice. “I’ve found a connection between all of the victims of the break-ins and Martin.”
“What is it?” Ally stood up and walked over to join her on the couch.
“Trudy.” She smiled some. “She is friends with all of the
people that were broken into, and obviously she was Martin’s wife.”
“You think Trudy is doing the break-ins?” Ally’s eyes widened. “It’s possible. I thought I saw her tonight.”
“You did?” Charlotte stood up. “Where?”
“I thought I saw her in the hall as I was leaving Freely Lakes. But I called to her, and chased after her, and she was gone. It could have been anyone, honestly. If she was back in town, why wouldn’t we know about it?”
“Maybe because she’s doing the break-ins. What I can’t figure out is why.” Charlotte stared down at the words on the paper. “Even if she did kill Martin, why would she be rummaging through people’s kitchens?” She pursed her lips with confusion.
“I was thinking that maybe she killed Martin, and stashed some evidence in one of her friend’s apartments?” Ally frowned. “No that wouldn’t work, because she would know which friend.”
“Maybe she thinks she knows who killed Martin and is trying to find the proof that she didn’t do it?” Charlotte tilted her head from side to side. “That might fit.”
“It might.” Ally nodded. “If that was Trudy in the hall.”
Charlotte covered another yawn. “I guess it is time to turn in.”
Ally nodded and made sure her grandmother had everything she needed in her old bedroom which she kept furnished for whenever she wanted to sleep over. Arnold followed after Charlotte and snuggled up next to her on the bed. Ally went to her own room and went straight to bed. Within minutes Peaches was curled up on her belly.
Chapter 12
When Charlotte woke up the next morning she discovered that Ally had already left for the shop, and left behind a note.
Nina will be in early, so please take some time off.
Charlotte considered the note for a moment. She knew that Ally could certainly use some help at the shop. But she also knew that a little free time might help her investigate the murder. Now that she knew that the police might be looking at Jeff as a suspect, she had even more reason to solve the crime as soon as possible. The moment she thought of him, her cell phone rang.
“Can you meet me for breakfast?” His rushed tone indicated that he had a pressing reason for the meeting.
“Sure, I can. When?”
“As soon as you can. I’m heading to the diner now.”
“All right, I’ll head out now.” She reached down and patted Arnold’s nose as he snorted at her leg. “I’ll be back in a little bit, buddy.”
As she headed out the door she wondered what Jeff might be upset about. Was he still worried that she doubted him? Or had the police been out to visit him that morning?
It took only a few minutes to reach the diner. Once she was there she parked and hurried towards the door. However, a familiar face made her stop in her tracks.
“Trudy?” Charlotte paused in front of the diner and stared hard at the woman.
“Yes?” She smiled at Charlotte. “It’s good to see you.”
“Trudy, you’ve been gone—”
“Oh, I know. I’ve been staying with my friend. You know Julie.” She rolled her eyes. “I needed to let Martin cool down a bit. He was so up in arms over the Christmas decorations, and honestly I just couldn’t take it anymore. I think if I’d heard him say one more thing about garland, or bulbs, I would have killed him.” She laughed. “I was just going to grab something to eat before I headed home, to face the Christmas music.” She laughed again.
“Oh dear.” Charlotte’s heart sunk as she gazed at the woman. “You haven’t been told, have you?”
“Been told what?” Trudy’s cheerful expression grew slack, as if she anticipated bad news. “Charlotte, is something wrong?”
Charlotte had no idea how to tell her, or even if she should tell her, but she knew that Trudy would hear about it the moment that she stepped into the diner. There was no way to hide it from her, and though breaking the news would be hard, she would at least be delicate about it, while others might not be.
“Come sit here with me, Trudy.” She gestured to a bench in front of the restaurant. “I need to tell you something.” Her eyes moistened as she recalled the moment she’d seen Martin on the ground. Perhaps she would have found Trudy as well if she had been there. Of course, she might have been. She might have been the only one who knew exactly what happened because she killed her husband. She pushed away the thought. Yes, Trudy was a suspect, and yes it seemed as if she might have had a motive, but that didn’t mean that she was guilty. Charlotte had the unexpected duty of revealing the truth about her husband’s death, and if she was innocent of the crime, that would be a huge shock. Once Trudy sat down beside her, Charlotte took her hand and looked into her eyes.
“Trudy, the police have been looking for you. Martin has been killed.” She thought it best to plunge right into it, as no beating around the bush would change the truth. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“What?” She tugged her hand free of Charlotte’s. “That’s not a funny joke. Why would you even say something like that?” Her cheeks reddened.
“It’s not a joke, Trudy. I’m so sorry to tell you this, but he’s gone. He was killed the night you left, and the police have been looking for you ever since. I suggest that you hire a lawyer, and then go into the station.”
“What?” Her mouth hung open as the word echoed through the air. “This can’t be happening. It can’t be true.” She began to rock back and forth on the bench.
“It is. I found him myself. I don’t think he suffered.” She took her hand again and gave it a supportive squeeze. “I’m here for you, Trudy. I can’t imagine how it must feel to get this kind of news. But you’re not alone, I’m right here with you.”
“Thank you, Charlotte,” she stammered out her words as tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Who did it? Who killed him?” She paused, as if finally fitting a few things together. “Oh, my goodness, they think I did it? Is that why I need a lawyer? We had a fight, and then—” Her words were swallowed up by a sob.
“Listen, a spouse is always a suspect until they’re not. All you have to do is talk to the detective, give him your alibi, and things will get wrapped up. He’ll be able to tell you more about what happened.” Charlotte frowned as she rubbed her hand along the back of Trudy’s palm. “I’m so sorry, hon. I know how much you two loved each other.”
“But we didn’t.” She sniffled. “We didn’t really.”
“What?” Charlotte blinked. “What are you saying?”
“We hadn’t loved each other in a long time. I stayed with him because I couldn’t afford to live apart from him. He had all of the money, he was so stingy.” She shuddered. “I should go. I should get to the police station. Charlotte, do you think they will arrest me?” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “Oh, the very thought of those handcuffs on me. Do you know what they make you do when you get arrested?”
“It’s all right,” Charlotte said with determination. She refused to believe that the truth wouldn’t be revealed. “They have to have enough evidence to arrest you, and I’m sure they don’t. They can’t. Because you’re innocent.”
“Yes, of course I am. But it doesn’t look good, does it? We have a fight, I disappear, and then he’s killed?” Her voice cracked on her final word. “Oh, poor Martin. No, he wasn’t a good man, but he wasn’t the worst either. He didn’t deserve this. Who would do this to him?”
“I don’t know. Can you think of anyone? Had he been arguing with anyone lately? Or maybe someone from his past?” Charlotte tried to analyze the woman’s expression.
“I, I don’t know. He always had problems with Victoria of course. But I’m sure she wouldn’t kill him.” She sighed and rubbed her hands across her face. “How can this be happening? How can I be trying to figure out who killed my husband?”
“I’m sorry, Trudy. If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to call me.” She pressed a business card into her hand. “I’m here to help.”
“Thanks, Charlot
te.” She stared into her eyes for a moment, then stood up and wandered off into the parking lot. Charlotte was tempted to follow her, but she knew the woman was too upset to tell her much more. Or at least she appeared to be.
As Charlotte stepped into the diner, she noticed that Jeff was already seated at one of the tables. She headed over to him, with her mind still spinning. Had he been meeting Trudy? She did trust him, but she couldn’t help but wonder. As she sat down at the table, he leaned close to her.
“You’re not going to believe this.” He sounded a bit out of breath.
“What is it?” She searched his eyes as she noticed the concern in his expression.
“My apartment was broken into this morning. I went for a short walk and when I came back it had been broken into. Nothing is missing that I know of, but the place was turned upside down.” He slipped his hand into hers. “Charlotte, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you, I don’t want you staying in your apartment alone.”
“Jeff, I’m sorry this happened.” She smiled slightly. “I’m not scared, but if it will put your mind at ease I’m sure I can stay with Ally tonight, she won’t mind, and I can spend some time with her. But what about you?” She leaned back and looked into his eyes again.
“I doubt anyone is going to break in again.” His cheeks flushed. “I can’t believe I didn’t take more precautions when I heard about the break-ins. If I had put a camera up then, we would have already caught whoever is doing this! I feel so foolish.”
“You couldn’t have predicted that anyone would break into your home.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s strange, because so far only people in the gift making class have been targeted and only their kitchens searched.”
“It’s strange, that’s for sure. Maybe they found what they were looking for in the other apartments so they stopped searching.” He wiped his hand across his forehead. “When I reported it to the police, they acted like it was just another case to study instead of someone who needed help.”