She rose from the table with such effort that I found myself saying, “Have faith. Things will get better.”
Olive looked down at me with a sad smile. “You’re sweet. I remember being young and full of hope. And look where it’s gotten me.”
With a sigh, she walked away. I watched her go, a heavy weight seeming to settle on my shoulders as well. A moment later, Jason rejoined me at the table. The sight of him helped me shake off my melancholy gloom.
“Did Olive tell you anything useful?” he asked as he sat back down.
“Man, that poor woman has dealt with a lot in her life, but as for Tony’s death, it seems pretty cut-and-dried. Birch fell asleep while driving, nothing more.” I sucked up the last of my iced tea.
“And she blames Birch after all this time?”
“I think her grudge has more to do with her own life circumstances rather than her husband’s death. Every time she has trouble paying a bill, she must be reminded of what Birch took from her. The only question is whether her resentment was enough for her to murder her own brother.”
“Seems like a weak reason, but people have killed for less.” He looked in the direction Olive had gone. “I’d still like to interview her.”
“Sorry, she didn’t mention it.”
“No problem. I’ll call her tomorrow.” He stood up. “Let’s go win some money.”
We paid our dinner bill and went out onto the casino floor. The crowd had increased while we’d been eating, and the gamblers stood two and three deep at the more popular tables. Most of the slot machine stools were occupied, while other gamblers hovered nearby, hoping to snatch the machine the moment the current slot-puller stood up.
We reached a fairly quiet row of machines, and Jason stopped. Three stools in the middle of the row were vacant.
Jason sat in front of a slot machine decorated with pictures of a miner and bags of gold. He fed a five-dollar bill into the machine and pushed a few buttons. When the reels stopped spinning, three lamps rested on the center line. The machine chimed as a dollar was added to his pot.
I took the stool next to Jason at a machine covered in images of pyramids, asps, and sphinxes and inserted a few dollars. Several spins later, I was out of money and reaching for my wallet. I set a twenty-dollar limit on myself. The rent was due in a few days.
After I lost another couple dollars, I switched to the machine on the other side of Jason. Surely the stampeding horses galloping across the top would be luckier than the pharaohs.
Before I’d even settled down on my stool, Jason’s machine dinged as three genies hit the center row. By the time the counter stopped spinning, he was up twenty bucks.
Grumbling, I put a five in the horse machine, but lost it in less than two minutes. I checked Jason’s machine. Up another ten. Clearly he was sucking all the luck out of the row where we sat.
“I’m going to try the other side,” I told him. He waved a hand in acknowledgment, never taking his eyes off the screen as the reels spun by.
With my luck running low, I found a penny slot and inserted several ones. I picked the max line bet and hit the button, watching the genie lamps spin around before settling completely out of sync.
My total dropped by three dollars, and I almost gasped. I’d lost three hundred pennies in one spin! I lowered the betting amount, but my credits still hit zero within minutes.
I checked the contents of my wallet and winced at the paltry amount that remained. I stuffed it back in my purse, all done gambling for the night.
Getting up from the stool, I scanned the area. With so many machines, I’d lost track of where Jason was sitting. I started to wander up and down the rows, pausing when someone hit a jackpot, which seemed to be everyone but me.
As I got close to a door marked OFFICE, it opened, and Millie walked out. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me.
“Dana, such a pleasure. Out for a night of gambling?” she asked.
“Not anymore.”
A man came out of the same door as Millie. He spoke in her ear before heading across the casino.
A look of affection crossed Millie’s face. “I came here straight from the meeting tonight. My cousin Jaye is going to help us with the commune’s financial problems. I told you we have benefactors who won’t let us struggle.”
“That’s great news,” I said.
“Yes, as long as Frank doesn’t mess up anything with the books again. Birch was planning to talk to him about that, but I don’t think he got the chance. At least this money will give us the breathing room we need until the commune can get its affairs in order.”
Loud cheers erupted from a nearby table. I raised my voice to be heard over the din. “Does this loan mean you didn’t need to hold a vote during tonight’s meeting?”
“I only heard of Jaye’s offer a short while ago. That was after the vote.” A gleam came into Millie’s eye. “Ryan, the silver-tongued devil, convinced most residents to side with him, but little does he know the vote won’t matter. I’ve got information that will change everything. Once the truth is revealed about what a scoundrel he is, he’ll be forced to leave with his tail between his legs.”
Millie practically cackled in victory. Goose bumps rose on my arms at the sound. I couldn’t wait to find out what she knew.
Chapter 27
Millie seemed so certain that she’d be rid of Ryan that I half expected her to leave for the commune right that moment to help him pack. “What did you find out?” I asked.
She pressed her lips together. “As much as I despise the man, I’ll give him one more opportunity to do the honorable thing and admit his lies. If he refuses, I’ll call a meeting and tell everyone what I know.”
Well, rats. I’d hoped she’d tell me first. “Does this have anything to do with Birch’s murder?”
Millie shrugged. “Not directly, but if Birch uncovered the truth as I did, Ryan may have killed him to keep Birch from spreading the word.”
A memory popped up on the outer corners of my mind, and I dragged it to the forefront. Hadn’t Birch been planning to talk to Ryan that night after the farmers market? Was it connected to Millie’s discovery?
“Should you talk to him alone?” I said to Millie. “It might be dangerous.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“There you are,” I heard Jason say behind me. I turned around to find him stuffing a large stack of bills into his wallet.
“Done already?” I asked.
“Can’t take all of the casino’s money in one night. I should leave something for next time.” He looked at my purse. “How’d you do?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That bad, huh? I’ll split my winnings with you.”
“No, thank you. I’ll win next time.” I turned back around to find Millie buttoning her coat. “Millie, this is my boyfriend, Jason.”
Jason nodded to her. “We met at the commune. Nice to see you again.”
“You, too, but I’m afraid I can’t stay. I must hurry back to Evergreen if I want to talk to Ryan before he turns in for the night,” she said. “Don’t be surprised if he’s not around the next time you visit.” She headed for the nearest exit.
“What’s this about Ryan?” Jason asked.
“Millie’s uncovered dirt about him. She’s positive that he’ll leave for good once she talks to him.”
“Think it’s related to him lying about his college degree?”
“Maybe, or more likely it’s connected to that text. Maybe she figured out his exact plans.”
A crafty look came over Jason’s face. “I still need to interview a few people at the commune for my human interest story. I may go sooner than I’d planned.”
I looped my arm through his and snuggled up close. “And I’m sure you need a lovely assistant to take notes, right?”
He gave my hand a squeeze. “We might be able to work something out. In the meantime, did you want to do any more gambling?�
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“Good grief, I won’t be able to pay my rent at the rate I’m losing. Get me out of here before I have to move back in with my mom.”
Jason laughed. “If it comes to that, you could always move in with me.”
The idea made my heart palpitate, but all I said was, “Aren’t you the sweet talker.”
He kissed me briefly, and we walked out of the casino. I spent the trip across the parking lot wondering about the closet space at Jason’s place. Not that I needed much.
The drive home was uneventful, and before I knew it, Jason was pulling into my apartment complex. He walked me up the stairs and we stood outside my apartment where we engaged in a little lip-locking. After we pulled apart, he headed down to his car, and I put my key in the lock. I couldn’t wait to roll into bed. The last couple of nights had been long ones.
My hopes for a quiet end to the day vanished the moment I opened the door. Brittany and Ashlee were sitting on the couch, booing at the TV and throwing popcorn at the screen. Pieces of popcorn were scattered over the carpet.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked as I dropped my purse in the chair and took off my jacket.
“Watching a dating show,” Ashlee said. She pointed at the screen. “That girl totally picked the wrong guy. The other one is way better looking.” As if to emphasize her point, she threw another piece of popcorn.
“Maybe this guy has a better personality.”
Brittany giggled. “No way, but he does have a more expensive car.”
“I can’t believe how shallow she is,” Ashlee added, as if she hadn’t just booed the girl for not picking the hottest guy.
“You know who else drives a cool car?” Brittany said. “That guy who was with Ryan today. Too bad he’s so old.”
My ears perked up. “Ryan? Did you see him again?” I asked Ashlee. Considering he was the front-runner for who might have followed me in the woods, the notion that they might go out again didn’t exactly thrill me.
The dating show went to commercial break, and Ashlee muted the volume. “Kind of. Brittany and I ate lunch at the Breaking Bread Diner, and he was there with some guy.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Not at first. I was totally ignoring him. You know, laughing with Brittany, so he’d see how much fun I was having even though he hadn’t called me.”
“That’s right,” Brittany said with a giggle. “You don’t need that loser.”
“Anyway, we ended up leaving at the same time and got stuck walking out together,” Ashlee said. “Since the other guy held open the door for us, it’s not like I could pretend they weren’t there.”
“Any idea who this other guy was?” I asked.
“Never seen him before. Ryan told us he was his uncle, but the dude looked totally surprised at that.”
Brittany giggled again. “Did you see the way his eyes bugged out of his head? If that guy’s his uncle, then I’m your sister.”
Ashlee sighed. “I wish you were my sister. That would be so cool.”
I waved my hand in front of Ashlee’s face. “Hey! I’m right here.”
“Chill. I didn’t mean that Brittany would replace you. I meant she could be my sister, too. We could be, like, the Three Musketeers.”
“Isn’t that a candy bar?” Brittany asked.
“Plus it was a movie,” Ashlee said, “with all those hot guys.”
“And a book,” I said. “The book came first.”
But they weren’t listening to me. Brittany was too busy rooting around in her bag. “I’d swear I saw a candy bar in here.”
“See if you can find two,” Ashlee said.
Brittany pulled a chocolate bar out and held it aloft. “I’m trying to get superskinny for that party next weekend, so I’ll split it with you.”
“If that’s all you’ve got,” Ashlee said, always the gracious one.
“Did Ryan tell you anything else about his so-called uncle?” I asked to get them back on track.
Ashlee took a bite of her candy bar half and held up one finger while she chewed. I tried to hide my impatience, knowing she’d take even longer to finish the bite.
At last, she swallowed. “Not to me.”
“Or me,” Brittany added.
“But I did hear the guy asking when they’d start moving on things, and Ryan got all fidgety and talked about how it would take time, maybe a lot of it.” Ashlee inspected the remainder of her candy bar. “The other guy seemed put out by that, said he wanted results soon. Ryan said he was doing the best he could.”
Were Ryan and this other guy talking about Ryan’s big plans to increase online sales? Or was this connected to the text I’d seen about the cabin? Either way, if Millie got her wish, Ryan might be ousted as early as tomorrow. All his plans would be ruined.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“What else do you want?” Ashlee said.
Oh, the reason Ryan lied about his education, what information Millie uncovered about him, maybe even a clue as to who killed Birch, but I didn’t think Ashlee could help me with those, so I said, “Nothing.”
“Then why did you ask?” Brittany asked with a giggle.
Ashlee glanced at the TV. “Crap, we’re missing the final pick.” Brittany stuffed the rest of her chocolate in her mouth while Ashlee fumbled with the remote control to turn the volume back on. With those two absorbed in the show once more, I made my exit, not that anyone noticed.
Once I’d brushed my teeth, I donned my pajamas, sent a good night text to Jason, and crawled into bed, wondering if Ryan was looking for a new place to live.
* * *
The next morning, I arrived at work only to find an empty kitchen. Panic gripped me as I wondered where Zennia was. Had she suffered another relapse? Decided she wasn’t ready to come back?
I pulled open the refrigerator door and scanned the shelves, wondering what I could throw together for the guests. I was picking up the yogurt container to create the old stand-by of yogurt parfaits when the kitchen phone rang.
I almost dropped the yogurt but managed to shove it on the shelf before it could fall. I grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
“Dana, it’s Zennia.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. Why was Zennia calling when she should be here cooking? This couldn’t be good. “Zennia, why aren’t you at the farm?”
“I was getting ready to leave, but now I’m afraid I’m not going to make it in time for breakfast prep.” I heard her take a ragged breath. “Dana, you won’t believe what’s happened.”
The fear in her voice made my stomach plunge. For a moment, I even wondered if another murder had taken place on her front lawn. “What?” I asked.
“Someone shot at Millie last night. They tried to kill her.”
Chapter 28
Zennia’s announcement was so close to my guess about another dead body that my brain seemed to have trouble working. It took me a moment to realize Millie must still be alive.
“Wait. Is Millie all right?” I asked, just to be sure.
“She wasn’t hurt, but she’s quite shaken up.”
Relief that Millie was unharmed mingled with confusion. “Who tried to kill her? Ryan?”
“It’s a long story. My main concern right now is that I won’t make it to the farm in time to cook breakfast.”
I checked the clock and saw that she was right. “Don’t worry, I can cover for you.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Dana. I didn’t plan for you to cook in my stead again this soon, but I can’t convince Millie to come with me, and I don’t feel right leaving her alone.”
I heard voices in the hall and tried not to watch the second hand sweep around the face of the rooster clock, a steady reminder that time was slipping away. “Is Millie with you now?”
“Yes, she showed up a short while ago. I have every intention of preparing lunch today, but I’d feel much better if Millie would join me at the farm.”
“Okay, let me get breakfast out of the way, and then
I can stop by your house. Maybe between the two of us, we can convince her to come out here.” Anything to guarantee Zennia would arrive before the noon meal. I had no idea what I could fix for lunch.
I hung up and got to work assembling the parfaits. Within minutes, I had everything ready for the guests, some of whom were waiting. I shuttled between the kitchen and the dining room, trying to serve everyone as quickly as possible, but breakfast couldn’t end fast enough. I almost refused one woman a refill on her coffee with the fear that she might linger.
Finally, everyone had gone, and the dining room was clear. I hurriedly stripped the tables, washed the dishes, and cleaned up the counters. That done, I updated my time card in the office and headed down the hall.
Gordon stood at the counter, typing on the reservation computer. He glanced up when I came in.
“I’m taking an early lunch today,” I said.
“Be sure to update your time card.”
“Already done,” I called over my shoulder as I made my escape. A minute later, I was speeding down the highway.
I exited, wound my way through the streets, and pulled into Zennia’s cul-de-sac. Her Prius and Millie’s car, which I recognized from my previous visit, sat in the driveway. Several cars occupied spaces along the curb. I flipped a U-turn and parked at the corner. This was the same house I’d parked in front of the day of Birch’s death. I automatically looked up at the second-story window to see if anyone was peeking down at me, but the blinds were drawn.
As I got out of my car, the door to the house opened. An older woman in a jogging suit walked out, holding a leash with a Pomeranian on the other end. Its tiny pink tongue hung out as it panted noisily.
The woman locked her front door and came down the walk.
“Morning,” I said.
She shortened the leash until the dog was forced to stand at her heel. The woman frowned at my car. “I’m expecting company soon. I like my guests to be able to park in front of my house.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Good. This whole neighborhood has been overrun with visitors ever since that man was killed.”
“That’s right,” I said, feigning ignorance. “I read about his death in the paper. Happened right around here, didn’t it?”
Murder Most Wholesome Page 19