Murder on Bainbridge Island: A Northwest Cozy Mystery (Northwest Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Dianne Harman

  DeeDee laughed as her baby sister Rosalind disappeared back inside. At thirty-nine, Roz was ten years younger than DeeDee, and seemed to have gotten a party gene from their father that had skipped DeeDee. Judging from last night’s celebration, her children had gotten it as well.

  Roz reappeared holding a coffee pot and a mug. She had a magazine tucked under one arm and a bag of cookies under the other. She slumped into a chair as if she’d just been deflated. “I think I’ve just peaked for the day. This is about all I’m going to do until it’s time to go to bed,” she said.

  Roz’s freckled skin glowed without makeup, and even though she was always complaining about how she couldn’t manage her curly red hair, it was a source of never-ending compliments from Roz’s many admirers.

  “How come you look amazing, when you were up half the night? It’s just not fair,” DeeDee moaned. DeeDee had inherited their mother’s looks and temperament, whereas Roz was more like their father. DeeDee was quiet and calm by nature, with a tall, athletic build, fair hair, and pale skin. Roz was shorter and rounder, with a firecracker personality that matched her hair, although DeeDee often suspected that a lot of Roz’s chutzpah was just an act.

  “Really? I don’t feel like I do,” Roz said matter-of-factly. “If you really think I look amazing right now, then my life is over. Like, never drinking wine again over. Ugh.”

  “I’ll give you credit on one level. You made a valiant effort to get down with the kids last night,” DeeDee said as she laughed, “but all kidding aside, I really did enjoy seeing all of the kids’ friends here again.”

  DeeDee had readily agreed when Mitch and Tink had asked if they could have their friends come for a final party before the house was turned over to the new owner. Although there had been a lot of laughs the night before, there had been a few tears as well.

  “I know the kids are angry with me for selling the house,” DeeDee said, sighing. “They think I’m the bad guy, but I can’t afford to stay here by myself. Lyle was the one who insisted we get a quickie divorce and divide all our assets, but it probably was the best thing for all of us. It’s kind of like how you take a bandage off. You can do it slowly and feel the pain for a long time or do it quickly and get it over with. Well, we did it quickly, and now I hope we can all get on with our lives.” She took a sip of her coffee and stared out at the lake.

  “Humph,” Roz said with a snort. “You mean so Lyle can move on with his new love. I can’t believe what a jerk that guy turned out to be. I have to say I’m not surprised. I thought it was a pretty bad omen when it rained on your wedding day, but then again, it rains here more than it’s sunny, so I really wasn’t all that surprised.

  “Anyway, I can’t wait until that floozy cleans him out, then he’ll be sorry for breaking up the family.” Roz wore her heart on her sleeve, and she didn’t pull any punches when it came to telling people what she thought. It had gotten her in trouble more than once or twice, but most of the time her engaging personality allowed her to get away with it.

  DeeDee shrugged, and reached over to pour herself more coffee. “I doubt it,” she said to her sister. “You know, I’ve cried myself to sleep too many nights wishing Lyle would come back, going over everything that happened, and wishing I could turn back the clock.” She shook her head in a sign of dismay. “I should have seen it coming, Roz. I feel like such a fool. The business trips out of town, the golf every Saturday and Sunday, the dinner meetings he said were big important deals he was working on. It was all right in front of my eyes, but I ignored it. I think on some level I knew what was going on, and that he was having an affair. Maybe subconsciously I wanted him to leave me, so he’d be the one that destroyed what we had, and I’d come out the good guy. In all honesty, I’d have to say it was both of us.”

  “What do you mean?” Roz asked.

  “Just that it takes two people to make a marriage, and we both played our part in its ending. After the kids left for college, the gap between us widened. Maybe the kids were the glue that held us together all that time, but in a way, staying together was easier than admitting something was wrong. At least Lyle had the guts to do something about it, but you know what? It still hurts so much. It’s like we failed each other, the children, and ourselves,” DeeDee said as her voice faltered. “I hope you never have to go through something like this. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

  “It’s unlikely,” Roz said. “You know I just want to have fun. Love ‘em and leave ‘em, that’s my motto.” Leaning back in her chair, Roz lifted her bare feet onto the wicker table and stretched out her arms, grasping her hands behind her neck. “Oh, it’s so beautiful and peaceful here. I’m really going to miss this place.”

  “That’s the understatement of the century. I wish I’d told Lyle I couldn’t move until the end of summer, but he would have freaked out.”

  Roz made a face. “DeeDee, you’re far too nice. After what he’s put you through, you should make the guy suffer.”

  “There’s no point now. It’s gone too far for that,” DeeDee said. “The time for fixing things between Lyle and me has passed. Actually, we were broken long before Ariana came along. If it hadn’t been her, it would have been someone else.”

  “Are you saying that if they broke up, you wouldn’t have him back?” Roz asked, wide-eyed. “Because, I didn’t want to say anything, but Tink told me she’s convinced all is not well in paradise with the two of them. I guess Tink was hoping you two might get back together. I mean, when your fifty-year old dad hooks up with his twenty-eight-year-old secretary, there’s a good chance things won’t work out, right?”

  DeeDee smiled. “Sure, Tink would love that. She’s daddy’s girl, but even if Lyle begged me for another chance, getting back with him is not on my to-do list.”

  “Are you sure about that, or are you just putting on a brave face, because I’d bet my last dollar on Lyle splitting up with whats-her-face before the year is out.”

  “Ariana is her name, not whats-her-face,” DeeDee said, correcting her sister. “Even if they do split up, I won’t be waiting around. That ship has sailed.” She gave her sister a wink.

  “Oh, my goodness, DeeDee, you haven’t met someone else already, have you?” Roz stared at her open-mouthed. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

  “Of course I haven’t met anyone,” replied DeeDee, “and you’d be the first to know if I had. Someday, maybe it would be nice to be in a close relationship and have companionship, but for now, I’m far too busy to even think about …that.” She gave her sister a wry smile.

  “After all, I’ll be homeless in a few days, and my darling children have left me to clear up last night’s carnage and pack up the house by myself. It’s too upsetting for my precious little twenty-something lambs to even contemplate this not being their home any more. They were out of here early this morning, although I doubt that they felt much better than you do,” she laughed. “Anyway, now that they both have their own apartments, I only see them when they need money, or they want to come home so they can do their laundry.”

  “When are the new people moving in?”

  DeeDee sighed. “It all happened a lot faster than I thought it would. I should have known the house would be snapped up in a heartbeat. The papers have already been signed, and I have to be out by the end of the week.”

  When DeeDee had called the real estate agent, he’d practically drooled over the phone. A five-bedroom, four-bathroom house on Mercer Island, right on the lake, and being on one of the largest lots on the island made it very desirable. It was priced at a steal for a quick sale, and staging it wasn’t necessary, because the rooms were immaculate and beautifully furnished. DeeDee had a knack for decorating and had picked up many unique and exotic pieces of furniture for the house over the years.

  “Don’t worry, I can help you. Clark’s away for a few days, and I’d be happy to hang out here.”

  “That would be great, thanks. How are things going with you two anyway? You’ve be
en seeing him for a while. Is it getting serious?”

  Roz swatted her sister on the arm with the magazine she’d started leafing through. “Nah, of course not,” Roz replied, but DeeDee noticed her sister’s face flush. She’d love to see Roz settle down with someone nice, but she knew better than to push it. Roz would tell her when she was good and ready.

  “I’m heading to the old family homestead on Bainbridge Island Thursday night,” DeeDee said, her eyes brightening. “Since it’s not tax season, and you probably have a little time off from your tax clients, maybe you could come over next week.”

  “Of course,” Roz beamed. “I’d love to. I can’t wait to see the old place again. I think it’s wonderful you’re going to live in the house Mom and Dad willed to you.” Roz grinned at DeeDee. “It’s far too quiet for me, but I think you’ll love it. That’s probably why they willed the house to you and the money to me.”

  The house on Bainbridge Island had belonged to their parents, and they’d left it to DeeDee when they passed away. DeeDee and Lyle had spent a lot of time there during the summers when the kids were growing up. Lyle commuted from the island to his office in downtown Seattle by ferry boat. Since it had been her separate property, even though DeeDee had instructed her lawyer to play hard-ball to ensure that she received the property as part of her divorce settlement, she didn’t think that had even been a problem.

  “Right now, I’m very glad I have it,” DeeDee said, gazing out at the water. Bainbridge Island was only a thirty-five-minute ferry ride from Seattle, so she’d still be able to see her children and Roz as well as her many other friends. Mitch and Tink thought it was a ridiculous idea for her to live on Bainbridge, but she was sure they’d come around in time. They had their own lives, and it was time for DeeDee to move on with hers.

  CHAPTER 2

  DeeDee loved nothing more than a good estate sale. She and Roz would plan their estate sale trips in advance, and usually make a day of it. They’d even been known to travel out-of-state for a really big one. They headed out early and usually stopped for breakfast along the way. On the way home, they’d talk about the great buys they’d made or moan about the items they’d missed out on. They thoroughly enjoyed shopping for bargains, wondering about the history of the items, and why the items had been for sale.

  The estate sales were usually held because of either a death or a divorce, with the proceeds of the sale split between ex-spouses or siblings. DeeDee was well aware of the element of voyeurism that took place at the sales, and today the spotlight was turned on her. Today it was her home that was open to the buyers. All of the things she and Lyle had lovingly collected on their travels together in happier times were now being sold at ridiculously low prices during a quick two-day sale. Years of treasured memories would be erased by the sale.

  DeeDee had sent some of the more expensive items, such as the vintage jewelry pieces and art that she and Lyle both wanted, to a private auction house before the sale. Their attorneys were the ones who suggested they do that when they became stalemated over who would get what. She couldn’t believe it had really come to this. After all she and Lyle had been through, they were now fighting over things like limited edition lithographs.

  DeeDee had put large red cardboard tags on the things she wanted to take with her to the house on Bainbridge, so they wouldn’t inadvertently be sold. Because of the downsizing from the house on Mercer Island to the one on Bainbridge, she’d had to be ruthless about what she could keep. There wasn’t enough space for large oriental rugs, a grandfather clock, or any of the furniture that had been custom-made for their home on Mercer Island. Although the new owners had asked to buy a few things, they wanted to furnish the home to their own taste, which DeeDee understood. She’d felt the same way when they’d bought the house all those years ago.

  Looking at what they’d accumulated during their twenty-six years of marriage, she couldn’t help but think back on the past. There had been happy times, certainly in the early years. They’d had tough times, but she knew that most couples did. They’d raised two beautiful, happy, and well-adjusted children who were now young adults making their own way in the world, and for that she was grateful.

  She’d lost a baby in between Mitch and Tink, Lori, who had died from meningitis at the age of only five months. Lori’s death had affected DeeDee far more deeply than Lyle. Although he’d patiently supported her through her grief, which had lasted long after Tink came along three years later, she still felt the loss even now. Lyle was certain that if Lori had lived, they never would have had Tink, whom he absolutely adored. Of course, life without Tink was unthinkable to DeeDee as well, and with the passing of time, she’d finally accepted that Lori hadn’t been meant to be with them for very long. DeeDee loved both of her daughters, and thought of baby Lori just as often as she thought about her other children. Lyle, on the other hand, didn’t like to speak of Lori at all. It was just his way of dealing with things he couldn’t control.

  On this morning in May a small crowd had already gathered outside the large house waiting for the sale to start. Before the doors opened to the public, DeeDee walked through her home for the final time before the pieces of her marriage would be sold to strangers. Today, it was her own history that was unwinding, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the past.

  It was as though the years were like a movie running through her mind. As the memories whizzed by at lightning speed, she thought how lucky she’d been that there had been so many good times. Even though what she was going through was very painful, she realized she’d finally forgiven Lyle, and she knew she’d survive. It was time to move on and make new memories.

  While intellectually she knew all that, she also knew she had to keep it together for the next two days or the floodgates would open. There was no doubt about it, today was going to be hard. The one thing that cheered her up was that Roz would be coming by in a little while to help her. Roz always cheered her up.

  Lyle knew better than to make an appearance at the sale, and Mitch and Tink were both at work. They were doing well in their respective careers. Mitch had followed his father into the finance industry, and was with a large accounting firm in downtown Seattle. Tink was immersed in academia as a post-grad research assistant at the University of Washington. DeeDee had asked them both to come by one last time to see if there was anything in the house they wanted to keep, but both had made excuses to stay away. Even so, DeeDee had placed red tags on Tink’s dollhouse and the dinosaur that Mitch and Lyle had painstakingly made from hundreds of toothpicks for Mitch’s second grade science project. Pickasaurus was a family legend, and still was proudly displayed on a shelf in Mitch’s childhood bedroom.

  DeeDee stepped out onto the deck and took in the view of the lake. She breathed deeply and filled her lungs with the late spring air. She was dreading the prospect of allowing a crowd of strangers into her home to buy her things. DeeDee wondered if there would be any shoving or raised voices once she allowed them in, like she’d seen so many times before at other estate sales. She was somewhat of a private person, and the thought of all of these strangers coming into her home and rushing around greatly upset her. She turned around and started to go back into the house. She couldn’t put it off any longer. It was time for the sale to begin. She straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and walked to the front door to let the buyers in. All she wanted to do now was get it over with.

  ***

  After the sale had ended and the last buyer had left, DeeDee wrapped her arms around her sister and gave her a tight hug. “Thanks so much for everything, Roz,” DeeDee said through a veil of tears. “You’ll never know how much I appreciate it. You really are wonderful, you know that?”

  “Aw, shucks,” Roz said. “I couldn’t let the vultures rip you off, because you’re such a softie. You were about to give that ugly Chinese urn to that old lady for a song. She was a shark!”

  “That sweet old woman said she loved it and that she didn’t have any money. How was
I to know she was the estate sale rogue of the century?”

  Roz laughed. “Well that’s an extra hundred bucks for the coffers. Don’t tell Lyle about it. It’ll be our little secret.” She winked at DeeDee who was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.

  “Oh, no,” Roz said. “I have to get going, or I’ll start crying too. I’m meeting Clark in a little while, and I don’t want my eyes to look all puffy and red, but I want you to know how much I’m going to miss you.” Roz stuck out her lower lip in a pout, a favorite expression of hers.

  “Thanks,” DeeDee said, half-laughing and half-sobbing. “It’s not as if I’m going all that far away. From the way you’re talking, it’s like I’m going to Mars.”

  “It might as well be,” Roz said. “So, this is really it?” This time her lip did quiver.

  DeeDee reached out and hugged her sister again, waiting while Roz buried her head on her shoulder and started to sob. DeeDee rested her chin on the smaller woman’s hair, and rubbed her back until Roz was still.

  “See you next week?” DeeDee asked when Roz lifted her head.

  “Sure,” Roz said with a soft smile. “Good luck, Sis.”

  DeeDee watched as Roz walked over to her shiny sports car convertible, grateful she could count on her. Roz jumped in and sped off with a beep of the horn and a backward wave.

  ***

  She stood on the porch waiting for the movers to pack the last of the furniture she was taking to Bainbridge into their moving van. When it was loaded, the driver handed her a slip to sign.

  “Thank you,” DeeDee smiled at the man. “See you at the ferry. I’ll be right behind you.” She tipped him with a twenty-dollar bill.

  The man grinned and nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.”