"I didn’t see her at first since she’s so black, but her green eyes reflected in my headlights. And that was the clincher. I knew you had to be there somewhere, and I alerted Miles.”
“Did you know it was Claire?” she asked, still basking in the warmth of knowing that Bess had been there trying to watch over her.
“No.” He shook his head. “That was a big surprise,” he said as he leaned back heavily in his chair.
“So that’s why Ben was there. He came with you.” She smiled, feeling even more protected. “It really is over, isn't it?”
“The worst is over,” he replied, then gave his opinion on how things were likely to go. There would be an ongoing investigation into Claire and then a trial, no doubt about that, but at least the evidence was obvious.
"And you heard everything she said at the cliff?"
He nodded. "I heard enough to know she’s guilty. So did Miles."
They sat in grateful silence for several seconds.
"I wish I was going home today." She leaned back against the pillows as she gingerly adjusted the sling on her arm.
He frowned, watching her. "I'm glad you're going to be here another night. You need the rest more than you realize."
She sighed. "I know. This whole week seems more like a month. Make that two months. And I'm so glad Mom and Dad weren't here during all of this. I was afraid they’d get pulled into this nightmare." She shook her head as if to dislodge the thought. "I can't even think about it."
After that, Brian kept the conversation centered on having the cows at home and the simple everyday things that had once occupied her thoughts. She knew he was hoping to distract her by focusing on the future. And that was okay with her. She wanted that too.
# # #
The next morning Brian arrived early to take her home. She was ready and waiting, anxious to be on her way. They rode in silence until they reached the red covered bridge on their country road.
“I love this place,” she said, her voice quiet with so much emotion welling up inside of her.
“That’s good," he replied, slowing down as they crossed the wooden floor. "Experiences like you’ve been through have a fifty-fifty chance of ruining your outlook on life. I’ve seen it happen.”
She thought about that for a minute. Her immediate response was gratitude for her family, her home and her neighbors. Especially Brian. When the big red house came into view, she noticed the smoke curling from the fireplace chimney then she saw Polly’s truck parked in the drive. Dear Polly and she smiled again. After parking in the drive, Brian walked around to her side and helped her out. Her arm was sore, no surprise, but other than that she knew she was doing very well. She studied her surroundings with a deep appreciation, acknowledging that there was something about hanging over a cliff that changed one’s perspective about life in general. And then she noticed that the yellow tape was missing around the barn. In the distance she could see Myrtie and Pearl wandering around in their pasture as if their usual routine had never been disrupted.
Polly stood in the open door, waving at them, then greeted her with a real hug as she fussed over Liz, helping her out of her jacket.
“It’s so good to have you home,” she said. “Did you notice there's a fire in the fireplace? Brian built it before he went to pick you up and he even built one in the cookstove too. I’ve been keeping it going till you got here.”
Liz extended her hand toward the heat from the stove where the tea kettle was set off to the side. “I love it, thank you. I think I’ll make some tea to celebrate the beginning of good things to come.”
“No, you just have a seat and I’ll make it for you.” Polly bustled around looking for teabags and cups.
“You don’t have to do that. You’ve done so much already and I’m doing fine. Honest I am.”
“No, just let me fuss while you and Brian go sit in the living room and enjoy the fire. I’ll be there in a minute. The water is plenty hot enough right now.”
Liz kissed her cheek. “Okay.”
In the living room, Brian sat in the easy chair on one side of the fireplace and she chose the overstuffed one on the other side. Bess came out of nowhere as usual, then hopped onto Liz’ lap where she curled up and preened herself, occasionally sending adoring glances toward Liz.
Polly came into the room with a tray filled with cups and a teapot.
“I made coffee for you, Brian, because I wasn’t sure if you liked tea or not. And oh, Liz, I almost forgot to tell you that your folks called just before you got here. Sarah said they’ll be home right after lunch.” She smiled. “They’re so relieved you’re all right and this mess is over.”
Liz sipped her tea and nodded, “Me too.” She still felt like she was surfacing from a hazy, cloudy place, but it was clearing, and she could see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Polly settled into a cushioned rocking chair, looking very pleased and less worried. Liz felt the same but a glance at Brian told her he was uneasy about something and that unsettled her. She watched as he frowned at the fire with its glowing embers beneath the grate. He appeared to be so deep in thought that he probably hadn't heard any of Polly's conversation.
“Is there something on your mind?” she asked, sensing that he was holding something back.
He shifted in his seat, holding his cup balanced against his knee. He sent her a quick smile then said, "No, not really. Nothing that can’t wait.”
“I can tell there’s something. What is it?”
He nodded, but still hesitated before going on. "Detective Morris called Miles. They found the weapon. Yesterday.”
“In my truck,” she replied.
“Yes.” He stared at her. “How did you know?”
“I pried it out of her. I’ll fill you in on the details later.” For now, she didn’t want to go into it any more than Brian did. They both knew Liz’ fingerprints were very likely on the knife. If Claire hadn’t confessed to everything, where would she be now? Claire could easily have gotten away without a trace.
They all sat in silence where the only sound was the occasional popping in the fireplace, except for Bess’ contented purring.
“It doesn't matter," Brian said, his eyes telling her to let it go. "It’s over.”
Liz nodded at him with silent relief. She welcomed the prospect of getting past the horrible event. From now on she wanted to celebrate life and enjoy the simple things, just like they were doing at the moment.
“I’m thinking while my parents are here, I’d like all of us to sit around the fire pit on the patio one evening before the weather turns too cold. We could have hot cider and hot chocolate. Are either of you interested?” She smiled at Polly who had been sitting quietly listening to their conversation. Liz hoped they liked the idea as much as she did.
“A celebration sounds great to me,” Polly said. “You just name the date and the time. I'll be there.”
“I like that idea too,” Brian said, smiling at her, holding her gaze with his own. "It's time to move forward."
“Yes, it is. And just being with family and good friends is all we need.”
Epilogue
Meanwhile, a few evenings later in the barnyard…
The late afternoon sky was spotted with lofty clouds and intermittent sunshine as a few of the neighbors gathered around the fire pit behind the large house. Nobody noticed the weather very much or the beautiful sky. They sat on comfortable chairs on the outdoor patio, laughing quietly and enjoying each other’s company while sipping cups of hot chocolate or hot coffee with a few lap robes draped on the chairs.
Keeping watch from a distance, not far from the barn, Ben sat up straight, his ears pointed in alertness with just an occasional quirk to pick up any sounds coming from the patio. Beside him, Max laid in the grass his tongue lolling out as he sniffed the fall scented air of maple leaves and wisps of smoke that drifted in their direction. The pasture fence behind them secured Myrtie who leaned heavily against the gat
e as her head pointed in the direction of the patio. She chewed her cud quietly, periodically blinking her large brown eyes, making her long lashes sweep up and down while Pearl meandered nearby.
“Beautiful day,” said Ben.
“Yes, it is,” Max replied. His tail thumped happily on the ground, pleased that the big dog had spoken to him. “It sure is. Couldn’t be better.” He sat up, staring at the German Shepherd with respect. “I feel like I should call you Sir or Captain or something.”
“Just Ben,” he replied in a clipped tone, fixing Max with a long stare.
“Okay, yep, that works.” Not allowing himself to be perturbed by that response. Max’ tail still happily thumped the ground behind him while his tongue lolled out the other side of his mouth. This was cool, he thought to himself. Maybe they’d become friends after all.
At that moment, Bess came walking around the corner of the barn, her tail twitching as she sashayed to the fence and in one graceful leap stood on the top rail, surveying the scene around the patio.
“Where have you been, Princess Bess?” asked Max with a strong hint of sarcasm as he glanced over his shoulder at her.
“None of your business, Spot.” She turned away and walked the fence rail as though it were a balance beam. Then pirouetting on four paws, she turned and walked back to stand beside Myrtie’s head, rubbing up against her. There was nothing that could make her tell him that she liked to go down the road to the horse barn where they had the fattest mice in the neighborhood. With complete nonchalance, she licked her paw and washed her face, all the while maintaining perfect balance.
Max ignored her and turned his attention back to the dog who, in his mind, was Captain Ben K-9, Sir. “How long have you known your owner?” he asked, his tail thumping wildly, barely able to contain himself.
“He’s not my owner.” Ben looked down at Max, ears still at attention. “We’re pals. Got it? We’re a team. Buds. Thick. As. Fleas.”
“Oh, argh, don’t say that word! I hate those things.” Immediately, he stretched a hind leg forward and scratched an ear, moaning and groaning with a little whine thrown in. “I don’t have any of those critters, I want you to know, this is just a knee-jerk reaction.” He groaned and scratched harder. “Polly gives me baths, which I hate, of course. Well, sometimes. But I’m grateful for the way she looks after me. Really I am.” He rolled to his back, wiggling side to side to scratch unreachable places. “Oh, that feels so good.” Then he jumped to his feet and shook all over before sitting down with a harrumph.
Turning serious, Max stated, “It all worked out well and I’m glad it’s over for Liz.”
“Yes” Ben responded. “But it was touch and go there for a while.”
“I know. And when I first saw that blond woman, I knew something was way wrong with her. Sort of an in-your-gut feeling. Know what I mean?” He looked at Ben, repressing the urge to say, Sir.
Ben nodded, not taking his eyes off the group around the fire pit.
“I just went berserk,” Max went on. “I couldn’t help myself. You know? Then Polly came down hard on me and said ‘shame’… well, that did hurt. I got over it though because I know she loves me. But it did hurt.” He laid down and rested his nose on his paws, remembering.
“Give her time. She means well. She’ll figure it out. You’ll see.”
Captain Ben K-9 glanced down at Max and somehow that helped. “Yeah. You’re right,” Max sat up. “It’ll work out just fine. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He’d been “somewhere else” and that definitely wasn’t fine.
They all sat in silence for a few minutes before Max asked Ben, “Were you here that morning… you know, in the barn?”
“I was out front when the cops were there. In the crowd. She came by to take a look around. That’s common. I knew it was her. That she was the one. It was almost impossible to keep myself together and not just go after her. It’s that raw smell that gets to me.” He growled low in his throat.
Max almost moved further away from him, but instead he held his ground because he did get it. Gut feelings mattered.
“Myrtie?” Max looked back at the cow with her head hanging over the fence, still chewing her cud. “You were right in there. You had to see the whole thing.”
“Leave her alone,” said Bess. “She doesn’t want to talk about it.”
Myrtie nudged the cat in agreement and accidently pushed hard enough to unseat her. But Bess caught herself by a claw and pulled up onto the rail again. Instantly, she regained her poise and began grooming once more, letting go with a few of her favorite chirpy sounds.
Myrtie kept her silence. There wasn’t any way that she’d speak of that morning. Ever. Not to a living soul. All she wanted right now was to forget it and chew her dinner for the third time. She raised her tail to the side, and her body did the rest, filling the air with the sound of a slurpy PLOP!
“Oh, that is so disgusting!” Max dived to the ground covering his nose with his paws. “Disgusting! Ugh.”
“She’s not disgusting,” Bess said as she flattened her face against the broad spot on Myrtie’s head, until they were nearly eyeball to eyeball. Bess gave another chirpy sound. “She’s amazing! And she smells like milk. Even her skin smells like milk.”
Myrtie gave a soft belch as her cud came up again and the grainy, yeasty odor settled over Max until he hacked and coughed.
“What’s the matter?” Bess chirped. “Got a hairball?”
Dusk had fallen and the tangy smell of decaying leaves filled the air. A sense of comradery fell over the group by the fence. They understood each other in ways they hadn’t expected. They had become friends, as unlikely as that sounded, but it was true.
“It’s been a good day,” Ben said.
And they all agreed, with a yip, a chirp and another soft burp.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for reading Dead ‘n Breakfast, the first cozy in the Maple Ridge Mysteries series. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to leave a review on Amazon, I most definitely would appreciate it. The next book in the series, A Deadly Turn, is expected to be released in mid-2020. And just to be sure you don’t miss it, please go to my website and sign up for my newsletter so you can get the latest information on all my upcoming books.
www.PauletteBrewster.com
About the author:
Paulette Brewster has been a published author for over twenty five years. Writing stories is a big part of her life. When she isn’t at her computer, she can usually be found working alongside her husband on their farm, driving tractors or the combine or hauling grain to the elevator as well as caring for their many animals. If you ask her how she likes being a farmer’s wife, she’ll tell you that it’s a wonderful life and she feels blessed to have raised their children in such a wholesome environment. In recent years, she spends less time doing farm work and more time quilting, baking, and visiting with their grandchildren as often as possible. In between all the busy-ness on their farm and those quiet times of working in her sewing room, she still manages to spend several hours a day at her computer writing the books that she loves.
A Favorite Recipe from the MAPLE RIDGE B&B
Liz Marsh’s Old-Fashioned Homemade Bread
1 quart of hot water
½ cup of white sugar
1 cup of shortening
4 teaspoons of salt
Approximately 7 cups of regular white flour (or more if you need it)
2 packages of yeast: mix in a separate container with 1 teaspoon of sugar and ¼ cup of warm water (hint: NOT hot!) Mix gently and let sit while it rises/foams.
Mix the quart of water, sugar, salt and shortening in a large bowl. (hint: using a wire whisk is very helpful) Do not add yeast mixture till after adding 3 or 4 cups of flour because the shortening can slow the yeast action. (great hint!) Mix well. Dough becomes thick and sticky so add more flour and use your hands to do the mixing. You want to add enough flour to make the dough stiff but pliable. Let it rest a few minutes
then knead the dough with a relaxing back and forth motion as you fold it over then under for several loooong minutes. Place the rounded dough in a large greased bowl (crockery or stoneware works great if you have one, but avoid using a metal bowls). Cover with a dishtowel and place in the warmed oven to rise. (just turn the oven on 350 for a few minutes then turn it off, unless you’re lucky enough to own a good old-fashioned wood cookstove where you can use the back of the stove top.)
After an hour of rising, remove the large bowl from the oven and push down the center of the dough and turn it over. Return it to the warm oven with the dishtowel on top for another hour, or until the dough doubles in height.
At that time, remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again with the rocking motion… over… under… fold it, over… under… fold it. Let it rest a few minutes then divide it into 4 or 5 sections (loaves) and place each one in a greased loaf pan. Now, back to the oven with the loaves so they can rise for about an hour in the warmed oven.
Now, remove the dishtowel and turn the oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. (or whatever the personality of your oven dictates)
When you remove those beautiful golden loaves of bread from the oven, let them cool for about 20 minutes before slicing then spread fresh butter, homemade jam and ENJOY!!
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