Murder So Deadly

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  “Late dinner?”

  The Lincoln pulled into the parking lot of the Pickled Herring and backed into a spot against the building. I turned to Patty. “I guess they like to make quick exits.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Let’s wait for a few minutes, and if they don’t come out, we’ll go in and have a drink at the bar.”

  “You’re paying.”

  I backed into a space toward the end of the lot. Patty looked at me. I huffed, “It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

  The car was facing the town square. Patty squealed, “Look. The tulips will be blooming soon.”

  There was a large garden dominating the open space. Volunteers from the chamber of commerce took turns, keeping it looking pristine. When the tulips bloomed, they spelled out Hopeful, the name of our town. “They’re going to be so pretty this year. I heard they went with strong reds. Along with the bright pink azaleas, they’ll look perfect.”

  “I love this time of year.” The car’s clock ticked forward. “They’ve been in there five minutes. I don’t think they’re coming out any time soon. Let’s go. We’ll sit on the side of the bar facing them. It doesn’t look like that many people are here.”

  Patty muscled the heavy door open. “I love the look of these old doors, but they’re a work-out.”

  I led the way into the dimly lit room. A large oval bar dominated the space, with gleaming mahogany counters. Our subjects sat on the right side of the bar. There were some seats on the left, so Patty and I climbed onto the bar stools. The bartender, Ann, was waiting on another customer, she served him a drink, and then came our way. “Hello, ladies. What can I bring you?”

  Patty said, “Merlot.”

  I nodded. “Same.”

  Ann poured two glasses and placed them in front of us. Then she went to the end of the bar and picked up two sandwiches. She set them in front of our quarry.

  Patty said, “Eating late.”

  “Looks that way.” I motioned for Ann.

  She came back. “What’s up? Is the wine off?”

  I shook my head. “No, but I would appreciate a glass of water.”

  Patty held up two fingers. Ann bent over for the soda hose. She dipped two glasses into the ice bin and pressed the water button. “Anything else?”

  I whispered, “Who are your two new friends?” She started to look over her shoulder. I touched her arm. “Don’t look.”

  “You mean the new guys on the other side of the bar?”

  I gave her a thumbs up.

  “The guy with the scar is Frank. His friend goes by Bud. They wanted to know if there were any new people in town.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “I mentioned Rob’s mother and her late husband—” she leaned closer—“They said they knew him. There’s also your new neighbor, the guy and his wife who moved into that house on Elm, and two sisters who are renting a house on Crescent. I told them I didn’t know everyone, but those were the people I could remember.”

  “Who bought the one on Elm? Was it the craftsman?”

  “A nice older couple. They came in the other day for sherry. It’s the gray house with the large square pillars.” She shined the top of the bar in front of us.

  “I’ll need to introduce myself.”

  Patty elbowed me. “Let’s keep on task, shall we?” She turned to Ann. “Did they say why they wanted to know?”

  “They said they were thinking of moving here and wanted to make sure it wasn’t one of those transient towns where people continually move in and out. They want to have some permanence.”

  Patty rolled her eyes. “Sure they do.”

  A customer at the end of the bar raised his glass. Ann picked up her rag. “Gotta go.”

  “What’s next?” Patty rolled and unrolled her paper napkin.

  “I don’t know. We could relax and finish our wine.”

  Ann stood back in front of us. “The gentlemen over there would like to buy you two a drink.” She moved to one side, and the goons waved at us.

  Patty lifted her left hand, pointed to her wedding ring, and mouthed, “Sorry.”

  They both turned to me. My face grew hot. I gave a quick shake of my head and studied the bar top.

  Ann said, “I guess that’s a no. I thought it might be.” She grinned and turned on her heel.

  I put money on the bar and stood. “Let’s go.”

  We slunk to the car. Patty laughed. “We were so inconspicuous that our targets offered to buy us a drink. I guess we shouldn’t plan on following anyone else.”

  I got into the car. “That was embarrassing. Although to look on the bright side, we haven’t lost it.”

  “What’s next? Are we going to continue to follow them?”

  “No. I’ll drop you home. I think it’s time to have a little talk with my favorite detective.”

  Chapter 6

  Saturday morning, I stretched and then began my cleaning routine. I started with my bathroom upstairs and worked my way from there. The vacuum cleaner accidentally bumped Jenny’s door. She swung it open. “Can’t a person get some sleep around here?”

  “It’s ten. You should be up.”

  “Read the articles, Mom. Teens need sleep.” She slammed the door. Feeling guilty, I left the vacuum in the hall and went downstairs to dust. I moved methodically, yet quietly, my routine well established. My phone dinged with a text from Jay. “Can meet you at two. Your place.”

  I put the dust cloth away and hurried into the kitchen. I set butter out to soften and assembled everything I needed for chocolate chip cookies. In the middle of mixing them, there was a knock at the back door. Rob walked in and gave me a big hug. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  I looked behind him. “Where’s your mother?”

  “She went shopping, thank God. I needed a break. I love her, but she drives me crazy.”

  “Uh-huh.” I kissed him.

  “Making cookies?”

  “Yes. Jay’s coming over at two.” I formed the cookies and placed them on the baking sheet.

  “Those aren’t all for him, are they?”

  I smiled. “There may be one or two left for you.”

  “Why is he coming over?”

  “Can you wait? I’ll rather tell you both at the same time. Did you have lunch?”

  “Not yet. Do you want to go out?”

  I shook my head. “I stocked up. Deli meat is in the fridge.” I put out bread, lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments. “Soda?” He nodded, so I poured him a cola.

  Jenny walked into the kitchen. “Lunch? Can’t we have breakfast?”

  “Breakfast was hours ago. Have lunch with us, or make yourself something.” I put the cookies in the oven and sat at the kitchen table.

  Rob joined me. “Jenny, what kind of sandwich would you like?”

  “Roast beef, I guess. Is there Swiss cheese?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lettuce, tomato, and mayo, please.” He handed her the finished product. She inspected it. “Looks good. Thanks.” She hopped up and retrieved chips. “My birthday’s coming up.”

  I paused, mid-bite. “Your birthday’s not until August. You still have a few months.”

  She picked up a chip. “I thought it would be nice to have a car for my last year of high school.”

  “The high school isn’t that far away. It’s better to stretch your legs and walk after sitting all day in class.”

  “Dad gave me a car.”

  Rob put his sandwich down. “Your father gave you a car that he bought with the money he swindled from other people. That’s why the FBI seized it.”

  I rubbed my neck. “Don’t remind me.”

  “At least I got to drive it once before they took it. I loved that car. Fire engine red. So hot.” She sat back in her seat. The timer rang. “I’ll check the cookies.”

  Jenny took the cookies out of the oven and put the tray on a cooling rack. “Anyway, it would be good to have a car.”

&nbs
p; “I’ll think about it. Don’t forget you may not be able to have a car as a freshman on some campuses.”

  “That’s more than a year away. And it’s something I can put on my criteria sheet for where I want to go.”

  Rob asked, “Criteria sheet?”

  Jenny held up the milk jug. “Anyone?” We both nodded, so she filled three glasses. She put several cookies on a plate and brought them over. “I’m listing out the most important things I’m looking for in a school. That way I’ll be able to cross-reference and compare the various schools.”

  He leaned forward. “What’s on your list?”

  “The typical stuff. Large school, small school, how close it is to home, if they specialize in something. That kind of thing.”

  “Sounds thorough. I’m impressed.”

  I interjected, “It’s becoming quite the spreadsheet. She even has pivot tables.”

  “Well if you decide to get her a car, I’d be happy to help her pick it out.”

  “Don’t you start.”

  Jenny stood and carried the plates to the sink. “I’m going to the park with Jacob. I’ll be back at five.” She stopped by Rob’s chair. “Thanks for the sandwich and for being on my side about the car.”

  He opened his mouth, and she trotted out the back door. He turned to me. “I hope you know I wasn’t taking sides.”

  “I know.” I rubbed his shoulder. “But next time don’t be so helpful.”

  “Okay.” He ate another cookie. “What time are we supposed to be at Ed and Andy’s tonight?”

  “Six.”

  “Thanks for asking them to invite my mother. I didn’t want to leave her alone.”

  “Let’s hope they’re still talking to us tomorrow.” I slapped my hand across my mouth. “Did I say that out loud?”

  He laughed. “Yes, you did. And I completely understand. This situation has been stressful for all of us, Mother included.”

  The door opened, and Jay walked in. “Oh, good. Chocolate chip. My favorite.” He glared at the empty carafe. “No coffee?”

  Rob leaped up. “Ready in a few.”

  Jay sat at the table. “Now what was it you wanted to tell me about?”

  “Do you remember the two huge guys from the funeral?”

  “Yeah. One guy had an ugly scar on his face.”

  “They’re still in town, staying at the motel.”

  He broke his chocolate chip cookie in two, and gooey strands of chocolate drooped. “These are great. Love homemade.” He lifted his eyes to mine. “Maybe they like antiques.”

  Rob poured the coffee. “Doubtful.”

  “Maybe they like opera too. Takes all kinds.” Jay sat back in his chair and shook his finger at me. “I know where you are going with this. You’re going to tell me that they murdered Richard.”

  I shook my head. “As far as I know, they weren’t in town yet. Kathy told me they worked for her father. Richard’s dying means they’re out of a job. I think they’re trying to figure out who killed Richard.”

  Jay stood. “We know who killed Richard. It was his wife. She inherits everything. And from what I’ve found out, that’s a lot. Somewhere north of ten mill.”

  Rob’s mouth dropped. “That much?”

  I sipped my coffee. “And she didn’t want to pay anything for catering.”

  “We’ve got the right person. I’m sorry that it’s your mom.” He nodded at Rob and left.

  Rob stood and then sat back down as if he were tethered to the chair by a bungee cord. He whispered, “She didn’t let on that it was quite so much. I wonder if she knew.”

  I placed my hand on top of his. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  “I can’t believe she killed him. My mother would never do that. But she’s changed so much. Do I really know her anymore?” His green eyes studied mine.

  “People don’t change that much.” I stood and hugged him.

  He put his arms around me. “The money gives her a heck of a motive.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Andy and Ed’s welcome party for Alex was in full swing when we got there. It was a balmy spring night, and the wide French doors to their back deck stood open to allow for better crowd flow. Rob, Wanda, and I scooted up the steps. I carried a chicken tetrazzini casserole, Rob had two bottles of wine, and Wanda a salad. I cut a path through the crowd to the kitchen. Ed gestured like an air traffic controller, instructing people where to put the food they brought. The kitchen island was draped with a sky blue cloth and white pedestals of varying heights, which displayed the potluck offerings for the evening. He waved me closer. “Put your hot dish over here—Wanda, is that a salad?”

  Her eyes widened at the commotion in the room. She stopped in her tracks. I placed my dish where instructed and turned to take the salad. “Here, Wanda. Let me.” I reached for the bowl.

  She let it go. “All this food.”

  I put the salad down. “Let’s try to make our way into the living room.” We squirmed through the various cliques that had formed. I introduced Wanda to several people, and at last, we found a spot near Patrick and Patty that wasn’t quite as congested. Rob wound his way to us, holding the wine glasses up over the fray.

  Patty said, “It’s nice that so many people turned out to meet Alex. Where is she, by the way?”

  I pointed toward the kitchen. “Over there. I’ll try to talk to her later. I guess we should have gotten here earlier.”

  “I’m not sure why we had to come at all. We could have had a nice quiet dinner on our own.” Wanda slid onto a chair someone had vacated for her.

  Rob handed her a glass of white wine. “If you get tired, you can always go back to Merry’s. She’ll give you the key.”

  Ed rang the dinner bell. “This is going to take some maneuvering, but the food is ready. Come when you want.”

  Several people strode toward the kitchen. I caught Rob’s eye. “Let’s wait for the frenzy to subside.”

  Alex walked toward us. “Whew. That kitchen is packed. Hope the fire marshal isn’t here!”

  I moved forward. “I don’t think you’ve met my boyfriend, Rob.” He held out his hand, and she shook it. “This is his mother, Wanda.”

  She waved. Wanda studied her. “You look so familiar. Have we met?”

  Alex shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “I’m sure I know you from somewhere.”

  “I guess I have one of those faces.”

  Rob broke in, “Merry tells me you’re an artist. She said you do landscapes.”

  “Yes. I love to paint. And this town has so many inspirational places.”

  Patrick chimed in, “Have you been to the oriental garden yet?”

  “Where is that?”

  “Just a short drive from town. I’d be happy to show you one day.”

  Wanda prodded me with her finger. “The line looks like it’s going down.” She stood. I gestured for Rob to take the lead.

  “We’re going to get in line if anyone would care to join us.”

  Alex said, “I’m going to mingle a bit longer.”

  “Lead the way,” Patty got in line behind me, and Patrick brought up the rear.

  As we entered the kitchen, Ed gestured for Wanda to go on one side of the island and Rob the other. “Everything looks so good,” I said. Ed moved me along.

  Plates full, Andy waved us to a table that had been vacated outside. “There are five seats here.”

  Rob moved past Andy. “You and Ed are so efficient. When are you going to eat?”

  He sighed. “When we get most of the people through. Have you seen Alex?”

  “She was in the living room. She said she’d be out later.”

  “She’s a regular social butterfly.” Two more people came out of the back door. He waved. “Over here. Someone can sit at the table, and the other person can sit on the step.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Rob and I collapsed on the sofa in my living room. “So many people,” I sighed.

  “It was fun t
hough.”

  “All except the part where your mom spit out Mary Jessup’s pie.”

  “In her defense, Mary had confused the salt for the sugar.”

  “It would have been nicer if she hadn’t demanded to know who made it.”

  “No argument here. Bailey’s?” He stood and strolled toward the liquor cabinet.

  “Would love some. Too bad the glasses are so tiny.”

  His eyebrow arched. “I could get you a larger glass.”

  “Kidding.”

  He sank onto the couch and pulled me close. “It sounds wrong to say this, but I’m glad Mother had a headache and went back to my place.” He lifted his glass, “To being alone.”

  “Jenny should be home from her date with Jacob soon.” I rested my head on his chest. “Tell me what it was like growing up. Your sister said your mother was different back then.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “She was. She used to be all soft round edges, and now she’s so brittle. Before my father died, she was fun and adventurous. She made up games for my sister and me to play.” He took a sip. “My father was the glue that held the family together. I became a reporter because of him. I always thought it was a noble profession. Shining a light into darkness and all that.”

  “He sounds like he was a good man.”

  “He was. I was away at school when he died. I kept thinking that I should have been there. That there might have been something I could have done. When they came to tell my mother, she was all alone. My sister and I were both a plane ride away. We came home as fast as we could, but she was somehow resentful that we weren’t there when it happened. It’s taken me quite a while to process all the bitterness and to realize that none of it was my fault. When I graduated from school, I took an overseas job. I think it was because I couldn’t bear to see the blame written on my mother’s face. This past week or so has been the longest time we’ve been together since he died.”

  “That’s so sad.” I stroked his face. “You don’t regret your career choices, do you?”