AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How would I know?” I said, doing my best not to sound too offended by such a ridiculous question. “They don’t even know anyone around here. It’s not like they have enemies.”
Chief Lewis appeared to ponder that statement for a moment, then gave a reluctant nod. “True…I suppose.” Before I could object to that insinuation, he went on, “We’ll dust for fingerprints, see if we can find any evidence that might lead us to who put this stuff inside the wall. Your parents are back in California, right?”
For the umpteenth time, I reflected wearily on how quickly news traveled in Globe. Then again, I’d told Josie they were gone, and that was pretty much all it took.
“Yes,” I said. “They’re safe.”
Chief Lewis looked almost satisfied by that reply. “Good. Tell them to stay in California. I’d say it’s a safe bet that whoever put these things here is the same person who pushed Brant Thoreau down the stairs.”
I’d made the same deduction, so I didn’t argue. Instead, I rolled up my sleeves and showed off the impressive array of multicolored bruises on my forearms, garish in the light from the chandelier overhead. Standing over to one side, Hazel let out a startled sound.
“And they tried to do the same thing to me last night,” I said.
Henry Lewis’s eyes narrowed. “You were pushed?”
I nodded. “Yes. Luckily, all I got was a bunch of bumps and bruises. But I definitely felt someone push me, although I couldn’t see who it was.”
He absorbed that statement, then said, “Well, you should still come to the station and file a report. Makes it easier to file additional charges against the person who did this, whenever we track him down.”
While I wasn’t exactly keen to get all official about what had happened to me, I understood his position. I’d been lucky…and Brant Thoreau had not. We needed to make sure the perpetrator was punished for all his misdeeds.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go over there after we’re done here.”
“You can go now,” he replied, gray eyes starting to look a little flinty. “There’s nothing else you can do here. I’ll lock up and bring you the key once we’re done inspecting the crime scene.”
I wished I could protest. But Henry Lewis was being pretty mellow, all things considered, and I didn’t want to set him off.
“Sure.”
I looked over at Hazel and gave a little nod, and she followed me down the stairs and outside.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked once we were off the porch.
“Tell you what?”
“That you were attacked here last night?”
I stopped in the middle of the flagstone path. The sun shining down on us was almost uncomfortably warm, but it felt good.
Someone had deliberately tried to get my mother and Tom out of this house, and they hadn’t cared who they hurt in the process. That knowledge made me cold inside, a chill I wasn’t sure even the August sun could completely dispel.
“I didn’t want to freak you out,” I said.
Hazel crossed her arms. “I’m not the kind to ‘freak out,’” she replied. “And I think you know that as well as anyone. Don’t you think I would’ve wanted to know it could be dangerous coming here?”
“You already knew that,” I pointed out, somewhat disingenuously, and she lifted an eyebrow.
But then she let out a breath, appearing to relent. “True…I suppose. Still, I don’t like it when people keep things from me.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, and meant it. The last thing I’d wanted to do was upset her. It was just that the same instinct that had guided me to be here this morning was also the instinct which had told me I really didn’t have anything to worry about on this particular go-’round.
And that had turned out to be the truth, thank the Goddess.
“Okay.” Hazel glanced over at my car. “Guess we’d better get over to the police station.”
Since a deputy took my report and not Chief Lewis, the whole experience wasn’t too bad. Afterward, Hazel and I adjourned to Olamendi’s, figuring we’d earned some margaritas and tacos after what we’d found in the Bigelow mansion. I debated texting Calvin and then decided I’d much rather tell him the story in person, instead settling for a quick message.
Some stuff went down today. Dinner tonight?
