Chapter 6
“Your sister and her friends are pretty good at solving mysteries.” Christi picked up the pace, falling into step as Liz made a beeline for the house.
“They’re very good. If anyone can figure out who shot Keller’s plane down, it will be Gloria and her friends.”
“It has to be someone who lives nearby.”
“It stands to reason,” Liz agreed. “Which means Gloria and the others will want to use this place as their starting point and work their way out.”
“I’ll try to help in any way I can.” Christi hustled to keep up. “Did you ever check out the flight radar app I told you about yesterday?”
“I did.” Although not specifically invited, Liz wasn’t surprised when her neighbor followed her into the kitchen. “The app is how I found out who has been harassing us.”
“Harassing,” Christi repeated. “You’re right. That’s exactly what he’s been doing. What did you say his name was again?”
“Tristan Keller.” Without thinking, Liz circled around to her laptop and tapped the keys. The flight app screen, the one she’d been studying before walking outside to collect rotting tomatoes, was still up.
Christi made a choking sound. “You were monitoring his flight this morning?”
“I was…” Liz stumbled over her words. Having the flight app open and Keller’s flight pattern on the screen could easily be viewed as her tracking him. Which she had…before she found out someone had taken his plane down. “I heard the plane early this morning and checked to make sure it was Keller’s plane.”
Christi tiptoed closer and leaned in. “You can see where he flew around and around and then…blip. His plane disappeared off the radar. He was right over your property.”
“Right over our properties,” Liz corrected. “It’s possible it was someone other than a neighbor, someone who followed him in their vehicle.”.”
“I suppose,” Christi agreed. “Only those of us who live out here drive up and down the roads. Does the investigating officer know you were tracking Keller’s plane?”
“No, and unless he specifically asks, I don’t plan on mentioning it.”
“I won’t either. I am so sorry, Liz. It seems like you’ve had nothing but bad luck.”
“A black cloud of bad luck,” Liz sighed. “It all started with the other designer. Not long after, Echo’s past came back to haunt her and now this.”
Christi backed toward the door. “Darren just returned from his business trip. I need to head home and start a load of laundry.”
Liz tapped the top of her laptop. “And you won’t mention this flight app.”
Her neighbor made a zipping motion across her lips. “Not a peep. Your secret is safe with me. I don’t know how much trouble you can get into for shooting a plane down, but I’m guessing it would be quite a bit.”
“Which means figuring out who was behind it and taking the investigator’s focus off Floyd and me is going to be my number one priority.”
As soon as Christi left, Liz promptly called her sister. As luck would have it, her call went directly to voicemail. “Hey, Gloria. It’s Liz. I have a major problem. Remember the plane that kept flying around? Floyd knew the pilot. Someone shot it down. I can almost guarantee when the cops start digging around, he and I will both be suspects.”
Before ending the message, Liz told her she needed help in figuring out who was behind it. Thinking a long, hot shower might calm her nerves, she headed to the main bath. Turning the multiple massagers on, she stepped into her spa-like shower, breathing deeply as steamy jets of hot water cascaded over her body.
She slathered on a generous dollop of her favorite gardenia-scented body wash and mulled over the morning’s events. From what she could piece together, Tristan Keller had taken off from the area airport early that morning and flown directly to their property, where he began tossing rotting tomatoes at them.
After circling around at an even lower altitude, a gunman, hunter or neighbor had shot his plane, knocking it out of the air.
Liz reminded herself it was deer hunting season. Although no experienced hunter would point their gun skyward, let alone shoot at an aircraft—unless it was intentional.
The first step was to find out more about the airport, Keller’s precise location during his morning flight and figure out if anyone else, other than Floyd, Liz and Echo, had been a tomato-tossing target.
She finished showering and returned to the kitchen, where her cell phone sat on the counter. She glanced at the screen and noticed she’d missed her sister’s call. Liz promptly dialed her number.
Gloria skipped the pleasantries and got right to the point. “I listened to your message. Have the investigators been by yet?”
“A cop showed up, which is how I found out someone shot Tristan Keller’s plane down.” Liz told her the officer asked to see Floyd’s guns. “I told him I wanted Floyd to be present.”
“He’ll be back.”
“He already said as much. Floyd and I will be at the top of the list of suspects,” Liz said. “Which is why we need to figure out who did it before one of us ends up in jail.”
“What does your schedule look like for today?”
“I was going to run some errands, but this takes precedence. Do you think you can round up the others for a meeting to help me figure out my next step?”
“We were already planning to get together for our weekly brunch. It’s my turn to host. Dot’s bringing a breakfast bake. Margaret made a batch of her delicious garlic and herb biscuits. Lucy’s home fries with minced onion and peppers are the best and even Ruth whipped up a cinnamon streusel.”
“Sounds yummy. I’ll invite myself over,” Liz said.
“The more the merrier. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to leave the house in case the cops show up again.”
With a plan in place, Liz’s mood improved, knowing if anyone could help her with her current crisis, it was her sister and friends. She hopped into her SUV and made the trip to Belhaven.
Liz cruised down Main Street, noticing Dot’s Restaurant, the restaurant Dot and her husband had recently sold, was packed. The post office’s parking lot was also full, and she briefly wondered if Ruth missed her old job as postmaster.
So many changes had taken place since Liz had moved back home, including changes to her own life. Floyd had swept her off her feet, treated her like his queen, and given her a life most women could only dream of.
The elegant chateau was everything she could want and more, and Liz was looking forward to the upcoming celebration.
A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. What if the investigators concluded Floyd was the one who pulled the trigger and taken Keller’s plane down? What would happen to Rasmussen Farms, to their plans…their future?
Liz tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She had been through too much and come too far to allow that to happen. One way or another, she would figure out who had taken Tristan Keller’s plane down if it was the last thing she did.