Framed For Murder (An Anna Nolan Mystery) (23 page)

“Yes, Connie might have broken in a window if Anna and Wendy hadn’t gotten here so fast,” Amy added.

“Well, next time you have a problem, Amy, call the police,” Steve said. “Then there won’t be any misunderstandings about assault and people’s dogs.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, Constable.
I don’t suppose you have a business card in case I ever need you again, do you?”

Steve reached into his shirt pocket.
“Here you are,” he said with a smile. “And call me ‘Steve.’”

“Thank you, Steve.
I feel so much safer with this,” she said, tucking it into her cleavage. Steve’s eyes followed his card and lingered there. I nudged him with my elbow.

“I’m going home now unless you need anything else from me, Steve,” I said.

He untangled his arm from Amy’s and patted her hand.
“No, that’s all I need for tonight, ladies. I’m afraid I have to be going, too. Good night, Amy,” he said, saluting her with two fingers.

“Bye, bye Steve,” she replied, giving him a bright smile.
We headed for the sidewalk together, Steve opening the gate for me with a bow. I smiled and shook my head at him as Wendy and I passed through. Wendy needed to relieve herself, so I paused to let her water the boulevard while Steve climbed into his cruiser. I heard the radio squawk, and Steve respond. I had just let Wendy into the car and was settling into the driver’s seat when he called me.

“Anna!”

I looked up and saw him crossing the street toward me. His expression was grim, and I felt a sudden foreboding.

“What is it Steve?” I asked as he walked up to my door.

“It’s Ben, Anna. Tremaine’s just taken him in for questioning.”

Chapter Twenty

Steve argued against it for five whole minutes, but in the end I followed him to the police station. He knew that he couldn’t stop me from trying to see my son, and I pointed out that I was less likely to get into an accident if I followed him. Reaching the back parking lot first, I sprang out of the car and towed Wendy behind me as I raced for the door.

“Whoa Anna, calm down,” Steve said, catching up to me.
I pulled on the door handle, but it was locked. Steve put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look up into his face. “I mean it, Anna. You shouldn’t even be here. I want you to keep quiet and sit where I tell you to sit until I find out what’s happening with Ben.” I nodded, my jaw so tight that I’d have to break it open to speak.

“Alright,” Steve said, unlocking the door.
“Follow me, and keep Wendy quiet.”

We hurried down the same grey hallway we had passed through when Steve brought me in to make my statement.
The door to the interview room was closed. I stared at it as we went by, wishing that I could see through it. I was certain that Tremaine had Ben in there. Steve led me through a locked door into the lobby at the front of the building. It was after hours and the station was closed. An orange security bulb outside the glass door provided the only illumination. There were a couple of black plastic chairs sitting in front of a closed service window, an artificial potted fern the only decoration.

“You’ll have to wait here, Anna,” Steve said.
“I’m not allowed to bring you into the office area. I’ll talk to the guys and see what’s going on. I shouldn’t be too long.”

“Thanks, Steve,” I mumbled, loosening my jaw.
The door clicked shut behind him and I sat in one of the chairs, leaning my head against the cool, grey wall. Wendy settled at my feet. The room had a shadowy, nightmarish quality, probably made worse by my frightened imaginings. Tremaine had brought Ben in for questioning. Was arrest the next step? What could Tremaine have discovered that would justify bringing Ben in? Had Ben been hiding something from me?

My thoughts were too scattered to be rational, and I tried to calm down.
I had to think about Ben’s needs now. What rights did a person have when they were brought in for questioning? A lawyer – did Ben need a lawyer? When the police questioned suspects on television, they often had a lawyer.

Steve came back into the lobby.
“Steve, do you know a good lawyer?” I asked, jumping to my feet.

“What?” he said.
“You mean for Ben? Take it easy, Anna. I don’t know if Ben has already requested a lawyer. Tremaine is talking to him right now – the guys said they’ve been in there about half an hour. When Tremaine comes out, I’ll ask him what’s going on. Or, you could go home and I could call you when they’re done. I don’t know how long they’ll be, and it’s not very comfortable here.”

“No, I’ll stay.
If I go home, I won’t be able to sleep anyway, worrying about what’s happening to Ben.”

“Okay, Anna.
Whatever you want. Can I get you a glass of water or something? ”

“No thanks.
I’m fine, Steve.”

“Alright.
I’ll come back as soon as Tremaine comes up for air.” He left the room and I sank back into the hard chair to wait. Wendy sighed, and I reached down to scratch behind her ears.

But I couldn’t sit still, so I jumped up to pace around the room.
What if Ben were arrested for Jack’s murder? I would need to find him a lawyer, arrange bail – would I have enough money to bail him out? Would he be kept here, or transferred to another jail? What about his job? Would his employer hold his job for him, or would he fire Ben for being arrested for murder? Would Ben’s reputation be ruined if he were arrested? What if he had to move away and start over again somewhere else? Or would it be better for him to stay here where he had family and friends?

“Oh Lord help me, I’m going crazy,” I thought.
I sank back into the chair and buried my head in my hands just as the door clicked open, startling me. I looked up to see Tremaine entering the lobby, looking business-like in a suit. I sat up and swept the hair out of my face as he sat down beside me.

“How are you, Anna?” he asked, bending to pat Wendy, his voice neutral.

“Tremaine,” I replied with a nod, trying to appear more collected than I felt.

“You’ve come about Ben.”
He leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees.

“Yes.
What’s going on?” I asked, unable to keep the tremor out of my voice.

“A witness came forward after lunch to report a suspicious car parked out front of the O’Cleary ranch on the evening your ex-husband was killed.
Do you know the place?”

Mrs. O’Cleary had been a friend of May Weston’s, so I knew about the family.
Mrs. O’Cleary had died a few years ago, and her daughter was letting the ranch deteriorate while she tried to sell it for more money than it was worth. “Yes, I’ve driven past it. It’s south of Longview on 181A. You’re not saying . . . ?”

Tremaine nodded.
“The witness gave us a description of the car and an almost complete plate number. It matched Ben’s. We got permission to search the barn this evening and found blood in the lounge. We’re waiting for the test results to see if it’s your ex-husband’s.”

I took a deep breath.
“So, you may have found the place where Jack was murdered?”

Tremaine shrugged.
“Maybe. It certainly fits the scenario. It’s secluded. No one’s lived on the property for three years. There were signs that other parts of the barn have been used, too, although not recently.”

“What did Ben have to say about his car being seen there?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself for warmth.

“That it wasn’t his car.
That he was in Calgary at the time.”

I shook my head.
“Why now, Tremaine? It’s been two weeks since Jack died. What prompted our concerned citizen to come forward now?”

“The witness said she heard about the crime, but had to go away on business and didn’t have a chance to come into the station until this afternoon.”

So, the witness was a woman. I concentrated hard, picturing the location of the ranch. Township Road 181A was pretty close to the movie set. Was the witness someone from the movie? “Who’s your witness, Tremaine?” I asked.

He shook his head.
“I can’t tell you that, Anna.”

“Why not?”

“To protect the witness’ privacy, and to prevent you from getting into any more trouble.”

I had a brainwave.
“Was it Karen Quill?”

Tremaine stared at me, cool as an English cucumber.
“Why would you think it was her?”

“Did you tell Karen and Connie that I was spying on them the night Amy and I talked to them at the Spur?”

He stiffened. “No. Why?”

“Because maybe they figured Amy and I were taking too much interest in them and wanted to distract me by getting Ben in trouble with the police.
And there was a nasty to-do over at Amy’s house tonight. Did you hear about it? Connie’s missing a gun, and he accused Amy of stealing it. Don’t you think it’s a bit of a coincidence, Connie accusing Amy of stealing his gun and my son’s car reported at the O’Cleary ranch, all on the same day? I think that the Primos are trying to get back at Amy and me.”

Tremaine reached forward and tapped my knee.
“Do you have anything to do with that missing gun, Anna?”

I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Of course not.”
We stared at each other for a moment, neither one of us looking away. “So, now what?” I asked. “What’s going to happen to Ben?”

Tremaine leaned back in his chair and checked his watch.
I glanced at mine; it was close to 11:30. “I’m done with Ben for the night, Anna. You can take him home, but he’ll have to come back for his car tomorrow. I’ve impounded it, and the forensics squad will be examining it tomorrow morning.”

It frightened me that Ben’s car was being tested, and yet I couldn’t believe that the forensics squad would come up with any evidence against my son.
I tried to conceal my fear from Tremaine, for Ben’s sake.

“What happens if the test results show that Jack died in the O’Cleary lounge, but there’s no evidence that Ben was there or that Jack was in his car?”
Tremaine turned away from me to stare out the lobby door. I took a good look at his face for the first time. There were purple shadows under his eyes and blond stubble on his face. It must have been hours since his last shave. Unexpectedly, his mouth creased at the corners. “Then I’ll have to find someone else to suspect.”

I nodded, glad that he admitted the possibility of Ben’s innocence.
I looked at his face with its amused half-smile and thought, “I like this man. I trust him.” Then he turned and looked at me with his intelligent grey eyes, and I was afraid. Tremaine was a good man, but he would follow this investigation through to the end, whatever he discovered and no matter what the consequences. I shivered.

“What is it, Anna?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Do you want to tell me something?”

I thought what a relief it would be to open up to him.
I could tell him about my crazy dream where Ben killed his father, and how the lie I told Jack might earn my son’s everlasting hatred. How about if I told him that I had searched the Primos’ house and taken Connie’s gun, and now I was worried about getting it back to them? I stared at Tremaine, wondering if confession would be good for my soul or if it would bring all manner of tribulation down upon my head.

“Anna?”

“No,” I murmured. He sighed. “But, I’m grateful to you, Tremaine, I really am. I know I shouldn’t have come tonight. Thanks for taking the time to see me.” I touched the back of his hand, letting my fingers linger there for a moment. He nodded and looked away.

“Ben’s waiting for you in the interview room.
Why don’t you take him home now?”

“Sure,” I said, rising to my feet with Wendy scrambling to hers.

He held the door open for us and we headed to the interview room together.
The door was open and Ben was sitting in a chair with his arms folded over his chest, his face sullen. He climbed to his feet as I came in, and I noticed that he was wearing his uniform from the building supply store. I turned to Tremaine.

“You picked him up at work?”

He looked at me from the hallway, his expression blank. “Yes, Anna. Just as soon as we found blood in the O’Cleary barn.”

I grimaced.
“Damn, Tremaine, couldn’t you have been more discreet? What if he loses his job over this?”

Tremaine didn’t say a word, just stood there staring at me.
I sighed and turned back to Ben, hugging him to me. “Let’s go home, honey,” I said in his ear. He nodded, and then squeezed me tight before letting go.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, putting an arm around my shoulders.

Tremaine escorted us to the back door and pushed the crash bar open for me. “Your car should be ready by noon, Ben,” he said, looking at my son. Ben’s body was taut and his face was full of resentment.

“Yeah, I’ll be back for it,” Ben said.
He pushed past Tremaine and left me standing in the hallway beside the sergeant.