The Paper Caper, page 26
“Sure.” I turned quickly to see what she had been looking at. I thought I would see Ella and Ingrid moving through the crowd like two gorgeous jungle cats, but I didn’t see anyone. I couldn’t pretend to read her mind, but maybe it was simply the idea of Ella that brought a frown to Ashley’s normally buoyant expression.
Had she been foolish enough to have fallen in love with her boss? It sure looked and sounded that way. And that was a great big danger sign for Joseph.
And it brought me right back to the other night on the riverboat. That was when I had suddenly started to wonder how willing Ashley was to destroy her rival in the fight to win Joseph’s heart. But as quickly as the thought arrived, I brushed it away for all the reasons Derek and I had already talked about. First of all, she was barely five feet tall while Ella was close to six feet tall. And second, I just didn’t think Ashley had it in her to kill someone, even if she were in love with the woman’s husband. There were other reasons, but I left it there as Joseph walked to the podium.
* * *
• • •
Welcome to this, our final event of the festival,” Joseph announced. He stood on a two-foot-high riser so the impressive crowd could see him. “I want to thank everyone here today, and everyone across the city, for their interest, their participation, and their wonderful appreciation and support of our first annual Mark Twain Festival.”
Joseph had to pause for the crowd to whistle and clap at his words. I took the opportunity to glance around the crowd to try and find Tom. I hadn’t seen him anywhere and I wondered if he’d brushed off his driver in favor of walking to the park.
“My wife Sandra was the person who first introduced me to Mark Twain.” Joseph stopped to take a breath, obviously moved by his words. “As a scholar, Sandra had studied Twain’s works and she developed a particular love for The Prince and the Pauper. She passed her love of that book on to me, and so this festival is dedicated with love to the memory of my wife Sandra.”
The crowd cheered and applauded, and I took another opportunity to search around for Ella and Ingrid. Joseph was taking quite a chance, dedicating the festival to his dead wife and possibly incurring the wrath of his new wife and mother-in-law. I wondered if, after losing Hobson, Joseph didn’t care anymore.
“Because of this festival,” he continued, “I was greatly honored to meet a man who personifies the meaning of the word prince. His name is Tom Cantwell, and he is, as they say, a prince among men. A kind, gentle, and humble man, concerned about people and content with whatever life hands him. I’ve known him for barely a week and he already feels like my brother—even though I don’t have a brother.”
The audience laughed and cheered, drowning out Joseph’s words for a long moment.
“Tom,” Joseph said. “You will always have a place in my home. You may not be my brother, but you will always be my friend. Thank you.”
I glanced around again, searching for Tom. But he was nowhere to be seen and I was starting to get nervous.
* * *
• • •
Monsieur Grenouille was the grand prize winner of the Jumping Frog Contest. He conquered every category, jumping the highest at four feet three inches; the longest at five feet two inches; and the most continuous, never stopping until he was first to jump over the finish line and promptly disappear into a large patch of mossy ferns growing at the base of a nearby tree.
He was a true champion among frogs and Joseph sang his praises as he announced Monsieur Grenouille as the winner and declared the amount of money the little frog had raised for the cause.
“Twelve thousand three hundred dollars,” Joseph said, and the crowd went crazy. “Monsieur Grenouille faced some stiff opposition,” Joseph continued, “but he showed them all today. The great Monsieur is a California tree frog with a lovely grayish-green cast to his skin, and though his name is French for Mr. Frog, he is strictly a California dude.”
Joseph went on to name the order of runners-up and thanked the crowd for being there and for contributing so much hard-earned money to the cause. “We truly appreciate it,” he said. “And now, this is the official end of our first annual Mark Twain Festival. I want to thank everyone in the city for their support. We received thousands of photos from people who thought they spotted me out there in the wild. Everyone who sent in a photo will receive a special gift card for participating.”
He continued for another minute and finally wrapped it up by saying, “I hope you’ll all take a walk down this pathway to see the latest addition to this beautiful park, namely the stunning sculpture of Mark Twain that was commissioned to celebrate the first annual Mark Twain Festival. May there be many more!”
His words were drowned out by the huge applause of the appreciative crowd. When he stepped down from the riser, he looked exhausted.
I turned to Derek. “He looks sick. He should go home.”
“I’ll talk to him. Make sure he does.”
“Good.”
I lost sight of Derek as the crowd surged toward the outer limits of the park. I finally found him standing with Joseph in an isolated area behind the tree line. They were deep in conversation and it looked serious.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, knowing it might be none of my business. But if something was wrong with Derek, it was totally my business. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, darling. But Tom is nowhere to be found.”
I stared at Joseph. “I’ve been worried about the same thing. Do you want me to call the police?”
“No!” Joseph said immediately, shocking me enough that I took a step backward.
He reached for my arm. “I’m sorry to bark at you, but I’m very worried about Tom, especially after Hobson’s murder.”
That’s why we should call the police, I thought, but didn’t say it out loud.
“Did you call your house?” I asked.
“Of course.”
I winced. “I’m sorry. Of course you’re doing everything you can. I’ll just shut up.”
“No, please. I appreciate you trying to help.”
I glanced from him to Derek. “Why not call the police?”
“Joseph doesn’t want the police involved.”
“Ah.” I pursed my lips, trying not to judge. “Okay.”
“Sorry, again.” Joseph shoved his hair back from his face, clearly anxious. “I just know it would bother Tom if the police showed up. And frankly, I really don’t want to make a federal case out of it. Tom could walk up any second and everything would be fine.”
Ashley ran over just then and stopped in front of Joseph. “The wrangler’s got his frogs all gathered up and he’s taking off. I thought I’d leave for the office if you don’t need me here.”
“You’ve got a frog wrangler?” I asked.
Joseph looked appalled. “Well, of course we do. You think I’m going to wander through the forest gathering frogs when I can pay someone else to do it for me?”
Derek laughed. “Yes, and you’d have a good time doing it.”
Joseph thought for a moment, then grinned. “Damned if I wouldn’t.” He turned to Ashley and gave her a hug. “You can take off, kiddo. Thanks for everything.”
“You bet.” Her wave goodbye included all of us. “See y’all later.” Then she stopped abruptly. “Brooklyn, can I talk to you for a second?”
I gave Derek a quick glance. I still wasn’t sure if I trusted her, but since I was in plain sight of Derek and Joseph and Gabriel and a dozen other people, I nodded. “Sure.”
“Let’s move away from the crowd.” She led the way over toward the tree line, then stopped and stared at me.
I followed her. “What’s up?”
“I hope you don’t think this is odd, but I’d really like to feature you and your bookbinding on my YouTube show.”
I gave her a doubtful look. “My work is slow and kind of low-key. Not exactly a stimulating hour of television.”
“Oh, come on,” she said. “You don’t seem that shy.”
“I’m not, but the work itself is pretty quiet.”
“If we have a conversation while you’re doing the work, people will love it.”
She was starting to bounce on her feet. I’d noticed her doing it before whenever she got really excited. “And we can advertise something. A product.”
“Why would we do that?”
“I like to push good products that relate to the conversation I’m having.” She shrugged. “It’s an influencer thing.”
I thought for a few seconds. “I have to eat chocolate while I’m working. Does that help?”
She laughed. “Oh God, that’s perfect. We can approach one of the chocolate makers in town. Maybe even Ghirardelli.”
“My latest favorite is Guittard chocolate,” I admitted. “The name sounds French, but it’s actually a local Bay Area company. Their products are gluten-free, which is something I’ve started looking out for because I have a little niece who’s got celiac disease.”
“Oh my God, that’s so cool,” she said, her feet bouncing, then stopping abruptly. “I mean, not the disease, but . . . you know . . .”
I laughed. “I know what you mean.” And I was more convinced than ever that this woman had nothing to do with anyone’s murder.
“Anyway, we can talk about that,” she said. “And . . . well, we can talk about books, too. And your work. And we can rave about the Covington.” She waved her hands in the air. “Whatever we come up with, my people will love it. Please say yes.”
How could I refuse her? Her enthusiasm was infectious and it made me see why she had so many YouTube followers. “Yes. It sounds like fun.”
“Fantastic! I’ll call you!”
She ran off toward a skinny young man who was pushing a dolly stacked with terrariums. She said something that made him laugh and then I watched the two of them walk away.
Ashley was frenetic but she was also charming and clearly very smart. And clearly not guilty of anything but enthusiasm. It would be fun to do a show with her, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for her to call me.
I strolled back to Derek.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Everything’s great. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Good.”
I watched Ashley and the frog wrangler walking in the distance. “I’ve never seen a frog wrangler before.”
“Nor have I,” Derek admitted.
“I wonder if he lives with a bunch of frogs all the time or if he goes out and catches them to order.”
At that moment Gabriel walked up. “What’s the sitch?”
Derek introduced him to Joseph, then said, “We’re missing Tom, the man who won the look-alike contest.”
Gabriel nodded. “Ah.”
“You gave him a phone to use, right?” I asked. “Can we call that number?”
Joseph gave me a blank look.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “My mind jumps from here to there sometimes, especially when there might be trouble.”
He shot Derek a look. “You’re a lucky man.”
“Yes, I am,” Derek said.
Gabriel grinned. “I’ve got to agree.”
I looked from one man to the other. “Okay, you guys. I got a little distracted by the frog wrangler, but now I’m just trying to greenlight some ideas here. We have to find Tom.”
“Yes, we do.” Joseph patted my shoulder. “And I like the way you jump right in and offer possibilities. It’s nice to see.”
I was taken aback. “Thank you.”
“You remind me a lot of my wife Sandra,” he said softly. “She was smart and clever, like you. A real idea person, if you know what I mean, always offering solutions to any problem. Instead of, you know, just whining about every little thing.”
“I’m perfectly capable of whining, too,” I said, smiling. But I noted that Joseph always called Sandra his wife. Not his “first” wife or his “late” wife. Just his wife. It was a very good thing that Ella wasn’t nearby to hear him. Talk about a whiner, I thought. And it would’ve been even worse if Ingrid had been here. She would’ve had a cow.
Joseph laughed. “I seriously doubt that you whine, ever.”
“She really doesn’t,” Derek said.
That was a lie, but I wasn’t going to protest. I simply smiled and slipped my arm through his.
At that moment, Joseph’s cell phone rang. “This could be him.” He stared at the screen, then answered. “Tom. Where the hell are you?”
He listened for a moment, then said, “I’ll be right there.”
He stared at the phone for another moment, then looked at me. “You can call your police now.”
“That was Tom?” Derek said.
“Yeah. He’s at the hospital.”
“I was wondering why he wasn’t here,” I said. “Is he hurt?”
“No.” Joseph looked from me to Derek to Gabriel and shook his head. “But his friend Wyatt is. He got hit by a car, badly.”
I gasped. “Oh no. Not again.”
“Again?” Joseph said.
I looked at Derek.
“I didn’t tell him,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to alarm him.”
“Tell me now. Alarm me,” Joseph insisted.
“Sorry, mate,” Derek said. “It was the day Hobson was killed. I thought you had enough on your plate.”
He sighed. “Yeah, maybe I did.”
“Tom and his friends walked up the hill to the Covington,” I said. “A car jumped the curb and almost hit them. Wyatt shoved Tom out of the way that time, too.”
“Wyatt deserves a medal,” Joseph said. “He’s a real hero. And a good friend.”
“He really is,” I agreed.
He rubbed his eyes. “But today Wyatt wasn’t so lucky. He managed to save Tom, only to be hit himself.” He blew out a breath. “Tom said he was hit with such force, he flew into the air and crashed into the street hard. God.” He covered his eyes and shook his head. “He’s in the ICU at UCSF. I’ve got to go there. Tom can barely talk about it. He needs my support.”
“You’re not going by yourself,” I said.
“I’ll go with you,” Derek said. “Ten of my men can stay here to watch the crowd.”
“I’m going, too,” I said.
“Yes, Brooklyn. You should come, too. Tom likes you.”
“There you are!” a high-pitched voice cried. “I got so lost!”
We all looked around and saw Ella stepping gingerly across the grass wearing a fuzzy pink sweater, tight skirt, and four-inch heels. “I’m going to need a new pair of shoes after today.”
“Where’s your mother?” Joseph asked.
I honestly got the feeling that he didn’t know quite what to say to his wife and that rather lame comment was the best he could come up with.
“She dropped me off and went to park the car.” Ella bit one of her fingernails nervously. “It’s impossible to get anywhere around here.” She took a light swipe at Joseph. “Why did you even pick this spot? If I ruin these shoes, I’ll be—”
A loud bang shattered the air and people began to scream and run.
“Get down!” Derek grabbed me, threw me on the ground, and wrapped his arms around me.
“That was a gunshot,” I said to Derek.
“Yes, it was.”
“Damn straight,” Gabriel said. He was very close by.
“Sounded like a shotgun,” Joseph shouted.
“And we’re sitting ducks out here in the open.” Derek pointed. “We’ve got to get over to the tree line.”
“Let’s go,” Joseph said.
But before any of us could take one step forward, Ella began to scream.
Chapter 18
What a delightful thing a coincidence is! There isn’t anybody to whom that mysterious conjunction which we call a coincidence is a matter barren of interest.
—Mark Twain, “The Ashcroft-Lyon Manuscript”
Ella screamed so loudly, I thought she must’ve injured herself. Had she twisted her ankle in those ridiculous shoes? Or maybe it was just her feelings that were hurt because we hadn’t acknowledged and bowed down in her presence.
And that was just plain catty of me.
But frankly, once I’d heard that gunshot, I completely forgot that she was even there. I probably wasn’t the only one. But looking at Ella, I cringed because I could tell that she knew it, especially since Joseph had been about to start running for the tree line without her.
“Okay, baby. Okay.” Joseph quickly picked her up in his arms. Then he hustled back to the shelter of the tree line, where the rest of us were crouched down, waiting for whatever came next.
Gabriel was already scanning the area with a small pair of high-powered binoculars.
“See anything?” Derek asked.
“Nothing.” He sounded disgusted.
Derek pressed his earpiece closer to hear what someone was saying. “My agents are scattered across the park, combing the area for any sign of the shooter.”
“Good,” Gabriel said. “But I doubt they’ll find anyone. The shooter has already packed his gun away and escaped.”
Ella was still crying and I could see once again that Joseph had the patience of Job.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered. “I know you’re frightened, but you’re safe now. Shh.”
She hiccupped and tried to speak, but the tears overwhelmed her again.
“Come on now,” he said. “Slow down, baby. Take a few deep breaths.”
She did as he requested. Her breath was still wavering in and out, but finally she spoke in a whisper-soft stutter. “I-I th-think I’ve b-been shot.”
* * *
• • •
