W.L. Knightly's Blog, page 3
June 19, 2024
FRAGMENTS OF FEAR CHAPTER ONE
PROLOGUE
Celia Long sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing lotion on her legs. “Are you sure you’re not angry with me?”
Her phone lay beside her on the mattress, on speaker. Her fiancé, Peter, always called to check on her before she went to bed, and while it was endearing, things had been tense between them.
“Of course I’m not angry,” he said, though his strained tone suggested otherwise.
Celia let out a sigh. “I know you wanted to go on the cruise, but it couldn’t be helped. I have to consider the spa, and you know how much it means to me.”
“I’m learning,” he said, sounding regretful. “But I still say, what’s the point of working for yourself if you can’t take a vacation once in a while? Besides, you don’t have to pretend you want to go. I know you didn’t. I just wanted us to loosen up and have some fun.”
“Well, when you get back in town, maybe we can go out and have some fun. How about that cute little bed and breakfast I was telling you about? We can spend the night. Besides, there will be other cruises.” She didn’t see the big deal.
“I guess,” he said. “It’s just we already planned everything, and you know how much I hate for my plans to change. I thought you were excited about it.”
“I know, and I was excited—at first. But the thought of being out in the middle of the ocean freaks me out. All of that water? What if something happened? And all of that talk about life insurance didn’t help.” He had gone on and on about it.
“I thought that would make you feel better,” he said. “I told you it was just a precaution. Regardless, now we have that out of the way before the wedding, and when we go on our honeymoon, we’ll be all set.”
“I know but it just put all those thoughts in my head about death. What if something happens? What would happen to the spa? What would I do with my house? I don’t even have a will.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore, do we? Not until the honeymoon, at least. Unless you change your mind about marrying me? Maybe you’ll cancel that too.”
She was starting to see the problem. “Is that why you’re so upset with me? You think I’d actually want to call off the wedding?”
“You haven’t exactly nailed down the date.”
She felt bad for making him worry. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll tell you what, I’ll have my mind made up about the date before you get back from your work conference. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said.
“And, just to show you how much I love you, I’ll think of other ways to make it up to you,” she said in her best sultry tone. She knew just how to make him feel better, and as soon as he got back into town, she would show him.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, giving her a soft chuckle. “Now, have you gone down and checked the doors?”
She let out a heavy sigh as she sank down into the covers. Was that really where his mind went when she tried to start a sexy chat? “They’re locked,” she explained. “Not to mention, if anyone comes in downstairs, Chichi will let me know. He’ll go crazy making a racket and scare them away.” Her beloved cockatoo was better than any watchdog.
“Your bird can’t save you if someone breaks in. Besides, while the camera is down, you know I worry.”
He underestimated how loud the bird could be. “Peter, it’s fine,” she stressed. “I locked the front when I came in earlier.” She hated it when he made her go and check every single time he didn’t stay over. “I made it a point to do it because I knew you’d tell me to check. I promise, I listen.”
“Well, check again,” he said with a clipped tone. “It will make me feel better, and you didn’t say you checked the back door. Or the garage door, for that matter.”
“I’m already upstairs in bed, and I just got Chichi settled.” She hated going downstairs at night and getting the bird stirred up unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Go,” he said. “Come on, you know I’ll worry if you don’t.”
“You always think the worst things can happen. I’ll be fine.” She really didn’t want to start another fight with him, but she didn’t see why he couldn’t relax for one night. For all his talk about loosening up, he was wound more tightly than she was.
“Go. You tell me you don’t want me to be upset, and you can’t even humor me for five minutes. It won’t take you long.”
“Fine.” She got up from the bed and put the lotion on the bedside table. “I’m going!”
She headed out in the hallway, fussing the whole time. “I can’t believe you are making me do this. I was comfortable in bed and warm. I should have worn my slippers. My feet are so cold on this hard tile floor. I should have gone with hardwoods instead of this old stone.”
Peter didn’t say anything. In fact, the entire house was eerily quiet.
“Are you even there?” she asked. “Peter?”
A noise behind her caught her attention. Movement caught her eye in the upstairs bathroom. She froze and gazed into the darkness, not seeing anything but the half-open door.
She usually left it closed. In fact, she was sure that it was closed when she came up. But not anymore.
Her heart raced and she quickly put some distance between herself and the bathroom. “Oh my God, Peter, I think I saw someone in the bathroom. Peter? Peter!”
She checked the phone and it said her fiancé was still on the line. “Say something, dammit!” She screamed so loudly her voice seemed to echo through the house. But it wasn’t an echo. Only a split second of off-timing, she was sure she had heard her own voice coming from the bathroom.
Freezing, she narrowed her eyes at the half-open door and went silent to listen. Her pounding heart boomed in her ears, drowning everything else out. Panic clawed at her insides, and deciding not to wait a second longer, she dashed toward the stairs.
The bathroom door opened like a gaping mouth and a dark figure sprang out like a shadow coming to life.
Without thinking, Celia flung her phone at it and ducked toward the stairs. A strong hand clamped on her hair and yanked her off her feet. The hard stone floor knocked the air from her lungs and rattled her skull. Dazed, white spots bloomed in her vision like camera flashes.
“Peter!” she screamed at her phone, just feet away on the floor. Downstairs in the den, Chichi was going nuts, wings flapping, squawking, screeching. So much for being a good watchdog. Chichi somehow hadn’t heard the intruder come in. “Peter, help me!”
“Why would I do that?” The dark figure jerked Celia to her feet, bringing her to eye level. She knew the face looking out of the black hoodie.
“Peter?” For a split second, she was confused.
The man who was supposed to be out of town looked at her coldly and shoved her into the railing. A hot line of pain ran up her spine and she hissed. Everything was happening so quickly, and she was too panicked to think straight.
Before she could ask what the hell was going on, Peter grabbed her shoulders and pushed her with all his body weight, trying to leverage her over the railing. He meant to kill her.
The realization brought clarity, and one primal instinct eclipsed all others. Survive.
Celia slid sideways out of the grip of the man she thought she loved. As always, he had underestimated her, and she caught him off balance. He stumbled over his heavy boots and almost went over the railing himself.
Survive.
Celia hopped away from his grasping hands and rabbited toward the stairs. If she was fast enough, she could make it down and out the front door before her fiancé could catch her. Then she could get her neighbors’ attention and call the police.
As she ran, her singular focus faltered and she wanted to ask him why. Why was he hurting her when he was supposed to love her? What had she done to make him want to punish her like this?
Nearing the top of the stairs, she grabbed the top of the newel post so she could whip around it without slowing down. But her fingers, still slick with lotion, slipped right off. Unable to get a grip, her momentum sent her in the wrong direction, and she flew further down the hall.
Before she could get turned around, rough hands took hold of her shirt and dragged her back toward the stairs, which no longer led to freedom.
May 29, 2024
The Price of Treachery Chapter One
CHAPTER ONE
Strong hands grabbed Rachel’s shoulders in the darkness as she climbed the stairs to the second floor of the house. She screamed like a banshee, hoping to wake everyone before the killer could claim her too.
Adrenaline pumping, she spun around as a masculine voice rang out, “I’ve got you.” She brought her knee up and buried it in the man’s groin.
He went down like a sack of bricks and crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. Rachel looked for something heavy she could use to bash his brains in. There was nothing on the stairs with her, so a few kicks to the head would have to do. The killer had taken everything from her, and she was eager to return the favor.
The lights flicked on upstairs. “What on earth is happening?” Ava asked.
“It’s him!” Rachel cried, preparing to pounce on him like a jungle cat.
“Alvin!” screamed Ava.
Rachel took a closer look at the groaning man on the wood floor. It was Mr. Bennington. She almost kicked him anyway for sneaking around in the dark. “What is wrong with you, grabbing at me like that?”
Ava hurried down the stairs in a silk robe Rachel had never seen her wear before. It was practically see-through.
Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust at interrupting the geriatric booty call. No wonder old Alvin had been so handsy. The little blue pill was probably already kicking in, which meant her knee to his family jewels was the opposite of what he’d been hoping for.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing some of the panic with it. Her legs felt weak, and she sat right on the steps.
“I thought it was the killer!” she explained to Ava. “I didn’t know Mr. Bennington was still here.”
Ava had the older gentleman sit up and catch his breath. “You poor man,” said Ava.
“I’m sorry,” Rachel said, hoping she didn’t do any permanent damage. Old people were fragile. “Are you alright?”
“I’m okay,” he said. “I thought you were the killer too. I thought if I didn’t stop you, you might go up and hurt Ava.”
“You sweet man,” said Ava. “You were trying to protect me?” She hugged him tightly, pulling his head to her bosom.
Rachel scrubbed a tired hand over her face. “You thought I was the killer?”
He nodded into Ava’s boobs. “I did,” he said, his voice muffled.
“And your plan was to just grab the killer?” Rachel asked. “You didn’t call the police or alert everyone in the house? You didn’t turn on any lights or grab a vase to smash over my head?”
“I panicked,” he said. “All I could think about was keeping them from going upstairs. I guess if you had been the killer, I’d be toast right now.”
“What the heck is going on down there?” asked Mattie from the top of the stairs. “Did he break a hip? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
“Do you need an ambulance, Mr. Bennington?” Rachel was still trying to calm down. The fear had her blood pumping so fast she could hear it.
“No, thank you,” said the old man. “My hip is fine, Mattie. My one injury is something I’m sure Ava will attend to shortly.”
Rachel wrinkled her nose again.
Lucas came from the downstairs hallway as if he had come down the back stairs. “Is everyone okay? What happened?”
Mr. Bennington didn’t seem to want Lucas to see him that way and did his best to pick himself up. “I’m fine, thank you. I just need some of my dignity back. I assume that will come with time.”
“I am so proud of you,” said Ava, who offered a hand to help him from the floor. “You were willing to take on a murderer to save me. I think it’s quite heroic and so romantic.”
“I don’t know what everyone is still so afraid of,” Lucas said. “The murderer is in jail. Or have you all forgotten?”
“You can’t blame us for being scared all the same,” said Rachel. She still wasn’t sure what to think. Liam certainly hadn’t done all the killing alone. And she still didn’t think Eloise had a deadly bone in her body. The woman was unpleasant and had terrible taste in men, but that didn’t make her a murderer.
“What are you doing wandering around the house in the dark anyway?” asked Mattie. “We should all be in bed asleep at this hour.”
“I had just gone downstairs for some water,” said Mr. Bennington. “I heard something out back and got a little spooked. I tried to be quiet as I headed back up, but I saw Rachel moving around in the night and thought someone had broken in.”
“Was he sneaking in to spend the night with you?” asked Mattie, giving Ava a look. “Mr. Murphy would not approve.”
Ava lifted her chin defiantly. “Well, he’s not here, is he? And anyway, it’s not what you think. We enjoy each other’s company, and there’s nothing wrong with a little cuddling at our age. Besides, I didn’t want to sleep alone. It’s been hard since Rebecca’s gone.”
“Look,” said Lucas. “We’re all adults here. And Mr. Bennington is certainly welcome to stay. Just let someone know. I like knowing who all is here in case something does happen.”
“I agree,” said Rachel, letting out a breath.
“That’s on me,” said Ava. “I didn’t think it mattered. It’s not like it’s any of your business. But I see your point. Just don’t be surprised to see Mr. Bennington around a lot from now on. We’re officially dating.”
“Congratulations,” said Mattie. “Now, I’m going back to bed.”
Rachel wasn’t sure why Mr. Bennington’s home wasn’t more appropriate, but she was too tired to bring it up. “Well, you must have heard Lucas coming down the stairs.”
Mr. Bennington shook his head. “No, what I heard was outside. I’m sure of it.”
Mattie stopped to listen. “It was outside? Are you sure?”
“Don’t go getting upset,” said Lucas. “I’m sure it’s fine. I looked out on my way here and didn’t see a thing.”
“It sure sounded like it,” said Mr. Bennington. “But it’s possible I am mistaken.”
“I’m sure you were. Sounds are a bit odd in this house,” said Lucas. “I was on my way down when I heard a scream. It was hard to tell where that was coming from.”
Rachel hoped no one asked her what she was doing up. And while she hated to lie, she didn’t want to explain herself or the envelope she had tucked in her pants behind her back. “I thought I heard something and came down to see. I guess we’re all a little on edge these days.”
“Come on, Alvin,” said Ava, taking his arm. “Let’s go up. I’m sure you need your rest after all this excitement.”
Rachel yawned. “I’m right behind you,” she said. “Are you sure you’re okay from the fall? I could get you something for pain if you need it.”
“I’m fine, thank you,” said Mr. Bennington. “It’s a good thing I still bounce at my age.”
He and Ava shared a chuckle. “Goodnight,” he said.
“Goodnight,” said Ava to the others.
“Goodnight,” said Mattie, who was already headed back to her room.
As Ava and Mr. Bennington walked up, Rachel waited for Lucas, who took to the stairs. She stayed a step behind him to keep him from noticing what she was hiding.
All she wanted was to get to her room and find out what it was. She was almost positive it was the signed will, the thing they had been looking for since Samuel Murphy had been murdered right here at the Fox Nettle estate.
She didn’t know what else it could be. But just in case, she wanted to know before she shared it with anyone, including Lucas. It was Rachel’s job to honor Mr. Murphy’s last wishes, and the biggest one was finding the signed will and getting it to Mr. Murphy’s attorney.
When she reached her door, Lucas stepped in her way and leaned against it. “You know, we should take a lesson from those two.”
“Oh?” she asked, hoping he wasn’t about to suggest they hook up again. “I don’t think it would be proper for me to go up to your room. Besides, I’m really tired, especially from the adrenaline rush. I thought I was going to die tonight.”
“I meant the snuggling part,” said Lucas, totally ignoring her feelings. “I thought it sounded pretty nice, and we could do that down here if you’d feel better about it. What would it hurt?”
“It didn’t work out so great last time.”
“I think that’s why we need it even more. At least, I know I do. Come on, Rachel. I want to be close to you. If this is the only way I can, I want to.” He reached out and stroked her hair. “Come on. Don’t make me beg to hold you.”
She looked into his eyes, hating how weak they made her feel. She knew she had to ditch the envelope some place if he went into the room.
He stepped closer and was about to put his arm around her when she pulled back. “Fine,” she said. “But no messing around. I’m not ready for that.”
He raised his hands. “Hey, I’ll behave if that’s what it takes. I just want to be close. Nothing wrong with that, right? I hope you want it, too.” He looked at her with hopeful eyes, and she nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do at that moment.
She knew she didn’t want to turn her back to him as she went inside, so she teasingly turned and pointed her finger as she opened the door and stepped aside.
Lucas walked over to the bed, where he stretched out and put his arms up behind his head. “See? There’s no harm in this.”
She felt her cheeks redden as she shook her head. “I need a minute in the bathroom.” She made her way there as she spoke to him as if she didn’t want to break eye contact. “Don’t fall asleep without me.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I want my goodnight kiss.”
“You said you’d behave,” she said, closing the bathroom door. As she heard him chuckle in the next room, she turned on the faucet and let the water run. She quickly opened the cabinet door under the sink and put the envelope there with her overnight bag. She knew Lucas wouldn’t have a reason to look there, and it would be safe until morning.
She stood up and looked in the mirror. What am I doing?
A few days ago, she would have jumped at the chance for some cuddling with Lucas, but he had been cold and mean to her. They were all under an impossible amount of stress, with all the murders at the house, but that didn’t give him the right to ignore her and talk down to her.
And the note Mr. Murphy had left for her in his old pipe had explicitly warned her to trust no one.
She certainly didn’t trust Lucas enough to show him the envelope she found hidden behind the giant photograph of Fox Nettle hanging in the house. Mr. Murphy had hidden it for a reason, and he had clearly intended for her to find it.
Part of her wanted to trust Lucas like she had before, but part of her kept feeling there was some weight to what his cousin Liam had said. He was being held as the main suspect in the murders of his uncle Mr. Murphy, his uncle Jeb, his aunt Ruth, his cousin Rebecca, and Honey Lampkin, a con artist who tried to grift the wrong family and ended up strangled in the downstairs hallway.
Liam swore up and down he hadn’t committed the murders, but of course he would say that. He also claimed Lucas was trying to frame him. Rachel didn’t believe Liam, but she had to admit she barely knew anyone in the family aside from Mr. Murphy, whose tragic death started this whole mess. Lucas was as much of a stranger to her as Liam was.
At the end of the day, her loyalty was to Sam Murphy, her boss and mentor, and she would make sure his final wishes were carried out, just like he had wanted.
Feeling calmer and more composed, she left the bathroom. Lucas was already under the covers, and he pulled them back to invite her in with him.
“Come here, you,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, shrugging it off as she sat on the side of the bed. “I just feel bad. He’s an old man, and I kicked him in the nuts.”
“He’ll be okay,” said Lucas, trying not to laugh.
“It’s not funny,” she said, trying hard not to smile herself. “I could have really hurt him.” She never wanted to hurt anyone. It went against everything in her.
“Don’t let it get to you. He said he was fine, and he will be. Besides, Ava should have told you he was staying.”
“Well, she’s right. She lives here and she’s an adult. She doesn’t need my permission, so I’m sure she didn’t think anything of it.”
“Well, it’s best we know who is here at night, considering everything that’s been going on.”
“Right, you said you wanted to know who’s around in case something happened. But you also said the killer is locked up and we have nothing to be afraid of. Don’t tell me there’s a part of you that isn’t sure.” Rachel had thought the statement was a bit odd when he’d made it earlier.
Lucas shrugged it off. “I’m positive that the killer is put away where he needs to be. Liam fooled me at first, but I’m not letting that happen again. All I mean is there could be a fire or something. It’s best not to have people all over the house that we don’t know about. What if he had done that to me? I might have killed him.”
Rachel felt a cold feeling inside her. “You wouldn’t have killed him,” she said, not wanting to think about it.
“You know what I mean,” he said. “I might have kicked him harder, punched him harder. He could have ended up in the hospital, and the cops would be here again asking more questions. That’s the last thing we need.”
“Sounds like the last thing he needs either,” she said.
She slipped under the covers with him and anticipated the warm feelings she had before, especially when he cupped her chin and turned her to kiss her lips. But it just wasn’t there.
The kiss was soft and lingering as it continued. When he pulled away, he pulled her closer. She turned on her side and spooned with him. He planted a soft kiss just behind her ear and nuzzled his face against her hair. It should have been everything.
“You smell amazing,” he said. “I may not want to let you go.”
As he let out a soft sigh, the hollow feeling inside her grew bigger. It wasn’t love. Or anything like it.
May 8, 2024
The Twisted Truths Chapter One
After a long night with the police working Honey’s crime scene, Rachel yawned at the kitchen sink while rinsing her mug. She was exhausted and on edge, despite the four cups of coffee she’d had. The late night and early morning hadn’t done her any favors, and she needed the energy, especially since Sheriff Hinley had asked her to come into town first thing so he could talk to her.
Liam’s arrest had come as a welcome relief to her. Rachel had been suspicious of that snake since day one. Now that he was in custody, she hoped he would confess to everything. She couldn’t wait to learn the truth about what happened to her old boss and mentor, Samuel Murphy.
The other murders in the house had been tragic, but losing Mr. Murphy had devastated her.
She dried her hands and reached into the pocket of her favorite blue baggy pants to fiddle with the folded-up note. Rolling it in her fingers, she could barely believe that such a little thing could be so significant, but it had kept her up all night.
It was a message from Mr. Murphy from beyond the grave. If only she could figure out what the hell it meant.
Ava walked into the kitchen looking downhearted and got Rachel’s attention. “I still can’t believe it,” she said. “Liam was a little shit, sure, but he was really a sweet boy when he was a child. Sure, he was a little too coddled, but I suppose that was Ruth’s fault, not his.”
Rachel wasn’t sure what to say, but Mattie, who had been sitting on the other side of the room sewing a button on one of Henry’s shirts, didn’t have a problem. “Well, from what I’ve seen on TV, there are a lot of those psychopaths who have mommy issues. And well, I suspected him all along.”
“You did?” asked Ava, looking surprised.
“You didn’t?” asked Mattie. “After he was caught snooping around in the study and always seemed to be where he shouldn’t? And he had no trouble turning the lights off and on the night of the séance. As if he had done it many times before.”
“Anyone could turn the lights on and off,” said Rachel.
“Are you saying you don’t think Liam did it?” asked Mattie. “You told me you had him pegged after he put his hands on you. You even told Sheriff Hinley about him.”
“Oh, I absolutely think Liam is guilty.” Rachel took her hand out of her pocket and focused on the conversation. “But if he’s been killing people, he didn’t do it alone. We know he couldn’t have killed Rebecca. Which means someone else is helping him. And they’re still out there.”
Ava shivered. “Is there no one we can trust?”
“Only ourselves,” Mattie said.
Rachel shook her head. “Someone used my keys to lock me in my room last night while Honey was being killed. Liam said he was in the bathroom a few feet away and he never responded to my shouting because he was afraid. So even if he’s innocent, he’s still a prick who ignored a terrified woman in a murder house.”
“Liam was selfish and spoiled,” Ava said. “He would never stick his neck out for someone else. That much is true. Is he a killer? I don’t know. In some ways, he takes after his father, and that man was a terror. Cocky and cruel, he would strut around like a rooster, but if anyone did something he didn’t like, he got nasty.”
“Was he violent?” Rachel asked.
Ava shrugged. “Not that I ever saw, but when he yelled, it was like a slap to the face. You’d rather he hit you. I never liked him, though I never told Ruth. She wouldn’t have listened. She always said she saw a side to him that no one else did.”
“That’s the way it usually goes,” said Rachel. “Love is blind, for better or worse.”
“Till death do us part,” Ava said.
“Liam sure liked to cut people down,” Mattie said. “The boy never had a kind word for anyone. Ava, you say he was a sweet boy, so growing up must have changed him a lot.”
“Well, all children are sweet, I suppose,” Ava said, nodding. “And I only meant when he was little. I think what happened with his father changed him. Walking around on eggshells all the time and getting screamed at would change a person. It would have to, right?”
The old woman seemed to want someone else to blame for Liam turning out rotten. Abuse could turn a person violent but there was no excuse for killing, outside of self-defense. Liam had killed people without remorse. Members of his own family. His own flesh and blood. The notion made Rachel’s stomach turn.
She didn’t think Liam’s killing spree was all that complicated. Mr. Murphy’s fortune and the Fox Nettle property were good enough reasons for someone like Liam to commit murder. Outside of Mr. Murphy himself, the whole family had proven to be greedy vultures, descending on the estate to pick the corpse clean.
They had spent more time at Fox Nettle after the old man died than before. Even Ava, who was nice enough, was only here to take a piece of the pie. Maybe Liam was greedy enough to kill.
Rachel sighed. “Well, I hope I can make some sense of it all when I speak to the sheriff.”
“Are they going to arrest Eloise?” asked Mattie. “If she helped him all along, she should be in there, locked up, right along with him. No one is safe while she’s on the loose.”
“I’m not sure. I guess I’ll find out.” Rachel wasn’t sure what she would learn. She would just do her best to tell the sheriff what she knew, and maybe he could make heads or tails of it.
“Don’t forget to tell them about all of the fighting between them and the destruction of the property here.” Mattie shook her head. “She was a part of it, too. Those two were in cahoots.”
“Can you imagine the nerve she had calling the police out here and lying to them?” said Ava. “That really had to take some special kind of sickness. To be so bold and think you won’t get caught.”
Rachel had really thought Eloise had been trying to help. But maybe she had been wrong about everything. Eloise made the most sense as his partner in crime. She was certainly crazy enough.
“It was such an awful ending to a wonderful night,” said Ava with a heavy sigh. “Mr. Bennington’s friends were so welcoming. And I felt like a special guest being there. I even learned a few things. It was wonderful. And then I come home to the news about poor Honey.”
“I’m glad you had a good time,” said Rachel. “Any bit of sunlight in all this darkness is good.”
“Well, I’m just glad to still be here,” said Mattie. “I’ll tell you two something. I’m not sure how much my old ticker can take. All of this drama wears on an old woman like me.”
Mattie’s nice, peaceful life had gone out the window the moment Mr. Murphy had died. Rachel hoped they could find their way back to some kind of normal. If she could just locate the signed will Mr. Murphy left behind, they could put an end to all the uncertainty over who would inherit what. Lucas would get all of the old man’s assets, and the other family members, the few left standing, would be forced to give up their claims.
It was only fair. Rachel had been around long enough to know which family members made an effort with her boss, and Lucas was the only one who called Mr. Murphy regularly. The rest only called when they needed money. Samuel Murphy had made it clear to Rachel he wanted everything to go to Lucas, and he had trusted her to execute his will for him.
If she could just find the damn thing.
Lucas came into the kitchen and stopped at the door. “Why all the long faces? We’re finally safe. Liam is in jail, and Uncle Samuel’s killer will finally be brought to justice. Things will finally be going back to the way they were around here.”
Rachel felt an emptiness inside, thinking about the way things had been before. She wished she could jump in a time machine and go back to when she first came to Fox Nettle. She would warn Mr. Murphy and help him. None of the horrible tragedies would be written in the history books or be photographed in Fern’s camera.
“I don’t think things can ever go back to the way they were,” said Mattie, saying what Rachel couldn’t. “Not without Mr. Murphy. It will never be the same, and I’ve accepted that. He was the heart and soul of this place. He brought this whole town together.”
“I understand,” Lucas said. “But we’ll bring his dreams for this place back to life. We can’t bring him back, but we can honor his memory by keeping the spirit of Fox Nettle going. We should be celebrating now that the nightmare is over.”
The killing might be finished but Rachel would never be able to erase the horrifying things she had seen over the last few weeks. Honey’s lifeless eyes and mangled body still haunted her from the night before. Rachel was in no mood to celebrate.
The only silver lining for Rachel had been meeting Lucas. True to Mr. Murphy’s word, his nephew was a good man with a kind and generous heart like his uncle’s. But even he would be leaving soon enough.
He ran his own company, which was why he was constantly on the phone, and he would have to get back there at some point. He had put off his responsibilities for so long already. Surely, they were ready for him to come back. But before she could ask him what he was planning to do, Ava turned to Lucas.
“What happens with the will now?” she asked him. “Will Liam still get his part? Or can we contest it to have him taken out of it altogether? I hate to say it, but I don’t think he deserves any of the money he killed for.”
“He was trying to pick you all off,” said Mattie. “One by one. I’m surprised he didn’t start with you all first.”
“Me too,” said Lucas. “I wish he had started with me. I could have stopped him. But rest assured, he won’t be getting a dime. You can’t profit from a murder you committed. I looked it up. We might have to file something with the court, but there’s no rush on that. We’re good to stay in control of Fox Nettle for a while without having to take any action. Which means you all can stay.”
Rachel had thought Lucas would be in a hurry to get Liam officially barred from any claim to the property. The fact that he wanted to wait before taking action surprised her. Maybe he still had hope they could find the damned signed will and Liam couldn’t even try to inherit anything.
“If Liam is cut off, that is something to celebrate,” said Ava, nodding. “If he killed my brother, he deserves nothing. Sam’s stuff should go to the people who loved him. Like Lucas and me.”
Rachel and Mattie had cared more about Sam Murphy than Ava ever had. The old woman was just as money hungry as Liam and the others, now dead. Ava also had nowhere to live at the moment. Was that enough for her to scheme with her violent nephew? Was the old woman as harmless and clueless as she seemed?
The old woman seemed more interested in her love life than her daughter’s recent passing. Had she moved on too quickly? Or was she just clinging to something positive in a sea of death?
“I should go and check on Mr. Bennington,” Ava said. “He said he would be here early to get me this morning.” She turned as if going to the door but didn’t make it far.
“You’re going out with him again?” asked Mattie, giving her a sideward look. “That’s two dates in a row. You should play a little bit hard to get.”
Ava stopped in her tracks and smiled. “Well, I don’t know if I would call it dating. But I suppose so. As for playing hard to get, I’ve done that too many times before, and look where it’s gotten me. No, thank you. If all this tragedy has taught me anything, it’s that life is short and fragile. Might as well have a little fun.”
“You really like him, don’t you?” said Rachel. She thought it was the nicest thing happening at Fox Nettle. Maybe if Ava could find happiness in all this, there was hope for others in the future and Fox Nettle’s entire mood wouldn’t be spoiled forever.
“Oh yes,” said Ava, with a sparkle in her eyes. “I like him more and more each time I’m around him. He has a lot of friends. I’m meeting so many new people. It’s such a nice rest from all this sadness. I wish my Rebecca was around to see it, but I suppose she’s watching from above. At least, I like to think she is from time to time.”
“Where are you going today?” asked Rachel, hoping to keep the topic of discussion far away from Ava’s deceased daughter, whose death was still a fresh but healing wound. “Is Mr. Bennington taking you someplace special?”
“It’s sort of special, yes. We’re having lunch at the country club. He’s a member there. He said something about playing cards, but I’m not sure if I’m going to join or just watch. I never was any good at that kind of thing.”
“That still sounds lovely,” said Mattie, who seemed like she was also trying to keep the woman in good spirits. Mattie could be gruff and prickly, but she was a big old softie deep down. “But you watch those elbows. Don’t let them get too chafed rubbing them with the high society folks. Ms. Fancy Britches.”
Ava pressed her hands to her chest and giggled. “I have rubbed a few elbows already. But I suppose dating a man like Alvin Bennington, that’s bound to happen.”
“He’s a big man around town?” asked Lucas, looking surprised to hear it.
“He’s very popular. He knows everyone, it seems. We can’t go anywhere without people coming up to talk to him.” Ava looked to be very proud of her new love interest.
“Sounds like he should run for mayor,” said Lucas.
Ava grinned. “Oh, can you imagine? Me dating the mayor? Couldn’t you just die?”
“Maybe let’s not talk about dying,” Rachel said. “But I think Alvin running for mayor is a great idea.”
“That would be just wonderful,” the old woman said. “I’ll have to tell him I think he should.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re going out and meeting people,” said Mattie. “Live a little for yourself for a change.”
“You know, I think I will,” she said. “I suppose I should go and check on Mr. Bennington. He was supposed to be here already. I don’t know what’s keeping him.” She left the room, and the door swung shut behind her.
“I just came to get this,” said Lucas, swiping an apple from the basket on the counter. “What are you up to today?” he asked Rachel.
“I’m going into town. Sheriff Hinley wanted to speak with me.”
“I can take you,” he offered.
She hesitated. Things between them went back and forth. She had no idea where they were headed. Lucas was a good man, and he looked good in a flannel shirt, but why get invested in a man who’s is just going to leave and break her heart?
“No, thank you,” she said. “I have a few other things to do in town. Boring errands. And you’ve got a business to run.”
“Yes, I work with great people but I have to stay on top of things. I wonder why the sheriff wants you to come down and not anyone else.”
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe because I told him about Liam before. At least he’s taking me seriously now. I’m anxious to see if he’ll tell me any new information about the murders or the case. This has to open up some huge leads.”
“You would think so, but I’m the one he should be telling,” said Lucas, seeming a bit put off by it. Then he smiled. “But hey, that’s okay. I’d rather talk to you too, if I were him.”
The insinuation didn’t escape her. “It’s nothing like that, I’m sure. He knows I’m in charge of the house. He knows he can trust me.”
“Ah, I keep forgetting. Well, good luck. Tell him everything, so Liam never sees the light of day again. We’re almost through this.” Lucas took his apple and went upstairs.
Rachel nervously tucked her hand back into her pocket and felt for the little note. She still hadn’t shown it to anyone and wasn’t sure who she would share it with. Something stirred in the pit of her stomach every time she got the urge to show Lucas. She was sure it was meant for her, and if so, Mr. Murphy didn’t want anyone else to see it.
Trust no one behind Fox Nettle, she thought, running her fingers across the slip of paper. It seemed a simple enough sentence, though brief. Mr. Murphy must have been in a hurry when he jotted it there, rolled it up, and stuffed it in the pipe.
But who did he mean not to trust? Was it Liam who had called Mr. Murphy in the middle of the night during his recovery? Was it Liam he had told Lucas would get everything? Was it Liam who had been afraid of showing up at his charity event?
That didn’t seem right. Why would Mr. Murphy be so afraid of Liam, of all people? Did he threaten him? Did he know the evil his nephew was capable of?
Rachel rolled the paper between her fingertips as she tried to remember the entire conversation. It had been some time ago. With all that had happened and four cups of coffee making her mind race, she didn’t think she would be able to sort it out right then.
Liam was behind bars but she wouldn’t feel safe until his accomplice was caught. Liam couldn’t have killed Rebecca. Eloise was the most likely suspect, but he could have some other shady associate helping. Rachel didn’t know Liam all that well. He could have a whole host of accomplices.
She wouldn’t feel safe until the sheriff cracked the whole thing wide open and all the guilty parties were brought to justice.
April 17, 2024
THE FATAL ALLIANCES CHAPTER ONE
Lucas held Rachel close to his chest as Sheriff Hinley walked into what used to be Ruth’s room. His flashlight beam skated across the floor, reflecting off the dark bloodstain.
“The nightmare continues,” he said, seeing what Rachel had seen.
When she closed her eyes, she could still see Rebecca lying on the rug in a puddle of her blood.
“We came in to check on them,” said Lucas.
“She was supposed to be staying with her mother in the next room. She must have gotten up because she heard something,” said Rachel. “They were probably already in the room. Or she heard them coming in.”
“What’s happening?” asked Mattie from the hallway.
“We’re standing in the middle of a crime scene,” said Sheriff Hinley. “Again. Let’s carefully step out and see if we can’t get the lights restored.”
“I’ll go down and check the electric box,” said Lucas. “It’s possible it was shut off there.”
Sheriff Hinley stopped him. “I was just down there. There are some footprints that I marked. Do not get near the marker, but see if you can get the power turned on. I would do it myself, but I don’t want to leave this room unattended.”
Lucas nodded and let go of Rachel at the door. “Don’t look,” he whispered to her. “Mattie, don’t let her go in there.”
Mattie hugged Rachel. “It’s just awful,” she said. “Having this happen again.”
Rachel held on to Mattie. She didn’t want to see Rebecca that way, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen all the blood and gore before. Being a nurse, she was able to put it into a different perspective, but when it was a person she knew, it was much different.
Rachel suddenly thought of Ava in the next room. “Her mother is sleeping next door. I gave her some pain medicine for a fall, so she probably slept through it. She’ll be devastated when she wakes up.”
She wasn’t sure Ava would survive losing her daughter. She was all the woman had left in the world, and now she was gone.
About that time, Liam and Eloise made their way up to the second floor. “What’s going on?” asked Liam. “Did you wake Aunt Ava?”
Eloise kept her distance from him. “Lucas just ran out back.”
“He’s trying to get the power on,” said Rachel, noticing the lights from outside provided a little bit of illumination inside once her eyes had adjusted. “It’s Rebecca. She’s dead.”
“What?” said Liam, stepping forward and looking like someone had just slapped him. “Dead?” Surprise was the only emotion he showed. There was no sadness whatsoever.
“Yeah,” she said. “She was fine when we left her with Ava. Someone must have gotten in somehow. They killed her.” She felt herself choking up, knowing how badly Ava would take it.
“How?” asked Liam, still showing no sadness for the loss of his cousin.
Sheriff Hinley walked out of the room. “We’ll know more when the lights come on, but this is a crime scene. I want you all to go downstairs and wait for me to come talk to you.”
“But what about Aunt Ava?” asked Liam, who didn’t look like he wanted to go back downstairs. “Is she alright?”
“She was fine when I checked on her,” said Rachel. “She’s still sleeping.”
“This will kill her,” he mumbled.
That would be convenient for Liam, who wanted the place all to himself.
“I’ll tell her,” Rachel said. “She might be sleeping a while.”
“I told you,” said Eloise. “I knew I saw something. If I hadn’t come back, you could all be dead.”
She really had done them all a big favor, and even though Rachel didn’t care much for the girl, she was glad she had returned, knowing all that had been going on. This was the fourth murder at the Fox Nettle estate, and they were no closer to identifying the killer.
“It’s true,” said Sheriff Hinley. “Whoever was in that car wasn’t playing around. They came here to clean house.”
“Why do they want to hurt us?” asked Mattie. “And who could it be?”
“How do they keep getting in?” Rachel asked. “We locked this house up, Mattie and I.”
“You’re the one with all the keys,” said Liam. “You wouldn’t have any trouble letting someone in.”
Rachel couldn’t believe her ears.
“That’s not fair,” said Mattie. “Anyone could unlock these doors and windows. We asked you all not to.”
“I didn’t,” said Liam. “Eloise kept going out on the balcony.”
“Are you trying to blame me?” she asked. “Just because I wanted a little fresh air? Besides, I locked it again. I didn’t want anyone getting in here. And don’t forget, Liam, I just saved your ass. I could have left you all here. God knows I’m not welcome.”
“No, you’re not,” he said.
“You are so ungrateful. I could have let you die.” Eloise raised her voice, getting the attention of Sheriff Hinley.
He walked back over and cleared his throat. But he didn’t get a chance to say anything.
“Don’t start, you two,” said Mattie. “I think we’ve got more to worry about than your garbage relationship.”
“I’m over it,” said Liam. “You won’t hear any arguing from me.”
“Me too.” Eloise folded her arms in front of her. “As soon as my statement is done, I’m leaving.”
“Good,” said Liam. “I think that’s for the best.”
“I’m happy to go,” she said, making a face at him.
“We all think it’s for the best,” said Rachel. “But thank you again for coming back. You didn’t have to. I appreciate it. Truly.” She didn’t want to think about what could have happened if she hadn’t seen that car.
It had to be the killer’s.
Eloise’s face fell. “I just wish I had seen him before he hurt Rebecca.”
“Please. You didn’t even like her,” said Liam with a huff.
Rachel noticed that the sheriff was quietly taking in every word those two said.
“I didn’t want her to die,” Eloise shouted, then lowered her tone. “And well, I guess I respected her in a way. She was tough. The world needs more women like her.”
The lights came back on.
“Thank goodness,” said Mattie.
Rachel breathed a sigh of relief.
Sheriff Hinley radioed other officers to the scene, including the coroner, as well as the crime scene unit. Rachel watched and listened as he approached Rebecca’s body.
“It looks like blunt force trauma to her head, but there’s also a stab wound in the back,” he said. “Okay, thanks.” He ended the call and took a deep breath that was shielded by his arm.
“How bad is it?” asked Liam, who, for some reason, felt the need to peek into the room. “Gah, what the fuck?”
His shoulders heaved and he covered his mouth, like he might puke.
“Don’t throw up on my crime scene,” Hinley said sternly.
Liam shook his head and raised his palms. “I’m good.”
“Is it that bad?” asked Eloise.
“You don’t want to see it,” he said.
Rachel knew the feeling. “Could you all keep it down? Her mother is sleeping next door.”
“She’ll wake up sometime,” said Liam.
Lucas arrived upstairs and walked over to Rachel. “They flipped the main breaker. I turned it back on. We should be good.”
“Oh good,” she said.
“You didn’t get near the marker, did you?” asked Sheriff Hinley.
Lucas gave him a reassuring look. “I saw it. I stayed clear.”
“Good man. Thanks for helping out. I called in the cavalry. You can all go and wait downstairs.” He looked right at Liam when he said it.
“Do you need me to do anything else?” asked Lucas, who was always willing to lend a hand just like his uncle.
“What about her mother?” asked Rachel. “I really should stay with her. If she wakes up, I don’t want her to see this.”
Sheriff Hinley nodded. “Okay. You stay up here with her. The rest of you, go on downstairs now. Give me some room. I’m going to need it.”
Liam walked down with Eloise in his shadow and Mattie behind her.
When Lucas walked away, Rachel turned to the sheriff. “There’s so much blood,” she said.
“Yeah. She bled out. She probably came through that door, and he hit her. It didn’t do the trick, so he stabbed her for good measure.”
Rachel closed her eyes and shook her head. How was she going to tell Ava? “I’ll be next door.”
“Wait,” he asked. “Can you do me a favor and look around and tell me if there is something missing?”
“Missing? Um, sure.” She knew the room by heart and everything in it. There was a lamp that Mr. Murphy said belonged to Beth’s grandmother on the side table, and on the dresser, there was the small music box that he bought for Beth on their second anniversary. It was spattered with blood, along with the rest of the dresser around it.
She knew exactly what was missing.
“It’s the geode,” she said. “There was a large cut geode that Mr. Murphy kept on the end by the door. He got it on a trip.” He had told Rachel about that trip many times and how much fun he had.
“Are you sure?” Sheriff Hinley met her eyes.
“Yes. It was heavy and would have done the job. They must have gotten it when they heard her get up. Do you think they took it with them?”
Sheriff Hinley shrugged. “We’ll look for it. I just wanted to know if anything stuck out to you. A potential murder weapon is always worth looking into.”
“I know it was here earlier. It’s dumb, but I look at it every time I come into this room.” Rachel shrugged. “It’s pretty.”
“Is there anything else missing?”
She looked around again but finally shook her head. “Only the geode.” Just thinking that the murderer could have used something she loved so much to kill Rebecca made Rachel’s stomach turn.
“Rebecca,” called Ava’s from the other room.
Rachel’s eyes widened. “I should get over there.”
She hurried out of the room and went to see Ava, who was sitting up in bed but still half out of it.
She smiled at Rachel but looked confused. “Could you get Rebecca, please? I think I need some help.”
“Um, Ava, I need you to take a deep breath and listen to me.”
Ava blinked some of the sleep out of her eyes and leveled a worried look at Rachel. “What’s going on? Is she mad at me?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” said Rachel, who was trying to find the right words to use. How do I tell a fragile old woman her daughter was brutally murdered in the room next door?
Ava grabbed her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. “What is it? Have more cousins shown up? Is something wrong?”
“No new cousins, but yes, I’m afraid there is something wrong. Rebecca is gone,” she said.
Ava let go of Rachel’s wrist and leaned back in bed, relieved. “Oh, well, where did she go?”
“No, Ava. What I mean is, she’s dead.”
Ava cocked her head like she had misheard Rachel. “What was that? It sounded like you said she was dead.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “The sheriff is next door, and he’s called in forensics to go over the house.”
“Rebecca?” Ava screeched. “Rebecca, you come in here right now. This isn’t funny. You’re scaring me.”
“I’m so, so sorry, Ava, but it’s not a joke. The power went out. Someone got in. They were in Ruth’s room. We think Rebecca must have gone in to see what the noise was.”
“You’re wrong,” said Ava, struggling to untangle herself from the covers. “Why are you lying to me like this?”
Rachel sank inside. “I’m so sorry, honey. I’m not. I wish to everything it was a lie.”
Ava sprang up from the bed, forgetting about her hip until she tried to take a step toward the connecting door. “Oh,” she said, stopping to hold her side. “Rebecca?”
Rachel moved to stand in her way. “You don’t want to go in there,” she said. “You don’t want to see her that way.”
“I do. I want to see her. She’s my daughter, and if she’s hurt, I have to help her.”
Rachel gave her a sympathetic look. “She’s not hurting anymore.”
Tears streamed down Ava’s lined face, and it twisted with agony. “Rebecca, I’m coming!”
Sheriff Hinley filled the doorframe. “You don’t want to do that, ma’am,” he said. “Rachel, would you get her back in bed?”
Ava’s eyes widened at actually seeing the man was there. Panic set in. “Rebecca! Rebecca!”
She screamed her name over and over as she collapsed in Rachel’s arms.
March 27, 2024
THE TRAIL OF DECEPTION CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER ONE
As Rachel sat in the parlor with Sheriff Hinley and the others, she couldn’t help but feel like she had done all of this before. Another death on the Fox Nettle property and another crime scene investigation.
Poor Jeb. If only he hadn’t come back to Fox Nettle, he might still be alive to make someone else’s day miserable. But he wouldn’t stay away, like that stray dog Rachel had compared him to.
“Okay,” Sheriff Hinley said to Lucas. “Where did you say you went last night?”
“We went into town,” Lucas replied. “Rachel and I had dinner and went for a drive around Briarwood.”
“We just wanted to get out of the house,” she said.
“And you said that Jeb Murphy was gone when you left?” The sheriff was making notes on a small tablet. “He was gone in his truck?”
“Yes,” Lucas said. Rachel had told the sheriff all this just minutes ago, but she had blurted it out in a panic. “I had given him money so he would go away. But sure enough, when we came back, he was here. I guess he went into town and spent some of the money I gave him. I should have known it wouldn’t get rid of him. But he’s been rather difficult since his arrival. I had to try something to get him to move on.”
“How was he difficult?” asked the sheriff. “Was he just being the same old Jeb?”
Rachel shrugged. “I never met the man before his most recent visit, so I can’t say if he was being his usual self. I can tell you this. The other night, he saw me up after everyone else was asleep and took it upon himself to confront me.” She didn’t know exactly how to explain it where it made a whole lot of sense, but nothing Jeb ever did seemed to make much sense.
Hinley’s eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed together. “Confronted you about what?”
“We’re really not sure. He claimed that I was up to something. So, he came into the house and tackled me.”
The sheriff looked up from his tablet. “That sounds more violent than a simple confrontation. Why didn’t you call me out? I would have locked him up until he cooled off. You wouldn’t have had to deal with him at all.”
Rachel shook her head. “It would just cause more trouble. There’s already so much going on. Besides, Henry took care of him, and I didn’t want him trying to get Henry in trouble.”
Sheriff Hinley put his pencil behind his ear. “Henry, huh? Did things get physical?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said. “Jeb attacked me. Henry was mad enough to spit nails.”
“I bet. Henry’s protective.” The sheriff let out a long breath. “Was he mad enough to get physical again last night?”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Henry only defended me. He’s not a killer. He wouldn’t hurt a fly unless provoked.”
Hinley nodded. “Provoked by something like Jeb attacking you?”
“Sheriff, you can’t believe that, can you?” Lucas asked.
“Of course not,” said Sheriff Hinley. “It just doesn’t look good that I’m only hearing about it now. Like you said, there’s a lot going on at Fox Nettle these days. Anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, you need to give me a heads-up. The bodies are stacking up, and I have half a mind to declare this whole property a crime scene and shut it down.”
“Sheriff, no,” Rachel said. “People live here. I don’t care for the house guests, but this is my home. I would very much like to stay here and make sure Mr. Murphy’s last requests are carried out.”
“And it’s not her fault this is happening,” Lucas said, sitting forward.
Sheriff Hinley held his palms up. “I’m not saying it is. All I’m asking is that you keep me informed about anything unusual, like getting attacked in the middle of the night.”
Rachel nodded. “You have my word.”
“Going back, you said you gave him money?” the sheriff asked Lucas.
“Yes, against Rachel’s good advice, I did. I gave him two hundred dollars to leave and not come back. He was okay with the first half of that arrangement.”
“I told him he shouldn’t have done it,” said Rachel. “Mr. Murphy had a kind and charitable heart, but he always said that some people were like stray animals. You don’t feed them unless you want to adopt them.”
“He was right about that,” Hinley said. “Jeb was definitely a stray animal.”
“What do you think happened?” asked Lucas.
“Well, someone slit his throat. They must have been in his truck when it happened. So, that means it was probably someone he knew or trusted.”
Rachel considered it for a second, then frowned. “Or he could have been stinking drunk and they slipped in while he was passed out.”
“Yes, there are signs that he was drinking.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. Did you two see him or just the truck?”
“Come to think of it,” said Rachel. “I only saw the truck. I didn’t see him. I guess I just assumed he was in it. I mean, he had been since the attack. We wouldn’t let him back in the house.”
Lucas seemed unsure. “I saw that he was inside the truck but only sitting there. He didn’t wave or gesture to us, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Sheriff Hinley nodded. “So, he could have been dead when you arrived home?”
Rachel’s eyes widened and she shivered. Had someone killed him when he came back? She found it difficult to believe that anyone in the house could have done it, but if not one of them, who? And besides, she wasn’t going to put anything past Liam. “You mean he was killed while we were away?”
Sheriff Hinley nodded. “The coroner feels he had been dead for some time. It’s possible.”
“That’s crazy.” Rachel couldn’t believe this was happening again. There would have to be a whole new investigation into Jeb’s murder. His death had to be connected to the other two murders. Had the killer left a clue behind this time? Would the new investigation put them closer to finding who killed Mr. Murphy or just muddy the water more?
Before she could ask him, Sheriff Hinley had a question of his own. “Did you ever get those cameras installed?”
They had discussed doing that when she stopped by the office.
Rachel felt as if the days had all run together since Mr. Murphy’s murder. “No, I haven’t. So much has been going on that I haven’t even looked for any.”
“I would go online and find some,” said Sheriff Hinley. “They make them affordable enough these days. You shouldn’t have any trouble installing them. And considering the danger, you might want to make that a priority.”
“Thank you,” said Lucas. “We’ll do that.”
Rachel needed to look into it. Maybe they’d find a set up that would handle their needs that she could afford.
“Sounds good.” Sheriff Hinley offered a sympathetic look. “Hopefully, nothing happens again, but if it does, maybe you’ll be able to find out who is doing it.”
Ava stepped into the room with a wadded tissue to her nose. “This can’t keep happening, Sheriff. I won’t have any family left before too long.”
“Do you know who would have wanted your cousin Jeb dead?”
Ava sighed. “I would imagine there’s a line of people,” she said. “He always did have a knack for rubbing folks the wrong way. But I just can’t believe this has happened right here on our own front lawn.” She wiped her nose and sobbed. “This is a nightmare.”
“Maybe we’ve had this murderer’s motives all wrong,” Rachel said. “Jeb wasn’t set to inherit any money, will or not.”
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good point. Is it possible someone didn’t like that he was trying to extort two hundred thousand dollars from the heir to Fox Nettle?”
“Which is you, is it not?” said Sheriff Hinley. “Did you have a problem with it?”
“Jeb’s claims didn’t bother me,” said Lucas, shaking his head. “But maybe someone else? Like whoever killed my uncle?”
“Maybe,” the sheriff said.
“Well, I had nothing to do with it,” said Ava. “I figured he’d get tired and move on to the next scheme like he always did. You shoo him off the porch, and he finds another door to beg at.”
“Where was your daughter tonight?” asked the sheriff.
Ava’s eyes narrowed. “Surely you don’t think that my daughter had anything to do with this. Slitting a throat is not her style, first of all. I think if she killed anyone, she’d do it in the least physical way possible.”
“Have you given it much thought?” the sheriff asked Ava.
“I don’t sit around thinking of such awful things, I can assure you. And my daughter did not do this. You should ask Liam and that girl he’s got shacking up with him.”
“She is the one who found him,” said Rachel. “She noticed him in the truck dead.”
“I’ll talk to them,” said the sheriff. “Was there anything else going on here that I should know about? Any other attacks or disruptions?”
“Did you tell them about Jeb attacking you, Rachel?” asked Ava.
“Yes,” she said, giving the woman a sideward look. “I told him all about it.”
“Well, I think that was certainly odd,” said Ava. “He claimed that he just walked right on in the house. But all of the doors were supposed to have been locked. I haven’t felt safe at night since, knowing anyone can just walk right in at any time.”
“Is that true?” asked Sheriff Hinley. “Did he break in?”
Rachel shrugged. “He said the back door was unlocked, but I didn’t buy it. I locked the house up that night myself. I know I didn’t leave anything open. I was wondering if he had a way to pick a lock. Or maybe he had a key somehow?”
“We’ll check his belongings for something and let you know. But he has been known to break into buildings before. He’s an old pro at it.”
Rachel sighed and closed her eyes. “I’ve just been trying to get through all of this. It’s not easy when it keeps happening. I feel like people are dropping right and left.”
“Just do your best to stay safe,” said Sheriff Hinley. “You all need to organize a lookout or something. Take measures in the home to ensure you’re safe while you’re sleeping.”
“You want us to take turns as lookouts?” asked Rachel.
“If you insist on staying here, yes,” said Sheriff Hinley. “It’s better than becoming the next victim.”
“You think the killer will strike again?” asked Lucas, who looked concerned.
“At this point, we must assume it’s not over. It’s best to be ready for anything. Oh, and speaking of, I know you have a lot going on, so you’re probably unaware of the storm that’s coming.”
“Storm? Is it going to be a bad one?” Rachel asked. The weather could get wild in Briarwood. Streets would flood after the smallest amount of rainfall.
Thankfully, Fox Nettle was on a hill, so she didn’t have to worry about the house flooding, but the access in and out might not be passable if it got bad.
Sheriff Hinley gave her a serious look. “It’s going to be the kind of storm you hunker down for. I just wanted to let you know in case you need me, and I can’t get out here right away.”
Rachel didn’t like the idea of being trapped with a potential killer. “I’ll have Henry secure the animals.”
“Make sure things are tied down, too. The wind is supposed to be crazy.”
“Thanks for the warning.” She had been so busy that she hadn’t even thought about the weather. “Do you think the killer might just stay away during the storm?”
“It’s possible, assuming they aren’t already staying here.” Hinley gave her a look of concern.
“Perhaps it would be best if everyone left Fox Nettle,” said Lucas. “Since the storm is supposed to be so bad. It would be one way to ensure Rachel and the others’ safety.”
“I’m not leaving,” said Ava. “And no one can make me.”
“And I can’t leave,” said Rachel. “Absolutely not. But it would have been best if you had made the others leave a long time ago.” She wished the sheriff had put his foot down, but she understood he didn’t have the authority to do so.
“All I’m saying is give them the chance to leave on their own,” said Sheriff Hinley. “At least for the storm.”
Lucas nodded. “I don’t think it would hurt to mention it. I mean, maybe Liam and his girlfriend would want to go?”
Rachel sighed. She had a feeling none of these stubborn mules would listen to reason, even if their lives were on the line.
March 6, 2024
The Sinister Secrets Chapter One
CHAPTER ONE
After finding Ruth dead in her bed and calling the police and an ambulance, Rachel paced the front parlor, waiting for the sheriff to come down from the old woman’s room where he was speaking with the coroner.
She still didn’t know who was responsible for the murder of the old woman but hoped that she would figure it out in time to have the sheriff do something about it. Being a sitting duck wasn’t fun for her, nor was being stuck in a house with strangers without answers.
The whole situation made her realize that she didn’t know anything about the people staying under the same roof as her, other than the fact that Mr. Murphy didn’t trust most of them.
Ava, who had fainted dead away and had been brought downstairs to recover, sat weeping on the sofa with a cold, wet rag on her head and her daughter at her side. “I just can’t believe this is happening,” she said. “My poor sister. I thought she looked rather off today but figured she only needed her rest.”
“This is Stanley’s fault,” said Liam as he paced the other side of the room. “I knew my mother couldn’t handle this type of strain on her heart. She’s been through too much to get so worked up over a perfect stranger.”
“Oh, they weren’t strangers,” said Ava. “More like long-lost lovers. She used to have the biggest crush on Stanley when she was just a girl. He’s going to be so upset when he finds out that she’s gone.”
“It is a bit romantic for a tragedy. I mean, one day, you find your true love, and the next day, you die in your sleep. It’s terrible, but at least she was happy.” Rebecca put her hand over her heart and sighed.
“Well, I don’t want to hear about it,” said Liam, who put his finger in his mouth to chew his nail. He’d been gnawing at it since they had come downstairs, and Rachel couldn’t help but notice how nervous he was. In fact, he seemed more nervous than emotional over the loss of his mother.
She glanced out the window at Lucas, who stood on the front porch speaking with one of the other police officers who was supposed to be keeping an eye on them.
Rebecca wrapped her arms around her middle. “How much longer before we can go upstairs?” She was growing more fidgety by the minute. “I need to go to my room. I don’t see why they won’t let me go up there.”
“Because they don’t want us in the way,” said her mother. “I don’t think I’d have the strength to even take the first step up those stairs anyway. I hurt my knee when I fainted.” She rubbed the side of her knee and winced. Rachel figured she’d have a nasty bruise.
“You don’t think they’ll search our rooms, do you?” Rebecca asked. “I mean, they won’t go nosing around, right?”
“They don’t care about your pills, if that’s what you’re worried about,” said Liam. “They’re a little more concerned about my mom, who has taken her last breath.”
Rachel thought it was a strange choice of words as if he might be reliving that moment in his mind.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes with little sympathy for him. “I have other things I don’t want strange men rifling through. And I’ve already explained my pills are prescribed. Not that it’s any of your business.” Rebecca got up and walked across the room to the liquor cabinet. She seemed to need a fix, especially with all that was going on.
“My sister is gone. I really don’t want to hear the petty bickering, if you don’t mind. And you.” She turned to Liam. “You’re not the only one who lost someone. Your mother is gone. You could at least shed a tear.”
“I’m in shock,” he said, looking offended. “Forgive me for not falling apart and mourning the way you think I should.” He looked up at Rachel as if asking her to agree with him. “People mourn in many ways. I can’t help it if I don’t know how to express my sadness. I didn’t wake up this morning thinking I was going to lose my mother.” His tone had hardened by the time he was finished, and any sadness was coming through as anger.
“Just let them do what they have to do for her,” said Ava, who seemed genuinely upset about her loss. “I’m sure he’ll be down soon. You can ask him what happens next.”
“I don’t understand why this is taking so long,” said Liam. “I told them my mother had heart problems. What are they doing?”
Rachel knew what they were doing. She relived walking up to the cold body. Ruth’s eyes were not only bulging, but they were bloodied, and her skin had discolorations that proved what happened to her.
But what haunted Rachel the most was the look of terror frozen on the woman’s face as if she had never gotten the chance to scream.
“I remember when my mother died,” said Ava. “They took forever with her. Or at least it felt that way. But when all was said and done, I learned that it wasn’t as long as it felt. You said it yourself. You’re in shock.”
“It feels like an eternity,” he said.
Ava rubbed her forearm as if she was cold. “I just hope she didn’t suffer. The idea of her being up there and needing my help and I didn’t even know it? I feel horrible. If only I had gone to wake her up when I first thought about it.” Rachel noticed her gripping a tissue in her palm that had already done more than its fair share of duty. She put it to her face and wiped the corner of her eye.
“She was probably already gone,” said Rachel. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Unless she had, in fact, harmed the woman. Rachel tried to imagine each one of them doing the act and what that would have to look like.
With Ava, it was impossible to imagine her doing such a thing, considering the way Ruth was found toward the middle of her full-sized bed, lying on her back. The woman was much too short, too old, and too weak to pull it off without much of a struggle. If Ruth had fought back with Ava, she would have won.
Rebecca making the effort seemed a bit more plausible, but still seemed impossible, considering Ruth didn’t seem like she had fought back at all.
What made the most sense was Liam, the woman’s own son. He was surely capable and strong enough. And at his height, he could do the task without disturbing his mother much. She would be no match for him or any grown man, especially one she didn’t know might harm her.
Rachel saw the officer get called away to his car and took the opportunity to step outside on the porch with Lucas. “This was murder,” she said, leaning in close to keep her voice at a whisper.
“What?” he asked, looking wide-eyed with disbelief.
Rachel nodded. “I think that’s what is taking them so long. They’re assessing the scene and trying to figure out how it was done.”
“That’s a reach, isn’t it? She was an old woman. Her heart probably just gave out, as Liam said. Besides, these things take time.”
“Not this much. Trust me. I know what I’m talking about. If this was a heart attack, they’d already be bringing her out.”
Lucas shook his head and still didn’t seem convinced. “You heard them. The sheriff wanted the coroner to come before they moved her. He had to officially pronounce her dead. It shouldn’t be long now that he’s here.”
“I think he realized what really happened like I did. She’s been strangled, Lucas. Her eyes showed signs of subconjunctival hemorrhaging, and those purple dots on her face and nose were from petechial hemorrhaging due to strangulation. I’ve seen it before. Someone went into that room and strangled her.”
He glanced back over his shoulder as if to see if anyone else could hear her. “Are you sure?” Lucas’s voice deepened with concern.
“I’m sure. I’m a nurse, remember? Trust me. She had all the signs. Not to mention she looked absolutely terrified.”
“I guess I didn’t think about that possibility, but why would someone do that? To her? Couldn’t she have choked on a lozenge or something?”
“No, but if so, they’d find that in her throat.”
“Maybe that’s what they’re looking for?” He gave a shrug. “What are the odds it’s another murder?”
“I don’t know, but I could think of several reasons someone would do it. Several million, in fact. And there are plenty of greedy people in this house right now.” She was sure Liam had a motive, and the words from his own mouth saying his mother would be better off dead than in love wouldn’t stop replaying in her mind.
Lucas let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t get yourself worked up about that. Let’s just wait and see what they have to say.”
She lowered her voice even more. “Liam said his mother would be better off dead than in love. He despised her happiness with Stanley. Maybe he didn’t want to share the wealth he’s so sure he’s to inherit.”
Lucas’s brows raised with surprise, but before he could speak, something else grabbed his attention.
A car pulled into the driveway, and Rachel craned her neck to see who was inside. “If I’m mistaken, what are they doing here?” She pointed to the young man and woman who had come before to collect evidence from Mr. Murphy’s crime scene.
“Maybe they have to come out when the coroner is called? It could be the protocol?” Lucas gave a shrug. “I just think it’s a big conclusion to jump to. Is it really possible?”
“I’m beginning to believe that anything is possible. What I want to know is if I’m sharing a roof with a murderer, or did someone come in from the outside like they did with Mr. Murphy? What if it’s the same person?”
Lucas’s piqued expression told her his wheels were turning in the same direction.
Lucas welcomed the forensic team inside, and Rachel followed them in. Footsteps on the stairs caught Rachel’s attention. She looked over in time to see Sheriff Hinley on his way down with a concerned look on his face. The coroner was still upstairs, no doubt waiting for the crime-scene unit to arrive.
“Is there anyone else on the property?” Sheriff Hinley asked Lucas, who was nearest to the stairs.
Lucas looked around the room. “Mattie and Henry are in the kitchen.”
“I’ll get them,” said Rachel as she walked down the hallway to the kitchen door.
Mattie and Henry were standing at the sink washing up some dishes together when she stuck her head in. “Hey, Mattie. Henry. Sheriff Hinley wants us all to come to the parlor. He wants to speak with us about what happened.”
Mattie let out a sigh and dried her hands on her apron before heading out behind Henry. “I don’t see what good it will do. I barely knew the woman. She’s said all of three words to me since she got here, and not one I can say had any importance.”
“Let’s just humor the man, okay?” She wanted to get this over with and hopefully have it settled as soon as possible.
“Fine by me,” said Henry. “I’m ready to go back to my house and go to bed. I have work in the morning.”
Rachel knew it was more serious than they expected, and she returned to the room with them in tow, where she found Liam questioning Sheriff Hinley.
“Was it her heart?” he asked. “Mother has been having trouble for years. She was probably so lovestruck she forgot her medication. I knew that man was going to be a dangerous distraction.” He gave Ava an approving glance as if he needed her to agree.
“Actually, no,” said Sheriff Hinley, putting it bluntly. “She was murdered. Homicide by manual strangulation.”
“What?” asked Liam, looking shocked. Rachel tried to gauge his expression, but it wasn’t as easy as she had hoped.
“You heard me. Someone went up there and murdered her in her bed.”
“My sister? She was murdered?” Ava’s mouth popped open, and she looked at the sheriff with a gaping expression. “Does that mean we’re all in danger? First my brother, now my sister?”
Rachel could see the fear in the old woman’s tear-filled eyes.
“How do we know we’re not next?” asked Rebecca. “There’s obviously a maniac on the loose.”
“I’m more curious as to each of your whereabouts this afternoon.” Sheriff Hinley looked around the room as if expecting a response from each of them.
“You can’t think that we’re responsible,” said Rebecca. “My mother and I are not the violent type. We couldn’t harm a fly.”
“Well, I would never kill my mother,” said Liam, looking less than convincing and more irritated than anything.
Sheriff Hinley sighed. “I’m not accusing anyone. But I need you all to know that I’m not leaving any stone unturned. But for now, I need to get back up to my crime scene. I want you all to take your turns giving your statements to the deputy, and I’ll be in touch with each of you in the next few days.”
“Do you mean we have to stay here not knowing if there’s a killer on the loose? We certainly know he’s not among us.”
“Do you know that, Mother?” asked Rebecca. “Lucas, Liam, and even Henry all had the strength needed to get the job done.”
“Actually, it’s possible that, in your aunt’s position, another woman could have been responsible. Whoever did it crawled up in the bed and held her down to do it. She didn’t have a chance to fight back. I suppose it could have been any of you. You all have a motive. You all better hope you have an alibi.”
Rachel wondered if Sheriff Hinley was placing blame and suspicion on everyone just to see who might crack. But she couldn’t be sure.
Rebecca’s mouth dropped open, making the family resemblance to her mother even stronger. “I beg your pardon.”
“I’m only saying that you need to have your stories together if you want me to count any of you out. You are all suspects until further notice.”
Sheriff Hinley turned and walked away, leaving them all speechless.
February 14, 2024
The Dark Triangle Chapter One
Waking from a light sleep, Rachel Harris sat up in the bed and hoped that her ears had deceived her. Not only had she thought she heard a loud thud, but it was coming from downstairs and not the room next door, where her boss, Samuel Murphy, was supposed to be convalescing after bypass surgery days earlier.
Everything seemed quiet from his room, but breaking through the silence, she could hear the muffled sounds of conversation happening below.
Was it Mattie, the maid, who was supposed to be sleeping in the room on the other side of Rachel’s?
There was only one way to find out.
Rachel got up, and without disturbing Mattie, who was asleep in her room next door, she went to the connecting door to the spare room where Mr. Murphy had agreed to stay during his recovery instead of his third-floor master suite.
But when she opened the door, Mr. Murphy was not in his bed. Rachel let out a heavy sigh. He hadn’t been the worst patient and only slightly difficult, but being up in the middle of the night was not something she recommended, especially if he was in the kitchen having a late-night snack.
Rachel didn’t know if Mattie was up with him or not. She decided not to bother her in case she wasn’t, and instead of cutting through the woman’s room to the servant’s stairs that went directly to the kitchen, Rachel used the main stairs.
Mr. Murphy’s voice became clearer as she approached the main floor, and the tone that he used shocked her.
“I don’t give a damn what you say! I don’t care, even if it is true. You’re not getting one red cent from me! Everything I have is going to Lucas. You remember him, don’t you?”
She froze in her tracks as a chill crept down her neck. The tone was one she had never heard from her boss in the short time she had known him. Rachel realized the closer she got to his study at the front of the house that Mr. Murphy was on the phone. There was never any response to his anger that she could hear, and whoever it was had him quite angry. She breathed a slight sigh of relief that someone hadn’t shown up in the night.
“You heard me. Don’t contact me again!” The glow from the phone moved to his side as Rachel came into the room. The full moon shining through the window behind him outlined his shadowy form.
She turned on a lamp, which only proved she was right about his anger.
Mr. Murphy’s chest was rising and falling quickly, and his nose was broad from the flaring of his nostrils.
His brown eyes were shadowed by heavy, pinched brows, and his hair, more salt than pepper, stuck up on top of his head as if he had tried to pull it out.
“Are you okay?” she asked. There was no way that kind of anger was good for him in his condition.
He shook his head and shrugged and spoke in a much calmer voice. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Did something happen?”
“Just some old chickens coming home to roost, that’s all.” He waved his hand dismissively, and she understood that it was best to let the subject drop. “Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m worried about you,” she said, walking over to help him. “I should get you back upstairs to bed. You need your rest. And this is not going to help anything.”
“I’ll go without a fight, but let me sit a minute first, would you?” He walked over and plopped down in his brown leather chair.
The study was one of his favorite places to be, but Rachel had tried to keep him as far away from work as possible, given his condition.
“Just for a minute while you calm down.” She sat down across the room on a small matching sofa. “If I thought you might be making upsetting calls at all hours of the night, I would have suggested you stay at the hospital another day.”
Mr. Murphy picked the pipe up from his desk and held it tightly in his palm. His knuckles turned white he squeezed it so hard.
“Don’t you even think about it,” she said.
He gave her a look that reminded her to give him some credit. “Have you ever seen me smoke anything?”
“I’m only saying that so you don’t go getting any ideas.” The man was always full of surprises.
“Yes, ma’am.” He let out a heavy sigh and looked at the pipe. “This is a special pipe, you know? It comes with a lot of history. I hold it as a reminder.”
“That tobacco kills?” She cocked her brow.
He chuckled more heartily. “Do you know what this pipe is made of?” he asked.
Rachel shrugged. “I have no clue. Cancer?” She hoped to improve his mood and help him settle.
Slightly amused, he shook his head. “No. It’s briarwood.” He held it out so she could see the rich, dark wood.
“Briarwood? Like the town?” she asked. “I didn’t know that was a real thing. I just thought someone liked the name. Is it a tree?”
“Technically, it refers to the root of one, but it is really hard and heat resistant, so they make pipes out of it.”
“So, this town is named for a smoking pipe?” She shook her head. “Who thought that was a good idea?”
“Well, it makes sense. You do know that Fox Nettle Farm here used to be Fox Nettle Plantation, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’m aware.” The antebellum home was beloved by the entire town. “I’m told there is a lot of history here, of both the pleasant and not-so-pleasant kind.”
“True. But what do you think was grown on said plantation?”
“I never really gave it any thought.” She shrugged. “I guess lots of things. Different crops.”
Mr. Murphy shook his head. “No. Just one crop. Tobacco. As far as the eye could see. And year by year, several generations back, The Foxes sold off their property, and the town of Briarwood was formed.”
“So, it really is named for a smoking pipe?” she asked with a soft laugh. “That is fitting.”
“But not just any smoking pipe. This smoking pipe,” he said, tapping his finger against it.
“Really? That very one?”
He gave a slight nod. “Yes. I inherited it from the Fox daughter, who inherited it from her father, who sadly passed away from lung cancer years earlier. His father and his grandfather before that all passed away from the same thing. She saw it as a generational curse of sorts and payback for all the terrible health her family put out on the world.”
“That is terrible.” She couldn’t imagine losing so many to such a horrible illness.
“Yes, it is, which is why the daughter, who was well in her seventies when she finally parted with this place, didn’t want to pass the pipe and its legacy to any of her sons. I hold it from time to time when I want to think.”
“As long as you don’t get the urge to smoke it, I guess there are worse habits.” She was thankful he didn’t have many terrible habits. Stress and fatty foods had contributed to his heart issues, but he never smoked. And the only time she had witnessed him drinking was when the occasion called for it.
He gave her a reassuring look. “I won’t. I’ve always thought that was an ugly habit. But you see, I’m the first person outside of the family to own the estate who wasn’t in the Fox family. I hold this and feel, somehow, even more connected to this place and to my wife, who loved it so much. I bought it for her, you know? It was a surprise of sorts. She thought I was going to close on a different home, one I tricked her into thinking was more practical. She had never been so happy when I brought her here.”
“I never knew that.” She had only known that his wife had passed away many years earlier.
“Oh yes. She fell in love with it the minute she saw it. We were passing through one evening, got lost, and ended up passing this place. The realtor was just putting out the for-sale sign. And she told me I should act fast.”
“I bet you did, too.”
“We had already been looking at another place. But I saw the look on her face. We stopped and asked if we could take a look, and I had never seen my wife’s eyes lit with such amazement at how lovely the place was.”
“And you knew she had to have it.”
There was a twinkle in his eyes as he told the story. “She knew it too. I let her try to talk me into it, but I pushed back. All the while, I was making the deal behind her back. When the movers came and we drove out, she was halfway to Briarwood before she realized where we were going.”
“That’s so romantic. I bet she was so happy.”
“Oh, she was. She had so many plans for this place, and I hadn’t seen her so alive as she was those first years here. She wanted to throw big parties and fill the place with kids. But the latter wasn’t in the cards for us.”
“I’m sorry. You must miss her terribly.” She knew it was a sore spot with him, and he didn’t bring her up often.
“Well, yes. But I feel that she’s still here with me. Every time I watch the sunset off the porch or see how nicely the roses are blooming, I think of how much she would love them, and I feel that she’s still with me.”
“I think she is. And you’ve done a good job filling this place with happiness by sharing it with others.” He had given many people from Briarwood access to Fox Nettle Farms for various events through the years. “I’m sure she’s really proud of you and all of your efforts of generosity.”
“That’s nice of you to say. She was really something. You would have loved her. And she would have loved you. You know, I always wanted a daughter of my own. I suspect if I had one, she would be a lot like you. Kind and compassionate, just like my Beth was.”
“Well, you can pretend I am your daughter if you like. My own father wasn’t around most of my life. He left my mother and moved halfway across the world to get away from us. I always wondered what it would have been like to have him around.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. He’s a damned fool. And you’re a credit to your mother who raised you. And I’m awfully glad that she made you go to nursing school. I’m glad you’re here to take care of me.”
“Me too. Now, I should get you back upstairs and to bed. The night is still young, but you’re not.”
“Ouch. Telling it like it is.”
“I see it as a part of my job. You need your rest. And if I’m honest, it would be nice to be curled up in my bed asleep as well.”
He gave her an apologetic look. “Fair enough. I should stop being selfish.”
“You’re never that.” She got up and offered some support for him to stand. “We have to get you well.”
“I’ll heal,” he said. “I guess the good Lord wasn’t done with me yet.”
“He knows how much you mean to everyone you meet. And he gave us sleep to restore, so sleep can help you heal.”
“I hear ya,” he said as they walked to the stairs.
When they reached the first step, she looked at him. “Let’s take these slow. Doctor’s orders.”
“Do you think this place will be my legacy?” he asked.
“Better this place than that old pipe. But I think so. I think you will be remembered for many things when the time comes. Let’s hope it’s a long time from now.”
“You know, I am going to make sure you’re taken care of if anything does happen to me.”
“That’s sweet but unnecessary. I’m sure you have family who is more deserving of your inheritance.”
“If I did, wouldn’t they be here? I mean, Lucas, of course, but he’s been so busy with work. And you know he’s called me every day since I fell ill.”
“I also know that you told him not to come.” She didn’t understand why he hadn’t wanted him to come out. But he had this thing about not bothering the young man who was busy running his own company.
He waved his free hand dismissively. “There is plenty of time to come out here. Besides, I just saw him when I went out to visit him last month. No need for him to uproot everything to come see me like this. That’s no fun.”
“Well, I know how much he means to you. So, get better for him.”
“He’s the only one. I have sisters, you know? Did they call? And after all I’ve done for them.” He shook hie head. “I’ve given them down payments for their homes. I even sent their kids to special schools. No, not even a call. You know, come to think of it, I need to get a few things in order. Things that will seal my legacy for sure. Like my will.”
She stopped him, hearing that he was winded. “Take it easy. We’ll work on all that tomorrow.”
“I have to make sure it’s done right. You’ll make sure of it, won’t you? When I’m gone. You’ll see to it that it’s all taken care of. You will be the executrix of my will, won’t you?”
“What? I don’t even know what that word means.” Rachel shook her head.
“It’s just a lawyer word for the person who makes sure my wishes are followed. You’re the only one who could, with your knowledge of the place.”
“Yes, I will. Of course. But let’s worry about that when the time comes, which will hopefully be many years from now.”
“You know me. I’m too stubborn to die just yet.”
Rachel chuckled, knowing that was the truth.
She helped him back to bed and turned in, happy that his anger had subsided and hoping that nothing could come of it.
January 24, 2024
The Basement Reality Chapter One
Kinsey glanced at the clock in her kitchen again. Nolan was running a lot later than she had expected. The lasagna would reheat well at least. She hoped that Nolan’s emergency wouldn’t ruin his appetite. A late night for a homicide detective usually involved something unpleasant.
With the thoughts of what she had seen going through her head, Kinsey knew she needed answers, so she headed to the hallway and stopped outside the basement door.
She hated it down in the damp, dark basement, which was why she hadn’t really explored much of it in the past. It wasn’t the type of room you’d want to hang out in for any extended amount of time, and other than going down to check the outside door and do a bit of laundry, she hadn’t bothered with it.
That was why what she had seen in Chandler’s garage surprised her. Inside what she had assumed was a closet was an opening in the floor, much like the basement access in her house. But she hadn’t realized her basement went the full length of her house.
Seeing the dim light was still on below, she got her phone and turned on the flashlight, hoping it would give enough brightness to explore the darker corners of the room.
Knowing the basement extended that far made her curious to see what was there. Was there access to the other side? Was there a connecting door between the two spaces? And if so, was there exterior access from the yard on that side?
She hesitated to go down and pulled up the pictures that she had taken of Quinn’s art. There was one in particular that she had taken a look at before that she wanted to find.
Quinn had been obsessed with the house. So much so that there were several depictions of it throughout her collection. Kinsey found one of the colorful floor plans, which had been done in a very artistic way. It not only showed what was on Quinn’s mind at the time but that she hadn’t wanted to make that obvious.
Kinsey found the photo of it. The drawing of the floor plan was remarkably accurate. Each square representing each room had its own colorful pattern. Some were plaid and striped. One had hearts and clouds, and there was one with different-sized polka dots. Kinsey didn’t know if they had any meaning, but it seemed to represent a fairly happy home.
In the space that represented the basement, there were flowers drawn, but Kinsey noted it was divided into two sections. “You knew,” she said. “You knew it was two rooms.”
Quinn had been a curious kid to realize, but had she figured out there was another side or not? Was it just a question she had? A guess? Surely, if she had spent any time in the garage with him, she might have seen it too.
Kinsey thought of Chandler’s mood, finding her in the garage. He hadn’t been happy that she had even walked inside, and that seemed a bit irrational. It wasn’t as if she was going to bother anything. She had no knowledge of the tools there when it came to using them. And what did it matter if she knew his garage had basement access? Unless there was something he was trying to hide. Unless there was some reason he didn’t want her to know about it, which definitely seemed like the case.
Kinsey looked up from the phone into the darkness of the basement and then looked back at her phone.
The drawing indicated that Quinn had at least seen the entrance to know it existed to include the space in her drawing. The entire area beside her basement that extended under the garage was filled in with a black background and about twenty white question marks making its pattern. Was that because she had questions about what was down there as well? Had she tried to check it out only to be confronted by Chandler?
“You didn’t know what was down there either,” she said, wondering if Quinn had ever figured it out since drawing the picture.
She wondered if that was the reason Quinn had come into her house that night. “Were you still looking for answers?” She couldn’t help but wonder if that had something to do with her disappearance.
She looked down into the basement and took a deep breath. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary, and all her curious questions would be satisfied.
When she reached the bottom, she looked to the right, already knowing that in the space to the left was her washing machine and dryer and the counter and sink. There wasn’t anything exciting about that.
But the darkness in the rest of the space gave her an uneasy feeling.
She walked into the room and went all the way to the wall where there was stuff piled up. Old boxes of junk, things that someone else left behind, perhaps? She reached for the wall and flattened her palm against it. It was like any wall, solid and strong, but there was something different about it, alright. Kinsey looked at the wall it connected with. It was dark and dingy and so obviously original to the rest of the house. But not the dividing wall. Kinsey walked the length of it, looking for a door. But there wasn’t one.
The wall not only looked new, but it gave Chandler an entire half of the basement, if not more. More of it, from what it looked like.
That was a lot of room for Chandler to use. He had the upstairs apartment, the entire garage, and now more than half of the basement? What did he need all of that space for anyway?
She looked back through the photos on her phone and noticed the drawing of the girl in the pipe. It gave her chills down her spine, and the little hairs stuck up on her neck.
Quinn had said the screams were real. Did she think it had something to do with the basement? Were the sounds coming from the other side?
And what about all the portraits she did of Chandler? Was that really a crush? Or did she see him in a different way? She was obsessed with him. Was this the real reason why? Was there something more going on? Was that why she was so leery to share the truth?
“You’re in danger. You should do yourself a favor and leave.”
Kinsey recalled the girl’s words. Did this have something to do with what she had said? Was it really a warning? Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she had to make sure she could trust Kinsey first. Quinn may have thought if she confided anything to Kinsey, she might share it with Chandler.
Kinsey was starting to grow cold, so she headed for the stairs, but something stopped her, drawing her attention. She hated the fact that the door down below put her on edge. She had checked it before, only to find it was locked, but maybe it was best to check it again.
Kinsey took a deep breath and let it out. “You’re being ridiculous,” she told herself as she walked over to check it. “You just have to rattle the knob, easy peasy, and go back upstairs.”
But when Kinsey turned the knob, the resistance she expected gave way, and the knob turned. Her heart raced as she quickly pulled it closed. She locked the door and turned to run up the stairs, not looking back.
When she reached the top, she shut the door and locked it, gasping for her breath.
“I didn’t leave it that way,” she whispered. “Would Chandler have done that?”
More importantly, why would he? Did he do it on purpose? Was it a way for him to get back inside?
She had given him access to her home. He had even changed her locks. She thought back to the lock situation. Chandler was supposed to change those locks long before he did. And she had trusted him to not only do the job but to give her every key. But what if he kept one? What if he could come and go from her place anytime he wanted?
She thought of the leak and how she hadn’t been having any problems, and out of the blue, it all started. Then there was the rat. That rat seemed to have just appeared in the sink, stinking up her house out of the blue.
Had it been put there? And more importantly, why?
She remembered Chandler’s first warnings of the place and how he had told her it was haunted, and she should leave. Had he been trying to scare her away then? Was that why the pipes were noisy? Was that something he did to instill fear? But what of the screams?
Kinsey felt another cold chill. Just what kind of man was she living next door to?
She wondered if whatever was going on was bad enough for Quinn to notice. Had it been bad enough for her to look into? Had she been just as obsessed with what was happening there?
And did Chandler know it?
Kinsey could feel herself being pulled back in by Quinn. She had told herself that she had to give up on the girl, but the curious feelings were stronger than ever.
She wanted to know what Chandler had been up to. What was so secret about his stupid basement? Maybe she was overreacting to what she saw. If Chandler had acted normal about it, she wouldn’t even bother. She would have assumed that it was any other divided basement and no big deal. But he had been upset about her being there. He had been unreasonably upset, in fact.
Kinsey knew one thing for sure. She was going to find out what was going on.
She walked down the hallway in time to see headlights shining across her wall. Someone had just pulled into her driveway, and with any luck, it was Nolan and not Ruby and Cash again.
She had been happy to hear that there was a chance she might get her old job back, but she wasn’t holding her breath about it either.
Kinsey looked out the window, seeing Nolan headed up the walk to the side door, and let out a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t have to spend the night there alone.
January 3, 2024
THE SHAMELESS DEFEAT CHAPTER ONE
Kinsey was finally back at her rental house, taking her bags from the trunk of the car. Her best friend, Cora, pulled in the drive and stopped the car just behind hers.
Kinsey hadn’t heard from her since leaving her house that morning for work, but Cora had mentioned she had left a few things behind.
“You didn’t have to drive all this way,” said Kinsey, feeling bad when Cora got out with her makeup bag. “I would have come over to get them.”
“Hey, it’s the least I can do. Besides, you’re going to need your toothbrush if you have another hot date tonight with Mr. Detective.”
“Thanks,” she said. “We haven’t set a time to see each other again, but there’s no telling when he could pop in.”
“Here, let me help you,” Cora said, taking one of the small bags from the trunk. “I know you’re glad to be back home, but I’m going to miss having you around. I always feel so much safer when you’re there.”
“Well, I love you, girl, but I missed my bed. That couch isn’t as comfortable as I remembered.” She hefted her bag up on her shoulder and closed the trunk.
“I was surprised you came home at all last night. I know you told me you had a good time, but did you two decide to take things slower or something?”
Kinsey headed to the house, hoping Chandler had everything cleaned up and ready for her as promised. “Not at all,” she said. “We had a wonderful time, and the more I’m around him, the more I like him, but we’ve had such early mornings.”
Cora stopped with her at the door as she unlocked it. “Wait. Let me get this straight. You both bowed out because of early mornings? What are you, sixty?”
“I didn’t say what time I got home, and I didn’t say what we did for the three hours before that.” She turned the key and opened the door, giving Cora a knowing look.
“His place?” she asked with a wide grin on her face.
“Yes.” Kinsey was prepared to tell her everything, but when she opened the door, the musty smell hit her so hard it distracted her from everything else. “Ew.”
Cora gave her a confused look until the smell hit her in the face. “Ew is right. What the hell is that?”
“I have no idea.” Kinsey walked inside and turned on a light. The floor was clean and dry, and the cabinets were all closed and seemed to be normal. In fact, her kitchen never looked cleaner. “I think it’s mildew. It has to be.”
“I thought he cleaned up all the water when he fixed the pipes. That was what he was getting paid to do, right?” Cora walked over to the table to put the smaller bags there.
“That was my understanding,” said Kinsey, dropping her larger bag to the floor. “I can’t deal with this.” She let out a heavy sigh. “What the hell do I do about this?”
“You’ll have to get Chandler over here and ask him what the hell is going on. He might know how to fix it. And you could have another leak that he didn’t know about.”
“What if it’s in the walls?” Kinsey walked out to the stairs between her house and the garage and went up to Chandler’s door to knock.
As soon as she raised her fist, the door opened. “Hey, you’re back?”
“Yeah, I was just getting home, and there’s this smell.”
“A smell?”
“Yes, it’s horrible. It’s like mildew. Are you sure you got all of the water cleaned up?”
Chandler stepped out on the small porch and shut his door. “Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s go see what you’re talking about. I did use a sealant when I connected the new pipes. Maybe that’s what it is. But I don’t think it had a smell.”
“Maybe you were just too used to it?”
“I don’t know. I’ll check it out.” Chandler headed downstairs, and Kinsey kept up with him.
When he rounded the corner into her house, he was surprised to see Cora standing in the kitchen. “Oh hey,” he said.
“Cora can smell it, too,” she explained.
“It’s horrible,” said Cora. “My eyes are burning, it’s so pungent.”
He looked at the cabinets and the toe kicks below them. “I don’t know what to tell you. I took everything out and made sure there wasn’t any water.”
“What about the walls?”
“I guess it would be possible but unlikely.”
“Well, what about under the island?” Kinsey knew there had to be standing water someplace.
“I’m telling you,” said Chandler, who was growing more defensive. “I took everything out and made sure the water was gone.”
“Well, where is it coming from?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there another leak?” asked Cora.
“I don’t think so.”
Kinsey sighed.
Cora rolled her eyes. “Could you check?”
“Yeah, I’ll have a look around, but I checked the meter when I was done, and if there was another leak, it would register there.”
“Maybe there is another one since you checked,” said Cora.
“It wouldn’t smell like mildew already. I just checked a few hours ago when I finished up. You wanted the job done right. I did it right.”
Kinsey realized that he was offended because she and Cora were implying he hadn’t done a good job. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m sure you did it right. I just want to know what’s going on.”
“I’ll look at the meter again,” he said.
“Thank you,” said Cora.
Kinsey gave a half-hearted smile. “I’d appreciate it.”
When he walked away, Cora sighed. “It has to be coming from somewhere. Maybe he used a smelly cleaner or chemical?”
“I don’t know. It’s just musty.”
“It’s probably black mold,” said Cora. “An older home like this? I bet it’s full of it. Did you know that it can cause serious health issues if it’s not dealt with properly? A friend of mine had to move out of her house until it was completely removed. And she had to replace an entire wall and part of her ceiling.”
“I don’t even want to think about that,” said Kinsey. “Let’s hope it’s normal and nothing that can’t be fixed.”
Chandler came back into the house. “The meter is not registering any use. There are no leaks.”
Kinsey sighed, but she didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. “So, what am I supposed to do?” She couldn’t go back to living with Cora. Not while she and Nolan were getting closer. She wanted to have the freedoms her own home gave her.
Chandler walked over to the kitchen window. “Open a few windows and air the place out. It will be back to normal in no time, I’m sure.” He opened the window over the sink.
“Wait, you want her to open her windows? Do you know how dangerous that is for a woman like her? With all that’s going on, she might as well write victim on her forehead and go stand in traffic.”
“It’s not that bad, Cora. I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t like it.” Cora gave Kinsey a worried look.
“I’m sure it will be fine.”
“You don’t know that. He could be looking for another victim. And if he’s not, you know what that means.”
“What?” asked Chandler.
Kinsey knew what Cora was getting at. “The news is speculating there is another killer on the loose.”
“Why would they think that?” he asked.
“Because,” said Cora, as if everyone in Adenridge should know everything the news reported. “The last person they found dead in town wasn’t cut to pieces like the others. Apparently, killers seldomly break their patterns. And this killer has never deviated, according to the news.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t the same person,” said Chandler. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Well, I know it sounds terrible, but I hope it is the same person. And I hope they catch the bastard. He’s a creep who deserves to be put down like a rabid dog.”
Chandler looked at Kinsey as if he thought Cora was nuts. “I don’t know what else to tell you about the smell. I mean, short of moving, there might not be any fixing it.”
“I can’t move. I can’t afford anything else.”
“You could stay with me until you find a new place,” said Cora.
Kinsey didn’t want to offend her, but she needed her privacy. “I will just have to get used to it, open a few windows, and hope for the best.”
“Why don’t you two move in together? I don’t know what your place is like, but maybe you could get something bigger. You could split the cost. It might be great for you both.”
Moving wasn’t even an option for her. She had put all of her money into moving into the rental, and she had been so confident about spending on furnishings she hadn’t saved much. “I’ll deal with it.”
“Wow, Chandler, I think you hurt her feelings,” said Cora. “It’s almost like you want her to leave.”
“I didn’t say that,” he said, turning to face Kinsey. “I never said that. I just thought it would be better for you, is all.”
“It’s fine,” said Kinsey, who was going to keep her money issues to herself. “Anyway, it is what it is.” She walked over and opened the front windows that faced the street. “I’ll close them before it gets dark,” she promised Cora.
“I’ll call and remind you,” she said.
Chandler chuckled. “If the killer wanted in, no locked windows or doors could keep him out.”
“You’re not helping,” said Kinsey.
“Oh, speaking of being some use,” Cora said to him. “I work at the public library, and I’ve been working on plans for several events through the upcoming year. And the last event for this year is in a week. I still have several booths that have yet to be filled, and I need a bit of help with some of the booths that no one signed up for. I thought that you might want to have a booth with some of your furniture. It’s only thirty bucks to hold a space, and you’ll probably make tons more than that in sales.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I have my stuff at Crawford’s already.”
“Is it moving at Crawford’s? You could get your stuff more attention and promote Crawford’s in the process.”
“I’ll think about it,” said Chandler. “But I also doubt I’ll change my mind.”
“Fine, just keep it in mind. It’s a great place to meet people, too. The whole town comes out.”
“I went to the one last year. It was crowded.”
“See? Those people would all see your handiwork. It could drive a lot of business.” Cora was trying to hard sell the event, and Kinsey cringed, knowing it would be even harder for him to say no.
“I’ll think about it,” he said again, not making any promises.
Cora turned to Kinsey. “You and Nolan could help out. It would be great if we had some of law enforcement’s support, you know, with everything going on. The people of Adenridge need to see their officers doing more for their community.”
“I can’t speak for him.”
“Well, how about for yourself?”
“How far away is it?”
“It’s just a week away, but almost everything is done. It’s been planned forever. I just didn’t have as many volunteers sign up. And there are several fun things to do.”
“Like?”
“Face painting. Balloon animals.”
“And?”
“That’s about it.”
“I’ll think about it, but I can’t see Nolan doing either.”
“Well, anyway, even if you can’t help, I was hoping you’d tell the students at the school about the art contest. They can submit any piece by the end of the week, and there’s a fifty-dollar prize.”
“I’ll tell them,” she said.
“I’m going before she convinces me to make balloon animals,” said Chandler.
“It’s for the kids,” she said. “You seem like the kind of guy who’s great around kids.”
Chandler chuckled as he walked away.
“Do you think you could talk him into it?” asked Cora. “I have ten booths that no one wanted. I think this stupid serial killer has made people too afraid to do anything.”
Kinsey sighed. “I’ll spread the news and see what I can do.”
“Thanks. I should get going. Remember, lock the windows when you close them.”
“Yeah, mom. I will.” She showed Cora out and went back to opening more windows. With any luck, the smell would be gone by the time Nolan came back around.
December 13, 2023
The Chilling Disaster Chapter One
Kinsey
Kinsey pulled up at Cora’s apartment, trying not to be too excited about what she had found. She wanted her dear friend’s advice about finding Quinn’s sketch of Chandler entering her bedroom, but she didn’t want her to freak out and overreact.
Cora had changed the wreath on the door to a large sunflower that hid a small window behind it. Kinsey knocked, and a moment later, Cora let her in.
“Cute wreath,” she said as she entered. She dropped her bag in the chair by the door.
“Yeah, I got really creeped out about that window the other night and decided that I should probably cover it up. I don’t know who designed these apartments, but a peephole would have sufficed.”
“Well, that certainly did the trick.” The flower was huge and covered the entire thing. “But how did you know it was me at the door?”
“Oh, I cut a hole in it, see?”
“No, I don’t see it.”
“That’s the point,” said Cora, grinning ear to ear. “I don’t want anyone seeing me looking out.”
“That’s pretty neat,” said Kinsey.
Cora shrugged. “Yeah, well, it was the only thing I could find. Anyway, I know you don’t really care about my wreath. Tell me what is going on. I could tell you were all worked up about something when you called.”
She went to the kitchen, and Kinsey followed, taking her phone with her.
“Do you know how I told you I was going to the Larsons’?”
“Don’t tell me,” said Cora. “That blew up in your face. What happened? Did Mrs. Larson freak out on you for wanting to look at Quinn’s art?”
“No. It didn’t blow up in my face. But speaking of Mrs. Larson, she’s going through some strange phase of denial. I’m not sure what she’s thinking, but you’d think her daughter wasn’t missing at all by the way she is acting.”
“What?” asked Cora. “I figured she’d be a mess by now.”
“Yeah, I thought so too. But no. Instead, she was telling me that things can’t just change because of it. She was so weird.”
“She’s always been weird,” said Cora, as if she had known the woman forever. “Was the father there?”
“No, he wasn’t. He was at work. I mean, really? Your daughter is missing, and you go to work like it’s any other day? It’s like nothing was happening.”
Cora shook her head. “God, that is weird. But you know, people do strange things when they are grieving and in emotional distress. Some clean their houses to stay busy. Others cook and try to feed everyone. It’s like they need to find some way to get through it. Maybe it’s just their way of keeping their sanity.”
“No, I’m pretty sure that went out the window a long time ago.” Kinsey thought of how strange the whole house felt while she was there. “It was creepy being in her room, too. I mean, even with Ruby there. I’m glad she went with me. She showed me how to get way more information on my phone. I took a video clip of several of her books of work.”
“So, what went wrong?” Cora reached for two mugs and offered one to Kinsey.
“None for me,” said Kinsey, waving her hand at Cora’s offer. “So, after talking to Mrs. Larson a bit, I went to the room with Ruby, and we looked around. Ruby had a bit of trouble at first because she hadn’t ever been in that bedroom, but we eventually found the sketchbooks. She has a lot of art.”
“Was Ruby right about them? Did you find something in them?”
“Yeah, we did. And I don’t know what to do with it.” She turned on her phone and found the photos she’d taken of the artwork, stopping on the photo of the sketch of Chandler.
“What to do with what?” asked Cora, who was trying to get her coffee made.
“This,” she said, placing her phone on the counter next to Cora’s hand.
Cora leaned in and looked at the drawing. “Wow. That is definitely Chandler. She’s really good.”
“Yeah, she’s got a future with it, for sure. This is the rough sketch for the painting she did in my class.”
“Rough sketch? That is fine art compared to what I could doodle.”
“Yeah, well, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw it.” She still couldn’t believe it, and never in a million years would she have thought that the shadow in the doorway was Chandler.
“Why?” she asked with a shrug. “Didn’t he already explain that she had a little crush on him?”
Kinsey couldn’t believe she didn’t get it. “Yeah, but he also said that he never acted on it. And look at this.” Kinsey hated to think about what was going on with the two.
“Yeah?” Cora shrugged again.
“That is her bedroom he’s going into. The creep went into that girl’s bedroom.”
“He looks like he is really angry,” added Cora.
Kinsey gave it another look. “Do you think so?” She hadn’t really thought about that.
“Yeah, he doesn’t look happy.” Cora turned her head as if trying to make sense of it. “I mean, I guess it’s hard to say what he’s feeling.”
“Well, I think it’s obvious that there was something going on with them. And Quinn told me I’d figure it out when she finished the painting. She had just agreed to explain things to me when she ran away. Maybe she got cold feet and didn’t want to admit it.”
Cora’s eyes narrowed as if she’d had a thought. “Does she know that you cooked for Chandler?”
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“Well, maybe she got jealous of you.”
“She wouldn’t know that unless she’s been watching the house. Maybe she would have seen him coming and going now and then. You don’t think that she thinks there is something going on between me and Chandler, do you?”
“I don’t know,” said Cora, looking an awful lot like that was exactly what she was thinking. “But if she is the one with the obsession for him, maybe she thought you two were hooking up. I mean, I can see her being jealous of you. And maybe that’s why she was acting so strange at first. You have to admit that she was acting very cryptic about why she was at your house. That would make sense.”
“Or it would make more sense if maybe they had seen each other and she thought that. Maybe that’s why she came back to the house that night I caught her.”
“But why go inside your house? Why not go upstairs?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she expected to find both of us in my bed.”
“It’s possible,” said Cora, looking doubtful.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Now that I know that he was in her room, I know he lied.”
Cora’s eyes narrowed. “Do you, though? That’s a stretch.”
“What do you mean? Do I? Here’s the proof.” She showed her the drawing again. “It has to mean something.”
“Does it?” asked Cora.
“Of course, it does.” Quinn didn’t just draw it for the hell of it.
“Look, Kinsey, I know you are concerned for her, but all I see is a girl who is fantasizing about an older man. That lines up with what he told you.”
“Seriously? Are we supposed to believe that? I’m just supposed to believe him?”
“Why not? I think it’s all we can believe until we have other proof. He’s already explained it to you once, and it’s not like Quinn is making the claims. You are just guessing.”
She let out a heavy sigh, realizing that she was right.
Cora gave her a sympathetic look. “Do you think that his story is going to change any if you ask him about it?”
“Probably not. But he might know where she went.” That was all Kinsey really cared about—finding Quinn.
“Or she is into some other guy, and that’s where she is. Just like he suggested.”
“Or he knows where she is. He could be in communication at the very least.”
“Wouldn’t she be with him though? Like at his house? You know she’s not, right? I think you’d be able to tell unless he was holding her prisoner, which he’s clearly not.”
That was ridiculous, but maybe the whole thing was. “I guess so. But shouldn’t I take this to the police? I could at least ask Nolan about it. Shouldn’t someone talk to him about it?”
“And what then? You don’t know if it’s true. That’s a serious allegation to make against someone, especially since he already denied having anything to do with her. It’s probably better that you don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Cora? You’re the queen of overreacting and jumping to conclusions.”
“I just think that in this case, you should wait until Quinn is around before you go and ruin a man’s life with that level of suspicion.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am,” said Cora.
“Well, I have to confront him, right? Shouldn’t I ask him about it?”
“No. You don’t have to confront him. Let it go. Wait for Quinn to explain. You have to be smart about this, Kinsey. You live right there with him. Don’t confront him and upset him. That’s the last thing you want to do, since you have to deal with him every day.”
She had a point that Kinsey hadn’t really considered. How would this affect her living there? “Fine, I’ll keep it to myself and look into him a little bit more. I guess I really don’t have any reason to think that he’s seeing her or that anything improper happened between them. I just can’t believe that she would draw this.”
“It’s a fantasy. Maybe it doesn’t mean what you think. I wouldn’t take it out of context. So, did you find anything else?”
“Just a bunch of drawings of my house. She really did seem to include a lot of things from her life into her art. Some of it was creepy. Check this one out.” She showed her the drawing of the dollhouse.
“Oh, weird,” said Cora. “Who is the little boy?”
Kinsey looked at it again. “That’s weird. I didn’t even notice it was a little boy playing with the dollhouse. I just saw a child.” Kinsey thought that was a bit odd, but there was no telling what kind of statement Quinn was making with her art. “I guess there are little boys who play with dollhouses. It is just strange that this house is oddly like mine.”
“Maybe it’s like writing what you know. Maybe Quinn is drawing what she knows. She needed a dollhouse. She used her own home. Quinn is a kid. How deep do you really expect her art to be?”
“I guess. I wish I could understand it enough to find her. But I don’t think the answer is in any of it. If it is, I can’t find it.”
“You’d have to be a mind reader. Anyway, maybe she’s just drawing things that seem cool to her. That’s what I always did.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“You know I am. You just needed me to talk you off the ledge.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I just hope it’s not true. If he’s the kind of man who would mess with a child, I don’t want him anywhere near me. He should be locked up.”
“I agree,” said Cora. “Now, let me fix you some coffee, and we’ll go look at the other stuff I bought. You need to cheer up, and you know how much I love showing off my recent purchases.”
Kinsey laughed. “Thanks for being here for me.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” asked Cora.
Kinsey leaned in and hugged her. She knew that eventually, the truth would come to light, and it was best not to rock the boat while she was living in it. Once Quinn returned, that would be her situation to explain.
