Candy Canes and Cadavers

by Angela K Ryan

  “Let’s find a restaurant,” Connie suggested. “It’s early, but I have a feeling there will be a long wait. We should get our name in somewhere.”

  As they perused several menus posted in front of outdoor patios, Christmas carols streamed through the sound systems of the restaurants where they stopped. Many people were eating outside, and there was a palpable festive energy. It was different from what Connie was accustomed to back in New England, but charming in its own unique fashion. It was like being in the north pole, but with palm trees and warm weather. A few minutes into their explorations, Connie became aware of how natural it felt sharing the moment with Zach.

  After some deliberation, they settled on a bistro with plenty of outdoor seating and several dishes they both liked. Zach put his name in for a reservation and was given a beeper. They were promised a table in about a forty-five minutes, so they sat on a nearby bench to wait.

  Chapter 16

  As Connie and Zach waited for their table, she caught him up on her family’s stay in Sapphire Beach. “It will be hard to see them leave on Friday.”

  “Does it give you any regrets about moving so far away?”

  Connie sighed. It had been hard to make the decision to leave Massachusetts and relocate nearly a year ago, but once she finally did there were no regrets. “I’m not going to say it’s easy, but I feel like Sapphire Beach is where I’m supposed to be.”

  Zach looked at her thoughtfully. “I don’t think there is any time or place in life that is perfect. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about that lately – how happiness doesn’t come all at once. You have a piece here and a piece there, but no place or time in our life ever contains everything.”

  Connie reflected for a moment. “You know, I think you’re right. When I lived in Africa, my life was full of exciting adventures and new friends, but I missed everyone back home. When I returned home, I loved my job and being near family, but after a while, I needed a new challenge. Here in Sapphire Beach I have a beautiful home, my Fair Trade work and a creative outlet in my jewelry making, but my family is far, and my aunt Concetta and others I’ve loved are no longer with us.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean. I guess we need to focus on today’s blessings instead of what we’re missing. Perfect joy is for heaven, not earth.”

  “I like that,” Connie said. She had almost forgotten how much she loved this contemplative side of Zach, which he revealed more when they were alone. “How about you? Any regrets since you made the decision to stay?” Connie was referring to last July when Zach received a job offer in his hometown but ultimately decided not to take it.

  He smiled. “No regrets. I just had to go through the process of deciding once and for all that Sapphire Beach was home. Besides, if I hadn’t stayed, I’d be missing out on tonight,” he said, taking Connie’s hand. Just as he folded his hand around hers, the beeper went off, startling them both.

  “It looks like our table is ready,” Connie said, laughing.

  The hostess led them to a wonderful, out-of-the-way table overlooking Third Avenue South. Connie ordered chicken cordon bleu, and Zach ordered a New York sirloin.

  “How is your house hunting going?” Connie asked, after they placed their order.

  Zach’s blue eyes grew bright with excitement. “Elyse has been showing me a lot of properties, and I think I’ve narrowed down where I’d like to be. I’m drawn to the bungalows in the streets that run perpendicular to the boulevard. I love those quiet little neighborhoods off the beaten path. My dream is to be on a canal, but even though I’ve been saving for a long time, I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford one of those.”

  “Maybe you could get a fixer upper at a good price,” Connie suggested.

  “You never know. I’ll see what comes on the market in the next couple of months.”

  “Stephanie bought one of those bungalows a few years ago. Elyse and I spend a lot of time hanging out there. Stephanie’s bungalow isn’t on a canal, but it has a fantastic lanai.”

  “I’d be happy with something like that, too. Now that I know what I want, Elyse has some showings lined up, so I’m optimistic that it’s only a matter of time until I find the right place.”

  Although there had been a lot of obstacles to overcome before Connie and Zach’s second date, the wait had brought with it certain advantages, among them the opportunity for their friendship to develop. Their conversation flowed, and dinner flew by. By the time Zach paid the check, it was nearly time for the snow.

  Connie and Zach gathered with families and people of all ages, anxiously awaiting the snow. Cheers erupted from the small crowed as a grinding sound from the pumps above gradually grew louder until thick white, foam fell on the people.

  Children ran towards the faux snow, now gathering on the street. When the coast was clear of running children, Connie and Zach went closer to touch the white substance. It reminded Connie of a very light shaving cream. She couldn’t resist grabbing a handful and throwing it into Zach’s clean-cut blond hair.

  “Now you asked for it,” he said, filling his hands with snow and dropping it on her head.

  Connie flinched, half expecting the foamy substance to be cold as it dripped from her dark hair and landed on her dress.

  Zach laughed as he pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. She slipped her arms around his waist as he kissed her. She could get used to that.

  When they stepped apart, Connie wiped off the snow that had gathered on her head, since unlike real snow, it didn’t melt.

  “Why don’t we get our shopping done before the stores close?” Connie suggested. “I noticed some shops that looked promising on our way from the garage to the restaurant.”

  They retraced their earlier steps, and as they passed the bench they had been sitting on earlier, Connie stopped short. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Sitting on the same bench was Dottie McKenzie.

  For a moment, Dottie was speechless as she noticed Connie and Zach standing in front of her. She couldn’t run away this time.

  “Shoot,” Dottie said. “I was hoping I wouldn’t see anyone I know out here tonight.”

  Connie and Zach sat on either side of Dottie.

  “Everyone is worried about you, Dottie. Why did you run away without telling anyone where you were?” Zach asked.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” Dottie said, waving her hand at Zach. “I figured you would catch the killer sooner or later, and I just felt more comfortable laying low until you made an arrest.”

  Connie remembered what Maxine had told her, about Dottie receiving a note just before she disappeared. Connie placed her hand on Dottie’s arm. “Dottie, why did you feel unsafe? Did someone threaten you?”

  She looked at the ground, then back up at Connie. She slowly opened her purse, pulled a note, and with a shaky voice, read it aloud. “I know what you heard on Friday night. You’d better keep quiet or else…”

  Zach examined the note. “Do you have any idea who sent it?”

  “No. And I have no idea who the killer is.”

  Connie could hear the anxiety in Dottie’s voice, so she tried another approach. “Dottie, why did Damian tell Rick to allow you backstage before the performances?”

  Dottie fidgeted with the strap on her purse. “Damian believed that someone wanted to hurt him. He didn’t say who, but he knew I liked to come backstage before the performances.” Her eyes brightened. “I just love the energy in the air. Going back there and wishing the performers luck, well… it made feel like I was part of the group. Damian promised he would work it out with Rick so that I wouldn’t get into trouble if I would keep an ear out for anything suspicious. Damian said I would be safe, because the other actors would never suspect that I was eavesdropping.” Tears filled Dottie’s eyes. “Maybe if I had been more successful, Damian wouldn’t be dead. I can’t help but think that I could have saved him.”

  Connie fished a tissue from her purse and handed it to Dottie. Th
en she put an arm around Dottie’s shoulders. “It’s not your fault, Dottie. Whoever killed Damian was a sick person, and there was nothing you could have done.”

  “She’s right,” Zach said. “He should have come to the police, not to you.”

  “You said that you don’t know who killed Damian,” Zach said, “but is there anything you did overhear?”

  “Just that…” She looked around as if to make sure nobody could overhear them. “I heard Damian fighting with Eloise Lambert. Apparently, Damian was Stevie’s biological father, and Damian wanted Eloise to tell Stevie. He said he couldn’t keep the secret anymore.” Dottie shook her head. “I can’t believe I was so infatuated with that man. He is a jerk – first having an affair with Eloise, then wanting to uproot that little boy’s life. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but that was a selfish idea.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “And now my association with him has gotten me into hot water.”

  Poor Dottie didn’t seem to know how to feel about Damian. On the one hand, she was disappointed in him, and on the other, she still admired him. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” Connie said.

  Dottie’s information explained a lot. She had considered Damian a friend, not because she was delusional, but because, in some small way, they had become friends. And she didn’t think Damian wanted to leave Sophie for her, but for Eloise.

  Since Dottie was convinced that the killer thought she knew his or her identity, she insisted on laying low until the police arrested the killer. Zach took her contact information and assured her that he would let her know if there were any breaks in the case. “Hopefully it won’t be long now.”

  Connie and Zach left Dottie so they could do their shopping. Connie helped Zach choose a hand painted serving dish that was just Gianna’s taste, and Zach suggested a digital picture frame for Gary. Zach was concerned that his gift would be too cumbersome for Gianna to carry on the airplane, so Connie promised she would ship the dish home for Gianna after she opened it on Christmas day.

  “That was a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Zach said as they made their way back to the parking garage.

  “It’s funny how easy it is to spend money,” Connie said.

  As Connie and Zach drove back to Sapphire Beach, they were both was lost in thought. After a few minutes, Connie broke the silence. “It’s so strange how Dottie was so wrapped up in Damian Pritchard for so long, even though she barely knew him. She was upset over his indiscretions, as if he were a close friend. It’s kind of sad in a way that she would be so concerned about someone she barely knew.”

  “I guess we all want to feel like we belong somewhere.”

  All night Connie had been thinking what Elyse had told her – that the police were getting ready to make an arrest – but since she knew Zach wouldn’t be able to talk about it anyway, she didn’t bring it up directly.

  “Does that mean Dottie is no longer on your list of suspects?” Connie asked instead.

  “I think her tears and fear were genuine.”

  About the only thing that Connie learned for sure that night was that Dottie wasn’t the suspect that the police planned to arrest. And based on their conversation, Dottie was off Connie’s list, as well.

  Zach parked in a visitor parking space at Palm Paradise and walked Connie to the lobby.

  “I had a great time,” Connie said. “I enjoyed the snow and the company.”

  “I did too,” he said, giving her a gentle kiss.

  They lingered in the lobby until the elevator arrived. Then Connie went upstairs.

  Chapter 17

  Connie knew her sister and mother would be anxiously awaiting the details of her date, and truth be told, she was eager to talk about it.

  Sure enough, they were watching TV with Ginger napping comfortably between them when Connie arrived home. She had to laugh when they both leapt up to greet her. Ginger seemed confused at the excitement but greeted Connie with a wagging tail, anyway.

  “Where’s Dad and Gary?”

  “We gave the guys the night off, since they have been so good about watching the twins. They went down to a sports bar to catch the football game and haven’t come home yet.”

  Jo and Gianna dragged Connie over to the sofa, and Ginger hopped onto her lap. She stroked the dog’s silky fur while her mother and sister grilled her on the date.

  “Your smile says it all,” Jo said.

  Connie hadn’t realized she was smiling. “Zach’s a special guy,” Connie said. “I really like him.”

  After patiently answering all their questions, Connie told her mother and sister about their encounter with into Dottie.

  “Wow, that’s crazy. Did she try to run away this time?” Gianna asked.

  “I think she would have, but we didn’t give her the chance. Once we finally got her talking, she appeared relieved to get everything off her chest. It turns out that the night Damian was murdered, she overheard a fight between him and Eloise about Stevie. Damian wanted Stevie to know who his biological father was, and Eloise was against telling him for obvious reasons. Dottie insists she doesn’t know who the killer is; however, she is convinced that the killer thinks she does.”

  “Poor Dottie,” Jo said. “It’s never easy to see an idol fall from grace.”

  “She was pretty disappointed in him,” Connie said. “I felt bad.”

  “Damian was always kind to my sister, and that’s what I choose to focus on,” Jo said.

  “I agree,” Connie said. “And after talking with Dottie tonight, her behavior over the past week and a half makes a lot more sense. I don’t think she’s the killer.”

  Gianna was quiet while Connie and Jo discussed the situation. Then she leaned back on the couch and said, “I think that Eloise is the killer, and since Dottie overheard her fighting with Damian, she thinks Dottie is onto her.”

  “You could be right,” Connie said.

  ***

  Early Monday afternoon, after a customer left with the last two pairs of candy cane earrings, Connie held two fists high above her head. “I can’t believe we sold the last two pairs the day before Christmas Eve. I can’t wait to tell Dura the good news.”

  “Congratulations, honey. I’m so proud of you,” Grace said. “I can wait a little while longer for my lunch break if you want to run to the bank. I know you’re anxious to get the ball rolling on this project.”

  “Thanks,” Connie said, grabbing her purse and sprinting to the door. “I’ll be back in a few.”

  Connie wasted no time wiring the four thousand dollars to Dura’s bank account so they could begin work on the chicken coop as soon as the money cleared. When she returned to the shop, Connie immediately emailed Dura to tell her the good news and alert her that the money was on its way. Then Connie and Grace sat on the couch and enjoyed a glass of lemonade with some celebratory cupcakes that Connie had picked up on her way back.

  While they were celebrating, Zach came to the shop and joined their celebration.

  Connie handed Zach a plate with a cupcake while Grace poured him a glass of lemonade.

  “Thank you,” Zach said. “Congratulations on meeting your fundraising goal. I can’t wait to see pictures of the project. But I actually stopped by for another reason. I wanted to let you know that we arrested Rick Bennett this morning for Damian Pritchard’s murder.”

  Connie nearly dropped her plate. “Wow, that’s huge.”

  “I wanted to tell you in person, since Damian was a friend of your aunt,” Zach said. “It turned out that Rick bought the bottle of antacid that killed Damian and left it in Damian’s dressing room. Rick swore the bottle was sealed when he left it there, but we found cyanide in his personal possessions, and only Rick and Damian’s fingerprints were on the bottle.”

  “So, Rick killed Damian to save his job?”

  “Damian planned to cut back on the number of performances, and consequently on paid staff, as a last-ditch effort to save the playhouse. He knew it wouldn’t be a popular plan, but apparently
it was unpopular enough to cost him his life.”

  Connie put her empty plate on the coffee table. The cupcake now felt like lead in her stomach. “I suppose I should be happy that the killer is behind bars, but I still have an uneasy feeling.”

  “It’s probably the shock of learning who the killer is,” Zach said. “At least now you can focus on enjoying the rest of your family’s visit.”

  That was true. Connie was relieved to know her family was safe now, especially after the note her mother had received.

  Even a couple of minutes after Zach broke the news, Grace sat there with her mouth agape. “It’s just so hard to believe that Rick is a killer. I’ve known him for years.”

  “I’m sorry, Grace,” Zach said.

  Grace shook her head. “Nevermind about that. I’m going to look on the bright side. Today has been a good day. Not only did we meet our fundraising goal, but Damian’s killer is behind bars. I’m just so surprised that it turned out to be Rick.”

  “And Christmas is only two days away,” Connie added.

  “That’s right,” Grace said. “Speaking of Christmas, I have a lastminute gift that I need to pick up on my lunch break. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  Since Abby had flown out that morning and the store would be closed on Christmas Day, Grace agreed to work a few extra hours to keep Connie company.

  “Does Rick’s arrest mean that Dottie is coming out of hiding?” Connie asked after Grace left.

  Zach nodded. “Not only that, I called a few hours ago to give her the news, and she said she was excited to return to the playhouse for the Christmas Eve performance.”

  “That’s good news,” Connie said.

  Zach smiled at Connie.

  “Was there something else?” she asked, returning his smile.