by Krista Davis
We all agreed that she had the best imaginable alibi.
Mars listed all the bakers who had worked at Apex Pie and crossed off Nellie’s name, as well as Grainger’s. “That doesn’t leave many people. Roger, Tommy Earl, and Willa are the only ones remaining.”
“It’s not Willa,” said Bernie. “I know her very well, and she’s a gentle soul.”
“Did you know she gave up everything to move to New York with Patsy Lee and work for her?” I asked.
“That must have been a while back. She’s worked here at The Laughing Hound for years.”
Nina waved her fork in the air. “Patsy Lee fired her.”
Bernie winced. “Okay, leave Willa on the list, but I guarantee she didn’t murder Patsy Lee.”
“He’s been winning a lot of bets lately,” said Mars a bit snarkily. “We’re down to Tommy Earl and Roger.”
“They’re both bitter about Patsy Lee’s success,” I pointed out.
Mars wrote that notation by their names.
“You’re forgetting someone,” said Nina. “What about Brock?”
“I need to speak with him,” I said. “He was closer to Patsy Lee than anyone. He must have some ideas.”
“He goes on the list.” Mars wrote down his name and read aloud, “Peter, Tommy Earl, Roger, Brock, and maybe Willa. ”
Mentally, I added Sergeant Gibbard. I didn’t know of any reason for him to kill Patsy Lee, but if he murdered his own son, then he was a loose cannon and could do anything.
The four of us indulged in peach cobbler for dessert before walking home.
In the calm of my kitchen I preheated the oven to try baking a s’mores pie. To make it echo the flavors of a s’more, I chopped honey graham crackers, added melted butter, then pressed the slightly moist crumbs into the pie pan and popped it into the oven. In the few minutes it needed to bake, I washed my utensils. I took the crust out of the oven, and set it on the counter to cool a bit before adding miniature marshmallows.
I poured a bag of semisweet chocolate chips into warm cream and watched my spoon ripple through the melting chocolate chips. I added butter and vanilla, then poured the warm liquid over the marshmallows. They floated! I pressed them down with the back of a spoon, to be sure they were all covered in chocolate. I had planned to make a marshmallow topping for the pie, but it would have to cool completely first.
I placed the pie on a rack on my kitchen island to cool and considered whether any of the people on our list of suspects in Patsy Lee’s death might have murdered Grainger. Had any of them had a reason? Or was Mrs. Gibbard correct about her husband slaying their son?
I dressed Daisy in her halter and set out for a thought-cleansing walk. I concentrated on Patsy Lee and Grainger as I strolled.
The two of them ran with the same group of friends for a long time. Had one of those friends wanted them out of the way? But for what reason? Had there been some connection between Patsy Lee and Grainger that I didn’t know about?
Evening was descending on Old Town. With the sun nearly gone, the temperature dropped and the humidity abated. It was perfect for a long walk. Diners still filled restaurants, and people walked by us on the sidewalks. Even though we walked in the heart of Old Town, it wasn’t abandoned like some downtowns are after the offices close.
Lights shone in the tall windows of the Federal-style buildings. Daisy sniffed her way along the sidewalk, no doubt picking up the scents of other dogs that had passed that way during the day.
We neared Alex’s office, and I slowed down. The two of us hadn’t left things well. Maybe I should be the one to call and set things right again. A light flicked off in his office window. Maybe he was just leaving for the day. It might be a good time to say hi.
We passed the gold plaque by the door that said, ALEXANDER GERMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW. A dim light still shone in the plateglass window in front. I knew from experience that it didn’t mean he was still there, but I hoped we had caught him in time and peered in the window.
I was deep in thought about not ruining his reputation when a hand slammed the bottom of the window from inside.
Chapter 22
Dear Natasha,
I love the taste of butter piecrusts, but I have such trouble with them. Do you have any tips? I know the ingredients should be cold.
No Luck in Butterfield, Minnesota
Dear No Luck,
Make your crust using oil. It works fine and isn’t as finicky.
Natasha
Daisy barked and jumped away. I screamed.
Daisy pulled at her leash, unwilling to get any closer.
But I saw something that chilled my heart. Close to the bottom of the window was a handprint. At least the fingers were indisputable. The palm had been smeared. As the fingers ran through it? Even worse, in the pale glow emanating from the room, the handprint was clearly red.
I cupped my hands around my eyes and pressed against the window. “Alex?” I raised my voice. “Alex?”
I hurried to the door and tried the handle. It swung open easily. Something was wrong. Alex would never leave the door unlocked.
Cautiously, in case someone else was inside, I scanned the reception room. I didn’t see anyone, but in the back of the office, I heard someone moving around. “Hello?” I called. “Alex?”
A door slammed in the back.
Daisy tugged me farther into the room, toward the window where the hand had appeared.
Alex lay on the floor. His beautiful face was a bloody mess. I fumbled for my cell phone and dialed 911. When I was assured that help was on the way, I looked around the room one more time, to be sure no one would attack me. I briefly considered waiting for the police outside, but another glance at Alex and I couldn’t let him lie there in agony alone.
I knelt on the floor next to him. “Alex, can you hear me? It’s Sophie.”
His eyes were swelling. I wasn’t sure he could even open them enough to see me.
He grunted. I picked up his bloody hand and clutched it in mine. “An ambulance is on the way. Conserve your strength. You’ll be okay, sweetie.”
An ambulance siren wailed in the distance as someone opened the front door.
“Sophie?” I recognized Wong’s voice.
She flicked on bright lights. “What’s going on?” She strode closer and saw Alex. “Whoa! Sophie, don’t move. I need to make sure no one else is here, okay?”
“I heard someone in the back and then a door slammed.”
I was vaguely aware of Wong checking out Alex’s office, the file room, and the restroom.
Speaking into her phone, she returned to us. She clicked it off and jammed it into her pocket. “We have to get out of here. Now!”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll help you with Alex. You get his left side and I’ll lift on the right.”
The two of us dragged him toward the door. I no longer had to ask her why. Flames licked under the door that led to the back of his office. They were coming from the file room.
We had just pulled him onto the sidewalk when the EMTs arrived.
Wong spoke calmly, but was very clear. “Get him out of here. There’s a fire inside. Sophie, you and Daisy, too. Get to safety now.”
Fire truck sirens wailed. I tugged Daisy across the street and down the block, where the EMTs were checking out Alex in the back of an ambulance.
“Are you the one who found him?”
I nodded. “Alex German. That’s his law office.”
“Can he speak?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say anything to me. But it all happened very fast.”
The fire trucks arrived and Wong ran toward us, jumped into the ambulance, and bent over Alex. “Alex!” she shouted. “Who did this to you?”
His chest heaved and his lips parted, but no sound came out.
The EMTs made Wong leave, closed the door, and turned on the siren as they drove away.
“Sophie! Sophie!” Wong tugged at me. “What happened?”
“You saved his life,” she said.
“We did it together,” I murmured, horrified by the thought that he might have died if we had arrived five minutes later.
“What were you doing here?” asked Wong.
“Just walking Daisy.” I gazed down at her. She must have been scared but she didn’t show any sign of it. When we dragged Alex out of the office she worked alongside us. I reached down and rubbed the spot just above her eyes.
“Alex and I had a little disagreement, and I thought it might be a good time to get past that.”
“What did you argue about?”
“It wasn’t really an argument. He didn’t think I should be snooping around an old murder.”
“Hmpff. Well, he was probably right about that. Are you okay?”
Part of me wanted to go home and curl up in the safety of my house, but I couldn’t rip my eyes away from the flames. “I’ll be fine,” I choked. My heart beat like crazy and my hands shook. I buried them in the long fur on Daisy’s back. I was afraid if I stood up my knees might give out.
“I think you’re in shock.” Wong peered at me.
“I just need a minute.”
“I’m trembling. How about you?”
I was relieved that Wong, a professional who probably saw horrific things every week, has also been shaken. We sat side-by-side with Daisy leaning against our legs.
Eventually the fire department got the fire under control. It wasn’t out, but they finally had it under control.
“I think I’d better take Daisy home and get over to the hospital.”
“Maybe Nina should drive you.”
I blinked at Wong. “You think Alex will die?”
“I don’t know, Sophie,” she said gently. “I hope not. But you’ve had a shock.”
Daisy and I walked away from the chaos of the fire. All of Old Town seemed to have lights on in their houses. People stood on their front stoops, looking around to see what was happening.
A lone figure hurried along the street away from the fire and turned right exactly where Peter was renting a house from Bernie and Mars.
Daisy and I crossed the street. Staying in the shadows as much as possible, I watched as a slender person rapped on the door of the rented house. Peter opened it, and in the glow of the light by the front door, he wrapped his arms around Willa and kissed her passionately.
I was stunned. Surely, they didn’t have anything to do with the attack on Alex? But that embrace, there was something about it—like they had been separated too long or had been through something emotionally wrenching.
We continued on our way home, where Nina waited by the kitchen door.
“Wong called me,” she said. “How’s Alex?”
Generally, I wasn’t the type who cried a lot. I tried very hard to present a stiff upper lip, no matter what happened, but on this occasion I burst into sobs and choked out words. “You should have seen him, Nina. Someone beat him to a pulp. And the flames. There were flames everywhere. His hand was covered in blood and he smacked the window.”
“You’re babbling.” Nina unlocked the door for me. “You go upstairs, wash your face, and change clothes. I’ll feed Daisy and Mochie, then we’ll head to the hospital. All right?”
I drifted up the stairs, my head spinning. It wasn’t until I looked in the bathroom mirror that I realized my clothes and face had Alex’s blood on them.
Chapter 23
Dear Sophie,
I’m serving pie to friends at teatime. What kind of beverage is appropriate?
Harried Hostess in Pecan Springs, Texas
Dear Harried Hostess,
Serve hot tea or coffee. If it’s cold out, you might consider a warm punch, like a grog. In the summer, lemonade and iced tea are good choices. But mix it up! Don’t serve lemon pie with lemonade.
Sophie
I slid into the passenger seat of Nina’s car.
She handed me a travel mug.
“What’s this?”
“Tea. You’re the one who always says it calms a person.”
Nina walked around to the driver’s side, started the car, and eased into the empty street. “Feel like telling me what happened?”
Feeling numb, I recited the events, trying not to ramble.
“No wonder you’re like a walking zombie.” She glanced in the rearview mirror.
I turned around to see a black plume rising against the night lights of the city. “I hope they can save the building.”
“Alex has a lot of criminal clients, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. But who would beat up their lawyer? He’s on their side!”
“Maybe the outcome of the case wasn’t what the client hoped for.” Nina swung her car into the hospital parking lot. “He’s probably still in the emergency room.”
I agreed. We walked around to the emergency entrance and straight into Wolf.
He grabbed me in a quick bear hug. “I’m relieved to see you! Wong is a trouper, and even she was shaken up by this. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. How’s Alex?”
Wolf had a poker face. When we dated, it had driven me crazy because I never had a clue what he was feeling. “I’m heading back there now. I’ll let you know after I see him.”
Nina and I sat down in the waiting room. It felt like an eternity, but by the clock it had only taken twenty minutes for Wolf to return.
“He wasn’t able to speak. They’re taking him into surgery now.”
“What for?” I asked.
“He took a heavy beating, Sophie. I think they need to operate on more than one thing.”
“That sounds ominous!”
“He has some broken bones. His nose, his radius, a couple of ribs . . .”
“Poor Alex. He must have been terrified. I can’t even imagine what he went through. He’s a nice guy. Why would anyone beat him up like that?”
Wolf gave me a sad look. “Maybe he didn’t win a case for his client.”
“That’s not a reason to beat up the lawyer.”
Wolf exhaled. “I wish I could sit around here with you, but I’d better get back to work. I’ll be thinking of Alex. Keep me posted, okay?”
Nina nodded.
Time ticked by slowly. Nina sampled the contents of every vending machine in the hospital.
I wasn’t convinced that the clock was moving at all, but the small hand switched position occasionally. At two in the morning a nurse told us he had been moved to intensive care.
We took the elevator upstairs and found Alex easily. A nurse was adjusting his IV.
I leaned over him. “Alex? It’s Sophie.”
“He can’t hear you, honey. He’s in a coma,” said the nurse.
“A coma!” I shrieked.
“Now, it’s nothing to get upset about. Medically induced comas are very common in cases where there’s head injury. They need him to stay still so he can heal.”
“He’s in a coma, Nina!”
“Soph, she just explained it. I wish my husband were here, they might tell him more about Alex’s condition. Doctors like talking to other doctors.” Nina’s husband was a forensic pathologist who was constantly out of town testifying as an expert.
A bald doctor walked into the room. “Which one of you is Mrs. German?”
Nina immediately pointed at me. “She is.”
I had opened my mouth to protest when he said, “We’ll know more in the next few days. Right now, the important thing is to give him some time to recuperate. We’ll deal with the broken arm when he’s more stable. You try to get some rest.”
The doctor walked toward the door, but turned around and said, “Don’t worry about Alex’s safety. The police are providing a twenty-four-hour guard. See you tomorrow.”
Nina and I stared at each other.
“Wolf and Wong must have asked for the guard,” I said.
“And there he is.” Nina waved at the unif
ormed officer who looked in on us. “Come on, Sophie, let’s go home.”
I waited until we were in the car before I said, “You lied to the doctor.”
“Didn’t you want to hear what he had to say?”
“He didn’t tell us much.”
“Yeah, he did. Alex is in bad shape, Sophie.”
* * *
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Alex’s barely recognizable and puffy face. In spite of that, exhaustion finally kicked in and I dozed off.
The clanking of my door knocker woke me just past nine o’clock in the morning. I scrambled into a bathrobe and headed down the stairs. Daisy and Mochie already waited at the door.
Mars, Bernie, and Wolf stood on the stoop.
“You look terrible,” said Mars.
Bernie hugged me.
Wolf handed me a package of Krispy Kreme doughnuts with chocolate glaze.
“Alex died?” I asked.
Wolf chuckled. “Is that what hot-from-the-oven Krispy Kremes mean to you? No, he’s not dead, thanks to you.”
I followed them into my kitchen and put on the kettle to boil water.
Mars let Daisy out, and Bernie pulled take-out breakfasts from The Laughing Hound out of two giant bags and set them on the island.
Nina, also wearing a bathrobe, brought Daisy back inside. “I knew I was missing breakfast.” She spooned ground coffee beans into the French press.
I helped Bernie remove waffles and fried eggs over easy from the take-out packages. He placed each waffle on a plate and topped it with an egg and a white sauce that smelled so divine that my appetite quickly came back. He’d brought sausages and bacon, too. “The waffles are cheddar,” he explained.
We gathered around the kitchen table, but I couldn’t eat after all. Not until I knew how Alex was doing. “Wolf?”
“You saved his life, Sophie.”
“Stop saying that. It was a fluke that I was there.”
“Not only did you get there in time to drag Alex out of a burning building, but it appears that you interrupted his assailant in the act of strangling him. There’s a ligature mark on his neck.”