Alibis & Arranging Page 7

  ″Who could have snuck in, and how?″ Joy wondered.

  ″Well, that's where it gets even more complicated. Hilda had given Rosa and Russell both a pair of spare keys to the mansion. Which means that Jonah, Rosa and Russell all had access. Any of them could have snuck in.″

  ″What about Milly?″

  ″It's far fetched, but she was in the house all the time. She could have made a copy of the keys. Mind you, she's not really a suspect in my eyes right now,″ Chief Brooks said.

  ″Well, let's say we're just theorizing here,″ Joy said. ″Who would you say was your main suspect?″

  Chief Brook shrugged. ″I genuinely don't have one. There's Rosa and Jonah, who obviously benefitted from Hilda's death. There's Russ, who had all the reason in the world to assume he'd get a hefty chunk of money, even if he didn't.″

  ″What about Russell's father? Henry? Rita said he died in suspicious circumstances? Could Russell have killed Hilda in revenge?″

  Chief Brooks shook his head. ″All these years later? I doubt it. Besides, none of this explains where or why the statue of the dog comes in.″ He shook his head. ″I just hope I'm able to solve it all before I leave.″

  ″Leave?″ Joy raised an eyebrow.

  ″You haven't heard?″ Chief Brooks smiled. ″I'm retiring soon. My Betsy told me I've given 40 years to the service, now I better give the remaining 40 to her…or else.″

  ″But…you can't be seriously thinking of leaving Bent River?″ Joy asked. She and the chief had had their disagreements in the past, but she couldn't imagine life without him.

  ″Not immediately, it will take me a while to train my successor.″

  ″Who's going to take over as chief, then? Lundy? Samuels?″

  ″New guy,″ Chief Brooks said. ″I like the sound of him. He's got fifteen years in the service and busted a pretty big drug ring in his town. That’s what put him on the radar.″

  ″Sounds like a column waiting to be written.″ Joy grinned. ″Introduce me to this mystery guy, will you?″

  ″Soon as he gets here.″

  ″Lundy and Samuels won't be too pleased about a new guy, will they?″ Joy asked. ″I imagine there will be some friction there.″

  ″Well, Lundy's happy enough to remain deputy. Samuels…he'll come around.″ Chief Brooks smiled. ″I don't think the new guy will give him a choice. But in the meanwhile, I mean to clear up this mystery.″

  Joy sighed deeply. ″I guess we have a lot more digging to do.″

  ″Maybe. But be careful, will you? I don't like what happened to Aurora. I'm not used to having such an attack in my town.″ Chief Brooks put a hand on Joy's shoulder. ″I've known you for a long time. I remember when you were a teenage hothead speeding through town in that car of yours.″

  ″The Prowler.″ Joy grinned.

  ″…and I know you now. Your instinct will be to go rushing headlong into this. Be careful you don't get hurt.″

  ″Now, Chief, you've known me long enough to know that warnings are useless. Besides. This is personal now. Whoever whacked Aurora on the head is asking for a good whack themselves. I mean to be the one to give it to them.″

  14

  The Unicorn

  If someone had asked Aurora how she would feel about being attacked, she would probably have said ″terrified″ or ″angry″. The word ″embarrassed″ would never have popped into her mind. Yet embarrassed was exactly how she felt on being discharged from the hospital. Years and years of living in New York City had installed a solid sense of safety into her. The Aurora who had lived in the city would never ever have opened her door without first checking who was on the other side. Yet, here she was, after less than a year of living in Bent River, and she'd already managed to be a victim. She could imagine the collective frown of The Big Apple upon her.

  It didn't help that Joy seemed determined to tease her about it forever.

  ″Look in the back,″ Joy said as Aurora got into her car. ″I got you a gift.″

  In the back was a bright-pink cycling helmet.

  ″For you to use while opening doors.″ Joy grinned. ″Since it's a hazardous proposition, apparently.″

  ″Oh, shut up.″ Aurora colored a little. ″Is that really for me?″

  ″Na. It's for Tilly's birthday that's coming up.″ Joy laughed. ″But I thought you'd like the joke. How's your head feel?″

  ″Like someone hit me with a large, blunt object,″ Aurora said. ″How do you think?″

  ″Well, you got a nice bump out of it, that's for sure,″ Joy said. ″Right in the middle of your forehead, too. Kinda makes you look like a baby unicorn.″

  ″Oh, come on.″

  ″Hey, with the horn growing out of your head and all, you’re the spitting image.″

  Anxiously, Aurora checked the side mirror and let out a breath. ″It's not that bad at all. Meanie.″

  ″Meanie?″ Joy threw back her head and laughed. ″You know, it isn't very obvious that you grew up without siblings. Till times like these. You have the verbal fighting skills of a kindergartner. Meanie.″

  ″And you have the verbal fighting skills of a…a meanie,″ Aurora concluded lamely.

  ″Alright, I'll lay off. Don't want you to gore me with that horn of yours.″

  ″You know, you're really tempting me to give you a matching bump,″ Aurora fired back. But she grinned anyway. Bantering with Joy always made her anxieties go out the window. For example, she'd been anxious about returning to the house but, with Joy along, there was no fear.

  ″Did you sleep well?″ Joy asked. ″I find hospitals beds are really uncomfortable.″

  ″I did.″ Aurora nodded. Then she smiled a little tenderly. ″Do you know Max stayed there all night? He’d just left before you came to pick me up. He slept outside my room. Said it was just to make sure the attacker didn't try anything. I really owe him.″

  ″Max did that? Hmm.″ Joy filed the information away.

  ″He is such a great guy,″ Aurora said.

  ″Handsome, too.″ Joy pointed out dryly.

  Aurora gave her a sharp look. ″What?″

  ″Nothing.″ Joy's face was neutral, but Aurora could sense the hidden grin waiting to break out. ″Maybe you should invite him over for dinner again. I can make myself scarce.″

  ″I'll bake him some cookies,″ Aurora said stiffly.

  ″Your cookies? I thought you said you owed him, why punish the poor guy?″ Joy poked Aurora in the side with a finger.

  ″Ugh…you're too much. Forget it. Listen. I've been dying to talk to you about that statue. Did you—″

  Joy shook her head. ″It's gone. We're not sure if your attacker smashed it or not. But the dog's missing.″

  ″What do you mean?″

  Joy told her the whole story as they drove. Aurora listened carefully, tapping a finger on her chin all the while.

  ″You think someone smashed the statue?″ Aurora asked.

  Joy shook her head. ″I'm not sure what to think.″ She kept her eye on the road. At the last moment, as they were about to pull into the driveway, Aurora gave an exclamation.

  ″Listen, can we go over to see Rosa instead?″

  ″Rosa?″ Joy looked at her, confused. ″Aren't you supposed to rest today?″

  ″I am, but I have a theory,″ Aurora said. ″You've got to let me check it out. Please?″

  ″Ok, but what is it?″

  ″I won't tell you.″ Aurora stuck her tongue out sideways at Joy. ″That's what you get for being a meanie.″

  Joy rolled her eyes. ″That bump's regressed you to an infant.″

  ″Wrong. I’m at least as mature as a teenager.″ Aurora grinned. ″Come on Joy. Step on it.″

  ″Well…you asked.″ Joy gave her a maniacal grin and gunned the Prowler's engine. The little car shot forward and hugged curves as she drove. Aurora had to hold on to the door as they whipped through town.

  ″Maybe not that fast!″ Aurora shouted. ″Joy!!″

  The Tanner
Family Farm was well known in Bent River. After World War 2 had devastated the world, Alex Tanner had emigrated to America and founded a farm on a patch of the famously fertile ″black dirt″ of the region. Back then, Alex Tanner had built a small wooden hut with his own hands, and tried to keep his family alive on the meager produce. Succeeding generations had slowly expanded the farm, so that it now supplied onions and potatoes to markets in three different states. As a hobby, Jonah Tanner now also produced what Joy thought were the world's best strawberries.

  They drove past field after field neatly lined with crops. Jonah stood in the middle of one, talking to a worker. He frowned as they drove by, but raised his hand in greeting when Joy waved.

  About half a mile from the gate was a group of buildings including an aged barn and a few greenhouses. The farmhouse stood in the center. It was made of stone, with a slightly-crooked chimney and a roomy porch. Joy parked and led Aurora to the back, where a small cottage stood, detached from the house. Through a window, Aurora could see Rosa with safety goggles on, bent over a table. She straightened up and stopped work as they approached.

  The inside of the little cottage was littered with cardboard boxes, paintings and glass art in various sizes and shapes. Aurora admired a transparent sphere with roses suspended in mid-air within it, while Joy's eye was caught by a multi-colored vase that seemed to trap sunlight.

  ″What a surprise.″ Rosa took off her work gloves and shook hands with them both. ″I don't often get visitors.″ She gave a curious look at the bump on Aurora's head. ″Get into an accident?″

  ″Oh, you haven't heard, then? Aurora got—″

  Aurora stepped on Joy's foot to stop her from talking.

  ″Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow the keys to the mansion from you? I think I left my jacket in there. I know it's Milly's day off today.″

  ″Of course.″ Rosa nodded. ″You should just keep the keys, actually.″ She opened up her purse and looked through it, then frowned. ″That's strange. I don't have them. I think I must have left them in the study. Hang in here for a minute while I run to the house, would you? I'll fetch them.″

  ″Sure. Are we allowed to touch things?″ Joy asked. ″Your work is so beautiful.″

  ″Touch away.″ Rosa seemed pleased. ″Just as long as you remember: you smash, you pay cash.″ After peeking at the price tag, Joy hastily put down the vase she'd just picked up.

  ″Why didn't you let me tell her about your accident?″ Joy turned to Aurora as soon as Rosa had vanished from view.

  ″Did you notice that they weren't in her purse?″ Aurora ignored Joy's question. ″What do you think that means? Do you think Jonah took them, and hid them?″

  ″I mean, I misplace my keys all the time, Aurora. I'm hardly one to judge if she did.″ Joy shrugged.

  ″Rosa's really amazing at what she does,″ Aurora commented, gently running a finger down the side of a twisted column in green and blue that stretched almost to the ceiling and looked a cross between a tree and a skyscraper.

  ″That she is,″ Joy agreed. ″She's got a nice collection of earrings, too, if you want to check them out. My mom bought me some as a birthday gift last year.″

  ″Mmm.″ Aurora nodded, studying a painting of a woman with hollow eyes and a hole in her chest.

  Rosa strode back up the path. She looked distressed as she came back in. ″You know, I just can't seem to find my keys. I'm sure they'll turn up. Is it really urgent?″

  ″Not at all,″ Aurora said. ″I'll just get the jacket another day. Don't worry about the keys.″

  ″I can't think how I managed to lose them,″ Rosa said. ″I'm usually very particular about these things you know.”

  ″Really? I thought artists are supposed to be scatterbrained,″ Joy said.

  ″Well, I'm messy, but I always know exactly where everything is.″ Rosa smiled. ″Hilda was like that, too.″

  ″But she used to lose that dog statue of hers all the time,″ Aurora said. ″You told me so.″

  ″Oh, yes. Emmanuel.″ Rosa laughed. ″She always worked herself into a frenzy when it ‘disappeared’.″

  ″She sure loved that statue, I've heard.″ Aurora smiled. ″Do you know where it is now?″

  ″The statue? Why?″

  ″Well, I'd love to buy it off you. I kind of like it myself,″ Aurora said.

  ″Oh, no need to buy it. I’ll just give it to you. You can have it.″ Rosa smiled.

  ″Y-you have it?″ Aurora felt like she'd been hit between the eyes all over again. ″I thought it would be in Hilda's mansion.″

  ″It was, but Jonah brought it home for me.″ Rosa had a dreamy smile on her face. ″Sweet of him, wasn't it? I found it sitting by our bed last week. Jonah was so embarrassed. I guess it was his way of supporting me through Aunt Hilda's death.″

  Aurora and Joy gave each other a look. So Jonah had stolen it. But last week?

  ″To be honest, though I appreciate the gesture from Jonah, it doesn't fit with our décor at all. I was planning to get rid of it. Hang on, I'll get it for you right away.″

  Joy's eyes widened and she looked at Aurora as Rosa rushed out again.

  ″She can't be serious!″ Joy exclaimed. ″It can't be with her. It just can't.″

  Aurora looked perplexed, too. ″I certainly didn't expect that.″

  ″This is all so confusing. What on Earth is going on with that dog?″ Joy asked. ″Also, is it possible that Teresa was telling the truth? That she never did go to Hilda's house? Maybe Jonah just had the dog in his car for some reason.″

  ″I don't know,″ Aurora said. ″I expected Rosa to look surprised or scared or guilty, to be honest. I didn't expect…whatever this is.″

  ″Here you go!″ Rosa came out humming a little tune, the statue tucked under her arm. Aurora and Joy's jaws dropped simultaneously.

  ″What's the matter?″ Rosa asked, holding the statue out. ″Don't you want him anymore?″

  ″I…do. I guess for some reason I just thought you wouldn't find it.″ Aurora took it from her gingerly, examining it carefully for cracks.

  ″Oh, because I couldn't find my keys?″ Rosa shook her head. ″I told you, I have a pretty good idea where things are, normally. The keys will turn up, too.″

  ″Thanks, Rosa.″

  ″Anytime.″ Rosa stretched. ″Come on into the kitchen, will you? I have some mint lemonade in the fridge. Some strawberry shortcake, too.″

  ″Oh?″

  ″Yes, I found this old recipe book. I think it's written by the original Mrs. Tanner. Jonah's great-great-great-grandmother.″ Rosa chattered as she led them into the bright kitchen in the back of the farmhouse. ″You know she said to use pie crust? That's the original method, I guess. It's pretty tasty anyway. I made it just like she wrote.″

  ″I'm sure anything with Jonah's strawberries in it tastes fabulous,″ Joy said. ″Lucky you, you've got an unlimited supply of them.″

  Rosa laughed. ″That's the only reason I married him. Unlimited strawberries.″ She winked. Then she glanced at Aurora, who was still staring at the ceramic statue. ″Are you alright there?″

  ″I just…yes,″ Aurora said. ″Funny thing…I bumped into Teresa the other day, and I could have sworn she had the statue in her car.″

  Rosa's face grew cold at the mention of Teresa's name. ″Did she?″ Rosa sniffed. ″Well, good for her. Might be a similar piece or something. No offense to you, but Teresa has really bad taste.″

  ″No, I'm very sure it was this one,″ Aurora persisted. ″Maybe Jonah lent it to her?″

  Rosa rounded on Aurora angrily. ″What do you mean?″

  ″Huh?″

  ″What do you mean Jonah lent it to her? Why would Jonah lend her anything? That's ridiculous. Why would he lend her this stupid statue, of all things?″

  ″I…I don't know. I was just guessing.″ Aurora held up a hand.

  ″You're implying something. You think I'm stupid? I know exactly what you're thinking.″

&nb
sp; ″I'm not sure—″

  ″She wasn't implying anything,″ Joy jumped in. ″Aurora's not the implying kind.″

  ″Oh, please.″ Rosa rolled her eyes. ″Listen, I'd advise you to do your job and stay out of my business, alright? Jonah and I can handle ourselves just fine.″

  ″Can you? I heard about Russell's case,″ Joy said. ″He thinks the will might be faked.″

  ″He's just a money-grubbing fool driven to desperation,″ Rosa said. ″To think I was actually soft enough to want to give him a cut of Hilda's money. He's certainly not getting any now.″

  ″So you don't think the case will amount to much?″

  ″Of course, it won't. It's Hilda's real will. That's all there is to it,″ Rosa said. ″I'm actually busy right now. Would you two mind if we talked again some other time?″ She got up abruptly, her chatty demeanor completely gone. ″Nice to see you.″ But she sounded like it hadn't been very nice at all.

  Silently, Aurora and Joy headed out. Between the rapid appearance and disappearance of the statue, the keys and Rosa's good mood, the two of them felt a little dizzy.

  15

  Emmanuel Can't

  In the car, Aurora kept staring at the statue of the dog, transfixed. Joy shifted gears and drove back home at a slightly more sane pace than earlier.

  ″Alright. Color me confused,″ Joy said. ″I have no idea where that dog has come from. Maybe it's magic.″

  ″Maybe someone wanted us to think it was smashed,″ Aurora said. ″For their own twisted reasons.″

  ″So this psycho someone—″ Joy paused. ″This psycho entered our house, hit you over the head nearly killing you, stole the statue, deliberately planted fake smashed up ceramic pieces to make us think the statue was gone and then gave the dog back to Rosa??″

  ″That's my explanation,″ Aurora said. ″Can you think of a better one?″

  ″Sure. What if there's more than one statue, for example? That's a solution.″

  Aurora shook her head. ″Nope. Right under the tail, I'd noticed an odd chipped off part that kind of looks like a whale. It's still there. This is Emmanuel, the original, sadly.″ She sighed. ″So what do you say to that?″