Софи Райан - Telling Tails

For a long moment we stared at each other. Then Rose sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. “All right,” she said. “But what are you going to do if Michelle is busy? You shouldn’t go over there by yourself.”

“People who live in glass houses, Rose,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“I get your point,” she said. “But it doesn’t really apply, because when I went over there I didn’t know there was a killer in that house.”

I exhaled slowly. “If Michelle isn’t available, I’ll call Nick. If I can’t get him, I’ll go get Mac. I won’t go by myself.” I nudged her legs with my knee. She swung them back on the bed and I pulled the sheet and blanket back over her again.

“I heard that tone,” she said.

“Good,” I told her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’d hate to think I’d been too subtle.” I moved to the bottom of the bed. “I’m going to call Charlotte so you’ll have backup,” I said to Mr. P. I jerked my thumb in Rose’s direction. “If she tries anything before Charlotte gets here, sit on her.”

Mr. P. gave me a smile. “Don’t worry, my dear,” he said, hiking up his pants, which were already up close to his armpits. “I’ll watch her like a hawk.”

I walked out to the nurses’ station, pulled out my cell and called Charlotte, giving her the short version of what was going on.

“You’re certain Rose is all right?” she asked.

“She kicked Liz out of her room and gave me a hard time about going over to the Cameron house by myself,” I said. “She’s fine.”

“You aren’t going over there by yourself, are you?” Charlotte immediately asked.

“No, I’m going to call Michelle,” I said. “I think the police need to be involved. Rose was attacked by someone and it’s possible something has happened to Jeff Cameron.”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’m on my way. Call me when you know anything, and be careful.”

I promised I would and said good-bye. I knew I could count on Charlotte to handle things. She was a former school principal, sensible, dependable and unflappable.

It was busy by the nurses’ station, so I decided to go out to my SUV to call Michelle, where it would be quieter. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain everything to her, and I was glad of the extra few minutes to think things through.

Detective Michelle Andrews and I had been best friends growing up, at least for July and August each year. We’d both been summer kids in North Harbor, and every July first we’d just pick up the friendship where we’d left off at the end of the previous summer. At fifteen Michelle had suddenly stopped talking to me. I’d only recently found out why. Now we were working on putting our friendship back together.

I slid behind the wheel and pulled my phone out again. My hands were shaking. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes for a moment. The rush of adrenaline that had powered me since Liz had called was wearing off. I pressed a hand to my chest and I could feel my heart hammering.

I took a couple of slow, deep breaths, in through my nose, out through my mouth, the way I’d learned at a stretching class Jess had dragged me to. Rose was all right. She was feisty and angry, but she was all right, and hopefully Michelle would be able to help me connect with Jeff Cameron and figure out what Rose had seen. And then I was going to make Rose phone her daughter. No excuses.

Michelle picked up on the fourth ring. “I heard about what happened to Rose,” she said. “Is she all right?”

“She is. They’re just waiting for the results from some blood tests and then they’ll discharge her.” I cleared my throat. “I’m in the parking lot at the hospital right now, and I need a favor.”

“Sure, what is it?” she asked.

“I’m just going to give you the short version,” I said. “Because if I give you the long one we’ll be here half the night. Rose was making a very unauthorized delivery of a pair of candlesticks to a customer, Jeff Cameron—to his wife, actually. Rose was at the side door of the cottage they’re renting at Windspeare Point and someone hit her over the head. Whoever hit her moved her a couple of houses away.”

“Was anything taken?” Michelle asked. “Her purse? Her phone? Any of her jewelry?”

Liz had had both the gift-wrapped candlesticks and Rose’s purse in the L.L. Bean bag. Rose had been wearing her watch, I’d noticed. And Avery had her phone. “Not as far as I know.”

“I’ll follow up with the officer who responded, see if he has any leads.”

I raked my hand back through my hair again. “Thank you,” I said, “but that’s not the favor.”

“Okay,” Michelle said slowly. I could hear the curiosity in her voice.

I was beating around the bush and I needed to just say it. “Before she was hit over the head, Rose saw something in the Camerons’ kitchen.” I cleared my throat again. “Someone . . . in a pink hoodie dragging what she believes was Jeff Cameron’s body.”

For what felt like a very long moment, Michelle didn’t say anything. “Are you certain?” she finally asked.

“Rose is.”

“She thinks . . . what?”

“That Leesa Cameron killed her husband. Look, I know the officer who responded went to the Camerons’ cottage and didn’t find any body, but Rose insists she saw one.”

I heard Michelle blow out a breath on the other end of the phone. I pictured her at her desk, head propped up on her hand, even though I had no idea where she actually was. “That’s a pretty serious accusation.”

“I know.”

“Could she have misunderstood what she saw? Maybe it was some kind of . . . adult . . . game.”

“For the record, yuck!” I made a face even though she couldn’t see it. “As for what she saw, I don’t know. That’s the favor. I want to go over to the Camerons’ house and see if either of them is there. Will you come with me?”

“Right now?”

“If you can.” I leaned my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes for a moment.

“I can do that. I’m just about ready to leave for the night,” Michelle said. “Do you want me to pick you up or meet you there?”

“I’ll meet you there.” I gave her the address.

“Give me about twenty minutes.”

I felt a little of the tension ease out of my body. “Thanks,” I said.

“Hey, Sarah, anytime,” she said.

I ended the call, tossed my phone onto the passenger seat and pulled out my car keys. I started the SUV and then looked over at my phone. Should I call Liz? No, I decided. If she knew where I was going, she was apt to show up with some questions of her own. I didn’t need her butting heads with Michelle. I’d call her once there was something to report. And I fervently hoped there would be very little to report.

Chapter 4

The cottage Jeff and Leesa Cameron were renting was the last one of six nestled among the trees overlooking West Penobscot Bay. Beyond the bay were Deer Isle, Swan’s Island and the Atlantic Ocean.

The road curved inland just past the little green house. I pulled over, just beyond the cottage, and shut off the SUV’s engine. I could hear the mournful sound of the Deer Isle foghorn in the distance. Although it was almost twenty miles away across the water, something about the geography of the coast made the foghorn audible on this stretch of shoreline. It was a lonely sound in the near darkness.

Trees and the growing darkness obscured part of my view of the house, but I could see a light on inside and there was a car parked in the driveway. I fervently hoped that Michelle and I would find both of the Camerons at home with a perfectly logical, reasonable explanation for what Rose had seen. Because I knew she had seen something. Her mind was as sharp as it had been throughout her teaching career. So something had happened in that kitchen.