by Jessica Beck
“No, they were making plans to go to a friend’s wedding,” he said. “She was torn up to hear about Teresa’s murder.” After a moment of silence, he leaned forward and grabbed his phone. “Send Winston in. I have a job for him.”
It was our cue to leave, and Jake and I didn’t have to be told twice.
Once we were back outside, Jake said, “You know I didn’t mean anything earlier, don’t you?”
“We’re good,” I said with a smile. The information the police chief had shared with us had eased my ire quite a bit, and there was no use being upset about the implication that I might be holding something back, especially since I’d done just that a time or two in the past.
“Thanks,” Jake said. He looked relieved by my reaction. “Should we go back and check out Teresa’s office again?”
“That sounds good, but there’s a stop we need to make first.”
“Let me guess. We’re going to the Boxcar, aren’t we?” Jake asked.
“I want to talk to Trish.”
“Suzanne, you can’t hold her choice of friends against her, especially when she’s grieving for one of them.”
I stared at him for a second before I spoke. “Is that really what you think I’m going to do? I want to offer a dear friend my sympathy for her loss. That’s it.”
“I’m sorry. I should have known better. I seem to keep stumbling over my own words today. You know I think you’re wonderful, right? The truth is, I aspire to have the loyalty to my friends that you have to yours. I never meant to imply otherwise.”
I suddenly felt sorry about upbraiding him like that. After all, I knew that Jake had only my best interests at heart. “It’s fine. I guess I’m just a little sensitive at the moment.”
“It’s completely understandable,” Jake said. “Would you like me to go in with you?”
“If you wouldn’t mind, I really need to do this alone. No offense intended.”
“None taken,” he said. “Why don’t you put the Jeep in the Boxcar parking lot, and I’ll walk over to the crime scene while you’re talking to Trish. You can catch up with me when you’re finished.”
“I’d rather we go over there together, if you don’t mind,” I said. “I don’t like the idea of you investigating by yourself.”
“Suzanne, I was a state police investigator for more years than I like to think about. I can handle myself in a pinch,” he said with a gentle smile.
“I know that, but if something does happen to you, I want to be right there beside you. Humor me, okay?”
“Fine. I suppose I could run home while you’re talking with Trish. Maybe I could grab a snack while I’m there. Is there any pie, by any chance?”
I laughed. “You know as well as I do that there isn’t, but I’ll bring you a slice from Trish’s while I’m there. What kind would you like?”
“I don’t know. Surprise me,” he said with a grin.
After we drove over to the Boxcar, I parked my Jeep and Jake and I parted ways. As he walked through the park toward home, I took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the grill so Trish and I could have a little talk. It was time to clear the air between us and to offer my sympathy for her loss. I hadn’t been a member of Teresa Logan’s fan club, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t offer comfort to one of my dearest friends because of her loss.
Chapter 10
“Hey, Trish. Do you have a second?” I asked as I approached the register at the Boxcar Grill.
She looked surprised to see me again. “Back so soon? Did you change your mind about that pie after all?”
“As a matter of fact, we did, but that’s not the only reason I’m here. Is there someplace we can talk in private?”
Trish looked at me quizzically for a moment, and then she glanced around at the nearly empty grill. “Sure, why not? Come on back.”
I was one of the rare folks who had been invited back into the inner sanctum where the food was prepared at the Boxcar. While the dining area was made up of one long boxcar, the kitchen was another, attached side by side via a method that I didn’t fully understand. I smiled and waved to Hilda, who was busy working at the grill, but she managed to nod at me and look concerned toward her boss at the same time. She made a gesture with her spatula that told me I needed to do something about that, and in truth, it was the real reason that I was there.
As Trish grabbed a box for our pie, she asked, “What kind would he like? I’m assuming this is for your husband.”
“It wasn’t that hard to guess, was it?” I said with a grin. “Do you have any peanut butter and chocolate left?” It was one of Jake’s favorites, a special treat that he really loved. The crust was made up from crushed chocolate cookies, sugar, and butter, while the top mixture definitely had peanut butter in it, and whipped cream, too, along with other ingredients I couldn’t begin to guess at. I’d have to get the recipe from her sometime, but I had more important things to talk to her about at the moment.
“There’s two pieces left. Why don’t we send one home with you for Jake, and we can split the other one while we chat? I’ll risk the calories if you will.”
She didn’t have to twist my arm. “It’s a deal.”
“Good. I’ve been needing something decadent today,” she said. It was the opening I needed, and I wasn’t going to let it just pass.
“That’s why I’m here.” After Jake’s piece was safely put away, Trish transferred the last piece to a plate, and then she produced a pair of forks. I took my first bite and sighed happily. “That’s every bit as good as I remember it.”
“It should be. We haven’t changed a thing about the recipe since we first opened.”
“The reason I came by is because I just found out about something. I’m sorry you lost your friend yesterday,” I said quietly after my next bite.
“What are you talking about?” Trish asked me haltingly, a large chunk of pie dangling precariously on the edge of her fork as she stared at me.
“I know that you were friends with Teresa Logan,” I said. “It’s tough losing someone you care about. Trish, you didn’t have to hide it from me. We don’t have to have the exact same set of friends. Just because someone isn’t one of my favorite people in the world is no reason you shouldn’t make your own decisions about them.”
“I understand that, but I knew how you felt about her, Suzanne. Believe me, I tried talking to her about how she acted around Jake, but she wouldn’t listen. I know you don’t want to hear this, but she was usually a sweet woman, and a nice person to hang out with, despite her propensity to flirt with any man in pants. The truth is that her father left her mother right after Teresa was born. Added to that, she never got much attention in high school or college from men. According to her, she was a real ugly duckling, but she blossomed in law school, and suddenly she couldn’t get enough of the attention that she’d always craved but never received. She was actually engaged to a fellow student in law school, but she knew it wasn’t going to work out, so she broke it off with him right before they graduated. She just wasn’t ready to settle down, not with him, or anyone else, for that matter. I know it doesn’t excuse her behavior, but it does explain it, at least a little bit.”
The truth was that up until Jake and I had stumbled across her dead body the day before, I’d never looked at the situation from Teresa’s point of view. She had been one of the bad guys in my eyes. Someone in my book club had once made the point that everyone is the hero of their own story, even the villain, and I’d found that it was an interesting way of looking at people in real life, too. That didn’t mean that I condoned the attempted stolen kiss from my husband, but really, how could I blame her, given her history? Would I be any different if our circumstances had been the same? Besides, Jake was charming, nice looking, and he had an air of politeness and intensity about him that some women took the wrong way. I felt badly about the way I’d tr
eated Teresa while she’d been alive, but there was nothing I could do about that now except help my husband find her killer. “I’m sorry that you couldn’t say something to me before, but I realize now that it was my problem, not yours,” I said. “I didn’t mean for it to ever be awkward between us.”
Trish hugged me. “I’m sorry I kept it from you.”
“The way I’ve been acting, I can’t even blame you for doing it,” I said. “Are we okay?”
“Yes. I feel so much better. I couldn’t stand keeping something like this from you.”
We were both blubbering at that point, but in a good way, and after a full minute, we broke apart, each of us now smiling. If Jake had been watching the exchange, he would have thought that we’d both lost our minds, but Hilda nodded and smiled as she watched it all transpire.
“I’m glad we had this chat,” I said.
“I am, too,” she replied as she dabbed at her eyes.
“Excellent. Then we’re all set. Jake and I are doing our very best to figure out who killed Teresa. You know that, don’t you?”
“I hoped you were,” Trish said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“That depends. Do you know anything that might be of use to us?”
Trish frowned for a moment, and then she said, “That’s a hard question to answer, isn’t it? Besides, I’m not sure how I feel about talking about this with you.”
“It’s only going to be uncomfortable if we choose to let it be,” I said.
“You’re right. There’s probably something you should know, but I’m not sure how you’re going to take it.”
“Try me. I just might surprise you,” I said.
“There’s a reason Teresa tried to kiss Jake when she did. She finally took my advice and asked someone more age appropriate out on a date, but he rejected her. She reacted badly, and Jake happened along at exactly the wrong time when she was as fragile as I’d ever seen her.”
“Do you know the name of the man she asked out? Was it someone here in town?” I couldn’t imagine who it might be.
“No, he lives in Hickory. I’m guessing that you don’t know him, but that’s kind of beside the point. He doesn’t figure into this. Teresa’s been feeling vulnerable lately anyway, and she was trying to get more control of her life. The thing is, there was someone around here that she has been afraid of for a few weeks, but I could never get a name out of her.”
“Is that why she bought the mace and the stun gun?” I asked her.
“Did she actually go ahead and do that?” Trish asked me. “Teresa promised me that she was going to, but I didn’t know that she had done it yet. If she had a few things for self-defense, why didn’t she use them on her attacker? They might have saved her life.”
“My guess is that part of the reason is that it’s something as simple as not having a big enough handbag to carry them around in,” I said, sharing my recent observation with her.
Trish frowned for a moment before she spoke again. “That makes sense. We were going to go shopping this weekend in Charlotte, and she said that buying a bigger purse was the first thing on her list.”
“If it’s any consolation, it appears that the attack was sudden and unexpected. I’m not at all sure the mace or the stun gun would have done her any good.”
“How can you possibly know that?” Trish asked. We’d both completely forgotten about the peanut butter pie, which was hard to believe given the way we felt about treats.
“From the look of things at the crime scene, Teresa most likely never even saw it coming. She was hit from behind before she even had the time to turn around. Is there anyone you can think of who might want to harm her, and yet she’d still feel safe enough to turn her back on?”
“I wish I had a list of names for you, but I have no idea,” Trish said. “Even if it were someone she didn’t fully trust, how much trouble would it be for them to wait until she reached to get something or even heard a noise and turned to see what it might be without giving it any thought?”
“I just wish we had a name,” I said.
“If I had to make a list, I’d put Alex Rose’s name on it, but he doesn’t live around here.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s in the clear. He’s in town, and I’ve spoken with him twice in the past twenty-four hours,” I said.
“You’re kidding. How did you happen to run across his path?”
“First, he came by the cottage this morning to speak with Jake, and then, a little bit ago, he tried to get into Teresa’s house while Jake and I were there.”
“You were at her place? Why?”
“I told you before. We’re investigating her murder,” I said.
“And the police just let you in?”
“Not exactly.” I explained my little white lie that had gained us access. I was expecting disapproval, but she didn’t seem to mind, maybe because it had been done for a good cause.
“Did you find anything?”
“Jake found the mace and the stun gun, along with the receipt for them, in an empty cereal box in the pantry,” I said, “but I already told you that.”
“What else did you find?” It was clearly painful for Trish to hear these things, but I didn’t have any right not to share them with her.
There was no way around telling her what else we’d uncovered. “We found your note thanking her for dinner,” I admitted, feeling like some kind of peeping tom for some odd reason. “That’s how I found out you two were friends.”
“I’d like to have that back, if I may.” Trish was doing a remarkable job of holding it together, and I wished with all my heart that I could satisfy her request, but I couldn’t.
“I’m so sorry, but the police chief has it,” it pained me to admit.
“That makes sense. Why wouldn’t you turn it over to him?” Trish paused a moment in thought, and then she asked, “Suzanne, you don’t think that I had anything to do with what happened to Teresa, do you?”
“Of course not,” I said quickly, and I meant it. “Jake and I were just being thorough. Don’t blame him for that, either. His training runs pretty deep.”
“I get it. Was there anything else?”
“There was one more thing that was kind of odd. We found the stem of a single rose under the trashcan out back. The petals had mostly been destroyed, but it was clear that’s what it was.”
After Trish took all of that in, she said, “You said that Alex showed up while you were there. Suzanne, please tell me that you didn’t let him inside her place. Teresa would have hated the thought of Alex Rose pawing through her things.”
“No, we refused to do it, and he stormed off in a snit. We turned the key over to Chief Grant, and he’s having one of his officers pack up Teresa’s things even as we speak.”
“I should be the one who does that,” Trish said. “After all, I was just about her only friend in town. She deserves at least that much.”
“Does she have any family left that you know of?” I asked her.
“No, they’re all gone from what she told me. For all intents and purposes, she was alone in the world. I’m calling Stephen. He’s got to let me do this. It’s important.”
I didn’t correct her use of his first name and not his title. After all, Trish could call the police chief whatever she chose to. I toyed with my fork as she talked, but I didn’t take another bite. I’d lost my appetite, even for something as delicious as that pie.
When she hung up, she looked at me and nodded. “Okay, I’m meeting the officer as soon as I can get over there. Thank you for letting me know what was going on.”
“I’m just sorry I couldn’t do more.”
“Find the killer,” she said intently as she grabbed her handbag. “That’s all I need.”
“Who else should we be looking at besides Alexander Rose?” I asked her before she cou
ld go.
“Talk to her client list. She had some pretty bad eggs she dealt with on a regular basis. She couldn’t go into specific details, but there were some rough customers.”
“We’ve already got Joe Chastain and Becky Rusch on our list. Anyone else?”
She paused a moment, and then she said, “Do you know about Bobby Wells? He’s been stalking her for awhile.”
“We’ve spoken with him, and so have the police.”
Trish frowned for a moment, and then she said, “That’s about all I can think of. Listen, I need to get over to Teresa’s place.”
“Understood. Let me pay you for the two slices of pie.”
“They’re on the house,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“Can I hang around and help run the place while you’re gone?” I offered. “I can run the register and wait tables, and I’m sure Jake would be happy to clean the tables.” I didn’t hesitate offering our services. It was for a friend, and I knew that Trish would gladly do the same thing for me.
“You’re sweet to offer, but I’ve got it covered.” She called out, “Hilda, I’ll be gone for about an hour. Do me a favor and call Gladys, would you? She’ll be glad to come by and help out, but until she gets here, the place is all yours.”
Trish hurried out the back, probably because that was where she was parked, so I grabbed Jake’s piece of pie and headed out the front door myself.
I was two steps from making it when I heard an angry voice in the background behind me, arguing about a basketball game that he’d watched the night before.
I instantly knew that this was the same voice Jake and I had heard on Teresa’s answering machine, threatening her just before she’d been murdered, so I turned to the few folks there in search of our mystery suspect.
“Hey, Burt. Do you have a second?”
“Hello, Suzanne,” Burt Gentry, the owner of the hardware store, said when he saw me approach. It was odd to see a man with red hair that tan, especially this time of year. “What do you need? I’m busy at the moment.”