by K. M. Morgan
It was actually rather fitting that Fiona was standing before her now. Daisy had been meaning to pay her a visit. Fiona was next on her list of potential suspects.
Like the others, Fiona had a killer motive. Not only had she constantly been at odds with Hunter before his death, but she had plenty to gain from him being out of the way. Fiona believed the lead actress role in the movie was rightfully hers and the only reason Candy Caldwell got it was because she was sleeping with Hunter. In addition, with Hunter dead, it would allow Fiona’s boyfriend Logan to slide into the director’s chair with relative ease.
Now all those things had actually come true. Fiona had the lead role in the movie and Logan was the director. The question became, was Fiona just the beneficiary of someone else’s murderous efforts, or had she actually done the deadly deed herself?
Daisy was looking to approach her later to prod her for clues. Unfortunately, this impromptu visit initiated by Fiona was under other pretenses. Fiona had gotten the wrong idea about things and now had a bone to pick.
“Don’t play dumb. I saw you joking and laughing with my boyfriend at the catering table earlier,” Fiona replied.
“I think you have the wrong idea about me,” Daisy insisted.
Fiona glared at her. “I know what I saw.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“I’m warning you, stay away from my boyfriend.”
“Warning me? Trust me, I’m not the least bit interested in your boyfriend. Logan’s all yours.”
“Oh yeah? Then what were you talking to him about back there?”
“Hunter,” Daisy revealed.
Fiona got a different look in her eyes all of a sudden. She went from being on the offense to the defensive. Daisy noticed her stiffen up ever so slightly at the mention of Hunter.
“What about him?” Fiona asked.
“Just what an arrogant dirt bag he was.”
“No argument here.”
“Then I congratulated your boyfriend on getting the bump up to director. I think this movie is in better hands with Logan.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Still, it’s a shame Hunter had to be murdered for your boyfriend to finally get his time in the spotlight,” Daisy said.
Fiona remained tense the more Daisy brought up Hunter’s name. Daisy could tell Fiona was starting to regret approaching her in the first place. Now that Daisy had Fiona on her heels, she wasn’t about to back off.
“Yeah, but that’s just a weird coincidence. One has nothing to do with the other,” Fiona replied.
“How do you know for sure? Do you know who killed Hunter?” Daisy asked.
“Well no, but I can assure you Logan didn’t do it.”
“And of course you didn’t do it either.”
“Of course not,” Fiona said.
Fiona’s mouth said no, but her eyes were murkier. Daisy didn’t have a gut feeling either way on this one.
What Daisy knew for sure was that Fiona was being awfully guarded. For that reason, Daisy kept prodding her to try and get an unexpected response.
“Although it is eerie that Hunter got hit in the back of the head with a frying pan, in the same way your character kills the victim in the script,” Daisy said.
“I already told you I didn’t do it.”
Fiona was sure getting testy. Still, Daisy had no proof of anything, and this conversation could get out of hand in a hurry. She decided it was best to try a different tact.
“I never said you did, especially with your rock solid alibi. If I remember right, you said you and Logan were in bed together at the time of the murder,” Daisy recalled.
“Uh—yeah,” Fiona answered.
Daisy still didn’t have a feeling either way if Fiona was lying about not killing Hunter, but Fiona’s alibi was a different story.
Daisy wasn’t sure what Fiona was doing the night of the murder, but there was no way she was in bed with Logan. Her eyes gave away her lies on that one.
“I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?”
Daisy hit the nail right on the head, although Fiona pretended she didn’t. Still, Daisy could see Fiona backing her way out of the conversation.
“No. I just realized I have somewhere else I need to be,” Fiona said.
“Happy trails. Oh, and congratulations on getting the bump up to lead actress. Go knock ‘em dead,” Daisy joked.
Fiona barely even faked a smile after hearing that joke.
Chapter Twenty-Six
At the end of the work day, Daisy was no closer to finding the killer. She was however finally getting the set design in order. She just wished sleuthing was as easy as decorating. Unfortunately, she had no luck in that respect.
Daisy didn’t go straight home after leaving the set. When quitting time came, she knew there was one more stone left unturned when it came to the Hunter Hayworth murder. Another suspect was out there, and Daisy intended to pay her a visit.
Daisy couldn’t believe the irony of her situation as she had a craving for sweets just as she entered Yasmine’s Yoga Yen Studio. She felt vaguely awkward eating a cookie in the waiting room of a yoga studio, but not awkward enough not to enjoy the soft baked ooey gooey goodness of chocolate chips melting in her mouth. Nothing could keep her from savoring sweets.
Besides, it helped her pass the time as she waited for Ainsley Adamson’s yoga class to be over. The magazines in the lobby left a lot to be desired. There was a “Chakras Chronicle” and a “Vegan Variety Magazine,” but no “Cupcake Craving Quarterly” or “Delicious Desserts Digest.” For shame.
Finally the yoga class ended and the trim students filled out with their mats in their arms. A few moments later Daisy saw Ainsley towel off as she walked from the studio to her office. This was Daisy’s chance to catch her in transit.
Daisy had only seen Ainsley once before—the day of the murder. Ainsley probably had the biggest motivation to kill Hunter. He was her fiancé, and she had just found out he was cheating on her hours before he was killed.
Murder was so often a crime of passion, and who had more passion than a woman scorned? Daisy was curious what she’d have to say for herself.
“Ainsley, just the woman I’ve been looking for,” Daisy said.
Ainsley gave Daisy a quick look, but didn’t even stop walking to her office.
“If you’re looking to sign up for a class, talk to the front desk clerk,” Ainsley replied.
“Actually, I’m not here about that,” Daisy corrected.
Ainsley gave her a puzzled look. “What is this about then?”
“Your fiancé’s murder.”
That got Ainsley’s attention. She stopped dead in her tracks. As a yoga instructor, she knew how to keep her body calm. She had no control over the truths her eyes told though. So while her body remained as relaxed as ever, Daisy could see panic in her eyes.
Ainsley was quick to defend herself and deflect. “Look, I already told my story to you police department folks once. I was in a meditation class that night.”
Her eyes told a different story. Daisy didn’t know exactly what Ainsley was hiding, but she definitely wasn’t telling the whole truth. It was amazing. Every suspect Daisy talked to had lied to her about where they were the night Hunter was murdered, and Ainsley was no different.
“I’m not with the police,” Daisy said.
Ainsley furrowed her brow. “Who are you then?”
“Daisy McDare. I’m the set decorator on the movie your fiancé was directing.”
Ainsley was more puzzled than ever. “Set decorator? I’m confused. What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry about what happened with Hunter.”
“I guess someone really wanted him dead,” Ainsley muttered.
What an ironic statement to make considering Ainsley was a suspect in his murder. But maybe she figured only an innocent person would make a statement so brazen. Then again, maybe she didn’t carefully consider her word
s before she said them.
“No, I meant I’m sorry about him cheating on you,” Daisy corrected. “I know what it’s like to give your heart to someone only to have them betray you.”
Ainsley sighed. “Yeah. It’s pretty awful.”
What an understatement. Either Ainsley really did take Zen yoga principles to heart, or she was doing her best to hide how much Hunter hurt her.
“I’m not sure awful is a strong enough word. When I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me, I wanted to kill him. And he was just my boyfriend, no less a fiancé,” Daisy hinted.
Ainsley didn’t like where this conversation was going. She dropped any pretense of Zen in a hurry. “Are you accusing me of murder?”
“Look, I saw that blow up you had outside of Hunter’s trailer. No one was angrier at him that day than you.”
“That doesn’t mean I did it.”
“It also doesn’t mean you didn’t either.”
Whatever meditation classes Ainsley was supposedly taking, they sure weren’t working now. Ainsley blew her top right in front of Daisy.
“How dare you come into this studio and accuse me of murdering my ex-fiancé,” Ainsley barked.
If Ainsley was trying to come off looking innocent of murder, she was sure doing a horrible job of it.
“Considering Hunter was murdered just a few hours after you had a very big on set blow up with him, I’d be a little less confrontational if I was you. I’m just trying to figure out what happened that night. If you are innocent, you have the most to benefit from being honest,” Daisy explained.
“This is none of your business. I don’t need to put up with this. You’re not even with the police, you’re just some set decorator,” Ainsley continued.
“No, but the truth is going to come out. The killer is going to be caught, and an innocent woman has nothing to hide,” Daisy insisted.
Ainsley had heard enough. She kicked Daisy out of the studio in the least Zen way possible. “Get out of here!”
Daisy knew she’d worn out her welcome and that it was time to scram. The whole time one thought crossed her mind—so much for the elation of meditation.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Daisy thought after a day of poking her head around, she’d be able to eliminate at least a couple potential suspects. If anything, everyone appeared guiltier than ever. With this case, it didn’t seem to be an issue of who had a reason to kill Hunter, rather who wanted him dead the most.
Daisy decided she was at a point in the case where maybe it would be best to compare notes. After all, she wasn’t the only one investigating this murder. She drove over to the Cozy Creek police department to see if Detective Chris Crumple had any leads in finding the killer.
Surprisingly enough, Daisy was told that Crumple wasn’t at the police station. At first she suspected he might be out on another case. Then she got the real skinny. Crumple was at his favorite hangout—Don’s Delicious Donuts.
Daisy would have had a good laugh at Crumple proudly living up to the cop in a donut shop stereotype, but she was too busy craving a custard-filled sweet treat of her own.
When Daisy walked through the front doors of Don’s Donuts, she was greeted by aromatic delight. She originally told herself to treat this as nothing more than a business meeting and to save her cravings for Sweet Tooth later, but how could she not have at least one donut when row upon delicious row were staring her right in the face?
Daisy became transfixed. Her willpower tucked tail and ran. Now it wasn’t an issue of whether she had a donut, it was trying to choose between a cruller and a bear claw—custard-filled or chocolate through and through.
Detective Crumple sat at a table looking completely at home. He probably had a tab at the place. He looked up from his jelly donut and saw Daisy at the front counter weighing all her delicious options.
“You can’t go wrong. They’re all mouthwatering. Just pick one,” Crumple said.
Daisy got really self-conscious. She realized she’d gotten a little too caught up in her craving. She picked out a chocolate glazed donut and made her way over to Detective Crumple’s table.
“Good choice,” Crumple said. Even though he had his own donut, he looked like he’d be more than happy to take Daisy’s donut off her hands too.
“I hope so,” Daisy replied.
“Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Fact is, sometimes picking out the right donut here can be just as hard as picking the right murder suspect.” Crumple smacked his lips as he polished off his treat.
Did he really just compare picking out a donut to uncovering a killer? No wonder he bumbled his way through cases. Daisy was glad she was doing some sleuthing of her own. At that point, she was afraid to look under the table for fear that Crumple had forgotten to put on matching socks.
Daisy decided to get right down to business. “Speaking of the case, do you have any new leads?”
“Ms. McDare, do you take me for a fool?” Crumple asked.
She wasn’t about to go anywhere near that question. Chris Crumple hardly struck fear into the hearts of criminals, but it would be rude to point out how bumbling he was to his face.
Daisy decided to play dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This is an official police investigation. Leave it to the professionals. There’s a reason I’m the one with the badge here,” Crumple boasted.
Daisy couldn’t help but notice that Detective Crumple’s badge had jelly from a donut glopped on it. For a man as bumbling as Crumple, he sure had an abundance of pride. She’d have to be crafty to get information out of him.
“It’s just that I can’t help but be worried. It is unnerving knowing a killer is still out there when I’m working on the same movie set where Hunter was murdered,” Daisy explained.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Ol’ Chris Crumple is closing in on the killer,” he beamed.
Daisy decided to massage his ego a little bit to get some more information out of him. “Already? Wow, you must be some kind of investigative genius.”
Crumple gave her a big smile. “Genius? That has a great little ring to it.”
She had him right where she wanted him. She kept up her act.
“I’d love to pick that brilliant brain of yours. Now I know I’m just a decorator, but it would be fascinating to know how you figured out who the killer is already. By the way, who is it?”
Flush with compliments, Crumple let his guard down. “Now don’t tell anyone I told you this, but it was obviously his ex-fiancé.”
“Obviously?” Daisy asked.
“Well, according to my investigative mind, it’s obvious. I’m just looking for the hard evidence or a confession to arrest her. Unfortunately, the frying pan Hunter was killed with was wiped clean of prints. That’s the only thing keeping that yoga teacher from doing her yoga poses in jail.”
Crumple was sure convinced of Ainsley’s guilt, but in reality he had no more than just a hunch. Daisy hadn’t ruled out Ainsley as a suspect either, but she wasn’t definitive about anything.
Frankly, Daisy didn’t know how he could be so certain of his opinion, but he had his mind made up and had no plans of backing down from it. Daisy meanwhile had a nagging question she needed to ask.
“What about the noir script revision Hunter was working on at the time of the murder? Don’t you think it’s connected in some way?” Daisy wondered.
Crumple quickly put the kabash on her theory, spouting his own.
“Always bet on the bitter ex. Trust me, I know that one from experience. Take my ex—sheesh, let’s just say if she was a donut, she’d definitely be a bear claw,” he groused.
“I still don’t know how you can be so sure at such an early stage in the investigation,” Daisy argued.
“It’s a little thing called being a detective. Look, just go back to decorating and leave things to my brilliant brain. I’m sure I’ll get a confession out of that yoga teacher in no time,” Crumple i
nsisted.
Brilliant brain? Uh oh. Daisy had created an ego monster.
Daisy was working a hunch of her own, and wasn’t going to give up on it so easily. “Can I take a look at the script revision on Hunter’s computer?”
He scoffed and caught sarcastic with her. “Oh, sure. Why don’t I give you a tour of the whole evidence room while I’m at it? Ms. McDare, decorators don’t get to look at evidence, detectives do.”
“Well, have you read the whole noir revision?”
Crumple rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me. The thing is pulpier than a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice. All this talk about dames and dastardly devious deeds.”
“Were there any big changes from the original script to the noir version?”
“Not sure. Some of the dialogue and the fact that the victim was killed by being shot instead of hit over the head with a frying pan. It did have a more noir feel to it though. And I know my noir style from what I’ve heard it is,” Crumple whispered confidentially.
Daisy rolled her eyes. He admitted that he had ‘heard what it is’. She sighed at his explanation. But then her brow furrowed as she thought things through.
Detective Crumple meanwhile was desperate to change subjects. “Look, forget about this case. I got it in the bag. Let’s move on to something more important.”
“Like what?”
“You getting me that free apple cobbler from Sweet Tooth,” Crumple insisted.
That’s why Daisy wasn’t about to stop her sleuthing. The detective cared more about his stomach than finding the real killer. Although cobbler did sound really good right about then.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I can’t believe you did that,” Samantha Johnson said.
Daisy did not receive quite the greeting she expected from stopping into the Sweet Tooth. Detective Crumple got his apple cobbler to go, and when he left the store to return to his car, Daisy’s best friend Samantha let her have it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d flip out over giving away one serving of apple cobbler. I figured it would butter Crumple up so maybe he’d give me some insider information to help me solve the case,” Daisy replied.