“Most teenage boys do give their mothers a run for their money,” I said and chuckled. “I hope you didn’t give her too tough of a time.” Jared had said that it wasn’t only Richard that had been difficult for their mother, but Skip as well. Skip appeared to be the quiet one, and I wondered what kind of trouble he had gotten into.
He nodded, grinning sheepishly. “Yeah, for a while there in high school I had a tough time making it to school. They were constantly calling my mom to tell her I was truant, but eventually, I straightened out.”
“You had your own rebellious period?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess you could call it that. I think I was just mad at the world when my dad died. I was different from Richard, though. He got into drugs, and for a while, I just refused to do what I was told to do.”
“Thank goodness you never dabbled in drugs,” I said, watching his reaction.
He looked at me and shrugged. “To be honest, I tried them a couple of times. But it just wasn’t my thing. I couldn’t understand anybody wanting to take something that messed with your mind and your emotions. I just wasn’t that kind of person.”
I nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve never been that kind of person either. It’s a shame that some people do get stuck in them, though.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Richard never got completely free. But you know, I’ve been thinking about things, and it surprises me that he died from a drug overdose, even if it was a weird prescription drug overdose.”
I looked at him. “Why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “When he got fired from his job last year, he swore that he was going to change. He promised Della that he would never do drugs again and that he would be on his best behavior, so she gave him another chance. I didn’t believe he could change, but he did okay for a long time. He was starting to exercise and eat better and take care of himself.”
“Really?” I asked. “He was serious about turning his life around? I don’t mean to gossip, but I heard he was out drinking the night before he died.”
He looked puzzled now. “That’s surprising because he was trying to clean up his life. He even he got me hooked on those protein shakes from that new vitamin shop that opened up a few months back.”
“The new vitamin shop?” I asked. I had heard there was a new vitamin shop in town, but I had never been in there.
He nodded. “Yeah, you can go in there and buy a protein shake or fruit smoothie, and they’ll add shots of vitamins or supplements or whatever it is that you’re looking for. They taste pretty good. It kind of surprises me. When Richard started talking about them, I thought for sure they would be awful. But they make the protein shakes taste like a regular shake.”
My brow furrowed. “Really? They taste like an actual shake? Like the ones you get at a fast-food place?”
He smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t say they taste exactly like an ice cream shake, but they’re not bad. They’ve got smoothies, protein shakes, and all kinds of health drinks there. You should stop by. Everything I’ve tried has been pretty tasty.”
“I need to stop in there then,” I said. “It’s probably better for me to go there for something to drink rather than the coffee shop after a run.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, you probably consume a lot of sugar and caffeine from a drink at the coffee shop. I’m not that big on exercise, and I guess I’m not much of a health nut, but he kept bragging on them and telling me to go and try them out, so I did. I think someone at work told him about them.” He shrugged. “If it’s good for you and it tastes good, I don’t mind it. As long as it doesn’t have a terrible aftertaste.”
“It sounds interesting,” I said. “So you don’t think he would have been out drinking the night before he died?”
“It would surprise me if he was.”
I nodded. “Maybe they were mistaken, then.”
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes on the fountains in front of us, then he turned to me. “So Alec really thinks Richard was murdered?”
I nodded. “From everything that we know, he believes that it’s murder. Why?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. He was getting his life back on track. Why would someone kill him? He was trying to stay away from all the people he knew when he was doing drugs. But at the same time, I can’t imagine why he would take a drug that he didn’t know anything about. If he was keeping himself clean, and I really believe he was, why would he even mess around with it?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never been on drugs, so I don’t understand what somebody might be going through that has gotten off of them. How long do they have cravings? Are they still as susceptible to being tempted by them months or years later? Those are things that I can’t answer.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I can’t answer those questions either. Who knows what happened? I just hope Alec can find his killer soon, and we can put this behind us.”
I gazed at Skip. Jared said that he was someone that had his own issues, but I couldn’t see him murdering his brother. I felt like he was genuinely grieving him.
“I know Alec is going to find his killer soon. You don’t have to worry about that.” I hoped that what I was saying would give him confidence in Alec and maybe alleviate some of his grieving. It wouldn’t do a lot, but at least knowing that whoever had killed his brother was going to be behind bars soon had to help a little.
He looked at me steadily. “You don’t know how much I appreciate that, and I know my mom is going to rest better once his killer is put behind bars. That’s the main thing. I just want my mom to get some closure on this and maybe be able to heal from this loss. Nothing can replace Richard, even though he was the biggest troublemaker in the world, but neither of us would have wanted him out of our lives.”
“I understand completely.”
He nodded. “I suppose I should get back to work.”
“I’ve got to get going, too. I’ll come back in another week or two and see what else you’ve gotten in. I’m getting excited thinking about planting my garden. I just wish the weather would warm up enough so I could start planting.”
“You probably need to start some seedlings inside the house. That way they’ll be ready to go once the ground does warm up.”
“You’re probably right. I think I’m going to stop and look at your starter kits and see what I can find.”
He nodded. “Okay, Allie. Let me know if you need any help.”
“I sure will. It’s good talking to you, Skip.”
I headed over to the area where the packets of seeds were displayed on a rack. There were some mini greenhouse kits that you could use to start seeds inside the house, and I decided to see if I could find something to bring home with me and get my flower seeds started.
Chapter Twenty
“What are we doing here?” Lucy asked, turning to me. I had just pulled up in front of the catering company and parked my car.
I turned to her. “It really bothers me that we saw Della and Jared at the Cup and Bean. Don’t you think it was suspicious?”
She nodded. “I sure do. It’s just weird. She has to know that Jared was doing drugs and supplying them to Richard. And now she’s hunkered down at a table with him? And she might even be considering hiring him? Even if she wasn’t considering hiring him, it’s just weird that she was with him like that.”
I nodded. “I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. Let’s go inside and see what she thinks about having me make desserts for her. And maybe we’ll find out what’s going on with Jared.”
“That’s a good idea,” she said. We got out of my car and headed inside.
“Good morning, Della,” I said as we headed up to the front counter. She was sitting at the desk, a pile of paperwork in front of her. She looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Allie. Good morning, Lucy. How are you ladies this morning?”
I nodded. “We’re doing well. I just can’t get over how bright the sunshine is today.”
“Oh, isn’t it wonderful
? I swear that spring is going to be here any day now.” She chuckled and came up to the front counter. “What can I help you ladies with?”
I shrugged and put both hands on the front counter, glancing over at her desk. And that’s when I saw it. One of those cups of protein shake from the new vitamin shop, I looked at her and smiled. “I was just wondering if you had any more thoughts about me making some desserts for you?”
“Allie, I would love to have you make some of our desserts. In fact, in three weeks I’ve got a wedding that I’m catering, and I wondered if you could make some petits fours? The bride wants a dessert table along with her wedding cake, and I told her we would make several items. She’s coming in for a tasting next week to firm things up. I would love her to try some of your desserts, and I’m in the middle of making up a list of things you can provide for us.”
“That sounds great,” I said, my eyes going to the cup on the desk again. “Oh, wait a minute. Alec has been working on Richard’s murder case, and we still haven’t been able to take a honeymoon yet. It’s up in the air as far as when we’re going to be able to leave, but it should be in the next week or so. We’ll be gone for two weeks when we go.”
“Oh, that’s probably going to make things tricky for us then,” she said, sounding disappointed. “Maybe we should skip this one and have you make something for another event?”
I nodded. “It’s probably best. I’d hate to make a promise that I can’t fulfill.”
“That’s what we’ll do then. We’ll wait for another catering event to have you help us out.”
“So Della, have you hired anybody to replace Richard? Or for the other position?” Lucy asked, leaning on the counter.
She shook her head. “Not yet. I’ve interviewed a few people, and I’ve got some great candidates. I just haven’t been able to make up my mind. But I had better get on with it, or we’re going to be in big trouble. Lisa and Jodi are doing most of the work at this point, and I might have a mutiny on my hands if I don’t hire someone.” She chuckled. “It’s a good thing I have those girls working for me. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
“It’s nice when you’ve got good employees that you can count on,” I said and glanced at the cup again. “Della, can I ask you a question?”
She nodded. “Sure. What is it?”
“It’s about Richard. I heard that he had gotten back into drugs again. You told me that he wasn’t selling drugs here at work. Is that true?” I watched her reaction to this question. I was convinced she had lied.
She frowned and sighed. “Richard had a tough life. I suspected he was selling drugs while here at work, and I let him go. But his mother asked me to give him a second chance, and he swore it would never happen again. He really was trying to get his life back on track, and I took a chance. Maybe some might have said it was a stupid thing to do, but I’m convinced he was clean those last months of this life. It’s a shame he died without being able to prove he could get clean and stay that way for the rest of his life. I didn’t want anyone to know that I knew about him selling drugs because people talk. So yes, I lied.”
I nodded. I believed her. There was nothing about her demeanor that said she was trying to hide something more. “I agree. It’s a shame. That was kind of you to go out on a limb and rehire him.”
She pursed her lips, then nodded. “My other employees weren’t happy about it, but I let them know it was none of their business how I ran my business.”
My eyes went to the cup on her desk. “What is that on your desk?” I asked, pointing to the cup.
She glanced over her shoulder and turned back to me. “That? That is the tastiest protein shake I have ever had in my entire life. That new vitamin shop over on Main Street opened up a few months ago, and I am hooked on them. They’re good for you, so how can you go wrong?”
“A protein shake?” Lucy asked, eyeing the cup. There was a dab of whipped cream on the top, and she was probably having as much trouble as I was believing that it could be good for you. “You got it at the new vitamin shop, you say?”
She nodded. “Yes. You can buy protein shakes, smoothies, freshly squeezed juice, tea, and kombucha among other things. Honestly, they have the best protein shakes. You would think that they wouldn’t be very tasty because they’re so good for you, but they’re pretty darn good.”
“A protein shake,” Lucy said, her eyes on the cup again. She didn’t sound convinced, and I wasn’t sure that I was convinced either. “We’ll have to stop in there after one of our runs, Allie.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I said. “Do you stop by often, Della?”
She nodded. “Probably two or three times a week. They’re kind of pricey, but like I said, they’re addicting, and since it’s good for me, it’s not like I’m doing something wrong, right?” She chuckled again.
“Now that you mention it, it seems like Richard had one of those when he was at my reception.” I looked at Della, trying to read her reaction to this. A protein shake would be a good way to mask the taste of a drug, wouldn’t it?
“I think you’re right,” Lucy said, looking at me. “He did have one of those.” She turned to look at Della.
Della nodded. “Yes, he was hooked on them. Jodi and Lisa love them, too. Richard used to bring one in every morning.”
We looked up as Jodi walked out of the kitchen. She had one of those cups in her hand, and she hesitated when she saw us. She smiled. “Good morning, Lucy. Allie. How are you ladies today?”
“We’re doing great,” I said. “We were just talking about the protein shake on Della’s desk. I see you’ve got one too.”
She nodded and headed up to the front counter. “Yes, I am addicted to these things. I have them add a shot or two of B vitamins or wheatgrass juice when I get them. It’s an easy way to get your vitamins and protein in for the day.”
“Wheatgrass juice?” Lucy asked, making a face.
She nodded and chuckled. “I know, it doesn’t sound very tasty, but it’s good for you. It boosts your immunity and raises your metabolism, and who doesn’t want their metabolism raised?”
I was skeptical. I was also suspicious now. “How does it taste? Aren’t the vitamins and wheatgrass juice overpowering?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I don’t know what they do to these protein shakes, but I swear you can mix anything into them, and you won’t taste a thing. And as a bonus, they’re sugar-free.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You can mix anything into them, and you won’t be able to taste it?” And then I knew how Richard had died.
She nodded, smiling, and then she stopped, realizing what she had just said. “Well, I mean within reason. I can still taste the B vitamins just a bit. B vitamins have a strong taste. And maybe even the wheatgrass juice. But they are pretty amazing.” She glanced at Della, who was watching us.
“So, anything? They’ll mix in anything for you?” I asked.
She nodded slowly. “Yes, anything within reason. I mean, anything that they have there in their shop, of course.” She smiled again, but it looked strained. Lisa’s eyes were on her, and she was frowning.
I studied her. Was that sweat that had just broken out on her brow? “I suppose you could even mix sulfonylurea into it?”
She shook her head slowly. “What do you mean? Why would you do that?”
“Because somebody did it to Richard,” I said, leaning forward. “And I have a hunch that it might have been you.” It all made sense now. Jodi had been trying to be sweet and innocent, but it was she who killed him. She mixed the medication into the protein shake, and with B vitamins and wheatgrass juice in it, he couldn’t tell the medication was in there.
She shook her head and glanced at Della. Then she snorted and turned back to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you?” I asked. “You were the one who got everybody hooked on the shakes. Even Richard was hooked on them. He told his brother all about them, and he said t
hat someone here got him hooked on them. You put that medication in it, didn’t you? Why did you kill him?”
She shook her head and chuckled, but it sounded flat. “Allie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s a crazy thing to say. You shouldn’t say things like that when you know it isn’t true.”
“I don’t think it’s a crazy thing to say,” Lucy said. “I think that you killed Richard, and we want to know why.”
Jodi narrowed her eyes at me, ignoring Lucy. “You’re off your rocker. Richard got us all hooked on these shakes. Isn’t that right, Della?”
Della looked confused about what was happening, but she nodded. “Yes, it was Richard who discovered them. He bought one every morning, like I told you. None of us had ever tried one until he bought one for each of us and got us hooked on them.”
This surprised me and took the wind out of my sails. But just because Richard had gotten everyone else hooked on the protein shakes didn’t mean that Jodi didn’t use one to kill him. “But you still killed him.”
She snorted. “Allie, I don’t know why you would say that. After Della fired Richard, I asked her to rehire him. Sure, he wasn’t the best employee, and I knew what he was up to, but it was too much work without him.”
I looked at Della. “I thought his mother asked you to rehire him?”
She nodded. “She did. But Jodi did tell me that I needed to hire him back. I hadn’t talked to her or the other girls about why I had fired Richard, so I wasn’t even sure if they knew why I had done it. Richard swore he was done with the drugs, so I gave him another chance. In the end, it was easier to rehire him than to train someone new.”
My stomach dropped. Lucy was quiet. “But you still killed him.”
Jodi shook her head and glanced at the clock on the wall. “Well, I’d love to stand here and chat with you ladies, but I have a dentist appointment.” She turned to Della. “I told you I was leaving early today, Della. I’ll see you and Lisa tomorrow.” She turned to me. “I don’t appreciate being accused of murder. I think I’ll talk to the police about it. Someone that accuses innocent people of murder might have something to hide.”
Wedding Bell Blunders: A Freshly Baked Cozy Mystery Page 11