"Who was the friend who was giving you the money for your psychic abilities this time?” Heather asked.
"His name is Chase, but he didn't show up today. I figured it was because he was supposed to meet me by Sun and Fun Novelties, but it was roped off as a crime scene. He probably didn't know where else to meet."
“Why did you choose there?”
“Honestly, it was because I wanted to try those donuts that my brother keeps going on about,” Big CC said. “But I wanted to get my dough before I tried any fried dough.”
“Cute,” Amy said.
“What does Chase look like?” asked Heather.
“Young. Like he was just out of school. Brown hair that’s a little disorderly. Not tattoos that I knew of. But he did like mine. Oh, and he usually wore a blue hat.”
“Sounds like Johnny Javits,” Heather said.
“Wait,” Big CC said. “That kid is dead? He’s the one who was murdered?”
Ryan took a crime scene photo out of his file that showed the victim’s face. Big CC paled when he saw it.
“That is Chase,” he said. “That’s him.”
“Do you know why he went by so many names?” asked Heather.
"My guess would be so that no one tried to find him at home and rob him if he ever held money overnight," Big CC said. “That’s what I would have done.”
“How many people knew he held money?”
“Not that many, I think,” Big CC said. “He was relatively new to delivering payouts. I mean to delivering gifts for psychic ideas.”
"You can say gambling payouts," Heather said. "Right now, we're interested in the murder. We'll deal with the gambling another day after we convince the chief you're not just a mischievous little scamp."
“Did Johnny Javits collect payments for losses too?” Ryan asked.
“Was he an enforcer?” Peters asked. “Did he break arms and stuff?”
“That kid?” Big CC asked, laughing. “No way. Besides this isn’t a movie. We’re not that high stakes. And you paid for your bet before it was accepted. So, if you didn’t have the money for a loss, then you couldn’t gamble. Nobody’s arms got broken. And nobody would get killed over these bets.”
“But people did know that he was carrying money?” Heather asked.
"I suppose so," Big CC said, getting uncomfortable. "He would pick up the money for bets placed and deliver winnings."
"So, if he were killed as part of a robbery those gamblers would know that he wasn't just an average delivery boy that they were mugging?" Heather pressed.
“I just don’t see any of them killing a kid like that,” Big CC said.
“Then you know who the others are?” Ryan asked.
Big CC sighed. “I guess I can get you in contact with some of the others. But only in relation to this murder. You can’t use what I say about them as evidence for gambling because I’d deny it later. But I will help you find them. I liked Chase or whatever his name really was.”
“Thank you,” Heather said, happy that they had a new potential lead to follow.
“I just hope Chief Chet doesn’t have any other brothers,” Amy muttered.
Home
“Mom, I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a movie night tonight.”
“Is everything all right?” Heather asked. “Are you not feeling well?”
“I don’t feel sick,” Lilly said. “I’m just feeling a little bit sad.”
“Why don’t you sit down and tell me about it?” Heather said, indicating to the couch in their family room. “And if we’re lucky, we might gain some furry friends who want to make us feel better.”
Dave, the dog, and Cupcake, the kitten, must have heard what she said. As soon as mother and daughter were seated, they bounded onto the couch as well. Dave positioned himself directly between the two women so that they could both pet him. Cupcake crawled onto the upper part of the couch and cuddled next to Lilly’s ear. She giggled.
“It’s hard to stay sad with such cuddly companions. Isn’t it?” Heather asked.
“Especially ones that tickle,” Lilly agreed.
Heather scratched an appreciative Dave’s ears. Her pets were always there at your side when you needed them – or if you were holding a donut.
"So, what's bothering you?" Heather asked, hoping that Lilly was still a little too young at twelve-years-old to have boy troubles. It ended up being about a boy but was something that Heather was ready to help with.
"I miss Nicolas," Lilly said. "He's my best friend, and he feels so far away."
“I can imagine how hard this must be for you,” Heather said. “I can’t imagine being apart from Amy.”
"I am glad that we moved here," Lilly said. "There is a lot to do, and it has been a good opportunity for the whole family. Except that I miss Nicolas. I thought seeing him for the holidays would make me happier, but now it hurts more that he's gone."
"I think I can understand that. You had him here for Christmas and New Year's, and then we visited Hillside for Mona's wedding. You got to see him a lot recently, and now it feels like it's suddenly gone."
“And I feel guilty too,” Lilly said. “I live on a tropical island with my wonderful family, and he’s still waiting to be adopted. Sometimes I feel like I abandoned him.”
“Lilly, you have no reason to feel that way. Nicolas knows that he’s your best friend and you do everything you can to make him feel important. You can’t help it that we had to move here.”
“I know that in my head, but I still feel sad,” said Lilly. “I think about the movie night we were going to have. And I just keep thinking about how much Nicolas would have enjoyed it too.”
Heather hugged her daughter, trying to think of the perfect thing to say. She wished she knew a loving couple looking to adopt a son in Key West, but since she didn't, she needed to come up with some advice.
“I have a few thoughts on the matter,” Heather said, trying to get them all in order.
“Go ahead,” Lilly said. “I trust your advice. Both because you’re my mom and because I know you’re practically a genius. You’ve solved so many cases and created so many original recipes.”
“I don’t know if I’m a genius,” Heather laughed. “But I’ll take the compliment.”
Lilly patted Dave's fur and listened to her mom.
“Firstly, I think we need to make sure that he visits for spring break,” Heather said. “Even if he has been adopted by then. We’ll invite everyone to stay at our house. Who could resist heading somewhere tropical?”
Lilly smiled. “I like that he’ll visit again. But what do I do when I’m missing him now?”
“Well,” Heather said. “I think it’s important that you both keep in touch, talking to one another and playing those gaming apps that you like. But I also think, and this might sound tough to hear, but I think that you should both try to make nearby friends as well.”
“Like the song? Make new friends but keep the old?” Lilly suggested.
“One is silver and the other gold,” Heather agreed. “You’re always entitled to your feelings. But if you stop doing fun things, like having movie nights, because you’re missing someone… well, you’re missing out on things yourself. I think it would be good if you both had other friends you could see regularly. It’s all right to have more than one best friend.”
“That’s true,” Lilly said, thinking about it. “I’ve been friendly with people from school, but not good friends with anyone. Maybe I should try doing more with them.”
“And Nicolas too,” Heather said. “Then, you wouldn’t worry about him as much.”
“I want him to have fun too. Even if I’m not there.”
“Having more than one best friend is great,” Heather said. “Sometimes I like to do things with Amy, and sometime with your father.”
“Whoa,” Lilly said. “Nicolas and I are not like you and dad. We’re just best friends.”
“Sorry,” Heather said, trying not to laugh at her daughte
r’s indignation. “And I do love your father, but he’s also one of my best friends. That’s really what I meant when I mentioned him. I wasn’t implying anything with you and Nicolas.”
“Okay,” Lilly said, appeased. “So, you think I should try and have the movie night tonight? See if it makes me feel better?"
"I know Eva and Leila would be mighty disappointed if we canceled," Heather said.
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint them,” Lilly said with a smile.
“And I have an idea for another guest we could invite,” Heather said.
“Who?” Lilly asked.
“Why don’t you video chat with Nicolas and see if we could set it up so he could watch the movie with us too?”
“Great idea, Mom,” Lilly said, excitedly. “I’ll go check now.”
Heather smiled as Lilly ran off to get her tablet. She sat with Dave and Cupcake a little longer, giving them some more attention.
She heard the front door opening and saw Ryan. He laughed when he saw how she had become covered with animal fur.
“Lounging with the pets?”
"Come join me," Heather said, and he agreed. Dave licked him in the face, and unfortunately, his breath didn't smell like donuts.
"How did things finish out with Big CC?” Heather asked.
“It took a while, but he figured out who ND and CH were,” Ryan said. “We have both of their names and leads on where to find them.”
“Then, I think I have my work cut out for me,” Heather said. “They’ll more likely talk to Amy and me than the police.”
“I guess you’re right,” Ryan said. “But promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course,” Heather said. “You can bet on it.”
The First Gambler
“Who wants to know?”
“See? A response like that? It makes me think that you are Ned Dougan,” Amy said.
“I didn’t say that. I said who wants to know?”
“I’m Heather Shepherd, and this is Amy Givens. We’re private investigators.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“We didn’t say you did,” Amy repeated back. “We said we were private investigators.”
“We’re looking into the death of Johnny Javits,” Heather continued.
“I don’t know who that is. And I didn’t have anything to do with a death. But I guess I can admit that I’m Ned Dougan.”
“He went by some other names,” Heather said.
“Many other names,” Amy agreed. “Most recently by Chase.”
“I don’t know a Chase either.”
“He was a delivery boy,” Heather said. “A young man that usually wore a blue baseball cap.”
“Goodwin?” Ned asked, covering his mouth in horror. “Goodwin is dead?”
“That’s the name he gave you?” asked Amy.
“He was a young man. Quiet but a nice guy,” Ned said, sadly. “Who would want to hurt him?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Amy said.
"How did you know him?" Heather asked.
Ned froze and then finally said, “Oh, I just knew him from around town. Good kid.”
“Did he ever deliver your winnings from betting on sports games?” Heather asked. “Mostly football. Sometimes baseball. Once on water polo.”
“Who have you been talking to?” Ned asked.
“We just want to find out what happened to Johnny Javits, or Goodwin as you knew him,” Heather said. “That’s all we care about right now.”
Ned sighed. "All right. Come on inside. I'll talk to you."
He opened the door and led them into his living room. He gestured for them to sit down.
“There’s nothing wrong with a friendly little wager, is there?” he asked.
“Not as long as it didn’t lead to anyone’s murder,” Heather said.
“I really don’t who would have killed Goodwin,” Ned said. “I can’t believe it had anything to do with betting on my team.”
"When was the last time you saw Goodwin?" Heather asked as Amy began to take notes.
"Last Tuesday. I placed a bet with him.”
“And did you win anything?”
“Yes,” Ned said. “I would have expected to meet up with him later today to collect. I don’t suppose I’d still be able to?”
“Evidence in a murder case,” Heather said.
“Right,” Ned said, backing off.
“Where did you usually meet?”
"At the beach that's within walking distance. I'd be there on Tuesday evenings when I got off of work and Goodwin would deliver an envelope with my winnings if I won or take new bets," Ned explained.
“And who did you place the bets with?”
“I did it all online,” said Ned. “There’s a site where you can place bets in a hypnotical manner. There just needs to be someone to collect and give out in person. So I only knew about Goodwin.”
"But you were aware that Goodwin would carry large amounts of money on him?” Heather asked.
“I guess so,” Ned said. “Was he killed because he was robbed?”
“That’s a possibility that we’re considering,” Heather said. “His pockets were empty.”
“Well, I wouldn’t kill for the money,” Ned said. “I’d hope to win it fair and square.”
"Have you ever been to Sun and Fun Novelties?" Heather asked.
“I think so,” Ned said. “By the taco place? I’ve stopped in there before.”
“What did you buy?” asked Heather.
“Some keychains to give to family that visited. Why?”
“We’re just trying to cover all of our bases,” Heather said. “I have one more question. Where were you this Sunday morning?”
“I was singing in the church choir.”
“That sounds like it should be a joke, but you’re saying it seriously,” said Amy.
“I was,” Ned said. “I sing there most Sundays. This Sunday we had to arrive early because we were missing a baritone and needed to figure out how to cover. And then I was there until lunchtime. Then I went to watch the game with some friends.”
“Would you mind singing a bit for us now?” Amy asked, half-testing-his-alibi and half-intrigued.
Ned Dougan sang a few lovely bars of "Gloria," and they were impressed. They thanked him for his time.
“We’ll have to follow up on that alibi, but he has the voice for it,” Heather said.
"I have to agree," Amy said. "He has the voice of an angel. And hopefully, that will provide his alibi, so we know that he doesn't also have the voice of a killer."
Another Round
The next person who received payouts from Johnny Javits that they wanted to interview was named Christa Harrington. They found her at one of the Tiki-themed bars on the island. She was sitting at a table sipping a drink with a little umbrella in it and listening intently to something on her earbud headphones.
She was too focused on what she was listening to that she neither greeted Heather and Amy as they sat at her table or asked what they were doing there.
“Come on, Lucky Silver,” Christa muttered. “Come on. Come on. Move your hooves.”
She groaned and pulled her headphones out of her ears. “Second place again.”
“Sorry,” Amy said.
“We wanted to talk to you for a moment,” Heather said.
“First pick one,” Christa said, showing Amy a list of names.
“Sugar and Spicy,” Amy said picking the first one she thought was funny. “Now what is this?”
Christa did some typing on her cell phone and then looked at the women.
“So why are you here?”
“We’re private investigators,” Heather said. “We’re looking into the murder of Johnny Javits.”
“Who’s that?” asked Christa. “A bartender? Jockey?”
“A delivery boy,” said Heather.
“Delivery person,” Amy said. “Nobody wants to use this phrase but me.”
<
br /> “How does he relate to me?” Christa asked. “Did I order a pizza or something?”
“Different kinds of deliveries,” Heather explained. “He delivered money to people who placed winning bets.”
“I like the sound of him,” Christa joked. “But what did you say his name was? Johnny? I don’t think I know him.”
“He might have gone by another name,” Heather said. “He had shaggy hair and often wore a blue baseball cap.”
“Not Junior?” Christa asked.
“Sounds like it could be,” Heather said.
“Oh. What a bummer,” Christa said. “Poor kid.”
“When was the last time you saw Junior?” Heather asked.
“It’s been a while,” Christa said. “At least a month since I saw him in person.”
“You weren’t placing any bets?” Heather asked. “We heard that you had to pay before you placed a bet. It couldn’t be collected after you lost.”
"That's true, but I won a big race last month, and I've been letting my winnings slide over to other bets," Christa explained. "Increasing my bets."
“And how’s that going?”
“Let’s see,” Christa said, putting her earphones back on. “Let’s see how Sugar and Spicy is doing. She’s running fast. Go! Go!”
“I chose a horse to win?” Amy asked.
“She’s making the turn. Running fast. Go! Yes!” Christa took her earphones out triumphantly. “She won.”
"She did?” Amy asked. “I’m good at this?”
“Pick another one,” Christa said.
“Okay,” Amy said, looking at the list again. “Let’s go with Bada Boom.”
Christa typed a few more things on her cell phone.
“Can we focus on the murder, please?” Heather asked.
“Sorry,” Amy said, sheepishly. “I got carried away.”
"What can I do to help with the murder?" Christa said. "With Junior dead, I'm not sure I can collect my winnings. Oh no. Should I stop placing these bets if I'm not sure I'll get paid. Well, I guess it's gamble. I'll keep going."
Toasted Almond & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 17 Page 5