Strangers in the Night (9 page)

Her father sat at the oval table covered with an ivory linen cloth. “Why don't you sit for a spell? All that pacing is gonna wear out the rug.” He reached for another piece of zucchini bread.

Abbie didn't feel like sitting. Instead, she pulled her gaze away from the lake and began to examine several pieces of exquisitely carved animal figures. Elk, deer, a ram, a wolf, each one carved into a true-to-life scene. Had Travis sculpted these? If so, would he be interested in selling them? Perhaps he already did.

She turned toward her father, her fingertips following the curvature of a wolf's back. “Did you notice these carvings?”

He nodded. “I certainly did. Travis is quite the artist.”

“We'll have to talk to him about showing his work at the art fairs. That is if this idea of yours pans out.”

“It will.”

“Not if I end up in jail.”

He gave her a sharp look. “You won't, Abbie. I'm not going to let that happen.”

Abbie wished she could share his and Jake's confidence. She wished she could stop thinking the worst. “I hope you're right. But the sheriff is out there right now. We're here.” She frowned. “By the way, why are we still here? Why don't we go home? We're not helping and there's no reason other than curiosity—”

“We can't. The sheriff asked us to stay in case they found something. And they're going to need to eat pretty soon. I thought we could help that way.”

“I didn't know.” Abbie closed her eyes and willed herself to relax. So, they were here for the duration.
Lord, please let this be a false alarm. Please, please, don't let them find out about me
.

Feeling somewhat selfish for thinking of her own needs, she added,
And let Barbara be alive and well and not at the bottom of that lake
.

Abbie forced herself to accept the situation in which she now found herself. She sank onto the chair opposite him and after serving herself a slice of the zucchini bread, reached for the butter. “Looks good.”

“It is.” Pops winked. “'Course, not as good as what your mama makes.”

The bread was moist and nutty and likely absorbed a good deal of the acid rolling around in her stomach. She'd lost track of the number of cups of coffee she'd had. “I hate sitting here, doing nothing.”

“I know.” He leaned forward and patted her hand. “But I figure they can handle the job better without an old man and a woman being underfoot.”

Abbie bristled a bit at being classified as practically useless. Neither she nor her mother fit the traditional, tidy homebody type of women. Her mother had been raised that way, but her beautiful alto voice had pulled her out of the home and onto the road as a blues singer.

Abbie had never seen herself as a Leave-It-to-Beaver mom or a Donna Reed type. She could have been out there helping the men look—but then again, maybe it was better that she not be. The farther away she stayed from the authorities, the less likely they were to realize that she was a criminal.

One thing she could do was make another pot of coffee and cover the rest of the zucchini bread to keep it from drying out.

She glanced at the carved wood clock on the wall above the fireplace. “You're right about one thing, Pops. The men will need lunch before long. Maybe I'll root around and see if Travis has something edible.”

Pops nodded. “Good idea.” His gaze shifted back to the lake, worry lines making him look older than his sixty-two years.

After taking their dishes to the sink and rinsing them, Abbie focused on cleaning the nearly empty percolator and refilling it with water. She rinsed out the basket and set it onto the stem and into the pot. Opening the can of Folger's, she filled the basket, capped it with the lid, and turned on the burner.

While she waited, she looked through Travis's cupboards and fridge. He had plenty of staples, and Abbie set about boiling eggs then scrubbing, peeling, and cutting up potatoes for a potato salad. She also took out two packages of bratwursts from the freezer and placed them in water to thaw and boil. While she worked, she felt a bit guilty for making herself at home in this stranger's kitchen. She hoped he wouldn't mind too much.

A little later, while looking for a fork to test the doneness of the potatoes, she pulled open a drawer. Right on top she spotted a yellowed newspaper clipping. It contained information about the bank robbery Jake had told her about. Curious that Travis would have the article, especially since he'd told them that Barbara had never been in his home.

Maybe Barbara had given him the article to solicit his help. Maybe she'd ask him about it or mention it to Jake. She wondered how long Travis had known about the robbery. Jeff thought that perhaps the bank robbery was somehow connected to Barbara's disappearance. Had she told Travis about it?

Pops rose from his chair and went to stand in front of the window. “Looks like they've found something.” He dragged his fingers through his thick graying hair. “You don't want to see… .” He turned toward her, but it was too late. Abbie watched in horror as Jeff and another man pulled a body out of the water and into one of the boats. Jake waited until the men were seated, then began rowing toward the dock. Jeff signaled the other boat and they too headed for shore. They had found her only about fifty feet from the dock, near a patch of water lilies.

You don't know that it's her
.

Abbie shuddered and rubbed away the goose bumps on her arms. Pops placed a comforting arm around her and she leaned against him. “This won't look good for Travis,” he murmured.

Abbie straightened. “Because they found the body here?” She shook her head. “It might not be her.” Even as she said the words aloud, she knew better.

“Safe bet it is. Looked like she's wearing a dress.”

Abbie turned away from the window and went back to the stove, where she drained the water off the potatoes and eggs. She rinsed both in cold water and set them aside.

Moments later, the front door banged open and Travis stalked in.

Jake came in right behind him. “Travis, for crying out loud, settle down before you get yourself arrested.”

“They think I did it.” Travis sank onto the couch and covered his face with his hands. “They actually think I killed her.”

“The sheriff is speculating—he has to ask questions.”

“You heard what he said. I'm a suspect.”

“So am I.” Jake lumped his hands into fists and rested them on his hips.

Abbie filled two mugs of the freshly brewed coffee and brought them to the men. “Sounds like you could both use some.”

The men stared at her as if she'd grown horns. They'd obviously forgotten that she and Pops were there.

“Thank you.” Jake lifted his cup in a salute of sorts. Travis thanked her as well.

“It was Barbara then?” Abbie swallowed back a lump in her throat. The enormity of the situation pressed itself into her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Jake nodded. “No doubt.”

“She drowned?”

“No. She was murdered.” Travis barked out the words as though each took every ounce of strength. He then leaned back into the couch.

“How?”

“She was shot, Abbie.” Jake took a seat beside his friend. “There's no way to tell where it happened. The coroner might be able to give us a time of death once he's examined her body and runs tests, but that's going to take time.”

Abbie's only connection with solving crimes came from mysteries she'd read as a teenager. But her mind reeled with possibilities and questions.

“What about her car?” Abbie asked. “Didn't you tell me it had gone over a cliff near Oceanside?”

Jake nodded. “There has to be a connection between what happened to her car and her disappearance. It looks as though whoever did it wanted to throw the cops off track.”

“I'll tell you what happened.” Travis warmed his hands around the cup then took a tentative sip. “Whoever did this dumped her body in the lake to throw suspicion on me.”

Abbie thought about the article in the drawer. “Jake, earlier you'd mentioned that the bank robbery might be connected to her disappearance.”

“What bank robbery?” Travis leaned forward. He genuinely seemed not to know. But that didn't make sense. Why would he have the article in his kitchen drawer and not know about it?

Jake told him about Barbara and her friend and that the friend had been abducted by the bank robber and never found.

While he spoke, Abbie watched the ambulance driver load Barbara's body into the back and close the door. She hadn't met Barbara, but they were joined together by this property and Jake.

“I had no idea,” Travis said, once Jake finished the story. “I suppose it explains her preoccupation.” He offered his friend a wry smile and shook his head. “Here I thought I wasn't interesting enough.”

More than anything Abbie wanted to get away from Bear Lake and Cold Creek. She wanted to go back to Grand Forks to familiar ground. Back where she and Emma had at least had a modicum of safety.

The sheriff entered the house and Travis introduced them. He already knew her father and seemed to like him. He verified that Abbie had seen the scarf and pointed it out to Pops, who had fished it out of the water. Then he seemed to be finished with her.

Abbie didn't know whether to be upset or relieved. A bit of both, she supposed. Jeff wrote some notes in a small black notebook and then tucked it away in his shirt pocket.

Travis thanked her for making lunch and finished the job, taking out paper plates, napkins, and silverware. Abbie busied herself with pouring coffee for Jeff and the sheriff.

“We should go, Pops,” she said as she set the coffeepot back on the stove.

He nodded. “Good idea. I imagine your mother is fit to be tied. I should have called her.”

Abbie opened the door and came face to face with a man she'd known since childhood but barely recognized.

“Hey, Abs.” He swept her into his arms and whirled her around. “Mom said I might see you two out here.”

Her little brother had turned into a hunk of a man, over six feet and sturdy as an oak. She hugged him back, reluctant to let him go. “I had no idea you were coming or I'd have stayed home.”

“Did Mom tell you I was moving back home?”

Abbie nodded, still in shock over how her brother had changed. He was all dressed up now, wearing slacks, a white shirt, and a sports jacket. “She said you were looking for a job out here.”

“Was looking. Got hired by the Oregon State Police this morning, and I'll be working out of Oceanside with Detective Meyers.” He stepped aside and motioned to the man beside him. He was about a head shorter than Tim and much older—maybe in his fifties. He wore a suit as well.

“Are you kidding me?” This from Jeff, who reached out to shake Tim's hand. “Man, I thought we got rid of this troublemaker for good.” Jeff winked at Abbie. “But they always come back.” In explanation, he added, “Your brother used to spend hours at the police station before he decided to become a cop.”

Tim laughed. “Good to see you too.” Glancing at his sister he said, “That's not quite accurate. I got arrested once for underage drinking when the cops raided a party I happened to be at and it scared the you-know-what out of me.”

Pops joined the cluster and clapped Tim on the back. “Good to see you, son.”

Once the introductions had been made, the momentary joy of seeing her little brother slid into the background as Jeff and the sheriff filled Meyers in on the morning's activities.

“I appreciate the heads-up on the Nichols woman, Jeff.” Meyers looked up from his notebook. “I'd have been here earlier, but I was assigned to train our new rookie here and had some things to take care of in Portland before we could be on the road.”

While the men talked about the murder case and speculated as to motive, means, and opportunity, Abbie slipped out through the patio doors onto the deck. She rested her arms on the railing and breathed in the fresh clean air, watched an egret stand on one leg in the marshes.
What a painting that would make. And how pristine. No one would ever guess that a murder victim had been stowed away in the lake's depths
.

Abbie tried to pull her mind away from the horror of what they had witnessed. She focused instead on the beauty and tranquility of the lake and the trees. She'd only been out there a few minutes when she heard someone come up beside her. Funny, but she knew without turning who it was. Had they formed that close a bond in such a short time?

Jake stepped up beside her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Just processing.”

“I'm sorry our outing took such an ugly turn.” Jake rested his arms on the railing as well.

“Me too.” Abbie turned toward him. “I'm sorry she's dead, Jake, but I'm glad you guys found her.”

He pressed his lips together and stared out at the lake. “I still can't get my mind wrapped around this. As far as I know she didn't have any enemies.”

“Unless her death is tied into that bank robbery. Maybe she found the man she'd been looking for.”

He gripped the porch railing. “That's what Detective Meyers is thinking. Unfortunately, the sheriff is ready to arrest Travis because he was supposed to have had a date with her just before she disappeared. Plus, her body was found here in the lake.”

Abbie thought about the grief she'd seen in Travis's face. He hadn't known about the robbery either, she was certain of that. Yet, the article had been in his drawer.

“The only reason he hasn't arrested Travis already is that there isn't any concrete evidence.”

She considered telling Jake about the article but didn't. Abbie couldn't say why she decided to remain mute about the article except that she hoped to have as little to do with the police as possible. Besides, if Travis was a suspect, wouldn't the police search his house, looking for clues? The less attention she brought to herself, the better.

“Travis is quite the artist,” she said, hoping to change the subject.

“He is. I bought one of his carvings some time back. An eagle scooping up a salmon in its beak. The detail is phenomenal.”

“Do you think he'd consider being part of the artist community?”

Jake straightened. “You mean you'd still consider buying the place? I thought you'd probably take the next train back to Grand Forks.”

“No. I meant what I said about not running anymore. I don't know about buying the town, but I'll consider it.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I need to settle my accounts and be here for Skye.”

“I'm glad.”

She smiled. “Though with Tim coming back, the house is going to be a bit crowded.”

“You could always stay at my place.” He winced. “But I don't suppose that's an option.”

She shook her head. “It's an option. Just not a good idea.”

“Right.”

They stood for several long moments in silence before Jake offered a suggestion. “I don't know if you'd be interested, but you could consider staying at the bed & breakfast here in Cold Creek for a few days. Get a feel for the place. If you decide to stay, you'd probably want to move into one of the houses eventually—of course you'd need to remodel.”

“I'll think about it.”