The Glitter End, page 10
Yes, it had to be. It was so unlike him to keep quiet. Unless he was after an even bigger story. Something he, and he alone, could take credit for.
The stupid idiot! “I know who it is,” she said, the adrenaline squeezing her voice now from anger sooner than fear. “Let’s go in and say boo.”
“Are you sure that is such a good idea?” Jonas protested, but Delta already opened the door. The figure stirred, shooting upright and banging his head on the display’s edge.
Delta closed the distance quickly. “Hello, Marc. Find what you’re looking for?”
Chapter Nine
Marc LeDuc stared at her with wide eyes. “Delta. I uh…hadn’t expected you here.” He rubbed the spot where he had hit his head. He hadn’t even bothered to wear gloves. But, with everyone in town touching the display and with the Wanted key in hand, he probably thought he didn’t have to worry about the police dusting for fingerprints and finding his.
Delta glanced at Jonas, who had followed her in and was studying Marc with a challenging look. “We didn’t trust the situation and kept watch,” he said without specifying how, exactly. “You’re caught red-handed. Now give me a good explanation for your presence here and fast before I call West and have you arrested.” Jonas pulled out his phone and held it up, his finger posed to punch in the number.
Delta knew West was already coming, but, if they said that, Marc would surely try to dash. They had to get some information out of him, fast.
“Arrested for what?” Marc asked challengingly. He held up something that shimmered in the light from the streetlight outside.
It was the key.
“I didn’t break in. I had legal access.”
“Excuse me?” Jonas huffed. “Letting yourself into someone else’s property isn’t called legal access. Even if you have a key, you didn’t have permission. Or do you have the nerve to claim Hazel told you it was okay?”
“No,” Marc said slowly, clearly racing for a clever reply. “But I did receive this key with a message to come and have a look, so…”
“A message?” Delta echoed, and Jonas said, “Come on…”
“I’m not making this up.” Marc put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “I brought it. See for yourself.”
He held it out to Delta, who peered at the paper closely. The lines on it were typed. “This is the key to Wanted. The display there holds a key as well. See if you can work it out. Good luck.”
Jonas read over Delta’s shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at Marc. “You can’t be serious. You actually received this message? Or did you type it up yourself to use as an excuse in case you got caught?”
“I didn’t plan on getting caught,” Marc said with a sour expression. He was still massaging his sore head. “I received it. With this key.”
“It must be Hazel’s missing key,” Delta mused. “But who sent it to Marc?”
Jonas shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. You knew when you got it that it had to do with the murder. That makes it evidence relating to a serious crime. You should have turned it over to West at once.”
“West and I aren’t exactly best friends.” Marc grimaced. “Why help him? He can figure it out for himself. Or not.”
His disparaging tone seemed to irritate Jonas. He gestured at the self-assured reporter. “Look what you did now. You ruined possible fingerprints on both the note and the key. You came here and broke in the shop to look for evidence. You also put your prints all over this display. That’s wrong in so many ways.”
“Spare me the lecture,” Marc spat. “I used a key to get in. I wasn’t burgling the place. I’m a concerned citizen, a journalist, having a look at something suspicious.”
“That won’t fly with West.” Jonas held up the phone again as if he was about to place the call.
Marc scoffed. “Do you really want them to come racing in with blaring sirens and everyone watching and talking about Wanted like this? Not good for your girlfriend’s business.”
“Delta is not my girlfriend,” Jonas growled.
“Oh? Then why are you together in the middle of the night?” Marc tilted his head. “Seems like you’re awfully close.”
“It’s not even midnight, and we were on stakeout, to catch someone like you.”
Delta’s face was on fire. She didn’t dare look at Jonas to see how he took this. She quickly asked Marc, “Did you find something special inside?”
Jonas hitched a brow. “Do you think he’s going to tell us?”
“Actually, I’m going to tell everyone about it. The whole of Tundish and beyond.” Marc laughed softly. “You can read everything on my website, first thing tomorrow morning. Cross my heart.”
“That sensationalist website of yours, full of wild guesses, not facts.” Jonas’s eyes flickered with anger. “If you write anything incriminating about Wanted…”
“Sue me.” Marc pulled back his shoulders and walked out of the store.
Jonas followed him, calling, “Hey, you can’t leave like this.”
In the distance sirens blared. As soon as Marc heard them, he broke into a run and vanished into the night. Jonas and Delta were left on the sidewalk, eyeing each other uncertainly.
“What do we tell West?” Jonas asked. “He will be livid that we intervened and the intruder got away.”
“We’ll say we saw who it was. Then he can go after Marc. But it won’t do the sheriff much good, I reckon. Marc already ruined any possible prints on the key.” Delta frowned and continued thoughtfully, “I’m trying to work out what it all means. The killer probably had the key if they were the ones who changed the display to show the murder outside the boardinghouse and incriminate Tilly. But why, then, pass the key to Marc? Only locals know that he runs a sensationalist website. Does that mean a local is involved in the murder? But why would a local person kill Mr. Smith, a stranger to town?”
“Maybe he wasn’t a stranger. Maybe he came here more often and we just don’t know that yet.”
Delta swallowed. Tilly had also mentioned, in passing, she had been to Tundish before. She seemed to have been guarded speaking about it. How did that connect to the murder?
A police car raced up to them, and West jumped out. He glanced at Wanted, then focused on Delta and Jonas standing outside it. “Is the intruder still in there?”
“Unfortunately not,” Delta said. “But we saw who it was. Marc LeDuc. He entered with the missing key.”
“You talked to him?” West growled.
“We tried to reason with him and persuade him to share what he knows with you, but he’s convinced he has some major scoop,” Jonas said. “Maybe you can find out what it is before the rest of the world does? And ask him to return the key?”
Delta could’ve kicked herself for not demanding that Marc turn it over, but the clue in the note was the only thing on her mind in the moment.
West snarled, “I would love to arrest that nosy journalist and lock him up for the night. If I do, your key goes into evidence and you won’t get it back right away.” His phone beeped, and he took the call. The speaker sounded very animated and spoke so loud Delta could catch the words “break-in attempt” and the name Cassidy.
Cassidy? Oh, no. “Is that Mrs. Cassidy?” she asked.
“Looks like it,” West said. “Sorry, got to go. Talk to you later.” He dove into his car and raced away.
Her heart pounding, Delta stared at Jonas. “A break-in attempt at Mrs. Cassidy’s? How odd.”
“Maybe Marc had more addresses on his list for a nightly visit?”
Delta frowned. “What could Marc want at Mrs. Cassidy’s?”
“We don’t know what clues he discovered here in Wanted. Come on.” Jonas waved her along. “We’re going over to see if she’s all right.”
***
While they drove to Mrs. Cassidy’s place, Delta played nervously with her bracelet. “I do hope she’s fine. And Nugget and Buddy. Tilly was so concerned about her dog earlier.” She sucked in air. “Can that be the connection? Tilly’s things at Wanted and Tilly’s dog at Mrs. Cassidy’s.”
Jonas glanced at her with a doubtful expression. “What would anyone want with Buddy?”
“I don’t know. But the link between the store and Mrs. Cassidy seems to be Tilly.” Delta rubbed her face. “I’m wishing more and more I never invited her to town.”
They reached the house and parked at the side of the road to avoid blocking in a police car in the driveway. Delta spotted Mrs. Cassidy standing in the hallway talking to a deputy with Nugget in one arm and Buddy in the other. The two dogs were vying for her attention, both licking her face and neck. Delta waved at her, and Mrs. Cassidy called, “Hello there. What made you turn up? Not the news of my house being under attack, I hope? It wasn’t a big thing, really. A dark figure was rattling at the back door. Both dogs went frantic, and, since I was still up, I went over to see what the commotion was about. Then the figure fled through the garden. With the wet weather, there might be a footprint or two left there in the mud.”
“It’s unusual,” the deputy said, “for burglars to strike this early in the night. Usually they wait until people are fast asleep and there’s no risk of being overrun by the owners.”
“Well,” Mrs. Cassidy said, “I wonder if he thought I was out. You see, I was supposed to be at bridge tonight. I always am this day of the week, and I never get home before midnight. But I decided not to go because of Buddy’s arrival; I wanted him to settle in and feel safe.”
“If the burglar came assuming you were out, they must have known your routine,” Delta said. She glanced at Jonas.
“Know my routine?” Mrs. Cassidy shrugged. “I guess that wouldn’t be hard. It’s no big secret. In fact, I mentioned my bridge game today at the museum with dozens of tourists around.” She looked ruefully. “I never thought I owned anything worth coming after.”
“I’ll just finish taking your statement,” the deputy said. “Then you can have a cup of tea with your friends here to calm down.”
“I’m perfectly calm,” Mrs. Cassidy assured him, but Delta said it was a good idea. She and Jonas stepped aside for a moment to let the policeman finish up.
Jonas said, “Burglars sometimes keep tabs on people for a while, and, once they’ve worked out their routine, they try to strike. It was bad luck for this guy that Mrs. Cassidy changed her ways tonight.”
Delta shook her head. “It’s too coincidental that someone comes to try and break into her house on the very day she took in Tilly Tay’s dog. Remember the ransacked van?”
Jonas didn’t seem convinced. “If the van didn’t yield the wanted item, why come for Buddy?”
“He could be the wanted item. Maybe he’s valuable somehow?”
“How, then?” Jonas laughed softly. “He’s not a very special breed. And he’s not wearing a diamond-studded collar either.”
“I know.” Delta shrugged and shivered in the cold evening air. “Maybe I’m getting paranoid. It could be an impromptu, clumsy attempt at a burglary by someone who thought there was nobody home.”
“Could be.” Jonas nodded. “You do have these opportunistic crooks who pass a house and think: why not? They hope to find a wallet left out or snatch a smartphone quickly. No big score necessary, just some money to get through another few days on the road. Let’s keep it at that for the moment.” He came to stand closer to Delta. “Are you cold? Or worried?” He studied her with a searching look. “First the shock of finding Marc snooping around in the store, with this far-fetched story about the key being sent to him, and now this.”
Delta hugged her shoulders. “I’m fine, really.”
Jonas put his arm around her a moment and pulled her close. His warmth swept around her, assuring her that, whatever was happening, she wasn’t facing this alone.
Then the deputy said he was done, and Mrs. Cassidy invited them inside to have tea with her. “No coffee,” she said, “or we won’t sleep a wink. Not that I feel like sleeping at all myself. Odd how something so silly can still give you a spook.”
Delta patted her shoulder. “The dogs saved you, barking as they did.”
“Yes, they were great.” Mrs. Cassidy walked into the kitchen and put the dogs on the floor. She went to fill the kettle with water. Jonas sat on his haunches fondling Buddy’s ears.
Delta sat down on a chair at the table with the checkered tablecloth. “We had our own odd little experience in town.” She told Mrs. Cassidy about finding Marc inside Wanted after receiving Hazel’s missing key.
As she had hoped, Mrs. Cassidy grew lively at the revelation, asking questions, and throwing out theories. “If the killer had the key,” she said, getting out the cookie jar, “and he sent it to Marc inviting him to come and see the display in Wanted, it must hold more clues than just the murdered prospector. Maybe we are dealing with a killer who likes to leave difficult puzzles for the police or other interested parties.”
“Spare me,” Jonas said. “That sort of thing only happens in books and movies. In my experience, killers come in two varieties: the mad ones who kill without rhyme or reason and certainly don’t take the time to use a miniature display to advertise a hidden message and the occasional ones—I mean those who are not mentally disturbed but who resort to killing for a very real reason, like getting rid of a rival or a threat. They kill for practical or passionate purposes and try hard not to leave clues. In Mr. Smith’s case, I’d go for the latter. I assume, judging by his behavior—you know, checking into a hotel without showing ID and paying cash and all—that he was trying to go unnoticed. He could have had some shady business here in town. Maybe a victim of his dealings, whatever those could be, killed him. Or a business associate at that.”
Delta nodded in his direction. “Did you manage to discover whether any other lone people checked into the motel around the same time?”
“I asked questions and am waiting for answers.” Jonas gave Buddy a final rub across his back and took a seat at the table. Mrs. Cassidy poured the boiling water into the teapot and asked what flavor they’d like. They agreed on Earl Grey, which she fetched from the cupboard. “Take whatever you like from the cookie jar.”
The inviting scent of butter rose as Delta looked into the jar. She fished out a pretzel-shaped cookie with sugar and shoved the jar over to Jonas. He seemed to want to decline but then glanced at Mrs. Cassidy, busy making them feel welcome, and chose a cookie with an almond in the center.
Mrs. Cassidy sat down and cradled her own tea mug in her hands. “I’m glad I didn’t go to bridge. What if the house had been broken into and the dogs had attacked the intruder and gotten hurt? I’d never have forgiven myself.”
“But it’s not your fault when an intruder comes to your home,” Jonas pointed out gently.
Mrs. Cassidy waved a hand. “I know, but maybe I should take the dogs with me wherever I go? If they’re not safe here.”
“You could also think about having an alarm installed.” Delta bit into her cookie and chewed quickly.
Mrs. Cassidy sighed as she sipped her tea. “Winter is of course the perfect season for such criminals. It’s dark early, there are few people around. Yes, I think I will look into getting some sort of alarm. It’ll make me feel better.”
Delta touched her hand. “I do hope you’ll forget about this soon. I always had the impression you felt so safe and at home in Tundish.”
“Oh, I do.” Mrs. Cassidy squeezed her fingers. “This small incident won’t ruin that for me. It’s just a bit much on one day. The murder, Tilly Tay being arrested, her van ransacked, her dog missing for hours and entrusted to me…” She fell silent and sat up, looking from Delta to Jonas. “Could that be the connection? Is someone after the dog?”
Jonas raised a hand. “We asked ourselves the same thing, but Buddy doesn’t seem to have any immediate value.”
“Maybe Tilly Tay was married, and they didn’t agree on who should have the dog when they got divorced. I read a story about that in a magazine. People go very far for their pets.”
“A case of dognapping?” Jonas asked, obviously incredulous.
Mrs. Cassidy sipped her tea again. “I do want Tilly’s dog to be safe with me. I will call an alarm company in the morning. I’ve got a card in the drawer.”
As she spoke, a beep rang out. Buddy started to bark, and Nugget jumped up against the legs of the chair Jonas sat on. “Yes, yes, I’m getting it,” he said as he pulled out his phone. He checked a message on it. “A friend of mine looked into Tilly Tay’s financial situation. Seems she doesn’t have much to her name. The van, and that’s about it.”
“But she must have made money off her exhibitions. Doesn’t she have some savings account?” Delta asked.
“Not as far as my friend can tell right now.”
“Does that mean,” Mrs. Cassidy asked, “that the victim wasn’t after her for money?”
“Not necessarily,” Jonas retorted. “He might have assumed she had money.”
“He asked me if I was a relative,” Delta said. “Why would he want to get in touch with her relatives?”
“Interesting.” Jonas typed a message on his phone. “I’ll ask my contact to keep looking for a possible savings accounts but also check out Tilly Tay’s personal relations.”
“You know what?” Delta pointed a finger at him. “Tilly mentioned having been here, in Tundish, before. Maybe she does have family here? Or there’s some other connection to town that can prove useful in the case.”
“On it,” Jonas said, typing furiously.
Mrs. Cassidy yawned behind a politely raised hand.
“Maybe you will be able to sleep, anyway,” Delta said with a wink.
