Knocking on Death's Door Page 11

  “Thanks,” Dylan said as he began to move. Cookie followed quickly, and as they approached the office in the back, Keith stepped out carrying a large box.

  “Keith Cumberland,” Cookie said, prepared to tell him he was under arrest. But the man dropped his box with a loud thud, rattling the contents.

  He began to run toward them with his arms bent as if he were a football linebacker about to shove them out of the way. Dylan was ready though, and he hopped aside just in time to stick out his foot and trip Keith.

  The man went sprawling across the floor as people gasped in shock. “Keith!” cried out Mrs. V. She rushed over with a spryness that was quite impressive for a septuagenarian. But Dylan was already on top of Keith, cuffing his wrists by the time she got there. Mrs. V. wasn’t deterred, and she batted at Dylan with her hands. “Get off of him, you big oaf! Do you hear me?”

  Having had more than one experience with Rain’s theatrics of the same sort, Cookie stepped into the fray with confidence and grabbed the woman by her bony shoulders. “Mrs. V.,” Cookie said in a soothing voice as she dragged her away. “Don’t worry. Dylan’s not going to hurt him.” Much, she thought as she glanced back at Keith and his red face as he squirmed beneath Dylan’s hold.

  “Oh my god!” a woman called out, drawing Cookie’s attention.

  Cookie glanced over to reassure whomever was concerned that she wasn’t hurting the older lady, but people were no longer watching Keith get apprehended. Instead their eyes were glued to the large plasma television on the wall.

  A red banner was on the bottom of the screen, and the words that scrolled by read Breaking news – Secret Seal Isle murder suspects arrested. None other than the island’s chief officer of the law, Deputy June Loon, was speaking into a microphone as a clip of people being taken into the sheriffs’ office played in the corner.

  “Turn it up!” a man yelled as Cookie squinted at the screen. One of the people being arrested was a tall, willowy older woman with gray hair, and she was putting up a fight. Beside her kicking and screaming was a redheaded— “Oh for the love of Pete,” Cookie mumbled.

  Dylan let out a groan.

  Cookie looked at him, noting that he’d restrained Keith with zip ties. They were standing, and Dylan had him by the arm.

  “Rain.” Cookie and Dylan said in unison.

  “C’mon, Big Guy,” Dylan said. “Looks like you’re going to have company.”

  “Keith!” Mrs. V. cried out as two large men wearing workout clothes held her back by the arms. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of there.” She then glared at Cookie. “My grandson’s a lawyer. You won’t get away with this!”

  Keith didn’t answer as he stared at the ground. Cookie didn’t have time to respond in a professional manner, so she ignored the woman and led Dylan and Keith out of the gym and toward the sheriff’s office, reading Keith his Miranda rights on the way.

  19

  When Cookie and Dylan got to the sheriff’s office it was complete mayhem. What else could she expect after Rain and Winter were arrested? Outside the building, camera crews were packing up as people milled around behind a barrier June had likely set up. Cookie craned her neck, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening through the crowd. June was flirting with the anchorman when she caught sight of Cookie.

  “Cookie!” Hale cried as he and Blake rushed over to her. “They’ve arrested Rain, Winter and Cari!”

  Blake glared over in the direction of June who was now giggling. “Aggravated assault and resisting arrest. As if!” he exclaimed.

  Hale reached up and touched his nose as he grimaced in imaginary pain and said, “To be fair, Winter does have a mighty right hook. Poor Zeke’s gonna feel that for a while.”

  “True,” Blake said. “What about Rain’s roundhouse kick though?”

  “Yeah.” Hale grinned. “That woman is flexible.”

  Before the conversation could go down the path these sorts of things usually did when it involved Rain, Cookie was distracted by June who had joined them. The woman placed her hand on Hale’s arm and batted her eyes at him. “I’m so sorry you got mixed up in this mess.”

  Cookie blinked in shock. She’d never been one to get in the middle of relationship drama between her friends or coworkers. She figured that was better left to the people involved, but June was pretty brazen to try to pick up Rain’s boyfriend right in front of her. And something about the way June looked at Hale brought out a protective side Cookie didn’t recognize in herself. It was if she was a lioness and June was out to steal from one of her cubs. While tempted to growl and slap June’s hand away from Hale, Cookie tamped it down and cleared her throat loudly. “We have a suspect in custody here.”

  June turned to Cookie and Dylan, and her face contorted into something that made Cookie think the woman actually was a predator. “Who is that?” the deputy asked Cookie in a disbelieving tone as if Cookie had done something wrong.

  It was all Cookie could do to keep from showing June just how flexible she was, but she dug deep and forced out an even voice. “This is Keith Cumberland, a man suspected of scamming at least two people out of money for non-existent condos on the island, which may be directly tied to the murder.”

  “Hmpf. I suppose we can question him too.” June’s eyes became tiny slits as she looked at Cookie. “But don’t think this gets your mother and her crew off the hook.” Containing an exasperated sigh was painful, but Cookie managed to keep her mouth shut as June continued, “And just so you know, I’ll be doing the questioning too.”

  Cookie wasn’t exactly comfortable with that scenario considering this was the first arrest June had made since she’d arrived on the island. Until now she hadn’t been sure the woman had it in her. But Cookie shouldn’t have been surprised. Rain had a way of bringing out all sorts of hidden talents in people. Good and bad.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Cookie said giving June a saccharine smile. While she didn’t trust the deputy completely, Cookie knew that it would be a waste of her time to question the Pussycat Posse. Cookie’s time was better spent on real suspects. “I’m happy to help by questioning Keith if you’d like. Where should we put him?”

  “Hmm.” June held her chin as she took stock of Keith and his physical presence. “The holding cell is probably best for him, and we can keep the women in my office for now.”

  Cookie pulled open the door of the sheriff’s office with the intention of helping Dylan, but June shoved her way through it first. Keith grunted as Dylan pushed him forward into the building behind her. They walked through the lobby toward June’s office where they found Zeke with an ice pack on his nose and another young officer who appeared unscathed.

  “Ned,” June said. “This is Cookie. My deputy and…” she paused for effect, “Rain’s daughter.” Ned’s hands immediately went to his groin, which explained where Rain’s roundhouse kick had landed. June said to the two officers, “Help Dylan take Keith to the holding cell and bring the women in here while I figure out where to keep them.”

  “Yes ma’am,” the men said in unison, and Ned skirted around Cookie to give her a wide berth as they led Dylan and Keith away.

  While they were gone, Cookie took the time to update June on the progress of the case. “Well,” June said. “You’ve got your hands full. But I hope you don’t think I can take on any of this,” she said, completely contradicting her claim that she’d be doing all the questioning. She reached for her purse and pulled out her phone. Glancing at it she said, “First I have to find a suitable spot for the female prisoners. And with the talk shows calling, I’m going to be so busy.” June held up her cell as if it was ringing, which it was not. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to take this.”

  A laugh exploded from Cookie which she quickly covered with a cough when June gave her the side eye on her way out the door. A moment later, Cookie heard the rattle of chains as Rain, Winter and Cari were led in. She frowned, wondering what was going on, then realized that w
hile all three women were cuffed at the wrists, her mother was shackled with chain at the ankles too.

  “Is that really necessary?” Cookie asked.

  “With her skill?” Ned said with a voice a little higher than Cookie expected it was normally while he pointed at Rain. “Definitely.”

  Rain grinned. “You’d have been proud of me, Cookie.”

  “I don’t think so, Mom. You can’t just attack an officer of the law.”

  Zeke spoke in a nasally tone as he glanced at Winter warily and said, “We’re just going to go keep an eye on Keith now.”

  Cookie nodded, and Dylan said, “Thanks, guys.”

  Once the two officers were gone, Rain’s expression turned cloudy with suspicion. “Wait a minute. You’re here to question me. My own daughter!” She struggled with her cuffed hands as if she was trying to cross her arms. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to answer anything you ask. I’m no rat. I’d rather yank out my fingernails with my teeth!” She held up her hands and stuck a finger in her mouth as if to prove it.

  “Mom, please,” Cookie said as she grabbed her mother’s arms and tugged her hands from her mouth. “I’m not here to interrogate you. Besides, what could I ask that you haven’t already told me? You don’t have any secrets to hide.”

  “Oh yes I do, Missy,” Rain retorted. “You don’t know about that time I was at the Grateful Dead concert and needed to find a sleeping bag for the night.”

  “Oh!” Winter tried to clap her hands and failed. “That’s a good story.”

  “I haven’t heard that one yet,” piped in Cari.

  “Well,” Rain said as if she was divulging state secrets. “There was this nice group of boys. Brothers I think. And—”

  “Stop!” Cookie looked at Dylan for support, but found he was doing his best to stifle a laugh. “Fine. Maybe you do have some secrets. But do any of them have to do with the current murder investigation?”

  “Well…” Rain let out a sigh of disappointment. “No.”

  “Okay. Good.” Cookie gazed at the three women before her. “I don’t know what June thinks she has on you, but I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about.”

  Dylan let out an “Ahem,” which reminded Cookie that there were the matters of resisting arrest and aggravated assault to deal with. At least where Winter and Rain were concerned. She sighed and looked at Winter and Rain. “You two cannot cause officers physical pain. Do you understand me?”

  Winter huffed. “No means no, Cookie. Those men touched us without our consent.”

  Cookie closed her eyes for a moment with the hope that some divine intervention could save her from this. When it didn’t she said, “Unfortunately, when you chose to resist arrest they did have the right to touch you.”

  “Are you sure?” Rain shook her head. “That can’t be right.”

  “I’m sure,” Cookie said. “But with any luck, once we find the real killer, Zeke and Ned won’t care enough to prosecute you.” She gave the three women a stern look. “But I need you all to promise me you’ll be good.”

  They nodded solemnly.

  “Does this mean we’re jailbirds now?” Rain asked with a gleam in her eye. “Because that worked really well for Elvis.” She looked at Cari and Winter. “What do you say girls? We could rock this Casbah!”

  “Cell walls are so good for acoustics,” Winter said.

  Cari asked, “Do you think we’ll get stripes?”

  “I hope so,” Rain said. “They did wonders for Elvis. Why was he in jail anyway?”

  “Mom, Elvis wasn’t really—” Cookie shook her head at herself. If Rain and her girlfriends wanted to entertain themselves in captivity by singing with the hope they could make it big, who was she to stop their fun? “You know what? I think that’s a great idea.”

  “Thanks, honey,” Rain said. “We’ll even dedicate a song to you since you’re the reason we’re in here in the first place.”

  “What? Hold on—”

  Before Cookie could straighten out Rain’s story, the door to the office burst open, and June Loon stepped in. “I have fantastic news,” she said with a grin. “I’ve found a place right down the street to keep the prisoners. She glanced over at Rain, Winter and Cari, and her lip curled up with distaste for a moment before her joy returned. “I’ll get Zeke and Ned to shackle them together for the chain gang.”

  Cookie glared at the woman and was surprised when June didn’t clap her hands with glee before leaving.

  “Chain gang?” Cari asked with wide eyes. “I’m so not suited for manual labor.”

  “I don’t think that’s what she meant,” Cookie said. At least she hoped not.

  Dylan said, “Why don’t I go check that out for you.”

  Cookie gave him an appreciative smile before he left. Then she turned her attention to the three jail birds. “Ladies. I’m begging you to be on your best behavior here. No matter what you think of June—”

  Rain made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat and stuck out her tongue.

  Cookie sighed. “Mom, please. I need you all to follow her orders without complaint. Can you do that for me?”

  “She’s right,” Winter said. “If you want to beat the man, you have to pretend to play his game.”

  “But June’s a woman.” Cari chuckled. “Oh, right. Got it.”

  “We’ll just have to focus on the music.” Rain said. “She can’t take that away from us.” She began to stomp out a beat with her foot. “Sweet! The rattling chain is a nice addition. Don’t you think?” Cari and Winter nodded in agreement. “Cari, you do the guitar part.”

  “Why do I always have to be the beatbox?” Cari wailed.

  “Because you do it best, dear,” Winter said.

  That made Cari smile, and she voiced the sound of someone strumming a guitar twice in quick succession.

  Winter spread her legs and thudded her cuffed hands on the chair beneath her as Rain jumped in with what Cookie assumed was supposed to be her smoky-barroom singing voice. “The warden threw a party at the county jail.”

  Winter hopped up and began to dance as she yelled. “Sing it, sister!”

  Cookie realized that it was she who was now captive, but she decided to make the best of it and watched the performance. She had to admit, when Cari beatboxed the more complicated guitar riff, she did it rather well. And as she watched Winter move, she determined that maybe all the hours Rain and her friends had been practicing were starting to pay off. She was actually snapping her fingers when June, Zeke, and Ned returned to break it up.

  “Ladies!” barked out June. “Is that any way to behave?”

  “Just passing time until we have to work on the chain gang,” Rain said. “Oh!” She looked at her friends. “Do you remember that chain gang song? Cari you could do the—”

  “Oof, and ahhh?” Cari asked.

  “That was good,” Winter said. She placed her feet shoulder width apart. “Shackle me boys, the chains are going to be the perfect percussion for this performance.”

  Chains rattled as Ned squatted down to attach them to Winter’s ankles and Zeke went to work on Cari.

  Before June could ruin Rain’s fun, Cookie asked, “Where are you taking them?”

  “Death by Chocolate,” June said as she opened the door again. Glancing back, she looked at the three women who were now connected to each other. “Move!”

  “Jeez,” Rain said.

  “Mom,” Cookie chided.

  Rain whispered as if June couldn’t hear her. “It’s just that she doesn’t have to be so mean.”

  “I know,” Cookie mouthed back, which seemed to placate Rain for the time being.

  Dylan joined Cookie in the hallway. When Rain, Winter and Cari started up the chain gang song again, he laughed. Since there really was no explaining the crazy procession that made its way down the block to the chocolatier, Cookie laughed too.

  20

  “Oh, my goodness,” Cari said when she, Rain, and Winter got insi
de the chocolatier. “This place smells heavenly.”

  “Henri!” Rain exclaimed.

  “Rain.” He leaned in, and they exchanged air kisses. Henri was not a small man, and it appeared he’d put on a little more weight recently since the buttons of his white chef’s jacket were straining to contain his sizable girth. He scanned Rain quickly with his gaze. “Sacré Bleu! Whatever did you do?”

  Rain sighed. “I’ll tell you all about it later.” She glanced down at Zeke who was undoing her ankle shackles. “You sure you want to rattle my chain like that?”

  “Mother,” Cookie warned.

  “Teasing,” Rain said as she smiled at Cookie. “You’re so uptight.”

  Dylan let out a chuckle that made Cookie want to elbow him.

  Zeke laughed nervously as June stepped in between Rain and Henri. She reached out her hand to the chocolatier making it clear he was to take it. And then she laid on the sugar. “Henri, you’re a treasure for helping me out of this tough spot. However will I thank you?”

  “Eh,” He threw his hand up, effectively dropping June’s and said, “Tis nuting,” in a French accent not quite like anything Cookie had ever heard.

  “Very well,” June said. “I’m going to leave Zeke here to watch the prisoners. Call me if you need anything.”

  Henri smiled at her as he tugged on the door to open it. As June, Dylan and Cookie walked out, Cookie turned back to Rain and her friends and gave them a warning glare. “I’m trusting you three. Got it?”

  Rain gave her a salute. Winter nodded, and Cari said, “Got it.”

  When they got outside June said, “Whew.” She tugged her jacket down and smoothed her skirt. “Now that I’ve taken care of that, I trust you can deal with the other guy, Cookie? For…?” Her brow knitted in confusion.

  “Keith Cumberland,” Dylan said. “For taking money for condos that don’t exist.”

  “Right.” June rummaged in her purse. “Right,” she said again distractedly before she pulled out a lipstick and compact mirror. She took a moment to apply several more layers of red lipstick than Cookie thought possible before she smacked her lips, smiled at herself and said, “There.” She lifted her hand to them and said, “Toodles,” before she walked off.