Under the Moonlight collection

by MaryAnn Kempher

  “A child?”

  Curt shrugged. “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be the first time a child had been used to commit a crime. It doesn’t look like a fully-grown adult.”

  “Assuming it’s someone from the outside, regardless of their size,” Daisy said, “how could they have gotten in? The doors were locked every morning when I arrived to work.”

  “Well,” said Curt. “That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?”

  ***

  Jack hung around the office. He was a little worried; they hadn’t had any customers yet, aside from Ms. Sunset, They’d been open nearly a week, and he still hoped things picked up soon.

  He looked down at the newspaper he’d brought with him to work. His eyes widened as he read the headline and saw the name printed in the story.

  He reached for the phone and dialed the homicide division of his old precinct.

  A man answered. “Detective Jones.”

  “Hey Jones, this is Jack Harney.”

  “Jack! I’m sorry I missed your party.”

  “Yeah, I was sorry not to get a chance to say hello. It’s been a while. Ah, listen Jones…I was just reading about Candy Dashwood’s murder.”

  “Crazy, huh?”

  “Yeah…crazy.” Jack waited for more details.

  “Sorry Jack,” said the detective. “You know I can’t discuss an open investigation.”

  “Can you at least tell me who has the case?”

  Detective Jones hesitated. “Spencer and Nolan.”

  Jack relaxed a little. He’d didn’t have the highest opinion of Spencer, but he knew Nolan was a good detective. They’d met a few times, earlier in the year, both working different aspects of the same case.

  “All right, thanks Jones.”

  Jack sat back in his chair. The article didn’t say much more than that she’d been found shot in her home sometime Friday and was found Saturday by her maid. It made his stomach churn.

  He reached for the phone again, this time dialing Candy’s mother Yvonne. Nobody answered his call. He realized after hanging up, that he was glad for that. He hadn’t spoken to Yvonne in months. If he was going to offer his sympathies for the loss of her daughter, it should be done in person.

  Chapter Eight

  As Nene changed the sign on the store window from “closed” to “open” Wednesday morning, she was surprised to see Ms. Monroe getting out of her car outside the store.

  She opened the back office door and motioned to Gaga. “Come out quickly!” she said. “That lady from the mayor’s office is here again.”

  Gaga reluctantly stood, muttering, “Why do I have to stop what I’m doing just to meet this woman? What is she to me? Damn inconvenient—that’s what.”

  She was standing next to Nene when Ms. Monroe walked into the store. Nene was once again struck by how poised and polished the woman appeared. Nene envied her youth and beauty, thinking Ms. Monroe wasn’t a day over thirty-five, if that.

  “Good morning,” Nene said cheerfully.

  Ms. Monroe smiled. “Good morning. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by…check in on things.” She examined the case. “Your store carries some delicious-looking baked goods.”

  “Yes,” said Nene. “We get a fresh delivery every day. Ms. Monroe, I’d like you to meet my sister Gloria.”

  “Nice to meet you,” said Ms. Monroe.

  Gaga nodded.

  Ms. Monroe looked even deeper into the display case. Without looking up, she said, “It’s a shame really.”

  “What’s that?” Nene asked.

  Ms. Monroe looked up and seemed to hesitate. “I probably shouldn’t say anything about this…but I think you have a right to know. The building across the street was just sold to a chain donut shop. Happened over the weekend. The paperwork crossed my desk as part of the revitalization plans. I thought of your little shop immediately.”

  “Oh no,” Nene said, sounding extremely concerned. “Maybe there’s room for both of us?”

  “Maybe,” said Ms. Monroe with little conviction. “They will have a much larger selection than you do, though…and they’ll have a drive-thru.”

  “Oh dear.”

  Ms. Monroe leaned in. “I love your little store…I’d hate to see it go under. I’ve heard that the city was interested in buying this building. Maybe you should consider moving while the possibility of a financial incentive exists.”

  Nene looked thoughtful, but Gaga spoke firmly. “Donut store, or no donut store, we aren’t moving,” she said. “We’re more than a bakery; we have candy, too. There’s no reason we both can’t do well here.”

  “Of course…of course,” said Ms. Monroe. “Even with the new discount store opening in addition to the donut store. They sell all sorts of candy, very cheaply, but you’re store is so unique. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

  Gaga and Nene looked at each other. Nene recognized the look on Gaga’s face. When she was as angry as she looked to be now, she always reminded her sister of a cartoon character. She half-expected steam to come out of Gaga’s ears, and for her face to turn fire engine red.

  “It sounds to me like you’d like us to move,” said Gaga.

  “Actually,” Ms. Monroe said, “what I’d really like is a cherry Danish.”

  Gaga’s eyes narrowed as she took the Danish from the case. Ms. Monroe smiled, made her purchase and left.

  Nene’s anxiety remained after she was gone.

  As Jack arrived at his office door, he waved to Ms. Albright. She already had customers. When he opened his door, he was surprised to find Mark Barnes waiting inside the office.

  “Hope you don’t mind,” said Mark. “The door was unlocked.”

  Jack looked around. Everything seemed as he’d left it the day before. He shrugged and resolved to speak to Curt about security. How would it look if their detective agency was robbed? He then looked at Mark and was immediately struck by the difference in his appearance after having seen him just the previous Friday. His eyes had dark circles under them, his hair was greasy and messy, and he needed a shave. Jack sat at his desk. “No offense Mark, but you look like hell. What’s going on?”

  Mark didn’t answer right away. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

  “I need your help. You heard about Candy?”

  “Yeah,” answered Jack.

  “I know they’re putting a lot of pressure on the lab to get any DNA results back as soon as possible.”

  “And?

  “When they do, they’ll find my DNA on Candy.”

  “What kind of DNA? Do I even need to ask?”

  Mark closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

  “It was consensual Jack—I swear.”

  Jack shook his head. “Ah jeez. How long prior to the approximate time of her death?”

  “Just hours…it happened at the party.”

  Jack sighed. “So probable cause, then. Anything else?”

  “We had a fight…”

  Curt walked in and sat down. He didn’t need to be told something was up. He knew to keep quiet and listen. Jack looked at him.

  “You remember Mark?”

  “Yeah,” answered Curt, nodding to Mark.

  “He’s in a fix. Remember the woman I introduced you to?”

  “Diana?”

  “No, the other one. Candy.”

  “The one found shot?”

  “Yeah. She has Mark’s DNA all over her.” Curt’s eyes widened. “Tell me about the fight,” Jack said.

  “I wanted to go over to her house,” said Mark. “After the party. So I followed her out to her car when she left. We argued…I’d had too much to drink and was too obvious about us. She hated that; she wanted to be discreet about what we had. So my going on like I did just made her mad, and more determined not to let me come over.”

  “Did you go to her house?” asked Curt.

  Mark didn’t answer.

  “Well,” Jack prompted him, “did you?”


  Mark hung his head. “Yeah.”

  Jack groaned.

  “But someone else was already there—some guy. I was parked a block down and watched him at her door. He was big, but it was dark and too far away for me to see anything.”

  “So you didn’t enter her house, then?” asked Curt.

  “No,” Mark confirmed. “But I’ve been there before. My fingerprints are all over her place.”

  “So you and Candy,” Jack said, “you’ve been what—dating?”

  Mark shrugged. “I don’t know what you’d call it, exactly. We never really went places together. She never wanted anyone to know we were seeing each other. Said we’d get teased too much. She was probably right. So I’d go over to her place, once, sometimes twice a week.”

  “So you were a booty call?” Curt said.

  Mark ignored the question. “I liked her,” he said to Jack. “I wanted us to be exclusive. But I think she was seeing other guys.”

  “Which would definitely explain the man you saw. Was he just getting there, or was he leaving?”

  “Getting there, I think,” Mark answered.

  “Did you see him leave?” Jack asked.

  “No. I took off. I was afraid I’d do something stupid if I didn’t.”

  “So why come to me?” asked Jack. “Why not lawyer up and hope for the best?”

  “I did consult a lawyer, just to be on the safe side. But I need you to investigate…I trust you. I’ll pay for your time. If I get arrested, the publicity is going to be rough, and the department is short-staffed and overworked enough as it is. They won’t want it looking like they’re protecting one of their own. I think they’ll be more concerned with bad publicity than with finding her killer. I don’t want to go down for something I didn’t do.”

  “Nolan and Spencer are working the case. They’re good detectives,” Jack said. “They’re not going to let you fall just to close a case.”

  “I trust you more than them.” Mark sighed. “Will you help me or not?”

  Jack looked across at Curt, who shrugged. “Your call,” Curt said.

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” Jack told Mark. “I’m not on the force anymore…I’m not going to have access to the case, or the department’s resources.”

  “But you’ll try?”

  Jack nodded slowly “We’ll do what we can.”

  Mark stood and exhaled, relieved. “Thanks, Jack.”

  ***

  They watched as Mark got into his truck and drove away. “What do you think?” Jack asked Curt.

  Curt walked to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. He slowly added cream and sugar. Jack knew not to rush his answer. Curt was one of the smartest guys he knew. He’d look at this problem from every angle before answering.

  “I think if we try to investigate this murder,” he said finally, “we’re gonna piss off a lot of people. You used to be a cop; how would you feel if a PI started sticking his nose into your investigation? We’re just starting out. I think not pissing off the local cops is in our best interest.”

  Jack exhaled forcefully. “Damn,” he said. “I know you’re right. But I hate to leave Matt hanging. He’s right to worry…if the press get wind that the murder of a highly ranked sergeant’s assistant might have been committed by a cop, it’ll be a huge PR nightmare for the department. They’re going to be under a lot of pressure to solve it. And if we do get involved, I’m going to have to call in a lot of favors.”

  “How about this,” said Curt. “We wait. Let’s give the locals a chance to catch the killer before we go sticking our nose in where it don’t belong.”

  “I agree,” said Jack. “Unless there’s something Mark isn’t telling us, a good lawyer would be able to poke holes in what little evidence they have.”

  Curt sat back at his desk and sipped his coffee. “How well did you know Candy Dashwood?” he asked.

  Jack looked slightly embarrassed by the question. “Pretty well, actually…we dated for a while.”

  “I thought your ex-girlfriend’s name was Amy?”

  Jack blushed. “Candy was before Amy.”

  “How long were you and Amy together?”

  “Not long.” He looked uncomfortable.

  Curt smiled knowingly. “Ah, I get it. Were you doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing?”

  Jack rolled his eyed. “No, nothing like that.”

  “So what happened with Amy?”

  “She wasn’t ready for the next step in our relationship. I probably moved too fast, but I was ready to settle down. She was on the cruise, saying all the right things—she was sorry, she regretted breaking up, but….” Jack sighed and shrugged.

  “What?”

  “Ah jeez…what can I say? I was pretty attached to her, and she hurt me. By the time the cruise came around, I was beginning to feel like my old self again.”

  Curt nodded sympathetically. “And you didn’t want to get beaten up again.”

  “Right.

  “Wow…and now this with Candy. I didn’t know. I’m really sorry.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not like that.” He realized how that might have sounded. “I mean, I’m sorry she’s dead, of course. But we didn’t date long, and it was a year ago, at least. To tell the truth, I was more attracted to her mother at the time…but she was a little too old for me.”

  Curt laughed.

  “Yvonne was a really nice lady. Smart and sexy, and we got along great. Personally, I didn’t mind our age difference, but I think she did. That, and the fact that I’d dated her daughter. I guess that was a deal breaker.” Jack’s tone became stoic. “This has got to be breaking her heart. Candy was an only child.”

  “I wonder how her friend is taking it,” said Curt.

  “What was her name again?” asked Jack.

  “Diana.”

  “Ah yes…Diana. She was pretty, huh?”

  Curt shrugged. “I guess.”

  Jack made an obvious jump. “Speaking of attractive women…how are things going with you and Ms. Sunset?”

  Curt grinned. “Cut it out, Jack. She’s just a client.”

  “Didn’t you take her out to dinner last night?”

  “Yes…to discuss the case.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Anyway…I went to her shop, took a look around. It’s got me stumped. She’s right. I looked at her video footage, nobody entered the store, yet somehow her animals disappeared.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” It sounded like a simple case overall.

  “I hope so.”

  “So…what’s Ms. Sunset really like?”

  “She’s fascinating,” said Curt happily. “Her family works with the circus, but she left and opened her store a few years ago. She doesn’t see them often, since they travel a lot. Plus, there’s some sort of bad blood between her father and uncle.”

  “Sounds like she’s really opened up to you.”

  “She’s a very genuine, likeable person.”

  Curt stood and stretched. He sat again, pulling open a desk drawer and taking out a large bag of M&Ms.

  “Look at you,” said Jack. “I thought you believed in eating healthy…”

  “I believe everything should be done in moderation,” Curt said. He took a fistful of candy and dropped them into his mouth.

  “How is that moderation?” Jack asked.

  Curt opened the drawer again and held up a large candy bar. “I was going to eat this, too, but I’m not. See? Moderation.”

  Jack laughed. He stood and walked to the large window and looked out of it. He thought about Mark’s situation, and his request. It wouldn’t hurt to make a few calls, he thought.

  Seconds later, Jack had dialed Nolan’s cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Nolan. This is Jack Harney, how’s it going?”

  “Hey Jack. It’s good…busy, as you can imagine.”

  “How’s Spencer?”

  Nolan laughed. “The same,” he answered.
/>
  Jack hesitated, this was touchy and needed to be worded just right. “Ah…I heard about Candy Dashwood.”

  “Yeah. Damn shame.”

  “Is it true you and Spencer are heading up the investigation?”

  “Yes.” Nolan suddenly sounded less than eager to chat. “Listen Jack, I have to go. I’m pretty swamped here.”

  “Can you tell me anything?”

  “Come on, Jack. You know how this works. I don’t have much, it’s too soon, and what I do know I can’t share with someone outside the department.”

  “I understand,” Jack said.

  “Gotta go. Good talking to you.”

  The line went dead.

  Jack looked at Curt. “Well,” he said. “It was worth a try.”

  ***

  Thursday evening, Mark sat alone, surrounded by silence, waiting. The semen found on Candy had been tested; he knew it was his, and now, so did they. Soon, the police would arrive to make the arrest. He’d considered running but had changed his mind. What did they really have—his DNA? His fingerprints? An argument witnessed by dozens of people? So what? Knowing Candy, his wouldn’t be the only DNA they’d find on her, or in her. And he’d already contacted a lawyer. With any luck, Jack would work to find something that would take the attention off of him.

  He took a swig from his beer. Damn Candy. He hated to be one of those people who blamed the victim, but he did blame her. She’d brought this on herself. Mark wondered if Jack would find something helpful to get him out of this.

  He should have told Jack what Candy had told him. It would have been a place to start. But at the time, he’d been pretty panicked and not thinking very clearly.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Mark looked at the door of his apartment as it shook beneath the angry knocking.

  He sighed and stood.

  Chapter Nine

  On Friday morning, Jack waved to Nene and Gaga as he passed their store. “Good morning Ms. Albright,” he said, “Ms. Albright.”

  Nene came out from behind the counter. “How many times have I told you to call me Nene?”

  Gaga was putting bags of cotton candy on a display case. “I don’t have a problem with him calling me Ms. Albright,” she said in a low voice.