Some Like It Shot (Movie Club Mysteries, Book 6)

by Zara Keane

  “So we have to assume Theresa ingested whatever substance killed her.” At this juncture, I filled in Liam on my discovery in the Poison Garden, leaving out the information about Beth’s pregnancy. That could wait until she’d told Luke.

  “I mentioned hemlock to the pathologist as a possibility. Also, Noel emailed me with a comprehensive list of the plants in the Poison Garden, and I forwarded it to the doctor.”

  “What I want to know is if Theresa was the intended victim. Was she killed by the person sending her threatening letters? Or was she a random victim of the movie’s saboteur?”

  “I only wish I knew. It’d make narrowing my focus a lot easier.”

  I sensed his frustration and felt powerless to help. “What did the pathologist say about how long it takes for hemlock to show an effect?”

  “According to the pathologist, the symptoms of hemlock poisoning can show up anywhere from thirty minutes after ingestion to hours later, depending on the amount consumed. However, given that Theresa died, he estimates a shorter time frame of thirty minutes to an hour.”

  “That fits with the timing of Coco’s party.” I tapped a finger against the desk, thinking hard. “It also matches my theory that the poison was in one or more of the shots Theresa drank.”

  “Right,” Liam agreed. “Theresa was sick before she died, and that makes figuring out when she last ate complicated. We saw her in the cafeteria at just after five o’clock yesterday. I didn’t see her eat, but I presume she did. After that, the entire dance team was busy with rehearsals, makeup, and dressing for the shoot. That doesn’t rule out Theresa eating or drinking something before Coco’s drinks party, though. She might’ve had water after the rehearsal, for example.”

  “True. Knowing if she was the intended victim would really help.” I clutched the phone tighter, my thoughts returning to Beth and her baby. What if she’d been poisoned? What if she was still a target? I tasted bile just thinking about it.

  “Anyone could’ve picked up a poisoned shot glass at that party,” Liam continued, oblivious to my train of thought. “And anyone could’ve put poison into a glass.”

  “No one else got sick,” I pointed out. “If this is a case of poisoning, I saw Theresa serve herself from two separate trays. She took a couple of drinks just after she arrived at the party, and then she grabbed a couple of champagne shots from a tray held by a waitress.”

  “I’ve already spoken to the waitstaff,” he said, “including the girl who served the champagne shots. She remembered Theresa grabbing drinks off her tray like they were going out of fashion. Do you remember what your sister and Judd drank?”

  “Judd asked the waitress about non-alcoholic drinks, but he didn’t seem pushed to get one. My sister took a champagne shot but didn’t drink it.”

  “Really?” He was instantly on the alert. “Why?”

  “She had her reasons, and they didn’t involve poisoning Theresa. Beth didn’t even know the woman.” The same, unfortunately, could be said for Judd, a man I’d happily put at the top of my suspect list if I had a shred of evidence.

  “Sorry, but that’s not good enough, and you know it. Why didn’t Beth drink her shot?”

  I leaned my forehead against the wall of the library and groaned inwardly. My sister had confided in me and I didn’t want to betray her trust. On the other hand, Liam was asking a legitimate question. If Beth were the killer, she’d be careful not to take a drink from that tray. “She can’t drink at the moment. For health reasons.”

  “Is she on antibiotics?” An audible intake of breath. “Is Beth pregnant?”

  I massaged my temples. “Sorry, Liam. I have to plead the Fifth.”

  “Nice try, but we don’t have your Fifth in Ireland.” He chuckled. “Okay, then. We’ll leave that topic for another day.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s get back to Theresa’s death. If the poisoner and the saboteur are one and the same, what’s their deal? Do they want to harm a particular person? Or do they want to cause trouble and aren’t fussy if someone dies in the process?”

  Dark thoughts, indeed. I shivered. “How will Theresa’s death disrupt the movie production, though? Dolphin Island isn’t the only place they plan to shoot scenes. Even if the Dolphin Island set has to shut down for the investigation, Con and the crew can always change their schedule and shoot the Whisper Island scenes first.”

  “I don’t know, Maggie. At the moment, all I have are questions and each question I ask leads to even more confusion. I spoke to Coco and Merry and several other dancers before I left for the mainland. They knew Theresa from the dance scene, but they say they only met her for the first time yesterday. I have no reason to doubt their word.”

  “Did they say they’d seen anyone acting suspiciously around the drinks?”

  Liam chuckled. “Oh, yeah. It seems rivalry is rife among the dance pros. Several accused each other of sabotaging the film.”

  “So Lenny told me. The mood on the set is toxic, and not just among the dancers. No one seems to trust anybody.”

  “When you have a chance, I’d be grateful if you’d make a list of everyone you noticed at Coco’s drinks party. Please ask Lenny to do the same. I only arrived as it was about to end, so I never actually went into the tent.”

  “I’ll try,” I said, “but there were so many people there. Coco invited all the dancers, pros and amateurs, plus any number of cast and crew.”

  “According to Coco, some of the attendees just showed up without an invitation.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. I can’t imagine Coco invited my sister. Was she annoyed by the gatecrashers?”

  “Hard to tell, but I don’t think so. Coco said word gets around about these events, and people simply come and join in the fun.” His voiced softened. “Please be careful, Maggie. I’m treating Theresa’s death as suspicious. Until I have proof, the chief superintendent won’t let me escalate it to a murder inquiry. It’s down to Sile and me to investigate. I’m on my way back to Whisper Island to consult with her now. Our first task will be interviewing the food truckers and trying to find out more about Theresa’s life.”

  I weighed my next words with care. “Lenny and I are happy to help you guys with your investigation.”

  “Yeah, I know you are,” Liam said with a laugh. “And I shouldn’t accept your offer.”

  I perked up. “But you will?”

  “My resources are limited to one other police officer and me. So…yeah. Just promise me you won’t take any risks, okay?”

  “With a busted arm, I can’t take risks.”

  “Please remember that, Maggie. And while you’re not taking risks, try to find out who was where when Theresa drank the shots. Make a note of anyone with a personal grudge against her. I didn’t find many people on the set who admitted to knowing her, but you might have better luck.”

  “Apart from Sammy and Magnum, there were very few from the food-trucker community on Dolphin Island.”

  “What about the local restaurant and café owners?” he asked. “Are any on the set as extras? There’s been friction between them and food truckers this summer.”

  “Yeah, but what would killing Theresa achieve? One less food truck on Whisper Island won’t get rid of the rest.”

  “No,” he agreed. “This feels like a personal grudge against Theresa, rather than a swipe at the entire food-trucker community. I’m hoping we’ll know more after we talk to them and search Theresa’s caravan.”

  “What about her bag?” I asked. “She had a red shoulder bag when I met her on the ferry. Like, a fancy beach bag with a snake pattern.”

  “I’ll make a note to look for it. Thanks for the tip. So far, we’re still looking for her personal possessions. Can you ask Con to check if there’s an unclaimed bag on the set? Maybe someone picked it up and forgot to return it.”

  “Or they took it deliberately and have a reason not to give it to the police.”

  “Like everythi
ng else in my notes,” he muttered, “we’re well into the land of speculation. I need answers, not more questions.”

  “What do I tell Con about the autopsy? He’s bound to ask me if I have news.”

  “If he asks, tell him the truth. I need to call him later anyway. If—when—this is escalated to a murder inquiry, his set is the scene of the crime.”

  “Okay. Call me when you know more, Liam. Love you lots.”

  “I love you too, Maggie.” The emotion wrapped around me like a warm blanket. “Promise me you’ll take care.”

  “I’ll be the soul of discretion.” Deep in thought, I replaced the receiver and ambled to the library door. When I opened it, I ran straight into Con.

  He reeled back, startled to see me. “Maggie? Were you looking for me?”

  I jerked a thumb at the desk. “I needed to use the phone. My cell phone had no signal.”

  He screwed up his nose. “Mine neither. I tried calling your boyfriend, but it was hopeless. Have you heard from him?”

  I hesitated a moment before answering. “Actually, that’s who I just called.”

  “And? Does he have any news?” The director was wound tight as a rubber band pulled to its capacity.

  “Yeah, and you won’t like it. The pathologist thinks Theresa’s death is suspicious. He suspects poisoning, but won’t know for sure until he hears from the lab.”

  “No way,” he shouted. “The woman’s death is a tragedy, sure, but it can’t shut down my set.”

  “No one’s shutting down your set yet, Con. And if Liam needs to, I suggest you cooperate fully.”

  Under the force of my words, the man deflated. He staggered into the library and collapsed on the sofa. “Why me? Why my movie?” He stared morosely at his hands. “Why can’t anything run smoothly?”

  “I’m still on the tail of the saboteur,” I reassured him. “Actually, maybe you can help me. The castle’s caretaker said you had a couple of the keys for the Poison Garden.”

  “Yeah. Hang on.” Con fished a key out of his pocket. “We’re supposed to give them back every evening, but the caretaker’s never there when we call, so I kept two.”

  “Who has the second key?” I asked.

  “Harper.” The man’s terrified gaze flickered to me, the implications of what I’d said dawning on him. “Why are you asking about the keys? Do you think Theresa was poisoned?”

  I gave a noncommittal shrug. “I don’t want to rule out any possibilities. Have you loaned your key to anyone?”

  “No, never.”

  “What about Harper?”

  “You’ll have to ask her, but as far as I know, she took the camera crew into the garden yesterday morning to prepare for the scene we’re shooting there tomorrow. I don’t think she let any of them borrow her key.”

  I nodded. “I’ll ask her later.”

  Con buried his face in his hands and groaned. “I can’t believe this is happening. I thought our run of bad luck was over.”

  I glanced at my watch, keen to find an excuse to escape. “Actually, I’m going to speak to a few more people right now.”

  He waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Go, go. Investigate. I’ll just stay here and deal with my existential crisis.”

  I stifled a grin. Even in the middle of a self-pity party, Con didn’t miss an opportunity for drama.

  28

  Investigating who’d visited the Poison Garden was an exercise in frustration. Plenty of people had been in the garden, but no one admitted to tampering with the plants. It took me a couple of hours to work my way through the list of key borrowers, plus everyone they’d brought with them to see the garden. A distraught Kesha Ray, the woman who’d borrowed a key from Noel yesterday, admitted to having lost it. Still, as she’d never met Theresa, it didn’t seem like there was a connection.

  The only person I hadn’t yet spoken to was Coco. I found her in her dressing room, drinking tea from an IKEA mug. She raised it to me when I walked in. “Hi, Maggie. Care to join me? I’m having a delicious almond oolong.”

  I eased myself into a chair and inhaled the soft scent of tea. “Yes, please.”

  She poured me a cup and handed it to me with a rueful smile. “The presentation isn’t up to my usual standards, but the tea still tastes the same.”

  “I heard about your teacups. I’m sorry, Coco. I know they meant a lot to you.”

  She swiped away a rogue tear and squeezed my hand. “Thank you, honey. Each cup held a memory of a time and a place in my life. But you know what? As long as I’m still kicking, I can make new memories. I’ll build my collection again. Just you wait and see.”

  “You’re great to see it that way. I imagine having your possessions smashed like that was a horrible violation.”

  Her lips twisted. “I wasn’t thrilled, but accidents happen. I don’t hold it against the kid.”

  My ears pricked at this information. “Hang on…you know who destroyed your cups?”

  “Yes. Gretchen confessed to me this morning. The poor girl was beside herself with remorse.”

  I slow-blinked. “Gretchen, the dancer who fell yesterday?”

  “That’s right,” Coco said. “She asked to borrow a book after my drinks party yesterday. I told her to go on in here and take her pick. When she was leaning up to reach it, her injured foot wasn’t up to the pressure. She stumbled against the shelves, and my entire cup collection went flying.”

  “Why didn’t she tell you straight away?”

  The choreographer shook her head, making her long earrings jangle. “A comedy of errors, I’m afraid. The commotion with Theresa happened right after the cups smashed. Gretchen came out to see what was wrong. Before she’d found me to say what had happened to my teacup collection, I’d discovered the damage. Naturally, I leaped to the conclusion that the on-set mischief-maker was behind it. Gretchen was afraid she’d be blamed for everything.”

  I scanned Coco’s shelves. Her books and photographs were still in place, but the shelf that had contained her cup collection was empty. “Did you clean up the mess yourself?”

  “With Merry and Judd’s help.”

  “Judd?” My jaw performed a slow motion slide. “Are you serious?”

  Coco laughed out loud at my surprise. “Judd’s not all bad, honey. Besides, I’ve known him so long I can hand him a pan and brush and tell him to get to work.”

  “I bet Con wishes he had that ability.” The idea of Judd Ryan getting down on his hands and knees and cleaning up someone else’s mess had me flummoxed. “Let’s get back to Gretchen. What made her change her mind and tell you this morning?”

  “She’s an honest girl at heart. She didn’t sleep all night. Then the shock of finding out that Theresa had died proved too much for her. She came to me and confessed.” Coco gave a rueful shake of her head. “I was ready to do battle with whoever was behind my smashed cups, but the girl was so upset I couldn’t stay mad at her for long. So I did what I always do in a time of crisis—make tea.”

  I smiled at her over the brim of my cup. “How many cups have you made today?”

  She winked at me. “Too many for a person with a problem prostate.”

  I laughed, then took a deep breath. “Speaking of honesty, I wasn’t entirely candid with you yesterday.”

  “I know.” She inclined her head in a regal fashion. “You’re a private investigator.”

  “That’s right. Con hired me to look into the suspicious incidents. Being a sister to the star gave me an excellent excuse for coming to Dolphin Island.”

  “Lenny works with you, right?” Coco banged the arm of her chair. “That boy’s a sly one. I underestimated him, which is something I rarely do. I was too busy focusing on the cop, who apparently knew nothing of our troublemaker.”

  “Liam is a police officer,” I said, “and he’s my boyfriend, but no, he wasn’t on the set to investigate for Con.” I didn’t add the tale about Liam’s jewel smuggling case. That wasn’t my information to share. “Listen, I didn�
��t just stop by for a chat. I understand you borrowed a key to the castle’s Poison Garden.”

  “That’s right. Merry and I went in there on Thursday when we came over to explore the island.” Coco drew her eyebrows together. “Do you think Theresa was poisoned?”

  “I’m not sure what to think. Liam is treating her death as suspicious.”

  Coco gave a dramatic shudder and cradled her mug. “Is her death connected to our mischief-maker? It seems like a leap, no? From what I saw yesterday, Theresa Crawley didn’t make friends on the set.”

  “You have sixty extras in the ballroom scene,” I said in wonder. “How can you remember them all by sight?”

  “Practice. It’s my job to recall every detail about the dancers I train, especially when I’m dealing with amateurs.” Coco dropped her voice. “And between you, me, and our maker, that woman stood out, and not for a good reason. She was a nasty piece.”

  “Theresa had a rep for being difficult,” I said.

  “I overheard her yelling at a junior makeup artist yesterday. She seemed to think a role as an extra meant she was entitled to treat the crew like dirt.” Coco shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Not on my watch. Everyone who works with me deserves to be treated with respect.”

  “Can you remember who she yelled at?”

  “It was the girl who quit and then changed her mind. Storm, I believe she’s called.”

  I added Storm to my list of names of people to talk to. If she’d endured tantrums from both Judd and Theresa, no wonder she’d quit.

  “I take it you haven’t figured out who’s behind the so-called accidents on set?” Coco asked.

  “No, but I have my suspicions.” I stood and went over to her shelves. I took down one of the photographs and scrutinized it. Three dancers stood side by side. One was unmistakably a younger Coco. The person in the middle was a handsome dark-haired man. And the third person in the photo was a petite redhead with lovely amber eyes who I now recognized as Merry. “Coco, how well do you know Merry?”

  “As you see from that photograph, we go way back to our Vegas dancing days.” Coco narrowed her eyes. “Why? Surely you don’t suspect her?”