A Fatal Slip

by Melissa Glazer

  It was a tender moment for him, and a rare one at that. As he hugged me, I realized yet again how much this gruff man meant to me. We’d spent nearly thirty years together, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I was about to tell him just that when he pulled away and said, “I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”

  “Well, I’m not particularly hungry,” I replied. I told him about my lunch with Jenna at the Waterfront, then added, “But I’ll be happy to make you something. What would you like?”

  “Pot roast would be great, but I don’t guess there’s time to make one, is there?”

  I glanced at the clock. “Not unless you want to eat after midnight.”

  “Forget that,” he said. “Do you have any other ideas?”

  I thought about what I had on hand. “I can make meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

  “Sold,” he said. “Do you want any help?”

  That was certainly out of character. I was as likely to help my husband in his workshop as he was to help me in the kitchen. “No, I think I can handle it.”

  “Good. Those joints should be dry by now, so I want to get started on the next set. Call me when it’s time to eat.”

  I nearly threw the legal pad at him as he left.

  Glancing at my list one last time, I imagined each one of my suspects killing Charlie Cobb. I knew in my heart that one of them had, but the worst thing about it was that I could visualize his last minutes of life four different ways, with a different set of hands holding him down each time.

  Chapter 12

  I was just finishing up the dishes after dinner and Bill had already retreated to the workshop again, when the telephone rang. “Carolyn, I’m sorry to bother you at home, but this couldn’t wait.”

  “That’s fine, Butch.”

  “I’m not interrupting your dinner, am I?”

  “No, we’re done.”

  “Good. Listen, maybe you should forget what I said about Rick Cobb. I’m not sure I gave you such good advice.”

  “What changed your mind?” I finished rinsing the meatloaf pan and put it in the rack to dry as I talked.

  “I had another chat with him a few minutes ago, and he actually had the nerve to blow me off, if you can believe that.”

  I couldn’t imagine anyone dismissing Butch out of hand. “What did he say?”

  “He told me to stay out of his business, or he was going to sic his friends on me.”

  “Butch, I hope I didn’t put you in a dangerous position. Could he know people who might hurt you?”

  He laughed so loudly I had to pull the telephone away from my ear. After it subsided, I asked, “What’s so funny?”

  “The names he mentioned were all friends of mine. It still got my blood boiling that he’d try to threaten me. There was something in his eyes right before I started laughing that I didn’t like. I’ve seen it enough in the past. The guy wanted to kill me, and all I was doing was asking some pretty innocent questions about his brother, and saying how nice it was for him to get the entire inheritance without having to split it with anyone else.”

  “You don’t think that might have antagonized him a little?”

  “Carolyn, that’s what questioning is all about. I push somebody until they start to push back, or fold on me. Either way, I find out more than I would have before.”

  “You’ve got a point,” I said as I drained the water in the sink. “But I don’t think it’s my style.”

  There was a long pause, then he said, “Tell you what. You leave the intimidation to me, okay?”

  “That’s a deal. Thanks for calling, Butch.”

  “You’re welcome. I just thought you should know about my change of heart before you wrote Rick Cobb off altogether.”

  After I hung up the phone, I stared out the window a few seconds, wondering if I should call the rest of the Firing Squad and see if they could do anything else. What could I ask, though? I needed to talk to Rose, not delegate it to someone else. As for Rick Cobb, he’d been pushed enough already. That left Jackson Mallory and Nate Walker, but did I really want Jenna or Sandy or Martha talking to them? I counted on my gang of investigators for background work, but I needed to see how the people on my list reacted to my questions in order to guage the truthfulness of their answers.

  I had a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, and I thought about tackling one of the three left on my list before bedtime, but I was tired, and I’d had more than my fill of murder for the moment.

  Hannah had left for her trip to Italy, so I didn’t have to worry about forgetting our morning meeting at the coffee shop the next day. I decided it would be a perfect time to delay my daily visit to In the Grounds. After all, Nate had probably seen more of me than he ever cared to. As I arrived at the shop owned by the first person on my list, I glanced in and saw Rose sitting in a rocking chair, crying again. Her crocodile tears weren’t going to work on me this time.

  I tapped on the glass, but it took her a few seconds to realize someone was there. She looked up at me, startled, and dabbed furiously at her cheeks before she waved to me.

  “Let me in,” I said as I motioned to the front door.

  It was pretty obvious she was reluctant to do it, but when she saw I wasn’t going to just go away, she got up and unlocked the front door. I didn’t step inside, and she didn’t invite me in, either.

  “Rose, what are you crying about this time?”

  I could tell that the harshness of my tone surprised her. “Nothing,” she said, sniffling into a handkerchief.

  “Unless you’ve got a cold or allergies, that’s not true, is it?”

  “Oh, Carolyn, I don’t know what to do. Nothing’s working out like I’d planned.” The sobbing started again, but this time I wasn’t going to make the mistake of trying to comfort her. I could only take so much drama.

  “Rose, pull yourself together.” My words snapped out at her like a slap in the face.

  She looked shocked. “Carolyn, what’s gotten into you?”

  “You’re a grown woman. If you persist in putting yourself in these situations with inappropriate men, what do you expect the outcome to be? For once in your life, use your head instead of your heart.” I hadn’t meant my words to be so harsh, but she needed to hear them, and I was in the perfect mood to be the bad messenger.

  “It’s not as easy as you think,” she said, adding a little backbone to her words. Good. Maybe I’d gotten through to her.

  “I never said it would be easy. Growing up never is.”

  “I’m an adult, and I have been for many years.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t care what your driver’s license says, I’m talking about your maturity. Honestly, what were you thinking, sneaking around town with Jackson Mallory?”

  Every drop of blood must have drained out of her face. “What are you talking about?”

  “Maple Ridge isn’t all that big a place.” I decided not to tell her how inadvertently I’d acquired my knowledge.

  “We’re just friends. We have been for years. When I needed some comfort, he’s always there for me.”

  I shrugged but didn’t say a word. After a few seconds, Rose added, “Yesterday I needed a shoulder to cry on. It was nothing more than that.”

  “I doubt that. Not after the way I saw the two of you acting.” I was pushing it, trying to take Butch’s advice on interrogation.

  Rose bit her lip. “I admit that I drank a little something before we had lunch. I’m not much of a drinker, so it went to my head I guess. You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

  “They won’t hear it from me,” I said. Then it hit me. “Rose, what plan were you talking about a second ago?” I realized that I might have misinterpreted her words. Could the plan have been to kill Charlie so Rick would inherit enough money to marry her? Or was it something more benign, like finding a husband?

  “I don’t know. I was babbling.”

  “I’m not so sure of that,” I said. “Rick inherited quite a bit from his brother, didn�
�t he?”

  Rose’s gaze narrowed. “So?”

  “I’m just wondering if someone else was counting on that.”

  For a split second, I saw her pupils dilate. Her tone was stiff as she said, “You shouldn’t speculate. Somebody could get hurt.”

  “Or end up in jail,” I said. The old Rose I knew wouldn’t have killed someone for love, but I wasn’t so sure about the woman standing in front of me. Suddenly, I wasn’t all that comfortable standing talking to her without someone backing me up. I glanced at my watch and pretended I was in a hurry. “I’ve got to go.”

  As I started to leave, Rose called out, “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll talk to you later. Good-bye, Rose.”

  I walked into In the Grounds a few moments later, and the proprietor himself was behind the counter. Nate greeted me, then asked, “Are you waiting for Hannah, or can I get you something?”

  “She’s not coming,” I said. “How about my usual?”

  “Coming right up.” As he got my coffee, I became painfully aware that we were alone in his shop. “Where is everyone?” I asked.

  Nate shrugged. “Some mornings are like this.”

  What should I do, I asked myself: take advantage of the situation and start questioning him, or take the safe, cowardly way out and get my coffee to go?

  “I understand the sheriff thought you might have run Winnie down yourself,” I found myself blurting out. I wasn’t sure what had happened to my earlier decision to stop pressuring Nate about what had happened to his wife, but evidently another part of my brain had vetoed it.

  He dropped my coffee, and it spilled all over the floor. “Why would you say something like that?” Nate asked, ignoring the puddle of liquid.

  “It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

  Nate scowled at me. “He interviewed me and even checked the front fender of my car. There was no damage to it, Carolyn.” Nate took a deep breath, then said, “Maybe you should get your morning coffee somewhere else from now on.”

  “Are you actually banishing me from your shop?” I asked.

  “I’m asking you nicely, but if you force the issue, then I guess you could say I am. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

  He grabbed a mop and ignored me. I stood there for a minute like a prize idiot, then left, without my morning jolt of caffeine. Instant would have to do. At least I had some back at Fire at Will. To my surprise, Jackson was waiting for me by my door.

  Without a greeting of any kind, he snapped, “What did you say to Rose?”

  “What business is it of yours?” I asked.

  “I told you to stay out of this Charlie Cobb business. I even paid for the privilege, if you recall.”

  “Come by later and I’ll give you a refund,” I said. “I don’t have time for you right now.”

  “Make the time,” he snapped at me again.

  “You’re not threatening me, too, are you?” I suddenly felt very vulnerable being outside. It was too early to have many shoppers. In fact, I couldn’t see anyone else along the entire River Walk. Even Kendra would be a welcome vision at this point.

  “I don’t threaten, Carolyn. I deliver. I’m telling you to leave Rose alone.”

  “Jackson, I thought you two were friends.” Rose had been pretty emphatic about it, but that wasn’t the signal I was getting from my former boyfriend.

  “That’s exactly right, not that it’s any of your business. Drop this, and I mean now.”

  He turned and walked off, but my heart didn’t ease its pounding until I was on the other side of a locked door. I’d allotted too much time for interviews, so I was in the shop an hour before I was set to open. I thought about unlocking the door early, but the thought of Jackson Mallory out there somewhere lying in wait for me was enough to make me keep it bolted.

  I was missing something. I just knew it. Someone had given me something to go on, but I was too distracted by all the possibilities to narrow my choices. I suddenly realized I’d be the world’s worst juror, believing whoever spoke from the witness stand. I’d advised Rose to go with her head and not her heart; I decided to take my own advice.

  I wrote a note for David to open the shop without me, and walked toward Rose’s place.

  I never made it, though. Kendra was in front of her shop, and the second she saw me, she started scowling. “If you’re looking for Rose, she’s not there,” Kendra said.

  “How do you know?”

  “I saw her leave. From the sound of it, you were pretty nasty to her this morning, Carolyn.”

  I wasn’t about to stand there and let Kendra Williams lecture me on manners. “She needed to hear what I had to say. I’m not finished with her, either.”

  “I think you are. Go look at the note on her door.”

  I walked over to Rose Colored Glasses and saw a hand-printed sign on the front door. “Closed until further notice,” it said, in Rose’s spidery hand.

  Kendra shouted, “You ran her off, maybe for good.” I didn’t know how to respond to that. Kendra added, “You should at least have the decency to go tell her you’re sorry before she leaves.”

  “Do you really think she wants to talk to me right now?” Given our earlier conversation, I doubted she’d welcome me if I popped up on her doorstep as she was packing her bags.

  “You’re probably the only one she’ll listen to.”

  Blast it all, I didn’t need this complication, but I didn’t want Kendra slamming me all around Maple Ridge, either. Then it hit me. What if I’d come too close to the truth, and Rose was using my warning as an excuse to take off before the sheriff came to the same conclusion and started asking her some hard questions about her involvement with the murder? Had I actually pushed her hard enough to make her escape?

  Kendra’s voice brought me back to reality. “Are you going over there, or are you just going to stand here all day?”

  “I’m going,” I said.

  “It’s about time,” she said.

  I headed for the Intrigue, and as I walked along the River Walk, I thought about getting one of my friends from the Firing Squad to back me up, but there wasn’t time. If I waited for someone else to show up, Rose might already be gone.

  Her car was still in front of her place when I got there. I was having major second and third thoughts about confronting her alone. I sat out in the Intrigue and called Bill, but he must have been in the workshop, because he didn’t pick up. I tried Butch next, but he wasn’t answering, either. I nearly hung up when his voice mail kicked in, but instead I said, “Butch, it’s Carolyn. I’m at Rose Nygren’s, and I think there’s a chance that she might have killed Charlie Cobb. If you get this, I might need you.”

  I was ready to call Jenna when Rose came outside, carrying a suitcase in one hand and a garment bag in the other. She threw her clothes in the back of her car, then walked over to me.

  I got out, wishing I’d grabbed some kind of weapon to defend myself along the way. Then I realized I had my car keys in my hand. Grasping them in my fist, I let each jagged edge slip out between my clinched fingers. I might not be able to do much damage to her with my makeshift claw, but at least I’d go down swinging.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”

  “We need to talk,” I said as calmly as I could manage, hiding my hands behind my back.

  “I’m through talking with you. In fact, I think I’m through with this inbred little hamlet that doesn’t even deserve a name. I’m leaving.”

  “You bought your building. How can you just leave?”

  “I’ll sell it, with everything in it. I have to get away, can’t you see that? I need a fresh start somewhere else.”

  “Are you really that upset, or are you just using this little tantrum as an excuse to get away from Sheriff Hodges?”

  No matter how many times I told myself never to poke a bear, I still managed to do it with alarming regularity. Today was clearly no exception. Rose took a step to
ward me, and I got ready to defend myself. Instead of attacking me, though, I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. “I can’t stand it anymore, Carolyn. How does Bill do it? Half the town thinks he’s a killer.”

  “The difference is, most of us know he’s not.”

  “I’m not, either,” she shouted. I looked around us, but her street was deserted. Just great. There’s never an audience when you need one.

  “Take it easy,” I said. “Nobody’s accusing you of anything.”

  “No, but you’re one breath away. I can hear it in your voice. You should be more like Nate Walker. He’s offered me sympathy through this entire mess, not a handful of accusations and innuendoes.”

  “Nate knew about you and Rick?” I asked. “I thought you were keeping your relationship secret.”

  Rose said, “We were trying to, but Nate found out. At least he thought he did.” Rose frowned, then added, “Funny thing was, he spotted Charlie and me together, and Nate immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. We were talking about Rick, and Nate thought we were dating instead. It took forever to set him straight, but once I did, he promised not to say anything about Rick and me.”

  “Where did Nate spot you with Charlie?” I asked.

  “Why is that important?”

  I had an idea, but I didn’t want to say anything just yet. “Come on, Rose, I need to know.”

  “We were leaving my shop one night, and Nate was sitting on the bench in front of my place along the brook. Why?”

  “Do you remember when it was?”

  Rose frowned, then said, “I’m pretty sure that it was the night before Charlie died. Why?”

  Had Nate been stalking Charlie Cobb, waiting for a chance to exact his revenge, or was the meeting just a coincidence? “Hang on a second, Rose, I need to make a phone call.”

  “Go ahead and call whoever you’d like, but I’m leaving as soon as I finish packing. If you’re not finished by the time I am, that’s just too bad for you.”

  I got my phone out of my purse and dialed Sandy’s number. Why hadn’t I thought to check that out before? She answered on the fourth ring.