by Sharon Pape
“Have you considered the ramifications of them coming here?” He clearly hadn’t, or he wouldn’t be looking so pleased with himself.
“I’m not sure what you mean. Sooner or later they’ll have to learn about your special…talents.”
“Yes, but maybe little by little would be better than a sudden total immersion. It would be like throwing them into the water with alligators, before telling them these alligators are vegetarian and friendly. How strong are their hearts?”
He laughed. “Strong enough.”
“My shop alone will be a surprise. Even though your mom sent you to Abracadabra to buy some products for her, it doesn’t look anything like a beauty counter at the mall.
His smile drooped. “Right—I forgot about that.”
“Then there’s the often unpredictable Tilly, and let’s not forget the inimitable Merlin, who could accidentally turn your parents into any number of creatures both real and mythical. I think that would flap your unflappable mother.”
Travis didn’t have an immediate response, but trying to find his way around Buffalo might have had something to do with it. The navigation system was telling him to go straight, but the street we were on was a dead end. He turned off the insistent voice and tried the app on his phone. Fortunately, it recognized the problem and rerouted us. We had a limited time with Liam. We didn’t want to spend it lost on the streets of Buffalo.
We found the pizzeria with two minutes to spare, but there was the issue of where to leave the car. Travis saw someone pulling out of a spot on the next block. He gunned the engine, made it through the intersection on a yellow light, and claimed the prize.
“I hope they have decent pizza,” he said, maneuvering into the tight spot. “I’m starving.” I was too, but I had a less critical palate, having only once tasted the ‘real stuff,’ as Travis referred to New York City pizza.
We made it to the pizzeria before Liam. The shop was old but clean. There was a counter where you could view the different pies and place your order, a refrigerated unit from which to select your beverage, and four tables for anyone who wanted to eat there. No one was at the counter or occupying the tables when we arrived. Liam ran in as we were ordering. Travis asked him what he’d like and added it to our slices along with three bottles of overpriced water.
We sat at the table in the alcove near the door for its semblance of privacy. The phone kept ringing with orders, and delivery guys were in and out. It was clear no one was interested in us or our conversation. We made it through the pleasantries with a minimum of words and took a few bites of the pizza before getting down to the business of our meeting. “What can you tell us about Ava that might give us a clue about why someone would want to kill her?” Travis asked.
Liam took a minute to finish chewing. “She was a good person and she thought everyone else was good and kind and honest.”
I washed the pizza down with water. “You mean she was naive?”
“Sort of, but she had street smarts and business smarts. Trusting the wrong people was her one blind spot.” He sighed, shook his head and bit off another piece from his slice.
“Do you know of anyone in particular who betrayed her trust?” Travis asked. “A boyfriend maybe?”
“Yeah, there was a boyfriend Brock… damn, what was his last name?” Liam took a swig of water and swirled it around in his mouth as he tried to remember. “Davenport—that’s it—Brock Davenport. My dad asked Ava how she could trust a guy with a movie star name. She got pretty mad at him. You have to know my dad. He’s a kidder. Ava knew that, but his teasing got under her skin anyway.”
I put down my pizza. It was difficult to eat and interview someone at the same time. For the present, having my questions answered took priority. “When did Ava and Brock break up?”
“About a year ago, before she started the new job in Watkins Glen.”
“Do you know what caused the break up?”
“She said he was too controlling and temperamental. Personally, I didn’t like him from the get-go.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“I could never put my finger on it. Maybe it was his swagger. He had a way of making you feel—small. I don’t know if that’s the right word for it.”
Travis dropped the last third of his pizza onto the paper plate and threw his napkin on top of it. “Do you happen to have his address?”
Liam shook his head. “Just his cell phone. Do you want it?” Travis and I said yes in unison. In less than a minute, Liam found it on his phone and texted it to us.
I picked up my pizza and took a nibble, but it had cooled too much. I dropped it back on the plate and pushed it away. “How did Brock take it?”
“How would I know? It’s not like the guy confides in me.”
Travis knew where I was going and hopped aboard. “Did he keep calling, beg her to take him back?”
“Yeah, he wouldn’t let her be. He made all kinds of promises to change.”
“Change?” Travis pounced on his answer. “In what ways?” I knew what he was thinking. If the behavior Brock promised to change rose to the level of physical abuse, it could be a little hop, skip and jump to murder.
Liam chased down his last bite with water and shrugged. “To be a better boyfriend, I guess. I don’t know much about what irritates women, or maybe I’d have a woman in my life.”
“We need to know exactly what he promised to change.” Travis wasn’t letting up now that he had the scent of information. “Liam, think! This is important!” His voice remained low, but his tone made it seem like he was yelling. He was forgetting his manners and he couldn’t afford to do that. Manners were important when you didn’t have the clout of a detective’s badge.
Liam sat back in his chair, as if he were trying to distance himself from Travis. We could lose him. I tried to catch Travis’s eye to warn him, but his focus was so tight on Liam that he might as well have been wearing blinders. When he got no response, he tried a different tack, like a sailor trying to catch the wind. “Did Ava tell you what final straw made her break it off with Brock?”
“I don’t know man,” the accountant replied with some attitude of his own. “Why don’t you ask my mom when you see her. I’m sure she knows more about Ava’s personal life than I did.”
I had to dial things back if I wanted to keep the dialogue alive. I hadn’t made the trip up there to let Travis blow it. “Liam,” I said in a conversational tone, “do you know if Davenport was ever abusive to your sister?”
Liam shifted his gaze to me. “I never saw any signs of physical abuse, but I suppose it could have been covered by her clothing.”
“After the breakup, do you think it’s possible Brock was stalking your sister?”
Liam seemed to relax talking to me. He was no longer plastered to the back of his chair.” Ava never used that word, but maybe she didn’t want to scare us. I know for sure she was really happy to be moving.” There was a long pause before he said, “You think Davenport is the one who killed her.” He said it as if he’d finally put two and two together. It made me wonder how good he was at accounting.
Travis realized he’d gone off course. When he opened his mouth again, he was more cordial. “It’s far too early in our investigation to say for sure. You’d be surprised how often things change as more information becomes available. Every suspect seems the most likely until you learn more about the next one.”
Liam glanced at his watch, but I didn’t want him to leave yet. We needed to know more about Ava. “Did your sister get along with everyone or did she sometimes rub people the wrong way?” I asked to draw his attention away from the time.
“I think most people liked her, but she could be opinionated and stubborn.”
“Do you know if she considered anyone an enemy?”
Liam got to his feet. “Not offhand. Sorry—I’ve got to get back to wor
k.” Short of tying him to the chair, I had no way to keep him there. We thanked him for his time and his help.
What I needed was a hot slice of pizza. Back in college, I was the only one in the dorm who didn’t like eating cold pizza from the mini fridge. But it was far from the only thing that set me apart. Travis ordered a slice for me and a second one for himself. We sat at the table eating and rehashing the interview. He apologized for going off the rails. “I thought Liam was holding back and that a push might help. I was wrong—about pushing—but I still think he knows more than he’s saying.”
“When we talk to his parents later, they might give us a clearer picture of Ava and Brock.” I was sitting opposite him now and I locked my eyes on his. “You seriously cannot go at them the same way you did with Liam. They’re still in a state of shock and they’re grieving.”
Travis put his right hand over his heart. “I promise to be the quintessential gentleman. You may have to poke me to be sure I’m breathing.”
Chapter 14
We had a four o’clock meeting with Valerie and Teddy Duncan in their home. Liam had worked out the details for us. According to him, they hadn’t required any coaxing. As lost as they were, they were determined to seek justice for their daughter.
We found our way out of Buffalo and over to Williamsville with no trouble. After checking into the same hotel where we’d stayed for Ava’s wake, we killed some time walking through the park across the street. I was too nervous about the meeting to enjoy the weather. I was worried the interview might exacerbate their pain and equally worried that Travis might forget his pledge in the heat of the moment. I gave myself a pep talk. I’d never acted inappropriately in the past, unless you counted my first time at a funeral at the tender age of six, when I told the family that their deceased grandmother looked nicer dead than she had alive. At the time, I thought I was paying them a compliment. As for Travis, I’d never heard him question anyone as aggressively as he had Liam, but he’d seemed properly chastened afterward. I had every reason to believe it wouldn’t happen again.
Based on the tightening knot in my stomach as the afternoon progressed, the pep talk wasn’t working. I’d noticed that men could shake off uncomfortable feelings more easily than women. For men what was done, was done. Time to move on—Sorry, my bad. What’s for dinner? For women, misgivings lingered like a never-ending cough after a bout of pneumonia. Four o’clock found us at the Duncans’ door. Valerie invited us inside. Her eyes were no longer red and swollen. The grief had burrowed under the surface. She’d applied some mascara and eyeliner that only succeeded in making her look severe rather than sad. Since we’d last seen her, she’d had her hair done at a salon and fixed in place with so much hairspray it reminded me of a shirt that was stiff from too much starch. I imagined it would slice into my finger if I touched it.
We followed her into the kitchen, which was clean, but showing its age. Teddy was installed at the round table in the dinette, which was covered in a green vinyl tablecloth and set with cups, dessert plates, utensils and napkins. He rose to shake our hands and thank us for our efforts to find Ava’s killer. He tried to summon up a smile, but it wouldn’t stick. Valerie asked us to sit and offered us coffee. I’d smelled it brewing when I walked in and I could see the full carafe sitting in the old Mr. Coffee machine on the Formica counter. Since she’d gone to the trouble of making it, I didn’t feel right declining. I should have told Liam to make sure his mom didn’t fuss for us. But Tilly would have reminded me that sometimes social conventions helped get you through the day when nothing else could.
Valerie poured the coffee into our cups, then disappeared into the small pantry and returned with a variety box of donuts that she opened and put on the table near Travis and me. “Please help yourselves. They’re store-bought, but very good.”
They looked good. Teddy reached across the table to pluck a donut covered with powdered sugar. That broke the ice. Travis took a chocolate one, and I caved, going for a sugary one. Valerie was the only holdout.
Travis took out his pad and pen. In deference to the tragic circumstances, we’d decided not to record the conversation. We would do our best to respect their privacy. Not an easy feat given the circumstances.
“Please let us know if you need to take a break,” I said before I asked my first question. They both bobbed their heads. “To the best of your knowledge, did Ava have any enemies?”
“I can’t imagine that she did,” Valerie replied. The question seemed to have taken her by surprise. She glanced at her husband for corroboration.
“No—no way,” Teddy sputtered with a little spray of powdered sugar. “Everyone loved her.”
Travis had some chocolate on his chin. I didn’t want to reach over and wipe it like a mother would. Instead I offered him my napkin and motioned to my chin. Hardly subtle when we were sitting in such close proximity to the Duncans. He got the message and wiped it away without missing a beat. “What about her ex—Brock Davenport?”
“Oh yeah,” Teddy said, “the guy with the Hollywood name. He acts in local theater. He’s absolutely sure he’ll get discovered any day now. Meanwhile he waits tables. I can’t understand what a girl like Ava saw in him.”
I sipped my coffee and wiped my mouth, in case I had a ring of sugar around it. “Did he harass her after they split?”
“I was worried about that,” Valerie said, “but when I asked her, she claimed he took it in stride. ‘Just a blip in his day,’ is how she put it.” So Ava had confided in her brother more than in her parents—at least when it came to Brock. Either she didn’t want to worry them or she didn’t want to hear I told you so from her dad.
“Can you give us the name of the company where she was working?” Travis asked. It had been on our list of questions for Liam, but he’d bolted before we could get to it.
“Monroe Enterprises,” Teddy said. “According to Ava, they do research and development involving large magnets.”
“We don’t really know what they’re working on,” Valerie said. “Ava wasn’t part of the science staff. She worked in the business office where she was head of accounting—directly under the business supervisor. Numbers were always her thing.” I could hear the uptick of pride in Valerie’s voice for a moment before it dropped like a stone under the weight of her new reality.
“I’ve read that most murder victims are killed by someone they know,” Teddy said in the silence that followed. “Does that mean the cops and you guys talk to everyone Ava knew before you go looking at strangers?”
“We do, as a general rule,” I said, “but I can’t speak for the police.” I’d always thought it had to be worse to know your assailant, but maybe it was worse to die just because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time—nothing more than a big old cosmic mistake.
Valerie drew her arms across her chest and shuddered. “Murder, no matter who commits it or why, is horrible…it’s horrible.”
“Was Ava happy at her new job?” Travis asked. I was glad he was sticking with the less emotional topic of her employment.
“She seemed to be.” As Valerie spoke, her arms relaxed, and her hands came to rest in her lap. “She’d made new friends. One of her coworkers, a girl named Angie, lived in the same building she did. They car pooled to work most days.” A smile tweaked at her lips. “She told us about this adorable little town of New Camel. She wanted us to come visit for a weekend so she could show us around her new world.” Valerie’s smile vanished and tears welled up in her eyes. So much for safer topics. I suspected there wouldn’t be any for a long time.
“You probably misunderstood her,” Teddy said. “The town must be New Carmel. Who would name a town after a camel?”
“It was New Camel,” Valerie insisted. “My hearing is just fine, thank you.”
“It actually is New Camel.” Travis piped up, before it became a full-blown argument.
“I stand correct
ed.” Teddy sounded miffed. Travis and I looked at each other. Time to get out of Dodge, before we created more tension for the couple. I wished I could ring a bell and tell them to go to their corners and cool off, but the best thing we could do was leave and let them find their equilibrium in their own way. We thanked them for their time and hospitality and asked them to call us if they thought of anyone who had a reason to kill their daughter.
“I doubt Duggan would have left,” Travis said on the drive back to the hotel.
“He probably would have stayed and used their anger to find out if either one was hiding anything. Are you second guessing our leaving?”
“No, but being unwilling to press people who are in distress has kind of been my Achilles’ heel as a journalist too. I sometimes wonder if it’s the reason I haven’t gotten further in my career.” So that was the reason he’d been uncharacteristically hard on Liam. He was trying to push the envelope. For better or worse, Liam’s reaction had brought that experiment to a close for now.
“But could you have lived with yourself after intentionally causing someone more misery?”
Travis stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the road as if he was afraid to look at me. “To be honest, I don’t know.”
“That’s okay,” I said, “because I do.”
Chapter 15
“Am I glad to see you,” Tilly said when I walked into my shop. She’d never greeted me like that after I returned from a trip. In fact, she was the least likely person I knew to throw guilt around that way. I immediately checked the tufted window ledge and was relieved to find Sashkatu ensconced there, regarding me with sleepy eyes that said, You’re home. Very nice. Just keep it down.
I wheeled my overnight bag against the counter so it wouldn’t trip anyone who came into the shop. “What’s wrong, Aunt Tilly?” I met her as she came from behind the counter, looking lovely in her new flowered spring muumuu. I had to wade through a lot of frothy layers to hug her properly. “Are you all right? Is Merlin?”