Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
T he smell of bacon filled the house as Luke plated breakfast. Kelsey would have just enough time to eat before dashing off to the library. They’d slept a bit late and then showered together, which perhaps hadn’t been the most time-saving enterprise.
He smiled to himself, setting breakfast on the table and pouring Kelsey’s coffee into a travel mug. She breezed into the kitchen, looking fresh and beautiful. She’d pulled her hair into a long ponytail and was dressed in a knee-length denim skirt, cute striped sweater, and sexy boots that made him want to steer her right back into the bedroom.
“You look too good to go to work,” Luke said, devouring her with his eyes.
She laughed. “You are a naughty boy, Luke Westcott.”
He was so glad to see her happy this morning. Last night had been tough. And it wasn’t really over. Noah was still out there, maybe even in Ribbon Ridge. What if he showed up at the library this morning?
He hated to pop the joyous bubble that seemed to be surrounding them, but he had to broach the subject. “Are you going to call the police about Noah?”
She sat down and dug into her breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. “I will after I get to work.”
Luke swallowed his frustration along with a piece of bacon. He wanted to say more but also didn’t want to get into an argument. He reached over and touched her arm. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. You get that, right?”
“Of course I do.” She blinked at him before dropping her gaze to her plate.
Luke was getting a weird vibe from her. He tried to focus on eating his breakfast. After a minute, he glanced over at her and noticed that she wasn’t wearing her bracelet. “Hey, where’s your bracelet?”
She turned her left wrist over. “Oh yeah.” She blanched. “I can’t find it. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. I’m sure it’ll turn up.”
She kept her focus on her plate, which he also found odd. What was going on with her?
She looked up at the clock on the microwave. “Yikes, I need to go.” She pushed her half-eaten breakfast away and stood.
He got up with her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She looked away, for some reason unable—or unwilling—to meet his gaze. “Something happened when I saw Noah last night.” She focused on him then, her eyes tormented. “I don’t want you to be upset. It was nothing. He tried to grab my wrist. I drove away. End of story.”
She hadn’t told him the truth last night. She hadn’t wanted him to know that Noah had gotten physical. “Were you afraid I’d go after him if you told me what happened?”
She took a moment to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe?” She laid her palm against his collarbone. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I need to go. Can we continue this later?”
He nodded, feeling as though he were in a fog. She kissed him before grabbing her coffee from the table. She plucked her purse from the couch and waved at him before she left.
Luke tried to finish his breakfast but couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety rattling his frame. If Noah had clasped her wrist and she was now missing her bracelet, maybe she’d lost it at the park. It was a long shot, but he needed some fresh air to clear his head anyway. He put his boots on and threw on a sweatshirt before snagging his keys from the hook and heading out.
Driving to the state park, he wondered if there was more to Kelsey’s behavior than simply not telling him about Noah grabbing her. Luke hated thinking that she was afraid of his reaction.
He parked in the lot and stepped out of his Jeep. He stood there a moment and contemplated where to start looking. He should’ve asked for more information about where Kelsey had met Noah. He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted her. She didn’t immediately respond.
While he waited, he walked to the edge of the parking lot and looked down toward the river. There was quite a slope unless you went to the left and took the path. Something near the water’s edge drew his attention. A shoe. He tipped his head to the side and squinted, but couldn’t see beyond the black boot.
He turned and strode to the path, walking quickly to the bottom. The path continued to the left, but he veered right through the low shrubbery to get to the shoreline. The terrain was uneven but walkable. As he neared the boot, the appendage it was attached to came into view. The body—a large man—lay on its stomach.
Luke crept up to the man’s side and knelt down.
Holy fuck.
It was Noah.
Luke pushed at Noah’s shoulder. “Noah, wake up.” When he didn’t respond, Luke touched his neck. The flesh was like ice, and Luke’s search for a pulse came up empty.
Shit, shit, shit. Luke’s blood ran cold. He looked at Noah’s face, gray and hard in death, absurdly wishing the man could tell him what had happened. Then he saw the dark red stain on Noah’s head.
Luke glanced around looking for what might’ve caused the wound and instantly saw the jagged rock nearby. Without thinking, he picked it up. When he saw blood, he dropped it as panic surged in his chest.
What the hell had happened? Was this why Kelsey had seemed agitated? Why she’d ignored him last night? He needed to talk to her. Pulling out his phone again, he saw that she still hadn’t responded. Dammit.
He stood up and looked toward the path, where a jogger was running along the water, about to turn uphill toward the parking lot. He nodded in greeting at Luke.
Well, now he had to call the police.
Not that he wouldn’t have, but he’d really hoped to talk to Kelsey first.
Luke dialed 911 and reported what he’d found. What had happened here last night? Suddenly, Kelsey’s odd behavior that morning took on a sinister tone. He didn’t for a moment think she’d killed Noah on purpose. She wasn’t a murderer. If she was involved, Luke knew it had to have been self-defense.
The sound of sirens filled the air as Ribbon Ridge’s police showed up, followed by a county deputy. Luke waved at them from the riverbank, and three officers came down to survey the scene.
Things happened very quickly then as the cops talked on their radios. An officer from Ribbon Ridge spoke to Luke and took notes. “So you knew this guy?” he asked Luke.
Luke nodded. “Yes. I mean, not really. He’s my girlfriend’s ex. He came into The Arch and Vine last night. She has a restraining order against him, and I’m pretty sure his being here violates his parole. He just got out of prison a few weeks ago.”
“I see. This sounds familiar. You called the police last night?”
“Not me. My brother’s fiancé.”
“What happened at the pub last night?”
Shit. They already knew Luke had decked Noah. That wasn’t going to look good. “He got too close to Kelsey—he touched her, actually. I, uh, I hit him.” His knuckles twitched. “He left shortly after.”
“Right. Okay, well, I think we’re good for now. Don’t go too far. I’m sure we’ll have more questions.”
Luke shook his hand. “Sure. I’m just going to head back into town.”
The officer nodded, and Luke walked up to his car. His hands shook as he dug his keys from his pocket. He quickly climbed into his Jeep and drove toward the library, hoping Kelsey’s world wasn’t about to explode.
Stella, the fifty-something owner of one of Ribbon Ridge’s coffee shops, took the book from Kelsey after she’d checked it out. “Thanks for the recommendation.”
Kelsey smiled. “I hope you like it.”
“I’ll let you know if I don’t next time you stop in for a latte.” She winked at Kelsey before turning and leaving.
Kelsey exhaled and glanced around. There were still a few people in the library, but it had been a busy day so far, and Kelsey would gratefully take a lull, even if it was just for a few minutes. After the long day at the vineyard yesterday, Kelsey had given Marci the day off. However, it was becoming clearer that the library needed two people on the weekends. Time to revisit the budget and maybe write a grant proposal.
The sound of the door opening drew Kelsey’s attention. She turned her head and saw Luke coming in. The smile that rose to her lips died almost immediately. His eyes were dark, and his face was creased with worry.
He came right toward her. “We need to talk. Please tell me Marci’s here so we can go upstairs.”
Alarm seared through Kelsey’s chest. “She isn’t. What’s the matter? You’re freaking me out.”
He glanced around, noting the patrons browsing the shelves and the two children sitting in the reading nook. He touched Kelsey’s arm and led her back behind the counter. When he looked into her eyes, she could see the concern running rampant through him, along with something else. Something that made her spine tingle with apprehension.
“I went to the park to look for your bracelet.” His frigid tone stoked her fear.
“Did you find it?”
He shook his head. “No. But I found Noah.” He paused, scaring her even more with the grim set of his mouth. “Kelsey, he’s dead.”
Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor. Luke helped her up, practically lifting her, and set her in the chair behind her desk. “You didn’t know.”
Noah was dead? She looked at Luke, processing what he’d said. “You thought I did?”
“I wasn’t sure.” The furrows in his brow carved deeper. “You were acting strange this morning. You said he tried to grab you… I wouldn’t blame you.”
Oh God. He thought she’d killed him. “He was fine when I left the park. I swear.” Panic started to rise in her throat. If her own boyfriend thought she could do that, what would the police say? “Did you call the police?”
“I had to.” He gave his head a shake. “I would have anyway, but a jogger saw me with the body. Kelsey, they’re going to come here and question you. You need to be ready.”
It was as if she was standing outside in subzero temperatures, an icy wind blowing over her suddenly hard and brittle body. She was afraid the slightest movement would make her shatter.
She tried to parse through the emotions and thoughts battering through her. Noah was dead. Luke thought she might’ve done it. The police would be coming to talk to her.
“Excuse me,” a small voice said from beyond her desk. “Can you help me find more Bad Kitty books?”
Right. She was also at work.
Summoning a calm she didn’t remotely feel, she stood and gave the boy—he was maybe eight years old—a weak smile. “Sure. Come on.”
As she walked to the children’s area with the little boy, she felt Luke’s stare boring through her back. Did he believe her when she’d said that Noah had been fine? She began to shake.
With great effort, she focused on locating the books the boy was looking for. He beamed and immediately plucked one from the shelf before plopping down on the floor and reading. Kelsey stood there and let the joy of this boy’s discovery take away the despair curdling inside her, if only for a moment.
She heard the door again and was afraid to turn in case it was the police. She’d wanted more information from Luke. Reluctantly, she pivoted and her heart sank as she watched the two officers move inside. They made eye contact with Luke, whose jaw was stiff, his muscles clearly tense. At least to her.
Kelsey walked toward them, her legs like jelly.
“Good afternoon,” one of the officers said. “I’m Officer Hendricks and this is Officer Talbot.” He gestured to the other cop. “We’re here to talk with you about Noah Putnam.” Hendricks glanced toward Luke before returning his focus to Kelsey. “I take it you know he’s dead?”
Kelsey nodded. “Let’s go back here.” She led the officers behind her desk to get as far away from any of the patrons as possible. One of them had noticed the police coming in and was now watching the situation. Kelsey tried to ignore that.
“Yes, Luke told me about Noah.” It suddenly hit her—this man she’d known for almost eight years, a man she’d loved and at one time expected to spend her life with, this man who’d broken her heart and her trust in every way possible, was dead. Emotion overwhelmed her, and she began to cry, great heaving sobs. She turned away from the library and faced the back wall.
Someone—Luke, she realized—handed her a tissue. It took her a moment to pull herself together. She saw that the officers were watching her with sympathy. That was nice.
She blew her nose and reached for another tissue. “I’m sorry. I’m just so shocked.”
“Noah was your ex-boyfriend?” Hendricks asked.
Kelsey nodded. “Yes. You must also know that he abused me, that he recently got out of jail after serving a sentence for that abuse.”
“Yes, we’re aware of his criminal history,” Talbot said. “We’re also aware that he came to town looking for you last night and found you at The Arch and Vine.”
“Yes.” She glanced toward Luke, thinking of how he’d hit Noah. Luke had told her last night that they’d called the police to report Noah’s violation of his parole and the restraining order. They had to know he’d hit Noah, and that couldn’t look good. Wait, did she think Luke could’ve done more?
No, that wasn’t possible. Noah had been perfectly fine—although drunk—when she’d left him last night, and she’d gone directly to Luke’s house where they’d been together all night. Except she’d fallen into a hard, dreamless sleep. Could Luke have left?
She shook her head. This wasn’t helping matters.
Officer Talbot pulled out a small tablet and a stylus. “Can you tell us what happened after you left The Arch and Vine?”
She glanced toward Luke, but his gaze was inscrutable. What was he thinking? Why was she so nervous? She hadn’t done anything. “I drove around. I was upset about seeing Noah again.”
“What happened when you drove around?” Talbot asked.
The question seemed pointed. Like they already knew… And if they looked at Noah’s phone, they’d see his texts asking to meet her. “He followed me to the state park. We talked for a few minutes.”
Officer Hendricks tipped his head to the side. “I don’t suppose you own a silver bracelet with a book charm?”
She heard her intake of breath as if someone else had done it and instantly wished she could take it back. But what would be the point in lying? They’d figure out it was hers. “Yes.”
Her voice sounded so small, so frightened.
“Where did you find it?” Luke’s question was gruff. Kelsey still couldn’t read his eyes, but the pitch of his brows and the tight set of his features told her enough.
“With the body,” Hendricks answered.
Kelsey felt as if the floor beneath her was disintegrating and she was about to tumble into an abyss.
“Miss McDade, we still have some investigation to do, but it looks like Mr. Putnam was perhaps hit with a rock,” Talbot said.
She started to shake her head. Everything went fuzzy, like she was submerged in water. Even the sounds around her were muffled.
Until Luke spoke.
“I hit him at the pub because he’d grabbed Kelsey. He must’ve gotten her bracelet then,” Luke said, his voice deep and clear. “After Kelsey got back to my house, I went to the park to confront him. We argued and things got physical. I hit him with the rock in self-defense. You’ll find my fingerprints on it.”
Kelsey turned her head in shock. He had left last night? What had he hoped to accomplish?
Talbot frowned as he exchanged looks with Hendricks. “You’re saying you killed him?”
“I’m saying I hit him with the rock. And I left. Not my finest moment.” He didn’t look at Kelsey despite her silently begging him to do so. What was happening?
“Excuse me,” a feminine voice said from the counter. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to go, and we wanted to check out these Bad Kitty books.”
Kelsey stared at her for a moment before pulling herself from the nightmare unfolding before her. She looked at the officers. “Give me a minute.”
“Why don’t we go to the station,” Luke said, his voice flat. “I’ll answer your questions there.”
“Okay,” Hendricks said. He turned to Kelsey. “Can you join us there as soon as possible?”
She nodded. “I’ll close up as soon as I can.” Luke started for the door with the officers following behind him. “Wait,” Kelsey said. “Is he under arrest?”
Officer Talbot sent her a grim look. “Not yet.”
Yet. Which meant it was possible.
“Luke, I’ll bring Aubrey Archer,” she called after him, but Luke didn’t turn.
As she watched them leave, she felt the distinct fracture of her already battered heart.