Read Online Lie Catchers by Rolynn Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rolynn Anderson
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Liv could tell you about it.”
Harriet said, “He never bothered her again. I made sure.”
“What do you mean, Mom?” Liv asked, leaning toward her.
“I talked to him. Every damn year, on the date when he attacked you, I found him, dragged him someplace we could talk privately, and reminded him of his criminal behavior. I told him to keep away from you, and I warned him to behave like a gentlemen with women or I’d hunt him down.”
“Mom! You never…I said I’d handle it.”
Harriet raised her hand in Liv’s direction. “I did it for myself and for other girls in town.” She gave a sidelong look at Parker. “In Petersburg, we women are alone so much. We have to do for ourselves.”
“I understand, Harriet. Good strategy to keep Ev in line.”
Harriet nodded proudly and clasped her hands in her lap.
“Still, I have to ask if you had anything to do with Everett’s death, since you were in Seattle at the time he died.”
She blinked. “You think I climbed on a boat with Everett Olson, pushed him off the thing, then swam back to Shilshoe Marina?” With a chuckle, she said, “You know, I could have done something like that in my forties. Right?” She took a moment to draw assents from Ivor and Liv. Satisfied with their agreement, she went on. “But not anymore.”
“Were you with someone the whole time you were in Seattle?”
“Are you kidding? We don’t travel around in groups. I always visit the fabric and do-dad shops. Ivor hangs around with his cop buddies.” She smiled at Liv. “She’s after the jewelry of her dreams.” Liv frowned and Harriet said, hurriedly, “Clothing, too.”
Parker glanced at his notes. “But I thought you’d all gone to Seattle for an event.”
Liv took the lead. “You mean the Selskaps Fiskeboller in Hvitsaus ?”
“Translation, please?”
“Fishballs in White Sauce for Special Guests,” Ivor said. “It was a Sons of Norway thing, annual. An Octoberfest celebration, which stretches into November. You know Ballard, of course, our Norwegian sister city outside Seattle proper. We have lots of friends and relatives there.”
“So all of you went to Ballard for this event, specifically?”
“Hardly,” Harriet said. “It was a dinner, an excuse to see friends and to shop in Seattle. We find excuses like that four or five times a year.”
“I see,” Parker said, sitting back in his chair. “What about Tilly? And Tuck?”
Harriet and Ivor turned to Liv, who gave them a “Don’t look at me” expression.
Liv said, “Tilly hasn’t said a thing to me about her relationship with Tuck.”
“What? I thought you and Tuck—”
“We dance on the weekends. Period.” Liv paused. “My friendships in this town are far from deep.” She gave Parker a defiant look. “Tilly’s seeing Tuck and seems afraid to tell me about it. She senses I have deeper feelings for Tuck, beyond a dance partner, and she might be right.”
Parker’s gut clenched at the idea of Liv and Tuck as a couple. Worse, she’d acknowledged the possibility Tilly knew more about Liv’s true feelings than Liv, herself. “So you didn’t see much of Tuck or Tilly in Seattle?”
“Tilly and I went shopping together a couple of times. That’s it. I think she and Tuck went out at night.”
“You think?”
Liv said, “The more nervous Tilly is around me, the more likely she’s spending time with Tuck. She was pretty jumpy at the Fiskeboller , so I’d say she’s probably sleeping with him.” Liv raised a shoulder. “It’s a small town. We tend to register tiny behavior changes but keep them to ourselves.”
Chet cleared his throat. “Who else is on the list of people who went to the fishball thing?”
“Along with Harriet, Liv, Tilly, Tuck and Ivor, we’ve got Mallen, the Ostersunds and their little boy, plus Bill Moe, who’s eighty,” Parker said. Harriet and Liv shared a furtive look. “What?” he asked Liv.
Pulling in a breath, Liv said, “Mallen. We’re not
Harriet said, “He never bothered her again. I made sure.”
“What do you mean, Mom?” Liv asked, leaning toward her.
“I talked to him. Every damn year, on the date when he attacked you, I found him, dragged him someplace we could talk privately, and reminded him of his criminal behavior. I told him to keep away from you, and I warned him to behave like a gentlemen with women or I’d hunt him down.”
“Mom! You never…I said I’d handle it.”
Harriet raised her hand in Liv’s direction. “I did it for myself and for other girls in town.” She gave a sidelong look at Parker. “In Petersburg, we women are alone so much. We have to do for ourselves.”
“I understand, Harriet. Good strategy to keep Ev in line.”
Harriet nodded proudly and clasped her hands in her lap.
“Still, I have to ask if you had anything to do with Everett’s death, since you were in Seattle at the time he died.”
She blinked. “You think I climbed on a boat with Everett Olson, pushed him off the thing, then swam back to Shilshoe Marina?” With a chuckle, she said, “You know, I could have done something like that in my forties. Right?” She took a moment to draw assents from Ivor and Liv. Satisfied with their agreement, she went on. “But not anymore.”
“Were you with someone the whole time you were in Seattle?”
“Are you kidding? We don’t travel around in groups. I always visit the fabric and do-dad shops. Ivor hangs around with his cop buddies.” She smiled at Liv. “She’s after the jewelry of her dreams.” Liv frowned and Harriet said, hurriedly, “Clothing, too.”
Parker glanced at his notes. “But I thought you’d all gone to Seattle for an event.”
Liv took the lead. “You mean the Selskaps Fiskeboller in Hvitsaus ?”
“Translation, please?”
“Fishballs in White Sauce for Special Guests,” Ivor said. “It was a Sons of Norway thing, annual. An Octoberfest celebration, which stretches into November. You know Ballard, of course, our Norwegian sister city outside Seattle proper. We have lots of friends and relatives there.”
“So all of you went to Ballard for this event, specifically?”
“Hardly,” Harriet said. “It was a dinner, an excuse to see friends and to shop in Seattle. We find excuses like that four or five times a year.”
“I see,” Parker said, sitting back in his chair. “What about Tilly? And Tuck?”
Harriet and Ivor turned to Liv, who gave them a “Don’t look at me” expression.
Liv said, “Tilly hasn’t said a thing to me about her relationship with Tuck.”
“What? I thought you and Tuck—”
“We dance on the weekends. Period.” Liv paused. “My friendships in this town are far from deep.” She gave Parker a defiant look. “Tilly’s seeing Tuck and seems afraid to tell me about it. She senses I have deeper feelings for Tuck, beyond a dance partner, and she might be right.”
Parker’s gut clenched at the idea of Liv and Tuck as a couple. Worse, she’d acknowledged the possibility Tilly knew more about Liv’s true feelings than Liv, herself. “So you didn’t see much of Tuck or Tilly in Seattle?”
“Tilly and I went shopping together a couple of times. That’s it. I think she and Tuck went out at night.”
“You think?”
Liv said, “The more nervous Tilly is around me, the more likely she’s spending time with Tuck. She was pretty jumpy at the Fiskeboller , so I’d say she’s probably sleeping with him.” Liv raised a shoulder. “It’s a small town. We tend to register tiny behavior changes but keep them to ourselves.”
Chet cleared his throat. “Who else is on the list of people who went to the fishball thing?”
“Along with Harriet, Liv, Tilly, Tuck and Ivor, we’ve got Mallen, the Ostersunds and their little boy, plus Bill Moe, who’s eighty,” Parker said. Harriet and Liv shared a furtive look. “What?” he asked Liv.
Pulling in a breath, Liv said, “Mallen. We’re not
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