Killer Party

by Lynn Cahoon

  Okay, now I just wanted to throw up. The sugar water was getting a little deep. I gently took my hand out of her grip. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got an appointment soon.”

  “Oh, dear, I didn’t mean to keep you. Me and my jabberwocky mouth. I guess I’m just alone here too many hours a day. I really should just work from home, but what fun is that?” She turned and opened the file drawer and started digging. “I think I might have put that book aside in the back. I’ll be right back.”

  Great, now I had made her feel bad and lied to boot. Thank goodness I hadn’t set up a lie jar. Maybe this paying my way to good manners wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d thought. “Maybe I could come back some time, you know, when I wasn’t so rushed. Or you could come to the coffee shop.”

  “I might just stop by soon.” She disappeared into the back.

  I sat my purse on the counter and knocked off a stack of papers. I knelt to get them and found a proposal addressed to Levi Wallace. Maybe Martha had put together the bachelor’s weekend or she was going to produce the wedding that now wouldn’t happen. I peeked around the counter, but she was still in the back room. So I read the first page, and the second. Greg needed to see this. I took my phone out of my purse and snapped copies of each page of the five-page document. I’d just stood and returned the papers to the counter when Martha returned and handed me a three-inch binder, so heavy, I almost dropped it.

  “I’m still a little shaken up about what happened at The Castle. You don’t know what happened, to that poor man, do you?” Martha peered at me over the piles of loose papers.

  “The Bakerstown police department is handling the investigation. I guess with Greg being friends with the victim, it just seemed more appropriate.” Apparently, my reputation for sticking my nose into things like local murders had traveled. Okay, now I’d have to figure out how I was going to stay and chat when I’d just said I had to leave. I painted myself into a wall this time.

  Martha took out a rag and dusted off the top of her counter. “I was just wondering.”

  She was playing cagy. “Had you met Levi and Jessica?”

  Martha stopped wiping and considered me. “No, sorry. All I know is what I saw on the news. Why do you ask?”

  “I thought maybe they’d talked to you about their wedding plans.”

  As I walked out of the shop, Amy’s notebook heavy in my arms, I decided to show Greg what I’d found out over dinner. My mood lightened as I got into the Jeep. I liked being able to investigate out in the open. In the past, having to sneak around Greg’s back when he had asked me not to get involved had been hard. Now that he was benched, he wanted me to find out the things he couldn’t. Maybe he could give all the murder cases to the Bakerstown Police Department. Then we could be like those couples who investigate on television. Aunt Jackie had loved a show like that when I was in high school, but I think it was in reruns even then. I’d have to ask her what it was called.

  I made a U-turn and headed toward the other side of town where Doc Ames had built his mortuary years ago. When he’d been approved by the county for the crematorium, the ten acres had been in the middle of farmland. Now, a subdivision and an industrial complex sat on either side of the funeral home. The parking lot was empty except for Doc’s black hearse. Before I’d left town, I’d stopped at the shop and picked up a bag of ground coffee and an assortment of the desserts from the display case. It was blatant bribery for information, but I didn’t think Doc would mind. Much.

  The front door was open and I could see light coming from the hallway leading to his office rather than the other business part of the building. I’d never been down to where Doc did his autopsies or prepared the body for burial, and I hoped I never would have to look for him there. Have I mentioned that I threw up in third grade when my science teacher was talking about how the blood pumps through your body?

  I swallowed hard and made my way toward the office. “Doc? Are you in there?”

  “Who’s out there?” Doc Ames came to the doorway of his office, his serious look turning into a smile when he saw me. “Well, if it isn’t Nancy Drew. Why are you here, he asks, as he eyed the coffee shop bag?”

  “Sue me, I’m transparent.” I held out the bag. “I’ll take one of those if you have some coffee made to go with it.”

  “There’s not anyone else I’d want to share with.” He motioned me inside the office. “Come sit down. How’s Greg? Does he know you’re here?”

  I plopped down on the couch. “I’m shocked you’re asking. I wouldn’t hide things from him.”

  “And I wasn’t born yesterday.” He went to the coffeepot and poured me a cup. “You take it black, right?”

  “I do.” I leaned forward and took the coffee. “Let’s get the formalities out of the way. Yes, Greg knows I’m here. He’s been taken off Levi’s murder case and so…” I paused and Doc Ames finished my thought.

  “He thought you could find out unofficially what had happened to our poor groom.” He opened the box. “Éclairs. I love éclairs.”

  They weren’t my favorite, but Sadie was going through an éclair stage. She had made at least ten different kinds in the last few weeks. This recent experiment had a pumpkin cream filling and a maple frosting. Basically it was seasonal autumn heaven.

  I waited a few minutes, letting the conversation focus on Sadie’s Pies on the Fly business, and how much Doc Ames wished she would open a full time shop in Bakerstown. I didn’t think that would be happening any time soon. Sadie liked her freedom to work in the morning and then have the afternoon off to do her church work. But I wasn’t going to be the one to burst Doc’s bubble.

  He finished off the éclair he was eating and looked down at the box. “One left, do you want it?”

  “Not unless I want to run by myself this afternoon. Emma’s on injured reserve for a few days.” I went on to tell him about the incident when Toby was babysitting since I was at the bachelor-party weekend. Then I decided to jump into the real purpose of my visit before he finished the last éclair. “Speaking of the weekend, do you know how Levi died? Maybe he just slipped and hit his head when he fell into the pool?”

  “An accident like that could be possible.” Doc Ames wiped the side of his mouth with a finger, removing a dot of the maple frosting. “However, that wasn’t how Mr. Wallace died. From the evidence, I believe he was dead before entering the pool. I’ll be getting tox screens in a few days and I’ll have an official cause of death to the Bakerstown police then.”

  “You still haven’t mentioned how he was killed.” I knew I was pushing our friendship and the power of the éclair, but Greg had given me this assignment and I wasn’t going to let him down. Especially since this was the first time my investigation habit had been green lighted by my boyfriend. Everything was situational, I guess.

  He closed the empty box and stood, taking it back to his desk and putting it into a nearby trash can. He sat at his desk, opened a file, and read aloud. “The victim appeared to be strangled with some sort of rope or fabric, yet to be determined.”

  “Strangled?” Someone had been angry enough to squeeze the life out of him. Someone strong like Butch? This was no accident.

  Doc Ames closed the file and looked at me, his eyes twinkling with humor. “Oh, I didn’t see you still sitting there. I thought you’d left. You know I can’t release an official cause of death to anyone except the officers investigating the case.”

  “I better be going anyway. I still have shopping to finish and I’m having lunch with Amy later.” I stood and crossed the office to the doorway where I paused. “Thanks for having breakfast with me.”

  “Anytime. But I’d like it if I saw you more often than just when someone has died.” He turned back to his computer and booted it up.

  “I’ll stop by soon, I promise.” As I walked out of the office and back into the public area of the mortuary, I wondered if Doc Ames was lonely. His wife had died years ago. And since then, the only time I saw him was when he w
as investigating a murder. Maybe he needed a girlfriend.

  Driving back to South Cove, my mind worked on possible hookups for Doc. I hadn’t come to an answer before reaching the house. But I had made a plan. I’d do an engagement dinner party for Aunt Jackie and Harrold, and Amy and Justin. That way, I could invite Doc Ames and a suitable date choice without looking like a setup.

  I let Emma outside while I put away the groceries, setting aside the ingredients I needed to make dinner tonight. Since Greg wasn’t involved in the investigation, he’d be home for supper. I tried to do something new and different on Mondays since I had the day off. Most nights we grilled meat and added a salad. Tonight, I was making a clam fettuccini with garlic bread and the rest of the cheesecake for dessert.

  My stomach growled and I realized I had ten minutes before I was supposed to meet Amy for lunch. Food, it ruled my life. However, it wasn’t always a bad thing. Like this morning when a few éclairs got me information about Levi’s cause of death. I made a quick note about the morning conversations, including the information I’d found at the event planner’s shop about the future of The Castle. Then I let Emma back inside, and walked into town.

  The fall weather was soft and beautiful. Of course, that’s why I loved living in central coastal California. Most days the weather was soft and beautiful. If I wanted winter, I could go to Tahoe and experience enough snow in a weekend to last me the season. I’d rather be in short sleeves and capris than bundled in snow suits and boots.

  Amy was already at our favorite booth when I walked in. I glanced at the “Wall of Fame” Lille had set up near the cash register. Our mayor had a framed 11 by 17 signed picture of him in the middle of the wall. Then a few other Polaroids surrounded it. I needed to contact Nathan Pike like I’d promised, and maybe a few other authors who had visited recently, such as Cat Latimer. The woman had been extremely nice, especially to Sasha who had been nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof when she introduced the author.

  “I’m here,” Amy called out, impatient for me to pay attention to her instead of the almost empty wall. I so hoped she wouldn’t turn into a bridezilla like Aunt Jackie had. I couldn’t take two people with that kind of attitude in my life at the same time. A girl only has so much patience.

  “Hey, I brought you the list.” I handed off the heavy notebook. “It’s going to take you days to get through all that. Isn’t there an online listing somewhere? One you can sort and filter?”

  Amy squealed, patting the cover like it was a rare copy of Harry Potter or maybe a signed Hemingway. “You would think so there would be, but no. Martha has more knowledge in her head about venues around the area than anyone else in the business. She needs someone to help her update her business but for now, this is the bible of event sites.”

  “What are you planning, anyway?” I paused as the waitress came by and sat two iced teas in front of us. “Carrie, how are you?”

  “Old and my feet are killing me.” She took out a note pad. “Let’s see, it’s Monday so Amy will have a double cheeseburger with a vanilla milkshake and you’ll have the usual fish and chips?”

  “Actually, I’ll have the Cobb Salad. Italian dressing on the side.” Amy pushed the menu away as both Carrie and I stared at her. “What? I’m trying to lose ten pounds before the engagement party. I have my eye on a designer dress over at Vintage Duds, and it’s a four.”

  “You’re dieting to get into a smaller size?” Amy was slender and didn’t have an ounce of fat on her body, especially since she and Justin spent most of their weekends at the beach, surfing.

  “Ten pounds won’t kill me and it’s an amazing dress. Just wait, you’ll agree it was so worth it when you see me. Pat has put it aside for me so the sooner I can get the weight off, the sooner I get the dress.” Amy sipped her iced tea. “I was dying for a milkshake today, though.”

  “I guess I’ll have the Cobb too.” I shrugged as Carrie stared at me. “I’m making pasta with white sauce for dinner and won’t be running for a few days.”

  After Carrie left the table, Amy leaned toward me. “Thanks for the support. I don’t know if I could have resisted stealing some of Lille’s fries. And I heard about Emma. Are you ready to kill Toby?”

  “He’s so upset. It’s been hard to give him a lot of grief. But for a minute there, when I found out, I wanted to wring his neck.” Our conversation continued, but my casual words gave me chills as I thought about what I’d learned from Doc Ames. Someone had been angry enough with Levi to choke him and leave him dead in a pool. The questions I needed to answer was what had Levi done to inspire that kind of anger?

  CHAPTER 8

  I had been planning on telling Greg about my day and the information I’d found, but after dinner, he got called down to the station. Toby was having trouble with a driver he’d pulled over on a DUI. Apparently the guy was a big shot in the financial world and his lawyer had hit the station soon after Toby had let the guy call out. So Greg had to go and calm everyone down. I knew he’d back his deputy, but Toby needed someone on his side. Especially before the mayor got wind of the arrest. Our mayor liked it when people with power owed him a favor. And apparently, the guy who’d been drinking all afternoon at South Cove Winery was in a position to help the mayor in the future.

  Greg kissed me on the lips as he grabbed his keys. “Sorry, I know it’s my turn for dishes.”

  “Go, save the world. I’ll be here cleaning up like a good little wife.” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I felt my face heat as I tried to backpedal. “I mean, cohabitant, shack-up partner, roommate…”

  “Relax. The only person you freaked out with that word was you. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear the ‘W’ word until I need something to tease you about.” The keys jangled in his hand. “Are you opening tomorrow or do you have time for breakfast with me at Lille’s?”

  “I’m opening. Besides, you probably don’t want to have this conversation in a crowded diner. Come by the shop on your way to the station and we’ll talk then.” The coffee shop was pretty dead during my shift, except for the commuters who liked to grab a large coffee before heading into the city for work. The nice thing is most of them also picked up a book or two at least once a week. I didn’t know when they found the time to read, but I wasn’t complaining.

  After Greg left, I cleaned off the table, leaving the dishes for later and spent some quality time with Emma, the couch, and my DVR, all before heading to bed. The bad thing about the morning shift is it came too early. The good thing, my workday was done long before most everyone else’s. Tomorrow would be longer than normal since I also had the Business-to-Business meeting to coordinate.

  Thinking about that, I emailed Amy at her work address and asked her to send me the business license file for our new member. That way I could review it prior to the meeting and maybe have a few tidbits to feed Bill as he introduced Vladimir Petrov to the group.

  I knew he had two daughters, one still back in Russia. Was it still called Russia? I pulled up a Google map and familiarized myself with the area. After an hour of getting lost in the internet research on Russia and the little stacking dolls he sold, I tried to take a sip of my soda, but it was empty. Emma nudged my foot. “You want out girl?”

  A happy bark confirmed I’d understood her doggie language so I closed my laptop and took the empty soda can to the kitchen. After letting Emma out into the fenced back yard, I cleaned up the kitchen. The bird clock in my kitchen chirped its way to ten so after I was done with the dishes, Emma and I headed upstairs to bed.

  *

  After my commuter customers stopped coming in to the shop the next morning, I curled up on the couch with the latest Stephen King. I only read his books at work in the daylight because most of the time his writing scared the crap out of me. Promising myself I’d only read a couple of chapters, I was jerked out of the story when I heard the bell over the door chime.

  “Busy day, I see.” Greg sauntered over to the couch and plopped next to
me. “So tell me what you found out?”

  “No ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Hello, I love you’ pleasantries?” I cricked my head toward the counter. “I could pour you some coffee and plate up one of Sadie’s éclairs.”

  “I’ll take some to go, and by the way, good morning, but I’ve got a meeting with our mayor in ten minutes. I probably should have just talked to you tonight when I got home, but our time together has been limited lately.” He ran a hand through his hair. “For me not being involved in the murder investigation, I sure have a lot of paperwork to fill out. What did Doc Ames say?”

  I filled him in on the preliminary cause of death. Greg sank into the couch. “I knew it wasn’t true, but I was really hoping this was just a tragic accident. Poor Levi.”

  He stood to go, but I pulled him back down. “One more thing. I sent you a few pictures you may want to look at.”

  “Pictures of what?

  I squirmed a little. I knew it wasn’t evidence that could be used in a court but we weren’t really supposed to be investigating either. “Copies of what looked like a proposal for this event planner of Amy’s to promote a nightclub at The Castle?”

  “Wait, Brenda’s opening a nightclub? I don’t remember seeing a permit to serve alcohol coming through the council.”

  “The proposal wasn’t for Brenda. It was for Levi and Jessica. They were planning on turning The Castle into a bar.” This time I stood. I needed a drink of water, and Greg needed time to process what I’d said.

  “Why would the proposal be to Levi who’s just a board member? Are you sure?” He followed me to the counter. “Stop. That was rhetorical, let me read the proposal. Besides, there’s no way the board would let that happen. That place is historic. Isn’t it on some list?”

  “Brenda’s been trying to get the place listed. She told me that Craig put the first packet together over five years ago, and still all they get is a letter every six months saying they’re on the list. Just like me.” I’d been waiting for close to two years for an official decision from the historical society as to whether the stone wall in a corner of my back yard was actually the remains of the original South Cove Mission .