Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests (A Scarlet Wilson Mystery #3)

by Barton, Sara M.

  One minute, her computer screen showed the scene in the living room as Max, Larry, and Del awaited my return. The next, it went black.

  “What the hell?” I heard Del utter. “Why did the lights go out?”

  “I think we lost power. It must be the storm,” Larry replied calmly, just before chaos erupted and the living room became an unexpected war zone.

  Pop! Pop-pop! Pop-pop-pop! Pop! Like fireworks on the Fourth of July, the stun grenades went off, one right after the other, in a deafening cacophony. When the lights came on, there was a camouflage-clad scrum on top of Del, who was now hog-tied and screaming like a stuck pig in plastic cable cuffs. It was over in less than thirty seconds, a stunning display of law enforcement finesse.

  “We’re done,” announced the woman into her microphone. “Suspect is in custody.”

  “That’s it?” Lacey wanted to know. “It’s all over?”

  “Is everyone okay?” Laurel leaned forward, craning her neck to see the screen.

  “No casualties.”

  We all crowded around the screen, clamoring for a peek at the aftermath.

  “Look at Max,” I said, pointing to the man in the wheelchair. “He knew they were coming, so he dropped onto the floor. And there’s Larry in the corner. She made sure to get away from Del.”

  “Who do you think the guy is?” my mother asked. “And why did he go after Larry?”

  “That’s the question of the night, ladies. Hopefully, we’ll have an answer before too long,” the trooper announced.

  Chapter Twelve --

  Fifteen minutes later, she drove us back to the house. One of the troopers retrieved Laurel’s wheelchair from the living room and we got her into it, rolled it up the icy ramp, and through the back door, into the warmth of the inn.

  “We’re almost done in here,” said the commander of the squad, meeting us in the hallway. “If you could just wait in the dining room, we’ll be with you shortly.”

  Kenny sauntered in while I was in the butler’s pantry, putting on a pot of coffee. “That poor chicken of yours must be pretty tough by now. Pizza run?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I’m starving. I need something sweet.” He put his arms around me and gave me a proper kiss. When we finally came up for air, he grinned. “You were awesome tonight, Miz Scarlet.”

  “Was I?”

  “Very impressive.” He kissed me again.

  “Does that mean you couldn’t hear my knees knocking, Captain Peacock?”

  “Is that what that horrible noise was?”

  “It was. We should run those poor dogs outside and feed them their dinner. I’m sure they’re starving.”

  “Actually, I gave the package of dog treats to one of the troopers, and he kept them busy so they didn’t yap.”

  “Clever,” I laughed. I kissed him this time, to show my appreciation for his public safety skills.

  Having been cooped up on the sun porch all this time, watching strangers come in and out of the inn, the three dogs were thrilled to see us. Putting on their harnesses and leashes, we stepped outside. The snow had picked up over the last hour as the temperature had plummeted. Was that better or worse for Bur and the gang out on the road?

  “There you are!” said an angry voice. It was Larry. “You’ve got one hell of a nerve, Scarlet Wilson!”

  She came at me like a maniac, fire in her eyes and arms flailing. I took two steps back as Kenny moved to block the furious homicide investigator from reaching me.

  “What did I do?” I was baffled.

  “What did you do? What did you do?” Larry’s voice rose up an octave or two. “How dare you put my daughter and my father at risk that way!”

  “Me? But it was Bur....”

  “Don’t you dare blame your brother for this mess! You’re the one who invited Del into the Four Acorns Inn! The man is a convicted killer and you let him near my family!”

  “But....”

  “Where the hell are they? I can’t find them anywhere! What did you do with them? I want answers, and I want them now!”

  “They’re not back yet,” I tried to tell her. She was too busy bellowing in my face to hear me. “Don’t you realize that when you offered that creep...what do you mean they’re not back yet? Back from where?”

  “I think you’re going to need a drink for this,” I told her. “Come on. I’m freezing.”

  “Back from where?” she yelled again, even as I opened the door to the sun porch and let the dogs scoot inside. “Don’t worry. Last I heard from them, they were fine.”

  After Kenny put in an order for two large specials at Nick’s Pizzeria, we rejoined the Googins girls and their companion in the dining room. Laurel and Lacey were peppering Max with questions. I interrupted with an offer of cocktails.

  “I’m making Larry a very stiff gin and tonic. Would anyone else like one?” With the drink orders in hand, I went into the butler’s pantry to mix them. Thank heavens for the mirrored backsplash. I had installed it to help me keep up with the needs of the Four Acorns Inn guests during meals. It served me well now, enabling me to keep an eye on the action through the open door behind me.

  Max made his former partner sit down beside him, ever the solicitous gentleman, albeit with his heart plastered on his sleeve. His gaze never left Larry’s exhausted face as they talked. With my drink tray in hand, I returned to the dining room and put an icy gin-laced tumbler before Larry. She seemed reluctant to pick it up. I gave one to each of the Googins girls, and set a short glass with bourbon neat down in front of Max.

  “I’m going for the pizzas,” Kenny announced, kissing the top of my head. “Don’t talk about the good stuff until I get back.”

  “That might be tough,” Max told him. “It’s all good.”

  “Don’t you dare take one more step, Captain Peacock!” At the sound of his nickname, Kenny stopped in his tracks. “No one goes anywhere until I get some answers! Where is my kid?”

  “I can’t help you with that. I came late to the party. I’m only here because my house closing got postponed until Monday,” he explained. “I’ll be back.”

  He scooted out of the dining room, as the rest of us sat, dreading the next few minutes. Larry’s eyes moved from face to face, studying each of us in turn.

  “Look at her,” Max said to the Googins girls and me. “She’s trying to figure out which one of you is going to break first and give up your partners in crime.”

  “Oh, you’re a big help,” I replied nervously. “Since you’re so brave, why don’t you tell her?”

  “Hey, I wasn’t here either. I’m not taking the fall on this.”

  “We really didn’t have anything to do with it,” Lacey insisted. “Besides, it’s not like Scarlet or Bur would have listened to us anyway.”

  “I told Bur not to go.” My mother shook her head. “It was too great a risk, given the weather. But he went anyway, and he took Michaela with him.”

  “Took her where?” Larry demanded. I could tell she was getting ready to slap the dining room table. It was one of her signature moves when she was interrogating suspects. Her hand hovered above the shiny surface of the antique mahogany, poised to strike. She knew my weakness for family heirlooms passed down through the generations. Larry meant business and to prove it, she raised her palm a few more inches into the air menacingly.

  “I’ll tell you what happened,” I promised. “Just don’t hit that table.”

  “Spill the beans, Miz Scarlet,” she instructed me, as she leaned toward me, her expression fierce and determined. “And you’d better not lie to me!”

  “Your father called to say that he missed his connecting flight from Newark to Hartford. He couldn’t get a ride, because it’s the last weekend before Christmas. Every bus, train, and limo was booked.”

  “So?”

  “So, Bur drove to Newark to pick him up. He took Mickey with him.”

  “She’s in Newark?” Larry looked shocked.

  “Um, not exact
ly.” I took a long sip of my gin and tonic, savoring it.

  “She was in Newark,” my mother announced. “And they did pick up Big Larry.”

  “Where are they now?” The seasoned investigator’s eyes narrowed as she gazed upon us with suspicion. “What happened to them?”

  “Well, it’s kind of a funny story, actually....”

  “Miz Scarlet! Stop your stalling right this minute and tell me where my kid and my pop are!”

  “You didn’t get any of your mother’s texts, dear?” Laurel broke in. “She tried to reach you several times. Scarlet only did what she did because she was trying to help, especially when your mother called the inn, needing to be rescued.”

  “What in God’s name happened to my mother?”

  “It’s more like what happened to everyone else,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Excuse me?” she snarled. By this time, Max was snorting. Larry turned on him. “What’s so damn funny?”

  “Your mother was afraid she wouldn’t be able to fly tomorrow if the storm got worse, so she changed her ticket and flew up early. Surprise! Her plane landed this afternoon,” he told her.

  “Say what?”

  “I had to send Bur to get her,” I admitted. “It was the right thing to do, under the circumstances. Again, no shuttle service because of the holiday....”

  “Bur took everyone to pick her up at the airport?” Larry seemed confused. “Is he insane?”

  “Kind of,” Lacey nodded.

  “I’m starting to think my son’s certifiable,” Laurel confided.

  “Okay, so he picked up my father and then stopped to get my mother. Why aren’t they back yet from Bradley International? It’s a twenty-minute drive.”

  “Your mother couldn’t get a flight to Hartford, so she flew into JFK.”

  “She did what?” Larry was stunned.

  “I think she panicked, dear, when she thought your father might have all the fun here at the Four Acorns Inn and she’d be stuck in Atlanta.” Lacey raised her glass in a toast. “Your mother is apparently a very stubborn woman, who wants what she wants, come hell or high water.”

  “Or blizzard,” Laurel added.

  “Oh, brother! If that doesn’t just take the cake....” Larry shook her head, put her hands over her face, and slumped over on the table. A moment later, her shoulders shook. We could hear a muffled sound emanate from beneath her crumpled form.

  “Is she okay?” Laurel was clearly worried.

  “It’s probably just the shock talking,” Max decided. “This has been a very traumatic day for her.”

  A long, high-pitched howl suddenly cut through our conversation, scattering the startled dogs. Larry suddenly sat up, tears streaming down her face. She was laughing.

  “My mother saved everyone from being killed by being her usual stubborn self?” asked the baffled state trooper.

  “Well, I guess she kind of did,” I acknowledged. “Otherwise, your daughter and your dad would have been here when you and Del arrived, and Bur would have probably tried to play hero. It would have been a disaster.”

  “Thank God for Max!” my mother declared. “He was brilliant!”

  “He was, wasn’t he?” Lacey concurred. The retired homicide investigator tried to play down his role in the drama, despite the accolades that were being heaped upon him.

  “Ladies, please,” Max sighed. “I didn’t do anything. It was all the SWAT team. I just did my best to make sure nobody got hurt until we could capture the bastard.”

  “You had my back. You were the only one who gave me a reason to hope. I knew you had your weapon under that blanket.” Larry wiped away a stray tear.

  “That was just in case things got bad before they arrived,” her former partner told us. “You always have to call for back-up.”

  “But you,” Larry growled, turning her attention to me. “You flirted with Del!”

  It sounded like an accusation. Was she jealous?

  “I was told to stall,” I confessed. “It was the only thing I could think of to do under the circumstances!”

  “The man is a convicted killer!” Larry spit out the words, her anger obvious. “He could have killed you, Miz Scarlet! He’s killed before!”

  “But he didn’t. Max said I had to do whatever I could to buy some time until the state cops got here. Besides, Kenny was watching. How far would that creep have gotten?”

  “Well, maybe you have a point, but I never could have forgiven you if you got yourself killed!” I felt Larry’s arms go around my neck, and the next thing I knew, I was enveloped in a big, tear-laden hug. “Thank you for hanging in there and having my back.”

  “I’m just glad the guy’s in custody. No more threats to Michaela. No more stalking you. He really was nasty, wasn’t he? That thing he did with his tongue was disgusting!” I pretended to gag, but the truth was I wasn’t far from it as I recalled that horrific sight.

  “I can’t believe I let him get the jump on me in the forensics lab parking lot. I never heard him sneak up behind me.”

  “We were all freaked out when your phone and purse showed up in your car,” Max told her. “We weren’t sure what to think. If Michaela hadn’t told Scarlet about that phone call....”

  “I’m going to have to make it up to Mickey somehow. I can’t believe she thought she was protecting me by keeping that a secret.”

  “You had a lot going on, Larry Bear.” Max rolled his eyebrows, commiserating. “It’s a stressful job. You had a killer to catch.”

  “I’m missing something,” I admitted. “What did Del have to do with Carmine Tossi, and why did he murder that kid in the woods?”

  “Ah,” the state homicide investigator sighed. “I’m not at liberty to discuss an ongoing case, but if I were to speculate, I’d say it’s very possible that the teenager met with foul play when he put the moves on a rival’s girlfriend at school. It was probably nothing to do with Carmine, his wife, or political corruption; nor was Del involved. It was just possibly your ordinary garden variety of murder.”

  “Go figure.” I drained the last of my cocktail. “It was all about a girl.”

  “Most murders aren’t complicated,” Max pointed out, “and they’re usually personal. Passion, power, or cash are the usual motivators.”

  “Hello! Hey, everybody, we’re back!” I suddenly heard Bur’s voice call out in the foyer. The dogs left their napping spots on the dining room carpet and went out to greet the newcomers, tails wagging.

  “Oh, goody,” Larry grimaced, rolling her eyes at the heavens. She rose from the table and strode across the room, pausing briefly at the doorway, as if to gather her courage. “Now we’re going to have some fun!”

  She didn’t sound like she was looking forward to it, so I put my arm around her in a show of support. “You have faced the nastiest of killers, the most ruthless of thieves. Surely you can handle Edna and Big Larry.”

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” she sighed. “Quick, someone hand me a whip and a chair. And get the lion cage ready. The circus is in town!”

  “We finally get to meet Big Larry and Edna,” my mother remarked, as she maneuvered her wheelchair away from the dining table. “How long has it been since your parents spent any time together?”

  “Fourteen years,” my friend said. “It was the day Michaela was christened.”

  “Dear me,” Lacey laughed. “It sounds like there’s a story there.”

  “Oh, there’s a story,” Larry grinned, before she disappeared, the reluctant circus master heading into the ring, all too aware that some of those animals were dangerous, untamed beasts. Max was close on her heels.

  “Maybe we should give them a minute,” I suggested. “Let them settle down....”

  The truth was I was apprehensive about dealing with Larry’s mother and father. What if they managed to ruin the holiday for Larry and Mickey? I just couldn’t let that happen. There had to be a way to make this work. Too bad we don’t have an angel apprentice, a Clarenc
e, looking to earn his wings.

  A few seconds later, I heard arguing in the foyer. Unfamiliar voices were raised in a heated conversation. The Queen of Clean and the spitball king were going at it.

  “Come on,” I urged them. I was done playing the good girl. “We don’t want to miss all the action!”

  “I didn’t lie about my age!” I heard Edna holler as I rounded the corner.

  “You most certainly did!” Big Larry replied, his finger pointing at her. “You’re nothing but a big fibber, Edna Rae Moore!”

  “Guess what!” Mickey came dancing down the hall. “Grandma isn’t sixty! She’s only fifty nine!”

  “Okay,” I replied, not really sure why that mattered.

  “Do you know what that means?” the teenager continued. “Grandma was only seventeen when she got married!”

  “Ut-oh,” Laurel groaned. “I think I know what comes next.

  “I don’t follow you,” I admitted to my mother as I stood there, the casual observer rubber-necking at the scene of the marital fender bender on the highway of love. A tiny wolverine of a woman was going to town on the man who got into her face. Bur, wise in the ways of divorce, stood off to the side, with Max, clearly not interested in breaking up a domestic fight.

  “The age of consent is eighteen in most states, unless there is parental approval,” said Lacey, filling in the blanks for me. “Larry’s parents were never legally married.”

  Chapter Thirteen --

  “What?” I was absolutely dumbfounded. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Poor Larry!” said my mother. “Look at her.”

  She sat in stunned silence on the hallway chair, a wishbone for the short, bristling, gray-haired woman on one side of her and the tall, bellowing man tearing what was left of his hair out on the other.

  “Mom?” Mickey tried to get her mother’s attention, even going so far as to wave her hands in front of her mother’s face, but there was no reaction.

  “We should do something,” I said to Bur and Max. “Larry doesn’t look so good.”

  Max knelt down in front of his former partner, not an easy task given his bad knees. He took her limp hand in his two.