A Murder In Milburn , Book 4: Death By Ice Cream

by McGovern, Nancy

  “That… that’s not true. You’re lying,” Nora said weakly.

  “Not only that, but we’ve found traces of her hair in Harvey’s home,” Sean said. “There’s no doubt about it. Tiffany visited him last night.”

  “But… but he was with me last night,” Nora said, dumbfounded.

  “Come on, Nora, he was acting funny, wasn’t he? I saw the doubt on your face when we came home and he wasn’t there. So where was Harvey? That’s a question he didn’t want to answer.”

  Nora bit her lip. Doubt flooded through her. Had Harvey killed Tiffany? Everything Sergio told her was suddenly flashing through her mind. He’d talked about Tiffany visiting Harvey. He’d talked about that. He’d talked about a Joe. Who was this Joe?

  “This isn’t over,” Nora said. “Harvey hasn’t killed her.”

  “I’m not saying anything of the sort,” Sean said, “...yet.”

  “Can I see him?” Nora asked. “I’d like to meet him.”

  “Not yet,” Sean said. “Stick around if you must, but it’ll be a while before we let him go.”

  “Has he… has he called his lawyer?” Nora asked.

  “Ah.” Sean smiled. “So you’re not as certain that I’m being harsh and unethical are you now? Suddenly you’re more concerned about Harvey needing a lawyer.”

  “I know Harvey,” Nora said. “There’s no way he could have done this. He isn’t a murderer.”

  “Are you sure?” Sean asked. “After all, we both saw him kill a man in cold blood just yesterday.”

  *****

  Chapter 7

  Nora’s heart ached a little when she saw Harvey sitting under the dim lights of his holding cell. His face seemed ten years older, and his eyes looked haunted. But as soon as he saw her, his face brightened.

  “So you came,” he said. “I thought maybe you’d…” He let the words trail off. “Never mind. It’s so good to see you.” He clutched the bars, and leaned against them.

  Nora put a hand over his, and squeezed. She fought hard to keep her tears from flowing. Right now, Harvey needed her to be strong. “So Sean’s finally got you where he wants you,” she said.

  “So it seems,” Harvey said. His voice was light, but there was a grim undertone Nora didn’t miss.

  “Tell me he’s framing you,” Nora said. “I want to believe it. Tell me that you never even knew who Tiffany was.” Her voice caught a little.

  “Nora…” Harvey bit his lip. “I can’t do that.”

  “So you did know her?” Nora asked. Her heart began to beat faster. No. Harvey couldn’t have killed Tiffany. He wasn’t the kind of man who would ever raise a hand to a woman.

  Harvey took a step back. “Nora, I know you. I know what you’re aching to do right now. I know you’ve solved cases in the past, but this time, I want you to stay out of it. You hear me? None of this is your business. I’m going to hire the best lawyer in the state, and I’m going to get out free. But you… all I want is your moral support. Don’t even think of trying to find out motives and … and clues.”

  Nora ignored this totally. “Last night Sergio told me that Tiffany had been at your house. Is that true?”

  Harvey kept quiet. After a little while, he said, “I’m not telling you a single thing, Nora, not if it’s going to encourage you to play detective.”

  “How about as a boyfriend?” Nora asked. “You left me halfway through dinner because you had urgent business. Then it turns out you had a woman come over to your place. Do you know how that looks to me?”

  Harvey’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”

  “I just want… I just want you to talk to me,” Nora said. “There can’t be lies between us, Harvey.”

  “You think I’m lying to you?” Harvey asked. “You think… you think I’m cheating on you in some way?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Are you?”

  “I can’t believe this!” Harvey exclaimed. “After everything that’s happened- how can you believe that? How can you not trust me more, Nora?”

  “Then tell me why she was at your house.”

  “I can’t,” Harvey said. “I won’t. I promise you, I wasn’t kissing her. I haven’t even looked at another girl since we first started dating, Nora. I love you too much.”

  Nora’s heart warmed a little. So did her smile. “I believe that. Thank you, Harvey.”

  “There’s nothing else that I’m going to tell you,” Harvey said. “My lips are sealed.”

  “Why?”

  “Because until I’m out of prison, I don’t want the slightest risk that you hurt yourself,” Harvey said. “This is a complicated situation, Nora, and there might be some dangerous people involved. If something happened to you… you know my worst fear in life is losing you, isn’t it? I’ve lost my mother early, I never really had a father. You’re all I have. You’re all I need. I won’t do anything that would put you in harm’s way.”

  “So what do you expect?” Nora asked, angrily. “Do you expect me to just sit with my hands folded while you’re in jail?”

  “Yes,” Harvey said. “That sounds like the perfect plan.”

  “I won’t do that,” she said.

  “It’s an order!” Harvey barked.

  Nora laughed. “You really think that’s going to work?”

  “I’ll be very angry if it doesn’t,” Harvey said. “You have no right to get involved in this, Nora. This is none of your business.”

  “That’s where we disagree,” Nora said. “Whatever puts you in danger is very much my business. Maybe I don’t tell you this enough, Harvey, but I love you too. A lot. I can’t bear the thought of you sitting here in prison, when you’re innocent…” She paused suddenly. “You are innocent, aren’t you?”

  “I didn’t kill Tiffany,” Harvey said. “I told Sean that already. After I dropped you home, I spent all last night in my office. It looks bad for me, though, because I have no alibi. No one saw me enter or leave my office, after all.”

  “Well why did he arrest you? Does he have anything stronger than a weak alibi to charge you with?”

  “Tiffany had…” Harvey sighed. “She had some DNA belonging to me under her fingernails.” He turned his cheek to show Nora the long scratch that angled down it.

  Nora put a hand to her mouth. She’d noticed the cut yesterday, but in the chaos that had followed Sergio’s death, she’d never asked Harvey about it. “Tiffany did that?”

  Harvey nodded.

  “Why?!” Nora exclaimed. “If all you had with her was a business dealing-”

  “For the third time, Nora, you’re not getting any more answers out of me,” Harvey said.

  Deputy Ellerton came up behind Nora. “Five minutes more,” he said. “Then I have to take you out of here.”

  Harvey nodded to the deputy. “I think we’re done. Nora was just leaving.”

  “Harvey…” Nora moved closer. He came up to the bars, and she kissed him gently on the lips. “I know you’re a stubborn man, but you’re also a very good man. I believe that with all my heart. You can’t have done this. You’re innocent, and I’m sure that time will prove it.”

  “As long as you don’t try to prove it, I’m happy,” Harvey said. He kissed her hungrily, as if he was drawing strength from her. “Wish me luck, Nora. If the lawyer’s worth what I’m paying him, I’ll be out of here soon.”

  Deputy Ellerton took Nora back upstairs to the office, and had her sign the log book. Trying to dig a little deeper, Nora started a conversation with him.

  “How’s Betty and little Jeff?” she asked.

  “Oh, Jeff’s as happy as ever.” Deputy Ellerton smiled. “He’s recently started playing soccer, and he’s been chosen in his school team. I’m pretty proud, to be honest. The kid’s a natural athlete. Must have got it from Betty’s side.”

  “Oh, come on, surely it’s his father’s genes that carried some weight.” Nora smiled and nudged him. “I know you were quite the star in our high school football team.”
/>
  “Oh, I was all right.” Deputy Ellerton smiled. “Sean was the real star. I was always best at being his right-hand man. Still am, come to think of it.”

  “Sean…” A shadow crossed Nora’s face. “Do you think Sean’s being, you know, totally fair here? I mean, everyone knows that he and Harvey hate each other.”

  “That they do.” Ellerton nodded. “I just don’t understand why. After all, they’re brothers.”

  “Half-brothers. Both equally stubborn too. But that’s why Sean hates him,” Nora said. “I’m sure you know all about it.”

  “Oh, I was around when Harvey first came into town. Did you know he and Sean once had a no-holds barred fistfight down at The Silver Light?” Ellerton laughed. “They both had to be pulled apart by six men!”

  Nora sighed. “If you’re trying to make me lose confidence in Sean, that’s a good story. How can he possibly be unbiased about Harvey?”

  “Well, Sean might think Harvey is a scumbag, but does he think Harvey is a murdering scumbag? That I don’t have the answer to,” Ellerton said. “Sorry,” he added, when he saw the look on Nora’s face.

  “I don’t understand how Sean doesn’t just assume the obvious,” Nora said. “Clearly, it was Sergio who did it. He hated Tiffany, and he came looking for revenge. He killed her, and then he tried to kill Harvey too. He escaped from prison and broke into Harvey’s house. Surely that’s the kind of man who’s a murderer!”

  “Well, Sean was a witness when Sergio attacked you,” Ellerton said. “He says Sergio was pretty clear - he had seen Tiffany leave Harvey’s house, but he wasn’t able to follow her.”

  “Just the sort of thing a man who murdered her would say,” Nora said. “His actions were desperate. He was trying to pin it on Harvey.”

  “Maybe he was.” Ellerton shrugged. “But there’s that pesky DNA evidence Harvey just told you about. That’s a lot stronger than anything else. Besides, Sergio hitchhiked to town as far as we can tell - he had no car. Tiffany was murdered far away from Harvey’s house. Plus, forensics isn’t back yet, but we’re sure that the murder occurred after Sergio was already dead. Which is about the same time frame that Harvey has no alibi for.”

  “Who found Tiffany’s body?” Nora asked.

  “An employee at the ice-cream factory,” Ellerton said. “A cleaning lady. Poor thing was terrified. She reported it to her boss, who contacted us.”

  “Tiffany’s body was found at the ice-cream factory?” Nora exclaimed.

  “Yep. There’s another thing. Simone and Bernard reported that the keys to the factory gates were missing from their house last night, and you and Harvey both had dinner at their place, didn’t you?”

  Nora took a sharp breath. “It’s not possible!”

  “It is.” Ellerton nodded. “I asked them myself. They showed me the peg on which they hung it. You and Harvey both used the restroom, and passed it on your way. We found the keys inside the factory premises. Someone used them to sneak in.”

  “But that makes no sense to me,” Nora said. “If it was Harvey who had done it, why go to all the extra trouble? Why try and kill her inside a factory that he has never visited? A factory that probably has guards and cameras? Why wouldn’t he just kill her in the woods instead?”

  Ellerton shrugged. “Who knows?”

  “It just doesn’t make sense. Isn’t it far more likely that someone at the factory is connected somehow?”

  “Maybe we’ll uncover that in the coming days. But so far, it seems to me that the case is stacked pretty heavily against Harvey,” Ellerton said with a grimace. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but to be honest, I feel this office owes you. You helped us crack cases that would have stayed cold otherwise.” He gave her an understanding look. “I know you’ll want to help crack this one too.”

  “There’s only one problem with that.” A booming voice said from behind them. Ellerton and Nora jumped, and turned around. Sean stood there, twirling his hat in his hands. “Nora isn’t an unbiased investigator this time around. This time around, she doesn’t care who really did it. She only cares that Harvey goes free.”

  “You’re wrong there,” Nora said. “I care about the truth. I care about it more than anything else. I just know in my heart that it isn’t Harvey. It can’t be.”

  “You know in your heart?” Sean mocked. “Come on, Nora, who do you think you are? Do you think what you feel matters more than cold hard proof? Harvey’s most likely done it. I know you’ve always thought of him as this saint, but the truth is he’s just a slick business man ready to do anything to turn a profit, even murder someone.”

  “I’ll prove you wrong, Sean. I know I will.”

  “No you won’t,” Sean said. “You’re already too biased, and a biased investigator doesn’t have the kind of blank-state of readiness a true detective must have. Not to mention, I won’t allow it. I’ll take it very badly if I find out you’re snooping around, Nora. I’m warning you to stay out of this. In fact, I’m ordering you.”

  “I don’t know where you or Harvey get the idea that you can order me to do anything I don’t want to,” Nora said. “I’ll be snooping around, Sean, and I’m going to prove Harvey’s innocent. That’s a promise!”

  *****

  Chapter 8

  Upset and confused after her meeting with Sean, Nora headed back to the diner. As soon as she stepped in, she saw that the lunch rush had just started. Tina and Nora had hired a junior chef, a local teen named Lincoln. They hadn’t yet worked up enough money to also hire waitstaff, which meant that normally Tina worked the tables while Nora kept orders flowing.

  Right now, Tina looked like she was up to her eyebrows with orders. Immediately, Nora sprung to her rescue. She quickly and efficiently washed her hands, did up her apron and manned the stove. “All right Linc,” She said. “What’s the score? What am I supposed to be cooking up?”

  “A storm,” Linc said. “We’ve got three hamburgers need grilling, a side order of salad with no breadcrumbs, no tomatoes and dressing on the side. We’ve got five roast beef lunches and one gentleman who Tina promised could have a sandwich that wasn’t on the menu - ham with apple slices. Oh, and there’s two new orders of our pan-seared chicken with mushrooms and lemon herb sauce. The lunch rush is just getting started.”

  “Consider it all done.” Nora smiled. She took a deep breath. Thoughts of Harvey and his troubles still swirled in her mind, but right now, she knew that she’d help him better by centering herself. Sean was right about one thing, a good detective had to be calm and rational. She was anything but after that emotional meeting with Harvey.

  “Let’s do this,” she said. Closing her eyes and taking three deep breaths, she prepared herself, mentally sorting through the ingredients, calculating the timings and the method.

  Once she had started, she moved as gracefully as a dancer. Each movement had meaning, and there was never a second when she was not busy. Lincoln helped greatly by prepping her vegetables and sweeping away the orders once they’d been plated.

  While she was grilling the monster-burgers, as they were called at the diner, Nora simultaneously began pan-frying the chicken, adding shallots and mushrooms. She’d marinated them the night before, which meant they’d be nice and juicy. The roast beef lunch consisted of blanched green beans, carrots, roast potatoes and roast beef under a creamy gravy. She quickly boiled up a pot of water, and moved them swiftly, from the boiling water to a big pot of ice water next to it.

  “Never seen it done that way before,” Linc commented. “I just take em out of the boiling water and eat em right up.”

  “This way, they keep that bright green just off the farm look.” Nora smiled. “Helps them stay a little crunchier too. Have you sliced up the apple for the apple-and-ham sandwich?”

  “Yep.”

  “All right, drizzle a little honey on the apples and let’s stick them on the grill.” Nora smiled. “It’ll taste much better in the sandwich that way, and we don’t need to add a
ny other sauce. Just some creamy butter will do.”

  “Smells heavenly. I’ll eat it myself.”

  “Don’t you dare.” Nora laughed.

  The next hour passed quickly. Cooking was as effective as meditation, really. All thoughts and anxieties were cleared from Nora’s mind as she focussed on the present. Right now, her job, no, her solemn duty, was to fill the stomachs and the hearts of her patrons. After that, as soon as she had time to think, she’d think long and hard about Harvey.

  She gave a little yelp. She’d gotten distracted, and one of the hamburgers she was grilling was now a little overdone. “Well, looks like that’s my lunch.” She placed it aside with a sigh and put another patty on the grill. “How’s it looking out there, Linc?”

  “The storm’s abated,” he said. “We’ve got no newbies coming in. Most of the people out there already have their plates, and Tina’s handling the orders for pie just fine.”

  “Mmm. pie.” Nora licked her lips. “Remind her to save me a slice, will you? We’ve made cardamom buttermilk pie today, haven’t we? I love those.”

  “They’re a big hit with the customers too,” Linc said. “I think they’re selling out fast.”

  Half an hour more, and Nora had finished up in the kitchen. Finally, she had space to breathe. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she did, thoughts began crashing through her subconscious and into her mind, overwhelming her.

  What if it was Harvey who had done it? No, no it couldn’t possibly be. What if Sean managed to convict him anyway? The evidence was pretty strong, wasn’t it? Then again, Harvey would fight hard to get the charges dropped, and he’d be helped by some very good lawyers. Then again, even if the lawyers got Harvey free, what would happen to Harvey’s reputation here in town? Milburn was a small town, and if people suspected that Harvey had murdered Tiffany, why they wouldn’t want to do business with him anymore. Harvey could very well find himself in a soup even if he was released. No. He needed his name to be cleared very conclusively. Nora had to help him. But how? Who could she talk to?