“I don’t know. She didn’t have any children, so he wouldn’t have known her from the school either.”
Jay stared at John too. John finally made it to the front of the line and briefly knelt in front of the casket. I could have imagined it, but he seemed pleased as he bent over Nancy’s body. I shuddered. Standing, he scanned the crowd. His eyes settled on me.
Making his way to my side, he held out his good arm. “Merry, I know how close you were to Nancy. Although I didn’t know her that well, I wanted to attend to offer you my deepest sympathies.”
I shook his hand. “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t aware you even met Nancy.”
“Sadly, I met her only once, briefly. I congratulated her on her beautiful garden.”
“I’m sure she appreciated it. Her garden was her pride and joy.”
He moved closer to me and whispered, “Sorry I missed you at the school last night. I just hate to let precious things go.” He tightened his grip on my hand. I gasped, and he said more loudly, “Well, I need to be going. I’m sorry to see you under these sad circumstances. Merry, let’s catch up soon.” He nodded to Rob and gave my hand one last hard squeeze as he left.
I rubbed my hand. Rob frowned at me. “What happened? What did he say?”
I explained, and his face tightened. He started to go after John, but I grabbed him. “Not tonight. Tonight is all about Nancy.”
He swallowed hard. “He’s not going to get away with this.”
Jay joined us. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Everything’s fine. We’ll catch up tomorrow after the service.”
He gave me a hard stare. “Good. I look forward to it.”
Father Tom came forward and led us in a prayer for Nancy prior to closing the coffin. Reflexively, I rubbed my hand as he spoke, but my thoughts were all about my kind neighbor.
After the prayer, we said our goodbyes and got in the car. Rob noticed me holding my hand and flushed. “We’ll get some ice on that when we get back.”
I went upstairs to change into my sweats and rejoined Rob in the living room. He motioned with a glass in his hand. “I hope you don’t mind, but I needed something strong.”
“I don’t mind at all. Please pour me one too.” Sinking down onto the sofa, I tucked my feet up under my legs. Rob came back with my drink and an ice pack. Taking the drink in my left hand, I tried to balance the ice pack on my right.
“Let me help.” He sat next to me. Putting his arm around me, he used his hand to steady the pack. I took a sip of my drink and let my head sink onto his chest.
“Now I feel better,” I murmured.
“It was a tough day, and it didn’t help that John showed up. You should have let me go after him.”
“I needed you to stay with me. I didn’t want to worry about you. Who knows what that nut is capable of?”
“I could take him!”
“I know you could, but we don’t know if he’s armed.”
Rob stood and paced. “I can’t believe he hurt you. And right in front of me.”
“I guess the good news is now we know it’s not safe to be around him, even in public places. If you want to feel some satisfaction, focus on the fact that we got the necklace back. He obviously valued it. I think that’s what got him so riled up.”
He punched his fist into his hand. “He better hope he doesn’t run into me in a dark alley.”
“Let’s not waste our evening talking about him. Would you mind listening to me practice the reading for tomorrow? I’m afraid if I don’t try it out loud a few times, I’ll completely break down.”
After rehearsing, I felt better and thought I might actually be able to keep myself together. Rob and I finished our drinks and decided to make it an early night.
The next morning, I woke in time to do some meditation and stretching. My hand still hurt but didn’t look too bruised. Taking a quick shower, I dressed and made my way downstairs. I was surprised to see Rob making pancakes in the kitchen.
“I need to keep you around. My only regret is that Jenny isn’t here. She loves pancakes.” I hugged him.
“Coffee’s ready. Pancakes will be done in a few minutes. Would you mind heating up the maple syrup in the microwave?”
“The least I can do.” I filled the pitcher and put it in to heat. As I turned, I blinked. The table was set for three. “Did you miscount?”
“Nope. We forgot to drop off something for Jenny to wear last night, so Patty’s bringing her by any minute now.”
“I can’t believe I forgot!”
“You had a few things on your mind.”
Jenny came in the back door. “I can’t believe you forgot my outfit, but all is forgiven since Mr. Jenson told me he was making pancakes.”
I laughed. “Is that how he lured you over here?”
“You bet. Pancakes first or getting dressed first?”
Rob looked over my head. “Pancakes.”
“Works for me.” Jenny hugged me as she sat.
I picked up the orange juice to pour it and almost dropped it.
“Is it too heavy for you, Mom? I guess you haven’t been working out much lately.” She smirked.
“She hurt her hand last night,” Rob said.
Jenny picked up my hand. “It’s bruised. What happened?”
“You know me—just clumsy, I guess.”
Rob frowned at me, and I shrugged. “Pancakes are ready.” He put a large stack on the table.
Jenny grabbed three. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
The rest of the breakfast went quickly, and Jenny filled us in on all of the things that had been going on in school since we last were together. When Jenny stood to help clean up, I shook my head. “Nope, you need to get ready. We have to leave in fifteen minutes.” Jenny rolled her eyes and ran up the stairs.
Rob looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell her what happened?”
“I didn’t want her to worry. She’s concerned enough.”
He sighed. “Your call. Do you mind finishing down here so I can do a few things before we leave?”
“No problem. Remember, we need to leave in fifteen.”
“Got it.”
I finished cleaning up. At the appointed time, Jenny came running down the stairs and almost bowled into Rob coming out of the office. He asked, “Drive or walk?”
“Walk!” Jenny and I said together.
“Well then, let’s hop to it.”
Jenny and I strode in front, arms around each other. “Mom, are you okay?”
“As good as I can be. It’s going to be a sad day.”
“I’m going to miss her.”
“She was a good person and a good friend. I’ll miss her too.”
When we got to the church, we sat in the third pew. After a minute, Father Tom and Melissa motioned for me to come to the altar. They told me my reading would be second and that I would follow Melissa’s daughter Kate. I joined Rob and Jenny in the pew, and the service started. I was pleased I was able to get through my reading without crying. When we moved to the gravesite, Jenny and I dropped two roses on the casket together. Afterward, we went back to the church basement for refreshments with the rest of the mourners. I was happy to have Jenny and Rob stationed on either side of me so they could delicately keep people from shaking my already sore hand.
On the way home, Rob told me he had texted Cheryl to tell her I wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day. I crossed my arms. “I could have gone in.”
“You could have, but would it have been worthwhile?”
I sighed. “It probably wouldn’t have been. Thanks.”
We stopped at Patty’s house, dropped Jenny off, and picked up her laundry. Patty said, “We need a girls’ night out soon.”
“I agree. Soon.” We hugged, and Rob and I left for home.
Courvoisier and Drambuie were waiting for us and were vocal about wanting to be let out in the backyard. I complied like the servant I was and took the wash in to sort.
Rob poked his head into the laundry room. “I hope you don’t mind, but Jay’s going to come by this afternoon.”
“Why?”
“He wants to ask you some questions about what happened last night, and I have some questions for him.”
“Fine, I guess.”
I took some frozen cookie dough out to thaw. If this was going to continue to be a depressing day, I was going to need chocolate. The first batch had just come out of the oven when Rob wandered back in.
He gave me a hopeful smile. “Do I smell cookies?”
“You do, but they are still hot.” I swatted his hand away.
He pulled me to him for a long kiss that I felt all the way to my toes. He smiled. “Almost better than cookies.” He reached behind me to grab one and bit into it. “Ouch. That’s hot.”
“Serves you right. ‘Almost’ indeed!”
He gave me another kiss, this one chocolate scented. “Yum, you taste even better now,” I said as I kissed him back.
The back door opened, and we jumped apart. Jay stared at us with his eyebrows raised. “If I’m interrupting, I can come back later.”
I blushed and retrieved a coffee mug. “You aren’t interrupting anything.”
Rob put a hand to his heart. “Cut me to the quick, woman. That was surely something.”
My face flamed as I put the cookies on the plate. “Anyone like one?”
Rob grabbed another, along with a napkin and his coffee.
Jay snatched one as well. “Don’t mind if I do.”
I regained my composure. “Why did you stop by today, Jay?”
“I wanted to know what happened last night. You and John looked pretty serious. What did he say?”
“He told me he was sorry he missed me at the high school.”
“So that was his car you saw.”
“Apparently.”
He fixed me with his policeman’s eyes. “I don’t think that’s all of it.”
Rob nodded. “Show him your hand, Merry.”
Embarrassed, I held it out. Jay said, “That’s quite a bruise you have there. Did John do that?”
“Yes. He shook my hand quite energetically.”
“What she meant was viciously,” Rob said.
“Do you want to press charges?” Jay asked.
I stared at him in disbelief. “For shaking my hand too hard? Lots of men don’t know their own strength and squeeze much harder than they should. I don’t think I’d have a strong case.”
“Just letting you know you could file,” Jay said. “Between injuring your hand and the tone of his comment, I think he was threatening you.”
“I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just don’t want to overreact.”
“Keep me posted if anything else happens.”
“I promise you I will.”
“Rob, you mentioned you had a question for me?”
“Yes, I did. I saw on the wire that there was a dead body found outside of Urbana the other day. I was wondering if they had identified the person.”
Jay nodded. “I heard about that too. They found the body on the outskirts of the Cedar Bog. From the report, it looks like it had been there for a couple of years. What’s the interest?”
“I’m just curious. I wanted to see if there was a story there. Would you do me a favor and keep me posted?”
“Will do. Merry, do you mind if I take a few more of these cookies with me? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long shift.”
I retrieved a paper bag and filled it with several cookies and napkins. I also gave him a to-go cup of coffee. He smiled. “This should keep me going till I get home tonight.”
I saw him to the door. “Anything I can do to help our local law enforcement.”
After the door was shut, Rob said, “Did you have to give him so many?”
“Don’t worry. I have more in the freezer.” Somewhat mollified, he took another and ate it slowly. “Why are you so interested in the Urbana death?”
“It’s relatively near to us. I’m just curious about it and figured my readers may be too.”
“If they even know about it. Well, this laundry isn’t going to wash itself. I better get after it. I need to do some grocery shopping too. The refrigerator looks pretty sparse.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No need. You stay here and work. I’ve been asking for a lot of your time lately.”
“If you are sure…”
“I am. However, if you want to help me unload the car when I get back, I’ll be a happy camper.”
“You got it!”
It felt so normal to go grocery shopping. It was almost a treat, “almost” being the key word. Grabbing a cart, I perused the produce department. As I squeezed a few avocados to test for ripeness, a cart stopped next to mine. Paula Sanders stood there.
“Paula, you startled me.”
“Detective Ziebold told me you helped get my necklace back. I want to thank you.”
“I didn’t really do anything.”
“He said you found it. So thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask.”
“Why didn’t you press charges against John for stealing it?”
“Because he didn’t.”
I frowned. “I’m confused. You reported it stolen a few years ago.”
“I did.”
“So how did John end up with the necklace if he didn’t steal it?”
She gave me a knowing smile and left me with my avocados. Shrugging, I swiftly moved through the store, hoping I wouldn’t run into anyone else I knew.
I called Rob as I neared home. “Ready to stock my shelves?”
“You talk so dirty.” He chuckled. “I’ll be right out.”
I drove in and parked. He waited by the trunk as I popped it open and grabbed a bag. “I’ll bring them in and hand them to you.”
Working as a team, we made short work of putting everything away. I’ve missed this. “You’re hired.”
“I’d like to think I’m a keeper for more than my car-unpacking abilities.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he sidled up close to me.
“You are. You definitely are.” I pulled his head down, and my mouth found his.
After a cold shower, I puzzled on my conversation with Paula. The cats joined me on the bed, and I moved my feet into better positions for them. Their soft snores lulled me to sleep.
It was gray and drizzling the next day. After performing some quick stretches, I made short work of getting dressed. Moving downstairs, I was surprised that Rob was not there. I spied leftover Italian bread and decided on French toast. As I made breakfast, my thoughts drifted to John and Paula.
Why did Paula say John hadn’t stolen the necklace? She’d seemed happy enough to get it back. Suddenly, I hit on a scenario that worked. Pleased, I turned the coffee on, put the French toast in the oven, and set places at the counter.
Rob came through the back door. “Oh, you’re up.”
“I thought you were still asleep. Where were you?”
He displayed his suitcase. “More clothes. I was getting tired of washing everything out.”
“If we don’t solve this thing soon, I’m going to have to bring Jenny home.”
He looked at the oven. “What’s that fantastic smell?”
“Breakfast. It will be done in about five minutes.”
“Let me run upstairs and put my bag in my room.”
I poured him a cup of coffee and warmed the syrup. Rob made his way back downstairs, and I slid two slices onto his plate.
“That looks great.” Slathering it with butter and syrup, he bit into it and closed his eyes. “Heaven.”
Smiling, I put a slice on my plate and went through the same ritual. “Yes, it is good. It beats the heck out of my normal yogurt. I forgot to tell you I saw Paula yesterday in the grocery store.”
“Paula Sanders?”
“The same.” I told him what she said and then exp
lained my theory. “We know she needed money at the time. Her dad was dying and had a lot of bills. John had left her, and she owed him money due to the divorce. We also know she reported the necklace stolen and filed a police report. My theory is she faked the robbery to get the insurance company to pay on the necklace. I have my expensive jewelry insured, and I sell a lot of that type of insurance. Is there any way we could find out if she filed a claim and collected on it?”
He nodded slowly. “So you think John was in on it?”
“Maybe she told him that was the only way she could pay him what he was due under the terms of the settlement. And maybe he didn’t return it like he was supposed to after he got his money.”
“That certainly would give him a reason to be involved, and it would explain why he hadn’t sold it. Let me give Jay a call and see if he knows if the insurance company paid out.”
Rob dialed Jay’s number and put it on speaker. Jay answered, “What?”
Rob shook his head. “You really need to work on your phone etiquette.”
“Who, me? It’s a Saturday, and it’s raining. I didn’t think you were calling me to play golf, so it has to be work.”
“You must be a detective.” Rob explained what we were looking for.
“If your theory were true, they’d be guilty of insurance fraud. I’ll look into it. Oh, on a different subject, I checked with the Urbana police on the dead body they found. They identified him. He’s a man by the name of Paul Devlin. His prints were on file from when they hauled him in for beating his wife.”
I shrugged. No one I knew.
Jay continued, “The interesting part is that Suzie Krump’s married name was Devlin. She started using her maiden name when she moved here from Urbana. They’ve asked me to interview her to see if she knows anything. Got to go now.”
Rob whistled. “Well, that explains how she was able to get away from her abuser. He was dead.”
Chapter 25
The next morning, Rob and I decided to take a walk over to the Morning Pastry after breakfast. Both of us were full, but we figured we could order a coffee if we had to. The blinds were closed, and there was a sign on the door: “Due to a family emergency, we will be closed Saturday and Sunday.”
Murder So Sinful Page 19