Sunflowers and Sabotage

by London Lovett

  Carrie pulled a price list out of a drawer and handed it to me. I decided to use my last few minutes in the shop wisely.

  "Thank you, this will help. How is Melody doing? I was reading in the paper about the murder at the dog show. It mentioned that she was the person to discover the body. Was she good friends with the lady who was killed?"

  Carrie was young, maybe nineteen. It was possible she hadn't worked long at the salon. The grim topic didn't seem to change her demeanor. "I guess she's all right. Melody has hardly talked about it. We've been pretty busy. Ellen was an occasional customer, but I don't think they were friends or anything. Is that all you need?" Just as she asked it, the dog started up its shrill concert.

  I lifted the paper and nodded. "Yes, thanks," I said loudly and walked out the door.

  Chapter 33

  The rest of the day was taken up by an excited bride-to-be looking for the perfect floral arrangements for her December wedding. After much consideration, she decided on large bouquets overflowing with red roses and white anemones held together by pale wintergreen eucalyptus leaves. It was the perfect choice for her winter wedding.

  Ryder took off an hour before closing to help Lola rearrange her store back to the way it looked pre-parent visit. Apparently, she and her mom had vastly different opinions on the flow and layout of an antique shop.

  By the time the bride left the flower shop, the sun was setting and Lola's Antiques was dark and closed for the night. Elsie and Les had closed up for the night too. The lingering aromas of freshly brewed coffee and fresh baked goods had floated up and away leaving me with just the floral perfume that was a permanent part of the shop atmosphere.

  I walked into the office to finish up a few things on the computer. With my afternoon taken up by wedding bouquets, I hadn't had a chance to think about my trip to Chesterton. I certainly hadn't stumbled upon anything earth shattering, but my mind kept popping back to the trick Melody and her assistant used to quiet down barking dogs. It was rather coincidental that the person who sabotaged the dog show just happened to use peanut butter, knowing that Belvedere would spend a good deal of time obsessively licking his teeth and gums to finish off the sticky mess. Most people, even non-dog people, knew that it was rather comical to watch a dog eat peanut butter. I'd had more than one viral peanut butter dog video pushed my way. I'd even seen it on a peanut butter commercial. But if I were trying to ruin a dog's chance at first place in a dog show, I doubt my mind would go straight to peanut butter. A couple of cats or a recorded fire truck siren or even a dog whistle but peanut butter wouldn't even make the top three on my list.

  The bell on the door clanged. I was regretting not turning over the closed sign and locking the door when I'd walked back to the office. I headed to the front and was more than surprised to find Avery Hinkle standing in the center of my store. From the harsh expression on her face, she wasn't there to buy flowers.

  "Just who do you think you are?" she blurted before I could even say hello. "I know the detective introduced you as his assistant, but why on earth are you going around Chesterton asking people about me?" She walked straight toward me at an angry enough pace that Kingston woke from his nap. He danced nervously across his perch as he sensed the tension in the room.

  "I wasn't asking about you so much as I was trying to find out details about the day of the murder." I spoke calmly, hoping some of it would rub off on her, but her nostrils flared wider and she moved closer. Her eyes flicked toward Kingston. She didn't look too thrilled about being stared at by a seemingly agitated crow. I wondered briefly if Kingston was the only thing keeping her from hauling off and hitting me. I'd seen her temper in full action at the show. I was getting a second view of it right in my own shop.

  Avery pointed a long pink nail at me. Her finger came close enough that it nearly touched my nose. "Vivian said you've been asking about me. Then Barrett calls to let me know the lady who was with the cop at the dog show was snooping around the feed store pretending to look for dog shampoo."

  "Actually, I was looking for a shampoo that didn't make me sneeze." She saw right through my thin lie.

  "Really." She pointed at Kingston. He sat up at attention. "Because I don't think crows need dog shampoo. And who keeps a creepy crow in a flower shop?" She paused and looked his direction. "Is he dangerous?"

  "He can be if he thinks someone is threatening me." I decided to keep up the guise that Kingston could somehow protect me. Anger was still coming off of her in waves.

  She leaned forward and pulled her lips in tight. "He better not come near me. And you better stay far away from my friends. The police have already questioned everyone. No more sneaking around, trying to pin this murder on me. I've already told the police I didn't do it."

  I shrugged. It had been a long day, and her rudeness and threats were starting to irritate me. "Well then, that's that. I guess since you've declared yourself innocent, the police should just look elsewhere. After all, that's usually how it works."

  "I am innocent. First, Ellen robbed me of the trophy, then someone decided to kill her because she's a cheat. She has cheated a lot of people out of their businesses and money. I didn't kill Ellen, but I'm certainly not crying tears for her. I'm just wondering what your part is in all this? Why are you so interested in the case?"

  "As Detective Briggs said, I'm his assistant. I have a skill that comes in handy when evidence is being collected. I help the police out on murder cases."

  Avery was, in general, an attractive woman, but rage did not look good on her. Her whole face bunched up and turned into a puffy red tomato. "I think your only skill is being nosy. Stay away from my friends and stop asking questions about me."

  She moved closer. I instinctively stepped back.

  Knowing she had scared me, made her grin wickedly. "Unless you are officially part of the police force, I don't want to hear that you've been around any of my friends again."

  "Have you ever heard the phrase 'methinks the lady doth protest too much'?"

  Avery's angry face contorted to confusion. Obviously, the woman had never been asked to read Hamlet in high school.

  The confusion was quickly washed away by more anger. "I don't know what you're getting at with your gibberish."

  "I think Shakespeare might have a quibble with you calling his words gibberish, but I suppose I should tell you that I don't think you killed Ellen. And I don't think Ellen gave Belvedere peanut butter. The person who killed Ellen and the person who ruined your chances at a trophy are one in the same. At least, that is my theory, but since you want me to back off and stay away from the case, I'll just keep my well-founded suspicions locked up right under my nosy nose." I turned the invisible key.

  Some of the color had drained from her ruddy complexion. "What do you mean? Of course Ellen gave peanut butter to Belvedere. She wanted the trophy. She knew the only person she had to beat was me. She's the one who benefited the most."

  "I guess that's the simple truth then. Ellen gained the most from your dog losing the trophy, so she must have given him the peanut butter." I was probably toying too much with a woman who obviously had the temper of a storm at sea, but she had been far too rude to deserve any kind of civilized discussion.

  "Of course she did it," Avery said, sounding a little unsure. I leaned back from a small spray of spittle that flew from her lips. "She was the only person with motive."

  "So there was no one else at the dog show that day who might hold a grudge or dislike you for some reason?" (I, myself, could think of a lot of reasons to dislike Avery.)

  Her mouth pursed and her face reddened. We were back to full anger. "I'm highly respected with the dog show set. No one would have purposefully caused Belvedere to lose except Ellen."

  "Then who hated Ellen enough to kill her? The entire show audience saw you yelling at Ellen. I suppose you can see why the police were questioning you."

  Avery's angry words got tangled on her tongue. "I told you, they've questioned me, and I didn't do it.
Don't you dare think about accusing me again."

  "That wasn't an accusation. As I told you before, I don't think you killed Ellen. Just like I don't think Ellen gave Belvedere peanut butter." I'd had enough of the conversation. She was too angry to even hear my words.

  "This has been a lovely chat," I said with a good dollop of sarcasm. "I'm about to close up for the night."

  For a brief, scary second, I thought she wasn't going to leave. What if my new theory was wrong and Avery had killed Ellen? The murder was particularly vicious and calculated. Avery's temper made her a bit more suspect. What if I was staring down a killer? I weighed my options for escaping a brutal attack. There weren't many except screaming and fighting back.

  I released a breath when Avery turned sharply on her heels and marched to the door. "Just stay out of my life," she said with a fierce scowl before walking out.

  I wasted no time locking up.

  Chapter 34

  A low thud sounded on the bottom of the door. After my unsettling visit from Avery, I made sure to peek through the peephole. Briggs was holding a bottle of wine and a bucket of fried chicken with his left arm, leaving him with no hand to knock.

  I pulled open the door and took the bucket of chicken from his hand.

  "I had to kick the door because I was without a knocking hand," he said as he carried the bottle of wine to the table.

  "Yes, I puzzled that out before I opened the door." I went to the kitchen to pull down a few plates and glasses.

  "So, the higher ups have told me I can't go back on duty until all the stitches are out."

  I spun around with the plates. "Of course you can't. Did you actually call and try to get off of sick leave? You, my friend, are married to your job." I put the plates on the table. "How on earth would you be able to do police work when knocking on a door is a chore?"

  "I blame that on the bucket of chicken. I wasn't planning to go out on patrol. I was just hoping to comb through some cases and analyze evidence."

  I grabbed a corkscrew from the kitchen drawer. I was known for my complete destruction of a cork before actually getting it open, so the job always fell to Briggs. We both stared at the tightly sealed wine bottle for a few seconds.

  "I think I have a few of your beers in the fridge," I suggested.

  "That's probably easier than watching you massacre a plug of cork."

  I walked back to the refrigerator, pulled out a beer and returned to the table.

  I sat down across from him. "I know this has been a big setback for you, James, but I have to say, having you off work and free to come over in the evening for dinner has been pretty cool. Normally, you're so busy, we're lucky if we can squeeze in a rushed lunch at Franki's. Guess that makes me seem selfish but I don't care. I like getting to see you more."

  His smile over a bucket of fried chicken was extra wonderful. "I have to agree, it has been one of the perks of getting hurt. Now if I could just find something to keep me from going stir crazy when I'm sitting at home."

  I plucked a drumstick out of the bucket. "Well, if you want to be part of my unofficial investigation into the dog show murder, I've got a few new details."

  "Why am I not surprised? By the way, Officer Burke caught me up on the official investigation today. Although, based on your cute, smug grin, something tells me the unofficial one is already miles ahead of the official one. What have you found out?"

  I shook my head. "Nope, since you brought up the official investigation, you first. I want to hear if we're on the same path."

  "It seems they are focused on Avery Hinkle. She was seen screaming and yelling at the victim just hours before because she lost the dog show." He smirked. "Can you imagine risking life in prison because of a dog show trophy? Anyhow, turns out the bag used to suffocate Ellen had Avery's fingerprints all over it."

  "Yes because it belonged to her," I interjected. "That doesn't seem too solid in the evidence department."

  "Then there's the fact that she was seen near Ellen's trailer. And the girl who was walking the dog—I forget her name."

  "Melody," I said.

  Briggs grunted in frustration. "See, my mind is slipping because I'm not working. The same thing happened to my grandfather. He retired from his job as an air traffic controller and two months later, he could hardly remember my name."

  I tilted my head. "James, don't be silly. A few weeks off from work is not going to send you straight into dementia. You've probably still got a few good years left before you start leaving your car keys in the freezer."

  "Thanks, that's reassuring. Anyhow, Melody, the dog walker, said she handed Avery the leash while they were behind the trailer. Then Melody walked away, leaving Avery alone."

  Melody had given the police the perfect set up. She told them she handed the leash to Avery and then walked away, leaving Avery alone at the scene of the crime. I decided to let my own theory percolate a bit longer.

  "Do they have anything else connecting Avery to the murder?" I asked.

  Briggs shook his head as he nibbled a wing. He grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth and fingers. "They've got motive and the bag and witnesses that saw her near the trailer, but it's a flimsy case at the moment. Burke said he interviewed a few people who know Avery well. They can all attest to the fact that she has a short fuse and terrible temper."

  "I'll say." The affirmation slipped out before I could stop it. I peered up to see if Briggs had noticed. He had. Naturally.

  "What do you mean? Did you have an encounter with Avery?"

  "Yes, well no, it's just that—" I was sounding like a teenager trying to explain why I was out way past curfew. I straightened my posture and cleared my throat, giving me a chance to collect myself. "I told you I was at the dog show." I broke eye contact and fiddled with my napkin, a rookie mistake. "I saw Avery lose her temper when Ellen won the trophy. That's the only encounter, and it wasn't really an encounter but more of an observation."

  Briggs sat silently across the table, letting me stew in my own dishonesty. He knew I was a terrible liar. I was even worse when I was sitting across from his thoughtful yet inquisitive detective face. And those dark brown eyes.

  "What about the other encounter?" he asked.

  I shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal."

  "Ah ha, so there was another encounter. I knew it." He rewarded his cleverness with a drink of beer.

  "You tricked me," I said. "I don't think I have to tell you anything since you used your detective dark arts to pry the confession out of me."

  He laughed. "It was hardly dark arts. Let's just say, I know when Lacey Pinkerton, the world's worst liar, is, in fact, lying." He leaned back against his chair. "Why don't you tell me about the encounter."

  I sighed. "Fine. But it was no big deal. I wasn't in any danger. Besides, my trusty bird with his menacing beak kept a watchful eye . . . " my voice trailed off as I realized my words were sending a shot of adrenaline through him.

  The table wobbled as he sat forward. "What do you mean you weren't in danger and King was keeping an eye on you? Did Avery Hinkle attack you?" His jaw was doing the tiny twitch thing it did when he was upset.

  "No, James, she didn't attack me. At least not physically. Thankfully. Avery Hinkle barged into the shop this evening when I was about to close up. She'd heard I was talking to her boyfriend and Vivian at the dog boutique. She asked in very unfriendly terms for me to stop."

  "Explain very unfriendly terms, Lacey."

  "There were a few baseless threats like 'you better stay out of my business' and things like that," I talked airily to let him know I wasn't the least bit scared of her intrusion, even though it definitely shook me up. "She is still convinced that Ellen gave her dog peanut butter before the show."

  "Which shows she's still obsessing about it. I want you to stay clear of this case until they bring her in and press charges. You saw what she did to Ellen. She is obviously capable of cold-blooded murder. I'm not kidding, Lacey. You need to just drop this one and let the police h
andle it." He pulled out his phone.

  "Who are you calling?" I asked.

  "I'm calling Burke. I'm going to have him interview you so you can tell him the details of your encounter with Miss Hinkle." He held the phone and tried to swipe through his contact list with his left hand but wasn't having much luck. "Darn it. Why can't I figure out how to swipe with my useless left thumb?"

  I reached over and patted his arm. "Wait, James. Put the phone down and hear me out. I haven't told you all the things I've found out about the murder. Yes, she has a terrible temper and motive and opportunity, but I don't think Avery Hinkle killed Ellen Joyner."

  Briggs lowered his phone and looked up with a questioning brow. "No? Who do you think did it? The couple that lost the lawsuit seemed to have an airtight alibi."

  "It wasn't the Cramptons. I think Melody Langley, the woman who"—I held up air quotes—"discovered the body, killed her. It was actually a fairly clever plan, look distressed and despondent and rightfully horrified about finding Ellen on the floor of her trailer with a bag over her head. It took any possible suspicion away from Melody. After all, how many times does the murderer actually pretend to find the victim?"

  He moved his head side to side. "It happens occasionally. Especially when it's a murder within the same house. But go on. I want to hear why you think Melody killed Ellen."

  "Not only did she kill Ellen but she also sabotaged the dog show. Melody is the one who gave Belvedere peanut butter. She knew Avery would throw a fit and a make a scene, which, in turn, would make her the logical suspect in Ellen's murder."

  There were so many fragments to pull together to make a cohesive story, I sensed Briggs was getting more confused.

  He shook his head. "Hold on. So Melody killed Ellen just to frame Avery?"

  "Oh no, not just to frame Avery. She definitely wanted to kill Ellen. It was a two for one kind of thing. She got rid of Ellen, and at the same time, with any luck, she would ruin Avery's life by letting her take the rap for murder."