by Joyce Tremel
“Morning, Max,” she said with a smile. “The centerpieces are all ready to go. I think you’ll be pleased.”
“I’m sure I will be if they’re anything like the sample you made.” Was that only two weeks ago? It seemed like it had been longer than that. It had been the same day I’d convinced her to go with us to the fire hall where Felix had recognized Candy. I couldn’t believe my Oktoberfest weekend was only two days away.
I took a seat on a piano stool at the counter while Daisy went to the back room. She returned carrying two cardboard boxes and placed them on top of the counter. “Here they are,” she said. “What do you think?”
I lifted one out of a box. It was even better than the prototype she’d shown me. Instead of a small dish holding creamy white mums and blue asters made of silk, she’d used a blue mason jar. In the center was a small beer stein ornament and a tiny blue and white checked Oktoberfest flag. To top it off, she’d tied thin blue and white satin ribbons around the rim of the mason jar. “This is perfect,” I said. “I love it!”
“I wasn’t sure about using the jars, but I like how they turned out,” she said.
“The jars are just the right touch.” I stood up. “I’ll take this box then come back for the other.”
“I have a better idea,” Daisy said. “I’ll carry the other box then we’ll head over to Kristie’s. I haven’t had my morning coffee yet. And you haven’t filled me in on what’s happened since we were at Hartwood Acres.”
“Deal.”
We walked to the pub, put the boxes on top of the bar, then I locked the door again and we headed across the street. Jump, Jive & Java was living up to its name. The place was definitely jumping. The line was almost to the door, but Kristie and another barista worked quickly to serve everyone, and before long, it was our turn. I ordered my usual mocha and Daisy asked for a caramel latte.
“I heard you had a visitor last night,” Kristie said as she made my mocha.
Daisy looked at me.
“It’s a long story,” I told her, then to Kristie, “When you get a break, come sit with us and I’ll tell you all about it.” I wondered how many times I’d said, It’s a long story, over the past several days. I was getting a little tired of it.
“What was that all about?” Daisy asked after we sat down.
I said I’d fill her in when Kristie was able to join us. Five minutes later she plopped down into the chair beside me.
“Whew,” she said. “I can’t believe how busy it was this morning. This is the first chance I’ve had to catch my breath.” She nudged me with her elbow. “So spill. What happened?”
“What did Vince tell you?”
“That when he was leaving my place at three—”
Daisy put a hand up in the air. “Whoa. Stop right there. Who is Vince and why was he leaving your place at three?”
Kristie raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think?”
“Oh.” Daisy grinned. “Who is this mystery man? How long have you been seeing him? Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing someone?”
“That’s a lot of questions,” Kristie said.
“Vince is my dad’s partner,” I said to Daisy.
“Wait,” Daisy said. “Isn’t he the one you called Vinnie the Viper? The one who thought you and Jake killed that food critic?
I smiled. “One and the same.”
Daisy shook her head in disbelief and looked at Kristie. “And you’re seeing him?”
Kristie laughed. “That about sums it up. I’ll tell you the whole story later. She turned back to me. “What happened last night? And what have I missed this week?”
I told them about the note left on my door, then backtracked and filled them in on the past week. I told them about Felix, Paisley, Rhonda, the paintings, and everything else that came to mind. “I have to call my dad and Detective Raines today, but Vince seems to think it’s too much of a coincidence that Rhonda’s husband and brother died in similar fashions. And the more I think about it, I agree with him. And as far as I’m concerned, it has to have something to do with Felix.”
“Does this mean Felix really isn’t after Candy?” Daisy asked. “I thought that was what this whole thing was about. That Doodle was going to tell you about Felix and Candy.”
“I don’t know. It could be that none of this is connected, or that it all is.” We talked for another ten minutes, but never came to any kind of a conclusion. The more I talked and the more ideas we tossed around, the more confused I became. I returned to the brew house with a million thoughts swirling through my head. And none of them made any sense.
• • •
I’d had luck in the past writing down all my theories. Jake wasn’t due in for another twenty minutes and I had some time before we opened for lunch, so after I moved the two boxes of centerpieces from the top of the bar to a corner in my office, I sat down at my desk with a tablet and a pen.
I started by writing down the names of all the suspects, giving each of them his or her own column. Felix was number one. What did I know about Felix? One, Candy had known him by the name Josef Bartek in Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s. Two, he’d drawn a gun on Candy and Tommy, and Candy had shot him. I kept going. He joined the Deutschmen after Rhonda’s husband, Roy Williams, was killed. He’d recognized Candy. He was at the gallery for the unveiling of the Vermeer. He was a frequent visitor to Saint Anthony’s Chapel to see the relics. I tapped my pen on the desk. That was all I came up with for Felix at the moment. I could always add more later.
I had listed the other band members in the next few columns. Bruce Hoffman. Leader of the band, or at least the contact person. Involved with Rhonda Dowdy Williams. Helped Doodle sell some of his paintings. Manny Levin was the other band member. I realized I knew nothing about him. He hadn’t been on my radar at all. I made a note to find out more.
The next two columns belonged to Doodle’s sisters. Rhonda’s husband and brother had both died under unusual circumstances. According to Rhonda, Roy had died from a fall. Her sister thought he’d been murdered. Rhonda had been persistent in questioning me about why her brother had wanted to see me. She’d been very unfriendly toward me at the cemetery and again at Hartwood Acres. She’d been pleasant toward me at her house. Could that have been an act?
Then there was Paisley. She was clearly unstable. She was flighty and needy, and seemed to cause problems for her older sister. Had she also caused problems for Doodle? I remembered something she’d said at the cemetery—that her brother had promised to take care of her. What had she meant by that? Financially? Or emotionally?
As much as I hated to, I added another name to the list. Candy. I didn’t honestly believe she’d killed Doodle, but with the history between her and Felix, I had to at least consider it. She had panicked when Felix recognized her. I had never seen her that upset. And I’d found her riffling through the drawers in Doodle’s house. She’d been with Jake and me when we found Doodle, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have been there earlier. I felt like a traitor even thinking such a thing. My friend would never kill someone in cold blood. Shooting Felix had been in self-defense. She hadn’t had a choice, and that fact had devastated her for years. That’s why she had behaved the way she did after Felix recognized her.
But what about Tommy? I liked him, but what did I really know about him other than he’d been Candy’s husband? She’d never even hinted that she’d been married. And she hadn’t said why they’d broken up. Tommy could have known Felix was here all along. Maybe Doodle got wind of it somehow. Doodle was about to reveal it to me, so Tommy killed him. I didn’t buy that theory, either.
What a useless exercise. I dropped my pen onto the desk. “This is getting me nowhere.”
“I’d be happy to go nowhere with you,” Jake said. He came into the office and kissed me on top of my head.
I stood and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“I’m so glad to see you.”
“Now that’s the kind of welcome I like.”
“Me, too.” I rested my head on his chest. He smelled like Irish Spring soap, and the sound of his heartbeat made me want to stay there all day.
Jake noticed the scribbles on my tablet. “What are you working on?”
I sighed. “A suspect list. And so far, a complete waste of time.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Be my guest.” I reluctantly let go of him and took a step back.
He quickly read what I had written. “I wouldn’t call it a waste of time. It’s a good list.”
“But it doesn’t narrow it down. Anyone on there could have killed Doodle. There are way too many unanswered questions, especially after what happened this morning.”
Jake put the tablet back and half sat on the corner of the desk. “What happened this morning?”
I told him about the note left on my door.
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come right over.”
“I know, but it wasn’t necessary. I called the police, and a patrolman came and took my report. Even Vince stopped to check on me.”
“Vince? Vince Falk? Why would he do that?”
Jake didn’t know about Kristie and the detective. “I just found out the other day that Kristie and Vince have been seeing each other.”
He looked as surprised as I had been. “Kristie and Vinnie the Viper. Interesting combination,” he said. “I never would have figured they’d get together. They’re complete opposites.”
“Anyway, Vince was leaving Kristie’s place around three this morning, heard the call, and decided to see if I was all right.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad he stopped to check on you,” Jake said. “We kind of avoided each other for the most part at your parents’ on Sunday, but he did seem . . . I don’t know . . . different. Maybe even human.”
I gave Jake a little smile. “Who knows? You could even be friends someday.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. We’ll have to settle for tolerating each other.” Jake picked up the tablet again, changing the subject. “You know what you’re missing here?”
“Everything?”
“No, only one thing. If Doodle’s murder and the note left on your door are related, we just need to figure out which one of these suspects thinks you’re getting a little too close. Who on this list wants you to give up the search?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Figuring that out was easier said than done. Any one of the people I’d listed could believe I was getting close to discovering who killed Doodle. And if he or she thought that, they knew a lot more than I did. I was about as far away from knowing who the killer was as I could get.
After the lunch rush, I retreated to my office again and called my dad. I was happy Vince hadn’t squealed on me yet.
“Are you all right?” Dad asked when I’d finished telling him what had happened.
“I’m fine. It was a little scary at first, but now I’m annoyed that I have to paint my door.”
“Aren’t you glad you listened to me and kept your deadbolt locked?”
I laughed. “Yes, I am.” His phone beeped that he had another call coming in, so that was the end of our conversation.
I called Mitch Raines next and got his voice mail. I said I had some important information and requested that he call me back. I hoped he wouldn’t take too long to do so. I had decided that as soon as I passed the information off to him, I was done with it. The only reason I’d gotten involved in this in the first place was because I’d been worried about Candy. Felix hadn’t made a move on her, and at this point I didn’t think he would. He was still up to something, but it wasn’t up to me to figure it out. Unless something changed and he went after Candy, I was leaving the investigation up to the police.
Having made that decision, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for our weekend celebration. When Nicole came in at four, I told her I had an errand to run and would be back shortly.
I walked up Butler Street to the Good Value Hardware Store located on a cross street not far from the brew house. The Galaxy Bar next door to the hardware store had a sign posted stating, Under New Ownership. I was sad thinking about the previous owner, Dominic Costello, who had been so worried I was going to steal his customers. Dominic had been murdered by the same person who had killed Kurt. Up until Dominic had been killed, I had believed he was behind Kurt’s death and all the vandalism at the brew house. It had turned out someone else hadn’t wanted the brewpub to open and committed murder to try and drive me out. I took another glance at the Galaxy and couldn’t help thinking that Dominic would be glad to see the Galaxy live on.
The bell on the door of the hardware store tinkled as I entered. A few customers were browsing. I headed for the rear of the store, where Ralph Meehan had just hung up the phone. He smiled when he spotted me. Ralph and I had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. He had been a good friend of Dominic Costello’s and believed everything Dom had told him about me. I’d actually accused Ralph of murder at one point, but fortunately that was all in the past. We’d both learned our lessons.
“Max!” he said. “I haven’t seen you for a while. How are you?”
“Busy as usual,” I said. “You should stop in.”
“I keep meaning to, but by the time I’m done here, I just want to get home.”
“I know how that is. We’re having an Oktoberfest party this weekend if that interests you.”
“That sounds like fun,” he said. “But I’m sure that’s not why you’re here. What can I get for you?”
I told him I needed a quart of white paint and explained why.
Ralph shook his head, making his gray comb-over flutter. “You sure get yourself into some situations.” He went into the back room and returned with two cans of paint. “You’ll need to use this primer first; otherwise the letters will bleed through.”
I ended up leaving with primer, paint, a brush, a roller, and a paint pan.
The dinner hour was busy, and by seven I still hadn’t gotten a return call from Mitch Raines. I left him another message, even though he might think I was nagging. Although I’d made the decision to let this go, I felt like I couldn’t until I talked to the detective.
I’d just returned my cell phone to my pocket when Candy and Tommy entered the pub. I left Nicole to man the taps, greeted my friends, and led them to a corner table, where I plopped into a chair across from them.
“You look tired,” Candy said.
“Gee, thanks,” I said.
Tommy reached across the table and patted my hand. “You work too hard, my dear.”
“It’s not that. I was up at three a.m.”
Before they had a chance to ask me why, Nicole brought two iced teas and a stout to the table and placed the stout in front of Tommy. “I brought the usual,” she said.
“Iced tea isn’t my usual drink,” I said.
Nicole smiled. “I thought you could use the caffeine.”
When she left, Candy said, “I told you that you looked tired. Why were you up at three?”
I told them about the note written on my door.
“Excellent!” Tommy grinned. “Most excellent.”
“We must be getting close,” Candy said. “We shook someone up.”
I hadn’t expected that kind of reaction. I thought they’d be concerned, especially since Candy was the mother hen type. “You’re not worried?”
Candy gave me a look. “No. And you shouldn’t be, either. It’s a warning, that’s all.”
“And not a very good one,” Tommy added.
“If this person wanted to harm you, he wouldn’t have left a note on your door,” Candy said. “He’d have struck when you least expe
cted it.”
“If that was meant to be comforting, it’s not working.” I picked up my glass and took a sip. “It would have been nice if the person had told me exactly what I was supposed to give up. The investigation? Chocolate for Lent? Jake?” Jake. Could Victoria have left that note? It wasn’t her style, but still . . .
“It wasn’t Victoria,” Candy said as if she could read my mind.
“How do you know that? She hates me and wants Jake back.”
Candy rolled her eyes. “She probably doesn’t even know what a permanent marker is, let alone how to use one. She wouldn’t come down from her self-imposed pedestal to demean herself like that.”
“She could have hired someone to do it,” I said.
“Not likely,” Candy said. “She wouldn’t even know where to look. She doesn’t exactly travel in the same circle with that type.”
“It was Josef,” Tommy said. “I’m sure of it. That’s exactly his way. Until that last day in Prague, he always preferred the path of least resistance. He’d intimidate until the other person backed off.”
“Have you gotten any information from your contacts?” I asked Tommy.
He shook his head. “I’ve been hitting a brick wall. Apparently there is no record of a Josef Bartek or a Felix Holt anywhere. No one is willing to tell me more than that. Candace and I know very well that he existed—and still does. That makes me more suspicious than ever.”
“Someone has to know something,” I said.
“Oh, they know, all right,” Candy said.
“Then why is it such a big secret? Why won’t anyone tell you anything?” It didn’t make sense to me.
“Three possible reasons, my dear.” Tommy drained his glass. “One, Josef is still an active agent with whatever they’re calling the KGB these days and the information is top secret. Two, he’s defected and his record has been wiped for his safety.”
“And number three?” I said.