Euphoria Lane

by McCright, Tina Swayzee

  “I’m glad Tess is out of town,” Meg added. “She’s the only board member I like, aside from the reverend.”

  Luke had to agree. Tess had a kind heart. He had never once had a problem with her.

  “She’s the only board member who doesn’t deserve to be whacked.” Roxie patted the curls of her long, blonde wig. “Tess is a sweetie. Even Bernice liked her.”

  Meg nodded. “Bernice called her Dorothy because she’s from Kansas.”

  “Did I hear my wife’s name?” Doctor Owens ambled their way, wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt and gray slacks. “I heard Helen was murdered.” He leaned around Meg to check out the crime scene.

  Meg peered up at him with admiration in her eyes. “Only an attempted murder. She—”

  “Doc,” Roxie interjected, “you had better keep that wife of yours out of town until this is all over. Someone’s trying to take out the board.”

  “It looks that way, doesn’t it?” Doctor Owens eyed Luke as if asking for his opinion.

  “Staying out of town might be a good idea,” Luke conceded.

  The vet nodded, and his dark eyes filled with concern. “Tess is going to be devastated when she hears about Bernice.”

  “She doesn’t know Bernice was killed?” Meg asked.

  The crease in his brow deepened. “I didn’t think that was the type of news to deliver over the phone, but I don’t have any choice now. I have to tell her so she’ll change her flight plans and stay with her mother until the murderer is behind bars.”

  Doctor Owens pushed a button on his iPhone and then lifted it to his ear.

  “Hello, Mother Rose. This is Chris. How’s the weather there?” He paused. “That’s great. May I speak to Tess, please?” Another pause. “Oh, can you have her call me when she returns?” He stood quietly. His face paled, then turned stark white. “What do you mean, she’s not there? She left here to visit you last Thursday.” Another pause. “When was the last time you spoke to her?” His breathing grew quick and shallow. “Please tell her to call me when you hear from her.”

  Meg grabbed the doctor’s shoulders and led him to an air-conditioning unit positioned on the ground next to the building. “Sit down before you fall,” she instructed, then whistled and motioned toward the crime scene for help.

  A young officer with dark hair and a mustache approached them. “Yes?”

  “It sounds like the doc’s wife’s gone missing.” Roxie shook her head. “Poor thing.”

  The rough edge to the woman’s voice made it difficult to detect sincerity in her tone, although she did say she liked Tess.

  “We’re concerned because she’s also a member of our board,” Andi added.

  Luke and the officer had already discussed the possibility of someone targeting the board, so he clearly understood the gravity of the situation.

  The officer removed a spiral notebook from his breast pocket. “Your name, sir?”

  Doctor Owens spent five minutes answering questions. Meg stood over him, watching him with concern. Roxie watched him with interest.

  Luke rubbed his chin. If there is a serial killer targeting the board, the odds were against finding Tess alive. Andi had interviewed Reverend Nichols. What if the police were right in suspecting him? He had the strongest ties to Bernice and Helen. He also spent time on the board with Harry and Tess.

  Meg patted the vet’s shoulder. “They’ll find her, Doc. She probably decided to spend time with a friend before heading to her mother’s.”

  “She wouldn’t have felt the need to if I hadn’t been so stupid.” Tears welled in the man’s eyes. “We had a horrible argument over golf. Can you believe it? Golf.”

  That caught everyone’s interest, including Luke’s. They stood still, quietly waiting for him to explain.

  Doctor Owens pressed his thumb and finger beneath his eyes as if trying to push back the tears. “I renewed my membership at the country club,” he continued, “and she found the paperwork. Tess is normally a soft-spoken woman, but not that night. She threw a fit, said I spent too much time and money at the golf course.” He turned to Meg, the person showing the most empathy. “She’d already planned this trip to visit her mother. I figured she’d spend time with family, calm down, and everything would go back to normal once she returned.”

  “You didn’t think to call to make sure she made it to her mother’s house?” The officer asked.

  The vet hung his head low. “I know I should have, but she was so angry.” He turned his attention back to the officer before continuing. “She wouldn’t let me drive her to the airport, said she’d take the shuttle. She didn’t want me doing anything for her.” He wiped away the tears that managed to escape. “She said she never wanted to see me again. It seemed like no matter what I said, I made things worse. I thought it best to give her time to cool off.”

  The officer studied him. “Did you see her get into the shuttle?”

  “No,” Doctor Owens reluctantly admitted. “I couldn’t get our argument out of my head and I had to perform surgery on a Great Dane the next day, so I took a sleeping pill and went to bed. When I woke, she wasn’t in our home and her suitcase was gone. I assumed she’d left for the airport as planned.” He turned to Meg with tears glazing his eyes. “I should have called. If anything’s happened to her, I don’t know what I will do. She’s my life.”

  Roxie patted his knee. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m sure she’s alive and well. She just left you, that’s all.”

  The color drained from his face again. That option didn’t sit well either.

  SEVEN

  Luke looked good standing in her doorway. Correction, he looked great! He filled out a polo shirt and faded jeans better than any man she’d ever met before. The fact he’d brought pizza from her favorite Italian restaurant didn’t hurt his case.

  “Is that an I’m-sorry-I-sent-you-violation-letters pizza?” Andi took a whiff of what she hoped was a decadent, thick crust, stick-to-your-thighs supreme pie.

  “No. It’s an I-thought-you-might-be-hungry pizza.” He stepped around her to enter the condo, then stood in the foyer as if waiting for her next move. “Packing is a huge job. I’m here to lend a hand.”

  “Lend a hand? Of course, moving means packing and since I just unpacked, sort of, I guess I would be repacking.”

  It’d been barely three hours since Meg told her she had fired up the rumor mill. Her new friends knew her bank account couldn’t afford any more fines, so after Harry dumped trash on her porch, Meg and Roxie came up with the bright idea of telling everyone Andi was moving. They hoped Harry would back off with the violation letters long enough for them to prove he was the murderer. Not that any of them had any real evidence pointing in his direction. They just wanted him to be guilty.

  It was kind of Roxie and Meg to want to help her, but she hated being less than honest. She should have told them no, but the plan had already been set into motion. Watching Luke carry the pizza to the dining room table, she realized no one had considered Luke’s possible reaction to hearing the news.

  I should have, but I didn’t. Now what?

  Luke set the pizza down on the dining room table and the enticing aroma beckoned. “I told Harry you were moving. Hopefully, now he’ll stop sending violation letters.”

  “You told him?” She wanted Harry to find out, but certainly hadn’t expected Luke to be the one to tell him. She wondered how often they got together to discuss the community—and just how much information Luke chose to share.

  “Of course I told him. You want him off your back, don’t you?” Luke waited for her answer.

  “Yeah . . . I want him off my back.” She pictured the two men talking, and it didn’t sit well with her. For now it would probably be best if she kept the truth to herself. Telling him would place him in an uncomfortable position as the property manager. And she was a bit afraid he might let it slip to Harry that she wasn’t really moving.

  Andi glanced about the room. Two boxes, left unpacked in t
he kitchen, gave the story she was moving a touch of validity. But since her stomach clenched with the thought of lying, it would be best to change the conversation. She reached for the pizza and pulled back the lid. “A supreme. You remembered what I like.”

  “Sugar cookies. You remembered what I like.” He reached across the table to remove the clear plastic from the plate of frosted bats. “The Halloween spirit still gotcha?”

  “I call them Bloodsucking Harries.”

  He chuckled and bit off a wing. “Funny, yet tasty.”

  At least he hadn’t lost his sense of humor. “I added extra vanilla,” she revealed.

  He gave her an appreciative look, then bit off the other wing. A mischievous twinkle lit his eyes. The chemistry between them begged her to forgive all, be his friend, and hope that one day he would want more.

  Self-preservation made her turn to the pizza. She snatched a slice and then plopped onto a dining room chair. “I thought about what you said before. I’m surprised you want to be friends. It’s not like I’ve made your life easy since I moved to Euphoria.”

  “Harry’s enough to get anyone riled up.”

  She sunk her teeth into the pizza’s thick, chewy crust and enjoyed a huge bite. For two seconds it took her mind off her troubles.

  “I hope you noticed that isn’t just any old pizza. It’s a Double Meat Lover’s Supreme with extra pepperoni.” He slid onto the chair next to her.

  Andi nodded her approval as she chewed.

  “I’m hoping I earned extra points for remembering what you like?” He lifted a brow.

  She shrugged and swallowed. “I guess I can spare a few points, but don’t be in a hurry to cash them in. I still don’t like the idea that you work for the enemy.”

  “Once you move, it won’t matter who I work for.”

  “Right . . .”

  He selected a slice of pizza and, just like old times, his awkward smile touched her heart. The last time they had eaten together, they had been stretched out on the carpet in front of the television. Back then, life was simpler. They watched horror flicks or talked for hours and knew everything about each other. He even knew that Jessie was a police officer—a fact he still hadn’t mentioned, and she was too afraid to bring up, hoping he’d forgotten.

  “Roxie confirmed that you’re working for a detective,” Luke said, as if reading her mind—and ignoring the fact she had told him it was none of his business.

  “Part-time. You know what it’s like on a teacher’s salary.”

  “Does your boss think he can clear Bernice’s son?” Luke said it more like an accusation than a question.

  Andi placed her slice on the edge of the closed box. “You don’t think Reverend Nichols is innocent?”

  “I’m not sure. On the one hand, reverends rarely turn into serial killers. It sounds more like a plot in a B-rated horror flick. On the other hand, he started acting strange after Helen left him.”

  “Strange?”

  He looked at her as if she had to be joking. “You saw his condo. He turned a bachelor pad with minimal furnishings into a thirteen-hundred-square-foot monastery.”

  His condo had made her feel guilty for not attending church in a long time. “Maybe he’s hoping the biblical statues will fill his heart with God’s love where Helen left a gaping hole.”

  “Or . . . he could be seeking God’s forgiveness.”

  “Perhaps. We haven’t found any proof to exonerate him.” Deciding napkins and plates would be a good idea, she scooted the chair back and headed to the kitchen. “Harry has photos of Nichols snooping around his car about the same time someone cut his brakes.” She spoke louder so Luke could hear. “We know this because the picture had a date and time stamp. At least that is what I was told.”

  “It’s strange that Harry would accuse the reverend. They’ve known each other for years, even shared holiday meals. Harry and Bernice were thick as thieves.”

  Thieves. They were thieves, all right. They stole from their neighbors by manufacturing violations.

  Andi removed two paper plates from the stack in the cupboard, grabbed a handful of napkins from a kitchen drawer, and a couple of orange sodas from the fridge. “What if Harry is trying to misdirect the police investigation?”

  “You still think Harry killed Bernice?”

  “I’m asking you.” Returning to the dining room, she handed him a plate and soda, then tossed the napkins onto the table between them.

  “Thanks.” He finished his slice of pizza and then pulled the tab on the can. “Harry may be stubborn and vindictive, but he’s not a murderer.”

  “Anyone can commit murder under the right circumstances.” At least that was what her sister kept telling her. “To tell you the truth, I think I just want Harry to be guilty. Anyone in this complex could have killed her. Most of them had motive and opportunity.”

  His facial expression tightened, growing as serious as she felt. “I hardly think a violation letter is motive for murder.”

  “Not just letters—fines.” She tried to explain it so he would understand. “All I know is how angry I felt every time I received a violation letter. This is my new home. It should be a safe haven, but Harry keeps eating away at my sense of security.”

  “But you signed―”

  Andi lifted her hand like a stop sign. “You don’t get it. It doesn’t matter that I signed a piece of paper agreeing to follow some rules. In fact, it makes the situation worse. I went through a lot of trouble to make sure I followed the rules, and I still received violation letters.”

  “Trouble?”

  “The rules state that we have to park the first car in the garage, the second in the driveway, and only then can we park a car in guest parking. Since my sister comes home late and sleeps in, she has to call me at three in the morning and wake me up so I can pull my car out of the garage and she can pull in. My car needs to be in the driveway since I go to work before her.”

  “Why don’t you just switch them yourself in the morning when you go to work?”

  “Where can I park her car while I pull mine out?”

  He leaned back in his chair, contemplating her question. “I see your point. If you park her car in guest parking or the fire lane while you drive yours out of the garage, you’re breaking a rule.”

  She nodded, glad he was finally listening to her. “And I don’t want to wake her when she’s been asleep for only a couple of hours, so I crawl out of bed in the middle of the night to rearrange cars.”

  “I can see how that would upset you,” he conceded, his voice low. “But you wouldn’t kill someone over it.”

  “That’s not all. Throughout the day, I constantly have to stop and ask myself if I’m breaking a rule. I can’t just toss the box the soda cans come in. I have to put it in a bag first. If a bird targets the hood of my car, I can’t whip out the hose for a quick cleaning. Those blasted birds drop their bombs on my hood every single day, but I can’t put a wind chime in the tree to scare them off. When friends or relatives come to visit, I have to make sure they park in the driveway if Jessie isn’t home, and then I have to check for oil stains when they leave. If anyone visits for more than three days, I have to notify the board or they’ll tow their car. My life revolves around making sure all the rules are followed, and to top it off, I’m always looking over my shoulder for a board member with a camera. This is no way to live.”

  “Then Harry lies about the oil stain on your driveway anyway.”

  “Correct. But even before that, I knew he was watching my every move. I’ve lived here only a week. I can only imagine how some of the other residents feel. Over time, these fines could drive anyone into a state of rage. Look at the cowboy.”

  Luke nodded. “And Harry’s gotten worse since he became president. I can throw out fines that are not legitimate, but if the residents break the rules he has every right to send them letters and eventually fine them if they refuse to stop. And there isn’t anything that says he can’t check every hour for vio
lations.” He shook his head with regret. “I keep hoping he’ll go back to being a decent guy now that Valerie’s moving in with him, or at least have more to do with his time than walk the property checking for violations.”

  “Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath. Did the Euphoria Lane rumor mill tell you Harry threw trash on my porch this morning?”

  Luke’s brow furrowed. He didn’t know. “Are you sure it was him?”

  “Yes, and I’m going to prove it. I was going to try and match his fingerprints to those on the bag, but he was smart enough not to leave any.” She retrieved a tiny surveillance camera she found when she helped her sister clean at Lenny’s Detective Agency earlier that day. “Then I found this. I’m going to install it out back tonight.”

  “You know that’s—”

  “Don’t you dare tell me it’s against the rules, Luke Ryder. Harry is behind this. I’m going to prove it, and nothing is going to get in my way.”

  “I was going to say it’s difficult to install.” He examined the box. “I can put it up for you. I’ll hide it where Harry will never look.”

  “You’d do that for me? Why?”

  “Like I said, I want to be friends again. I’m hoping this . . . gesture will prove I’m serious.”

  “What if you get caught?”

  “I won’t.” He slid the chair back as he stood. “Got a tool kit?”

  Guilt ate at her again. He had offered to install a camera for her without knowing she was keeping the truth from him. “Luke, you’ve done enough bringing the pizza. I’ll take care of this myself.”

  “I want to help.” Conviction backed his words. He made quick work of opening the box and removing the directions.

  “There’s something you need to know before you decide to help.”

  “You’re not really moving.” His smiled turned devious.

  She jumped to her feet. “How did you know?”

  “The Andi Stevenson I know would never run from a fight. It’s not your style. On the other hand, that rumor is definitely Meg and Roxie’s style.” He lifted the soda to his lips and drank, the grin never quite leaving his face. “I knew you would tell me the truth before the evening was over.”