Murder So Festive

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  The potatoes were in the oven and I had just started encasing the salmon in aluminum foil when Rob arrived. He kissed me and took off his coat. “What smells so good?”

  “Potatoes.”

  He sniffed the air. “With rosemary? That sounds tasty.”

  “I hope you’re in the mood for salmon.”

  “I love salmon. Do you want me to set the table?”

  At my nod, Rob gathered the plates and cutlery. “How was your day? I’m sure there was a lot of conversation about Drew.”

  “There was, but it died down whenever I came near enough to hear anything.”

  “Ah, you felt like a pariah?” He came behind the counter and gave me a big hug, lifting me off my feet. “Poor lady. Is this better?”

  “Much.” I smiled at him.

  Rob uncorked a bottle of wine and pointed at it. “Bet you’d like a glass of this.”

  “Absolutely. It’s been a very tense day.”

  He rubbed my shoulders. “You are tense. If we were at my house, I could show you a few ways to relieve some of that stress.”

  I kissed his hand. “I’m sure you could, and I’m looking forward to that. Right now, though, I need to concentrate on dinner and that kid upstairs.” I pointed toward the ceiling.

  He gently kissed my finger. “Pity.” He took a sip of his wine and continued setting the table.

  I texted Jenny, “Dinner in five.”

  “Heard.”

  I laughed. “Remember when your mom would have to yell up the stairs to tell you it was dinnertime?”

  He smiled. “This seems so much more civilized yet a touch impersonal.”

  I handed him the tomatoes, bagged salad, and bowl. He made quick work of washing and slicing the tomatoes and tossing the salad. He grabbed a wedge of parmesan from the fridge and held it up. “Want some parmesan slivers?”

  I nodded, and he used the potato peeler to add shards to the bowl. I took the salmon and potatoes out of the oven. “What did you hear today?” Jenny clomped down the steps. “Later.”

  She swung into her chair and took a long drink of milk. “Studying is thirsty stuff.”

  I smiled at her. “How goes it in the salt mines?”

  “Not bad. What have we heard about Dad?”

  I glanced at Rob. “Not much. I think you’re as up to date as we are.”

  Jenny told Rob, “We saw them searching Dad’s house this morning. I wonder if they found anything.” She chewed her salmon. “They took his laptop. Why would they do that? She wasn’t shot with a computer.”

  I touched her arm. “They’re trying to find out if this was something he planned. He may have e-mailed someone, researched silencers, something like that.”

  “You think Dad’s dumb enough to send an e-mail to someone saying that he was going to kill Ms. Thomas? Be real, Mom.”

  “It’s unlikely, but it’s the kind of thing they look for.” I stood. “Does anyone want brownies for dessert?” Two hands went up. I looked at Rob. “Coffee?”

  “Yes. I’ll clean up while you get dessert ready.” He started to load the dishwasher with items Jenny handed him.

  I poured Jenny some more milk and then filled coffee mugs. Cutting the brownies, I used a spatula to transfer them to plates. Sitting down again, Jenny bit into a brownie. “This is so good. It’s like chocolate overload with the frosting.” She studied me. “This isn’t like you, Mom. I love you showing your decadent side.”

  I pushed her shoulder. “Be careful, or you’ll be having broccoli brownies next.”

  “Ugh.” She carried her plate and glass to the sink. “Need to finish my homework. Thanks for dinner.” She kissed me and then disappeared up the stairs.

  Rob sipped his coffee. “I would have come to your defense, but all of the chocolate made my lips stick together.”

  “Better watch it. You could be eating broccoli brownies as well.”

  He stood with his plate and kissed the top of my head. “Just kidding. Dinner was terrific, and I loved the brownie. Thanks for inviting me.” He held up his mug. “Want more coffee?”

  “Yes. Let’s have it in the living room.” He topped off our mugs and handed me mine. We sat side by side on the sofa. “Now that we’re alone again, what did you hear today about Drew?”

  “It wasn’t really about Drew. It was about Amanda. I don’t know if you knew this, but she wasn’t really well-liked in town. In fact, I didn’t hear a lot of good spoken about her today.”

  “It’s strange you should say that. I mentioned something like ‘she’ll be missed’ in my staff meeting today, and I could have sworn I heard some people say that they wouldn’t miss her. I knew that she was abrasive to me a few times, but I thought that was just because we were so different.”

  “You always think the best of people.”

  “If that’s my only flaw, I’ll keep it.”

  Rob ran his hand down the side of my face. “I don’t see any flaws.” He kissed me, and I lost myself in his warmth.

  I broke free after a few minutes. “Thank you, kind sir. Did you find anything else out?”

  “I met Caroline.”

  “Caroline? Who’s Caroline? Should I be jealous?”

  He nuzzled my ear. “You have no reason to be jealous. Caroline is Amanda’s sister.”

  I sat up. “I didn’t know she had a sister.”

  “Well, she does. She said she was here for the reading of the will and to close up Amanda’s shop and apartment. She stopped by to talk about the obituary.”

  I leaned back into his body. “Was she her only sibling?”

  He put his arm around me again and pulled me tighter to his side. “Yes, and her parents are both deceased.”

  “Then Caroline will probably inherit whatever little there is.”

  “Let’s not talk about her anymore.” Rob’s lips reached mine.

  I heard Jenny’s door open and leapt up from the sofa, fumbling to pull myself together. “We have got to stop doing this.” The upstairs bathroom door shut. I sighed in relief and ran my fingers through my hair. “I need to figure out how to resist you.”

  Rob pulled me back to him and kissed me again.

  “Stop that. You’ll just get me all rumpled again.”

  He pulled on my collar. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “I just don’t want to give Jenny the wrong idea.”

  He smiled. “Which one is that?”

  I pushed him away. “You are way too cute for your own good. And now I am going to toss you back out into the cold.”

  He grimaced and put his shoes back on. “You’re a mean person, Merry March.”

  I handed him his coat. “Yes, I am.”

  “It’s a good thing that you are also irresistible.” He gave me a long, lingering kiss. Breaking contact first he said, “Bye.”

  I went to the sink and splashed cold water on my face. That man.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  As I stretched the next morning, my phone dinged with a text from Rob: “Thanks for dinner last night.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Dinner out tonight?”

  “Let me check with Jenny.”

  “Bring her if you want to.”

  The cats insisted on playing with my socks as I tried to put them on. To be honest, I may have dangled one to see what they would do. As I finished dressing, they ran in front of me and out my bedroom door.

  I knocked on Jenny’s door. “You up?”

  “Yes.”

  “Be downstairs in fifteen.”

  She poked her ruffled head out the door. “Why fifteen? I have more time than that.”

  “Not if you want pancakes.”

  The door shut, and I heard a muffled voice say, “I’ll be there.”

  After we ate, I managed to get a quick kiss and “love you” from Jenny. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and then stuck one hand out the back door. It didn’t feel quite as arctic. Pulling on my coat and scarf, I decided to be virtuous and walk to work. As I
got closer to the office, I quickened my pace. It may not be arctic, but it’s definitely cold.

  Midway through the day, Cheryl popped her head around the door. “Peter MacDougal’s on the phone. He says he’s representing Amanda Thomas.”

  “What does he want me for?”

  “No idea. Should I put him through?”

  “Please. Thanks.” I picked up the phone. “Hi, Peter. How can I help you?”

  “Merry, good to speak with you. You may not know this, but I was Amanda Thomas’s attorney.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yes, well, we’ve got kind of a situation here, and I was wondering if you could meet me in my office at three thirty. You’ll need to bring Jenny with you. Oh, and Caroline Thomas will be here too.”

  “I’m sorry, Peter, but I don’t know what this is all about.”

  “We’ll be reading Amanda’s will. I really would rather explain all this in person. Will you be able to come?”

  “We’ll be there.” As I hung up the phone, a shiver rolled up my spine. What is this all about?

  Chapter 11

  I picked Jenny up from school, and she was full of questions. I sighed. “Jenny, I have no idea what Mr. MacDougal wants. We’re just going to have to wait till we get to his office to find out.”

  We arrived a few minutes early. An attractive brunette with long straight hair and mocha-brown eyes waited in the lobby. Her resemblance to Amanda was remarkable.

  I hesitated for a moment and then ambled over with my hand extended. “Are you Caroline? My name is Meredith March, and this is my daughter, Jenny. I am so sorry about your sister’s passing.”

  She shook my hand. “Thank you. Do you know what’s going on? I’m not sure why Peter wanted all of us here. Were you a special friend of my sister’s?”

  “I knew your sister, of course.” I gestured at Jenny. “My daughter was one of the volunteer models in her fashion show.”

  She grimaced. “I heard it was a disaster.”

  Jenny looked stricken. I protested, “The show was wonderful; your sister was so talented. It was after the show that was a disaster.”

  Caroline looked thoughtful. “Did you say your last name is March?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s the same name as one of the men my sister was dating. He’s the one who has been accused of murdering her.”

  I shifted from side to side. “He’s my ex-husband.”

  She glared at me. Peter MacDonald came out of the elevator. “Good. You’ve all met. Follow me.”

  I grabbed Jenny’s hand and pulled her with me. Caroline followed. “Peter, I’m not sure why these people are here.”

  He waved his hand. “I’ll explain in a few minutes.” He led us into a conference room. “Would anyone like coffee or some water?” We nodded for the water, so he poured several glasses and passed them around. Jenny and I sat next to each other on one side of the table, while Caroline sat on the other.

  Peter sat at the head. “Thanks for coming. This is a bit unusual, so I hope you’ll bear with me. I’ll hand out Amanda’s will in a few moments, but I thought it would be better to discuss it first.”

  He looked at Caroline. “Amanda wanted you to have her shop, the contents of her apartment, and the monies in her bank account, which before any debts from the estate comes to roughly $50,000.”

  Caroline nodded; it looked like the amount was what she expected.

  “This is the part where it gets a bit difficult. Amanda had another account. She left the proceeds in that account to Drew March.” Caroline gasped.

  I frowned. “I still don’t know what that has to do with us. Drew and I have been divorced for four years.”

  Peter said, “Let me explain in layman’s terms. As you know, Drew has been charged with Amanda’s death.” Caroline took a gulp of water as her eyes teared up. He continued, “If Drew is convicted, he cannot profit from her death. For all intents and purposes, it will be as if Drew preceded Amanda in death.”

  Still confused, I said, “So that means the money in the account will go to Caroline if Drew is convicted?”

  “No. The will is very clear on that point. If Drew were to die or be otherwise unable to inherit, the money in that account will go to Jenny.”

  I crossed my arms. “How much money are we talking about?” Amanda wasn’t rich. It’s probably only a few dollars. Nothing to worry about.

  Peter cleared his throat and took a sip of his water. He focused on the pages in front of him. “Somewhere north of a million dollars.”

  I leapt up. “What? Where did she get that kind of money?”

  Jenny and Caroline both sat there with their mouths wide open. Jenny said in wonder, “A million dollars…”

  “Again, that’s only if Drew is convicted. If he’s proven not guilty, he would inherit the money.”

  I sank back down on the chair and put my head in my hands. Another nightmare.

  Caroline stood. “There’s no way Drew or his spawn,” she pointed at Jenny, “are getting that money. I’m getting another attorney, and I’m going to contest the will!” She stalked out of the room.

  Peter sighed. “That didn’t go very well. It’s within her rights to contest, but she won’t be successful.”

  Standing, I shook his hand. “Thanks for letting us know, Peter. I appreciate it. Please keep us posted.” I pulled on Jenny’s arm, as she seemed frozen to her seat.

  She stood slowly. “A million dollars…”

  “Come on, Jenny. We’ll talk in the car.” I guided her to the door and then waved goodbye to Peter.

  Jenny sat in the car. “Mom, where did Ms. Thomas get a million dollars, and why would she leave it to Dad?”

  I started the car and headed home. “That, my friend, is the million-dollar question. I don’t think you should mention anything about this to anyone. We don’t know where the money came from, and it could cause some hard feelings around town.”

  She looked at me wide-eyed. “I wouldn’t even know what to say. No one’s going to hear about it from me.” Dazed, she shuffled through the back door and up the stairs.

  I texted Rob, “We better eat here tonight. Have news for you. I’ll cook.”

  I grabbed some chicken from the freezer, prepared chicken parmigiana, and put the dish in the refrigerator till it was time to bake.

  Cleaning up, I took one last look around the kitchen as my mind continued to swirl. Where did she get the money? She didn’t have money like that. She wasn’t hurting but a million dollars? I poured myself a glass of wine and sat on the window seat, staring at Drew’s house. I sense your mind at work, Drew. What were you up to?

  Rob came through the back door, breaking up my wool-gathering. He kissed the top of my head. “A penny for your thoughts. You look like a thunderstorm about to happen.”

  “Let me heat up the oven, and then I’ll fill you in.” Turning it on, I took the chicken out of the fridge and put it to the side. I poured Rob a glass of wine.

  “Thanks. A guy could get used to this.”

  I smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek as I sat next to him at the counter. “I had a strange call from Peter MacDougal today.”

  “Peter the attorney?”

  I nodded. “Yes. He’s handling Amanda Thomas’s estate.”

  “I can’t imagine she has that much to distribute. She didn’t really live high on the hog.”

  I choked on my wine and started coughing. Retrieving a glass of water, Rob handed it to me. I sipped it, and then, unable to stop myself, I started laughing.

  He frowned. “What’s so funny? Did she look rich to you?”

  “She left Drew a million dollars.”

  He whistled. “That’s a lot of cabbage.”

  “It sure is.”

  “But if he killed her, he can’t benefit from her death, so the money would go to her sister, right? Where do you come in?”

  I took a deep breath. “I don’t understand all of the technicalities, but apparently
, the will was written in such a way that if Drew couldn’t inherit, it would go to Jenny.” The oven buzzed, signaling that the preheat cycle was done. I put the chicken in the oven and set a timer. “Noodles or potatoes?”

  “How can you think about that right now?”

  “We have to eat, so which will it be?”

  He threw his hands in the air. “Noodles.”

  I filled a pot with water, added salt, and turned the dial to high. Returning to my seat, I rubbed Rob’s arm.

  “A million dollars…”

  “Yes. Jenny’s been saying that a lot. We’re in shock. And we’re trying to figure out where Amanda got it from.”

  Rob’s eyes narrowed. “It seems odd that they’ve only been dating for a short time, yet she left him so much money.”

  “But have they been? I told you I’m pretty sure that she was dating him before he went to jail.”

  “How long before?”

  “The picture she had on Facebook was posted roughly five years ago. So she had to have been seeing him for at least a year before he went to jail.” I shuddered at the thought.

  Rob put his arm around me and pulled me to him. “It’s okay. You’re not married to him anymore.”

  “Then why am I still trying to clean up his messes? And this seems like a big one.” I put the pasta in the boiling water. “Would you mind setting the table?”

  Placing the plates on the table, he stopped in mid-stride. “Were you able to account for all of the money that he embezzled?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I told you that we paid everyone back, every penny.”

  “What about gains on the money?”

  I took a sip of wine. “He told the police and me that he suffered some losses and had very small gains. He said we were lucky the principal was still intact. I remember they did a search to find all of his accounts, and they matched what he told them. There weren’t any other ones.”

  “Was he a good money manager?”

  “I thought he was, but obviously I was mistaken.”

  “Maybe you weren’t.”

  I raised my eyebrows. He continued to set the table. “What if he moved gains above a certain amount to another account and left the losses in the accounts you found? Of course, the account with the excess gains in it would have to be one that he didn’t own.” He finished with the table and faced me. “And maybe he’d only get that money in the case of death.”