by K. M. Morgan
Daisy was desperate to change the subject. “Can we get back to the murder investigation?”
“I told you, watch out for a dark horse suspect. Oh, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t end up picking the right suspect. Everyone always guesses the wrong killer,” Granny Annie explained.
“A woman’s life is at stake. I can’t afford to get this wrong,” Daisy said.
“Oh. Well, it stinks to be you then. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have pecan pie calling my name,” Granny Annie finished.
Chapter Fourteen
Daisy left the dessert shop with a full belly and delighted taste buds. As she approached her car in the parking lot however, a rotund surprise was waiting for her.
Detective Crumple had parked right beside Daisy and seemed to be waiting for her to come out. His grizzled detective stare was once again undermined by the remains of another pastry. This time brownie crumbs seemed to be the culprit, lodging in Crumple’s beard like it was a bird’s nest.
The detective took another slurp of his mega-sized coffee and addressed Daisy. “Ms. McDare, I need to talk to you for a minute.”
“Have you been waiting out here for me?” Daisy asked.
“That’s not important.”
“Wait, how did you know this was my car—or that I’d even be here?”
“It’s my job to know things. Besides, have you forgotten that just a few days ago you were on my list of suspects?”
“I actually couldn’t forget that quickly enough,” Daisy answered.
“Back to the matter at hand,” Crumple coughed.
“What’s this about?”
Detective Crumple shook his head. “You still haven’t figured out how this works, have you? I’m the detective. I ask the questions around here.”
“Alright. Go ahead then.”
“I’ve heard you’ve been poking your head around where it doesn’t belong.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The murder of Max Cash. Why do you insist on wasting your time investigating a case that’s already been solved?” Detective Crumple asked.
“With all due respect, I don’t think it has been solved,” Daisy replied.
“With all due respect? The fact that you’re snooping around shows you have no respect for me or my job.” Crumple then tried to dislodge the brownie crumbs in his beard with his tongue. “Now I’d advise you to stick to interior decorating.”
“You really want me to let this go, don’t you?”
Detective Crumple nodded. “Leave this to the professionals.”
Daisy stared into his eyes. “Alright, I’ll let it go.”
“Thank God.”
“When I find the real killer,” Daisy continued.
Detective Crumple grimaced. “Dagnabbit.”
“I can’t help how I feel. And deep down my gut is telling me you have the wrong person in jail.”
“Do you have any evidence to support your little theory?”
“Right now it is just a hunch, but I’ve never had a hunch of mine be wrong before,” Daisy explained.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Detective Crumple insisted.
“We’ll see about that,” Daisy smiled. She then stared at his beard.
“You missed some.”
“Some what?’ he asked.
“Brownie crumbs. Lower left side of your beard.” She walked off as he started scratching his beard to dislodge more evidence of his sweet tooth.
“At least he and I are alike in one way,” she smiled to herself.
***
Very few things could throw Daisy off the scent of finding Max’s real killer. Going to the dog park was one of them. Mostly it was because she knew Gavin Watson would be there. A smile came to her face when she saw him the next morning with his Corgi puppy Rosie.
Daisy’s heart nearly melted as her eyes focused on Rosie’s folded down ear. It was just so cute. Her Westie Shamus apparently agreed because he bounded towards Rosie and started playing with her.
For the second day in a row, Daisy wondered why things couldn’t be as simple for humans as they were for dogs. When dogs liked each other, they were obvious about it. Humans had a way of making things more complicated.
There was an emotional tightrope that had to be walked. Even more than that, people came with baggage. Sometimes that was like trying to fit a four piece luggage set into the overhead compartment of a plane. There was just no way it wouldn’t end badly.
Daisy and Gavin both came with their own separate baggage. The question was, could they learn to leave it at home? That was a whole lot of metaphor to be wrangling with at six thirty in the morning.
“Looks like the dogs are happy to see each other,” Daisy said.
“It’s not just the dogs. I’m happy to see you too,” Gavin smiled.
Gavin had a dynamite smile. Not to mention a way of looking at Daisy like she was the only woman in the world. That kind of undivided attention was rare during the Age of ADD—a time when smartphones and other digital distractions ruled.
“Same here,” Daisy blushed.
“Although I do have an apology to make,” Gavin revealed.
Uh oh. Daisy had no idea what to expect, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath. With her dumb luck, it would probably be bad news.
“About what?”
“About yesterday. I’m sorry you had to hear me go on about my ex so much.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure?”
Daisy nodded. “You already apologized about that. Besides, one bad story about an ex deserves another. It’s all water under a burnt bridge.”
Gavin furrowed his brow. “I’m pretty sure you mixed up your metaphors.”
“What can I say, words are my mortal enemy before I’ve had my first cup of coffee in the morning,” Daisy said.
“I find it’s just as easy for me to put my foot in my mouth at any hour of the day.”
“I’m actually surprised my foot can reach all the way up to my mouth. I never knew I was that flexible,” she muttered.
“It turns out there’s no limit to what I can do when I’m making a stooge out of myself.”
“Yeah. Some days I’m surprised I can even put one foot in front of the other.”
Gavin laughed. “So much for making a good first impression.”
Daisy shrugged her shoulders. “There’s nothing we can do about that now. Besides, life’s not perfect, and neither are we, so why bother pretending we’re something we’re not?”
“That’s probably the most honest statement I’ve heard in a long time. Then again, I spend most of my time around secretive people who are trying to keep skeletons hidden in their closet.”
“By the way, how is the world of private investigation treating you?”
“Just as unsavory as ever. It turns out everyone has a terrible secret they’re trying to hide,” Gavin revealed.
Daisy searched her mind. “I don’t. At least not one that comes to mind.”
“Consider yourself lucky then. Secrets always have a way of getting out…usually when you least expect them to,” Gavin said.
“Or, when you have a private investigator on your trail.”
“That’s why I like talking to you. It’s good to be reminded that there are still sweet and kind people in the world.”
“Thank you. The world need investigators like you though. Life isn’t just rainbows and unicorns after all.”
Gavin laughed. “Yeah, it’s safe to say a lot of people are living a partly cloudy life.”
Daisy sighed. “Tell me about it.”
“Uh oh. Trouble in the rough and tumble world of interior decorating?” Gavin asked.
“Actually, I’ve been doing some investigating myself lately,” Daisy revealed.
“Trying to put me out of business, eh?” he joked.
“Trust me, my sleuthing is reluctant as ever. I’d much rather be baking lemon bars and watching
cute animal videos on the internet.”
“But--”
“There was a murder at work, and the police arrested the wrong person. I can’t in good conscience let an innocent woman sit in jail.”
Gavin smiled. “You really do have a great heart.”
“That may be true, but my brain is stumped. The sad thing is, I know I’m just one little clue away from breaking this case wide open,” Daisy replied.
“Maybe I could help you out.”
“Really?”
“Sure.”
“That’s great. I’ll pay you of course.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gavin insisted.
“Are you sure?” Daisy asked.
“This one is on me.”
Daisy smiled. “Thanks.”
“So, what do you need?” Gavin wondered.
Chapter Fifteen
Daisy ended up giving Gavin the names of all the potential suspects. Maybe he could dig up some dirt on one of them. In the meantime, she had some sleuthing of her own to get back to.
Daisy only needed to take one step into the office before she realized it wouldn’t just be another day at work.
“Good morning,” Amber smiled, at the reception desk.
Daisy was caught off guard. She was so used to hearing snarkiness come out of Amber’s mouth that a genuine smile made it appear like she had a total personality transplant. It seemed completely out of character.
Then again, a lot had changed for Amber in just a few days. The monkey of Max’s grumpy expectations was off her back, Amber’s secret boyfriend Peter had now been made partner, and the pay raise that had eluded her for so long seemed to be in the bag. So maybe Amber’s personality had undergone a genuine makeover. If so, Max’s murder was a catalyst for it all.
“Morning. You sound rather chipper today,” Daisy replied.
Amber played dumb about everything. “Don’t I always?”
Daisy decided to call out her nonsense. “Are you kidding? You were nothing but a snarly puss until Max died.”
“Look, that was a really stressful time in my life, ok?”
“And now that Max is gone, you’re all smiles.”
Amber narrowed her eyes. “Hey, what are you implying?”
“I’m just saying, ever since your boyfriend took over the practice, you seem like a completely different woman.”
Amber’s jaw nearly dropped. Her face went white as a blizzard. She tried to play dumb again, but she was a horrible actress. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you and Peter are going together,” Daisy revealed.
Daisy could see Amber’s tongue get tied right in front of her. The gears started spinning in Amber’s mind.
“How did you find that out?” Amber stammered.
“The people in this office aren’t as good at keeping secrets as they think they are,” Daisy replied.
Amber looked out the corner of her eyes at the mousey paralegal Jennifer Webster.
Daisy had Amber on her heels now.
Amber stammered again as she replied. “Ok, so we’re together. What are you getting at?”
“You and Peter sure had a lot to gain from Max’s death,” Daisy pressed.
Amber was seriously reeling now. “So did a lot of people in this office.”
Daisy kept her pedal to the metal. “True, but very few people had as much to lose as you two.”
“I don’t like what you’re getting at, especially since we all know Angela Franklin killed Max.”
“Do we, or is the real killer still out there?”
Daisy stared Amber down.
“I didn’t kill Max, and neither did Peter,” Amber fumed.
Daisy’s gut instinct was silent as ever on this one. While she could tell just from looking into Angela’s eyes that the night maid wasn’t the killer, she couldn’t do the same with Amber.
Daisy didn’t get a definitive feeling either way. Just because Daisy’s gut didn’t tell her Amber was guilty didn’t mean the receptionist was innocent either.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe you just happened to yield the fruits of someone else’s murderous labor,” Daisy said.
Amber narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like where this conversation is going.”
“I don’t like the feeling I have that the real killer is still on the loose,” Daisy pressed on.
Amber tried to fight back. “I’m pretty sure Brooke wouldn’t like hearing that you’re going around accusing random people of her husband’s murder.”
“She probably wouldn’t like to hear that the man she just made partner has been having a secret relationship with the receptionist either.”
Amber shot Daisy a glare.
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me…for now at least,” Daisy said.
If looks could kill, Daisy would be dead right now.
***
Suspicion was high around the office, but evidence was still in short supply. She thought hard for a moment.
Jennifer Webster was mousey and unassuming. She had stayed relatively quiet since Max’s murder, just keeping herself focused on her huge case load of work.
That was mostly because she seemed to have the flimsiest of motives—at least on the outside. A suspect didn’t always need a motive that came with flashing lights and an arrow pointing to their guilt to commit the crime however.
Sometimes murder was the culmination of a slow burn of animosity, boiling over at just the right time. Judging by the conversation Daisy overheard in the restroom the day before, Jennifer sure had plenty of pent up frustration.
She was one woman doing the work of two people for one measly salary. On top of that, the work she did went entirely unappreciated. If someone were following a recipe for a murderous stew, she had a number of the ingredients required.
Daisy caught up with the paralegal at the coffee maker in the break room.
“I didn’t know they let you take breaks,” Daisy joked.
“I know. I’ll bet you’re surprised to not see me chained to my desk for once,” Jennifer replied.
“I am actually. Everyone knows you’re the hardest worker at this office.”
“You have to be when you’re doing the job of two people.”
“At least they must pay you well.”
Jennifer laughed. “You obviously don’t know how things work around here.”
“Did you ever ask Max for a raise?”
Jennifer snickered. “The only person Max ever gave a raise to was himself.”
“From what I can tell, Max sure made a lot of enemies,” Daisy said.
“He sure didn’t make any friends.”
“How about you? Did you ever hate him so much you wished he was dead?”
Jennifer gulped. You could hear a pin drop in the break room.
“I should probably get back to work,” Jennifer insisted.
Daisy wasn’t about to let her off the hook that easily. “I heard you in the restroom yesterday talking about how you used to wish Max was dead.”
Jennifer stopped dead in her tracks. She fumbled with her words. “What are you doing, spying on the whole office?”
“I was just going to the restroom. You have to be careful what you say in a public place. You never know who may be listening.”
Jennifer went on the defensive. “It was a figure of speech. Everyone gets frustrated sometimes and feels the need to vent.”
“I can’t imagine doing your job. Reading through case after case of heinous acts being committed. Having to try and formulate a plan of attack Max could use to get his clients off on their charges. But working for a defense lawyer has its perks. You start to spot trends over time. You begin to see how someone could get away with murder,” Daisy explained.
Jennifer was outraged. “Are you accusing me of killing Max?”
“I’m not accusing you of anything. Still, you know just as well as I do that in a lot of these cases, the killer is the person you might not su
spect.”
“Actually, most of the time in real life, it is the person you most suspect. I’ve found that out from years of working on cases. This isn’t a TV show or movie you know. Besides, you don’t have anything on me.”
“You’re awfully defensive. And don’t pretend like saying you wished Max was dead isn’t a motive,” Daisy said.
“I didn’t do it.”
Jennifer’s eyes told a different story. Her words didn’t ring true. As Daisy stared at Jennifer, she didn’t have conclusive evidence that Jennifer was guilty, but the paralegal had far from an innocent face.
“I didn’t say you did. Then again, I never said you didn’t either,” Daisy replied.
“I have to get back to work,” Jennifer insisted.
“Of course you do,” Daisy said.
“And I have to get a pastry soon,” Daisy thought to herself.
Chapter Sixteen
Once again, the work day was providing more questions than answers. Daisy decided to get back to redecorating while her mind went over the specifics of the case again. That’s when she spotted the bookkeeper Jackson Madsen at his desk.
Jackson kept glancing at the now empty desk his ex-girlfriend Chloe used to occupy. He looked inconsolable. Daisy approached him.
“It’s not the same without Chloe here, is it?” Daisy asked.
“You can say that again,” Jackson sniffled.
“I would, but I try not to repeat myself,” Daisy joked.
“You’d hate being a bookkeeper then.”
“But look, at least Max is gone, right?”
Jackson tightened up. “Are you trying to get me to say something bad about my old boss?”
“No. I’m just saying, it must have really burned you to see your girlfriend fall in love with the same man that worked you to the bone,” Daisy explained.
Jackson was the kind of man that wore his heart on his sleeve. He looked like an emotional powder keg ready to explode. In the ‘take no prisoners’ world of defense law, Jackson was a victim of his own earnest nature.