Just as the sidewalk starts to get steep, my phone rings. My heart leaps in the hope that it’s Stella. But the screen shows it’s The Blue Hippo. Hopefully, Nat’s returning my call.
I poke the green button. “This is Sawyer.”
“Hey. It’s Nat. I’ll ping my contact info when I get a lull. I can look at your pictures after I get off work.”
“Thanks, Nat. I appreciate it!”
“No worries. But since you’re a chef and do catering events, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Would you be able to cater my parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary a week from Friday? The lady I hired flaked out this afternoon, and I can’t find anyone else who’s free on such short notice.”
I might have to enlist Madge’s and Renee’s help, but I’m sure I can do it. Especially because now I need the money more than ever. “Send me the menus you’d decided on, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Nat sighs. “Thanks, Sawyer. I really want to make this a nice surprise for our parents. I feel like fate brought you in today.”
More like murder. “I’ll do my best to make it happen. I look forward to seeing the menus.”
After I disconnect, I trudge up the hill to my front porch. My new pal Charlie has worked hard to bring it back to its original glory. As I rub my hand along the smooth railing, I wish my mom could’ve seen how nice it looks. She would have loved it. It would have been nice to see the rest of the old Victorian house restored to this level too. But that’s out of the realm of possibility for me now.
Cooper’s barking from inside breaks my little love spell with my new porch, and I unlock the front door. Not in the mood to cook for myself, but hoping Meg and Dad return soon, I’ll dig through my fridge and pantry to see what I can come up with.
I lean down to pet my dog. “Hi, Coop. Did you make friends with Deputy Ben?”
Cooper rolls on his back for some love. My dog would never make a good guard dog, but he’d be a fantastic B and B host. He thinks everyone is his friend.
After we’ve had enough of a hello, I head back to the kitchen and hit the lights. Pasta sounds like a fast and easy solution for tonight.
My phone dings with Nat’s contact info, so I add it and then forward the golf course photos. I hope Nat finds a match so at least one mystery is solved. Beth said Tina’s death was murder, and it had to do with jealousy and an affair, so I hope I’m on the right track. But if Beth’s wrong, I could be headed for a dead end.
Dylan was looking at my uncle’s recent golf course actions, so maybe Frank is still the number one suspect and not my father. But now that I know Aunt Carol knows about the affair between Frank and Tina, should we add my aunt to the suspect list? Could she have been so jealous she killed Tina?
No. My aunt wasn’t even at the talent show. Besides, she can’t even smash a bug, much less hurt a person.
In any event, it’d be good to check Pattie off the suspect list if possible. But her extreme reaction to having a secret boyfriend keeps my curiosity brewing.
My hunt inside the fridge reveals lots of veggies I need to use before they go bad, so pasta primavera it is.
I get the salted water in a pot and then start sautéing the veggies when my sister walks through the door. Over my shoulder, I say, “Hi. Where’s Dad?”
Meg slips into the nook and groans. “Ben’s still drilling him with questions. He said I should go home because it could be a while.”
“Did you ask Dad what was in the little white envelope?” I grate the parmesan cheese into a pile.
Meg sits up. “Dad said he thought the box was empty. He has no idea.”
“Great.” I grab a bottle of wine and set it in front of Meg. Looks like we’re going to need it. “So now we wait until they figure out what was in there too.”
“Looks that way.” Meg grabs the opener and pops out the cork. “Have you heard from Brittany yet? Dylan filled us in.”
“No. I’m going to give it about ten more minutes, and then I’m officially going to panic.”
My sister sets a glass of wine beside the stove for me as she peeks over my shoulder. “I’ll join you in the panic. That smells good. What is it?”
“Pasta primavera.”
“Oh, good. I love Italian.” Meg takes her place in the nook again.
“Fun fact. It’s actually American. A New York restaurant first served it. The dish was such a hit, the recipe was published in the New York Times. That’s how it became popular. But it was made with cream cheese in its original state. I’m going to be making the healthier version with parmesan in deference to your arteries. You’re welcome.”
My sister lets out a long snore.
“Hey!” I throw a towel at her head. “I’m not rude when you talk about your work.”
Meg laughs. “No, you just turn green and try not to pass out.”
Absolutely true.
I’m trying to think of a witty comeback when my phone rings. Wiping my hands on the towel at my waist first, I snatch my phone from the countertop. “It’s Stella.”
“Thank goodness.” Meg hops up and leans her head next to mine so she can hear too.
“Hi, Stella.” I hit the speaker button and set the phone down. “Thanks for returning my call. Meg is on speaker with me.”
“It’s me,” Brittany says. “Sorry for the scare. I’m fine.”
Relief loosens my tight chest. But she doesn’t sound fine. She sounds stressed. “Dylan found your phone outside. Do you want me to send it to you tomorrow?”
“No.” Brittany clears her throat like she’s choked up. “Mica said he’d buy me a new one tonight. Mine’s pretty old, so that’ll be cool.”
Meg and I exchange glances. Brittany’s tone is so flat when she should be stoked about the latest phone.
Meg says, “Are you sure you’re okay, sweetheart?”
“Yeah. Really. I’m fine. It’s just…a lot.”
“I know.” Meg nods as if Brittany can see her. “That’s why if you look way down at the bottom of your backpack, you’ll find your favorite candy bar, pictures of all our ugly mugs so you won’t forget us, and a preloaded credit card only to be used to come back here. Whenever you like.”
“Really?” Brittany’s voice rises three octaves. “That’s so nice of you guys.”
“I di—” I start to say it was all Meg, but my sister shakes her head. So, instead, I say, “I didn’t realize how quiet it can be around here without you. So, use that card soon, okay?”
Brittany hesitates for a moment, then says, “Maybe around Christmas?”
“That’d be great.” I was hoping for Thanksgiving, but I’ll take what I can get.
“Okay. Well, I should probably go. Mom’s heating up something frozen for dinner. She’s still no cook. I’m really going to miss your amazing food, Sawyer.”
A lump is growing in my throat. “And I’m already missing my sous chef, Brit. Maybe you can show your mom your new culinary talents. I know she’ll be as proud of you as we are.”
A tear drips down Meg’s cheek, which isn’t helping me hold my stuff together.
Brittany says softly, “Thanks. Talk to you guys soon. Love you.” She quickly disconnects the call.
Meg sucks in a deep breath as she slowly makes her way back to the nook. “Did we do the right thing? She seemed so unhappy.”
“This was your idea, Miz Let-Her-Make-Her-Own-Mistakes. You should be giving me a pep talk about now, not the other way around.” I go to the stove and dump the drained noodles into the veggies. “But good work on the backpack stuff. That was a nice mom touch I wouldn’t have thought of.”
Meg waves a hand. “I had to do something to make her love me more than you.”
“What?” I’m about to tell my sister off when she grins at me. “Oh. You’re kidding. Jerk.”
My sister laughs. “Brittany’s never looked at anyone the way she looks at you. You’re her hero and always will be. You saved her, Sawyer. And she knows
it.”
“I didn’t do anything.” I dump the cheese into the pan and shake it to mix everything up. “You and Mom cooked this up with Renee’s and Dylan’s help. I was just the dupe in this scenario.”
“Granted, we should have told you about Brittany.” Meg stands and gets two plates out of the cupboard. “But Mom worried you’d leave right away once you saw Dylan again. This way, you stayed and gave him a chance to show you he’d changed.” Meg sets the plates next to the stove. “Brittany was here for months before you arrived, you know. She only came alive once you showed up.”
“Renee told me the same thing.” I dump dinner on my plate, then my sister’s without any care to presentation for the first time in my life. “Maybe I’m just mad right now because you guys made me fall in love with that kid, and now I’m always going to worry about her.”
“Welcome to motherhood.” Meg runs a hand up and down my back. “But I still think she’ll be back.”
I close my eyes and whisper, “What if she stays away?”
Meg kisses my cheek. “Then you did a better job than you’ll ever know.”
It doesn’t feel like I’ve done a good job. It feels like I just let Brittany make a colossal mistake. And if anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.
I’ve just put the last glasses in the dishwasher when my dad’s voice bellows, “Anyone home?”
Finally, he’s back. Obviously not arrested. Yet. “I’m in the kitchen, Dad.”
The door swings open, and my father strolls in. “What a day.” He drops into the nook. “Got anything to eat around here?”
“Yep.” Withholding a sigh, I head back to the fridge and pull out all the leftovers I just packed away. Typically, I’d reheat everything in the oven or the stovetop, but after the day I’ve had, I’m using the darned microwave. Hopefully, my chef’s apron won’t be revoked.
When the machine beeps, I take out my dad’s plate and sit across from him. Sliding it over with a glass of wine, I ask, “So? What was in the little white envelope?”
“Weird story, actually.” My dad digs into his pasta like a starving wolf.
Of course, it’s a weird story. With my father, there are no others. “I’m on pins and needles here.”
My dad nods as he chews. Then he takes another bite. I might explode if he doesn’t get on with it and tell me what the heck is going on.
Finally, Dad sets down his fork and then takes a long drink from his wineglass. After he’s wiped his mouth on his napkin, he says, “Do you remember when I was having those headaches a few years back? And terrible chest pains?”
I nod. “Meg said you had anxiety. So?”
“Well, she gave me some pills to take when my heart would start racing. I took one or two doses, and like magic, all my symptoms…” Dad makes his fork disappear up his sleeve. “Your sister is a magician in her own right, you know.”
“Clearly.” I want to laugh at his theatrics but restrain myself. He’s still a suspect in a murder case. “So the remaining pills were in that little white envelope.”
“Yep. I completely forgot they were there. Don’t carry extra cash as much anymore in this world of plastic we live in, so they must’ve settled in the bottom never to be seen again.”
More like my dad never has any cash anymore, so he’d have no reason to look in the box, but I’ll bite my tongue. “Could whatever Meg gave you have made Tina have the symptoms she had before she died?” I’m not going to beat around the bush anymore. We need to get my dad off the suspect list.
Dad lifts his hands. “I have no idea.”
I go to the bottom of the stairs and call out, “Meg? Can you come to the kitchen, please?” She’d gotten a medical emergency call earlier and went upstairs to take it.
“In a sec,” Meg replies.
I go back to the nook and sit down again. “Can I ask you a question about your lunch with Tina?”
“Only if I can have some of those amazing cookies I can’t seem to find.”
Sighing, I stand and go to the pantry. I hide the mint chocolate cookies because they’re Brittany’s favorites, and he eats them all. I guess he can have them all now. It makes me sad.
“Help yourself to the rest.” I slide the half-full package across the table. “Do you remember who else was at the diner when you guys had lunch?” I’ve been thinking more and more about Aunt Carol. I still don’t think she could have hurt anyone, but it’d be best to know for sure.
My dad’s eyes light up at the prospect of the rest of the box. “Whom are we looking for? It might be easier for me to answer with the subject in mind.”
“I don’t want to taint your memory. It’s someone related to me, though.”
My dad’s forehead crunches as he munches. “Male or female?”
“Dad, how many relatives do I have? Come on.”
“Right. Excellent point.” He grabs another cookie as he contemplates. “Let’s see. Nope. No one related to you. Just some kids, a few families, and wait. Frank was there. I like to forget you’re related to that bozo.”
“Frank was there, huh? Aunt Carol wasn’t with him?” This is interesting, seeing how Frank was dating Tina, who was eating lunch with my father. Maybe Frank was the jealous one.
Dad shakes his head. “Nope. Just Frank. He sat at the counter, glaring like he always does. Why?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m just glad I’m not posting bail for you tonight.”
My sister joins us and grabs a cookie. “Hi, Dad. Glad you’re back. What’s up?”
I say, “Seems the pills you gave Dad for his anxiety were in the puzzle box. Could those have killed Tina given the way she died?”
A slow grin builds on Meg’s face. “No more than this cookie could have.”
My dad frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“They were a placebo, Dad. Sugar pills.” She taps on his forehead. “Your anxiety was all up here. And if I recall, it never came back after I gave you a credit card.” Meg steals another cookie from the pack.
Chuckling, my dad says, “I should probably be upset by that, but seeing how I’m in the middle of a sugar high at the moment, I won’t be.”
“The placebo is the best news I’ve heard all day.” My phone dings on the counter, so I stand to retrieve it. The screen shows it’s Nat. I open the text and am surprised at who she identified as Pattie’s secret lover. It’s Joe Kingsley. Emily the flower-swapping judge’s husband. This can’t be a coincidence.
Can it?
Chapter 14
I need to tell Madge that it’s Emily’s husband, Joe Kingsley, whom Pattie had been seeing, so I take my phone with me to the front porch and dial. When Madge answers, I fill her in on Brittany and the affair.
Madge grunts. “What a hypocrite. Joe Kingsley is the first to preach to all the shop owners how important it is to follow the rules and be good citizens. What about being a good husband?”
No kidding. “But do you think it could have anything to do with Tina’s death? Emily wouldn’t have any reason to hurt Tina. Now, Pattie, that would have been a different story.”
“Right.” Madge is quiet for a few moments. “The only thing anyone saw Emily do was swap the color of roses, right? Because she liked the purple ones? Which has nothing to do with Tina.”
“Yeah. Frank came along and switched it one more time, so things ended up the way they did. Besides, how would someone hurt anyone with roses?”
“True.” Madge hums in agreement. “I can’t see any connection with Emily. But speaking of affairs, have you talked to your Aunt Carol yet?”
I sit on the porch swing and give a kick to set it in motion. “Didn’t have to. Turns out Woo-Woo Beth told her. But don’t spread that around and ruin my aunt’s element of surprise when she sticks it to my uncle.”
Madge laughs. “That is one secret I’m happy to keep. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see Frank’s face when he finds out Carol beat him to the punch.” Madge stops laughing. “But
wait. If Carol knows, that gives her motive, doesn’t it?”
I wasn’t going to say anything about that, but Madge is astute. “She wasn’t at the talent show or the diner. I asked my dad.”
“I think Dylan should know, though, don’t you?”
“I guess.” I wanted to avoid that, but it’s probably the right thing to do. “Tell him to talk to Beth to confirm.”
“Will do. I’ll call him now. You doing okay? You sound sad.”
I am sad. “I’m okay. I’ll be better when my dad’s off the suspect list.”
“Gotcha. We’ll keep working on that. Talk soon.”
“Bye.” I disconnect and close my eyes. It’s been a long day.
“Hey, stranger,” Renee’s voice calls out.
I open my eyes and force a smile. “Hey, back. What’s up?” I pat the seat next to me on the swing.
Renee sits and hands me a hot fudge sundae. “Heard you’re having a bad day.”
I nod as I accept the treat. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Renee sighs. “I overheard Gage and your uncle yelling on the phone. Gage called him a few choice names.”
“Good for Gage.” I take a bite of the warm fudge and cool vanilla ice cream. The joyful flavors make me moan with pleasure. After a moment of bliss, I add, “But I doubt it’ll help. Uncle Frank has no conscience.”
“Apparently not. If you need a place to stay, my guest room is all yours.”
The phone call must’ve been worse than I think. “Am I getting kicked out right away?”
Renee cringes. “When I left, Gage was trying to get you ten days.”
“Ten days?” I sit up and set my treat down. “Geez. That’ll be right before Thanksgiving!”
“That’s what Gage said. Your uncle said it was better than right before Christmas.”
The man has no heart. I’d hoped I could at least keep the house I grew up in. “I appreciate the offer, but you and Gage need your space. I’ll figure something out.” What, I’m not sure. I don’t want to intrude on their new relationship.
Bound To Be Dead: Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 3 Page 15