A Wrongful Drift (Seagrove 8) (2 page)

"How did you know?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "We were keeping it on the QT."

"I'm not clairvoyant or anything," Sadie said. "You been smack in the middle of every case I've helped on. Why would this one be any different?"

"I guess that's true," Justin said. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, now you are. So what's your connection?" Sadie leaned back and scrutinized him.

"I'm in love with Sylvia," he said, and to Sadie's dismay, a tear ran down his face.

"No one knew about it, because there's a no fraternizing clause in our contract, so we had to meet clandestinely. I guess it looks bad for me that she disappeared and then you found her drowned. I want to hire you to prove my innocence."

"Do you have an alibi?" she asked. Justin always had an alibi, why would today be any different?

"I don't know," he said. "I don't know when she was killed. If it was last weekend, no. But if it was Friday, then yes."

As Justin rattled off his activities of the last few days, Sadie let her mind wander. She hadn't ever been to China, maybe she could take Betty and Lucy to China? There was safety in numbers and there was bound to be all kinds of junk to be retrieved and repurposed as treasure. She wondered what travel in China was like. Would the conditions be unpleasant?

She realized Justin was asking her a question and focused her eyes on him.

"I'm sorry, what did you ask me?" she said, her face blushing.

"What should I do?" he asked. "I don't want to get fired."

"If you know something that could help the police, you must tell them. They'll keep it quiet if you ask them and they are able." Sadie was punting, but it seemed like what he'd been asking. He looked doubtful.

"Really, Justin, if you know anything, you have to tell the police. You want them to find her killer, don't you?" His face crumpled and he dropped his head in his hands, sobbing.

Sadie sighed and reached over to pat his shoulder. "I'm sorry Justin. I know it's hard to lose someone you care about. Was she in one of your classes? Is that how you met?"

He took a deep breath and wiped his face on his sleeve. "Yes, she took my early history class. She'd just come back from a three-year internship at an archeological dig in the Middle East. She went straight out of high school and when she got back, she decided to get her degree. She was very smart. Driven." He attempted a smile but his chin wobbled.

"We hit it off and met for coffee a few times. But we had to keep it on the down low. She was going to transfer to another college so we could date openly, but we had an argument and I don't know if she put the paperwork through or not."

"Go talk to Chief Woodstone," Sadie said. "He can help you."

J
ustin stood
and looked down at Sadie, one eyebrow raised. "Are you okay, Ms. Barnett? You don't seem your usual self today."

Sadie felt a stab of irritation. "I'm fine," she said. "Go see the chief."

He nodded and left, leaving Sadie staring moodily into her coffee cup. She supposed she should be flattered that Assistant Professor Justin Ives came to her for advice, but she wasn't. It was time for him to grow up already. He did nothing but bumble into situations where he had no business. She felt irritated and out of patience.

“I must get away for a while,” she said. “I’m becoming impossible to live with.”

Mr. B, who had been sniffing along the edge of the balcony, came and put his front paws on her knees. He tilted his head as if to ask what in the world was she talking about.

“I’m out of sorts, Mr. Bradshaw, and Zack won’t want anything to do with me if I don’t pull myself together. I don’t want anything to do with me, for that matter.” She got up and went back inside, rinsing her cup and leaving it in the sink before going downstairs to open the shop.

When Betty, her shop assistant, came in Sadie perked up. “I’m thinking of closing the shop for a couple of weeks and taking you and Lucy with me on a buying trip. What you think?”

“I think that’s a fabulous idea,” Betty said. “It’s been ages since I’ve been anywhere.”

“What about Sil, do you think he would mind?” Sadie asked.

“No. He took a job in Boston. He’ll probably be relieved not to have to drive up here for a couple weeks.”

“Boston? What’s he doing in Boston?”

Sadie couldn’t understand. Betty’s significant other had gone to the police academy so he could get a job on the Seagrove police force so he could be near her. What was he doing in Boston?

“There weren’t any jobs here,” Betty said. “So we started looking in the cities. He figured it would be easier to get a job here if he had some experience.”

“When did this all happen?” Sadie was appalled that she hadn’t known.

“A few weeks ago,” Betty said. “But he didn’t want me to tell you because he was afraid you’d get mad at him.”

“Why would I get mad at him?” Sadie was confused. “It’s not my business where he works. If anybody has a right to get mad it’s you.”

“Might have become mad, except he was driving me crazy. He needs an occupation. He’s absolute rubbish at structuring free time.”

“In other words, he wanted to spend all his time with you but you need some space so you don’t kill him? This I understand,” Sadie said. “It’s the one thing I worry about with Zack. Will he give me enough space?”

“Zack has a full-time job,” Betty said. “And I’d be willing to bet the only reason he lets you ‘help’ solve his cases, is so he’ll get to spend some time with you. I don’t think you have to worry about too much togetherness.”

“You may be right,” Sadie said. “But I still worry.”

She walked into the office and flipped on the computer. “Come on, let’s look at the inventory and make a list of what we should pick up in Europe.”

“Right on,” Betty said. “I love making plans.”

Sadie and Betty were well into their wish list - three full pages so far - when the bell over the shop door jangled.

“I’ll go,” Betty said. She rolled her chair away from the desk and went out into the shop.

“It’s for you, Sadie,” she called back and Sadie went out to join her. Zack was standing near the checkout counter holding a manila folder. He looked grim and his face was drawn.

“I’ve got something to show you. Can we go upstairs?” he said.

“Sure,” Sadie said and led the way up the inner staircase.

“Do you want anything?” she asked as they stepped into her apartment, “Water? Soda?”

“No, I’m good,” he said. “Come sit with me.”

So Sadie joined him on the couch where he opened the folder and spread out a surprising number of pictures. They were all Sylvia. Hundreds of pictures of Sylvia.

“Where did you get those?” Sadie asked. “That’s kind of creepy.”

“They were in Justin Ives’ apartment,” he said. “Officer Ryan has him at the Green Valley police station. They’re holding him on suspicion of murder.”

“He didn’t do it, Zack. He’s not capable,” Sadie said. “And Mr. Bradshaw likes him. You know he doesn’t like murderers.”

“I know you like him, Sadie,” he said. “But this looks grim.”

“He was in love with her,” Sadie said. “He came to ask me what he should do and I told him to come see you. And you ratted him out to Officer Ryan? That’s not like you.”

“I’m not the reason Officer Ryan arrested Justin,” he said. “Someone mentioned to Steve Ryan that Sylvia secretly was seeing a professor. It didn’t take him long to figure out who. Justin is the only male professor even close to her age.”

“How did they get all the pictures? How did they get a search warrant, he was only here this morning?” Sadie felt a stab of guilt, she was the one who told him to go to Zack.

“Justin told Officer Ryan about the photos, took him to his apartment and handed them over,” Zack said.

“That’s either foolhardy or genius,” Sadie said. “I bet he didn’t even ask for a lawyer.”

“I doubt it,” Zack said. “That boy is a hot mess.”

“So why did you bring these pictures over here?” Sadie asked.

“If things go bad for Justin I wanted you to see the evidence. So you don’t, you know, go off on Steve Ryan if he ends up charging your friend.” Zack raised his eyebrows at Sadie. “Do you see what I’m saying?”

“You are saying you don’t want me to embarrass you by yelling at one of your colleagues,” Sadie snapped, but she had to blink back tears.

“Not at all,” he said, the hurt palpable in his voice. “I never could be embarrassed by anything you would do. I was more worried you might get yourself arrested. The folks over in Green Valley don’t know you as I do.”

Sadie felt vaguely ashamed of herself. “I’m sorry Zack,” she said. “I’ve been so out of sorts since we found Sylvia in the water. I’m not sure why. I just have this feeling that I need to get away.”

She rested her forehead against his shoulder. “I can’t get rid of this feeling of impending doom.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a big hug. “You don’t need to apologize to me. I know this is hard on you. And I never should have sent you home alone. I got wrapped up in the job. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said into his shoulder. “It shouldn’t have mattered. We got home just fine. I think it’s really bothering me that my sorority is involved in another crime. I wonder if someone is targeting our girls? If they are I want to hunt them down and kill them.”

“I can relate to that feeling. But don’t go after a murderer on your own, okay? I wouldn’t take down a criminal by myself and I expect you to call for backup, just like any cop on the force.”

“If I have an idea of who did this, you’ll be the first to know.” She sat up and wiped her face.

“This is kind of creepy,” she said, gesturing to the pictures scattered all over the coffee table.

“Is this just love, or does he have an obsession? Would you accumulate stacks of pictures of me?” She wrinkled her nose.

“I would not, but don’t forget he wasn’t allowed to be with her. They couldn’t go wandering around campus hand in hand. That probably fueled his obsession in a way a normal relationship would not. Don’t be too hard on him.”

She nodded. “I see what you mean. But forget Justin for a moment, do you think it’s okay for me to go up to the sorority house and see what’s going on? I want to see what the mood feels like there. Are they all grieving or is there something more sinister going on?”

“I don’t see any harm in it,” he said. “But be sure to take Mr. Bradshaw with you. He’s small but mighty. If nothing else, he’ll warn you if someone is not what they seem.”

“I never go anywhere without Mr. Bradshaw.” She thought a moment and realized the flaw in her statement. “Except buying trips. I can’t take him overseas.”

Sadie did one better and took both Mr. Bradshaw and Lucy up to the sorority house. Mr. Bradshaw sniffed along the well-manicured grass along the edge of the walk up to the front steps. Lucy was throwing out suggestions for their buying trip, but Sadie was having trouble paying attention to her. Somehow the house seemed to loom over them, oppressing her and increasing her anxiety. She really must get her imagination in check.

They rang the bell and the house mother opened the door. She recognized Sadie and welcomed them in.

“I’m afraid we are in the middle of a house meeting at the moment,” she said to Sadie and Lucy. “You can join us if you want to, but I’m afraid you’ll find it very chaotic. Everyone is in an uproar.”

“Maybe we can help settle down the girls,” Sadie said. “Are you game?” she asked Lucy.

Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know what I can do to help, but sure, let’s give it a go.”

Instead of the living room, where Sadie had questioned people during her last time there, the house mother led them down a hall into a large room filled with couches and easy chairs, almost all of them full of college-aged women. There wasn’t a happy face among them and some of them were actively crying. However, there was one girl at the back of the room who didn’t appear to be grieving. She had a scowl on her face and was clearly disgusted by the level of emotion in the room. Sadie wondered what her story was.

Sadie stood at the front of the room with Lucy beside her and Mr. Bradshaw at her feet. She looked around the room and cleared her throat.

“My name is Sadie Barnett,” she said. “This is Lucy Shylock, and my companion, Mr. Bradshaw. He doesn’t know he’s a dog, and you probably shouldn’t tell him that he is because he won’t believe you.”

A few small smiles twitched the corners of girls’ mouths here and there, and Sadie felt a bit better.

“I am a key girl the same as you, and I’m the one who found Sylvia. I can see you all are very distressed, as am I, and I’m hoping you will be able to help us find who killed her. I know you are upset and grieving, as you should be, but if you know anything, or remember anything that could help, please tell me. Let’s do right by Sylvia.”

Her pronouncement was met by a fresh round of sobbing, and someone in the back cried out “Holly Rigby always hated Sylvia, I bet she did it.”

“That’s right,” a small brown haired girl in the front said. “Holly blames Sylvia for her boyfriend leaving her. She practically spits whenever she sees her. Not that they saw each other often.”

“Why not?” Lucy asked. “Didn’t they both live here?”

“No,” This was a plump blonde whose mascara had run down her face. “Holly moved out. She couldn’t stand to be in the same house with Syl.”

“That’s not it,” a slender redhead in sweats and a tank top chimed in. “Holly hated always being second and Sylvia was first at everything.”

“That’s true,” said a serious-faced woman sitting stick straight on a ladder-back chair. “Holly and Sylvia always were competing for top place. And Holly was very frustrated that she never could pass Syl. She thought maybe there was cheating going on – Oh, and she caught Sylvia with one of her professors.”

“Where?” the redhead said, her face suddenly lively.

“Holly wouldn’t say,” the serious-faced girl replied. “She just went on about how it wasn’t right that Syl was using the professor.”

Lucy looked at Sadie with her eyebrows raised. “Later,” Sadie mouthed.

She obviously knew who the professor was, but she wasn’t going to discuss it here. That would be the end of Justin’s career for sure. And Steve Ryan might think Justin was a murderer, although Mr. Bradshaw said otherwise.

"That can't be right," called a voice from the back, Sadie couldn't see who was speaking but whoever it was clearly was nearly hysterical. "She would never sleep with a professor to raise her grades. Syl wasn't like that."

"She was really competitive," another voice chimed in. "Maybe she felt like she needed an edge."

After that, it was complete bedlam. Voices were raised, accusations rang out across the room and it seemed as if there was a solid division between Sylvia supporters and Holly supporters. Sadie looked at Lucy and nodded toward the door. They slipped out and walked back to the car.

"That was wild," Lucy said, "how they all turned on each other at the end. Scary."

"It was never like that in my day," Sadie said sadly.

"In a case like this, the house mother would sit the girls down and there would be discussions; many discussions until we were so tired of talking that we pretended to like each other. Before long, liking each other was our default position and by the time we graduated, we genuinely did."

"Now that's a good house mother. This one seems a bit in over her head," Lucy said. "They should get training."

"It's a different time," Sadie said.

"They don't do things like we did back then. I don't think they believe in making people like each other. Or maybe they do, but kids haven't been raised to believe they have to get along. It makes life unnecessarily hard for them, in my opinion."

"What are we going to do now?" Lucy asked, slipping into the car.

"Now we are going to visit Holly Rigby," Sadie said. "And see what she has to say for herself."

It took them some time to convince the registrar to give them Holly's contact information, but a call to the Dean of Students finally got results and they waltzed out of the building with both her phone number and address.

"Should we stop and get Mr. B before we go see her?" Lucy asked. "He's really good at breaking the ice."

“Sure,” Sadie agreed. “And anyway, he probably needs to get out for a walk.”

At the shop, Betty looked at Sadie with puppy dog eyes. So they locked the shop and, after a walk in the park, piled into the car.

“You know,” Sadie said as they drove past the town limits, “I think Holly lives near Faraway Lake.” She looked to see Betty frowning.

“That’s where Zack and I found Sylvia.”

“Oh, that’s ominous,” Betty said.

“It is,” Lucy said, “But I think we are trying not to jump to conclusions.”

“I can keep an open mind,” Betty said. “But still.”