Murder So Festive

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  Ed looked up from dicing an onion. “Andy had an argument with Amanda the day she died. Some interfering nosy parker reported it to the police.”

  “What was the argument about?”

  “The same thing it’s been about for the last three years. This is old news.”

  “What did you tell Jay?”

  “Just what we told you.”

  “Did he ask where you were when she was killed?”

  Andy raised his glass to Ed. “I think someone’s been watching too much TV.”

  I took a sip of wine and swirled it. “Very amusing. So you just told him your story, and he didn’t ask any other questions?”

  Andy tapped my nose with his forefinger. “Don’t be silly. Of course he wanted to know where we were.”

  “Well, where were you?”

  Ed rolled his eyes at Andy. “Speaking of nosy parkers…”

  Andy said, “Ed was in West Virginia. He got a hot lead on some eighteenth century teapots. He was supposed to come home that night, but a snowstorm dumped three feet in his path.”

  “And you?”

  “After such a disappointing day, I worked on the books and then braved the weather to get a drink and dinner at the Pickled Herring. I sat at the bar. Ann’s always a hoot. Plus, it was pretty empty with the whole town at the fashion show. There was no way I was going to show up there to give that witch the satisfaction of seeing me.” Andy slammed down his wine glass, and it broke.

  Ed grabbed a dishtowel, using it carefully to wipe up the wine and pieces of glass. Shaking the dirty towel out over the trash, he left it crumpled at the far end of the counter. “I’ll deal with that later.” He filled another glass with wine and handed it to Andy. “Temper, Andy, temper. I like these glasses.”

  Andy took it from him. “Sorry. I’ll be more careful.” Ed rubbed his back and then scraped the onions into the pot to soften.

  I said, “The bar closes at ten early in the week. Where did you go when it closed?”

  “If you must know, I hung out with Ann while she closed up shop. After she was done scrubbing down the bar, I accompanied her to her car. Then I came back here, got ready for bed, and went to sleep. I have no alibi for the time Amanda was murdered. It’s a good thing the police already have their man, or I’d be in hot water. Is there anything else you wanted to know? The brand of underwear I choose?”

  I stood. “This was awkward.” I looked into Andy’s blue eyes. “Thanks for humoring me. I’m glad we’re friends.” I hugged him.

  Ed frowned. “What am I? Chopped liver? Don’t I get a hug too, Ms. Busybody?”

  I laughed. “Of course. Although you don’t deserve one after that snide comment.”

  I hugged him, and he whispered into my hair, “If the shoe fits…”

  I pushed him away. “Very funny.” I put my coat on and left.

  Making my way across the alley, I ran up my back stairs. Rob held the door open for me. “I saw you coming across from Andy and Ed’s. What were you doing there?”

  “Are you cooking bacon? I love that smell.” Straining my neck to peer around him, I checked the stove. Bacon sizzled in a frying pan. “Yum. What are you making?”

  “Spanish rice. It’s my mother’s recipe.”

  I examined the items lined up on the counter. “Looks kind of complicated.”

  “Not very. Plus, it’s a one frying pan dish, so the bonus is easy cleanup.”

  “Love that. I can’t wait to try it.”

  Rob handed me a glass of wine.

  I smiled. “This is my lucky day. In the past hour, two hot men have given me an unbidden glass of wine.” I sipped it. “Thanks.”

  “I’m assuming that the other hot man was either Ed or Andy? Does that mean I don’t have to worry?”

  “Yes, you’re safe.”

  “Are you going to tell me why you were over there?”

  I gave him the details. “So Andy doesn’t have an alibi, and Jay doesn’t care.” I put my head on the counter. “What do we do next?”

  Rob rubbed my back. “First, we check Andy’s story with Ann. Maybe she knows something. Feel like an after-dinner drink tonight?”

  “It’s a school night.”

  “Merry, live on the edge.”

  I laughed. “Okay, then that’s our next step. I guess a small glass of Bailey’s wouldn’t hurt.”

  “One last thing before Jenny comes down.”

  “What?”

  “I talked to a reporter in the town where Philip went to high school. He searched the newspaper archives and found that a senior at the school died accidentally while cleaning his gun. It was just after their fall dance.”

  I frowned. “That’s so sad.”

  “It gets worse. It was the year Philip was a senior. Here’s a picture of him and the boy who died in the yearbook. They were both on the basketball team.” Rob held out his phone and pointed to a posed picture of two smiling boys holding the same basketball.

  “That’s Philip.”

  “Yes, with the boy who died.”

  My mouth dropped. “You think it wasn’t an accident.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. It could be a coincidence. I told Jay about it, and he looked into it. The police said that there was no doubt it was just a tragic accident.”

  I shivered. “When you told me he got back at his friend, I was thinking that he gave him a wedgie. Not that he killed him.”

  Jenny ran down the stairs, swinging into the kitchen. “Something smells great. Let’s eat!”

  I gave Rob a warning look, and we set the table.

  Chapter 20

  After cleaning up the dinner dishes, Rob and I left for the Pickled Herring. Ann was working. Lucky for us, it wasn’t that crowded. She served us drinks, and we chatted about some school events that were coming up.

  I leaned forward. “I was talking to Andy earlier. He mentioned he was here with you during the fashion show.”

  “He was. I remember because it was so slow that night. If he hadn’t come in, I would have been bored to tears. He stayed with me while I cleaned up and then took me to my car. Normally he’s so funny, but, boy, he really bent my ear about Amanda. Do you know that she blocked their plans for three years?”

  “I heard that.”

  “He made a last-ditch attempt to get her to sign that morning, and she laughed at him. By his count, she cost them thousands of dollars.” Ann rubbed a spot on the bar with a cloth and then leaned against the back counter. “Anyway, I was worried he’d have a stroke. His face was beet red. He pounded on the bar. I couldn’t believe he got so worked up. After he escorted me to my car, I saw him stalk away up toward Tempting Treasures. It’s a good thing Amanda was at the fashion show, or I think he might have given her a solid piece of his mind.” A customer came in. She jumped to attention. “Sorry, got to go.”

  “Did Andy mention any of that?” Rob asked.

  I shook my head. “No. He definitely left that part out.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The next morning, I towel dried my hair while looking out the window. Susan hurried away from Drew’s. I rolled my eyes. That woman will never learn. Finishing dressing, I knocked on Jenny’s door to make sure she was up and then made my way to the kitchen. I fed the cats and left for the office.

  Work was busy, so it was a good thing I still had my leftover sandwich from the day before. I finished it quickly at my desk and moved on to my next task. At five, I realized I barely left my chair. Waving goodbye to Cheryl, I hurried out the door to the chamber of commerce meeting at the library.

  Evelyn was behind the desk. “Conference Room B.”

  I nodded my thanks as I headed in that direction.

  It was a quick meeting, with the stickiest point of conversation being when everyone would decorate their shops for Valentine’s Day. The consensus was three weeks prior. Some people left grumbling that four weeks would have been better.

  As I walked out, Evelyn beckoned to me from her position behind
the circulation desk. “Merry, stop for a moment.”

  I joined her. “How are the grandkids? Are they excited about Christmas?”

  “They are jumping out of their skins. They’re at that age when they still have no conception of time, so every day they ask if it’s Christmas.”

  I laughed. “We’ll have to catch up soon. What did you want?”

  “Drew’s been here a lot since he got out of jail. It’s making some of the other patrons uneasy.”

  “So?”

  “Just thought you’d want to know. Good to see you.” She pivoted in place and began to load returns onto the book truck.

  I raised my eyebrows at the quick dismissal. Shrugging, I turned to leave, hitting Drew, bouncing back against the desk, and ending up at his feet.

  Drew pulled me up. “Merry, we keep on running into each other.”

  Hazarding a glance behind me, I saw that Evelyn’s eyes were wide, and her mouth was shaped in a perfect circle. I pushed out of his grasp.

  He said, “It’s always such a nice surprise. Are you going home?” Without thinking, I nodded. “Great. We’re going the same way. I’ll join you.”

  He linked his arm through mine. I shoved it away. “We can go together, but no touching.”

  Drew laughed. “You’re such a stick-in-the-mud. But, okay. No touching. Is there a mandated number of inches we need to be separated by?”

  I rolled my eyes. Drew followed behind me. “What’s going on with your case?”

  “My lawyer says they’re having difficulty matching the bullet to the guns I have. Plus, I don’t have a silencer, and they know one was used.”

  “That must help.”

  “Not really. The police are still so sure I did it they aren’t even looking at anyone else. I’m hoping that someone confesses because, otherwise, it looks like I’ll be going to trial. And you know how long that takes.”

  I gave him a dark look. “Yes, I remember all too well.”

  “Oh, Merry. Don’t get snippy and bent out of shape. You should have some sympathy for me. I’m going through tough times.”

  I stopped and glared at him. “All of this is your fault. Just like before. It’s really hard to feel sorry for you when you leave death and destruction in your wake. Just think what this is doing to Jenny.”

  “I told her I’d take her to Jamaica when this is all over.”

  “That’s it? A trip? You think that will make everything all right? I’ve got news for you: a trip to the Caribbean is a start, but you’ve got a lot of making up to do. And what’s going on with Susan?”

  He laughed as he tried to kiss me. “Why, I do believe you are jealous. Susan and I are just friends.”

  I jumped back. “No touching. We agreed no touching.”

  He put his hands up. “Okay, no touching.”

  We resumed our walk. I frowned. “Plus, if you want to take Jenny somewhere, I’d appreciate it if you’d talk to me first. I need to make sure that the dates line up with her school break, and it would be good if there are no surprises.”

  “Always the organized one.”

  “Someone has to be. And you sure aren’t.”

  He stopped at my gate. “I believe this is where you get off.”

  Susan appeared like a Valkyrie, two inches from my face. “What are you doing with Drew? I know you’re trying to get him back. It’s not going to work. He’s with me now.”

  Through gritted teeth, I said, “You two are welcome to each other. And, in fact, you deserve each other. Have a nice life.” I opened the gate, slammed it behind me, and stalked up the path into the house.

  Jenny jumped away from the window. “What happened out there? It looked like you were going to take a swing at Dad, and then I thought he was going to deck Susan. After you came in, he grabbed her arm and yanked her into his house.”

  Sinking down on the sofa, I gestured for her to join me. “One of the things you will learn is that relationships are hard and endings are even harder. But the good news is that you have two parents who love you.”

  “Thanks, Mom. A little less drama might be welcome, though.”

  “You’re the only one who saw us.”

  My phone dinged with a text from Patty: “Heard threesome went south on the sidewalk. Maybe next time move away from the streetlight?”

  I groaned and put my arm around Jenny. “I’ll try to do better.”

  Chapter 21

  In the middle of the night, my jaw started throbbing. Oh great, my tooth. I got up, took two aspirin, and rubbed the area with a dab of clove oil. After a few minutes, it felt slightly better, and I was able to get back to sleep. In the morning, the pain was worse. I called the dentist’s office to leave a message that I needed to see someone that day.

  The dentist’s receptionist called me just past eight. “I can’t get you in to see Dr. Philip this morning, but Dr. Malcolm just had a cancellation at ten. Would that work?”

  I smiled at this twist of fate. “That would be great. Thanks.” I took some more aspirin and put another dab of clove oil on the spot.

  I tried to focus through the pain, and I actually accomplished a few things at work. Leaving earlier than necessary for my appointment, I traipsed the three doors down in the hope that Dr. Malcolm would be able to take me earlier.

  The receptionist greeted me. “I was just about to call you. Dr. Malcolm’s a bit backed up. It should only be a half hour or so. Do you want to come back, or would you like to wait?”

  I groaned and sat. “I’ll wait.”

  Holding the side of my face, I tried to relax by watching the neon tetras dart around the fish tank. A school of swordtails swam into my field of vision. I tried leaning back in the chair to get more comfortable. This is not working. I’m as tense as when I came in. Giving up on the fish, I took my phone from my purse and scrolled through my e-mails.

  The hygienist appeared. “Merry, Dr. Malcolm can see you now.” I rose, still holding the side of my mouth. She gave me a sympathetic look. “Poor thing. Does it hurt a lot?”

  I nodded as she led me back to the room themed with stars. Somehow they glowed even though the room was well lit. Sidling up to the dental chair, I hesitated.

  The hygienist put her hand on my arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll try to make this as painless as possible.” She looked at her computer screen. “Tooth number fourteen. That’s the one we talked about last week.” Realizing that I still hadn’t sat in the chair, she rubbed my arm. “Do you need help getting in the chair?”

  “No. I can do it.” I eased into the chair, stretching my legs out in front of me. Every muscle tensed as she pushed the lever to lift the chair to a comfortable height.

  She hooked the bib around my neck and rubbed my arm again. “You’re stiff as a board. Try to relax. It really isn’t going to be that bad. Open your mouth.”

  I did as instructed. She poked around with the probe. When she hit my sore tooth, I shot up like a rocket.

  “Ow!” I glared at her.

  “Yep, that’s the tooth. Sorry about that. I’ll get Dr. Malcolm.”

  I rubbed my jaw. Dr. Malcolm came in. “Hi, Merry. I understand that you have a tooth that’s giving you some pain?” I nodded, rubbing my jaw again. “Let’s just take a look. Open your mouth.” He took the probe, tapping a few of the teeth surrounding the one causing me problems. “Does this hurt? This? This?”

  I shook my head. Then he poked my sore tooth. I jumped again. “Yep. That’s the tooth.”

  I groaned. “I told you that was the tooth.”

  “I know, but sometimes it’s really a different tooth. Now that we know for sure which one it is we’ll take an X-ray to see what we’re looking at.”

  The hygienist came back in and took the X-ray. After she brought it up on the computer, Dr. Malcolm bent over it. He nodded. “Yep. Look at that decay. It’s a good thing you came in now, or we might be talking about a root canal.” He patted my shoulder. “Let’s get you numbed up and fix this tooth. Try to relax. I’ll
make this as painless as possible.”

  After what seemed like a hundred shots of lidocaine, he said, “We’ll give this a few minutes. I’ll be back.”

  Mercifully, after a few minutes, my tooth didn’t hurt anymore. Maybe this will work. My body relaxed for the first time that morning. Letting my eyes wander to the stars above, I recognized the Big Dipper. I followed its outer stars, looking for the North Star. It wasn’t there. They should have the North Star. And where are the Seven Sisters?

  “Merry. I heard you were here. I told you that tooth was going to cause problems.”

  I jumped as Philip shot into my peripheral vision.

  “I see Dr. Malcolm has the lidocaine working.” He looked down at me, “You really should relax. You’re so tense.” He frowned. “You shouldn’t feel any pain at this point. Does your tooth still hurt?”

  I shook my head. “No, I can’t feel it at all.”

  “Well, then there’s nothing to be worried about.”

  “Are you going to work on me?” I winced, waiting for the answer.

  “I’d like to, but I have patients stacked all day today. Dr. Malcolm will take great care of you. I just wanted to stop by to say hello.” He patted my shoulder and left.

  Letting go of the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, I felt every piece of my body go slack. Thank goodness he was booked.

  Dr. Malcolm came back in. “Let’s fix this tooth.”

  Two hours later, various parts of my mouth began to wake up. Minor areas of soreness, but nothing like it was this morning. I sighed in relief and returned phone calls.

  Rob appeared in my doorway at quitting time. I rose to give him a big hug. “You are a sight for sore eyes. And mouth.”

  “I heard you had that tooth looked at.” He tilted my face up. “Is it all better now?”

  I laughed. “Yes, all better. And I’m starving. I wasn’t able to eat lunch.”

  “We’ll need to fix that. I could make you my signature scrambled eggs if you’d like something easier to eat.”

  I kissed his cheek. “That does sound tempting, but I think I could handle something more challenging.”