Murder Most Owl, page 7
We circled around to the rear of the carriage house. My aunt sat in a cushioned wicker chair on the patio, her injured ankle elevated on a footrest. She closed the book she held and took off her reading glasses as we came around the corner.
‘Isaac,’ she greeted the police chief. ‘It’s good to see you again, although perhaps the circumstances aren’t what we would hope.’
‘I’m afraid that’s the case.’ Stratton removed his hat and kept it off this time. ‘I have a few questions for you about Dorothy Shale.’
‘I hope I can help you,’ Aunt Olivia said.
Stratton looked my way. ‘Georgie, would you mind giving us a few minutes?’
‘Auntie O, do you want me to stay? Should I call a lawyer?’ I didn’t know any lawyers around these parts, but I figured I could probably look one up online.
My aunt laughed. ‘There’s no need for that, Georgie. I’ll be fine. You go ahead and get on with your day.’
I didn’t want to leave her alone with the police chief, but I didn’t see that I had much choice. Stratton’s questions had left me worried for myself, but even more so for my aunt. Olivia probably thought he was simply going to ask her if she’d seen or heard anything unusual around the time of the murder. I was willing to bet he was going to ask her far more than that.
As I walked away, I tried to reassure myself. Aunt Olivia had nothing to do with Dorothy’s murder. If Stratton didn’t know that already, he soon would. I had no reason to worry.
My mind didn’t seem to want to listen to those words.
I returned to the porch and stress-ate two more brownies while I waited for Chief Stratton to reappear from behind the carriage house. When he did, he came over my way again, so I met him halfway. I wanted to ask him what questions he’d put to my aunt, but he didn’t give me a chance.
‘We found a copy of Dorothy’s will in her cabin,’ he informed me. ‘As I just told Olivia, Dorothy wanted her dogs to go into your aunt’s care. Whether Olivia wants to adopt them or find them a good home is up to her. We’re keeping everything from the cabin as evidence for the time being, so I’m afraid we can’t release the dog food or beds yet.’
‘I already bought them some things in town,’ I said. ‘We’ll get them whatever they need.’
Stratton nodded and set his hat on his head before climbing into his SUV without another word. I stood there and watched as he turned the vehicle around and drove off down the road. Then I grabbed the plate of brownies and jogged over to the carriage house. Flossie and Fancy woke up from their naps to bound along at my side.
I found Auntie O sitting in the same chair as before. She’d set her book and reading glasses on the patio table and now stared off into the distance, her face somber and thoughtful.
‘What was that all about?’ I dropped into a free wicker chair, not sure if I really wanted to hear the answer.
Aunt Olivia reeled in her gaze and focused on me. ‘I’m afraid you and I might be murder suspects.’
That was exactly what I’d feared. ‘But that’s crazy!’
The dogs pressed their noses against my legs and looked up at me, as if worried about my agitated voice. I stroked their fur to reassure them.
‘I wouldn’t worry about it too much,’ Aunt Olivia said. ‘At this point, we’re probably two suspects among many. Isaac is just doing his job.’
I still couldn’t believe he suspected my aunt to any degree. ‘How could he think there’s even the slightest chance that you had anything to do with Dorothy’s murder? You have a broken ankle and it’s not like you want to build oceanfront condos.’
‘I don’t want to build condos,’ Olivia agreed, ‘but word gets around this town, and Isaac knows that I offered to buy the land from Dorothy in the past.’
‘You did?’ That was news to me, but it wasn’t as if my aunt and I had kept up-to-date on every detail of each other’s lives over the years.
‘Not all of it,’ she said. ‘But I was hoping to get a tract of land that led from the farm to the ocean. That way I could have made sure that at least part of the woodland would be preserved, and I would have had access to the water. Dorothy never minded me walking through the woods, and I knew she’d never let anyone develop the land in her lifetime, but I was concerned about the future.’
‘Because someone like Ed Grimshaw could end up with the land?’ I guessed.
‘Sadly, yes.’
‘So Chief Stratton thinks that you hobbled over there on your broken ankle and killed Dorothy because you were angry that she didn’t sell you any of her land?’ That theory struck me as preposterous.
‘That would be a stretch, not just because of my ankle but because I made the offer several years ago. Dorothy turned me down and told me that I didn’t need to worry about the future of the woodland. I never brought up the subject again, and we’ve always been on friendly terms, before and since that conversation.’
‘Did she tell you why there was no need to worry about the woodland?’ I asked.
‘No, and I didn’t ask,’ Aunt Olivia replied. ‘I don’t think she would have told me even if I had asked. She tended to keep her cards close to her chest in all matters. That was my experience, anyway.’
‘I still think it’s ridiculous to suspect you.’
‘I’m glad that’s how you feel,’ she said with a brief smile. ‘I figure Isaac knows how unlikely it would be for me to get over to Dorothy’s cabin on my own, but he asked me questions about you. About how far you would go to make me happy.’
That stirred up the feeling of unease in my stomach again. ‘He thinks I killed Dorothy for your sake?’ Frustration brewed inside of me, but I tried to tamp it down. ‘OK, so he doesn’t know me, but I still don’t get how that would help you. Whoever inherits from Dorothy might not be interested in selling the land to you. Even if it did go up for sale, Ed Grimshaw could probably make a higher offer.’
‘That’s true,’ Aunt Olivia said, but her face had grown somber again. ‘The problem is that I wouldn’t have to make an offer.’
‘What do you mean?’
Olivia reached a hand out to Flossie and the spaniel moved closer so my aunt could pet her. ‘Apparently, I inherit the land under Dorothy’s will.’
That revelation left me speechless.
‘I was as surprised as you are,’ Aunt Olivia said. ‘I considered Dorothy a friend, but we weren’t as close as I am with many of my other friends. I can understand leaving the dogs in my care since I run the sanctuary. Did Isaac tell you about that?’
‘Yes.’ I ran a hand along Fancy’s back. ‘I’m relieved.’ I smiled at the dogs, though not without a hint of sadness. ‘Did you girls hear that? You get to stay here on the farm.’
The dogs wagged their tails as if they understood and approved.
‘At least, for now.’ I looked to my aunt. ‘You’ll keep them, right?’
‘Of course. It’ll be nice to have dogs around again.’
My aunt loved dogs, but hadn’t had one on the farm since her golden retriever, Amelia, had passed away two years ago.
‘Isaac told me there was a note included in Dorothy’s will saying that she left the land to me because she knew I would take good care of it.’ Tears appeared in Olivia’s eyes. ‘I won’t let her down. I intend to make sure that it never gets developed.’
My mind whirred as I tried to make sense of everything. ‘As a beneficiary, wouldn’t you have been invited to the reading of the will?’
‘There hasn’t been one yet,’ my aunt said. ‘Dorothy’s lawyer is out of town, but the police found a copy of her will in her cabin.’
‘Right. Chief Stratton mentioned that. So they think I somehow knew about that bequest and killed Dorothy so you could inherit the land?’ That still sounded crazy to me.
‘I guess that’s the theory, but I’m sure Isaac knows it’s a flimsy one. They have to look into every possibility. It doesn’t mean we’re in any real trouble.’
I hoped my aunt was right, but being a suspect in a murder investigation – even if I sat at the bottom of the suspect list – wasn’t pleasant.
Aunt Olivia ate one of Callum’s brownies and tried again to convince me not to worry, but when I left the patio a while later, anxiety still hummed through me.
I took the remaining two brownies into the farmhouse kitchen and changed into jeans and my work boots before heading back outside.
On my way to the barn, I passed a large shed which housed the lawn tractor and other gardening equipment. I noticed some shingles missing from the roof and wondered if there was a problem that needed fixing.
I walked around to the far side of the shed and found a wooden ladder lying on its side, resting against the exterior wall. I hauled it up off the ground and leaned it against the edge of the roof. The ladder looked old but seemed sturdy enough.
I took a cautious step onto the first rung. It held, and the ladder stayed steady, so I climbed two more rungs.
Out of nowhere, a dark shape flew at my head. I ducked, hanging on for dear life. Euclid swooped past me, so close I could feel the whoosh of air on my face. I lost my footing, but managed to land on the next rung down. With my heart pounding, I scrambled the rest of the way to the ground.
Euclid perched on the peak of the roof, staring down at me with his yellow eyes.
‘What was that about, Euclid?’ I asked, pressing a hand to my chest over my thumping heart. ‘You almost knocked me right off the ladder!’
‘Georgie?’ Callum’s voice came from off in the distance.
With a last uneasy glance at Euclid, I rounded the shed.
Callum waved to me from near the barn. ‘Could you give me a hand with the goats?’
I joined him in a pen which currently held four adorable pygmy goats.
‘I want to check them over and make sure they’re all doing well,’ Callum said.
I picked up the goats, one at a time, and held them while Callum checked their eyes, ears and feet. He used a hoof pick to remove any pebbles from their feet, and a brush to clean off the dirt. When I set down the last of the goats, it galloped off to frolic with its friends.
Callum thanked me for my help and set off to check on the sanctuary’s two pigs while I headed into the barn to get started on mucking out stalls. I realized I hadn’t mentioned the shed roof to Callum. I decided to go back and take a quick look at it.
Before climbing the ladder, I glanced around for Euclid. The owl didn’t appear to be anywhere nearby. I still couldn’t believe that he’d nearly sent me falling. I hadn’t expected him to act in an aggressive manner. Of course, he was a wild animal. And I wasn’t Dorothy.
I climbed up to the fourth rung without any interruptions from owls or anyone else. One more step up and I’d be able to see the roof.
Before I had a chance to raise my foot, the rung I stood on gave way with a crack.
Then I fell.
TEN
I hit the ground before I had a chance to truly register what was happening. I lay on my back in the grass, staring at the blue sky above me, struggling to breathe.
Loud barking sounded from nearby, soon joined by running footsteps.
‘Georgie!’ Callum knelt by my side. ‘Are you OK?’
Flossie and Fancy appeared on my other side. They nuzzled my face with their wet noses and licked my cheek.
Pain reverberated through my body, but it wasn’t too bad. The impact had knocked the air out of my lungs, but I was breathing steadily again now.
‘I’m all right,’ I said.
I sat up and Callum put a hand to my shoulder.
‘Maybe you shouldn’t move yet,’ he cautioned.
‘No, I’m OK. Really,’ I assured him.
The dogs whined so I ran my hands over their coats.
‘No broken bones,’ I said. ‘Just a few bruises, probably.’
Callum offered me a hand and helped me to my feet.
‘What happened?’ I asked, rubbing my forehead. I hadn’t hit my head, but the surprise of falling had left my thoughts scattered.
Callum examined the ladder. All that remained of the fourth rung was a few splintered bits of wood.
‘Looks like the rung was rotten,’ he said. ‘This ladder is pretty old.’
We both glanced up as Euclid glided in to land on the peak of the shed roof.
‘Incredible,’ Callum said with a note of awe in his voice.
Euclid ruffled his feathers and took off into the air. He soared toward the forest and out of sight.
‘I’ve seen owls around here before, but never that close,’ Callum said.
‘He was friends with Dorothy.’ I rubbed at an ache in my left arm. ‘He’d even sit on her shoulder.’
‘I didn’t know Dorothy,’ Callum said, ‘but it sounds like she had a special connection with animals.’
‘It certainly seemed like it.’ I dropped my hand when I realized Callum was watching me rub my arm.
‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ he asked.
‘Positive. A few aches, but nothing to worry about.’
He looked up at the broken rung. ‘Why were you climbing the ladder?’
‘I was worried about the roof and wanted to see if there was a problem.’
‘I had a look at it last week,’ Callum said. ‘I’m going to pick up some supplies tomorrow and I’ll get it fixed over the next couple of days.’
Of course he already knew about the problem. I should have asked him before trying to climb up there. Though, it wouldn’t have been a dangerous task if the ladder had been in good condition. Looking it over more carefully would have been wise.
And I should have paid more attention to Euclid.
Maybe it was crazy, but now I was certain that the owl had tried to warn me about climbing the ladder. I didn’t mention that to Callum. He’d probably think I was nuts, and I wouldn’t be able to blame him.
I shook off the incident and managed to clean out the stalls without too much interference from my minor aches and pains. I spent a couple of hours on my script in the evening, but it wasn’t my best work and I knew I’d have to fix it up later. My mind didn’t want to stay focused on the story. My thoughts kept drifting back to the fact that Aunt Olivia and I had a cloud of suspicion hovering over us. It bothered me deeply that anyone could suspect me of murder. The fact that Auntie O had ended up on the suspect list upset me even more.
After my aunt retired from her teaching job in her fifties, she’d used the healthy sum of money she and her late husband had accumulated through savvy investments to turn her hobby farm into an animal sanctuary. She’d devoted her life to rescuing and caring for donkeys, alpacas, horses, chickens, and many other creatures. She had a heart of gold. Chief Stratton ought to know that, since he and Aunt Olivia seemed to be well acquainted. I understood that he had to investigate all avenues, but focusing on me and my aunt was a waste of time.
Not that he had focused solely on the two of us. He had to be looking at Ed Grimshaw too. Then there was Marlene Hooper. I wondered if the police knew about her dispute with Dorothy. I recalled Byron saying that it had been documented in the Twilight Cove Gazette. In that case, the police must know about it.
The words on the screen in front of me blurred together and a dull thudding in my head joined the other aches in my body. My fall from the ladder had left me with sore muscles and several bruises. A hot shower and some ibuprofen had helped, but hadn’t erased the pain completely.
I gave up on getting any more writing done and headed for bed. In my room, I found the amethyst Dorothy had given me sitting on the bedside table. I picked it up and ran my thumb over the smooth surface.
Flossie and Fancy jumped up on the bed and got comfortable. Once they were lying down, they watched me with their brown eyes, and I thought I detected a hint of sadness in their gazes.
My heart aching for them, I gave each dog a pat and a kiss on the head. ‘I know you’re sad about Dorothy, but you’re going to have a good home here with my aunt Olivia. She’ll make sure you’re always well looked after.’
The dogs rewarded me with kisses and thumps of their tails. Their affection and resilience lifted my spirits.
I set the amethyst back on the bedside table, realizing only then that my headache had disappeared. My other aches didn’t feel quite so bad either now. I stared at the purple stone, wondering if it could somehow have eased my pain. Dorothy certainly seemed to believe that it would help with my headaches, but was that really possible?
Some people in town called Dorothy a witch, but surely she was just an eccentric woman who believed in natural remedies and things some might describe as ‘out there’.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I crossed to the window to close the curtains. That was when I saw a shadowy form move outside, not far from the barn. I flicked off the lamp so I could see out of the window better.
The moon shone brightly from a clear, star-studded sky, allowing me to identify the shadowy figure as Callum. Until that moment, I’d forgotten about seeing him out after dark on my second night in Twilight Cove.
Just as he’d done the time before, he headed for the woods at the southern edge of the farm and disappeared among the trees. He had something in his left hand, but I wasn’t sure what.
Why the heck would he be going into the woods after dark?
I recalled the blue glow I’d seen the other night. I still had no idea what the source of it could have been, but I couldn’t see it out there tonight.
I shook my head and closed the curtains.
Being a suspect in a murder investigation gave me enough to worry about. I didn’t need to have any other mysteries weighing on my mind.
Even so, as I waited to drift off to sleep, I found myself wondering once again why Callum would make a habit of venturing into the woods at night.
When I saw Callum the next morning, I didn’t ask him about his nighttime activities. He’d been cautious enough around me when we first met without me pestering him with questions. If I interrogated him now, he’d probably distance himself from me again, and I’d be left with no more information than I had now. Besides, I’d enjoyed the brief time we’d spent together on the porch steps the day before, and I didn’t want to jeopardize the chance to have more of those moments.
