Murderous Heart

by Lynne Waite Chapman

  After leafing through the first magazine, I couldn’t bear sitting any longer. I took the coffee pot to the supply room, squirted in dish soap and filled it with hot water. While I ran a dishrag around the inside of the pot, chills tickled my spine. It was the sensation I sometimes experienced when I thought someone might be watching me. Also from my imagination when I’d read too many thrillers. I turned off the water and slowly twisted to glance over my shoulder.

  Ellen Felicity stood in the doorway. I jumped and hiccupped a little scream. The coffee pot slid from my hand and clattered into the sink. I grabbed it, turning it carefully to search for cracks or chips.

  When I returned my attention to the doorway, Ellen hadn’t moved. The chills now ran from my toes to the top of my head.

  “Whew. You startled me. With the water running, I didn’t hear you come in. It’s a good thing I didn’t break Rarity’s coffee pot.”

  Ellen remained still. She could outlast me in any silent debate. I wished I hadn’t watched a zombie movie the night before, and felt the need to break the trance. “Did you change your mind about taking the day off?” Dumb question. She would never work in the casual clothes she wore.

  Ellen continued the icy stare, making me so nervous I couldn’t think of anything else to say. So, I resorted to staring back at her.

  At last, when she decided to speak, I hardly recognized her voice. She’d lost the accent. “No, I’m not working, but I am here to take care of business.” While she’d never been a warm person, this had me feeling as if we’d stepped into a deep freeze.

  I forced myself to be nonchalant while praying she’d go away. “Oh. Okay.” I turned back to the sink and began to refill the coffee carafe. Feeling her eyes on my back, I couldn’t stand it any longer. The pot was only half full, but I jerked it from the sink and pivoted to carry it to the coffee bar.

  Ellen stood her ground and blocked the door.

  “Excuse me. I’ll get the coffee started. Sounds good on a chilly day like today, doesn’t it?”

  “Put it back on the counter.” Her voice echoed flat, reminding me of the zombie queen of the night before.

  No more of those movies.

  I had more than a tickle in my spine, now. My whole body was sending off electric shocks. “Um, okay. But I should get to the reception desk in case someone needs help.”

  “That won’t be a problem. I locked the door and hung out the closed sign.”

  Crap.

  “That isn’t wise, is it? What if someone wants to buy hair spray or make an appointment?”

  Ellen lifted her right hand. Light reflected from the blades of her haircutting shears. Very long and very sharp.

  She spoke, again, in that creepy zombie voice. “You can tell me right now and we won’t have any trouble.”

  My eyes were riveted on the blades of her shears. “I don’t understand. Tell you what?”

  “Don’t try to kid me. You know what I’m asking. Where did you put the photo album? You’ve hidden it. I searched every inch of your house and I couldn’t find it.”

  “What photo album? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I’m not a good liar.

  “Now you’re making me angry. I know you have the book. You and that friend of yours talked about it right in front of me. I bet you had quite a laugh when you saw my husband’s picture. Did you enjoy ridiculing me and Teddy?”

  “Teddy? I don’t know any Teddy. Yes, we talked about an album, but we didn’t laugh at anyone. I would never ridicule you.”

  “I’m being patient with you. Don’t try to bluff me. You knew Teddy was my husband. He was at your house.”

  If she was exhibiting patience, it seemed to be wearing thin. Her breathing steadily accelerated, and a blush crept from her neck to her cheeks.

  I was feeling a bit over-heated, myself.

  “He is a kind man, so unsophisticated. It’s an attractive quality, and women always take advantage of him. That Utkin woman seduced my man. She got to him in a weak moment, and she took pictures. Then, she demanded our money to keep quiet.”

  “Your husband was at my house? I don’t know who you mean. Didn’t even know you were married.”

  Ellen began breathing even faster, spewing out words. “You keep lying to me! He was there, working on that tree of yours. You probably flirted with him, too. He spent a week working for you, much longer than necessary.”

  Ellen never moved. How could she breathe so hard and not blink? The crime-fighting women in my favorite novels would think of something clever to say, to deescalate the situation.

  “My tree? Oh, you mean Ted the handyman? That Teddy is your husband? I didn’t know you two were married. That’s nice. He seems like a nice man.”

  Not particularly clever, and not successful in calming her. After that attempt, I couldn’t think of anything other than her cold eyes and the pointy shears in her hand.

  “Ha! Now I know you’re trying to play me. You knew. That’s why you hired him. I kept our marriage a secret, but everybody says you’re a detective. I should have known I had to be careful around you.”

  In a flash of detective brilliance, I thought I’d use the truth to sway her. “Nope. I didn’t know you were married. You’re correct, though, I found a photo album. But Ted wasn’t in it. At least, I never saw his picture. I just leafed through the photographs. There were so many, and I didn’t recognize the men. Except one. And it wasn’t Ted. It was another guy in town.”

  “Give me the book.”

  “I don’t have the book. You know I don’t. You searched my house.”

  “That other woman. Your friend. No wonder I couldn’t find it. She has it.” Ellen raised her arm with the shears pointed at me. “Call her. Tell her to get over here right away, and to bring the album.”

  “No. Anita doesn’t have the book. We wanted the police to find it so we left it at Valentina’s and wrote a note telling them to search the house.”

  Ellen’s scream bounced off the walls in the small room. Her eyes weren’t cold anymore. They were flaming. “The police? You gave it to the police? It’ll be in the newspaper. Everyone will know.”

  So much for deescalating the situation.

  I pushed the small of my back against the sink. “You didn’t hear me correctly. We didn’t give it to them. I’m sure it’s still in the drawer at Valentina’s house. You can go over and get it. I won’t say anything. I didn’t want the police to know I was there, anyway.”

  For a moment, my attention was drawn away from the blades in her hand. A strange thing had happened to Ellen’s hair. It was all out of place, standing at frizzy angles. Those normally sleek blond tresses grew fluffier and wilder as she ranted. Her cheeks flamed and her eyes were more red than blue.

  “Teddy told me about the picture that Utkin woman took of them together, but he didn’t know where it was. Then I heard you talking about the photo album, and I knew. You talked about it right here in the salon, knowing I could hear you. You and that friend of yours were taunting me. You knew all along. Did you enjoy embarrassing me because my husband had an affair?” Ellen advanced toward me, swinging the shears and slicing the air. If the blades had slipped from her hand, I’d have been pinned to the wall.

  It was then I became aware of the coffee pot, still clenched in my sweaty hand, so I shoved it at Ellen with as much force as I could muster. She stumbled backwards, struggling to maintain her footing.

  The pot crashed, sending splintered glass skittering across the floor. I took the opportunity to push around Ellen and shove her to the wall.

  I hustled through the salon and gave the front door a yank, almost dislocating my shoulder because it was locked. As I fumbled, trying to release the bolt lock, I could hear the rat-a-tat-tat of footsteps behind me. She was close, so I gave up on the lock and spun around in time to see the crazed woman lunge at me. I leapt out of her path and vaulted to the back of the reception desk. She came after me, and we danced back and forth around the desk. Every few second
s, Ellen swung the shears at me. With each swing, the blades came within inches of slashing my face. I reached for the phone several times, but Ellen swung the shears before I could lay a hand on it.

  In a desperate search of a better offensive plan, I slowed my retreat. As my assailant caught up with me, I waited until she was close enough to shove the desk chair at her. Caught off guard, she stumbled over it. This gave me a chance to grab the shears from her hand. In perfect choreography, I stuck out my foot. Ellen tripped and tumbled to the floor. I took my chance to straddle her, pinning her down, while I tossed the weapon across the room.

  Ellen let out a breath and with it the fight seemed to leave her. She lay still, so I reached for the phone and dialed the Evelynton Police department.

  When I replaced the receiver, she lifted her head. “Get off me.”

  “No.”

  While we waited for the shrill whine of the sirens, I thought I’d reason with her. “I promise I didn’t know your husband’s picture was in that book. How would I know you were married? You never talked to me. And you must admit he doesn’t seem to be your type.”

  Ellen’s pretend accent suddenly returned. “My husband was always extremely handsome. But after that Utkin woman trapped him, he lost all sense of himself. He let his appearance go. He gained weight. When he lost his job at the phone company, he tried selling cars, but he’s not a salesman. Then he tried other employment and discovered a gift for odd jobs. He was so happy, until Valentina started taking our money. Teddy would never be a high-income earner. But he worked hard at anything he could find in order to earn a living. I always knew it was up to me to save us.”

  “She blackmailed you. You could have reported her to the police.”

  “The police? And let the whole town know our problems? Never! But because of you, everyone will find out and be gossiping about us.”

  The conversation had taken a wrong turn, and I wasn’t convinced I could keep Ellen on the floor if she got riled again. “Oh. I see what you mean. There are a lot of gossips in this town. But don’t worry about me, I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  Ellen wasn’t listening. Just as well, since I wasn’t making much sense. She continued. “I had to re-invent myself so I could earn enough money to save our house. Had to show people I was a better hair stylist than anyone else in town, or in the state. I changed everything—my appearance, personality, my voice, because I knew I could earn enough to pay all our bills. Then we would live in the way we deserved. Soon, I’ll have women coming from all over the country for my styling expertise.”

  “That dream may be over. You might want to set more obtainable goals, now. The police are on the way.”

  Ellen began to struggle again. “It doesn’t have to be over. If you’d let me up and forget what’s happened I can still make it.”

  Her wiggling almost toppled me, so I threw myself over her, spread-eagled to pin her arms and legs. “I’m sorry Ellen. I can’t let you go. You killed a woman.”

  “What? I did not kill Valentina Utkin. Whoever it was did me a favor. They did the whole town a favor. She was a wicked woman and deserved murdering.”

  Sirens sounded on the street. I uttered a prayer of thanks that help would arrive at any moment.

  “It’s over Ellen. The authorities are here. There’s no way out. Things will go easier for you if you confess.”

  Guess I shouldn’t have said that. She started to push against me again. “Let me go. That woman deserved to die. She took advantage of my man. As if that wasn’t enough, she tried to ruin us. We gave her everything to keep her quiet. My poor love drained our savings in order to pay her. All because he didn’t want to let me know how he’d failed me. When there was nothing left, he had to tell me the whole story.”

  I heard a squad car screech to a halt in front of the salon.

  “The woman was despicable. I could have murdered her—should have. But I didn’t get the opportunity. All I did was tell my Teddy to let her know it was over. There was no more money.”

  Banging on the door told me the police had arrived. I looked up to see Amos Smith peering through the glass. He pointed at the latch. I shrugged in response, still holding Ellen’s arms. It seemed to me he could see that if I got up, she would be free to batter me with whatever happened to be within reach.

  Amos continued to tap on the door and indicate I should unlock it.

  Crap. With a deep breath, I let go of Ellen and jumped to my feet. I ran to the door. This time the bolt released. When I looked back at Ellen, there was nothing to worry about. She was still on the floor, kicking her feet, and sobbing.

  Officer Smith helped her to her feet and pulled handcuffs from his back pocket. She obediently placed her hands behind her back. “Officer, this is a mistake. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  I planted my fists on my hips. “Yes you did. What do you call trying to stab me with your haircutting shears?”

  “That was your fault. All you had to do was give me the photo album.”

  Officer Smith glanced from Ellen to me. “What photo album? You ladies were fighting over pictures? The Chief’s going to be mad if I came all the way over here to settle a tiff over selfies.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  E llen, hands cuffed behind her back, stood in the center of the salon waiting room, glaring at Officer Smith. Had to admire her for maintaining an air of authority even in that situation. I’d taken refuge in a dryer chair when I thought my legs would no longer hold me.

  We all twisted toward the front door when it burst open letting in a gust of cold air and one big scruffy man. Ted the handyman filled the doorway and scanned the room. I scrunched down in my chair to avoid his gaze, which moved from me to the police officer, and finally rested on Ellen. He lumbered forward and engulfed her in his massive arms. She snuggled in close.

  Ted kissed the top of her head. “It will be okay, honey. I’m here and I’ll take care of everything.”

  Ellen sputtered something into his chest. I couldn’t hear the words, as they were muffled by his shirt.

  He said, “I have to take charge of this, sweetie. It’s my responsibility.”

  Ellen tipped her head back. “No muffin. You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t let them pin this on you. You didn’t kill that horrible woman.”

  Officer Smith overcame the shock of Ted’s entrance. “Who are you?”

  Ellen pivoted and stood between the two men. “This is my husband, Ted Felicity, and he doesn’t have anything to do with this. For that matter, neither do I. It’s all a mistake.”

  Ellen stood even straighter than she normally did—possibly because of having hands cuffed behind her back—and glared at Officer Smith. “Go ahead, arrest me. You’ll find I had nothing to do with that woman’s death. You’ll have no proof.”

  Ted looked on with puppy eyes. “No honey. I can’t let you do this. I killed a woman. I’m the one who deserves to be arrested.”

  Ellen twisted toward him. “Stop it Ted. I know what I’m doing.”

  Officer Smith glanced at Ted. “Killed what woman? I’m taking your wife in for disorderly conduct, and for threatening Ms. Halloren with a dangerous weapon. I don’t know anything about a killing.”

  Ted gasped. “My wife would never be disorderly. And if she was, it’s because she was provoked. She wouldn’t be here if not for me. It’s my fault. I killed Valentina Utkin. Take the cuffs off my little sweetie. Put them on me.” Ted thrust out his huge hands.

  Officer Smith stared at the clasped hands and cut his eyes to me. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but everyone better come with me to the station. You too, Ms. Halloren.”

  “Me? But…” Crap That’s the last thing I needed.

  Amos pointed to the door. “You go ahead Mr. Felicity. Get yourself into the squad car. I’m leaving the cuffs on your wife. She’s the only one around here who seems violent.” He grabbed Ellen’s elbow and guided her to the door.

  “Officer Smith, I’ll leave a note for m
y boss and lock up the salon. Then I’ll drive myself to the station.”

  “Okay, but don’t take too long. You’ll need to explain all this. Scissor fight. Photo album. Dead woman? This is a mess.”

  I promised to hurry, but as soon as the three of them were outside, I marched to the back room to sweep up the broken coffee carafe. When that was done, I combed my hair and sat down at the desk to write a note to Rarity. It was short. “Everything’s alright but had to go to the police station to make a statement. Will be back soon. Coffee pot broke. I’ll stop at the hardware store to pick up a new one on the way back.” I’d wait to see her in person to explain.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  O fficer Farlow stood at the door of the squad room, ready to direct me to the appropriate chamber. The office was barely large enough to house a desk and two straight-backed chairs. “Sit in the visitor chair and stay in this interview room until we’re ready for your statement, Halloren. He left and pulled the door shut. I gaped at the closed door for a moment before taking a seat as he’d indicated. I found myself facing a blank wall behind an empty desk. I got up and moved to the desk chair. I faced the door which was only slightly more interesting than the wall.

  Muffled voices vibrated through the wall from the next room. I recognized Ellen’s high-pitched tones, a bit screechier than usual, and Ted’s low rumbles. I guessed both officers, Smith and Farlow, were involved in questioning them.

  With the sound of a closing door and the footsteps passing my room, I figured the officers had left them alone. There was silence next door, except for a few muffled words. I tip-toed out of my cell and pressed my ear to the door next to mine. Hearing nothing, I tried the door-knob. The latch clicked and the door swung open. Ellen and Ted swung their eyes toward me. They sat close together, Ted holding Ellen’s cuffed hands.