“Brink comes to town, checks in under a fake name, and pays cash,” Darrell mused out loud, flapping the card as if it would offer up more secrets. “He pays for two weeks, but a few days later, he leaves early. Why? Because Sandra said no to the bribe? There’s got to be more to it than that.”
I shook my head and didn’t say anything. There was nothing I could add.
“Kip and Racer were on the run after robbing that liquor store in Mittel County,” Darrell went on. “They were hiding out in Norm’s trailer. And yet somehow the three of them are connected. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“The trailer is two hours away from here in the middle of nowhere,” I pointed out. “How would Brink have found them? And why?”
“I don’t know, but we’re missing something important,” Darrell insisted. “Brink left the resort early, and based on the timing, he must have left right around the time of the murders. We have nothing to connect him to Kip and Racer, but there has to be a connection.”
“You think Brink killed them?”
“I don’t know, but something happened out there. Either Brink saw it, or he was part of it, or he knew who did it. I think he was running.”
There was no point in asking what Brink was running from. The answer was right there between us, but we left it unspoken.
The Ursulina.
Darrell wanted to see the cabin where Jay Smith, a.k.a. Gordon Brink, had stayed seven years earlier. I wasn’t crazy about hiking down the slope to the lake and then having to hike back again, so I let him go by himself while I waited in the car with the passenger door open and my puffy legs dangling outside.
I hadn’t been sitting there five minutes when a yellow Cadillac, as long as a land yacht, pulled up next to me.
“Deputy Rebecca!” Ben Malloy announced happily, rolling down the driver’s window.
“Hello, Ben.”
I felt awkward seeing him again. I hadn’t actually talked to Ben since we were together at the frozen lake during the winter. In truth, I’d avoided him whenever he’d been in town for that very reason. I didn’t want to be reminded of the night when Jay killed himself. The night when I’d had my own emotional breakdown. The night when I’d seen the best and worst of men.
Ben clambered out of the Cadillac like an oversize leprechaun on the hunt for a pot of gold. His forelock drooped, and he pushed it back with a swipe of his hand. He dug into his pocket for his pipe and chomped down on it, but he left it unlit. “Looks like the big day is fast approaching,” he said to me.
“It is.”
“Well, I hope you don’t miss my Halloween party. I want you to see the new show. It’s fantastic.”
“That won’t be up to me,” I said, cupping my belly. “That will be up to Shelby.”
“Shelby? Is that the name you picked? I like it.”
“Thank you.”
“Boy or girl?”
“Officially, I don’t know, but I think she’s a girl.”
“Well, I’m sure she’ll be as lovely as you are, Deputy.”
“That’s sweet, Ben.” Then I added, “But you know, I’m only a deputy again for a little while, because of what happened to Ajax. Otherwise, I’m the department secretary. My job changed after last winter.”
His face fell, and he looked genuinely upset. “Seriously? Is that true? I’m disappointed. I hope our adventure in the woods didn’t contribute to your taking a different role. If I’d thought that, I never would have said a word about what happened.”
“Nothing that happened was your fault, Ben,” I told him. “I screwed up, and I’m lucky to have a job at all. You did the right thing by telling them about Jay’s confession.”
“Except we both know it wasn’t really the truth,” he replied with a sharp eye. “For what it’s worth, I emphasized to Darrell and Jerry that I thought the boy was lying when he said what he did. They seemed more interested in putting the case to bed than getting to the truth.”
“I guess sometimes the truth is overrated.”
Ben winked. “You’re preaching to the choir about that. I’m in television, which means I never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Except when it comes to our mutual friend, of course.”
I cocked an eyebrow with a question.
“The Ursulina!” he explained, as if that was obvious. “I haven’t forgotten our conversation, you know. Or the look on your face back then. Deny it if you want, but I’m convinced we’re both members of the club. We both know he’s real. One of these days, I hope to prove it.”
I said nothing to verify what he suspected about me.
Ben squatted down and put a pudgy hand on my shoulder. His eyes were serious. “Also, as long as we’re talking about that night, I wanted to say that I heard what happened to you later with your ex-husband. I was desperately sorry to find out what you went through.”
“Thanks. It was months ago, and I’m much better now. And you can deny it if you want, but I know you helped me with your anonymous gift, Ben. I really appreciate it. The money you gave me got me through some tough times.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he replied graciously, getting back to his feet. He finally lit his pipe and primed it with several breaths. Then he gestured at the resort around us, which was showing its age. “So what brings you to the Fair Day? I stay here out of nostalgia, but with all due respect to Marvin, the place could use a serious sprucing up. Of course, it’s still better than staying with my mother.”
“I’m helping Darrell,” I replied vaguely.
“Ah, something to do with the latest killing, no doubt. Well, at least Darrell and Jerry are smart enough to keep you involved. That’s good. I couldn’t believe it when I heard what happened to Ajax. It’s tragic for poor Ruby, but a new Ursulina murder only a couple of weeks before my special airs? That’s ratings gold. I called the network as soon as I heard about his death. We’re filming a new ending to the documentary while I’m in town.”
“That’s not in very good taste, Ben.”
He shrugged. “Words that will appear on my tombstone! Would you like to be interviewed for the show? I know Darrell would say no, but what about you? The network would fall in love with your pretty face.”
“No, thanks.”
“Are you sure? We don’t have to talk about Ajax or the murder investigation.” His eyes twinkled. “We could talk about whatever it was you saw in the forest that you’re hiding from me.”
“No,” I repeated firmly. “No interview.”
“All right. If you say so. That’s a shame. Anyway, I hope I’ll see you at the party.”
Ben headed for the hotel lobby.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I called after him.
He stopped and gave me a quizzical look. “Why, of course.”
I maneuvered my way out of the cruiser and stood up, with Ben giving me a little help. My voice was low, although there was no one around. Darrell hadn’t returned yet. “Seven years ago, you and all your volunteers did a lot of searching in the woods near where Kip and Racer were killed. I was wondering — did you find anything out there that you didn’t share with the sheriff’s department?”
Ben stroked his chin thoughtfully. “What did you have in mind?”