“Well, if I hadn’t shown up now, how would you get these buckets down to Polly’s?” He gave her a look that begged the question of: did you think this whole thing through?
She stared back at him, still feeling a bit irked that he’d crept up on her. “I was going to take the cows first then come back for the truck AND the feed. I know it would’ve been extra trips, but you do what you have to do. Besides, you’re avoiding my question. What brought you here?”
“I thought you might need to talk, that’s all. I haven’t been spying on you.” He smiled as he shrugged his shoulders lightly.
She nodded as the growing dusk surrounded them. It was the sort of thing any close neighbor would do, she told herself. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Their footsteps on the road were the only sounds other than Myrtie’s soft grunts.
“I didn’t mean to react so badly,” she began. “It’s just that I was…”
“Feeling guilty?” he finished for her, grinning, obviously trying to lighten the moment.
“Well, you scared me!” She tugged at Myrtie to slow down. “And okay, yes, guilt.”
“Mmm,” he replied, which sounded like he approved of her confession.
Within a few minutes they were walking up Polly’s drive when they were greeted by Max as well as the other animals in the barnyard, some were in pens and some were not. Pearl started kicking up her heels but stayed close to her mother. Myrtie mooed softly as though to say hello to the others.
“I might have a hard time keeping you at home when this is all over,” Liz said, scratching Myrtie’s side. “I think you already like it here don’t you, girl.”
Polly came from the barn, pulling off her work gloves. “Come right on out here,” she said. “I’ve got a stall ready. She’ll have plenty of company and there’s room for Pearl too.”
Inside, a bare light bulb lit up the main area and a gate was left open on one stall. Myrtie shied a bit at first but was easy to coax with a bucket of grain. In no time, Liz was sitting on an upturned pail and filling one of Polly’s milk buckets. Brian set Myrtie’s feed in a large wooden box that Polly pointed out then he leaned his arms against the top of the stall gate, watching in silence as the milk pinged and swooshed into the pail.
“You’re pretty quick at that,” he said with a smile. “But I guess you would be, considering your dad’s dairy business.”
“Well, when the electric goes out due to a storm, it’s what you have to do. All of us helped when it was necessary,” she said with a shrug. “It’s not something you forget even after fifteen years.”
“I think I helped my grandfather a time or two,” he said. “I wasn’t very good at it, but Grandpa was kind enough to let me try. I’m guessing there’s a special knack to it.”
“Just practice,” she said, then concentrated on what she was doing for several minutes. When she was finished, she stood up, bringing the pail from under the cow with her. She washed the udder with warm water that Polly provided then dried it, giving Myrtie a gentle pat.
Brian took the pail from her and offered to carry it to the house for Polly when they left the barn. While they were gone, Liz got busy and pitched out the fresh manure. Then it was time to leave, and Brian joined her for the walk home. Darkness had crept in quickly as it always did in their mountain area and each of them pulled out a flashlight from their pockets.
“I’ll walk with you tomorrow when you go for milking again,” he said. “Just tell me what time to be here.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure Myrtie won’t give me any trouble.”
“I’m not worried about Myrtie or Pearl.” He stopped and faced her, bringing her to a stop too. “There’s a killer on the loose and I think it’s only wise to not go out alone.”
A chill raced down her back. She hadn’t considered that she might be in danger, but he was right. Even though she believed the murderer’s intent had been focused on killing Kevin, that didn’t exclude the possibility that there could be other targets. The thought was more than sobering.
“If that’s the case, then I’m not the only person who needs to be careful.” She thought about Polly. Thankfully, she had Max to alert her to anyone lurking around, and Brian had Ben.
“Maybe I need a dog like Max,” she replied, resuming their walk. If she’d had a dog perhaps this wouldn’t have happened. Seriously, she needed to consider it.
“Good idea. But in the meantime, I’ll walk with you.”
Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement and said, “It should only be another day or two then Myrtie can stay in her barn.”
They walked across the yard toward the side door and Liz noted that Claire’s red sportscar was still in the drive. Undoubtedly, she would leave soon to go for an evening meal in town. At least, Liz hoped she would because she needed some quiet alone time to call her parents.
“I’m relieved that I don’t have to do the milking chores in my barn,” she said as she climbed the steps to the porch. “I mean, so soon after… well, after all of this.”
“I can understand that,” he replied. “I’ll wait here till you go inside.”
She turned the doorknob, then looking back at him said, “Thanks again.” She reached in, flipped on the light switches for the porch and kitchen then stepped inside closing the door behind her. She watched through the door window as he walked away then she locked it. Before all of this happened, she hadn’t even considered locking up, but now she did.
Setting her mind on her parents, she decided a relaxing cup of tea might help lower her stress level. All of this felt like a replay of the courtroom drama she’d been, but to a much higher degree. During that time, she hadn’t needed to prove her innocence, now she believed it was necessary. Then, she hadn’t worried about the threat of death, but now it dragged on her mind. Oh, she’d received threats of all kinds, simply because of the revelations she’d uncovered, but she hadn’t believed any of them were life threatening but having a murderer lurking around was completely different. So, when Brian brought that idea right out in the open, it no longer lingered as a nagging thought. Now, she had to deal with it. More importantly, she had to find out who the killer was and having her parents back home would hinder her ability to search and ask questions.
She boiled water for tea then gave it time to brew before taking the hot mug to her desk in the bedroom, closing the door for privacy. Truthfully, she wasn’t in the frame of mind to be hostess to Claire if she came downstairs to chat. Not tonight. With her eyes, closed, she considered several different ways of bringing up the subject of murder without causing alarm, which was a ridiculous idea. How could she even think that talking about a dead body in their barn wasn’t alarming? She sighed, sipped the hot tea and tried to get a grip on her thoughts. Just make the call and stay calm, she told herself, and don’t plan every single word. She checked the time then called the number and waited.
“Hello, dear! So nice to hear from you,” her mom said, cheerful as always. A good sign that nobody had already called her with the terrible news.
“Hi, Mom.” Being cheerful in return just wasn’t going to happen but staying above a dreadful note was a must. “I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“Not at all. We’re just deciding where to go for dinner tonight. I’m feeling kind of salsa and Dad’s thinking steak.” She laughed and Liz joined her, wishing she didn’t have to intrude on their evening enjoyment, but the news had to come from her not a newspaper or a neighbor.
“Both sound great to me.”
“Oh, I do wish you were here, Liz. You would love it.”
She wished it too, more than she could even say. “So do I. Maybe I can in a few months. We’ll see how things go.” She was stalling. “Mom, I have something I have to tell you. It isn’t pleasant but… I mean, something has happened, and I don’t want you to hear it from someone else so…” She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Liz, tell me. What is it? Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It isn’t about me, but it did happen in our barn.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to keep her voice steady before going on. “I found a man in the barn this morning at milking time. He was murdered.” Was it only this morning, she thought? “I found him and called the police. So, it’s under investigation and they don’t have anything to tell me yet.”
Her mother gasped then her father began asking questions in the background, but she couldn’t hear everything he said.
“I’m going to put your dad on the phone, dear. This is just terrible. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Mom, I am. Really,” she lied as she crossed her fingers to nullify it.
In a split second, her dad’s steady voice came over the phone. “Tell me what’s happening, Liz,” he said.
“Okay. Well, this morning I found a dead body in the barn when I went out to do chores then I called Miles and he came out and he called a detective who also came out with a team to go over everything. So far, it’s too early to have any details or anything. But when I do hear something, I’ll let you know.” She hoped she sounded calm and in control, which she wasn’t.
“I have a million questions, but I’ll save those for when we get there.”
“Dad, there’s nothing here that you can do. It’s not that I don’t want you here, it’s just that I can deal with it and I don’t want you to rush home or anything like that. I’m okay. Really.”
“No, Liz, this isn’t something you should go through alone.”
“But, Dad, there’s no telling when or even if they’ll catch the person who did it. So it could take months or longer and I don’t want you and Mom to give up your dreams for something like this.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, that was tacky. A murdered man wasn’t “something like this.”
“That’s not the point,” he said emphatically. “You may not know you need support, but you do.”
She knew she was reading between the lines, but it sounded like he meant that she needed a good lawyer.
“Okay,” she said, giving in. “But please, take your time getting here. Nothing is going to happen soon. Miles told me these things take time, perhaps a lot of time.”
“We love you, Liz, and we’re going to be there with you till this is all cleared up. We have some things to take care of here first then we’ll be on our way.”
She had tried to keep them from coming but knew in her heart that it was useless to think she would succeed. “I love you both. Let me know when you leave.”
“We will. Now try to get some rest. You sound tired.”
“Thanks, Dad. I will.”
After hanging up, she slouched back in her chair and closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. She couldn’t give in to that. Stay focused, she told herself. She blinked several times then sipped her tea. How would she manage to do any searching for the killer after they arrived? They would worry about every move she made, especially if they knew she could be the main suspect. Plain and simple, she’d have to get started. She couldn’t waste any time. She had to start digging right away. As much as she’d love to lie down and rest, she couldn’t. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet, but every single minute counted. There was so much to figure out and she had to pursue this with deliberate intentions. Begin at the beginning, she told herself. Start with Kevin and find out who he knew around Maple Ridge. She couldn’t imagine that he had any family there or she would have known about that years ago. Other than talking to every single person in town which was impossible, the only other option was online searches. The internet was full of information through old news stories. And that brought Jenny to mind and the possibility of newspaper archives. Tomorrow morning, she would begin asking plenty of questions. But for the moment, she’d start with simple online searches just to see if anything came up.
Chapter Seven
Monday morning was beautiful in spite of the vehicles that had pulled into the barn driveway. Surprisingly, Claire came down and stayed for breakfast instead of heading out for her usual run. Liz offered her several choices, including a fresh hearty breakfast, thinking most likely she’d decline. She felt so badly about all the terrible things that had interrupted Claire’s stay that she wished the woman would say yes. It would help alleviate some of the guilt she felt.
“You know, I’m thinking that a good breakfast is just the thing I need today.” Claire smiled as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “If I skip my morning routine once that’s no big deal. I can make it up this afternoon. So, tell me again what my choices are?”
Liz nearly stumbled in an attempt to repeat the menu. “Um, I have fresh eggs and I’ll cook them however you’d like with bacon or sausage or, if you prefer, buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and either bacon or sausage. Plus, I do have cinnamon rolls that can be warmed in the microwave. And of course, there’s yogurt and fruits.”
Claire looked thoughtful as she leaned her chin on her hand. “I think I’ll have pancakes, no bacon or sausage. And yogurt. And maybe a small cinnamon roll with my coffee.
“Absolutely. Coming right up,” Liz said, pleased to get life on track even in this small way. She whipped up the pancake batter and set the griddle on high, looking wistfully at the wood cook stove but realizing this wasn’t the time for anymore experimenting. She took a pan of cinnamon rolls from the freezer that she’d made before Market Day and placed one on a dish to heat in the microwave. All the while Claire chatted about the local area sights she’d visited.
“I have always loved quaint covered bridges, and the farmland in this area is just beautiful. Although, that’s not the only reason I chose this spot to spend a week.” She sipped the fresh hot coffee that Liz had put in front of her.
“Oh?” Liz replied, too busy to participate in the small talk.
“It certainly played a part in my decision,” she went on. “But it was the isolation of this place, you know, so far from anywhere and everywhere. Hardly a soul to watch you do whatever you want to do. And go where you want to go. The amount of freedom is amazing.”
“Well, I’m not sure it’s quite like that,” Liz said. “But it is quiet.” She glanced out the window at the vehicles near the barn. “Most of the time,” she added.
“I suppose you’re right. But it feels very secluded to me. And that’s appealing.”
Liz set the dinnerware on the table in front of Claire followed by a small stack of pancakes with homemade butter and maple syrup.
Liz warmed up an extra cinnamon roll for herself, enjoying the aroma and the taste as she leaned against the counter, her coffee still brewing nearby. If only the whole week could have been like this, she thought.
“This is delicious,” Claire said, clearly looking surprised.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” She smiled, feeling a bit of satisfaction as well as relief.
“Oh, you’re welcome. But I think I’m going to change my mind about the yogurt and fruit.” She laughed and pointed at her plate with her fork. “I may be over doing it, but it’s worth it.”
At that moment, Liz couldn’t hold back an apology that she felt she owed to her guest. “I’m sorry that this whole mess happened while you were here. Well, I mean, that it happened at all, actually.”
“Such a tragedy.” Claire shook her head while studying her dish. “You just have to wonder what was the point, don’t you?” She looked up and stared at Liz. “Just out of the blue.” She shook her head lightly. “But sometimes tragedies do have answers and it’s possible those answers will surface. Eventually.”
An uncomfortable feeling settled over her as the thought jumped into her mind that Claire might believe that Liz had committed the murder. Although, she didn’t say it that way and hopefully, this was nothing more than her own worry coming to the surface.
When Claire finished her breakfast and retired to her room to make plans for the day, Liz cleaned up the kitchen and turned on the dishwasher. She put cat food in a dish for Bess who had c
ome out of nowhere, as usual, to wind around Liz’ feet.
“Where have you been hiding lately?” Liz asked, as she picked up the black cat and stroked her soft fur. Bess just closed her eyes and leaned into the stroking with a continuous purr. “I think you must have a secret door somewhere that I don’t know about.” Liz set her on her feet again beside the bowl and smiled, wondering if that could be the reason for Bess occasionally having a distinct smell of leather and horses. Later on, when things were normal again, she’d try to find that escape door.
Anxious to be on her way to town, she first had to walk to Polly’s and bring back Myrtie and Pearl to graze in the pasture for the day. She desperately hoped she’d be able to keep them home soon, maybe even that night would be the last time for going down the road.
After a short visit with Polly and a quick walk home with both cows who were happy to get into their pasture, Liz climbed into the old truck and headed for the newspaper office. Her mind was already going over the list of questions she’d tucked into her pocket. Unfortunately, her late-night online search turned up nothing she didn’t already know about Kevin, so she was more anxious than before to talk with Jenny about finding the best places to locate information. One thing she knew for certain, she wanted to look through the photos that Jenny had taken during Market Day and she hoped she wouldn’t be turned down.
She parked in front of the building and went inside, glad to see that only Jenny was there. She didn’t want to offer up any gossip that would likely be spread around town.
“Good to see you,” Jenny said. “Have a seat.” She pointed to the empty chair across from her desk. “I’d say let’s go in the back office, but I can’t leave the front desk.” She shrugged her shoulders as if to say that’s the way it is.
“You didn’t say what time to be here. I probably should have called first,” Liz said.
“Your timing is great. An empty building is perfect and that’s what we have, for the time being. So, I’m going to get right to it.” Jenny leaned forward, her arms against the edge of the crowded desktop. “No point in beating around the bush under the current circumstances, you know. I’m assuming you’re in a sticky business right now. I had thought about you writing articles of interest for the local area but it looks like your situation will be on the front page so I can’t have you in such a visible position. I do need someone to do editorial work too, but that’s not going to work either.”
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