by Emmie Lyn
I laughed even though under the sad circumstances of this week, it was kind of an inappropriate comment. I took a breath and plunged in with the bad news, fearing I would ruin the merry smile lighting up Alice’s blue eyes. “Have you ever bid on anything at an auction?”
Alice cocked her head and pursed her lips to one side. “I can’t say that I have. Tell me every detail.” She settled comfortably in her chair with a third donut hole in one hand and her tea in the other.
That should sweeten the blow, I thought as I explained. “So, I really didn’t know how these things work, and I was kind of nervous. My friend Luke went to the back of the room and started the bidding at five hundred dollars. Well that threw me off. I couldn’t believe he was bidding against me.”
“Oh, honey,” Alice said, crumbs falling into her lap. “You two were a tag team. You didn’t know that?”
I laughed again. “How do you know that strategy? It took me several bids to understand that he was setting me up for the kill.”
“And it worked?” Alice’s eyes glistened.
“I suppose it did, but I was under strict orders to win the quilt at any cost, so I don’t know if our strategy worked or not.” I wanted to remind Alice of that fact before I revealed the final bid.
“How much do I have to write the check for?” she asked eagerly.
I closed my eyes and my voice was more of a nervous gargle when I announced, “Sixteen hundred and fifty dollars.” I held my breath hoping Alice didn’t choke on her tea. If she refused to pay it…I blanched at that possibility, since I’d be responsible for the bid. But there was no way I could afford to write a check for that much money for anything, even if my life depended on it, with the meager balance in my bank account.
Alice gave me a strange look. Why, I berated myself, had I agreed to this ridiculous plan. I let my emotions, my fondness for Alice get in the way of my common sense. Even if I sold everything I owned, I wouldn’t have enough to pay for the quilt.
Seconds ticked by. I could feel Rose’s eyes on me. Was she thinking she’d have to make up the shortfall? Then I’d be even more indebted to my grandmother. Oh, when would I learn to stay out of trouble?
Alice didn’t choke on her tea. She blinked a few times and said, “That’s all?”
I couldn’t believe my ears, but sure enough, she flicked her hand, which was now pastry free, and pointed to the small roll-top desk in the corner. “Can you bring me my checkbook? I’ll get that done now. I’m sure the library wants the money as soon as possible.”
“It’s not too much?” I asked dumbfounded.
“Too much? The way you described that quilt to me, I expected to pay twice as much. I can’t wait to have it hanging here on my wall. When will you deliver it?”
I sat breathless in my chair as Alice wrote the check. If I’d had the nerve to ask for a budget, I could have saved the worry that probably shaved a few years off my life. I vowed never to do something this reckless again. Pip lifted her head as if she’d read my thoughts and gave me a look that said, “Wanna bet?”
I smiled at Alice though she had no idea the relief that lifted from shoulders. “It needs to hang at the library until the end of the month. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine, but maybe you could take me to the library so I can see it. I’d like to let my eyes feast on Judith’s work of art as soon as I can.”
I looked at Rose and her nod told me she agreed. “That’s a wonderful idea,” I said. “We’ll pick you up at ten when the library opens.” I managed to drink some of my tea now that I didn’t have debtor’s prison facing me.
“Speaking of Judith, is there any more news on the murder?” Alice asked. A shadow passed across her face.
“I’m not sure if I told you about the young man who delivered the champagne to Sue Ellen’s house,” I said, happy she’d just given me the opening I needed to get more information.
Alice shook her head.
“So, Johnny Wilker showed up at the diner yesterday morning asking me about finding the body. It was weird, and he was quite nervous. Detective Crenshaw arrived out of the blue, and Johnny ran away.”
Alice looked at me over the top of her bifocals. “Really? What a foolish thing to do.”
“Well, the police caught up with him, and it turns out, he had a valuable coin from Sue Ellen’s collection. Although, even with that incriminating piece of evidence in Johnny’s pocket, it only proved he stole something. I’m not convinced he was a killer, too.”
Alice turned her head to gaze out the window toward Sue Ellen’s house. “That reminds me. I saw something odd the other day.”
My gaze followed Alice’s finger. “Right there,” she said, revealing a clear view of Sue Ellen’s house. For the first time, I noticed a few people walking on the bicycle trail in the back of the house. “Odd in what way?”
She returned her attention to me. “My daughter bought me binoculars because I’d heard the pileated woodpecker and she thought I might get a chance to see it more clearly if it landed in one of the trees out here.”
“That was thoughtful.” I wondered how this connected to Sue Ellen’s house, but I had no choice but to humor Alice and let her tell her story. In her way. At her speed.
She handed the binoculars to me. “Try them out and tell me what you think.”
I shifted to a chair next to Alice to have a similar perspective. I adjusted the binoculars to my eyes and scanned the trees. Seeing nothing, I adjusted the focus to a couple walking on the bicycle trail. “They certainly give a clear image with plenty of detail. I can even see the faces of the people on the trail.”
“Yes,” Alice said, newly energized. “And that’s exactly where I saw something that in hindsight could be relevant. You know how the police always say someone might know something and not even realize it’s important?”
“What did you see, Alice?” My pulse ramped up a notch. Alice, after all, had a front row seat to the happenings at Sue Ellen’s house and on the bicycle trail.
“It’s probably nothing but I can’t shake the image.”
I waited, trying not to rush Alice’s story.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “I saw a man dressed all in black. Black pants, shirt, boots, and even black hair. I guess that’s what intrigued me. Why would anyone dress like that on such a warm summer day? Anyway, while I had him in focus, he approached a young man coming toward him, pointing his finger and saying something. I couldn’t hear them, of course, but from the worried expression on the young man’s face, I don’t think it was a friendly how-are-you-doing-today, type of conversation.”
“Do you remember anything in particular about the young man?”
“There’s a lot of activity on that trail but those two stuck out. He had on a t-shirt with the Misty Harbor Spirits logo. Do you think he works there?”
My pulse quickened. Did Alice see two people conspiring to commit a crime? Or worse? “Maybe. When did you see them arguing?”
She touched her finger to her lips. “My daughter brought the binoculars over Thursday evening. It had to be Friday when I first tried them out after I finished my lunch. That would put the time between twelve-thirty and one, I guess.” She leaned forward. “You know, now that I’m talking about it, I think it might have been the same man I saw knocking on Sue Ellen’s door at three and again at four that same day.” She picked up a notebook next to her chair and flipped through a few pages. “Yes. I should have put this together earlier, but it completely slipped my mind when the police showed up.”
“I don’t know what it means,” I said. “But I agree with you that it’s odd. From your description, the young man could be Johnny Wilker. We know he was in Sue Ellen’s house around five on Friday delivering champagne, and the other man could be Rudy Genova. It does sound like the same person you described seeing knock on Sue Ellen’s door. As far as we know, Judith was inside all afternoon.”
“Oh my.” Alice’s expression changed from c
urious to worried. “Do you think I saw the killer? Maybe twice?”
“I don’t know, Alice. Just to be on the safe side, be sure to lock your doors.”
Chapter Twenty-One
When we returned to Sea Breeze, a selection of bagels, cream cheese, and a variety of jams greeted us, set out on the kitchen table.
“Surprise!” Lily shouted when we entered. “Where have you already been off to so early?”
“What are you doing here?” I said, giving her a hug for the goodies. “Are you hiding from Maggie still?”
Lily shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it hiding, but she’s kind of high maintenance, I can only take her for short stretches when it’s just the two of us. So, where did you go?”
“A quick visit with Alice Cross to tell her about the auction.”
Lily poured coffee and handed one to me. “Was she happy with the quilt price?”
“Happy? She didn’t care about the price; she just can’t wait to see the quilt. After breakfast, we’re picking her up to take her to the library.”
I bit into my bagel, ready to say more, but a knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Pip yapped and charged the door with Rose following. “Shush, Pip, I’m moving as fast as I can.”
“Come on in, Maggie.” I heard Rose say.
I had to cover my mouth when I looked at Lily. If I started laughing, we’d both end up in a giggling heap. “At least she’s diluted,” I whispered.
“We still have coffee and bagels if you’re hungry,” Rose offered when they came into the kitchen, then narrowed her eyes at me. “Unless Dani inhaled the last of everything.”
“Not me,” I said, waving hello to Maggie, “but Pip had her eye on the last bagel. If you don’t mind a little terrier slobber, it’s all yours.” I laughed and pushed the plate in front of an empty place at the table. “What brings you here this morning? Besides the fact that we’re such wonderful company.” I kept my eyes on Maggie and away from Lily.
“I can’t dispute that last comment.” Maggie poured herself coffee. “I do have some news I’ve been dying to share.” Her eyes twinkled when she made herself comfortable on the chair in front of the bagel. “You won’t believe what my research uncovered,” she said, biting into the bagel she had slathered with cream cheese.
“Spit it out Maggie. Don’t keep us on the edge of our seats,” I said, dying to hear what she’d discovered. “Besides, I have some information, too.” I settled back in my chair, confident that my bit of information about what Alice saw would shock Maggie.
“Rudy has a twin brother.” The edges of Maggie’s lips twitched up in a satisfied grin. “Bet you didn’t see that coming.”
I leaned forward and slapped both hands on the table. “You’ve got to be kidding.” My head just about did a 360 spin with that revelation. All thoughts of what I’d been planning to share flew from my brain. “If he’s in town that means it could have been Rudy’s brother at Sue Ellen’s front door at three o’clock and Rudy there at four like he has insisted. Maybe Rudy wasn’t lying after all.”
“The way it looks to me,” Maggie continued, “Rudy is the law-abiding brother and his twin isn’t known to follow the rules … or the law, for that matter. He has a record for petty larceny. My theory is that once he got wind of Rudy’s job and Sue Ellen’s coins, he concocted a plan to make it look like Rudy was the thief. He must have assumed all along that Rudy had an alibi working with Sue Ellen on the video for the auction.”
“Only it turned out to be a weak alibi,” I added.
“Maybe. Rudy couldn’t be in two places at the same time, but with a twin brother, it would appear to be the case. I still need to talk to shop owners to track Rudy’s movements, but now I have more reason to believe his story.” Maggie sipped her coffee. “So, Dani, what did you discover?”
“Something interesting and with your discovery, everything makes a bit more sense now. Rose and I visited Alice Cross, Sue Ellen’s neighbor.”
“Right. The old lady that said she saw someone who looked like Rudy at Sue Ellen’s door at three and four o’clock on Friday.”
“Exactly. Well, Rose is friends with Alice and to make a long story short, we were there this morning and she remembered seeing two people arguing on the bicycle trail behind Sue Ellen’s house. On Friday,” I added. “From her description, it sounded like one person was Rudy and the other could have been Johnny from the liquor store.”
“Johnny who ran from AJ and had Sue Ellen’s coin?” Maggie asked.
“Yes, that Johnny. I thought it was another indication of Rudy lying about his whereabouts during the timeframe leading up to Judith’s murder. But now I wonder if Alice saw his twin brother dressed in black to mimic the way Rudy dresses.”
“I’d like to talk to Alice about this,” Maggie said, staring pensively out the window at the tumbling waves and soaring sea birds.
“Dani promised to pick her up and bring her to the library to see the quilt. You could come along,” Rose said. “For eighty-five, Alice is amazing. We’ve known each other for a long time, and she knows everyone in town.”
“Eighty-five? How’s her eyesight?” Maggie sounded skeptical of this potential witness.
“She was using binoculars.” I said.
Both Maggie and Lily burst out laughing. Lily sputtered, “Alice is a peeping Tom? I would never have suspected that.”
I felt my jaw drop. “Oh, come on! Alice’s daughter gave her binoculars so she could look at the birds. I’d say it’s fortunate she was using those binoculars when she did.” I pushed myself up from the table and walked to the window, drawn in as Maggie was by the beach scene along Blueberry Bay. I sipped my coffee, sinking deep into thought about what Maggie’s revelation about Rudy’s twin brother could mean. I turned around and asked her, “What do you think Johnny was doing on the bicycle trail?”
“I’ll leave that up in the air until after I talk to Alice”. Then Maggie threw the conversation back to me. “I’m sensing you have a thought, though.”
And, of course, I did. “If Rudy’s brother came to town with the intent of stealing Sue Ellen’s coins, and he went looking for an accomplice, it wouldn’t be hard to find out who was making deliveries to Sue Ellen’s house. If he contacted Johnny and offered him money to either steal the dime or help get him inside, I think Johnny could be easily bribed.”
Maggie nodded. “You’re thinking that Johnny and the twin brother met on the bicycle trail and planned something.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”
Rose stacked the dishes and carried them to the sink. “So, you have theft and a murder,” she said. “Do you think they’re connected?”
“Rudy’s brother may not have come to town with the intention of killing anyone, but plans have a nasty habit of taking on a life of their own,” I said. “Don’t you think that the most likely explanation is that a theft went horribly wrong?”
Rose nodded. “Yes, but—”
I threw my arms in the air. “Really, Rose? You think there’s another explanation?”
“Hear her out, Dani,” Maggie said. “Everyone interprets the information in different ways and it’s only smart to consider every possibility.”
I flopped back into my chair. “Okay. I’m all ears.”
“I hope those ears are open,” Rose said. Unfortunately, she knew my stubborn streak when I thought I had all the answers. “Here’s the problem I see with a neat and tidy theft gone wrong theory. I think Johnny would have panicked and left if he went in to steal the coin and found Judith there. I don’t believe he would have killed her. Why? For a few dollars? I think he stole the dime after Judith was already dead. But he didn’t know it because she was already rolled up in that rug.”
“So,” I mused, “Rudy’s brother went in at three when Alice saw him at the front door?”
Rose laid out her theory. “He could have pretended to leave, parked somewhere else and hiked back to the house and gone in through the bac
k door. Judith saw him, they argued, they struggled, and accidentally pulled the quilt down. Judith died during the struggle.”
“Don’t forget the hollowed-out book found rolled up in the rug with Judith.” I said.
“I’m not sure how to explain that except maybe Judith had sticky fingers, too, or she decided at the last minute to hide the coins before the crowd arrived for the auction. She was the detail person, after all. At any rate, Rudy’s brother freaked out, rolled Judith’s body in the rug, but by then, Rudy was knocking on the door, so his twin brother had to get out before he was seen.”
Maggie sat in her chair nodding. “That all fits together if Rudy’s brother is in fact in town. One thing for sure … Rudy has some explaining to do.”
I scooped up my bag and car keys. “Are you all coming with me to pick up Alice and head to the library?”
Maggie stood and drained the last of her coffee. “I’d love to, but duty calls. I have a meeting with my to-do list. Fill me in later.”
“I’d love to, but I think I’ll spend the morning at the diner getting ahead for the week,” Lily said. “After I tidy up this mess.”
“Ready, Rose?”
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
“Let’s go before Alice thinks we’ve forgotten her.”
“With you, Pip, Alice, and me, going,” Rose said, “we’d better take my car. “I’ll drive.”
She had a point. Unfortunately.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alice sat in her chair ready for us when we arrived. “Your chariot awaits,” I told her. “I was hoping to find a handsome chauffer, but Rose was the only one available today since Pip doesn’t have her license yet.”
Rose jabbed me with her elbow, but I did see the edge of her lips twitch. I knew she’d get me back at some point.
Alice grinned. “This day is so exciting. Even if I have to trust my life with Rose driving.”
I laughed out loud, liking this woman more each time I saw her. Sue Ellen had her pegged all wrong.