EMBELLISHED TO DEATH (18 page)

“What was that about?” Ted closed the door.

I refrained from giving in to the urge to hug Ted. I knew he'd come and I hoped him being at the hotel meant Bob would be released soon. “Bell needs to speak privately with Steve. I think it's about Morgan's murder.”

Garrison sat in the chair by the window and looked out into the darkness. My heart ached for him. Even with Ted here, he still worried about Bob.

“What makes you say that?” Ted's brows drew down.

“I don't know of any other reason. How's your brother? They are letting him out? Right?”

“Of course not.” The bitter words flowed from Garrison. “It takes a while to get back results from tests the police are running. Though I'm sure the tests would get done quicker if they needed them done to take him in for interrogation.”

“Bob can handle it.” Ted sat on edge of the bed. “They have a few questions for him and he should be released in a couple of hours.”

“Do you think Bell's here to ask Steve questions in order to detain Bob longer?” I sat on the other bed.

“Either that, or Bell's talking to the other possible suspects,” Ted said. “Fact of the matter is someone killed Morgan Ware and Bell has to find out who.”

My eyes widened. “Steve's a suspect. Why?”

Ted rubbed his eyes. “That's not for me to say.”

“If you know something, tell me.” I crossed my arms and glared at him.

“Not for me to say.”

“First Bell says I don't need to know now. You know what's going on, so if I'm going to find out, why not now?”

“Because it's not—”

“It's not for you to say.” Garrison broke in. “You've mentioned that a few times. Why can't you say?”

Ted rolled his eyes. “Because that's still saying something about an issue best left to someone else to tell.”

“Left to whom?” I transferred beds, hoping an up close pitiful look would sway Ted.

“You guys can tag team all you want, but I'm not revealing anything,” Ted said. “And I can't believe you of all people, Faith, have a problem with secret-keeping.”

I glared at him. “Gee, that was subtle. Now Garrison knows I have something I don't want other people knowing.”

Garrison smiled sympathetically. “Don't worry, honey, all women have secrets.”

I pushed myself from the bed and went over to the connecting door. If Ted was going to hold back, I'd find out for myself. I drew as close to the door as I dared.

“I wouldn't do that,” Ted almost shouted.

I glared at him.

“Patience is a virtue, and is less likely to get you arrested.” He tugged me away from the door.

“I can't believe you actually thought Ted would let you get away with that.” The look Garrison fixed on me reminded me of whenever I tried pitting my grandmothers against each other. They were always a united front.

“Steve received a head injury this morning. I don't want Bell badgering him into making a confession, or the detective twisting something so Steve gives a statement that implicates Bob,” I said.

Garrison and Ted shared a concern look.

“I think I'll pop in real quick,” I said.

“Are you going to break the door down?” Garrison asked. “Because I don't see Bell letting you in.”

“The connecting door is unlocked on our side.” I placed my hand on the knob.

Ted extracted my grip. “I'll pop in there. You stay here with Garrison.”

“But—”

Ted placed a finger against my lips for a brief moment. “I have a reason to go in there. You don't. Steve's an assistant prosecutor in Eden. It's my duty to ensure our assistant prosecutor isn't implicated in a crime. It could hurt every case Steve has tried. If Bell has a problem, he can take it up with Chief Moore.”

I didn't want to delay Ted any longer, so I nodded even though I didn't agree I should stay out. If Steve needed someone, I wanted to be there.

Ted twisted the door and walked into the other room. He shut it quickly.

I only heard a few words of Bell's opinion on Ted barraging in. And the words I heard were ones my grandmothers would be horrified to hear coming out of my mouth.

“I can't believe he expects us to sit here and do nothing.” I plopped onto a bed.

“He can expect it, doesn't mean we have to obey those expectations.” Garrison tugged a leather case placed between the wall and the legs of the desk. “I think we should find out a little bit more about Morgan Ware and who else he might have ticked off.”

“It'll be a long list.” I went over and stood beside Garrison.

“Good, it'll keep Detective Bell busy.” Garrison removed the laptop and fired it up. “I hope I can get into Bob's search program. We'll find out more that way.”

“Do you know the password?”

Garrison typed in the box and asterisks appeared. He hit enter. Wrong. “No. But I should be able to figure it out.”

“Bob won't get upset with you?”

“Under the circumstances, I think he'll forgive me.” Garrison tried another password. Wrong again.

“How many tries until you get locked out and for how long?”

Garrison paused with his fingers above the keyboard. “I don't know. Maybe this isn't a good idea. We should stick with what we can find with Google.”

“We can check on Yelp. If clients had a problem with him they'd leave a disgruntled review there.”

“Good idea.” Garrison clicked onto the site and brought up West Virginia.

I was disappointed. There wasn't much of any information listed for West Virginia, and nothing on Morgan Ware. Of course, he could use a different business name. “This is not getting us anywhere.”

“Probably doesn't matter anyway.” Garrison closed the laptop. “If a former client who wanted him dead was around, Morgan would've left or challenged the person.”

The minor altercation between him and Violet flashed into my mind. Or at least I assumed Violet. Garrison clutched my arm. “What do you remember?”

“I saw Morgan arguing with a woman in the hallway this morning. Well, yesterday morning. She wasn't happy that he was here and told him she could do plenty to him. I'm pretty sure the woman was Violet Hancock. I'm starting to believe she's the identity thief Bob's looking for. Morgan was blackmailing me. I bet that's the same reason he accosted her in the hallway.”

“You have to tell Bell.” Garrison placed his hands on my shoulders and maneuvered us toward the connecting door.

He didn't have to “force” me along, but I liked knowing I'd have someone else…along with myself…to blame my intrusion on. Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door. “Morgan has an enemy here.”

“Is she aw—” Bell stopped in mid-sentence and stared at me.

Ted shook his head. “You can't ever just listen.”

Steve sat heavily on the bed and rubbed his eyes.

“I'm helping. Bell needs to know this information.” I decided to fix my gaze on Bell. Right now, he seemed the man least angry with me.

“Do I?” With his right hand, Bell tapped a stylus onto the screen of his cell phone, a folder tucked under his left arm.

“Faith witnessed a woman arguing with Morgan yesterday morning.” Garrison kept hold of my shoulders.

I wasn't sure if he was afraid I'd bolt, or wanted a shield in case Ted exploded, and judging the look on Ted's face it might happen any moment.

“How convenient to remember it now,” Bell said.

“It wasn't convenience,” I said. “I remembered seeing Morgan arguing with her. And she isn't using her real name.”

Bell looked up. “How do you know that?”

“She isn't registered at the hotel under her own name, nor is her name on the seating chart, yet she insisted she paid for a spot.”

“Did this woman tell you she's staying at this hotel?” Bell asked.

My face flushed. “Well…no. But, everyone else attending the crop is.”

“Everyone?” Bell stressed the word. “Ms. Clement told me that some women live in the area and go home at night. That is why we're still having trouble identifying the woman. But that should change tomorrow.”

“Early today, Violet insisted she had to sit near an outdoor exit,” Garrison said. “She'd easily be able to go in and out of the room without people noticing.”

Bell heaved out a sigh and shook his head in exasperation. “Nice theory. But, there are two holes in it. First: the doors to the crop room were locked. Second: how would Violet know Morgan was running outside at that time?”

“Because she's been stalking me,” I said.

The men gaped at me.

“What? Ted found his voice first.

“Are you positive?” Bell's eyes narrowed. “You just might be a little shaken by today's events.”

“Everything that has happened today has made me nervous, but I'm not making it up.” I headed for the bathroom where I left my clothes. “I have proof.”

This wasn't the way I wanted Steve to find out, but sometimes you had to embrace the “no time like the present” motto. I picked up my jeans and retrieved the photographs I swiped from Violet's tote bag. How did the police view swiping a picture?

I guess I was about to find out.

“Here.” I handed the stalking evidence to Detective Bell. “Those were taken in Eden, West Virginia.”

Steve, Ted, and Garrison leaned toward Bell to look at the pictures.

“Damn them!” Steve stalked out of the room.

“She's been tailing you? And from those photos, it looks like for a few months. Your grandmothers, Steve, nor I noticed it. I can't believe this slipped past me.” He pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“I didn't notice either,” I said. “And I'm usually imaging something's lurking around.”

Ted rested a hand on my neck and tenderly massaged my tense muscles.

Bell tucked the photos into his jacket pocket. “I'll talk to her and see what she has to say.”

“It says she killed—”

Bell cut me off. “These are photos of you. Not Morgan. They don't prove she was after
him
.”

“It proves she's not a law-abiding citizen and is up to something.” I crisscrossed my arms over my stomach.

Bell used his cell phone as a pointer, directing it at each of us. “I'm going to find out who killed Morgan Ware. No matter the bad reputation he earned, he didn't deserve to be gunned down.”

FIFTEEN

  

Clicks and the sound of rubber going across carpet drew me from the half-awake, half-asleep stage I clung to for the last thirty minutes. I had planned on waiting for Steve to return, but crashed right after Bell left. I vaguely remembered Steve coming in and apologizing. I looked over at Steve's sleeping form. The image tugged at my heart and soul. Even asleep, I could see the strain of the last twenty-hours on his face. He was almost run over, found out I was being harassed, saved me from an attacker, witnessed a murder, and was questioned by the police.

The poor guy needed a good, long rest. I kissed his shoulder that had peeked out from under the blanket. I stretched and clambered out of the bed.

The noises continued growing outside my door. It sounded like a mass exodus was taking place. I went to the door and looked through the peephole. Women, with suitcases in tow, headed for the elevators.

Quickly, I brushed my teeth then used a headband to force my hair into a style of intentional disarray. I changed my shorts for a pair of yoga pants, snagged the matching jacket, then slipped out of the room. I eased the door closed.

Ted stood in the hallway, watching women and rolling totes crowd the elevator.

I tugged the jacket on and zipped it up halfway. “Bell released Bob.”

Ted slid an undecipherable look at me. “Is that a statement or a question?”

My heart sank. “I hoped it was a fact by now.”

“Excuse me.” A woman tugging a large suitcase and juggling two small cases walked right between me and Ted.

“What's going on?” I asked.

Ted shrugged. “I'm guessing they have more stuff to bring into the crop room, or have decided to cut their weekend short.”

“We have to stop them.”

“It might be better if they left.” Ted rested his hands on his hips. “I'll step in if crowd control is needed.”

“We need them to stay. This retreat will go under.” I pressed my lips together. No reason to admit out here, where croppers could hear us, that there was an “and.” Especially when it was followed by “one of them could be Morgan's murderer.”

Ted stared at me for a long moment before hooking his arm through mine. “Let's go get breakfast.”

I sighed and allowed him to direct me toward the stairwell. I didn't have to say “and” for Ted to hear it. He knew me too well.

“I could use some coffee.”

This is going to be one headache of a day. I need all the caffeine I can get to get through it and deal with everything on my to-do list.

Ted tugged open the door to the stairwell, bowed, and rolled his hand in the air.

I rolled my eyes and stepped inside. “Thanks.”

The door thudded close.

“So, is everything all right?” Ted slid an undecipherable look at me.

“As all right as can be with attendees fleeing like the zombie apocalypse has designated this resort as its next stop.”

“How come you snuck out of your room instead of heading to breakfast with Steve?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Did Bell or Steve say something during the questioning that I should know about?”

“What is the other reason you don't want people leaving? Sounded like you omitted a detail or two.”

A door opened and closed. Ted and I grew silent and waited. A few moments later we heard the sound repeated.

“I'm waiting for an answer,” Ted said.

I let out a deep sigh. “Because one of them might be Morgan's murderer or Bob's identity thief. Or maybe the thief is also the murderer.”

Ted groaned. “Faith, don't. Bell isn't going to take kindly to you helping him solve this murder.”

“I know that. He's made it very clear.” I started down the stairs.

“And yet, you're going to poke around for the truth.”

“I don't have a choice. I got the feeling he was dismissing what I told him about Violet.”

Ted took hold of my arm, stopping me from taking one more step down. “A fact you hadn't mentioned when he spoke to you after Morgan was killed. I wouldn't be surprised if Bell got the feeling you were holding something back from him.”

“I think Violet is the identity thief Bob is looking for, Morgan came here to exact revenge for the last person who she pretended to be, and then Morgan planned on framing me for his crime.”

Ted moved to stand on the step below me. He looked right into my eyes. “And where, or from whom, did you get that idea?”

“Bob.”

“Why would Morgan threaten you numerous times, thereby tipping you off to his plan?”

“Because the next person she planned on being was one of my grandmothers. I'd have the best reason for killing the woman.” I told him about finding notes about my grandmothers in Violet's bag. “Gussie's making a celebration of friendship album for my grandmothers. It went missing for a few hours, and later turned up in a box with our clearance items.”

“Then why was she following you beforehand? It doesn't make sense.”

“Because the Cropportunity website showed Scrap This was a vendor. There were also pictures of my grandmothers and Steve. She started doing her homework on us before the event.” A thought slithered into my head. “Does Bell know Morgan was here because of me?”

Ted shrugged, refusing to meet my eyes.

I lowered myself onto the stair and leaned my head against the wall. “Now who's holding back? You know something I should know.”

“I can't say, Faith.” Ted sat beside me. “I wish I could. I hate being a secret keeper when I know it's best for it to be out. Some information is more painful when you hold it inside than when you let it go. It's the keeping it quiet that eats at you, not what actually happened. I wish you and others had a little more faith in the people in their lives.”

“It's not them. It's what others will say and think about them that worries me.”

Ted leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Your grandmothers and Steve can handle it. They haven't just lived with the roses and rainbows of life. They've dealt with the thorns and the storms that come with it.”

“So poetic this morning.” I placed my hands behind me and braced myself as I stretched my legs out. My ankles rested on the edge of the second step down.

“It's what happens when I spend time with my brother and his boyfriend. It reminds me some people have to fight for the basic right to love somebody. Makes me realize we shouldn't take love for granted when it's so easy for us to grasp and hold onto.”

I pivoted, placing my back to the wall and drew my knees to my chest. “Sometimes love is hard and should be let go.”

Something flickered in Ted's eyes. “Sometimes a person you love, yes…but not love itself. When a person who says they love you harms you, then let it go. But don't let love go because someone hurt you.”

I hugged my knees tighter. Was Ted going to profess his feelings for me again? My heart raced. I loved Steve. I wanted to be with Steve.

Ted stood and held his hand out to me. “Let's get the coffee and breakfast I promised you.”

I placed my hand in his. Ted drew me to my feet. “So, do you have any idea who might have killed Morgan?”

“Leave it alone.” Ted used his arms to box me in against the wall. “Sweetheart, I know you don't want anyone else to get hurt. You have to realize the people who love you don't want you to get hurt.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Not against everything and everyone. When I go on a case, I take back-up. I wear a bullet-resistant vest. I carry a gun. If I don't check in, someone at the station sends out a distress call. Even though I can take care of myself, I don't put myself in a situation where I have to prove it to stay alive.” Ted curled a strand of hair around his finger then tucked it behind my ear.

My breath hitched in my throat and my legs wavered. “I'm not putting myself in these situations.”

“They just happen?”

I nodded.

Ted ran a thumb over my lips. “When will you believe the people who love you don't need you to continually test yourself to prove you're good? They already know it.”

“I'm not testing myself,” I said even as Ted began caressing my bottom lip.

“Then are you testing us?”

“No.” I held Ted's wrist, stopping the touch creating a desire in me I shouldn't have for the man I didn't choose. “Helping people is what I have to do. It's part of me. Who I am. I can't turn away when someone's life will be altered because of someone else's choice.”

Ted stepped away from me and crossed his arms. “If that's who are, what you need to do with your life, then do it. But do it right.”