Is This Suitcase Taken? Page 6

  When Alexandra was finally old enough to be allowed to stay in the United States alone and then attend college on the East Coast, she was ready to enjoy living in one place for four whole years. The day arrived in the middle of her first semester when it hit her that once she graduated, she could choose her own life. Yet she had no idea where she would go.

  Then she met Daniel Swift. Their attraction was quick, perhaps because she was so overwhelmed with attraction that she practically threw herself at him. When he mentioned he planned to return to his small hometown and start his own business after graduation, this drew her even closer. She imagined a perfect small-town life, raising a family with Daniel in a house where her own children would never have to face the terror of constant moves. Not if she had anything to say about the matter.

  Only a month after she began dating Daniel, Alexandra received terrible news. It was the darkest day of her young life. Her mother, deep in an untreated depression, had poisoned Alexandra’s teenaged brother Oliver, and then committed suicide. The family lived so far away that Alexandra could not even travel to join her father for the funerals.

  Her father distanced himself emotionally from Alexandra after that, though he continued to pay her tuition. The horrific deaths unraveled the young woman. Caught between her perfect dream of a future with Daniel and the ghastly nightmare of grief for her mother and brother, she failed to move forward at all.

  Daniel noticed her erratic behavior and tried to help, but she resisted fiercely. Fights quickly damaged the relationship past the point of repair. He understood her grief, but he was not willing to be dragged down into her paralysis. He broke off all contact with her. When Alexandra would not let him go so easily, he transferred to a different college in West Virginia. After their time together, Daniel proved how driven he was when it came to his studies. For the most part, he aced his exams and moved forward.

  Alexandra, however, barely made it to graduation day. Then she drifted from one job to the next and from one location to the next, spending most of her free time tracking Daniel’s movements online or in person, driving slowly down the streets where he lived, or following his girlfriends or wives (or ex-wives), dissecting her brief relationship with him in her mind until she was torn apart with grief for the life they couldn’t have together.

  Her thoughts returned to the present. She watched the sun move higher into the sky through the high window in her room in the bed and breakfast. There was only one thing that would fix her solitude, she knew. There was only one future she wanted. If only she could reach it.

  Alexandra shifted onto her side. Finally, she fell into a fitful sleep.

  When she awakened, Alexandra knew she had merely added to the catalogue of nightmares she had been experiencing nightly since arriving at Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. The high wall, and the terrible depths of the blue ocean below. She suddenly laughed as a child would at a joke, then flinched and grew silent, eyeing the door to the hall and contemplating her next steps.

  Brenda Sheffield Rivers sat in front of her laptop in the small office behind the reception desk. She read everything she could find about Alexandra Cornell and it turned out to be one eye-opener after another. No wonder Daniel stayed away from her. Alexandra needed counseling and had never received it, Brenda came to believe, judging from the unhinged letters to the editor the poor girl had published in town newspapers (a complaint about town statutes against stalking and loitering; a letter explaining why she was against mental health therapy for reasons of “independence and privacy”) or police blotter entries for her minor infractions (ticketed for driving with no lights after dark on a residential road).

  The record of Alexandra’s obsessions read clearly on the screen. Brenda felt certain that whatever she knew about Patrick Anderson’s death may very well be putting her over the edge. She could very well know something that could crack the case wide open.

  Phyllis came from the kitchen after depositing odds and ends of dishes scattered in the sitting room. Brenda suggested they take a walk downtown before dinnertime. On the way, she told her friend about the conversation the evening before between Alexandra and Daniel.

  “Do you really think she knows who killed Patrick?” Phyllis asked.

  “I’m sure of it. I’m not so sure Daniel Swift is so innocent, either.” The women discussed the strange relationship between the two. “She was terrified. I feel sure she has something to hang over his head, but on the other hand, she also comes across as a little crazy. It could all be chalked up to untreated mental illness, though. I can understand why Daniel doesn’t want anything to do with her.”

  “He seems to be a friendly person,” Phyllis said. “I can’t imagine it’s been easy on him. Even the kindest person in the world would get terribly exasperated being followed by a strange person like her all the time, don’t you think? Anyway, I wonder if he and Alexandra knew Patrick. Aren’t they all about the same age? Maybe they were in college together. And what about Carrie Porter and Rick Dawson? They’ve been so subdued since the murder. Not a word at dinners.”

  “You are right on all counts, Phyllis. There is a lot we haven’t gotten out of any of them. Let’s see what the gossip is at Morning Sun Coffee.”

  Only a few tables remained vacant and after ordering coffee, the women chose a cozy table near the entrance. Brenda waved at Carrie and Rick who sat in the far corner. Rick faced the wave and returned one. His smile appeared genuine. The couple bent their heads closer and seemed to return to a deep conversation.

  “I wonder if those two attended the same college as Daniel and Alexandra.” Brenda wondered a lot of things. Once she and Phyllis listened to talk in the coffee shop, she may have more to put together.

  “That beach area is so nice and relaxing,” a woman said. “I’m not so sure I want to go back down there where a drowning happened.”

  The man laughed. “It is roped off down the shoreline a distance. You wouldn’t want to lounge around on pebbles and rocks anyway, Marcia. As for swimming in the Atlantic, that’s why we’re here. If you don’t look at the roped-off area you wouldn’t even know anything happened there.”

  The woman called Marcia shuddered. “I say we go to the next town up the coast and finish our weekend there.” The man told her if that would ensure she enjoy their getaway, then they would do that.

  An older man heard the conversation. “Don’t believe the rumors. I heard he was murdered.” Marcia gasped. He nodded his head smugly. “That’s the rumor. He didn’t just accidentally drown.”

  “How did he know that?” Phyllis whispered to Brenda. “I thought that was under wraps.”

  “It’s supposed to be, but Sweetfern Harbor is such a small town. I suspect one of the guests said something and now it will become widespread. Let’s get to the police station.”

  Phyllis Pendleton loved being in on crimes Brenda and Mac investigated. She knew to stand back when out of her league but enjoyed being allowed to stand close enough to help Brenda. She told her daughter Molly they were leaving. Molly was busy taking an order and told Phyllis she would see her later that evening. Molly and Jonathan were invited for dinner that night at the Pendleton house.

  Chief Bob Ingram greeted Brenda and Phyllis when they came into the waiting room of the police station. A young woman sat with a tear-streaked face and a toddler clinging to her knee. The woman’s face was bruised, and deep scratch marks were on her arms and beneath her right eye. The chief was telling her they were keeping her husband overnight and the judge would decide if he needed to be charged in the morning.

  “I need him at home. I hope he won’t be here long.”

  “You are lucky your neighbor called us. If he hadn’t, you and your child would be dead by now. Officer Natalie Sims will take you to a shelter after you pick up a few belongings at your home. She will go in with you.”

  The chief turned on his heels without waiting to hear her protest. Brenda started to follow him to Mac’s office.

  “Is it al
l right for Phyllis to come in with us?”

  “Sure, come on in, Phyllis. I hear you are a good observer. Maybe you can tell us a different side to this crime.”

  No one had to remind Phyllis about confidentiality. Brenda told Mac and Bob about the rumors floating around that Patrick’s death was no accident. The chief told her he was not surprised it had leaked out.

  “It may be a good thing. A witness we don’t know about may come forward now that the word is out.”

  They all sat down. Brenda told him about the encounter between Daniel Swift and Alexandra Cornell. Chief Ingram listened intently. He agreed with the others that the guest may have vital information about the crime.

  “She was at the wedding and the reception afterwards,” Brenda said. “None of us paid attention to who came and went, it was so busy. She may have left for a while, or even been down at the beach. I feel sure she had nothing to do with the murder itself – her hands are so weak, and she’s practically afraid of her own shadow. I really believe she is our key witness.”

  “Then get her down here,” the chief said. Brenda explained Alexandra’s fragile emotional state.

  “I think I can talk her into coming on her own. Let me try that first. If that doesn’t work, then we could have her arrested and forced to come down.” She looked at Mac for his opinion.

  “Perhaps an arrest will make her realize how serious a dilemma this is,” he said. “It could prompt her to tell us everything just to make sure we leave her alone.”

  Brenda argued her point and they agreed to let her try it her way. Phyllis and Brenda left for Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. The sooner Alexandra cooperated, the sooner Brenda could relax. She wondered about a lawyer for the woman, but that would be something to ask her after a possible arrest. Brenda crossed her fingers that the woman would not demand a lawyer as soon as she heard the police wished to question her further.

  Alexandra was coming down the stairs when Brenda and Phyllis came through the front entrance. She looked ethereal on the stately stairs in a long skirt and wraparound sweater, and her smile was faint when she saw them. They watched as she gracefully descended the stairs.

  Brenda asked her if she planned to go out for a while.

  “I thought a little fresh air would be good. I think I’ll take a walk downtown.”

  “Do you want some company?” Brenda asked.

  “I’d love that. I’ve done a lot of thinking and my head feels like it’s ready to burst wide open.” The fleeting shadow of desperation crossed her expression before her amiable countenance returned.

  “I’d like to take a walk downtown, too,” Phyllis said. Even though they had just come from downtown, she had no intentions of leaving Brenda alone with Alexandra. Something about the guest caused the head housekeeper to shiver. Alexandra merely smiled and invited her along.

  While Phyllis kept a conversation going about the signs of changing seasons about town, Brenda tried to think of the best way to convince Alexandra to keep going until they reached the police station. There were no cute shops next door to the police station or any convenient excuse to get her to walk down that street. But just then, Alexandra turned to Brenda.

  “Where does your husband work?” This surprised Brenda. Everyone was well aware by now that Mac was a detective with the local police department. Alexandra had already had one interview.

  “He’s a detective, so he has an office at the police station, of course,” Brenda said. She pointed ahead. “It’s the building with the black roof down the hill a ways from here.”

  “I want to talk to him. Will he be there, or is he out solving crimes somewhere?” Alexandra’s sharp laugh startled Brenda and Phyllis.

  “He’s probably there now. He spends this time of the afternoon reviewing evidence and interviewing people. His job is varied. Shall we drop in on him to say hello?”

  Alexandra gave her a sidelong glance and jauntily stepped forward. The thirty-eight-year-old walked so quickly it was as if she was ready to start skipping. There was no doubt in Brenda’s mind that the poor woman was on the brink of a complete mental collapse. Without further words, Brenda and Phyllis hurried to keep up with her manic pace.

  Mac came from his office just as they entered the building. He glanced from Alexandra to Brenda and back. Brenda gave him a warning look. He took it in stride and welcomed Alexandra into his office, half giving her a tour and half soothing her with boring chatter. “I’m sure you just want to check in about your statement. I know it’s a chore, so thanks for coming down.”

  Brenda told Phyllis to find the chief. Once Bob arrived in the hallway, Phyllis waited anxiously in the front reception room to hear how it all played out.

  “Shoot. I forgot that I have an evidence table set up in my office right now. Sorry, guess my office is off limits,” Mac said with a shrug. “No guests allowed.”

  Brenda quickly understood what Mac was trying to do. “Let’s head for one of those big empty rooms down the hall,” she said, not alerting Alexandra to the fact that those rooms were in fact interrogation rooms, complete with recording equipment and one-way windows.

  Alexandra told Mac she had plenty to tell him. He asked in a casual tone if she wanted a lawyer present. She waved her hand. “I don’t need a lawyer. What I have to tell you is the truth.” She jerked forward in her chair eagerly, like a child going for a lollipop.

  “Do you mind if one of our officers comes in to listen as well?” Mac asked.

  Alexandra’s answer was again like someone much younger. “The more the merrier,” she trilled with another laugh that abruptly trailed off.

  Mac signaled for Officer Thompson to be called in. When he arrived, he greeted Alexandra warmly. Mac had previously told the psychologist about the woman and he was ready to assess her.

  “Did someone tell you about your rights in here?” Officer Thompson asked Alexandra.

  She shook her head. “Why do you keep asking that? Am I under arrest?”

  “No, no,” Mac reassured her. “It’s just a formality. Do you wish to have a lawyer present?”

  She hesitated and then asked, “Do I need one?” The recorder was on.

  “Your choice. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you are allowed one with you.”

  Alexandra thought for a split second and then shook her head no again, her eyes lit from inside with a pale fury. “I don’t need a lawyer telling what I can and can’t say. I know things about certain people that others don’t have a clue about. Some people pretend to be who they aren’t, if you know what I mean.”

  Officer Thompson agreed with her. “I’ve met people like that but sooner or later those around them learn the truth about them.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  A brief silence followed. Alexandra’s face fell. The light that had been emanating from her face a few seconds before diminished. She seemed to curl into a knot.

  “It’s all right, Alexandra. I know you are afraid of something,” Brenda said, “but you are protected here.”

  She uncurled her tense body only a fraction. “Protection? I’ve never trusted it in my life. My father never protected any of us. Did you know my mother killed my brother and then herself? My father didn’t step in to protect Oliver, did he? I can see how he might not care about my mother. She didn’t like him moving us around all the time any more than I did. She even told me once that she never wanted children. Can you imagine hearing that from your own mother?”

  “No,” Brenda said. “It must have been very hard on you. How old were you when this happened?”

  “It was when I was in college. When I fell in love with Daniel. I called and told her…and she said she never wanted children. Said I was ungrateful, abandoning the family…Daniel didn’t like me getting so upset about it. That’s partly why I still love him! He tried to shelter me in his own way…but he can be as mean as my father was.”

  “Sounds like you have a lot of pain in your life. Perhaps you’ve seen others in pain and wante
d to help them. Is there something you’ve seen? Something you want to tell us?” Officer Thompson asked in a gentle but probing voice. “Do you have something to say about the death of that man found recently?”

  A harsh laugh escaped Alexandra’s mouth. “He didn’t drown like all of you think. I watched him swim. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I kept thinking, those waves will take him down, but they never did. I thought maybe the ocean would get the revenge I never did…he was the one who broke up Daniel and me, you know.” Officer Thompson asked how he caused the breakup. “He argued with Daniel about something. He was always after Daniel about something. I think Patrick hoped to date me when Daniel dumped me…maybe he was hoping I would be too sad to notice his slimy moves.”

  “You are telling us that Patrick was in college with you and Daniel?” Brenda asked. Alexandra nodded her head yes. “Who else knew Patrick?”

  “I suppose lots of people.”

  “Think about the people who are staying at Sheffield Bed and Breakfast,” Brenda said. “Did anyone else there know him?”

  “I know Daniel did, and I did. I may have…fudged the truth when you asked me at first, but I did know him. He was so intolerable. I didn’t want to admit I knew him.” She laughed again. “I went to the gym daily but not because Patrick egged me to do that. I would never have done anything if asked by Patrick. I did it because I wanted to look my best for Daniel. But Daniel and me? We hated Patrick. We talked about how annoying he was many times, back in those days…”

  Brenda had no intention of allowing her to drift off to the subject of Daniel again. “What did you see happen to Patrick, Alexandra?” Brenda said.

  “Nothing,” she said. “I only saw the ocean.” Her tone was light, as if joking. Then she tensed up. “I can’t be certain. What if I’m wrong? If I tell you anything, my life will be on the line. I’m not ready to die. Not before Daniel realizes we need to get back together…”