Author: R A Wallace
Date: 2018-10-29 04:00:00+00:00

Teaberry Blues, Brew & BBQ
A Teaberry Farm Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery

R. A. Wallace

2018

Author’s Note

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, dialogue, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Material in this book is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice from qualified professionals. The author has no connection to any software or website mentioned.

© 2018 R. A. Wallace. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter One

Large brown eyes stared at him suspiciously. When he stepped to the left, the large head swung to the side to follow him. Knowing it was now or never, he began speaking in a low, soothing voice as he slowly walked toward her. She was having none of it.  Lowering her head as if to charge, she took one menacing step forward. He had seen her do it before and knew she was bluffing. Under normal circumstances, she was very timid and would have skittered away if possible. It was her calf she was concerned about now. Casey was fortunate that Tom and Ethan had already corralled the cow and her calf into the paddock or he’d never have had a chance at all.

Continuing both his slow advance and his soothing words, he finally reached the mother. He was careful to stay away from her calf as he slowly bent to examine the hoof. Ethan was right. There was a small wound just above it. Concerned about infection, they had called Casey in to check it out. He’d come prepared with his bag and moved quickly to deal with it once he was near her. She was much less concerned now that Casey was on one side of her, her calf on the other.

With sure fingers, Casey finished his ministrations then slowly moved back to the paddock gate, from where he had come. The drama seemingly done, the cow now chewed contentedly on her cud as she watched Casey exit the paddock. Her calf returned to her side and nudged under her belly for more milk.

“She okay?” Ethan asked as he joined him.

Casey turned and smiled as his young friend approached. He unbuttoned his heavy, padded flannel jacket. “Hey, you’re home from school.” Looking back at the cow, he nodded. “Yeah, she should be okay now. Good eye, though. You were right about the cut.” Casey put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder.

The fourteen year old felt the blush from the praise warm his cheeks. He’d always admired the friendly vet who seemed to have some special bond of friendship with his mother. Casey routinely took the time to explain things to him and had often allowed Ethan to assist him during his visits for regular checkups of the animals on his grandfather’s farm.

“There’s one more problem, if you have the time,” Ethan said. “I just saw it last night.”

“Another cow?” Casey asked as he rearranged his bag and made sure it was closed securely.

“No, one of the hogs behind the barn.” The hogs were kept in a large fenced in area. Ethan began walking toward the barn.

Casey fell into step with him. “So, is your mom home yet?”

“She should be here any minute,” Ethan said as they rounded the corner of the barn. Ethan looked around for the black and white spotted sow. “Over there,” he pointed.

Casey followed Ethan’s directions and saw the problem immediately. “Did she get into a fight again?” This wasn’t the first time he’d had to check out this sow.

Ethan shrugged. “Probably. I wasn’t here at the time though. I would have had Grandpa call you out special for this, but I knew you were already coming for the other problem.”

“Where is Tom?” Casey asked.

Ethan grinned and shot Casey a look. “Dinner with his girlfriend tonight.”

“That been happening a lot lately?” Casey stopped at the fenced-in area for the hogs.

Ethan stopped and stood next to Casey, trying to gauge the mood of the sow. “Yeah. She’s real nice though.” Ethan liked to hear the stories Caro told about her travels. It sounded like she’d been just about everywhere.

“It doesn’t look bad from here, but I’ll go in and check it out if you can keep the others away from me,” Casey said with a glance at Ethan. “If you want to try it before your mom gets here.”

Ethan nodded bravely but didn’t feel it. He knew Casey needed someone to distract the other hogs, that’s why he’d brought a bucket of scraps from the kitchen. He just wished he didn’t have to be the one to do it. Last year, he may have opted to wait for his mother’s help. This year, he felt that he was too old and didn’t want Casey to think he was still a little kid. He unlatched the gate and the two moved in. Both were in boots. The mud pulled on them each time they took a step toward the sow.

Halfway into the area, they diverged. Casey went toward the sow now separated from the others. Ethan went to the other side to play clown and keep the rest of the pigs occupied. He tempted them with the scraps in his bucket. He was doing pretty well until one of the other hogs broke free and headed toward Casey. Ethan didn’t want to let the others scatter but he didn’t want to let the rogue hog disturb Casey’s examination of the injured sow either. Not sure what to do, he hesitated for a moment.

“Got it,” Marcy yelled from behind Ethan.

He looked over and smiled at his mom. She was also wearing a padded flannel shirt and rubber boots to her knees, just as he and Casey were. He stole a quick glance to check on Casey then turned his focus back to the rest of the hogs, but he wasn’t quick enough. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a young female bolt out of the group toward his mom. He rushed to block the young hog at the same time Casey yelled out a warning and headed for Marcy also. Before Ethan knew what happened, the three of them had landed in the mud with a splash. The young female hog bolted off and continued a chaotic melee of movement in the pen causing the other hogs to also begin moving in earnest.

Ethan looked over at his mom. His mind registered that she was covered in mud, but he didn’t stop to think about it. Regaining his feet as quickly as possible, he turned to grab her hand but saw that Casey had gotten there first. Ethan moved toward the gate as quickly as possible and opened it for the others, letting them pass through to safety before slamming it shut and bolting it.

Then he turned back to his mom. He tried really hard not to laugh but he felt the corners of his mouth pulling up.

Casey willed his heart to stop pounding as he looked down at Marcy. She was okay. He reached down and wiped a large glob of mud from her cheek. Then he grinned.

“You okay?” Casey asked Marcy.

Marcy looked down at herself then checked out Ethan. Looking back at Casey, she shook her head and began laughing. “I look better than you two. C’mon. First one in the shower gets the most hot water.”

Casey and Ethan trudged up to the house following Marcy. They waved her in to get a shower first and took a seat out on the steps of the back porch.

“You get a chance to check her out?” Ethan asked as they sat companionably looking out over the fields.

“Yeah, she’s fine. That one likes her food too much. She keeps fighting the others for it,” Casey said.

“You have any interesting cases lately?” Ethan asked. He enjoyed the stories Casey told about the animals he treated.

Casey regaled him with several stories, embellishing a few purposely to make Ethan laugh.

Marcy popped her head out ten minutes later. “Next one’s up. I’ll get dinner started. Casey, you’re staying.”

Casey looked over at Ethan. “You go ahead.”

Ethan shoulder bumped Casey. “Nah, you go. I’ll throw some hay out to the cows and check on the chickens. That should give you enough time.”

By the time Ethan returned to the house, Casey and his mom were in the kitchen. He took most of his clothes off in the mudroom at the back door then walked down the hall toward the front of the house. He stopped by the kitchen and peered in before quickly moving past the door. Then he paused to listen.

When he’d poked his head in, he’d seen them working together on the dinner. His breath had momentarily caught in his chest at the sight. He noticed that Casey had changed into the clean clothes he kept in a travel bag in his car. His mom must have grabbed the bag for Casey when Ethan was out checking on the animals. He shifted his weight and cringed when the board beneath his foot creaked.

Marcy heard Ethan out in the hall and called to him. “It won’t take much longer, it’s just pasta and a salad.”

Ethan yelled a reply then headed toward the bathroom upstairs to get cleaned up and dressed. He could hear the two of them talking as he continued walking down the hallway but lost their voices when he began ascending the stairs. He knew they’d gone to school together. Casey had told him once that his mom had stood up for Casey when some bigger kids were picking on him at school. They’d been friends ever since. Ethan wondered for the millionth time what his mother had seen in the no good man she’d married instead. His father had taken off years ago, leaving them both. Neither Ethan nor Marcy had missed him.

“Things going well at work?” Casey asked.

“Yeah, you?” Marcy passed the washed lettuce over to Casey. He was working on the salad. She turned back to the stove to stir the sauce.

“Can’t complain.” Casey glanced over his shoulder to see if Ethan had gone. “Ethan’s got a good eye for animals.”

Marcy brought her head up quickly and gave Casey a warm smile. She was proud of her son. “Yeah, I noticed that. Think he’s a budding veterinarian?”

“It’s not a bad job.” Casey watched her carefully, his hands slowing from their task.

Marcy turned back to the sauce. “I’d much rather he take after you than his father.”

Casey’s hands stopped altogether for a moment. Then he looked back down at the cutting board and picked up another tomato. He sliced it in half with more force than was needed. “You still worried about him coming back?”

Marcy shrugged. The truth was, she was terrified of it. She’d left him several years ago but had waited to divorce him for fear he would fight for custody of Ethan. But then the fear that he already had too many rights had finally caused her to move forward with the divorce. By then, he’d already left town. Fortunately, the lawyer had still managed not only to finalize the proceedings, but to change Marcy and Ethan’s last name to Jenkins.

But she didn’t want to worry her friend. “I’m sure he’s forgotten all about us. It’s been over seven years. Who knows where he even is?”

Casey carried the salad to the table and set it down before turning back to Marcy. “Wherever he is, I hope he stays there.”

Marcy blew out a breath. She still had nightmares that he returned for Ethan. “You and me both.”

Chapter Two

It was still dark early in the morning when Dan went out to check on the animals. They were well into fall now. The sun rose later and later each day. He smiled to himself when the lights on the outside of the barn turned on automatically, sensing his motion. He’d installed those a few weeks ago. He stood still for a moment, checking the direction of the lights. Nodding once to himself, he continued on to the barn. He turned the lights on inside, grabbed some feed for the chickens, then turned to head toward the coop.

He saw Henry standing in the middle of the doorway, watching him with his one good eye. Henry had lost the other eye when he’d been very young. Dan knew that Megan had nursed Henry back to health and Henry had been in love with Megan ever since. He followed her pretty much everywhere she went on the farm. If anyone had ever told Dan that roosters could be jealous, he might not have believed them. Until he met Henry.

“We’ve been through this before, Henry. Besides, it’s barely light out now. Shouldn’t you still be sleeping?” Dan walked toward the rooster and then past him without pausing.

Henry flapped his wings and danced back on forth on his feet. Realizing that Dan was still walking, Henry gave up his dance and began following him back to the coop.

Dan opened the door and waited for Henry. The rooster stopped about four feet away and began pecking at the ground. Dan shook his head and let the door slap closed behind him. He added the feed and checked on the water. By the time he had emerged, the darkness had begun to wane even more. He returned to the barn then exited out the back and checked out the pond.

When Megan went out to offer her help with the chores, she found Dan standing behind the barn, staring at the pond. “What’s up?” She’d pulled on one of his jackets and was huddling inside it.

Dan looped an arm around Megan and pulled her toward him. She burrowed into his side, enjoying the warmth. The two of them stared at the pond.

“I was thinking I could add some more lights back here,” Dan said.

Megan looked over at the fields where the sheep and miniature donkeys were. It was light enough to see them clearly now. The woods behind them still sported a good number of red, orange, and yellow leaves. “For the animals?”

Dan chuckled. “No, for the humans.”

Megan looked up at him in confusion, then back at the pond. She didn’t get it. “What for?”

“It’s a nice pond. I bet it freezes over really well in the winter,” Dan commented.

Megan began to understand. “I ice skate on it sometimes in the winter. Ethan does too.” It would be nice to have lights on the pond. It would allow them to skate in the evenings.

It began to drizzle so they both turned to head back toward the house. Dan stopped to turn the lights off in the barn and close it up after grabbing the basket of eggs he’d collected.

“Are the ladies up yet?” Dan asked.

“No, they said they were late sleepers and figured since it was going to be a rainy morning, they might as well sleep in. They want one more lesson this morning before they leave,” Megan said.

“I never realized how involved knitting could be. Do you have a lot of guests who come just for lessons?” Dan asked.

Megan nodded. “In the fall and winter, I do. Usually it’s just women, but sometimes their husbands come along too. A lot of them already know how to knit and they just stay with me to spend time with other people who enjoy knitting too. Sometimes they want to learn new patterns or stitches.”

“What are your plans after they leave?” Dan asked as they mounted the steps of the wraparound porch at the back door of the house.

“I’m going to check on Erica. Brad is driving to Pittsburgh for a meeting.” Megan followed Dan into the kitchen and shrugged out of his jacket. She hung it on the back of a chair to dry.

“And you have been assigned the task of keeping her entertained?” Dan asked.

Megan smiled. “Something like that.”

***

Erica looked down in dismay at the papers scattered all over the living room floor. She’d been reading from a cold case file when the thing had slipped from her lap as she lay on the couch. She’d been contemplating the attempt to retrieve the pages but hadn’t yet worked up the courage. At this point in her pregnancy with twins, that sort of movement was difficult to make. Even if she could successfully maneuver down to the floor, Erica wasn’t certain she could manage to get the three of them back up to the couch afterward.

She let out a sigh of relief when the doorbell rang. Picking up her phone from the table next to her, she quickly texted a message that the door was unlocked. Megan walked in a moment later after leaving her umbrella and damp jacket near the front door.

“I take it we dropped something,” Megan said as she bent to retrieve the many pages.

“No, we didn’t. I did.” Erica sighed. “We might be a bit cranky though, sorry.”

Megan looked up at her friend and former sister-in-law and smiled. “Anyone carrying twins has the right to be cranky every now and then.”

Erica leaned back into the cushions and tried to get comfortable. Then she remembered something. “Try not to look too closely at some of the pages. They’re a little gruesome.”

That, of course, caused Megan to look down at the pages in her hand. She wasn’t certain exactly what she was looking at.

“Is this a burned-out car?” Megan asked.

“Yeah, careful. The pages under that might be the people that were in it.”

Megan lifted several pages at once, careful to keep them grouped together. Then she slid them back into the folder and continued picking up other pages. “What about the rest of this?”

“They’re the reports and everything that go with it. You probably don’t want to read them,” Erica cautioned.

“What are you doing with them?” Megan asked as she picked up the last of them. She carried the whole folder over to Erica and set it on the table next to her, then took a seat.

“It’s a cold case file. There are also some new documents with things to check out that I’ve added to it since I’ve started looking at it. Jerry thought the cold cases would help Brad.”

Megan lifted her eyebrows at Erica in question.

“Seriously, would you want to be trapped in a house with me not having anything to do all day?” Erica asked.

“Ah, gotcha. Have you figured anything out with this one yet?” Megan sat back in the chair and looked at Erica. She had made it longer than they’d expected her to with the twins so far. They were all hoping she could go as long as possible, of course, but they assumed it wouldn’t be much longer. In the meantime, Brad had been focusing on keeping her as comfortable as possible.

“It’s a teen runaway case,” Erica said.

Megan wrinkled her brow in thought. “From Teaberry?”

Erica reached for the folder and opened it. She began straightening the papers and putting them back in order. “She ran away when she was eighteen, so technically she was an adult. She’d be twenty five now. Wherever she might be.”

“Any idea what happened to her yet?” Megan asked.

“I’ve looked at a couple of scenarios and tried to match up what I know with other events that I’ve come across.”

“What do you mean?” Megan asked.

“Well, for instance,” Erica said as she pulled out a page. “Here’s a sighting of a girl who matched the description in Tupelo, Kansas. I called the police station there and had them follow up on it again but that turned out to be a false lead.”

“Oh, so you’re tracking down what was discovered at the time she originally ran away?” Megan asked.

Erica nodded. “Figured I’d start there and do a process of elimination but then I also began looking at other events that happened during the right time frame. Here’s another possibility. They found a burned out car with two bodies in it halfway across the country.”

“Did that match up?” Megan asked.

Erica studied the photo again of the car and shook her head. “The car was so damaged, they couldn’t get a VIN number. You know, a vehicle identification number?” Erica looked at Megan to make sure she was following her. “They couldn’t get a VIN from it to positively identify it. In fact, from the photos of it all I can really do is guess at the make and model. It’s that bad. And I have no idea why there were two bodies. It’s just another unsolved that I came across as a possibility to check out more, see if it tied into this one.”

Megan watched Erica’s hand move up to her belly. Erica began to rub slowly.

“You okay?” Megan asked.

“The babies are hungry,” Erica said as she looked down at her belly. They were getting active again.

“I’ll fix your lunch and you can tell me more about the cold case,” Megan offered.

Chapter Three

Bert squinted up at the ticket and tried to read Betty’s writing on the order for booth number five. He’d been decrypting her writing at Jammin’T for over forty years. Lately, it had become almost impossible to make out the letters. He wasn’t certain if her writing had gotten worse or his vision. Either way, he couldn’t make it out. He stood up on his toes to look over the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area. That was something else he hadn’t had to do in his youth. When did the counter get higher?

Looking over at booth number five, he saw who was sitting there and nodded to himself. He didn’t have to read Betty’s handwriting now. The couple sitting there always ordered the same thing on Wednesdays. It was one of the specials he ran. Bert reached for another stack of raw hamburger patties and began putting them on the grill. He paused to stretch out his left arm. It had been bothering him all morning. He flexed his fingers, then returned to working on the patties.

The bells on the front door rang as Emmet Parker walked in. He stopped and looked around at the booths, searching for his lunch date. Not seeing her yet, he nodded to Betty as he passed her on his way to an empty booth. She brought two glasses of water to his table without asking and flipped his coffee cup over before leaving. She returned a moment later with a coffee pot.

“Bit of a chill today,” Betty said.

“Won’t be much longer now,” Emmet agreed with a nod as he set his Gatsby style hat on the bench seat next to him. “Snow’ll be here before you know it.”

“Not looking forward to it,” Betty said with a shake of her head.

“Are you two going to go somewhere warm this winter?” Emmet asked as he added some cream to his coffee. He asked her the same question at this time every year. She’d always laughed at him before. Emmet looked up from his coffee.

Betty hadn’t laughed this time. She was staring over at Bert. She turned back to Emmet and shrugged. “Maybe I’m getting old.”

Although Betty was a year or two older than Emmet, he was also in his sixties. It occurred to him that he wouldn’t want to be waiting tables all day at his age.

“We’re all getting old,” Emmet said. “Did you talk to Bert about it?”

“He says he’s thinking about it.” Betty nodded at a person across the room trying to get her attention. “Are you going to wait until she gets here?”

“Yeah,” Emmet looked over at Bert. He was also in his sixties. Bert and Betty had been working at the Jammin’T for over forty years. That was a long time for anyone, Emmet thought. He turned back toward the door when the bells rang and smiled at his lunch date as she walked in. She was the love of his life.

“Hey, Dad,” Jennifer took the seat across from him.

“Hey, sweetie. How’s work today?” Emmet asked.

“Quiet, but I’m not complaining. You look chipper today, what’s up?” Jennifer nodded her thanks to Betty when she filled her coffee cup.

Emmet pushed the creamer and sugar over. “Amos called me. The drizzle is letting up and the rain should be gone from our area. He’s going to be out at the lake checking the sound system this afternoon. He said I could come out and give him a hand.”

Jennifer looked up from her coffee and smiled. She knew what that meant. “Are you going to give a performance?”

Emmet smoothed down the long gray mustache that covered his upper lip. He kept his matching goatee trimmed fairly short. His thin, round wire-rimmed glasses glinted in the fluorescent lights as did the top of his bare head. The remaining hair circling around his head was kept short. The prominent laugh lines emanating from the corners of his blue eyes were a testament to his typical happy nature. They were well-defined at the moment, as he flashed his daughter an impish grin.

“Well, Vince said he might be able to make it also. It would be a crime if we were both there and didn’t test the system for Amos, right?” Emmet’s blue eyes twinkled at his daughter.

“Yeah, a real crime,” Jennifer agreed with a grin. Then she looked around. Betty hadn’t taken their order yet. She spotted her over by the kitchen, talking with Bert. Betty looked like she was trying to convince Bert to do something. He was shaking his head. Finally, Betty threw up her hands and came over to their table.

“What’ll it be today?” Betty asked. She wasn’t looking at them. Her gaze was focused on Bert.

“Everything okay, Betty?” Jennifer asked.

Betty turned frustrated eyes to Jennifer. “He says he isn’t feeling well but he’s stubborn. He hasn’t missed a day of work in years.” Betty shook her head.

Jennifer shared a look with her father. “Looks like the rain has stopped but it’s still a little chilly. I’ll just have some of the soup that you already have made up.”

“Me too,” Emmet said.

Betty smiled her thanks and went off to ladle the soup herself. She returned a moment later with the two bowls.

“Is Daryl going to be at the sound check too?” Jennifer asked before dipping her spoon into her soup.

Emmet shook his head. “He’s working at the antique store. We get together in the evenings or on weekends to practice.” The three men sang harmony and enjoyed competing and performing, especially during the Christmas holidays.

“You guys aren’t going to be singing during the Blues, Brew and BBQ weekend, are you?”

“No, but I’m planning on attending. What about you and Jim? Will you be there?” Emmet asked innocently.

Jennifer wasn’t fooled. Her father had been dropping hints about her getting married ever since she’d started seeing Jim. “His restaurant is participating in the barbeque competition, as usual.”

Emmet’s response was lost in the commotion that followed. Later, Jennifer wasn’t certain what had happened first, the loud clatter in the kitchen after Bert grabbed his chest or Betty’s screaming. She just knew that getting an ambulance there as quickly as possible was important. As several people in the diner jumped up and ran for the kitchen to help Bert, Jennifer pulled out her phone.

The sirens could be heard soon after, even above Betty’s continued screams. Jennifer saw someone go over to Betty and put an arm around her. Her screams stopped but the tears continued as the ambulance crew stabilized Bert and wheeled him out of the diner.

Jennifer joined Betty and the small group of people clustered around her. “You go with Bert. We’ll make sure everything is turned off and locked up for you.”

“Don’t worry about anything here,” Emmet added as they watched Betty being led to the ambulance to join Bert.

Chapter Four

Matthias Reynolds pulled the car up to the curb in front of the administration building and stopped. He turned in his seat to look at his wife. As usual, she was dressed in what he thought of as her mayoral garb, a dark skirt suit. She held a folded umbrella in her hand, but it looked like the rain had passed for now.

“Thanks for lunch,” Barbara said as she pulled on the door handle. They’d gone to the Teaberry House Restaurant, an old Victorian house converted to a restaurant. She heard the sirens as soon as she opened the passenger side door. She turned concerned eyes toward Matthias. From the sounds of it, the sirens were in the center of town.

“I’ll pick you up at the end of the day,” Matthias said gently. He knew she worried about the residents of Teaberry.

Barbara managed a smile and a quick nod before exiting the car. She kept her umbrella with her but didn’t need it on the walk into the building that housed her office and others involved in the administration of Teaberry. She passed Jessilyn’s office on her way down the hall. Stopping, she backed up and peeked in. The attractive blonde was completely focused on the spreadsheets on her computer.

“Did you have lunch?” Barbara asked.

Jessilyn turned a distracted look to the mayor. “I brought something with me, thanks.”

“Remember to take the time to enjoy it,” Barbara suggested before continuing down the hall.

Jessilyn reached down and opened the drawer on her desk. She had forgotten to eat. Glancing up at the now empty doorway, she gave a wry smile as she pulled a container of yogurt from her small lunch cooler.

She ate the yogurt and the rest of her lunch as she continued studying her lists. She’d made some minor modifications to the location assignments for some of the vendors from the previous year. She hoped that the changes would help with the pattern of foot traffic throughout the park during the event.

The Blues, Brew and BBQ event was annual and had been growing each year in popularity. It had outgrown the town square and was now held at the Teaberry Park adjacent to the lake. They were able to take advantage of the parking lots at both the park and the marina, as well as use the fields next to the marina. There were multiple pavilions and a large lodge complete with a kitchen. All were available for rental during the rest of the year but were taken over for the Blues, Brew and BBQ event.

The event included competitions for the blues singers, the craft beers, and, of course, the barbeque. Some of the proceeds were donated to local charities and the event was sponsored by most of the local businesses in the area that benefitted from the large influx of visitors to the town. Even though this was not the first time Jessilyn had overseen the coordination of the event, she was still exerting a lot of time and energy to ensure its success.

One of the important tasks was making sure that all of the permits were in place before the event. Which was why Jessilyn was frowning at the lists in front of her. She was missing a very critical name from the list.

Jessilyn looked back at her computer and saw that she had new mail. She found the one message that she was hoping for from Marcy. It was an updated list of the permit applications that had already been processed for the upcoming Blues, Brew and BBQ event.

She scanned through the list, matching it up with the names of the vendors on her spreadsheet. Although there were a lot of names on the list, she didn’t yet see the one for TriRiver Promotional Events. They were the company that had been hired to promote the weekend event and handle the Blues competition.

Frowning again, Jessilyn was about to lift the phone and call Marcy when she heard a knock on her door. She dropped her hand and smiled at the woman standing in her doorway.

“Can I help you?” Jessilyn asked.

“Hi, I’m Hannah Maxwell. I’m with the promotional group for the blues competition.” The attractive brunette stepped into Jessilyn’s office and took a seat across from her.

Jessilyn stifled a sigh of relief and sat back in her chair. “Great. I was just wondering where you were with your permit application.”

“That’s what I wanted to speak with you about actually. We’re not local, we’re based in Pittsburgh. It takes a chunk out of my day to have to travel here to get things straightened out.” Hannah offered a chilly smile.

Jessilyn raised her eyebrows momentarily but kept the smile on her face. “Yes, that’s why we made sure the permit applications were online. To make the process easier. That information would have been given to you along with everything else in the packet you were sent, including the deadline to receive materials back from you.”

Hannah looked down at her hands before looking back at Jessilyn. “Well, that’s the problem. I submitted a permit application, but it hasn’t been approved yet. I know that the deadline is today, but I was hoping that if I came and explained the situation, you’d be able to process the rest of the application knowing that the permit was forthcoming.”

Jessilyn hesitated before answering. The blues competition was a large component of the event. There wasn’t time to search for another organization to handle that portion of the event this close to the event date.

“Well, I’m not certain what to say. The permit does have to be in place,” Jessilyn pointed out.

“And it would have been,” Hannah said as she moved forward in her seat to emphasize her point. “But that woman that handles the permits for the police department is giving me a hard time about it. I didn’t want to say anything, but I don’t really have a choice. I stopped to see her before coming here and I think I have everything straightened out with it now. I’m sure you’ll get your permit soon.”

Jessilyn considered her options. She could wait one more day. By then, Marcy should have it processed. “Okay. I’ll follow up with Marcy tomorrow if I don’t hear from her before.”

Hannah shot to her feet. “Great. I’ll let you get back to work.”

Jessilyn watched her leave the office. She only really knew Marcy through her work, but she couldn’t believe that Marcy would give anyone a bad time about a permit. She wondered what the story was with that. Shaking her head, Jessilyn printed out the new list she’d just received and began processing the rest of the applications for the approved permits that were on the list.

***

“Mom, Mom! What’s for dinner? I’m starved!” Evan said when Jessilyn stepped into her neighbor’s yard after work.

Jessilyn laughed at her six year old son. He was playing catch with Logan, his best friend and neighbor. Jessilyn looked up when she saw Cindy motioning to her from the kitchen window.

“I’ll be right back out. You stay here for just a minute, okay?” Jessilyn caught the ball her son lobbed to her then tossed it back to him before going inside.

Cindy had changed from her work clothes and was busy fixing a dinner for her and Logan. A teacher at the elementary school, Cindy brought both boys home after school and watched Evan until Jessilyn got home.

“Did you hear?” Cindy asked as she chopped vegetables for a salad. From where she was standing, she could see the boys in the back yard.

Jessilyn was afraid to ask. “What now?”

“Brianna doesn’t agree with the teachers’ suggestion for a PTA topic. We asked her to add an emphasis on bullying.” The teachers had felt strongly that the parents should be informed of the issues surrounding the topic. The new PTA president had disagreed.

“Interesting. Her son is one of the students who have been reprimanded for that very behavior recently,” Jessilyn murmured. Jessilyn had been surprised to learn that the boy bullying Evan at school recently was the son of the woman who had bullied Jessilyn when she was in school.

“There’s one more thing.” Cindy pointed at a flyer on the kitchen table with her chin. “That’s the schedule for the PTA meetings this year.

Jessilyn picked up the page and scanned down through the dates. A tiny frown creased between her eyes as she wondered why the dates sounded familiar. Looking back up at the first one, she realized it was the day before the Blues, Brew and BBQ event. She’d have to check her schedule for the rest of them, but she knew the second date for a PTA meeting was the day before the next large event in Teaberry. She suspected the rest of the proposed PTA meetings dates would similarly match up.

“It looks like I won’t be making it to many PTA meetings this year,” Jessilyn said with a sigh. “I’m usually swamped the day before a large event.”

Chapter Five

Ginny pulled into the parking lot of the Station Pub & Grill after work on Wednesday. It was already filling up, but she was only meeting Marcy for drinks, so it didn’t matter where they sat. Ginny scanned the parking lot, but didn’t see Marcy’s car yet. She went inside and looked around. There were a couple of stools open at the bar but there was also a booth open just inside the bar area. Ginny moved in the direction of the booth. Much more comfortable, she thought, as she slid onto the padded bench seat.

At forty three, she didn’t yet consider herself old. But after being on her feet much of the day in the bowels of the county courthouse where the deeds and other records were stored, the padded bench seat felt great. She’d slid into the side facing the entrance so that she’d be able to see Marcy when she arrived. Ginny twisted around and looked over at the bar. She didn’t recognize the new bartender. It was a female who looked to be in her early thirties. The bartender looked over at Ginny and smiled, then quickly began to move in her direction. Whoever she was, she was on the ball.

“Hi, I’m Cathy. What can I get you?”

“Hi Cathy, I’m Ginny. I’ll take two white wines. My friend will be here in a couple of minutes.” Ginny watched Cathy move quickly back to the bar.

“Hey, Ginny.”

Ginny turned to find Casey Adams. “Hey, Casey. Are you here for a drink?”

“No, I just stopped to pick up food and saw you sitting here. How’s Jasper?”

“He’s got a new healthy respect for all things prickly,” Ginny said with a grin as Cathy returned.

“Here you both go,” Cathy said as she set the wine glasses down. After straightening, she looked at Casey with interest. “Hi, I’m Cathy. Can I get you two anything else?”

Casey took a step back and held up a hand. “Sorry, I’m interrupting your date. I just wanted to ask about Jasper. I’ll go check on my order.”

Cathy watched him walk back to the restaurant side. “He isn’t with you?”

“No, Casey is the town vet. He was checking on my German shepherd,” Ginny said as she reached for her wine. “Jasper had a bad encounter with a porcupine.”

“Oh. Too bad.” Cathy took one last look at Casey’s back before returning to the bar.

“Hey, Ginny. Thanks for ordering my wine,” Marcy said as she slipped into the booth facing the bar. “Sorry I’m late. I got hung up with some permit applications.”

“The town events keep you hopping with paperwork,” Ginny said sympathetically. “At least this one comes with a handsome promoter. Have you managed to make the time for more lunch dates?”

Marcy made a face. “I wish I’d never met him.”

“It didn’t work out?” Ginny asked in surprise.

“Turns out he’s not the prince I was hoping for. I tell you Ginny, I’m ready to give up on men altogether.” Marcy sipped at her wine.

“That’s too bad. He sounded promising when you first started seeing him. Maybe you can work it out?” Ginny said.

Marcy shook her head. “In fact, not only is he not a prince, he’s just as bad as the frog I married. They definitely have a lot in common. Both of them are cheaters. I did agree to meet with him here for lunch this Friday when he’s in town again because he kept pressuring me about it. But I won’t be changing my mind, no matter what he says. I’ll break it off completely then and make sure that he understands that I mean what I say.”

“Sounds like he still wants the relationship if he still wants to see you Friday,” Ginny pointed out.

“He says he does, but I don’t care. He’s not the nice man I thought he was. I’m not going to waste my time with another loser. I’ve already made that mistake before. This whole planet would be better off without the likes of men like them.” Marcy looked over Ginny’s shoulder at the bar.

“Is that a new bartender?” Marcy figured a change of conversation was in order. She was done talking about her failed relationships.

Ginny nodded as she watched another couple enter the restaurant side. “Says her name is Cathy. She seems on the ball.”

“Does that mean Jennifer found a way to get Jim away from here?” Marcy asked.

Ginny grinned and leaned forward, lowering her voice. “From what I hear, she knocked his socks off in a red dress.”

Marcy laughed. “Good for her. How about you? What’s new in your world?” Marcy asked. She listened as Ginny told her about the porcupine incident. Marcy countered with the hog incident ending in a mud bath and had Ginny laughing.

***

Barbara and Matthias pulled into the Station Pub & Grill. As she got out of the car, Barbara saw Casey emerging from the restaurant, carrying a takeout bag.

“Dr. Adams, I see you share my husband’s fondness for barbeque?” Barbara said with a smile.

“That I do,” Casey said with a nod at Matthias. “I’m probably the biggest fan of the competition coming up too. I try my best to sample every submission from each of the competitors.”

Barbara looked at the attractive young man in front of her and wondered where he put all the food. At around five nine, he was extremely fit. He must burn off every calorie and then some.

“I remember those days fondly,” Matthias said. “I used to be able to eat like that too. Enjoy it while you can.”

Casey chuckled and waved as he headed for his truck.

“You seem to do a pretty good job now,” Barbara said with a grin.

Matthias smiled back as he held open the door. “Just trying to remain able to do my part and stay in competitive form with the other tasters. We wouldn’t want anyone to say the mayor’s husband didn’t put forth a good effort at sampling all there is at the competition. Someone might think I’m playing favorites.”

Chapter Six

Hannah Maxwell swiveled around in her chair and looked out the window over the back alley behind the building that housed the offices for TriRiver Promotional Events. Being located practically on top of railroad tracks near an old industrial area, it was not a pretty view. It was a job leading to nowhere, but it paid the bills while Hannah worked on getting recognized in her true career. Instead of assisting others in the promotion of acts, she planned to be the star someday. She knew she was a much better singer than many of the no-names they brought to events.

The job also allowed her to see Jack, though not nearly as often as she’d like. His job at TriRiver required him to travel a lot. Although Hannah did sometimes travel with him for various events, more often than not she ended up travelling on her own. Like today, when she’d had to go to Teaberry for a permit. That was her end of the job. She dealt with all of the details, the headaches, the drama queens, and the paperwork.

Jack focused on smoozing the townspeople into having an event or sniffing out the local talent. It was up to Hannah to manage all of the work that went with scouting for sites, pulling the permits, hiring the local acts and handling the contracts, or any of the other million tasks that went into an event.

Once Hannah made it big, they wouldn’t need to worry about any of that anymore. Someone else would be paving the way for Hannah to perform all over. She would enjoy travelling then with Jack at her side. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was well past quitting time for the day. But Jack hadn’t made it back yet and she didn’t want to miss him. She’d hung around knowing that he would stop back at the office once he blew back into town. Hannah was still staring out the window when a voice came from behind her, startling her from her dreams.

“Do you have those contracts finished yet?” Jack said from the doorway.

Hannah turned to look him. In his mid-thirties, he was around Hannah’s age. Around five eleven with carefully highlighted blond hair and blue eyes, he was the kind of man that attracted women just by entering a room. Of course, he usually aimed a high-wattage smile at most women. He was currently scowling at Hannah.

“Almost. What’s your hurry? I still have time to email them out tonight.” Hannah hadn’t actually begun working on them yet, but they weren’t difficult to do. She just needed to change some names on a template they used for all contracts. Of course, she didn’t tell Jack that. She didn’t want him to begin thinking that he could do it on his own.

“They’re more complicated than you think. It takes time to make sure they’re correct,” Hannah added as she stood. She walked over to the doorway to join Jack, but he took a step backward and began walking down the hall to his own small office.

“Just make sure you get them out tonight,” Jack said as he walked away.

“Speaking of tonight, will I see you for a late dinner? You were gone for a couple of days. I’ve missed you,” Hannah said, her voice trailing Jack down the hall.

He didn’t even turn around. “Not tonight, I have plans.”

Hannah stared down the empty hallway for a few moments after Jack disappeared into his office. Then she turned and walked back over to her desk. She wondered what Jack was really up to tonight. He usually wanted to spend time with her after being out of town for a while. What could be so important that he didn’t want to see her now?

Seeing one of the lights lit on the office phone system, she realized Jack was on a call. She wondered who he needed to call that couldn’t wait until he’d left here. He probably let the battery on his mobile phone run out again, that’s why he was using the office phone instead. Hannah contemplated pressing the button and listening into the call, but the last time she’d done that he’d heard the click.

Swiftly moving out of her office and down the hall, she stopped outside of Jack’s door. Perfect, he had left it open a little.

“Sure, Baby. I’ll be there just as soon as I drop off some expenses from my trip for the office worker to handle. What’s that?”

Hannah heard a low rumble in Jack’s chest as he chuckled.

“Oh, yeah. That sounds really nice. I’ll be right there.”

Hannah rushed quietly back down the hall to her own office. Jack emerged through her door a moment later.

“Here are all of the receipts. I need these processed quickly for the reimbursement.” Jack didn’t even look at Hannah when he tossed the receipts onto her desk.

Hannah watched him with narrowed eyes as he turned and left. Slowly, she reached for the receipts.

***

Kellie Hennessy used her ID card to get access to the main doors of her apartment building. She smiled at another resident before stopping in the mail room to pick up her mail. Then she quickly walked down the hallway and into the stairwell to go up another level. She found it took less time than waiting for the elevator.

After unlocking her door, she stepped inside before turning to latch the inside lock. She dropped her keys and purse on a side table but kept the mail with her as she went into her kitchen for a glass of wine. She searched in the fridge for a bottle but came up empty. She’d forgotten to restock it again. No matter. She pulled a warm bottle from the cupboard and filled a glass with ice followed by wine. She took her first long sip then sifted through the mail. Her heart stopped when she reached the one with the return mailing label that had the name she recognized. Setting her glass down, she quickly tore open the letter.

There it was. A signed contract for a record deal. She’d known it was coming but it still took her breath away. At twenty nine, she had been working for this for as long as she could remember. All of the one night gigs, all of the travelling, all of the horrible motels, it had all been worth it. This was her lucky break. After this, everyone would know the name Kellie Hennessy. She was bursting with joy. She didn’t know who to tell first.

Reaching for her phone, she was about to search through her contact list when she heard the buzzer for her apartment. Maybe the someone she wanted was outside waiting to see her. Kellie went over to her door and checked the security monitor. Perfect. She had just been about to call him. Buzzing him through quickly, she paced in her small entryway while she waited for Jack to appear on the other side of her door. She threw herself out into his arms in the hallway.

“Whoa, what’s all this?” Jack said as he caught her. He looked down at the attractive woman in his arms. She was glowing.

“I got it! The record deal. I got the contract!” Kellie pulled Jack into her apartment.

“Baby, that’s awesome! We’ll have to celebrate.” Jack followed Kellie back to her kitchen.

She held up the contract. He reached for it and flipped through the pages quickly. When he saw the amount, he nearly dropped to his knees in front of her. This is what he’d been working for. He’d always wanted to find someone who could keep him in the kind of money he knew he deserved. He pulled Kellie toward him.

“We seriously have to celebrate this.”

Chapter Seven

The weather on Friday morning was very chilly. Marcy peered out of the kitchen window as she contemplated what to wear over her uniform to work. She’d taken the afternoon off thinking that she would probably be upset after her lunch with Jack, but she still needed to work in the morning. She finished packing Ethan’s lunch and left it on the counter for him to grab on his way out to the school bus. Then she cleared away the rest of their breakfast things.

“Don’t forget your jacket,” Marcy yelled as she heard Ethan’s footsteps in the hall.

“Got it.” Ethan flew into the kitchen. After grabbing his lunch, he whirled around and headed for the front door. “Later.”

“Love you! Have a good day,” Marcy yelled to an empty house. Looking out the kitchen window, she saw he was halfway to the bus already. She continued looking out the window for a moment longer, then decided on a midweight jacket. She knew it would warm up a little later with the afternoon sun. But, for now, she needed the extra protection against the cool morning.

After grabbing her purse, she jumped in her car and waved at her dad when he poked his head out of the barn. A short drive later, she was at work and immersed in processing paperwork. She knew that Jessilyn was waiting to finalize everything for the upcoming Blues, Brew & BBQ event. Marcy sifted through all of the permit applications and prioritized them to get the most important done first. There was really only the one left that she thought Jessilyn might need for now, but she still had a lot of other work to do also.

The morning flew by quickly. Before Marcy knew it, she was standing at the door to the Station Pub & Grill. Her stomach was doing summersaults, but not because she was hungry. She really didn’t want to have to face Jack again. But she also didn’t want him calling her up every time he blew into town thinking she was another woman in another port just waiting for his ship to arrive.

She walked into the restaurant and loosened her jacket as she looked around. Spotting Jack at a table near the front of the room, she quickly walked over. Looking around the restaurant, she wondered if this had really been a good idea. Originally, she had thought that meeting him in a public place would be good.

She glanced into the bar side but didn’t see many people over there. Then she took the seat across from Jack with her back away from the entrance. Maybe no one she knew would pay any attention to her. She wanted to get this over and done with quickly.

“Marcy, it’s so good to see you again,” Jack said with all the charm he could. He didn’t know what had happened to turn Marcy so cold, but he hoped he’d be able to reverse it today. Looking at the set of her jaw, he began to wonder.

“I don’t really want to order lunch. I just came to tell you that I don’t want to see you anymore.” There. She’d said it.

The surprise and hurt on Jack’s face looked genuine. Maybe she shouldn’t have said it? Maybe she should have asked him about the woman she’d seen him kissing in the town square not long ago? Maybe there was a simple explanation for it? Marcy bit her lower lip and waited for Jack’s response as she struggled to pull off her jacket. Suddenly, she was warm.

Jack decided to cut his losses. He shrugged and smiled easily at Marcy as his eyes slid back over to the attractive bartender on the other side of the restaurant. “Whatever you say. I won’t keep you. I just thought maybe we could talk things over like friends.”

Marcy stood up. She definitely didn’t feel comfortable staying now. Obviously, she hadn’t been wrong about him after all. “Good bye, Jack. Don’t call me again.” Marcy turned and walked away, slipping her jacket back on over her blue uniform.

Jack shrugged again and stood. Maybe if he sat over on the bar side, he could talk to the pretty bartender. As he walked around the table, he saw something on the chair where Marcy had been. He picked it up, considered the effort it would take to chase her down to give it back to her, and decided against it.

Tucking it into his pocket, he walked over to the bar and dialed up his smile. While he was here, he should talk to the owners about the food truck he saw parked out in their lot. Maybe he could use them at some of his upcoming events.

***

Jessilyn looked up at the knock on her office door. She didn’t recognize the blond male standing there. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Jack Kensington. I’m with TriRiver. I just wanted to double check everything while I’m in town today.” Jack glanced down at the pretty blonde’s left hand then over at the nameplate on one corner of her desk.

Jessilyn plastered on a professional smile. “Yes, Mr. Kensington. I received the last of your paperwork today. Everything is in order as far as the permits and applications go.”

“Good to hear. Call me Jack, Jessilyn. I know our office girl always stays on top of things and she mentioned there was some sort of hold up with something, so I thought I’d touch base while I was here. It’s always good to be able to put faces to names.”

“Not to worry, Mr. Kensington. Everything is in order now.”

***

Jack followed the GPS directions to the address Jessilyn had given him. As he pulled into the park, he checked out the layout for everything. He was happy to see that the parking should be ample. He continued on to the lodge and parked next to it. As he got out of his car, he heard voices singing in harmony. He paused for a moment and listened before following the sound around the building.

He found a stage and the source of the singing. There were two old guys on the stage. Neither one of them matched the description that Jessilyn had given him. He looked around for another man. The two up on the stage stopped singing.

“Can we help you?”

Jack turned to the two men on the stage. The one that had spoken to him had round wire-rim glasses, a long mustache and goatee. Both men were thin and old. Jack guessed fifties or sixties.

“Either one of you Amos?” Jack asked.

“Here,” Amos said from behind him.

Jack turned to find another old guy, also thin. He stuck out his hand and moved to close the distance between them. “Jack Kensington. I’m a promoter for TriRiver. I just wanted to check on everything for the competition.”

“Well, as you heard, the sound system is working,” Amos said as he studied the young man. He was a couple of inches taller than Amos’s five nine and about two decades younger.

“Yeah, sounded great,” Jack said as he turned to the two old guys coming down from the stage. “Sounds like you have your own act going.”

“We’re missing our partner,” Emmet said as he approached. “But we’re just here to help Amos check out the system.”

“It’s a perfect venue for events, that’s for sure,” Jack said as he looked around. He needed to keep this place in mind. He liked the fact that the events coordinator could be used to handle some of his work if he were smart enough about it.

Jack drove away a little later thinking about the two guys he’d heard harmonizing. It wasn’t his type of music, but he knew he could make some money from it. He’d have to keep that in mind too.

Chapter Eight

The more he thought about it, the more Seth realized that Trina was right. He followed Jax’s truck into the parking lot at the park by the lake and sat there for a moment after turning off his engine as he considered Trina’s suggestion. Jessilyn hadn’t said much about it, but he could tell she was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to make it to the PTA meetings this year.

He knew she was worried about Evan. She was an amazing mom. Like any mom, she didn’t want her son, Evan, to be bullied at school. Especially not by the son of the woman who had bullied Jessilyn in school when she was young.

Seth got out of his truck and walked over to the trailer that Jax pulled with the equipment. Seth had his own trailer full of equipment behind his truck. Jax and Trina were offloading mowers.

“You guys ready for this?” Seth asked as he looked around. This would be their last time to mow at this location before winter hit. They’d been mowing the park all summer and had a routine already in place. Each of them knew what needed to be done. Trina slid onto a large, zero turn mower and took off with a wave.

“Can’t complain about the weather so far this year. I didn’t think we’d still be mowing at this point,” Jax said.

“Yeah, but they want it to look nice for the Blues, Brew and BBQ and that last string of warm weather got everything going again,” Seth said. “I cannot wait for that event. You guys going?”

“It’s one of the many things I really missed when I moved away,” Jax said.

“I can’t wait to see what Evan thinks about it,” Seth said. “We’re planning on being there both days.”

“Did you think any more about what Trina suggested?” Jax asked with a sideways glance at Seth.

Seth rubbed at his chin. “Yeah. It makes sense. I mean, I guess I just never thought of myself attending PTA meetings, you know?”

Jax nodded. “I never thought I’d be reading princess stories at night to put a two year old to sleep.” Trina’s daughter, Jasmine, particularly liked it when he changed his voice to match the characters.

Seth laughed. “Two tough guys, that’s us.”

“You learn how tough you aren’t very quickly when they get hurt,” Jax said. He and Trina had rushed Jasmine to the hospital not long ago when she’d reacted to an insect sting. He’d never been so scared in his life.

“Yeah.” Seth didn’t want Evan to be hurt, that’s for sure. He’d tell Jessilyn tonight when he got home. He was going to take PTA duty whenever she couldn’t make it.

“Did you hear from Tyler?” Jax asked. “I thought he said he could work part-time with us when he wasn’t working the catering truck or waiting tables at the restaurant?”

Seth looked toward the road leading into the parking lot where they stood. “He said he could use the money. He should be here any minute.”

“We’ll turn him loose with the weed whacker,” Jax said just before hearing a truck pull in. “There he is. Can you get him started?”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Seth watched Jax hop on a mower and take off. Then he turned to greet Tyler and explain to him what they needed him to do.

***

Tyler Jankowicz drove away from the park slowly when the job was done. He had told the two guys to keep him in mind for any upcoming jobs they had. They’d mentioned some snow removal jobs as soon as the weather turned. Tyler had never thought he’d find himself wishing so hard for snow. He needed the money.

He was making decent money when he worked with the Station Pub & Grill. In addition to the catering truck, Jim and Doug had also given him some hours at the restaurant. But it still wasn’t enough. If he were a single guy with no one else to worry about, he’d be doing pretty okay right now.

But as he turned his truck into the Teaberry Campground, he counted up what he’d made this week and knew it wasn’t enough for the both of them. He hoped Holly had some luck with her job searching today. He was sure it was just a matter of time before she found something. Like Tyler, his sister’s skills revolved around food. Jim and Doug had given her some hours waitressing at the Pub & Grill, but Tyler knew that her heart was in cooking, not just serving.

The two of them had grown up working in food trucks all over the country. Their parents had home schooled them wherever they were. But now both parents were gone. And that left twenty seven year old Tyler trying to stand in as a parent for his twenty two year old sister. He was pretty sure he was a major failure at it so far.

He’d moved them to Teaberry because he’d really liked what he’d seen of the town. The people all seemed really nice. There were several really good restaurants in the area. He truly believed it was just a matter of time before they’d both have decent jobs and could find a real place to live in.

Not that Tyler minded living in a camper. But he knew it wasn’t the best place for his sister. He knew that she hadn’t enjoyed moving from place to place all the time when they were growing up. She’d always dreamed of living in a real house. That was something they’d never had as a family for any length of time. Their parents had always tried to put down roots for their children. But the itch to move around had always come back.

Tyler parked his truck outside of the camper. He didn’t see any lights or movement inside yet. He unlocked the door and turned on some lights. He grabbed his bag and headed for the campground showers. As he walked, he wondered when Holly might get back. They only had the one vehicle. She’d gotten a ride into town from someone at the campground. Then his mind wandered to the new bartender, Cathy. She was another reason why Tyler didn’t want to continue living in a campground. No way was he going to convince a pretty girl like that to go out with him if he lived in a camper with his sister.

By the time he returned from his shower, Holly still wasn’t in sight. Tyler pulled a few things from the small fridge and went outside. They had a folding table set up with a propane camp stove on it. He sliced up some potatoes and other vegetables into a pan, added a little oil, and set it to cook on one burner. Then he added another pan and put in some sausages. The food had just begun cooking when he saw a vehicle pull into the campground and Holly got out.

“How did it go with you today?” Holly asked as she reached him.

Tyler looked at his sister, trying to gauge her mood. Although two inches shorter than Tyler’s five eight, the resemblance was clear. Both were blond haired and blue eyed, though Holly wasn’t as stocky as Tyler. “I picked up some extra work. That’s always a good thing.”

Holly nodded in agreement. “I have some good news too.”

Tyler turned the sausages then looked back at his sister. She looked pretty happy.

“You know that diner in town? The Jammin’T?” Holly nudged Tyler over a few inches and picked up a spatula to turn the vegetables.

“Yeah, it’s nice. They do a good job there. They keep their prices low, but they really fill your plate.”

Holly nodded in agreement. She hadn’t eaten there yet, but she’d gotten that impression.

“One of the owners, the guy that always handled the cooking?” Holly turned to Tyler to make sure he was following. At his nod, she continued. “His name is Bert. I guess he had some heart problems. They rushed him to the hospital the other day.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Tyler asked. He’d checked the old guy out when he’d been at the Jammin’T for lunch one day. Tyler had really liked the setup they had there.

“According to Betty, he will be if he gets some rest. But, in the meantime, they need help in the kitchen.” Holly checked the vegetables. They were browning nicely.

“Are you kidding me? You got a job there?” Tyler asked.

Holly grinned at her brother. “I start Monday.”

Chapter Nine

Leaning forward, he set the screen to scroll and watched as line after line went by. Taking a deep breath, he sat back in his leather executive desk chair, interlaced his fingers, and rested his hands on his head as he contemplated his next move. His enemies were ever-relentless. Never sleeping, they bombarded his work twenty four hours a day, chiseling away at his armor, always striving to find that one weakness, that small hole that Brad worked hard to ensure never existed.

As the scroll reached the bottom of the code and stopped, Brad allowed himself a wry grin. It was as strong as it could be, but he knew there were countless fiends across the world even now struggling to find new ways to breach it. Ultimately, they would prevail. They always did. But by then, Brad will have developed another layer of security to wrap around it.

It was a never-ending dance between programmer and hacker and one that Brad reveled in. It was one of the bonds of similarity that drew him to his wife. Both of them fought to keep the bad guys from harming the good. They had different methods, different culprits, and different tools, but, at the end of the day, both wanted to be able to say that they had given their all in a good fight.

Brad saved his work, backed it up in multiple places, and rose from his chair. It was then that the rest of the world began to permeate the bubble he had drawn down around himself. It was one of the longest stretches of productive coding he had managed since his wife had quit working because of her pregnancy.

He knew that he had Jerry to thank, not only for this coding session, but the brief periods he’d been managing before it. It had been Jerry’s idea to send over boxes of cold case files. It had been the best gift Erica could ever receive and the one thing that had saved Brad’s sanity.

As he left his home office, he could hear their voices coming from the living room. Erica had been reviewing all of the cold cases and trying to learn anything new about each of them. Following old leads and creating new ones, she had tasked Jerry with contacting investigators of other unsolved cases across the country to see if the cases might tie in to hers.

Jerry had come after work on a Friday to drop off more materials that may be related to the cold cases for Erica to review. But there had been one case in particular that she had latched onto, the case of the runaway teen.

“I’m telling you, Jerry. There’s something here, I can feel it,” Erica was saying as Brad entered the room.

“I don’t doubt it. You have half the police records in the country here now,” Jerry teased. He nodded at Brad when he entered the room.

“Hey, did you get your program done?” Erica asked when she saw her husband. She was propped up on the couch with as many pillows as Brad could fit under her. There were folders all over the room, including some on the floor.

“Yeah, thanks.” Brad turned to Jerry. “Don’t they have all this stuff on computers now?”

Jerry looked around the room and grinned. “Not the really old ones. Besides, she’d probably have to ask you to help her get them off the computer.”

Brad knew that Erica could find her way around a computer if she needed to, but realized there was some truth in what Jerry was saying. “True. She doesn’t always have the necessary patience to convince technology to yield the best it has to offer.”

“I’m right here, I can hear you both,” Erica said as she scanned another page from the file on her lap.

“Something in there looks promising?” Brad asked Erica.

“If nothing else, it keeps my mind occupied reading them. They’re all so interesting, not just the mysteries behind the stories but the different methods the detectives used as they worked the cases.” Erica shifted her weight slightly trying to find a more comfortable position.

Jerry set the folder aside that he’d been reviewing. “I know what you mean. It’s why I got into this job. I’ve always loved a good mystery.”

“Beer?” Brad asked Jerry.

Jerry glanced at the time. “No, I’d better be going, actually. I’m meeting Madison.”

“What, you don’t want to spend your Friday night with a frustrated pregnant woman and a trapped husband?” Erica asked with a grin at her husband.

“As much as it may tempt me, no,” Jerry said as he rose.

***

Madison Palmer exited the passenger side of Jerry’s car and began some stretches in the parking lot. It was a routine that she loved and had been looking forward to all day as she’d worked. As an analyst for a consulting firm, she was fortunate that she could often work from home. But it still meant long hours in front of a computer. It felt great to get out and enjoy the fall weather.

“I think the leaves are going to be peaking at the same time as the Blues, Brew and BBQ. Talk about perfect timing,” Madison said as she admired the view.

Jerry walked around the car and joined her. “Hopefully everyone will be looking at the foliage and they won’t have any time to get into trouble.”

Madison threw him a smile as she began a slow jog. “This will be your first big event without Erica as your partner. How is Rhys working out?”

Jerry matched his stride to Madison’s. “He’s pretty okay, actually. Of course, I don’t plan to tell him that.”

“Wouldn’t want it to go to his head, huh?”

“Exactly. How was your day?” Jerry asked.

“I’ve been working on a mystery of my own actually. Nothing as compelling as any of yours, of course. Mine just deals with data mining.”

“I guess that’s something else we have in common. We both like to solve mysteries,” Jerry said as he dropped back to let someone else pass them on the trail before catching back up with Madison.

“Did you like to solve them as a kid?” Madison asked.

“You mean, like those murder mystery games they have?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, you know. So and so was murdered in the library with a knife or whatever and it’s up to you to track down the clues. Or even old mystery movies with detectives? Did you like those?”

“Oh, yeah. I still do. When I was a kid, they were good for really bad weather days when I was stuck inside. I always preferred to be outside though, whenever I could. Good thing, too. It’s the only way I could keep up with you,” Jerry said with a grin.

Madison shot him a look. “Are you saying I’m running too slow?”

“Well, maybe,” Jerry said to Madison’s back. “Hey, wait up.”

He had to admit, she could really move when she wanted to. Jerry sped up and matched his pace with Madison’s. They ran full speed for several minutes.

Suddenly, Madison stopped and bent over, her hands on her knees, as she sucked in deep breaths.

Jerry turned and jogged back to her, slowly running circles around her as she caught her breath. “What, don’t tell me you’re giving up this easily.”

“Murdered. In the park,” Madison huffed. “With a rock.”

“What?” Jerry stopped moving.

Madison pointed off the trail behind them. “There’s a body over there.”

Chapter Ten

The woods in autumn were one of his favorite places to be. Ethan walked the trail between Megan’s farm and his grandfather’s Saturday after spending the morning helping Dan with the new light system he was putting up by the pond. Even now, the days seemed so much shorter because it got dark earlier and earlier each day. It was hard to do much of anything in the dark. But with the lights by the pond, he’d be able to fish and skate in the evenings after his chores and dinner. He couldn’t wait until it was finished.

The trail was covered in multi-colored leaves heavy with dampness. The ferns that had been waist high throughout the floor of the woods were now lying down, spent for the season. He knew they would emerge and begin the cycle all over again in the spring, adding wonderful coverage for the fawns that would be born there. This year’s fawns had already lost their spots, their wobbly legs at birth now strengthened and able to keep pace with their mothers.

He stopped quickly and backed up when he saw the spider web stretching across one side of the trail. Spiders never ceased to amaze him. The web had not been there when he’d passed by earlier on his way to Megan’s farm, but already the industrious weaver had made several passes back and forth across the large web. Cautiously stepping closer, he examined the master at work. Just as he thought. It was an orb spider. He carefully passed by the web so that he wouldn’t disturb the spider. Orb spiders were particularly shy. If he frightened it, the spider might abandon the web and go elsewhere.

Further along the trail, he saw some teaberry growing near a large, lichen-covered boulder. This particular boulder was a tall as Ethan and several feet across in width. He always thought of the glaciers when he saw the massive boulders, especially when they were perched precariously on the side of a mountain. He knew of several in the area held captive by trees that hung close to nearby roads.

Ethan cleared the woods and began walking across the field to the barn. He checked on the animals, happy to see that they all looked good. He felt his stomach rumble and hoped that his mom had lunch ready. He knew Grandpa was with Caro at her place. He rounded the corner of the barn to head for the house and stopped in surprise.

There was a patrol car in the driveway. Maybe someone from the police station was visiting his mom? He couldn’t remember it ever happening before, but he guessed it made sense. She did work there. Ethan sped up his pace and quickly made it to the house. Entering through the back door, he removed his wet boots and walked down the hallway toward the living room. He heard his mother’s voice as he approached the doorway.

“What makes you think I had anything to do with it?” Marcy asked.

“Where were you at the time of death?” Jerry asked patiently.

Ethan froze in the hallway and listened.

“Do you know what the time of death was?” Marcy asked.

Jerry shrugged. “We know it was sometime late yesterday.”

“Well, if you don’t know when it happened, how would I know exactly where I was?”

Jerry sighed and glanced over at Rhys. Rhys nodded once.

“Ma’am, we’ll need you to come to the station with us,” Rhys said.

“What? Why?” Marcy asked, her voice growing a little louder.

Ethan stepped into the room. “Mom, what’s going on?”

Marcy turned toward Ethan. “I need you to contact Jennifer for me, can you do that?”

Ethan stared at her in confusion.

Marcy turned back toward the police officers. “I want a lawyer.”

“Mom, wait. What’s going on?” Ethan asked. He heard the fear in his voice, but couldn’t control it. He turned to the police officers. He knew Jerry. He couldn’t believe this was happening. “What are you guys doing?”

Jerry turned toward Ethan and gentled his voice. “Ethan, do as your mom says, okay? Call Jennifer. We have to take her downtown now.”

Jerry motioned for Marcy to proceed him, then Jerry and Rhys followed her out of the house.

“No, you can’t do this. Mom!” Ethan yelled to them from the house as Rhys opened the back door of the police car to let Marcy in. “I’ll call Grandpa too.”

***

Dan came into the house thirty minutes earlier than Megan had expected him to. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her computer, working on web site development. It was a job that now paid her more than her bed and breakfast business, and Megan enjoyed doing it. Glancing at her husband, she recognized the look on his face immediately.

“I take it you worked up an appetite?” Megan asked as she saved her work on the computer.

“Yeah, we got a lot farther with the project than I thought we would this morning but when he left at lunch time, Ethan made some more suggestions that I wanted to try out. It took longer without his help this afternoon, but I think I’m almost done.” Dan looked at Megan hopefully.

Megan glanced at the slow cooker. “The Sloppy Joes aren’t done yet.” She started thinking as she rose from her chair. “Let’s see what I have in the fridge.”

Dan followed behind her and peered in. “What can you make to tide me over in less than two minutes?”

Megan started laughing. “Is that a challenge? Okay, let’s see.” She pulled out a small zippered bag, a small plastic container, a small amount of shredded cheese from a previously opened bag, one green onion, and an open jar of salsa about half full.

Dan looked at the items as she set them on the counter and pulled out a plate. “This is like a guessing game. What are you going to do with one leftover chicken thigh from two days ago, four black olives, a couple handfuls of spicy shredded cheese, one green onion, and a little bit of salsa?”

“Watch this. I used to make a whole meal for one out of this actually. For now, it will be a nice appetizer for two though I do need one more critical ingredient, some tortilla chips.”

Megan quickly pulled the meat from the bone and shredded the chicken thigh. Then she grabbed the bag of tortilla chips that had been opened the other day but still had some chips left in it and spread one layer of chips on the plate. She covered the chips with half the shredded chicken, dropped some dollops of salsa around on top of the chicken, added a little spicy shredded cheese, then repeated the layer.

“The chips are a little stale but that’s okay. You won’t notice when they’re used like this.”

She popped the plate into the microwave and let it cook for a minute before checking it. Deciding the cheese could still use a little more time to melt, she added a little time. When she took the plate out, she sliced the four black olives onto the top and sprinkled the chopped green onion over it all.

“There we go,” Megan said as she set the plate on the kitchen table.

Dan immediately began eating. “This is awesome.”

Megan scooped up her own chip piled with toppings. “It works with just about anything. I’ve used leftover pork too and it’s really good with some black beans if you have any in the house.”

Dan thought as he chewed then nodded. “Maybe a dollop of sour cream if you had any open in the fridge. I think I like this game.”

They both heard the steps on the back porch at the same time. Dan reached the door just as they heard the first knock. He glanced through the window first and then opened the door.

“Tom, you’re just in time for…” Dan stopped and took a step back. “You okay?”

Tom walked into the kitchen. Megan couldn’t ever remember seeing the gentle man upset before. His face was a mask of anguish.

“Tom, what is it?”

“Megan, I need your help. It’s Marcy. The police have taken her in for murder.”

Megan pulled out a chair and motioned to Tom. “Sit down. Tell me what you know.”

“That’s just it,” Tom said as he numbly took the seat. “I don’t know anything. A woman’s body was found in the park by the lake. I have no idea why they think Marcy would have killed her.”

“Do you know who the victim was?” Megan asked.

Tom shook his head. “Jennifer said it was one of the blues singers. You know, for the contest coming up?” Tom turned confused eyes toward Megan. He wasn’t sure that he was making any sense.

“Jennifer? Marcy has a lawyer with her?” Dan asked.

Tom nodded. “Yes, I guess Marcy asked for her right away. I don’t know why she would need a lawyer. She couldn’t have killed anyone.”

Dan nodded compassionately. “I know, Tom. But it’s still better that she has a lawyer. Jennifer will know what to do.”

Tom shook his head and turned to Megan. “It isn’t enough. I can’t lose her, you know that, Megan. And Ethan. He’s beside himself. Please. I need you to look into it. Find out what happened.”

Megan reached out a hand and covered Tom’s with hers. “Okay. I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, but I’ll help if I can.”

Chapter Eleven

Jerry rubbed at his eyes and then refocused on the murder board. It was Sunday, and he and Rhys were at the station, going over what they knew. So far, it wasn’t much. They’d questioned Marcy Jenkins, but both agreed that she was holding information back. It hadn’t helped that she had lawyered up so quickly.

“Did you get in touch with the TriRiver people again?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, they said they’d be here this afternoon for sure. They also repeated they would have come in yesterday, but they were out of town working on some other promotion.” Rhys looked up from the notes he’d been writing. “You want to talk to some of the other people involved with the event coming up? That seems to be a possible tie-in. The victim was a contestant and the body was found at the site of the upcoming event.”

Jerry nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We can talk to some of the locals while we wait for the TriRiver promotion people to get here.”

***

Jessilyn smiled as she looked out the kitchen window. After finishing the deck that Seth had put on the back of the house from materials he’d gotten from a salvage job, he had decided that the back yard now needed a shed. Both Evan and their neighbor, Logan, were currently assisting Seth. Jessilyn knew that he could complete the job in less than a quarter of the time it was taking him with the help of two six year old boys, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.

She finished fixing herself a cup of hot tea, then sat back down to the laptop computer on her kitchen table. The Blues, Brew and BBQ was scheduled to begin in five days. She believed that everything was ready to go, but she wanted to double check a few things while she had a moment. Just as she had the thought, she heard the doorbell. Jessilyn got up and glanced out the kitchen window again. Seth and the boys were still working.

She went to her front door and opened it. She was surprised to find two police officers and immediately wondered why they were there. “Can I help you?”

Jerry nodded at Jessilyn. “Jessilyn, have you met Rhys Cunningham?”

“No, not yet.” Jessilyn managed a smile. “Is something wrong?”

“Mind if we come in for a few minutes to talk?” Jerry asked.

Jessilyn backed away from the door and led the two men down the hall to the living room. “Can I get you anything?” Jessilyn asked.

“No, ma’am,” Rhys answered for them.

“Mom! Mom! Seth said it’s time for a break,” Evan shouted as he ran into the room. He stopped quickly when he saw the two men in uniforms.

“That’s nice, sweetie. Why don’t you and Logan go next door and play for a little while,” Jessilyn said.

“But, Mom!” Evan stopped when he saw the look on her face. “Okay.”

Jerry watched the boy leave then turned to Jessilyn. “Have you heard about the recent death?”

Jessilyn’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What death?” Seth asked from the doorway. He nodded to the two men as he took a seat next to Jessilyn.

“One of the singers that was planning to compete in the blues competition was found on the trail by the lake Friday night,” Jerry said.

“That’s horrible! Who found her?” Jessilyn asked as she reached for Seth’s hand.

Jerry stifled a sigh. “I did. I was with Madison. We usually run there in the evenings.”

“What does this have to do with Jessilyn?” Seth asked.

“We wanted to speak with anyone related to the upcoming event,” Jerry said with a shrug. “It’s early in the investigation. We want to speak with everyone.”

Seth felt himself relax. “Okay, makes sense.” He sat back in the seat, but kept hold of Jessilyn’s hand.

“Did you have contact with any of the contestants?” Rhys asked.

“For the blues competition? No, not directly. We do receive the applications to participate, but that’s all handled online. I was just checking on them before you came, actually.”

“Did you interact with anyone involved in the event?” Rhys asked.

Jessilyn nodded. “The promoters. I’ve met with the assistant, Hannah, and the guy. His name is Jack.”

“Can you tell us what they talked with you about?” Jerry asked.

Jessilyn shrugged as she thought about it. “Jack said he just wanted to touch base while he was in town. And he asked for directions to the park where the event will be held. He said he wanted to check it out.”

“And the other employee?” Rhys looked down at his notes. “Hannah?”

“Oh. Hannah said that she was having trouble getting her permit processed. We have to have those in place, as you know,” Jessilyn said.

“The permit?” Jerry asked. “Isn’t that part of what Marcy Jenkins handles?”

“Yes,” Jessilyn said hesitantly, a small frown forming between her brows. “Hannah complained that Marcy was holding up the permit. I can’t imagine that happening, but…” Jessilyn shrugged. “I do know that I didn’t have the permit by the deadline.”

Jerry shared a glance with Rhys. Hannah had told them the same thing when they’d spoken with her on the phone Saturday. It had been one of the many reasons they’d wanted to speak with Marcy.

***

Amos McClintock backed his boat into his driveway carefully. He’d pulled it out of the lake earlier in the morning. After cleaning it up as much as he could, he needed to get it ready for the winter. Now in his early fifties, he preferred to do that when the weather was nice. Today was a great example, Amos thought as he cut the engine on his truck and slid out.

He unlatched the gate that would allow him to park the boat in his back yard for the winter. Then he opened his garage and took out a bucket, some cleaner, rags, and a squeegee. He was about to go back into the garage to get a few more items when he heard someone else pull into his drive.

“Gentlemen. What brings you here?” Amos asked as the two men got out of their police car.

Jerry nodded at the boat. “Nice. You dock that at the lake?”

Amos nodded. “Just pulled her out for the winter. I need to get her cleaned up for her winter home a bit first though.”

Rhys walked over to the boat and looked inside. It was a pretty nice bass boat. He wouldn’t mind one himself someday.

“So, what brings you two by?” Amos repeated.

Jerry explained about the death of Kellie Hennessy, the young woman that had planned to compete in the blues competition.

“We wondered if you saw anything unusual in the park, or anywhere around the area where the event will be held next weekend,” Jerry explained.

Amos thought about it. “Friday night, you say?” Amos shook his head. “It was pretty quiet. This time of year, it usually is. I was out there doing a sound check on the system.”

“You see anyone else out there?” Rhys asked.

“Well, Vince DeKalb and Emmet Parker were there. They helped me with the sound check. That promoter guy stopped to check things out. What was his name?” Amos took off his ball cap and scratched his head. “Jack something.”

“Kensington,” Rhys supplied.

Amos nodded. “And, then there was Marcy Jenkins.”

“Marcy? What was she doing there?” Jerry asked. Amos wasn’t the first to mention that Marcy had been at the park. Jerry doubted that Amos knew why she was there, but he wanted to ask anyway.

Amos shrugged. “I don’t know. I just saw her following Jack when he left. I assumed she knew him.”

***

At the end of the afternoon, Jerry stood next to the murder board again. He’d made a few notes based on what they’d learned from their interviews during the past two days.

“What are the things that stand out for you?” Jerry asked as he stared at the board.

Rhys sat at Erica’s desk facing the murder board. His hands were interlaced on his head as he read the notes Jerry had added. “So far, nearly everyone we’ve spoken to since you discovered the body has mentioned Marcy Jenkins.”

Jerry sighed and pressed his fingers into his eyes. “Yeah, I noticed that too.”

Rhys leaned forward in his chair when he heard a sound indicating a new email. “We just got those photos you asked for from the victim’s apartment,” Rhys said.

Jerry set down his marker and walked over to his computer. “Yeah? Anything jump out at you?”

Rhys clicked through several photos before backing up and zooming in on one. “This doesn’t look good.”

Chapter Twelve

Ethan sat on the back porch steps and removed his boots. He’d checked on the animals and fed them as quickly as possible. He knew Grandpa would be in the kitchen with his mom while she fixed their breakfast. Opening the back door as quietly as possible, Ethan slowly walked down the hallway toward the kitchen, being careful to hug the wall in all the right spots to avoid causing the floor to creak and give him away.

He was rewarded with the sound of his grandfather’s frustrated voice a moment later. He sounded like he was nearing the end of his patience.

“Marcy, why don’t you just tell the police everything you know?” Tom said.

“What makes you think I know anything?” Marcy asked.

Tom reached up and rubbed his face as he contemplated how to get through to his daughter. “Listen. The police are taking this very seriously. A woman has been murdered. For whatever reason, they think you had something to do with it. They couldn’t have picked your name out of a hat.”

Marcy kept her back to her father as she turned the breakfast sausages on the stove. Shrugging, she remained silent.

Tom shook his head. “Did you know her? The woman that died?”

“I don’t know everyone,” Marcy countered, her voice low.

Ethan moved closer to the kitchen doorway to hear better.

“But did you know her?” Tom repeated as calmly as he could.

Ethan took another step. The creaking from the floor sounded like a thunder bolt in the silence that followed Tom’s question.

Marcy didn’t turn from the stove. “There’s juice on the table for you, Ethan. Go get washed up. Breakfast is ready.”

Ethan’s shoulders slumped. He turned to trudge back down the hall to the bathroom on the first floor, but reversed course when the doorbell rang. He stopped short of opening the door when he realized how unusual it was for someone to be at their house this early on a Sunday morning. When a loud knocking came next, Ethan took a deep breath and opened the door.

He saw the same two police officers on the other side that had taken his mother for questioning before. Ethan stared angrily at Jerry and crossed his arms, barring the way with his thin, angular body.

“We need to speak with Marcy Jenkins,” Jerry said.

Ethan contemplated a response while he continued glaring but heard his mother’s voice behind him.

“Ethan. Let them in,” Marcy said.

He waited a moment before stepping back. He saw both his mother and grandfather standing in the hallway by the kitchen door.

“We need you to come with us,” Jerry said. “We have some more questions.”

Tom moved in front of Marcy. “Can’t you just ask her here?”

Ethan swung his focus back to the police officers. He could tell by their faces that the answer was no.

“It’s okay, Dad. Call Jennifer for me.” Marcy turned pleading eyes to her father. “Please.”

Rhys stepped out of the house and onto the front porch. Jerry waited for Marcy to join him, then followed her out of the house. He shot a look at Tom and Ethan before closing the front door.

The look of sadness in Jerry’s eyes did nothing to calm the clenching in Ethan’s stomach. “Grandpa?”

Tom shook his head and held up one hand. He looked twenty years older than the happy man that had had dinner with Caro on Friday. He turned and headed for the phone without saying a word to Ethan.

***

The room they had her in this time for questioning was different than the first time. Marcy realized the significance. The first time they’d questioned her was more of a fishing expedition and she’d been given special consideration due to her employment status at the department. This time, she was in the small room used for interrogations.

Marcy held her hands together on the metal table in front of her. She was afraid they would see the shaking otherwise. They’d kept her waiting for nearly forty minutes without speaking to her. Finally, Jennifer arrived. The relief she felt at the sight of Jennifer was short-lived when she saw the set of Jennifer’s jaw.

Jennifer sat down across from Marcy. “We need to talk before we speak with the police. What haven’t you told me?”

Marcy pressed her lips together and considered her reply.

“Marcy!” Jennifer said sharply. “I can’t help you if you aren’t honest with me.”

Marcy debated her options and decided to play for more time. “What do you want to know?”

Jennifer huffed out a breath and sat back in her chair. She looked up at the ceiling before bringing her gaze back to Marcy. “Do you have any idea how serious this is?”

Marcy didn’t meet Jennifer’s eyes.

Jennifer leaned over and pulled a yellow notepad from the soft briefcase at her feet. “Tell me about Jack.”

Marcy’s eyes shot back to Jennifer. “What about him?”

“You were dating him, right?” Jennifer phrased it like a question, but she already knew the answer.

Marcy shrugged and looked off to the side. “We had lunch a couple of times.”

Jennifer pretended to jot a note. “Where did you meet him?”

“At a training seminar. He was in the bar at the hotel where I stayed. It was where they’d held the training.”

“And he followed you back here?” Jennifer asked.

“Not really. He’s handling the promotions for the Blues, Brew & BBQ event,” Marcy said.

“He just happened to bump into you at an out-of-town training session. Then he just happens to show up here for some promotion, totally out of the blue?” Jennifer asked. She allowed the skepticism in her voice to show through.

Marcy hadn’t really considered it. She’d thought it was a coincidence at the time. Looking back at Jennifer, she shrugged again.

“Then he dumps you?” Jennifer asked.

Marcy felt herself straighten a little in her chair. “No, not exactly.”

“What, exactly, did happen?” Jennifer asked.

“I dumped him.”

Jennifer played with her pencil as she stared at Marcy. “Why?”

Marcy looked away.

“Let me guess. Another woman?”

Marcy’s eyes zipped back to Jennifer’s.

“And then the woman he was cheating on you with just happened to show up dead.” Jennifer stated as the full ramifications of the situation sank in. “No wonder they’re looking at you as the primary suspect.”

“They are?” Marcy asked. She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest.

“Shouldn’t they be?” Jennifer countered.

Marcy shook her head but remained silent.

“Tell me about the scarf,” Jennifer said.

Marcy looked at Jennifer with confusion in her eyes. “What scarf?”

Jennifer threw her pencil down on the metal table. “The one they found at the victim’s apartment.”

Marcy shook her head slowly.

“The scarf with your monogrammed initials on it. Ring a bell now?” Jennifer asked sarcastically.

“I don’t know. What do you mean?” Marcy asked.

Jennifer let out a sigh. “Marcy. I repeat. Do you understand how serious this is? They know you were dating the guy. They know there was a breakup, one of you dumped the other one. They know he was also seeing the victim. She’s now dead. Your scarf was found in her apartment. You won’t tell us what your connection to the victim was. You cannot or will not account for your whereabouts at the time of the death. And you’re refusing to answer questions or even give your lawyer a chance to help you.”

Jennifer threw her hands up in the air. Then she began picking up the notepad and her pencil. She reached for her briefcase.

“What you are doing?” Marcy said in a panicked voice.

“I’m leaving. Let me know if you change your mind and decide that you want my help.” Jennifer began to stand.

“No!” Marcy said louder than she meant to. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. She stretched her hand across the metal table toward Jennifer. “I need you now. Please, Jennifer. I’ll tell you what I know. Please, stay.”

Jennifer looked at Marcy for a long moment before taking the seat again.

“So, talk,” Jennifer said.

“I did have an argument with her previously. I saw her one afternoon when I had to take some files somewhere. I didn’t track her down on purpose. I didn’t wake up one day and suddenly decide to follow her or anything. I just happened to see her.”

“How did you know who she was and that your boyfriend was cheating with her?” Jennifer asked.

Marcy shrank down into her seat, as though she’d been deflated. “I’d seen them together. They were in the town square. I saw him kissing her. That’s why I decided to break up with him.”

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at Marcy as she tried to determine if the other woman was speaking the truth or conveniently leaving out relevant parts. “If you were planning to break up with him, why were you so upset with her?”

Marcy shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just upset. I spoke before I thought. People do that all the time, right?”

“How do you explain your monogrammed scarf being at her apartment?” Jennifer asked.

Marcy thought about the gift from Ethan last year. She’d been so touched that he’d taken the extra step of having his gift monogrammed for her. She looked Jennifer directly in the eye. “I don’t know. I haven’t worn it. I don’t even remember seeing it yet this year. We haven’t had any snow yet.”

Chapter Thirteen

Rhys made it into the police station early Monday morning. There was a crowd of people around Martha, the receptionist. Rhys skirted around them quickly and continued along his way, thankful for the distraction that allowed him to sneak past her unnoticed. Usually, she tried to trap him into a conversation about one or more of the available young women in her family.

He found Jerry in the small office he used to isolate himself whenever he needed to concentrate on something involving technology. Jerry was leaning in close to the monitor, studying what he saw on the screen.

“You got the video from the CCTV in the town square?” Rhys asked as he stood behind Jerry. Like many towns in the U.S., Teaberry had cameras everywhere.

“Yeah. Looks like it’s just like Marcy said. Boyfriend is walking on the sidewalk around the town square. The victim gets out of a car and walks over to him. He leans in for a kiss, then the two of them turn and walk back the other way.” Jerry paused the video then moved back to a flag he had created at the beginning of the sequence. He ran through it again while Rhys watched, this time without any commentary from Jerry.

“So, she was telling the truth about that,” Rhys commented.

Jerry leaned back in his chair. “She knows about the cameras all over town. Just a matter of time before we found it ourselves.”

Rhys nodded. He’d thought the same thing.

“Do you believe her story that she doesn’t know how the monogrammed scarf got into the victim’s apartment?” Rhys asked.

Jerry got up from his chair. Rhys backed out of the small room and Jerry followed him out. The two men gravitated back to the murder board.

Jerry stared at the notes all over the board as he considered a response.  “Actually, from everything else I’m seeing so far, I’m not really surprised that it was there.”

***

Megan waved goodbye to Dan as he headed off to work, then turned and walked back toward the house. She wanted to clean up from her morning chores and go into town. She hoped she’d be able to make some headway on helping Marcy. She was almost to the house when a truck pulled into the driveway. Changing course, Megan walked over to the truck and greeted Casey when he got out.

“Did I forget a checkup?” Megan asked.

Casey glanced toward the paddock. His face reddened a little as he shook his head. “No, I…” Casey stopped, then turned back to Megan. “You got a minute?”

Curious, Megan nodded and gestured toward the house. “Coffee?”

“Sure,” Casey said as he followed Megan to the back door.

Megan led Casey into the kitchen and pulled out another mug from the cupboard. She filled the mug for him, then added a splash to hers. She’d left it on the counter near the coffee pot.

“What’s up?” Megan asked as she took a seat across the table from Casey. She studied him as she waited for his response. He was a couple of years younger than Megan. She knew that most of the single women in town had tried to catch the dark haired man with gray eyes at some point. So far, all had failed as far as Megan knew.

“It’s about Marcy,” Casey said.

Megan felt her brows go up, but she remained silent. Her brief nod was an encouragement for him to continue.

“I know that you’ve had some success with mysteries in the past. I was hoping you could look into this one, too.” Casey returned Megan’s steady gaze.

“What do you know about the situation?” Megan asked.

“That she couldn’t have done it,” Casey said with conviction.

Megan took a deep breath. “Tom called me yesterday. They brought Marcy in for more questioning yesterday. Did you know that?”

“No. What did they want this time?” Casey asked.

“It sounds like Marcy is their prime suspect at this point.”

“Are they kidding? Why are they focusing on her?” Casey said, the frustration clear in his voice.

“You seem pretty certain that she’s innocent,” Megan said.

“Aren’t you?” Casey asked louder than he wanted to. He made an effort to control his voice. “We’re friends, Marcy and I. Have been since we were in school together.” He dropped his head then looked back up at Megan. She was watching him with understanding eyes. Casey told her about the time they’d been in school together as children and Marcy had stood up for him when some older kids had picked on him.

“Did you know that Marcy had been seeing that promoter from Pittsburgh?” Megan asked gently.

Casey shrugged. “I knew she’d had lunch with him a couple of times. But she broke it off.”

“Apparently, he was also seeing the woman that was killed,” Megan said.

Casey sat back in his chair. “So what? They’re thinking she was jealous enough to kill the other woman? Why would she do that if she’d broken up with him?”

“There’s something else,” Megan said. She knew it was something Casey wouldn’t want to hear. “They found something of Marcy’s in the victim’s apartment.”

Casey’s mouth opened, then closed. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together, the questions running through his mind. Finally, he settled on one of them, a suspicion forming. “What was it? What did they find? Was it a scarf?”

Megan sat back in surprise. “How did you know that?”

“I saw him take it. That promoter. When they met at the restaurant at lunchtime on the day of the murder. The scarf fell from Marcy’s pocket when she got up from the table. That promoter picked it up and stuffed it in his own pocket. He’s the one they should be talking to. Not Marcy.”

Megan recognized Casey’s emotion for what it was. “What were you doing at the restaurant?”

Casey looked away for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s going to come out anyway. I knew she was going to meet him there. I overheard her tell someone. I wanted to be there in case she needed help.” He huffed out a laugh. “Some help I’ve been so far.”

“Are you willing to tell the police?” Megan asked.

Casey looked at Megan. “Will you come with me?”

“I’ll call the department and see if we can meet Jerry there.”

***

Rhys turned to Jerry after Megan and the vet left the police station. “What do you think?”

Jerry considered it. “Little convenient, don’t you think? A close friend of Marcy’s just happens to see her lose the article found at the victim’s apartment? And claims that the guy she was dating is the one who took it?”

“He seemed pretty adamant about it. How close of a friend do you think Dr. Adams might be?” Rhys asked with a pointed look.

“It sounded to me like he wanted to be a lot closer than he is,” Jerry agreed.

“It would have been busy at the Station Pub & Grill at that time. It’s possible no one else noticed anything,” Rhys commented.

Jerry thought back to the times he’d eaten there. “Yeah, but they do have security cameras in the restaurant. What do you suppose the chances are that they leave them running during the day and one of them just happened to be trained in the right direction?”

Chapter Fourteen

Erica looked down at the papers strewn on the floor and once again considered her options. She already knew from past experience that getting her and the twins down there to pick them up might be doable. Getting all three of them back onto the couch afterward wasn’t going to happen. Not without help. She knew Brad was down the hall working. She knew that, if she called him, he’d come to her aid without complaint. She knew that because she’d already done just that multiple times this morning.

Erica stared longingly at the pages she knew held the information she wanted to read. She’d received more information about one of the cold cases she’d been working on. It had slipped from her hands when she’d opened it. Erica sighed just as her phone buzzed. She twisted slightly to get it from the table next to her, then smiled and responded quickly.

Megan walked into the living room a moment later. “I didn’t want to bother Brad if he was working.”

“Good plan and great timing. Can you pick those up for me?” Erica pointed at the pages on the floor.

Megan sat down next to the scattered papers. In addition to the pages Erica was indicating, there were other folders and pages everywhere. Megan gathered up the pages Erica wanted first and handed them to her, then began working on the rest.

“Thanks, the folders keep getting away from me,” Erica mumbled as she read the pages.

“I think I have these all in order,” Megan mumbled back as she matched up the file stamps showing the file name, the location where it was saved on the computer, and the time on the bottom of the pages. “These must be old printouts.”

Erica nodded absently. “Yeah, some of them go way back.”

“Did you have any more luck with the runaway teen case?” Megan asked. The case they had discussed the last time she’d visited Erica had intrigued Megan.

“That’s what I’m reading now, actually. There’s not much here.” Erica set the pages down in her lap in frustration. “I was hoping these would tell me something new.”

“No help?” Megan asked.

Erica shook her head. “No, not really. It’s just a verification of the make and model of the car that burned with the two victims inside. It’s hard to tell from the photos I have what it is with any certainty, so I wanted to double check. I guess it’s better than nothing. I was just hoping for more.”

“Was the make and model too common to help as clues?” Megan asked. “Maybe if there was something unique about it?”

“It was seriously old,” Erica said slowly. “Interesting angle, thanks. So, what brings you here?”

Megan explained the situation with Marcy and Tom’s request.

“Yeah, I figured you’d be all over that. You know that I’m not on the case and I couldn’t talk about it if I were.”

“I know. I was just wondering if I ran some ideas past you, you might be able to give me some hints if I’m on the right track,” Megan said.

Erica rolled her eyes at Megan. “Okay, shoot. If I can’t respond, I won’t.”

Megan outlined her plans for sleuthing. Erica had just finished replying when the doorbell rang. Brad came into the living room a few moments later with Erica’s parents following behind.

Megan stood up and moved to a corner of the living room to give Erica’s parents space. Megan had not spoken to them much since the death of her husband, Josh. The apple of their eye, Josh had always been their favorite and they’d never hidden that fact from anyone. Megan never understood how Erica had put up with it all those years.

The smile on their faces froze when they noticed Megan standing in the room.

“Hey, Megan,” Brad said. “I didn’t know you were here too.”

“I didn’t want to bother you when you were working,” Megan said. She realized too late that the elder Bennets could easily misconstrue her thoughtless comment. Given the glance they just shared before turning stony faces back toward her, they had indeed.

“I was just about to take a break,” Brad said smoothly. “Can I get anyone something to drink?”

“No,” Veronica Bennet spoke quickly. “We’re fine, thanks. We just wanted to stop by for a brief moment to see how our daughter is doing with her pregnancy. Some women understand how important it is to continue the family name.”

Megan made an effort to smooth all emotion from her face. It was a discussion they had had many times before. Josh’s parents had wanted her to have children immediately after she and Josh had married. Knowing that Josh had no interest in children and wasn’t the best father material had kept Megan from that mistake. It was one of the many points Josh’s parents had never agreed with her on. In their minds, their son had always been perfect.

“I should go,” Megan said. “I need to see some other people.”

“Keep in touch and remember to stay safe,” Erica said.

Chapter Fifteen

The afternoon sun lit up the remaining leaves on the trees. It was a sight Rhys Cunningham thought he might never tire of, a huge difference to the vistas he’d been used to growing up in Florida. Although he still believed his birthplace was one of the most beautiful places on earth, he had quickly grown to appreciate the views in his new home. Here, the landscape included hills some might call mountains, valleys filled with meandering streams and rivers, and lots of trees. More trees than Rhys had ever imagined before relocating to western Pennsylvania.

He and Jerry had separated, each taking a list of people to speak with about their possible connections to the victim, the promotion company, Marcy Jenkins, and the Blues, Brew & BBQ event. It had become clear to Rhys and Jerry that all of those things had a strong possibility of being connected in the case.

Rhys was on his way back into town after making it through most of his list. His next stop would take him to yet another new place in Teaberry that he had yet had the pleasure of visiting. As he approached the Teaberry Campground, he wondered how Jerry was doing with his list. So far, Rhys didn’t have any information to help clear Marcy. In fact, it had been just the opposite.

***

Jerry passed through the security checkpoint at the courthouse and took the stairs to the basement. He found Ginny in the recording office for deeds. The area was a large, meandering warren of rooms cobbled together over time as the number of records had increased.

The old concrete floor was painted battleship gray. The old filing cabinets of all shapes and sizes were interspersed everywhere among old racks holding ancient record books and somewhat newer file folders. There were several computers that could be used by the public to look up information. It also enabled them to discover where in the chaotic warren of files their records resided.

Ginny looked up from a computer when she saw Jerry enter. Holding up one finger, she finished explaining the records system to an older couple at one computer. Then she told them to call her if they needed help and walked over to Jerry.

“I wondered when you’d get to me.” Ginny removed her reading glasses.

“Got a few minutes?” Jerry asked as he looked around. Aside from the elderly couple, there wasn’t anyone else around them. He doubted if the couple could hear him.

“Sure. You stopped at a good time.” Ginny leaned against a waist-high shelving unit with computers sitting on top and watched the elderly couple across the room.

“I know you are friends with Marcy. I’ve seen you two at lunch sometimes,” Jerry said.

Ginny nodded. “We get together from time to time.”

“Have you spoken with her recently?” Jerry asked.

Ginny turned to Jerry. “Not since the murder, no.”

“How about before?”

Ginny looked at the elderly couple again. “We had drinks on Wednesday.”

“Mind if I ask what you talked about?” Jerry wondered why Ginny was making the conversation so difficult.

Ginny sighed and her shoulders slumped. “She was mad at her boyfriend. She said she was going to break up with him.”

“This would be Jack Kensington?” Jerry asked.

Ginny nodded. “Yeah.”

“Anything else you aren’t telling me?”

Ginny shot Jerry a look then dropped her eyes to her hands in front of her. “She said that Jack is a cheater and the whole planet would be better off without the likes of men like him.”

***

Rhys stopped at the campground office and asked for the location of the camper belonging to Tyler Jankowicz. He was surprised to be told that Tyler’s sister was also staying there with him. He wasn’t sure that either one would be at the camper this time of day, but he had to start looking for Tyler somewhere. He found Tyler locking his camper up as he pulled next to the site.

“Tyler Jankowicz?” Rhys asked as he got out of his police car.

Tyler frowned. His first thought was that something had happened to his sister. “Can I help you?”

“I’d like to ask a few questions,” Rhys said.

“About?”

“I understand you were recently working in the area where the Blues, Brew and BBQ will be held this weekend,” Rhys said as he watched Tyler closely. He saw Tyler relax a fraction.

“Yeah, with the Anderson Landscaping crew.” Tyler leaned against the picnic table at his site.

“Did you see anyone else in the area when you were there?” Rhys asked.

Tyler shook his head slowly. “Not that I can remember, no.”

Rhys considered his next question. He hadn’t expected to learn much from Tyler, but he knew from the other people that he’d spoken with that Tyler had been in the area. Rhys knew he was being overly thorough with his inquiries. He wondered if it was because he wasn’t looking forward to the outcome of the investigation. He and Jerry had agreed that they would probably be making an arrest soon.

“Well, there was that car I passed on my way, but you probably already know about that,” Tyler said.

Rhys narrowed his eyes. “Which car and why would I already know about it?”

Tyler shrugged. “It looked like one of you guys. I mean, it was a woman, but she was dressed like you. You know, all in blue and she was wearing one of those ball caps with letters on it.”

“Did you get a good look at her?” Rhys asked as he pulled out his phone.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Rhys carried his phone over to Tyler and held up the phone with a picture. “This her?”

Tyler nodded. “Yeah. Looks like it.”

Rhys drove away wondering how many more people they were going to discover had also witnessed Marcy near the scene of the crime at the approximate time of death. He wondered if Jerry was having the same reservations about where things were leading. Rhys knew that few at the police station were going to be happy with charging one of their own for murder.

***

Jim Baxter left the small room he used as an office at the Station Pub & Grill and walked out to the bar side. He was filling an order when a motion near the entrance caught his eye. He turned to find Jerry Stevens watching him.

Jim smiled and waved him over. “What can I do for you today?”

Jerry looked down at the flight of beers in front of Jim. “Are those some of the craft beers?”

“Yeah, they’re really popular here. Have you tried them yet?” Jim asked.

“Not all of them. I’m hoping to enjoy that pleasure at the contest this weekend. Good luck with that, by the way.” Jerry originally had hoped they would have the case solved by then and that he would be able to take the time to relax. Now he was thinking his level of enjoyment might be adversely influenced by the outcome of the case once it was solved.

“Thanks. We’re entering the barbeque competition. As usual, there’s going to be some top-level submissions to beat. It should be a good time for all the tasters. The makers of these craft beers are local and plan to be there also competing in the brew competition.”

“Got a minute to talk?” Jerry asked as he looked around the restaurant. It was a noisy crowd.

“Sure, follow me.” Jim led Jerry back to his office.

Jerry took the seat across from Jim’s desk and explained that they were speaking with anyone who may have ties to the upcoming event about the recent death.

“Can you think of anything that might be helpful?” Jerry asked.

“No, not really. I mean, I have spoken to the promoters for the event, both Jack and Hannah. Can’t say that we discussed anything that might be related to a murder. Just permit issues, things like that,” Jim said.

“Permit issues?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, Hannah mentioned having trouble getting their permits approved on time. It made me worry about mine but the turnaround for me was really quick. I assumed her problem was just a fluke or something. We’ve never had a problem with them before.”

***

Rhys walked through the entrance of the police station after interviewing everyone on his list. He tried to stifle a groan when he saw Martha, the receptionist, waving him over. He considered using the investigation as an excuse for why he didn’t have time to discuss the young women in her family.

Martha saw Rhys cringe when she motioned to him and knew why. At another time, she might find it funny. Right now, she wasn’t feeling like laughing. She glanced around. There wasn’t anyone nearby, but she didn’t want to take the chance. Waving Rhys even closer, she kept her voice low.

“I need to tell you something about your case,” Martha said leaning forward. Deep ridges formed between her eyes as she continued an internal debate about telling him.

Rhys waited for a moment to see what Martha had to say. A moment later, when she still hadn’t continued, he prompted her. “Yes, ma’am?”

Martha sighed. “It might be nothing. I’ve heard a lot of talk about the case though. I figured I’d better not hold anything back.”

Rhys nodded encouragement, wondering where Martha was going with the conversation.

“I spoke with Marcy before her lunch date on Friday.” Martha’s frown deepened.

Rhys mentally drew another tick in the ‘Looks Bad for Marcy’ column in his head. There were a lot of other ticks already there.

“And?”

“She was pretty upset with her date. She mentioned he was cheating on her. She made some fairly negative comments about the event promoters in general.” Martha’s lips thinned as she stopped talking and leaned back. It was obvious she had not wanted to tell Rhys about Marcy.

Rhys nodded. “Thanks, I’ll share it with Jerry. We might want to talk with you some more.” He saw the look of sadness on Martha’s face before he turned and continued walking.

He found Jerry staring at the murder board. He’d made some new comments at various locations on the board. Rhys told him what Martha had just revealed and then shared all that he had learned.

“We’re going to need to question Marcy again,” Rhys said.

Jerry wiped his palm across his eyes then nodded in agreement.

“Are you going to keep her this time?” Rhys asked as he glanced back at the murder board.

Jerry followed Rhys’s gaze. “Let’s see what she has to say first.”

Chapter Sixteen

The last period of the day always seemed longer than the rest for some reason. Perhaps it had something to do with the students. Gavin Jefferson repeated his question to the class, then willed himself not to glance at the clock again. He knew the students would notice if he did.

After several silent moments, Bella Prescott raised her hand. Gavin stifled a sigh. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to hear from Bella. She was without a doubt one of the brightest students he’d ever had. But she was also his youngest. Bella was an advanced student. Given that she was only twelve, he shouldn’t even be seeing her for another three years in this particular class.

Gavin looked around the room, willing someone else to raise their hand and answer the math question he had posed to the class. No one did. Most shifted their eyes away from him as his gaze swept the room. Two had their heads down on their desks. Gavin knew already at this point in the semester that his course would be a two year program for the two who chose to sleep through most of it now.

Finally, giving in to the silence, Gavin nodded at Bella. She lowered her hand and answered quickly. The silence in the room was then broken by whispers. It happened each time the brilliant young child girl answered a question. It was only a few who whispered. Many others in the class had actually tried to befriend the young girl, though Gavin suspected in some cases it was because they hoped she’d do their homework.

Gavin had no idea where she got the courage to face the whisperers. He nodded briefly to her correct response and quickly moved on. He knew from experience that it wouldn’t do to praise her in public. That would only make it worse for her. He continued working on sample problems through the remainder of class. When the bell finally rang signifying the end of the school day, Gavin called out to the students that he still needed their homework.

Some left the room without giving him anything. Those who had completed the homework rushed past his desk and added sheets of paper to a pile on his desk. The last to approach was Bella. Gavin checked that the rest of the students were filing from the room before smiling at Bella.

“Good job with that math problem. You were the only one who knew the answer,” Gavin said gently.

Bella returned the smile. “Thanks. I know you were hoping I wouldn’t answer, but it doesn’t really bother me when they whisper.”

Gavin sincerely hoped that was really true. “You know that if they ever do bother you, or upset you in any way, you can come to me, right? I’ll take care of it.”

Bella smiled her thanks then turned to leave. She enjoyed her math class and had no intentions of letting other students spoil it for her. She spent part of her day at the middle school and part at the high school. Although many in the high school had grown used to seeing her in their classes and no longer appeared to think much about it, there were still a few that went out of their way to make her feel unwelcome.

Bella shifted her bookbag on her shoulder. The halls had already emptied out. Most of the students fled from the building without a backward glance at the end of the day. Some had to rush to make it to their bus before it left without them. Others, like Bella, walked home. Most of those students also fled quickly, eager to leave the school behind them as swiftly as possible.

Bella rounded a corner and was surprised to see a group of students at the end of the hall near a stair well. Looking around quickly, she didn’t see anyone else in the hall. She was about to turn and exit the building when she realized that she recognized the boy in the middle of the group. She wondered what they were up to. Their focus was on the boy in the middle, so Bella crept up to hear what they were saying.

She realized suddenly that they had crowded around him to keep him from leaving. They were the same kids who had just been whispering in her math class. Bella recognized the tallest one as the main aggressor. They were taunting the boy in the middle for some reason. Without thinking, Bella stormed into the group.

“Stop it!” Bella yelled.

Ethan looked at Bella in surprise as the other boys spread out to encircle both of them.

“What’s going on here?” Gavin Jefferson said loudly.

The group of boys split and quickly left the building. The tallest one went through the exit door last. He turned and sneered at Bella and Ethan before leaving.

Gavin frowned at the exit door then turned back to the other two. “Are you okay?” He directed his question at both of them, but his primary concern was for Bella. She was so much younger than the rest of them.

“Yes, thank you,” Bella said as she stole a glance at Ethan. “I should be going now.”

“Me too,” Ethan said as he moved to catch up with Bella.

Bella turned and smiled at Mr. Jefferson again as she pushed open the exit door. When they got outside, she turned to Ethan.

“Don’t you ride the bus?” Bella asked. She thought she had noticed him waiting with the other kids when she passed them on her way off the campus at the end of the school day. He was very thin and stood a little taller than many of the other students his age.

Ethan glanced over to where the buses usually waited for students. They were all gone now. “Looks like I missed it today.”

“What will you do now?” Bella stopped walking and looked at Ethan in concern.

Ethan shrugged. “I can call my grandfather. He’s in town visiting someone anyway. He can pick me up.”

“Oh, okay.” Bella hesitated. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving him standing outside of the school, all alone.

Ethan looked around. “Do you walk home from here?”

Bella nodded.

“Want me to walk with you? I can call my grandfather on the way. He can pick me up from your place,” Ethan suggested.

Bella smiled and began walking. She waited until he was done with his call, then told him her name.

“I already knew your name. Mine’s Ethan.”

“How did you know my name?” Bella asked. She had seen him at the school before but hadn’t known his name.

“You’re the youngest student in school. Everyone knows your name,” Ethan pointed out. Then he wondered if he should have said that. He stole a glance at Bella. She didn’t seem upset.

Bella looked back at him and grinned. “I don’t mind. I like my classes there.”

Ethan grinned back. “Does it hurt? Being as smart as you?”

Bella laughed at that. “Why would it hurt? Besides, there are a lot of things I don’t know.”

“Name one,” Ethan challenged her.

“Well,” Bella looked at Ethan. She knew if he rode on the bus, that meant he lived outside of town. That probably meant that he lived on a farm. “I don’t know how to drive a tractor.”

Ethan laughed. “That’s easy. Anyone can do that.”

“I’d like to learn how some day,” Bella said.

Ethan stole another glance at her. “You would?”

“Sure. I’d like to learn all kinds of things. Wouldn’t you?” Bella stopped in front of her house.

A truck pulled up with an older gentleman driving. He rolled down the window and smiled at them. Bella thought he looked kind. “Ethan, you ready?”

“Yeah. Grandpa, this is Bella.” Ethan turned back to Bella. “Thanks. You know. For helping me.”

Bella smiled as she watched the truck drive away.

***

Ethan told his grandfather that he could handle the chores alone. He waited until his grandfather went into the house before walking quickly toward the woods. He wanted to find the tree before anyone noticed he was gone.

He stayed on the main path in his grandfather’s woods, then veered off just before crossing over to Megan’s woods. Stopping to get his bearings, he looked around for the large beech tree. Finally, he found the one he was looking for.

He took out his grandfather’s pen knife and began carving the letters in the tree. When he was done, he stepped back and looked at his work. He’d carved the letters B. P. and E. J.

Looking up higher on the tree, he could still make out the other letters that had been carved into the tree before he was born. The bark had expanded as the tree had grown in girth and they were now difficult to see. Ethan knew from memory that those letters were M. J. and C. A. Doubting that it had been his mom, he’d always assumed they had been carved there by Casey.

Chapter Seventeen

Megan pulled her truck into the gas station and stopped at the pump. She thought about the last time she’d been there to ask Karen Bouchard about a puzzle she’d been working on involving the Swindell twins. After pumping her gas, Megan pulled the truck away from the pump and parked near the small convenience store connected to the gas station where Karen worked.

She waited until Karen finished with the customer in front of her. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone else ready to check out. Megan stepped up to the counter.

“Megan, how are you doing?” Karen asked in a normal voice. Then she looked around and leaned across the counter.  Lowering her voice, she asked, “Are you working on that murder case with the blues singer?”

Megan leaned forward. “Most people in town end up here at some point. Have you heard anything?”

Karen glanced around again. “Well, now that you mention it, Jane from the post office said that she heard from Ginny at the court house that Marcy Jenkins is a suspect.”

Megan had wondered when that news would get out.

Karen straightened. “Of course, I didn’t believe it.”

Megan was glad to hear it.

Karen narrowed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling as she thought. “Although…”

“Although?” Megan asked.

“Come to think of it, she hasn’t been acting herself lately. I did see Marcy run in to use the restroom not that long ago. Normally, she waves. That time she didn’t.” Karen checked the store to see what the other customers were doing.

Megan glanced toward the opposite corner of the store where the restrooms were located. There were several rows of shelves in between stocked high with items. “You’re sure it was Marcy?”

“Oh, yes. She was dressed in her blue uniform and had her cap on and everything.” Karen nodded as a person walked up behind Megan.

Megan thanked Karen and quickly went back to her truck. She tapped the steering wheel with her thumbs as she thought. Then she started the truck and finished driving to Dan’s feed store.

She walked into the front door and immediately saw Trina pushing a cart loaded with bags of animal feed.

Trina stopped and motioned with her head. “He’s in the back.”

Megan smiled. “Thanks.”

“How are things going with the puzzle?” Trina asked.

“I’m not sure I’ve found any of the pieces that I need yet. You don’t know anything about the case, do you?” Megan reached over and grabbed her end of one of the bags and helped Trina haul it off the cart and onto the pile at the end of the aisle.

“The police already asked me, actually. I was out working with Jax and Seth near the site where the victim was found.” Trina reached for another bag.

Megan grabbed her end and helped Trina swing it over. “Did you see anything?”

Trina shook her head as she reached for another bag. “Not that day, no. I did see Marcy though.” Trina shot Megan a guilty look as they swung the bag over.

“It’s okay. I know you have to tell the police anything that could help with the case.” Megan reached for the last bag. “Where did you see her?”

Trina grabbed her end. “It was when I was on my way in to work here.”

“You’re sure it was her?” Megan asked.

“She was dressed like she normally does,” Trina said.

Megan wasn’t sure how that piece might fit into the overall puzzle, but she tucked the information away. After speaking with Dan, she got back into her truck and was about to drive away when her phone rang. The caller ID said it was Linda Spelling. The librarian had called Megan before to help her with a puzzle. Megan quickly answered the phone and agreed to meet with Linda at the library in a few minutes.

Linda was standing alone at the front desk when Megan entered. She looked around the library. The computer room was packed, as usual, and the comfortable chairs near the magazine section were all taken. The rest of the library was empty.

“I assume you are working on the death of that blues singer,” Linda said with a low voice.

Megan leaned in to hear her better and nodded. “Do you know anything about it?”

Linda looked around. “Well, not directly. But, I mean, I heard through the grapevine that Marcy is a suspect. I know how close you are to Tom and his family.”

Megan nodded her agreement. “You know something about Marcy.”

Linda looked at Megan with compassionate eyes. “I saw her, arguing with someone.”

Megan thought that sounded out of character for Marcy. “Arguing?”

Linda sighed and leaned in closer. “With a woman,” she whispered.

Megan straightened. “Did you tell the police?”

Linda nodded. “I didn’t want to. But I had to, didn’t I?”

Megan wished it weren’t true but nodded agreement. “Do you know who she was?”

“They showed me a picture. It was the woman that was murdered.”

***

Megan parked her truck and pulled out her phone. She quickly texted Lauren. As soon as she got the reply, she walked to the front door of Lauren’s house and let herself in. She found Lauren in her work kitchen and convinced the pregnant woman to sit and take a break. After pouring her cousin a cup of decaf tea, she filled up the sink with hot soapy water and began washing the things Lauren had used while baking.

“I didn’t get as much done as I wanted to today,” Lauren said.

“Do you need me to do something else?” Megan offered. “I could bake something for you.”

“No, it’s okay. I have my orders filled. I just wanted to do a little extra. I appreciate you washing those things for me.” Lauren rubbed at her stomach. The baby had been very active all day.

“I don’t mind. It won’t be much longer now,” Megan said.

“How is your puzzle coming along?” Lauren asked.

Megan explained what she had learned so far. She was just finishing her story when Lauren’s mother-in-law arrived with her boyfriend, Vince.

“Hey, you beat me to it,” Bev said as she entered the kitchen.

Megan looked down at the mixing bowl she was drying. “It gave me a chance to talk with someone about the puzzle I’m working on.”

“The blues singer that was killed?” Bev asked as she glanced over at Vince.

Vince nodded. “I talked with the police about that. I saw her just before she died.”

“You did?” Megan asked. “Where?”

“At the park. I was there with Emmet and Amos doing a sound check. I saw her pull in when I was leaving.”

“How did you know it was her?” Lauren asked.

“Well, I didn’t at the time, of course. They showed me a picture.” Vince shook his head. “Such a young, pretty girl.”

“So sad,” Bev said. “How is Tom taking it?”

“You heard too?” Megan asked.

“That Marcy is a suspect?” Bev nodded.

Megan leaned back against the counter. “I know it’s been difficult for him.”

“Poor Ethan,” Lauren murmured.

Chapter Eighteen

Emmet Parker entered Vintage Teaberry and unzipped his coat. Although it was a typical chilly fall day outside, the antique store was warm in comparison. Emmet saw Daryl on the other side of the store and walked in that direction. He nodded to Daryl’s wife, Leah, on his was past her. She smiled back but continued ringing up the customer at her counter.

In his forties, Daryl was a generation younger than Emmet. In addition to sharing a love for singing harmony, Emmet had also grown to appreciate the common sense advice Daryl had given him on occasion. Emmet stopped when he reached the small, serious-looking man with dark skin and thick glasses.

Daryl looked up from the cabinet drawer he was repairing. “Hey, stranger. What brings you in today?”

“Killing time.” Emmet reached out and picked up a small bottle of glue. He handed it to Daryl a moment later.

“Thanks. What are you waiting for?” Daryl asked.

“I’m having dinner with Jennifer and Jim in a bit. I don’t want to get there too early,” Emmet said.

Daryl looked up at his friend with laughing eyes. “Don’t want to spoil the secret?”

Emmet thought about his daughter’s lack of cooking skills. “They’re entitled to it. If Jim wants to pretend that Jennifer really cooked the dinner and she’s willing to go along with it, I will too.”

“Sounds like it’s getting serious between the two of them,” Daryl commented as he straightened from his task. He applied a small vice on the drawer to hold the pieces together while the glue dried.

“Looks that way. A man can hope, anyway,” Emmet said.

Daryl glanced back at Emmet and grinned. “You or Jim?”

“Both,” Emmet agreed. “Are you going to make it to practice this week?”

Daryl glanced over at his wife and nodded. “Leah will be with her book club. They just started a new mystery.”

“Good, we need to get in form for next month’s harmony competition. I want to win this year.” Emmet considered asking Daryl for advice about his dilemma.

“That makes three of us,” Daryl said thinking of Vince, their third singing partner.

“Listen, I wanted to talk to you…”

“Are you two talking harmony again?” Leah asked as she walked over to them.

Emmet stopped speaking and turned to greet Leah. “Always.”

“What did you want to talk about?” Daryl asked Emmet.

Emmet glanced over at Leah. “Oh, nothing. I’ll catch up with you at practice. I should be going. I need to stop into Olde Tomes and order a book I’ve been wanting then get to Jennifer’s.”

Daryl watched Emmet leave.

Leah glanced over at her husband and noticed the small frown. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Not sure. I’ll try to talk with him at practice this week.”

***

Jim Baxter opened the oven door and pulled out a large roaster pan. Carefully removing the heavy foil covering, he ladled some of the drippings over the meat then removed some from the pan to use for gravy. Sealing the foil back up, he returned the pan to the oven.

Jennifer walked into the kitchen and sniffed appreciatively. “Wow, that smells amazing.”

Jim covered the pot of drippings he had removed from the pan and set the pot on the stove. He would add the corn starch to thicken it just before serving the rest of the meal.

“When is your dad getting here?” Jim asked as he moved over to the sink to finish washing the fresh vegetables for the salad.

“I can do that,” Jennifer said as she nudged Jim away from the sink. “He should be here any minute.”

“Did he tell you what’s been bothering him yet?” Jim asked.

Jennifer shook her head. Her father had seemed unusually reserved lately. She had no idea what was on his mind. She just hoped it wasn’t serious. And that he would confide in her soon.

“No, he didn’t. I was hoping he might say something tonight.”

Jim glanced into the dining room. Jennifer had the table all set. He opened the fridge. “Which one do you want to try first?”

Jennifer glanced at him over her shoulder. “A pale blonde.”

Jim pulled one out for her just as the doorbell rang. He closed the fridge and went to answer it. He returned a moment later with Emmet behind him.

“You’re just in time for a tasting,” Jim said as he opened the fridge again. He pulled out a few different kinds of beer.

“Those are some of the crafts you’ve been selling at the restaurant?” Emmet asked.

“Yeah. These are the ones that seem to be selling the best. They’re local so you should see them at the competition this weekend.”

Emmet bent to read the labels then made his selection. Jim poured a blonde into a glass and set it near Jennifer, gave Emmet the one he had chosen, then put the rest back in the fridge.

“So, Dad. What have you been up to?” Jennifer asked as she continued working on the salad.

Emmet took a seat at the kitchen table across from Jim. “Oh, this and that. Not much.”

“Have the three of you been practicing for next month’s harmony competition?” Jennifer asked. She knew that he was, but she was trying to find some way to get him talking.

“Oh, sure. Daryl, Vince, and I get together whenever we can. We’re planning to win this year,” Emmet said with more confidence than he felt.

“Sad about the blues singer being killed,” Jim commented.

Jennifer turned when her father didn’t respond. She threw Jim a glance. He caught the look but kept his face passive.

Jennifer lifted the full salad bowl and set it aside. Then she began cleaning up the remains. “I was hoping the police would have found someone else to focus on by now but that hasn’t happened.”

Emmet studied the beer in front of him.

“Are you worried about your client?” Jim asked.

Jennifer picked up her beer glass and moved over to the table. “It isn’t looking good for her, that’s for sure.”

“You don’t think they’re going to make a solid case against her, do you?” Jim asked.

Jennifer shrugged. “Actually, I think they are.”

***

Jim finished washing the roaster pan and handed it to Jennifer to dry.

“What do you think?” Jim asked.

“I think you were right. He clammed up as soon as we mentioned the case against Marcy.”

“He didn’t tell you anything?” Jim rinsed the salad bowl and set it in the other sink.

Jennifer finished drying the roasting pan and picked up the bowl. “No. I hope whatever it is he’s hiding, it isn’t going to blow up in someone’s face.”

Chapter Nineteen

Rhys could tell by the atmosphere in the police station when he walked in the next morning that everyone knew where they were in the case. If the foreboding silence wasn’t enough of an indicator, the grimace Martha gave him in lieu of her typical cheerful greeting was.

He found Jerry in the small office he used when working on technology investigations. This time, however, Rhys suspected Jerry was simply trying to keep his conversation from prying ears. Not that his comments would be a surprise to anyone else in the building. Everyone knew that they were close to making an arrest.

“Yeah, we have a few more interviews to do today, but that’s it,” Jerry was saying.

Rhys assumed Jerry was speaking with Erica. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard her voice come through on Jerry’s phone.

“You’re thinking by the end of the day?” Erica said. It wasn’t really a question.

“If not today, then tomorrow. There’s just too much. We have multiple people who place her near the scene of the crime. There are countless witnesses who saw her around town following both the victim and the boyfriend. And we know she argued with the victim.” Jerry glanced at Rhys. His face was set in resignation.

“You have to do your job,” Erica said.

“I know. Either way, we have to pull her in again to pin her down on some of the new things that we’ve learned. I just wish…” Jerry shrugged.

“Yeah,” Erica said. “Call me later or stop by if you need to talk.”

“Will do.” Jerry stood abruptly.

Rhys backed away from the door then followed Jerry out of the building.

“Where are we headed first?” Rhys asked.

“Let’s stop and get an energy drink at Tea & Thyme. We can talk to the twins.”

***

Jill Swindell carried the tray of drinks and muffins out to the new indoor/outdoor patio recently installed by their new landlord, Ross McMann. He’d added a room on the end of the building with large garage-like doors that allowed them to open the doors when the weather was good or keep them closed on days like today. She checked the other tables to see if anyone needed anything else then went back into the main shop area.

“I love our new patio,” Jill said for the millionth time to Janice.

Janice didn’t bother to pretend she wasn’t equally enamored with it. “Have you heard anything new?”

Jill didn’t have to ask what Janice meant. She shook her head, but then her eyes widened when she saw who was parking in the front of the shop. “Maybe we’re about to.”

Janice swiveled her head around to look, then walked over to stand next to her sister. Jerry and Rhys entered a moment later.

“Can we help you?” Jill asked.

“An energy drink might help,” Jerry said.

“Make it two,” Rhys added as he walked over to the counter where they made them.

Janice watched her sister walk over to fill the order, then turned her attention back to the police officers.

“We were wondering when you might stop by,” Janice said.

Jerry thanked Jill for the drink, then leaned against the counter. “You two have something to tell us?”

The twins shared a look. They’d discussed it many times, and both had agreed that they needed to tell the truth if asked.

Jill spoke first. “We talked to Marcy. You know, before…”

“Before the death?” Rhys asked.

Yes,” Janice said. “She had some pretty negative things to say.”

Jerry sighed. It wasn’t the first time they’d heard a similar story about Marcy. He wondered what she had been thinking to make so many negative comments. They listened closely to the twins, jotted some notes, asked more questions, then paid for their drinks.

They got back into their car and Jerry started the engine. “Let’s get the rest of these interviews done and then get back to the station. I’d like to check something else out.”

Rhys looked over at Jerry. He wondered if the other man really had a new idea or if he was just grasping at straws.

***

Jerry pulled up the video file that he had just extracted from the closed circuit television system that had cameras set up throughout the town. He had looked at a portion of the video before. This time, he pulled out more of the file to see a longer timespan in the video. He was hoping he would see something useful.

Rhys was standing behind him in the small office. Jerry clicked the play button and let the video run. Rhys leaned against the doorway and watched over his shoulder.

“This is the clip where Marcy said she saw the victim and her boyfriend kissing?” Rhys asked. They’d already looked at it several times.

“Yeah. I want to let it run and see if there’s anything after that point to give us anything else to go on.” Jerry leaned forward and watched the people moving around on the screen. Several minutes passed without anything unusual happening.

“What about a different camera angle?” Rhys asked.

Jerry checked the computer folder where the video feeds were stored. He selected another camera positioned toward the same part of town but from a different angle. This camera was positioned on another building. They watched for several more minutes but didn’t see anything. Jerry pulled up another file to watch a different video feed.

“There,” Rhys said. “Back it up a bit.”

Both men leaned closer to the monitor. “That’s the victim. Looks like she’s walking away from the boyfriend about…” Jerry checked the time stamp of the video. “About thirty minutes after they originally hook up and kiss.”

They watched as a woman in a blue uniform approached the victim. Her back was toward the camera, but the uniform looked familiar and so did the matching blue ball cap. The two women begin speaking. Both become animated and use their hands to emphasize their words. Finally, the victim storms off, leaving the other woman standing there a moment longer. Then she also moves out of camera range.

“You don’t actually see Marcy’s face,” Rhys pointed out.

“It’s her uniform.” Jerry shook his head.

“What are you going to do next?” Rhys asked.

“I’ll look through some different camera angles. See if there’s another one that might show her face.”

Rhys backed away from the door. “I’ll type up my notes from this morning.”

He made it back to the desk he was using just as the phone rang. He answered Martha’s call and told her he’d be right out. He frowned as he walked to the front of the building, wondering why Madison had asked for him.

He nodded to Martha when he reached the front, then stopped and waited for the beautiful woman to turn around. She was facing the other direction, looking through the window and out of the building.

“Ma’am?”

Madison turned and looked at Rhys. He noticed that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was tall for a woman, around five seven. Her light brown skin tone, large brown eyes, and prominent cheekbones made her look more like a model than the hotshot analyst he knew her to be. Rhys suddenly realized she was also studying him.

“You asked for me?” Rhys asked.

“Yes. I have something I wanted to share about an on-going case,” Madison said with hesitation in her voice.

Understanding dawned in Rhys’s blue eyes. “You don’t want your boyfriend to take your statement in case it gets questioned later on.”

Madison shrugged. “Not sure it matters, but…”

“Follow me.” Rhys led her back to his desk. Jerry was still in his small office. Rhys motioned for Madison to sit.

Madison looked around the room with interest knowing that this was where Jerry spent a portion of his day working.

“I take it this is about the death of the blues singer, Kellie Hennessy?” Rhys took out his notebook.

Madison turned back to Rhys. “Yes. I didn’t realize at the time that we found the victim that this might matter. It didn’t occur to me until later.”

Rhys took notes as Madison spoke. He asked a few more questions, then stood when they were done talking.

“Thanks, I’ll pass the information along.” Rhys offered to walk Madison out, but she assured him she could find her way. He walked back to Jerry and leaned against the door frame again.

“You get anything?” Rhys asked.

Jerry sighed and sat back in his seat. He pressed his palms into his eyes and rubbed. “No.”

“I may have. Your girlfriend was just here. She said she saw Marcy in the town square during the exact time frame that you’re looking for.”

Jerry stood quickly. “Madison is here?”

Rhys blocked the doorway. “No, she just left. She said she didn’t realize the significance of it until she heard rumors that we’re going to arrest Marcy for the murder of Kellie Hennessy.”

Jerry leaned back against the desk.

“Are we ready to?” Rhys asked.

Jerry sighed. “Let’s give it twenty four more hours. After that, we definitely make the arrest if nothing else has come up.”

Chapter Twenty

Megan parked her truck across the street in front of the bank. She grabbed her purse and went inside to stand in line. She pulled her identification and account number out as she waited her turn, then placed it on the counter in front of Connie Powers.

“I’d like to take out some cash,” Megan said.

Connie looked behind Megan. To help with customer confidentiality, the waiting line was positioned several feet away from the counter. Connie lowered her voice anyway.

“So sad to hear about Marcy,” Connie said.

Megan looked up in surprise. “What about her?”

“Everyone in town knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s arrested for murder,” Connie whispered.

Megan’s eyes opened wide in surprise. She knew that the police considered Marcy a suspect. She hoped that an arrest wasn’t as imminent as the rumors suggested.

“I saw her, you know,” Connie said confidentially as she counted out Megan’s cash from her drawer.

“Saw her?” Megan repeated.

“It was last week, that morning it was drizzling. She was walking down the street here when I was coming in to work. She must have been on her way in to work also,” Connie said as she counted the cash for a second time while placing the bills in front of Megan.

“Why do you say that?” Megan asked.

“Well, she was wearing her blue uniform and her ball cap because of the rain.”

Megan left the bank and crossed the sidewalk then checked for traffic in the street in both directions. Her truck was on the other side. As she turned to look in one direction, she saw Irlene down the street waving at her. Megan frowned, then began walking slowly toward the hairdresser. She sincerely hoped that Irlene didn’t have any ideas in mind about Megan’s hair. Irlene waved Megan into the shop when she reached her.

“I saw you crossing the street earlier and waited until you came out,” Irlene said in a low voice.

Megan could hear people talking on the other side of the salon. One woman was getting her hair shampooed by Marissa, one of the stylists that rented a station from Irlene. Sean, another stylist, was working on a customer but his station was at the opposite end from Irlene’s.

“What’s up?” Megan kept her voice low because Irlene had done the same.

“I heard about Marcy. It’s just such a shame. That poor family. Tom and Ethan must be beside themselves.” Irlene raised a hand and covered her mouth with it.

“Have you heard that the police have arrested her yet?” Megan asked. She hadn’t, but knew that Irlene heard way more gossip than she did.

Irlene shook her head. “No, but everyone in town is talking like it’s going to happen any moment now.”

Megan was worried that this time the gossip may be correct. “Have you heard anything else that may be helpful?”

“You are working on it then,” Irlene said looking relieved momentarily before the worry settled back into the lines in her face. “I’m not sure what you can do this time though.”

“You think she did it?” Megan asked.

Irlene glanced around the shop again to make sure no one could hear them. “I don’t want to believe it, but I just don’t know what else to think.”

Irlene let out a sigh and gave Megan a resigned look. “You know I don’t believe in adding to the rumor mills. I pride myself on not spreading anything that any of my clients ever share with me.”

Megan nodded.

“Marcy was in here getting her hair cut. That’s all she could talk about, that new man in her life. She was so excited. She kept saying he might be the one.” Irlene shook her head sadly.

Megan asked Irlene a couple more questions before leaving. She stopped at the florist shop to speak with Caitlyn but learned that Caitlyn was out making deliveries. Megan spoke with Susan, Caitlyn’s mother for a few minutes. Susan had also heard the rumors about Marcy. As Megan was leaving the florist shop, she bumped into Daryl.

“Megan! How did the hall table look?” Daryl asked.

“It was a perfect match to the hall tree that was originally at the farm when I bought it. You were right. The two pieces definitely go together. Thanks again for thinking of me,” Megan said.

“It’s always such a pleasure to find the right home for antiques,” Daryl said. “What brings you into town today?”

Megan thought for a moment about how to answer but Daryl beat her to it.

“Oh, I should have guessed. You’re working on another puzzle, aren’t you?” Daryl said. He had helped Megan solve the puzzle of Alice Durant’s death recently. She had been killed by a jealous old acquaintance who had then taken her identity and lived at the retirement community.

Megan nodded. “I’m trying to find anyone who may know anything about it.”

“Actually, I don’t know if it will help but I did see the victim before she died,” Daryl said.

“You did? Did you know her?” Megan asked.

“No, but I saw her picture on the news afterward, so I know what she looked like. I saw her talking with a man when I was out getting lunch for us one day last week,” Daryl said. “She was a young woman, you know, but she had that look. Like she probably had a bright future in show business.”

Megan thought for a moment then pulled out her phone. She searched for the TriRiver Promotional Events web site and found a photo of Jack Kensington.

“Was this him?” Megan asked.

Daryl looked at the small image. “I think so.”

Megan asked Daryl a couple more questions before the door to Togs opened and Giselle popped her head out.

“Megan, I thought that was you. Do you have a minute?” Giselle asked.

Megan nodded to Daryl as he headed back to the antique shop and then she followed Giselle into the clothing store. There was a customer browsing on one side of the shop. Megan walked over and joined Giselle on the opposite side.

Giselle spoke so quietly that Megan had to lean in closer to hear her. “I didn’t know if I should say anything,” Giselle whispered.

Megan nodded to prompt her.

“Marcy was in here all excited. This was before the death, of course.” Giselle’s eyes tracked over to the customer as the young woman moved to another rack and began looking through the garments.

“Marcy was in here shopping?” Megan asked.

Giselle nodded. “She was all excited about her new boyfriend. She wanted to buy something special to knock his socks off.” Giselle shook her head. “And now she’s going to be arrested for the murder.”

“Well, we don’t know that for sure,” Megan said. She knew her voice didn’t sound convincing.

Giselle turned compassionate eyes toward Megan. “Do you think I should tell the police?”

Megan considered it. Normally, she would touch base with Erica periodically to let her know what she had learned about a mystery as she searched for the puzzle pieces. In this case, that would include what Irlene had told her earlier about Marcy’s comments. Erica would have dealt with it if the police would be interested. Megan wasn’t sure if Jerry would want that same type of relationship.

Maybe he considered Megan’s sleuthing unnecessary. And unwanted. Of course, in the past Megan had always found something to help exonerate the suspect. So far, that hadn’t been the case with Marcy. But Megan knew that it wouldn’t be right to keep things from the police. Maybe she held a piece of the puzzle that would clear Marcy, and she didn’t even know it.

“I’ll touch base with the police soon and let them know what you told me. If they think it’s important, they’ll follow up on it.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Ethan stepped off the school bus and walked slowly across the front yard and up the porch steps. He toed off his shoes and continued walking down the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom. He tossed his bookbag on his desk without looking as he walked toward the bed. The muffled sound of something falling stopped him in his tracks. Turning around, he looked at the desk to see what could have caused it. From the corner of his eye, he saw a picture frame lying on the floor.

Ethan bent and retrieved it, then pulled his sleeve down around his hand and wiped the frame off. It was a picture of him with his mom. He stared at it for several moments, remembering the day it had been taken. The three of them were having a picnic in the back yard. His grandfather had snapped the picture. It was a couple of years ago now. It occurred to Ethan that he should have had his grandfather take a more recent picture.

If what the kids were all whispering about in school was true, he may not have many more chances to do that. Everyone was saying it was only a matter of time before his mom would be arrested. He set the picture frame back on the desk. Suddenly, the bedroom seemed too confining. Ethan quickly changed into his work clothes and went outside to do chores.

He wasn’t at it for very long when he heard a truck in the driveway. He could tell by the engine it wasn’t his mom. Walking around the barn, he saw Casey headed toward the house.

“Over here,” Ethan called.

Casey turned and walked toward Ethan. He let himself through the fence and joined Ethan on the other side.

“Did you get called out to check on something?” Ethan asked as he looked around at the animals. He hadn’t noticed anything wrong with any of them, but maybe his grandfather had seen something earlier in the day.

“No, actually I just stopped to see how you were doing,” Casey said as he studied the young boy.

Ethan’s eyes met Casey’s briefly before he looked away and shrugged.

Casey looked out past the fields towards the woods. “You know, people can just be stupid.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh. Of all the things he thought Casey may have said to make him feel better, that had not been it. “Yeah. I think I talked to most of the really stupid ones today.”

Casey looked back at Ethan. “Was it anything you couldn’t handle?”

Ethan looked down and shrugged again. “I’m sure it will get worse.”

Casey looked over at the bales of hay he knew Ethan had been about to feed to the cows. “C’mon. I’ll help you with this.”

Ethan watched Casey take a few steps toward the hay. “Do you think she did it?”

Casey whirled around. “No!” He saw the look of confusion on Ethan’s face and made an effort to soften his voice. “No, I don’t. And I know that you don’t either.”

Ethan crossed his arms in front of himself and looked off toward the woods. He turned back and saw that Casey had begun distributing the hay. Dropping his arms, he joined him.

“I met someone,” Ethan said. He continued working next to Casey, without looking at him.

Casey paused for only a moment before continuing his work. “Yeah? Is this someone a girl?”

Ethan smiled and stole a look at Casey. “Yeah. Her name is Bella. She’s younger than I am though. We’re just friends.”

“Younger, you say? How did you meet her?” Casey asked.

Ethan explained about Bella taking some of her classes at the high school then told him about the kids who were teasing him.

“She stood up for you?” Casey said with a grin.

“Yeah.” Ethan stole another look. “Sound familiar?”

Casey laughed.

“What are you two up to?” Marcy asked from the other side of the fence.

Casey shared a look with Ethan then turned to Marcy. “Oh, just guy talk.”

“Well, I put dinner in a crock pot today before I went to work so it’s ready. I’ll change out of my uniform and meet you two in the kitchen when you’re done with chores.” Marcy gave them both a curious look then turned and walked toward the house.

“I’ll check on the chickens if you do the hogs,” Casey said.

They met up again as they both walked toward the house. Marcy was already in the kitchen setting the table.

Ethan turned to Casey. “I’ll use the bathroom upstairs to clean up. You can use the one down the hall.”

Ethan left them in the kitchen but paused in the hallway just outside. He could hear the two of them talking in the kitchen.

“How was your day?” Casey asked Marcy.

Marcy looked over at the door to see if Ethan had left and lowered her voice. “It’s getting worse. I think they’re about to make a move.”

Casey walked over to Marcy and stood close enough to touch her. “You’re going to be okay. You didn’t do it. They’ll find whoever did.”

Marcy looked up at him and shook her head. “Will you spend time with Ethan while he’s growing up? He looks up to you.”

Casey reached over and wiped away a tear as it rolled down her cheek. “He looks up to you too. You need to fight this, so you can be around to watch him grow up.”

“You’re a good friend, Casey Adams.”

Ethan’s shoulders slumped as he turned and walked away.

***

Caro stirred the chili on the stove. “I know it isn’t fancy, but every fall I get a craving for it.”

Tom looked across the room and tried to smile. “Chili sounds great.”

Caro set the spoon down and turned to walk toward Tom. She sat down in the chair next to him and reached her hand across to cover his.

“You’ll get through this. Whatever happens with Marcy, you’ll get through it.”

Tom shook his head. “I feel so selfish.”

Caro laughed. “You are the least selfish man I have ever met.”

“I was ready to tell Marcy that I would sign the farm over to her and Ethan. I was hoping she’d find someone of her own and they could live at the farm. I thought that would help encourage her to live her own life.” Tom sighed.

“You can stay at the farm with Ethan,” Caro said gently.

Tom gave her a pointed look. “You want to live in town.”

Caro gave an elegant shrug. “I could learn to live on a farm.”

Tom smiled at the image in his head for a moment. “You would be pretty adorable in overalls.”

Caro smiled back at him for a moment before becoming serious again. “She may not be convicted.”

Tom nodded slowly. “You’re right. That’s what I should be focusing on now. Making sure she has everything she needs to fight this.”

“If you need money,” Caro said but let the sentence hang.

Tom covered her hands with his. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The cold winds belied the beckoning sun as Matthias and Barbara stepped outside to walk to their car.

“I should have warmed the car up for you first,” Matthias said as he opened the passenger door for his wife.

She slid into the seat and wrapped her calf-length coat around her legs. “I’ll be fine.”

A blast of cold wind entered the car when Matthias opened the driver’s side door. Though now well-recovered from a past hip replacement, Matthias took longer to successfully lower himself into the car after tucking his silver-handled cane into the back seat.

“We didn’t really have to go out to dinner tonight. We could have stayed in a nice warm house,” Matthias commented.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with you in withdrawal from barbeque. I’ve noticed that if you haven’t eaten it for more than three or four days, you start to get a wild look in your eyes.” Barbara looked around as they drove through the town. It was something she never tired of doing.

Matthias grinned. “In my defense, it really is good barbeque.”

“They’re supposed to have some new fall-themed craft beers to sample now too,” Barbara said.

“You might be driving home.” Matthias stopped at a red light. “I didn’t hear. How are Bert and Betty doing at the Jammin’T?”

“They’ve hired a young girl to handle the cooking.” Barbara glanced over at the Jammin’T as they passed. At this time of the day, it was already closed. They served primarily the breakfast and lunch crowd.

“How’s that working out?”

“So far everyone seems happy. Even Bert is apparently enjoying the rest,” Barbara said.

“You think this is the year Betty talks him into retiring?” Matthias slowed to turn.

“For his sake, I hope so.” Barbara released her seat belt. Inside the Station Pub & Grill, she asked for a table for two. They were seated a moment later and Matthias asked for a flight of autumn craft beers while they looked over the menu.

“Have you heard any more about Marcy Jenkins?” Matthias asked.

Barbara lowered her menu and set it on the table. “What I have heard doesn’t sound good.”

Matthias shook his head as he put down his own menu.

Barbara scanned the room then turned back to Matthias and lowered her voice. “From what I can tell, they’re seriously considering making an arrest tomorrow.”

Matthias thought about the pleasant young boy who had partnered him in a game of quoits recently at Megan and Dan’s farm. “Poor Ethan,” he murmured.

“It isn’t going to be easy on any of them,” Barbara agreed.

Tyler Jankowicz returned to their table to take their dinner order.

“I understand your sister is cooking at the Jammin’T now,” Barbara commented as she handed Tyler their menus.

Tyler’s face immediately split into a wide grin. “Yes, ma’am. She says she loves it there.”

Tyler walked over to the kiosk to enter their dinner order than went back into the bar area to check on an order he had recently placed for another table. He found Cathy looking a little stressed.

“Everything okay?” Tyler asked. It was the first time he had ever seen the accomplished bartender look flustered.

“One of the delivery guys was late getting here today. He had some problems with his truck and that meant that they didn’t get to restock the bar before my shift. But now I’m running short on my supplies back here.” Cathy looked around at the packed bar. She did not have the time to get more stock from the supply room now.

“I’ll help. I’ll have to do it in between the customers at my table but it’s better than nothing. Write down a list with the most important things first. I’ll grab them right away and then keep working on the list when I can.” Tyler picked up the tray of drinks Cathy had just filled and carried it back over to the restaurant side.

Cathy flashed a relieved smile at his retreating back and then found a slip of paper and a pen. She wrote as quickly as she could, then returned to filling drink orders.

Tyler grabbed the list on his return trip and juggled waiting tables with delivering stock to the bar. He noticed that other wait staff picked up his slack more than once and handled the delivery of meals to his tables. It was one of the things he really liked about working here. Everyone pitched in. He breathed a sigh of relief after delivering the last of the stock to Cathy.

After taking payment from some of his customers, he went out to the front desk to let the hostess know that he would have more tables available as soon as they were cleared. He saw a familiar face waiting to pick up food.

“Megan, are you here for dinner?” Tyler asked.

Megan smiled when she recognized Tyler. “Yes, I’m here for a takeout order. I didn’t know you were working here now, too.”

“They’re giving me some hours when I’m not working the catering truck and I’m also working with Jax and Seth now.” Tyler frowned, and he took a step closer to Megan. He knew that Megan had worked with the police in the past on a murder case.

“I was working with Jax and Seth when I saw Marcy out near the park on the night of the murder,” Tyler said. “I’ve seen her in here for lunch with her friends.”

Megan lost her smile. “You told the police?”

Tyler nodded. “Didn’t want to, but…”

“Yeah,” Megan said. She turned to someone else as they handed her two bags of takeout.

“Have a nice dinner,” Tyler said as turned to go back to his tables.

Megan thought about her day as she drove home. She had just gotten into the kitchen when Dan arrived from work.

“This smells good,” Dan said as he nuzzled Megan’s neck.

Megan smiled as she set the food down. “I was running around so much today, I didn’t get a chance to cook anything.”

“I’m not complaining,” Dan said as he opened the bags.

Megan turned and reached for plates and silverware, then set the table. Over barbeque and craft beer, she told him about her day.

“You haven’t been able to find anyone who could help to clear Marcy?” Dan asked. He had finished eating and was now leaning back in his chair, a glass of beer in his hands, as he listened to Megan’s story.

Megan pushed her plate away and rested her hands on the table in front of her. She had her own glass of beer between her hands. She stared at it as she considered everything she had learned.

Megan shook her head slowly. “No. Everything I’ve learned so far implicates her. She was heard by several people saying negative things about the promotion company that has been here in town for the competition this weekend. She was seen by multiple people near the location of the murder. Everyone knows that she was dating the promoter and then saw him kissing another woman who ended up being the victim. There were even witnesses who saw her get into an altercation with the victim before she died.”

“Is there anyone else you can think of to talk to?” Dan asked.

Megan shrugged. “At this point, I’ll talk to anyone. I was planning to go to town tomorrow morning anyway to pick up that book you ordered from Olde Tomes. I’ll ask anyone I see if they know anything that might help. I just don’t think I’m going to find anyone.”

“You really think it’s that bad?” Dan asked.

“From everything I’ve heard, they’re planning to make an arrest tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tia Jameson reached for a stray lock of blonde hair and tucked it back up into a stylish, messy bun. Pulling her reading glasses up from the beaded chain around her neck, she held them in front of her face as she read the return label on the box in front of her. Smiling when she read the address, she reached for an antique letter opener and sliced open the lid.

She was removing the contents when the bells on the door rang. She looked up to find one of her regular customers standing near the door.

“Emmet, you’re in luck. It just arrived.” Tia held the book up and walked over to the cash register. “It will be here when you’re done looking around.”

Not wanting to hasten Emmet along, Tia went back to her box and continued taking out the remaining contents. She glanced up at Emmet several times, wondering why he was being so quiet. Normally, he talked her ear off or had her laughing at one of his stories.

“Are you planning to attend the competition this weekend?” Tia asked.

“Probably,” Emmet said as he walked over to the mystery section of the bookstore. It was more from habit than anything. He hadn’t been able to focus long enough to read anything lately. The bells on the door caused him to turn around reflexively to see who had entered. He almost sighed in relief when he saw who it was.

He had been contemplating who he might speak to about his quandary. Megan’s name had been the only one he could come up with.

Megan stopped inside the bookstore and wondered what she had interrupted. Both Tia and Emmet were looking at her as though they’d been expecting her. She glanced between them, then focused on Tia.

“I’m here to pick up the book that Dan ordered.” Megan took a few steps toward Tia.

Tia glanced over at Emmet, then looked back at Megan. “I have it here.” She reached under the counter and pulled it out.

Megan pulled out her plastic card and took another step toward Tia, handing it to her as she reached her. Then she heard Emmet’s voice beside her.

“Megan, when you have a moment?” Emmet said hesitantly.

Tia narrowed her eyes at Emmet then turned to Megan and gave her back the card with Dan’s book. “Actually, I was going to say the same thing.” Tia came around the other side of the counter.

“I know you’re close to Tom Jenkins. Have you heard anything more about Marcy? Or the murder?” Tia asked.

Megan considered her answer. “Not yet, no.”

Tia crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. Megan watched Tia sigh.

“I saw Marcy the day of the murder.”

Megan swiveled her head between Emmet and Tia. They had both spoken at the same time.

“You both saw her?” Megan asked.

Emmet looked at Tia. “You first.”

“I saw her at the cemetery,” Tia said. “I went there to visit my mom’s grave.”

“When was this?” Megan asked.

“In the afternoon, after I closed up. I finished up some work here and then stopped to pick up a few groceries. Then I went to the cemetery on my way home.”

Megan knew that the hours on the door said that the shop closed at three on Fridays. She turned toward Emmet. She could tell the older man looked unhappy. He pulled at his goatee for a moment before saying anything.

“I saw her at the park,” Emmet said. “Near where they found the body.”

“When?”

“I went to help Amos in the afternoon. Both Vince and I did. Amos wanted to check the sound system. So Vince and I took the chance to do some practicing with our harmony singing.”

“When did you see her? When you first got there? Or when you left?” Megan asked.

Emmet’s shoulders slumped. “When I left.”

Megan thought for a moment. “Was she in her car?”

Emmet shook his head. “No, she was walking.”

“How do you know it was her? Did you talk to her?”

“No,” Emmet said. “She wasn’t that close. But she was wearing her blue uniform.”

Something pulled at Megan’s brain. She remembered what Karen had said. “Was she wearing a ball cap?”

Emmet frowned. “Yeah, I guess she was. I couldn’t see her hair.”

“Did you tell the police?” Megan asked Emmet gently.

Emmet lowered his eyes. “I just didn’t want to get Marcy in trouble.”

“You know you need to tell them, right? Jennifer would want you to do that,” Megan said.

Emmet looked over at Tia. She gave him a warm smile. “I’ll hold your book for you.”

Emmet nodded and turned to Megan. “Will you come with me?”

***

Megan sat on a hard plastic chair in the waiting room and watched Martha, the receptionist at the police station, handling multiple calls, taking messages, and then passing them along to officers as they came and went.

She had asked Martha to speak with one of the officers working on the Kellie Hennessy case when she’d first arrived with Emmet. They had waited together for a while before Jerry and Rhys had returned to the station from following up on more interviews.

She thought about the conversation she had had with Jerry. First, she had told him about Tia seeing Marcy at the cemetery. Then she confessed that she didn’t know if Jerry wanted her to contact him with updates the same way she always had with Erica when she was working through a puzzle.

Jerry had enthusiastically agreed to Megan contacting him and had even given her his cell number. But he had nixed Megan’s suggestion that she remain with Emmet when he spoke with the officers. That had left her twiddling her thumbs in the waiting room while she waited for Emmet to finish. As Megan glanced down at an old magazine on a table near her, she saw someone else she’d been wanting to speak with enter the building.

“Ginny!” Megan jumped up from her seat and approached the other woman. “Do you have a minute?”

“Oh, Megan. Sure. What brings you here?” Ginny asked with eyes full of curiosity.

“Oh, just waiting for a friend. Speaking of which, I understand that you had drinks with Marcy recently?” Megan asked.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Megan. “Yeah. We usually meet every so often, just to blow off steam and compare notes about work.”

“I understand Marcy mentioned breaking up with the promoter from Pittsburgh?” Megan prompted.

Ginny shrugged. “I’m not sure how serious it was anyway. I mean, they’d only been out to lunch a few times.”

Megan studied the other woman. “I looked up his picture on the company web site. He seemed pretty good looking.” He wasn’t her type, Megan thought, but she wondered what Ginny’s reaction would be. She was rewarded with a red flush coloring Ginny’s cheeks.

“He was definitely the ladies’ man. I don’t think he was as serious about Marcy as she was about him. I’m sure Marcy just read too much into it.” Ginny glanced over at Martha when the phone rang.

“Did you ever have lunch with him?” Megan asked.

“Well, not yet. I mean, he did suggest it.” Ginny turned back to Megan. “I should go. I need to drop off these files for someone.”

Megan watched Ginny walk away and wondered how much of a friend Ginny really was to Marcy if she had been considering dating the man she knew Marcy was too.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jerry stood in front of the murder board and waited for Rhys to return from walking Emmet Parker back out to the waiting room in the front of the police station.

“What do you think?” Rhys asked when he returned.

Jerry wrapped his left arm across his stomach and rested his right elbow on it. He rubbed at his chin as he thought. “It’s all very neat, it isn’t?”

Rhys leaned back against a desk and watched Jerry. “Something not sitting right with you?”

Jerry stared at the board a moment longer then waved to Rhys. “Get your notes. Let’s look at this a little differently.”

Jerry walked over to a table and quickly removed everything from the surface. Walking over to a printer, he took out several pieces of blank paper and laid them down on the table in a row.

Drawing a straight line across several sheets of paper, he turned back to Rhys who was now on the other side of the table with his notes.

“Okay, forget the murder board for the moment. Look just at this line going across here. This is a timeline. Go through your notes and tell me about every instance when someone saw Marcy.” While Rhys organized his notes to get the information Jerry wanted, Jerry retrieved his own notes from the interviews he had taken and began looking for the same thing.

Rhys began reading from his notes and Jerry wrote the information down along the timeline. After Rhys had made it completely through his notes, he joined Jerry on the other side of the table and the two men switched roles. Rhys wrote while Jerry called out sightings. When they were done, the two men studied the timeline.

“What have we got?” Rhys asked.

Jerry pointed. “According to Mrs. Elias, we have a Marcy sighting here. Here we have Mr. Samuels seeing Marcy.”

“This is when Madison saw her,” Rhys said, pointing at the note Jerry had made.

“Here is Karen Bouchard at the gas station,” Jerry pointed.

“Then you’ve got Connie Powers in front of the bank here.” Rhys wasn’t certain where this activity was going to get them, but he had to admit it helped to look at it this way.

“And Betty at the Jammin’T saw Marcy when she was leaving for the day,” Jerry pointed at another note on the timeline.

Rhys looked back at his notes. “Yeah, except that one doesn’t make sense.”

Jerry looked up at Rhys quickly. “What do you mean?”

“According to the vet, Casey Adams, he was at Marcy’s house that day with Marcy and Ethan. He said there was a pig incident.” Rhys looked up at Jerry and shrugged. “I guess they all ended up in the mud, took showers, and had dinner together.”

Jerry looked back at the timeline. “Some of these sightings are during the day,” he murmured.

Rhys pulled his brows together. “She should have been at work. I mean, I can see where she may have slipped away once or twice, maybe. But wouldn’t someone have noticed if she’d been gone that many times?”

“You’d think.” Jerry looked back at Rhys. “Check around here. See what you can find out about those specific times. See if anyone can verify her whereabouts at those exact times.”

“What are you going to do?” Rhys asked.

“Since we’re looking at time stamps, I’m going to try to figure out exactly when the application from TriRiver Promotional Events was submitted. Several people mentioned that Hannah complained it wasn’t processed on time. I want to know when she submitted it.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Caitlyn held up the flower arrangement and turned it around slowly as she studied it critically.

“It looks beautiful,” Susan said.

“You’re my mom, you’re supposed to say things like that,” Caitlyn said as she set the arrangement down.

Susan smiled. Her daughter was right. “But in this case, it really is. It has all of her favorite flowers in it. What did Dan say the occasion was?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. I guess it will have to do. I hope she likes it. Are you sure you’re okay watching the shop for me?” Caitlyn asked.

“I’m fine. Stay and have a nice chat with her. She could probably use a friend right now.” Susan knew how close Megan was to Tom and his family. She couldn’t imagine what Tom Jenkins was thinking right now. Susan couldn’t imagine how she would feel if she thought one of her children might be arrested for murder.

“I was thinking that too.” Caitlyn grabbed her purse from a drawer and pulled out her keys. “Okay, I’ll see you when I get back.”

***

Megan finished mixing the Blonde Brownies and poured the mix into a thirteen by nine inch pan. Baking was something that tended to soothe her whenever she was upset. That certainly described her mood now. She doubted that the brownies would be enough to do the trick. She had hoped that she would actually be able to learn something that could help Marcy.

She put the pan into the oven and cleaned up the mess that she’d made mixing them together. Once she had that done, she went over to the kitchen table where she’d set her laptop computer. She turned it on and sat down to look at it.

She had learned so many things from the people she’d spoken to that she had begun to write it all down. She pulled the file up and began reading through her notes. She knew that Marcy had been upset about Jack Kensington’s interest in another woman. Megan wondered if Marcy knew that the list of Jack’s interests included Ginny.

Marcy saw Jack kissing Kellie Hennessy, a young woman that planned to compete in the upcoming blues competition. From all accounts, she was a talented singer. Megan opened a web browser and searched for her name. In addition to finding references about Kellie’s death, she also found mentions of her performances and several photos of her. She was a very pretty woman.

Megan pulled up one article talking about Kellie’s death. It said that she’d recently been offered a recording deal. Megan shook her head. How sad.

She looked back at her notes. She wondered what had made Kellie go to the park on the afternoon of her death. She wasn’t local to Teaberry. There had to be some compelling reason for her to be there. It’s possible no one will ever know at this point.

The timer went off for the brownies, interrupting Megan’s thoughts. After taking them from the oven, she returned to her computer and contemplated what else she might be able to try. One thing Megan hadn’t had a chance to do was speak with the people from the promotion company. She was pulling the TriRiver Promotional Events web site up on her computer when the doorbell rang.

She found Caitlyn holding a beautiful flower arrangement.

“For you,” Caitlyn said as she handed Megan the flowers.

“Me? What for?” Megan asked.

Caitlyn shrugged as she followed Megan back to the kitchen. “Only your husband knows. Hey, do I smell brownies?”

Megan laughed as she set down the arrangement. “Yes, you do. They’re Blonde Brownies, I was hoping they’d make me feel better. They’re still hot, but I’ll get some coffee if you get the plates and forks.”

“You aren’t having any luck with your puzzle?” Caitlyn asked as she cut two pieces of the brownie and brought them to the table.

Megan set a cup of coffee in front of Caitlyn and took the chair across from her.

Caitlyn forked a piece of brownie and blew on it. “Hey, I recognize that woman.” Caitlyn pointed to the photo on Megan’s computer with her fork.

“You do? From where?” Megan asked as she cut her brownie into pieces to cool off.

“Hmm, let me think. She was in front of my shop the morning it was drizzling. When was that? Wednesday?”

“She was buying flowers?” Megan asked.

“No, she was in my way out front. I had to make some deliveries and I was loading up my van in the rain.  I went flying out trying not to get anything too wet and ran right into her. I almost knocked her down.” Caitlyn took the bite of her brownie and looked back at the computer.

“Did she say anything?” Megan asked.

“No, now that you mention it. Actually, the whole thing was kind of odd,” Caitlyn said.

Megan forgot about her brownie. “Why’s that?”

“She looked like she worked for the police department at first. You know, all blue. Even her hat threw me for a minute.” Caitlyn finished her brownie and looked up at Megan. “What?”

“Tell me about the hat,” Megan said.

“It was one letter off. You know, instead of TPD it said PTD. I thought it was pretty funny.” Caitlyn watched Megan reach for her phone. “Who are you calling?”

Megan held up a finger and waited until Jerry answered his phone. Then she explained to him about Caitlyn seeing Hannah Maxwell in a look-alike Marcy outfit complete with a ball cap, no doubt designed to hide her hair and mask her face.

Caitlyn heard Jerry’s excited voice on the other end of the call but couldn’t make it out. “What did he say?” she asked when Megan disconnected.

“He’s going to pull more videos from the city CCTV system for the same times there were Marcy sightings to see if he can find anything that helps confirm who it really was.” Megan stood up.

Caitlyn rose and picked up the empty plates and brought them to the sink. “You’re going to go tell Marcy and Tom?”

Megan let out a sigh of relief. “Yes.”

***

When the doorbell rang at the Jenkins house, Ethan looked over at his mom with large eyes. The three of them had been sitting in the living room, not talking much. Ethan had tried to say something to break the silence several times. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get his brain to think of anything except that the police could arrive any minute to take his mom away. Maybe forever.

No one in the room moved for several moments. Finally, Tom rose slowly from his seat.

Ethan had never seen him look so old. He glanced over at his mom then rose and followed his grandfather to the door. They were both surprised to find Megan on the other side.

“Megan?” Tom asked in confusion. He had steeled himself for something else.

Megan smiled. “Mind if I come in? I have some news.”

Megan sat down with the three of them and explained that someone may have been masquerading as Marcy to throw off the police. But they were working now to track the woman down.

“Why would she do that?” Ethan asked.

Megan shrugged. “It’s possible that she wanted to cause the police to focus their investigation on your mom.”

“But that means it was definitely premeditated if she had been doing that before the young woman was even killed,” Tom pointed out.

“You think that other woman is the murderer?” Ethan asked. “Why would she kill the blues singer?”

Megan shared a look with Marcy. “It sounds like the man she worked with played with women’s hearts a lot.”

Ethan looked at his mom before turning back to Megan. “You mean, he was dating all of them at once.”

“Something like that,” Megan agreed.

“I would believe it,” Marcy muttered. “I’m telling you. I’m done with men. Two strikes and I’m out.”

Megan thought about Casey Adams and wondered where that left him, but she realized it was none of her business.

“Now, Marcy,” Tom said. “They aren’t all bad.”

Marcy huffed out a laugh. “I know that, I do. I realize that it’s just me and that I can’t be trusted to try again. I thought that two men actually loved me and then look what happened. This one got me at the top of the suspect list for a murder. The first one chased after every woman he saw then took off in his beat up old car seven years ago and I never heard from him again.”

Megan threw a surprised look at Tom, then turned to Marcy. “He took off in an old car? What kind?”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Erica ended the call on her phone and leaned back into the pillows. It was only one of the many cold cases that she had been working on, but at least there was now a resolution for the family. Erica just wished the outcome had been a happy one. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

The phone in her hand buzzed. Seeing Megan’s name, she quickly replied. Megan appeared in her living room a moment later.

“I hear Jerry’s pretty happy with you right now,” Erica said.

“I was glad I could help.” Megan thought about the look of relief on Tom and Ethan’s faces. She hoped they would all be able to recover from the stress of the ordeal quickly and move on.

“He told me about his interview with Jack Kensington,” Erica said as she massaged her side.

“What did he have to say for himself?” Megan asked.

“Casey was right after all. Kensington was the one who planted the scarf in Kellie Hennessy’s apartment.”

That was not something Megan would have expected.

“Really?” She thought about the man’s treatment of the women in his life. “Don’t tell me he actually tried to protect Hannah Maxwell?”

Erica nodded. “He claims he did.”

Megan shook her head in disbelief. “At the expense of Marcy.”

“Apparently the man figured out that Hannah had been the one to kill Kellie and why. He’d had an on-going relationship with Hannah for years.”

“And he suddenly decided that she was the love of his life?” Megan asked.

Erica shrugged. “I’m not going to pretend to understand the motives for either one of them.”

“Jerry is certain though, right? He knows that Marcy didn’t do it?” Megan hoped that information would be spread around town as quickly as her impending arrest had been.

“Oh, yes. He knows that Hannah was lying about the time she’d submitted that permit request that she kept complaining about. He has video proof that it was her wearing a uniform similar to Marcy’s. The cameras inside the gas station showed her face as she used the restroom. The cameras inside the Station Pub & Grill showed Marcy losing her scarf and Kensington picking it up.”

“I guess no one ever thinks about the cameras watching us all the time,” Megan murmured.

“There’s too much evidence. She confessed everything. She was jealous that Jack was seeing Marcy but knew that he was really after Kellie because her career was taking off. She figured she’d get rid of both women by framing Marcy.”

“Tom and Ethan really can relax.” Megan had already told them that, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it. She knew that both Ethan and Tom had had their world rocked by the whole ordeal.

“Thanks to her confession, we also know that it was Hannah dressed as Marcy that witnesses saw at the park. We can only guess that Kellie was out there to check out the venue for the competition. We do know that she was in Teaberry to have dinner with Kensington. At any rate, Hannah followed her. That hadn’t been caught on camera and neither had Marcy going to the cemetery to visit her mother’s grave. There aren’t any cameras there. I guess Marcy went to the cemetery because she wanted to talk to someone about her poor choice in men,” Erica said.

Megan thought again of the handsome veterinarian.

“Speaking of Marcy’s ex-husband, what did you learn about the cold case?” Megan had explained her theory about Marcy’s ex-husband, his old car, his wandering eye, and the possible connection to one of the cold cases Erica had been investigating.

“It looks like you were right,” Erica said. “I had it checked out. From what we know so far, it all matches up. I just spoke with the family of the runaway girl. They’re going to compare using dental records with the bodies found in the burned car. I’ll let Marcy know as soon as I get word.”

“I hate to say it, but it may be a relief for Marcy,” Megan said.

“It sounds like her husband wasn’t much better than my brother.” Erica looked up at her friend and sister-in-law. “I’m sorry.”

Megan looked at her in surprise. “For what?”

“My parents. That last time you were here.”

Megan grimaced. “There’s nothing either of us can do to change their minds about me.”

“I don’t understand their attitude. They had to know what he was like.” Erica made a face of discomfort and quickly brought her hand back up to her side.

“Maybe they’ll start to heal when your babies are born,” Megan said as she watched Erica rub her side again. “It will give them a chance to make new, happy memories.”

***

Megan leaned over and stole a rib from Dan’s paper tray.

Dan watched her reaction. “What do you think?”

“It is good. But I think I like this one better,” Megan said as she pointed at her own tray.

Dan reached over and took a rib from hers. He nodded after taking a bite then looked past her shoulder at the next aisle of vendors competing to win the “Best BBQ” designation.

“We only have about a hundred more samples to try,” he said with a grin.

“I’m game if you are,” Megan grinned back.

“Maybe we should go get a craft beer first,” Dan said as he threw the paper tray with bare bones into the nearest trash can.

“Our thoughts exactly,” a voice said behind him.

Dan turned around to greet Matthias and Barbara Reynolds. “What do you think of the Blues, Brew and BBQ event, Matthias?”

“I am definitely a fan,” Matthias said as he patted his stomach.

“He’s already tried all the samples in this aisle,” Barbara added, pointing to the first row.

“So have we, but now we’re dying of thirst,” Megan said. “Are you ready to sample some craft beers?”

“Definitely.” Matthias gestured to Megan and Dan with his hand that they should lead the way. Then he leaned into his wife as they followed the younger couple and said to her, “We wouldn’t want anyone to think the mayor’s husband didn’t do his fair share of trying all the samples at the competition.”

Megan’s Recipes

Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Brown the ground beef. Drain excess grease. If cooking on the stove, combine all ingredients and simmer for about thirty minutes, stirring often. If using a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for three to four hours.

Blonde Brownies

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cups shortening

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup (8 ounces) chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Mix baking soda, baking powder and flour and set aside. Beat sugar with shortening. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Spread into a 13 by 9 inch pan sprayed with oil. Sprinkle with chips and nuts (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Books by R. A. Wallace

If you enjoy a book, please consider leaving a review.

R. A. Wallace is the author of two cozy mystery series:

Indigo Investigations Cozy Mystery Series

Callie Indigo is struggling to make ends meet with her private detective agency, Indigo Investigations, while juggling the complexities of an extended family and life in general. When she isn’t working a legitimate case, she’s often talked into helping out friends and family. Just when she’s wondering if she’ll ever turn a profit, her life becomes even more complicated with the appearance of Greyson Divine who has the uncanny ability to appear just as Callie is solving a case. Callie has to admit, however, that sometimes Greyson Divine may actually be helpful. This cozy mystery offers a clean read with a female sleuth, friends, and family.

Teaberry Farm Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery Series

Megan is the main character in the series but interacts with a wide range of other characters in the fictional town of Teaberry. A difficult first marriage ended in the accidental death of her husband. She supports herself with her bed and breakfast, produce from her farm, and her tech skills as a web developer. Over time, she discovers that the love of her life was in front of her all along. Main characters in the series are multigenerational.