“I’m sure they will if they believe the crimes are connected.”
“But of course they’re connected,” I replied, more than a little incensed at the thought that the cops could be so dense. “Who in their right mind would ever doubt that?”
“The cops don’t always take well to civilians telling them how to do their jobs.”
He made a good point.
“I’m sure the Charlotte police know what they’re doing,” he continued. “So you can keep out of it.”
I saw the teasing glint in his eyes and my outrage at the Belmont police descended a notch. “So, do you know how much longer I have to stay here?”
“They finished interviewing you. You’re free to leave.”
“I am? Well, then. What are we waiting for?”
• • •
On my way out, I stopped by the dark-haired officer’s desk to ask about Sondra’s condition.
“Last I heard, she was still in surgery.”
“Will you let me know when she comes out?” I gave him my contact information, which he already had. “I just want to make sure you remember.”
“I will, I promise.”
“Er, if you happen to call the Briar Hollow police, you might not want to mention that I found this latest victim.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And why wouldn’t I want to do that?”
“Let’s just say that I’m not exactly popular with one of the officers. She seems to think I’m a busybody.”
He chuckled. “Where did she get that crazy idea?”
• • •
Matthew drove me back to my Jeep, which was surrounded by squad cars.
“How do you want to do this?” Matthew said. “I follow you? Or you follow me?”
I grinned. “I’ll let you take the lead this time.” I hopped out of his car, but when I got closer to my Jeep, I saw it was blocked, one car was parked tightly in front and another in back. There wasn’t more than six inches of space all together.
“How am I supposed to get out of here?” I looked over at Sondra’s house. Two officials were standing at the door. A second later an officer wearing navy forensic overalls walked out with a cardboard box, which he carried to the trunk of a police car. I hesitated, hating to bother a cop as he worked. Then, the two officers at the door split up and one of them headed to his car. I marched off in his direction.
“Hey,” I called as he climbed into his car. “That’s my Jeep over there. Could you please ask one of the drivers to move theirs?”
He got back out. “You’re the owner?”
I snatched my wallet and shuffled through credit cards until I found my registration and driver’s license. “Yes, I am. See?”
He came closer. “Sorry, ma’am, but this vehicle has to go through forensics.”
“What?” I was shocked. “What do you mean, forensics?”
“You know, evidentiary procedure. You’ll have to call the station and make arrangements to pick it up once they’re through with it.”
By this time, Matthew had climbed out of his car and was coming over to see what the fuss was about. “What’s going on, Officer?”
“I was just telling this lady that she can’t have her car until we check it for evidence.”
“But I need my car,” I said, looking at Matthew for help. “I don’t understand why it has to go through the lab. It’s not as if it’s part of the crime scene.”
He put a hand around my shoulder, steering me back toward his car. “No problem. I understand, Officer.”
“Before you go, let me get you a receipt.” He went back into Sondra’s house, returning with a signed form and a card. “This is the phone number you can call to get more information.”
“Let’s go. We’ll drive back together. And when you make arrangements to pick it up, I’ll be happy to take you.”
I followed him to his car. “I don’t understand why they would keep my Jeep. What’s it got to do with Sondra’s attack?”
He opened the passenger door for me. “They’ll run it for traces of blood. If they find any, they’ll then test it to make sure it isn’t the victim’s.”
“I don’t get it,” I said as Matthew climbed in.
“You found the victim. If you were the attacker, you might have run back to the Jeep and hidden the weapon, before calling 9-1-1.” Seeing the worry on my face, he added, “It’s just procedure. Nothing to worry about.”
Easy for him to say. He wasn’t a suspect. I, on the other hand, was now a suspect for a third crime within the span of one week. And I was getting quite fed up with it.
“It’s already almost seven,” he continued in a tone meant to cheer me up. “With rush hour traffic, we won’t be back home until close to nine. I vote we drive directly over to the Longview and have dinner there.”
“I’ll call and make reservations,” I said, already scrolling in my cell-phone contacts for the number. “And the first thing I want when we get there is a tall glass of wine. Actually, make that two or three.”
• • •
The traffic was horrendous, of course. Crazy drivers sped by only to brake once they passed us, and then, when we got on the interstate, everything slowed to a crawl.
“I swear this is one more reason I love living in Briar Hollow.” There was only one traffic light in town.
He chuckled. “You used to complain that folks there are so laid-back they’ll wait through green lights rather than honk if someone falls asleep at the wheel.”
“I guess I’ve gotten used to driving at a more leisurely speed.”
By the time we made it to the restaurant it was nearly nine thirty—a drive, which in normal traffic, shouldn’t have taken more than an hour.
As we walked in, Bunny, the owner, was behind the counter. “There you are. I was getting worried about you. Come on in.” That was another thing I loved about Briar Hollow. People here knew their neighbors and genuinely cared about one another. She proceeded down the hall to the restaurant and opened the door for us. “Enjoy your evening.”
A waiter pulled a chair for me at the same table where Matthew and I had sat just a few days ago. He handed us the menus and took our drink orders.
“The lady will have a glass of chardonnay,” Matthew said after consulting with me. “And I’ll have a glass of pinot noir.” As soon as the waiter returned with our wine, Matthew raised his glass. “To you.”
“And you,” I answered. After a few sips the stress of the day began to dissipate. Only then did I realize just how tense I’d been. “Boy, did I ever need this,” I said, taking another sip. “It’s been a crazy day. First, I’d gotten off to a late start for my meeting with Sondra. I worried the whole way that she might be gone when I got there. If I hadn’t heard her calling for help, she would have died.”
“She’s lucky you got there when you did. She’s got you to thank for saving her life.”
“That’s if she lives,” I said. “We still don’t know if she did.” I held out my hand. It shook. “No wonder I was stressed.”
“Are you all right? Are you sure you want to stay?” Matthew asked.
“I’m fine. It just hit me that she probably got attacked because of me.”
“Why would you say that?”
I told him about Lori Stanton walking in just as I was telling Jenny my plans for the afternoon. “I’m convinced either she or her sister did it. She overheard me, and then drove to Charlotte before I got there. It couldn’t have been anybody else. Nobody knew I was going to see her.”
“Does this Lori spend her days in her store the way Jenny does?”
“I think so. Whenever I walk by she’s there.”
“In that case it should be easy enough to find out if she was there all day today. If she was, you can eliminate her from your list of suspects.”
“Which is down to two after today’s events,” I told him. “At least for Syd’s murder. I think Syd might have killed Swanson. He and Mona used to be an item before she married Swanson, and I suspect he had hopes of getting back together with her.”
“And that’s why he would have killed him?”
“Whether it was his idea or she put him up to it, I don’t know. But I’m convinced she was involved in killing him.”
“If she did, wouldn’t that imply they were involved?”
“Or he was hoping they’d pick up their romance, and when she refused, he threatened to tell the police that she planned the murder.”
He gave me a crooked smile. “You never cease to amaze me, how good you are at this sort of thing. But what about that real estate developer, Dempsey? Have you dropped him as a suspect?”
“I think so. I just can’t think of why he’d want to kill Sondra, or for that matter, how he would have known I was going to see her. The only person Sondra has any connection to or might have known something about is Swanson’s new wife. Sondra might have gone out of her way to find out what she could about the woman who broke up her marriage.”
Matthew nodded. “A woman scorned.”
I thought of something. “You know who could find out whether Lori was in her shop all day is Marnie.” I fumbled through my bag for my cell.
“Don’t call her from here,” Matthew said.
“I was just going to pop out for a moment.” I got up. “Be right back.” I called her from the hallway. “Marnie. I need you to do something for me.”
“It’s almost ten o’clock. Can’t this wait until morning?”
“Sure. I can’t explain now, but I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”
“Uh-oh. Does this involve spying on anyone?”
“Not really. Is there anyone you could call to find out if Lori Stanton was in her store all day, or if she was absent for any significant amount of time this afternoon?”
“How significant?”
“At least two hours.”
“I think there are a couple of people I can still call at this time. And I’ll just casually ask the question during the conversation,” she said, and hung up.
When I got back to the table, Matthew said, “I forgot to tell you. Winston is at my place. I picked him up from Marnie before driving back to Charlotte. And I ordered the fresh salmon for you. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yes.” I was about to launch into more theories as to why the two sisters killed Swanson, when from the corner of my eye I noticed somebody walking toward us. It was the saleslady I’d met at Prestige Homes, and she was wearing a big smile.
“Jenny,” she said to me. “Fancy meeting you here.” Matthew opened his mouth to say something and I gave him a swift kick under the table.
“Ouch.”
“And you must be Jenny’s fiancé,” she said, sounding chirpy. “Have you picked a date for the big day yet?”
“We’re still debating,” I said, aware of the blood rushing to my face, and Matthew’s mounting confusion.
“Now that I’ve got you both together, how about we make an appointment for you to visit our project?”
“Actually, I don’t have our agenda with me, so I’ll have to call you back on that.”
“All right then,” she said, and then she turned to Matthew. “I know this is probably a bit late, but congratulations on your engagement. I hope you will both be very happy.” From that moment on, I have no idea what was said. All I was aware of was the growing look of displeasure on Matthew’s face.
“What was that all about?” he said when at last she’d left. “Are you telling people that we’re engaged?”
“No. Of course not. Let me explain. Marnie and I went to visit Prestige Homes. I just wanted to see what kind of a project it was. I thought that maybe Swanson had discovered something, like subpar materials being used. But it’s a really beautiful project.” I became aware of speaking too fast. That always made me seem guilty. I forced myself to slow down. “When we met her, I pretended I was shopping for a house for my soon-to-be husband and me.”
“I see,” he said. “For a moment there, I thought you had a secret agenda.”
I laughed, but it came out like a bray. “That’s just silly. I’m very happy with the way things are.”
“That’s good, because marriage is not something I want to think about.”
The sip of wine I’d just taken went down the wrong way and I coughed. “Are you saying you never want to get married?”
“I’m not saying never. But certainly not in the foreseeable future. At the moment, my life is perfect just as it is.”
I thought of the engagement ring in his drawer, and swallowed hard. Luckily the food arrived at that point and I hid my disappointment by concentrating on my salmon.
• • •
“You seemed preoccupied over dinner,” he said later, as he drove me home.
“I’m a bit worried about my mother,” I said, for lack of a better excuse for my quiet mood. “I haven’t heard from her in a few days, not even after I found Syd’s body. And that is not like her. I hope nothing’s wrong.”
“She’s fine,” he said. “I saw her yesterday.”
“You did?” I said, shocked. “Whatever for?”
“I went to visit my mother and yours happened to be there. She looked well.”
That was so weird. Everybody seemed to have talked to my mother lately but me. Jenny had. Then Marnie had told me my mother called her when she couldn’t get in touch with me. And now Matthew had seen her. I might have been tempted to give her a call as soon as I got home. But if she asked me if Matthew had proposed yet, I might fall apart. I was so upset by Matthew’s comment at dinner that it had taken all I had not to burst into tears right then and there.
Chapter 26
The headline of the Belmont Daily the next morning read MURDERS STILL UNSOLVED. The article, however, said that the police had found new evidence and that they were looking at a new suspect. It had to be Mona. I scanned the rest of the piece, looking for anything about Sondra’s attack, but her name wasn’t even mentioned. How odd, I thought. I retrieved the card the police officer in Charlotte had given me yesterday and picked up the phone. When he picked up, I introduced myself.
“Yes,” he said. “Of course I remember you. You’re the snoop.”
I chuckled. “I’ve been called worse things,” I said, and went right to the point. “I was wondering if you have any news about Sondra Andrews’ condition.”
There was a long pause. “I’m afraid we’re not at liberty to divulge any information about that case at the moment.”
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. “Can you at least tell me which hospital she’s in?”
There was another pause, this one briefer. “Sorry, but I can’t tell you that either. But here’s what I will do. As soon as we get clearance to talk about it, I’ll let you know.”
There was nothing I could do but thank him and hang up.
If Sondra was still alive, the police might want to keep her condition and location a secret in order to keep her safe. That thought bolstered my spirits.
I folded the paper and looked up to see Marnie struggling with boxes while trying to unlock the door. I dashed over to help.
“These are for Jenny—except for this one,” she said, dropping all of them on the counter. She set the top one aside, and picked up the others. “I’ll be right back.” I opened the door for her again and she went over to Jenny’s. When she returned a few minutes later, it was with muffins and coffees. Winston, who had been snoozing on his cushion behind the counter, sat up.
“Sorry, big boy. These are not for you,” she said.
I snatched a liver treat from my catchall drawer and threw it. He hopped up, grabbing it in midair, then went back to his cus
hion.
“At what time did Matthew come by this morning?” she asked, handing me a cup.
“He dropped Winston off around nine o’clock.”
She eyed me critically. “You look like hell. What’s wrong? Didn’t you sleep last night?”
“Not very well,” I said, taking a sip.
“Why not? Did Sondra Andrews refuse to see you?”
“No, that’s not it. Sondra was there, but she’d been attacked.” Marnie’s face fell. “I found her bleeding on the dining room floor and called the ambulance.”
“Please, don’t tell me she’s dead.”
“I have no idea how she is at the moment. She was alive when the ambulance got there, and she was in surgery when I was at the police station. But I called the police this morning and they wouldn’t give me any updates. They wouldn’t even tell me which hospital she was taken to. I hope she’s alive and they’re keeping her condition a secret for her protection. But I can’t help feeling that it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t made an appointment to meet with her, she’d probably be fine right now.”
“Don’t be silly. How were you to know somebody would try to kill her?” She furrowed her brows. “Who else knew you had an appointment with her?”
“Except for you, Jenny and me, there was only Lori Stanton. She overheard Jenny and me talking yesterday before I headed over.”
“Well, that proves it. It had to be her.”
“That’s why I asked you if she was gone from her shop for any length of time yesterday.”
Marnie’s face fell for the second time in as many minutes. “I forgot about that. I called a few people, but they all said she was at work all day.”
“Well, then, she must have told her sister. Mona is the only other person who could have done it.” At that moment the bell above the door rang, and Officer Lombard walked in.
Uh-oh.
This was not going to be pleasant.
“I hear you found another victim yesterday,” she said. I detected an edge to her voice, but rather than get on the defensive, I put on the charm.
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