Daisy McDare And The Deadly Rock Star Affair (Cozy Mystery) (Daisy McDare Cozy Creek Mystery Book 5)

by K. M. Morgan

  Blaze tried to head her off at the pass. “I know what you’re going to say--”

  Daisy stood back and watched as her cousin ripped into Blaze.

  “That you’re a lying, sleazy, under-handed, ego-maniacal scumbag?” Addison replied.

  Blaze did not take kindly to that barrage of insults. “I’d watch your words if I were you.”

  “Or what, you’ll fire me? Nice try, but I quit. And if I hear you try to take credit for my song again, I’ll sue you,” Addison warned.

  “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to? You’re a nobody.” He scoffed. “You pick up my dry cleaning. I’m Blaze Billick. I practically run this town.”

  “I guess I’ll be seeing you in court then.”

  The whole night, Blaze hadn’t backed down for anybody. Suddenly, that changed. He tried to flip on his charm. Little did he realize he had the charm of a used car salesman.

  “Now calm down. I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a fifty-fifty split of the royalties from the song.”

  “What do you take me for, an idiot? I wrote the song. It is a hundred percent mine. You stole it,” Addison fumed.

  “Let me tell you something. It’s better to have fifty percent of a million dollars than a hundred percent of nothing. Yes, you wrote a great song. But if it weren’t for me, no one would have ever heard it.”

  Addison refused to believe that. “You don’t know that.”

  Blaze came right at her. “Oh yeah? Then why haven’t you had a big hit on your own? The fact is, you’re a great songwriter, but you have an awful singing voice. You can’t deny that. I heard the demo tape.”

  “I don’t know why you think insulting me will get you anywhere.”

  “I’m just trying to get you to see the truth. Whether you like it or not, you need me. The way I see it, you’re lucky I’m willing to even give you half of the royalties.”

  Addison scoffed. “No. You’re the one who’s been lucky. For the last two years, I’ve put up with your ego, demands, wildly dysfunctional family, and much more. If that wasn’t enough, I did it with a smile. That ends now. I quit.”

  Blaze lost it. No one talked to him that way. “You can’t do that.”

  Addison didn’t back down. “Watch me.”

  ***

  The entire drive back to Addison’s apartment, she was a mess. Daisy felt so bad for her. At the same time, she was so proud of her actions. Addison had been put in a no-win situation. A person could only be pushed so far. Daisy didn’t think her cousin could have handled things better given the circumstances.

  When they got back to Addison’s place, Daisy did her best to calm her cousin down. That’s where chocolate came in handy. Luckily, Addison’s kitchen was stocked with desserts and treats. She wouldn’t be a McDare if she didn’t know the value of sweets.

  It was then, in the quiet, that the gravity of the evening’s events sunk in.

  Addison clutched her chest. “What have I done?”

  “What you had to do,” Daisy replied.

  “You’re right. I mean, that scumbag stole my song.”

  “Among other things. Talk about a hostile work environment.”

  Addison exhaled. “You’re not kidding. This job is enough to send me to therapy.” She paused. “At the same time, it was a paycheck, and I need those to pay my bills.”

  “Addison, if there’s one thing the world has plenty of, it is bad jobs.”

  “I thought you were going to say dirt bags,” Addison replied.

  “Those too. The point is, you’ll never have a hard time finding another bad job.”

  “Surprisingly enough, I’d prefer to actually find a good job. Unfortunately, after tonight, I doubt I’ll have a career in the music industry.”

  Daisy looked confused. “Really? I think tonight proved more than anything that you could have a great career in music. Didn’t you see how much people loved that song you wrote?”

  Addison nodded. “Except Blaze was right about one thing. I may have good songwriting skills, but I have a lousy singing voice. Maybe I really am doomed.”

  Daisy shook her head. “Don’t talk like that. Don’t listen to that fool. You can’t let some washed up and ego maniac crush your dreams. You are in control of your own destiny. There’s nothing you can’t do when you put your mind to it.”

  “How am I supposed to make it with a voice as bad as mine?”

  “You’ll find someone with a good voice and team up with them.”

  Addison needed affirmation. “Do you really think I can do it?”

  Daisy looked deep into her cousin’s eyes. “Of course I do.”

  Addison found strength in Daisy’s words.

  “You know what? You’re right. I can’t believe I let that jerk make me doubt myself.”

  “I can’t believe it either. That’s not like you.”

  “The truth is, I haven’t felt much like myself lately. Compliments were hard to come by working for Blaze. There were plenty of insults though. He was really awful to me.”

  Daisy only had one response to that. “You seriously need more chocolate.”

  “It just makes me so mad thinking about all I put up with.”

  “Look, it’s finally over now.”

  Addison went over the events of the night in her head. “Yeah.”

  Daisy could see her cousin was still hung up on quitting. “You know what? You’ve been through a lot tonight. I think you should get some sleep. Things will look differently with fresh eyes in the morning.”

  Addison continued to stare into the distance.

  ***

  After all that had transpired, it was not surprising when Daisy crashed shortly after her head hit the pillow that night. What was unusual was when she woke up an hour later with the sound of the neighbor’s dog barking.

  Daisy rolled over, groggy. Normally she would roll over and go right back to sleep, but as she looked around the room, she noticed something peculiar. Addison was nowhere to be found.

  The question then became, where was she? Daisy reached for her cell phone, then saw headlights through the front window of the apartment. Had Addison left the apartment? If so, where had she gone at this late hour?

  Addison then entered the front door and tried to close it while making as little noise as possible. She wasn’t fooling anyone. Daisy’s curiosity was already piqued.

  “Where were you?” Daisy asked.

  “It doesn’t matter. Just go back to bed,” Addison replied.

  “You know I’m not going to let you get away with that vague answer, so why don’t you just come clean?”

  “I got a call from Blaze shortly after you crashed out.”

  Daisy suspected the worst. “You didn’t just come from his house, did you?”

  “I know you probably don’t understand, but Blaze seemed like a completely different person all of a sudden—he was nice, apologetic, humble even.”

  “You’re right. I don’t believe it.”

  “Anyway, he said he had something to talk to me about that needed to be said in person.”

  “Couldn’t it have waited until the morning?”

  “Are you kidding? Do you know how quickly Blaze’s moods change? Besides, if I waited until morning, there was a chance he might be back to the old Blaze,” Addison explained.

  Daisy decided to hear her cousin out. “Alright. When you got over there, what did he have to say for himself?”

  “He was actually different than I’d ever seen him before. Gone was the bluster and ego. Instead, he looked completely defeated.”

  Daisy was as confused as ever. “We’re still talking about Blaze Billick, aren’t we?”

  “I know. I was just as surprised as you. But that was just the beginning. He told me he was creatively blocked. That he’d been trying to record a comeback album for years. That he went into his back studio every day and just couldn’t ever seem to get his mojo back. So when he saw that Steele had a surefire hit on his hands, he got desperat
e.”

  “That doesn’t excuse what he did.”

  “Wait. There’s more. He told me I had a great talent for songwriting, and that together, we could form an amazing partnership.”

  Daisy scoffed. “Like you could ever trust a man like that.”

  “Don’t worry. I turned him down.”

  “Good.”

  “But not because I believed he’d go back on his word,” Addison revealed.

  “Then why?”

  “Because he seemed so washed up and pathetic. Pitiful even.”

  “You made the right decision.”

  Addison nodded. “Even more importantly, I finally got some closure.”

  “Yeah. This is the last thing you’d want to linger on.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “So, what now?” Daisy asked.

  “Are you kidding? I have a rendezvous with my bed. I’ve never wanted to sleep more in my entire life,” Addison admitted.

  Chapter Eleven

  Daisy and Addison both slept like babies that night. Little did they know they’d be in for a rude awakening in the morning. They awoke to a doorbell ringing shortly after eight o’clock. Addison pulled herself out of bed and make her way to the door. She had no idea who it could be. She certainly wasn’t expecting anyone so early on a Saturday morning.

  So imagine Addison’s surprise when she opened the door to find Deputy Rogan of the Murphy’s Meadow police department on her doorstep.

  “Can I help you?” Addison asked.

  “Addison McDare?” Deputy Rogan asked.

  Daisy stood behind Addison, equally shocked to see a police deputy.

  Addison reluctantly answered. “Yes.”

  “Detective Stickler would like to ask you a few questions,” Deputy Rogan said.

  Addison was equal parts shocked and confused.

  Daisy said the words at the tip of her cousin’s tongue. “What’s this about?”

  Neither of the McDare cousins were prepared for the deputy’s answer. “The murder of Blaze Billick.”

  ***

  If Daisy thought it had been a rough first evening in Murphy’s Meadow, day two wasn’t starting any better. The deputy was tight-lipped on the drive over to Blaze’s mansion. Addison and Daisy both had so many questions, but the deputy either wasn’t authorized or was unwilling to answer them.

  Blaze’s house was amazing. If it had been the first mansion Daisy had ever seen, it would have appeared palatial to her. In contrast to the other gaudy homes she had come across in her past however, Blaze’s place was surprisingly modest for a millionaire’s home. Well, as much as an eight bedroom mansion could be.

  The deputy led Daisy and Addison to the backyard, where the rest of the Murphy’s Meadow police department seemed to be on site. The main area of concentration was Blaze Billick’s backyard music studio. It was set apart from the main house and separated by the estate’s swimming pool. The studio had its own entrance.

  The police had assembled a mix of familiar faces from the gala last night, including Olivia, Steele, Mason, and Gwen. They were all being questioned as to their whereabouts between midnight and one o’clock in the morning.

  Detective Stickler was a by-the-book sort of guy. A man who couldn’t stand when his tie moved an inch out of place during the course of his shift. He was also the kind of guy who could hold his own in a fight. He was tall and burly with a military-style crew cut and was wearing the plainest blue tie Daisy had ever seen as a perfect complement to what looked like a ten year old suit.

  Daisy listened in from a distance as Detective Stickler questioned Blaze’s wife Olivia Billick.

  “Mrs. Billick, where were you between the hours of midnight and one o’clock last night?” Stickler asked.

  Olivia was an absolute mess. Surprisingly—physically, not emotionally. That was particularly odd, given the fact that her husband had just being murdered. The biggest problem Olivia seemed to be grappling with was wrestling with her hangover. She looked like she could throw up at any minute and would trade anything in the world for a cup of strong black coffee at that moment.

  Olivia bit the corner of her lip as Detective Stickler grew tired of waiting for an answer.

  “Um, I’m pretty sure I was asleep,” Olivia said.

  Stickler didn’t like that answer. “Pretty sure, or a hundred percent sure?”

  Olivia ran her hand nervously through her frizzy hair. “To tell you the truth, I’m not a hundred percent sure of anything that happened last night.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I may have had a smidge too much to drink.”

  Stickler exhaled. “What exactly do you remember about last night?”

  “I remember waking up with my head pounding. I immediately rushed over to the bathroom. When I came back into the bedroom, I noticed Blaze wasn’t in bed. I figured he was back in the studio recording. I just didn’t expect to find him…dead.”

  “Mrs. Billick, you already told me that part earlier. I asked you what you remember from last night,” Stickler said.

  “I’m having a hard time with that.”

  Detective Stickler got short with her. “Are you telling me you’re drawing a complete blank on the entire night?”

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  Stickler stared her down. “Frankly, yes.”

  Olivia put her hands on her hips. “Well, it’s the truth.”

  “In that case, you have no one to corroborate your alibi.”

  Olivia’s face went white.

  Stickler then moved on to Blaze’s ex-wife Vikki Valentine.

  “Vikki, how about you?” Stickler asked.

  Vikki’s arms were folded, the perfect complement to the scowl on her face. “What about me?”

  “Do I detect a hint of attitude?”

  “I don’t know why a police officer woke me up at seven-thirty in the morning to bring me here for questioning,” Vikki said.

  “Mrs. Billick--”

  Vikki immediately interrupted him. “It’s Ms. Valentine now.”

  “Ms. Valentine, your ex-husband was just murdered.”

  “Yes, ex…husband. Do you have any idea of the time and therapy bills it took to finally put him in the past?” Vikki asked.

  “From what I heard, you didn’t put Blaze completely in the past. Do you want to tell me about this run-in you had with him at the gala last night?” Detective Stickler asked.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of thoughts about my ex dying over the years, but I didn’t kill him.”

  “You say that, but do you have anyone who can verify your whereabouts between midnight and one o’clock last night?”

  “I was asleep.”

  “You can tell me whatever you want, but if you have no one to verify it, your words hold no weight.”

  Vikki’s son Mason Billick cut in. “My mom didn’t do it.”

  Detective Stickler turned to Mason. “How could you know that for sure? Unless of course you did it.”

  “This is ridiculous. Neither one of us killed my father,” Mason replied.

  “Can you verify your mother’s story?” Stickler asked.

  “I don’t need to. She’s my mother. I know she’s not capable of killing anyone.”

  “How about you? What’s your story?” Detective Stickler wondered.

  “I already told you. I didn’t do it,” Mason said.

  “Where were you when your father was killed?”

  “I was at my apartment. Gwen can verify that,” Mason insisted.

  Stickler turned to Gwen Stringer, Mason’s fiancé.

  “Is that true?” Stickler asked.

  Gwen looked uncomfortable being put on the spot like that. She stammered. “Um…”

  “It’s a yes or no question,” Stickler said.

  Gwen was clearly intimidated by the detective’s stare.

  “Well, I’m pretty sure he was at home sleeping,” Gwen stammered.

  “Pretty sure is not a ye
s.”

  Mason exhaled. “Gwen, just say yes.”

  Stickler kept his stare on Gwen.

  “You didn’t sleep at your fiancé’s apartment last night, did you?” Stickler asked.

  Gwen finally broke down under Detective Stickler’s probing glare.

  “No. I slept in my own place,” Gwen admitted.

  Mason groaned. “Why did you tell him that?”

  Gwen turned to Mason. “Because it’s the truth. You know, the truth matters in relationships.”

  “You two had a fight last night, didn’t you?” Stickler asked.

  “That’s none of your business,” Mason said.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” Stickler replied. The detective then stared right back at Gwen. “What was the fight about?”

  Gwen averted her eyes.

  “You don’t have to tell him,” Mason insisted.

  “No, but if she doesn’t answer, I could detain her at the police station.”

  “On what charge?” Mason asked.

  “Suspicion of murder,” Detective Stickler said.

  “That’s crazy,” Mason said.

  Stickler had sufficiently spooked Gwen though. She caved.

  “Alright. We had a fight about Blaze,” Gwen revealed.

  Stickler followed up. “What about him?”

  “He threatened to take away Mason’s inheritance if Mason went ahead with the wedding,” Gwen said.

  “That sounds like a motive,” Stickler replied.

  “You can’t prove anything,” Mason replied.

  “Not yet.” Stickler then turned back to Gwen. “That must have made you really angry, hearing Blaze try to come between your relationship. You know, women can do some incredible things when they’re angry.”

  Gwen’s mom Lillian Stringer had heard enough. Lillian cut into the conversation and answered for her daughter.

  “Our Gwen is a sweet girl. She’s not a killer,” Lillian said.

  Stickler then turned his focus to Lillian. “She may be sweet, but she also has no one to corroborate her story. Do you?”