It Cannoli Be Murder

by Karoline Barrett

Anything involving extortionists and gangs, cyber or otherwise, cannot be a good thing, that much I know. Sean was the main point of contact for the FBI, and he spoke for all the affected police departments. I knew he had an arson case on his plate, too, and probably other cases I didn’t know about. I hoped there was room on his plate for helping to solve the senator’s murder. He was a seasoned detective, I wasn’t sure how seasoned Alex was.

  “Molly, you need to go back where the party is,” a Destiny police officer told me, putting an end to my thoughts. I recognized Lenny Moskowitz. He’d been a year ahead of me all through school. “We’ll come get you when we’re ready to talk to you.”

  “Thank you, Len… officer.”

  Before I moved away, I heard Thea talking to Sean, her shrill voice echoing in the cavernous atrium. “I’m going to set you and the other officers up in a couple of unused conference rooms. I don’t want the other guests disturbed. The longer we can keep this quiet, the better. This is insane! I cannot believe someone was killed on our premises. This won’t be good for business. This must be kept quiet to the highest extent possible. Please do what you need to do and let me know when that horrible mess in the bathroom can be cleaned up.”

  Her tone shocked me. How could someone be so callous? She spoke as if someone had just peed on the tile floor, not bled to death on it. How unfeeling could she be?

  “It will be awhile,” Sean informed her, his lips a grim line. “A woman was murdered. We aren’t going to rush through the investigation just to save the hotel’s reputation. We’ll need to talk to every guest, visitor, and employee. Nobody leaves until we’re through, Ms. McNamara. Including you.”

  You tell her, sweetie, I thought.

  Thea pursed her lips, then scowled. “You have my cell number, detective. Call me when this nightmare is over. I’ll be in my office. I don’t suppose you can keep this out of the news.”

  “I don’t suppose I can,” he replied.

  I left Sean to handle Thea and went back to Olivia.

  “Where have you been?” she whispered grabbing ahold of my arm. “I thought something happened to you.”

  “I’m fine. I saw Alex and Sean. I didn’t talk to either of them. Everyone has to be interviewed.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “I wish I was. I get it, though.”

  She sighed. “Me too, of course. I shouldn’t have asked such a silly question.”

  “It wasn’t silly. We’re all a little discombobulated now.” I looked down at the desserts. The petit fours were gone and there were two lemon shortbread cupcakes left. I took one and ate it in two seconds. A glass of milk would’ve been perfect. Scratch the milk. Right now, a glass of wine would be even better. I resisted taking the second one as well. I suddenly understood how people could eat at a time like this. It was a normal activity, and confirmation that life would go on.

  Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before Alex came for me. “Hi, Molly. I need to talk to you. Please come with me.”

  “Both of us?” I asked.

  He paused for a second then must have decided my idea had merit. “Sure. You too, Olivia. I can kill two birds with one stone.”

  Honestly, was it necessary to use that particular word?

  Olivia and I followed him in silence. Once we were settled in a conference room, Alex began with me. “Did you know Rachael Rydell?” he asked once he’d taken my name, which of course he knew, address, which he should have also known, and other particulars, which he dutifully entered it into his laptop.

  I shivered. This reminded me so much of when Olivia and I had been questioned in orchard owner Calista Danforth’s murder.

  “Molly?”

  I tuned Alex back in. “Sorry. No, I don’t know her. I never met the woman.”

  “But you know who she is.”

  “Yes. I’ve seen her on the news. She was one of our U.S. senators. She lives in New York City.”

  “Do you know anything else about her? Hear anyone say they couldn’t stand her, or her politics?” He was typing away.

  “I don’t know anything about her, other than what I’ve seen on the news. I’m sure not everyone agreed with her politics, but I haven’t heard anything specific. Are you thinking someone killed her over her politics?”

  He glanced up from his notes. “You’d be surprised at the reasons people kill.”

  Unfortunately, I probably wouldn’t be. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more. I don’t know anything about the woman, or why someone would want to kill her. Or why they chose to do it here.”

  He gave me a curt nod. “What time did you get here?”

  “Soon after the affair started.”

  “Had you been in the ladies’ room prior to the incident?”

  “No.” I was about to explain I went before I left home, so I was all set but thought that would be filed under the Too Much Information category.

  He locked eyes with me. “See anyone here you didn’t recognize?”

  “Actually. I didn’t recognize anyone, save a few local alumnae who are my mother’s friends, and naturally, I recognized my parents. This is a benefit for Mellon School for Girls. Olivia and I are just doing dessert for them. Wait a minute!” I almost jumped out of my chair. “There was the woman who almost knocked me over when we got here.” I dug in the pocket of my hoodie and pulled out the keychain. “I’m pretty sure she dropped this. I called out to her, but she disappeared like a ghost.”

  He eyed my offering with the same look on his face that Noelle gets when she knows I’ve brought home a new chew toy for her, then he scowled. “Thanks. Unfortunately, if there are fingerprints that may have been useful, they’ve probably been obliterated by yours.” He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a pair of latex gloves and snapped them on.

  “Sorry,” I said, “but I could hardly have known it may be instrumental in a murder investigation.”

  “I’m not blaming you, naturally you couldn’t have known.”

  “My intention was to turn it in at the front desk.” I pointed at it. “It looks like it may open. See the tiny belty thing? It looks like it’s holding two parts together. Like a tiny book.”

  With his gloves still on, he slid the little buckle open. “I see that.”

  “Is something inside?”

  He held it out to me. “A couple of pictures. Anyone you recognize perchance?”

  I gave it a quick once-over. “No, not at all.”

  He fastened the buckle and gingerly dropped it into a yellow plastic bag marked Evidence that he pulled from his briefcase. “What about the woman? Was she someone you recognized?”

  “No, I do know she sure was in a hurry. I told you she almost knocked me over.”

  “Can you describe her?”

  I thought for a moment. “It happened so fast. She had on a pink and white housekeeper’s uniform. She must be an employee. Maybe she was in a hurry to start her weekend, who knows? I thought it was worth mentioning.”

  “Definitely. Eye color? Hair color?” he prompted.

  “Sorry. I’ve got nothing. She had a purple and pink paisley scarf that covered her hair and these giant sunglasses on, which seems weird now that I think about it. Who wears sunglasses inside? Except for some Hollywood types. I don’t know how they see with them on. Maybe she’d just put them on seconds before she exited. I have no idea. I’m rambling.”

  “Thanks for remembering that much. What about height? Weight?”

  I was about to apologize for not having my scale with me, so I could have asked her to please step on it, but given the circumstances, I thought keeping to the facts would be in order. “Average, I guess. I know that’s not a lot of help, but nothing out of the ordinary about her stuck out. Do you think she had something to do with the senator’s murder?”

  He stopped typing, then handed me a business card. “I couldn’t say. At least not yet. I guess that’s it. I appreciate your time, Molly. If you think of anything, call me.”

  I took his
card. “I will, Alex. Detective Britton, I mean.”

  His shoulders relaxed, and his lips almost made it to a smile. “Alex is fine.”

  I waited while my cousin asked Olivia the same questions, and she gave the same answers.

  CHAPTER 5

  * * *

  It was after midnight, way past my bedtime, and I had an appointment with Mary Sue at eight a.m. for a haircut. She opens at 7:00 every day, but Sunday. Who knows what I was thinking of making an appointment at that hour, but I wasn’t ready to go to bed just yet. I was snuggled on my couch under a pink, green, and white afghan my great-grandmother had crocheted for me years back. Sean had arrived about fifteen minutes ago.

  After grabbing a snack, he settled in with me. I knew better than to ask him questions about Rachael’s murder that wouldn’t be public knowledge. Noelle and Beau were lying on the floor together, as usual. It was hard to see when one dog started and the other ended.

  I was totally exhausted. I’m sure Sean was as well. He was working a murder case, all Olivia and I had done was clean up our table, put our empty dessert trays in the car, then driven off. The benefit had gone on for a little while longer, but Rachael’s murder had cast a pall over the occasion. Once the police started questioning everyone, and the coroner arrived, that pretty much put the kibosh on any partying.

  “Are you watching this?” Sean asked.

  I glanced up at the couple on the television. I had no idea who they were, or what they were talking about. I laid back on his chest. “No. Before I forget, how about we take a little hike in the state park Sunday? It’s going to be gorgeous out. I have an appointment with Mary Sue in few hours, then I’ll be at Bread and Batter until five, but Sunday’s free.”

  “I’d like to, but I’ll be tied up for most of the day.”

  “Oh yeah, how could I forget? Murder, cybergangs, etc.”

  “Yes and no.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  Well, that was a definitive answer. “I just thought it would be nice to be outdoors for a while.”

  “Can I take a rain check?” he asked.

  “Sure. The park’s not going anywhere.”

  “You’re kind of quiet. You’re upset about tonight, aren’t you?” His arms tightened around my waist and he kissed the top of my head.

  I was, but I was also a bit upset that his weekends had been tied up for a while now doing whatever it was he was doing. Other than crime fighting, I mean. I couldn’t let him know how disappointed his answer made me feel, he had so much going on.

  I didn’t think our relationship was weakening, at least not for me, but it had been awhile since we’d taken a weekend to ourselves. Something we’d always loved doing. Now wasn’t the time to discuss it, though. “You have to admit, it’s disconcerting. What’s going on with Destiny?”

  “Look at it this way. It gives me something to do.”

  I elbowed him. “Not funny.”

  Before he could retort, his phone beeped. He snatched it up from the coffee table.

  “Hey, Chief. What’s up?”

  I felt a burst of adrenaline when his jaw clenched and his face hardened. “When? Who found her? Who’s there now?” He paused. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”

  He shifted underneath me. “Sorry, babe. I hate to do this, but you have to let me get up. I have to go. Get some sleep.”

  “Wait! You were firing off a lot of questions at Chief Carly. What happened? Has the killer been caught? Please tell me the killer’s been caught.” Although that certainly didn’t sound likely from his end of the conversation.

  He was already off the couch. “There’s been another suspicious death. I’m meeting Alex at the station. We’ll talk later. Lock up!” He scooped up his keys from my dining room table, then came back and gave me a quick, intense kiss.

  I jumped off the couch as soon as he’d gone. “What is going on?” I mused out loud and shivered. Beau and Noelle woke and woofed at me. I looked down at them. “Do we have a serial killer on the loose?”

  They both cocked their heads and studied me. “Woof,” they replied again in tandem. They had no clue, either. It was too late to call any of my friends. Dottie had probably gone to bed hours ago, so I couldn’t visit her, although I was glad I wasn’t alone in this big Victorian even though it was just the dogs and me in my apartment. I was very thankful Sean had taken them outside when he first got here. I didn’t relish the thought of leaving my apartment with a killer, or killers, wandering about once again. “Come on, babies. Bedtime.”

  They followed me into the bedroom and settled on the thick rug I’d placed on the floor at the foot of my bed. They fell asleep almost instantly, blissfully ignorant about murder. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I then went to the kitchen where I snapped on the hood light above the stove. Once I made sure the door and all the windows were securely locked, I returned to my bedroom and burrowed into my bed, knowing my sleep would not be deep when it came.

  ###

  Dottie was on her porch communing with her coffee when I delivered Noelle and Beau to her. She loved watching the dogs when Sean and I couldn’t. She considered them her grand-dogs. I usually took them to the bakery, but since I had to stop at Mary Sue’s House of Beauty, I let Dottie have them. They both were looking a little pudgy around the middle. I had a feeling she was sneaking them both treats along with their daily kibble.

  “Good morning, beautiful. I just pulled a batch of peanut butter cookies out of the oven.” She held a plate of tantalizing, golden brown cookies out to me. I could smell their peanut buttery freshness. “Do you want to join me?”

  “Hi, Dottie. Baking already? My goodness, you must get up before Olivia and me.”

  “Never too early for cookies.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t wake you up this morning. I was about to apologize for the early morning call, but I guess that’s not necessary. Thank you so much, as usual, for watching the dogs on short notice. I’ve got to go get my hair done and Mary Sue doesn’t like dogs in her shop. Thank you for the cookie offer, too, but no, no, no. I eat enough scraps at the bakery. I don’t want to put on the pounds.” I eyed the dogs. “I can’t be looking like Noelle and Beau.”

  “Oh, pshaw!” exclaimed Dottie. “You’re as slender as a branch. Why, in my day, men liked a little meat on their women.” She winked at me. “You know, to hold on to. I bet Sean feels the same way. You females today are so worried about the pounds. Why, look at Lana Turner and Marilyn Monroe. Now those were women. I turned quite a few heads myself in my younger days.”

  I grinned at her. “I’m sure you did. Not too many snacks for these guys, they’re getting chubby.”

  “Now don’t you worry about them. We’ll go over to the park where they can run for a bit. They’ll be just fine.” Her expression turned serious. “What about those two killings, yesterday? I was in such a tizzy worrying about you and your parents, and everyone else. Sean too, naturally. I’m sure he’s investigating them. Did you see anything suspicious before the murder?”

  “I don’t know if you would call this suspicious, or if it means anything, but a woman came barging out of the door Olivia and I were entering at the hotel. I turned in a keychain she dropped. I’ll let the police figure out how important it is. Olivia and I got there after everything had started. It was a long night, though, everyone had to be interviewed by the police.”

  “That had to be traumatic for all the guests,” she sympathized.

  “I’m sure! I kept waking up on and off after I’d gone to sleep. I didn’t watch the news this morning, so I have no idea what’s going on. Sean got a call about the second suspicious death a little after midnight. I haven’t heard from him since. He’s probably exhausted. I haven’t even looked at the paper, yet. I was busy trying to get the dogs walked and fed, and myself ready to go to Mary Sue’s. Come to think of it, I didn’t notice whether the paper was even delivered yet.”

  Dottie fluttered a hand at me “I don’t even bother with the paper anymore
. Just turned on my computer early this morning and got all the news. The Destiny Trumpet is online, you know. I read that the medical examiner is going to do autopsies on them.” She grimaced. “I didn’t sleep well, either. Those poor women. Who would have done that?”

  As stunned as I was about the murders, I was almost as surprised at Dottie’s announcement. “Since when do you have a computer?”

  She looked askance at me. “Humph! Just because I happen to be in my golden years, young lady, that doesn’t mean I can’t keep up technologically.”

  “No, of course not.” I couldn’t help feel amusement at her indignation. “When did you get it?”

  “Last week. Ed set it up for me. There’s not a thing that man can’t do.” Two pink spots appeared on her cheeks.