Chapter Seventeen

After learning the call came from the detective, David insisted on driving me to the police station. Then he tried to argue that he should stay for “moral support.” I assured him I was perfectly capable and after a little more resistance, he reluctantly agreed to leave. With a sigh of relief, I watched him return to his car, hesitating a little too long before driving away. David's heart might have been in a good place but his tendency to be overbearing and boorish was effortless. Clearly, Brad inherited all the charm genes and none of the niceness, which was reversed for David.

“Was that David Van den Berg?”

I jumped, placing a hand to my suddenly rapidly beating heart as I spun around. “Detective! You startled me!”

“Sorry.”

“I didn't hear you coming.”

“And I always feel like I lumber along like an elephant. I didn't mean to surprise you.”

“You? An elephant? Oh, hardly.” I laughed. Sam was tall and strong, but definitely nothing that even remotely resembled a lumbering elephant. His biceps strained under his short-sleeved t-shirt and his broad shoulders indicated he clearly worked out but he wasn't as muscular as Lou Ferrigno. He always seemed self-assured and fully in control of whatever situation he found himself in. And stealth? It oozed from his pores. I once heard he was in the military although he never discussed it, at least not with me. I could easily see him in that role. “I was miles away and not paying any attention. Were you waiting for me?”

“I was. I had to run out and get something from my car when I saw you standing here.”

“Ah. Well, to answer your question, yes, that was David. I was with him at the hotel when you called and he insisted on driving me here. He wanted to stay too but I demanded he leave.” I waited for his reply but I already had my answer just from seeing Sam's demeanor. He didn't seem in any hurry to cuff me. If Detective Logan wanted to arrest me, I was fairly sure he’d simply do it. “It sounded urgent. I was hoping there might be a breaking development?”

“I'm not sure yet. Come inside and I'll show you what I found. I hoped you might be able to shed some light on it.”

“If I can, I certainly will,” I answered proudly.

“Follow me.” Sam led me past the front desk down a corridor to a small office. His jacket hung over the back of his chair and a computer and paperwork took up most of the desk. I noted a half-drunk mug of coffee and a small pile of trail bars. As he picked a stack of files up from the chair, he cast a glance around the room, looking for somewhere to deposit them, and spotted me looking at his desk. “Sometimes I need to eat on the run,” he said.

“Not literally?” I asked, holding back a smile.

He laughed and lines appeared around his eyes. “If I'm following fugitives on the run,” he clarified. “Criminals rarely give those on the right side of the law any lunch breaks. Or even an occasional coffee break,” he added, pointing to his mug.

“Terrible etiquette,” I agreed.

“I viewed some security footage from a shop downtown,” he said as he dropped into his chair. He indicated I should take the one opposite, now free of his files. I sat, waiting for him to input his password into a seriously clunky, old computer. “We might be able to afford an upgrade in the next decade.” He tapped the side of the monitor, which emitted a whine. Producing a flashdrive from his pocket, he leaned down and inserted it in the computer tower under his desk. A minute later, he turned the monitor so I could see the screen. “Take a look at this and tell me what you see.”

“What am I watching?”

“A video.” The mouse icon moved on the screen and Sam clicked play.

“That's Main Street,” I said, instantly recognizing the tree-lined street.

“Correct.” Detective Logan sat back, watching me as I studied the screen.

A couple of cars drove past and a few pedestrians walked by and I saw him. Brad. A moment later, my assistant, Sacha, appeared on the screen and he stopped her, saying a few words. I could only see the back of her head but I knew her mannerisms and how she usually responded to people. “That's my assistant, Sacha, with Brad. She told me he came into the shop the day before, but this time, he stopped her outside and asked her about the shop hours. This footage can verify what she told me, can't it?” I asked, trying to keep my tone level. Inside, I was seething. How dare Brad arrogantly approach my assistant to pester her for information about me!

“Correct again. Keep watching.”

Sacha waved to someone out of view and said something to Brad. He ran a hand over his hair, then he pulled out his phone, checking it, and returned it to his pocket. He started walking away until something caught his attention and he stopped and said something. Sacha stepped around him and continued on her way, crossing the road and disappearing off camera. Brad watched her go, then turned away, looking towards my shop. He gestured and spoke before another man partially entered the shot, but his back was toward the camera and his face entirely obscured. A baseball cap covered his hair and his shirt was plain and indistinct.

“Is there a better angle?” I asked.

“This was all I could find.”

I watched them speaking. That is, Brad was speaking, although what he said remained a mystery to me. Finally, he threw his hands in the air and turned away, walking away from my shop. The other man stepped forward, but suddenly hesitated, clearly choosing not to follow him, and stepping out of sight of the camera.

“Sacha said Brad was arguing with someone. She couldn't hear much though.”

“Did the other man look familiar to you?”

I shook my head. “He was barely on screen and I couldn't see anything at all from that angle, especially while wearing the baseball cap. Is there any audio?”

“You sadly overestimate the capabilities of a shop security camera.”

“I was just being hopeful. I'm not sure what else I can tell you, sorry.”

“What about Brad's demeanor?”

“He was charming, at first, while talking to Sacha. All smiles and friendly chit-chat. She said he asked for information about me and the shop both of the times he spoke to her, clearly using his mojo to get it. Then, when he spoke to the man, he appeared irritated, I guess.”

“Not angry?”

“Maybe. He seemed exasperated before he walked away. He does, he did, this thing with his hands whenever he got irritated and I saw him do that just now.”

“Any ideas why?”

I rolled my eyes. “After no contact with him for almost two years, the first time I saw him was when he was dying on my doorstep. No, he didn't tell me who he planned to meet when he was here or what they talked about. We didn't have a conversation. He was too busy dying. I told you that before.”

Sam nodded, apparently content with my answer. “It was a long shot but I expected as much.”

“Maybe he didn't even know the guy,” I said, gesturing to the frozen video with Brad still on the screen. “It could have been anything! Maybe he bumped into someone further along the sidewalk and they got angry about it? Or he took a parking spot that someone else wanted?”

“That's possible, and I can't rule it out.” He relaxed in his chair, but I couldn't tell if he were contemplating me or the merits of the case.

“Please tell me this isn't your best lead,” I said.

Sam raised his eyebrows. “I can't...”

“Tell me anything. I know. You said that before.”

“How did your meeting with David Van den Berg go?”

“David? Oh! Okay, I guess. I wasn't too sure about going through with it when you called but I think it was the right thing to do. Apparently, Brad told everyone who asked that I was in a private hospital having a nervous breakdown. I guess he used the opportunity to make himself appear the loving, tolerant, husband of his mentally ill wife.”

Sam's eyebrows knitted together. “And they swallowed that?”

“According to David, yes, but he said he ultimately didn't believe it. He figured I ran away. I guess not many people cared enough to try looking for me by the time I did leave, so no one could claim he was lying. My family always protected me and wouldn't have said anything.”

Sam left the grainy image on his monitor as he leaned back in his chair. “What else did David have to say?” he asked.

“Not much. We didn't talk long. He said he'll take care of all of Brad's affairs, and will fly the body home.”

“Will you go to the funeral?”

“No! Not to snub his family, of course, but I’ve moved on from them. I refuse to look backwards or try to explain myself to anyone. David can say whatever he wants to but he probably won't talk. The family hates to look bad.”

“Thankfully, he agreed to take care of his brother's affairs.”

“Yeah, he seemed okay with it. He asked me to sign a few legal papers for the business and then, I guess that's everything. You probably already know this but David told me Brad never updated his will. Apparently, I will inherit everything.”

“I was aware of that. David told me when we spoke.”

“Oh!” I didn't realize that would be a topic of their conversation. “Well, I don't know what it involves exactly because Brad never really told me about any of his assets, but David will probably take care of that too. Our pre-nup was so basic, it was never really clear to me that I owned anything. Ultimately, it wasn’t what I thought it was.”

“You didn't get a lawyer to represent you?”

“Yes, but he was one of Brad's friends, which in hindsight...” I rolled my eyes. It was stupid of me to think his lawyer had my best interests in mind. I'd been paying for my stupidity ever since. “Anyway, I have no intention of going back to that house. I suppose I'll ask David to take whatever he wants before calling a realtor to sell it. Or I'll hire a lawyer of my own,” I said, after rethinking that on the spur of the moment. Asking David to intervene on my behalf sounded stupid too, and I realized that as soon as I voiced it. Especially after admitting my other embarrassing lawyer experience.

“How well do you know David?”

“I've known him only a few years. I wouldn't say we're friends but we've always gotten along just fine.”

“And you've had no contact with him all this time?”

“I haven't even spoken to my own family in so long. No, I haven't contacted David, and to my knowledge, he never tried to contact me either.”

“Do you trust him to act in your best interest?”

“Ah...” I pulled a face. I couldn't answer that positively.

“There's a lawyer in town called Sophie Sweet. Why don’t you give her a call?”

“Thanks.”

“What will you do with your life now?” asked Sam.

“Now that I don't have to hide anymore? I have no idea,” I said, relaxing into the chair. “But my first step is to call my mom. Then my sister. Did you know I have a pet cat?”

“No, I didn't. I'm sure they'll all be pleased to know how you're doing.”

“I hope so.” I tested the chair to see if it moved from side to side. It didn't. “I worried that my withdrawal from everyone was putting a lot of strain on my parents, but they have my sister to lean on in my absence.”

“Whom do you lean on?”

“Well, Sam,” I said, trying out his name and liking how it sounded. Even more knowing that he wasn't trying to trap me or trip me up so he could arrest me. “I guess I learned to lean on myself. I trust the decisions I make now.”

“You've got friends here.”

The thought of that warmed me and I smiled. “I know.”

“I'll walk you out,” he said, standing up and I knew I was plainly being dismissed.

“One more thing,” I said. “What happened to Brad's rental car? Was it returned to the rental agency?”

“It’s still in the police impound in Hallowell. Why?”

“I just wondered. Did Brad leave anything in it? David mentioned Brad's wallet was missing.”

“I have that in the evidence locker. We found it in the car. It'll be returned to the next of kin as soon as our investigation is complete.”

“I'm sure David will be relieved to know that.”

“Next of kin is you.”

“Oh. Yes, of course. Well, I'll pass it along whenever you say I can.”

“Can I take you anywhere? Give you a ride home?”

I thought about it for a moment. I intended to go directly home and spend the rest of the day catching up on a few work-related things in preparation for the reopening of my shop next week. I meant to call Nate to find out how the new security system was coming along too, but the video piqued my curiosity. I was sure Sam had checked already but I wanted to see exactly where Brad was standing and where the mystery man emerged from. Perhaps there was something I could find? “Thank you but I'm ready to take a walk.”

“Are you sure? I don't mind driving you.”

“I know, and I appreciate that, but I'm happy to walk.”

“You'll call me if any issues arise?”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Wait, there is one more thing. Did you find out how Brad found me? Did he hire a PI?”

“There were several payments to PIs over the last couple of years. I've yet to contact them all, but I suspect your hunch was right: a PI was following you. I'm sure I'll have more answers soon. You should know this too: Mr. Van den Berg had several enemies. He bought a couple of firms and later chopped them up, as well as some patents that he bought and shelved so they could never be used by any competitive rivals. There were also plenty of NDAs he forced his people to sign.”

“So one of those enemies could have followed him here?”

“It's possible. It's a lot to work through and I’m sure David Van den Berg can further illuminate things when I speak with him again. A couple of detectives from Hallowell are combing through all the business information while I focus on Mr. Van den Berg's movements here. The car rental agency, the hotel, personal emails and calls, the security footage from Main Street and more... It's a lot to sift through. And the knife... heads are going to roll on that one. Meredith, I’m so sorry.”

“I'm glad you're on the case,” I said, reaching out and squeezing his hand.

“It's my job.”

“No, I mean, I'm glad it's you,” I said, holding his gaze. Did he realize how grateful I was that he was still willing to dig through this murky case? Any other detective might have taken the easy option and arrested me. But not Sam.

“Are you sure about that ride?”

“I am.

“Then I'll walk you out.”

I didn't realize Detective Logan remained in the doorway of the police station until I reached the sidewalk. Stopping there, I happened to glance back. He raised his hand and I waved in return, more in acknowledgment than trying to appear cheerful. Was he watching where I was going? I glanced towards Main Street. Or just making sure no one hassled me? Now that I thought about it, was walking along Main Street all alone such a good idea? I'd already been the focus of so much gossip. Yet, I couldn't shake the thought that I should check exactly where Brad stood when Sacha spoke to him.

Detective Logan turned and strode into the police station. While it was my turn to watch him go, I made another decision. Tess Hernandez worked on Main Street. Perhaps she wouldn't mind meeting me for a few minutes? Having a friend with me might prove a useful buffer. Plus, she was always so kind and I never failed to appreciate her company.

I called her cell phone and was pleased when she quickly answered. “Of course I'll come,” she said. “I haven't taken my break yet so I have some free time. I'm intrigued to know what you're investigating.”

“I'm not sure yet but I would greatly appreciate your assistance and company.”

“Shall I call everyone? It would be like Calendar's answer to the bat signal.”

I laughed. “No, but I like the idea. Perhaps we should have a phone tree for emergencies?”

“It doesn't matter if you're jesting, I was serious! I'll need a few minutes to get out of my office, then I'll meet you. Which corner did you say again?”

I told her and said goodbye, eager to see her in ten minutes, which was approximately the length of time it would take me to walk there. I glanced back at the police station but Detective Logan was definitely gone so I pulled back my shoulders, held my head high and aimed towards my shop. When I got there, Nate was outside talking to a beautifully dressed brunette around his age. Her blue dress caught my eye since I sold several of them recently.

“Meredith!” he called, smiling. He nodded discreetly to the pristinely clean windows and my relief was visible. “This is my cousin, Sylvie. I was just telling her that you need an assistant.”

“I love your shop,” Sylvie gushed. “I can't tell you how many times I've been in there. I bought this dress from you when you first opened.”

“I remember it. It looks great on you.”

“Thanks! Could I drop off my resumé? Or do you prefer I email it to you? I'm taking night classes to earn a degree in business in Hallowell but I've been looking for another job. I was working at the mall but the shop just announced they're going out of business. I hated the drive anyway and I'd love to work here in Calendar. I have local references.”

I saw Tess wave to me from the corner. “I'm meeting a friend or I’d stay and talk to you now. Email me and we'll set up an interview,” I said, encouraged by her experience, style, and enthusiasm. Not only that, but I assumed Nate had already told her about the vandalism, which didn’t perturb her at all. On first impression, Sylvie seemed exactly what I needed. Better still, what the boutique needed.

“I will. Nate, I'll see you later,” said Sylvie, giving him a hug before she hurried on.

“You won't regret it,” said Nate. “Sylvie's a really hard worker. Your security system is nearly finished too. Do you want me to take you through it now?”

“I can't yet because I need to meet Tess Hernandez. She's waiting for me. I do want to see how it works though before I reopen.”

“I'll finish up then and activate it, and take you through everything when you're ready. Just give me a call.”

“I will. Have there been any more problems?”

Nate scowled. “Not while I've been here,” he said. “As if anyone would dare!”

I thanked him again and hurried off to meet Tess whom I could see cross the road. When I arrived, she hugged me quickly. “I'm so pleased you called me,” she said. “Now tell me what we're doing.”

I explained the video footage Sam showed me, as well as Sacha's recount of the conversation, and Tess pursed her lips. “So we need to know if this mystery man works in one of the shops or businesses nearby, or if he came here to follow Brad? Perhaps he even accompanied him? If so, he isn’t just an innocent passer-by!”

“Exactly,” I agreed as I looked around. “I'm guessing it's the camera up there that shot the footage.” I pointed to a camera attached to the building next to us, although it wasn't obvious which business it belonged to.

“Detective Logan must have spoken to the owners,” said Tess.

“He said there weren't any other angles or security cameras nearby.”

I stepped out of the way as a couple walked past us. Both were looking at me with extra interest, then pretending not to when I gave them a firm glare back.

“Ignore them,” said Tess with a roll of her eyes.

I nodded, determined to do exactly that. “He had his back to the camera so I think he probably came from that way,” I said, pointing to the road intersecting Main Street. Several businesses lined the street, including a smoothie shop, an upbeat grocery store, a winery and several other businesses I had no reason to go inside. Above all of them were mostly small apartments, although some of the businesses occupied multiple levels. “Nothing stands out to me,” I said with a sigh.

“Could Brad have had some kind of business to attend to?” asked Tess. “I doubt he needed an emergency dental appointment or tickets from the travel agency.”

“I doubt it too. Not that he wouldn't have gone to those places, but I just don't see him coming so far for one here.”

“What about the mystery guy? Could he possibly have worked in one of them?”

“A definite maybe,” I agreed, “but Sam didn't say anything to suggest Brad knew anyone here but me.”

Tess brightened. “Sam?” she asked.

“He insisted I use his first name,” I said, biting back a smile.

“Hmmm!” Tess nudged my arm. “What if we showed Brad's photo around? Perhaps someone will remember seeing them both?”

“Except the mystery man walked this way, although I guess he could have gone any direction off camera. The camera only captured part of his crossing. I feel foolish thinking I could solve this just by standing here,” I said. “I think you came up with the best idea. The problem is: I only have Brad's photo, not the mystery man's, and I doubt anyone would pay much attention to two men exchanging a few cross words several days ago. There was nothing about their conversation to draw anyone’s attention.”

“Let's try my idea,” said Tess. “We're here now and I want to solve this mystery as much as you do.”

It took us a full hour to inch our way along the businesses on both sides of the street. Every time I showed Brad's photo, we received blank faces and shakes of the head with apologetic excuses. No one recalled seeing Brad at all, but a couple of people correctly guessed he was the victim of a murder and asked what really happened. I kept my comments brief and vague before Tess spirited us away when the questions became too probing.

“It was worth a shot,” said Tess as we stopped at the far end of the street. “Actually, maybe we got this all wrong,” she added, pausing to stare at the service road behind the shops. She pointed towards it. “Isn't this the same alley behind your shop?”

“It is,” I replied. “I didn't consider that aspect. The sabotage on my bicycle indicated Brad was around here at some point. I just assumed he accessed the alley from the other side since that would be closest to my shop.”

“Perhaps someone caught him in the act and followed him, maybe even challenged him?”

“The video showed Brad on Main Street the whole time although I suppose I didn’t see the before and after footage. The other man was the one who came along here. That doesn’t rule out him perpetrating the sabotage earlier.”

“Could it have been his PI? You said you didn't know who located you or how Brad knew where you were? Perhaps his PI brought him here to show him exactly where to find you.”

“That's very possible. I swear someone was following me a short while back. I guess he could have returned with Brad. Perhaps he left him that day or as soon as Brad was killed.”

“That's someone else who knew him and might have had a motive,” said Tess. “Could Brad have stiffed him on the bill?”

“I wish I could take another look at Brad's things. Detective Logan still has his electronics, and David has everything else. I met him this morning. He wanted to know what happened to his brother.”

“Damn,” said Tess.

“I’m sure Sam must have checked these businesses already or why ask me if I recognized the man?” I frowned as a woman with big sunglasses stopped opposite us, on the other side of the street, staying almost obscured behind a large, black SUV. I grabbed Tess's arm and she turned to look. The woman stared hard when she noticed both of us looking, and soon ducked out of sight. A moment later, she passed the SUV, keeping her back to us, and hurried away without saying a thing.

“Wasn't that…” started Tess.

I nodded. “Yes! Brad's girlfriend.”

“So she's still in town. Wow. What a lot of nerve!”

“And I think she might be following us,” I said. “But why?”