As she sat down, Ken brought her a much-needed cup of coffee. Kate couldn’t imagine what had happened to the mayor, but making a statement to the police meant it was being considered as a homicide. Ken took her statement then sent her into Scott’s office.
“He wants to talk to you,” Ken said.
She was going to get a scolding probably. He wouldn’t want her to interfere with the investigation.
“I have no reason to have anything to do with this murder. If it is one.”
“We have reason to believe it is, but I’m not telling you why. Stay out of it.”
She put up her hands. “Of course. I only investigated last time because you were involved. I didn’t want you to get railroaded.”
Scott smiled. “I know you care about me, Kate. One of these days you’re going to have to admit it.”
“What feelings I may or may not have for you are irrelevant until I know what happened to Greg.”
“Fine. Lunch?”
She glanced at her phone. “If I stop for lunch, it won’t be until closer to one.”
“Text me. I’ll meet you wherever.”
She thought about sending a text to Jessica then decided to go see her anyway. Even if she didn’t fix the item today, she wanted to give her condolences to the woman. Her husband had just died.
Apparently word had already gotten out about Dudley, and several cars were parked in Jessica’s driveway. Kate contemplated just calling Jessica to see if she still wanted Kate to come by.
So she called.
“Hello.”
Jessica sounded distraught.
“It’s Kate. Do you want to postpone my repair today?”
“No, please come over. It’ll be nice to have a friendly face.”
“I’ll be there in a moment.”
Kate disconnected. She looked around at the cars and wondered what Jessica had meant by a friendly face. It looked to Kate like she was surrounded by people.
Kate knew she had to fix a window in Dudley’s office. She brought the necessary tools with her when she rang Jessica’s doorbell. The woman answered, letting Kate in.
“Dudley’s business associates are here. I’ve never met most of them. Please do what you need to do then come and have coffee with me.”
Kate nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you Kate.”
***
Kate followed Jessica inside. The living room sported several men in suits with coffee cups in their hands. Kate wanted to say something to them, but she didn’t know what. It didn’t seem right to her that strangers had descended on Jessica’s house in her time of grief. She should be surrounded by family and friends.
Kate didn’t think Jessica’s family was close, but she must have friends. She was involved in so many things in the community. She wanted to shout at these men for invading her home.
At least she had been invited in.
“I’ll get that window fixed in no time.”
Jessica smiled a feeble smile and Kate squeezed the woman’s arm.
Upon entering Dudley’s office, Kate watched two men look up at her with guilty expressions on their faces.
“Can I help you?” one said.
She didn’t recognize either of them, but assumed they worked at Dudley’s trucking company.
“I’m here to fix the window.”
“Can you come back later?”
“Mrs. Stuart has asked that I do this right now.”
Kate wasn’t leaving. The men looked at each other and frowned. “Okay. We’ll come back.”
They’d clearly been looking for something. Kate would have to mention it to Jessica. It was such rude behavior to be searching Dudley’s office. What could they possibly need to have right now? She put it out of her mind until she was done with the repair.
The window had gotten stuck in the open position. It made things tough when you wanted to put on the air conditioning. She tugged on it and lubricated it with some grease. Finally it budged. A little. She wished for some more upper body strength to shove it back on track. She went out to her truck for a rubber mallet and a small board.
With that, she was able to put the window back in its place. Jessica came in as she closed it.
“You fixed it.”
“I did, but I want to put a thin piece of wood here so it can’t jump the track again.”
“We’re due to replace the windows on the back of the house in a month or so. I’ve already made the appointment, so no need.”
“Okay, then I just need to pack up my tools and I’m done.”
“You want some coffee?”
“I’d love some coffee.”
Jessica smiled that wan smile. After loading her truck, Kate returned to the house. The men in the living room were gone. Inside the kitchen, Jessica was pouring two mugs of coffee.
“You alone?” Kate asked.
“Finally.”
“Who were they? Two of them were going through Dudley’s desk.”
Jessica sat at the counter. “I don’t know exactly. They kind of forced their way in here. I didn’t know what to do.”
Kate sat down and reached out to Jessica. “Are you okay?”
“As okay as I can be.”
“Was Dudley sick?”
“No. I don’t know what could have happened,” Jessica said.
“Is there anyone I can call?”
“My parents are on their way here. My sister, too. Will you stay for a little while?”
Kate would have liked to get a third job in today since her first was a bust and the second hadn’t taken long, but she couldn’t leave Jessica in this state. “Yes, of course.”
There would be no lunch with Scott, which was okay. She should keep more distance between them anyway, but he was persistent. That’s probably what made him a good cop though.
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Scott.
Can’t make lunch. Case is more complicated than we thought.
Okay, she texted back.
She wondered if they’d learned something new about Dudley’s death since she’d left the police station. She decided not to ask.
“I’m sorry. Do you have another job?” Jessica asked.
“Not until the morning. My afternoon is yours,” Kate said. “When do you expect people to get here?”
“In about an hour.”
The doorbell rang. “I’ll get that. You sit tight. You up for visitors?”
Jessica shook her head.
Kate wished she could have talked to Jessica alone more. The woman looked like she could use a good cry. She was holding herself together remarkably well. Her husband had just died, and she was making coffee for her visitors.
Kate had been a mess when she’d discovered Greg was gone—inconsolable, although she’d had to pull herself together for her kids.
Two women Kate recognized from one of the local committees that Jessica was on were standing on the doorstep with casseroles in hand. “Hello.”
“Hi, we’re from Daughters of Rock Ridge. We have some food for Jessica,” the woman with black hair said.
“Jessica isn’t up for visitors, but I’ll tell her you stopped by.”
The women handed Kate the casseroles then left with no argument. That had gone easily. She brought the dishes into the kitchen.
“Probably the first of many,” Kate said. “This is how Rock Ridge is when a tragedy happens.”
“Just put them in the freezer.”
Kate did as the woman asked and then sat back down. She sipped her coffee. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“No, please, just sit here for a few minutes.”
“I can stay until someone in your family gets here.”
“Thank you.”
The doorbell rang again. Kate answered it and was surprised when Ken and Scott were on the doorstep. She guessed it was to pay their respects, but both looked grim. Not that she expected them to look any different given the mayor was dead.
“We aren’t visitors,” Ken said.
Kate looked from one to the other. “What are you then?”
“We’re here to talk to Jessica. A police matter,” Ken said.
“Let us in, Kate,” Scott said.
She stood out of the way so they could enter and then led them back to the kitchen. Jessica looked up at them, surprised. “Hello.”
“Jessica Stuart, we are here to arrest you for the murder of Dudley Stuart,” Ken said.
He began to put cuffs on Jessica as Kate gasped. She reached out to Scott. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“We have reason to believe that Dudley was murdered and Jessica is responsible.”
How could they think that? Jessica loved her husband. They seemed pretty solid.
“On what grounds?” Kate asked.
“That is none of your business. Why are you here anyway, Kate? Are you investigating this thing already?” Scott said.
Kate straightened, indignation running through her. “I was here to fix a window. How would I know to investigate? When I left you weren’t sure it was a murder.”
Not that she had to justify her presence anywhere to Scott.
“Fine. We’re taking Jessica in.”
Jessica began to cry as Ken read her the Miranda rights. Finally she looked up at Kate. “I didn’t kill my husband, Kate. I promise I didn’t. Please don’t let them think I did.”
Crap. She couldn’t let Jessica be falsely accused. Scott got in her face before she could say anything.
“Stay out of it.”
As they walked out, Jessica’s eyes pleaded with Kate.
“I’ll do what I can, Jessica. You know I can’t let an innocent person go to jail for something like this,” Kate said.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll close up your house and leave your parents a note.”
Jessica nodded and let herself be led out by Ken.
Chapter Three
Kate locked up the house, put the key back in its hiding spot that she knew from doing so much work there, and then left. She debated going to the police station. Scott would be pissed if she became involved, but Jessica had asked her for help. She couldn’t turn the woman down. She’d just lost her husband.
Kate hadn’t gotten a chance to finish her coffee at Jessica’s, so she stopped at the coffee shop again. It was almost closing time. She got the last of the regular coffee that was left. Clara didn’t charge her for it.
She took the cup with her to headquarters. The utility trucks were gone, so Kate could park by the police department. The same young man sat at the front desk. He merely buzzed Kate in without her having to explain why she was there.
For all he knew, she could have a bomb on her. Just because she knew the chief didn’t mean she couldn’t be up to nefarious purposes. But she did have that honest face. Everyone had told her that her whole life.
She stood in the doorway to Scott’s office. He was on the phone, but he waved her in. She’d been there more than once, but not because of her proclivity to commit crimes. If she was in the municipal complex, she stopped in to see him. More than she should, she knew, but he was a friend. The only male one she had.
The rest of the middle-aged single men in Rock Ridge seemed to be determined to get her to date them, but for some reason, she wasn’t put off as much by Scott’s attempts. At one point in their lives, before they had dated, they had been friends.
Kate appreciated his candor and his quick mind. If she was sorting out a problem, Scott could usually help her get to the answer. That’s why she would come to see him.
It was the only reason, or so she told herself.
Scott hung up and put his hands flat on his desk. He had large hands.
She sat in her usual seat.
“I knew you’d be here.”
“Is that why Officer Gunther out front let me in without a second glance?”
“Yes.”
Scott didn’t appear to be unhappy about her presence, but he didn’t seem overjoyed, either. He had his “cop” face on. He wasn’t revealing anything to her.
It didn’t matter. She was a big girl and would do what she wanted, despite the lecture she was about to receive. She braced herself for it.
“I was there when Jessica asked you to investigate. I’m here to tell you that you should stay out of it. Don’t get in Ken’s way.”
“Ken has the case?”
“He does. He is our best detective.”
She cocked her head at him. “Better than you?”
“I’m the chief now. I have other duties.”
“So what makes you think that Jessica did it?”
“You think I can talk about it?”
“No, but you know I’m going to ask anyway,” she said.
She wasn’t a busybody, but she couldn’t let someone be charge falsely, either.
He sighed. “Let’s just say we have a witness to the fact that the mayor and Jessica argued and the mayor stormed off. Then Jessica left the house.”
“A witness?”
“Yes.”
“So they argued. Married couples argue,” she said.
“Yes, but one of them doesn’t usually end up dead afterwards. At least not often in Rock Ridge,” he said.
She frowned. The little town was fast becoming a murder hotbed after years of nothing happening other than the occasional burglary. She and Greg and chosen to stay in Rock Ridge because it was a good place to raise kids—a safe place. Now it was beginning to resemble a big city with the amount of crime she was encountering.
“Who?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“It’s you.”
His facial expression didn’t waver, so if she hadn’t been looking, she wouldn’t have noticed the quick flicker in his eyes.
“Okay, so you saw them argue. Dudley left the house. Didn’t you have fights with your wife where you had to get out?”
Scott frowned. “Yes, I guess we did.”
“You didn’t kill her?”
“No, I didn’t. I divorced her instead. Look, I’ve said too much already. You have lunch yet?”
“No, and I don’t want any. I’ll have an early dinner.”
She knew she wasn’t going to get much more out of him. She’d learned enough to know that she wanted to help Jessica. Scott was a good witness and a credible one. She would have to have an alibi.
“Is it okay if I go talk to Jessica?”
“Her lawyer is with her now. You can talk to her after that, if she’ll consent to it,” Scott said.
“I’m sure she will. She wants me to help her.”
He nodded, but he wasn’t happy. The “cop” face had left.
“Did your husband go out of town on business much?” Scott asked.
Kate’s head spun with the rapid change of subject. “Uh, yes. He was often asked to lecture at conferences.”
“Do you have his credit card bills?”
“Probably. He had one for business besides our personal one,” she said.
What is he getting at?
“Can you give me the last six months’ bills?”
“If I can find them. I didn’t have anything to do with them. He expensed things to the college or he paid them himself, although he would let me know before he transferred money.”
Scott nodded. “When you get a chance.”
“I’ll look for them tonight.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you onto something?”
“Not sure. I don’t want to say anything until I know what’s going on.”
“Fair enough.”
She’d never given up hope that Greg would be found. Lately she was sure he’d be found dead. If he weren’t, she might have to kill him for putting her and the boys through this. She hadn’t had a husband in five years. The twins hadn’t had a father.
No amount of explaining could change that. She had no idea what
he could say to get her to forgive him if he were still alive.
***
Jessica agreed to meet with Kate. They occupied an interrogation room at the back of the police department. The door was locked from the outside since Jessica was still a prisoner.
Jessica looked harried and her eyes were red, probably from crying. Kate’s heart went out to her.
“My lawyer says he can get me out if I surrender my passport.”
“Will you?”
“Of course, Kate. I want to be in my own home.”
“Has your family arrived?”
“Yes. My mother is getting my passport and bringing it here. I should be out within the hour.”
“Have they told you what they have against you?” Kate asked.
“Someone witnessed Dudley and me fighting. He stormed out.”
“Can I ask what you fought about?”
“I’d rather not say. It doesn’t make me look any less like a criminal.”
Interesting. Maybe there had been trouble in paradise. One never knows what goes on in someone else’s marriage. To a lot of people, she and Greg had looked perfect.
“Do you have an alibi?”
“Yes.”
“Then give it to the cops,” Kate said.
This whole thing could be wrapped up today. Then Kate could go back to fixing things. Jessica could go back to her own home. Everyone would be happy. Well, everyone except for Ken, who would have to find another suspect.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if anyone knew that I was with this person, he’d have a lot of grief in this town,” Jessica said.
Kate was getting the impression that Jessica had been having an affair. Who can it be? Who would be harmed if the town knew he’d been with Jessica?
“You’re sure you have an alibi?”
“Yes.”
“Who would want Dudley dead, then?” Kate said.
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it, Jessica. Had there been anyone he’d been talking about lately that was bothering him? Anyone blackmailing him?”
“No. He didn’t talk much about his business to me. He always thought I wouldn’t understand,” Jessica said.
How nice to have your husband convinced that you are an idiot. No wonder Jessica turned to another man.
Mrs. Fix It Mysteries: The Complete 15-Books Cozy Mystery Series Page 12