Part 25 (1/2)
Stella, deep in thought, frowned. Was this what Bunny had seen? An ad for Jarrett Rifles?
Nick noticed the change in Stella's facial expression. ”What is it?”
”The only thing I can think of is that Bunny saw those ads.”
Mills stepped forward. ”Both she and Weston were killed with a hunting rifle. Don't know if-”
The three turned around to see Clyde hanging on their every word.
”I think we're done here,” Stella announced. ”Maybe we should go somewhere to talk-in private.”
”Yeah, thanks, Clyde,” Mills politely added.
”Welcome,” the storeowner replied. ”Did I hear you say you think the killer used a Jarrett?”
”Don't know. Why?”
”Hank Reid owns one. He was in here last week telling me how he was going to take his out bear hunting this weekend.”
”Jarretts-they're custom jobs, aren't they?”
”Yup. Expensive too. Not likely to see many of them.”
”Hmph.” Mills led the way out of the store. ”Well, thanks again, Clyde. See ya.”
Clyde followed them outside and locked the store behind him before driving away in a dilapidated white van.
When he had gone, Nick gave a triumphant laugh. ”Ha! I knew it was Reid!”
”Careful now,” Mills warned. ”We don't know that for sure. We'd need to match Reid's rifle to the bullet wounds.”
”Yeah, but come on. Bunny looks up and sees her boyfriend's favorite hunting rifle advertised on the wall. She realizes he might have killed Weston and runs out of the store. Stel”-Nick always shortened his wife's name in moments of excitement-”do you remember what she was saying before she freaked out?”
”She was talking about how men will do anything to impress a-”
”A what?”
”She ran off before she finished the sentence. But considering she was talking about Sheriff Mills and Alma, I'm a.s.suming she was going to say 'woman.'”
”See? Even that fits how Reid won over his wife by shooting her boyfriend.”
”What it doesn't fit is why Weston was dressed the way he was and why he moved his truck into the woods.”
”Easy. He was hiding from Reid. I'd hide from that old coot too if I were Weston.”
”Why was Weston at our house in the first place?”
”To work on our well. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one.” Nick held his arms aloft and wiggled his knees back and forth.
”What is he doing?” Mills asked Stella.
”That's his victory dance,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
”I solved it,” Nick shouted. ”I said it was Reid from the beginning, and I was right. Who's number one? Who's number one?”
”We won't know he did it until we check his rifle,” Mills re-minded him.
”Yeah, Nick, so keep it under your hat for now. Because if the ballistics don't match, you'll go from number one to looking like number two.”
”Oh, they'll match, all right,” Nick boasted as he climbed into Mills's pickup. ”And do you know why?”
He pointed to his chest. ”Because I'm number one,” he silently mouthed.
CHAPTER.
18.
CUTTING HIS SUNDAY short in order to report his findings, Charlie Mills returned to the sheriff's department, dropping Stella and Nick back at the camp along the way.
Stella kicked off her black flats and sat cross-legged on the air mattress while she resumed her st.i.tching.
”Since I've solved our crime, how about we take this evening off to celebrate? We can go outside and watch the sun set over the Green Mountains and then have an early dinner. I'll grill up those steaks Alma brought over, and there's still some wine and beer in the cooler. What do you think?” Nick sat beside his wife and wrapped a muscular arm around her shoulders.
”I think that a woman couldn't possibly have lifted that frame by herself.”
With a heavy sigh, Nick flopped backward onto the bed. ”What part of the case is solved and let's take tonight off confused you?”
”I'm sorry, I just can't get it out of my head. I know Mills thinks Maggie's behind the break-in at Weston's house, but I disagree. First of all, that frame is enormous and very heavy, I'm sure. It would take some strength and skill to get it off the wall, let alone carry it back home.”
”Yeah, it's about the size of a plate-gla.s.s window, isn't it? And Maggie walks everywhere.”
”Exactly. Can you imagine her bringing that through the woods? Secondly, Maggie referred to the painting as the treasure. I don't think she has any idea that the frame might be the valuable piece.”
”You think it's the valuable piece, but you haven't confirmed that yet,” Nick sat back up. ”For all you know, Weston sold the painting and kept the frame as a souvenir. But it's all conjecture right now. As Mills said, we can't do anything about this until tomorrow.”
”I know. I just can't stop thinking about it.”
”Maybe you need a distraction,” Nick reached over and grabbed the cross-st.i.tch fabric from his wife's hands before reaching around her waist and kissing her.
”Keep that up and I might forget about the case altogether,” she said with a seductive smile. ”And I don't think I want to do that ... yet.”
”I can wear a Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat if it will help remind you.” He kissed her again, only to have her rear back.
”Wait! Oh my G.o.d, that's it!”
”What? What did I say? What did I do?”