Behind the Frame Page 18

  Jordan nodded. “I’ll find out today. If he hasn’t been registered, we’ll take a closer look at him and what he was doing the night the councilman was killed.”

  “Their platforms were starkly different from each other, from the little I know,” Skylar said.

  “So maybe the argument was over something more specific than the campaign?” Savanna looked at Skylar. “You know there’s some kind of drama going on over at the mayor’s office, right? Roger Greenwood’s assistant just quit without notice.”

  “I hadn’t heard that.”

  “I’ll ask Yvonne if she knows anything more about it when I see her today,” Savanna said. “I have to pick up the decorations and banners for the festival.”

  Jordan stood, signaling their meeting was over. He walked them out to the front door.

  “Detective,” Savanna said before following Skylar out. “Were you able to learn anything about what happened to my tires?”

  “So far nothing. I’ll let you know when Detective Taylor reports back after talking to the Stevens family today. Seems in line with something that kid might do if he had no qualms about smashing Jessamina.”

  She nodded. “Thank you.” That eased her mind a little. She wasn’t afraid of a teenage boy.

  Skylar stopped Savanna with a hand on her arm before they headed in opposite directions outside the police station. “Did someone from my office give you all that information about the Mitten Inn incident? It’s important that I know, if that’s the case.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “It was that reporter from the banquet.”

  “That’s right. Syd said you met with him? He certainly has a lot of inside information about Mia and Remy James.”

  “He was assigned to cover the story, but then he said there was no story, after the authorities cleared Remy of the murder. Did you know about that whole thing? Landon King said it was handled by a bigwig at your firm.”

  “Jillian Black. I was off on leave after having Nolan. I don’t know many details. But I’m sure Jillian wouldn’t have gotten Remy cleared if she was suspicious he was guilty.”

  “Hmm.”

  Skylar laughed. “I know that look. We’re getting close—I can feel it. I’ll see you at Fancy Tails for lunch?”

  “Yep! Mom said one o’clock, and Syd’s grabbing sandwiches from the deli. I’m heading over to talk to Yvonne; I’ll fill you in when I see you.”

  Savanna poked her head into the lobby of the building next door, which housed Carson’s parks and rec department and the mayor’s office. It was completely deserted. The door to Mayor Greenwood’s office stood open, which she supposed meant he hadn’t yet hired a replacement for his assistant.

  She walked through the oddly silent lobby, peering through the glass door to where John Bellamy’s office had been, among the other city officials. There were a few people working, though Yvonne’s desk was empty.

  “Can I help you?”

  Savanna jumped and spun around. Roger Greenwood was standing in the doorway to his office, holding a cup of coffee. “Oh! Hello, Mayor. I’m sorry to disturb you. I was looking for Yvonne? She was going to help me collect the decorations for the art festival, and the Michigan Council for the Arts sent a couple of large banners to display as well.”

  She was alone with Roger Greenwood, on the heels of speculating with Detective Jordan over whether the mayor could be the killer. That quick, violent outburst in the silent video flashed into her mind. Without meaning to, she took a step back, toward the door to the city council offices. Could anyone see or hear her out here? “Um…maybe Yvonne’s on break. Do you know when she’ll be back?”

  “I wish I knew. I think she must be out sick. Do you know where she’d have put your things?”

  Savanna groaned inwardly. She had no clue. “I’m not sure. Maybe one of Councilman Bellamy’s coworkers would know?” She put a hand on the doorknob, feeling her heart pound as the mayor crossed the lobby to her.

  Less than two feet from her, he reached past her, and she held her breath, ready to dart away from him. “Let’s find out.” He held the door open for her.

  Savanna followed him down the hallway, trying to calm down. This area was more populated. There were witnesses here. Mayor Greenwood poked his head into the new councilwoman’s office, but Linda Rae didn’t know what they were talking about. A young man in the office next door overheard them and came to Savanna’s rescue.

  “Everything’s back here,” he said. The name badge on his shirt read Jason Patterson, Assistant Recreation Director. “Follow me.” The mayor left them to it, and Savanna breathed a private sigh of relief. The young man led Savanna down a hallway, held a storeroom door open, and flipped a light switch. “All the tables and chairs will be trucked to the park and set up next Wednesday, before Thursday morning kickoff. These came on Monday.” He opened a large box to reveal enormous, colorful banners that would be stretched across Main Street. “And these were in the councilman’s personal belongings when we finished clearing out his office. He must’ve been keeping them to give you.” He handed her a thin stack of official-looking letters.

  “Thank you, this is great! Do you know the timing for the banners?” Savanna hadn’t even known they’d come. Between John’s unfortunate death and Yvonne doing double duty as the new councilwoman’s assistant as well as the mayor’s, plus being out sick today, Savanna supposed it was inevitable there was a little lag time with some of the details.

  “I finally got a firm yes on the banners. Honestly, Ms. Shepherd, they were supposed to go up this past weekend. I’m sorry about that. We were waiting on the tree trimmers—they’ve got the boom lifts to string the banners up. They’re doing it today. We’re planning one at the beginning of Main Street, one at the four corners in town, and the third at the park, is that right?”

  “Yes. That’s perfect.” Savanna clapped her hands together, rocking back on her heels. Finally, it was all coming together. “So we can get the displays decorated next Wednesday night, then?”

  Jason nodded. “You got it. We can allocate a few people to help if you’d like.”

  She shook her head. She’d already recruited her whole family, Aidan, Jack, and Sydney’s Willow to help. “I think we’ve got it covered.”

  The assistant director accompanied her on the way out.

  “By the way,” Savanna asked. “Could you let Yvonne know I hope she feels better, if she’s back tomorrow? I’d hoped to catch her.”

  He frowned and stopped walking. They weren’t yet out through the door to the lobby. “Yvonne is never sick. She was a no-call, no-show this morning, which can get you fired around here. It’s not like her at all.”

  A chill crept up Savanna’s spine. She pulled out her phone and checked it. Yvonne had never replied this morning to Savanna’s quick text saying she’d stop by. The lack of response hadn’t seemed strange until right now. “I should check on her. Listen, I don’t have Yvonne’s address, but we’ve known each other forever. Would you be comfortable giving me her address? I’m worried about her too.”

  Jason nodded. “I’m okay with that. I know your sister—we take our dog to Fancy Tails. I’d feel better if someone checked on her. I know her workload has been a lot lately. One sec.” He disappeared through a doorway and returned less than a minute later, handing her an address scrawled on a yellow sticky note. “Tell her to get better soon.”

  “Thank you so much.” Savanna left him, typing the address into the map app on her phone. It looked like she’d need to drive, as Yvonne lived a couple of miles outside of town.

  She shuffled through the mail on her walk home. She’d been managing the dedicated email inbox she and Britt had set up, but John must’ve tossed these in with his things to pass on to her. Among a few pieces of junk mail, there was a letter from Mrs. Kingsley at the Michigan Arts Council, something from the Allegan County newspaper, and a
n envelope bearing a bold B.L. inside a triangle in the return address area, addressed to her in care of the festival.

  She’d seen that logo before; it had been on the car in the parking lot the last time she was with Yvonne at the village offices. Better Living Properties was printed on the back of the envelope, along with a Lansing, Michigan address. Savanna slid a finger under the flap to free the seal and was surprised to find it already unglued. Frowning, she pulled out the letter and scanned it. The real estate company was offering sponsorship of the Art in the Park festival, to the tune of $10,000.

  Holy cow, the crowds she could reach with that kind of advertising money! Not to mention amped-up displays, a major boost to her decorating budget, and who knew what else.

  But it was too late. The festival was a week away. She flipped the envelope over, checking the postdate. May! This had come in over a month ago. Why had John held on to it so long? Had he read it? No. There was no way; if he had, he’d have jumped at the offer, she was sure.

  She read the letter again. Better Living Properties called Art in the Park a “boon to Carson’s tourism,” stating they felt it was never too early to build their presence and garner town support for their “upcoming development.”

  What development? Now she wanted to turn around and ask Mayor Greenwood if that’s what his meeting had been about that day, with the gentlemen who’d left in the Better Living vehicle. She’d do some research later today; they also had an ad on one of the park benches too, if she remembered correctly.

  Savanna’s phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. She unlocked the door to Sydney’s, dropped her mail on the kitchen counter, and answered her phone as she grabbed her car keys. “Hello?”

  Aidan’s deep voice came through the phone to her ear. “You sound like you’re running.”

  She laughed. “I’m not, just rushing. How are you?”

  “I’m great. I have a proposition for you. Would it be all right if I stopped by after work to run it by you?”

  “Yes!” Oh Lord, Savanna, calm down. “I mean, sure, that’d be fine.”

  Now Aidan laughed. “I’ll see you around six. Is everything okay? Where are you rushing to, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I’m just going to check on a sick friend, and then meeting my mom and sisters for lunch. Hey,” she said. “Did you know that your brother sent my sister flowers?”

  “Finn?”

  “Um, yes? Finn’s the only brother you have, right?”

  Aidan’s confusion carried through the phone. “Yes…but…he sent flowers? Oh, no. What did he do? Finn doesn’t send flowers.”

  “He and Sydney got off on the wrong foot when he stopped by Fancy Tails the other day. I was there for most of it; I don’t think he meant to offend her.”

  Aidan groaned on the other end of the line. “He never means to offend. He just does. Were the flowers at least nice?”

  “They’re beautiful. He must’ve asked the florist what she’d like. Sydney wasn’t sure what to think. But it was a very sweet gesture.”

  “Okay. I apologize in advance for whatever my brother said and will say at any given moment in the future; please extend my apologies to Sydney too when you see her.”

  “Aidan.” Savanna smiled. “I think it’s all fine. It was just one comment. It’ll blow over.”

  “I’m sure it will. Right around the time he heads out next week.” He paused. “I’m sorry, I know I sound harsh. I love my brother. Finn is…real. He says whatever he thinks, which can make things difficult. We should have dinner sometime before he leaves. I’ll make sure he brings his filter.”

  She chuckled. “If he does, maybe he could share it with Sydney.”

  Savanna enjoyed her drive on sun-dappled, tree-shrouded country roads to Yvonne’s house. She was looking forward to lunch with her mother and sisters, and now she was extra excited that she’d see Aidan this evening.

  Following her GPS, she turned onto Yvonne’s road, Blue Heron Way. Maybe her friend could shed some light on the Better Living people, or even what all the animosity had really been about in that scuffle between John and Roger Greenwood. The woman sat right across from the mayor’s office, after all, and was friends with his assistant. Maybe Janice had called her by now about what caused her to just quit her job without notice. Savanna could make Yvonne soup and come back to pick her brain about the goings on at the mayor’s office.

  She spotted flashing red lights up ahead, coming at her at an alarming speed on this narrow dirt road. She slowed down, moving her car to the shoulder, and an ambulance screamed by her, kicking up dust as it went. Savanna glanced at the GPS screen. Yvonne’s house was less than a mile away.

  The front door to Yvonne’s ranch-style home was pulled open before Savanna could ring the bell. A woman who looked like an older version of Yvonne scowled at her. “What? Now’s a bad time.”

  Savanna felt her eyes widen. “I’m, uh. I’m a friend of Yvonne’s.” Goodness, she hoped that ambulance hadn’t just come from here. “I heard she was sick. I was just checking in to see if she needed anything.”

  “Sick? Do you call being thrown down the basement stairs and nearly dying ‘sick’? Who said she was sick?” The woman’s voice cracked into a higher pitch, bordering on hysteria.

  A middle-aged man appeared behind the woman. “Hon? What’s going on?” He placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, looking at Savanna.

  “I’m sorry,” Savanna said quickly. “I—I had no idea. The ambulance just passed me. She fell down the stairs? Will she be all right?”

  The woman separated herself from the gray-haired man, moving down the hall off the entrance. “I’ve got to feed the cat, and we have to get to the hospital. Ed.” Her voice was sharp as she glanced back over her shoulder once before disappearing into what must be the kitchen.

  Her husband remained in the doorway. “The paramedics called it in to the police, and they’re coming to check it out. They think she was pushed—it looks like there was a struggle in the front room. We came over so I could fix her refrigerator—she’s Diane’s sister. It’s lucky we did. She might’ve already been lying there for hours.” His voice was quiet and laden with concern.

  “That’s awful.” Savanna’s words came out in a whisper. “I’m so sorry. I hope she’ll be okay!”

  Diane reappeared, purse in one hand. “Ed! Let’s go.” She pulled the front door closed as they stepped out onto the porch with Savanna.

  Savanna walked with the couple to the driveway. “Can I do anything? Anything at all?”

  The woman sniffled, swiping under one eye. “They said she must’ve known whoever did it. The door was standing wide open when we got here, and her coffee table is smashed to bits, and a chair… ” Her voice trailed off as her husband opened the car door for her.

  Savanna covered her mouth with one hand. She hated to think of what had happened to Yvonne. And when? Last night? Early this morning? “I hope she’ll be okay.”

  Diane started to cry. “I don’t know if she will. I just don’t know.”

  Her husband handed her purse to her once she was seated in the passenger seat. “Honey, she’s in good hands now. She’ll be all right.” The man’s worried gaze went to Savanna. “She was still unconscious when they took her. I’m sorry, what was your name? We can let her know you’re thinking about her, if she—when she—wakes up,” the man said, his own eyes widening as his faux pas elicited sobs from Yvonne’s sister.

  “Savanna. Savanna Shepherd. Ma’am,” she said, tentatively reaching out and patting the woman’s arm. “Yvonne’s a wonderful person. I’m so sorry this happened. I know a great doctor at Anderson Memorial; I can ask him to check on her. I’m sure they’ll take good care of her.”

  “Yes.” The woman met Savanna’s eyes and clutched her hand, her expression tortured. “Please, have your doctor friend check on her. Who would do suc
h a horrible thing to someone like my sister?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Savanna burst through the door to Fancy Tails. Charlotte, Skylar, and Sydney all looked up from the table in the nook by the window. “Yvonne is in the hospital. Someone tried to kill her.”

  “Yvonne?” Charlotte asked.

  “Councilman Bellamy’s assistant—now Mayor Greenwood’s assistant, since his own quit last Friday. Janice something…what was her last name? We need to find out what happened to her. What if she’s lying at the bottom of her basement stairs too? What if Mayor Greenwood killed John, and now he’s taking out everyone who knew anything? What if it was the mayor who slashed my tires, as a message to stop digging for information?” She dropped into the empty chair.

  Sydney, Skylar, and their mother all stared at her. Syd’s sandwich was paused in mid-air. Charlotte set hers down and opened a bottle of raspberry Mary Ann’s soda, handing it to Savanna.

  Skylar took another bite of her sandwich and pulled out her phone. “Aren’t you the one who called me paranoid earlier today?” She tapped her screen. “Let’s call Janice and ask her if she’s still alive and well or dead at the bottom of her basement stairs.”

  Savanna gaped at her. “You’re really calling her?”

  “Sure.” She put the phone to her ear. “She’s in my spin class. I’ll see her tonight. But you’re clearly freaking out, so let’s just make sure she’s fine right now.—Janice? Hey girl, how are you?”

  “Is she okay?” Savanna meant to whisper but it came out much louder than she’d planned.

  “No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Skylar said into the phone. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know we never call each other. But my sister is a little concerned. Something about Yvonne being in the hospital? Did you quit your job? You don’t work for the mayor anymore?”

  The suspense was killing Savanna as she sat watching Skylar, straining to hear any of what Janice was saying. She grabbed the phone from her sister and tapped the speaker icon, and Janice’s voice came through, clear and relaxed.