Judith Czrygy was waiting for me at the baggage claim. I apologized, and she said there was no need as I wrestled her suitcase from the conveyor belt and took her to the car.
Mom grilled me on wedding details, from my dress to the flower girls. Fortunately, I knew these answers. I was kind of getting good at this. Not that I was going to be a wedding planner anytime soon, but I was handling things. Well, Kelly was handling things, and I did as she ordered. I held up the picture Kelly took of me in my dress, and my mother oohed and ahhed appropriately. When I described the flower girl dresses, Mom sighed but said it was too late to get worked up over it and it would make the girls happy. Mom loved my troop. We'd visited her in DC a couple of summers back, and they'd charmed my parents. They almost destroyed CIA HQ in Langley and dropped exploding dye packs in the hotel pool—but my parents managed to come through unscathed.
By the time we got to my house and Mom greeted the cats, I wondered what the room with the new furniture would look like. Rex and I had put the bed together, so it wouldn't be too different. Or would it?
We walked into the guest room, and I gasped. Kelly and Rex had been busy. They'd rearranged the room when the new furniture arrived (while still covering the bullet holes in the floor using the bed), and Kelly had added a huge bouquet of white roses—Mom's favorite. They'd even put fresh towels, which I was pretty sure I didn't own, in the bathroom. It looked more like a room at the Ritz than my guest room.
"You did this all for me?" Mom blushed adorably. "This room is too nice. You should sleep here!"
I shook my head but couldn't help but be pleased. The bill from Midland Furniture was horrendous, but now I could see it was worth it. Now that I knew I had mad decorating skills, when this was all done, I'd make over the rest of the house. Well, Kelly would.
"This is your room. And Dad's. Whenever you visit."
Philby hopped up onto the bed, toppled over onto her side, and immediately fell asleep. Martini purred as she rubbed against Mom's leg. If I had to guess, I'd assume the cats wouldn't be sleeping with me anytime soon. And this was the first time they hadn't been pining for Rex's house. My mother was their favorite new plaything. Kelly excused herself, and after a pulse-pounding kiss, Rex hugged me.
"I know you weren't responsible for today," he whispered in my ear. "We really need to find some alone time." The way he accented the word alone sounded promising. After another quick kiss, he was off to work.
"Oh, Merry," Mom said in her usual honeyed tones. "Can we run over to Ferguson Taxidermy? Randi said she has something for me."
I gulped. "Are you sure? I mean, they've been making some pretty bizarre stuff for the wedding. I've had to turn most of it down."
My mother nodded. "She told me about the green tree snake pew bows. Don't worry. I think I've talked her down to something more reasonable. We need to stop by. These are your future sisters-in-law."
Randi and Ronni Ferguson were the owners of Ferguson Taxidermy—Where Your Pet Lives On Forever! They were identical twins and Rex's sisters, but the resemblance ended there. Randi was all sweetness and light, while Ronni hated everyone. With a perpetual scowl on her face that would cow a Russian dictator, I always worried that she was secretly planning how she'd have me stuffed.
Since they'd moved here in the spring and found out I was marrying their brother, I'd been given everything from a giant blue jay as a broach (for something blue), a huge Maine Coon cat that I had to lock in the basement to keep Philby from eating, and a number of bizarre wedding ideas from dead kittens dressed like me and Rex as a cake topper to the aforementioned snakey pew bows.
"Judith!" Randi cried out as we walked into the shop. "And Merry! Wonderful! You're both here!"
The petite, plump brunette crushed us both in a hug. "I'm so glad you're in town!" she said to my mom. "I've got just the thing for you for the wedding!"
And with that she disappeared into the back of the shop.
Mom smiled as she studied a diorama with a couple of dead aardvarks dressed as lumberjacks. The store was filled with what the twins called anthropomorphic taxidermy. And there was always something new. At the moment I was enjoying a recreation of Norman Rockwell's painting of a family at Thanksgiving dinner, featuring toads.
I was always surprised that these things sold. The twins had told me they do most of their business online, but things as big as the aardvarks had to be expensive to ship.
Randi breezed into the room, holding something behind her. "I wanted to make you something super special. You're the mother of the bride, after all." She held out a headband, covered with dung beetles in formalwear. They appeared to be holding hands.
"Oh, Randi!" Mom gasped. "You shouldn't have!"
I watched as she took hold of the headband and then placed it in her honey gold hair. "How does it look, Merry?"
"It's so you," I said without a beat.
I was used to these gifts. And yes, Mom looked a bit deranged with all those beetles in her hair. But if anyone could pull it off, it was her.
"I love it." She hugged Randi.
The question was, would she wear it?
"I'll just have to check it against the shade of my dress," she added.
Randi nodded eagerly. "If that doesn't work…" She reached behind a black bear in a pug costume. "I have a handbag for you to carry! It's alligator!"
Normally, any woman would be thrilled with an alligator bag.
"It's still got the head, tail, and legs attached," Randi explained as she displayed the otherwise lovely purse.
"That's perfect." Mom beamed. "Thank you so much!"
The alligator's face, sticking up between the handles, was grinning from ear to ear. It was still better than wearing dung beetles in her hair.
My stomach started to rumble. And I looked at my watch.
"Randi, thank you so much," I said quickly. "We'd better go. Lots to do!" Once we made it to the car, I asked, "What do you say about lunch at Oleo's?"
Mom nodded. "Sounds good."
The best burger joint in three counties, Oleo's never skimped on the meat, cheese, or grease. Their french fries were beer battered, and the burgers were always hot. The place had been through three generations of family owners, and nothing had changed since the 1900s.
As we were seated, I asked my mother, "Are you really going to carry that purse at the wedding?"
The purse and the beetles were currently residing in the back of the van. Where they were going to stay until January 1. Which was good because the wedding was December 30.
She shrugged elegantly. "I don't know. It's better than the alternative. Besides, now that I've accepted something from them, maybe they'll stop."
I shook my head, "I doubt it. I said yes once, and now they call me every week. You wouldn't believe what they did with two weasels and a wedding veil."
We ordered, and as we waited for our food, we reviewed her notes on the wedding, from the church to the reception.
"Your father and I decided to host the rehearsal dinner at Syma's. Do you think that would work? It's half an hour away."
Syma's was a Greek restaurant owned by Rex's parents, and the food was divine. Just thinking of the stuffed grape leaves had me salivating. I agreed, and Mom talked about the organist, florist, and minister. She had everything organized. I just sat there, amazed.
The waitress interrupted by setting down two plates with oversize burgers and beer-battered fries. I almost fainted with happiness.
"Wow," Mom said after a bite. "I wish they had food like this out East."
I frowned. "I know they have burgers in DC."
"They do, but it's all lean meat and no grease. Tasteless, really." Mom popped a fry into her mouth. No, that's not right. She gracefully indulged. Mom didn't "pop" anything.
"Well." I waved my burger in the air. "No one makes a burger like Oleo's."
My mother agreed, and we continued eating. This was Iowa. We were a meat-and-potatoes culture. When I grew up, we had a roast or a h
am or pork chops—some sort of meat with every meal. No matter where I'd been stationed when I was a spy, I never found the food to be as good as it was back home. It played a huge part in deciding where to go when I was forcibly retired.
We'd just finished eating when the bell over the door tinkled and in walked Stan-you-can-call-me-Stan. He swaggered through the restaurant, shooting finger guns at people, winking, and giving thumbs-ups. This guy was a walking cliché. Could he have killed Didi? He didn't like her. She'd stolen his clients, which would hurt since he made a commission on sales. But was it enough to kill someone over? Did he dress her up as a witch as a metaphor? My mind raced with possibilities.
And then there was Darlene. Had she dropped the coin when she placed Didi's body in the barn? If so, she came back for it and was thwarted by Kelly and me. We had two suspects now. That was something!
Stan glanced my way and did the OK sign with his fingers, until his eyes rested on my mother. Then his face underwent a strange transformation. Was that interest or constipation?
I looked at Mom, but she was checking her cell phone. Stan walked over to us, never taking his eyes off my mother.
"Hi Stan," I said as I turned to my mother. "This is Stan. You can call him—"
"Stanford Coombs," Mom said evenly.
"Judy!" Stan smiled like he'd just discovered the Holy Grail of furniture selling. "Judy Wrath!" To my horror, he pulled up a chair and sat down.
What was happening here? My mother knew this guy? In what alternate universe was that possible? And he'd called her Judy! No one called Judith Judy. Well, Rex's dad did, but my mother graciously let it pass.
"It's been a long time," Stan purred.
My stomach turned.
"Yes. It has," Mom said in clipped tones. She didn't appear happy to see him, and that was unusual. She didn't have a rude bone in her body.
He looked from me to my mom. "How do you two know each other?"
"She's my mother," I said a little defensively.
"Ah. Small world. Judy and I go way back." He gave me a slippery wink. "Way back."
"So far back," Mom said smoothly, "that I barely remember you."
Whoa. She did not like this guy.
"You knew my mother in high school?" It would make sense since he'd used her maiden name…a name I'd taken on when I moved here in order to stay incognito.
"Judy was my first true love," Stan said in reverent, hushed tones.
"We had two dates." Mom narrowed her eyes. She really didn't like him.
"That's not how I remember it." Stan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
I toyed with smashing his head into the table. I thought of snapping his neck. And I kind of enjoyed thinking about that.
"Mr. Coombs!" Andy Andrews snapped from across the room. He didn't look happy.
"Gotta go, love." Stan snatched my mother's hand and kissed it.
Mom snatched it back and glared at him as he got up and joined his boss. The two men commiserated in hushed tones for a while, and I think Andy even pointed me out. That was interesting. Then Stan pointed at my mother, and I felt a flare of fury.
I just sat there, eating my fries and plotting his death.
"So…" I said to Mom. "You dated my furniture guy."
She shot me a look. "Barely dated. We went out with a bunch of people, and I felt sorry for him, so I went on a real date with him." She wiped her mouth on a napkin. "It did not go well."
"Then why the second date?" I sipped my tea and considered ordering something stronger.
She waved me off casually. "I tried to give him another chance. It was the worst night of my life."
"I must know," I begged.
Mom sipped her pop. "I'd rather not relive it. Why are you asking about him?"
"I just find it interesting since his co-worker was murdered on my parade float."
Mom froze, a startled look crossed her face. "Was it a woman?"
I nodded. "Why do you ask?"
She glanced at Stan, who was now engaged in a very quiet argument with his boss.
"Because if it was, I'd say that Stan is your number one suspect."
CHAPTER SIX
We paid quickly and slipped out the back. The minute we got inside my van, I asked her, "You want to explain that?"
Mom shook her head. "How about over dinner with Rex? Let's head to the car rental."
I was torn between wanting to text Kelly about this new intel and disappointment at the idea of sharing info with Rex. And then I felt bad about thinking that. Of course we'd have to tell him. And that's when I remembered the gold coin in my pocket.
Why was I lying to him? This was his job! He should be able to trust me. And he couldn't. Because I was withholding information germane to the case. Guilt washed over me. My mother would say I should share any info I have with my fiancé. So why did it seem so important to hold back?
"You're quiet." Mom's eyebrows rose.
"I'm worried about getting the float done in time," I lied.
She nodded. "I can help with that. In fact, I'd love to."
"Okay" was all I said.
At the rental place, Mom picked out a sleek black Prius. Her charm got her a 50% discount. That never happened to me, nor was it likely to. My mother smiled sweetly as she took the keys and told me she'd catch up with me later—she wanted to drive around town, visiting old haunts. For a moment, I wanted to ask if any of those old haunts included Stan but decided against that because I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I gave her my house key and said I had to head to the barn to work on the float. I'd meet her at six for dinner.
"Kelly!" I'd dialed her the minute I got back into the van. "Meet me at the barn. I've got intel!"
"I've called all the girls. They'll be there right after school. I'll have to see if Robert can come home early to watch Finn," she agreed.
Which meant I got there first. While waiting outside the barn, I took a picture of the gold coin, front and back. It was a strange piece. It felt heavy in my palm, and I bit into it. The metal gave. It was real.
Gold is a soft metal, and I've had some experience with it—most recently a few months ago but also during my career as a spy. One time, in Yemen, I had to swipe a gold bar to prove to the government that a group calling themselves something that loosely translated to Jihadi Chicken was stealing from the Treasury.
"What are you doing?" Kelly asked from the doorway.
"I think this is real gold." I held out the coin.
"Is it like a pirate doubloon?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Not many pirates in Iowa. I'm not sure what it is. The eagle makes me think early American, but I'm not sure. Other countries also use eagles as symbols."
"How do you think it got here?"
I shrugged. "You never told me where you found it."
"Over there." Kelly pointed at a pile of junk about five feet away from the float. We started looking around, poking behind boxes of rusty metal and old rope, but found nothing. The person in the hoodie must've dropped it. But why? Was he or she the killer? Had they come back to the barn to see if she'd left anything behind? I thought about Darlene. Was she the killer? I had to meet her to find out.
"You said you had information," Kelly said, interrupting my thoughts. "What is it?"
I filled her in on Mom and Stan. My best friend was appropriately shocked.
"There's no way I can see those two together. But maybe she's right about Stan killing Didi."
"It's certainly worth checking out. Unfortunately, Mom's going to tell Rex tonight at dinner." I glanced at my watch. "Which means I'll only be able to work here until 5:30. Sorry."
Kelly waved me off. "You've already put in a lot of hours on this. Robert has baby duty, so I can stay later. I could call Soo Jin to help."
"What about Darlene?" I asked as my friend texted the coroner.
"Oh! Right! I talked to the head of volunteer staffing. She said Darlene works tomorrow. And she said Darlene has been acting strangely."
/> My spy-dy senses perked up. "How so? You didn't tell her about the investigation, did you?"
Kelly shook her head. "No. Alice, the woman I spoke to, offered it up freely. She said that Darlene has been nervous about something. She's always looking over her shoulder, and when they brought in Didi's body to the morgue, she went completely white."
Our town was so small that the coroner's office was in the hospital basement. We had a morgue because Who's There was the county seat.
"Didi's body would've been in a body bag. She couldn't have known who it was. Maybe dead people freak her out?"
"I don't think so. According to Alice, she was with Darlene twice when bodies have been brought in and she didn't bat an eyelash." Kelly leaned closer, her voice soft. "I find that very suspicious."
I agreed. "We should definitely go see her. Find out exactly what time her shift is, and I'll come over."
"Sounds good." My co-leader glanced out the window. A steady stream of cars was arriving. The troop was here.
Kelly told the girls that Dr. Body was going to help with the float, and they screamed. They loved Soo Jin.
After a few minutes, I interrupted their glee. "Right now, our priority is to get this float finished. Only a few more days until the parade! Do you guys have your costumes?"
As if on cue, Inez stepped forward, "We changed our minds about the skeletons. Instead, we are all going to be dead witches, sprawled lifelessly around the skull."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Kelly frowned. "Considering the circumstances."
"But it's timely," Lauren insisted.
"It's current," Betty agreed. "It'll make a statement."
"I bought fake blood at the Halloween store," Hannah offered unhelpfully.
I wasn't sure I wanted the girls to make a statement that reminded Who's There that one of their own was murdered, dressed as a witch, and dumped onto our float. Even if no one seemed to like her.
"It's not happening." Kelly was stern.
I intervened. "I need eight girls to get to work on the float. But maybe the rest of you can think of a way to incorporate your skeletons into the float."
Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 24