Crumbling Up Crooks

by Emmie Lyn

  “Tea would be lovely,” I said. “Can I help you?”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll be back in a jiffy with a tray. Does Pip need anything?”

  “A bowl of water would be nice. I have a dog treat for her, so she doesn’t feel left out while we sit and enjoy a refreshment,” I added a bit sheepishly. I never knew how other people felt when I treated Pip like she was a family member.

  As I looked around the room filled with comfy chairs, dark paneling on the walls, and an oil portrait above the mantel, I also noticed boxes filled with knitted items. “Are those for the open house?” I asked.

  “Oh, yes. My knitting needles have been flying. Take a look if you’d like. I’ll be right back.”

  I pulled out the top Christmas stocking, knitted in red with reindeer circling the top and snowflakes of various sizes scattered underneath. Some lucky boy or girl would cherish this forever, I thought.

  Another box had hats, like the one I’d admired at Creative Design and a third box had some kind of odd-looking sweaters.

  Penny laughed when she returned with her tray. “You found my latest project. Can’t you tell what it is?”

  I held it up, turning it in different directions. Pip came over to see what I was doing. “Oh, a doggy sweater. It’s just the right size for you, Pipsqueak!”

  “Let her try it on. I’d love to have a model for my online website. Of course, the model gets to keep the item, no charge.” Penny poured tea into two china cups and arranged the cookies I’d brought on a matching plate. “Help yourself, Dani.”

  I had to see how Pip looked in the sweater before I bothered with tea and cookies. With the cold stretch we were experiencing, she needed something to help keep her warm. I chose a red wool sweater decorated with green stripes for its seasonal look and warmth. I pulled it over her head and managed to get her front legs through the appropriate holes. The top continued over her back and the bottom ended behind her front legs. It fit beautifully.

  “What do you think, Pip?”

  She turned in circles as if she was trying to see what I’d put on her. Then, she shook, but it didn’t come off. So, she sat down and stared at me.

  I started to pull it off, but Penny said, “Wait. Let me get some pictures. Move the ottoman in front of the fireplace and see if she’ll jump on it. That way, I’ll get the sweater plus the stockings hanging on the mantel.”

  Pip was happy to cooperate, especially when I bribed her with her special dog treat as a reward.

  “Thank you, Pip,” Penny said. “Now, you can add model to your resume.”

  I took the sweater off, so she didn’t overheat while we were still inside. I settled into a chair with my cup of tea and Pip leaning against my leg.

  “Now,” Penny said, “tell me why you stopped by. I’m sure you’re super busy trying to finish all your last-minute wedding details. Why do I rate a visit?”

  “Well,” I set my teacup on its saucer. Before I could continue, the front door opened and closed.

  I looked at Penny and waited for her to deal with the visitor.

  Who was it that just came in? I wondered. Was it Marion Glassman returning from her ordeal with Detective Winter?

  13

  “We’re in the sitting room by the fire, Marion,” Penny called out without getting up.

  I didn’t know how she knew who it was but maybe she knew these things instinctively after years of running the inn.

  “All this up and down has started playing havoc with my knees. If it’s Marion, she can find me here and if it’s someone else, they can find me here, too.” Penny laughed at her own silly logic. “Between you and me, Dani, I’m getting too old for all this work. I’ve been thinking about doing something else.”

  That statement was a shocker. Penny Pratt had been a fixture here on Main Street in Misty Harbor for as long as I could remember. I couldn’t imagine the Blue Moon Inn without Penny at the helm.

  Penny looked toward the doorway and said, “Oh, it is you, Marion. Why on earth did you go out so early on this frigid morning? Take off that pretty maroon coat before you roast to death.” She patted the cushion next to her. “Sit down and join us. There’s tea on the tray and the fire has this room almost too hot.” She fanned her face with her hand. “Or, it could be my faulty internal thermostat. It doesn’t work like it used to, that’s for sure.”

  Marion stayed put in the doorway, looking a bit lost. “Have you seen my father yet?”

  “I don’t think so. But, now that you mention it, I did hear the front door open and close very quietly when I was in the kitchen getting coffee started. Maybe he went out earlier?”

  “Oh, that was me. I tried to be quiet so as not to disturb anyone.”

  I sipped my tea and wondered why in the world Marion had gone out so early. Did she sneak out waiting for Nick to arrive at Creative Designs?”

  Penny’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Where on earth would you go so early? I serve breakfast right here.”

  “I forgot something in my car, and then I went right back up to my room,” she quickly added almost like she had to cover her tracks with any excuse. Then she looked over her shoulder like she’d heard something before she focused on me. “You were at Creative Designs with the owner.” She stated that fact as if it was an important detail connected to whatever was on her mind. “Do you know what happened to Nick?”

  “Now, I’m confused,” Penny said. “Will one of you tell me what’s going on? Something brought Danielle over here when I know she has a million other things to do and you, Marion, dear, look like you’ve seen a ghost. Now, sit down and have some tea. That will make you feel so much better.”

  “I doubt it,” Marion mumbled. She did take her heavy coat off, however, and poured herself a cup of tea before she slumped down next to Penny. “I just can’t believe it.”

  Penny patted Marion’s leg. “Believe what, dear?”

  “That Nick North is dead.” She let out a long sigh and stared at what seemed to be nothing. Just lost somewhere in her thoughts, I guessed.

  I stroked Pip’s head, wondering where this conversation would go next, now that Penny heard this news maybe more details would emerge.

  “Dead?” Penny’s cup of tea, which had been on the way to her lips, froze, suspended in midair. I kept an eye on it, ready to make a dive if it slipped through her fingers. Fortunately, she safely returned it to the saucer, sloshing only a few drops over the edge. “What happened?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Marion said. “I was supposed to meet up with Nick to sort out a… um… misunderstanding before it escalated into a crisis.” She held her tea with both hands wrapped around the dainty cup, maybe for stability or more likely, to warm her hands.

  “Marion, dear, you keep talking in riddles. What misunderstanding. I thought you and Nick were… shall I say, more than just friendly with each other?”

  Marion stared at me like she wished I’d disappear under Penny’s colorful braided rug. I had no intention of leaving. This conversation had just revealed something interesting. I pushed the cookies closer to Marion. “Try a Christmas cookie. They were freshly backed this morning for the open house tonight.”

  “Oh dear,” Penny’s hand covered her mouth. “The open house. If Nick is dead, will that be canceled?”

  Marion chose a Christmas tree cookie, pushing the reindeer off to the side. Interesting. Why did she do that?

  “Actually, Penny, that’s why I came over here,” I said. “Kelly didn’t have time to drop in herself to let you know that the open house is still a go. She had to change the location because of the investigation. As we speak, the Little Dog Diner is being transformed into a Christmas wonderland for her event. Not ideal, but better than—”

  “Investigation?” Penny interrupted. “What does that mean, Marion?”

  I looked at Marion, waiting for her to explain the situation. From the best I could tell, she had a complicated relationship with Nick North. Were they frie
nds like Penny seemed to think or foes like Marion herself suggested with her claim of Nick stealing her father’s creative work?

  Marion nibbled at her cookie. Maybe she was hoping I’d give an explanation, but I settled back in my chair with my soothing cup of tea warming one hand and my other hand resting on Pip’s head.

  Pip seemed to be enjoying the show, too. Or, maybe it was the heat from the fire that made her lie down with her head on her front paws.

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” Marion said, startling me with her abrupt outburst. “Nick was murdered. A Detective Jane something-or-other told me not to leave town. At least, she said all of the glass items Nick delivered to Creative Designs can be sold, but the detective is keeping the money until she sorts out the proper ownership.”

  “Murdered?” Penny said, not too surprising that she got stuck at that part of Marion’s story. “But, who would do that?”

  “Apparently,” Marion waved her hand expressing some frustration, “the detective must think that the killer was my father or me.”

  “And that’s why you wondered if your father was up yet or went out early this morning,” Penny said. “This is quite a problem to sort out.” She sipped her tea. “Was this conflict that was between you and Nick the reason he didn’t make a reservation here?”

  “Probably.” Marion sagged further into the soft cushion. “I don’t know. My father was furious at Nick. And there I was, stuck between those two headstrong men. All I was trying to do was make some money for my father and keep them both happy. Who knew Nick would try to claim credit for actually making all the Christmas reindeer and trees? I thought he was just going to put up the display and sell them for us.”

  This was a different Marion than I’d seen confront Detective Winter earlier. There had to be more behind this situation. When she first heard the news about Nick, she seemed to be happy that he was dead. Now? She played it like they were trying to work together.

  Which was it?

  I placed my tea on the saucer and leaned forward in the chair. “I’ll see both of you at the Little Dog Diner tonight for the open house?”

  “Of course,” Penny said. “And I’ll bring Marion along whether she wants to come or not. Someone needs to represent those beautiful glass pieces of art and who better than you, dear?”

  Who indeed, I thought, because that person might actually know the truth. But, would she reveal it?

  14

  Penny insisted that I bundle Pip into the red and green sweater she’d modeled earlier. And, no surprise to me, Pip glowed in the spotlight. As a matter of fact, it seemed as though she pranced with a bit more pizazz in her step. She held her head high in her new stylish seasonal attire. Besides looking adorable, she was protected from the cold wind blowing off of Blueberry Bay.

  Before we left, I got a hearty promise from Penny, and a grudging agreement from Marion that they’d come to the open house.

  “There will be champagne and desserts to enjoy,” I reminded them.

  “Champagne?” A deep voice asked from the top of the stairs. “What in tarnation is worth celebrating in this ice box?”

  I looked at Penny who looked at Marion who had a deep furrow in her brow.

  “Dad? Are you coming down for tea and breakfast?” Marion’s upbeat tone didn’t hide the underlying annoyance.

  “Tea? Doesn’t this place serve coffee?” her father growled.

  Heavy boots clomped slowly down the stairs until I could see a slightly bent, rotund, elderly man. With his thick head of white hair and long white beard, he was the spitting image of Santa, not the renowned glassblower I was expecting.

  “Who called me Santa? I hate that.”

  Oops. I looked at Marion over my hand that covered my big mouth. I did it again, letting my thoughts pop out instead of keeping them where they belonged.

  “Mr. Glassman? It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard such wonderful things about you from my fiancé, Luke Sinclair,” I said, hoping a compliment would distract him from my faux pas.

  Without even a glance in my direction, he ignored me, making me feel about as small and as red as a holly berry.

  “Marion? Is there coffee in this place? You know my routine—up at the crack of dawn, a two-mile walk, shower, and now I want my coffee.”

  “You didn’t go out on this terribly cold morning, did you, Dad?” Marion who had sounded so sure of herself and in charge, now turned into what I assumed was her subdued daughter role.

  “Of course, I did. You saw me out there,” he snapped at her. “Cold isn’t going to keep me from my routine. Now, point me to the coffee.”

  Marion tried to take her father’s arm, but he shrugged her off.

  “I’m not some old invalid, Marion. Just lead the way. I can walk under my own power without you clinging to me.”

  Penny looked at me after Marion led Harry into the sitting room and whispered behind her cupped hand. “She has her hands full with that one. He hated Marion’s relationship with Nick North.”

  “Enough to kill him?” I asked. “With both Marion and her father out early this morning, one of them might have, you know…” I left my thought unfinished.

  Penny shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t want to make an assumption about that. Better to leave it to the police.”

  I walked with Penny but made sure to stay far enough behind Marion and Harry so I could still ask some questions. “What happened between Marion and Nick? You said they were in some sort of relationship.”

  “That’s something you’ll have to hear from her if she wants to share. I only know the Glassmans from my role as President of the Maine League of Craftsmen. Harry wanted no part of the league even though Marion tried time after time to get him to join.” Penny shrugged with frustration. “It’s meant to help the members, so I don’t know why he was so unwilling.

  I slowly moved toward the door, not wanting to intrude on the guests’ space, but reluctant to head into the cold after enjoying the warmth of Penny’s fireplace.

  “Do you think Harry will come to the open house tonight?” I asked.

  “I’ll work on him.” She held her hand up waffling it back and forth. “Fifty-fifty. But, be careful what you wish for. He’s a curmudgeon at best and downright rude when things don’t go his way.”

  “Great,” I said sarcastically. I’d have Sue Ellen work her southern charm on Harry. If anyone could get a smile from him, it would be her. And, she loved a challenge.

  “Dani?” Penny held my arm before I opened the door. “Your mother is coming for your wedding and will be staying here. Did she let you know?”

  My mother? My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t seen her for over a year. “How did she even know?” I asked. I hadn’t contacted her for fear she’d say she was too busy. The sorry truth was that I’d be hurt less if I could tell myself she didn’t come because she didn’t know. But now she was coming, and I wasn’t sure I wanted her here.

  “We’ve stayed in touch, but I didn’t mention it to her. I hope you don’t mind that she’s coming.”

  Did I? It was complicated. “Oh, no. Not at all,” I lied to Penny and myself because I really didn’t know how I felt. But, there it was, and I couldn’t do anything about it now.

  “Rose won’t be happy.” Penny voiced exactly what I’d been thinking.

  That was what made this situation so complicated. The two women in my life—my grandma, Rose, and my mother, Valerie—didn’t like each other. Life was easier when I didn’t have to be in the middle of their animosity. Fortunately for me, my mother had chosen to live far enough away from Misty Harbor that I didn’t have to see her on a regular basis. In fact, we visited rarely; hardly at all. And that was fine with me.

  I wondered if maybe that’s what Marion had been up against with Nick North and her father. I didn’t envy her, and I felt some sympathy, too. But, there still was the fact that both Marion and her father had gone out this morning. Either one of them could have gone to Creative Designs and killed N
ick.

  “Your mother is excited to see you, Danielle but she told me that she can’t understand why you love it here in Misty Harbor so much. I’m only sharing this, so you’re prepared if she encourages you to see the world like she has done. Before you settle down.”

  “Give her a message for me, okay?”

  Penny nodded.

  “Tell her to keep her advice to herself.” I didn’t wait for Penny to add any more comments. I’d heard enough.

  If this murder didn’t send my wedding plans to the back burner, I feared that my mother would do her best to interfere.

  I left the Blue Moon Inn with a heavy heart but a determination stronger than the cold wind that hit my face.

  “Come on, Pip. There’s work to do.”

  15

  Entering the Little Dog Diner was exactly what I needed to wash away the thought of my mother’s impending visit.

  There was nothing even close to having delicious aromas and friendly chatter wrap around me like the warmest embrace possible.

  Lily was in her element with the open house back on, creating all sorts of Christmas sweets.

  As I stepped further into the diner, the soft Christmas music playing in the background, loosened the last layer of stress. Sue Ellen hummed along while she hung lights around the diner. Well, it was Luke who was doing the work while Sue Ellen hummed and directed him where to attach the tiny sparkling bulbs.

  This place, these people, was what I needed at the moment.

  Rose flapped a red cloth and let it settle on one of the booth tables. Kelly followed behind, unpacking a box of beautiful ceramic mugs. Other booths already showcased displays of glittering jewelry and some of Penny’s colorful knitted items. The place of honor, though, the center of the long counter had the glass reindeer prancing among glass trees that sank into a layer of fluffy white cotton batting like soft snow.