A Murderous Misconception

by Lorraine Bartlett

  Handing Rose the box of tissues from atop her desk, Katie said, “You’re going to find that guy who’s destined to be with you, Rose. Moonbeam said so, and I…I believe her. But please just let nature take its course rather than trying to help it along.”

  Rose nodded.

  Sighing again, Katie took a peppermint from the jar on her desk, unwrapped it, and smashed it between two molars with a satisfying crunch. She looked at Rose’s drooped shoulders and lowered head and wished she could take back her harsh words. But, the truth of the matter was that Rose needed to rein herself in. She had cost her fellow vendors by making the woman customer change her mind about shopping at Artisans Alley, and she’d represented the arcade in an unfavorable light.

  “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” Katie suggested gently.

  “I’m surprised you aren’t telling me to leave and never come back,” Rose said.

  “I’d never do that. You’re more important to the Alley than a million customers,” she said and patted Rose’s hand. “But I know that altercation was stressful. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine…but I do believe I’ll take you up on your offer and take off for the rest of the day.”

  “I agree. But I hope you’ll be back tomorrow. You’re one of Artisans Alley’s most important assets. We need you. I need you.”

  “Thank you, Katie,” Rose said, still sniffling.

  Katie gave her friend a heartfelt hug. “Now go home and treat yourself to something special.”

  “When you get to my age, there isn’t much to celebrate,” Rose remarked.

  Katie hugged her friend once more and Rose left the office, Katie gave a sigh, sat down, leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and wondered if things could possibly get any worse. But, of course, they could. One should never underestimate the power of a crappy day.

  After closing Artisans Alley and walking back to Tealicious, Katie heard footsteps on the pavement behind her. Twilight had descended and while it wasn’t that late—it wasn’t unusual for other people to be walking or jogging around the Square. But there was something about those particular footsteps that unnerved her. She whirled and came face-to-scowl with Detective Schuler.

  “How dare you,” he growled, his face scrunched into a leer.

  Determined to stand her ground, Katie drew herself up and lifted her chin. “How dare I what, Detective?”

  “Don’t you ever go near my wife again.”

  She shrugged. “I visited her charitable organization. I’m interested in butterflies. Is that now a crime?”

  He squinted at her. “You didn’t go there because of your interest in butterflies. You went there to question my wife about Erikka Wiley.”

  Katie squared her shoulders. “Fair enough. I did. Did you know Erikka was using the abandoned warehouse as a meeting place with one of her many lovers? And that she might have been meeting someone she met at your wife’s gala?”

  “I know you’re a ridiculous woman who thinks she knows far more than she actually does.” He leaned down so she could smell his stale breath as he hissed into her face. “I know that if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave the investigating to the professionals and that you’ll leave my wife and me alone.”

  “Why are you so defensive about your wife?” Katie asked.

  Schuler clenched his fists. “My wife is none of your concern, and you’d be wise to give her a wide berth.”

  Katie recalled reading about Bethany Schuler’s family’s political influence. “Is it because you want to run for office at some time in the future? I read that Bethany’s family was influential in Western New York politics.”

  “Shut up!”

  “Is that the plan?” she continued, realizing she was walking a dangerous path but not willing to get off it just yet. “You and Bethany see yourselves as the next governor and first lady?”

  Schuler’s lip curled and he raised one of his clenched fists. Katie recoiled, certain he was about to strike her.

  “You’d better get out of my sight,” he warned.

  “Or what?” she challenged. “You are trespassing in front of my store. Leave now, or I’ll call the Sheriff’s Office and have you removed. And then I’ll ask them to transfer my call to Internal Affairs.”

  Schuler glared at her.

  She turned and, despite her bluster, she was half afraid that he’d grab her and pull her back but was too stubborn to let Schuler see her fear. As calmly as she could, she walked to the stairs leading up to her apartment over Tealicious. It was only when she reached the steps and saw him stalking off in the other direction that she felt she could let her guard down.

  With fumbling fingers, she unlocked the door, walked into the apartment, and immediately locked the door again, throwing the deadbolt. Mason and Della ran to her and with trembling hands, she gathered them up and hugged them.

  Opening her fridge, Katie took out the already opened bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. She spied the landline phone she hadn’t abandoned. To further calm her nerves, she called Rose. She needed to check on the poor woman anyway, and it would be good to hear a familiar voice.

  “Hi, Rose. H-how are you?” she asked.

  “How are you?” Rose asked. “You’re the one who sounds like she’s on the verge of tears. Are you calling to fire me?”

  “Oh, I’d never do that.” Katie took a deep breath. “I j-just…I just…” Her heart was pounding, and she took another deep breath. “I just had another run-in with Detective Schuler.”

  “Oh, my gosh! Did he arrest you?” Rose cried. “Do you need bail money? I can be there in—”

  “No, Rose.” Katie gave a soft laugh, thankful for Rose’s unconditional friendship. “I appreciate the offer, but our meeting was no way near as civilized as his simply arresting me.”

  “What did he do?” Rose asked, her tone anxious.

  Katie told Rose about Schuler’s approaching her on the sidewalk outside Tealicious. “When he raised his fist, Rose, I really thought he’d hit me.”

  “If nothing else, you should immediately report him,” Rose decreed.

  Katie no longer trusted the Sheriff’s Office. “Maybe,” she sort of agreed. “I’ll call Seth Landers and let him know.”

  “Why don’t I come sit with you for a while?” Rose offered. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

  “Thank you, but I’m all right. My doors are locked, and I’m not planning on going anywhere until tomorrow morning. I simply needed to hear a friendly voice,” she said. “What about you? Are you all right? I know you were awfully shaken up when you left Artisans Alley today.”

  “I’m fine.” Rose gave a rueful chuckle. “There’s no fool like an old fool, is there?”

  “You’re certainly not a fool. You’re wonderful. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Katie placed her phone on the table. By now, her heart had slowed to a reasonable rate, so she fed the cats before preparing some dinner for herself. As she cut an apple to put in a quinoa salad, she remembered Rose’s encounter with the jealous wife. Yes, the husband had flirted with Rose, and Rose had simply responded in kind. Okay, maybe she had taken it a step farther in trying to give the man her phone number. But the wife was furious, even though she admittedly knew flirting was common behavior for her husband.

  Putting strips of grilled chicken in a saucepan, Katie thought about Laurel Westin telling her how much Erikka and Detective Schuler had flirted with each other that night. Granted, according to Laurel, they’d all been drinking. And it was possible neither Erikka nor the detective had meant anything by the flirting. But had Bethany Schuler taken it that way? Or had she been like the jealous wife at Artisans Alley that day? After all, she’d told Laurel to never bring Erikka back to another event. How angry had Bethany actually been? Did the woman have a reputation for blowing her top?

  While eating dinner, Katie booted up her laptop and searched online for any information on Bethany Schu
ler. Several articles told of parties and other events, but there were also tales of a woman with a volatile temper. One chronicled a tirade in an airport over a lost bag, while another reported her being removed from a restaurant for verbally assaulting the wait staff, as well as throwing a tantrum in a nail salon and demanding, “Do you know who I am? Do you know who my parents are?” After the nail salon debacle, Bethany reportedly went on a spa retreat to “rest and rejuvenate because she was under so much stress over the plight of the local butterfly population.” The charity was formed right after that, and Bethany hadn’t received any more bad press. At least, not yet.

  Katie pondered what she’d learned that day. Laurel said Bethany had been angry—angry enough to ban Erikka from all future events. But, judging by the most recent articles mentioning Bethany, she’d finally mastered control of her outbursts…at least, in front of the media. Self-control was an excellent quality for a woman who had political aspirations for herself or her husband. Lovely women with wild oats to sow were widely known to be detrimental to political careers. What might Bethany Schuler do if she thought Erikka Wiley was trying to seduce her husband?

  Chapter 34

  Determined not to let Detective Schuler push her around, Thursday morning Katie made the drive into Rochester to revisit the butterfly organization before heading to Artisans Alley. After reading about Bethany Schuler’s antics online the evening before, she’d decided to go and apologize for upsetting the woman. Okay, her primary reason was to try to get more information about Detective Schuler’s flirtation with Erikka at the gala, but she did plan to apologize.

  The receptionist recognized her when she came into the office.

  “Hello, Rita!” Katie said brightly. “How are you this beautiful morning?”

  “Fine. Mrs. Schuler is—”

  Before the receptionist could finish her sentence, Bethany Schuler came out of her office and handed a file to the young woman. Upon seeing Katie, her expression soured, but then she forced a smile. “Ms. Bonner, was it? Have you come to make that donation?”

  “Actually, I have a few more questions, if you wouldn’t mind taking the time to speak with me.” Katie held up her hands. “I promise I’ll be quick.”

  Mrs. Schuler nodded at the receptionist. “Rita is quite knowledgeable about our operations. I’m sure she can answer any questions you might have. I’m swamped today.”

  “She knows why you banned Erikka Wiley from future events then?” Katie asked.

  Eyes narrowing to slits, Mrs. Schuler said, “That’s none of your business. Rita can answer your relevant questions about our organization.”

  “I’d like to know if it’s true that you told Laurel Westin not to ever bring Erikka to another of the charity’s events,” Katie persisted.

  With a shriek, Mrs. Schuler snatched the stapler off Rita’s desk and hurled it across the room. “Get out of this office and never come back. If you do, I’ll have you arrested for harassment!”

  “But I’m not—”

  “Out!” Mrs. Schuler screamed, making poor Rita cower against the wall.

  Katie didn’t press her luck and left the office in haste. It appeared Bethany Schuler hadn’t quite mastered controlling those violent outbursts after all.

  It was close to opening when Katie returned to Artisans Alley. She found Rose waiting for her in the vendors’ lounge her expression quizzical. “Good morning. Is everything all right?”

  Katie managed a smile. “Yes. I had a quick errand to run before I got here.” Remembering Bethany Schuler’s fury caused her smile to fade, but she quickly put it back in place for Rose’s benefit. “How about you?”

  “I’m fine, but Susan Williams said she could feel that spot in the floor upstairs between her booth and Chad’s Pad give a little when she walked across it this morning,” Rose said. “I reminded Vance about it, and he said he’d get on it as soon as he can.”

  Katie nodded. “He really should have fixed it by now.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t know what to do,” Rose suggested.

  “That’s a good point. Maybe I should ask my contractor to take a look at it. I’ll speak to Vance about it.”

  While it was still on her mind, Katie took out her phone and texted Vance to ask him if the floor was something he could fix himself. She looked up from the phone and grinned at Rose. “Let’s hope that’s one less dragon to slay today.”

  “Slaying a dragon will be the least of our worries if Susan Williams falls through that floor,” Rose said. “I don’t know which she’d do first—kill you or sue you.”

  “Don’t remind me. I have enough problems to worry about at this moment, remember?”

  Rose patted Katie’s shoulder. “Sorry. But, like you said, you’ve done all you can about the floor for now. And Susan knows about it, so she should avoid it. Oh, hey, do you want me to go ask Moonbeam if Susan is going to fall through the floor?”

  Although she knew Rose was serious and meant well, Katie burst out laughing. “Please don’t. Let it be a surprise.” She liked Moonbeam as much as her friend did, but Rose was starting to rely too heavily on the woman’s prognostications.

  “My main concern is a customer who might trip or fall because of it. I need to get a sign up or block it some other way. Maybe a piece of plywood with duct tape holding it down as a stopgap.

  “Good idea,” Rose agreed. “I better get back to work,” she said and headed back to her cash desk.

  After settling in at her desk, Katie pulled up her agenda for the day to decide what she should do next, idly wondering how soon Vance would get back to her about the floor. Hopefully, he could fix it.

  Before she could determine which task to tackle next, there came a brief knock before Andy strolled into her office with a picnic basket.

  “Hey, there, Sunshine.”

  “Andy, I—”

  He raised a hand. “Let me explain. Please.”

  She sighed as she looked at his handsome face, still marred with a purple bruise along his jawline.

  “We owe it to ourselves to say all the things we need to say,” he said. “We might never get the chance again. So, what do you say? Will you take a walk with me down by the lake and have an early picnic lunch?”

  He was right. They might never have another chance to get closure. She’d never had it with Chad. In fact, the two of them were trying to reconcile when he’d crashed his car into a tree and died. Katie couldn’t turn her back on establishing closure with Andy.

  “Okay.” She pushed back from the desk, stood, grabbed her purse, and followed him out of the office, locking the door on the way out. “I should tell Rose I’m leaving.”

  “I told her,” he said.

  She gave him a look of mock indignation. “Awfully sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

  “Let’s say optimistic.” He winked. “Don’t forget, I know you well, Sunshine. I came determined to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  Sadly, good food was her Achilles heel.

  September was a fickle month. One never knew what to expect: balmy breezes or chilly rain. Andy couldn’t have picked a more beautiful day for this impromptu picnic—Katie had to give him that. The sun was shining with a light wind and a hint of honeysuckle scenting the air. Although she wished it were under happier circumstances, Katie was happy to be outside strolling toward the lake. She could tell Andy how much he’d meant to her during their two-year relationship, but she was also determined to tell him goodbye.

  Katie looked out at the sparkling water as she and Andy headed toward the picnic area. Surprisingly, quite a few boats still dotted the slips, and a catamaran and a couple of sailboats cut through the white caps out on Lake Ontario.

  “This is gorgeous,” she said. “I don’t take time to appreciate this view as often as I should.”

  “Neither do I.” He sat the picnic basket on a bench. “We often take things for granted that we certainly shouldn’t.”

  She wasn’t about to fall into that openi
ng. The only thing she was referencing taking for granted was the beautiful view.

  Andy opened the picnic basket and removed a blue cloth that he spread over the table. Then he took out a bottle of Chardonnay, a corkscrew, and two glasses.

  “It’s a little early in the day for wine, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Since we both have to go back to work, we’ll only have one glass each. I promise.” He opened the wine and poured, then he gingerly retrieved a chicken pasta salad, a fruit platter, two plates, some silverware, and placed them on the table, along with a couple of paper napkins.

  “Wow. I’m impressed,” Katie said, taking a seat.

  Grinning, he asked, “Did you forget I can make more than pizza, calzones, and cinnamon buns?”

  “No,” she said. “I didn’t forget.”

  They ate their lunch, admiring the scenery, and making somewhat awkward, innocuous conversation. Katie had a feeling that once their meal was finished, Andy would reveal the real purpose behind this impromptu picnic, and she also thought she knew in what direction his line of thinking might go.

  So be it. She already had an answer.

  Once Andy had packed everything back into the basket, he turned to her and spread his arms. “Come here.”

  Katie hesitated.

  “Please. Just let me hold you.”

  She got up from the table and stepped into his embrace. It felt good to wrap her arms around his waist one last time and press her cheek to the hardness of his chest. Memories flooded her, and she inhaled his spicy scent. Tears pricked her eyes.

  “Oh, Katie, I’ve missed you.” He tried to tilt her face up to him, but she resisted.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  “I love you. And you still love me. I know you do. You don’t just turn your feelings off.”

  “I do love you. But you deceived me, Andy.” She stepped back. “You know my marriage to Chad ended because of his betrayal. I told you when we first started dating that I’d never be with a man I couldn’t trust.”