Unbelievable

by Cindy Blackburn

  I took a deep breath. “I went kayaking, and before you even ask, I was alone.” I gestured toward the water. “So I don’t actually have an alibi for when I was out there.”

  “Did you paddle down here?” Gabe asked a little too urgently. “Were you in Mallard Cove last night?”

  “No. And no.”

  The sheriff waited for more.

  “I’m a little spooked by Mallard Cove.”

  Gabe raised an eyebrow. “For someone who’s spooked you’re here often enough.”

  “Not in my kayak, I’m not.” I reminded Gabe about the corpse in the cattails. “I may never kayak down here again. And I certainly wasn’t about to paddle down here after dark and alone.”

  “How can I be sure of that, Cassie?”

  “Because I’m telling you, Gabe. I wasn’t down here last night.”

  He stared at me a long time. I held his gaze, and he finally backed off.

  “I really wish you’d stayed home and watched the end of the Red Sox game like everyone else,” he said.

  “We Baxters are Yankees fans.”

  “Figures.”

  I glanced at Papa Bear house, and all those times I’d insisted Travis should be held accountable for Nancy Finch came flooding back to me. “Do I need an alibi?” I asked.

  Gabe pulled a pen from his pocket and started clicking it on and off. “Anyone see you when you got back from kayaking?” he asked. “Anyone other than your father?”

  “Why? Because I was a bloody mess when I got home from kayaking?” I shook my head. “Spare me.”

  “Were you a bloody mess?” he actually asked me.

  “No!” I said. I remembered to lower my voice. “Look at me, Gabe. I weigh 98 pounds. I couldn’t kill Travis even if I wanted to.”

  “Did you want to?”

  “Nooo!”

  “Okay, okay.” Gabe held up a hand. “You don’t need to get all testy about it, but I have to ask, okay? Everyone knows you’ve been dying—” He cringed. “—to have Travis pay for his sins.”

  I swore that I’d been satisfied with the outcome. “Until this morning, anyway,” I said. “I was glad Travis was going to get help for his drug problem. And I was glad he was going to name his drug dealer.” I again pointed to the lake. “I sat out there last night and decided we had gotten to a fairly happy ending.”

  “Okay, so back to my question. Did anyone other than your father see you when you got home?”

  “Joe Wylie.”

  “Figures.”

  “Oh, come on! Joe was right there at the dock when I got back. He even sat with me a few minutes. We had a little chat.” I emphasized the ‘chat.’ “You can verify it with him, but I promise you there was no blood on me.”

  “Did you talk about Travis?”

  “Of course we did. I’m guessing lots of Vermonters were talking about the La Barges last night. And anyway, we talked about lots of things.”

  “Such as?”

  I gave him a withering look. “I’m thinking of buying Joe a big red truck.”

  “Really?”

  “He could use a truck,” I said. “And he likes red.”

  ***

  “Who’s Joe?” Sterling asked.

  “Her boyfriend,” Gabe answered.

  Sterling looked to me for verification. I said nothing and hopped up to help Fanny find her chair.

  “Is there anything else, gentlemen?” she asked as she sat down.

  Gabe and Sterling glanced at each other, and my leg started throbbing again.

  “Do you know where Evert is?” Gabe asked her.

  “Well now, it’s Saturday, isn’t it? He must be sleeping in.” Fanny faced Baby Bear. “But how he can rest today surely is a puzzle.”

  “He’s not home, Mrs. Baumgarten,” Sterling said.

  “Then he must have gone to the Lake Store. Sometimes he treats us to some of Elsa Tucker’s donuts on weekends.”

  “His truck’s in the drive,” Gabe said. “But no Evert.”

  Yep. My leg was definitely bothering me.

  Fanny also seemed anxious. She kept shifting in her chair. “Is Miss Rusty home?” she asked.

  “The dog?” Sterling said, and Fanny explained that Evert doesn’t go anywhere without Miss Rusty.

  Gabe spoke to Sterling. “Told you so.”

  “What’s wrong with Evert?” The old lady had progressed from anxious to alarmed. “Oh, Cassie.” She reached for my hand. “I’ll never forgive myself if something’s happened to Evert, too!”

  “Tell her what’s going on,” I ordered the cops.

  Sterling sat forward and took Fanny’s free hand. “Sheriff Cleghorn thinks Mr. Osgood may be responsible for what’s happened here.”

  Fanny snatched both her hands back, jumped up, and whacked Gabe’s chair with her cane. “I beg your pardon, Gabriel Cleghorn!” she said. “What on God’s green earth gave you that idea?”

  Gabe moved his chair back an inch or two. “Now calm down,” he said. “We all know you’re great friends with Evert. But it’s darn suspicious that he’s gone without a trace.”

  Fanny looked about to hit him with her cane.

  He moved his chair again. “And you got to admit his reputation isn’t sparkly-shiny. You remember the rumors.”

  “Rumors?” I asked.

  Both cops shot me a shut-up-Cassie look, but Fanny didn’t see that. “Nothing!” she told me. “Don’t worry about the rumors, Cassie.”

  “But Fanny,” Gabe persisted. “You have to admit Evert hasn’t always been such an upstanding citizen.”

  “I admit no such thing.”

  “Is there any basis to those rumors, Mrs. Baumgarten?” That was Captain Sterling. “We need to consider all the possibilities.”

  Fanny sat back down. “I’m sorry, Captain,” she said. “But you will not hear those rumors from me.”

  And so, we heard it from Gabe. “Evert’s wife Melissa left him a few years back,” he began.

  “About the same time Maxine’s marriage fell apart,” I said, and everyone told me to hush.

  Gabe continued, “Evert started drinking.” He looked at Fanny. “And maybe a few other things. Rumor has it he got caught up with the wrong crowd.”

  “No.” Fanny was firm. “I wasn’t blind back then. And I know my neighbors. Evert Osgood never took up with this supposed crowd.”

  “Come on, Fanny,” Gabe said. “You have to admit not everything he did was on the up and up.”

  “Get to the point, Cleghorn.” Captain Sterling again.

  “Evert Osgood did drugs.” Gabe got to the point. “This was back before I was sheriff, mind you. But rumor has it, Evert had himself a little side business selling the stuff.”

  “No, no, no, and no!” Fanny banged her cane on the floor. “He drank some, yes. But that is all.”

  “He was drunk or high all the time.” Gabe said. “Are you denying it?”

  “Evert did drink,” Fanny admitted. “But he stayed home and off the roads. Land’s sakes, if everyone was as well-behaved as Evert when he was drunk, we’d call it a blessing.” She glanced around with her blind eyes. “He did not take drugs. And he never, ever, sold drugs.”

  Sterling stared at Gabe. “You’re implying La Barge got his drug supply from Osgood?” he asked.

  The sheriff shrugged. “All I’m saying is it’s worth looking into.”

  “Nonsense!” Fanny, of course. “Evert has nothing to do with this tragedy, Captain Sterling. You can take my word for it.”

  In case you haven’t quite caught on, I was being good and staying out of the argument. Not that I actually knew anything about anything anyway. I bit my lip watched Gabe watch Fanny.

  “Maybe you can explain why your neighbor’s all of the sudden missing,” he said. “The same morning we find Travis La Barge dead as a doornail.” He folded his arms and waited, but Fanny got distracted.

  “Are those Oden’s goats?” she asked. “Oh, and Evert.”

  We turned to lo
ok and sure enough, Rose, Ruby, and Evert rounded the corner of Mama Bear.

  Gabe jumped up. “Evert Osgood, I want to talk to you!” he said, and Evert started to cry.

  I’m not sure what anyone was expecting, but I think we were all a little puzzled. Perhaps Captain Sterling most of all.

  “You realize you have two goats with you?” he asked.

  Evert looked down. “I came across them at the old Nettles place while I was looking for Miss Rusty.” He turned to Fanny and sobbed again. “She’s gone, Miss Fanny. Miss Rusty’s gone!”

  Chapter 37

  Rose and Ruby registered the crowd on Fanny’s patio and decided to demolish a hydrangea bush a bit out of the way.

  Evert registered the crowd when Gabe pulled up another chair and pointed. “Sit!” he ordered. Evert followed directions.

  “I’ve been up since five,” he told the gang. “Looking for Miss Rusty, high and low, up and down. I checked everywhere,” he whined. “Where can she be, Miss Fanny?”

  Fanny might have answered, but clearly Gabe wasn’t interested. “Where were you last night, Mr. Osgood?” he asked.

  “Mr. Osgood? It’s just me, Evert.” Evert scowled at me, and then at Sterling. “Is this about Travis?” he asked. “He’s dead, you know. I’m awful sorry.”

  “You got a reason to be sorry?” Gabe asked.

  “Of course I do. Travis was my neighbor.”

  Gabe gave Sterling an I-told-you-so nod, but the Captain was watching Evert.

  “How do you know Travis is dead?” he asked.

  “I saw him, didn’t I? While I was out looking for Miss Rusty, if you know what I mean.”

  No one had a clue what Evert meant.

  But Fanny gave it a try. “Listen to me, Evert,” she said firmly. “I promise we’ll find Miss Rusty. But right now Gabe and Captain Sterling need to know about Travis.” She nodded at him. “Do you understand?”

  “Okay.” Evert wiped his nose on his pajama sleeve, and I reached over with that wad of tissues I was still clutching.

  Not that I’m one to talk, but Evert’s outfit that morning was mighty strange, even by Vermont standards. He wore the oldest, muddiest hiking boots I’ve ever seen, and a pair of plaid pajamas. He was proof positive that one should never leave home in pajamas.

  Gabe frowned. “Where were you last night?” he asked, and Evert shrugged.

  “Home watching the game, same as everyone else,” he said. “Then me and Miss Rusty watched Ross the Boss, same as everyone else, and then the rest of the game. Then we went to bed.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual?” Sterling asked.

  Evert gave it some thought. “The Sox lost.”

  Fanny cleared her throat and mentioned that Evert tends to have his TV volume on high.

  He nodded and pointed. “Bum ear,” he said.

  Gabe asked what happened after he went to bed, and poor Evert looked a little puzzled.

  “We went to sleep,” he said. “We slept real well. I did, anyways. I did hear Miss Rusty get up, but that’s not unusual.” He nodded at Sterling. “She has her doggy door, and comes and goes as she pleases. She goes out to do her business, and I suppose she went over to Travis’s for her midnight treat—”

  “Can we stop worrying about Miss Rusty’s treats schedule?” Gabe said.

  Personally, I thought Miss Rusty’s treats schedule was kind of crucial, and luckily Sterling thought the same. He told Evert he wanted all the details, and so we heard everything we ever wanted to know about his dog’s eating habits.

  “She goes to Travis for her midnight treat,” Evert said. “Just like she visits over here most evenings for her evening treat. She knows where all the treats are, doesn’t she, Miss Fanny?”

  “Oh, yes,” Fanny agreed.

  Gabe groaned loudly. Sterling groaned quietly. “And she—your dog that is—never came back inside?” he asked.

  “No, sir,” Evert said. “I’m pretty sure she did not. Leastways, I never heard her come back in, and when I woke up a little after five to go to the bathroom myself, she was still gone. I looked all over the house. Then I panicked, if you know what I mean.”

  “We do,” Fanny said.

  Evert sat up. “After I finished looking for her inside, I went outside and started calling for her. You didn’t hear me, Miss Fanny?”

  She shook her head and apologized. “I must have been sound asleep.”

  “I figured as much,” Evert said. “And besides, she don’t go to you for her midnight treat. You’re there for her suppertime treats.”

  “Travis is the midnight snack source,” Fanny announced in case anyone still hadn’t memorized the treats schedule.

  “I checked at Travis’s house first,” Evert said. “And that’s when I saw him. It made me real distraught.”

  Sterling had taken his face in his hands and was shaking his head. Gabe, however, watched Evert as if he might attempt an escape at any moment.

  “I got to worrying that whoever hurt Travis, might have hurt Miss Rusty, too,” Evert continued. “It’s real distressing.”

  Sterling looked up. “What was La Barge’s condition when you saw him, Mr. Osgood?”

  “He was dead.” Evert frowned at the cop. “Don’t you already know that, sir?”

  “How long were you over there, Mr. Osgood?”

  “Not long. It was a bloody mess, if you know what I mean.”

  “Didn’t you think you ought to report what you found?”

  Evert threw up his hands. “Well, sir. Here I am! Reporting it!”

  ***

  Sterling and Gabe groaned in unison, and Evert agreed that perhaps he should have reported it a little sooner. “It won’t happened again,” he promised. “But I was concentrating on Miss Rusty, and Travis didn’t need no help. Other than turning off his TV.”

  Gabe and Sterling both jumped. “You mean you were in there?” Gabe snapped. “Moving things around?”

  “It was wasting electricity.”

  “Mr. Osgood!” That was Sterling. “You should never touch things at a crime scene.”

  “But Travis wasn’t watching TV no more.” Evert started crying again, and the cops looked like they might join him.

  Evert used one of those tissues I had given him and continued his story. After looking for his dog in Mallard Cove, he had headed to the Fox Cove. He looked at Captain Sterling. “Things were a little odd there.”

  “What was odd at the B and B?”

  “The door to the Honeymoon Cottage was wide open.” Evert spread his arms out to demonstrate. “So I walked straight in to look for Miss Rusty.” He dropped his arms. “No Miss Rusty, but then I saw the pizza box on the coffee table. I was opening it up when Miss Pru ran in.”

  Evert glanced around. “Miss Pru was real puzzled to see me. She asked what I was doing, and I told her I was looking at leftover pizza from Santucci’s.” He slapped his knees. “That answered my question, if you know what I mean.”

  Sterling was rubbing his temples. “I have no idea what you mean, Mr. Osgood.”

  “I do!” Fanny raised her hand. “It means Miss Rusty must not have been by the Honeymoon Cottage. Not if there was any pizza left in that box. Pizza’s her favorite.”

  Evert nodded. “Miss Rusty loves pizza.”

  For some reason Sterling frowned at me.

  “No one leaves Santucci’s pizza uneaten,” I told him.

  About then, Oden Poquette darted across the lawn. “Has anyone seen my goats?” he asked.

  ***

  Rose and Ruby had long ago finished destroying Fanny’s hydrangeas and had wandered down to the water’s edge, where they were gazing across Mallard Cove. They looked like they were considering taking a swim, which could, of course, explain how they end up in such unlikely spots.

  Oden didn’t seem too concerned, however. Satisfied that his goats were safe, he turned his attention to the gathering on Fanny’s patio. “Is this about Travis?” he asked. “He’s dead.”

>   Sterling blinked. “I know I’m going to regret this,” he said, “but would you please join us, Mr.—”

  “Poquette,” the rest of us said, and Evert went inside Fanny’s to find another chair.

  “Let me guess,” Gabe said once Oden sat down. “You saw Travis La Barge also?”

  He nodded and pointed to Rose and Ruby. “I’ve been looking for the gals for hours.”

  Sterling glanced at me. “Can I assume these are the same goats as Tuesday?’

  I nodded, and Oden told him the gals tend to wander a little.

  “An understatement,” I said.

  Gabe and Sterling had to drag the story out of Oden also, but Oden did corroborate much of what Evert had said. He, too, had seen Travis—or Travis’s body—earlier that morning.

  He had milked the goats at four, as usual. And sometime after five Rose and Ruby had wandered off, as usual. So after Oden finished his usual morning farm chores, he did the Oden thing, and went out for his usual jog in search of goats. Like Evert, he had stopped at the B and B and peeked into the Honeymoon Cottage.

  “The door was wide open.” Oden held his arms out wide, and Evert asked him if the leftover pizza was still there.

  “Yep. That’s how I knew Rose and Ruby hadn’t been there.” He looked at Sterling. “The gals love pizza.”

  “No one leaves Santucci’s pizza uneaten,” Fanny said.

  Sterling’s eyebrow started to twitch.

  Oden continued, “Soon after that I saw Travis and called 911.”

  “You’re the 911 call?” Gabe cried. He looked at Sterling. “Whoever called hung up after a quick message to get out to the La Barge place. I haven’t had time to trace it yet.”

  “You don’t need to trace it,” Oden said. “It was me. I reported there’d been an accident at the La Barge place.”

  “It was no accident,” Gabe said. “Travis was stabbed to death.”

  Oden’s face fell. “I’m sorry.’

  “At least you reported it,” I said. Gabe and Sterling gave me the shut-up-Cassie glare, and I went back to biting my lip.

  Sterling sat forward. “I probably don’t want to know this, but what phone did you use, Mr. Poquette?”

  “The one at Travis’s place.”

  Sterling took a very, very deep breath.