The contents of full pans in the kitchen were transferred onto tiered trays. These were placed on each table. Brittany, Baily, and Katie had requested nostalgic favorites for this last milestone of childhood. Tea Time S’mores had been approved, as well as Cream Cheese and Olive Rolled Sandwiches. Peanut Butter and Jelly Flower Sandwiches were nixed due to Mr. Fenton’s severe nut allergy.
Mini Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches were cut with two sizes of fluted biscuit cutters and stacked, before being garnished with a melon ball held aloft by a green frilled toothpick. The crisp brown bread concoctions with creamy garlic and herb cheese oozing over the edges of pink ham smelled as good as they looked.
Brittany picked up a Tea Time S’more and popped it into her mouth. “Delish! How did you make these, Dani? They’re so neat to eat compared to the usual s’more.”
“That’s right, you were on sandwich duty when I made these last night. I browned the tops of the marshmallows with a torch and dipped the bottoms into melted dark chocolate. Before the chocolate set up, I rolled them in crushed graham crackers mixed with a dash of cinnamon.” Dani smiled as Brittany took another one. Her moan of delight was music to Dani’s ears.
Alex and Chelsea finished putting sandwiches on the tiered serving trays they brought from Beach Tea Shop. They set out assorted cupcakes on platters for each table, vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, and cupcakes with both flavors of frosting. All of the cupcakes had a green and white swirl in the center.
BevAnne Wexler came into the kitchen. Her arms were full of gift bags and packages for Brittany and her friends. A long-time friend of the Madison family, she had known Brittany since she was a little girl. As Brittany, Bailey, and Katie became inseparable, BevAnne got to know the other girls as well as she knew Brittany. She was already sniffling at the thought of Brittany going five hours away to college.
“Dear, I can’t believe you’re graduating high school. I have a little something for you.” BevAnne hugged Brittany and gave her a bag and a package. “Where are Baily and Katie? I have something for them as well.” BevAnne was dressed in a lime green pantsuit with a crisp white blouse. A multi-colored, patterned scarf around her neck picked up the green and white theme. BevAnne loved coordinating her clothes with a party’s theme.
“Bailey is finishing up outside, and Katie is with her parents.” Brittany peeked into the bag and squealed with delight. “Chocolate caramel truffles just for me! BevAnne, you’re the best.”
BevAnne smiled. “Dani made a batch for you. We know they’re your favorite.”
Dani and her sisters laughed. Brittany loved everything chocolate. No doubt the truffles would be replaced with a new favorite soon after she got to Tallahassee and explored the local food scene.
Arriving guests included Brittany’s parents, who were greeted with a hug and a kiss by their daughter before she went outside to finish decorating.
Paul and Jackie Madison chatted with BevAnne and others as they came through the door. Katie’s parents hadn’t made an appearance yet, and Dani wondered where they were. That brief thought was quickly replaced with a mental list of what needed to be done, and soon forgotten.
Bailey came in from outside, trailing crepe paper and ribbons. Her hands were busy with scissors, a boa of crepe paper, and a spray of baby’s breath. She had tucked a bit of baby’s breath behind her ear. The delicate white flowers contrasted with her mahogany curls and picked up the ivory background of her lime-green patterned dress.
BevAnne greeted Bailey and gave her a gift bag and package.
“Thank you, BevAnne. I’ll miss you when I’m gone.” Bailey hugged the older woman tight.
“Are you going to FSU with Brittany?” BevAnne asked.
“No, I’m headed to dental school at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Go Gators!” Bailey said. “We’ll have a friendly rivalry when the Gators and the Seminoles play football.”
Brittany chimed in, “But we’ll always be besties, no matter whose team wins.” She hugged Bailey and pulled a just-arrived Katie into their embrace. “And this one is going south, to the University of Miami, to root for the Hurricanes. We couldn’t bear to leave Florida.”
“Go ‘Canes!” Katie said, and all three graduates laughed. “In-state rivals, but hometown friends forever.”
The three girls radiated excitement about graduating. They smiled and posed for pictures as everyone congregated around them. They made a striking group; Brittany’s blond pixie cut were a bright contrast to Katie’s dark bob and Bailey’s auburn curls. Their joy and affection for each other was evident with their arms intertwined, heads huddled together, and identical smiles on their faces. Their friendship and this day would provide them with memories that would last a lifetime.
Ken and Kelly Fenton entered the kitchen moments after Katie. They smiled, but Dani noticed tension between them. Party jitters? Last minute concerns that the replacement caterers wouldn’t be up to the standards of the cancelled caterer? Dani wondered again who cancelled on such short notice.
But Kelly Fenton eased Dani’s mind when she said, “Everything looks so good, ladies. We can’t thank you enough for helping out at the last minute. If it were left to me, we’d be having sandwich platters and cake from the grocery store. How anyone can cook so much so fast is a marvel to me.” She took a S’more and bit into it. “Delicious and creative, Dani. How do you come up with things like this? When Brittany suggested that Beach Tea Shop would cater, I knew we were in good hands.”
Ken Fenton murmured agreement as he looked around at the guests assembled so far. Katie’s parents were a striking couple, both tall, slender, and dark-haired. They had passed their good looks onto their children. Katie favored her mother’s slim build, while her twin brothers inherited their father’s swimmer’s build. Ryan and Tyler were on the high school swim team. Katie was a runner and had received a partial athletic scholarship to UM.
More guests arrived, high school friends and parents, little brothers and younger sisters. The party got into high gear once everyone started eating, laughing, and reminiscing about adventures Brittany, Baily, and Katie had during high school.
Hannah Weatherby and her mother Shannon came late and sat at separate tables. Dani noticed they were quiet, not joining in the laughter and storytelling, but she chalked it up to a mother-daughter disagreement that would soon pass.
People milled around, changing tables often, and parents caught up with friends they hadn’t seen. Younger children chased each other around the tables. More than one adult called out to the kids to stay away from the pool.
Coming into the kitchen, Ken Fenton and Shannon Weatherby almost collided, but he steadied her. Did his hand linger on her arm, or did Dani imagine that? If it was imagination, she noticed that Kelly Fenton must have shared her thoughts. The woman quickly turned her face away from her husband and the other mother.
Dani didn’t have time to think much about what she’d seen because her attention turned back to the food disappearing at an alarming rate. She kept an eye on the trays, signaling Chelsea and Alex when they needed replenishing. The Powell sisters were happy to help Brittany out, and Dani wondered again what emergency had caused the caterer to drop out the day before an event. That was such an unprofessional thing to do!
Dani hoped she and her sisters had brought enough food.
~*~
A scream cut through the festivities. Party noises stopped as though someone flipped the Off switch. Another scream and parents told their children to stay where they were.
Dani raced in the direction of the scream. Kelly Fenton stood over her husband’s body, which was on the floor of his office with his pants around his ankles. A small plate of Tea Time S’mores and chocolate cupcakes sat on the corner of his desk, and a half-eaten s’more was on the floor near Ken Fenton’s unmoving hand.
The bluish tinge to his skin gave Dani a sinking feeling. Shannon Weathersby was kneeling next to Ken, fol
lowing directions coming from the nearby speakerphone to lightly slap his face in an attempt to rouse him.
Dani turned away from the scene and fumbled under her apron for her cellphone. Something about the scene besides Ken Fenton’s distress felt off, but Dani couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She took a few pictures with her camera, thinking she would look at them later and figure things out.
The shriek of an ambulance in the distance suggested that help for Mr. Fenton might be on the way. Unless it was already too late.
Instinct suggested to Dani that a detective would be needed—and she had one on speed dial: her boyfriend, Detective Troy Collins.
Chapter 2
Troy looked around the room where the dead man lay on the floor. He had arrived minutes after the ambulance departed, there being nothing the EMTs could do for Mr. Fenton. The medical examiner was on her way. Meanwhile, Troy could start assessing the crime scene for any clues as to the identity of the killer.
He began by securing the room. The body had been disturbed after the initial attempts by the medical team to revive him. Debris from medical supplies littered the floor. But there was nothing Troy could do about that. So he took pictures of the room from various angles, knowing the scene was compromised.
“Dani, please have everyone stay out by the pool. I’ll need to get their statements before anyone leaves.” He ran his hand down her arm and held her hand for a moment before letting go. Dani loved that he felt comfortable enough to give her the small gesture of affection at this difficult time.
Shannon Weatherby stood with her daughter Hannah at her side. Shannon put her hand on Hannah’s shoulder but Hannah shrugged it off. Neither mother nor daughter showed much emotion, and Dani wondered why. Were they in shock, unable to process the loss of a life? Or was there more to it?
~*~
Dani passed Troy’s request to the other adults. She joined her sisters in the kitchen, where they were making tea and coffee. Cookies were on plates ready to go out to the pool area. The food and hot drinks would help keep everyone occupied, and sweet treats were always welcome.
Dani put a few toasted coconut cookies on a plate, set the plate on a tray alongside two cups of tea. She added a small silver set for cream and sugar, and carried everything into the living room.
Katie and Kelly Fenton sat on a floral patterned couch. Katie had her arm around her mother, who quietly toed a pattern in the Oriental rug. Katie looked up as Dani came toward her with the tray.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Kelly.” Dani knelt next to her and put a cup on the side table. She hugged Katie and then handed a cup to her. Katie didn’t take it, and Dani set it aside in case she wanted it later.
The front doorbell rang. Troy came out of Ken Fenton’s office to answer it and escorted the medical examiner to the office.
The s’more on the floor had looked odd. What was wrong with it? Dani’s eyes narrowed in concentration, but before she could put her finger on what tickled her memory, Katie jumped to her feet. With balled up fists, she shouted at Dani, “I said no nuts. No. Nuts. He has a severe allergy. Had. A severe allergy. Everyone who came here knew that! Didn’t you listen? This wouldn’t have happened if the other caterer were here.”
“Yes, you mentioned his allergy yesterday. There weren’t any nuts in our food.” Dani’s stomach turned over. They had taken every care to avoid cross-contamination. Pans had been meticulously cleaned and sanitized before use. How could a nut have gotten into the s’mores or cupcakes, or any of the food?
She opened her mouth to further defend herself, but she stopped when she heard a commotion in the other room.
“Don’t you dare try to blame my friends!” Brittany’s eyes blazed with anger. Chelsea and Dani held her back. It was obvious Brittany’s temper was getting the best of her.
“Brittany—” Dani reached a hand toward the girl. But Brittany dodged her touch.
“Take it back. Take it back right now!” Brittany’s emotions were on display in best of times. But now she was beside herself. She trembled with grief, shock, and anger.
“Shhh,” Dani enveloped her young friend in a hug.
Brittany spoke over Dani’s shoulder. “Katie, I’m sorry about your dad, but he could have had a heart attack or whatever! I can’t believe you’re accusing my friends of doing this.”
“He was fine before he ate the food.” Katie lifted her chin defiantly, but instead of looking more adamant, she swayed. As Dani watched, the girl’s eyes rolled back in her head and she sagged to the floor. Chelsea raced forward and caught Katie as she fell.
Alex helped Chelsea settle Katie on the couch, while Dani held onto Brittany. Mrs. Fenton remained silent, never looking up from the spot where her toe pressed into the rug.
~*~
Troy had heard Brittany and Katie’s exchange. Rather than interrupt, he’d waited, hoping to learn something of value. Now that she was sprawled out on the sofa, he looked at Dani and jerked his head towards the hall. With a signal of her eyes, she left Chelsea to care for Katie, while Alex came over to comfort Brittany.
Troy and Dani stepped into the hall halfway between the living room and the office where they could have a little privacy.
“I think it was something he ate,” Troy said. “He doesn’t look like he’s had a heart attack. The ME said he shows signs of anaphylactic shock.”
“What?” Dani didn’t know what to say. “We didn’t use any nuts. Could it have been something else?”
“We’ll have a better idea once the ME does a full examination.” Troy rubbed Dani’s arm, giving her what little support he could while he was on official business. Dani welcomed the small gesture and longed for privacy so they could embrace.
“What can you tell me about the woman who called 911, Shannon Weatherby?” Troy removed a small notebook from his jacket pocket and clicked a pen open.
Dani smiled at his question. Keeping her voice low, she said, “I think she was having an affair with Ken Fenton. I was the first one to get to the office after Kelly Fenton screamed, and she was already on the phone calling for help. When I saw her, she was kneeling next to Ken in the office. Are you sure he didn’t have a heart attack?”
“If they were having an affair and he took something, it’s possible. She said she had just come out of the powder room when she noticed Ken Fenton on the floor and called 911.” Troy looked at Dani to gauge her reaction. “Right now the ME is leaning towards an allergic reaction.”
“I don’t know how nuts could have gotten into the food,” Dani said. “We took every precaution. We used disposable containers to make sure nothing would cross-contaminate the sandwiches and desserts.” She paused and frowned.
“What is it?” Troy asked. “Do you think he wanted to get caught?” Troy and Dani were still alone, but the sound of people near them caused him to glance around. The new widow in the living room wasn’t far away. If she hadn’t known about the affair before, she did now.
Who killed Ken Fenton, and how? Was the new widow his killer or was it someone else? Did Mr. Weatherby know about the affair, and was he the caterer who’d cancelled on short notice because of it?
Suddenly, Dani realized why the s’more on the floor looked all wrong. It had been resting in a paper liner that didn’t match the liners she had used.
“Troy, it might have been peanuts! I think I know how someone disguised them. If they ground up peanuts and mixed it with graham crackers, they could make s’mores that looked like mine. But I know he wasn’t eating one of mine because the cupcake liner doesn’t match the ones I used.” Dani’s emotions rode up and down like a roller coaster ride. First she was angry that someone tried to implicate Beach Tea Shop’s food in a murder, and then she was relieved to know they hadn’t been at fault.
“Wouldn’t he smell that?” Troy asked. “I know how strong peanut butter smells when I open the jar.”
“Not necessarily. A gardenia tree is right outside the office window, and it was cracked open
. The strong fragrance would have overwhelmed the peanut smell. He might have tasted peanuts before he realized he wasn’t just eating graham cracker crumbs. But if he was severely allergic one taste might have been enough to kill him.” Dani chewed her bottom lip as she thought about how the office looked before the EMTs arrived.
“Something else bothered me about the s’more by his hand. Let me check the picture I took.” Dani reached into her apron pocket for her cell phone.
“It won’t matter. The scene was compromised by the EMTs.” Troy sounded defeated, and Dani knew what would make him feel better.
“Yes, but I took a few pictures before they got here,” she said.
Troy looked at her with appreciation in his eyes. “That’s my girl.” He smiled and took her phone to look at the crime scene.
“Look at the liners these s’mores are in. They’re similar to the ones I used, but the pattern is different. I ran out and I asked BevAnne to pick up more from the craft store. She saw some liners in the right colors in a different pattern, but someone grabbed the last package right before she did. I decided to make do using the pattern I had and mixing the solid green and white liners. But whoever wanted Ken Fenton dead didn’t know that.” Dani tried to keep the tremor out of her voice, but teary eyes betrayed her emotion. She pressed a tissue into the corners of her eyes to keep from crying.
“This is just awful—and they were going to let us take the blame!”
“Who wanted him dead? If he was having an affair, maybe Kelly Fenton found out about it.” Troy held onto her phone and scrolled through the pictures. “His pants are down. Someone was with him when he died. My money is on Shannon Weatherby. She’s the one who called 911, which makes me think she was with him when he fell down.”
“Isn’t the spouse the most likely suspect?” Dani asked.
“Yes, but I don’t think they would have been intimate in the office when their bedroom is so close by. I think it’s more likely that a paramour was with him.” Troy looked at the picture of the s’more near Ken Fenton’s hand. He zoomed in on the liner and saw it was different than the ones from Beach Tea Shop.
Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime: Includes Happy Homicides 3: Summertime Crimes Page 62