by Krista Davis
“Holly Miller, you never cease to amaze me.” He grinned and planted a big smooch on my lips.
“I believe I’m going to enjoy having you back in town.”
Trixie placed her paws on my thighs, demanding her fair share of attention.
“Did Dave figure out who shot the arrow?” asked Holmes.
My elation subsided. In the frenzy of capturing Wade, I had completely forgotten that someone had taken a shot at me. Trying to act nonchalant, I said, “Well, I’m alive and kicking. There have been no attempts on my life this morning.” But I wondered where Stan was.
Holmes frowned at me. “My mom says that Sugar won some archery competitions in high school. I didn’t live here then. I’m not sure I ever knew that.”
I teased him a little bit. “Get over yourself, Holmes. Even Sugar wouldn’t kill for your love.”
He didn’t smile. “Idella might.”
“Stop that. Have you seen Sugar yet?” I asked.
“I guess I should go over and say hi. That would be the right thing to do. And maybe the subject of archery will arise. I won’t tell them where I’m staying. They’ll probably assume that I’m at my parents’ house.”
“Holmes Richardson! You’ve been back less than two days and my bad snooping habits are rubbing off on you.”
We walked down the stairs, and he slipped his hand around mine. “There have been two deaths in Wagtail. I don’t want you to be the third.”
I appreciated his concern, but when he put it like that, it scared the pants off me.
Holmes left reluctantly. I assured him I had work to do and he would feel better if he did the right thing and went to see Sugar. After he left, Trixie and I headed for the inn office.
Oma sat in a wing-back armchair looking at the lake. The French doors were open, and a gentle breeze blew in through the screens. “Holly!” She reached up for my hand. “You scared me this morning.”
I sat down on the sofa, and Trixie jumped up next to me.
“I know you could not help what happened. Evil lives in that man, Wade.”
“Is he out of surgery?”
“Yes. They don’t know how much use he will have of that leg, though. On a happier note, Augie phoned to invite Pippin and crew, and us, to dinner at Chowhound. I think he wants the publicity.” She laughed. “He wasn’t happy that Pippin and Trixie chose Hot Hog all by themselves for their dinner date. Apparently, there’s now a line every evening to dine there!”
“Sounds good to me. It’s nice of Augie to include us.”
Oma gazed at me. “You must be worn-out.”
“A little bit. I’m just enormously relieved that I don’t have to worry about Wade snatching Trixie anymore. And if we’re right about him murdering Howard, he’ll be in prison for a good long time.”
Late that afternoon, I donned a simple sleeveless black dress for our dinner at Chowhound. A gold herringbone necklace and hoop earrings dressed it up just a bit. I pulled my hair up into a loose twist. Trixie watched carefully as I dressed. I pulled out her special collar with a vibrant yellow flower on it. She looked adorable, and I could tell she felt special wearing it.
We met in the main lobby. Casey had agreed to come in early so both Oma and I could attend the dinner. We walked over to the restaurant as a group. I was happy to see that Marlee was no longer hiding behind the sunglasses and wig. She smiled broadly and finally seemed to be enjoying herself.
During the walk to the restaurant, I found myself with Finch. “I heard you had quite an argument with Howard before he died.”
Finch’s eyebrows rose. “How could you possibly know about that?”
“I never divulge my sources,” I teased.
“For a long time, no one cast me because I was little Tiger, except I wasn’t little or cute anymore. There’s been a long drought for me. This show is the first decent chance I’ve had to revive my acting career. I’m being very careful, because I don’t want to mess this up. Poor Marlee was dying for Howard to pay attention to her. Meanwhile, Howard could not stop flirting with Camille, who wasn’t interested. She did her level best to be polite, but Howard just kept coming on way too strong. I was determined that Howard would not ruin this opportunity for us. I’ve been around the business long enough. I knew why Roscoe sent Rae Rae here. Howard was notorious for misbehaving toward women. That big argument we had was me telling him to knock it off and him calling me a childish has-been.”
“Ouch!”
“That wasn’t news to me. It’s not easy to be finished with your career before you’re out of puberty. I hope this show is everything we expect.”
“I hope so, too.”
At Chowhound, Augie had arranged tables so our whole group could sit together. He had selected the entire menu himself and beamed when his waiters served an appetizer of deviled eggs, shrimp, and colorful crudités with a zesty aioli sauce. There were so many of us that the waiters brought three giant platters for us to share.
As we ate, Rae Rae dinged her glass with a fork. “I have an announcement.” Everyone quieted down. “I’ve been quite sad to know our week in Wagtail will soon be coming to an end. I have loved getting to know you all. As you are aware, Howard’s death left an opening in the show. I heard from my brother today that they have filled the role of the cranky father. It’s me!” She raised her hands in the air in celebration. “But I won’t be the cranky father. I’ll be the nosy mom!”
The air filled with applause. I glanced around. All the actors were pleased. They had been through a lot with Rae Rae. I was certain she would fit in well. And the role suited her perfectly.
The second course was crab cakes with blanched sugar snap peas. Marlee was busy taking pictures and posting them on social media. Just when we thought Augie couldn’t top himself, a parade of waiters brought us beef tenderloin with a mustard and sage crust, served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. It was a meal that we would remember. Trixie, Pippin, Stella, and Gingersnap were served a doggy version of our delicious feast.
An exhausted Dave arrived just in time for the main course. We scooted over to make room for him. Naturally, everyone quieted down to hear what he had to say.
Dave guzzled ice water before he began. “For starters, the operation was deemed a success. For your information, should you ever be hit by an arrow, do not remove it yourself. There’s a huge chance that you could bleed out very fast. Wade didn’t know what to do, but as it turned out, he did the right thing and most likely saved his own life by leaving the arrow where it landed.”
Dave took a bite of mashed potatoes and swallowed. “I’m starved. The hospital cafeteria left a lot to be desired.”
“Did he murder Howard?” asked Jim. “What about the watch?”
“There was no watch on Howard’s person when his body was found. We have photos of him, and there’s no question about that. His belongings were packed up, inventoried, and tested for fentanyl. There are no watches on the inventory.”
Everyone except Finch stopped eating and listened.
“The watch Wade was wearing at the time of his capture was a Hermès brand watch.”
“Howard wore it everywhere,” said Camille. “I bet the bars have cameras that might have caught it.”
Dave smiled. “That won’t be necessary. Wade admitted that he took it off Howard’s arm. In fact, he said rather gleefully that he removed the watch while Howard still understood what was happening.”
Rae Rae gasped. “That’s cruel! It was Wade who gave Howard the drugs then?”
Dave looked at Jim. “Maybe we should discuss this after dinner.”
Jim groaned. “Nooo! We can take it. I’ve been waiting all day for this.”
Dave nodded. “Howard contacted Wade from LA. One of Wade’s friends is a thug in Hollywood. For a fee, he put Howard in touch with Wade. Howard offered to pay Wade if he would co
me to Wagtail this week to eliminate Jim.”
Oma gasped. “This is horrible!”
“Howard brought the fentanyl with him. Apparently, Wade is not lying, because he knew that Howard hid it in a small baby powder container, which is exactly what we found in his luggage. Howard gave him some fentanyl to use to kill Jim but refused to give him the advance payment he had promised. That riled Wade, who sold part of the fentanyl on the street in Wagtail. Wade saw the Dog Life article about Trixie posted everywhere and recognized the dog he had abandoned. He had no desire to have Trixie back. He was desperate for money and planned to sell her and Pippin.”
Thirty-eight
My heart sank. I had hoped Wade hadn’t been her owner once. But I reminded myself that he would be in prison, so I no longer had to worry about Wade claiming Trixie. I looked down at her sitting so politely with her buddy Pippin and handed each of them a tiny bite of tenderloin.
Dave continued to talk. “Wade says Howard treated him like slime and refused to give him any money. He spent the first couple of nights sleeping in unoccupied cabins. Seems he’s adept at picking locks, too.”
Jim shot me a look. I knew he was thinking about the way I broke into Howard’s rental house.
“Since Howard was reneging on the deal he had offered,” Dave continued, “Wade decided he would come out ahead if he stole Pippin and Trixie and sold them.
“The night Howard died,” said Dave, “he was intoxicated. We know that from the autopsy and countless witnesses. Wade waited until he saw Jim leave the property with Marlee. Howard let him in and told Wade to make him a drink. Wade poured fentanyl into the beverage, handed it to Howard, and started looking for Howard’s money. He didn’t take the credit cards, because he knew they would be tracked. He collected the cash that Howard had promised him, leaving a couple hundred dollars so it wouldn’t appear that Howard had been robbed. He says Howard was beginning to feel the effects of the fentanyl when Wade helped himself to the fancy watch.”
“Why?” asked Jim. “Why would Howard want me dead?”
Finch spoke up. “Because you were hounding him about Lucy. If the truth about Lucy had made the news, he would have been finished. He was trying to silence you.”
“What about Diane?” asked Rae Rae. “Did Wade murder her, too?”
Dave’s eyes met mine. “Wade insists that he didn’t know Diane. He heard rumors about her around town but asserts that he had nothing to do with her death.”
“Howard murdered her.” Rae Rae appeared distressed. “After all these years, he came to town and killed her. Why couldn’t he have let her live her life in peace?”
I looked at Dave. I had to talk to him about Stan.
Now that Wade had confessed to murdering Howard, everyone was more relaxed. Dessert arrived with great fanfare as Augie lit the cherries jubilee. Gingersnap barked at the flame and backed away from it.
Stuffed to the gills, we thanked Augie for the delicious meal. When we left Chowhound, Marlee’s posts were already having an impact on Augie’s business. A line of people waited outside for the opportunity to eat there.
Pippin and his entourage headed for a bar to celebrate Rae Rae’s new role in their show.
Dave offered to walk Oma and me back to the inn. Finally, I had an opportunity to tell him my theory about Stan.
While we walked, I told him about the items I found in the cabin. “And the shipping label on the Hoovers’ trash backs up my theory that Stan is stealing again.”
In a distressed tone, Oma asked, “Could it have been Stan who shot the arrow at Holly?”
“Holmes says Sugar is pretty good with a bow and arrow,” I pointed out. “I wonder if she was defending Stan.”
“Or if they’re both involved again,” said Oma.
Dave hadn’t said anything. He walked us up the stairs to the front door of the inn. “You two keep this under your hats. If that’s what happened, I don’t want them getting wind that we’re on to them.”
“If one of them shot that arrow at me, then I think they already know.”
“Still, I want to keep this quiet so I can watch them. And I’ll have another look at that cabin. For now, I want both of you to tell everyone that it was Howard who killed Diane. Got it?”
Oma grasped my hand. “Perhaps Holly should stick around the inn, ja?”
“An excellent idea, Liesel. Don’t hesitate to call me if anything happens that worries you. And close off the reception lobby entrance early tonight. It’s easier to watch one door.”
Dave took off in a hurry. He had to be worn-out after no sleep and working all day. I was slightly nervous, though. The person with the bow and arrow was still out there.
When we were safely inside, Oma suggested, “Perhaps you would be safer staying with Aunt Birdie until they catch this person. No one would know you were there.”
“I think death by arrow might be preferable.”
Oma smirked. “Then I will leave Gingersnap and Stella with you tonight, ja? The dogs will let you know if anyone is lurking around.” She hurried off to close the reception lobby doors.
I thought about sitting on the terrace for a while, but that might make me an easy target. Instead, the dogs and I settled in the Dogwood Room with Casey. We could easily see who came and went.
Casey wrapped his arms around Stella. “Word around town is that LaRue shot that arrow. It was meant for Wade.”
Uh-oh. People didn’t think Howard had killed Diane. I guessed that I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, it was Augie who had pointed out in the beginning that he thought it was someone local. I bet he didn’t think it was his own son when he said that. But Wade wasn’t local. I tried to steer Casey the way Dave had requested. “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Why would he do that when it was Howard who murdered Diane?”
“The way I heard it was Wade sold Diane the fentanyl, which made him the drug dealer. When she died, he took her up the mountain to dispose of her body. LaRue wanted revenge, but you nearly got whammed instead.”
Part of me wanted to believe that. It would mean the arrow wasn’t intended for me. But logic dictated that wasn’t the case. Wade murdered Howard, but he didn’t drag his body up the mountain or try to dispose of him in any way. In fact, if he had just left town instead of trying to steal the dogs, he might have even gotten away with Howard’s murder.
The phone rang, and Casey left the Dogwood Room to answer it. A guest probably needed another blanket or more towels.
Quiet as a mouse, Glenda walked into the inn. “Holly! Just who I wanted to see.” She held out a luscious lemon tart and said, “This is to thank you for bringing our darling Dolly back home. And to make you feel better after that arrow nearly hit you!”
Stella stood up and walked over beside me. Her nose twitched, and she raised her muzzle.
When Glenda held the lemon tart out to me to take, I saw the powdered sugar on top and my blood ran cold. Was this how she had murdered Diane? Had Glenda presented her with a brownie covered with powdered sugar and fentanyl?
In that instant, Stella jumped up, hitting the bottom of the tart with the top of her head.
It arced straight up and smashed in Glenda’s face.
“Leave it! Casey! Casey! Grab the dogs!” I shouted. “Don’t let them lick anything.” I shooed Trixie and Gingersnap away.
“Holly!” Casey came running. “What are you doing?”
Glenda looked at me with panic in her eyes. Her face was covered with the sugar and lemon. In desperation, she tried to wipe it out of her mouth with her fingers. She rubbed her nose, but I had a bad feeling that it was too late. She had probably inhaled and swallowed some fentanyl, and it was all over her face.
“Water,” she gasped. “Where do you have water?”
Casey was doing a great job with the dogs. I could hear him saying, “Leave it.”
&nbs
p; Glenda’s legs grew unsteady, and she sank into a chair. Weakness overcame her much faster than I could have imagined.
I pulled out my phone and called Dave, then Dr. Engelknecht. Hopefully one of them would arrive soon with the medicine to counteract the fentanyl.
Behind me, Casey said, “I’ve called 911. What happened?”
“Glenda killed Diane.”
She could still hear. I knew because her eyes turned to me.
“Why, Glenda?”
“To save my baby.”
“You mean Dolly?”
“Stan,” she breathed. “Diane was going to turn him in. He would have gone back to prison.”
“So you baked brownies to kill her? And now you’ve baked a lemon tart to murder me?”
Glenda reached a hand out to me. “Please, Holly. You have to help me. I don’t want to die!”
I stared at the sweet-looking, plump woman. “You baked everything, but Stan helped you get rid of Diane’s body.”
“No! I swear! He knew nothing about it.”
“How did you take her up the mountain?” I asked.
“Oh no! I’m going to die just like she did!”
“Glenda! How did you move Diane’s body?”
“In Augie’s truck. He has an open utility trailer hooked on the back. I drove her up there, brought her to an isolated spot, then threw her over into the ravine. No one would have ever found her there if it wasn’t for your crazy dog.”
I was afraid to touch her. There was probably fentanyl all over. On my shoes and clothes. On the hardwood floor. It probably wafted through the air.
“Glenda, Doc and Dave have something that can reverse the effects. I’ve already called them.” At that moment, I felt very sorry for Glenda. She must have been terrified. But there was some weird justice in Glenda suffering and knowing what Diane had gone through. Glenda was reaping what she had sown.
Dave and Dr. Engelknecht rushed into the inn together. I stepped aside to make room for them. Dr. Engelknecht pulled out a syringe and plunged it into Glenda’s arm.