Killer Spring Read online

“Leah’s great.”

  Eve nearly jumped out of her skin. “Oh… Hi. Glad to hear you approve.”

  “She can chop onions and talk at the same time and she doesn’t need to wear goggles. I’m impressed.”

  “You did great, kiddo.” Eve cast a furtive glance at her phone.

  “Samantha was about to organize a room for her. But I suggested she stay with me. There’s plenty of room.”

  Eve gave a distracted nod. She’d had the space above the stables renovated and refurbished for Jill so she could move out of her parents’ house…

  Jill studied her for a moment and then looked down at her boots. “Gerard is nice but he’s a hard taskmaster. The moment I finished something, he had two more tasks for me to do. I think I’m going to sleep for a week.” She made a chopping gesture with her hand. “And I’ll probably be chopping vegetables in my sleep.”

  Eve hoped Jill had been way too busy to stop and talk with anyone. She gave a firm nod. The news had to come from her. It wouldn’t be easy. She took a moment to imagine Jill’s reaction.

  Taking a deep swallow, she knew she would be in trouble…

  Once again, she faced the same predicament. How would she break the news? When would be the best time to tell Jill? “You deserve a break. In fact, if you want to start now, go right ahead.” That would give her a couple of extra hours to scrape up the courage.

  Jill hummed under her breath. “No, I’d rather catch up. So, what’s been happening?”

  “Nothing much.” She held up her bandaged wrist.

  “Where’s Jack?”

  “Oh… He had to go back to work.”

  Jill folded her arms. “I see.”

  “Yes… He got a call and off he went.”

  “And how are you doing?”

  Eve smiled. “Great.”

  “Something is going on,” Jill said.

  Startled by the unexpected remark, Eve gave the bandage on her wrist a tug.

  “You’re still upset about your ban. Have you heard from Chad?”

  “Chad?”

  “Yeah, remember him?”

  “Oh… Yes. I mean… No, I haven’t heard from him.”

  Jill frowned. “Hang on. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “Huh?”

  Jill straightened. “You’re being evasive.” She clicked her fingers. “Also, the dogs.”

  “What about them?” Eve asked.

  “They’re sticking to you like glue.”

  Eve grinned. “They like me.”

  “Yes, they do like you, but not that much. Dogs are smart and they sense when something is wrong. You’ve been sitting around moping.” Jill clicked her fingers. “That’s it.”

  “What?”

  “You’re abusing my dogs and using them as therapy dogs. Why?”

  Eve gaped. “Abusing them? You’re the one who ordered me to play fetch with them.”

  Jill used her warning tone. “Eve.”

  “Oh, fine. Go ahead and say it. You told me so.”

  “Did I?”

  Eve had been fooling herself by thinking Jill hadn’t heard. She knew all about Chad Burrows and the cake and…

  “When did you find out?”

  Jill’s dark scowl made Eve think of the storms that approached the island and threatened to wreak havoc.

  “A moment ago,” Jill blurted out and huffed. “Leah mentioned hearing something about someone dying when she stopped in town. I can’t believe you kept that from me all this time. What were you thinking?” Jill flapped her arms. “When were you going to tell me? Were you going to tell me? No, of course, not. You were afraid I’d tell you off. And I’m going to. But first, I want all the details and don’t you dare leave anything out.”

  “Fine. Just as soon as you calm down.”

  “I am calm,” Jill screeched.

  “Just take a deep breath.”

  Jill scooped in a breath, followed by another...

  “That’s enough. You don’t want to hyperventilate.” Eve straightened and sighed. “I baked a peace offering cake…” Eve went on to relate the events of the afternoon, leaving nothing out.

  To her credit, Jill waited for Eve to finish her story.

  “Why? Why would you do that? You just can’t help yourself. Couldn’t you just leave things alone?”

  “It was just a cake. How was I supposed to know it would end his life?”

  Jill swung away and then proceeded to pace around the sunroom. “This is about your good intentions. Whenever you feel the urge coming on, just say no.”

  “Jill, the deed is done. There’s no point in dwelling on what I should or should not have done.”

  “You’re right. We have to go into damage control and that means finding the real killer. Unless…”

  “What?”

  Jill lowered her voice. “Are you sure you didn’t put the peanuts in yourself. Maybe your subconscious mind took over. I’m sure the jury will take that into consideration. After all, you tried to do a good deed and they repaid you by banning you. The jury will sympathize. Well, maybe not everyone…”

  “I am not going down for something I didn’t do,” Eve protested. “I am innocent.”

  Jill nodded. “Good. Yes, that sounds convincing. Do you think you could make your eyes well up with tears?”

  “It’s convincing because it’s the truth. Mira doesn’t stock peanuts in the house.” Eve rolled her eyes heavenward. “I thought you’d be more helpful.”

  “Aha! Now you want me to help. And now it begins to make sense. This is why you brought Leah here. To free me up so I can help you hunt down the real killer.”

  “I asked Leah to come because you were right about needing someone else.” Eve held up her injured wrist. “I’m in pain. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  “You want my sympathy and my help?”

  Eve shrugged. “I thought we could put our heads together and brain-storm some ideas. The others have tried it, but they’re no good at it.”

  “Why? What are they doing wrong?”

  Eve yelped. “They keep pointing the finger of suspicion at me.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tough love

  “Snap out of it,” Jill ordered, her hands on her hips, her expression suffering no fools.

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me. You’ve been playing the pity card. Get over it. This is nothing new. You’ve been at the receiving end before. You should be used to it by now.”

  With her eyebrows drawn into what she hoped was a pleading expression, Eve raised her injured hand.

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Jill hitched her thumb over her shoulder and pointed toward the kitchen. “You wield that humungous cook’s knife with the expertise of a pro, which you are. But you haven’t always known how to use it. How many cuts did you suffer before becoming proficient?”

  “Well… There were a few.”

  “That’s right. And I’m willing to bet some of them were quite deep and I’m sure you never complained. That wrist sprain is just an excuse to feel sorry for yourself.”

  Eve lowered her hand and grumbled, “That’s harsh.”

  “But true. I get it. You’ve had enough with the finger of suspicion being pointed at you.”

  Eve shrugged. “Actually… What really bugs me is how much fun everyone’s been having at my expense. Mira must have hit a wall with her book and she’s using my dilemma to avoid tackling the next chapter.”

  Jill glowered at her. “You usually get worse from me.”

  “That’s right. I do. But it feels different when you tease me.”

  “Are they being malicious?”

  “No.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Eve took a deep swallow. “I guess I’ve missed having you around.”

  Jill’s shoulders lowered a notch. “You mean that?”

  Eve gave her a tentative smile. “We’re a team.”

  Jill pretended to look surprised. “A
re you saying you work better with me than with the others?”

  Eve brightened. “Oh, yeah. Absolutely.”

  “So, you’re really saying you want me to team up with you and try to get to the bottom of this mess, which is entirely of your own making. A mess you created because you’re too stubborn to heed my warnings?”

  “Do you have to put it quite like that?”

  Jill’s scowl deepened. “A simple yes or no will do.”

  “Yes.” She expected Jill to whoop with joy. Instead, she appeared to be thinking about it.

  Jill nibbled the edge of her lip. Finally, she asked, “Do you acknowledge my right to say I told you so?”

  Eve gave a quick nod. “Always.”

  “Always? That sort of suggests I’m always right. I think I like that.”

  “Just don’t let it go to your head,” Eve whispered.

  “Pardon? I missed that.”

  “Oh, nothing.” Eve smiled. “So… You wanna do some research?”

  Jill paced from one end of the sunroom to the other. “No, I think we need to retrace your steps.”

  “But I just told you everything that happened.”

  “Come on,” Jill said.

  “Where?”

  “To retrace your steps.”

  Eve looked down at the dogs. “They’re sleeping.”

  “Nah, they’re only pretending. Just give them a shove.”

  It took some doing, but eventually Mischief and Mr. Magoo budged and followed them out to the car.

  When Jill got behind the wheel, she looked across the road. “Do you remember seeing anyone on your way out?”

  “No, my mind was fixed on my throbbing wrist. I guess I let my guard down. Are you actually suggesting someone saw me drive out of the inn?”

  “Absolutely. That’s how news spreads. Mrs. Wilson happens to see you drive out, she calls her neighbor and tells her you must be up to no good. By the time you reach Mira’s house, the story has spread and it’s been embellished. Someone contacts Roger McLain and he develops a twitch.”

  “Did you just make that up?”

  “No, that’s what actually happens.”

  Eve inspected her nails. “My neighbor needs to get a life.”

  “Mrs. Wilson’s had a wonderful life. Now she enjoys looking out the window. In fact, by setting up the inn you’ve given her life new meaning. There’s always something happening.”

  “In that case, I should get a medal for community service.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Jill brought the car to a stop outside Mira’s house and leaned forward. “There’s a different setup here. Mira’s house is set well back. The neighbors only see you when you drive in or out. They can’t see Mira’s house.”

  “Oh… You’re right. They might have seen me driving by, but there’s no way they would have known I’d baked a cake.”

  Smiling, Jill put the car into gear. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Did you drive through town or straight to the bridge?”

  “Straight to the bridge. Remember, I was driving with only one hand and I was on a mission to make peace with the real island troublemakers.”

  Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, Jill shook her head. “Any number of people might have seen you driving by and passed on the information.”

  “That’s what I don’t understand. Why would they? Is there something you’re not telling me? Maybe something discussed at a secret town meeting I wasn’t allowed to attend? And don’t try to deny it because it’s happened before.”

  “I’m not privy to everything that goes on in the island. I used to be, but…”

  “But everyone knows you’ll share the information with me?”

  Jill grumbled under her breath. “You’re going to obsess about this. In your place, I’d look on the bright side. Everyone is interested in what you get up to.”

  Catching herself glancing down at her phone, Eve forced her attention away. She could understand Jack not getting in touch with her, but Mira had no excuse.

  “I don’t see the point of driving all the way to Chad’s farm.”

  “I’m thinking it might trigger something. Maybe you saw someone along the way.” Jill glanced at her. “You’re about to tell me your wrist was throbbing and you were fuming over the ban to have noticed anything.”

  Shifting in her seat, Eve lifted her chin. “Actually, I spent the drive over trying to word an apology. If you must know, I wanted to sort out the mess before it became an issue and everyone noticed I had been banned. It wouldn’t look good for business. Picture the scene. People drive to the island on the way to the inn and stop in town. In no time, they form an unfair appraisal of me because, of course, everyone would feel it their duty to let them know they were going to be staying at an inn run by a troublemaker.”

  “Nonsense. You employ a couple of locals. No one in their right mind would put our jobs at risk. You’re part of the local economy.”

  Eve pointed ahead. “That’s Wallace’s farm coming up. His house is visible from the road.”

  “You’re not going to like this but I’m with Mira. He can’t be a suspect because he’s too obvious.”

  “Yes, I can just hear him using that as an argument. Officer, surely, I wouldn’t kill Chad Burrows. I’m too obvious. For all we know, Wallace Greenaway has been working on establishing himself as the feuding man so he could then use it in his favor.”

  Jill slowed down and they both looked toward Wallace’s house.

  “I didn’t notice before but it looks really pretty from the road. In fact, the house is a real beauty.”

  “Eve, we’re not here to admire the architecture.” Jill leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t see Wallace’s truck anywhere.”

  “Do you think we’ll be able to drive into Chad’s place without being spotted? I don’t need any more witnesses coming forward to provide evidence against me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not their intention. Anyway, there’s only one way to find out. I don’t see anyone on the road and the next farm is too far away for anyone to see us without actually being on the lookout for someone.”

  They both leaned forward. When Jill turned into the long drive, they both saw the crime scene tape on the front door of the house.

  “I’m going in.” Jill put her foot down as if speed would somehow make them immune to any possible breach of the law.

  Instinctively, they both ducked.

  When Jill stopped the car, she laughed. “We’re both like the proverbial ostrich. Sticking our heads in the sand.”

  Getting out of the car, they looked around and while Jill headed toward the house, Eve walked toward the property boundary.

  Mischief and Mr. Magoo looked undecided at first, then they both bounded toward Eve.

  When they reached her, they both did some serious sniffing around the bushes.

  Eve looked for a clearing. At some point, there might have been some sort of fence. She could see a couple of stumps but they were covered by overgrown shrubs.

  “Wallace could easily access the property,” she murmured. Turning, she saw Jill peering through a window.

  Eve hurried to join her on the front porch. “We can’t go inside, Jill. That would be pushing our luck.” She pointed toward Wallace’s place. “He’s got an uninterrupted view of the front porch.”

  “And you think he saw you walking up and leaving the cake at the door.”

  “Yes. Absolutely. I mean… It’s possible…”

  Jill bit the edge of her lip. “I don’t see his truck.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I want to go through his trash. If he baked a banana cake, then…” Jill shrugged. “Let’s go see. We have nothing to lose.” She pointed at the dogs who were still at the boundary line. “They seem to find that interesting. Maybe that means something.”

  “Why don’t we start here?” As much as she wanted to think Wallace had been responsible for switching the cakes or adding the peanuts t
o her cake, Eve wanted to be thorough and eliminate the possibility of Bernice being responsible. Other than the one theory about possible abuse, Eve couldn’t think of any other reason for Bernice to want Chad dead, but one never knew…

  “But you said it yourself. If someone had baked a cake, the aroma would have lingered in the house and you didn’t smell anything.”

  Eve produced a pleading look that seemed to do the trick.

  Jill huffed. “Fine. It won’t hurt to look around.” Shaking her head, she grumbled, “Boy, this has really hit you hard. I’ve never seen you look so worried or uncertain.”

  “Are you about to tell me to pull myself together again? It’s really difficult to think with a throbbing wrist.”

  “And yet, you’d be the first to say you need to take your mind off it. Focus on something else, Eve. I’m still annoyed you left me out of the loop so I’ll be only too happy to shake some sense into you.”

  “There’s no need to get violent.”

  As they walked around the house, Eve remembered thinking the place hadn’t looked lived in. “I meant to ask. Did Chad Burrows live with Bernice Glover?” Even as she asked, she knew the police would know for sure. They would have looked around for evidence of occupancy.

  “Good question. Sorry, I only know she has a house on the island.”

  “Is she one of your original settlers?”

  “No. In fact, now that I think about it, she’s only lived here for a couple of years.”

  “When did Chad inherit the farm?”

  “Two years ago, I think. I remember everyone attended his aunt’s service and he was there.”

  Jill pointed at the trashcan out the back. The path leading to it was overgrown with weeds; another sign Chad hadn’t lived here full-time, or maybe he just hadn’t cared much about maintenance.

  Jill picked up a stick and used it to lift the lid. Glancing at Eve, she said, “I’m willing to chop onions for you, Eve. But I draw the line at going through the trash.”

  “Just poke around with the stick,” Eve suggested.

  Jill glanced around. “My kingdom for a clothes peg. This rubbish is really pungent.”

  Eve snorted. “You need to toughen up. You wouldn’t survive a day in a city garbage strike.”