Six sweets under, p.7
Six Sweets Under, page 7
Gareth flipped the towel over his shoulder and sat down on a weight-training bench. “He didn’t kill anyone.”
“I know that,” I said, my exasperation building steadily. “But the police clearly don’t.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because he’s Pops.”
I let out a growl of frustration.
Gareth rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Becca. Quit worrying. Everything will be fine.”
I spun on my heel and marched out of the shed.
Why was he more concerned about my relationship with Justin than he was with Pops being a murder suspect? He had his priorities all mixed-up.
Blake was no longer out front of the house, so I stormed all the way back to the dock, thoroughly frustrated with my brother. I plunked myself down into my whisper boat, causing it to bob up and down. My irritation vanished, replaced with a flash of fear as I gripped the sides of the boat. I shot an apprehensive glance at the murky water of the canal and held my breath.
The boat settled in the water. I breathed in and then out, trying to find a sense of calm.
Gareth didn’t think that Pops needed help, and Pops apparently agreed with that position.
If Gareth wouldn’t help and Pops wouldn’t help himself, then it was up to me to get him out of his predicament.
Somehow, I had to prove that my grandfather hadn’t killed Archie Smith.
Chapter Nine
I was so wrapped up in my thoughts about how I could help Pops that I didn’t notice Sawyer on the bank of the canal until he called my name. I cut my boat’s engine and the craft slowed to a gentle glide. Sawyer easily kept pace along the bank.
“On your lunch break?” I guessed.
He was in his uniform, but he had a paper bag in one hand with the Cisco’s Sandwich Shop logo on it.
“I was grabbing a sandwich when I got a call about a prowler over at Mrs. Hallwood’s place,” he said.
“Everything okay?”
“It was just a cat that got into her garden shed.”
Mrs. Hallwood was a sweet old lady, but she often dreamed up trouble where there wasn’t any.
“I’m glad I spotted you,” Sawyer said. “I’m going to have to reschedule our gondola lesson. I’m working on Monday after all.”
“That’s all right,” I said, making sure to hide my relief.
My nonchalance didn’t fool him.
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” he warned. “I’m still getting you on a gondola.”
“We’ll see.” I turned my gaze to a small private dock to my left, a few feet along an offshoot of the canal. “Hold on a second. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
I turned the whisper boat’s engine on for a few seconds, giving me enough momentum to reach the dock. Sawyer anticipated my next move and stepped down onto the floating platform.
I tossed him the mooring line and he caught it in one hand. He held out his other hand to help me out of the boat.
“Thanks,” I said as I stepped onto the dock.
“It’s about your grandfather, isn’t it?”
My next words came out in a rush. “He didn’t kill Archie. He’d never hurt anyone. I know they didn’t get along, but Archie had disputes with a lot of people. You’ve known Pops your whole life. Surely you can’t think he’s a killer.”
“It’s got nothing to do with what I think,” Sawyer said. “And he’s not exactly doing himself a favor.”
“What do you mean?”
“His vagueness about his alibi. It makes it seem like he’s got something to hide.”
“What do you mean, vagueness about his alibi?” I wished Pops had told me more at the restaurant.
“You should ask him that. I shouldn’t be talking about the case.”
“But he’s not the only person who’s been questioned, right?”
“Not by a long shot.”
That was one bit of good news. “Did you talk to Mike Kwan? Archie was trying to damage his boats, remember?”
“We talked to Mike. He’s got an alibi—a solid one. Besides, Archie never actually got around to doing any damage at the Boat Barn.”
Sawyer glanced at his watch. “Look, I’ve got to get going. If your grandfather can fill in the holes in his alibi, that would go a long way to helping him out.”
He handed me the mooring line and stepped from the dock onto the grassy bank. “Did you lose your boyfriend?”
“He’s making some phone calls.”
“An entertainment lawyer, huh? Where’s he going to find celebrities to work with around these parts? Aside from you, that is.”
“I’m definitely not a celebrity.” I didn’t bother to answer his question.
Instead, I climbed back into my boat and started the engine. As I steered away from the dock, I glanced back over my shoulder. Sawyer was walking off in the opposite direction.
It irked me whenever anyone brought up the possibility that Justin might not be able to find fulfilling work in Vermont. Probably because I had that same concern myself. While there were entertainment law firms in Vermont—I’d checked online to make sure—I knew the opportunities wouldn’t be the same here as in Los Angeles. Justin worked with movie stars and superstar athletes. He wouldn’t find work on that same level out here. Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be happy. But did he really want to leave all that behind?
“That’s exactly what he’s here to find out,” I reminded myself out loud.
A funny feeling that might have been dread tried to settle in my stomach. I quickly kicked it to the curb, determined to remain optimistic.
When I got back to the cottage, Justin was finishing up his last call. We drove up to Snowflake Canyon and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the ski resort town. I tried not to let thoughts of Pops and his troubles distract me, but that wasn’t easy and I wasn’t entirely successful. Fortunately, Justin didn’t seem to notice.
After eating dinner at a restaurant in Snowflake Canyon, we drove back down the mountain to Larch Haven. We left my car in the lot at the edge of town and then walked to my grandparents’ cottage in the southeastern corner of town. Instead of going to the front door, I led the way around the cottage, knowing that the back door would be open at this time of year.
We found my grandparents in their vegetable garden. Pops was picking beans and Lolly had a basket full of bright-red tomatoes.
“You’re just in time,” Lolly declared when she saw us. “I took a blueberry crumble out of the oven a few minutes ago.” She headed for the cottage. “Come on in. I’ll get out the ice cream.”
We hadn’t arranged beforehand to stop by, but Lolly was always ready for company, and she loved feeding her visitors. She made the best blueberry crumble I’d ever tasted.
“You go ahead,” I said to Justin. “I’m going to talk to Pops for a minute.”
I waited as Justin followed Lolly through the screen door to the kitchen.
“How’s he liking Larch Haven so far?” Pops asked as he dropped a handful of beans into the bucket by his feet.
“He seems to be having a good time.” I didn’t want to talk about Justin, so I quickly moved the conversation in another direction. “I talked to Sawyer earlier and he said that you’ve been vague about your alibi for the time when Archie was killed.”
“Hmph.” Pops went back to picking beans.
“Do you know when he was killed?” I asked.
Pops straightened up and scratched his mostly bald head. “All I know is that it was after nine o’clock on Sunday night. The police wanted to know where I was from that time until the next morning.”
“Weren’t you here at home?”
“Most of the time.” He got back to plucking green beans from the row of plants.
Getting information out of Pops was like pulling teeth.
“Where else were you?” I pressed.
Pops finally seemed to resign himself to the fact that I wasn’t going to give up on my questions. He plunked a few more beans into his bucket and then picked it up off the ground. “I went for a walk. Shortly before ten.”
“That’s kind of late for a walk.”
“I wasn’t sleepy. I decided I needed some fresh air.”
“So where did you go? Didn’t anyone see you?”
“I wandered here and there, on past the canals to the north. I doubt anyone saw me over there.”
That part of town, out near where Gareth and Blake lived, was the least populated. I knew Pops was right that there was a good chance no one had seen him in that area, especially since it would have been dark or close to it.
“Did you at least tell the police your route so they can ask people if they saw you?”
“I can’t remember exactly where I went.” He stepped over the row of beans to get out of the garden. “Now, let’s go. I’ve been waiting to get a taste of that blueberry crumble since your grandmother started making it.”
I stood in place for a moment, confused and struggling not to get upset. There was something Pops wasn’t telling me. He was being purposely evasive, and I knew that would be as clear to the police as it was to me. Sawyer had already suggested as much.
I fought off a wave of despair. I knew that my grandfather hadn’t killed Archie, but he was hiding something, and that didn’t look good. I was going to have to figure out how to help him. Hopefully a dish of blueberry crumble and ice cream would give my brain a boost, because at the moment I was at a loss as to how to proceed.
Justin and I spent the remainder of the evening at my grandparents’ house, chatting over our dessert and cups of tea and coffee. It was a nice, relaxed way to finish off the day, and I was pleased with how well Justin was getting along with Lolly and Pops.
The two of us set out early on our hike the next morning, before the day got too hot. I wanted to show Justin one of my favorite spots in the forest. Although I used to love climbing to the top of Whisper Mountain, where there was an amazing view of all of Larch Haven, I hadn’t gone there for years. I would have liked to show Justin that view, but even before the trail got washed out it was a long hike. Now, with detours required through some difficult terrain, it would take most of the day. I’d recovered well from my ruptured appendix, but I wasn’t yet fit enough for a hike as ambitious as that. I wasn’t sure that Justin was either, despite his love for surfing and his occasional hikes outside Los Angeles.
So today I was taking him to a waterfall where, in years past, there had been an eagle’s nest in a big old pine tree. We followed the walkways along the canals to the northern edge of town and the head of the trail. As we entered the forest, I heard someone coming from the opposite direction. Seconds later, a woman came around a bend in the trail. When she drew closer, I realized she was Carmen Vasquez, Maria’s younger sister. She wore shorts and a tank top and carried a small backpack. She had dirt smeared on her knees and on her sneakers. I wondered if she’d taken a tumble, but she seemed unharmed.
“You’re out early,” I said after we’d exchanged cheery greetings.
“I’ve always been an early bird,” Carmen said with a smile. “Enjoy your hike!”
She carried on toward town, and Justin and I forged ahead. The trail took us in the general direction of Archie’s property before veering off to the north. For the umpteenth time since the night before, I wondered what my grandfather was hiding and why. Part of me wanted to turn back and spend the day figuring out how to get his name off the police’s suspect list, but I still wasn’t sure how to go about that. I hoped the fresh air and exercise would give me a jolt of inspiration since the blueberry crumble hadn’t done the trick. After an hour of hiking, I led Justin off the trail. Even though I’d lived in California for years, I still knew my way around this part of the forest.
Within minutes, I heard the sound of rushing water.
“Almost there,” I told Justin.
We climbed a small wooded hill, the sound of the water growing louder. At the top of the rise, we broke free of the trees and stopped. We stood on a rocky bank of a swift-running creek. A short distance upstream, the water cascaded down a twenty-foot drop. Rainbows danced in the spray around the waterfall, giving it a magical appearance. It was as beautiful as I remembered.
“Isn’t it amazing?” I had to raise my voice to be heard over the rushing water.
“Definitely worth the trip,” Justin said as he took in the view.
I picked my way along the bank, heading closer to the waterfall, hoping to find the eagle’s nest. I stopped when I noticed footprints in the dirt. Someone else had been here recently. I’d always thought of this place as my secret spot, but there were most likely plenty of other locals who knew about it. I’d never run into anyone else here, though.
After a short distance, the footprints veered off into the forest. I continued on straight ahead, but soon met with disappointment. I found the right tree, but the nest was in tatters and clearly hadn’t been used anytime recently. Not surprising, perhaps, since I hadn’t visited this spot in years, but I’d nevertheless hoped that the nest was still in use.
Justin and I sat by the waterfall for a rest and then set off on our return journey.
“What do you want to do this afternoon?” I asked as we got back on the trail.
“I’ve made plans for us,” Justin said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“What kind of plans?”
He grinned. “That’s a secret.”
Now I was intrigued. I tried to get a clue out of him, but he didn’t crack. He didn’t know much about Larch Haven, so I didn’t know what he could have possibly planned for us.
My thoughts finally shifted when we got closer to town.
“Mind if we take a short detour?” I asked Justin.
I turned down a smaller trail that took us to a dirt road that led through the forest, providing vehicle access to the lakefront properties. The road connected with the highway after winding around the outer edge of town, always staying within the forest.
From the dirt road, I followed the rutted and bumpy driveway onto Archie’s property. When his ramshackle cabin came into view, I stopped. Police tape surrounded the yard and cabin, preventing me from getting any closer.
“Is this where that guy was killed?” Justin asked, sounding uneasy.
“Yes, but we can’t get any closer.”
“Why would you want to?”
I didn’t feel like explaining about Pops being a suspect. “Never mind. Let’s go.”
We returned to the trail and headed back to town.
Since Archie’s property was still off-limits, whatever clues I might be able to find about the identity of his killer would have to come from elsewhere.
Chapter Ten
“I have one question,” Justin said once we were back at my cottage. “Can we take your boat out on the lake, or do we need to rent a bigger one for that?”
“So you’re not planning to serenade me while taking me for a gondola ride?” I joked.
“I don’t know how to paddle one of those things, and you know I can’t carry a tune, so no.”
“That’s good,” I said. “It’s a warm day, but I don’t want to end up capsizing in the canal.”
I wasn’t going to mention just how much I didn’t want that to happen. It was bad enough that Sawyer knew about my fear of falling in the water. Justin didn’t need to know too.
I picked up Truffles and pressed my cheek against her head while she purred. “The answer is yes, by the way. We can take my Jon boat out on the lake, as long as the water is calm. We’ll have to steer clear of the race route, but otherwise we can go wherever you want. Oh, but I need to be back by four to cheer on Gareth.”
He’d texted me earlier in the day, letting me know the time of his semifinal race.
“That won’t be a problem.” He grabbed his wallet from the coffee table. “You wait here. I’ll be back soon, and then we’ll get going.”
I followed him toward the front door with Truffles still in my arms. “Where are you off to?”
He grinned. “That’s part of the secret.” He gave me a quick kiss and then left the cottage.
I waited out on the back patio, listening to the cheers from the crowds watching the gondola races. Although I was disappointed that I couldn’t poke around Archie’s property for clues, I doubted I would have found anything helpful. The police had already searched the place. I’d wanted to get a feel for the area where he’d been killed, in case that would give me an idea of who might have committed the crime, but that was out of the question—for now, at least—so I needed to focus my attention elsewhere if I wanted to help Pops.
I could rule out Mike Kwan as a suspect, thanks to the information Sawyer had given me. Oliver Nieminen had fought with Archie over the washed-out hiking trail, and the two men seemed to despise each other. I needed to find out if Oliver had an opportunity to kill Archie. How exactly I’d go about that, I wasn’t yet sure, but I’d have to figure that out soon.
Maria Vasquez also harbored a lot of bitterness against Archie. I didn’t know why, so that was something else I needed to look into. Karl and Susan Derendorf had a dispute with Archie over the shed that Karl built. That didn’t seem like a reason to murder someone, but I knew people had killed for less, and maybe that had been one of many disputes between the neighbors. I hated the thought of putting the Derendorfs on my suspect list after all they’d gone through with their missing daughter, but I couldn’t discount them yet.
I surfaced from my thoughts when Truffles leapt to the ground from one of the perches in the catio. She pounced and then batted her paw at something. Binx hopped down from his perch to join her. With tails twitching, they both pounced, nearly knocking their heads together.
