Killing the Carnations (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery)

by Bell, Cindy

  “I want all of you to tell me everything you know, now please,” Mitchell said sternly as he flipped open his notebook.

  Vicky described remembering and then finding the passageway, and showed him the shoeprints she had taken pictures of. Then she took Mitchell aside and confessed to hiding in Emily's closet and finding what she believed to be the murder weapon.

  “I know that you need a search warrant,” Vicky explained. “That's why I left it right where it was. I didn't touch the handle or the metal part at all,” she insisted when she saw his disapproving expression.

  “Vicky, I care about the evidence, but I also care about you,” he reminded her. “If Emily had something to do with this, then you were in danger the entire time you were in her room. You should have called me the moment you found the passageway.”

  “Well, maybe if you had told me that you were hanging out in the parking lot I would have,” Vicky pointed out with a small smile.

  “Good point,” Mitchell smiled a little, too. He glanced down at the notepad he was holding and then back up at the room they were standing in front of. “I highly doubt it was Emily who actually committed the murder,” he said and clenched his jaw. “Something does not make sense here.”

  Vicky had her suspicions but she was not ready to share them with Mitchell. She had already assumed that one man, whom she was now convinced was innocent, might be guilty. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

  “Do you know where Emily is now?” Mitchell asked Vicky.

  “Actually I do,” she replied with raised eyebrows. She led Mitchell towards the kitchen while Aunt Ida hung back with Nicholas to discuss what they had both seen in the passageway.

  “Do you think she's okay with him?” Mitchell asked as Vicky unlocked the side door into the kitchen.

  “I think so,” Vicky nodded as she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Aunt Ida embrace Nicholas warmly. Despite the tension of the situation she found herself smiling at the sight.

  Chapter Six

  When Mitchell and Vicky walked into the kitchen, Henry and Emily looked up guiltily from their bowls of ice cream that were next to a huge bucket of ice cream.

  “Vicky, I can explain,” Henry said quickly.

  “Henry, give us a moment alone please,” Vicky said in a stern tone as she settled her gaze on Emily. Mitchell had asked Vicky to stay with him because he thought it would make Emily feel more at ease.

  “Sure,” Henry nodded and glanced nervously at Emily. “But I swear it was my idea...”

  “This is a police matter, Henry,” Mitchell explained and gestured towards the door. Henry didn't have to be told again. He headed for the door and glanced sympathetically at Emily as he stepped outside into the garden.

  “A police matter?” Emily asked as she looked between Vicky and Mitchell. “Have I done something wrong?”

  “Have you?” Vicky challenged, which drew a reproachful look from Mitchell. Vicky cleared her throat and stepped aside, knowing that she had to let Mitchell perform the interrogation. Instead of questioning Emily though, he picked up a bowl and a spoon from the butcher's block that the ice cream container was resting on.

  “Do you mind?” he asked as he gestured to the ice cream and met Emily's eyes.

  “No, it's fine,” Emily replied, though she seemed very confused. Vicky was also confused, she had no idea why Mitchell wanted to eat ice cream instead of talking about the corkscrew she had found.

  “How are things going, Emily?” he asked as he dished up some ice cream. When he ate a spoonful he grinned and moaned a little, “Oh, that's tasty.”

  “Things are going okay I guess,” Emily replied. The normally shy girl seemed to be relaxing a little bit.

  “That's good,” Mitchell nodded as he put the spoon down. “You know, Emily, you've been such a great help over the years to Vicky and Sarah. Vicky's told me so much about you.”

  “Oh?” Emily blushed a little and glanced at Vicky. Vicky managed a smile in return. The truth was she did often talk about Emily. She had started at the inn when she was only eighteen and was one of the hardest working young women she knew. She always made sure all of her tasks were complete and would often offer to help others that may have fallen behind. She was certainly not someone who would strike her as violent. She seemed to genuinely care about the guests that stayed at the inn and was especially good with the children who stayed there. But, none of that changed what Vicky had found in her closet.

  “But it seems to me every time I see you, you're alone,” Mitchell suddenly said, drawing Emily's attention sharply back to him.

  “Well, I am alone a lot,” Emily agreed nervously.

  “Shy right?” Mitchell's smile spread warmly. “You know when I was in high school I could barely speak to a girl. If one tried to talk to me, I'd drop my books, stumble over my words, or do something else terribly embarrassing. It got to where I would just avoid them.”

  Vicky raised an eyebrow. She didn't know this about Mitchell, and wondered if he was telling the truth or just trying to coax Emily. What she couldn't figure out was what he was trying to coax her into.

  “I was really shy in school, too,” Emily admitted and then she added in a whisper. “I used to snort every time someone tried to talk to me. I couldn't help it!”

  “Of course not, some people are just shy,” Mitchell shrugged and encouraged her to take another bite of the ice cream.

  “But that's changed for me now,” Mitchell added. “Since I met Vicky, I don't think I’ve stuttered over my words once,” he glanced up at Vicky with a smile. Vicky was feeling very out of the loop but she smiled at him in return. She was sure he had a plan, but she felt as if he was wasting time. She was more of a charge in and interrogate kind of woman, and though she respected Mitchell's expertise, she was getting impatient.

  “Oh me, too,” Emily abruptly squealed. “Isn't it amazing when you finally meet the right person?” she asked with a heavy sigh. “It's like all that shyness, all that nervousness just disappears.”

  “Mmhm,” Mitchell agreed and then settled his gaze on her. “So you've met someone like that?”

  Suddenly, Vicky knew where Mitchell was going with his line of questioning. So far she hadn't revealed to him that Emily and Jeremy were having an affair. She didn't want to give Jeremy more ammunition for his lawsuit, and she also didn't think it would be relevant. But things had certainly changed.

  “Maybe,” Emily said more quietly. She seemed to begin to realize that she was getting caught in a trap.

  “It must be so hard, someone as beautiful...” he glanced up at Vicky briefly with an apologetic look before looking back at Emily, “as you are, to have to see someone like Amanda with the man you love.”

  “What?” Emily asked, her eyes widening. “What are you talking about?”

  “It's okay, Emily,” Mitchell said calmly. “We know what really happened.”

  “What do you mean?” she demanded.

  “Maybe you were hoping that he would leave her for you. Maybe the two of you argued, and you just couldn't help yourself. I know what it's like to feel like things are one-sided, it's like getting slapped across the face.”

  Vicky stepped closer to the butcher's block. She tried to meet Mitchell's eyes, but he was too busy holding Emily's gaze.

  “Did you see Amanda with Charleston? Is that what got you so upset?” he asked with quiet confidence.

  “Charleston?” Emily shuddered at that very idea. “You think I was in love with that slob? Please, he's nothing like Jeremy.” After she said his name, she reached up and cupped her mouth with her hand. She stared wide eyed at Mitchell, and then looked over at Vicky.

  “Jeremy?” Mitchell repeated. It was obvious that he had been in the dark on that one.

  “Jeremy Minkle,” Vicky supplied, “the CEO of Ballant Industries. He and Emily have been having an affair.”

  Mitchell shot a cool look at her, and she knew that he was wondering how long she had kn
own about that.

  “I'm sorry, Vicky,” Emily said quickly. “It just happened last time he was here, and then...”

  “And then when he came back, it picked right back up?” Vicky suggested and then shook her head. “Emily, we just want to figure out what happened here. Just be honest with Mitchell.”

  “I'm trying,” Emily promised, she was now very flustered.

  “What do you know about Charleston's death?” Mitchell asked pointedly. He was taking advantage of her being a little off balance.

  “Nothing,” Emily said swiftly. “Nothing at all. I'm telling you, nothing,” she insisted.

  Mitchell narrowed his eyes and pulled out his notebook, he jotted something down on it and then looked back up at Emily.

  “If you know nothing, then you'd be okay with me taking a look around your room?” he asked calmly.

  “Of course you can,” she shrugged a little and lowered her eyes. “There's nothing for me to hide anymore.”

  Vicky was surprised by this. She knew what was in Emily's closet. She was certain that it was the murder weapon. So why would she be so comfortable with Mitchell looking in her room? Before she could think about it for too long Mitchell was standing up.

  “Let's get that ice cream in the freezer, and go have a look around,” he suggested. His tone was still friendly enough that Emily willingly agreed.

  “I'll take care of the ice cream,” Vicky volunteered.

  She needed a moment alone to try to piece together the puzzle. Mitchell nodded and led Emily out to her room. Vicky already knew what he would find in her closet. She also knew that it might lead to Emily's arrest. But she was sure that Emily had not committed the crime. What motive could she have to kill Charleston? She didn't seem to have the strength to kill him with a corkscrew. She knew something wasn't quite right. She took the time to sort through all of the information she had swimming through her mind.

  Everything led back to one name. It didn't make sense to her, but it did lead back to only one name. It was a hunch she decided to investigate on her own.

  Chapter Seven

  Vicky rode the elevator up to the third floor. It was very quiet in the hallway, the sun had not even risen yet. The guests had not begun to wake up. But when she paused beside one door in particular she heard footsteps. Slow, deliberate footsteps. Vicky narrowed her eyes. She considered knocking on the door, but the knob began to turn before she could.

  Vicky didn't want to be caught off guard so she ducked into the shadows of the hallway. It was still dim enough that the focus of her hunch did not notice her. She hoped he would get into the elevator. It would give her a chance to search his room. Instead he paused in front of Charleston's room. He stared into the open doorway, and then he spoke, causing a shiver to race along Vicky's spine.

  “Why did you want to see me?” he asked. Vicky was about to assume he was talking to a ghost, when she heard another voice reply.

  “You know exactly why I wanted to see you,” Amanda said with a growl. “Just because Charleston's dead doesn't mean that our deal doesn't still apply.”

  “You can't be serious,” he scoffed and shook his head. “Let's talk about this,” he suggested and stepped into the room. Vicky's heart was racing. She had suspected that it wasn't Emily who had committed the crime, but someone she was willing to protect. Someone like Jeremy Minkle. Watching him disappear into the very room where Charleston was killed, but this time with Amanda, made Vicky very uneasy. She crept up to the door to listen in.

  “Amanda, you don't want to toy with me,” Jeremy said with that confident arrogance.

  “I'm not toying,” Amanda shot back sharply. “Charleston blew his money as fast as it came in, he was counting on that CEO position. I won't even get his properties because we weren't married. I want the money you were going to give him. I won't say a word if you just give me the money.”

  “What words will you say if I don't?” Jeremy asked gruffly, Vicky could tell that he had moved closer to Amanda by the volume of his voice.

  “I'll tell them all about you,” Amanda threatened. “I'll tell the police that you're the one that killed Charleston, and why.”

  “And you think they'll believe you?” he growled. “I'm a very powerful man. There is nothing that is going to stop me from retiring and living a life of luxury. You, you're just a gold digger, they'll see right through you.”

  “Really?” Amanda countered. “Are they going to see through your little girlfriend, too? Weak Jeremy. You picked someone like that to waste your time with? You could have had someone like me.”

  “The last thing I would ever want is someone like you,” he nearly shouted, then Vicky heard something slam against the wall. She couldn't wait any longer. She knew that whatever dirt she had on Jeremy he was willing to kill to cover up, he had already done it once after all. Without thinking too much about the danger she was about to put herself in Vicky opened the door to the room. She caught Jeremy with Amanda pressed against the wall. When Jeremy glanced back to see who had opened the door, his eyes were full of rage.

  “Get out of here. Can't you see we're having an intimate moment?” he demanded.

  “Doesn't look too intimate to me,” Vicky countered and met Jeremy's eyes directly. He was trying to figure out how much she knew. She was trying to figure out how to get his hands off Amanda's throat.

  “All right, all right,” he nodded a little and released Amanda. “I think I've had too much to drink. Right Amanda?” he asked as he shot her a glare.

  “Yeah,” Amanda rubbed at her neck which was already bruising. “He had far too much to drink.”

  Nervously, Amanda walked past Jeremy, who looked like he'd rather grab her again then let her go, but he didn't want to risk it in front of Vicky. Vicky waited until Amanda was safely out of the room, and then was about to follow her, when Jeremy slammed the door shut by leaning forward from behind her. She stared at the suddenly closed door and drew a sharp breath.

  “You know, I warned you about my lawyer,” he murmured beside her ear as she stood frozen. “Now, do I need to warn you about anything else?”

  “Did you give Charleston a warning?” Vicky asked as she turned around to face him. He was towering over her, one hand still placed firmly on the door.

  “Charleston wanted to meddle in my future, in my retirement plans,” Jeremy explained. “I was going to make him CEO, set him up for life, but that wasn't enough for him. He and his greedy fiancée wanted more. They wanted everything I had saved up to live out my life in luxury, now why would I give that to them?”

  “Because they had something on you,” Vicky replied, her heart racing. She knew that if Jeremy was willing to tell her so much, then he had no intention of letting her out of that room alive. “What was it Jeremy?” she pressed. “Were you hiding some dark secret?”

  Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes. “It takes a lot of money to get where I am. More than I've ever had. So I borrowed some from the company, just to give myself a little cushion. I didn't want to have to work until I was dead. But, when I wanted to retire too early, Charleston got suspicious. He started looking into my finances, the company's finances, and one day he just walked into my office, plops the proof down on my desk, and declares that he owns me.”

  Jeremy balled his free hand into a fist. “No one owns me,” he said sternly. “But I'm a reasonable man,” he added, his tone softening. “I made him an offer, he could take over my position, no questions asked, he could keep pilfering some extra money off the top and set himself up for a luxurious life, too. At first, he was fine with it,” Jeremy admitted. “But then suddenly he wants more. I think it was Amanda that put the idea in his head. So, he asked for too much. He paid the price,” Jeremy shrugged a little.

  “But how?” Vicky asked, trying to prolong their conversation. “How did you get in here to kill Charleston? How did you have an alibi?”

  “You don't even know your own inn, do you?” he chuckled. Suddenly they heard voices out
in the hall. Vicky didn't have time to try to figure out who they were as Jeremy grabbed her harshly by the arm and thrust her towards the wall. Instead of slamming into the wall however, he nudged the portion of the moulding that opened up the hidden door, and flung her inside. Then he jumped inside with her, and closed the door behind him. He lunged towards Vicky, and she knew this was her last chance to escape. She began to run down the corridor. As she ran she banged on the wall, hoping to get someone's attention. But she knew that everyone was sleeping, and the security and police officers would never hear her.

  She was terrified as she heard his pounding footsteps behind her. She recalled the way his hands had been around Amanda's throat, and knew that she would be next. As she neared the end of the corridor she hoped she would be able to get into Emily's room. Maybe Mitchell and Emily would still be there. But Jeremy was gaining on her, and she couldn't get her feet to move any faster. She wished then that she had been a little more cautious, but it was too late for that. She knew that Jeremy had everything to lose if he allowed her to survive. As she neared the doorway that would open into Emily's room, she had no idea where the lever was to open it. She had found it by accident the last time, and she wasn't having that same luck this time.

  “This is it,” Jeremy said as he slowed down, knowing that she was trapped. “When I stayed here last year, Emily showed this place to me. She made sure the room it opened into was empty so that she could use the passageway. One day I caught her coming through the wall. We shared the secret then. I had no idea how useful it would become to me,” he grinned. “Sometimes things just work out for the best,” he added as he withdrew a short but sharp knife from his pocket. Vicky opened her mouth to scream, but Jeremy placed his hand over her lips to silence her.

  “These walls are pretty thin,” he mumbled and placed the blade against her neck. Vicky swung at his hands and tried to knee him in the stomach, but Jeremy was solid. He didn't seem to be bothered by her attempts.