Bernadine Fagan - Nora Lassiter 02 - Murder in the Maine Woods (18 page)

Head up, the moose swung away abruptly. I mentally hopped from one crazy thought to the next. Was he going back so he could charge the tree, try to knock me out?

I considered throwing the phone away. The man in black might find it when it rang again. Maybe he’d answer and hear Nick or one of the aunts or Mary Fran. I thought about climbing higher in the tree. I looked up. The next branch was too high and thin. Breaking my neck was a real possibility.

The men came into view. I panted as quietly as I could. The moose lowered his head, twitched his ears, and took off in their direction. Yay. Oh, yay.

I heard Lenny yell, “Le
t’s go,” as if that needed to be spoken aloud with a moose charging, full tilt, head down.

Well, wasn’t this the best thing ever.

While they were running I scrambled down from the tree, grabbed the piece of green plastic, and headed for my truck in reckless charge mode. Forget the damn plate number. Get me outta here.

All the ducking under and hopping over combined with the yarn tangling and constant head-turning to check for the moose, made my breath come in gasps. If that creature charged again, I’d have to climb another tree.

Maine could wear a woman out.

Bright daylight ahead indicated the road was near. With renewed vigor, I pressed on, vaulting the last downed branch, maybe it was more a hop than a vault, and landing in brush at the side of the road. Seeing my silver Ce-Ce brought tears of joy.

Fearful of the moose’s return I kept up the fast pace until I was safe in my truck. I took off immediately. I was only a mile or so down the road, when Nick’s SUV with the Silver Stream sheriff’s star emblazoned on the side, drove alongside of me.

I’d forgotten to call him back.

TWENTY
-THREE

“I have so much to tell you,” I said through Ce-Ce’s open window, suddenly
happy, not caring that Nick made the trip for nothing. In an effort to get control, I took a deep breath and pulled back mentally.

No gushing, Nora. No gushing.

I was so glad to see him that everything else faded in importance—finding Vivian gone, the moose incident, the ruined sweater, the plastic swatch, the men in the woods.

I hopped out. He met me halfway. We stopped about ten feet from each other, staring, unsure. I wanted to rush into his arms. I held back.

We were not a couple, so I shouldn’t throw myself at him.

He smiled.

I smiled.

Seconds later he took the final step and scooped me into his arms and swung me around. One of his fingers caught in a lose yarn loop and the sweater suffered another snag. I did not care.

We kissed.

I’m not sure whether he started it or I did, but all of a sudden we couldn’t get enough of each other. His mouth claimed mine and I felt his tongue seek entry. My hands clasped in the short curls at the back of his neck as he reached under the sweater and encircled my waist and slid his hand
s up my back, drawing me closer and closer.

He
kissed a path down my neck. I melted, turned my head and boldly sought his mouth again. It felt so right, like I was where I belonged.

That thought brought me up short. I didn’t belong with him. Much as I wanted this man, I knew I couldn’t have him. It would constitute a level of commitment I was unwilling to make. As I reeled from hi
s touch, my eyes closed tightly and I felt a moment of loss so stunning that the weight of it almost sent me to my knees.

With more reluctance than I imagined possible, I pulled back.

“I have so much to tell you,“ I said, smiling to soften the fact that I ended our embrace, and to make me feel better about doing it.

“We can talk at my place. I did make that spaghetti dinner I promised you. All I have to do is reheat it and boil the pasta.”

I knew for certain that if we went to his place right now, I would not be able to resist him. I needed time to figure this out. My plan had always been to return to New York. Maine was a place to visit. Nick was someone to … to what? Be friends with? To kiss?

I tried to shake the thoughts from my head. Life in Maine was getting murky where Nick was concerned. He was in the way of my plan. I was coming to care too much. Dangerous.

“It’s been an awful day. Could we postpone dinner until tomorrow?”

“We could.”

I read disappointment in his eyes, but he didn’t press. I liked him for that.

To turn his thoughts, I told him about the two men at Lenny’s house and the fact that they were walking in the woods.

“Lenny wanted to show them something. I’m sure they were headed in a definite direction.”

His frown of concern had me worried.

“What?”

“You know what. This is dangerous. You could have gotten killed or seriously hurt. I wish you’d be more careful. These guys play hard ball. You don’t even carry a gun to protect yourself.”

“Gun?” I shivered. “I don’t do guns.”

“My point exactly. You are not equipped to handle murder investigations.”

“I went to visit Vivian,” I said. “Not to investigate a murder.”

“But you ended up in a tree because you wanted a plate number.”

“I didn’t get the number, but—“ I rummaged around in my bag and pulled out the scrap of material and the plastic— “I did find these.” I handed him the evidence.

“And this is?”

“I think it’s important. Smell it.”

He took a quick whiff. “I don’t smell anything.”

“It’s very faint, I admit, but I think it’s men’s cologne, something cheap. Don’t you wonder what it was doing in that tree?”

He turned the scrap of cloth over and stared at it. “It’s not evidence of anything, except maybe someone once had something made of brown flannel and now a bit of it is floating around the woods.”

“
This material is important. So is the plastic. I know it. This stuff must belong to one of the nephews and it was up a tree. Do they wear clothing made of brown flannel?”

“Lots of guys probably have brown flannel shirts.”

“This was used for something that someone wanted to hide. Why would anyone store something in a tree?”

“Keep bears from getting into food, or in some cases to attract bears in order to kill them when it’s illegal. I’ll talk to the game warden. See if there’s been anything like that going on around here.”

“What about the scent?”

“I told you I don’t smell anything.”

“I have a wonderful sense of smell, very well developed. Let’s ignore your lack of that sense. Just tell me, why would someone spray cologne on a bag in a tree? Would it keep animals away or attract them?”

“It would repel. It’s a g
ood place to hide something. I’ll send this to the lab. See what they come up with.”

I stepped back and looked around. “Let’s not stand here in the middle of the road. The moose might find me again, or a car might come along.”

We got into his SUV.

“Nick, I can find out important things without a gun, like Lenny and those guys by the lake.”

“When I spoke to Lenny, he insisted it was all a misunderstanding on your part. Said he tripped. Period.”

“You know he lied. Right?”

“Ay-uh.” He turned down the static on his radio.

“He’s scared and I don’t blame him. He owes money to someone, Nick. Those guys must have been sent to collect or at least give him a message. If I’d taken a picture, the flash would have gone off. I didn’t have time to set up anything else.”

“I know Lenny’s into them for something. I’ll check it out. You do have good instincts.”

“Remember, I saw cards on the computer screen. Do you th
ink he’s involved with gambling and lost a lot of money?”

“
Probably. I’m checking.”

He held my hand.

“Remember when you told me there was bad blood between Buster and Ray. Why was that?” I asked.

“Had to do with a business arrangement that Ray disapproved of. He figured Buster was getting the best of him. Buster put in a lot of hours at the camp with different groups and he wanted a bigger percentage of the profits he brought in. Can’t say as I blame him.”

“That’s it?”

“That and the fact that Buster took vets out for free. On his own time, but he used the grounds of the All-Season Wilderness Lodge and Campground and sometimes used their boats, too. ‘Course, Ray would never admit to being
annoyed about that, at least not publicly, but I think that had something to do with it.”

“I have something to tell you,” I said, “that you must
try to keep secret. I need your word on this.”

Nick shook his head as he spoke.
“I can’t make promises like that.”

“Please. Try. I mean you don’t have to write it down, do you? Or tell anyone else?”

“It might not be important. I won’t write it down, but about telling anyone else, I can’t guarantee it.”

I
accepted that.

“I figured. Anyway, Buster was the father of Rhonda’s son. Ray may not know. She could never bring herself to tell him.”

Nick’s eyebrows shot up, and he turned down the chatter on his police radio even further. “My God,” he said softly. Then, “I wonder if he suspected. Steven looks nothing like Ray. Now that I think about it, he resembles Buster in build.”

“Can you keep this secret?”

“At least while I investigate. This is good information, Detective Nora. Thank you.” He leaned over and kissed me. “I have some info for you.”

“Sharing. I love it.”

“You might not love it. It’s about Vivian. We checked the phone records of all calls made to and from Buster’s house the morning of the murder. Vivian called him early in the morning, just like she said. But the return call to her, the one she said was from Buster asking her to come over? That never happened. No out-going calls were made from Buster’s home phone or cell to Vivian. He called Rhonda and his nephews. He wanted the nephews to pick up supplies. No other calls.”

“Why would they pick up supplies?”

“They lived in a small apartment over the Country Store and were going to work at the camp that day.”

“
Why would Vivian lie?”

“
To hide something? We checked her Caller ID. There was one incoming call from a company selling insurance. That’s it. To double check on Buster, we called her house from his phone and his name and number came up on her Caller ID.”

“His cell, too?”

“Yes.” He paused. “Nora, we think she went over there on her own.”

Another shock.

Although I didn’t understand how this was possible, and could not be sure of her innocence, I was quick to defend her.

“Some diabolical person is involved. Whoever it was, planned to kill Buster. It was definitely premeditated. Someone set Vivian up.”

“If she didn’t do it, I’m up against a phenomenal planner. A real manipulator. The timing here was impeccable, Nora. I’d even go so far as to say close to impossible. I can’t figure it out and no one in the department has a clue either.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Nick stared at me, but didn’t comment on the we. I figured he was thinking about it. Good thing he said nothing. It wasn’t every day I ventured into the woods, got attacked by a moose, climbed a tree to escape and ruined my iceberg blue Islesboro cotton zip-front bird’s eyes cardigan with the festive, Nordic-inspired motif. It had been on clearance. If he said a word I would have felt obligated to give him a rundown on my efforts and it wouldn’t be pretty.

“It was a crime of opportunity. Someone saw the opportunity and took it,” I said.

“You might be right.”

He didn’t sound convinced.

My phone vibrated, indicating a text message. I checked the name of the sender, grinned, and dropped it back into my bag.

“Not important?” Nick asked.

“I have to be going,“ I said, reaching for the door handle. “And no, it’s not important at all.”

I checked Vivian’s house before heading back home. She still wasn’t home. I wondered if she’d really gone to the library.

By the time I pulled into Aunt Ida’s driveway, my unruly thoughts were focused on Nick, romantically speaking. Determined not to think about him for at least an hour, I turned off Ce-Ce’s engine just as Yo Yo Ma’s tones played on my cell. It was Mary Fran.

“Hi
. What’s up?” I asked, thinking about Caller ID.

“Vivian finally left the pharmacy. She was in there a long time. She could have counted all the sour balls
in that jar by now. The one on the counter?”

“I know. Did you see where she went?”

“I did. You know, Nora, when I’m given a job, I do it right.”

“
Yes. So where… ”

“She
just drove by the door of Hot Heads Heaven. If she’s going back to her place she’s heading the wrong way. I’m watching her taillights now.”

“Thanks, Mary Fran. You’ve been a big help.”

“Should I follow her?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Right, boss. Call anytime.”

I made a decision. I sent a text to Whatshisname telling him he could rent the apartment on a month to month basis only. I called Lori and told her.

“Can I handle the paperwork?” she asked. “I just got my real estate license. He can be my first client. He’ll pay top dollar.”

“Go for
it,” I said. “You can text him.”

I sent
Lori the details about the apartment. I would charge exorbitant rates and get back some of what the cheater owed me. I hung up and opened Ce-Ce’s door.

That’s when I heard it.