*****
Between calling the sheriff and making sure Hazel was safe, Nora forgot all about her ill-health. As soon as she heard what had happened, Hazel came back home, alarmed. She greeted Grace with a big hug and peppered Nora with questions about what had happened.
Sheriff Ellerton and Deputy James were in the kitchen with Harvey, looking over the note.
“Yep. We’ll take it in for fingerprints, but the jerk probably wore gloves.” Sheriff Ellerton scowled. “I knew I should have kept Brock Williams under temporary hold. Bet he’s the one who’s done this.”
“I’ll ask around and see if anyone saw his car,” Deputy James said. “It’s a beat up old Toyota, out of place in a neighborhood like this. Someone would have noticed for sure.”
Nora, meanwhile, had gone outside to check on her flowerbeds. She didn’t find any footprints, nor any hint of someone jumping over their hedge. “He never entered,” she muttered to herself.
“What are you thinking, Mom?” Hazel asked.
“I think the man parked his car here…” Nora stepped out the gate and stood on the curb, looking in. “He threw the brick…” She made a motion with her arm. “Then, immediately, he jumped back in his car and took off.”
“He might not have even stepped out of his car,” Grace said. She was still standing on the porch and had an arm around Hazel’s shoulders.
“How do you know it’s a he?” Hazel asked. “It could be a she. It doesn’t take too much strength to throw a brick.”
“Whoever it is, I hope the police catch them,” Grace said. “I won’t sleep easy knowing there’s someone out here threatening you.”
*****
With all the excitement, it was midnight by the time they went to bed and, when they did, Nora couldn’t sleep. All night, she tossed and turned as she tried to figure out who the killer was.
Fed up with herself, she got up, glancing at the clock — 3am. She stumbled down to the kitchen, hoping to calm herself down by cooking up a storm. Just entering the kitchen had her heart beating faster as she caught sight of the broken window. Harvey had taped it up with some newspapers for a temporary fix but, to Nora, the sight of it was malignant, poisoning her safe kitchen.
“Can’t sleep?” Harvey asked from behind her.
Nora sighed and shook her head. She walked up to Harvey and rested her head on his shoulder. “It feels so scary, you know. I kept feeling like someone was downstairs. My stomach’s still in knots.”
“I’ll get him.” Harvey took Nora’s hands and kissed them gently, one after the other. “I promise, I’ll figure out who did this somehow.”
“Dad? Mom?” They heard footsteps coming down the stairs and first Hazel, then Grace walked into the kitchen.
Harvey sighed. “Aren’t you two asleep yet?”
“We were talking,” Grace said. “There’s no way we could fall asleep after what happened.”
“So what now?” Hazel asked.
“I know,” Nora said.
Half an hour later, the four of them were seated in a booth at Madness Diner, studying the menu.
“I feel like a kid again.” Grace laughed. “We’d come here every Sunday. Remember, Mom?”
“Of course.” Nora smiled. “You only ever ordered one thing: pancakes with strawberries on the side and a chocolate milkshake.”
“Can’t go wrong with the classics.” Grace tossed her menu onto the table. “Guess I’m having the usual.”
“I like this,” Hazel said. She was leaning on Grace with her face looking out the picture window. “I always liked being here late at night, just the four of us in the diner. It’s actually kind of cool growing up with a chef for a mom.”
“It’s the best,” Grace said. “I told my friends about how you treated us to special family dinners at the diner every once in a while and they were always jealous.”
“There’s something so romantic about diners in the middle of the night, isn’t there?” Harvey asked. “It’d be even more perfect if it were raining outside, though.”
“I like the full moon more,” Hazel said, raising a finger and a thumb and squinting as though she were trying to pinch it out of the sky.
“Alright, folks.” Nora stood up and tied an apron around her. “I’ll fire up the grill. Pancakes all around?”
“French toast for me if it’s not too much trouble,” Harvey said.
“Done.” Leaving the three of them alone, Nora walked into the kitchen. It really was cozy being alone in the diner with just her family. She could hear Grace laugh loudly as Harvey made one of his usual cheesy jokes, and then Hazel topped it with one of her own.
“Hey, not so fast.” Hazel appeared at the door. “Get back out there. Dad told me you had a killer headache earlier today.”
“I did,” Nora said. “But I’m better now.”
“Nothing doing,” Hazel said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. “Get out there and sit. I’ll make the pancakes, and Grace will clean up. That is, if you’re sure Aunt Tina and Angela won’t mind strangers in the kitchen.”
“They’ll be fine. You two grew up in this kitchen, you’re no strangers.”
“True.” Hazel smiled. “I was always a little in awe of it as a kid. Everything was so huge and metallic. Anyway, I’m not letting you cook if you’re sick. Get out of here and relax.”
Nora gratefully handed her apron over and went left the kitchen. Grace was showing Harvey something on her phone and she gave Nora one of her wide smiles.
“You know my boyfriend, Jacob? He’s hiking in Yellowstone this weekend. Check out this pic of him with a bison. I told him I can’t tell which one’s him.”
They chatted on for a while with Grace talking of work, her boyfriend and her friends. Somehow, the topic moved onto Hazel and Nora told Grace about their little spat.
“She’s such a natural in the kitchen, too,” Nora said. “I don’t know why she doesn’t just accept our offer.”
Grace shrugged. “Mom, I know she’s your little kid, but she’s been your kid for too long. I think she’s doing the right thing. She needs to go out, grow up and see the world on her own terms. Then she can choose to come back to the diner if she wants. But she has to stand on her own two feet first. Let her.”
“Yes, but I’m not about to let her do something silly and dangerous,” Nora argued. “Your sister’s a sweetheart, Grace, but she doesn’t know the world...”
“And how’s she supposed to know it if you keep her safely tucked in at home?” Grace asked.
Nora had no answer for this. She frowned, and Grace threw back her head and laughed, knowing she’d won the argument.
“Ta-da.” Hazel came out with a loaded tray. “For Grace, who’s still a kid at heart, pancakes with strawberries on the side. For mom, who loves breakfast at midnight, scrambled eggs with cheddar and buttery pancakes. And for dad and his sweet tooth, cinnamon french toast.”
“And for you?” Grace asked.
“Grilled cheese,” Hazel said. “I keep it simple.”
They sat together as the world slept around them, a little yellow glow in the darkness. Nora smiled and leaned back as Grace and Hazel teased each other and spoke in high, excited voices about the latest rock star they were obsessed with. Harvey, Nora could tell, was still thinking about the brick that had flown through their window. Even when he laughed with them, there was a certain stillness behind his eyes that told her he was planning his next move. Under the table, she took his hand in hers and squeezed. He looked over at her, pleased and surprised, and she gave him a peck on the cheek.
Tomorrow they would worry. And think. And search for clues.
For now, all they could do was relax and enjoy each others company.
*****
Chapter 15
Nosy Nora
“Nora?” Kim Morris was wrapped in a bathrobe, her eyes still sleep-swollen. “What a surprise.”
“Hi, Kim.” Nora felt a little nervous standing on her porch. The Morrises wer
e the kind of people who had wealth and liked to flaunt it. Kim’s house was a large, white structure with ionic pillars on each side of its front door. A lush, green lawn, dotted with old marble statues, was visible on either side of the house.
“I wanted to talk to Perry if he’s around,” Nora said. “It’s nothing serious, but—”
“Oh, Perry’s not home,” Kim said, moving aside to let Nora in. “But maybe I can help?”
“Oh…no, it’s alright.” Nora had wanted to ask Perry more about Zoey’s behavior on the last day she was alive. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like even a stray word or two would better help her piece together Zoey’s mental state.
“Come on in,” Kim said. “It’s my day off today so I’m being lazy. But I’ve made some stir-fry for lunch if you’re hungry.”
“Not hungry at all, thanks.” Nora patted her tummy. “I just wanted to ask about Zoey, honestly. I was wondering if maybe she said anything to Perry.”
“Zoey?” Kim raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you heard? It was her ex-husband. Sheriff Ellerton’s sure of it.”
“I’m not so sure myself,” Nora said. “Someone threw a brick through my kitchen window last night.”
“What?” Kim’s eyes widened. “Who would do that?”
“Someone who’s not very happy with me, I suppose,” Nora said. “Look, if Perry can remember anything at all—”
“I talked to him about it,” Kim interrupted. “Actually, why don’t you come into his study with me. I’ve got something to show you.”
Intrigued, Nora followed Kim past the large grandfather clock in the living room, pausing to admire a photo hanging over the mantelpiece. It was a large portrait photograph of Perry and Kim, taken very recently. Perry, his handsome face unlined despite his age and his eyes bright, stood with an arm around Kim, who was looking at him lovingly. A picture of a truly happy couple.
Kim led Nora further on into a small, carpeted study with taxidermied animal heads on the walls and framed photos of Perry hunting as a young boy with his father and grandfather.
“Perry’s old school,” Kim said, seeing Nora glance around. “Personally, I hate the concept of hunting animals. It just seems so barbaric. But Perry just laughs and calls me sentimental.”
“Well, I’m with you,” Nora said. “I’d rather hunt down criminals than animals.”
Kim laughed. “Maybe you should have been sheriff instead of Ellerton, then.”
“What was it that you wanted to show me?” Nora asked.
“This.” Kim took out a piece of paper with a lawyer’s letterhead on it. “It’s a copy of Zoey’s will.”
“Zoey’s will!”
“We were the witnesses,” Kim said. “It’s funny. We were updating ours and Zoey was around for the conversation. One thing led to another. She only made a will because Perry told her it was irresponsible not to. He’s big on having your papers in order in case something happens.”
“Oh.” Nora didn’t know what to say.
“Yes. It’s been some time now, so I didn’t remember this the other day,” Kim explained.
“Did Zoey say anything about—”
“About who she was leaving everything to? Yes. She discussed that with us. She told me she still loved Brock and that he’d turned over a new leaf. She said she didn’t have anyone else in her life, really, so Brock was the best person.”
Nora raised an eyebrow. “She said she still loved Brock? But she’s dating Matt Whitman.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think she would have continued dating him too much longer,” Kim said. “Now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure she was planning to break up with him.”
“What?”
“Well, she was talking about it,” Kim said.
“Kim, why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I really racked my brain after we met. I mean, that was just a passing comment, really. A week ago, maybe two. I made a joke about a romantic dinner and then teased Zoey that she must have plenty of those with Matt. She told me it was nice how deeply in love Perry and I are. She said she hoped she’d find the same again one day.”
“Huh.”
“So I asked her if Matt could be it, and she said probably not.” Kim sighed. “I know, I’m an idiot for not remembering this before, but…” She paused. “Did you hear a knock?”
Nora shook her head.
“I think someone’s at the door. I’ll be right back.” She smiled apologetically. “Two minutes.”
“Sure.” Nora waited as Kim swung the door shut behind her.
She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. Then, not knowing what she was looking for, really, Nora headed behind Perry’s desk and opened each of the drawers, rummaging around. There were a lot of useless notes about Perry’s work including an old reminder to Matt Whitman that the doll’s eye plants in the garden hadn’t been removed yet and a note from a construction foreman about the difficulties encountered while renovating an ancient mansion.
Nora paused, however, as she caught sight of a notepad and saw Ronnie Shepherd’s name written on it. What was this, now? There was a note written in neat cursive:
Ronnie Shepherd, young mother of two, looking for small apartment with easy access to schools. Budget — as low as possible.
Nora read the note twice, confused. Why was Ronnie looking for a house when she already had one?
Nora shuffled the papers a bit and found another note in Perry’s distinctive handwriting:
Please engrave locket with “To Kim — My Soul, My Mate. Happy 20th Anniversary. Yours, Perry.” Deliver by next Sunday.
Feeling a bit guilty for poking her nose into other people’s business, Nora slid the drawer shut and backed away. What was she hoping to find, anyway? A written confession? A silver jacket? Fat chance. It was not like Perry would leave it lying about if he were a serial killer.
Besides, right now, the biggest question in her mind when it came to the silver jacket was: why had Matt lied to the sheriff about it?
The door opened and Nora shifted guiltily from one foot to the other.
“There wasn’t anyone at the door. I must have imagined it,” Kim said. “Anyway, where were we?” She looked at Nora, then gave a puzzled look at the chair beside the desk. “Weren’t you sitting?”
“Oh, I just thought I’d stand up. Stretch a bit.” Nora gave an exaggerated stretch. “You were about to tell me something.”
“I was?”
“Yes, did you ask Perry if he talked to Zoey the day before she died?”
“I did,” Kim confirmed. “He said he was in the den watching football. Sorry. Zoey was cleaning out the attic that day, so I don’t think he saw much of her.”
“Oh.” Disappointed, Nora sighed.
“Of course, Zoey did have to leave a little early to head to Ronnie’s house,” Kim said. “She was helping with the packing.”
“Helping with the…” Nora paused. “Is Ronnie moving somewhere?”
Kim lowered her voice, which was ridiculous considering it was just the two of them. “Don’t you know? She’s leaving him. Taking the kids and moving to another house.”
“Oh! Poor Ronnie! Poor Tom, too,” Nora said. “She’s divorcing him?”
“It’s a first step, I think. Zoey asked us to look for new houses for her. Keep it to yourself, will you? We’re the only ones that know…apart from Zoey.”
“But why would she divorce him? They seem so happy together.”
Kim shrugged. “You never know with a marriage, do you? According to Zoey, Tom’s a selfish husband. Never does his share, and Ronnie’s sick of it.”
“He really didn’t seem the type to me,” Nora said.
“Yes, well, I always say better a happy single life than an unhappy marriage.” Kim shrugged.
“Speaking of marriages, your anniversary is next week, isn’t it?” Nora asked.
“Oh, how kind of you to rem
ember. It’ll be twenty years next week. Can you imagine?” Kim smiled. “I’ll bet that wretch Perry has forgotten all about it. I’m still thinking of what to get him. Something techie and cool. He always loves that. Men are so difficult to shop for, I tell you. If Perry wants something, he just buys it anyway.”
“You could always go for a handwritten note or something craftsy,” Nora said. “Harvey loves it when I do that.”
“Actually, there’s one thing I know he’d appreciate,” Kim said. “There’s this perfume he used to love, that was discontinued, Mysore Rajah. I thought I’d hunt out a bottle for him. I did find it online, but it was darned expensive!”
There was a furious pounding at the door and both Nora and Kim looked up, startled.
“You’re not imagining it this time,” Nora said.
Kim walked to the door and opened it to find a furious Matt Whitman on her porch. Unshaven and with his hair sticking out in all directions, he was quite a sight. He glared at Kim and took out a crumpled letter from his pocket.
“What’s this?” He demanded, brandishing it at her.
“Why, I’m not sure I know,” Kim said. “Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, there’s a problem. The problem is your slimy husband! He’s not paying me!”
“Well, you’d better discuss that with him. I don’t know anything about it.” Kim tried shutting the door but Matt edged a foot in, preventing her from closing it fully.
“Tell your husband to stop playing games!” Matt growled. “Hasn’t he learned his lesson yet? He better pay me or else!”
“I’m calling the police if you’re not out of here in three seconds!” Kim’s voice was high and scared.
“I’m leaving. I’m leaving. But tell your Perry he can only push a man so far before he snaps,” Matt said. Retrieving his foot, he tore the letter in his hand to little pieces and flung it in the air like confetti. Then, turning on his heel, he marched out. Kim shut the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily.
Berry The Dead Page 9