Brownie Points for Murder

by Nicole Ellis

  “Ok, if you need to leave while I’m gone, just turn the lock and shut the door behind you. Make sure to pull hard. It’s a bit warped. I’ve got my keys.” He held up a compact set of keys. I doubted he had keys of unknown provenance like my own massive ring of keys.

  I completed making notes inspired by the drawings and neatly stacked the papers in the file folder. I held the file in my hands and stared at the file cabinet. Two identical metal four-drawer filing cabinets stood next to each other, each with the locks popped out. Which drawer did he get this out of?

  I pulled open a drawer at random. Judging by the plumbing and electrical company names printed on the file folders, these were subcontractor files. I opened another drawer.

  At first glance, it appeared empty, but before I could shut it, I glimpsed a notebook wedged into the file cabinet that was similar to the one Perry had waved around the last time I’d been at the construction site. If Brenda’s intel about a future housing development near my house was correct, maybe the Westen property was the other project Elliott had referred to. This notebook could hold more details about the future development and offer clues about my neighbor, Samuel Westen.

  I cast a furtive glance at the door, but Elliott had only been gone for fifteen minutes. I had probably another twenty minutes minimum, maybe more considering how slow the service was at Donna’s Diner. The notebook called out to me. It wouldn’t hurt to take one little peek, right?

  I removed it and sat down in front of the file cabinets. The first section was some sort of general ledger.

  I wasn’t an accountant, but it appeared the bank account being tracked was close to empty. I pulled out bank statements that were crammed into the front pocket of the ledger. Large monthly withdrawals had been made in cash every month. Someone had used a yellow highlighter on the withdrawals and scribbled a question mark next to them.

  Something here wasn’t right. Elliott had said to Perry, “We can’t hold on much longer.” What had he meant by that? Elliott had explained it away as regarding a new project, but was the condo project going bankrupt? What was the deal with the cash withdrawals? Although it was possible they were paying someone under the table for construction work, the regularity of the withdrawals seemed odd.

  Elliott told me Perry had gone back East, but what if that wasn’t true? Could Perry have stolen the money and skipped town? I flipped through the ledger pages to see how far back the withdrawals went. I was probably crazy to think anything was amiss. This whole Westen murder thing was really getting to my head. There couldn’t possibly be this much crime happening in Ericksville at the same time.

  Buzz, buzz. My phone vibrated. Shoot. It was Mikey’s school. I carefully placed the notebook in the file cabinet as I answered the phone.

  “Hi.” I crossed my fingers hoping nothing major was wrong.

  “Hello, Mrs. Andrews, it’s Molly Devine from Busy Bees Preschool. I wanted to speak with you regarding Mikey’s recent behavior.”

  I groaned and stood, opening the other drawers until I found the correct one. I replaced the file folder with the artist’s renderings and turned away from the cabinet.

  “Is there a problem?” I paced the floor.

  “Well, I don’t know if I would call it a ‘problem’. We prefer to think of something like this as an issue that we should work out with the child’s parents.”

  “Ok, then. What seems to be the ‘issue’?” I put as much emphasis on the word as she had.

  “Mikey’s been disrupting the class more than usual, and it’s making it difficult for the other kids to learn. Today he even hit another child when that child tried to talk during circle time. Have there been any changes at home we should know about? Mikey’s mentioned his father more than usual. Is his father still in the home?”

  Great. Now Mikey’s school thought that Adam and I were having marital problems. “No, Mrs. Devine,” I said sweetly, “everything’s fine at home. Mikey’s father has been traveling more for work, and he probably misses him.” I hoped Mikey wasn’t in danger of being kicked out of school. Getting him into a new preschool in the middle of the school year would be no easy feat.

  “I’m sorry to ask, but we need you to pick up Mikey within the hour. He’s just too wound up to stay at school today.”

  “Ok, I’ll be there in about ten minutes. I’ll make sure to have a talk with Mikey tonight.”

  “That sounds like a good plan, Mrs. Andrews. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help.” She hung up.

  I sat there, staring off into space for a moment. The job Gena had told me about sounded exciting, but if I was at work halfway across the country, who would pick Mikey up at school when he was in trouble or sick? Would a nanny care as much as I did? And how would me traveling so much affect my kids? Mikey was already getting in trouble, and I was only a mile away from preschool. I was pretty sure I wanted some type of job, but I had a sinking feeling that any job with significant travel wasn’t in the cards for me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I’d call Gena later and let her know. At the moment, I needed to get to Mikey’s school.

  I hurriedly packed up the rest of my belongings and straightened the table I’d used as a desk. I locked up and pulled the door shut firmly behind me. I didn’t know what was going on or why Elliott was being so secretive about development plans for Mr. Westen’s land, but his construction project had just been set on fire. I wasn’t going to be responsible for adding a burglary to his woes.

  20

  “So Mikey actually hit some kid for talking during circle time?” Desi munched away at a cookie I’d brought her from the café. I’d thought about bringing her brownies, too, but it seemed wrong in light of the Westen fiasco.

  “From what I can get out of him, he didn’t actually hit the other kid. His story is that the other kid was talking and getting him in trouble, so he nudged him to shut him up.” I bit into a chocolate chip cookie of my own from the cookie tin. Yum. “I don’t know what’s true or not. I think having Adam gone so much is really affecting him though.”

  Desi’s eyes turned downward. “It’s hard to only have one parent at home. I hope Anthony is doing ok alone with Tomàs. Tomàs isn’t used to having all the household responsibility, and Anthony can be a lot of work.”

  “Don’t worry about Tomàs. When I picked Mikey up after the kids’ sleepover, he was reading them a book, flipping pancakes, and unloading the dishwasher all at the same time. And not once did I see him flip a pancake into the dishwasher.”

  Desi laughed. “Yeah, he is a pretty amazing man. I’m lucky to have him.” She rubbed her belly. “Baby’s doing fine here, but I’m going nuts. I never thought I’d be jealous of someone getting to unload the dishwasher. So tell me what’s going on with you. Did you start your new job?”

  “My first day was yesterday. It’s only a few hours a week. The owner wants me to create a website and other marketing materials for the condo project. Do you know Elliott Elkins? He’s the owner of the development group. Actually it’s named after him, Elkins Development Group.”

  “So he named a company after himself?” She shook her head with mirth. “I’m not surprised. Elliott has always been a little full of himself.”

  “Really? He seems like a nice guy. How long have you known him?”

  “He is a nice guy—generally. Just don’t mess with something he considers his property. If another guy tried to even look at Elliott’s girl, they didn’t take a second look, if you know what I mean. But he didn’t have much to worry about.” A dreamy look came over her face. “Is he still as hot as he was in high school? He was in the same class as Adam and when they were seniors, all of us freshman girls thought he was such a hunk.”

  “Desi! You’re married. With 1.5 kids!”

  “Married, not dead.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’ve seen his name on things over the years but haven’t run into him.”

  “Yes, Desi, he’s still rather attractive. The fire at the condo complex hit him hard
though. He and his business partner, Perry, have a lot of rebuilding to do.”

  “Perry Winston?”

  “Yeah, I think so, why?”

  “Perry was Elliott’s best friend all through school. Not quite as smart or attractive as Elliott, but always there for him. That’s great that they went into business together.

  “So how is my mom doing at the Boathouse without me?” Desi crunched into her third snickerdoodle cookie. “I see she’s been busy baking.”

  “She seems a little stressed, but I’ve been helping out there too. We miss you.”

  “I miss being there and seeing everyone too.” She quieted for a moment. “Hey, did you find anything out about the lease for the BeansTalk building?”

  I squirmed in the hard plastic chair. What was I going to tell her? I should have known she’d ask. She narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Jill, what are you not telling me? You’re hiding something.”

  I squirmed again. “Nothing, this chair is making my butt go numb.”

  “C’mon, be honest. It’s not going to kill me.”

  I looked pointedly at her midsection.

  She sighed. “And not the baby either. I’m stronger than you all give me credit for. Spill.”

  “Ok, ok. I spoke with Anna, Samuel Westen’s daughter. She found some paperwork that indicates the building might be under a sales contract already, but she was going to have someone look at it.”

  Desi lay back against her mound of pillows and folded her hands over her belly. “Ok, well, not what I wanted to hear, but at least it hasn’t definitely been sold.”

  “Anna doesn’t want to sell that property or anything else. Her mother was a member of one of Ericksville’s founding families, and she’s pretty passionate about preserving as much of the town history as possible. In fact, her mother was born in the house where Samuel Westen lived.” I sat upright. “I didn’t even get around to telling you about that. He planned to sell his house and land to Elliott for some massive housing development. Brenda told me all about it. But the weird thing is, Elliott denied everything when I asked him about the project.”

  “With everything going on with the fire at the condo building and the town’s hatred of it, he’d be reluctant to discuss another controversial project.” She looked thoughtful. “Your view and others’ would be ruined if they built a whole bunch of houses there. But now because of Westen’s death, the deal won’t go through.”

  “Hey, what are you trying to say?” I teased. “Do you think I murdered him?”

  “You’d have been standing in line with the rest of us,” Desi joked back. “But if Anna wanted to preserve her mother’s legacy, wouldn’t she be pretty upset if she found out her father planned to subdivide the property her mother grew up on?”

  “You have a point,” I said slowly. “But I can’t imagine her killing her own father—not that he was much of a father.” I couldn’t keep the secret about Elliott’s parentage any longer. I told her all about Gwen and Benton’s love affair and the resulting pregnancy.

  “Does Elliott know?”

  “No! And you can’t tell him. Promise me?” I implored.

  Desi feigned signing a cross over her heart. “I promise, but think of how hard that was for Elliott’s mom. Tomàs and I have a tough time parenting Anthony, and there are two of us. She must have been a very strong woman to provide for her son as a single parent. Elliott is quite successful, so she must have done something right.” We were both quiet for a moment. Adam was gone a lot, but she was right. I couldn’t imagine not having his help with the kids.

  “Time to take your vitals, Mrs. Torres.” A nurse pushed a cart into the room and positioned it by the foot of the bed. I stood and placed my hand on Desi’s.

  “I’d better get going. I’ll come visit again as soon as I can. Call me if I you need anything.”

  She smiled at me and squeezed my hand, but her smile wasn’t as bright as when I’d entered the room. I never should have told her about the possible sale of the BeansTalk Café building. Me and my big fat mouth and inability to lie well.

  “What do you mean you ‘accidentally’ told Desi about the sale of her building?” Adam asked. I could almost see his icy death glare over the phone line.

  “It was an accident. She asked about the lease, and I told her I didn’t know. You know I don’t lie well. Your sister saw right through me.”

  “Yes, I know my sister all too well. You didn’t stand a chance with pit bull Desi. Once she gets her teeth clamped into something, there’s no stopping her.” He sighed. “Well, what’s done is done. How are the kids?”

  “Ella’s fine, Mikey not so much.” I relayed the details of the preschool ‘issue.’ “Adam, he misses you.”

  “I know. It’s just a few more weeks.” From years of marriage, I could tell Adam didn’t even believe it anymore.

  “I miss you,” I said quietly. Tears formed in my eyes, and I swiped at them before I turned into a blubbering mess. “The house is so quiet at night, and I’m just tired of doing this alone all the time.” How had Gwen Hanson managed all those years when it was only her and Elliott?

  “How about we go out on a date when I get home Friday night? I’ll have my parents watch the kids, and we can go out to that Italian place on Main Street we used to love,” Adam said.

  I eked out a smile. “I’d like that.”

  “Then it’s a date,” he said. “Honey, I’ve got to go, but I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday. I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I hung up the phone and leaned back in the recliner. I knew he was trying, but I wasn’t going to count on him making it home in time for our dinner date.

  It was already ten o’clock, but the cup of coffee I’d had after dinner wouldn’t let me sleep any time soon. I puttered around downstairs washing dishes and folding laundry with the lights low. With those tasks complete, I settled down in my bed with the circus mystery and wrapped the covers around me tightly. Not even the mysterious monkey murderer could keep me awake with the sound of rain pattering gently on the roof.

  Glass crashing downstairs woke me up way too early. I’d been in the middle of a dream involving Elliott Elkins, and not in a way Desi would approve of. Elliott had just finished chasing me down the street with a frying pan, intent on bashing my head with it.

  Goldie barked frantically from downstairs in the living room. The alarm clock read 3:45 a.m. What had the cat broken now? I was sure I’d put the butter dish away in the fridge during my cleaning frenzy.

  I pulled on my fuzzy purple bathrobe and slippers and grabbed my cell phone off the bedside table just in case. I padded toward the stairs, ducking my head into the kids’ rooms to check on them first. They continued to sleep soundly after all the racket. When I got to the foot of the stairs, it hit me that something wasn’t right.

  21

  Cold air blew against my legs, and I pulled the bathrobe tighter. I flipped on the light. Goldie continued to bark at what I now could see was a broken windowpane. A glass pane directly above the doorknob of my patio door. I didn’t see anyone in the house, but I wasn’t sticking around to investigate further.

  “Goldie. Come here.” He bounded up the stairs after me and followed me from room to room as I grabbed a sleeping Mikey from his bed and laid him on the floor in Ella’s room. I shoved a recliner against the door with more strength than I knew I possessed.

  I had never in my life had to call 911 before, and now this was the second time I’d had to call in a week. Within five minutes, the 911 operator instructed me to go to the window. Searchlights strobed across my yard, and the police officer motioned to me to open the window.

  “Mrs. Andrews,” he shouted up at me. “We’re going to enter the house now. Are you ok? Please stay put until we get to you.”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I slumped down against the wall where the recliner used to sit. Goldie licked my hands and face. Miraculously, the kids continued to sleep.

  After the pol
ice made their way upstairs, and I confirmed via a badge under the door that they were indeed real police, I pushed the chair aside and stepped out of the room, partially closing the door behind me.

  “Did you find anything?” I was embarrassed to hear the shakiness in my voice.

  “No, ma’am. The glass in the back door was broken and the door is unlocked, but there is no sign of an intruder in the house. I’d guess your dog scared them off before they could enter the house.”

  I patted Goldie’s head. And Beth had said all our dog would do was lick an intruder. “So they didn’t take anything?” I followed the police officer downstairs to the main living space.

  “No. There’s no sign that they were in the house at all. It may have been kids, but you were pretty lucky you had such a good guard dog here.” He managed to say that with a straight face as Goldie nudged his open hand for a pet. “We’ll take another look around outside, but we didn’t find anything suspicious the first time through.”

  I started crying. The stress had finally gotten to me. I was glad Mikey wasn’t awake to see me cry.

  “Mrs. Andrews, do you have someone you can call? Maybe somewhere you can stay overnight?”

  “Yes, my in-laws or my brother-in-law. He’s a cop, but he’s home alone with his son and I don’t want to alarm them. I’ll call my in-laws.” Even with Beth and Lincoln’s number on speed dial, my fingers tripped over the phone keys and it took several attempts before I successfully placed the call to them.

  After getting over their initial shock of an early morning phone call, Lincoln assured me we were welcome to stay with them and insisted on coming over to pick us up. I packed a few essentials and collapsed onto the living room sofa with Ella nearby in her bouncer. Mikey stirred a bit from where I’d moved him onto the living room recliner. That kid could sleep through anything. It was odd how I’d felt so secure in this same living room only six hours ago, and now I felt like I didn’t even recognize the surroundings.