Two Bites Too Many

by Debra H. Goldstein

  “I’m surprised the bank permitted people to come through the alley entrance. I would think it would have been off limits to the public.”

  “Between you and me, I think Lance liked having a bit of flexibility. Sometimes his watchdog guarded his schedule so tightly she didn’t give him the freedom he wanted.”

  It took Sarah a minute to put two and two together and figure out Eloise was the watchdog. “I thought Lance and Eloise had a good relationship.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. Lance and all of us loved Eloise, but she ran interference for him with the tenacity of a tiger. That’s why Lance didn’t stop folks like my uncle from doing an end run around Eloise by using the alley entrance. In some ways, I think it was a cat-and-mouse game for Lance because normally he’d give himself away by calling her to bring something he needed into his office.”

  “Did he call her in this time?”

  Cliff thought for a moment. “He tried just before I punched him, but she didn’t answer.”

  “Do you remember about when that was?”

  “Not exactly, but it was before you saw me at the council meeting.”

  “Cliff, this could be important. How long were you there?”

  “I don’t know. When I got there, Lance opened the door and immediately lit into me. Told me I needed to grow up if I ever wanted to be a successful businessman. I tried to get a word in edgewise about my mortgage, but, like I told you, he cut me off and told me to leave because he needed to finish doing something before the council meeting. He said he’d look into it later and tried to call Eloise, but she didn’t answer.”

  “Did you go?”

  “I should have. Instead, I tried again to make him listen to me. He refused and dismissed me with some crack about if I was ever going to amount to anything, I might do well to model my business dealings after Thomas. Between that comment and being dismissed, I saw red and hit him. I immediately regretted it, but it was too late. He ordered me out of his office, sat down at his desk, and acted as if I didn’t exist.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I muttered an apology, but he ignored me and busied himself with his paperwork. There wasn’t anything else to do, so I left his office and went to the council meeting.”

  “And you’re sure no one saw you?”

  Cliff ran his hand through his hair again. “Eloise or someone else may have come in after I left, but not while I was there. I felt like such a jerk, I didn’t hang around or go through the lobby. I went out the same door I came in.”

  “The alley door? Did you close it behind you?”

  “I can’t remember if it snapped shut or I pulled it shut. I feel sure it was closed, but I can’t swear to it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Although she hoped Cliff hadn’t killed Lance, Sarah was excited she’d identified at least one more suspect Harlan could point out to Chief Gerard. She couldn’t imagine how the chief would be able to deny the fact that one person, and maybe more, other than her mother, was in Lance’s office before his murder. And, in this case, the suspect admitted physically attacking Lance.

  Still, while Cliff left to pick up what he needed to fix the fences, she said a silent prayer the chief, if he worked at it, would uncover more suspects. She knew her mother wasn’t the murderer and she didn’t want Cliff to be, either. Despite his loose-cannon style, he, like his brother, had several redeeming qualities. Still, being realistic, one of those who’d told her Cliff was a good guy was now dead.

  She needed to get ready for work, but her mind kept returning to her exchange with Cliff. If neither he nor her mother were guilty, who was? Eloise? She claimed to have heard different voices in the office, but was she telling the truth? For the person who knew everything, she couldn’t pinpoint who they were, whether Lance was one of the speakers, or even how many people she’d heard at any given time. What if, instead of going to the storage room, she’d gone into the office, killed Lance, and circled back through the alley, accidentally leaving the door unlocked? But why? If Lance had Eloise reconciling balances, could she have helped herself to some money and hidden it? Maybe keeping things tidy on the outside was why Bailey, now serving as the acting president, had replaced her with Amanda.

  And what did Sarah really know about Amanda? She didn’t even know how long she’d been a teller and what her qualifications were for being moved into Eloise’s job. Maybe Eloise was like those often-overlooked employees who killed the boss when a sweet young thing took over his attention. Or perhaps Amanda had seen a chance to move up if Lance was out of the way.

  Then again, Eloise could have been gone longer than she thought, giving Bailey, Amanda, Thomas, or even Alvin the chance to pop into Lance’s office and commit the deadly deed. For that matter, Eloise could have done it if she was away from her desk for less time than she admitted. The more Sarah thought about it, the more she realized she was relying on Eloise’s statements. She’d been letting her feelings about Eloise keep her from being a suspect.

  Using YipYeow Day and its finances as a cover, Sarah decided she needed to make another visit to the bank. It might also be a good idea to go see Thomas again.

  If she could think of this many possible scenarios, she couldn’t understand why Chief Gerard wasn’t looking into any of them. She’d have to discuss them with Harlan and see if he could light a fire under the chief.

  Thinking about lighting a fire brought Sarah’s attention back to being one of Emily’s servers at the reception after the funeral. She glanced toward her closet. Considering the short time between today’s two events, she needed to wear something other than her usual little black dress. She pulled a sweater, muted skirt, and a pair of black slacks from her closet and examined them. Her mind made up, she hung the skirt back. As graceful as she was as a server, pants and flats were a better choice than a skirt and heels.

  She turned the slacks and sweater around in the light, checking there were no spots from an earlier wearing. Satisfied, she started to dress but, worried about messing up her outfit, she decided to take care of RahRah first.

  RahRah had contentedly rubbed against Cliff’s leg while Sarah and Cliff talked in the doorway, but once the door closed, he’d raised his head and strutted into the kitchen. She didn’t even have to look to know he went to his personal spot, where the warm sunlight streamed into the kitchen. Sure enough, she found him in the kitchen, stretched across the cool linoleum as far as he physically could.

  “You are a creature of habit.”

  Other than twitching his little black nose, RahRah didn’t budge while she filled his water bowl and opened a can of his favorite wet food. Usually, he showed some reaction to being fed wet food instead of the dry stuff, but not today. His lack of movement came across as loud and clear as a printed “Do Not Disturb” sign.

  “Not hungry or having a bit of an attitude? It doesn’t matter. I’m going to work. Remember, though, I’ll be a little late tonight, but your food and water are here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Harlan’s car was in his rear lot when she pulled into her parking spot. She let herself in through the back door and immediately went to his private office. He was standing on top of his desk, screwing in a lightbulb. “Is this where I’m supposed to ask how many lawyers it takes to change a lightbulb?”

  “Very funny. One of the bulbs burned out yesterday and we were out of this wattage in the storeroom, so I stopped at the hardware store on my way in this morning.”

  He finished the job, lowered himself off his desk, and sat down to work. He put on his readers and picked up the top folder from the center of his desk. When she didn’t leave, he looked over his readers at her. “Shouldn’t you be out front at your desk?”

  From his clipped speech and immediate return of his attention to the still-closed folder, she wondered if Harlan was exhibiting a bit of attitude. “Actually, I have some news I want to share with you.”

  Although he didn’t wave her toward his guest chairs or
the couch, as was his norm, she dropped her purse in one chair and sat in the other one facing his desk. She told him what she’d been thinking.

  His flat expression surprised her.

  “Isn’t this something you can use?”

  “I’m sure by now, Chief Gerard already knows or will figure out Cliff came back a third time. Remember, Chief Gerard has Eloise’s statement that she talked to Lance a few times and heard multiple voices in his office when she got back to her desk. He’s going to consider this confirmation of what she related about overhearing voices in the office.”

  “Can’t you cast doubt on her statement or prompt him to investigate further by arguing perhaps Cliff, in his moment of anger, did more than punch Lance? You could suggest he picked up the finial and, in a fit of rage, hit Lance over the head with it instead of punching him. After all, Cliff admitted that when he left, Lance was seated at his desk. That puts Cliff in the right position physically to have struck Lance from behind.”

  “Why would you want me to cast blame on Cliff? Isn’t it bad enough Dwayne has your mother in his sights? Now you want him to go after someone who wants to date you?”

  “What?”

  “I ran into Cliff at the hardware store. He was picking up things to fix your fence and asked if you’re seeing anyone.”

  Heat rushed up Sarah’s neck. It wasn’t the guy fixing her fence’s business to be discussing her social life with her boss. If she didn’t know better, she’d think, from his tone, that Harlan was jealous. She stared at him and thought back to their conversation on the square. He’d helped her so much since Bill divorced her, but even the other day, she hadn’t imagined he cared for her in any way but as a friend. Until this moment, she hadn’t thought of any possibility for them to be more than friends. She quickly decided, at least for now, she wasn’t going to, either.

  “Harlan, what’s gotten into you? I shouldn’t dignify your crazy thoughts, but I’m not dating Cliff.”

  “He seemed to think you’re going out to the bluff soon to see his cabin.”

  “I told Cliff I missed visiting the bluff since it sold. For years, that’s where I went when I needed to clear my head. No one ever stopped me. I don’t even think the prior owners ever stepped foot on the bluff. The last time I went there, sometime last year, must have been after Cliff bought the land because there were ‘No Trespassing’ signs posted everywhere.”

  “As if that would keep you out.”

  Sarah ignored his snide remark. “Cliff invited me to come out and enjoy the bluff whenever I want. I told him I’d take him up on that. I’ve missed going there. That’s when he offered to show me his cabin, but I declined because I’m swamped with YipYeow Day. What’s important here isn’t whether I’m ever going out to the bluff again, it’s all the things I’ve found out that might help prove my mother isn’t a murderer.”

  Harlan didn’t say anything for a moment. He ran his hand through his thinning hair. “Sarah, you’ve come up with a lot of different possibilities. No matter how we paint it, Dwayne’s not going to believe or waste time considering, even for a moment, Cliff murdered Lance. Cliff is an open book to Chief Gerard.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Dwayne has known Cliff since Dwayne was a beat cop. He’s aware of Cliff’s past.”

  “Oh? Did they have some run-ins in the past?”

  “Nothing major. Excessive partying when Cliff tried college and malicious mischief and a hot temper during the few months he stayed with his uncle after he washed out of Alabama. Dwayne is also aware that once Cliff became involved in the building industry, he straightened up. And the chief knows his uncle was proud enough of the change in Cliff to back him when he started his construction company. By the way, Cliff paid back that loan with interest.”

  “Does that mean Cliff is one hundred percent the good nephew? Or is Mr. Rogers now afraid of him, too?” Before he could answer, she supplied the words for him. “I know, Cliff is a good guy, but I gather Thomas isn’t?”

  “Let’s just say he’s a different animal from the same mother.”

  Sarah’s antenna went up. “Harlan, Em’s working for Thomas. Is there something she should know? I don’t care about attorney-client privilege. You’ve got to tell me.”

  “Nothing to tell right now except warn her to keep her eyes and ears open.”

  “With the mission Emily’s on, that’s going to be harder than you think. Eloise saw Thomas in the bank lobby when Mom and I were there. I never saw him, but maybe Thomas left through the front door then snuck back in through the alley or originally came in through the alley and left through the lobby. He could have been one of the voices Eloise heard.”

  “Anything’s possible, but that’s up to Chief Gerard to find out. It’s the chief’s call how far he investigates.”

  She stood and paced around his office. “I can’t accept that. This is my mother we’re talking about. If Chief Gerard isn’t going to do his job thoroughly, I’m going to have to dig a little deeper.”

  “How many times do you have to be told to leave it to the professionals?”

  Sarah snorted. “Little good that did last time.”

  “Maybe not, but in this instance, if Chief Gerard doesn’t investigate every possible suspect, he’s giving me reasonable doubt to play with in a jury’s mind if he insists on trying to make a case against your mother.”

  “What?” Sarah felt a sudden wave of coldness surge throughout her. This was real. Harlan was thinking ahead to trial strategy. “Harlan, are you trying to tell me my mother is definitely going to be arrested and put on trial for murder?”

  He shook his head. “That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but as your mother’s lawyer, I need to be prepared for any possibility.”

  Silently thinking about what all of this might mean for her mother, she left his office. Back at her desk, an email message from the mayor’s aide was waiting. Because he hadn’t been able to attend, the mayor wanted a full report on the accomplishments of Sarah’s committee since the meeting. Sarah drafted a pithy comment about how the city didn’t even act in less than twenty-four hours after any of its meetings. Cooling off, she deleted it. Instead, she called Pastor Dobbins to see if he could give her more information about the Blessing of the Beasts.

  By the end of their call, she felt relieved. Sunday shouldn’t be a problem. Pastor Dobbins not only had done this type of blessing many times, but he had a script ready to go. Better yet, the LBC Ladies’ Auxiliary, excited their church was hosting the YipYeow Days Blessing of the Beasts, insisted on preparing refreshments for after the service. He’d chuckled when he told her they already were designing a menu of sweets, finger sandwiches, and drinks.

  Equally important in Sarah’s mind, Pastor Dobbins’s wife, as he’d expected, was on board with the Convention Bureau helping with signage, registration for both days, and name tags. Her only concern was she wanted to highlight the Southwind Pub party rather than the Howellian fund-raiser because she hoped it would entice people to spend the evening in Wheaton. Almost apologetically, the pastor hoped that would be okay. Sarah reassured him that emphasizing the event at the reopened Southwind Pub was better than okay.

  Satisfied she had enough information to share, Sarah typed a reply to the mayor’s aide, stressing everything already accomplished and what was in the planning stage based upon last night’s meeting. When she hit send, she felt pretty good about her reply. Better than she felt about the funeral it was time to attend.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  The crowd at the funeral was even more than Sarah expected. It was standing room only in the town’s largest church. The church’s décor reminded her of the interior of the bank, probably because they were built around the same time. Polished paneled walls, a high-set altar, and beautiful stained-glass windows gave her a sensation of awe.

  Many people, including her mother, were already seated in the sanctuary when Sarah joined the line of people p
aying their respects to the family and the deceased. The line moved at a good clip but then suddenly slowed. Wondering if the inching line would delay the beginning of the service, she glanced ahead to ascertain what the problem was.

  It was Jane holding up the line as she grasped the hands of Lance’s widow and kept talking to her. Sarah couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she interpreted the expression on Jane’s face as earnest, while Lance’s widow simply appeared bewildered. As she watched, the minister placed his hand on Jane’s arm and helped move her along.

  Sarah was relieved as the line picked up speed until she heard Jane, who somehow was now standing beside her, say, “I’m surprised your mother had the guts to be here today.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I’m surprised, after what we all know your mother did to poor Lance, that she dared to show her face at his funeral. She should already have been locked up and the key thrown away.”

  Not wanting to make a scene, Sarah turned her face away from Jane and moved forward with the line. Jane didn’t follow. Sarah quickly reached Mrs. Knowlton and paid her respects, before leaving the altar to sit with her mother. She wondered how many other snide remarks were being made in the sanctuary. Judging by her mother’s ramrod-stiff posture, Jane’s comment wasn’t the only one.

  Covering her mother’s hand with hers, Sarah looked around the church. The other pews and even the balcony were now full. Lance Knowlton may not have pleased everyone in town, but they’d all turned out to say good-bye to him.

  Differences between family members also seemed to have been forgotten today. Jacob sat with his father and sister in the second row. Mr. Rogers and his nephews were a few rows behind them. Eloise joined them, rather than sitting on the other side of the church with Mr. Bailey, Amanda, and a small group of people Sarah recognized as working at the bank crowded into one pew.

  When the line finally dwindled, the minister stepped forward and signaled the family to take their seats on the side of the altar. He appeared to be about to begin the service when Sarah spotted Chief Gerard, as she was sure most of the other funeral goers did, slowly walk up to the front to pay his respects to the family. He bent over the short railing separating the family from the actual altar area and spoke for a few moments to Lance’s widow. Finished, he turned and came back up the center aisle, passing the row where Sarah and her mother sat. Sarah waited a few seconds and then craned her neck to see where he went. He was two rows behind them.