Elyse put her hand on Connie’s shoulder. “Take a deep breath. The police are going to catch the killer, and then they’ll come back.”
Connie put down her iced coffee and leaned back on the couch. “I hope so. I’ve worked so hard getting this business off the ground and spreading the word about my classes.”
Elyse gave Connie a one-armed hug before getting up to leave. “Don’t worry. You still have two weeks before the next class. A lot can happen in two weeks.”
Chapter 4
After Elyse left, Ginger hopped onto Connie’s lap and rested her chin on Connie’s shoulder, as if sensing her need to be comforted.
The dog’s gesture brought a smile to Connie’s face, and she leaned her cheek against Ginger’s head. “What are we going to do, sweet girl? My first jewelry-making class ended in disaster.”
For a moment, she wondered whether Allister would still be alive if she had scheduled the class for another day. Or if she had waited until the fall to hold her first class. Then she shook her head. There was no point in thinking that way. Connie couldn’t have known that one of her students would be plotting evil while he or she sat around her table, a table where she had hoped friendships would be formed, not plans for murder. This wasn’t her fault.
However, since Connie had been present during the last hours of Allister’s life, perhaps a little investigating of her own was in order. After all, not only had the killer taken a life with Connie’s pliers, but he or she had been plotting to kill Allister while she taught them how to make jewelry. The very thought of it made her blood boil.
Her first step would be to talk with the Florida Sands people to see if they could provide any insight. But it would have to wait until she could get some coverage in the shop.
Remembering that she had promised to email Josh and Zach the video file from her security cameras, she opened her laptop and created a file containing the past twenty-four hours of footage. Of course, she took the time to scan it herself before sending it over, but just as Connie suspected, it proved that nobody broke into her shop, using either the front or back door. It seemed unlikely that an intruder could have bypassed the alarm system and entered undetected, but the footage confirmed it. That meant somebody in her class took those pliers, most likely with the intention of killing Allister. Unfortunately, since the cameras only recorded the outside of the building, they didn’t record the class, so she was unable to see who stole the pliers.
After she sent the email, Connie’s stomach reminded her that it was past lunchtime. Since she was overdue to go grocery shopping, she hadn’t packed any meals for the day. She glanced across the street to Gallagher’s Tropical Shack. The lunch crowd had died down, so it would be a good time to grab a quick sandwich. She posted a sign on her front door that said, “Be back in five minutes,” and made a beeline for Gallagher’s.
Connie wandered into the bar area and took a table where she had a clear view of a window that looked out onto her store. If any customers came, she’d be able to run right over and reopen. Penelope, her friend and a server at Gallagher’s, was waiting on a table in another station but came over to say a quick hello on her way to punch in an order.
Connie ordered a turkey club sandwich with sweet potato fries and answered a few emails from her phone while she waited for the food to arrive, looking up regularly to check on her store.
After only a few bites of her sandwich, her stomach felt like it was filled with rocks. For the first time since she launched her business, she felt pessimistic. Until now, every detail had painlessly fallen into place. She found Fair Trade vendors; her former boss, Sam O’Neil, was beyond supportive of her new venture; the shop renovations went smoothly; her grand opening was a success; and the first few weeks of business, before the snowbirds headed north, were fantastic.
She had been nervous about teaching a class for the first time and believed there would be a learning curve, but she didn’t see this coming. Among her first students were a murder victim and, likely, a murderer. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she got.
She had to do something to shake herself out of this funk. Dwelling on the negative wouldn’t serve any useful purpose.
Motioning to her server for a to-go container, Connie wrapped up her meal. Maybe her appetite would return later.
As she was signing the receipt, someone sat down in the seat across from her at her table.
She looked up to find Gallagher’s friendly face.
He slid a plastic cup containing a green smoothie across the table. “If you’re not going to eat solid food, at least drink this. On the house.”
She gave him a grateful smile and sipped the smoothie. “Thanks, Gallagher.”
“What happened to your appetite?”
“Did you hear about the murder on the beach last night?”
“Yes, some professor from the university was stabbed to death.” He paused and smirked at Connie. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re connected to it somehow.”
“Well, in a roundabout sort of way. Last night I had my first jewelry-making class…”
He interrupted her. “And the murder victim was your prize pupil?”
She reached across the table and playfully punched him in the shoulder. “He was one of my students. And likely, one of the others was the killer. Allister was stabbed to death with my favorite jewelry-making pliers.”
“My gosh, Connie, you’re like some kind of crime scene magnet. Maybe you should close up shop and join law enforcement.”
“Very funny. Gallagher, what am I going to do? I can’t run a store like this. Nobody is going to want to step through the doors.”
“Are you going to do some investigating? I mean, I’m grateful for all you did to help solve Natasha’s murder, but I’m guessing you couldn’t stay away if you tried.”
“I think I’ll ask around a little and see what I can find out.”
Gallagher shot her a playful smile. “You might want to start with the woman the victim was in here with last night.”
“Allister was in here last night with a woman?” Connie asked. “Gallagher McKeon, you were holding out on me!”
“Nah, I would have fessed up. I just wanted to see how long it would take you to ask. He was in here with a young woman. She looked about half his age. Light brown hair. Ponytail. Khaki pants and a navy t-shirt.”
“That was Paige. She’s a graduate student in the English Department at Florida Sands University. They must have come in here after my class.”
“She came in alone, but he followed shortly after and joined her over there.” He pointed to a table right next to where they were sitting. “She didn’t look thrilled to see him, but she reluctantly let him join her. When they finished eating, he insisted on picking up the tab. The conversation got heated, and I heard her say, ‘Just leave me alone. I only want to keep our relationship professional.’ I hung close by the table in case they caused a scene, but she got up and left and he followed right after her. When I saw his picture on the news this morning, I called the police and told them what I heard.”
“Thanks, Gallagher.” Connie said, “This gives me somewhere to start.”
Connie returned to Just Jewelry and began work on the sapphire beaded necklace. Since Grace had the day off, Connie would be alone in the store all day, so she couldn’t stop by the university to try to connect with Paige. Besides, Abby had registered everyone for the class and paid with a departmental credit card, so she really had no way of reaching Paige or anyone else from the university. If only she could come up with an excuse to ask Paige to come by the store.
In any case, it occurred to her that she should call Abby and officially offer her condolences to the department. She looked up Abby’s contact information. Fortunately, Abby had registered using her cell phone number in case Connie needed to reach her about anything outside of her limited office hours in the English Department.
She dialed the number, and Abby picked up right away.
&
nbsp; “Abby, it’s Connie from Just Jewelry.”
“Oh, hi, Connie. I gather you heard about Dr. McCue.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling. I wanted to offer my condolences to you and the others. I am so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
“If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”
“Thanks. We’re still in shock over here. Isabel just hung up with Dr. McCue’s sister who lives in California, which is where he is originally from. She’ll be flying in after the memorial service, which will take place in his hometown, to clear out his office.”
“How is everyone holding up?”
“As well as can be expected. Mary Ann and I are okay, and Isabel has been crazy-busy all day. I honestly don’t think it’s hit her yet. She and the dean had to spring into action notifying students taking Dr. McCue’s summer classes. She’ll also have to find his replacement, which will be no easy feat. He was a prolific literary writer, in addition to a great professor. But I’m worried about Paige. She is really upset because of how cold she was to him in your class last night. She’s really beating herself up over it.”
Or perhaps she has a guilty conscience, Connie thought.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Connie said. “Would it be possible for me to have her phone number? I would like to call her to personally express my sympathies. I will call Isabel and Mary Ann at their work numbers. I can get those off the university’s website, but I don’t have any way to reach Paige.”
“I don’t see a problem with that,” Abby said. “She is a student in your class, so technically you should have everyone’s contact info. Hold on. I have Paige’s number programmed into my phone.”
After a brief pause, Abby rattled off the digits.
Connie thanked her, offered her condolences once again, and hung up, pleased that she had Paige’s number.
Connie immediately dialed the number Abby gave her, and Paige answered right away.
“Hi Paige, it’s Connie from Just Jewelry. I heard about what happened last night and I wanted to offer my heartfelt sympathies. I just spoke with Abby, and she said you were taking Allister’s death hard.”
“Thank you, Connie. That is so kind.”
“If you need to vent, feel free to stop by any time. I’m a good listener. And if you want to get your mind off things, feel free to take your necklace by the store. Business is slow this time of year, and I am just sitting here working on a necklace myself. I always find that keeping my hands busy helps keep my mind off my troubles.”
“You know, I might just take you up on that. Dr. McCue’s classes have obviously been canceled, so I have some extra time on my hands. As his teaching assistant, I would have been grading papers all weekend, but obviously that’s no longer necessary. I’m going home to visit my mother tonight, but I’ll try to come by tomorrow night.”
“Come by any time. I’m here until 9:00.”
After hanging up, Connie once again put the “Be back in five minutes” sign on her door and took Ginger for a quick walk. When traffic picked up in the fall, she would definitely have to hire additional help for Grace’s days off. Then again, if word got out that her shop was a death trap, that might not be a problem.
Chapter 5
Later that afternoon, Grace came bounding into the shop, wearing a concerned expression on her face.
Her eyes darted around the store until she spotted Connie working at the table. “I just heard. I didn’t have the TV on all day, but I ran into Gertrude in the lobby when I was checking my mail. Is it true? Was Allister McCue murdered last night?”
Connie stood and met Grace halfway across the floor, then guided her to a chair at the table. She wanted Grace to be seated when she broke the rest of the news to her. “Unfortunately, it is. And that’s not all. The murder weapon was my favorite pair of pliers.”
Grace put both hands on her head and stared back at Connie. Connie went to get them a couple of bottles of water while she gave Grace a moment to process the information. Then she rejoined her at the table.
“I feel like I need something a little stronger than water,” Grace said.
“You and me both,” Connie said with a chuckle. She filled Grace in on the conversations she had earlier with Gallagher, Abby and Paige.
A look of horror spread across Grace’s face. “Wait, if Allister was killed with the pliers that were used last night, that means that one of your students stole the pliers to kill him.”
“That seems like the most likely scenario.” Connie narrowed her eyes. “The only other possibility I can think of is that the killer inadvertently took the pliers, and then killed him in the heat of the moment.”
“Or perhaps, if someone took them by accident, the killer stole the pliers from one of your students,” Grace suggested.
“No matter what happened,” Connie said, “someone used my pliers to kill Allister. So much for a successful first class.”
“Well, at least it will be memorable,” Grace said. It looked like the shock was beginning to wear off.
Connie gave Grace a half-hearted smile. “True, but definitely not in the way I was hoping.”
Just then, the front door chimed, and a happy diversion in the form of a customer entered the store. The woman headed straight to the Fair Trade section, and Connie told her in detail about the artisans, some of whom she knew personally, and the quality of their craftsmanship. The woman left with a smile and two bracelets, one for herself and one for her daughter. The interaction and the sale cheered Connie up and reminded her of why she had opened Just Jewelry.
After the customer left, Connie returned to the table, where Grace was still sitting and sipping her water. “I’ve been going over last night’s class in my mind all day,” Connie said. “There was definitely a lot going on beneath the surface, but did you observe any unusual behavior while I was teaching? Behavior that would suggest someone was planning a murder?”
“Let me think,” Grace said, slowly rubbing her chin. “I don’t know what people who are planning a murder typically look like, but Paige clearly wanted no part of Allister’s advances. And Abby also seemed preoccupied.”
“Yes, I agree. Abby was very enthusiastic, even bubbly, when she registered the group a couple of weeks ago. But last night she seemed to be a million miles away.”
“Now that I think about it,” Grace said, “there seemed to be tension of one kind or another between Allister and just about everyone there. I suppose certain workplaces can be like that, but even Jerry didn’t seem pleased with him.”
“That’s a good point,” Connie said. “He said his wife was in one of Allister’s poetry classes and implied that he was flirting with her. Do you think that’s a motive for murder?”
“I guess that depends on whether or not it went beyond flirting,” Grace said. After a brief silence, she added, “All I know for sure is that we can rule out you, me, Elyse, Gertrude, and of course Emma.”
Connie chuckled and nodded in agreement. “I guess that’s a safe assumption. That leaves Jerry, Paige, Abby, Isabel, and Mary Ann. The question is, who hated Allister enough to kill him?”
Connie wished she could leave the store for a couple of hours and stop by the university, but it would have to wait until Monday. She didn’t want to abuse Grace’s generosity by asking her to work when she wasn’t scheduled. But first thing Monday morning, she would stop by the English Department to offer her condolences in person and see who she could talk to.
A couple of more customers wandered into the store, to Connie’s delight, and left with purchases.
When they left, Grace got up and gave Connie a hug. “I’d better go. I just wanted to make sure you were okay given everything that happened.”
Connie flashed her a grateful smile. What would she do without Grace?
“I’ll admit that I’m disappointed that my first jewelry-making class ended in a disaster, but it’s not about me. I want the police to solve this horrible crime fi
rst and foremost for the sake of Allister’s family and friends.” Then she added, “But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m concerned about the effect this could have on my business.” Connie’s gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, as she thought back on her first few months in Sapphire Beach. First, the previous shop owner disappears, then there is a murder after her first class, with Connie’s pliers no less. And that doesn’t even include what happened at Palm Paradise before she officially moved in. “People are going to start avoiding this place like the beach during red tide.”
“You know what they say - any publicity is good publicity. Maybe you’ll become a phenomenon, and people will line up all the way down the street.”
“I’d rather be famous for other things,” Connie said, “but thanks for trying to cheer me up.”
After Grace left, Connie’s cell phone pinged. It was a group text message from Elyse to Connie and Stephanie: Is anyone up for meeting for drinks and appetizers tonight at Surfside? Josh is home so I am free any time after the girls go to bed.
Count me in. How about 9:30? Connie replied.
A few minutes later, Stephanie replied. I’m in. See you at 9:30 at Surfside.
This was perfect. An evening with her friends was just what the doctor ordered.
***
Connie closed up shop at 9:00, drove the one-mile commute down Sapphire Beach Boulevard to take Ginger home, then left for Surfside. She arrived just on time.
Surfside was one of Connie’s favorite restaurants in Sapphire Beach. A large deck with plenty of outdoor seating extended onto the sand, with the Gulf of Mexico a short distance away. The deck contained an outdoor bar, and several days a week there was live music, usually music that had been popular during the sixties and seventies.
Elyse and Stephanie had wisely secured a table under a fan and had already ordered some nachos.
Sapphire Beach Cozy Mystery Collection Page 38