by Tonya Kappes
He handed me the order slip.
“Can I get a photo of this?” I asked and pulled out my phone when he nodded. The thought lingered in my head that some people still thought Mama to be a suspect, so I wanted to make it very clear from the timeline that she didn’t kill anyone.
“You can see from the timestamp I pulled the cream from the stock at four-thirty, so by the time I got to your mama’s house it was around five. She was leaving when I got there. She paid me and I was on my way.” He walked back around to his desk and sat down again.
“Do you have the order form from Chef Mundy?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s a strange one. Paid cash. Said he didn’t want a receipt with his name or any identifying information.” He shrugged and walked back over to the cabinet, pulling out another work order. “Of course, I made an order anyways. We have to for our records.”
“Thanks, Danny.” I took the paper from him and took a picture of it before I stood up. I pointed to the coffee pot for a refill and he nodded. “I appreciate the information.”
“You need to tell that deputy of yours that Riley Titan doesn’t have a work permit from the American Builders Association either,” he muttered. My eyes narrowed. “Don’t get me wrong. We need a residential contractor around here. We had our monthly ABA meeting and when I didn’t see him I asked around. The president did a quick search in the ABA database and said he’d never heard of Riley Titan.”
“Does he have to be a member in order to do the work?” I had to admit I wasn’t very well informed on the laws of construction. Suddenly I remembered Mrs. Brown saying something about Danny trying to beat up Riley.
“He doesn’t have to be a member, but it’s hard to get a job without good credentials. Maybe not when you’re in a hurry like Ben,” he said.
“I’ll make a note of it. Though I did hear you went to Finn’s to sock Riley in his clock.” I took a sip of the coffee.
“Are you kidding me?” He rolled his eyes and let out a disgusted humph. “That guy is crazy. I went there to pick up my tools that were left behind. I asked him about his job permit that he needed to file with the city. He shoved me first. Mrs. Brown was being nosy as usual and I just let it go. I’m not the construction police.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Finn to make sure there’s a permit.” I still had a question for him. “One more thing.” I stopped before I walked out the door and turned around. “Do you know anything about a Botox scheme going down at the condo complex on the river?” I asked.
“What the hell is Botox?” Confusion crossed his face.
“It’s something dermatologists or licensed professionals put in women’s wrinkles to make them disappear. Mama went to one of the condos and got who-knows-what injected into her face because she wanted to look good on TV. She said she got it from someone living in your condo complex.” I still had to follow up on it, even though I wanted to follow up on the Ben lead Danny had just given me.
“I don’t know a thing about that kind of stuff, but you’d have to have the condo owner’s permission. They own their condo; I just keep up the HOA responsibilities like keeping the landscape nice, the buildings in great working condition, and doing any repairs. ” His eyes blazed and rolled over me. “Don’t be going and making trouble. I don’t feel like going behind you and making any angry residents there happy.”
“Thanks for the coffee.” I held the cup in the air and headed on out of the barn.
I started up the Jeep and sat there for a second collecting my thoughts. My stomach growled. I knew what I had to do and I hated it. I hated all of it. I needed to call Finn and let him know what Danny had told me. If he was right, the work Riley was doing might not be legal. I knew how much Finn wanted to get the work finished. With Riley not having the right paperwork, it could set back the addition even longer.
What on earth was he talking about Ben and charity? Jolee and Ben had both mentioned he needed the publicity and that business was down, but was he in dire straits? Though Mundy was now our number one suspect, I couldn’t just ignore the strange behavior Ben had displayed, nor the fact that he was all too happy his business had picked up since Frank’s death.
My heart sank. Ben and Mundy were friends. Had they staged the fight? The whole thing? Were they in on this together?
“Hey, Betty.” I grabbed the walkie-talkie off my passenger seat since I didn’t have on my uniform. I decided to go ahead and call in to dispatch to check out what Finn had found out with Mundy. “Is Finn there?” I was sure he’d already dragged Mundy in for questioning this morning.
“No, he ran over to Dixon’s because Toots said there were three cars there this morning with those handicap tags,” she said.
“Did he bring anyone in for questioning?” I asked.
“Not here he didn’t,” she said.
“All right. I’ll try calling his cell.” The only way to know for sure if Ben and Mundy were in cahoots was to pay Chef Mundy a visit. As sheriff, I had no time to play around with fake tags. I might’ve been removed from the case, but I had to know.
“Kenni.” Betty’s mom voice came through. “You aren’t going to go see Mundy, are you?”
“Maybe,” I muttered. “Finn told you about Mundy?”
“He came in here first thing and wrote down all the information on that darn whiteboard. I can read.” She laughed. “If I read between the lines, it means that Viv isn’t the number one suspect anymore.”
“There’s nothing wrong with your eyes,” I joked. “I’m not sure I can wait until Mayor Ryland decides to give me back the lead. But I’m going to head on over to check out my leads on the Botox scheme. Let Finn know when he gets back.”
“Will do, Sheriff.” Betty clicked off the walkie-talkie.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I told you that there’s something about that chef.” Poppa appeared in the passenger seat.
“Just like everything else we know, it’s all just talking out loud and trying to fit pieces of a puzzle to make it whole,” I reminded him.
“You’ve got to check out the pieces before you can put them in the puzzle.” Poppa’s voice held tension. It was his way of telling me to go see Mundy.
“Unfortunately, I have a job to do. I want Finn to succeed, so I’m going to let him take the lead with Mundy. In the meantime, I need to go check out the condos,” I reminded him and turned on Poplar Holler Road.
“Then he should be checking out Mundy before he goes on some goofy goose chase about some handicap stickers.” Poppa shrugged. “Who cares if people want to park closer? It’s not life or death like keeping a killer on the street.”
I slid my eyes to the country road ahead of me, biting the edge of my lip. It was time to get to the bottom of the Botox scheme and get them shut down. Then I’d take on Mundy. I was the sheriff in this town and it was about time Mayor Ryland knew it.
“One crime at a time. Botox first. Mundy next.” I gave a sideway glance towards Poppa.
“Now we’re talking.” Poppa bounced in the seat.
I wasn’t going to lie. There was a renewed fire in my soul that I’d seemed to have lost over the past twenty-four hours. This was my town. I was in charge and I was going to solve this murder.
The old road ran along the Kentucky River. It was a great place to live if you wanted a relaxing view and to be away from everyone. The condominiums were a sore spot with many locals.
I was one of the people who were pro-condos. I figured it’d be filled with retired folks who’d want a pretty view and an easy rest of their lives in our little town. There’d never been any problems that I remembered and there still weren’t. In fact, no one had complained.
I sure would hate to go in there guns a’blazing with no knowledge about the stuff. Nor was I sure that what they were doing was illegal. Today the view of the river was a little more skewed with the rain, but it
was still pretty. The limestone walls along the river weren’t like anything else. The trees along the riverbank were starting to get their leaves and the grass was starting to grow. The river was a little more churned up than normal, and once it settled the fishermen would be out in full force.
I pulled into one of the guest parking spots and grabbed my phone. Camille Shively would be the best person to ask my many questions.
“Twanda, it’s Kenni. Is Camille there?” I asked Twanda Jakes, Camille’s receptionist.
“Hi, Kenni. Hold on, I’ll see if she’s free. We’ve been slammed with this sudden onset of the flu.” She put me on hold and replaced the silence with some rock instrumental that made my toe tap.
“Hey, Kenni. What’s going on?” Camille answered.
“I’m not sure if you are aware, but there’s been something called a Botox party going on in Cottonwood. I’m not real sure about the medical laws and before I shut it down, is it illegal for the everyday schmo to inject it?” I asked.
“Kenni,” she gasped. “I’ve had so many patients coming in with muscle aches, a few with fever, soreness, runny nose, dizziness, and fatigue. I’ve been treating them for the flu, but if you say there’s someone doing illegal Botox, they could have Botox poisoning
“Poisoning?” My heart sank down into my once tapping toe.
“Yes. Only a medically trained person or a physician who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery can administer Botox. They’ll have a license to prove it too. Kenni…” The pause in her voice sent a shiver down my spine. “This is very serious. I’m going to have to call all the patients who I diagnosed with the flu.”
“Can you send a list of those names to the department? I’m going to need them as witnesses after I arrest these people.” I stared at the condo complex. “Are these people in danger of dying?”
“If they get enough of it in their system.” I could feel the tension in her voice. “Listen, Kenni, I’ve got to go. Let me know if I can be of more help. I’ll have Twanda get those names over to Betty.”
She hung up the phone before I could even say goodbye. I looked at the complex and noticed the front of it was all the front doors of each condo. Since I’d never been there, I figured the view was all in the back since that was where the river was and the enticement to buy a condo there.
“This isn’t exactly the kind of crime I wanted to help you on.” I jumped when Poppa appeared.
“You just scared me to death.” I held my heart. “Maybe that’s your plan. Be here to take me to the great beyond.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m obviously here to help you solve Frank Von Lee’s murder and here you are doing this Botox thing.” He rolled his eyes. “Hurry on in there and get them in jail so we can get to the real crime.”
“This is a crime. People could die.” I contemplated whether or not to call Finn in case I needed backup. I also wanted to hear his voice and get some information about why Mundy wasn’t in the cell at the department.
“I’m going to go on in.” He ghosted away.
I scrolled through my phone. The pad of my thumb hovered over the call button. A couple of times I went to push it but pulled back. I didn’t need to check up on him. I had to give him the chance to get Mundy.
The sheer thought of seeing him sent electric energy through me. A long deep sigh escaped me. I grabbed my bag from the backseat and pulled my gun out of it along with my handcuffs. My badge was clipped on my visor and I pulled it off and clipped it on the neck of my sweatshirt. When I got out of the Jeep, I stuck my gun in the waistband of my jeans, my phone in one of my back pockets, and my cuffs in the other.
There wasn’t any immediate danger so I didn’t call Finn. Instead, I set an alarm to signal me not to forget about my cake class. There was no way I was missing out on how to make cute flowers.
The building appeared to have ten condos on each level. If I was right, twenty-two would be on the third floor. Instead of taking the elevator, I decided to take the stairs. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins and jogging up steps would help get that under control.
The stairs were locked off with a keypad next to them. I ran my finger down the names of the residents to see if I recognized any of them. I had nothing.
“That place is crazy in there.” Poppa appeared, making me jump again.
“Can’t you like ring a bell or something before you show up? I never know when you’re going to appear.” My words were probably a little harsh, but it was true. He was going to take me back with him if I wasn’t careful.
“Ding, ding.” Poppa acted like he was tapping a bell. “Is that better?”
“Thank you.” I laughed. “I’m trying to figure out who’s going to ring me in.”
“If you are Kim from Clay’s Ferry, you can press number twenty-two.” He did his little jig.
“Kim from Clay’s Ferry.” I grinned. “You saw the client list.”
“I did. Your mama’s name is on the list on the day of Frank Von Lee’s murder like she said. There are two recliners. Two women are injecting the stuff in these women’s faces. It’s really gross.” Poppa made a blech face. “Whaddya say we go and arrest these women so we can get on with the real investigation?”
I dragged my finger down the list of numbers on the intercom and pushed twenty-two.
“Yes,” the woman answered through the intercom.
“Kim from Clay’s Ferry,” I said and turned to Poppa, who was no longer there.
“Come up.” The sound of a buzz followed.
I grabbed the door handle and jerked it open. On the way up the two flights, I took two steps at a time. It was the second condo down the hall. I put my ear to the door before I knocked to try and hear if anything was going on. According to Poppa, there were two women in there getting poked and prodded.
“Ding, ding!” Poppa was taking it a little too far now.
I still jumped. “Seriously?”
“I ding, I don’t ding. Which is it?” he asked.
“What’s going on in there?” I asked in a hushed whisper. I took the clipped badge off my shirt and stuck it on the waistband of my jeans next to my gun. They probably wouldn’t be so willing to let me in with a badge.
“From what I gather, the scheme is two women. In the back-right room, there is a lamination machine, a printer, and a computer. They’re making the handicap tags in there. They told one of the women that’s getting her lips all plumped up that since she’s had surgery she can upgrade to the handicap package for another hundred dollars,” he said.
“Hundred dollars?” I asked in shock.
“Kim from Clay’s Ferry?” The woman jerked the door open and there I was with my mouth hanging open. She jerked her head out the door and looked both ways. “Who were you talking to?”
“Myself.” I faked a smile. “I was talking myself into this.”
“You need your elevens done bad,” she snarled. “I thought you said you wanted your crow’s feet, but I think you need a good dose in between them eyes.” Her eyes darted around my face. “Or we can do both. It’s gonna cost you.”
“Can I come in?” I asked.
She dragged the door open and I stepped inside. It was exactly how Poppa had described it. The entire condo was empty except for two chairs and a table. On the table there were some glass bottles, needles, and some rubbing alcohol. There was nothing legal about this. The two women in the chairs were leaned back.
“You’re a little early, so you can just stand over there and enjoy the view.” She pointed to the windows.
There was an amazing view of both sides of the river. It was still spitting rain and cloudy.
“I’m sorry.” I turned around. The woman was bent over the client and using a magnifying glass attached to the chair to get a close-up view of the wrinkles. “Do you have a restroom?”
“Down the hall.” She didn’t look up. Neither of them did.
I walked down the hall and looked over my shoulder to see if they were watching me. They weren’t. The room that Poppa said was the room where they made the handicap hangers was behind a closed door. I walked down the hall to where the bathroom was and slipped my hand around to the door handle. I pushed in the lock and pulled it closed just in case they came looking for me.
I tiptoed back to the shut door where the printing was happening and slowly turned the handle so they wouldn’t hear me. After I pushed it open, I put my hand on the other side of the door and slowly turned the knob. It was never a good thing to be caught snooping around. The door gave a slight swoosh when I closed it.
My hand dragged up the wall to find the light switch, exposing the shenanigans. It was exactly what Poppa had said. I took my phone out of my pocket and snapped several photos of all the evidence I was going to need to lock these crazy people up. It already set up to print when I shook the mouse on the mousepad to wake up the sleeping computer. There were already a few tags printed and ready to go. There was a cashbox next to the printer. I opened it and it was filled with twenties and fives. I could hear Myrna now saying how it was twenty-five dollars. This was an all-cash scheme from what I could see. Perfect for not being able to trace it back to them and easy to keep the scheme going from city to city.
After I’d taken enough photos, I scrolled through my contacts to find Danny’s number. With my hand over the microphone, when he answered, I said, “Hey, Danny. It’s Kenni again. I’m sorry to bug you, but can you tell me who owns number twenty-two in your condo complex?”
“You know what, Kenni, I don’t know any of the people who bought condos, but I can tell you that number twenty-two was never purchased, along with number eight. Why? Are you in the market? I can probably give our good sheriff a deal.” He was always doing business.
“No one owns it?” I asked.
“No wonder they are going unnoticed.” Poppa appeared. “Oh, ding.” He laughed.