The Secret (Seacliff High Mystery Book 1) (15 page)
Read The Secret (Seacliff High Mystery Book 1) Online
Authors: Kathi Daley
“So we just need something with the storeowner’s fingerprints,” Trevor proclaimed.
“Trevor and I will go to the market and talk the clerk into letting us into the storeowner’s office. Trevor can distract her and I’ll nab something off his desk,” Alyson suggested.
“The pizza’s here,” Mac informed them. “Let’s eat quickly, then we’ll all go. Caleb and I can wait in the car.”
After they ate they headed over to the store, hoping the same clerk would be working that night. Luckily, she was, along with another woman. She quickly closed her checkstand when she saw Trevor walk in and hurried to greet him.
“You’re back. Was Mr. Wilson helpful?”
“Yes, very.” Trevor flashed her his biggest smile. “Thank you for the lead.”
“Mr. Sheldon stopped in after you left, and I mentioned you wanted to talk to him about an old employee of his. He said he’d catch up with you when he gets back from his trip.”
Alyson looked meaningfully at Trevor. “Did he say when he’d be back?”
“No, it depends on how the fishing is going. He’s quite the fisherman and can be quite single-minded. He has the county record for catching the largest fish in Spooner Lake. He has a huge picture of it in his office.”
“Really? We’d love to see it.” Trevor placed an arm around the clerk. “I for one am a fan of fishing myself.”
“Sure; follow me.”
Gladys unlocked Mr. Sheldon’s office door and led them inside. Behind the desk was a huge picture that took up nearly the whole wall. Trevor walked around for a closer look, while Alyson stayed behind and looked for something small that no one would miss but was sure to provide clean prints. She settled on a letter opener, sliding it carefully into her coat pocket.
“Thank you so much for showing us the photo.” Alyson started toward the door as a signal for Trevor. “It’s really quite something.”
“Yes, we should be going now.” Trevor turned to follow Alyson.
“What did you come in for?” Gladys asked, confused.
“Oh, the milk for my mom. I completely forgot with all the excitement over the fish,” Alyson covered. “Let’s not forget the milk, Trev.”
“I’ll get it for you. Meet me at checkstand four,” Gladys offered.
Alyson paid for the milk and she and Trevor returned to the car and filled the others in.
“Eli called while you were inside. I told him what you were doing. He said if you managed to get something from the storeowner’s office he’d have Devon call his contact at the police station about getting the prints lifted. He also said that they checked Steven Laslow’s prints against the ones on the note and they weren’t a match.”
“So hopefully either Mastin’s or the store managers will be.” Caleb sighed.
“Go ahead and call Eli,” Alyson instructed.
Mac dialed the number and spoke to Eli. “Eli’s going to talk to Devon, then call us back,” she said after she hung up. “We should probably go, though. It will seem suspicious if we just sit out here in the parking lot. The clerk might be watching us.”
Fifteen minutes later, Devon called to tell them to meet him at the police station. The detective he had talked with before was willing to come in to have the letter opener dusted for prints.
“It looks like there’s a good print on the handle,” he informed them. “Did you touch it when you picked the letter opener up?” he asked Alyson.
“No, I picked it up by the tip. The print on the handle shouldn’t be mine.”
“Okay, let’s see if it matches any of the prints on the suicide note.”
The seconds ticked away, seeming like hours, as the detective studied the prints and the suicide note. Alyson grabbed Caleb’s hand in support and held on tightly. Neither of them dared breathe.
“We have a match.”
The next day the gang gathered at their usual table for lunch with the addition of Caleb, who wanted to thank everyone for their help in finding his father’s murderer.
“There you are,” Chelsea said as she sat down next to Caleb. “I’ve been looking for you all week. Seriously, if you’re not going to be where you’re supposed to be you should tell a person. I thought we were going to talk cars. And clothes. I’ve been giving the matter a lot of thought. As the richest person in Cutter’s Cove, you have an image to uphold.”
“We were going to talk cars and clothes?” Caleb looked confused.
“Of course we were, silly. Who better to counsel you in your transformation from the D list to the A list?”
“D list?”
“I forgive you for ignoring me for the past few days. We can go shopping after school. I have a list of everything you’ll need.”
“I’m sorry, but I have plans after school. Drama club,” Caleb informed Chelsea.
“Seriously? Now that you’re rich, you’re going to have to prioritize a little better. Hanging with those drama geeks is only going to lead to your downward mobility. Stick with me and you’ll rule the school.”
“I think for now I’ll stick with my D-list status. Thanks for your offer to help, though. I’ll keep it in mind if I ever decide to rule the world.”
“Whatever. I have to go.” Chelsea got up from her chair. “Let me know when you’re ready to join the elite. In the meantime, I guess we can still date. Who knows, maybe I’ll rub off on you.”
“Wow, she’s really . . .” Caleb hesitated as he searched for the right word as Chelsea sauntered away.
“I’m right there with you,” Trevor agreed.
“Anyway,” Caleb continued, “I really wanted to thank you all for your help in finding my father’s killer. Mr. Sheldon is in jail, being held for my father’s murder, and Jason Mastin and the bank president are both being questioned about their suspected part in the embezzlement.”
“I get why the bank president was involved; money is a big motivator. But why do you think Mr. Sheldon was involved? Was he being paid off by the others?” Mac asked.
“Maybe. The detective investigating the case told me Mr. Sheldon was romantically involved with Mary prior to her affair with Barkley. His motive might have been old-fashioned jealousy and revenge. His good friend, the bank president, asked him to help out, he already held a grudge, so it might have been an easy segue from upstanding citizen to murderer,” Caleb guessed.
“I’m sure it’ll all come out in the trial,” Trevor said.
“The police told my mom that they’re going to take a look at Barkley’s death as well. He was an old man and it appeared that he died of natural causes, but given the timing of his death in relation to my dad’s, they suspect there could be more to it.”
“It’s been quite a couple of weeks,” Trevor commented. “I’m glad it’s over.”
“I hear you. I’m up for some fun. How about we all go to the Cannery tonight?” Alyson suggested. “I have this radical new dress.”
“I’m in,” Trevor agreed.
“My treat,” Caleb offered.
“Did you see Chelsea’s hair?” Mac asked Alyson as they gathered their books to head to their fifth-period classes. “I mean, who does she think she is?”
“I know what you mean. And what about Renee Owens’s new look? I mean really. Who would think that was a good idea?”
“So,” Alyson said to Mac as they broke off from the rest of the group. “I’m picking up on sparks between you and Eli. Any datelike activity planned for the future?”
“I don’t know about dating per se. But when I mentioned the haunted hayride that’s coming up next month he said it sounded like fun. I know that’s not really a commitment, but there was a definite hint of togetherness in his voice.”
“That’s great, Mac. I have a feeling Eli’s really into you. I think he’s kind of shy.”
“Shy? You really think so?”
“Yeah I really do. Just be patient. Maybe you should ask
him
out. Something casual, like bowling or pizza.”
“Bowling?”
“Some people like bowling.”
“Maybe we could ask Eli and Devon out for pizza. Then it wouldn’t really be a date.”
“I guess that would be okay,” Mac agreed.
“What is the haunted hayride anyway?” Alyson asked.
“Every Halloween the drama club puts on this really spooky event. Everyone meets at Jordan’s field, near the gate to the dirt road leading up into Black Canyon. Farmers in the area donate hay wagons for the night, and there’s this really spooky ride to the Thomases’s old barn. There’s narration along the way, and the drama kids dress up as ghosts and stuff and jump out at you from the woods as the story unfolds. I mean, everyone knows it’s really Ronnie Fisher on his dad’s big black stallion under the headless horseman costume, but it feels real at the moment. Anyway, the hayride ends at the old barn and there’s a big party, complete with spooky decorations and food.”
“Sounds like fun. We should totally go.”
Amanda Parker attending something as corny as a haunted hayride. Who would have thought?
Now available
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance.
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender – May 2015
Heavenly Honeymoon – June 2015
Ghostly Graveyard – October 2015
Santa Sleuth – December 2015
Zoe Donovan Cookbook
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Paradise Lake Cozy Mystery:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise – August 2015
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines – July 2015
Legend of Tabby Hollow – September 2015
Cat of Christmas Past – November 2015
Seacliff High Mystery Series:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic – July 2015
The Conspiracy – October 2015
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
Kathi Daley
lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and Bernese mountain dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, she likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese), and garden (planting and planning, not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
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