“Of course.” Seth leaned forward, drawing her gaze back to him. “What are you doing this evening?”
“I’m having dinner with Andy.”
He regarded her in silence, his expression stony.
Uncomfortable at not knowing what Seth was thinking, Katie blurted, “I have questions I believe I deserve to have answered.”
“I’m not judging you,” Seth said softly. “You and Andy have been together for a while now. If you can forgive his infidelity and learn to trust him again, then I’ll support you in that. And if you can’t, I’m behind you in that decision as well.”
“Thanks.” She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “You’re the best big brother I never had.”
Seth smiled. “I know.”
After Seth left, Katie resumed work on the Harvest Festival task list. She thought it would be nice for Artisans Alley to host a reception to kick off the event, but she wasn’t sure she could manage it with everything else that was going on. Maybe she could enlist the aid of a volunteer or two.
As she mulled over that thought, there was a brisk knock on her door before Janey Ingram strode into the office. Believing Dolly Parton to be her soul sister, Janey wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a pearl-buttoned western shirt that strained to remain buttoned.
“Katie, I’m positively beside myself over this—” She flung herself onto the chair beside the desk. “—this entanglement of VJ’s.”
“I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about,” Katie said. “They’re just kids.”
“Exactly.” Janey ran a hand heavily adorned with rings across her brow. “I know nothing whatsoever about this girl Izzy, and VJ has almost no dating experience.”
Glancing down at her list, Katie had an idea. Even though Janey struggled with multiple sclerosis, she was doing well and serving in a supervisory capacity on behalf of the Alley shouldn’t be too taxing for her.
“How would you like to get to know Izzy?” Katie asked.
Perking up, Janey said, “I’m all ears.”
“I’d love to have an opening reception for the Harvest Festival.” She leaned back in her chair. “It wouldn’t have to be anything elaborate—just a nice get-together for the vendors and the Square’s merchants showing our appreciation for all their hard work. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to organize it myself.”
Janey’s eyes widened in delight. “Why don’t I do it? I’m a whiz at event planning. Why just this summer I acted as a wedding coordinator for my niece, Emma. A heck of a good time was had by all—from the bridal shower to the last dance at the reception.”
“So I heard, and I’m thrilled you’re willing to help—as long as you don’t do too much of the heavy lifting.” Katie smiled. “That’s where Izzy comes in.”
“What a wonderful idea!” Janey exclaimed. “But would she be willing to work with her boyfriend’s mom?” She frowned slightly. “I’m guessing she considers VJ her boyfriend…right?”
Katie shrugged, intending for the gesture to encompass both questions. “Let’s find out.” She picked up her phone and dialed the photography studio. “Hi, Izzy. It’s Katie Bonner.”
There was a palpable silence before Izzy asked, “Is-is everything all right?”
“Everything is super. I wondered, though, if you could help me with something.”
“Of course—anything,” Izzy said.
Katie explained her desire to have a reception before the Harvest Festival. “Since I’ve got too much going on to adequately plan it myself, I’m enlisting a few volunteers for the job.”
“I’m glad to pitch in. It’ll help me deal with the boredom of finding productive ways to fill my work hours.”
Katie frowned. “I encouraged Mr. Brady to give you more to do—such as accounts payable and accounts receivable.”
“Yeah, well…he never mentioned it to me. But maybe he will one of these days.”
Surmising from the young woman’s tone that Izzy didn’t hold out much hope of Matthew Brady increasing her responsibilities, Katie said, “Then let’s show him how efficient you can be.”
Izzy laughed. “All right!”
After ending the call, Katie and Janey worked up a budget, made a shopping list, and discussed how to decorate the venue and the entertainment. Finally, Janey headed off to Matt Brady’s photography studio.
“Wish me luck!” Janey called.
“You won’t need it,” Katie assured her. “Just treat Izzy the way you want to be treated, and I guarantee the two of you will hit it off.” Beneath her desk, she crossed her fingers.
If Katie didn’t miss Andy, she did miss their every-other-day lunches at Del’s Diner. As she’d forgotten to grab a piece of fruit or a muffin from Nick’s kitchen, she decided to walk across the Square and visit the Tealicious menu. Of course, she’d need to walk around the Square an extra couple of times, but it was worth it.
Upon opening the teashop’s door, Katie immediately spied Nona Fiske. She inwardly groaned; the last thing she needed today was a run-in with Nona who had been a thorn in her side since her first day at Artisans Alley. Outwardly, she smiled and greeted the woman.
“Hello. How are you, Nona?”
She sniffed. “Fine. Someone told me Chef Andrews made some excellent key lime cookies, so I came by to try them.”
“And your verdict?”
Nona shrugged. “They’re pretty good, I guess.”
Katie struggled to avoid looking pointedly at the box of cookies the cantankerous woman carried. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
“By the way—”
Nona’s loaded preamble caused Katie to stop and warily turn around. “Yes?” She was barely able to keep the exasperation from her voice.
“When is Andy planning to reopen Angelo’s? I understand he must be devastated at losing Erikka, especially under the circumstances,” she said, leveling her penetrating gaze directly at Katie. “But I can’t imagine he can afford to keep the pizzeria closed for too long. Can he?”
“You’d have to ask him,” Katie said, keeping her tone neutral.
Nona arched a brow. “Oh…you don’t know?”
“I haven’t asked. After all, it’s none of my business.” She managed a tight smile. “I’m too busy running Artisans Alley and Tealicious to get worked up about the operations and finances of someone else’s endeavors. If you’ll excuse me, I need to grab a quick lunch and get back to work.”
Striding toward the counter, Katie reflected on Nona’s comment—under the circumstances. She found it hard to imagine Nona on social media. But if Erikka’s “pregnancy” was the circumstance to which she’d referred, how else would she have known about it? Did everyone in McKinlay Mill believe Erikka had been pregnant with Andy’s child? Even worse, who among them suspected Katie of the woman’s murder?
Rather than pausing to the counter, Katie rushed up the stairs, hoping Roger was still working. He was. John Healy was there now as well, but Katie’s question was too important to neglect, especially as she’d been so vague earlier that morning. After praising the now nearly completed floor, Katie asked Roger to come downstairs with her to get some lunch for himself and John.
Stopping halfway down the stairs, she turned to Roger. “Earlier I mentioned Erikka having trouble.”
“Yeah.”
“Did Erikka ever mention being stalked?”
His face brightened as he said, “Oh, that’s what you meant. Yeah. Yeah, she did!”
Katie could tell he’d been concerned that Andy could have murdered Erikka—be it accidentally or otherwise and perhaps that was why he hadn’t understood what she’d meant—and Roger seemed relieved to have another viable suspect.
“She said something about a stalker more than once,” Roger continued. “She’d come into work and say she was afraid she was being followed. At one point, she told us she thought it might be her ex because he’d been trying to get back with her.”
“Thanks—that’s very inte
resting. I remember Erikka’s ex. From what I observed, he seemed to be an abusive jerk. I’ll make sure Detective Schuler knows about him.” She resumed the descent to the dining room. “Come on—let’s see what Brad has on offer for lunch.”
After a meal where she’d forced herself to smile for so long that her cheeks ached, Katie returned to her office at Artisans Alley and immediately called the Sheriff’s Office. Detective Schuler was out, so the receptionist put her call through to Captain Spence.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Bonner. How may I help you?” he asked, his tone neutral.
“I spoke with one of Angelo’s Pizzeria’s employees earlier today, and he told me Erikka Wiley had complained on more than one occasion of being stalked. He said she suspected it might be her ex-boyfriend, Luke Stafford. She also posted about it on social media. I thought that information might be helpful to your investigation.”
“Thanks—we’ll check it out,” he said. “Is there anything else you’d like me to know? Anything you remember from when you discovered the body or from when you saw Ms. Wiley the day before her death?”
Katie’s mind flashed to Roger asking, you don’t think he did it. Do you? He being Andy. “Um…no,” she stammered. “But if I remember anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Chapter 10
For the rest of the afternoon, Katie threw herself into her work—even doing the tasks she liked least—anything to keep her mind off Erikka’s murder. Still, she kept wondering where Andy had been two nights before. The Andy she knew would never kill anyone. But, then, the Andy she thought she knew wasn’t a cheater either. By the time she walked across the Square to Sassy Sally’s to feed Mason and Della, she’d decided to have Andy meet her at the restaurant rather than allow him to pick her up at the B&B. A gut feeling told her she needed some aspect of control over the situation.
After giving the cats their food and fresh water, Katie called Andy.
“Please tell me you aren’t backing out on me.” His voice was filled with quiet desperation.
Katie felt a stab of guilt. “Of course not. But I’ve had a hectic day, and I’m running a little late. Would it be all right if I meet you at the restaurant?” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “You could go ahead and get us a table and maybe order an appetizer. I’m starving.”
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “As long as you promise me this isn’t an elaborate ditch.” He barked out a laugh, but it was obvious to Katie that he wasn’t joking.
In a tone sharper than she’d intended, she asked, “When have I ever lied to you?”
A long silence followed her retort.
“Fair enough. I’ll see you at the restaurant.” He ended the call without waiting for her response.
She couldn’t help it if the truth hurt. His lies had certainly caused her pain.
Katie set her phone aside, stripped, and stepped into the shower. As the hot water sluiced over her skin, her fear and frustration got the better of her and tears filled her eyes. How she wished she could wake up from the nightmare she was now living.
With her head held high, Katie walked into the Texas-themed steakhouse in a royal blue shift and nude heels, knowing she looked her best. Thanks to a depuffing eye mask and skillfully applied makeup, no one would have guessed she’d been weeping half an hour before.
She looked around the noisy, crowded restaurant and spied Andy. He stood and gave a soft whistle of appreciation as she approached the table. “You look amazing.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“You clean up well yourself,” she replied, as she sat on the chair he pulled out for her.
As he sat back down, Andy said, “I’m happy you agreed to have dinner with me tonight. I-I’m going through a lot, Sunshine…and I don’t think I can do it alone.”
“You’re not the only one,” she said and wondered how she could ask him where he was when Erikka was murdered. And how dare he sit across from her asking for her support. She reminded herself that Ray didn’t believe Andy to be guilty. But what if Ray is wrong? Not even Babe Ruth hit the ball out of the park every time he came up to bat.
“Are you okay, Sunshine?” he asked. “You seem distracted.”
“I’ve had a long day, that’s all—apartment renovations, Harvest Festival preparations—lots of minutiae.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
His question was the opening she needed to get some answers. “Actually, I spoke with Roger Mitchell today. Were you aware Erikka had a stalker?”
He shrugged. “She said something about it a time or two, but I figured she was trying to make me jealous. She also told me once that she was seeing someone, but none of us ever met her mystery man.”
Before Katie could question him further, a waitress arrived. She brought a beer for Andy and a white wine for Katie.
“I hope you don’t mind I went ahead and ordered your drink,” Andy said.
“It’s fine.” She knew her voice was as stiff as her backbone, but she still managed a slight smile and nodded a thank you to the waitress.
“You’re welcome!” The girl beamed at them. “Those cheese sticks should be out in a couple of minutes.”
Katie sipped her wine and was glad when the waitress scampered off to check on another table. She was suddenly in no mood to deal with someone who could feign such cheery excitement over an appetizer. In fact, she wished she hadn’t agreed to come here at all. Boo-hoo, poor Andy needs some support and encouragement. Well, guess what? So do I.
“Why do you believe Erikka made up her stalker and so-called mystery man to make you jealous?” she asked.
“Look, I knew she had a crush on me. But she knew I was with you.”
“Except when you weren’t.”
Ignoring her statement, Andy swigged his beer. He seemed to be pondering how to get Katie onto a different subject when an older couple stopped at their table.
“Andy, dear, we’re sorry to interrupt, but we wanted to offer our condolences.” The woman patted Andy’s shoulder.
“If there’s anything we can do, you only have to ask,” the man added.
“Thank you,” Andy said. “Your sympathy and encouragement mean a lot.”
The woman looked at Katie. “We’re Judy and Bob Mills. Andy and Erikka visited our bed and breakfast in Rochester once.” She smiled sadly. “Such a lovely couple.”
“Is this fetching young lady your sister, Andy?” the man asked.
Katie had no idea how Andy replied. The blood in her veins had turned to ice and all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears while Judy Mills’ voice repeated over and over: Andy and Erikka visited our bed and breakfast in Rochester….
Andy had already admitted to sleeping with Erikka once. To learn they’d visited a B&B in Rochester proved it wasn’t just a one-time slip. It was a full-blown affair!
Too stunned to move, Katie was jolted back to reality when the waitress brought their appetizer. Judy and Bob said their goodbyes and retreated. Feeling suddenly nauseous Katie sat contemplating the platter of cheese sticks in the center of the table.
Andy reached out and took one of her hands in both of his. “Katie, please—”
“When?” She jerked her hand away and slowly raised her eyes to his. “When were the two of you in Rochester?”
“It was the night you stayed with Ray’s daughters. He’d been arrested, and I was angry that you were going above and beyond for him.”
“So, your affair with Erikka was my fault?” she asked angrily. “You actually have the gall to blame me? Don’t you have to make reservations at B&Bs well in advance?”
“Not when you know someone. After all, you were able to stay at Sassy Sally’s at a moment’s notice.” He took a gulp of beer. “Erikka’s family are friends of the Mills. That’s how we got in on such short notice.”
Katie was beginning to suspect this wasn’t Andy’s first beer of the evening. “And why wouldn’t they welcome such a lovely couple to their B&B?”
The numbness was wearing off now, and Katie gave a harsh laugh. “Goodness, no! It would be such a tragedy for anyone to know the truth about Erikka…for the Wiley clan to be humiliated. But go ahead and heap one mortification after another onto Katie’s head—she can take it!” She scraped back her chair, tossed her napkin onto the table, and stormed out of the restaurant. She expected Andy to hurry after her but—for whatever reason—he didn’t.
A far cry from the weepy woman in the shower, Katie was now livid. Although she knew better than to get behind the wheel of her car in her emotional state, she did. Pushing her pedal to the metal, Katie drove far too fast.
It wasn’t but a minute before a car pulled up behind her and the driver put on his four-way flashers. She knew it wasn’t Andy. He hadn’t even tried to stop her when she’d left the restaurant.
Peering into the rearview mirror, she recognized Ray’s junker. She swerved onto the shoulder of the road and slammed her gearshift into park. Ray pulled his vehicle up behind her. Katie jumped out of her own and stalked over to intercept the former detective.
“What’s the matter with you?” she shouted.
Exiting his car, Ray yelled, “Me? You’re the one trying to get yourself killed!”
She anchored her hands to her hips, refusing to back down from any fight that came her way this evening. “Why are you following me?”
“I wasn’t following you.”
She gasped. “Then you were tailing Andy? You lied to me—you do think he’s guilty of murder!”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, woman,” Ray retorted.
“Then explain to me what you’re doing standing on the side of the road with me,” she accused as traffic zoomed by them.
A Murderous Misconception Page 7