“Where in tarnation have you been? I thought you were taking a nap and resting like the rest of us.”
I shoved his hand away and marched into the house. “I don’t need daytime naps, and I was curious about something.”
Harry groaned. “Oh no, don’t tell me. You went to find Lenny Fields.”
They followed me to the kitchen with Ben and Harry both fussing all the way. I could have been hurt, or kidnapped, or killed.
“Guys, shut your mouths. I’m fine. None of those things happened, but I did get some interesting news. If you’ll sit quietly for a few minutes, I’ll tell you.
Both men settled down, but from the looks on their faces, they weren’t happy about it.
After I finished my tale, Harry shook his head. “There’s our killer. Pete fell forward and that’s when the aerator stuck in his stomach. Since he was most likely unconscious or dazed from the blow on the head, he couldn’t get off the aerator or get it out of his stomach. I bet the coroner’s report shows he bled to death.”
Ben slapped his hand on the table. “That’s it. Whoever hit him didn’t intentionally kill him, but the result was the same. If she’d come forward and admit what happened, she most likely wouldn’t be charged with first degree murder.”
I reached into the drawer for my pad and pen.
Harry leaned on the counter with his forearms. “You may be right, but we still don’t know who the woman is. I’ll have to give the police the license plate number now.”
“Okay, but look at our list. We can eliminate Steve and Adam since Lenny didn’t see a man out there with Pete. I still can’t believe all this went on while we were having breakfast. Just seems weird.”
Ben tapped his fingers on the counter. “But it did, so now we have to figure out who this woman is. We know of two who admit arguing with him and one who went outside. Maria stayed in the building looking for her keys and going about her work. Taryn argued about flowers and went outside to confront him. The mystery woman came from the main building, so it could have been Taryn returning or Noreen, or Carrie, or any of the housekeeping staff.”
This was doing no good. “We have to keep digging. You two take care of the police, and I’ll do some more nosing around here. Taryn’s story about the flowers doesn’t ring true. Lenny’s description of the argument sounded much too intense to be over flowers for a dinner.”
“You’re right.” Ben glanced at his watch. “It’s supper time. You may have to wait until tomorrow to question Taryn again.”
That was all right with me. I’d had enough today to last a few days, but I’d be on it tomorrow. I stowed my pen and pad back in the drawer and retrieved my jacket from the closet.
“Y’all go on, and I’ll catch up to you. I want to let Mitzi out for a few minutes.”
The two men left for their own cottages, and I opened the carrier to let Mitzi out. She yipped at me like I’d put her in prison. “Sorry, sweet girl, but you have to get used to it. C’mon and we’ll go outside for a few minutes.
While Mitzi ran around the yard then took care of business, I had to come up with a tactful way to ask Taryn about that argument and if she’d seen anyone else come out to see Pete.
After I took care of Mitzi, I headed up to the main building for supper. When I crossed the hallway, I paused and looked down toward the bulletin board. On a whim, I strolled down to it to check to see if anyone listed an earring like the one I had as being lost. I searched and searched, but it was nowhere on the board.
Then I thought of Noreen again. Maybe it had been her after all. She had brown hair, and from a distance one couldn’t see the gray strands there. I didn’t recall what she had been wearing that day, but then I wasn’t thinking about her as a suspect and didn’t notice her clothes.
I sighed and headed back to the dining area. One more name to add to my list of people to question.
Chapter 15
The next morning after breakfast, I headed for Noreen’s office. She waved me in and closed the door.
“What can I do for you this morning? Are you having any problems with the dinner and decorations?”
“No, we have that all under control. I was just curious about those earrings. I liked the one you had on yesterday. Do they come in different colors?”
“Yes, and he makes bracelets and necklaces to match, but they’re expensive, so I stick to earrings. Since I don’t have pierced ears, it’s hard to find the clip-on type, so when I do, I buy several.”
“I know what you mean because I do the same. I’d like to know when he might be having a show around here, so I can take a look at his jewelry.” I really did want to check into seeing the jewelry, and it would give a good excuse to go into town.
“Of course, I’d be glad to let you know when he’ll be back at War Eagle.” She reached for the folder again.
Before she could speak, I asked, “Did you know two others besides Maria argued with Pete that morning?”
Her eyebrows rose and wrinkled her brow as she stared at me a moment. “Yes, but how did you know? That police detective told me when he came in to question me and Taryn again. Taryn admitted to her argument, and that makes her a suspect. Being honest about it may be in her favor.”
I wanted to ask her about her dealings with Pete, but I didn’t want to arouse any suspicions.
“You have your clues, so work your magic with them. I know you were told to stay out of it, but I have a feeling that’s not going to stop you.” She walked around her desk and opened the door for me to leave.
I stepped into the hall, frustration lacing my thoughts. I wish I had that much confidence in my abilities.
Taryn was by the bulletin board putting up a notice about the fall dinner.
“Hi, Taryn, I’ve been hearing good things from people about the dinner. It’ll be good to get their minds off Pete’s death.”
“Oh, Abigail, good morning. Yes, I think they’ll enjoy it, and I appreciate your help with the decorations.” She pressed in the final thumb-tack. “We’ll have a list of the nominees for Harvest King and Queen tonight at dinner.”
A light exploded in my brain. Taryn could have easily gone back outside and argued with Pete again. Maybe she’d been up to War Eagle. None of our residents would have gone without a group or a family member took them. I might as well start my investigation now with the clock ticking.
“Taryn, what do you think about a field trip for some of our more able-bodied residents. I’ve wanted to go to the craft fair at War Eagle, and some of the others might enjoy it as well.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ve never been myself and would love the opportunity to take some of you. Noreen told me they have some great booths. I’ll have to think about that and come up with a plan. We could take the van, but we’ll have to limit the number of people to fifteen with our driver. Let me check it out and get back with you.”
The enthusiasm in her voice led me to believe she hadn’t been there before, and if that was the case, she couldn’t be the owner of that earring. Since I didn’t know if the earring was a real clue, I didn’t take Taryn off of my list. “I look forward to seeing what you can plan.”
I left her taking care of the bulletin board and headed for the foyer. Steve waved at me and hurried over. “Mrs. Billings, I’ve just returned from vacation and learned about Pete. It’s awful what happened to him. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Of course, I did. This was one young man I’d been itching to see all week. “Sure, let’s go to the conference room. We can talk in private there.’
We headed in that direction. “I understand that you and Mr. Martin are doing a little bit of side investigating on your own, and I want to help.”
He may have been back only today, but he already knew about what was going on. “How did you know about that?”
“Tillie. You know how she loves to tell all she knows about what’s going on around here. I saw her when I went on duty a little before breakfast.”
T
hat explained a lot. We entered the library which was empty as it usually is this time of morning. We sat in a corner near a window. I wanted to get my questions in first, so I started with the one that had been on my mind the most. “Now, what can you tell me about your argument with Pete before you left?”
The startled expression on his face sure told the tale of being caught off-guard, which is exactly what I wanted.
He stared at his shoes or the floor or whatever, but he didn’t look at me. Finally, he raised his head. “We had several disagreements before I left. One was because of Maria. He knew she was struggling to meet some medical bills for her daughter, and he wanted to help her out. She wanted no part of that, and I can’t say that I blame her. Anyway, I told him to forget it and take care of other things first, but he went ahead and offered anyway.”
Well, at least his story matched what Maria had said. “Was there something to do with the money you had won at the casinos?”
This time he shook his head. “I told Pete to keep his mouth shut. He doesn’t realize how people around here listen when it appears they’re doing something else.”
He had that right by evidence of what I had learned. Maybe Harry ought to put out that little tidbit to his police buddies. Maybe then they could get this case solved, and I could get on with my business. Who was I kidding? I wanted to solve this crime myself, well with the help of Ben and Harry of course.
Steve continued with his information. “We invested the money we had won at the casinos, and don’t ask how we won so much. That was Pete’s doing. He lost some of his at the poker tables, but he accused them of cheating and didn’t want to pay his debt.”
“Do you have any idea who those people were?” That matched with what I had learned from Lenny.
“No, and I don’t want to know. I don’t play poker, so I never went with Pete.”
I wasn’t learning anything really new and nothing about who that second woman might be, but I had to keep prying.
“What about Pete and Adam? What was their relationship?”
“That was all over some money he gave Pete to invest for him. Adam didn’t think it was growing fast enough and demanded his portion back. The money we won is in a joint account, so I’ll talk with Adam and make sure he at least gets back what he invested.”
“You know Pete better than the rest of us, so what can you tell me about the women in his life? Seems he had quite a few.”
Steve laughed and shook his head. “Taryn told me you were investigating Pete’s murder, but I had no idea you already knew so much about Pete. Until he became involved with Maria, he dated a lot without any commitments. He was falling in love with Maria and little Gracie, her daughter, but Maria wanted to take things slower.”
“Who else was there besides Taryn and Maria?” This might borderline on gossip, but I had to find out who that mystery woman was.
This time he chuckled and blew out his breath. “You are determined aren’t you?”
“We just want to get this whole thing cleared up. Some of our residents are still uneasy about Pete’s death and are afraid the killer is still lurking about.” I didn’t actually know that for certain about any of the residents but Bessie, and she had let it be known she was being cautious.”
“I think he was involved with several of the single maids and one of the nurses as well, and maybe even Carrie. One time he mentioned one of the wait staff in the dining hall. I quit listening to all that. As long as it didn’t hurt our game, I didn’t pay much attention to his dating life.”
The mention of Carrie really perked my ears. She’d been upset by his death, but so had everyone else. Something I was missing kept darting around the edges of my thoughts. Carrie had been more distracted than usual since Pete’s death, and she did have brown hair. That would take more investigation. Then there was the nurse and someone on the dining staff to consider as well.
“Look, Mrs. Billings, Pete was a good guy, but he did have an eye for women, and he may have broken a few hearts, but, like I said, I quit paying attention to his affairs.” He stood and offered his hand. “I’m more than happy to help, and I’m glad you’re nosing around, but I have to get back to work. This is the time I usually take Mrs. Sims to the activity room. She likes to play Canasta with a few other ladies.”
I jumped up and shook his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep you from your duties, but thank you so much for the information you shared.”
He left, but I remained for a few minutes and mulled over what he’d told me. I had some new information, but it only served to clear up some questions and not really lead me to a killer. The one unknown factor still remained—the mystery woman with the rock.
Now I needed some new names, so I could compare them with the notes I had on the other woman. Of course, there was always the possibility that Lenny had made up that part, and he was the real killer. Then there was the business of the earring again. That could either lead me to the killer or it could simply be a case of an earring lost by someone out walking, especially since I had no idea how long it had been wherever Mitzi found it.
When I left the library and crossed the foyer, the first thing I noticed was that Carrie wasn’t at the reception desk. The substitute was there instead.
“Hello, Mrs. Benson. I wasn’t expecting to see you here today.”
“Carrie had a few days off coming, so she took them, and I’m filling in for her. She’ll be back next Monday.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. Have a good day.”
I turned and headed back outside and home. My brain was on overload, and I needed chocolate to clear it up. Maybe Harry and Ben could help download it all if we put our heads together this afternoon.
On my walk back to my cottage, that illusive little bit of information kept darting in and out of my memory, but I couldn’t get a grip on it to make it stay. Maybe that dark chocolate bar stashed in the pantry would clear the cobwebs.
Chapter 16
After I took care of Mitzi’s needs, I grabbed a chocolate bar, my pad, and a pencil. If I didn’t write down everything from this morning, I might not remember later on. Steve’s information had helped clear up a few things, but not the mystery of the third woman who argued with Pete.
I wrote down what I knew about each woman. Maria had argued with Pete in the employees’ locker room before he went out to work. Her keys were found later in the flower bed, but she said she left them in her purse in her locker. When she went to get them later, they were gone. I believed her story. Besides, her duties kept her too busy to be outside arguing with Pete again.
Then Taryn had gone out to see him, and they had argued about the flowers for the Harvest Dinner. She has long, dark hair, but she was the one wearing the red sweater and black pants that day. Besides, Lenny said she went back inside before the other woman came out. Still, I didn’t want to rule her out. Lenny said the second woman had on dark clothes, and Taryn had worn black pants. She could have come back outside wearing a black jacket over her sweater.
I put her back on my list and concentrated again on what else I knew. Our day nurse has brown hair she wears in a twist at the back or a braid when she’s at work, but I have seen it loose on her shoulders. She could have gone out in street clothes and then changed into her uniform later. I didn’t remember her ever doing that before, but it remained a possibility.
I couldn’t rule out Noreen either. She fit the description, and she could easily have had another pair of earrings like the ones I saw her wearing and lost one of them.
Carrie had dark hair and liked to wear it in a braid as well. What was she wearing that day? I couldn’t remember, but then I hadn’t been looking for the color of anyone’s clothing that day.
By the time lunch rolled around, I had made some progress, but didn’t have concrete evidence. I prepared a lunch of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and sat down to enjoy it. Before I had taken two bites, Bessie yelled through the door and pounded on it.
I let her in, and she patted her chest with her hand to catch her breath. “The police are up at the main building. We have to get up there and see what’s going on. It must be about Pete’s murder, and they’re here to arrest someone.”
“Slow down, Bessie. They’re probably here to ask more questions. “
“I don’t know, but I saw Ben and Harry going in the door, so I came to get you.”
If Ben and Harry were checking things out, I wanted to be there, too. “Okay, let me get my jacket and I’ll come with you.”
A few minutes later we entered the lobby, and Detective Forester was there talking to Noreen. Ben and Harry were seated not far away, so we joined them. The first thing I noticed was that Ben wasn’t wearing his sling. Either his shoulder was much better or he didn’t want to wear it and I voted for the latter.
“What’s going on Ben?” I sat beside him on the couch in the reception area. I leaned toward him. “Where’s your sling?”
“It got in my way, and I didn’t really need it anymore.”
Just like a man to think like that. I glared at him, but he paid it no mind.
“I’m not sure why we’re here. Harry and I found out that Steve has been out of town and didn’t return until this week-end.”
“I talked with him today and realized he couldn’t have done it, so that leaves us with the women.” I kept glancing toward Noreen and Forester who were in a serious discussion.
Noreen nodded in my direction, and the detective turned to lock gazes with me. He said something to Noreen before heading toward me.
“Mrs. Billings, I have a few more questions for you and your friends here.”
Bessie’s eyes opened wide, and she fanned her face with her fingers. “I don’t know anything.” She jumped up, well not quite, but she stood as fast as she could.
“I need to go check on my friend.” She scurried away like a mouse after seeing a cat.
The detective shook his head. “I didn’t have her on my list anyway, but I do need to talk to the three of you.”
Mulch Ado About Murder Page 10