Eclairs and extortion, p.8
Eclairs and Extortion, page 8
“Deputy Jacobs and I will keep an eye on the cottage through the night, then we can regroup tomorrow and decide on a better course of action.”
Maddie gasped as an idea hit her. “But the body was found not that far from Gran’s. Surely that indicates the murderer knows where Mom is staying?”
“Perhaps, but William’s whereabouts will no doubt be known by now too. It will be best to have everyone together than try to watch several places.” Ethan said this with patience and something more. Maddie could see he was trying to hide the depth of his worry, and that fueled her fear for everyone at the cottage, including Laura. She needed to get back there and help protect them in any way she could.
Having police outside or nearby wasn’t the same as being inside, as she well knew. Which made her worry about who was protecting Gran and Laura right now. “If that’s okay with Mom and . . . William, we should get to the cottage right away. I don’t want Gran to worry.”
Ava and William looked at each other.
“I guess we have no choice,” Ava said in a heavy voice.
“Let me tell Rob what’s happening. If everything checks out, he can bring the bodyguard with him.” Ethan said.
When he was done, William took Ava’s arm, and they filed out of the café, flanked by Maddie and Ethan. He led them to his car, and Maddie got in the passenger side.
The tension in the confined space was palpable, and again it was a quiet ride.
Chapter Eleven
Likely hearing the cars and seeing their lights, Gran opened the door in her dressing gown as soon as they arrived. Laura, similarly attired, stood behind her, peering out into the night.
Gran hugged Maddie and offered Ava a small smile, but her eyes sought out Ava’s husband, giving him a long look as if she could assess his character in a moment or two.
“This is William Blackwell, Mom’s husband.” Maddie introduced him as they entered.
William took Gran’s hand and kissed the back of it. “You must be Ava’s mother. Her good looks obviously run in the family. I’m so pleased to meet you at last. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He smiled, although his sadness could not be hidden.
Gran looked uncertainly to her daughter and then Maddie, who nodded encouragingly. A couple of days ago, Maddie would perhaps have not been so keen to have her mom’s husband under their roof. Funny how things changed quickly.
A little flustered by all the late-night guests, especially her new son-in-law, Gran nevertheless became the consummate host.
“I wish I could say the same, but perhaps we can change that over a nice cup of tea. Or would you prefer coffee?”
He smiled gratefully. “Tea would be wonderful.”
“Please come in and make yourselves comfortable.” Gran showed him the way.
“I’ll leave you to the rest of your evening,” Ethan said, already backing out the door. “Stay inside, and I’ll be back in the morning.” After his warning, he touched his hat to Gran and gave Maddie a searching look.
Knowing he had a lot to investigate and to oversee the stakeout, she’d still rather have him inside the cottage with everybody else. With her. She sucked down that slightly desperate thought and smiled, which fake or not seemed to give him a little relief.
A ginger dynamo launched himself at her ankles. Somehow Big Red had found her again. Happy to see her but annoyed at being left behind, he wound in and out of her legs, cuffing her heels as she went inside. Almost tripping several times, she couldn’t be angry and picked him up to rub her face in his neck. A deep purr and a paw on her cheek meant she was forgiven. For now.
Standing in the dining room, Laura awkwardly tucked her dressing gown closer to her body, and Maddie introduced her to William.
He shook her hand, and Laura’s flush was nearly as red as her hair. Any man’s attention, no matter how innocuous, was a trial for her.
“Sorry to keep you all from your beds and to impose on you like this,” William said.
Gran waved her hand. “Not at all. You’re very welcome. As I said, we can use the opportunity to get to know each other.”
Ava rolled her eyes.
“I’ll see if I can sleep at Angel’s so you can have my room, Maddie,” Laura said softly.
“It’s late and too dangerous to be wandering down the road. Besides, I wouldn’t dream of taking your room. If you could loan me a nightie, I’m happy to sleep on the chaise in the sitting room. Besides, I’m not ready to sleep just yet, and I’m sure we have a few things to discuss.”
Maddie gave the rest of the group a searching look, convinced her mom wouldn’t be as open as she’d been at the hospital. Regardless, Maddie wanted to chat more with William and thought he might be happy to do so if he wasn’t all talked out by now.
Laura reluctantly agreed and disappeared upstairs. She returned quickly with a nightie that Gran would be equally comfortable in, since it would likely cover a body from head to toe. Maddie took it without comment, and her friend excused herself, bustling back upstairs.
Maddie got cups and saucers ready while Gran made tea, nodding Maddie toward the top shelf of the cabinet that housed other tea sets. The set Gran meant her to retrieve was one that rarely got used.
“William, would you mind getting this down for me,” Maddie asked, since he was a little taller.
He obliged and handed it to her carefully. “These are wonderful. They remind me of spring at home.”
Maddie agreed, but didn’t explain the significance of them. Everyone who came to the cottage on a regular basis was given their own patterned set. Gran’s had lilacs, Maddie’s a delicate pink rose depicted on two sides and on its matching saucer. Angel—yellow daffodils. Suzy—white orchids with pink centers. Laura—a blue wisteria pattern. Ava—red sweet pea with tendrils wandering around the rim. Then there was the one William handed to Maddie.
No one commented as she gave the set a quick rinse. William looked confused, as though he sensed something significant taking place. Gran gave him a lovely smile and handed him the new set she’d recently acquired. It was royal blue with a white tulip gracing either side of the cup and the middle of the saucer. Somehow the patterns were always appropriate for the person.
Gran poured, and Maddie took a satisfied sip of the strong brew, wondering at the last twenty-four hours.
Ava held her cup between two hands, inhaling the fragrance. “No one makes tea quite like my mother,” she said to her husband.
“It is good. Very similar to my own blend, which is wonderful since I never travel without it. Except for today. There wasn’t time to go back to the apartment to get it,” he said wistfully.
“I get my tea leaves sent over from England by my brother,” Gran explained.
“Ah, yes. Ava’s told me your heritage, and you still have an accent, which is nice.” William was polite, even though his face was pinched.
Gran nodded. “I’m told by my friends that it’s not as strong as it was, but other people do comment on it, which always surprises me. I don’t hear it.”
William offered a weak smile. “Trust me, it’s there.”
Maddie and Gran shared a series of looks. It might be out of context, but somehow they did trust William Blackwell. Also, the man was hurting, and it was up to them to ease his pain if they possibly could.
“After being in America for a few months, I’m getting homesick for the sound of it. Of course I have Nicholas and. . . .” He replaced his cup with a shaking hand.
“Will you tell Maddie and me a little about yourself?” Gran asked gently.
“Certainly.” Leaning back, he clasped his hands over his slightly rounded stomach. “I was born in Devon, and I have one brother. As you may have guessed, I’m a little older than Ava, but when we met it didn’t seem to matter. Every day is a blessing when we’re together.” The corners of his mouth turned down. “I am very sorry that you’ve been involved in whatever is going on.”
Gran nodded. “We appreciate that. We also know that we can’t always prevent things from happening. Sometimes it’s simply out of our hands and it’s how we react that matters.”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“How did you inherit a castle?” Maddie asked, genuinely interested.
William smiled. “Now, that is an interesting story. My uncle—my father’s eldest brother—was the rightful heir and lived there his whole life. My father was given the family holding in Devon, which was once part of the castle estate. That’s where my brother and I were born and raised. We did visit the castle many times, as my father and his brother were extremely close and my uncle was very fond of us. Since he had no children, when he passed away, the castle became mine.”
“Were you expecting to inherit it?” Maddie probed.
He shrugged. “I suppose in the back of my mind I knew that would be the case, but my uncle was a very fit man. I didn’t think of him passing away anytime soon.”
Maddie frowned, wondering if Ethan knew about this. “So, he died suddenly?”
“Very suddenly. A freak accident when he was out shooting,” William said with sorrow.
She sat up straighter. “He was murdered?”
William’s eyebrows shot up. “I believe it was an accident.”
“It would appear that there have been a lot of accidents,” Gran noted dryly.
William picked up his cup and drank deeply before replacing it. “That’s exactly what Ava said. I apologize, my love. I should have listened to you.”
Ava patted his hand. “It doesn’t matter now.”
He shook his head. “Perhaps I could have prevented Marcus’s death if I’d paid attention to your opinions.”
Ava made a soothing sound. “Don’t upset yourself any more tonight.”
William let out a shaky breath. “He’ll want to be taken home.”
“Yes, of course.” Ava squeezed his hand. “We’ll see to it as soon as the sheriff says we can leave.”
“You’re going to live in England,” Maddie stated, feeling a wrench she hadn’t expected.
“We are,” Ava said, shamefaced. “I intended to come and see you both to tell you what we intended. I never meant for you to find out like this, but I couldn’t foresee this mess.”
Maddie nodded. Her mom was due some good times, even if she had no intention of staying in Maple Falls for longer than she had to. Ava had come for one reason, and it wasn’t to be a mom.
“I guess it would be cool to live in a castle,” she told her, instead of how she was really feeling.
Gran poured more tea. “Perhaps one day we could come visit? Once you’re settled? It’s time I saw my brother again.”
Ava’s face brightened. “We would love that, wouldn’t we, William?”
“You must come anytime you like. You will be welcome and rooms will be available for however long you choose, and that could be permanently.”
Even sad, he appeared to genuinely want to please his wife and her family. Maddie watched him for a minute, until something made her ask, “You inherited not only the castle but your family’s estate?”
“That’s right.”
“And your brother wasn’t upset by this?” she asked tentatively.
He stiffened. “If you’re inferring that Nicholas would want to murder me so that he could gain both properties, let me assure you, he wouldn’t. I made a pact with him that once I was ensconced in the castle, he could have our family’s land.”
“That’s very good of you,” Gran said.
“Is it? I think it’s only fair. A person only needs so much, and I don’t have any children to leave my worldly goods to,” he insisted.
“Does Nicholas have children?” Maddie pressed.
“He does. A daughter, Amelia. She’s a wonderful businesswoman,” he said proudly.
Maddie hesitated. “Can I ask how Marcus fits in?”
William sighed. “I don’t mind talking about him. Marcus helped out wherever he was needed. He didn’t do so well at school but he was eager to please us all. He was my aunt’s only child.”
This was interesting. “Your father had a sister as well as a brother?”
“Yes. She was the oldest and along with her husband died in the same accident that killed my mother. Marcus is quite a bit younger than us, so becoming an orphan when he was so young was hard for him.”
Maddie felt his pain, because it meant that William probably didn’t remember much of his mother either. “But you and Marcus were close?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Marcus had no other family. Everyone concerned was happy for my father to take care of him. When I say we were cousins, I should say that we were more like brothers. He and I were especially inseparable."
Maddie had to ask. “Was Nicholas jealous of your relationship?”
“What? No! He loved Marcus as much as I did. As I still do.” He pinched the bridge of his nose once more, and his lips quivered.
Ava glared at Maddie and Gran. “You stop this now! William’s lost someone very dear to him. I would think you could both give him some space to deal with this." She stood, and William got to his feet. “We’re going to bed.”
Gran flinched at the tone. “We’re all exhausted. We can talk more in the morning, when the sheriff or his deputy come back.”
Wide-eyed, Ava stopped on her way to the stairs. “I thought they said they’d be watching the cottage?”
“They will. I meant when they have a moment tomorrow to come inside. There’s no hurry, is there?”
Ava shuddered. “As long as they’ve not gone home.”
Maddie was on her way to get a pillow and blankets from the hall cupboard, and she swung back. “Ethan is a man of his word. He won’t let anyone harm us on his watch.”
“That’s good enough for me. Goodnight, and thank you.” William gave them a sad smile and followed Ava up the stairs, a hand in the middle of her back.
Gran waited until she heard a door close. “Well. He seems a thoroughly nice man.”
Maddie nodded. “He’s been so worried about Mom and just as confused as we are as to who could have killed Marcus. Ava thinks it’s the brother, but there’s really no evidence apart from his dislike of her. William is just as adamant it’s not Nicholas.”
“There’s certainly more here than meets the eye, and I’m sure half of what William said tonight he hadn’t thought to tell Ethan. Good work, sweetheart. Your questions, while I agree with your Mom about them not being perfect timing, revealed so much about motives.”
Maddie knew that she could have been more sensitive to William. Unfortunately, like Grandad, once she got her teeth into something she often lost sight of things around her. Very much like baking. A recipe demanded attention to understand it completely, and this murder had many layers. But William Blackwell was a person who was grieving, and she did feel bad about pushing him on the day he found out about Marcus.
“I’ll do better tomorrow, I promise. You’re right about the motive. Too many people had a lot to gain by William’s murder—mainly Nicholas. But who would gain from Mom’s? It’s kind of an all or nothing scenario. And what if the person who was supposed to drink the poison was actually Marcus?” Maddie’s thoughts spun out of control for a moment.
“I appreciate you want to help, sweetheart, but I meant what I said about us all needing sleep. You have a bakery to run tomorrow.”
Maddie kissed Gran on the cheek. “As always, you’re the voice of reason. Okay, I’m going to have a quick wash and get to bed.”
“Good girl. See you in the morning.” Gran smiled and headed upstairs.
When Maddie was tucked up on the chaise lounge with moonlight streaming in from the high windows on one side of the sitting room, she closed her eyes and did some deep breathing to relax her.
Sleep proved elusive, and she merely tossed and turned as the grandfather clock in the dining room ticked away the minutes. Lying there, she wondered if the other members of the household were experiencing the same. And was the clock getting louder?
Just as she found a comfortable spot, a scratching noise made her sit up. Unless she was mistaken, the clicking of nails on the kitchen hardwood meant something was headed her way. Maddie swung her legs to the floor, but before she could stand, she was hit in the chest by a considerable weight. A grunt exploded from her as she fell backwards.
“Big Red! Where have you been?” Maddie bit her lip, looking toward the stairs while he pressed his claws warningly into her bare leg. “Sorry. I won’t ask,” she whispered into his fur.
He leaned forward, green eyes glittering, then licked her cheek and proceeded to get comfortable. The chaise, while big enough for one, had just gotten a great deal smaller. Maddie smothered a chuckle under the blanket. He was a bossy ball of fluff, yet having him beside her might just help her get some sleep. If she could put aside the visual of a hand pointing.
Chapter Twelve
Maddie woke to voices from the kitchen. And a delicious smell. Confused, she lifted her wrist to see her watch and squealed like a stuck pig.
The bakery! With or without an alarm, Maddie generally woke early to get the bread started. With her terrible night’s sleep, she had overslept and then some. What was she thinking by still being in bed at this hour? Big Red’s absence was also odd. When he woke, he expected food and made sure she was aware of that fact.
Leaping from the chaise, she grabbed her clothes and held them against her. She’d have to change upstairs or in the utility room downstairs. Either place meant passing the kitchen and dining room and whoever might be there.
While she’d be upset for strangers to see her in this state, her worry was focused on the handsome sheriff. She wasn’t particularly vain, but he didn’t need to see her at her worst. Although, some might argue that he’d already had that pleasure. Thoughts tumbling, she forced herself into action by barreling into the kitchen.
Gran took one look at her face and held up a hand. “No need to panic. Laura went to work earlier than usual, saying that she and Luke would get things underway.”
“That’s so kind of her, but I can’t leave them to cope shorthanded yet again.” Maddie’s bakery was her pride and joy, and even knowing Laura and Luke would do just fine, she still felt the weight of responsibility.
