Murder, Served Simply

by Isabella Alan

  Ryan chuckled. “I guess Mitchell isn’t used to competition. He would never make it in the big city.”

  “Good. I don’t want someone who can make it in the big city. I gave that up months ago.”

  “You still love me. I saw it in your face today. You wanted to kiss me, and you would have done it if the sheriff hadn’t barged in.”

  I gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Why? Because you are afraid of the truth. Am I so awful that you won’t even entertain the idea?”

  “I don’t want to talk about this.” If the conversation kept up like this, it would be torture because we still had twenty minutes to go.

  “What was the accident that made the sheriff leave?” Ryan asked.

  I watched the landscape as we passed a snow-covered Amish farm. “The play director pushed the stage manager down the grand staircase in the hotel. The stage manager is pressing charges.”

  “Is the manager okay?” Ryan held on to his seat belt. “He could have broken his neck.”

  “Mitchell said he was banged up, but you’re right. It was a dumb move by the director. He was arrested right away and is sitting in the Holmes County jail right now. I’m sure he is regretting it.”

  Ryan shook his head.

  Finally, we came up to the hotel. I parked in the lot and started to take off my seat belt.

  “Are you coming in?” His voice was hopeful.

  “I want to see if Mitchell is still here, so I can talk to him about Wade—that’s the director who pushed the other man down the stairs—and I also want to be sure Junie is okay. I worry about her.”

  “You always were one for taking care of other people.”

  I clipped on Oliver’s leash, and we went inside the hotel. Instrumental piano music played softly in the lobby. Instead of Bethanne or Junie at the desk, it was Mimi herself.

  “Angie, what a nice surprise to see you here,” Mimi said.

  I smiled. “I heard you had a rough day.”

  She flushed. “Yes, it’s been difficult. This play has been good for business. Reservations for the hotel are up seventy percent compared to this time last year, but I don’t know if I’ll ever do this again. It’s been a disaster from start to finish.”

  “Did you see Wade push Jasper down the stairs?” I asked.

  “I did. I was right here when it happened. I had given Bethanne the day off.”

  “What happened?” Ryan asked.

  “I heard some men shouting from the second floor, so I was walking around the desk. Then next thing I knew, I heard a terrible yell and saw Jasper come rolling down the stairs. I ran right over. I was sure he was seriously hurt because he didn’t move right away. Luckily, he was just stunned. He has a terrible bruise on his cheek, but the EMTs said nothing was broken. It was a miracle.”

  “So you didn’t actually see Wade push him?” I asked.

  “No, but when I looked up the staircase, there he was, white as a sheet. The sheriff’s department arrived here so quickly. One of the guests must have called nine-one-one when he heard the screams.”

  “What does this mean for the performance tomorrow? Will it still be on?” I asked.

  She nodded. “All the actors want to carry on with it. If you ask me, they want to make it worthwhile that they gave up their Christmases with their families.” She started to shake.

  “Are you all right, Mimi?” I patted her hand that was on the desk.

  A tear slid down her cheek. She brushed it away. “It’s been a challenging week, and I miss Eve terribly.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Are the police still here?”

  She shook her head. “I was happy to see them go. The sheriff said he and his deputies will be here for the progressive dinner and play on the evening after Christmas.”

  “I think that is a good idea. Hopefully there will be no need for it, but I think a police presence will be a good thing,” Ryan said.

  “I hope we don’t need it either. Do you think Wade was the one who killed Eve?”

  I shrugged. “I’m sure the sheriff is doing everything he can to find out right now.” I decided to keep Wade’s former assault charge to myself. “Is Junie here?”

  She nodded. “She’s in the dining room. I told her she could have taken today and tomorrow off if she liked, but she insisted that she wanted to work. I didn’t argue with her. I need the help since most of my Amish workers are observing the holiday. Unfortunately, hotels can’t close like most businesses for Christmas. You can go in and speak with her if you like. Maybe you can talk her into taking a break. She has been working like a dog since her sister died.”

  “Maybe it’s how she deals with her grief?”

  “Maybe,” the older woman said.

  I handed Ryan Oliver’s leash. “Can you stay in the lobby with Oliver? I don’t want him begging all of Mimi’s guests for food.”

  Ryan nodded. “We’ll be in the sitting room.”

  The chatter of the dining room was deafening. Laughing families and couples made trip after trip to the abundant buffet of Amish food. My own stomach rumbled, even though I had eaten my weight in Amish food at the Grabers’ just an hour before.

  Junie switched trays out at the buffet. She blinked when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”

  I removed my winter hat. “I wanted to make sure you were okay after what happened between Jasper and Wade.”

  She swallowed. “I’m fine. I’m happy that Jasper wasn’t seriously hurt.”

  “Take a break. Mimi just told me that you need one.”

  She slid the vat of potato salad into its spot on the buffet. “I have too much to do.”

  “The salad bar will be fine for ten minutes.”

  She wiped her hands on her apron. “You’re not going to go away until I talk to you, are you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Fine. Follow me.”

  I followed Junie through the kitchen door. Several cooks were frying chicken and dicing vegetables. They were all English, as Mimi had told me, since all of the Amish except for Junie had taken the holiday off.

  “I’m taking a break,” Junie told a middle-aged woman.

  The woman pointed her knife at the young girl. “Finally. I was beginning to think you weren’t Amish, but a machine.”

  Junie frowned, grabbed her cloak off a peg on the wall, and led me through another door on the other side of the kitchen.

  We were outside. The back door to the barn was easily in view and closed. Did the actors hold practice today?

  She wrapped her cloak tightly around her body. “Do the police think the director killed my sister?”

  I was surprised by her directness. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to the sheriff since it happened. Mimi said that you were there.”

  She nodded. “I was dusting the upstairs hallway. The two men stomped into the upper sitting room. Jasper was the one following Wade. He was accusing him of hitting a girl.” She licked her lips. “I—I thought they were talking about Eve, so I slid behind a potted plant to listen. I know that it’s the wrong thing to do, but if they were talking about my sister, I wanted to know about it.”

  “Were they?” I shivered.

  “I don’t know. Whenever it happened, they said it was in New York, and I know Eve didn’t start working with either man until she came to Holmes County. I wish Mimi would cancel the rest of the performances. The sooner these play people are gone, the better it will be. Now, I must go back to work.” Junie went back inside the kitchen.

  I went back inside the hotel too and found Ryan and Oliver in the sitting room as promised.

  Ryan held out Oliver’s leash to me, and I took it. “Thanks for watching him. You can come over to the house anytime you are ready tomorrow. Dad will be up with the roosters. He’s like a lit
tle kid when it comes to Christmas. We don’t have any big plans. We will probably just hang out. Dad will watch—”

  Without hesitation Ryan took my face in his hands and kissed me, and I found myself kissing him back.

  He was the one who pulled away. “Merry Christmas, Angie.” He smiled. “I didn’t want you to make a choice without doing that. You need to make an informed decision.” He walked away.

  Oliver scratched at my pant leg, and I swore under my breath.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Outside, the frigid air felt cool against my flaming cheeks. What just happened? And how was I going to face Mitchell or Ryan again? I groaned. “Ollie, we have nothing but problems.”

  The Frenchie cocked his head at me.

  I could see lights shining from the barn. I told myself that I should go home, that my parents were waiting for me. Regardless, my feet propelled me to the barn.

  As I walked across the ice-crusted snow, I muttered to myself. “If the back door is locked, I will turn around and go home to spend Christmas Eve with my parents.”

  I turned the doorknob; it turned without hesitation. “It was just meant to be.”

  I pushed the door inward and slipped inside. Lena sat at the dressing table. Ruben stood a few feet away from her with his arms folded. “Now, with Wade under arrest, our problems are over.”

  I scooped up Oliver and ducked behind a Chinese screen. “Shh,” I whispered to the Frenchie.

  He buried his pushed-in face into my shoulder.

  Lena touched up her lipstick in the mirror. “You and I both know this could ruin us if it’s ever found out.”

  Were they talking about Eve’s death? Were they the ones behind it, not Wade?

  “No one is going to find out. Now that Eve is dead, the secret dies with her.”

  I shivered. I flattened myself against the wall.

  “But what about the letters? What if the police found them?” Lena asked.

  “Eve told us that she destroyed all of them,” Ruben said.

  So Eve knew Lena and Ruben were the ones sending the threatening letters.

  “I can’t believe you admitted to her it was us.”

  Ruben folded his arms and watched her in the mirror. “It was a stupid prank, and one I did for you. You deserved this role, not some upstart Amish girl.”

  “She could have lied.” Lena chewed on her lower lip. “Maybe she didn’t throw them all away.”

  “If the police found the letters, they would have arrested us by now. If Eve was smart enough to figure out they were from us, then the police would have to know too.”

  “I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell anyone. She could have told Wade, and ruined us both if she wanted to. Instead, she said nothing.”

  “Must have been her Amish ‘turn the other cheek’ training. Don’t second-guess it. Just be thankful we got away with it and weren’t tangled up in this horrible murder business.”

  A tear rolled down Lena cheek. “I do feel bad that she died. If she hadn’t stolen my part, I think that I might have even been able to be her friend.”

  “It’s too late for that now.”

  Lena stood up. “You’re right.”

  Ruben stepped toward the girl, and she leaned away from him. Despite her resistance, he wrapped her in a hug. “It will all be over soon. We only have two more performances here, and we will be on our way to Broadway. Wade, the little weasel, will have no choice but to give us high recommendations, knowing anyone on this production has the power to ruin him.” He took her hand. “Let’s go back to the hotel. I think we both need some time in the hot tub to relax.” He led her toward me.

  With Oliver in my arms, I scooted farther behind the screen and prayed that they didn’t stop to look behind it.

  The door slammed shut behind them. I took a couple of deep breaths. That was close, too close, but my spying had been worth it. I now knew who was behind the threatening letters. I needed to tell the sheriff.

  Back in my car, I called Mitchell’s cell number. He didn’t answer. I chewed on my lip. Should I try 911? The information that I gathered didn’t sound like an emergency. Besides, I knew that Lena and Ruben were behind the letters, but I didn’t think they were behind the murder. I hoped I was right.

  I started the ignition and headed to the sheriff’s house. I had the food to deliver from Anna, after all. If the sheriff wasn’t there, I was going to leave the food on his front porch with a note. It was certainly cold enough outside to keep it from spoiling.

  I rang the doorbell and heard Tux barking inside. Oliver wiggled with anticipation over seeing his friend. The door opened, and Mitchell stood in front of me with an impressive five o’clock shadow.

  I smiled brightly. “Since you missed Christmas Eve dinner, I brought it to you.” I held out the basket.

  He didn’t move.

  My arm drooped. “Aren’t you going to take it? It’s really heavy.”

  He took the basket from me. “Is Ryan with you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “No. He’s back at the hotel.”

  “At least that’s some good news.”

  Oliver wove around my legs and headed into the house as if he owned the place. We heard barks of joy from the living room. He’d found Tux.

  Perfect snowflakes fell around us. Some gathered on the sheriff’s eyelashes and brows. He didn’t seem to notice or care. I wanted to brush them away. He wouldn’t let me do that.

  “Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”

  He sighed. “Sure. Are you hungry? Zander won’t eat this kind of food. If it’s not chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, he’s not interested. And I can’t eat this all myself.”

  I smiled. “Well, I think I do have a bit of a second wind, as my father would say.”

  The front door of Mitchell’s home opened into the family room. The television was off, and I had to step over a pile of action figures on the way to the small eat-in kitchen.

  Mitchell flicked on the overhead light. “Sorry about Spider-Man and the other guys. Z left them there when his mother picked him up yesterday. I haven’t had the heart to move them.”

  I smiled. “I know it must be hard for you not seeing him on Christmas morning.”

  Mitchell nodded and set the food on the counter.

  The breakfast nook in the corner was the perfect size for him and Zander. There wasn’t much space available for another person. I tried not to dwell on that. Ryan’s words about Mitchell not being ready for marriage rang in my ears. It was only three more days before Ryan would head back to Texas. My parents were staying through New Year’s. It would be nice to have a visit with my parents that didn’t revolve around Ryan.

  He fixed two plates and heated them in the microwave. The timer beeped and he set one plate in front of me. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “There are a couple of things actually. I tried to call you not that long ago. Did you get my call?”

  “I did.” He cut his turkey into pieces.

  I stared down at my food. I seemed to have lost my appetite. “Why didn’t you pick up?”

  He set his knife on the edge of the plate. “I didn’t want to talk to you just then.”

  I pushed a piece of corn across my plate with the back of my fork. “You’re talking to me now.”

  He looked me in the eye. “It is harder to ignore your cute face than your ringtone.”

  I smiled. “I have a special ringtone on your phone?”

  “Yes, you do. I hope it will last.” He dropped his gaze to his plate again.

  “What do you want to talk about first, the murder or Ryan?”

  “Let’s start with the easy stuff: murder.”

  I told him about the conversation I overheard between Lena and Ruben.

  “That agrees with the physical evidence.”
<
br />   “You knew and you didn’t arrest them?”

  “They aren’t behind the murder. It was a prank, nothing more.” He swallowed a piece of turkey. “I had planned to tell them that we knew to shake them up a little bit. Maybe next time, they will think twice before being so cruel to an innocent girl.”

  “They’re headed to Broadway.” I tapped my fork on my plate.

  “Well, maybe not, then.” He stood up and filled two glasses with water from the tap.

  “Do you think Wade killed Eve?”

  The sheriff sighed. “I think that he might have, but I can’t prove it. He does have a history of violence, especially with young women. He pushed Jasper down the stairs because the stage manager threatened to tell us about Wade’s past.” He shook his head. “When he did push Jasper down the stairs, and Jasper, for better or worse, was fine, Jasper of course told us everything. That backfired pretty badly on him. Now Wade’s spending Christmas Eve in our jail.”

  “At least he can’t hurt anyone there.”

  “True.”

  I pushed my plate away. “I’m sorry. I’m just not hungry.”

  He smiled. “It’s all right. Tux will eat your turkey.”

  “Don’t give any to Oliver. He has had enough snacks this week to last him a lifetime. We are both going on a diet after the holidays.”

  The sheriff shook his head. “I don’t know about Oliver, but you don’t need to go on a diet. You are beautiful just the way you are.”

  I loved him for saying that.

  He sipped his water. “Are we ready for the second topic?”

  My stomach turned. It was a good thing that I hadn’t eaten anything more. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He shrugged. The cop face was firmly back in place. Would he always be able to use that when he wanted to hide his emotions from me? Why couldn’t I do the same? My every thought played across my face like a four-piece orchestra.

  “Ryan kissed me,” I blurted out.

  “I thought that he might.” He shook his head. “I have to hand it to him. They guy is determined. He has a good reason, of course, but I would have thought he would have given up and flown back to Texas by now.” He sighed. “You are worth sticking around for. I know that and so does he.” He paused. “Did you kiss him back?” His voice was husky, revealing the emotion, which he was able to hide behind his eyes.