A Canary in the Canal Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #8 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  10 Bird Dog

  The next morning, I felt much better as I went through my usual routine. It only took me a few extra minutes to get out the door. When I arrived at work, it was business as usual. Well, almost. Carol greeted me with a cup of coffee and handed me my messages.

  “You seem chipper. The grand inquisitor claims he paid you a visit yesterday,” Carol groused as she walked down the hall to my office with me.

  “I take it you mean Doug Kingsley, and yes he did. He arrived unannounced, but after a snippy greeting, he settled down. That didn’t happen for you and Brett?”

  “Heck, no! Apparently, he didn’t appreciate my suggestion that he look into the issue of mistaken identity.”

  “They were able to get fingerprints, so they know it’s Melody. Were you suggesting that the killer was after Kay instead of Melody?”

  “Well, yes,” Carol replied. “At least I thought that’s what I meant until he told us how bad the woman’s face looked when they pulled the body out of the water. That’s when Detective Kingsley told us they identified the woman as Melody from her fingerprints.”

  “Was he snippy about it with you?” I asked. Carol took my coffee from me when I reached my office. She set it on my desk as I hung up the light coat I’d worn.

  “Snippy isn’t the word for it. He was rude. ‘There’s no question about the woman’s identity. Period. I’ll ask the questions, or this interview is going to take the rest of the day!’ I shut up. Mainly because I figured there was more to the story than her fingerprints.”

  “Did he tell you about her police record?” I asked as I slipped into the seat behind my desk.

  “What police record?” Carol asked as she sat down across from me. I took that to mean I’d just let the cat out of the bag, so-to-speak. “Now that you mention it, how else could they have gotten her prints so quickly unless she had a criminal background?”

  “Please don’t share what I’m about to tell you with anyone other than Brett. Whatever’s going on, you and Brett are mixed up in it, so you need to hear this. Melody was drugged.”

  “Doug told us she’d been drugged when I asked why Melody hadn’t screamed her fool head off. That’s the question that really set him off,” Carol responded. “If she was killed indoors, she might not have been heard even if she had screamed.”

  “Um, keep this to yourself too, okay?” Carol leaned in and listened as I explained what we’d learned at the canal house last night.

  “Well, I’ll be darned! Some maniac killed her right under our noses while we were partying! How could someone kill her in the basement with the catering staff running in and out of there all evening?” Carol asked. “No, wait. That can’t be. She was with Max after the party ended, so she was alive then. This doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know. The police are working on the timeline. That should help if they can gather enough information to put one together,” I added.

  “They have to do that if they’re going to get a grip on who had the opportunity to kill her and want to verify our alibies. It must have been someone at the party. With so many people around, it won’t be easy to figure out who was where when,” Carol said. “How did she end up in the canal?”

  “Jack and I spent a little time last night searching for a spot that was shielded enough from view, where someone could have dumped her without being seen.”

  “You mean the killer dragged her dead body out of the basement, and through the backyard, before dumping it in the canal. Even if most people had left, we were still around. So were Ann and her catering staff. The valets too and Frederick who was lurking about when he wasn’t dutifully checking on things in the basement.”

  “You don’t believe he’s telling us the truth about when he checked the cold storage room?” I didn’t let her answer because I suddenly had an inspiration. “What about hiding the body in a cart? The racks I saw in the kitchen were open, but there had to be closed carts around.”

  “Like a cart filled with the tablecloths and other linens they used to set up that could have been big enough to haul a body in and or out, with no one even noticing. Maybe a cart went missing for a while, and that’s why Ann wants to talk to you,” Carol commented. “Was there anything like that in the basement?”

  “Not that I saw, but we didn’t search the entire basement. I’ll mention it to Jack,” I said, making a note so I wouldn’t forget. “There’s one other thing you should know. Melody Monroe wasn’t always her name.”

  Carol went on alert. She became more excited as I explained what that meant.

  “Brett told me something that could be important. He didn’t mention it to the detective because Kingsley threatened to have officers take us to the police station for further questioning if we didn’t let him get through his interview. According to Brett, Melody was at the restaurant having lunch with a well-dressed man in an expensive suit. Melody’s server recognized her and greeted her using a different name. I’ll ask Brett, but Jackie could have been the name she used.”

  “How did Melody react?”

  “At first, she was flustered, but quickly recovered and made light of it. Melody introduced herself and insisted the server had her name wrong, saying that she probably recognized her from performances in the park.”

  “It’s too bad Brett didn’t bring it up. I’ve been so focused on the idea that someone at the party killed Melody, it never occurred to me what might happen if Melody ran into someone from her past. She grew up and went to school not far from here and lots of our team members come from local high schools. Some police detectives are too clever for their own good, aren’t they? Brett’s story was a perfect opportunity to consider the possibility that someone from her past with a grudge killed her. Does Brett remember the server’s name? Is she still his coworker at Versailles Veranda?”

  “Yes, yes, and no,” Carol responded and then used her fingers to tick off detailed answers to my barrage of questions. “Yes, unlike Jack, the grand inquisitor is far too grand in his own mind or in too big a hurry to listen. Yes, my sweetie said the server was a woman named Jenny Ridell. No, she isn’t still at the Versailles Veranda. She left for the Bayou Bay Shrimp Shack as soon as it opened because she could get more hours.”

  “Doug needs to hear what Brett has to say. Unfortunately, that means you both may have to go another round with the grand inquisitor. Jack’s at a briefing now since he’s been added to the team of investigators.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard about this case so far.”

  “It is, although it wasn’t exactly his idea. You know what? I don’t see why Jack can’t follow up with you and Brett, so you don’t have to face Doug again,” I said excitedly.

  “Tell Jack we’ll wash his car or change the cat boxes if he’ll interview us instead of turning us over to his pal.” By the look on Carol’s face, she wasn’t kidding. I laughed as I spoke.

  “You don’t have to do chores. In fact, why not join us for dinner. It won’t even be any extra work for Jack if he interviews you and Brett while we eat.”

  “Feeding us will be more work for you. We can drop by after dinner.”

  “It won’t be more work. I was going to fix a sheet pan meal of roasted boneless chicken breasts and vegetables. There will be plenty, although there won’t be leftovers for a change. You can help us load the dishwasher and clean up after dinner. We enjoyed having you around for the few weeks you spent with us and miss you.”

  “Roasted chicken sounds delicious, and it beats what I had planned for dinner, which was nothing. We usually grab takeout on the way home,” Carol said, laughing. Then her mood shifted. “I’m not as lonely as I was before I met Brett, but I miss you too. It’s a good thing we work together, or I might show up unannounced like the Devious Detective Doug.”

  “You’re welcome anytime. Miles and Ella are going to be so happy to see you.” I told her how Kay had complimented their dancing. I gave her more details about our meetings with Kay and Doug, and what we
’d learned by going through the guest list. I’d finished when I found myself fiddling with the note from Ann.

  “Did Ann sound worried when she asked to meet with me?”

  “She was definitely concerned and wanted to meet with you as soon as possible. That’s why I penciled her in for this morning without checking with you first. I wasn’t sure how much time you needed to work on the year-end reports this morning, but it would be easy enough to call her and schedule another time.”

  “That was a good decision, Carol. Even if Ann just needs to talk about what happened to Melody as much as we do, the time will be well spent,” I said. “I can’t imagine Doug was any more cordial to her than he was with us.”

  “Probably not since she was ‘the help.’ He asked us if we’d seen Melody involved in any conflict with guests. We said no, and then he asked, ‘How about conflicts with the help?’”

  “I don’t get that guy!” I exclaimed as I downed my coffee. Carol stood and picked up the coffee cup.

  “I’m getting out of here so you can call Jack, and I can call Brett. I don’t know what will make him happier; hearing that you’re going to feed us or finding out we don’t have to meet with Devious Detective Doug again.”

  “What makes Detective Doug devious?” I asked.

  “Showing up in an Aloha shirt like he’s so laid back, and then acting like a cranky old bird dog.”

  “Let’s hope the cranky old bird dog can sniff out the killer of our canary in the canal.” We had a good laugh as Carol headed for the door. Before she left, I stopped her.

  “Wait! I almost forgot to ask. Will you please check HR’s records and download whatever is in them about Melody Monroe? I’d like to know the name of anyone listed as her supervisor. There may be more than one since she’s performed with several singing groups in the park.”

  “Will do. There will definitely be more than one supervisor. I’ll bet they’ll have plenty to say. Brett was in one of the groups as Melody. She was in trouble more than once before she was kicked out of the group altogether.”

  “Really?” I asked. “What did she do?”

  “She was late to rehearsals and performances. Once or twice, she didn’t get to a performance at all. They had to scramble to make do without her. Who knows what else?”

  “Then, being late to the party Friday night was nothing new,” I murmured half to myself.

  “Nope. I’ll get the information for you. Anything else you think we should do?” she asked with a hopeful glint in her eye. Carol and I were cut from the same cloth when it came to snooping.

  “Why don’t you find out if Jenny Riddell is still a server at the Bayou Bay Shrimp Shack. If she is, let’s have lunch there. See if she can join us, even if that means we eat downstairs in the employee rest area. I have a hunch we ought to meet with her, don’t you?”

  “Why not? We might as well get as much information as we can to share with Jack tonight.”

  “Exactly!” I exclaimed. “While you’re at it, see if the supervisor who kicked Melody out of the group can spare a few minutes for us.”

  “That’s genius! The backstage area for the Bayou Bay Balladeers isn’t far from the restaurant. The supervisor who directs the group has an office near the underground practice and dressing rooms the singers and musicians use.”

  “I’m not sure about genius, but two rounds of snooping for the price of one sounds good to me with my beat-up knees.”

  “We won’t have to walk if we score a tunnel-runner.”

  “Tunnel-runner?” I asked

  “Yeah, as in a Mole-mobile or Kitty-Kar,” Carol added.

  I knew what she was referring to the Park Karts we use to get around underground. Surprisingly, I hadn’t heard those names for them. When I didn’t say anything, Carol explained it to me.

  “I thought you’d heard it all as long as you’ve been around here. That’s lingo from Marvelous Marley World’s underworld inhabitants for Park Karts. I don’t know why they have to have special names, since they’re really just golf carts.”

  “I figured as much, but I need to get out and mix more with team members to keep up with the backstage talk. They won’t be ‘just golf carts’ much longer,” I said. “Max is wild about using new electric vehicles in New Arcadia. He’s tested one that looks like a sleeker version of a dune buggy. Another one collapses, so you can park it easier. A driverless one can make deliveries or move stuff from one location to another. Max plans to do test runs underground in the tunnels here too before deciding to update or replace the Park Karts.”

  “Wait until I tell Brett! He’s going to be as wild about the idea as Max. He may love dressing as a 17th century Musketeer for his job, but he’s a forward-looking man who loves to imagine the future. See-you-later-bye.”

  As Carol dashed from my office, I recalled the first time I’d set eyes on Brett as our server at Versailles Veranda. Brett was a good actor and a very convincing faux Frenchman when he waited on us. His perfectly groomed little mustache and snappy demeanor reminded me of Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. As Jack and I became better acquainted with him, it became clear he was a complex young man. All that really matters to me is the fact that he makes Carol happy.

  “Call Jack and then get to work, Georgie,” I said aloud and fast-dialed Jack. Then I put the red pen to work.

  11 Mystery Woman

  It seemed like only minutes had passed when Carol knocked on my door again. By the amount of work that I’d finished, I knew it had been longer. When I invited Carol to come in, Ann was with her, and I realized I’d been working nonstop for almost two hours.

  When I’d called Jack, he was happy that Carol and Brett were joining us for dinner. My sweet, overworked hubby only had a minute to speak to me, so he didn’t even push me to “spill it” and tell him what new information Carol and Brett had to tell him.

  It was Jack’s turn to visit the bungling burglar and try to coax him into giving up a clue about what he’d witnessed Friday night. Given the long list of people yet to be interviewed, there would be plenty to do after that. Using the guest list that I’d sent him with my notes on it, Doug already had someone scheduling interviews with Bill Yeats, Helen Grant, and others.

  I still hadn’t called Max to get the name of the would-be mentor to whom he’d referred Melody for advice about representation and her career. I’d wanted to get some work done first. Given the time, I might have to put it off until after lunch.

  “Come in, Ann,” I said. Stiff from sitting too long, I stood up awkwardly.

  “You don’t have to get up, Georgie,” Ann replied, hustling to the chair across from me. “I can’t believe you’re at work after the beating you took Friday night. Are you really well enough to be here?”

  “Fortunately, I’m well-padded in my fifties, even if I don’t react as fast as I did in my younger days. Have a seat,” I said. “I’m glad to see you.”

  “If you need coffee or anything else, just give me a buzz,” Carol said.

  “We will. Any luck setting up those meetings?” I asked as my curiosity got the better of me once again.

  “All set,” Carol replied as she left and shut the door behind her.

  Ann teared up the moment the door closed. I turned around and pulled two bottles of ice-cold water from the tiny fridge behind me. I handed her a bottle and opened my own.

  “I’m sorry you’re upset. This is a rough situation, isn’t it? A few sips of cool water may help ease your stress.” Ann nodded and did as I suggested.

  “Forgive me for not asking how you’re doing after what we all went through Friday night.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I guess it’s the shock of learning Melody was murdered soon after I last saw her alive.” Ann made eye contact with me and then sat up straighter as if shaking off a burden. “Promise you won’t call me crazy.”

  “Why would I do that? Melody’s murder was traumatic. I’m not surprised you’re upset and confused.�
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  “Detective Kingsley didn’t seem too bothered by her murder,” Ann replied. “As a police detective, I guess he’s used to people dying.”

  “Jack says you never get used to it. A good detective does learn to put distance between himself and the victim to do the job well. It’s easier to do that when it isn’t someone you know personally or professionally. Did you know Melody well?”

  “No. I’d met her a few times while catering events the past few months. To be honest, I didn’t even like her. I hope Detective Kingsley didn’t take it the wrong way when I told him that.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t. We all work with people we don’t particularly like. If that was a motive for murder, there’d be a lot more murders than there are. In fact, I’m not sure I like Doug Kingsley very much.” That made Ann laugh.

  “Me either after he asked me where the rest of the ‘help’ was when I saw Melody for the last time. I told him that at Marvelous Marley World, we’re all treated as family members, urged to be on a first-name basis, and aren’t referred to as servants. I don’t think he appreciated what I said until I added that he’d tick Max off if he referred to us as the ‘help’ around him.”

  “Why am I not surprised that message got through to him?” I shook my head. “I’m trying to be patient with the man since he has a huge job to do in order to figure out who killed Max’s self-proclaimed protégé. Good for you for speaking up. He should have thanked you.”

  “He won’t thank me when he finds out what else I have to say.” Ann made eye contact again. “I was so nervous; I was eager to keep our interview short. As soon as he left, though, I remembered more details about that night.”

  “Go on,” I said when Ann stopped speaking.

  “What I just said isn’t true. I didn’t forget the incident. After a few minutes with the detective, I almost decided not to tell him. I was convinced he’d say I was making it up or imagining things. Going over and over it in my mind, I still can’t be sure what I saw.”