Eclairs and extortion, p.7
Eclairs and Extortion, page 7
“So no one knew that you were coming here either?”
“No. I listened to Marcus and Ava and kept it to myself and my bodyguard.” His eyes were misty. “I owe your mother my life. She was in the suite when I began to choke on nothing and called the ambulance straight away. The hospital recognized the almond-like smell and got the poison out of my system pretty quickly.”
“She loves you.” The words came out just fine, but it was still a shock to hear them from her own mouth, and even more of a shock that Maddie believed them to be true.
His quivering smile was followed by an endearing earnestness. “And I love her. She’s brought so much to my staid life in a short time. I would do anything to keep her safe.”
Maddie searched his face. “It seems as though you are both in danger.”
He shrugged. “I’m not so sure. The cocktail was on the table, and I assumed it was for me, but according to Ava, she’d ordered it for herself.”
“Did the police find the poison that was used?”
“Nothing was found to point to where it came from. Marcus brought the drink to the room without knowing who made it. You can imagine how upset he was.”
He sounded so anguished that Maddie made the soothing sound that Gran was well known for and changed the subject.
“Mom never said where you and she lived after the wedding.”
He wiped his face with a white handkerchief he pulled from his jacket pocket. “I leased a penthouse suite in Hollywood soon after we met. I was stupidly trying to impress your mom. Do you know that the only reason we got together was that she felt sorry for me?”
Maddie was surprised. “What on earth for?”
“She was serving me at a bar and being spoken to roughly. I intervened and got a thump to the chin for my troubles.” He rubbed his chin as though he could still feel it.
“She's the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen, and so feisty. She gave that patron a tongue lashing on my behalf, and I was smitten. Unfortunately, she got fired and was pretty mad with everyone, including me.” Even in his sadness, the memory made him smile.
Maddie felt her cheeks heat. She knew little about her mom’s life, so this was a lot to take in, but the anger at everyone around her was only too real.
“I insisted she come work for me, and maybe she felt as though she had no choice at the time, but it worked out perfectly,” he continued.
This conversation was full of surprises. If her mom hadn’t wanted to be employed by William, she would have said no without a qualm. “What sort of work?”
“Mostly correspondence.”
Maddie couldn’t imagine her mom sitting at a desk. “I’m sure that a break from bar work would be nice. Were there a lot of people around your penthouse when it happened?”
“Not really. There were the hotel staff who’d cleaned earlier, Marcus, and Nicholas had a suite next to ours. As I said, your mother and I were supposed to be leaving for England next week, and my secretary had already returned home.” He hesitated for a moment. “If only we’d left as well.”
Her mom’s departure was news to Maddie, and she felt another wave of disappointment at the secrecy of Ava’s life. “Back to the castle you’ve inherited?”
William nodded. “That’s right. Ava told you about Craigavon Castle?”
“She mentioned it, but not its name. How did you inherit it?”
Before he could answer, a commotion sounded outside the room. Maddie saw Rob dart outside.
The doors opened, but the entrance looked empty.
Chapter Nine
The lift pinged its arrival, and the doors slid open to reveal Ava and Ethan. William stood and swiftly crossed the room toward his wife, who ran into his open arms. She began to cry softly into his shoulder as he kissed the top of her head. They were similar in height, her blonde head fitting naturally into the side of his neck.
Maddie felt a lump in her throat. No matter their differences, she’d always hoped that one day her mom would find happiness. It looked like she truly had, and Maddie was glad.
Ethan coughed. “Mr. Blackwell, I’m Sheriff Tanner.”
Rob must have conveyed the message that the victim’s cousin had arrived. Mr. Blackwell leaned forward, keeping one arm around Ava, and held out his hand.
“Madeline has told me the news about my cousin. May I see Marcus?”
If Ethan was bothered by Maddie preempting him, he didn’t show it.
“I’ll take you there now. Afterwards we’d like to ask you some questions.”
While speaking gently, Ethan gave the impression that he expected nothing but compliance.
Ava clutched her husband’s arm, her face full of concern. “Do you need me to come with you?”
William patted her hand. “I’m sure once was enough, dear. You wait here with your lovely daughter.”
“Are you sure?”
With a lingering kiss on her forehead, William smiled softly. “It will be fine, my love. I’ll be back soon.”
Ethan glanced around the room. “Where’s Deputy Jacobs?”
Maddie slapped her forehead. “He ran outside a while ago.”
Ethan looked worried, but just then Rob came through the doors, frog-marching a tall fair-haired man. His arms behind him, he wriggled and jerked trying to get free. When he turned, Maddie could see the cuffs.
William gasped. “Jerry!”
“You know him?” the deputy asked.
“This is my bodyguard, Jerry Sims. He’s no threat,” William protested.
Rob frowned. “I found him lurking by the door, then he suddenly ran off.”
“And I told you who I was and that I was only doing my job. There’s someone outside I was watching and I chased her.”
Ethan stepped forward. “Who would that be?”
Jerry shrugged. “I don’t know. Ever since we arrived today, she’s been tailing us.”
“She?” Rob scoffed.
“That’s right.” Jerry sounded defensive. “All I can say is that she’s darn fast.”
“You didn’t see anyone else?” Ethan asked his deputy.
Rob shook his head, not seeming at all convinced of the man’s innocence. “Shall I take him to the station?”
“But he can’t be involved,” Ava intervened. “We hired him after the poisoning.”
Ethan made an abrupt decision. “Uncuff him, but he can come with Mr. Blackwell downstairs. Detective Jones will also want to talk to him."
Ava watched sadly as the men walked away. Her mom appeared so bereft and confused that Maddie put her arms around her. This time, and for the first she could remember, Ava allowed it.
“He seems very nice,” Maddie said into her hair. The smell of her mom’s fragrance brought back sketchy memories of when she was small. There was a time when she was held, she was sure of it.
“Nice? He’s more than that. He knows all about my past and doesn’t give a fig about it.” There was a smattering of scorn, but then she added in a softer tone, “I know we’ve been together a short while, but William wants me to be happy and does all he can to make that happen. I finally feel like I belong somewhere. Thank you for taking care of him.”
It was a shame that Ava couldn’t also find happiness with the family she had, but Maddie sucked down a bout of self-pity. Along with Gran and Ethan, she would do everything in her power to keep her mom safe, regardless of Ava’s attitude toward them.
Which meant they had to know everything, because there was an obvious missing piece to this puzzle. The killer had to have a motive, which implied it was someone they knew. William might be a savvy business owner, but he’d made a pretty awful mistake in agreeing where he and Ava would be safe. Maybe he was mistaken about who his friends were.
“Mom? Is there a reason someone might want to kill Marcus, other than being related to William?”
Her mother pulled away as if Maddie was on fire and likely to burn them both. “It’s complicated.”
“It always is.” Maddie regretted her tone immediately but it was too late.
“I knew you would find a way to bring up the past. You and your gran can’t think of me in any way other than as the bratty woman who left her child to be raised by someone else. My mother only ever saw the bad in me.”
Maddie’s anger bubbled inside her. She could take an awful lot of criticism from her mom, but to talk bad about Gran crossed the line.
“Until you arrived yesterday, we had no idea your life had changed. After a whirlwind romance of—I don’t even know how long, you’re married and on the run from a murderer! You can’t expect our opinions to have a makeover in twenty-four hours. What I do know for a fact is that Gran and I have never stopped loving you and we’ve always been here waiting for you to come home. Even knowing we weren’t important to you.”
Ava gasped, and Maddie was shocked herself. Never in her life had she talked back to her mom. To be honest, it was quite liberating, even while she waited for the backlash.
Instead, Ava crumpled. Literally. She slipped into the chair her husband had so recently vacated, giving the impression that she’d be on the floor in a heap if the chair hadn’t been available.
Maddie knelt beside her. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s not right for us to argue when you’ve lost someone you care about.”
Ava put a hand up to ward off the embrace she could see was forthcoming. Maddie moved back a little, unprepared for her mother’s next words or the tear that was brutally wiped away.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s never a good time to delve into the past, but I want to tell you that you have nothing to be sorry for. I left you. That’s the truth. I knew it was wrong, and yet if we are honest, it was right for all of us. I couldn’t stay in Maple Falls with everyone treating me like a leper. Small towns don’t easily forget teenage pregnancies.”
An apology in any form was a rare thing from her mom, and it rocked more of the perceptions Maddie had about her.
“I’m sure it was hard.” Maddie didn’t bring up how hard it had been to be the child in question. “Fortunately, times have changed and people are more accepting these days.”
Ava snorted. “Maybe elsewhere, but not in Maple Falls. Each time I came back I was made to feel guilty every second. Guilty for loving a man who decided he didn’t want me. Guilty that my parents had to face criticism over my actions. Guilty that you didn’t have a father.”
“I would have been happy just to have a mother.” Maddie couldn’t prevent the deep sadness that covered her words.
Ava shook her head. “A mother who wasn’t me would be fine. I could never be the mother you should have. I knew your gran was. She did her best with me but I was a constant disappointment and so very angry. I needed to grow up and have the freedom to do so. To find out who I could be and not try to be what everyone expected.”
Maddie gasped. “I never expected anything. Although, I did have a childish hope. But when you left the last time you made it terribly clear that you could never live here again. I accepted that. What I don’t get is why you couldn’t visit us—me—more often?”
Ava turned away, her face flushed. When a lengthy silence ensued, Maddie thought they were done. Then, her mom surprised her again.
“I did meet with your grandad several times. He’d tell me where you were, and I’d watch from a distance. You were very good at sport. A natural leader. You had plenty of close friends and you looked happy.”
The blood pounded in Maddie’s head. Father figure and her hero, Grandad had spoiled her and loved her unconditionally. Had he really lied to her for all those years?
“He never said a word. Why would he do that when he knew how I felt?”
“Because I swore him to secrecy. I couldn’t handle seeing your face. Seeing the want in your eyes and knowing I couldn’t come home. We’d all have been miserable.”
Maddie stood. “You don’t know that for sure.”
Ava looked up and gave her a glimmer of a smile. “I do, and so do you.”
Maddie walked over to the windows, when what she really wanted to do was run away from this room and her mom. Everyone had their own version of the truth and of the past. Hers held a memory of seeing her mom one particular Christmas.
Maddie had trailed after Ava, not speaking, simply watching every move. Hoping her mom would say she was home for good. Deep down she’d known it wasn’t going to happen, but still she’d hoped. After all, it’s what children did best, wasn’t it? All that did was annoy Ava.
From the corner of her eye, Maddie could see Ava watching as she paced the room. For the first time Maddie didn’t care if her mom noticed the fingers tapping her thighs. She'd developed this coping technique for anxiety, and people who knew her rarely commented, but her mom disapproved and had told her to stop many times. Today she didn’t comment, and Maddie’s hand slowed.
Her breath caught a little at the perceived betrayal. Her mom was Grandad’s child, therefore she’d naturally take precedence in his loyalty. It hurt, but this was the only way Maddie could come to terms with it and not think badly of him.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree about your absence. And I’m sure William would like to get out of here. If we’re going to keep everyone safe, then you need to fill in the gaps with anything you can think of.”
Ava crossed her arms. “I told you about the castle. It’s all to do with that. Perhaps we should wait until the sheriff returns?”
Maddie nodded and went to the window again. It was dark outside and there were plenty of shadows. Who was this mysterious woman? And what part had she played in all of this?
Chapter Ten
They waited in an awkward silence for what seemed a very long time. When Ethan and William returned, relief washed over Maddie. William appeared shaken, and Ava hurried to his side. He wrapped her into his arms, and they stood motionless for a moment.
Ethan coughed. “We’ll wait here until the detective has finished with your bodyguard,” he told them.
“Meanwhile, Mom and William should explain about the castle he’s inherited,” Maddie suggested.
Ethan gave her a questioning look before directing it to the couple who were sitting close at the table. “Any information you have will be good.”
When Ava finished, Ethan frowned. “So you believe that your brother-in-law wants to get his hands on the castle by getting rid of you. Assuming he’s capable of such a thing, how would killing you allow that to happen?”
William looked ill, and his mouth opened as if he would refute the suggestion.
Ava noticed, paled, but continued. “If it was Nicholas, he’d have to kill William and me.”
“But you said there was only one poisoned cocktail and you ordered it,” Maddie noted.
“That’s right.” Ava nodded.
“If there were only the two of you and Nicholas there at the time, why don’t you suspect your brother?” Ethan asked William.
“Family means a lot to us. We’ve had our share of losses, and I can’t entertain the idea that my brother's capable of attempted murder, let alone murder. Plus, there’s no proof.” He sounded almost apologetic in his defense of his brother.
Frustration bristled from Ava.
“Yet, you’re convinced it’s him?” Ethan pressed.
Ava avoided William’s hurt expression. “I can’t help it. He looks at me with such distaste behind William’s back. Whenever we’re alone he says dreadful things about my past and my character. Marcus overheard him once and he asked Nicholas to apologize. When he refused, Marcus apologized on behalf of his cousin. He was so sweet.” She gave a small hiccup.
“Didn’t Marcus tell William what Nicholas said?” Maddie pressed.
“I’d hoped he would, but Marcus hated to cause trouble, and I didn’t want him to be stuck in the middle of a family fight over me. He was loyal to both brothers and would do anything for them. That’s why his death is so shocking.”
Marcus had obviously made a huge impact on her mom if she wouldn’t ask him to intervene with William against Nicholas.
Ava stole a look at William. Loving his family and now his wife so much, her husband was clearly torn about what or who to believe. That had to have an effect on Ava over and above Marcus’s death, because William could only defend Nicholas at Ava’s expense. Maddie shuddered.
Everyone else seemed depressed while Ethan made notes. The café had closed, but there was a machine on the far wall. Feeling drained, Maddie made them all coffee.
“It would be good if you could stay at the cottage until we get this sorted. We can get your things from your hotel tomorrow,” Ethan said.
William frowned. “Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if I’m elsewhere?”
Maddie shook her head. “That’s not a good idea, Mr. Blackwell. Since we don’t know who the target was, you need to have someone watching out for both of you.”
“I’d really like you to call me William. After all, we are family. As for someone looking out for us, the last person who did that is lying on a cold tray downstairs.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Maddie gulped. Mr. Blackwell . . . William, was hurting bad, no matter how staunch he might wish to appear. Yet, through his pain, he had included her as part of his family. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. More family was a good thing—if they were all as nice as William. That didn’t appear to be the case.
Ethan stepped in to fill the silence. “We have no idea who killed Marcus or who could still be in danger. So you need to let us do our job.”
He paused, perhaps to let them assimilate this. It appeared that Ava and her husband wished to protect each other more than themselves. Yet one more telling sign that her mom was indeed very much in love with her husband.
A sharp pain in her chest made Maddie realize that despite being happy for her mom, along with it came a sense of betrayal that she would never be loved in that way by Ava.
