24
Outside the tower, Maris immediately saw and heard the source of the loud voice. Joseph Toler was bellowing at the top of his lungs from the edge of the garden. As Maris rushed over, Julia hid behind Bear while Cookie pointed at the plants just in front of the irate lawyer.
“Don’t step on those,” she said.
Maris approached Toler. “What’s going on here?”
He wheeled on her, and shook a piece of paper in her face. “Someone left this on my bed!”
She quickly recognized one of the flyers from the rally. “It’s just–”
Toler quickly flipped it around to show her the back. Someone had printed something in big letters. Though she could read it, the lawyer read it out loud. “Leave or you’ll suffer the same fate as Audrey.” He shook it at Julia. “And the fishhook in the corner? Nice touch.”
Though Maris hadn’t seen it at first, the barbed piece of metal was stuck through the paper at the bottom. A short piece of frayed and dirty fishing line dangled from it.
“This is unacceptable,” the lawyer declared, and hurled the flyer at the ground. He took his cell phone from his pocket. “And I’m not going to sit still for it.”
As he dialed a number, Maris exchanged a look with Cookie, who only shrugged.
“I didn’t put that there,” Julia said, her voice small and shaking. “I don’t know anything about it.”
Bear glanced over his shoulder at her, before returning his attention to Toler.
“Sheriff?” the man said into his phone. “This is Joseph Toler. I’ve just received a threatening letter on my bed here at the B&B.” He glared at Julia and then Maris, then seemed to listen to something Mac was saying. “Come and see for yourself,” he yelled. “I don’t know what kind of rinky-dink investigation you’re running, but I want some answers and now also protection.” He turned away and started to stalk back to the house. “I want you here ASAP.” There was another pause before he went through the back door. But from the interior they could hear more shouting. “I don’t care!” The rest was indistinct.
Cookie went to the flyer and bent to pick it up.
“Don’t,” Maris cautioned her, and the chef stopped in mid-reach. “That’s evidence now.” She looked at Bear and Julia. “No one touch it. Mac will have to collect it.”
25
As Maris led Mac through the house, she said, “It’s in the garden, where he dropped it. No one has touched it.”
He already had glove and evidence bag in hand. “Good,” he said, as they approached the garden where Cookie waited. He glanced around. “Where are Mr. Toler and Ms. Mendes?”
“Joseph left first,” Maris told him. “He stormed off right after he showed us the flyer.” Maris pointed to it, at Cookie’s feet.
“Standing guard?” Mac asked her.
“We didn’t want to take a chance that it’d blow away,” she said to him.
“Good thinking,” he said as he snapped on the glove.
“Julia left not long after Joseph,” Maris continued. “They were both upset.”
“Julia was afraid,” Cookie added. “I think that much was clear.”
Mac looked up at her. “Of Toler?”
The chef nodded. “Thank goodness Bear was here. The lawyer was in a rage.”
Mac opened the evidence bag, carefully picked up the flyer, and put it inside. He examined the ground for a few moments, before standing up. Then he sealed the bag and removed the glove.
He glanced between Maris and Cookie. “What did Bear do?”
Cookie smirked a little. “Absolutely nothing.”
The sheriff’s eyebrows rose a little. He gave Maris an inquiring look.
“That’s exactly right,” she said. “He simply stood right there.” She pointed to where his big boot prints were still in the soil. “Julia hid behind him.”
“I see,” the sheriff said, his face stern as he apparently pictured the scene. “And you say both of them left?” Maris nodded. “Did they leave their luggage?”
“I’m pretty sure they did, but we can check.”
Mac turned to the chef. “Thanks for your help, Cookie.”
She smiled at him. “I’m happy to stand in my garden any time.”
Back inside the house, Maris and Mac climbed the stairs together.
“The barnacle analysis came back,” he said. “It’s the same species as found under the pier. As small a piece of data as that may be, it’s at least a bit of evidence.”
They mounted to the second floor. “Right,” Maris agreed. He looked around at the different rooms and Maris pointed at Julia’s. “You just want to make sure they haven’t left?”
The sheriff nodded. “Judging from your description of the events, and what I heard on the phone, I can see why they’d both want to leave. The sooner I know that they’ve left, the sooner I can put out a bulletin.”
But as they looked in on both rooms, the luggage was where it usually was. If they’d fled, they hadn’t taken their belongings.
“Good,” Mac said. He looked at the flyer and the scrawled message on the back. “Obviously I’ll have it fingerprinted, but I’ll also be getting some writing samples. I’m not sure there’s anything we can do with the hook.”
As they went back downstairs, Maris said, “I have the guests fill out a card to get the make and model of their vehicles when they arrive. I’ll get those together for you.”
“Great,” the sheriff said, and checked his watch. “But I’ll have to get those from you later.” He hefted the evidence bag. “I want to get this to the lab right away.” They went to the front door, which he opened.
“I’ll text you when I have the information,” she said.
He paused on the front porch, and gave her a little smile. “I had a nice time at lunch yesterday.”
She grinned back at him, and felt a flush of heat in her cheeks. “Me too.”
He nodded quickly. “Good,” he said. Then glanced at the flyer. “Good,” he said again, and then turned and headed to his vehicle.
Although Maris would have waited and given him a goodbye wave, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Maris?” Bear said.
“Yes,
