As it turned out, we didn’t have to wait long for Chief Meyers to appear. Not more than fifteen minutes later, the front door buzzed. Garrett went to answer it and returned with the chief. Her sandy hair with its natural curls was cut short around her apple-shaped face. She had a perpetual tan. I’m sure that was due to the fact that she spent the bulk of her days ambling up and down Front Street keeping the peace.
This morning her face looked drawn, and her eyes tired.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee? A pastry?” I pointed to the half dozen pastries I’d reserved for us.
The chief took a strudel. “Coffee, please. Black.”
I poured her a cup.
Garrett topped off his coffee. “What’s the latest? Please tell us that you’re here to arrest Kevin.”
“Nope. Not ready to make an arrest, but I do have some news I’d like to share.” She leafed through some papers. “Check this out.”
I picked up the top sheet, while Garrett stood behind me to look over my shoulder.
“Do you see the name?” Chief Meyers asked.
“Lily Palmer?” I replied, not sure that I was reading the paperwork correctly. “Who’s Lily Palmer?”
“The deceased woman. Her name wasn’t Liv Paxton. It was Lily Palmer.” Meyers gave me a knowing look. “Ring any bells?”
“Taylor,” I said.
Chief Meyers brushed crumbs from her bottom lip and gave me a nod of approval.
“I’m confused,” Garrett interjected as I handed him the paperwork for a closer look.
“The other day in the bar, Taylor kept calling Liv Lily,” I offered. “He has to have known her.”
“That’s right.” Chief Meyers polished off the pastry. “He’s out at the ski hill jump-starting a car, but when he’s back in the village, he and I are going to have a nice long chat.”
I thought back to my conversation with Taylor. He had mentioned that Liv—or Lily—looked familiar. Maybe there was a simple explanation. “What do you think it means? Why did she change her name?”
“No idea.” She shrugged and stacked the papers. “People do this sort of thing for many reasons. The good news is that we’ve tracked down and notified her family. I’m here to get her things and then you can have your guest room back. Don’t want to hold up business for you two any longer than necessary.”
“That’s low on our priority list,” Garrett said with sincerity.
“I appreciate it.” She took a drink of her coffee.
“What about the other guests?” I asked. “Should we plan to have them another night?”
“I don’t know if that will be necessary. I should have a better sense later this afternoon, but I wouldn’t book any new reservations in the short term.” She gulped down the rest of her coffee. “Duty calls. I’ll head on upstairs if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.” I took the fresh pot of coffee and showed her upstairs. Liv was really Lily, and Taylor knew her in some capacity. Could that mean he had a secret motive for killing her?
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
APRIL SWEPT INTO THE TASTING room the minute we turned the sign on the door to OPEN. “Sloan, I have news!” She swung the contract we had signed last night between her gaudy fake nails. “Your offer has been accepted! Wir freuen uns sehr!”
In German, that meant “We’re very happy for you.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by using the plural. Were the owners also happy for me?
“Offer?” Garrett tossed a bar towel over his shoulder.
April pounced. “Sloan didn’t tell you? Oh, shame, shame.” She shook her index finger at me. “We put in a very generous offer on that adorable cottage at the top of Front Street. I’m sure you must know that cottage I’m talking about. It’s simply the sweetest little property, with a lovely deck on the back that looks down over the miniature golf course and Waterfront Park.”
“You’re buying a house in the village?” Garrett sounded stunned.
“I was planning to tell you and Kat this morning, but we got so busy with Chief Meyers.”
“Chief Meyers? Chief Meyers was here?” April forgot about the contract and practically lunged at us. “Why? Is there news on the—” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening, despite the fact that there was no one else in the tasting room. Or with April, it was more likely that she was actually hoping someone would overhear her as she loudly whispered, “Murder?”
Garrett tried to stifle a laugh. It was hard to take April seriously as she stood in front of us in a black and yellow barmaid dress with knee-high black socks, bright yellow snow boots, and a matching hat. I often wondered how much April’s elaborate fake German wardrobe cost her. I rarely, if ever, saw her in the same outfit twice.
“They don’t know,” I answered, reaching for the contract. I wanted to hold it in my hands to make it feel real. “She was here to clean out the guest room.”
“Oohhh, this is a new development. I must go find Chief Meyers. I’m surprised she didn’t come to me first, but then again, I wasn’t in my office. As your real estate agent, I take pride in reviewing every offer—line by line. That’s the level of service I provide, even at the expense of my duties to our community. Look this over, Sloan. Call me with questions. I’ll get the inspection lined up for this week, and it should be smooth sailing from there.” She spun in a full circle. “Now, before I make my departure, can we please discuss the monstrosity you have going on in here? IceFest is in less than a week, and this space looks like a clean lab. Where are the IceFest posters I delivered? Where’s that box of Bavarian thermometers I had sent over? We need every business in the village on board with decking the halls for IceFest, verstanden?”
Neither of us responded.
April clapped. “Chop, chop. Get decorating. I want you to der-bling this place! The next time I’m here, I want it to look like winter threw up all over.” With that she gave us a curtsy and danced to the front door.
“Whew.” Garrett mopped his brow with the towel. “Der-bling? What just happened?”
“April Ablin happened,” I joked. I had stashed the box of thermometers that April wanted us to display. They were plastic miniature log houses designed to resemble German cottages with baby fawns, window boxes, and a thermometer for a front door. The houses were some of dozens of kitschy items that April was constantly trying to get us to display at Nitro. Thus far she’d been unsuccessful in her attempts to force us to “Germanize” (her word) the brewery, and I hated to break it to her that there was no chance of that changing anytime soon.
He tapped the contract that April had left on the bar. “I can’t believe you bought a new house, Sloan. That’s awesome. You’re going to be so close. A real villager, as they say. Plus, that means you can walk home.” His gaze turned serious for a moment. “I’m glad. I worry about you driving those winding country roads in the dark, especially this time of year.”
I thumbed through the signed contracts to avoid his eyes. “Thanks. I know those roads well, but yeah, I think being in the village is going to be a nice change.”
Garrett hesitated for a minute. “What are you going to do about your farmhouse?”
“You want to know the truth?” I tugged on one of my braids.
“Of course.” He arranged a stack of IceFest flyers on the bar.
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “Putting in an offer on the cottage is the most spontaneous decision I’ve ever made. I hope I don’t regret it.” What I didn’t tell him was the only other rash decision I’d made in my life had been marrying Mac.
“No way. You won’t regret it. I think living in the village would be…” He paused, trying to find the right word. “A relief for you, I guess. I’ve never been inside your farmhouse, but I’ve seen it from the highway, and it looks like a lot of work, not to mention that drive. I know that Leavenworth is a far cry from Seattle, but no part of me misses getting in the car every day. I love waking up and coming downstairs to start work.”
�
��Thanks.” I smiled. Garrett’s enthusiasm made feel better about my decision.
“Does Alex know yet?”
“Know what?” Kat interrupted. She had been out getting supplies for the day. Her arms were loaded with grocery bags. Garrett went to help her.
“Sloan put in an offer on a cottage here in the village,” he said, setting one of the grocery bags on the bar.
“No way. That’s awesome,” Kat squealed. She chomped on a piece of gum, and I had to remind myself that Kat wasn’t that much older than Alex. “That’s going to be so much better for you. I always feel bad every time you have to drive home late at night.”
It was hardly like my commute was terrible. There were many staff at Der Keller and some of the other restaurants and shops in town that commuted from Wenatchee every day. My drive paled in comparison. The farmhouse sat just outside of town on a small plot of acreage that Mac and I had cultivated into a small hop field. My daily drive took me past cherry and apple orchards on a twisty but beautiful two-lane road. I wondered if I would miss the drive once I moved to the village. It had been part of my routine for almost twenty years.
“Alex is going to flip,” Kat continued. “Or has he already? When I was talking with my parents the other night, I was saying how cool it would have been to grow up here. So much freedom. You can walk everywhere, and it’s super safe.”
Aside from the recent murder, I thought to myself.
“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking,” I said to Kat. “Fingers crossed that the inspection goes well. Soon we could be having a housewarming party at my new place.”
Kat used her free hand to wave. “Oooh, let me plan. Please?”
“Deal.”
She and Garrett went to the kitchen to put the supplies away. I felt grateful to have Garrett and Kat’s support. Their energy made me realize that I was already starting to operate in the world differently. I’d been so worried about slipping into old patterns and closing myself off since leaving Mac. I had made new friends—friends who were starting to feel like family.
That happy thought spurred me on to do a walk-through of the tasting room to make sure everything was in tip-top shape. When we opened a few hours later, a couple of regulars strolled in, followed shortly by Kevin and Jenny and Mel and Swagger, who, like this morning, were still trying to keep their distance from Kevin. They had opted for the only open two-person table, which happened to be next to Kevin and Jenny. Had they finally had enough?
I plastered on my best server face as I waited on him.
“Might as well bring us a bunch of pitchers,” Kevin commanded. “We saw that small-town cop upstairs, and she said we aren’t going to be able to leave until tonight at the earliest.”
“We don’t serve pitchers.” I didn’t add that multiple pitchers would be way too many beers for the two of them.
“Who doesn’t sell pitchers? Isn’t this a brewery?” Kevin made his point by speaking at a volume typically reserved for football stadiums. Everyone in the tasting room turned to stare. “If we’re stuck here, we might has well have some beer, am I right?” He looked to Jenny for confirmation.
“I’m happy to get you each a pint or a tasting tray, but we don’t serve pitchers.” I considered giving him a brief lesson in the art of serving a craft beer. Pitchers hold four pints and go flat and warm quickly. We had perfected our technique for pouring lovely layered pints at Nitro. The “pitcher culture” was dead in my opinion. In the ’80s and ’90s, many pizzerias and pubs would serve pitchers of mass-produced beer for a group of friends to share, but it was a rarity to see microbreweries serving their ales in pitchers.
“Fine, we’ll each take two pints, right, babe?” He slung his arm around Jenny’s shoulder.
She beamed. “Right.”
“I can’t serve you more than one pint at a time.” Was he trying to be difficult?
“This place is such a hellhole.” Kevin pounded his fist on the table.
“You’re welcome to go find another spot,” I offered. I wasn’t going to put up with his drama, and he was starting to cause a scene, and Kevin was going to be out of luck. All of the other tables had filled in.
“Kev, chill. We’ll get some beers and hang out.” Jenny tried to mollify him.
Mel and Swagger shared a look of embarrassment, but they didn’t say a word.
“Fine, just get us some beers,” he sneered.
I had reached my limit. I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not going to ‘just go get you beers.’ We’ve gone out of our way to accommodate you and your friends, and I won’t stand to be treated like this, nor am I going to allow you to disrupt our other customers. If you want to place an order politely, feel free. Otherwise, there’s the door.” I pointed to the front.
Kevin must not have been used to people pushing back. He hung his head. “Sorry. Can we have a round, please?”
His tone was less than sincere. I’d take his lackluster apology as a small miracle.
Mel gave me a soft clap from their nearby table, and Swagger sniggered. “Can I get you anything?” I turned my attention to them.
“A pint of IPA and one of stout would be lovely. Thank you so much.” Mel’s tone was thick with kindness. I wanted to believe it was sincere, but I suspected the show was as much for Kevin as it was for me.
As I headed for the bar, Jenny followed and tugged on the sleeve of my sweater. “Hey, I’m sorry about him. He’s stressed about work, that’s all. It’s not fair to take it out on you, or any of us, but I know he’s freaking that he’s going to miss tomorrow’s meeting.”
I stopped before we reached the bar, and held her wrist. “Listen, you seem like a nice young woman. I’d like to offer you some advice. Kevin is who he is at his core. He’s not going to change. You’re not going to change him.”
She sputtered. “I’m not trying to change him.”
“You’re not?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Well, I mean, I just think he has much more potential than he shows. He can be really sweet when we’re alone. I think he needs me to soften him up, you know?”
I did know. She was a lost cause. “It might be hard to see this now, but trust me, you deserve better.”
“You can’t see what I see in him.”
“Look, I barely know any of you, but I’ve worked in a position of service my entire life, and in my experience, the Kevins of the world don’t change. I’m sorry.”
She fought back tears. “You think he did it, too, don’t you?”
“Did what?” I knew exactly what she was referencing, but I wanted to hear it from her.
“Killed Liv. Everyone thinks he did it.” She fiddled with the fake cubic zirconia ring on her index finger. Her manicured nails were chipped and cracked. I wondered if biting her nails was a bad habit or if it was due to stress.
“Everyone?”
“Yeah.” She traced a circle with her boot on the cement floor. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have ever said anything about Kev sneaking out that night.”
“What?”
She was distracted by her emotions. I could tell that she needed to say this aloud, versus actually being heard. “Kev was stressed and needed to vape. It calms him down, you know. But he snuck outside to do it. That’s one of the ways he’s thoughtful. He was worried about my health. He knows vaping irritates my throat, so in such a super thoughtful way, he went outside in the cold to vape instead of vaping in our room.”
“Uh-huh.” Real thoughtful. Also, we have very clear signage throughout the pub, brewery, and guest rooms that smoking of any kind is strictly prohibited.
“He was gone for a long time, though. I waited up because I thought he’d have a quick vape.”
“When was this?”
My question seemed to tug her into the present. She gave her head a slight shake. “I don’t know. Maybe one or one thirty. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember, I heard him come back into our room. He was cold from being outside in the snow
and jumped into the shower. That’s all. The next morning, when she was dead, he asked me not to say anything. He knew it would look bad that he’d been outside. I agreed. But then I accidentally said something to Mel and Swagger. They both lost it. Even Swag, Kev’s best friend. They’re not even talking to him today. They said I have to tell the police.”
“You do.”
“But why? I don’t want Kev to get into trouble because of me. He’s going to know it’s me. I’m the only person who saw him that night. It wasn’t a big deal. He was soaking wet from being outside in the snow, so I went to get him a bunch of fresh towels. I didn’t want to wake anyone up. That’s all. If I tell the police and they question Kev, it will be the end of our relationship.”
“Maybe it’s time to evaluate that relationship,” I said as gently as I could. “If your relationship can’t weather you informing the police about an important detail in a murder case, what kind of relationship do you have to begin with?”
She sighed. Tears dripped from her eyes. “I know, I know. That’s true. If only this was a few weeks from now. This weekend has been so good for me and Kev. We’ve been closer than ever, and I think he’s finally starting to realize that we belong together. I don’t want to betray his trust.”
“Here’s the thing, Jenny. If he really has nothing to hide, if the reason he wasn’t in his room the night that Liv was killed was because he stepped outside to vape, then he won’t have any reason to be upset with you.”
“I guess.” She kicked the floor.
“You should go talk to Chief Meyers now. If Mel or Swagger talks to her first, you might be putting yourself into jeopardy. She could think that you’re helping Kevin cover up his whereabouts. Providing a false alibi. This is serious. A woman is dead. Are you prepared to go to jail for him?”
“I never thought about that.”
“There’s something else you should consider, Jenny. He could be lying to you. What if going outside to vape was a cover for killing Liv? You could be in danger. You need to go talk to the police right now.”
“Okay.” She didn’t move.
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