Dirty Little Murder (14 page)

By
6:00
in the morning
, Jane was pretty sure Kaitlyn wasn’t coming to the Swanson house.

When Jane finally heard a light knock on the back door, a wave of relief washed over her. She wasn’t sure why, since having Kaitlyn there to snoop with her would blow her innocent, “I’m just cleaning up” or “I was looking for you” cover.

Despite the added danger, it was nicer to be together than alone. With a backwards glance down the hall, Jane opened the back door. She held a finger to her lips, and joined Kaitlyn on the patio. “I’ve got a horse blanket from the garage. It’s been there since I started, but I thought we could carry it down to the stable.”

Kaitlyn’s eyes sparked. Her cheeks were flushed. “What’s your reason?”

“Just tidying up.”

“Who works down in the stables?”

Jane was taken aback. “I don’t know. Don’t you think they take care of the animals themselves?”

“Gosh, maybe? My parents hire someone, but then, we board our horses, so I don’t know.”

Jane shook her head. Of course Kaitlyn had horses. “Let’s just mosey on down there. You can tell me if anything looks funky.”

The Swanson property sloped away from the house, with the bulk of the land behind and to the side, sort of kidney shaped. A large field was bordered by white horse fence. A tree line stood toward the back, which seemed to be the only place outbuildings could be hiding.

“It’s only about three acres of land.” Kaitlyn shaded her eyes and looked from side to side. “They can’t keep many horses.”

“I think they just have the two.” Jane kept her eyes on the ground, thinking that a solid idea of what the grassy land should look like would come in handy around the stable.

“What’s that over there?” Kaitlyn pointed to the west side of the property.

Jane squinted. “A golf cart?”

“That’s what I was thinking. But it’s not like
that
much property, you know? Why did they need that?”

“
Douglas
was pretty old. Maybe he needed it to get around.”

“Like seventy?”

“Not
that
old.” Jane checked the grass for tire marks. It didn’t look like the cart had driven over the soft grass.

“Watch out.” Kaitlyn pushed Jane to the side. “Sprinklers.”

The automatic sprinkler system shot to life. Jane was almost safe, but it soaked her from the knees down.

Kaitlyn was as well.

The girls hugged the fence line as they made their way to the trees. Jane had guessed right; there was a small stable tucked behind the trees. There were also a shed and two small garages.

“Do you hear anyone?” Jane asked.

“No. It’s really quiet.”

“I don’t hear anything at all.” Jane turned into the door of the stable. “Where are the horses?”

“Have they ever had horses here?” Kaitlyn ran the toe of her shoe across the dirt. “Where’s the hay? Where’s anything that shows a horse has been here?”

“It doesn’t smell like horses, does it?” Jane walked into a clean, empty horse stall. “I thought Caramel had talked about her horses. I’m sure she had. But… was I wrong? Are they boarded somewhere else?”

“It looks like it.” Kaitlyn walked to the back of the stable and then to the door again. “No tack. Nothing. She must not like to keep animals at the house.”

“Which would explain why the horse blanket was in the garage, I guess. They drove it home from the stables where they keep the horses, but didn’t have anywhere else to put it.”

“Why did they bring it home?”

“Maybe she just took the horses somewhere else.” Jane crouched down and pressed her fingertips into the dirt floor. “The ground is pretty hard packed. And it kind of looks like it was recently swept. It’s been over a week since he died, and Caramel is kind of… impulsive.”

“But everything?” Kaitlyn wrapped her hand around a tackle hook on the wall.

“How much stuff could it have been?”

“Maybe she’s stuffed it all in the shed.”

Kaitlyn pulled her eyebrows together and frowned. “I doubt it.”

“Let’s check anyway.” Jane headed to the first shed.

It was padlocked.

She kicked the door.

Obviously, if there had been a pile of wet towels in the shed, the cops would have found them. She didn’t have any special detective skills to make their trip out back worthwhile, but she didn’t want to give up.

“Do you think these are the tracks from the golf cart?” Jane kicked a rock out of a bare patch of grass in front of the shed.

“What’s in the other shed?” Kaitlyn ignored the track and went to the other shed. She rattled the door, but it was also padlocked.

Jane followed the track. Two tire lines veered toward the left, though they faded into the healthy grass of the well-watered field. Jane looked up and down the field, looking for something the golf cart might regularly travel to. She walked in an almost straight line toward the fence.

Jane climbed over the fence into an airy wood that smelled of hot leaves and damp soil. The branches were covered in their full summer foliage, and blackberry brambles tangled through the underbrush on either side of the trail, but overall, it was a pretty and light forest. Jane put out both arms, and tilted back and forth testing the width of the track. It seemed like a golf cart could get through.

The woods tapered out at the back of a neighbor’s property. Jane was just a few yards ahead of what could only be a guest house or pool house or both.

She scanned the property. There was a pool adjacent to the little version of the big house. And to the left of it were some outbuildings, sheds perhaps. A fenced tennis court was just to the other side of the outbuildings. Trees behind the tennis court screened her view of the neighbor’s field. If they had horses, Jane couldn’t tell.

Jane went to the French doors of the little house and tried to peer through the sheer curtains. The lights were out, but sun shined in through dozens of windows. It looked like it was fully furnished.

Jane went back to the Swanson property. Kaitlyn was standing in the door to the stable, holding the horse blanket. And far off in the field, the golf cart was rolling.

Jane’s heart leapt to her throat.

She ran to Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn waved at her, a bright smile on her face.

Jane reached her, panting.

Kaitlyn’s smile was plastered on her face. “Best to act natural,” she said through clenched teeth. “Someone is driving that cart right to us.”

Jane kept her back to the cart. “Wasn’t it empty, and still, earlier?”

Kaitlyn shrugged and then laughed. “I didn’t pay enough attention earlier.”

The cart puttered up next to them.

A redhead Jane had never seen before was in it, her eyes on the horse blanket.

“Can I help you two?”

“I’m Jane, the maid.” Jane’s heart had settled down. Caramel wasn’t in the cart, so she couldn’t be in too much trouble. “This is my friend Kaitlyn. We were going to have breakfast, but she came down here with me first, just real fast.”

“And then into the woods?” The redhead tilted her head toward the gate.

Jane chuckled softly. “It was so pretty, and I was done in the house, so I thought I’d just peek.”

The red head smiled. “It is really pretty. Can I have my horse blanket?”

Kaitlyn held the blanket out and the redhead took it. “I’m Amy,
Douglas
’s daughter.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Jane was glad to know who the driver was, but what was she doing at the house at
6:30
in the morning?

“I really miss the horses,” Amy said.

“How long have they been gone?” Kaitlyn asked.

“Dad sold them around Christmas. Said he didn’t want to bother with them anymore. He gave me the money, but I would have rather had my babies still.”

“He sold your horses?” Jane noticed that Amy was showing a little gray in her roots, and had smile lines around her mouth, even though she wasn’t smiling. She was probably about the same age as Caramel.

“Yeah. We talked about it, and I couldn’t afford to keep them at my place, and I didn’t want to board them. But I miss the girls.” Amy patted the blanket. “I left this here last time I rode them. I’m surprised they didn’t sell it with the rest of the stuff. I mean, they cleaned the stable out completely.”

“It’s the cleanest stable I’ve ever seen,” Kaitlyn said.

“What brings you by this morning?” Jane was ready to get to the point. Amy clearly hadn’t come for the blanket.

“Why am I driving around the property in a golf cart at six-thirty in the morning?” Amy laughed sadly. “I brought Caramel home. She stayed with us again. And then I just wanted to look at the place.” Amy turned in her seat and took in the tree-lined property. “Dad just loved it here so much.”

Jane’s heart melted. This woman was kind and sad. She felt awful for lying to her.

“Thanks for the blanket.” Amy revved the golf cart. “I guess I’d better go park my little toy.”

Jane waved as Amy drove away.

“Close call?” Kaitlyn asked.

“I wonder what she’ll tell Caramel about us.” Jane swung the door to the stable shut. “But let’s not be liars, if we can help it. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

“Even better, let’s take breakfast to Paula so you can tell her about the trouble you are in.”

They drove through McDonald’s on their way to Paula’s house.

Paula was up, but she wasn’t looking well. Dark shadows haunted the hollows under her eyes. Her limp hair was unwashed. Jane reminded herself it had just turned seven, and they had surprised her, but her languid motions and threadbare bathrobe matched in sadness.

Kaitlyn and Jane sat at the table in the dining room. Kaitlyn dove into her breakfast while Jane caught Paula up on Douglas Swanson’s death.

“Between Caramel and me, you really have your hands full.”

Jane sipped her coffee and smiled. “I don’t think the two of you can really be compared.”

“Why not? We were both widowed this week by a tragic accident. She isn’t handling it well, but neither am I.” Paula spread her hands out, indicating her house, which was beginning to show signs of neglect.

“But what should she do?” Kaitlyn set her fork down. “Jane’s got to clear her name, doesn’t she?”

“That seems like police work. Jane just needs to get in there and serve.”

“Like the Crawfords.” Jane set her cup down. “I’ve been here before, with a grieving client. But that time, I was able to help catch the criminal.”

“And now anything less feels like you aren’t helping, right, Jane?” Kaitlyn said.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but Detective Bryce made it sound like they were wondering about me. I mean, I really did find towels, and all of that, but no one knows where they are.”

“I think you can scratch the towels off your to do list. As horrible as it is to imagine, I think whoever killed Douglas Swanson got rid of those forever.”

“Did any cars drive away while you were waiting for the cops?” Kaitlyn asked.

“No. From the time I ran out of the garage to the time the cops showed up, no other cars drove on the Swansons’ street.”

“So, whoever it was knew the property and knew where they could hide while the cops looked for them.”

Jane shivered. “That’s what it looks like.”

“Girls, I don’t think this speculating is productive or healthy. We should pray about it before you go, but Jane, I think the best thing you can do right now is to serve faithfully. Work as hard as you can so that anyone who digs into your life will see the honest, hardworking life you lead. You’ve done nothing wrong, so you have no reason to be scared.” Paula reached out, and they all joined hands.

She prayed that God give Jane strength and wisdom to bless Caramel in her time of need, and thanked God for bringing the girls into her life during her own time of need. Then she stood up. “I hate to rush you out of here, but I need to get ready for the day. I’m—” She choked on the words, then took a deep breath. “I’m meeting with the funeral director today.”