Chapter 47

  

The next morning, Penelope woke with a slight headache, but overall felt renewed after a long night’s sleep. She got herself ready for work, the hot shower reviving her further. Joey returned from his trip to Indianapolis right before lunchtime. She’d called him the night before, and he wanted to come back right away, but she insisted she was fine and really wanted him to find out what he could from his contact there.

“I have to go to the sheriff’s office again,” Penelope said.

“I’m driving you,” Joey insisted.

“Not going to argue with you about that,” Penelope agreed.

They made their way into town and took the seats opposite Sheriff Bryson’s desk.

“How are you feeling?” he asked after they were settled.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Penelope said.

Sheriff Bryson sighed and shook his head. “You helped solve the murder of Jordan Foster. Megan and Ava should never have tried to get away with it again.”

“Did they confess?” Penelope asked.

“Oh, yes,” the sheriff said. “Right away. The investment scheme you uncovered is collapsing like a house of cards the more people we talk to. The Quincy team has a forensic accountant. She’s going to be very busy uncovering the money trail.”

“And the losses,” Penelope said, shaking her head. She thought about Megan’s newly renovated house and all the updates to Festa and the inn, most of which were apparently paid for under false pretenses.

“Jordan found out,” the sheriff said, sighing. “Long after I’m thinking he should have. But he always left everything up to those two. He didn’t involve himself in the inner workings of the business, let Ava make all the deals and sign all the papers. As far as he knew, he was making enough money to pay for everything.”

“And then he found out from Denis,” Penelope said.

“Yes, he let it slip at the bar one night, congratulating Jordan on all his success and implying he couldn’t wait to get his share.”

“What about Jacob and Shirley Pears, the mortgage at the diner?”

“From what we found, the Pearses signed an interest-only loan, thinking they would eventually own the property, but in reality it was still owned by Ava. She created a lease, which they signed, and would be paying for eternity for something they would never own.”

“They didn’t have a lawyer review the sale?” Joey asked.

“Nope,” the sheriff said. “It was for sale by owner, a neighborly transfer, no lawyers or agents involved. Ava knew how to pick her marks.”

“How did she decide who to ask for investments?” Penelope asked.

“Not sure,” the sheriff said. “They all seem to have a personal connection to tragedy, or she simply chose people she thought wouldn’t ask too many questions.”

“So Jordan confronts Ava, who lets Megan know Jordan will be coming home with financial questions about the house…” Joey began.

“And they bump him off, make it look like a stress-induced suicide,” Penelope said. An overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over her and she took Joey’s hand. “The ironic thing,” Penelope continued, “is they were starting to do well. Once Ava got started, the money and debt just snowballed. The people at the bottom of the pyramid, the early investors...she had to keep finding new investors to cover their returns. Eventually the whole scheme just collapses.”

“But who vandalized the restaurant?” Joey asked. “Wasn’t it the kids?”

Penelope shook her head.

“That was Ava,” Sheriff Bryson said, “trying to throw us off track, make us think Bailey was behind everything. She admitted to planting Jordan’s boots at his campsite, figuring that would be enough to get him arrested. Megan strangled her husband on the kitchen floor then loaded him into the car, too rattled to remember he didn’t have his work boots on. Then Ava met her and helped her hang him in the walk-in,” the sheriff said.

“So Ava went back for the boots, but you had already shown up at the inn by then, so she opted to take them to the campsite?” Penelope asked.

Sheriff Bryson nodded. “Bailey is an easy target. She was trying to throw all the suspicion on him.”

“It worked,” Penelope said. “She had me fooled.”

“She’s had a lot of us fooled, for a long time,” the sheriff said.

“Can I ask what you found in the woods?” Penelope asked.

Sheriff Bryson’s expression became pained. “We found the remains of at least two bodies. The forensic team is still there, with a backup one from Indianapolis, conducting a more advanced search.”

“Do you think it’s the missing kids? The Forrestville Five?” Penelope asked.

“I sure hope it’s not, but I’m thinking it may be,” Sheriff Bryson said.

“I was in Indianapolis, at Penny’s request,” Joey said, squeezing her hand, “looking into the case, the missing files, and the Helmsley connection. My contact said they’ve had Kevin Helmsley in a cell with a snitch, and he’s been talking. You might be getting some company here, maybe federal help soon.”

Sheriff Bryson’s expression remained calm, but Penelope could see he was pleased at the news. “Is that right?”

Officer Collins emerged from her office and stood in the doorway, her expression hopeful.

Joey turned in his seat to face her. “From what I understand from my contact, Helmsley the younger is a psycho. And his father was in a position to cover for him and destroy other evidence. Who knows, if he hadn’t had that heart attack, more kids might have disappeared.”

“But where does that put Bailey?” Penelope asked.

“He swears to me he had no part in it, that Helmsley was crazy, leading them around. Bailey swears he never hurt anyone,” the sheriff said.

“I hope you’re right,” Penelope said. “You’ll be sure he has a good lawyer, I hope. You know the authorities will have lots of questions for him.”

“The guys said the third kid is going to testify, cut himself a deal for his testimony, which should help,” Joey said.

Officer Collins pressed her fingers to her lips and stared at Sheriff Bryson.

“We’re finally going to have the answer to this awfulness, God willing,” the sheriff said.