Halloween in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 6) (5 page)

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 16-oz. can pumpkin (2 cups)

½ cup water

3½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tbs. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. allspice

4 cups walnuts, chopped

Combine sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water and mix well.

Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture. Add nuts.

Spoon into greased cupcake pans (or use papers). Bake at 350 degrees for 28–30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):

¾ cup butter, softened

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Whip all ingredients together and spread onto cooled muffins.

Tj decided that as far as Tuesdays went, this one was shaping up to be one of the oddest she’d had in quite a while. She woke up to a torrential downpour that caused the small creek that ran behind the house to overflow, flooding the basement. By the time she’d helped her dad and grandpa redirect the water and mop up the mess, she’d barely had time to grab a cup of coffee before she had to hop into the shower to get ready for work. As she hurriedly rushed from her bathroom into her bedroom to dress for the day ahead, she tripped over Pumpkin, who had wandered in through the partially open door. The bruise on her arm was painful but not dire, but the one on her cheek was going to cause her quite a lot more anguish than she was prepared to deal with.

After ushering her sisters through the steady rain and into the 4Runner she turned the ignition switch only to find the battery was completely dead. Luckily, her dad was still at the house, so she enlisted his help to drive her and the girls into town. After saying her good-byes to her sisters at the front entry, where the hallway to the elementary school veered to the left and the hallway to the high school veered to the right, she headed toward the teachers’ lounge on the high school side of the building. She’d planned to arrive early in order to deal with the pile of paperwork on her desk, so even with all the delays she’d made it to work with a few minutes to spare.

“Coach Jensen.” Carly poked her head in the door of Tj’s office just as she’d sat down at her desk. “You wanted to see me again?”

“Yes. Come in and take a seat.”

“Did someone hit you?” Carly frowned as she sat down across from Tj.

“I tripped over the puppy my sister found last night and hit my face on the dresser.”

Carly raised one eyebrow in an expression of doubt.

“I know that sounds like a cover-up—the type of story someone who
had
been hit in the face would tell—but it really is what happened,” Tj assured her.

“Maybe some makeup?”

“Makeup might be a good idea,” Tj acknowledged. She had a feeling this was going to be a
very
long day. “So about the reason I asked you to stop by…”

“I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about the suspension?” Carly asked hopefully.

“No, I’m afraid I really can’t do that. I do have a proposal for you, however.”

“A proposal?”

“I’ve spoken to Principal Remington and he’s agreed to reevaluate the length of your suspension if you’re willing to make some concessions.”

Carly frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Basically, as things stand now, your suspension runs until the end of the soccer season. We still have four weeks in the regular season and then the play-offs. Principal Remington is willing to reevaluate after two weeks if you’ll apologize to both the girl you elbowed and her coach and agree to counseling. You’ll also need to work as a nonparticipating member of the team during those two weeks.”

Tj could see Carly was about to refuse.

“Principal Remington is being more than fair. I’d take him up on his offer if you care about your chances for a scholarship.”

“What kind of counseling?”

“Mrs. Remington will arrange for you to see a psychologist she knows who specializes in both grief counseling and anger management. Dr. Cowell will meet with you here on campus at no cost to you or your mother.”

Carly bit her lip as she considered the proposal.

“I spoke with him after my mom died,” Tj shared. “He’s good at what he does. He’s a kind and caring man. I think you’ll like him.”

“He helped you? Deal with your mom’s death?”

Tj nodded. “He worked with my sister Ashley as well. Like you, she tended to work out her anger and grief with her fists. She still lashes out at times, but I think Dr. Cowell really helped her to learn impulse control.”

Carly appeared to be considering her options. She squirmed around in her chair in a way that indicated that she’d rather be anywhere else, but she didn’t bolt as Tj had half-expected she would.

“And the work thing?” Carly asked.

“You’d be my assistant and do whatever I ask you to do. Additionally, you’d attend all practices and games, although you wouldn’t be allowed to suit up until after the suspension is lifted.”

Carly smiled. “I can be your assistant?”

“In a menial labor sort of way.”

“Okay. I agree to Remington’s terms. But how am I supposed to apologize to the girl I elbowed? The team was visiting from Reno.”

“I’ll arrange for you to make the apology via Skype. I’ll let you know the details once I work them out. We have practice at our regular time this afternoon, so I expect you to head over to my office as soon as your fifth-period class is over.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

“And Carly…when you meet with Dr. Cowell, give him a chance. I know you don’t think counseling will help, and I can’t guarantee anything, but it might.”

“Does my mother know about it?”

“Principal Remington spoke to her this morning. She indicated that she wouldn’t force you to see the man if you didn’t want to, but she wouldn’t interfere if you were willing.”

“In other words she doesn’t care one way or the other, just like she no longer seems to care about anything.”

“I think she cares,” Tj reassured her. “But we both know this whole thing has been hard on her. Maybe if you’re able to work through things you can help your mom to work through her grief as well.”

Carly didn’t answer, but she didn’t argue either. She simply stood up and thanked Tj for finding a solution that would let her stay with the team. Tj let out the breath she’d been holding after Carly left her office. She really hadn’t been sure how that was going to go. Hopefully, Carly would take this chance she’d been given and make the most of it. She’d had a tough couple of months. There was nothing anyone could do about Kenny’s death. All Tj could do was to help Carly move past it to the best of her ability.

Later that afternoon Tj sat with Gina during lunch. “Teens these days have it tough,” Tj said between bites of her tuna sandwich. “Not only do they have to deal with bullying on campus but they also have to worry about someone posting embarrassing photos of them to all their friends with the click of a cell-phone camera.”

“I take it you talked to Lexi?” Gina asked.

“I tried,” Tj answered as she opened a bag of potato chips. “I called her, but she said she didn’t want to talk about it. She’s totally mortified. She swears she’s never coming back to school. I wish I could figure out a way to help her. Even if we catch the person responsible, it won’t erase the embarrassment she’s feeling.”

“Lexi’s little song and dance in the shower
was
embarrassing,” Gina admitted, “but with the exception of a side shot of a boob, the wall hid her private parts. I would be just as mortified if it had happened to me, but Lexi can’t allow this bully to ruin her life. There has to be something we can do to change her mind. Did you speak to her mother?”

“No, but Principal Remington did. She wants to give Lexi time. She told him Lexi threatened to run away if she tried to force her to go to school. I might try to talk to Lexi’s mom myself if I get the opportunity. She went to this school, you know.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. She was far enough ahead of me that we weren’t here at the same time, but I know who she is. The really sad thing is that when she was in school
she
was the bully.”

A look of surprise and disbelief crossed Gina’s face. “Get out.”

“It’s true.” Tj took a sip of her soda before she continued. “She was the queen bee of Serenity High School her entire four years. Chantel was head cheerleader, homecoming queen, and undeniable
it
girl during her reign. From what I’ve been told by my friends who have older brothers and sisters, she either liked you or she didn’t, and if she didn’t, she treated you like dirt.”

“But Lexi is so sweet,” Gina countered. “I can’t believe she was raised by a queen bee.”

“Believe it. Like I said, I didn’t know Chantel well, but I knew who she was. Her reputation was widespread in the community as a whole, not just in the high school. She was really stunning. Everyone thought she would grow up to be a famous actress or a supermodel.”

“So why didn’t she?” Gina asked as she finished the salad she’d brought from home.

“She got pregnant and became a single mom when she was just eighteen.”

“Oh, wow. Was the father in the picture?”

“No. To be honest, I don’t know who the father even was. I’ve looked at Lexi’s student records and there isn’t a father listed. Lexi’s emergency contact is a family friend.”

“It’s hard to grow up without a dad,” Gina commented as she began gathering her trash.

“I have a great one,” Tj said, “but I grew up without a mom, and it
is
hard. In any case, I imagine having to raise a baby on her own humbled Chantel a bit. I still don’t know her well, but I’ve seen her around town and we’ve worked together on a few committees. We’ve never really talked on any sort of personal level, but it seems she’s managed to put her bullying aside and has turned out to be a really nice lady who cares deeply about her daughter.”

“So the bully’s daughter became the victim. That would be almost poetic if it wasn’t so sad. Lexi is a great kid. We need to find a way to help her.”

“I agree. Maybe I’ll have time to stop by to talk to Chantel while my sisters are at dance. Between us we might be able to figure out a way to help Lexi get past this.”

“Have you found out who did this to Lexi in the first place?” Gina asked as the first bell sounded in the distance.

“No, but I have my suspicions. I need to check some things out, and I don’t want to even speculate until I do. I’d hate to attribute this cruel act to anyone unless I was certain.”

“That’s probably a good idea. It’s crazy the way people gossip around here. I mentioned to another teacher that I thought a student we have in common might be cheating and the next thing I know it’s all over campus that I accused the student of cheating. That wasn’t what I did at all.”

Tj laughed. “Trust me, some of the teachers are bigger gossips than the kids. Not all of them, but it’s best to keep your suspicions to yourself until you’re sure.”

Samantha Colton was an absolutely stunning black woman who looked like she could be a model. She was at least six feet tall, making Tj, who stood at five foot nothing, feel like a child. Her dark hair was pulled back to show off her flawless skin and deep, dark eyes.

“Ms. Jensen.”

“Tj is fine. May I call you Samantha?”

“If you wish.”

“Please have a seat,” Tj offered.

Samantha sat down and crossed her legs. She took a pen and a small notebook out of the large bag she carried. “I know you only have fifty minutes until your next class, so I’ll be brief and to the point.”

“Okay.”

“I have a list of students who attended the party the night Holly Riverton was murdered that I obtained from the sheriff’s report. I’d like you to look at it to see if it’s accurate to the best of your knowledge and memory.”

Tj looked at the paper. It had been ten years since Holly had been killed, but that night had been etched in her brain. There were initially just ten students. Jenna, Dennis, Hunter, and Tj had arrived just after Brett, his date Jessie, and Jessie’s best friend Holly. Shortly after they got there, Nathan Fullerton, the editor of the school paper, and Jada Jenkins, computer nerd, had shown up. Within thirty minutes after that Mia Monroe had arrived alone.

During the evening at least ten other students had come and gone, including Mackenzie Paulson, who ended up being the class valedictorian, and several members of the football team, who arrived with the female groupies who tended to follow them around. Tj also remembered seeing Vicki Davis and Doreen Sullwold. As far as Tj could tell, the list was accurate, but there could have been others who’d stopped by for a short visit before moving on.

“To the best of my knowledge the list is correct.”

“Can you walk me through the events of that evening?” Colton asked.

“A bunch of us were hanging out in the parking lot in front of the school when Brett pulled up in his new Mustang and invited everyone who was standing there to a party at his house.”

“Was that normal behavior?” Samantha wondered.

Tj frowned.

“Did Brett Conrad often throw parties to which he invited friends from a wide array of social groups?”

“No. Actually, Brett was known for throwing parties that specifically excluded anyone who wasn’t a member of the popular crowd.”

“So his behavior that evening was atypical?”

“Yes, I guess it was.”

She jotted down some notes.

“Had you been to parties at Brett Conrad’s house prior to that night?”

“Yes. A lot of times,” Tj answered. “Brett was the captain of the football team and I was a cheerleader. We hung out with the same kids most of the time.”

“Once you arrived did you notice anything was different from other parties you’d attended at Brett’s house?”

Tj thought about it. There had been an odd vibe that night, but she couldn’t put her finger on the reason.

“It seemed like everyone was really amped up,” Tj answered honestly. “I don’t know it for certain, but if I had to guess I’d say the punch was spiked with something other than rum.”

“And did Brett Conrad supply the punch?”

“Yes, I believe so. It was there when we arrived.”

“Did Brett normally serve rum punch at his parties?”

Tj furrowed her brow. “No. In fact, he always served beer. I remember thinking at the time that it was odd that he was serving that fruity punch. It really wasn’t his style at all.”

“Do you think Brett might have spiked the punch with something stronger than rum to create a distraction?”

“You think Brett killed Holly?”

“Do you?”

“Absolutely not. I’ll admit the party was a very strange affair from beginning to end, but Holly was Jessie’s best friend. Jessie was devastated when she died. Brett loved Jessie. He’d never do that to her, even if he did think Holly was a pest.”

Colton stopped writing and looked directly at Tj. “So Brett thought Holly was a pest?”

“Yeah. He mentioned to me a time or two that Jessie seemed to do whatever Holly told her to do, and that it caused friction in their relationship, but he wouldn’t kill Holly over something like that.”

“According to my notes, Brett went on to marry Jessie Baldwin. Do you know if Holly would have approved of such a union had she lived?”

Tj was pretty sure Holly had all but convinced Jessie to break up with Brett before she died. Surely Brett hadn’t done what it suddenly appeared he had a motive to do.

“I’m not really sure,” Tj answered. “Holly and Brett didn’t really get along, but I doubt she would have interfered in their relationship if she thought Jessie’s feelings for Brett were real.”

“Were they?”

Tj just looked at Colton.

“Jessie’s feelings for Brett. Were they real?”

“She married him,” Tj pointed out.

Colton tilted her head. She looked as if she were considering the situation.

“Are Brett and Jessie still married?”

“They are.”

“Do they have children?”

“No, they don’t.”

“Have you spent any time with them as a couple since graduation?” she wondered.

“No,” Tj admitted.

“And yet you were close in high school?”

Tj shrugged. “We were friends. Good friends. But it isn’t odd that we didn’t stay in touch. A lot of the kids I grew up with moved on to other things after college. Serenity is a small town. It isn’t odd for young adults to move on.”

Colton jotted down a few more notes.

“Is it true that Jessie considered breaking things off with Brett prior to Holly’s death?”

“I don’t know. I guess you’ll have to ask her about her thoughts at the time.”

“Can you confirm that Jessie entered into a flirtation with Nathan Fullerton shortly before the homecoming dance?”

Tj frowned. “How do you know that? No one other than Jessie, Holly, Nathan, and I knew about the spontaneous make-out session between Jessie and Nathan after cheer practice the day before homecoming.”

She shrugged. “I have my sources.”

Holly was dead, Tj knew she hadn’t told anyone, and she doubted Jessie would admit to it, which left Nathan as the source by default.

“So it’s true?” Colton prompted.

“Yes. Sort of. Nathan stopped by practice the day before the game to ask the cheer coach a few questions for an article he was writing about homecoming for the paper. She was busy, so he stayed to watch. I noticed Jessie and Nathan noticing each other, but I didn’t think Jessie would risk what she had with Brett to date Nathan, who is famous now but was pretty much a nerd back then. Anyway, after everyone had left I realized I’d left my pompoms on the bleachers and went back to get them. That’s when I saw Jessie and Nathan making out.”

“Who else might have seen them?” she asked.

“Holly was watching them, but I didn’t see anyone else around. Actually, I did see someone else: the janitor. He’d come to gather whatever trash had been left. But I’m pretty sure that was it.”

“Did you think it odd that Holly was watching her best friend make out rather than just leaving and affording them some privacy?”

“Yeah, I thought it was strange, but Holly and Jessie had an unusual relationship.”

“Unusual how?” Colton asked.

Tj paused for a moment. “I don’t know. They were really close, which I guess isn’t unusual. My best friend and I were closer than sisters in high school and we still are to this day. It just seemed Jessie and Holly had a really possessive relationship.”

“Possessive?”

Tj bit her lip. “It’s hard to explain. They seemed like more than just friends. They seemed like…”

“Lovers?”

Tj frowned. “Maybe. I mean, it never occurred to me back then, but now that I think about it.” Tj scrunched up her nose. “No. That can’t be right. Jessie is married to Brett. She can’t be gay.”

“Being gay and having a marriage with someone of the opposite sex aren’t mutually exclusive,” Colton said. “And I’m not suggesting Jessie is gay. I’m simply suggesting that she may have shared an intense relationship with a specific person during her teen years.”

“Yeah, maybe. So what are you saying? Do you think Jessie killed Holly?”

“I’m not saying anything,” she said. “I’m just asking questions.”

Tj suddenly felt as though she was on trial. She couldn’t help but squirm in her chair. Samantha Colton had a presence that couldn’t be ignored. Before this conversation Tj had been certain none of her friends could be responsible for Holly’s death, but now she realized she was suspicious of all of them. The woman certainly knew how to dig up whatever dirt there was to be found. Tj just hoped she wasn’t next. Not that she had anything to hide. Or at least she didn’t think she did.

“I understand Holly had a suitor herself before her death,” Colton stated.

“I’m not sure I’d call him a suitor, but yeah, there was a guy who had a huge crush on her. He sent her notes and followed her around. He’s a nice guy now, but he was a real pest back then.”

“And the name of this pest?”

“Dalton Fowler.”

“And was Dalton a member of Holly’s social group?”

“No,” Tj answered. “Holly was firmly established as a member of the elite group, which was mainly made up of jocks and cheerleaders, while Dalton was a nerd. He never had a chance with her, but that didn’t keep him from trying.”

“And does Dalton Fowler still live in Serenity?” she asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact he does, and like I said, he’s a really nice guy now. He’s a respected contractor, husband, and father. We serve on the PTA together for the elementary school. He’s a totally different person than he was in high school, and no, I don’t think he killed Holly.”

“And why is that?” Colton asked.

“Why is what?”

“You said you didn’t think Dalton killed Holly. Why?”

“He was totally in love with her.”

“It sounds like he was obsessed with her,” she said.

Tj hesitated. She almost felt like she was putting words in her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was get Dalton or anyone else in trouble. “I suppose
obsessed
would be an accurate word. But, like I said, he’s a totally different person now.”

Colton shifted her position in her chair. She flipped her notepad to a new page and jotted down a few items. “We’re trying to establish whether eighteen-year-old Dalton Fowler could have killed Holly Riverton. The person he has become is irrelevant.”

Tj supposed she had a point.

“According to the initial sheriff’s report, Dalton Fowler was at the party.”

“Yes, he was,” Tj confirmed.

“Did he bring a date?”

“No. He came alone.”

“Did Holly have a date?” she asked.

“No.”

Colton jotted down a few more notes. “I understand there was at least one member of the high school staff at the party,” she continued.

“Yes. One of the teachers stopped by for a few minutes to congratulate Brett and the team members who were at his house. He didn’t stay long.”

“And this staff member’s name?”

Tj hesitated. In spite of the fact that Jim Hanover had turned into a stick in the mud she no longer really got along with, she didn’t want to get him into trouble. Still, based on Colton’s comments, Tj was willing to bet she already knew.

“His name is Jim Hanover.”

“And he’s still on staff at this institution?”

Tj nodded.

“Would you say it was normal behavior for Mr. Hanover to attend student parties?”

Tj took a deep breath. “Not currently, but he was a new teacher ten years ago and, like many new and young teachers, he developed close relationships with his students. He didn’t really attend the party. Like I said, he just stopped by to congratulate the guys. I doubt he was there more than thirty minutes.”

Colton frowned but didn’t say anything. Then she continued. “What can you tell me about Mia Monroe?”

Tj chose her words carefully. “You know how every high school has that one student with enough self-esteem to
actually
not care what others think of her? That was Mia. She knew who she was and she wasn’t afraid to march to the beat of her own drum. Mia was the girl we all wished we could be.”

“Can you expand on that?” she asked.

“Most teens want to be accepted. They each seem to have their own way of accomplishing that, but Mia just didn’t seem to care what others thought. She was the only student at Serenity High School who really seemed to be free of all the social constraints of fitting in. She was a unique individual.”

“I agree.”

Tj frowned. She agreed? Hadn’t she just accused her of having the personality of a killer?

“I see by your expression that you spoke to Deputy Fisher. I realize I was hard on Ms. Monroe, but I had to be certain. I thought about it some more and have come to the conclusion that she is what she appears to be: an independent soul with a free spirit.”