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

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “That seems like it was a good idea since the two of you became such good friends,” I said.

  “That’s not exactly the way I’d put it. I was more like Melody’s slave than a sister or a friend. Please sit down, and I’ll tell you the whole sad story of Jacqueline Jenson’s screwed up life. If you have questions, ask them because I’m not sure what you want to know.”

  “Feeling like her slave sounds as if she bullied you into doing things you didn’t want to do,” I commented as I sat down across from the seat Rebecca took.

  “She did, but I’d call it more manipulation than bullying. Even though we were only two years apart, she was the baby. Cuter, more outgoing, and she had this amazing voice. I was lucky if I didn’t get blamed for the trouble she caused when she was in grade school. I felt sorry for her, so she could also guilt-trip me. As she got older, she got better at threatening me. I may have been older, but by the time I was ten, I was no match for Jackie.” She sighed. “That’s more about me than my sister. What else can I tell you?”

  “To be honest, I believe I’ve heard most of what I wanted to hear about Melody’s life as a child. I get it that a troubled childhood was part of the explanation for how Melody ended up dead before she was twenty-five. You’re living proof that it doesn’t always have to end badly. Your life was no walk in the park.”

  “True. I also didn’t have her talent,” Rebecca peered into her nearly empty wine glass. Then she set the glass on the table in front of her. “I’m not sure if her singing ability was a plus or a minus growing up, but before she died, it sure appeared as if it was going to pay off for her.”

  “At the moment, I’m more concerned about you than I am about Melody. Why did Duke come here and rough up you and Greg? Is he afraid you’ll go the police and tell them he killed Melody Friday night?”

  “How would I know what happened to Melody?” Rebecca’s hand shook as she pulled a cigarette from a pack in her shirt pocket. “Do you mind? It’s a filthy habit, and I almost kicked it before… before… you know.”

  “Go ahead,” I sighed. Cigarette smoke makes my throat raspy, but I hoped it would settle her down, so she’d give me more information about what Duke was doing here. When she pulled a lighter out of her pocket, I suppressed a gasp.

  “Where did you get that lighter?” I asked.

  “This old thing?” Rebecca asked without appearing the least bit concerned about my question. She lit the cigarette and blew smoke at the ceiling. Then she turned the lighter over in her hand and looked at it before dropping it in her pocket.

  “It is pretty. Melody gave it to me years ago. When I recently started smoking again, I dug it out of a desk drawer. She probably stole it since she was a compulsive thief. They call it kleptomania, don’t they?”

  “Well, when I saw it a couple of days ago, Kay Garland had it in her handbag. She picked it up at the party. How did you get it back?”

  “Greg did it. He called Kay and asked if she’d seen it. He told her what I just told you—that it had been a gift from Melody to her sister. Melody borrowed it and must have left it behind Friday night, and her sister wanted it.” Rebecca didn’t make eye contact, and her hand holding the cigarette shook again.

  “Why did Melody need a lighter? Was she a smoker?”

  “Not anymore. When Duke first took her on as a project, Melody smoked, and she claimed he gave her the lighter. It became a good luck charm for her. When she gave up smoking, she passed it along to me.” Rebecca shrugged. “She figured I needed good luck more than she did. Melody was nervous about appearing with Kay Garland Friday night, so I suggested she take it with her for extra luck.”

  “For the first time since we met, I’m not sure I believe you, Rebecca. You’re in trouble, but I can’t help you if you’re not truthful with me.”

  Something didn’t ring true. The story about the lighter sounded too much like the story Kay had told me about the diamond tennis bracelet Ernie gave her. Kay may have told that story to Melody but why would she have repeated it to Rebecca?

  What would Duke say if someone asked him about the lighter? I wondered. Not that I planned to ask, but Jack could ask him if he’d given the lighter to Melody. I’m not sure why it mattered. On the one hand, If Duke agreed with Rebecca, I’d have more confidence that she was trustworthy. On the other hand, if he disagreed, how could I know if Rebecca had lied or merely passed on a lie Melody had told her?

  “How did you know Kay had your lighter?”

  “I didn’t. There weren’t many places Melody could have left it since I saw her put it in her purse right before she left Friday night. Greg was at the party, so he called catering and asked Kelly if anyone found it when they were cleaning up. Kelly said no, but asked if he’d checked with Kay to see if she picked it up in the dressing room she and Melody shared. Voila! Puzzle solved.”

  With that, I felt I’d reached a dead end. I’d seen the pricey little beaded bag Melody had with her when she first arrived. The most logical place for the lighter to have been left was in Melody’s purse. Unlike her body, the bag must have sunk to the canal floor since no one had found it.

  “When you said Duke took Melody on as a project, what did you mean?” I asked. When our conversation refocused on Melody, Rebecca stubbed out the cigarette and relaxed.

  “Come on, you’ve been around the entertainment industry long enough to get it. Duke got her out of the legal trouble she was in, in part, because she was young and beautiful. She also had talent, and he intended to make her a star. As soon as she turned eighteen, she changed her name and signed a contract with him. By then, they’d already hooked up as lovers, but that didn’t last long. My sister was a kleptomaniac when it came to men too. Melody confessed she got a thrill from the challenge of stealing a guy who was already ‘taken.’ As soon as she succeeded, it was ‘game over.’ That’s why it didn’t bother me that much when she lured Greg away from me. She dumped him in a week, and he came crawling back.”

  “That’s not what I heard. Some of Melody’s coworkers figured that’s why you quit being roommates.”

  “Nope. That’s not the reason! I was ticked at Greg, but I’d already learned never to expect Melody to treat me any better than she treated anyone else.”

  “Why were you so angry about the way her coworkers were talking about her?”

  “Melody was sick. You can’t hold sick people responsible for being sick, can you?” Rebecca shrugged.

  “I assume you mean she suffered from a mental illness. Did she try to get help? I’m not saying she could have been cured, but she may have been able to learn to better manage her illness—like diabetics do.”

  “Duke tried a couple of times—more because of the dollar signs he saw in her than because he cared. He decided what worked best was to keep her focused on her career. When she started working at Marley World, and Max Marley took an interest in her, she got better.”

  Better than what? I wondered after recalling the stories Carol and I had heard about her bad work habits, pranks, and theft of coworkers’ boyfriends.

  “So, what went wrong?” I asked. “Did Duke object to her flings with other men?”

  “Are you kidding? She was underage, and he was already married when he fooled around with Melody. It’s not like he was in a position to lecture her on cheating. What got to him was the fact that she wanted him to release her from the contract she’d signed with him. When my sister became Kay Garland’s understudy, she was convinced she was on her way to becoming a star, and Duke would only hold her back.”

  “Are you saying she wanted to ditch Duke and sign with someone Bill Yeats recommended?” I asked, taking a chance Rebecca knew who he was.

  “Yes. Melody thought she’d made it into the big leagues with a Hollywood producer to do her bidding. That’s probably when her life started to unravel again. As much damage as she did to other people, Melody was the best at self-destruction. She played Bill Yeats like other men, and they had a fling. Then she figured, �
�Why spend years working like a dog to make money when I can marry it?’ When she hinted at marriage, he freaked, and cut her off. That didn’t stop my sister. She showed up at Bill Yeats’ office, said he was expecting her, and asked all sorts of questions about him. When Bill showed up, he took her aside and threatened to have Max fire her. Melody told him to go ahead if he wanted his fiancée to hear about their affair.”

  “And?”

  “Melody agreed to keep her mouth shut if he set her up in a posh apartment in Echo Park. He gave her some cash too, but Melody blew through that in a few months. She needed more, which is probably why she helped herself to some of Duke’s.”

  “Is that why Duke was here?”

  “Yes, which is ridiculous. He’s got it into his head that Greg and I know where she hid it. I checked her car and her locker at work with no luck. It could be anywhere. What if she opened a safe deposit box or stashed it in a locker at a gym or spa? We haven’t had a chance to search her apartment because the cops won’t let anyone in. Duke didn’t want to hear that. He wants us to get in there and find the money before the police do.”

  “How much money?” I asked, wondering how big a hiding place Melody needed. I was also curious about how much money it would take for Duke to make a scene like the one he’d made today.

  “All he would say was that it was a lot—enough to fill a briefcase. Greg looked it up on the Internet and claims that it’s possible that it could be as much as a million dollars.”

  “Did Melody tell you that’s what she’d done?”

  “Not exactly. She dodged a call from Duke Friday night before she left. I asked her why she didn’t want to talk to him. At first, she said it was because he’d hassle her again about the contract issue. Then she said he was losing it, had ‘misplaced’ some money, and blamed her because he couldn’t find it. I laughed because it sounded so lame. Melody couldn’t keep a straight face and started laughing too. When we quit laughing, I got scared, and she told me not to worry about it because she had a plan.”

  “It’s been a rough day for you. I appreciate your willingness to talk to me.” Rebecca shrugged again. I was certain she was hiding things from me. “My reason for asking so many questions about Melody has been to help the police find her killer. After everything you’ve said today, I’m more confused than ever, although Duke had plenty of reasons to do it. I’ve lost count of how many people could have had it in for your sister.”

  “That’s true, but it’s not much of a mystery to me. Melody said Duke had people beat up who owed him a few thousand dollars. I don’t know why he’s not already in jail, considering what he’d do or have done to someone like Melody who stole a million dollars from him.”

  “The police won’t overlook Duke. It’s exhausting keeping all her bad decisions straight, much less trying to decide who was fed up enough with her actions to take revenge.”

  “Tell me about it,” Rebecca said. “You’ve only been at it since Friday night. I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of Melody’s madness for years. I’m tired of wondering why she did what she did and tired of caring. She’s still causing trouble for Greg and me even after she’s dead. I’m glad I don’t know where she left Duke’s money, or I might be tempted to take it and run.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” I said. “You’ll never feel safe again if you run away with money she stole from a man as ruthless as Duke.”

  “I know. Why do you think I’m sitting here like a stunned bird that flew into a window?”

  “Do you have somewhere to stay until the police can clear this up? I’ll be happy to take you there.”

  “I could stay with Greg, but Duke knows where he lives too. Before I had that meltdown at work today, I could probably have stayed with a coworker. Their gossipy tongues must have jaws dropping everywhere.”

  “You know what? Go pack a bag while I look into another possibility. I have an idea about a place you can stay where no one would consider looking for you. No one will question you or treat you badly there either.”

  In the few minutes it took Rebecca to pack, I had it all worked out. Thanks to one of the good souls in the world who are willing to lend a hand. Somehow, they seem to turn up even when I’m knee-deep in murder and mayhem.

  17 Bird’s-Eye View

  When Jack walked into the kitchen from the garage, I was so happy to see him that I had my arms around his neck before he could say a word. After my visit with Rebecca, I’d almost forgotten all about Max’s latest manipulation until Jack brought it up with his arms still wrapped around me.

  “I’m glad I’m not in the doghouse after what Max must have told you. I’m too old and tired to sleep in such an uncomfortable place.”

  “Why would you be in the doghouse because wily old Max outmaneuvered you?”

  “Again,” Jack said as he tightened his grip. “All I said was that guests were going to feel as if they’d died and gone to heaven during their stay. He ran with that and began planning our anniversary visit! I told him not to do anything before consulting you.”

  “Died and gone to heaven is high praise for one of Max’s creations.”

  “He has outdone himself, don’t you agree?”

  “I guess we’re going to find out, aren’t we, darling?” I gave Jack a kiss and dashed into the kitchen to check on dinner. “When did you become such a fan of bowling?”

  “I was trying to be nice to your boss, who also happens to be paying me as a consultant. I guess that makes him my boss now too. The bowling was fun, though.”

  Jack hung his jacket on a hook in the kitchen. Then he swept the cats up into his arms. They weren’t going to remain silent much longer without the ritual greeting from Jack. As soon as he put them down, they took off. Racing around the house is the next act in their nightly greeting.

  “I’m famished. When do we eat?”

  “It’s going to be a while. I have an ‘eat dessert first’ treat for you that I hope won’t spoil your dinner.” I’d set out his treat and had poured glasses of wine for us. I handed him a glass of wine, picked up mine, and made him follow me to the table in the morning room. I set a small spice cake on the table and sat down.

  “When has dessert ever spoiled my appetite? A baby cake just for me; no doghouse and treats instead.” A forkful of cake had almost made it to his lips when he stopped. “Georgie, what’s up?”

  “I’m about to tell you. I knew you’d be starving when you got home. I wanted you to have something to eat while I explain why our company won’t all arrive at the same time. So much happened today, I’m not sure where to start.”

  “Why don’t you start by telling me how you and Duke Draković turned up at the same place this afternoon.”

  “Thank goodness! You do have him under surveillance!”

  “Fortunately for you. If he’d gone after you, instead of burning rubber to get away from you, our officers would have had to come to your assistance. What made you tangle with him after I warned you not to do it?”

  “Duke winked at me! I don’t like smug men. That goes double for smug men who hit women.” Jack shook his head at my response. He’d taken the first bite of spice cake, so the sugar was sweetening his mood.

  “Did your officers hear Greg Bustos threaten to kill him?”

  “They did. Who’s the woman Duke hurt?”

  “Rebecca Hardesty, Greg’s ex-girlfriend, who he threw over to have a fling with her sister, Melody.”

  “Her sister? How do you get people you don’t even know to tell you all their secrets?”

  “I don’t believe Rebecca thought being Melody’s sister was a secret. There are also some advantages to not being a cop. Actually, Rebecca is Melody’s half-sister. Her father died last year, but he was married to Melody’s mother years ago. When they divorced, she remarried, and Melody was born a year later. By your reaction, I take it you hadn’t figured that out yet.”

  “Nope. No one gave us any indication that Melody had family members other than her
mother and father. I’m sure all the disturbed childhood stuff is revealed in the background in her juvenile record that we haven’t had time to review.”

  “From what Rebecca told me today, Melody racked up lots of trouble in her teens. It doesn’t sound like she’d outgrown all of it either,” I offered.

  “Maybe her parents had given up on her. They claim not to have had any contact with Melody in months. They’re both loopy, so months could be weeks, or it could be years. Who knows? Neither of them appeared ready to shed a tear when we told them Melody was dead. They didn’t ask to see the body, which we might not have let them do under the circumstances. In fact, they were irritated about being questioned about their murdered daughter. When we asked where they wanted us to send her body for burial once the coroner releases it, they had no idea. They’re going to get back to us on that.”

  “Don’t take it out on your cake,” I said as Jack stabbed at it. “I’m not surprised at their behavior, given what Rebecca told me about Melody’s home life. If you don’t hear anything from them about a funeral home, tell me. Max will want to have a proper burial for her. He’ll take care of it.”

  “Max does have a noble streak,” Jack acknowledged.

  “He does, unlike some people. We didn’t meet the two-timing Greg Bustos at the party, but he was the bass player in the jazz band.”

  “We knew who Greg Bustos was before his run-in with Draković today. We’ve been working our way through the list of people at the party, and someone already interviewed him. What do you want to bet he didn’t mention he was Melody’s boyfriend or that she had a half-sister we didn’t know existed?” Jack shook his head and shoved another bite of cake into his mouth. “That’s what we get for being too nice. They should have hauled him into the station for questioning rather than interviewing him at that apartment complex.”