by Judi Lynn
Kelsey’s voice sounded strained. “I know. We got that when Jessica died, but I can’t do anything about it.” She took a loud breath, then blurted out, “Why would anyone kill Darcie?”
“Were you friends?”
“I wasn’t part of Jessica’s group, but I always liked her. She didn’t put on airs, shot straight from the hip. Most everyone liked her.”
Jazzi explained their theories.
“You’re right.” Kelsey paused. “It’s odd someone shot her right after she started digging into Jessica’s death. How many people would know about that?”
“Probably all of Merlot. News seems to travel fast there.”
“Especially if Ruth Goggins hears it. That woman can’t keep her big mouth shut.”
“And Lila calls the Hodgkill family in Carolina to tattle on everyone, so I’d guess they know, too.”
“So the usual suspects,” Kelsey said.
“Looks like it.”
Another pause. Finally, “We can’t drive to River Bluffs this weekend. Not when I work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I’d be too tired. But we’ll try to get there again. Maybe if we met with some of our old friends, we’d hear something new.”
“That got Darcie killed.”
Kelsey’s sigh traveled over the phone. “Jessica’s murder just won’t go away, will it?”
“There’s a new victim. Maybe the police will find something this time.”
“Maybe. I hope.” She didn’t sound hopeful when they ended the call.
While she was at it, Jazzi called RJ next. He answered on the third ring. “Hey, nice to hear from you!” But his tone changed after he heard her news. “Tilly and I were in Indianapolis last night. Took today off so we could stay up late to attend a concert there. We might have been in our hotel by three a.m., but I’m not sure. We had a little too much fun.”
She smiled. “Where was the concert held?”
“In a bar. It’s one of Tilly’s favorite groups. There were so many people there, though, I don’t think anyone would have noticed or remembered us. I have my ticket stubs, but no one could swear when we left. The place was jammed.”
Jazzi blew out a breath of frustration. Another couple who could only alibi each other.
After RJ, she called Gaff. “Have you talked to anyone for alibis yet?”
“Nadia Ashton, Lila, and the Hodgkill family. Jessica’s mom and dad swore they were home together. Nadia said she was asleep—what did I think she’d be doing? Alwin, though, was in Brown County, Indiana, on a short vacation, alone, to visit the shops and the national park. He supposedly needed a break and went sightseeing all day, but Brown County closes up shop early, and he rented a cabin that’s sort of secluded, so no one could see if he came or went. He says he never drove to Merlot, had no desire to.”
Jazzi gave up after that. She wasn’t learning anything worthwhile. Ansel still wasn’t home, so she started a pot of sloppy joes for lunch tomorrow, then put together a one-sheet-pan meal and slid it in the oven. She was cleaning the kitchen when Ansel walked through the door.
“Did you change Didi’s tire?” she asked.
He nodded. “She’s driving on a donut now, but Walker can put on a new one tomorrow.” He sniffed the air. “It smells wonderful in here. What are you making?”
“An oven one-pan, pork-chop meal.”
“I like those.”
As long as she didn’t get too crazy, there wasn’t much he didn’t like. “Want to work on trim until it’s ready?”
“You remembered. I thought you might want to skip it because I got back late.”
“If we finish the baseboard, we can do the ceiling trim tomorrow. And then on Thursday…”
His eyes twinkled. “My toys arrive.”
She laughed, and they headed to the basement. Inky and Marmalade raced ahead of them, and when they cut trim to size, they’d toss thin, extra pieces for the cats to bat and chase. They’d finished three walls before the oven buzzer rang. Then they stopped to eat and returned to finish the last wall before calling it a night.
Jazzi stretched out on her couch to read while Ansel went up to shower and change. She’d started a new (for her) J. D. Robb book that she was hooked on. She was only on book three, so she was way behind in the series, but that gave her plenty of good books to look forward to.
When Ansel took his place on the sofa opposite hers, he lifted George up to lay with him, then clicked on the TV. He happily flipped through channels while she hurried through another chapter.
Finally, at ten, he stood and yawned. “Ready to call it a night?”
With a nod, she followed him upstairs to bed. Maybe tomorrow Gaff would have talked to more people, and he’d have more news for her. But she meant to look up Jillian Hendricks at her craft shop in Merlot to see what she could learn herself.
Chapter 23
When Jerod saw a Crock-Pot full of sloppy joes come into the kitchen, he raised his arms to give her a mock bow. “You rule my lunch heart.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was tired of sandwiches, too.”
Laughing, he turned to George. “We’re going to eat good today.”
George lifted his head and looked straight at the slow cooker. The pug understood everything to do with food.
Jerod waited until Jazzi plugged in the pot, then, before they removed their heavy jackets, asked, “Are you ready to go look at the wood for the bookshelves?”
“Might as well.” She zipped up her jacket again. Nights had gotten colder the longer the month went. By afternoon, the temperatures rose and were more comfortable, but mornings and evenings demanded warm jackets. Jazzi was hoping an Indian summer would heat things up for Halloween, but it didn’t look promising.
“Are you driving?” Ansel asked.
“Sure, I know the way.”
They followed Jerod to his truck and set off cross-country to Highway 14. The air was brisk. Trees flamed with color. They passed a farmhouse where the owner had raked a pile of leaves and stood watching over them as they burned. The scent of smoke filled the car. Ten minutes later, they were looking at a barn full of beautiful wood. And yes, there was cherry. They bought and loaded what they needed, and as they started to pull away, the carpenter called, “If you need more for anything else, give me a call. The walnut’s gone. A contractor bought it all, but I still have plenty to look at.”
She’d noticed a stack of maple boards that were especially appealing. “The maple would make great shelving in our basement.”
Ansel turned in the front seat to ask, “For the entertainment area?”
“We could store CDs and movies on them, craft stuff for kids.”
“I’ll give the guy a call and arrange to pick them up after work.” Jerod’s truck wouldn’t hold any more.
Once back at the Merlot house, they unloaded the boards and stored them in the three-car garage, locking it securely. They were walking back into the house when Gaff arrived. He walked in with them. Jerod looked at the kitchen clock.
“How do you end up here so often at lunchtime?”
Gaff smiled. “A cop’s instinct. Besides, Jazzi told me you were fishing last night. I expected to have fish sandwiches for lunch. What’s the matter? Didn’t catch any?”
“I’m lucky I lived through it.” Jerod shook his head. “Gunther got his hook caught in a tree twice. Lizzie cried when I put a worm on her hook, so I used lures on hers instead. She almost fell in the pond trying to cast her line.”
Gaff laughed. “You didn’t catch anything?”
“A headache.” Jerod and Gaff loved to give each other a hard time. “You’re here, though, so you might as well eat with us.”
Gaff immediately took his place at the card table and managed to eat two sandwiches and his fair share of chips. “My friend called me. He said he checked Darcie’s phone, and she�
��d called a lot of different people, asking them what room they were in and who they were with when Jessica fell. She must have called the wrong person and made him or her nervous.”
“Did you find any notes she left?” Jazzi asked.
“He found a notebook, but three pages were torn out of it. No prints. He checked.”
Jerod loaded another bun for his third helping. Jazzi chastised herself. She’d have to make something different more often for lunch. “Doesn’t that make it seem like someone could have seen the killer where he shouldn’t have been?”
Gaff nodded. “Could be, but it doesn’t guarantee it. Maybe the killer’s just worried about it.” He went on. “Everyone my friend called said that Darcie had never gotten over Jessica’s killer getting away with it. She wanted him caught.”
“At the cost of her life,” Ansel said.
Gaff leveled a look at Jazzi. “Keep that in mind. This killer doesn’t intend to be punished for what he did.”
“I get it. I’ll be careful.” She crossed her heart.
“I’m serious. You do that.” Gaff carried his paper plate to the trash and headed to the door. “Gotta go, but you might want to back off for a while, let my friend take it from here.”
When he left, Ansel narrowed his eyes to study her. “That’s not going to happen, is it?”
“I can’t sit it out now.” She sighed, frustrated. “I feel too responsible. I got the whole thing started.”
He nodded but didn’t look happy. “Then we’ll go to visit Jillian Hendricks after work, like you planned, before picking up the maple shelving.”
Her shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been. “Thank you.”
“But you only question people when I’m with you.”
“Scout’s honor.”
He gave her a look. “Were you ever a Scout?”
Jerod laughed. “Not a chance. She wouldn’t do crafty stuff like the other girls. She wanted to chop down saplings, build fires, and camp out with the guys.”
“If she’d joined our town’s Boy Scout group, I would have, too,” Ansel told him.
“Not at that age. At ten, girls had cooties. I didn’t even chase skirts back then.”
“So not true.” Jazzi called him on that one. “You kissed Tessa Parker on the bus in fourth grade.”
Jerod grinned, remembering. “Oh, yeah, forgot about that.”
Jazzi shook her head at both of them. “Lunch is over. Time to get back to work.”
They finished the half bath, installing a new toilet, a sink, and a medicine cabinet. Then they started cutting the cherry boards to size for bookshelves. There was no way they could finish, so they knocked off work at their usual time. Jerod headed home, but the others drove the few blocks to downtown Merlot and parked at the curb outside Jillian Hendrick’s craft shop.
The day was nippy enough, so they tugged their jackets closer as they left the van. “Stay,” Ansel told George and walked through the door with Jazzi.
Chapter 24
Jillian’s shop was long and narrow, with brick walls and a high ceiling. It was crammed full of hand-painted coasters, tiles, hand-tossed dishes and bowls, and one-of-a-kind throw pillows. Incense gave the space a spicy scent. Jillian sat in the front behind a long counter, working on a watercolor painting.
She looked up, saw Ansel, and her green eyes lit up. When he unbuttoned his jacket and let it hang open, showing off his snug T-shirt stretched over bulging muscles, she said, “I don’t suppose you’d sit as an artist’s model?”
He blinked. “I’m not good at sitting.”
Her lips curled. “No, I suppose not. I can picture you in action.”
Jazzi could imagine that kind of action would have to be censored. She raised an eyebrow in warning, and Jillian grinned.
The woman’s brown hair was parted in the center and pulled up on each side into a knot with feathers decorating each. It was so unusual, Jazzi stared. Few people could get away with it, but she looked so artsy, it worked for her. Her smile was wide and cheerful.
“Welcome to my shop. If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”
Jazzi nodded, her attention caught by the colorful couch cushions. A few of them would be perfect as accessories for the Merlot house. Then she spotted a giant diamond and wedding band on Jillian’s finger. Married. Just enjoying herself. Why not? Ansel was worth looking at.
Jillian’s gaze rested on her. “Everyone’s talking about the two blondes in town. You must be the people flipping Jessica’s house.” Her smile faded. “Have you come about Darcie?”
No more looking around. Jazzi focused. “She came to visit us, and invited me to a get-together at her house to try to remember exact details about Jessica’s party.”
Jillian came out from behind the counter to talk to them. She was probably five four and thin. She looked small standing next to Ansel. Voice gruff, she said, “The police have to find out who killed her. They can’t come up empty like last time.”
“They’re working on it. People don’t realize how much goes into an investigation. It’s hard to find leads.”
“There has to be something!” Jillian grimaced. “Sorry, but I’ve lost two of my best friends now. I want answers.”
“A lot of people do, and not just accusations and gossip.”
Jillian snorted. “This is a small town. There’s no way to avoid that.”
With a nod, Jazzi acknowledged the point. “Darcie was trying to determine who was at Jessica’s party, what room they were in when Jessica fell, and who they were with, so that she could eliminate people who might have pushed her.”
“Just like her. A solid plan. I vividly remember who was with me when Jessie fell. I bet we all do. It was so horrible, it’s seared into my memory. Damian was in the dining room, where I was. We were at the punch bowl. He was getting drinks for Kelsey and him.”
“Kelsey wasn’t with him?” She’d told Jazzi that, that she’d been in the bathroom at the time.
“No.”
“Was there anyone else with you to corroborate he was with you? Because Lila Mattock swears she saw him going up the stairs right before Jessica fell.”
“Lila Mattock’s a freak,” Jillian spat. “No, it was just Damian and me. So it was my word against hers. The detective wrote off both of us.”
“He’d have to. No one else could vouch for you and Damian?”
She shook her head. “But I know what I know. Damian was with me.”
Jazzi nodded. “We’ll mark him off our list. Do you know where anyone else was?”
Jillian shook her head.
Jazzi thanked her, and they headed toward the door. Ansel stopped her. “Did you want some of the pillows here?”
“Do you mind?” Jazzi asked Jillian.
The woman smiled. “No, a double win for me. I can help clear Damian’s name and make a sale. A good day.”
Jazzi chose several pillows, then they took their leave.
“Still in the mood to get the maple boards from the carpenter?” Ansel asked.
“If we want them, we’d better get them. They’re going to go fast.”
On the drive there, they were both quiet. Jazzi’s thoughts spun, placing people at the party when Jessica died. Jessica’s dad was at the grill. Damian was with Jillian. RJ was hiding from his aunt with another one of Jessica’s friends—the schoolteacher, Felicity—and Tilly was in line for food at the grill. She’d have to substantiate both of those alibis, but she mentally put check marks next to their names. She’d have to write out a list and begin scratching people off. Kelsey wasn’t with anyone.
Ansel pulled into the carpenter’s drive and parked near the barn. She pulled her thoughts back to renovations and getting the basement done.
Chapter 25
When they got home, Jazzi helped Ans
el unload the maple boards and carry them into the basement. He had a workshop against the far back wall, so he could saw the boards down there. It would make it a lot easier to build the shelves for his man cave. Before starting work on the baseboard, though, he said, “Let’s take a break and sip a little wine and beer to relax.”
He could tell she was still brooding, troubled by Darcie’s murder. Even George sensed her mood. He left his doggy bed and came to rest his paw on her foot, looking up at her with a pained expression. Bless his little pug heart. He was trying to comfort her.
She reached down to pet and reassure him. The cats jumped on the kitchen island to rub against her. Normally, she’d shoo them off, but she was worrying the furry felines, too. She took a deep breath, trying to snap out of her mood. “I’m okay, guys. Really.”
Ansel pushed a glass of wine in front of her. “I get it. Darcie’s death hit you hard, but you’re not responsible for it.”
He’d told her that before. She even believed it, but somehow, that didn’t erase all the guilt.
“I’m going to make a map of the house and write down where each person was when Jessica died. If I can see it, it might help.”
“Not a bad idea. You can call and question everybody. I’ll help you if you need it.”
He was such a keeper. How lucky could a girl get, snagging a guy like him? She decided not to focus on what had happened, but what to do so that it didn’t happen again. Not one more person should die because of this. She’d always believed if she messed up, it didn’t help to wallow in what she did wrong, but to focus on how to fix it. She finished her wine and braced her shoulders. “I’m okay now. I’ve moped enough. It’s time to do something about it.”
He grinned. “Good, let’s go finish the basement. That’s something you can check off your to-do list when we’re done.”
She liked checking things off, so she pushed to her feet. The cats raced down the stairs in front of them, and two hours later, the basement was completely finished and cleaned. Just in time. The furniture, pool table, and pinball machine were being delivered the next day, and then it would be ready for the Halloween party—not this coming weekend but the one after that.