SKELETONS IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK

LITTLE LEAF CREEK COZY MYSTERIES

BOOK TWENTY-FOUR

CINDY BELL

Copyright © 2024 Cindy Bell

All rights reserved.

Cover Design by Lou Harper, Cover Affairs

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CHAPTER 1

“Oh, Tessa, these look amazing!” Cassie Alberta-Vail licked her lips as she watched a dollop of homemade frosting drop off the edge of the spatula her friend held. She clasped her hands behind her back to resist the urge to taste test one of the many cupcakes lined up on Tessa Watters’ kitchen counter. “They look so delicious and so spooky at the same time.”

“Not as spooky as Turner House is going to look by tonight. I whipped up a cake and an extra batch of these to share with the set-up crew that’s decorating the outside of the house for Halloween, so it looks haunted. It’s going to be quite a large crowd. I think it’s such a great thing to do for the community, a free activity all the kids and adults can enjoy, too.”

“That place already looks haunted.” Cassie shuddered. “Every time I drive past it, I wonder how it can be left sitting empty for so long.”

“Well, there’s a story behind that.” Tessa placed a skeleton cake topper on top of the bright orange frosting on one of the cupcakes. “And there are many stories that it’s haunted.”

“Oh, now I want to find out more.” Cassie grinned as she sat down at the kitchen table. “I figured it was just abandoned.”

“I’ll tell you the whole story another day, when I have more time. I need to get these sorted, now.” Tessa smiled as she set the cupcake into a carry container, then started on the next one, which was covered in dark purple frosting.

“I really have to wait. You know I can’t stand not having an answer to any question that’s burning in my mind.” Cassie stood up from her chair and walked over to the counter to get a closer look at the layer cake.

“I do know that.” Tessa smiled as she offered her a spoonful of frosting to taste.

Cassie licked the frosting off the spoon and sighed. “I don’t know how you manage to make everything taste so delicious. Every time I try to cook or bake something, it either burns or comes out salty when it’s supposed to be sweet. Poor Sebastian has been patient with me and does most of the cooking.”

“But he loves cooking, doesn’t he?”

“He does. But I’d like to cook for him occasionally without it turning into a disaster.”

“Your cooking skills aren’t the best because you’re a little easily distracted. Your curiosity is one of your super strengths, but it can also make you lose focus. You get a little fixated.” Tessa smiled as she met her eyes. “It’s not a flaw. It’s a special talent.”

“That’s a nice way to look at it. Sebastian cooks for us all the time. My first marriage was nothing like that. I could get everything catered and had access to pretty much everything I could possibly want or need. And believe me, I like this way much better.”

“We’ve both come a long way. You moved here all on your own and built a life for yourself. You overcame your grief, and your hesitation to love again, and you turned this whole town upside down, especially me. Don’t you remember when I wouldn’t even leave my house? Now, I’m making cupcakes for the children.” Tessa laughed as she added a few more cupcakes to the tray. “I never thought that would happen, never in a million years. I planned to spend the rest of my senior years holed up in this house with Harry and my goats, and would have been happy to never see another face. But you changed all of that.” She turned to look at Cassie and brushed her short, silver hair back behind her ears as a look of authority flattened the creases around her eyes and lips, revealing an expression that would have made any criminal surrender. “You’re a very special person, Cassie. Never doubt that.”

“Thank you,” Cassie muttered as she looked away from her and blushed. “If you keep it up, I’m going to hug you.”

“None of that.” Tessa pointed her spatula at Cassie and backed away a few steps. “Help me get these to the jeep. I’m afraid the goats have sensed I’m baking and are eager to get a taste.”

“Oh, no, they’re probably out there, drooling.” Cassie stacked up the cake boxes. “I’ll take these out. You hold off Billy and Gerry.”

“I’ll do my best.” Tessa armed herself with treats, then opened the front door. The moment the door swung open, hooves began clattering around the side of the house. “Hurry, Cassie. They’re on a mission.”

Cassie held tight to the boxes as she made her way through the door.

“Harry. We need backup, please!” Tessa whistled.

The collie mix bolted around the side of the house and easily surpassed the goats who’d made a beeline for the porch.

Cassie tried not to wince as she descended the last step of the porch and heard the goats headed straight for her.

“Go, Cassie. Go now!” Tessa threw the treats toward the goats as Harry herded them in a tight circle.

“You weren’t kidding.” Cassie laughed as she rushed through the front gate and onto the driveway. She only stopped when she reached Tessa’s jeep. She turned to find Tessa right behind her and grinned. “We made it.”

“Did we?” Tessa laughed as the larger of the two goats charged toward the gate. “I promise, if there are leftovers, I’ll bring them home to you.” She looked back at Cassie. “How did they ever get so wild?”

“You can’t really blame them. Your baking’s amazing.” Cassie settled the boxes carefully on the passenger seat. “I’ll make sure I have one when I’m there. Although I hate to disappoint the goats, I’m certain there won’t be any leftovers. I’m riding over with Sebastian in about an hour, he’s picking up some extra lumber to make some mini dungeons for the zombies.” She laughed at the thought. “I’ll see you there.” She waved to her as she headed to the driveway next door, which led up to the house she shared with her husband. It still felt a little strange to think of him that way—as her husband. It was a term she never expected to use again, and yet, life had taken its own surprising turns.

The moment Cassie stepped into the house, her curiosity launched into overdrive. It was a quality she’d had since she was a young child. That curiosity had led to her teaching herself so much about nature and the people around her. When she’d ended up married at quite a young age to a wealthy man, she’d discovered all kinds of new resources, and her insatiable curiosity had only continued to grow. Now, the thought of a mystery right down the street from her was enough to send her straight to her computer.

“All right, Turner House, what are you hiding from me?”

CHAPTER 2

Cassie skimmed through the results that had popped up from her internet search on Turner House. “Why have you been empty for so long?”

She felt a rush of excitement when she found an entire website dedicated to pictures of the house and stories about experiences there.

“Oh, wow, people really do think it’s haunted.” She read over some of the stories. There were accounts of freezing temperatures, knocking walls, and creaking stairs. A few photographs even featured a faint silhouette in the upstairs windows before they were boarded up.

Cassie’s thoughts swirled from one story to the next. She didn’t believe in the paranormal, but she was intrigued.

She slid on her headphones and turned the volume all the way up as she listened to what people claimed were voice recordings of ghosts haunting Turner House. The sounds were garbled, so she closed her eyes and tried to listen as closely as she could. She’d just picked up the word “hello” when she felt fingertips brush across her shoulder.

With a wild scream, Cassie threw off her headphones and jumped to her feet. Instinctively, she swung her hands in a panicked attempt to defend herself.

“Hey, ow, watch it!” Sebastian chuckled as he easily caught her by the wrists and looked into her eyes. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to startle you. I’ve been talking to you for the past few minutes, but I guess you couldn’t hear me.”

“Oh, Sebastian, I’m so sorry.” Cassie hugged him. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Maybe a little.” Sebastian grinned as he leaned in for a kiss. “We might have to work on your self-defense techniques.” His gaze settled on her computer. “What are you researching?”

“Nothing.” Cassie lunged toward the laptop.

Sebastian chuckled as he grabbed the computer from her before she could close it. “Hauntings?” He walked around the side of the couch and sat down, before settling the computer in his lap. “You don’t believe all of this, do you?”

“No.” Cassie dropped down beside him. “But I was intrigued.”

“I understand. I don’t think there’s any harm in finding out more about stuff like this.” Sebastian smiled.

“Wonderful, then it’s decided.” Cassie jumped to her feet and grinned.

“What’s decided?” Sebastian’s eyes widened as she tugged him off the couch.

“Hurry, we’ll want to get there early enough to sneak in before it gets too crowded.”

“Wait, wait, I’m not sure what I’ve agreed to,” Sebastian said.

Cassie tossed a grin over her shoulder as she pulled him out through the front door, toward his blue, beat-up pickup truck. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Cassie!” Sebastian pulled her back toward him. “Could you slow down for just a second and explain this to me, please?”

“We’re going ghost hunting, of course.”

“Ghost hunting?” Sebastian laughed as he tightened his grip around her waist. “I definitely didn’t agree to that.”

“Oh, I thought you had.” Cassie narrowed her eyes. “All right, then. You can eat cupcakes, and I’ll go ghost hunting.” She wriggled out of his grasp and climbed into the passenger seat of his truck.

As Sebastian settled in the driver’s side he looked over at her. “What exactly is ghost hunting?” He started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

“I’m not sure. But according to many of the posts I’ve read today, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out at Turner House. A lot of people have snuck into the house and had experiences there. I’m just curious as to what the place is like, I guess.”

“Well, I’m sure there have also been plenty of people who haven’t had any of those experiences in there. They just don’t have a reason to post about it. And if you sneak into a place expecting to find something paranormal, then your imagination can play tricks on you.” Sebastian turned onto the next street and slowed down, as cars dotted both sides of the fairly narrow road. “It looks like lots of people are here already.”

“Tessa said there was going to be a big turnout for the setup. I think it’s so wonderful everyone’s coming together for the kids.” Cassie lowered her voice as she grinned. “I just hope a few ghosts show up, too.”

“I doubt that. But we’ll see.” Sebastian pulled into a parking space.

Cassie smiled as she stepped down out of the truck. “I still think it will be a lot of fun to investigate.” She took a step back and gazed up at the house that loomed in front of her. Despite the crowd that milled around it, the way the evening sky framed the house made it feel isolated. Cassie wrapped her hand around Sebastian’s, and he led the way through the crowd.

The faint breeze on the surprisingly warm evening added to the spooky ambiance of the dilapidated old house. The iron gate that guarded the entrance to the narrow walkway that led to the door swung just enough, the force caused it to squeak and squeal every few seconds.

“Wow, everything is looking so fabulous.” Cassie smiled as she noticed a scarecrow in the garden.

“It seems like just about everyone in town is out to work on this.” Sebastian looked over the crowd. “Stephanie told me she’s planning to bring out some of her costume makeup and do face painting tomorrow night.”

Stephanie Vail was Sebastian’s younger sister and an aspiring actress.

“That will be great. The kids will love it.” Cassie’s gaze wandered over the two-story house before her. The faded paint had peeled to reveal the warped wood siding, and the leaning front porch made it show its age. “I think the windows are my favorite part. The shutters add a charm to the place. Too bad the windows are all boarded up.”

“They were boarded up quite recently. It’s safer that way.” Sebastian looked up at the windows as well. “If the spooky stories aren’t enough to scare people away, they might break in and get into all kinds of crazy things. You know how kids are?”

“Hmm, sounds to me like you might be speaking from experience.” Cassie looked into his eyes as mirth bubbled up within her. “Are you confessing to some wild moments in your youth, Sebastian?”

“Ah, it might be better not to discuss that.” Sebastian’s tanned cheeks reddened as he looked away from her.

“Oh, no way!” Cassie laughed as she tried to meet his eyes. “What exactly did you get up to as a teenager? As I recall, you’ve only told me about working on your grandfather’s farm, no wild adventures.”

“I mean, teenagers are teenagers.” Sebastian adjusted his cap and grinned.

“I’m definitely going to need more details than that. Just remember, anything you don’t tell me, I can get out of Stephanie.”

“Oh, trust me, she doesn’t know.” Sebastian laughed. “If she did, she’d never let me live it down. I’ve been stern with her about her choices, especially during her teenage years. She isn’t going to be pleased if she finds out why.”

“Sounds very interesting.” Cassie peered past the gate at the front door of the house. “Let’s see if we can get a closer look.”

“Sure thing.” Sebastian pushed the gate open and looped his arm around hers. As they reached the front door, he peered at a piece of paper hung on it. “Inside is off-limits.” He glanced over at Cassie. “Sorry, maybe some other time.”

“Really?” Cassie groaned. “I’m dying of curiosity over here. If you’re not careful, I’ll be the next ghost haunting this place.”

“Is that so?” Sebastian grinned as he swept his arm around her shoulders and nestled her tight against him. “I can’t let that happen. I guess we’ll just have to break the rules.”

“See, that’s why I love you.” Cassie grinned as she flung her arms around his neck and squeezed.

“I love you, too, Cassie.” Sebastian coughed, gasped, and grinned. “But you have to let me breathe.”

“Oh, right, that’s important.” Cassie winked at him, then turned back to the house. “So, what’s the best way in? Should we pick a lock? Maybe break a window?”

“We could just try the door.” Sebastian grabbed the knob and twisted it but it didn’t budge. “Nope. Maybe a back door.”

“It’s worth a try.” Cassie led the way to the back of the house.

Sebastian walked up to the back door and turned the knob. As he did, the knob fell off in his hand, and the door swung open slightly. “Oops.”

“Perfect.” Cassie ducked past him as he opened the door all the way.

“Wait for me!” Sebastian followed her inside, then pulled the door closed behind him.

“Wow, it’s dark in here.” Cassie ran her hands along her forearms. “And cold.”

“I guess with everything being so closed up, there’s not much chance for it to get warm.” Sebastian switched on the flashlight on his phone, then pointed it straight ahead of them. “Looks pretty empty in here.”

“Yes, not much to see.” Cassie turned on her own flashlight and panned it over the dusty floors. “I guess I’d hoped there’d be some ancient furniture covered in sheets, that would turn into ghosts.”

“Sure, sure.” Sebastian grinned. “Next, we’ll come across some mystery-solving teenagers, right?”

“With their dog.” Cassie laughed and looped her arm through his. “Okay, where to first? Should we start from the top and work our way down, or from the bottom and hope we survive to make it to the top?”

“I think if we want to get to something really spooky, we’re better off starting in the basement.” Sebastian swung the beam of his flashlight around. “Now, the only problem is figuring out how to get to the basement.”

“Let’s see. My house is pretty old, not as old as this one, but the basement door is in the kitchen. I guess we could check in there first?” Cassie started to make her way toward a doorway. “I think we’re in the living room, and I’m guessing this space over here was a formal dining room.” She glanced over the bare walls and boarded-up windows. “It’s hard to picture what it was like when it’s so empty now.” She felt his hand trace along her back. “The kitchen should be through here.” She stepped through the doorway and into another section of the house. Broken cabinets hung at odd angles, a rusted-out sink took up most of one wall, surrounded by a crumbling counter.

“This place looks more than abandoned. It’s almost like someone came in here to intentionally destroy it.”

“Maybe. But time can do that to old wood and metal.” Sebastian patted his hand against the sink, which responded with a hollow creaking sound. “That’s why so many old, abandoned houses are thought to be haunted. Few people actually know what time and emptiness do to the bones of a house, and the way those things deteriorating actually sound.”

Cassie spun around and pointed her flashlight straight toward his face. “I see we have a skeptic in our midst.”

Sebastian grinned as he playfully pushed her phone away from him. “All I care about is being here with you. I’m not afraid of any ghosts.”

“Hmm, we’ll see if you’re still saying that when I do this.” Cassie grabbed the handle of the only door in the kitchen and pulled the door open.

Cool air suddenly came rushing out.

Cassie’s fingers curled around the old rickety railing that ran the length of the stairs. As she stepped down from the top step, to the next, the wood collapsed beneath her weight. She gasped as the steps began to buckle and grabbed the railing even tighter.

As Cassie stumbled down the next few steps, the railing pulled away from the wall, along with large chunks of plaster. As she landed on the basement floor on her backside, she yelped. The railing clattered to the floor beside her, along with more chunks of plaster and dust.

As Cassie tried to catch her breath, she nearly choked on the dust.

“Cassie!” Sebastian called out to her from the top of the stairs and shined his flashlight down into the darkness to find her. “Are you okay? Cassie?”

“Yes.” Cassie forced the words out.

“I’m coming. Let me just find something to help you up with.” Sebastian disappeared from the doorway.

Cassie shone her phone’s flashlight toward the open basement door. As the beam of light crossed the wall where the railing had been, it revealed a shocking sight. A human skull stared back at her from under dust and cobwebs.

CHAPTER 3

Ascream escaped Cassie’s lips before she could even process what she saw. As her mind began to piece together explanations, she recognized not just one skull, but two. She jumped to her feet and ran toward where the stairs had been.

“Sebastian!”

“I’m here!” Sebastian returned to the door with a ladder he’d found. “Are you okay? Is someone down there with you?”

“Yes. Yes, someone is down here with me. But I don’t think they can hurt me.” Cassie grabbed on to a rung of the ladder. “Sebastian, there are bones hidden in the wall.”

“I’m coming down.”

“No don’t, please. I want to come up.” Cassie climbed the ladder as fast as she could.

Just as Sebastian pulled her into his arms, a man with broad shoulders and a stern face charged into the kitchen. His fierce glare landed right on Cassie.

“Cassie, what’s happened? I heard you screaming from outside!” Detective Oliver Graham’s hand covered the butt of the gun holstered at his waist.

“She’s okay, Ollie.” Sebastian stroked her hair as she shivered against him. “But you’re going to have to get someone down into the basement. Cassie said she saw a skull in the wall.”

“Two.” Cassie held up two fingers. “I think I saw two.”

“It’s probably just some prank someone set up.” Oliver walked to the doorway and peered down into the basement.

“I think they were real. How could someone get down there for a prank without breaking the stairs like I did?” Cassie asked.

“I’m going to take a look.” Oliver started down the ladder.

“Be careful. Those stairs crumbled under me like cardboard.” Cassie’s mind spun through the shock of what she’d just seen. She struggled to make sense of it. While her brain wanted to dismiss it as some kind of mistake, or a prank, her heart knew that the skulls she’d seen belonged to two people. Questions fired through the fog that blanketed her senses. Who were they? How long had they been there? Why would someone hide them in the wall?

“They could have been used as part of a prank years ago,” Sebastian suggested.

“I guess.” Cassie held on to Sebastian’s hand and watched as more police officers arrived. She began paying attention to how things unfolded, to see if she could get a clue as to who was in the basement wall and if she might somehow be mistaken.

“They definitely look real to me. Two full skeletons.” Oliver emerged from the basement, covered in dust. “Cassie, I need you to tell me, step-by-step, everything that happened.”

Before Cassie could reply, the front door of the house burst open and a man who appeared to be in his sixties ran inside.

“Joe!” Sebastian turned toward him.

“What are you doing in here?” Joe rushed through the kitchen toward them. “The inside is off-limits. I put signs everywhere. It’s not safe. When I said the land in front of the house could be used for the haunted house, I made it clear no one should go inside. I bought this house and I’m right next door. I know this place hasn’t been maintained in years.”

“I found that out.” Cassie cringed as she rubbed her hand across her back. “But the crumbling stairs weren’t the biggest problem. Joe, how long have you lived in your house?”

“All my life, and my father and grandfather grew up there before me. Why? What does that matter?” Joe peered down into the basement as the officers gathered around the broken wall. “I should have you arrested for trespassing. No one was supposed to go inside the house.”

“Easy, now.” Oliver held up his hands. “Trespassing is not the main issue here. There are two skeletons hidden in the basement wall that look real to me. What do you know about that?”

“What?” Joe stumbled back a few steps. “Is this some kind of joke? Because it’s Halloween? If so, it’s not funny at all!”

“You’re the one who organized for the outside of the house to be used as a haunted house this year?” Cassie noticed the way his eyes darted back and forth as if in search of something.

“Yes, when the council asked me if they could use it, I agreed. And I offered to help coordinate the event. I recently bought it, and I figured after so many years of it sitting abandoned, it was good it could be put to good use…” Joe’s voice trailed off. “I had no idea there could be skeletons inside. This is terrible, just terrible. Do they know who it is?”

“No. Look, everyone’s going to have to leave now.” Oliver gestured toward the front door. “This whole area is a crime scene, and we need to have a structural engineer come in here and make sure the house is even safe to investigate in. Please, step outside.”

Cassie hesitated. Despite the shock she felt when she saw the skull staring back at her from inside the wall, she wanted to get back down into the basement to find out more.

“Please, step outside.” Oliver could be quite stern in his role of police detective, and Cassie knew from his tone that he didn’t want any argument.

“All right, yes, of course we’ll go outside.” Cassie took a step forward.

“Cassie, you should get checked out. There’s an ambulance outside.” Oliver pointed at the door.

Cassie gave a quick nod, though had no intention of being evaluated. All of her focus shifted to who the skeletons in the wall were, and what might have happened to those two people.

“After you get checked out we should head home. I’m sure you could use some rest.” Sebastian rubbed his hand along her lower back.

“Rest? Absolutely not. We have to figure out who those two people are and who put them there.”

“Cassie, just take a breath and think about this. The police are all over it. They’ll get to the truth soon enough. What you just experienced was terrible⁠—"

“Sebastian, I just fell. It wasn’t a big deal.” Cassie looked into the heaviness that inhabited his eyes. “Just think about this. What if we’d never gone in there? What if I’d never gone down those stairs into the basement? Those skeletons could have been hidden in there forever. Now, we have the chance to find out what happened to them and get justice for them. Doesn’t that seem important to you?”

“Of course it does, but what just happened was terrifying and⁠—”

“Sebastian, I know it was scary. I screamed louder than I think I’ve ever screamed. But it’s over now. I just fell.” Cassie took his hand and squeezed it. “Those two people were likely murdered and hidden away, never to be found. Now, we’ve changed all of that, and we have to get to the truth.”

“Cassie, I get that, but you need to get checked out.” Sebastian’s tone sharpened slightly.

“I can’t right now. I can’t stop thinking about what I saw. I’m sorry. I just need a few minutes.” Cassie waved as she jogged over to the cake table. “Tessa!”

CHAPTER 4

“Oh, I should have known!” Tessa rolled her eyes as Cassie hurried toward her. “When the emergency vehicles showed up, I thought to myself, now where’s Cassie?” She crossed her arms. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Cassie shrugged, her eyes wide with innocence. “Well, not exactly.”

“Uh-huh.” Tessa settled her gaze on Cassie’s. “Out with it.”

“I just wanted to take a peek inside the house. I read so many things about it being haunted, and I was really curious.”

“Oh, Cassie! Why would you go into that horrible place all alone?” Tessa gasped. “Of course it’s not haunted, but it’s a death trap in there for sure. Why would you risk getting hurt?”

“I wasn’t alone. Sebastian was with me.” Cassie glanced over at Sebastian and saw him headed toward the waiting ambulance. “Besides, I just wanted to get a quick look around inside. So, I went into the basement.”

“You went into the basement?” Tessa threw her hands up into the air and groaned. “That’s the worst place to go, haunted house or not. Why, Cassie, why?”

“Tessa, just listen.” Cassie patted the air with her hands. “There are two bodies, skeletons, hidden in that house.”

“Really?” Tessa’s voice dropped. “Are you sure it’s not a practical joke?”

“No, I saw them myself. I was going down the stairs into the basement and they collapsed. I hung on to the railing, and the railing broke off the wall, pulling some of the wall with it. That’s where they’re hidden. Ollie is down there now trying to figure out who they are.”

“Oh, oh dear.” Tessa sank down into the chair behind her table.

“Tessa, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that the house has been empty for so long, and everyone thought they’d ran off.”

“Who ran off?” Cassie’s voice rose with anticipation.

“You said there are two skeletons?” Tessa held up two fingers.

“Yes. I saw two skulls. And Ollie said there were two skeletons.” Cassie’s heart pounded as she saw the shock in her friend’s eyes, something she rarely saw in the retired police detective’s expression. “Do you know who they are?”

“I might. I just might.” Tessa nodded. “The couple who lived there last, disappeared. They’d been involved in a terrible Ponzi scheme. They conned their friends and neighbors into joining in on it, and took most of them for their entire life savings. Everything came crashing down when it was discovered there were never any actual investments made. When they disappeared, everyone just assumed they’d taken off to start a new life and get away from the cops and their victims. But...” She stared at the house as Sebastian walked back toward them with an EMT at his side, who Cassie recognized from the diner. Ginny would often come in with her colleagues. “Maybe we were wrong. Maybe they never left. I have no idea who else it could possibly be.”

“No one ever looked for them? No one ever suspected foul play was involved? No one ever suspected something bad might have happened to them?” Cassie asked.

“Cassie, it’s time for Ginny to make sure you’re okay.” Sebastian paused beside her with Ginny.

“Thank you, but I’m fine. I don’t need to be evaluated.” Cassie glanced over at him.

“You do. I saw how hard you fell off the stairs.” Sebastian tensed his jaw.

“Cassie, just let me have a look.” Ginny stepped closer to her. “Sometimes an injury to the back doesn’t surface until the swelling goes down. It’s very important to make sure you’re actually okay.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine.” Cassie shrugged.

“Cassie, look, I saw you disappear into darkness and rubble.” Sebastian settled his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “It gave me the fright of my life, and I want you to get checked out.”

Sebastian’s description of her fall stunned her. She hadn’t stopped to think about what he saw when the steps collapsed, or what he must have thought when she wasn’t able to answer him right away.

“Okay, yes, check me out. Thank you.” Cassie turned away from Sebastian and submitted to Ginny’s evaluation. “Tessa, can you tell me everything about what happened when they disappeared?”

“There’s not much more to tell. Like I said, they disappeared and haven’t been seen since. But I don’t think anyone ever suspected foul play. Honestly, I don’t think anyone was surprised they left. Those who lost their money were furious, because they had no chance of getting that money back with Pip and Jim gone.”

“Pip and Jim?” Cassie held out her arm as Ginny began taking her blood pressure. “Were they married?”

“Yes, just barely. It was Pip’s second marriage, and Jim’s first, as far as I know. The house was nicknamed Turner House because that was their last name, and they were the last to live in the house before it was supposedly haunted.” Tessa clasped her hands together. “I might not be remembering every detail correctly. I wasn’t living or working in Little Leaf Creek when they went missing, but I kept myself in the loop of what was happening around here with the case. It was a white-collar issue and dealt with in other counties because they swindled more than just the locals. But there was a protest their victims staged outside their house. I remember it quite well. The police had to restrain quite a few people.”

“That might have been a good indication that one of them had a motive to kill them,” Cassie whispered as a group of locals walked up and retrieved some cupcakes from the table. So far no one had paid much attention to the increased police presence or the ambulance nearby.

“I think you’re okay.” Ginny nodded. “But I’d feel better if you came in for an X-ray.”

“If the pain gets any worse, or if anything changes, I will. I promise.” Cassie looked from Ginny to Sebastian. “I promise.”

“All right, for the time being take it easy and ice it. Once the swelling comes down and the pain goes, you should be in the clear.” Ginny packed up her gear and headed back to the ambulance.

“Wait.” Tessa summoned her back. “Have a cupcake.”

“Thank you.” Ginny grinned as she picked one from the platter.

“I agree with you, Cassie, it should have been a red flag. But these people had lost everything, and they just needed a way to express their frustration. I guess the police didn’t think it could be that serious.” Tessa shrugged. “Now, I certainly wish I’d paid more attention to find out who was protesting.”

“If you can remember anyone at all, it might help the investigation.” Cassie glanced back at the house.

“True. Their bodies might have been found tonight, but the crime still took place many years ago, which means the evidence is going to be hard to find, and witnesses even harder. Let me see.” Tessa paused for a moment. “That was so long ago, but I can remember a few people who were involved.”

“I’ll start making a list.” Cassie opened her cross-body purse and pulled out her notebook, something she always kept with her, then she fished around for a pen and started taking notes. “Was there anyone who stood out to you back then? Anyone you would have considered a potential murderer?”

“There was one person.” Tessa narrowed her eyes. “The ex-husband.”

CHAPTER 5

“Pip’s ex-husband?” Cassie jotted down a note. “What was it about him that made you suspicious?”

“He’d gotten custody of the kids in the divorce. Pip was traveling all over the place, promoting these investments, and she agreed it was better for the kids to stay in one place, so she didn’t fight him on it. What was his name?” Tessa squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then opened them, and nodded. “It was Cole. I remember now. The local news interviewed him in relation to them taking off. They asked if he’d heard from her, or if the kids had. What he said, stuck with me.”

“What was that?” Cassie kept her pen poised above the notebook.

“He said, they’re better off without her, since she can’t even be bothered to say goodbye.” Tessa looked over at Cassie. “It was the heartbreak in his voice that I remember the most. Something about him had changed, permanently. I couldn’t tell if it was just because she’d left, or her detachment around the kids. But whatever it was, I remember he seemed like a different man to me.”

“Maybe because he knew Pip would never be coming back, since he knew she’d never actually left.” Cassie tapped her pen against the notebook.

“It’s possible,” Tessa agreed.

“Cassie, I’m going to go check in with Oliver to see if he needs any help. Once this starts getting around, people might panic.” Sebastian placed a kiss on her cheek. “Remember, you were told to take it easy.”

“I will.” Cassie gave him a hug, then held it for a little longer than she’d intended. “I’m sorry I scared you so badly.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Sebastian smiled as he pulled away from her, then walked back toward the house.

“So, we have an ex-husband we can try to track down?” Cassie raised her eyebrows. “Any idea if he still lives in town?”

“Just outside of it, the last I heard. But that was about five years ago. He might have moved somewhere else since then. The kids would be young adults by now, probably living their own lives. I’d be surprised if they were nearby.”

Cassie glanced at the crowd. “People are going to be shocked to think that two bodies could have been hidden in this house for so long without anyone knowing.”

“Well, there’s one person we know had a close-up view of what was happening in that house. Their neighbor Joe. He recently bought the house. The historical society has been fighting for it to be sold and restored for years, but it was caught up in legal proceedings, and now it’s in such disrepair that apparently Joe had to agree to demolish it. He probably just wanted the land.”

“And he kept such close tabs on the house, that he knew the moment something went wrong inside. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had his nose in their business before they were killed. He might be our best source of information.” Cassie eyed the front door of the house where Joe hovered just outside, speaking to a patrol officer. “He seemed to be enraged when he discovered we’d gone inside. It makes me wonder if he was trying to hide something the whole time.”

“If he was, why would he agree to them using the outside of the house for this event? That part doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless he thought if he refused it would look suspicious.”

“That’s possible, and him being involved in the murder does make sense. As I recall, he had a significant issue with Pip and Jim when they first moved in.”

“What was his issue with them? Were they too noisy?” Cassie eyed one of the cupcakes on the table. “Would it be super insensitive if I devoured one of these?”

“Not at all. Go for it. You need to replenish all of that energy you just lost with the shock you just had.” Tessa took a deep breath, then picked up a cupcake for herself as well. “From what I understand, it was a squabble over the back corner of their property. Joe had a deed that said he owned it and he grew potatoes on it. But there was a dispute over the boundary when Pip and Jim bought the house and he lost the land. They refused to let him continue to farm there, which really hurt his business.”

“If he was used to that land being essentially his, and they not only took it back from him but ruined his crops, that must have made him pretty angry. I’m not sure it’s a reason to kill them, though.”

“If it was as simple as that I would agree with you, but things just became so ugly between them. It wasn’t just a matter of property lines, Pip and Jim plucked his potatoes right out of the ground and threw them on his property, so he let them go rotten and threw them back. It was a pretty wild few weeks.” Tessa shook her head. “No one wanted to get in the middle of it.”

“You said it was a wild few weeks. What finally settled it?” Cassie tried to hide a laugh at the thought of potatoes being flung around.

“Don’t quote me on this. I wasn’t there. I’ve only heard it retold. But supposedly one day, out of the blue, Joe walked over to Pip and Jim’s place and taped a note to their door that said he would no longer fight for the land. Some people thought it was because he couldn’t afford a lawyer. Others thought maybe Pip and Jim had threatened him, but no one really knew for sure why he gave up the fight.” Tessa shrugged. “But there wasn’t any more trouble after that.”

“Didn’t anyone ever ask him?” Cassie took the last bite of her cupcake, then leaned closer to her. “Didn’t you? I know you always want to get to the truth.”

“I did try once, when I moved back here. But he shut me down. He refused to talk about it and changed the subject. I left it alone after that. I figured if he’d moved on, I should, too. But he never really seemed to move on. His crop didn’t fully recover, and as far as I know, his finances are still fairly strained. He did buy Turner House recently, but it was being sold for next to nothing. It was a steal. It had been caught up in financial disputes because Pip and Jim had so many lawsuits against them that the courts only ruled recently that it could be sold to cover some of their debts.”

“But something had to make him change his mind and give up the fight.” Cassie looked over at the house and watched as Joe, with his head hung low, walked back toward his house. “Maybe this is a good time to ask him what exactly that was.”

“He might be a little upset right now.” Tessa watched as he neared his porch. “And that’s the perfect time to strike. I would come with you, but if I leave these cupcakes, they’ll disappear in seconds, and from the looks of it, this crowd is going to need a sweet diversion very soon.” She stood up from her chair as a tangle of concerned citizens began to walk toward the police officers. “Don’t forget to have a cupcake. Come on over. They’re delicious!”

They shifted their attention from the police to the sweet treats and joined Tessa at the table.

Cassie noticed Sebastian in the middle of a discussion with Oliver. She took the opportunity to follow after Joe.

CHAPTER 6

Cassie reached Joe’s porch just as he started to open his front door.

“Joe. Can I speak to you for a moment, please?” Cassie kept her voice casual.

“You?” Joe looked over his shoulder at her. “You’re the one who broke the rules, aren’t you?”

“I was just curious.” Cassie offered a faint smile and a shrug. “I’ve read all the stories, and I just wanted to see what it was like inside. That’s not such a terrible thing, is it?”

“Yes, it is.” Joe turned to face her as he glared. “You had no right to be in that house. You were very lucky to survive that mess. And I have no doubt you dragged Sebastian in there with you. I know that boy, have for a long time, and he would never break into someone’s property. Not without someone pushing him to do it.”

“I’m sorry I went into the house, but isn’t it a good thing, really? If I hadn’t gone inside, we might never have found Pip and Jim hidden in the wall. Or is that what you’d hoped for?” Cassie tried to keep her tone even.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I would never hope for that. Besides, they don’t know who those two skeletons are. They won’t know until they run some tests.” Joe sneered. “So, until then, you should keep quiet about it.”

“I think most people around here know who it is. We might have to wait on DNA results for confirmation, but I’m told the last owners, Pip and Jim, your neighbors, went missing. Now, what are the chances a couple goes missing, and also two skeletons are found hidden in their wall, but it turns out not to be them? I think it’s pretty safe to assume they never ran away. They were actually killed.”

“You can assume all you want, but until I know the facts, I’m not jumping to any conclusions.” Joe looked her over, then scrunched up his nose. “You’re not from around here. Why are you even getting involved in any of this?”

“I might not have grown up here, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere. That makes this my home, which means I care about what happens to the people in it, even if what took place was a long time ago. It means I care about you, too.” Cassie’s voice softened as she met his eyes. “Who do you think the police are going to want to question first when they get that identity confirmation? After what they did to you, no one would blame you for being angry.”

“Wait just a second. I would never kill someone, not anyone. Look, it’s terrible someone killed them and hid them in a wall. But the truth is, I actually feel a little better knowing that’s what happened to them. They took my friends and neighbors for everything they had, and we all believed they were off living in paradise somewhere, spending all of the money they stole. I can’t help but feel relieved to know that wasn’t the case.” Joe looked into her eyes as he shrugged. “Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but that’s how I feel.”

“But they didn’t just take money from your friends and neighbors, did they? They took part of your land away, and your livelihood took a big hit. You haven’t been able to recover from that, have you?” Cassie searched his eyes for any hint of deceit. “They trampled all over your business like it was nothing.”

“It was cruel and spiteful. It was my family business for generations.” Joe cut his hand sharply through the space between them. “It never should have happened that way. If they’d been courteous neighbors they would have at least given me time to harvest my crop and create a new location. But they didn’t do that. They had no reason not to. That part of the land wasn’t going to be used for anything. They did it just because they could, and no matter how I tried to reason with them, they just kept throwing the property line in my face. Yes, I was angry.” His voice was filled with venom. “Yes, I thought they were horrible people. But no, I didn’t kill them, and I certainly didn’t stick them in a hole in the wall right next to my own house. If you want to accuse me of murder, I can’t stop you, but you’re going to make a fool out of yourself.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m merely pointing out that you’re going to be a good suspect for the police to look into. If I were you, I’d start thinking about where you were around the time Pip and Jim disappeared and hope you have some great alibis.”

“I don’t need to do that. I don’t need to prove anything. I’m innocent. I had nothing to do with any of this. The only one guilty on this porch right now, is you, of trespassing, both in that abandoned house that’s now mine, and now on my front porch. Get out of here!” Joe pulled open his front door and stepped inside.

The sharp slam of the door made Cassie jump.

“Cassie, are you okay?” Oliver walked up to the porch just as she started to descend the steps. “I heard the way he was talking to you.”

“I might have pushed a few buttons.” Cassie joined him on the walkway. “I think he’s going to try to have me arrested if I linger any longer.”

“Let’s not let that happen.” Oliver gestured for her to follow him off the property and onto the sidewalk. “What were you doing talking to him in the first place?” His weary gaze settled on hers, and indicated he already had an idea.

“Oh, I just wanted to apologize for going into Turner House. He seemed so upset when he found me and Sebastian in there.” Cassie didn’t want to admit she’d been questioning a potential suspect, even though she knew he must have suspected it. “Any leads?”

“Not really. I first need to verify the identities of the skeletons in the wall before I can take any other steps. I’m hoping their dental records will be enough to confirm their identities and we don’t have to wait on DNA.”

“But you must be presuming they’re Pip and Jim.” Cassie shrugged. “So, who are your suspects?”

“Cassie!”

“Ollie.” Cassie tilted her head to the side and smiled. She knew he probably wouldn’t tell her anything, but it was worth a try. “You know I’ll find out on my own anyway. Might as well tell me now.”

“Nope, you need to stay out of this. Let this investigation play out. I think, given the circumstances, it’s going to be a difficult one to solve.”

“Not if you get a confession, right?” Cassie patted his shoulder. “Don’t you worry, you’ll get to the bottom of this.” As she walked off, she muttered under her breath, “And a little help from me can’t do any harm.”

CHAPTER 7

Early the following morning, Cassie turned off the volume on her phone as several pots of coffee brewed beside her. She’d already received numerous texts from Oliver that morning warning her not to get involved.

“Ollie’s extra insistent today.” Cassie looked over at the owner of the diner and Oliver’s girlfriend, Mirabel Light. “Did he mention anything to you?”

“Oh, did he.” Mirabel rolled her eyes. “He was on a rant about you, and I told him that’s between you and him. Don’t involve me. He kept insisting he was worried you were going to get yourself hurt or worse by looking into things. But I reminded him that you know how to take care of yourself. Is he still texting you?” She peeked at Cassie’s phone.

“Numerous times.” Cassie held up her phone for Mirabel to see the texts. “I know he can be a little, uh, protective.” She flashed Mirabel a smile, as she knew better than to say anything too negative about Oliver in front of her. “But this seems like a bit much, even for him.”

“I think those collapsing stairs has everyone shaken up. I’ll admit when I heard the story, I wanted to knock you on your noggin for taking such a risk. We all love you, Cassie, and we want you to be safe.”

“And I love you for that, and appreciate it more than you could ever know. I think of all of you as my family. But that doesn’t change the fact that two people were murdered, and the more people trying to figure out who did it, the better. Right?” Cassie grabbed a coffeepot that had just finished brewing and headed out into the breakfast rush. Most of the town had poured into the diner to discuss the skeletons that had been found. By the time the police had shut down the decorating event the night before, word had spread quite a bit. By that morning, everyone knew every detail that had been released by the police, plus some embellishments that occurred as the information was passed around.

Cassie listened to every whispered rumor the patrons passed back and forth. She wondered if someone might have some genuine insight as to what might have happened to Pip and Jim.

“Good riddance,” a man muttered as she refilled his coffee. “They got exactly what they deserved.” He jabbed his finger against the table to emphasize his words. “I always said, they were going to pay, and I’m glad to know they did.”

“Careful, Winston. You shouldn’t say things like that.” The woman who sat across from him covered her coffee cup before Cassie could pour anything into it. “I’ve had enough, thanks.”

“Don’t tell me how to talk or what to say,” Winston grumbled, then took a sip of his coffee. “I’m only being honest. I’m saying what everyone else is thinking. No one deserved to die more than that supposed power couple.”

“Those are very strong words.” Cassie leaned against the side of their table and assessed the man. She recognized him as a local, but didn’t know his name before now. She’d seen him in the diner a few times, but more often hanging around in front of the convenience store early in the mornings, with a few other local senior men. “I take it you knew them?”

“Did I know them?” Winston sighed and sat back in his chair. “No. I didn’t know them. I knew the people they pretended to be. I fell for their promises because they were locals and claimed to have the best interest of their neighbors in mind. Instead they took my life savings, and left me scrambling for a few dollars to order some bacon and eggs. Am I bitter? Yes. But maybe a little less bitter knowing they did suffer for their crimes.” A faint smirk crossed his lips. “I don’t think you can judge me for that.”

“I’m not.” Cassie searched his eyes as he reached for his coffee cup again. “But I do wonder if you know of anyone else who felt that way when they went missing. It’s clear you would have wanted to see them dead, but would any other victims have wanted the same thing?”

“People lost their life savings, their homes.” Winston flinched. “All of us wanted to see them dead.”

“Anyone that seemed particularly determined to see that happen?” Cassie asked.

“There was one person I know of who lost a lot more than just financial stability. Nicolas Penny. He was going through a divorce at the time, and had invested a large sum with Pip and Jim. When everything fell apart, he lost his house, he lost his job because of it, and in the end, he lost custody of his two young children. His ex-wife had to move across the country back with her parents because she no longer had his financial support, and he had no means to move closer to his children. He was absolutely enraged when the prosecutor said there was no hope of getting any of the money back. I remember the look in his eyes was beyond any level of anger I’d ever seen. It was crazy, like he’d gone so far past angry that his mind had broken. He was just a young man, Nicolas, in his twenties, and like I said, he lost everything, including his children.”

“That’s awful.” Cassie’s heart sank at the thought. “And they were never able to get any of the money back?”

“Pip and Jim claimed they’d been swindled, too, and they didn’t have a dime of it. But then they disappeared, so we all believed they’d used the funds to flee the country. I guess that never happened.” Winston stared down into his coffee. “Them being found dead doesn’t get our money back. It doesn’t heal the wounds, but it does feel a little bit like justice.”

Cassie excused herself to another table. As she served the other diners, her mind wandered to young Nicolas who had everything ripped away from him. Sure, he’d made the decision to dedicate his finances to a risky investment, but usually in these situations it was a decision made out of trust—trust the swindlers knew how to gain. Would he be angry enough at their betrayal to kill them for it?

After a few hours passed, and the crowded diner began to fade back into its usual pace, the second shift of staff arrived. Cassie smiled at the sight of Sebastian’s sister, Stephanie. She’d donned her apron and had already begun pouring coffee when Cassie spotted her.

“How are you doing today?” Cassie walked up beside Stephanie as she delivered a plate of fries to a table of college-aged women giggling over something on their phones.

“I’ve been trying to convince Sebastian all morning that he didn’t do anything wrong by letting you go into that house.”

“Letting me go in?” Cassie pointed at herself. “I don’t think he let me do anything.”

“Tell him that,” Stephanie huffed. "I’ve been trying to all morning. I guess he’s still worried about your back.” She looked over at her. “How are you doing? Is it hurting much after your shift?”

“Actually, no, not really. I’m fine. I promise. I had no idea he was so worried. When I woke up this morning, he’d already left for the farm, so I didn’t get to speak to him.”

“You know how Sebastian is. He thinks he’s responsible for everyone and everything. I kept pointing out what a good thing it was the skeletons were found, but all he could think about was how he let you go down the stairs first.”

“Let me,” Cassie muttered. “No one lets me do anything. I make my own choices.”

“I know, he can be a little old-fashioned. That’s because our grandfather raised him.” Stephanie finished topping off the cups of coffee for customers, then returned to the front counter. “I just told him the important thing is you’re okay. You’re okay, right? It had to be pretty shocking to see that.”

“It was, at first. But now, I just want to find out what happened to Pip and Jim, and maybe get some closure for their victims, too. Maybe now we have a chance to set this right.”

“That’s a good spin on the situation.” Stephanie squinted at her with a lopsided grin. “Of course you would never let this go. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

“Actually, there is one thing. My shift is about over. I just need to do some cleanup. But a customer mentioned a name to me earlier, Nicolas Penny. If you happen to come across some information about him, maybe mention him to a few diners, that would be great.” Cassie grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter.

“I can do better than that. I’ll track him down on social media, when I’m on my break. I’ll have his full life details by this evening, promise.” Stephanie grinned as she hurried off to deliver an order.

CHAPTER 8

With every swipe of the rag across the counter Cassie wanted to do more investigating. She loved her job at the diner, but she wished she could be out there trying to find out the truth about the skeletons, not refill the ketchup bottles. When the door to the diner swung open to reveal Tessa, she felt a rush of anticipation.

“Do you have an update?” Cassie asked.

“I see you haven’t read my messages.” Tessa walked over to the counter.

“Oh, right.” Cassie pulled out her phone. A quick glance revealed a lengthy string of texts she hadn’t seen. “Who’s Max?”

“He and Pip were cousins. He was also their business partner in the investment scheme.”

“And you found him?” Cassie asked eagerly.

“Yes, he’s in prison, and Mark just arranged a meeting for me.” Tessa smiled. Mark Collingswood was a local lawyer and a good friend of Tessa’s, and although Tessa would deny it, it was clear they were becoming romantically involved. “I’m headed to the prison to speak to Max, now. I’m hoping he might reveal something about all of this that could help work out what happened. I wasn’t sure if you would be able to join me.”

“Absolutely, my shift finishes in a few minutes.” Cassie dropped the rag down on the counter and started to walk around it to join her.

“We have to play it cool.” Tessa met her eyes. “I don’t know if Ollie’s spoken to him yet, because the bodies haven’t been identified. Apparently, Max has been locked up for years due to his involvement in the fraud. I want to try to see if I can get something out of him. I need to make sure I don’t alienate him.”

“I promise, I’ll follow your lead.” Cassie pulled off her apron. “I’m sure Stephanie won’t mind finishing up a few things for me. We can go right now, if you want.”

“We do need to head out now if we’re going to go.” Tessa started toward the door.

“Okay!” Cassie rushed over to Stephanie to ask for her help, then grabbed her purse, and followed Tessa out of the diner.

By the time Cassie had settled in the passenger seat of Tessa’s jeep, she felt a rush of adrenalin. She was determined to get to the truth.

“So, fill me in on what we know about this guy.” Cassie glanced over at Tessa.

Tessa turned down the radio as she drove out of the parking lot. “All I know for sure is that Max is Pip’s cousin. I can’t believe he would be the mastermind of the con, though. But from what I can tell he’s the only one who’s been punished for the scheme. He dropped out of school and held labor jobs, when he even had a job. He’d been on and off drugs for most of his life.”

“Yes, it doesn’t seem like he could have pulled this together. But as you would say, never underestimate anyone. People can surprise you.”

“Absolutely. Pip, Jim, and Max were working together on the scheme. When Max was arrested he was offered a deal if he would turn in his cousin and her husband, but he refused. Then they disappeared shortly after that. Max was eventually prosecuted for the fraud and sentenced. He’s actually due to be released next year.” Tessa turned onto the highway and glanced over at Cassie.

“Maybe he has insight into what happened to them.”

“Yes, he might hold the clue of who did this. He’s been silent about the entire thing since the day he was arrested. The police knew there were more players involved, aside from Pip and Jim, but he would never give any of them up.” Tessa took an exit off the highway and looped around to another road. “Now that he’s potentially facing murder charges, he might just be more willing to talk.”

“Is he facing murder charges? Right now we’re not even certain who was hidden in that wall.”

“That may be true, but he doesn’t need to know that.” Tessa rolled up to a security gate and showed her license to the officer in the booth. “Yes, she’s with me, and we have an appointment.”

“I’ll need your ID as well.” The officer leaned farther into the jeep to take a look at Cassie as she offered her ID. “All right, you two are clear to go in.” He stepped back, then hit a switch to open the gate.

“So, we have to see if Max can offer us anything at all.” Tessa parked near the prison entrance.

“I have an idea. Right now Max doesn’t know his cousin is dead, right? Has anyone told him?” Cassie followed Tessa to the entrance.

“As far as I know no one’s told him, but word will spread through the prison soon enough, if it hasn’t already. And Ollie might have already spoken to him. I couldn’t ask him because I didn’t want him to stop us from coming here.” Tessa held open the door for her. “What’s your idea?”

“Maybe we tell him Pip’s been found, but leave out the part about her being dead. If he thinks she’s alive, and has been all this time, it might shock him, even make him angry. He might reveal something. What do you think?” Cassie paused to drop her purse in a bin to be fed through a scanner, then walked through a metal detector. As she retrieved her purse on the other side, she turned to look at Tessa.

“I think less is better. It’s a good start, we only have to tell him so much and let him react to it, and we can go from there.” As Tessa talked her way through the staff, they were both led to a private room. Tessa stepped inside in front of Cassie.

Cassie peeked around Tessa’s shoulder to see a man sitting on one side of a small table. His hands were handcuffed to a metal ring in the middle. From his diminutive frame he looked harmless.

Tessa introduced Cassie and herself.

“Why are you here?” Max didn’t look up from the table.

Before Tessa could reply, Cassie stepped forward.

“We’re here because your cousin, Pip, has finally been found, Max.” Cassie dropped down into the seat across from him and met his eyes as soon as he looked up at her. She couldn’t read the emotion in them. His lips curled into a smile as he sat back against his chair and continued to stare at her.

“Yeah? What’d she have to say?” Max scowled at them.

“What do you think she had to say?” Tessa sat down beside Cassie and watched him closely.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Max shrugged and shifted his gaze from Cassie to Tessa. “What do you want from me? I’m already doing my time.”

“You’re doing time for fraud, fraud your cousin and her husband roped you into. Am I right?” Tessa smiled as she held the man’s gaze. “I’ve done my research on you, and you’ll never convince me you were the mastermind of this con.”

“Ouch, is that supposed to hurt my feelings?” Max chuckled. “You’re not wrong. I’m not smart. But I’m not stupid, either. I know if you’re here, talking to me, it’s because you want something from me. Otherwise you wouldn’t think twice about the guy who got locked up for most of his life for a crime you don’t think he was completely to blame for. So, what do you want?”

“We want the truth.” Cassie drew his attention back to her. “All these years you’ve been locked up, what do you think Pip has been doing?”

Max licked his lips, then stared down at the table. “I’ve got nothing to say.”

“Nothing?” Tessa waited until Max looked up at her before she continued. “You should be smart about this.”

“I’m being smart. I have always been smart. Pip was the one who got scammed!” Max snarled his words.

“So, there’s another player?” Tessa searched his eyes. “If you give me a name, I can see if I can help you get out of here.”

Max fell silent and looked down at the table again. After a moment he shrugged. “Why don’t you just ask Pip?”

“She’s dead.” Cassie’s tone grew stern. “She’s been dead all of this time.”

“What?” Max looked up at them both with tears in his eyes. “Is that really true, or is this some kind of trick?”

“It’s true.” Tessa sat down on the edge of the table. “And right now I’m sure you’re the best suspect. You’re supposed to get out next year, but not if you’re facing new charges. Two counts of murder.”

“Two?” Max whispered.

“Pip and Jim.” Cassie nodded.

“I didn’t kill her. I didn’t kill either of them. How could I? I’ve been stuck in here for years.” Max smacked his hands against the table and winced as the handcuffs dug into them. “This can’t be happening.”

“Maybe you got someone to do it for you?” Tessa shrugged.

“No way. I had nothing to do with it.” Max shook his head.

“Then tell us exactly who organized the scam.” Tessa leaned forward. “It’s time you start telling the truth, so their murders can be solved.”

“I can’t tell you that. I can’t.” Max’s voice shook as he squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t say anything.”

Cassie’s determination to make sure they got information out of him suddenly gave way to sympathy as she watched the man shiver before her. “You’re terrified.”

“Please, just leave me alone!” Max swallowed thickly.

“We’re sorry for your loss, Max.” Cassie softened her tone. She did feel some sympathy for him, and she also thought that maybe if they changed tactics they would get more out of him.

“Just leave me alone,” Max repeated as he looked up at her.

“The only way you’re going to be left alone is if they find out who did this to them. Your cousin and her husband were murdered, and the police need to know who by. So, who else was involved in the scam?” Tessa narrowed her eyes.

Cassie noticed how Tessa was always so calm and professional in situations like this, making her years of experience obvious.

“I can’t.” Max lowered his head. “What does it matter now? I’m a dead man. I’ll never get out of here. And if I do, I won’t survive the day. I can’t tell anybody anything now, just like I couldn’t tell anything back then.” He sighed as he looked down at his cuffed hands. “I always thought Pip and Jim were okay. I always thought they’d escaped. I was bitter about it for a while, but then it started to make me feel better. I felt like at least Pip was getting to live her life. At least we weren’t both locked up in here. But now I know, I’ve had more of a life than she and Jim ever did.” He closed his eyes as tears slipped past. “Just leave me alone. I don’t care about getting out of here. There’s nothing left out there for me anymore.”

“If you change your mind, Max, call me. I can try to help change your future.” Tessa left a card with her contact details on the table in front of him. She nodded to Cassie, then gestured to the door.

“I don’t have a future. I never did,” Max called out.

Cassie let the door fall shut behind her. She’d gone into the interrogation room with guns blazing, but now her gut felt twisted into knots. She’d expected to find a hardened criminal, but what she’d found was a man who was defeated.

“I think that someone has him too scared to talk.” Cassie followed Tessa out of the prison.

“The question is who?” Tessa opened the door and hopped into the jeep. “I’ll take you back to the diner.”

“Actually, can you drop me off at Turner House? I want to take one more look around inside.”

“They released the scene this morning. But the house is still considered dangerous. Are you sure you want to poke around in there?” Tessa asked.

“Yes. Just a little bit. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

CHAPTER 9

Tessa parked in front of Turner House and turned off the jeep.

“Why are you parking, Tessa?”

“Did you really think I was going to let you go in that house alone? I’m here to make sure you stay out of harm’s way, or Sebastian will kill me.”

“I can manage on my own.” Cassie’s tone took on a hint of defiance.

“Not a chance. But I doubt we’ll find anything in there. It’s been combed over by the crime scene investigators.”

“It’s worth a try, though.” Cassie hopped out of the jeep.

“So, what do you think about Max?” Tessa fell into step beside her. “Do you think he had something to do with their murders?”

“I’m not sure. It struck me as odd that he would want them dead, when he could have probably turned them in for a deal instead. But one thing he did confirm was that there was someone running the show above Pip and Jim. And whoever this person was, Max seemed really scared of them, even all these years later. I think if we can figure out who that was, it might lead to more insight about what happened to Pip and Jim. That’s why I wanted to come back here to have a look around. I doubt there’s any way they were living here and didn’t leave something behind about who they were working for.”

“But are you really sure you want to go back in here?”

“Yes. What harm can it do to take a peek?” Cassie glanced at the front door of the house, then looked back at Tessa.

“Is that how you talked Sebastian into breaking into here in the first place? Don’t you think surviving the first disaster is a good enough reason to stay out of here?”

“I get it. I know I was reckless. But if I hadn’t gone in here when I did, those bodies may never have been found. When the house is bulldozed, there’s a good chance the bones would have been carried away with the debris. So, now that I did find them, I really want to find out who did this to them. You’re the one who’s always telling me every detail matters, when it comes to baking, and also policing, right?”

“Right.” Tessa sighed as her arms unfurled, then settled at her sides. “The house has been inspected and appears to be safe. Let’s go in, but the first time something feels wrong, we’re out of there.”

“What are you worried about, Tessa?” Cassie wiggled her eyebrows. “Ghosts?”

“And what if I am?” Tessa led the way to the front door of the house. “Are you going to protect me?”

“Always!” Cassie stepped through the door behind her. “I would never let anything or anyone hurt you.”

“All right, keep that in mind when the first creepy-crawly tries to attack me.” Tessa turned on her flashlight. “They really need to get the boards off these windows and get some light in here.”

“And maybe even open them. It’s so musty in here.” Cassie shivered as she pointed her flashlight at the doorway of the kitchen. “They were hidden in the basement, but if they were the last people who lived here, the clues we need might not be there. They might be all around this house.”

“I think it’s likely that someone they took advantage of killed them.” Tessa swung her own flashlight beam around the living room. “And it looks to me like everything has been cleared out of here.”

“You’re right. The best suspects are the victims of their scheme, but whoever did this also had to have access to the house. Don’t you think? How did they go about hiding them in the wall of the stairwell? They had to have some knowledge to be able to do that.”

“That’s a good point. Let’s think about where it is in our own homes we keep the most details of our lives.” Tessa closed her eyes, then suddenly smiled as she nodded. “I know. This was about fifteen years ago, not everyone used digital calendars or a phone to organize their schedule. They probably had a spot they kept a calendar, or a notebook by the phone. I mean, I even still use a wall calendar.” She stepped into the kitchen and surveyed the walls until she stopped at one spot and smiled. “Here we go. See all of those little holes?” She pointed to a grouping of tiny holes in the wall.

“Yes, from thumbtacks?” Cassie nodded as a slow smile spread across her lips. “They had a calendar here. But how will that help? It’s not here anymore.”

“If they pressed hard enough when they wrote on it, we might be able to find something.” Tessa ran her fingertips across the wall, then nodded. “I can feel ridges and indents. Let’s see if we can get anything from it.” She grabbed a pencil from her purse. “Do you have your notebook?”

“Always.” Cassie pulled her small notebook out of her purse. She flipped it open and found a blank page, then tore it out. She handed it to Tessa. “Do you really think you’ll be able to pick up anything after all these years?”

“I think there’s a good chance, yes.” Tessa began rubbing the edge of the pencil tip across the thin paper, pressing a little heavier where she felt ridges in the wall. After a few seconds, she smiled as words began to form. “Meet Donald at ten.”

“Donald,” Cassie whispered the name. “That must be the person in charge of the scheme.”

“It could be, or it could be their marriage counselor.” Tessa handed her the paper.

“True. But it’s a direction to look in, right?”

“Right. It’s a challenge to look into the past. The social media pages and cell phone records are sparse. I couldn’t find any for Pip, Jim, or Max. But we can try Donald.”

“Okay.” Cassie tapped the name into her phone. “Maybe we can find something that mentions all three of their names together. Jim and Donald are pretty common, but Pip isn’t really.” She executed the search, then looked over at Tessa. “Do you remember anyone named Donald who lived in town around that time?”

“I’m your Google now, huh?” Tessa grinned, then sighed. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t remember a Donald, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t live here. We can check property records. That might be a good place to start.”

“Let’s do that.” Cassie led the way toward the door as her cell phone buzzed with a text. “It’s from Stephanie. She looked into one of the men who Pip and Jim ripped off. She’s found him and sent me his details.”

Tessa was almost through the door, when it suddenly slammed shut behind her. The door hit her, and the force sent her stumbling a few steps forward.

Cassie caught her before she could trip down the porch steps.

“What was that?” Cassie gasped as she looked up at the house with wide eyes. “There isn’t even the slightest breeze in the air.”

“I have no idea.” Tessa rubbed her backside. “But I’m definitely taking it personally.”

CHAPTER 10

Tessa backed her way down the steps of the porch with her eyes glued to Turner House. “Something very strange just happened.”

“Are you hurt?” Cassie slid her phone back into her pocket.

“Just my ego. But that door did give me a little push. It felt more like someone shoved it closed, not the wind.” Tessa glared at the house. “Which means someone is in there.”

“We didn’t see or hear anyone, though.” Cassie bit into her bottom lip as she looked up at the house as well. “Maybe there’s something to all those stories.”

“I’m not ruling anything out, but I doubt it.” As Tessa led the way to her jeep, she cleared her throat. “What did Stephanie have to say?”

“She found a local I was looking for, a man named Nicolas Penny. But he lives at least an hour away now. She sent me his phone number. I’m going to call him to see if we can set up a meeting. Also, I want to know if he might know who Donald is. Apparently, he lost pretty much his entire life to Pip and Jim’s con. Do you know Nicolas?”

“Of him, yes. Everyone did. He made his business very public. I heard that he showed up on Pip’s lawn one day, drunk as a skunk, with a chainsaw in his hands. Can you believe that?” Tessa rolled her eyes. “Luckily someone took it away from him before he could hurt anyone with it. But he made it clear he blamed Pip for everything that happened to him.”

“Do you think he was right to blame her?” Cassie held her gaze for a moment.

“I can’t say for sure. At the time, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. I kind of looked at all the victims as being at fault, since they believed something that was too good to be true. But over the years I’ve come to realize things aren’t always that black and white. Pip tried to get me involved once. She was scouting people in the area I was living in at the time. She started detailing all the adventures and vacations I could take with the extra money, and I stopped her right in her tracks. I told her I didn’t believe in that kind of thing, that my life was just fine as it was, and if I wanted it to get better I would make that happen myself.”

“I wish I’d known you then.” Cassie gazed wistfully out the window at the familiar houses they passed by. “Sometimes I forget that my roots aren’t in this town. It feels so much like home now.”

“Your roots are here. They’re just a bit shorter than others.” Tessa smiled.

Cassie returned the smile as she dialed the number Stephanie had texted her. After a few rings, a male voice answered. She detected the strain in his tone immediately.

“What is it?”

“Hi, my name’s Cassie, and I’m calling to find out if I can come and speak to you about Pip⁠—”

“I don’t want to ever hear that name again. Who are you? Another cop?” Nicolas raised his voice. “Everyone needs to leave me alone. I didn’t kill anybody.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m not calling for that reason at all.” Cassie cleared her throat as she looked over at Tessa. After Nicolas’ reaction, she knew there was practically no chance he would meet with them, so she wanted to see if she could get any information from him over the phone. “Actually, I wanted to speak to someone who might have worked with Pip…I mean, that person, and her husband. But I’m having a hard time finding his full name. Can you tell me if you ever spoke to anyone named Donald about your supposed investments?”

“Donald,” Nicolas muttered the name. “Yes, I spoke to Donald. I tracked him down when I realized the whole thing was a scam. He wouldn’t even speak to me.”

“Oh, so you knew he was in charge of it all?”

“I knew they didn’t cook it all up themselves. Of course I knew that. I demanded to know where most of my money actually went, and let’s just say, they realized it was in their best interest to tell me. Once they did, I went to speak to Donny boy. But he denied being involved in any of it. He wouldn’t give me a dime of my money back. I tried to do everything to prove he was involved but I just couldn’t.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Cassie’s heart skipped a beat as every word he spoke dripped with anger. She could easily imagine him attacking and killing Pip and Jim. “It sounds like Donald should be held accountable, too. Do you happen to know his last name?”

“Donald Mitchum. That’s his name. Scum of the earth. I hope he gets what he deserves, too.” Nicolas ended the call.

“Wow.” Cassie stared down at her phone. “Nicolas still sounded so angry. It does appear as if Donald was the instigator of the scheme, and I have his last name now. Let me see if I can find his address.” She typed his full name into her phone. After a few minutes of scrolling she nodded. “Yes, I have him. He doesn’t live far away. Should we go there now?”

“Yes, the sooner we speak to him, the better. Just tell me where.”

Cassie rattled off the address.

“Oh, I know exactly where that is. It’s a small development of cottages for seniors.” Tessa swung the jeep around. “Are you sure that’s where he lives?”

“It’s the only address listed on here. Of course, that’s if Nicolas gave me the right information. All we can do is check it out, right?” Cassie gripped the handle of the door as Tessa stepped on the gas.

“Yes. If this man really was the mastermind behind all of this trouble, he needs to face some penalties for his crimes.” Tessa turned down a side street, then another. “I know a quick way to get there. It’ll be faster than taking the highway at this time of day.”

“Great, but try to make sure we get there in one piece.” Cassie winced as it felt as if the jeep might careen off the road when Tessa whipped around a corner.

“Relax, I’ll get us there in tip-top shape.” Tessa navigated through a few more turns and curves, then slid into the entrance of a large development.

A gold-embossed sign stood proudly surrounded by lush green grass, declaring the development “Sunset Valley,” despite the toilet paper that was draped all over it.

“A little Halloween prank?” Cassie peered at the sign as they drove past it.

“Kids never change.” Tessa laughed. “What was the cottage number again?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Okay, that’s going to be down by the pond.” Tessa turned down a short road, then nodded as she read off the numbers on the clapboard signs that hung beneath each mailbox. “Here it is.” She eased to a stop, then looked straight at the cottage. “And we’ve already been spotted. I just saw him in the window.” She looked over at Cassie. “Let me do the talking, understand?”

“Of course, Tessa. I’ll let you take the lead.” Cassie looked into her eyes. “Just let me know if you want me to pitch in.”

“I will.” Tessa stepped out of the jeep and walked toward the door.

CHAPTER 11

By the time Cassie caught up with Tessa, the door had opened, and a tall, slender man, who appeared to be in his seventies, stepped outside.

“May I help you?”

“Donald Mitchum?” Tessa ascended the steps to his porch. “I’m Tessa and this is Cassie. We need to speak to you about some associates of yours, please.”

“Associates?” Donald laughed. “That’s a fancy term. I haven’t had any associates since I retired five years ago.”

“This would go back a bit further than that.” Tessa locked her eyes to his. “We need to speak to you about your old business partners, Pip and Jim.”

Donald froze, then he frowned slightly. “I heard about that. But I have no idea who those poor souls were. I’m sorry, but you must have the wrong person.”

“I don’t think we do.” Tessa watched as he sat down in one of a pair of rocking chairs beside his front door. “From what we heard, you were running a business scheme with them.”

“What are you talking about?” Donald squinted at them.

“We know you ran the Ponzi scheme they were part of.” Tessa met his eyes.

“What exactly are you accusing me of here?” Donald leaned forward and stared at them both.

“We’re not accusing you of anything.” Tessa eased down into the other rocking chair. “You seem to be living a pretty good life in your golden years.”

“It’s not bad, so far. I’m hoping I have a few more to go.” Donald tapped his fingertips against the curved arm of his rocking chair and watched as Cassie paced slowly back and forth along the porch. “I know you two didn’t come here to hang out with an old man on his porch. And I didn’t know any Pip and Jim, so you might as well leave.”

“Are you sure? We wanted to know if you have any idea who murdered them?” Cassie turned to face him.

“How would I know?” Donald snapped.

“Maybe because you had a part in it.” Cassie tried to keep her voice even.

“What? What did you just accuse me of?” Donald stood up from the rocking chair so fast that it swung back and hit the wall.

“Why are you so angry?” Tessa stood up as well and edged her way between the two as Cassie took a step back toward the steps that led off the porch. “You say you didn’t have anything to do with their murders, so who do you think killed them?”

“I have no idea. All I know is I didn’t kill anyone. Not Penelope, and not Jim.” Donald smacked his hand hard against the railing beside him, causing it to quiver. “I would never do anything like that.”

“We never called Pip, Penelope, so if you didn’t know her, then how did you know her full name?” Tessa narrowed her eyes.

“The police must have mentioned it.” Donald shrugged.

“I’m certain they didn’t, because they haven’t even officially identified the bodies, yet.” Tessa settled her hands on her hips. “Forgive us for not assuming you’re some upstanding gentleman. You took advantage of people, you stole their life savings, and left them with nothing. So please, give up the innocent act. No one believes it. It’s time to come clean about everything you’ve done.”

“I was a good businessman. Is that a crime?” Donald took a step back and shook his head. “No, it isn’t. I didn’t force anyone to do anything. They all had a choice. Everyone knows investments are a gamble. They don’t always work out. Besides, I wasn’t the one who made those deals. Penelope and Jim are the ones who got the signatures and the payments. You might not think I’m innocent, but in the eyes of the law I did nothing wrong. That’s why I’m not behind bars.”

“Unlike Max.” Cassie moved toward him with cautious steps. “Who’s in prison for your crimes.”

“I never committed any crimes. And I didn’t kill anyone. I have nothing more to say. It’s time for you to leave.” Donald stepped back into the house and closed the door shut behind him.

“So much for letting me take the lead.” Tessa sighed as she descended the steps.

“I did. Well, I was trying to,” Cassie groaned as she followed after her. “I just couldn’t stand to see that smug look on his face for a moment longer.”

“The problem is, once you practically ask someone if they’re a murderer, it’s hard to get them to talk to you.” Tessa’s phone chimed in her pocket. She pulled it out as they reached the jeep and glanced at the screen. “Mark just texted me. Apparently, there’s some kind of commotion going on at Turner House. Do you want to go to the house and see what’s going on?”

“Absolutely!” Cassie jumped into the passenger seat. “And again, I’m sorry. I just wanted him to tell us what he knows.”

“You had perfect timing actually.” Tessa started the jeep and pulled out onto the road. “He was never going to tell us anything. But you did get a strong reaction out of him, and that led to us being able to confirm that he did know Pip and Jim.”

“So, what you’re saying is, I did a good thing?” Cassie grinned.

“What I’m saying is, you should have been more discreet, but you also confirmed Donald is a lead.” Tessa turned onto the main road. “Still, if I ask you to let me do the talking, I would appreciate it if you would do just that. I’m the one with the investigative experience, after all.”

“True, yes, I know you are.” Cassie looked straight ahead through the windshield at the flashing police lights flying in the direction of Turner House. “Wow! You weren’t kidding about there being a commotion. What do you think is going on?”

“Maybe they found another skeleton?” Tessa continued toward the house.

“Maybe. But I’m sure if there was another skeleton to find, the police would have found it during their search.”

“True. Maybe they found some kind of clue, but I don’t know why that would cause a commotion.” Tessa’s voice trailed off as the jeep rolled to a stop a few houses down from Turner House. She parked, then stepped out of the jeep, and walked toward the house. “What’s going on?” She glanced over a couple of police cars, with lights flashing, lined up in the driveway. Officers were spread out across both the driveway and the front yard.

As soon as Cassie took a step toward the house, one of the officers spun around and gave her a stern look. “Absolutely not. Oliver specifically said not to let you anywhere near this house.”

“What did he say about me, Bob?” Tessa smiled. “I’m not Cassie. I can take a peek, can’t I?”

“No.” Bob glanced back at the house. “I’m not getting in trouble for this.” He lowered his voice as a stern expression crossed his youthful features. “It’s a standoff. If I let you go past, you’ll both be in danger. Some crazy guy is holed up inside, and from what I’ve heard, he has people with him, too.”

“Holed up?” Tessa’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying this is a hostage situation?”

“I’m only telling you what I’ve heard. Now please stand back.” Bob’s voice became sterner.

“All right, no problem. I’m sure whatever is happening is very serious and you need to be focused on your job right now. But can you tell me exactly what’s happening, and then I’ll move on.” Tessa studied the front of the house where she saw a few people gathered on the lawn, all in various uniforms, one in plain clothes. She recognized Oliver even from a distance.

“All I can tell you is they’re getting the situation under control. We’ll be here until the scene is officially released. So, just go home. There’s nothing to see here, and you’re putting yourselves in danger.” Bob turned back toward the house.

“It must have been some kind of break-in.” Tessa glanced over at Cassie. “Like you broke in with Sebastian.”

“We didn’t exactly break in.” Cassie cringed as she recalled the way she’d convinced Sebastian to join her. “But yes, that would make sense. What doesn’t make any sense to me, is who would break in?” She cleared her throat. “Other than me, I mean. We were with Donald, so we know it wasn’t him. But again, what would be the motive for breaking in for anyone? The bodies have already been found, and why would anyone bring others into the situation?”

“You’re right. It doesn’t make much sense, so let’s go find out exactly what’s happening.” Tessa strode forward across the lawn in Oliver’s direction.

“Tessa, wait!” Bob hurried after her.

Oliver turned around and smiled at the officer as he held up his hand to stop him. He waved Tessa and Cassie over to him.

CHAPTER 12

“Ollie, what’s going on? Are there really people being held hostage in there?” Cassie pointed at the house.

“No. It’s Pip’s ex-husband, and their adult children. It’s been confirmed through dental records. It’s definitely Pip and Jim in that wall. I notified the family, and I guess they just showed up here and broke in. The neighbor reported it, and we arrived thinking there was some kind of criminal act happening. But now that we’ve sorted it all out, we can see that’s not the case.” Oliver glanced toward the patrol cars that had begun to leave. “The scene’s been cleared.”

“Wait. Pip’s ex-husband is in there?” Tessa’s eyes widened. “Have you talked to him?”

“Just through the door. He’s going to come out with the kids. He said they just wanted to have a look around the place. But when all the police cars surrounded it, he panicked.” Oliver looked back at the house. “Here they come now.”

“My hands are up!” A rotund man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped out onto the porch with his hands raised.

“Relax, Cole.” Oliver joined him on the porch. “Everyone knows there’s no danger here.” He looked past him at the young man and woman who hovered in the doorway. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Tessa and Cassie met eyes briefly as they stood to the side at the bottom of the porch and tried to listen in on the conversation without drawing attention to themselves.

“No.” Cole sighed. “I don’t even know what we were looking for, really.” He shook his head. “It just came as such a shock. All these years, I really believed she’d just taken off.”

“I told you she didn’t.” The young man behind him stepped all the way out onto the porch. “I knew she wouldn’t do that to us.” He draped his arm across a woman’s shoulders who looked a few years younger than him. “Arianna was too young to remember her, and when you said she’d left us, I knew it wasn’t true.”

“You did tell me that.” Cole looked at his son. “But you were only nine, Fred. I just thought you didn’t know her as well as I did.”

“I knew her better.” Fred’s voice wavered. “I only wish there was something I could have done to protect her.”

“To protect her?” Oliver asked. “Why would you say that? You were only nine.”

“I remember.” Fred pulled away from Arianna and crossed his arms. “Dad took us away because of Jim and Mom fighting all the time, but he wasn’t the one my mom fought with the worst.”

“He wasn’t? Who was?” Oliver took out his notepad. “Please, tell me anything you remember.”

“It’s been so long. It’s ridiculous, but I only knew him as Duck. I know that’s not his real name, but that’s how I remember him. I only saw him a few times. I know one time was here, in this house, and another was somewhere else, somewhere far away. We went for a long drive. Mom let me sit in the front seat. I was really excited. But when we got to this huge building, she seemed scared. She took us both up an elevator and into a big office, and Duck was there.” Fred took a deep breath. “He was screaming at her.”

“Do you remember what he looked like? What he said exactly?” Oliver asked. “It might really help the investigation.”

“Only that he was quite tall. He was saying something like she couldn’t get out of this. She kept telling him she was a mother and he should show compassion. But he just kept screaming at her.” Fred’s voice wavered. “Over the years I’ve wondered if I might have just imagined it or it was a dream or something, but it was so vivid.”

“Try not to think about it, Fred.” Cole patted his shoulder. “All that’s in the past now. The police will get to the bottom of this.”

“It never hurts to have some help.” Oliver looked straight at Fred. “Can you think of anything else that might be important.”

“No.” Fred shook his head. “I wish I could.”

“If you do remember, just give me a call. Small details can make a big difference.” Oliver looked between him and Arianna. “I’m very sorry for your loss. I know you haven’t had your mother in your lives for a long time, but finding out she’s dead must be very upsetting.”

“In some ways.” Arianna sniffled. “In others, it’s a comfort. I always hated her for leaving us. But now, I see she wasn’t given a choice.” She looked at Oliver. “I know it’s an old case. I know it may be very hard to find any leads. But please do everything you can. I barely had the chance to know my mother, but one thing I can do for her is make sure she gets justice.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to get to the truth.” Oliver gave a short nod.

Cassie and Tessa watched as Cole led his children away.

“I just hope I can get to the bottom of this.” Oliver looked at Cassie and Tessa as they joined him on the porch. “But she’s right. It’s an old case, and that makes it much harder to solve.”

“Well, I’m going to do whatever I can to find the truth. I want to find out exactly what happened to Pip and Jim inside the house.” As if to punctuate Cassie’s words, the front door slammed shut.

Cassie jumped.

Tessa gasped and spun around to face the door.

Oliver grabbed the butt of his gun and stepped in front of both of them. “Who’s there?”

“It’s no one. The same thing happened earlier. Either the house really is haunted, or someone has a strange sense of humor.” Tessa pursed her lips.

“I’d guess the latter. I’ll have the place checked again to see if something’s been set up to make it seem like the house is haunted. Can you go talk to Marybeth, please?” Oliver looked at Tessa.

“Sure,” Tessa agreed. “I heard she’s back in town.”

“She won’t talk to me. I tried, but she doesn’t give me any real information, but you might have a chance of getting something out of her since you aren’t a cop. At least not anymore. She was friendly with Pip and used to hang around this house all the time. She still believes it’s haunted.” Oliver pulled out his phone. “Let me know if anything comes up.”

“Will do.” Tessa nodded.

CHAPTER 13

Cassie sat in the passenger seat of the jeep and stared out through the windshield.

“Cassie, what are you thinking?” Tessa started the engine.

“I just got lost thinking about what it must have been like to find out their mother never left them after all these years. It’s life-changing, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.” Tessa turned onto the main road. “It sounds like Fred never believed his mother left. But having that confirmation, I’m sure, is very validating. Now, we just have to get them some closure. I’m not sure how much this detour will help with that.”

“Do you know much about Marybeth?” Cassie looked down at the directions on her phone. “She’s definitely a local.”

“Yes, at least she is again. She was very good friends with Pip. She believes in the paranormal, and she’s kept on and on about how Turner House is haunted.”

“How come I’ve never heard about her before?”

“She went and took care of her mother shortly after you moved here, but now that her mother has passed away, she’s back. I think Ollie suspects that she had something to do with the hauntings herself and might have a clue as to who killed Pip and Jim.”

“You mean he thinks she’s faking them?” Cassie recalled the way the door had slammed into Tessa’s backside. “Do you think she was inside the house, watching us?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her, but I doubt it. She might be trying to get people to believe her. But surely she wouldn’t risk it with the police all around, and I’m sure someone would have spotted her.” Tessa turned onto a narrow side street that soon changed into a dirt road. “I would think it’s more likely that someone rigged the door. And if she didn’t do it herself, and someone else did, she might know who did. She might hold a clue to all this.”

“Hopefully.” Cassie peered through the windshield. “She lives back here? It looks like nothing but trees.”

“She’s off-grid.” Tessa parked on the last inch of dirt road. “At least, her version of it. I happen to know she has power hooked up to her hot tub.”

“Well, that’s pretty essential.” Cassie laughed as she stepped down out of the jeep. “So, generally harmless?”

“Generally. I haven’t seen her recently, but I’ve never heard her raise her voice. But if she really is faking these hauntings, she isn’t exactly innocent.” Tessa grabbed a cake box from the back seat. She was glad she’d brought it with her in case it might have come in handy with their investigative endeavors, and she knew it probably would because she knew that Marybeth had a sweet tooth.

“You’re right. I read through all the posts about it, and they had me just about convinced. I didn’t even think about someone faking all those experiences, though. People making them up maybe. I guess I’m a little gullible myself.” Cassie gave a short laugh.

“There’s a difference between believing in something, and trying to force others to believe it in order to validate your beliefs. I’ll be the first to say I don’t know everything there is to know, and I’ve certainly been proven wrong more than once in life.”

“Where’s this place? Does she live in a tree house?” Cassie looked around her.

“It might as well be.” Tessa pointed through some thick trees. “Tilt your head to the side, and look up a bit.”

Cassie raised her eyebrows, then did as she was instructed. After a moment, she began to see wooden beams through the thick leaves. “Wow! It’s right here? I didn’t even see it?”

“She’s pretty good at hiding out.” Tessa grinned. “Marybeth? Are you here?” she called out, then shook a tree limb. An assortment of wind chimes that hung from it sent a smattering of musical tunes through the woods.

“Tessa? Is that you?” A tall, willowy woman pushed her way through the trees and stepped out to greet them.

“Yes.” Tessa offered her a warm smile.

“Ollie sent you, didn’t he?” Marybeth crossed her arms. “It’s because I won’t tell him everything I know about Pip and Jim because I know he won’t believe it.”

“Well, we’re here now.” Cassie offered her hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Cassie.”

“No, we haven’t, but I know all about you.” Marybeth grabbed her hand and gave it a shake.

“You do?” Cassie’s eyes widened.

“Sure, I know everything about everyone in town. I know you found the skeletons.”

“For you.” Tessa handed over the box of cupcakes.

“Thank you.” Marybeth opened the box, looked inside, and a smile crossed her lips.

“You’re welcome.” Tessa smiled in return, then her tone became serious. “We’re sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Marybeth cleared her throat.

“We wanted to know if you saw anything, or know anything that might help work out what happened to them,” Tessa said.

“You mean you want to know if I know who killed them?” Marybeth raised her eyebrows.

“Well, yes.” Tessa clasped her hands together. “Or maybe if you saw something that might be a clue as to who killed them.”

Marybeth took a deep breath, then nodded. “Come in. We can talk about it over tea.”

“Thank you.” Cassie followed her through the trees into a small wooden cabin. She glanced back at Tessa and noticed the sharpness in her gaze as she surveyed their surroundings. She sensed that Tessa didn’t trust Marybeth.

“Here, I just took the kettle off.” Marybeth put some cupcakes on a plate. “Help yourselves. I’ll get us some cups.”

As Marybeth rifled through her cabinets to find what she needed, her long dress swayed around her spindly frame.

Cassie took a deep breath and detected the scent of apple spice tea, as well as incense and scented candles. The entire kitchen seemed to be full of aroma and color, as if Marybeth had invited the surrounding woods inside. “I’ve read about the stories about Turner House. That’s why I went in there. I wanted to see what was really happening. Do you think it’s haunted? Or do you think the hauntings are faked?”

“Faked, or embellished.” Marybeth set down three teacups on the table and poured tea into each one. “People sometimes fake things unintentionally because they want so badly to believe.”

“So, what do you think happened to Pip and Jim?” Cassie met her eyes. “She left behind two children who deserve to know what really happened to their mother.”

“I know that.” Marybeth blew some air past her lips. “Of course I know that. I was very close to her.”

“Were you shocked to find out they’d been killed?” Cassie had a sip of tea.

“Not one bit. They had so many enemies. I knew she was dead, all along. I knew she would never leave without saying goodbye to me. And I believe they’re the ones who are haunting that place.” Marybeth picked up a cupcake and had a bite.

“Did you suspect anyone in particular of murdering them? Did you tell the police you believed they’d been murdered?” Cassie asked.

“Of course I did, but I couldn’t prove anything. I searched through that whole house because I thought I might find a clue as to what really happened to them, but I couldn’t find anything.” Marybeth leaned back in her chair. “It made me doubt myself and wonder if they really had just disappeared, and it gave me nothing to go to the police with.”

“So, you just let it go?” Cassie asked.

“No, I did what I could. I investigated as much as I could. But I could never prove they were murdered. No matter how many times I spoke to the police about it, they never believed me.” Marybeth grasped the teacup between her hands. “You know so many people hated them. I didn’t know Jim very well, but Pip always had the best intentions. She grew up very poor, and she just wanted to make sure her children never had to live the same way.”

Tessa wanted to argue the point that she didn’t have to rip people off in the process, but she didn’t want to cut off communication with Marybeth before she got more answers. “Did you ever suspect anyone in particular as Pip’s murderer?” Tessa continued to study her closely, curious if she might give a hint of being deceitful.

“I don’t like to accuse people of things.” Marybeth stared down into her tea.

“But you do suspect someone?” Tessa leaned closer to her. “You don’t have to accuse anyone. I know you have no proof. I’m just curious about who you suspect and why you didn’t pursue the person.”

“Her neighbor.” Marybeth looked up from her cup.

“Joe?” Cassie took a sharp breath.

“Yes. He was so angry about the land. I could definitely see him killing her. I was very upset one day, and I even accused him. But he laughed at me,” Marybeth huffed. “I couldn’t prove anything, so I just left it at that.”

“Did he say anything to you about what he thought happened to them?” Tessa met her eyes. “Maybe he let something slip?”

“Nothing. He just said they must have run away and I was imagining everything.” Marybeth finished off her tea, then looked straight at both of them. “But I knew deep down in my heart that Pip would never do that.”

“Do you know anything else that might be relevant?” Tessa searched her eyes. “What about Cole?”

“Cole was a harmless man. He loved Pip but she was too much of a loose cannon.” Marybeth shook her head.

“Did you invest in Pip’s scheme as well?” Cassie asked.

“No.” Marybeth pursed her lips. “I would have, but I just didn’t have the interest in it or the money. I don’t really have anything else to offer.”

“Well, thanks for your time.” Tessa stood up and turned toward the door.

“Yes, and for the tea.” Cassie smiled. “If you think of anything else, please feel free to reach out to us.”

“Sure, I’ll do that.” Marybeth followed them toward the door. “I hope you’ll find out who did this.”

“As do I.” Tessa turned back to face her. “I just hope you’re telling us everything.”

“Tessa, if I knew anything more, I would tell you.” Marybeth closed the door behind them.

“Well, that was interesting. She’s certainly a colorful character.” Cassie followed Tessa through the thick trees back toward the jeep.

“She is.” Tessa paused beside the jeep and looked at her. “And from what I’ve heard, she did invest in the scheme.”

“So, she’s lying?” Cassie gasped.

“Yes, I think she is.”

“Do you think she did it?”

“Not necessarily, I think it’s more likely she’s just embarrassed.” Tessa unlocked the jeep. “But anything’s possible.”

“It is.” Cassie climbed into the passenger seat.

“I didn’t want to push her more without seeing if I can find out if she was actually involved in the scheme first, and more details about her involvement if she was. But I’ll definitely look into her more, and I’ll find out one way or another.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Cassie buckled in beside her.

“Let’s go through what we know.” Tessa started the engine.

CHAPTER 14

“You know, these murders took place long ago, so there also may be a possibility the killer is no longer alive.” Cassie glanced over at Tessa.

“You’re right, that’s always a strong possibility in a cold case. But it doesn’t mean we give up.” Tessa turned onto their street, Little Leaf Way. “Even if they’ve already passed away, we want to find out who it is.”

Cassie nodded as she looked out the window at the houses they passed by. She spotted a familiar face just outside Tessa’s gate. Stephanie waved to them before turning back to coo at the goats.

“Stephanie, what are you doing here?” Cassie smiled as she stepped out of the jeep.

“I can’t let you and Tessa have all the fun. I did my best to help out. I made a list of all the people who said they’d lost money because of Pip, during my shift at the diner today.” Stephanie held up a piece of paper. “It’s quite long. Sorry, I couldn’t narrow it down more.”

“That’s okay, this is a huge help. Thank you so much.” Cassie threw some carrot pieces she always took with her to the goats, then took the list and began to read it over as she followed Tessa toward the front door.

The goats trailed after Stephanie, eager to get her attention.

As soon as Tessa opened the door, Harry bolted out to herd the goats away from the house.

“I’m not surprised there are a lot of suspects. They were scammed. Many out of their life savings.” Cassie settled into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and gestured for Stephanie to sit beside her.

“That would explain why someone would want to kill them.” Stephanie joined them at the table. “But something I’ve been wondering about is how did they kill them? If we’re assuming there was one killer, Pip and Jim were fairly young and healthy people. How did one person manage to kill them both?”

“Good question.” Tessa looked at her phone as it buzzed with a text. “I just received confirmation from a contact at the medical examiner’s office that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and they were dead before they were put inside the wall.”

“If they were killed by blunt force trauma, it sounds to me like the murderer must have had a personal vendetta.” Cassie looked down at the list she held. “Unfortunately, that could apply to any of these people.”

“Do we think it’s possible that two people were involved?” Stephanie sat back in her chair and looked between the two of them. “There were two victims. Maybe there were two killers?”

“It’s possible.” Tessa tipped her head from side to side. “But unlikely. I really feel like if there were two murderers, the victims wouldn’t have ended up in the wall. I think they were put in there out of necessity because the killer wasn’t capable of getting the bodies out of the house and disposing of them.”

“It does seem like an odd choice to make. But maybe the killer was used to doing construction work. Maybe it was an easy way to hide them,” Stephanie suggested.

“Okay, but even if that were the case, if we presume there’s one murderer, that brings me back to the point of how were they killed? They were attacked, but if there was only one killer, why would Jim or Pip just stand back and let it happen?” Tessa looked between them.

“Maybe they didn’t have a choice.” Cassie narrowed her eyes. “The killer didn’t have a gun. At least from the injuries and evidence, we don’t believe they did, but maybe there was something else that made them comply.”

“A different kind of weapon?” Stephanie asked.

“Or, leverage of another kind.” Cassie lowered her voice. “People will do some crazy things when their secrets are on the line.”

“Are you thinking blackmail of some kind?” Tessa snapped her fingers. “That may be it. So, who was close enough to have something terrible enough on Pip and Jim that they would do anything their killer said?”

“The ex-husband for sure. Their victims. They knew they were involved in the Ponzi scheme.” Cassie flipped her notebook open and began running her finger down the list of names. “We can’t dismiss how much a nosy neighbor can learn if they have a strong enough desire.”

“So, basically everyone on our list and more?” Stephanie laughed. “I don’t think we’re getting anywhere here.”

“Well, I think we need to stop focusing so much on the murder.” Tessa cleared her throat.

“What?” Cassie looked up at her. “What else would we focus on?”

“Part of the problem is we’re looking at this murder through our current perspective.” Tessa tapped the table with her fingertip. “But that’s not when the murders took place. Pip and Jim were killed a long time ago. I think we’ll find our answer when we dive into what was happening in their lives at the time they were murdered.”

“They were conning everyone they could,” Stephanie said.

“Actually, that’s not exactly what was happening.” Cassie’s eyes widened. “Their con was falling apart. Max had been arrested, Pip had gone to Donald to beg for a way out. She was desperate. She was scared.”

“Exactly.” Tessa nodded. “And, at the time, there was still a chance their victims would get their money back. But not if they were dead. So, we can cross any names off the list that stood to profit if they had their day in court. Or at least move them to the bottom of the suspect list. It’s still possible they’re the murderers, but it’s less likely. Maybe they didn’t think it through and just lost their temper.”

“Like Nicolas?” Cassie asked.

“Yes, like Nicolas.” Tessa nodded. “He had a strong motive, but killing Pip and Jim wouldn’t have benefited him very much, and I did some research and he has an alibi for the days around the estimated time of death. When they went missing. He’d followed his ex-wife in an attempt to convince her to come home, and she’d had him locked up for a few nights.”

“Hmm.” Cassie worried her bottom lip as she considered it. “Is it really as solid as it sounds? What I heard in his voice when we spoke on the phone, it was so angry.”

“I don’t think it gets much more solid than being behind bars. But I guess they could have been killed after we think they were. After they were presumed to have run away.” Tessa shrugged. “Your instincts are probably right. He might have ended up killing them if he’d had the chance. But it sounds like someone beat him to it.”

“Oh, you might be right.” Stephanie’s voice held a hint of excitement. “I would love to be in a movie about this. When I’m preparing for a role I like to put myself in the character’s shoes. Maybe if I do that now it will give me some insight.”

“That’s a great idea.” Cassie locked eyes with Stephanie.

“Do you know anything about her childhood or anything else about her past?” Stephanie looked between them.

“Just what Marybeth told us, presuming it’s true.” Tessa tried to remember what she’d said. “Pip grew up poor and wanted to provide for her kids. That’s why she tried to get rich.”

“Okay, so when I put myself in Pip’s shoes, I realize I was in completely over my head. She never went into this to cause anyone any harm. She just wanted to be rich. She grew up without much, and having kids and struggling probably triggered her fear of not surviving. She went on a mission to make as much money as possible, and didn’t even think about who would get hurt along the way.” Stephanie frowned. “Of course, I can’t know for sure, but I don’t think she didn’t want anything to do with her kids. She was trying to provide for them, which to her was the way to be the best mother.” She winced as she shook her head. “I think she had the best intentions and she never thought it could turn out so bad, and she was shocked the murderer turned on her.”

“That’s how the killer did it.” Cassie sat up straighter as she snapped her fingers. “They weren’t together when they were killed. I think Pip ran for safety, and ended up in the basement. And she was killed there, then the murderer waited for Jim to go looking for her.”

“That makes sense. It explains why Pip would be in the basement, how one murderer could have overpowered both of them, and why they were put into the wall.” Tessa picked up her phone. “Hopefully, Ollie will get the DNA results from the basement soon. Even though it’s been years, if they were both killed in there, there might be some trace DNA from the murderer as well.”

“That may not do much good, though.” Cassie sank back down into her chair. “Most of our suspects had a reason to be in that house, so their DNA being present can be explained away.”

“True.” Stephanie gazed at her. “Cassie, you look so tired, you should go home and rest a bit.”

Cassie clenched her teeth as she tried to hold back a yawn, then finally gave in to it. “Maybe you’re right. A good night’s sleep might loosen something up in this brain of mine. Right now it’s tied in knots.”

“I know that feeling all too well.” Tessa winked at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it all figured out.”

“I know.” Cassie tried to believe her own words.

After wishing them both good night, and saying goodbye to Harry and the goats with treats and pets, Cassie crossed through the gate that led from Tessa’s house to her own. She smiled at the sight of a dim light glowing in the living room. No matter how late she stayed out, Sebastian never left her with a dark house to step into.

Cassie thought about her late husband who’d been killed in a car crash and how different her relationship was with him compared to Sebastian. Their marriage had been a loveless one. He’d swept her into his wealthy life for his own benefit, and perhaps for hers as well. And they were never really together like she and Sebastian were. She was shocked at how different it all was. She’d gotten over the loss and focused on starting a new life in a new town in a new home and found unexpected love.

Cassie opened the door and stepped inside to discover not just the lamp left on in the living room, but her husband sprawled out on the couch in a valiant attempt to wait up for her. His subtle snores indicated he hadn’t won the battle, but to her the attempt was just as sweet.

Cassie took a few minutes to cover him up and make sure he was comfortable on the couch, then she went into their bedroom and got into her pajamas. Without having to worry about waking him, she began to pace and try to sort out what she knew about the murders. Already, so many years had passed, and now it felt a bit like they were grasping at straws. But she knew she had to do whatever she could to get to the truth. The suspect who kept coming up in her mind was Joe.

“Cassie.” Sebastian’s soft voice startled her from just behind her.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“I was waiting for you.” Sebastian wrapped her up in his arms. “I must have drifted off.” He kissed the top of her head. “Come, let’s go to bed, and you can tell me where your investigation is up to.”

“Okay. Although the people they defrauded are on the suspect list, they aren’t on the top.” Cassie walked over to the bed and hopped in, under the covers, beside him. “We’ve narrowed down the best suspects, and most are people who should have cared about her, at least at some point. They’re people who knew her, an ex-husband, the father of her children, her neighbor, someone she worked for. And I guess it feels a bit like we’re going around in circles. There’s no evidence, no clues. There’s almost nothing to investigate.”

“Something will come up. Let’s go to sleep, and tomorrow you’ll have a clear head and be able to sort through all of this.”

CHAPTER 15

At the diner, early the next morning, Cassie picked up a coffeepot and did her best to keep her eyes open. She’d woken up after a few hours and hadn’t been able to get back to sleep, so she’d spent most of the night looking through everything she could find about Turner House, Pip, Jim, and the scam they’d used to con so many people out of their money. The more she learned about Pip and Jim, the less compassion she had for them. She’d read through the complaints filed against them from people who thought they could trust them. People lost their homes, their cars, everything they owned.

With her eyes still blurry, she walked toward the nearest table, prepared to take the first order of the day.

“Oh, it’s you.” Joe sighed as he sat back in his chair. “Are you going to let me drink my coffee in peace?”

“Of course, I will.” Cassie filled up the coffee cup in front of him. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I know you went through a lot when Pip and Jim were alive.”

“Do you?” Joe stared at her. “Do you know the whole truth?”

“Tell me.” Cassie sat down across from him and smiled. “I’m listening.”

“You see, years ago, there was a dispute over the boundary between the two properties. They used to be owned by my grandfather, and there was some ambiguity about the boundary when he sold Pip and Jim’s house. When he sold the house to the owners before Pip and Jim bought it my grandfather had a lawyer draw up new deeds, so the boundary was moved, and more of the land belonged to the deed for my property. After Pip and Jim bought the house, they showed up at my house demanding I dig up my crop, which they claimed was on their land. I showed them the paperwork, and they laughed in my face. Said it was worth nothing. The land belonged to the title of the property they’d bought.” Joe’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “I went to the lawyer who’d drawn up the paperwork, and he admitted he’d made a mistake. It wasn’t actually legally binding, and Pip and Jim owned the land.” He sank back in his chair and shook his head. “I lost that part of the land that was rightfully mine. It wasn’t a small portion of land, and I was using it for farming. Not only did I have to admit I was wrong, but I had to endure the humiliation of them calling the police to supervise me destroying my crop.”

“Wow, that’s terrible, Joe. That was very mean of them.” Cassie tried to meet his eyes. “You must have been very angry.”

“I was.” Joe’s fingertips twitched against the table.

“You lived next door for decades. Your grandfather used to own it. You probably know every way in and out of that house?” Cassie sought his eyes.

“Yes, of course I do. I know everything about it. Why does that matter?” Joe had a sip of coffee.

“It matters because whoever went into that house knew enough about how to get in and how to get out, that no one ever saw them come or go. Or at least no one’s admitted to it. They knew enough to kill Pip and Jim and hide two bodies in the wall.” Cassie frowned as he began to sputter. “I’m not accusing you. I’m asking you. Who else would have known that much about the house? Who else knew it as well as you did? They might be the murderer.”

“I don’t know.” Joe sighed. “But it wasn’t me.”

“Maybe not, but you’ve watched that house rot for years right beside you. Did you go to the council and complain? Did you ever push for it to be sold? Did you ever do anything that would have helped prevent the disrepair it ended up in? Your own house looks so neat and tidy. It must have driven you crazy to watch Turner House deteriorate right beside you. Why didn’t you push for it to be fixed up?”

“I couldn’t be bothered?” Joe took a big swallow of his coffee. “I wanted the house to fall apart, hoping that I would be able to buy the property for cheap and get the land back.”

“Which is exactly what happened.”

“That land should have already been mine. I knew if anyone else moved in they wouldn’t let me have the space either. So, yes, I was glad it sat empty, and yes, the worse condition it got into, the cheaper the price I would have to pay. I just had to wait until everything was settled and the house was finally put up for sale. Now that we know there were two murders in the house, I should have waited. I’m sure I could have gotten it for less.” Joe raised his eyebrows. “Doesn’t that eliminate me as a suspect? If I’d known there were two bodies in there all this time, I would have told someone sooner, so the price would drop sooner, and maybe that would have meant that it would have been put up for sale quicker.”

“That makes sense. Of course, it’s also possible you hoped you could buy the house before anyone discovered the bodies, so that they would never be found.” Cassie stood up from the table. “Is that why you were so angry when I went inside?”

“You mean when you ignored the warning sign on the door and put your life at risk because you’re no better than a kid playing a prank?” Joe snapped.

“Why do you say that?” Cassie held his gaze. “Why did you mention a kid playing a prank? Have you caught one in there?”

“If I did, they knew better than to go in there now, and that’s all that matters.” Joe finished the last sip of his coffee, tossed a dollar down on the table, and headed for the door.

Cassie watched him go with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She’d just about eliminated him as a suspect. But the deceit in his gaze as he shot a sharp look back at her, made her rethink that. It seemed like a leap to go from being a disgruntled neighbor to a murderer, but Pip and Jim hadn’t just been con artists to him, they’d been thieves. Maybe Joe felt they’d broken what he thought were the rules by taking his land from him, and it appeared as if he was an avid rule follower. Was his sense of justice so black and white he thought he had the right to kill his neighbors if he’d felt they’d wronged him?

The thought remained on her mind as she finished her shift. Just as she took off her apron for the day, Tessa walked in the door.

“Oh, Tessa.” Mirabel hurried over to Tessa. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I just loved your cupcakes, and I wanted some and one of your cakes for Maisy’s birthday party next week, if possible. Your recipe is so delicious.”

Maisy was a teen who Mirabel had become the guardian of after her grandmother couldn’t take care of her anymore.

“Of course I will!” Tessa grinned. “I’m so glad you liked them. Coming from you, that’s such a huge compliment, you’re such a talented cook.”

“Oh, thank you. I need to work out what decorations Maisy wants on them, if any, but I’ll need about a dozen and the cake. Just let me know how much I owe you.” Mirabel smiled.

“Nothing, of course.” Tessa waved her hand through the air. “I’d love to make them.”

“But, Tessa—” Mirabel’s voice rose slightly.

“But nothing.” Tessa turned toward Cassie. “You ready?”

“Yes.” Cassie slung her purse over her shoulder.

“Thank you, Tessa.” Mirabel looked from Tessa to Cassie. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Absolutely.” Cassie hurried out of the diner with Tessa. “What’s up?” She glanced over at Tessa. “Did you find something new?”

“I think Mark might have. He invited us to his office for a meeting.” Tessa led the way to her jeep.

“Us, or you?” Cassie grinned as she climbed into the passenger side.

“Us.” Tessa buckled her seat belt. “Maybe he’ll have the clue we need.”

“I hope so. I spoke with Joe at the diner this morning, and I think he still needs to be on our list. I think he’s hiding something. Even if he’s not the murderer, I think maybe he knows something about who is.”

“I trust your instincts. If you say he should be on there, then he’s on there. But let’s see what Mark has to say.”

CHAPTER 16

Tessa turned into the parking lot of Mark’s office building and chose a spot close to the sidewalk. “Did you get any sleep last night?” She glanced over at Cassie. “You still look pretty tired.”

“Not a lot.” Cassie unbuckled her seat belt. “I kept going over everything. Trying to work out what happened to them.”

“Same. These cold cases can really be hard to solve.” Tessa hopped out and led the way up the steps to the second floor of the building. “Even after years of investigating, I’m still surprised by what I uncover.” She opened the door to Mark’s office and poked her head inside. “Are you here, Mark?”

“Come on back,” Mark called out from the inner office.

“The receptionist must be on her break.” Tessa gestured to the empty desk she walked past before opening the door.

“Tessa, Cassie, come in.” Mark walked over to them in a bright blue suit and pink tie. He opened his arms and enveloped Tessa in a tight hug, then he pulled back. He went behind his desk and sat down as he gestured for Cassie and Tessa to sit on the other side. “I have some information for you, but I need to know what you’re going to do with it.”

“What do you mean you need to know?” Tessa squinted at him. “What do you think I’m going to do with it? If it’s relevant I’m going to look into it, and then depending on what I find out, I’m going to tell Ollie.”

“No.” Mark’s sharp tone drew Cassie’s attention.

Tessa studied him. “No?”

“I know you don’t hear it often.” Mark narrowed his eyes. “But if you’re going to go to the police with this information, then I’m not going to give it to you.”

“This is crazy. If you know something, you need to tell me, right now,” Tessa snapped. “Out with it!”

“Absolutely not.” Mark glared back at her. “Tessa, I would expect you would understand that I’m making a request of you, I have a good reason. Why can’t you just trust that?”

“First of all, you’re not making any kind of request of me. You’re making a demand. You should know me better than that.” Tessa stood up from her chair and walked around the side of his desk until she reached him.

Mark leaned back in his chair. “Tessa, I do know you better than that.” His voice softened. “I just hoped that maybe you could give me some leeway.”

“Tell me why I can’t go to the police with this information.” Tessa placed one hand on his shoulder.

Mark sighed and curled his hand around hers, where it rested on his shoulder. “Because it will put someone I love at risk. That’s not something I’m willing to do.”

“Someone you love?” Tessa’s voice took on a higher pitch before she smoothed it out. “Who?”

“Like I said, I can’t.” Mark pulled her hand gently from his shoulder and continued to hold it. “I want to help you with this, but unless you can make me some promises, I can’t do that.”

“We won’t go to the police.” Cassie looked at Mark. “Just tell us.”

Mark kept his eyes locked to Tessa’s, though his words were directed at Cassie. “I’m not asking you, Cassie. You’re not the one who’s taken an oath. You’re not the one who’s carried a badge. I’m asking Tessa to give me some assurances.”

“And you think I’m going to let a criminal go free just because you fancy her?” Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Maybe you should consider who you give your heart to, and be a little more discerning.”

A faint smile crossed Mark’s lips as his other hand closed around hers, and he drew it close to his chest. “Sweetheart, it’s not like that.”

“Don’t.” Tessa pulled her hand free of his grasp. “None of that. Don’t call me sweetheart, or try to con me into doing something you know is against my moral compass. That’s what this is all about, you trying to get me to compromise on something you know I never will.”

“Tessa.” Mark sighed and ran a hand across his face. “I promise, it’s not like that.”

“If it wasn’t like that, then you would tell me the truth.” Tessa stared down at him. “You would trust me to do the right thing, no matter what you told me.”

“The right thing is not always as black and white as you make it out to be.” Mark held her gaze. “I do trust you, but this person is very important to me. You’re asking me to risk their safety and well-being.”

“All right, this conversation isn’t getting us anywhere.” Cassie stood up and looked between both of them. “Tessa, why don’t you head home? Mark and I will talk about whatever he knows. That way, he doesn’t have to worry, and you don’t have to be compromised.”

“No.” Tessa took a deep breath, then straightened her shoulders. “I’m not going to do that.” She settled her gaze on Mark again. “You’re going to tell me the truth because you trust me. If you don’t, then there’s no point in what’s happening between us, understand?”

“Tessa, are you really threatening to break things off if I don’t put someone I care about at risk?” Mark stood up from his chair, leaving only inches of space between them. “Don’t you see how unreasonable that is?”

“Don’t you see how unreasonable it is for you to tell me you don’t trust me when I’ve already risked everything by taking a chance with you?” Tessa’s voice wavered just enough to be detected.

Cassie’s heart skipped a beat as she witnessed a glimpse of vulnerability from a woman who usually only ever projected strength and hardness. She held her breath and wished she could disappear, as she sensed the gravity of the moment the two were sharing. As much as she wanted to know what would happen next, it felt like a moment that shouldn’t have an audience.

Mark winced, then ran his hand along the curve of his chin. His lips tensed into a stern line before giving way from the force of a heavy sigh. He looked into Tessa’s eyes. “I do trust you. The information I have is about my childhood friend’s son. We’ve been good friends for years, and I’ve been part of his life since the day he was born. I’ve done my best to look out for him and protect him. He’s in his twenties now, and I still would do anything to protect him. If I tell you the information I have, I’ll be putting him at risk of being arrested. Can you understand my hesitation?”

“Is he a murderer?” Tessa raised her eyebrows.

CHAPTER 17

“No, of course he’s not a murderer.” Mark held out his hands. “He was just a kid.”

“Just tell me.” Tessa held his gaze. “Just tell me.”

“Okay.” Mark took a deep breath. “Justin and his friends were hired several years ago to carry out some actions some may consider criminal. I had no idea, but when the bodies were found, he came to me because he’s worried about what the crime scene investigators will find in the house. Tessa, he was just a kid. He didn’t mean to cause anyone any harm. Do you really think his entire life should be ruined because of a few pranks? Devices to make doors slam and noises, things like that.”

“He and his friends are the ghosts?” Tessa nodded slowly as she considered his words. “So, someone wanted to make it look like the house was haunted? Who? Who hired him?”

“He won’t tell me. Or he can’t. He keeps insisting he doesn’t know. He says he and his friends were always paid through a cash drop, and none of them ever actually met their employer. They just thought it was some fun.” Mark took a deep breath. “But he still did a few pranks for this guy. Apparently, the last time he did something at the house was about a year ago. Before the windows were boarded up. He’s doing an audiovisual course at college and he loves that kind of stuff.”

“I know you’re not going to like this, but we need to go to Ollie,” Tessa said.

“Tessa, you said I could trust you!” Mark gasped.

“And you can. But I know Ollie is going to make this connection soon enough, and you’ll be better off if Justin comes in before that. If I bring him in, I can influence how Ollie handles this. But if he picks up Justin on his own, he’ll have no reason to hold back. Yes, you can trust me. I need you to keep trusting me, while I sort all of this out.” Tessa held his gaze. “Can you do that?”

“I don’t think I have much choice.” Mark sighed as he sat back in his chair. “I’ll arrange for Justin to meet us at the police station.”

“Will he actually show up, or is he going to run?” Tessa asked. “Mark, if he runs, it’s not going to look good for him. He might have been a young boy when these murders took place, but we still need to find the actual killer, and he might be our best lead.”

“He won’t go anywhere, not if I tell him not to.” Mark pointed at the door. “You go ahead. I’ll be there soon with him.”

Tessa looked into his eyes a moment longer, then nodded before she turned away and headed for the door.

Cassie caught up with her at the jeep. “Do you really think he’s going to bring him in, Tessa? He might just tip him off to run.”

Tessa settled in the driver’s seat. She pulled her seat belt across her body, then turned on the ignition. “I asked him to trust me, Cassie. I have to do the same.” She turned onto the main road and drove in the direction of the police station. “If he says he’ll bring Justin to Ollie, he will.”

“And what do you think Ollie will do? I doubt Justin’s the killer, but he’s been trespassing for all those years.”

“If Justin can help with the investigation, I’m sure Ollie will look the other way. He won’t break the law, but he’ll listen if I lean on him and he’ll use his discretion.”

Tessa turned into the police station and stepped out of the jeep. “What kind of person hires a bunch of kids to do something like that? And for so long?”

Cassie opened the door to the police station and held it for Tessa. “I hope Justin’s willing to tell Ollie.”

“Tessa, Cassie, over here.” Oliver waved them away from the reception desk to a short hallway just beyond it. “What are you two doing here?”

“Ollie, I’m going to need you to listen to me closely, please.” Tessa looked into his eyes. “Mark’s bringing his friend’s son in. He has some information about this investigation. But I’ve promised Mark we’re going to go easy on the kid.”

“What kind of information?” Oliver’s voice hardened.

“I can promise you, you’re never going to find out if you don’t cooperate.” Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Go easy on the kid, and he’s going to talk. I’m sure of it.”

Before Oliver could answer, the door to the police station swung open, and Mark steered a young man through it, into the lobby. Tessa recognized him from around town but had never met him.

“Uncle Mark, this is crazy.” Justin started to pull away, but Mark tightened his grip on his shoulder.

“You can trust Tessa, Justin.” Mark guided him toward the others. “I’ll be right here with you the whole time, too.”

“I’m Detective Oliver Graham. You and I are just going to have a conversation, okay, Justin?” Oliver nodded to Justin, then gestured down the hall.

“Not without me there.” Mark took a step closer to Justin.

“He’s not a child, Mark,” Oliver said.

“He came in as a favor to us, Ollie. You can be courteous.” Tessa’s tone hardened.

“All right, Tessa, fine, but just Mark.” Oliver nodded. “It’s a small space, so we can’t all be crowded in there. You and Cassie will have to wait outside.”

“No problem.” Tessa flashed him a smile.

As the three men walked off down the hall, Cassie glanced over at Tessa. “I’m surprised you don’t want to be in there with them to hear what’s being said.”

“Oh, we’ll be listening in.” Tessa led Cassie down the hall and through a door.

“Are we allowed in here?” Cassie hesitated as she noticed the Restricted Area sign on the door.

“Don’t worry. I may not be wearing a badge anymore, but I can still get around this place pretty easily.” Tessa flipped on a light to reveal a large window looking into the interrogation room occupied by Oliver, Justin, and Mark. “We can listen, too.” She flipped another switch just as Oliver crossed his arms and peered down at the younger man seated at the table.

“Justin, this isn’t a game. We need the truth about who hired you.” Oliver leaned over him, his gray eyes hard with determination. “Either you speak up, or I’m going to put you in a prison cell until you do.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort.” Mark launched to his feet. “He came in here voluntarily.”

“To confess to a crime.” Oliver shot a glare in Mark’s direction. “That you both want me to overlook. But I can’t do that, unless you give me a good reason.” He shifted his gaze back to Justin. “There’s no reason to protect someone who isn’t here protecting you, Justin. All your friends stopped working for this person years ago. You’re the only one who continued. Why is that? Do you really expect me to believe that it’s been years, and you never had any interaction with this person?”

Justin stared down at his folded hands.

“I should be in there.” Tessa stepped closer to the window. “Mark is going to lose it if Ollie gets any closer to Justin.”

“Relax, Tessa.” Cassie softened her tone in an attempt to calm her. “You can trust Ollie. He knows how much you care about Mark.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know that for sure. Ollie has always had a bit of a temper, and it takes a lot for Mark to lose his, but when he does, it can be explosive. This was a terrible idea. I’m going in there.” Tessa headed for the door.

“I followed him.” Justin’s soft voice drifted through the speaker on the wall.

Tessa froze, then turned back to look at the window as Justin continued.

“One time I hid out at the place where he dropped the money off. I stayed there all night. I wanted to know who he was, and why he was paying us to do these silly things. So, I waited until he showed up, and then I followed him.” Justin licked his lips as he took another breath. “Once I knew who it was, I knew I couldn’t tell anyone.”

“Who was it?” Oliver slid into a chair beside him. “If you tell me that, I promise, I’m not going to pursue any charges against you for trespassing.”

“If he’s willing to testify, you mean.” Mark crossed his arms as he stared at Oliver.

“If his testimony is required, yes.” Oliver kept his gaze on Justin. “This is your chance to turn all of this around. This person involved you in a crime before you were old enough to know better, but you’re plenty old enough now to know better, and you have been for years.”

“Justin, you tell him the truth because it’s the right thing to do, and I’ll make sure you’re protected. He’s right. This is your opportunity to ensure this mistake doesn’t follow you for the rest of your life,” Mark said.

Justin took a deep breath and looked straight at the mirror. “His name’s Joe.”

Cassie’s heart dropped as the name carried through the speaker. She felt as if her eyes had locked with Justin’s, though she knew he couldn’t see her.

CHAPTER 18

“Joe?” Cassie repeated the name as she looked over at Tessa.

“Well, he’s just bounced right to the top of the suspect list.” Tessa raised her eyebrows. “If he hired those kids to keep people away from that house, he had a very good reason.”

“I’ll bring Joe in.” Oliver stood up from his chair, though his gaze remained on Justin. “Do you think he’s going to tell me the same story?”

“I doubt he even knows I know it was him. He was always so careful. I always thought he did it just to creep people out. I didn’t really know what other reason he would have. But he always scared me, ever since I was a kid. He was always so stern, and he would yell at all of us if we went anywhere near his yard. I knew if I told anyone what he was up to, he would come after me.” Justin frowned. “So, I kept his secret. My friends stopped working for him, eventually, but I didn’t see a reason to. I had fun doing it. It doesn’t really cause anyone any harm, and I use different tricks I’ve learned over the years. Using remotes to slam the doors and stuff. Other things I’ve learned at college. The bit of extra money was good. But when I heard about the bodies, that’s when I realized why he told us never to go anywhere near the basement. We could go anywhere else in the house, but he told us never to go near the basement.” He glanced up at Oliver. “That means he did it, doesn’t it? I’ve been working for a murderer all these years.”

“But you didn’t know that.” Mark squeezed his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You had no idea. And he might not be the murderer.”

“Did he ever say why you should stay away from the basement?” Oliver asked.

“He just said it wasn’t safe. None of us ever dared to go down there anyway, because he might have been paying us to set it up so the place looked haunted, but that place was so dilapidated, it was spooky anyway. None of us wanted to go into the basement, trust me.” Justin shook his head. “If I’d ever suspected for a second that two bodies were in there, I would have told someone. I swear. It’s never right to murder anyone.”

“Let’s go, Justin.” Mark gestured for him to stand up. “I’ll expect signed paperwork indicating there will be no charges brought against him in this matter.”

“You’ll have it.” Oliver nodded.

Tessa stepped out of the small room to meet Mark and Justin in the hallway.

Justin met Tessa’s eyes as he walked past her. “Uncle Mark says I can trust you. I hope that’s true.”

“It is.” Tessa took Justin’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “You did the right thing here today. I know it wasn’t easy.” She looked up at Mark. “I’ll make sure all of the paperwork is done correctly. And you’ll be able to check it.”

“Thank you, Tessa.” Mark caught her hand and held it for a brief moment before he escorted Justin out of the police station.

Oliver stepped out into the hall and gestured for Tessa and Cassie to follow him into his office.

“It’s pretty clear Joe was paying Justin, and at one time a group of other juveniles, to trespass in Turner House and set devices to make it look haunted. But that doesn’t necessarily prove he’s the killer.” Oliver sat down behind his desk and rubbed his hand across his forehead. “Oh, and I did find out something else that was very interesting. Max was arrested and released on bail shortly before Pip and Jim vanished.”

“I never knew that,” Tessa said.

“It was only for a very short time, a day or two, then he had to face court, and he was found guilty and locked up again. He was offered a deal that would have lessened his sentence if he turned Pip and Jim in, but he refused. But now, I’m wondering if he’s the one who made them disappear.” Oliver snapped his fingers to emphasize his words. “What I want to know is where exactly he was when he was out on bail.”

“But here’s the thing I don’t understand,” Tessa spoke up. “Max was offered a deal to turn them in, but he didn’t. He then went on to be sentenced for the fraud. If he was so angry at them, why didn’t he just turn them in, instead of killing them? He might have even avoided prison. So, why would he kill them?”

“That’s a good question. It doesn’t add up that he would be the killer, but I still have to look into it,” Oliver said.

“So, Max was arrested for fraud, but he was released on bail very quickly. That doesn’t make much sense to me. Were things different then? Did the process happen faster?” Cassie asked.

“No, definitely not.” Tessa shook her head. “Well, in some ways it was different, but I wouldn’t say faster. But just like now, a good amount of money or an influential connection could make a big difference.”

“That’s true.” Oliver narrowed his eyes. “Max was arrested one day and released the next, though. That’s barely enough time to have an arraignment.”

“You’re right, which means he must have had some help. Can you tell us who bailed Max out? I know it was a long time ago, but I’m assuming there are still records you can access.” Tessa sat down in the chair in front of his desk and watched as he turned toward his computer.

“I can look it up. It might take a few minutes but I should be able to find it.” Oliver glanced over at Tessa. “How did your meeting with Marybeth go?”

Tessa shifted forward in her chair. “She pointed the finger at Joe, and she still claims Turner House is haunted.”

“She’s a little wild, isn’t she?” Oliver grinned as he shook his head and looked back at the computer.

“Maybe. But she wasn’t wrong. Someone really was haunting Turner House, it just wasn’t ghosts. I’m still shocked Joe would organize that. Of course, he probably won’t admit to it.” Tessa rubbed her hand across her forehead in an attempt to clear her thoughts.

Cassie smiled to herself as she noticed the way Tessa mirrored the same movement Oliver had made a few minutes earlier. There were times when, despite their lack of a genetic connection, it was clear they were family. Tessa had been good friends of Oliver’s late mother, Alice, and she’d taken care of him when Alice was sick, and after she’d passed away, and had been a mentor to him in the police force.

CHAPTER 19

“Ithink the fact that Pip and Jim’s bodies were in that wall is an important clue. Okay, they were murdered. There’s plenty of motive for that after what they did to people. But who would then make the decision to hide them in the wall of the house they owned?” Oliver glanced up at Tessa and Cassie. “Why go to all of that trouble? There are so many other ways to get rid of a body.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” Tessa spoke up. “It’s an odd way to dispose of the bodies. We were talking about it, and we think the fact the killer put them in the wall tells us there was likely only one killer. They didn’t feel capable of getting rid of two bodies. If they had a partner, things might have gone differently.”

“That’s true. I also think it tells us that the killer knew the house would be empty long enough for the freshly built and painted wall not to be noticed. So, that indicates that the killer knew people would assume Pip and Jim fled the country, and no one would access the house to search for them.” Oliver continued to scroll through the results on his computer as he spoke. “That makes me lean more toward the idea that whoever was involved believed they already had a plan in place to run, which makes me believe they really were going to run.”

“Oh.” Cassie sank back in her chair. “So, she was going to leave her children, after all?”

“Maybe she planned to take them with her,” Oliver suggested. “I was able to see that the kids both had passports at the time. But since Cole had custody that would have been very difficult to do without his approval. There are indications she planned to run. Her bank account had been emptied, and she’d made some recent purchases at the store which would indicate her intention to travel.” He froze as he stared at the screen. “Okay, that’s interesting.”

“What is?” Tessa attempted to peer across the desk at the monitor.

“It looks to me like it was Donald who bailed Max out of prison,” Oliver said.

“That’s surprising.” Tessa raised her eyebrows.

“It is. Donald seems very smart and professional. It’s not very smart and professional to use your own name to bail someone out, if you don’t want to be associated with the legal mess. You would get someone to do it on your behalf.” Oliver sank back in his chair. “Unless⁠—”

“Unless?” Cassie looked between him and Tessa as they locked eyes with each other. “What is it?”

“The only reason I can think that Donald would risk using his own name is if he needed Max back on the street as soon as possible. He was in a panic and didn’t think through the long-term consequences of his actions.” Tessa narrowed her eyes.

“Yes, exactly.” Oliver picked up a file from his desk. “I’ve combed through all of Donald’s financial details, and while it’s obvious he was engaged in fraud, there’s no actual proof I can use against him. He’s smart, and he’s careful. But when it came to bailing Max out, he was neither of those things.”

“I’d say he probably didn’t want Max talking, right?” Cassie shrugged. “He knew Max had a lot of information that could be used against him. Maybe he thought he would earn Max’s loyalty if he bailed him out fast enough.”

“It’s possible, but I think it’s more likely he planned to get rid of all the people who could testify against him,” Tessa suggested. “So, by getting Max out, he could kill Max, Pip, and Jim, in one go. But something went wrong and he or whoever he hired didn’t manage to kill Max. Maybe he was back behind bars before he could.”

“Maybe.” Oliver dragged his palm across the curve of his cheek and shook his head. “I don’t know, my instincts are telling me there’s something to this. I’m going to dig deeper into it.”

“Let us know what you find.” Tessa stood up from her chair. “In the meantime, what are you going to do about Joe?”

“Nothing yet. I’m going to follow up with Donald first.” Oliver began typing again.

“Wait. You aren’t going to arrest Joe? What if he’s the killer?” Cassie asked.

“Right now, I don’t have enough to arrest him, unless you want me to implicate Justin in the trespassing crimes. Although we all know Joe was very familiar with the house, there’s no actual evidence we have to prove he was ever inside the basement. I’m going to try to get a search warrant for his home. After so many years I doubt I’m going to find anything to implicate him, but maybe I will, then I’ll have a solid reason to arrest him and can hopefully get a confession out of him.” Oliver glanced up from his computer.

“We’ll leave you to it.” Tessa held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. She led the way out of his office with purposeful strides and headed straight for the parking lot.

“What now, Tessa?” Cassie caught up with her at the jeep. “You seem like you have a plan.”

“We’re going to speak to Joe, of course.” Tessa climbed into the driver’s seat.

“What?” Cassie pulled the passenger door open and hopped in. “Didn’t you just hear what Ollie said? We’re not supposed to go near Joe.”

“No, that’s not what I heard.” Tessa started the jeep and whipped out of the parking lot. “What I heard is that he wants to wait for a search warrant. But you and I don’t need a search warrant to knock on Joe’s door. Do we?” She drove toward Turner House. She slowed down as she reached it, and rolled slowly past it.

Cassie gazed at the still boarded-up windows and wondered how so much could be happening behind them that she’d never known about.

Tessa parked in front of Joe’s house, then stepped out of the jeep. “Joe’s been lying to us from the very beginning.”

Cassie joined her and looked at Joe’s small house standing literally in the shadow cast by the larger house beside it. “He didn’t just pay a few kids to keep potential buyers away from the house. He made sure no one would ever discover those bodies. He thought he was clever, and maybe he was.”

“It does seem that way.” Tessa sighed, then shook her head. “But at the same time, if he knew those bodies were in there, why would he risk having anyone in that house? He’s lived beside it for years. He could have burned it down, or done something else to destroy it, if he didn’t want the bodies found.”

“But burning it down might have actually revealed the bodies.”

“True.” Tessa nodded.

“He probably didn’t think through his decision to kill them, and then didn’t think through his decision to hide them in the wall. Then he was left with the task of what to do about an entire house to keep himself from getting caught. Think about it, Tessa. It all adds up. He wanted his land.”

“But doing this didn’t get him his land back, at least not until now. And think about this, for all of those years he knew they were dead and inside that wall, but he never once decided to start growing his crop there again? What sense does that make? If he killed them for his own benefit, how did it actually benefit him?”

“Hmm. I see what you’re saying. He didn’t stand to gain much, I suppose. But if he did know they were dead, maybe he didn’t start planting on their property again to keep himself from looking guilty?”

“Well, we’re not going to find out right now. His car isn’t in the driveway.” Tessa tipped her head toward the driveway.

“And I have to get to my shift.” Cassie glanced at her watch and winced. “About fifteen minutes ago, actually.”

“We can come back and try to speak to him later. I want to see what else I can dig up.” Tessa started toward the jeep. “After I drop you off. I’ve seen Mirabel angry. It’s not pretty.”

CHAPTER 20

Cassie managed to evade Mirabel as she slunk into the diner, tossed her apron on, and got right to work catching up on the coffee orders, while Mirabel was in the kitchen. As the door to the diner swung open, Cassie glanced up to greet the customer, then ducked behind the counter instead. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text to Tessa.

You won’t believe who just walked into the diner. Donald!!

Cassie straightened up and walked over to the table that Donald had seated himself at as he scrolled through his phone. “Donald. Can I start you off with a coffee?”

“Oh.” Donald put his phone down and looked up at her with a frown. “It’s you.”

“It’s me. I haven’t seen you in here before.”

“I’ve never been in here before. I have no business around here. I’m only here because that awful detective insisted I come in to have a face-to-face conversation with him. In this day and age no one needs to meet face-to-face. Everything can be done online. But, of course, he insisted. So, I’ve just had the most unpleasant conversation, and I’m really not in the mood for things to get worse.”

“Well, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.” Cassie did her best to get a look at the screen on his phone without much success. “Coffee?” She held up the pot.

“Yes, please.”

As Cassie poured his coffee, her mind swirled as she recalled what Fred had told her about Pip’s determination to get away. Did Donald need to ensure they couldn’t escape? Or maybe they were planning on turning on him? Did he have to silence them before they could? “You know, I have to say that I find something very interesting.”

“You do?” Donald added a teaspoon of sugar to his coffee and stirred it.

“Most bosses would have written Max off the moment he faced criminal charges, but you didn’t. You bailed him out.”

“I just wanted to do the right thing.” Donald picked up his phone and slid it into his pocket. “As someone with the means, I’m well aware that not everyone has the same access to things in life.”

“I’m surprised you did that. But that’s very kind of you.” Cassie tapped the menu in front of him with her finger. “I recommend the silver dollar pancakes. The apple cinnamon topping is delightful.”

“When Penelope disappeared, I felt that loss, too, you know.”

“Oh, so you were grieving her disappearance. And Jim’s?” Cassie flipped her order pad open.

“Yes, of course.”

“Are you worried Max will tell the truth about everything you and your company were involved in, now that the bodies have been found?”

“Do you mean the convicted criminal?” Donald chuckled as he shook his head. “I think you’re going to have to come up with a more reliable source if you want someone to badmouth me. He’s going to say anything he can to get himself out of trouble. But he was convicted for a reason. He’s the one who stole from his family and neighbors.”

“And you claim you had nothing to do with it? None of it was your fault?”

“Look, I’m successful. There’s no reason for me to feel guilty about that. I ran a great business, but unfortunately, some of the people who got involved in my corporation weren’t the most honest. That’s on them.” Donald grinned as he stared back into her eyes. “I did my best to vet everyone I got involved with, but in the end they were independent contractors, and whatever promises they made, or mistakes they made, those are all their responsibility. I offered spot-on investment advice, and I trained brokers to do the same. But that’s the end of it. What they do from there is completely on them.”

Cassie believed that whether he’d actually killed Pip and Jim or not, the reason they were dead was because of his greedy scheme. She wanted to accuse him more. She wanted to tell him that it sounded like every other pyramid scheme she’d ever heard of. She wanted to say that it doesn’t take a genius to bilk people out of their money, just someone with no moral standards. But she knew she couldn’t outright say that to him, especially seeing as she was working and he was a customer. “Can I get you something to eat?”

“A slice of peach pie.”

“Coming right up.” As Cassie walked over to the counter and put a slice of pie on a plate, her mind spun as she tried to think of what she could ask him, to try and find out more about his possible involvement in Pip and Jim’s murders without outright accusing him.

As Cassie started back toward him, a few customers walked into the diner. Cassie placed the slice of pie on the table in front of Donald and went to seat the diners. She planned on going back and trying to talk to Donald more. However, there was a steady stream of customers, and she didn’t have the chance to before she noticed Donald put money on the table for his order and leave.

The rest of her shift went by in a whirlwind. When it had finished, and Stephanie had arrived, Cassie did a quick handover, hung up her apron, and walked out of the diner trying to work out what her next step in the investigation should be.

CHAPTER 21

“Cassie!” Oliver called out as Cassie stepped out of the diner. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Max wants to speak with you.” He hurried toward her.

“He does?” Cassie raised her eyebrows.

“I think he finally wants to give us some information. If you’re willing, I’d really like to take you to talk to him as soon as possible.” Oliver put his hands in his pockets. “I’m not happy that you and Tessa went to speak to him behind my back, but now he wants to tell you something. I think he must have taken a liking to you.”

“Yes, I’m willing. Let’s go now.” Cassie followed him to his car and hopped in. “How fast can you get us there?”

“Let’s find out.” Oliver smiled as he pulled out onto the road.

During the drive to the prison, Oliver told her about a few developments.

“We did find DNA in the basement that matches what we have on file for Cole. However, since he was in the house quite often, that doesn’t really prove anything. And he admitted to being at the house on the day they went missing.”

“He did?”

“Yes, but it was in the morning. They were seen after that. From the timeline I’ve put together of Pip and Jim’s movements on the day I believe they disappeared, they arrived at home at separate times. We can only presume they were murdered then. Pip had a meeting with Donald in the afternoon, and Jim was with a client until almost dinner. Based on travel time, and a few witnesses, I place Pip at home at about five. So, there was around an hour between when Pip arrived and Jim arrived.”

“Maybe someone else showed up at the house during that time. But you have no evidence as to who?”

“No, I don’t.” Oliver came to a stop at the gate of the prison and displayed his ID along with Cassie’s. He was waved through. He parked and stepped out of the car. “I’ll come in with you, but if Max refuses to talk with me in there, I’ll have to leave you alone, but I’ll be watching. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Cassie took a deep breath, then walked through the door.

A few minutes later, she found herself sitting across from Max in a smaller room than before. Oliver stood behind her, and Max hadn’t objected to his presence.

“I need you to listen to me.” Max looked straight into Cassie’s eyes. “I’ve sat in this prison for years, counting down each day. Do you understand that? Each and every day, knowing that one day I would finally be free again. I know that your friend and the police aren’t going to listen to me, or care about that, but I thought you might. You seemed to care about what was happening to me. That’s why I asked to see you. I want to get out of here.”

“I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. But you’re also not the only one impacted by all of this. I saw Pip’s children today, and they want to know what happened to their mother.”

“The kids?” Max wiped his hand across his face and nodded. “I’m sure it was a little shocking for them.”

“A little?” Cassie furrowed her brows. “They were told their mother left them, now they know she never did, she was taken from them.”

“Believe me, she wasn’t the kind of mother you’re imagining.” Max’s tone hardened. “I don’t even know why she had those kids. She never wanted to be a mother. I think she mostly did it to keep Cole happy, and when that didn’t work, she was all too happy to leave them with him.”

“I’m sure she loved them. Mothers don’t always follow a cookie-cutter pattern. It sounds to me like you knew her best. Tell me more about her. Did she know she was ripping off her friends? Is she the one who introduced you to Donald?” Cassie leaned forward.

“She didn’t exactly know. Not at first. I think she really believed they would all make a profit. Yes, she introduced me to Donald, and he made everything sound so good. He was going to make money for everyone, change their lives, and we were going to be part of it. But he was just stealing everything from everyone. And when Pip realized how the scheme worked, all she cared about was her own profit.”

“So, what happened?” Cassie wanted to keep him talking.

“Donald was in charge of everything. She made a deal with Donald, so she could get a bigger cut of the money.” Max pursed his lips, then shook his head. “The more money she made, the more she wanted to make. She kept telling me this was finally our ticket to the good life. Then the people who had invested in the scheme became suspicious, and everything started falling apart, and she started getting into it with Jim. He was having a hard time conning everyone, and he was worried about prison.”

“So, who do you think killed her?” Cassie asked.

“I’m not saying anything else, not until I know I’m going to get early release. If you want my help to get the person responsible for Pip and Jim’s murders, then I want early release.” Max glanced up at Oliver, then looked back at Cassie. “It’s that or nothing.”

“I’ll run it past the district attorney,” Oliver spoke up. “If you’re willing to talk, I’ll do what I can to make it happen.”

“Really?” Max’s eyes widened as he looked up at Oliver again and nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s what I want.”

“Okay, I’ll reach out to your lawyer to confirm the final details. But only if you tell us now what you know about who killed them,” Oliver said.

Max wrung his hands together and closed his eyes. “You have no idea how dangerous this is for me to do.”

“Is it more dangerous than sitting behind bars?” Oliver gestured around him. “Because, I can assure you, the moment the killer thinks you’ve talked, even if you haven’t, you’re going to be a sitting duck in this place.”

“All right, listen.” Max took a sharp breath. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. But I don’t want to sit in here for months waiting to get out. I need to be released right away.”

“I can do my best to make that happen, if you give me good enough information,” Oliver said.

“Okay. Pip and Jim wanted to get out of the scheme, but first they wanted to get as much as they could as quickly as they could, so they conned Donald. They stole from him. They faked some paperwork and didn’t declare the full amount the investors were contributing, and they were keeping more and more for themselves.” Max shook his head. “They were so stupid.”

“Fred said he can remember Pip visiting Donald’s office around the time she disappeared. He indicated she was very upset.” Oliver looked into his eyes. “Do you think Donald found out what they were doing?”

“Yes, he did, and he was furious.” Max flinched.

“So, you think Donald killed them?” Cassie asked.

“I do.” Max nodded.

“You had the chance when you were arrested to turn Donald in, or even to throw Pip and Jim under the bus. But you didn’t. You kept quiet. Why was that?” Cassie asked.

Cassie watched as Max stared hard at the wall across from him. After a few seconds of silence he shifted his gaze back to her. “Because I understand loyalty.” Max smirked and shook his head. “I never should have trusted them and kept quiet. But now it’s too late.”

“It’s not too late. If you tell the truth about everything Donald was up to, you can make sure he pays the price,” Cassie said.

“I told you everything I can. If you want to prove Donald is a murderer, you’re going to have to do that yourself.” Max shrugged as he glanced at Oliver. “Please, you have to get me out of here.”

“We’re working on it. You say there’s nothing more for you to say.” Oliver took a step closer to the table and leveled his eyes on Max’s. “But I can tell you’re hiding something. When you’re ready to tell me what that is, I’ll come right back here to discuss it with you.”

Max gazed straight back at him, his lips tight and his jaw locked. After a heavy exhale, he shrugged. “You’ll find out when you get me out of here.”

Cassie followed Oliver toward the door. She’d expected him to push Max harder, but she guessed he thought he wouldn’t be able to get more out of him.

“So? Will that help at all?” Cassie turned to face Oliver as they walked down the hallway.

“It’s not enough for me to pick up Donald and question him again. Unfortunately, without some documentable proof that Donald had a reason to kill Pip and Jim, it’s going to be a struggle. Thanks for coming in to talk to him. I’ll take you home.”

“Thank you.” Cassie followed him to his car and got in. When Oliver dropped her off at home, she planned to go straight over to see Tessa, but her jeep was nowhere in sight, so she decided to walk to Turner House to see if she could have a look around. Maybe there was some proof there that Donald had done this.

CHAPTER 22

As Cassie approached Turner House, she noticed Tessa’s jeep in front of Joe’s house.

Cassie hurried toward Joe’s front door.

“Cassie, wait!” Tessa stepped out from behind a bush and caught her arm before she could mount the steps to the door.

“Tessa! What are you doing? You scared me!” Cassie pressed her hand against her chest and tried to catch her breath.

“I was waiting for Joe to come out, so I could take him by surprise and talk to him, but you just gave me away.” Tessa eyed her with frustration. “What were you thinking?”

“I thought you were already inside.” Cassie scrunched up her nose. “Sorry.”

“All right, you both might as well come in.” Joe stood in the doorway and gestured for them to join him. “There’s no point in skulking around out here.”

“Thanks.” Cassie smiled at him as she climbed the steps and continued into the house.

“We need to have a serious conversation, Joe.” Tessa followed after them.

“I figured as much.” Joe closed the door behind them. “So, get on with it. What are you here to accuse me of today?”

“We know what you did, Joe.” Tessa paused beside him and looked into his eyes. “It’s pretty terrible to hire kids to make a place appear haunted.”

Joe’s eyes flew wide open. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t deny it. It just makes you look more suspicious,” Tessa said.

“How did you find out?” Joe blurted out.

“It doesn’t matter how. We know now. So, how long did you think it would work to scare people away from the bodies?” Cassie pursed her lips.

“What?” Joe shook his head and took a step back. “No, absolutely not. That’s not what happened!”

“Isn’t it? What other reason could you have for doing that?” Tessa asked.

“I just didn’t want anyone to buy the house. I wanted my land back, no matter how long it took. If someone else bought it, I knew I would be out of luck. I kept waiting until it was put up for sale, and the price dropped enough, and I had enough money to buy it.” Joe sighed. “I know it was foolish. But it didn’t really cause any harm, did it?”

“It sounds like a bunch of lies to me.” Tessa gave a short laugh. “Did you kill Pip and Jim?”

“It wasn’t me. Of course it wasn’t me. They might have been terrible neighbors, but I didn’t want them dead. Why aren’t you looking at the person who actually attacked Jim?” Joe snapped.

“What do you mean? Who?” Cassie stared at him. “We don’t know anything about that.”

“I saw it myself. The morning of the day they went missing. There was a truck that pulled up outside the house. It had supplies in the bed. I’d been waiting to speak to them, so I noticed it, and I was curious about the tools and supplies. I thought it was odd that they would hire someone to come work on the house with everything that was going on. So, I went up to the door and listened in. It was Pip’s ex-husband, Cole. He and Jim were just inside the door, so I could easily hear them.”

“They were arguing?” Cassie asked.

“Yes, fiercely. Jim was saying Pip had a right to her children, and Cole kept shouting he had custody, and that wasn’t going to change. At some point Pip joined in, and she actually started crying. I’d never heard her cry before. She said that she had no choice but to leave, and she couldn’t stand the thought of going the rest of her life without her children. Cole shouted something like that she should have thought about that before she made such a mess of her life, and that’s when it happened.”

“That’s when what happened?” Tessa leaned closer.

“That’s when Jim punched Cole. Then I heard Cole punch him back. I took off after that.”

“You’re sure it was Cole?” Tessa took a step closer to him. “It couldn’t have been anyone else?”

“No, I know it was Cole. The previous day I was in my garden, and I had overheard Pip telling Jim that Cole would be helping them with some repairs in the house. I assumed that was what the supplies were for. When Pip and Jim disappeared, I figured she’d made good on her plans to run off.” Joe shrugged. “The why and how wasn’t my business. I just wanted my land back. If you want me arrested for that, feel free to get Oliver over here to do that. Until then, you two should stay off my property. The last thing I need is more people out to get me.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be here soon enough.” Tessa nodded at him. “You should have told the police all of this from the beginning.”

“I’ll do just that, when someone proves to me that they’re trustworthy.” Joe shooed them out through his door and slammed it closed behind them.

“How interesting that Cole never said a word about that fight. At least from what we know, he didn’t.” Cassie followed Tessa down the sidewalk in the direction of the jeep. “I think it’s pretty clear he didn’t say anything about it because he was involved in their murders. And he had all the tools and supplies he needed to hide them in the wall.”

“You’re right, it does all fit together. But it’s also pretty interesting that Joe didn’t mention this until now. He could have told us or the police about this a long time ago.” Tessa opened her jeep door. “I know Cole is staying in town with family. We’ll head over there now and see what he has to say about it.”

“I’m not sure why Joe didn’t tell us before. Maybe he only said something now, because he’s become such a good suspect, and he wants to divert suspicion away from himself. Max definitely pointed his finger at Donald, but he didn’t witness the fight between Jim and Cole.”

“Do you really think Cole killed them to keep them from taking the kids?” Tessa looked out through the window as they drove along. She guessed if he was really scared Pip would take their children, that would cause enough anger for him to kill them both.

“I don’t know. I think right now we should focus on what we do know.” Cassie explained what happened at her and Oliver’s meeting with Max.

“Interesting.” Tessa nodded. “So, she was conning Donald. We know that she, at one point, at least, went to Donald’s office, as her son recalls, and seemed to be very frightened, maybe even begging for her life.”

“From what Max said Donald had caught her stealing from him, which gives him motive.” Cassie glanced over at her.

“Yes, that makes sense. Pip was upset, and she said she had no choice but to run. Donald must have been ready to cause her harm, and she knew it. She might not have been the best mother, but I’m sure she wanted no harm to come to her children. Maybe she thought she had to run and take them with her. But I’m not ready to let Joe off the hook, especially after he waited until now to tell us about this. I don’t think Joe had much motive to actually kill them, but he could have easily lost his temper and did it without planning it. He’s a farmer who takes care of his own property. He would know how to patch up a wall. Maybe he wanted to make sure they paid for making him suffer.”

CHAPTER 23

Tessa turned into the driveway of a large three-story house. “Let’s see what Cole has to say about Joe’s accusation.” She parked and quickly stepped out of the jeep.

Cassie trailed a few steps behind her as she approached the house. She assessed the large, well-maintained house and wondered if it might be hiding a murderer. Of all of the motives the suspects might have, she believed the desire to protect your children was probably the strongest.

After a quick knock, Cole answered the door. He cringed at the sight of them, then stepped outside. “I already told Oliver everything I know. You were there, you heard it all.” He pulled the door closed behind him. “I don’t want the kids getting upset, again. They may be adults now, but this has stuck with them since they were just little ones.”

“I understand, and I don’t want to upset them, either. However, I don’t believe you’ve revealed everything you know about the last day you saw Pip.” Tessa squinted at him.

“What are you talking about?” Cole glared at Tessa. “I’ve told the police everything, answered all of their questions. I’m doing everything I can to help.”

“Except you left out the part about how you got into a huge fight with Jim, the day he and Pip were likely killed.” Tessa crossed her arms.

Cole looked away as his cheeks flushed. “That’s not exactly what happened.”

“Isn’t it?” Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Your truck was outside their house. Someone heard you arguing with them. They heard Jim threaten you. They heard you punch each other.”

“Yes, he punched me. And I hit him back.” Cole held up his hands. “It wasn’t my proudest moment. But you have to understand, he was always such an angry man. Shouting at me. Arguing with Pip.” He winced. “I didn’t divorce Pip because I didn’t love her. I did it because she was making terrible choices, and I couldn’t let my children live like that. I loved her and she fell in love with Jim, and yes, it upset me. So, when he had the nerve to punch me, I guess I just lost it and went back at him.” He shook his head. “I sank to his level. I’ve been ashamed of it ever since.”

“You did more than that, though, didn’t you?” Tessa leaned against the wall as she watched him. “You went there because Pip had let you know she and Jim were leaving the country, and she wanted to take the kids with her, didn’t she?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” Cole shook his head.

“I understand that. But it needs to be spoken about because there have been two murders.” Tessa stood up from the wall and strode toward him. “You told your children all of their lives that their mother abandoned them, that she didn’t want them. But that was a complete lie.”

“She was out of her mind.” Cole glared at Tessa with rage in his eyes. “She thought I was going to let her take my children out of the country with her. I would never have seen them again.”

“She wanted to protect them.” Tessa hardened her tone. “She knew that her life was in danger, and that whoever was after her might come after her children, too. She wasn’t just leaving the country to protect herself. She was doing it to protect them, too.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Cole’s voice cracked with grief as he stepped back. “She’d lied to me so many times. Nothing she said made sense. I couldn’t just let her take my children from me.”

“So, you made sure she couldn’t.” Cassie shrugged. “You claim you were still in love with her, but she chose to be with a man who always argued with her, and then she wanted to steal the kids, you were practically raising on your own, from you. You had to be outraged, and maybe terrified that she would actually take them from you. So, you did what you had to do to protect them. You made sure Pip could never have them.”

“No, no, no.” Cole clenched his hands into fists. “I didn’t do that. I would never do that.”

“You had tools and supplies in your truck. You had the know-how. You had the motive. You made sure Pip could never hurt you again and that Jim would never punch you again,” Tessa said.

“No, I didn’t hurt her. I loved her. Didn’t you hear me?” Cole swallowed thickly. “I loved her so much. I would have done anything for her. If she’d asked me to kill Jim, I probably would have done it. But she didn’t. She told me to leave. She chose him again, and that’s when I knew. I knew she never really loved me, and fighting for her was pointless. So, I left the house, picked up the kids, and went to my lawyer’s office. I sat there for hours until he had an opening, and we spent over an hour going over our custody agreement until I felt absolutely certain she couldn’t take the kids from me. Then I took my kids, and I went to my parents’ house, so that she couldn’t just steal them from me. Even if Pip was a good mother, which she just wasn’t, do you really think I would let my children live with someone like Jim? Do you think I would want them involved in their deceitful lives?”

“Having your lawyer as an alibi isn’t the strongest alibi at all. You could have killed them after you went to see your lawyer,” Tessa pointed out.

“I didn’t, and it’s the only alibi I have.” Cole held out his hands. “I did what I had to do to protect my children, but that didn’t include killing anyone.”

“Then tell me what do you really think happened to Pip? Don’t you even care?” Tessa asked. “There must be some part of you that wants her killer behind bars.”

“I absolutely want her killer behind bars. That’s why I came here when she was found. That’s why I’ve stayed here throughout this investigation. All this time I’d believed Pip was out there living a good life, but now to find out she’s been dead... I don’t know. I used to be so angry at her. But I think I’d rather be angry at her than to have to grieve her.” Cole took a shaky breath. “Please, all of this is so upsetting, and I’m just trying to help my children through it. I know you don’t believe me, but I had nothing to do with their murders.”

“You really expect us to believe that after Jim punched you, you just walked away?” Tessa sought his eyes.

“That’s not what happened. He punched me, and I punched him back. Then I walked away. I’ve never thrown a punch before in my life. When he brought that out in me, I knew I couldn’t be around either of them anymore. I didn’t want to be that person.” Cole sighed. “I should have texted her, checked on her, or something. But I was so hurt that she just stood there and let him hit me, that she had nothing to say about it other than to tell me to leave.” He took a step back into the house. “I don’t have anything more to say about it, either. I’ve told you everything I know. Go look for the real murderer.” He closed the door.

Cassie turned back toward the jeep. “Do you believe him?”

“I’m not sure.” Tessa looked at her phone. “Mark just sent a text. He said he could only find that Marybeth invested a very minimal amount of money in the scheme.”

“So, she goes way down on the suspect list.”

“She does. Back to Cole. He did have a lot to lose if Pip took off with the kids—” Before Tessa could continue, her cell phone rang. “It’s Ollie. I’ll put it on speaker.” She answered as she stepped back up into the jeep. “Ollie, Cassie’s here, too. We just spoke with Cole briefly. It turns out he and Jim had a fistfight before Jim disappeared.”

“That’s good information. I’ll definitely look into that. But I have some news for you. Max has been released from prison.”

CHAPTER 24

“What do you mean Max has been released? How did that happen so quickly?” Cassie buckled her seat belt.

“Well, I guess that favor I called in for him was a little bit more influential than I expected, so he’s being released right away, thanks to the pressure from his high-powered lawyer,” Oliver said.

“High-powered lawyer? How did he get a high-powered lawyer? He’s been in prison for years. How could he afford that?” Tessa started the jeep.

“Apparently, he’s not the one paying for it. In fact, from what I understand, Donald is the one who’s paying for his lawyer,” Oliver explained.

“Wait a minute, so Donald is getting him out of prison? Why would he do that? Max could turn him in as being involved in the scam and have proof against him? And implicate him in Pip and Jim’s murders? Why would he work so hard to get him out, especially as he seems ready to testify against him?” Cassie shook her head. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I think it might be because Donald suspects Max was going to say something to implicate him. Which he did in order to get this deal. He just didn’t tell us enough to be able to arrest him.” Oliver took a deep breath. “So, now I’m concerned about Max’s safety, because if he’s free, that means Donald can get his hands on him, and Donald probably killed Pip and Jim when he found out they were stealing from him and were going to turn him in. I think he bailed Max out all those years ago because he’d planned to get rid of him then, too.”

“Yes, I can see that Max is in a huge amount of danger. Do you know where he is?” Tessa asked.

“Unfortunately, no, I don’t. He was released before I was notified. The guard wasn’t sure if someone picked him up. So, now I’m just going to have to hunt him down in order to protect him,” Oliver said.

“Something feels really off.” Tessa shook her head. “Max didn’t tell you as much as he could have to protect himself from Donald. He knew Donald was trying to get him out of prison, so why wouldn’t he tell you more in order to make sure you would keep him safe?”

“Maybe he didn’t know Donald was trying to help him get out,” Cassie suggested.

“That’s possible.” Tessa nodded. “Now your focus needs to be on finding Max.”

“Exactly. I’m doing everything I can to locate him. I know you’ll never stay out of this, so if you come across him, please tell me.” Oliver ended the call.

“This isn’t good.” Tessa looked over at Cassie. “There might be another murder shortly.”

“We can’t let that happen. We have to find Max,” Cassie said with determination.

“Unfortunately, I really have no idea where he would go. Other than Pip and Jim’s, he didn’t have any local connections as far as I know. He can’t leave the area until his final paperwork has been taken care of, and if he’s on parole, he’ll have to stay in the area, so maybe he’s staying in town, but I have no idea where.”

“Well, if Donald’s the one who bailed him out, I would say he might have picked him up from prison, or he’s going to meet up with him. So, let’s start there. Let’s work out where Donald is. If we can figure that out, then we might be able to work out where Max is.” Cassie pulled out her phone. “I doubt he’ll be meeting with Max at his home, so let’s see if we can find out if he owns other properties where they might meet up at, or if he has a favorite place he likes to go. I’ll check his social media, and we can figure it out from there.”

“Cassie, that’s a great idea.” Tessa pulled out her own phone. “And I have another resource we can use as well.”

“Are you talking about Mark?”

“Yes, if he can help us out in this situation, I’m going to take advantage of his knowledge and resources.”

“Okay. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help.” Cassie smiled.

As Tessa stepped out of the jeep to discuss things on the phone with Mark, Cassie turned her focus back to her phone as she tried to find out where Donald was.

Tessa ended the call and looked over at Cassie. “Mark is going to reach out to his connections and see if he can find Donald and get back to us.”

“Max might really be in danger. I don’t think we should wait until we find Donald. Mark might come up with nothing. I think we need to try to bring Donald to us.”

“That’s clever, Cassie. But how are we going to do that?”

“If we really think he’s the killer, let’s bait him. Let’s tell him we found something at Turner House, something very important, and we need him to look at it. If he’s the killer, he won’t be able to resist coming to see what it is.” Cassie had already begun typing out a text. “We have to act fast. He could already have Max in his grasp, since he or one of his associates might have picked him up from prison.”

“All right, good idea. I’ll start driving over to Turner House. Let me know when you hear back from him.” Tessa climbed into the driver’s seat and turned out onto the main road.

“He texted back already.” Cassie looked at her phone. “He said he’s already there, and to meet him there.”

“He’s at Turner House?” Tessa stepped on the gas. “That might mean Max is there, too.”

“Tessa, wait. Something doesn’t feel right.” Cassie frowned.

“There’s no time to wait. If he has Max, I promise you, he’s not planning to keep him alive for very long.” Tessa whipped onto the next street. “Try to keep him talking.”

Cassie exchanged a few more texts with him, until Tessa pulled up to the front of Turner House.

“He said he was here, but I don’t see a car.” Cassie stepped down from the jeep and surveyed the house.

“No, I don’t, either. But he might have parked down the street. Let’s see if he’s inside.” Tessa walked up to the door and pushed it open.

Cassie followed her, though her heart pounded. Alarm bells rang in her mind. Were they walking into a trap?

“Donald?” Tessa called out as she stopped a few steps into the house. Due to the boarded-up windows it was mostly dark inside.

“Down here!” Donald’s voice drifted up from the basement.

Tessa led the way to the basement door. She pointed the flashlight on her cell phone down the makeshift stairs. “Donald, what are you doing down there?”

“Come down and see.” Donald pointed a flashlight he held at the hole in the wall. “I’ve found something very interesting.”

Tessa glanced at Cassie, nodded reassuringly, then made her way down the steps.

As Cassie followed her, her stomach twisted into knots. Like Tessa, she wanted to see what Donald had to show them, but something felt wrong.

“What is it?” Tessa peered at him.

“A way to clean this all up.” Donald turned to look at them both and held up a small black cylinder with a red button on top.

“Donald, what are you doing?” Cassie gasped.

“What I should have done a long time ago. I’m cleaning up this mess, and solving a problem right along with it.” Donald stepped around them to the stairs. “This house has been standing long enough. I’ve put small explosive devices all around it. It’s already very weak and ready to collapse. I’m just helping it along.” He climbed the steps as he spoke.

Tessa started to lunge toward him.

“No, don’t!” Donald waved the device in the air. “If I push this button, it all comes down, now. Do you really want to give yourselves absolutely no chance to escape? If I don’t press it, you’ll have a few minutes to figure out how to get out of here before the timer goes off. So really, it’s your choice. I just wanted to give you a fighting chance.”

“Donald, stop!” Tessa glared at him. “You can’t do this! You’ve already killed two people. Don’t add two more murder charges to your future!”

“I haven’t killed anyone, Tessa, not yet.” Donald grinned. “And trust me, I’m never going to be arrested.” As he stepped into the kitchen, he glanced back at them. “You can try to escape if you want to, but I’m pretty sure you’re not going to make it.” He slammed the door shut.

The sound of the lock clicking sent a shiver down Cassie’s spine. “Tessa, we have to get out of here!”

“Hold on, I’m calling Ollie right now.” Tessa gasped as she stared down at her cell phone. “I don’t have any service. Nothing!”

“Me, neither.” Cassie raced up the stairs. She tugged hard on the knob on the door. “It’s not budging.”

“He’s made sure we can’t get out.” Tessa’s eyes roamed the small basement. “There’s no way out, Cassie. There’s no point in wasting your energy, so stop trying to break the door down.”

“How can you be so calm? If what he said is true, this whole house is going to come down on top of us!”

“If it’s true.” Tessa shrugged. “We don’t know that it is.”

“Why else would he leave us here?” Cassie climbed down the stairs. “Tessa, please! We have to get out of here!”

The click of the lock on the basement door drew their attention before the door suddenly burst open. The silhouette of a man stood above them.

“Who’s there?” Cassie squinted up through the darkness in an attempt to see his face. “Sebastian? Ollie?”

“It’s neither of them.” Tessa gasped as she stared up at the man. “Max, what are you doing here?”

CHAPTER 25

“Oliver worked his magic. He got me released from prison right away.” Max took each step slowly and carefully until he reached the concrete floor. “And I had a little help from a great lawyer.”

“You have to help us get out of here.” Cassie took a step toward him.

“You aren’t going anywhere. I can’t let you tell the police you saw me here.” Max stood at the bottom of the stairs, blocking them.

“Don’t, Cassie. Don’t get any closer to him.” Heaviness filled Tessa’s stomach. Cassie locked eyes with Max and recognized the emptiness there for the first time.

“You have to let us out of here,” Cassie pleaded. “The place is going to collapse.”

“What are you talking about?” Max squinted at them.

“Donald rigged the house to blow up.” Tessa tried to keep her voice even. “He put small explosives all throughout it. You have to get out now, or you’re going to get buried under it, just like us!”

The click of the lock sliding into place sounded through the room.

“What?” Max spun around and started up the steps. When he reached the door he tried the knob which didn’t turn. “It’s locked.”

“Donald conned you again. He’s going to get rid of all of us.” Tessa watched as Max started slowly back down the stairs. “It’s not Oliver’s magic that got you released from prison so fast. Donald is the only one with the kind of influence and funds to make a miracle like that happen.”

“He did. But why?” Max’s eyes clouded with confusion.

“He doesn’t want anyone left alive who can turn on him. He wants to get rid of you, like he got rid of Pip and Jim,” Cassie said.

“But he didn’t.” Max worried his bottom lip.

“What do you mean?” Cassie’s mind spun.

“It was you.” Tessa’s eyes widened. “You killed them?”

“I didn’t want to, but I had no choice.” Max’s voice trembled.

“Why?” Cassie shuddered. “You might as well tell us. We aren’t getting out of here.”

“Pip and Jim threw me under the bus. They were going to leave me. I needed their help. I was facing prison, but instead of even thinking about me, they were planning to run. I had no idea I was just a pawn in their plan. Pip told Donald it was my idea to steal from him. That I’d stolen most of the money.” Max pointed at himself. “She was going to let me take the fall for everything, so she could take off and start her new life. I always considered us more like siblings than cousins. But apparently she didn’t feel the same way. None of them understood loyalty. But I didn’t find that out until it was too late. Pip was all I had. And when I asked her if I could go with her, she laughed in my face. She told me I would be going to prison for years, and it wasn’t her fault I’d gotten caught.”

“That was a horrible thing to say to you.” Cassie tried to steady her heartbeat. She wanted to know the whole story, but as she listened, she was trying desperately to think of a way to get out of there.

“It was.” Max sighed. “I didn’t want to kill her, but she just made me so angry with the way she was laughing at me. I grabbed a pipe from the ground and I just started hitting her. I thought she was still laughing.” His voice broke. “I didn’t realize she’d started screaming, and then she stopped.”

“And when she did, you knew what you had to do.” Tessa moved closer to Cassie. “You knew Jim would accuse you. You knew he would tell the police everything about the con.”

Max glared at them. “I’d just been bailed out for a scheme they were involved in. Of course the police would suspect me, if they found her. Yes, I had to kill Jim, too. So, I waited for him to come down to the basement. When he did, I hit him over the back of the head and knocked him out.”

“He never saw it coming.” Tessa cringed.

“No, he had no idea. Then it took me a few hours to figure out what to do. Cole had offered to do some work in the house for Pip. So, there were some tools here. I was able to use some of them to open up the wall, stick their bodies inside, and seal it back up.” Max pointed at the wall. “I didn’t know what I was doing really, but I managed. Then I went to Cole’s place and snuck the tools into his truck.”

“You wanted to make it look like, if they were ever found, Cole had killed them.” Tessa sighed. “That’s why Donald bailed you out of prison all those years ago. He planned on getting rid of all three of you because you’d stolen from him, and you were going to testify against him. But he couldn’t do that if you were locked away. But you beat him to it and you killed Pip and Jim.”

“And that’s why you never turned Donald in, right?” Cassie said. “You were scared of him. Because he knew what you’d done, and he threatened to have you arrested for murder if you didn’t do your time? He needed someone to take the heat off him, and you were the perfect person. Not only did you do his dirty work by killing Pip and Jim, but you took the fall for his criminal behavior.”

“And that’s why you pointed your finger at him, finally?” Tessa held his gaze. “You knew the only way you could truly be free from everything, would be if Donald was arrested for Pip and Jim’s murders. That’s why you told us to look for his connection to their deaths. That’s why you’re here. You wanted to frame Donald.”

“Very clever. Yes. I came here to plant evidence to implicate him in the fraud and the murders. I’ve kept it all these years. It’s a letter from Donald that threatened me when he thought I’d been stealing from him. It doesn’t mention a name, and the police would never know it was meant for me, not Pip and Jim.” Max pulled it out of his pocket. “I was going to hide it and give an anonymous tip. I knew I had to do something, and this was the perfect time because the police were looking for the murderers.”

“You thought you’d outwitted him. But he’s just conned you yet again. He knew you would come here. Us coming here was a bonus, so now not only is he going to kill you, but we’re going to be dead right along with you. We were getting too close to the truth. With the three of us dead, there will be no one left to implicate Donald. He’ll never face any consequences.”

The house around them began to creak.

“I think the ceiling is going to give out, now.” Cassie took a sharp breath as she saw some dust and plaster tumble down.

“No!” Max abruptly shouted. “No! He can’t get away with this!” He spun around and started toward the stairs, again. Just as he mounted the first one, an explosion rang through the air, and the ceiling crashed down from above.

Cassie lunged toward Tessa and attempted to use her body to shield her. Just before she closed her eyes and braced for the impact of the ceiling, she saw Max crumple beneath a huge chunk.

Within seconds, dust and debris clogged the basement, casting it into full darkness.

CHAPTER 26

Cassie felt the weight on her shoulders first, before she even dared to open her eyes. She coughed and tried to catch her breath.

Tessa squirmed beneath her. “Cassie, are you okay? Speak to me!”

Cassie forced her lips to form words. “I think so. I’m going to try to stand up.” Her legs screamed in the crouched position she’d been stuck in.

“Go really slow.”

“I will, I don’t think I have a choice.” Cassie groaned as she attempted to lift the hunk of ceiling off her shoulders. “Tessa, I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s too heavy.” Her heart began to race as she realized the situation they were in. No one knew they’d gone down into the basement, no one but Donald, who wasn’t about to tell anyone. The explosion would have drawn attention, but the house was meant to be empty. How long would it be before someone noticed the jeep parked outside?

“It’s all right, Cassie. Just try to breathe. Don’t panic. We’re going to get out of here,” Tessa said calmly.

“How can you be so sure?” Cassie again tried to raise the ceiling off her.

“Save your energy. Just focus on breathing and staying calm. We’re both still alive, and that’s what matters right now. We can’t get out on our own. We just have to survive until someone rescues us.”

“Like who?” Tears filled Cassie’s eyes. “No one knows we’re here, Tessa.”

“They’ll figure it out. You have the greatest detective out there, and you have your husband, who would stop at nothing to make sure you’re safe. It’s only a matter of time.”

As the minutes slid by, Cassie did her best not to doubt Tessa’s prediction, but the weight of the ceiling on her shoulders made her optimism fade fast. She listened closely for any hint of movement from Max. Just as she was about to try to lift the piece of ceiling again, she felt it lift straight up from her shoulders.

“Hello?” Cassie gasped as light poured into the basement.

“Cassie!” Sebastian’s hands wrapped around her wrists and gave a slight tug. “Are you okay? Can I pull you out?”

“Please!” Cassie glanced down at Tessa as he pulled her up. “You were right, as usual!”

“Save it for later. Let’s just get out of here!” Tessa managed to get to her feet in time for Oliver to reach his hands down to her.

“Take it easy. You just had a whole house fall on you,” Oliver said.

“It’s no joke,” Tessa mumbled as she attempted to climb up the debris while he pulled her out.

“I know.” Oliver held on to her a moment longer than he needed to. “Are you okay? Are you sore anywhere?”

“Just in my usual places.” Tessa shrugged, then stumbled forward a step and wrapped her arms around him in a full hug. “Oh, sorry, lost my balance a little.”

Oliver hugged her in return. “Take it step by step, the house isn’t stable. Let’s get you both outside.”

As they walked through the house, Tessa explained what had happened.

“We need to find Donald.” Oliver gave instructions into his radio to be on the lookout for him.

“Did you find Max?” Cassie leaned into Sebastian’s arms as he guided her through the remains of the house. She felt a rush of relief as they walked outside.

“There are a few firefighters working on excavating him. He’s alive, but unconscious.” Oliver waved to the paramedics beside a couple of waiting ambulances. “Over here!”

A loud bark preceded Harry, bolting toward them both. He licked Cassie’s hand as he ran by her, then jumped into the air in an attempt to land in Tessa’s arms, but instead knocked her to the ground.

A smattering of curses and shouts escaped Tessa.

Mark rushed toward her, with two goats in tow. Before Tessa could get to her feet, the goats began licking her cheeks and nose.

Not to be outdone, Harry joined in.

“Okay, okay, enough!” Mark held back a laugh as he shooed the animals away from Tessa and helped her back to her feet. He looked into her eyes, then without a word drew her into a warm embrace.

“What are Harry, Billy, and Gerry doing here?” Tessa pulled back from him.

“When they couldn’t figure out where you were in the rubble, Oliver called me to bring them here and let them sniff around. It was going to be a few hours before any police search dogs could arrive. So, we set them loose on the house, and all of them went straight for you. They love you so much, Tessa.” Mark smiled.

“I love them, too.” Tessa leaned against his shoulder and sighed. “It’s been a day, Mark.”

“It sure has.” Mark kissed the top of her head.

Cassie closed her eyes and nestled into Sebastian’s arms. Despite the rubble behind her, she felt as if everything was just right.

“All right, this is no time for rest.” Tessa clapped her hands. “The children need Halloween, and right now their haunted house is too dangerous to go near. Let’s rally the town and get all of these decorations set up somewhere else, so they can still have their fun. Plus, I have more cupcakes.”

“Easy now.” Mark turned her toward the ambulance. “First, you get checked out, then we save Halloween.”

“What he said.” Sebastian smiled as he looked into Cassie’s eyes.

Cassie nodded, without protest this time, and walked toward the ambulance. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Max being wheeled away on a gurney.

Within a few hours, just as the sun began to set, the town came alive with ghosts, goblins, giant chickens, and a few unidentifiable monsters peppered in, with princesses of every variety. Tessa stood on her front porch as the goats raced around the yard in their ghost costumes, and Harry chased after them with his superhero cape flowing behind him.

“Well, the kids are getting the Halloween they deserve.” Tessa smiled as a few children in costumes ran past her, shrieking and gleefully holding up their cupcakes. “I’m so pleased their night can be filled with fun and fantasy and not the truth of what actually happened in Turner House.”

“I’m just glad Donald’s been caught, and Max will be back behind bars once he recovers.” Cassie waved back to an alien who stopped to wave at her.

A burst of air passed through Tessa’s lips. “I’m not going to lie, Cassie, we were lucky, very lucky. If it weren’t for Ollie and Sebastian pulling us out of there, we might have suffocated before anyone had the chance to find us.”

“And we were even luckier to have your crazy pets looking out for us.” Cassie grinned as the animals continued to circle the house. “I’ve never seen them so happy to see you.”

“Yes, that was such a lovely greeting.” Tessa rubbed her elbow. “I didn’t expect them to tackle me to the ground.” She cleared her throat. “They caught me by surprise, of course. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”

“Let’s just say it’s a good thing Mark was there to rescue you.” Cassie grinned.

“He helped me up, that’s all,” Tessa muttered a few words under her breath. “It was you who kept the whole house from crushing me.”

“And you who kept me from panicking and using up all the air.” Cassie laughed. “I think no matter the bad luck that might have been in that house, we’re just extremely lucky to have each other, this town, and all of the animals and people we love.”

“That’s for sure.” Tessa smiled as she waved to Mark, who was wearing a black suit and red bow tie, as he walked through the gate. “Oh, nice to see you dressed up, Mark. What are you, a lawyer?”

“Not tonight. Tonight, I’m your prince.” Mark offered her his hand and a slight bow.

“What is this nonsense?” Tessa glared at him.

“No worries, I’ll keep an eye on the cupcakes.” Cassie laughed as Mark took Tessa’s arm and led her out through the gate to his waiting car.

Cassie was surprised he hadn’t worn something brighter, then she noticed his red belt and shoes to match his bow tie.

“Cassie, did you know about this?” Tessa hollered back at her.

“Enjoy the ball, Tessa!” Cassie grinned.

The End

***

Thank you for reading Skeletons in Little Leaf Creek. I loved writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Ready for more of Cassie and Tessa’s sleuthing adventures? The next book in the series is Trailed in Little Leaf Creek. If you’d like to receive an email when I have a new release, please join my cozy mystery newsletter.

TESSA’S HALLOWEEN LAYER CAKE RECIPE

This recipe can also be made into cupcakes. The instructions for cupcakes are at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Gel food coloring, if desired

Buttercream Frosting

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted (plus extra if the frosting is too thin)

1/3 cup heavy cream (plus extra if the frosting is too thick)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Gel food coloring, if desired

Chocolate Ganache (if desired)

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Candy and Halloween-themed cake toppers for decorating, if desired

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter and line the base of 4 x 8 inch round cake pans.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well-combined.

Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, to the sugar and butter mixture, mixing well between each addition.

If using food coloring, divide the mixture into four bowls and mix in a few drops of the coloring. Then pour into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 22-26 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, remove the parchment paper from the base of the cakes.

To make the buttercream frosting, in a large bowl beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and mix until well-combined. Mix in the cream, vanilla extract, and salt. If too thick add more cream, or if too thin add more confectioners’ sugar, to get the desired consistency.

Level out the tops of the cakes and stack them on top of each other spreading a thin layer of the frosting between the layers. If frosting without coloring, spread or pipe the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If coloring the frosting, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake, then divide the rest of the frosting, depending on how many colors you want, and add a few drops of the gel food coloring. Then frost the rest of the cake using a piping bag, a knife, or offset spatula. Frost in horizontal lines on the side of the cake depending on the design you want. Use the knife or spatula to smooth out the frosting. This method doesn’t create precise lines, but has more of a blended effect.

To prepare the ganache, chop up the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Gently heat the cream in a saucepan until it’s just beginning to simmer.

Pour the cream over the chocolate, then leave for about 2 minutes, so the chocolate begins to melt. Stir the mixture slowly until the chocolate has completely melted and is mixed with the cream.

Drizzle over the sides and tops of the frosted cake.

Decorate with candy and Halloween-themed cake toppers, if desired.

This recipe can also be made into cupcakes. It makes 28 cupcakes. To make cupcakes, line muffin pans with paper liners. Follow the directions to make the cake batter. Divide the batter between the liners. Bake in the preheated oven for about 16-22 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely and pipe or spoon on the frosting.

Enjoy!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of over one hundred books in thirteen series. Her cozies are set in small towns, with lovable animals, quirky characters, delicious food and a touch of romance. She loves writing twisty cozy mysteries that keep readers guessing until the end.

When she is not reading or writing, she loves baking (and eating) sweet treats or walking along the beach with Rufus, her energetic Cocker Spaniel, thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.

If you’d like to receive an email when she has a new release, please join her cozy mystery newsletter at https://www.cindybellbooks.com.

ALSO BY CINDY BELL

LITTLE LEAF CREEK COZY MYSTERIES

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series 10 Book Box Set (Books 1-10)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series 10 Book Box Set (Books 11-20)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Vol 1 (Books 1-3)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Vol 2 (Books 3-6)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Vol 3 (Books 7-9)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Vol 4 (Books 10-12)

Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Vol 5 (Books 13-15)

Chaos in Little Leaf Creek

Peril in Little Leaf Creek

Conflict in Little Leaf Creek

Action in Little Leaf Creek

Vengeance in Little Leaf Creek

Greed in Little Leaf Creek

Surprises in Little Leaf Creek

Missing in Little Leaf Creek

Haunted in Little Leaf Creek

Trouble in Little Leaf Creek

Mayhem In Little Leaf Creek

Cracked in Little Leaf Creek

Stung in Little Leaf Creek

Scandal In Little Leaf Creek

Dead in Little Leaf Creek

Scared in Little Leaf Creek

Felled in Little Leaf Creek

Deceit in Little Leaf Creek

Secrets in Little Leaf Creek

Poisoned in Little Leaf Creek

Silenced in Little Leaf Creek

Last Dance in Little Leaf Creek

Broken in Little Leaf Creek

Skeletons in Little Leaf Creek

Trailed in Little Leaf Creek

LAKESIDE COTTAGE COZY MYSTERIES

A Murky Murder

A Perilous Package

DUNE HOUSE COZY MYSTERIES

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series 10 Book Box Set (Books 1 - 10)

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series 10 Book Box Set 2 (Books 11 - 20)

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set 1 (Books 1 - 4)

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set 2 (Books 5 - 8)

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set 3 (Books 9 - 12)

Dune House Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set 4 (Books 13 - 16)

Seaside Secrets

Boats and Bad Guys

Treasured History

Hidden Hideaways

Dodgy Dealings

Suspects and Surprises

Ruffled Feathers

A Fishy Discovery

Danger in the Depths

Celebrities and Chaos

Pups, Pilots and Peril

Tides, Trails and Trouble

Racing and Robberies

Athletes and Alibis

Manuscripts and Deadly Motives

Pelicans, Pier and Poison

Sand, Sea and a Skeleton

Pianos and Prison

Relaxation, Reunions and Revenge

A Tangled Murder

Fame, Food and Murder

Beaches and Betrayal

Fatal Festivities

Sunsets, Smoke and Suspicion

Hobbies and Homicide

Anchors and Abduction

Friends, Family and Fugitives

Palm Trees and Protests

Road Trip, Risk and Revenge

Fruit Smoothies and Felonies

Sunshine, Scents, and Suspects

Docks, Discoveries, and Danger

CHOCOLATE CENTERED COZY MYSTERIES

Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery 10 Book Box Set (Books 1 - 10)

Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series Box Set (Books 1 - 4)

Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series Box Set (Books 5 - 8)

Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series Box Set (Books 9 - 12)

Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series Box Set (Books 13 - 16)

The Sweet Smell of Murder

A Deadly Delicious Delivery

A Bitter Sweet Murder

A Treacherous Tasty Trail

Pastry and Peril

Trouble and Treats

Fudge Films and Felonies

Custom-Made Murder

Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage

Christmas Chocolates and Crimes

Hot Chocolate and Homicide

Chocolate Caramels and Conmen

Picnics, Pies and Lies

Devils Food Cake and Drama

Cinnamon and a Corpse

Cherries, Berries and a Body

Christmas Cookies and Criminals

Grapes, Ganache & Guilt

Yule Logs & Murder

Mocha, Marriage and Murder

Holiday Fudge and Homicide

Chocolate Mousse and Murder

SAGE GARDENS COZY MYSTERIES

Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery 10 Book Box Set (Books 1 - 10)

Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Volume 1 (Books 1 - 4)

Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Volume 2 (Books 5 - 8)

Birthdays Can Be Deadly

Money Can Be Deadly

Trust Can Be Deadly

Ties Can Be Deadly

Rocks Can Be Deadly

Jewelry Can Be Deadly

Numbers Can Be Deadly

Memories Can Be Deadly

Paintings Can Be Deadly

Snow Can Be Deadly

Tea Can Be Deadly

Greed Can Be Deadly

Clutter Can Be Deadly

Cruises Can Be Deadly

Puzzles Can Be Deadly

Concerts Can Be Deadly

MADDIE MILLS COZY MYSTERIES

Maddie Mills Cozy Mysteries Books 1 - 3

Slain at the Sea

Homicide at the Harbor

Corpse at the Christmas Cookie Exchange

Lifeless at the Lighthouse

Halloween at the Haunted House

DONUT TRUCK COZY MYSTERIES

Deadly Deals and Donuts

Fatal Festive Donuts

Bunny Donuts and a Body

Strawberry Donuts and Scandal

Frosted Donuts and Fatal Falls

Donut Holes and Homicide

WAGGING TAIL COZY MYSTERIES

Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery Box Set Volume 1 (Books 1 - 3)

Murder at Pawprint Creek (prequel)

Murder at Pooch Park

Murder at the Pet Boutique

A Merry Murder at St. Bernard Cabins

Murder at the Dog Training Academy

Murder at Corgi Country Club

A Merry Murder on Ruff Road

Murder at Poodle Place

Murder at Hound Hill

Murder at Rover Meadows

Murder at the Pet Expo

Murder on Woof Way

Murder at Beagle Bay

NUTS ABOUT NUTS COZY MYSTERIES

A Tough Case to Crack

A Seed of Doubt

Roasted Peanuts and Peril

Chestnuts, Camping and Culprits

BEKKI THE BEAUTICIAN COZY MYSTERIES

Hairspray and Homicide

A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body

Mascara and Murder

Pageant and Poison

Conditioner and a Corpse

Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder

Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide

Blush, a Bride and a Body

Shampoo and a Stiff

Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer

Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless

Camping, Concealer and Criminals

Treated and Dyed

A Wrinkle-Free Murder

A MACARON PATISSERIE COZY MYSTERY

Sifting for Suspects

Recipes and Revenge

Mansions, Macarons and Murder

HEAVENLY HIGHLAND INN COZY MYSTERIES

Murdering the Roses

Dead in the Daisies

Killing the Carnations

Drowning the Daffodils

Suffocating the Sunflowers

Books, Bullets and Blooms

A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest

A Bridal Bouquet and a Body

Digging for Dirt

WENDY THE WEDDING PLANNER COZY MYSTERIES

Matrimony, Money and Murder

Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes

Knives and Nuptials

Mice, Marriage and Murder