by Krista Davis
“Possibly. You’re locking the house when you’re gone, right?” asked Dave.
“Absolutely. But from now on, the dogs will not be sleeping out in their kennels. I will be surrounded by them when I’m in the house.”
“Would you rather come stay at the inn?” I asked. “We’re full up, but I have a guest room you could use.”
“That’s very kind of you. If anything else weird happens, I’ll take you up on that. They tell me boxers are very protective, so I should be okay unless someone really does want something that’s in the house. Though I can’t imagine what it might be.”
“Holly,” said Dave, “have you talked to Pippin’s owner about Diane?”
“He was with me when we found her—” I stopped short of saying the word body and was so glad I caught myself. Poor Donna was upset enough; I didn’t need to be graphic. “So, yes, I guess I have.”
“Before then. Did he ask for directions to her house or say that he knew her?”
“Not that I know of. He could have asked someone else. Want me to see what I can find out?”
“Don’t say anything to him. I don’t want him to be prepared when I question him.”
“Can I get that screen replaced in the window yet?” asked Donna. “Or do you still need it to be the way it was the night Diane died?”
The three of us walked over to look at it from the outside. The window was located on the back side of the house, in Diane’s family room.
Dave crossed his arms over his chest and studied it. “I always feel like this is important. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take it as evidence. The person who went through it had to be slender. Initially, we suspected that Diane had the window open to enjoy the fresh air and that was how the killer gained access to the house. But once we found she had been poisoned by fentanyl, that didn’t make any sense.”
I understood what he meant. It wasn’t as though someone would cut the screen, sneak into the house, and then present Diane with a fentanyl-laden brownie. No, it meant her killer was someone she knew and trusted. She had probably opened her door and welcomed that person into her home.
I stared at the screen. It was torn into an opening a little under two feet at the widest part. It was ragged, not neatly cut by a knife. Parts of it waved gently in the breeze.
I didn’t know how much I could say in front of Donna without upsetting her or Dave. But I had to wonder if one of Jacob’s older siblings had lifted him and pushed him through the screen to unlock the door. I couldn’t imagine many people being able to get through that opening, especially since it was about four feet off the ground.
Dave was about to accompany Donna back into the house, but I grabbed him for a private word. “I keep meaning to tell you that I saw Marlee hanging around Howard’s rental house the night he died. He had invited Marlee and Camille over, but I only saw Marlee there. Camille declined to go.”
“Thanks, Holly. That’s important to know.” Dave headed for the house, and I left to return to the inn. On my way back, though, it occurred to me that the boxers hadn’t been able to save Donna’s sister. Had they been in their kennels?
Oma nabbed me the second I walked through the door. “Is Dave with you?”
“No.”
“Ach. He should be here by now. Please place stanchions and ropes in the hallway to block people from the registration lobby.” She handed me a sign that read, Private Party. “Then go to the kitchen and bring the pastries and teas. Ja? Zelda is calling Marlee to come down.”
“Okay, Oma.” I had no idea what was up, which was highly unusual. I hauled the stanchions and ropes up from the basement and used them to block the hallway. I hung the sign in the middle and headed for the commercial kitchen.
The cook pointed at a three-shelf food service cart. “The trolley is ready. Come back for the coffee and tea?”
I pushed it out of the kitchen. Trixie was waiting patiently by the door. It was loaded with goodies that made my mouth water. Glistening lemon squares that had been dusted with sugar, pink and white iced petits fours, tarts so tiny they only contained one blackberry and one raspberry, dainty watercress sandwiches cut into triangles, deviled eggs, miniature cupcakes with chocolate frosting, and one of my personal favorites, zucchini pineapple cake.
“Trixie, what do we have to do to be invited to this party?”
She wagged her tail, but her nose was focused on the lowest level, where iced dog cookies that looked like Pippin graced a plate. Miniature cupcakes with white icing were topped with tiny dog bones.
“I have a feeling you’re invited.”
We shoved it through the main lobby and along the hallway to the reception lobby, where I made a mental note that it served as a charming room for a small event. The vaulted ceiling rose two stories, and an elegant wrought iron balcony graced the second floor. In the middle, a giant antler chandelier added a lovely yet slightly rustic touch.
Gingersnap and Stella wore party hats decorated with paw prints and the word Pawty. They turned their twitching noses toward the cart. I had a feeling there might be peanut butter in the tiny pupcakes. Trixie examined the doggy table set up at a low eating height just for them.
Zelda slipped a pink party hat on Trixie that read, Pawty Diva. Marlee was already there taking photographs.
A second table had been set up for the people in Pippin’s group.
Oma shooed me back to the kitchen for the coffee and tea services. When I returned, I was dispatched to the lake to steer our guests to their special tea.
The first thing Jim said to me was, “Is Marlee okay?”
“She’s great,” I assured them.
I pointed everyone up the hill but stayed behind for just a moment to thank Stan and Sugar. I had to admit that I was seeing them through a new lens now that I knew about their crime spree.
Stan wore a baseball cap and swim trunks with a loud tropical pattern. Sugar didn’t wear a hat at all. Her long hair had been windswept into a mess, but she was still beautiful.
“Thanks to both of you. Looks like they had a fun day.”
Stan smiled at me. “I take people out all the time, and this bunch was way more fun than most. We’re meeting them tonight for drinks.”
Sugar turned her head coyly. “Have you heard from Holmes?”
Would I tell her if I had? It was so tempting to tease her again. But I needed to catch up to Pippin and his people. “Not a word.”
She finally grinned. “Me, either.”
I gave them a shove off and waved good-bye, then raced to catch up with the others. Dave arrived just as I walked through the door.
Our guests exclaimed over the trays of cakes and pastries. Only as I stood there watching them did I realize it was a brilliant method of detaining them while Dave interrogated each one in our office. I suspected Oma was the clever one who thought of it. My eyes met hers. She smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
Rae Rae beamed at Mr. Huckle as he poured her coffee. “This is simply delightful!”
What was Mr. Huckle doing there? It was his day off. Oma must have asked him to serve tea. It was just the sort of thing he loved to do.
“Pippin and I never expected anything like this.” Jim watched as Pippin, Stella, Gingersnap, and Trixie contentedly gnawed on mock rawhide rolls.
A motion upstairs caused me to gaze upward. Sure enough, Twinkletoes was living up to her name. She spied on us from her perch on the railing one floor up. It always made me nervous when she did that.
Dave very politely asked if they would mind speaking to him about Howard. “After all,” he pointed out, “you knew him, so maybe you can provide some insight into his untimely death.”
Honestly, I didn’t think they realized yet that they had been set up. They were as cheerful as most groups at tea. Even sarcastic Finch didn’t have a sour word to say.
Rae Rae v
olunteered to go first. She smiled at Dave, and they disappeared into the office and closed the door.
“Who thinks Rae Rae murdered both of them?” Finch held up his hand, but none of the others did.
“That’s not funny, Finch,” scolded Camille.
“Finch is right.” Marlee selected a cupcake from the tray. “None of the rest of us had a reason to kill Howard or Diane.”
Jim was uncharacteristically quiet and appeared worried. “Has anyone noticed that when we go out at night, Rae Rae comes and goes?”
Camille gasped. “What are you saying?”
“He’s right.” Finch nodded. “She has had ample opportunity to run off and drug people before anyone misses her.”
“Stop that!” Camille still hadn’t eaten any of the goodies. “We can’t let this turn us against one another.”
The door to the office opened, and Rae Rae sashayed out as if she’d had a great time.
Surprisingly, Finch volunteered to go next.
I snatched a couple of sandwiches, deviled eggs, and slices of moist zucchini pineapple cake for Zelda and me. We noshed behind the reception counter.
Marlee glanced at Zelda and me. We both gave her a thumbs-up. Marlee squared her shoulders like she was bracing herself. “I want to apologize to all of you. I’m actually not who you think.” With that, she launched into the story of her relationship with Stan and Sugar and their porch-pirating activities.
Her friends listened while they ate.
“I’m sorry I misled you. I hope you understand why I felt that was necessary.”
Rae Rae was the first to speak. “Stan and Sugar couldn’t have been nicer to us today. Especially that Sugar. Didn’t everyone think she was darling? It just goes to show that you cannot judge a person by a brief meeting. Of course, I am all about second chances. I’d like to think those two learned their lessons and have changed their ways.”
Jim looked repulsed. “I was flirting with Sugar. Ugh.”
“They were both nice to me,” said Camille. “But I can understand why you wouldn’t have wanted to confront them, Marlee. I hope you’ll hang out with us more now.”
It wasn’t long before Finch reappeared and Marlee took her turn with Dave.
“What did he want to know?” Camille asked Finch.
“Where we all were the night Howard was killed.” Finch leaned back in his chair and bit into a chocolate éclair as though he had nothing to worry about.
“That’s easy. We were all together,” declared Camille.
“Well,” Rae Rae spoke in a cautioning tone, “up until a point we were all together. But not all of us came back to the inn.”
Finch sat up straight, suddenly looking amused. “We’re supposed to bond over this. Don’t you see? Howard’s death is a fake. Look around. This was set up just for us. Isn’t that a coincidence? Not!” He pointed at Camille. “We’re supposed to give each other alibis. That’s the point of this little exercise.”
Camille turned a worried face to Rae Rae. “Were you sent to steer us in the right direction? Or to observe us? I’m sorry. You seem like a fun lady, but this is all kind of creepy.”
Rae Rae patted her hand. “I’m afraid that’s not the case. I saw Howard with my own eyes. When they needed someone to officially identify him, I felt obligated. Seeing as how I knew him well at one time, I felt I should go to him. It’s so sad to die all alone in a strange place. Besides, I’m probably the only person around who knew him well enough to make an identification. It’s not a prank. In no way was this part of the plan. I can promise you that. I know he’s gone and not feeling earthly things anymore, but I suspect he had a lonely death.”
Finch relaxed. “Does anyone else feel like we’ve landed in an Agatha Christie movie? You know, where each of us gets bumped off one by one . . .”
Twenty-five
Camille froze with terror.
“Aww, knock it off, Finch.” Jim tilted his head and smiled at Camille. “No one else is going to die. Howard’s death was probably some kind of fluke.”
“Yeah?” Finch grinned again. “Then why are you sitting here, waiting to be interrogated by a clueless small-town sheriff?”
I bristled at Finch’s description of Dave and wanted to pipe up and defend him, but they were being interrogated. I didn’t need to add to the drama.
Rae Rae broke the tension by laughing aloud. “You have watched way too many spooky movies, Finch. Next you’ll be telling us that Howard’s ghost is in the room and he will now tap on the shoulder of the one who murdered him.”
Zelda was the one who stifled a laugh when every single one of them turned to look over their shoulders.
“Camille, you’re not in a horror movie,” I assured her. “You haven’t landed in a town where everyone is in on some sinister secret. You’ll be fine.”
At that moment, Marlee emerged from her interrogation, looking none the worse for it. “He’d like to see Camille next.”
Poor Camille walked stiffly, as if she were headed to her doom. I could understand being anxious, but for the first time, I wondered if she had something to hide.
When the door closed, Marlee said, “Do you think Camille is always this high-strung?”
“Aw, give her a break, Marlee.” Finch picked up a deviled egg. “She’s a good egg.”
The whole group groaned at his feeble joke.
Stella had finished her goodies. She raised her nose and sniffed. Walking slowly, she homed in on Jim’s bag with all the pockets. She edged closer and surprised Jim by growling at it.
“What’s up, Stella?” asked Jim. He touched the bag and Stella backed away, still growling. “Isn’t that the weirdest thing?” he asked.
When the door opened, Camille emerged smiling. “Whew! It wasn’t that bad after all. It’s your turn, Jim!”
“Holly, will you keep an eye on Pippin?” Jim asked, picking up his bag.
Camille called, “Pippin! Pippin, come!” Pippin walked over to her, wagging his tail. Camille patted him and said, “I’ll look after him. He’s my buddy now.”
Jim waved at us, squared his shoulders, and marched into the office.
Camille turned to Marlee. “What did he ask you?”
She rubbed her temples. “Mostly he wanted to know where we were night before last. It’s funny, when we arrived, I thought it was cool that each of us had our own room. Now I wish we had shared a room. We could vouch for each other!”
Was Marlee still playing a role for her friends? Had she lied to us about spending nights with her parents?
“Now stop that,” Rae Rae chided. “No one here has anything to worry about. Remember, Howard peeled off from this group on his own. There’s no telling who he was with on the last night of his life. And I can tell you from experience that Howard was plenty good at getting himself into messes. The man was devoid of the sensibilities that most people have.”
Finch frowned at her. “How long have you known him?”
“Oh, darlin’! How do I answer that without givin’ away my age? Let’s just say I was considerably younger than I am now.” She winked at him. “Probably younger than you are now.”
“You must have liked him to agree to come here,” observed Camille.
“I thought I could tolerate Howard. It’s been a long time since I saw him. As time goes on, one learns to cope with the slights and disappointments in life. Plus, I’m used to his self-importance. Other people get upset when he throws his little fits about inconsequential things, but I couldn’t care less anymore, so they roll right off my back. I deluded myself into believing that he wasn’t like that once upon a time. But age changes the way you see things. My daddy never did cotton to poor Howard. Now I understand why.”
Camille sighed. “Howard’s death will ruin the show. It will be canceled.”
“Darlin’,” said Rae Rae, “th
e show would get bad publicity if Pippin died. Maybe even if you or Finch passed. But for all of Howard’s pomposity, few people outside Hollywood cared about him one way or the other. They might recognize him, but they won’t actually miss him. Don’t you worry, they’ll find an even better actor to play his role.”
Camille frowned. “I’d like to believe that, but Howard was legendary.”
“Aww, sweetie, Howard would have loved workin’ with you. Now don’t you go believing that he had some kind of magic. The show will go on.”
“How can you say that with such assurance?” asked Finch.
“I talked with my brother this morning. Honestly, I think a few people associated with your show are breathing sighs of relief. Howard was complicated, demanding, and narcissistic. I don’t like speakin’ ill of the dead, but quite frankly, it will be much more pleasant for everyone who works on your show. An actor once said to me that life was too short to be worth the trouble of working with Howard.”
For the first time, Finch looked worried. “Good grief, Rae Rae, you make it sound like someone associated with the show knocked him off on purpose.”
Rae Rae thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s hope not. That could put a big crimp in things.” She sank her teeth into a lemon square. “Mmm. Delicious!”
I wondered if Rae Rae was putting on a good face for the benefit of the others. As far as I knew, she was the only one who had been close to both Diane and Howard, which probably put her at the top of Dave’s list of suspects. But Jacob’s sighting of Pippin at Diane’s house put a spin on that. If Pippin had visited Diane, so had Jim. He seemed like a nice guy, but why would he have paid Diane a visit? Better yet, why would he have visited her on the very day she died?
Camille stirred her tea. “I hope one of you had something helpful to tell Officer Dave, because I had nothing. I only saw Howard at night in bars, and I didn’t know Diane at all.”
Jim emerged from the office with blazing cheeks. I had a feeling it wasn’t due to a sunburn. He walked over to the table, sat down, and asked Mr. Huckle for a glass of ice water. His hands shook.