by Liz Turner
Let’s talk about that, shall we?” Sully inquired. “Such horrible news. I’d like to get it over with.”
“Fair enough.” Max pulled out his notebook and pen as the women set up the plates for serving the meal. “Basic questions first, of course. How well did you know Leo?”
“Pretty well, I’d say,” Sully answered. “We’ve lived her since before Liam was born, and the Amatos' were here longer than that. Leo moved into their house a long time ago. We’ve been friends with the family for at least fifteen years.”
“Something along those lines,” Aileen concurred with a small shrug. “It’s hard to keep track of exact dates when it’s been so long.”
Max smiled. “I can understand that. Did you ever have any problems with them?”
“Occasional arguments about various things,” Sully reported. “Nothing serious, though. Not that I can recall anyway. Cale and Pietro’s son are good friends. They play together a lot.”
“Anything more recent than that?” Veronica inquired.
“I bet you’ve heard of the fight I had with Leo about his photography,” Aileen deduced. “You must know. You probably talked to Lorenzo and Pietro first.”
“We did, and they mentioned that disagreement,” Max confirmed. Cale and Amber started wrestling on the carpet, laughing and barking the whole time. It was a little hard to hear the conversation. “Could you give us more details about it?”
“I hired Leo as the photographer for my family reunion a month ago,” Aileen explained. “I’d seen lots of his work before, so I thought it would be good to have someone outside the family take the pictures so no one would be left out.”
“And we’ve got a huge family all right,” Liam joked, his mouth still holding a bit of the fish he was eating. He swallowed at his mother’s glare and then continued. “We can’t leave anyone out, so we need someone else behind the camera. Right, Mom?”
Aileen paused her story to glance back and forth between her two sons. A few seconds had passed before she spoke again. “Liam, would you please take your brother upstairs to play? I don’t really want you to hear this conversation right now.”
“Oh, Mom! Come one!” Liam protested, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes. “We’re going to hear about it sooner or later!”
“Later then,” she insisted. “Head upstairs. Now.”
She wasn’t yelling, but her tone was firm. Sully watched with an expression that Veronica thought was some mixture of amusement and seriousness, and it was certainly a strange face to make. Liam looked at his father for support, but the older man shrugged, and Liam sighed loudly.
“Okay, fine,” he said, at last, standing from his seat on the couch. He carried his plate of food with him. “Come on, Cale. Let’s get out of here.”
Cale stopped his playing with Veronica’s puppy, his bright eyes sad. “Can I take Amber upstairs to play? Please?”
The begging sight of the young boy and the puppy were nearly identical, and Veronica already knew she was horrible at resisting Amber’s eyes, which matched her name perfectly. She grinned slightly and looked at Aileen and Sully.
“It’s all right with me if it’s all right with you,” she said, with a somewhat questioning voice.
“That’s fine,” Sully agreed before his wife could answer, and she could only nod in reply. “Go on. Upstairs, you three!”
Cale let out a scream of delight before bouncing to the stairs, where Liam was already waiting. The young boy turned around and clapped his hands.
“Come here, Amber! Let’s play!”
Amber barked and bounded over to the boys, following them up the gentle stairs. The smell of Liam’s lunch faded as he reached the top of the stairs, and the three disappeared from sight. Veronica turned her attention back to the couple, and she saw Aileen running her hands through her hair. She waited until she was sure the boys were out of earshot before speaking.
“Are you all right?” she asked the woman.
“Yes, I’m okay,” Aileen responded, breathing out a long sigh. “I’m just worried about Cale. He found Leo’s body. He’s seen a dead person. What does that do to a child?”
“Pietro mentioned worrying about Rupert the same way,” Sakura added. “I can’t imagine what’s going through a kid’s mind about that sort of thing.”
“I can’t either. I don’t know what to do about it.” Aileen swallowed deeply. “Okay, we were talking about Leo being the photographer for my family reunion.”
“Yes,” Max returned to the topic at hand. “You were talking about your family reunion.”
“Right. Liam’s right. My side of the family is gargantuan, to say the least,” Aileen resumed. “I hoped to have someone other than a family member take the pictures meant everyone would be included in the photos.”
“And did that work?” Sakura inquired.
“We heard that you asked Leo for a refund for his work,” Veronica reminded her. “Was there something wrong with the photos?”
“Instead of telling you, I’ll just show you.” Aileen stood from the couch and walked over to one of the bookshelves on the opposite end of the room. She plucked a thick photo album from the bottom shelf and walked back to the couch. Aileen nearly slammed the book on the coffee table and opened it. “Take a look.”
Veronica looked carefully at each photograph on the first page before turning to the next. She scanned the second, third, and fourth pages of the album, trying to see if she could spot anything that would make Aileen unhappy with the work Leo provided.
If anything, most of the photographs were similar to the ones Leo hung in his own home. Sure a couple of the angles were maybe a bit odd, but they gave the subjects a more artistic feel. Most of the faces were pointed towards the camera, smiling and laughing as they enjoyed the food and the conversation. A few snapshots centered on the food and backgrounds, but for the most part, the family was the focus. Children were playing, adults were dancing, and everyone was having a good time, at least based on the still images in the album.
What was the problem? Veronica thought before speaking aloud. “These are beautiful!”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having photos like this at a wedding or something,” Sakura agreed. “What made you want a refund?”
“I told Leo I wanted professional looking photographs,” Aileen explained. “Where the families would stand together and smile at the camera. He made these far too artistic to give to the rest of my family. My grandparents wouldn’t appreciate this look.”
“You wanted something more traditional then?” Max questioned.
“Don’t get me wrong, these are nice, but they aren’t what I asked for,” she continued. “They sure are works of art, but I hired Leo as a professional photographer. I thought someone who works at the Meloda Times would understand that.”
“And that’s when you asked Leo for a refund?” Veronica asked.
“He said he already spent the time and energy for the reunion,” Aileen resumed. “And he had to refuse another opportunity for a job that evening, so he said a refund was impossible.”
“Well, that’s business for you,” Sully said. His expression was much more relaxed than his wife’s, and he continued to examine the album with a smile. “Can’t always get what you want.”
“I know it probably looks bad, now that Leo’s dead just a month later, but I promise you I didn’t do anything to him,” Aileen insisted. “I was upset about it, but I wouldn’t kill someone over it. It’s only money. Not worth taking a life.”
Some people who would kill for the smallest penny, Veronica presumed. Sakura had told her once that many people killed for financial reasons, and Sakura would know, being the mystery murder guru that she was. But as Veronica looked into Aileen’s eyes it was hard to believe this mother of two would stoop to that level. Many people would kill over money, but Aileen doesn’t seem like that kind of person.
“I believe you, Mrs. Dolan,” Detective Bernard said, and Veronica jumped as he seemed to s
peak her own thoughts. That happened a lot during these investigations. “Did anything else about Leo seem strange or suspicious? Like he was having other problems with other clients?”
“Yeah, something that might lead to anyone wanting him dead?” Sakura asked, rather bluntly. Veronica stopped herself from slamming her palm against her forehead. For someone who knew so much about murder investigations, Sakura had little to no tact.
“Well, we’re friends with the Amatos, but they don’t always confide in us about their problems,” Sully added. Veronica had nearly forgotten he was in the room. “And the same with us. But I guess maybe there was something he was worried about with Naomi Edwards.”
“Naomi Edwards?” Max checked his notepad. “That’s Louis and Amy Edwards’ daughter, right?”
“That’s right. They live across the street,” Aileen confirmed. “Or rather, on the other side of the cul-de-sac.”
“Leo was worried about her?” Veronica inquired.
Sully nodded. “He’s watched her all her life, but he’s been doing it more and more lately.”
“How do you know that?” Max wondered out loud.
“I’m part of the neighborhood watch,” Sully described, straightening up a little. “I have a few cameras set up around here…nothing that would invade someone’s privacy in their own home, but just to keep track of who moves where and when, you know? In case a burglar comes around or something.”
“So you basically know whenever someone does something strange?” Detective Bernard asked, trying to clarify the statement.
“Sort of. I keep a video log,” Sully continued. “I’ve noticed Leo watching Naomi quite a bit, but not as often as he has been in the last few weeks.”
“That seems odd, doesn’t it?” Veronica asked, directing this question to Max. “Why would he be watching her?”
“I smell a rat,” he replied. He wrote this down in his notepad before putting his pen away. “We should go speak with Naomi and her family next. They might have an idea about it.”
“And a motive too,” Sakura added. “I wouldn’t like it if someone was watching my daughter all the time.”
“I’ll start looking through the footage from last night,” Sully offered. “See if I can find anything unusual.”
“We’d appreciate that,” Max accepted as he stood. Veronica and Sakura followed suit. “Please let us know if there’s anything else you think we should be aware of.”
“Will do,” Sully agreed.
The investigators shook the husband and wife’s hands, and Veronica headed for the bottom of the staircase. She put her index finger and thumb in her mouth and whistled.
“Amber! Time to go! Come here!”
A familiar bark resounded through the house, quickly followed by the pounding of footsteps as Amber leaped and bound from the upper floors to the bottom where Veronica waited. She knelt down and gave her puppy a couple of kisses and a big hug. Amber was panting hard, but her tail was still wagging like crazy, and she barked numerous times.
“I hope you were good for the boys!” she declared.
“She was fine,” Liam called down. He sat at the top of the staircase, with his little brother next to him. “We loved having her!”
Cale rushed down the steps and started messing around with Amber’s front paws again. Still being a youngster herself, Amber instantly went back into play mode (although it’s questionable of whether she ever left play mode at all).
“Will you come back so Amber can play again soon?” Cale begged, giving Veronica those huge puppy-dog eyes of his again.
“Cale, don’t pester Chef Koche,” Aileen said with a smile, clearly not being as serious as her statement would make one believe.
“I think we can come by when this is all over,” Veronica concurred. She glanced at the Dolans. “If that’s all right with you?”
“I don’t see why not,” Sully concurred as he gave Amber a good scratch behind her ears. He turned to his wife. “It might be a good time for us to get a dog.”
“We’ve had this conversation, Sully,” Aileen teased.
“Oh please?!” Sully and Cale both begged simultaneously, and Aileen put a hand to her forehead.
As everyone laughed at the playful and childish behavior, Veronica glanced back up the stairs to see Liam was the only one not smiling, and he was fiddling with his fingers during the whole conversation.
Chapter 5
Veronica raised an eyebrow as she carried the next batch of meals towards the Edwards’ house.
This was not the type of place she would expect in a wealthy neighborhood such as Delta Avenue. It wasn’t that the building was run down or anything, but it just seemed drastically different than the other three. It was the end of summer, but the sun was bright even with the small, cool breeze flowing through the air. The weather had been beautiful for the party, and Veronica had been quite disappointed the guests had to stay in their homes while the investigation was underway. It was such a lovely day, it would be the perfect time to let some fresh air inside.
So why were all the window shutters closed?
While the Amatos’ home was well decorated and lively, and the Dolans’ house clearly showed it was where children lived, the Edwards’ house had more of the atmosphere of a fortress. The white windows were covered, allowing no one to see in or out, while the walls were a dark blue color, making it look more like a giant shadow than a house.
The corners of the building were black and sharp as knives, and the roof was shaped like a giant arrow tip pointed to the sky. It was the only house on the cul-de-sac with a metal bar fence, encompassing the perfectly green lawn devoid of flowers and vegetation other than the grass. In the driveway was a solid black Porsche, shining in the sun and bouncing the light into Veronica’s eyes. Suddenly she wished she had a pair of sunglasses, but she hadn’t thought to pack them for the party.
“Kind of hard to believe that someone as cheerful and preppy as Amy Edwards lives in a house like this,” Veronica commented to herself.
Sakura must have heard her because she nodded in agreement. “You’re telling me.”
A man was sitting on a wooden chair on the porch, leaning forward as he watched the investigators approach. His deep black hair was combed in a way that was clearly trying to cover a few bald spot, but even from a distance, Veronica could see them with ease. His button shirt appeared perfectly pressed, even with the few creases that were created as he laid his elbows on his knees. Although the man was leaning forward, his back was still perfectly straight, and he was bent only at his waist. His fingers occasionally tapped together in sync, and Veronica could only think that was his version of tapping his foot.
Veronica began to walk up the driveway to the porch, where the only entrance through the metal fence was located, but she stopped when Max gently put a hand on her shoulder.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy,” he whispered to the two chefs. “Be careful, and let me do the talking.”
“All right,” Veronica agreed quietly.
The investigators headed for the house, opened the gate and approached the porch. The man didn’t move until the trio stood right in front of him, and his eyes narrowed into thin slits. Max walked up to him, stopping a few feet away.
“Hello. You must be Louis Edwards.”
“I am,” the man replied shortly. “And you must be that detective. I’ve seen you going around the other houses. I bet you’re asking lots of questions.”
“That I am,” Max answered. He turned to look at the women. “I’m sure you recognize Chef Koche, and this is Chef Yamouchi. We’re investigating Mister Amato’s death.”
“Yamouchi?” Louis repeated. “What kind of a name is that?”
Veronica looked at Sakura out the corner of her eye, and sure enough the young woman’s face was turning red, not with embarrassment but with anger. She never liked it when someone poked fun at her Japanese surname. Veronica gently put a hand on her arm to stop her from starting an
argument.
I know you, Sakura, she thought. You’ll start describing how America is a melting pot, and a person shouldn’t be judged solely by the origin of their name, and then you’ll continue on with the history of your father’s family…I hope you don’t start something now.
Perhaps Veronica was telepathic and was able to relay this thought to Sakura wordlessly, or, more likely, Sakura was used to reading Veronica’s facial expressions and realized she should keep quiet for the time being. They returned their attention to Louis.
“I would like to ask you a few questions about what happened today,” Detective Bernard stated professionally. “And about your whereabouts last night.”
“You might like to ask, but we may only answer what we please,” Louis insisted his voice low.
“Is your daughter here?” Max inquired, ignoring his statement. “Naomi? I would like to talk with her specifically.”
“No, you may not.” Louis stood straight, his fists clenched. He walked up to Max and looked the detective straight in the eye. Veronica imagined he was trying to be intimidating, but the effect was lost since Max was at least four inches taller than Louis. “You may speak with my wife or me, but not to my daughter.”
Max cocked and eyebrow at him. “I’m afraid I have to insist. We’ve learned that Leo Amato has been watching Naomi for some time now, and we need to ask her about it directly.”
“I can tell you all about it,” Louis persisted. “Leo Amato has been stalking my daughter for years now, but my wife has insisted it is harmless. I don’t believe that for one second.”
“Years? That’s serious,” Veronica proclaimed, stepping forward. She offered the plates of food she carried. “Why don’t we go inside and talk about it more? I brought lunch, to make up for the one missed at the canceled party.”
Louis sidestepped Max entirely so he could stand up to Veronica. Unlike Max, she was noticeably shorter than Louis. His attempts at being intimidating by using his larger build were usually effective. Unfortunately for him, Veronica had long grown past being frightened by anyone taller or stronger than her, and she gave him a steady look right back. Louis frowned at her.