by Gale Deitch
“Daniel Goldman.” He frowned and looked from Ben to me for an explanation as they both sat.
“Trudie and I ran into each other at Albert Burger’s house. We were both there to pay our respects after his wife’s gruesome murder.”
“Oh?” Daniel said, turning to me with a look that told me we’d be discussing this later.
“Murder?” my mom said. “Who was murdered?”
“At the dinner I catered the other night,” I said. “It was the president of Ben’s fan club.”
“Oh my,” Mom said, putting her hand to her chest.
“How was she murdered?” Dad now had something of interest to engage him.
“A hammer,” Ben said. “In the hallway.”
Mom’s fork clanged as she dropped it on her plate. Her mouth was open. “That’s the same thing that happened in your book, Hammered Halls,” she said.
Everyone turned to her, the air so still I could hear a car pass outside.
“Yes, Helen,” Ben said. “You’re right. Good memory.”
“I remember that book very clearly,” Mom continued, a little breathless. “Over the past few months, I’ve been re-reading your entire series. But I haven’t been able to get that one book out of my mind. There was a terrible argument in the hallway. The woman was murdered…with a hammer.” She shook her head. “Oh, and the blood. So much blood.”
“Do you know who murdered her?” Dad asked.
“Not yet,” Daniel said. “We’re working on it.” He turned to me. “Do you have that book? I’d like to see it.”
“Sure. In fact, that’s the one Ben signed when Ally and I went to his reading in Charlotte.
Back when we were in college.”
“So, Ally had a copy of the book, too?” Daniel asked.
Ben and I glanced at each other, and I knew what he was thinking. Ally was in fact a suspect. Reluctantly, I nodded. “Yes, she did.”
“Hmm,” Dad said, as if on cue. “I wonder if the murderer has read that book. You think it’s a copycat situation?”
“Most of the people at the conference the other night have read that book,” I said. “The majority of them were members of Ben’s local fan club. Like Mom, they’ve read the whole series.” I hoped this statement might divert Daniel to consider other suspects, but I had the sinking feeling that he’d already pinpointed the murderer.
Ben was right. Ally was going to be arrested.
Chapter Eight
“You promised,” I said as Daniel stood at the bathroom sink brushing his teeth. “You said you would tell me if there was something I needed to know.”
He bent down to spit into the sink and rinsed his mouth with a cup of water.
“Daniel, I need to know now. Is Ally a suspect?”
He stood, eyeing me in the mirror while he wiped his mouth with a towel. Those damn amber eyes caught me by surprise every time. Not to mention the way his hair fell onto his forehead, giving him that bad-boy look. “Everyone is a suspect,” he said. “Even you.”
“Daniel.” I tried to sound stern but lost all my resolve as he turned and pulled me toward his shirtless body. I only wanted to wrap my arms around him and feel the warmth of his skin against mine.
With one more determined attempt, I tried to push away, but he pulled me closer. “What, am I under arrest now?” I asked.
He grinned. “Under arrest and I’m throwing away the key.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “You’re off the hook for now, but tomorrow….”
He lifted my chin and as he kissed me, I tasted the bit of minty toothpaste he hadn’t wiped from his bottom lip. “Tomorrow what?” he murmured.
I couldn’t answer because my whole body had turned to jello.
When I woke in the morning, Daniel’s side of the bed was empty. I heard him rummaging around and padded out to the living room. He was dressed for work and pulling out books from the shelves, piling them on the coffee table.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Trying to locate that book. You know. The hammer one we talked about.”
“Oh. You mean Hammered Halls. I’ll get it for you.”
“How the heck do you find anything in this mess? There’s no system.”
When I’d moved into Daniel’s house last year, he’d inherited not only me, but all my possessions, including my extensive collection of books. We’d had to buy a second six-foot bookcase to house them all. Even then, because Daniel insisted I could only keep the books that would fit on the shelves, I’d had to place them two deep so they would all fit.
“Of course, I have a system,” I said, joining him in front of the bookcase. “Or I did, before you scattered them all over this room. Hammered Halls is under K for Knight, right behind J.” I pulled out a few of the books in the front row by authors like P.D. James and Erica Jong. Behind them sat the entire Ben Knight series. Plucking the book out, I felt the urge to re-read it to see if the story matched Gwen’s murder. But since Daniel was taking this one, I’d have to borrow Mom’s copy.
“Before I leave for work, I’d like to speak to you,” Daniel said.
“And I’d like to speak to you, too. But I need a cup of coffee first.”
“Me, too,” he said.
“Now tell me again what you were doing at Albert Burger’s house yesterday,” he said as he sat at the kitchen table.
“I told you. I went to pay my respects at the Shiva house.” I filled the pot with water and poured it into the coffee maker.
“Trudie, how many times have I told you to stay away from suspects? But somehow, you not only end up engaging with them, but getting yourself into dangerous situations.”
I straightened my back, scooping the coffee grounds into the filter. “I don’t appreciate being told what to do as if I were a child.”
I heard the scrape of his chair as he stood. “I tell you these things because I am a police detective, and I know what can happen to you.”
“Still,” I said, not turning, “I don’t like to be ordered around. I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions.” I could sense Daniel’s presence right behind me, hear his breath, smell the musk of his cologne, feel his body heat. I flicked the brew switch to on and spun around, my eyes burning with angry tears. “If I choose to visit someone, I’m going to darn well do it.”
Daniel’s eyes softened as he put his hands on my shoulders and searched my face for understanding. “Trudie, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I don’t want to lose you. Promise me you’ll be careful and use common sense before putting yourself in danger.”
I laid my head against his chest, listening to its rhythmic pump, and peered up at him. “Okay. I promise. I’ll be careful.”
The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee perked me up, and I filled our mugs and brought them to the table while Daniel put out a plate of apple strudel that Mom had sent home with us after dinner.
“Now it’s my turn,” I said as we sat face-to-face at the kitchen table. I came right to the point. “I need to know if Ally is your main suspect.”
Daniel took a sip of his coffee then turned his head toward the window. I saw his jaw tense.
“Daniel?”
He turned back to me. “We got back the DNA results, but you know I can’t reveal the details of our investigation.”
“You promised you would tell me if there was something I should know. I don’t want to be caught off guard again. Just tell me. Are you about to make an arrest?”
He swallowed and gave me an almost imperceptible nod.
“Is it Ally?” I persisted.
His one slow blink gave me the answer.
“When? I want to be with her when it happens.”
“Once we get the warrant. Probably late morning.”
Close to tears, I stood and began pacing in the kitchen then stopped and turned to him. Daniel was slumped over his cup, avoiding my eyes.
“You don’t really think Ally could murder someone, do you?�
� I asked, almost pleading.
He gazed up at me. “It doesn’t matter what I think. It only matters where the evidence leads.”
I lifted my chin. “Well I don’t believe it. I know Ally better than anyone. No matter how angry she was, she would never do something like this. Never.”
“Then hopefully she’ll be able to prove it.”
After Daniel left, I quickly showered and dressed so I could get to Ally before the police arrived. But when I opened the front door to leave, I almost tripped over two boxes sitting on the welcome mat. One, I realized, was an animal carrier. I lifted it by the handle and placed it on the foyer table, finding myself face-to-face with a gray cat. He emitted a long yowl. I jumped back.
Pye!
Who? Why?
I pulled off a note that was taped to the carrier. It read: “Trudie, Pye needs a new home, and I could tell by the way he was drawn to you that you are the perfect choice. Don’t worry. He’s easy to care for. Thank you for taking him off my hands. Albert.”
Why me after I told him that I’m uncomfortable around cats? Well he’d have to find some other home for Pye. I wasn’t going to keep him.
For now, time was of the essence, so I pulled the other package inside, which contained a litter box, a bag of litter, cat food, cat toys and food bowls. I didn’t have time for this right now, so I set the litter box in the spare bedroom and dumped in some litter. Then I put water in one of the bowls and food in the other. Pye meowed at me, and I released him from his carrier. I stiffened as he rubbed his body along my ankles and mewed softly. From the little I knew about cats, for now he should be fine to take care of himself.
I would deal with this later, I thought as I slipped out the front door.
It was ten-thirty when I arrived at Savor. The dining room hadn’t opened yet for lunch. I found Ally in the kitchen going over the day’s menu with her staff. I admired her calm, engaged demeanor. She’d come a long way since her first venture into restaurant ownership when she had totally neglected Ally’s Galley, the fine French bistro her father had purchased for her a few years before. She’d hired a restaurant manager, slept with him, and he had taken off with all the profits.
She smiled when she saw me and held up her index finger to let me know she’d be with me in a minute. I was glad to see she was wearing knit pants and a pullover sweater, which would be much more comfortable than a dress or skirt when she was arrested. What was I thinking? Since when was there a dress code for getting arrested?
Arrested. Ally was going to be arrested. Should I tell her what was going to happen or let her enjoy a few more minutes of freedom before the police arrived? No, better to let her know so she could prepare herself. I realized I should have called her lawyer to be here with her. Why hadn’t I thought of it earlier? Alan Bernstein had been a great help to Ally and others in the past. I needed to call him now.
I went into Ally’s office, closed the door, and found Alan’s number on my phone.
“Trudie,” he said. “How nice to hear your voice. Is everything okay?”
I’d called Alan for help several times over the past year, so he knew if I was calling that everything was not okay.
“Alan, I’m so glad I reached you. I’m at Ally’s restaurant. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to be arrested, probably any minute.”
“Arrested? For what?”
“Murder. I’m sure you’ve read about it in the papers. Gwendolyn Chong.”
“Yes, but why Ally?”
“I catered the event, and Ally helped. It’s a long story.”
“One more question, Trudie. How do you know she’s going to be arrested?”
Daniel told me, I thought. But Alan’s momentary silence made me think better of making a statement like that. I couldn’t tell an officer of the court that my cop boyfriend gave me information like that. “I questioned Daniel about it. Of course, he refused to answer me outright, but I think I know him well enough to read him. Without saying anything, he kind of…confirmed what I guessed.” I shook my head. “Anyway, there’s no time for this right now. Can you please come be with her when the police arrive?”
“I’m at court about to go into a hearing. It won’t take long, but I’ll have to meet you both at the station. You can fill in the details later. Just tell her not to say anything to the police, okay?”
“Got it. Thank you, Alan. You’ve always been there for me.”
He hesitated then said, “I’ll see you later.”
The fact was that Alan had a thing for me. If I weren’t so in love with Daniel, I might have ended up with Alan. He was kind, considerate, generous and had already come to my rescue several times over the past year. I enjoyed his company, but he was a friend and that’s all.
“Why were you speaking to Alan?”
I jumped. With my back to the door, I hadn’t realized Ally had come in.
“I-I have something to tell you, Ally. It’s not good news, but I’m here as your friend to support you.”
Her eyes widened. “Zach. Is it about Zach? Is he all right?”
“It’s not about Zach. I haven’t heard from him yet. It’s about you.”
Her eyes searched mine, looking for answers. “What about me?”
I swallowed hard and took both her hands in mine. “You’re about to be arrested. For the murder of Gwendolyn Chong.”
Her mouth opened and she took a step back. “Arrested for murder?” She shook her head in disbelief. “I didn’t even know the woman. Why would they think I murdered her?”
“Your DNA was all over the hammer,” I said.
She frowned, as if thinking back to that night. “I did touch a hammer, held it, in fact. The one from the centerpiece. I was…angry at Ben for not remembering me or our affair. I…picked up the hammer and…felt like hitting him on the head, I was so angry.” She looked up at me and shook her head. “But I would never do that, to him or to anyone else. You believe me, don’t you, Trudie? You know I would never kill someone.”
Thinking about all the many phases Ally had gone through in her life, I hesitated a moment too long.
“You do think I did it, don’t you?” she asked. “Trudie, you’re my best friend.”
“No. Of course, I don’t believe it. Ben doesn’t believe it either.”
“You spoke to Ben about this?”
“He…came to my office the other day and…”
“You’ve been talking to Ben about me being a killer? I can’t believe this. Why didn’t you come to me earlier?”
“I-I….” I truthfully didn’t know what to say. That Ben knew she would be arrested? That even I was doubtful about her innocence? What kind of friend was I?
The door flung open, and several officers, including Daniel and Will, approached us. Will said, “Allison Schwartz. You’re under arrest for the murder of Gwendolyn Chong.” He turned her around, brought her hands to her back, and snapped handcuffs on them. Then he began to recite her Miranda Rights.
Behind him stood Daniel, who exchanged a look with me and mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.” I was glad that Daniel hadn’t been the one to make the arrest and knew he had purposely chosen Will for the job.
Ally’s eyes were moist, and now her expression had changed from anger to pure terror. “Trudie, call my mother.”
“Of course,” I said. “And don’t worry, I’ll be with you the whole time. Alan will be there, too. Oh, and Ally, he said not to say anything to the police.”
She nodded like a six-year-old about to be sent away to an orphanage.
As Will began to lead her out the office door, I said, “Wait.” It was almost eleven, and I knew some early lunch patrons would be arriving. “Will, please take her out the back door. There’s no need for her customers to see her like this.”
Ally nodded to me and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”
I followed as she was escorted out of the office and through the kitchen but stopped as they led her out the back door. When I turned, the kit
chen staff stood silent, their mouths open. This was something I hadn’t anticipated. “Ally’s all right. We’ll see how quickly we can get her out and back to work. For now, Mia, will you take over?” I’d met the restaurant’s manager before and knew that Ally had complete faith in her.
Mia nodded.
“Thank you,” I said. Then I went out to my car intent on calling Dana Schwartz to let her know that her daughter had been arrested. Unfortunately, I still drove the same little orange Honda Civic from my college years, a time when Bluetooth hadn’t yet been installed in vehicles. That meant I had to make the call before setting off to the station, an unfortunate delay since I was anxious to get there, not only to provide moral support to Ally but also to speak to her lawyer.
“Trudie, how nice to speak to you.”
I recognized her by the rock candy gravel in her voice, the result of years of cigarettes and booze. “Mrs. Schwartz, Ally asked me to call you.”
“Oh? Is something the matter?” I heard the tinkling of ice in a glass. She was starting early today.
“Well, yes. She’s been arrested…for murder.”
“Murder? Not my Allison.”
I went on to explain the circumstances as briefly as possible.
“Oh, my,” she said, sniffling. “Poor baby. I must call our attorney right away.”
“I’ve already contacted Mr. Bernstein. Alan will be there as soon as he can.”
“Alan? I’m speaking of his father, David. He’s been our attorney for years. He’s the best in the business.”
“I believe he’s retired, and his son has taken over the practice,” I said, sure that she’d already been told this information, more than once. “But Alan is an excellent lawyer. He’s helped in several cases….”
“David is retired?” she asked. “Well, in that case, I suppose his son will have to do. Let him know that I will cover all costs. I want him to do whatever necessary to clear my daughter’s name.”
“Will you be coming down to the station?” I asked.
I heard her take a puff of her cigarette followed by a long exhale. “Oh, no, my dear. I’m not feeling quite myself today, but I know you’ll look after my baby.”