Deadly Sweet Dreams

by Connie Shelton

  “Mom, if she did die as a reaction to the potion, we’ll have to ’fess up. It was an accident. There’s no way we could have known …”

  “You’re right. If we don’t say anything, then the trail will lead to Danny.”

  “Mom, it’s probably going to lead to him anyway. He’s the reason she came here.”

  “True. But let’s take one thing at a time. First, I have to be sure we didn’t do anything harmful.” She heard Beau’s footsteps coming toward the kitchen. “Gotta go.”

  “Hey, everything okay in here? Were you on the phone?”

  “Kelly called. There’s a small emergency and I need to get over there and help. Casserole and salad are ready. Just dish yourself up a plate, and I’ll eat when I get back.”

  She was already on her way toward the front door.

  “Anything I can do to help? Is anyone hurt?”

  “It’ll be fine. Just a little mom-daughter thing.”

  “Okay … Keep me posted.”

  Sam talked herself down as she got in the car and headed toward the road. Keep calm, just look for the facts. Fact: she still remembered the keypad code for the back door at the sheriff’s office. Fact: the dinner hour was normally pretty quiet there. Fact: if she could just get a look at the medical investigator’s report, it would ease her mind. Surely nothing in the potion could have harmed Lila, but she had to know.

  Fifteen minutes later she was parking on the street outside the walled Sheriff’s Department parking area. She pulled up the hood on her jacket and locked her SUV, actually walking on tiptoes toward the driveway entrance and repeating the keypad numbers in her head. She could only hope and pray Evan hadn’t changed the code when he took office.

  She was a scant five feet from the back door when headlights swept across her. Oh crap. Caught in the act.

  “Sam?” said a familiar voice. She spun to face the cruiser that had parked right next to her.

  “Rico! Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here.” Obviously.

  “What’re you doing at the back door? You could have come in the front. Or—is there a problem? Is Beau okay?” The young deputy had scrambled out of his car and was approaching her with concern on his face.

  “Everything’s fine. I just—” She cleared her throat. “I was just on my way home from the bakery … and I … um, well I saw today’s news about the homicide at the Fernandez Inn. I’m kind of worried that it might be a girl I met a few days ago. You know anything about the case?”

  “Well, yeah, the whole department’s working on it, although we don’t have a lot to go on yet.”

  “Was her name Lila?”

  “Lila Contreras, yes, I’m afraid so. You do understand we aren’t releasing that publicly yet, right?”

  “Oh, definitely. Hey, I was once a deputy, remember? I can stay quiet about it.” She shuffled her feet on the chilly pavement. “Have you established the cause of death yet?”

  Please don’t let it be cinnamon or ginger.

  Rico shook his head, probably wondering why Sam cared about this. “No, nothing for certain. The OMI hasn’t released the autopsy report yet.”

  There wasn’t a whole lot more she could ask without raising too many questions about her interest in the case. Oh, was she poisoned by a cupcake? That would surely lead to a long evening in the interrogation room. Sam couldn’t think of what else to say so she wished Rico a good evening and sent her best wishes to his family, and then she scurried out of there like a bug when the lights come on.

  Chapter 15

  Beau was deep into an action movie when she got home. Over the back of his recliner she kissed the top of his head and went to the kitchen to get a small plate of the leftover dinner. As long as he saw she wasn’t visibly upset, he would assume all was well at Kelly’s and not ask too many questions. Thank goodness he was completely into ranching now and not his old law enforcement mode.

  The casserole didn’t settle well. Sam pleaded tiredness and went upstairs to chomp down a couple of Tums. She called Kelly to report that she essentially knew nothing, other than having confirmed that the victim was Lila.

  “Surely, by tomorrow we’ll learn something more,” she said, wishing her daughter a good night, knowing she’d have a devil of a time sleeping, herself.

  No surprise, she was wide awake at four a.m.

  She went down to the kitchen where she made a cup of hot chocolate because it seemed like better comfort food than coffee at that hour. Beau walked up behind her at the kitchen table a bit after five-thirty.

  “I’m guessing you could use a hearty breakfast this morning,” he said, massaging her shoulders.

  “The tossing and turning was obvious, huh?”

  “A little.” He bent low and gave her a kiss. “I saw your calendar. The dogs have a bath appointment at Riki’s place today. So, how about if we both take them in, then we’ll go have a burrito at Taoseño?”

  She couldn’t very well turn that down. Their favorite breakfast and help to load the dogs in and out of the car—couldn’t ask for a much better morning.

  “And maybe by the time we’ve got some green chile in us you’ll feel like telling me about whatever’s bugging you.”

  And she thought she’d been so smooth about last night’s drama. She smiled up at him. “Rest assured it’s nothing to do with you and me. But yeah, it’s a deal.”

  While he went out to start the morning chores, Sam showered and dressed. Ranger and Nellie gobbled their breakfast, but they hung close to Sam afterward. The minute she’d set their leashes next to her coat, they knew something was up.

  It was a few minutes after eight when they pulled up at Puppy Chic, and the dogs quivered with excitement when they realized where they were. Riki was one of their favorite humans because she handed out treats very liberally. They dashed to the door with Sam and Beau on their heels.

  “Good morning, my canine lovelies,” Riki said, coming around the front of her desk to give each dog an affectionate ruffle of the ears. “Let’s get you two settled.”

  Ranger, the Lab, loved his bath—anything involving water was on his top ten list. Nellie, on the other hand, bore it grudgingly, mainly because her long coat required a long time under the dryer and a great deal of brushing afterward.

  “They should be ready around noon,” Riki said to Sam and Beau. “Or shall I just give you a call?”

  “If Kelly’s coming in today, she can bring them home whenever she leaves.”

  A thumbs-up. “Perfect.”

  They turned to leave, visions of a breakfast burrito filling Sam’s head. Until she saw a sheriff’s department cruiser pull up next to her car. Evan climbed out, placed his Stetson on his head, and adjusted the heavy belt of gear at his waist. She and Beau halted on the sidewalk, the two men greeting each other with a warm handshake, and Beau asked Evan how everything was going.

  “Well, it had been pretty quiet for a couple months—just the normal stuff tourists and skiers get themselves into over the winter. But now, we’ve got this murder.”

  Sam felt her insides tense up.

  “I saw the blurb in the paper,” Beau said. “It’s the woman from San Antonio?”

  “Yeah. We pretty much guessed the cause of death, but needed it confirmed by the MI’s office. Never know when there might be underlying or hidden causes.”

  Beau nodded. Isn’t he going to ask? It was all Sam could do not to bounce on her toes.

  “Yep. Strangulation. It’s official.”

  “Any suspects?”

  “Possibly. I think the unrevealed evidence is going to be key here. It’s a strange bit.”

  There was always a clue or two that was not given out to the press or the public, something the law enforcement agencies could use to know whether they were talking to the real killer versus someone who might confess just to get media attention. Please don’t let it be that her last meal was a chocolate cupcake…

  Beau tilted his head, his expression curious.

  Evan step
ped in somewhat closer. “The vic had words cut into her forehead. Sweet Dreams, it said.”

  Sam felt the blood drain from her face. The same phrase Lila always used in her texts to Danny. This was looking bad for their friend.

  Beau was talking. “You’re right, that is an odd one.” He glanced toward Sam. “My wife is looking a little peaked, Evan, and I promised her breakfast out this morning. Guess we’d better get going.”

  Evan tipped his hat and said goodbye before walking into Puppy Chic.

  “Want me to drive, darlin’? You’re kind of pale.”

  Sam cleared her throat and stood up straighter. “No, I’ll be fine.” She took two long, slow breaths as she started the car. What the hell!

  Her first instinct was a desire to call Danny and ask him straight out. What went on between him and Lila when he last saw her? She thought back to what he had said—Lila enjoyed the cupcake, she left, she hadn’t contacted him again since. And now Sam knew why. But would the sheriff see it the same way? The fact was, Lila knew hardly anyone in town. And what were the odds any of her casual acquaintances knew about the goodnight phrase she used with her boyfriend—practically nil, Sam would guess.

  She nearly missed the turn at the Taoseño driveway and made a sudden move to correct. Beau gave her another sideways glance but didn’t say anything.

  Thirty minutes later Beau had polished off his burrito and Sam was still picking at hers.

  “Okay, something’s not right,” he said, wiping his mouth and setting his napkin aside. “Unless you want me to haul you to the doctor, you need to tell me.”

  Sam put her fork down. “It’s what Evan said back there. I’m worried Danny might be involved.”

  “Okay … and why is that?”

  She glanced around at the crowded restaurant. “Can we talk about it on the way home?”

  “Sure. Don’t you want to finish your breakfast first?”

  She asked the waitress to box up the remains of her meal. Once she got this idea out of her head, maybe her appetite would return. Or not. She really needed answers.

  Beau drove and Sam told him about the sweet dreams connection, how Danny had confided that the phrase was one Lila used with him all the time. “I know he planned to see her that evening.” She didn’t go into details about the cupcakes.

  “You’re right—it’s looking scary for him. It won’t take Evan any time at all to go through Lila’s phone and find those texts.”

  “So, what would you advise?” Sam twisted in her seat to look directly at him. “I’m sorry, Beau. I know you don’t want anything to do with law enforcement, now that the ranch is your life.”

  “True. And I’m not going to get involved.”

  “Do you mind if I talk to Danny about it? Maybe he’ll have some ideas, somebody back home I could talk to that would lead to another suspect. I know you like Evan a lot, and you respect his law enforcement knowledge, but I have a feeling once he zeros in on Danny he won’t be looking a whole lot further.”

  He looked at her and gave a crooked little grin. “Would it matter if I minded? You’re going to do it anyway.”

  But he reached over and took her hand. A gentle squeeze told her he was okay with her idea. He had, after all, deputized her at one point precisely because he trusted her instincts on his cases.

  He parked her car in its normal spot. “So, shall I invite Danny to come over for dinner? I won’t tell him the one thing getting grilled is him.”

  Sam gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “No, thank you. I’ll catch up with him before then.” She didn’t say it, but her big fear was that Evan would come rolling along at any time and take Danny away before she got the chance to talk to him. “I’ll put my breakfast in the fridge and then come out to the barn. You can join me if you want.”

  He shook his head and handed Sam her keys. “Nope, not this time. He might feel like we’re ganging up on him, and I don’t want to scare away my best ranch hand.”

  While Beau sauntered toward the barn, Sam went into the house. Upstairs, she headed straight for her most trusted ally—the carved box. Long experience had taught her she could rely on the insights she gained from it. She picked up the box and stroked the lid with one hand. The wood began to lighten and glow, and the colored stones started to sparkle. When the box became almost too warm for comfort, she set it down and took a deep breath. Now or never.

  She walked out the back door and looked toward the barn for Danny. She spotted him walking into the casita and hurried to catch up.

  “Hey, Sam. Beau told me you might be stopping by. Something I can do for you? I’m glad to help around the house, too, you know.”

  “Oh, no, nothing like that. Did he mention that we ran into Evan Richards this morning?” She carefully watched his aura. Clear white—open and trusting.

  “Maybe we should go inside,” she suggested. “I have some bad news.”

  A small furrow formed between his brows, but she didn’t get any vibe that he was hiding anything.

  “You haven’t seen the newspaper, I guess?” She walked into the one-room space.

  He shook his head. “I’m not much on following the news, other than how the weather is going to affect our work. Lila used to read me my horoscope every day but that never seemed very useful.”

  “Well, it’s about Lila, Danny. There was a small news story yesterday about a Texas woman dying here in Taos. This morning Evan confirmed it’s Lila.”

  “What!” His shock seemed genuine. His eyes darted around the room, not finding focus on any particular thing. His clear aura went fuzzy at the edges. “My god, what happened?”

  “She was strangled in her hotel room.” She picked up a pen that was lying on the kitchenette counter, mainly to give her hands something to do. “Danny, I’m afraid the sheriff may come around and want to talk to you. Lila didn’t know many people here. You’re likely to be a suspect.”

  He tossed his Stetson on the bed and sat down hard, raking his fingers through his hair. His face had lost a few shades of color and his aura was now pulsing. But it hadn’t changed its essential color, Sam noticed.

  “Could I ask you some questions, some things the authorities might want to know?” Yes, she realized she was preparing him, giving him time to come up with the ‘right’ answers rather than letting Evan take him by surprise. Was that ethical? She didn’t know.

  He nodded.

  “How much do you know about Lila’s background?”

  “I think I’ve already mentioned that I knew her for just a few months,” Danny said. “She told me her parents had split and she moved from Nuevo Laredo to San Antonio with her dad. Her mom stayed there. I got the impression there was another man involved. But I never met either of her parents.”

  “What about siblings? Other friends? Did you meet anyone else connected to Lila?” Sam asked.

  “We mainly hung with my friends from high school. Some went on to college and they’d be around now and then. Chad Smith, Josh and Devon Miller—they’re twins. And of course Sergio Sandoval, my best friend from, like, the first grade on. Jacob Brown, Michael Montoya, Matthew Naranjo.”

  “Any girls, besides Devon?” She found a blank sheet of paper and started jotting the names.

  “Lila got pretty chummy with my sister, Patsy. She’s in law school and just got her first apartment, but she’s a couple years older and pretty busy. Most of the girls kind of came along with the guys. Emily was Michael’s girlfriend, Abby’s a real brain, studies a lot, didn’t date much, but Taylor was popular. She and Matthew hit it off senior year.”

  “Sounds like a big group,” Sam said. “Everyone close?”

  “Pretty much. You know, the usual little rumbles, but we all got along.”

  “So, among the friends, who knew you came here, and who might have told Lila?”

  “Well, Patsy and my mom knew, for sure. But I told them the reason I was getting away for a while, that Lila was freaking me out. I doubt either of them would have to
ld her where I went. The guys … yeah, Sergio knew, but he wouldn’t tell her. He, um … how to explain it … he just kept his distance. I asked him once and he just said she wore too much perfume. He didn’t want to come right out and say he didn’t like her. You know, don’t diss your best friend’s girl, or something.”

  “How much did he dislike her?”

  “Like, enough to hurt her? Oh, nothing like that. Serg would never hurt anyone. Seriously, the guy doesn’t even set mousetraps.”

  Sam nodded. “When Lila contacted you here, did she say how she knew where you were?”

  He shook his head. “Just the usual. She started up with the texts about how much she’d missed me, how we were meant to be together. Always stuck on a bunch of heart emojis or said how she loved me. She had this irritating way of sending one final text at night. I don’t know—at first I thought it was sweet and thoughtful, but after a while it just felt creepy.”

  He rubbed his palms against his jeans on the thighs. “Anyway, when I didn’t answer the texts she started calling. Saying things that got me questioning my own memories. I mean, I seriously began to ask myself whether I actually had proposed to her. She knew about Abuela’s ring, described it perfectly, and I got scared that maybe I really had given it to her.”

  Another thought came to her. “Danny, you’d better prepare yourself to answer questions about all the text messages Lila sent and whatever your responses were. Once her personal possessions are collected as evidence, it won’t take the sheriff long to go through those messages on her phone.”

  “Oh, shit!” Danny jumped up from the bed and paced to the far side of the small room.

  “Danny?”

  His eyes were wide. “I-I have her phone. I completely forgot.”

  “What …?” Sam felt a moment’s confusion.

  “When we met at Java Joe’s for coffee and the cupcakes, it went pretty much the way I had hoped. I said the words you told me—‘Lila, you don’t love me.’ And she just looked at me kind of funny, almost like she didn’t know me anymore, and then she got up and left. Just like that.”