by Cindy Bell
“Oh?” Lucy smiled. “I didn’t know I was going to do that.”
“Please, someone has to and he won’t listen to me and he’s driving Noah and me crazy.”
“Well, maybe you should ease up on him a little bit, hmm?”
“Lucy, you don’t understand. He’s at an age when if he gets caught breaking the law he’s going to ruin his entire future. You can’t know the fear that I felt when I saw the police bring him into the patisserie. Once the police have him in custody there is no way I can protect him or change what happens to him. It’s a horrible feeling.”
“I didn’t really think about it like that. I’m sorry, Chantelle. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you. I don’t know if it will help or not, but it’s worth a try.”
Greg still sat in the same spot on the love seat when Lucy returned to the living room. She could tell by his posture and the tension in his body that he was primed for a fight. Noah stood nearby looking over Greg’s homework. Lucy sat down beside her nephew and smiled.
“How’s the prisoner?”
“Horrible.” He frowned.
“You know in all of this, I’m betting that no one has actually talked to you about what happened. I thought maybe you’d want to talk about it.”
“Oh trust me, plenty of talking has been done. Talking about me going to military school, talking about not seeing the outside world until summer, talking about all of the things I’m going to miss out on.” He shook his head, then glared hard at the floor. “I don’t think I want to talk anymore.”
“That’s not what I meant, Greg.” She rested her hand on his. “I meant, do you want to talk about how it felt to see the destruction to Derek’s murals? And that he’s gone?”
“It was awful.” He looked up at her. “He didn’t deserve that. Every time I think about him, I forget he’s dead. I keep thinking he’s going to be at school next week for the weightlifting class or that I’ll see him at training on the weekend.”
“You’re right, he didn’t deserve it.” She closed her hand around his. “I know that you cared about Derek, and he cared about you, too. He would have been pretty upset to know that someone did that to his murals.”
“I just wanted to fix it, Aunt Lucy. I didn’t want anyone else to see it. I didn’t want anyone to think of him that way.”
“I understand, sweetheart. I want you to know that Derek wasn’t drunk. Someone tried to make it look that way.”
“You mean someone killed him?” Greg’s eyes widened. Lucy wondered if she’d said too much. But she knew he would find out eventually.
“The police are investigating that possibility, yes. Whoever defaced the murals did something cruel, Greg. I know you did what you thought was right.”
“Then can’t you talk to Mom about loosening the chains?”
“What you need to understand, Greg, is that your mother feels ten times more protective of you than you felt of Derek. When she saw you with the police, her whole world changed, and the level of fear that she must have experienced is not something that you can comprehend. So no, she’s not going to loosen the chains, and I don’t think she should. You had your phone with you. You could have used it to call any of us, or to call the police to handle the situation. You didn’t have to react the way that you did.”
“Ugh, you sound just like Noah. Actions have consequences, Greg, think of your future, Greg, you have to use that talented brain of yours, Greg.”
“Noah’s right. He loves you, just like your mother does, and he was probably just as frightened by what happened. You’re lucky to have two great parents who care about you enough to be upset when you get into trouble.”
“Noah said that, too.”
“See?”
“All I see is that I did something to protect the memory of a man who cared about me, who cared about our whole family, and somehow I’m the one that’s getting punished for it.”
“You need to know how serious what you did was.” Noah handed Greg back his homework and looked between the two of them. “Out here, your mother and I can do everything possible to protect you. But if you end up in jail we won’t be able to do anything about that. Sure Derek was a good guy, but that’s no reason to get yourself arrested.”
“You just don’t understand.” Greg hung his head. “Derek understood.”
“Derek isn’t here anymore.” Noah crossed his arms. Lucy looked up at him with surprise as she noted a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“I think what Noah is trying to say, is that Derek wouldn’t want you to be arrested either, Greg. It’s your responsibility to make good choices, and if Derek were here right now, he’d probably be just as upset as Noah.”
“Okay, okay. I’ve heard all of this already.” Greg sighed and covered his face with his hands. “Like I said, you sound just like Noah.”
“I do?”
“You do.” Noah smiled as he met her eyes. “We’ve had quite a few long conversations on the topic.”
“Is it really a conversation when only one person is doing the talking?” Greg glanced up at him.
“Watch it.” Noah narrowed his eyes.
“Greg. Do you really know who spray painted over the words on the walls?”
“Sure I do. It’s this group of guys from school. When Derek taught the class there they got mad, because he showed them up on every machine, and told them they had to be more respectful to their bodies if they wanted to be strong. After class he caught one of them smoking and turned him in to the principal. I guess that’s what really pissed them off.”
“Language.” Noah shook his head.
“Seriously?” Greg frowned.
“Noah, do you think Greg and I could talk alone for a minute?” She managed a smile.
“I guess so.” He eyed Greg for a second, then headed into the kitchen.
“He’s really on my back lately.” Greg shook his head.
“It’s only because he cares.”
“Anyway, they threatened him as he left the school. Derek didn’t care.”
“Do you know the names of those boys?” Lucy tried to keep her voice even, but the story Greg told inspired some anger. How dare those kids go after Derek when he was only trying to help?
“Sure, I’ll write them down for you.” He wrote them on the edge of his homework paper and tore it off. “Here.”
“Thanks Greg. Just remember, you’re not going to be grounded forever.”
“Really? Because if it’s up to Noah and Mom I’m pretty sure I will be.”
“It’ll be over soon.” She hugged him. “I can tell you this, a better attitude will make your jailers much more lenient.”
“You think so?” He frowned. “Maybe I’ll give it a try.”
“I think it’s a good idea. Bye Noah.” She waved to him in the kitchen as she headed for the front door. He waved back. Once she reached her car she tucked the paper into her purse. Maybe there was a lead there that she could follow. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Chapter 5
The next morning Lucy arrived at the patisserie early to prepare a box of macarons to take to the police department. When she unlocked the door, she heard a car pull up behind her. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed it was Chantelle.
“Morning sis. I don’t know what you said to Greg, but thank you.”
“Oh, it worked?” Lucy unlocked the door and held it open for her sister.
“Yes, it did. He’s even offering to do extra chores.”
“Ah, sounds like a good kid who might deserve a reduction in his sentence.”
“Maybe. We’ll see if he keeps it up.”
Lucy headed straight for one of the largest boxes and began to fill it with an assortment of macarons. As she did, she thought about what questions she might ask if she had the opportunity. Since the detective hadn’t given her many details about the murder, only that it was now considered a homicide, she had no idea where to begin. As much as she wanted to find Derek’s
killer, she didn’t have the slightest idea who it was. Maybe more information would fine tune whatever her instincts were buzzing about. Once the box was ready, Lucy checked the clock.
“I thought Mom was coming to look after the patisserie today?”
“She said she was, but you know Mom she’s probably shopping.”
“Okay, well let’s give her a little more time. Maybe she’ll show up with something fantastic.”
As if to prove her right, the door swung open, and Jacqueline paraded in with something quite large tucked under her arm.
“What’s that?” Lucy stepped around the counter.
“This is our new mascot.” She set the statue down in the middle of the patisserie. It looked like it was carved from marble, but since her mother had toted it on her own, Lucy guessed that it wasn’t. She walked up to it and tapped the cheek of the nearly nude man.
“It’s hollow.”
“Yes, because it’s a fountain.”
“A what?” Lucy and Chantelle looked at each other, then at the statue.
“We needed something to brighten up the patisserie. We can fill it with water, or we can even use it for melted chocolate. I thought it might be fun to have a dipping night where our favorite customers could dip their macarons.”
“Dip them? I’ve never thought of that.” Lucy gazed at the statue. “But where does the water come out?”
“Oh, his ears, and nose.”
“Ugh!” Chantelle laughed. “I don’t think I would want to dip my macaron in that.”
“Don’t worry so much, I’m sure it will be great,” Jacqueline said.
“Mom, if the chocolate comes from his mouth and ears it will drip on his face and cover it with chocolate. It’ll just look like a big chocolate blob with eyes,” Chantelle said.
“All the better! No one else will have anything like it. This is still my patisserie, isn’t it?” Jacqueline lifted her eyebrows.
“Of course it is.” Lucy tilted her head to the side. “I’m sure we can figure out a way to make it work. Do you know where you want it?”
“In the front window, it’ll be an attention grabber. We can put it right behind the display.”
“Okay. But are we going to dress him?” Lucy smirked.
“Ha! He has a beautiful body.” Jacqueline patted the plaster abs. “Our customers will love him.” She turned and carried him right over to the center of the display. “Perfect!”
Chantelle and Lucy smiled at each other. Although her mother’s taste was unquestionable when it came to macarons, in just about everything else Lucy could only consider it eccentric. She always showed up with unusual things that weren’t necessarily treasures.
“Lucy and I are going to take some macarons to the police station. We’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Oh?” Jacqueline turned to face them. “Are you trying to find out more information about Derek?”
“Maybe.” Lucy frowned. “Do you think that’s wrong?”
“Not at all. You can’t leave these things to the police. You knew Derek best, and more than likely you know his killer.”
“What makes you say that?” Lucy met her mother’s eyes.
“You were with Derek quite often, you knew all of his friends and his co-workers. Whoever killed Derek got into his house when he was preparing for a shower. Either they knew how to let themselves in, or he let them in. Either way, this wasn’t a stranger,” Jaqueline said.
“You’re probably right.” Lucy shuddered. “I hate to think that, but the police didn’t say there was any sign of forced entry.”
“So maybe someone slipped in a window. The police didn’t even think this was a homicide when they first investigated. I’m sure now the police are taking a second look,” Chantelle said. “Maybe it was just made to look like he was going to have a shower so it would look like he slipped. Maybe the whole scene was staged just like the alcohol was.”
“That’s possible,” Lucy said thoughtfully.
“You need to be careful, Lucy,” Jaqueline said. “This might not be random it might be personally motivated.”
“Mom, we shouldn’t scare Lucy.” Chantelle picked up the large box of macarons.
“I’m not trying to scare her, but she should use caution.” Jacqueline looked at her daughter. “Whoever did this isn’t going to like you snooping around, so be careful.”
“I will be.”
Chantelle shook her head and walked towards the door. “Let’s go, Lucy, before Mom writes her own true crime novel.”
“I’m rarely wrong!” Jaqueline said.
Chantelle pulled the door shut and sighed. “Don’t let her get to you, Lucy.”
“I don’t think she’s wrong, Chantelle. It’s not as if Derek was robbed. The only thing missing is his cell phone. It does seem like it might have been a personal vendetta.”
“It’s possible, which is all the more reason you should leave this to the police. Find out what you can about Derek’s death to give you peace, then let them investigate the crime, okay?”
“Maybe.”
* * *
The police station was as busy as Lucy expected it to be. Uniformed officers moved in every direction while people waited in line to be seen, or sat in the waiting area. Almost right away she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Would it be too much trouble to interrupt them even with a sweet treat? However, when she reached the front desk, the officer there jumped up at the sight of the box.
“Are those from ‘Marvelous Macarons’?”
“Yes, they are. We brought some macarons as a thank you for everyone’s hard work.” She opened the box to show him.
“Are you sure they’re not just for me?” He grinned.
“No, I’m sorry, they’re for everyone.” Lucy laughed.
“Is Officer Annaliese Martin here?” Chantelle glanced around.
“Sure, I’ll get her.” He picked up the phone. A moment later Annaliese walked out through one of the doors beside the desk.
“Hi, good to see you both again.”
“They brought you a gift.” The officer at the desk smiled.
“Oh wow! Thanks so much! Everyone will love these.”
“You’re welcome.” Lucy tried to think of a way to ask her about the case. Her heart raced, and her palms sweated. What right did she have to ask? Was she even working on Derek’s case? She decided that she needed to try and get some information. “I’m sure you’ve been busy with Derek’s case.”
“Oh yes, I’ve just been assigned to it. Your name came up in that. I’m sorry for your loss. I had no idea that you knew the victim so well.”
“Yes, I knew him very well. Well enough to know that it was no accident.”
“Well, it looks like you’re right.”
“I just can’t imagine who might have wanted him dead.”
“You’re not alone in that. We’re a little stumped, too. If you think of anyone, do let us know.” Her phone beeped and she looked at it. “Sorry, I have to be going, I have a debriefing.”
“That’s okay,” Lucy said with a hint of disappointment.
“Thanks again for the macarons.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled as Annaliese walked away with the box. The officer at the desk followed right behind her.
“I guess he doesn’t want to miss out.” Lucy smiled.
As Chantelle and Lucy walked towards the door they passed the detective assigned to Derek’s case. He was deep in conversation with a police officer and didn’t notice them. Lucy heard snippets of their conversation as they walked past.
“It looks like he suffered two blows to the head with a heavy, blunt object. Kind of like a sledgehammer,” the detective said as he swung his hand to mimic the motion as he walked away from them.
“Do you think that was about Derek?” Lucy gasped.
“Probably.” Chantelle hooked her arm through her sister’s. “That must have been upsetting for you to hear.”
“At least it’s something
to go on. Now I know the person who did this was probably strong. Probably a man.”
As the two sisters walked through the parking lot Chantelle frowned. “Probably, but not necessarily. Have you considered that maybe Derek wasn’t alone?”
“Hmm?” Lucy opened the door to the car.
“I mean, maybe he had company at the time of his death.”
“But he was about to get into the shower. Oh.” Her eyes widened. “No, I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Were there any women he might have been interested in?”
“If there were, he didn’t tell me about them. But he worked with beautiful women. Not just the people who bought the equipment, but the other salespeople and trainers in his group. A few of them are women, and very toned. Maybe he decided he wanted someone more focused on their body. It seems awful fast to be sharing a shower though.”
“Maybe to you, but men aren’t always as cautious. Maybe he had a lover over and things went sour.”
“It’s certainly something to consider.” Lucy started the car and waited her turn to leave the busy parking lot.
“It’s not something that you should have to consider. This is better left up to the police.”
“I’m sure they will do their part, but I can’t just ignore it. I can’t just do nothing about it.”
“Well, take the day off today, Mom and I can handle the patisserie.”
“Maybe I will.” Lucy narrowed her eyes. “There’s some things I want to look into.”
Chapter 6
After Lucy and Chantelle returned to the patisserie Lucy said goodbye to her mother and sister, then climbed into her car. There was one particular issue she wanted to deal with. She drove to the high school. She’d been there a few times since Greg started as a freshman. She’d also been there twice with Derek when he taught weightlifting classes. It wasn’t the worst school and it also wasn’t the best. The parking lot was full when she pulled in. After she found a spot she walked towards the main entrance. Although her plan was to get a meeting with the principal she wasn’t sure how much influence being an aunt would give her. She stopped in the front office and smiled at the receptionist behind the desk.