Death of a Pumpkin Carver (12 page)

“See, babe? You just have to have a little faith. I'm in the clear,” Danny crowed before munching down on a big hunk of green apple he had taken from a wooden bowl in Hayley's kitchen.

He was right.

Danny had breezed through the door in high spirits five minutes earlier after Sergio released him from jail.

The coroner had issued his official report and had been able to narrow down Otis Pearson's time of death. He died from a severe blow to the head by a blunt object between the hours of seven and nine in the evening. That was during the time Danny was chowing down on pizza and treating Hayley and the kids to a movie before he decided he wanted to leave and ushered them all out.

Still, he remained with them until well past nine.

It would have been impossible for him to have driven to Tremont and kill his uncle Otis during that time.

“I think this is cause for a celebration!” Danny said, jubilant and full of bluster and swagger over once again avoiding a disaster. “How about Bella Vita? They're still open until Thanksgiving, right? I'm thinking a nice bottle of Cabernet, a hearty plate of linguini with clam sauce? Some tiramisu? Just you, me, and the kids. Sound good?”

“Wait, Danny . . .”

He wasn't listening. He was already in the hallway yelling up the stairs to the kids. “Gemma! Dustin! Come on down here and bring your appetites! I'm taking us out to dinner!”

“Danny, just hold on a minute! You may be innocent of murder but what about the theft?”

“I'm sure Sergio will see to it that whole thing goes away. After all, I'm family,” Danny said confidently, grabbing his coat off the back of one of Hayley's high-back kitchen chairs.

“You're not family. Anymore. And I'm fairly certain Sergio won't just forget about it. How are you even out of jail if you're still facing the theft charge?”

“I posted bail. It was only five hundred dollars,” Danny said, grinning from ear to ear. “I happened to have some money in my wallet. With enough to spare for dinner tonight.”

“That's Uncle Otis's money, isn't it? It wasn't all in the trunk. You had already stuffed some bills in your wallet, am I right, Danny?”

He winked at her. “I'll neither confirm nor deny.”

“Oh, Danny,” Hayley moaned, shaking her head. “And what about Becky?”

“What about her?”

“She's still in jail!”

“Yeah, so? I wasn't about to bail her out too just so she could try to kill us again,” Danny said, shrugging.

He had a point.

“Don't worry about Becky. Her father's wiring her some money. She'll be out by morning, okay?” Danny said.

They could hear the kids coming out of their rooms.

Danny leaned in and spoke in a low voice so the kids couldn't hear him as they bounded down the stairs. “Look, I admit I took the money but it was mine to take. Uncle Otis told me that if anything ever happened to him, that money was mine. He
wanted
me to have it.”

Hayley gave him a skeptical look as Gemma and Dustin ambled into the kitchen.

“What did you do, Dad? Bust out of jail?” Dustin asked, chuckling.

“I'm a law-abiding citizen, Dustin. I would never break the law because that would set a bad example for my two adorable children.”

Gemma hugged her father. “I'm glad you're out. I was worried about you, Dad.”

“I wish you could've stayed in jail just a little while longer. Having a dad behind bars was making me cooler to the other kids at school. You should see all the sympathetic messages I've been getting just in the last hour from a bunch of hot girls on Facebook.”

“I don't know what's sadder. Using our father's incarceration to impress girls or the fact you still use Facebook,” Gemma said.

“Okay, everybody pile into the car. Dad's treating the family to dinner tonight,” Danny said, leading the way.

Hayley cringed.

She didn't like him talking as if they were still a tight-knit family unit.

She didn't want the kids getting a false impression.

That it was in the realm of possibility they might somehow get back together.

Because that was never going to happen.

“With what, Dad? I thought Uncle Sergio confiscated the stolen money,” Dustin said.

“Would everybody stop saying the word ‘stolen'? I didn't
steal
anything!”

Just before Danny could herd everyone out the back door to the driveway, there was a loud banging on the front door.

“Gemma, go see who it is,” Hayley said.

Gemma sighed and marched back through the kitchen, down the hall, and out onto the front patio to open the door.

Spanky McFarland, Dustin's aspiring writer and best buddy, flew past her with a whoosh and raced into the kitchen.

His face was dripping with sweat, his cheeks were red, and he was hyperventilating to the point where he had to fish an inhaler out of his pants pocket and take a hit.

“Spanky, what's wrong? What happened?” Dustin asked as they all waited patiently for him to catch his breath.

He tried to speak.

But then he began hyperventilating again.

He shoved the inhaler back in his mouth.

“Good Lord, calm down, Spanky,” Hayley said, patting him gently on the back. “Just breathe and relax.”

Spanky did as he was told and finally managed to inhale and exhale normally.

“I just came . . . I just came from Norman Cross's house . . .” Spanky sputtered.

He waited for a reaction but didn't get the euphoric cheers he had expected so he continued. “I've been trying to get Mr. Cross to read my horror novel
The Devil's Honeymoon
and I was finally able to get his assistant, Shane, who is a super-nice guy by the way, to invite me over so I could meet him in person and ask him to read my manuscript!”

“Dude, that's awesome!” Dustin shouted, slapping his friend on the back.

“But when I got there Shane told me he was too ill to see me,” Spanky said, wiping his nose with his shirtsleeve.

“Sounds familiar,” Hayley said. “He must be down with the flu. It's going around.”

“I'm hoping there's a silver lining somewhere because you looked really happy and excited when you got here and I hope we get to it soon because I'm hungry,” Gemma said, a little impatient.

“Yes, there is!” Spanky cried before reaching back into his pocket for his inhaler. “Wait. Hold on a second.”

He took another hit.

Calmed himself down.

And was off and running again.

“Shane told me he talked to Mr. Cross and Mr. Cross said he was going to read my novel and let me know what he thinks! Shane even said if he liked it he just might pass it along to his book publisher!” Spanky screamed, jumping up and down.

Dustin grabbed his buddy in a bear hug and lifted him off the ground as the two boys whooped and hollered with glee.

“Congratulations, Spanky! Now we have two reasons to celebrate. Call your mother and tell her you won't be home for dinner tonight! You're going to eat with us. My treat!” Danny said, rustling the hair on top of Spanky's head with his hand.

“Thank you, Mr. Powell! That's real nice of you!” Spanky said, beaming.

“Blood money,” Hayley whispered under her breath as she passed Danny and marched out the back door to the car.

The next day was the annual Bar Harbor Halloween parade where all the schoolchildren from kindergarten all the way up to the eighth grade marched down Main Street showing off their Halloween costumes.

This year there was a wide variety of ensembles from store-bought outfits to lavishly homemade ones. Lots of superheroes and cartoon characters like Green Lantern, Superman, Batman, Bart Simpson, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Dora the Explorer. Others more unique like four brothers wearing beards made of mops and going as the
Duck Dynasty
brood and three kids in lobster costumes made of felt crowded into a giant steel pot on wheels and being pushed by another boy with a drawn-on goatee, fake tattoos on his arm, and spiked hair pretending to be celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Hayley's favorite were two first graders, a boy and a girl, in black T-shirts and leather pants wearing too much hair gel as Danny and Sandy from
Grease
.

The parade started promptly at three thirty in the afternoon when it was still light out, allowing the high school kids enough time after their last class to come and watch.

Danny had shown up at the office insisting Hayley accompany him, and despite her initial refusal, Sal once again failed to back up her decision and said in front of Danny that he was fine with her leaving work early to see the parade.

So here she was weaving through the crowd with her ex-husband, who was in a buoyant mood. He clasped her hand so they didn't get separated.

Danny spotted a small opening in the mob of locals clogging the sidewalks and pushed his way forward dragging Hayley behind him until they had jostled their way to a clear view of the parade.

Dustin joined them after getting dropped off by the school bus a few blocks away, and after the first wave of kids started marching down Main Street in their various getups, Gemma texted Hayley to tell her Dr. Aaron had closed the practice early today so the staff could attend. Hayley texted their exact location and Gemma caught up with them a few minutes later.

Danny threw his arms around his kids and pulled them close. “This is so special!”

He squeezed them hard until they both started giggling.

“Like old times. Watching the Halloween parade. As a family . . .” Danny said, his voice trailing off, lost in his memories of years long past.

“Don't get all sentimental, Danny,” Hayley said, refusing to allow him to revel too much in his longing for the days when they were still married.

“I think it's sweet, Dad,” Gemma said.

“Thank you, baby doll,” Danny said, drawing her into his chest so he could kiss the top of her head. “At least you didn't inherit your mother's cynicism.”

Hayley ignored the comment and continued watching the parade.

An eighth grader passed by dressed as Optimus Pint, basically a Transformer made of beer cans and cartons.

Hayley didn't want to know where he got the materials.

He was followed by a gaggle of yellow Minions.

A boy dressed as Dr. Evil from the
Austin Powers
movies.

Six seventh-grade girls singing Spanish love songs dressed as a mariachi band.

The costumes seemed to get more clever with each passing year.

“Hey, I just got a text from Spanky,” Dustin said, eyeing his phone. “He's at the ice cream shop across from the Village Green and they're offering two-for-one ice cream cones today if you get one of their Halloween flavors like pumpkin spice or candy corn.”

“I'm so in. Come on, I'll buy,” Gemma said, starting to head off.

“Wait,” Danny said, grabbing her sweater to stop her while reaching in his back pocket for his wallet. “I don't want you spending your own money.”

“It's fine, Dad. I'm a working girl now,” Gemma said.

He pressed a twenty-dollar bill in the palm of her hand. “You save your money for your college expenses. I'll cover this.”

Gemma crumpled the money in her hand. “I'll bring you back the change.”

“No, you keep it and split it with your brother,” Danny said.

“If you keep letting us keep the change, pretty soon I'll be able to raise the whole budget of my first feature film,” Dustin said, perking up. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Thank his uncle Otis,” Hayley said.

She couldn't help herself.

Danny flashed her an irritated look, but he wasn't about to pick a fight.

Gemma and Dustin disappeared into the crowd of spectators.

Danny watched the parade for a few minutes in silence, but it was clear he was bugged by something.

Finally, he spun around to face Hayley.

“I'd really appreciate it if you stopped putting me down in front of my kids.”

Hayley was flabbergasted.

“Putting you down? I'm just stating the truth. They're old enough to hear it,” Hayley said. “The money you gave them belonged to your uncle Otis.”

“And now it belongs to me. How many times do I have to tell you it's what he wanted? And once that's cleared up you'll be apologizing for thinking I plundered from my own family!”

“How are you going to clear it up, Danny? Otis left no will. He never mentioned his wishes to anyone but you while you were both hanging out drinking. And frankly your past history doesn't really instill a lot of confidence in people to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“You never believed in me,” Danny said, genuinely hurt.

“Yes, I did, Danny. Time and time again. Even when you'd gamble away our rent money or surprise the kids with a trip to Disney World and not tell me you had sold my car to do it. Every time, I told myself this was the last time you were going to disappoint me. You would finally get your act together. But you never did. So it finally dawned on me that I was the problem. I believed in you too much.”

A pair of elderly women huddled close together, eavesdropping.

Danny noticed and turned his back on them and said in a hushed tone, “Okay, so I made mistakes. But doesn't everybody deserve a second chance?”

“Yes. And a third. And sometimes even a fourth. I've given you countless chances, Danny. I lost track of how many, years ago. Now I don't want you creating this false impression in front of the kids that everything is hunky-dory between us because it's not. And they're old enough to handle it.”

“Are we interrupting?” a woman purred behind Hayley.

Hayley turned and grimaced at the sight of Crystal Collier on the arm of Dr. Aaron, who looked supremely embarrassed to have happened upon Hayley arguing with her ex-husband.

Crystal, on the other hand, appeared utterly delighted.

“No, not at all,” Hayley lied.

Aaron forced a smile.

His eyes full of sympathy.

“I just love this time of year. The crisp fall air. The leaves in full foliage,” Crystal said. “Don't you agree?”

Danny nodded, suddenly distracted by something.

“How long are you planning to stay in town, Danny?” Aaron asked, trying to keep the conversation light and breezy.

Danny didn't answer.

He was focused on something.

Hayley tried following his gaze but she couldn't tell exactly what he was looking at so she tapped him on the shoulder. “Aaron asked you a question, Danny.”

“What? Oh. I'm not sure yet,” Danny said before hooking an arm around Hayley and pulling her away. “Come on, let's get a better view of the parade.”

“But we have a perfect view right here,” Hayley said before she was physically yanked away from Aaron and Crystal, who exchanged puzzled looks.

Hayley was still within earshot to hear Crystal say, “I think you dodged a bullet with that one.”

She never heard Aaron's response.

And she wasn't sure she wanted to either.

“Danny, what's gotten into you? Slow down,” Hayley said, resisting his grip.

But he was a man on a mission, and he tightened his hand that encircled her wrist, pulling her faster along as he led the way.

She looked around and was about to call for help when she spotted two men about ten feet behind them, seemingly in hot pursuit, and quickly closing in on them.

Two large muscular men, one bald and goateed and the other with a thick head of wavy black hair and a tan complexion, possibly Hispanic.

The same two men who were at the Criterion Theatre when Danny got spooked.

And possibly the same two men who were in that car parked outside Hayley's house presumably staking it out.

Suddenly, Danny broke into a run hauling Hayley along behind him.

“Danny, slow down, I'm wearing heels!”

They dashed into the middle of the parade jostling a boy in a giant blueberry costume and jumping over another little one dressed as Winnie the Pooh.

Hayley tripped over one little girl bedecked as one of the sisters from
Frozen
but she could never remember which one was Elsa and which one was Anna. As she tried to regain her balance, she twisted her ankle and felt a sharp pain.

She stumbled and Danny finally noticed and whipped his head around.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Now listen to me, Danny. I know you're being followed and I have an idea about how we can get rid of them. Just stick close to me and keep your mouth shut!” Hayley said, limping down the street.

Danny swiveled back around to see the two goons almost on top of them and then skedaddled after his ex-wife.

Hayley knew a police cruiser always brought up the rear of every parade in Bar Harbor. And she was guessing the two men tailing them would not be so anxious to get too close to the cops.

There were just a few scattered children, mostly third and fourth graders, left at the tail end of the parade when Hayley spotted the squad car rolling along slowly behind the last kid who appropriately enough was dressed as a cop complete with sunglasses and a badge while eating a doughnut.

Hayley practically hurled herself on top of the hood of the police cruiser. “Stop!”

Sergio was behind the wheel and hit the brakes.

“Come on! Get in!” Hayley screamed at Danny as she opened the back door and jumped in the car much to Sergio's surprise.

Danny followed, sliding in next to her and slamming the door shut.

The two musclemen stopped dead in their tracks and scowled as they watched Hayley and Danny drive past them.

Hayley watched as the two men immediately reversed course and disappeared back into the crowd of onlookers.

“Everything all right, Hayley?” Sergio asked, looking through the rearview mirror as Hayley massaged her bruised ankle.

“Who are they, Danny?” Hayley asked.

“Who?” Danny asked.

“Don't play games with me. I know those two men have been following you ever since you blew into town and you better tell me right now what they want with you.”

Danny glanced at Hayley and then at Sergio, who was just as curious and anxious to hear how he was going to squirm out of this one.

Danny sighed. “Okay. Okay. Their names are Darryl Gillis and Logan Webster.”

“And . . . ?” Hayley said, folding her arms.

“And they're a couple of guys I knew when I spent some time in Boston last month.”

“What kind of guys?” Hayley asked.

“Guys. They're just a couple of guys,” Danny barked.

“So if Sergio radios the station and has one of his boys run those names through his computer, nothing out of the ordinary will turn up. Is that what you're saying?” Hayley asked.

Sergio nodded. “I can do that right now if you want me to.”

“Yes. I think that would be very helpful, Sergio,” Hayley said.

Danny paused and then said quietly, “Okay. You might find out that they're not exactly squeaky clean.”

“And why is that?”

It was like pulling teeth getting Danny to admit the truth.

And it always had been.

“They work for a businessman in Boston who might be
slightly
Mafia-connected,” Danny said, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hand.

“Slightly? How is one
slightly
connected to the mafia?” Hayley bellowed. “And more importantly, how do
you
know them?”

“I got into a little trouble when I was there. I was trying to set up a new business venture. A real estate land deal. It was a sure thing . . .”

Hayley cut him off. “You can stop. I get it. You borrowed money from a loan shark and then skipped town instead of paying it back so Tony Soprano sent a couple of his goons to put a little pressure on you to come up with the money.”

“Something like that, yeah,” Danny said, eyes downcast, embarrassed.

“Stop the car, Sergio. I'm getting out,” Hayley said.

“Now don't be mad . . .” Danny said, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she quickly shook off.

“I'm not mad, Danny. I'm tired. Tired of everything. Thanks for the lift, Sergio . . .”

“What about those two thugs, Hayley? You want me to send Donnie or Earl to keep an eye on your place in case they show up again?” Sergio asked as he pulled the cruiser over and put the gear in park.

“No, I'll call if I see anything out of the ordinary. Thanks, Sergio,” she said before throwing open the door and jumping out.

She had momentarily forgotten about her ankle and another stinging pain shot through her leg as her heel hit the pavement.

Danny was out of the car in a flash and tried to steady her, but she didn't want his help. She threw out an arm, pushing him away, warning him to keep his distance.