Sifting for Suspects Read online

  As Chantelle pulled up at the patisserie she turned to look at Lucy. “Lucy, I’m worried about you. You’ve been so quiet, are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I don’t really know how I am. I guess I need some time to sort out my thoughts.”

  “Want me to come over tonight?”

  “No, I think I’d rather be alone. Thanks though.”

  “All right, but call me if you need me.”

  “I will, Chantelle. Thank you.”

  Chapter 2

  That evening as Lucy pulled up to the house she rented she tried not to think about the last time she saw Derek there. It was the night of their breakup. They’d just finished a lovely dinner out and she looked forward to a bowl of ice cream and pajamas. But Derek invited himself in, and she sensed that something was on his mind. As they sat together on the couch he rubbed his hands across his face.

  “I really don’t know how to say this, Lucy.”

  “Just say it, Derek. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be fine.” She took his hand in hers.

  “Honestly, I don’t think it will be. I keep trying to tell myself that I should just hang in for another week, or another month, but I don’t think it’s fair to you.”

  “Hang in? Do you mean continue dating?” A subtle pain seized her heart.

  “Yes.” He sighed and met her eyes. “I really am fond of you, Lucy, but I just don’t see where this relationship is going. I have my lifestyle, you have yours, and I’m not sure that they will ever mesh. I feel like I’m holding you back from finding someone who would be a perfect fit.”

  “It’s okay, Derek.”

  “No it’s not, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Lucy.”

  “It’s really okay.” She smiled at him. “I’ve been thinking the same thing myself. I’m sure there are plenty of women just waiting to have a shot at you. Your lifestyle suits you just fine, but I’ll never be that into fitness or restrict my diet as much as yours. Those things just aren’t as important to me as they are to you. You deserve to be with someone who shares your passion.”

  “You’re not upset?” He tightened his grip on her hand.

  “No, not really. I mean, I’ll miss you. I do enjoy spending time with you, but it was more of a friendship than a relationship, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. Exactly!” He sighed with relief. “I’m so glad that you see it the same way. I don’t think I could have forgiven myself if I broke your heart.”

  “We gave it a shot, Derek, and maybe we can remain friends.”

  “I’d like that. I’d really like that.”

  Lucy unlocked the door to the house. It was dark inside, no sign of Derek on the couch. No, he wasn’t there anymore. That was just a memory, the last memory she had of him. They both agreed to wait a month or two before talking to each other again. Little did she know at the time, that she would never have the chance to talk to him again.

  As soon as she set her keys down, little feet scampered across the wood floor in her direction. She crouched down to greet her feline friend. The all black cat with a white ring around one eye and white paws, hopped right up into Lucy’s arms. Lucy cradled her and nuzzled her cheek as she carried her over to the couch.

  “It’s been such a long day, little one. Boy did I miss you.” Each stroke of her hand along the cat’s fur helped her to relax. It wasn’t long before the weight of the day began to ease. Yes, Derek was gone, but there was nothing that she could do about that. Her focus needed to be on whether there was a way to prove that his death wasn’t an accident. She thought back through all of the times they went out to dinner, or to a friend’s house for a party. Not once did she remember him taking a sip of wine or any other kind of alcohol. He always politely declined. He wasn’t the type to broadcast his views in public, but when they were alone he tended to harp on what she decided to eat and drink. It bothered her because she was raised to enjoy food, and see eating as an experience rather than a necessity. “Do you think we can figure this out, Mia?”

  The cat mewed softly and butted her head against the curve of Lucy’s cheek. “I hope so, too. Now it’s time to feed you, hmm?” She prepared a dish of food for the cat, and then a small meal for herself. However, when she looked at the food she found she didn’t want to eat it. In fact her stomach was in knots. She put the food away and settled on the couch instead. She thought a television show might distract her, but she couldn’t focus on the screen. As each image flickered past she became more and more sleepy. Finally, she gave in and went to bed. Mia jumped right into bed with her, and the steady motor of her purr lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

  * * *

  The next morning when Lucy woke, reality struck again. None of it had been a nightmare. Derek was really dead, and the police believed it was an accident. She picked up her phone and dialed his number. If his phone was missing maybe someone would pick it up. However, it went straight to voicemail. When Derek’s voice played in her ear she bit into her bottom lip and hung up the phone.

  As she got ready for the day Derek’s voice followed her. All of her life she’d had a sixth sense about things. Sometimes she would know when a disaster was about to strike, sometimes she could tell if a person was going to hurt her, and sometimes she could sense who might have committed a crime. Over the years she’d called in anonymous tips to the police on crimes that had gone cold. Usually, a few days later there was something on the news about the case being re-opened or solved. She never left her name or phone number. She didn’t want to bother the police, but when she felt strongly about something it seemed as if she had a responsibility to report it. Even if it didn’t help, it couldn’t hurt to try. However, in this case, she had no idea what happened to Derek.

  By the time Lucy arrived at the patisserie she was even more convinced that Derek’s death wasn’t accidental, but someone wanted to make it look like it was. Why and who? She sighed as she unlocked the door to the patisserie and stepped inside.

  A few minutes later Chantelle arrived. “Lucy, are you already here?”

  “Yes. I opened the register, but I haven’t gotten the macarons out of the refrigerator.”

  “Okay, I’ll get them.”

  Lucy walked out to join her sister in the shop. “Morning Chantelle.”

  “Oh Lucy, you look like you didn’t sleep at all.”

  “I did have a hard time.” She frowned.

  “I imagine you did. I knew I should have come over last night.”

  “No, it’s okay, I wanted some quiet. But it didn’t help anything. I can’t stop thinking that someone did this to Derek.”

  “You’re sure it wasn’t an accident?”

  “One hundred percent certain. Derek would never touch a drop of alcohol. If the police think his death was an accident, are they even going to investigate it? I’m thinking about going over to his place tonight to take a look around.”

  “Lucy, you have to be careful about this. If someone did kill Derek they won’t want you nosing around in it.”

  “I can’t just ignore what I feel, Chantelle. How would you feel if it was Noah?”

  “That’s not fair, and you know it. You cared for Derek, I know you did, but Noah and I have been together for over seven years. It’s a little different.”

  “So, if Noah was murdered it would be okay to look into his death, but not Derek’s?” Lucy pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s not just about the fact that he was my boyfriend, it’s about a person being murdered and someone trying to get away with it. I can’t allow that to happen.”

  “You’re not a detective, Lucy. I know that Mom fills your head with these ideas about your intuition, but the truth is sometimes you just get lucky. You guess right. That doesn’t mean you can predict everything that will happen.”

  “I’ve never said that I could!” Lucy tried not to let the hurt within her raise her voice, but it was difficult. Chantelle was her best friend, and she didn’t want her to think that she was silly for believing in her in
tuition. “Maybe we should just drop this. We’re getting nowhere with this discussion.”

  “You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so heated. It’s just that I don’t want you to be in any danger. Derek’s death has shaken me up, too, and made me want to keep my loved ones close.”

  “I understand that. Speaking of loved ones, wasn’t Greg supposed to be here to help with the orders?” Lucy looked up at the clock on the wall. “He’s late.”

  “You’re right, he is, I didn’t even notice.” Chantelle pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “No texts or messages explaining why. I’d better give him a call.”

  As Chantelle put the phone to her ear the door of the patisserie swung open. A tall police officer with honey blonde hair walked in, with Greg in her grasp. “Greg?” Chantelle dropped her phone. “What happened?” She rushed out from behind the counter. Lucy rounded the counter as well, just as the police officer pulled Greg back from his mother.

  “Ma’am, please, I’d like to speak with you first.”

  “Oh yes, of course, I’m sorry, Officer.” Chantelle shot a withering look at her son and then turned to the officer. Greg shuffled his feet and stared hard at the floor. Lucy could only stare at him. He’d never been in trouble before. What could he have done?

  “Greg was caught vandalizing some property at the local park. He was spray painting over some images on the walls.”

  “What?” Chantelle looked back at her son. “Why would you do something like that?”

  “I don’t know.” He scuffed his shoe against the floor. The dark curls he shared with his mother hung in his eyes. Despite the fact that he’d shot up a foot over the summer, at that moment the fourteen-year-old looked tiny to Lucy.

  “I’m sure there’s some kind of explanation. Greg’s not a bad kid.” Lucy patted Chantelle’s arm. “Give him the chance to explain.”

  “Well?” Chantelle stared at her son. “Explain!”

  “Remember Derek was helping out with the weightlifting classes at school, Aunt Lucy?” He glanced up at her.

  “Sure, I remember. He really enjoyed having that time with you.”

  “Well, some of the guys in the class made fun of him because he followed such a strict diet. When they found out he died, they spray painted these pictures on the wall of a guy chugging a beer and then the same guy lying there looking as if he was dead. I know it was them. They spray painted over the inspirational words Derek got approval to paint there.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible. It must have made you so angry to see that.” Lucy frowned.

  “Yeah, it did. So I thought I’d cover the pictures up, but I got caught.” He glanced over at the police officer and then towards his mother. “I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I was just really mad.”

  “Anger isn’t an excuse to break the law, Greg. I understand why you were upset, but you could have just told someone and gotten approval to clean off or paint over those pictures. You have to use your head, son.”

  “I’m sorry.” He hung his head.

  “I understand that you’ve all been affected by this recent loss, so I’m going to let Greg off with a warning. But if he’s caught again with a can of spray paint he’s going to have to face some real consequences.” She released Greg’s arm. “Listen to your mother, there are proper channels you can go through. If you see those boys defacing property again, call me.” She handed him her business card. “I’m Annaliese, and if there’s a way I can help I will.”

  “Thanks.” Greg held the card tight in his hand. He looked up at his mother. “I know, I’m in big trouble.”

  “Yes, you are. We’ll discuss it when Noah gets home.” She looked past him to the officer. “Thank you so much, Officer, I appreciate your leniency.”

  “Fourteen is a tough age, and dealing with a friend of the family dying can be very difficult.”

  “Here, these are for you.” Lucy held out a box of macarons she had packed while they talked. “As a thank you.”

  “Oh, that’s okay you don’t have to do that.” She licked her lips.

  “I insist.” Lucy offered her the box again.

  “Thanks.” She smiled. “I’ve been dying to taste the macarons here. I just haven’t had the time to stop in.”

  “Please come back anytime.” Lucy looked into her eyes. “With such a demanding job a few sweets to brighten your day is a good idea.”

  “You may be right about that.” She turned back to Greg. “Stay out of trouble, I mean it.”

  “I will.”

  “Apologize to the officer.” Chantelle crossed her arms and stared at her son.

  “I’m sorry, Officer, I’ll never do it again.”

  “I hope you stick to that.” Annaliese turned and left the patisserie. The moment she was gone Chantelle launched into a high-pitched lecture about breaking the law, ruining his future, and how not every officer would have been as kind.

  Lucy stared after the woman for some time. She admired police officers for what they did. But this woman in particular left her with a certain warmth. Almost as if she was familiar to her in some way. Perhaps they’d gone to school together or crossed paths at another time. She shook her head to clear it, just as Chantelle picked up her keys and purse.

  “I’m going to take Greg home, can you handle the delivery?”

  “Sure, no problem, the order is already ready. I’ll take the van.”

  “Okay, thanks Lucy.” She sighed. “What am I going to do with this kid?”

  “Just remember, his heart was in the right place.” Lucy winked at Greg, who smiled a little in return.

  “A crime is a crime, don’t go easy on him just because he’s your favorite nephew.”

  “I’ll try not to.” Lucy opened her arms to him, and he happily hugged her.

  “She’s not going to save you. Just wait until Noah hears about this. You’re going to be the one to tell him, not me.”

  “Mom, do we really have to tell him?”

  “Yes, of course we do. Let’s go.” She escorted her son out of the patisserie. Lucy’s heart went out to the teen. She’d watched him grow up so much in the past few years that it was hard to believe he was the same kid that drew her flowers and finger painted sunny skies. She finished getting the order ready and loaded the last of it on to the van. Then she drove towards the function venue. The parking lot was already full of people. She parked behind the building and loaded the boxes up on to a small cart. As she wheeled the cart in through the back door she noticed a small crowd gathered near the kitchen.

  “I can’t believe it. I’ve been going to that gym for over a year and he was my personal trainer.”

  She froze when she overheard the conversation.

  “I can believe it, all of those fitness freaks end up crashing hard. Maybe if he wasn’t so strict with himself he wouldn’t have felt the need to binge.”

  Lucy stared at the woman who made that comment. As much as she wanted to correct her, she also didn’t want to lose the order for the patisserie. Clearly the discussion was about Derek.

  “Maybe, but Derek wasn’t like that. He was an easy going guy. He’d tease me about the cheesesteaks I like to eat, but it was always in good fun. I just don’t understand how someone so full of vitality can just be gone.”

  “He’s not just gone. He got drunk, and he slipped. He made a poor decision, and it cost him.”

  “That’s a very cold way to put it.”

  “Maybe it is, but it’s the truth. I tried working with him a few times, but I just couldn’t get past his holier than thou attitude. I started working with Sharon instead.”

  “Sharon’s good, too.” The man nodded. “But she’s nothing like Derek. Sharon didn’t care how many cheesesteaks I ate as long as I showed up for the workout and bought protein powder.”

  “Oh yes, I know she does push that stuff. I buy some just to make her be quiet about it.”

  “You don’t use it?”

  “No way. Who
knows what’s in that stuff. Have you tried it?”

  “No, Derek told me absolutely no junk supplements. He insisted I should be able to get everything I needed from my diet. He was right you know. Once I learned to eat to nourish my body I felt a lot better.”

  “That does sound like good advice. Anyway, I’ve got to start the music, we can talk more later.”

  “Sure.” He frowned. “I still can’t believe it.”

  “Believe it. None of us live forever.” The woman walked away from him. Lucy was tempted to say something to him, to offer him some kind of comfort, but she didn’t want him to know that she’d been listening in on his conversation. She continued into the kitchen with the macarons and her thoughts traveled back to the many conversations she’d had with Derek about nutrition. He despised just about all weight loss products and muscle building powders. Once she’d picked up a diet soda and he’d all but slapped it out of her hand. It was a funny moment between them, but he taught her a lot about looking at the label and being aware of what she put into her body.

  After the chef signed off on the macarons Lucy headed back to the van. She couldn’t get what the woman said out of her mind. Was it possible that Derek was so dedicated to his body it had become an obsession? Maybe he did indulge just once, and it led to disaster. On the drive back to the patisserie she forced herself to consider it. Even as she closed up for the night she continued to play with the idea in her mind. Was she too biased to see what was so clear to the police? By the time she arrived home that night, she’d spent hours trying to believe that Derek died in a drunken accident. The moment she stepped inside the house, his voice greeted her.

  “I filled your fridge with organic fruits and vegetables.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, everything in there is safe for you to eat.”

  “And what did you do with my soda?”

  “You know it works great for cleaning toilets.”

  “Please don’t tell me you cleaned my toilet with it.”