SONGBIRD (JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES Book 1)

by Gail Meath

  “I’m sorry, Laura. I’ll catch a trolley home.” She squeezed around Laura, said goodbye to them, and hurried off.

  Laura sat down in a huff.

  “C’mon, Miss Graystone. It’ll be fun watching the rest of the game together being on opposite sides and all.”

  “That isn’t necessary, Detective. I’ve watched plenty of ball games by myself. Apparently, I don’t choose my friends very well.”

  “Nonsense, I won’t hear of it. And call me Jax.”

  She eyed him. “Is that your real name? Or is it Jack or John?”

  “Just Jax. I come from a big family, and I guess my parents had a sense of humor. They sure did love playing card games. I’ve got to get a couple of sodas for my friends. Do you want to join me?”

  The crowd started singing, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, so she shook her head and started singing along just to be rid of him. He finally left and for a while, she considered moving to another seat or leaving the stadium altogether before he returned. The last thing she wanted to do was socialize with Detective Diamond, and she was furious with Jeanie for leaving her high and dry like this.

  But she peered over her shoulder, deep in thought.

  She might not be in the mood to play quid pro quo with him again, but she did have a few more questions. Despite what she’d said yesterday, she was curious to know if there was something more to Mister Sanders’ death, especially after his wife’s reaction to her at the funeral. So, she sat there undecided until it was too late to make her getaway.

  Jax passed out the drinks to his friends, then approached her and handed her a bottle of Coca-Cola. “What did I miss?”

  She moved over into Jean’s seat. “Your team is still behind, three to six. Who are your friends?”

  “That’s Tim, his wife, and their two little ones, Lizzie and Petey. Tim’s the police sergeant I told you about.”

  “The one who said you always make a mountain out of a mole hill?”

  He laughed. “Yeah.”

  “So, you’re from a big family?” she asked off-handedly, simply for a bit of chit-chat before she got to the point of this.

  “There were twelve of us, I think. I fell somewhere in the middle. Not the youngest, not the oldest. It was the safest place to be.”

  She kept her eyes on the ballfield. “Where are you from?”

  “I’m an apple knocker from upstate New York.”

  “Really? I would have pegged you for a city boy.”

  “Nope. Country-bred for sure. Cows, horses, fresh air, and green fields as far as you can see.”

  She looked over at him. Why didn’t she believe him?

  “What about you?” he asked. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “I’m surprised you don’t have your notepad with you to jot down my answer.”

  He laughed. “I’m not working today.”

  “I have an older brother,” she told him.

  “Is he the one who taught you how to fix a dirty throttle?”

  A laugh escaped her. “You’re dying to know, aren’t you? My father used to race cars and had his own repair shop. My brother and I kept it going after he died.”

  “I’m sorry. About your father, I mean.”

  “He’s been gone twelve years. I’ve had plenty of time to accept it.”

  “Losing a parent is tough no matter how much time has passed.”

  His response surprised her. “Detective? How did you know about my meetings with Mister Sanders?” When he didn’t reply right away, she admitted, “I think his wife knew about them. At the funeral, she didn’t seem very pleased when I told her who I was.”

  “She doesn’t know about them,” he assured her. “She suspected her husband was seeing someone else, but she only guessed it might be you.”

  Laura stared down at the ballfield again, feeling bad about it anyway. “It wasn’t anything like that.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you a question? What happens to a new manuscript after the playwright finishes it? You said Sam Sanders gave you a copy, and he was working on the original. Who would he give the final copy to?”

  She broke away from her thoughts. “The theater director usually. He decides whether it’s worth the investment or not. Then it needs to be approved by the theater owner, I think. What did the police do with Mister Sanders’ original script?”

  “I couldn’t find it at the apartment. Do you know if he gave a copy to anyone else?”

  “Mister Beacham, our piano player has one. He said he was going to give his copy to Director Rosenberg.”

  She wanted to ask him why he was so interested in the manuscript, but they noticed the ballgame was over, and everyone was leaving their seats. “Did we win the game?”

  “Yeah, seven to three. Go ahead and gloat all you want.”

  She stood up to leave. “I wouldn’t dream of rubbing your nose in it.”

  He motioned for her to leave first. “Can I give you a ride home?”

  She hesitated. This was all very strange. At the theater, she didn’t like him right off and had wanted to avoid him at all costs. And what were the chances that she’d run into him here at ballgame of all places? Yet, he didn’t seem like such a bad fella. “I suppose so.”

  Tim and his family were following the crowd up the steps. Jax shouted to them, waved goodbye to the kids, and he and Laura left the stadium. He escorted her to his car that was parked on River Avenue and opened the door for her.

  She glanced up to thank him and with the sunlight shining down, she was struck by the brilliant color of his eyes again. “Are you as smart as I think you are?”

  He couldn’t keep a straight face. “If I was so smart, I wouldn’t be working as a private detective, would I?”

  “Well, I can think of worse careers. You know, I am rather hungry. Can I take you up on your offer for one of those hot dogs now?”

  “You’re reading my mind, but I need to stop at my place for a minute if that’s okay. I want to check on Ace. I hate leaving him alone for too long.”

  “Where do you live?”

  He smiled at her. “Right around the corner from you on Carlton Avenue.”

  “Well, isn’t that a coincidence?”

  “Yeah, I thought so, too,” he chuckled. But as they traveled down the street, he quickly lost his smile and furiously started pumping the brake pedal. “Hang on, Laura. Something’s wrong with the brakes.”

  She groaned. “I told you to take Old Nellie to a mechanic.” But she sat upright nervously when he yanked the steering wheel to the left to avoid smashing into the car in front of them.

  The car jerked into the opposite lane and thankfully, the oncoming traffic quickly moved out of their way. Yet, drivers were screaming and cursing, and honking their horns.

  “Yeah, same to you, Mister!” Jax shouted back. He clutched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white as they swerved in and out of both lanes, trying not to hit anyone on the street crammed full of cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

  “Use the brake lever!” Laura yelled above the clatter, but he was too busy trying to avoid a collision. And they both panicked when they saw the trolley pulling out in front of them heading east, across both lanes. “Quick, Jax. Turn down that side road! Stop pumping the pedal if it’s not working. Just get off this road and don’t hit anything. I’ll work on the lever.”

  Laura grabbed the brake lever while he made the turn, but even though the side road was free of other cars, it inclined down a steep hill, and the car picked up speed. Laura discovered the lever was stuck, and she tried to remain as calm as possible while shoving it forward and pulling it back without breaking it off.

  Up ahead, they saw a group of teenagers playing catch in the middle of the road. Jax yelled for them to get out of the way, then he swore under his breath. With all his might, he yanked the steering wheel to the left again, and they headed straight for the butcher shop on the corner.

  Seconds before the car crashed into the buil
ding, they lurched to a sudden stop, throwing Jax against the steering wheel, and Laura fell into the dashboard. When they glanced up, the car was sitting only six feet away from the wooden structure.

  Jax took a deep breath while Laura caught hers.

  “Thank goodness the lever brake finally kicked in,” she said quietly.

  But they heard a grinding noise. “Get out of the car, Laura!” They both jumped out and stood there while the car slowly rolled forward, smack into the three-foot brick wall around the base of the shop. “Are you all right?”

  “I am now,” she told him. “And you?”

  “I’m just glad you were with me. I guess you’re right. It’s time to take Old Nellie to the repair shop.”

  She rolled her eyes. “While you talk to the shop owner who looks angry enough to start a fight with you, I’m going to take a look under the hood.”

  9

  Elements of a Murderer

  Jax led the way to his apartment on the first floor. “Good thing those teenagers were there to help us push my car into the alley. And it was nice of Tony to give us a lift home.”

  “I don’t know how you managed to make friends with him,” Laura grumbled. “We nearly destroyed his shop.”

  “Tony was great. He even gave us a couple of free pounds of lamb chops.” Jax opened the door and motioned to her. “Ladies first.”

  Ace greeted them both, and he was especially happy to see Laura. She squatted down to pet him while Jax tossed the chops on the kitchen counter. He grabbed two bottles of beer from the icebox and poured one into a glass for Laura. She joined him in the kitchen, and he handed it to her.

  “We both could use something to calm us down,” he told her.

  “Isn’t liquor against the law?”

  “Only if you’re caught. Drink up. That was a bit of a scare.”

  She wasn’t about to argue with him and gladly took a few sips.

  “Since I’m stuck without a car, how about I make us dinner? I can fry up a couple of those lamb chops, and I have plenty of mashed potatoes and buttered green beans to go with it.”

  She stared at him, curiously. “You don’t know anything about cars, but you can cook?”

  “Yeah, funny, huh?”

  “I spent more time in my father’s repair shop than in the kitchen. I do miss my mother’s homemade meals.”

  “Then you’re in for a treat. Make yourself at home. It won’t take long.”

  “Does Ace need to go outside?” she wondered.

  “He’s fine. I rigged up a rubber flap on the back door so he can come and go as he pleases.”

  Curiously, she wandered into the living room to see it for herself, but she was distracted as she glanced around. The small room was simply furnished with a beige sofa, a wing-back chair, an oak coffee table, and a matching bookcase. Everything was noticeably clean and tidy, in complete contrast to his disheveled appearance at the theater.

  She saw the bookcase was full and pulled out a couple of books to flip through them. They all appeared to be crime-related, both fictional and non-fiction. Then, she noticed the lone photograph sitting on top of the case. It was a group portrait of the thirteenth police precinct, according to the sign in the photo. And in the back row, she recognized Jax.

  “You were on the police force?” she called to him.

  He peeked into the room. “Oh, the photo. Yeah, for a couple of years, but I prefer working on my own.”

  She joined him in the kitchen again and leaned against the doorjamb while Ace laid down beside her. “I imagine you’ve made a few enemies working on the force and as a detective.”

  “None that I know of. I get along with everyone.”

  She waited a moment. “Well, someone tampered with your car.”

  He stopped cooking to look at her.

  “From what I could see, the bands around your front brake drums looked like they had been partially cut rather than frayed from wear and tear.”

  He turned to flip the lamb chops in the frying pan and stir the beans. “Maybe I do have an enemy or two out there.”

  “It smells delicious. Can I at least set the table?”

  “Sure. The plates are in the bottom cupboard of the Hoosier cabinet.”

  She grabbed two plates and pulled open the drawer, looking for silverware.

  “We need three plates,” he told her.

  “Three?”

  He pointed to Ace.

  She smiled and snatched another plate.

  When Jax finished cooking, he cut the meat off the bones for Ace. Then he slathered the lamb and potatoes with gravy, piled the beans high on each plate, and served them.

  Laura stared at it. “I’m speechless. This looks and smells amazing.”

  “Hopefully, it’s as good as it looks. Why don’t you tell me more about yourself? Where are you from?”

  Briefly, Laura told him that she grew up in Millbury, Massachusetts, and her parents owned a home on Blackstone River. She explained that her mother was a music teacher at the local high school, which is how she became interested in singing and dancing. Then, she finished with how she ended up in the Follies here in the city.

  “Without Missus Ashworth, I would still be performing at the small playhouse in Whalom.” She stopped eating, but only for a second. “Honestly, these are the best lamb chops and gravy I’ve ever had. But don’t ever tell my mother I said that.”

  “Did the Ashworths help you get the lead in your current play?” he asked. “From what I hear, you’ve got plenty of talent, but nailing the lead in a Broadway play so soon after you arrived in the city couldn’t have been easy.”

  “I’m sure Missus Ashworth pulled some strings. The theater also needed to fill the part as quickly as possible after the death of the original leading actress.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “You must have read about Kitty Cooper in the newspapers last March. Someone broke into her apartment and killed her.”

  “I heard about it. Did you know her?”

  “No, we never met. Annie, my assistant, worked for her and didn’t like her very much. Although, I don’t think Annie likes anyone. You met her when you came to the theater.”

  “She seems to be very fond of you.”

  “I don’t know why. For some reason, we just hit it off.” Laura set her fork down. “It was kind of eerie taking Kitty Cooper’s place in the musical, especially under those circumstances.” She’d nearly cleaned her plate and pushed it away. “Dinner was delicious. Thank you.”

  “Did you want another helping?”

  “No, I couldn’t eat another bite. Jax, you think Mister Sanders was murdered, don’t you?”

  “I can’t prove it yet, but there was some sort of poison in his food or drink. And whoever put it there cleared away every trace of his dinner afterward.”

  “And you think they took his new manuscript, too? Is that why you were asking so many questions about it at the ballgame?”

  “It disappeared, so it has some importance.”

  She picked up Ace’s empty plate, and her own, and carried them to the sink.

  “How about I get us another beer, and we can sit in the living room?” he suggested. “I’ll take care of the dishes later.”

  “The least I can do is help clean up.” She turned the water on while he gathered the pots and pans, scraped leftovers into the trash basket, and placed the utensils in the sink. “No wonder you asked me so many questions at the theater,” she whispered. “If it was murder, then it’s natural to think that I had something to do with it since I was the last person to see Mister Sanders.”

  Jax shut the water off. He turned her towards him and looked at her directly. “Laura, there are three important aspects needed to find and convict a criminal, motive, means, and opportunity. Maybe you had the opportunity by being at Sanders’ apartment that night, but you certainly didn’t have a motive. Not when he wrote a play that would have advanced your career. And I guarantee, you didn’t have th
e means. It takes a lot of planning and premeditation to poison someone. Basically, a pretty rotten person.”

  She lowered her head, nodding slowly.

  “Look, we’ve both had enough excitement for one day. Why don’t I walk you home?”

  “It’s just a couple of blocks. I can manage on my own.”

  “Nonsense. Ace needs the exercise anyway. C’mon.”

  They walked down the street together with Ace in front of them, leading the way. Jax carried most of the conversation now, telling her a few funny stories about his family to lighten her mood. He talked about his brief stint in the army, but since their military didn’t enter the war until it was nearly over, he never traveled overseas. And he shared how he had found Ace abandoned in an alley a little over a year ago when he was a puppy.

  “We’ve been together ever since. He’s as smart and loyal as they come.”

  “And beautiful, too. But look. He just sat down in front of my apartment building. How does he know where I live?”

  “We dropped you off here yesterday after the funeral, remember?”

  “I guess he is smart. Thank you, Jax. It was...well, an interesting day to say the least.”

  “Are you busy tomorrow? It’s Sunday and Ace and I usually spend a few hours in the park. I promise it won’t be as exciting as today.”

  She laughed. “What time?”

  “We’ll come by for you about ten if that’s okay.” She agreed, and he watched her until she was safely inside the building, then he headed home. “You like her, don’t you, Ace?” Jax glanced back at her apartment building. “Yeah, me, too.”

  As soon as he got home, he called Tim. He knew his friend would throw a fit when he found out that Laura was the woman he was with at the ballgame. So, he ignored the lecture, cut Tim off, and told him what had happened to his car. After he mentioned the brakes were deliberately cut, he told Tim that Laura knew plenty about automobiles, and credited her for stopping the car in the nick of time.

  Then, he asked Tim to pull the Kitty Cooper files at the station so he could have a look at them. When that request went about as well as the rest of their conversation, he said goodbye and hung up the phone.