Death to the Highest Bidder: A Jill Andrews Cozy Mystery #2

by Nicole Ellis

  “Did your husband know about you and Louis?”

  She hung her head. “Yes. He found out two weeks ago and moved out of the house.”

  “Do you think he could have been involved with Louis’s death?” The other women that Louis had dated recently had all been single. A married woman’s husband wouldn’t have taken kindly to his wife cheating with one of their friends. And, as someone who’d known Louis for a while, he most likely knew about his peanut allergy.

  “No, no. He’d never have done anything like that,” she said. “If he were going to mess with Louis, it would be more along the lines of hacking into his bank accounts. Besides, he never knew who it was, only that I’d had an affair.”

  “Do you know where he was when Louis was killed?”

  “Yeah. He’s been in Hong Kong for the last two weeks, ever since he moved out. His company is doing business there. I’m telling you, it wasn’t him.”

  A woman hovered near the edges of the cosmetics counter. She plucked packages off the counter in between glances at Macy.

  Macy smiled at the woman and held up a finger to signal she’d be with her in a minute. “Look, I can’t talk with you all day about this. Now that my husband is out of the picture, I have to make money. Do you want this or not?” She held up the container of eye cream.

  I checked my reflection. Macy had worked miracles on my face. If this cream was half as good when I applied it at home, it was worth whatever she was charging for it.

  “Sure.” I paid her the forty dollars for the cream and walked away from the counter. When I got close to the edges of the cosmetics area, I turned back to look at her. She was talking animatedly with the new customer.

  Ella and my Mom were waiting outside for me on a bench. Mom held Ella in her arms, with her feet touching her legs.

  “She’s walking already.” Mom grinned.

  “Haha. Thank goodness she isn’t really. I’m not ready for that yet. One mobile child is enough for now.”

  “You look great, honey.”

  “Thanks.” It was amazing how the small act of putting makeup on made me feel so much better. I might even do it more often if I had time. “Do you still want to hang out with Ella for the rest of the afternoon?”

  She placed Ella back in her stroller. “Oh yes, we’re going to head off to the children’s area here. I saw the cutest ducky pajamas there when we walked past.”

  “Ok, well, she’ll probably fall asleep in the stroller soon. Give me call when you’re ready for me to pick you up. I can give you a ride back to the hotel so Dad doesn’t have to.” I waved to Ella as she rolled past me.

  “Sounds good,” she called over her shoulder.

  Alone with my thoughts in the car, I couldn’t help but dwell on Louis’s murder again. The PI had only taken pictures of three women, but there could have been more. Then again, juggling those three plus a wife and business would have taken all of his time. Someone close to him had most likely killed him.

  15

  The night of the auction came all too fast. I’d gone over my lists several times to make sure everything was on track, but butterflies still fluttered in my stomach. The setup crew had situated the tables according to the seating chart, and the catering staff was in the process of covering them with red tablecloths, silverware, and glasses.

  The doors to the Boathouse’s main room were open to view the deck outside. I’d hung a banner over the door that read “Busy Bees Auction”. The maintenance staff had hosed down the deck to remove any trace of seagulls and had swept it clean. This was going to be the best auction the school had ever seen.

  I allowed myself a moment to lean against the deck railing and stare out at the water, the wind blowing my hair behind me. I’d taken Goldie with me to work that day because he’d been antsy at home with me gone so much, and he was running up and down the dock, excitedly barking at the seagulls flying overhead. I’d have to either lock him up in my office or take him home before the auction started. A fisherman in an aluminum boat passed by and waved at me. I smiled and waved back at him.

  I turned back to the Boathouse and admired the building. When Beth and Lincoln had rescued the aging boathouse left over from Ericksville’s days as a fishing resort, they’d repainted it white and left the blue roof on it. The baby blue color was an iconic part of Ericksville’s downtown now.

  “Jill,” Beth shouted from behind me. “Someone’s on the phone for you.”

  I nodded and followed her back inside the building.

  In my office, I picked up the phone. “Jill speaking.”

  “It’s Nancy. How is everything with the auction? You aren’t answering your cell phone. Do you need me to come early to manage things?”

  I counted to ten. She always had to micromanage everything. “No, Nancy. We’re fine. I’ve got everything under control.” I’d purposefully ignored all of her calls to my cell.

  “I’ll be there an hour early to make sure everything is perfect.” She hung up.

  I stared at the phone. Soon this will all be over.

  A few hours later, I returned from taking Goldie home to find Nancy directing my staff in the main room.

  “What are you doing?” I looked at her with incredulity.

  “Making sure they are doing this right. I don’t know how you let them get away with such sloppiness. I mean, the forks need to be a lot closer to the plates for a proper place setting. And the buffet table—the dressing tureen should be at the end with the other condiments, not with the salad.”

  Behind her, the catering crew cowered in a corner. I approached them. “It looks great, guys.” They nodded in relief and scurried out of the room. I turned my attention to Nancy. “This is my staff. Guests aren’t allowed in here for another hour. Kindly leave until we are open.” Ice dripped from my words.

  Her mouth gaped open like a fish. “Well. If you want to run things in such a slipshod fashion, go right ahead. But we won’t be holding any more events here in the future.” She spun on her heel and huffed out of the room.

  A smile slid across my face as I watched her retreat. I hoped she meant what she said about not having any future auctions at the Boathouse. Someone clapped from the side entrance, and I spun around to see who had witnessed our interaction.

  “Oh goodness, thank you,” Beth said, a wide smile spreading across her face. “I’ve been wanting to get rid of that woman since she arrived, but it was your project, and I didn’t want to intrude.”

  “Unfortunately, she’ll be back in an hour with the rest of the guests.” I frowned. With any luck, Nancy would be in a better mood when she was in her element as the head Queen Bee at the event.

  After dealing with Nancy, I retreated to my office. The dress I’d bought to wear to the auction hung on the back of the door. I locked the door and changed into it. My first pair of pantyhose had a run in them, but I’d planned for that and brought a spare. I slipped on silver kitten heels over the new pair of stockings and exited the room to check my appearance in the bathroom mirror. I’d bought the dress a month ago but hadn’t tried it on since wearing it in the store. Please let it still fit, I thought. I smoothed down the blue chiffon skirt and gazed at my reflection. It fit me like a glove. My face flushed with happiness. Maybe it was a sign that the auction would go off without a hitch.

  By a quarter to the hour that the guests would arrive, we’d placed the miniature airplanes at each table as centerpieces and hung pictures of historic planes on the walls. Above the auctioneer’s podium hung a child-sized ride-on plane that one of the parents, a flight aficionado, had donated.

  Desi came in with Tomàs in tow and hugged me. “You’ve done a great job.”

  “Thanks.” It felt good to hear someone say that after all the work I’d put into the auction. I looked around the room, taking it in the way a guest would. It did look wonderful. The decorations were perfectly arranged and not overdone, creating an elegant effect. In spite of Nancy, I’d done well.

  “You look g
orgeous.” She wore a short violet dress and looked like a million bucks.

  “Why, thank you.” She preened and then complimented my dress.

  I smiled and pointed at the plane hanging from the ceiling. “Wouldn’t the boys love that?”

  She stared up at the toy airplane. “Anthony would die if we brought that home, but it would take up half his bedroom. I think we’ll stick to bidding on something a little smaller.”

  I laughed. “My thoughts exactly. But some little boy or girl will be very happy to get it.”

  Desi and Tomàs had volunteered to staff the booth at the front door to provide information and drink tickets to the guests, so I showed them where the silent auction portion would be. Then, I left for that room to check on setup. The other members of the auction committee had arranged the silent auction items artfully on tables covered with white tablecloths. At the far end of the room, they’d hung a few art pieces that were available to bid on. The Ericksville Espresso basket held a prominent position at the end of one of the long tables. Just seeing the artful bow on the top made me shiver.

  The guests started to arrive, and I circulated throughout the event center to ensure everything was going well. Nancy came in with a sour expression on her face, holding on to her husband’s arm tightly. His pinched face made it obvious that he’d rather be anywhere else, whether due to the recent loss of his brother-in-law or because he disliked school auctions, I didn’t know. As soon as Nancy saw some of the other Queen Bees, she ditched her husband and he took off for the bar. I made myself as invisible as possible and jetted to the other side of the room, away from Nancy. I knew that I’d have to talk with her at some point, but I planned to put that off for as long as possible.

  Brenda came in, wearing a sleeveless cocktail dress, trimmed with silver beads. Her skin was sallow, and the dress was loose on her. She glanced around the room nervously. “Is Nancy here yet?”

  “Yeah.” I pointed at the swarm of Queen Bees. “She’s over there.”

  “Good, then I’m going this way.” She smiled at me and then wandered off in the opposite direction of Nancy.

  Dorinda entered soon after Brenda. She hugged me. “It’s beautiful, and I love this building. I’d seen it from afar, but I’ve never been inside until now.”

  “Thanks. My in-laws have worked hard on the building.” I beamed with pride at her compliments. “I’d better keep moving. If something goes wrong, Nancy will be on me faster than I can blink.”

  “Good idea. Hey, is that airplane up for auction?” She pointed at the hanging plane that Desi and I had discussed earlier.

  “It is. Do you think Daniel would like it?”

  She nodded. “He’d love it. He’s really into planes, just like his father.” Her face fell at the mention of her deceased husband.

  “Well, then you should definitely bid on it.” I squeezed her shoulder. “The bar’s over there if you want anything.”

  She smiled faintly and said “thanks” before walking toward the bar.

  One of the auction committee members announced that bidding for the silent auction items had commenced, and the attendees flooded the smaller room. As they milled around the tables, the guests chatted amongst themselves, already lubricated for social interaction by one or two adult beverages. Some of the parents I hardly recognized as I usually saw them wearing “just woke up” attire, rather than cocktail finery.

  I checked my watch. It was already ten after six, and Adam hadn’t yet shown up. He’d promised to be there for the auction, and I hadn’t heard from him since his plane landed over two hours ago. As if on cue, he entered the door to the smaller event space. He wore a black suit and blue tie, and my heart swelled with joy at seeing him for the first time in over a week. He smiled at me, and I melted a little.

  “Hey,” he said, leaning down and kissing me on the check. “Sorry I was late. The traffic from the airport was horrible, and then I had to stop off at home to change.”

  “Hey. I’m glad you’re here. I was starting to worry you weren’t going to make it.” It wouldn’t have been the first time work had made him miss a date with me.

  He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, looking contrite. “I’m sorry I was late. But I know the auction is important, and that you’ve worked hard on it. Nothing was going to keep me away.” He stepped back and looked me up and down. “You look great. Is that a new dress?”

  “It is.” I twirled around to show him the pleats in my royal-blue chiffon dress. “You look great yourself.” I knew he was making an effort with me, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Did you see the kids at all when you were home?”

  “I did.” He laughed. “Your father was on all fours, and Mikey was pretending to ride him like a horse.”

  I smiled at the image. My father had let my sister and I play horsey with him when we were kids too. Some things never changed. “How was Ella?”

  “She was in the high chair. Your mom was giving her pears.” He rubbed my shoulders. “Don’t worry, honey. The kids are fine.”

  “I’m not so much worried about the kids, but about how my parents are doing.”

  “They’re doing great, why?” He gave me a funny look and I realized I hadn’t told him about yet about my parents’ separation. I didn’t really want to get into that at the auction, so I didn’t say anything about it.

  “Hey, is there anything good to bid on?” He scanned the tables from where we stood.

  I shrugged. “Probably. I haven’t had much time to look. Do you want to check things out and place some bids for us? We should probably bid on something. It is for Mikey’s school.”

  “Sure, honey.” He pecked my cheek again and strode off to review the first silent auction item.

  I spun around slowly, trying to take in the whole room. With satisfaction, I noted that all of the guests were talking and laughing. A warmth rose up in me, and a smile spread across my face. I’d made this happen. Everything appeared fine, so I left the room to check the other event spaces.

  Beth came out of her office as I walked past and gave me a thumbs-up. “I’m heading home to help Lincoln with Desi’s kids. How are your parents doing with Mikey and Ella?”

  “Adam was just at home and said they’re doing fine. I’ve been so wrapped up in this that I haven’t even checked my phone.” I pulled the phone out of my small evening purse. No messages. “Looks like everything is ok.”

  “Good.” She hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, Jill. This is great. I couldn’t have done better myself.”

  I beamed with pride. “Thanks, Beth. That means a lot to me. I’m really starting to like working here.” Juggling a career along with the taking care of the mounds of dirty laundry, dishes, and everything else that came with having a family wasn’t easy, but I knew I’d made the right decision to work at the Boathouse.

  She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I knew you would. Lincoln and I are just a call away if you need anything, ok?”

  I gave her a little wave. “Have a nice evening.”

  She left. I had an odd moment where I felt very alone, but it quickly passed. There was too much on the agenda for me to have time to doubt my abilities at this late date.

  I rounded the corner in the hallway to the front lobby. Loud voices drew me to the other hallway, closer to my office. I peeked my head around to see what was going on. Nancy had cornered Brenda in the hallway and was shaking her finger at her.

  “You just had to go after him, didn’t you?” Nancy had her back to me, so I couldn’t see her expression, but I was willing to bet her face was bright red with anger.

  Caged in against the wall, Brenda held an empty wine glass by her side. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “My husband’s family is a mess now. His sister can barely function, and my niece and nephew are devastated.”

  “I’m sorry for their loss.” Brenda tried to placate her, but her words had little effect. I wasn’t sure whether I should intervene or not.r />
  “What kind of floozy dates a married man?” Nancy’s voice slurred with the aftereffects of more than a few cocktails.

  Brenda tried to edge away. “Nancy. You have to believe me. I didn’t know he was married.”

  “How could you not?” Nancy cried.

  Brenda shook her head and forcefully walked around Nancy, who spun around, ready to follow her. I stepped into the hallway, and Brenda came to stand next to me.

  “I think she’s had a few too many,” she whispered to me then said in a louder voice, “I’m getting so tired of defending myself about Louis. I honestly had no clue he was married, and I certainly didn’t kill him. Am I ever going to get away from this?” She sounded close to tears.

  I put an arm around her and guided her back down the hallway toward the rest of the guests. “It will get better, I promise. I’m sure the police will figure this out.”

  “They’d better. If it doesn’t happen soon, I’m going to lose my kids.” Her brown eyes were devoid of emotion, as if she’d given up. She walked away from me toward the rest of the guests.

  I turned back to my arch-nemesis. She’d crumpled to the floor in her orange flowered dress and was crying. I hated seeing anyone in that position, even someone I hated.

  “Nancy?” I held out a tissue from my purse. She grabbed it and swiped at her face. “Are you ok?”

  “No,” she sobbed. “I feel so bad for my sister-in-law. She shouldn’t have to go through this.”

  I handed her another tissue. “I’m sorry. This must be hard on your family.”

  She stared up at me, as if just now realizing who she had confided in, then pushed herself up and glared at me before stalking away. I wasn’t terribly surprised, although a small part of me had hoped there was a nicer side to Nancy than I’d previously experienced.