Books, Picnics And Murder Read online

  “That might be the case, but how do you know he’s in the lake?”

  “It doesn’t matter!” Luke growled. “He’s in there! We need to get him out of there!”

  “Luke,” Bryan hissed, grabbing his brother’s arm. “Settle down, man. You’re causing a scene.” Clary tilted her head curiously at his reaction. If anyone should be making a scene, it was him. Bryan yanked his brother away, ignoring the others.

  “Let’s do it,” Adam announced suddenly.

  “What?” Sanchez sputtered.

  “Luke seems convinced. Let’s assemble a small team to see what we can find. I’ll lead it, and you can lead the search party. I don’t see any harm in it. If Luke’s right, then you can get started on the investigation. If he’s wrong, then you could find the kid in the woods.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Sanchez said slowly.

  “I think Luke’s going to do it anyway,” Clary said suddenly, nodding her chin to where the two brothers were arguing. “Besides, don’t you want someone to keep an eye on him, Chief? I want to know why he’s so convinced his nephew is dead.”

  “Okay,” Sanchez nodded. “I’ll also set up a smaller search party in town. Maybe the kid is visiting a friend and forgot to tell his parents or something. You know how kids are. This could all be on giant misunderstanding.”

  “What about the nanny?” Clary reminded him. Sanchez’s hopeful expression evaporated, and he nodded.

  “Luke,” Adam called, “we’ll drag the lake.” Luke looked relieved and nodded gratefully. Adam clapped him on the back, and the two of them walked off, planning the details.

  “Excuse me?” Bryan asked, his voice high, “what are you doing?”

  “It’s just a precaution, Mr. Northwood,” Sanchez said soothingly. “A small team will drag the lake, but the rest of us will search the woods and town. We’re confident your son is still out there somewhere. Do you think that he could be with a friend or someone? Could this be a misunderstanding?”

  “No,” Bryan said roughly, “my son is an introvert. He doesn’t make many friends. That’s why we hired a full-time nanny.”

  “What about any enemies? Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you or your family?”

  “You’re joking, right?” Bryan asked scathingly. “I own Northwood industries. I bet there are thousands of ex-employees who’d love to hurt me. Besides, there are always those monsters who steal rich children for money. I don’t think this small-town operation is going to be enough to find Elijah.”

  “I want to go home,” Bryan’s wife said, appearing suddenly.

  “Give me a second,” Bryan said in annoyance.

  “I can’t take myself home,” she reminded him, “you gave my car to Payton.”

  “I’m busy!” he yelled, causing her to shrink back in fright. She looked at him with a hurt expression, before stomping off in the opposite direction. “I’m sorry,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “She’s just worried about him.”

  “Of course,” Clary said comfortingly, taking a mental note of the exchange.

  “Why don’t I ask my deputy to take her home for you?” Sanchez suggested, staring after her.

  “I’ll go with her,” Clary volunteered, and Sanchez gave her another warning look.

  “Thank you,” Bryan said. “We should start organizing that search party, don’t you think?”

  “Tell Ben what your assignments are,” Sanchez ordered her as he started after Bryan. Before he went on, he turned to look at Clary with a worried expression. “Clary, be careful. This one is going to be different. It’s not going to be as easy as the others.”

  “The others weren’t easy,” she protested, and he shook his head sadly. She watched them leave, before going back to where Logan and Marie were looking at her curiously.

  “What did you find out?” Marie asked anxiously. She quickly filled them in, keeping an eye out for Ben Peters, Sanchez’ deputy. When she was done, a heavy silence settled over the group as they contemplated the day’s events.

  “I think Sanchez is right,” Logan said optimistically, “this could be a giant misunderstanding. I’m sure the kid is safe and sound somewhere. I’ll join the search party and see what I can do to help.”

  “No,” Marie shook her head, “it isn’t so simple. The uncle might be right. I’ll help them with the lake. Something isn’t right about all this.”

  “Are you sure?” Clary asked worriedly. “I don’t like how Luke was acting. It might not be safe around him right now.”

  “I think he’s being realistic,” Marie argued, “there’s something he knows. He’s just accepted the truth.”

  “That’s a horrible thing to say,” Clary chided, giving her a reproachful look.

  “No, the Secret Keeper said something was wrong. Last time that happened, someone died. It’s horrible, but I’m not going to ignore all the signs. I’ll let you know what I find.”

  “Okay,” Clary said heavily, realizing that Marie wasn’t going to change her mind. “Although, I think that the nanny would’ve helped him if he fell into the lake.” Everyone fell silent as they contemplated the possibility that no one wanted to talk about.

  “He’s a rich child…” Marie started, but Logan shook his head.

  “We’re going to find him.”

  “I’ll se you guys later,” Clary said suddenly when she caught sight of Ben. She hurried to catch up with him and was surprised when a few of the townspeople gave her dirty looks as she passed. Clary wasn’t Ms. Popular, but people in town generally liked her. She pushed the worry out of her mind and concentrated on catching up with Ben.

  “There you are!” he cried when he caught sight of her. “I’ve been looking for you. Come on, we need to take Ava home.”

  “Ava?” Clary asked in confusion. “Oh, right. Bryan’s wife.”

  “Yes, obviously,” Ben shook his head at her. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know,” Clary admitted, shielding her eyes from the sun as she surveyed the crowds of people.

  “Did she get a ride home with someone else?” Ben asked when they couldn’t spot her.

  “No,” Clary said suddenly, pointing to Ava’s diminutive form. She seemed annoyed and was struggling with her hair when they approached her. Ava was pulling her hair out of her face, but a slight breeze caused the strands to stick to her glossed lips. She groaned in frustration and quickly pulled it into a top knot.

  “Ava Northwood?” Ben asked gently. “Your husband asked us to take you home.”

  “Finally,” she snapped. “I told him not to give my car to Payton. I’ve been waiting forever.”

  “I’m sorry you had to wait so long,” Clary said slowly.

  “Yeah,” Ava sniffed, “so am I.”

  “We were wondering if you could tell us what Elijah and Payton were doing yesterday?”

  “I don’t know,” Ava shrugged, “something with my car, obviously.”

  “Wait,” Clary said suddenly, “doesn’t your car have a tracker? In case its stolen? We could find out where it is, and then we might find them.”

  “We could put out an APB, and ask people to look out for the car,” Ben said excitedly.

  “Why don’t we just call the insurance company?” Clary suggested.

  “Why don’t you take me home?” Ava snapped, interrupting them.

  “Oh,” Ben said slowly, looking at Clary in surprise. “Right away. I’m sorry.”

  “Whatever,” Ava snapped, pulling on the car’s door handle. Ben quickly unlocked it for her and hurried over to the driver’s seat. Clary got in after them, taking one last look at the sight of the town gathered at the lakeside.

  Chapter 3

  The Northwood mansion was all white and glass. It looked like it fell out of a modern architecture magazine and landed in their little town. It was massive, opulent, and wholly out of place in their little town. It was like one giant sign boasting about the Northwood’s wealth.
As soon as the car stopped, Ava shot out of it and slammed the front door shut behind her.

  “What’s her story?” Clary asked curiously.

  “What makes you think I’d know her story?” Ben asked.

  “I just assumed,” Clary shrugged, “I could ask around.”

  “I’m just kidding,” Ben laughed. “Everyone knows about the Northwoods. So, Elijah’s mom died when he was little. His father married Ava about two years ago. It was a massive scandal; how did you not hear that? I swear, you’re almost blind and deaf until someone commits a crime. What’s up with that?”

  “I think we should try and pinpoint their last location before they disappeared.”

  “You’re right,” Ben nodded, “yesterday was Friday, so Elijah was probably at school. We should go ask his teacher if something strange happened. Maybe she saw something. Hold on, I’ll just call the principal. You don’t happen to know how old he was, do you?”

  “Ten, I believe,” Clary said. He sighed and started typing on his phone. She got out of the car and surveyed the massive estate. It was a beautiful house, but there were no signs that a child lived there. No bicycle propped on the steps, no toys laying around. The yard was meticulous. She walked up to the front door, intent on giving Ava a piece of her mind. She was about to knock when she noticed that she could see into the house through the front window.

  Ava was in the front room. It looked like she was trying to find something on the floor, as she sat on her legs. Her shoulders were shaking, and she was clutching something tightly to her chest. Clary took a step back, deciding whether or not to knock. The decision was made for her when Ben honked the horn for her attention.

  “His teacher is at the lake,” Ben explained.

  “Do you think he could be in there?” Clary asked as she got into the car.

  “No,” Ben shook his head, “we came to look as soon as Luke reported him missing. He’s not in this house. Trust me, I checked everywhere.”

  “Luke reported it?”

  “Yeah,” Ben nodded, “it hasn’t technically been twenty-four hours yet, but we didn’t want to waste any time. It’s a kid, you know?”

  It didn’t take long for them to get back to the lake. It took them longer to find his teacher. Clary noticed a few more pointed looks in her direction but decided to dismiss them again. Ben was chattering away with nervous energy, but she had managed to tune him out on the way over.

  According to the principal, Elijah was a well-adjusted ten-year-old in the fourth grade. His teacher was a sweet old lady who was busy getting ready for the search party. Her eyes looked haunted as she handed over walkie-talkies to people. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears when she noticed Ben.

  “I knew you’d come eventually,” she sighed. “That poor, poor boy. Is there any news yet?”

  “We’d just like to ask a few questions about him, if that’s okay,” Clary said gently.

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” she snapped, glaring at Clary who took a step back in surprise. “Ben, dear, what can I do to help?”

  “Well, Clary’s helping me, Ms. Anderson,” Ben said slowly, looking as surprised as Clary did.

  “She’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong,” Ms. Anderson sneered, “that’s what she’s doing. Have you no shame? This is a little boy, not some Saturday afternoon outing.”

  “I’m sorry,” Clary said slowly. “I never thought it was. I’m just trying to help.”

  “Then join the search party, you’re no better than the rest of us.” With that final sentiment, Ms. Anderson turned her back on Clary and focused on Ben. “I’ll tell you what you want to know. Elijah is such a sweet little boy. I made him class monitor just last week.”

  “Thank you,” Ben said, looking at Clary in concern. “We were just wondering if you knew where he went yesterday after school.”

  “I saw him get into the car with Payton, I’m sorry, but I didn’t see where they went. I didn’t think I had to.” She stopped and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes before she continued. “He’s such a good boy, we have to find him.”

  “We will,” Ben assured her. “Do you know what he and Payton did on weekends?”

  “That poor boy is so lonely,” Ms. Anderson said sadly. “Payton is exactly what he needs. He was excited because his father was going to be home this weekend. I hate it when that happens. He’s always so sad the next week. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t think Mr. Northwood pays much attention to his son.”

  “Did Elijah talk about any plans?”

  “I don’t know,” Ms. Anderson admitted. “He seemed more excitable than usual. I had to send him out of class because he wouldn’t stop talking to his friends. It was very disruptive. But he’s never like that. Like I said, he’s such a good boy.”

  “His father mentioned that he was an introvert,” Clary said suddenly. “He said that Elijah doesn’t have any friends.” Ms. Anderson pursed her lips and gave Clary a critical once-over. She suddenly felt as though she were back at school and in trouble for something.

  “That’s not true,” Ms. Anderson said haughtily. “Eli is one of my most popular students. He gets along with everyone. He has this kindness around him that draws people in. There isn’t a child in my class who wouldn’t want to be his friend. He’s a good boy.”

  “Thank you very much,” Ben said quickly. “I’ll let you know if we need anything else.”

  “That was weird, right?” Clary asked as they walked away. She turned to look back at Ms. Anderson, but promptly turned back when she saw the teacher was still glaring at her.

  “That was,” Ben admitted, “and we got nothing out of it. Where do we go now?”

  “I think we got enough,” Clary said slowly. “We know that he has a lot of friends now, and that his father is somewhat absent. This means that we can talk to his friends’ parents. Who else is in the fourth grade with him?”

  “You’re right,” Ben nodded, “there’s got to be someone who knows what he and Payton did in the afternoon.”

  “Don’t you have any shame?” a random townsperson hissed as they walked past. Clary looked at them in confusion but carried on walking.

  “What’s going on?” Clary asked in frustration. “Did I do something?”

  “Oh, what a surprise,” a familiar voice sneered. Clary rolled her eyes automatically.

  “Hey,” she greeted Erica.

  “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Erica sneered.

  “What are you walking about?” Clary asked tiredly.

  “This is a tragedy, and you’re hogging all the attention!” Erica accused. “Eli’s just a little boy, but you don’t care. All you care about is glory! That’s why you’re always sticking your nose in other people’s business. Stay out of this, you’re making this worse!”

  “I’m trying to help,” Clary sputtered, aware that Erica was drawing a curious crowd. To make things worse, the crowd seemed to agree with Erica.

  “Then join the search party! You’re not better than everyone else!”

  “I never thought…”

  “Just stop,” Erica said in disgust, pushing past Clary.

  “What was that?” Clary turned to Ben with a bewildered look on her face.

  “It’s probably because of that text you sent everyone,” Ben shrugged matter-of-factly.

  “Which text?” Clary asked in confusion.

  “Here,” Ben handed her his phone. “No offense, Clary, but that wasn’t the best thing you’ve ever done.”

  Watch me solve another one- Clary

  “What on earth?” Clary breathed. “I never sent that. Why would I send that to everyone? Who else got it?”

  “Most of your customers, and some other people. It doesn’t matter who got it first, they sent it on.”

  “That’s why everyone thinks I’m doing this for attention,” Clary realized, feeling sick to her stomach. “That’s why Sanchez and Adam were so weird this morning. Ben, please tell me you believe me. I neve
r sent that text. You know me, why would I do that?”

  “I don’t know,” Ben said slowly. “If you didn’t send it, then who would?”

  “I don’t know!” she said shrilly, trying to calm herself down. She took a deep breath and looked around her. She breathed out slowly as the thought occurred to her. When she felt calm enough to talk, she quickly explained what happened the previous night.

  “So,” Ben said, “you think this Secret Keeper person sent the text?”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Clary insisted. “I’d never call attention to myself like that. You know this isn’t why I investigate these things. You know that, right?”

  “I guess so,” Ben said hesitantly. “I want to believe you, Clary, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if you come with me anymore. People won’t want to talk if you’re around. I’m sorry. It might be a good idea to go home, or you could join the search party if you want.”

  “I can’t believe this,” she protested.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quickly, walking away before she could say anything else.

  Without Ben with her, she felt more exposed to the hateful stares people were giving her. She glanced wearily at the large group joining the search party but decided against joining it when she noticed how people were looking at her. She took a deep breath and walked over to where Marie was strapping on her life jacket.

  “You won’t believe what happened,” Clary grumbled.

  “There was a mass text, and now people are angry,” Marie said quickly, looking at the boats with an apprehensive look on her face. “Listen, we have more important things to worry about.”

  “Hold on,” Clary said in annoyance, trying to scratch her back. She was suddenly aware that something was irritating her skin. She huffed and turned her back on Marie and gestured in annoyance. Marie tilted her head in confusion and pulled Clary’s shirt back. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Clary frowned and bent down to pick it up.

  When wealthy parents have a child, the child gets money that should’ve gone to adults.

  I wonder how many adults are angry at baby Elijah?