Chapter Twenty-two
Audrey took a deep breath before stepping into Dr. Bradley Comstock’s office. The reception area was as pristine as ever. Melanie, perched behind the front desk, looked up with a bright, hopeful smile.
“Audrey! What brings you here? Are you switching your follow-up appointment?”
Audrey shook her head. “Nope. I’m actually here because Dr. Comstock and I are going out.”
Melanie’s smile faltered. “Oh … you mean … like on a date?”
Audrey gave an easy shrug. “I’m just taking him on an evening tour of Halibut Cove. He’s still new here, and I figured he should learn a little about the town’s history, its landmarks, that sort of thing.”
Melanie’s face crumbled like a soufflé in a thunderstorm. “Oh. That’s … nice of you.”
Before the conversation could get any more awkward, the man himself emerged from his office. “Ready to go?” Bradley asked, flashing his signature charming smile.
“Yep,” Audrey said cheerfully.
Bradley turned to Melanie. “Have a good evening, Melanie.”
Melanie nodded stiffly. “You too, Dr. Comstock.”
As they walked out together, Audrey cast a glance back at Melanie, who looked like she was about to cry.
Maggie had not been thrilled when Audrey told her about her plan.
“You’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position,” Maggie had warned. “This is a man we suspect of not one but possibly two murders, Audrey.”
Audrey had waved off her concerns. “I can handle this, Nana. Besides, if we want to know what he’s really up to, I need to get close. He’s not going to just confess over coffee at the diner.”
And now, as she walked beside Bradley through the cool Halibut Cove evening, she was starting to wonder if Maggie perhaps had a point.
They strolled through the quiet downtown area, the glow of street lamps casting long shadows.
Audrey played the perfect tour guide, pointing out the town’s historical landmarks, the old cobblestone streets that had been laid back in the 1800s, the inns that had once been Gilded Age mansions for the robber barons who summered here.
Bradley listened attentively, nodding at all the right moments, but he seemed more interested in her than the history of the town.
“You’re so passionate about this place,” he said.
“It’s my home,” Audrey said simply.
“It’s nice,” he admitted. “I never really had a place that felt like home.”
Audrey seized the opportunity. “But your family spent time in Halibut Cove, didn’t they? You mentioned that before.”
Bradley’s expression didn’t change, but something about his posture stiffened. “A long time ago, yeah. But my family’s all gone now. Either relocated or … well, gone.”
“Your father?” Audrey pressed carefully.
Bradley hesitated, then sighed. “He took his own life when I was just a baby. I never really knew him. My mother raised me.”
“I’m sorry,” Audrey said, studying his face. “That must have been hard.”
He gave a half-smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It was a long time ago.”
Audrey felt a cold prickle at the back of her neck. He was so smooth, so carefully measured in his words.
But was there pain there?
Or just calculation?
Before she could probe further, as they walked past a row of shops, a familiar voice called out.
“Audrey?”
Audrey turned to see Isabella walking toward them, her purse slung over one shoulder, a light jacket pulled tightly around her.
She was clearly on her way home from work at The Chowder House, but the expression on her face was somewhere between shocked and suspicious.
Her gaze flickered between Audrey and Bradley, eyebrows raised.
“Hey, Isabella,” Audrey said, forcing a casual smile.
Isabella’s eyes widened. “Uh … what’s going on here?”
Bradley glanced at his watch. “I’ll give you two a moment,” he said smoothly. “I need to make a quick call. I’ll be right back.”
As he walked a short distance away, Isabella stepped in close, lowering her voice. “Audrey, is this a date?”
“No,” Audrey whispered back. “I’m just showing him around town.”
Isabella crossed her arms. “You do realize he looks old enough to be your dad, right? And he’s a dentist, Audrey. A dentist. That alone gives me the creeps.”
Audrey sighed. “Look, this is just part of our investigation.”
Isabella’s frown deepened. “And what would your grandmother say about this?”
“She already gave me the lecture,” Audrey admitted. “She thinks I’m out of my depth. But I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you?” Isabella asked, looking unconvinced. “Because I gotta say, this seems very dangerous. What if he catches on?”
Audrey forced a reassuring smile. “I’m being careful. I promise.”
Isabella exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I don’t like this, Audrey. You’re playing with fire.”
Before Audrey could respond, Bradley returned, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Shall we continue?”
Audrey hesitated, giving Isabella one last reassuring look before turning back to him. “Yeah. Let’s keep going.”
Isabella gave her a look that clearly said this is a bad idea, but she didn’t argue further.
As they strolled down the street, Bradley turned toward Audrey. “You’ve spent the evening showing me the town,” he said, “but I’d like to return the favor. At the risk of sounding immodest, I’m a pretty decent cook. Come back to my place and let me prove it.”
Audrey hesitated. Every instinct screamed that this was a bad idea. But getting a look inside his house might give her more insight into who he really was.
“That depends,” she said. “What’s on the menu?”
Bradley grinned. “It’s a surprise. Which means I haven’t really figured it out yet. Let’s see what’s in the fridge.”
Bradley’s home was as neat and polished as his office. Everything was in its place, from the modern furniture to the gleaming stainless-steel kitchen appliances. It didn’t feel lived in—more like a showroom.
Dinner, however, was as impressive as promised. He whipped up a perfectly seared salmon with a citrus glaze, served alongside a risotto so creamy that Audrey briefly forgot she was sitting across from someone she suspected of murder.
But then, the conversation turned back to his family.
“You were close to your mother?” Audrey asked.
Bradley nodded. “She was everything to me. She passed away when I was in high school. Cancer.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She did her best to make sure I had a good life,” Bradley said, sipping his wine. “I don’t think she ever really got over what happened to my father. But she kept going. That’s what you do, right? You just … keep going.”
“So it was just the two of you, you and your Mom?”
There was a long pause.
Bradley shook his head. “I had a stepfather for a while, but we sort of lost touch after my mother died.”
“Is he still alive?”
He shrugged. “As far as I know. I’m not sure. Like I said, we haven’t spoken in years.”
Audrey studied him carefully.
Was there bitterness there?
A grudge held against the people who had driven his father to ruin?
Before she could ask more, there was a knock at the door.
Bradley sighed, setting down his glass. “Excuse me.”
Audrey listened as he opened the door, and a familiar voice floated in.
“Dr. Comstock, I know it’s late, but I wanted to show you these X-rays before tomorrow’s appointments.”
It was Melanie.
Audrey peeked around the corner, watching as Bradley folded his arms. “Melanie, this could have waited until the morning. You know I don’t like business being done outside of office hours.”
Melanie’s face fell. “I just thought … I mean, I wanted to make sure you saw them before—”
Bradley sighed. “Melanie, I appreciate your dedication, but you need to draw some boundaries.”
Melanie looked mortified. “I … I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
Bradley softened. “It’s okay. But go home. Get some rest.”
Melanie nodded quickly and left, closing the door behind her.
Audrey hid her smirk.
“That happens often?” she asked when Bradley returned.
Bradley groaned. “She’s got a bit of a … fixation. I try to be nice about it, but she’s overly devoted.”
“Poor girl’s in love with you,” Audrey teased.
Bradley shook his head. “That’s unfortunate for her.”
Audrey excused herself to the bathroom and used the opportunity to snoop. She opened the medicine cabinet, scanning the shelves. Toothpaste, ibuprofen, aftershave … nothing suspicious. No sign of Clonidine.
Maybe they were wrong about him.
But then again, what kind of killer would leave poison in plain sight for anyone to see?
Like a deadly nightshade plant in the pantry.
There was no way she was going to get the opportunity to search the entire house.
She instinctively reached up and flipped the latch on the small bathroom window, unlocking it.
If she came back later when Bradley wasn’t home and managed to squeeze through that window, then she’d have more time to conduct a more thorough search.
She returned to the dining room, forcing a smile. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
Bradley looked disappointed. “Already?”
“I have an early shift at the diner.”
He nodded, walking her to the door. “Audrey … what’s your real goal?”
She blinked. “What do you mean?”
He leaned against the doorframe. “You’re smart. You could do anything. What do you really want?”
She hesitated before answering honestly. “I want to run my own restaurant someday. Create my own dishes. Make something people remember.”
Bradley smiled. “You will.”
Audrey nodded. “Thanks again. Dinner was delicious.”
“Anytime,” Bradley said, smiling.
“Good night!”
Then she quickly turned and left before she had to deal with any kind of goodbye kiss.
As soon as she was outside, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. She turned to see Melanie.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Melanie hissed.
Audrey frowned. “Excuse me?”
“The man is twice your age. He could be your father.”
Audrey crossed her arms. “There’s nothing going on between us.”
Melanie scoffed. “Sure. Just keep your hands off him, or you’ll regret it.”
Audrey stared at her, agog. “Is that a threat? Did you just threaten me, Melanie?”
Melanie opened her mouth but no words came out. She stood there, frozen, unable to speak, her whole body shaking. Then, finally, she screamed, “What would your grandmother say?”
Audrey watched as Melanie stormed off, unsettled.
That was the second person in one evening to ask that question.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
Or maybe she needed to start listening.
But something weird was going on with Dr. Bradley Comstock.
And she was going to find out what.
As she walked away, her mind spun with new possibilities.
Had Bradley been planning his revenge for years? Was he carefully calculating each move? Her mind raced about who the real Bradley Comstock might be.