Forty
To say that hadn’t gone well was an understatement.
Charley steered the bicycle around potholes as she pedaled down Fire Route 22. Cocoa, let off the leash for the last stretch, prowled through the dense growth of wild lilies along the roadside.
Up ahead, two young girls with lake-tangled hair tore around the side of the rental cottage. The one in the lead shouted, “You’ll never catch me.” Her taunt rose through the trees like a battle cry.
The breeze tugged at Charley’s T-shirt, with the snap of a storm to it.
The wide garage door of Jeffrey’s workshop was closed. No truck parked out front. Not a sound from inside.
So much for good deeds. She’d only made things worse. A few hours ago, Matt didn’t even know Hamadryads was missing.
She’d lied to him. Her stomach clenched. And she hadn’t even come up with a convincing excuse. The only thing she’d done was give him an incentive to investigate.
He wouldn’t let this go.
At their cottage, she wheeled the bicycle over the fieldstone slabs and leaned the metal frame against the weathered siding.
“Argh!” Alex’s cry of horror carried clearly through the open window.
Cocoa barked, an urgent, nervy tone.
What now? Blood running cold, Charley slammed through the screen door, Cocoa right behind her.
Down the hall, the string of curses became louder.
On images of blood and open wounds, Charley burst into the master bedroom. The sky-blue dresser, beat-up at the corners now, stood against the wall. The wide windows, the water beyond the same as ever. Honeysuckle and vanilla caught at her throat. Grandma Reilly’s perfume, gone again on the next breath, leaving only the scent of fresh air and clean sheets behind.
Alex stood in the middle of the room, holding something clenched in his fist. He looked livid. Balled up socks trailed from the open cupboard door, over the rug. It looked like a whirlwind had torn through the room.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Your dog.” His voice shook with frustration and disbelief.
Beside her, Cocoa sat on her rump and cocked her head.
“Is that a baseball?” Charley had a sinking feeling that the whirlwind might have had four legs.
“Catch,” he snarled and tossed it to her.
The ball landed with a thwack in her palm. She felt the pockmarks in the leather before she saw them. The telltale teeth marks. “Oh no.”
“I’ll say.”
A gouge ran through the smudged and faded scrawl. “It was signed.”
“Damn right, it was signed.” Alex raked a hand through his hair. “Of course, it was signed.”
“This isn’t so bad.” Meghan stood in the doorway. In one hand, she clutched a tea towel. In the other, a wet plate that dripped onto the floor. Equal parts relief, amusement and horror filled her voice. “I almost broke the plate when I heard you.”
“Not that bad?” His arm swept over the mess. “Look what the dog did to my socks.” Wadded up and hardened with drool. “To my shoe.” He picked up the running shoe by the heel. The high-end sneaker with cushioned soles now looked more like a favourite chew toy. “She put a hole in my concert T-shirt.”
Meghan flicked a glance at the balled-up heap of fabric in the corner. “The one you left lying on the floor all week?”
“I didn’t expect the dog to go on a rampage.”
“Hey, Cocoa was with me,” Charley defended her.
“Yeah, where were you?” Meghan dried the plate with the towel and set it on the dresser. “You missed dinner.”
“It’s a long story.”
Alex glared at Cocoa. “I doubt you’ve got an alibi for the whole day.”
She didn’t. Not for this morning. “I left her here, when I took the Jeep to Jeffrey’s.” She looked down at Cocoa. “Did you do this?”
Cocoa pinned her ears back.
Alex snorted. “The evidence is adding up and it all points to you, my canine friend. I only wanted to take a shower, for Christ’s sake. Not clean up after the dog.” Charley didn’t like the emphasis he put on the last word. “Conveniently enough, she didn’t touch any of your things, Megs.”
“That’s because she loves me.” Meghan rubbed Cocoa’s ears.
Charley grinned. “And she doesn’t have a death wish. I’m really sorry, Alex. I’ve been busy with the gallery, and she hasn’t been getting enough attention.”
“Fact of the matter is, a guy can’t win in this house. Not anymore. I’ve had it.” He paced the hardwood floor, shoe gripped in his hand. He shot a glance at Meghan. “I barely move in when your sister comes to stay. Not for a day. Not for a weekend, or even a long weekend. But for the summer. The whole summer. I know, I know.” He held up a hand. “Don’t say it. Let me.” He pitched his voice higher, “The house is half hers.”
Meghan straightened. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Is that supposed to be me?”
Charley told Cocoa, “You’re in big trouble.”
“Never mind,” Alex said, “that it’s my toothbrush on the side of the sink, and my TV in the living room. I’m the guest here. That much is obvious. And I’m tired of having it thrown in my face. I’m going out.”
“Where?” Meghan crossed her arms.
“Just out.” He dropped the shoe on the floor. “Sometimes a man’s gotta have some space.” He slammed the door with enough force to rattle the picture frames on the wall.
Charley squatted down on eye level with Cocoa. “It would help if you showed some regret.” The dog licked her nose. “Oh, you’re good. At least try to look guilty when he gets back.”
Meghan picked up the concert T-shirt. She poked her finger through the hole in the fabric. “Really guilty.” The mauled cotton looked soft and vintage.
She sighed. “We’ll work on it.” They’d made Alex feel like the third wheel.
Meghan folded the T-shirt. “He’s either going to the shooting range or the Three-Corner Pub. He cracked.”
“Like an egg.”
“Porcelain, baby. The case is getting to him.”
“Funny,” she said. “I thought it might be us.”
“You think we’re breaking him?” Meghan’s brows lifted in surprise.
“Could be. We’re a lot to handle.”
A smile crossed her face. “Especially Cocoa.”
“That’s true.” She nodded. “It’s probably more her than us.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Meghan dragged the wicker laundry basket into the centre of the room. “Alex took Kayla in for questioning today.”
“How’d that go?” she asked casually. Although a seed of doubt had taken root. Maybe Kayla wasn’t as innocent as she’d thought.
“Did you notice the mood he’s in?” Meghan rolled her eyes. “If he’d solved the case, he’d be flying high and this wouldn’t phase him.”
“So, not well.” Charley tossed the gummed-on socks into the basket.
“I think he’s starting to face the fact that he’s hit a dead end.” Hands on her hips, Meghan cast another glance around the room. “Good enough, for now. Did your mystery errand involve food?”
“No.” It might have, if things hadn’t gone so wrong.
“Hmm.” Meghan studied her face thoughtfully. “There are leftovers in the kitchen, if you want them.”
“Actually, I’m not hungry.” She couldn’t even think about food right now.
Meghan blinked in disbelief. “Who are you?”
“I’ll have something later.” When the guilt wasn’t churning inside her.
“Suit yourself. But I’m going to get out the vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce,” Meghan said. “I’m going to put out two spoons. You can have some or not. It’s your choice. And if you want to tell me about whatever’s bugging you — and where you went or who you saw or what you did when you saw them — I’d be okay with that, too.”
“Subtle.”
“Always.” Meghan grinned.
Maybe comfort food wasn’t such a bad idea. “Well, I can top your ice cream and offer chocolate.” Forget the sauce. This was a day for a bar of chocolate, straight up.
Meghan cast a glance at her. “A secret stash?”
“One I’m willing to share.”
“You snuck into his dad’s office to return a missing book?” The citronella candle in the centre of the wrought iron table cast flickering shadows over Meghan’s face. Lemongrass-scented smoke rose into the air. “Sure,” she said, “your intentions were good but, you have to admit, from Matt’s point of view, that had to look bad. And then you didn’t tell him why?”
How many times had she sat out here with Meghan in the past, after cannonballing off the dock? In the distance, white-capped waves crashed toward shore. On the tree by the shed, the ends of the orange ribbon fluttered and snapped. So far, the rain had held off.
Charley broke off another piece of caramel chocolate. The grocery store bar didn’t taste as good as it once had. “What was I supposed to do, tell him Jeffrey had it?” Not after the blood ties Sarah had hinted at.
“You’re in a pickle.”
“Thanks, Meg.” And that was just the half of it. She’d censored the description of her visit with Matt, leaving out a few minor details. There were some things her sister didn’t need to know.
Cocoa dropped the soggy tennis ball at her feet and wagged her tail in anticipation. Charley picked it up and whipped it into the trees again.
Meghan watched Cocoa chase down the toy. “Jeffrey really thought he could buy the book back, and Matt would never know?”
“He was sorting through his dad’s office, giving all those books away. You can see why Jeffrey thought it wouldn’t matter. That it might even go unnoticed.” Cocoa returned the wet and muddy ball to her, like a prized possession. She pranced and bounced until she threw it again.
“Only, things didn’t work out the way he hoped, and he was stuck with the book,” Meghan said. “Until you showed up.”
From the lane came the slow grind of tires over dirt and gravel. Game forgotten, Cocoa raced along the length of the picket fence to the front of the house, barking wildly.
Instead of driving past, the car stopped. Cocoa’s bark turned fierce at the slam of the door, the approaching footsteps.
Charley raised her eyebrows at Meghan. “You should go see who it is.”
She shook her head. “Can’t. Cocoa wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Oh, really?” That was doubtful.
“She’ll eat them alive.” Meghan broke off another square of chocolate. “You’d better go.”
“Call off the guard dog? Sure.” With a sigh, mostly for effect, she walked around the cottage. If someone came all the way down their lane, they normally had a good reason.
But she wasn’t expecting to see David standing on the other side of the picket fence.
“Hey. Is Alex around?” He kept a wary eye on Cocoa. She lay on her haunches, straight as an arrow trained on him.
“Not at the moment.” Charley rested her elbows on the fence. Since when did he swing by to hang out with Alex?
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“It’s hard to say.” Judging from his reaction before, Alex would need a couple hours to cool off.
“Seems like I’m always missing him these days.” That focus she’d noticed in him before was charged now with nervous energy. “I should have phoned first, instead of just dropping by.” David paused. “Only I was hoping to do this in person.”
“Do what?”
He looked tense, the lines around his eyes strained. What was this about? A tip? A confession? People didn’t stop by to visit a cop at home without a reason. Maybe he came to debate the results of the latest Blue Jays scores, but there was bound to be more to it than that. And she’d love to know what.
Where was David this morning, during the break-in at the gallery?
He asked, “Think there’s a chance he’ll be home soon?”
“Sure.” It couldn’t hurt, to let him think a cop might show up at any moment. “You can wait with us. Meghan and I are sitting out back.” She unlatched the gate. There were two of them, after all, and a dog.
Cocoa launched herself forward. He froze as she sniffed the hem of his jeans. Then, as though he’d passed some test, she backed off, let him enter.
Meghan came up behind them. “David.” She sounded surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for Alex, actually.”
Charley cut in. “I suggested he sit with us until Alex shows up.”
Meghan frowned. “All right, but —”
Charley grabbed her arm and squeezed hard. “Can we get you something to drink, David?”
Meghan hissed through her teeth, “Ouch.”
“Water would be great, thanks,” he said.
“Just follow Cocoa, she knows the way.” Charley lingered a step behind and murmured to Meghan, “I want to know where he was this morning. And why he wants to talk to Alex.”
Her eyes narrowed, glinted. “Fishing for intel? I love it.”
“But no going rogue, got it?”
“Fine, fine,” she muttered grudgingly.
Charley gave her a nudge toward the house. “Don’t forget the water. And throw some ice cubes in.” Moving fast, so she was a step ahead of Meghan, she dropped into the chair across from David. Then gave Meg a subtle tip of the head toward the cottage.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
The candle guttered, the wax a melted pool near the wick. A wasp buzzed around the chocolate wrapper.
She’d start with small talk. Then work the conversation around to murder. “Thanks for coming to the opening last night.”
Cocoa dropped the tennis ball at David’s feet. He leaned forward to rub her ears and picked up the slobbery toy, without hesitating. “I had to see the place. You’ve done a great job with it.” He lobbed the ball into the grass and Cocoa took off after it. He shot a glance at Charley. “I heard about what happened this morning.”
What happened. That was nice and vague. But he’d broached the topic for her. “Yeah? What did you hear?”
“Someone broke into the gallery.” His eyes tightened at the corners. “Damaged the art.” He lounged in the dainty iron chair but his fingers resting on the tabletop curled, flexing and releasing. The tendons in his forearm rigid.
“You’re well informed.” Too well? The ribbons on the tree crackled on another gust of wind that blew the scent of orange rinds her way.
“The rumours are getting out of hand,” he said, “but there’s a kernel of truth in every version. And those details always stay the same.”
“Except that it wasn’t all of the art. Just mine.”
David nodded like he’d known that too, and something inside her snapped to alert.
Cocoa returned the toy, then backed up and did a playful lunge. He threw the ball again, harder this time. A breeze rustled through the branches above them.
“They destroyed something that’s important to you.” For a second, he sounded thoughtful. “Happens all the time in the primary cloakrooms. You expect that from third graders. Not adults.”
“I guess some people never grow up.”
“Actions have consequences.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
She leaned forward.
But that tension, that almost-had-it moment, shattered as Meghan came back outside. One more minute and she would have discovered what David was hiding.
Meghan placed the glass down in front of him and sat in the other chair.
“Thanks.” He took a sip of water.
She raised her brows at Charley, and said casually, “So, actions have consequences?”
Thank God, she’d always had ears like a bat. And this time, her keen sense of hearing came in useful. Tension settled over the table again.
Might as well turn the screws. “When someone does something wrong,” Charley said, “they have to deal with the repercussions. Right, David?”
“That’s how it normally works,” he agreed cautiously.
She said, “Funny how people forget that.”
Meghan picked up on her thought. “And do stupid things.”
“Like murder.”
“Thinking they can get away with it.” Meghan smiled, a dangerous, feline curve to her lips.
Charley watched him closely. “Even though —”
“They always get caught in the end,” Meghan finished.
Smoke rose in tendrils from the smoldering wick, along with the burning reek of melted wax.
David held up his hands in defeat, palms out. “All true.”
“Why are you here?” Charley asked.
He looked from one to the other. Cocoa stood at his knees, eyes glinting in the growing dusk. Her ball lay in the grass. “To tell Alex something.”
“Tell us,” she said. It wasn’t a request.
He shook his head. “You won’t want to hear it.”
Meghan leaned forward, propped her elbows on the table. “Try us.”
“Or maybe you will.” He looked thoughtful. “Either way, you won’t like it.”
Meghan heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Spill the beans, teach.”
“All right. But you won’t talk me out of going to Alex with this.”
Talk him out of telling Alex? Why? She exchanged a puzzled glance with Meghan. “Agreed.”
“I found —” He broke off on a frustrated breath. Then muttered to himself, “Fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid.” He paused, then said, “I found a container of nougat paste in Kayla’s kitchen. After Andrew died.”
The silence that fell was heavy with shock.
“Where was it?” Charley asked, trying to process the news.
“That top cupboard, beside the fridge. The one where she keeps extra pots, the larger ones. The container was small, almost out of sight.”
“But you spotted it.” How convenient. “What were you doing in her kitchen?”
“Looking for mugs. I made coffee for us.” Sweet and handsome and innocent as can be.
“Cozy,” Meghan said.
He shot her an angry glance. “She needed a friend.”
Friends. Sure. Charley asked, “What did you do with the nougat?”
“I threw it away.”
She stared at him. “You what?”
Meghan shook her head. “You destroyed evidence.”
“Look,” David said, “I don’t want to condone what she did, but I understand why she did it. She needed a way out.”
An alkaline taste hit the back of her mouth. She remembered the little girl at the cottage, laughing as she ran. You’ll never catch me. “And now?”
“The gallery changes things.”
“So, you came to rat her out?” The toe of a shoe connected with her shin. She glared at Meghan, who mouthed back, cool it.
“I know you’re on Kayla’s side,” he said, “and so am I, but she’s gone too far. And you of all people should want to see justice done.”
Oh, she wanted to see justice done, all right. But before they told Alex anything, she needed to hear Kayla’s side of the story. Because there had to be more to it than that.
David downed the rest of his water, then looked at them. “Alex isn’t showing up anytime soon, is he?”
“No,” Meghan said, “he isn’t.”
He stood. “Making excuses for the people you care about, that’s easy.” A punch of morality to his voice that would have suited a classroom setting. “It’s a lot harder to admit you can’t save them from themselves. And you can only turn a blind eye for so long. At some point, you have to face the facts.”