Murder of a Bookstore Babe

by Denise Swanson

  “Nah.” Tomi wiped the moisture ring from her beer bottle with her apron. “My regulars won’t pay four bucks for a cup of fancy coffee or want some citified pastry instead of my good old-fashioned cakes and pies.”

  “I don’t know.” Skye dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “People can be fickle. They get tired of the same old, same old.”

  “Maybe for a while, but they always come back to the comfortable and the familiar.” Tomi shrugged. “And money talks. Here they can have a coffee and dessert for five dollars. At Tales and Treats it’ll cost them close to double that amount.”

  “True.” Skye wondered whether Charlie’s information about Tomi being mad about the store opening was wrong. But just in case, she needed to see whether Tomi had an alibi. “Wally and I came by here Saturday night for some dessert after we got back from the movie in Joliet, but the parking lot was so packed we decided not to stop. You must have been really busy.”

  “Whoo-ee.” Tomi finished her beer and started toward the register, where an old man was tapping his foot impatiently. “We sure were. We had Rosella Bonucci’s retirement dinner, and she and her husband, Joe, have so many friends, no one wanted to leave. I’m usually out of here by ten on weekends, but that night I was here past midnight helping Carlos and Wanda clean up.”

  After confirming with the waitress and busboy that Tomi had indeed been with them until after twelve a.m. Saturday night, Skye paid her tab and left. Another suspect was off her list. That left her cousins. How could she approach them?

  Kevin was the easiest; she could claim to want to review her insurance policies. He’d been bugging her to update them, and she had been putting him off for months. With Flip, she could say she’d heard he was doing some private carpentry now and wondered if he’d have time to give her an estimate on turning one of her spare bedrooms into a home office with built-in bookshelves.

  That left Hugo. She couldn’t pretend to want to buy a used car. If word got back to her dad or Charlie that she was even considering replacing the Bel Air, their feelings would be hurt. Which meant it would have to be a non-work-related reason.

  She and Hugo had little in common except their genes. He was nearly ten years older than she was, and although his wife, Victoria, was closer to Skye’s age, they’d never bonded, either. Victoria’s only interest, besides her twelve-year-old son, Prescott, was maintaining her appearance. She spent all her time at hairstylists, nail salons, gyms, and tanning booths. Not places Skye often frequented, since both the cost and the time needed were prohibitive.

  For the rest of Tuesday evening while Skye relaxed at home, and on and off the next day at school, she thought about how to approach Hugo. What pretext could she use? By the end of the afternoon, she’d conceded defeat. Since she couldn’t come up with an idea, she’d go see Kevin that afternoon, then Flip in the early evening, and put off Hugo until the next day. Maybe by then some excuse would occur to her.

  Skye wasn’t able to leave work after the final bell, as she had planned. Instead, she was pulled into a last-minute conference regarding a student who was refusing to attend school, and by the time she’d gotten out of that discussion, she decided she’d better call Wally and let him know that both Charlie and Tomi had alibis.

  Wally was in a hurry—he had to get to a meeting of the police commissioners—but he told Skye he’d assigned Martinez to check out Risé’s background, and the officer would let him know ASAP what she found out. He also mentioned that he was still waiting for the ME and crime scene reports.

  Because of all the delays, it was close to four thirty when Skye arrived at Kevin’s insurance office, and she was afraid he might already have gone home.

  As she locked the Bel Air, her cell phone rang. Sighing, she dug it out of the depths of her tote, checked to make sure it wasn’t her mother calling to bug her about Vince and the engagement ring, then flipped it open and said, “Hello.”

  The display screen said ILLINOIS CALLER, so Skye had no idea who was on the other end until she heard, “Hi. This is Simon.” His smooth tenor was oddly soothing. “I missed you at school and didn’t know when you’d be home, so Frannie told me how to reach you.” He paused, but when Skye didn’t react—Frannie had been told not to share Skye’s cell number with Simon—he continued, “I was wondering where things stand on Kayla’s murder.”

  “Couldn’t you ask Wally?” Skye pushed open the office building’s door and went in. “Or talk to the ME?”

  “Boyd claims there’s nothing new.” Simon sounded unconvinced. “And the ME has promised to e-mail me his report before he leaves work today.”

  “So why are you asking me?” Skye looked around the small waiting room. It was empty; even the secretary’s chair was vacant.

  “Because I heard that you and Boyd talked to the librarian, and she had info about the stolen books.”

  “How did you hear that?” Skye asked. Although she wasn’t surprised, she was annoyed. They’d hoped to keep Judy’s revelation a secret.

  “Anthony’s mother, Sally, has been doing some of the funeral home’s paperwork for me lately.”

  “Ah.” Skye didn’t bother to point out that Anthony should not have shared the info with Sally. She understood how hard it was to keep secrets from mothers. “Then you know as much as I do. Judy found the books in the library return box.”

  “So is Boyd still treating the case as a burglary?” Simon asked.

  “Not entirely,” Skye admitted. “We’re checking to see if anyone wanted Kayla dead.”

  She felt a little guilty leaving out the fact that she believed the intended victim was Risé, but until she’d cleared her own family, she wasn’t willing to share that little detail with anyone other than the person in charge of the investigation. The fact that that individual happened to be her fiancé was just a happy coincidence.

  “Any luck?”

  “Not so far.” Skye shifted impatiently from foot to foot. “Have you found out any more about whatever Xavier is keeping secret?”

  “No.” Simon sounded frustrated. “He’s as tightlipped as a Swiss banker.”

  “I’m sorry to rush you, but I really need to go. I’m late for an appointment.” Skye walked over to the closed office door. “Is there anything else?”

  “I guess not.” There was a long silence, and she almost thought he had hung up when he said wistfully, “I suppose you’re busy tonight.”

  “Yes.” Skye wrinkled her nose. “Believe it or not, Wally and I are going to the grand reopening of the Scumble River Roller Skating Rink.”

  “You’re full of surprises lately,” Simon commented. “I won’t say have a good time. I can’t imagine that. How about don’t break a leg?”

  “Thanks. Bye.” Frowning, she flipped the phone closed. Wally had said she was full of surprises recently, too. Had she been that predictable before? Vowing to be more spontaneous, she turned back to the door and knocked on the fake wood panel.

  A voice yelled, “Come in.” Kevin was sitting at his desk. He looked up and said, “Skye, what are you doing here?” Apparently realizing that wasn’t a very welcoming way to greet both a client and a cousin, he smiled and added hastily, “Have a seat.”

  “I thought we could do that insurance review you’ve been reminding me about,” Skye answered. “Unless you don’t have time?”

  “Well . . .” He glanced at his watch. “Ilene is expecting me home for supper pretty soon.”

  “Maybe I could just update my info, and you could get back to me?”

  “Sure.” Kevin unsuccessfully hid his irritation. “Let me turn the computer back on and bring up your file.”

  While Kevin’s attention was focused on the PC, Skye said, as casually as she could manage, “I hear you have some new clients. I’m glad the bookstore owners are supporting local businesses.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced at her distractedly as he moved his mouse around waiting for the monitor to come to life. “But I don’t know if they’ll continue to use local pe
ople. The wife wasn’t too happy with me.”

  “Why not?” Skye smiled inwardly. Jackpot! This was exactly what she wanted to talk to him about.

  “She accused me of pulling a bait and switch because the premium was more than I originally quoted.” He frowned at the blank blue screen and anxiously tapped a couple of keys. “But it wasn’t my fault. She failed to mention they would be renting out two of their upstairs rooms as B and Bs. The liability involved in having paying guests increased the cost of the insurance.”

  “Did you explain that to her?” Skye crossed her legs. “Or wouldn’t she listen?”

  “I told her and she seemed okay.” Kevin smiled as the computer monitor filled with data. “But you never know if people believe you or not. And I’m afraid she might bad-mouth me around town.”

  “Risé doesn’t strike me as the type.” Skye watched her cousin closely. “And you know it wouldn’t hurt you with your other clients.”

  “Probably not.” Kevin rubbed his chin. “Scumble Riverites know I’m trustworthy.”

  Skye nodded, then said, “But your company will have to pay for the damages from the break-in, right?”

  “Yes.” Kevin jotted a few notes on a yellow pad. “But since the rare books were recovered, the rest is fairly minor. It might not end up being more than their deductible, so they may decide not to even file a claim.”

  “That would be good for you.” Skye watched Kevin’s expression closely. “But how about the dead girl? Won’t her family sue?”

  “Maybe, but there hasn’t been any hint of that yet.” Kevin scratched his head. “And since she was there after hours, we might be able to argue she wasn’t acting as their employee at the time of her death.”

  “Great.” Skye forced herself to sound happy for Kevin, but she hated the thought that the insurance company might wiggle out of paying Kayla’s family for her loss.

  “Okay. I’ve got your file up. Let’s get started.” Kevin’s voice became all business. “How many auto accidents have you had in the past year?”

  Once Skye had given Kevin all her new info, he stood up and escorted her to the door. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow with my recommendations regarding your up-to-date insurance needs, but offhand, I’d say there shouldn’t be much change.” He grinned. “Especially since you stopped totaling cars.”

  “None of those was my fault,” Skye reminded him as they walked into the reception area. She had been wracking her brains to figure out a way to ask Kevin about an alibi. “Say, did you and Ilene go to that party Saturday night she was telling me about?”

  “What party?” Kevin looked confused. “We were away for the weekend at an insurance convention in St. Louis. We drove down Friday night and didn’t get home until Monday afternoon. Maybe that’s what she meant.”

  “Yeah.” Skye hated lying, even if it was for a good cause. “I must have gotten confused.” She waved and left, saying, “Talk to you later.”

  Once she was in her car, she made a quick call to Kevin’s wife, wanting to confirm his alibi before he got home and talked to her. Skye’s excuse was that she and Wally were thinking of taking a few days off, which was true, and she wondered if Ilene had enjoyed her weekend in St. Louis. Ilene assured Skye she’d had a wonderful time there.

  Crossing Kevin off her suspect list, Skye drove home to grab a quick bite and change for her date. She had two more cousins to go, and if she hurried, she’d have time to drop by Flip’s house on the way to the skating rink. Now, if she could only figure out a reason to talk to Hugo.

  CHAPTER 17

  The Call of the Wild

  Bingo greeted Skye as she stepped inside her foyer. Once he’d had a sufficient number of chin scratches, he turned his back on her and marched into the kitchen. She found him sitting by his food dish, staring at it as if it might magically fill up on its own.

  Skye fed the demanding cat, then made herself a toasted cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. She quickly devoured her meal, while sorting the mail into bills she could pay this month and those that would have to return to the end of the line.

  As she climbed the stairs to change clothes, Bingo did figure eights between her legs. She enjoyed the feel of his soft fur against her ankles, but when she nearly tripped, she ordered him to stop.

  He ignored her, and she finally scooped him up and carried him with her into the bedroom, muttering to him, “How is it that you can hear me open a can of Fancy Feast from anywhere in the house, but can’t hear a simple command a few feet from your ears?”

  After depositing the purring feline on her bed, Skye stood in front of her closet and pondered a question she never thought she’d ask herself as an adult. What does one wear to a party at a skating rink?

  Wally had explained that the owner was an old friend of his, and he wanted to show his support. Milton Leigh had owned the rink from 1988 until 1999 but sold the business five years ago. Recently, he had repurchased it and restored the interior rink to its former glory. Milton was hoping the enterprise would be profitable enough to allow him to refurbish the exterior next. His goal was to do so within a year.

  Considering all the family get-togethers Wally had attended for Skye, and all he’d need to be present at in the future, she was happy to accompany him tonight. Still, that didn’t solve her clothing dilemma.

  As she stared at the garments arranged in neat rows by category, color, and season, she dialed Vince’s cell. Skye had been trying to reach him since yesterday, but all she ever got at any of his numbers was his voice mail, and so far despite the urgency of the messages she’d left, he hadn’t called back. She wanted to let him know about May’s knowledge of his engagement ring purchase herself, rather than trying to explain to a machine.

  Once again her call went directly to his voice mail. Even though she knew Vince didn’t answer his phone when he was working on someone’s hair, and he was notoriously bad about responding to messages, this was getting ridiculous. Was he avoiding her? But why? Or was something wrong? Should she be worried?

  Maybe Vince was in Chicago with Loretta, and he wasn’t getting a signal. For some strange reason, it seemed that cell phones that worked perfectly fine in Scumble River didn’t work at all in the city, and vice versa. Skye actually knew a few people who had two cell phones, one for around home and one for outside of town.

  With that in mind, Skye decided to wait until tomorrow to worry about Vince. Now all she had to figure out was what to wear. She pushed the hangers back and forth, waiting for inspiration. The first blouse she grabbed was dirty. Why hadn’t she put it in the hamper? Oh, yeah. It was marked hand wash and air dry, which meant she’d probably get around to laundering it about the same time her first grandchild was born.

  As she shoved back the soiled shirt, her new black tunic sweater slipped to the floor. Aha! That had to be a sign. She slipped it over her head, then after pulling on black jeans and ankle boots, she looked in the mirror. Not bad, but the outfit needed something. She tried a couple of necklaces, then a scarf, but nothing was exactly right.

  Finally she remembered the belt. It would be ideal. She’d been cleaning out one of the many trunks in the attic when she found it. At first she was sure it would never fit. When she held it up, it definitely looked too small to go around her. Skye loved vintage clothing, but most items were not made for a woman with curves.

  However, when she tried it on, the silver links that resembled scales encircled her waist with room to spare. And as she slid the tab into the snakehead to fasten it, the belt felt as if it had been made for her. The emerald eyes looked up at her, and she could have sworn the reptile was smiling.

  After flatironing her curls into submission, applying a fresh coat of mascara, and putting on a swipe of peach lip gloss, Skye checked the time. It was six eighteen. She had to hustle if she wanted to talk to Flip and be on time to meet Wally at the skating rink.

  Skye was a little apprehensive about appearing unexpectedly at her cousin Ginger’s door. They did
n’t get along all that well, and she wasn’t sure of her welcome.

  But as soon as she explained she was there to offer Flip a job, Ginger’s big blue eyes gleamed, and she swept Skye inside. “Come in, come in. With J and A Builders declaring bankruptcy, he could definitely use some work. Flip’s a good carpenter, but the only other box that could be marked with a plus on his report card would be ‘drinks well with others.’”

  Skye let her cousin’s last comment go by without a response and said, “I’m happy he’s free but sorry he’s out of a job.” She hugged Ginger. “The developer he was working for went out of business?”

  “Yeah.” Ginger ushered her into the family room. “A few months ago. I can’t believe you didn’t hear about it. It was in the Star.”

  “Really?” Skye usually read the local newspaper from cover to cover, but during the summer, when she had been working as the wedding planner for her California cousin, she hadn’t had time even to glance at the front page. “I must have missed it. I’m surprised Mom never said anything.”

  “Sit down.” Ginger nearly pushed Skye into an itchy plaid-covered chair next to where Flip was seated in his camouflage recliner. He was absorbed in solving the puzzle on Wheel of Fortune and didn’t appear aware she was in the room. “I’m surprised too,” Ginger added. “Aunt May wouldn’t have ignored that nugget on the gossip circuit.”

  “I was sorry he wasn’t available last summer when I had my master bath remodeled. I know what a good job he does.” Skye settled into the cushiony seat. “So when I heard he did some work for the owners of Tales and Treats, I thought maybe J and A had relaxed their rules and he could do my office.” Skye looked questioningly at Flip.

  Ginger stepped behind her husband. “Pay attention. Skye wants to hire you.”

  Skye winced at the hollow sound as Ginger thumped the top of his head with her knuckle. Flip’s hair was doing what Skye called a balderdash—a race to the receding line.