meet her eyes once more.
“Don't worry, I'll keep the suspect under wraps,” Sammy cut in as she noticed Bekki's confidence waning. “House arrest might be for the best, hmm?” she smiled sweetly at Nick.
“That would be best,” he agreed and reluctantly turned away. “I'm going to get this to the station and have it analyzed. Bekki,” he called back over his shoulder without looking back. “No more playing detective!”
***
Of course the moment that Bekki arrived home, playing detective was just what she did. She sat down at her kitchen table with a pad of paper. In one column she listed the evidence that was building against her. In the other column she listed the evidence she felt she had against Pete.
“So, he's her lover,” she sighed with defeat. “That really doesn't prove anything.” One thing was for certain, she knew that the voicemail had to be a fake. There was no way that Daisy had been calling out her name in fear.
“He must have found someone to fake it for him,” she grimaced and shook her head. It didn't matter if it was fake or not, Nick was right. She had made herself even more vulnerable by giving Pete an audience to hear his accusations and the voicemail.
There was a light knock on the front door, before it swung open. “Bekki?” her mother's voice called out from the front hall.
“Mama, I'm in the kitchen,” Bekki called out. Her mother stepped into the kitchen, her eyes full of concern as she sat down at the table across from her daughter.
“How are you handling all of this?” she asked with fear causing her voice to tremble.
“Okay, I guess,” Bekki sighed as she looked down at her pad of paper. “I just wish I knew a little bit more about Daisy and Pete.”
“Oh,” her mother sighed and leaned against the table. “That old scandal is rearing its ugly head again, huh? You know some things are better off left alone.”
“What do you mean?” Bekki asked and looked up at her mother. “Do you know something about their affair?”
“Sure,” she nodded slowly. “In fact, that's what probably caused all the bad blood between Daisy and me. Me knowing, just a little too much.”
“Like what?” Bekki pressed, hoping that her mother would reveal some small detail that would explain everything. “Was Pete always so violent? Was he hurting her?” she imagined an entire history of domestic violence, leading up to one culminating event.
“Pete!” she laughed and shook her head. “Oh no Pete was as sappy as they come. You see there was a time when Daisy and I were friends, not very close, but friendly enough. Just before Daisy was to be married to Teddy, she and I were sharing lunch together. As we left, Pete showed up. He declared his love for her right then and there and begged her not to marry Teddy. Daisy of course declined, and at first I thought that was all there was to it. But a few months after she and Teddy were married, I noticed Pete and her together in Pete's shop. She noticed me noticing and never spoke civilly to me again.”
Bekki tapped her pen lightly on the pad of paper in front of her. “Are you saying that their affair has been going on as long as Teddy and Daisy's marriage, if not longer?” she asked with surprise.
“Well, I don't know for sure,” her mother hesitated. “You know I don't like to gossip. But it seems so impossible that Pete would do something like this. I mean if they were in love for so long, what could possibly have changed? He knew about Teddy all along.”
Bekki scribbled something down on her notepad and then nodded thoughtfully. “That does seem a little strange. I can't believe I never knew anything about this,” she shook her head and then smiled. “I guess all little towns have their secrets. I think it's time we outed a few.”
“Bekki, just be careful,” her mother warned as she reached across the table to gently squeeze her hand. “I know a lot of people think the city is dangerous, but the truth is,
“Don't worry, I'll keep the suspect under wraps,” Sammy cut in as she noticed Bekki's confidence waning. “House arrest might be for the best, hmm?” she smiled sweetly at Nick.
“That would be best,” he agreed and reluctantly turned away. “I'm going to get this to the station and have it analyzed. Bekki,” he called back over his shoulder without looking back. “No more playing detective!”
***
Of course the moment that Bekki arrived home, playing detective was just what she did. She sat down at her kitchen table with a pad of paper. In one column she listed the evidence that was building against her. In the other column she listed the evidence she felt she had against Pete.
“So, he's her lover,” she sighed with defeat. “That really doesn't prove anything.” One thing was for certain, she knew that the voicemail had to be a fake. There was no way that Daisy had been calling out her name in fear.
“He must have found someone to fake it for him,” she grimaced and shook her head. It didn't matter if it was fake or not, Nick was right. She had made herself even more vulnerable by giving Pete an audience to hear his accusations and the voicemail.
There was a light knock on the front door, before it swung open. “Bekki?” her mother's voice called out from the front hall.
“Mama, I'm in the kitchen,” Bekki called out. Her mother stepped into the kitchen, her eyes full of concern as she sat down at the table across from her daughter.
“How are you handling all of this?” she asked with fear causing her voice to tremble.
“Okay, I guess,” Bekki sighed as she looked down at her pad of paper. “I just wish I knew a little bit more about Daisy and Pete.”
“Oh,” her mother sighed and leaned against the table. “That old scandal is rearing its ugly head again, huh? You know some things are better off left alone.”
“What do you mean?” Bekki asked and looked up at her mother. “Do you know something about their affair?”
“Sure,” she nodded slowly. “In fact, that's what probably caused all the bad blood between Daisy and me. Me knowing, just a little too much.”
“Like what?” Bekki pressed, hoping that her mother would reveal some small detail that would explain everything. “Was Pete always so violent? Was he hurting her?” she imagined an entire history of domestic violence, leading up to one culminating event.
“Pete!” she laughed and shook her head. “Oh no Pete was as sappy as they come. You see there was a time when Daisy and I were friends, not very close, but friendly enough. Just before Daisy was to be married to Teddy, she and I were sharing lunch together. As we left, Pete showed up. He declared his love for her right then and there and begged her not to marry Teddy. Daisy of course declined, and at first I thought that was all there was to it. But a few months after she and Teddy were married, I noticed Pete and her together in Pete's shop. She noticed me noticing and never spoke civilly to me again.”
Bekki tapped her pen lightly on the pad of paper in front of her. “Are you saying that their affair has been going on as long as Teddy and Daisy's marriage, if not longer?” she asked with surprise.
“Well, I don't know for sure,” her mother hesitated. “You know I don't like to gossip. But it seems so impossible that Pete would do something like this. I mean if they were in love for so long, what could possibly have changed? He knew about Teddy all along.”
Bekki scribbled something down on her notepad and then nodded thoughtfully. “That does seem a little strange. I can't believe I never knew anything about this,” she shook her head and then smiled. “I guess all little towns have their secrets. I think it's time we outed a few.”
“Bekki, just be careful,” her mother warned as she reached across the table to gently squeeze her hand. “I know a lot of people think the city is dangerous, but the truth is,
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