Killing the Carnations (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery)

by Bell, Cindy

  Vicky nodded solemnly. “One thing I've come to learn Aunt Ida, is that sometimes people only show us the side of them they want us to know.”

  Aunt Ida still shook her head and fluttered her hands in her lap before she finally stood up with a growl.

  “No, Vicky. If I'm wrong, the investigation will prove me wrong. But what are the chances that they will even look at other suspects if they already have the perfect suspect?” she frowned.

  “Mitchell is smarter than that, Aunt Ida,” Vicky said with confidence. “He will get to the bottom of things,” then she paused a moment and looked over at her aunt. She usually had a cheerful glow, a confident aura about her. In that moment Aunt Ida looked like a frail woman, lost and alone. It was a side of her aunt that Vicky had never seen before. “But...” she sighed.

  “But?” Ida perked up a little bit.

  “But, I don't think it could hurt if we poked around, just a little bit,” Vicky finally murmured. “Let's wait until Mitchell clears the room, then we'll have a look for ourselves,” she suggested. “Until then,” she met Ida's eyes intently, “stay away from Nicholas Brendan.”

  “Vicky, I'm an adult,” Ida huffed and shook her head. “If I want to see him...”

  “No,” Vicky said sternly and then reached out for her aunt's hand. “Please Aunt Ida, you're all Sarah and I have and I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

  Ida looked as if she might protest, but her expression softened with Vicky's words.

  “I promise to be careful,” she finally agreed, though she didn’t commit to avoiding Nicholas completely.

  “Good,” Vicky sighed and gave her aunt's hand a light squeeze. “I'm going to go downstairs and see if Mitchell needs anything, plus, I'm going to have to call Sarah,” she groaned. She knew her sister would be livid that she hadn't called immediately. “Just stick close to me, or other members of the staff Aunt Ida, I don't want you wandering around alone.”

  “I'll be fine dear,” Aunt Ida assured her and then added. “The same goes for you, you know.”

  “Yes Ma'am,” Vicky grinned and then headed down the stairs to the first floor. She took the stairs because she wanted to avoid the now extremely curious guests. She and Sarah would have to work together to come up with an official announcement. As she dialled her sister on her cell phone and tried to push open the door at the bottom of the stairs that led into the lobby, something suddenly struck her. If she hadn't been able to open the door to get into Charleston's room because his body was blocking it, how had the person on the inside who had committed the crime got out? The thought was pushed out of her mind as she gave the door a hard shove and began filling her sister in on the events of the evening.

  “I can't believe this,” Sarah gasped into the phone when she heard the news. “I should come in. Are you safe? Do you want to shut down the inn?”

  “Mitchell thinks that Charleston was targeted, and this place is crawling with police. I don't think that anything else is going to happen,” she pointed out. “So you should stay home. I just wanted to know how you thought I should address this with the clients,” she paused a moment before confessing with a grimace. “Jeremy Minkle is threatening to sue.”

  Through the phone, Vicky heard Sarah take a sharp breath. “Don't do anything,” she said swiftly. “Don't say anything to the guests. If you have to talk to any of them, just mention that it's a police matter and it's being handled.”

  “Are you sure?” Vicky asked as she stepped inside the lobby.

  “Yes, we'll make an announcement in the morning. That will give Mitchell some time to investigate, and hopefully the guests will have some time to calm down,” Sarah sighed on the other end of the phone. “I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you with this Vicky.”

  “Sarah it's all right I took care of it,” Vicky assured her and already regretted disturbing her. “Please, please, try to get some rest. We can meet in the restaurant for breakfast tomorrow, okay?”

  “I'll be there,” Sarah promised and yawned as she hung up the phone.

  Chapter Four

  When Vicky walked further into the lobby she saw several uniformed officers quietly talking to different guests. Vicky recognized them as all being at the inn for the conference. As she walked closer their muttered comments revealed that she wasn't going to find any sympathy for Nicholas in this group.

  “You know I never would have suspected that Brendan could be capable of something like this, but I guess getting passed over one more time just made him snap,” one woman said as she shook her head with dismay. “Such a terrible waste.”

  Vicky pursed her lips and shifted casually towards another conversation, under the guise of straightening up some of the brochures.

  “Yeah Brendan could be a bit of a hot head,” a man was saying to one of the officers. “One time when we went on a trip to the Keys he got into a fist fight with one of the managers. We all have our moments, but you know throwing punches is just taking things a little too far,” the man shrugged and glanced away nervously. Vicky bit her bottom lip as Nicholas was looking more and more guilty. He certainly didn't have very many supporters. She turned around to straighten out some more brochures when she saw Mitchell walking across the lobby towards her. She fanned the brochures guiltily out on the table, knowing that she had been eavesdropping on a police investigation.

  “Hello sweetheart,” Mitchell said in a murmur beside her ear. He was careful not to be too affectionate in front of the other officers. “I asked them to do the questioning in private, I'm sorry they're out in the lobby.”

  “It's fine,” Vicky said quickly and then added. “Most of the guests that are staying here are here for the conference, so they've all heard about what happened.”

  “Sorry to say that it's only going to get worse,” Mitchell sighed and drew his fingertips across his forehead to ease some tension he was feeling. “The time frame that Nicholas admits to being away from Ida is the exact time frame that the ME estimated the time of death.”

  Vicky winced at that revelation. She was hoping that the time of death would rule out Nicholas' potential involvement. She listened attentively as Mitchell continued. “Worse, we've still not found the murder weapon, but the ME has given us a guess as to what it was.”

  “What did she think it was?” Vicky asked, her eyes focusing on him.

  “Looks like it was a corkscrew,” he admitted.

  “Oh no,” Vicky replied her voice trembling.

  “What?” Mitchell asked and studied her intently.

  “I did receive a request from Nicholas to leave a corkscrew in his room, along with some wine,” Vicky winced as she admitted this. She knew that Ida would be upset with her, but she had to agree with Mitchell. Every shred of evidence was pointing right at Nicholas.

  “I'll send a uniformed officer to see if it's still there,” he said. “Do you have a list of what other rooms requested a corkscrew?” he questioned.

  “Henry will have it,” she replied.

  “Can you ask Henry for the list and also a list of where any other corkscrews might be located, please. Then we can collect them and have them evaluated,” he made a note in his small notebook and then tucked it back in his pocket.

  “I will, right now,” Vicky agreed with a frown. “So I'm guessing that Nicholas won't be getting out any time soon?”

  “We're holding him for now,” Mitchell nodded and then reached up to rub lightly at the back of his neck. He grimaced as he did, and Vicky recognized this as an indication that he was uncomfortable.

  “What is it?” Vicky tried to pull more information from him as she studied him.

  “It's just,” he hesitated a moment. “Nicholas looks perfect for the murder. He's got motive, opportunity, and now potentially the murder weapon. But something doesn't fit. If he really was planning to murder Charleston, why did he wait until they got here? And why not arrive with a more effective weapon than a corkscrew?”

  “That's a good point,
” Vicky tapped her chin lightly as she considered his words. “It seems much more like a crime of passion than a planned assault,” as her mind drifted back to the crime scene, she recalled what she had thought of earlier. “One other thing, Mitchell,” Vicky added in a lower voice. “Just how did the murderer get out of the room? It took all of my strength to force that door open to get in. So how did he get out?”

  “We're looking into that,” Mitchell nodded. “Maybe through the window and onto the balcony. The crime techs are evaluating the scene right now.”

  “I'll go talk to Henry,” Vicky nodded. “Let me know if there's anything else you need.”

  “Oh, be on the lookout for Charleston's fiancée, she's been roaming around here half-drunk and very angry,” Mitchell warned. “She hasn't been ruled out as a suspect either Vicky, so please be very careful.”

  “I am, I promise,” Vicky leaned up and pecked his cheek lightly. Mitchell blushed at the kiss and smiled.

  Vicky headed for the kitchen, but when she got there she found the door was closed and locked. This didn't surprise her as it was getting late and room service was only offered until certain hours. What did surprise her was that when she looked through the small glass rectangle window in the door, Henry was not inside. He usually spent a little extra time after the kitchen was closed either preparing dishes for the next day, or experimenting with a new recipe. Perhaps all of the police activity had scared him off. If that was the case then Vicky was sure she could find him in the staff quarters.

  They offered rooms at very cheap prices to the staff. This partly off-set the cost of their salaries and was also a great benefit for the employees as they had no commuting time. They also had access to all the amenities, such as the pool, the gardens, the kitchen, and the large banquet room. It made the employees of the inn feel more like a family to Vicky and Sarah, than just people on the payroll, and that's how they preferred it. As she walked down the narrow path through the gardens that led to the staffs’ quarters she thought once more about the crime scene.

  She was certain that there was something she had overlooked in the room. Something had to explain how the murderer had left the room. She was so distracted that she found herself walking to the wrong door. She didn't realize it, until she heard noises coming from inside. She stood frozen with her hand poised to knock on the door as she listened to the unmistakable sounds that were drifting through the thick wooden door. It was moaning, but not of a fearful kind. She could also hear Emily's voice.

  “Oh, Jeremy,” she moaned.

  Vicky's eyes widened at what she was hearing. She tried to convince herself that maybe she was just misinterpreting, but there was no questioning it when she heard further evidence.

  She quickly lowered her hand and tried to decide what to do. Emily knew that fraternising with the guests was frowned upon, but they weren't terribly strict about it. People often came to the inn looking for romance, so it wasn't that surprising if they found it with one of the staff members. But this wasn't just any guest, this was Jeremy Minkle, CEO of Ballant Industries, and the man who had threatened to destroy the inn with a lawsuit. She wondered if Emily knew about that. Before she could decide what to do, she heard her name called.

  “Vicky, are you looking for me?” Henry asked as he walked towards her. Vicky's eyes grew even wider as she heard the sounds come to an abrupt stop inside of Emily's room. She hurried away from the door and tugged Henry into his room which was right beside Emily's.

  “Did you know that Emily was dating Jeremy Minkle?” she asked in a whisper as soon as they were alone.

  “Well, how couldn't I?” Henry chuckled as he pointed to the wall. “It's pretty thin, and they're not exactly quiet.”

  “You should have told me,” Vicky chastised and crossed her arms.

  “Why?” Henry asked with surprise. “I didn't see any harm in it. Emily's a sweet girl, besides they were together the last time that Jeremy stayed here.”

  “Oh, really?” Vicky asked with surprise. “No wonder she booked him a room,” she nodded. “And it doesn't bother you?”

  “Look,” Henry shrugged. “She's young, she's a nice girl, and if she ends up marrying the fellow she'll have a very different life. Of course I've tried to warn her that Jeremy Minkle is not the marrying type, but she seems head over heels anyway.”

  “Hmm,” Vicky glanced at the wall. She could hear some scuffling around and guessed that they were hurrying to get dressed. “Well, I was looking for you,” she said as she turned back to Henry. “It turns out the murder weapon is more than likely a corkscrew. So we need to make a list of where the corkscrews are for the police.”

  “Sure, I'll get right on it,” Henry agreed, then he hesitated a moment and met Vicky's eyes. “If you decide to talk to Emily, go easy on her, she's really just a sweet kid looking for love.”

  “I'll be easy,” Vicky promised as they stepped out of Henry's room together. Her gaze lingered on the door to Emily's room. She still thought it was strange that she hadn't known about their affair. She usually knew about everything that went on at the inn. So Emily must have done a very good job of hiding it. But why would she? Emily knew Vicky well enough to realize that Vicky wouldn't begrudge her a little romance. As Vicky walked back towards the inn, she saw several police cars pulling away from the parking lot. Mitchell must have sent them home for the night. The guests were likely too tired to offer helpful interviews at this point. She stepped into the lobby to find Mitchell waiting for her.

  “Henry has headed to the kitchen to sort out the list,” she said quickly as she walked up to him. He spun around and wrapped an arm instantly around her waist.

  “I'm sorry we missed our evening,” he said with a sigh. “I'll have to get an officer to collect the corkscrews and then get that evidence back to the station.”

  “I know,” Vicky said with a patient smile. “Don't worry, we'll make up for it when we do have time.”

  “Actually,” Mitchell's lips spread wide into a smile that she knew too well. It was his 'I have a secret' smile that drove her wild, as he was incredibly good at keeping secrets. “I am planning on it,” he smiled.

  “What does that mean?” Vicky asked and studied his expression for any hint.

  “I guess we'll just have to make the time to find out,” he smiled and kissed her gently. “Go get some rest. I'm going to leave a few uniformed officers to keep an eye on the inn tonight, okay?”

  “Okay,” Vicky agreed, though she wanted to grill him about the secret that he was keeping. She knew this was not the time. When she reached her apartment she was ready to collapse. She had made sure that both the uniformed officers and the inn's security guard had her cell phone number and instructed them to call if anything came up. She placed her cell phone on the table beside her bed and then fell into it.

  Chapter Five

  Vicky hadn't been asleep for very long, maybe an hour, when she heard knocking on her door. Sleepily she sat up. She glanced at the clock, and then her cell phone. As she checked to see if anyone had called, she heard another insistent knock, and then her cell phone began to ring.

  “Hello?” she said sleepily as she stumbled towards the front door of her apartment.

  “Vicky, did I wake you?” Ida asked and the knocking continued.

  “No someone at my door...” Vicky began to say until she looked through the small peep hole in her door. “Well, yes, actually you did,” she said as she hung up the phone and opened the door. Aunt Ida stood in front of her, her phone still pressed up to her ear.

  “We need to talk,” she said into the phone.

  “Aunt Ida, you can hang up now,” Vicky shook her head and set her phone down on the entranceway table as Aunt Ida stepped inside.

  “What is this about?” Vicky asked, stifling a yawn.

  “I can't sleep, can you?” Aunt Ida said quickly, her eyes wide and dancing nervously from place to place in the apartment.

  “Yes, actually,” Vicky said, and then remi
nded herself to be patient. “How much coffee have you had?” she asked as she studied her aunt.

  “Enough,” Aunt Ida shrugged. “I saw that the police were gone, and I thought maybe we could take a look at the crime scene.”

  “It's the middle of the night, Aunt Ida!” Vicky said with a frown.

  “Which is the perfect time,” Aunt Ida reminded her. “If Mitchell sees us looking through the room tomorrow he's going to kick us out, and you know it.”

  “Good point,” Vicky nodded slightly in agreement. She preferred not to argue with Mitchell if at all possible. That did mean that if they were going to look through the crime scene, it would have to be at night.

  “Are there any officers posted at the door?” Vicky asked as she walked back towards her bedroom to grab some fresh clothes.

  “Not that I saw,” Ida replied as she sat down on the couch. “I just can't stop thinking about poor Nicholas sitting in a jail cell. How can they still be holding him?”

  “Well, they haven't arrested him yet, not officially,” Vicky explained as she pulled on a new shirt and tucked a flashlight into her back pocket. “But they can hold him for twenty-four hours for questioning. After that they have to release or arrest him.”

  “Oh, that's a relief,” Aunt Ida said. “At least he'll be out of there by tomorrow night.”

  When Vicky stepped back into the living room she couldn't hide her frown.

  “What?” Aunt Ida asked when she saw Vicky's expression.

  “With the evidence they have it's very likely that they will arrest Nicholas,” Vicky explained as gently as she could. “He has no alibi, he has a motive, and he did have a corkscrew in his room.”

  “A corkscrew?” Ida asked with surprise. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Well, the ME believes that is what was used as the murder weapon,” Vicky sat down beside her aunt and enveloped her hand with her own. “Try not to be too upset. You know that if he's not guilty, Mitchell will figure it out.”