“So how did this person get Robert out to the area where he was shot?” Cass asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I feel like we need to figure out who Robert was speaking to on the phone the day he died.”
“I requested his phone and bank records. I’ll take a look at them and let you know what I find.” He pulled into the driveway in front of Gracie’s house. “It’s been a long few days, and I have a busy day tomorrow, so I really should get home.”
“Don’t forget Milo,” I leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
“I won’t forget Milo,” he said, opening his door. “What time are you heading out to the movie site tomorrow?”
“Early. They were planning to wrap tomorrow, but now with having to rework things due to Harrison’s death, I’m not sure what’s going to happen. At this point, I figure I’ll just show up to record what I can via photos, interviews, and eyewitness accounts.” I put my arms around Cass’s waist and laid my head on his chest. “I’ll miss you.”
He kissed me on the forehead. “And I’ll miss you. Why don’t we plan to touch base tomorrow evening.”
“Okay.”
“I’d love to get Robert’s murder wrapped up before the film crew and cast leave the area,” he added. “While it looks as if someone from Foxtail Lake might have been the one to kill Robert, we can’t know that for certain.”
“I suspect you have at least a couple days before everyone decides to head out. I’ll see if I can find out exactly when they plan to wrap and let you know. For me personally, I plan to wrap up my coverage no later than Wednesday. Paisley’s play is Thursday, we’re going to the pumpkin farm on Friday, and Saturday is Halloween.”
“And I’m looking forward to all of it. Maybe I can put the rest of the pieces together and wrap up Robert’s murder by Wednesday as well.”
“I hope so. I’m ready to relax and enjoy my family and the holidays.”
Chapter 15
Thursday
The movie wrapped, and everyone headed home Wednesday as I’d hoped. I knew Cass was bummed that he hadn’t solved Robert’s murder, but it did seem as if someone with a grudge against Robert Harrison, the prior Foxtail Lake resident, and not Harrison Roberts, the movie star, had most likely killed Robert. Cass had talked to all the landowners who lived out along the old highway once again, but there wasn’t a single person who would admit to knowing anything. I supposed that most of the folks who lived out along that particular stretch of highway were quite a bit older than Robert was, so wouldn’t necessarily hold a grudge against him. If I had to guess, I would say that Evie knew something she was reluctant to share despite the fact that she couldn’t have killed Robert herself since she was in Cincinnati at the time of his death.
I went over the other residents who lived and worked the farms and ranches in the area. Most of the landowners were closer to Gracie’s age than Robert’s. Cass had been able to determine that the incoming calls to his phone on the afternoon he’d died had originated with a woman in town named Rose Milano. I didn’t know her well when we were in school, but I did remember that she’d been somewhat of a nerd like Robert, who was into computers, science, science fiction, and comic books. Cass had shared that he’d spoken to Rose, who told him that when she heard Robert was in town, she decided to try to set up a get-together. She’d called him a couple times, but he hadn’t answered. When he did finally answer, they talked for at least twenty minutes, during which time Robert shared that he and Bill had chatted over dinner about a girl they’d harassed when they’d all been in high school. He’d shared that Bill still felt bad over the pretty awful things they’d done to her and was considering the idea of looking her up and apologizing. According to Rose, Robert had thought that was a bad idea and had persuaded Bill to let sleeping dogs lie.
Cass had asked Rose about the identity of the girl Bill had wanted to apologize to, but she said she didn’t know. Rose told Cass that Robert had just referred to her as ‘this girl from high school.’
I’d had a meeting with Dex this morning after I dropped Paisley off at school. My plan was to turn in my final article along with the photos I’d taken and interviews I’d managed to arrange for the special edition, and then head over to talk to Cass about the weekend. I planned to take the next four days off since my column for next week was already written, which gave me time to really focus on both my family and my love life.
“Remember that I don’t need a ride after school,” Paisley said as I pulled into the driveway in front of the elementary school. “I have a final rehearsal, and then the drama teacher is going to bring in pizza for all the cast members. She wants us all to remain at the school, so no one is late.”
“Do you have your costume?” I asked after parking near the curb.
“It’s already here at the school. Gracie dropped it off yesterday. The play starts at six, but you should be here by five to get a good seat.”
I leaned over and kissed Paisley on the cheek. “I’ll be here. I promise.”
Her smile faded just a bit. “I’m sort of scared.”
I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Don’t be. We’ve been practicing. You know all the lines backward and forward. If you get stuck, just look for me in the crowd, and I’ll send you all my positive energy.”
Her smile widened. “Okay. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t.”
I waved to Paisley and then pulled away from the curb. I’d called Dex earlier to let him know I’d be by after dropping Paisley off at school, and he’d assured me that he’d be there. I’d been much too busy to do much follow up with Gabby about his health, but on those occasions when I had spoken to her, she’d reported that he seemed to be doing better. I had to admit that when I’d spoken to him directly, he did seem more like his old self.
“Morning, Gabby,” I said after walking into the lobby of the small newspaper. “Is Dex here?”
“Not yet, but he did call to let me know he was running late and that you should wait.”
I sat down on a chair across from the receptionist.
“So has the movie wrapped?” she asked.
“It did. Yesterday.”
“Did you get to meet everyone?”
“Almost everyone,” I said. “Sloan Kingston was in and out. I never did get a chance to sit down and talk to him. I was able to have a very short conversation with Dirk Coven and a slightly longer conversation with Logan Underwood. Things got pretty crazy once Harrison’s body was found, and I wasn’t able to speak to anyone I hadn’t already spoken to by that point. Which I understood, since there was a lot of shuffling to figure out, and scenes had to be reshot so that others could be cut. It was a real madhouse.”
“Did they get everything fixed?”
“Mostly. I think the film crew and cast still have a lot of work to do in the studio once they get back to LA, but they managed to get the exterior shots they were after, as well as those taken in the lobby and other resort rooms. All in all, it was an interesting experience.”
“I’ll bet. I wish I could have made it out there, but it just didn’t work out.”
Dex walked in, apologized for being late, and asked me to follow him to his office. I gave him everything I had, and he thanked me for a job well done. We discussed the articles I’d written and submitted, and he’d asked me about Harrison’s death, which to this point, was still unsolved. Dex had grown up in Foxtail Lake the same as Cass and me, but he was older, so he wouldn’t necessarily have known Robert. He did have a few ideas relating to rocks that we might attempt to overturn, and I promised to share his thoughts with Cass.