Duck Disaster, page 6
“I’ve been giving thought to housing and lots of other things. Now, with everything going on with the Inn, I have to focus. I cost us a lot of money by taking this risk with this event. My focus has to be there.”
Carson’s face grew dark. “Anne—”
Luckily, she was saved by the trilling of her phone. It was Rayne. “I have to take this.” She stood. “Hi Rayne. I’m so sorry about—” She spied Carson telling her to put it on speaker. She complied.
“I didn’t know if you had heard the news about Casey. It’s horrible. We’re all in shock here, as you can imagine.”
“Yes, I went up to the hospital today. I was there…” She didn’t complete the sentence.
“It’s tragic. To be honest, we weren’t that close. It was basically a work friendship.”
Anne frowned. Whether or not they’d been close, Rayne’s response was pretty callous.
“As you can imagine, upper management considers this a big news story. We want to come by in the next few days with the camera crew and do some shots of the Inn, get a few statements from you and the others who were there—”
Carson shook his head, and Anne replied, “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”
Rayne’s melodious voice carried through the speaker. “No worries. We can speak to some neighbors.”
That was the last thing Anne wanted. “I’m sure we can figure something out but not sure we can provide any information. Changing subjects, how are you feeling now about what you said the other day?”
“I gather you mean about Richard? It came as a huge shock finding Casey barely breathing and in my wedding dress. I’ve been wracking my brain about it. I think it was Casey I saw the first day out in the garden. There’s been so much going on here at the studio with some silly pranks, but Casey had them happen to her as well. It never dawned on me she may have been doing them herself.”
“I still don’t see why either of them would do anything at this point.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, because you’re already married to Richard.”
Rayne shrieked, “Who told you that?”
Anne didn’t want to get Ivy in trouble, so she responded, “I can’t remember where I heard it.”
Rayne groaned. “Yes, it’s true. We were married a few months ago. That’s why I think Richard and Casey were trying to frighten …or even kill me. We took out insurance policies right after we were married. Plus, it’s no secret around the station that Casey’s been eyeing my job from day one. I haven’t given notice or stepped down, and polls don’t mean anything. You can skew them however you want. At least that’s one thing I won’t have to worry about now.” Rayne caught herself. “Sorry, I know that sounds harsh after everything that’s happened, but—well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough what they think happened.”
Anne looked at her burger, getting colder by the minute, when a thought came to her. “Rayne, I saw a tall man in a dark suit visit Casey just before—”
“I know Richard said he was going up to visit her and see if there was any change.”
“Oh, maybe that’s who I saw. For some reason, I thought it was the priest from across the street.” There was silence on the line. “Rayne, are you there?”
“Um, yes. I’m not sure who you’re referring to, so I can’t help you.”
“It was the man you spoke with the night of the reception dinner.”
Rayne laughed. “Oh, yes, him. Sorry, I didn’t catch his name. I can’t remember what he was doing there. Something about a blessing or something…you know how it is, things are so confused right now.”
“Sure. Well, if there’s not anything else—”
“Oh, one last thing. I’ve heard you’re a bit of an amateur sleuth yourself.”
Anne spied Carson give her a knowing look of ‘don’t get involved.’ “Not really. Just figured some things out. That’s all.”
“I’d like to sit down with you for an interview about your gardening and all of that. Maybe we could set up something next week.”
“Okay, that sounds fine.”
“All right then. We can work out the details tomorrow.” The line went dead.
Carson pointed a finger at Anne. “Don’t even think about it.”
“What? It’s just an interview.” But inside, Anne was already thinking there was one person she really needed to talk to, and he lived across the street. What had the priest been saying to Rayne that evening, and why had he come over to their party? Was it Richard or the priest she’d seen leaving Casey’s room shortly before her death?
Chapter Seven
Birds chirping outside her window woke Anne. By the time Carson had left in the evening, a somber mood had settled over them. Neither was willing to go any further with the earlier conversation, but it hung heavy between them. Anne also didn’t bring up the events at the Inn as that would tie in with so many other conversations. So, they’d rocked on the glider on the front porch until Carson had kissed her good night and left.
Mouser pounced up on the bed, meowing. Anne picked him up and looked in his eyes. “What would you do in my situation, Mouser? It’s not like I can just flip a coin or something. Plus, you’re used to this house. Would you want to go live somewhere else?”
He meowed, but it was more of a ‘put me down, woman’ sound. “Fine. You’re no help.” She set him down, and he kneaded the bedspread before curling up in a ball next to her. It felt funny not to have to get up and get busy with the day’s events. The Inn was effectively closed for the next few days at least, and they had grayed out the reservation calendar for the time being. Anne dreaded having to talk with Hope and Kandi about everything that needed to be discussed, especially how much they were in the hole now.
She sighed and turned to face Mouser, running her hands along his black fur. His purring grew louder. “At least you’re not upset with me.”
Her phone beeped. She reached back to the nightstand and opened the drawer. It was Kandi: Hey off with Stewart today. Heading to Estes for a bit of a break. Chat later. Love ya. She’d finished it with a line of hearts and emojis.
Well, that was good to hear. Kandi had been spending all her time at the Inn preparing for the event, and Anne knew Stewart must be feeling like Carson about being ignored. She knew Kandi was realizing how much Stewart loved her, and Anne was sure they’d end up together. Like Anne, Kandi had gone through some healing herself when it came to relationships.
Why couldn’t anything be easy? Anne dropped the phone back into the charging tray and closed the drawer.
Well, with Kandi off, that meant that she wouldn’t be there for the news interviews. That would be one blessing in all of this. Hope had retreated back to her place, and so Anne would face any issues that arrived today. But first, a good cup of java was in order. Yawning and stretching, she took her time getting ready before padding downstairs to put on the coffee pot. After the steaming hot brew was ready, she took her cup and made her way outside to the front porch.
Across the road, Mr. Cole was outside working trimming his hedges, and he responded with a wave when he saw her.
Well, at least he didn’t hold any animosity toward her. Maybe she could get him to speak to his wife. As if on cue, Mrs. Cole came through the door. Anne waved at the woman, who returned it half-heartedly.
Maybe they could work things out after all. She sipped at her coffee, turning over her next steps in her mind. Best to be ready with some prepared answers in case the news crew showed up early. Yet it was difficult, if not impossible, to prepare for unknown questions. She’d have to keep things general and see if that would work. For now, she had to present them as having no fault in any of what occurred.
By the time the news van pulled up, Anne felt a bit better about answering questions concerning the Inn and its past. Rayne had driven her own car, and they began with shots of the Inn and the back yard. Because Rayne was, in essence, part of the story itself, she never appeared on camera, voicing questions from the side that would be edited out. Her co-host would appear to ask some questions on camera, with Anne’s responses shown. She was glad Lee was the cameraman as she felt at ease with him being there.
Rayne asked some basic questions about how long the Inn had been running, and Anne replied with great form, including many of the recommendations they’d received from guests from all over the country. When Rayne finally touched on the incident with Casey, Anne stuck to what she’d rehearsed. It appeared to be a tragic accident, but it was in the hands of capable law enforcement now. As Rayne continued to push harder, Anne realized the woman was trying to provoke her into getting angry or saying something she’d regret. But Anne refused to be goaded into making a mistake and stayed on course. When Rayne finally said she thought they’d gotten enough footage, Anne took in a deep breath of relief.
As Rayne strode away, taking a phone call, Lee said, “Good on you. Most people break down. I think she met her match with you.”
“I felt on trial for a bit, but I guess she wanted something a little more newsworthy. I have to say, she doesn’t seem broken up about Casey or Richard.”
He lowered his camera to his side. “You’ve got good perception. She and Casey, if anything, were frenemies. They made nice for the cameras, but I don’t think either of them could stand each other. Of course, Casey gunning for Rayne’s prime spot didn’t help.”
Anne faced away in case Rayne could see what she said. “Then doesn’t it seem weird that she had Casey as her maid of honor?”
“No. More publicity for them. ‘BFFs for the cameras’.” He made air quotes with his fingers. “And of course, Rayne knew that Casey and Richard had dated a few times. Still not sure who ended that.”
Anne asked, “What about Richard? I mean, if Rayne honestly believes he was trying to kill her, shouldn’t she be more upset? I know I would be.”
“Rayne is all about the ratings. You can believe she’ll use the footage and the photos of the event to her benefit to make everyone feel sorry for her. I guess Richard will hire lawyers, and there’ll be a nice, big settlement of some sort, along with an NDA.”
“But what about the baby?”
Lee’s brow furrowed. “What baby?”
Anne looked over to where Rayne was still speaking into her phone, wildly gesturing with her free right hand. Somebody on the other end of that call was getting an earful.
“Rayne’s pregnant.”
Lee burst out laughing. “I don’t think so. That woman doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. She wouldn’t allow the ‘indignity’ of losing her figure or the effect on her career. No. I don’t know who told you that, but it’s simply not true.”
“Maybe she’s changed. Or she, you know, had to get married.”
Lee shook his head. “This isn’t the last century. Things have changed now. No, I’ll never believe she’s pregnant or that it was the reason Richard married her.”
“Why would Ivy say that, then?”
“Who knows? She’s just a kid—an overworked one for sure, working for Rayne. But with everything that’s happened, she’s been let go. So, she’s back to enjoying a college break before the next semester.”
As Rayne ended her call, Lee took up his camera and started filming her. As soon as she noticed his lens focused on her, her very demeanor and posture changed. She made it over to them and put out her hand to shake Anne’s.
“Ugh, I had a spot all planned out, and now we’re going to have to think about replacing it with something else. Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you do a gardening spot for our viewers? I think they’d love hearing about your stuff, and we’d promote your books. What do you say? It could be a bit of a test run. If we get helpful feedback, we could do one to two spots every month.”
Anne’s eyes lit up. “Well, I, um, that sounds fun. But I’d need to think about it.”
“Well, don’t wait too long. We’ll need to fill that spot soon, and chances like this don’t come along very often.”
“I will. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Sure. Lee, I’m heading back. If you need anything else, you can text me.”
She sashayed off to her vehicle without a goodbye.
“Well, that’s exciting.” Anne smiled at Lee, who had a worried look on his face.
“Be careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Just a gut feeling, I guess.” He strode back to the van, leaving Anne with more questions.
Anne had climbed the steps to the front porch when the door swung open, and the biker appeared.
“Oh, hey,” he said. “Sorry, I was just on my way out. Can I help you?”
“Yes, I was looking for the priest. Is he in?”
“Priest? Oh, you mean Dean.”
Anne nodded. “Yes, Dean. Is he home?”
The biker shrugged. “Not sure. He’s at the theater most evenings for rehearsals and sleeps in most days. But I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“Oh, well, I—”
“Wait, are you with the recent production? I couldn’t believe he got such a sweet gig for that amount of money. Oh, man, I wonder if he already left.”
It was hard to keep up with the young man’s train of thought. “Left?”
“Yep, to Mexico. Some gig down there after this one.”
Anne thought fast. Obviously, he didn’t realize he was speaking to a neighbor. She replied, “That boy. No call his mother before he left—”
“Oh, you’re his mom?” He held out his hand for her to shake.
She accepted his hand while thinking it doesn’t count as a lie if I didn’t say it, right? Her conscience elbowed her, but she ignored it. She needed to get into his apartment. “I guess I’ll have to wait until he gets back then.” She let out a long sigh.
“Oh, do you need something? The doors inside aren’t locked, or if they are, there are spare keys on a hook in the kitchen. Listen, I gotta run so I can get my ride in before getting ready for work.” He pulled his bike out the door, leaving it open. “Bye!”
Anne starred after him as he rode off toward the trailhead. “Geez, I could have been an axe murderer. Kids these days.” She laughed at her remark about someone who was most likely in his twenties.
Now she had to decide. Should she shut the door or go on and search Dean’s room? Carson’s face and his admonition of ‘don’t do it’ came to mind, but she convinced herself this could be the clue they needed to figure out what really happened to Casey. She stepped inside and listened. She could hear some music coming from a closed door to her left. She peeked in and saw another roommate playing a game on the big screen in the corner. His back was to her, and she closed the door with a quiet touch. Taking the stairs, she realized she wouldn’t have any idea which room was Dean’s. She knocked on the first one. When there was no answer, she opened the door to a bed strewn with clothing as a wave of eau de male sweat hit her.
“Ugh.” She put up a hand to cover her nose and mouth. A shelf held trophies and ribbons with medallions. This must be the biker’s room. She closed the door and went over to the door adjacent to his.
She knocked again. When there wasn’t an answer, she cracked open the door. This room contained a loft bed with a desk underneath it. College books and papers littered the floor and chairs. This was most likely the person downstairs, as some game stickers adorned a laptop backpack slung over the edge of the bed’s railing.
“Hopefully, third time’s the charm.” She made her way across the hall to another closed door. After knocking, she peeked inside and, seeing Dean’s name on a wall plaque, entered the space, shutting the door behind her. Unlike his roommates, Dean’s space was clean and organized. Also, thankfully, not reeking of male lack of hygiene. Riffling through the desk drawers, she came across pay stubs from the local coffee shop, playbills from the theatre in town, and a listing of upcoming productions. Some were circled in red pen. Anne looked at the list. Auditions for a local commercial, upcoming events requiring extras, and some personal ads. She scanned them quickly, then gasped as one stood out.
Play a priest. Must have a costume. Great pay for easy work. Opportunity for bonus.
Had he been playing a priest for Rayne and Richard’s ‘wedding’ performance? It made sense, as they were already married, so they didn’t need a real pastor or priest to officiate the ceremony. But for him to live across the street—that was some coincidence.
Anne set the paper down and took a photo of the ad with her phone. She replaced it and looked around the room. Maybe that was why the room was so tidy. Maybe Dean had only moved in for a short duration. She crossed over to the closet. Empty.
She couldn’t imagine him taking all his clothing with him on his trip. There was definitely something going on here, but did it have anything to do with the incident at the Inn? Plus, had he been at the hospital or was it Richard she’d seen that day?
Just as she decided to leave, she got down on her knees to look under the bed.
Eureka. It was the priest’s collar. She pulled a tissue from her purse before taking the collar, wrapping it up, and placing it inside her bag. What she would do with it she did not know, but she could always return it later.
Taking one more glance around the room, she backed out, closing the door behind her when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
Chapter Eight
Anne screamed, throwing his hand off her shoulder with a violent twist. The young man, shocked at her scream, lurched backward, falling through the door to his room. A bowl he held with soup splattered over him, along with the wall and Anne.
“What’s the matter with you, lady?” he cried.
Anne bent down. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I …you scared me.”
He sat, pushing what was left of his ramen off his shirt. “I scared you? You’re not the one covered in soup. Man, I was really looking forward to that, too.”
Anne held out her hand, “I’m sorry. I didn’t—well, are you okay?”
