A Hint of Magic (11 page)

“No.  Yes.  I mean no.”  Amy’s lower lip was trembling now.  “Sam was annoyed with Greg for hassling me, but I told him not to make a scene.  I told him to ignore Greg.  I figured ignoring him was the best course of action.  So that’s what Sam and I did.  We both ignored Greg.”

“But then Sam left?” Clarissa pressed.  “Is it possible he didn’t leave when you thought he did?  Is it possible he hung around and decided to take matters into his own hands?”

“No.”  Amy was shaking her head violently now, as if to deny everything.  “He wouldn’t.”

“It would be understandable.  He loves you.  Maybe he felt like he needed to protect you,” she theorized, trying to give Sam Swanson the benefit of the doubt.  “Maybe he had good intentions but then things got out of hand.”

“No!” Amy insisted passionately. 

She wiped her tears from her face, still sniffling.  Then she balled her hands up into fists in her lap.  She clenched her jaw in determination.  Sitting up straight and tall, she blurted something out that Clarissa hadn’t been expecting to hear. 

“I lied, okay?  Sam and I both did.”

“You lied about what?” Clarissa pressed.  “It’s okay.  You can tell us.”

Liana nodded in agreement, still too shocked to speak.

“Sam was there when the fight broke out,” Amy explained.  “I was in the backyard visiting with Jenny and a few others.  Sam was off by himself, sitting in the dark on a patio chair.  He had a headache he was trying to get rid of, so he was taking a breather.”

“What happened when the fight broke out?” Clarissa asked. 

“I know this sounds bad, but that’s when Sam decided he should leave,” Amy admitted. 

“Why?”

“He said he didn’t want to be at a party where things were getting out of hand.  He felt like he was in an awkward position.  He didn’t want to get anyone at the party in trouble – most of the people there are my friends and he wanted to fit in.  But he’s also a police officer.”

“He decided to turn a blind eye to the fight?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes.  It didn’t seem so bad at first.  It wasn’t all violent and out of control in the beginning.  Sam didn’t want to be the one to ruin the party, but he also didn’t want to stand by and do nothing.  He thought removing himself from the situation was the best thing to do.”

“You didn’t leave with him?” Clarissa found that a bit odd.

Amy shook her head.  “As soon as the fight broke out, Sam decided to take off.  He sent me a text from his truck asking if I wanted to go home.  But I was having a good time.  I wanted to stay and talk with Jenny some more.  So I told him I’d find my own way home.”

“So just to be clear, you don’t know where Sam went after that?” Clarissa asked.

“He went home,” Amy replied.  Then she sighed.  “Okay, I guess technically I can’t prove he was at his apartment.  But Sam told me he was going home and he’s never given me a reason not to trust him.  If he said he was going home, then he went home.”

Liana shot Clarissa A Look.  She probably thought she was being subtle but in true Liana fashion, she really wasn’t.  Amy almost certainly noticed it – and when she spoke next, her tone was one of desperation and pleading.

“Sam and I both lied.  I hate that we did that.  It was a spur of the moment decision I wish we could take back.  Being a cop
and
having a social life in a small town isn’t easy.  Sam is still figuring out how to best handle it.  I wanted to support him.”

“I see.”  Liana still looked unconvinced.  She had no poker face whatsoever.

“Sam isn’t a bad guy, honest.  We made a dumb mistake, that’s all.  He really is a good cop – and a good man.  I think if you get to know him you’ll like him,” Amy insisted.  There was a hint of desperation in her eyes, along with a whole lot of tears.

Clarissa gave Liana a warning look, silently advising her friend not to press the matter.  Amy seemed like she was at her breaking point.  If she became too upset she might stop talking.  It was time to back off and go easy on her.

“I appreciate your honesty.  Oh, and I met Sam briefly the other day,” Clarissa said offhandedly, hoping to lighten the somber mood.  “He seems like a good guy.”  What she didn’t tack onto that sentence was “for a murderer” – she didn’t think that would go over well.

Amy visibly relaxed at that.  “He is,” she said without hesitation.  “He really is.”

If she was being honest with herself, Clarissa thought Sam was guilty as sin.  It seemed clear that Amy really did believe her fiancé was innocent.  At least she hadn’t been involved in the murder.  But it was little consolation that Amy seemed to be an unwitting pawn in the whole thing. 

“I’m sorry for upsetting you,” Clarissa said earnestly.  She truly was.  She also didn’t want Amy to turn on her.  She needed her old childhood friend to trust her – and to be willing to confide in her.  So Clarissa was doing what she could to smooth things over.

“Me too,” Liana agreed.  “I shouldn’t have even brought up what those two gossips said.”

“It’s okay,” Amy replied, daintily dabbing her tears away.  “We shouldn’t have lied.”

“So Kimmy – I mean
Kimberly
– doesn’t like me, huh?” Clarissa asked, changing the subject.

Liana rolled her eyes.  “She’s the only one who thinks her opinion matters.”

“She’s just jealous,” Amy said helpfully.  “But careful…I think she’s after your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Clarissa said immediately.  Then she stopped short.  “She is?”

“She kept asking me about him after you left,” Amy confided.  “She wanted to know everything about him.  She even had the nerve to ask why a guy like him was with a girl like you.  It took everything I had not to tell her off.”

“So I guess she’s not dating Zack anymore, huh?”

Amy shrugged.  “I guess not?  I don’t really know.  To be honest, I keep my head down and do my job.  I became a hairdresser because I like making people feel good about themselves, not because I enjoy all the gossip and cattiness.  Kimmy might be my co-worker but that doesn’t mean I have to be her friend.”

“You’re a smart woman!” Liana declared.  “Besides, Kimmy doesn’t have friends.”

“She only has people she bosses around,” Amy nodded.

“Remember back in high school when she used to make the other cheerleaders do her bidding?” Liana asked, snickering at the thought.  “I can’t believe those girls put up with it for so long.  I think they were all terrified of her.”

“She’s evil,” Amy said simply.

Clarissa saw the perfect opportunity to change the subject and, with any luck, get some answers.  “Hey, speaking of people we didn’t like in high school, what’s Russ up to these days?”

“He’s still here in town.  He works for his dad or something,” Amy shrugged. 

“Oh, that’s right!” Liana interjected.  “He was here a couple weeks ago.”

That caught Clarissa’s attention.  “What?” she demanded.

“His dad is an electrician and Russ is learning the ropes.  I was having issues with the lights flickering.  Imagine my surprise when I called for an electrician and
Russ
turned up on my front step,” Liana scowled.

“What’s he like now?” Clarissa asked curiously.

“He still looks the same,” Liana confirmed.  “Zack and Mikey kind of let themselves go, but Russ is still somewhat in shape.  When he was here, he acted like he didn’t recognize me.  He probably did.  He was probably embarrassed that I recognized him!”

“Yeah he was something else in high school,” Amy said with a shake of her head.  “What is it with football stars and having a massive sense of entitlement?  Why can’t any of them just be talented
and
nice?”

“They’re not all bad,” Clarissa said, immediately thinking of Parker.  “Was Russ at the party?”

“I didn’t see him,” Liana said.

“I didn’t either.  But I suppose he could have been wearing a costume that covered his face,” Amy reasoned.  “There were a few of those – some ghosts, a zombie, a unicorn…”

“And a grim reaper,” Clarissa murmured.

Both women stopped and looked at her.

“You think Russ was the killer?” Liana demanded.

Amy said nothing, but looked very relieved.

“I don’t know,” Clarissa said honestly.  “I’m only trying to cover all my bases”

“Well if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know,” Liana offered.

Amy nodded in agreement.  Then she glanced at her watch.  “I should be going.”

“So should I.  Thanks for the coffee.  And say hi to your reporter boyfriend!” Liana giggled.

“He’s not my –”

“Uh huh, we know.  You’ve only said it a million times,” Liana teased.  “Anyway, he’s outside.”

“What?”

“He just pulled up,” Liana said, nodding toward the window.  Sure enough, Parker’s flashy sports car was parked out there.  He was just getting out, and he was carrying a big box from the bakery on Main Street.

“Ooh, a present!” Liana trilled.

“Nice!” Amy smiled.

“Let’s go so they can be alone…
to kiss
!” Liana made an exaggerated kissy face to illustrate her point.  Then she took Amy’s arm and the two women, still sniggering like giddy schoolgirls, snuck out the back door.

“Hi!” Clarissa exclaimed, opening the front door before Parker could even ring the doorbell.

“Hey!” he smiled. 

He was clearly taken aback but recovered nicely.  “Are you a psychic?”

“No, that would be my aunt.”

He furrowed his brow.  “Beg your pardon?”

Oops.  She shouldn’t have blurted that out.  “Nothing!” she chirped.  “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to stop by and talk about the case.  If you’re not busy, that is.  I probably should have called first,” Parker said apologetically.  “If this is a bad time, I can come back later.”

“I’m not busy.”  She looked at the bakery box he was holding.  “Been shopping, have you?”

“Oh, yeah, this is for you,” he said, handing over the box.  “They’re chocolate chip cookies.”

“Chocolate chip is my favorite!”

“I know,” he grinned. 

“Thanks.  What’s the occasion?” she asked curiously.

“No occasion.  I was driving past the bakery and I remembered you didn’t get that chocolate chip cookie you wanted yesterday.  So I stopped in and picked you up –”

“You picked me up a whole boxful!” Clarissa interrupted, laughing. 

“Well it’s not like you have to eat them all in one sitting.”

“Um, have we met?” she joked.  “Also, I’m pretty sure there’s a law that says all chocolate chip cookies must be devoured immediately.  Or if there isn’t, there needs to be one.”

He laughed and shook his head.  “I’ve already learned arguing with you is futile.”

“Smart man,” she grinned.

“You look nice today.”

Clarissa glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt.  Her ensemble was nothing special.

Then she remembered that, due to an unfortunate stroke of bad luck, Parker was used to seeing her looking disheveled.  He always seemed to run into her after she had been gardening or on days when she was clad in ratty old sweats from her college days.  In fact, it happened so often that she was beginning to think she was cursed.

“I showered,” she said simply. 

“Wow!” he exclaimed, playing along.

“I know.  I brushed my hair, too.”

“Ooh, fancy.  Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” 

“I will be after I have some cookies.  They cure every ailment under the sun, you know.  Come in and help me eat them.  I’ve got coffee on,” Clarissa added, grateful that Liana had expertly brewed up an entire pot.

Parker followed Clarissa into the kitchen, pausing inside the entryway to remove his shoes. 

She had expected him to sit and watch as she poured the coffee, but that wasn’t the case.  Instead he got right in there, fetching mugs from the cupboard and retrieving cream from the fridge.  It was nice to see his privileged upbringing hadn’t rendered him helpless – or entitled.

“I stopped by the gym today,” Parker informed Clarissa as they sat down at the table.

“Oh?”

“I wanted to speak with the guy Greg got in the fight with.  But he wasn’t there.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“He’s in China on business,” Parker said.  “He left two days before the fight.”

Clarissa’s eyes lit up at that.  “So he couldn’t be the killer!”

“Nope, he was out of the country when Greg died.  He has a rock solid alibi.”

“So we can cross one person off the list.”

“I guess that means Sam is still a suspect?” Parker asked.  “I saw Liana and Amy sneaking out the back of the house when I was walking to the front door.”  He looked at Clarissa expectantly.  “How did it go?”

“It could have gone better,” she sighed.  “Amy doesn’t know where Sam was at the time of the murder.  And she doesn’t know how his lasso wound up tied around Greg’s wrists.  I don’t think Amy had anything to do with Greg’s death.  But as for Sam, well, I can’t be so sure.”

“How well does Amy know Sam?”

“Pretty well, apparently…they’re engaged now.”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah, I know.  I hope for her sake he isn’t the perp.”  Clarissa took a bite of delicious, chewy, moist cookie.  Then, through a mouthful of crumbs, she added, “I also found out Russ still lives here in town.”

“Was he at the party?” Parker asked.

“The girls didn’t see him there, and no one we’ve spoke with has mentioned him being there.  But he, Zack and Mikey were always joined at the hip back in high school.  And he was never one to pass up binge drinking and troublemaking.”

“Maybe he was there in a costume that hid his face.”

“Yeah…like a grim reaper costume?  He has the right build to be the killer,” Clarissa reminded Parker.  “He’s a big guy and apparently still in decent shape.  And back in high school, he was always getting into fights.  I can see how he could have overpowered Greg.”

“So Sam and the three dimwits you went to school with are still at the top of our suspect list.”  Parker thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up.  “This might be a long shot, but do you have any shops in town that sell Halloween costumes?”

“Just one,” Clarissa replied.  “Most people shop in Green City or order costumes online.”

“Mmhmm,” Parker murmured.  “Like I said, it’s probably a long shot.  But I wonder if they sold any grim reaper costumes this Halloween?  Let’s swing by the costume shop and ask the owner.”

“Okay,” Clarissa agreed.  “Then I want to go talk to Russ.  I think I know where to find him.”

“After that, do you think we should try talking to Sam again?”

“No,” Clarissa replied immediately.  “He wasn’t very helpful.  I think we should tail him.”

“Spoken like a true detective,” Parker winked.

“Hey, I grew up in a small town.  I have to get my entertainment wherever I can!” she joked.  “Let me get you some more coffee before we go,” she offered, noting Parker’s empty cup.  She immediately jumped up from the table.

“Meow,” said the cat, tripping her as it sauntered into the kitchen.

“Ah!” Clarissa screeched, losing her balance.  She tumbled right into the kitchen counter.  And she managed to knock her bag of potions over, spilling the plastic canisters full of powders, spices and herbs everywhere.

She had taken to reading her aunt’s book of potions and mixing up concoctions late at night when she couldn’t sleep.  It was a fun, if not bizarre, hobby that helped her decompress.  But Parker wasn’t supposed to know about it.  No one was. 

Mortified, Clarissa stared down at the mess in horror.

“Are you okay?” Parker demanded, hurrying over.

“I’m fine,” she assured him.

“Let me help you clean this up.”

“No need for that,” she said nervously, not wanting him to see her potions.  “I’ve got it.”

“Nonsense, it will only take a moment.”  Parker reached for the first canister and paused.  He picked it up and turned it over, examining it thoughtfully as Clarissa watched anxiously.  Then he looked over at her.  “What is this?” he asked curiously.

“It’s um…they’re uh…supplements!” she finally stuttered.  “They’re for a diet I’m starting.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you look great the way you are,” Parker said. 

Thankfully, he didn’t press the matter.  Instead he helped Clarissa pack the potions back into the bag she had been storing them in.  Then he picked up the cat.

“I swear that little monster is trying to break my neck,” Clarissa grumbled as she fetched the critter some food.  “It’s had it out for me from the very first day it showed up here as a stray demanding free room and board.  I think it’s trying to kill me so it can have the house to itself.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Parker chuckled, gently setting the feline down.  “It’s only a cat.”

“Famous last words,” she muttered. 

“I dunno, I think you’re being paranoid.  Surely it realizes it needs you to do the grocery shopping, open the fridge and operate the can opener?” he reasoned. 

“Hmm, good point.  I guess that’s why it tolerates me,” she quipped.

“I’m sure it also loves you,” he replied.  “It would be crazy not to.” 

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Clarissa cleared her throat.

“Are you ready to go?” Parker asked, looking slightly red in the face.

“Yeah,” she nodded.  “I’ll go grab my purse.”

When Clarissa returned to the kitchen, she caught Parker eyeing her bag full of potions.  That wasn’t good!  The last thing she wanted was to be forced into an uncomfortable conversation about her strange concoctions. 

In a moment of panic, she grabbed for the bag.  Then she hurriedly stuffed the entire thing into her gigantic, suitcase-sized handbag.  Out of sight, out of mind…or so she hoped. 

Thankfully, Parker seemed to take the hint.  Without saying a word, he walked over to the front door and put his shoes on.  She breathed a huge sigh of relief.  That had been a close call!

Slinging the massive handbag over her arm, Clarissa bid the cat farewell. 

The cat, of course, stuck its nose in the air and ignored her.

But it happily butted its head against Parker’s foot, purring loudly.

That little stinker!