He smiled and nodded.
“Do you know if Dottie McKenzie is still missing?” Connie asked. She thought maybe if she kept her questions vague Zach might reveal something.
“Yes. It looks like she doesn’t want to be found. Since we have no reason to take her into custody, it’s her prerogative to leave town.”
Zach and Josh steered the conversation away from the case, so the they moved on to other topics.
After clearing the table, at the children’s persistent urgings, they gathered in the living room to work on the tree. But not before Greg organized the Christmas grab.
“Since everyone here will also be present for Christmas Day, now is the perfect time to do a grab. I’ve already written everyone’s names down, and they are in this hat,” he said, pulling out a baseball cap filled with folded pieces of paper. “Everyone’s name is in here, except the children’s, since they will get plenty of gifts from everyone, anyway.”
Greg passed around the hat, and each person drew a name. Connie picked her brother-in-law, Gary. She’d be sure to elicit some help from Gianna.
A warm feeling spread across Connie’s chest as she watched the twins and Victoria playing together, with Emma helping to keep them entertained. While Connie was watching them, Elyse came and stood next to her.
“Emma is great with the little ones,” Connie said. “She seems to have gotten over the initial resentment she had over Victoria joining the family.”
“Thankfully, it looks like that is all in the past,” Elyse said. “She has grown into a generous and attentive big sister.” Emma had been an only child for eleven years before Victoria came to live with the Millers last April. She initially had some trouble adjusting, but Connie was happy to see how well the young family was doing.
“We are expecting the adoption to be final very soon,” Elyse said. “Even though she is already our daughter in every other sense of the word.”
Connie squeezed Elyse’s arm. “It’s going to be soon. I can feel it.”
With so many helping hands, the tree was decorated in no time. A wave of nostalgia washed over Connie as she thought of her last Christmas tree in her condo in Massachusetts. It may have been a different tree, but the ornaments were the same – a few she had made in elementary school, some to commemorate various vacations she had taken over the years, and two new snowflake ornaments that the twins had made that week. She gave a special spot to a sand dollar ornament with the words “Marco Island” painted on it, which she had bought a couple of years before while on vacation with Concetta, Grace, and her best friend Bethany, who was now living in Colorado with her new husband, Jamie.
After her company left and the cleanup was complete, Connie was still wide awake. Perhaps it was the excitement having her family and new friends together, especially Zach, or the sugar from too much dessert pumping through her veins, but she didn’t want the evening to end.
“I’m too wound up to sleep,” Connie said to Gianna and Gary after her parents retired for the night. “I think I’ll take Ginger for another walk.”
“I’ll come with you,” Gianna said. “Some fresh air before bed sounds nice.”
It was a cool evening, so they each threw on a warm sweatshirt and strolled along the boulevard in the direction of downtown.
Gianna inhaled deeply the crisp, salty air. “I want to take in as much of this as I can. The Farmer’s Alamac is predicting a snowy winter.”
“You know you’re always welcome here.”
Gianna smiled and nodded. “I really like Zach. I’m glad you have a second date with him on Sunday night.”
“It’s been a long time coming. Our first date was so long ago that I was beginning to think it would never happen. In hindsight, we were both at a crossroads, so I guess we needed the time.”
“Does it bother him that you are always getting involved in his cases?”
Connie laughed. “I think he’s used to that by now. He does worry about me, though, which is nice.”
They stopped for a moment to let Ginger sniff some shrubs, then continued down the boulevard.
“Zach didn’t seem anxious to locate Dottie,” Gianna said. “Do you think that means the police think she’s innocent?”
Connie shrugged her shoulders. “She must still be on their list of suspects, but as Zach said, until they have evidence against her, she has every right to leave town.”
“I think someone in the cast was on to her, so she ran away to permanently to escape justice.”
“Or then again,” Connie said, “she could have figured out who the killer was and run away for her own safety.”
Gianna looked down and smiled as they continued to walk.
“What’s so funny?”
“Ever since you moved to Sapphire Beach, I’ve hated knowing that you were playing amateur sleuth,” Gianna said. “But now I understand how you keep getting sucked into these cases. They are hard to let go of, especially when you have a vested interest.”
“I know the police are handling things, but Auntie Concetta’s connection to the playhouse and our connection to her give us an insider’s view into the playhouse. People trust us, because we are her family.”
“Besides,” Gianna added, “Damian was murdered at the opening of a play dedicated to our aunt’s memory. It’s hard to sit back and do nothing.”
“I’m glad you get it.” Connie put an arm around her sister’s shoulder. “I’d love to talk to some of our suspects again to see what they think about Dottie’s disappearance.”
“How are we going to manage that? We’re running out of excuses to stop by the playhouse.”
“I think I have an idea. Can you and Mom and break away about 9:30 tomorrow morning? Grace will be working, and I think I have a good excuse to meet up with some of our suspects before the matinee show.”
“Consider it done.”
Chapter 13
The following morning, when Connie picked up Gianna in front of the main entrance to Palm Paradise, she was happy to see her mother with her.
“The guys are doing a lot of babysitting this trip,” Connie said. “We owe them big.”
“Oh, please,” Gianna said, waving her hand at Connie. “They’re at the beach having a great time. They’re happy to be excluded from ‘our shenanigans,’ as they’ve dubbed our sleuthing.”
“So, what’s our plan, Connie?” Jo asked.
“Yeah,” Gianna said from the backseat of Connie’s Jetta. “What’s our excuse for stopping by the playhouse yet again?”
“Take a look on the seat next to you,” Connie said as they turned onto Sapphire Beach Boulevard.
“These are Auntie Concetta’s scrapbooks,” Gianna said, flipping through one of the binders.
“Bingo. I brought most of her scrapbooks home to Mom after I cleaned out the condo in January, but when I realized I was going to relocate, I kept a few here as keepsakes. These two were from the productions they did at the Sapphire Beach Playhouse throughout 2014 and 2015. I had Rick’s phone number from the Christmas party when he asked me to call him if I could find the keys, and he said that the cast would love to see them.”
“Brilliant,” Gianna said. “That’s the perfect excuse to assemble most of our suspects together.” Gianna flipped through the pages of one of the books. “Actually, I’m enjoying seeing them. Here’s Sophie and William. They must have starred in a show together in 2016. Now that we’ve had a chance to meet some of the actors, I recognize a lot of people in here.” Gianna continued to peruse the scrapbook, giving a narration of each page as she did. Toward the end of the book she stopped on one of the pages. “That’s strange.”
“What’s strange?” Jo asked.
“Here’s a picture of Dottie backstage with the cast. It must be just before a performance, because she’s wearing her ‘Sapphire Beach Playhouse’ blazer. She’s just hanging out in the background staring at Damian and looking all gaga.”
“I guess she’s had a crush on him for a long ti
me,” Jo said.
They pulled into the theatre parking lot two and a half hours before the play was due to start, so the actors would have time to meet with them before getting into costume and makeup. The trio made their way into the theatre and went backstage, where Connie had arranged to meet Rick.
“Connie, Jo, Gianna – glad you made it,” Rick said, waving them over to where he and Sophie were standing together. Rick seemed unusually exuberant.
Sophie embraced all three women. “Rick called to let me know you were coming by with a couple of Concetta’s famous scrapbooks, so I just had to come and see them.”
“I was hoping you would be here,” Jo said. “There are pictures of you and Damian in both albums.”
“I also came to personally congratulate Rick,” Sophie said. “He has been appointed the interim executive director of the Sapphire Beach Playhouse, with the potential of it becoming a permanent position. The Board of Directors couldn’t have made a better choice.”
Rick beamed. “Thank you, Sophie. Your support means more than you could know.”
So that’s why Rick was so happy. Connie couldn’t help but wonder how Sophie could share in his joy after he tried to steal her husband’s job while he was still alive.
They were joined by Eloise, Stevie, William, and Judith, as well as a handful other actors whom Connie had seen at the party but hadn’t officially met.
Connie discretely observed Sophie and Eloise for any trace of hard feelings between the two women, given Eloise’s history with Damian. She remembered the tension between them the night of the Christmas party, but this morning, there was no indication of animosity. Sophie had either moved past her negative feelings toward Eloise or was hiding them well.
Sophie seemed to have let go her negative feelings, and from Connie’s perspective, that meant one of two things: Either her husband’s death had taught her that life is too short for grudges, or the reason that she didn’t hold anything over Rick or Eloise was because she was the one who killed Damian.
They walked down the long corridor that led from the theatre into the administrative offices, and everyone gathered in the boardroom – the same boardroom where Connie and her father had hidden from Rick and Priscilla when they broke into the offices last Saturday night. Connie’s thoughts must have been written on her face, because her mother and sister were smirking in her direction.
Everyone gathered on one side of the table, so they could look through the pictures together.
As they came to photos that were special to someone, they would stop to reminisce or tell a relevant story. Connie was honored to be brought into their world, even for a few minutes, and relished the opportunity to share this part of her aunt’s life. Judging from their expressions, her mother and sister felt the same.
“Here’s a photo of Dottie taken backstage before one of your performances,” Connie pointed out. “If this photo is any indication, she’s been a fan Damian for a while.”
“Oh, yes... Dottie,” Sophie said, rolling her eyes. “She was forever finding new ways to ‘run into’ him before and after performances.”
“I still don’t understand why she was never barred from the theatre if she was that bad,” Jo wondered.
Eloise scoffed. “Good question. I never understood why Damian didn’t have her fired. That is, if you can be fired from a volunteer position. She was always poking her nose where it didn’t belong.”
Rick shifted uncomfortably as Sophie spoke.
Connie, Jo, and Gianna exchanged a curious glance. Why did Rick look uncomfortable?
After they had finished looking through the scrapbooks, Eloise excused herself and Stevie. Connie guessed it was because she didn’t want Stevie to hear them discussing the investigation. The boy was such a professional that it was easy to forget he was so young.
“I agree,” William said, after Stevie and Eloise left. “I saw Dottie backstage the night of Damian’s murder.”
“I am confident that the police will uncover the truth,” Sophie said. “I know you all mean well, but William, if you told the police that she was backstage, I’m sure they will interview her.”
“I did tell the police,” William said. “Sophie’s right. We’re dealing with a killer. We should leave the speculation to the police.”
Since the actors had a matinee performance to prepare for, they soon left to get ready, and Connie, Jo, and Gianna were alone with Rick.
Now that they had his complete attention, Connie could probe.
“I know from my encounters with Damian that he was a warm and kind person, but that doesn’t explain why he would allow Dottie to get away with stalking him backstage,” Connie said. “Why didn’t he ever put a stop to it? We heard he was planning to talk you about the situation.”
Rick hesitated.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Jo asked.
Rick let out a deep sigh. “I never had Dottie barred from the theatre, because Damian asked me not to.”
“Why would he do that?” Connie asked. “Did he feel bad for her?”
“I don’t think it was that. I saw them talking in the parking lot one night after a show. They appeared to be deep in conversation. I thought it was strange but just shrugged it off. As you said, Damian had a warm personality, and I figured he might have simply been showing her kindness. A couple of days later, Dottie was backstage after the show, and Sophie insisted that she leave. I personally escorted her back to the lobby, and when I came back, Damian pulled me aside and told me to allow her backstage whenever she wanted. He also asked me not to tell the others, which put me in an awkward spot.”
“Why on earth would he say that?” Gianna asked.
Rick just shrugged. “I really don’t know. But he was the executive director, so he called the shots.”
Connie’s first thought was that they were having some type of secret affair. Then she shook that idea from her head. Judging from Sophie and Eloise, there was no way that Dottie was Damian’s type. Was Dottie blackmailing Damian with something that would cause him to protect her?
“I know a few more people who would love to see these books,” Rick said. “Is it okay if we hold onto them for a few more days?”
“Of course,” Connie said, handing him the scrapbooks.
“Thank you. I’d better get ready for the show,” Rick said and left the room.
The women walked back down the hallway to exit through the theatre and passed by Sophie, who was chatting with someone in the lobby. She finished her conversation as Connie, Jo, and Gianna were leaving, and the four women walked out together.
“Are you staying for the play?” Jo asked.
“I’ll be back. I thought I’d run some errands first, since it doesn’t start for a couple of hours.”
“It seems like everyone is getting along well,” Connie said.
“I think it’s better that way. While it’s true that any one of them could be my husband’s killer, as I said inside, I trust that the police will eventually get to the bottom of this. Besides,” she added, “I don’t want to give the impression that I’m snooping around. I want to stay safe.”
Given all she had been through, Sophie’s plan was probably a prudent one. But still, Connie didn’t understand how she could be so diplomatic when she might have been in the presence of her husband’s murderer.
“What did you think of all that?” Jo asked her daughters as they drove home.
“It doesn’t make sense that Damian would protect Dottie and allow her backstage when she was clearly a nuisance,” Gianna said.
“What could have happened that would cause Damian to change his behavior toward her?” Gianna asked.
“Whatever it was, it could be connected to why he was killed,” Jo said.
“And it also might be connected to the reason she ran away,” Connie said. “Only Dottie knows, and she’s nowhere to be found.”
Chapter 14
By the time Connie made it back to Just Jewelry with Ginger in tow,
it was late Saturday morning. Her first order of business was to check on the progress of Operation Chicken Coop. With only three shopping days left until Christmas Eve, if they didn’t sell out soon, they wouldn’t make their goal. She took inventory and determined that there were just over fifty pairs of earrings left to sell. It was doable, but there was no guarantee they would pull it off.
Since Grace had everything under control in the shop, Connie decided to take Ginger for a walk around town before what she anticipated would be a busy afternoon. Connie and Ginger wandered in the direction of the pier and came across Gallagher McKeon, who was nursing a cup of coffee on a bench facing the beach. Gallagher was her friend and the owner of Gallagher’s Tropical Shack, a restaurant across the street from Just Jewelry, whose thatched roof and beachy motif added a tropical ambiance to Connie’s view.
Connie joined Gallagher on the bench.
“I met your family the other day when they came into the restaurant for dinner,” Gallagher said. “I heard two little ones talking about their ‘Auntie Connie’, so I guessed they were referring to you and introduced myself. They are absolutely adorable.”
A smile spread across Connie’s face at the thought of her niece and nephew. “My parents told me that you sat with them for a while. I’m so happy that you were able to meet them. I told them that you are a friend and made them promise to stop in and introduce themselves. You must have beat them to it.”
“Your mother is so kind. She invited me to Christmas dinner, but the restaurant will be open, so I had to decline. But I did promise to try to stop by for dessert later in the day.”
“That would be wonderful. If Penelope is free, tell her to come, as well.”
Just after Connie finished speaking, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a sudden movement in the direction of the pier. The short, dark hair and energetic stride looked familiar. Was that Dottie? She had to find out. Now might be her only chance to find out why she disappeared.
“I’ll be right back,” Connie said as she handed off Ginger’s leash to a confused Gallagher and followed the woman, who was now heading away from the of the pier and down the beach at a brisk pace. Connie stayed close behind her as she navigated the beach blankets and sidestepped the stream of beachgoers playing and walking on the beach. The woman scanned her options, then made a sharp turn up the wooden stairs and onto the deck of Surfside Restaurant.
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