“Or they tried to borrow money from Lloyd but he wouldn’t give it to them. I don’t have any idea, but we were all invited to the meetings. There had to be a reason.”
“I know! I mean, I just gave Jodie some articles about that.”
“Good. We’ve seen some, but it can’t hurt to read whatever is out there.”
“In my mind you’re the biggest mystery. Why were you invited?” I said.
“That’s what I was in there trying to figure out.”
“As a civilian?”
“I’m a cop, Clare. I dressed as a civilian to make me less threatening, but I’m always a cop. You should know that.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“I’m not sure yet, and I’m not as easy as my sister. She tells you too much.”
I sighed. “I’m glad Nathan was found.”
“Me too. I thought they were somehow involved with his disappearance too, and that added even more questions.”
“You really do think one of them killed Lloyd, don’t you?”
“Pretty sure. I just can’t figure out why.”
“Lloyd was killed out on the slopes. Were any of them skiing that day?”
Creighton sent me a half smile. “There is no evidence that any of them were skiing. They all have season passes, even Howard, but none of them have a gun registered in their names. That’s sometimes easy to get around. And, in case you were wondering, none of them have goggle tan lines. In fact, they all claim not to have been skiing for over a month.”
I nodded. As strange as he looked in his civilian clothes, it was clear the police were hard at work on figuring out who killed Lloyd. Or Creighton was making everything up, but I didn’t think he would bother wasting his time doing that with me.
“Gotta go, Clare. Quit spying on people. Stay out of the way of our police work.”
“I’m not in the way.”
He got out of the car, shut the door a little too hard, and then hurried away. For a big guy, he could sure disappear into a small crowd easily.
I started the car, turned it around, and finally went back to work.
“Dillon, hello,” I said as I walked into The Rescued Word. “I’m kind of surprised you’re still in town.”
“I’m not allowed to leave,” he said. “I’d like to. Believe me.”
“I do believe you,” I said. “You look tired. Are you okay?”
“I’m not sleeping well,” he said. “But I suppose that’s to be expected. I keep seeing Lloyd’s foot in my dreams, but it doesn’t have the ski boot on it.”
“That’s not good.”
Dillon was too young to look as tired as I felt, and I was sure the dark circles under our eyes matched well.
“No, it’s not.” He ran his hand through his hair. “And now I have another task. I wondered . . . well, is there any chance you could come with me to the cemetery?”
“Um.”
“Brenda asked me to find Lloyd’s family plot and make sure everything is ready for the service tomorrow. The police haven’t released Lloyd’s body yet, but the family wants to go ahead and have the service.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” I said. I looked at Chester. Sympathy for the young man showed in his eyes as he nodded once. “Where’s Brenda today?”
“She had a bunch of phone calls this morning and then she’s spending time with Lloyd’s parents. They’ll be going to the cemetery later today to check on things, but . . . well, Brenda wants to make sure the family has no surprises. She’s always a step or two ahead of everything, but she forgot to stop by there yesterday. She suggested I see if you could go with me.”
“Okay,” I said.
“You two be careful,” Chester said.
“Let’s go,” I said.
I hadn’t heard a peep from Baskerville, so I looked up to the high shelves as we left. The cat was there, eyeing the goings-on below. It seemed he didn’t have any commentary to add, so we just shared a blink. He probably wondered if I was ever going to get back to my job duties. I did too.
The Star City Cemetery sat amid some rolling hills next to a mountaintop. Final resting place views were stunning no matter what the season; sides of mountains made for pretty sights if they were covered in snow, wildflowers, green grasses, or just rocks. One border of the cemetery property ran along a busy two-lane highway. When Dillon shared the Gavin family plot’s location, I zoned in on where we were going and pulled into the parking lot halfway between the grave site and the small brick building where I’d been to more than a few viewings and services over the years.
“It’s right there, I think,” I said as I pointed.
“Let’s go look first, make sure it’s in good shape, and then we’ll go talk to whoever’s inside,” he said unenthusiastically, though I saw an element of maturity I hadn’t seen the night he tried to deliver the Hoovens. Maybe the days in Star City, and the circumstances, had aged him. “There will be no . . . burial tomorrow. It needs to look nice.”
The cold wind wasn’t unbearable, but it bit at my cheeks as we crossed the grounds. I zipped my coat up around my chin. The plot, surrounded by a low wrought-iron fence, had no gate; we just stepped over the wrought iron. It looked like both of Lloyd’s grandparents on his father’s side had been buried there about ten years earlier, but no other plots had been used yet, their stones marked with names and birth dates, but no death dates, even Lloyd’s. I wondered when that would happen and if it was something we needed to ask the cemetery manager about.
“That’s what I was worried about,” Dillon said as he stepped next to Lloyd’s space. “The grass is uneven and brown.”
“And a little snowy, but it’s winter,” I said. “It would be impossible to have green grass right now. I doubt the family will expect it.”
“Brenda told me she wanted it cleaned off, mowed, and green by the time she came out after visiting with his parents.”
“She didn’t mean that literally,” I said, but that was just a guess. Even if I was wrong, it didn’t matter. Her wishes could not feasibly be met. “She just wanted you to make sure that it was okay. That nothing would surprise them in a worse way than they’d already been surprised. And it looks very nice, Dillon.”
“I don’t know. She usually says what she means.”
“Lloyd would be pleased. It’s very nice,” I repeated. I swallowed hard. The last thing Dillon needed was for me to get emotional. He had his own stuff to deal with.
“I hope so.” He stepped back over the fence and collapsed into a sitting position.
I stepped over too and crouched next to him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine. Well, not really, but I’m going to be okay. My knees felt weak for a second, that’s all. Just give me a minute.”
I stayed next to him on the cold, slightly wet ground.
“When’s the last time you ate?” I said.
“This morning. It’s not that . . . I’ll just miss him. I can’t believe all this has happened. I want to go home.”
“He was a good guy, huh?” I said, shoring up my emotions.
“Very. Smart, kind, good guy.”
I nodded. “Did everyone like working for him?” I felt a tiny bit awful taking advantage of the moment, but not enough to hold back.
“Sure.” He shrugged.
“So, almost everyone, huh?” I said with a small smile.
He returned the smile. “Well, it’s probably better to say that everyone liked working for him most of the time, but probably not every single moment.”
“Sounds like he was successful. It can’t all be fun and games to get as far as he got.”
Dillon shrugged again.
I waited. I wasn’t sure what to say, and though I didn’t always follow my own rule, I knew that sometimes, particularly when you don’t know
what to say, you can get better answers if you’re just quiet.
And this time it worked.
“He was demanding, and sometimes up and down with his anger, but mostly . . . well, he could be kind of obsessed with things.”
“I’m not sure, Dillon, but I think that’s somewhat typical of people who are categorized as geniuses.”
“That’s probably true, but some people thought he was too much. Didn’t like him because of it. Some people got really angry at him.”
“Well, I know we’re just talking here and I know this is a big jump to a crazy conclusion, but of those people who got angry at him, any of them get too angry? Can you think of someone who might have wanted him dead? One of his employees, or maybe a competitor?”
Jodie might have rolled her eyes at me. Or maybe not. I’d ask her later if I’d done this correctly.
Dillon shook his head slowly. “Not sure. You know the typewriter things he wanted you to have?”
“Sure.”
“He called us all in one Sunday just because he wanted us to go to the sale of the building together. It was an auction. He’d heard about the possibility of the typewriters, and we all had to come in to work and then go together, just in case he needed help. He did stuff like that all the time.”
“Call people in on their days off?”
“Yeah. But he never took a day off. He was always working. I think it surprised him that people weren’t supposed to be at work.” Dillon laughed. “He just worked all the time.”
“Seventeen employees?”
“Yes.”
“Did Jodie ask you for all their names?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He paused. “He told us all about you, you know. I think it was after Brenda learned about you. That’s when we all heard about you. He was fond of you. If he’d lived by you, I bet he would have been a stalker.”
“That’s a stretch.” And creepy. “I expect the Hoovens made him remember our friendship and his attention to detail, maybe some sort of obsession over the typewriters, took over.”
“Think whatever you’d like, but he was at least obsessed from afar. Brenda and I talked about how it was a good thing you didn’t live there. In fact, she and I thought it was Lloyd who planned the meetings here in town. The invitation came shortly after we all trekked out to that auction for the Hoovens. He kept saying that getting that invitation was destiny that he was supposed to bring the Hoovens out to you right away, but it was forced, you know. ‘Destiny’ wasn’t his thing. We felt like he said that just to throw us off. He got a haircut, new glasses, started eating only vegetables. It was weird.”
It was. “To your knowledge, did he ever have a girlfriend?”
“No. I thought he and Brenda might have dated, but she insists they didn’t. They got along very well, though, most of the time.”
“Except when they didn’t?”
“No, they actually got along very well, and worked well together. Sometimes, though, they would get caught up on a project and forget about everyone else. It was a problem for . . . I shouldn’t be talking about this. Forget I mentioned it. It turned out okay anyway.”
I nodded. “How did Brenda feel about him wanting to give me the Hoovens?”
He looked at me, his eyebrows coming together. “Do you mean was she jealous? No, she wasn’t jealous. She just wanted to get the delivery and the meetings over with. She wanted us all to get back to work.”
At the same time a gust of cold air moved across the cemetery, another car pulled into the lot.
“Here she comes,” he said as we both stood, straightened our coats, and started walking toward the parking lot, greeting her as she got out of her rental car.
“His parents just want me to help with everything,” Brenda said to me. “They’re struggling. It’s understandable. They were doing okay when I left them.” She looked at Dillon. “How’s the family plot look?”
“Good,” Dillon said. “Well, brown and wintery, but what’s there looks as good as might be expected this time of year.”
“Good. So, you asked Clare to bring you out here?”
“Oh yeah, I did.”
“That was very kind, Clare,” Brenda said. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
“Want to come inside with us?” she said.
“No, but if you don’t have plans for dinner tonight, I’d love to take you both out. Of course, Lloyd’s parents are invited, but I would understand if they didn’t want to come along.”
Dillon and Brenda looked at each other. Brenda shrugged, but Dillon tried to look neutral. She was his superior at work, so she was in charge here too. Made sense, but there was definitely an edge to her that I hadn’t noticed when she, Jodie, and I had had barbecue.
“Sure,” she said. “The service is tomorrow. You’ll come?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll call as soon as we’re done here,” she said. “Thank you for the invitation.”
They disappeared inside the building and I sought shelter in my car. My knees were damp from kneeling, but I didn’t have the time to run home and change. I pulled out my cell phone and hit Jodie’s number.
“What up?” she answered.
“I’m at the cemetery with Dillon and Brenda. They just went inside. I’m taking them to dinner, but I wondered if you guys had looked at everyone at Lloyd’s company. There were only seventeen employees.”
“Yes, we have, Clare,” she said, a smile to her voice. “They are clean as a bunch of whistles that haven’t been taken out of the package yet. Except for Dillon, they were all in Nebraska at the time. We suppose Dillon was on the road.”
“Suppose?”
She hesitated. “We’re confirming, but he used cash for gas. He told us the locations and we’re trying to track down security camera footage.”
“Who uses cash for gas?”
“Someone who’s given a giant wad of cash from his boss and told not to worry about spending too much as they’re being told to travel safely. Oh, and Dillon mentioned that Lloyd didn’t let him know he was to drive the truck out until two days before. Dillon thought Lloyd wanted to make the trip less of the inconvenience it truly was.”
“That’s what he said?”
“Yes.”
“No company credit card?”
“The company has a few credit cards, but Dillon didn’t use one. By the way, those credit cards are paid off in full every month. Lloyd’s business was ridiculously successful, Clare. More money than Zeus, if you know what I mean.”
“Makes me wonder about life insurance. I’m sure you looked there too.”
“We’ve requested the paperwork, but the insurance company isn’t playing nice. We’ll have it soon, though, and we suspect his parents were his only beneficiaries. I’ll get a judge involved if I have to.”
“That might tell us—I mean you—lots.”
“Yes, we’re looking forward to receiving the information. Why are you going out to dinner with them?”
“I want to get to know them and, through them, Lloyd, a little better. We, I mean you, haven’t found one good motive for murder yet. I’m just trying to find a reason to dislike him.”
“Dillon told us he was gaga over you too. So far both he and Brenda have corroborated that fact.”
“Dylan mentioned that to me. He and I hadn’t spoken in years, Jodie. The typewriters were nostalgic to him, and took him back to when we were kids. I think I’d have heard from him if I was that important in his life. And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t kill him because he was stalking me or anything. If he had been, I would have just called you.”
“I’m getting the same read.”
“Want to go to dinner with us? Or want me to call you if I learn anything interesting?”
“No and no. I want you to call me no matter what
. Memorize everything they say. Take notes if you can.”
“That should be easy. It’s a common courtesy to take notes while you’re at dinner with people you don’t know well.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Why don’t you want to come?”
“I just can’t,” she said quietly. “I’m tailing my brother tonight, Clare. You’re the only one who knows. Don’t tell anyone, Seth included.”
“By yourself?”
“I have no choice.”
“Yes, you do. I can come with you.”
“No, not tonight. I need to see if I can figure out what’s going on with him and I don’t want to worry about you.”
“Jodie.”
“Clare,” she said. “Think about why I have to do this alone.”
“Because you don’t want any other cops to think your brother is up to no good, and because you don’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way, particularly me.”
“Exactly. Call me after dinner. I’ll have my phone off if I’m in a precarious position.”
She clicked off before I could voice further protest. Brenda and Dillon exited the small building only a moment later. They both got into her car. She drove around and rolled down her window.
“Dinner now?”
“Perfect,” I said as I thought about keeping my wet knees hidden under a table.
“Okay, we’ll follow you,” she said.
I knew just where to go.
19
I hadn’t seen someone devour a pizza like Dillon did since I’d been in high school. Either he was starving or he was just a young man with a healthy need for lots of food.
I got him his own, topped with everything, and it was almost gone by the time Brenda and I each took a third piece of our vegetarian. I wasn’t a shy eater, but I’d never be able to keep up with Dillon.
“What will happen to the company now?” I asked.
“It’s in his will that the business continues. He was good about those things. Met with his attorney every few months or so just to make sure things were in order. He was worth too much not to take care of things.”
“Who’ll be in charge?” I asked.
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