Once Upon A Murder

by D E Dennis

  “That’s perfect.”

  “What will you do?”

  He chewed his lip, a nervous habit he couldn’t seem to quit. “I’m going to the school tomorrow.”

  “Castle Rock Prep?”

  He nodded. “Abigail said his friends were a couple guys named Lance and Auggie. I’m going to talk to them, see what I can learn about Preston. Then I’m going to ask around about the party they threw last week. See if it was really as ‘lit’ as Abigail claimed.”

  Monica put her foot on the gas when the light changed. “You think the party has something to do with this?”

  He shrugged. “No idea, but the kid throws a massive rager and then is murdered the next weekend? It’s worth checking if something went down at the party that no one wants to admit.”

  “Good point,” she admitted, “but I would like to remind you that this is Castle Rock Prep. The crown jewel of the Fairy Tails community and where the residents send their pampered offspring to be educated and nurtured.”

  Michael laughed. “Your point?”

  “My point is that if even one parent or teacher finds out you’re questioning the kids about a murder case, you’ll have fifty lawyers in your face before you even ask the first question. It’s different rules on their side, bro, and they do not like being involved in even a whisper of a scandal.”

  Michael didn’t lose his easygoing air. “No one knows CRP better than me, Mo. I won’t get any backs up. I’ll just go in, ask a few questions, and slip right out before the fifty lawyers get their hands on me.”

  She harrumphed, but she didn’t argue. “Sure you don’t want me to handle the questioning, Specter?”

  He grinned. “I said I didn’t want to get any backs up, remember.”

  Without taking her eyes off the road, Monica smoothly reached over and popped him over the head.

  “Between you and Mom, there’s going to be a permanent lump there,” he grumbled under his breath.

  They soon pulled into the parking lot of the Little Pigs café and climbed out.

  Samira waved to them when they walked in, drawing his eye to the table she shared with Spencer.

  Michael waved back and put in an order at the counter. They weaved through the tables to the back of the café.

  Spencer lurched to his feet and pulled out the chair next to him. “Hello, Monica,” he said, smiling a tad too wide. “Have a seat.”

  Monica lifted a brow, but gingerly sat down and scooted in her chair. “Thanks, Frogster. I see you’ve learned some manners.”

  He laughed and sat down, pulling his chair closer to hers. “Hey, what’s with the nicknames? Why do you keep calling me frog?”

  Monica leaned forward, getting in close, and Spencer copied the movement. “Well, that would be because of that funny-looking face, wouldn’t it?” She then flicked him on the nose. Spencer gave a shout of surprise, but her back was already turned to him. “So, what do you got, Mira?”

  Samira took a sip of her tea: chamomile, one spoonful of honey, no sugar, if he remembered correctly, then she answered, “My boss’s boss says we are to share everything we find with you. All the evidence and whatever we glean from interviews, but my boss says we can only do so after we chased down the leads ourselves.”

  Monica frowned. “So basically, he or she—”

  “She.”

  “—wants us to be one step behind you the entire time until the CRPD solves the case themselves.”

  “Pretty much. I’m sure this comes as no surprise, but cops and PIs are like cats and dogs. We don’t like sharing the same turf. You two are friends, so I didn’t fight the Charmings on letting you on this case and I took my dressing down with a smile when the boss found out I escorted you to the crime scene and let you sit in on our interview with the parents.”

  Monica clicked her tongue. “We don’t want you getting in trouble over us, Mira.”

  Michael agreed. “Should we go?”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s alright. She gave the go-ahead for us to tell you about the search of Preston’s room.”

  A snort drew their attention. “She gave the go-ahead because we found nothing,” said Spencer. “Typical guy’s room. Messy. Band posters, tricked-out gaming systems, and dirty laundry strewn about. The laptop is password protected, so we turned it over to the tech geeks to crack, but other than that, nothing.”

  Samira nodded along. “We did find a ladies’ heel under the bed, but Mrs. Charming said Abigail spent a lot of time at their home, especially in their son’s bedroom, so it’s most likely hers.”

  “Did you get to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Charming again?”

  Samira and Spencer shared a look.

  “What?” Michael’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Charming kept the conversation brief per their lawyer’s request.”

  “Lawyer?”

  “Yes, you heard right. They had a lawyer present and the three of them watched us like hawks while we conducted the search.”

  It was Michael and Monica’s turn to share a look.

  “That seems a bit overly cautious,” Monica said. “What are those two afraid of?”

  “That is what we’re going to find out.”

  “Did you take pictures of the scene?” Monica asked and received a nod in return. She glanced at her watch. “Okay, send them to me and I’ll look them over tonight with the pictures of the party. I have to get going, I’m meeting the band in half an hour.”

  Samira perked up. “The band? You’re still singing?”

  She nodded beaming away. “Looking after this one”—she jerked her thumb at Michael—“is just my day job. I still want to be a singer. The band and I have even played a few gigs around town.”

  “That’s wonderful, Mo. What’s your name?”

  “We’re called the Happily Ever Afters,” she gushed, sweeping out her hand. “And that is exactly what I won’t have if I’m late to practice again, so I have to head out and sorry, big brother, I’m taking the car.”

  Michael quickly realized what was happening. “Mo, I can drop you—”

  “No can do. You still have a muffin on the way. You two stay, eat, catch up and Samira will give you a ride home.” Monica got to her feet. “Let’s go, Froggy.”

  Spencer started. “Me?”

  “Yes, you. You’ll be our audience and tell me how amazing I am.”

  Spencer moved so fast he almost toppled his chair. “Okay.”

  “Mo, wait!”

  But they were already halfway out the door.

  Michael slowly turned to look at Samira. She smirked at him over the rim of her teacup. “Have I mentioned how much I like your sister?” she teased.

  He groaned. “You’re welcome to take her off my hands at any time.”

  Samira laughed, and Michael couldn’t help but smile. Goodness, her laugh was beautiful. It melted the ice around even the coldest of hearts.

  “About Spencer...” Michael began slowly, “do I need to be worried about him and my sister?”

  “Oh, yes. I told him Monica was too much woman for him, but as your sister said he doesn’t learn easy.”

  Michael shook his head, sighing mournfully. “She’s going to eat him alive.”

  They cracked up and Michael relaxed.

  Until Samira’s face changed.

  The smile disappeared and she lowered her eyes, staring into the depths of her tea. “I guess that is a Grimm trait. Breaking hearts.”

  Michael stiffened, face clouding. “Samira, please. Don’t do this.”

  “Don’t do what, Michael? Don’t have the conversation you’ve been avoiding for eight years.” She leaned forward. “We were engaged. We were planning a future together and then you just ended it after I uprooted my life in Snowhaven for you.”

  “I didn’t want you to do that,” he hissed. “I told you to stay.”

  “I couldn’t stay! I loved you and I wanted to be with you. I moved out here so we could still be together and
you ended things anyway, and you still won’t tell me why!”

  He stubbornly refused to meet her eyes. “What does it matter now? That was eight years ago. We were both young, and you moved back to Snowhaven after we—after.”

  “I—”

  “Here you are, sir.” A waiter materialized in front of them. “A lemon blueberry muffin and one coffee, two sugars.”

  Michael thanked him and wrapped his hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep into his bones and settled his nerves.

  “I did move back,” Samira continued after the waiter walked away, “but I missed this place. I ended up putting in a transfer to be moved from Snowhaven PD back to Castle Rock. I’ve actually been back for nine months now.”

  “I know,” Michael said softly.

  “You did? But... why didn’t you come to see me?”

  It was like being dealt a physical wound, hearing the pain in her voice made him ache. “I didn’t think I should, Mira. I didn’t think you would want that.”

  “You don’t have a clue what I want, Grimm. You never did.” Samira drained her mug and gently placed it down. “Find your own way home.”

  Michael should have stopped her. He wanted to stop her. But instead, he just sat there, clutching his mug until the coffee grew cold in his hands.

  THE CLOCK STRUCK 7 a.m. and the alarm blared at him. Blearily, Michael poked his head out of the covers and glared at the offending thing.

  “Alright, I’m up.”

  He kicked off the blanket and stretched out the kinks brought about by yesterday’s impromptu six-mile trek.

  Michael trudged into his bathroom, shaking his head the whole way. He could have called someone to pick him up from the café, but he decided to use the time to think. The only problem was, by the end of it, his mind was still a tangled mess, and if he thought the new light of day would bring him answers, he would be wrong about that as well.

  Michael still had no idea what to do or say to Samira so that left only one option: he would say nothing.

  She’ll cool off eventually, he assured himself while he went through his morning routine.

  Michael finished up in the bathroom and then tramped out into the kitchen to throw a bagel in the toaster while he got dressed.

  He was headed to the one place he swore he would never step foot in again.

  Castle Rock Preparatory School for the Gifted

  Michael dressed quickly, putting on his usual suit and tie ensemble, and grabbed his bagel on the way out the door.

  The journey was a long one. Thirty minutes from his cramped one-bedroom apartment to the gates of Fairy Tails. Six minutes to state his business, have his identity verified by the guard, and drive through the gate. Finally, another fifteen minutes to reach the campus and park his car in the guest lot.

  Michael took his keys out of the ignition but made no move to exit the car. He looked out his windshield watching students in hideous plaid uniforms stream into the school.

  The three-story red brick building, clock tower, and leafy green quad made CR Prep look more like a university campus than an eight-through-twelve school and Michael was once again struck by that as he climbed out of the car and walked through campus.

  It seemed some effort had been made to brighten up the space though. Flowers of all kinds and colors had been planted around the base of the quad’s fountain. Azaleas, daffodils, gerberas, and more. Michael paused a moment to admire them before heading for his first stop: the administration building.

  He promised his sister he would fly under the radar, but that didn’t mean walking around a school campus without permission. That was a great way to get the police called on him instead of Preston’s killer.

  Proving old habits die hard, Michael stopped and knocked before stepping inside the admin office. A face he didn’t recognize sat behind the desk, peering at him over her glasses.

  “Hello, sir. Can I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m here to see Mrs. Wolf. I don’t have an appointment,” he added when he saw her eyes fly to the appointment book.

  “Are you a parent or guardian of a student?”

  “No.”

  “Alumni?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “You... guess.” She frowned. “If you don’t have an appointment, I’m afraid you can’t go in. Mrs. Wolf’s schedule is full today.”

  “Just tell her Michael is here to see her. She’ll want to speak to me.”

  “Sir, I cannot disturb—”

  “She won’t be happy if you send me away,” Michael sang. “Trust me. You’ll want to tell her I’m here.”

  She tried to keep up the glare, but Michael could see it was slipping. He watched her war with herself as she tried to decide if the trouble she would get in if she bothered her boss was worth the trouble Michael implied she would be in if she didn’t pick up the phone.

  Michael saw the moment he won out. She sighed and put the phone to her ear, fingers poised to dial. “What was your name again, sir?”

  “Michael.”

  “Full name, please.” A hint of impatience in her voice.

  “Michael Grimm.”

  She blinked at him. The phone slipped out of her hand and clattered on the counter. “Grimm? Grimm as in—”

  “Yes, that Grimm.” Now he was the impatient one. “Will you please tell her I’m here?”

  “Of course, sir,” she cried, scrambling to pick up her phone. Her fingers flew across the numbers. Michael listened while she and the woman on the other side of the door had a short conversation.

  The secretary stood, smoothing out her skirt. “You can go right in, Mr. Grimm.” Her smile was turned up to maximum.

  He thanked her and walked over to the door labeled Headmistress Wolf. He went inside and the woman sitting behind the large oak desk rose to her feet.

  She looked the same as the last time he saw her, which was impressive since it was fourteen years ago when he walked across the stage and took his diploma from her hands. Her hair was dyed jet black and secured in a severe bun. Iron gray eyes still held the appearance of knowing what he was thinking before he thought it, and when she smiled, her pointed canines gleamed in the artificial light.

  “Headmistress,” he said happily. “You’re still as gorgeous as ever.”

  “Oh, hush, you. Silly boy.” His eyes may have been playing tricks on him, but he was sure he saw tiny spots of color on her ivory cheeks. She came around her desk, arms open wide, and Michael gave her a hug.

  “This is a wonderful surprise, Michael. What brings you by?” She gestured to the pair of chairs in front of her desk and they both sat down.

  “Preston Charming.”

  Her smile fell away. “Such an awful business. I’m tasked with emptying his locker today. I have to send his belongings to his poor grieving parents.”

  “It is awful. All of Fairy Tails must be reeling and I can’t imagine what the students are going through knowing the killer is still on the loose.”

  She leaned back in her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Preston was a star pupil. What kind of animal would do this to him?” she growled.

  “What was Preston like?”

  “Polite. Hard worker. Never in trouble. He was senior class president and voted homecoming prince every year since he was a freshman. He was my favorite student.” She patted his hand. “After you of course.”

  “So he didn’t have a problem with anyone at school? No one hassling him?”

  She cocked her head. “No, and you know that I make it a point to know what’s going on with my students. Why? Why are you asking about him?”

  “Because it’s my job, Headmistress.” Michael reached into his pocket and took out his business card. “I’m investigating his murder.”

  She looked from him to the card in surprise. “A private investigator. When did this happen?”

  “We opened two years ago.”

  “We?”

  “Monica and I,” he clarified. “We
were hired by Preston’s parents to find out who did this to their son, but right now we have no suspects. That is why I’m here.”

  Her gaze sharpened. “You think I can point you in the direction of those suspects? I can assure you no one in the Fairy Tails community would have harmed Preston.”

  Her implication that it must have been someone on his side hung in the air, but Michael let it go without comment.

  “I just want to get to know more about him. I can’t find the killer if I don’t know anything about the victim. Do you mind if I look around and talk to some of the students?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t think I can permit that. As you said all of Fairy Tails is reeling. The students are in mourning and I don’t want them interrogated.”

  “Mrs. Wolf, I would never interrogate vulnerable children,” he said reassuringly, gripping her cold hand. “I only want to talk to them. Find out more about the friend they lost. I’ll tell them exactly who I am, and if anyone feels uncomfortable, I’ll leave. You can even escort me if you want.” He peered at her through hooded eyes. “You know better than anyone how well I can conduct myself in an investigation.”

  His last blow hit its mark and she softened her gaze. “Of course, I do, Michael. I know I can trust you.” She sighed, chewing her lips as she thought it over. Michael waited patiently.

  It would do no good to rush her. She made her decisions in her own time.

  “Okay,” she said after a full thirty seconds had passed. “Just tread carefully and sensitively.”

  “I always do, ma’am.” Michael leaned forward and quickly planted a peck on her cheek. “Thank you.”

  That earned him another blush and a “Silly boy!” which he accepted with a laugh as he left.

  He stopped in front of the receptionist and this time she was sitting at attention. He glanced at her name tag. “Miss Green. Would you mind giving me the class schedules for Lance and Auggie? I’m sorry I don’t know their last names, but they are on the student council.”

  “Of course, Mr. Grimm,” she fluttered. “Right away.”

  Her fingers flew across the keys and soon the printer was singing as it spat out his information.