by Cindy Bell
“I guess not,” Bekki frowned. She glanced around his office once more. She noticed the clutter was gathered in and around boxes. “Are you moving offices?”
“I'm closing up shop,” he explained. “I'm ready to retire. Stella worked right up until the last day of her life. I don't want that to be me. Handling her will is the last thing I have to do before I can leave all of this behind.”
“It isn't difficult for you?” Bekki asked. She couldn't imagine losing Nick and then having to act as his estate lawyer.
“It's difficult I suppose,” he said. “At least I know what Stella wanted, which makes it easier. I'm sure that all of the wackos in her past will come to try to collect what she never owed them.”
“Do you know of anyone who might have been harassing her more frequently lately and then suddenly stopped?” Bekki asked.
“Listen, I know what you're trying to do here,” he said. “I think it's kind of you to try to get to the bottom of what happened to Stella, but to be honest I don't think she would want you to. If she could tell you anything right now, it would probably be to let sleeping dogs lie, she didn't like people digging into her past.”
Bekki opened her mouth to argue with him, but she let the urge pass. If McAllister wanted to let sleeping dogs lie, that was his business. Bekki most certainly wasn't going to allow a murderer to go unpunished and possibly the wealth that Stella had worked so hard for, to possibly fall into the hands of the person who murdered her.
“Thank you for your time, McAllister,” Bekki said. She turned towards the door.
“I'll be reading the will after the memorial, Bekki,” McAllister said. “I'll need you to be present.”
Bekki nodded a little as she stepped out the door. She couldn't imagine what Stella might have left her in her will. She was too preoccupied to even think about it further. Stella's daughter, Jodie, was acting like the killer did her a favor, most of the people of the town including Stella's renters didn’t seem very upset that she was gone, and Stella's own lawyer slash boyfriend was acting as if her death didn't matter. It felt as if Bekki was the only one who cared and everyone else was a suspect.
***
On the drive home Bekki's thoughts were troubled. She didn't think it was fair to Stella that it seemed as if people were secretly celebrating her passing rather than grieving. Then again her only impression of Stella growing up had been that of a young girl admiring a very well-known socialite.
Bekki had always loved the purses and shoes that Stella would wear. She would come into the salon to see Bekki’s mom for a cut and style and occasionally for her hair to be treated and dyed, even when Bekki was just a little girl. Even though she had a harsh word for just about every adult she encountered, she had always spared a wink or a pat on the head for Bekki. Sometimes that was all it took to brighten Bekki's day. She felt a little guilty about not working harder to do the same for Stella while she had the chance.
As Bekki pulled into the driveway of the house she was relieved to see that Nick's car was not there yet. She knew that if he had been home already he would have had a lot of questions for her. Nick trusted her, but he knew that she liked doing her own investigating and with his line of work he saw too much not to worry about her if she wasn't home when he expected her to be.
Bekki grabbed the bottle of wine and carried it into the house. She flipped the kitchen light on and set the bottle down on the counter. She opened the cabinet above the sink and got down two large wine glasses. She set those on the counter beside the wine. Then she turned the oven on to preheat it. She was going to make Nick one of his favorite meals.
Bekki turned on some soft music. She was hoping that it would help her to relax. She also wanted to create a certain ambience for the evening. As she prepared the roast for the oven, she swayed her hips slowly to the music. She had always found solace in music, even if she didn't really have a talent for dancing. Something about being lost in the beat and the melody made her feel very free no matter what was troubling her.
“I could watch that all night,” Nick said from just inside the kitchen door. Bekki looked up at him with surprise.
“You're always sneaking up on me,” Bekki laughed. She walked over to him and kissed him. “Dinner is almost ready.”
“Great, I'm starving,” Nick said. “But you didn't have to go to all of this trouble, I know how trying today must have been for you.”
“Hey, I had the day off,” Bekki reminded him. “You were the one investigating a crime.”
“Yes, and dealing with endless dead ends,” Nick said. He furrowed his brow. “If that makes any sense.”
“It does,” Bekki shot a smile in his direction. “So, no progress?”
Nick ruffled his hair and peered cautiously at her. “You're not going to tell anyone, are you?”
“You know better than that,” Bekki said. She met his eyes with a steady gaze.
“Well, the water in the water cooler has been cleared. However, the candy has not. There's a powder on it,” he explained. He peeked at the roast and smiled at the way it looked.
“That's how they always are,” Bekki said. “It's powdered sugar.”
“Well, it wasn't just powdered sugar on the candies in the bag that we found in Stella's purse,” Nick said. “It was something else. We haven't confirmed just what yet, but we suspect that the candy is the source of the poison. The theory is that some kind of pill was crushed up to make the powder.”
Bekki cringed at the thought of someone planning ahead so nefariously. Someone had to crush the pill, then roll the candy in it, then wrap the candy, and stow the candy back inside the bag. She recalled how close she had come to accepting a piece of candy from Stella. Nick must have noticed the startled look on her face. He stroked her cheek soothingly.
“Let's try not to think about it tonight,” he said as he gazed into her eyes. “You're safe, and that's what matters most to me. From now on, let's focus on only eating and drinking what we have in the house, just in case. It's very likely that Stella was targeted, but we can't know that for sure until we catch the killer. It could be that some nutcase is going around poisoning random people.”
“That's terrible,” Bekki said and shook her head. “I would never believe that could happen here in Harroway.”
“There are a lot of newcomers,” Nick pointed out. “People are moving in every day. Who knows who might have done it. Hopefully we'll get some good information once we finish processing the candy, it's packaging, and do some further questioning.”
Bekki nodded. She tended to the roast silently. Nick remained near her. She could feel him watching her go through the motions. Once the roast was in the oven she turned back to face him.
“I just can't stop thinking about it,” she said quietly.
“It's still so fresh in your mind,” he pointed out.
“If I had known,” Bekki said quietly.
“You couldn't have, Bekki,” Nick said. “Only one person knew that candy was poisoned, and trust me I'm going to find out who it was.”
Bekki nodded. “I know you will. Why don't we watch a movie until the food is ready?” she suggested.
“Great, but let's make it a comedy,” Nick said. “I've had enough drama for one day.”
Bekki did her best to keep her mind off the murder as she watched the movie with Nick and then shared dinner with him. She wanted their home to be a place where he could unwind and not talk about work all night. But no matter how she tried to distract herself, her mind kept turning right back to Stella. Stella, whose last act was to walk into her salon.
Chapter Seven
The next morning Bekki found herself in a bit of a fog. She stayed in bed a little longer than she should have. Nick was gone as she had expected. He always left early in the morning when he was working a case. She sat up slowly and saw a note on the bedside table. It was from Nick, letting her know that she was cleared to open the salon. Bekki yawned and started to force herself out of bed. Her pho
ne rang before she could even get out of her pajamas. She picked it up when she saw that it was Sammy calling.
“Hey, I texted Nick and he said we could open today. I'm going to head in and get things ready for the day. Why don't you take the morning off?” Sammy suggested.
“Thanks Sammy,” Bekki said warmly. “But I left the place in a mess yesterday and who knows what the police have done there, so it's probably best if I come in.”
“All right, but take your time, I'll open up,” Sammy said.
“Great, thanks Sammy,” Bekki said. She hung up the phone and finished changing. She was in such a daze that she left the house without even grabbing anything for breakfast. By the time she reached the main strip her stomach was rumbling for food.
She decided to stop at Angela's Bakery for a muffin and some information about the memorial. When she walked into the bakery she found that it was very busy. People were probably still gossiping about the murder. When Bekki walked towards the counter a hush fell over the bakery that had just been filled with chatter. Bekki set her jaw and continued to the counter.
“Hi Bekki,” Angela said warmly. Bekki knew Angela wasn't the type to get too involved in gossip. She always had a kind word and was always willing to help, but the majority of the time she kept to herself.
“Can I have two cranberry orange muffins and two coffees,” Bekki requested.
“For you and Sammy?” Angela asked.
Bekki nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
Angela knew how they liked their coffees since either Bekki or Sammy was in a few times a week to order them. Slowly the chatter began to build up around Bekki again. She knew why everyone had become quiet when she walked in. Not only was she the last person to be with Stella, but her husband was one of the detectives investigating the murder. That made her fascinating for the moment.
“Here you go,” Angela said. She set down a white paper bag with the muffins and two cups of coffee. For just a moment Bekki hesitated. What Nick had said about only eating at home flashed through her mind. The bakery was packed, was it possible that someone could have gotten to her food? “I prepared everything myself, Bekki,” Angela said. She smiled, as if she knew what Bekki was thinking.
“Thanks,” Bekki said. She handed over a ten dollar bill to pay for the coffee and muffins. Angela rung everything up in the register and handed Bekki her change. “Do you need any help with the memorial?” Bekki asked. She tucked the change back into her purse.
“Everything is coming together just fine,” Angela said. “It will be at six tonight, and I will have some food available as well as a variety of drinks. We're going to try to keep it short.”
Bekki nodded. “I think it's great that you are doing this.”
“She belonged to Harroway, and we take care of our own,” Angela said. Bekki smiled at her. She was reminded that there were some very nice things about being from a small town. As she walked out of the bakery with the muffins and coffee she noticed McAllister Dane ducking into the Get and Go. Bekki paused a moment. She wanted to know what he was up to. In the back of her mind she knew that it made perfect sense for Stella's lawyer to visit one of the businesses that she had owned, but still, something felt off to Bekki and she wanted to know exactly what he was doing there. She glanced down at the coffees in her hands. She knew if she waited too long they were going to get cold. She hurried into her car and drove the short distance to Get and Go.
Just as Bekki was parking, McAllister stepped back out of the shop. Bekki watched from her car as Holly followed him out. Holly stood in the doorway of Get and Go. She had her arms crossed. She was glaring fiercely at McAllister. He didn't seem to mind as he slipped something into his pocket and then took off down the road. Bekki was about to get out of the car and find out from Holly what McAllister had been up to, when her cell phone rang. It was Nick.
“Bekki, I wanted to let you know that we've confirmed that the powder on the candy is the source of the poison. Someone crushed up prescription heart medication in a very high dose and coated the candies in the bag with it.”
“Unbelievable,” Bekki said. “Poor Stella never had a chance.” Bekki gasped slightly as she remembered the way that the woman had coughed on the candy. “Oh Nick, I think she knew something wasn't right. If only I had paid attention I might have been able to do something to help.”
“No,” Nick said firmly. “The dosage was so potent that there was nothing anyone could have done to save her. I'm just so glad that you didn't take one of those candies.”
“All of the candies were laced?” Bekki asked as she started her car. She wanted to get to the salon before Sammy was inundated with customers looking for the latest news.
“Yes, someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure that Stella would ingest the medication,” Nick said. “Just do me a favor, Bekki, and stick to our rule. Maybe you shouldn't open the salon today.”
“Nick, we'll be fine,” Bekki assured him. “We'll close in time for the memorial. Are you going to be there?”
“Dave and I should both be,” Nick said. “It's a good place to watch for possible suspects. People that commit these kinds of crimes often like to see the consequences of their actions in person.”
“Wonderful,” Bekki said and narrowed her eyes. She remembered what Angela had said about there being food and drink at the memorial. “Maybe we should monitor the food extra close just in case.”
“Good idea,” Nick agreed. “If you have any trouble, call me.”
“I always do,” Bekki said cheerfully. When she hung up with Nick she pulled out of the parking lot of Get and Go. Holly watched her car leave. She didn't raise her hand to wave, nor did she crack a smile. Bekki kept her head down and drove towards the salon.
***
When Bekki stepped into the salon Sammy was busy sweeping up from the day before.
“Morning Sammy,” Bekki said as she set the two cups of coffee and muffins down on the counter for them.
“Morning,” Sammy smiled. She set the broom against one of the counters and walked over to her. “Thanks.”
“I forgot to have breakfast and I took the opportunity to stop in at Angela's Bakery to see if she needed any help with the memorial,” Bekki explained. “Of course she doesn't, but she did have fresh coffee and muffins.”
“Are you going to the memorial tonight?” Sammy asked. She opened the lid of her coffee to let the hot liquid cool off a little.
“I think we both should,” Bekki said. “If you want to that is. Stella was a regular customer.”
“Oh yes, I planned to, I just wasn't sure if you would be up for it. After finding her, and with Nick investigating,” Sammy explained.
“They are fairly certain that it was the candy that Stella ate that was poisoned,” Bekki said. “I can't believe that someone would stoop that low.”
“Can you imagine if she had handed out the candy to other people?” Sammy gasped. “It's tragic enough that Stella died, but whoever poisoned the candy apparently didn't care if she was the only one.”
“I know,” Bekki cringed. “Luckily Nick said there were no other reports of people dying.”
“I guess that Stella was as stingy with her candy as she was with her money,” Sammy said.
“She offered me a piece,” Bekki admitted.
“What?” Sammy stared at her friend. “Oh, Bekki, how frightening.”
“I know,” Bekki frowned and shook her head. “It's a little selfish of me, but I keep thinking about what might have happened if I had said yes.”
“Bekki,” Sammy hugged her. “That's a horrible thought. I can see why you're thinking about it though. I don't think I would be able to stop thinking about it either.”
“It's just a hateful thing to do,” Bekki said as she turned away. “I'm not sure that the police will be able to catch the killer either. Truly, the possible suspects are endless.”
“Well, with Nick on the case, and Morris on the street, I'm sure they will get to the bottom o
f it,” Sammy said with confidence.
“I hope so,” Bekki sighed. “I just can't help feeling that Stella will never get any justice.”
Sammy looked as if she was going to say something more, but the phone began ringing.
“I'll get that,” Sammy said. Bekki snatched up the broom and finished sweeping up the salon. When Sammy hung up the phone she turned to Bekki.
“Looks like we're going to have quite a crowd today. Hattie and her ladies from the quilting class are coming in,” Sammy said.
“Hattie? But she was here two days ago,” Bekki said. “How could she need her hair done again?”
“I don't know, but she just booked appointments for everyone. I have a feeling we're going to be quite busy until the memorial,” Sammy shook her head. “Everyone wants to look their best, I suppose.”
With the memorial plans spreading through Harroway, Bekki was not surprised that the Quilting Club were coming into the salon. Hattie and a group of other women from Harroway created the Quilting Club. They would host quilting events. Bekki was sure that they would all be eager to look their best at the memorial as it was an opportunity to dress up. Bekki knew that it was innocent on their part, but it made her feel a little guilty that the memorial was turning into a social event.
Bekki’s mind wandered back to what McAllister had said about Stella leaving her something in her will. She was sure it wasn't money, but she had no idea what else it could be.
“Here they come,” Sammy warned. She pointed to the large front windows. A flock of women were walking up the front walkway from the parking lot. Bekki braced herself as Hattie swung the front door open.
“Sammy, Bekki, time to get to work,” Hattie said. She held the door open for all of the other women to parade through. Bekki lost track of their names from time to time but she knew that they were all on just about every committee that existed in Harroway.