As we passed my rental car, Jason nodded at it. “Whose car is that?”
“Mine, temporarily. I’m getting some work done on my Honda.” No way was I telling Jason about the threatening scratches on my hood. He’d only get upset.
Jason held the door while I climbed inside and we drove to the theater. He parked in the half-full lot, and we walked to the ticket window, which was lit well in the dark. As we got into line, I noticed a couple near the front. They kept offering each other quick kisses. The guy’s hand appeared to feel some sort of magnetic pull toward the girl’s butt, but she kept brushing his hand away. Man, am I glad Jason isn’t into public displays of affection.
The couple moved forward and closer to the light from the ticket window, giving me a clear view. The man was Wendy’s brother, Kurt. The girl he kept groping was Drew.
27
At the sight of Kurt, my stomach sank. Had he gotten his anger out of his system when he scratched up my car, or would he freak out when he saw me?
Once the attendant handed over the tickets, Kurt didn’t so much as glance over his shoulder as they entered the theater, but I still edged behind Jason just in case. I nudged him. “Did you see that?”
Jason craned his neck to see around the guy in front of him. “See what?”
“Wendy’s brother and Wendy’s admin were making out up there.”
Jason stepped to the side for a better look. “Are you sure? She’s the one with the spiky hair, right?”
I eased past him. “I’m going to see which movie they’re here for.” I ran to the entrance and peered through the large window, knowing Kurt couldn’t see me outside in the dark. The lights inside illuminated the lobby like a stadium at a night game. Kurt and Drew were easy to spot in line at the snack bar. I returned to Jason.
“They’re getting food,” I told him.
“Did you want me to write about that in my next article?”
I poked his side, and he let out a grunt. “No, silly, I want to see what they’re up to. Besides watching a movie, obviously.”
Jason exhaled loudly. “I knew you were investigating. I knew you’d ignore my request that you stay out of this.”
Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about his lecture at dinner the other night. Good thing I hadn’t told him about my car. “Look, Wendy was my friend. We have to make sure the killer is caught. Especially now that the same person most likely killed Preston, too.”
“We? How about the police? Seriously, Dana, what if that person comes after you?”
I spread my hands. “All I’m doing is talking to people. And you can help. Let’s go find out where Drew and Kurt went.”
Jason tried again to change my mind. “What if they’re seeing that foreign romantic movie with the subtitles? I don’t want to sit through that.”
“They don’t strike me as fans of subtitles any more than we are.” The line moved forward. Now only one couple stood between us and our ticket purchase. “Don’t you want to know what they’re doing?”
“If they were making out, I’d guess they’re on a date.”
I tugged his sleeve. “But were they dating before Wendy was killed, or did they hook up after?”
Without answering, he pulled out his wallet, stepped up, and requested two tickets for the action movie. So much for buying tickets to whatever movie Kurt and Drew had selected. While he waited for his change, he said, “I’m not sure it makes a difference.”
“What if they were in cahoots? Maybe after they started dating, Kurt found out Drew worked for his sister and convinced her to help kill Wendy.”
Jason looked at his tickets. “Maybe we should go with a nice romantic comedy instead. These action movies are messing with your brain.”
I stamped my foot, feeling like a little girl. “There’s nothing wrong with my brain. It can’t be a coincidence that those two are dating. We need to follow them.”
“Watching them watch a movie won’t tell us anything. You need to talk to them, which you can’t do during a movie, unless you want to get thrown out.”
Besides the fact that I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk to Kurt yet—despite everything I’d told Jason about asking questions—Kurt scared the bejeezus out of me now. “We can sit behind them and eavesdrop. Maybe they’re the annoying types who talk through movies.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the usher at the door. He allowed me to drag him along, probably figuring it was easier than arguing all night.
Inside the lobby, a handful of people milled about the displays and snack area, but Drew and Kurt weren’t among them. “They must have gone inside already,” I said.
“We need to get to our auditorium, too. The movie’s about to start.”
I paused, torn between tracking down Kurt and enjoying my evening. “Fine. We probably wouldn’t have found out anything anyway.”
I checked my ticket stub and found the right entrance. Inside, the lights were still up as ads played on the enormous screen. “Let’s sit near the middle,” I said to Jason. I climbed the first three steps and brushed the leg of the person sitting in the aisle seat. “Excuse me,” I said automatically as I looked over.
Kurt looked back, and I saw his jaw clench. Next to him, Drew glanced at him nervously. I’d swear she looked guilty of something, but maybe it was the lighting.
“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked.
“We came to see a movie.” I felt Jason step up beside me, and his presence gave me a surge of courage. “I didn’t know you two knew each other,” I said, nodding toward Drew.
Kurt straightened in his chair, and Drew rearranged her shirt and wiped at her lips. They’d clearly been pawing each other before I interrupted.
“We do,” Kurt said. Short and to the point, much like the message on my hood.
“Have you known each other long?” I asked, locking eyes with Drew.
She licked her lips. “Sure. We’ve been seeing each other for months.”
Interesting. “That was before you started working for Wendy, right?”
Drew started to answer, but Kurt placed a hand on her knee, and she closed her mouth.
“Did Wendy know you two were dating?” Jason asked. I was glad to know he had my back.
The lights in the theater dimmed as the ads on the screen faded to black.
Kurt shifted in his seat and faced forward. “Movie’s starting.”
The first preview appeared as music blasted from the speakers. Jason placed a hand on my back and guided me to the row behind Kurt and Drew. I plopped down in the seat and stared at the outline of Kurt’s head. He leaned over and whispered something in Drew’s ear. They both looked back at me. I lifted one hand in acknowledgment, but they didn’t wave back. Instead, they rose, stepped into the main aisle, and headed for the exit.
Either the preview for the latest horror movie had offended them, or else my presence had made them nervous.
When the movie let out, Jason and I walked back to his car. The night air was much cooler than when we’d gone in. Jason placed an arm around my shoulders, and I snuggled up against him while we crossed the lot. He popped the locks and held the car door while I climbed inside.
He went around to his side and slid behind the wheel. “How about that coffee?”
“Sounds perfect. Might help thaw me.”
Jason gave me a devilish grin. “I could help you with that.”
That remark alone shot my internal temperature up a good five degrees. “Let’s start with coffee and see where it goes.”
He drove a few blocks and pulled into the Daily Grind parking lot. Once inside, we placed our orders at the counter and found a corner table.
I removed my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. “I don’t think I told you that Ashlee and I placed a deposit on an apartment right before you picked me up. We’ll be moving in pretty quick.” I felt a slight tug at my heart when I said that. I hoped Mom wouldn’t be lonely.
Jason must have seen the indecision on my face. “Is yo
ur mom okay with the move?”
“She’s probably more ready than I am. With her new job and Lane, she’s clearly open to change.” I marveled at how I’d originally been reluctant to move back home, and now I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave. “By the way, Ashlee gave us permission to make out all the time in the new place.”
“She’s going to regret that offer.” He gave me a salacious wink. “I’ll be all over you.”
Our banter was interrupted by the barista calling Jason’s name. He hopped up to retrieve our drinks. After I’d sipped my white-chocolate mocha, I said, “I can’t get Kurt and Drew out of my mind. Drew must have been hired at Invisible Prints after she started dating Kurt. She mentioned a while back that she’d only worked there a couple of months.”
“You think Wendy hired Kurt’s girlfriend as a favor?” Jason asked. “They didn’t strike me as having the best sibling relationship.”
“I haven’t figured it out yet, but there must be a reason Drew chose Invisible Prints. Maybe she and Kurt had hatched a plan to kill Wendy, and the festival was their first opportunity.”
“Would Drew agree to such a thing? She has no reason to kill Wendy.”
“I know it’s pretty far-fetched, but why else would she work there? Even if she really needed a job, I can’t imagine she’d work for a woman who screwed over Kurt like that.” I swirled the coffee around in my cup. “I wonder if the police know about their relationship.”
Jason pulled his notebook out of his jacket pocket and jotted something down. “Detective Palmer hasn’t mentioned it.”
“Speaking of the good detective, has he told you anything new about Preston’s murder?”
“All I know is he was killed in his living room. Someone probably attacked him from behind.”
A chill ran up my back, and I clutched my coffee cup for warmth. Should have kept that jacket on. “So either someone snuck up behind him, or the killer was someone he knew well enough that he’d turn his back on them.” The coffee in my stomach churned. “Any suspects?”
“No new ones. Preston didn’t have much of a life outside of Wendy.”
“Did the neighbors see anything?”
“One neighbor saw a man enter Preston’s house not long before the murder. Police identified him as Marvin.”
I pushed my coffee away. “He mentioned he had an appointment with Preston and that the police think he was the last one to see him alive. Maybe Marvin murdered him on his way out the door.”
“That’s definitely something the police are considering.”
“But why would Marvin kill him? Preston was the last link to the missing money.”
Jason used a napkin to wipe up a few drops of coffee, which had leaked from his cup. “Agreed. If he’d killed him in a fury, I’d expect him to stab him repeatedly, not slit his throat.”
I realized that the folks two tables over were staring at us openmouthed. Our conversation must have been easy to overhear in the nearly deserted coffeehouse. I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring manner. “Our movie let out a bit ago. We’re trying to figure out the plot.”
They both busied themselves with stirring their coffee, obviously not convinced.
I faced Jason. “What are the cops planning to do next?”
“I asked, but they didn’t share their plan with this reporter.”
Whatever course of action the police had outlined, I still needed a plan of my own. Before the killer struck again.
28
The next morning, the sky remained overcast as the sun tried to muscle its way through the mass of clouds. I dressed in my long-sleeved work shirt and khakis and grabbed a sweatshirt for good measure. Mom and Ashlee were still asleep when I got behind the wheel of the loaner car and drove to the body shop. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my Honda until I spotted it waiting in the side lot. I studied the freshly painted hood from every angle. The guy had done a fantastic job.
I paid him and drove to work, parking in my usual corner spot. As I passed the dining room on the way to the office, the sounds of early-morning chatter and the clink of silverware reached me. Once inside the office, I shut the door to block out the noise and booted the computer. I was brainstorming potential new ad campaigns when the door opened, and Esther walked in.
Today she wore a denim shirt with embroidered pigs along the bottom and little pink pig buttons down the front. I knew she loved finding embroidered shirts at craft fairs and street festivals, and she had a closet full to prove it.
“Morning, Dana. Are you busy today?”
“I’m working on new ideas to promote the farm, now that the festival is over. Is there something you needed me to do?”
Esther fiddled with a pig button. “Would you mind checking on Gretchen? She mentioned she has a hen house full of spa customers this morning, and she might need an extra hand.”
“I’d be happy to. Let me wrap this up.”
“Thanks, Dana. You’re a dear.” She walked out the door.
I finished the paragraph I’d been struggling with, saved the file, and stood. With breakfast now over, I cut through the dining room, where Zennia had already removed the tablecloths for laundering, and crossed the patio area. The path in front of the cabins was empty, and I wondered if Marvin had been at breakfast this morning or if he was hiding in his cabin. It certainly looked bad that he was the last person to see Preston alive. The police must be focusing closely on him.
I slipped through the tent opening to the spa and found Gretchen studying her appointment book. The creases in her forehead disappeared when she saw me.
“Dana, thank goodness. I’ve got back-to-back appointments starting in five minutes and no time to mix ingredients for the facials. Could you do it?”
“If you’ll give me instructions.”
Gretchen led me to the area where I’d had my facial a few days ago and handed me an apron. I surveyed the table of jars and bottles full of mysterious items. She pointed to a jar of dark goo. “Don’t worry about the black moor mud. That’s ready to go.” She laid a hand atop two other jars. “For the mix, you’ll start with the clay and lavender flowers.” She tapped a bottle with a stopper. “Add two drops of this essential oil.” She listed a few more components and then ran back to the desk to greet her first client.
I repeated Gretchen’s instructions in my head as I carefully measured out the ingredients and stirred them in the correct order, hoping I got the mixture right. When I finished, I set the bowl to the side and washed my hands at the nearby sink. I could hear Gretchen talking to someone in hushed tones in another section of the tent. I straightened the jars and bottles I’d moved around, used a nearby towel to wipe the sink area, and tidied up the rest of the stack.
As I headed outside, I met Lily on her way in. Her brown hair was swept up in a bun, wisps falling out the sides. With her long floral dress and old-style boots, she reminded me of an extra from an old Little House on the Prairie episode.
When she saw me, she flinched and clutched her head with one hand.
“Lily, are you okay?”
She rubbed her temple. “I can’t get rid of this headache. I’m sure it’s from the stress of Wendy’s death. I’m hoping one of Gretchen’s massages will help.”
I moved aside as a woman exited the tent. Her relaxed countenance was the exact opposite of Lily’s. “Wendy’s death has hit us all hard,” I said. “And now Preston’s dead, too.”
Lily dropped her hand. “Who’s Preston?”
First, Helen didn’t know, and now it was Lily. How had I become the official spokesperson for announcing Preston’s demise? “Preston was Wendy’s husband. He was also murdered.”
Lily gasped. “My God, someone killed Wendy’s husband? But why?”
Either Lily was taking acting lessons, or she truly had no idea who Preston was. If she didn’t know Preston, then she had no reason to kill him. “The police are trying to answer that very question.”
Her hand crept to her temple again. “Oh
, I can’t believe it. Now I feel even worse.”
My curiosity meter swung to “High.”
“What do you mean?”
“I . . . I’ve done some terrible things,” she said, not meeting my eyes. “With everyone dealing with so much already, I can’t believe I acted like that. I’ve got to fix this.” She hurried toward the parking lot.
“But what about your massage?” I called after her as she practically ran down the path. And what about telling me what you feel so guilty about?
“I’ll reschedule,” she yelled back.
I watched her disappear around the corner of the cabins. What exactly had she done? She didn’t seem to be confessing to murder, but what else could it be?
“Was that my next client?” Gretchen asked behind me.
I turned toward her. “She had to leave.”
“That was sudden.” She gave a last look toward the path and shrugged. “Guess that frees up my time, and I owe you for helping me earlier. I could give you that cactus massage I mentioned a few days ago. You said you wanted to write about more spa services on our Web site. Now’s your chance.”
Here I’d helped the woman mix her mask ingredients, and to show her gratitude, she wanted to poke me with cactus needles! Some thanks. “Sorry, but I have a project to work on in the house.” If I couldn’t find anything, I’d make up something.
Gretchen raised her eyebrows. Her eyebrow ring moved along with them. “Can’t it wait?”
Could my imaginary project wait? For a moment, my mind went blank, but then I remembered the file I’d been editing earlier. I crossed my arms. “I’m working on an important marketing document.”
She peered at me. “You do know that the cactus paddles don’t still have needles on them, right?”
They didn’t? Well, that was a relief. “Sure, of course I knew that,” I said. Gretchen grinned at me, clearly not fooled by my denial. “All right, so I didn’t know.”
“Does that mean you want to try the massage?”
I wavered for a moment. “Now that I know I won’t be suffering some twisted acupuncture torture, I’m definitely interested, just not right now. I really do want to finish my project.”
Green Living Can Be Deadly (A Blossom Valley Mystery) Page 20