by Cindy Bell
“I'll be waiting,” Mae-Ellen said with a dramatic sigh. Then she walked past Vicky and down the sidewalk towards the inn. Vicky frowned as she looked over her shoulder at the woman.
“Don't let it get to you,” Ida warned her. “She's just a mama tiger looking out for her son.”
“I am not interested in seeing her claws,” Vicky sighed and helped the boys into the car.
“Well, hopefully they will pick up that loan shark and get to the bottom of all of this,” Ida said glumly. “Do you think he was the one driving the car?”
“It makes sense to me,” Vicky nodded her head. “I don't know why he would be following us, though.”
“Maybe Poppy will be able to answer some questions for us,” Ida said as they drove to the play gym. Stepping inside the play gym was like stepping into the loudest baby toy ever invented. There were flashing lights, blaring music, and vibrant colors in every direction. It made Vicky's head spin.
“Hi Ethan, hi Rory,” the overly cheerful woman behind the counter cried out. She was wearing a clown nose and had her hair up in pigtails. She had to be in her twenties, but she looked like she was dressed for kindergarten. Vicky forced a smile.
“They're just going to stay for a few hours,” Vicky explained.
“Oh, I know,” the woman said perkily. “I spoke to Sarah. Everyone is so excited about your wedding, Vicky!”
“Thank you,” Vicky said as she watched the two boys take off into the play area. “We'll be back soon to get them.”
“Take your time, there must be so much to do!” the woman said gleefully before she chased after Vicky's nephews.
“She's right you know,” Ida said as she opened the door for Vicky. “There is a lot to do. We can't ignore the wedding altogether.”
“I'm not sure that there will be a wedding if we don't figure this out,” Vicky said with a frown. “I wish that I could get a hold of Mitchell and Sheriff McDonnell.”
“I know, Vicky,” Ida agreed. “It would probably hurry things along if they could help with the investigation.”
“Are you the one who sent the cops after me?” a harsh voice demanded as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. Vicky jumped back slightly as an angry face came into view.
“Who are you?” Vicky was startled.
“Peter Palumder,” he replied. Vicky tensed, she was not sure if he was the killer, but he was a loan shark, which immediately made Vicky very wary of him.
“Lower your voice,” Ida commanded him and gestured for them both to step away from the entrance of the play gym.
“You two have it all wrong if you think I had anything to do with the murder,” Peter said sharply, but he stepped away from the door.
“Was it just a coincidence that you were looking for Arthur on the same day that he ended up dead?” Vicky asked trying to sound more inquisitive than accusative.
“Yes, it was,” Peter growled. “Yes, of course I was here to find Arthur,” he took a deep breath and shook his head. “Look, Arthur made some bad investments,” Peter explained as he glanced from Vicky to Ida. “He knew what he was doing when he borrowed the money, and he knew what the consequences would be if he couldn't pay it back.”
“Death?” Vicky prompted and took a step closer to Peter.
“Death?” Peter repeated and glared at Vicky. “I don't kill people. Dead people don't pay interest.”
“So, maybe you tried to collect. Maybe you heard about the inheritance…” Vicky started to suggest, but Peter interrupted her.
“All right, I did,” Peter admitted. He frowned as he glanced over his shoulder and then looked back to the two of them. “I heard about the money, and I wanted a piece of it. That's my job. I came here to have a discussion with him,” he added, emphasizing the word discussion.
“Maybe the discussion didn't go well,” Vicky suggested. “Maybe Arthur tried to fight back.”
“Arthur would never fight me. I didn't have to lay a finger on him. He knew what was at risk, if he didn't pay, I would reveal his illegal activities to his superiors and ruin his career. That man loved his job, he wasn't going to risk it.”
“So, what did happen when you talked to him?” Vicky pressed.
“That's the thing, I didn't talk to him,” Peter said with exasperation. “I was looking for him when the news spread that he was dead. Then when I tried to leave today, I saw I was being hunted down at the airport. There were flyers with my face on at every ticket counter.”
Vicky raised an eyebrow, she was impressed with the initiative that Bobby and Norman had taken.
“I knew if they caught me, then I would have no chance. I'll be locked up before I even have the chance to tell my side. I overheard one of the officers at the airport saying something about Vicky being the one to give him the information. So, I started to ask around, and it wasn't hard, because everyone is talking about the amazing wedding between Vicky and the newest Highland Police Department detective. So, I'm here to tell you, I didn't do this.”
“Why would you come to me?” Vicky asked. “What do you think I can do?”
“Because you can help me prove I had nothing to do with the murder,” Peter growled.
“How can I possibly do that?” Vicky enquired.
“Because I was a guest at your inn,” Peter replied sharply. “And I was there all night.”
“Really?” Vicky's eyes widened. She didn’t remember seeing him at the inn but she had been preoccupied.
“Check your cameras,” he insisted. “I went back to the inn after I left Arthur's house. I had quite an interesting discussion with his wife by the way.”
“Poppy?” Vicky asked. “You spoke to her?”
“She never mentioned that, did she?” Ida asked and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“She is a very angry woman,” Peter said with wide eyes. “When I told her I needed to talk to her about Arthur's debts she threatened to kill me herself. I told her I didn't want any trouble, just the cash, and gave her my business card so that she could have Arthur call me. Then I went back to the inn, where I stayed. Imagine my surprise when I saw the police activity this morning, and now I can't get out of this town!”
“Well, that has nothing to do with me,” Vicky said. “This is a police matter.”
“So, you're not going to help me?” he asked desperately.
“I can’t,” Vicky replied. “You need to speak with the police.”
“We can help with that,” Norman said as he stepped out from behind Peter. Vicky had slipped her hand into her purse and texted Norman the moment that Peter had confronted them. Norman had parked his squad car further down the block and then walked up to them silently.
“Come on, really?” Peter pleaded as Norman ushered him towards his squad car. “I didn't do this, Vicky. Check your cameras, and you will see.”
“Quiet,” Norman demanded. “I’m just taking you down to the station for questioning,” he explained. “Are you ladies okay?” Norman asked as he looked between the two women.
“Yes,” Vicky replied. “Will you let us know if he confesses or you arrest him?”
“Will do,” Norman said before hauling Peter off to his car.
As soon as Norman and Peter were gone, Vicky and Ida hopped into the car and they headed straight for Poppy's property.
“I can't believe Poppy never said anything about a loan shark looking for Arthur,” Vicky said as she drove along the country road. “That seems suspicious to me.”
“Think of it this way,” Ida said with a frown. “She had just inherited a property and there was already a loan shark sniffing around wanting to take it right from her. She must have been livid that Arthur's financial problems had followed her here.”
“Financial problems that she never bothered to mention,” Vicky pointed out.
Chapter Eight
As Vicky and Ida pulled onto the road that led to Poppy's property, Vicky squinted to see if she could spot a car in the driveway. Vicky had only been out that way
once before, when Miriam had put the party tents and jumping castles on display at her property so she could take photos of them for a brochure. She had invited Vicky to have a look at them once they were set up since she was often using them for weddings and other events. Miriam’s family property was adjacent to the one that Poppy had inherited. She noticed that there was a for sale sign in their front yard. Not only were they closing the shop, but they were also selling their property. That was surprising to Vicky.
“Looks like someone's home,” Ida said as she tilted her head towards a car parked in the driveway. Vicky was relieved to see that it wasn't the car that had been following them. It was a tiny convertible that looked like it must have cost quite a bit. Vicky parked beside it and the two women stepped out of the car. There was a light on in the three-story house. It wasn't a mansion by any means, just a large, old house with plenty of repairs that needed to be done.
When Vicky made her way up the steps to the front door, she heard music playing inside. It was quite lively for a widow in mourning. She exchanged a glance with Ida who nodded her head a little. Vicky knocked on the door loud enough to be heard over the music. After another set of knocks, Poppy opened the door. She was dressed in a tube top and tiny jean shorts. Vicky found herself instantly falling into the judging trap, as Poppy was in her forties, certainly not some teenage girl to be wearing such revealing clothing. She tried to push the thought from her mind as even Aunt Ida had recently worn a tube top.
“How can I help you?” she asked. Her body was covered with a thin sheen of sweat.
“Could we come in for a moment?” Ida asked as she met the woman's eyes.
“Oh sure, yeah,” Poppy nodded and held the door open for them. As the two stepped inside, the music became even louder. Poppy bounced across the living room and turned the radio off. Vicky could see why she was sweating. There were boxes everywhere. Poppy must have been packing up the contents of the house.
“What's going on?” Poppy asked as she turned back to the two women.
“Just thought we’d pop by and see if you need anything,” Vicky said casually.
“Thank you, I’m fine,” Poppy said with a smile. “I’ve been busy getting this place packed up so I can place it on the market.”
“You're selling it?” Ida asked as she began to casually walk around the living room.
“Yes, I don’t want to stay here by myself,” she sighed.
“Do you need help with the funeral arrangements?” Vicky asked gently.
“The medical examiner refuses to release the body. Says, that until the investigating officer releases it, he can't guarantee me when I can have it. Which means I can't make arrangements yet,” Poppy explained.
“Well, hopefully they’ll wrap it up soon,” Vicky offered. “I just ran into Peter Palumder,” Vicky added nonchalantly.
“Oh, you did?” Poppy asked as she frowned. Vicky noticed her nervously fiddling with a bracelet that hung from her wrist.
“He mentioned that he met with you the day Arthur was killed,” Vicky said. “You didn’t mention that when I spoke to you before.”
Poppy sighed as she looked between the two of them. “I didn't think it was important.”
“Surely, a loan shark showing up on your door step the day before your husband was found dead is relevant,” Ida pressed as she turned back to look at Poppy.
‘“I should have said something,” Poppy said with a concerned look. “But I didn’t want anyone knowing a loan shark was chasing me for money. I was embarrassed I guess.”
“And we wanted to let you know that Peter was just taken into custody,” Ida said gently. “So, whatever his involvement with you and Arthur is will probably be revealed.”
“Look, I had nothing to do with this,” Poppy said with exasperation. She looked truly flustered. “Peter can reveal everything now, it makes no difference. It’s not like it will implicate me in the murder. Peter showed up at the door talking about a debt I never even knew that Arthur had. I told him I had nothing to do with it, that it was between him and Arthur, and I had no idea where Arthur was. He threatened me, he said as far as he was concerned Arthur's debt was my debt, and if we didn't come up with a way to pay it then he was going to start breaking fingers. Can you imagine? I thought they only did that sort of thing on television,” she shook her head with disgust. “It's horrible the things that Arthur got into. Look, it's no secret that we weren't in some hot love affair, but Arthur used to be a decent man. I don't know what happened that made him get involved in the things he did, but whatever it was, had nothing to do with me. Now he's gone, I can't change that, and you can't fault me for not collapsing in grief. It isn't my fault that he put himself in danger.”
Poppy's words rung clear through Vicky's mind. She wondered if she was really taking a risk she shouldn't be by involving herself in the case. She was after all actively placing herself in danger. If Mitchell knew about her activities, he wouldn't be surprised, but he wouldn't be happy. They weren't even married yet, and he would know that she would try to solve the murder.
“Wait, you said you didn't know where Arthur was, but did you have any idea who he might have been with?” Vicky suddenly asked.
“No, if I did, I would have told the police that. That night we had a big fight about the house. I wanted to sell it, he didn't. Maybe he was afraid it would draw Peter's attention, but like I said I didn't know about any of that. He was off sulking, playing on his phone, then all of a sudden he said he had to meet someone and took off out the door,” she shook her head. “He never made any good choices, not a single one.”
“Hopefully, Peter will tell the same story that you just did,” Vicky said. “By the way, what were you and Miriam arguing about at the party shop today?” Vicky asked gently. The question surprised Poppy. She stared at Vicky for a moment. She looked as if she was deciding how to answer the question.
“When we first moved here I decided to pick up a little part-time job so that I could have an excuse to be out of the house. I heard Miriam was hiring for the season so I applied and got the job. I was only there for a few hours and I noticed that Josh was up to something. When Arthur picked me up, I mentioned it to him, and Arthur went to talk to him about it. He caught Josh and his friend in the middle of a drug deal and arrested them both on the spot. Miriam blamed me for her son going to jail and started shouting. I quit on the spot. I still wanted to get paid for the few hours I worked as it's not my fault that her son is a drug dealer. In fact, if they're looking for a murderer, they should look at Miriam Smith.”
“Miriam,” Vicky said with disbelief, she still couldn’t imagine Miriam murdering anyone.
“Now, if you don't mind, I need to get back to work on packing. As soon as I can sell this place, I'm going to. There's a property developer interested, I'm sure he's going to want it.”
“Good luck,” Ida said and turned back towards the door. Vicky followed after her.
“Do you think it could have been Miriam?” Vicky asked once they were outside.
“Maybe, or maybe Poppy just wants us to think it’s her,” Ida said thoughtfully. “That way she could get rid of both of her problems in one shot. She could get rid of her husband and get revenge on Miriam for losing her temper and for losing her job.”
“Maybe,” Vicky said as they reached the car.
As soon as they were in the car again, Vicky let out a growl of frustration.
“I just don't understand. None of this makes sense. There are plenty of people who could have done it, but none of them seem like the right fit. What do you think?” she glanced over at Ida.
Ida was staring out the window at something. She didn't answer Vicky.
“Aunt Ida?” Vicky asked again and leaned forward to try to see what Ida was looking at. Not far down the road, in the driveway of Miriam's property, a dusty red car was idling. “It's the car,” Vicky gasped. “Maybe we can finally get the plate!”
She started the car and gunned the engine.<
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“Be careful, Vicky,” Ida warned. The driver of the car must have noticed that they had been spotted. It zoomed down the driveway in reverse. It spun out on the old country road and then sped off down the road. Vicky pulled out behind it and sped after it. The potholes in the old untended road made the ride feel like an out of control roller coaster.
“Vicky, watch out!” Ida cried out when the driver in front of them suddenly hit the brakes. Vicky had to slam on her brakes to keep from sliding into the back of the car. The driver in front of them took a hard right and sped off down the road. Vicky was too breathless to drive after him. Once she surfaced from her shock, she started to turn in the same direction.
“No,” Ida said sharply. “Don't Vicky,” she reached out and put her hand on the steering wheel as well.
“What do you mean?” Vicky demanded. “He's going to get away.”
“One more second and we would have crashed into the back end of that car,” Ida pointed out. “We're not going to take another risk like that, not with your wedding so soon.”
“Aunt Ida,” Vicky sighed as she stared after the car which was now only a dot in the distance. “That might have been our only chance to solve the murder.”
“I'm sure it wasn't,” Ida said and rolled her eyes. “Don't be so dramatic, dear.”
Vicky stared at her aunt with disbelief. She found it hard to believe that Ida could accuse anyone else of being dramatic.
“Vicky, you're not thinking clearly,” Ida said with mounting concern. “You have to take a breath and calm down before you lose control of this situation. You have a lot on your mind from the wedding to Mitchell's family being here. I know that you can figure this out if you just find a way to clear your mind.”
“You're right,” Vicky nodded slowly and took a deep breath. “I've never been so stressed. This was supposed to be a nice time for me to get ready for my wedding, and instead I'm frustrated and confused. I'm pretty sure that Mitchell's family hates me.”