A Murderous Misconception

by Lorraine Bartlett

  “Thank you.” Katie followed the receptionist back to Mrs. Schuler’s office where she immediately noticed the expensive Jonathan Charles furniture and the attractive Decasso desk set. She’d known from reading about Bethany Schuler’s parents that the detective’s wife came from money, but she hadn’t realized it was this much money.

  Bethany Schuler stood and extended a hand across her desk. “Bethany Schuler. What can I do for you?”

  “Katie Bonner,” she said and shook Mrs. Schuler’s hand, noticing that the woman wore a large diamond and emerald ring encircling one finger and a dainty gold butterfly ring—exactly like the one Erikka had worn—on another. “I appreciate your taking the time to see me. I came to speak with you about Erikka Wiley. She attended one of your organization’s recent events.”

  Mrs. Schuler indicated the chair in front of her desk and both women sat.

  “Ms. Bonner, a lot of people attend our events. You’ll need to be more specific.”

  Taking the photo from her purse, Katie said, “Maybe this will jog your memory.”

  Mrs. Schuler glanced at the photo. “I know the blonde—she’s Laurel Westin. She, and I imagine your friend, typically come to the RABC events on the prowl for a husband. Many of our patrons are wealthy.”

  “So, you didn’t know Erikka Wiley personally?”

  “Wiley?” Mrs. Schuler tapped her right index finger on her chin. “The name does sound familiar. She was the woman who was recently murdered in McKinlay Mill, right?”

  “Yes. Your husband is investigating the case.”

  Mrs. Schuler showed no emotion but she nodded. “Right. Such a tragedy, but no, I didn’t know her.”

  “Is it possible Erikka met one of your organization’s patrons at the party and started seeing him romantically?” Katie asked.

  “I highly doubt it,” Mrs. Schuler said, a sneer marring her seamless face. Was she a fan of Botox or had she lived a life devoid of smiles? “I’m privy to the gossip inside this organization, and I haven’t heard any rumors about this woman,” she said with disdain, “dating any of our eligible bachelors.” She looked down her nose at Katie. “Besides, none of the men at my gala would’ve murdered anyone. We’re all about preserving life here, not taking it.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Katie said, keeping her expression bland.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Mrs. Schuler asked, her tone not at all helpful.

  Oh, yes. Like why had her husband decided to target Katie as a murderer with nothing in the way of evidence?

  Etiquette demanded Katie bite her tongue—at least on that account. “How is it that Erikka even received an invitation to your fundraiser?”

  Bethany Schuler narrowed her eyes. “Our tickets are sold to the public at large. We can’t control those who attend.” Did she loathe the rabble who might show up? But Katie also knew that such fundraisers gave away tickets to corporate sponsors so that they could pack the event with warm bodies so that it would appear to be better attended.

  “Will you be making a donation to our cause today?” Mrs. Schuler asked pointedly.

  “I’d like to study some of your literature before I make such a commitment,” Katie said affably.

  “Of course.” Mrs. Schuler pulled a brochure from her top desk drawer and handed it to Katie, then forced a smile and nodded toward the door. “It was very nice to make your acquaintance. I’m sure you can find your way out.”

  Katie stood. “Again, thank you for seeing me.”

  Instead of acknowledging Katie, Mrs. Schuler picked up her phone and asked the receptionist about her next appointment.

  As Katie strode through the receptionist’s office, a box of shiny bling caught her attention: Golden butterfly rings. She waited until the receptionist set down the receiver before speaking.

  “Excuse me,” she said.

  The receptionist looked up. The name plaque on her desk said Rita.

  “What are these rings for?”

  “We give them to our contributors at events.”

  “May I have one?” Katie asked.

  “If you give us a check,” Rita said blandly. She seemed to have taken on the same attitude as her boss.

  Katie eyed the half-empty box of rings and smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

  “You do that.”

  Katie left the office and headed for her car. So, Erikka’s ring wasn’t all that unique after all.

  Could there be hundreds of them being worn by hundreds of women in the area?

  Once back at Artisans Alley, Katie logged into her favorite social media account and searched for Laurel Westin. It wasn’t terribly hard to find the attractive blonde, and Katie sent her a friend request and a message asking if they could meet for lunch later that day. To sweeten the pot, Katie provided a link to the Tealicious web page. If Laurel Westin was on the prowl for a husband, gorgeous—famous—Chef Brad might induce her to accept Katie’s invitation.

  A hesitant tap on Katie’s door caught her attention and she called, “Who is it?” trying to swallow down a fit of nerves. She expected push-back from Schuler once he learned she’d spoken with his wife, but he wouldn’t be timid about knocking. He might not even knock at all. But she feared it could be someone with even more bad news.

  “It’s Roger.”

  Katie let out a sigh of relief and told the young man to come on in.

  Roger entered and closed the door back behind him. “Are you busy?”

  “Not too busy for you. What’s on your mind?”

  The young man looked embarrassed. “I’m afraid I’m in trouble.”

  Katie directed him into the chair beside her desk. “Do I need to get you some water or something? Or do you just need to get whatever it is off your chest?”

  “I just need to say it,” he said, his cheeks going scarlet. “A day or two after…after Erikka was found—I can’t remember exactly which day—I found that little butterfly ring she used to wear.” He gulped. “It was on the sidewalk in front of Tealicious. I saw it lying there with the sun glinting off it, and I just… I put it in my pocket. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Aware that their conversation was possibly being overheard by Sheriff’s deputies, Katie said, “You couldn’t know that was Erikka’s ring. It’s a popular design. Why, just this morning I saw the exact same ring being worn by Detective Schuler’s wife.”

  “Well, picking up the ring isn’t what got me into trouble,” he said.

  “Then, what is?” Of course, she already knew. But she wasn’t about to tell him—or the officers who were probably listening—that.

  “I took the ring inside Tealicious with me and, at some point, while I was working, I took it out of my pocket and put it on the windowsill. I told Mr. Healy about it, and he said I should tell the cops.”

  “And did you?” Katie asked.

  He nodded. “I called and told Detective Schuler I’d found the ring. He asked if I could come by later that day and sign an affidavit saying I’d found it. I said I would and asked if I should bring the ring with me. He said no, to leave it where it was for now.”

  “And did you sign the affidavit?”

  “Yes, and the next day, the police came here and searched,” he said. “But the ring was gone. I don’t know what happened to it. Mr. Healy said he didn’t take it, and none of the other workers would own up to taking it either. And now, they’re telling me I’m in trouble if I don’t tell them where the ring is. They said I could be charged with filing a false report.”

  Katie frowned. “Who’s telling you? You know what? It doesn’t matter. You didn’t file a false report. You did the right thing when you reported finding a ring you believed might’ve belonged to Erikka.”

  Roger’s eyes were wide and scared. “But they’re saying I lied.”

  “John Healy will testify that you didn’t,” she said. “Besides, that ring wouldn’t do police any good even if it did belong to Erikka.”

  “Why’s that?�
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  “Those rings—Erikka’s and the ring exactly like it that Mrs. Schuler was wearing today—” She’d said that extra loudly for the benefit of Schuler himself should he be listening. “—were given away by the hundreds recently at a charity event. They’re delicate, with a thin band. It would have had so many fingerprints on it that the police wouldn’t have been able to get any clean trace evidence from it.”

  Roger’s mouth dropped open. “Wow, Katie, you must watch a ton of crime shows to know so much about the law.”

  She winked. “Nah. But I am an avid reader. And I don’t think you have anything to worry about from the police. Still, if they should try to badger you, refuse to talk with them without an attorney present.”

  “If I could afford one.”

  “I know several who might help.

  He frowned. “Okay. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said.

  Okay, she didn’t really know several attorneys, but she wanted Schuler to think she did. If he was listening in on her conversation with Roger, she hoped he got an earful. It crossed her mind that he might’ve even put Roger up to coming here and talking with her, hoping she’d confess to the young man that she’d taken the ring. But she wasn’t foolish enough for that. And she didn’t say anything to Roger that wasn’t legally sound.

  “I guess I’d better get back to work,” Roger said.

  “Don’t worry,” Katie told him. “Things have a way of working out.”

  She just hoped what she said would turn out to be true.

  Less than an hour later, Katie got a response from Erikka’s friend, Laurel Westin. She said she’d love to have lunch with Katie and that she’d meet her at Tealicious at a quarter past twelve.

  At twelve-fifteen, Katie exited Artisans Alley through its back door and hurried across the parking lot to Tealicious. Laurel Westin was already there, leaning across the counter as if she were trying to see something…or someone.

  “Hi, Ms. Westin? I’m Katie Bonner.”

  “Hi, Katie. Please call me Laurel.” She gave Katie a distracted smile and then looked again not in the display case but toward the kitchen.

  “Would you like to meet Chef Andrews?” Katie asked. “We’re lucky to have him here at Tealicious.”

  “I’d love to meet him,” Laurel gushed, her eyes going wide.

  “Wait right here.” With a bright smile, Katie left her new acquaintance to enter the kitchen to speak with Brad.

  Upon seeing her, his eyes narrowed, as though he could see she wanted a favor. “What?”

  “There’s someone in the dining room who’d like to meet you,” she said.

  Blowing out a breath, he asked, “This isn’t a fix-up, is it?”

  “Of course not! I simply want you to come out and smile at a young woman,” Katie said. “Just turn down the charm to seventy-five percent or so—I don’t want her fainting on me.”

  Brad scowled. “Ha-ha.”

  “I’m serious.” She drew back and placed a hand on her chest. “You don’t realize the power of your influence.”

  “Uh-huh. And am I using that power for good or evil?” he asked.

  Katie shrugged. “Eh, it’s a gray area. I’ll explain later.” Taking his arm, she walked with him out into the dining room. “Chef Andrews, I’d like you to meet Laurel Westin.”

  Brad gave a slight bow. “I’m delighted. How do you do, Laurel?”

  “How do you do?” Laurel asked rather huskily. “I’m so glad to meet you. I absolutely adore cooking.”

  He smiled. “So do I. And now I’d better get back to it.”

  “Wait,” Laurel said. “Could you give me some tips sometime?”

  Brad shot Katie a murderous look before turning back to his admirer. “Of course. Contact me through our web page with your questions.”

  “I sure will. Thank you!” Laurel sighed and beamed at Brad’s retreating back and then seemed to melt. “Isn’t he marvelous?” she breathed.

  “Yes, he is.” Katie smiled, wondering if she should’ve given her words more emphasis. Laurel seemed to emphasize about every other one. “Why don’t we have a seat and order?”

  Once they’d settled in at a table with their tea and sandwiches, Laurel said, “I was surprised to get your invitation. I mean, it was a nice surprise, but—” She shrugged. “Well, why did you want to have lunch with me?”

  “I know you were friends with Erikka Wiley, and I’m so sorry for your loss,” Katie said sincerely.

  “Oh, well, thank you. That’s so nice.” But then her smile faded. “Wait, you’re Katie. The Katie who was dating Erikka’s boyfriend.”

  “Actually, Erikka was dating my boyfriend.” Katie sipped her tea to steady her nerves. “Although, I don’t think you could call what they were doing dating.” Oh, my goodness, Katie thought. Now Laurel had given her the emphasis sickness.

  “Well, that’s true enough.” Laurel picked up a sandwich and took a small bite out of it. “In fact, I told her that over and over. I said, ‘Erikka, he’s not going to leave that other woman for you. If he was, he wouldn’t be sneaking around.’ I mean, it’s not as if the two of you were married and he had assets to lose or a custody battle to fight or something.”

  “That’s true,” Katie said with a nod. “I understand that you took Erikka to the butterfly gala to introduce her to some other guys?”

  Laurel rolled her eyes. “Yeah. That turned out to be a dud, though, even though we got these awesome rings.” She held up her hand to display one of the dainty butterfly rings with which Katie had become overly familiar. “Anyway, everybody wound up drinking too much—as per usual at these things—and the only guy Erikka flirted with all night was the Schuler woman’s husband. I don’t even know why—he’s not that cute or anything. You think maybe it’s because he’s a detective? You know, some girls are badge bunnies.”

  Katie blinked in disbelief. “You’re telling me that Erikka flirted with Detective Schuler at the gala?” she asked. “Did he flirt back?”

  Laurel giggled. “Oh, absolutely! It was so bad that the Schuler woman told me to never bring Erikka back to one of their functions. Isn’t that a hoot?”

  Katie let out a shaky breath. “Is it ever.”

  Chapter 33

  Katie felt a tad guilty for judging Laurel to be a vapid bimbo, but apart from the information she’d imparted about the butterfly gala and Erikka’s behavior there, she seemed to have the mental capacity of a sex-starved hamster.

  Katie hadn’t been back at Artisans Alley for very long before Rhonda Simpson, one of her vendors, burst into her office. Strands of Rhonda’s long blonde hair had escaped their French braid, and her face was flushed.

  “Katie, you need to come quick!”

  Hopping out of her chair and hurrying behind Rhonda, Katie asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Some woman is about to kill Rose,” Rhonda called breathlessly, not slowing down.

  Rhonda dashed out of her office, and Katie struggled to catch up until she arrived at the cash desks where it looked as if some woman Katie had never seen before was indeed considering murder, her venomous gaze fixed on Rose’s face. Vance was attempting to pull the woman away from Rose, but she had a good fifteen pounds on him and appeared to be a lot stronger than him.

  “Hey, what’s the problem here?” Katie shouted.

  Everyone turned and looked at Katie guiltily—except the would-be Rose killer who encompassed the group in her glower.

  With the scuffle and the noise abated, at least, for the time being, Katie asked, “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

  “This old floozy made a pass at my husband!” Would-be Rose Killer said.

  Katie looked at her friend, hoping she was going to dispute the woman’s account. “Rose?”

  Rose nodded toward the woman’s husband, a handsome man in his mid- to late-seventies. “Well… he winked at me.”

  The man looked as if he wished the floor would open up and swallow him.<
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  “He does that all the time!” his wife yelled. “He’s flirtatious. And I’ve warned him it was going to get him unwanted attention.”

  “All I did was wink back and slide my phone number across the desk to him,” Rose explained. “I didn’t realize this hateful shrew was his wife. I thought maybe she was his sister or something.”

  “You know better now, don’t you?” the man’s wife demanded.

  “I do. And I’m terribly sorry for the misunderstanding,” Rose apologized.

  “I too am sorry for the misunderstanding,” Katie said sincerely. “Let me give you a twenty-percent discount on your purchases.”

  The woman glared at Katie. “No, thanks. We don’t want these things anymore, and we’ll never step foot in this nasty little establishment again.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Katie watched them go and then turned to Rose, finding it difficult to keep her voice level. “A word in my office, please?”

  Rose nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  Katie ignored Rose’s attempts at conversation until they were in her office with the door closed. “What happened out there?”

  “The man winked at me, and I—”

  But then Katie lost it. “And because of some ridiculous fortune Moonbeam Carruthers told you, you cost us a customer and potentially every other customer who witnessed the altercation. Rose, please stop thinking about your mystery man and start considering your fellow vendors.” She paused to take in a breath.

  Dropping her head, Rose said, “I didn’t mean to…” Her voice broke, and she began to sob.

  Katie let out a breath, feeling terribly sorry. “I apologize for losing my temper, Rose. I’m under a lot of stress.”

  “You don’t know how lonely it can be,” Rose said and continued to weep.

  Oh, how wrong she was. Katie’s husband, Chad, had betrayed her trust by investing in Artisans Alley and she’d endured a terrible year of isolation with no family and few friends to soften it. It had been the worst year of Katie’s life. Rose had been alone for almost a decade, which was definitely worse, but to say Katie didn’t understand the depth of her feelings was simply untrue.