The Final Tap (14 page)

twenty-five

It was close to
four thirty by th
e time I got back to the Farm. With my little detour to find Sybil Beeson, I'd been away longer than I'd wanted to be. That was a mistake—a colossally huge mistake, I realized when I saw my ex-husband Eddie's SUV parked in front of the visitor center.

I parked my car behind it and jumped out. I didn't even bother going into the building, just ran through the gated entrance on the side of it and jogged down the pebbled path toward my cottage.

As I drew closer, I forced myself to slow to a walk.
This could be okay. Maybe this was no big deal.
Maybe Eddie was just dropping something off for Hayden. Or maybe it was Krissie who was here. She was known to borrow Eddie's car. I couldn't believe I was hoping to see Krissie instead of Eddie.

There was a break in the trees and I could see the cottage. Chase and Eddie were standing in the middle of my front yard, and neither one of them looked happy. Hayden and Krissie, if she was even there, were nowhere to be seen. This was bad—worse than I'd feared, actually.

Tiffin, on the front steps to the cottage, barked and drew their attention toward me. Thanks, Tiff.

I jogged up what was left of the path. “Hey, guys!”

Eddie scowled at me. “We need to talk.”

Chase shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Talk away,
Ed.
”

I shot Chase a look. He was so not helping.

Eddie glared at him. “I need to talk to Kelsey alone. This is about
our
child and has nothing to do with you.”

Eddie's handsome face had turned bright red. It was a color I recognized on him. I'd seen him about to explode many times during our marriage. It was one of the reasons we'd gotten a divorce—the other being he was fooling around with a married woman who was not his wife. Both marriages were destroyed by that mistake. Eddie, having moved on with someone new, liked to pretend it never happened. It had. I had the emotional scars to prove it.

I closed the gate behind me. “Eddie, calm down. I had an emergency meeting at the Cherry Foundation. Chase was free, and he watched Hayden for me.”

“Would that meeting have anything to do with a man dying on the Farm grounds yesterday?” he snapped.

“He didn't die on the Farm grounds,” I said for what felt like the hundredth time.

“A mere technicality,” he said. “Everyone in town is talking about how the man was murdered, and you're keeping our son here on the Farm where someone was viciously attacked.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Eddie didn't give me the chance. “Furthermore, you have a man I don't know watching Hayden while you're off at a meeting? How is that responsible parenting, Kelsey?”

My face was hot. “Eddie, Chase only watched him for two hours. It's no big deal. I would have asked Benji or Judy, but they had to leave.”

“No big deal? You really think it's no big deal to leave
my
son with your boyfriend?” He towered over me. Since Eddie was a good foot taller than me, it wasn't much of a challenge, but I still hated it.

I put my hands on my hips. “Excuse me? First of all, Chase is my
friend
, and after what you pulled with Krissie, you have—”

The rest of my tirade came to an abrupt stop when the door to the cottage opened and Hayden sprang out. “Mom!” he cried at the top of his voice as he raced across the yard to me. He threw his arms around me like he'd never let go. I gave him a squeeze and saw Krissie standing in the doorway.

“Dad said I'm going to his house tonight instead of tomorrow night because Chase is here.”

I let out a deep breath and shot Eddie a look. This was not what we'd agreed to for the weekend. Eddie was supposed to pick Hayden up Saturday afternoon so Hayden could attend the pancake breakfast and a half day of the festival. Last night, Chase had managed to convince me not to send Hayden to Eddie today, which hadn't been hard to do. I hated the thought of losing any time with my son.

“I thought it was in Hayden's best interest if he came and stayed with Krissie and me tonight,” Eddie said.

“I see,” I said, reminding myself to remain civil. I didn't want Hayden to know I was upset over this.

Krissie came down the steps. “If you're worried about Hayden missing the Maple Sugar Festival, Kelsey, we can stop by tomorrow,” she offered. “That way he can see everything.” She placed a hand on my son's shoulder. “Would you like that, Hayden?”

Hayden beamed up at Krissie, and a little green monster sleeping inside me came to life. I took another deep breath. I wasn't going to fight with Eddie in front of Hayden, and Eddie knew that. “That would be okay,” I said. “Hayden, why don't you and Krissie go inside and pack for your dad's house?”

Krissie beamed at me. “Thank you for being so understanding, Kelsey. I knew you'd understand. Eddie thought you'd be upset, but I said you'd have no reason to be.”

No reason at all.

Krissie guided Hayden back to the house. Tiffin ran after them, leaving me alone with two men that looked like they wanted to throttle each other. Great.

Chase looked from Eddie to me and back again, and his shoulders relaxed. “I should get going and let you two sort this out.”

I placed a hand on his arm. “Chase, wait. I want to talk to you before you go.”

Eddie glared at my hand on Chase's arm with such ferocity I was surprised it didn't burst into flames. I dropped my hand to my side.

Chase nodded. “I'll be over by the visitor center.”

“Thanks,” I murmured and watched him go.

My
ex-husband
folded his arms over his chest. “I can't believe you did this, Kelsey. If you needed a sitter for Hayden, you could have called Krissie.”

“Krissie to the rescue.” My voice dripped his sarcasm.

“You shouldn't speak about my future wife in that tone.”

I sighed and counted to three. “Eddie, I don't want to fight with you, okay? It's been a very long couple of days.”

“Because you found another dead body.” He studied me.

“He wasn't dead when I found him,” I said through gritted teeth. I didn't know why I kept feeling the need to make that clarification.

Eddie pointed his finger at me. “We promised each other we wouldn't bring another partner into our son's life without telling the other parent first. You broke that promise.”

“Of all the hypocritical things to throw in my face! Hayden met Krissie before I even knew about her existence. You told me you were engaged in a mass email to the entire planet.” My voice was nearing shriek level, but I didn't care.

Eddie frowned. “That was different. It was unplanned when he met her, and he liked her so much, I couldn't rip her from his life afterward.”

“Are you even hearing yourself ? What you're saying doesn't make any sense. And for the last time, Chase and I aren't dating.”

“You're not
yet.
Remember, Kelsey, I've known you since we were five years old. I know you. You like this guy. It's written all over your face.” His jaw twitched.

Was Eddie jealous? The thought ran across my mind and I felt myself grow angry all over again. What right did he have to be jealous?

Before I could think of something to say back, the door to the cottage opened again and Krissie and Hayden bounced out, all smiles.

Hayden skipped over to me and gave me a hug. I hugged him tight and kissed the top of his head. “I'll see you at the Maple Sugar Festival.” Tears sprang to my eyes, and I blinked them back.

“Okay, Mom,” he said without a care in the world.

Hayden and Krissie headed down the pebbled path.

Eddie started to follow them but stopped, turning to face me again. “My request to change the custody agreement isn't going away, Kel. I can promise you that,” he said as a parting shot.

“I don't imagine it ever will,” I said to his receding back.

For single parents, the threat was always there. I bit down on my lip. Eddie was a good father. Why was I so reluctant to allow him more time with Hayden? I shook the thoughts from my head.

I took a moment to collect myself before I made the short walk to the visitor center to find Chase. I finally spotted him leaning against the
split-rail
fence that surrounded the pasture, in the exact location where I'd stood last summer when we'd first met. I'd been breaking up a fight between two reenactors over a missing canteen, and Chase had been lying in the
pasture-turned
-battlefield, failing miserably at playing dead.

He smiled. “They're gone,” he said. “Krissie waved at me when she left.”

“She would,” I said. “The truth is, Krissie's not so bad. She's a young, sweet girl, and she obviously cares about Hayden, which goes a long way for me. I'd probably like her under different circumstances.” I leaned my back against the fence and faced the visitor center.

“Do you remember this spot?” Chase asked.

I cocked my head. “You weren't a very good reenactor. You didn't play dead well.”

“How could I with such a beautiful woman telling off two soldiers just inches away from me?” He chuckled.

I tried to hide my smile but failed. If Chase was trying to cheer me up, it was working.

He barked a laugh. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I learned some interesting stuff about Beeson today. I'm trying to get it all straight in my head.”

“Tell me. Maybe I can help.”

“I hope so.” I told him about the Sap and Spile meeting, since I hadn't been able to yet, as well as what had happened today, starting with my visit to the horticulture building where I'd met the mysterious Landon. “Buckley is a potential suspect, as is another staff member at the college and I guess everyone at Sap and Spile, including Stroud. And there was something odd about Stroud.” I explained how Beeson had had his student call us to trick us so that he could teach the tree tapping class.

Chase listened intently. “Do you have any other suspects?”

I filled him in on meeting Corrie and Sybil Beeson.

Chase wrinkled his nose. “Sybil sounds lovely.”

I nodded. “She's definitely not broken up over her husband's death.” I rubbed my eyes. “In fact, any of these people could be guilty, but not one of them is sticking out. Sure, I think the wife is the most likely culprit, but I'm sure Detective Brandon already looked into that.”

“I can guarantee Candy did,” Chase said.

It set my teeth on edge whenever he called her Candy. It only reminded me of their history. Which wasn't something that I wanted to be reminded of.

“If I ask you a question, do you promise you won't get mad?” he asked.

I arched an eyebrow at him.

He held up his hands. “It won't be about Hayden or Eddie. I promise.”

“Go ahead,” I said. “Hayden and Eddie are
off-limits
.”

“Are you sure Gavin is innocent?” he asked.

I stood up straight. “What do you mean?”

“Are you sure he didn't stab Beeson? He has as much of a motive as any of those other people you mentioned. He's a member of Sap and Spile too, and didn't you say that everyone at Sap and Spile is a suspect?”

“He … he couldn't have killed him. I've known Gavin for two years. He's a great guy and terrific with the kids. You should see how much the school children who visit the Farm love him.”

“But he told Beeson that he wanted to kill him.” Chase paused. “Over maple sugar. Doesn't that sound a little crazy to you?”

“He was upset. He would never kill anyone over maple sugar. It's—it's just too ridiculous. I can't believe you're even suggesting that.”

“Don't you have maple sugar as the motive for the Sap and Spile members? Is there a reason, a good reason, to let Gavin off of the hook?” Chase raised one eyebrow in question.

I pushed off of the fence. “But … there must be.” No good reason came to mind.

“And doesn't he have an even better motive than maple sugar? Maybe he was motivated because of his lost love. Didn't he and Corrie break up because of the feuds between their two families? Maybe he blames Beeson for ending his relationship with Corrie.”

Chase had a point, not that I would admit that to him.

“I just want you to consider it.” He smiled his slow smile again. “I'll wait.”

The sun was setting behind the trees. It wouldn't be long, I thought, before the Farm would be cast into a darkness broken only by the few security lights near the visitor center and my cottage. It was true that Gavin had threatened to kill Beeson; he
had
gone missing not long before Beeson died; and he had a motive—a better motive than I'd ever suspected, now that Chase had pointed out his relationship with Beeson's daughter.

Then Chase stepped in front of me, leaving six inches between us. My breath caught, and all thoughts about Gavin and his possible guilt flew from my head. Chase smiled his slow grin again.

“I know what you told Eddie is true, that we aren't a couple, but I know he at least thinks it won't always be that way.” Chase lowered his voice. “This might be the one and only time that I hope your ex is right.”

“You heard all that?” I squeaked.

“Your voice carries pretty far. Your dad must have taught you how to project.”

I frowned, hoping that Hayden hadn't heard any of my fight with his father.

As if he'd read my mind, Chase said, “I don't think they could hear you from inside the cottage.”

“That's a relief.” I worried my lip.

He chuckled and leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead. “I'll see you tomorrow, Kelsey Cambridge. I'll be the dashing Union medic. Maybe we can reenact our first meeting. I heard you have a thing for reenactors.”