Chapter Fourteen. It turned out to be a gorgeous day

It turned out to be a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and there was a hint of fall in the air.

Mac and Teri took their own car so they could do some shopping before meeting up with us at the beer garden. Maggie parked in front of the little photo shop, to see Maggie's editor friend. He was a tall lanky redhead, with his sleeves rolled up and a pencil behind his ear and freckles everywhere.

Maggie introduced us as we shook hands. He gave me an odd look. "Do I know you? Your name sounds familiar. What'd ya do, fall out of bed?" He looked at the bandage on my forehead.

"I don't think we've ever met," I said politely.

He hadn't let go of my hand yet.

"Oh, sorry. What can I do for you?"

I explained my predicament and in the middle of what I was saying, he snapped his fingers. "I knew it. Wait a minute."

He disappeared behind a huge desk that had papers and a magazine covering it in what I assumed was his organized mess. It looked like my desk at home. I admired the lad.

He came back with a magazine and leafed through it, found a page, and slapped it with the back of his hand.

"This is you, right?" he asked hopefully, as he showed the magazine.

I went cold. I looked at the page and gave him a sick smile. "My, my, I thought that no one would ever see this. Wherever did you find it?" I asked.

Hannah squeaked. "Let me see!" She took the magazine from me. "Yes, this is the article I read too, Jack. Kate, you're very photogenic. Isn't she wonderful?"

I was completely embarrassed.

"Okay, can we get on with...?" I started.

Maggie interrupted by taking the magazine from Hannah. She looked up at me amazed. "You took these pictures?" She looked impressed.

Now, suddenly, for some reason I didn't mind the attention.

"And you wrote the article too, right?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, I did. Now, if you could..."

Interrupted once again; it is now my goal to be interrupted by everyone in this town.

"I want a copy of this magazine. Jack, where can I get one?" Hannah beamed happily.

I gave a glance at Maggie, who was reading and not saying anything. Why did it matter what she was thinking?

"Oh, keep it. I have a couple others. They did a whole layout of you in this issue. Boy, if I could take pictures like these," he sighed and motioned to the magazine.

"Thanks, but could we get back the matter at hand?" I asked and actually managed to finish without one interruption.

Jack eagerly agreed. He would try to have the film developed by late afternoon. If not, then in the morning.

He shook my hand and, for one horrifying moment, I thought he would want either my autograph or a kiss. I was extremely grateful he wanted neither.

We walked down the main street. There were people and vendors everywhere and Hannah was buying everything in sight. I had brought my smaller camera that was easy to carry and was ready for a good shot.

"Where's my magazine?" Hannah asked.

"I've got. I've got it," Maggie assured her, patting the pocket of her blazer.

It was almost noon when we met Steve. "Mom and Dad are over at the beer garden. I told them to save a few seats." He took me aside. "I told Dad about what was going on, he'd like to talk to you, too. We'll meet you over there later."

I agreed enthusiastically and he walked away.

"It's about time I sat down. You girls have fun. I'll save you a seat," Hannah said with a wink.

Then it dawned on me. "Hey, Hannah. What about my car?" I asked.

"What car, dear?" she asked seriously and walked away.

I stopped laughing. "Hey Hannah, that's not funny." I looked at Maggie. "Tell her that wasn't funny. They have my car, right?"

She laughed and pulled me along.

"It's good for you to laugh," I said.

"Thanks, you make it easy. Although you can be the most frustrating person I know."

"I must bring out the worst in you. It's a gift," I assured her. "I don't know why, but we start out fine, and then we wind up arguing. It isn't my intention to argue with you all the time."

"What are your intentions?" she asked with a cocky grin.

I blinked several times and felt the blood rush to the face and other various parts of my anatomy. I must have looked like an idiot.

"Uh..." Yes, and I sounded like an idiot.

"Why, hello you two," a voice called out.

For the first time all weekend, I was grateful for an interruption.

It was Allison, however. I looked away and gave a disgusted grunt.

"Hello, Allison. Enjoying the festival?" Maggie asked politely.

"It's wonderful. Mags, I heard from your aunt about last night about poor Bedford... how awful." She reached over and touched Maggie's arm. "Are you all right?"

"Allison, I'm fine and yes, it was horrible about Bedford," Maggie said sadly.

Allison had enough grace to stop talking for a moment.

"How are you Miss Ryan?" she asked sweetly when she ran out of grace. "You don't look too much the worse for wear."

"I'm very well, thank you," I replied and bowed slightly.

"I understand you brought your whole family here," she said sarcastically.

"Nah, just my sister and her husband. The rest come up in a few days. I'm bussing them in."

She ignored my sarcasm and continued. "Boy, things started happening once you arrived on the scene the other day."

So that was her opinion: I was the cause of the last two day's events. I guess I couldn't blame her. She was in love with Maggie and protecting her.

"Well," Maggie started, trying to diffuse the situation, I was sure. "We were just going over to the beer garden, everybody..."

Allison interrupted her. "How do you explain that, Miss Ryan?" she asked.

"I have no explanation for it. However, I'm sure you have an opinion and you're dying to impart your theory."

"Okay ladies, let's not get into..." Maggie started, but Allison interrupted her again. It must be in the water they drink.

"Well, of course I'm not a great detective," Allison said, "but it doesn't take Charlie Chan to figure out you might be the catalyst for all of this."

She was really beginning to annoy me.

I'd had enough and said as calmly and quietly as I could, given the fact that I wanted to belt her, "I assure you, Miss Carson that I am only here to help. If you think differently, I'm sorry. Frankly, I could care less what you think. I would hope you care enough about Miss Winfield to help rather than hinder. Either way, I do not want to have this kind of discussion with you again."

Mac and Teri were standing right there. My heart was racing and my blood boiling as I continued, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to join Hannah. Maybe I'll see you there." I looked at Maggie. "I'll see you over there." I didn't wait for a reply as I walked away.

Mac and Teri followed me. "Hey, wait up."

"Who was that?" Mac asked. "Wow, she's..."

"Yes, she is. And I'm wondering if she could be a part of this mess," I said.

"Do you think she could do that?" Teri asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but she annoys me."

We found Hannah at a picnic table with Doc, another older couple, and Steve. Hannah saw us and waved. "Where's Margaret?" she asked.

"With Allison," I replied.

"Ugh," she groaned and I laughed. "Kate, I want to you to meet Tom and Lily Caldwell."

I reached over and shook hands. Tom looked like Steve with white hair. "Mr. Caldwell, the resemblance to your son is striking."

"That's what everybody says. I don't see it though. Please, it's Tom and Lily."

I sat down next to Hannah.

"So, Hannah tells us you're an accomplished photographer. That sounds fascinating," Lily said.

After a few minutes of idle chatter about my job, the conversation went to Hannah and Lily. Tom tapped me on the shoulder.

"So, I understand it's been pretty dicey around here," Tom said. He looked at the bandage on my forehead.

I instinctively reached up to it. "Well, it's been interesting." I told him I read the report and filled him in on all that had happened as Maggie joined the group and sat next to me. Allison sat by Mac and Teri.

"So, what have you done with the jewelry?" Tom asked.

"It's back at the house in a plastic bag," I said and looked at Maggie. "I want to talk to Tom about your mother. I don't want you to get upset," I whispered to her. I was dying to talk to Tom.

"I'd like to hear," Maggie said. "I never heard exactly what happened. I think I need to hear this." She swallowed with difficulty.

Tom busied himself with his mug of beer. "So, you read the report?"

"Yes, I did. No evidence was ever found, no clues no weapon, no murderer. Sounds like a typical murder in Chicago," I said.

"It may be typical for a big city but not in Cedar Lake and not while I was sheriff." He looked at Maggie and me. "I'm an organized person, Kate. I put the top back on the toothpaste. I straighten pictures. I like to have things in their place. So when a citizen in my town gets brutally murdered, especially someone I know and admire, then nothing is in its place. We never found anything to go on. However, we never closed the case. And now in light of what you found, I'm given renewed hope of finding the murderer." He continued sipping his beer. "Steve tells me your father was a Chicago cop."

"Yes, he was for thirty years. He was a good, honest man."

"Steve seems to think you have his genes. He told me what had happened. What's your slant on this, Kate?" he asked.

"Okay, if I'm a robber, I'm a sneak by nature. I would come up from behind my victim and, I'm sorry about this, Maggie, but if I'm going to stab somebody, I want it to be a surprise so there's no struggling. So, I come from behind." I shook my head, ran my fingers through my hair and thought for a moment. "Tom, according to the police report, Miranda was stabbed from the front...she had to see her attacker. If I saw someone coming at me, I'd be running. If I turned and started to run, wouldn't the entry wounds be different? I mean the angle." I looked at Doc.

He looked a little uneasy for some reason. "You're right. The angle of the wound would be different. Miranda's attacker came from the front."

"So what do you think?" Tom asked.

"Okay, let's take it step by step," I said. "Now, I might sound like I'm beating a dead horse, so bear with me here, folks. If you can't, then feel free to take a nap. So, Miranda was at the lake. We know this. This was where the attacker stabbed and robbed her. We know the attacker was in front of her, and there were no defensive wounds."

I looked at Doc for confirmation and he agreed.

Hannah frowned as she spoke, "So, twenty years later, your dog digs up Miranda's jewelry. The attacker wrapped it in burlap. Why would he steal the jewelry, kill Miranda and then bury the jewelry? It was expensive."

The hair on the back of my neck bristled. "It was expensive. So, why wouldn't he take it? Because logic says, he didn't need it. It wasn't robbery for money. It was a murder of passion. Okay, now, once again bear with me," I said, trying to keep my train from derailing. I stood and started pacing. "If you're walking in the woods, by yourself, and you see someone coming toward you that you don't know what's the first thing you do?" I went around the table.

"I'd probably get nervous and try to avoid them." Teri shrugged.

"I'd be apprehensive but I'd continue," Mac said.

"I agree with Teri," Maggie said firmly. "I'd be very nervous. I'd head back to my car. But, hell, I'm not sure I'd be in the woods alone by myself to begin with."

"I guess I would agree with Mac," Doc said.

"I agree with Maggie, I would never be in the woods by myself. I don't care how well I knew the woods," Lily said.

I looked at Tom. "I agree with the boys," he said.

Hannah was next. She looked at me and exclaimed, "Good heavens! Who in their right mind would go out in the woods, at night, alone?"

"Exactly!" I said, emphatically.

They all gave me a curious look as I looked at Maggie.

"Was your mother a brave woman?" I asked.

Maggie frowned. "I don't remember, but I don't think brave would fit." She looked at Doc.

"I would not say Miranda was a brave woman. She was stubborn and that part of the gene pool, Maggie bathes in. But brave, I would say not."

I let out a hearty laugh. "Bathes in it," I repeated as Maggie glared at me. I cleared my throat and looked at Tom. Both he and Lily agreed.

"Miranda was not brave in that sense, but she was stubborn," Hannah said.

"If this is all true, then why in the world would she be in the woods, alone at night, and not be afraid if she saw someone coming up to her?" I asked as I looked around at the confused faces.

In my heart, I knew with my next words events would quickly start unraveling. I needed to choose those words very carefully.