Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

K evin reached for a potato skin, piling it high with gooey cheese and a generous dollop of chive-dotted sour cream. “These are nothing like Bridget’s,” he said, taking a bite. The others murmured in agreement, their mouths full of the savory snack.

Holden, ever the voice of reason, chuckled. “Well, we’ll just have to make do with these for now. Can’t expect Bridget to feed us all the time, especially with her starting culinary school.”

They were sitting at a big table at Holy Spirits. Sam noticed the usual group was growing. Tonight, they had Sam, Jo, Kevin, Wyatt, Reese, Holden Joyce, Mick, and Harry. Even Dominic Hartman had joined them to celebrate closing the Alex Sheridan case.

“How is your new class going?” Mick asked.

Bridget’s eyes sparkled, and her voice brimmed with enthusiasm. “It was incredible! The instructor is so knowledgeable, and I learned so much in just a few hours.”

Bridget animatedly described the techniques she had learned and the dishes she couldn’t wait to try. Her passion was infectious, and the group found themselves hanging on her every word.

“I think I’m really going to love it,” Bridget concluded, a contented smile on her face. “It’s like I’ve finally found my calling. And now, if Garvin will sell to Jo, everything will be perfect.”

“He’s getting closer,” Jo said, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’ve got a good feeling about it. I think we might be able to make it our permanent home.”

“And he gave permission for us to bring Pickles in.” Bridget transferred a section of gooey nachos from the main plate to her little dish.

“Pickles?” Hartman looked confused.

“It’s a stray cat,” Harry informed him, and the two men rolled their eyes.

Sam was glad to see that Harry was getting along with his old boss. It had turned out that Hartman wasn’t a bad guy after all. He’d been investigating the case all along, trying to finally solve it, which was why he’d been in the evidence room.

Holden leaned forward, his expression somber. “I heard from my contacts at the FBI,” he said, his voice low. “They’re almost done searching Hazel Martin’s property.”

At the mention of Hazel’s name, Jo and Bridget’s faces tensed, their earlier excitement replaced by a palpable sense of unease.

“They haven’t found Tammy’s body, have they?” Sam asked, his eyes locked on Holden.

Holden shook his head, his shoulders slumping. “No, they haven’t.”

Reese, who had been sitting quietly, looked up, her eyes filled with sympathy. “But then, where is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Sam glanced at Jo, trying to gauge her reaction. She shrugged as if trying to brush off the weight of the situation, but Sam could see the pain and frustration etched on her face.

“We may have to live with the fact that it will never be found,” Jo said.

“Maybe.” Holden nodded. “Hazel sure isn’t talking about it, but we’ll keep trying.”

Everyone was quiet for a beat, then Mick broke the silence. “What about that guy you arrested in the cabin with Rickman?”

“Tommy Soucy.” Sam said. “According to Tommy, Alex had called Rickman to blackmail him.”

“Apparently, Alex did know about Rickman’s involvement in the robbery all those years ago,” Jo added.

“I wonder how he knew. Do you think his grandfather told him?” Kevin asked.

Sam shrugged. “We’ll probably never know about that.”

“Soucy verified that Alex was drugged in the bar, taken out to the storage building site, and dragged into the open water, then pushed under the ice,” Sam said.

Mick shook his head. “That’s cold.”

“It gets worse,” Jo said. “Apparently, Rickman stood back at the limo and smoked a cigar while he watched them push Alex under.”

“It’s a shame we didn’t get to bring Rickman to justice.” Wyatt said.

“At least he won’t be able to hurt anyone else,” Jo added. “I hate to think of some of the other things that guy has done.”

“Somehow, I doubt Alex was his first victim,” Harry said.

Hartman nodded. “I still think he killed Eric Feldman. I sure wish we could prove that.”

Harry nodded then looked at Sam. “Will you be able to open that old case back up? Maybe get justice for Feldman.”

“I’m not sure.” Sam glanced at Jo. “Maybe we could look into some things in our spare time.”

“We owe Dom that much.” Jo smiled at Hartman. “Things might have ended up differently without your quick thinking.”

Hartman blushed. “Just doing what came naturally.”

Harry, who had been listening intently, clapped Hartman on the back. “I heard about your fancy moves out there,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Not bad for an old guy.”

Hartman chuckled, shaking his head. “Watch who you’re calling old, Harry,” he said, his tone light and playful. “I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“So, Hartman, what made you decide to get involved in this case after all this time, anyway?” Harry asked, his voice tinged with genuine interest.

Hartman’s expression grew serious, his eyes distant as if lost in thought. “When I heard about Alex Sheridan’s death and the discovery of the robbery money, something just didn’t sit right with me,” he said, his voice low and pensive. “I started digging around because I never got a chance to solve the robbery case.”

The group listened intently, hanging on Hartman’s every word. Sam could sense the weight of the man’s past bearing down on him, the burden of unfinished business.

“Back in the day, when I was investigating the robbery, I always suspected Rickman was involved,” Hartman continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. “But every time I got close, someone higher up would shut me down, stonewall my investigation.”

Harry’s eyes widened, a look of realization dawning on his face. “You think Rickman had someone in his pocket?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hartman nodded, his jaw set with determination. “I knew he was dirty, but I could never prove it,” he said, his words laced with a mix of frustration and regret. “But now, with Tommy’s confession and the evidence we’ve gathered, I guess I was right.”

Harry leaned back in his chair. “I have to apologize, because I thought you were throwing the case on purpose back then.”

“I may have been a lot of things in my day, but I was never dirty. I had to take my orders from above, and every time I got close to anything, things happened to turn the investigation another way.” Hartman’s voice was firm and unwavering. “I’ve always been straight as an arrow, and I always will be.”

Harry held up his hands. “I know that now,” he said, his voice warm with genuine respect. “You’re a good man, Hartman.”

Hartman nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Darn right I am,” he said, his gruff voice tinged with a hint of pride.

As the laughter died down, Jo’s expression grew pensive. “You know, Rickman had a lot of connections to Convale,” she said, her voice low and thoughtful. “I wonder what other secrets he was hiding.”

“Seems like a lot of shady things are tied to Convale,” Kevin said, his words heavy with implication. “The robbery cover-up scheme, Alex’s murder... makes you wonder what else they’re involved in.”

Rickman’s death had brought a sense of closure to Alex’s case, but Sam still felt there was more. What other secrets had died with the man?

As the last of the potato skins disappeared and the glasses ran dry, Sam felt a sense of contentment wash over him. Things were good despite everything. His town was safe, his friends were happy, and the future was bright with possibility.

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