Town in a Wild Moose Chase

the road. The police have the hatchet now, and they know it’s the murder weapon.”

A defiant look crept into Gina’s eyes. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“I checked it online. Duncan won that contest. They gave him the hatchet as an award.”

“The website is wrong,” Gina said, her voice cracking. “It wasn’t Duncan’s.”

“Then whose was it?”

Felicia finally spoke up. “It was Liam’s. That’s what she’s trying to tell you. That’s what the police must have found out, and that’s why they arrested him.”

“Liam won that contest,” Gina explained, getting some of her composure back. “He was awarded the hatchet. But it was later discovered, after complaints and reviewing videotape of the event, that he stepped over some sort of line at some point, and he was disqualified. There were allegations that he cheated, although it was quickly hushed up. Duncan came in second, so they named him the winner. But Liam kept the hatchet. He refused to return it or to pass it on to the rightful winner.”

So there it is, Candy thought. Liam really was the killer.

“That’s why Duncan was so upset tonight at the ball, isn’t it? That’s why he hit Liam.” And quickly Candy explained what had happened a short time earlier at the Moose Fest Ball.

“It all makes sense,” Felicia said. “Duncan thought Liam had set him up. The records show Duncan won the contest and should have received the hatchet as an award. But only a few people know the real story. So it was natural for the police to suspect Duncan.”

“But if that’s true,” Candy said, “the truth would have eventually come out. They would have discovered the hatchet wasn’t really Duncan’s in a matter of hours, if not minutes. If you’re right, there must be several people who knew Liam didn’t return the hatchet. He couldn’t hide the fact.”

“Who knows what was on Liam’s mind?” Felicia said obliquely.

“Perhaps,” Gina mused, “Liam thought that by using misdirection—the hatchet everyone thought was Duncan’s—he could buy himself a little time until he had a chance to escape.”

Candy considered that possibility but quickly dismissed it. “That doesn’t make much sense. Victor was killed Thursday morning. Liam was hanging around here all weekend. He was at the ball tonight with Wanda Boyle. He could be the one who’s been feeding her valuable information for her blog. Why would he do all that if he murdered your husband? Why hang around for so long?”

Felicia’s eyes shifted about quickly before they returned to Candy. “He’s always been a glory hound,” she said finally, in a harsher tone. “He can’t help himself. He obviously wanted the attention.”

“But why?” Candy asked. “Why would he kill Victor? For publicity? Because they’re rivals? Why?”

The questions hung in the room for several beats, as all three women looked at each other. Candy heard another soft toot from outside. Maggie was getting impatient—or just worrying about her.

It was Candy who broke the silence. “All three of us need to go to the police,” she said with finality. “You need to tell them everything you know.”

Felicia shook her head. “I’m afraid we can’t do that.” She gave Candy a hard look. “As far as I see it, there are only two options here. You can let us go—or we can make this difficult.” She wiggled her hand under her cloak, where it had remained since Candy had entered the cabin.

Candy got the hint. She knew they were up to something, though she hadn’t quite figured out what it was yet, but she stepped back toward the door. “Okay. Maybe you’re right. Maybe this was none of my business and I’ve gone a little too far. So, I… think I’ll just excuse myself, and let you two get on with whatever it is you have to do.”

Felicia smiled, and her eyes reflected pinpricks of light. “Thank you,” she said. Under the cloak, she slipped something into a hidden pocket. She turned to Gina. “You need to finish packing. It’s time to go.”

Gina nodded. She rose wearily and headed toward the bedroom. “I just have one more bag to finish packing.” She stopped in the doorway, turning back. “Oh, and I looked all over for that red scarf you said you lost,” she told Felicia. “You know, the one with the gold tassels at the end? Well I can’t find it anywhere. I’m afraid it’s gone.”

Forty-Two

Something clicked inside Candy, an almost physical feeling. The realization coursed through her being, and suddenly she saw new avenues of understanding that had not been visible before. She saw Victor’s steel blue Honda Pilot SUV, sitting in front of room twenty-three at the Shangri-La Motel. And she saw a red scarf with gold tassels, tossed into the backseat.

Her body tingled. She felt like she wanted to shake out her hands to calm them. When she spoke, her voice was uneven, a little jittery, though she did her best to keep it steady as she turned her gaze to Felicia. “That’s it, isn’t it? That explains everything.”

Felicia gave her an annoyed look. “What does?”

“It was you,” Candy said breathlessly. “You were with Victor that morning, weren’t you?”

The other two women went silent. They exchanged glances, but neither of them spoke. The room had grown deathly still.

“What makes you say that?” Felicia finally asked. Gina had gone as white as fresh snow.

“You were with him in his car, weren’t you? That morning—in his Honda. He must have picked you up somewhere.” Candy looked around the room quickly as the pieces started falling into place. “This is your cabin, isn’t it? This is where you were staying? But you didn’t want to be seen with him here. Maybe there are people you know staying here, and you had to be secretive. So he picked you up and you rented a room at the Shangri-La.” She paused and gave Felicia a penetrating look. “But you made one mistake. You left your scarf in the backseat of his car.”

Felicia looked stunned. Gina suddenly couldn’t stand on her own two feet. Eyes rolling up into her head, she wobbled to the bed, where she collapsed.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Candy pressed. “You were having an affair with Victor Templeton!”

“No!” Gina cried out, and she shot to her feet again. “No!” But her emotions and weariness got the better of her, and she sank back onto the bed.

Candy turned toward Felicia.

The other woman looked strangely calm. Her black hair seemed to emphasize the severity of her jawline, her sharp nose and high cheekbones. She held her body tightly, as if ready to spring, and she had a confident look in her dark eyes.

“It was an accident,” she said after a few moments.

Gina was making strange trilling noises, as if she was trying to block out all sound from her hearing, but Felicia continued. “He came after me, if you must know. But I knew he would. You see, I understood Victor. And I understood what drove him.”

“And what was that?” Candy asked.

“He hated Liam. He did everything he could to beat him—but he usually came in a distant second, or even third. But he wouldn’t give up. He competed against Liam for everything.”

“Including women.”

Felicia nodded. “Including women. Including me.”

Another moment of realization. “Ah, so you were Liam’s girl at one time.”

“I was.” In an emotional moment, Felicia averted her eyes, trying to hold back tears. “But he eventually tired of me. That’s the way he is. You see, I understand what drives Liam too.”

“So once Liam cast you aside, Victor swooped in.”

Felicia cast a worried look at Gina. “I didn’t want any of this. You should know that. I tried to hold him off.”

“How did he die?” Candy asked softly.

Felicia swallowed hard. “Like I said, it was an accident.”