“I gave her as much as she wanted to know. Her curiosity had waned in the intervening days. She showed remarkable patience as she waited for Mr. Shepard to come to her. I believe she thought it was inevitable.”
Roen pressed his lips together to refrain from commenting.
Ben said, “Miss Headley arranged to meet Mr. Shepard at the library yesterday. Were you there?”
“Not in the library, no. I watched her go in. I would have followed if Mr. Shepard had arrived. He didn’t. She came out shortly after.”
“And went to the Shepard home. You saw her go there?”
“Of course. She wasn’t there long. She went back to the Butterworth.”
“You didn’t have a room there. Why is that?”
Martin chuckled. “She didn’t want to pay for it. I don’t suppose she told you that. She thought she was already overly generous with my salary. Initially, Miss Headley did not want to be associated with me, and she would have me believe that was the reason I needed to take a room here. That changed following her meeting with Mr. Shepard.”
“Why didn’t she want to be seen with you?”
“She did not want Mr. Shepard to suspect I was with her because she was afraid of him.”
Roen’s eyebrows lifted, skepticism carved in the curl of his lip. He schooled his features when Ben shook his head almost imperceptibly as Martin Cabot looked away.
Ben said, “You used Frankie Fuller to communicate with each other.”
It was not a question, but Martin responded anyway. “Yes. It surprises me she told you that. She could never recall his name.”
“Actually it was Mr. Shepard’s son who knew that. Frankie is his best friend. The boys don’t have secrets.”
“Ah. Just so.”
“When did you last see Miss Headley?”
Martin frowned deeply. “That question is concerning. Has something happened? Did she leave without me?”
Ben pressed on without responding to Martin. “When did you last see Miss Headley?”
“I told you.” He paused, reflecting. “I suppose I wasn’t clear. She returned to the Butterworth after visiting the Shepard home and went straightaway to her room. I waited to see if she would go out again, and she didn’t. I had dinner at the hotel. She did not come down for the evening meal while I was there. By that time it was dark, and as it is not her practice to leave the hotel at night, I returned here. Mr. Shepard can confirm. That’s when we met outside.”
“Then it was happenstance that you crossed paths.”
Confused, Martin’s brow furrowed. “What else would it be?”
Ben nodded to Roen.
“Miss Chen thinks you watch her,” said Roen. “It occurs to me that perhaps your arrival at that precise time was no accident.”
“We were coming from opposite directions. I had just left the hotel.”
“I only have your word for that.”
Martin appealed to the sheriff. “Ask your mother. She knows when I left.” To Roen, he said, “I have enough to do watching Miss Headley. Miss Chen is mistaken. It’s likely she is sensitive to people’s eyes on her. I saw the stares she drewwhen she worked at the hotel. She would have to be blind not to notice them.”
“She noticed you.”
“That doesn’t speak well of me, does it? I do not know if I am more offended personally or professionally. I regret whatever I’ve done that’s given her this wrong impression, but itisa wrong impression. I was appropriately concerned, I thought, when I discovered a threatening note outside her door. Perhaps she misinterpreted my response. I addressed the other boarders rather forcefully. Do you know about the messages she receives, Sheriff?”
“I do.”
“And what are you doing about it?”
