Wayward Secrets, page 18
“I got her,” I assured Arden. “Jagger is watching her.”
Keeping her attention on toasting our sandwiches, she asked, “What’s going to happen to her?”
I laughed a little. “You’re not the first to ask. I need to think about that overnight.”
This made her pause. She’d surely expected me to say they’re on the way to pick her up and take her to the county jail where she’ll be formally charged, stand trial, and get locked up for life. That was an option. Except, prisoners served commuted sentences all the time. If she got out after serving only a few years, the risk to the village was huge.
Arden changed the subject then and filled me in on the events around the B&B that morning. Breakfast went smoothly, although she wasn’t sure what a vegan diet was.
“A guest asked if we had vegan muffin options.”
“It’s like being vegetarian on steroids. They consume a strict plant-based diet. No animal flesh or animal products, including eggs or dairy. Tripp has some recipes.”
“Good. I’ll make some for her tomorrow.”
I paused. “You’re coming back?”
She gave me that smile again. “I’ll finish making your lunch and then clean up and go home for the night. Tripp can’t possibly prepare breakfast with that shoulder, so I’ll come back in the morning. Besides, he needs time to deal with the trauma of what happened to him.” I was about to say I could come up with something for breakfast, and she held up her hand. “You have a huge decision to make, Sheriff Jayne. One thing at a time. Besides, I understand the kitchen isn’t where you’re at your best.”
“I can set out fruit and boxes of cereal,” I objected.
“Not a Pine-Time-worthy breakfast, sweetness.” Her grin assured me she knew I was joking.
“What I need to do is get over to Reeva’s and take some lessons.”
A twinkle lit up her eyes. “A fine idea.”
After she’d added apple slices and cookies to my plate and sandwiches to both, I took the loaded tray from her, wished her a good night, and headed up to the apartment. I found Tripp standing at the base of the ladder to the rooftop deck, trying to figure out how to climb it.
“What are you doing?” I scolded.
“I want to sit outside,” he said with a little pout in his tone.
I set down our lunch and went to him. He held me tight with his good arm, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, avoiding his sore arm. As we held each other, he folded in tighter to me and inhaled a shaky breath.
“Why did she do this?” he asked. “I was so worried that she got you too.” He let me go and wiped his eyes on his T-shirt. “I never felt so helpless in my life.”
“I understand exactly. Over the course of a few hours, one after another of you went missing. I had no idea what was going on or what I was supposed to do.” I took his hand and led him to the living area where I’d placed our tray. The coffee table’s top lifted and served as a dining space. “Let’s eat. It’ll help.”
He pointed at a medicine bottle on the counter in the kitchenette. “Those are for pain. I won’t be manly about this. It hurts a lot. Drake told me to take one every four hours with some food.”
“Got it.” I jumped up and got one for him, noting the time so I’d know when to give him the next one.
He swallowed the pill and then a bite of sandwich. The taste of the grilled cheese seemed to soothe him some. When he’d eaten half of his lunch, he asked the same question everyone else was.
“I assume you’ve got her, or you wouldn’t be here. What now?”
I told him my concerns about early release or her even getting away. Donovan escaped custody and then went on the run for five months.
“And then there’s Brady,” I admitted. “He needs to be punished for his part in this, although his sentence will be far less than hers. The thing that worries me is that he’s completely under her spell. What if, after he gets out, he tries to help her escape?”
Tripp took my hand in his and placed a kiss on it. “I understand your fear. You’ve got quite a decision to make. Any ideas?”
One of those Whispering Pines winds came out of nowhere and shook the treetops. I watched from the couch as they whipped in every direction at once, then went to the windows where I had a perfect view of the lake. A few fishing boats floated around out there, but the water was still too cold for swimming or water skiing.
“Remember that time,” I began, “when you took me out to the middle of the lake in my grandfather’s boat? It was right before the council asked me to take over as sheriff. We were floating around, and you listed all the decisions I had to choose from.”
“Yep. I ’member.” The pain killer was working now, making him both sleepy and a little loopy. His words slurred together. “You were way stressed out. Jus’ like you are now.”
“Exactly. I was torn between getting back into law enforcement, figuring out how Gran really died, trying to narrow down what started the feud between my parents and grandparents, and turning this place into a bed-and-breakfast.” I turned to find his eyes half shut and went to him. “Come on. Let’s get you in bed before you fall off the couch.”
As I got him settled into bed with his arm propped on a pillow, I realized two things. One, I’d be sleeping on the couch tonight. And two, I needed to go float around on a boat. Tripp had taken me out there with the theory that out there, I couldn’t do anything but float around and think.
“We’re not connected to anything right now,” he had said. “Not the house, not the village, not whatever happened to your grandmother, or what’s going on with your parents. If each of those things were waiting on a different side of the lake, and you had to pick one thing to go to when you brought this boat into shore, which would it be? What calls to you the most?”
He told me that if he ever got stuck when trying to decide something, he’d get quiet and before long, the answer would come to him. That was basically his version of meditating. The thing Morgan and Briar had been encouraging me to do for months. It never failed, though. I’d close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and within seconds would fall asleep. Maybe I needed to try a different kind of meditation.
I looked down at Meeka. “No time like the present. Right?”
Her tail swept across the floor, stirring up dust bunnies.
I changed into leggings and a T-shirt, then grabbed a lightweight, waterproof jacket. The sun was shining full strength today, sparkling like millions of tiny diamonds on the lake’s surface, but it would likely be a little chilly out on the water.
Outside Rosalyn’s bedroom, I pressed my ear against the door and listened for any movement in there. I thought I heard a sob so knocked softly and turned the knob.
“Rozzie? Are you okay?”
“Come on in,” she said from the middle of her bed. She was sitting up, legs beneath the covers, with a tissue box on one side of her and a pile of used ones on the other. “Guess I forgot to lock the door.”
I grabbed the trash can from her bathroom and held it out for her to toss the tissues inside. Then I sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Believe it or not, not a lot scares me.” She tapped her chest. “As in, scares me to the core. I realized yesterday that my life is just starting. My adult life. I graduated from college a month ago and absolutely love my online job and working here with you and Tripp. Whispering Pines is the perfect place to live. And I’ve got Martin.” She pressed a tissue to her eyes and then wiped her nose. “As I sat there, tied to that damn chair, wondering when you’d find us, all I could think was that I wasn’t anywhere near ready to die. That might sound dramatic, but I had no clue what Flavia was going to do to us.”
I hugged her against me. “That doesn’t sound dramatic.”
“I knew you’d find us.” She blinked her puffy red eyes at me. “I just didn’t know if you’d get there in time.”
A shock of cold shot through me. “That was my fear too.”
“Whispering Pines is supposed to be a safe place.” That almost sounded like an accusation. “You and Martin are doing all you can to make it that way, but it will never happen if she’s free.”
I pulled my arm away and turned to face her. “I agree completely. She’s locked up tight right now, and my plan is to keep her there for a very long time. I just need to figure out how to make sure that happens.” I pointed out at the lake. “I’m going for a paddle and to ask the trees for advice. Meeka won’t leave my side, so she’ll come with me. Will you check on Tripp in a while? I gave him a pain pill, so he’s sleeping right now.”
Rosalyn nodded. “No problem. I’ll wash my face and go sit in the great room with a book. In case a guest needs me.”
“You’re done crying?”
“I think so.”
I kissed her forehead. “Good, because Martin is going to pick you up at six. That’s in about four hours. It’ll take that long for your eyes to de-puff.”
She leapt out of bed and let out a squeak when she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “I need a cold compress. Maybe cucumber slices.” She swatted one hand behind her while turning on the cold water with the other. “Go save the world.”
Five minutes later, I was sitting in my kayak remembering my first solo attempt at getting into the thing. I had flipped it. I’d long since mastered that skill, and now getting in and out took no effort at all. While I’d like to think I’d gained that kind of control over all aspects of my life, that wasn’t even close to the truth. It still felt like a tipping kayak. Thankfully, there were people willing to help me. I had no idea what I would have done yesterday if Arden hadn’t taken charge of Pine Time or if River hadn’t approved Jagger coming on board. I’d felt pulled in multiple directions before, but never so much as yesterday. And with Tripp out of commission for a while, how were we going to feed our guests?
You need to ask for help, Jayne in my head said. Haven’t you learned that yet? The people who helped you yesterday will still be here for you today.
True. Arden would probably be willing to do double duty for a few more days. Maybe she could teach Roz how to scramble eggs.
A small white paw touched my shoulder. Meeka had been standing on the dock, waiting for me to help her into the kayak.
“Sorry, girl. I got lost in thought.” I grabbed the handle on her life vest and settled her into the well between my legs. She immediately stood with her front paws on the deck so she could watch where we were going. Images of those bobblehead dogs people used to put on the dashboards of their cars filled my head, and I laughed.
The closer we got to the middle of the lake, the further my stress level dropped. Just like it had the night Tripp brought me out here. I gave in to the serenity, and between the gentle rocking of the waves, the smell of the water, and the occasional whiff of pine wafting off the trees, my mind cleared.
Meeka looked back at me when I stopped paddling.
“We’re going to hang out here for a bit,” I told her. “I’ve got some thinks to think.”
Last time I was out here for this reason, I had four things I was worried about. The house, Gran, my parents, and returning to law enforcement. Now, I had three. Pine Time, my job as sheriff, and completing the last item on my Samhain list. That item, making Whispering Pines a safe place again, was my top priority. Something I could take care of tomorrow.
“How, though? How do I do this?” I asked the trees. “I need a little help.”
I slid down in the seat, rested my head against the back, and closed my eyes. The wind blew us first one way and then another and another. Like Juniper and Talon being held in their parents’ loving arms, the Universe rocked me. Thoughts of how Arden, River, Holly, and Jagger came to my rescue yesterday and today filled my mind. Then more villagers trickled in. Mr. Powell didn’t hesitate to let Elsa and Gino go search for our lost people. Rourke dropped everything to drive the van so Sanjay could stay at Rae’s side. Reeva immediately volunteered to bring Gabe and his girls to the hospital. Even Keiko, the wannabe villager, stepped up to help. They were all right there when I needed them most, and they were happy, almost eager to do so.
“They should be there to witness the conclusion of Flavia’s torment,” I whispered.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the treetops. And then, the viewing platform of Sister Agnes’s tower. I smiled, remembering Mallory pounding on the glass walls and insisting, “Fairies!” when she spotted smoke from the fire Lane Cordick had set in the middle of our forest.
“Everyone needs to be there. Even the oddballs.”
Meeka turned to face me and sneezed.
“You’re right. We’re all oddballs here, aren’t we?”
We needed to have a trial. No, that suggested some degree of innocence for Flavia. She was one hundred percent guilty of many, many crimes. Some I’d likely never know about. We needed to have a public sentencing. Unlike when Priscilla died, and the villagers didn’t have a clue why Rae and Gabe suddenly left. This time, everyone would know exactly what had happened to Flavia and why.
“But where do I send her?”
I needed to talk to River about this. The first step was to figure out where to hold the sentencing. I could summon the village council, which was more a board of advisors now, but I didn’t need guidance on this one. Just River’s approval and feedback.
Meeka hung her head over the side of the kayak as I closed my eyes again. Where to send her repeated over and over in my head. Images of prison cells and islands in the middle of bodies of water came next. I peeked an eye open. No islands in Lucy Lake.
A minute later, or so it felt, I startled awake to find Meeka laying on my chest. I’d fallen asleep, but it couldn’t have been for that long. The sun was still generally in the same spot.
“Ready to go back, girl?”
She resumed her position as bobblehead dog, and with the paddle firmly in hand, I turned the kayak to head back for Pine Time. I had lost the B&B in the trees for a second, though. The marina was slightly to my left. That meant I was pointed at The Inn. If I drew a straight line from where I was, through The Inn and beyond, that path would take me straight into the station.
If each of those things were waiting on a different side of the lake, and you had to pick one thing to go to when you brought this boat into shore, which would it be? What calls to you the most?
I paddled left and headed for home.
Chapter Twenty-Four
With Tripp, Rosalyn, and everyone else safe—except for Rae—and Flavia in a holding cell, for the first time in almost two weeks, I didn’t wake to that horrible voice in my head. Instead, a nightmare woke me.
I was in Salem, Massachusetts, during the infamous witch trials. Someone had accused me of performing witchcraft. They found me guilty, tied me to a stake, and had just lit the fire when I woke in a sweat.
“Are you kidding me?” I whispered to whatever entity thought it was funny to keep traumatizing me. “I’m doing what you brought me here to do. Lay off!”
Across the apartment, Tripp made a snuffly snoring sound and shifted positions. Then he moaned in pain.
“Sorry,” I mouthed to him through the dark, and then checked the time. Five thirty. He could have more pain medicine now, so I roused him gently. “Time for more medicine.” I helped him sit up and popped a pill into his mouth.
Groggily, he took the water glass from me and swallowed.
“Okay, go back to sleep.”
I repositioned the pillow beneath his arm, smoothed the covers over him, and kissed his forehead. As I stood there, watching him ease back into sleep, I wondered how many times we’d do this kind of thing for each other over the course of our lifetime together. Surely someday I’d need a nursemaid. And I knew that as I was for him, he’d do the same for me without hesitation.
I’d thought ahead last night and set my clothes in the bathroom before going to bed. Now, I washed my face, pulled on my uniform, and went downstairs to find Arden busy with breakfast preparation.
“Good morning,” she greeted, cheerful as a daisy. Then she narrowed her eyes at my dog sitting at her feet. “Furball.”
The Westie squinted up at her, barked softly once, and turned away.
It was a game they played every day. At least, I was pretty sure it was a game.
“How’s the patient doing?” Arden asked while arranging fresh fruit on a platter.
“He was a little uncomfortable, so I gave him another pain pill.”
“That’ll knock him out for a few more hours.” She handed me a muffin on a plate and a fork. “Vegan banana streusel. Tell me what you think.”
I carefully pulled the paper off and cut off a bite with a fork. “Oh, Rosalyn says she wants to help today. Her boss gave her today off, but it won’t be good for her to do nothing.”
“Put her to work. Got it. Why is the furball wearing a bootie?”
“She cut her paw saving everyone yesterday. There was time before Reed came to get Rosalyn last night, so I ran her up to see Igor.”
“Is not bad,” Igor had declared. “Keep dry. Ointment will fix in few days. I give wound boot.”
He wrapped a bandage around her paw and slid on a bootie that she could wear inside, but suggested I carry her when we were outside so it didn’t get dirty. That would be a challenge. I’d have to carry her around the yard for perimeter inspection.
Since I was up there, I stopped to chat with Singer’s parents.
