by Lyndsey Cole
Annie wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. “What about Cody?”
Violet’s face blushed slightly. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out, of course. We are working closely with Cody to get what’s rightly ours. Once he has the life insurance money, he said he’d buy me out.” She paused. “We haven’t worked out the details yet.”
Larry reached into his pocket and glanced at a gold pocket watch. Annie stared and her hand jerked into the coffee carafe, knocking it over. Hot coffee flooded the table, forcing both Larry and Violet to scooch away from the liquid. Larry dropped the watch on the seat and it slid toward Annie. She scooped it up just before the coffee flooded to that spot.
Larry’s hand snaked out to grab the watch from Annie but she could see where there once had been an attached cover. “I’ll take that. Good thing your coffee didn’t drench it or I’d be owning this café.”
Leona rushed over with towels and mopped up the spill. “So sorry. Would you like a complimentary raspberry torte? Go box it up Annie.”
“Yes,” Violet answered, licking her lips.
“No,” Larry sneered.
He slid past Leona and left but Violet waited for the dessert. Margery joined her. “What happened? Why is Larry mad?”
Violet ignored her while she talked to Annie. “Larry is extremely fond of that watch. I think it means more to him than anything else in his life.” Annie noticed her eyes quickly dart in Margery’s direction. “He lost the cover and he’s been fretting about it ever since.” She picked up the box. “Thank you for this. I can’t wait to slice into it.”
Annie slumped against the counter after Violet left. She stared at Leona. “Did you hear that? The watch cover you found sounds like it must be the one Larry lost. What was he doing at the Harper House?”
Leona nodded. “More importantly, when was he there?”
Annie took off her apron. “I have to check my gallery and talk to Camilla.”
Leona grabbed her arm. “What’s going on?”
Annie caught Leona up as she gathered her tote and jacket. “Henry Harper the third has been flirting with Camilla and he wants to show her something at the old Harper place. Now it looks more like Larry might be the murderer. I need to let her know this new piece of information.”
“I’m closing at four. Make sure you come back and fill me in on any plans. Danny’s future could be at stake, you know.”
Annie nodded but her thoughts were already several steps ahead of her body.
Chapter 19
Annie found Camilla in her office, filing her fingernails. “Kind of slow today?”
Camilla sat up straight. “You startled me. I thought it was Henry coming back.”
“He’s already been in here today?”
“Several times. It’s getting more and more difficult to keep up this friendly act. He’s really a bit of a creep.”
Annie sat opposite Camilla. “Do you remember the gold watch cover I showed you?”
Camilla nodded.
“Larry Sheldrake dropped a gold pocket watch at the café today.”
Camilla’s eyes widened.
“It was missing a cover.”
“Where did he get it?” she whispered.
Annie crossed her legs. “That’s the missing link.”
“What about the engraved H?”
“Unless he has a good explanation for the H, I suspect he found the watch or stole it. But even if it’s legitimately his, why was the cover in the fireplace of the Harper House?”
Camilla rooted around in her giant purse and pulled out a jar of nail polish. “I chipped this nail and need to touch up the color,” she explained to Annie’s questioning expression. “Want me to do your nails?”
Annie turned her hands toward her face with her fingers curled to the palm of her hand. She rubbed her thumb over the recently clipped nails. “Ah, no thanks. I’m not much of a colored nails kind of person. It looks like too much trouble.”
Camilla expertly dabbed pink nail polish on her chipped nail and waved her hand to speed the drying time. “Yeah, well, I like to be color coordinated.” She blew on her fingernail and waved it some more. “How are we going to figure out where that gold watch cover came from?”
Annie’s foot bobbed up and down. “I was hoping you would be curious about it too. There’s a good chance Larry will be coming into the gallery to buy a photograph of mine. It’s not definite, but I suspect he’ll be back. I sort of told them about valuables being found at the Harper House. More like spreading a rumor than an actual fact.”
Camilla cleaned up her nail products. “You are clever, Annie. You think he’ll be sniffing around for more information,” she stated, already grasping Annie’s strategy. “You want me to do my flirty thing with Larry Sheldrake?”
Annie burst out laughing. “Sure. Use your talents. I’m not convinced it will work on Larry, though. He’s a sour, angry grump. If his wife is with him, she’s easier to get talking. She blurts out anything. No filter on her thoughts. You’ll probably have better luck with her.”
Camilla stood up and smoothed her pink nails over the same shade of pink sweater, accentuating her curves to the max. “I’m ready. Let the fun begin.”
“Wait. What about your plans with Henry?”
“No time is set yet but he’s pushing for tonight. I hope he hasn’t sensed my nerves.”
Annie smiled. “I doubt it. All he’s thinking about are those twinkling diamonds around your neck and how he can get his fingers on them.”
“Ewww.” Camilla shivered. “You better have a good back up plan. I don’t want to end up stuck in that gloomy house alone with Henry Harper, sticky fingers, the third.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Annie said even though she hadn’t actually figured anything out yet. She checked her watch. “I’ll be back around four when Leona is closing the café.”
Annie walked to her car while she texted a message to Jason. Dinner at the Catfish Cove Pub later? She also needed to check in with Martha.
Annie, distracted by her thoughts, walked right into Tyler Johnson. He reached out, holding one of her arms to steady her and keep her from tripping over her own feet.
“Earth to Annie. What’s so important you can’t even watch where you’re going?” Tyler teased.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t text while I’m walking.” She dropped her phone in her tote bag. “Are you heading to the café?”
“I was, but not for refreshments. I’m looking for you.”
Annie’s fingers raked through her strawberry blond curls and she waited for an explanation.
“I, ah, saw your car at Detective Crank’s house. That struck me as a bit odd.”
“Oh, yeah, I was helping her—”
Tyler interrupted, “You don’t need to explain. It’s none of my business.” He turned around and walked with Annie toward her car.
“It’s not a big deal. I was helping her with her new dog. She adopted the dog I found at the Harper House and she’s looking after the puppies until they’re old enough to be adopted.”
Tyler chuckled. “So you two found some common ground. Dogs.”
“Yup. And Claire’s murder.”
A frown distorted Tyler’s face. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing much. Christy was interested in what I’ve heard around town. She says people don’t open up to her.” Annie opened her car door.
“Christy? Not Cranky? You two must have had some meaningful bonding time.” Tyler held the door so she couldn’t pull it closed. “I’ll be off work soon, can I buy you a drink?”
“Um, sure. What about JC?”
“She wants some space.” Tyler gently closed the door.
“I’m going to Martha’s house. I’ll meet you around five? At the pub?” This could be awkward, Annie thought. Meeting Tyler, then Jason later, at the pub.
She pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Martha’s house. She saw Tyler in the rearview mirror, standi
ng motionless watching her until she was out of sight. With any luck, Tyler would be long gone before Jason showed up.
Martha’s remodeled farmhouse, surrounded by old maple trees, had an inviting brick pathway to the front door. Annie heard raised voices when she knocked. Silence followed, then quick footsteps.
“Come in. Come in,” Martha said as she held the door open. With her voice lowered, she added, “Abby is here. What a mess.”
Oh boy, Annie thought as she walked into Martha’s drama. “Is Abby all right?”
“I’m not sure what’s going on. She’s blubbering so much I can barely understand what she’s trying to tell me.”
Annie and Martha entered the spacious living room to find Amber trying to console her sister. “Take a deep breath, Abby.” Amber looked at her grandmother with panic in her eyes. “What are we going to do? She needs to calm down.”
Annie whispered to Martha, “Make some tea and I’ll be right back.”
She rushed back to her car and sent a text to Christy, I need to borrow a couple of pups for a short time. On my way.
Annie kept her fingers crossed that Christy got the message and was okay with Annie taking a couple of puppies. For that matter, she hoped Bella was okay with it too. Christy’s car was in the driveway and Christy was waiting at her front door when Annie arrived.
“What’s going on?”
“Abby is completely distraught. I’m hoping a puppy will calm her down.” Annie stared at Christy. “And once she’s calm, I think she has some information to share.”
Christy grabbed a soft fleece blanket and eased two puppies away from Bella. “Sorry, girl. This is important and your pups will be right back.” She turned to Annie. “Right?”
“Right.” Annie dashed back to her car and was back in Martha’s living room just as the tea was being served.
Abby sat hiccupping from all the sobbing, looking exhausted. Annie gently placed the fleece blanket in her lap.
“What’s this?” she asked, her eyes wide with suspicion.
“Take a look,” Annie encouraged.
Abby pulled one corner away to reveal a black pup and a tan pup. She picked them up, one in each hand, and cradled them under her chin. With a deep sigh she even managed to smile.
Once the pups were back in her lap, Martha handed her a cup of mint tea. “So, how about you tell us what’s wrong, dear.”
With a minimum of sobbing between sips of tea, Abby managed to share her problem. “It’s Cody.” She kept her eyes on the puppies, stroking them methodically. “I think he killed his mother.”
Chapter 20
Annie crouched next to Abby, forcing her to look at her. “Why do you think he killed Claire?”
“He told me to tell the police he was at home with me.” She looked up at her grandmother. “But he wasn’t. He was furious when he got home and he told me he had an argument with his mother in the kitchen of our new apartment. Once we found out she was dead, he told me to lie to the police so he would have an alibi.”
Annie put her hands over Abby’s. “Do you think he killed Claire?”
She sobbed again. “I don’t know what to think. He won’t tell me what the argument was about, and now he’s the beneficiary of her half a million dollar life insurance policy. What would you think?” Her head fell into her hands, the puppies forgotten.
Martha crouched on Abby’s other side, pulling her into an embrace. “Now, now, dear. I don’t think Cody killed his mother. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Did he see anyone else at the house when he was there?”
Abby’s head popped up. “Besides Danny Davis? He said Danny was upstairs the whole time with a saw running, making lots of noise.”
“Besides Danny.”
“No, he didn’t see anyone, but he said Larry Sheldrake was supposed to stop by but he didn’t show up. At least not when Cody was there. The three of them needed to discuss the financial situation.”
“How about Henry Harper the third? Did Cody say anything about seeing him?” Annie asked.
“You’ll have to ask him. All I remember is about Larry.”
Annie took the puppies off Abby’s lap. “I have to bring these guys back to their mom. She wasn’t too happy when I left with them. I’ll be back.”
When Annie pulled into Christy’s driveway, she could see Christy pacing back and forth in front of the big living room window. Cradling the pups, she walked to the front door which opened as soon as she reached it.
“What did you find out?” Christy asked.
“Let’s get these guys back together with Bella first,” Annie said. Bella sniffed both pups and settled back down on her blanket.
“Okay,” Annie said. “Claire was supposed to have a meeting with her son, Cody, and Larry Sheldrake in the kitchen where she was murdered.”
“And?”
“And that’s all I know. You’ll have to check everyone’s alibis to see who was lying.” Annie wasn’t about to throw Cody under the bus when Abby’s information was told in confidence. Christy had the resources to follow through with what she did share.
Christy nodded. “Thanks.” She followed Annie out the door, already in her work persona.
Oh boy, Annie thought. She hoped Cody wasn’t the murderer, for Abby’s sake.
Annie made a quick stop back at Martha’s house. Martha and Amber were finishing another cup of tea and Abby was napping in the recliner.
“What do we do now?” Martha asked.
Annie shook her head. “Keep her here with you. I have a busy night which might clear some of this mess up.”
Annie checked her watch. She still had to check with Camilla at the gallery before meeting Tyler. If she was late meeting him for a drink, oh well.
Catfish Cove was alive with weekend tourists. Ugh, Annie said to herself, preferring the peace and quiet of the weekdays.
Henry Harper the third was at the gallery with Camilla. She turned her head enough so when she rolled her eyes at Annie, Henry wouldn’t be able to see.
“Henry, I hear you get the most frequent visitor award here at the Fisher Fine Art Gallery,” Annie said.
“What? What kind of award is that?”
Annie and Camilla both laughed. “Just a joke.”
His face turned red and he scowled. Turning back to Camilla, he asked, “Later then?”
She nodded and raised an eyebrow suggestively.
As soon as Henry left the gallery, Camilla put both her hands around her neck and made a gagging face. “I hope this is worth it, Annie.”
“What’s the plan?”
“He’s picking me up between six and seven.”
“Okay. As soon as he arrives, send me a text so I know to get inside the Harper House and hide. Jason will be there too. Text him too.”
“Do you think Henry’s the killer? I’m kinda nervous.”
Annie chose her words carefully. “He’s definitely after something from you. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone.”
“I’m counting on you, Annie,” Camilla said as Annie left the gallery and entered the Black Cat Café.
Leona and Mia were finishing up food prep for the next day. They closed containers of soup and salad ingredients, sliding everything into the refrigerator. Leona brushed her hands against each other. “Perfect timing. She sat at the counter, kicking off her shoes. Fill us in.”
“It’s been hectic,” Annie said as she sat next to Leona. “Abby is at Martha’s house, convinced that Cody killed his mother.”
“What?” Mia said, shocked.
“He told Abby to lie to the police and say he was with her so he would have an alibi, but he was at the Harper House for a meeting with his mother. And Larry Sheldrake.”
Leona grabbed Annie’s arm. “This is great. So Danny’s off the hook?”
“Not quite. I had some bonding time with Detective Crank, and—”
“Cranky? You’re joking,” both Mia and Leona interrupted.
“Not joking. We bonded over Bell
a. Hmmm, that has a nice ring to it. Anyway, I helped her bring Bella and the puppies to her house and she made me tea.” Annie looked at the other two women. “Yeah, I was stunned too. Christy is a lonely person and all that rudeness is just a cover for her insecurities. She told me that she’s envious of my connections with the people around town. No one opens up to her with any information. Shocking, I know.” They all laughed.
“Can you trust her?”
“I’m working on trusting her. It’s a two way street, so if I give a little, maybe she will too. Anyway, Henry Harper the third wants Camilla to go to the Harper House tonight. Apparently, he has something to show her.”
“I’ll bet he does.” Leona howled with laughter. After a couple of seconds, Mia and Annie laughed too.
“Yeah, that didn’t come out right. He wants to show her something in the house,” Annie explained through her snorting. The cuckoo clock chimed five. “Gotta run. I’m meeting Tyler for a drink.”
“Whoa.” Leona grabbed Annie’s arm, halting her exit. “Tyler?”
Annie tugged her ear and couldn’t meet Leona’s eyes. “It’s nothing. He asked me to meet him for a drink. Friends can have a drink together.”
“Does Jason know?”
“I don’t have to tell him everything I do.” Annie pulled away from Leona and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Be careful, Annie.”
Annie turned and left. She texted Jason on her way to the car. Meet at six?
Tyler had a grin from ear to ear when Annie walked into the Catfish Cove Pub. He waved and stood up to kiss her cheek and pull out the chair for her.
This was a bit more than Annie was expecting. Did Christy know something she didn’t share?
“I already ordered you a Sam Adams. Is that okay?”
Annie nodded. “Is everything all right with you, Tyler?”
He sighed and his shoulders drooped. “Not really. I thought JC and I were doing great together. I don’t think she likes my long and irregular work schedule. Nothing happened,” he put his fingers up as quotes around happened, “we’re just drifting apart.” He looked at Annie. “I’m lonely.”