A hand came into the tent on one side of the opening, and then one on the other side. They pushed the flaps back simultaneously as far as they could go.

  “I’m sure it doesn’t need all of us to check the tent is ready for the festival next week,” Gran said as she stepped inside ahead of Mavis, Nora, and Jed.

  “Surprise!” hundreds of people yelled.

  Gran’s mouth dropped open, and her handbag fell from her hand. Maddie wanted to pump the air. No one could fake that level of surprise. Not even Gran. They’d achieved the impossible.

  “Oh, my!” Gran held her hands to her cheeks. “What’s this all about?”

  While Nora picked up her bag, Jed pointed to their fellow community center attendees, who launched into an exuberant rendition of "Happy Birthday," whereby the rest of the crowd joined in. It was slightly off-key and very loud. And absolutely amazing.

  Tears trailed down Gran’s cheeks as Maddie led her to the cake.

  “This is stunning!”

  “I learned from the best,” Maddie assured her.

  “It’s better than anything I could do.” Gran kissed her cheek before smiling out into the room. “There are so many people. How on earth did you keep this a secret, you terrible, wonderful child?”

  Maddie laughed, a little choked up as Gran kissed her again. “We all made this happen.” Her arms spread to the whole group. “The town loves you.”

  Gran wept openly. From beside them came a sob. They turned to find Ava in William’s arms. Gran wiped her face on the handkerchief she kept in her purse and went to her daughter, pulling her from William. They cried as one, and now Maddie was a mess.

  “You stayed for my birthday?” Gran suddenly asked as if it were critical.

  “Why else?” Ava sniffed.

  “Is this a party or a funeral?” Nora demanded.

  Maddie was shocked, but a few titters sounded around the group and pulled smiles from Gran and Ava. In a short time, it seemed as though everyone was laughing again.

  Gran whispered in Ava’s ear, and the two of them came to Maddie where she stood sniffing by the cake.

  “As sad as it is to destroy something so beautiful, and as long as you have a picture of it, I want both of you to help me cut this cake,” Gran said.

  The three generations held the knife, hands on top of each other's as Gran sliced through the cup into the saucer part of the cake. A cheer resounded around the space. Maddie’s happiness scale was all but broken, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “We should go thank our friends and the community for coming,” Gran suggested.

  “I’m going to clean myself up,” Ava said, already backing away.

  Maddie appreciated this might be a step too far for her mom, so she and Gran began the mammoth task while the rest of the Girlz and some helpers, including Mavis and Nora, made tea and coffee.

  She’d spied Ethan earlier at the back of the tent and several more times as she and Gran made the rounds. She hoped he would come find her soon, and thinking about that made her realize that she hadn’t seen her mom or William in a while.

  Then a bloodcurdling scream sounded from the parking area out the front.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Maddie raced to the entrance. The flaps had been closed after everyone arrived, and she ripped open the fastening as quickly as she could. The ablution block edged the left side of the smaller carpark, and she could see her mother’s fair head bent over William’s dark one.

  Running across the open ground, she heard footsteps behind her, and by the time she reached her mom, she was flanked by Deputy Jacobs and a large man with brown hair.

  Ava pointed toward the road. “Nicholas,” she sobbed. “He tried to get William into his car, and when he couldn’t he knocked him out.”

  With only a little dust in the air and the sound of squealing tires, Nicholas was gone, but from the main carpark an unmarked blue sedan gave chase. Ethan!

  Maddie pulled her phone from her pocket and called an ambulance while checking William’s pulse. It was thready, and blood trickled from his nose.

  “Will he be okay?” Ava’s voice came out strangled.

  “I’m sure he will. He’s a strong man,” Maddie told her in between giving details.

  A man burst through the throng.

  “Where were you?” Ava glared at Jerry.

  “Sorry, Ava. I was doing a check around the perimeter when this happened. The sheriff received a call from his deputy and while he gave chase, he told me to relay the message we should get back to the cottage when Mr. Blackwell is okay.

  Ava sniffed.

  “Tell us what happened, mom.”

  “When I came out of the bathroom, they were down the driveway. I never even heard a car arrive. Nicholas was so angry and upset about being poisoned. He wanted to get William away from here. Away from me!” She held her husband’s hand, kissing the back of it. “He raved about having the funeral without him, but I know for a fact that William tried to reach him several times. The way he spoke made it sound as though William was crazy for wanting to stay. When William wouldn’t listen and kept walking away, it just made Nicholas angrier. He pulled on William’s arm, and that’s when William shoved him. Nicholas hauled back and punched him right in the face.”

  Ava dabbed at William's face with the sleeve of her dress. “I wasn’t wrong about his hatred for me. It’s still in his eyes.” Through her tears, Ava seemed confused. “But he sounded so frightened, and when he saw the blood he looked horrified.”

  Her mom’s rambling words began to sink in.

  “So, you think we’ve been wrong about him?” Maddie was annoyed and frustrated, and it came out in her voice.

  Ava’s lips trembled.

  Having done the unthinkable by accepting her mother’s take on the situation, Maddie had made a cardinal mistake. Studying the flaccid features of her stepfather—it still gave her a jolt to think of him this way—she realized that she should have paid more attention to William’s viewpoint.

  After all, William had grown up with and knew Nicholas best. Mom had only known the brother for a short time, and they hadn’t gotten on. Since there were many people who felt the same about Ava, it stood to reason that her opinion might be flawed.

  William had proven to be loving and loyal to both Ava and his brother. He was gentle and kind, and Maddie wanted so much for him to be okay.

  “I don’t know what to think. This is all too much.” Ava began to weep.

  Maddie squeezed her mom’s shoulder. Being angry at her wouldn’t help the fact that there were so many unanswered questions. The main one being, who killed Marcus if it wasn’t Nicholas? It appeared that they were right back at the beginning.

  The crowd was kept back by Bernie, Chris, and Noah, but Gran and the Girlz edged closer, with, Mavis, Jed, and Nora behind them. Angel handed Ava tissues, and Suzy folded her sweater to place under William’s head. Laura brought water and a towel to press to the wound.

  Maddie smiled her thanks, but was focused on something that nagged at her. Marcus. “Love can take many forms. Not all of them are healthy.”

  Ava looked up, giving Maddie a wary look through her tears.

  “I mean the brothers with their cousin,” Maddie clarified. “Not us.”

  “William told me how close all three of them were as children. It would be hard to let that go, even over a disagreement, wouldn’t it?” Ava’s voice trembled.

  Maddie nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking.” She had no siblings, but Suzy and Angel had taken up the mantle, and when Maddie went to New York she’d missed them terribly and insisted on them visiting every chance they could.

  Conversation ceased with the ambulance’s arrival. Mitchell Drummond, the paramedic lugging a large bag, knelt beside William, checking his pulse, then lifting his eyelids to shine a penlight on the pupils.

  William blinked, then he was staring at them in confusion.

  “Lie still, Mr. Blackwell,” Mitch told him.

  “Why? I’m fine.” He sat up despite the paramedic’s hands holding him down. "Where’s Nicholas?”

  “He ran off,” Ava told him with a sniff.

  “Ethan will find him.” Maddie wiped blood off his shirt.

  William grabbed her hand. “He won’t arrest him, surely?”

  “Not if you don’t press charges.”

  “I won’t.” William shook his head, wincing.

  Mitch checked him over again. “The bleeding’s stopped. If you feel okay, let’s get you to your feet.”

  William obliged with Mitch and Maddie’s help, and then Ava was in between them holding William’s cheeks. “You had me so worried.”

  William smiled wanly. "I’m fine, dear.” He turned to face the family and guests lined up around them. “I’m so sorry this is ruining the day.”

  “Shush,” Gran said. “It’s not your fault.”

  “But we know how much time Maddie and the Girlz spent on this,” Ava said miserably.

  Maddie shook her head. “Don’t think about that. Just take care of each other.”

  Ava did something so out of character, Maddie could only stand in shock. Her mom kissed her cheek, followed by a hug, and did the same to Gran. “Happy birthday, Mom.”

  Gran’s laugh came with a hitch. “Goodness. My heart is jumping all over the place.”

  Maddie gulped. “Mine too.”

  Their arms around each other, they turned back to the guests.

  “I guess we need to send people home?” Gran said, practical as ever.

  “No, let them finish up. If someone else is out there, we should be the ones to go, like Ethan said.”

  “I never wanted a fuss, anyway. Just being with my family is good enough,” Gran was emphatic. “You stay with your mom and William, Maddie. I’ll get the team onto this.”

  “The Girlz will help.” Maddie called them over and told them her plan, while Gran went to speak to Jed, Mavis, and Nora.

  “Don’t you worry, sugar. We’ll get them fed and watered and clean up here,” Angel said. “You take the family home.”

  “Please make sure everyone gets a slice of cake too.”

  “I’ll do that,” Luke offered.

  Maddie sighed with relief that the incident hadn’t happened earlier. Gran had at least enjoyed part of her birthday, and the three generations had been given several moments that they might all cherish.

  All that was left was to find the murderer. Piece of cake.

  As the guests ate, Noah played soothing music, and Maddie headed out to the car with her family, including Big Red, who appeared to have eaten a great deal already.

  Rob stood by Honey.

  “You’ve been here the whole time?” Maddie asked.

  “I saw what happened, but was too far away to help. After Ethan called, Detective Jones and I stayed behind with another two deputies. I’ll escort you home and bring Jerry.”

  Maddie heard something in his voice despite his impassive face. Something was up. Should she tell him her plan?

  “I don’t want my brother arrested,” William said firmly.

  “That’s not my call, sir.” Rob moved back so they could get in the car.

  “Can I talk to you when we get to the house, Deputy Jacobs?” Maddie asked.

  That raised his eyebrows. “I’ll see you there.”

  His answer had a justifiable wariness. Sharing his information might not happen, but she had to tell him what she was thinking. Ethan wouldn’t be happy if she went off on her own.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Maddie drove carefully, hearing Ava and William’s voices but not listening. Somehow she had to follow her instinct and not upset her family.

  “What are you up to?” Gran asked softly.

  “What do you mean?”

  Gran sighed. “Really? You’re going to play that game?”

  “It’s not a game, and it may be nothing. I need to go to the park where Marcus was found.”

  “It’s something dangerous if you’re going by yourself.” Gran crossed her arms.

  “I’m going to ask Rob to come with me.”

  “Why don’t you simply tell him what you mean to do?”

  She knew Gran was worried but Maddie was sure she was right. “I have a hunch that I need to look into. Myself.”

  Gran sighed again and looked out the window. “Don’t you go spoiling my birthday by getting yourself hurt.”

  Maddie smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Gran reached across the seat and squeezed Maddie’s leg.

  They didn’t need to say more, but Maddie loved the familiar warmth that crept through her.

  When they got to the cottage, Ava and William went inside. Gran hovered at the door for a moment to blow Maddie a kiss, before following them.

  “Oh, boy. This is worse than I’d anticipated,” Rob said.

  He’d parked his car behind Honey and wore a frown so deep Maddie almost laughed.

  “It’s not so bad,” she told him with a straight face.

  “I thought you were wanting to pump me for information, but you’re up to something, right?”

  He had every right to say this, since they had worked on a few cases by now, but she needed to be gentle with him, otherwise he might stop her from going. “So you do have information?”

  “Maybe. You first.”

  Maddie nodded. “When we found Marcus, he was pointing.”

  “I remember.” Rob shivered.

  “What was he pointing at?”

  He shrugged. “Who knows? We checked the area.”

  “I know you did, and I’m sure you all did a fantastic job. The thing is, there wasn’t much blood where he was found.”

  “And?”

  “So he was moved there.”

  “I’m sure that’s not your point. Go on.”

  Maddie raised her hands. “Where was he moved from?”

  “You don’t think we looked into that? We don’t know. The ground was flattened a little along the line we entered the woods. That’s all.” Frustration had crept into Rob’s tone, and Maddie was afraid she’d pushed him too far.

  “It’s just a hunch, but I want to go back to the woods and look somewhere else.”

  “No way. Ethan would kill me.”

  Maddie shrugged. “Naturally he would take me if he was here, but he’s off after Nicholas, and I don’t know how long he’ll be. I honestly think we have to do this now. Someone killed Marcus, and we’re no closer to finding that person.”

  “Ethan will catch Mr. Blackwell.”

  Maddie shook her head. “But none of us believe it’s him. Even Mom is doubtful.”

  “Nevertheless, it’s too dangerous for you to go to the woods.”

  Maddie crossed her arms. “But how can it be if you’re assuming Nicholas is the killer? Besides, you can take me. I’m sure the detective is around somewhere.”

  That stopped Rob for a moment. Then he tilted his head. “If I don’t take you, you’ll go anyway. Won’t you?”

  Maddie shrugged.

  Rob sighed heavily. “Let me check the house once more. Wait here.”

  Maddie took the time to change into some old shoes she kept in the back. Her dress wasn’t right for a trip to the woods, but she didn’t want to go home and change.

  Rob came back and made a call, then he nodded to her. “Let’s go on your wild goose chase.”

  “Yes, Deputy,” she said as meekly as she could.

  Rob sighed again, and they walked down Plum Place.

  “It’s your turn. What’s your information?” she asked conversationally, wondering if this was a stupid idea. She could be at the cottage spending time with Gran, and her mom who was leaving soon. Just when they were making inroads to a less fractious relationship. Hopefully.

  “Really? You asked questions and told me nothing,” Rob scoffed.

  Maddie made a rude sound, but they became quiet as they crossed the park and headed into the woods. A yellow tape was still in place around the area where Marcus was found.

  “We can’t go in there,” Rob told her.

  “I don’t want to.” She took him by the shoulders and stood him in front of the tape, facing her.

  He was naturally perturbed by the manhandling. “What are you doing?”

  “Sorry. I’m using you as a marker. Marcus pointed this way.”

  Rob frowned. “He was dead, and as you suggested, probably moved. The finger could be pointing in any direction.”

  “Maybe. But what if he wasn’t quite dead when he was put behind the log? The fact that his arm was under a branch and yet stuck out beneath it has bugged me since that first day.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You never mentioned it.”

  Maddie shrugged. “It bugged me, but I couldn’t figure out why until today.”

  “Okay, I’ll play along. What now?”

  He sounded more intrigued now, so Maddie turned away from him but walked in a line from where he stood. It led her to the boulder. Many branches covered one side of it, and Maddie pushed some aside. A black line ran from a sharp piece of stone.

  “Rob!” she called.

  He was beside her in a heartbeat. “Well done. If I’m not mistaken, that’s blood.”

  “I think so too. It’s so little and look at the swipe marks. Someone’ tried to clean it and cover it up. But look what’s attached to it.” She pointed to several strands of long black hair. “I think that belongs to the person we’ve been looking for, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s from the woman who’s been seen several times. I bet this was also Angel’s person in the garden!”

  “Finally, a decent clue! It’s a big jump to say this is the same person Jerry mentioned, but we can definitely get the DNA from this.” Rob took a vial from his pocket and put on gloves.

  Meanwhile, Maddie got down on her hands and knees. She followed the rock, rustling through the bracken a little at a time.

  “What else are you looking for?” Rob asked over her shoulder.

  “Pointing to the rock because that’s where Marcus was killed is one thing, but I think there’s more. I think there’s something else he wants us to find it.”

 

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