Sequestered with the Murderers

by Dr. Sandra Tanner

  “They have been on several of Brightness tours. Any idea at all how they are involved?”

  I did have an idea, but I could not share it with Jackson yet because of my promise to Detective Rivers.

  “I’m working on a motive and hope to share their involvement with you soon,” I said.

  “So you have a motive?”

  “I’ve profiled revenge as the motive.”

  “How did you come to that conclusion?”

  “This was an impeccably planned volatile murder. I believe the murderer believes Duffy hurt his heart tremendously. Since there was no damage to Duffy’s body except for his heart, the murderer hurt Duffy where the murderer was hurt. An eye for an eye murder is a revenge murder.”

  “Wow, I can see that.”

  “I also know there was more than one person. Since this murder was carried out impeccably, there had to be trial runs. Someone had to pretend to be Duffy while another person pulled him into the maintenance room.”

  “Vett, you’re good. This makes so much sense.”

  “It does. I’m now trying to figure out the .22 caliber handgun angle.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A newbie to handguns was involved in the murder.”

  “I’m not going to ask how you figured that out, but wouldn’t that eliminate Joe and Holt Junior?”

  “That’s my catch-22, but I’ll work it out.”

  “Any word on how all this relates to the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders?”

  “I’m leaning away from Duffy having anything to do with those murders. I’ve met with Detective Rivers from Envyton County, who is assigned to the case. She’s given me some information I can’t share now, but I can assure you Diantha’s case is not a cold case. Detective Rivers is actively working the case.”

  “Duffy not having anything to do with Diantha’s murder would take a load off my shoulders.”

  I heard clearly what Jackson said, and I squirmed in my chair. I stood up and began pacing the floor with the phone to my ear. I was starting to feel awkward, fidgety, and embarrassed for Jackson. Why couldn’t I assure him that no bad publicity was in store for Brightness?

  “I hear you, Jackson. I’m going to talk to Detective Rivers again tomorrow. Hopefully, she’ll give me more information I can share with you.”

  “Is there anything you need from me?”

  “Have you received any complaints regarding Duffy? Were all the customer survey response cards all good? All things on the positive side?”

  “I only read a select few from each trip. Carter, who you know is head of bus services, reads them all. All the ones I’ve read were positive. Carter has never brought to my attention a negative review. And he would have had there been any. I have read minor infractions such as he took too long getting a lady’s luggage from the bus luggage compartment, or the trashcan was overflowing, or the air didn’t flow to the back of the bus. All in all, the passengers loved Duffy and had good things to say about him. Why do you ask?”

  “Just trying to learn more about his character. If he were nasty, mean, or disrespectable to the passengers, you and Carter would know that.”

  “He wouldn’t be working for Brightness. Passengers are our bread and butter. Without them, I have no business.”

  “I see.”

  “All my employees know my rules, and they must abide by the customer service training provided to them. Our passengers are everything.”

  “I understand. Uh, do you remember ever talking to Joe or Holt Junior on one of Brightness’s other trips?”

  “I know I didn’t on the Tennessee trip, but I may have on one of the other trips. They’ve taken so many with us. I talk to so many passengers. I just can’t remember them all. Why do you ask?”

  “Just trying to work out my .22 caliber gun angle. I was just wondering if they talked about hunting. Hunters don’t usually use a .22 caliber handgun.”

  “Sorry, I can’t help you. I’ve talked to too many passengers to remember what they told me.”

  “I’ll work it out. That’s all I have to report today.”

  “Thanks, Vett. Have a good today.”

  “You too, Jackson.”

  I hung up the phone, grabbed my jacket and handbag, and then drove to work.

  Upon entering the office, I threw my handbag on the credenza behind my desk and hung up my jacket. I then picked up the phone, dialed Aunt Clove’s office number, and then asked her to come into my office and provide me with an update. A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door.

  “Come on in, Aunt Clove.”

  “Hey, Vett. You look rested. How was the trip?” Aunt Clove was my mother’s baby sister and was a younger version of her. She was five feet three inches tall, with a small body frame, caramel-colored skin, salt and pepper hair, and small facial features. She had survived domestic violence and divorced her husband, who had tried to commit bigamy while they were separated. After all that she had been through, she found an unquantifiable amount of happiness in taking cooking classes and being the head chef in my restaurant.

  “It was wonderful. Gam and I both needed that break.”

  “Good to have you back.”

  “Good to be back. How have you been?”

  “I’m good. I lost seven pounds.”

  “Congratulations. How did you do that?”

  “I am eating better. Range always eats healthy food, so I am following his diet.” Range is Aunt Clove’s boyfriend and has been a remarkable positive influence in her life since the day they met.

  “Keep it up, Aunt Clove. You look positively radiant. So what’s been going on around here?”

  “Thank you very much for the compliment. I feel radiant. Now to business, first, two of the waiters have been butting head over a racial slur. I want to send the whole team to a workplace diversity training seminar. I just want to run it by you to get your input.” Aunt Clove is completely in charge of the wait staff, but she always wants my input on staff matters. I totally support her in what she wants to do and have told her she does not need to run these things by me, but she does anyway.

  “What does the seminar offer?”

  “The brochure says the course facilitates constructive intergroup communication and interface, helps reduce prejudice and discrimination, and educates people who are unalike from each other on how to work effectively.”

  “Is it taught at the community college?”

  “Yeah, in the evening. I just need to work out a schedule for each to attend.”

  “How long is the seminar?”

  “Four hours.”

  “Why don’t you arrange for the seminar to be taught here? It could be taught early one morning. This way, all the staff can attend together.”

  “I don’t know, Vett. That’s going to be expensive.”

  “If you think it’s needed, then the expense is worth it.”

  “Okay then; I’ll look into it.”

  “What’s next?”

  “I want to add lamb chops to the menu. In the last two months, we’ve had several requests for them. And remember, during the Christmas season, we had a few requests. So I have been seriously thinking about it. I would add them to the dinner menu to see how they go over. It will be a delicious addition.”

  “I’m fine with that. I’m sure you have recipes lined up?”

  “I do, and I have already tested a few of them at home.”

  “Aunt Clove, you are slaying it in your inimitable way. I support you in anything you want to do.”

  “Well, wait until you hear what I have for you next?”

  “Oh, no, what have I gotten myself into,” I said teasingly.

  “We have three wedding rehearsal dinners on the books. One is in June, one is in September, and one in October. Have you thought about getting a bigger facility?
There is no room at this location to expand. I know we can book more events if we had a larger banquet type room dedicated to special events separate from the dining room.”

  “Yeah, I thought about it for a while now. I would love to have a bigger office, too. This room I’ve turned into an office was never meant to be one. The original layout showed this room as storage. However, I don’t know if this is the right time to expand. This is a huge step.”

  “I know it is. We are growing by leaps and bound and need more space to ensure more growth. We are at capacity.”

  “I’ve seen this coming for quite some time. Our growth has really surprised me. I owe it all to the wonderful chef you are.”

  “And to your excellent business acuity.”

  “I tell you what, let me talk to our accountant about this. Also, I will ask Dimma to find out what real estate is available. I’m not saying yes yet. I’m just putting some feelers out there. Okay?”

  “Okay, it’s a deal.”

  “We’ll talk more about this once my feelers come back.”

  “That works. The last thing I want to show you is a picture of little Chloe. She has gotten so big since you saw her last.” Chloe is Aunt Clove’s first and only great-grandchild. She was born on Christmas day last year. Gam and I got married on Christmas Day 2004, so Chloe being born on Christmas day naturally drew me to her.

  “Oh, she is so cute, and look at those chubby cheeks. What are they feeding this child?”

  “Everything she can get her hands on. She is beginning to favor Dottery, don’t you think?” Dottery is Aunt Clove’s oldest daughter, and Dottery’s son, Reed, is Chloe’ father. Reed and Chloe’s mother are living with Dottery. This is not a happy arrangement for Dottery.

  “Absolutely, she does. Tell Dottery I’ll call her tomorrow to set-up a time to visit Chloe.”

  Just then, the phone rang.

  “Excuse me for a minute Aunt Clove.”

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Vett, it’s your Aunt Grace.”

  “Hi, Aunt Grace. How are you? Can you hold for a moment?”

  “I’m all done. I didn’t have anything else,” Aunt Clove said, getting up out of her chair, walking toward the door. “Tell Grace I said hello.” Aunt Clove closed the door behind her.

  “Aunt Grace, how are things?” Aunt Grace, who was turning seventy-eight on April 30th, is my father’s only sister and youngest sibling. A few years ago, I was instrumental in helping to find her long-lost love. They were forced to separate as teenagers because Aunt Grace was the granddaughter of the well-to-do farmer, and her love interest, Shep Mettis, was a hired hand. Her parents and my Great Aunt Hannah did not think he was good enough for her. Shep was found living in Greensboro, North Carolina, and they were married on Christmas day 2003. I modeled my wedding a year later after their beautiful wedding and incredible love story.

  “I am well, Vett. I’m calling because Shep and I are coming to town in two weeks on Saturday 29th to celebrate my birthday. My friends and I want to celebrate at your place. Do you have space for ten people?”

  “I always have space for you and your friends.”

  “I don’t want anything special, just the Saturday night special.” I knew that tidbit of information wouldn’t fly with Aunt Clove. She was going to create an incredible banquet meal whether Aunt Grace wanted it or not.

  “Do you want Aunt Clove to make you a birthday cake?”

  “If it is her pineapple cake, then yes.”

  “I’ll ask her to bake one special for your table. Who all is coming?”

  “Murieljoy will be there. You remember, she lost her husband two years ago. She has a boyfriend now. This will be my first time meeting him. Two of my alumni sisters and their spouses are coming, and I have asked your mother and father to join us.”

  “I haven’t seen Murieljoy in ages. It will be so good to see her.” Murieljoy was Aunt Grace’s best friend since they were teenagers.

  “She hasn’t quite recovered from the loss of her husband. Other than that, she is the same fun-loving Murieljoy.”

  “I can’t wait to see you, Shep, and your friends. Before I forget, Aunt Clove sends you a hello.”

  “Give her my love, and I hope to see her when we get there.”

  “I’ll tell her. We’ll both be here for your celebration. I am so excited. I haven’t seen you since Christmas.”

  “I’ve been trying to get you and Gam to come for a visit one weekend. Greensboro is a beautiful city.”

  “And we will. I promise.”

  “I’m staying with Murieljoy for a couple of days, so let’s plan to meet one evening.”

  “Okay, it’s a date. What time will you be here on Saturday?”

  “We will arrive at six. And tell Clove not to make a fuss. We’ll eat whatever she has prepared as the special.” There was no need for me to relay this message to Aunt Clove. She loved showcasing her cooking skills to members of our family that couldn’t cook. I shouldn’t say Aunt Grace couldn’t cook; she took no interest in it. She was a successful businesswoman her entire work career and hired cooks to do the cooking for her.

  “I look forward to seeing you, Aunt Grace.”

  “Me too. I’ve got to run. See you soon.”

  “I love you, Vett.”

  “I love you, too, Aunt Grace.”

  This was a happy unexpected turn of events. My Aunt Grace was one of my favorite people, and I enjoyed seeing her. She and Shep traveled a lot and had so many stories to tell. My spirits lifted in anticipation of her visit.

  The need for a banquet room had shown itself again. Gone would be the need to push tables into a corner for a private event. Word about Aunt Clove’s delicious food had gotten around, which is what I wanted. The reservations for special events had increased. I wanted that, too. All of this means growth. It was up to me to find the time to do something about it before service began to suffer.

  I sent an e-mail to Aunt Clove with all the details concerning Aunt Grace’s visit so she could add the reservation to her events calendar.

  I then looked at the pile of mail on my desk and wondered what I should tackle first—the 500 or so e-mails waiting for me or the stack of mail. Since I could see the tall luminous stack of mail, I decided on the mail. If there were something important in the e-mails that needed my immediate attention, surely I would get a phone call, I surmised. I looked at the phone, and there were fifty-nine messages. Well, I probably did get a phone call about something important.

  “I’ll tackle the phone calls next,” I said out loud.

  I worked until closing. It felt good to have touched base with the lives of Aunt Clove and Aunt Grace. I was inspired by them. Not everything is about murder, mayhem, and unsolved cases.

  CHAPTER 25

  I woke up Wednesday morning with Gwen’s suicide and the people who committed suicide that Gam told me about on my mind. It seems like all these people committed suicide because they couldn’t cope with something. So what is it that Gwen couldn’t handle? On the trip to Serenity, I had a revelation that Gwen was involved in Duffy’s murder. This was constantly on my mind. I knew this was my inner voice making me deal with the issue. This constant presence of the issue was not going to go away until I did.

  I walked into my kitchen, poured a glass of water, sat at the table, and then figuratively put on my thinking cap. Deep reflecting and concentrating most assuredly would provide an answer, I surmised. I began by remembering that Gwen and Carolyn sat on the bus together, shared a room together, and ate their meals together. Dimma and I did the same thing. So what did that tell me? Nothing, except that they knew each other well enough to be willing to share a room for a few days on a trip from home. They were best friends. They knew just about everything about each other. Best friends understand when you’re upset, and best friends don’t hide their true feeling from one ano
ther.

  “Carolyn knows why Gwen committed suicide. That’s why she is not returning my phone call. I ask too many questions for her liking,” I said out loud. “That means Carolyn is in on Duffy’s murder too. But why?”

  She knows why Gwen committed suicide. Best friends have a second sense about what is going on in each other’s lives. Dimma and I can sense when something is wrong by our facial expressions and body language, even when we are trying to hide it.

  Yes, Carolyn knew Gwen was suicidal. Did she try to stop it? I need more information. Detective Rivers might have some answers. I decided to call her as soon as I arrived at work. I showered, dressed, and then left the house at 8:30 am. Gam had left for work a half-hour earlier.

  The front parking lot of my restaurant had become a sore spot with me. I knew it was small when I rented the building. Now the smallness aggravated me. And it aggravated me to see customers riding around in it looking for empty parking spaces. Knowing there are plenty of parking in the back of my restaurant in the shopping center parking lot didn’t ease my frustration. Providing the best customer service to my patrons in and outside the building is of upmost important to me. Another reason to find a bigger location, Aunt Clove would say.

  After putting my things down on my credenza, I punched Detective Rivers’ number into my phone. I got her voice message. I left her a detailed message and asked her to call me back today.

  I had been in my office for an hour answering e-mail when Gam called.

  “Hi, Baby.”

  “Hi, Gam. What’s going on?”

  “I need a favor. I just got off the phone with Mom. She and Daddy want to have dinner with us tonight at your place. I know it is short notice, but can you do it?”

  “Sure I can. I don’t have anything planned to do tonight. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. Mom says it is a surprise.”

  “That sounds alarming coming from your mother. She is usually a straight shooter.”

  “I know. I need to call Mom back. Is 6:00 pm okay?”