A Murderous Misconception

by Lorraine Bartlett

  “Thanks. I’ll be glad to collect it—or have Vance pick it up.” She sighed. “We’re terribly disappointed in VJ, but I’m trying to give him the benefit of doubt. I mean, I understand his wanting to see the photo—she is, or rather was, a beautiful woman—but I want to know where he got it.” Janey hesitated. “I don’t think he’d simply walk off with Matt Brady’s property, even something as insignificant as one photograph.”

  “Do you think Erikka could have given it to him?” The question was innocent enough, Katie thought, but Janey’s response was explosive.

  “Certainly not! He didn’t know that woman. There was no reason whatsoever for her to give him a picture of herself in lacy, barely-there lingerie.”

  “I didn’t mean to imply anything,” Katie told her. “It just seems Erikka had a lot of those photos to spread around.”

  Janey calmed. “Oh, well…I suppose she was pretty proud of herself, huh? She must have adhered to the old adage if you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Knowing VJ, he might’ve even picked that photo up by accident—you know, like I accidentally put it in your folder,” Janey said. “I’ll bet you that’s exactly what happened. If you don’t mind, just throw the thing away. I’m not even going to ask VJ about it now. No sense embarrassing him over doing the same thing I did, right?”

  “Right,” Katie murmured in agreement, even though she didn’t agree. She wanted to know why VJ had the photo. Why didn’t his mother? Was Janey afraid of the answer she might get?

  Janey laughed. “I’m sure you’ll delight in ripping that picture into a million teeny tiny pieces. I would! So you just do that, and put it in the trash, okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said, “I’ll take care of it,”

  After ending the call, Katie opened her desk drawer and put the photo inside face down. She didn’t want to look at Erikka every time she opened her drawer, but she did want to know why VJ had the picture. But was she willing to confront the young man herself? She didn’t want Janey and Vance upset with her, but she didn’t want a lead to go unexplored either. Maybe VJ could tell her something about Erikka that could help find her killer.

  Why had Janey been so defensive? Had she merely not wanted Katie to get the wrong impression of her son? Or was she afraid VJ was hiding something?

  Katie went back to composing the email to the Merchants Association. It seemed to her that the stupid thing was taking forever to get finalized and sent. At this rate, the Harvest Festival vendors’ party would be in full swing, and she’d still be sitting at her desk typing the email.

  As she composed the message, her mind kept going back to Erikka being found on the entryway of the empty warehouse. Why had she been there? Was she waiting for someone? Surely, the killer had lured her there and had lain in wait to murder her.

  Even though Katie was certain the police had conducted a thorough search, she wanted to see the crime scene for herself. Maybe being there again would trigger a memory of something she saw that morning that she’d been too traumatized to remember before. And maybe it would jog Nick’s memory as well.

  She texted and asked him if he’d like to meet her at the warehouse at noon.

  He replied, Jinkies, Velma, I’d love to. P.S. The boxing bachelors don’t look as bad as I’d hoped—bruising minimal. Nothing for Nona F. to gloat over. But Don liked the hand-carved elephant I bought him…despite knowing why I went by Wood U.

  Katie shook her head. There was no one else in the world—or, at least, her world—like Nick.

  As she finally finished the missive to the Merchants Association and hit send, she got an email from Seth. He’d spoken with Captain Spence about the photo and had then emailed it to him. Spence was going to investigate. Katie replied, thanking him for his help.

  A rat-a-tat knock resounded in the office before Rose opened the door and said, “Quick—come with me. I believe I’ve found him.”

  “Found who?”

  “Him,” Rose insisted. “Come on.”

  Katie got up, locked the office door, and went with Rose. When they got to the lobby, the older woman jerked her head toward a bench where an admittedly handsome older gentleman sat reading a book.

  Rose faced Katie so she’d have her back to the man when she said, “Can I pick ’em or what? Good looking and smart.”

  Katie winced when the man was joined by his wife, for whom he’d obviously been waiting.

  “What?” Rose whirled around to see the couple leaving together.

  “I’m sorry,” Katie said. “It looks like she could pick ’em too.”

  Rose shrugged. “That’s all right. I wasn’t crazy about that shirt he had on anyway.” She lifted her chin. “So, that one wasn’t him. My guy is still out there—Moonbeam told me so.”

  “She also told you that the two of you will find each other,” Katie reminded her gently. “You won’t have to go looking for him.”

  “Oh, pooh,” Rose said. “I didn’t go anywhere—he came right to me. But, like I said, he wasn’t the one.” She looked around the lobby as if to zero in on the one.

  Katie gave her friend a one-armed hug. “It’ll happen when the time is right.”

  About eleven forty-five, Katie left her office and crossed the back lot, heading for the warehouse. Seeing Nick coming from the other direction as she neared the building, she quickened her pace and met him halfway.

  “This is exciting,” he said, as they power walked to the door.

  “Or incredibly stupid,” she said. “Do you think we’re making a mistake by going inside?”

  “No! Hurry up before someone sees us.”

  Katie was relieved that the crime scene tape had been removed, and even more surprised the building hadn’t been secured. As head of the Victoria Square Merchants Association, she should probably contact the owner—who’d rejected an invitation to join the association. Their loss. Still, she wouldn’t have tried to enter the building if the crime tape was still there, although she wasn’t certain Nick felt the same way. “Did you tell anyone where you were going?”

  “Of course not,” he said. “Don already thinks I’m too nosy for going to check out Andy’s and Ray’s post-fight faces. Why? Did you tell someone?”

  “No. After we leave here, I’m planning to go to Tealicious and get a few sandwiches to take to Ann Tanner’s house,” she said. “Want to join me?”

  “All right, but let’s do our investigating first.”

  Inside the warehouse, everything looked much as it had the morning she and Nick had found Erikka’s body, with thick dust and cobwebs everywhere except the spot on the floor where Erikka had been lying. And since the crime scene techs had worn booties over their shoes, the floor around where the body had lain was covered in indistinguishable footprints.

  “What are we looking for?” Nick whispered.

  “I don’t know,” Katie said. “I thought maybe we’d remember something we’d seen that morning. Why are we whispering?”

  He shrugged. “It seems sacred or something in here.”

  “I think you’re confusing morbid for sacred.” Something in the corner of the room caught her eye. “Look at that.”

  Following her gaze, he squinted. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Exactly. There’s a perfect square in that corner that’s clean—no dust. Why do you think that is?”

  “Maybe the crime scene techs put a blanket down, and they transferred Erikka to the blanket to remove her from the warehouse,” he suggested.

  “Or maybe someone put a blanket here because they’d been setting up a rendezvous.”

  “You’re reaching,” Nick told her.

  “Am I?” she asked. “Think about it. Why had Erikka come here? She was bound to have been meeting someone. And if this was a regular trysting spot…”

  Nick shook his head. “Why not get a hotel room?”

  “I think that’s pretty obvious.” Katie eased closer to the spot. It was perfectly square. “I r
eally believe this was a meeting place between Erikka and one of her lovers.”

  “Do you think it could have been Andy?” he asked.

  “Anything’s possible.” She didn’t want to think so, but she realized that yes, it was possible.

  Chapter 30

  As they were walking from the warehouse toward Tealicious, Katie pulled out her phone to call Brad to asked him to box up a selection of tea sandwiches. “Nick and I are taking lunch to Ann Tanner.”

  “You’re a sweetheart,” Brad said. “I’ll have them ready for you when you get here. I’ll throw in some cookies, too.”

  “Thanks.” Katie put her phone away.

  “He’s a great guy,” Nick said after Katie had ended the call. “You could do worse, you know.”

  Her voice was pleasant but firm. “I adore Brad—as a friend—but I’m swearing off men for a while—maybe forever.”

  Nick laughed. “In that case, there’s a nice young woman I know who just broke up with her—”

  “Hush,” she interrupted with a laugh.

  He gave her an impish grin. “Good to see you laughing today. I think you’re on the mend already.”

  “Maybe my heart is, but my mind is still terrified I’ll end up in the hoosegow.”

  “Now, there’s an old-fashioned word for you.” He arched a brow. “Have you been doing crossword puzzles with Don behind my back?”

  Katie arched an eyebrow. “Maybe.”

  Once they’d retrieved the boxes of sandwiches and cookies, they piled into Katie’s car and drove over to Ann’s house. If she wasn’t delighted to see the two of them, she put up a great front.

  Giving one-armed hugs to Katie and then Nick, Ann said, “Look at what the cat dragged in! And just in time—I’m starving! Come on in to the kitchen.”

  Nick and Katie followed Ann into her charming, spacious kitchen where she invited them to sit at the breakfast table.

  “What would you like to drink?” Ann asked. “I can’t pour, but I have canned drinks and bottles of water.”

  Both opted for water, and Ann got herself a bottle as well, then grabbed some sandwich plates from the cupboard and distributed them before joining them at the table.

  As they dug into the sandwiches, Ann asked, “Have you heard anything new in Erikka Wiley’s murder investigation?” Then before Katie could answer, she said, “You know, someone told Jordan that Erikka wasn’t even really pregnant. Imagine going around telling people you’re expecting a child when you aren’t.” She tsked and shook her head. “The day before she died, she came into the bakery and bought some mini cupcakes—we call them babycakes, you know. She said her baby wanted a baby cake and patted her tummy. Jordan asked when she was due, and she said April.”

  “Were there a lot of people in the bakery at the time?” Katie asked.

  “Oh, sure. It was full. We’re always extra busy when we make baklava, and we only make it once a week,” Ann said. “And that was baklava day.”

  “I always snag some for Sassy Sally’s.” Nick winked at Ann. “Sometimes I’m selfish and don’t share it with our patrons though. It’s hard to find guests I like more than I like Tanner’s baklava.”

  Smiling, Katie asked, “You wouldn’t happen to remember if Matt Brady was there, would you, Ann?”

  “Yes, he was.” Ann bit into a tea sandwich, looking thoughtful. “And so were Ray, Nona, Vance, Detective Schuler, Gilda…the whole Square loves our baklava.”

  Katie shot a look in Nick’s direction, but he made no comment, and Ann turned the conversation back to her bakery and how she felt at loose ends sitting at home while her husband ran the business.

  They stayed chatting for another half hour before Katie announced that she needed to get back to work.

  “Stop by with those wonderful sandwiches anytime,” Ann said and waved to them from the front door.

  They got in Katie’s car and headed back to Sassy Sally’s.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Nick said, sounding serious.

  Katie scowled, her hands tightening on the wheel. “I’m not sure they’re worth that much, but here goes. Do you think one of the men in the bakery when Erikka announced her pregnancy could’ve been her killer?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “I’m serious. I mean, think about it—there was Erikka bragging about the baby she was going to have in April. If someone in there thought he was about to be a father, he might’ve gotten nervous.”

  “Are you thinking of Matt Brady?”

  Nodding, Katie said, “He admitted the two of them were hooking up.”

  “Yeah, but Erikka had also posted the sonogram on social media, and she’d told Andy even before that,” Nick pointed out.

  “True, and Matt knew Erikka was in love with Andy. He’d have to have known she intended to pass the baby off as Andy’s whether the child belonged to him or not.”

  “You’re assuming—probably based on Andy’s reaction-that the real father would not have wanted the baby. Maybe he—Matt or whomever—did want the baby, if it belonged to him.”

  “Andy wanted the baby, too,” she said quietly. “At first he told me that he didn’t. That it wouldn’t mean anything to him, but I think he truly did. After Erikka died, he seemed pretty upset to think he’d lost his son, but also relieved when he learned she’d lied about being pregnant.”

  Nick inclined his head. “Believing you’re going to have a child is life-changing, but don’t limit your suspect list to just the men in the bakery when Erikka made her announcement. Like you, the suspect could’ve seen the sonogram on social media. And, don’t forget, Nona was there. Telephone, tell-a-Nona!”

  “True,” she said with a laugh, “but I still want to talk with Matt Brady again.” And she thought she had the perfect excuse to do so.

  Katie parked behind Tealicious and walked to Matt Brady’s studio. Izzy wasn’t there, and Katie was relieved to find Matt in the studio changing his main backdrop from summer flowers to a fall setting.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked sarcastically. “Now that you know Erikka and I were hooking up, do you want to find out for yourself if I’m a better lover than Andy? Or how you measure up to her?”

  Clenching her fists, Katie used every single ounce of restraint she possessed not to punch Matt in his smug, leering face. “I’m not interested in you in the slightest. I’m here because VJ Ingram’s mom is concerned because she found one of those sexy photos of Erikka in his room. I don’t think for a second that VJ would steal. I believe he either picked it up accidentally or you gave it to him.”

  “Of course, I gave it to him,” Matt said. “Erikka was one hot babe and he’s a young man.” Brady waggled his brows suggestively. “The kid’s been good to help me out around here for nothing, so I was doing him a solid.”

  “Do you know whether Erikka and VJ had any sort of relationship?” she asked.

  Matt snorted. “He wishes.”

  Katie turned to leave but paused to look over her shoulder. “Did you and Erikka ever use the abandoned warehouse as a meeting place.”

  “No.” He gestured to the sofa. “We met right there on that sofa…and sometimes on a faux fur rug I have in the back. Which would you prefer? With the sofa, there’s a chance we could be interrupted, but Erikka liked thinking someone might see us. She found it exciting. What about you, Katie? How adventurous are you?”

  She merely glared at him and walked out of the studio to the sound of his mocking laughter.

  Feeling as if she could use a scalding shower, Katie hurried to the comfort of her office at Artisans Alley. But there was no peace to be found there either.

  Detective Schuler was standing in the vendors’ lounge drinking a cup of coffee. Had he chipped in for it or just helped himself? “Katie Bonner, I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Quickly suppressing her annoyance at finding him there, Katie said, “I’m sorry—did we have an appointment?”

  “No.” He slammed his paper coffee c
up into the nearest trash receptacle, and Katie could smell the sweet aroma as the remainder of its contents sloshed out into the bin. It made her stomach flip.

  “How may I help you, Detective?” she asked, pleased that her voice didn’t betray her inner turmoil.

  “Let’s talk in your office where we won’t be disturbed.”

  Katie lifted her chin. “Do I need to have my attorney present for this meeting? If so, I’d prefer to conduct it at your office. As you well know, mine is rather small and cramped.”

  He didn’t react to her pointed reminder of him and his men searching her office. “That’s entirely up to you. We can have an informal chat, just the two of us, or we can conduct a more formal interview. I’ll warn you, though—a formal interview could lead to official charges.”

  While she had nothing to hide, she didn’t want to antagonize this man further…at least, not until she could learn what he had up his sleeve today. Jerking her head toward her office, she indicated he should follow her. As she traversed the short distance, she thought she should take measures to protect herself. She took her key from her purse and unlocked the door.

  My phone… I’ve got to find a way to record this conversation on my phone.

  Detective Schuler stepped inside as soon as she opened the door. With his hands on his hips, he waited for her to get inside and seated, then he loomed over her, watching her closely. She was afraid she’d be unable to set her phone to record without tipping him off.

  Placing her purse under the desk, she dropped her keys beside it. “Darn it.” Making it appear she was fumbling for the keys, she tapped the buttons necessary to make the phone begin recording. She straightened and gave Schuler a tight smile. “Sorry.”

  With a smirk, he asked, “What’s the matter? Are you nervous?”

  “Just clumsy.” She hoped the phone’s speakers could adequately detect their voices, and she tamped down the desire to speak louder than usual. “What do you need to talk with me about?”

  Schuler moved farther into her personal space, towering above her, no doubt trying to intimidate her even more. “I had a meeting with Captain Spence this morning. He was concerned about a photograph you apparently produced.”