Work Text:
Jessica sat on Frank’s favorite bench and stared out over the cove. He’d loved to come down here in the early morning hours and sit to watch the boats going out and the sun rise over the water. Jessica thought of him often, but she rarely took the time to sit in this spot where he’d spent so much time. Except today, the anniversary of his death. It didn’t matter that they’d spent thirty years in the home they’d made together, this is where she felt closest to him.
Jessica’s musings were interrupted by a cold nose pressed against her hand. Jessica looked down and saw a familiar and friendly face. “Rex!”
Jessica petted his head and leaned down to give him a hug. “Oh, Rex, it’s so wonderful to see you! How did you know that today, of all days, I’d appreciate your presence?”
“Jessica!” Charlie called.
With one hand still on Rex, Jessica stood and waved. “Charlie! Sarah!”
“Sorry,” Charlie said as he drew closer. “He refused to wait.”
“Please, don’t apologize. I think Rex knew I needed a friend. It’s wonderful to see the two of you, too!” Jessica gave both Charlie and Sarah a hug in greeting. “Now, tell me what you’re doing here in Cabot Cove.”
“We took a couple of days vacation,” Charlie said.
“And came to Cabot Cove? Why do I get the feeling there’s more to it than that?”
“Because you’re an intelligent and observant woman,” Charlie said. “We do need to talk to you.”
“Is something wrong?” Jessica said. “Is Beatrice alright?”
Rex, sensing her distress, pressed against her leg.
“Oh, no, no!” Sarah reached out a comforting hand. “We didn’t mean to worry you. Beatrice is fine.”
Jessica let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, thank goodness.”
“Can we go someplace a little . . .”
“More private,” Sarah said at the same time Charlie said, “Less exposed.”
The two exchanged a look, and Jessica looked at them both more closely. “Something is wrong.”
Charlie looked around, then held out a hand to Jessica. “Can we go to your house?”
“I rode my bicycle,” Jessica said as she let Charlie lead her away from the pier.
“We’ll put it in the back of the rental,” Charlie offered.
“We got an SUV so Rex wouldn’t be uncomfortable,” Sarah said, giving Charlie a teasing look.
“It’s important,” Charlie said, and Sarah laughed.
Jessica rubbed Rex’s ear. “Of course it’s important. It’s the most important, isn’t it Rex?”
Rex barked his agreement.
Charlie loaded Jessica’s bike into the back of the SUV while Sarah held the front passenger door for her. Jessica protested that she didn’t mind riding in the back seat with Rex, but Sarah insisted that she take the front.
The drive to Jessica’s home only took a few minutes. She led them into the house, but didn’t miss the way Charlie looked around before he followed them.
Inside, Charlie said, “You don’t lock your doors?”
“In Cabot Cove?” Jessica said.
It didn’t escape her attention that Charlie turned the dead bolt before following Jessica to the kitchen where she put a kettle of water on to boil. “I’m heating water for tea,” Jessica said, “but I can also make a fresh pot of coffee.”
Charlie glanced at the current pot that Jessica had made before heading out that morning. “I don’t mind reheated coffee.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” Charlie said. “It’s bound to be steps above station coffee.”
“I’ve heard that said more than once,” Jessica said as she moved around the kitchen, getting out mugs and spoons, sugar and cream. “If it’s truly that bad, why don’t you, and by ‘you’, I mean the collective you, buy better coffee, or something?”
“I think it’s more a factor of how long it sits on the warmer,” Sarah said. “Someone makes a fresh pot and gets a good cup, while the rest of us get burnt coffee.”
“Sounds like you need to put up one of those spy cameras so you know when someone makes a fresh pot.”
Sarah laughed. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Maybe I could set up some kind of alarm.”
Jessica brought out her box of tea bags and set it on the table. “What about you, Sarah, coffee or tea?”
“I’d love some tea.”
Jessica opened the box so Sarah could choose a flavor.
“Can I get Rex a bowl of water?”
Rex stopped sniffing and exploring to bark.
“I think that’s a yes.” Jessica got down a large metal bowl and handed it to Charlie to fill at the sink.
Jessica filled a mug with cold coffee and put it in the microwave, then took the kettle off the burner when it began to whistle. She filled hers and Sarah’s mugs, then put the kettle back on the stove.
Jessica moved the Tupperware container of zucchini chocolate chip muffins to the table and got out plates for everyone, then took a seat. When her tea was doctored to her liking and there was a muffin on her plate, she turned her attention to Charlie.
“Now, Charlie, why are you acting as if I need to fear for my safety?”
Charlie and Sarah exchanged looks, then Charlie looked at Jessica. “There’s no easy way to say this, Jessica. Terri Simpson escaped police custody.”
“Oh dear,” Jessica said. She remembered well the woman who’d killed Carla Martin and left her body at Beatrice’s book shop in order to muddy the investigative waters. “Are you sure Beatrice is alright?”
“She is,” Sarah assured Jessica. “She’s got police protection.”
“But we don’t think Bea is in any danger,” Charlie said. “It’s been brought to our attention, by Simpson’s cell mate, who is looking for some consideration for the information, that Terri blamed you for her incarceration.”
“Me?”
“We think that if she were to go after anyone, it might be you, Jessica.”
“But, how would she even get here? And if she really wanted to hurt me, she would go after Beatrice.”
“We’re not ruling out anything.”
Jessica broke her muffin in half and buttered it, but it didn’t taste quite as good now that it was seasoned with her concern for Beatrice.
~*~
“So what you’re saying is that Mrs. F could be in danger from this woman she helped put away,” Mort summarized.
“Oh, Mort, I didn’t . . .” Jessica broke off her protest when all three humans and Rex looked at her. “Fine, I might have helped, but she would certainly have been arrested even without my assistance.”
“Sure,” Mort said. “So what are we going to do?” he said to Charlie.
“I’m sitting right here,” Jessica said.
Rex barked.
Jessica sighed. “Et tu, Rex? Fine. What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to stay with you for a couple of days, at least, while the St. John’s Police Department search for Terri Simpson.”
“And what if it takes longer than a couple of days to get her back in custody?” Mort said.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We might be able to get more time off.”
“That’s silly,” Jessica said. “You can’t just take time off to babysit me!”
“What about that Garrett guy?” Mort said.
“Charlie Garrett?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy. He might be able to protect you.”
“Charlie’s a private investigator, not a body guard.”
“Okay, what about Harry, uh . . .”
“McGraw?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Honestly, Mort. I’m more worried about Beatrice, in any case.”
“Which is why you need someone looking out for you,” Mort pointed out.
Jessica was tired of being told that she needed to be watched over like a toddler. She stood with finality. “I’m going home so I can call Beatrice to make sure she’s alright.”
Jessica shook her head when Charlie tapped the pile of photos he’d brought of Terri Simpson.
“Make sure all of your deputies know what she looks like.”
Everyone glanced at Andy.
“Sure,” Mort said.
~*~
Back at home Jessica was forced to wait for Charlie to check the house before they’d let her in. “Please make yourselves at home,” she said before heading upstairs to her bedroom for some privacy. Jessica was frustrated, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be polite.
Beatrice answered immediately. “Aunt Jess! Are you alright?”
“Me? Are you alright, dear?”
“I’m fine! I’m worried about you.”
“Well, I’m worried about you!” Jessica said.
They digested that for a moment, then they both laughed.
“Oh, Bea, are you sure you’re alright?”
“I really am fine. Paula and Jesse are staying with me and there’s an officer stationed outside my house and the book shop. They said that you might be her intended target, Aunt Jess. How are you, really?”
Jessica sighed. “Charlie and Sarah are here, with Rex.”
“Good. They’ll protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting,” Jessica said, a little snippily, she had to admit.
“Until you grow eyes in the back of your head, you do need protecting. Do you think *I* don’t need protecting?”
“You absolutely need protecting,” Jessica said. After a moment of silence, she said, “Alright, fine. I will try to accept my protection detail with more . . . grace.”
“Thank you. And please, do be careful. I love you, Aunt Jess.”
“I love you, too, Bea.”
In the kitchen, Jessica found Charlie and Sarah sitting at the table, speaking in low voices. When they heard her enter, Charlie looked up.
“How is Bea doing?”
“Bea is doing fine. Apparently Paula and Jesse are staying with her. And she has an officer outside her home and the shop.” Jessica took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I was . . . resistant to your assistance.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to make us camp out on the lawn?” Charlie said.
Jessica gave Charlie a look. “Of course not. I have a perfectly serviceable guest room. Or rooms, if you need.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said.
“I do refuse to be confined to my own home, however.”
Before Jessica could tell them that she needed to go to the grocery store, there was a knock at the kitchen door. Charlie indicated that Jessica should wait while he checked it out, but then Seth called through the door.
“Jessica! The door’s locked! Let me in!”
“Oh good heavens,” Jessica said.
She unlocked the door and let Seth inside, then closed and locked the door behind him.
“What are you doing here, Seth?” Jessica said as she followed him to the table.
“Groceries,” Seth said, indicating the bags in his hands. “Mort called and said you’d need someone to do the shopping if you were going to feed us tonight.”
Jessica huffed. “What else did Mort tell you?”
“That you’d gotten yourself into a bit of a pickle.” Seth indicated Charlie and Sarah with a bag of fresh mushrooms. “I told you that you should leave the solving of murders to the police. Well, hello, and who are you?”
“That’s Rex,” Charlie said. “I’m Charlie, and this is Sarah.”
“Oh, yes, forgive my manners. Detective Charlie Hudson and Sarah Truong, Chief of Forensics for the St. John’s Police Department. And that is Rex. This is my friend, Dr. Seth Hazlitt.”
“Charmed,” Seth said, but he only had eyes for Rex. “Aren’t you a good boy?”
Jessica shook her head and went over to look into the bags Seth had brought. “What am I making?”
“Chicken and mushrooms.”
“Did you get the . . . ?”
Seth pulled out a bottle of wine, followed by a container of fresh fettuccine, and a loaf of crusty bread. “I’m sure I got everything, but if you need anything else I can go back.”
“I think you did get it all.”
Jessica got to work cleaning the mushrooms, which took her mind off of the issue of Terri Simpson. Charlie offered to help (Sarah gave him high points in the kitchen) and Jessica accepted. With Charlie’s help and the company of Sarah and Seth, and Rex, of course, the preparation and cooking went quickly.
Mort showed up just as they were plating the food.
“What?” he said when he reached the kitchen, followed by Charlie. “I heard you were cooking, Mrs. F.”
“Adele not home tonight?” Jessica said.
“Book club.”
“Come in, Mort, and fix yourself a plate.”
Mort took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. “Don’t mind if I do. Thanks, Mrs. F.”
The conversation stayed on general matters, such as Charlie and Sarah’s plans to take a week off soon, the book Jessica was currently working on, and the efficacy of the speed trap outside of town. Once the dishes were washed and the dining room table filled with coffee cups and dessert plates, that changed. Mort asked what the status was on the search for Terri Simpson.
Charlie told them that they had alerts at the airport and ferry terminal, bus and train stations, as well as car rental agencies. But just in case she’d gotten out of St. John’s before they’d put out the alerts, they’d expanded the search to all of Newfoundland.
“It’s unlikely that she got very far,” Sarah said. “Her escape seemed more spur of the moment than planned. Unless she had a plan in place for just such a circumstance, but Terri Simpson doesn’t seem to be the type of person to plan ahead.”
Jessica agreed. Even the placement of Carla’s body inside Bea’s book shop had been a spontaneous decision. If she’d given it the slightest bit of thought, she’d have realized that it could lead right back to her, since she’d used her own key to gain entry.
Seth helped Jessica with the dishes after Mort left, and Jessica suggested that Charlie and Sarah relax after a day spent traveling. They’d said they only needed one room, and since they were sharing with Rex, Jessica gave them the larger of the two guest rooms. It had once been Grady’s room.
Over the kitchen sink, Seth asked Jessica what she really thought about Terri’s escape. “And don’t give me any of that ‘I didn’t really do anything’ schtick.”
“Alright, Seth, I won’t.” Jessica sighed. “I really am more worried about Bea than myself. I mean, Bea is right there in St. John’s while I’m all the way down here in Maine. If Terri Simpson really wanted to get back at me, that would be the best way to do it. Then again, we all agreed that Terri Simpson wasn’t all that smart. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“That doesn’t sound like you,” Seth said. “Now you promise me, Jessica, not to go off on your own until they have that woman back in custody.”
“I promise, Seth,” Jessica said, then uncrossed her fingers to continue washing the dishes.
~*~
The next morning Jessica found Charlie already in the kitchen with a cup of coffee when she made her way down there.
“Good morning, Charlie, Rex.” Jessica poured herself a cup of coffee since it was already made.
“Good morning. I hope you don’t mind . . .” Charlie indicated his cup.
“Not at all,” Jessica said after enjoying her first sip. “I didn’t expect to see you two down here, yet.”
“We usually get up early, don’t we, Rex? Besides, a little birdie told me that you like to go for a run first thing.”
“I do – it’s the best time to get some thinking done – but I would’ve waited.”
“And now you don’t have to.”
“Will Sarah be joining us?”
“Sarah is talking down a woman from her office who has to testify in court for the first time today.”
“I’m sure that must be nerve-wracking,” Jessica said, “with so much riding on her testimony.”
Just then, Sarah entered the kitchen, breathless, as if she’d run down. “I made it!”
“How’s your friend, dear?”
“A nervous wreck,” Sarah said, “but I’ve done all I can to calm her, the rest is up to her.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee before we head out?” Jessica offered.
“Just some water, please,” Sarah said.
Moments later they were on their way. Jessica led them to her favorite path, which took them along the beach and to the marina.
“It’s beautiful,” Sarah said, when they paused to look out over the water.
“Thank you.” Jessica didn’t bother with her usual patter about the weather; being from St. John’s they were well aware of how cold the winters could get in the great North East.
Jessica took a different route on the way back to her house in order to give them another view of Cabot Cove. Some of the homes were quaint and cozy. Ahead of them a man stood in the street staring in disgust at the rear end of his vehicle.
Jessica slowed. “Harold, is something wrong?”
The man looked up, his expression of disgust turning to one of recognition. “Oh, Mrs. Fletcher! Will you look at this? Someone vandalized my car!”
Now that Jessica was closer she could see that the driver’s side rear tail light had been smashed, pieces of red plastic scattered on the ground, and that the same tire had been slashed.
“Oh, dear! Who would have done this?”
“I have no idea,” Harold said. “And I’m going to have to call a tow truck because I don’t even have a spare.”
While they’d been talking, Rex had been sniffing around the trunk of Harold’s car. He barked and sat down, staring expectantly at Charlie.
“Good boy, Rex,” Charlie said before turning his attention to Harold. “Sir, could you please open your trunk?”
“Charlie, what is it?” Jessica said.
“Rex is alerting to something he smells,” Charlie explained.
“Are you a cop?” Harold said.
“I am. This isn’t technically my jurisdiction so we could call Sheriff Metzger, if that’s your preference. Your car’s not going anywhere, anyway.”
“I don’t have anything to hide,” Harold said, almost defiantly. He popped the trunk and the four of them peered inside. A body was folded up in the small space.
“Oh, dear,” Jessica said.
“Everyone step back,” Charlie commanded, as he took a step back himself. “We do need to call Sheriff Metzger now.”
Sarah, her hand on Rex’s collar, had already taken a step back, as well. “One gunshot to the head. Without doing a full exam, just based on rigor, I’d say he’s been dead for at least six hours,” Sarah said, “but it doesn’t appear he was killed here.”
“I have Mort on speed dial,” Jessica said, pulling out her cell phone. “Harold,” she said while the phone rang, “do you know who the poor man is?”
“Oh yeah, that’s Bobby Fingers.”
When Mort answered Jessica got right to it. “I’m afraid there’s a dead body, Mort.”
Mort sighed audibly. “Of course there is. Where is it?”
Jessica gave him the address and disconnected the call. “Mort is on his way. Harold, do you have any idea how this Bobby Fingers ended up in your trunk?”
“None,” Harold said.
“What’s your relationship with this, uh, Bobby Fingers?” Charlie said.
“His real name is Robert Snyder. He’s a bookie. My bookie,” Harold admitted. “I owe him a substantial amount of money. He got his nickname because he likes to break fingers.” Harold unconsciously flexed his own fingers.
Jessica ignored that; scolding Harold for gambling wouldn’t accomplish anything at this point. “I guess we know why your tail light was smashed and the tire slashed.”
“Why?” Harold said.
“Whoever placed the body in your trunk wanted to make sure it was found. They certainly couldn’t have anticipated that we’d happen by with Rex.”
“Can you think of anyone who’d want to frame you for murder?” Charlie said.
“No! I mean, not everybody likes me, in fact, my wife’s brother hates me, but I can’t think of anyone who’d frame me for murder!” Harold’s voice went high on the last word as he looked back into the trunk at the dead body.
“Maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with you,” Jessica suggested.
“Feels pretty personal,” Harold said.
“It’s supposed to,” Jessica said. “But what if this is all about Mr. Snyder, and you were just a convenient scapegoat?”
“Convenient?”
“How many people knew about your situation with Mr. Snyder?”
“A few people,” Harold admitted. “Probably more than I can name if Bobby told anybody. Why?”
“What if someone else, another client perhaps, wanted Mr. Snyder dead and knew just the way to place the blame on someone else?”
“Me?”
“You.”
“Oh man, just the people who owed him money alone would be a lot, and I don’t know how we’d be able to identify them.”
Jessica patted Harold’s arm. “You leave that to me. Er, I mean, the police. Sheriff Metzger will get to the bottom of it.”
Jessica ignored the look Charlie and Sarah shared and took a step closer to the car so she could get a better look at the body. They’d know more after the autopsy, but Sarah was right about the single gunshot. A professional hit, perhaps?
Jessica stepped back when Sarah said, “Oh, here’s Sheriff Metzger now.”
Jessica watched Mort pull up in his Cadillac, get out and place the Stetson on his head as he waked over to them. He didn’t speak until after he’d look d into the open trunk.
Mort sighed. “That’s a dead body, alright.” He looked at Jessica. “What have you got for me?”
Jessica urged Harold to share his relationship with the dead man, and then shared her theory about the broken tail light.
“The slashed tire seems like overkill, unless they had second thoughts about the tail light being enough. They may have feared you’d find the body and dispose of it before you could get pulled over,” Jessica explained.
“Alright,” Mort said. He turned to Harold. “I’m going to have to impound your car so we can search it for evidence.” Mort radioed Andy and requested a tow truck and transport for the body. “And you’ll need to come down to the station and tell me everything you know about him.” Mort indicated the body.
Mort turned to face Jessica, Charlie and Sarah. “And I’ll need statements from the three of you, too.”
“We’ll come down in a couple hours when you’re done with all of this,” Charlie said. “Shall we head back?” he directed to Jessica and Sarah.
“Yes, I suppose we should,” Jessica said. There was nothing more to be found out here. She’d grill Mort later, after he’d spoken to Harold.
They walked back to Jessica’s house, having already cooled down enough that she didn’t want to resume their jogging and perhaps pull a muscle. Charlie shook his head and chuckled.
“What is it?” Sarah said.
“Jesse said it, but I didn’t believe it.”
“Believe what?” Jessica said.
“You really do just stumble on to bodies, don’t you?”
“Oh well . . . I supposed I do, on occasion.”
Charlie offered to start breakfast while Jessica showered. When she returned to the kitchen she smelled the bacon and saw that Charlie had found the waffle maker. They enjoyed a delicious breakfast made all the more pleasant because of the company and the fact that Jessica hadn’t been the one to prepare it.
After breakfast Charlie and Sarah took turns cleaning up and they headed to the Sheriff’s station. Mort didn’t have anything new to share, aside from a list of names he slid over so Jessica didn’t have to strain her eyes trying to read it upside down.
Mort took their statements, which didn’t help his case much, and then they left him to set up interviews with neighbors and the names on the list.
On the way back to her house via McIntyer’s, Charlie received a phone call. Charlie hmm’d and then said, “Oh, that’s great news, Joe.”
“What is it, Charlie?” Sarah said as soon as he disconnected the call.
“They’ve found Terri Simpson and she’s back in custody.”
“Oh, that is wonderful news!” Jessica said. “It calls for a celebration.”
Back home Jessica put away the groceries, then called Bea to share the good news with her.
“What are you two going to do now?” Jessica said when she was off the phone.
Sarah glanced at Charlie. “We still have vacation time.”
“And who could pass up the opportunity to see you in action?” Charlie said.
“Oh, pssht,” Jessica said.
Rex barked his agreement and they all shared a laugh.
Jessica suggested they think about lunch, but her mind was on Bobby Fingers and who might’ve murdered him.
The End