I shrieked, my fingers slipping painfully from their grip on the rock. My feet were next, one, then the other. I was falling. “Help!” I cried. “Help!”
“I’ve got you,” Ian shouted. The rope jerked and I was dangling, having only fallen a couple of feet.
“Put your feet flat on the wall,” Madison yelled. “Sit back in the harness.”
Shaking all over, I managed to follow her instructions. Had I really seen Hailey Piper lying dead on the rocks? The sick heaving of my belly said yes.
Next Madison instructed me how to walk backward down the cliff as she gradually let out the rope. Under other circumstances I might even have enjoyed it, found it fun. But right now I felt as if I were watching myself from a distance. My real self was contracted and cold, shivering in a ball inside a shell that somehow managed to move.
Finally I reached the bottom, jumping the last few feet to land with a thump and a sigh. “What happened?” Ian asked. “You were doing so well up to that point.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “I saw Hailey Piper up there. She’s lying on a ledge.”
A crease appeared between Madison’s slender brows. “Doing what? Sleeping?”
I shook my head violently, my teeth beginning to chatter. Why was the ocean breeze so cold? “No, she’s dead. She must have fallen.” An image of the young woman slipping off the cliff flashed through my mind.
“What?” Ian’s voice was a bark. He leaned his head back and studied the rock face. “Show me where.”
I pointed out the spot best as I could remember. From the ground, the top of the ledge wasn’t visible. It looked like an outcropping.
Ian studied the terrain. “It’s strange that I didn’t see her. Or you, Madison. But we climbed over to the left, didn’t we? And it wasn’t quite light yet.”
“That must be it,” Madison stared at the cliff, frowning. “But I was focused on the climb, not looking around at the scenery.”
“Theo taking a picture of me caught my attention,” I said. “Or I might not have noticed.” If I hadn’t, how long would she have lain there without help?
“Come on, let’s go,” Ian said, bending to unlace his shoes. “It will be faster from the top. We’ll leave the equipment up in case I need to climb down to reach her.”
Galvanized into action, I helped them pick up and stow everything except the rope, which was dangling loose against the wall. Then the three of us charged up the path.
At the top, the anchor Ian had set earlier provided direction in finding Hailey. We trotted along the path a short distance and easily found the spot where she must have gone in. A series of blocky rocks and ledges made obvious lookout points. We made our way down the ledges, to a drop-off edged with stunted bushes and trees.
“There she is,” I said. She hadn’t moved. Which probably meant …
Ian studied the terrain. “I can free climb this. Call nine-one-one, okay?”
I grabbed his arm. “Use the rope. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “See those big rocks? They’re more like stairs than a sheer cliff face.”
Madison already had her phone out and was calling 911 to report a climbing accident. Without wavering, I watched Ian descend, as if my gaze could protect him. When he reached the floor of the ledge, I let out a huge sigh and collapsed onto a rock.
As he made his way to Hailey’s side, a tiny red backpack next to a dwarfed pine caught my eye. Hailey’s? Whoever it belonged to, it was tipped over, the contents strewn around on the pine needles. A candy wrapper danced in the wind, and without thinking I picked it up. One of Patrick’s seaweed bars. I put a rock on top of it to hold it, figuring the police would want to reconstruct the accident.
Had Hailey fallen while trying to free climb? Or had she slipped from the top? I moved back a few steps with a shudder, imagining how a foot could slip on the pine needles.
My rear foot landed on something that moved backward, startling me even more in my fragile state. When I turned to look, I saw it was a cell phone. When I picked it up, it flashed on.
A text from Theo was on the screen. See you soon. Dated an hour ago.
“The police and an ambulance are on their way,” Madison said. Her gaze landed on the phone I held. “What do you have there?”
“Hailey’s phone, I think.” Holding it gingerly by the edges, I set it next to the red pack. “And I think all this stuff belongs to her.”
Madison frowned. “Why is everything all over the place? Did an animal get into her bag?” She glanced around the ground as well as up at the sky. Seagulls were pretty bold, and they’d been known to actually rip open a sealed bag of chips.
Ian whistled to get our attention. But when he had it, all he gave us was a headshake. No need to say more. My knees began to shake. “Oh, Madison.” She gathered me into an embrace. I didn’t know Hailey, but I was stricken by her tragic death. All that promise, gone in a moment.
The huffing of breath announced Ian’s arrival. Madison released me and I hugged him, leaning into his warm strength. “How awful,” I whispered. As I inhaled his distinctive Ian scent, I was grateful he hadn’t fallen too. Why did anyone free climb? It was so risky.
He pushed back my hair and gazed down into my face, frown lines etching his tanned forehead. “I hate to say this, but it might not have been an accident.”
I pulled back. “What do you mean?”
Ian plucked at my windbreaker sleeve. “She’s holding a piece of nylon cloth in her hand. As if it ripped off someone’s clothing when she fell.” Madison gasped, a short, sharp sound of dismay.
A chill ran through me. “You mean she was pushed?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Hard to say for sure. But if she did slip and fall, and someone else was here, where are they now?”
Good question. I hadn’t seen or heard anyone else while climbing. Except Theo, perched in another spot on the cliffs. When I saw him, that is. Had he witnessed Hailey’s fall?
An uneasy silence fell over the three of us, while out in the bay, a boat engine rumbled, and above, squawking seagulls rode the air currents. The same wind that continued to ruffle poor Hailey’s hair.
Madison’s phone rang, a discordant jangle. “Anton,” she told us. Blueberry Cove’s chief of police. When she answered, he spoke loud enough that we could hear, asking directions to our spot. “I’ll come meet you,” she said. To us, she said, “I’ll be right back.” Still holding the phone, she hurried off.
Rustling sounded in the nearby bushes, followed by the thump of footsteps. Acting on instinct, I moved closer to Ian. Was it Hailey’s companion, come back to the scene of the crime? Or misadventure?
The foliage parted and Lukas de Wilde emerged from the bushes. He wore a blue windbreaker and a pair of khaki nylon shorts, hiking sneakers on his feet. A blue windbreaker. I studied his garment for signs of damage, but it looked intact. “Farming the Sea” was embroidered in script on the chest.
“Hi, guys,” he said. In any other circumstances, the colloquialism would have been charming in his accented English. “What is happening?”
I swallowed, not wanting to be the one to break the news. He looked so relaxed and peaceful, exactly like someone out for a carefree morning hike along the shore.
Ian crossed his arms, his gaze examining every inch of the other man’s face. Last night it seemed that he and Lukas got along, were on their way to becoming friends, even. But today Ian was dead serious. “Did you see Hailey Piper this morning? Your teaching assistant?”
Lukas shook his head, confusion creasing his face. “Not since last night. Why?”
Ian winced. “I hate to break this to you, but she’s met with an … accident.” Ian pointed to where Hailey lay. “She didn’t make it. And the police are on their way.”
“I’m so sorry,” I added.
With a cry, Lukas lunged forward, disbelief and horror warring on his features. At the edge of the cliff, he came to a halt, every muscle straining, eyes fixed on the young woman’s body below. He rubbed a trembling hand over his face. “Oh, no. This is awful. What are we—” With a shudder, he turned away. “What happened? Did you see her fall?”
“No,” I said. “I was climbing the cliff when I looked over and saw her. We’re not sure how long she’s been lying there.”
Comprehension dawned on Lukas’s face. “That’s why you asked me if I saw her. To figure out the timing. I wish I could help you.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah, I thought you might be able to fill in some blanks. Like maybe you saw her talking to someone else.”
Lukas’s eyes narrowed at Ian’s last comment, but he didn’t question it. “As I said, I didn’t see her today.” He glanced at his watch. “I got up about forty-five minutes ago and decided to take a walk. I haven’t seen any of the others yet.”
“You mean Ruben or Theo?” I asked to clarify.
“That’s right. Eleanor said breakfast starts at eight, so I thought I had time for a nice stroll along the cliffs.” His grimace was rueful.
Voices drifted from the direction of the main trail. I recognized Anton’s deep, rumbling tones, joined by Madison’s higher-pitched voice. “Oh good, the police are here,” I said, my shoulders sagging in relief. We could hand over responsibility for Hailey’s death to their competent hands.
Two officers and two EMTs toting a stretcher accompanied Madison down the path. Besides Anton, the other officer was Rhonda Davis, a young mother about my age. She was married to a lobsterman, a good friend of Jake’s. Which reminded me, I really needed to check in on Sophie this morning and find out how she was doing. But right now everything beyond this clearing on the cliffs seemed fuzzy and far away.
Anton’s intense gaze flitted from face to face, taking us all in. He gave Ian and me tiny nods of acknowledgment before pulling out his badge for Lucas to see. “I’m Chief Ball and this is Officer Davis. You are?”
“Lukas de Wilde.” Lukas ran a hand through his hair. “I am, er, was Miss Piper’s supervisor.” He pointed to the wording on his windbreaker. “She was working with me on the Farming the Sea project.”
“Oh yeah,” Anton said. “I heard about that.” He glanced around. “Where is Miss Piper?”
Ian showed the officers and the EMTs where the stricken woman lay. Then Ian led the foursome as they picked their way down to the ledge. The three who remained above stood in silence for a long moment. Then Lukas spotted the red pack and started toward it. “Don’t touch,” I said. “I think it might be Hailey’s.”
Lukas stopped short. “Oh yes, it does look familiar.”
I studied him closely, wondering if he really had forgotten. The memory of the heated discussion between Lukas and his assistant at the Lobster Grille flashed into my mind. His grief seemed genuine but that didn’t mean the pair didn’t have conflicts. But that begged the question of why he wanted to look at her pack. If he’d known it was hers, that is.
He moved a little closer to the edge, studying the cliff’s terrain. “What do you think happened? Hailey was an expert climber.”
I glanced at Madison, who said, “I guess that’s up to the police to figure out.”
“How did you happen to choose Hailey as a teaching assistant?” I asked, taking the opportunity to learn more about the young woman’s background. “I understand she grew up around here somewhere.”
“She did.” Lukas cupped an elbow with a hand, resting the other on his chin. “Hailey and Theo were both exchange students in Belgium last semester. When Hailey applied for the position, her knowledge of Maine’s ecology was a strong point in her favor.” Regret and sorrow shone in his eyes. “What a tragedy. She had a bright future ahead of her.”
Before I could probe further, Anton huffed his way back up the cliff. Although he was in great shape, his heavy uniform, duty belt, and boots made hiking difficult.
After he caught his breath, he said, “We need to do a technical recovery. Which means ropes and so forth.”
“I can help,” Lukas said. “I’ve been on rescue teams in the Alps.” He gestured. “Ropes and pulleys and all that.”
Anton shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, Dr. de Wilde.” His firm tone discouraged any argument. “But as Miss Piper’s supervisor, I’m going to need a statement from you ASAP.” He turned to Madison and me. “And both of you as well. A team is meeting me at Shorehaven, so let’s talk there.”
Eleanor was setting a table on the pool terrace when we pulled up, Anton’s unmarked vehicle in the lead, followed by Madison’s Mini and me in Beverly. Today Eleanor wore a pair of white clamdiggers topped with a striped blue-and-white seersucker blouse—classic coastal wear. Squinting at us, she paused, clutching a handful of spoons, and watched as we parked beside Craig’s sedan, got out and slammed the car doors in unison, and strolled through the gate. Lukas had ridden with Anton, in the cruiser. Ian was still with the recovery team at the cliffs.
When Eleanor’s gaze focused on Anton, she dropped the spoons with a clatter. “I’ve been paying my lodging tax,” she said. Her hands fluttered. “If you give me a minute, I’ll get my checkbook and prove it.”
He settled his hat more firmly on his head. “I’m not here about that, ma’am.” He hesitated, then said in a gentle voice, “I understand Hailey Piper was staying with you?”
One fluttering hand went to Eleanor’s mouth. “Hailey? Yes, she—” Then her eyes widened. “What do you mean, was?” Shock washed over her face.
“I’m sorry, Miss Brady,” Anton said, pulling out a chair and helping her to sit. “But Miss Piper has met with an accident.”
“An accident?” Eleanor began to wring her hands. “But she was fine a few hours ago.… I saw her leave the house.”
“What time was that?” Anton’s tone sharpened. He pulled out a tablet, ready to take notes, and sat at the table. At his gesture, the three of us also took seats.
“Sometime before dawn. Around four thirty, maybe?” She grimaced. “I’m up several times a night. I happened to look outside and I saw her going toward the shore path.” She waved in the general direction of the shore. “I installed motion detector lighting in the gardens for the safety of my guests.”
That impressed Anton, I could tell. “Did you see anyone else out there?” His face drooped in disappointment when she shook her head.
“No, I got back into bed and tried to sleep.” Eleanor leaned forward, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Please tell me, what happened?”
Anton regarded her with compassion. “She fell,” he said, his tone gentle again, “while climbing at the state park.”
“Oh no,” Eleanor cried. “That sweet girl.” She burst into tears. “She was an orphan, you know. All alone in the world.”
My heart ached at seeing Eleanor’s distress. And poor Hailey. I pushed back in my chair. “I’ll go make some tea.” Wasn’t tea with sugar good for shock?
Madison decided to go with me while Anton continued to question Eleanor and Lukas about Hailey’s movements. Inside the door to the sitting room, Madison tugged at my arm to stop me, putting a finger to her lips. She tilted her chin toward the open pocket doors to our left.
Eleanor’s nephew Craig, Dr. Ruben Janssen, and Patrick Chance, seaweed farmer with man bun, were seated around a table, cups of coffee in hand and papers scattered in front of them. “If I can free up some cash, I’ll definitely be interested,” Craig said. He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Ruben. “But I do have a question.”
While the trio was preoccupied, we quickly and quietly slipped past the open doors. Once out in the entrance hall, I released my held breath. “Whew. I really didn’t want to talk to Craig.”
“He is an ass, isn’t he?” Madison said, her voice a whisper. “Which way to the kitchen?”
“Probably off the dining room.” After a couple of false starts, we found the dining room at the end of the hall, adjacent to the formal living room. The pocket doors at that end were closed, so the men didn’t see us slipping through the swinging door into the kitchen.
The old-fashioned kitchen was cavernous, painted pale green, and had tall windows overlooking an enclosed garden. The smell of something on the edge of burning leaked from the massive six-burner range. I grabbed a potholder and opened the oven door, then pulled out what looked like a breakfast casserole and set it on the stovetop. The cheesy eggs were studded with tomatoes, mushrooms, and green peppers.
“Yum, that looks good,” Madison said, her belly giving an audible rumble. “We never got to have breakfast.” We had planned to eat after finishing the climb, a cold meal of yogurt parfaits and muffins. “Maybe Eleanor will take pity on us.”
“Hopefully.” I eyed a pan of gently sizzling sausages with longing as I picked up a huge kettle. I carried it to the sink and filled it while Madison turned off the heat under the sausages and moved them to a platter, then found foil and covered the food to keep it warm.
After the water boiled, I made a pot of tea and Madison put mugs, milk, and sugar on a tray. “We make a good team,” I said, picking up the tray.
“We sure do,” she agreed, pushing open the kitchen door for me.
As we entered the hallway, Theo came thumping down the stairs. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Several police cruisers just pulled up.”
My instinct was to blurt the bad news but I choked back the words. Let Anton handle it. “I’m not sure,” I hedged. But why were more cruisers arriving? I glanced at Madison, who appeared equally mystified. “We’re taking tea out to Eleanor. She’s on the terrace.”
He decided to tag along, so I took advantage of the opportunity to ask him a question. “I saw you taking pictures up on the cliffs earlier,” I said. “Did you get one of me, rock climbing?” Had he seen Hailey up there, maybe with someone? I was dying to know but didn’t dare ask directly.
“Oh yeah, maybe,” he said, glancing at my periwinkle shorts. “Your outfit looks familiar. I’ll check and see if I got a good one.”
Before this happened, I might have liked a memento of my one and only climbing adventure. Now I never wanted to think of it again.
Out on the terrace, Anton was talking to the new arrivals, a flock of men and women in blue. My heart thumped and my last hope faded when I noticed Detective Dennis Varney from the Maine State Police among them. If the state police were involved, that meant Hailey’s death was considered suspicious. As in murder.
Spooked at this further confirmation of our worst fears, my hands shook when I set the tray on the table, making the dishes rattle. Eleanor glanced up at me with frightened eyes. Her fingers on my wrist felt like ice. “Hailey didn’t just fall, did she, Iris?” she whispered.
Not trusting myself to speak, I shook my head. Lukas, sitting beside Eleanor, groaned softly and muttered under his breath. He pulled out his phone and began to tap at the screen. Notifying people about the situation, maybe? I didn’t envy his situation. Beyond the tragedy of losing a young student, what would happen to his project now?
Theo, avidly watching the activity, pulled out a chair across from the professor, next to Madison. “What do you mean, Hailey fell? Is she okay?” His glance around the table was frantic as he looked to us for answers.
“No, she isn’t,” I said, since the truth was out now. “And I’m so sorry to tell you that.” To forestall the questions brimming on his lips, I added, “The police will fill you in.” While cross-examining you thoroughly, I hope. But I didn’t say that part. Now that it was all but certain someone had sent Hailey to her death, I knew I couldn’t trust Theo. After all, I’d seen him myself just moments before spotting Hailey’s body.
Theo’s face went pale. “Oh no. How awful. Poor Hailey.” He slumped down in his seat, a hand to his face.
The group of officers dispersed and headed into the house, except for Anton and Detective Varney. The team was going to search for evidence under a search warrant, I guessed. Moving on autopilot, I poured Eleanor a mug of tea and added milk and sugar, whether she wanted them or not. As I set the mug in front of her, Anton and Detective Varney started walking toward us.
“Hold on!” a man shouted. One arm waving, Craig Brady crossed the terrace as fast as his short legs could carry him. Ruben watched from the doorway, Patrick hovering behind him like a shadow.
Anton and Detective Varney waited politely for Craig to reach them, although I could sense Anton’s impatience in his stance. But his tone was perfectly polite when he asked, “How can we help you?”
Craig jabbed his finger at the house. “By telling me what’s going on in my house.”
Eleanor rose to her feet. “You mean, my house, don’t you? They are here with a search warrant, and needless to say, I am cooperating fully.”
“A search warrant for what?” Craig’s bulldog face turned a nasty dark red. I was afraid he was going to have a heart attack right on the spot.
An officer opened a French door, one down from where Patrick and Ruben were standing. “Chief. I’ve got something,” he called.
“Excuse us,” Anton said. He and Detective Varney shouldered the obstructive Craig aside and hastened to join the officer.
They conferred inside the sitting room for a moment, and then Anton strode back across the terrace. We all watched him approach, Madison and I with interest, the others with frank trepidation. Eleanor took my hand again.
“Dr. Lukas de Wilde.” Anton dipped his head in a brusque nod. “Will you please join us?” Despite the courteous words, it wasn’t a request.