Pasta Mortem

by Ellery Adams

  “Yes. I’m not really sure what I want,” James said, thinking of the two hundred dollars he’d had hidden in his sock drawer. Jackson had always taught him that a man should have a few dollars cash in the house. “She’s pregnant and her hands are a little swollen, so not a ring of any kind.”

  Ms. Mortmaigne brightened. “You’ll want a push present in addition to a Valentine’s present then. Does your wife prefer emeralds, rubies, sapphires, or diamonds?”

  Bennett had walked away to the opposite end of the store. James said, “I better join my friend. Thanks for your help.”

  James moved to stand next to Bennett, who gazed into a case. “Look at that, James. I wonder if that ring could be considered an engagement ring. I bet Gillian would love it.”

  “Which one?”

  Bennett pointed. “Third row, second from the left. The dolphins.”

  James looked at the white gold or silver, he didn’t know which, ring comprised of two dolphins with their noses pointing toward one another, a diamond held between them. “I don’t know if it’s an engagement ring or not, but you’re right—this is right up Gillian’s street, or ocean, as the case may be. She loves dolphins.”

  “That’s what I thought. Got that dolphin statue on the kitchen table in her house and I’ve seen her wear silver dolphin earrings.”

  Just then, a young woman with long dark blonde hair walked over. She wore a black pantsuit too, but her blouse was white and was dotted with red hearts. “How are y’all doing today? I’m Shelly. Did you want to see something from the case?”

  “I don’t know,” Bennett said. “That double dolphin ring. Do people give those as engagement rings?”

  “Sure,” Shelly said. “While lots of couples still like a traditional engagement ring, plenty of women like an alternative to a diamond solitaire. I think the fact that there are two dolphins makes it romantic. Do you want me to get it out?”

  Bennett held up a hand. “Before you do that, I’m on a budget.”

  “Aren’t we all,” Shelly said and smiled. She used a key to open the case. Picking up the ring, she brought it around and read something on a tag attached to it.

  “The rings over in the case up front didn’t have those tags,” Bennett observed.

  “Those are all a set price. Now, this is white gold, which is good for a ring your lady will wear every day. Silver would tarnish and be harder to keep up. The diamond is right at a half carat. Here, see what you think.” She handed the ring to Bennett. “I take it she likes dolphins.”

  “Yes,” Bennett said, accepting the ring. He examined it closely. “They have blue stones for eyes. Reminds me of the color of Gillian’s eyes.”

  “Those are one-point each. They’re aquamarines.”

  James silently prayed that the ring would be within Bennett’s budget. He knew Gillian would love those dolphins.

  “Go ahead and give me the bad news,” Bennett said.

  Shelly chuckled. “I hope it won’t be bad news, but keep in mind I can put it on payments for you, no problem. The retail price is twenty-two hundred, but we have a Valentine’s Day sale going on. You can have it for seventeen twenty-five.”

  “Sold!” Bennett exclaimed.

  James laughed. “Gillian will be ecstatic.”

  “I’m so pleased,” Shelly said. “It always makes me happy when a ring meets the right person. Come on down to the end of the counter and I’ll write it up. Now, don’t worry about the size. There’s plenty of gold on this ring. If we need to size it . . .”

  James smiled after his friend. While Bennett finalized the deal, James wandered around looking at jewelry possibilities for Jane. He didn’t know if he could get anything at all with his two hundred dollars. Last year, he’d bought Jane a sterling silver apple blossom necklace at a fair. She wore it often, but James wanted something more meaningful.

  He was at a loss when Bennett returned, a bag in his hand, with Shelly, who said, “Don’t hesitate to bring it back if Gillian doesn’t like it, okay? We’ll find her something else.”

  Bennett grinned from ear to ear. “I don’t even know if I can wait until tomorrow to give it to her. I may pop the question tonight.”

  “Shelly,” James said, “I want to get my wife a special present, but my budget is only two hundred dollars. Should I go over to the mall? Do you have any ideas?”

  “What about an infinity necklace?” She walked the men over to another jewelry case and pointed. “See, there are a half dozen of them there.”

  James peered at the necklaces. “They look like sideways eights. The mathematical symbol for infinity.”

  Shelly smiled. “That’s right. Let me see.” She walked around the counter and unlocked it. She picked up each necklace, read the tag, then pulled two out. “This plain gold one is on the small side, but it’s regularly two hundred and fifty dollars, on sale for a hundred and thirty-nine. Ten-karat gold.”

  “That’s a good deal, James,” Bennett said.

  James held the pendant in his hands. Delicate, it did look small.

  “Does your wife wear a yellow gold wedding ring like you?” Shelly asked. “If so, that would match it.”

  “She does. What’s that other one you picked?”

  “I’ll tell you right up front that it’s a six-hundred-dollar necklace, but it’s been reduced once and now it’s on sale too. But I can’t sell it for less than two hundred and fifty-five dollars.”

  “Are those diamonds?” James asked.

  “Yes, set in ten-karat yellow gold.” She held it up to her neck so he could see what it looked like. James liked the way the tiny diamonds sparkled in the light. And it looked much more substantial than the small plain gold necklace.

  Bennett said, “If you get Jane the diamond one, maybe she won’t want that push present.”

  “Oh, is your wife pregnant?” Shelly asked.

  “Yes,” James said curtly.

  “Congratulations,” Shelly said with a smile. “I have a little boy myself. He’s almost three. I told my husband I’d skin him alive if he went out and bought me some expensive present for having the baby. A healthy baby is all the gift I need. We need the money for other things. My husband did get me a nice gift basket of lotions and spa items so I could pamper myself. They have them over at the mall, if you want to take a look.”

  James grinned. “I think that’s what Jane would say about a push present. If she doesn’t, I’ll be sure to bring her in here to see you, Shelly, and you can help her pick something out. Right now, I’ll take the infinity necklace with the diamonds. I’ll have to pay you cash for part of it and put the rest on my credit card.” He handed the necklace back to Shelly.

  “Come on over to the register and we’ll ring it up. Then I’ll gift-wrap the necklace. Do you know if you’re having a little boy or a little girl?”

  “A little girl. Shelly, before we go to the register, may I ask you for a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  James pulled Kitty’s diamond engagement ring from his pocket. “I’m doing this for a friend. I need to know if this is a real diamond or a fake.”

  Shelly hesitated.

  “It’s not going to break up a marriage or anything if it’s fake. It’s a confidential situation or I’d explain,” James assured her.

  Shelly took the ring. “Wait just a moment.”

  She left Bennett and James at the cash register and went in the back. She returned almost immediately. “I’m sorry, James, but this is a cubic zirconia, not a diamond. It’s probably worth about forty dollars, maybe even less. The setting is silver-plated and the cubic zirconia itself isn’t even high-quality.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the help.”

  • • •

  By the time Bennett and James got back to Quincy’s Gap, both had praised Shelly’s customer-service skills to the sky. They patted themselves on the back for getting gifts their ladies would love. James felt a lump in his throat when he thought of Jane wearing the diamond infinity neck
lace.

  They were back in Quincy’s Gap when Bennett said, “So Lucy let you borrow Kitty’s diamond, or cubic zirconia, I should say. Either Edwards took her for a fool or Kitty was lying about being engaged.”

  “Shelly said it wasn’t even a good cubic zirconia. Something tells me Kitty would have known Edwards hadn’t given her a diamond. My money’s on Kitty lying about being engaged.”

  When Bennett pulled into the library parking lot, it was after four. James said, “If you ask Gillian tonight, good luck,” James said, opening the passenger door and bracing himself for the cold.

  “I’m gonna do it right, man. Get down on one knee and everything.”

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” James joked. He got out of the car while Bennett was still laughing. When Bennett drove off, James headed toward the library steps. He called Milla to see if the Valentine’s boxes of candy for Jane, Willow, and Fern were ready.

  “Oh, James, I thought you were Jackson,” Milla said.

  James could detect her concern over the phone. He stopped walking. “What do you mean? Isn’t Pop home?”

  “No. He left this morning in his truck. He didn’t want to say where he was going. I’m worried. It’ll be dark in an hour.”

  James felt a shiver of pure fear. “Did Pop get crankier or did anything else happen Sunday after Jane and I left?”

  “Jackson spent about two hours out in his shed painting. When he came inside, I know he was on the phone a few times, but he didn’t tell me who he was talking to.”

  “I’ll be right there. We’ll figure out what to do.”

  James stuck his head inside the library to tell the twins to wait for him. The library closed at six during the winter.

  Then he sprinted to the Bronco. While it warmed up, he called Jane on his cell phone and told her he had errands to run and might be late for supper.

  “That’s fine. I’ve been eating all day and won’t be hungry again until later. I made a skillet pot pie. It’s in the fridge. We can warm it up when you come home. How’s everything with the investigation going?”

  “That’s one of my errands. I’ll explain when I get home. Is Eliot okay?”

  “He’s still trying to convince me to get a magic bag like Mary Poppins has.”

  James chuckled. “I have to go, honey. I love you. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  Jane yawned. “Oh, excuse me. I’m feeling extra tired today. Love you too.”

  The moment he disconnected, James put the Bronco in gear and took off toward his childhood home.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  James drove as quickly as he dared. Where could his father be? He hadn’t had another stroke, had he? James pictured his father lying in a hospital bed somewhere, the doctors and nurses unable to reach Milla because Jackson didn’t have any identification on him. Worse, what if he’d gotten confused and wandered off somewhere? No, Milla had said he’d taken the truck. He wasn’t on foot in the elements. Maybe he should call Lucy.

  By the time James pulled into the driveway and parked next to Milla’s Quincy’s Whimsies van, he’d worked himself into a state of panic. Telling himself it wouldn’t do Milla any good to see him like this, he relaxed his expression and knocked on the door.

  Milla answered him almost instantly. “I heard your truck. Come in out of the cold. I’ve got all of your boxes of Valentine’s chocolate on the kitchen table.”

  “Thank you,” he said, wrapping her in a warm hug. “Now, where do you think Pop took himself?”

  “James, I’m so worried. This isn’t like Jackson. I don’t know what to do. Should we call someone?”

  “Let’s think. Is it possible he went out for more art supplies?”

  “I checked the shed. He has plenty. And he’s been gone all afternoon. He left after grumbling about how I wouldn’t fix him French fries with his hamburger. I made some nice sweet potato wedges, but he wasn’t too happy with those. Then I had to go to Quincy’s Whimsies for a couple of hours. When I came home, he still wasn’t back.”

  “Did you check for a note? Does he usually leave you a note if he’s going somewhere?”

  “He does, but there’s none. I can look again, though. Maybe I’m overreacting.”

  At that moment, the kitchen door opened. Jackson’s back was to them. He seemed to be trying to haul something into the house. “Come on, now, it’s okay. You’ll love it here.”

  “Pop! What’s going on? Where’ve you been?” James said.

  Jackson bent down and picked up whatever it was he was trying to get into the house. When he turned around, James and Milla saw that, cuddled tightly in Jackson’s arms, was a full-grown reddish-colored corgi. The dog looked around with frightened eyes.

  Milla gasped and put her hands to her cheeks. “Jackson! Who is this?”

  Jackson grinned. “You’d better learn how to curtsy because this here is Queen Elizabeth. And she’s all yours.”

  Milla slowly stepped forward, her face a picture of delight. “Hello, Your Majesty. May I call you Elizabeth? Or would you prefer Queen?”

  The dog whined and Milla let her sniff her hand. Then she petted her and the dog’s short tailed wiggled back and forth. Milla said, “Dear, where did you get her?”

  “That friend of James’s, the one with the red hair and all the bracelets. Gillian, that’s her name. Runs that dog grooming place.” Jackson gently put the dog on the floor while Milla rushed to get a bowl and fill it with water. “I know you miss Prince Charles, Milla, and I know I’ve been a bear lately. I wanted to do something for you.”

  “I can’t think of a better gift.” Milla coaxed Queen Elizabeth to the water bowl. The dog gave it a good sniff before drinking thirstily. “How old is she?”

  “The lady at the rescue center over in Charlottesville, that’s where Gillian sent me, says she’s only two years old. They said she belonged to breeders who wanted her to have pups. When she couldn’t, the breeders took her to the pound. A woman there called the corgi rescue lady and they picked her up. They’ve been calling her Queen Elizabeth, so you might have to stick to that.”

  “Poor little dear! I’m already in love with her. Thank you, Jackson,” Milla said and started to cry. She sat down on the floor and called softly to the dog, who came to her shyly. Milla spoke to her in a quiet tone while stroking her fur.

  James got a tissue from the box on the kitchen counter and handed it to Milla. He turned to his father. “You done good, Pop.”

  Jackson squeezed his shoulder. “So have you, son. I’m proud of the way you’re taking care of your family. Can’t wait for the new little one to come. You’re a good father. That’s what counts. Not being forty pounds overweight.”

  “Thirty-five,” James said, feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes. Only rarely did his father show him any sort of physical affection, such as squeezing his shoulder. And for him to praise his parenting abilities! James felt as if he could fly. He cleared his throat and managed to say, “Thanks, Pop.”

  “I need to get Queen Elizabeth some food,” Milla said.

  “Don’t worry. The rescue lady gave me a bag. It’s out in the truck,” Jackson said. “I’ll get it while you show the Queen around.”

  Milla kept an eye on the dog while she washed her hands. Then she handed James three heart-shaped boxes. Each one was red satin. The top one had beautiful gold hand-lettering that read “To Jane, Love, James.” James put it down and looked at the other two. One simply said, “Fern” and the other “Willow.” “Milla, these are more than I expected. I’m sure they’ll be well-received. Thank you.”

  “No trouble, dear,” Milla said, watching the Queen.

  James smiled. “I’d better go help Pop.”

  “Thank you for coming over,” Milla said as she trailed after the corgi into the den.

  James walked outside. “You need help with that dog food bag, Pop?” James asked, loading the boxes of chocolates into the Bronco.

  “I’ve got it. Jane doing all right?”


  “Yes.”

  “Don’t forget now, anytime day or night, when the little one is ready to come, you bring Eliot over. If it’s at night, we can come to your house.” He lifted the bag of dog food.

  “Thanks, Pop. We’ve got another two weeks.”

  James waited to be sure his father made it into the house, then he climbed into the Bronco. As he was about to close the driver’s door, he heard the hound next door let loose a long, loud howl. James looked at the sky. Clear as a bell. “Probably howling because he knows his new neighbor is royalty,” James said to himself and chuckled.

  He drove back to the library and gave the Fitzgerald twins the Valentine’s boxes.

  “Personalized and everything,” Scott said. “Fern likes monogrammed stuff.”

  Francis lifted the lid of one box. “Wow, these chocolates smell delicious.”

  “Don’t start on them without Willow,” James warned.

  With both the twins pleased with the gifts for their Valentines, they locked up the library and headed home.

  James called Lucy before he started out. “Are you at home? If so, I’ll come by for a minute and drop off Kitty’s ring.”

  “Come on over. I’ll put the dogs out back,” Lucy said.

  James felt relieved. Lucy had three German shepherds. Being a fan of eighties music, she had named them Benatar, Bono, and Bon Jovi. Whatever their musical connections, James tried to steer clear of the big animals and their sharp teeth.

  A few minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of Lucy’s clapboard house, noting Lucy’s patrol car, not her Jeep, was parked out front. As he walked up the brick walkway, he heard the dogs barking wildly and reminded himself there was a chain-link fence between him and them.

  Lucy still had her deputy’s uniform on. “I came home about fifteen minutes ago to take care of the dogs and grab a bite to eat. I’m on call. Come in.”

  “I can’t stay too long,” James said, standing in the foyer. “I’ve got to get home to Jane.” He pulled the plastic bag containing Kitty’s ring from his pocket.

  “Let me guess,” Lucy said. “It’s not a diamond.”