A Candidate For Murder (Old Maids of Mercer Island Mysteries Book 2)

by Lynn Bohart

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  Dana and I drove back to the island in silence. I was thinking about David and the fact that he hadn’t come to Renton. I felt my relationship with him was falling apart, and it made me sad.

  Doe split off to take Blair and Rudy home, while Dana and I continued toward the Inn. Dana finally spoke up as we pulled onto N. Mercer Way to bypass downtown.

  “You think I’m a horrible person, don’t you?”

  I glanced her way. “You do seem to relish taking advantage of other people,” I replied. “Why is that?”

  She seemed to think a minute, as if deciding how much to say. “Because I’m just like my mother,” she said. “She was someone who just never seemed to get enough. She left my father because he couldn’t give her everything she wanted. So we moved from place to place, living off one man or another until she’d gotten tired of them, too.” She paused and watched the trees flash by on her side of the car.

  “So she was a con artist,” I said.

  She shot me a demoralized glance. “Not really a con artist. She just used people. She grew up in the Depression and had nothing, so she resented anyone who had more than she did and was always on the hunt to take it away from them.”

  We were getting close to the Roanoke Inn and a couple miles from home.

  “In fact, when I was thirteen,” Dana said. “We were living with her most recent boyfriend, and…”

  There was a loud pop from somewhere off to our right and the rear window cracked. We both screamed. I swerved, nearly hitting an oncoming car. At the last moment, I yanked the wheel to the right. My Pathfinder swiped past the oncoming car with only inches to spare, and then I cranked the wheel to the left to avoid a mailbox. The Pathfinder bounced to a stop, crosswise in the middle of the road.

  Dana was still screaming. I had trouble catching my breath and threw my right arm out and smacked her in the chest. “Stop it! We’re okay.”

  She sucked it up and went silent, while I took a deep breath and glanced out my window. The car I’d almost hit had stopped fifty feet behind us. Both doors opened and a man and a woman got out and ran up to us. I opened my door.

  “Are you okay?” the man asked.

  “Yes,” I forced myself to say, taking another deep breath. “What happened?”

  He glanced at the back window and then grabbed his companion and pulled her in close. “I think someone shot at you.”

  I stared at a big hole in my back window. All three of us instinctively huddled behind the car, while he reached for his cell phone. I told Dana to duck down, just in case.

  I peered through the car windows at the dense foliage on the opposite side of the road, searching for someone with a gun. But on this part of the island, roads ran off in all directions and homes were hidden by an abundance of trees and bushes. Whoever had shot at us was probably long gone.

  A few minutes later, we were explaining the situation to a patrol officer. We were taken to the Mercer Island Police Station, while other officers stayed with the car and blocked off the road. Eventually, David showed up.

  “Julia, are you all right?” he asked, coming over and putting his hands on my shoulders.

  Suddenly he was all compassion and concern. Inside, I glowed.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Neither one of us was hurt.” He reached out and touched my bruised cheek. “No. That was from the brawl over in Renton,” I said, flinching.

  We gave him all the details we could remember, but there wasn’t much to tell. David took notes. “Okay, I’ll have an officer take you home, while we process the crime scene. We need to keep your car for now.”

  “I don’t want to go home!” Dana blurted.

  We turned to her. Dana’s normally haughty demeanor had evaporated and been replaced by real fear. The last few days had finally taken its toll. I realized she had circles under her eyes, and she was visibly shaking.

  “We’ll put a car out front,” David said. “You’ll be fine.”

  “No!” she demanded. “Clay left for Bellingham this morning. I can’t stay alone.”

  Her voice vibrated with emotion, and suddenly I heard myself saying something I thought I’d never have to say. “She can stay at the Inn.” David looked at me in surprise, but I just shrugged my shoulders. “It’s okay,” I said. “We had a cancellation this morning, so there’s an extra room. But I’d appreciate that car out front. Just not too noticeable, if you know what I mean.”

  David nodded and stood up. “Okay. Get your stuff. I’ll have an officer drive you home in an unmarked car and then stay close by.”

  He disappeared into the hallway. A few minutes later, he was back.

  “Officer Capshaw will meet you in the lobby,” he said. “C’mon, let’s go.”

  As we moved down the hallway to the entrance, David reached out and let his fingers briefly grab my hand. My heart almost exploded.

  “Are you really okay, Julia? I heard about what happened in Renton.”

  Our fingers touched for only a moment and then we both self-consciously retreated.

  “I’m fine. Just a little shaken.” I glanced up at him. “How come you didn’t come over there with Detective Abrams?”

  He pressed his luscious lips together in a grimace. “Because we have other open cases we’re working. And Sean has already suggested once that he might take me off this case.”

  My eyes popped open in surprise. “Why would he do that?”

  David stopped with a hand on my arm. We allowed Dana to shuffle her way into the lobby.

  “Because he’s very aware that you and I are…well, dating.”

  I tossed my head. “I think you can hardly call it dating. We’ve only been out together once, and that was interrupted by this murder investigation.”

  The hurt look on his face made me immediately regret my remark. “Regardless, we have a personal relationship,” he said crisply. “And it can prove awkward. As it is right now.”

  He started to move away, but I grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry, David. I want nothing more than to resume our…relationship. I just have to get Dana…” I said, glancing at her sulking in the lobby, “out of my life.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Officer Capshaw took us first to Dana’s house to get her overnight things. We went inside with him and remained in the foyer, while he checked the house to make sure it was safe.

  Dana stood quietly by my side, almost sullen. I glanced sideways at her. Her left eye was slightly swollen where Sonja had connected with the initial punch, and her face was smudged with dark splotches of dirt and barbeque sauce. Those naturally rounded shoulders I often made fun of were hunched with tension as she clasped her arms close to her chest. She was a wreck.

  Once Officer Capshaw was satisfied the house was vacant, Dana went to her room to fill an overnight bag. We then went to the Inn.

  It was dark by the time we arrived. I’d called April, and she offered to make dinner. I was too exhausted to argue. We left Officer Capshaw in the unmarked car out front and dragged ourselves into the entryway. I went to the reception desk to get the key for Dana’s room, but a commotion in the breakfast room made me look over that way.

  The Kohls were back from their trip to Bainbridge Island and were huddled around Ahab’s empty cage. Sherrie and Barry, the twins, were laughing and pointing inside, which immediately raised my antenna. I pictured them somehow defaming Ahab’s cage or in some other way misbehaving and I snapped.

  “Excuse me,” I shouted, leaving the front desk to march in their direction.

  And then I heard the voice I’d been longing to hear.

  “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too. Squawk!”

  I nearly ran the rest of the way to the cage, scattering the children.

  “Sorry,” Sherrie said nervously as she stepped to the side. “He was outside the window, so we opened the door, and he flew right in.”

  “It’s okay,” I said to them. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. Hello, little boy,” I said, p
oking my fingers through the cage.

  Ahab bounced over and rubbed his beak against my finger. “Happy to see you. Happy to see you. Going my way?” he squawked.

  April came through the swinging door of the kitchen, a small towel between her hands.

  “Well, what do we have here?” she said with a broad smile.

  She came up to the cage and stuck her finger through, too. Ahab bounced over and touched his beak to her.

  “Polly want a cracker,” he said.

  Everyone laughed.

  “And you deserve one, too,” I said.

  We filled his water bowl and his little food dish. He immediately went to work, pecking away. I got out my phone and texted Jose´, who was just getting ready to leave. He hurried over.

  I said, “Jose´ can you find a padlock somewhere? And then I want this cage bolted to the floor tonight. I’ll pay the overtime.”

  He grinned. “No problem. Right away.”

  I looked up at April, tears in my eyes. “I’m so glad.”

  “I know,” she said, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder. Her features suddenly compressed into distaste, and she withdrew her hand, rubbing her fingers together. “What’s all over your coat?” Then she got a good look at me. “And in your hair?”

  My hand reached up automatically to where a glob of sauce had stuck a fingers-width of hair together. “Famous barbeque,” I said with a fake smile, trying to rub the sauce off my fingers. “I don’t think I’ll eat barbeque ever again.”

  Dana had remained by the reception desk through all of this, so I helped get her settled into an empty guest room upstairs and then went to my apartment to clean up. An hour later, we joined April in the guest house, where she grilled more than the panini sandwiches she served us. She wanted a moment by moment account of what had happened that afternoon. I did most of the talking, while Dana stared at her plate.

  We left the guest house around 7:30 to cross the drive back to the Inn. I noticed Angela’s car out front. “Uh, oh. Prepare yourself,” I said to my companion.

  “Why?” she said, pulling back a little.

  “My daughter is here again. Which means her dog might be, too.”

  Dana stopped in her tracks, her mouth pulled into a grimace.

  “What is with you and dogs?” I asked, stopping with her. “Did one attack you as a child or something?”

  Her eyes had come alive again, and I thought for a moment she might pass out. “They lick,” she said with disgust.

  “Yes? So?”

  “And they smell things. I…I can’t stand the thought of where their noses have been.”

  “You mean you’re so pristine that you can’t be around a filthy, smelly dog?”

  She straightened up. “Well, they do…you know…um…lick themselves.”

  Her lips pinched together and her nose twitched as if she had just smelled cow dung. I whirled away from her in newfound disgust.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Didn’t you ever hear that dogs’ mouths are cleaner than humans?” I continued toward the front door, leaving her behind. She hurried to catch up.

  “That’s not true,” she said. “I don’t believe it.”

  I turned to her. “Yes, it is. Any doctor will tell you that a human bite is far more dangerous because of infection than a dog bite. So frankly, I’d rather share my table with either one of my dogs than you.” We entered through the front door and stopped in front of the reception desk.

  “So, to be clear,” I continued. “We’ll make sure to keep all the dogs in my apartment while you’re here. But you should know that Angela’s dog, Lucy, actually saved my life during the last investigation, and Mickey and Minnie rescued me the night Ahab was stolen. It’s uncanny how a dog knows the difference between a friend and foe. I’m not sure that any one of them would extend the same favor to you. I rather think they wouldn’t. Regardless, I’ll keep them locked up so you won’t be offended by their presence. Good night. And don’t call me unless your life is in danger…again!”

  She started to say something, but I turned my back on her and strode down the hall.

  Angela was sitting comfortably on the sofa with her laptop out and the fireplace going. Lucy, the Great Dane, was stretched out in front of the fireplace soaking up all the heat, with Mickey and Minnie tucked in between her big paws. The moment I came in, my dogs jumped up and ran over, bouncing around my feet. Lucy lifted her head and looked at me over her shoulder before lying back down.

  “Hey, there,” Angela said.

  I made an immediate turn into my kitchen, willing myself to calm down. It was odd, that after all Dana had confessed, I was most offended by her aversion toward my dogs. Clearly, the stress had caught up to me, too.

  “I heard about what happened this afternoon,” Angela said, putting her laptop down and following me to the other side of the counter. “So I decided to come hang out with you for a couple of days.” She watched me grab a glass and pour myself some wine. “You okay?”

  I took a swig and swallowed before replying. “Sorry,” I said. “I’m fine. Just incredibly irritated at Dana right now. I can’t stand that woman.”

  She laughed. “Did you just realize that?”

  “No,” I said, taking a second gulp. “But believe it or not, we’ll have to keep the dogs in the apartment while she’s here because she has an intense aversion to them.”

  Angela rolled her eyes. “I can handle that.”

  I grimaced at her over the counter. “So, I take it you’re here to protect me?”

  “Something like that. I came armed.”

  “With Lucy? Or a real weapon?”

  “I came armed,” she repeated, locking her gaze on mine.

  “Angela, I don’t feel comfortable with weapons in the house. Real weapons, I mean.”

  “Well, you’d better get used to it. You are dating a policeman, you know.” She smiled ruefully. “Can I have hot chocolate?”

  I paused, knowing this was a battle I would lose.

  “Marshmallows?”

  “Of course.” She pulled a stool out and climbed onto it. “So tell me about it.”

  “You already know,” I said, filling a mug with some 2% milk and placing it into the microwave. “We got shot at on the way home.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Why are you helping Dana? You lied to me the other day.”

  I pulled out a package of hot chocolate and a bag of marshmallows. “No, I didn’t. She really did walk into the kitchen accusing me of trying to kill her.”

  “But…?”

  I dropped my hands to the counter and sighed. “But she also asked me…no, let me rephrase that. She demanded that I help her.”

  “But why would you agree, Mom? Not only do you hate her, it’s putting you right in the line of fire again.”

  I explained the deal I’d made with Dana about dropping out of the campaign for mayor.

  “So this was an easy out,” I said, ripping open the bag of hot chocolate. “Of course, my solution was to get Tony Morales to run instead, but…”

  Her eyes opened wide. “But he was arrested.”

  “Right.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, he clearly wasn’t the one who took a shot at you this afternoon, so they’ve let him go.”

  “Thank God,” I said with a sigh.

  “He’s not out of the woods yet. He could be an accessory. But he’s a lot lower on their list of suspects.”

  “What about the weapon they found in his garage?”

  “I guess he leaves the side door to his garage unlocked. Someone could have easily planted the hammer. Besides, the hammer that was used to kill Trudy was what they call a planishing hammer. It’s used for metal working. Tony was a construction worker, but he didn’t do any metal work and said he didn’t own one. So they’re checking local hardware stores to see if they can ID someone who might have bought it recently.”

  The microwave beeped, and I quickly made Angela’s hot chocolate, adding
some extra chocolate syrup and the marshmallows. Then we retired to the living room.

  “Angela,” I said, once I’d settled into my wingback chair with a small Doxie tucked in at each side. “What do you know about the statute of limitations for child abuse?”

  She stopped halfway to a sip of hot chocolate. “Oh, the pictures, right?”

  Angela was an assistant prosecuting attorney. Since she was dating Detective Abrams, their pillow talk was as good as a direct phone call.

  “Yeah. I was just wondering if Dana is in any real trouble.”

  She put her mug onto a coaster and sat back. “Do you know, yet, why Dana had the photos?”

  “No. We confronted her, but she wouldn’t say much, other than she had nothing to do with the abuse.”

  Angela’s eyebrows clenched. “And just how did you come into possession of them?”

  I squared my shoulders. “I’d rather not say.”

  “Mom,” she said. How many times had I heard that tone of voice? “You didn’t break any laws, did you?”

  “Certainly not,” I replied, hoping against hope that I hadn’t just lied.

  “Well, for most crimes, the statute of limitations is only three years. Of course, murder is the exception. There is no statute of limitations on that.”

  “What if Dana knew about it? Would that make her an accessory to the crime?”

  “Depends on what she knew.”

  “Well, she had the pictures, so she must have known something.”

  “Not necessarily. She might have found the pictures after her husband disappeared. Did the pictures show actual abuse?”

  I shook my head. “No. They were just pictures of nude boys.”

  “Well, being in possession of pornographic pictures is much different than actual abuse. You’d have to prove they were being used for someone’s sexual pleasure. So Dana was throwing these photos away because she was afraid she’d be culpable?”

  “I think so. Or she just didn’t want to ruin her reputation. She seems overly concerned with that. The answer to who’s trying to kill her could be in those photos, but she’s not giving up all the information.”