I hugged her. “We’re going to help him.”
She smiled and opened the door wide. “What can we do?”
“First, put this ice pack on. Your face is looking better, and icing it will help.” She rolled her eyes. “Second, I need to find out who his lawyer is. I know the one he used to use retired a few years ago.”
She held the ice pack to her cheek. “I can help! When I programmed his phone, I put his lawyer’s number in it.”
“Do you remember the name and number?”
“No, but I know where he keeps his address book.” Excited, she ran over to pick up her keys. She tossed the ice pack on the bed and the keys in the air. “I have Dad’s key right here. Let’s go.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know if we should go into his house without him there.”
“Mom, it’s to help him. He won’t mind. Let’s go.” Jenny ran down the stairs. I barely had time to put my coat on before she shot out the back door. “Hurry up, slowpoke.” She grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to his back door. Unlocking it, she pushed the door open. Taking a deep breath, I followed.
The last time I had been in that kitchen was when I discovered my neighbor’s body. I knew it was no longer there, but I shivered anyway and crossed myself as I passed the spot. Sprinting into the hallway leading to the office, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Jenny tossed things from the desk. “I thought you knew where it was?”
“It was right under here. He must have moved it.”
“You’re making a mess.” On autopilot, I started picking up the items Jenny threw onto the floor. Several pieces of paper looked like they were diagrams of some type of financial transaction. Setting them to the side, I moved closer to the desk and pointed to the windowsill. “Isn’t that an address book?”
“Yes! What’s it doing over there?”
I pointed to the portable phone lying next to it. “He must have been phoning from here and forgot to put it back.” I looked out the window and realized it faced my living room. Had he watched us from here? I shook myself. Focus! “Can you find the name and number?”
She paged through the book. “Here it is.”
I looked at the entry: Davis and Family, Attorneys at Law. In parentheses, Drew had written Kendall Davis along with her cell number. I picked up the portable phone and dialed. “This is Meredith March. I’m calling about my ex-husband, Drew March. I believe he is a client of yours.” I explained our dilemma.
“Thanks for alerting me. I’ll go to the police station right now. Hopefully he hasn’t told them anything.”
Jenny and I returned to the house. Shedding our coats, I asked, “Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“Would love some. What do we do now?”
“We wait, and you put another ice pack on. Hopefully his lawyer is a good one, and she’ll be able to get him out on bail.” I picked up the hot milk and stirred it into the mugs. I handed Jenny one. “I know this is hard, honey, but we’ll get through it.”
She hunched over her mug. “But I just started to get to know him again!” She put the mug on the counter. “Mom, you found the person who killed Mr. Ford and Ms. Piedmont. You can figure out who killed Ms. Thomas!”
I blew on the hot chocolate and then took a sip. “We’ll see. I said I’d help, but I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
She smiled. “I know you can do it.” She threw a few more marshmallows into her mug. “I need to work on a paper. Let me know when Mr. Jenson gets back.” She kissed me, left the ice pack on the counter, and ran up the stairs to her room.
No pressure. What if Drew really did it? I gave up and put the ice pack back in the freezer. Moping around wasn’t going to help, so I washed the dirty pot. I strode into the living room with a dust rag. Seeing no dust, I sank onto the sofa. I grabbed my book and curled up with a cat on my lap. Courvoisier took her position on the back of the sofa near my head. Reading a page that I had no recollection of, I reread it. You have the attention span of a gnat! Giving up, I checked my phone to see if Rob had texted me.
The back door opened with a bang and then just as quickly shut. The cats leapt up to explore, and I followed them.
Patty stared at the hot chocolate pot in the sink. “I can’t decide. Do I want hot chocolate or wine? Tough choice.” She poured a glass of wine. “What’s all this about Drew?”
“You were talking to yourself.”
“No, I wasn’t. I knew you were there.” She gave me a superior smile. “Anyway, we’re off topic. I heard Drew was arrested for murdering Amanda. Is it true?”
I pushed past her and grabbed myself a glass. “Is what true? That he was arrested or that he killed Amanda?”
“The former and, I guess if you know the answer, the latter as well.”
“He was arrested. Right here, as a matter of fact.”
“What was he doing here?”
“Jenny told me he was sad about what happened to Amanda, so she suckered me into inviting him for dinner.”
Patty gave me a sideways glance and then padded past me into the living room. I followed. She sat. “You’re getting soft in your old age.”
I joined her on the sofa. “You’re right.” The back door banged open again. “Can’t anyone open a door quietly?”
Rob came into the living room. “Sorry about that—the wind is really picking up. I’ll be right back.” He returned a moment later with a full wine glass. He took a sip. “Investigating is thirsty work.”
I patted the sofa next to me. He sank onto it, putting his arm around me in one smooth motion. I asked, “What happened? What do they have on Drew?”
He looked over my head. “Hello, Patty. Good to see you again.”
I frowned. “Okay, politeness done. What did you find out?”
Rob pulled out his pocket notepad. “It looks like Drew was the last person to see Amanda alive. Jay was interrogating Drew when his lawyer showed up.” Rob glanced at his notes. “A Ms. Davis.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know. Jenny and I called her from Drew’s house.”
“You went to Drew’s house?”
“Keep on topic. What happened?”
“Jay saw me chatting with some of the police in the bullpen and waved me over. He said that Drew went back to Amanda’s apartment and they argued. She was mad because she thought he ruined the spring fashion show.”
I raised an eyebrow. “But she reserved a seat for him. She must have known that he was going to be there.”
“She did, but according to witnesses, she said she didn’t know there’d be a brawl that would overshadow all the good she was trying to do.”
“But that wasn’t his fault.”
Patty looked over. “No. But he must have known how people in the town felt. He was getting all those phone calls.”
I nodded slowly. “I don’t even know why I’m defending him.” I twirled the wine in my glass. “What else did Jay say?”
“Two of the neighbors heard an argument; one of them had just returned from the hospital. Apparently, the guy chipped a bone in his arm when someone threw a chair at the fashion show. Anyway, he described the argument in great detail. They haven’t found anyone who heard the shot, though. Jay thinks that Drew had a silencer.”
“He just got out of prison. Where on earth would he get a gun? He certainly can’t buy one.”
“It’s been known to happen. Only a third of the states require background checks if someone buys a handgun at a gun show. And this state isn’t one of them. Did Drew have any guns here when you were married?”
“Two, I think. A hunting rifle he got from his dad and a pistol he picked up somewhere. He knew how to use them, but I don’t remember him ever going to a range. Plus, I’m pretty sure he didn’t have a silencer. What would he need that for?”
“What happened to them?”
“They’re in a lockbox in the basement.”
We all stared at each other, mouths agape. As one, we stood and strode to th
e stairs. Rob led the way. He stepped aside after he opened the door to the basement. Turning on the light, I ran down the stairs in front of them. I stood on the step stool and pulled the key off the third rafter on the left and opened the gun cupboard. It was empty.
Rob frowned. “I think you better call Jay.”
I relocked the cupboard and put the key back. Rob raised his eyebrow. “What?”
“It’s empty. Why are you locking it?”
“Oh. Habit, I guess.” I shrugged, and we all returned to the living room.
Jenny sat there petting Courvoisier. “What were you doing downstairs?”
“I’ll call Jay.” Rob left the room.
“Wimp.” I shook my head. Patty and I sat on either side of her, and I told her what had happened.
Ashen, Jenny asked, “He took the guns?”
“Yes, I think so.”
She cringed. “Did he take them when I let him come over?”
“He could have. But I think it would have been difficult. The shotgun would have been hard to hide from you. I never changed the locks or alarm code, so he could have come over anytime.”
She looked a little relieved, and then she paled again. “But he couldn’t have done it. I can’t believe that my dad is a murderer.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, honey. He may just have wanted his guns back and knew that if he asked me, I would have told him no.”
She brightened. “That’s true. So you’re still going to help him, right?”
“As much as I can. Why don’t you go back upstairs now? It’s getting late, and Detective Ziebold is coming over.”
Looking uncertain, she hugged me and trudged slowly back up the stairs.
Patty took a sip of her wine. “You handled that as well as you could.”
“Thanks. It was a tough one.”
The back door banged open again. Rob welcomed Jay. Patty and I joined them in the kitchen. Rob made coffee as Jay took off his outercoat, scarf, and hat.
“Sorry about the door, Merry. That wind is really howling out there.”
“I heard.” Reaching into the freezer, I brought out some frozen cinnamon rolls I had made a few weeks ago. “Cinnamon rolls?”
Jay nodded his appreciation, as did Rob. Patty asked Jay, “You don’t need me, do you?” He shook his head, so Patty rinsed out her wine glass and left it in the sink. She hugged me. “Patrick must think I left him. You okay?” I nodded, and she bundled up and left.
I put the rolls in the microwave to defrost, and Rob poured us coffee. Jay sat at the kitchen table. “Rob told me on the phone that Drew took guns out of the locked cupboard in the basement.”
The microwave dinged, so I grabbed the plate. “Yes, but we don’t know for sure that he did it.” I shrugged, realizing how ridiculous that sounded. “Okay, he probably did it. Who else knew that I had guns and that they were locked in the basement? Plus, who knew where I kept the key?”
Rob and Jay turned to each other. “Drew.”
“But I’m pretty sure he didn’t have a silencer for the pistol. I would have remembered that.”
Jay frowned. “Unless he didn’t tell you. He could have kept the silencer somewhere else. Or he could have gotten that more recently. Do you know what caliber pistol he had?”
“I think it was a .22.”
Jay popped the rest of his cinnamon roll in his mouth and washed it down with coffee. He stood. “Let’s take a look in your basement.”
Rob said, “I’ll clean up. You show him.”
I took Jay downstairs, again unlocking the cupboard and showing him that it was empty. “Do you remember the last time you saw the guns?”
“Not really. It would have been before Drew went to jail four years ago. I know I didn’t open it the whole time he was away. I don’t shoot, so there was no reason to.”
“How did he get in the house?”
I looked at my shoes. “I never changed the locks or alarm code. He was in jail, so I didn’t see any point, and I just didn’t think about it once he was out. You can bet I’m going to change them now.”
He nodded. “Let’s go back upstairs.” We did. “We got a search warrant for his house, which we will be executing tomorrow morning. I’ll let you know what we find. And thanks for the coffee and the roll. It really hit the spot.” Shrugging into his coat, hat, and scarf, he opened the door, holding onto it this time.
Rob helped push it shut. “I’m not looking forward to going back out in that.”
I hugged him and gave him a kiss. “I wish you didn’t have to.”
He kissed me more deeply and held me closer. “I could stay.” He smiled down at me.
I pushed him away gently. “Jenny’s upstairs. You really do need to leave.”
He bundled up. “I want the record to show that you pushed me out into this cold, cruel weather.”
Winding his scarf around his neck, I pulled him to me. “We will find the time. Soon, I promise.” He kissed me again, and I felt it all the way to my toes. “Very soon.”
Chapter 10
As I watched from my bay window the next morning, the police entered Drew’s house to search it. Melissa and his lawyer, Kendall Davis, were on hand. I assumed Melissa was there since she was the owner of the house. I found myself hoping they wouldn’t do too much damage, as she would have to clean it up. One of the policemen carried out Drew’s laptop. It would be interesting to see what he has on that.
Jenny ran down the stairs as I yanked the curtain shut. “What were you looking at? Is Dad back?” She hurried to the window and pulled back the curtain. “What are they doing? Hey, that’s Dad’s laptop.”
I closed the curtain. “They’re searching his house.”
“Did they get a warrant? I learned they have to have a warrant. Did you see it?”
“Detective Ziebold told me they got one last night.”
“But did you see it?”
“No, I didn’t, but your dad’s lawyer is there, and I know she wouldn’t have let them in without it.”
“Oh.” She looked pensive and then shook it off. “Will you drive me to school? It’s too cold out to walk.”
“Can do, if you’ll eat something on the way.” I handed her a granola bar as she rolled her eyes. We bundled up and headed for the car, both staring holes in the house next door.
Jenny said, “It’s not fair that the police can look through your house and you can’t do anything about it.”
“I’m sure since you learned about search warrants, you also know that they are only issued once a judge approves them.” I pulled up at the school. “So, if you don’t want them to search your house, you should keep your nose clean.”
“Thanks for the gross visual, Mom. See you later.” She bounded out the door and joined a group just entering the school.
I looked down at the cup holder and saw that Jenny had forgotten her granola bar. Crap. Need to make sure she gets more nutritious breakfasts. Shaking my head, I drove to work, looking at the icicles hanging from houses’ eaves. May get some ice dam claims. As I passed the Morning Pastry, I noticed that the open sign was lit.
I entered the office and asked Cheryl to send an e-mail to my client distribution list with an attachment on how to prevent ice dams. Settling in to do some paperwork, I realized that my standing eight-thirty staff meeting was in a half hour. There’s sure to be questions about Drew. It’ll go better if I feed them.
I hurried down to the Morning Pastry. Bustling in the door, I was stunned by the assortment of baked goods. I stood in the short line and debated what to have. As I reached the front of the line, I ordered an apricot Danish ring and their large crumb cake. The new owner, Gary Johnson, was behind the cash register, so I introduced myself and welcomed him to town. The line was getting longer, so I didn’t linger.
Hurrying back to the office, I handed off the bounty to Cheryl. She asked, “What was it like? Do they have the same things?”
“Similar offerings. It all looked yummy. We’
ll do the true taste test at the meeting.”
We went to the conference room. The associates heard there would be food, so they gathered quickly. I sliced the pastries and Cheryl put out paper plates and plastic cutlery. For a moment, all we heard were sighs of satisfaction as people tucked into the food.
Cheryl grinned. “This might be better than the previous place.”
“It is good. I think they are in the process of changing the name. Maybe they wanted to open before the sign was ready.” Finishing the last bite of my Danish, I stood and addressed the group. “First, how were the pastries?” Everyone clapped. “Second, by now you’ve heard that Drew was arrested last night.” Some people nodded, and others gasped. “I just want you all to remember that he hasn’t been proven guilty. He obtained legal counsel, and that’s about all I know. If clients have questions, please do not speculate. Is there anything further on that topic?”
Peter Boston said, “I didn’t hear about it; my network must be slipping. What was he arrested for?”
“Murdering Amanda Thomas.” There were more gasps. Must have been a busy night if the town gossip mill overlooked this. “Yes, it’s serious, and I know we’ll all miss her.”
“I won’t,” a few people muttered under their breath.
Continuing as if I hadn’t heard, I urged, “Again, let’s not speculate. Now, if there isn’t anything else, let’s move on to business.” I asked Jill Farber to come up and talk about the new CD rates that we’re offering. I sat. That wasn’t so bad.
Rob texted me in the afternoon: “Dinner tonight?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to leave Jenny alone. I’ll pick up something and meet you at the house at six.”
“Okay.”
At five, I left the office and stopped at the grocery store. As I perused the aisles, I noticed that conversation died down when I passed clumps of people huddled together. I guess Drew’s arrest is definitely out now. I nodded blandly to the newly silent groups and picked up my pace.
The salmon looked good, so I put some in my cart, along with some fresh dill and lemons. Next, I retrieved bagged salad, tomatoes, and rosemary. I spied some iced brownies and tossed them in my cart. Definitely deserve some medicinal chocolate. Checking out, I felt the stares on my back. At least they’re not judging me for the brownie purchase.
Murder So Festive Page 7