Mixed Malice

by Beck, Jessica

  “Is that why you pinched me? Suzanne, the woman clearly thrives on praise from men. If I’m nice to her, I’ll be able to get more information out of her. I want the woman to try to please me.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that at all, but I just shrugged in response, mainly because I had a hunch that Jake had read Madison perfectly and that I was just being silly.

  Movement caught my eye from the house across the street, and I looked over and saw a middle-aged man standing in the window openly watching us.

  “Where are you going?” Jake asked me as I started off across the street and away from his truck.

  “I’m following up on a hunch,” I said. I expected the neighbor to retreat, but to my surprise, he came out of the house as we approached instead.

  “Excuse me, sir. Do you have a second?”

  “That’s all I seem to have these days. What can I do for you?” The man was clearly eager to chat.

  “You don’t miss much of the comings and goings over there, do you?” I asked him with a grin as I glanced back at Sanderson’s, or more likely Snappy’s, house.

  He answered with a shrug. “What can I say? I like to think of myself as our very own neighborhood watch.”

  “Do you keep close tabs on what goes on over there?” I asked him.

  “There’s not much else I can do since I got laid off. Television bores me, I have trouble reading, but I love seeing the world go by outside my window. It doesn’t help matters that I can’t seem to sleep at night. I’m getting a few hours of rest during the day, but there’s something about the dark that keeps me awake.”

  “I bet a lot’s been going on across the street lately,” I said.

  “You mean Madison’s nocturnal visits?” he asked with a grin. “Yes, she’s been a frequent visitor over there, even before Sanderson’s dad died.” It was clear he liked nothing more than sharing a bit of gossip with us, but his phone rang inside, and as he dashed back in, he said, “I’ve got to take this call. It’s about a job interview.”

  With that, he slammed the door in our faces.

  Jake looked at me and grinned. “That happens a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

  “Getting doors slammed in my face? More than I’d care to admit,” I replied. “Let’s get back to Snappy’s will. There has to be one true final version. The real question is, who has it?”

  “It sounds as though we need to ask around and see if we can find out,” Jake replied. “It could be the key to solving this case.”

  That sounded like something a lawyer might be able to help us with, and there was only one attorney I knew in Maple Hollow.

  It was time to go see Adam Jefferson.

  “Turn left here,” I ordered Jake as we got to a more familiar part of town.

  “That’s odd. I figured the attorney’s office would either be downtown or near the courthouse,” Jake replied as he drove as I’d directed him.

  “It is. I want to see my aunt’s house.”

  “I get it,” he said. Jake slowed down when he got near it.

  “Pull over and stop right here.”

  Momma had been right. I wouldn’t have made the same choices the new owners had in cutting the trees back and the bushes completely down, but it certainly let in more light than it had when Aunt Jean had owned the house. The large and somewhat ancient Victorian had gotten a facelift since I’d last seen it, and I had a feeling that my aunt would have approved of at least that part of it.

  “You can drive now,” I said.

  “We could always knock on the front door and ask the new owner if we could look around,” my husband suggested.

  “Thanks, but I’m not sure I could take it. I just wanted to see it one last time. Now I never need to come back. Just drive the way you came in, and we’ll be at the attorney’s office in no time.” I knew that Jake wanted to say something, so I added quickly, “I’m fine. Really. Let’s forget about the past for the moment and concentrate on our investigation. That’s all right with you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, of course it is. You know, if Adam Jefferson is representing anyone in this estate, he’s not going to be able to tell us anything.”

  “I get that, but it’s still worth a shot, isn’t it?”

  “Right now, it’s as good a lead as any,” Jake said. He found space near the attorney’s office, and after parking the truck, we went inside.

  “Do you even own a suit?” I asked the attorney with a smile when he greeted us. He was dressed much as he had been when we’d first met, faded blue jeans and an old DUKE sweatshirt.

  “I do, but I seem to wear this more often,” he replied as he shook our hands. “I don’t recommend owning rental property to anyone, even though I know it’s a sound financial move. What they don’t tell you is how much work it’s going to be.”

  “I get that completely,” Jake said. He’d met the attorney briefly, but I was our main contact with the man.

  I asked him, “Adam, do you have a minute? We’re looking for some free advice.”

  He grinned at me. “And you came to an attorney?”

  “What can I say? We figured it was worth a shot,” I admitted.

  “Wow, you must be desperate. Sure, I’ll help you if I can. What’s up?”

  “Snappy Mack was working at my donut shop when he was murdered,” I said. After all, there was no sense beating around the bush.

  “I heard,” the attorney said somberly. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said. “Did you represent him?”

  “If I did, I couldn’t discuss his situation with you,” Adam said.

  “So then, is that a no?” Jake asked him.

  “Snappy and I never really hit it off. The man played his cards close to the chest, which I can completely respect, but when I found out he was withholding vital information from me a few years ago and I called him on it, he fired me on the spot. Not before paying me in full, at any rate, and you’d better believe I got his check before I let him walk out the door. What specifically did you want to know about him?”

  “Everyone seems to be fighting over his estate,” I told him, “but from what we’ve seen, it’s not going to amount to much. Why all the fuss?”

  “Who do you mean when you say ‘everyone’?” he asked me.

  “Funny, I thought I was asking the questions,” I reminded him.

  “You can ask away, but there needs to be a little quid pro quo here, since I’m off the clock.”

  I glanced at Jake, who nodded his approval. I told him, “So far, we’ve spoken with Madison Moore, Hank Bloch, and Snappy’s son, Sanderson, and all three of them are under the impression that they’ll be inheriting the bulk of the man’s estate.”

  “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” Adam asked with a grin. “Snappy had a habit of overpromising things. Do you think one of them had something to do with his murder?”

  “It’s entirely possible, I’m sorry to say,” I said.

  Adam frowned a moment before he spoke again. “All three of them have mean streaks; I can tell you that much. I’m puzzled by one thing, though. You didn’t mention Deloris.”

  “Who exactly is Deloris?” Jake asked, jotting the name down carefully in his little notebook. It had been a habit of his when he’d been with the state police, and he still carried one wherever he went.

  “Deloris Mack, Snappy’s wife,” the attorney explained. “Ex-wife, I should say.”

  “Is she Sanderson’s mother?” I asked.

  “No, that was Janine. She died when Sanderson was a teenager, and Snappy married Deloris not long after he buried his first wife. Tongues wagged, or so I’ve heard.”

  “Is Deloris still in town?” I asked.

  “Oh, yes. She owns a little shop in town that s
ells candles. I don’t know how she makes a living doing it, but she seems to squeak by. You should speak with her. I’m guessing she, too, is going to think she’s coming into some money, if I knew Snappy.”

  “Getting back to our original question,” Jake said, “is there even going to be any money to distribute after his bills are all paid?”

  The attorney whistled softly to himself. “You’d better believe it.”

  “Seriously? We were just at Snappy’s office, and it’s not much.”

  “The man had a great deal more than just his construction business. He’s been buying up dilapidated old properties for years on the side, rehabbing them, and then renting them out and making a fortune.”

  “How much are we talking about here?” I asked him, surprised to hear the new information.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say that it could be in the neighborhood of three million. Then again, it could be more, but probably not much less.”

  I looked at him, stunned to hear the news. “I’m having a hard time believing that.”

  “I know. It’s really true what they say; you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Adam was about to add something else when his phone rang. “Excuse me for one second.” He took the call, and after identifying himself, he mostly listened. “Yes. Of course. I understand. Fine. That works for me. I’d be happy to. See you then.”

  “Who was that?” I asked out of curiosity more than a need to know.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss that anymore, nor can I offer any further speculation about Snappy Mack’s real or imagined net worth. Thanks for stopping by,” he said as he shook each of our hands, and then he added, “It was good seeing you again, Suzanne. I keep meaning to make it to the donut shop, but something always seems to come up.”

  “Like one of our suspects hiring you to represent them on the spot, you mean?” I asked him with a grin.

  “No comment,” he replied, smiling just as broadly back at me.

  Once we were outside again, Jake looked at me. “So, which one of them do you think it was on the other end of that phone call?”

  “I have no idea,” I said, “but unless I miss my guess, things are about to get ugly in Maple Hollow.”

  Chapter 5

  “Excuse me, are you Mrs. Mack?” I asked as we walked into Wax and Wicks, Snappy’s ex-wife’s deserted candle shop. It was a cutesy kind of place, featuring candles of all shapes and sizes prominently displayed, along with blocks of wax and a variety of molds and wicks. There were even a few electric candles, their flickering wicks beating time to the music playing in the background. The woman behind the counter was younger than I’d been expecting but still a stark contrast to Snappy’s current love. While Madison was young, pretty, and more than a little perky, this woman wore her gray hair proudly down her back and looked like an enhanced picture of Mother Earth. She sported a multicolored muumuu and sandals that appeared to have been made on some Caribbean island, and she had a solid weight about her that went beyond her stature.

  “I prefer Deloris,” she said. “I consider Mack to be my indentured name.”

  “I take it you weren’t a big fan of your ex-husband’s,” I said.

  “On the contrary. Snappy and I made much better friends than we ever did spouses. I just can’t believe he’s gone.”

  “If you were still close, I’m surprised that you’re still open, and not at Sanderson’s place commiserating with his friends and family,” I said. Jake was staying in the background for this interview, so I was running with it full steam ahead.

  “The truth of the matter is that the little snot is not my biggest fan,” Deloris said as she bit her lower lip. “I won’t be surprised if he tries to bar me from the funeral, but let him try! If he’s itching for a fight, then I’m just the gal to give it to him. Now that his father is gone, there’s no reason for me to hold back any longer.”

  The declaration of war didn’t match the woman’s outward appearance, and I had to wonder if she’d really been as close to Snappy as she and Adam Jefferson had claimed.

  Then her face softened for a moment as she added, “If I didn’t have to pay the bills, I would have shut things down in a heartbeat. After all, it’s hard to say when the will is going to be read and when all of that takes effect. It could be several months before I get my inheritance.”

  “Let me guess,” Jake said from behind me. “You’re his main beneficiary.”

  “How did you know?” she asked him. “Snappy always promised to look out for me once he was gone. I just wish it hadn’t happened so soon.”

  This was getting ridiculous. “Deloris, do you have any idea how many people are under the impression that they’re his primary beneficiaries?”

  “They can believe anything they’d like,” she said with ultimate confidence. “I’ve got the paperwork to back my position up.”

  I glance over at Jake, who merely replied, “If I were you, I’d check the date on that document. There’s a possibility that someone else has a more recent claim on the estate, and the last will written is the one that will be enforced.”

  Deloris’s face went white at the news. “Snappy wouldn’t do that to me.”

  “He wouldn’t?” I asked her softly. “How can you be so sure?”

  “But that changes everything. I need that inheritance.” She was clearly distraught by the prospect of being written out of her ex-husband’s will.

  “Needing it and receiving it can be two very different things,” Jake told her.

  Deloris looked truly troubled now. “I need to see what’s going on. If you’ll excuse me…” she said as she literally tried to push us out the door.

  “We just have a few more questions,” I said, but it turned out to be of no avail.

  Before we knew what was happening, Jake and I were standing on the sidewalk in front of the candle shop, and all of the lights inside were going out en masse.

  “Is there anyone in town Snappy didn’t promise to leave his money to?” I asked Jake as we headed back to his truck.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel a little left out. We’re in the minority, because as far as I know, we were never mentioned in any of the many versions of the man’s last will and testament, whatever the last version ends up being,” Jake said with a rueful shrug. “What an idiot!”

  “How so?” I asked.

  “Think about it, Suzanne. Snappy gave at least four people a motive to want to see him dead, all by bragging about how much they were going to get from his estate when he died. It was almost as though he was begging to be murdered.”

  “You don’t believe that, do you?” I asked my husband softly.

  “No. Of course not. It just doesn’t make our job any easier, does it? Every last one of our suspects believes they are going to receive the bulk of the man’s estate. When the others discover who really gets it, the final beneficiary is the one who’s going to need an insurance policy.”

  “If solving murder cases was that easy, everybody would be doing it,” I said with a grin. I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was just past eleven. Where had the morning gone? “Are you hungry?”

  “I am. I was just about to mention it to you. I don’t know how you feel, but I don’t want to wait until we get back to April Springs to eat something. Do you know of any good places we can eat around here?”

  I thought about the time Momma and I had spent in town, and I remembered one particular café immediately. “There’s a place called Burt’s not far from here that’s not bad,” I said. “Plus, it has the added bonus of being a hub of the town’s gossip center. You can bet folks are talking about what happened to Snappy in my donut shop this morning. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and overhear something that’s helpful to our investigation.”

  “And ev
en if we don’t learn anything new, at least we’ll get to eat,” Jake said. “Just tell me where I need to go.”

  I laughed despite the serious nature of our task. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t get used to it,” Jake replied.

  “What can I say? Where there’s life, there’s hope.”

  “Welcome to Burt’s,” the familiar waitress said as Jake and I walked into the café. “Hey, I know you,” she said when she spied me standing behind my husband.

  “Hey, Tammy, how are you?”

  “I couldn’t be better if I won the lottery,” the middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and granny glasses said. In a softer voice, she added, “We all know that’s a big fat lie, but since the boss is watching, it wouldn’t do to advertise the fact. Two for lunch?”

  “Please,” I said as she led us to a table.

  “What’s good here?” Jake inquired, something he always asked whenever he ate someplace new. It had yielded some surprisingly good recommendations over the years, along with a few clunkers as well from time to time.

  “You can’t go wrong with today’s special,” Tammy said, her pencil poised over her order pad.

  “That sounds good to me,” Jake said with a grin as he handed the menu back to her without even glancing at it.

  “Don’t you even want to know what you’ll be having?”

  “What can I say? I like to live dangerously. Surprise me.”

  Tammy laughed and then turned to me. “How about you?”

  “We might as well both have it.”

  “I like you two,” she said as she jotted our orders down. “You’re my kind of people. I’ll bring you a pair of sweet teas, since that’s our best drink, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Why not? We’re in it all the way,” Jake said.