Murder, Simply Stitched: An Amish Quilt Shop Mystery (25 page)

K
nowing the sheriff would return sometime soon to pick up Tux, I was unable to relax after Zander and Hillary left. So I changed out of my costume into sweats and settled into Zander’s spot on the sofa to watch a reality TV marathon, and the dogs and kitten repositioned themselves around me.

After midnight my doorbell rang. I fell off the couch and the two dogs began barking crazily.

I stumbled to my feet. “Shh! Shh, guys!”

In bare feet, I padded to the front door. I peeked through the peephole and saw the haggard-looking sheriff on my doorstep. I opened the door and Tux put his paws on his owner’s legs.

Mitchell scratched his head. “You would have thought I’d abandoned him.”

“He’s happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see him. It’s always nice to be greeted by a friendly face.” He smiled at me. “Where’s your cowgirl outfit?”

I looked down at my University of Texas sweatshirt. “Put away for another year or until my next rodeo.”

His mouth tilted up at the corners. “Too bad. I really liked it.”

I dropped my eyes.

He cleared his throat. “How upset was Hillary?”

I stepped back. “Come on in. It’s too cold to talk in the doorway.”

Tentatively, the sheriff stepped into my home and removed his leather jacket. He’d been inside before, but it had always been on official cop business.

I laughed. “Have a seat. Sorry the couch is the only option. I might get around to buying some more furniture one of these days. Of course, I would need money to do that.”

He looked at me in concern as he sat.

I waved my hand. “Oh, I’m fine. I pour every extra penny I have back into the shop.”

He relaxed. “That makes sense.”

I perched on the opposite arm of the couch and faced him. There was a good three feet of distance between us. “So you asked me how upset Hillary was.”

“Let’s do it on a scale of one to ten.”

“I’d say she averaged a nine point eight.”

He laughed. “That’s good news. I would have thought she would have been a twelve or thirteen.”

I picked up a throw pillow and held it to my chest. “She might have been there when she arrived, but by the time she left, I think I calmed her down to a seven.”

“You calmed her down?”

“We had a nice conversation over a cup of tea.” I yawned. Typically I was a night owl, but the emotional conversation with Hillary, who grudgingly I was beginning to like, wore me out.

“A cup of tea? Here? With you?”

“Yes. Zander took a nap. It was a long talk. Hillary’s pretty nice actually. I think we might end up friends after she stops hating me.”

He mock frowned. “I don’t know how I feel about my ex-wife being friends with you.”

“Why’s that?” Another yawn.

“Because I like you and she doesn’t like me most of the time.”

What could I say to that?

Tux braced his front paws on his owner’s legs, and Mitchell scratched the Boston’s nose. “I’m impressed though. If you can talk Hillary down in the middle of a rant, I think you’re going to do just fine as a township trustee.”

“Well, I don’t know if my calming her down helps you with her at all.”

“I know that it probably doesn’t. She will let me have it the next time I see her. That’s for sure.”

I smiled, hugging my pillow. “Do you want a cup of tea? It worked wonders with Hillary. It might be good for you too.”

“What kind of magic tea do you have?”

“Lipton.”

He laughed. “Definitely another time. I can’t stay long.”

“What did you find at the CPA office?” I asked quickly.

“Angie, I didn’t come here to talk about the case.”

“I took in your son and your dog when you needed me, and I listened to your ex-wife rant. I think you owe me something.”

He smiled. “I can repay you in other ways.”

I ignored his comment. “Was the office a mess?”

He sighed. “Whoever broke in there didn’t want us to know what he or she was looking for because the place was completely tossed. All the files from every file cabinet were spilled on the floor. It will take David days to sort out all the papers, and he needs to. If we know what is missing, we might be able to find the person responsible.”

“Do you think it’s connected to Wanda’s death?”

“Yes.” His tone left no room for argument.

“Did you find any evidence of that?”

He frowned. “No, but it’s hard to believe the two events weren’t related. We collected some good fingerprints from the scene. The person who did this was careless. Which is good for us. Careless people get caught.” He removed Tux’s leash from the pocket of his jacket. “You’re tired. I think it’s time for Tux and me to turn in.”

“Hillary said something about Wanda tonight that you need to know.” I went on to tell him that Wanda had implied to his ex that she had some information she could use against the Nissleys if need be. “Do you think she was blackmailing them?”

He rubbed his five o’clock shadow. “It’s possible. I’ll ask Gideon about it on Monday.” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t want you asking him.”

I dropped the pillow back on the couch. “I’m in this for Rachel.”

He stood. “I know that, and I admire your loyalty to your friends. I saw how far you will go for them at the trustee meeting last night. That doesn’t change the fact a woman is dead and this is an open sheriff’s department investigation.” He moved toward the door.

I hopped off of the couch.

He paused. “Tomorrow, Tux and I will be going for a walk at the park around ten in the morning. We would love if you and Oliver would join us.”

“This is official police business?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“This is a date?” I asked.

“No.” His aquamarine eyes sparkled. “Unless you want it to be. Instead, we’ll call it a doggie play date. Look at them. They can hardly stand being apart.”

I looked down at the two dogs that stood shoulder to shoulder.

“We’ll see. I can’t promise you I will be there.”

“Good enough. We will be there.” He wrapped the end of Tux’s leash around his hand twice. “You are pretty cute when you’re sleepy. I thought you should know that.” He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Without another word, the sheriff and his Boston stepped through my front door.

So much for being sleepy. Now I was wide awake and too stunned to even say good-bye.

E
ven though I told him otherwise, I knew that I was going to spend the next morning at the dog park with the sheriff. After tossing and turning over how the morning would go, I jumped out of bed, telling myself that it was a doggie play date not a
real
date.

Oliver didn’t like the idea of leaving Dodger home alone again, but when I told him it was to see his pal Tux he agreed to go, after checking the kitten over twice to make sure he was okay. When he was satisfied with Dodger’s condition, we left the house.

With so many wide-open spaces and farmland, there weren’t many parks set aside specifically for recreation in the county. At least that’s what it looked like to me coming from Dallas where there was a clear distinction between the city and the city park. In Holmes County those lines were blurred.

The dog park was on the edge of Millersburg. It was a loosely managed county park with playground, hiking trails through the woods, and a dog run. I had taken Oliver on the hiking trails a couple of times, but never to the dog run before. Oliver doesn’t run unless there is a bird in the vicinity.

When I arrived at the gravel parking lot closest to the dog run, I spotted the sheriff leaning against the hood of his car. He was not alone, and I wasn’t referring to Tux. Reed had a sullen expression on his face and was slumped on a bench a few feet away, watching the dogs run.

I opened the back door and let Oliver jump out. Tux, who was already inside the fenced dog run, galloped up to the gate and pressed his flat nose into it. Oliver jogged over and did the same.

Mitchell laughed and opened the gate, letting Oliver into the run. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets. “I’m surprised to see Reed here. You didn’t mention him last night. . . .”

“I didn’t know he was coming.” He squinted in the sunlight. “I got a call from Reed’s mom this morning. Her plane landed in Columbus about three hours ago. She should be here any moment to pick up Reed. I figured the dog park was as good a place as any for a reunion.”

I studied his face. “You don’t care I’m here for this?”

“I want you here,” was all he said.

I wanted to ask him why he wanted me there when a sedan, clearly a rental, pulled into the gravel lot. A beautiful woman climbed out of the car. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was stunning. Her skin was flawless, her honey-colored hair fell in soft waves well below her shoulders, and her figure looked like she could have ordered it straight from the Victoria’s Secret catalog. And this was a woman who just got off of a plane? When I rolled off of an airplane, I looked like I had been run over by a Humvee. Reed had said his mother moved to Los Angeles to be an actress. She certainly had the looks down.

I snuck a glance at the sheriff, but he appeared unfazed by Reed’s gorgeous mother. Did he really not notice her or could he hold that blank stare he’d learned in cop school during any and all situations?

Reed remained on the bench and made no move to get up.

Mitchell stepped forward. “Ms. Kent?”

The woman extended a slender hand. “Call me Amber, please.”

The sheriff nodded. “All right, Amber. This is Angie Braddock with me. She knew your sister.”

I shook Amber’s hand. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Mitchell reached into his pocket and handed her a card. “Your sister’s lawyer asked me to have you call him. He has the keys to your sister’s house. As far as I know everything there is yours and Reed’s. However, you will want to see her lawyer before you head back to California.”

She accepted the business card. “I spoke with her lawyer on the telephone before I left LA. We are to meet him at her house at eleven. Reed and I were the only ones named in her will. I’m surprised. I hadn’t expected that from my sister. She made no secret of her disapproval of most of my decisions.” She watched her son. “How is Reed?”

“He’s a good kid,” Mitchell said.

Amber dropped her eyes. “I know. I wished I could have been as strong as Wanda to take care of him.”

“You are, and you will take care of him now. He needs his mom.”

“What if he starts getting into trouble again? What do I do? I always asked my sister for advice before . . .”

The sheriff reached into the breast pocket of his uniform and removed one of his cards. “Here. You can always call me for advice.”

She took the card and nodded before walking over to her son. “Reed?”

He grunted from his spot on the bench. The bench was only a few feet from us, and I knew he had heard their conversation even with all the barking coming from the dog run.

“Are you ready to go home?” Amber asked.

He pulled up the black hood of his sweatshirt. “Like you want me to.”

“I do want you to. We’ll finalize some things here and talk to the lawyer about selling Wanda’s house, but I do want you to come back to California with me. I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah, right.”

Amber jerked back. “You don’t believe me.”

“If you missed me so much you would have called once in a while.” Reed’s face completely receded into the oversized hood.

“I’ve been so busy, tied up in my job, and auditions, and my boyfriend that I didn’t reach out to you like I should have. I’m so sorry for that. I know it upset Wanda too. But I honestly thought you would do better if I wasn’t in your life.”

He glared at her. “Why would you think that? You’re my mom.”

“I know. I’m here to say I’m sorry. Can we start again?”

“What about your boyfriend? Does he want me to come back?”

“It doesn’t matter what he wants because we aren’t together anymore. I just want to focus on you and me for a bit. I know I haven’t done a stellar job as your mom.” She sat on the edge of the bench.

Reed didn’t say anything.

“I’m not the only one who wants you to come home. Bolt is waiting for you back at the stables.”

Reed sat up straight for the first time. “Bolt. My horse. You bought back my horse?”

She nodded. “The new owner said he couldn’t connect with the animal and asked me if I would give him back his money in exchange for Bolt. I jumped at the chance. I knew it was a mistake to sell him the moment that guy drove away with Bolt in his trailer.”

He pushed back his hood. “You sold him because I screwed up.”

“I did, but there were other ways to punish you than take away your best friend. That was cruel, and I am sorry.”

Reed was still hesitant. “I thought you used that money to buy your boyfriend a car. Bolt is expensive. How could you afford to buy him?”

She laughed. “No, I would never do that. The money from the sale was deposited in the bank. I wrote him a reimbursement check and he gave me Bolt back.” She stood. “Now, are you ready to go?”

He stood and nodded. His mother walked toward him and gingerly put her arms around her son. Even though he didn’t embrace her back, Reed allowed his mother to hug him, and I knew he would be all right.

Reed and Amber walked back to her rental car. “Thank you, Sheriff Mitchell, for keeping Reed in your home until I could come and get him. I’m so grateful that you did that for him and for us.”

Mitchell nodded. “You’re welcome.” He pointed at Reed. “Stay out of trouble, Reed, or I will come out to LA and knock you upside the head.”

Reed grimaced. “Sure, okay.”

“It was nice to meet you too,” Amber said to me.

I smiled but then remembered how pale Reed became when I asked him about the prank calls. “You know those calls I asked you about . . .”

He looked up from his shoes but said nothing.

“You made them. Am I right?”

He nodded. At least now we had one piece of the mystery solved, and it wasn’t connected directly to Wanda’s death. I hoped the sheriff would have less guilt about not taking Wanda’s complaints about the calls more seriously.

“What calls?” Amber asked.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Mitchell said. “I’m happy to tell you about the investigation into your sister’s death.”

Amber shook her head. “I would rather not know. It would only upset me, and whatever you tell me won’t bring my sister back. Now, I just want my son and myself to move forward.”

“Fair enough,” the sheriff replied.

Amber and Reed climbed into her rental and drove away.

In the dog run, Tux and Oliver galloped across the bright green grass. They ignored all other dogs. Mitchell and I stood side by side and watched them for a few moments in silence.

I held on to the top of the fence. “Thank you for letting me be here to see that. I’m happy Reed is going to be okay.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know which way it was going to go with Reed and his mother.” He placed his hand on the fence close to mine. “But I am glad you were here. I think it helped Reed, and I know it helped me.”

“Reed’s mother was pretty,” I said tentatively.

He shrugged. “She was, but not as beautiful as you are.”

Ryan would have never said that.
I doubted he would ever say that to his new beauty queen girlfriend in Dallas.
My mouth fell open and he laughed.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go run with the dogs.”

Still gap-mouthed, I followed him through the gate.

After both dogs and humans were all run out, Mitchell and I led an exhausted Tux and Oliver to our cars. As he latched the gate, I asked, “Sheriff Mitchell, would you like to go out to dinner sometime?” As soon as I asked it, I regretted it.

He blinked at me, and my stomach fell.
How could I have been so stupid?
I had let the beautiful comment get to me, and the thought of Ryan dating all those beauty queens down in Dallas take away all rational thought. “Oh, right, sorry.” I scooped up Oliver and headed to my car.

Seconds later, I heard footsteps running behind me on the pavement. I turned to see Mitchell jogging toward me.

He blew out a breath. “Yes.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, I would like to have dinner with you. I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask you, but you beat me to it. You stole my thunder.”

I frowned and searched his blue-green eyes. “Umm, sorry?”

He chuckled. “Don’t be sorry.” He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips before whistling to Tux and heading to his own car.

I beamed. “Okay. See you around, Sheriff Mitchell.”

He put Tux in the car and waved to me. “Yes, you will, Trustee Braddock. Yes, you will.”