by Jessica Beck
“I thought I’d take a chance and try her,” I said.
“To talk or to shop?” Christine asked us.
“Would both be an answer that suited you?” Grace asked with a grin.
“I know the two of you. You’re looking into Harley Boggess’s murder together, aren’t you?”
I simply shrugged, but as I did, Grace nodded enthusiastically as she replied in the affirmative.
Christine looked pleased. “I thought as much. Actually, I might be able to help you.”
“You?” I asked. “I wasn’t aware that you even knew Harley.”
“In passing, but that’s not particularly relevant. I was out taking a stroll alone a few nights ago while my husband was home building one of his model planes, and I happened to spot Harley having an argument under the town clock.”
“Who was he arguing with?” Grace and I asked nearly simultaneously.
“Ordinarily I wouldn’t say anything, since I detest gossip, but this might be significant, so I’ll make an exception this once.”
She was clearly reluctant to talk, and I knew that I couldn’t compel her to if she didn’t want to. Jake and his fellow officers had ways to make people talk to them, but all that Grace and I had were our friendly faces and willing ears. It was enough more times than not, but it didn’t always work.
“Don’t worry, Christine. We’ll keep whatever you tell us in confidence,” Grace said.
“If we can,” I added.
“I understand,” she said as she nodded. “I’m probably just being silly making such a big fuss out of it. It might be easily explained away.”
“Then let’s do that person the service of allowing them the opportunity,” I said gently. “Otherwise, we’ll always assume the worst.”
“I never thought of it that way,” Christine said, and after a few brief nods, she added, “Harley was having a rather testy conversation with Nathaniel Bloom. I doubt that either man even noticed me, but I surely noticed them.”
“Did you happen to hear what they were arguing about?” I asked her.
“I couldn’t tell, but both men were deadly serious,” she replied. “I shouldn’t have used that expression, but you know what I mean.”
“Was there anything physical about their confrontation?” Grace asked her.
“What do you mean, did anyone throw a punch? Not that I could tell. I just saw them for less than a minute as I crossed the street in front of the newspaper building. Honestly, I was embarrassed for them both, and I didn’t want them to know that I was even there.”
“Thank you for telling us about it,” I said.
“Of course. As I said, I’m sure that it was nothing.” She glanced at the sign again, and then she said, “Well, I suppose I should take these things back home until Gabby returns. Good-bye, ladies.”
After we said our farewells, Grace asked me, “What do you make of that?”
“It sounds like we need to speak with Nathaniel Bloom,” I said as I glanced at my watch. “If we’re lucky, he’ll still be in his office.” Nathaniel not only served on the city council with Harley, but his office was in the same general area just off Viewmont Avenue, the road that led to Union Square. “Let’s go see if we can find him,” I said as Grace and I turned and headed for my Jeep.
I agreed with her about riding instead of walking. The office was definitely too far to make it on foot if we had any hope of meeting Momma in time.
Chapter 6
“Mr. Bloom, do you have a second?” I asked after our first suspect answered the door. Nathaniel Bloom was tall, heavyset, and his hair was beginning to fade away into nothingness, no matter how much he tried to disguise the fact. He was wearing an old-fashioned tweed suit, and I half expected him to light a meerschaum pipe. “Grace and I would love to have a word with you.”
“Of course,” he said as he stepped aside to let us in. He didn’t have a secretary or a receptionist, so it was just him. Looking around, I could see that the space was masculine to the extreme, featuring a sea of leather, quarter-sawn oak, and dry-stacked stone everywhere. “Are you two ladies looking to change your investment advisors?” he asked as he sat behind his massive desk. I knew that he handled other people’s money for a living, but the implication that I had any worth investing was amusing.
“Sorry, but my net worth is in my checking account, and last month I had to pay a fee for the balance being under the required minimum.”
Grace nodded. “Our investments are handled through work. Thanks for offering, though.”
He looked puzzled by our statements. “I understand, but I’m not entirely certain what I can do for you.”
“Mr. Bloom, you can help us with something far more important than money,” I said.
“Please, call me Nathaniel. I find that rather hard to believe,” the man said gravely. “Money allows you to do the things in this life you were destined to do.”
“I don’t need much to be a donut maker,” I said.
“And I’m fairly happy myself,” Grace added.
“Very well, we’ve established that you two are in no need of my services, but the question still remains. If not money, then what?”
“We’re here to talk about Harley Boggess,” I said.
“Yes, that was most unfortunate,” Bloom said.
“I’d say it was more than that, especially for Harley,” Grace replied.
“I agree. We were colleagues in the battle to keep April Springs vibrant on the city council,” he said. “I’ll miss working side by side with him for the greater good of our community.”
Was this guy answering questions or running for office? “Surely you didn’t always get along,” I said, trying to act as sweet and innocent as I could manage.
“When it counted, in the end, we were fellow servants of the people,” he intoned as though he were addressing a joint session of the legislature.
“Even recently?” I asked him.
Bloom looked at us, each in our turn, and then he said slowly, “I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but whatever it might be, I can assure you both that it isn’t true.” He glanced at his watch, and then he stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a client coming in very soon. I’ve been working on his portfolio all morning, and I really can’t delay our meeting, lest he change his mind once more and drive me completely mad.”
“We’ll leave as soon as he arrives,” Grace said. Since neither one of us made any move to leave, Bloom reluctantly settled back into his chair.
“I suppose you’re referring to the discussion Harley and I had the night before last,” he said. “I wasn’t aware that anyone had witnessed that.”
“A small town has big ears,” I said.
“Who told you about it?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“I’d rather not say,” I replied. I’d told Christine that I’d keep her name out of our investigation if I could, and I’d meant it. “What were you two arguing about?”
“As a matter of fact, it concerned the acquisition of something that relates to you,” he said as he frowned at me.
That was a shocker. “Were you two arguing about trying to buy my donut shop, because if you were, I can save you some grief. It’s not for sale.”
“No, I’m talking about the empty building on Viewmont Avenue.”
“What? The old lawyer’s office beside the jail? What has that got to do with me?” I’d glanced over at that building a hundred times on my way back and forth from Union Square, and honestly, it had become a blank spot in my vision over time.
“Don’t be coy with me, young lady.”
“I only wish that were the case,” I said. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“I find that hard to believe, since the deed is in your name,” he said.
“I don’t k
now where you’re getting your facts, but you’re sadly mistaken,” I said. “I own the building that Donut Hearts is in, and the cottage where I live with my husband. That’s it.”
“Perhaps you should have a talk with your mother,” Bloom said, beginning to stand again. “I won’t keep you from it, and it sounds as though it’s long past due.”
“That can wait until later,” I said. “We’re not finished talking about Harley.”
Bloom didn’t sit back down this time. Instead, he leaned his considerable bulk on his desk. I was glad it was made of stout oak, or I would have worried that he might bring the entire thing down. “I only have one more minute I can spare,” he said.
“Then tell us why you wanted the building,” I said, still not wanting to identify it as mine.
“Some of the members of the community were going to try to use it to entice Teresa Logan into serving as our town’s attorney,” he said. Teresa had been in town less than six months, but it appeared that she’d already made quite an impression, at least on the men of April Springs. I liked her fine myself, other than her propensity to flirt with my husband, something that didn’t seem to bother him at all.
“Well, I can’t help you there, because I still don’t believe that it’s mine to sell,” I said. “Is that really what you two were arguing about?”
“As I said, there was no argument; it was a friendly discussion, at least at that point.”
“What changed?” Grace asked him.
“Amber North’s name came up,” he admitted with an open scowl.
“Amber? What about her?” Amber ran a cleaning service for businesses that covered three counties, working mostly at night after the staffs had gone home for the day. Now that she had four employees of her own, I’d heard that she didn’t do much cleaning anymore herself.
“Harley was seeing her. Didn’t you know?”
“Harley? And Amber? Amber North. Are you sure?” Harley had been many things, but reckless wasn’t one of them, and dating Amber North could only be described as taking his life into his own hands. She was notorious for her temper with any gentleman unfortunate enough to spawn her ire.
“I don’t believe it,” Grace said.
“I’m having trouble with it myself,” I said.
“If you don’t trust my word, ask around. It wasn’t as though they were trying to hide their relationship from anyone.”
“So why were you two arguing about Amber? Were you seeing her, too?” Grace asked pointedly.
I wasn’t expecting the investment man to start laughing at the notion, but that’s exactly what he did. After he got himself back under control, he said, “Excuse me, but I’d sooner kiss a porcupine on the lips than date that woman.”
“Then why were you fighting over her?”
“She was interfering with Harley’s sense of right and wrong,” Bloom said. “The woman has never liked me, and since they started seeing each other, Harley became downright confrontational in our council meetings. If you don’t believe me, ask the mayor. He bore the brunt of Harley’s outbursts more than I ever did.”
“We will,” I said. Had Bloom not heard about George’s absence? He couldn’t have. If he’d had the slightest inkling that our mayor was AWOL, I was certain that he would have brought it up. “Where were you this morning between nine and eleven-fifteen?” I asked him, since those were the hours the building opened and when I’d found Harley dead.
“As I told you before, I’ve been here at my desk the entire time, prepping for my meeting this afternoon,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
“It might be helpful to know, that’s all,” I said. It didn’t even occur to him that I’d been asking him for an alibi, as flimsy as it was.
I was about to ask my next question when there was a knock on the door. Seth Lancaster, a good customer of mine at the donut shop, poked his head in. “Is this a bad time? I can wait outside if you’d like.”
That was all Bloom needed to get rid of us. “No, you’re right on time, Seth. The ladies were just leaving.”
“Are you sure?” he asked as he glanced in my direction. “I don’t mean to push you out, Suzanne.”
“We were on our way out,” I said as I stood, putting on my brightest smile. As I offered Bloom my hand, I said, “We’ll speak again.”
“I’m sure that I’ve told you everything I know,” he said with a forced grin.
“We’ll see about that,” I said. Grace stood, and after giving Seth a more genuine smile, we left the office.
“Suzanne, did you really not know that you were a land baron?” Grace asked me the moment we were outside.
“It’s got to be some kind of mistake,” I said.
“It didn’t sound like it was to me,” she answered. “Maybe you should do what Bloom suggested and ask your mother about it.”
“Oh, you can bet I’m going to do exactly that,” I said. As we headed over to the Boxcar for our lunch rendezvous with my mother, I resolved that I was going to get some answers and find out if what I’d just heard was actually true or not.
Chapter 7
To my surprise, Momma was already at the diner waiting for us. Trish had offered us both a quick hello, but she was swamped with diners waiting to pay, so there wasn’t much opportunity for small talk.
“Girls, I’ve got some news to share with you,” Momma said brightly as we sat down at her table.
“Me first,” I said abruptly.
She looked startled by my declaration. “Fine. Go on. What’s so urgent?”
“I just have one question to ask you, and I need you to tell me the truth. Momma, do I own the empty old building on Viewmont Avenue?”
Her face went ashen, and I knew that what Nathaniel had told me was true. “Oh, dear,” was all that she managed to say.
“Seriously? That’s the best you can do? What else do I own, Momma?” I gestured around the Boxcar Grill. “Is this place mine, too?”
“Lower your voice, Suzanne. You’re attracting entirely too much attention,” Momma said, trying to hush me.
I looked around and saw that she was right. Taking a softer tone, I asked, “Why did you buy that building and put it in my name? Was it for taxes, or was there some other, more nefarious reason behind it?”
“The truth of the matter is that I didn’t buy it for you,” she replied calmly.
“Why don’t I give you two some privacy?” Grace asked as she started to stand.
Nearly in unison, Momma and I both said, “Sit down, Grace.”
She did as she was told, a rare feat for her, but one I couldn’t take the time to acknowledge.
“Please explain yourself,” I told my mother, trying to keep my temper in check. I knew that she loved me, and I loved her too, but that woman could push buttons in me that I didn’t even know existed. “How has the town not repossessed it for back taxes? I know that I’ve never paid any on it.”
“I’ve been covering the expenses on the building for many years, but they never amounted to much.”
“Okay, but if you didn’t buy it for me, then who did?”
“Your father.”
“What?” I asked her incredulously. “My dad has been dead a long time. When did all of this happen, and why didn’t you tell me about it before I found out from a perfect stranger?”
“I wanted to, believe me. I begged and pleaded with your father to let me tell you, but he steadfastly refused, even to the point of binding me to a promise beyond the grave. I was never to mention it unless things got extremely dire for you. I nearly told you after you discovered that Max had cheated on you and that you were leaving him, but then you got a sizable divorce settlement, and you didn’t need the money. The only escape clause your father gave me was that if you came to me with the knowledge that the building belonged to you, I was free from my promise to him.”
“Why didn’t he want me to know about it?” I asked. Though my father had been gone a great many years, rarely a day went by that I didn’t think of him at least once, whether it was when I made a donut favorite of his long before I’d ever opened my own shop or saw a red flannel shirt, one of his choicest things to wear, or heard a certain laugh that reminded me of him. None of what I was learning now made any sense to me.
“He was worried that he wouldn’t always be there for you,” Momma finally said. “No, he didn’t have a premonition about his death. Your father was just being pragmatic. He had an opportunity to buy the building, and he decided that it would make a good safety net for you if you ever got into trouble and he wasn’t there to help you out of it.”
“So it’s really mine, free and clear?”
Momma nodded. “It’s not worth a fortune, but if you fix it up and rent it out, it might provide you and Jake with a nice little supplemental income. If you don’t care to be a landlord, I’ll buy it from you myself above the fair market price. It’s your decision.” She sighed before she spoke again. “To be honest with you, Suzanne, it’s a relief that you finally know the truth. I hate keeping secrets from you.”
“Are there any more I don’t know about?” I asked her, almost afraid to hear what she had to say.
Before she could answer, Trish joined us. “Sorry about the cold greeting, but when folks are clamoring to give me money, I have a hard time resisting.” She seemed to notice the expressions on our faces as she added, “Is this a bad time?”
“You’re fine, dear,” Momma said.
It had saved my mother from answering my question for now, but sometime in the near future, I planned to bring it up again. I hadn’t known about the building. What else was she keeping from me?
“Excellent,” Trish said. “Are you ladies ready to order?”
“I’ll have the special,” Momma said with conviction, no doubt happy for the interruption.
“Two,” Grace said as she held up two fingers.
“You might as well make it three,” I echoed.