Page 42

Chapter Forty-Two

I tossed our trash in the bin while Alan explained the situation to Mark, although he downplayed my hypothesis about Janice’s role in Liz’s disappearance and her brother’s injuries. He didn’t have me on speaker phone, so I patiently waited for him to finish.

Alan ended the call and filled me in. “He’s going to drive by the Walker residence throughout the rest of his shift, just to keep an eye on things there. She’s probably still at work, given what she told us last week, but he’ll know when she gets home.”

“If I were Janice, I’d head out to the old homestead to see how everything went down.”

Alan laughed. “You’re so dramatic. She might have invested in a police scanner, so she’s already aware.”

“Maybe, but I’ll bet you ten bucks that she goes there after work today. Either that, or she’ll play the devoted sister visiting him in the hospital, then finish him off.”

“Geez, honey, that’s pretty gruesome. Which theory is your money on? ”

“Both of them.” With such strong vibes, I thought someone should protect Damien, even though we had no proof of who had turned a gun on him. “Let’s go to the hospital as soon as we take Sophie home.”

Alan pressed the ignition, then picked up his phone. “I think I need to notify the county police chief of your suspicions since the hospital and the Sterling homestead are in his jurisdiction. Janice resides in Aspen Notch, so Mark will keep an eye on her in town.”

Alan relayed the information while he drove, painting a realistic picture of what could occur without added security. Even Liz remained at risk if Janice wanted her out of the way. The chief apparently listened, then thanked Alan for the update.

Sophie seemed content to be dropped off, and she claimed her spot on the sofa while I scurried to the hall bathroom. When I met up with Alan at his SUV, I noticed the full parking lot in front of Butterflies and Blooms , then breathed a sigh of relief to see Kareen assisting Lydia.

I buckled my seatbelt. “I don’t know what I’d do without my trusted helpers. If it weren’t for them, I couldn’t be a part of the SAJ Detective Agency.”

Alan waited for traffic to clear. “And I’d still be the Aspen Notch Chief of Police. Horrors!”

We both laughed.

Musing aloud, I said, “I wonder if Mark has had second thoughts about taking on that responsibility.”

He nodded as he backed onto Church Street. “Probably, but it’s water over the dam. Anyway, he’s doing a good job.”

I watched the house directly across from us. “We still have to figure out how the Wileys played into all of the havoc with Liz. Do you think they bear any guilt?”

“You’re the master of hypotheses. What do you think? ”

Nothing immediately popped into my head. “I have to mull, but there are some things only Liz can reveal. For example, why did she call Joe ‘spyly Wiley?’”

“Because she caught him spying on her,” Alan said with certainty.

I focused on all of the clues thus far while Alan drove, using them as puzzle pieces. I cited them aloud, more for emphasis than verification.

“Someone wrote those sticky notes and signed them J.W.,” I said. “That person also left money for Clare to use.”

“The cash might have been for Liz,” Alan suggested. “Do you still think that J.W. is Liz and Clare’s father?”

I paused, thinking. “No, there’s been no indication that he’s in the picture. I’d say it could be Dr. Joe Wiley.”

“Would he give her cash?” Alan asked. “I doubt it.”

“Yes, if they had an affair.”

Alan laughed. “Do you believe that?”

I focused on the puzzle pieces. “Yes, I do. He called her that Saturday evening, using Lindsey’s phone. It’s why Lindsey didn’t know what time Liz returned the call.”

“Was he warning her?”

Again, I paused. “Yes, I think so. In fact, I’m changing my opinion that they had an affair. I believe he felt guilty about not being able to save Ed when he collapsed on the 14th green.”

Alan quietly processed my musings. When he pulled into a spot in the hospital parking lot, he said, “You might be right about that.”

I liked his validation, but knew we wouldn’t unearth the facts until we spoke to Liz. I prayed she could verify those in just a few moments.

^^ ^

We found Liz reclining in the bed, hooked up to a machine, and Clare seated on a chair next to her, holding the hand without the IV needle. It looked as if both of them had been weeping.

“Damien’s in surgery,” Clare noted.

I couldn’t help but think about the time Alan took a bullet to his leg, and I had to wait for word from the surgeon. I panicked, thinking my husband would die on the table. They admitted me for observation and medication, which still embarrassed me.

Alan spoke first. “We’ve never had the opportunity to meet, but we live across the street from you.”

She looked at us as Clare said, “Let me introduce Alan and Sue Jaworski. I met them at the airport in Scranton and they took me to your house. They’re detectives, so I hired them to find you.”

Liz appeared to be trying to process all of that. “I’m glad to meet you,” she said hesitantly. Her eyes caught mine. “I’ve seen you at the log cabin—the garden shop.”

“Yes, I should have taken the time to get to know you.”

She smiled briefly. “It goes both ways, you know.”

Alan spoke again. “We need to ask you a few questions.”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. I recognize you as our Police Chief.”

“I’ve retired, but Sue and I have the SAJ Detective Agency now. We’ve involved the county police and the Aspen Notch police to locate you, so you’ll see additional police presence as we determine what happened.”

“I told Clare everything I know,” she relayed. “My sister-in-law called to say Damien needed food, so I brought over what I’d bought that day. Eventually, he told me I needed to hide because someone wanted to hurt me, so we decided I should go into the root cellar.”

“Why didn’t you call the police?” Alan asked.

“Because I trusted Damien. He’s always looked out for me, but more so after Ed died.” She closed her eyes for a moment.

“Who wanted to hurt you?” Alan pressed.

“I don’t know, but Damien seemed scared. He promised to talk to the police, but we didn’t think it was safe to leave.”

“You stayed in that root cellar for ten days?” I queried.

“No, only if somebody came by.”

I stared at her, wondering if she’d been drugged. “Did you forget about your sister’s arrival?”

She slowly shook her head. “I didn’t think she’d come, but I prayed she would.”

I couldn’t make sense of it all, and I felt sorry for Clare who had done everything in her power to be with her sister. I wanted to ask so many more questions, yet her nurse arrived with medication and requested that we let Liz sleep.

“We’d like you to limit visitors,” Alan told her.

She gave him a wary look. “Who are you?”

“Detective Jaworski. Clare Dolan will stay with her sister until she's released. Don’t let anyone else in, other than the police.”

She nodded as she left the room. “We’ll see about that.”

“I’m not sure she understands,” I whispered.

Alan turned to Clare. “Call me if anyone tries to see Liz, including your sister-in-law. I’m serious about no visitors.”

She looked worried. “Is Liz in danger? ”

“We don’t know, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ll hang around until the police arrive, and that should be soon.”