by Lynn Cahoon
Felicia’s eyes grew wide at the thought. She picked up the phone. “Let me text her.”
“You think it all ties together with the law office? Maybe Susan found out something she wasn’t supposed to know. And we already know they are representing the soybean plant. If Nancy’s ex is part of the same development company and used the law office for their divorce, they’d had information on her.” Angie tapped her pen on the table. “It works, except for the body found in the park.”
“Maybe that isn’t connected at all?” Felicia looked around the table. “What if we throw that information out, then is everything connected?”
“I’ll call Allen and see what he’s found out about her. Maybe if we can separate that case out, all this will make more sense.” He picked up his phone and stepped away from the table and into the living room. Dom rose from his bed and followed Ian out of the room, probably looking for popcorn or someone to rub his stomach.
Estebe turned his laptop screen toward the others. “Counting Jon, there are ten lawyers in the firm. Three partners who all went to the University of Idaho together. Each has his own specialty. One’s criminal, one’s corporate, and one’s family law. They turned over the soybean company to the corporate partner, even though there is another attorney who could have taken the client.”
Angie and Felicia stared at Estebe. “How did you find this out?”
He shrugged. “I asked when we were there yesterday. I told you I pretended I was interested in throwing some money at the project. I asked who was representing them. Chip Carson is their new attorney of record. From what I’ve seen, Chip hasn’t done any legal work for the firm for years. He’s more in charge of client development.”
Ian came back into the room and set his phone on the table. “Allen says to remind you all that none of you are in law enforcement and don’t need to be sticking your nose in these cases.”
Angie waited for him to refill his cup and then sit down at the table. “What else did he say?”
“He said there was currently no information that linked the woman found in the park with the law firm.” Ian sipped his coffee.
“Well, maybe that’s a good thing. Now we can stop trying to add her into the puzzle.” Felicia leaned against the chair. “Just a random death, then?”
“Actually, no, she was strangled. And he just got a hit on her prints. She wasn’t the decorator’s wife. I guess he made a mistake when he identified the body. And his wife was with her mom. The body is a college student who disappeared from her dorm six months ago.” He looked around the room. “Her college is in Napa Valley.”
The four of them fell silent.
Ian looked around the room. “Yeah, that’s the reaction I had when Allen told me. And the other interesting point? She’d only been dead a few days when the body was found.”
“Someone kept her for six months, then drove her across at least one state to kill her here?” Angie was putting together the pieces. “Wait, where did you say she disappeared from?”
“A Napa Valley college.” Ian sighed. “And we happen to have a visitor from the very same place? Allen says there’s no evidence yet tying Nancy’s ex to the killing, but he is a person of interest. Especially after yesterday’s incident with the new wife. And the fact they checked out of their hotel sometime yesterday afternoon, before the police could get there to question her.”
Estebe put his hands on the table. “Hold up. You’re saying that we think Nancy’s ex-husband went from just being a royal jerk to being a kidnapper and murderer? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”
“Not if you saw the fear in Nancy’s eyes that night he came to the restaurant. Nancy isn’t just avoiding him because they’re divorced. She doesn’t feel safe. And now, she doesn’t feel like her children are safe, either.” Angie stared at the black liquid in her cup and wished she didn’t feel this way about another person. Especially the father of some pretty terrific kids. “What do we do now?”
Chapter 18
Dinner service went by without a hitch on Thursday. Hope stepped into her new role seamlessly, which made Angie proud that she’d built a strong team. One that could weave and bob with the changes life brought them. Friday morning, she was at home, doing what she loved and trying not to think about the soybean plant, Barb’s missing daughter, or who could have murdered that poor girl from California.
Cooking eased her mind. Ian was working in the living room. He’d set up a mini-office in a corner and had put a sign on his office door in town with a cell number letting people know he could only be reached by phone for the foreseeable future. Angie had tried to get him to go to work, but he refused to leave her alone at the house.
Well, alone with a River Vista police officer and cruiser parked in her driveway. She’d taken today’s guard a thermos of coffee and a basket of cookies, muffins, and a breakfast burrito as soon as they’d switched watchers. At least she should feed them if they had to waste their days watching over her property.
Angie figured the problem was over, especially with the guys still in jail, but Allen and Ian both had told her that she was being naïve if she thought the bad guys would give up with just losing their first-strike guys. When had her life turned into a thriller novel?
At least she wasn’t in hiding with three kids, like Nancy was doing right now. Although that might have been easier. Angie stared out at the large barn that she’d played in as a kid. And the oversized garden plot that she’d already planted a crop of garlic in last fall. If she lost the farm, she’d lose a piece of herself along with the family history. The soup was bubbling, the casserole was in the oven, and she had an apple pie ready to go into the top oven as soon as she brushed the top with egg white to get a sheen on the crust. Her mom’s journal caught her eye. She hadn’t read for days, too involved in the drama that was her current life.
Angie poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. She was taking a minute, just for her. She opened the journal and got lost in her mother’s high school days. She was still there when Ian came into the kitchen.
“It smells good in here.”
Angie glanced up and at the clock. “I didn’t realize I’d been reading so long.”
“You needed a distraction.” He went over and stirred the soup. “If you’re going to bake this pie, you need to get it in the oven. By the time we eat and clean up the kitchen, it’s going to be time to leave.”
She stood and put the journal away. “It’s funny how high school never changes. The things I complained about are the exact same things my mom wrote about driving her crazy. The principal didn’t understand them. Sports got all the money, and the music department had to do bake sales. Same problems, different decade.”
Ian poured himself a glass of tea. “Bleak was just saying the same thing last week when I visited. Of course, she’s worried about the art budget. The girl has a natural talent for painting. I told Maggie that I’d help pay for her supplies if they wanted a benefactor. The girl’s going to do something with that talent.”
“I was kind of hoping she’d go into hospitality for a career. She’s a natural with the customers. I bet she could run her own restaurant no problem right now.” Angie got the egg carton out of the refrigerator and made an egg wash for the pie. “We need more female-owned businesses around here.”
“The area can be a little patriarchal.” He watched her as she finished and then slipped the pie in the oven. “Allen thinks the murder is tied in with all the other things we were discussing. And yes, he sees Charles Gowan as a big part of the problem. In fact, he’d like to interview him, but he’s still nowhere to be found.”
“Which means Nancy and the kids aren’t safe yet.” Angie took the casserole out of the oven and put a serving into a plastic container. Then she did the same with some of the soup. Finally, she packed everything into a basket with silverware and a muffin. “Tell the officer
that I’m sorry I didn’t get the pie done in time.”
“There is no way I’m telling someone he would have gotten apple pie. He’ll be happy with lunch, believe me. And if you have some pie for him tomorrow, he’ll be surprised.” Ian grabbed a couple of water bottles from the fridge. “I’ll see if he needs to use the restroom. I can watch the neighborhood for ten minutes.”
Angie set the table while Ian was gone. He came back in a few minutes later. “That was fast.”
“I was just chatting with Herb. He says that they just sent a couple of cars out to the caves. It’s the big news this afternoon. I guess there were a bunch of cars out there this morning, and one of the older women who lives down the road called in because of the noise.”
Angie poured water into the glasses as they spoke. “She called in a noise complaint out there? I didn’t think it was in city limits.”
“The cave isn’t. The fields on the other side of the road on the way up are in city limits. So when Uncle Allen gets called, he goes.”
“Did they catch the guy in the act?” Angie giggled. “You know it’s the place where all the high school kids have gone to make out since before my mom went to school in River Vista.”
“I know the history. And no, no one was caught in the act. Although that might have helped solve this mystery.” He glanced around the table. “Everything here? I’m starving. Besides, the kids need to have some fun.”
“It’s strange for people to be out there this time of year, though. Sit down and eat.” Angie sat down and pointed to Ian’s spot. “Although I have heard that the cave is warmer than the outside air in the winter. It’s definitely cooler in the summer. The few times I was out there, it was blazing hot outside, but chilly enough in the cave I’d wished I’d worn jeans.”
Ian pointed his spoon at her. “And who specifically did you go to the cave with?”
“A bunch of kids. Most of the senior band kids went after a football game one Friday. If I remember right, someone had an older brother buy a bottle of Annie Green Springs. It was nasty.” She grinned. “My taste in wine has improved over the years.”
“Well, we’ll have to test that out one night when this is all settled. Maybe we can do a wine and cheese night with a few friends.” He took a sip of the soup. “This is my favorite soup you make.”
Angie grinned at him. “You say that every time we sit down to eat.”
“What can I say, I love your cooking.”
When they arrived at the restaurant, her office door was open and a garment bag lay on her desk. Felicia followed her into the office. “Good, I’m glad you’re here early. Look at the dress and tell me if it will work for Saturday.”
“I was just going to wear my little black dress.” Angie opened the zipper and pulled out a silver dress that had rhinestones that sparkled in the office lighting. At least Angie hoped the jewels were rhinestones. Knowing Felicia came from a silver spoon background had made Angie question some of the choices her partner made lately. She glanced up at her. “It’s beautiful, but just how fancy is this cotillion thing? Does Ian need a tux rather than just a black suit?”
Felicia slapped her hands together. “I’m so pleased you like it. No, the guys seem to get away with less than the women do. If you had come in a cocktail dress, no one would have said anything.”
“To my face, you mean. Once my back was turned, I would have been getting a lot of flak from the others.” Angie pulled the dress out of the bag to get a better look at it. “It’s amazing. I probably need to do something with my hair on Saturday if I’m wearing something like this. My black strappy heels should work, right?”
“That will be perfect. And we have appointments with Sherry over at the Curl and Dye at one tomorrow. Are you going to be able to make it?”
Angie glanced up at her friend. “Sure, I’ll just come in early to work on prep for Estebe. Should we hire a temp for tomorrow night? He’ll be short two cooks.”
“He says he’ll be fine. I think he sees it as a challenge. He wants to show you he’s up to the task.” Felicia smiled softly. “I wish he was going with us, but he’s stoked he doesn’t have to play the game. Of course, he’s sending me with a check for the charity we’re sponsoring at the event.”
“There’s a fund-raising event too?” Angie tucked the dress back in the bag. “Should the County Seat donate?”
“Already done. We sent a donation when ticket sales were announced. That way we don’t have to worry about doing anything tomorrow.”
“You realize I don’t read all of the accounting reports each week. I believe that’s going to have to change.” Angie hung the dress up on her coatrack and grabbed her chef coat.
“Actually, I count on it.” Felicia grinned at the look on her friend’s face. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not affecting the restaurant’s bottom line, and we look good as a community member. I’ll never put us at risk due to my spending.”
“I was kidding. I didn’t think you would.” Angie sat down at her desk, laying the chef coat aside. “I forgot to check Susan’s calendar. I wonder who did the accounting for that household. It had to be her, right? Maybe she found something odd and confronted Jon with the proof. Then he killed her in a fit of rage.”
“We’re back to thinking Jon is a suspect?”
Angie pulled her fingers away from the keyboard. “It’s an easy decision to come to since it’s always the husband. Wasn’t there a book about that last year?”
“Maybe. I tend to read more romance lately. I need to check in with the front of the house.” Felicia stood, but then paused at the corner of Angie’s desk. “Look, I wanted to say thank you for going to the event tomorrow. I know I told you that I’d take care of the community schmoozing, but this is a really important night for River Vista. If we raise enough money, we can get a social worker here at the clinic every Saturday so people don’t go without services.”
“And I thought this was just so Holly would have a place to wear her newest gown.” Angie opened her email program and scrolled down. “Stay here a minute and glance at this calendar. You might see something off more than I did.”
“Sure, but I don’t know what I’m looking for.” Felicia perched on the edge of the desk. She leaned closer when Angie opened the calendar file. She pointed to the pages on the screen. “Susan used her calendar like a planner. She’s made notes about everything in her life. See, there’s her daily workouts and her weekly goals. She was trying a new recipe every week. That’s cool.”
“We’re looking for something off.” Angie scrolled back to August and started scanning the pages. “She’s taken more than one of our classes?”
“I told you, she likes to cook. And learning new recipes is the fun part.” Felicia pointed to an entry. “That’s one of the cotillion planning meetings. She held them at her home. That’s what made everyone suspicious when she disappeared. I guess Holly and her crew showed up for a meeting and no one was home. There’s no way Susan would forget something like that. So Holly kept calling and kept pushing. Finally, she called River Vista Police to report her missing. She said if Jon wasn’t going to do it, she would.”
“Which, of course, made Jon look guilty around their friends.” Angie didn’t look up from the calendar. The woman had more appointments in a week than Angie did for a couple of months. She loved getting her nails done, that was for certain. “Man, Susan was a busy girl.”
“In that crowd, if you don’t have kids, you keep up with the salon stuff and volunteer. I know Susan worked with the women’s shelter for years, helping women get clothes for interviews.” Felicia pointed to an appointment. “Wait, she met with Soy Life Changes last week. It said it was a fund-raising meeting. Soy Life Changes that’s a subsidiary of Taylor Farms. I saw it on the planning meeting notes. Why did she go back the next week?”
Angie flipped the virtual page. “There are two more appointme
nts the next month. And then she misses her cotillion meeting a week later.”
“You might want Ian to check with his uncle about when exactly Susan disappeared, but it looks like she met with the soybean plant people at least four times. And if they were fund-raising meetings, the number of meetings would have been one or two. One to say no and two, if they said yes and had a check for her to pick up. There’s no way they would have had four meetings.” Felicia stared at the screen and the last completed month of Susan’s calendar.
A knock on the door sounded, and one of the servers poked her head inside. “Sorry to bother you, but we had some questions on the table assignments?”
“I’ll be right out, Rachel.” Felicia stood again but didn’t walk away. “We have to find out why Susan was meeting with Taylor Farms and whom she was talking to. Maybe that was why she had to disappear. She might have found out something important.”
Angie shut down the computer. “I just don’t want to be the one to tell Barb that Susan isn’t coming back. I really would have liked an entry that said, ‘Running off to Tahiti with the pool boy since Jon’s a jerk.’”
Felicia started toward the door. “I think there’s just one problem with that theory.”
“What’s that?” Angie was buttoning her chef jacket as she followed after her.
Felicia paused in the hallway while Angie locked the office. “The Ansleys don’t have a pool.”
“Okay, then it was Holly’s pool boy. Give me a break here, I just don’t want to have to give Barb bad news.” She paused at the kitchen door. “I know, wishes and horses.”
Felicia laughed as Angie went through the doorway. “I have never understood that saying.”
The kitchen crew was busy prepping. Estebe had music playing, an instrumental station that ran from the classics to versions of recent pop songs. Angie stepped over to her second in command. “Nice music. It looks like you’ve got things started. Where do you want me?”