Upstaged by Murder

by Grace Topping

  Had he started to say secrets? What could Robin’s secret be? Not my affair, I reminded myself.

  Poor Chris. I felt sorry for him, but this was one investigation I was not getting involved in.

  Chapter 15

  If on a tight budget, replace the oldest kitchen appliance. A new dishwasher, often viewed as the most unsanitary kitchen appliance, can go a long way with buyers.

  When I arrived at the warehouse, I went in through Josh’s store instead of through the loading dock so I could check on him. I found him standing on a ladder, putting books on a high shelf.

  “Hi, Josh. How are you doing today?” He looked down, still appearing a bit dazed, especially with the white bandage on his head.

  “Hey, Laura.” He climbed down the ladder. “Other than having a sore head, I’m doin’ okay. Just a little shaken up.” He grimaced. “No one has ever tried to kill me before. For that matter, I’ve never found a dead body before. This week has been terrible. I still can’t get the image of that poor young woman out of my head.”

  “Hopefully, killing you wasn’t your attacker’s intention.”

  Josh shrugged. “You know, I never did thank you for coming to my rescue last night. If you hadn’t come along when you did, I sure would’ve been a goner.”

  “I didn’t do anything except distract the fellow. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “I’m not taking any chances. I parked out front directly under a streetlight—no dimly lit parking lot for me for a while. And my house is locked up better than the First National Bank downtown.”

  “I think First National closed, and Dominic’s restaurant is in there now.”

  “Okay. Locked up as good as Dominic’s.”

  Thankfully, Josh hadn’t lost his sense of humor.

  “I’m glad you’re being careful. If it’ll make you feel better, I have my team out asking questions. We’ll try to help the police get to the bottom of this.”

  “Well, now that’s awfully good of y’all. That does make me feel better.”

  As I walked away, a thought occurred to me. “Josh, do you still have the photos of the stolen items Detective Spangler gave you?”

  Josh glanced at his desk, piled high with papers. “Somewhere in that stack. I keep them so I can check them against items people bring in for sale. Why?”

  “I’d like to look at them. You never know what you can glean from something, and every bit of information we can put together will help.”

  “I’ll make a photocopy of them for you. When they’re ready, I give you a holler.”

  “That will work. Thank you.”

  Tyrone arrived on the set later, carrying an older model laptop. “Here it is. A little clunky and outdated, but it’ll give the idea of a work area.” He set down the laptop and shook water off his jacket. “It started raining just as I got here, and it sure is coming down hard.”

  From inside the cubicle, we couldn’t see the rain, but it was beating against the roof something fierce. I was glad I hadn’t gotten caught in it. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

  I took the laptop. “Perfect. Later, we’ll have a look around Josh’s store for some items to complete the setting.”

  “I’ll check the third floor for a small desk and chair.”

  “Thanks. Right now, let’s work on those two different-sized windows. If we hang long drapes high over both windows, and add Roman shades to the lower halves, visually they’ll look the same.”

  “It’s sure strange having a short window and a long one on the same wall.”

  “They’re trying to make the space challenging. Sometimes homes end up with awkward designs like that. If we ever run into it again, we’ll know how to handle it.”

  “Hello, competitors.”

  We looked up to see Luke in the doorway with a cameraman. He was filming us while we stood there with blank looks on our faces. We kept forgetting that cameramen would be filming our activities.

  Luke frowned. “Okay, let’s try that again. This time, try to look a little more alive.” Off-camera, his friendly and buoyant personality was totally different.

  “Looks like he’s getting bored with this gig,” Tyrone whispered.

  I put my finger to my lips and pointed to his mic to remind him we were being recorded.

  Luke returned. This time we were prepared for him. Tyrone plastered a broad smile on his face, and I tried to look welcoming.

  “Hello, Laura and Tyrone. Making headway? Are you running into any problems?” Luke looked like he hoped we would confess to being stumped by a significant design challenge so he could come to the rescue with a suggestion—and, of course, while he posed for the camera.

  “I smiled as brightly as I could. “We were just discussing the issue of the different sized windows, and we’re trying to come up with a solution.”

  “Tell me about it.” He feigned interest. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to perform for the camera constantly.

  A loud crack of thunder made us jump. The overhead lights flickered and seconds later went out.

  Luke cursed. “Not another delay. Will we ever finish this competition?”

  Tyrone grimaced, and I stifled a laugh. Luke was coming to the end of his patience with this production.

  The only illumination came from the LCD on the cameraman’s equipment. It provided us with enough light to find our way out of the cubicle without tripping over anything. Out in the common area, gray light filtered in through the expansive windows. The thick overhead storm clouds blocked out much of the daylight, but we could still see to get around.

  Rain pelted the windows, lightning flashed, and more thunder rumbled. Thunderstorms were unusual in our area this time of the year, but the weather had become unpredictable.

  Josh rushed into the area and nearly doubled over out of breath. “Sorry, y’all. I’ve notified the electric company about the power outage. With any luck, it’ll be back on soon. In the meantime, please don’t attempt to use the elevator.”

  No problem with that. I didn’t want to use the elevator in the best of conditions.

  Zoe, Brendan, Ms. Eyebrow, and their assistants had come out of their cubicles and joined the rest of us staring through the window at the storm. Mother Nature was putting on a dramatic show for us. Thick clouds obscured the surrounding mountains.

  Ms. Eyebrow paced back and forth like a caged tiger. “I can’t deal with these constant delays. If I’d known this operation was going to be such a nightmare, I’d never have gotten involved.” She walked over to the coffee station the crew set up for our use.

  “Yeah, like she would’ve given up on the opportunity to compete for her own TV show,” Brendan said. “Not likely.” He walked away and joined Tyrone and one of the cameramen.

  The nearby chairs looked welcoming after our work that morning, so Zoe and I took a seat.

  “So, how long have you been staging homes?” I asked her. Previous to this, Tyrone and I hadn’t had many conversations with the other competitors. With everyone being so busy, and some of them downright unfriendly, I could dismiss my goal of learning a lot while mingling with seasoned home stagers.

  Zoe flipped her long hair from her shoulders. “About five years. How about you?”

  “Just since spring. It took me a while to get some training in the field and certification to give me some credibility. With Tyrone’s help, I hit the ground running.” I didn’t mention someone had murdered the owner of the first home we’d staged. “With your experience, what have you liked best about it?”

  “Being my own boss. It’s a great business for anyone to go into, but especially women. You control the shots.”

  “That sounds familiar. During my days in IT, I got tired of men taking credit for my work. Of course, on the flip side, all the responsibility rests with me. That can be overwhelming
at times.”

  Ms. Eyebrow walked back to her cubicle. Maybe she felt by virtue of walking in there, the lights would miraculous go back on.

  I turned to Zoe. “Please remind me—what is her name? I’m embarrassed to say I’ve forgotten it.”

  “Gloria,” Zoe said. “She looks annoyed at the delay.”

  I’d have to remember her name. If I kept referring to her as Ms. Eyebrow, I might let it slip out someday. “What about you, Zoe? Have you found all the delays a challenge?”

  “Right now, the storm is giving me a much-needed break, so this delay is a blessing. I have to admit it’s been a challenge trying to be creative following Beth’s tragic death. It put a damper on everything. I keep thinking how sweet and helpful she was to me when I first got here. My husband was upset with the news about her and wanted me to come home. So it was a relief when they arrested the killer.”

  I sighed. Finally, someone who was speaking warmly of Beth. Everyone else seemed ready to forget her and move on. Then there was Simon. He wanted to use her death to attract viewers, hoping to play the sympathy card. I thought of Beth’s parents and the heartbreak they must be experiencing.

  “Beth helped me feel welcome and comfortable joining the competition, especially with me joining at the last minute,” I said.

  “I got the feeling she was concerned about something. The last time I saw her, she told me to be careful.”

  I sat upright in my seat. “That’s right. Beth told me the same thing. I’d forgotten that. At the meet and greet, I started to ask her what I should be careful of, but we were interrupted. I thought she might be warning me how competitive things could get. Do you have any idea what she was referring to?”

  She leaned close to me and almost whispered. “Frankly, now that I’ve been here for a while, I think she was warning me about Simon. He is too friendly. If you know what I mean.”

  “That’s a polite way of putting it.” Now I knew I wasn’t the only one who viewed Simon as a womanizer.

  Tyrone sauntered over and plopped down into a chair. “Looks like the storm is finally letting up. With any luck, the power will be back on soon.” He pointed to the windows. “Lights are on downtown.”

  “Maybe the outage only affected this area,” I told Tyrone. “If the rain is slowing up, I think I’ll run into town. I might be able to find a print that’ll fit in that awkward spot in the room. It needs something. Perhaps a mountain or lake scene.”

  Tyrone reached in his pocket and pulled out the cash card the crew issued us. “Don’t forget this.”

  “Thanks. I would’ve forgotten it. It’ll be nice to shop with someone else’s money. Do you want to go along?” I asked Tyrone. “How about you, Zoe? Need anything from downtown?”

  When they both shook their heads, I grabbed my bag and headed out. It would be an excellent opportunity to go searching for some artwork but most of all to avoid Simon, who might come looking in dark places to see how I was getting along.

  Chapter 16

  Bright colors or taste specific wallpaper can turn off buyers who will be calculating the expense of redoing it into the cost of the house.

  Large puddles of water covered the gravel parking lot. I gingerly made my way around them, trying to get to my car without soaking my shoes. The stores I wanted to visit were only a few blocks away, so I could easily have walked. But if I found a framed print, I would be glad to have my car to haul it back to the warehouse, especially if it started raining again.

  As I drove past the nearby city jail, I thought of Chris and the news that he was now being held there. I didn’t know him very well, but I felt sorry this was happening to him. I certainly hoped he hadn’t been responsible for Beth’s death. As I well-remembered from Tyrone’s experience of having been charged with murdering a homeowner, later to be proved innocent, all too often the wrong person is accused of a crime. I was hopeful that would be the case with Chris and he would soon be set free. If he was guilty of killing Beth, then I was relieved he’d been caught.

  I planned to make a quick visit to the local charity resale stores, searching for a framed print. Finding none that I could use at the Salvation Army store, I headed for Goodwill. These stores often had quality items people had donated I could use in home staging and at a reasonable price. They used the proceeds from their sales for their many causes.

  Turning the corner, I came face to face with Nicki Spangler, Detective Spangler’s daughter. I hadn’t seen her since the night she’d attempted to run away from home and shown up at my house with Tyrone and Kayla.

  “Hi, Nicki.”

  Turning toward me, she appeared at first not to recognize me. “Oh, hi, Ms. Bishop. I didn’t expect to run into you.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to say, “Shouldn’t you be in school?” But since Nicki was going through the stage of resisting anything that seemed like guidance or parental questioning, I resisted the urge. “How have you been?”

  “Okay. My grandmother’s been visiting, so that’s been good.”

  “Are you heading anywhere in particular?” Which was as close as I planned to ask why she wasn’t in school.

  “We lost power at school, so they let us go home early.”

  “You’re a long way from home. Do you need a ride home?” I sounded like a suspicious parent. My only experience with teenagers had been with Nita’s two kids. And Nita’d often been wary of their activities.

  “I took a long way home so I could pick up some stuff for a science project.” Nicki held up the bag in her hand as though to prove her statement. “And, I told my grandmother where I was going.”

  I could almost hear the unspoken “So there” in her voice and reminded myself not to sound like a parent.

  Seeing her solemn face reminded me how lonely I’d often been as an only child of a single parent and wondered if she felt the same way. On impulse I said, “Do you have enough time to stop for some hot chocolate?” I pointed to the building on the opposite corner. “Vocaro’s is across the street.”

  She looked to where I pointed, and her face lit up in a big smile. “Yeah, I do. But let me check first with my grandmother. I’ll send her a text.”

  Receiving an okay, we crossed the street to Vocaro’s. When we got to the counter inside, I looked at the display of cocoa bombs, decorative chocolate orbs filled with cocoa powder, marshmallows, and other flavorings like crushed peppermint candy. They would make a nice treat for a young girl who probably didn’t get too many frivolous treats.

  “How about a coco bomb instead of regular hot chocolate?” I asked her.

  Nicki’s eyes widened in delight. “Oh, yes, please.”

  I could just imagine her as a small child on Christmas morning, and it touched my heart.

  We selected the cocoa bombs we wanted: peppermint for Nicki, dark chocolate for me. Then we watched as the barista placed them in large glass mugs and poured frothy milk over them. They blossomed in the mugs, and the marshmallows floated to the top. Such a simple thing, but it gave Nicki pleasure. And in turn, seeing her delight pleased me.

  With Vocaro’s being nearly empty, we had our choice of seats. I told Nicki to choose a spot, and she led us to chairs near the fireplace, which was blazing. It was the perfect setting for a miserable, wet afternoon.

  After settling in our seats, we started to enjoy our chocolate drinks.

  “This is nice of you, considering how I just showed up at your door the other night with Tyrone and Kayla.” Nicki took a sip of her cocoa bomb and looked up, her eyes sparkling. “This is so good.”

  “It’s the first one I’ve had. I may have to order this instead of my usual cappuccino.”

  She became more serious. “I really, really appreciated you calling my dad and smoothing things over for us that night. If I’d called, he would’ve yelled at me.”

  “Parents often yell when they become st
ressed. You have to admit, finding you missing from home upset him.” I could only imagine how worried he’d been.

  “I know. I guess that was pretty stupid. But we’re meeting with a lady who is talking to us about how my dad and I can deal with each other. That’ll help. You helped a lot that night.”

  “I’m glad it worked out.” I finished the last of my drink and looked at my watch. “I better get back. Hopefully, the power will be back on at the warehouse.”

  Nicki hesitated. “I enjoyed the cookies you gave us the other night. I only get homemade cookies when my grandmother visits. Do you think…when she leaves, we could…bake cookies…together sometime? Of course, if you are too busy, I’ll understand.”

  What would Detective Spangler think of my befriending his daughter and her coming to my home? It was bound to backfire on me, but with memories of my lonely childhood flooding my thoughts, how could I resist Nicki’s appeal? With her mother dead, I could see her going through much of what I’d experienced living with a single parent. In my case, feeling at times like I was parentless. I could well sympathize with Nicki’s situation.

  “Right now, I’m deep in a project. But afterward, with your dad’s permission, I would enjoy that.”

  Nicki looked delighted at what I viewed as such a simple thing—baking cookies. Oh, dear. What had I gotten myself into this time?

  Chapter 17

  Complete a comprehensive cleaning before your house hits the market. Get dirt out of window tracks and windowsills. A clean home appears well maintained.

  Competition Day Four

  We no sooner arrived the next morning when Olivia popped into our cubicle.

  “Everybody, come join us in the common area.”

  We took a seat with the other contestants and the crew. Nearby, Zoe shot me a quizzical look as though asking what was going on. I shrugged, just as puzzled as she was.