Olivia watched Anais Butler run away. "I am her only friend," Abbey said, her voice growing faint. The girl began to sob, her shoulders shaking and tears pouring down her cheeks.
Michael looked at Olivia and mouthed, What do I do now?
Olivia stepped closer to Abbey, placing an arm gently over the girl's shoulders.
Michael stood back.
As Abbey brushed away her tears, her shoulders steadied and the sobbing stopped. She sniffed and patted her face with the sleeve of her shirt. Olivia dropped her arm as the girl finished composing herself.
Janis Jets sighed deeply. "Now that the crying is over, come into the kitchen. I want to ask you about those lockers."
"I have things to do," Abbey said, turning to leave, her customary impatience having returned.
Jets stopped her. "I have questions for everyone, and that includes you."
Abbey, taken by surprise, insisted, "I have nothing to do with this."
Janis ignored her protests, holding the door wide open for Abbey to walk through.
"You go first," Olivia told Abbey.
"Oh all right," Abbey mumbled, stepping toward the kitchen.
Once inside the walk-in pantry, Janis spoke. "You can stand over there."
Olivia stood between Michael and Abbey, facing the bank of multicolored lockers. One door had been left partially open, the key hanging from the lock.
"That's where we found the hiking boots," Janis explained. "I was told that was your locker." She pointed to Abbey, who nodded.
"They aren't my boots," Abbey explained. "I found them in the trash right after Anais dropped them. My window looks onto the courtyard, so I had a perfect view."
"Just to clarify, you're saying those boots were put in your locker by you."
"I knew they were evidence. Like I told Olivia and Michael, I saw Anais push Dave from the cliff. They were arguing, and when his back was turned she gave him a shove. So when I saw her trash the boots, I knew she was covering up for herself."
"Why didn't you mention this a few days ago when we were asking for any witnesses?" Janis Jets failed to disguise the impatience in her voice.
Abbey's eyes narrowed. "I didn't mean any harm. Anais is my friend and I didn't want to get her in trouble."
"I think pushing someone to their death hardly qualifies as trouble. More like homicide to me, and your little friend may be up for a long time of incarceration. You knew that, right? I may even arrest you for standing in the way of my inquiry, since it took so long for you to report what you saw to the police."
Abbey ducked her head.
Olivia turned her attention away from Abbey to stare at the boots Jets placed in the middle of the table. "May I look at those more closely?" she asked.
"Help yourself," said Janis.
Olivia took one boot, then the other in her hand. "One left, one right," she commented aloud. She inspected the bottom of each boot. "Both size 8½," she added, "most likely women's." She held them aloft to look at the soles.
The boots look equally worn, no distinguishing evidence that I can see.
"Has your forensics team looked these over yet?" she asked Jets.
"Not yet, just found them. Do you see something I missed?"
"So I didn't mention it," said Olivia, "but Mayor Maguire brought me a boot last night. I was right here in the kitchen. He wanted me to chase him and grab the boot. Eventually he released it to me. A size 8½ for a right foot that looked just like these." Olivia held up the pair of boots they'd found in the locker. "I mean, same style, same size, everything."
"Well that's a problem," Jets said. "Three boots…where's the fourth?"
She turned to Abbey. "Can you explain why there would be three boots?"
Abbey shook her head vehemently.
"Or do you know where the fourth boot can be found?" Michael asked Abbey.
"I have an idea," said Olivia, her eyes widening.
"Okay, what's the idea?" prompted Jets, looking at Olivia impatiently.
"Let me take Michael and I'll be back quickly. I think the other boot may be close by. Do you have one of those plastic bags? I'll put it in there so as not to contaminate evidence."
Jets reached into her pocket. "Here you go. Have at it. I'll stay and hang out with Abbey."
Olivia snatched the bag from Janis's hand and made her way to the door, Michael following close behind. When he caught up with her jogging along the path, he panted, "Mind filling me in on what you're thinking?"
Olivia didn't stop running. When she and Michael reached the dormitory the first thing they saw was a shaggy brown dog. "Hey, M&M," she called out. "I thought I might find you here."
Michael pulled up beside her. "I don't understand. Did you know Mayor Maguire would be here?"
Olivia bent over to catch her breath. "Did you look at Abbey when I brought up the third boot? She nearly keeled right over. Then it dawned on me that M&M might have found the fourth boot, only he didn't have room in his mouth for two. Once I took the first boot away from him, there was a good chance that he'd go back for the matching one."
"Is that why he's waiting outside the dorm?"
"He's waiting to sneak inside. I bet if we let him, he'll lead us right to where he found the first boot."
Olivia used her key card to unlock the door to the dormitory. As she predicted, Mayor Maguire rushed past, his tail wagging like a tour guide's flag.
"Just follow him," Olivia told Michael.
Once in the entryway, the dog took a right turn, heading for the stairway to the second floor. Michael and Olivia followed. Making another right turn, Mayor Maguire trotted halfway down the hall and stopped. He turned to face door 214 on the left.
Michael arrived first, pointing to the name attached to the door. "Well look what we have here. Abbey Court’s room."
"We can't just break in," said Olivia reaching for the doorknob.
"Looks like that won't be necessary," commented Michael as he saw the knob turn under her grasp.
Mayor Maguire brushed past Olivia and Michael once again. In the room, he ignored the bed with its rumpled sheets, moving straight to the closet with the closed sliding door. He sat down, waiting for Olivia.
She slid the door back. M&M stood and then ducked under the row of clothing, his rump and tail sticking out. She heard a thump followed by a rustle coming from the corner of the closet.
Before she could dive in after the mayor, he turned around, his body draped in a maxi dress that hung precariously from a wire hanger. His tail wagged.
"Look what you found!" Olivia cried, stooping down to pat his head.
Mayor Maguire grinned, keeping the hiking boot firmly clasped in his mouth.
"Here doggie, doggie," said Michael. "Bring me the boot."
Mayor Maguire walked out of the closet, his tail waving in triumph. He smiled, scrunching down on his front paws to give a playful growl, the boot still clasped in his jaws.
"I feel guilty taking away his discovery," Olivia told Michael. "He's so delighted with himself and he just wants to play." She knelt in front of the dog to pat his head. "It's okay, M&M. I'll play with you later. I really need to have that boot."
Mayor Maguire growled again, this time showing her the side of his face as if to say, "I don't do later. Play now!"
"Oh hell, I'll give him my shoe if that helps. Grab the boot," Michael said, reaching down to untie his sneaker.
Mayor Maguire looked to Michael, his eyes focused on the hand that tugged off the shoe. Dropping the boot from his mouth, the dog walked over to sniff the shoe in Michael's hand.
"Good doggie," Michael mumbled. "Of course this is a better toy. Let that other one go. We can play with this one." Michael drew his hand back and gently tossed his shoe into the closet. Mayor Maguire bounded after the shoe while Olivia stooped to pick up the discarded boot.
"Into the evidence bag you go," she said, dropping the boot into the bag and then sealing the top.
The mayor pushed his way out of the closet, this time holding Michael's shoe, ready for his game.
"Are you going to let him keep his new toy?" asked Olivia, staring at Michael's feet, one shoe on and one shoe off.
"I'll give him both shoes and a steak for dinner if he solved who murdered Dave," commented Michael wryly.
Back in the Curated Cuisine’s pantry, Olivia and Michael found Janis Jets hovering over Simon and Abbey Court. The father and daughter sat at the round table, glaring at Janis.
"My attorney is on his way," Court announced.
Jets darted a glance at Olivia and Michael. Then she told Court, "Sure, bring on your attorney and anyone else. Let's have a party. But first I think Olivia is holding some more evidence in her hand." Jets took hold of the bag with the boot. "So tell me everything."
Olivia explained where they found the shoe and how Michael sacrificed his favorite sneaker.
"Your socks are dirty," Jets told Michael. Then she smiled. Holding up the boot in the bag for a better look, she said, "It’s a left shoe, size 8½."
"Four shoes, two lefts, two rights, and size 8½," summarized Olivia. "Dave helped all the Tone Rangers buy hiking boots. It was part of his tutoring strategy, to keep the kids moving, especially when they wanted to talk about what was bothering them."
"So these are Abbey's boots and those are Anais's boots…"
"Both girls wear the same size," concluded Michael.
"We have footprints at the top of the cliff indicating someone scuffled with Dave and shoved him over the cliff," Jets said thoughtfully.
"Those are my boots, the ones from my closet," blurted Abbey. "The other ones belong to Anais. She pushed Dave, like I said."
Jets stared at the distraught girl. "So why don't you try on the boots. We can see if they fit and check the wear on the soles."
Her father leaned over the table to slap his hand over her mouth. "Shut up, you stupid girl. Don't talk until our attorney gets here. I warned you already."
Olivia felt anger rise up in the back of her throat. "Keep your hands off her," she exclaimed, but not before Janis Jets stepped to the table, leaning in to insert herself between the father and daughter. She turned her head, speaking to Simon Court. "I don't like the way you handle this girl and I'm going to separate you both for her safety." She tapped a number on her phone and held it to her ear.
"Yep, it's me. I need an advocate from Child Protective Services. I want to interview a minor about a murder and her parent isn't capable of holding his temper."
Simon Court's face grew red with fury. "You can't tell me how to talk to my own daughter," he hollered, standing. He shoved Janis Jets and her cell phone dropped to the floor.
"Oh yes she can," came a voice from the kitchen.
Charles Kravitz stood in the doorway, glaring at Simon Court. To Olivia's surprise, two other men stood right behind him. Like matching bookends, both men wore black suits, crisp white shirts, and dark neckties.
As if they'd rehearsed, each one held up a badge with their right hands. The one on the right announced, "Simon Court, you are under arrest for racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the US government, and obstruction of justice. You have the right to remain silent."
Olivia's jaw dropped as Charles Kravitz stepped aside, allowing the two men to wrestle Simon Court into handcuffs. Unable to free himself, Court bent over at the waist as the two men dragged him from the kitchen.
His head swung around as he shouted at Olivia. "You couldn't mind your own business, could you, even after I warned you about that sister of yours. Cox should have killed you when he had the chance. One twist of your skinny neck, that's all it would have taken."
"Get him out of here," Jets commanded.
Olivia's hand moved upward, her fingers touching her neck. When she spoke, her voice sounded shaky. "I never saw that coming, those FBI guys and Cookie."
Jets ignored Olivia's words. She sat next to Abbey. "I know this must be a shock to you," she said to the girl with the trembling bottom lip. "Someone will be here to help you through the confession. You know who really pushed Dave, don't you."
"You can't arrest my daddy. No one can. He always wins," cried Abbey.
No sooner did Abbey stop talking than a woman bustled into the room. "I'm looking for Janis Jets," she announced. "I happened to be in Lily Rock for a day retreat and got a call from Officer Janis Jets. I'm from Child Protective Services for a teen named Abbey Court."
Abbey looked up. "They arrested my daddy," she said, her eyes darting back and forth.
The woman, who wore a clerical collar, sat down across from Abbey. "We can sort this out together," she said in a calm voice.
"I want to tell the truth, I do," admitted Abbey. "I only wanted to help Daddy with his business. He cared a lot about the students, getting them into the right universities. Dave got in his way. He tried to talk us out of the tutoring."
"What do you mean?" asked Janis.
"Dave told each of us that we needed to go to college on our own terms. Even if we scored high on the tests and got in because of the music auditions, that didn't mean we'd be okay once we got to college. He said he saw lots of kids whose parents pulled strings, but the kids ended up being miserable after their acceptance. He didn't want us to be unhappy, so we'd hike and talk as he tried to convince us."
"But he didn't convince you?" asked Janis.
"I couldn't back out. My dad was in charge of all the admission work. I told Daddy about Dave separating each of the Tone Rangers to talk to them about their futures." She paused, as if remembering. "Daddy got so angry. It didn't take long for the Tone Rangers to change their minds about early admission. As soon as Legend cracked, they even decided to vote me out as the Tone Ranger leader. That stupid Legend. She didn't want Dave to take the admissions test for her either. Something about a guilty conscience. Who cares about that? Once you’re in, no one even asks about your scores or cares, for that matter.
"And then Raleigh even told me they wanted to go to community college instead, to figure things out. Imagine, a community college after all those years their parents paid for Daddy to get them into Harvard.
"So when Dave invited me for a hike and we stopped near the cliff, I just figured, go with your instincts. That's what Dave always said, so I did. I pushed him off the cliff. Right over he went. And then I ran. I couldn't bear to see him land. I just kept running."
Abbey looked up at Olivia, then down at her hands. "I knew I'd left some bootprints at the top of the cliff, so I took Anais's. I put mine in the back of the closet and put her boots in my locker for safe keeping." She pointed to the pastel-pink locker with the key still in the door. "The police didn't focus on us as suspects, so I thought I'd be okay."
Abbey looked Olivia with anger in her eyes. "Except for you." She pointed to Olivia. "You were so nosey and always around asking questions. That's how she found out!" Now Abbey glared at Janis Jets. She sighed and continued to speak, her voice calmer.
"When you told me there was a third boot, I knew I was done. I finally told Daddy. He didn't seem that mad. Daddy said his lawyer would keep me out of jail." A dazed look came over Abbey's face. She looked around the room at the eyes of everyone watching her.
"I want my daddy," she cried.
The child advocate reached into her pocket, coming up with a business card. She handed it to Jets. "I think that's enough interviewing for now. Here's my card so that you can get in touch with me. May I arrange for Abbey's accommodations while you figure out the next step?"
Olivia noticed that the woman avoided using the word "jail".
Jets tucked the card in her back pocket. "Make the arrangements." She ushered Abbey to her feet; the girl trembled, barely able to stand.
As they left the pantry for the kitchen exit, Olivia took Michael's arm, leaning against him for support. "I had no idea about Simon Court, did you?"
"I had my suspicions," he admitted. "Janis told me a little about the FBI's operation."
"So Janis knew," Olivia realized. "That's why she's been acting so odd."
"Right, she knew. But she couldn't let you in on the sting because you worked for the constabulary and she had to keep you safe. That's why she wanted you to work with the teens, to keep you out of the way. Plus she couldn't cover all of the suspects herself."
Olivia heard banging coming from the central kitchen and dropped Michael's arm to walk toward the noise. She found Cookie wrapped in his white apron, standing in front of three huge kettles on the stove. He chopped onions and celery and slid them into each of the pots, using his knife with speed and authority.
Cookie looked over to Olivia. "If ever there was a need for soup, this is the time. What a week!"
"Do you need help?" offered Olivia, admiring his knife skills.
"What I need is a night out with my girlfriend. This place is making me nuts." Cookie smiled, continuing to wield his knife. "Come on back tomorrow and there will be soup for you and Mike."
Olivia turned to go, but then came back around. "There's just one thing I want to know. Are you working with the FBI?"
Cookie smiled. "The FBI contacted me last spring, since I have a high security clearance with the Navy. I told them I'd do this one job. I managed to convince Dave Franco that he should work with me by the middle of summer. As his handler I appealed to his inner sense of right and wrong. At first he didn't realize that Simon Court swindled parents and universities with his college admission scams.
"Court manipulated those families. He knew right where the weak spot was. Parents would do anything to guarantee their child early admission to a prestigious university. And I mean anything. Anais's family alone donated millions to a fake charity for underprivileged children in Mexico. Of course, all of that dough went into Court's company via back channels and laundered money."
"Was the paperwork you mentioned in the park about the laundered money?" Olivia asked. She flushed and then added, "I overheard you the day you dropped the key."
"He didn't want an electronic trail that the feds would find on a computer. Court was old-school that way. He used a lot of papers and forged signatures which parents would give to the students and they'd leave them in a locker to be retrieved when Court visited the campus. I was supposed to keep my eye on the people coming and going and report to him if anything looked fishy."
Olivia leaned forward, fascinated with Cookie's story. "That explains so much. No wonder the FBI arrested Court on so many charges."
"The case moved along faster when we involved the local police."
"So Janis was part of the investigation?"
"She went undercover as a corrupt cop, dating Rydell Cox, taping their conversations." Kravitz smiled at Olivia.
"How was that exactly?" asked Olivia.
Kravitz hovered over the soup kettle. He turned down the heat. "I'd better stop talking for now. Everything else about the case is on a need-to-know basis."
Olivia shrugged. "I've heard that before. I guess I know all I want to about this particular situation. I'm heading home."
Cookie brandished his knife over his head as a goodbye gesture.
"To us," Michael said with a smile, leaning over the table and tapping his wine glass to Olivia's sparkling water.
"We finally managed our dinner," she responded with a grin.
"What I want to know," Michael said, "is how the FBI managed to get enough information to arrest Court."
"They must have done some wiretapping," Olivia said, sipping her drink. "That's how the FBI works, though I'm hardly an authority."
"That's probably how Dave got involved," Michael added, smiling at her over the rim of his glass. "Cookie put a wire on him and then he engaged in conversations that implicated Court and his illegal plan."
Olivia closed her menu and set it aside. "After all of this, I am so happy we finally got out for a night." An irresistible aroma came from the kitchen. She inhaled deeply. "Garlic and mushrooms, just the smell makes my mouth water."
"I'm going with the rack of lamb with the risotto."
"Do you want to split a salad?" she asked. He nodded. "I'll have the scampi for my main course."
Michael folded his menu, laying it on top of Olivia's. "Finally we got our first date," Michael said. He took her hand in his across the table. "So I'm your boyfriend now. Is it official?"
She nodded, the warmth of his grasp bringing goosebumps to her arm. "It's official."
"Then there's no more running away from Lily Rock." He stopped for a sip of wine. "The way I figure it is that our biggest decision is your place or mine."
"No more running, at least not without an explanation," she promised.
"No more running away it is. I'm ignoring the explanation part."
Breathing deeply, she ran her finger back and forth over his wrist.
I feel so contented and alive.
Since the waiter had left them alone, they looked into each other’s eyes. Michael smiled. "So what will happen to the other Tone Rangers now that they're missing their girl soprano?"
"From what I can tell, Anais will go home with her grands. She wants to finish high school closer to her family. And Raleigh will stay to finish high school. Without the pressure of early admission, they may go to community college. Raleigh wants to work in a bakery. As for Legend, I think she may still get early admission. Of all the Tone Rangers, Legend has a solo voice and talent in music arranging."
"Has anyone spoken to Linnea since the arrest?" Michael asked.
"Janis told me her mother is coming to stay with her until the baby arrives. Five thousand dollars were raised at the recital from parent donations. That will help some."
Olivia sipped her sparkling water, remembering her last conversation with Dave.
"I guess Dave had been nervous for weeks. Linnea was worried. She thought it was about the baby, but she now realizes wearing a wire for the FBI must have been a staggering responsibility. I think Dave knew he was in danger. He may have been worried that he wouldn't be around to raise his own child."
"Turns out Dave was right," Michael said, his voice dropping with emotion. Before Olivia raised her glass to offer a toast for Dave, she heard a loud voice coming from the front of the restaurant.
"Well, if it isn't Ms. Amateur Sleuth and her boyfriend." Olivia's head jerked up as she recognized a familiar voice coming from the front of the restaurant. "Imagine meeting you two here." Janis Jets stood next to their table. She wore her skin-tight leather pants with the low-cut cobalt-blue top. Her hair, a mass of curls, flowed around her thin shoulders.
She's on a date. Surely she's not still undercover with that Rydell Cox.
A man came from behind Janis. He stood a good three inches shorter. Cookie Kravitz placed his large palm at the small of Janis's back. "Small town," he mumbled to Michael and Olivia, a huge grin on his face.
"What?" Olivia glared at Janis. "I thought you were dating Cox!"
"Please, I'm not an idiot," said Janis, fluffing her hair off her shoulder. "Cookie and I have been together for months now. He originally moved to Lily Rock for the FBI investigation, but now he's staying for me."
"Does that mean you aren't taking another job?" Olivia exclaimed.
"Don't be such an idiot. I'm a Lily Rock resident through and through. On the one hand, I only pretended to look for another job as part of my undercover persona. On the other hand, I didn't want you asking too many questions in general. I figured if you thought I was leaving you'd back off."
Kravitz moved his hand from Janis back to lift her chin for a kiss. "We've got to have dinner now, so talk to you two later," he said, staring into Janis's eyes.
Before they could be escorted to their table, Olivia injected one more question. "Do I need to show up for work tomorrow morning?"
Janis Jets blinked. "I forgot to tell you. You're fired. Now stop bothering me."
Olivia turned to Michael, who had just finished pouring his second glass of wine. He barely disguised his smile.
"You want me to be unemployed?"
"I want you to be safe. The constabulary job is too close to the action," he said.
The corner of Olivia's mouth tightened. "We can talk about that later."
"I still don't know why you need a job," he said. "You've got lots of money. Why not take off a few months and see how you like it."
Olivia felt herself smile. "I might do that. Working at the constabulary turned out to be more trouble than I bargained for. Now that Sage and I have settled Marla's estate, she may not want to return to the academy as the head, so we're both unemployed at the same time. Now we can book more gigs for Sweet Four O'Clock."
She raised her glass to Michael, who raised his. "I'll drink to that!" he said, the warmth in his voice bringing a flush to her cheeks.
He took another sip and then added, "Like I was saying earlier, your place or mine?"