East Pender Boxed Set: Cozy Mystery Series Bundle of Books 1-14 Page 10

  Chapter 6

  Andy nodded to a guard and gestured for him to take Ellen through the back to the cells. Ellen left Kelly with Scampy, and told her to hold down the fort and make sure Andy didn't do anything stupid again. She said this loud enough so Andy heard, but he didn't respond to her.

  Ellen walked through the back of the police station and the atmosphere instantly changed. The lobby had an austere presentation and seemed very official and majestic, fitting for the site, but there was a welcome air to it as well. If you were innocent you could be sure of being safe and protected, and if you were guilty then you would be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But in the bowels of the station it was cold and distant, and there was no sense of comfort at all. The walls were a bland color and the ceilings were low, giving a very claustrophobic sense. The guard who was escorting Ellen didn't make any effort at small talk. He was a surly sort, and Ellen didn't get the impression he had a good humor about anything.

  The corridor wound around like a maze, until eventually they reached a door made from metal bars. The guard pulled out a large set of keys and twisted one in the lock. It made a loud clanking sound as it turned around, and the door scraped against the floor as it was pulled open. There was another guard on duty, and he nodded to the one escorting Ellen. Ellen was taken through a narrow corridor where the cells were separated. Most were empty, although there was a vagrant in one of them who was shouting mumbled abuse at no one in particular. And then, right at the end, she was shown into Jack's cell.

  “Just knock on the bars when you want to come out,” the guard said as the door slid open.

  Jack looked up at her. He was sitting despondently in the corner with his knees drawn into his body. His face looked more depressed than usual and he acted as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ellen felt great pity for him and walked into the cell. The door slammed shut behind her, and she found it unsettling to be locked in a cell even though she was just a visitor.

  The cell was small and dank, and there was no natural light that came through from anywhere. The air was recycled and dry, and as Ellen breathed she felt her throat grow scratchy and raw. There was a small bed against the edge of the cell but nothing else. This was only a holding cell and Jack had only been in there for a short while. But already he seemed like a man who had lived out a life sentence, and Ellen knew she had to prove he was innocent. There was no way he would be able to survive an actual prison. When he saw her his eyes lit up for a moment, and she joined him on the bed. Looking at the bars at the other end of the cell was an utterly depressing site. As a woman who never had committed a crime she wondered how prisoners ever could survive being locked up like this. She wondered how they could bring themselves to re-offend, time and time again, to be put back behind the gray steel bars that prevented their freedom. It was an abhorrent thought and it made nausea swim through her gut.

  “How are you holding up?” she said, even though it seemed like an empty question.

  She could plainly see how he was doing, but she wanted to get him talking in the hopes that she could at least take his mind off things. However, as soon as he went to speak he started to cry. His words tumbled over themselves, for he was so nervous he was shaking constantly over the ordeal, and crystal tears flowed down his craggy face. He flung his arms around Ellen and she allowed it. She knew how desperately he needed to cling to the comfort of someone else. It dawned on her that she was the only person he had in his corner.

  “It's horrible Ellen. Why do they think I did it? They wouldn't tell me and that Andy...I tried to talk to him because he always seems so friendly when he comes into the café. But he looked at me like I was nothing, like I was a nobody, like I deserved to be in here. I tried arguing but nobody would listen to me. They just threw me in here and told me to wait but I don't know what I'm waiting for. What's happening Ellen? Oh, please, tell me, is it really bad? What's going on?” he asked, his words falling out like a waterfall, interspersed with sniffs and snorts and heavy, raw breaths. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked entirely defeated.

  “I'm not sure how much I should say, but I'm working hard to prove you didn't do anything. I'm going to prove that you're innocent, Jack. I didn't think they would arrest you this early. I thought I had more time and I'm sorry that you had to go through this.”

  “I've never been in jail before. Maybe this is where I belong. It could be penance for all my mistakes,” he said morosely.

  “Jack...” Ellen began, but the man already was lost in the throes of despair. He was all ready to lament his woes to the world.

  “Maybe this is what I deserve after everything that happened. I caused so much pain to so many people. If I hadn't done what I did then my parents might even still be here. They deserve to be here more than I do, that's for sure. I don't contribute anything to the world and nobody would miss me if I was gone. Maybe the best thing they can do is to take me away and put me out of my misery.”

  “Jack, I don't want to hear any more of that talk,” Ellen said in a sharp tone, so sharp that it took Jack by surprise.

  At first she had been intending to go in with a soft hand but she knew this was no time to allow him to wallow in self-pity. It wouldn’t look good for anyone, and it certainly wouldn't do him any favors if he acted like this was what was supposed to happen.

  “I'm trying to help you out here but if you're all ready to give up then should I just go back home and put my feet up? I know you like to wear your guilt but you're not responsible for your parents' death. You were there for them when they needed you and that was all they could have asked of you. You did all you could...” she said, choking up because it reminded her of the guilt that she felt regarding her own parents.

  She gave up everything in her life to move back to East Pender to look after them. Yet, it still felt as though there was something she was missing, something she hadn't done right and because of that they had died. She swallowed hard and tried to get back on track. She pulled Jack's shoulder so he was looking directly at her.

  “You will be missed Jack. You may think you don't matter but you do. I value you as an employee and a friend, but it's not just me, think of all the people you've brought together with the book club. You know they would miss you. I think you've been so used to life being bad that you can't see the good you have. It isn't so bad Jack, and it's worth fighting for. I'm going to get you out of this but I need your help. So will you promise me that you'll stay strong and you won't let yourself dwell on everything that's bad?”

  “I'll try,” he said, and sniffed again, trying to clear his head of all the mental anguish that was clouding matters.

  The sad haze lifted for a moment as he took deep breaths. Ellen continued to hold onto his shoulder to reassure him, reminding him that there was a real, physical human connection in his life and that he wasn't insignificant.

  “I just...I don't think I ever got over the loss of my parents.”

  “I know how you feel, believe me. Sometimes I still wish they were here to give me advice when I needed it. They always seemed to know the right thing to say and the best thing to do.”

  “But we'd never listen to them,” Jack said, and he even laughed.

  “Yeah,” Ellen said, joining in with the laughter.

  “Were you close with yours, when they were alive I mean?”

  “Not as close as I should have been. I left East Pender for a long time and I tried to get back when I could but it was never enough. When I got word they were sick I didn't really believe it. It was only when I came back that I saw how bad it really was, and I regretted staying away for so long.”

  “I had a similar feeling. I wish I had been able to give them everything they needed. At the time I was dealing with so much stuff on my own end that I couldn't give them all the attention and care I should have. I was spiraling down already and the news that they had become ill was almost too much to bear. Then when I needed her, Tilly said she was leaving me. I
t felt like every pillar in my life was falling down around me. Sometimes it's a wonder I ever made it through that and survived.”

  “You should take solace in that fact, that you were strong enough to come through it and emerge a better person. I know it is not an easy road to take but there is still much of your life left. If you feel you have made mistakes then you can try your best to make up for them. I'm still not perfect by any means but I try to help out where I can.”

  “Like with me,” Jack said with a smile.

  “Yeah, exactly,” she said.

  “So why do they think that I stole from her? What is the evidence against me? I should be allowed to know that, shouldn't I?” Ellen looked around and at the guard, unsure if she was allowed to tell him or not, but in the end she decided he deserved to know.

  “They found a pair of glasses that look just like yours at the scene of the crime.”

  “That's impossible!” he said, and then fear sent a chill through his spine.

  “Oh no, I did lose my glasses...”

  “Not to worry, I found those; but I don't suppose you ever happened to own another pair, one that looked similar to them?”

  Jack searched his memory for something so long ago. He reached back a long time, when he had money and could afford expensive things, and his face lit up.

  “I did! I got them as a present, as a bonus after I'd secured a big account. I liked them so much I bought my other glasses to resemble them, but I thought I'd lost them years ago. I think my ex-girlfriend stole them. I haven't thought about them in years. They were just another reminder of the things I had lost.”

  “Well they might just save you,” Ellen said, looking smug.

  Jack looked at her with a confused look, as though he couldn't believe there was actually a way for him to be free.

  “I'm assuming that this ex-girlfriend is Tilly?” she asked, needing the final confirmation for her theory.

  Jack nodded and Ellen only just managed to stop herself from whooping loudly. Her mind raced and her heart pounded inside her for she already was formulating a way to snare the real culprits of the crime. It was clear to her now who had done it, although she wasn't entirely sure why. But it was up to her to find out and get Jack released so his life could return to normal.

  “It's going to be fine Jack,” she said as she rose from the bed and banged on the cell bars, eager for the guard to come and get her so she could get to work.

  The guard sauntered down the corridor and lackadaisically opened the door. It was much too slowly for Ellen's liking for she was raring to go.

  “You'll be out by tomorrow,” she said, throwing a look at Jack, who looked grateful but still didn't really seem to believe her.

  Ellen was in good spirits, though, and she marched down the corridor, leaving the guard in her wake. She had no time to waste and he was going at a slower pace than she wanted. He called after her to slow down and wait up but she didn't listen and emerged from the back of the station. Andy and Kelly had so many questions, and upon her entrance Scampy only added to the confusion by bounding around her ankles as she appeared.

  “Come on Kelly, we've got work to do,” she said, ignoring Andy's pleas for information.

  Before she left she turned to Andy and told him she'd call him on the way, but they had no time to lose. Kelly and Scampy had no choice but to follow. Andy was left with an infuriated look on his face. Ellen secretly enjoyed that, and she wore a smile to that effect as she left, figuring he deserved it after everything that had happened.

  As they got into the car Ellen told Kelly about Jack and the glasses, and what they were going to do next. Kelly didn't look too confident about it but she got into the car anyway. She was a loyal friend and didn't like Ellen doing these things alone.

  “Andy isn't going to like this,” she said in a warning tone.

  “I know,” Ellen replied with a wicked grin on her face as she slammed the car door shut.

  Chapter 7

  The night now felt alive with adventure and Ellen was right at the heart of it. She hated when unjust things happened to just people, and she was determined to make Tilly and Chris pay. She didn't know all the facts yet but her intuition told her they had targeted Jack because of his past; because he was an easy person to blame; and because he didn't have many people in his corner; but they hadn't reckoned with her tenacity. Their motive still was unclear. Presumably, Tilly still bore some grudge over their fractured relationship, but she didn't know why Chris would be involved. She wanted to talk about the possibilities with Kelly but first she had to call Andy and tell him what was going on.

  “You can't do this. Ellen, don't do this,” he said.

  “You can't give me orders. I'm a private citizen and I can do what I want,” she replied in a terse tone.

  As they drove through the town she gazed out the passenger window, looking away from Kelly. The stars were so peaceful above and she wondered if her parents were somewhere up there, looking down on her. If they were, then Jack’s were looking down on him as well, and they would have been urging her to do all she could to save their son.

  “I won't let you do this,” Andy growled.

  Ellen could feel the terseness in his voice over the phone. She could imagine he was pacing in the manner he always did when he was stressed, and that he was most likely already thinking of pulling on his jacket and coming after her.

  “You have no choice! I need do to this for Jack, to prove that he's innocent. The swift justice of the law is not swift enough for me.”

  “Ellen, I'm not going to go over the same argument again. Come back to the station and we can plan this out properly. I'm willing to listen to you, to help. Please, don't go and do this, it's dangerous.”

  “I've been in dangerous situations before.”

  “I know...but I don't like thinking of you in danger.”

  “Why?”

  The question seemed to take him by surprise. The phone was silent and Ellen waited expectantly for the answer. When it didn't come she repeated the question. Kelly remained sitting in the driver's seat, eyes glued to the road in front of her. Scampy was behaving in the back, making next to no noise.

  “Why don't you want me to do this Andy? Would you prefer I spend all my days sitting in the cafe, doing nothing? I thought you wanted me to help you with the cases? I thought we were a team?”

  “We are...I just...God, I wish I didn't have to do this over the phone.”

  “Do what?”

  “Tell you that I...that I have feelings for you. Ellen, please come back and let us go through this properly. I don't like the thought of you going in there alone.”

  Hearing him finally admit he had feelings for her made Ellen feel elated. She couldn't help but smile, but she wasn't going to make it that easy for him, not after the way he had broken a promise to her. He still needed to be tortured a little first.

  “I'm not alone. I have Kelly and Scampy here,” she said, deliberately not acknowledging his admission of affection.

  Andy breathed heavily on the other end of the line. She could feel the sheer frustration in his voice, and knew that it was time to hang up.

  “I'm doing this Andy, and you can't stop me,” she said.

  Then, before she ended the call completely, she added one last thing, “and about that other thing...I do, too, and we'll talk about that after this is all over.” She exhaled deeply after she put the phone down.

  “What was all that about?” Kelly asked.

  “Oh, nothing,” Ellen said, but deep inside there was something new burning, a fire that hadn't been felt by her in years.

  It was a mixture of fear and excitement. For so long she had known deep down that there was something between her and Andy. Yet, sometimes it seemed as though nothing ever was going to happen. Her last relationship had been back in the city and that had ended shortly before everything with her parents. Often she had wanted to be close to someone again. But she was wary for she knew that it came with ri
sk, as was proven by Jack's situation with Tilly. The future was fraught with danger and, in some ways, she didn't want to open herself up to that level of emotion again. Being attached to people only meant there were more ways to be hurt. But when she thought of Jack in that cell she realized she had been locking herself up in an emotional cell for too long. So Andy's declaration of love was the key that opened the door. It was up to her to walk through it, which she was determined to do, but only after the case with Jack had been closed.

  “I'm guessing Andy wasn't too happy with us doing this?” Kelly said.

  “Of course not.”

  “I have to admit, I'm not sure I'm all that happy about it either.”

  Ellen glanced across at her.

  “We have to do something, and this is the only thing that's going to help right now. We know they're together. Can you think of a better idea?”

  “No, but that's because we haven't had a chance to think about it. I'll follow you anywhere you want to go because you're my best friend and I'm sure I'll get a good painting out of this. But I just want to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and not just because you want to prove something to Andy.”

  “Trust me Kelly, I'm only doing it because it's the best way to get an innocent man set free.”

  “Okay then, I guess that's settled,” she said, knowing that once Ellen had set her mind to something there was no dissuading her.

  “I just can't figure out how Chris and Tilly are linked together. It's plain she harbors some ill will toward Jack because of the way their relationship ended, but why is Chris involved?” Ellen asked aloud, trying to work through the problem in her mind.

  “Maybe you were wrong before and they are involved romantically? Maybe she asked him for a favor and he was all too happy to oblige because he was in love? Love makes people do strange things sometimes,” she said with a strange tone in her voice.

  It was as though she was hinting at a deeper story from her own past. But Ellen decided not to question her about it for she knew how private her friend. There was a reason she didn't share much from her past. Ellen respected that.