Unexpected Entanglement (Echo #3)

44. Chapter 44

forty-four

Rockland, Maine

Chris jolted awake to an alarm. His heart rate shot from sleeping to sprinting.

Fire!

He instinctively reached to the other side of the bed to check on Rowan but found an empty, cold sheet instead. His brain abruptly remembered he wasn’t at Bright Head anymore.

He took a few shallow breaths as he re-familiarized himself to his surroundings. The neutral-looking room with a standard design that boasted a flat-screen television, work desk, and mini refrigerator with a coffee-making station on the shelf above it reminded him where he was.

He snatched the phone, still blaring, off the nightstand and switched off his alarm before chucking it onto the bed. He dropped his head into his hands, forcing himself to fully wake up. After a minute, he reluctantly kicked off the blanket and rose. He dropped to a plank position and started a rapid succession of push-ups.

He pushed off to a downward dog and caught his breath for a few cycles before slowly rolling his body up into a mountain pose. He stood tall for five measured breaths, released the last in an exaggerated exhale, and let his whole body loosen.

That did it .

Chris tugged the curtain aside and looked down at a two-lane road three stories below. With a sigh, he made his way to the bathroom and caught the nondescript art hanging on the wall. He rolled his eyes.

He vowed when he took over The Sullens, he’d look into replacing the generic arts with the work of local artists. It might cost them more, but it would infuse some soul back into the chain.

Walt, Jane, and he didn't leave the Rockland Police Department until way past dinnertime last night. But good thing they hadn’t had issues finding accommodation for the night. Being a Sullens meant he could score a free hotel room wherever there was a Sullens hotel. Last night, he’d gotten three without issue.

After a quick shower, Chris dialed Kieran’s number. It was seven in the morning, but the farmer was up and running for a couple of hours by then.

“You miss us so soon?” Kieran answered without preamble.

Chris chuckled. “Good morning to you.”

“Did you make it okay to the Cape?”

“Haven’t even left Rockland,” Chris said. “There’s a development. I want you to hear it from me first.”

“What’s going on?” Kieran’s voice sharpened.

Chris quickly gave Kieran a synopsis of Gwen’s confession.

“Why would Raven try to poison my sister?” Kieran questioned, clearly baffled after hearing Chris’ story.

“My guess is jealousy.”

“I don’t get it.”

“If you haven’t noticed, Greg has a huge crush on Rowan.”

“So what? Greg and Raven are divorced.” Kieran added, “Sounds juvenile if you ask me.”

“Some people never quite matured beyond high school,” Chris agreed. “I didn’t pay attention at the wedding, but apparently, Raven took over the bar from Gwen. I think she planned to mess with Rowan’s drink again, except Rowan and I stuck with water that night. I was working and Rowan had no taste for alcohol after the clambake.

“My theory is when Raven couldn’t mess with Rowan’s drink, she decided to set the fire,” Chris concluded.

“That’s a jump. What would drive her to do that?” Kieran sounded skeptical .

“She poisoned Rowan. I think Raven is willing to do anything to hurt Rowan,” Chris said. “I have no proof but Gwen’s words. But I believe her.”

But words meant nothing without solid evidence.

“Listen. A Rockland police officer will escort Gwen back to Vinalhaven this morning. Call your police department and ask them to keep you in the loop. Gwen told the police everything she knows and handed them a piece of evidence. If it checks out, then the police will have something on Raven.”

“This is so hard to process,” Kieran said.

“Tell Rowan and the others. Stay vigilant until they have answers.”

“Why aren’t you telling Rowan this yourself?” Kieran asked.

“Can you just tell her, please?” Chris asked. “I need to go. I want to make sure Gwen is on that first ferry as planned.”

Chris added, “Gwen’s a gullible victim on this, too, Kieran. Don’t be too hard on her. If her story checked, I’d pay for her to get a good defense attorney. She doesn’t deserve to fall for Raven’s crime.”

“She still poisoned my sister,” Kieran said.

“Under duress. She lived with and worked for Raven. She was afraid she’d be out of a job and a place to live. But in the end, she left anyway because she knew what Raven asked her to do was wrong.”

Kieran didn’t respond.

“Can you please keep me updated?” Chris asked.

“Okay.”

“Thanks,” Chris said. “Keep Rowan safe, will you?”

“Always,” Kieran said before he hung up.

The ferry was on its way to Vinalhaven with Gwen and her police escort.

“That was wild,” Walt said as they walked back to the parking lot. “That’s a weekend I’ll never forget.”

“You don’t say,” Jane agreed. Then she tossed Walt the rental car key. “You’re driving. ”

“Before you go, I want to tell you how much I appreciate you both. You’ve gone beyond what any employer could expect from their employees,” Chris said.

“Well, Boss, the extra cash and the free working vacation were generous,” Walt said. “The drama is a plus. I didn’t expect to be swept into a fake engagement, family saga, with a twist of a deranged bartender on the loose!”

Chris sighed at Walt’s summary. “Please keep it to yourself.”

“Wait, what?” Walt said. “I can’t write about this in my ‘guess what I did this weekend’ subgroup?”

“No!” Chris replied.

“He’s kidding,” Jane answered. “Or I hope he is. We’ll be discreet.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

A few minutes later, Chris waved at them as they drove away. Now it was his turn to continue his own postponed trip.

Well, Dad. Here I come.