Murder So Deadly

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  “Scandal? Death? Mean people?”

  I swirled the wine in my glass. “Mean people might be a stretch.”

  “I’ll do some research tomorrow and see what I can find out.”

  “Thanks.” I pulled Rob’s hand to my lips and kissed it. “What do you think your mother has been up to?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She borrowed my car before Richard died and disappeared for an entire day. And now she has yours.”

  “Do you want me to tell her to rent a car?”

  I pushed his shoulder. “Don’t be silly. It seems odd. Does she have friends here we don’t know about?”

  “Now that you mention it, it is strange. I’ll ask her. But I don’t know that I’ll get a lot out of her. As you have no doubt guessed, she’s a very private person.”

  The light from Ed and Andy’s back deck turned on. Andy appeared in the doorway and waved. “Can we join you?”

  “If you have folding chairs. Mine are still in storage.”

  He held up his finger and disappeared under the deck. A flashlight wobbled. He came back out and directed the flashlight on two chairs. “Success.”

  Ed walked out onto the deck, carrying a container and a supermarket bag. Andy waited for him, and they strolled across the alley and into my backyard. Rob retrieved two more glasses, as Andy unfolded the chairs.

  Ed plopped the bag on the table. “Cheesecake I didn’t take to the church fete. Anyone interested? It’s topped with cherries.”

  I held up my hand. “Talked me into it.”

  “Me too.” Rob poured wine into the glasses.

  Ed handed us pieces and picked up his wine glass. He toasted, “To a successful day.”

  I raised my glass, “To two hard workers, the church is lucky to have.”

  Andy said, “I’ll drink to that.”

  I put a bite of cheesecake in my mouth. “I’m going to need the recipe.”

  The outside light went on next door. Alex called, “Is it a party? Can anyone join?”

  I answered, “Yes to both questions. All you need is a lawn chair.”

  She bundled through the gate, chair in hand. Rob produced another glass. Ed asked, “Cheesecake?”

  She unfolded the chair, saying, “Of course. Isn’t it lovely tonight? No bugs yet and the faintest hint of chill still in the air. Won’t find me out here in late June.”

  I raised my glass, “To impromptu parties.”

  We drank. Alex lifted the plate to her nose and sniffed. “No nuts, right? Just want to be careful.”

  Ed smiled. “Smart to double-check. Just normal cheesecake ingredients and cherries.”

  She took a bite. “Yum. I probably could have tree nuts, but I don’t want to chance it.”

  “We missed you at the church fete today.” I placed my glass on the arm of the chair.

  “I had a show already scheduled that I couldn’t get out of. I would have much preferred to support the church by showing my art there.”

  “Ed and Andy did their usual great job moving people and their offerings to where they needed to be.”

  Andy raised his glass to me. “I had one of your meat pies. It was terrific.”

  Rob topped off the glasses. “Alex, where did you live before here?”

  “Oh, you know, here and there.” She tucked her foot underneath her.

  Ed said, “Alex once lived in San Diego. She used to surf.”

  My eyes widened. “I’ve never met a surfer before. Was it hard to learn?”

  “Patience is the key. You have to wait for the exact moment to strike. Many people are too eager, want immediate gratification. They don’t succeed. Its people like me, those who are willing hunker down, lie in wait, who get the best and longest rides.” She examined her glass.

  “Sounds like a life lesson more than just surfing.”

  Her blue eyes met mine. “I think so.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Drambuie stood on my chest, batting at my face. “What? It isn’t that late.” The clock rang nine. “Oops. I guess it is. Sorry.” I pulled on pants and a t-shirt and strolled down the stairs, yawning the whole way. I stabbed the coffee button with my finger. “Hurry up.”

  The cats continued weaving about my legs. I pulled out their food and scooped some into a bowl. “Here. Let it be noted that you are fed before I’ve had my first coffee.” Unconcerned, they abandoned their dance, and within seconds, both faces were head down in their bowls.

  I poured the coffee and sighed as I had my first sip. I wandered toward the bay window and parted the curtains. Alex gathered her art supplies. She folded the easel and ducked back into the house. I guess the early morning light was gone.

  I let go of the curtain, and it swung back into place. There was a swift knock at the door, and Rob walked in carrying donuts. I took the bag. “Heaven. Is there an old fashioned plain in here?”

  He stepped back, hand to his heart. “Would I dare come in without one?”

  “Then you may have coffee.” I gestured toward the pot.

  He retrieved a mug and poured. “I have to get back to my place in a few minutes. I told Mother that I was going for a walk.”

  My right eyebrow lifted.

  “I needed some space. I tried asking her what she’d been up to lately, and she got offended. She told me that she was over seventy, and she didn’t have to account for her time to a son who’s slightly north of forty.”

  “Oh my.”

  “Yes. I told you asking questions never goes well with her.” He sat at the table, dug out a cruller, and took a bite.

  “Maybe I should try it. Is she going to church with us today?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll take her to lunch afterward. Maybe she’ll be in a good mood and talk.”

  He put the last of the donut in his mouth and kissed my cheek. “I love your optimism. See you at ten-thirty.”

  I broke off a piece of the plain donut and tossed it in my mouth. The clock rang ten. I leaped up. A quick shower, some hurried dressing, and I was out the door.

  After church, Wanda and I strolled to the Golden Skillet. The hostess led us to a booth toward the rear of the restaurant. I slid in so that the back of my head faced the door. On a busy Sunday, I hoped there’d be fewer interruptions if people didn’t see me.

  We ordered, and the food was delivered quickly. Wanda got her usual yogurt parfait, and I opted for the banana French toast. I bathed it in butter and syrup. Wanda gasped, “Merry, dear if you continue to eat like that, you’ll be as big as a house.”

  I cut a piece. The aroma of warm bananas and vanilla made my mouth water. I took a bite. “It’s wonderful. Would you like some?”

  Her lips pursed. She shook her head and bent toward her yogurt.

  “Thanks for coming with me. I thought it would be good to have some time to chat.”

  She stirred her parfait, blending the fruit, yogurt, and nuts. Her eyes lifted to mine. “Chat?”

  “Yes. You’ve been in town for a few weeks. Have you made any new friends?”

  She put the spoon down. “My husband died, and I’ve been charged with his murder. It’s hardly the time for me to be making friends.”

  I slid the whipped cream topping off my plate and onto a smaller dish. There was such a thing as gilding the lily. “Of course. I just wondered what you’ve found to do. It seems like you’re filling your days.”

  She pushed the parfait away. “What I do is my business.” She stood. “Thank you for brunch.” She stalked out the door.

  I sighed, cut another piece of French toast, and swirled it in the syrup pooling on the plate.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  “I told you she was sensitive.” Rob passed me a dish to put away.

  “But where has she been? We still don’t know.”

  “She asked to borrow my car again at three.” He bent to pull the silverware holder from the dishwasher, placing it on the counter.

  “Should we follow her?”

  H
e sorted the silverware into the drawer. “Yep. But there’ll be hell to pay if she catches us.”

  I slid the glasses into the cupboard. “But then at least we’d know.”

  “Better get going.” He picked up his phone.

  We drove to his house, gliding to a stop two houses down from his. He said, “Kind of reminds me of the time we trailed Paula Sanders.”

  “Let’s hope it works out better than when Patty and I trailed those two guys who worked for Richard.”

  “That’s not funny. I hate when you put yourself at risk.” He pointed toward his house, where his car backed out of the garage. “And here we go.”

  I waited until she had turned on to the main street to follow. Two cars went by after her, and then I pulled out. She paused at the stoplight to turn left. Luckily another car sat behind her. I pulled into the turn lane, and the light changed. She and the car in front went, and then the green arrow disappeared. Oncoming traffic ensued, and five cars went by before I was able to turn. I sped up.

  Rob pointed toward a car in the distance. “I think that’s her. Good thing she’s stuck behind that big piece of planting equipment.” We joined the line of cars waiting to pass the slow-moving piece of farm machinery. “Her turn signal is on. I think she’s going to get on the highway.” She turned onto the entrance ramp. A few other cars followed, and then I was able to make the same turn.

  She stayed in the right-hand lane. I said, “It doesn’t look like she’s going to stay on long.” The sign for the next exit appeared, and her turn signal flashed. “I guess we’re getting off here.” I made the turn. She waited at the stop sign and then turned right. “It looks like she knows where she is going.”

  I crept along behind her. A sign for an animal shelter appeared, and she turned into the parking lot. It was a squat building, with a large gray door in the center. The dark brown exterior had cute yellow cat and dog paw prints decorating the front.

  Pulling in behind her, I parked on the other side of the lot. She primped for a few minutes and then left the car. It beeped as she locked it. “Looks like it’s going to be a while.” I turned off the car. “Is your mother an animal lover? I don’t think she’s ever petted my cats, and they are pretty cute.”

  “She’s never been big on animals. My sister begged for a dog, but she never allowed us to get a pet. Not even a hamster.”

  “Should we go in? We could pretend to be looking for a new furball.”

  “The place doesn’t look that big. She’s sure to see us.”

  The side door opened. An older gentleman in a white coat exited, arm-in-arm, with Rob’s mother. She was smiling at him.

  My mouth dropped. “Is this number six? And it looks like he’s a vet. I hope she’s changed her mind about animals.”

  They climbed into what looked like a brand new gunmetal gray Mercedes roadster. Wanda pulled a scarf from her purse and secured her hair. Rob’s eyes widened, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Mother in a convertible before.”

  “Should I follow?”

  “Please do.”

  I let them exit the lot and waited for a few cars. Then I made a sharp turn back onto the road. We wound around the curving tree-lined boulevard until the Mercedes made a right hand turn onto a cobblestone drive. The car paused as ornate black steel gates swung inward. I passed the driveway and pulled over a few hundred feet ahead. The house was on a hill in the distance, about an acre distant. It looked like one of those expensive Tudors you’d find on the Main Line in Philadelphia, but a lot larger. Massive timbers highlighted the front elevation and included a lovely arch that the Mercedes passed through moving toward where I assumed the garages would be.

  I waited for a moment and then made a U-turn. I passed the drive again, but more slowly. Rob took a picture of the house number welded into the gate and then used Google Maps to find out what street we were on. I continued to drive. When I spied a coffee shop in the distance, I pointed. “Let’s stop there.”

  Rob’s face had a pinched look. “Okay.”

  I put the car in park. “What do you think that’s all about?”

  He got out of the car. “It looks like Mother has found her next ex.” He shook his head, frowning. “One would think that she’d wait for Richard’s body to be colder before she moved on. Plus, with all the money she’s getting, I thought she might swear off men for a while.”

  We ordered two coffees. I handed one to Rob. “What’s next?”

  “I’m going to find out who this guy is. His house looks far too fancy for a country veterinarian.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I started dinner while Rob set the table. The cats watched me wash the chicken, ever hopeful. His phone dinged. He held it out to me. It was from his mom: “Dinner out tonight. Back by eleven.”

  “I guess I need one less plate.” He put the extra back in the cupboard.

  I basted the chicken thighs with a honey-soy glaze and slid the pan into the oven. “We have about forty-five minutes. What did you find out about your mother’s new friend?”

  “I need a glass of wine. Would you like one?” I retrieved two wine glasses.

  We sat next to each other on the sofa, and Rob put his arm around me. “It turns out the guy was a Wall Street trader who was a wunderkind. He made a boatload of cash and then hung it up when he turned fifty. Apparently, his dream was always to work with animals. So he enrolled in veterinary school at fifty-five. He owns the place we saw. He employs several other vets and technicians, and his clients give him five-star ratings.”

  “It’s nice that he loves animals. Maybe he’s a nice guy.”

  His fingers tightened on the wine glass. “I don’t care if he’s Gandhi. She should have waited. At least another month or so.” He put the glass down. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be such a downer, but she’s under suspicion of murder. How will the police feel when they find out she has another one on a string?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Or even worse, if they find out she was seeing him before Richard died. She’s a pain, but she’s my mother. I don’t want her to go to jail.”

  I put my arm around his waist and pulled him close. “How are the police going to find out about it? He lives a half-hour away. And she’s not going to tell anyone; she hasn’t even told you.”

  He kissed my forehead. “You’re right. I’m probably worrying over nothing.”

  “I need to get the rice going. Do you want to put together a salad?”

  “You got it.”

  Jenny pounded down the stairs. “When’s dinner?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  She sat at the table. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “We’ve got it.”

  She scrolled on her phone. “Huh.”

  I stirred the rice and covered it. “Huh, what?”

  “It’s strange, that’s all.”

  “Jenny, stop being so cryptic. What’s strange?”

  She walked over to the stove. “Look.”

  “What am I looking at?”

  “Jacob’s dad and mom went to some charity thing tonight to benefit animal shelters in the area.” She put the phone in my hand. “Here. Doesn’t that look like Mr. Jenson’s mom? And who’s the guy she’s clinging to?”

  Wanda’s face was tipped toward her new beau; her expression was like the one Nancy Reagan wore when she looked at Ronnie.

  Rob took the phone from me and enlarged the picture. “Yep. That’s Mom. And the vet. Hopefully, no one from the police will see this.”

  Jenny took back her phone. She scrolled through a few more photos and handed it back. A picture of Jay and his wife Barbara stared back at us. I gulped.

  Chapter 9

  I hate Mondays. I scrolled through my calendar. Busy day. I gave my eyelashes a few licks of mascara and walked out the door.

  The redbuds were blooming, and the lilacs didn’t look like they’d be far behind. My breathing slowed, and I began to enjoy the walk. The woman at the end of the block had cut back her ornamental grasse
s and set wireframes on top of the peonies. They looked close enough to burst through in the next week or so. I made a mental note to get my frames out before it was too late.

  I walked into my office when Rob texted: “Lunch at my place with Mother?”

  “Fine. But I only have an hour.”

  I pushed through the door. People were hunched over their phones, beginning the day’s work. Cheryl followed me into my office. “I have news.”

  My eyebrow rose as I put my purse in a drawer. “Yes?”

  “My sister-in-law called. Your eventual mother-in-law is the talk of the police station.”

  I sat and extended my hand to the seat opposite. “Why?”

  “They said that Wanda attended the ‘Dollars Mean Happy Pets’ fundraiser last night.” She sank onto the chair and leaned closer to the desk. “She was there with someone.”

  “I saw the pictures. Their photographer must have been a busy beaver because she posted them as the party was going on. Don’t they usually do some editing? What if they got a donor’s bad side?”

  Her face fell. “You already knew?”

  “I knew that she was there, but I didn’t know that Wanda was the talk of the station.”

  “They’re saying this gives her an additional motive.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “I’m sure she just met him.”

  “From what I heard, they were very cozy for people who barely know each other.” Cheryl stood. “Here’s your call list today. Oh, and the Humphries will be by at ten to talk about moving to an auto plan that charges by the mile.”

  I took the list. “Got it. I need to leave by noon to go to Rob’s place. I should be back before my one o’clock appointment, but I’ll let you know if I’m delayed.”

  She shut the door behind her. I banged my head lightly on the desk. Love family. I picked up the phone and got on with my day.

  Before noon, I trudged out the door, dreading the conversation we were about to have. Put on your big girl pants. I sped up and knocked briefly at Rob’s front door before heading in.

  Wanda sat at Rob’s dining room table. Her eyebrows arched. “I didn’t know you were joining us for lunch. What a pleasant surprise.”

  Rob came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of sandwiches. “Thanks for coming.” He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and put down the platter. “I got an assortment of sandwiches, so you can choose the one you want.”